Dvd @ MindSay

I really don't know why I don't update this very often.  It's not like I don't have things to ramble on about in a semi-coherent fashion.  Maybe I'm just lazy.  Maybe it's because MindSay is blocked at the office.  Or maybe it's because I like to at least put forth some entertainment value, rather than just blogging about A Day in the Life of Cardigan.  Be that as it may, here's the latest.

Things have been pretty good since returning from the East Coast.  I have to say, the trip really rejuvenated me.  Seeing old friends and my family was a most welcome thing and I've been in good spirits ever since returning.  And it really has been a while, hasn't it?  Almost three weeks. 

The one negative thing that happened (and it's minor) was that my less-than-a-year-old DVD player/DLP projector decided it no longer wanted to eject DVDs.  So I had to return it for repair.  Fortunately, it was still under warranty, so the only thing I had to pay was shipping to the facility.  And since it's here in California, it wasn't that expensive.  I got the machine back yesterday, and all is well.

Oh, the wine I brought back with me.  It survived the trip without breakage.  I opened a bottle of the Rattlesnake Red when my writers group was here, the day after I returned.  I sampled some of it.  And hated it.  But then, I've never liked wine, so this didn't surprise me.

Beer, however...  We brewed our latest batch on the 23rd.  It's a Cherry Bock.  Can't wait until bottling night, which isn't until June 5.  Damn lagers... taking too long to ferment.  However, until then, I've got plenty to hold me over.  My colleague at our D.C. office got me a short subscription to the Microbrew of the Month Club as a thank-you for the work I did there this year.  I received the first shipment yesterday, which has three bottles of four different brews.  Looking forward to sampling them.

Last Friday night, Shannon Curtis did a show here in town.  Ling came up for the show and stayed over.  It was very nice.  Tomorrow night is The Kimberly Trip, and Lilith and I will be there.

I've come to accept the fact that, in addition to falling for girls who work in coffee shops, I'm also a total sucker for girls with musical talent, especially vocal.  Seriously.  It's like ladyluck's thing for tall guys.  Add this factor to the mix, and they immediately become ten times more attractive.  Shannon's opening act falls into this category.  Pity I can't remember her name.

Well, that's not much of an update.  Certainly wasn't entertaining.  But it's time to head to the orifice.

At least it's Friday!

I thought it's been a while since i updated my dedicated readers (i've learned recently there are at least a couple!) on my life... as opposed to the more usual news stories that i find most interesting and share-worthy.  So, here it is:
I've been watching a lot of movies on DVD or online on Netflix, it's much more value for your money now that you can also watch a lot of them online from their Site.  Unfortunately, to do so, i have to use "the Borg's" [Star Trek reference] Internet Explorer instead of Mozilla Firefox which is what i prefer to use the rest of the time.  I also got caught up on The Office (season 2 & 3 via Netflix and season 4 via NBC's Website).  The Office (USA version) has an actor who is a Baha'i, by the name of Rainn Wilson, in case you didn't know.  He also had a supporting role in The Last Mimzy (love it!) and Juno, which i'm hoping to finally see this week, as it's playing at the Olympia Film Society's Theater this week. And on Lost, from the ABC website.
And in brief:
Had a stye on my left eyelid last week, didn't go to a doctor since i don't have medical insurance yet (but will soon-- see job news below) but managed to treat it with hot certified organic green tea bags over a few days (green tea has some anti-bacterial properties)-- and prayer    0;^) .
Almost finished studying Arising to Serve (Ruhi book 2) and looking forward to soon doing the practice for it.  Also, i'm currently facilitating a Twin Manifestations-- Ruhi book 4 study circle on Monday evenings, which is also very enjoyable.
On Saturday morning i observed the Bell Misogi and Aikido class at Olympia's fairly new Aikido dojo-- it's only been around for about a year and a half.  This Saturday or by next week i'm planning to start training there, even though my Gi is currently lost (i still hope it'll be found though), but they said i can train in street clothes for now, so i'm glad about that!
I recently finished reading The Kite Runner and will soon finish Khaled Hosseini's next book A Thousand Splendid Suns.  They're both great books!  Well worth reading.
And, i finally got hired for a full time job as an assistant teacher at a "Head Start" preschool.  I filled out the paperwork on Monday, lots of it :^p  And and got a clean bill of health from the doctor.  It's called "Roger's Head Start" and is on the same grounds as an elementary school and/or kindergarten in N.E. Olympia-- that's one of the great things about it: that it's in Olympia (as opposed to one of the many nearby towns)!  It's a full time job. (but not during the summer).  I'm very happy about it, i think i'll enjoy it much more than some of the other options that i looked at/applied for.  Together with the part time theater work i'll be able to get through the summer financially, now, even if i don't get a summer job, but i'm probably going to try to get one, anyway.
I'll be minding the kids on their bus rides and also assist in the classroom for the afternoon class so it'll still be a 40 hour week.  And i'll be able to get full Benefits through it (i.e. health insurance).  It pays $9.25/hr. Which is not all that much but good enough for now, since, importantly, it leaves my evenings and weekends free for Theater work and Baha'i activities.  I will be one of the follow-spot operators for The Rocky Horror Show in June and July which will be very fun, i'm really looking forward to it!

Dixie currently feels:

Worried

 

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I've spent my evening playing Guitar Hero III.

I managed to get 5 stars on Sabotage by The Beastie Boys, three times in a row - my score increased by a few thousand each time.

 

That's made me happy; as I've had the song in my head all day.

So what's better than coming home to play it. Tee hee.

 

After that, I got a few 100% clears on Medium - including Rock & Roll All Nite, Anarchy In The UK  and Holiday In Cambodia.

 

I'm soon to be working towards replacing my 5 stars on Hard level with golden stars for 100% clears.

Whew, that'll be a job and a half.

 

After I improved some scores on Career and Quickplay modes, I did a few Face-Offs over wi-fi connection.

I played a 3 match Hard VS Hard, then a 7 match Hard VS Hard - and won both times. Yay.

 

 

After I'd had enough, I watched all 6 episodes of The Catherine Tate Show, series 2 - on DVD - whilst e-mailing Emily, mainly moaning about my writer's block.

 

I'm so addicted, I even have an idea brewing for a Guitar Hero fan fiction - a combination of all four games, of course.

Though I have the urge to write a lot of things at the moment, I don't think I'll get anywhere with anything.

 

 

 

...Sigh.

I've just been cleaning my teeth.

 

As you all know, I'm very dentaphobic, and now I'm developing a fear of my own teeth.

...Two of them have been stinging a little. One of my back molars was tingling when I brushed it... It has a filling in it already, I think the enamel is erroding around it...

 

...One of my front insisors has a small chip in it. And I've just noticed a tiny flake of whiter enamel to the right of it. ...I wish so hard that it's not going to turn into another hole...

 

...I know, I've not stopped drinking all the acidic things, but...

I have started drinking less of them... And I'm drinking Pepsi Max - only 2 litres a week, and that has no sugar...

It still has acid, but... It doesn't have sugar...

 

 

...So I'm dreading my next Kerruish and Moore letter...

Who knew trying to find a (cheap) flight was such a pain in the butt!?!?!!?!

Oh well, it's worth it.  A trip in June for a weekend with 6 of my favorite people to maybe speak at a conference in CHICAGO??  Did I mention I'd be going with Val, Dan, Emily, Veronica, Bree and Symone?  Did I mention that it's in Chicago, a city I've dreamed of seeing since I was in 7th grade?

I just need the prices to stay low-ish while we hear back from the conference about whether or not we can speak...



****Last night was amazing****
Lisa, Lisa's parents, Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, Price is Right (with an amazing man from Iowa who was a butcher/hog farmer and who spun the wheel and it went for 5 minutes...oh William), Michaela, Ryan Campis and almost Joe W., Nicole, Joey, Quinlan and a few of their friends, Mr and Mrs. V, the video of FAMOUS FOLKS (I wonder if Danny Bisakko is still that hot, because if he is, I would love to say hello to him)... wow.

Who was on 'Famous Folks' last night - Dan Lackner (Sparky!!!!), Chris J knocking the cup of water over, Mickey, LeeJay, Me, Jenna, Lee Lum WEARING A GIANT MASK OF ABE LINCOLN, Matty Cox, my 2nd and 3rd grade boyfriends, Lenny WITH glasses, Nicole, ...it is just amazing.  Nicole's making me a DVD of it, and it will be superb.

I was thinking about the movie, La Historia Oficial (the Official History, or the Official Story) yesterday.  It's about Argentina in the 1970s, and Los Desaparecidos, the Disappeared, people who were taken from their homes and families, often in the middle of the night, because of their political beliefs and associations.  It's an amazing movie, and one of the main issues in it is the idea of the stolen child.  Many women who were pregnant and taken away had their babies stolen from them, and then those babies were often given to adoption agencies, where they were adopted by families; some who knew the child was ripped away from its mother, others who just thought it was up for adoption.  So, aolnews today was running this story:  http://news.aol.com/story/_a/adoptee-sues-parents-for-kidnapping/20080219193809990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001
and I don't know...it was just what I needed to see.  That Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo are still active, that people are still hunting for the truth, that the issue didn't just die with time.  It was a terrible thing that happened, but we never talk about it.

Much more shallowly, in the cool category, I got my computer the summer before freshman year of college, so summer 2003.  Never ONE TIME has he played a DVD.  He's a good boy, and he puts up with A LOT of stuff I put him thru, but Palmero (DUH he has a name!) has always had that flaw.  Plays CDs just fine, and I can watch things online or DL a video, but put something into one of the drives, and nada.  So I ordered a New Found Glory DVD recently, and it arrived last night.  For giggles, I put it into my computer this morning to see if there was a plain audio component before I asked my roommate if I could put it into her computer to be sure it worked...and it started playing.  My 5-year old and heaving computer has suddenly decided it is capable of technology.  Way to go, Palmero.  I love you more everyday :)

Also kind of amazing, two BLS videos on the internet.  And by videos, I mean...20-minute clips.  <33