Actual Conversation with Sam

     Sitting in a restaurant, after she has informed me that her Blood Glucose meter failed and she has replaced it with another, same type

she has gone to check her blood, and I am studying the package:



     She returns and I tell her "I figured out what went wrong with your meter. I see it was a ReliOn Prime..."

Sam: "this is about to be a transformers joke, right?"

Me: "Yep. so I suspect that it is giving inaccurate readings because it has lost it's matrix of readership"

Sam:" Ha ha...actually, that was kind of good..."

Trust

     Last night, I went and sat up in the garage, and I took Tango in his travel cage. We opened the door, to let the breeze in. It was cool, a little overcast, and nice. Sam took Sid up, and we had a very mellow time, despite the fact that I was worried over missing clothes (which turned out not to have made it into Sunday's laundry because I'm an eedjit)

     And then...Sam made a suggestion, a terrible, frightening suggestion-Let Tango out of his travel cage. And I did it.

 At this point I am going to pause the narrative and say simply that nothing bad happened.

 

 

     He climbed out, scampered up onto me, perched on my hand, and just stayed on me. Sid tried to come over and I had to do some quick bird shifting, because Tango will go David on Sid's Goliath if given the chance, and if his territory(me) is encroached upon.

 

 

     When the breeze blew, Tango shielded himself in my hand. When the butterfly went by, he tensed, because you know you can't trust those fluttery bastards. he watched a blackbird about 40-50 feet up and just cruising. When he started to get tense, we wrapped it up and went back downstairs.

 

 

Trust.

 

I trusted him to stay with me, and he trusted me to protect him from the big bad world out there.

 

He trusted me to stay with him, and I trusted him to protect me from the big bad world out there.

 

 

 

     It was a special, magical moment between us. I normally use the travel cage like one would use a leash(because the attempt to put a harness on Tango did not go well) for his safety outside. But it is a nice feeling to know that he wants to stay on Daddy. 

How Miniatures are Born

Found this online.  Thought those who are into OOAK, metal fabrication, or miniatures would find this interesting!

My New Office Space

     So Sam now has the room my office was in, and my office is a sectioned off area of the front room. I like how the space turned out -a lot- and we are getting along most of the time. It's not easy to translate husband/wife to roommates, but it seems to be working at this point

     So what we did was wall off part of the room with bookcases to block sound, and partition it; I had to bring down some books, will need to bring down more to complete that sound barrier. I also have the DVDs in here with me, and who controls the DVDs controls Arrakis! (because I have the Dune DVD in here too)

     What I am most excited about tho, is my additional display space. I have my TFPrime and Classics style up and looking good

Entree Versus Dessert

     In the movie "Music and Lyrics" ( Romantic Comedy, possible Chick Flick, and I don't care) the two leads compare songs to food- that pop songs are like dessert, fun but not really meaning anything. The Song he Writes at the end, to win her back, she describes as "dinner"

     I feel like that about my blog posts- some of them are dessert, some nothing but a candy bar, and some are probably a handful of tic-tacs. Some of them are a full entree, and are there to evoke deep thoughts, and possibly to inspire you to do something creative too. They are not always going to be funny, but you'll know when I dirty a few pans putting one together

     Interesting fun slightly related fact- Sam can cook an entire meal and use one pan and like a pair of chopsticks. I can boil water and dirty every dish in the house. She is an endless mystery to me, and I fear her powers. It's even worse now that she got those two rings, the green one and the one with elvish writing on it...


     Dirtied: approximately one sauce pan, a cheese grater, and that thing Sam calls a "zester"

drip...drip...drip.........Silence

     An update to our trials and travails with a leak in the apartment. the landlord got a contractor down here, once we had given him a good idea of where to look for the water source, and he located and eliminated the leak upstairs (or so it would seem at this juncture- cautiously optimistic).

     currently he is in the process of removing no-longer-drywall so he can patch up the walls and we can actually have a door that closes in there again!!!

     Yay, Landlord and Contractor!

     and there shall be great rejoicing

Communique

     "Look, there are certain rules I have to abide by. I'm not authorized to communicate with you except... to say I can't communicate with you... " - Agent Simmons, Transformers

     Sam has a big post she is working on, so I am posting this (paradoxically it seems) to let you know that she has asked me not to post today

Confuse it Forward

     So, Sam and I are out to grab a bite to eat again, this time at Del Taco. Sam is not very hungry, and orders something unusual- three orders of fish tacos worth of cabbage and sauce, but no fish, and no corn tortilla- Basically a kind of Cole Slaw. I'm listening to this with half an ear, considering my own selection, when I hear the guy behind the counter say "no Fish"

     Instantly my attention is fully on the transaction. "there's no Fish? I say. "no, there's fish- you want fish tacos?"- well I didn't until I heard that there might be no fish.

     So now I'm confused, but that's OK, because the counter clerk is still trying to figure out why Sam wants cabbage, and sauce, but no tacos- and she wants it in a tray like they use for french fries- and he has no clue how to ring up the final result. So she has confused him, and he has confused me. And together, we all confused his manager- end result, Sam got her Del Taco Cole Slaw, I had chicken soft tacos, and the counter guy had a great story to tell later on...

On a a different note: 10 Signs You Have Become a Crazy Bird Person

The Hobby Account and the Plastic Monkey

     A few months ago, Sam Suggested I set aside money in a second account for hobbies- Movies, Books, Art, and Toys. I've had some toys since the 80's, and I have added more than a few to this collection inne moderne tymes. I have posted Pics here, so you know it to be true. So into this account I put whatever I can set aside from Bill Budget, Rent, Car, Medical, Etc. I also add monies I make from selling stuff I have chosen to get rid of.

     It's interesting, because when people discover there is a second account for hobbies, they assume it's money I am hiding from my spouse, when it's often her urging me to put money in there. We Keep our money and bills separate, and I am convinced that is a key to a happy marriage. But Sam likes to make sure I have money there for Mental Health, and to stave off the Attack of the Plastic Monkey.

     The Plastic Monkey is an invisible creature that digs his shiny plastic claws into my back when it's been too long between purchases. I get nervous...I want to go into every store because they might just have gotten that October released Transformer two months early. And he digs his claws in deeper and deeper still, until I buy something I don't want because it's there, or maybe it's on clearance.

     Anyway, somehow, having that second account with set aside money helps me focus on the things I really do want, and will value. I'm not advocating it for everyone, but it works for me.

     I think in their own way, everyone has a Plastic Monkey. It might be video games, it might be photo equipment, or it might be toys that remind you of your childhood. The Monkey isn't evil, he's just insistent. It's all about feeding him enough to get him to leave you alone. I prowl stores. Sometimes I pick things up, and put them back down, and handling them helps keep the beast at bay. I shop online, and see prices that I consider too high. The Monkey chatters a little, but settles. he's a patient monkey, when he's handled right

Musings on the Journey with a Pet-Companion

     A serious post this time, and not a sad one, either. Just a thought I had. When you take a pet into your life, you are embarking(no pun intended) on a trip together. And as you travel along, you each learn the others ways.

     You may find that your cat meows a little differently for water, than it does for food, or for petting. You may find that your dog looks at you skeptically when you do something silly in the house.

     I've grown older, and a little wiser, through a lot of pets- Cats, Dogs, Reptiles, Hermit Crabs, and birds. and when I've paid attention (which I haven't always done...I tend to spend a lot of time lost in my head, as my wife has pointed out) they have all taught me amazing things. Creatures which seem to be the simplest have shown amazing ingenuity and done truly amazing things. There are stories I may tell later if the mood strikes, but for now...


     Just pay attention to your pets, and watch for what they are learning from you. Pontification over

"You're so wise. You're like a miniature Buddha, covered in hair."(Ron Burgundy, to Baxter, in Anchorman)

Turkey Vultures

     ...are fascinating. I may have to see if Sam will let me keep one as a pet. The vultures we saw were about 1/2 mile from a prison. Sam was speculating about how freaked the yard would be if a vulture landed there. I responded that I wouldn't want to be the unlucky prisoner the vulture looked at...

Turkey Vulture Facts

We're Going to need a much bigger cage

Birdwatching from my Civic

     We added a new bird to our list of oddities seen out in the Denver area today; Previously, we have seen tons of Canada Geese, Mallard Ducks, Magpies, Starlings, Crows, Ravens and Blackbirds. We have occasionally seen Double Crested Cormorants, Snowy Egrets(which you can only see once*), Herons, Anhinga, Coopers Hawks, and Eagles, both Bald and Golden. and one late night Sam was buzzed by a Great Horned Owl

(*because if you see one again, it's a ReGret)

     But up until today, we had never seen Vultures

   I initially thought Ravens(Big Ravens!) but Sam said we needed to go back for a better look. there were about 5-7 Turkey Vultures hanging around a prairie dog Colony off of Kipling and Quincy. they were rather Shy around us(and I guess you don't want a vulture being too friendly...) so this is the best I could get picture wise

this is an artists rendering of what they might look like a lot closer and computer generated

Update- I updated this picture- it never looked right until I really futzed with it. Now I'm Happy

Anchor Management

     Trying to learn a little HTML now, to up my skillset here on the blog. The Wise and Wily Ninja Wife already knows this stuff of course, and runs circles around me. I am however very pleased that I managed to create a simple link in comments on the loki post. Like, from scratch, not using bloggers workarounds. Always cool to learn something new, and after my Debacle with the Amateur Skeptics Site, where they threatened to put training wheels on my admin account, I figured I needed to do SOMETHING

10 Lives on the Edge - NSFW

This is all about George Carlin.  He's my comedy drug.  We sort of need it as this row rolls out!

WARNING: NOT SAFE FOR WORK!

1. John Stewart interviews George Carlin on being Church Approved, Drugs, and Marijuana.
2. George Carlin on Arrogance of Mankind.
3. George Carlin's Interview on The View.
4. George Carlin on The Self Esteem Movement.
5. Dennis Miller Interviews George Carlin on his book Brain Droppings.
6. George Carlin's Interview on the Chris Rock Show.
7. George Carlin on Dealing with BS.
8. George Carlin on the Things You Never See.
9. George Carlin on UFO Aliens.

And, a nod towards Primordial Badger's favorite:
10. The 7 Deadly Words.

BTW, this is not in any particular order.  This is George Carlin.  What's relevant and good is different from issue to issue and daily news.

Asking the Tough Questions

     So I had a Discussion with Sam (she calls it a row) about questions I should have asked my parents when interviewing them for an upcoming podcast. She felt I missed some golden opportunities.

     Basically I asked them what their Five top movies were, why each of them stood out. I asked my Mom her favorite musical, my Dad his favorite western. I asked them what they thought of remakes of classic movies, and what movies released in about the last five years they considered memorable.

    I'd like to know what questions my audience would like asked, so I can get the answers you are looking for in a podcast. let's hear from you what you consider important!

But I've Learned so Much...

     So my wife is teaching me the ways of cross-posting things on the net (I thought Cross-posting was related to flaming, in that it was done while very angry) and she shows me her Amazon review Page, which I'm led to off of her Blog post, which comes off a link in comments in one of my posts here. I simultaneously feel like I followed the white rabbit and like I took off for Bespin before completing the training. And now I've destroyed everything they fought for...

     On another note, I'm astonished at IMDB's search for the The Empire Strikes Back, and what comes up... I guess people really Forget the classics, huh? The Empire's New Groove???

Feedback!

a few days into the Blog, we have actually had someone not Sam or myself comment a post! keep them coming, we'd love to hear from you!

To Netflix or Not to Netflix

     I'm driving myself crazy over this.  I love video streaming.  But I also love free stuff.  Netflix is not free.  And, yes, at only $8.00 for a month it seems like a good value.  But. . . not sure how long it's going to take me to watch all the movies on my to-watch list.  And, really, do I want to get back into having a 'must watch' mentality?  I like being able to turn the computer off mid-show and go to bed, clean the grout from the tub, play with the birds.  (Okay, truth, only one of those things usually happens.)
     On the flip side I do have a list of movies I want to see.  Greedy me with my guilty pleasures in different languages, space aliens and health documentaries.  I love that stuff!  And, really, unless I want to shell out $20 plus per movie Netflix is the best way to go.
     But . . . it is Netflix.  And I really hate their comments system.  And their rating system doesn't thrill me either.  *Sigh*  And it costs.  It's not free like Hulu.  What does Hulu have that Netflix doesn't have?  Lifetime movies.  And Hulu's free.  But I have this list, see. . . 

Goodwill Fail

You know a product is bad when 3 different people see you carrying it - and stop you to tell you it's not worth the cost.  Not even when it's at Goodwill at a third of the price on the store shelves.  Not even when Goodwill has their sticker price at half off.  "Not even for the batteries."  One woman said.

Because it seemed like the only thing to do, I lied to each woman and told them it was for an art project.  That is actually my answer to everything lately: 'It's for an art project.'  People get this look on their face - as if the ideas in their brain as to what the item is going to be used for are too alien now.  And they try to go from there, but just can't.  'It's for an art project.' I say.  They say, "Oh!  Of course!"  Their faces say, 'One of those people' and simultaneously, 'What the hell would you use that in a project for?', and 'Oh, how cool!'.

The item wasn't for an art project.  I was going to use the Ziploc Handi Vac to keep my food fresh.  Got home, tried it out.  It did what it advertised: suck air out of the bag.  End of story.  Only, now, it's for an art project.  

No Two Zen About It

     Did our first post movie hash-it-out.  Recorded it in the car while Primordial Badger was driving.  We break often to swear at other drivers and discuss geese.  Geese!  There is also a small bit where I freak over the ravens and magpie in our area hanging out together.  No, not just hanging out but working together.  *Shudders *  If ever there was a sign of imminent zombie invasion . . .

     The edits are in PB's hands.

     I think we should be recording the arguments about editing the recording.  It's War of the Roses all over again!  LOL.