My work buddy still can't get out of Miami so we had to cancel our trips this week. Woop! I still have to go into the office, though.

To answer the question (e:paul) posed - as far as the war ending is concerned, it will end although I'm not about to pretend to know how and when. My best guess is that everybody is going to be huggy and kissy when Islam itself decides that its not going to tolerate this militant fanatical wing ruining the reputation of a perfectly good religion. There isn't anything that us Westerners can do to change their minds, primarily because the source of their hatred is our ("our" meaning the Western world, not just the USA) culture and its influence around the world. We allow freedoms that their culture forbids to such an extent that they will line up to kill themselves if it means that they *might* stop us. This isn't about GWB for them. Its about creating and maintaining a worldwide Islamofascist state.

My work buddy, Julio lives in Miami. Unless you have some way of sheltering yourself from the outside world for a week at a time you know that a hurricane went through south Florida recently. So, I am getting ready to go to the airport, and Julio calls me -
"Maing, the airport is closed." OH SHIT!

I was on hold with SWA for 30 minutes, but I did get my flight switched just in time. Technically, my flight boards in half an hour and I'm sitting in my living room writing to you. This isn't so bad, but when I get stranded one day due to weather I am going to freak out. Anyhow, I have a free day in Buffalo! I've wanted to go to Sahara Grill and Caffe Aroma for a while now. Its early in the day, and my plan is just to do what I never get to do - cruise my 'hood on foot and relax. I'm going to try something for lunch that I've never had or would never think to have, then I am going to go to Caffe Aroma, order a mocha or a latte... and read the local propaganda while I listen to my newly procured Doves MP3s.

Laundry is my least favorite chore, and I have to do it when its raining. Why, oh why do I have to be lazy and wait until the last minute?

I went to the co-op to grab some food to cook, since this will be my last meal at home until Friday. I got some help on what to pick out from the very friendly and cute staff there! I like to cook... it does for me what playing musical instruments used to do for me. Well, I suppose playing guitar still does it for me, but for God's sake what is "IT" JOSH?!

"It" is that feeling where your mind is blank, and you are just enjoying doing what you are doing. Kind of like a timeless moment. You get lost in your own little world, and the only thing on your mind is working on your task bit by bit. Plus (well, for the most part anyhow) I usually dazzle people with my grilling skills, and it feels good to have something you make be appreciated... especially by friends. Anyhow I know that you men and ladies know what I mean because everybody has something like that in their lives. In my opinion these things are the best of things.

Otherwise, the weekend was a smashing success. Great fun was had downtown, and I usually hate Chippewa. 67 West is alright, mainly because of the eye candy.

Tomorrow I board a plane destined for Tulsa, OK. I spend two days in that part of the United States (I don't prejudge the places I visit but c'mon... you see, this thing I do doesn't always involve glamorous locales!) follwed by one day in Chicago, then I am home by dinnertime Friday night. I looked at the upcoming schedule... Los Angeles is once again coming up! Perfect timing.

So my buddy got some SWEET hockey tix tonight - we sat rinkside! Definitely cool.

I've decided that going with a #5 with a #2/#3 blend is going to suit me just fine for a while... I'm tired of having beadhead. See my avatar? Imagine it much shorter and you've probably not imagined it short enough. (e:lilho) is going to have full reign of my hair someday soon.

My college roommate has been up from Jacksonville for the weekend - we've had a lot of fun and I can't even remember how much money I've spent at bars. Probably too much, to be completely honest. Its alright though.

Thats pretty much all I care to talk about today.

Why is it that bulk granola is more expensive than boxed granola? I thought the idea behind bulk is to get a better deal. WTF. Anyhow, my granola is soggy. Apparently I needed to buy the bulk granola as the extra dollar would have clearly prevented the current state of my granola.

I got my vest! I came > < that close to buying it online at the hotel in Miami, but I said to myself, "Josh you crazy bastard just wait until you get home." I was rewarded with a 20% discount at Dick's Sporting Goods! Its great to get exactly what you want, but its even greater when you get what you want for less than you were willing to pay. The savings allowed me to purchase a new optic mouse, since I've been using the low-tech roller ball style. Thats so '90s. I also bought the afore mentioned granola and some yogurt. I like blueberry and raspberry, but I had to try the orange cream. Have you ever seen a product called "Gogurt?" When we were kids we had the popsicles that slid out of the long plastic sleeves. Now kids have yogurt instead of popsicles. There is something extremely unnatural about that, and I think its a shame that they have to bait kids into eating things that are good for them. Its like, "Oh, see? Yogurt is fun!!!" Fuck that. Yogurt in a tube is un-American. Why is it that we approach healthy eating like its a shit-filled twinkie? More Ovaltine please! Have you actually ever had Ovaltine? Its like grinding up vitamins into watered down chocolate milk. I hereby request a moratorium on Ovaltine consumption because guess what... the kids know it tastes like shit and some buck-toothed kid in a commercial isn't going to convince a 5-year old that Ovaltine tastes good. By the same token, because yogurt is in a tube doesn't mean that a kid is going to think its fun. You know what else is in a tube? Novicaine shots and crazy glue.

What was I doing in Miami?

Oh... I'll resize the picture and submit another post. Trust me guys, its worth it. I took some really nice pictures but the ones I had hoped would turn out great didn't. They were blurry. I suck at nighttime photography.

I didn't get a chance to talk about the party last weekend - I had a great time! (e:terry) is a wild man. Of course, I hope the beautiful and talented dynamic duo of (e:tina) and (e:lilho) had a good time. (e:jason) and I will surely crash the Halloween bash, but I don't think our dream of dressing up as a soldier/detainee combo is going to happen.

If my life last night was written as a narrative, and if I was in fact a conceited bastard, it would start something like this -

I smirk as I sip my Chivas Regal while the regular people take the walk of shame through first class.

My boss upgraded my ticket for me, which I thought was super cool. Did anybody see the moon last night? The view was magnificent from the air.

I started reading The Da Vinci Code this week - excellent book.

Miami is the shit, 'nuff said. Last night we went to Bayside as a group to have dinner at Bubba Gump's. Then we took a boatride around the bay - beautiful! We even went by Star Island. I saw Shaq's house. Some 42-year old single guy has a house as big as Shaq's, and a boat the length of my house. Ladies, there you go!

Tonight we go for dinner at Lario's, which is located in South Beach and owned by Gloria Estefan. I got some nice nighttime pictures of Miami from the boat - when I come home I will share.

Ciao -

Well, I went to do my shopping, as I've promised to my dear readers. I got a sweet Kenneth Cole jobby, but I'm a little unsure about it. Actually (and please don't take offense to this, gay contingent) but I was wondering to myself before I bought it, "Is this too gay for me to be wearing? I'll let you be the judge. I wasn't able to get my North Face vest because THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT IN STOCK! I asked if there was somewhere else that they knew would carry it, and they said "not anywhere around here." Fuck. I guess I'm ordering it online. So, dear readers, I'll have my new shirt but not my new vest.

Now, on to things that are more important. I got a bottle of Maker's and some sour mix. Its on like Donkey Kong tonight!

Hey, some new (e:peeps)!

Anyhow, I skipped out of work early today and went over to Globe - I had the cuban reuben and some of the chicken and leeks soup - excellent! I'm continually amazed at the quality of the food there. I've never been disappointed with any of the soups I've tried there, and I'll pretty much try anything. The "strangest" I think I've had there was a lamb meatball and israeli couscous soup. Its freaking delicious.

My plan for the next couple days is to do NOTHING. I'm officially off until I leave for Miami on Sunday. I've decided to definitely buy some new gear on Friday. I kind of have an idea of what I want, but hopefully I won't have to spend too much time at the mall. I hate the mall! I'm gonna buy a long sleeve shirt, preferably an indigo color or something very dark like midnight blue. Stripes or solid. Plus I realized that I still have the same Eddie Bauer vest that I bought in 1997. Entonces, I am going to get a black North Face vest.

I've seriously spent way too much money at Spot lately.

hey that place (e:hodown) was talking about has sausages called "the whitey" and "the guido" - I'm sold.