Do not play around with online ordering when 1) really really tired 2) slightly inebriated 3) any combination of the two.

About three weeks ago I ordered a router from Amazon. I was having a pretty decent case of number 3) above. We wanted a router that deals with both wireless and VOIP because now we have this awful mess under the monitors, which is not only unsightly but also very incompatible to the point of quasi-functionality.



So I got to the site and was looking at models and found two and got the one with two antennas instead of one (at (e:paul)'s suggestion). So the package comes like two weeks ago, we find out by tracking it online. Problem number one, I had it sent to our old address. Whoops. So Paul and (e:matthew) go down and talk to someone who says it was delivered to the person that lives upstairs or something. They call UPS and find out it was delivered to a Newton who signed for it. Who signs for a package that is clearly not theirs? Anyways I got back from the LV and went down to the old hood myself to find the sitch out. I get the person upstairs who says the person downstairs got it and left it by the door marked RETURN. Far as I know UPS doesn't go door-to-door looking for packages to pick up. Whatev...

So I call Amazon, which has this really neat thing that you click on and then your phone rings. So I got a nice guy who told me that I'd get a new one in a couple days. Cool. So on Monday we get our package. Guess what. Problem number 2: wrong friggin' modem!! Doesn't work with our Vonage at all. So now I have to return the stupid thing. Still debating whether I even want the right thing now.

I got back from Vegas about a week ago now. But I'm still outside of time, out of sync with life in general. My new work shift is 5 PM to 1:30 AM. It means I have afternoons free but can't manage to get to sleep till 4 at the earliest. It's taking some getting used to, but I'll be on it until about July, so I better cope. I have abandoned life outside of my house though. Hopefully with the advent of warmth that can change too.

Today I made fajitas (another weird side effect is that dinner has to be made around lunch time if at all), They look tasty.



I am convinced that just like women are pumped with fertility drugs and end up with sextuplets, peppers are pumped so full of something (or bred so specifically) that they have multiple babies growing inside them. I remember when I was young and we would get the odd pepper with babies and everyone would look at the freaky thing and comment. Nowadays everytime I buy a non-organic pepper it has babies. These last two were just nuts. These all came from just two peppers (an orange and a red). The green peppers were organic and had no babies.





I am especially weirded by the long skinny pepper "fingers". Thank you modern agribusiness! You've made peppers worth posting about.

I've been in Sin City for a week now. Seen about 25 relatives, which is real swell, since I only get out west about once every 1 or 2 years. Everybody is doing pretty well, though the living situations are never what I would have imagined when I left about 8 years ago. I really hate it here. If I didn't have family I don't think I would ever come back. It deserves its nickname, vice is a-calling around every corner. Heck, just going shopping you're tempted with not only beer, but wine and liquor too, not to mention the slot machines that tempt as you try to wheel your cart out the door. Slot machines at the grocery store, c'mon! I really want my family to get out of here too. I blame a lot of the aforementioned situations on LV. The only things I miss are the mountains, the sky, and the crazy wind.

As (e:paul) said, I managed to miss my plane home last night. I left the one thing that I couldn't leave behind: my ID. Anything else I could've had sent later, but I couldn't get on the plane without that. My brother even tried to rush it to me, but they closed the counter on me even though there was still a 1/2 hour before departure. WTF, mates?

My visit has been overall very good though. My two nephews and cousin are real trips. There's a 4 yr old and two 2 yr olds. All so so cute and rambunctious. And they all liked me too. Aiden, especially (my 2yr old nephew) seemed to prefer me to just about everyone else. Everytime he saw me he'd run up and say, "I wanna hold you" (such a cute scrambling of words). Which I was more than happy to do. I need to either move a lot closer or become a lot richer so I can see everybody more.

Lastly, I have enclosed proof of my Swedish heritage. Here is my hot Swedish grandma. She used to model back in the days of black-and-white and deep dark lipstick. She always used to call us "d'deet stevens" or something like that, when we were mischievous. She also frequently threatened us with soot-bags. One day I ought to find a Swede and find out if that's normal...

Went to my dearest auntie Lovey's house today. Her 2 yr old Elizabeth is a riot. She loves to talk but has trouble saying actual words. My snap shirt proved all the rage and she just kept undressing me, eventually I gave the shirt to her. She's so darn cute.

SUP QT!

New hope that PMT may be able to leave the sanctity of their home within the coming years.

A breakthrough study has found "that mice treated with a newly developed part-cat, part-human protein did not develop an allergic reaction." (e:Paul) would be so cute with cat-genes in him I think. Maybe grow a tail and learn to purr...

My question is, is that pain or bliss on her face?

So I'm in "class" reading Orientalism by Edward Said. Very nice chick next to me, actually 50ish, talkative, and utterly boring, says to me, whacha readin'? I show her the cover.

"What's that, some science fiction?"

"Errr...not so much...more like sociology or history, you know, political stuff."

Blank look ensues, "ohhhh, uh-huh."

"Well um it kinda talks about the word orientalism, you know, where it comes from and stuff. And, how we all react to the word, and the image that it evokes in our minds...yadda-yadda."

"Well, you know," with perplexed intensity, "I don't think they meant to do so much damage."

Questioning look on my face brings,

"You know, how the whole building came down. I think they only thought they would take out the one floor when they crashed into it."

"Oh! You mean 9/11?!"

"Yeah, I don't think they thought the whole building would come down and kill so many people."

Here I try to muffle my utter astonishment, "well, you know that's kinda the whole point of the book actually. It wasn't so much the oriental world that made that happen. That was a distinct group of people within the larger oriental society. Just like it wasn't America or Americans that bombed the federal building in Oklahoma. It was a single person who happened to be an American."

.
.
.
[the next day]
.
.
.

"What's that you're reading terrster (i kid you not)?" An 'instructor' for the day, she likes to give me nicknames, like I'm the cute dog who does neat tricks.

"Oh just a book," I show her the cover.

"Ori-en-ta-lism, eh?"

I nod.

"Sounds pretty good. You ever read the Davinci Code?"...

I guess without the pretension of college (or any other 'elite' setting) it is impossible to be recognized for your scholarly achievements. Where were my oohs and aahhs for reading up on such a pertinent topic surrounding our present day society? They just realize I'm kinda boring, but at the same time are rather impressed that I read at all, let alone something without a plot. But there is never a recognition that I could possibly be taking something of value from these books. Ideas mean very little. Unless you can phrase them in harmless jokes. Yet, I grasp America through my workmates. I hear/see what it is like to be your so-called normal American. It is a useful experience. How can you belittle what you don't know? :) ;0

today was kinda like summer (okay, you had to pretend just a little bit). Walking was nice. Saw the oldest tree on Franklin, it's big.

The Fermi Solution's purdy good. Most of the things I've read about before, but not from this perspective. Chop the problem up into managable bits, solve those, and put'em back together. No prob. Especially if you're Einstein or the like.

Tsunami Terror mix is playing now. I'm drowning.

Happy birthday (e:Springfaerie), though I'm sure I'll get in trouble for posting you a good wish and not (e:matthew). Oh well. I'll wish in person perhaps too!

On Non-Fiscal Issues, you rank as a Strong Liberal (5)
On Fiscal Issues, you rank as a Strong Liberal (5)

Wonder where I missed those 5 point at?