I'm not sure I've ever had more mosquito bites at one time than I do now. I counted this morning, and I have almost 30. One on the back of each hand, three on my poor bald head, and a whole mess load on my legs. I itch.
We went camping this weekend, "we" being Cody, Sarah and I. Gail stayed at home with her folks, and enjoyed being kid free for a night. We did all the normal camping things, had a bonfire, sang songs, made smores, and generally had a good time. While I was enjoying myself, I wanted to get back home. The reason? Reason.
On Friday, before camping, the software I'd gotten off of eBay arrived. I finally, FINALLY have a copy of Reason to call my very own. I bought a never-registered copy of 2.0 for 200 bucks, and the guy selling it threw in a "Getting started with Reason" CD for free. After registering my copy of Reason with Propellerhead, I was entitled to the upgrade to 2.5 for free. Musicansfriend.com, one of my favorite online music stores, is selling Reason 2.5 for $350 bucks.
I think I made a good choice. I went out to Borders and got the Users' Guide to Propellerhead Reason 2. Now all I need to get is a Midi keyboard (I have a my eye on a Midiman Oxygen 8), and I'll finally be on my way to a home studio setup.
What a wonderfully foggy morning it is. The forecast called for "patchy" fog. What they should have called for was "Lots of fog, with some spots that are thicker than others".
I was riding the bike in, and there were parts along the way where I couldn't see the stoplight I was approaching, even though the left-turn lane had already started. Very dense in parts. I love fog, makes everything quiet (or as quiet as can be on a Harley) and surreal.
My in-laws have been visiting for the past week now. They're leaving Sunday. It's not near as bad as I tend to make it out to be with my friends. Granted, there's the computer related question, but I honestly don't mind those. Gail and her mom get to go shopping for clothes for the kids, in which my mother-in-law usually buys. She even bought Gail some new shoes last night. So, all-in-all, it's not bad having them here.
Geez, that makes it sound like the only reason I appreciate them is 'cause they buy my wife and kids clothes. Well, that's not true. They brought me a new Harley shirt from San Diego Harley-Davidson as well.
;)
On a side note, does anyone know where I can get more artwork such as the one here? I think this is really cool, and I found it on one of the Spymac forums. I've always liked this kind of pencil drawn type of image. It almost looks like it was a photograph that someone manipulated. If anyone knows how to do that, let me know! Oh, and if you're a photoshop guru, do you know how to do the Wall St. Journal effect they use in the papers? That'd be cool too ;)
Surprisingly, the wisdom teeth extraction wasn't as bad as I'd feared, or heard. After all was said and done, I went home and sat on the couch with a bag of frozen peas on one side of my face and a bag of frozen corn on the other. No swelling to speak of, and the pain has been such that the ibuprofen I'm taking has taken care of it.
Thanks to all who wished me well, including Heidi who I haven't talked to in ages and her hubby Allen, who apparently looked really bad after his ;)
Just kidding Allen.
So it's back to the salt mines today. Was hoping to stretch my wisdom teeth out to a four day weekend, but alas, I felt good enough to come into work this morning. We'll see how the day goes :)
I'm getting my wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow. All four of them. I originally thought I was going to have to just have the Novocain and nothing else, but thanks to a friends generosity, I'll be able to tell them to knock me out and don't wake me until it's over.
I have to admit, I'm nervous though. I don't like dentists.
And I'm going to be dumb now that my wisdom teeth are gone. Ok, dumber.
On Saturday, Cody and I went out to Pev's Paintball just outside of Leesburg. It was a birthday celebration for one of the kids, and it involved about 12 kids and 4 adults. Naturally, the week before the birthday party the kids were excited and "trash talking" all of us adults, the birthday boy in particular. When we were gearing up Saturday morning, and counting out our paint, he said "what, we only get 200 rounds each? Well, it's a good thing I brought my own!"
He then turned to me and said "I've got 200 rounds for you that I'm going to shoot you with." Then turned to his sister, dad and neighborhood dad and said in succession "And 200 for you, 200 for you, and 200 for you. I'm going to splatter you all!"
When we got to our field, the field judge said "Ok, what are the teams?" Naturally, ALL the kids yelled "Kids against adults! Kids against adults!" Heck, it was a birthday party, and I think all the adults half figured it was going to be like this. So we agreed and into the field we went.
I won't give a play by play recounting of how it went. I'll just point out some highlights, such as:
Having the birthday boy miss me with every single shot in the first round and me tagging him in the head on my second or third shot.
The adults winning all 5 games, even though we were outnumbered each time.
"Bunkering" one of the "Soon-to-be-Sponsered" kids. Bunkering is where you rush their hiding place and run by at full speed and just spray paint behind it as you go. The same kid had just explained it to me the round before. I'm a fast learner.
Cody providing the "cover fire" for my bunkering run. He had joined our team for the last two games, I think simply 'cause he wanted to be on my team, which I thought was really cool. I told him what to do, and he just stood right up and started pegging the bunker in question. It rocked.
Pegging the birthday boy in the fourth game, right in the chest, with one shot, from across the field. I was yelling at him from across the way "SEE!? ONE SHOT! THAT'S ALL IT TAKES!!!" Yes, I sunk to his level. I'll probably stay there all week too, just to gloat.
We had a great time, and Cody really enjoyed it. I'm hoping we can do it more often, as it was outdoors type of fun, which we don't do enough of. The whole hobby is damn expensive though.
But then, most of guys’ hobbies are, it seems. Ah well :)
You know, technology is cool and all, and I will forever be a gadget geek...but there is a place an time for everything.
Case(s) in Point: I was out riding back from lunch today, cruising up some back country road with our tech lead on the back of the bike. She'd been wanting to go out for awhile, and today was just about perfect, so we drove the 10 miles out to Leesburg for lunch, then back along twisty two-lane roads. Perfect. Well, coming back in to "civilization", we catch up to a guy in a Mercedes who is just all over the road. Ducking down, lifting his head back up, swerving left, swerving right...I backed off a bit. Turns out he's on his cell while trying to send a text page at the same time
Idiot.
Case #2 happened when I got back to work. Went to the bathroom. Standing there doing my business. And some guy in the stall starts talking on the phone to what I'm guessing was his girlfriend. Hello?! Can't you wait the 10 minutes and call her back?
We get to go to lunch to Pacific today, a kinda posh Japanese/chinese/something-iese restaurant, on the bosses tab. We have a co-worker who is leaving for Nebraska of all places. I get to do all her installer test cases now.
Ack.
Ah well. At least the IM's are still coming. This was kinda amusing, 'cause I didn't have to think (pretend?) too hard.
KuKLA31184 (12:40:54 PM): is this xshard? Shad (12:41:12 PM): No KuKLA31184 (12:41:25 PM): who is this? Shad (12:42:03 PM): Shad KuKLA31184 (12:42:25 PM): ok..thats ur name? Shad (12:42:39 PM): yes KuKLA31184 (12:42:44 PM): its andy huh? KuKLA31184 (12:42:56 PM): hey this is jocelyn Shad (12:43:11 PM): No Shad (12:43:15 PM): It's Shad Shad (12:43:20 PM): I don't know a Jocelyn KuKLA31184 (12:43:22 PM): well ur in my buddy list KuKLA31184 (12:43:35 PM): u m/f? Shad (12:43:49 PM): why did you put me on your buddy list? I'm not sure the doctor will allow me on a list... Shad (12:44:03 PM): what is u m/f? KuKLA31184 (12:44:12 PM): male or female Shad (12:44:16 PM): oh Shad (12:44:20 PM): I'm male KuKLA31184 (12:44:20 PM): what are you talkin about? what doctor? Shad (12:45:11 PM): buddy list...my doctor is not sure I can be on a list. My doctor said to integrate me back into society, I should first talk to people through a computer, and start socializing that way KuKLA31184 (12:45:44 PM): this is through computer KuKLA31184 (12:45:48 PM): ok...sorry KuKLA31184 (12:45:49 PM): bye KuKLA31184 (12:45:58 PM): are you a robot? Shad (12:46:04 PM): No... Shad (12:46:09 PM): I'm in a hosipital KuKLA31184 (12:46:23 PM): im sorry ..what happend? KuKLA31184 (12:46:45 PM): the hospital has AOL? Shad (12:46:53 PM): I don't know. Something happened, and they put me in a hospital KuKLA31184 (12:46:57 PM): where are you from? Shad (12:47:07 PM): It's not a hosiptal where you go for broken bones... Shad (12:47:26 PM): it's a place for people who need help when they are sick in the head Shad (12:48:09 PM): Mental hosipital. Shad (12:48:13 PM): I forgot what it was called Shad (12:48:19 PM): Sometimes the drugs do funny things Shad (12:49:24 PM): hello? Shad (12:49:28 PM): Can you be my friend? KuKLA31184 (12:50:38 PM): where are you from? KuKLA31184 (12:50:48 PM): amd I think ur tellin me lies here KuKLA31184 (12:50:59 PM): I know this is andy Shad (12:51:08 PM): I don't know an Andy. Shad (12:51:20 PM): I'm from the hospital KuKLA31184 (12:51:22 PM): kaye finch KuKLA31184 (12:51:30 PM): yep i know irts u know Shad (12:51:42 PM): My doctor says you want to know what part of the country I live in? KuKLA31184 (12:51:51 PM): yeas KuKLA31184 (12:51:55 PM): or state Shad (12:51:56 PM): I live in Florida Shad (12:52:04 PM): It's very pretty here KuKLA31184 (12:52:07 PM): where in florida? Shad (12:52:13 PM): I can see lots of trees from my window KuKLA31184 (12:52:34 PM): I bet you can KuKLA31184 (12:52:54 PM): so how is your family? im comin to atlanta soon to see ya Shad (12:53:11 PM): the hospital in florida. My family is not in atlanta. I don't know where they are KuKLA31184 (12:53:38 PM): k ill brb KuKLA31184 (12:53:53 PM): im sorry i have to go..it was nice meeting you shad Shad (12:53:54 PM): what is k ill brb? are you sick? Shad (12:53:59 PM): oh. Ok. Shad (12:54:06 PM): good bye. KuKLA31184 (12:54:10 PM): bye Shad (12:54:52 PM): thanks for being my friend today. I get a star because I made a friend
Ok, someone give me ideas for what to do next time I'm in the mood to answer these. I get probably half a dozen a day and ignore most of them...but occasionally I feel this urge....