Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Movin' on Up...

I think I am beginning to get back into my groove again. I arrived a bit late for the warm-ups, but after the 4th frame I started to smack those pins down. The first game: 182... got a couple early open frames that hurt the score. Second game: 245. Third game: 225. Total: 652. Old Average 194, new average 195.
Despite the good games, my team was made fools out of... they were really racking up high scores. We only won one of the four (the third game). On the next lane over someone bowled a perfect 300. I think it was her first. Congrats to her.
Going into tonight we were tied for 7th (in a league of 34).. only 3 games out of first place.

Valentine's Day Heart's True Meaning

I read an article, Female Bum Behind Valentine Symbol? It says that the Valentine's Day Heart was modeled after a woman's butt. I don't know if I should be insulted or in ecstasy.
"The Greek goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, was beautiful all over, but was unique in that her buttocks were especially beautiful," he explained. "Her shapely rounded hemispheres were so appreciated by the Greeks that they built a special temple Aphrodite Kallipygos, which literally meant, 'Goddess with the Beautiful Buttocks.' This was probably the only religious building in the world that was dedicated to buttock worship."

He admitted that it was possible that the heart symbol represented both male and female glutes (the group that includes the three large muscles of each buttock that control thigh movement), but he said, "I think the Valentine's heart more closely fits the rounded female anatomy rather than the angular, compact and slimmer male butt."


I thought that was interesting. I think that the next "American Pie" movie should hint at that instead of an Apple Pie. I will never look at a Valentine heart the same again... after we are all being mooned in front of the innocent kids. Worse than that, the kids themselves are mooning everyone!

I must admit, I am a bad judge of shape sometimes... I am would not be too sure which ones are a male heart or a female heart. I will be more skeptical from now on whenever I receive one.

Ok, time for bowling.

The Spec Sheet

I was roaming the Information Superhighway and came across the Olympics website. Within, I stumbled upon the "Viaggio della Flamma Plimpica". Sounds like some sort of fancy-schmancy Italian dish, but in actuality it is the Olympic Torch. It is the spec sheet and the performance sheet for the torch people run with all across the world! It was hilarious that there is even one in existence! Did you know that the Resistance to Wind/Speed is 120 km/h maximum? No, and I don't even know what that means.... does that mean if Joe Torch Bearer is running over the speed of 120 km/h, he/she would no longer be wind resistant? I can see it now... an average citizen running at a remarkable speed of 121 km/h then suddenly, the torch flies out of their hand. All of this must be done within the "Burning Duration" of 15 minutes and within the performance specs indicated. For optimal Flame Colour it must be orange-yellow for optimal visibility and better video reproduction. hmm... you could have fooled me....I always thought for the best visibility you would have the torch-bearer get caught on fire to make a bigger flame... oops. There is a "combustion system" that is designed to prevent the flame from reaching the fuel pipe, thus ensuring the safety of the bearer.
But I must admit, on the original link to the Torch site it showed the different Torches from the different winter and summer games. It was interesting to see the different models. I guess I kinda like to see history.

Monday, February 13, 2006

The Deeds

The weekend was a blur... or maybe it was just because I was watching outside too much and the snow blurred my vision. I must admit I was impressed with how quickly the snow crew cleaned up the roads and walkways... with the amount of snow we received, it could be considered a wasted snow storm. There was a time this amount of snow would have closed schools and businesses for a week. Yes, schools were closed today and most likely will be a late arrival tomorrow if there is a lot of ice. But just one day is not enough!
I went walking around the 'hood on Sunday afternoon... wanted to get my exercise and just to see the state of the roads and such. Maybe I was the only one in the world without a camera to take pictures. Eh, I saw all the shots I would have taken already on another's blog or perhaps that other one. Anyways, I was listening to the radio then all the sudden an 80 year old lady walking in the opposite direction gets my attention. She asked me, "Should I be walking on the sidewalk or on the street?" She explained to me that she was new to the area and was walking to the supermarket (maybe 1-2 miles away). Only half the sidewalks were shoveled and the streets are 75% plowed. I posed her with this question, "If you were walking on the sidewalks and they were not plowed, what would happen?" She answered, I would get tired and I might fall. That gave me a sense she was at least thinking. I asked if she knew if the supermarket was even open. She didn't know, so I whipped out the handy-dandy cell phone and called 4-1-1... yes, indeed, the supermarket was open. We talked a little bit longer and she finished by saying, "Thank you very much you did your good deed for today." She was a nice lady.
But my "good deeds" for the day did not stop there... I helped 3 different people dig out their cars. I was jsut glad to get out of the apartment and get some fresh air and exercise. After, I got back to my apartment, what did I do? Vegged out in front of the TV and ate potato chips and chili dogs. Those were dang good chili dogs I must add. They were the first I have had in over a year. It was not until about 6pm I got a text message alert that schools were closed for Monday... even though it does not affect me working, it does affect my programs. I am fine with that.
Also, on Sunday, I finally (and I mean finally) finished the book I was reading. I have been slowly chopping away bits and pieces of it since...umm... November! It was a very book book, but when you are tired , you just don't read as much. Now, I am reading my next book, The Year of Yes.
---

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Developments

Today was an interesting day at the office. At the staff meeting two enormous projects/ additions were announced. It may not happen, the community needs to behind it, but regardless, it is most likely to change the dynamics of my job. New huge projects, one which I am highly in favor of and have been pushing for since the day I started, the second would be the first in the area, so there will be a lot of scrutiny in how it all works out. I am looking forward to the new developments, but at the same time, I am worried about the unknown and significant additions to the already hectic job description. Carpe Diem... and "bring it on!"

I then had to announce those developments to a different meeting I had tonight and the second of the two projects got mixed reviews. But all in all that monthly meeting always tends to be a source of ulcers, but it was not tonight. Glad it turned out very well.

It turned out to be a very good day with the exception of a tragic loss of a fellow blogger's loved one. My thoughts and sympathies go out to her.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Computer update

Since I have been having trouble with my computer I have been thinking about an upgrade to Windows mfe. Wait a second. I think I already have this!

No Bowling Tonight

Tonight I did not going bowling... there was a community service meeting I needed to attend. That is the nature of my job, day or night, weekday or weekend there may be something going on. I just gotta do what I gotta do. Got another meeting tomorrow and Thursday evening as well.

At work, my computer has been acting up. It is very much outdated computer and gives me the dreaded Blue Screen of Death on a regular basis. I am not surpised because it needs more memory to function more properly. I need to devote some undivided attention to the computer to fix it up and perhaps try reinstalling some programs that may cause it to seize up... I doubt it would solve the prob, but it is worth a shot. At least I have a good window that opens up so I can toss it to make me feel better. So if you are in my area... WATCH OUT BELOW!

Monday, February 06, 2006

The Wrap Up

The Weekend Wrap-up:
Friday: Umm.. Dang, I must be getting old... I can't remember what I did Friday night. All I can remember, I went out to get the board game, Cranium. Anxiously awaiting the next time I play games with the neighbor friends.

Saturday: Woke up at a time that should not exist... 3:30 am... I woke up to a weird dream and just could not go back to sleep. I had to wake up early anyways for a work related special event. Got there in Towson at 7am to help set-up. I was given the role as the "official" photographer. I have never been a photographer for a big event before. I guess I should feel honored, especially if I was given two disposable cameras (with an added bonus of a built in flash!) Gotta feel special. So pretty much the entire event revolved around kids so it was a lot of smiles and cutesy-smutesy stuff... so naturally I had to make some of the photos artsy-fartsy. Can't wait to see the photos. I was also assigned to be the "slave" to the event's biggest sponsor. That is perfectly alright with me... she was a very nice woman to work with. It was a pleasure to serve her.

Sunday: Was going to hang out with someone prior to the Super Bowl, but for whatever the reason may be, it didn't work out. Maybe next time. Ended up running a few errands and bought some hot apple cider at Borders. Watched the Super Bowl. I thought it was fairly dull game... I was hoping the Seahawks would come from behind to take the victory, but I am not going to lose any sleep over it. What I will have nightmares over is the Rolling Stones half-time show. Something just didn't strike me as right with that show. Maybe I am spoiled and used to a lot of lights and action and not a rock star old enough to be my grandfather. Or maybe it was the too small shirt that Jagger wore that didn't fare well with me. I dunno.

Today: Work just went by... found out a third site I work with was struck by some morons driving around on public property. Tire tracks and torn up grass everywhere. I am just glad they have not struck on my "pride and joy" site. Afterwards, decorated my Steelers fan neighbor's door gold and black as a surprise honor to her favorite team. Later, gave blood for the 40th (and 41st) time. Tonight was the first time I gave a double dosage instead of the regular pint. It certainly was an interesting experience. I got hooked up to a machine that separates the blood and gives me a refill as well. It kinda reminded me of the book (and in the movie) Catch-22... where the guy in the body cast had his bodily fluids recycled. It was a weird feeling. Half-way thru, as they start to pump you up with fluids you get to feel like you are drunk (light-headed and seeing pink elephants dancing around, that kind of feeling)... I thought there was no way I would make it out of the donor center alive, and if I did, then I would look like I have aged 50 years all shriveled up. But as quickly as wasabi can clear up those stuffed sinuses, I became "sober" again. The blood trickled out and all was fine. I made it to the canteen without passing out. If I did fall flat on my face, it would be a blood donation first for me. Now I can wear that purple badge of honor around my arm. I have to take it off in the shower in the morning because it helps with the most painful part of the whole experience... the pulling of the arm hairs and they don't use the band-aid types but the ace bandage type! Afterwards, I treated myself to a sushi dinner... expensive, but delicious! Afterwards, finally located and bought the book, "The Year of Yes".

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Laws of Nature

Laws of Nature #652: If thy wear new shoes, thy shall step on a wad of stray gum.


It is funny... on Monday I met with an administrator who called me to a meeting about people throwing away their gum outside which causes people step in it which leads to tracking the gum inside, naturally sticking to the hardwood floors. I should have knocked on wood when I had a chance! When I was walking around my office, I felt an abnormal lump on the bottom of my spankin' brand new, fresh out-of-the-box first day worn shoes. Of Course it had to be some blue gum stuck like a fly on flypaper! Does anyone have a CSI DNA testing kit? I want to track down that gum spitter. Gosh, I hate it when things get jinxed! Oh well, that's life!

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Time to go to Vegas!

Today was a good day. Woke up and worked out for the third straight day. First two focused on cardiovascular, today had a short back and very brief bicep workout. At work, had a productive and happening day at the office. Although I was disgusted by the fact some idiot made doughnuts all over public fields with their vehicle. What were they thinking (oh I am sorry, they can't... the wizard forgot to give them a brain!)
After work, I bought myself two new pairs of shoes... long overdue. One new pair of sneakers and one pair of brown casual shoes. I needed the new sneakers because I have been feeling the impact on my feet as I have worn them out.
After my shoe shopping spree, I went to play games tonight with my neighbor friends. I was really looking forward to that... they are an interesting and well-traveled group. I guess two of them have to be if they are flight attendents! First we played Scrabble and then we played Spades. I tell ya, I am on a hot streak right now. Somehow, I won the game of Scrabble facing four intellegent people... then while playing spades my teammate and I came from behind after shaking off the rust and won by only a few points. I am going to check out plane schedule because I am going to Vegas... ok, maybe I will just watch the Vegas tv show.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Casey at the Bowling Alley

It was the story of the Mighty Casey at Bat in Mudville tonight,
The tale of the two teams, the tale of true plight.
The story of past versus present,
A chronicle not all pleasant.
Game one and game two,
We won that I knew.
The fight for game three,
Became as intense as thee.
My team of the past,
Pulled ahead too fast.
It was the bottom of the tenth frame,
Only six pins ahead in the game.
I rolled with all my might,
Then rewarded with a big strike.
The foes caught sight of my strike then sneered,
Then bowled a matching strike then cheered.
The mighty Gooberman grabbed his great blue ball,
With dreaming and hoping of a ten-pin fall.
The pins exploded,
But hopes were eroded.
Alone stood pin number nine,
That put us behind.
The foe bowled a strike,
And I took my hike.
A mere two pins,
Kept us from four wins.

We finished with three wins and one loss. My scores for the night, 184, 193, 227… 604 series. Average going into tonight: 193. Average after tonight: 194

My Quote of the Day

Today was a good productive day. I have been writing some literature to give out to people to help educate them about some directives and policies. There was a lot of thought provoking discussion between my secretary an I about some of the points I put on the literature. I showed it to my boss for suggestions and she very much liked the direction I was going with it and wanted me to give it to her so she can take it to her supervisor. That felt good.
Later on a co-worker came by to ask for a ream of paper from out stock and my secretary told her yes before I could say anything. I have absolutely no problem with this, but I like to give her a hard time... just because I can, so I told her:
"Thanks, now I feel as important as a statue is to a pigeon."
I thought that was appropriate and catchy. That is sometimes the nature of my job, no matter how good one may be at it... you are bound to get crapped on every now and then.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Ghost of Birthday Past

My "milestone" 30th birthday has come and gone. Typically I really don't like birthdays... they tend to be highly over-rated and end up just like any other day but with higher "expectations". I don't typically like birthdays because of the "getting older than dirt" factor, but the social stigmas attached to it. In other words, the importance the greeting card companies and the families/ friends place it. In a way, it is no different than Grandma asking "When are you going to get married?" or "When are you going to get that minivan to hurl around the 54345 children you have?" In the birthday case, people always ask, "What did you do the day the 20's was no longer?" Why don't you just ask "What did you do the day your hair turned gray, your back gave out, your memory turned to mush and the nursing homes are banging down your door with their walkers and battle-ram motorized scooter trying to recruit you?"
But what is age anyways? Why it is so important one becomes 21 before you can legally drink (not that it stops many people underage). Does a Maturity Fairy sprinkle some pixie dust on the person overnight and all the sudden they are responsible enough to drink? If that is the case, then the Maturity Fairy must be over 21 herself.... the Fairy must be drunk enough to allow people like me to sip a beer. Personally, I would prefer if they left a beer under my pillow the day I turned 21, but that was not the case... I think they left the open beer all over the middle of the room next to the stool I must have passed out on. Details are still a little be sketchy.
Anyways, yesterday for my birthday I celebrated at the office, at Happy Hour, then that continued at my friends apartment. It was a good time. I was actually surprised I enjoyed myself more than expected.
My boss, her secretary and my secretary bought lunch, gifts and dessert galore (Cake, cookies, brownies and breakfast muffins). It was a good feast. The bathroom scales can prove it! We definitely had leftovers after that, hey, I even had one of those muffins for breakfast this morning. The bathroom scales was missing in action the second I was looking for it. Suspicious! I got a few more candles to add to my collection. Is it possible to have enough candles? I don't think so. I also got a Punch Balloon. Similar to the one shown here... it was a bright orange one (if it had the smurfs on it, then I would have been estatic and might have burst like a balloon!)
Oooo, that is very bad news... I cannot wait till Monday when my coordinator comes to work, because there will be a war! Hey, what can I say? You gotta have fun. I am beginning to suspect that Maturity Fairy didn't visit me 9 years ago.
Anyways, after work, I took a nap (I woke up at 3am for no reason at all... couldn't sleep)... then went to Happy Hour with six others. It was a fun time. Again, there was a lot of food... not a dinner but different appetizers. My bathroom scales left me a letter saying that it has resigned and is looking for employment at the Ms America pageant now.
After happy hour, spent the rest of the evening, and several hours of the wee morning talking some more with them at their apartments downstairs, drinking rum and coke. They can be hilarious at times. So I went to bed at 2:30am only to wake up at 7:00am to go around to a few of my work-sites to open up and check my staff. So, I am a little bit tired right now. Probably should get some sleep now... maybe I will be lucky and the Maturity Fairy will leave a beer under my pillow this time!

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Pitiful

Bowling scores tonight... 160, 194, 169.... look out below, my average is crashing hard! Well, the highlight of tonight, in the second game, it was down to the last frame. I was the last bowler and we were down by 20. I got up and hit the home run... three strikes in a row to win the game by 10 pins. My team won 2 and lost 2... we really should have won the third game, but as a team, we were just pitiful that game. The first two we helped each other out and did some damage. Going into tonight, we were tied for 3rd with only two loses. Now we shall see where we land.
DOH! There was a huge rolling of thunder just now. It shook my apartment like a stampede of elephants. Guess that is a good sign for me to get off the computer.

Eventful day

Monday was quite a busy day. Why is it that when one thing happens, everything happens? Not that it was a bad day at all. Here is a brief rundown:
  • The past weekend was a big weekend for public property damage. Especially not-so-considerate individuals joy-ride around on nice, soft mushy grounds in wiley circles, Mother Nature toppling trees onto fences and people scruffing up surfaces. Well, it kept me busy at work.

  • A fellow blogger contacted me about wanting to meet up sometime soon. Told her I would be delighted. I admit I am nervous (in a good way) but excited. I am looking forward to it.

  • Went to my neighbor's to play some games... played jenga and trivia pursuit (the original... you know the one with Soviet Union for the all answers and some current events from the early 1980's.) Anyways, my neighbor down below and I ended up winning it all after a long battle, we should have been awarded the Purple Heart (1: which has which figure on it? see answers below) and a prize of getaway to 2: the state with the lowest highest elevation of 65 feet... wasn't always pretty, but it was a fun. We are probably going to try to get together regularly to play different games... we used to get together each week to play spades, but now 3) we evolved from this sub-human primate, which is drastically different from 4) the slug, which has its reproductive organs located where?



      1) George Washington
      2) Delaware
      3) Chimpanzee
      4) The head

      Okay, those were some of the easier questions... I just remembered those compared with some of the more difficult ones.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

New World Record!

This morning I took down my Christmas Decorations! This is a new world record for me... normally I will not "get around to it" until June or July. Not only that, did a little tidying up around my apartment. So because of those things, my Sunday has been quite productive... and it is only 10am! My goal today is to go to the gym and have a good leg work-out (at least good in terms of using the cheap equipment that my apartment complex has), go out someplace to watch the football games (and get myself out to potentially meet someone), and possible call the girl.

On Friday I went to see King Kong. I have been wanting to see it for a long time. It was a good movie, but had so much potential to be a monster hit (sorry, again with the puns!) There are two things that stuck out; Jack Black and overdoing the action sequences just because they have the technology. Don't get me wrong, I really like Jack Black, but they needed a more "serious" person to play that role... There were a couple times I was watching it and Jack made his typical funny faces at the camera. This reminded me of a class clown trying to get attention when he has already commanded that attention. He has the potential to pull off a blockbuster hit but he did not rise to his full potential in this movie he was about 75% there. But that was not what really stood out to me... I might have been able to love the movie with Jack in it, if it weren't for the real flaw in the movie; the mentality, "more is better... more fighting, chasing and action makes the movies in Hollywood."
This flaw, in my opinion, made the non-essential scenes drag on. It reminded me of any product you see in the store that has some many bells and whistles on it that it just does not help the product, in fact it may hurt the product because it takes away from what it is supposed to be. The showing of the natives on Skull Island is important to the story, but to spend that much time, it can be overkill. Same is true for the Kong versus the dinosaurs... because the technology is there, they made it super long and they thought a longer and more intense battle would help portray the great lengths Kong would go for his "beautiful" lady. I thought it was an amazing sequence and I love to see all the action, but it too modern day Hollywood and became a bit too much. You see that in a lot of the movies now-a-days which causes the flops. I think that is what happened with the 3 newest Star wars. There were all these action sequences that were just there because they have the technology to do it and they think that most action equals more audience.
Okay, back to King Kong... I thought that movie had so much potential in it because it did capture the emotions between the ape and woman... they did an amazing job of capturing the body language and the facial features of a computer generated beast. I know that people felt that connection, their love and people even felt sorry for Kong when he was in the modern jungle of New York. That is the story of King Kong, not the overdone "Running of the Brontosaurus" or the fight dangling in the tree roots or the tribute to "Starship Troopers" bug squashing massacre.
That is my review.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Technical assistance please! (updated)

Help! I created a header for my blog, but I am not sure how to put in the template. Can anyone help this poor little soul? Also, what do you think... look half-way decent?

The savior has been found... now I must worship: d.challener roe for his technical genius. All hail,Roe, for solving my temporary woe!

The potential is there

It was a good day. After a long, productive day at work, I went to my neighbor's to play cards... one didn't show so we just hung out and talked about those taboo topics you would get the fuzzy eye-ball look if you talk to your parents about... you know, sex, religion, sex, bloody horror movies, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, shaving dogs... you know stuff normal stuff like that. Anyways, my neighbor down below has a friend who went to Kings Dominion with a group of us... she was a very attractive, intelligent (meaning a reading level above the 3rd grade/ actually she is studying for her CPA exam), funny Russian girl who I got along with like peas and carrots (okay, I was having a Forrest Gump flashback, SUE ME!) Anyways, this girl and I shared a lot of strong chemistry even though I was doing my best to her that each of the roller coasters we rode happens to be defective. For example, it is a little known fact that there are a lot of bats inside the Valcano... so there have been some unfortunate times where people on the rides would collide with some poor bats as they take off, so she should be warned. I thought I did a good job of convincing her, too, I even kept a very straight face! Okay, I can be evil at times, SUE ME! Moving right along here... my neighbor gave me her number after it appears she is not interested in him. I don't know why... I mean he is a very decent, intelligent and humorous guy. Well, I have her number now... the ball is in my court. So I guess I need to gather the rest of my balls to give her a call and ask her out. So it is a good day.


Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail, blog, internet billboard and any accompanying documents, whether printed on toilet paper or wrapping paper, are to be considered confidential and privileged (don't you feel special?). The information (or mindless drivel) is intended only for use of the recipient(s) named above (umm... I mean for your ears; or fingers if printed in Braille or puffy letters). Please immediately notify the sender (AKA gooberman) if you have received this blog posting in error. You are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this webpage transmission is strictly prohibited. Aww, what the hell, copy it, distribute it all you want, just don't literally SUE ME as I instructed you to do so. Talk to my lawyers at 1-800-BITE-ME if you do decide a lawsuit is the best course of action.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

In good company

Okay, maybe I am naive... maybe I am just a gullible, but I like to "buy" into the take-home messages of the movies I watch. For example, I just watched "In Good Company" starring Topher Grace (Carter), Scarlett Johansson and Dennis Quaid... I could relate to the young new boss, Carter. Myself, I am a supervisor to people who are twice my age and those who have traditionally occupied my position are typically more aged than I am. Even my very first full-time job I managed over 100 people (some still in high school, some retired physicians, some right smack in between)... not bad for someone fresh out of college. The take-home message in the movie was to do something that you love and not to grow up too fast. I think I may have grown up too fast. The job needed someone who is professional and mature while doing business as a manager/ supervisor with a lot of responsibility, so that is what I did. Just as in the movie, the responsibility and challenges that associated with the position often come at the expense of the relationship/ social life. He was all work, so his social life faltered. He tried to get to know his employees to hang out with them, but his employees wanted to distant themselves from their "boss" or perhaps he was trying too hard. That is what is on my mind at this moment. That is what I am going to bed thinking about. That is what will be on the back of my mind when I go to the executive board meeting tomorrow with some community leaders.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Brain Freeze

Bowling tonight was a team effort... we won 3 out of 4. Since last week was the start of the second half of the season, the wins and losses start over at 0 and 0. So after this week we are now 6 wins and 2 losses... not bad. We are moving on up. Tonight was another see-saw night... bowled 205, 147, 185. Average going into tonight was a falling 195.
-----
-I was shocked to see MSNBC/ Newsweek post my comments about the book they featured the other day. I guess I need to read the book now... after I finish the book I am currently engrossed in. I was even pondering the possibility of..potentially... thinking about the considering of the idea asking if any of the female readers of my blog may be interested in going out to grab a bite or something. It would be a big risk, but hey, it worked for the author of that book, why wouldn't it work for me? Carpe Diem!

The Cat Who Thinks He is a Dog: Part II
-After going home to my parents over the weekend, I unraveled some additional proof my cat is truly a dog.
A:) He was playing with the two dog's slobber-covered green frog toy. The toy was designed (and thoroughly tested) for dogs. The two dogs even played fetch with it not even 15 mins prior to my cat chewing on it and rolling around with it. I know what you are thinking, I must have put catnip on it... WRONG!

B:) My cat responds to commands. Okay, there are a lot of cats that will come if you call their names... but do they actually sit when you say "Sit?" My panther does! I was not too convinced when I first noticed his superior brain-power, so I had to test it out. After all, I know his pose of choice is the sitting position. So the experiment began... Experiment #1: Would he sit upon command while enticed by one of his favorite treats? After letting him stretch against my leg (and at the same time using my leg as a scratching post), he reached for a Savoury Salmon Flavour Whiskas Temptations. The command was spoken. The panther sat! He passed! Experiment #2, Would he sit upon command while on a moderately rocking recliner chair? This would require a great level of concentration and attention. With a treat in hand, the chair was rocking at about 30 rocks per minute... The panther was asked to jump on the arm of the chair, he agreed... the "Sit" was commanded. His claws dug into the chair's arms and he planted his butt on the chair. He passed with flying colors.

I love my brilliant cat!

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Intrigued

Today has been an intriguing day online. I followed one of those links in the Best of Blogs to Michele's Blog. She started this addictive chain-mail... DOH!... I mean blogger game. There are currently over 1400 comments on her blog due to this... here is the game:
How to play:

* Leave a comment here that says hello.
* Now, go visit the person who commented above you and say "Hello, Michele sent me."

Pretty simple, eh?
Okay, I am still a newbie in the blogger community, so this may have been around since the days of the cavemen, but it was an adventure for me. It reminded me of a blog version of "Random acts of kindness". The messages that were posted on different bloggers comment boxes were generally positive and out of kindness. Some made me feel good about myself...okay, it does not always take a lot to please this goober. But it did exposed myself to other people's blogs... those I probably would not have ventured to see otherwise... not because I am picky, but because there are so many out there.

During the game, it also made me think about an article I read about a book I should read. The Year of Yes as it was talked about in this article. According to the article, the author spent an entire year accepting dates from anyone who showed interest. She went out on 150 dates with people included a homeless man, several non-English speakers, 10 taxi drivers, two lesbians and a mime. It made me realize, even though I may be picky (and I have a fear of being rejected, let alone being shy) I need to "test the waters" to see what I really like. Okay, I have not yet read the book, so I don't know all the horror stories or the pyscho killers now potentially stalking her, but the idea is sound. In fact, my own mother made that suggestion to me a few years ago. I guess it cannot hurt to broaden my horizons.

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Changing times

Today I was in my office and I heard a fire truck coming down the road... it turned into a nursing home across the street. As I saw the firetruck pull into the parking lot, there was a white pickup truck that just stopped in front of the building... the driver put his truck in park just the firetruck was in his rear view mirror. He took his foot off the break as the bright yellow fire lane curb reflected off the side of his truck and the bumper of the stopped fire truck behind him. He was parked along the bright-enough-to-be-seen-in-space yellow fire lane curb filled with no parking and stopping signs. The driver looked back at the truck, which still had its blaring sirens and blinding lights on... what did the driver do? Did he pull out of the way so the fire truck can do its honorable duty? Did the driver pull into the nearest parking space not 20 feet away to make room for the truck? Did the driver say, "Eureka, there is an emergency truck behind me that needs to be exactly where I am parked right now to save someone's poor old grandma?" NO... he got out of his truck non-chalantly as if the truck didn't exist. I am open-minded and I know there could have been a number of reasons why he didn't acknowledge that mammoth, shiny, strobe-light blinking, piercing sirens playing the mambo on the ear-drum emergency vehicle. But come-on, show some respect! The guy waltzed around the back of his truck as the enormous, monstrous lunchbox of metal was stopped not even 15 feet away trying to get this gentleman's attention. A fireman within that NOISY, BLINKY hunk of metal told that guy to move the truck. Which he finally did. I am sorry, but what the heck was that guy thinking?
That is not the first time I have seen people recklessly disregarding emergency situations for selfish reasons. I encountered another discombobulating incident a few years ago, when I was supervising a weight room. As I stroll back to 1999, when the fire alarm goes off, the lights went off as well (except for the emergency lights, which is only one light in a large room cramped room with no windows). My job was to get people out of the building quickly as possible without anyone getting hurt then get myself out of the building for my own safety. So what happens? Some not-so-bright guys insisted to finish their workout! I mean come on, I know you want to feel the burn, but that is not the kind of burn you want to feel! After studying kinesiological sciences I know that one workout is not going to make or break a physique. I know that missing a set will not magically turn you into a competitor of the World's Strongest Man Competition. In fact, I am willing to bet the odds are in their favor if they get the heck out of the building. They continued to do another set of benching and squatting in the dark hoping that they had the right amount of weight one each side of the bar and hoping they could see whether or not they are going to smack each other with the 225 lbs worth of weight on their shoulders.... can anyone explain this to me? Okay, I will give them credit for not smelling smoke so it was most likely (and it was) a false alarm, but what if there was some other reason for the alarm to go off?
Can anyone explain this to me??

Friday, January 13, 2006

The Panther


Because he is still a juvenile, his true name cannot be revealed.

Why my cat is a dog in disguise

I adore my cat... he is unique, he is a neat and he thinks he is a dog. Maybe it is because I have wanted my own dog and deep down inside he wanted to please me. Or maybe he is just a transex...I mean transanimal. But that is our little secret.... I don't want him to appear on Jerry Springer. Jerry can easily has fun with him, especially if he has been neutered, so he is actually not a "he" nor is he a "she". Anyways, I am going to keep him a secret... I have been trying to raise him as a pacifist so I don't want any potential for a fight between him and that pregnant teenage prostitute who is love with their girlfriend's boyfriend's third cousin's gay cross-dressing three-legged Egyptian Minx. That is what I would call a catfight. Okay, that is beside the point. Here are several reasons I believe he is a dog in a cat's disguise:
· He plays fetch. No I am not talking about me throwing it and he watches me like the moron I am to retrieve it... I mean, he actually plays fetch. I throw a toy, he chases it and comes back and drops it waiting for me to throw it again! It is not fluke, he will do it till the cows come home!
· He plays hide and seek. Okay, that might actually be more above and beyond a dog's brain-power, so maybe he is actually a very hairy baby... or perhaps a very miniature bigfoot in disguise. But he will play that game with me. I would hide as he sits there and counts to...umm... never figured how high he counts... but after I am in my hiding spot, he would look for me. He would meow this weirdest noise as he tries to lure me out of my spot... but noooo, I am too smart for that. I want to play hide and seek, not Marco Polo!
· He likes to dig. You know how a dog wants to bury his bone... well, my cat wants to bury his food too, when he is done... not only that, he wants to bury his crap, his reflection in the mirror. I never could figure out why he tries to bury the mirror... he would jump up on top of the bathroom sink, get on his back paws to stretch up to the mirror and scratch at it. Perhaps, he is just curious to why I look in the mirror all the time. Before you even think about thinking about why I do it myself, I shave! Gosh, some people have the trashiest imagination. Anyways, I would get out of the shower and he would wait for me at the sink... as I put on the shaving cream (on me, not him!) he would be fascinated with the mirror and scratch at it. Weird!
· He is a peeping tom. Just like dogs, where they will stick their noses in the most awkward of places, he does that too. Just like he did for the 43525435432 time this morning, he was spying on me in the shower! I am okay with that... as a good "parent" should be, I will support him for whatever he prefers. But I will say, that hot female cat in the apartment below me will be disappointed. So he is a curious cat peeping on my pee-pee in the shower.
· He waits for me by the door when I leave and when I come home. Umm... I feel so special to have someone to greet me at the door. He has the intuition to know when I am getting ready to leave; he would go by the door and sit there... I know what you are thinking, he is indeed pulling that guilt trip on me... looking at me with his sad green eyes and make me late for work each day! He must know my footsteps because he always knows it is me when I open the door...otherwise he is under the bed enjoying his dog days of the summ...winter.
· He likes road trips. Okay, I think he is getting tired of the road trips now, but I always take him to my parent's house when I go do my laundry... oops... I mean when I go home to see them. He would sit on my lap and look out the window; sometimes he would jump to the back seat and ask in this ever so soft annoying voice..."Meuuuuuew? Meeuuuuew?" For those of you who have not studied the language... that translate to: "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
· He scares the hell outta big dogs and partners up with medium sized dogs. Ok, my parents have two dogs, both the same breed but two different sizes… the medium sized dog is the eldest and gets along well with my cat… hey, she even gives my cat a kiss when he walks in…. the larger dog is terrified of my cat. I mean she cowards behind my dad and searches on MapQuest for the longest route to avoid my cat. I gotta tell you, I am awfully proud of my cat *wipes the tear out of my eye* for dispelling the myth: Go pick on someone your own size… he refuses to and picks on someone twice his size.
As you can see, from the cold hard facts presented to you today, he is a dream come true to this dog-lover trapped in an apartment with too unpredictable a schedule to have a dog. I tell ya, I am awfully proud of my lil panther!

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Productivity

Alright, I was determined, no matter what side of the bed I woke up, to be productive today. For the most part it was... as productive as trimming my fingernails with play-dough scissors... okay, it was more productive than that... I did to talk to some people and gave them some answered they didn't want to hear... but deal with it not everyone can get their way.
I got some terrible news that one of the best people I work with is stepping down from a major program. She has been very responsive and a pleasure to work with... plus she always called me "sweetie" when I talked with her. She was the program's liasion to my office... she has social skills and understands to relate with people, unlike some others. Since the program is one of the major ones, also a program with a history of more turmoil than Baltimore City Police's "Flex Squad", I am worried about having to deal with someone new. The fact that she stepped down because a "mutiny", does little to quell my fear. It is not my choice nor do I have a say in who the replacement will be. The program is filled with overly-passionately people in it who do not look at the whole picture... they tend to focus on the immediate surroundings not the whole picture. Being over-passionate is not always a bad thing, but when it gets out of hand, rules are broken and the point to be a good role model for the kids and people in the community is forgotten, then I have a huge problem with it. Think Mike Tyson determined to have a piece of candy and the only candy around is in a baby's hand. The parent would be more worried about finding a good plastic surgeon to repair the the bite marks on the baby than anything else. Ok, not the best analogy.
The council meeting tonight was long... but productive. Some people would not see it as a good meeting, but I did. I tend to look at the bigger picture, that picture is the issues and the concerns that have been arising lately are forcing the council to rethink their ways... becoming more active and more responsible for what they set out to do. The issues help educate them to become better at what they do. Hopefully, more would see what is happening and get more involved. New fresh blood would be a positive thing in this council. So all in all, it was a productive day.

Gotta have fun

Today's theme was "gotta have fun". At work, my Office Assistant's (OA) daughter dropped by. When that happens, you can kiss productivity goodbye. My OA alone and I can have the oddest and most off the wall conversations, but when the DOA (Daughter of OA) you can expect nothing serious to come out of it. The two of them together is enough to make Andrew Dice Clay jealous. It was a lot of laughs, especially at the expense of each other.
Since it is (*looking at the clock*)...eh...was... Tuesday, it was also bowling night for me. I was simply pathetic up there. Even my best game was below my 197 average. It was probably the worst night of bowling since "Punky Brewster" was considered my hero. I ended up bowling a 195, 162, 147... for a total of 504. Despite the choking and the despicable scores, my team won three out of four... and most important, we had fun. I was in a wacky mood and talkative, I was able to enjoy the sport I have grown to make part of my life once a week for the past decade (on and off). I didn't take the ball's fear of knocking the pins down seriously. I even resisted the incredible urge to get the bumpers put up in the gutters to see how many times I can get the ball to bounce from one gutter to the next to even beat the scores I bowled tonight. It was fun tonight to kid around with my teammates and opponents for the goobers we are... even my teammate, Mr Whine-whine-whine-with-crackers-and-cheese was a bit more pleasant because of that little three letter "F" word. You gotta have fun. I just wish I could have that fun-loving feeling more often. I sometimes just cannot help myself from taking my life so seriously. Gotta go to bed, I have a council meeting tomorrow night... never the most fun-thing for me.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

*No clever title here* but comments welcome.

As I read other blogs posted today... I ponder the direction I want to take with my relatively new addiction. Today there has been a lot of "controversy" about Lurking and de-lurking... whatever that revolution may be. As far as I am concerned, the only Lurk or Lurge (or however it is said) I want to be concerned with is the one from the Adam's Family. You know that big ol' quiet guy who looks up the the superior linguist skills of the apes in a zoo.
Yes, I admit I very much welcome comments from the peanut gallery and I will share my peanut shells with others. Yes, I like attention as much as the next person. Yes, it would be nice to be able to make a friend or two or three or four or fifty by means of blogging (especially since my social life is DOA. Yes, I would love to be able to be able to keep a pair of gloves for longer than a month without losing one. Yes, I would like to own a pair of sunglasses longer than it takes for 99% of NewYears Revolutionist to jump off the bandwagon. But the point is, it is what it is. Sometimes I feel like a nut, sometimes I don't. *Gawd, what is it lately with my nuts?* I want to write about my thoughts and feelings... the mood I am in mainly dictates the kind of blog I will write. I hope it will be entertaining enough to put a smile on someone else's face or even mine down the road if I re-read it. I would hope that I can put a positive spin to the content to help me feel more optimistic about my life. I would want it to be reflective of who I am and what I like and what is going on with me. I like to make a difference in someone else's lives (no matter how so insignificant that difference may be), something I don't feel I have been doing as much (and as often)lately. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside like a old moldy piece of fruit... ok, bad example. I tend to feel better about myself and more comfortable about myself when I feel like I have helped someone else or put a smile on another's face, as corny as it may sound. Something as simple as saying hi to a stranger walking down the street.... but that is as far as I go, the wizard has not given me courage to go beyond that yellow brick road. Blogs have been an avenue for me to convey my thoughts when I have not been able to do in person, behind the mask of gooberman. I put my blog on "Blogtimore, Hon" so I can get someone to read it, that is what it is designed to do, get your blog exposed to a larger population. That is my two cents.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Moving right along now...

Today was just another day... not a productive at work... uneventful, except finding out that there is an event this weekend that is bigger than I anticipated. The program is asking for more than what is available. Since it is only monday and I have a full head of hair to pull out, I think I will be fine. I will be shopping for a temporary toupee or looking for rogaine after the week is up. Anyways, I am tired and uninspired... going to go read the book I have been reading since before Thanksgiving. It is a really good book, but I just have not been devoting a lot of time to reading lately.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

The blues

Before reading this, arm yourself with some cheese... there is going to be a lot of whining.
Today was the day for singing the blues... I am not talking about the La-la-lala-la-la Smurfs tune. I am talking the sad, woke up on the wrong side of the bed blues. I simply wasn't feeling to happy today.. I was lonely and bored. Took naps on the couch with my cat on my chest (he tends to do that every now and then, so I enjoy it when I can). It is like a heating pad and vibrator rolled in in. Okay, that sounded very bad; But when he purrs it can be very soothing and comforting. I wish I had a girlfriend to take that soothing comforting role. It dawn upon me that even though I have a lot to offer someone else, I am not always a conversationalist would want out of a guy. I just don't understand. Maybe I am just thinking too much... if I could stop thinking too much and worry that the wrong thing will be coming out of my mouth, everything would alright. It is kinda like the three stooges... all three try to get through the door at the same time and their attempt to cross the treshold ends up miserably. On the right day with the right people, I can be outgoing guy who the spotlight can shine on. But other times it is like I am a bump on the log.. no, a bump a bump on the log would only hope to be to be considered a worthy bump.
It also occured to me that I live in a small town where almost everyone knows everyone else... everyone went to the same high school... but not me. It is not the town I grew up in. Even though people are relatively friendly, I feel like I am intruding on the town, especially since I am in a job with a lot of involvement with the community. I was asked to attend a meeting on Thursday... if things work out, then I might be in a bigger role dealing with the town's youth. Not a bad thing, especially since I prefer to be on the "front-lines" as opposed to behind the desk... how is that for an un0understandable mind? I like the front-lines, and do well (especially if I am guiding the way) but I am not a conversationalist.
When I was working for the gym... I loved to give the fitness orientations. I was on the front lines talking to people. People wanted me to personal train them because I worked well with them and I take a different approach, a more humorous yet realistic approach, but even though I am a certified personal trainer, it does not appeal to me. I don't want to have to wonder when my next client would be... I don't want to have to rely on commission, I want a steady paycheck, which I have. Besides, I prefer to give people tips for free. But that is beside the point for today.
I went to Hops today... I wanted to get out of the apt and I had a craving for seafood. It was a good meal and beer as I watched the bengals-steelers football game. I was hoping the bengals would continue their remarkable season. Oh well, the Redskins are still in... I have faith in Joe Gibbs. When I was at Hops, I don't small talk with the people next to me or the bartender... but I am cordial and say hello and smile to people, but that is as far as it goes. Not exactly intentional... I would love to get to know more people. Even if I did meet someone, would I even have the nerve to get their number? I just wish things were more simpler.
Well, I am a hopeless romantic, so what do I do? I pop in my favorite DVD, Love Actually. Each of the mini-stories within the movie are great. Makes me laugh each time I see it. Gotta watch the movie now.

Saturday, January 07, 2006

The Snooze Button

Lately I have been having a difficult time waking up. My alarm clock does a very nice job of getting me out of a coma, but since I know I have some cushion time. I normally wake up about 7-7:30sih range... I don't have to jump into the shower to get ready for work until 9ish. My goal is to go to the gym to get a brief workout. But I am a dreamer so the only workout in the morning is the reach for the alarm clock to hit the snooze button.

I cannot imagine life without the snooze button... I think it should be up there on the list for the world's greatest inventions. Ok, maybe not that extreme, in fact it should be on the opposite end of the spectrum as one of the greatest inventions leading to procastination! I admit, I did go to the gym in the morning once or twice this week, but the evening times have been more more my appealing to me.

Those multiple 8-mins of snoozing in a comfortable, warm, cozy bed doesn't seem to help... once I get up, what is the first thing I normally do? Go to the couch to check my email and the news. One thing leads to the next and before you know it, I don't have enough time to have a decent workout. Am I a procastinator at home? You betcha! (not that I am proud of it)

Friday, January 06, 2006

Me, a movie star? umm...

Alrighty then it is Friday night and I just got back from a Volunteer Appreciation party. Glad to be back at my cozy apartment. Not a big fan of those type of functions... a lot of small talk with people you really done know and I was the youngest there... it is a small town and most know everyone else and I am just the new kid on the block. (I know what you are thinking... but NO! I will not sing Step-by-Step... Ooo-baby... or any of those other teeny bobbers songs!)

Cool, I just got this email from a small movie studio... they saw my picture on the web and wanted to tell me about feature film being produced in Delaware. That would be fun and different to do. The website says:
##### will be shot in the spring of 2006 in Lewis, Delaware and lower Delaware. These are non-paying roles, but do offer you the chance to be in a full length motion picture. We will consider all regardless of past experience. As with any film the hours are extremely long and thankless. Serious and dedicated only please!!!

That sounds good... I will be able to take off a few days to do this. I read on...
Actors will need to be able to learn large segments of dialogue. Actors will be required to do nudity as it is part of the story.

Hmm... That would be interesting... Gooberman's dimpled tight-butt on the silver screen. Well, they got one thing right; it would be a horror movie if they got my butt on screen! Okay, I have not got any complaints about my butt. But (no pun intended...okay okay, pun very much intended), it would be fun to be in a movie.

I actually do have professional headshots and photos. I took some “classes” on how to be a commercial print model and tv/movie actor. Long story. The headshots were never given out and I was left with a big hole in my wallet.

I was in a movie before. That’s right! Gooberman was actually in the movie: Major League II. MLII was partially filmed at Camden Yards and I was there. So if you look very closely in the crowds at the end of the movie. Look into the stands. I am one of those dots..umm... errr... I mean... faces in the crowd. If you find me, let me know.

Another 15 seconds of fame, I was on stage with D.L. Hughley at the Miami Improv... months before he started his tv show "the hughleys". He called me up on stage thinking I was a stud. I got up there and had not clue what he was sayings. So I started to talk in Sign Language. I figured that would catch him off guard and shake things up a bit. He then questioned what a White guy like me was doing trying to listen to a black guy like him. He went on and on about that. I must say, that was humiliating for me to be up there… but I would not trade that moment for anything. After the show he came up to me and gave me a big manly hug. He was a nice guy.

Fine, you win… I was on another comedy stage before… at Comedy Sports in Northern Virginia; the comedians there invited me up on stage there too. It was fun it got some laughs, end of story. It is past my bedtime…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Thinking outside the box...

Today was busy, my Secretary was still feeling a lil under the weather. So the phones naturally were naturally ringing off the hook. It was productive through... approved a lot of requests that needed to be done for the registrations.

My coordinator and I had a very thoughtful and meaningful discussion. We searched the depths of our souls to think outside the box to come up with possible solutions. Just like in Patch Adams (a great movie with Robin Williams) we had to focus on the solution not the problem. Because after all, 1+1=3... the product is greater than the sum of all its parts. The solution we were looking for... what color to paint the room we will convert to a meeting room. At first I was thinking bright orange... but he would get lost in the room since he (and I sometimes) wears that color. He came up with plaid... but I figured it would be hard to paint... and the crew who will paint it will most likely be a bit sloppy (think about the filling in a 1 inch circle with a 12 inch paint brush sloppy). What about the flicking the paint off a brush to make it artistic. Nah. What about using a scratch and sniff paint...naa, too many people will be fixated on the room and sniffing the paint (that would ultimately look bad for us).
What about that edible body paint? I loved that idea... my staff would never need to go to the MickeyD's for a break, they just go to the offices and eat a piece of the wall. Then the most brilliant idea came out of my coordinator's mouth... sheer intellegence.... velcro the wall and get body suits that will stick you to the wall. Why is this absolute genius? Because it is a small room that may be able to fit 20... using the walls, we would be able to maxmize the space using the walls and have maybe allow 50 people in the meeting. With the use of the walls, the ceiling is now an option... how about we can put astonaut ice cream on the ceiling for refreshments, we already would have beverages using the sprinkler system's water. Now, that is thinking outside the box.
Then reality kicked in... the walls to the room had to be padded... and a coat rack is needed for our straight jackets.
... we never did decide on a color of the room. But as I told him... you gotta have fun when you are working.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Good Grief!

My secretary was sick today... so according to the laws of nature. To be exact, it is: Article III Section B Subsection 3: "When thee who answers the telephones is out, thee invention of Graham Bell MUST be constantly ringing off the hook and relentless business must ensue."

So the laws of nature held true, it was a busy day in the office and the phone became a permanent fixture on my ear. Oh I sure do hope my Office Assistant gets well soon. Not only so she can handle the phones, but to keep the fun times rolling.

The past few days I have become fixated on a new toy I got for Christmas... it didn't occur to me the power of its entertainment until a couple days ago. I am not talking about that voice-controlled robot dog that will squeeze fresh orange juice at the same time it dusts the vents on the ceiling nor am I talking about the Mr. T Chia-pet. I am talking about the candle warmer. I mean, Whoa! I have all these deformed candles without wicks. I pop it on the candle warmer and boom, the wax is melted and the apartment smells good. But, that is not all, when you have more than one candle that needs to be warmed, you have instant-layered candles! I think I have the most unique candle ever "warming" on the hot plate... I think it is a mix of Ocean Breeze together with Vanilla cookies. What can be more relaxing than that? Basking in the sun with the ocean breeze as the smell of fresh baked cookies is in the air! Life does not get better than that...until you wake up to the sound of the phone ringing off the hook!

Well, my new jacket came today.... I love it!

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Quick, Call 911!

I needs someone to call, because I CHOKED at bowling tonight! Okay, the first game went well... the pins just did not feel like standing up. I ended up with a 230. The second game, the lanes became more dry. The ball just had a mind of its own and just sailed off into the sunset... which is not at all good because the sun was setting in CHINA! Ugh... the second game ended up with 190. The third game not too shabby... if you wanted to lose that game! Which we did. It all came down to the tenth frame and I am the last bowler, if I striked twice and knocked down some other pins, we would have won. Pressure is normally something I can handle in bowling and I normally excel in the tenth, but tonight was not that night. But my team won three out of the four, so that is a good thing. Another silly thing that happened, my zipper broke on my jacket. Still usable, but hard to grip. I have never heard of a zipper breaking where you grip it, they always tend to come apart at the teeth... golly gee whiz. I have had that ski jacket for ages... in fact I probably was born in that jacket. What can I say? Well, I have a new leather jacket on its way... I am excited about that.

The choking and broken zipper was just a part of the day. At work, when one thing doesn't go right, obviously other things HAVE to happen too. I think I read it in an encyclopedia somewhere... it is a scientific fact. Can anyone prove me otherwise? I thought not! You see, I noticed a mistake on a flyer that went out to 6000 people... a registration date wrong, so the date that was wrong will HAVE to be a very rainy day when people show up to sign up their child and NOBODY is there to take their registration (you know that is what is going to happen, it is the law of nature!)... but on the positive note, it said Tuesday and Wednesday (which is right) but the dates were wrong... AND calendar of events, it was listed correctly. Also, There was a email that I totally forgot about... it had dates for a different registration that needed to be on that newsletter... UGH. The programs insisted that I had those dates, but I could not recall getting it... after all it was buried in the email with some other items, that I do recall. Well that is easily correctable, but being the perfectionist I am, I know I am going to have to go boot shopping more often because I am losing them up my butt each time I kick myself.

Monday, January 02, 2006

Rainy day off

Today was not bad. I woke up made a very good smoothie... the first one I made in a long time, the best one I ever improvised. I need to eat breakfast more often. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day; yet I so often neglect to nourish myself... sometimes I would even skip lunch (or munch on the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies in the office cabinet... yum yum), then pick up a sandwich for dinner. Not the most healthy of habits lately.

Today was my bill paying day... how much fun it is to write checks to large businesses that take pride in making people poor. I feel so good about helping them... everything from outrageous rent to ridulous add-ons for the phone to the state require car insurance. I really should do my bills a week earlier or even before that, but I never do. I always cut it close to the deadlines.

I was planning on rewarding myself by seeing the 1:10 showing of King Kong... I got there only to be reminded, it is a holiday and it is raining outside... everyone in the world will be there. The line extended outside in the rain. I opt not to see the movie today then went to drop off my bills in a mailbox and rent check. Afterwards went home to watch tv and explore the internet. Exciting. But the fun doesn't end there... I went to the apartment complex's gym.

It was the first time back to the gym in about 2 weeks. Spent 12 mins on the elliptical and 30 mins on the treadmill. I felt winded on the elliptical; perhaps it is the extra weight I gained. I am now at 190 pounds... the most I have ever been. I am normally at 170-175. My major in college was in exercise sciences, so I know what needs to be done to get back down.

That is what is happening in my life.

Sunday, January 01, 2006

Just one of those days

Today was not one of my better days. I got up late, not in a very good mood. It all goes back to my un-understandable mind. I should be more upbeat, yet I feel so lonely and isolated. Pretty much all day I was unmotivated to do anything, feeling sorry for myself and wishing I were with some friends or a significant other. I felt like I would never find anyone else because I was destined to be single and alone. Gawd, I wish I were a female... I don't think I would have the same problems... even though this is 2006, this society still dictates guys have to make the first move, ask the girls out on dates. If it were the other way around, I am sure I would be having a lot healthier social life. I guess I will always be a hopeless romantic.

Throughout the day I wanted to go to Hops to grab a beer and something to eat as I watch the last week of regular season football. I don't always want to watch football, but today I was interested. I was going to go see the second half of the Ravens game, but never made it. Nor did the Ravens survive... the game got very ugly in the second half. They were laid to rest...maybe next season. The Redskins game came on next, more interesting game because it was a win or season is over game. The first half I watched, still in the shorts I wore overnight. Halftime came and went... finally I got my butt in gear and took a shower. I must admit, I love taking long showers. Because I don't pay for water at my apartment, I don't mind taking those long showers. I would just sit down as the water beats down on head and back. Just watching the water drop trickle off me and down the drain. I would wish I wouldn't have to get out... just stay there in the soothing shower. But all good things must come to an end.

I got dress and went to Hops to watch the last of the Redskins game. I was glad I went, got a good burger, beer and cheesecake. There was a funny older sitting across the bar from me... unfortunately I had no idea what they were saying but they reminded me of "The Jeffersons"... Where George would always be toying with his wife and mocking her behind her back.

Afterwards, I went to Giant to pickup a few groceries then went home to watch a movie; Hotel Rwanda... spectacular movie. It really shined light on an issue vastly ignored, as portrayed in the movie. I can relate to bits and pieces of it. Niger was not a genicide-affected country, but there was a lot of bribery and a lot of special treatment because we were white, let alone Americans. Niger is also very widely overlooked as a country. There is very little foreign interest in that country because there are no resources and reasons for people to invest... the temperature is extremely hot with high humidity, making it undesirable for living... there are no large animal sanctuaries for tourist to visit like in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa... the government is corrupt and bribery is rampant scaring off a lot of interest. The only commodity of great interest is the people with huge hearts. It is a shame such terrible plights such of famine is overlooked because of the lack of resources the country can contribute to another.

Happy New Year

Well, it is now 2005...umm I mean 2006... let's see how long it takes for me to kick the habit of writing "'05". I am thinking 2 maybe 3 weeks.

Celebrated the New Year at a friend of my sister's house... I also have got to know him a little over the years. Been to his large parties over the years, whether it was July 4th or New Years or just for the heck of it. He has an amazing townhouse in between Canton and Fells Point, which has a deck on the roof. A great view of the city and the fireworks over the Inner Harbor. I went with three of my neighbors... all three I have been playing card game with and even went to Kings Dominion. Two of them are old enough to be my parents which makes us an odd group of friends, but that is ok. Because of this I was worrying about how they felt at the party... they we definitely the oldest there, even though there were 30-40 people there. I was also not so talkative there... perhaps I was tired... perhaps I was just nervous about how my neighbors would feel there... perhaps I am just not a social person at large functions. There was a girl there who was the same age as I was... she seems nice enough, I think she was interested in me, but I had a hard time talking to her... but then again I had a hard time talking to everyone else, so I did pursue her.
I did not like who I was when I was there... I was shy, I was dry, and I was stiff. When that happens, it is not a good time for me, despite the neighborly friends as company. When I went to Kings Dominion with them, I had the time of my life. I felt comfortable, talkative, humorous.... it all just fit together all day. It was a great time.

So what was the difference between Kings Dominion and New Years? That is what I need to figure out... if I can get to feeling like I was at Kings Dominion, as confident as I was, then life would be good and my social life would be better. So my New Years Resolution... or for better terms, my goal is to be more social and get myself out more often to meet people. My goal is to go out on more dates, perhaps making me feel more comfortable socially. I have a good job that gives me financial independence and stability, established my work reputation as a successful hardworking individual. But there is nothing in the romantic department, one of the last pieces of the whole puzzle. Perhaps, that is the key to my happiness... just needs to find that significant other. Right now, as sad as it sounds, I am on my bed with my love... my precious cat. If it weren't for my cat, I don't know what I would do. I guess I just want to care for someone else, just as I care for my cat.

2006 has rung in, time to orchestrate my next symphony in life.