Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Whitewash

Christmas was good. I got to spend a holiday I normally hate with my family and be in a very good mood. I don't know if it's the drugs or just the way the holiday unfolded, but this was the first Christmas I've enjoyed every part of in a very long time. Last year was close, but still had some blues. This year was a milestone. Good times.

Tuesday I got back here to Owasso, and took off work since SOMEBODY didn't get any sleep the previous night (here's a hint, it's me!), I burned up a holiday day. Still got two left... anyway, I'm surfing the interweb on my laptop and all of a sudden about twenty different pop-ups just start showing up. I shut them down and run Spybot. I was in for a surprise. I some how picked up not one, not two, but EIGHT viruses and spyware on my laptop. I had aquired the "CoolWWWSearch" virus sometime back in mid-2004, and so this was a good opportunity to do a fresh install of my OS seeing as nothing I did to reverse it was working. Last night I finished the install, and tonight I'm going to find the drivers and install them. Hopefully by bedtime tonight I'll have a laptop that is in somewhat good shape. Thankfully I was able to save all the files I had on there as I had invested in a backup drive a few months ago. I had now paid for itself with this situation.

I hope you all had a great Christmas. Even though I was dateless, still managed to have fun and not worry about so much stuff. Got some good gifts, ate some good food, watched a good movie, and hung out with some good friends. Got to see my nieces, watched them open all of their presents, had a really good time.

That's about it. Right now I'm here at work, praying I don't fall asleep. Was up a little late last night getting the OS reinstalled on the laptop and April Kat thought I had to be up shortly after the sun got up this morning. Not running on a full battery today. *yawn*

Thursday, December 22, 2005

T-Minus 3 days and counting...

Got all my gifts wrapped with the help of Melissa last night. And this may be the first year that my sister doesn't make fun of my wrapping job. Considering that most of the gifts had an odd shpae, I did a pretty good job in attaching ribbons and bows. Add to the fact that I'm a clueless straight man and can't cordinate well, I say I did a good job. (Melissa said I did a good job too so all you haters can just suck it)

Haven't talked to Dad about the Kong viewing, so I don't know if we're still on, but I would still love to attend Christmas night. I know my sister Brooke is wanting to go, and Batman/Mayor of Quahag Adam West will be down Ada-Way, so hopefully it will still happen. Come on people!! A giant monkey movie done by Peter "Dead Alive" Jackson? Do I have to beg? Tell you what, if Cinema Six accepts Visa by the evening of the 25th, the Junior Mints are on me!

Sunday I helped Patrick set up his pool table. It's a multi-funtion one that comes with a second tier that can either be a card table, or flipped over to be a dinning room table. It's not the highest-end model available, but to be honest, for the money he paid for it, we had a hell of a lot of fun Monday night playing billiards. Kevin came over and we drank, smoked some cigars and ate every bit of chips and salsa Mr. Cusher had on hand. I don't know why really, but we were just chips-n-salsa hungry. Whiskey sours and Bacardi-O had a chance to kill our livers and trash talking was ON! At around midnight, Melissa had to drive me and Kevin home. heh... I know enough to know that drunk driving is not something a pretty young thing like myself wants to go to jail for. A petite waif such as I would be fresh meat to love-starved convicts. Gross... moving on...

This week and the next are 'freeze' days at work, meaning that any changes and implimentations have been put on hold for the holiday traveling rush. As bad as it is having to manually check in customers that are already cranky and pissed off the other 11 months of the year, doing it at Christmas with presents and children and more luggage than normal... would be enough to make any weary traveller want to flip out right there in the airport. And already having had my bad airport experience this year, I can say it's a bad thing. So, if I can help keep those airlines running that much smoother, so be it. Plus we got fed the other night. Don't know why. Just know that some people came in just to feed us. And I love them. Love-love!

Got to go to Papa G's this Monday night with Michael. The last thing I need is a pissed-off Italian woman mad at me. ;)

Later gators!

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Side note - The Tetrabenezine is working very well. With the exception of the occassional tic, I am probably the best as far as the TS is concerned. I believe the current cocktail of teeny while pills, tiny blue pills, big red ones and oblong orange ones I'm doing pretty good. I just wanted to mention that, in case anybody wondered.

Friday, December 16, 2005

No f'n way...

After 16+ years, my search has ended here!

Anybody want to go halfsies?

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

My father, a monkey, my drug, my dedication and a photo

My dad grew up not very far from where he lives now. It was a tiny (and I do mean TINY) two bedroom house until his mid-teens, shared with four other siblings and his parents. He didn't have much growing up, and I think that's why he was so smart with his money. They have that saying, "Having your money work for you" and that's what dad did. Whenever he had money, he invested it in whatever he was doing. Helping my grandfather paint houses, buying and trading stuff, anything. Soon, he had enough to put me through college, help out with my sisters when they got in a jam or mom or friends, or just whoever needed help, my dad could be that person. I have much admiration for the guy. It's hard to meet my father and not like him.

And I know where I get my techno-lust from. I may have gotten my video game passion from my mother, but as far as high-tech toys go, it's all from my dad. If my pop were to be born these days, he would be a gadget-hound, no doubt about it. His newly acquired toy is a 51" DLP HDTV and it is SWEET! Jealous? Yes, yes I am.

Anyway, last night, dad's flipping through the paper and I'm sitting there, watching G4TV (cuz I'm a geek) and a episode preview for "Icons" comes on. It's coming up next and it's about Peter Jackson's King Kong and the history of the Hollywood legend. Dad lowers the paper about two inches, "Ohh...King Kong." I smile and nod, knowing that we're in agreement of what we're watching next.

Suffice to say, we caught it and we're both stoked now. Plans are set for a viewing. Come Christmas evening, if anybody in the greater Ada metroplex wants to catch a showing of King Kong, you're more than welcome to join us. We'll make an evening of it. Presents and stockings in the morning, and then a 25-foot gorilla in the night. Afterwards, we may pour eggnog straight down our gullets. Interested?

(Patrick, this does not exclude a viewing at AMC - If I'm going to do it, I may as well do it right, right?)

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And may I just say that Lexapro is the most wonderful drug available to mankind? Do you know what today is? A few of you might. Anyway, look back through the archives for hints... Anyway, I'm not down, I'm not depressed. Just very mellow. The first time in 18 years. It might be a good Christmas after all. :-)

R.I.P. Shirley Ann

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Ok, Mom had pictures of us kids from my junior year in high school on her desk, and once I saw it, I knew it had to make it's blog debut. I figure if I put myself out here for all of you share and read, I might as well go deeper. How deep? Deep. Shit's a well, son.



Apparently, as far back as 1991, I had a chin. And I weighed less than a thousand pounds. And I had bad acne but was boyishly cute. So this is my New Year's...Ney, My mid-December's resolution: I'm going to shed as much excess baggage from my fat ass as possible. Naturally, I'm going to bitch the whole time, so you'll all get to hear about it. Delaney got me a sweet tie for Christmas, cuz she's cool like that, and I want to wear it with something other than a tent awning. Something nice. Something sophisticated. Padre' West might suggest a french cuff arrow-collar. Whatever. Just wanna be smaller and with less chances of attracting small orbiting objects. ;) Damn comet's always crashing into me. Crash...into me...

*Cue Dave Matthews*

Monday, December 12, 2005

Cafe' Passion, I think I love you

On my way home this morning, and I notice that the building just north of my apartment that is just now populating blocks, has the third business sign up. "Cafe Passion" with a sign of a coffee cup next to it. As for why the marriage of coffee and lust, I am perplexed, but I care not for the inuendo. I just know that less than 300 feet from my door step is a coffee shop.

Sweet

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Missed parties and slightly tardy

Tonight was the Whiten family Christmas party. I've made everyone in the past 17 years but this one. Just couldn't get off work today. This would have the first year my sister Amy hosted it, and I would have been fun to see her stress over having so many people (not to mention kids screaming) to contend with. This is not to say that my sister is incapable of handling stress. Oh contrare', she's very adept at it. However, her nieces will cry at the drop of a hat if their precious Aunt speaks anything negative their way. This past Halloween, I went with my other sister Brooke to take her kids trick-or-treatin' and we stopped over at OtherSister's house afterwards. Kids being kids, they were all playing in Amy's daughter's room and making noise, and Amy simply said "Please be quiet in there!". I was right there in front of her, nothing malicious in her voice, and you have thought she walked in there and belted them both in the mouth. They wailed like banshees at having been admonished by their favorite aunt (only aunt)... Anyway... I missed the party this year. I hate that. I don't see my family, especially the Whiten family that much. Well, any family that much. The last person I saw of my mom's side was my aunt Peggy, and that was back this summer. I'm a horrible family-keeper-upper. But then, I've been dealing with some unique crap this summer/fall, so I hope they understand.

Second thing, is I've been coming into work late this week. And last week. Almost every day, with a few exceptions, I've strolled in as late as 20 after. And everyday it was a unique thing that was holding me back. Clothes still drying, late getting into shower, took a nap before coming in... whatever the case was, it caused me to be late getting into work. Chad, one of my coworkers, loves nothing more than to bust on any sign of weekness. Out one day for sickness? Expect to be called. Go home early for good behavior? Can't wait to rag on ya. Go out for dinner? The man will tear you down when you come back. I can only he has some sort of Jewish mother in him somewhere, and she's just waiting to point out your faults and awful deeds. Plus, he's one of those guys that can eat a ton and loose weight, so yeah, I hate him for that as it is... ;-)

Will be visiting Greater Adaopolis this weekend, hope to visit Mamma G Monday night, maybe Padre' West will want to have a drink as well. Monday my sis turns a horrible 29. Mwahaha! Is it too early for black balloons?

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Kids say the damnest things


When Lovecraft and Family Circus meet 'twixt the darkened halls of Mor'goth, then Sunday paper readin' won't ever be the same again. Tee hee!

I've had fish three nights in a row and every time it was delicious. Tonight I even got hushpuppies! Tasty taste! I also had one of Sonic's Cranberry Limade's this morning. Quite possibly the world's greatest beverage, whiskey sour excluded. Nothing can top the king...

Friday, December 02, 2005

Happiness

Opened a new can of coffee this morning, that rich aroma caressing my senses. Love that so much. And it dawned on me that truly, it is the little things that make life great. That's what I like, opening new things. Coffee, peanut butter, DVDs...whatever. That 'new' scent that comes out of something that's vacuum-packaged and ready for your enjoyment. Such is commercialism.

April Kat is staying by my side more than a 2-year-old. Just won't leave me alone. She's been like this since coming back from Brooke's house. Makes me wonder what psychological terror was performed on her to be so needy all of a sudden with me. Sister? Any ideas? ;)

My good friend Adam should be coming down from his kingdom up North later this month. The one time of year he makes his way out of Yankee territory and visits us hillbillies in Oklahoma. Would like to visit with him and his brother, whom I don't see nearly enough of as I would like.

Before you ask Christy, no, haven't started Season 5 yet. I know, I'm a terrible person. Just ask Paul about "Legends" and he's sure to roll his eyes and say it's that all over again. ;) I promise to have this done before 10 grade starts up though...

I dropped my toothbrush in the toilet yesterday afternoon, so last night after work I got to pick out a new one. Something about picking out new toothbrushes is just a Wonka-esque experience for me. There's so many kinds, with different firmness and bristles, some with tongue scrapers, polishing heads, rubber grips. Some, with all three... This goes back to the whole "new thing' thing, trying new things, opening new things, looking for new deodorant...fresh AND active, trying a new bath soap, and oh is this shower gel peach-scented? I must really try that. What's that? 80 cents off of Suave conditioner today? Can't pass up a bargain. Man, I'm such a chick.

Anyway, sitting here this morning, drinking my new coffee. My freshly-brewed-out-the-newly-opened-can coffee. Not bad. Little things. Little things. Little things can make or break a life. Just have to take time and have the imagination to find those little things so as not to go mad in this spirit-crushing life.

Fresh coffee.

*sip*

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Quick links. When engineering nerds and Christmas come together, the results are simply amazing. The logistics of the timing alone are crazy, nevermind programming all of it. Please check those out. Chevy Chase's house from Christmas Vacation is nothing.