Inside info

We had an appointment yesterday and found we are having a little girl. There is no doubt. This wasn't a case of not seeing one thing and assuming it's the other. This is a case where the sonogram saw it was a girl no doubt.

Yvonne is nervous in a funny way. She fears her mom's curse is coming true--to have a child just like Yvonne. As a kid (and to this day), Yvonne's a night owl that read a lot and I guess she dished some attitude? I'm not sure on the last one (treading lightly, lol). All I know is it got to the point where Yvonne's mom said, "I want you to have a child just like you someday so you see what it's like."

Hmmm, let's see, it's a girl, a Gemini (just like Yvonne) and in the sonogram, she was hiding her face and not cooperating. Yeah, Yvonne is nervous.

Name suggestions in the comments are welcome. I'm glad we know the sex because I think Yvonne and I would have wasted a lot of time and effort on boy names.

Silver Surfer

This looks pretty good, too.

Vacation

I'm enjoying the week off with family.

Here's the latest movie my bro in Austin worked. It's looks pretty awesome.

The music never stops

When I was in the Austin bike club, there was a music bike. I've written about it before, but needless to say, it was pretty bad assnit. In fact, after only one ride along with the Austin Boom Boom, Warlord decreed that loud music bike was exactly the kind of thing the Dallas Boneshakers needed. In Austin, one of the mottos was "The music never stops" and I think that same motto can now be adopted by the Boneshakers.

I say this not because we completed our music bike. We haven't even really started that project yet, but we have some great ideas not on paper.

I say this because the Dallas Boneshakers officially have a fourth member. Not just a rider, a member. We named him The Bard because he's had years and years of music school, and he has a keen knowledge of the current music scene with an emphasis on indie rock. \m/ rawk

So now we have the Bard to make sure the music never stops. The Warlord, The Ronan, The Shaman and The Bard. Officially, there is also the Assassin, but she doesn't ride much. She lies and waits for the right time to pounce.

One of the cool things about this is the Bard has two speakers with built-in battery operated amps--something that could be placed saddle bag style on the back of a bike, perhaps?

Last night we had a short ride, played bones and another game called Farkle involving 6 dice and a lot of chance.

And the Warlord dropped the gaunlet on me yesterday. He gave me a Marvel Comic Collector's Edition of Monopoly. You customize the board. So, for example, Boardwalk could be The Hulk. Or Marvin Gardens could be Magneto. Neato.

So, it's on. :)

Photos

After several requests for images, I finally got off my lazy butt and did something about it. Enjoy these photos of the wall and the new car.

I am trying a new tool with these, where folks can leave comments on the images and all that jazz.

I will most likely take down a few sections soon, including the old gallery.

Update

I just dropped another 20 bags. I think I need about 10-15 more. So far, here's the breakdown:

• 60 bags; 2,400 pounds
• Three days
• One dude, Me
• One Element
• One new pair of work gloves
  

Those photos sure are going to look good, aren't they?

Also, shout out to my K.B. Polk friend who found me on the interwebs recently. Small world. We use to go to a place called the Environmental Center with class. It was a D.I.S.D. science and nature center that was pretty awesome. In fact, I went back for three weeks the following summer. One of the things I learned was how to make a butterfly net.

Now, I know you are thinking, "Nate, a butterfly net? What's the big deal?"

Me and some friends started using our homemade butterfly nets to hunts wasps, bees, hornets and anything else that could sting. We called ourselves the Waspbusters ("Ghostbusters" reference). We collected the bodies after suffocating them in a margarine container filled will a paper towel and a dash of alcohol. It was pretty awesome.

Enter Sandman

This weekend has been all about filling in behind the wall. Saturday, I bought 20 40-pound bags of top soil and filled it almost half way. So, Sunday, I bought 20 more and filled it almost completely. I'm going to get 20 more bags to finish up the project and any leftover soil will be held for next spring. We have at least two beds that will get attention.

Meanwhile, instead of sodding the soil behind the wall, we decided to plant wild flowers. I'm going to get seeds from the Ladybird Johnson Center when the time comes. It should look pretty good.

Old Skool gave me an official kick in the butt for no photos. I'll have some this week for sure.

Finally, I won Monopoly yesterday with the race car. The game was close throughout and I thought his two monopolies were going to get me, but in the end they didn't. Just to prove why he's called the Warlord, he knows the most landed on area of the board and knew it when I got all three properties. OK, he knows game board landing stats? Shit, I'm just trying to get Free Parking (which he got 4 times).

Press start to begin

I've basically stopped all PC gaming as we know it. City of Heroes, Knights of the Old Republic 2 (Kotor, for those uber nerds), Titan's Quest---all of it has been at a full stop, since the Xbox 360.

I know a lot of people are saying, "Dude, why didn't you wait until the Wii or PS3 came out? The Xbox has been out for a year!"

Exactly. First off, the programmers have had that time to perfect their methods, while also taking new directions (Can't wait for "assassin"). I read an article where PS3 graphics on existing games available for the Xbox weren't as good on the screen because programmers rushed to release the games and didn't take time to compensate for the PS3 system. Which goes to my second point, the library of games for the 360 has had that much more time to build.

Everyone says, "Dude, when you buy an Xbox, first thing you do is download updates." Yes, but I heard same is true for PS3.

Notice, I'm not really speaking to the Wii. That's because the graphics don't measure up. I'm sure it's a great game system for kids.

What I'm beginning to really enjoy now is the online arcade and downloading demo games, like "Superman Returns" for example.

But, then I read an article that made me question everything. I fear I might have to dust off the old laser optical mouse and play THIS game. More here.

Office update: We can print! It just took the right people to get involved.

Boneshaker Update: I missed the ride last night. I haven't heard from them since I sent the "I'm out" email yesterday, but I hope it went well. A fourth rider is joining the group and he hosted last night. That's a requirment to join. I will hopefully report later that we are officailly four riders strong.

Bird of prey

Sunday, my little brother got his Eagle badge. That's a norm in our family, with all my uncles being Eagles. My one male cousin on that side, as well as me and my older brother--we are all Eagles. For the first time in 18 years, I wore my Eagle badge. It was pretty neat in a dorky way.

The ceremony was nice and my older brother and I even had parts (I put on the neckerchief). It's amazing to think about my little brother getting his Eagle. At this point, I bet he downgrades his scout involvement to pursue other things (girls).

Bankston, in light of being a Boy Scout, and the post about the games, I cannot answer your question in the comments on Nov. 27. But, I laughed pretty hard when I read it. And, then I was puzzled trying to answer it. It's like looking into the abyss.

Camera update: I have batteries! Now, I just need a swift kick in the butt!

Working transition

Warning: Rant follows.

I've been in the new work office now close to 2.5 months (since Sept. 25) and we still cannot print or fax. In the beginning, I took my printer to work a few times, only to have various sales reps send me emails with the subject line "Please Print". I found myself printing 13-page sales pitch documents. I found myself printing confidential one on one meeting documents.

I found myself looking at the unsharpened pencils on my desk and wanting them deep within my eye sockets.

I took my printer home to fax something (fax function doesn't work in the new office) and left it there for peace of mind. I figure, if I need to print something, I'll go home to print just like I have to do for faxing. That's what everyone else here is doing. The good thing for me is I don't need to print or fax on a daily basis so this doesn't come up too much.

So, now we're talking about starting a betting pool on how long it'll take for the Dallas office to be able to print and fax. People, you either laugh, or you pick up that unsharpened pencil.

Top hat to scotty

I forgot to mention the Warlord and I had a heavy session of Monopoly yesterday. We played two games. The first one, he beat me. Then, I evened it up in the second. We've played a few games in the past and he's the only person I can play who, A.) Doesn't get mad at me; and B.) I don't get mad at him for winning (He is named the Warlord for dominating at games, after all).

This is a huge development. I can get pretty, um, interested in the game. I was the top hat in the first game and the scotty dog in the second. He was the dude on the horse both games. But, we just started playing the game on the original board with top hats, dogs, etc.

I own the Classic "Star Wars" trilogy version of the game, so we are usually in that universe. Here's where I'm impressed by the Warlord: he has the same "Star Wars" set, but his is the limited edition.

LIMITED! Ha, but it's opened, so he just lost like more than half the value on that.

But, both his and my versions still have my favorite Chance card of all time: "Let the wookie win. Pay $50"

Recovery

We're back from the trip. It was very nice. Among the highlights: Walker met a new friend, the Element fits one dog great and everyone there seems to be doing well. Unfortunately, Yvonne is now sick with a cold and I'm frantically drinking vitimin C.

On the way home, I was nailed speeding. The ticket is for 13 over the (70 mph) limit, but I know my cruise was set for 85 or 86. The trooper was nice. It was all said and done within 3 minutes. This is my first ticket in several years, so I feel like my number was up.

Defensive driving online, here I come baby! I called the judge's office this morning (somewhere east of Abilene and west of Clyde) and the woman told me any tickets handed out over the weekend won't be in the system until Friday, Dec. 1.

Good ole' Texas time.

On a side note, the wall is going to be adjusted a little before I post photos. I know I haven't posted photos of anything lately. My camera is out of batteries. That's my only lame excuse.

Hey you turkeys

We are venturing into West Texas for Thanksgiving. Hopefully, the cowboys will win another game like they did on Sunday.

I just started watching Berserk and love it. I'm looking forward to the next disk.

Battlestar is frickin Awesome with Tigh returning to reality. Cylons galore!

Have a safe holiday.

Another brick in the wall

When we moved into this house, I began the path of landscaping. If you read this blog around the time we moved here, you'll noticed the topic shifts severely to yard work. As part of our move in, we had some major work done on the yard, which including a retaining wall. It ran from our alley, around a corner and to the end of a bed. From there, it was grass and a steep ass hill.

But the grass was having trouble rooting because the hill was so steep. Limestone rocks flushed out of the soil during heavy rains. Before the wall, soil washed down across the sidewalk. With the first retaining wall, soil washed out around the end of it.

So, saturday the Boneshakers and I finished the wall. Two slabs of stones were delivered. 288 stones in all. 20 pounds each. And right away it wasn't easy. We hit a large limestone boulder in the initial stages. After bending my garden mattock trying to chip at it, I went at bought the Pick Axe of Destiny.

Among the silly things said by various Boneshakers during the work:

"There's GOLD in these here hills!"-Warlord
"HULK SMASH"-Shaman
"Takin' a break here, boss."-Ronan
"Take a break and pick up a shovel."-Shaman
"You stupid rock! You killed my father and now you're coming for me!"-Warlord

Following and during one break from the work, Yvonne (aka, the Assassin) made food for us. A great lasagna for dinner with cherry pie and ice cream.

Sunday, we were sore all over. I still have to back fill it with soil. But the wall is done and now I don't have to worry about the ground shifting around. I might tweak a portion of it to smooth it out, but nothing close to as major.

Who knows? Maybe I'll get a sprinkler system in 5 years.

End of an era

About six years ago, I had a 1990 Subaru Legacy. It was silver, dented from a one-car wreck and a back door no longer opened from the outside. The passenger front door didn't open from the inside. The engine was ok. I ended up selling it when I got The Buick.

The Buick was quite a step up. It was my step-mom's car while my little brother was a small kid. The funny thing is I found a lot of batteries in the backseat from my little brother's Gameboys, CD players and various gizmos. The first thing I did was put the darkest legal window tint on the windows mainly for the cool factor, but also for the Texas sun.

But, the doors all worked, it had leather interior and the ride was smooth. It was a nice car and quite the upgrade for me. We drove it to Chicago twice in it, once pulling a trailer. The car was very nice in Chicago for groceries and pet trips.

Now, my little brother is 15 about to turn 16 in a couple months. And he is inheriting the Buick. Instead of AAA batteries stuffed deep into the backseat, he'll be digging out dog hair. Yesterday, they came by to pick it up. I put some serious elbow grease into it and I think we were all surprised how well the car cleaned up.

Now that I have the Element, I realize the main thing I loved about the Buick. Perhaps the only thing, I don't know.

Here it is: The Buick is an old man's car.

Am I an old man? Some might think so, but that's not the point. The old man's car has major comfort. The seats are nice, the steering wheel is loosy goosy, and if you leave the turn signal on too long, the alarm goes off (for all those old men like me who leave their blinkers on for miles down the highway). The sunroof/moonroof was great at night and the driver seat had power adjustments. It had a lot of extras that were as cozy as a wool blanket next to a fireplace.

Now, I say all this not because I miss the Buick. To be clear, I don't and it didn't really go that far away if I ever do.

What I do miss, is that stage in our lives. When one car was enough. When we loaded four baskets of laundry with our current books and headed off the the laundromat. Or how 15-20 bags of mulch in the trunk and backseat made the struts squeak. Or when other drivers on the road in their nice Mercedes or BMWs played chicken with me, they lost every time (I had less to lose).

So, enjoy the car Frogboy. You're going to love it.

Big news

With all the changes around here, there's one big chunk of news we've been sitting on until now. But we think it's safe to say now.

Yvonne is pregnant. Today, we saw the little jelly bean on the sonogram machine and heard a healthy heart beat. Estimations place her at 10 weeks and the due date May 27, 2007.

So, if I've seemed extra quiet lately, it's because I couldn't really write about the one thing on our minds.

And, if you're my boss reading this, I need a raise. Another mouth to feed ... :)

Update from N8

It's been pretty busy around here with traveling and some freelance work building that website I mentioned a while back. It's an ongoing project, but we got through the first and toughest hurdle. The rest should be simpler.

Things at work are now in full force. We have 10 peeps in the office starting Monday and I have an officemate. I wear headphones, so it doesn't distract me too much. It's pretty crazy to go from two peeps, each working separately in their own homes, to 10 peeps all working right here. Most of the new folks are out in the field all the time anyway.

Meanwhile at home, we've just been recovering from a trip to Austin last weekend and I'm prepping for the Boneshaker ride tonight.

We've caught up on Battlestar and it's just the best thing in the world. LOST is doing well, but it's not drawing me in as strongly. And Smallville is fun, but it just doesn't compare to either of the other two shows.

We didn't do Halloween costumes this year, but had several trick or treaters. Handing out candy was the extent of our Halloween participation this year. I kind of missed it, but there wasn't much we could do.

Now on the radar is next week's election. Lot's of last minute craziness before the polls...

Two fer

A second post in one day!!! After the Battlestar catch up, our Netflix has opened back up to watch real movies again. Anyone interested in becoming a Netflix friend, let me know.

Caught up catching up

Several things have been happening here that have been quite significant.

First, as I mentioned, the Buick broke down last weekend, so we went ahead and got a new car. A Honda Element (if the last headline didn't give enough away). It's a nice, safe car that can fit both the dogs and lots of baggage. It also has satellite XM radio, and stations Ethel and Fred are winning the race. I'm not sure if I'll keep that, but the first three months are free. I like how versatile the car is. It can carry lots of peeps, or lots of bags of mulch. I also like that it's actually smaller in the garage. The Buick is now fixed and we're looking into getting rid of it.

Second, as I mentioned, I got an Xbox 360. So far, I've been shot by the police after a particularly messy turf war, destroyed a Confederate Battleship, been eaten in a mall by a horde of zombies (helllooooo, recurring dream) and killed aliens invading my orbital defense space station. I haven't had a lot of time to play this week, but I already like it better than PC gaming a bit. I might even strip this computer down some to give the hard drive more wiggle room.

Third, and this one I don't think I mentioned, Yvonne has fully embraced her geekness and caught up with all the Battlestar Galactica episodes. She's ready for season 3 which started a couple weeks ago. I held out on season 3 so we could watch them together (downloading on iTunes as I type). Now, I could be proud about this for the sci-fi, geeky factor, but I'm more proud of this because the show has withstood a test of quality. News articles are coming out now saying it's less sci-fi and more mainstream. Maybe that's the case, but ever since I saw it, I knew the reign of Star Trek was over. And will remain so. Even with JJ Abrams doing the next movie about early Star Fleet days of Kirk and Spock. And having Yvonne vouch for it just proves it.

The weather has cooled and I turned on the heater yesterday for the first time.

Elemental

We had a great visit this weekend from Yvonne's little sister. On Saturday, we all geeked out at Best Buy (helloooooo xbox 360, update on that soon).

On Sunday, we went on a White Rock Lake Artist tour, where we were allowed to check out various studios local artists use. They were all at the artists' houses. Art was for sale and everyone was very nice, despite the rain. We can't complain about rain here and the artists were surprised how many people were showing up.

Sunday afternoon, as I was heading to the grocery store, my car wouldn't start. I think it's the fuel pump. This is the second or third time in the past few months it's done this. I think my new commute might be contributing to it's demise. We're worried about investing in it to run, then something else breaks and the investments continue. It's 11 years old.

So a new car is on the horizon.

Oh, and saw Xmen 3 recently. It has the suck all about it.

Offices

Things have been busy around here. We finished another room in the house (photos soon) and I decided since I'm not working from home to rearrange my office at home for more space. So far so good. I removed one of the three desks and moved some of my office stuff into a built-in desk in the den. We might move the aquarium from the den to the office now. Not sure.

So, not much time at the computer at home, except for a freelance design gig I worked on last weekend. It's a long-term project, so I was just getting the basics down. Now, I wait for stuff from the client before taking the next step. I'm guessing they might forget, then ask where the website is in about a month.

Work in the new office is good. I'm still setting up a few things. From what I can tell, neighbors around me include a CPA, a medical attorney of some sort and an architect. Our office has been relatively empty with coworkers out in the field and printing things at home. The printer doesn't work, I brought mine from home.

Served

Jury duty was a great experience, but it was also very exhausting. It was a murder trial and we found him guilty. We gave him a sentence of 72 years. I'm ready to put it behind me now and move on, but every once in a while, images pop in my head.

Meanwhile, we have completed another room in the house. The dining room/living room. I'll have photos up soon.

I also moved into the new work office. It's a lot like working from home with no one showing up. I see about one to two people a day. But the area is great. I have a lot of lunch and activity options and it's close to Yvonne. We could work out a car pool for sure. I have a great view out the window as well, so that helps. Overall, I think it'll work out and possibly open new avenues.

Reporting for duty, sir

I was chosen for jury duty and should be done either Wednesday or Thursday. Most people complain about this civil duty, but not me. Maybe watching "12 Angry Men" recently helped, but I've never harbored a bad attitude about being called for this. It's like the right to vote. It's a privilege.

Of course, this is my first time. So, I can't say anything about the case itself.

What I can say is I'm sort of impressed with the Dallas County Clerks, who handle 500 people, organize them with a small slip of paper, and eventually deliver on providing a group of citizen peers within a morning. I heard a few complaints about the process being too slow, or others pissed they were there in general and it made a part of me sick.

I wanted to say, "This is why you fail. This is why the system fails. This is why the world is ending."

Maybe I'm being influenced by a graphic novel I'm reading. It was handed to me by The Doctor. Props and a shout out goes to him.

New digs

I just checked out the new office I'll be working in. It's going to work out well. I have a nice view out the window of McKinney Avenue and in the distance I can see the ferris wheel at Fair Park.

If I didn't have jury duty, I'd be going there on Monday like the rest of the Dallas worker bees. I was looking forward to meeting the new peeps. Hopefully, I can still go at some point, or Tuesday.

It's the first time I've been called to jury duty, so I was excited about it. But now, it's becoming inconvenient to the move and such.

Changes

I'm sitting in my office and looking out the front window. Sophie is asleep on the floor under my home computer. Her legs are sleep walking and thumping the floor.

I'm enjoying this moment working from home.

Next week, I'll be moving into a real office. I'm happy for the progress and it makes me enjoy these moments even more.

Peace/state of mind

The vacation was very successful in relaxing the both of us. From the photos, you can see we packed a lot into the trip. What's not in the photos is the overall calmness we had. This week, we've tried hard to hold on to that feeling. It's now Friday and I'm still feeling it. Here are some other things not depicted in the gallery.

People: Everyone we spoke to was nice. We never heard or saw a mean spirited person, except when glancing the TV from time to time. One day we were walking about three quarters of a mile to the ruins from the main road. The Gatorade delivery guy pulled over and gave us a ride the rest of the way. Always a smile. I give a lot of credit to Yvonne, who translated the whole time. I did my best to avoid speaking English out of courtesy, but I can't hold a conversation.

Cannons: In both cities, they fired cannons everyday. In Xacatecas, the first round was 6am in the morning. The first day, I thought I was home and someone fired the shotgun again. heh ... awkward silence ... But the cannons continued through the day, another long round about 7pm. In Gaunajauto, they only fired them at night around dinner time. At that point, we barely noticed. They also rang the church bells around the same time, which was nice. We saw one boy trying to ring the bell. He had to fall to the ground holding the rope to get any noise. He hands it to a larger boy, who rang it with one hand.

Food: The food was exceptionally good. The only food I avoided was fruit and Italian food. Not sure why, but we haven't been craving Italian lately. So we ate lots of tacos and heavy breakfasts. I had to adjust to eating before 11am, but the daily activity helped burn the fuel. Highlight was special tacos made by Yvonne's senorita.

Rain: It rained almost every day we were there, with the strongest storms towards the end. Our host in Guanajauto, Pita, was carrying buckets around one night. She later told Yvonne her entire bedroom floor was wet. The house was 300 years old...Some of the rain followed us back to Dallas, which relieved the a little of drought stress.

Loot: We managed to stay below the customs amount of goods we brought back, but still had a lot. Two leather jackets, the ceramics, gifts for several people and more. The toughest part was hauling the ceramics back to the hotel, about a mile walk from the bus, mostly uphill. We used the two boxes as carry-ons, but had to check them at the gate. Somehow, we managed to get all that stuff back unbroken.

Return: The day of the trip home, I began to really miss the dogs (and cat). I'm going to miss them a little when I no longer work from home. I stressed about the pile of things that built up at work, but I probably didn't need to worry about it at all. The return was smooth enough and now we're back in our routines.

Boneshakers: We rode last night, three riders strong. Next week, we may be up to four riders.

Back in the saddle

We came home Sunday and hit the ground running. I had two dreams about work last night so this will be short.

Enjoy the gallery!

Mexico

We're going to Mexico for a week. Thanks to those who gave me input. I learned a few things about my readers. Maybe water pumps aren't so bad. More photos and more coffee are ok, too. I still plan to change the look, and I'm considering a new tool.

The Boneshakers rode last night and we might have a fourth member. It's not official until all the founders ride with him, and the Warlord is still out of town (last vote).

Weather has let up and cooled into the 90s. But we lost about 6-7 plants due to the drought. Some were planted last winter, some were planted two years ago. Most of them were azaleas, so we'll be moving on from that plant.

Operation: Reset

Hey folks, not feeling the blog vibes these days. I might take the site in a new direction, but I'm not sure what that is.

More fiction? (An idea I've thought of before)

More water pump updates? (Lame to lame squared, IMHO)

More coffee? (What is not solved by this?)

Maybe finish the navigation graphics? (Already wanting something different for the animated ones)

Maybe a whole new design? (This one has had a good run, is it over?)

wtf? (Tell me what you think, either in comments or email)

Back in Big D

The trip to L.A. was better than I expected, and I even had a celeb sighting: Gene Simons, The Demon.

My internal clock is all whacked out and I woke up early today. I ran a few errands and at 10:50am, it's 93 degrees, with 11 more degrees predicted. I have to say, the break from the heat was very nice.

Water pump

It was the water pump. I guess the 16 month drought and 29 days of 100 or above temperatures was just too much for it. har har

Break down

Yvonne and I have known for some time that my car needs to be replaced. But, it's not an easy purchase. This weekend, the Buick reminded us by breaking down late Saturday afternoon. I had a trunk full of groceries.

But, we feel lucky. First, lucky that Yvonne stayed home to do some work, so she was able to come get me and the groceries pretty quickly. Second, we took a trip to Austin about two weeks ago in the Buick with the dogs. It didn't breakdown on I-35, in the heat, with the dogs crowded and panting in the back. Third, I wasn't on a major highway, and I was relatively close to home.

No one was open yesterday, so the shop is looking at it now. Hopefully, they will fix it today. Because I leave tomorrow for the rest of the week. Work trip to the city of angels. I'll tell you if I see any...

Slick like Rick

The slick tires are officially on the bike. Tonight, I will test them on the Boneshaker ride. I'll give a full report.

In other news, it's hot. Plants are turning brown. Blinds remain drawn. And, we all just keep on keepin' on.

Kotor, King of the Hill People

I broke down and bought a new game. With the subscription system for City of Heroes, I tend to not branch out, in an effort to "Get my money's worth." But, after a couple years, the game is just getting old to me. In fact, I think I posted I was going to quit it about 6 months ago. But, I never did because it was all I had.

I'm not a huge gamer. I own no console games. I just play on the computer and my phone (beat Doom once so far).

But, enough was enough.

This weekend, I bought a game that came out a while ago, so it was only $20. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2 (aka, kotor 2). And, I'm sucked in big time. The cool thing is the game is a lot like Dark Forces 2, where you get to choose between the light and dark sides. And despite a couple smuggling incidents, I've managed to maintain my light side.

3

Three years!!!

Totally worth it, dude

The story reads:

"This is an undated handout photo issued by Wookey Hole Caves Wednesday Aug 2, 2006, of the security guard Greg West and his dobermann Barney who went on the rampage. A 40,000 pound (US$75,000 euros 58,000) teddy bear formerly owned by Elvis Presley was one of the bears destroyed when the guard dog which was supposed to protect it went on the rampage Tuesday . The rare Steiff bear, named Mabel, was due to form the centrepiece of an exhibition at Wookey Hole Caves near Wells, England. The bear was bought at auction in Memphis, Tennessee, by Somerset aristocrat Sir Benjamin Slade and had been loaned to the collection, a Wookey Hole spokesman said. (AP Photo/Wookey Hole Caves, Ho)"

Barney may be out of a job, but what a way to end a career.

You go, buddy.

Work collection

From time to time, I tell people I office out of my house. The response I usually get is, "Cool!"

Here is some insight on working from home I would like to share. Balanced; some good, some bad.

Working From Home

1. Watering the yard during breaks
   
2. Barking with the dogs, possibly involving a light saber battle with (sky) Walker during breaks
   
3. Cleaning dog hair off the printer paper before printing something
   
4. Gauging the success of a burp by how it echoes in the house. If the dogs have to check on me, top score.

And finally a haiku.

Working days from home.
Tumbleweeds roll through the room.
No one else is here.

Enjoy the silence

Hello my bloggie droogies. I'm going out of town Wednesday and returning Sunday, so don't expect much from me here (like that would be different). I'm going to the country, where chickens and geese are eaten by raccoons and chiggers rule the earth. I'll have limited dial-up access---sooOOoooo 1998.

I'm cramming for end-of-month goal numbers before I leave. Yvonne would be proud. Oh, that's a jab, my love. :)

Texas Winter

In Chicago, when the temps drop under 28 degrees, it's down right uncomfortable to be outside. People stayed indoors and just waited out the winter. We played darts, bones and puzzles. We watched movies and read.

Now, it's the same case here in Dallas. Heat. It's not the discomfort of ice forming in your nose hair, it's the discomfort of feeling your flesh burn during the short moment you cross the street. It's the heavy air that can't seem to fill your lungs. It's uncomfortable and the trend is to stay inside and wait out the summer. According to all the media, this is a hotter than normal summer. So was last year. The year before that was quite mild, with only a handful of days in triple digits.

Today is the seventh straight day of triple digits and at least four more days are expected. I'm not sure what the total is, but I'm pretty sure that's not the total for the year. We've hit 100 at least once prior. This heat wave is primarily hitting north Texas--Austin and Houston are getting plenty of rain.

So, instead of the gear you see above, it's shorts, T-shirt and flip-flops.

Update: 4pm, it's 106 on the Grid

Great clip

I laughed all the way through this clip. Good stuff.

TGIF--expelling the thoughts

• The garage door is going to cost about $400 to repair, depending on the door springs. We are going to have to replace the 25-year-old opener. So, the positive spin here is we are going to get new clickers...
• This has been a rough week and I'm ready for the 5 o'clock whistle. I'm taking a short break from serious editing so I don't see double. Today marks the midway point of the work month, so I am working to reach the halfway point of my goals. A few new projects have eaten a lot of time, but it's just a matter of adjustment.
• We're dog sitting Whiskey this weekend. He's a cat eater, so it's taking some coordination. Fortunately, aside from the cat thing, he's a fantastic dog. He begs more than I would allow, but he has a great manner. He doesn't require a leash, no matter what the situation. If neighbor dogs go ape shit at the gate, Whiskey just wags his tail and follows you. In contrast, both our dogs would go straight to that gate and join in the ape shit throwing. Both our dogs require leashes for that reason. Whiskey likes to sleep on the couch and I'm allowing it because I can tell he's sad and lonely.
• Last night, I caught an old "Star Trek Next Generation" on TV. It's been a while, but wow, that's movie quality stuff right there. Especially the 3-6 seasons. I might need to own it. Right now, I need to buy Episode 3, firefly season 1, serenity, battlestar miniseries and first 2 seasons and some new shoes.
• Just watched "Eraserhead" this week. I hate to admit, that was my first time. It's a pretty twisted movie, but it says a lot about the modern age and what we are doing to our planet, bodies and minds.

OK, back to work.

Working out bugs

I'm working on the Grid splash page a little bit. I noticed Midland's cam is down and has been for some time. So, I'm looking for a good alternative. I found a video feed that's pretty cool. Check it out on Midland.

Otherwise, our garage door opener broke last night, so I'll be trying to get that fixed soon.

Grid iron grids

Just added Houston to the Grids. Also, check out Austin because it has two more cams on it now. If anyone has a request for Grid, let me know.

This is my inner Batman coming out in html. lol

Good ride

Last night, Yvonne and I hit the White Rock Lake trail on our bikes. The weather was nice and cool. A breeze made sure it stayed that way. We picked up the pace a bit from the first ride, but we still didn't push it. I think we did the 9 miles in about 50 minutes. I'm thinking about getting flatter tires. I just ordered a bag more me and lights for her. We'll see.

Crazy

So, I'm about to post about the weekend. I'm lining up my thoughts about how much fun we had with Yvonne's nephews, sister and parents. And I pretty much had the whole thing figured out when the phone rings. It's Crystaleye. He's seen a video I need to see. I search it online and find it. And it's pretty funny. I'm not a fan of MTV these days, or cable at this juncture, but it's still funny. My highlight, the Imperial Officer string quartet. Gee, I wonder why he called me?

Drama dog

Tonight, we are seeing a play at the Kitchen Dog Theater. We haven't seen "Superman Returns" yet, but we most likely will this weekend. This weekend, family is coming to town and I'm taking a much needed 4-day weekend. I need new steam.

Metropolis on my finger

Many readers don't know this, but in the last few months I went from 195 pounds to averaging around 178. This was the result of Yvonne and I just watching what we eat, the portions we eat and exercising regularly. This is also a final recovery for me, who moved to Chicago and gained a lot of weight. I peaked at 205 up there deep in one winter. I managed to get down to 195 before moving to Dallas because of all the riding I did. I'm amazed I averaged 48-64 miles/week back then.

But, there has been one set back to the loss. My wedding ring stopped fitting correctly and often fell off. I always felt it fall off. Once I was riding and it almost rolled into a busy street. Another time, I was mowing and it slipped off in the sweat. One time, I gave a friend a high five. Everytime, I'd pick it up and put it in my pocket for a while. We were starting to wonder if there would be a time I didn't feel it fall off and it would be lost.

So yesterday we bought an alt ring. It's half a size smaller and fits great. And proof that my wife loves me: She bought a ring titled Metropolis for me three days before "Superman Returns" hits the theaters. She's so awesome.

Got an itch

Today, I slept in 'til 8am. I started the water for the last phase that I couldn't finish last night (I watered until about 10pm). While that was running, I took the mutts for a walk. I am trying to do that every morning before work as my "commute." So far, I'm probably doing it about 75%.

I have poison ivy on my leg again. It happens each summer and my skin isn't strong enough to heal from it anymore. We suspect the cat gets it on his coat and rubs the oil on my shin, but truthfully, we don't know. I usually get some cream from the doctor, but I'm out. What sucks is I have to go back to the doc, pay the copay, just to hear her say, "Yeah, that's poison ivy. You need the cream." Then, I finally get the wonderful cream that helps me defeat the evil, conniving Poison Ivy. It would be great if I could just "call it in" like so many peeps told me I should do.

We have a nearby neighbor that gave up on her yard decades ago. The back yard has a child's swing set hidden among trees and weeds that have never understood the threat of clippers. She has 20-foot tall poison ivy vines up in the trees and oozing into the alley. I avoid the alley now to be safe. I noticed she has it in her front yard now too.

While picking up the cream, I bought a laser pointer for the cat. He's already hunted his red little friend several times. Walker doesn't like Roscoe's hunting behavior and tries to stop him. It's kind of funny to watch. It take the mind off of my desire to take a cheese grader to my leg for a good 15 minutes.

Happy Birthdaze

We just got back from an action packed trip in Austin to celebrate Yvonne's birthday. Among the highlights:

• Maria's breakfast tacos
  
• "SoCo" shopping
  
• 18 plus two high chairs for the party reservation at Z'Tejas
• Yvonne was carded for an Avacado Margarita, but she didn't mind
  
• Bowling competition, dude

There are more, of course, but that's it for now. We're tossing another party in the DFDub this weekend and we're expecting about half the turn out.

Weather is more tame with no triple digits expected. Tonight, we're going to watch "Deadwood" at Warlord's.

Truth in advertising

Over the weekend, we bought a vacuum cleaner. It's not a very exciting purchase, and a costly one. We went mid-range in hopes that it would last as long as the old one did.

I bought the old one in Austin just after moving into what would be my last apartment in A-Town. That dates it around 2000. It was a good vacuum with a sensor that turned green when the carpet was clean. That gizmo was the reason I bought it I think. Well, lately the green light isn't noticing there's still dog hair down there.

So, after a successful test run with the new vacuum cleaner, I put the old one on the curb. I taped a sign on it that read, "Still Sucks!"

It was out there less than 10 minutes.

I didn't even bother emptying the canister, so whoever took it got some free dog hair as well. It might even smell like dog upon use---we wouldn't know.

Yvonne and I were joking the sign should read, "Free vacuum and dog hair" or my more flashy "Free vacuum and pillow stuffing!"

Heat is on

On the grid yesterday, I noticed the weekly forecast included 100 degree temperatures for the next week (they are now dropped to 95-99). Summer has begun. We are trying to keep up with watering, that's about all we can do in the yard.

Meanwhile, this week has been about recovering from a head cold. Monday was the worst day for me. For Yvonne it was Saturday. The illness was sneezing, headache and dizziness. On the worst day, all you want to do is sleep. It didn't hit me as hard as Yvonne, but it's taking longer for me to drain.

The Boneshakers rode around the lake on Thursday. Five riders strong, we did the 9 miles in 45 minutes. That's not too bad. The mixture of bikes was interesting and we instantly realized we had not planned accordingly for one rider on a road bike. He ended up carrying his bike about 50 yards to the paved trail. Then he rode circles around us. He's a pro rider. We should probably have one of those in the group ...

I plan to meet with Warlord tomorrow and work on the Boomshaker. I donated my hybrid Schwinn for the music bike, but it needs work. The fork is still bent, but we're going to try to have it fixed, rather than forking out $80 for a new one. Once the bike is in shape, we'll begin building the boom. We might buy speakers tomorrow. WNBC's Combat has an 8 inch sub on his and we are thinking along those lines.

Off to weekend errands ...

Great show

On Saturday, I took my two brothers to see Bauhaus and Nine Inch Nails. It went as perfectly as I hoped and the three of us had a fantastic time.

Bauhaus was a favorite band of mine for quite some time, and to see them rock just as hard as they did in their videos (they broke up about four years before I'd heard of them from my brother) was a treat. Daniel Ash wailed on sax. David J thumped on his bass and Peter Murphy did the "bat pose." (NOT Batman) Kevin on drums was great, but he was never the show, poor guy.

They sang all the favorites except their biggest hit, "Bela Lugosi's Dead", of which I had a very large poster back in the day (as well as a painted leather jacket with the "Sky's Gone out" logo). Chris thinks they didn't sing it because it's almost TEN FRICKIN' MINUTES! I tend to agree, and it's a lot of set up. This audience needed "Telegram Sam" and "Ziggy Stardust" and "She's in Parties".

And they got it. "The sights, the sounds, the smells and more. A whole lot more."*

Oh, and then NIN followed. I look around and both my brothers are dancing, singing (screaming) and smiling hard. It was all worth it. If I had a mirror, I would have seen a third brother doing the same thing.

* Marti DiBergi in "This is Spinal Tap"

Off the river

We came back last night from an awesome weekend in Brazoria County with Warlord's family. There were many laughs enjoyed.

Among the highlights:

• A Bill Clinton impersonation by Warlord that took the room down with laughter. Yvonne cried she laughed so hard.
• "Al's Big Hairy Deck"--not sure I should explain it's a boat dock or not.
• Shuffleboard marathon that resulted in the creation of Yvonne's Boneshaker nickname, the Assassin. So, I'm a Shaman who married an Assassin. Write that one down.
• Karaoke--Neil Diamond, Patsy Cline, good. Eminem, so baaaad.
• Dare devil speed boat rides and Warlord's bro did a 360 wake boarding.
• Barges passing on the Brazos River at 3:30am with Sauron-esque spotlights, yet in complete silence.

Editor's Note: I'm tweaking the site a bit. I might even get around to doing more buttons. New logo!

Long weekend

We're looking forward to some vacation relaxation this weekend. And the new X-men movie looks cool, so I'll have to check it out.

One thing you can do with the extra time is check out my brother's latest movie gig. He wrapped that puppy about 25 minutes ago.

Welcome to the jungles

It's still pretty busy in Casa Stullover. But, yesterday, we managed to somehow get spontaneously invited to a tour of a neighbor's house. We've been curious about this house ever since we've moved into the area. So, yesterday when we were all in the yard, he struck up a conversation and invited us to see his backyard jungle (indeed, it is a jungle, but very cool with trails) and that led to a whole house tour.

Among the highlights: a fully operational sauna, large elevated back porch, panoramic views out the living room of said jungle, a private study/office in addition to 4 bedrooms, and a very nice green shady feel all around. But, it wasn't perfect and they pointed out a few needed updates, so we aren't as drawn to the house as we used to be. Also, it's creek side, so the mosquitoes were insane.

We had a nice dinner with friends last night. We lost track of time, which is always a good sign. The funny thing is our friends live off of Middle to Lower Greenville (I'm not sure if it's technically in the M Streets), so when we left we had to contend with the Greenville cruisers. Wow, that was enlightening. People still do that. And we passed one new club so pretentious they didn't have a sign up. From my car in the street I could smell the cologne from the guys entering. Do girls really like smelly men like that? Seems kind of, I don't know, fake. I guess it beats B.O.

Great movie

Tonight we are going to see our friends' film they shot in a 24-hour contest.

Last night, we watched Murderball and it was fantastic. I gave it all five stars on Netflix.

Grooving

Work has been busy, but also nice. I look up and it's 4pm. I like those days.

One other thing about working from home I discovered---when things get really busy, I accidentally skip lunch. I think it's because there's no one walking up to me and saying, "What are you eating for lunch?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe leftovers."

"Leftovers? You serious, dude? What about a big, fat burger??"

"Well, I'm kind of doing something here, you know, on the work computer? Work? I am still working even though I'm home."

"You still have to eat."

"OK, well that's a good point."

"Bacon and cheese burger, man. That's all I'm saying."

"Ok, I'm driving."

No, there's no one here like that. So, I look up and it's 2pm and I grab some leftover chicken breast.

On a side note, it's time to check yourself when myspace asks "Do you really want to add Mr. Happypants as a friend?"

And you hit Add.

Dream sharing

So lately it seems everyone likes to talk about their dreams. Maybe it's because everyone's been having strong dreams. Today, I just remembered what one of my dreams was last night and I thought I'd share for discussion.

In my dream I am back in El Campo working for the newspaper there. That was my first legit job and for some reason or another, I've returned to do the job again.

Note: I have fond memories of that old job. I feel I learned more in that year than the four years of college. I had a tough, but fair boss. And the owners were very kind people. If there was one female in El Campo my age and dating (they were all married with kids or they left town), I might have stayed more than a year. Maybe. Austin was quite a draw to me back then.

OK, back to the dream. It starts out in the Monday morning meeting where we talk about the stories in the next issue. It was all the same cast as the days when I worked there.

At one point while we're talking about my assignments. "Just like last time," my editor was telling me. Obituaries, city council and police blotters, mixed with an occasional boll weavil eradication program update.

Then, I remember thinking, "Oh yeah, I'm going to need to go over to the police station and grab the police reports right after this meeting."

I look down and I'm wearing my new flip flops. I know this is against the newspaper dress code. In fact, when I worked there, one reporter was sent home for wearing Jesus sneakers to change shoes. I agreed with the call then and agreed in this dream as well. I scrambled to my desk and threw my feet far below and waited for the right time to make my exit. I was thinking, I'm five minutes from the apartment where I can put on work shoes.

Then, I woke up and rolled to a side and dreamt about things I don't remember.

Good ride

This weekend went very well. No one got hurt on the ride and everyone seemed genuinely happy and relaxed. For the Wednesday Night Bike Club, they got a vacation. For the Boneshakers, we got a good idea of what it will take to make a music bike.

Highlights:
Combat kicked it up a notch and installed lights on his music bike, a.k.a. the Baby Buick. The thing weighs close to 80 pounds and you can hear it a block away.

We rode for half an hour or so and returned to the keg at Warlord's house. There, the Baby Buick provided tunes for the rest of the night. We never floated the keg.

Old Skool generously cooked all the meals like he did last year. And, he brought up 20 liters of a homebrew, which might explain why we didn't float the keg.

And Warlord completed the Boneshaker T-shirts in time to totally piss off the WNBC (they have been a club going 6 years, and they've talked about making T-shirts going on 6 years). Well, they weren't really pissed, but I think we got them thinking as hard about shirts as they got us thinking about the music bike.

Returned indeed

If this trailer is any indication of the upcoming "Superman Returns" movie, I am SO going to own that movie. Wow. Good day for geeks everywhere.

I have watched it about 12 times and paused on some highlights and it keeps getting better. The pattern of the suit material is throwing me off a bit, but maybe I'll get used to it. The flight scenes, Kevin F*cking Spacey, and all the other elements seem to be in harmony. I even accept the upgrade of the Fortress of Solitude's control panel.

So, thanks Bryan Singer! I didn't doubt you, buddy.

Preparing

So, no more shot gun blasts in the night. Warlord got some wireless cams, but the feed was lame. We're still considering options and just moving on.

Meanwhile, we are also preparing for a very important weekend. The infamous WNBC is returning to tackle the White Rock Lake trail. The ride is officially hosted by The Dallas Boneshakers--it's nice to have more Dallas peeps to help out this year.

In fact, Warlord just reported our Boneshaker T-shirts have arrived. So, we'll take a bunch of pictures with the gang this weekend. Right now, the count is 9 riders.

You must go to Dagobah

Last night while I was sleeping, I heard a voice. It said, "Nate ..."

I was groggy and tired, it was an unclear voice.

"Nate, you must go to Dagobah. There you will find Yoda."

Since Friday, someone has fired a shotgun twice on my street, about a house away. Both times were just before 9pm. Last night, Yvonne heard it again around 1:30am, but I was dreaming of the voice and missed it. She said when she woke me up, I jumped out of bed, like I had heard it.

When the two times at 9pm happened, we found shells on the street. I looked this morning for more, but there were none.

Now, I'm going to admit one of the dumbest things I've ever done. Last night, around 9:30pm, after calling 911. I went outside to look for the shells. Granted no one was there, but it was a bad call, Ripley.

Mr. Kerry called while I was out there.

"Nate's outside," Yvonne told him.

"I hope he's armed," he said back. I think Mr. Kerry is a retired deputy. I know for a fact he's armed with at least a .357 Magnum in his house.

While Warlord and I were outside shooting photos of the shells before putting them in a baggie (he has a collection going), a car drove up slowly. We went inside and waited. I doubt it was a threat, but we had just enough adrenaline to head indoors.

Yvonne wonders if the perp saw us taking photos and picked up the shells last night at 1:30am.

OK, I admitted my bad judgment of going outside, but I want to explain my logic.

First, I wanted those shells collected. Already, Warlord can say without a doubt, it's the same gun. We know more.

Second, I was angry. It makes me mad to think I can't go in my front yard---the one I bust MY ASS to maintain and improve---at 9pm at night.

Lesson learned, not going outside next time. But, I can feel safer. I can help Yvonne feel safer. There are steps I can take.

I guess, like it or not, we're hostage to this person until they stop or those steps are taken.

You see, I need a Yoda.

Back at the Coral

We had a crazy storm last Thursday and more flooding. Fortunately again, it never really threatened to enter the house, but the back porch is covered in gook. There is a drain there, but it was clogged, causing more flood. So drainage solutions are something on my mind.

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I wrote the above on Friday with full intentions of finishing it. But, I didn't. Mainly because I had a lot to do preparing for a trip to Midland. It was a good trip and we had a great time.

Now I'm home, cleaning and posting entries that weren't complete.

Day in the sun

This weekend was packed with outdoor projects, that included a mild heat stroke on Saturday. I wasn't right the rest of the day--I felt like I was brittle, if that makes sense. The backyard is almost ready for After shots ... but I'll probably wait until after a trip to Midland this coming weekend.

I recovered completely by Sunday morning and was ready to help Warlord lay crushed granite and flagstone. It was a brutal 5-hour project and we are almost half-way complete. When I came home, I found out the high temp was 95 degrees. When we were hauling, digging and trudging, the mercury was rising. At one point, my ears were dripping sweat.

95 degrees on Easter. Two years ago, they had two inches of snow on Easter. Dallas is odd, yo

Oh yeah, I don't do Easter. Long story, I'll spare you. But a day of hard labor is the perfect Easter for me.

Life

Today, Mr. Kerry across the way raked his leaves. On Monday, he buried his wife.

I have been over there several times for various reasons. I've met them both, but only recently did I get to know her. You see, after her second stroke, they gave her new meds that made her sleepy in the afternoon. The doctors corrected that and one afternoon, I helped wrangle their dogs and sat down for a coke. We talked about family, the neighborhood and a lot more.

Last week, the ambulance showed up at their house and carried her away in a gurney, all in the view of my work window. Two days later, I was working on the sod when he and his daughter came home.

I'm covered in dirt, sweat and exhaustion.

"How are you?" I ask.

"Well, my mother just passed," the daughter replied looking at the ground. I looked over at Mr. Kerry getting out of the driver's side of their luxury car. He stops, rests his head on his hand on the car door. He doesn't move.

"I'm so sorry," I said. I think I said it three times.

They walk inside without being able to speak.

A couple days later, Yvonne and I walked across the street when we saw Mr. Kerry watering his hedges. He began weeping when he saw us crossing the street. We said hello and he took about 30 seconds to gain composure--something I suspected he's been struggling to do for two days.

"I wasn't in the room when she passed," he said. "She always gave me a hard time for not hearing her call. I wonder if I didn't hear her."

He began to cry again. Yvonne hugged him and he whispered to her, "Sixty years."

Today, Mr. Kerry raked his leaves.

A new thang

I have a strong post to do, but I first wanted to get comments up and running. I'm trying this new format out. what do you think?