Welcome to my little corner of the web.
This is the place where I rant, write little things about
my day, and make comments about the rare updates to this page.
07/26/2010:
I haven't been feeling very well the last 5 days or so. General anxiety, tension, upset stomach. Definitely worse while
I'm working. Felt OK on the weekend, though not as good as I'd hoped. I hope to go to the gym tomorrow morning, before
work. I haven't gone steadily for a couple of months now; with the heat and humidity, I just haven't felt like it. The
humidity has been lifted today and it is supposed to stay like this for the rest of the week, so hopefully I can get some
exercise in and feel better in general.
We picked up a Netflix subscription last month. It has been great so far. We've watched a few movies, and have started
watching Lost. I'm almost done with Season 1 now, and I'm loving it. They have 5 seasons streaming on Netflix, and
the last I can get on DVD.
07/15/2010:
Had a fantastic Slobfest weekend last weekend. We gathered at Rob & Brittany's for a weekend of gaming and good times.
Total assembled: myself, Sean, Mark, Roland, Rob, Brittany. I ran the D&D campaign, the rest played. There was much fun
had by all and we look forward to the next one.
On Friday, one of the fillings in my teeth came loose, and it fell out on Saturday. It was one of my larger ones, so there
was some pain, but nothing a couple of Aleve a day couldn't take care of. I got it refilled this morning, and hopefully it
stays put this time. I expect it'll be a little painful and sensitive for the next few days, but that isn't a problem; at
least it's not a gaping hole now.
I have been feeling pretty worn out this week. Work has been very busy, to the point of overwhelming sometimes, as I try to
get everything done and it sometimes just doesn't happen. I may be putting a couple hours of overtime in this weekend
(voluntary) to get some of our requests cleaned up. I have also submitted to have Monday off, and that was approved,
so yay 3 day weekend. I plan to spend it doing yard work and RELAXING. My mind needs a break, before it breaks.
07/09/2010:
Time gets away from me. There have been things going on, updates to make, but I just haven't.
I've been feeling pretty worn down this week. I am blaming the humidity for most of it. 90+ degrees every day (over 100 on
at least two I think) and heavy humidity makes me an unhappy person. That kind of weather makes me feel ill if I'm outside
in it for much time, so I tend to stay inside in the cool A/C. But that means less sun and less fresh air, so I feel...blah.
The temperature has been dropping the last couple of days. Was mid-90s yesterday; supposed to stay in the 80's today I think.
I have mostly-inside plans for tomorrow but hopefully I can get outside for a little while, and also on Sunday. It may rain,
which would be good. If it's not too wet, I will get out regardless.
Chips isn't doing so well. He has lost most of the strength in his back end, though he is maintaining enough strength to still
get around the cage, up and down the ramps. He is still eating and drinking; all good things. But I still worry about him.
He is into old age for a rat; 2 years and 9 months. We always want them to live forever, yearn for it, even though we know
that's not possible. It can be incredibly saddening sometimes. But we get him out when we can and cuddle him and let him
wander around and continue to live the good life he has had. As long as he is comfortable and happy, that is what matters
most.
06/20/2010:
Up until recently, we had mice in our house. Lynx caught one while I was on vacation; Joanna found it dead on the kitchen
mat one morning. He caught another one the night after I got back from Utah, and Joanna happened to be up. She wasn't
able to turn her back and let him kill it, so she captured it and put it in one of our small cages. The next day, I set
the have-a-heart traps and caught 3 more mice, all of which were deposited in the cage. Last Wednesday, after waiting 2
full days without catching any additional mice, we drove them several miles away and deposited them outside an abandoned
house, where they will hopefully have a good life. The have-a-heart traps are still set. I'm going to leave them set
for another week or so to see if there are any lingering wild rodents about. Hopefully not.
I have been extra tired lately. Not sure if it's the changing, more humid summer weather or something else. I know I
definitely did not sleep well last night, and that had me feeling blah earlier today. I do feel better now. Hopefully I
can get into bed at a decent hour and get a good night's rest. Back to work tomorrow, in Hartford.
06/10/2010:
Cheese passed away last night. He had been losing weight and some strength, but even yesterday afternoon he was bright-eyed
and energetic, coming out to lick our fingers and climb the sides of the cage. I went to feed the boys last night and
he didn't come out for food (unheard of for any of the boys). I found him in the top-most hammock on the bottom level, and
he had already passed. He
must have passed very quickly, which is a mercy... but the unexpectedness of it has left us surprised and saddened.
06/09/2010:
My trip to Utah was very enjoyable and relaxing,
but I am having trouble getting back into my usual routine. I blame the time difference in part; they are 2 hours behind,
so when I wake up here at 7:30, it would be 5:30 there. I have been having trouble getting to sleep, though, and keep
waking in the night, so I haven't felt very rested these past couple of days. I'm hoping a relaxing weekend will help.
06/07/2010:
Got up around 9:30. Hung around the house a few hours, reading and watching some TV. Meghan came home from work around
12:45, and we got to hang out for a little while before she drove me to the airport. Both flights home were delayed,
but the trip was otherwise uneventful. I took some dramamine before the first flight, and it definitely helped. Both
flights were pretty smooth. We touched down in Hartford around 12:45, and I was back at the house by 2 am.
I slept very well in my own bed. I dreamed vividly, but I do not remember any of them.
06/06/2010:
Julie sent me her address, and I will be leaving around noon today to drive out and see her. We are both excited for
the meeting. She has fae in her, I am certain. I look forward to spending some time with her. I am also looking forward
to driving around on my own for awhile. Will just need to get used to driving stick again. It will come back to me.
Driving stick wasn't so bad (only stalled it once), and seeing Julie was great. To be in another fae presence who knows
what she is was very relaxing. In talking with her, I learned a little more about myself, about the thoughts that
weigh me down and keep me from moving forward. It was a fantastic visit. I hope to repeat it again sometime in the
next few years, and I plan to keep in touch with her.
Watched Anchorman with Meghan, and then we hung out for awhile and worked on the sprinklers. After a nice
dinner of burgers and corn on the cob, we witnessed an awesome thunder and lightning storm. It was powerful, magical. I
wished Joanna was there to see it, Ashe, Julie. I felt very close to nature, very free, relaxed, enlightened, brought
to wonderment.
06/05/2010:
I slept ok, but woke up a few times, overheated. I woke at 9, then went back to sleep for an hour and got up at 10. I
dreamed, but the dreams were vague and I cannot remember a single bit of them. I woke feeling ill and dehydrated. After
some water and, eventually, a little food, I feel a little better. My head is still woozy and my stomach a little sick.
I miss home: Joanna, Lynx, the rats, sitting on my own couch, sleeping in my own bed. I look forward to returning there.
I am hoping to see Julie tomorrow. I am waiting for her to send her address so I can put it in my GPS.
Meghan and I went to see Splice in the afternoon. It was less horror than expected, and more sci-fi. It still
fucked with the mind, and it was very enjoyable. Had some unexpected surprises, too.
After the movie, it was back home, then a nice walk around the block. We walked the horse trail awhile, then circled
back to the street. There are some big, beautiful houses out here.
After the walk, we had a tasty dinner of fajitas with a choice of fillings: chicken, cilantro, cheese, cooked peppers
& onions, corn, avacado. After dinner, I read and we watched TV awhile, then I put some icy-hot on my back and went to
bed. I fell asleep almost immediately.
06/04/2010:
Slept well. 9 hours. Stomach feels better, but my right shoulder is very sore. Will stretch out after my shower.
Dreams were again very vivid (will later update my Dream Log with the dreams.
Meghan, JJ, and I went up to Alta and Snowbird around noon. Only a 20 minute drive from the house, but up 4000 feet
(elevation up there is 8500 feet). The elevation made my head feel a little loopy, and my stomach was already overtight,
but it was a nice little jaunt. The views were beautiful (took some nice pictures) and the air was very crisp, clean,
refreshing. My head felt better once we had come down a couple thousand feet.
Spent a few hours relaxing at the house, until Ashe showed up at 5. Her and I then left, and drove to Salt Lake City,
to a Mormon temple there. I am not allowed inside the temple proper, but we went to the visitors' center. It was nice
to walk around in there. I can't pinpoint my feelings, but it was pleasant, even relaxing. I got to see the cut-away
temple replica, which was impressively detailed. We sat awhile on the upper level, in view of a statue of Jesus backed
by a cosmic layout, and talked. We left awhile later and made our way to the bellydancing show at Westminster College.
We arrived one show before intermission, but that was fine. We were still there almost 2 hours, and it was very powerful
and entertaining.
It was 10 when we left, and we were both hungry, so we found a Dees and had dinner there. After dinner, we went back to
Meghan and JJ's, and sat in the truck for over an hour, chatting.
Throughout the night, we spoke of bloodlines, totem animals, energy transferrance. I first heard the term "hand wizard",
and I knew I am one even as it was spoken. We spoke of dragons and dragon half-breeds, of which Ashe is one and I,
thankfully, am not. I admitted to her I am half angelic, which I keep hidden much of the time, to which she said "of
course". She learned more about how my energy flows and why I cannot sense people like she can. I reveled in the
presence of someone with such power and energy and such control over it. It was very real and solid, even in things
that feel like they should be unreal. It is good to be our true selves. She showed me a place near my heart that is
one key to my sleep; 2 others at my temples. I learned through words everyone has points that can be manipulated with
the right touch, to invoke three basic things: sleep, sexual desire, and anger. There are subtleties and variations
on each, this I know.
Eventually, we were both tired out and ready for sleep, so Ashe went home and I went inside. I brushed my teeth and
went to sleep. It was 1 a.m.
06/03/2010:
Slept very well, and long: about 11 hours. Dreams were vivid and busy. Showered. Still feeling a little zoned out but
more relaxed and less tense.
Ran some errands during the day, then spent time at the house. Had lunch outside, then spent some time talking to Meghan
and working in the garden.
Went out to the Point in the afternoon to watch the paragliders and hang-gliders. Really beautiful. It was very
interesting to watch them take off. Got some pictures. Meghan and I took a short walk. I felt like I got too much
sun, so we sat in the shade awhile, and I felt better. JJ offered me a
tandem ride, but I wasn't feeling up for it. Plus, as we were arriving, paramedics were bringing down an injured
paraglider who had crashed into the mountainside a little while before; that had me feeling a little on edge as well.
Dinner later was tasty fish in a lemon mustard glaze., tater tots, and romain salad. It was very good, but I felt ill
afterwards. Still shedding stress; I need to try not to stress about it.
06/02/2010:
Travel has a certain smell associated with it, which simultaneously invokes feelings of both anxiety and comfort,
confinement and freedom.
Flight from Hartford to Detroit was tolerable. Empty seat on my right, but engine on my left. The landing was the
worst part; we came in through clouds and turbulence, the remains of a recent thunderstorm. At least I have a few minutes
to sit (on a window sill) before my next flight.
Next flight was ok. Still had a window seat, but the man next to me was large, so I felt cramped in the corner for the 4
hour flight. I dozed fitfully, then had a major motion sickness / panic attack during landing. It was terrible, and I
was very happy to get off the plane.
The rest of the day was much more relaxing. Rode home with Meghan and spent a lot of time in her recliner. The house
is spacious and very relaxing. I have my own guest room and bathroom to use.
05/30/2010:
We went to Petco today to pick up a few supplies. While there, we saw a white girl rat in a cage all by herself, so we
decided to give her a good home. We brought her home and named her Zinnia.
She is probably about 12 weeks old, and she is very cute, but is a little scared of us. She
will come around in a short while, I imagine. Clover and Iris haven't been bothering her much; they are giving her
her space, which is good of them.
05/27/2010:
Serena came to visit us last weekend, and we had a great time. She arrived late Friday night (later than she had hoped; she
hit some unexpected construction traffic on 95). After unwinding for a bit after the trip, she headed to bed and I did the
same (Joanna had headed to bed about 30 minutes before the arrival).
On Saturday, Serena and I went hiking with Rob, Brittany, Sean, Sarah, Ian, and Mckenzie. We hiked a nice trail on Mount
Tom, then had a little cookout in a field. Before and for awhile after food, we tossed a frisbee and kicked a soccer ball
around. It was good clean fun :) Midafternoon, we all headed out in our respective ways. Serena and I went back to the house,
and the three of us then went out to an early dinner at Ichiban, a nearby Chinese/Japanese restaurant. Serena and Joanna tried
the (from all accounts very tasty) sushi. I had a very tasty dish of chicken and string beans (the brown sauce was especially
good). Joanna and I agreed we may order out from there instead of our usual place next time we crave such food. After dinner,
we headed back to the house and spent the rest of the evening hanging out, chatting, and watching movies. The movie theme
turned out to be "ones we can talk during and no one will mind". We started with the animated Lord of the Rings,
then moved onto Transylvania 6-5000, and followed up with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There were lots of laughs
had and it was overall a very pleasant day and night. On Sunday, we went to the discount Lindt chocolate store in West
Springfield to pick up some delectible sweets, then went out to breakfast at the Blue Sky Restaurant (formerly diner). Soon
thereafter, sadly, Serena had to go home, but we are hoping she can come back up again soon.
We had a large wind & thunder & lightning storm here last night. It came up quickly, and it was awesome to watch, but
sometime in the night it tore down a large portion of one of the trees in our backyard. I snapped some pictures this morning
and they'll be up on the web somewhere, hopefully soon (probably on my Facebook page). I give large thanks that it completely
missed both the house and the garage. We did have a few casualties: the clothesline and a couple of flowerpots. One flowerpot
broke on the back deck; the other one is completely missing (probably under the mess of limbs out back). I will be calling
some tree services folks during lunch and having someone come to cut it up. I hope to get an estimate for some other
tree trimming while they're here. I feel sad for the poor tree, but I'm also glad that there wasn't more damage. It could
have been much worse.
05/17/2010:
I had a good weekend. I went down to CT to hang out with Mark, Chris, Dave, Jen, Wills, and Damian. We played a lot
of Magic: reverse draft of the Cube Friday night, a little sealed tournament with the new Eldrazi set on Saturday, and
some other games scattered throughout. We also played a 6-person game of Pirate Munchkin Saturday night, which went
on, as expected, for several hours. I managed to get the win in the end, but it was a close game. At one point, we had
4 people at level 9. We also got some video games in, using Chris' media room. He has a projector that produces
an 8' x 5' screen on one wall. Awesome for movies and games alike. Damian and I played Street Fighter IV on it on
Sunday. Good stuff. We did catch Iron Man 2 on Saturday, too. It was a fun movie, but the first film was
better. The development of Blacklash was good, but his action scenes were too brief. His entrance as a villain was
great, but the end battle left a lot to be desired. It was still fun, though, and it was good to see it in the theater.
It was a tiring day at work today. I was tired when I got home from CT yesterday, but as it neared bedtime I
suddenly became wide awake, which resulted in me staying up later than I wanted to and getting less sleep. I am
hoping for a better night's rest tonight. Though my nights have not been as tiring as they were last week, I
haven't been sleeping enough the past few nights, and it is wearing on me.
Our Cinder passed away last Wednesday. She had a good, long life, and she is missed.
05/12/2010:
Last night, I finally got a good night's sleep. My first one in about a week, it feels like. Between long and sometimes
stressful days and nights of astral and dream work and travel, I have been feeling increasingly exhausted over the past week.
I have gained some knowledge, and feel like I made some astral progress personally and also with a friend of mine, so it's
not like it was a loss. Just very tiring. Last night, I traveled little (and remember none of it). I dreamed in my head,
and I slept well. I feel rested today. It's nice.
Last weekend, I went down to CT and helped Chris move from his 1 bedroom to a 2 bedroom apartment. The move went well; we moved
a couple loads Friday night and finished up Saturday; we were done by 1 pm. After that, we had lunch and then played
some Magic. Chris bought me 8 booster packs from the newest set, so I got to see some of the strategies and cards from it.
That knowledge should serve me well this weekend; I'll be back in CT with the college crew, playing our own little Magic
tournament :) I'm looking forward to it.
Cinder is not doing well. She is very thin and floppy. She sleeps most of each day, but she still perks up and gets
bright eyed occasionally. She has been in a cage by herself, in the office, since last Thursday night. She got so she wasn't
able to keep up with Iris and Clover, and they kept stealing her food. She seems comfortable in the cage, and she is really
only in there at night; during the day, she is out with Joanna or I, sleeping in the hood of a sweatshirt. She drinks
occasionally, and rarely eats, though she has been taking the antibiotics and steroids we have for her (thank you, Michelle).
Each day is a gift at this point. We love our little bean.
05/06/2010:
2 weekends ago, we adopted 2 new boy rats, named Chestnut and Walnut. They are large, light brown and white boys, and
are a little over a year old. They lived separated from our boys for a little under a week, during which time we provided
out-of-cage introductions. They are now all living together happily. Chips was the most reluctant about them living
together, but he seems to have gotten over his reluctance for the most part. Cheese really likes the new boys, and the
new boys seem very happy to be living with us and the other boys. From their size, it's fairly obvious Walnut and
Chestnut didn't get much exercise at their old home. They are getting much more with us; we take all 4 boys out
a few times a week and let them run around downstairs in the playroom.
Last weekend was great. Mark and Michelle came up for a visit :) We had been talking about a visit for well over
a year (probably closer to two years), but hadn't been able to make it happen. It turned out that a last minute plan
worked better than planning in advance. We realized we were all available during last week, so they made the plan
and came up. They came up on Saturday and left on Sunday. It was a short stay, but it was really nice to have them.
They brought one of their chinchillas with them, which of course was welcome in our home. We went to see the new
Nightmare on Elm Street on Saturday night, followed by a nice dinner at the Picadilly Pub in West
Springfield. Once home, we hung out and chatted. Mark and I played a couple games of Magic while the girls watched
and relaxed. It was a really nice time. On Sunday morning, Sean and the kids came over and we went out for breakfast
at the Blue Sky Diner nearby. Soon thereafter, our visitors left for home. We look forward to the next time we can
get together, here or there, for some quality time together.
There is an astral storm coming. I can feel it in the wind here, and in my dreams and travels at night. I can't get a
good feel for how it will affect me. I don't feel that I'm at the center of this storm; more at the fringes. But I
definitely feel that I will be affected somehow. I haven't had this feeling in quite awhile. It makes me anxious...
but also pleased. More when I know more, feel more.
04/23/2010:
Silver passed away yesterday afternoon. She had been sick for awhile; she had a lump about the size of a golf ball on her
front right side for the last few months of her life, but she didn't let it slow her down much. She was sad after Lily
died, but the addition of Iris and Clover to the family perked her back up again. I am glad she was able to be happy
and energetic right to the end. We miss our little guard rat.
I had accumulated enough reward points on my credit card to get an Amazon gift card, so I ordered it awhile ago and it arrived
last week. On Saturday, I logged onto Amazon and did some shopping. We are getting: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,
Star Trek, District 9, Zombieland, Avatar, Jurassic Park II & III, American Pie I, II, and III (American Wedding), and
Criminal Minds: Season 4, all for....$25. Mmmm. I sense lots of video-viewing goodness soon.
04/21/2010:
Our Coal passed away yesterday morning. All of the boys are getting older, but his passing was fairly sudden. He has
been sad since Char passed, but he came out of that for awhile. I knew he wasn't feeling well on Tuesday when I went to
feed them; he didn't come out of the hammock for food. When he was the same in the evening, we took him out and found
he had lost a lot of his strength. We cuddled him awhile, then put him back in for just a minute, but found he wasn't
really getting around very well, so I prepped the small cage for him and Joanna held him in her lap for the rest of the
evening. In the morning, I reached in and petted him, and he perked up some and wanted to come out, so I got him
out and held him on my lap for most of the morning. Joanna took him later in the afternoon, and there he passed,
warm and snuggled. He didn't suffer, and he had a good, long, spoiled life. Every pet rat should have it so good (and
all of ours do).
The cable modem tech did come yesterday. He ended up replacing the modem, and stability and speed have both been much
better. We actually found our router is holding us back a decent amount. Through the router, we get a little over 10 Mb
down. Connected directly to my machine, we were able to pull 19 Mb down. The replaced modem was definitely an issue,
though; even direct to my machine, I was getting between 3 and 5 Mb down. We'll probably pick up a new router this
weekend, and hopefully be cruising thereafter. The stability is definitely much improved already. No packet loss!
04/19/2010:
I am feeling much better this week. My weekend has been pretty great (I took a 3-day this weekend; Monday off is
great :) ). Saturday was our "out" day. We did a lot of errands and generally had a good time. I picked up a replacement
computer chair, and I really like it. The hydraulic core was going in my old one, moving me closer and closer to the
ground while seated. The seat is also not as soft as it used to be. The new one is very comfortable :) I was hoping
we would get to play D&D that day, but not enough people were available. Maybe next weekend :)
Sunday was our "in" day. It was overcast, cool, and damp outside; not a good day for any yardwork or anything. We
spent most of the day inside, relaxing. I did do some organizing, but mostly I just played video games and watched some
Criminal Minds.
Today is a mix of the previous two days. The sun is out today, which is really nice. It is warm in the direct sun,
but the air and breeze are cool. We went out to take care of a few things today. It was a nice day to drive around.
Our kitchen faucet had been dripping for several months, so we went to Home Depot and picked out a nice replacement. When
we got home, I removed the old one and installed the new one. We both agree it looks great, and it is more functional
than the previous (no dripping, and the sprayer works better). We were back at the house in the early afternoon, so I
had plenty of time to get the faucet installed and also do some relaxing (that'd be now :) ).
We picked up a new cable modem from Charter on Saturday, and I called and got it provisioned when we got home. Since the
modem was put in place our connection has been more stable (much less packet loss), but now we're having speed issues.
We're supposed to be getting 16 Mb down or thereabouts. We're getting about 5 Mb down currently. I called Charter on
Sunday and they found the downstream signals are not nearly what they should be, so they are sending another tech. They
had no Monday appointment slots available (of course), so he will be coming out tomorrow. I am working from home tomorrow;
I'll just need to log off when he gets here, and make up whatever offline time I have. I'm sure my manager will be fine
with it. If it gets our internet connection working like it should be, I'll be fine with whatever the tech needs to do and
however long it takes.
04/16/2010:
I am looking forward to this week being over. It started out nice, but some annoyances have made it so I just want it
to be done.
Last weekend was nice. Joanna and I have a fun time "out" on Saturday. We made some donations at Savers and did a little
shopping there, then headed up to a local garden center and purchased soil and flowers for our garden. Later in the day,
Sean brought the kids over for awhile, and they played with the rats. The boys were played right out, and ready for
a nap after they left. On Sunday, we acquired two new rats; little girls, probably 10 weeks old. We named the black and
white hooded one Iris, and the black one Clover. They lived in the bottom half of the girls' cage for a few days, but have
now been introduced to our existing girls, so the four of them have the run of the entire cage now. Iris is doing well with
the older girls, but Clover is having a more difficult time adjusting. She is making progress, though, I think; yesterday
morning, she was sleeping in the bottom level, but all the other girls were in the top level. Today, all four were in
the top level. Clover was separate from the others, but at least she was closer :) I think she'll be ok; she just needs
some more time. She's only been living with us less than a week so far; there is plenty of time yet :)
Monday was ok. I didn't sleep well Sunday night, so I was feeling kind of "blah". I tried to play League of Legends
Monday night, but the servers were down so we couldn't play.
I didn't sleep well Monday night, so
I felt off on Tuesday, too. The day was going ok until 6:30 pm, when my internet connection dropped (I was working from home).
This caused all my computer connections to fail, but the phonecall I was on stayed connected, so I had to finish the call with
no resources. Thankfully, it was a straightforward call, and I was able to resolve the issue. It took about 20 minutes for
my internet connection to come back up. When it did, I was getting about 40% packet loss. Ugh. I called Charter and
about 10 minutes into the call I got disconnected from the tech. I called back and proceeded to have a fairly annoying call
with a 2nd tech. It was mostly annoying because she kept trying to upsell me additional products that I do not need or desire.
Eventually, she set up an appointment for a tech to come out on Wednesday, but the earliest appointment was the 2 pm to
4pm window. It's what they had, so I took it. My internet service was back up at that point and seemed stable, but I
didn't dare to trust it, so I skipped my scheduled League of Legends night and played Fallout 3 instead.
I am supposed to work from home on Wednesdays, but due to internet instability, I went into the office instead. This turned
out to be good, because Mair was there. It was nice to see her; she works from home most of the time, so I only get to see
her once a month or so. The day went OK; the tech came (early, and without calling first like he was supposed to). He checked
the modem and said it was ok. He found some loose fittings on the splitters and replaced those and the internet seemed stable.
I was out Wednesday night, but Joanna didn't report any internet issues.
I had planned to go into the office yesterday (Thursday), but when I came outside to leave, the front driver-side tire on my
car was flat. I called in and said I'd be late, then pumped up the tire with my little electric compressor and drove to
Town Fair Tire. They got me in and out in 40 minutes, with a repaired tire. I decided to work from home, and was only
15 minutes late. I did get to play League of Legends last night, but my connection started crapping out again on
our 3rd game. I checked after the game was over and I was getting 7 - 10% packet loss. Argh. So I called Charter again
and they suggested a modem replacement. The tech actually found the modem we have can't run at the speed our account is
configured for. That would cause some issues... The tech set the account to the maximum modem speed (8 Mbps). I am
going to pick up a new modem at the local Charter location tomorrow, and will then call them to get it provisioned and get
my account set back to 16 Mbps). So hopefully we'll have a smoother AND faster connection.
And so we come to today, which hasn't been terrible, but I'm still tired because I haven't slept very well. I'm also
generally frustrated and feeling kind of angry. It's not very comfortable. I don't know what to do with it. I may go
out for a drive after work. Or a walk in the rain. Something out of the house, where I can let go of some of this useless
emotion. I really need the weekend. I hope it's a good one.
04/10/2010:
I was feeling a bit of a grump yesterday. Irritated, annoyed, in a slump. I feel better today, which is nice.
It's the weekend. I'm sure that helps.
I have been having some very interesting dreams in the past few months, and they have been growing more frequent and more powerful. They have been related to life experiences
or emotions felt by friends of mine, and when I have shared them with the friends that were the focus of the dreams,
I have found the dreams to be pretty accurate. The first that I remember was about a decision that a friend had made.
In the dream, he was putting off making the decision, and then he decided to go and do it, and he felt better afterward.
I shared this dream with him, and he confirmed he had made a difficult decision, and, after a time, my sharing
made him feel he had made the correct choice.
A little while later, I dreamt about a friend of a friend, concerning her feelings about a particular situation. I
shared this dream with her, but I never heard a response. I get the feeling it was close to the mark, though, after
speaking with the friend.
Last week's dream was the most powerful yet, and the most thought-provoking. I dreamed about a friend who was cold
and alone, seeking comfort. In the dream, I comforted her the best I could, but she wouldn't let me get too close.
Eventually, she disappeared from the dream, which upset me. I shared this dream with her, and found the emotions and
feelings were exactly what she was feeling, just a day or two before. The reason this one was the most interesting
is because I had no foreknowledge of the situation. In the previous two mentioned, I knew something about the
situations and emotions seen and experienced in my dreams, but this time, I had no knowledge whatsoever and still
I hit the mark directly.
I have had similar dreams before, about emotional states of my friends, but they do not come often. In the past, they
have been short and more vague, but they seem to be getting more specific as I go. The focus of the most recent one
brought up something interesting to me a few days ago, while we were talking about these dreams. She asked if everyone
I dreamed about in this way was a "believer", by which she meant Christian, as she is. After a day of thinking about it
and checking on the friend of a friend, I found the answer to be "yes". This doesn't precisely disturb me, but I do
find it to be another very interesting aspect.
I have no doubt that I have discovered an interesting gift. There are some people I'd like to talk to about it, and
I plan to...but also, I need to meditate on it myself, and see if I can reach any further knowledge or understanding
of these occurrences.
04/07/2010:
Had a really nice weekend, mostly spent in VT. Joanna and I stayed at home Friday night. We got food out, and spent
the evening on the couch. It was very relaxing. Saturday morning, we drove up to my parents' house in VT. We arrived
around 1 pm, and set about relaxing. That theme continued all weekend. We spent a lot of time out on the deck,
just chatting and enjoying the beautiful weather. Later in the afternoon on Saturday, my Dad, Joanna and I went on a
really nice ATV ride. Joanna rode with me on the Honda 300, and Dad rode his newer Arctic Cat (the bigger one is
built for 2 people, but Joanna and I found it's not as comfortable for the passenger on long or rough trips, which this
was (both long and rough in spots)). It was a really great ride. We went up past Wescott's camp, to the Middletown Springs
orchard, then past there, down a dirt road, through the corn fields, over the bridge to the school, and then up to
Dad's hunting camp. From there, it was up to North Street and up into the potato fields. We stopped for awhile and took
in the view up there, then made our way back down and around to home. The ride was rough in spots, wet in spots, and had
just the right amount of mud. Yeeeehaw :)
Dad and I took a shorter ATV ride ourselves on Sunday. He wanted to show me a new trail he carved out of the mountain, but
it's a little steep to ride 2, going up that way, so we avoided it on Saturday's ride. It is definitely a better trail up
the mountain than the old one. It is still steep, but the steep part is shorter than the old trail. We made it to the
top in short order, then shut the machines off and just sat, enjoying the view and the weather. We even had a nice
conversation, which I think was the best. Dad and I don't have many long conversations, it seems. This one was very nice,
though. :)
We returned home on Sunday, put our stuff away, and then played games until bedtime. Nice weekend. :)
Monday at work, I was really tired. I didn't remember having difficult or bad sleep, but I didn't feel rested. I slogged
through the day, and was happy when it was done. At home, I didn't feel like using the computer, so I sat on the couch
and finished Baten Kaitos. I had made it to the big final battle on Friday, but I hadn't been able to defeat the
enemy. I rearranged my decks and the people I was using, and I beat him without too much trouble (Xhela almost got
knocked unconscious a couple of times, but I was able to heal her up before she dropped). And then I watched the ending,
which went on for about an hour. Definitely one of the longer game endings in my memory. It was a good game, and I
thoroughly enjoyed it. I ended up totalling about 60 hours of gameplay, and I didn't even complete all the side quests,
tasks, and options. Now that it is completed, I can finally return the game to its rightful owner. And I am now
free to play one of my other single player games that has been sitting around, waiting...some have also been borrowed
from other people, so I'll probably work on those first... We'll see what draws my attention :)
03/30/2010:
My weekend was up and down.
Lily passed away Friday morning. She had not been feeling well for about a week, and was moving less and less,
content to sleep her days away. We took her out of the big cage Thursday night and put her in a smaller cage
in the office, where she could be close to us by day. She burrowed into the cloth provided, but soon enough
she'd be out in the open again. I found her uncovered Friday morning, and she was cold. I covered her up
and she slept awhile, but then she crawled back out again to lay in the open. When Joanna got up, she put her
in the pocket of her sweatshirt for warmth, and the little girl passed on soon thereafter. She had a good, energetic
life with her sisters, and I believe she was happy. Now she joins her mother and other siblings that have passed,
in that place that lies beyond the veil. Be well, dear Lily.
On Saturday, we gathered for D&D. We played my campaign, which we hadn't played since August of last year (!!).
As with the last time, even though it was a long break between sessions, we were able to get back into character
and down to business pretty quickly. We got started around 5 and played until just after 12. It was a very solid
session. The PCs have been presented with an alternate path that will hasten their departure from Baator. It was agreed
among the party that even though this path also involves a deal with a Baatezu, it is favorable to the contract
to which they are currently bound. The breaking of that contract has not yet occurred, so they must press on until
it can be done. This led to a long fight at the end of the session, with the guardian of a vault to which they must
gain entrance. It was a challenging fight, and it used a large amount of the party's resources, but they were
victorious in the end, and with no casualties. I awarded them a hefty chunk of experience, enough to bring Elladan (the monk) to 12th level. It has been a difficult journey through Baator, and though they are not out yet, they
deserved a reward for making it this far. Next session, they will need to get into the vault so they can see
what treasures await there.
Before D&D on Saturday, we went to H&R Block and got our taxes done. I am getting a Federal and CT refund, but I
owe MA a little bit. A little bit is better than the "lot" that I owed last year. This was good news.
I had planned for decent weather on Sunday, but it ended up being overcast and chilly, so I decided to skip the yard
work and get some things done inside, instead. I got a few things organized in the library; I was able to move
some of its contents into storage in the basement, and also redistribute the contents of one of the bags in the
closet. Little steps, little steps. We need to purchase some frames so we can hang some of the pictures that
are currently sitting in there. Maybe we can do that with some of the tax refund money.
After getting my organizing done (as done as it was getting that day), I sat down to play some games. I was
loading up UT3 to play some rounds with the clan, when suddenly my computer powered itself off. Odd, and usually
not a good sign. I pressed the power button, and was rewarded with silence. Definitely not good. I turned the power
supply off and on, then pressed the power button: more silence. Hmm. I took the side off the case, turned the power
supply off and on, then pressed the power button: the green light on the mainboard came on for about half a second,
then turned off. And that was it. I hadn't planned on going out, but I ended up going up to Best Buy in the mall
and buying a new Corsair 650W power supply, hoping that it would resolve the issue, since if it didn't it probably
meant a mainboard issue. Thankfully, the power supply was the problem, and everything is now working fine (yay).
I was able to get some fun UT3 games in with the clan, and other than the power supply problem, had a very nice
Sunday :)
03/22/2010:
I am feeling better this week. I had a fantastic weekend, which certainly didn't hurt. I did not end up going
away; I didn't feel up to making the drive or spending lots of time in close proximity with others. However,
I did help Sean move a few bits of furniture (helping his Mom clean up some things, and Joanna got a nice drafting
table in the process). I also got some things done around the house, inside and out. And we had all the windows
open both days, which was great. I found the birds in the vent did not actually build any sort of nest; I think
they were just using it as a resting place. I took down the screen and the vent fan and cleaned out a modest
amount of bird droppings, then replaced the screen and fan. With the screen in place, there should be no more
trouble.
I did finally finish Bioshock
a few weeks ago. It was a very enjoyable game, and I can definitely see the
replay value. I chose to save all the Little Sisters. I'd be curious to see how the ending is different if you
choose to harvest them. I will need to ask someone who played through that way. While I will consider playing
through again at a later date, I am not realistically considering it now. I still have Fallout 3 and
Dead Space to play on my computer, as well as several Wii (and Gamecube) games to finish. I am currently
playing Baten Kaitos, a Gamecube game that I borrowed from Mark a couple of years ago (I will return it,
I swear). It is an RPG with an interesting card-based combat system. Each card has a number or numbers, and
when attacking, if you get a combo (multiple cards of the same number or a series of numbers), you do extra damage.
When defending, the same thing will help you take less damage. There are also opposing element types to consider
in combat, as well (Light vs. Dark, Wind vs. Chrono, Fire vs. Water). It can be a lot to handle during combat
sometimes, but I find it very fun, and I am also enjoying the story. I am a little over 50 hours in so far.
Every time I think the game might be coming to a close, something new comes up. It has been good, and I am looking
forward to playing more tonight.
03/18/2010:
I have come down with a sickness of some sort. I didn't work Monday or Tuesday, but did yesterday and today. I am
feeling better than I was earlier in the week, but still not great. I still have a cough, and I feel generally
spaced out a lot of the time. I am supposed to go away this weekend, but I will need to see how I feel. I really
want to go, but I don't want to stress my body out too much. Will see what I feel like tomorrow...
Joanna discovered that what I thought was mice in the attic are in fact birds. Not birds in the attic, but birds
building a nest in the tube that acts as a vent for our bathroom fan. The screen blocking the vent must have
fallen down in the Fall, when our roof and gutters were being done. I reattached the screen today, to keep them out
of there. I tried to reach in to pull out what has been built, but I can't reach it from either end. I'll need to
get a hooked stick and pull it out later, but at least they won't be building on it any more or starting a family
in there.
There is more, but I need to go. Hopefully update again tomorrow.
03/04/2010:
This week has been going by decently. It was a little slow Monday and Tuesday but it seems to have picked up
since then, and now I'm nearing the end of Thursday. One more day and then a nice weekend at home. Not many
plans, but I do want to get some stuff done around the house. I still haven't gotten my ski stuff put away from
my ski weekend, so that needs to be done. There's some cleaning up to do...and I need to get into the attic and
find the mouse nest I know is up there (I can hear them, but I haven't been able to trap them as yet). The weather
is supposed to be decent I think (40s and sunny). As long as that holds, maybe I can get some of the sticks picked
up in the yard. Maybe have time for a hike on Mt. Tom, too. I would like to get out; the slightly warmer weather
has me feeling a bit Spring fever-ish, so it'd be good to burn some of that off before work next week. If I don't
get the hike in, a least some yard work should help to clear my head a bit.
Last weekend was a lot of fun. Headed down to Long Island and spent an entire weekend playing D&D. We're playing a
campaign based on a system that's based on 4th Edition. Chris is DM. Mark, Jen, Steve, Wills, Dave and I are
playing. We got some good playing and play-testing in. We've been discussing tweaks this week, and I hope
we'll be able to play again soon. It will probably first be over an electronic medium, but we're hoping to get
together again for another D&D weekend, probably in May. Yay, game!
Speaking of which...hopefully my crew up
here can get together for another game soon. I would like to continue the Baator campaign I am running, and
Robin (my rogue) could use some more play time in Pete's campaign, as well. This weekend is out, for
D&D...but hopefully next weekend we can play one or the other. And if not, there's always my World in Peril
campaign, which has been going decently. The mechanics are working OK so far, and I'm enjoying it. I do
need to write up some more information, though... A DM's work is never done!
02/22/2010:
Enjoyed a very fun ski-weekend out in PA. Took a 1/2 day on Friday and drove out that afternoon/evening. I'm
definitely glad I took the 1/2 day, because it took me about 4 and 1/2 hours to make it to the Inn where we
were staying. I got a little lost, but I made it. Turns out my GPS did know how to get there, in spite of me
being warned that it probably wouldn't know the way. I was quite tired when I arrived, but I had some time to
grab some food and relax for awhile before the rest of the crew showed up (Jen, Matt, and Tara first, then Steve
a little later on). We hung out and stayed up too late Friday night, then went skiing at Camelback on Saturday.
We got up on the mountain around 12:30, then spent a lot of time waiting in lines for tickets and then rentals (I
have my own gear but the rest, not skiing often, did not). Lift lines were OK once we got on the slopes; it was
definitely more crowded than I like, but it was still fun. We spent some time on the beginner's hill, which was
fine with me; I hadn't been on skis in at least 7 years, so I needed some time to get a feel for it again. It
didn't take long. After a few runs on that hill, Jen and I took a lift up to the top and took a few runs on some
green trails there. The greens were generally more difficult than I expect from a green trail; they were pretty
steep in some places, and fairly narrow as well. We decided none would be any good for the other members of our
troop, and we reported such when we got back to them. Matt and Tara left early, but after Jen and I got back, we
and Steve went over to another, better beginner's hill we had found, and we make some more runs there. Eventually,
it got dark and much colder, and we decided to go back to the Inn around 7 or so. It had been a long day, but good.
We went back and met up with Matt and Tara, then went out to Red Robin for dinner, where we all consumed tasty food.
I had an interesting and very good chicken sandwich, with provolone cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo and
guacamole. There is a Red Robin up near the mall near our house; we'll definitely be going there at some point
so I can have another one of those :)
After dinner, we were all pretty exhausted so we went back to the Inn took hot showers to clear the chill of the day,
and crashed into blissful sleep. We slept in Sunday, had a nice brunch, and then I took my leave and drove my 4
hours and change home. I was very tired by the time I arrive there, but I was happy about my very enjoyable
weekend. Now it's a week of work and then off on another trip next weekend, though that one will be much less
active, I suspect (D&D weekend!) :)
02/11/2010:
I took a sick day today; first one in about a year, I think, which is a good run for me (I usually have several
per year). My sickness is best described as "fatigue". I got to bed a bit late, but not terribly. However,
I awoke at 3:30 am with a rather unpleasant nosebleed. Taking care of that and then getting comfortable and
back to sleep took me about an hour, and when my alarm went off, I felt literally that I could not get out of
bed. I hit snooze a few times and managed to crawl out about 30 minutes later, only to be hit with an unpleasant
dizziness and feeling of "zoning out". I called in and asked my manager if I could get some extra rest and
work from home. He was fine with that. I slept another hour and felt worse, so I called out.
My day has been spent on the couch, reading. I think it was exactly what I needed: rest. A number of stresses,
work and life, have apparently piled up and my body and mind, in the interest of self preservation, decided it was
time for a break. It happens. I am not regretting it. What would be the point, really? All it would do is
make me feel worse than I do. I am quite sure after today's day of rest that I will be able to get back to work
for my day and then have a nice weekend. I had been considering computer games, but I'm not sure my head
will be able to handle it, so I might be back to the couch before I expect to be. Again, not really a point
in fighting it. There are entertainments to be had there, too.
02/05/2010:
As this work week draws to a close, I am feeling fairly exhausted. I was more energetic earlier in the week, but
I felt more stressed then. Now, I feel less tense but I am completely worn out. My motivation is pretty much
gone, as far as work is concerned. I was planning to head to VT tonight to see my parents and retrieve my ski
gear, but I think I'm just going to stay home due to tiredness. They said they'd meet me 1/2 way with my gear,
if that's easier, and at this point it is. Maybe we can do that this weekend sometime, or next weekend.
I need my ski gear because I'm finally going skiing again, after 7 years of not. I haven't been on the slopes
since my leg-breaking motorcycle accident in 2003. I'm a little anxious about it, but am definitely looking
forward to it. I need to get my skis sharpened and waxed before I go; they've been sitting in my parents' basement
since the last time I used them, and I think they were overdue for a tuning then...
I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend, hopefully with lots of sleep. My body and mind tell me I need it.
I'm sure there will be video games, as usual, and also a further delving into Season 4 of Dexter.
01/29/2010:
Around 2 am this morning, Char passed away. It was unexpected. Two days ago, he was bright eyed, awake,
and happy. Even yesterday morning he was fine, but when I went to feed him last night, I found him cold
and barely moving. Joanna and I took him out of his tube, wrapped him in cloth and snuggled him to keep
him warm. He spent the next several hours nestled against one of us, mostly zoning out, until he
eventually passed on around 2 am. We are both very sad for his passing. He was the undisputed leader
of "The Oreo Gang", tough but fair, never dominating anyone who didn't deserve it. He lived well and was
loved a lot, and he will be missed.
01/26/2010:
I'm getting better at putting 2010 on things instead of 2009. I guess I should be, almost a month into 2010...
We received the new cage for our boys a few days after my last update. It has been assembled and decorated, and they
seem to like it. Char definitely likes the larger amount of horizontal space that he can crawl around in. His
hind end hasn't gotten any better; if anything, it is worse. He has almost full paralyzation now, on his bottom
half. Thankfully, all of his internal processes seem to be working fine, though he doesn't have much control over
them. This has increased the need for frequent baths, for him, which he isn't very fond of...but after bath is
snuggle time with Joanna and I, and he does like that. The other boys are doing fine. They aren't too mean to
Char; the occasional theft of his food is as mean as they get. They do snuggle with him and help clean him, so that is
good.
League of Legends still tends to dominate most of my gaming time. I have also been playing Super Mario
Bros on the Wii. I'm up to World 5 now, though I'm going to have to go back and work on getting some star
coins from the earlier levels. I've also been watching a lot of Dexter lately. I finished Season 2 last
weekend, and have watched just a single episode of Season 3. I look forward to more.
Another dream walker has contacted me after finding my site. I look forward to learning more about you, newcomer.
01/14/2010:
I keep losing track of my days this week. I usually come into the office Mondays and Thursdays and work from home
the other 3 days. This week, I came in Monday and then had to come in again on Tuesday to attend a 4-hour training
session. Since then, I have had trouble remembering what day it is. I woke up this morning and briefly thought
it was Monday. I'm hoping the weekend helps alleviate this loss (or gain) of days in my mind.
One of our boy rats, Char, has developed some paralysis in his hind end. We noticed it last night when we took
the boys out to clean their cage. I have learned that this paralysis is fairly common in rats over 2 years
old, especially boy rats. Thankfully, he has developed strong front legs from climbing the boys' current cage
for most of his life, so he is still able to get around pretty well. It is apparent, however, that he will no longer
be able to climb as he once did, so we have ordered a second Ferret Nation cage for the boys (the girls already
live in one). We had been wanting to order a second one when we were able, since they are much easier to clean and
it is easier to get to the rats quickly if we need to. It will hopefully arrive within a week, and it can then
be quickly assembled and set up for the boys to live in. We will move their old cage to the garage, where it will
rest until the weather is warmer and we can give it a full scrubbing outside. We will probably then attempt to
sell it or just give it away to another animal lover, for their rats or ferrets (it is good for either).
I'm worried about our Char. I look forward to going home and seeing him.
01/01/2010:
Almost dated this entry 2009. Time to start remembering to write 2010 on everything...
My Christmas weekend was very enjoyable. Joanna and I went up to VT on Christmas Eve after I got done with work.
I got out an hour early, so we were able to make it up there by 9. Christmas Day was very relaxing. We slept
in, lazed around a bit, took a couple of hours opening our gifts. Very leisurely, very nice. Later in the day,
Jesse and Jeff came over to my parents' house to hang out for awhile, which was great. I don't see either of
them very often now, and to see both at once was a rare treat. We hung out, played some games, and chatted for a
few hours. Jesse had to leave to go back to his parents', but Jeff spent the night, and that was really nice. He
and I have some strong connections; I am thankful for any time I get to spend with him. I'm hoping to get to visit
him - or have him down to visit our house - soon.
I received lots of very nice gifts, mostly movies and games and books. I don't often feel the need for gifts, but
they are always nice to receive. I do like watching movies, reading, and playing games, after all :) Received:
Movies: Ironman, Wall-E, The Dark Knight, Xmen Origins: Wolverine. Games: Overlord:
Dark Legacy (Wii), Prince of Persia: Rival Swords (Wii), Dead Space (PC). For books, I received Joe
Abercrombie's First Law series, which Mark had spoken highly of and I had mentioned to my Mom at some point.
Once I finish the Sword of Truth series, that one will most likely be next :) I really got into Overlord, and
I finished the game last night. I also received a CD: Bullet for my Valentine: Scream Aim Fire, which I am listening
to right now. So far, a very enjoyable metal album.
No big parties for us last night; Joanna and I ordered out and enjoyed a quiet evening in. She likes watching me
play games, so she watched me finish Overlord and then got to laugh a lot watching me learn how to play
Prince of Persia, which required a lot of falling to my death, and flailing about with the Wiimote and nunchuk
while trying to wield my dual blades (and, often, single blade because I kept throwing the other one). We finished
off the evening with a couple episodes of Criminal Minds (we received Season 3 for Christmas). Very, very
nice evening :)
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