sudoku update

I almost need a new book. It's getting easier I hardly have to write down "possibilities" any more. Of course I'm only doing "easy" puzzles still. White belt. Level one. Black gold. Texas tea. Well the next thing you know the kin folks said, "Jed move away from there!"... um sorry. That was Tourette's Theme Song Syndrome.

It's a dying art...

The art of counting change.

We went to Wibbley's for the best fucking hamburger short of zips in Cincinnati ever. I ordered the Wibbley burger deluxe with a 1/2 order of fries. My order taker who we will call Tyler to protect his anonymity. Took my order wrong. No worries he read it back and it was all good. No not a mushroom burger, ick that's a fungus. No not a full order of fries, just a 1/2 (again all good). So he rang me up, correctly announced the total, as I was taught when I worked cashier at Kings Island when I was 15 or so. Then I handed him a 20 and he hit the button without entering my $20.00. I could see it on his face. Oh shit. Poor Tyler was stressed out. I said, "Dude this is easy, just count up the 12 cents all the way to a dollar that gets you six then count up to 20 in bills." Tyler didn't listen (just yet) he went with the subtraction method. He came up with some change amount from the subtraction and was then stuck. His boss wasn't sure what was wrong but Mr. Wibbley was busy Wibbley burgering or whatever. So then I tried again and said, "OK you got me to six now count up to twenty with bills." Again with the subtraction. He counted out 12 bucks. He was about to short me two dollars. Trust me I'm short enough without Tyler's help. So now I said, "It's 6, and 4 is ten, ten is twenty." This didn't jive in Tylers head. Wibbley comes over and I think thinks I'm trying to short Tyler (who is like 8 feet tall and 12 years old seemingly) I said again, "It's 6 and 4 is ten. ten is twenty. You have the ten right, but you only have 2. The correct change is $14.00." Wibbley concurs. At least I think that was what he meant by the noise. I get my money and I re-explain counting change to Tyler a little bit.

Wibbley hands him a calculator... This is why it's a dying art. Bygones.

Sleep? Who needs it?

I mean come on. The god damn sun rises now at 5AM and this activates the birds. I can't have a closed window because I need my wind tunnel. I need my wind tunnel. So I wake up at five. The I futz around the house for a while and still manage to show up to work by 10:00am. Can you say, "traffic sucketh?" Good. I knew you could.

The weather is just gorgeous. Yes I've been reduced to blogging about the weather. The blog says "may cause drowsiness." So deal. No humidity. None. Zip Zero. These people around here complain about the heat. They know nothing. They take sweating for granted. Give them an August week in Ohio without A/C and then you know heat and humidity, my friend.

In closing I would like to thank you for reading this content free post.

Sunny disposition...

The earth has resumed it's normalcy...

Nothing that a little toast couldn't fix. Somedays I enjoy being a jackass.

Off to buy coke and cereal and all that special stuff. Oh and quilted southern.

Is the earth still tilted correctly?

23 degrees? Polaris still the north star?

If so, something else is seriously wrong as I'm drinking a pepsi.

Cleaning up

The most theraputic thing in the world for me is to clean. Not that I need therapy. I mean I have a therapist so the cleaning is secondary? Anyways.

Get what? Get Back.

So I really cleaned the kitchen today. Really cleaned.

I also really cleaned up my music on my ipod. I got all the stuff that has been confused by DRM into not playing off of it. OK actually I've just got the PC straight. The ipod is still waiting for a serious ass format. Then I will only buy music at home. (Legally of course...) I'm going to re-do my pod casts. I will just let the mofo sync then and be done with it.

I also did some major cleaning in the garage. That was just nasty. I mean really people thats gross. Oh wait that was me who did that. Anyways it's all good now. OK well when the trash peeps come and haul that shit away it'll be all good.

My life seems to be divided into two types of times. Cleaning & messing. Well 3 if you don't count drooooling. In which case I can tack sleep onto there.

is it dangerous?

OK so this was a stupid thing I just did. Is it possibly fatal to fall asleep in the tub? I mean I wasn't altered in any way shape or form so I just figure if I slip down under the water I'll wake up, right?

right?

OK I'm tired

I fixed my last bug and now I need a rest. It's a bit early in the day to even call it a half day, but hey it's all good. Bugs fixed... Dogs need run. House need a major cleaning. Major. Maybe a Colonel (OK people that word is a BITCH to spell. I know my readers are all picky and shit when it comes to spelling and punctuation.) cleaning is in order. Or worse a General Cleaning. It's bad you know.

Now I'm fucked again...

It's like a I clean my house... then turn around... then clean my house.

We have snacks people.

I myself for my situation need a clean house.

I'm sure it's the children. I mean they are the source of all things entropy.

Maybe it's me. Maybe I get up in the middle of the night and throw xbox games, socks (not mine) juice boxes, and the occasional mic stand (no you can't make this up) around my living room. It's my own private rockstargonejuiceboxdrinker dreams. I do dream in color, usually green. Pretty sparkly green... I digress.

Ah technology

I love it.
I hate it.
I love it.
I hate it.
I love it.
I hate it.

OK I love it. I think I hate it most because I always want to push it. I always want to take a conundrum and solve it. It's my nature. The answer is always to buy another thing. I just want it to all work. All of it. The whole thing. I won't settle.

Life is hard on the bleeding edge.

Dental Short Stories

OK so I did this whole braces thing. I've got a reeeetainer. My situation has been concurently messed up this morning at the dentist. So all of my teeth have to be drilled. All of them. Do I exagerate? yes. 9 of them. Count yours up. Go on you know you don't know how many you have for sure so count. I'll wait right here.

Also I have to have one removed (we knew that) and a rod put in. We're talking 6 hours in that chair people. I will have a hex nut in my mouth for a while. Good times.

OK so the best part was the X-Rays. I know "best part" and dentist don't usally go out in the same breath, but hang on. I always ask to waive the lead. It's always a tech (never the dentist) and I always explain that I understand radiation and that the lead isn't doing me any good really. That I get more radiation when I stand next to my brick fronted house on a warm day. Or taking a flight to and from Boston gives me way more radiation than a little bite wing mamby pamby flow of photons. He looks at me said, "You're right." He put the lead apron (which is designed to protect my balls and we all know how well connected they are... NOT at all.) back and took the bite wings and I was happy. It doesn't take much people.

In other news: my therapist said I was really very clear about things. Thats a good thing.

insomnia?

You know like everybody sometimes you just can't sleep. I didn't have Newton's Principia handy so I did what most American men do when they can't sleep... yup... I cleaned the kitchen. I know what you're thinking why didn't he call up some really cute girl and talk to her, but no. I cleaned the kitchen. My friends helped me throw (by helped me I mean, "They did it all.") Sam a birthday party. It was fantastic. The party that is not the clean up. Actually it was quite easy. I did have some trouble with the amount of fruit I had to chuck down the disposal, but other than that it was easy. I drank some sprite, remembered I have a crazy early dentist appointment (yay!) and then came up and did the right thing. Yup I went right to bed and right to sleep. Nope. I blogged.

Most interesting thought while I was cleaning the kitchen? "It doesn't really matter how gross it is to put mustard in there directly if you have no intention of actually keeping the bowl." Did I mention we've got snacks?

I'm just saying.

I love iTunes

I love being able to get whatever single I want from whatever album. I do.

Profound? no.

It's all about the weather?

I hear it's nice in the Seattle area this time of year.

If I look out my window it is in fact very nice this time of year.

Did anybody ever notice that laundry just never fucking ends? I mean really.

I watched good will hunting this other night. After having been in the Boston area it was so cool to see. Riding the T and listening to guys talk was just like the dialog in the movie.

In other stunning news, I had my glasses adjusted today they weren't sitting right on my nose.

Are you drowsey yet?

it was just a beating

Deonn used the word "deject" and I was...

It took me a long time to post this, but she kicked my ass and I don't want anyone to think I'm suspect by not posting this.

It's just a lovely morning

The grass is green and the sun came out today.

My children woke me up to the perfect breakfast. Toast, a banana and a coke. I know people who would argue in favor of a Mountain Dew, but that's just wrong.

I got cards and a new wooden pen. My kids rock.

At a birthday party yesterday, I got multiple compliments as to how well behaved they are. Nothing makes a dad happier. Especially a single dad.

Now all I need is a Winnebago... wait no I don't... :-)

And we're back

OK so the conference got to be very busy esp near the end as people started dropping like flies. Ok they fly out not drop, but still they are dead to me and my sore feet working that booth.

Do you have a sticker? Do you? You want a sticker. No I said you WANT a sticker! YOU WANT TO WEAR THE STICKER. Get your sorry ass back here and put this mutherfucking sticker on your badge. They like us to be direct.

Upside? Lots of upside. Parties. Pool. Fenway. Got meet The... The one and only... the Jen Garrett.

OK people, watching sports with her should get you combat pay.

The best quote of the whole evening was, "Can you part my hair?" Of course I only heard this 2nd hand as I wasn't in the ladie's room at the time. Or at all.

I played a fair amount of pool and I actually only lost one game. It was the last one.

whoah oh heaaayyy

OK so the convention is going. My talks keep sucking... I've started incorporating street performing techniques to get a crowd. Tom will be proud, I'm going all out tomorrow for my demo.

Come on in folks we're going to start the show you won't want to miss it, I've seen it 1000 times!

Tonight we're going to some swank private party I scammed an invite to. The real key will be gate crashing some more of us on our sum total of 2 invites.

I fear you have underestimated the sneaky-ness...

Conference day 1

OK day 0. I read the schedule wrong. my fault.

um yeah... ok so then I went digging for when i speak today... I don't.

I think i'm going to go to a tea party. Actually The Tea party. I'm in Boston, right?

I just need to change my clothes....

I got up early too....

I love public transit

Yeah I was bitching before because I was cold and wet whaaaa whaaa... I'm much better now.

I've mentioned it before that using public transit gives me this serious sense of self reliance.

Today I hit dirt in a strange city with just the name of my hotel, some directions to my friends house and some green. I learned the T today. I walked. I cabbed. I called on the phone and talked to people I love.

It just felt good.

I made up a playlist that I won't show you. It's the JR is all alone and can listen to embarassing stuff playlist... It will be deleted on the ride back so just forget getting hold of my iPod and figuring it out, k?

I met a man named unice today

He is one of the security persons at the convention center. I just wanted to mention that Unice wants to buy a liquor store. Why? For himself. I wasn't sure if that meant he could get at the stock or he would make money. He said it was entirely for the money. I asked unice what his next action was. He said he wanted to get $900.00 together for the licence. Then he talked about a lease. I'm reminded of that scene in fight club where he (I can't remember the names) takes a clerk and threatens him if he doesn't realize his dream of becoming at vet.

I was feeling good when I talked to Unice. I had a comfy chair, a tablet pc that was working well, a pepsi (hey you know when you're in a foreign land you make do) and some seriously fast internet.

boss boss the train

OK so I journed back out and up to see my Friend Solomon and his wife (Elka Tova) for lunch. I took a cab down to the T because the fucking rain was fucking insane. I tried to work Sudoku on the train but I was already really really sleepy. Red eye & time change do that.

We had a nice visit. Solomon: Message in a blog: Clean up before she kills you, k? We'd all hate to see something unfortunate happen to you. Just saying it's better than when you lived alone isn't going to cut it. K?

On the way there I got pan handled very nicely for a ten spot. I offered the lady $0.50 (I wasn't going to get out my money clip and hand her a 20.) Cold? no. I give other ways.

The T system rocks and I'm getting to know it.

When I got home I did some inbox processing a la GTD and feel pretty good. They give you a ton of stuff when you register and a lot of it (though I'm sure valuable to some) isn't applicable to what I do (see they might be reading this) so I shit canned most of it, kept out the relevent stuff and put it in my "Read and Review folder.)

I will do some more work with my notes after supper.

So far... So good. (except this town seems to be owned by pepsi...)

screw you guys...

OK what did we learn so far today?

1. Sleeping on a plane is possible, but not fun.
2. The T is great.
3. When you book a hotel for a convention LOOK AT THE FUCKING MAP.

So after a lovely T ride. I got a walk up a huge fucking hill to my place. The count begins "screw you guys, I'm going home!" Twice on the side walk going up hill in the rain. OK people rain here is NOT rain at home. Also I'm sure those drivers thought it was funny to splash the tourist as they went by...

I'm gonna keep count of when that phrase comes out of my mouth. 2 so far... I'll blog more.

Just to balance out the complaints: I'm warm, dry, wearing just some shorts in my room getting set to work Sudoku puzzle at the hot tub with a beverage of a carbonated nature. I also got a sweet fucking bag. SWEET people. It's yet another laptop case for JR. (YALCFJR) Keep my acronyms for a specail puzzle at the end of the week when you can win valuable prizes. (Not really, actually yes, no, yes... you better keep them huh?

to blog or not to blog

You know I was blogging before blogging was a word known to me. I picked it up from photo.net and Phil's travel logs. At the time he didn't call them blogs. I dunno wht he calls them now I don't read him anymore. When I discovered blogging I was not a member of corporate america. I was a member of serious slacker had some money and wasn't doing dick tech bubble craze of the early 2000's. That sounds wrong. It doesn't sound like "the 80's" I mean 2000's (say it out loud, go on you know you want to) just doesn't cut it. Anyways I blogged. I called it "in motion" yes it's there in the links on the side. Before that I wrote some stuff on AstroWonders about some trips I took. That was pre-blog for me.

So then I joined Corporate America. (Or the money is running out and JR is a danger to himself and others) and I redid my blog and called it "Back-Talk" by the way it's one word and I spelled it wrong, but there ya go. My deal. I will rationalize the lack of fixing it by saying that people (all 2 of you) are used to it the way it is.

I digress. Like I do.

When I started back-talk people were getting fired over blogging... a lot... so I've always been careful not to blog about work. Policy this and that was all over Corporate America about what you couldn't blog.

Corporations get wise to stuff. Well the ones that survive. I'm currently at a convetion (I won't say which one, in face we'll call it, "not teched 2006" k?). During my seaker/staff training in one of the hand outs or emails or some shit I dunno, it said, "be sure to blog about your experiece" and I did a WTF? (we'll call that "not, 'what the fuck")

OK little aside. Be fucking careful who you tell you are blogging. K? i mean holy mother of god, I'm bitching to this guy about what I'm writing about ... well you just read it... and he's the fucking technical manager of the whole show. Great. At least he doesn't have my name. Jesus christ on a cracker.

So where was I. Oh yes. Corporate america started seeing the numbers on blogs and why they are so important. I actually say to the guy, (yes back peddal) "Of course I'm only blogging positive stuff." I'm such an idiot. yes a danger to myself and others.

So OK that completly hijacked my post. Well for fucks sake, I'll just shut up now, k?

take two for this whole post: I'm not gonna blog it. Nope. Close up shop for a few huh? Oh fuck that noise....

I found the devil

His name is Soduko. The number of the beast is not 666 or 6/6/06 (idiots) it is in fact 9x9x9 so we've had it upside down this whole time, huh?

sudoku

ok that's a bad thing. I did my first one. It was supposed to be super easy... ok an hour and a half later I got it done. I see in my future a whole lot of counting to nine...

ex presidents...

So I was taking to Deonn (see links, yes I'm too lazy to link her) and we were talking about our current president. She mentioned how you always see the Original Bush with Clinton all the time. It's because they belong to this little club. Ex-presidents. It's like the elks only fewer members (and the average age of the elks is much higher) and it's really exclusive. They have meetings and they vote on things like how much to charge to give a graduation speech at an ivy league school. (OK people the future is silicon, computers, and plastics (yes that is the Oxford comma there.) not some plant that grows up a wall.(end of tangent))

Anyways we figure it like this, they likely kicked carter out. Ford never shows and they likely had an "event" when Reagen had his final state "event" because you know that drove their prices up.

You know they were all pulling for dubya when he was re-elected (oh that hurts to write) because as soon as he's out the availability of the ex-president goes up. Of course he'll only really be playing the comedy circuit (of course his agent won't *tell* him that and everybody goes home happy) My theory is they won't tell him about the club at all. Yes that's really cruel thing for a Dad to do, but come on, If you look at dubya's behavior his childhood couldn't have been that healthy, right? So I'm sure Dad is just going to keep it from him. In fact I bet he hasn't even shown his son his memorial library (ok for the record I don't *know* if he has a presidential library or not, I'm way to lazy to look it up)

That leads me to think about dubya's library... I can't imagine he's a big reader.

So I'm sure it will be located in some back water Texas hell hole and it will be titled: "The Hooked on Fon-icks George Dubya Bush Presidential Library."

It'll be a lot of picture books...

Cache stats:

I Just checked out how many geocaches are available in WA:

7774

I've only found 50 some odd. I need to get cracking.

dinner last night...

I had one of the best dinners I've made ever last night. I cut up tomatoes and some avacado and made a letuce free salad. I dressed it with NaCl. Sodium Cloride. Salt...

I had some spanakopidas (um those are geek hot pockets for the record) and I didn't bake them enough so it was just like a real hot pocket.

HOOOOT POOOOOCKETs...

I Love my new computer...

Enough said.

Rockin' out... not so much...

OK it's sad when you're going down the road and you see some dude having way more fun than you. He's driving a beat to hell pickup (not that my ride is at all pimped mind you) but he's totally into the day. He's rocking out, He's giving people the thumbs up to get in in front of him. He's happy.

I'm happy too. I have to admit I scanned the radio a little bit saying to myself, "What the hell is *he* listening to?"

What if jesus only died for the pretty people.

I saw a bumper sticker that said "Jesus died for me...and you" and then I passed the car and I'm afraid to say that the drive, who I believe was a lady, wasn't well let's just say "model" material. I thought wouldn't it be funny if Simon from American Idol (I have never seen the show, but even I "get" it.) was in the St. Peter role. I'm sure he would say to most of us, "Oh... dear... how did *you* get through?... next!" and I know I'd be one of them, don't get me wrong. Ugly Atheist I guess. What a let down huh? Faith? doesn't matter. You see Tom Cruise and all of his ex's on the other side of the gates just smiling back at you. Didn't matter what we thought, we look good...

so a new bumper sticker: Jesus died just for the pretty, so see you in hell.