Climbing the Walls

Been kinda sickish last few days. Have plans for podcasts, but not likely to appear until this weekend, or unless I stay home from work sick tomorrow. Last night was kind of a bizzarre night of no sleep. Apart from various symptoms, one of which was extremely annoying but probably too personal to throw out on the internet, my cats kept me up.

Oh, I forgot to mention on the blog! I have gotten my ex to take her birds back. The house is once again mine. And I finally have a regular person sanctuary instead of a bird sanctuary. I miss the birds, cause I liked them, but I'm positive it was the best thing that could have happened for all of us. Sooo, long story short. The cats are allowed in the bedroom again.

ANYWAY, the cats now work in shifts to keep me awake. If I close the door to prevent Zapp from playing with me, zatanna whines piteously and scratchs on the door endlessly. If I leave it open so she can snuggle on the bed with me, zapp comes in about every 2 hours starting at 6am asking for food, or just generally waking me up cause he thinks I should be awake after I feed him. Sooo, I may have to put a littler, some food and water in the bedroom and just give zatanna bedroom privileges for the night. If it ain't one thing it's another.

Anyway, things are proceeding according to plan for the most part. Getting the birds out was a big checkbox. Now I"m just waiting to hear from my boss in a week or two to know how I'm getting to Portland. In the meantime, I'm sick, irritated that I can't go swimming when I'm sick (or that it's not a good idea to) , and generally trying not to climb the walls. Which brings us to the video of the day, the lyrics of which seem almost perfect to what I'm feeling these days. Song first, then lyrics if you click all the way through to the full post.

Climbing the Walls - They Migh...

Climbing The Walls

I can't talk, I got to go
Don't call me back, I won't get the door
Got to focus on the job
'Cause I got a new job climbing the walls

I was grinding my teeth, I was wasting my youth
And using up my teeth
Now I'm done chewing my nails
Hanging my head, chasing my tail
It got so bad I quit my job
Then I got a new job climbing the walls

Too much junk, too much junk
Can we please clear out this house?
In the trunk, in the trunk
And then we'll take it all to the dump
Then we won't need the car
'Cause we'll stay where we are
And I'll have all this room

I got tired of pacing the floor
Sick of it all, I'm done with the floor
Walked away ever since I got a new job climbing the walls

I was grinding my teeth, I was wasting my youth
And using up my teeth
Now I'm done chewing my nails
Hanging my head, chasing my tail
It got so bad I quit my job
Then I got a new job climbing the walls

The deep end, the deep end
People talk a lot, but they don't know
They pretend, they pretend
They don't really know how deep it goes

Now I misunderstood,
Thought the wall was just good
For staring blankly at

I got tired of pacing the floor
Sick of it all, I'm done with the floor
Walked away ever since I got a new job climbing the walls

Now I'm done chewing my nails
Hanging my head, chasing my tail
It got so bad I quit my job
Then I got a new job climbing the walls
Got a new job climbing the walls
Got a new job climbing the walls

Popular wisdom fails again

So, apparently antioxidants have been shown to have no effect on cancer rates whatsoever. So what the hell are they good for? Apparently, they are still possibly good for a few other things, but who knows at this point. I think the best thing to do is just eat a balanced diet with lots of raw fruits and veggies and hope for the best.

Still, every time a study like this comes out it destroying years of accumulated popular medical wisdom, reminds me that medically we're still in the dark ages on many, many subjects. I just have no confidence that we really have a firm grasp on the subtleties of the biochemistry in the human body. But I think it's improving, just slowly. Here's to hoping we're living with star trek medicine in the near future.

Summer Must Die

For my Aussie friends who are suffering through a really bad and hot summer, I present: Bad Poetry

Summer Must Die

Mad Doctor Drongo was Crazy
He lived in the house up the hill
Redundantly named and quite lazy
He was probably mentally ill

Mad Doctor Drongo was Mocked
We made fun of him without any guilt
He ignored us behind doors that were locked
and just tinkered and thinkered and built.

Mad Doctor Drongo was Fated
He would save us though we knew it not
When the coolness springtime abated
and the summer became maliciously hot

Mad Doctor Drongo was Steaming
As he busted out his door in the heat
"My aircon is overloaded and screaming!
And this sidewalk is burning my feet!"

Mad Doctor Drongo was Furious
He turned mad eyes up to the sky
"If summer brings heat so injurious,
Then I declare Summer Must DIE!"

Mad Doctor Drongo Created
He made gizmos and gadgets and rays
He pointed them all at the sky and then stated,
"Almost there, give me just a few days!"

Mad Doctor Drongo was Victorious
The flush of triumph bright in his cheeks
His creation that killed summer was glorious
And it only took him 12.5 weeks!

--------

Ah thank, you thank you very much. Ah, I had forgotten how much fun it is to write vogon poetry.

"saving" money

So, I'm all about saving money for the inevitable move to Portland, but this month, celebrating not having to pay a $350 monthly cell phone bill anymore, I bought one movie "Hulk vs Thor vs Wolverine" and a few really, really good books. Also, since my car stereo has not worked in over a year, I went to best buy and bought a Sony CD player with an aux hook up for my iphone which cost less than a hundred dollars that I am very happy with. All told, it sums up to less than the cell phone would have been, but I do need to get back into savings mode. The stereo I don't regret at all though. If I'm going to be driving back and forth between here and Portland I'm going to want a good car stereo. I had forgotten how nice it is to have one that works.

As for Portland, I've pretty much decided I"m going whether my boss okays it or not. Now it's just a matter of details. Cause seriously, I'm just done with Reno.

zombie H - the revenge

J was a better brother to me on my birthday than I was on his. He popped champagne and then hid my present around the living room and made me search for it. Good times.

In other news, last couple of nights have been a disaster sleep-wise. I still hasn't kept me from swimming, but it has kept me from doing a full wii fit workout. I'm going to have to nip that in the bud I think. Zombie H does not get to drag me back into my old routine! My old routine was bullshit! Soylent H must live. . . . live!

So, break out the chainsaws, we're going zombie hunting.

Soylent H's First Law

Everyone looks cute in swimming goggles and a swimming cap and a bathing suit. No exceptions.

Ashes to Ashes Wednesday

Well, Tuesday kind of sucked but wasn't that bad. Today I'm getting hints from co-workers that boss might not be able to OK Portland move for a few more weeks because this is like the busiest time of year for people in our business. Deep sigh. Another trip to Portland may be in order. In the meantime, one of my favorite songs.

Getting the hang of Tuesday

You ever have days where you feel like you're about 2 seconds from putting your foot in your mouth or about to trigger the release for the trap door you didn't realize you are standing on? Proceeding cautiously . . ..

Oh, what I wouldn't give for the comforting might of Thor's day on a Tuesday.

Oh Frabulous Day

My ex has, at long last, over a year after she stopped sleeping here, retrieved 99.9% of her inanimate objects. And now, I do the dance of joy, for this is the dawning of the age of aquarius.



Of course, next part of the plan is to get her to take her birds back. Still, all is proceeding as I have forseen it.

Counting Chickens . . . .

I've convinced myself so thoroughly that I'm moving to Portland regardless of what happens that I've actually started looking at online housing rentals. At this point I kind of feel like nothing is going to stop me.

Having said that, I'd like to take this opportunity to beg the universe to bite me on the ass on this one. Seriously, I'm begging you.

Edited to add: And of course, I'm likely to look fairly foolish if I end up having to stay in Reno.

I Was Not the Only One - Labyrinth edition

So, I really like the movie Labyrinth. But, while I enjoy it purely in a childlike and wholesome manner, I did always think the sweat pants David Bowie wore in that movie didn't quite leave enough to the imagination. I don't really bring it up that often, because I don't want people to ask me why I was looking at David Bowie's crotch. The problem is, once you notice that his sweats are uncomfortably revealing, you can't help but notice in EVERY scene. For years I thought I alone suffered this problem, but a quick search of the internet shows me that there were a wide variety of people who noticed and were affected by "Bowie's Bulge" as it has come to be called. With that in mind, please enjoy this mildly humorous re-edit of the making of labyrinth, with the description:

"A behind the scenes look at how the Muppet masters of Labyrinth created David Bowie's Crotch"



Edited to add:

You can imagine the entertainment of me seeing "the Nutcracker" for the first time a couple of years ago. It's not that I find it titillating, it's that I don't see men dressed quite like that every day. It takes some getting used to is all.

the Knights Doppler

All our work undone! The Knights Doppler must regroup quickly if we are to avoid disaster!


Weather Channel Accused of Pro-Weather Bias

Intermission

So, I talked to my boss about moving to Portland (like over a week ago). He was impressed with how well I had thought it through, and did not reject the idea out of hand. He said he would seriously consider it but a final answer would need to wait until he got back and can talk to the division director. In the meantime, he told me my job was to find out if health insurance would cover me if I were in Portland (answer: Yes! *Gleee*). So now I'm waiting on him to get back next week and talk with the division director and give me a firm decision on what he'd be willing to do one way or the other. He's a really cool guy, I expect he's honestly considering it and will give me an honest answer.

In the meantime, so as far as the Portland trip goes, I guess I'm in intermission. This is okay though, I am still sorting some reno stuff out such as work and getting my ex to come pick up her stuff. Ah, change. How I revel in it.

L'Homme Boit, Non!

Additional note to self: Dammit self, I said NOT to drink the pool water. It is the ick. ICK!

Reply to Self, RE: water swallowing: Well, maybe if you would pay more attention to your breathing and not try to inhale a half-second too early while your mouth is still technically underwater you wouldn't be faced with the "swallow ick water or drown right here." dilemma once a night.

H

Song of the Day

I like this song when I'm trying to navigate a bad day, although I usually listen to the Dandy Warhols cover.

Sister Golden Hair [Album Vers...

For the record,

"Well I tried to make it Sunday,
but I go so damned depressed,
that I set my sights on Monday and got myself undressed."

is probably one of my favorite song openings of all time. Not sure why.

The Haunting

ad stare
Originally uploaded by hbot3000

I've been walking by this ad on my table for about a week now and it creeps me out more and more every time I walk by. What is he staring at! Can he read my mind? Those eyes, those burning eyes! No, no, stay out of my head . . . get out of my head!

Me big smarty

I just figured out a couple nights ago, that the bizarre device next to the showers is not in fact an incinerator of unknown purpose, but rather a centrifuge to wring the water out of my bathing suit. Clearly, I never stopped to really think about what it was, because if I'd spent one second on it, the idea that it was an incinerator of any sort would have seemed unlikely.

In any case, I'm happy to have a device to wring the water out now, it's made life more convenient.

L'homme Boit

Note to self: Try not to drink half the pool tonight.

Sleepytime

God I love discovering new music.

Sleepytime in the Western Worl...

Your eyelids are made of lead
You can't keep them open
Cause its sleepytime
And that's no crime in the western world
Cause when the sun goes down
You’re bound to follow through
Sleeping through the afternoon
I just can't seem to leave my room
Waiting for the moon and a love so true
It's gonna see me through
You know it's gonna see me through

Swimmin'

I did 20 laps tonight, I am proud. I don't feel as tired as I think I should though. Either I'm doing it at exactly the right pace, or I need to attack the water a little harder. I don't know, my pulse rate is pretty steadily high, I think I'm doing okay. Two things to mention though:

1: Tired of but amused by the old men in the locker room, wandering naked, seemingly aimlessly.

2: There are two paper towel dispensers there that work off of motion sensors. Every night it's the same dance. Wave hand in front of sensor. Wave closer. Closer. Smack the sensor lightly to get it to work. I'm just amused I have to actually hit the sensor every time. Quality engineering.

And this was the song going through my head tonight as I swam: