Shopping With (e:mike) the day before christmas eve at the Galleria.

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I am dreaming of a muddy christmas. I probably should not sing and drive while recording video.

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We went to La Marina for (e:holly)'s birthday party last night. I cannot find a web site for them but here is their artvoice page

(MAP TO: 1503%20HERTEL%20AVENUE)

The food was really fabulous but it is quite expensive. The bill came to around $360 for 6 people. I mean we went all out, I think you could eat a lot cheaper there. We had fancy wine, appetizers, and entrees plus drinks. (e:holly) had crab cakes with lobster tail, I have to say it looked absolutely delicious. I had linguine with clam sauce and fried calamaris.

My phone decided to jump out of my pocket last night on Hertel Avenue as I ran down the street in the rain. My shoe had come untied and it was raining, so after I got it tied I ran to catch up with everyone else.

The phone sat in a puddle completely covered for a few seconds before I realized. Luckily, the battery had flown out when it hit the ground so there were no short circuits. I let the waterlogged phone dry out in my bone dry gas heated house and today it work fine. Unfortunately, I lost my last stylus.

I was really quite nervous. because although I have insurance on the phone, I am leaving for San Francisco on Monday and there is no way I would be able to get a replacement before then.

The thought of having no phone in a 'foreign, place freaked me the hell out. How did I live before the phone? How did anyone meet up or get anything done. How did I even manage to grocery shop without access to google.

One of the servers at work got hacked the other day. Who hacks a cancer treatment center?

The show at the baseball stadium is ultra nationalistic. They spent like 15 minutes announcing each part of the army and lighting off one firework for each.

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The finale was a little better but still kind of blah, sorry about the blair witch effect at the beginning, it was windy.

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We had a delicious easter lunch at my cousins husband parents house. Then we sat in the sun and played bocce. My father is joining the italian (pronounced mafia) league in niagara falls.

Then we came in to play word yatzee. I think I hate word yatze but not as much as monopoly.

This poster from the irish classical theatre poster looks a lot like me.

The weekend started out with incredible hulk green bagels in the breakroom at work. I could't get myself to eat one because it looked so toxic green.



We tried to find a rocking chair for (e:matthew) for his birthday. He really wanted a rocking chair and we have honestly been looking for about 3 years. For some reason very few places sell traditional rockers, which kind of surprises me. I called at least 5 places and we visited many more. Lots of places have gliders, which are kind of like rockers on a track but he just wants a traditional wooden rocker. Preferably not a wicker one, because he already wore a couple of those through.

We tried FWS, Ashley furniture, big lots, a couple antique stores but they didn't have any. Well FWS had one in the scratch and dent room but it wasn't very nice.



At Calvin's furniture in Kenmore they had one made out of beach that cost $279. It was actually on sale from a normal price of over $500. I was willing to actually buy it for him but he didn't like the color. I think he wants something a little darker.



Does anyone have a rocking chair they a are willing to sell maybe?

On Saturday night we had a pretty big party and many of the epeeps came out to celebrate (e:matthew)'s birthday with us. (e:ladycroft) brought a party sized (WIKIPEDIA - hookah) Hookah that had some nice hazelnut and vanilla flavored tobacco. It was the only time I have had any tobacco since I started working at Roswell. The party reinforced that I would not be smoking any more cigarettes. There were so many and I managed to not even have one.

On Sunday morning (e:lilho) and (e:hodown) came over to make breakfast. We had every intention on going to the parade but food led to more food which led to more food and two packs of Wegman's nirtrate free bacon later we settled on hangin gout at home instead dof braving the cold. I felt lame for not going but in reality I don't even have an ounce of irish in me.



Instead (e:hodown) and (e:terry) did an Irish jig for us.

This "morning" when I woke up at 1PM I heard someone knocking on the door. I ignored it because I was still feeling dazed from sleep. Man they were not kidding that the gym would make you sleep better. The problem is that I never had any problem sleeping. So now will I just always sleep?



So the noise at the door turned out to be a package. I assumed it was just YAMC but it turned out to be a valentines box from (e:hodown). Who else would get me maple syrup and mapple candy with a mini shrine to Virgin Mary.

The best part is a bottle of pure maple syrup labled northern comfort.





Inside there was also a bootie music CD.

I used to have a really big shrine to Mary but one day I came home and (e:terry) and (e:jacob) dressed it all up in orange nd black hell style. It was mostly stolen goods anyways so it probably fit.

Ok I am off to my little cousins birthday. We are already 2 hours late. The kids beat the hell out of a sponge bob square pants pinata. All that was left were some limbs.

we made it to the ball drop. I put a video of the Bufalo, NY 2006 New Year's Ball Drop on paulvisco.org

It is definitely only a myth that First Night is alcohol and drug free.

I think the best part of the entire experience was having (e:matthew) pinned on the floor under the tree saying

We are never getting a stupid real tree again. Next time it's a plastic one.

Trees are so expensive. Between the tree and the minimal decoratons and stand it came to around $100.

(e:matthew) said there was some Christmas Tree place in the city so we decided to try again today. It's at the corner of 19th and Rhode Island.

The trees were much cheaper and they had a variety of kinds. We ended up with the kind that has soft needles. It was nice to not have to trek back to the suburbs.