Baby powder smells nice.

I have determined that RC Cola goes down WAY too easy.

I have spent the day contemplating my personality and what makes me who I am. After long hours of thought I have decided what is my most significant failure.

I don't finish the things that I start.

Yesterday was a screwed up day. I got possession of my house. After the long, arduous battle it finally became mine. Then I was at once both excited and terrified. I muddled my way through it somehow and started moving.

That was a weird experience too. I didn't have a plan for it. I just walked into a room full of clutter, started rifling things into a box, and hauled it over. In a more detached frame of mind I can see how that isn't the most efficient way to accomplish the task. But I wanted to DO something, and just stuffing boxes wasn't going to satisfy me. So I packed, and hauled and repeated. Then I took a look around my new house and nearly had a heart attack. How am I going to fit everything into this tiny little place!?!

It looks a little better today. I took some stuff out of boxes and put it on shelves. Even that wasn't very orderly and I can make it more tidy. I have more hope today, then I had yesterday, that I can make this new place work. But its not going to be a walk in the park. I'm going to have to trim and be ruthless in what I keep and what I discard. I don't have the space I had before. Maybe when I build the addition I can expand but that's probably not happening until the spring.

Its going to be a crowded winter.

Blog Question Of The Day:

Should I buy a baseball game for my XBox?

I learned something about myself tonight. I don't stand out in the front where everyone can see me. I am much more comfortable hiding in the shadows, spewing venom in the form of acerbic commentary.

I think my attitude needs adjustment.

Today was a momentous day. I went to the lawyer's. The long, painful battle that has been my quest to purchase a house crossed what should be its last obstacle. I signed the documents to confirmed my mortgage.

But, as with every step in this struggle, this one was not without incident. I get to the lawyers, expecting to make my down payment and I hear from the guy (who was disarmingly jovial, and not what I expected for a lawyer) that the bank wants to put up the purchase price of the house. Thus threw me for a loop because then why was it so important that I find 25%, if they weren't going to take it off the top. We eventually got that sorted out, and the bank is covering my $7500.

Soon I will be a home owner!!

Blog Question Of The Day:

Why did they get rid of Mountain Dew Red?

Blog Song Of The Day:

Tupac & Dr. Dre – California Love

If you are to believe these commercials, a body spray for men is very effective at drawing favorable attention. Am I missing something important? Should I be purchasing some of this product?

I'm having an introspective afternoon. I don't know why but my mind has turn to the disappointments and letdowns of the recent past. I made an oath at the beginning of this year and despite my best efforts, its looking like I'm going to fail in that pledge. And that bothers me. So I was trying to think of things I could do that might have the possibility of redeeming this rather lackluster year.

As this long weekend comes to a close, I have developed another of my infamous Blog Questions Of The Day:

What activities belong on a list of one's that everyone should experience at least once in their life?

I give her credit for actually singing live this time but I gotta say, Ashlee Simpson has all the rhythm of a sack of wet cement.

Not all of you are going to know what I'm talking about, as I launch into this rant. Nonetheless it irritated me for about the thousandth time tonight, so I'm going to write it down.

Why the hell can't the stupid TV be pointed in a direction that would make it possible to see it decently from the bar? I'm standing behind the bar and I can just see enough of the Rider game to tease me. The stupid TV is twisted in the other direction for some asinine reason. It doesn't appear to have had any logic applied to it. The angle of the TV is NOT parallel to the wall on which it is affixed. And this is probably what irritates me the most. If they'd just installed it the at the same angle as the wall is cut, then I'd be able to see it just fine. But NOOOOO, we can't do that.

I swear they're doing it specifically to piss me off.

See if you follow my logic

I know two Melissa’s

Those Melissa’s are hot

Therefore, all Melissa’s are hot

Blog Question Of The Day:

What would you do if you won $100,000?

Its not enough to quit your job and live a life of luxury but it would buy a few creature comforts, luxuries and toys. What would you get out of the money?

Its a magical time of year.

Some of my enthusiasm for baseball has waned, now that my team is no more. No matter my displeasure for Major League Baseball, the playoffs are hard to resist. Televised baseball in October has something special. Perhaps its that each game matters. That is in contrast to the 162 they can play, where any one individual doesn't matter. Its only the total that makes any difference.

And they can conjure up some of the most obscure trivia during a playoff baseball game. They rather laid-back tempo of baseball leaves a lot of air time to fill with chatter. There is always and abundance.

"The only major league team with a winning record during Joe Torre's tenure as manager is the Angels"

Some guy scoured a record book to find that. And it won't be the last. There will be more of these comments over the following days and weeks. Its baseball season, and the historian in every announcer must make an appearance.

Blog Question Of The Day:

What's your favorite song that no one else likes?

I just finished watching the movie 'Deliverance'. I'm going to be honest. I didn't get it. It was so unexciting. It lasts two hours but nothing happens. I think you're supposed to be captivated by the moral dilemma brought forth by what these guys experience but it seems pretty clear-cut to me.

Arrogant city guys go into a backwater county and meet mountain folk. Naturally there's a culture shock.

Stereotype prevails and unlettered mountain ruffians violate a pair of the protagonists.

Revenge ensues.

The movie ends about the way you expect.

Why did it have to take two hours? And what was with the last half hour especially? There was nothing to this movie. Like I said, I think you're supposed to be drawn into the moral question posed by the killings. I guess I'm a little too much from the 'do unto others' school of thought. You mess me up, and I'll return the favor. I think the mountain men deserved it.

Blog Exclamation Of The Day:

Stück Scheiße!!!

Have you ever noticed how the floor gets dirty, even in parts of the house you never use?

I swept the floor today. It needed it. But what I found remarkable was, how much stuff was on the floor in parts of the room I don't use. Take for instance under the table. I don't use my kitchen table. Ever. Its mostly just a place to dump bills and such correspondence and as a place for my mobile recharging station. (I have a power bar dedicated to recharging batteries or things with batteries) There was so many crumbs and grit and such under there. How did that happen? I never use that space.

Isn't this just the most inane blog entry of all time?

I really don't get this. I just finished watching 'Back In' on MuchMoreMusic. They were doing 1992. As they close the episode we learn that Pearl Jam's 'Jeremy' was the number one video of 1992. We also learn that Billy Ray Cyrus' Achy Breaky Heart is the number one WORST video of 1992. (I don't disagree)

Here's what I don't get. As the credit roll we have to be subjected to Billy Ray Cyrus' song. WHY!?! You have the opportunity to play a classic Pearl Jam song and instead you play THAT!?!

There are some messed up people in entertainment programming.

WANTED

One girl - must like going to the movies

I've got a sty in my eye.

Can someone explain to me how this happens? Every so often I just end up with one. I read the definition of sty on the internet, and what causes it but frankly, neither one was very helpful. I'm still here with this damn thing poking me in the eyeball, and without a way to get rid of it.

Now if things stay true to normal, it will be gone soon. Which I suppose I should just take comfort in, and stop worrying about it. Nonetheless I'm curious about what I could possibly do to avoid this discomfort at a later time.

Thoughts?

Can someone please explain Wal-Mart to me?

I got up early today, so I could get my errands done before the 'horde' raised itself to begin its weekly binge of consumerism. I was stymied in my attempt by the fact that the first place I had to visit was not open until 10:00. So I couldn't get to Wal-Mart until after that.

And it was already a gong show.

What the hell is with people and this store? Its not so super good that you can't get the same, or similar, prices at half a dozen other places in the city. So why the mad flock to this accursed place? My purpose for going there was that they often have older video games on for cheap, and its about the only place I think of to start my search for an old game I wanted to buy. Otherwise I'd have not darkened its doors.

But why are there so many people there at 10:00 in the morning? Sure, they probably were doing like me, and trying to avoid the screaming horde, but in so doing, they became the screaming horde. I suppose its about saving money but the deals aren't taht good. They're good, no doubt, but not enough to justify what I witnessed.

Go to Zellers people. Go anywhere. Its just a store.

Believe it or not, I don't think I have anything to say today.

Blog Question OF The Day:

Would I be happier if I had a snake?

Which movie was better?

Predator?

Predator 2?

Blog Question For Music Aficionados:

(yes, I just wanted to use the word aficionado)

What's the best Eminem song of all-time?

Today in house news . . .

I got a call from my mortgage lawyer. It seems the property I want to buy has a Writ of Execution lodged against it. Now as it was explained to me, that's kind of like a lien. But when I did a web search on the term, it came back that the house was available for seizure for non-payment of funds. That sounds a little more serious than I got the impression of, from the lawyer.

So it wasn't a stellar day in TELK world.

Blog Question Of The Night:

If they make 'cookie dough' ice cream, do they make 'cookie' ice cream?

Blog Question Of The Day:

What did people use for garbage bags before plastic?

Luckily they are easy to kill

With the coming of the fall colors has arisen one of my arch-enemies . . .

the common housefly

Does anyone just USE software anymore? Do we have to screw with it all the time?

I'm trying to play a video game tonight. Admittedly, I don't log on as often as some. Perhaps that is why I'm so annoyed by this. But I have to patch my game. Patch it to the tune of 65 MB. That seems a little excessive.

Can't they get it right the first time? Why do I need a 65 MB patch? That seems like a lot of repairing to something I'm paying a BOATLOAD of money for. With the monthly subscription we're well into the hundreds of dollars now.

Oh well, my patch is nearly done. I guess I'll go. Any software guys out there, maybe you can heed my plea and write more thorough code. But probably not, because we still keep buying the buggy crap.

Toodles.

I have a meatball in my lung. I think its the right one.

Blog Song Of The Day:

Fallout Boy - Sugar, We're Going Down

B T W . . .

Just how much does body waxing hurt?

Blog Question Of The Day:

Where can the ordinary guy buy the classic cherry bomb?

I was watching 'I, Robot' today at lunch time. I made an interesting observation.

Does your average robotic psychologist really throw on a pair of leather pants before dashing out the door to save the world?

I dunno. It didn't seem like a logical course of action to me.

Blog Question OF The Day:

Have any of you ever seen it rain like this before?

Blog Question (No. 2) Of The Day:

Could my rampant paranoia be, in part, due to a wax build-up in my ears?

Blog Question Of The Day:

Should I buy new shoes?

I gotta say something.

First of all, you really need to know your venue. Sure, it might be important in Detroit, where everyone carries a handgun, to screen people entering a rock concert. It might be appropriate in that instance. But this is Saskatchewan. The rowdiest thing that might happen here is a drunken fist-fight. And I've seen drunk guys fight before. They are more of a danger to themselves than they are to anyone else.

But even if you deem it necessary to screen everyone entering the building, then for god sake hire some decent security. For all that they are doing, you might as well have no security, than what they had last night.

Here's the hyprocrisy of it. There's six million security staff at the arena for the Pearl Jam concert. (which kicked ass, by the way) But I can walk around like I own the place simply because I look like I know what I'm doing. I had no uniform. My clothing was not adorned with any security passes, or anything that indicated I was staff. And yet I was able to walk backstage with no problem. Security staff covering the entrances to the building did not ask me my purpose. I walked past two security check points and no one acknowledged that I should check with them. There was a nominal metal check at a door, but he didn't ask if I should be there. I wouldn't have had to sign in had I not chosen to, because nobody policed that either.

Hire all the security that you want but if they aren't going to do something, then you might as well have no security at all.

Tuesday Night Poetry:

If you've got a problem,
We don't care.
The line to complain,
starts way over there.

Happiness is . . .

a perfectly cooked Pizza Pop.

I just watched about 30 minutes of 'First Daughter'. It has caused me to reach a very painful conclusion.

Tom Cruise must be stopped from marrying Katie Holmes. She is just FAR too cute to be wasted on him.

Blog Quote Of The Day:

"Uh...I'm don't think I can do that sir"

You know who I feel sorry for right now?

Farmers

Its gotta suck to watch a good crop come up in the field. Nice conditions in the spring and summer to grow a crop. First some rain, to get things going, and then a period of good, warm heat to ripen it and make it ready.

So they go out, like they always do. Cut down the straw and prepare for the harvest.

And then it rains.

A lot.

Inches at a time.

I don't know much about farming, but all those thick swathes that I used to see as I drove along, are awfully damn sad looking now. I hope they can salvage something from this season.

Blog Question Of The Day:

Who am I?

Messages to people I don't seem able to reach:

To the best friend that I wronged . . . I am sorry.

For the girl that doesn't get it . . . go away.

For reasons that defy any attempt on my part to justify, I watched the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen visit MuchMusic special tonight. Having done this, I can reach only one conclusion.

Mary-Kate Olsen has a serious drug problem.

I need to complain about something. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter that much but it still pissed me off.

I'm going home for lunch today. If you take the road that goes in front of my office, you have to stop at Main Street for a stop sign. Main Street is the through-road, so both east and west roads must stop.

I do as instructed. I get to Main Street, and I come to a full and complete stop. I was there well before the idiot blonde in the car that was coming at me from the other side. And as there was no traffic coming in either direction on Main Street, I decided to make my left hand turn.

This twink blonde, in her selfish, indulgent way barely even acknowledges the stop sign, and plows right across the road in front of me. HELLO!?!!?! Turning left here!!!

Is it wrong to arm your vehicle with anti-tank weapons, for just such an occasion as this?

Blog Poll Of The Day: (Part One)

Who has seen '40 Year Old Virgin'?

(Part Two)

Do nice guys finish last?

Is it gay that I actually like the newest Hilary Duff song? Not because its Hilary Duff, but because I like the song for its musical attributes?

Blog Question Of The Day:

What foodstuffs belong in a Chicken Club?

Blog Question Of The Day:

What's wrong with people that save a whole album as ONE mp3 file?

What the hell is wrong with some people!?!

I checked my cell phone just now and someone phoned me at quarter after ten at night. At night!?! Don't I get to be 'off the clock' for at least a little while? It just so happens I was sleeping at 10:15 last night. Granted, it was on the couch, but the point remains.

There should be a maximum allowable time of day people are allowed to call you. Obviously there are exceptions, like if someone has exciting news, or something monumental happens. To just call for the sake of it, that late at night, is rude.

At least that's what I think. Anyone care to argue me?

Can someone explain to me why some days Blogger will load, and others it stalls out?

Blog Question Of The Day:

If you were deciding the menu for a gourmet feast, which entree would be your lead selection?

a) chicken cordon bleu
b) pork tenderloin
c) prime rib of beef
d) rack of lamb

I fixed my VCR.

Thoughts about food. . .

I love Diet Orange Crush

What about ranch dressing makes it 'ranch'?

If you make a mistake doing whatever it is you were just doing, just say:

"I was trippin' balls when I did that"

We have crossed one more hurdle in the unstoppable march towards the purchase of a house. The funds for my down-payment were transferred into my account this afternoon. I have completed the last of my requirements to make this house purchase go. All that remains is for the seller to clear up their legal pronouncements, and we finally close the deal.

I am excited tonight!

Blog Question Of The Day:

Was Star Wars: Episode Three the best of the Star Wars movies?

Blog Recommendation Of The Day:

Don't try to watch Star Wars while you drive.

A couple of things . . .

Why does serving Smirnoff Ice vodka drinks always make me crave 7-Up?

If my internet use practices are so unsafe, why is it that Trend Micro Housecall and Spybot Search & Destroy never find any problems with my system?

Blog Question Of The Day:

Why exactly, is it that we are supposed to let the good times 'roll'?

Blog Question Of The Day:

Does the Witness Relocation Program have a website or an email address?

Chili with Doritos makes for an excellent lunch.

Now I'm a Hilary Duff fan, and I don't want to be negative but . . .

Hilary needs to gain a couple of pounds.

I had reason to be at our new shop this morning. My builder had a question for me, and requested that I travel over to take a look. It was no hardship for me so I got on the pedal bike and scurried over.

On the way back I had reason to take notice of my surroundings. Looking up the road from our new building, I took note of the fact that the street my new house is on, is a mere block and a half from the new shop. Now I will have absolutely no excuse for not walking/biking to work. For a distance so short, it would be grotesquely wasteful to not travel the span by a human-powered means.

Can someone explain to me why my computer would suddenly stop loading the Blogger page properly, and then just as mysteriously start displaying it properly again!?!

It's time.

I'm now in a bad mood. Its a slow, boring Monday out here in the middle of nowhere. We're just this side of bored out of our minds. There's an old classic on the TV tonight, Pump Up The Volume. A classic tale of teen angst from the classic period of my life. No one is chatting on the old chat box tonight, so I thought I'd log into my favorite game, World of Warcraft, for a couple hours of activity that ultimately leads nowhere.

And what am I repaid with, as I attempt to redeem the site access that I pay a pretty penny for? The god damn game will not allow me to log into the server that houses my characters. Oh, I can log into the game. But the server I need to connect to, where my characters are, and where all my friend play, that damn realm isn't even in the bloody list!!

What the hell is this crap!?! I give these people $15 a month for the privilege of letting me play a stupid game that does little more than steal from my bank account. And all I ask is that when I want to play, whenever that is, that the damn server is up and available for my use. But instead I get . . . this.

We end with a Blog Question Of The Day . . .

Should I cancel my World of Warcraft subscription?

Does anyone want to bring me a root beer?

Today is a very special day. Not many people are going to appreciate the significance of this date. I actually asked my parents if they knew what was special about August 12 and neither one could figure it out. About the only person that might have a shot at this one is my sister. What makes this day special is something that she had a part in, so its possible she'll know what makes today unique.

It was on this date, 19 years ago, August 12, 1986, that I started my first job, as the new paper delivery boy for the Leader-Post, in the town of Central Butte, Saskatchewan.

I need an answer to a question.

Why are they so hell-bent on putting stuff in cola drinks? It wasn't good enough that they were the number 1 market leading drink all on their own?

Can someone please tell me who decided that facial piercings were a good idea.

I'd like to beat the crap out of them.

I wish to have today stricken from the record:

Our valve order shipped wrong.
Everyone seemed to be angry about something.
I was 2 hours late coming home.
The World of Warcraft server is down.

Blog Question Of The Day:

Should I have FieldTurf installed in my livingroom?

Remember that comment I made awhile ago about 50 Cent? The same goes for Snoop Dogg.

WHY!?!?!

I finally got around to taking a picture of my wound from Monday:

Carnage

The Watson Town Office has the same four number suffix (3224) as the first phone number I ever memorized as my home number.

I just had a shower. Why won't this fly leave me alone?

I gotta tape this movie!

I'm watching 'American Splendor' here at lunch today. This movie is hilarious for being so pathetic. Which I respect because I share a lot of the same pathetic aspects.

This comic book writer lives a truly bankrupt existence. Then he meets a truly neurotic woman and for some completely asinine reason they decide to get married. The little 'love' scene they share is so typical of my experience that I shudder at the similarities. But its nice to see that my experience is not so atypical that it avoids reproduction on celluloid.

Still, I am hoping for something better for me. Which I will pursue because I believe with heartfelt sincerity that I can succeed where Harvey is truly failing.

We gotta do something about health care.

I spent 5 hours in Emergency last night. That right, I said FIVE hours. I had myself a problem and it wasn't going to accept a 'screw it' attitude. I was doing some computer work and I picked up the open computer by the frame, and attempted to turn its orientation. I've done this a hundred times and sure, you feel that bite across the fingers, as you grip sharp sheet metal, but I've never injured myself. This was a little different. The metal bit deep into my hand. Deepre than I noticed at the time, to be perfectly honest. When I set the computer down, there was a river of blood running off my arm. I knew this was no run of the mill accident and it was quickly off to the hospital.

Never get hurt on a long weekend. This is the second, of three, long weekends in August that I've had the mistfortune of having to go to the emergency ward. And let me tell you, its the wrong time to need help. I'm not entirely sure what they are thinking, when they short staff the ER on a long weekend. Sickness does not take a long weekend. And when I arrived the place was overflowing with people, waiting for care. Despite bleeding profusely from the hand, I was directed towards a chair, and told to wait.

And the wait lasted FIVE hours. For twenty minutes of minor surgical care from a doctor that still had a long night ahead of him. I have a problem with this. Its not the doctors and nurses fault. They get scheduled, come to work, and do their job. But why aren't there more of them there? This is being repeated, time and time again. We need more people, not more pay for the one's that we have. Get enough staff on the job. Yes, they might not be at 100%, every moment of the day, but when the time comes, it'll be worth it to have enough staff.

I don't think five hours is a reasonable wait for emergency care. I actually consider that quite unacceptable. Nobody bothered to to examine me, and determine whether it was a real emergency or just a minor one. I was given some gauze and a piece of tape, and put in a waiting room. Nobody either acknowledged my existence for 4 hours. What if I lose consciousness and bleed to death in the waiting room? No it didn't happen, but it could. And that's my problem. We're sacrificing proper care for a couple of bucks. Let's set our priorities. Do we want to keep people healthy or not? I think we do.

I don't want to get on a soap box about this, but maybe its time someone did. I survived my five hour wait but how many other people have to suffer this before we say enough is enough. I can't believe there isn't a way to make health care dilligent, without breaking the bank. There has to be a solution to this. I worry that we haven't taken the right approach to solving the problem. There are bright
people in control of our affairs. Maybe we, the little people, need to properly motivate them.

I won't pretend I have the answer. I don't know all the parts of the equation. But I'm sure it has a solution.

Blog Question Of The Day:

How much important should be given to, what you want, when making a significant life decision?

Blog Phrase Of The Day:

PLUG IT IN!!!!!

Its after hours and as I'm the only one here, I'm soaking up all the bandwidth with Shoutcast. Somthing has come to my attention as I listen to HITZ 977.

Why is 50 Cent popular? The guy is a hack! I have no musical ability at all and I swear I could rap as well as this idiot. All his songs are the same. Its tired.

Ever noticed how one particular song can trigger a distinct, and poignant memory? Personally, I can't listen to the song Bed of Roses by Bon Jovi without thinking of a particular person. And I suspect it will always be that way.

Blog Question Of The Day:

Why does it take until mid-afternoon for me to get wound up to full speed?

Blog Question Of The Day:

Now that the rabid conservatives have managed to decree that all of humanity is too immature to handle some sexual content, does anyone know where to get a copy of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas?

Blog Poll Of The Day:

What kind of website do you most like to visit?

I think I just figured out why I resisted using Mac's for so long . . .

THEY SUCK!!!

Blog Question Of The Day:

Should I sharpen the edge of all my forks so that I can also use them as knives?

Can someone please explain to me why you'd avoid using proper capitalization, spelling, punctuation and other grammar rules, when entering the damn ID3 tag information in an MP3 file!?!

Blog Survey Of The Day:

Should I open a night-club in Watson?

The Quick Stop does very well on soft ice cream sales.

I'm turtle-sitting right now.

They are now cleaning the turtle tank we keep in our office. It gets really dirty, really fast, so rather frequently it has to be drained, and then cleaned. That's happening right now. This time they've taken the turtles right out of the tank to clean the walls.

They were in a pail next to my desk. The one is really aggressive, while the other is passive, so turtle A was pushing turtle B around the small pail. That didn't seem fair so I put turtle B on my desk.

He got adventurous and walked right off the edge.

He seems no worse for wear. I built a little wall now, so he shouldn't get any more ideas about walking off the desk. I'm keeping my eye on him too. We don't need a repeat, desk diving, experience.

More on the turtles as news becomes available.

I think you gotta be pretty god damn NON-ego-formed to get pleasure from putting a goldfish into a tank with carnivorous turtles, for the exlicit purpose of watching the goldfish die.

Blog Poll Of The Day:

Please vote on the following question.

Which vehicle best represents my identity?

1) Jeep TJ
2) Ford Mustang
3) Volkswagen Beetle
4) Eagle Talon