people : places : things

FREE CHRISTMAS MUSIC DOWNLOADS ON AMAZON

2008-12-12T23:32:00.002-06:00

I'm out of the habit of blogging, but I had to post this here in case anyone still reads this. Amazon is offering 25 free iTunes compatible MP3 Christmas downloads. Click here and be sure to download the "MP3 downloader" first so the songs will go straight to iTunes.

IPHONE + INTERNATIONAL CALLS = MISTAKE

2008-11-09T21:16:00.002-06:00

I just read this collection of AT&T/iPhone horror stories about international travelers who were hit with giant bills (thousands of dollars) for phone use outside the US. Most of the stories were about phones that downloaded data automatically. I'm making a note of it here, so that the next time I travel outside the U.S., I will remember not to bring the phone along to use as an iPod and camera, only to find myself facing a $4,000 "gotcha" bill when I return home.

I took an online survey from Apple/AT&T about the iPhone and let them know that I'm not particularly happy with my current plan or with the phone's features.

Along the same line, I thought I'd found a bargain when a friend recommended cellphoneshop.net for low-cost cell phone accessories. I bought a car charger, a stylus, two cases, and an arm-band holster. The price including shipping seemed too good to be true at around $30. The stuff arrived this weekend. Guess what. The arm-band was too small for my arm. The stylus didn't work. I don't like either of the cases, and they both have a cheap feel. At least the car charger works (so far). I found myself at Best Buy this afternoon choosing a hard-case for the phone. With that $20, my grand total for accessories is now $50. Add that amount to the $200 for the phone and the $200 for the first month's bill, and this phone is totalling up to be less than a good idea, budget-wise.

FAMILY REUNION

2008-11-05T00:50:00.002-06:00

Cheney & Obama cartoon "Family Reunion", originally uploaded by newbreen.

I've spent the day talking on the phone with family and friends. We've been discussing the candidates, the issues, and our thoughts on America's future. It's been an energetic day spent in lively conversation.

The wait at my voting station was long, but the mood there was cheerful. I saw smiling faces of old friends and neighbors who I haven't seen in a while, and I managed to meet some new folks there, too. The long line gave me time to strike up conversations and time to reflect on the part I played as a voting citizen on this historic election day.

I'll bet if you looked at the statistics from today, you'd see that the call volume went way up. I know I wasn't the only one calling his family and friends. I think you'd also find that record-making numbers turned up at the polls and waited for record-breaking lengths of time. If my experience was common, that means that America stepped away from her other favorite pastimes and and joined her neighbors to share in the most important one - the democratic process.

Obama made a lot of campaign promises about uniting the country. I'm not sure if I should really give him the credit, but this election day I did feel more connected with my family, friends, and community.

CANDY AND EXERCISE

2008-11-02T17:36:00.004-06:00

halloween candy, originally uploaded by spundekas.

I spent $40 on candy at CVS Friday after school, thinking I'd have tons of kids stop by my house that night. At least a hundred kids did pass by walking from my neighborhood park's parking lot to trick-or-treat the main street business district about a block from my house. Despite all the traffic, only five little monsters knocked on my door. Who knew? And now what am I supposed to do with ALL THIS CANDY?! I don't give candy as as a classroom reward anymore, after I noticed the effects of the sugar as a variable in the classroom behavior equation. I had Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for dinner last night and breakfast this morning. Help!

In spite of my lapsed judgment and recent candy consumption, I'm proud of myself so far this month. I vowed to stop moping around and get out and live a little. As part of that effort, I forced myself to walk the new bridge. Its walking path is 1 3/4 mile one-way and is always crowded with people trying to lose their post-Katrina depression weight. I'm already encouraged by the results of walking just a week. It's probably just a coincidence, but I'm down to 202 from 205. That's great news to me, since last Summer at Ben's graduation I was up to 220. Now if I can just stay at it and stay away from the chocolate.

NEW PHONE

2008-11-02T17:10:00.003-06:00

IPhone 8Gb, originally uploaded by Lewosky.

I finally made the switch from GoPhone to contract. I love my new iPhone. Chris, Terry, Caleb, and I dropped by the Cingular ATT store last night before dinner, and I walked out the proud owner of an 8GB 3G.

When I got home and started checking out all the features, I was immediately disappointed and angry to find that the iPhone's web browser doesn't support Flash. I could still view youTube videos through a separate function, but not being able to access my account meant my subscriptions and favorites were worthless on the iPhone.

I'm glad I didn't return the phone before finding this simple solution:

KICKBALL

2008-11-02T16:56:00.002-06:00

Kickball, originally uploaded by richbrenner.

Sorry, in advance, for the bad pun...

In honor of kicking off this blog for the 2nd time, I thought I'd share about my kickball experiences last weekend. I signed up for a charity match, benefiting our local branches of the Boys & Girls Club.

I got there a little early and met the rest of the team, an assortment of teachers, coaches, and administrators. Other teams were made up of reps from local businesses, college student associations, and the like.

Much to our surprise, my team played our first two games exceptionally well, and we ended up making it into the championship round. The ref. called us over before the last game to suggest that we challenge the other team and win by default. Turns out, the team had been playing all day with one less female than the rules required. Since we were playing for charity, we decided to let the violation pass rather than win on a technicality. Turns out, the team was made up of kids from our local base, just out of basic training.

We didn't stand a chance. I won't report the score. What I will record here is how much fun we had, what a beautiful day it was, and how surprised I was that we got as far as we did. Way to go, team!

YAHOO ANSWERS

2008-10-23T20:46:00.002-05:00

Yahoo answers is my Crush-of-the-week. It makes me feel like a smarty pants.

Visit Yahoo! Answers

STARTING OVER

2008-10-19T10:21:00.001-05:00

Asleep in a bookstore, originally uploaded by carlos / s8f.

Figure it's about time I start blogging again. I've slacked off on a lot of things, not just the blog. But I'm waking up. No more hitting life's snooze button.

2008-02-18T19:13:00.000-06:00

EBAY = GREEDY

2008-02-07T00:54:00.000-06:00

NEW PROTEST BLOG

2008-02-06T23:41:00.001-06:00

Please, check out this new blog I created about the recent eBay conflict and the upcoming boycott.

FEEPAY: PROTEST VIGOROUSLY 2/18-25

2008-02-06T13:38:00.000-06:00

THEY KNOW WHEN YOU'RE AWAKE

2008-01-03T17:45:00.001-06:00

david-letterman-and-conan-obrien-beards, originally uploaded by elphiechan.

Being on vacation for the holidays has me off my regular schedule. I was up way past my bedtime watching late night TV for the first time in too long, and the first thing worth noticing was Letterman's and O'Brien's shared resemblance to Father Christmas. Turns out, their Santa-like grooming is related to the writers' strike. At first I thought I'd missed a memo from the Style Police, dictating all men revert back to '78 facial hair. What a relief!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-01-01T13:49:00.000-06:00

Christmas Tree Carcass - Long Lane, originally uploaded by richard harrod.

The apartment is completely undecorated - Woo hoo!

SWEET 16

2007-12-23T15:01:00.001-06:00

Happy Sweet 16!, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

Happy Birthday, Ellen! Wish I could be there to help you celebrate!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, FROM H***!

2007-12-12T23:37:00.001-06:00

Let It Snow!, originally uploaded by Pink Sherbet Photography.

Temperature was a high of 80 yesterday...EIGHTY! Is it possible that global warming is not really a myth? The air-conditioner went out. A wire burned out or something. When we called maintenance, the guy didn't want to fix it because it's winter and it would violate some repair clause in the lease (Remember the high of 80 part?) I was perplexed (and also sweating... A LOT!) Here's my thought - that policy just won't cut it when my apartment is so hot that I can't get to sleep. I didn't bother to ask him, but I'll bet that the repairman's A/C was running full blast. After a few minutes of brow-beating, he finally caved and fixed the unit. I cranked the air down as far as it would go, buried myself under a couple of quilts, and dreamed of living in a place with four seasons.

SANTA?

2007-12-02T15:47:00.001-06:00

Santa Beans, originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

Guess how many takes it took to get this shot.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...

2007-12-02T14:48:00.001-06:00

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS 2007, originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

The apartment is completely decorated! Woo hoo!

CUT PAPER SNOWFLAKES

2007-12-02T14:16:00.001-06:00

Cut Paper Snowflakes, originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

Saturday morning, my roommates and I made cut paper snowflakes for the kitchen windows. As we worked, we listened to Christmas records and sat around the kitchen table talking and laughing. Every year, I make snowflakes like these. They're a throwback to the nineties, when I made a batch of Scherenschnitte cuttings as Christmas gifts. Just like real ones, each snowflake is different. My favorites are the ones that surprise me - turning out way better or worse than I expected. Both kinds make me laugh!

GOBBLE! GOBBLE!

2007-11-22T14:54:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving, 1978, originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

I woke up this morning, got a bowl of cereal, and planted myself in front of the Macy's parade. How did you spend the first few hours of Turkey Day?

ADVENT COUNTDOWN

2007-11-19T12:48:00.001-06:00

Gingerbread Kit, originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

Christmas will be here before you know it. It's already in the stores. I know it's still early, but I'm starting to get into the Christmas spirit. JoEllen, Terry and I picked up this kit at Target this weekend and assembled it last night. We also bought a mini live tree there and decorated it for the breakfast table. I found some felt ornaments at Dollar General that are just like the ones I admired at the German Christmas Market last year. Terry picked out some cool mini lights that are frosted globes. And I found some great decorated gingerbread ornaments at Starbucks. Having a week off for Thanksgiving has got me in the mood to kick off Christmas traditions, especially the lazy ones like listening to music and vegging out in front of the TV. I've already watched Rudolf and White Christmas. But some of it is going to take a bit more work. I've also bought my Christmas cards and stamps. Now if I can just make myself go ahead and write and address them. Are you a procrastinator when it comes to cards, early, on time, or do you even send them at all?

STADIUM IN MY MIND

2007-10-27T11:12:00.001-05:00

KID VIDEO

2007-10-27T10:39:00.001-05:00

DAN IN REAL LIFE

2007-10-27T10:06:00.001-05:00

steve carell???, originally uploaded by ashleyv.

I saw Steve Carell's new movie last night and laughed the entire time. I could relate to the character - the way he has to deal with sassy teenagers - and also to being the guy in his large family who ends up sleeping on a cot in the laundry room at family reunions because all the couples get the beds. If you haven't seen the show and need a good laugh, I recommend it.

LOST IN TRANSMISSION

2007-10-27T09:34:00.001-05:00

P R N D 4 3 2 L, originally uploaded by Curtis Perry.

My transmission on the Blazer went out in late July, 2005. I fixed it and blamed the problem on the previous owner. Today it's gone out again and I'm staring down the barrel of an over $2 thousand repair bill. Should I just sell the gas guzzler and start making payments on a new one?

THE WAYBACK MACHINE

2007-10-27T09:23:00.001-05:00

Sperry Topsiders have come back to the future. No longer forgotten relics from 1986, these puppies are now cutting edge fashion at the Junior High where I work. I noticed that out of all the kids wearing them in 4th period, a few of them didn't have them tied - leaving the long laces hanging free. I didn't want them tripping, so I called over one of the 6th grade girls and showed her how to make a .noose knot. That's the way everyone in my 6th grade class tied them when I was their age (twenty years ago), so I was surprised that none of the parents had passed down this little trick, now that the style has come full circle. The kids now think the knot is the coolest thing ever and are passing it along to the rest of their classmates. I never dreamed I'd become a 6th grade style setter a second time around.

topsiders, originally uploaded by JordanaA.

WELL, THAT WAS PRETTY RANDOM.

2007-10-21T16:52:00.000-05:00

Been meaning to blog since getting back from Birmingham, so I'll just cram it all into one posting. First, a rant. Not in the mood for a rant? Skip to paragraph 2. I'm now totally fed up with the lack of things to do on the Coast. While at my sister's for the 4 day weekend, I went biking on a spiffy trail and also walking at a beautiful garden. I found all kinds of cool foods at World Bazaar. And we shopped at Aldi, too. THAT'S RIGHT, Birmingham is so cool that they now have one of my favorite German groceries right there in town. Saves a lot on airfare if you suddenly crave stollen. I also got some Speculaas, vollkorn biscuits, and Bahlsen hearts. I loaded up on marzipan and bought a chocolate advent calendar, too. When I got home, I felt lousy that there's nothing that nice down here. I wish they'd stop building all these stupid condos and put in a decent bike trail someplace. I miss the one down by the boardwalk! There's nothing to do here. I want to go do something. I miss Funtime USA! I miss the bumper boats! Can't they at least build a putt putt place? What are all the vacationing kids going to do here now, spend all their time at the casino arcades? The only thing left to do is walk on the no longer pretty beach or eat at some overpriced buffet.

This afternoon, I got a little relief. Ryan's theatre department put on a show - a romantic comedy. So it got me out of the house. Thanks for that, Ryan. I especially needed a reason to go out this afternoon since my air-conditioning has been on the blink the last two days. Last night, Terry and I played Risk (to curb our boredom), but it was so hot I could barely concentrate on the game! The maintenance guy came by and put some more gas in it, so I think it's good to go now. You'd think that by late October, it would be cool enough to go without a/c, but not so in South MS.

It's 10 days until I leave for Camp with the 8th graders. We'll be in AL from Wed through late Sunday night at a Science Camp. At first I was reluctant to be a chaperone, but now I've gotten used to the idea and am starting to look forward to it. The kids are beside themselves with excitement, so that's helping me get into it. School is so busy now, I'm surprised I have time to ever get bored. I'm trying to not be a work-a-holic, but I haven't quite gotten the hang of having a social life since returning. I'm just at the point of having down time with nothing really to do. I guess I should enjoy that while it lasts. At first, work was kind of freaking me out. Junior High is more of a change from Elementary than I was expecting. But I'm getting more involved and I'm getting to know the kids better, and that's helping. I am working with the newspaper staff and the drama club. We just put the finishing touches on this year's first edition, and we'll distribute it this week. I hope we caught all the typos. In drama club, we are in the middle of casting for the winter show - a musical variation of Dickens' Christmas Carol.

The 8th graders put on their production of Hamlet on Friday. It was an OK performance, but it was hard to enjoy it because the kids in the audience were being so rude. It gave me an idea for a video short. It would be neat to have some really bad kid actors putting on Hamlet and to have the real drama in the video going on in the audience - along some of the same themes as the ones in Hamlet, but in modern terms. Maybe I'll file that idea away for later.

My brother's family will be coming over from Germany this month. I can't wait to see them! He emailed asking what kind of chocolate to bring me. I had to tell him to skip it, since I already went overboard at Aldi over here. Hopefully, he'll bring me some, anyway.

FALL BREAK

2007-10-08T19:56:00.001-05:00

Fall Leaves, originally uploaded by Poundstone.

We have fall break this week! I'm averaging the kids' grades and wrapping up the quarter today and tomorrow. I have staff development training Wednesday (the kids have a holiday that day). And then Thursday morning I'm hitting the road - headed to my sister's house. I haven't seen her family in months. I think my last visit with them was January! I can't wait to see them! I'm counting down the hours. How is it that I've lost track of time and waited this long to see them?

BIRTHDAYS, LATE NITE YOUTUBE, AND OTHER SIGNS OF LIFE

2007-10-07T03:42:00.000-05:00

I'm up really late (really early?) waiting for my nephew and his friend. They went to a concert in New Orleans and are crashing here before driving home in the morning. Looking for a way to kill the time, I'm checking youtube to catch up on the latest. The site just surprised me by turning up a gem, a young singer with the handle matthewlukesandoval. In this video, his diction and mannerisms remind me of my friend Stefan (who is celebrating his birthday this week), so I'm posting it here. Stefan is also a musician; maybe I can convince him to post a few songs.

Here's a bonus vid, thrown in for good measure

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

2007-09-29T20:31:00.001-05:00

Sea oats on Biloxi Beach, originally uploaded by ~ Sailor ~.

Today is my mama's 72nd birthday. We had the best phone conversation this morning. I was a little sad when I woke up, but by the call's end she had me laughing until my side's ached. That's my mom!

Terry, Jo, and I took the dog down to the beach this afternoon. We walked in the surf for a while. It's the third time I've been down to the water since Katrina. When I lived on the beach, I used to run the shoreline once in the morning and once at night. It's hard to go down there now, but I may start forcing myself so I can get used to seeing it the way it is now. Plus I could use the exercise. I'm shifting from post-Katrina depression eating back into a healthier lifestyle.

Before we headed out, we walked down to the end of the pier. We talked to some fishermen, and while we were there, one of the guys caught a big Red Drum. I'd never seen one before. It was about 3 feet, and, sure enough, it made a drumming noise.

Walking back down the pier, the sun and wind dried our feet and the dog's hair. Then we hopped into the car and drove up to Marble Slab. I had a Birthday Cake milkshake and only ended up taking a few sips before I trashed it. I guess my loss of appetite was a natural response to all those memories I'd just experienced of being in shape and running twice a day. That's my goal for this month - to finally start using the gym at my new apartment. And to go down to the beach more. And laugh!

PHIL IN THE CIRCLE

2007-09-29T14:54:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't blogged in about a hundred million years, but this clip is worth posting, so I'm breaking my streak:

ONLINE NATION

2007-07-29T13:57:00.001-05:00

Anybody can be on TV these days. Need proof? Check this out:

THE CUPBOARD IS BARE

2007-07-29T12:46:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to be coming back to a top-notch, supportive school district and community. Despite that blessing, I'm a little bit freaked this week because my new classroom is a void: no books, no student computers, no art or school supplies. Yikes!

I don't even have a stapler or a pair of scissors; my desk is empty, without so much as a box of paper clips. I had to scrounge around and beg a filing cabinet from another teacher who had two. I know the principal, my department, and the parents will work together to help me gather resources this semester, BUT what am I supposed to do the first few weeks of school while those wheels are set into motion? I guess it's time to put on my creative thinking cap. They expect me to spin straw into gold. Anybody got any straw?

NEW KEY

2007-07-24T21:51:00.001-05:00

Lock Down
Originally uploaded by Andrew Jalali

I've been assigned a classroom! Tomorrow morning, I'm driving over to pick up my key and see what resources are left in the room. I'm expecting tumble weeds and maybe a skull. I'm afraid that I may be stuck with the bare bones listed on the inventory (desks, a file cabinet, a TV, & a set of dictionaries, if I'm lucky). When the previous teacher left, I assume she either took everything else, or the neighboring teachers swept in like vultures and picked the room clean. I see a trip to the thrift store in my future.

I found out I'll be teaching 6th and 8th graders. The broad topics I've been assigned to cover the first semester are leadership, forensic science, space, and independent study. I've taught elementary units on all 4 topics, and I'm looking forward to modifying and building on them now that I have older students. I also found out that I'll be planning my lessons with another teacher who will be covering the same topics with her students. I hope to meet her soon, as I'm eager to get started. The students report August 3rd!

I don't know about you, but I remember when school started after Labor Day. Ah, the good old days...

SIMPSONIZE ME

2007-07-17T18:45:00.001-05:00

Simpsons Avatar, originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

To promote the new Simpsons Movie coming out in 10 days, you can now make a Simpson-style Avatar of yourself at a couple of websites. The first is the Official Simpsons Movie site. The other is the Burger King Simsonizer. I ran across some of the avatars on flickr - there are even a couple of groups that just formed for them. I tried the online movie one. It's not a striking resemblance, but it was fun to make.

DOUG MARLETTE

2007-07-15T17:25:00.001-05:00

Doug Marlette speaking at VCU's Student Commons., originally uploaded by BwDoyle.

Last Tuesday, Doug Marlette was riding along an Oxford street with the town's high school drama coach. The weather was rainy, and the car hydroplaned and crashed into a big tree. The driver survived, but Marlette was killed.

Mr. Marlette had been helping the Oxford High School Theatre Department with their production of Kudzu, the musical adaptation of Marlette's comic strip of the same name.

The kids were preparing to take the show to the Edinburgh International Festival. As far as I know, they will still perform the show there August 17-22.

Besides creating Kudzu, the 57-year-old North Carolina native was a Pulitzer prize winning editorial cartoonist and a novelist.

Kudzu is one of my Dad's favorite comic strips. He often relates some witty thing that one of the strip's main characters, the Rev. Will B. Dunn has said. I've never taken much of an interest in Mr. Marlette's work, but after seeing a rebroadcast presentation by him on Book TV, I plan on reading his novel The Bridge.

In the presentation, he talked about what it means to be a Southern writer. I was engrossed in his speech and wish I could order a copy to watch again later. (It's coming on again Monday, July 16, if you are interested in seeing it.). I'm sad that I never took the time to follow his career, and I am relieved that he is survived by his writing.

NEW WEBCAM

2007-07-12T23:55:00.000-05:00

new webcam,
originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

I spent a few minutes tonight fooling around with my new Philips webcam & headset. Now I can finally use the video feature on Skype.

I'm not impressed with the picture quality, but I'm sure a lot of the blame rests on my poor bedroom lighting. The headset is the most uncomfortable I've ever worn; I'll have to replace it soon.

I dropped my home phone line years ago, relying only on my cell for domestic calls. But I'm happy to have Skype so I can still make calls to my family overseas. And it's free! Hard to beat that kind of deal.

Do you ever Skype? Think it will totally replace home phone lines someday?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOYS!

2007-07-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

Happy First Birthday, Boys!, originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

My oldest brothers turn 50 today. Happy Birthday, guys!

RYAN FINALLY JOINED FLICKR!

2007-06-26T01:19:00.001-05:00

Welcome, Ryan!, originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

Now you can check out some of his great photos! Take a look - and don't forget to leave him a comment to let him know you stopped by.

ROWANOAK

2007-06-25T17:52:00.001-05:00

Originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

While Ryan and I were in Oxford, we stopped by Faulkner's homeplace, Rowan Oak. It killed some time before the shows started, and it gave Ryan a chance to try out his new lens on the Nikon. Not often I get to play the role of model. They are nice enough headshots that I've posted a few to my flickr account. Now I'll have to practice and return the favor sometime this year. I'm hoping some of Ryan's talent will rub off on me.

THE STING

2007-06-25T14:47:00.001-05:00

Szerszeń of Death
Originally uploaded by Jacek Becela

I had fun working the concession stand at South MS Speedway, and it looks like Terry and JoEllen and the rest of the team now have enough money for their 2 weeks in Africa.

Getting ready for bed later that night, I noticed a couple of strange bites on my leg. At first, I was worried the bites might be from a Brown Recluse Spider. To my relief, after checking on the web, I think they are from a hornet or bee. I'm surprised that I didn't feel anything earlier. I guess that means I'm not terribly allergic to whatever it is that stung me...

Before we got to the Speedway, my friend Alyssa and I stopped at a convenience store to buy Powerades. We were talking about recent TV shows that we like. She mentioned that she's a fan of Kyle XY. I asked her if she'd heard about Traveler. From across the store, a guy called out, "GREAT SHOW! That's a fantastic show!" I guess I'm not alone in being a fan of the new series. Have you caught an episode? My niece had the first couple episodes saved on her Tivo, and we watched them together on my last visit to her place. Now, I'll have to check and see if it's on iTunes, since I'll bet I've missed at least one broadcast. Ryan and I have been watching the DVD's of the first season of Lost. He's never seen the show before, and I never caught the first season. I'm impressed with the amount of irony and foreshadowing. Hats off to J.J. Abrams, Jeffrey Lieber, and Damon Lindelof!

Ryan and I are finally getting his flickr account up and running. Here's the link to his profile.

Don't have your flickr account set up? It's my favorite networking site, and it's free to join. Hope to see you there.

NEWS

2007-06-23T14:59:00.001-05:00

Siamese on the wicker chair, 1957, originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

A couple of my old photos were featured on the official flickr blog. What a fun surprise! Kudos to my dad for taking this outstanding photo of a Siamese. I wish I had more of his old photos to share.

I've rejoined the ranks of typical Americans, as I finally have a cell phone again. I decided to go with an ATT GoPhone until I can figure out which company to choose when I buckle down and sign a contract. The new phone just has $50 on it; we'll see how long that lasts. Hopefully I won't have to add any dough to the phone until my paychecks start in September. Oh, and I got a call back from OS and they offered me a different job. Can't forget to mention that good news.

Tonight I'm working the snack bar at the local race track. A couple of my friends, JoEllen and Terry, are going on a mission trip to Africa and the proceeds tonight will help fund their trip. It's a good cause, and I'm allowed all the popcorn, cokes, and hot dogs I want. (-which will be absolutely none, but that's beside the point).

I'm almost 100% moved into Ryan's house. (How did I accumulate so much junk?!) I got rid of 2/3 of my clothing - no other way to fit my mega wardrobe into my new junior-sized closet - and I don't have the budget for a storage unit. Purging so much meant some hard choices, but I think it will work out for the best. There are just a couple of boxes left to move down that I'll pick up Tuesday when I drive up to be with my Dad during his cataract surgery.

The first half of the surgery (last Tuesday) went well, and I'm expecting no problems again this week. Thanks to all of you who've been praying for him.

Ryan and I returned from Oxford yesterday. We drove up last Wednesday for the University's annual Shakespeare Festival. We saw some of his college friends for brunch at a dive called The Beacon and enjoyed performances of As You Like It and The Mikado. We also had dinner with a couple of my college friends, Sam and Emily, at an Italian place on the Square called Old Venice. On the way home, we had lunch at Haute Pig in Madison. It's great BBQ, if you ever have the chance to eat there, I recommend it!

I'm finding out that Ryan is a very patient roommate, as he's hardly griped about my moving in early on such short notice, and he didn't give me a hard time when I locked his keys in the car this week.

Rick and Erinne came over last night and we cooked dinner, watched Star Trek DVDs and ate organic ice cream and Godiva brownies. We also listened to some old tracks that I haven't played much since high school - and laughed at how much pop music has changed. I've missed our monthly geek-fests. Nice to see we are resuming the tradition.

I'm off to the races...

FOR SALE

2007-06-02T18:09:00.001-05:00

Body Parts, originally uploaded by Jake Slagle.

Well, since the teaching gig didn't pan out, maybe I should do this for a living.

UPDATE...THE SEQUAL

2007-06-01T19:32:00.001-05:00

Pavement is not grey!
Originally uploaded by www.DaveWard.net.

I found out today that I didn't get the job. I'm going to spend the rest of the weekend feeling sorry for myself and then go out Monday morning and hit the pavement - looking for work, that is. Not throwing myself off a building...want to be clear about that.

ME...ME...MEME

2007-05-31T12:56:00.000-05:00

Julie tagged me with this meme. (A What?) I don't know 7 bloggers to pass this along to, but I'll happily fill it out :0) I wish I knew 7 bloggers...I can't even get most of my friends to sign up for MySpace.

1. Today, I'm wearing Umbros and a faded Gap t-shirt.
2. In Jr High, John Madden was my best friend; I haven't seen him since graduation day.
3. I love to bake cookies - from scratch, from a mix, whatever.
4. I wish I were in Ocean Springs signing a work contract for the next school year.
5. William Shakespeare is my favorite author.
6. Blue Hydrangeas are my favorite flowers - I'm fond of honeysuckle, too.
7. Chai (spiced black tea with milk) is my favorite drink. I mostly drink water.

The rules:
Each player starts with seven random facts about himself. People who are tagged post the rules and their responses to the seven facts on their own blogs. They choose seven people to tag and list their names and leave them a comment that they have been tagged with a link back.

PROJECT PLAYLIST

2007-05-31T12:49:00.000-05:00

I like Marc's playlist he posted on MySpace, so I decided to make my own. Just to try it out, I stole a couple of his tracks and then added a few more I found online. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I really like this Sara Groves song. I'd never heard it before, but with lyrics like these, it's bound to become a favorite.

FACEBOOK vs MYSPACE

2007-05-28T21:42:00.001-05:00

At the urging of my buddy Steven, I finally created my Facebook profile. I'm a dinosaur compared to most of the users, but that dynamic will change now that the company has opened the site to non college-students. These social networking sites have gotten some bad press but Facebook andMyspace can be useful. I'm finally in the habit of checking my Myspace messages. I wonder which one of the two I will use more or if I'll stop using one in favor of the other...Do you have a preference or do you think both of them are stupid?

BALL AND CHAIN

2007-05-26T13:10:00.001-05:00

Computers Original
Originally uploaded by prasan.naik.

I'm getting myself away from the computer to spend time with friends this weekend. When did I become a work-a-holic again? It's time to purge that nasty habit from my system with some relaxation therapy. Bring on the Pirates and the Sunday afternoon BBQ!

UPDATE

2007-05-24T14:08:00.000-05:00

I'm a blog bum. Sorry for not updating sooner. At the gentle prodding of a couple of friends:

The interview was positive, but no contract yet.

My brother Steve is now a happily married man. Congratulations, Steve & Kari! I was honored to be a part of the ceremony. The best part: I didn't have to sing. That's one of the few weddings I've attended/been in where I didn't have a microphone in my hand. The bad news: I ate so much cake and other goodies while in LA that I gained 6 pounds. My brother is a bad influence on my eating habits, and I love every minute of it. But now I'll have to work that extra weight off so I'll be able to fit in my work clothes.

We hauled the ferns for the ceremony in my Blazer and there are a million little brown fern leaves in there. I wonder how long it will be before I work up the initiative to vacuum. Why do little things like that take me forever to accomplish... When I first got the Blazer I cleaned it twice a week, but that wore off in a couple of months.

My nephew and I are going to the Rush concert in Dallas in August. Just bought my tickets online. With the price of the Ticketmaster fee, in addition to the tickets, I got a year's subscription to Entertainment Weekly and 11 free songs on iTunes. Not a bad deal.

I'm debating about Taylor Hicks August 3rd and 4th. I don't think I want to go to the Coliseum in Biloxi (I wonder if it smells any better now....) I'd rather hear him at House of Blues, but I'd have to get somebody to go with me - I'm not dumb enough to go to New Orleans after dark solo.

Speaking of shows, I'm getting a group together for Pirates on Saturday. I hope it lives up to the previews. Even if it bombs (doubtful), it will be good to spend the evening with old friends. The sneak preview is tonight, so if you see it tonight or tomorrow, don't tell me about it until Sunday...

INTERVIEW

2007-05-15T23:13:00.001-05:00

My School Desk, originally uploaded by Xochiquetzal-Sil:).

I have an interview this Thursday at 10 with an elementary principal. I'll keep you posted...

Mayday! Mayday!

2007-05-01T13:26:00.001-05:00

Maypole
Originally uploaded by sfPhotocraft.

I can just picture my grandmother running around in a white linen gown, laughing with the other kids and bringing flowers to her mamma. Back when my Grannie was a little girl, she and and the rest of the folks in Burgess, Mississippi had a big party each May 1st. They hung baskets of May Day flowers and wove floral garlands. Otherwise proper Methodist and Baptist families even danced like pagans around a Maypole!

My own experiences with this holiday are a lot less festive. I've never actually celebrated May Day. The closest I ever came was making a construction paper basket of flowers in grade school. The teacher had run them off on the mimeograph machine. My classmates and I colored them with crayons, cut them out with our dull safety scissors, and glued the tabs together with our smelly non-toxic paste. I remember being annoyed that I got light blue construction paper instead of yellow. Some party!

There's no Maypole downtown today. Nobody is passing out baskets of flowers. I wonder why we don't celebrate May Day anymore. I guess the families living in MS around 100 or so years ago were closer to their European roots and their "old country" customs. Or maybe Mayday is dying out because it's not commercial enough to catch Madison Ave's eye.

SIGNED UP FOR BLINGO YET?

2007-04-29T01:32:00.001-05:00

SEE YOU IN THE FUNNY PAPERS

2007-04-27T15:52:00.001-05:00

Dilbert rules!, originally uploaded by indsight.

My sorry local paper runs Dilbert only on Sundays. To get my daily fix, I visit Yahoo. Its virtual Funny Papers are free! All your favorite comics are there. Which strip will you read first?

MAKE YOUR OWN COMIC AT COMEEKO.COM

2007-04-24T14:05:00.001-05:00

Originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

New online toy ALERT: You can easily make your own photo COMIC STRIP at Comeeko.com. Once you've tried it, good luck getting anything else accomplished for the rest of the day: Addictive fun at it's best.

Don't feel like making a comic? You can view and rate ones that others have posted at the site.

To read my 1st comic, just left click it and follow the link to flickr. And check out the new flickr group I formed for Comeeko fans.

Speaking of addictive. I've lost track of how many flickr groups I formed in the last year. There's a group for just about anything already, but occasionally I post a photo that needs a group and find I'll just have to create the group myself. Some still only have a handful of members, but others have really taken off. Either way, it's one of my favorite things about flickr.

Now if I can just get a nickel for everyone who visits my photo stream...

TIME FOR A HAIRCUT?

2007-04-13T14:42:00.000-05:00

Time for a haircut?, originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

What's your verdict?

BOWLCUT

2007-04-13T02:06:00.000-05:00

5 years old, originally uploaded by Tinker*Tailor.

I'm digging out old photos again and posting them to flickr. I ran across this one. Looks like Mom used an actual bowl for this haircut.

GOOD CLOTHES

2007-04-12T16:39:00.000-05:00

J.C. Leyendecker Kuppenheimer Ad - Diver, originally uploaded by Mamluke.

Ties in with that last entry. In Heaven, I'll be able to draw like Leyendecker. He's awesome!

SOMEWHERE IN TIME

2007-04-12T15:27:00.000-05:00

tailor, originally uploaded by D'Arcy.

My parents and I live examples of the generation gap on a daily basis. Sometimes the ensuing tension proves frustrating, but most of these incidents are just harmless reminders that times change. For example, I overheard Daddy talking about Mars Robert the other day. That's ancient-speak for (Master) Robert E. Lee for all you non-Southerners. He's always using archaic colloquialisms. And then today he asked me if it's time to take his shirt to the tailor to have the collar turned. He was dead serious. Do tailors even turn collars anymore? I told him he should just throw it away.

There was a time when my family had a lot of their clothing tailor-made. They picked out the pattern, fabrics, buttons, and trim. Why don't we do that anymore? When we crossed over to wearing retail, I was too little to understand why we started buying off the rack. I doubt it was economics, as Dad's income increased through the years. Maybe society as a whole changed and we blindly followed.

Over Easter weekend, I visited Samantha & Steven - married friends of mine. On the way to the seafood place for dinner on Saturday, we passed a Seamstress Shop and I marveled that she could stay in business in this day and age. They testified that her workmanship was excellent and that she always stayed busy. I have a few dress shirts with overly long sleeves that might just need to pay her a visit. I guess having something altered is the next best thing to wearing custom-made, and I like the idea of supporting a local entrepreneur rather than buying from a big-name chain. Maybe I should bring Dad's shirt and ask her to turn the collar.

APPLICATION

2007-04-09T15:18:00.000-05:00

My Classroom, I, originally uploaded by Robert Pollack.

Looks like I'll be a classroom teacher again soon. (I hope.) I turned in my application last week and confirmed it with the District Office today. Now it's up to one of the principals (and God) whether or not I'll be working in that district next year. I'll keep you posted.

HAPPY EASTER!

2007-04-06T14:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

Don't eat too much candy :0)

ADMIT ONE

2007-04-02T18:35:00.000-05:00

Audio Adrenaline, originally uploaded by echobase_2000.

The year I turned sixteen, Audio Adrenaline started singing songs about Jesus. Somewhere along the line, I stopped listening to them, but last night, I ended up at their show in Laurel, MS. It's their farewell tour, so they sang a lot of old songs. It made me feel melancholy. I sat way in the back, never danced, and barely even clapped. I just listened and sometimes sang along. And I remembered.

Audio Adrenaline was never my top choice in music. But they did find their way into the mix. I suppose I started listening to them because all my friends did. But I got burned out on them. I remember throwing Bloom and Underdog in the trash.

Hearing them again and watching them tell their fans goodbye allowed me to revisit and release a lot of old memories. I can't exactly say I had fun at the concert, but I was glad to join in on the goodbyes.

SIGN THE INTERNET RADIO PETITION

2007-03-29T12:51:00.000-05:00

Zenith - Long Distance, originally uploaded by InfraKen.

I got an email alert from Free Press this morning asking for my support in protecting indie internet radio. I signed the petition and now I'm passing Silver's letter on to you. Please consider clicking the link and adding your support:

Online music is in danger. A recent ruling by an obscure regulatory board threatens to put independent and public radio on the Internet out of business.

The "Copyright Royalty Board" is dramatically increasing the royalties "webcasters" must pay every time they stream a song online. Public Internet radio like NPR is especially at risk.

The rules could shut down nonprofit and smaller commercial Internet radio outlets and force larger webcasters to play the same cookie-cutter music as Clear Channel. So much for new online alternatives.

Rescue internet radio. Sign the petition.

This is not just another petition. The Copyright Royalty Board isn't used to hearing from the public, so your action can really make a difference. And we need to stop them before the new charges go into effect.

Artists must be compensated for their work. But the new regulations don't even differentiate between public outlets, small upstarts, and the largest commercial companies. The proposed increase would silence many outlets that play independent artists and musical genres you can't find anymore on the radio dial.

As soon as smaller webcasters start to attract a sizable audience, the royalty costs would be astronomical -- and likely fatal. And nonprofit stations like NPR should not be forced to pay so much money that they actually fear an increase in their listeners.

Industry-wide consolidation has destroyed musical diversity and shut out independent and local artists on broadcast radio. We can't let the same thing happen on the Internet.

The Copyright Royalty Board -- or if necessary, Congress -- needs to fix the rules so that artist and musicians thrive alongside a new generation of Internet radio webcasters. Send them a message by adding your name to our petition.

Tell your friends.

Our goal is collect 50,000 signatures by Monday. Help us get there by telling all your friends that now is the time to take action.

Thanks for all you do,

Josh Silver
Executive Director
Free Press

COLLIERS IN JAPAN...NOW ONLINE

2007-03-27T01:26:00.000-05:00

colliers, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

Alice & Sean Collier are friends of mine who live in Japan. They are sharing their experiences on their new homepage. Thought you might want to check it out.

NEW MUSIC

2007-03-07T13:11:00.000-06:00

from behind, originally uploaded by joanna eleanor.

I got an email from emusic yesterday offering 50 free downloads. I was skeptical that I'd even be able to find 50 worth the trouble, since they don't have the same mainstream talent as iTunes. I found out that they do have lots of idie musicians and classic hits - not worth a subscription, but nice for an afternoon perusal.

I was pleasantly surprised when my search for new Christian music turned up Isa Couvertier, pictured above. I'd never heard of her, but her pure lyrics and catchy melodies make her stand out from the pack. She's the newest addition to my Christian singer/songwriter playlist. Finally, there's someone to keep Sara Groves and Matt Kearney company.

I also downloaded some songs from Enter the Worship Circle. I love that series, but every time I buy the CD's I end up giving them away. And I stumbled across the song, "Better than Life" by Julie Meyer - definitely worth the download.

Totally unrelated: The road trip was a blast. Maybe I will move to Oxford someday, or at least Pontotoc... It would be nice to live in a town where generations of my family were born and raised. Walking those streets, I loved feeling a stronger sense of history and connection with the past.

GOOGLE

2007-03-02T14:53:00.000-06:00

offee, originally uploaded by Pose.

Google Maps still amazes me. Ryan and I are meeting at Starbucks in Hattiesburg in the morning. Since he's from out of town, I wanted to email simple directions. Two clicks later, and the job was done. They may not have all their ducks in a row, but I have to give them a gold star in geography!

ENTERPRISE HIGH

2007-03-02T11:02:00.000-06:00

Mighty storm, originally uploaded by Newsblogpicture.

My thoughts and prayers are with the survivors of this week's storms. Seeing the photos and hearing the news reports struck a nerve, reminding me of Katrina. I was impressed that the Mayor in AL asked everyone watching the news to pray for the town. I thought I'd pass that request on here.

ETSY IDEA #1 & ROADTRIP MANIA

2007-02-26T18:22:00.000-06:00

Glitterboard Mansion for Kelsey and Neilio., originally uploaded by icklebird.

I think I've found my first craft idea for etsy. I'm making a note of it here so I remember. The patterns for these retro houses are from the book Vintage Christmas Crafts by Sara Toliver. ISBN #1-4027-2791-7. Su has some construction tips for them on her blog.

Update on the roadtrip: Ryan just called and asked me to drive up to Oxford this weekend to see the University Theatre Department's production of Noises Off. Cool.

FLAMES ON THE SIDES OF MY FACE

2007-02-26T12:30:00.000-06:00

Flames on the side of my face..., originally uploaded by Hilly_Blue.

Let me begin by stating the obvious: Madeline Kahn was a comic genius. This screen capture is from my all-time favorite movie scene. Do you recognize the movie?

It's one of those films I used to watch with friends - reciting the lines and laughing the whole time. It's right up there with Monty Python's Holy Grail.

Speaking of having a good time with friends, I'm just about dying to have an old skool road trip. If not to go camping, then at least a day trip to a concert. Heck, I'd settle for driving to Mobile for dinner at a decent restaurant. I just emailed a friend to see if we can put something together.

I finally got around to tweaking my preferences for last.fm; one of the features is a local concert calendar. Check out the three choices it highlighted for next month:

Taylor Hicks (!) @ House of Blues, NO on Wed. the 14th.

Paolo Nutini (Irish-Italian guy who sings with an Irish accent) @ Soul Kitchen, Mobile on Thursday, March 15th.

Shane & Shane (Christian singer/songwriting pair) @ St. Timothy UMC in Mandeville on Sunday, March 18th.

I wish I could attend all three. If I manage to go to one, it will be my first time to do anything majorly social since I returned home from overseas. I don't think I've even been to a movie. (What's playing, anyway?) My big day each week is grocery shopping. When did I start acting like a senior citizen?!

CHRIS WHITE

2007-02-23T00:42:00.000-06:00

Please tell me why no talent posers get all the radio airtime and entertainers like this guy have to resort to youtube virals. Down with payola! Up with free enterprise!

PUBLIC DOMAIN SILENT MOVIES @ YOUTUBE

2007-02-23T00:41:00.000-06:00

ETSY

2007-02-22T15:22:00.000-06:00

120x120etsy, originally uploaded by designsponge.

Not sure if I've blogged about etsy before, but it's great, so check it out. I'm working on some ideas for things to post there, and I think my sis has already started selling there.

SARAH'S MAKE-DO

2007-02-22T15:13:00.000-06:00

Primitive Heart Pin Cushion Front 2, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

I'm proud of my sister. She made this pincushion and uploaded the photo onto my flickr stream. This picture is now in flickr's top 500 most "interesting" photos for Feb 7th. Way to go, Sarah! Can't wait to see some more of your new craft photos!

VALENTINE'S DAY MAILBOX

2007-02-16T00:42:00.000-06:00

1970's School Valentine's Day Box, originally uploaded by Neato Coolville.

This box belongs to Todd. He made it back in 4th grade. Can you believe he saved it all these years? I made a box that year, but I didn't keep it. I remember ripping it into a million pieces after school that day.

We had a class contest for best decorated Valentine mailbox. I worked so hard decorating mine, only to come in 2nd place to my friend Reagan. After the party, on the playground, Reagan confessed to me that her mom had made hers. I was so bummed out!

This year, on Valentine's day, I judged a school art contest. The experience made me recall that bad 4th grade memory. As I interviewed each kid, I made sure I asked all the contestants to describe exactly how they made their entries!

FOOD

2007-01-31T13:50:00.000-06:00

Even McDonald's is blingy in Vegas, originally uploaded by Fuzzy Gerdes.

I normally avoid fast food, but yesterday when the alarm sounded, I woke up thinking about McDonald's breakfast. The craving was enough incentive to help me drag myself from my warm bed at 5 am. The line was so long at the drive-thru I decided to go inside for my biscuit and Coke. I was hoping to relive one of those childhood moments when the only thing better than the McDonald's food was the happy meal toy that came with it. No such luck. That biscuit was the single-most salty thing I've ever tasted. I can't call it food. It was so bad, I've decided never to eat at McDonald's again. I started heading in this direction after watching "Super-Size Me," but this biscuit was the nail in the coffin.

Speaking of food. Tonight is the final episode of Bravo's Top Chef. Am I the only one rooting for Marcel? Not sure how I got hooked on this show, but I'm surprised by how much I enjoy it.

LADY

2007-01-28T12:15:00.000-06:00

2 of the dogs, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

Dad's dog Lady died today. She was poisoned, we think accidentally. She suffered a lot, and it was one of those rare times when I saw Daddy cry.

I hate times when someone I love is hurting and there is nothing I can do to make them feel better...

STATE OF THE UNION

2007-01-22T23:10:00.000-06:00

Bush delivers the state of the Union to Congress tomorrow. I will be sure to watch, but I imagine it will be the same old song and dance. We'll see...

I am finally over the jet lag. Flying was a total nightmare. More on that later...maybe. Seems like I'm a little like Bush tonight - little disclosure and no definite timeline.

What's your opinion of Bush? If you believe the polls, he's the least popular president...maybe, ever.

VOTE FOR JIM, CLASS PRESIDENT.

2007-01-10T05:56:00.000-06:00

Obviously, one of my New Year's resolutions is NOT to blog daily. I'm finally getting around to this first post of the new year. Hope 2007 is treating you well (and vice versa, conversely).

Jim Gaffigan is my favorite comedian. I downloaded some of his material and put it on my ipod. When I listened to him at the gym, I ended up falling off the treadmill. I laughed so hard I couldn't keep running.

Anyway, Jim is in a Comedy Central contest and I'd sure like it if he won. If you want to vote for him, follow this link:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2006-12-31T17:51:00.000-06:00

Sparkler, originally uploaded by Eric....

We've just rung in the new year. Hope your weather is a bit more suited to fireworks than it proved to be here in Germany - we were forced to brave a freezing drizzle and high winds. (Happy to be back inside, warm and dry.) May you and yours have a very happy 2007!

SNOW

2006-12-28T19:19:00.000-06:00

snow day 004, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

We finally had our first day of snow since my arrival. I threw a snowball at David, and he built a tiny snowman. Now it feels a bit more like Christmastime.

Tomorrow night we are planning a bonfire in the firepit behind the house. We'll cook hotdogs and have smores. It has been raining a lot lately, so we're making the most of the predicted clear night.

Fireworks went on sale this morning, and David was there when the doors opened, Christmas money in hand. I might just be in for my loudest New Year's Eve, ever.

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

2006-12-24T15:01:00.000-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2006-12-24T13:36:00.000-06:00

Christmas Lights, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

We lit the last advent candle tonight. In a few hours we'll head to the state church for a song service. Tomorrow morn we'll open gifts. Merry Christmas, everyone!

VERLIEBT IN GYMNASIUM

2006-12-22T00:57:00.000-06:00

My niece attends public school here in Germany. Ellen is pretty level-headed, but like most 15-yr-old girls, she spends her day with schoolmates whose lives are brim-full of drama. Her little brother's English has a few gaps, so yesterday at dinner when I compared Ellen's classroom to a "Soap Opera," I had to define the unfamiliar term for David.

His Dad helped me to explain by offering the example of "Verleibt in Berlin," a cult hit in Germany that boasted 5 million daily TV viewers in 2005. Dan described the plot and cast to me, and I recognized the show as a current cross-over American weekly dramedy called, "Ugly Betty." Curious, I googled it and found out the history of the show.

It originally began in 1999 as a Columbian telanovella titled, "Yo soy Betty, la fea." In addition to Spanish, English, and German versions, there have also been Dutch, Russian, Indian, and Israeli adaptations. Score one for the "small world" concept. I imagine that the writer of "The Devil Wears Prada" also took the idea from some version of the original Columbian hit.

My inner grad student is tempted to write a comparison contrast essay about the different versions of this Cinderella story and the insights they reveal about our changing global cuture. I wonder why lots of the world's population enjoys watching fashionistas make fun of an ugly duckling.

TRAVEL UPDATE

2006-12-17T17:29:00.000-06:00

g 032 Blankeneser Kirche am Markt, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

I've had a bit of jetlag and the weather's been rainy, so sightseeing is getting a slow start. We did drive around to a few of the neighboring villages, and tonight we went to the State Church in Hamburg for a Christmas Concert. I've posted a few pics on flickr, and you can see them by following the link in the photo above.

HAMBURG BOUND

2006-12-13T09:00:00.000-06:00

Empty Seat - lomo, originally uploaded by hangingpixels.

About an hour until my first flight to Houston, and I'm killing time in the airport. Then it's on to Newark and Amsterdam before Germany. Thankfully, the airports have wifi and I've packed some novels, so I shouldn't be too bored on layovers. Check-in was a breeze. It's an uneventful beginning, but I'm not complaining.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2006-11-23T13:58:00.000-06:00

wholesmokedturkey, originally uploaded by Madalin Matica.

Hope you and yours have a beautiful day! Don't eat too much bird!

RISK

2006-11-19T17:31:00.000-06:00

Risk and Castle Risk, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

My brother William gave me this game for Christmas my 10th grade year. It's become a family favorite. I've owned a ton of copies of it. I keep picking up extras at thrift shops and then giving them away to friends and family. My favorite memories of the game are late sumer camp nights. The kids and my fellow counselors really got into it.

This Thanksgiving, I'm giving a copy to my nephews, William's sons. I've got a 2nd copy I will put up on eBay. I figure if every other family member has a copy now, there's no reason to keep mine since I only play it with them.

UNPACKING CHRISTMAS

2006-11-17T18:34:00.000-06:00

SWEET!, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

Every year around this time I start hauling out the boxes of Christmas decorations. I carefully unpack and inspect each one - admiring its delicate beauty. Recalling all the good memories it inspires.

This year is no exception; boxes and bubble wrap are strewn everywhere. But I'm not decorating. I'm unpacking all of them so I can sell them, things I thought I'd hold onto till the grave.

What a surprise! And another suprise? I'm not sad. Letting them go is a good thing. It might just be the merriest Christmas of them all.

YOU CAN FIND IT ON EBAY

2006-11-14T01:27:00.000-06:00

Tree Sweet Tree, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

I visited 2 antiques shoppes today and they have NOTHING on eBay. Poor quality at high prices meant I left empty-handed.

I'm up late posting photos to flickr. Tonight I took about a million shots of my Kenner Tree Tots Family Tree House playset in preparation for listing it on eBay (and also as a nice way to remember it after it's with its new owner). I'm happy with the way they turned out. Hopefully the bidders will be influenced by them to bid higher.

After seeing other cool photos of Kenner toys on flickr (M.A.S.K. and Star Wars action figures, Blythe dolls, etc.), I decided to form a new flickr group for products made by this great company. I mean, they made Play-Doh! They deserve a little special attention.

DEL.ICIO.US

2006-11-10T21:04:00.000-06:00

sandwich., originally uploaded by godownmatthew.

Sweetness! I'd been meaning to check it out, but I didn't expect it to be this good. No, not a giant floating ice cream sandwich! I finally got around to setting up my del.icio.us account and transferring all 400 of my bookmarks over. Editing them and adding tags was a total hassle, but the tool's already proving itself worth the extra effort. If you use Firefox, you've probably at least heard of it. For those of you unfamiliar with what, exaclty, del.icio.us is/does (like I was yesterday), you might want to check it out.

I also got a couple of eBay auctions up. It took forever to get my photography and auction stuff unpacked and set back up - way more time than it took to pack it all away for Pauline's visit. After spending too much time on all of that, I was ready to get out of the house when my brother called from Germany with a list of things he'd like me to bring for his family when I come over in a few weeks.

That's right! I did my first Christmas shopping of the Season today. I found several of the things on his list, and I should be done after just one more trip into town. Since I'm not bringing home a regular paycheck these days, I normally stay out of stores, so the only drag about the day's outing was seeing things that I wanted for myself and having to muster the self-discipline needed to not buy them. Hooray for character development. Big whomping yay!

Tomorrow should make up for it, since I'll get to spend a little dough on myself. My friends Stephen and Samantha are going to be in town for the night, so the three of us are going to Outback. I used to go to the one on the Coast regularly before the storm took it out. None of us have been to one since before Katrina, so it's kind of a big deal for us to go. I can't wait to have one of their baked sweet potatoes. I can almost taste it.

This week has been an island of old friendship in the ocean of solitude known as 2006. On Sunday night, I saw my old friends Mike and Madeline. I'd been thinking about them all day, so when they walked through the church door, I was shocked. Then on Monday night I saw my friends Alice, Sean, Kevin, and Emily at Joe Muggs when I stopped in for a coffee. They all will be in town for extended holiday visits with their parents, so I'll be able to see them again before I leave for overseas. Being around old friends made me realize what a recluse I'm becoming. I'm glad I'll be around Dan's family for the holidays. I need to make a New Year's resolution to not be such a hermit in 2007.

COUNTDOWN

2006-11-02T18:04:00.000-06:00

German Christmas Market, originally uploaded by Alexander Yates.

The countdown continues: 40 days until I leave for Germany.

VISIONS OF IPODS DANCING IN THEIR HEADS

2006-11-02T17:36:00.000-06:00

I started back at the gym today after a 2 month hiatus. It was around 3 o'clock, and I was the only one there besides the gym owner. I popped in my ear buds and jogged along to Taylor Hicks. Every time I use the iPod, I think of the Sony Walkman. Do you remember those? This Japanese craze hit the US consumer market in 1980. By 1981, there were a couple dozen knock-offs, but none carried the "coolness" factor of the Walkman. They were the iPod of their day. Oh, how I wanted one! But the over $100 price, considered affordable by Yuppies, was way out of my elementary-school sized budget. It would be almost 10 years before I FINALLY got one, and by that time CD's were becoming popular, so they were no big deal. I wonder how many little kids are longing for an iPod. I guess one day they'll look back and laugh about thinking, "I'll just die if I don't get one for Christmas."

A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE?

2006-11-01T23:59:00.000-06:00

OCT 31

2006-10-31T23:20:00.000-06:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, originally uploaded by Neato Coolville.

No trick-or-treaters came by tonight. I was a little surprised, since the house is in town. Maybe word got around that we didn't have any good candy. My experience with the whole trick-or-treating thing is limited. Growing up in the country, I think maybe we got a couple of kids one year, and that was it. I only went trick-or-treating once; I was Humpty Dumpty at age 4. My parents would have let me if I'd wanted to, but I wasn't into it. It just never has been my thing. I'm much more a Christmas kind of guy.

That said, I have to say that I love those little corn candies. You know, the white, orange, and yellow ones? Maybe tomorrow I'll go buy a bag half price.

MEDIA REFORM CONFERENCE

2006-10-26T15:49:00.000-05:00

Savetheinternet.com and Free Press are sponsoring a Media Reform conference Jan. 12-14 in Memphis to jump start the issue of Net Neutrality before the new Congress convenes. Thought you might want to check it out.

SPOOKY SWEET SPOOKY

2006-10-22T00:49:00.000-05:00

E.L.F. Scott (sepia), originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

This old portrait of my great-great grandmother, and a few others like it, used to hang in my grandmother's attic. The life-size oddities frightened a generation of grandchildren, not only because of their stiff expressions and odd fashions.

It's their eyes! I don't know why, but their eyes seem to follow you no matter where you are in the room. My mom says they did the same thing when they hung in her grandmother's living room. She and her brother Bob used to lie on their stomachs and slide on the wooden floor while their ancestors eyes followed them.

My nieces and nephews don't like them at all - declaring them creepy. But I think they are cool, in a Ripley's kind of way. I was pretty sad when they were destroyed in a house fire a few years back. I'm thinking of framing life-size duplicates made from the scans I have of them. It just doesn't seem like home without my dead ancestors hanging around staring at me.

GERMANY FOR CHRISTMAS

2006-10-19T14:16:00.000-05:00

Weihnachtsmarkt, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

This morning I booked my flight through ORBITZ. I leave December 13th and return January 13th.

So, the countdown begins: 54 days until I leave for Germany.

BILL MOYERS AND SAVE THE INTERNET

2006-10-19T09:06:00.000-05:00

Hope you caught journalist Bill Moyers on PBS last night. He produced a documentary called, "The Net at Risk." Following the broadcast, PBS.org hosted a live Internet debate between Free Press Policy Director Ben Scott and the phone industry's Mike McCurry.

Even if you missed it, please check out Moyers' essay "Against An Imperial Internet." Try to imagine an internet that is exclusively programmed by companies in the same way that TV and radio are programmed. If we don't speak up to congress, that could be the new face of the Internet in the 21st Century.

KIAWAH

2006-10-16T23:59:00.000-05:00

Kiawah Island, 1979, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

In '79, my parents and I visited the resort community at Kiawah. Dad was in business meetings during the day, so Mom and I had time to ourselves. She was a shutterbug back then.

I have three distinct memories about the trip: (1) I thought we were in a foreign country (2) We saw a "haunted house" on a walking tour of what I thought was the Rain Forest (3) We had a jeep ride on the beach.

Those are some of my earliest memories.

ROTOGRAVURE

2006-10-15T22:33:00.000-05:00

Dad, Mom, Pat 1979, originally uploaded by Patrick Q.

I'm posting a lot of old photos to flickr today, so if you need a laugh, check them out.

MUSEUM

2006-10-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Dumpr offers a new tool that lets you place any flickr photo into a museum setting. I tried it out on 3 of my photos. What do you think?