$14

07.03.2007

Last weekend while doing my weekly laundry I neglected to empty my pants pockets following a date nite with Gina. As such, I ended up laundering money. Three $20 bills and 14 $1 bills. I noticed it in the washer, and something in me always finishes up wet money in the dryer. It makes the money crisp, almost fake feeling, but I do it anyway.

After a week of forgetting I had the money while it sat atop the dryer, I decided it was time to use it. I had day-to-day expenses. Might as well use some cash instead of charging everything.

Southern Family Home Markets (formerly Bruno's) was my first chance to get rid of some crispy money! I went for a small conglomeration of groceries - tea, whatever else I had in mind for dinner, some munchies for guests that might be coming by later. I stood in line and counted out my ones - yep, still had 14 of them. The clerk scanned my items and told me the total: $14.79. Damn, I neglected to bring change! I used on of the twenties, still stuck with the crunchy ones.

McAlisters was my next chance as I went to lunch yesterday. As I left the office, I remembered a $3 off coupon on my desk, but I still had these ones to get rid of, so I continued on without it. I eat at McAlisters once per week at least (sometimes twice - as I did last week, sometimes more). My standard lunch costs just over $8. That would get rid of over half my ones! I enetered and went up to order, today from one of the managers who was manning a register. He took my order and I got out my money and heard something I wasn't expecting. "Nyah, it's on me today. You eat here enough you deserve a free lunch." But I've got money. I've even got coupons I can print out for almost free food at home. But it was an act of kindness, so I accepted his free lunch. Still had all of those ones afterward.

Target (always Target, I think) after lunch yesterday was my last chance to get rid of some ones. I didn't really have anything I needed to go after, I just stopped by the store on the way back to work. They had 12 packs of Coke on sale, so I picked up a few, followed by some toys for the guys at work. When I checked out, it was a little over $30 I didn't bring any of the twenties with me today. Dejectedly I pulled out my credit card and made my purchase and continued on my way.

Still got that $14 today. Don't have any purchasing trips planned in the foreseeable future, though.

Permalink random

Legos!

06.26.2007

Lego Alien Chestburster. With Lego blood!

38 and I still think this kind of stuff is cool to look at.

Permalink random

Behind The Times

06.25.2007

There are times when phenomena sweeps the interweb and everyone gets caught up in it. The Star Wars Kid, All Your Base Are Belong To Us, and my perennial favorite Badger Badger Badger are just a few of those phenomena.

But how often do you get to be at the start of a phenomena? To be one of the staff bearers for what will be talked about, searched for, and passed from person to person the world over? For me, today is that day. Today is the day the Angela's Asses rules the world! Need proof?

• Proof.
• Proof
• PROOF!
• Prooooof!

Does it matter that I don't know Angela? Does it make a difference that I have no idea what her face looks like? No. No, I say. I'm at the forefront of a phenemenom!

Permalink

Reading IS Fun

06.18.2007

I've been sorting through things at home trying to get a little better organized (one of my favorite hobbies) and came across a stack of books I've yet to read. Thanks to an incident from the early 90's that I won't go into detail about, I've gotten into a habit that if I see a book that looks interesting enough to one day read, I'll go ahead and get it so that I won't forget the author or title or some other tidbit that will make it impossible to find at a later date.

I've got books that I've started to read, yet quickly found myself not in the mood for that particular story so I put the book back for another chance later. I've got books I've never picked up that first time. I've got books that I've started but know I will never finish.

Most of my books are science fiction, although I've found that I also like biographies, especially business biographies. Although I like science fiction, I dislike fantasy. I admit, it's odd. I hate fantasy stories that suddenly make up a Shroud of Umpulumpa to get our of a predicament, bet I seem to be fine if a Monofilament Technobauble will do the same thing.

Working with the kids I do these days, I started to wonder if any of them still read a good book every now and again. With that in mind, I now present my favorite science fiction books. Two of them have been turned into movies that either sucked or had little to do with the book.

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. I think this book was first published in 1958. It's about patriotism at its core, but the story and presentation is what wrapped me up in the book. This is one of the few (if not only) books I've ever read in a day.

Forever War by Joe Haldeman. This one came out in the 70's, and the concept of the story that soldiers travel in suspended animation between battles while society changes is just a plain fun read. I often find that if I read Starship Troopers again, I tend to read this one soon after.

Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 by L Ron Hubbard. Hubbard has lots of politics that go along with his stories, but I was ignorant enough when I first read this book that I ignored anything there that might be present and just enjoyed the story. It's one of the few books I remember getting caught up in and wondering what was going to happen next. Being a notoriously slow reader, this is also the only 1000+ page book I've read more than once.

Enders Game by Orson Scott Card. Although I found the story a little slow, it's well written with characters that stay with you. The ending was also one that snuck up on me, but was totally beleivable, especially considering the sequels that followed.

Killerbowl by Gary K Wolf. It feels like football meets Rollerball. The pacing of the story along with the imagery created is what makes this one stand out. After checking it out repeatedly from the library back in high school, I found a copy at the Books a Million hard-to-find books section one day... that came from a library in California.

Permalink movies/tv/dvd

Kennedy McMahon Coo Coo or Crazy

06.13.2007

Monday night on Raw, wrestlers past and present were giving their derogatory views on Vincent Kennedy McMahon. My favorite was a vignet by Superfly Jimmy Snuka and the Iron Shiek, neither of which is known for their exceptional speaking ability.

Here's a transcript of what I was able to figure out:

Superfly:
Vince McMahon, there's only one thing the Superfly like to tell you bruddah. I appreciate all those years witchu and you're father, but dere's one thing I want to understand that when I watch that TV I notice that something is not right bruddah. I don't know if, ah, the coo-coo bird is, ah, is wiping away there I just want to know why are you, you know, different? I don't understand, bruddah.

Iron Shiek:
What? Superfraw, I don't blame Kennedy McMahon van coo-coo or crazy. Because I watch the match and between him I said Donald Trump the richest man and all of a sudden come attacked Mr McMahon from behind. And and take him down. And cut him, double cross him, cut his hair. Dat's because he went coo-coo. I don't blame him, but still Kennedy McMahon, you play racquetball with me, your son wrestling with me. And still you are great athlete. You're Allah. You're Mohammad.

I never claimed the transcript would make sense. That's just what I heard.

Permalink wrestling