Friday, February 27, 2009

Daily Grind...


  • I don't understand what is meant when you people say something is "not-a-good".  Am I supposed to read that like a cliched Italian?  Or is it something else?  Please explain!!
  • My company is hiring right now. Not a lot, but we are interviewing people...and they aren't showing up for their interviews.  Please explain!!!
  • I am starting to get the itch for baseball season.
  • I found out the other day that you can suspend your DirecTV for a while and you don't have to pay for it.  We are planning on doing that to save some money until the summer, when the kids will be at home all day.
  • Watched "Man on Wire" last night. Not a bad little film, but I don't know if it should have been as long as it was.  Also, something I don't understand is why they were so diligent at filming Phillipe practicing on a rope, and testing out all of the pieces, but there was no film of the actual event?  Why would you haul all of that equipment up to the top of the World Trade Centers and not bring a camera, when you had recorded so much film already of the preparation?
  • The guy who walked on the wire has a serious set of juevos.  You couldn't even convince me to go on the roof of that place, let alone walk on a steel cable inbetween them.
  • I got yelled at by a fellow blogger for the way my comments system is set up.  I fixed it just to appease them.  I hope it works now. :)
  • My daughter has her first soccer practice tonight.  I have no idea how she is going to approach it.  It will either be the best thing ever or the most horrible experience of her life. That is the way she is.  There is no inbetween for her.
  • I just typed "inbetween" twice, and I can't remember ever typing it before.
  • I am jealous of Geeding getting to take a photo with the World Series trophy.
  • I am always complaining to Explosive Wife that I am never in any of the photos we take, because I always have the camera and no one else wants to carry it.  The best photo of me was taken by my son as I exit a portapotty.  Take that, Geeding!!!
  • I like Salma Hayek on 30 Rock, but she it taking too much screen time away from Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin (together).  It is kind of hurting the dynamic of the show a bit, IMO.
  • ExplosiveWife is running the ultra-marathon at the Cowtown tomorrow.  31 miles.  It has become her pre-race ritual to eat at Jason's Deli before each race...so guess where I am eating tonight?  Club sandwich, not toasted with no tomatoes, here I come!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Daily Grind...



  • Hoo boy, it has been a while...so in the words of SiliconeAlley, let's get this bloggy blog going..or is it a posty post?
  • Very happy with the Oscars.  Probably the first time in my life I was even remotely interested.  I think it is because most of the films that were up for recognition were "mainstream" films.  The Oscars had trended towards smaller indie films in the past decade or so, and most of the time I just am not interested in seeking those films out.
  • I am going to have to see Milk and Frost/Nixon.  Soon.
  • I was happy that Benjamin Button got several awards. None of the big ones, but it was at least recognized. I loved that movie.
  • I thought it was odd that Hugh Jackman was not on the presentation for over an hour. It was like they replaced him with Will Smith (boom goes the dynamite) for an hour, then he returned.
  • Did it not look like Beyonce was lip-syncing?
  • My daughter, who is in kindergarten, forgot her homework today and we couldn't go back and get it.  I have never seen such a look of disappointment before.  I hope she still has that attitude when she is in high school.
  • I saw a truck on the way to work this morning that had a magnetic sign on it warning people of a specific builder of homes (I forget which one).  That takes a lot of dedication, to make a sign to warn people and drive around with it on your door all day.  I don't think I would have the energy to warn people like that.  Just write a bad review on the internet! That will show them!
  • ExplosiveWife and I went to see Gran Torino.  Here are a couple of random thoughts (MAJOR spoilers ahead):
  • I didn't believe the transition from racist old man to friendly racist old man.  It happened way too fast for me to believe.  Eastwood should have shown more time passing.  Maybe a montage.
  • I thought the acting of the Mung boy was borderline awful, but I don't necessarily blame him.  It is up to the director to get good performances from his actors, and Eastwood failed.  Specifically, the part where he gets locked in the basement. I didn't believe for one second that he wanted out of that basement.
  • At the end, at the reading of the will, I found it hard to believe that Walt's granddaughter would be even remotely excited about getting a '72 Gran Torino.  She came off as so superficial earlier in the film, and I didn't accept that she would be excited about the car.
  • I also find it hard to believe that after Walt was gunned down in the front yard of the gang's house, that the whole gang just patiently waited for the police to arrive and be arrested.  That was VERY hard for me to believe.
  • I did like the movie, but specific failures like this are what really takes the movie down a peg in my eyes.  I am usually the person who can suspend disbelief and get lost in a movie, but this one just tried too hard to take me out of that fantasy world.
My kids got Rock Band as a gift from their Aunt and Uncle.  Man, that game is fun, especially when you turn it up really, really loud. The game does a pretty good job making you feel like you are a part of a concert and you are up on stage, jamming out.  I was especially excited to see Epic by Faith No More on there.  That song is one in a million in my book.

Is every office in Texas having the same problem ours is?  Crazy absenteeism...several people missing many, many days of work, and it has been going on since January.

Finally, I want to thank all of you who take the time to read this blog, especially all of you Bridgeportians.  It means a lot to me that there is even one person out there who cares what I think, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Help

EDIT:  It says, "Sales from the right of way at this location are illegal. Violators will be prosecuted"

Can anyone tell me what this sign means? It is near DFW airport.

Daily Grind...



  • Women who have short hair have given up.  I don't mean short, like this: 
I mean short like this: 

  • Man, Blogger makes it difficult to format a post with pictures.  Seriously.
  • Explosive wife did very well on her sand marathon.  Just took her 10 minutes more than her average time.  The weather was a beating, though.  It was rainy and cold, and there was sand EVERYWHERE.
  • The best thing to come out of the A-Rod story is that other MLB players are starting to get pissed and speaking out.  The union can't be happy about that, but it is about time they get knocked down a peg or two.
  • I had a dream last night where I came up with a movie script.  I don't think it is that bad, either.  
  • I also had a dream that Wade Phillips and I got fired from a middle school football coaching gig.
  • Dreams are awesome. I wish I could learn how to control them, though.  Think about it...you could live out any scenario you ever wanted, and it would feel real.  I would play bass for Queen.
  • Speaking of which, I get to see Queen at Bass Hall on the 5th.  Jealous, much?
  • I freaked out this weekend when the news came out that Mike Rhyner almost left The Ticket for The Fan.  That would have been too weird...but I might have gotten used to it.  Which led me to think...do I listen to The Ticket because it is The Ticket, or do I listen for the hosts?
  • After listening to Greg Hill on The Fan for about 5 seconds, I realized I listen to The Ticket for the hosts.  He is awful...just awful.
  • They still haven't demolished the old plant by my house.
  • Speaking of plants, we went to Clute, TX this weekend for Explosive Wife's marathon.  There is a BASF plant there that looks like Coruscant from Star Wars.  Pipes, tanks, all kinds of stuff as far as the eye can see.
  • Here is a Google Maps View
  • There was also this crazy bridge that was really, really tall.  It actually made me a bit nervous going up it.  Here is a picture:

From Surfside Beach Marathon

Thursday, February 12, 2009

This is incredible...

Man forgets to set parking brake, truck mysteriously disappears.


Daily Grind...Valentine's Edition


  • I ordered ExplosiveWife's Valentine's Day present yesterday.  Yeah, I know it was late, but I told her I found the perfect gift and it would be coming in after Valentines.  She is great like that, but she quickly mentioned how she wanted something on that day.  
  • The shipping was 5 bucks for standard.  If I wanted it overnight, it was going to cost me $49.  Really?  50 bucks to overnight something that weighs a few ounces?  Someone has their shipping charges all messed up.
  • It was Amazon, but not true Amazon.  One of their resellers, or partners, whichever is right.
  • I can't believe that Barry Green hasn't seen Hot Rod.  I figured that would be near the top of his list.
  • ExplosiveWife is running her 18th marathon this weekend in Surfside Beach. It is one of the only, if not the only, marathons that is run entirely on sand.  She usually finishes right around 4 hours, but I fear this one is going to last much, much longer.  Hopefully the weather will be tolerable.
  • I have been a spectator at so many marathons, I am now an expert.  If you ever need tips on how to be a good spectator, drop me a line and I will tell you everything I know.
  • I can't wait for baseball season to get rolling.  Every year about this time I get the fever.
  • I keep having dreams that I am going back to work at my old job, but they keep renovating and adding all kinds of new buildings.  It is very confusing.
  • Last time I dreamt about it, everyone from my high school was working there as well. That was odd, to say the least.
  • Sometimes I start these posts early in the morning and just add to them all day...like now!
  • The Ms. Freshley's Chocolate Chip Creme Sandwiches are awesome. They are like Oatmeal Cream Pies, but instead of oatmeal cookies, you get really thin chocolate chip cookies.  They are muy delicioso.
  • During the rain storm the other night, I noticed my son's friend's basketball blowing down the street, so I ran out and rescued it. I was soaked in 10 seconds.  And, it was cold.  But I saved a basketball from certainly being lost.
  • In Galveston all weekend...see you on Tuesday!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Bluebottle Email: POP3, IMAP & Webmail

Bluebottle Email: POP3, IMAP & Webmail

Bluebottle...everything you would ever want in an email service.

Virus Protection!!!
POP3 Access!!!
Email Signatures!!!
20 MB attachments!!

All for only $9.95 a year!!!

Wait...I get all of that, plus about 7 GB (with a G) of storage, plus a ton of other stuff...for free...Hmm..

What am I missing here?  Who has a bluebottle email account?  Seriously?  Why would anyone pay for this?

So Tired...

I have been feeling really, really tired lately.  I don't think I am doing anything differently, I just can't seem to get going.   I spend most of the morning fighting the alarm clock to get out of bed, and then when I get to work, I just don't feel like doing anything.  I have skipped my workout for the last three days and I am not happy with myself.

I went through a little bit of an ideological shift yesterday.  I noticed that any time someone came out and bashed Barack, I was getting defensive.  Not that I particularly love the man or anything, but he genuinely seems like he is trying to do something different as President.  Sure, he doesn't have all of the answers, but he appears to be trying, and that is so much more than I can say about the previous administration.  I would also get very upset at these people who are so anti-anything, because we could just go back to Bush and get the same old crap.

At that moment is when I realized that I really just need to chill out.  That is what makes this country great in my mind.  Someone out there can post a video online about how they hate Barack and his politics, and no one really says anything.  It is their right to do so, and that is what I need to remember about this.  In fact, I think that is what everyone needs to remember, is that you have this right to say what you want without fearing persecution.  So, let's just all learn to respectfully disagree, huh?


Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Daily Grind...

  • It has almost gotten to the point where I just constantly need an open blog post so I can write down these thoughts that fly through my head at 100 mph.
  • How hard must it be to be an ad executive?  You think you have this great idea, and you have to pitch it to people who might think you are an idiot.  For example, the Conan O'Brien commercial were he does the commercial that is only supposed to be seen in Sweden...that would sound so stupid on paper, but on screen it is really funny.
  • I think it would be cool to have the last name "Pryzbilla"
  • Why are there signs on the road that say, "Guardrail Damage Ahead"?  Thanks for the warning. I was going to plow into it, but now that I know there is damage to the upcoming guardrails, I am changing my mind.
  • I think it is cool that 15 years from now, my kids will be able to read this blog and get a good sense of my day to day life.
  • I downloaded Digsby today (digsby.com).  If you are on a bunch of social sites such as Facebook, Myspace, twitter, etc., This might be the tool for you.  It is really, really cool.
  • Speaking of my kids, my 7th grader got detention yesterday for the first time ever.  Apparently, a 9th grader had tossed a ketchup packet under my son's table. My son, in his effort to be as socially awkward as possible, thought he wanted it back so he tossed it back to him.  This enraged the 9th grader, so he opened the ketchup packet and threw it in my son's face, exploding ketchup everywhere, all over his shirt and face.  I feel bad for him, but I really do want him to fight his own battles and learn how to keep out of trouble.  He was really disappointed, but I think it is a good life lesson.
  • I listened to Hal Jay on the way in to work this morning (WBAP 820).  I know that I am not necessarily in his target demographic, but Barry Green is right...this guy is awful.  Nothing he says is even remotely funny, and when he does a bit, it is just bad.
  • Today's bit was "Cowboy Pick Up Lines" and I guess the guy who is his yuckmonkey was doing the voice.  One of the lines was supposed to be, "Hey, baby.  Want to pull the label off of my Shiner?".  The guy messed up the line and botched it all up, but it wouldn't have been funny if he HAD gotten it right.  But there is Hal and the traffic guy, cracking up like they are watching Eddie Murphy Raw.  I don't get it. I am going to listen more because it might be entertaining to see how bad it truly can get.

A Poignant Joke...

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.

He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects. 

He said, 'I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you and cussing a blue streak at him.' I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper sticker and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk; naturally...I assumed you had stolen the car.'

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Daily Grind...



  • When I watch Stars, Mavs, or Rangers games on TV, I always look at the crowd shots and hope that I see someone I know, just so I can call them and tell them I just saw them on TV.  Sadly, this has never happened.
  • Big Bang Theory was really, really funny last night.
  • In hockey, when a team does not get the icing call, and they say "they wave the icing call", is it "wave" or "waive"?  This troubles me more than you know.
  • My son is in 7th grade, and has ZERO ability to explain himself.  It is like his brain stops working if you ask him to tell you the details of something.
  • Unless that something is Call of Duty.  He can tell you in amazing detail the happenings of the online round he played 3 weeks ago.
  • So, I was like, running around, and I like, got the shotgun, and this guy like threw a grenade at me and I was like, NO!, and like, it blew up and I was almost dead until I shot him, and I like got six kills in a row.
  • That actually happened.  When he talks about Call of Duty, he becomes L. Ron Hubbard.
  • Seriously, have you read anything by Hubbard?  By far, the longest book I have ever finished was Battlefield Earth. Pretty good book, but man, that took me forever to finish.  I refuse to get rid of it because it feels like I truly accomplished something when I completed it.
  • Fringe was awesome last night.  I don' t know what I like so much about that show.  Maybe it is the fact that they can do the craziest things with the script but somehow make it believable in context of the show.  Last night, a guy in an airplane turned into a Sasquatch Porcupine.  Go here for a picture.
  • The lady killed in Euless yesterday by an overturned sand truck was a mother of three.  It is scary how quickly life can be snatched away from you.
  • My wife's cousin was killed in a car accident just a few months ago.  She was a single mother of a 5 year old girl.  Absolutely tragic, but it comforted me to know that she had a strong family support system so her little girl will always be taken care of.
  • That is the reason that family is always the most important thing to maintain.
  • I sit right next to the printer at work.  I suspect that few things can be a bigger beating than hearing people complain all day about their documents that won't print.  And there are always two or three people that seem to gripe about every single thing they print.  
  • Stupid Printer.

Woman dies when car crushed by big rig in Euless | Your Commute | Star-Telegram.com

Woman dies when car crushed by big rig in Euless | Your Commute | Star-Telegram.com

This is less than 2 minutes away from my house. I go on this intersection almost every day...scary.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Daily Grind...



  • I forget things to blog way more often than I remember.  I probably put it at a 2:1 ratio.
  • I rented "Little Big Planet" for the PS3 this weekend.  Fun, but a little to kitchy for my taste.  It is kind of like eating fish for dinner.  It tastes really good, but doesn't fill you up like steak.
  • What movie have you seen the most in your life?  I think mine is "So I Married an Axe Murder".  I watched it 4 times in a row the first time I rented it, it was that good.
  • Over a year later, I still think that my iPhone was one of the best purchases I have ever made.  Sure, it costs a lot, but that thing comes in so handy so often.
  • I work out because of my iPhone.  I load TV shows on there and watch them while on the elliptical.  Right now I am watching "8 Simple Rules".
  • I have never stuck with a workout program for as long as I currently have, which is about 6 months.
  • I still weigh the same, though...Hopefully I am replacing fat with muscle.
  • There are certain words in the English language that I pronounce phonetically in my head.  Muscle is one of those words, along with February and Wednesday.
  • I still haven't heard back from my state representative.
  • I had a guy ask me today if I could lay down a guitar track over his rap song.  I jubilantly said yes.  I love doing stuff like that.
  • The new version of Google Earth looks really, really cool.  You can see the history of a piece of land as far back as they have pictures.  So, you could zoom in on the new Cowboys' stadium and see what it looked like at various stages of its development, if they have pictures. Or, you could see what it looked like before it was built.  Can't wait to get home and try it.
  • Anyone have a suggestion on a good deal for internet service?  I think I have the best deal right now, but I need to get faster.