| A few of the little things |
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| 09:08pm 18/11/2009 |
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Last night, after work, at 11 p.m. I purchased a medium coffee and maple frosted donut (because calories don't count after you've worked your tail off all day and then all night.) Then I drove down 128, down 295 and finally out west on Rte. 44 into Smithfield, RI, pulled over on the side of the road, reclined my car seat and watched for shooting stars for an hour and a half, facing west. I saw four.
First was a little scrape across the sky, nearly missed, from south to northeast. Gone in a flash, exciting nonetheless.
Second was a meteor scraping the curve of the sky at its farthest limits, arcing wide northeast to southwest, outlining the edge of the globe in a brilliant line of white, the far off, superheated molecules of the only life-sustaining atmosphere in the solar system, deftly soaking up kinetic potential.
Third was a lower and closer intruder, pushing through the atmosphere slow and wide in the same direction, drawing a long, thick line of white light that traveled short and faded slowly from a fat contrail to a narrow pencil line of superheated gases as its speed translated to luminescent energy.
Fourth must have also been low, as it was witnessed close to home at about 2:30 a.m., too near to Boston's light pollution to allow any but the lowest and brightest of meteors to show up. This last traveled south to north, and was gone in a flash.
I didn't get much sleep, but these four shooting stars were well worth the sleep deprivation. |
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| Some recent adventures |
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| 09:35pm 16/11/2009 |
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Hmm.... Well, my hate-hate affair with Boston continued Saturday, while searching for a restaurant in Boston. Yeah. I am usually bad at finding places in the city. How do you think I did with a place THAT WASN'T THERE ANYMORE? Not good, that's how I did. I circled Harvard Square at least five times - and it is no easy task to find your way onto the other end of Mass ave through there, either. The bus almost killing me was a nice touch.
Started running in the a.m. We'll see how long that lasts. I hope to make it permanent.
Work continues to be a marathon event. I am desperately thankful I have a week's vacation left. Ah, December, at my aunt's bed and breakfast in NC... |
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| Jackson and Farah? |
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| 08:04pm 25/06/2009 |
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Well, so long to you both.
Farah went down swinging, and though I lusted after her body, I am left in awe of her tenacious spirit. She was a bit unusual for a while, but so what?
Jackson, I often suspected, was a guy who never quite grew up, never quite understood how odd he seemed, and never managed to fully realize how unforgiving the world is of people who don't conform. I'm not saying his behavior was acceptable, but it struck me as more naive and unintentionally creepy than sinister, though that's obviously how it was interpreted. It's an ironic twist that his power and influence only served to fuel suspicion in public opinion about his personal life, even after he was acquitted of charges of molestation. I mean, I kind of wondered myself if he was really innocent, or if his lawyers were just the best legal gunslingers that the King of Pop could buy.
Is it possible for someone accused of that to ever wash the stigma away, no matter who innocent they may be in truth? I've wondered about that often when Jackson was in the news. His acquittal seemed only to keep him from jail, and did little to repair his reputation.
With their passing and that of McMahon, I suddenly feel like I've been around a while, a little like my life is theater, and the background, things like Rocky Point, The Station and people like Farah and Jackson, are fading, getting tattered, and falling apart. I don't like that feeling. |
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Read 2 - Post |
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| Pirate Faire! |
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| 07:45pm 20/06/2009 |
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A couple photos, from the totally awesome Pirate Faire Saturday. Show up Sunday. You'll not be disappointed:
( photos! )
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| Oh, the horror... |
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| 08:44pm 12/06/2009 |
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Phase two of the move-in is complete. (Phase one, unpacking boxes, is incomplete - landlady needs to clear some crap out of the back room before that can happen.) The fridge is cleaned out. So many empty/rancid things in there. Filled up a trash bag. Raccoons in the neighborhood are going to swear off garbage after tonight. (This followed the cleaning of kitchen surfaces and bathroom last weekend, for those keeping track.)
Anyhow, if you see a raccoon at the local McDonald's, blame me.
On the good side, since the roomie doesn't buy food or cook (there was mention of photosynthesis, and he does look slighty green), the entire fridge and freezer is mine. I may go buy some beer, just to have it on hand. I don't drink much at all, but now I have the space to offer a beer to a random guest. I've operated out of a cold cut drawer and half a shelf in a fridge for so long... It's hard to remember what to buy to fill all that space now.
I've made the acquaintance of a couple of the upstairs neighbors. They're nice. The fact that they're attractive women? Doesn't matter. Not at all. Now, where did I put that cup of sugar? Need to keep it handy... |
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| Owie - All moved. Did I mention Owie? |
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| 04:59pm 01/06/2009 |
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So, this missive comes to you from an undisclosed internet connection. I am moved in. Everything hurts. I am exhausted. But, all of my possessions are either at good will, the dump, or scrunched into my new, economy sized apartment. Thank God, though, not THIS economy sized.
I cleaned the bathroom. I wish I could make myself forget having done that task. It was horrifying. I'll spare you the details, which I'm busily working to wipe from my long-term memory. I also cleaned the kitchen, which was in nearly as bad shape. I must still tackle the fridge. Note to self: more attention must be paid to past tenant's housekeeping when scouting future apartments.
My cell doesn't appear to work inside this place. I've not yet worked out a solution, but it will likely involve Vonage for indoors, once the Internets are running again.
Now to sort through my remaining myriad posessions, and deciding their ultimate fate. Consering all the effort we put into moving (and thank you if you helped, you know who you are) I am seriously considering purging through bonfire.
I will slowly return to the world now. I'm glad to be on the other end. Now, the only sore muscles I get will be through deliberate exercise. I hope. |
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| Terminator...salvation? |
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| 09:31pm 24/05/2009 |
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Ah, not so much. This movie hovered near entertainment greatness, and then just gave up on itself. I was tempted at several points to wash my hands of this wonderfully special-effected, well acted and yet wholly fumbled movie:
( Spoilers, or, )So, clearly, Terminator Salvation was a title thought up tongue in cheek. There is no salvation here, unless you hoped to be saved from ever having to consider the Terminator franchise seriously again. This is a series of movies that should've ended two movies ago. Those films are something worth time traveling naked to prevent!
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Read 3 - Post |
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| Grrrrr... |
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| 07:27pm 18/05/2009 |
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Thanks, Fox25, for advertising your truck driver serial killer segment in such a way as to imply that all truck drivers are potential homicidal maniacs. You're doing your profession proud there. (The responsible tag line at the end doesn't really excuse your three-day hype job and the bulk of your reporting during the piece.)
MBTA - What is it that makes you think someone dumb enough to text while operating a train is going to pay attention to a sign telling them not to? Do a better job of screening your employees to avoid such behavior. Meanwhile, work out a new system to keep cell phones/etc. out of operators hands while they're on duty. Issue uniforms without pockets or something.
Joe Biden - Please, please start thinking before you open your mouth. It's beginning to become worrisome instead of funny.
Landlord - It's only two more weeks. Try to restrain yourself from measuring and sizing up the apartment during the few more days that it is my home.
Discoverer of the Jesus Cheeto - Thank you for your remarkable find. I wish to now make a pilgrimage to observe your religious snack-time marvel. To eat it. That's right. I'm going to totally eat your Jesus. If you didn't want that to happen, you should've seen Jesus in a piece of broccoli.
Coffeemaker - You are supposedly a gourmet coffee machine. I will have a decent cup of Joe out of you. You are the inanimate object. I am the human being. This ain't no Disney movie. |
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| Traveling man |
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| 02:02pm 16/05/2009 |
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Last time I did this, I had only been to a fraction of those states. Feels good to have visited more. |
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| A little privacy, here! |
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| 07:48pm 28/04/2009 |
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Hey, the Large Hadron Collider will be back, better than before, and better than scientists originally planned:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/04/28/collider.status.update/index.html
So, they're looking for evidence of the Higgs Boson particle, also known as the "God particle". I can't help imagining scientists peeking in at the particle, after which God notices them, utters an exasperated, "Doesn't anybody knock anymore?", and slams the door. Shortly thereafter, I expect God to start looking for his own place. Maybe a condo where the fees and meetings aren't too much of a hassle.
Or, if you're an alarmist, the new and improved collider will swallow the earth, wait eons for another one to pop up out of creation, and eat that, too.
Blasphemous thoughts, yes. I'm banking on that word being of import more among people than supreme beings, though.
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| On vacation. Editing navy blockade scene. Out of snacks. |
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| 06:08pm 28/04/2009 |
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My working vacation is going well. Been to the gym two days in a row, enjoyed four straight days of beautiful weather, slept in a lot, and got lots of work done.
Loafing is hungry work, it seems. After Fringe I'm bound for the market. I'm watching evening TV like a normal person! |
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| Necessity is the mother of addiction |
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| 07:40pm 20/04/2009 |
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Stopped in at the market to fill in some holes left from the last bachelor supply run. Lists? Who needs lists? Among the items my Bachelor Sense told me to pick up was a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Sadly, none of the options available by Mgrs. Ben & Jerry were my usual. I was forced to gamble. Smores flavor was a very good gamble. Maybe too good a gamble.
I am about 10 chapters away from finishing my first edit of the novel. Then, I have to go back and incorporate all the notes for each chapter from my writer's group. I've been working on this so long, half the people who've weighed in on the first half of this thing aren't part of our group any more. And there's a lot more work left yet.
I'd like to officially take credit for baconalia, the term. Baconalia the event is all Kate. In urelated news, I should start spending more time hanging out with Kate. Don't worry, Justin - my interest is entirely culinary.
Life was good today. Quiet, thanks to the Marathon. Usually, that just makes work a headache. That's it. Oh, and I was listening to NPR during the day. Apparently, there was something else going on in th world besides the Marathon. Hm.
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Read 3 - Post |
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