Date:	2007-05-20 16:10
Subject:	Gardening and summer
Security:	Public
Mood:	cheerful
Music:	Mother- Tori Amos

I am now a farmer! Well, on a mini-scale. Between me, my girlfriend and my parents we now have two fairly large plots (probably 15x20 each) at a community garden. We planted this month, which is a bit late, but we are using quite a few prestarted plants. Our first plot has a lot of seeds, so we'll see if anything sprouts! I think the radishes are coming up.

Actually, I got fairly sunburned yesterday morning helping my parents start their plot. It was a little sunny then mostly cloudy and thus, I completely didn't think about the fact that any amount of sun exposure pinkens me very quickly.

Besides that I haven't been up to too much, though I am taking a ballroom dance class. We are doing the night club two step and the cha-cha. My dancing ability is actually growing too! I can now follow the beat and do the moves fairly fluidly. I think I like the cha-cha quite a bit, even though I started out hating it.

It is currently raining... which makes the garden happy!

Date:	2007-05-03 23:54
Subject:	Awesome News!!!
Security:	Public
Mood:	excited

I just found out this week that I am going to be an uncle!!! Yay! I am so excited for my brother and his wife. : ) I'll get to play with a cute kiddiewink. (and not actually have to take care of said kiddiewink) They are expecting sometime in January.

Besides that I just made a batch of really good chai and had one and a half small mugs of it... I wonder if I'll be able to get to sleep. Caffeine affects me about half the time now. ;)

Date:	2007-03-25 22:17
Subject:	The weekend after...
Security:	Public
Mood:	lazy

So my Birthday was fun! A group of us went to the newly restored Vancouver Pizza Company (destroyed in a fire and out of commission for quite a while) then to Gustav's and finally back to my place.

This weekend I have been a slug. A slug with a slight preference for sunshine. I got out today for about an hour and walked around. Recently the electronic key card thingie came off my key chain so I've kept it in my wallet. Of course, I forgot to take this when I went out so I was effectively locked out of my apartment. However, I sulked about the front of the building innocently talking on my cell and I was able to follow some people in. :) Ah, sometimes I like the low security of my building...

Date:	2007-03-14 18:54
Subject:	Happy almost birthday to me!
Security:	Public
Mood:	Rock'in!!!!
Music:	Dragonforce- Fury of the Storm

My birthday is coming up on Saturday!!

At work I came to a desk full of cotton balls. You see, I made the mistake of letting people in the office know one of my 'quirks', I really dislike the touch of cotton or really fluffy things. I can touch cotton if I have to, but it sends shivers up my spine and is generally unpleasant. The day was actually quite funny. And I got ice cream cake!

I think I'm not actually going to any type of Irish establishment this year... Last year I tried, and between extremely long lines and cover charges, I was mostly defeated. I think I wound up at a Scottish pub (still appropriate given the Scotch-Irish heritage) at the end of the evening and had an interesting encounter with an Irish car bomb. Apparently you are supposed to drink those quickly, otherwise they get kinda chunky (as I found out) :)

I am going hiking in the morning and then out to at least Gustav's in the evening. Ahhh, delicious, delicious fondue and steins of beer.

Right, now that I sound like a raging alcoholic with good taste in fondue I sign off!

(To anyone who actually reads this... do you like how I just casually update once a year? ;)

Date:	2006-10-08 20:21
Subject:	Woot!
Security:	Public
Mood:	blah
Music:	None

So I passed the Series 6! It's a pretty easy test, all things considered. Now I jusst have to sign up for the 63. I thought they were done together, but I guess you have to pass one then sign up for the other.

Besides that my weekend has been low key. Too low key me thinks. I haven't done anything really exciting in too long.

Date:	2006-09-18 19:55
Subject:	What I'm doing at the moment.
Security:	Public
Mood:	cheerful
Music:	Baobabs - Regina Spektor

Update: I am currently studying for the Series 6 & 63 NASD exams. This will give me a securities license to sell mutual funds, annuities, and life insurance. The real reason I'm getting it is so I can talk to clients about their account balances and update their info with mutual fund companies. In a pinch I could call in a sale for a client who wants to redeem something.

Hah. And I don't even want to be a stockbroker/registered rep or anything like that. But since my company is paying for it and I haven't had any structured learning program in a long time I figured I'd go for it. It might be handy down the road. Who knows?

Besides that I'm chillin in the Couve. This week and last have seen a lot of folks come through the Portland area, which has been fun, since I got to go out! I had Kava at the Pied Cow along with an assortment of desserts. I also got to hang out with some fun dancer types (as in modern dance).

Kava is an interesting drink. It's supposed to mellow you out. And it makes your tongue numb. Sometimes it makes your upper lip numb too. I'm not sure it mellowed me out, but then I'm often a mellow person. : )

~P

Here's a fun little online game (it's free) of the strategy persuasion: Travian.com

So I was coming home last night at about 12:30 and as I was walking through the parking lot I noticed someone had left a little kitten in their car. It saw me and started meowing and trying to follow me. It made me so angry, who leaves a kitten alone in a car? It was heartbreaking having to leave the little guy in there. He was lonely and scared.

I'm assuming he ended up okay (though his owner seems really irresponsible so we can only hope) because when I woke up at 7:40 the car was gone.


Also here's a pretty cool music video: Muse: Knights of Cydonia

Date:	2006-06-28 23:54
Subject:	Biking the San Juans - What to do and what not to do
Security:	Public
Mood:	creative

Hello, hello dear readers. I am resurrecting my LJ account so I can catch up with those of you I have lost contact with... also I don’t want to do my dishes right now, or go to sleep yet.

So what I’m doing now: Still in the Couve, doing the grown-up-working-at-a-job-and-making-money thing (kind of over rated if you ask me), reading lots of books, cooking, playing WoW, MySpace, biking, and various other miscellaneous activities.

( My Latest Adventure )

Goodnight!

Date:	2005-02-24 23:37
Subject:	Still alive...
Security:	Public
Mood:	energetic
Music:	Practice Dying Now- Stuart Davis

Hmm, realized I haven't been on here in a while. I'm still situated in the Couve. Ummmm, not much else going on at the moment. Just recently catching up with a bunch of people which has been cool, especially since I have kind of fallen off the map.

Date:	2004-12-28 23:51
Subject:	So tired...
Security:	Public
Mood:	rushed

I have a 6:40 am flight tomorrow. As you might notice it is 11:52pm. I'll probably get up at about a quarter till 4. (Just writing that is painful) This lack of sleep has characterized my life as of late. And a lot of it is self inflicted as I really don't have that much I actually have to do. Tonight it was reading the last half of "Lies, and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them" by Al Frankin. It is funny, pretty well written, and well researched (a tad partisan of course). It is also kind of scary reading about the neo conservative right. Bleh. Of course I could have gotten ready for my little jaunt out to Colorado instead but my age old pattern of trading sleep for other stuff has yet to be broken. I am heading out that way for a job interview for a library assistant position at a mountaineering library in Golden, CO. So we'll see how it goes. I also plan to visit some family friends and my aunt and uncle who live out that way. It should be a nice, fun, cold trip.

Right, need sleep.

Date:	2004-12-23 12:40
Subject:	The eve of Christmas Eve
Security:	Public
Mood:	working

It's been a busy week, but a short one. My friend Simon was in town over the weekend. Among other things we attended our mutual college friend Elizabeth's wedding. It was an interesting affair in which we were the only two people from LC. Everyone else was from Elizabeth's church and thus had no clue who we were. I think the most hilarious part was at the reception (held at the Marshall House for those of you who know Vancouver) when this guy walked up to us and started a conversation by asking us if we were there for the wedding or some other event. (Us: Oh yeah we just like to crash any formal event that we see as we wander the streets aimlessly- ha ha just kidding we were nice;) Well, that's another person who I know that's now married. The count begins to grow. (personal prospects bleak...)

Sent out most cards that I need to and only have three more presents to get. Whew. I haven't been very timely this year.

A fun card game- Munchkin. It captures the true essence of roleplaying: beating monsters, getting treasure, and going up levels. It's really fun. http://www.sjgames.com/munchkin/game/

Date:	2004-12-12 17:42
Subject:	Christmas is coming...
Security:	Public
Mood:	relaxed

Sorry for my continual drops off of the face of the earth. I'd like to say amazing adventures have been happening to me but it hasn't been quite that exciting.

Christmas is sneaking up way too fast. I haven't finished getting gifts and mailing cards yet, ah!!! I've also been down for the week more or less sick. After over a year and a half something finally snuck through the defenses. I'm feeling better now, though I've still got a cough. It's been a weird cold actually because my nose has not run at all. The ick was in my head (evil, evil pressure) and my lungs. Not fun.

Let's see. Elizabeth's wedding is coming up this Saturday which should be interesting. I'll get to see a few people I haven't in a while.

I'm going to go make bad-for-me Mac n Cheese. Yum!!!

Date:	2004-11-25 01:56
Subject:	Thanksgiving prep...
Security:	Public
Mood:	exhausted

I have been making pumpkin pies all evening, four to be exact. I made everything from scratch too. The pie crust the pumpkin puree, all of it. The downside to this type of endevour is its very time consuming nature. But I think the pies will be good so I've done my part for the up coming feast! : ) I'm tired now. Did a lot today, including work, dishes at my apartment, cutting pumpkins, helping to clean and vacuum my brother's car, make dinner for myself (stir fry spinach and a tofu dish w/ rice), do more dishes, talk on phone, make 4 pumpkin pies, do more dishes, write on live journal. Too many dishes!!

Date:	2004-11-23 12:48
Subject:
Security:	Public
Mood:	blah/blank

It is a cold grey drizzly tuesday. I blew the fuses in my apartment when I was home making myself lunch. I only had the heater (to warm up Marcus- I sit his bowl in front of it) and the microwave plus a light on. Sigh... The only problem is that the fuse box is in the basement which can only be gotten to through my apartment manager's apt. and I don't think he's home yet. At least work is warm.

I had a good weekend and am really looking forward to Thanksgiving!! I'm making pumpkin pies from scratch. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I think the way the m's look is cool mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Ahem, right. Um.

yes.


I'll report back later.

Date:	2004-11-19 00:37
Subject:	a bit drunk
Security:	Public
Mood:	drunk

Hey everyone, I am drunk. Erik and I purchased a 40 and then a six pack of obsidian stout. We are on the last of the stout. I now know what all the high school stundetns were about. Damn am drunkk.

is if\un.

fun.

Happy everyone.


fox is happy bwecacuse fox is durnk .. erik said that ..

ugh feel a bit ill maybe.

but happy everyone!!!!

Date:	2004-11-17 01:21
Subject:	Troubled musings...
Security:	Public
Mood:	pissed off

I just heard about the video footage of the US Marine killing an apparently unarmed wounded man in a mosque. (Not having a TV I don't actually see these things- not sure if that's good or not) But even if he had a very legitimate reason for killing the guy it's just bad. He happened to kill this guy with a news crew standing there with tapes rolling. And we're basically fucked. It doesn't really matter what went on just what appears to have happened and all the hatred that killing this guy engendered.

Problem solver that I am I'm having trouble figuring a way out of the mess in Iraq and the more general mess that the US has gotten its self into. My only good idea so far has been to break our dependence on oil (real easy that one) and stop with the whole preemptive strike mentality. (But I guess I'm not running the government) I just know I really do not want to get drafted nor have to pay off the enormous debt that we're racking up for actions that I see as not all that effective. Is our government bankrupt yet?

Anyway it is way late.

Date:	2004-11-12 12:55
Subject:	Frozen food in the mail again...
Security:	Public
Mood:	working

So apparently the whole mailing food to business connections is a pretty common thing. Today an entire frozen turkey was shipped to our office for one of the reps who works in Eugene. I guess it's because we are the branch office but you'd think when you shipped perishable meat in the mail you'd make sure it got to the right place and that the person would be there to get it. I'm still at work. It's a really beautiful fall day outside, a bit nippy though.

The Nanowrimo novel goes... um slowly. I haven't written much. The story I'm writing is just kind of there, fluffy nothing. It doesn't have the drive of the last one. We'll see how it turns out.

What else has been happening... um, plum wine is good.

Date:	2004-11-03 13:57
Subject:	Too many doughnuts
Security:	Public
Mood:	just a little bit ill

Ugh. I've eaten three doughnuts so far (I'm at work) and I think that was a mistake. No Halloween candy today, though. Halloween was pretty fun. I didn't do too much. I dressed up as a pirate went to a video store and rented From Dusk Till Dawn.

I've started my Nanowrimo novel but I'm behind on the word count. Instead of writing yesterday I watched the election. Looks like we have another four years with Bush. Hopefully this isn't too bad of a thing.

Anyway, it is gorgeous outside!!! Sunny and slightly warm. : )

Date:	2004-10-18 00:31
Subject:	Round two, fight!
Security:	Public
Mood:	cranky at mr. computer

Grrrr... stupid computer crashed on me just as I finished my update but before I posted it. I got multiple general protection faults and mr. computer had to go to sleep. Of course it takes my computer close to ten minutes to get back online so it's really frustrating when this happens.

Let's see, what has been happening? The most exciting news is that my brother proposed to his girlfriend, Lisette, and they are now engaged! I went out to dinner with them Saturday and got to see her ring and catch up. (She has a very nice ring)

Hmmm... I still haven't figured out what I'm going to be for Halloween. I've had some interesting suggestions- a leprechaun, Riff (of sluggy freelance fame), and a clown (don't like this one). And there is always the fall back of being a pirate. But, I kind of want to do something a little more different this year.

I had a great costume idea for someone who is tall and skinny. Get a green clown hair wig and wear orange clothes. You'd be a carrot!

Last thing, November is coming up and you know what that means. Bad novels!! (well, in theory they could be good) National Novel Writing Month. http://www.nanowrimo.org/index.php?s=2 One month 50,000 words. I plan to do it again. So if anyone is interested in attempting the same feat it would be great to have some moral support and potentially another novel to swap and read.

Date:	2004-09-11 23:07
Subject:
Security:	Public
Mood:	mellow

Let's see fun things I have done this week... Monday I did some ice climbing on one of the glaciers on Mt. Hood with my dad. It was quite the experience! The glacier extends much farther down the mountain than I imagined, it just happens to be hidden under loose rocks and dirt. It was a bit difficult to hike over since we were essentially walking on ice under the somewhat thin layer of dirt and rock. Once we hit the glacier proper we put on crampons, those things rock! Walking on ice? No problem. The actual climbing was done in a crevice that we repelled down into. It wasn't more than fifteen feet deep though it looked deeper, which was a bit unfortunate since it meant the climb wasn't particularly challenging. But then again I've never been ice climbing before. On the way out we saw the perfect spot to climb... ah well. Hiking out on the glacier was awesome enough and the little climbing we did was fun. There was only one other group of climbers out besides us.

Other interest of note- I began to watch the old TV series Twin Peaks. So far it is really intriguing, well done, and weird.