Story Archive - October 2005

Interrogative (10/30/2005)

A prudent question is one-half of wisdom. - Francis Bacon

Stolen from Nancy, who I saw last night, but doesn't know I stalk her.

Who ...

1. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?

   Gumdrop, around thirty-six hours ago. Have I mentioned I mostly avoid the phone? Yes, Mr. "Unknown" I will never answer your call. I went through a period of nearly six weeks getting a call everyday from a number I didn't recognize. The caller would leave a message like, "Hello, I need you to call me at xxx.xxx.xxxx." They never identified themselves. It was a different person each time. I eventually did give in and call one morning to find out it was Discover Financial Services, likely calling about something weird on my credit card. I hung up. A company needs to identify itself. That behavior cannot be rewarded. It pays to discover leaving anonymous phone messages is dumb.

2. Who was the last person you talked to in person?

   My roommate. He is sitting just a few few away from me, so it is hard not to talk with him. Our conversation involvd how to create a socialist utopia in SimCity. We have determined that evil capitalists created the game since my city run on only wind power and public transportation invariable crumbles to ruin.

3. Who was the last person you talked to online?

   Ham-n-Cheese. He was trying to decide what music to put in for his all-night coding spree for work. I suggested White Zombie. It seemed appropriately pissed off. I was also working on an all-nighter. I put in the Destoyers. It seems appropriately pissed off. "I drink alone..."

4. Who was the last person you hung out with?

   Hmm, I'm going to exclude my roommate from this one. So, MacAddict on Wednesday! Wow. We spent the night watching the Discovery channel and debating how to reprogram my old dead Roomba. Being Mac users, we don't exactly have machines with serial ports just sitting around. We also took a run down to the store in his new truck to buy soda, because your home runs off coffee.

5. Who was the last person you took a picture with?

   Gumdrop and various of her family members at a Halloween part on Saturday. I was Professor Utonium. It was bloody brilliant.

6. Who was the last person you danced with?

   Gumdrop yet again. Real dancing? Probably not since a wedding a few weeks ago. Though on Satuday, while the karaoke was going, it was a little hard not to groove with her.

WHAT ...

1. What was the last thing you ate?

   Frozen hamburger made on a George Forman Grill with some organic potato chips.. Tasty! Last night I had tripe for the first time. Yum! Tripe.

2. What was the last thing you drank?

   Crap, you caught me. Okay, it was a Dr Pepper (note the correct spelling without the period), but I'm going to brush my teeth in about five minutes from now. I always brush after lunch now anyway. I gave up soda for the most part, but I still like to treat myself on a lazy Sunday.

3. What was the last movie you saw?

   Crash? I can't actually remember. Crash was definitely the last one I saw in a theater. I may have watched something on TV since then, but I can't recall. It was an excellent movie. Still, I don't need a movie to be reminded that life is both horrible and miraculous.

4. What was your last phone call about?

   Laughing back and forth at what the other had to say. Reminiscing, this and that'ing, having such a good time.

5. What was your last instant message about?

   Complaining about working long hours. There was also a brief plot of a trip to Denver in it. I have been rolling the idea around in my head quite a bit as I missed a good pair of friends I made at my first job. We our well split now between SF, Denver and Boston.

WHERE ...

1. Where did you go yesterday?

   Home -> Border's Books -> Apple Store -> Halloween Store -> Supercuts -> Safeway -> Home -> Gumdrop's

2. Where are your parents?

   I can't keep up with them. Ever since my mother took her easy retirement job, I think she is in a different city every weekend.

3. Where do you keep your diary?

   On my computer in a special location. The current version is encrypted with AES and the passcode is 30-characters long. The password is partially in Spanish and partially in Romanji. Good luck. I expect it will never be opened by someone who is not me, and I prefer it that way. If someone really really cared, I suspect that twenty years after my death a serious cracker may be able to break into it. They would then realize what no one else had learned about me before: I snuck out of my room in high school at night to do mischievious.

4. Where were you last week?

   Work. Home. Work. More work than home.

WHEN ...

1. When was the last time you showered?

   Yesterday afternoon. Yes, I am being a slob today, but I'll shower before I go out tonight. They are playing Rocky Horror.

2. When was the last time you hung out with your cousin?

   It's been a while I think. Labor day? Really? Wow. Yes, that long. I'm not sure when the next time will be. Thanksgiving I'll be hanging out with the seconde cousins. It might not be until Christmas time.

3. When was the last time you were at the mall?

   I can't remember that last time I was at a mall. April? I know was I at a mall then. I went to the Sanrio store in Hillborough trying to find my roommate something awesome like a Hello Kitty shot glass. They had a Hello Kitty Coffee maker, and it was incredibly tempting. If there had been a Hello Kitty Espresso machine... SOLD!

4. When was the last time you were absent?

   A couple months ago I was out sick after I came back from Chicago.

5. 5. When was the last time you kissed someone?

   Last night.

WHY ...

1. Why are you taking this survey?

   I have a compulsive need to take these surveys when I see someone else does. I will never forward them through mail though. I always post.

2. Why are you online?

   I'm working and waiting for really big SQL-queries to execute. I expected to crash the performance database. It will be awesome.

3. Why did they invent pencils?

   Because it's important to erase. I really like real cedar penciles filled with graphite. I love the fresh scent of a freshly sharpened one.

4. Why are most things made in China?

   China is a rising super power on its way to conquering the US. As we are a capatilist nation, I expect China to eventually buy us.

5. Why did they come up with school?

   Most people are dumb. School makes most people less dumb, and that is a good thing.

My Teeth are Killing Me (10/25/2005)

Don't go four years without visiting the dentist. - Black Fire

The pain is all emotional. After my dental fiasco a few years ago I changed my habits. I dropped off the medication that leeches away my calcium. I switched the prescription toothpaste that has enough florid to kill people. I got an electric toothbrush. I switched my soda from normal to diet.

After a year on the new system I have exactly four new cavities. When I was told that, the look on my face must have shown everything. It was a "you're kidding me?" look. You're kidding me! You are joking? WHAT!?!? I wasn't sure if I wanted to break into tears or punch my dentist.

Three weeks later, and I have stopped putting sugar in my Jordanchino. I have dropped soda completely from my diet. I am brushing my teeth at least twice a day (after lunch and before bed). I am swishing mouth wash after every meal. I am flossing twice a day (during my commute because it is safe).

I already have a pretty ridiculous amount of rigor around keeping myself from falling apart. I can't believe there is more.

Ferry Ride (10/23/2005)

If you only face forward, there is something you will miss seeing. - Vash (Trigun)

I was riding the ferry across the bay one evening not too long ago. It was cold out, and I didn't have much clothing to keep me warm. I climbed up onto the bow away from the few other passengers and stood overlooking the bay. A few lights of the city cut through the fog, but enough to notice the tall cylinder office building that had been many home for nearly five years.

There was a feeling of peace on my shoulders when that building was my second home. I once said in a moment of reflection, "I could do this forever." As those memories were taking me to a sempiternal time, the boat lurched across the wake of another ferry and in an unusual moments my sea legs gave way. I stumbled and landed awkwardly onto one of the benches.

Just like looking to the city from the ferry, I can only see a few clear landmarks on the path ahead of me. Most of it, even just a year out, is covered by fog.

Golf and Rockshows (10/08/2005)

I regard golf as an expensive way of playing marbles. - Gilbert K. Chesterton

If I were to do my pre-birthday weekend right, it would be a novel. It was so incredibly packed with events that I have trouble remembering all of it. I think I can best describe it as epic. Epic!

Saturday. Wake up early, pick up my girl and a friend and we all have lunch at Long John Silver's in Tracy. It is one of the last left in existence.

We arriv at Sacramento and go to Scandia for mini golf. It's been a while. Half way through the game our rockstar friend calls to say that his show has been moved up to much earlier, so we have to rush through the end of our game and get on the road for downtown. No time for video games or go-carts.

His show is playing background music for part of the Sacramento Art Walk. In the small room, with the loud speakers, it is very much foreground music. We stay till the glorious ending, shake everyone's hand, and then head out the door.

Then back home to watch the SciFi Original, Dungeons and Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God. We all expect the movie to be horrible. Actually, that's why we're watching, the revel in the true awfulness of it. It is horrible. We keep ourselves very entertained throughout the movie, "He's totally going to cast Flame Strike!" or "That was Magic Missile" or even "All he needs is clear crystal for that spell." Yes, we are geeks. But the 180 minute block had about 60 minutes of commericals. Four minute long commericial breaks are horrible, unless we're talking about the GE Coal Miners commecial. That was hot! We all mostly fall asleep throughout the movie.

We had to rouse for a quick birthday cake when it ended. Kull the Conquerer is on next, and while Kevin is hot, he's not enough to keep us conscious.

New License (10/04/2005)

Baseball is like driving, it's the one who gets home safely that counts. - Tommy Lasorda

I lost my wallet at AX back in July. I have been driving without a license since then. Luckily, I don't break traffic laws, so I have little fear of being pulled over. I have also been carrying my passport on me since then and it is a pleasure to flash that when I get carded. It throws poor bartenders for a loop.

I hadn't received anything in the mail about the renewal so I made an appointment and went in. The DMV website basically implied that I would have to take a vision and written test. I took all of the online test samples and easily passed the car, motorcycle and even commercial. I didn't always know the answers, but I am pretty good at playing "one of these answers is not like the others."

I was called, handed in my form, and he thanked me and asked me to get my picture taken. I didn't have to take a vision or written. They took my picture and handed me my temporary license. I noticed that it still says I am 5'5" and weigh 120 pounds. I ask if they can change it and they picture guy says, "Nope. You'll have to get back in line." Screw that. I left, proud to be legally driving again.

Decades (10/03/2005)

Never go to your high school reunion pregnant or they will think that is all you have done since you graduated. - Erma Bombeck

I thought the ten year high school reunion was going to awesome. There were events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and I had planned to be at all of them. My first two years in high school were rough, but I liked it a ton in my final two years. My last year was simply amazing all around. With a small class of only 250 people, I was ready to see a ton of people that I hadn't seen in a while.

Friday night's simple coffee shop stag event got preempted for me by the Serenity premier. No problem, except that I was up much later the night before than anticipated and also a few hundred miles from the Saturday events. Plus, we had a random friend crashing for the night at our apartment, which also kept me up later than I was expecting.

I awoke early the next morning and jumped in the car to reach Jesuit later than I should have. The back parking lot of Jesuit was completely full of cars for the picnic and football game, so I did what any bad student would do, I swung around to the front of the school and parked in the forbidden area. I was sure I was going to get JUG for it!

I pulled my instrument out of my bag and headed over to the football game. I hung out for a bit, but was bored, didn't see anyone I knew, and decided to ditch and wander campus aimlessly taking various pictures and absorbing the changes to the campus. I was later told by a friend who was at the game (don't know how I missed him) that my failure to join him forced him to hang out with the jocks. They were all very nice now.

Jesuit was built in the middle of farm land and it shows today, but not as much as when I was there. Today there are tons of picnic tables scattered throughout campus and the school even paved one of the open grassy areas and put in a nice statue. The new community life building shelters students during the flooding storms of winter. I remember my character-building frigid days heaped up in the breezeways during lunch trying not to get soaking wet. There were no benches then and we would huddle on the ground under the mighty oak (a newly planted three foot tall tree) to play hearts. The oak is at least three times that big now!

I showed up early to the reunion dinner on Saturday night. I expected it to be the biggest and best event (which would be inline with my college five-year). It was underpopulated. I think I was responsible for dragging about 50 % of the people who were there from my year. Where were you Jerry, Gabe, Ben, Ali, Pat, Jason, John, Ryan, Elliot and the Boyds? You are all officially slackers. I did enjoy that everyone from our class congregated around our table after dinner. We, the outcasts, who stuck together through all the years were now the biggest happiest group. Bask in our glow of awesomeness all of you! The night was young, so we went over to a friend's house to hang out more and I ended up getting home much too late.

Still, I roused myself out of bed early the next morning to get to the school for a reunion mass. My father was there to celebrate. The last Catholic mass I went to was at Jesuit, so it's been around a decade for me and I'll admit to missing some of the rituals of the Catholic version during my visits to the other churches over the years.

Overall, the event was a disappointment. I'm sad to say it, because I had such high hopes for it. Still, if I had dragged my gang over there, I think there would have been about two people from my year. Oh well, I hear the 15 year is always bad, so let's hope the 20 year is better.