Jan 31, 2009

Run For Your Lives!

How did I miss this?


Apparently motorists were warned of a zombie attack in Austin, Texas on Thursday morning's commute.

No danger of that here, with all the cold weather we've been having.
But it makes you wonder.
Bush is out of office and back in Texas for just over a week, and then Austin has a zombie outbreak.

Hmmmm.......

Jan 30, 2009

Dr. Manhattan

Sorry if you check these posts via a newsfeed. The video source I had used for this last night didn't want to cooperate so I ended up deleting the post altogether.
Here 's the same thing, only from Youtube this time.
_____________________________________


Jan 29, 2009

That's A Lot Of Meat

That's what Hotness said after having a bite of some home made Bacon Explosion.

-----------------------------------------
Let me back up a bit.

Today at work, somebody was reading about this on Yahoo news and we all got to talking about it.

The more I read about it, the more I wanted to try and make it. But that's a lot of food, despite being so unhealthy, and Hotness and I could never eat one of these as a meal.

So I gave it some thought and figured I'd scale it down a bit and make a smaller version of it.

On my way home I stopped at the grocery store and picked up:
* bacon
* mild Italian sausage
* cinnamon chipotle rub
* hickory flavored BBQ sauce

I took out four strips of bacon and sprinkled them liberally with the cinnamon chipotle rub.
Then I made a 'sausage log' about 1-1/2 inches thick and 8 inches long.
I wrapped the bacon (with the sprinkled rub on the inside) around the sausage in a spiral.
Like so:


Here's Hotness for size comparison:

(objects near the front appear larger than her head)

Then I slathered them with a nice coating of Western Family's finest Hickory flavored BBQ sauce. (It was cheap and I'm on a budget... otherwise I'd have gotten something more exotic)


The original recipe called for the meat to be cooked at 225F for about an hour for every inch of thickness. I didn't want to spend all night waiting for it to finsh, so I put it in the toaster oven and cooked it at 350F. It still took about an hour until it was done. (About a half-hour into cooking, I took it out and slapped on some more BBQ sauce).

DING! Went the timer.
I took it out and checked it with a meat thermometer. It read 160F internally, so let it cool for a couple of minutes before slicing it up into bite-size pieces.


I stuck a toothpick in a couple of them and Hotness and I each had a bite.

"That's a lot of meat!" was her first reaction.
I had a couple and said, "Whoa. That's IS a lot of meat."

It's good but I certainly wouldn't want it as a main course meal item.
It would be better as an hors d'ourve or appetizer.
Also, I think it needed more BBQ sauce. The stuff I basted on and let cook was okay but you really couldn't taste it. I think maybe a side of sauce for dipping would be good. Then you could get as much or as little as you feel inclined to have.

Overall, I liked it.
Much more than when I made "chicken fried bacon" a while back. The chicken fried bacon was okay, but after about three pieces it became overwhelming and stopped tasting good. Then it sat in my stomache like a grease-flavored brick.

This sausage and bacon "expolsion" is much better, although I have a feeling it would wear out it's welcome quickly if it were a meal.




Jan 25, 2009

Tidbits & Oddbits

Well what do you know?
Blog post entry # 500.
That's a lot of posts. Some with something important to say (to me, anyway), most with nothing to say really.
But that's a lot of posts.

So I wanted to have something really spectacular to talk about for this milestone, but to be honest I don't think there's anything that really qualifies as being "milestone-worthy".
So instead you get lots of little micro-posts to make up one nice big post.
Grab a mug or glass of your favorite beverage and celebrate #500 with me, won't you?

-------------------------

Hotness and I have been re-watching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" series again.
(Mmmm.... Alyson Hannigan. Oh! Sorry. Got distracted for a moment)

We never really caught them on TV or in chronological order when it used to be on, so with the magic of the DVD's we are catching them in order and remembering how campy and fun they were.

While watching an episode from season two I got to flex some NERD KNOWLEDGE and my geek prowess for Hotness when they made a reference to Locutus of Borg.
Hotness heard it and gave one of those laughs like "I'll laugh, but I don't know why". You know what I'm talking about.
So I got to educate her on who and what Locutus was.
She didn't run away laughing, but instead put her head on my shoulder.
I'm so lucky she loves me for being a dork.

-----------------------------------------------------

My birthday was just over a week ago.
I didn't make a big thing out of it on here 'cause it really wasn't. We didn't go out to celebrate or anything.
I did get myself a nice present, though.
I bought some new T-shirts on Thinkgeek.com that I can wear to impress my fellow geek friends.
Including a kick-ass "personal soundtrack" T-shirt. When I saw this, it screamed out P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L and I'm so looking forward to wearing it to one of our ECCC volunteer meetings. Up in Calgary. Out to dinner. Just about anywhere.
This thing is just frickin' awesome. I love it.

For future reference though.... next year is the big 4-0.
I've told Hotness I want to have a "pirate-themed" birthday party at the Comic Stop to celebrate. I was listening to Jimmy Buffet and thought that seemed like a good way to ring in my 40th year.

------------------------------------------------------

Speaking of birthdays, last night we went out with friends for dinner and live comedy in Seattle.
Dinner was great, but then what isn't when it's accompanied by a margarita?

The comedy was okay, though. The emcee was a nervous guy with a thick European accent who made the typical "the difference in America compared to (insert country of origin here)" jokes. Followed by a couple of mediocre comedians before the headliner came on.
One of whom did his routine about dating and being a guy. The other did a bunch of Wal-mart joke references and even had to quote another comedian's joke to get his punchline across. Lame.

The headliner, however was very good. Or at least, he started off good.
His name was Daz Reed and he was actually very funny. That is until some stupid fat bitch in the front row started talking and would NOT. SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP.
His rehearsed routine quickly turned into an improv session and totally threw off his timing.
His jokes were still funny, but the scene became nothing more than partial jokes interjected with comments and insults to the heckler.
More than once he commented about it to the staff during his act, but nobody stepped in to put an end to her and ask her to leave.
He still managed to get some laughs and everybody in our group had a good time, but next time we go I will leave and ask for my money back if I have to have my show detracted by some idiot who wants to share in the limelight after more than a few drinks.

----------------------------------------------------

Last night I dreamed about the comic book convention. Again.
Not a very involved dream, but memorable nonetheless.

In it, I was at the convention center before the attendees were allowed in.
Jewel Staite is one of the media guests this year. (what a second. Mmmm.... Jewel Staite. Sorry. Got distracted again.)

Anyway, she and a couple other people working at the show were at her table getting ready before the crowds came in.
I made my way over to let her know I was a fan and that I'd like to get her autograph at some point, but that I was working elsewhere on the floor and might not make it to see her during the day.
But when I opened my mouth, I just kind of stammered and totally forgot everything I wanted to say. I also dropped a book I wanted to get signed. So basically I just looked like a total doofus.
She smiled and then went to her table to get ready.

Hopefully I'll do better in real life and I actually get to meet her.

--------------------------------------------------------

Here's something from the "Things to Ponder" file:


That's pretty impressive and sobering.

You can buy this as a poster from here.


I found out about it via the Presurfer.

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Well, it snowed again last night.
Nothing compared to what we had during Christmas, though.
At least.... not yet.

I have to admit that is very pretty to wake up and see a big blanket of white over everything.
It's just when I actually have to go out in it and try and drive that I wish it was happening somewhere else.

-------------------------------------------------------

There's a case of eHerpes going around.
Normally I steer clear of such things, as to me they are more or less a blog version of chain letters.
But this one has actually been mulling around in what substitutes for my cranium and I think I'll succumb to it for the sake of anybody who's interested.

I'm supposed to link to the person who gave it to me, but technically I didn't have direct contact with anybody to "catch" it. So I'll just blame the first reported case I heard about it from.

1) I enjoy feeding birds. A lot.
That may seem like an "old person" thing to do, but I really look forward to filling up my feeders and watching the birds come and visit them. That is, when the damn squirrels and raccoons aren't tearing them down and breaking the feeders.

2) I wanted to become an artist who made record covers for rock bands after watching Xanadu way back in the day, just like Sonny Malone.
(I make personalized covers on CD's that I've burned, so I guess in a way I sort of got to live that dream)

3) I get teary-eyed watching sappy movies.
I'm not ashamed to say that I've leaked eye moisture at Pete's Dragon, E.T., Steel Magnolias (yes, I admit I liked it), Nell, and Big Fish among others
I even used to get a little misty over a particular commercial quite a few years ago.
And if you make fun of me, I'll punch you in the neck.

4) When I was very young, I used to think that even inanimate objects had feelings.
I used to feel bad for my left shoe if I put my right shoe on and tied it first. So I would try to alternate in order to not hurt it's "feelings".

5) I hate lists. Absolutely hate them.
"The top 10 sandwiches of all time"
"100 of the best rock songs"
"The 50 most popular movies"
"25 of the most beautiful photos ever taken"
....... blah blah blah
They are all matters of opinion with no basis in actual fact and it pisses me off when magazines or news sites post them as 'articles'.

6) Although I haven't done it in quite a few years, I like to tie fishing flies.
I've never actually gone fly-fishing, but I taught myself how to tie them when I was young and to this day can still name a few of them and what's used in making them.

7) I've never broken a bone in my body.
When I was younger I wanted to break something so I could wear a cast and have it signed by friends, but never did.
Now, I'm hoping that I can continue my "no-broken-bones" streak as I get older.

Bonus!
8) On road trips, I like to play a personal game by matching a mile-marker with a significant comic book issue number.
i.e. Mile-marker 181 = Incredible Hulk #181 (first appearance of Wolverine), mile-marker 4 = Avengers # 4 (first appearance of Captain America in the Silver-age), etc....

Yes, I am a geek.

-----------------------------------------------------

Well, that's it for post 500.
Please return your seats to the upright position.
I hope you enjoyed your stay and will continue to be back for at least another 500 or more.

Jan 21, 2009

"...Even When She Was Given Suede"."

On my way home last night, I was in the car listening to the radio (as I often do) and Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" came on.

I like that song, but they don't play it all that often on the radio. And they especially don't play the second verse if they do.
It's a rare occasion if you catch that version of the song on the radio.

So imagine my surprise when...
"Candy came from out on the island"

Oh sweet! They are going to play the complete version!
"In the backroom, she was everybody's darling."

Yeah! Singing along a little bit louder now.
"But she never lost her head, even when she was giving suede."

Wait. What? "Suede?" Huh?
Did he just say suede?!?

I know there are edited versions of much raunchier or explicit songs so that the radio can play them to hook listeners.
Ususally they delete the offending verse or just scramble the word so it sounds garbled.
But I've never heard of a radio version having a totally new word replace the "bad" one. Especially one that doesn't even make sense.

Well, no. That's not exactly true.
There is one other song with a replacement word in the song, but at least it made sense in the song.
Steve Miller's "Jet Airliner" has a lyric that goes:
"... I don't want to get caught up in any of that funky shit goin' down in the city."
But for radio play they change 'shit' to 'kicks'.
It's kinda stupid, but it at least makes some sense when you listen to it.

But "suede"?
C'mon.

Jan 20, 2009

Inauguration Day 2009

Well, it's over.
President-elect Obama is now officially President Obama of the United States. The Leader of the Free World. The Commander-in-Chief.
Over 1 million people showed up in Washington D.C. to day to watch the festivities and be a part of history.

It's awesome, and I'm glad to see people are fired up and excited about what's going on.
We watched the inauguration at work on our computers, as I'm sure countless others across the nation did as well.

But I have to admit... I wasn't a big "Obama supporter" during the election so I'm still kind of luke-warm about how "awesome" he is.
I voted for him simply because the alternative was NOT an option.

Don't get me wrong, please. I think he's very qualified and will work hard to undo all the crap that the previous administration brought on us.
I certainly hope so at least. I don't want my trust to be abused and another four years of disappointment.

I think a lot of my 'tepidness' stems mostly from the media constantly reminding us that he's black.
Yeah? So what? That's supposed to make a difference?
I thought "all men are created equal.... blah blah blah".
Is the fact that we don't share the same color skin supposed to make him more or less of a capable President that the ones before him?
The two previous Presidents were white (I shouldn't have to remind you) and look what happened.
In this age of not letting race become an issue, they sure want to remind us about him not being white.

President Obama is a human being with human failings.
I'm sure he's going to be scrutinized even more closely by all sides and will be under tremendous pressure during his entire administration.
But I don't see him as a knight in shining armor ready to take on the dragon and save us all.
I see him more as somebody who took what they were given and made the best out of it and has accomplished what a select few are ever able to do. ANYBODY is capable of doing that, but few ever succeed.
But if he can inspire the rest of the nation to do the same, more power to him.

I truly wish him all the best.
He's going to have a hard road to travel.

Jan 19, 2009

Linkdump! Things To Buy Edition

I'm feeling lazy and yet I want to blog.
What to do... what to do......
Ah! I'll just post a bunch of links for things you can buy (but probably don't need).


Like gummy bears?
How about a ginormous one?

Make everyday a 'stress-free day' with a bubble calendar.
(Or heck! With a little spare time you could make one yourself)


Need some stealth Duct tape?


Brighten up your day with some flowers or a lamp.
Why, you could get a flower that IS a lamp!



Add a smile to your favorite drink!


Show 'em that you still like to "kick it Old School".







Well... that ought to do for now until something post-worthy comes along.

Jan 16, 2009

Triple-Dog Dare

In a scene right out of "A Christmas Story", and a couple of Indiana boys got their tongues stuck to a frozen flag pole.

Edit:
That was last year's news. It actually happened again more recently.

Jan 14, 2009

"Don't Make Him Angry. You Wouldn't Like Him When He's Angry"

Look out!



Aw c'mon.... who doesn't like a funny poop-flinging monkey story?




I Wanna Sit In The Captain's Seat!

HOLY CRAP!!!
I would love to have one of these (but no way am I going to shell out the bucks for it!).
I could sit in it and play video games and yell "KHAAAAAAN!!!" whenever the mood struck.

Plus, it would look totally sweet in a room with the Carina Nebula all over the walls don't you think?



Jan 13, 2009

I'm A Kid At Heart

I really am, if you didn't already know that.

I've been thinking about the comic book conventions that are coming up and I'm getting excited to not only go to them but to be a part of them.
They're still about 3 months away, but that time goes by pretty quickly.

I'm close to 40 (I'll be 39 in a few days), but for those days at the convention I'm a 12 year-old.
Every year my enthusiam gets stronger even though I'm getting older.
Running around, hanging out with friends and peers, and the comic books. Oh! The comic books!

I guess what makes it really exciting is that I get to be with the guests on a more personal level, rather than stuck in a line waiting to see/talk to them.
Yeah so, I'm making sure they have water to drink so they don't get parched. And I'm taking them lunch when it's ready. Or making sure they have a chance to use the restroom.
It's not glamorous stuff, but it's more than some fans ever get to do.

And I've made a lot of friends doing it. Not just the friends through the comic store (who are all very cool and fun to hang around with), but the repeat guests that have gotten to know me and remember me every year.

It may seem funny to you if comics aren't your thing, but when the show is getting set-up and I'm there helping put up banners or move tables and a guest walks in and says "Hey Tom! Good to see you again this year." That makes me feel awesome.

I watch the guest list grow as the shows get closer, and I remember certain things about some of them.
Stuff that helps make it a fun show for them as well and make them comfortable being there.
* "Oh! Steve's going to be back. I'll make sure to have some energy drinks on ice for him so he won't have to go get them."
* "Hey, great! Greg's coming back. And he's bringing his kids. I'll be sure have some kid-friendly snacks handy for them in case they forget."
* "Right on! Brian and his wife will be returning. I totally have to bring him those concert CD's I promised him last time."
That kind of stuff.

And then there's also the fans I've met in line.
I met one who came all the way over from Europe just to be at Seattle for the show, and it was his first comic convention he'd ever been to.
Then there was the TMNT fan who had the four Turtles tattooed on his leg.
And there are a few fans who've been coming year after year that catch me outside before the show opens to show me their sketches and who they are planning to get more from this year.
Not to mention that I've now got my mom coming to the show and she has a blast meeting all the people that know me.

Also, I have the coolest girlfriend.
She not only lets me indulge in my adolescent endeavors, but is an active participant in the show as well.
It's fun to take the weekend off and spend it at the show and see her there having fun as well.

So can you tell I'm excited?
Less than 12 weeks to go for ECCC and I'm already freaking out (in a good way).

I'll most likely be talking about this more as they get closer, but I was thinking about it lately and just wanted to say how cool it is to still be a kid.

Jan 11, 2009

Sick Kitty (or is it "Psych!"?)

On Wednesday night, when the heavens broke open and caused all roads to anywhere to be closed out of our town, our cat started acting 'funny'.
And by 'funny', I mean she wasn't eating, using the bathroom or being her usual obnoxious self... and that is unusual for her. Oh, but she was vomiting. Everywhere.

So Hotness (who stresses about this quite easily) was up for most of the night worrying.
The next morning, she was on the phone with the vet making an appointment, hoping they were in as the nearest emergency vet was beyond reach due to the flooding.

She got her in and they did some X-rays to she if had a blockage (i.e. a hairball or somesuch).
They ran some bloodtests to see if she had some exotic disease.
Nothing. They couldn't find anything.
She was a bit dehydrated, but throwing up all night will have that effect on anyone, so no surprise there.

She stayed there all day so they could keep an eye on her, and decided it might be best to keep her overnight for observation.

The next day, she was doing better.
They had given her an I.V. with fluids, she was eating and she had used the bathroom like a normal kitty.
They also gave her a antibiotic as a precaution.
But still no idea what caused the mysterious symptoms of the night before.

We got her home, and after roaming around to make sure we hadn't moved or changed anything, she settled back in.
She ate her food and slept on her petting pad that night.

Other than not using the bathroom that often, she's back to normal. As normal as she gets anyway.

She's old. About 14 or 15 years old. So she isn't a young kitten that can bounce right back.
She's also been with Hotness longer than I have, so Hotness takes it a lot harder when the cat gets like this.

I don't know what to do. I just hope things don't stay on a rollercoaster ride of good one day / bad the next.

"Big Brother, Can You Spare Some Change?"

Everybody's jumping on the bailout bandwagon.
First the banks and lending institutions. Then the U.S. Automakers.
Now the porn industry wants good ol' Uncle Sam to dig into their pockets for $5 billion worth of cash to help keep the porn industry alive for a nation in need.

Not that they really need it, according to Larry Flynt and Joe Francis.
While DVD sales have slipped, online web traffic has continued to increase.

"People are too depressed to be sexually active," Flynt said in the statement. "This is very unhealthy as a nation. Americans can do without cars and such but they cannot do without sex." (from CNN.com)

Well, yeah I guess. But what if they can't drive to work to make the money to pay for their porn?
How's the money going to help them then, Larry?




Jan 9, 2009

The Isle Du'Vall

So it's been on the news and if you live in this state you're already more than familiar with what's been going on. But if you're not from around here, I'll re-cap briefly:
During the middle to end of December, western Washington got dumped on with snow. (We personally had just about 3 feet at the Ferretnick homestead)
Then it kind of slacked off and started to melt, only to have the temps rise and the rain to come pouring in, which has now caused major flooding thoughout the west side of the Cascades.

See this picture?
It's the main road I take EVERY day to and from work which was covered with water the last couple of days. Looks like I'll be taking an alternate route for a while now.


So enough of that.
What you really want to know is... how have I managed to face the fury of nature's wrath and survive?

Well, for starters; yesterday I called into work and said I wasn't going to make it in. All three roads into and out of town were submerged, and until that cleared I couldn't go anywhere.
Then I parked my butt at my computer and updated my Facebook page. (Troubling times call for instant sharing, you know)
After that went to the couch where I watched "Rocky & Bullwinkle" on DVD for a bit as I ate Lucky Charms for breakfast.

That was pretty much my entire day until around 2:00 p.m. when I decided to brave the elements and drive into town to visit my friends and play with my niece and nephew.

I haven't seen them since before Christmas (and that's actually quite a long time for me to have not seen them).
My niece showed me her Princess Barbies that she got for Christmas then we played a game.
The game was fun but her attention was soon lost on playing it after the first round.

Then I had the idea of making sock puppets with her.
Her mom went and got a few stray socks, buttons and some needle & thread, and my niece and I made up a couple of nifty-looking sock puppets. I let her name them, but for the life of me I can't remember what she called them.
Her dad got a some pictures of us, but I didn't have them to add to this post yet. (I'll post them at a later date)

I got a call from Hotness (who actually was able to work from home yesterday and today) and said she and a neighbor we going to eat downtown and asked if I wanted to join them.
About that same time, I was invited to a "beach party" at a friend's house in town.
They were inviting everybody over to hang out (in appropriate 'beach' attire) and have fun to take our minds off of the flooding, rain, and general poor weather.
I stopped in to say "hi" for a bit then continued down into town where I had dinner.

Afterwards, we went to the outskirts of town to see how high the water was on the roads before coming back home and going to bed.

It was a terribly rough journey through the ravaged wasteland that is my hometown, but somehow I perservered and made the best out of it.

---------------
Coming up soon:
Begging for money
Cat issues

Jan 8, 2009

Say 'Allo To My Leetle Friend!

My toe is doing much, much better.
I was able to wear a shoe on my foot all day yesterday after I changed the bandage on it.


I replaced it with this stylish one:


Trendy, no? I think my Hobbit feet add an extra special touch.



I only had to take the Vicodin that first night so I still have the rest of the bottle (all 11 remaining pills) calling to me from the medicine cabinet with their siren song of sweet, sweet pain relief.

---------------------

In other news:
Hotness and I are at home today, stranded due to the flooding that has closed off all three roads into and out of our town.
We are fine, as we sit way up on the hill away from town. So if it flooded out here, you wouldn't be reading this as you'd have problems of your own with the water.

We can get into town. Just not out of it.
I think it'll be fine (as fine as can be anyway) by tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'll be on the couch watching Rocky & Bullwinkle season one.


Later ya'll. I'm going to watch Bullwinkle pull a rabbit out of his hat.......

Jan 6, 2009

This Is Kind Of Gruesome (complete with pictures)

Want to talk about some pain? Well I sure do!
Pull up a chair while I recount for you my "Night of Extreme Pain!!!!" (cue lightning and thunder effects)

FYI: This is kind of gross, so if you are eating (or just finished eating), you my want to skip this for now and come back later.

-------------------------------------

Sunday night, Hotness and I were ate home. It was the last evening of a long Holiday and we were gearing up to go to work the next day. Outside it was snowing, but inside was nice and warm thanks to a good fire we had going.
I made some Mexican hot chocolate (or my version of it, anyway) which was simply hot cocoa with a shot of tequila and cinnamon schnapps in it. Mmmm... tasty!

Finally it was getting near bedtime and as we were turning off lights and getting ready to retire, I noticed that I needed to add some more water to the pan we have on the wood stove (for humidity).
I went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle to get some water.
In the process of getting said bottle, I dislodged a cookie sheet from the stack of recently washed dishes which sent it cascading down towards the floor and onto my left big toe. Square on the toenail, no less.

*Ka-bang!!* went the cookie sheet and was soon followed by a litany of curse words which I will not repeat for you here.

"What happened? What's wrong?", asked Hotness before seeing me doubled-over in the kitchen. "One of the cookie sheets fell right onto my toe! It hurts!!!", I replied... ever so calmly.

Anyway, to make a long story shorter, I took some aspirin (I didn't have anything stronger in the house at the moment) and tried to sleep.

I must have gotten some sleep as Hotness said I was snoring at one point. But around 2:30 a.m. I woke up and my foot was throbbing. I tried to get comfortable, but it was no use.
I got out of bed, rather than continue to toss and turn and wake Hotness. I tried to sit on the couch, but that didn't help. So I went into my office to take my mind off the pain by playing video games, but that didn't help either.

I took some more aspirin and waited it our until I got ready for work.
Putting on my shoes just about killed me, it hurt so bad. Then I had to drive (thankfully I don't have a clutch) into work.

As soon as I got in I tried making an appointment with my doctor to get it looked at.
Luckily he had an early opening, so they scheduled me right in.

I put my shoe back on (OUCH!!!!) and drove back home to the doctor.

He got in the room, looked at my foot and said "Oooh... I'll bet that hurts, huh?" (Gotta love my doctor's sense of humor)
He said I had a "hema-whatsis" (which was just a fancy way of saying I had a build-up of blood under the toenail) and said that he could take care of it in the office.
He went and got a small, battery-operated cauterizer., and burned a tiny hole in the toenail.
Immediately the pressure and throbbing stopped and my foot felt much better. Of course, now the little room started to smell like burned hair (or rather burned toenail). Stinky-poo.

Then he kind of squished the blood out through the hole (I watched for a moment and then couldn't stand to look at it) and bandaged it up with a bunch of gauze.
I ended up having this humongous, bulbous toe when he was all finished with it.

The best thing out of all of this... he prescribed me some Vicodin.
I only needed to take it at night to kill the pain and help me sleep, and brother did I ever!
I slept like a baby. Or like the dead. (or like a dead baby... but that's kind of gross to think about)

Today I am feeling much better although wearing shoes still hurts as it pinches my toe. So at work I take it off and limp (or is it 'gimp') around until I'm done.


Now, here are some pictures (WARNING! These are not for the weak):
Here's my toe as it looked this morning. I had to take off the bandage and see how it was doing. Other than looking quite gross, it was doing fine. Still a little leaky, so I put a bandage back on it.


Here's where he burned a little hole to release the pressure from under the toenail.
I'll most likely lose my nail, but in the meantime I get to have this disgusting, icky one to look at.


This is the offending cookie sheet. It's an Airbake type, so it's dual-layered.
The edge of it hit my toe square on.
I did some math, thanks to the interweb and it's many resources for doing difficult mathematics.

The cookie sheet weighed 1 lb 4.3 oz. (For the purposes of my inquiry, I just calculated it at 1 lb.)
It fell a little more than 3 feet from the counter. (So I said 3.25 feet)
The result? It hit my foot with an impact of 10.9 lbs of force.
That may not seem like a lot of force, but it only takes 15 lbs of force to tear your ear off of your head, so I'm really lucky my toe didn't get broken.

Anyway, thanks for letting me share.
I hope I didn't make any of you lose your meal.

Jan 4, 2009

From Across The Pond

Just a couple of quick news items I read and thought I'd pass along:



Stonehenge was a 'giant concert venue' according to an expert in accoustics and music.


Man, break out the glowsticks. I'm so there!

The Gorge is fine, but given the opportunity to party at Stonehenge.... F'ing A!!!





And... sounds a bit like he's pissed. (And I can't say I blame him, really)


Interactive Fun

'Cause I don't have anything interesting to really talk about (but that's more or less due to a lack of motivation on my part right now), for your enjoyment I'll let you have some fun here on the blog.

Check out this app called Yellowtail.
Just click and drag your mouse on the black screen and watch what happens.




(There's more where that comes from by the way)

Jan 3, 2009

Something To Think About For Sure

I'm not advocating or endorsing this, but it's certainly something to think about.

There are some theories going around that The United States could find itself divided and broken up in the near future, due to the economic crisis and other factors.

Not saying it's going to happen, but it's certainly unnerving. Regardless if it's from crackpot conspiracy theorists or respected economic and political analysts.

With a new presidency waiting to take the helm and renewed optimism in the American mindset, hopefully this will all become just a load of bunk. But with mounting business closures and unemployment, an unstable economy, and outsourcing to foreign nations (primarily China)... it makes you wonder.



By way of the Presurfer

Jan 1, 2009

I Had A Dream Last Night

Well, actually it was this morning.
But I had this dream and it's unusual for for me to remember them, so I thought I'd share it.

In my dream:
I'm teenager and for whatever reason, I'm having to share my bed with my brother. It's a big enough bed for both of us but at some point he's worked his way over to my side and is now sticking his knees (and /or feet) into my back, forcing me to scoot to the edge of the bed.

I finally have enough and push him back yelling at him to stay on his side and quit pushing.
Right after I do that, I hear my mom say, "No! Don't go in there. Just let them be."
But a few seconds later my step-dad shows up and is standing right above me with his right arm raised in preparation to hit me.
I look up at him and think about what to say, knowing that the wrong thing with bring certain pain... but I don't know what the "wrong thing" is.
So I say, "I'm just trying to get room so I can sleep. He keeps pushing me."
My step-dad stands there for a moment, lowers his arm, and then walks out of the room.

And right then I woke up.
------------------------------------------

I know that dreams are your brain's way of working out stuff that has happened during the day in your subconscious, but this is really odd.
1) My brother and I were separated when we were young and he never lived with me during my teenage years.
2) When we did live in the same house, we never had to share a bed.
3) My step-dad never hit me. In fact, we got along very well. Even when he tried to "act tough", I saw through it and we had a laugh.
We were very close up until the time he and my mom were separated. Since then, I've had no contact with him.

I can't think of ANYTHING that would have triggered this to occur in my dreams, so... WTF?

I have some of the strangest dreams sometimes.