Joop

Still more states to go

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:28:08 GMT

visited 37 states (74%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

This is not a self referential ti... dangit.

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:33:41 GMT

I should post here more. Here is a post. Maybe this is the start of many posts.

It's cold. I have a bad headache. I recently bought Mike Caro's Most Profitable Hold'em Advice. The cats are draped around the apartment. I have too much stuff to get done that I'm not doing. So I'll go off and play more poker. Also, there ought to be a space version of Lord of the Rings written by now. Isn't there Gandalf? Gandalf?

Let there be cake!

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:35:04 GMT

Happy Birthday, marith !

Kara Thrace = Parcival (the affects of being woken by a thunderstorm)

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:34:37 GMT

This is probably spoilerish, if you haven't read every version of King Arthur and seen every version of Battlestar Galactica.

I assume someone somewhere has made this connection before, but I've never run across it. But it's so obvious, now that I know. Like having a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces don't fit, if you bang away at them with a hammer long enough, they do fit!    Granted most of my King Arthur recollection is from Excalibur and Wikepedia (that famous King Arthur book)

Kara Thrace is Parcival.     She leads them to the false grail. She redeems herself and leads them to the true grail. She doesn't start as a knight, but is knighted when no one else comes forward.

After this, I'm stretching things.

Adama/Roslin are Arthur.    Like it would be Billy or someone.   It's Adama earlier on and Roslin later on.   Gets ill as things get worse. Sends the knights off to find the Grail.   More hammer needed here.

Mordred.    Cavil    Turns on his father/creator.   Main bad guy. Can only be killed by his own gun/sword???? Also there was incest in there somewhere. Didn't he sleep with Ellen?

Lancelot.     Tigh/Ellen    Comes from across the ~~sea~~ galaxy.   Arthur's best knight. Sleeps with ~~Arthur's wife~~ everyone else. Also, you have Tigh's loyalties to Adama vs Ellen

Baltar    Um, which knight gave the enemy access to the armor codes?   Possibly Merlin, since I don't know who else would be Merlin. He does advise the king, gets betrayed by Morganna.

Guinevere   Um... Whichever of Adama/Roslin isn't being king and is sleeping with Lancelot? (oh please let it be Roslin/Ellen, er.. did I type that out loud?)

The grail is obviously Earth. There's even a false one.   There's also the fall of a great empire prior to the story.

I'm sure that there are other parallels, since what I've got so far is pretty thin.

I'm sure that there are other obvious parallels that can be seen after being woken prematurely by a thunderstorm. That's why I have literary friends. Of course, there's probably a reason no one came up with this parallel before, too.

Settling in

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:09:05 GMT

So, I'm moved. Pretty much everything has been put to where it will go. Some stuff will still need to be rearranged, but well, the place is about the cleanest it will be for the next year. The cats are settling in nicely. Moving them was a pain, as I ended having to make 3 tries to get them in the crate. They did not like that at all. But they're here now and realizing that this may be permanent. They're still scouting for the best sleeping spots. The shelves have been rearranged, so now the cats can go even higher.

There are a lot of little things that are improvements. And a few that are worse than before, but on the whole, a definte plus. The electric bill should be way down. I have a fireplace for the first time. The place is clean. :) Now hopefully I can change what needs to be changed, even if it will take a while. And so the ride continues.

Doctor Who Dreamversion

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:53:04 GMT

Last night's dream was a Dr Who Episode!

It was a Colin Baker episode. He has an unspecified female companion. Running around leads to a supermarket. The lady ahead of us in line has won something! She almost forgets a item as she leaves, as the checkout person starts on the next person in line immediately. Cue following the woman to the parking lot. Companion follows after lady and is not heard of again.   Enter two more companions, male and female.

Once just before the supermarket bit and again now, there's is an intermediate cutaway, with the companion at the TARDIS, talking in character with the producer of the show.   The second time includes the older and newer female companions. The topic is along the lines of 'Well, if you're a 'producer' why can't you make this happen. The second cutaway ends as the TARDIS lands, exit Doctor, two companions and me.

It's a futuristic city. Flying cars!   But seeming very mechanical (think Brazil).   (Cutaway of a trailer, showing everyone moving in programmed precision).   After watching the flying cars, I run to catch up with the Doctor, who is trying to cross the street at an intersection. There is danger in crossing against the light (beyond the traffic), but I can't tell him.   Fortunately, we all cross with the light.   I see a notice for Lectures on Conjuration, apparently a class/lecture/symposium. I catch up to the Doctor. We see a poster for it, with costs. The numbers are futuristicly stylized. The numbers are hard to read at first, but are just weirdly fomatted prices.   We also find out that we're in Ontario, so probably we're in Toronto. We discuss how to get money to go.   Then I wake up.

Anyway, today is packing day.   I move either tomorrow or Tuesday and close the day after, thereby more or less giving my condo away. But the fresh start then begins.

Oh well (part 2 (of several apparently))

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:39:24 GMT

Well, I wasn't really happy about the offer, but it was an offer. Was. The buyer backed out. Life starts to get really interesting now.

Oh well

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:50:23 GMT

So, I think I have a buyer for the condo. It's an investor type, who's willing to take the place as is. And buy relatively quickly. Of course, it'll be for a lot less than the place is worth. But I get money (which I don't have to fix the place up and wait for the market to buy it). Not nearly as much as I hoped for, but enough for a bit. Nothing actually working for a year wouldn't make up. Now to find a job. Maybe some of my qualifications are still useful. At least I know what mistakes not to make the next time I buy a house, because I made every possible one this time around.

Pull up the roots

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:34:51 GMT

So, I am going to sell my condo. Once it's sold, lots of bills get paid off and I start with a clean slate. It also means that I will have a bit of deciding as to where I'm going to go. Austin is nice and I don't mind staying here. Las Vegas is a possibility. Little Rock/Hot Springs is a distant possibility, I think. Back to Florida? Someplace exciting and new? Seattle? California? DC? Time for some thinking.

Garlands

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:30:44 GMT

Since I haven't posted in a bit, I'll post this meme.

RULES:
1. Put your MP3 player, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the "next" button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Wanted me to tag you people, but no.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "ARE YOU OKAY" WHAT DO YOU SAY?
Say You Love Me (Fleetwood Mac)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
When I Needed You (Erasure)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Found a Job (Talking Heads)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Aililiu Na Gamhna (Solas)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
The Salt Lick (Gaelic Storm)

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
The Weasel (Gapercaillie)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
I Muse Aloud (Jane Siberry)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
A Storm is Coming (Howard Shore)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Bastard Wants to Hit Me (They Might Be Giants)

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
In Liverpool (Suzanne Vega)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Professional Widow (Tori Amos)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Heaven Scent (Mac Umba)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Polyester Bride (Liz Phair)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
God's Child (David Byrne)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Libertine (Mylene Farmer)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Pink Orange Red (Cocteau Twins)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
The Lady Don't Mind (Talking Heads)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Shattered (The Cranberries)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Sorry and Glad Together (The Innocence Mission)

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Another Day (This Mortal Coil)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
You Surround Me (Erasure)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Garlands (Cocteau Twins).

Be vewwy vewwy quiet. I'm hunting jobs!

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:38:46 GMT

So on Wednesday, I have an interview with Pearson, a publishing company. The job seems rather perfect for me. It's a lot of what I've been doing for the last 15 years. They're looking for someone to create assessment type tests in flash. They're located two miles away, within biking distance. The down side is that my flash fu is not that strong yet. But they seem sort of willing to overlook that. And they did come to me. So fingers are crossed and I'll stress until then.

Also Google said 'Let's talk'. I'm not sure what they saw in my resume, but we'll find out. (Steven, we need someone to be the 'before').

Yay Heroes!

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:41:37 GMT

So last night's dream involved me following two heroes. What they had done was unclear, but it was clearly heroic. For the second one, I'm suddenly finding myself giving a short speech on his behalf in front of President JFK. The speech basically went 'It is human to aspire and to try. It is human to fail. It is human to try again.' Of course, I should've added 'and avoid open air cars', but oh well.

I need a vacation

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:45:02 GMT

I can say that because I now am working again, albeit only for two months. I'm basically helping to update the website for TABC (the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commision). We'll see how it goes.

I am only your memory. I cannot provide any new information

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:49:56 GMT

I have nothing to say really. This is just a post to keep me posting. I'll show off the rarely used biking icon. I will note happy cats. The interview on Tuesday didn't go at all, as they hired someone the morning of.

Help me, St Obama!

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:01:46 GMT

Help me speak eloquently and persuasively during today's job interview. Let them be convinced of my worthiness! Shroud their eyes from my imperfections! Have them know that I will end wiretapping their phones!

President Obama!

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:35:57 GMT

Woooooooohooooooooo!

Of course, while I'm watching it, I get a phone call from a job recruiter. Which causes me to miss the oath!

The geekiest dream ever

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:56:47 GMT

So, it's the doctor. I'm a companion/ observer. Doctor 11 is sort of a mix between Tom Baker and and David Morrisey. A very generic doctor (the dream is still early at this point). There's unspecified running around. The doctor regenerates in a twentyish year old woman.   She's very perky and much like Jenny .   Basically all she does is run off and very short while later regenerates (the thought in the dream was that she didn't want to be a woman doctor). Doctor 13 is Doogie Howser (as played by Fred Savage (don't blame me, i never watched the show)). I know this because my dream reaction is 'Really?? Doogie Howser?'   His outfit is some sort of dark red and black plaid thing. It is implied that he regenerated while captive of the bad guys. There's escaping, but in order to save the day, he has to jump off a deadly drop. Me and unspecified companions try to stop him. He jumps. Me and companions get to the ledge, but there's no longer a ledge. If only the Doctor had waited! (Though it's unclear if the Doctor jumping had anything to do with the ledge disappearing.)

Being the geek that I am, I pick up a book to reread the bit about what happened to the doctor. The bit read (which, this being a dream turns into me watching it on tv) turns out to be about the Sylvester McCoy doctor captured by the Sontarans. He regenerates into Tom Baker, but there's a problem with the Sontaran machine, as several Tom Bakers show up. They play tag for a moment before setting things back to normal.

Having finished reading that, I then decide to look up the Doctor Who entry on Wikipedia so I can see the picture of all 13 doctors together. But there, we have evidence of a 14th doctor, a dark haired young woman, much more serious. Only distinguishing feature is that she doesn't like to listen to music while drinking. The dream also implies that she didn't regenerate from the Doogie Howser doctor, but rather suddenly discovered herself to be the doctor.

At which point I wake up. And realize that that was the geekiest dream ever. Pretty much all that's missing is me dreaming about blogging it. :)

So it's been a while since the last post. I'm posting this so I don't lose this dream.    Hi all!

Wherein Our Hero Returns

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 21:00:40 GMT

So, in celebration of it being one year since I last posted, I shall post again!

In the past year:
Despite having lived in Texas for 20 years, I had never been to Mexico. I've now been there twice.   My (former) company celebrated its 20th anniversary, so the boss took everyone to an really nice all inclusive resort near Cozumel. I brought Sherry along.   It was a blast! Mostly just hanging around the beach and sunbathing, with a trip to Chichen Itza (We missed the equinox by one day, darnit)   I should work for more companies about to have their 20 year anniversaries.   The second time was a cruise, my first, to Cozumel, though it never actually got there.   We ended up only getting to Progresso. It was still fun. I need to do more cruises.

I played my first $500 event in January.   I played very well I thought, but was unlucky at the wrong time, so didn't cash.   Since that point, I've had 4 really big wins, though, so the poker bankroll is up.

I quit my job about a month ago, as it was not providing any work. So now I am a bum^H^H^Hpro poker player. I wish it paid more.

I will be going back to Vegas in the middle of May for a pair of poker tournaments and hanging out with online poker buddies.

My parents are about to sell their house in Vegas and move to Hot Springs Village in Arkansas. They'll be closer, but no more free lodgings in Vegas, darnit.

Pyewacket and Frisbee remain horribly spoiled.   Frisbee caught some sort of stomach bug last summer, so I had about 3 weeks of feeding her medicine. She was less than thrilled, but overcame the bug.

I started a blog about my poker game, along with a friend. It's at the_flop
There's probably other stuff that happened, but my life is pretty boring. :)

Wherein Our Hero gets an F

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 14:32:43 GMT

Another meme being passed around.

Comment and request, and I shall give you a letter. Go back to your journal, and write ten words beginning with that letter, including an explanation of what the word means to you and why.

The letter I got was F from solcita

Frisbee - This is one of my two cats, that I've had for nine years now. Wow. I can't believe I've had them that long. Their unofficial birthday is April 15. Frisbee is the larger of the two. She adores being brushed and curling against me at 5am. Frisbee was originally going to be named Zoodle, but I changed my mind at the last moment.

Florida - This is where I did a lot of growing up. I've spent time all over the state, 5 years in Ft. Walton Beach, 4 years in Brandon (near Tampa), and 2 years in Miami. I've visited pretty much the entire rest of the state at one point or another.

Friday - Yay Friday! Friday, Friday, Friday! Of course, this is the day that I usually get more work assigned.

Full - As in Full Tilt Poker, which is more or less my favorite online site right now. I originally started playing there because they offered Razz, but then found out that quite a few pros play there quite often.
Erik Siedel once sucked out on me, catching one of two outs, to prevent me eliminating him from a tourney.

fifth - As in The Fifth Element, one of my favorite movies. I love the humorous cuts and the wonderful cityscape view.

fark - Probably my most visited website. You should check it out, too, at Fark.com

freedom- I rather like having this. I'm very fearful that a lot of them are being slowly and subtly removed. (And not so subtly, which worries me more.) I really hope Bush gets investigated, come November.

friend - Something I wish I had more of. I tend to be the shy quiet type, so don't tend to make friends easily. I also have a bad habit of losing contact with people over time. But I like the ones I have (Well, that's kind of redundant.)

Frankfurt-am-Main - When I lived in West Berlin, back when the wall was still up, there would be a train that would go once a night from Frankfurt to Berlin and one the other way as well. This was back in the late 1970s. At the Frankfurt station was pretty much the only MacDonalds I knew of. So every trip I was on that took that train involved loading up on McDs before getting on the train for home.

fingers - I have relatively long fingers, compared to everyone else I've met.

Wherein Our Hero Gets Presents from the Kitties

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 13:20:56 GMT

In case you were wondering what to celebrate today...

National Hairball Awareness Day

Whereing Our Hero is Inquised.

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 06:38:49 GMT

Another meme, this time from suzuno

If you want, comment, and you shall receive the gift of five questions, to be answered in your own lj.

1. If not a turtle, what would you be?

The obvious answer would be a cat. They have it easy. Especially mine. And I'll go with the obvious answer in this case.

2. In the scheme of things in the world, mold versus the noble turtle is an eternal struggle. How will you, in the end, fell your unworthy opponent?

A look at my condo might suggest that he has the upper hand. But inevitably, inexorably, his defeat will occur. It has been written in the Book of the Turtle that this shall occur. In big letters. In red ink. And underlined. So it obviously will occur, despite what might be written in the Book of Mold. The actual details, alas, must be left up to various seers and oracles. And the nuclear missiles, currently in orbit.

3. Ok, seriously, how do you hone your poker skills?

Practice in real games. The more you play, the better you become. Of course, you have to stay above zero, while you do this. Recording and analyzing your play as you go along helps.

4. You have two kitties. Deathmatch, ninja kitty style. Who would win and why?

Well, Frisbee certainly has the size advantage, but tends to play with her claws held back. Pyewacket has speed and her claws only have two settings, soft and razor sharp. Frisbee is a bit more agressive though. I suspect Pyewacket would end up the winner, as she can do the ninja style better.

5. If you could place a webcam anywhere in the world in a public, non-perverted place, where would it be?

Looking up at... oh... er... darn. Hmm. I think either downtown Austin, or some natural setting, out in the forest somewhere.

Wherein Our Hero is Spoiled

Sun, 09 Apr 2006 14:49:28 GMT

Snipped from littleowl
Even though my cats have done none of this, they are still very very spoiled.

Do you own...
[X] Your Own Cell Phone
[ ] A Tv In Your Bedroom
[X] An Ipod MP3 Player
[ ] A Photo Printer (By Which I Mean An Inkjet Printer Which Does A Passable Job With Photos)
[ ] Your Own Phone Line
[ ] TiVo Or A Generic Digital Video Recorder
[X] High-Speed Internet Access (Aka Not Dialup)
[ ] A Surround Sound System In Bedroom
[ ] Dvd Player In Bedroom
[ ] At Least A Hundred DVDs
[X] A Childfree Bathroom
[X] Your Own In-House Office
[X] A Pool (Access to a communal complex pool)
[ ] A Guest House
[ ] A Game Room
[X] A Queen-Size (Or Larger) Bed
[ ] A Stocked Bar
[X] A Working Dishwasher
[ ] An Icemaker
[X] A Working Washing Machine And Dryer (again, communal)
[ ] More Than 20 Pairs Of Shoes
[ ] At Least Ten Things From A Designer Store
[ ] Expensive Sunglasses
[ ] Framed Authentic Art (Not Lithographs)
[X] Egyptian Cotton Sheets Or Towels (on sale from Target)
[X] A Multi-Speed Bike
[ ] A Gym Membership
[ ] Large Exercise Equipment At Home
[X] Your Own Set Of Golf Clubs
[ ] A Pool Table
[ ] A Tennis Court
[ ] Local Access To A Lake, Large Pond, Or The Sea
[ ] Your Own Pair Of Skis
[ ] Enough Camping Gear For A Weekend Trip In An Isolated Area
[ ] A Boat
[ ] A Jet Ski
[ ] A Neighborhood Committee Membership
[ ] A Beach House Or A Vacation House/Cabin
[ ] Wealthy Family Members
[ ] Two Or More Family Cars
[ ] A Walk-In Closet Or Pantry
[ ] A Yard
[ ] A Hammock
[ ] A Personal Trainer
[X] Good Credit
[ ] Expensive Jewelry (A few pieces that were gifts)
[ ] A Designer Bag That Required Being On A Waiting List To Get
[X] At Least $100 Cash In Your Possession
[X] More Than Two Credit Cards Bearing Your Name (Not Counting Gas Cards Or Debit Cards)
[X] A Stock Portfolio
[ ] A Passport
[ ] A Horse
[ ] A Trust Fund (Either For You Or Created By You)
[ ] Private Medical Insurance
[X] A College Degree, But No Student Loans
total 17

Do You:
[X] Shop For Non-Needed Items For Yourself (Like Clothes, Jewelry, Electronics) At Least Once A Week
[ ] Do Your Regular Grocery Shopping At High-End Or Specialty Stores (Whole Foods & Trader Joes, You Decide)
[ ] Pay Someone Else To Clean Your House, Do Dishes, Or Launder Your Clothes
[ ] Go On Weekend Mini-Vacations
[ ] Send Dinners Back With Every Flaw
[ ] Wear Perfume Or Cologne (Not Body Spray)
[ ] Regularly Get Your Hair Styled Or Nails Done In A Salon
[ ] Have A Job But Don’t Need The Money OR
[ ] Stay At Home With Little Financial Sacrifice
[ ] Pay Someone Else To Cook Your Meals
[ ] Pay Someone Else To Watch Your Children Or Walk Your Dogs
[ ] Regularly Pay Someone Else To Drive You (does public transport count?)
[ ] Expect A Gift After You Fight With Your Partner
total 1

Are You:
[ ] An Only Child
[ ] Married/Partnered To A Wealthy Person
[ ] Baffled/Surprised When You Don’t Get Your Way
total 0

Have You:
[ ] Been On A Cruise
[X] Traveled Out Of The Country
[ ] Met A Celebrity
[ ] Been To The Carribean
[X] Been To Europe
[ ] Been To Hawaii
[X] Been To New York
[ ] Eaten At The Space Needle In Seattle
[ ] Been To Mall Of America
[ ] Been On The Eiffel Tower In Paris
[ ] Been On The Statue Of Liberty In New York
[X] Moved More Than Three Times Because You Wanted To (As Opposed To Losing Your House Or Being Evicted)
[ ] Dined With Local Political Figures
[X] Been To Both The Atlantic Coast And The Pacific Coast (In Any Country)
total 5

Did You:
[ ] Go To Another Country For Your Honeymoon
[ ] Hire A Professional Photographer For Your Wedding Or Party
[ ] Take Riding Or Swimming Lessons As A Child
[ ] Attend Private School
[ ] Have A Sweet 16 Birthday Party Thrown For You
total 0

Overall total, 23.

Wherein Our Hero Divulges Secrets*

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 22:20:09 GMT

Here are some random facts about me that most people will have no interest in. It's some sort of meme.

1. Spell your middle name backward:
kcirtap

2. Story behind your first name:
The original idea was that I was going to be named Üwe (OOO ve), which is a German name. But the dad thought it wouldn't go well in the US. So Steven was picked.

3. When's your birthday:
July 18, 1967

4. Where do you live?
A condo at the Reflections of Walnut Creek II, in Austin.

DESCRIBE YOUR:

5. Wallet:
Miami Dolphins logo, and needs to be replaced.

6. Your eyes:
Blue

7. Toothbrush:
White and red trim.

8. Jewelry worn daily:
One watch.

9. Cell phone:
Nokia 3650, wood grain cover.

10. Pillow cover right now:
Dark and darker blue stripes

11. Car:
White 1998 Acura Integra

12. Bedroom:
Um... a bedroom? One bed, dresser, two shelves

13. Sunglasses:
None

14. Shampoo:
Head and Shoulders

15. Cologne and/or perfume:
None.

16. CD in stereo right now?
Er... mine holds 200 CDs. It's one of those jukebox thingies.

17. Piercings:
None

18. What you are wearing now?
Red collared polo shirt. light tan pants.

19. Top wish:
Qualify for the World Series of Poker

20. Wanting:
A backrub

21. What are you doing after this:
Keep playing poker

22. If you could get away with it and murder anyone who would it be:
Just one? I don't think I could stick to just one.

23. Person and/or people you wish you could see right now:
Everyone I love who isn't right here.

24. Some of your favorite movies:
LA Story, The 13th Warrior, The Fifth Element

25. Band Practice:
CD Player

26. Something you just ate:
Pepperoni pizza for lunch

27. Something you are deathly afraid of:
I'm not sure I'd go that far... heights

28. Do you like candles:
I have no interest or hatred towards candles.

29. Do you like incense:
No

30. Do you like the taste of blood:
No.

31. Do you believe in love:
Yes.

32. Do you believe in love at first sight:
Yes.

33. Are you in love?:
Yes.

34. Do you believe in heaven:
No.

35. Do you believe in God:
No.

36. Do you have a tattoo?
No.

37. If you could eat something right now what would it be?
Chocolate covered pretzels.

38. Are you addicted to Myspace:
No.

39. Can you eat with chopsticks:
Sorta, kinda

40. What's your favorite coin:
The Texas Quarter

41. What are some of your favorite candies:
3 Musketeers, Hershey kisses, M & Ms

42. Favorite soda:
Dr. Pepper

*No, he doesn't.

Wherein Our Hero realizes that he still has an LJ account

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 17:25:51 GMT

I guess the long delay just means I have a boring life. Or that I'm lazy about updating.

My leg has for the most part healed. There's still a small lump that still getting smaller, but other than that, the leg is back to normal.

Work had a very intense period of lots of extra work, followed by a period of no work at all. Which was a nice break. It's going to be quiet for the next two weeks, then back to working normally.

I took a month off from poker. It was mostly to clear the mind, but apparently I cleared too much as since I started resuming the game, I'm a bit down. The good bit, I think, is that when I play Hold'em, I'm winning. It's when I play the other games (Omaha especially and Stud and weird games on Ultimate Bet) that I lose it all. This fortunately, can be cured. I still need to win my way to the WSOP this year.

There should be a new constitutional admendment:
There shall be no law passed or enforced that is not open to public knowledge. (Okay, it needs polishing)

I keep hearing more and more stories, especially about 'secret' laws. I cannot see any possible reason for any law or rule being secret.

Pye and Fris continue to be adorable and snuggly.

I am also addicted to Wikipedia now.

Wherein Our Hero Fights to the Death (or leg injury, whichever is first)

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 05:30:48 GMT

So, Xmas was spent in Vegas. A bit of family time and a bit of poker. A pretty ordinary trip. I did get a radar detector to replace one that I had had stolen about a year or so ago. And Barnes and Nobles gift certificates! Note that $90 of books do not fit on a $30 gift certificate.

On Thursday, I ended up putting my foot through the sheetrock in my parents attic. It didn't seem much at the time. Just a scrape a little bruise. I went off to play poker that evening. After about an hour, it had swollen a little and I had a touch of pain while walking. I then enter a poker tournament (the first I entered with my own money for over $100, this being $125). While playing, my leg just kept getting bigger and bigger. During breaks, I notice that I can't really stand without a rather lot of temporary pain. I finallly finish the tourney (in 4th for $510! Wheee!). And then almost pass out at the cashier's cage cashing in. I go to visit the local clinic, where I spend $80 and get told to put ice on it.

Back in Austin, it's still swelling (at least areas lower down the leg are). It's also turning really pretty colors. All over the leg. Today I spend more money to get told... Keep it elevated. But I also found out that it wasn't broken. Just a bad bruise and lots of blood going outside the lines. It's going to be along time healing. :( My foot currently reminds me of the scene in Big Trouble in Little China, just before Thunder explodes. It looks a lot like that.

So, I'm mobile. We'll see what the recommended Ibuprofen does for the pain when I stand. It's also going to be annoying, sitting at the computer with the foot up. Currently, the shredder (turned off, of course) is the footstool, but something more permanent will have to be found.