Need a poker name

Won my first poker tourney in a casino today, really just a card room up the street from where I live. Beat about 30 strangers for the money. Lots o' fun. But nowI'm thinking about becoming a pro, so I need a poker name. Like the una-bomber, or the master. Maybe I could call myself something like Lucky Larry, or perhaps something that ends in "ator". I dunno.

day 3 and other stuff

Wonder of all wonders, my kid passed the test.  It was a very near thing.  She did not pass with "flying colors."  The good news is that she can't get the actual license for another 30 days or so.

Much to my chagrin, I have been doing the Atkins diet thingy for a little over a week now and the damn thing works.  But, oh my, does it suck.  Every night at about 7pm, I get the overwhelming urge for ice cream or some salty high carb treat.  It's nuts.  I find myself eating a 1/4 lb of turkey-bacon as a snack!  It does not satisfy. 

big day number 2

Yesterday, we showed the lab we've been building to some muckety-mucks within our client's organization.

Today, my 16 yr old takes her driving test.  The practical.  YIKES!!!

Tomorrow, we demo the lab for the decision makers for our client.  I have high hopes we will be extended.

3 big days in a row.

Pressure

Demo day approaches in the office.  Bosses get nervous, pressure increases.  tick-tick-tick...

Harris Ford adventure: (per viewer request)

 1 ½ years ago:  Purchased new Ford Ranger.  Used Ford financing.  When dealing with the purchasing agent (after 10pm I might add) I declined the service package.  At this point the finance person lowered the interest rate to get me to purchase the service plan for the same money.  It was late, I was tired, I bought the service plan.  (I do like the service plan, I pay for no maintenance at this point)

3 months ago: Purchased a used Kia Sephia for my kid from this same dealership.  Different sales person.  Was right price, kid liked it.  Again took FOREVER to do the paperwork after the deal was struck.

Last week:  Got a call from the dealership, “Would you sell the car you bought, if you could make a profit?”  I said, “sure.”  So we made an appointment for me to come in with the car and get an appraisal from the dealership.

Saturday: At the dealership, yet another salesperson (why so much turnover?) begins by asking my why I want “to trade in this car?”  “I don’t want to trade in this car, you offered me a profit!”  Really what they offered was an appraisal of the vehicle, which I bought from them 3 months ago and has only 800 more miles on it since my kid has been learning to drive with it.  So now, out comes the sales manager, Paul.  Paul shows me the Kelly Blue Book listing for the car, printed out from an online service!  Of course the BB listing show the car being worth about ¾ of what I paid for it.  This incenses my wife.  The sales people act as if they know nothing about this car, although they had to pull their records to even call me.  They don’t seem to recognize that I have done a ton of business with these folks over the last 4 years.  I owned a 1990 Mustang prior to my truck and used them for all my service on it.  I bought my truck from them.  I bought my kid’s car from them.  I never did get an appraisal from the dealership.  And now, they use this “cheesy” method to get me back to the dealership and try to sell me a new car.  Far from illegal, I suppose I should have known better, but I will not buy my next car from them.

Pleasant Sunday

Got my hair cut today.  I win.

I was gonna write about my experience at Harris Ford, but I'm not.  I wrote aout 2 paragraphs and decided that the story sounded lame.  I'm done buying from Harris Ford. 

Long week ahead.

To Halle Berry: mow my damn lawn!

Obviously, I saw Catwoman today.  Wow.  All the bad press is unfortunately deserved.  I don't want to blame the actors. Halle was brilliant in Monster's Ball.  But man this movie has some really bad dialog, but makes up for it with a nonexistent plot.  Halfway thru this move my wife and I could not care what would happen next. 

Halle looked great, but that's just NOT enough (see Swordfish). 

I did see a good movie this weekend, "Bubba Ho-Tep". 

Bourne Supreme

Saw Bourne yesterday.  Really liked it.  Matt Damon is as good in the role as the reviewers said.  He really does make a cold hearted assassin seem sympathetic.  A friend af mine, a former government trained killer, says that there is one terribly wrong scene in the movie.  I guess you can't please everyone.

Prolly have-ta (don't want-ta, have-ta) go see catwoman today.  Not looking forward to it at all.  But, it should "beat the heat" for a couple o' hours.

Also, got the strangest call from the dealership from which I bought my kid's car.  They want to re-appraise the vehicle and maybe re-purchase it. Hmmmm...

 

It's hot!

It's 85 and no air conditioning at my pad.  My wife loves to run the fan, the problem is neither one of us dusts, so,  "Hello sinus infection!" 

I'm doing the adkins diet thing, this is day 3, and I don't know that I can take it.  I want my spaghetti!  I haven't lost any real weight yet,  but I am a little extra cranky.  For example, I got into an argument with my wife this AM about whether it was Wednesday or Thursday!  BTW I was wrong, it was Thursday. 

11 more days of hell.  I'm counting it down.

Cartoon Funk!

I think I'm gonna go see Bourne first this weekend.  If only because I think Catwoman will be the more popular film.  They showed "Catwoman" on biography tonight (isn't catwoman fictional?), and I see Tim Burton's Batman on Sci-Fi.  Hmmm.

The movie I'm most charged about is new M Night Shyamalan(sp???).  I really wanna see the village, although that open 2 weeks from now.  All this movie attendance is cutting into my gambling budget.  As former candidate Dean might say, "Gaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

 

Gearing up for the weekend

Catwoman and Bourne Supremacy open this weekend (I think).  Which to see first?  Catwoman?  You know, Halle is a bad girl.  I like that!  On the other hand, my wife likes Jason Bourne.  Decisions decisions...

small interesting tidbits

I've decided that actually reading the news stories is overrated.  I'm sticking with headlines only from now on.
 
From cnn.com: "KFC supplier abused live chickens."  Funniest headline of the day.  Was he hoping to teach the chief of police to read?  I refuse to read the story, I will only be disappointed.
 
Also from cnn.com, there is a guitar face contest.  I get get into that.  I make great guitar face.
 
In "real" news, Linda Rondstadt was escorted out of the the casino that she was performing in after praising Michael Moore.  Again,  I disagree with Linda, but man, the casino gave her the bum's rush.  I know that the crowd is not paying for Linda's opinion and that she is unqualified to comment (she's a wealthy entertainer, what does she know again?  How to hit the hi-C?) but it is only her opinion.  Her unqualified opinion.  Don't buy her records, boo her on stage, cost her money in the free market.  The way the news has portrayed the event, it sounds as though storm trooopers came on stage and tossed her out the back door.
 
 

A quick glance at the headlines

I see where a 47 year old quadriplegic man was beaten to death in a home invasion robbery.   How repulsive, disgusting, low-rent, ridiculous can this kinda of thing get.  The man was in bed, which means that unless someone else picks him up and puts him in his wheelchair, he can't go anywhere!  He represented no threat to these animals.  Yet, he was beaten and smothered to death in his bed. 
 
This kind of thing really justifies the death penalty.  These cretins can't possibly live within the rules of our society.  They are a cancer that must be cut out in order to let the body(society) live.  These cruel thugs cannot abide by the rules we set forth and apparently have no interest in doing so. 
 
All that said, I keep hearing the line Danny Devito used in throw momma from the train.  "Meet my momma.  Maybe she's someone you'll want to kill."  I'm not sure what that means, but I am concerned for myself.

here we go again

Saw Anchorman tonite.  Funny, but REAL stupid.  Good day today, but tomorrow is Sunday at the office.  Yuck.

against my better judgement

My wife made me go and see "I, Robot" this pm.  It was much better than the reviews indicated.  That said, I wouldn't go so far to say that this was a good movie.  Will Smith is eminently watchable and the action was Tom Cruise-esque.  I don't need Will Smith mow my lawn.

5 Months

I see where Martha Stewart got 5 months for her stock "improprieties".  Is that enough time to re-do the bathroom floors in a broken glass mosaic?  Will Martha prepare her famous turkey dinner for thanksgiving for the other inmates?  Will the biggest, meanest, scariest "dyke" on the cell block make Martha her personal bitch?  Or will Martha turn the tables?
 
Inquiring minds want to know.
 
Obligatory political note.
 
I also note that Whoopi Goldberg is being punished for her ad-hominem attacks on the sitting president.  While I'm no fan of the hollywood elite, being punished for political speech (no matter how ignorant) is a frightening thing.  I disagree with Whoopi (and Michael and Barbara and Johnny and ...), I defend their right to speak their minds.  To the best of my knowledge you're still allowed to be wrong in this country.

lazy

Saw a funny article on Roger Clemens today.

Also here's a little political humor that made me laugh.

HERE'S AN ADVANCE LOOK AT THE DEMS' CONVENTION AGENDA ...


2004 Democratic National Convention -- Official Program

6:00pm - Opening flag burning ceremony.

6:05pm - Pledge of Allegiance to the United Nations

6:10pm - Secular words by Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton

6:30pm - Anti-war concert by Barbra Streisand.

6:45pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.

7:00pm - Tribute theme to France.

7:10pm - Collect offerings for al-Zawahri defense fund.

7:30pm - Tribute theme to Germany.

7:45pm - Anti-war rally moderated by Michael Moore.

8:25pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.

8:30pm - Terrorist appeasement workshop.

9:00pm - Homosexual marriage ceremony for male and female couples.

9:30pm - CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN urge defeat of President Bush.

10:00pm - Posting the Iraqi Colors by Sean Penn and Tim Robbins

10:10pm - Reenactment of Kerry's fake medal toss.

10:20pm - Cameo by Dean 'Yeeearrrrrrrg!'

10:30pm - Abortion demonstration by N.A.R.A.L.

10:40pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.

10:50pm - Special thanks to the New York Times & Washington Post.

11:00pm - Multiple homosexual marriage ceremony for threesomes and groups.

11:15PM - Maximizing Welfare workshop.

11:30pm - Saddam Legal Defense Fund pep rally.

11:50PM - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.

12:00pm - Nomination of Democratic candidate.

NEW: 5:00am - Ted Kennedy Will Conduct a Swimming and Water safety Class



Thanks Dave!

i must be tired

Really enjoying Chappelle's show. He might be the funniest comic on TV. "I'm Rick James, bitch!"

Filthy Content

Was watching George Carlin from his 1978 HBO special tonite. He answered a longstanding question for me. What are the 7 dirty words you can't say on television. Now I know. There are actually 10 of them. It's a pretty interesting list when viewed through the lens of time. Oddly enough, most of the dirty words haven't changed. Howard Stern only uses one of dirty words and not that often and he's gotta pay. In fact, the word Stern uses is on the extension list and really not all that dirty.

I suppose all this chatter about how we are a more permissive society is a bunch of bullshit. It seems to me that there are more words that you cannot use today. For example, Archie Bunker used to say, "I got not problem wit yer spic's or yer spades dere." He used to say it every Sunday night on CBS. Right after 60 Minutes. Try saying that on televison today!

Oh, the ten dirty words are the first comment. I know not everyone appreciates profanity.

sunday night

Ready for work tomorrow. Sorta can't wait.

Played in a poker tourney this am. Did the same last Sunday. This poker thing is addictive. Did better today, maybe next Sunday I can be in the money!

Spent the remainder of the day in the sun. A good day!

Goodbye Froog!

The frugal gourmet is gone. I just saw that Jeff Smith had passed away on Wednesday.

I met him, on the market in Seattle about 5 years ago. I was having lunch at one of the counters in the market and I heard a commotion. An older couple was trying to photograph him as he was moving through the crowd. He yelled to them to stop and wait. He was on one of those scooter/get-about thingys that folks use. He did not want them to photograph him that way. Instead, he got off the scooter, shook the people's hands, and spoke with them for a few minutes. He then had someone else take a photo of the group.

This, of course, interrupted my lunch. After the couple walked away, he turned to me and apologized for the disturbance. He struck me as a genuinely nice guy. Too bad about all the trouble he had late in life.

Bye Froog

4pm Saturday

In the office, what could be more fun? Here's a list:
go to the baseball game
visit the new Sci-Fi Museum
see the Aquarium
eat cheese
walk the public market
purchase tickets to a show
eat popcorn at a crappy movie
eat cheese
see a good movie
listen to your favorite record
eat cheese
go for a walk along the beach (any beach)
take a walk around the lake
play your favorite video game
eat cheese
take a nap
ride the jetski on Lake Washington
ride a motorcycle, anywhere!
take a ride along the coast
take a ride over Steven's Pass
eat cheese
play with my wife
drink beer with the neighbor
play cards (texas hold'em!)
let my kid practice driving
eat cheese
visit my dentist and talk about preventative dental care
see a civil engineer and learn about structural integrity
visit my local police station and go on a "ride along"
eat cheese


That's just a start.

tired

Another long day at work. One more long week plus this weekend. We're looking good. Now MS just needs to buy.

I'm at 7 consecutive days of running. I have gained 4 pounds. Damn diet.

Wanna go see anchorman, but my wife has no desire. She's holding out for I, Robot. Asimov has always bored me, so I'm not really looking forward to this one, but we can't miss an opportunity to see Wil Smith on openning weekend... (I just wanna sneak in some candy)

I wanna take a week off in August and go visit my folks in Ohio. I guess I gotta save some money before then.

long day

Long day today as I went in early. Amazing how much you can get done when no one else is around. Things are shaping up for our lab at the office. We should be able to leverage some follow on work, and maybe, just maybe, a bit of a bigger deal.

Note to Steve: August 12 is the drop dead date.

I've been watching "The Office" again. Damn funny stuff. I wish I was less like David Brent and more like Tony Soprano.

Work

It's going alright. We're making some real progress toward our super-snifty lab. I'll probably need to ask everyone to work this weekend. "Uhhh, yeah, i'm gonna have to ask you to come in on Saturday. We're gonna be starting at the normal time. Uhh, yeah, thanks." I can't wait.

longest work day

The longest day of work is the day after a long weekend. I am no good left to my own devices. Today was a looonnnggg day. Tomorrow will be better.

Tan!

Got sunburned on the top of my head today while sitting on the deck writing a document. Pretty whacky day off if you ask me. Didn't see any baseball yesterday or today. Hmmm...

Beginning to dread the start of the work week. This kinda sux.

End of a holiday weekend

Good fourth of July. Drank and "blew stuff up".

Trying to fix my kid's computer today. A sixteen yr old girl. Lot's of interesting links in the IE history. Maybe I shouldn't have looked. Nothing really bad, just stuff I would never surf.

Looking forward to an interesting week of work. We're building a demonstration lab to "prove" that a specific protocol is capable of controlling specific devices. This is the week to make progress. The hardware lads are working out really well so far.

Ran 4.5 miles this morning. That is the furthest I've gone in a while. I'm a little sore right now. Wotta sissy I am.

great day

Great day today. Ran this AM. Got shut out trying to renew my drivers license. Got shut out trying to retreive my package from FedEx. Spent some quality time with the neighbors drinking, eating, and blowing stuff up. Hoping for more of the same tomorrow.

nothing to report

Hmm. Vote republican. Good movies and bad. I hate hippies! Death to all those who would whimper and cry. The sun's not yellow, it's chicken! I never want to purchase another air conditioner in my life. Microsoft's MCE interface blows. I miss my family in Ohio. I wish I was just a little taller. Sex is like pizza, even terrible pizza is okay. No pressure, no diamonds. Here's the drill.

spiderman spiderman, does whatever a spider can

Saw Spidey II last night at the late show.

They re-did the local theatre in my hood and man is it nice. Big-ass seats that are way comfy. They tiered the the thing so that the tall goober in front of you cannot block your view. I think even the popcorn is better.

The movie was pretty good. Better than the first one. I thought the animation to live action was a little choppy tho. I could tell the animation from the real stuff and that's less than I expect after LOTR.

The week screeches to a halt as Friday descends upon the happy little burg of Seattle.