Saturday in the park. Tough part of climbing the rocks down by the marina is eventually you have to work your way back up



Just like me to get in the way of a good sunset, windy down there.

Here it is sans me getting in the way



Raised our overpriced dairy products in salutation

Just got back from LaSalle Park and starting feeling bleah again. It's been one of those time frames where you're not sure where you fit in the world. Funny thing about LaSalle, there was a time like it seemed like it was going to bloom a little, instead of just being all the neighborhood has. There used to be tuesday night concerts there. I remember the Dixie Chicks playing just before they started getting big, America playing long after they were and Tito Puente turning the park into a big party. The place got a repaving and now it looks like a little forlorn. Bet the hot dog stand owner is glad he chased Ted's out so he could properly board the place up and let it rot.

Sigh, could have been something, but between the misbegotten fountain by Porter and the snack bar you wouldn't want to eat off of, get the impression the City's to-do list doesn't include it.

My lovely middle child made blueberry pancakes on Sat as a father's day present which was nice. By this morning, she was back to her evil self. I think she has a Sullen Outfit for such occasions. She whined to her mom that I "forced" her to go to Becker Farms, conveniently omitting that she had a great time while she was there.

Sigh

Working the bulk of this week in Buffalo which is a little strange as you don't really fit in there either. There's a lot of remodeling getting done and some really strange practices. Can't send a fax without passing two locked doors, which need to stay locked. Bad enough my keychain is ready for statehood, but geesh. We're anal retentive about a door, but nobody's paying attention when Tops can't process a cable bill or my supervisor can't schedule enough people to close. It must be me.

Sigh

Stopped by the house where a mild water war was in play and the sudden blast from the garden hose was really nice, but again I didn't linger, mostly because I swished when I walked.

Got greeting rather warmly by a woman about my age I've known for sometime at the parade a few weeksago. Didn't too hard about that, but all the sudden I was asked to go see Richard Thompson with her after a chance encounter at Spot last night, so who knows.

One work note, the natives are restless. Pretty much everybody in my department is applying for other things. That can't be good. On the upside, I got my Time Warner digital phone and it is really cool.

So, in every cloud, is some silver shit

sigh

Last post of the day. Any peep out there with a Mac OS X disc I can burn or borrow? I got willed a "Wallstreet Version" Powerbook, but it has no Operating System, hence my need of a cd.

Let me know if you're feeling charitable. One good turn deserves a spot beverage or something

Guess it is one of those opinionated days....

I was just coming down Auburn toward Elmwood. Green light so I was all set to make a swing on to Elmwood when a guy appeared by the treehouse, headphones in place, never looks to see what color light might be facing, never looks to see if a car is coming from any direction. I beep just enough to say "Hey Stupid." He looks at me. I point to the traffic signal in my favor. He adjusts his volume and keeps on schleppin.

Makes you wonder...

A satisfying day otherwise. Got my windows cleaned on my lil red gomobile, so I can actually see out. Returned a phone and got a better one in its place.

Quietly yanked the plug out from both my facebook and yahoo personals listings (despite the appearance of a peep in my search listing).

Having a decent enough hair day that a new user pic might be on the horizon. Wonders indeed never cease.

Got the kids soon so I'm loafing till then. Their father's day notion is to make pancakes here tomorrow.

Mighty fine, enjoy your friday eves my friends.

A Day off......ain't it grand.

Was watching part of the today show while waiting for the coffee maker to finishing and pretty sure one of the signs being held up featured "HO" rather prominently. You don't suppose we've had our first nationally broadcast peeps? Couldn't see the faces of the sign holders but it did make me wonder.....briefly.

In the here's what I know department, if you want digital phone from TW, it's gonna be $39.95. It's using the cable connection, not the internet to run. If you have tv and net already, you can save some bucks. I just got mine connected (employee perk) and it isn't too shabby.

Made a black belt feel bad. Number one Son was sparring during his Tae Kwon Do class last saturday. His opponent thought he was on UFC and knocked my guy's helmet strap loose and before the instructors would/could do anything, his helmet went flying. As I'm running out to check on him, I'm thinking about all the money that his mom and I are sinking into braces. He was okay, just the dignity got bruised. Anyhoo, I spoke to the school owner and requested that if the equipment that we had to buy from him can't protect our kids, he needs to take some responsibility for that and make sure his instructors are on point. Also, that my guy needs a confidence boost and not have to face a little twerp with Chuck LIddell fantasies.

Got this in the email

With iTunes Plus, you can get our highest-quality audio with no restrictions for personal use. iTunes Plus songs are available at $1.29 per song, music videos are still $1.99, and albums are generally available at the same price as DRM-protected versions of the albums.

And best of all, you can upgrade all the eligible music you've previously purchased from iTunes to iTunes Plus for just $.30 per song, $.60 per music video, and 30% of an album price. New additions to iTunes Plus music are added to iTunes all the time, so check back often to find new music available for upgrading.

This sounds fine, but I'm not sure my IPODS will know the difference. The Itunes files are pretty dense mp3s. The new ones sound like that it is something for the burn em all to cd set.

Shenanigans, either way.

Back to the laundry

The Allentown Art Festival was the same old crap, just without a soundtrack. With Music is Art bullied to Hamburg, you could almost hear crickets on Franklin on Sunday morning. The quote that continues to stick with me is the tool from the Allentown Society saying "there is no place for music at a Fine Arts fair." That being a misnomer the size of Rhode Island conveniently obscures the fact that the fine art was few and far between, too. You had to go to Nietzche's block to see the more original stuff. It's the people watching that caught my amusement.

You'd think people would be over my marital nonsense by now. My ex and I had a thing for our eldest daughter at the house yesterday. One of the recent arrivals in the family made a decided turn to avoid greeting me at all. WTF? I didn't stray, she did. It's been over 3 years and the divorce is almost a year old. Get over yerself, or at least fuckin be civil or don't show up.

Took my darling daughter driving in my go mobile yesterday. She is a little overwhelmed at the thought of standard transmission, but happily we're still talking so I considered that a good lesson. She did perform however unintentionally, one of the more impressive tire burn outs in the history of Forest Lawn. "Why all the smoke?" she cried. Calmly, I pointed out that she still had the break on.

Took the whole lot to Becker Farms on Sat. Not sure who had a better time, me or them. Lots of animals to see, running around to be had, and fresh strawberries and one kick ass blueberry pie came home as souvenirs.

Among the many places I'd never thought I'd be, I've spent about 45 minutes listening to the ex lament the break up of her current relationship -- strange thing trying to be helpful about the dissolution that caused your own dissolution.

Was working in the Time Warner store on Maple Rd today when the computers and the internet went down. Couldn't help but joke to a long line at that. "Savor the irony, folks, our internet went down and we can't get tech support."

Seemed to diffuse a potentially angry mob.

The Philharmonic rejected me via email, bastards. I guess I'm overqualified. A colleague said "Do you really want to be an Associate? Bet that pays well." Wise soul, that one.

Cool the Sopranos enchewed a big finale. People came into work and thought it was our fault.

A change in email resulted in a free medium popcorn to the Market Arcade. May be just enough of an excuse to go see Ocean's 13. Anybody game?

Saturday ride home included a diversion to Isleview Park. Sitting along the water with a well made dreamcicle milkshake renewed my faith in civility.

My digital phone gets installed Friday, the joys of beta testing. Now, I can listen to it not ring on saturday nights.

Not a big reality tv guy, but something about Hell's Kitchen gets to me. I get a kick out of seeing Gordon Ramsay browbeat people into making a better gravy. It's like watching "Stripes" take place in culinary school.

Get to actually go to my own office tomorrow, been awhile.

Hot enough for ya?

Mama! Tell the scary man to take off those fuckin' sunglasses!

The chatter about the google bot made curious. I searched me on estrip and it yielded the following (I so need a life).


Did you mean: estrip mr mike


Mrmike's journals on (e:strip) - Buffalo, NY's Original Neighborhood ...The bulk of (e:strip) seems to have some familarity. It didn't take me long to resume my almost twenty year old death stare for "don't fuck with me" walking. ...
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Never dawned on me that one of those bots might be Google trolling for Traffic

Insanely great time at Chateau Ladycroft's on Saturday night. It was terrific to see everybody. Didn't seem complete without Jenks, Imk, or the ever fictional Larson Bros (I think they stopped coming to estrip parties right around the time I started). Anyhow, nice to get back into the swing of things as reasons domestic have kept me away since New Year's. Much fun indeed.

The Pride fesitivities were a hoot. Pride Day turns Merlin's into a entirely different kind of bar, which makes me smile. Being straight not narrow, I always partake. Ever since my ex came out, I've done the supportive thing and helped her get down to Kleinhans so she can lead the COLAGE (Children of Lesbian and Gay Parents) group entry. Dropping her and number one son off, one of the Christian Fundamentalist (the guy who was showing his allegiance to god by literally listing what he consider lewd sex acts) informed me that I was headed to hell for assisting the heathen. I told him, I'd save him a seat.

Parade is always a blast too. Spotted (e:zobar) and (e:dragonlady) skating down Elmwood. Number one Son did a terrific job tossings rings to the masses from the Colage Truck and as an added treat, he got to meet the fine men of the 24. He was happy to meet you guys, but was preoccupied with visions of snow cone hood.

Headed to the grocery store last night only to star in the "Life Aquatic of MrMike" on the way back to the car. Felt good.

Best Sopranos in ages was on last night. Still can't believe Silvio got hit. You don't shoot Little Steven, just don't.

I've read in a number of journals about getting old or I'm so old at 23 or whatever the case maybe. Old, my friends, is when your eldest child turns 16 as mine did this morning. The previously mentioned trip to NYC was the bulk of the birthday present, but my darling daughter is 16 officially today. The obligatory trip to the DMV is set for the end of next week. I was thinking about this when I stumbled across the photo below, 1991 when we were just at the beginning of something big (and my beard was mostly one color).

Happy Birthday, Siobhan from your basket case of a Dad