Sunday, July 30, 2006

A ball of gas

Yes, the sun. The great ball of plasma that warms this little rock we call home. This week it will be on full. (Someone's been dicking with the thermostat again!)
Not a big fan of the hot hot day. In fact I'm not that big a fan of Buster Poindexter's hit "Hot Hot Hot."

This week is one of those weeks that remind me why I like the other 9 months of the year better.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Ici Chacal

Yes, it's that time of the year. The latter part of July.

Why is it "that time of the year" you may ask?

It is the time of the year when I read one of my favorite suspense novels;
The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth. I read the book during the time of the year it happens. I do the same reading schedule with The Hunt For Red October since it is divided up by days.

Read it, you'll like it. It was turned into a movie by Fred Zinneman in 1973 and done quite well.

Let's see what else is going on...
The BORHS 2007 Calendar done in tribute to West Virginia RR photographer JJ Young is selling well. I'm very pleased about that. I compiled it with the assistance of a myriad of people. I'm glad the society's investment is paying off.

I started with my new company in earnest this week. 9 hour day. That's not so great. New co-worker. That's a good thing. We'll see how things go from here.

The UMBC Gang Anniversary event is coming along well. We appear to be on track for nearly 100% attendance. I hope we can make the full 100. Usually someone has to get married for that to happen. Honestly, it would take me too much effort at the moment to arrange that.

I also have this urge to fish. I don't know why. But whiling away a day at my favorite spot at Turtle Branch Hiker Biker Overnighter on the C&O Canal seems very appealing to me. It's a nice spot. There's a group of rocks that go out into the river about 8 feet. So you're a bit away from the shore. You're also on the outside of a bend in the river. It's very pretty at sunset.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Late to the party

Sorry about my tardiness, but I just found the website:
http://www.rockbottomremainders.com/

The band has been around for some time and has been well publicized, but I like the whole concept so much I wanted to mention it.

Fill this please.

Well, had my pre-employment drug screening this morning. This was actually easier than I expected. I was at the Cubs-Nats game Friday night and sweated to the ball game. I was concered I had perspired so much I wasn't going to be able to fill the cup to the line. Fortunately, a large amount of water to rehydrate myself the hour after I got home from the game.

Real orientation is Monday at 9am. Huzzah!

Hmmm, let's see...Wacky Neighbor passed his actuarial exam. (Those of us who knew him expected this. The man is BRILLIANT! Smartest person I know. Seriously.)

That's all I got.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Bittersweet

Today is the last day at DPRA and tomorrow is the first with the new uber contractor. I've just wrapped up my exit interview and am waiting for a conference call to start. It's thrilling.
Still, I'm sad to leave DPRA. It's a nice little company. I would have like to have hung out here for two years to get my MLS and then go on to bigger and better things. Oh, speaking of my MLS I found out how much it's going to cost for 2006-2007. This will be 6 credits a quarter for four quarters. It's all on-line via Drexel University. Any guesses? You can guess per credit hour and cumulative cost for the year. When someone gets within $500 per year I'll close the contest.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

J-O-B

Well, I have a job that will last beyond next week now.
End with the old company on the 19th and start with the new one on the 20th.
To celebrate I went to Cold Stone and got a Strawberry Milk Shake to enjoy on the walk to the metro station.
Huzzah!

Also, the calendar project I've been working on for the B&O Railroad Historical Society is done. The calendars have been delivered to the society. I got my sample and they look mahvelous.

Tomorrow is payday and then a weekend of archiving at the BORHS! Yeah! WOOOOOOOOO!

Monday, July 10, 2006

Wow, talk about a slow bureaucracy

Only 299 years to get this little issue resolved. Way to go Virginia!

Saturday, July 08, 2006

And then there were three.

Today was another wedding for a member of the UMBC Gang. And it was a good time at the reception.
That leaves three of us who are still single. Myself and two others.
I've been kicking around that in my head on the way home. And I'm ok with my status.
Right now I'm just not ready in terms of emotion or living situation to deal with anything like a meaningful relationship. I mean I'd like to be dating, but I'd like to be in my own place now too, have my MLS all finished and know weather or not I'll have a job after the 17th. (As a side note, events came to a head at work. My company runs out of money for me on this contract sometime between the 17th and the 21st. I have a meeting with Lockheed Monday at 3pm to help get things going on a new position with them doing the same job. But as my current supervisor says, I'm probably going to get "a couple of days off" whether I want them or not.)
So, I'm a bit relieved I don't have rent due, but this helps prove the adage that your savings should be able to cover three months of expenses.
So that's where I am right now. Things are at a bit of a low ebb at the moment. I don't know how they will turn out.
God I hate uncertainty like this.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

"You're not going to have to answer to me...

You're gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola Company."

Cracks in the armor surrounding the most important secret in the US...the formula for Coke.

The bluest skies I've ever seen are in Seattle.

Cause they sure aren't here. Yet ANOTHER day of rain/thunderstorms. Anybody around here starting to build an ark? Seriously, if you live in DC Metro area and you are building an Ark, please let me know.

Add to this:
Frustration at work with incompetence from other contractors. Employer change may be accelerated. And just the general drudgery of having to work after a national holiday for three more days and well...I'm maybe at Defcon 4 for a Philadelphia Meltdown.

For those of you who are not acquaintances and/or do not know of the infamous Philadelphia Meltdown here is the brief story. Quiz Bowl tournament in Philly. Things were going very poorly for the two UMBC teams. One team wanted to leave early and take transportation for 5 people with them. 4 of us wanted to stick it out. The back and forth got too much for me and I yelled a sentence accented with the F--- word. The Wacky Neighbor still thinks it was great. It vocalized everyone's frustration with that tournament. However I'm now a bit embarrassed by it. However after a really horrible day or a bad drive, I will stay in my car and just yell that word out once to get all of the hostility out of my system. It's actually rather spiritually cleansing.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Superman Returned

And it's about damn time!

I saw SR today with some of the UMBC Mafia. A good time was had by all. Clocking in at 2 hrs and 45 minutes one might think it would be hard to sit through.
I had no problem. I could go see it again right now and enjoy it immensely.

The good:
Brandon Routh-so much like Christopher Reeve it's scary
Kate Bosworth-a good Lois Lane
Kevin Spacey-EXCELLENT Lex Luthor
The writing-well done.
The directing-pretty slick
The Special Effects-up to one's expectations
The Train Layout! Very nice!!! Too bad it gets trashed.

The needs a bit of tweaking:
Frank Langella as Perry White. Fair, I had to wait through most of the movie for him to say, "GREAT CEASAR'S GHOST!" He could have been a bit more over the top like someone from a Howard Hawks movie or James Cagney in One, Two, Three. Give me some rapid fire orders. I expect to hear that staccato dialogue from a newspaper editor.
The guy who played Kumar from Harold and Kumar go to White Castle. Give him a line!!! Please!
Editing. While the film did pass by quickly, I did think they dwelled a bit on some parts and could have trimmed the fat and increased the pace.
The Train Layout! You MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!

Still, go see it. It's worth the price of admission and it's definitely going to be joining the DVD collection when it comes out.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Didn't see that one coming.

I join the people of Brazil in saying, "WHAT THE F-!?!?!?"