Stare Down

So with this post, we've now had as more posts this month (12), than the past three months combined (11).

Important? No, not really, but as a baseball fan, I like my stats, so I guess they're starting to invade my nomral routine. Maybe.

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So the bulk of the painting is done now. From here it's just touch-up work, which, of course, will take longer because I have to use the brush instead of the roller. But it's all moving along much faster than I thought, which is nice. I'm not going to set a hard finish date on this, but if I could have it done by MLK day, that'd be fantastic. And, conveniently, just in time for Godzillathon 2007.

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I don't know if I've never noticed this before, or if yesterday was the first occasion I'd had to really notice it in a long time, but eye contact can be a really powerful thing. I don't necessarily mean just looking at someone when you're talking to them. I'm talking about looking at them, like, right in their eyes. It's quite...intense.

Case in point" I had lunch with Sarah yesterday, and at one point, I decided I'd look right into her eyes as I was saying something. I don't remember what we were talking about, though it wasn't anything terribly important. But I went ahead. And it was only a few seconds, but I had to look away after a bit because it was so strong. Or maybe I didn't want to come across as staring. Or both. But it was kinda cool. It helped that she reciprocated.*

And we're going to see the Blues on Thursday. Which, given the team's current state if playing, should make for a good evening on more than one front.

At least, I hope so.

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And, if I don't post tomorrow, everyone** have a happy New Year.



Dave


*Good word, good word.

**You know, the hypothetical "everyone" that reads this.

White Out

I have $84 worth of paint somewhere in my basement right now. It's either on the wall or in a bucket. And what a bucket!

So yes, I've been painting the basement. It's going to be a long process, to be sure. First the panelling, then the stucco (God help me), then going back to touch up the tight spots, and then coming back in with a color on the trim. It's all white right now, which might look nice, but is a bit...bland. So we'll fix that eventually.

Then the ceiling, then the carpet....

This is going to take awhile.

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I don't knoww what it is about jumping, but it's strangely cathartic. I did a shoot for the Journal on Wednesday and went to a place that was a former fitness center and is now a....well, it's a gymnastic-like place for kids. The main room features a 30-ish foot trampoline for kids to run and bounce on, and at the end is a big pit full of foam blocks. Well I shot the kids in there for a bit, and then when they all left, took a flying leap for myself. And boy oh boy was it fun.

And I have no idea why. Maybe it's just that one moment, small as it may be, where you can let go of anything bugging you and just be kinda goofy. I wish I could figure it out, but I'm glad to have those opportunities.

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New Years is almost here. I'm going to say 'bah' to making a resolution and just live my life as best I can.

So there you go.




Dave

Major funky.

How I managed to forget this last night is beyond me.

So we're at the Moore's house on Sunday playing the aforementioned fierce game of dominoes. Or were we playing sequence? Well, the game is irrelevant. Resistance was futile*. And somehow or other, Nancy mentions that she has some limberger (sp?) in the refridgerizer. But no bananas**. Anyways, I mention that I'd never seen, smelled, nor tasted said cheese. I had to find out if it was as nose-turningly funky as I've been led to believe.

So she goes to grab said cheese, thankfully stored in its own plastic bin, and brings it to me for...odor inspection. And hoo-boy, was it funky. It was far and away the most intense smell I've ever smelled on something not rotten. I mean, of course, rotten in a bad way. Lots of cheese has good mold in it.

So once I get over the smell, I have to taste it, right? So I put some on the cracker, and it tastes exactly the way it smells, if that makes any sense. I think the odor of the cheese was wafting up the back of my mouth towards my nose. And while it didn't taste bad, per se, the pervasive odor was so intense I couldn't finish it.

Would I try it again? Maybe, I'm not sure. I am glad to say that I have tried it though. After a steady does of cheddar, colby, mozzerella, and what-not, trying something new was refreshing. If you go to stores around here, you'd think those were the only cheeses in the world. I do wish NorCo had a good cheese chop.

No matter how runny their cheese may or may not be.

I was going to post a snippet from the Monty Python skit, but it's so damn funny you can just go read it here.


Heh. Cheese is funny.

But is it funnier than bananas?




Dave



*Sorry. Too much Star Trek.

** A banana?!?

Ho ho ho and a bottle of rum

So another Christmas has come and gone. The theme this year was "Drive Everywhere in Missouri." And by everywhere, I don't exactly mean everywhere. But I did put 300 miles on my car the past 24 hrs., which has to count for something. From my house to grandma's to dad's to Curt's house in New Bloomfield to mom's back home. Whew. Thankfully it was 98% highway mileage, so it wasn't too bad.

This was the first time in 4 years we didn't go to visit grandpa's grave at Jefferson Barracks. Interesting.

I did, I think, come across an activity that can count as a Moore Family Tradition! Whenever we go visit the Moores (Curt, Nancy, and kids), the odds are good a fierce game of dominoes is going to break out. And I like it, because it's a little different. And at that table, we had grandma, Nancy, myself, Steve, Jake, and Sarah, which was quite the generational span. That was cool, two.

What wasn't cool was learning that, among my skills, dominoes is not one of them. Granted, not much skill is needed, but a player has very little control over most of the gameplay, so when the going is bad, there's not much to do. In Scrabble, I can usually make do with some bad tiles, but in dominoes, I'm just stuck. So grr. But it's still fun.

And overall, this was a good Christmas. I realized last night that I've never had a "best Christmas ever." I like them all. The food, family, gifts, etc. are always wonderful.

So I'm off aaaaaall week. Have I mentioned that?

Sweet.


Dave

Christmas Time is Here

Happiness and cheer.

And phlegm. For me, at least. Nothing says holiday cheer like a stuffy nose and a kick-ass cough. Right? I mean, nothing's more festive.

I went with Kara and Karl for a slight twist on an old Christmas tradition. Most people go out and look for cool light displays on people's houses, yes? Well we went out and tried to find the tackiest houses we could find. And believe you me, not only did we find plenty of our quarry, but it was extremely easy to do. In fact, the number of ugly houses far outnumbered the good houses. It's almost as if people don't care anymore. It tends to look like people go buy anything and everything and then toss it around with no real thought as to aesthetics. Now, I'm not saying it has to be perfect, but SOME thought would be nice. Maybe a consistent color scheme? Some consideration as to the scale of one's house compared to the amount of decoration? Hmm? Please? And a personal request: no more of those inflatable things. They just look stupid.

Who would have thought A-B would have had the best decorations around?

So our senses of aesthetics were assaulted, but we did have fun. And seeing all the schlock made the well-done houses that much nicer. So to you, I offer my thanks and a hearty round of applause. Well played.

So I'm all ready for Christmas. I don't think it crept up on me this year, and I actually "feel like it's Christmas," for a change. And that's nice.

I was...not worried, but.......concerned, maybe, that Christmas would be a bit harder this year, what with becoming disengaged*, but it's been pretty good. On the totally practical side, I saved a fair chunk of change. And on the emotional side? I'm doing pretty good. No particular reason, really. But I get to see most of the family tomorrow, and that's always nice. I get to see the Moores, who I only see about every two years. And if Steve and I are lucky, we can sit in front of the video fire at mom's house on Monday. And next week! No work! Sweet! And more!

Aaaaaand...I have something else on mind. But I'm gonna save it for a bit. Like, until the end of the week, I think. Suffice it to say, it's kind of an interesting development. Certainly not one I'd planned on.

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So I took a sick day on Tuesday and a few sick hours yesterday afternoon, thus affording me a chance to catch a Star Trek: Voyager marathon. I forgot how good that series was. Lots of good episodes, and it may, after more viewing, just nose out TNG as my favorite Trek. We'll see. I've caught a couple episodes of TOS the past two nights, and both have been excellent episodes. So it's been a good week for my nerdiness.

************************************************************************************

All for now, dear readers. Enjoy your Christmas as best you can. And stay healthy!


Dave


*credit to Karl for that one.

Cough cough, hack hack

I took a sick day yesterday, and it was a truly wonderful thing. Slept until noon(!), and proceeded to watch a lof of Star Trek: Voyager, and remembered how much I liked that show.

I woke up this morning, feeling well enough to go to work, but very insensec, or as much as one can be upon first waking, that it wasn't Friday yet. I just want this week to be ovah! I want it to be next week so I can not be working. At work, at least.

Working in my basement, well, like the fourth floor of DeSmet, that's another story.


Dave

Keep on Walking

Sometime last year I posted about The Urge song Take a Walk, and the yell lead singer Steve Irwin yells that, in the words of dear old dad, "sounds like he got kicked in the crotch." I always assumed he'd still get, um, a kick out of it (he being dad, not Mr. Irwin) if he heard it today.

Well I played the song for him a month or so ago, and the reaction was just as I expected.

Something else i learned is that Anheuser-Busch, for reasons I can't recall, doesn't let employees keep Quicktime on their computers. Weird.


Dave

Brand New Shoes

So I tweaked the layout, as you may have noticed (this assumes people are reading this and saw the old layout).

I guess it's alright. It's a bit more readable, but it doesn't have that "homemade" look of the old site since I'm using a premade template. But I was guessing that no one really used the links to the other blogs anymore, so they could go. I (sort of) redid my website, and all the links to the pictures were dead. And on every computer and every browser I tried, there was an odd error that put a huge gap between the post title and the post itself, and I didn't know how to fix it.

Which brings us to here.

I will accept feedback, of course.


Dave

Season's Spirit

So an interesting thing happened. I went to Target this evening to buy the few items I need to complete my (admittedly minimal) shopping for Christmas, and I found myself shirking at the idea of spending $15 on a picture frame. Now, I will admit I don't have tons of money to be spending on gifts, but it's not like I can't afford $15 a frame over 4-5 frames. And it made me mad, because I know mom and dad spend way more on me. And I know they don't mind, and they'd say something reassuring, but it's still...annoying. Like I'd rather have the money for me or something like that.

And that made slightly more sense before I tried to type it.

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Also interesting: after a little over 2 months since Janice and I parted ways, I'm in pretty good shape with everything. But for whatever reason, my mind keeps going back to one moment the night she came over. Right before she left, we just stood there for a couple minutes, hugging/crying, and I think there were a couple "let go, come back" moments. It seems an odd moment to be doing such a thing, but it was all I could think of.

Maybe a "if I don't let go, maybe she won't go," or something like that. I don't know. But it's still the only part of that night that still really gets to me.

****************************************************************************************

It is still more interesting what goes through one's mind over the course of trying to, for lack of a better word, woo someone onf the opposite-type gender. Lots of silly thoughts, and the creation of drama within one's mind that probably doesn't even exist. Plenty of "what ifs" and "should I's" and "shouldn't I's" and oboy is it ever fun!


Three totally unrelated points and I'm out.


Dave

The Music

I'd meant to do this a looooooooooooong time ago, but forgot. So I'm gonna do it now.

Open iTunes/iPod or Windows Media Player to answer the following. Go to your library. Answer, no matter how embarrasing it is.

How many songs: 942; Not many, really, even with all the concerts I have loaded.

Sort by song
First Song: 'Wake Up-Everyone' from the 12/9/06 U2 gig in Honolulu
Last Song: Zooropa by U2; hmm....

Sort by time
Shortest song: Track 16 (:11), which is actually Mike Doughty doing the classic 'Fire Truck.' I imported the song and never renamed it
Longest Song: Sinister Minister (19:54), by the 'Tones from the 3/16/06 gig

Sort by artist
First Artist: 'Weird Al' Yankovic; Apparently punctuation ranks over actual letters.
Last Artist: Yes

Top Five Most Played Songs (not including repeat artists)
Flipped Off by the Ghost of Elvis
Blue Moon Weasels
Ghetto Flannel
Squacking
Altered Inflections

All written by, um, me. So I like my songs, what can I say. Top 5 non-me songs:

Ashes--Embrace
For What It's Worth--Rush
Brainless--The Urge
I Predict a Riot--Kaiser Chiefs
It's Getting OK Now--311

First song that comes up on Shuffle
Angel of Harlem--U2, live from Tokyo 11/30/06

Search
"sex", how many songs come up? 2
"death", how many songs come up? 3
"love", how many songs come up? 34 (3 versions of Everybody Loves Jill!)
"you", how many songs come up? 74
"final", how many songs come up? 0


Well, that was fun. Real post to follow in a bit, I hope.


Dave

Break on Through

I'm glad I randomly selected gmail when I was setting up a new account a couple months ago. It saved me a few steps logging into this new Blogger thingy. However, I fail to see any actual difference with the merger, but whatever.

I managed a small miracle today, and actually got the bulk of a new song recorded. I combined a couple difference chord changes I had laying around, and presto! New song! And it's good, considering the musical rut I'd been in lately. Nothing more frustrating than a creative rut, especially when you trade youself on such endeavors.

And it was more than music. It was stuff at work, and junk I've been doing on the side. I don't know if I've reached a peak in terms of what I know, or if the material I've had has been less than inspiring.

I suppose a new challenge and or a break are in order.

Taking a week off from work would be helpful. Ooh! Maybe I'll do that! Yeah, the week after Christmas sounds nice. Brilliant!

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Eh, I think I'll save the other point for another post some other day.



Dave

Back in the Saddle

It's been some time since I sat down and committed words to this little chunk of the 'net. We've been online for a little over 3 years now, and I had often wondered how long I could keep up something like this. And for awhile, I was thinking I'd just let it fade away, like so many other blogs out there have done.

But then I decided that would be silly.

So I'm going to try this again. I have no idea if anyone actually stops by here anymore. If you do, I'm impressed you stuck around (thanks, though). If you've just happened across the site, I'm sorry, since there are probably far more entertaining ways to spend your time out here. Though I will admit we've had some pretty amusing stuff posted here. Or maybe it was funny to us.

Regardless of whether or not anyone still reads this, I'm going to try to make an attempt at regular(ish) updates. One a week would be great, though I think I could pull off 2-3 a week. So we'll see. I make no promises, though, so if we go a couple months between posts, well, there you go.

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So my last post was back in August. An eternity ago in more ways than one. A lot has changed. And some things are still the same.

-Despite all best efforts and intentions, the engagement is no more. Janice and I are no more. It's very weird looking back/thinking back to the way things were. And I have to wonder what happened to cause it all to fall apart so fast. Well, fast relative to the 2+ years of time we spent together. And, ironically, the last two months were probably some of the longest, hardest months I've ever endured.

-So we're two months on since the break-up now, and I'm pretty much fine. I think I'm just now letting myself be a little upset about the whole ordeal. Not blind rage, mind you, but a bit miffed.

-I think a lot of it has to do with starting over. I was pretty confident I'd never have to do that again, but here we are, and I rather resent having to do it. No, I'm not going out on dates all cranky about having to do it, but the general idea of doing it, since I/we were so established.

-I apologize if I'm rambling. It's late, and for some reason, it's easier to talk all this out than it is to type.
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So what else has happened?

-I went to the wineries and learned that too much wine can make the ride home in the back of an SUV kinda icky.
-I went to Decatur and watched The Pillowman while hoping Anthony Reyes could hold off the Tigers.
-I learned some basic HTML, which may or may not be of use to me on this site.
-I watched, from a bar in Kirksville, as the Cardinals won the effin' World Series.
-I took the scenic route home from Kirksville, soaking up the scenery of northern MO.
-I went back to Decatur and played in a rock show with the brother, and had a fabulous time.
-I shot a wedding, which, thankfully, was not too traumatic.
-I managed to cancel most of my own wedding, which, again, wasn't too traumatic.
-I spent 2 1/2 hours trying to get home during an ice storm.
-Said ice storm knocked out my power for 36 hours, but I was able to stay warm thanks to the wonderful space heater in my basement.
-My love of crossword puzzles has bloomed into a full-fledged obsession.
-I went on a blind date. Good times were had, but not enough to go again.
-I'm trying to build a new relationship. We'll see how that goes.
-All the while, I've rediscovered how cool most of my friends are.

And I've been trying to write lyrics along the way. It turns out that the end of a relationship can provide a lot of lyrical fodder. But I don't want to dwell in that realm forever. But I think I'm getting a feel for it.

Whew.

I think that's enough for now.

Here's hoping for more later.



Dave

This City of Mine

Shots from an evening spent in St. Louis with a camera and Kelly Sullivan.







Why are photographers drawn to their own relfections?

Hmm.



Dave

Interstellar Overdrive

Apparently, Pluto is no longer a planet.

Wonderful. Just wonderful.

What's next? Someone going to tell me that the correct way to say Uranus is "YOUR-a-nus"?

Wait.

It is?

Well that's just great.

Stupid scientists.



Why, why it's Mr. Spaaaahh! Spaaaaahh!
Dave

Ride the Lightining

As promised (and how prompt for once!), here are a smattering of pictures from the trip to Cedar Point. Far from everything I shot, of course, but enough to give some idea (hopefully) of what the place is like.

The top shot, is, of course, the Cedar Point Mine Ride. I failed to mention it earlier, but it has the distinction of being the lamest ride on the face of the Earth. It's hard to describe to anyone who didn't ride it, but if it helps make my point, consider that I took that picture (and others) while riding the coaster. If you still need convincing, ask Dan.

Right under that is probably The Worst Ride Ever Created. The thing you sit on spins around while the whole pendulum goes back and forth, each time going a little higher. Fun!


If anyone demands more pictures, I'll post them, but those shall suffice for now.


Dave

Who'll Stop the Rain?

What is it about storms that makes people (read:me) do some pretty stupid things? To wit: back when Death Storm rolled through a month ago (a month already!), and we were taking refuge in the concourses of New Busch, the winds picked up something fierce, and managed to propel a mobile concession stand towards the crowd. It took 4 workers to stop the damn thing before it plowed into anyone. While Janice and Co. move back, I, like the goof I am, stand there, probably wanting to move closer, watching this thing. Janice had to come grab me and pull me back to prevent me from doing something insane. And as I type this, we have a nice little storm rolling through town. It's not quite Death Storm, but it's packing a punch. So what do I do during the thunder, lighting, rain, and wind? I go stand at the fron door with my nose up against the glass, trying to get a better look. Brilliant. Dad used to sit out on the porch in a lawn chair watching approaching storms. I always thought he was a bit nuts. Now look at me. Must be hereditary. Georger probably has the right idea: he goes and hides under the bed.

I can't believe it's been a month already since all that hoo-ha went down. Florissant just came by this week and grabbed the large pile of wooden debris on my front lawn (biggest on my street, baby!). I spent eight days at Janice's house, then came home for one night, then left for Ohio for six days, came home for two more nights, then house sat for dad while he went to Ohio. So I finally came home last week and didn't know what to do with myself. Well, not entirely true. I knew I had to clean the house. Three+ weeks with no vaccuuming makes for one big mess around here. But beyond that, total weirdness. In my own house!

Then there's the story of how Janice had to break into my house just to feed my cats. And how Stacey posed as Janice at a wedding show. And, of course, there's Grob. Or is it GROB? I'll be damned if I know, as my online searches have yielded naught for my efforts. And I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone in the car that the trip to Ohio was worth the 10 hour drive because we got to visit Tom Raper Country. Oh yes we did. I can sense the jealousness oozing out of everyone reading this now. And Delta Entertainment! Nameless Creek! Old Woman Creek! All this before we even got to Sandusky. Lord knows how we managed to contain our excitement. I think having a homeless guy in the car helped a lot. Even if we never did figure out what made that one guy get arrested.

The park? It's pretty cool. Some snazzy rides, and a nice park layout. Well, nice in that it was real easy to get real close to the rides, making for some nice pictures. I guess, upon further thought, that, apart from the placement of Mean Streak, everything else is pretty good, too. Pictures later, if I ever get around to sifting through the folder and picking out the good stuff.

For now, I'm gonna go paste my face up against a window and see what happens. Just don't tell Janice, alright?

Ride on.


Dave

Back in the Saddle Again

Power on as of 10:00 a.m. this morning.

Woot.

Saving Grace

So I suppose it bears mentioning that I've been without power at home for almost 8 days now. That's a pretty long time, I must say, although it's all sort of blurred together by this point. Everyone I know has their power back, far as I can tell. For whatever reason, Ameren decided to focus on North County, arguably the hardest hit area by last week's storms, last. Why? I don't know. Regardless, I didn't see any trucks in my area until yesterday afternoon. I've tried to keep in good spirits about this. I've been able to bunk up at Janice's house, along with a number of her family. For this, her Grandma should be (officially) canonized. So I've had a plce to stay, food to eat, etc. And it's always fun being with Janice. The cats, bless their souls, have been fine. They get fed, and the house hasn't been unbearably hot for them. So, more than anything, I guess I've been inconvenienced. I know that a lot of people have been working damn hard to get the city up and running again, and to them, I hold no grudges. But.

It's been eight fucking days. Can I please get my power back?

There. I feel a little better. For the most part, I've been emotionally numbed at this point, but still. Grr.

Anyways.

A wedding reception site has been picked, which is most excellent. After some initial setbacks, I have a new guitar, which needs a name. I'll have to spend some time with it before I can figure it out. I received an e-mail yesterday confirming my hope that the Band Scramble would be revived. And it had been. the "new" and "improved" Scramble is tentatively scheduled for October 14 at the Way Out Club. Rock on.

Going to Ohio soon.

Almost time for Steve to turn 21. Send him some cash for a drink, won't you?

I know we usually reserve baseball talk for the Cardinals around here, but I think it bears mentioning that the Minnesota Twins have won 34 of 42 games. Dayyyuuum.

That's it for now.

You know, even this post sounds pretty blah. But it should be noted that other than a runny nose and this whole power thing, I'm in a pretty good mood.



Dave

Yo, Ding Dong, Man. Ding Dong, yo.

I do enjoy 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia,' but am I the only one who thinks that the Devil's solo is waaaaaay better than Johnny's?

Oh. Apparently I'm not. That makes me feel better, even though I'm essentially rooting for the Devil. Though he doesn't seem too bright, if that's how he does his evil dealings.

Dave

Put Down that Chainsaw and Listen to Me

Maybe this is just me, but do most graphic designer types out there come up with stuff by just fiddling around with various combinations of effects, filters, etc, until they find something that works? It seems to be my M.O.: throw in some colr, start distorting it, add some funky effects, change the opacity a bit, and maybe mess with layers until it looks right. For every 5 things I design, only one of them seems to have a set idea in mind when I start. It's the design equivalent of spacing out, so far as I can tell. And what's scary is that it usually works. The big drawback, I suppose, is that it's hard to recreate anything, since everything is pretty random in its creation. Oh well.

Aside: I'm listening to 'Everybody Have Fun Tonight' by Wang Chung, and during the middle break, there's some dude in the background going "Can you tell me what a Wang Chung is?" Funny.

I haven't been engaged a month yet, and the wedding is still waaaay off, but I feel like Janice and I have really got a lot done: we're darn close to having a reception site picked out, the photographer is locked in, the finances are pretty much planned out (who's paying for what), the guest list is in good shape, and for everything that isn't official, we at least know what we want. I'm sure it won't be this smooth all the way, but it's darn nice to have it going so well, since we'll run into stretches where we can't really do much. So it's good.

If you go to a baseball game, leave while the game is tied, and your team wins in the end, does it count as a personal victory or a tie?

Or does it even matter?

Hmm....



Dave

She's the One

Notice how Steve devoted more time to me GETTING MARRIED than I did?

Lest you think I'm not excited, let me say that I am indeed, terribly excited. But my ability to effectively wring words out of myself for this chunk of web makes it hard to seem worked up over much of anything. Basically, I think I have writer's block.

Musically, though, I'm in this weird stretch of being very unblocked*. I've knocked out two songs in the past 3 weks or so, and I'm pretty close to having a third. Granted, two of them are older songs I've already had the basic chord change down for, but getting leads, drums, and bass down for those, along with an entirely new song in such a short time is no small feat coming from someone who is usually lucky to get a new song every month or two. The development of a song is pretty interesting, at least in retrospect. Tinkering with various effect patterns for rhythm and leads to see what works best is n interesting process. It can also change the entire feel of a song. Going from heavy and distorted to a slightly more subdued sound takes a song from a punksih/metal feel to something altogether new (and, even better, easier to decipher what's being played). And drums! Boy do they make all the difference in the world.

It'd be easier, of course, if I had somewhere I could post this stuff for you all to listen to. Alas, I know not of such a space. Or I'm too lazy to look. Your call.

As for tattoos, I just had a marvelously stupid idea: I get a tattoo that says "hers" and Janice can get one that says "his." Get it? Matching "his" and "hers" tattoos? Eh? No? No, then. Fine.

So. Getting married. 'Tis a big thing. I suspect it'll hit me more the closer we get. Try me again in about a year, maybe. But all this planning stuff should be interesting. There's a lot to consider, but I think we have enough time on our hands to take care of everything without going all mental. Once the reception site is picked, our biggest hurdle is gone. We have a photographer, caterer (if needed), florist, wedding party, and we're pretty sure on a DJ and tux rental site. Janice knows what she wants in a dress, tux style is settled, so we're alright, i think.

Really, it's only as hard as you want to make it. And there you go.

And here I go.



Dave


*Boy that sounds funny, doesn't it?

Today's Special

A small confession before I go any further: I used an iTunes gift card to, sigh, download a Nickelback song. Yes, yes, I know how often I've mentioned my levels of hatred for said band on this very site. The thing is, the band has the annoying habit of putting one song on every album that doesn't totally suck, thus throwing me into a state of confusion as to whether or not I'm supposed to continue hating them. Fortunately, every album brings another song I hate, and all is well.

Or maybe I'm just weird.

So remember when I used to say things around here? Those were the days, eh?

And it's not as though I've run out of things to say, either. I just don't feel like putting them here, for whatever reason. Probably because everyone who reads this thing anymore already knows what's going on, so why repeat myself?

So, for now, I leave you with this:

Mark your calendars for December 29, 2007. You can come to my wedding. It's Janice's too, but since the wedding is all about the groom, we're going to call it "my" wedding. But either way, it's going to be lots of fun. Rumor has it U2 might be there.

Sorry the anouncement wasn't bigger or more exciting, but, again, everyone already knows. But if for some reason you didn't, well, now you do. And I'll let you know where and when we register.


Dave

Today's Special

A small confession before I go any further: I used an iTunes gift card to, sigh, download a Nickelback song. Yes, yes, I know how often I've mentioned my levels of hatred for said band on this very site. The thing is, the band has the annoying habit of putting one song on every album that doesn't totally suck, thus throwing me into a state of confusion as to whether or not I'm supposed to continue hating them. Fortunately, every album brings another song I hate, and all is well.

Or maybe I'm just weird.

So remember when I used to say things around here? Those were the days, eh?

And it's not as though I've run out of things to say, either. I just don't feel like putting them here, for whatever reason. Probably because everyone who reads this thing anymore already knows what's going on, so why repeat myself?

So, for now, I leave you with this:

Mark your calendars for December 29, 2007. You can come to my wedding. It's Janice's too, but since the wedding is all about the groom, we're going to call it "my" wedding. But either way, it's going to be lots of fun. Rumor has it U2 might be there.

Sorry the anouncement wasn't bigger or more exciting, but, again, everyone already knows. But if for some reason you didn't, well, now you do. And I'll let you know where and when we register.


Dave

Show, Don't Tell

A few points worth mentioning:

-You know things are bad for GINO when the best they can find for him is a spot in a Doritos commercial.

-Speaking of, look for yours truly (maybe) in an upcomg podcast featuring Godzilla lore over at fanboysmackdown.com, hosted by one Anthony Kuenzel who may or may not be a friend of mine.

-Is it just me or does Juan Encarnacion look like Snoop Dogg minus the dreadlocks?

-I saw Over the Hedge last night. To my delight and surprise it was quite funny and really pretty good, especially for a Dreamworks film, which tend to mire themselves in pop culture references and seem to me more vehicles for the voice actors than anything else. This one felt more like a Pixar film, which is always good. The acting was good, the story enjoyable, and there was only one fart joke, but since it involved a skunk, all is forgiven. I think my only complaint lies with the film's marketing: for a movie that's more or less lampooning suburbia and its ins and outs, it feels off seeing the characters in spots for Wal-Mart and the like.

Picture time, I think. Two for you all today, dear reader(s). Actually, I have no clue how many people stop by here any more, save for mum and Steve. But that's as may be.



Shot this over at Shaw Garden when I visited there with mom a few weeks ago. I believe it's part of some glass sculpture show that's up this summer. It's nice and all, but the main display is in the climatron, which means you have to pay to go in when it's normally free. And, naturally, all the fun stuff is in the climatron. Oh well. I quite like the 'which way is up' feel the picture has.



Hey! It's me an Janice. Wait. No. Janice and I. I think. Well, whatever the gramatically correct way is, that's who's in the picture. Aren't we adorable? The ever-talented Kelly Sullivan shot this last summer at Forest Park. Nice job. I have no idea what we may have been discussing at the moment. Probably how silly my hair looks. Hers, naturally, looks just fine. I shan't go on too much, save to say that JannyMac is truly wonderful, and more than I could ever ask for. And for putting up with someone like me on a daily basis, she has my eternal thanks. So there you go.



Dave

Midnight Train

One of my favorite pictures of all-time, I think. And, if you believe my dad, a fairly risky picture to be taking. I was working on a final project for one of my classes at Webster, and for some reason, hit on the idea of doing trains. I've always had some weird fascination with them, but for the life of me I can't say why. But they do photograph well. There's a train yard not too far from the house, so I trekked over there and wandered around for a bit, shooting anything that seemed interesting. A couple guys saw me (I think), but they didn't seem to care, so I kept at it. I happened across this box car, back door open, leading to a seemingly endless line of other box cars. Actually, the bulk of the picture is just one car. Very long, those things.

As is often the case when I do something...less than intelligent (i.e. driving from Columbia at night after a show) I made the mistake of telling dad, who informed me how stupid it was to be wandering around in a train yard. As it turns out, he was kinda right. A moving train is actually really quiet. Most of the noise is made when the couplings are squeaking and what not. So a car could have come rolling up behind me and squished me as fast as I squish ants in my kitchen. Oops.

So I put my life on the line for a picture. Worth it, though.


Dave

Where's My Thing?

Someone, help me, please: I have the theme song from Inspector gadget stuck in my head*.

Ick.

Along those same lines: does anyone out there remember Danger Mouse? And, if so, was it any good? I can' seem to remember if I liked it or not.

And, one other item, as a follow-up to last week's lunch-related question: can your food touch on the plate? My dad, for example, will mix and match anything on the plate, so long as it gets where it's going. My uncle, though, caan have nothing touching. I suspect if gravy gets on his corn, it's as good as trashed. I think I fall somewhere in between, maybe leaning more towards my dad, so long as anything touching makes sense to be touching, if you catch my drift.

For pictures, how about a good self portrait. Pics from the Botannical Gardens will arrive once I sift through and find a good one.

I don't like doing straight-up self portraits too often, since I think they tend to look goofy. The ones I like, though, are when some odd in-camera effect is used, or some other strange look is going on. I have two I like using long shutter speeds and messing around with the flash (or a flashlight). This one, though, is a fun reflection from a sculpture at Laumeier. It's from the same session as the hands pic last time. Another glimpse into a camera's last gasp...






Dave




*It should be noted that by the time this post was done, the song was out of my head. Thanks anyway, though.

Odds and Sods

I have, for quite some time now, eaten my lunches piece by piece. For example: today i ate all my sandwich, then the chips, then the strawberries, then the cookie. Nothing was eaten simultaneously.

Does anyone else do this, or am I just weird?



Update as of 5:45 p.m.

Scott Rolen's secret to rehabbing: "I sat down and ate some peanut butter crackers and said, 'Let's think about some things. If I hit it, can I get to second base? And if I get to second base, can I score from second base without falling down, rolling over into a fetal position and cramping up in a corner because I'm dehydrated?'" Rolen said. "It's probably best that I not address that issue tonight."

What's great is that he probably deadpanned that whole thing.

Update as of 9:55 p.m.

Sad news: I can't pedal a bike fast enough to register on a roadside speed indicator.



Dave

Into the Blinding Light

I did something tonight I'm not one to usually do. I was at Target, picking up the new Pearl Jam CD, and, since it was only $10, and I had $20 to spend, I decided to randomly pick up another $10 disc from a band I'd never heard of, mostly in an attempt to invigorate my own song writing, which has been a bit stagnant lately. I didn't let myself think too long, for fear of making the decision harder than needed.* In the end, I settled on a band called Thursday, and their album A City By the Light Divided. So far, it's not too bad. Kinda heavy, and a bit different than what I'd normally listen to. Which was the point all along. Plus, the cover reminded me of some recent U2-related artwork, so that helped.

Anyways, on to today's picture, which has a sort of story behind it. I took this at Laumeir Sculpture Park on a fairly warmish day in January waiting for bowling to start. It was, alas, the last time I got to use my little point-and-shoot digital camera. It sort of sat around for awhile afterwards, until the first day of spring, when it snowed about 4 inches. I took it with me to work, in the event something of merit stood out to me. At one point, I stuck it in my coat pocket, only to have it slide out as I was getting in the car and get caught in the middle as I was closing the door. The LCD screen was cracked, rendering the camera quite useless, even though it could still take pictures.

So the pictures from that session shall forever hold a special place in my heart. Or not. Either way, enjoy.




Dave




*Okay, I wanted to get out before it got too late. I biked^ over there and didn't want it getting too dark. So basically I was being a bit of a weenie.

^Speaking of: what is it about being on a bike that compels people in cars to yell stupid things at me? Is it the helmet? I know I look good in it, but still, come on.

Welcome to baseball

Guess where I went yesterday?

All in all, not a bad place to take in a game. Maybe not 'Baseball Heaven,' but a darn nice stadium. I didn't get to see as much of the place as I would have liked, but I'm going back in a couple weeks, so I'll poke around more then. It doesn't have the same 'feel' as BII did, but it is new, after all, and maybe after a couple more games it'll feel....right. Or something like that. But the advertising....ugh. Seems like too much, if you ask me.

Albert Pujols is a pretty good player, if you were wondering.

And now, pictures. More after the next game.



Post-game exit.



I love these light fixtures. Maybe my favorite part of the new design.

And finally, can you spot the specialness of this picture?




Dave

Perspective

I don't know how I managed to make it look like my backyard is made of the same stuff used to create landscapes for model train set-ups, but there you go. I'll just chalk it up to the wonders of slide film.

Go buy some!

I was hoping to have little insights to go with everything I post, picture wise, but I haven't really done that. I can't think of anything for this shot, either. I know it was one of those 'need to finish the roll ASAP so just shoot something' kinda deals. But it is a good example of just stopping in your tracks and taking a look where you normally wouldn't and seeing what turns up. Or down, as the case may be here. One cool thing about this picture: it makes me look really tall!

Not that I'm short, mind you. I'm actually used to being one of the taller people in the circle of folks I run with, friends or family. Actually, I might be the tallest member of my immediate family, now that I think about it, which, apparently, comes from Grandpa V.

Why does it sound like that last paragraph is some kinda denial of shortness?

I'm tall, dammit, tall!


Dave

Wait. What?

From the Post-Dispatch sports section today: "Pujols seeing the ball well."

Not so you'd notice or anything.




Alas, the same can be said of the Pirates hitters last night whilst facing Soup Can and the bullpen.



Dave

Glad to be Alive

Of course, Fred's in focus. Or is that "the" focus? I blame the low lighting conditions at Borders for the overall bluriness of the picture. For anyone at that night's show, I'd like to say I have a shirt just like Griff had on that night.

In case you were wondering.

I bet if I asked Paul for a picture, he'd say something that may or may not make sense (one sentence only), then walk away without a picture. Not because he's rude, but because he's Paul. And that's why we love him.


Dave

Stumped

I just got a roll of slide film I shot at Diane's processed, so I should have a lot of stuff to show off. Or not, depending on how lazy I get.

But, for now, enjoy.


Dave

Overkilroy Was Here

At this very moment, Danielle Steele has over sixty books with her name on it. That's 6-0. To put it in comparison, Harper Lee wrote 1.

Maybe not the best comparison, but still. And while I've never read a Steele book, Train Ma used to assure me that once you read one of her books, there's no need to read another one. Since I trust gram on that one (she was quite the reader), we can infer that if one Steele book is the same as another, that she's only truly written one real novel and has been rehashing the same drivel for God-knows how many years. And she still hasn't managed to reach (again, I'm assuming here0 the literary quality that Lee reached with To Kill a Mockingbird. Now, it could be argued that D.S. has never been trying to reach that level. And really, I have no trouble with light, easy reads. But come on. The gal puts out 4 books a year! Why not do one a year and throw some effort into the damn things?

There. Now I feel better. But I really have nothing else to say. So I'm going to start what I hope will be a regular thing. Since I can't get very wordy these days, but don't want to let this valuable web space go to waste, I'll be posting various pictures I shoot. And no, this isn't going to replace the much-maligned website, which I think I (really!) will be overhauling soon.

So, for starters, I offer you.....my foot.




Why are Chucks so darn photogenic?




Dave


p.s. Danielle Steele wrote another book while I made this post.

Put me in coach, I'm ready to play.

There's only one thing anyone really needs to know right now, and it is that The Season opens tomorrow. Or today, depending on when you read this.

Everything else is just details.


I apologize to anyone who reads this and wonders what I've been up to. I imagine if you need to know what I've been doing, I've already told you. Or you were there with me.

But here's a recap, as best I can (or feel like):

-CM concert, with a Fred/Sonia acoustic show beforehand
-I found the baby in my piece of King Cake!
-My ears took a big hit after that show. Wow.
-Travelled to parts unknown (to me) in the state with a trip to Sikeston
-Home of Sikeston
-Home of the Throwed Roll. And yes, I did catch one.
-Yum.
-Travelled to more parts unknown with a trip to KC to see the 'Tones.
-Amazing show.
-Came back to StL for another 'Tones show.
-An even more amazing show, if such a thing is possible.
-I learned that if a one-man horn section writes a song in a drummer's dream,
that song must start with a drum solo.
-I-70 contains many ads for video stores of ill-repute.
-All such places have arcades. What kind of games would such a place have?
-Or do I even want to know?

And I'm back to work tomorrow. Yee.


Dave

Change is in the air

The Blues have a new owner.

And I, as of 3:30 today, am officially a full-fledged A/V Nerd.

What more could a guy ask for?



Dave

Pick it Out

Banjo shopping is harder than I expected. For starters, the prices aren't as evenly dispersed as they are with guitars. I know I can find a good axe within the $400-600 range. With banjos, it seems like I can either spend a few hundred bucks on something that's "eh," or go right up to the thousands for something "wow." I actually saw one that listed for over $20,000. I can't ever see myself dropping that much on any instrument. I've come across a few that seem like they might work, but I suspect my best bet is to go sit down and play with a few to see what seems best. And by 'play with a few,' I mean, 'pick at some strings because I have no idea how to properly play a banjo.'

Of course, that means I have to sit down and learn how to play the thing from scratch, since I figure a lot of what I know from the guitar won't carry over. But I could be wrong. Either way, I'll have to dedicate some time to really working on it. So we'll see. I don't want to drop a chunk of change on something only to have it sit around and collect dust.

Speaking of chunks of change...apparently the only reason I bought a new stove was so I could bake cookies for everyone at work. I must have missed that bit when I got it from the appliance store. Because I have all this time to randomly make baked goods. I haven't even baked myself anything yet. Which is annoying. it's one of those 'things,' I suppose. I got a spiffy new stand mixer for Christmas, but haven't used it as much as I'd like. I get a new stove/over, and I've hardly had time to really cook anything. Conversely, I got a new car and use it all the time. Weird, huh?

Spring is here and we're supposed to get 2-4 inches of snow tonight. In St. Louis speak, that means 4-8 inches or nothing at all. I would not be surprised, however, if Opening Day is snowed out. It has happened before, so you never know.

I need Real Baseball, though. Spring training just doesn't do it for me, for some reason.

Cowboy Mouth this week. Double dose of the 'Tones next week. Life is good.



Dave

Slow and steady

A brief timeline of my tenure here at the library:

July '03: start working

Janurary '06: get a 'proper' chair, like the rest of the department, and only then because someone else left

March '06: get a phone installed

You know, not like I'm in a hurry or anything.


The Cardinals won their spring training game against the Damn Yankees today. I didn't get to watch any of it, alas, nor did I have any nifty inner monologues. Sad, really.


Dave

30 Seconds in Hell

Who knew that 30 ticks off a clock could be such an interminably long time? Maybe not in and of itself, but 3 hours worth of 30 second countdowns in a 'virtual waiting room,' hoping against all hope for an opportunity to buy some Cardinals' tickets is an agony heretofore unknown in these parts. I mean, these are baseball tickets, fer God's sake! Up until last year, really, buying seats for a baseball game was a regular old sbu walk. Go to the stadium, head to ticket window, and grab a couple nosebleed seats. But go and open a new stadium, and everyone and their mother is in on it. And, in the end, victory was had not once, but thrice (!) on this end, and once on the mother's end. So four games will be attended, and hopefully, it'll be a team worthy of the time spent staring at a little window with a countdown.

Back when we would spend the weekend at dad's "flat" on Tesson Ferry, we'd occasionally hit the nearby antique mall to go...antiqueing. I don't recall exactly what we would find, but there were usually a few things that would always catch my eye.* So it was with great expectations that I headed to an antique mall/consignment center near mom's house this afternoon. And, thankfully, it did not disappoint. Plenty of old egg beaters, cast iron skillets, and crappy movies abounded. I saw at least 4 copies of Titanic laying around, which makes me wonder what all the fuss was about. There were, in one box, no fewer than three copies of the old NES game Blades of Steel, which we owned at one time. There was a horribly beat up ukelele. And, I kid you not, there was a set of ceramic thimbles with all 12 disciples painted on them. Yes! Simon, called Peter! Matthew! James! And, in all his glory, Judas Iscariot! And they were all smiling, so far as I could tell. I swear, if they weren't $8, I would have bought them.

I have not much else to say. Special hello to Aunt Diane, who made her first, and likely only, visit to this little section of the Web. Shout out to the Gooch, who had 2 of the Cardinals' four hits today.


I was very professional. You're fired.
Dave





*Usually my left. My right eye is too smart to be fooled by such goings-on.

Supersonic Couch Potato

A few random notes, in no particular order:

-To whoever planned the closing ceremonies of the Olympics: Ricky Martin?

-To The Mouth: nice job.

-To the 'Tones: see above.

-To whoever made the questions at Trinty's trivia last weekend: Grape Nuts are really small and hard to see. Putting them in a bag with other, larger cereals and expecting us to see them is not a good idea. M*A*S*H was a fine show, yes, but an entire category about it? Not so hot. How am I supposed to know what MLB team hat was used as a stand-in for some fictional team? Finally: there has been music made since 1978*. Please try using some of it for your next trivia.

-To my sinuses: no more. Really.**

-To myself: try keeping that extra pair of glasses at your desk in the odd event you need them. Like, maybe you get to work and have to throw away one of your contacts because it's irritating the bejeezus out of you and you gotta throw it away. Only being able to see out of one eye is a bit of a pain.

-To Janice: it's pierce!!!


Get me off the ground, fly me upside down
Dave





*Well, I'm pretty sure of that.

** Unless you're doing something useful with it. Clogging me up doesn't count.

Boy is it ever Monday.

And I'm at home. All HAIL the three-day weekend! Actually, my being off today has drawn more contempt in my direction than anything else I've ever done. And I didn't even ask for this!* Everyone from my mom to my girlfriend** has expressed their extreme displeasure with my not working today. I think they're just jealous. But, really, I should be jealous of them. I mean, they have a day of stuff planned out, whereas I have to sit around the house all day, not really doing anything, hoping some ray of light will show me the way to my next task. Or something like that.

Olympic-related note number 2: much to my pleasure, I got to watch some curling on Saturday night. Also, to my surprise, there were teams from the U.S. and Japan. For some reason, I figured it was a strictly European game. And, since I've done no research whatsoever on the sport, I still have no clue how scoring works or how the game developed in the first place. My current theory is that it was some physics professor's class experiement that caught on across a campus and soon an entire nation. Then, the world!

I've actually seen every sport I wanted to see now, which makes me happy. Curling, hockey, skeleton, luge, speed skating, and bobsled are much fun to watch.

But I do miss the Blues.

Still: Spring training!

One more sporty thing: ever notice how people play baseball, play basketball, and play volleyball, but we go bowling and fishing? The name is the action in that case. No one plays bowling. I wonder why that is.

I've been messing around with writing songs in something other than 4/4. My recorder will helpfully give me click tracks in variations of 2, 4, and 8 times. So far, I've messed around in 3/4, 5/4, 6/4, and 7/4. I think 3 and 6 are my favorites, but it's still a bit of a struggle to move from one idea to another so far. Once I get and idea down, I'm hesitant*** to move to a new progression, for fear of losing the beat. But I will prevail!

For anyone interested, go buy the new Flecktones album. Good stuff. Every time I start to get into the 'Tones, I get a hair up my butt to go buy a banjo. I'm actually really considering the idea with some merit this time, so we'll see how long that lasts. It'd certainly be something different. The more I think about it, the more exciting it sounds.

Did I mention spring training? The new Cowboy Mouth album?

Just so you don't forget.


living upstairs from the voodoo shoppe
Dave




* But far be it from me to complain.

** Actually, that's about it.

*** Alas, No Decemberween presents for me.

Things to make and do.

So your girlfriends gone all weekend on a retreat? And you're bored out of your ever loving mind? Well, just do what I do and fill your night with fun, exciting projects. Iron your shirts! Clean the house! Take a shower! Shave!

I mean, I could have done something really exciting, I suppose, like...mop, or clean the bathroom, but I think I had more fun doing what I did.

I did, however, take time to go spend more than I usually would on a new outfit. Hell, I even tried everything on, which, as some people can attest to, is a major feat in and of itself.

Interesting side note: I started this post around 11:30 this morning, but didn't finish before I went to Mass. So I came home, but had a headache and more or less napped all afternoon before going to Janice's for dinner, and then to the store. So now I'm back to finish.

During the homily, the priest, who's certainly on in years, had to stop to blow his nose or something, and came back to the mic and said "never get old." It was funny, yes, but it's odd, seeing as how he seems to be a fairly lively old dude. So it doesn't seem all that bad. I suppose I'll have to wait until I'm old to find out any problems. And by then, it's too late. Then I can look back at this post and say "damn it, he was right." Assuming I can still see when I'm old. Whenever "old" officially starts. I suppose you're only as old as you let yourself feel, to some extent.

And that's a lot of thinking for a Sunday night.

Quick Olympic-related note: I love the luge. 90 miles an hour: whee!!!

What else, what else...

No, I can't seem to come up with anything else at the moment. So I'ma gonna stop and maybe try cracking one of these songs I've been meaning to record. They are stubborn little buggers.


Bad math proves a point!
Dave

The day the music died.

Rest in peace, Akira Ifukube.

1914-2006.


Dave

Third and Long

Here's the best thing I learned after Super Bowl Extra-Large* last night: it is the best time to go to the store. Nary a soul in sight, which makes for easy in and easy out.

Something else about the game that Janice and I agreed on: even people who rarely, if ever, watch football, will take in the Super Bowl. Why is that? Is it the ads? The parties, and by default, food and beer? Is it some sense of obligation? I mean, who wants to be the individual come Monday morning who didn't watch the game? You'd have no one to talk to for days, leading to a sense of moral inferiority, and probably from that, severe isolationism and a life of cats and knitting**. No one would call, save for your mom, and people would say "he used to be such a nice, normal young man. Where did we go wrong?"

All because of a stupid football game!

But that's not why I watched it. I already have cats.

Janice made the good point that unlike hockey, baseball, basketball, and curling, the SB is it. No best-of-seven series. You lose and you're out. So there's more drama, such as it is. I don't consider football to be very dramatic, since the game doesn't tend to have much ebb and flow, save for big interceptions and what-not. I guess I have a passing interest in the game itself, because when it's good, it's not all that bad. And, yes, the commercials are usually worth taking a look at.

But that raises another question: when did advertising for the Stupor Bowl get to be such a big deal? And whatever happened to cat herder?



meow
Dave




*I realize everyone and their brother has made that joke, but I don't really care.

**And, of course, all your supplies would have to be bought on the black market, via shady yarn distributors on street corners.^

^A reference to a tangental conversation we had during a meeting at work today. Maybe you had to be there.#

#How about my footnote-within a footnote-within a footnote. Cool, huh>

Mind Over Matter

I know I often say how I'm going to post pictures of something I've been doing at work, but never do. But now I am. I may not work on stuff like this all the time, but when I do, it makes the mundane work I have to do worthwhile.

For anyone interested, it's my little tribute to my favorite graphic designer and tennis freak, Storm Thorgerson. It's a not-so-subtle take-off of his cover for the most recent Cranberries album (that I know of), Wake Up and Smell the Coffee.

As Storm is proud to say most of the time, everything here is real. The 'tree,' sky, and field are from Laumeier Sculpture Park, the bowling ball is Janice's, and the lady...well, she's real. I found her picture online somwhere. Just needed some scale, I suppose.



Everything you know is wrong
Dave

Hey Bartender

"tequila shots are dangerous...that's all I have to say about that"

-Janice

I can't confess to being "in the know" on that one. I had to chicken out on the tequila shots, and, after taking a whiff of the stuff, I might be better off. Anything that smells like it could strip the paint off my walls is automatically banned from my innards. Safety measures, you know.

Or maybe I'm just a big weenie.

But! Janice, being much less of a weenie than I, downed the tequila, thus ensuring her of lots of chances to rub it in my face. So good for her. I imagine turning 21 on a Monday is kinda lame, especially when one has class the next morning, but I think it worked out pretty well, seeing as how Fast Eddie's was wonderfully unpacked, such as it was the last time I was there. And the food was good. And cheap. Yum. 'Twas my first experience as a designated driver (before we left, I said "hey, I'm a driver"), although, given my drinking habits, I'll be designated for life. Which is fine. And I'm totally off my original point of talking about Janice's birthday. These things happen when you're trying to post and work at the same time.

So, to Janice: out of all the people in this world (including, but not limited to Christian Bale) who could have been there for your 21st, I am truly honored that it was me. And remember that Tuesdays are double coupon days!

Happy days are here again: I have a CD player in my car again! Anyone who rides with me enough (Janice), knows how...um...picky I get about the radio. And music in general. And TV. And, well, anything else, I guess. Okay, so I'm kinda, sorta, a lot picky. But I think it's because I really get into anything I enjoy. Which was why radio gets so annoying. There's just so much musical nonsense out there that sifting through it or riding it out for something good gets very annoying after long enough (In my case, that probably lasts about 5 minutes, but anyways.). Now, there are a few good stations out there, and to them, I tip my hat. But a CD player? Mmm, now that's nice. I hate to use the phrase "what I want, when I want," as it sounds kinda snobbish, but you get the idea. It even adds about 27% extra coolness to the overall state of my car.

I've noticed recently how my cars have been getting more...well, they aren't what one would expect of a 20-something male person. First was the '87 Tercel, dubbed "The Elimiator" by me, because it was obviously not going to eliminate much of anything. Then came the '95 Saturn. Four-doors, sedan, etc. Dubbed "The Green Hornet" because it was green. I've since inherited grandma's '95 Chevy Lumina which is even more of a sedan than the saturn, if such a thing is possible. I'm certainly not complaining about having it. I mean, it was free, has 1/3 the miles of the Saturn, and has enough space for all my guitars. But, well, it's...a grandma car. Thankfully, grandma was pretty cool, so it doesn't matter much. And the addition of the aforementioned CD player helps. I do need a name for this car though, if anyone has a good idea.

Quick note to all aspiring sports GMs: trading your leading goal scorers is not a great way to endear yourself to much of anyone, much less prospective buyers of your team.

Quicker note: 2 weeks!


You may not have understood me, but I was speaking technology.
Dave

I'm a doctor, okay? I know science.

So here's the deal: if you're going to be spouting off scientific "facts" on your afternoon talk show, please be sure you have some idea of what you're talking about. Case in point: while flipping through stations yesterday (less than a week until CD player installation!), I happened across one Dave Glover, whose show airs on 97.1: Younger. Smarter. Better. Than what? A can of creamed corn? Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo? Ricki Lake reruns? Regardless, they had, I believe, some science-y guy on, and had people call in with various questions.I suspect they were talking about the effects people are having on the environment and what is happening to animals as a result. All fine and dandy, but then the esteemed Mr. Glover goes on about how the whale shark, which is the "largest animal on earth" has been betting smaller. Um, no. The blue whale, which has been known to grow to almost 100 ft. is the largest known animal on earth. The whale shark, while being the biggest fish usually tops out around 50 ft. or so, as far as I can remember. But I think lengths of 30-35 ft. are the norm. Then they start talking about Loch Ness, and what may or may not be living in it (remember; science!). The start talking about whether or not a lake that size could support any sort of large-type water critter. I remain open to the possibility that there might be something in the lake, but that's as may be. Our host starts talking about how if whatever the creature is is a plesiosaur, people would see it, because it has to come up for air (true) because....oh God, save me.....it's a mammal. No, A thousand times no. Plesiosaurs and the like (dinosaurs, etc.) were all reptiles. Dinosaur means, in Latin, "terrible lizard." I'm willing to bet that a large number of 6-year old boys could tell you that.

At that point, I had to change the station before I ripped my radio out. I'm sorry for this completely nerdified rant, but I had to get it off my chest. If Mr. Glover wants to talk science, fine, but he should make sure he "gets it" before going on any further.

Off-topic: does anyone out there enjoy doing Sudoku? For the life of me, I can't get a good method to complete it. But I will overcome it, for I am good and the Mads are evil!

Or, something like that.

It's nym! It's nym! It's pseudonym! Not pseudo-name! I can't take it any more! Nym nym nym! It's a Greek word for "name"! Pseudonym! Pseudonym!
Dave

I Dreamt I Slept

Meh. It seems that no matter how much sleep I get, it's still hard to wake up for work in the morning. I blame my electric blanket making my bed all warm and inviting-like. The nerve!

No real content to post, but a few things worthy of bullet-points.

-I just noticed our new description thingy on the side bar. Did you?
-I want to meet the fifth person in those commercials where "4 out of 5 people" recommend something for something.
What's their deal, anyways?
-Chuck Norris. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
-Let it be known that this blog wishes happy 21st birthday wishes to Fric and Frac (Fríc and Fräc to our European friends).
-I bought tickets to a Flecktones show. And I get to road trip to see them. Life is good.
-When did it become acceptable for cats to chew my hair in the morning? I mean, really, what gives? Have you been
helped?
-A recent radio ad for a local car dealer, Dean Volkswagen, I think, is using a piece of techno-y music that sounds
awfully similar to the Cowboy Mouth classic, thatswhatimtalkinabout.

That's all I got.
Dave

Shave and a Haircut

A few weeks ago, my neighbors across the street, probably the only people I live near I really talk to with any frequency, left a message at home concerning the folks who live next to me (not Silly Fountain Guy). I hadn't really noticed, but apparently, they hadn't seen hide nor hair of them for some time. As I said, I hadn't been paying attention, but as I thought about it, I realized I hadn't seem them for a while myself. I was pretty sure I'd see ntheir dog out once, maybe twice, but no people coming or going. And that was weird, as the guy was almost always on the front or back porch talking on the phone and smoking. He was always on the phone for some reason. Maybe he worked from home or something, I don't know. I hadn't seen his wife either, and I would usually catch her coming or going from work. And no cars in the driveway, either. Very weird.

So of course I have to start paying more attention. There was always a light on in the living room, the mail was getting in, and Janice said she saw the dog when she stopped by to feed the ctas on Christmas. So somebody had to be home. Then, a couple weeks ago, the guy's truck was in the driveway one evening, and he was either hauling stuff from the truck or loading up his truck with stuff from the house. So...maybe they got divorced/separated and he was getting his stuff? And she's been working more to support her daughter? Or they both work tons now and he was moving stuff? I dunno. I saw his truck again last week, but no sign of any people. Weirdness abounds.

Weirdest yet, though, was what happened this morning. I was heading to the car to drive to work, and I look to my left and see a dog in their backyard. And I stare at it for a few seconds, and realize that it was their dog, completely shaved. Well, not to the skin, but imagine Cousin Itt getting a buzz cut and you get an idea of how weird it was. I mean, we're talking about a dog that has had long, unkempt hair since I was in high school, and now she has the shortest cut imaginable. And a purple bandanna around her neck to boot. I hadn't seen this dog's eyes in a long time, and now there they were, staring right me, and I have to admit, it was kinda creepy.

So the mystery grows.


Two bits.
Dave

You Only Live Once

Although it should be noted that some guy in northern South dakota lived twice by mistake. Kinda weird.

Anyways, I noted the concerts for the year (so far) last time, so I might as well look ahead to planned travelling, as I've managed to stumble upon a year where I actually get to go somewhere more exotic than Diane's house (not that I don't enjoy her house, of course).

-A "for the hell of it" trip to Chicago, maybe in mid-May, or there-abouts. Or maybe it's an anniversary trip for me and JK. Either one works. Should I wear my Cardinals jersey?

-A trip to Janice's aunt's house in Wisconsin in early June. I know nothing about WI, save that roof is pronounced...um..."reuf"? and rag is "reg." I should bone up on my Coach Z accent, I guess. It'll be fun!

-And a trip to the Ozarks in August (I think). I haven't been to the Ozark area since...um...the last time I was there. Mom?

So I actually get to visit a new state. The last new state I visited was Georgia, and that's because we lived there. Which I often forget. That was 15 years ago this May when we moved back. I have only vague memories of the town, and I don't recall them being that exciting. That said, if I find myself down that way some time, I wouldn't mind driving through to see what it's like. Maybe I'll do a Georgia-themed post later.

"Georgia on My Mind."

Come on, you know you were thinking it, too.

I actually have enough home-made music now to constitute an album of sorts, so anything new I record will fall to, yes, a second album. Which is a weird thing to think about, since I never had any intention of writing any music when I started lessons way back when. It was simply going to be learn some U2 and Floyd and be happy with that. Weird. I still can't write lyrics to save my life. Well, I can't write anything I want to actually look at three weeks later. The key, maybe, is to write something that isn't limited to a particular mood. That way, it stands up better.

Anyone wanting a copy of what I have recorded is welcome to it.

I haven't "given up" on the Blues, per se, but it's getting harder and harder to muster up any excitement when they play. And I hate that, because I really enjoy the game itself, and woul like to watch more. But a crappy team does wonders for driving the urge down. This might be a prime "otter-tunity" for some River Otters games.

And start an official Spring Training countdown. We're a mere 45 days from the first actual game. Woot.

Tonight is my final soccer game for a while. May marks the end of bowling at Trop. Soccer is being replaced with volleyball, and bowling will turn into dance lessons. Throw in some swimming on Fridays, and I'm gonna be on busy man this year.

So expect my next album not this year.


I don't want to take any chances. We should play in a band, just to be safe.
Dave

Return of the Mudslingers

Ah.

After a year off doing, well, whatever musical geniuses (genii?) do when not touring, they are coming back to us once again with new music and a new tour. Perhaps you've forgotten them?

-A being from the year 2050 wielding the mighty synth-axe drumitar.
-A bass player who plays so much bass guitar they use all three of his names.
-A one-man horn section who likes wearing his hair upside-down.
-Some guy on banjo who's so good, they named the band after him.

Mmmm. The Flecktones are back with new music and, even better, a new tour. Not to slight the album, of course, but I like seeing the band in person more than listening to them on CD. What makes the tour really cool is getting to see them on back-to-back nights in KC and STL in a couple months. A week earlier, Cowboy Mouth will be in town supporting their new album. And, a few short weeks after the 'Tones shows, Blue Öyster Cult will be in town for a couple shows. No new music to support in their case, just a bunch of old farts playing loud rock 'n roll. The fun thing about a BOC show is that I'm usually the youngest in a crowd of guys in their 40s. Whoo! However, if Janice comes, I'll have someone younger than me for a change.

So March/April are shaping up to be good music months. February, too, since the new 'Tones and CM albums come out on consecutive weeks.

Also just a few weeks away: pitchers and catchers report to Florida or wherever for Spring Training. After a dismal Rams', and a pretty ho-hum Blues team, it'll be nice to have baseball back once again. Shoot, I might even be able to get excited about Larry Bigbie. Went downtown last week for a SLU Billikins game at Savvis, and caught a glimpse of where Busch used to be, and where it is now, if you catch my drift. I hadn't seen old Busch since the end of last season, so seeing a bunch of nothing where it should be was pretty weird. New pictures of construction show the infield beginning to take shape at Busch II, which made me smile. It's looking like a pretty snazzy joint. Although traffic on 40 should be extra-careful on game nights, just in case.

Yeah, early ought-six is looking pretty good. On the horizon, my car insurance will go down in September, janice goes legal later this month, and I'm going to try my hand at growing some veggies in my yard.


Good times a-comin'.
Dave