Future Poltergeist

I have to work tonight and I think it's the first Sunday that I've worked in about 14 years. Back in the day I worked Sundays quite a bit. I did closing shifts at McDonalds most Sundays. I worked at the bar most every Sunday; it was taco night. When I moved up to the Cities I worked Sunday nights at Pizza Hut. That's just the way it was. Way back in '97 I moved out to Colorado Springs (fourteen years ago today!). After some hunting around got a job waiting tables at an Old Chicago. I don't remember why but I decided to draw a line and tell them I was unavailable for work on Sunday. Was up front and told them that was my day for watching football. They were fine with that and I spent every Sunday right back there watching games and playing trivia. (It was one of my favorite football seasons, in spite of the team but because of the place where I watched games.) When I moved back to Minnesota I was done with restaurant work and actually did Monday through Frid...

Let's try this format: Relia is home from her overnight with Grandma D. She is demanding her ballet outfit and asking questions at a rate of 5000 QPH. I don't know if we need a nanny but sometimes I wish we employed someone to simply answer her questions. The DF is taking a good afternoon nap. He has a molar coming in so his overnight sleeping has been a bit iffy. (No big complaints there. We've been very lucky in this regard.) The FP Gal is painting my childhood piano. The wood grain is the wrong tone for our house. It somehow clashes with our wooden floors, panels, etc. So she is painting it black . I've had a bit of a nap myself. Necessary since I have to work tonight. But . . . that deserves a post of itself. It is still hot here. Sunny, hot and humid. This is turning into my least favorite summer for weather ever. Follows my least favorite winter. Guh.

Unconnected to any conversation in the car . . . Relia: Why do giraffes eat leaves? Just tell me! We believe that some animal eating habits are on a 'need to know' basis I guess. Then she went on to ask us about a time at the zoo that she thought 'might be a dream' when Grandma D fed a cracker to a giraffe. We assured her that it did in fact really happen. There is even video .

This is a 2011 Hugo Nominee The basic idea here is that sometime in the next fifty years time travel is invented. A group of scholars in Oxford use this to travel back to earlier eras to witness events. These books focus on a set of said travelers that go to Britain in World War 2. There is an important aspect of the time travel in that the process itself won't allow travelers to be seen coming or going. If a bystander is around then the 'jump' simply won't open. This means that crowded areas come with a strong challenge. This process also creates a bit of drift in arrival times, sometimes only minutes, sometimes days or weeks. Got all that? The travelers in Blackout and All Clear soon find that the drift in their time period is very large. They also find that they can't find their way back. Try as they might, they're stuck in London during the Blitz. That means that every night they have to out guess the Nazi bombers. They have some knowledge of what ...

Found here . That level of damage is just beyond my thinking in today's world.

Last night I got a call from a very nice young woman who was looking at information for a possible change of flight plans for her boss. She didn't want to make a change yet, just needed to understand times and prices and that kind of thing. This is a very typical call, the type we get every day. About a half hour later she called back to go ahead with the change. We talked through it to make certain we were both on the same page. Again, nothing unusual. But then she said, "this is going to sound a little strange". Um, ok . . . She continued, "When we talked earlier I had you on speaker and another lady was with me. Now, I'm a Christian so don't take this the wrong way, but when she heard you, she got this sense that there was something wrong with your mother. Or maybe something wrong with your relationship with your mother." Ok, that is not a typical part of our calls. I said, "Uh . . . I don't think there is anything wrong with her. ...

I think something is going through a flowering stage in our neck of the woods. Trees or something. In any case, my allergies are flaring. I've woken up with stuffy head and headache the last couple of mornings. My morning Claritin taken care of it but not today. All day long I've been tired, fevery and had trouble thinking straight. Each of those are good reasons to dip into my sick time at work and tonight I'm doing so. They're better off without me tonight anyway. Btw, for those who care, my schedule changes as of next week. I'll be working Sunday through Tuesday night.

I really should write something about the concert last night, for posterity if nothing else. I'm resistant because a review of something like a musical concert is difficult and unsatisfying at best. So I'll just do some general description stuff and see what else comes out. If you're interested, the set list is here . We took advantage of our baby-sitting (thanks Nana!) and went out to eat before the show. Meigan offered us use of her driveway if need be so we parked at her place. We took our time to get there and missed the opening band, someone named Interpol. When we got to the stadium they were getting the stage set for the band. The FP Gal took some before pictures and posted them here . You can't see it well but the screen on the claw showed us the time in various other cities (btw, Hilo is in Hawaii, and didn't fit the time they had on the screen). They also showed various global countdowns, including absurdly precise dates for when we 'run out...

Tonight while walking around one of our many fine lakes, a lady passed by walking her dog. Relia gave her a big wave and said, "Easy peasy!" The lady broke out laughing and so did we. Where in the world did that come from? Meanwhile, near the end DF decided it was time to say 'hi!' to everyone. Not people so much as trees and passing cars. Still very cute though. For those scoring at home, the FP Gal and I had no interesting interactions with any strangers.

I'm in a very Kate Bush place today. Had this song running through my head this morning when I woke: An acquired taste to be sure but I love her music. I played some of her other videos on the TV this morning and Relia told me they were beautiful. Hope she still thinks so as she grows up more. This particular song is off of Bush's latest album 'Ariel'. Lots of lush and gorgeous music there.

(via Instapundit ) Here is an article on what makes the Jaguar E type so pretty . Pictures at the link and golly, that is a pretty car. Jags are high up on my someday rich wish list. Maybe not this model specifically but the company does make some very nice vehicles. I'm sure I could find something that I like. I don't understand why current car companies don't use more vehicles from the past. There are only about half a dozen cars from the past twenty years that cause heads to turn where ever they go. Off the top of my head: VW Beetle Cooper Mini Smart Car Hummer PT Cruiser Three of those are notable based on their size. The Beetle and Cruiser however are lookers almost solely because they harken back to a different era. Both are based on proven looks and both of them had waiting lists of people waiting to buy them. Why doesn't this go on more often? I'd especially like an updated copy of (not too updated) of a BMW from the 30's. The next time you wa...

I enjoyed this book review from Mythbuster's Adam Savage. The book is called 'The Practical Pyromaniac'. Excerpt from the review: "The Practical Pyromaniac" provides no-nonsense walkthroughs of a host of excellent, intriguing and magical experiments (with plenty of very sage safety talk and advice). Detailed and thoughtful instructions lead aspiring firebugs from creating an olive-oil lamp and one-candlepower engine to making an operating fire piston and a blindingly bright arc light. Some of the experiments contained in this book are simple; some are reasonably complex. Many are potentially dangerous, but Mr. Gurstelle carefully explains why they're dangerous. Knowing exactly why stuff is dangerous is 90% of safety. I'm not lonely for fire today but I have very fond memories of playing around with flames. I remember back in the day (back in Austin) when we could pile up leaves in the driveway and burn them. Nothing evokes Autumn more for me ...

It is very, very swampy here in our neck of the woods. High temps and high humidty and the dew point? Well, it is in a bad place. (I'm just going to go ahead and admit that I don't really understand the dew point. The higher it is, the more uncomfortable? Is that right?) I've always thought that 100% humidity should mean that you are underwater. If there is still air around you then the humidity can't be the full 100, right? Well, we feel like it is very close to that here. Like just one more little nudge and it would be like being at the bottom of a very hot pool. Earlier tonight we left Target and both the FP Gal and I were instantly blind as our glasses fogged over. I've run into that a few times in the winter but never in the summer. This morning we were at SeaLife (or what it's called now, the aquarium at the MOA) and the tanks there were sweating. It should be like this through Wednesday. Work is going to be hell this week. I'll be packing ...

Before you read this post, please read this . Go ahead, I'll wait. Ready? Wasn't that sweet? Ok, so you may know that the FP Gal and I met online some seven years ago. (At least that is what the calendar says. Somehow it was both forever ago and last year.) I had been doing the online dating thing for about six months before we connected. We had both been active on Match.com and Yahoo personals but it took a while before we found each other. I had made a decision that I would try one more batch of girls and if none of them worked out, I was going to pull up stakes and move out west. Sure enough, we clicked and if you've been reading this blog you know that it has all worked out very well. Still wish we could move out west though . . . Anyway, we has also both been on eharmony.com at an earlier point. I always giggle when I hear their commercials. They promise some huge level of satisfaction but that wasn't the way for me. In four months I had a grand total o...

This is a 2011 Hugo Nominee. 'The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms' is placed firmly in the fantasy genre. The titular world has recovered from a literal war of the gods. The aftermath of this war frames the entire set up of the book. To wit, this world originally had two gods, one of day and one of night. Eventually the two somehow created a third to represent the twilight period. War broke out and the day god was victorious. The twilight goddess was killed and the night god was imprisoned in a mortal body and, along with some lesser gods, left in the power of those who were loyal to the winning side. With this power they became rulers of all of the 100,000 kingdoms of their world. Got it? Our story opens with a young girl named Yeine who has been summoned from a backwater kingdom to the very ruling city. She has been asked to compete for the honor of being the next ruler. Her mother had been next in line but she fled in some unnamed horror and married far beneath her. Yein...

Interesting article at i09 on how researchers use the game 'Civilization' to test computer intelligence and adaptability. It seems that it really helps to actually read the manual or something. Will have to try that in the future. Geek that I am, I'd like to see a breakdown of different ways that they won (i.e. Military, Cultural, Science) and if that percentage changed over time.

My work office is up on the third floor. The desk faces a south window. The view is of the top of our neighbor's house and their tree and a bit of sky. The last couple of nights the moon has sailed into view, wandered through the branches of the tree and then off to wherever it goes. Quite lovely! Oh, and I should mention that I used a thunderstorm to put Relia to bed the other night. She was having trouble sleeping on Sunday. The FP Gal and I had both been up to her room several times. Then we heard thunder and our house let out it's goose call that means strong winds. I went up to her room and suggested that she pull her curtain back and watch the lightning. That was the last we heard from her that night. I can remember many a night back in Austin when I had trouble sleeping and watched big storms roll through. Waiting for the flashes of light is hypnotic (or something). Anyway, it worked. Now if only we could have those storms more often . . .

While feeding DF lunch: Me: Are you ok? Do you need more? Should I take the rice off of your neck?

Friday's picture was from China. Any guesses on this one?

About time I do another reading update, methinks. I've been working my way through this year's Hugo novels but I think I'm about at an end for that. I was very excited for last year's six novels but not so much this time around. Five novels this year and I only finished two of them. Gave up on two and the third one is both a) the twentieth in a series and b) not available for the Kindle. I'm not willing to plunk down $18+ for a hardcover copy of a book that would is already so far downstream of its own beginning. I'll review the two that I finished (promise!) but I should probably do at least small reviews of the two that I gave up on. Ready? Feed by Mira Grant - Placed some time in the near future comes the most annoying book I've run across in some time. At some point in the past a zombie outbreak has occurred. The MSM didn't cover it well and this allowed bloggers to become prominent. 'Feed' is told in first person by an overly preci...

It doesn't even register when you walk across plastic refrigerator letters.

Today was a good day. We left the house late in the morning and did some heavy garage sale work. These are good days for the family. Relia is learning some lessons about having and spending money. This time it involved a small bear. No, let me back up a bit. The first place we went to today was overpriced. They wanted to sell kids books for half price or so. Um, no. Not at a garage sale. Everything there was at least two bucks. That includes the toy cell phone that DF picked up. He loves to work with phones and remote controls. Not a surprise, or at least I guess that most kids do. He has quickly learned that if mommy or daddy are on the phone that it is fun for him to talk too. His sister feels the same but moreso. It makes phone calls at our house interesting. Anyway, DF found a toy cell phone there. It has brightly colored buttons. It talks about shapes. It plays little songs. He loves it. And so does Relia. She was immediately jealous and wanted to play with it. ...

Two points to the first commenter who correctly identifies the country this is from.

We've entered a new phase in DF's childhood. He is now old enough to start fighting against bed time. Good Lord, I hate this phase. We've had exactly one easy night this week in putting him down for the night. That was on Monday when we kept him up extra late while we waited for fireworks. Meanwhile, Relia hasn't been any easier. Her crisis has been in the afternoon though. There comes a time when she desperately needs a nap and we go through some hard decisions as to whether or not to let her take one or not. If she doesn't take it then she becomes very difficult to be around. If she does take it then bedtime is horrendous. As a bonus she wakes up with the disposition of a nightmare. Seriously, I'm convinced that 'the Exorcist' was inspired by a three year old girl who needed a nap. Ugh. Looking forward to being past this.

This is one of those posts that will horrify Relia in her teen years. Sorry hon, I just found it to be too cute! My regular break from work at night happens about 8p. This works well since that is also when Relia is in the midst of the bedtime process. We usually trade hugs and kisses, the exception being when she has conked out earlier and given the FP Gal an easy night. Tonight she met me in the hall all scrubbed clean and told me that she got new panties and 'guess what? They have PONIES!'. She nearly vibrated with excitement. Good for her. Once you grow up they stop letting you buy underwear with things on them and you no longer get excited.

Overhead view of Manhattan, 1944.

DF has added one big new word: Noooooooo . . . ! The tone is more playful than negative. And he really doesn't have a feel for what it means. For instance, he uses it when he actually does want bread. It is awfully fun. I don't know if I've mentioned it but he also is very generous with 'Hi!' when confronting strangers. Just like his sister. They are quite the tandem.

Try to answer without resorting to search engines or other resources, please. In what summer were these songs the #1 hits? Everything She Wants - Wham Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears Heaven - Bryan Adams Sussudio - Phil Collins A View to a Kill - Duran Duran Everytime You Go Away - Paul Young Shout - Tears for Fears The Power of Love - Huey Lewis and the News Leave answers in the comments.

This is pretty cool .

Last week the FP Gal got wind of a garage sale all the way up in Mahtomedi, one that was at least partially run by my cousin Pat. She was gone when we got there so I tried to 'put an offer down' on the Patty wagon. No sale, of course. Eventually she did show up and we got to spend some very nice time together. I only made one purchase at the garage sale, a cookbook. I'm on the search for recipes that I can make and these were all single page endeavors so I thought I'd give it a look. And it was only 50 cents. A deal! The book is set up like a three ring binder, each page is a single recipe and each page is removable. As we drove home I thumbed through it. There was a section on sauces and condiments and it only had two pages in it. I mentioned this to the FP Gal and wondered why they bothered making a whole section for two pages. She asked me if some of the pages were missing. Yeah, yeah they were. I only had recipes #4 and #19. That means (at least) sevente...