Asuka

Yes seriously I had a moment of clarity and remembered my password.  I have in the meantime made another LJ within the last year.  If you would like an invite to it please email me at gutterrunners@yahoo.com and I'll shoot you the LJ name. This is dual purpose.  It fills up my address book with people that are still active and look here and also makes sure I know who is still looking at my LJ.  In other words I keep my LJ drama free :)  Not that really any went on here but keeps it that way.

After 15 hours and 34 minutes we have completed the full run of Star Wars episodes in order as well as the clone wars cartoons. We are going to sleep now. If you call me today, I'm not picking up the phone :)

For those of you who I have misplaced your email addresses (and there a few):

This is a quick invite to a social/belated housewarming that the Fortress of Apathy (Matt and Brandon) will be hosting this Friday (aka the Brandon S Clark memorial weekend, part 3) from Noon until whenever. I figure for such a long info if people have other things to do, but want to drop on by for a bit they can do so. Part of the delay in getting this invite out was because of a non working TV. Now that it has been replaced with one that works I'm a lot happier. It is also in the works to have it playing Star wars pretty much all day until the majority decide to throw me through the window. We do have more than one T.V. though in case others want to watch something else. So here is the skinny:

Location

Fortress of Apathy

1100 Green Tree Rd #103 (behind the wawa down the street from work)

Fredricksburg va 22406

RSVP back to this email address if you are certain you can attend.

Food and drinks to be provided by me on site. Probably ordering pizzia, but things can always change. You can bring along anyone that you would like as I will accomidate as the numbers dictate.

So I went to pop in the DVDs I got christmas. You know anime stuff. Anyhow the menu screen comes up and automatically I know something is wrong. There are very few features at all. Some of them default to english and some to japanese so you normally have to go into the set up. Anyhow, after getting everything set up and a noticable lack of a scenes menu I notice the subtitles aren't playing. Sure enough they are configured. Fast forwarding ahead a bit I find the next track to be in english with english subs. I didn't open the other just notice the cover being the same and on neither one of them the US disto stamp. So the moral of this is. If you are going to have parents shop for anime for you in this day in age. Don't let them use Amazon send them to Rightstuff or Anime Castle where at least you don't have to have them tempt fate with the possibility of a boot leg.

After three gift cards and $1400 for xmas funds I have myself a new computer with a phat ass flat screen monitor and a extra printer that I have no idea what to do with yet. As you might image all the money is gone and I have a new computer box for the first time in years. Oh yeah and I got a copy of WoW to withdraw from reality and join about 80% of my friends without leaving the house, go fig.

Contray to popular and standard measures of blood pressure measurements of 178/84 and 144/120 I have not expired. I have spent the better part of the evening though on my back in a slightly dazed state at Mary Washington hospital until about an hour ago. I'm not out of it per se right now, but my ability to communicate is slightly skewed as I find myself repeating myself frequently to make sure I've just understood what I've been talking to others about. I had some blood drawn and been put on heart meds. To the best of my knowlege (and those who should know) I didn't suffer a heart attack. I will be setting up an appointment with my regular doctor tomorrow. I don't know yet if I will be seeing a specialist or not. As I don't know yet how long this sort of daze is going to last I would ask that people be understanding the repition in conversation if any occurs.

Ok, the frist time in my entire life that I can lay down cash for Christmas and my parents buying habits and sister's short list has resulted in:

Mom- GIft Card
Dad- 2 DVDs
Sister- Gift Card
Uncle- Gift Card
Grandmothers- Gift Cards

I'm just glad my friends are easier to shop for. When I give you folks gift cards I know that you will use to get some snazy DVDs (well usually). I'd get them for you myself but you are more fanatical than me picking up the most recent random crap from Best Buy or Walmart when something is new.

As mom put it, the wrapping is easy. Damn it mom, that isn't the point!!! Pardon me if I'm being a dick, I just wanted to try an do something big for everyone given that I can afford it. Especially my family. Well with the family this seems to be at least a no go. Arrgh!!

In any event the movie this year for X-mas eve is Shaun of the Dead. Dad, me, and my sister watching Shaun of the Dead in surrond sound. At least something is worth waiting for. 'Duugdaa, duugdaa, duugdaa.' 'uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh'. 'Duugdaa, duugdaa, duugdaa.' 'uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh'

Remarkably everytime I have something to talk about in the past month once I'm done with it and move on. Anyhow this week has been a royal week of suckness. As long as I have worked with the crew I'm on now with at work, this had to be there worst week. One has reoccuring kidney stones and was out for most of the week, another had a daughter who had a miscarrage this week, and the original downer of the week was yet another who's husband had a stroke. He lives on, but as is expected he is walking with a limp an slow on the out take. Topping that all off she has 4 kids to worry about. Nothing makes you not want to have kids like someone elses 4 kids.

So we all did our part that were left at work (all 3 of us) they in put money together I id a costco run for a bunch of premade meals. I went home and cooke up a batch of enchalads. I managed to get them done and deliever in 2.5 hours. I was impressed with myself. On the other hand though I can only image how she does it with 4 kids an a hubby to take care of after she comes home.

Onto the seasonsal stuff. I haven't gotten nearly as much done as I would like to. As luck would have it (or unluck) my family manages to continue down the path of making the holiday more dysfunctional. Dad pretty much got everything mom was looking for. Rest of the family doesn't want to drop a clue what they could use this year. So thus far this is what I've got done: Dad, Courtney, Mom (since dad has everything I'm either doubling up on my sister or paying him for crap). The other dysfunctional part, I know what I'm getting from my parents. It's thoughtful but loses its umph when you know what itis before han.

Anyhow I took the day off from reality. So tomorrow I have to bust ass. Saturday I'm out of the house visiting other peeps.

I got promoted at work. Well at least a pay grade raise. In other news I can't spell Slomin. Like the Slomin Shield. In a weird twist of fate which I know one reader will enjoy neither can anyone who participate in OW! either. Its amazing a what a google search can't (can) find.

First off I got the bike, finally! After taking two hours to put it together I had enough left in me to do a 30 minute work out today. I felt pretty good afterword but I'm not certain how successful I was. In any event my plan is to do another 30 minutes tomorrow before I leave the house for the game. Hockey is back and therefore so are my season tickets. I'm looking towards a dreadful season. For the moment though the Caps are 1-0. So at least for one game I can say they are over .500. Also one of my suits for that accident a few years ago have been settled. The attorney tells m the other should be soon.

so that brings me back to my post this afternoon. Actually it was the press Cindy Sheehan got this evening in the news as she along with others were arrested for demonstrating outside the Whitehouse for demonstrating without a permit. While I feel bad for her loss and I don't agree with the War in Iraq its yet another example of a group of people to far off to one side of the political spectrum vs another on the other set of the spectrum with neither one realistically or willing to settle for headway to a middle ground in what is an absolute shithole our government has gotten us in over the past couple years overseas. Pikcing up and just plain leaving Iraq now has only one end result and that it is a large cluster fuck for us. On the other hand staying there with no definative end in sight is also one large CF as well. The irony of the current situation is, in fact, leading to a political climate similar to Vietnam. It is sick and also gotta stop.

Maxwell Smart, aka Don Adams, aka Inspector Gadget is dead. Yet another one of those folks that made me laugh when I was yonger is now dead. And in other news Cindy Sheehan managed to get herself arrested protesting in front of the white house protesting. I thought and was hoping her 15 mintues of fame was over, sigh. I'll elaborate later on her. Gotta go back to work.

Apparently I wasn't damned for saying starvation was inevitable on this over populated rock and that I believed everyone should have a basic right to living necessities. Apparently i'm still not as big a socialist as I think I am.

You are a Social Liberal (65% permissive) and an... Economic Moderate (55% permissive) You are best described as a: Centrist <TABLE id=thetable height=375 cellSpacing=0

so doc took me off my old meds and put me on new ones. I now have an ear infection and am kept up at night. On the plus side my blood pressure has gone down about 30 pts. In orde to stay moderately healthy I have to feel miserable and nauseas. Maybe death is in fact better. And with Hurricane Rita now barreling for Texas me and B humerously asked ourselves maybe someone out there is trying to tell us something. Maybe god has delared the New Orleans Saints heretics. I can't think of any other reason for the storm to pretty much be headed toward Central Texas. Either that or he just doesn't like Jim Haslett.

you know the kind where everyone is out of town for the most part except one or two people and those people have plans that involve money. Something you typcially don't have leading up to pay day. Doc says I need a regular regiment of exercise so I will be going out to get an exercise bike after I get off one Wed. I found one already, just want to pay cash instead of plastic. I've done that enough lately. Food day tomorrow at work. Should add on a few pounds I'm sure sitting at a desk and just eating. Anyhow I have to do 30 minutes at least of regular activity. We shall see how that goes. Since I have to lose weight I guess I'll be aiming for 200 pounds as my final weight. That would mean losing 66 pounds. I don't see that happening in 6 months, but perhaps 12. Anyhow got to get the bike first and go from there.

We have survived our first house fire. no casualties except the stove that we know of yet.

Third time is the charm.

I sware to god I'm going rip LJ's proverbal heart out with a spoon if it deletes this a third time. I mean it, damn it. Short version on stuff I've typed thus far, poker gods hate me right now.

Uber bitchiness ensues over AIM tonight as my usually friendly previous gal friend is ready to clock random white religious christian bitch/zealot into next week. After being awarded the right this evening by Miss C that I no longer had to be nice about the situation I will hence forth refer to this girl as thick-headed bitch or THB for short. That way when I have to retype this for the 4th time it will be a lot easier. A lot of what THB has emotionally comming her way she down right deserves. You can't burn your friends time and time again over the same issue and not have it negatively impact your relationship of 15+ years.

Anyhow THB has been digging her own grave with Miss C and her friend Amy for awhile now. Something about rediscovering god seems to change people for the worse within a social circle. THB first decided that Miss C and Amy weren't going to be brides maids because she didn't have enough room. Then it was because they could bless her on her wedding day because they aren't Christian (I'm pretty sure that is somewhere in the Idiot's Guide to the 10 Commandments). Then this evening she gets the wedding invite and there are FIVE brides maids listed on there as BEST friends. Now granted I doubt that more than 2 of those people, if that, even come remotely close to that amount of time of shared ties that these three have had in the past. Ultimately I'm surprised Miss C didn't pick up the phone, place a call and tell her friend to fuck off. I told her it would be best to break the link awhile ago with this person, but I understand the reluctance to do so given how long they were friends. While no were as obnoxious an idea of assassinating another country's leader, I'm hoping that when she dies, soon to be Mrs THB, shares the same ring of hell as Mr Pat Robertson. My humble apoligies to you gals if you don't share my point of view, extreme as it is, but complete intolerence and ignorance of someone else beliefs, because a guy with a funny hat or organization tells me I should gets my goat.

Moving onto a retrospective of my vacation, it was smashing. I bummed around on Thursday which was fine, didn't have any committments to make. Then Friday I dyed my hair. Sorry no pics yet. I'll try and get them taken though here shortly. ALso got the quarterly trim so that I could have the dead and split ends cut off. I honestly can't remember the evening though. I want to say I did something I just can't remember what. Saturday, I gave Miss Bailey a call to see if she wanted to go out to Midnight with us and she was free. We picked her up, grabbed some overpriced food at the 29 diner in Arlington. To give you an idea of the price range, I've found cheaper menu selections at the Outback. Then jetted off to club.

This is the first time going to club that didn't involve 395. Its also probably the last as I basically drove around for an extra half hour trying to find the place. I've been there several times, but I just can't remember the street names, only the landmarks. Anyhow we get there around 1040 after finding parking and walking 2 blocks back to the place. A good time was had by all as me, my roomie, and Miss B meet up with my old roomates. Club was pretty spares, even for a holiday weekend. I was informed Dracula's ball was up in Philly that weekend so that was assumed to have something to do with the turn out which was maybe 30 people. Given the confines of the club that is just fine with me.

I ran into a couple of people I had not seen in awhile. Mostly people that had been to my previous place for parties. Most people seem to have slight problems these days one way or another while my life seems pretty good with the exception of a few bills and the lack of female companionship. Anyhow back to the better stuff. Had a few drinks to keep me limber and more amicable for the evening. Also had a nice massauge with a latex bed and a portible vaccume tube. I went second, Miss B went before me. Slyx who broght it was kind enough to give me a free sample which I couldn't refuse. After a somewhat decent polish and massauge issued to Miss B, I was in turn treated to a equally, if not better expereince myself. Seldomly, if ever, in my lifetime will I get massauge and feel up multiple women at the same time. I'd be lying if I didn't say it wasn't, ahem, stimulating. Slyx apparently has a foot fetish and at that very least at one point in time both her and Miss B were playing with my feet. When Miss B wasn't particpating in helping out the stimulus on that far end, she was busy playing with ice and or shinning me up with Jessi. The only crying shame of the whole situation, as I said was this was at a club and not in my bedroom :) In any event thanks to all to giving me a nice little release and relaxation for 10 minutes.

After club the 3 of us headed back down to F-Burg for some sleep. We came back here instead of Reston because Cindy had not seen the new place and she wanted to. Also I had to get my new bed set ordered so that I could have it this week. We didn't get to take in a movie like we had planned on Sunday because we slept in late and then sort of dragged our feet after we got up. Ended up getting up to Mark and Jessi's place around 6 or 7 and played a game. Kinda of tight. It was like clue on crack. Something I actually enjoyed. I don't enjoy but say, maybe 1 of every 3rd game that Mark pics up. If not for the fact we had to get Cindy back home to get some stuff for work we might have gotten in another game. Anyhow I took her back to her place in Reston, she made a call into work. Got some stuff for Monday and then headed back with me to Mark's. We were there until say 2 or 3 am then jetted out again back my place with Cindy in tow.

Back at our place everybody took turns getting a massage. Cindy also got 2 foot massages extra during the evening between my place and Mark's. She wore a pair or her roomate's silver and sparkled boots out to club the night before. Problem with this were they were had high heals which she seldomly if ever wears because she has nearly flat feet with little arch. Anyhow Cindy is one of those few people that I know that is light enough to walk up and down my back to get the knots out. After what seemed like 30 mintues though the deed was done and I'm happy to say even after 4 days I think I can only feel one knot. Miss B is going to come and visit the household on Saturday as well so I figure a mutual massauge reciprocation project will be in the works. Can't wait until Saturday. She will be out of town next weekend to see her dad. It will probably not be until the end of the month until I'm able to speak to her again.

I'm 2 hours into my vaction and its gone from mildly annoying to me just about raising hell and strangling a person that works over at Verizon wireless. My journey thus far

Work- Last day until next Tuesday. Very busy. No one yet calling us from the Gulf coast except one lady pretty far inland, no damage. Other shits from Florida thinking that they are so important and upset because we haven't called them back yet. Tell you what, when you home is 20 ft under water I won't be moving you up on the priority list dipshit.

After Work-

Best Buy- I trek here first hoping to kill two birds with one stone. I need a wall charger for the phone and had no luck last time I was over at the verizon store last week. I also for the second week in a row felt the urge to go and replace the Spin Docotor's tape that I wore out so long ago after waking up to 'Two Princes' this morning, again, on the radio. Much to my disappointment they don't have it. They also didn't appear to have the charger either. I wasn't terribly displeased about not finding the CD, afterall the the tape was destoryed while I was in college (like say '96) and no biggie on the charger since the Verizon store is across the parking lot.

VW- So off to Verizon I go to find a charger. As luck would have it I didn't find one. On the other hand unlike other people I don't go behind the register and just look around the store until things die down up at the register. So I continue to look around, because at this point I realize that the charger I got came with the phone and so I start looking for the phone as they tend to have the accessories stored below them (smart if you ask me). Having no success and by now the line dwindling down on the CS line, I wait like a minute or two to wait for an open lane. Now let me paint the scenerio for you:

One open lane that I walk up to. Another one just opening up as I get to open my mouth. 2 people sitting in the tech support line (because you know I can read the little board telling me who is in line for tech support). A couple of people around the store otherwise being helped by a CS rep. So we now have this lady who stepped up to and 2 other guys (employees) at the counter (from the just opened up line) sitting there talking to each other. Out of my mouth I uttered the following:

"I have a quick question"

her response (my obligatory follow up not asked yet)

"Do you sign in yet?"

Lady do I look like I'm participating in a live action re-enactment of a fucking George Carlin joke? Jeezus. There are two lines open and everyone except the people waiting for tech support is being helped. Do you want me to walk behind you to sign in just so I can ask you if you still have the charger available (because it doesn't look like they sell the phone I have anymore)? Since when does CS need to do a pre-boarding for help? That one is pretty easy, when there is A LINE OF PEOPLE OR HOARD OF PEOPLE SITTING OR RIOTING IN THE LOBBY!!!! Its not like I know anybody in LA, but assuming I did and wanted to use my phone to contact them, having no power would suck ass for that purpose. I feel bad for the poor unfortunate soul that does walk into their phone store right now with that circumstance because it is certainly going to happen to someone out there.

Oh yeah my blood pressue is still high. Hmm, wonder why that could be. Can't just be the Verizon bitch becaue I had it measured before I went in to the store. Have to make a doctors appointment.

I don't need you to tell me how bad the hurricane looks. CNN must feel that the need to get all out of you.

So recently a few people from the Radford RPG posted their journals on our mailing list. So I of course scoped a couple out and also checked out a couple other friends. Low and behold I found a link to this gal I used to work with at RCN, Andrea Hannachek. Checked out some picks and it shows how much people can at least visually change over the years too. Last time I ran into her was at a hockey game (against the Pens of course) and we grabbed a bite to eat with her and the guy she was with at the time. It was notable because the dude drank a little to much and I ended bringging them back to the metro. We had to stop 3 times while he let it loose. Ah the good old days or hockey an alcohol :) Andrea, btw didn't lose it.