"An Ode to Wednesday's weather" written by Mrmike on estrip.org

Category: verse

02/01/08 10:30 - 30ºF - ID#43127

An Ode to Wednesday's weather

I found this beautiful winter poem and thought it might be a comfort to you. It was to me, and it's very well written.

"WINTER"

a poem by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre...

"F U C K , It's Cold !!!!"

The End

Permalink: An_Ode_to_Wednesday_s_weather.html
Words: 39
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: mirth

01/29/08 09:03 - 43ºF - ID#43076

"Do you know who I am?" "Jeff Vader?"

Eddie Izzard just rocks. This is too fucking funny

Permalink: _quot_Do_you_know_who_I_am_quot_quot_Jeff_Vader_quot_.html
Words: 11
Location: Buffalo, NY

01/26/08 09:41 - 21ºF - ID#43038

More health foolishness

The drama never friggen ends. I began Wednesday dealing with a failing starter on my car. A brief spark show later, my oft-mentioned little buggy has a new starter and I'm shopping at Aldi's for the next two weeks. If life could have been quiet there, I would have been fine with it. You never like getting stuck, but you could do a lot worse than the ring road in Delaware Park.

Never thought I'd pass for the picture of health, but I'm starting to wonder. I already wrote about my Father-in-law's cancer battle. Poor dude can't get a break. He had a reaction to I think anesthetic so he was getting rushed over to Buff General, who made sure there were no other obstructions or obstacles to overcome. An MRI later today should confirm that. They brought him down the tunnel to Roswell thursday night. The Ex hung out there whilst I pinch-hitted with the kids. Thursday night stretched magically into Friday morning in that regard.

While all this was going on, my mom was in the emergency room at Suburban. She has been undergoing a treatment regimen for what consensus believes is vascular arteritis, featuring an unhealthy amount of Prednizone. Apparently, it can have some graphic side effects. One of which was a nose bleed. Not one of the "ooh, I bumped my nose" types of bleeds. It was more of the "Who died here" kind. To get it to stop, staff there used a liquid form of cocaine.

Now I have officially seen and heard everything. After a childhood of hearing my mom say things like "tilt your head" and "hold that washcloth still," I can now respond with "Mom, did you do your coke."

Meanwhile, back in Elmwood Village, we had "the talk" with the kids about their grandfather being unlikely to recover. That went about as well as can be expected considering we were making it up as we go.

I had my first day at the Zoo of being devoid of caring, just waited till 5. I swear this being a grownup doesn't look anything like it does in the brochure.

If I wasn't so bill laden this week, I would so be having Guitar Hero plugged into the PS2.

Weekend, anybody?

Permalink: More_health_foolishness.html
Words: 377
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: politics

01/24/08 11:39 - 20ºF - ID#43009

Clinton: "Screw it, I'm in

Got to love the Onion

Funny because it could be true if it wasn't for those tricky amendments

Permalink: Clinton_quot_Screw_it_I_m_in.html
Words: 24
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: work

01/22/08 04:44 - 32ºF - ID#42988

Reaching for levity and pulling a muscle

I just completed spending a god awful amount of money for billboards for the zoo beginning in June. What follows seemed appropriate.

Permalink: Reaching_for_levity_and_pulling_a_muscle.html
Words: 49
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: random

01/20/08 09:17 - 6ºF - ID#42961

The Mental Plate is a little full

So, I have this nagging feeling of helplessness that won't go away. My Father-in-Law (I guess former since the divorce, but we don't really think in those terms) has been battling cancer most of the year, complete with two very invasive surgeries over at Roswell Peep. He went back over Friday to get the latest report and it wasn't good. The talk of more chemo is too manage pain for a "few more months." If long term terminal is a term, I think I discovered the definition. Since the holidays he was having a rougher go of it. He is one of those who never feels sorry for himself, always wanting the best for everybody and such. Seeing this twist isn't fair under the best of circumstances, but it's been a tough one to swallow. He did everything right. He was a smoker and managed to quit that. He doesn't drink, no red meat, no chicken, heavily into fish and veggies and still Karma decided to say "Fuck You."

Be enough to test your faith, as if mine isn't shaky enough as it is. Got the news yesterday that a distant cousin passed away from unknown causes. She was the daughter of my mom's eldest sister. The sister has long proven to be bonkers so I hadn't them in over 25 years. She was a whack job but I wouldn't wish that on anybody. Even whack jobs deserve a little peace.

So, the yuks aren't exactly plentiful.

I know Dad-in-law doesn't want us all sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves and that is the message my ex and I are going to try and convey to our kids later. At 13 and 16, I suspect my daughters are pretty aware. He's essentially dying, but trying to explain the vast amount of what isn't definite to a 9 year old (The aformentioned number one son). So, what isn't known is what any of this means because we're at a point where everything is just a guestimate.

Depressed yet? I know I am.

Came home from a rare exasperating day at work to that news and my time has been haunted by it ever since.

Permalink: The_Mental_Plate_is_a_little_full.html
Words: 359
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: work

01/17/08 09:39 - 34ºF - ID#42935

Mrmike, spokespeep

Next stop, Broadway.

I'm such a company whore

Permalink: Mrmike_spokespeep.html
Words: 18
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: work

01/16/08 11:40 - 28ºF - ID#42911

Warm & Fuzzy

Got to tell you, this beats selling remotes

Got my first exposure to tiger training somewhat. After getting to take this photo, I got to watch as the tiger staff took the two 3 month old cubs outside for the first time. The girl cub went first sniffing around and exploring the new environs while her brother watched from the ledge of their indoor room.

After a few minutes, one of the keepers went over and gave the boy a little help. The little guy was a tad unsteady for a few seconds only to have his sister pounce on him and playtime was on. Fun to watch. They charmed the pants off even the steeliest of Zoo staffer for the next twenty minutes before going back inside for lunch.

Fun stuff

Permalink: Warm_amp_Fuzzy.html
Words: 133
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: mental mcnuggets

01/13/08 08:10 - 38ºF - ID#42873

Lasertron and strange goings-on

I had to take number one son to a birthday party yesterday out at Lasertron. After getting him checked in, the mom of the main party celebrant asked me if I'd go in the Lasertron game so our group of kids. I'm not sure what the deciding factor was in that regard: that I'd played before or that I was the only Dad to show up.

They take two groups at a time. 3 adults and 17 (I'm guessing) kids all around age 9 or 10, divided in two groups. You go through a little briefing, get taken out to your side of the arena and have at it. In no time, all these little kids are turning into Tom Sizemore in Saving Private Ryan. I have expected a few of em to sport the cigar stub that the crusty sarge in all the war movies sports. You play four games and I laughed my fool self through all of em. It's glorified capture the flag. At one instance, a little kid no bigger than my hip comes up to me and says "excuse me, sir, I think if we go up and to the left we can blown up their home."

Little twerp was right, we blew it up good. I told the moms I'd take one for the parenting team provided there was a beer waiting (Lasertron serves beer) and there was. Good mothers.

Maybe we should have an (e:strip) shoot'em up some night.

Permalink: Lasertron_and_strange_goings_on.html
Words: 243
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: politics

01/10/08 02:48 - 40ºF - ID#42819

Go Bloomy Go

Got to love the entertainment value if Bloomberg gets in...

Might start paying attention to the election

vincent writes at 12:56:48 01/11/08 - Comment #30205: If he runs he is going to make it very interesting for sure. All that data crunching from those Bloomberg Terminals give him something to go on, I may fly to Vegas and put something on him to win.

His appeal is that he's a not a religious wacko and he's ultra business. It's sad but people trust business more than government. So someone that basically built the data analysis system for Wall Street has the admiration of most Americans. That gives him an edge over any Democrat that is still left in the race, since they're pretty much just government resume only holders that never made it in "the private sector."

jim writes at 06:48:23 01/10/08 - Comment #30173: Yeah, the whole Unity Party thing seems to just be fake grass roots cover for him to run.

jason writes at 05:11:32 01/10/08 - Comment #30172: I wouldn't be too sure about his ability to draw off support from Republicans. I interact with right leaners of differing commitment very frequently. I have heard not one peep from them about Bloomberg. He is off the radar. And why wouldn't he be? Everyone knows he is a Democratic, and why he ran with an (R) next to his name.

I don't know where he gets support.

mrmike writes at 04:44:23 01/10/08 - Comment #30169: Oh I agree, his candidacy won't change the nature of what's already underway. I
don't believe he'd win in this current climate. My innner-rubber necker likes
watching what his presence would inspire on all sides, given that both he and
his billions are too large to ignore.

It'd be fun to watch, not that it would solve anything, but it would be
entertaining.

jim writes at 03:46:40 01/10/08 - Comment #30162: This election doesn't feature a huge group who is disenchanted with the Democratic party. He'll draw off support mostly from the Republicans, but like James says not from many of them. The Democrats are really fired up for this election and getting on with a life post-Bush. Bloomberg needs an electorate disenchanted with the status quo on both sides.

The problem with a new centrist 3rd party or candidate is that they still must schizophrenically deal with all the same issues that drove the Left and the Right apart to begin with. How does this Unity party handle abortion, war, economic and health policy?

Any good workable ideas will be sucked up by one of the main parties leaving the 3rd party with just the unresolvable ones.

james writes at 03:29:07 01/10/08 - Comment #30160: I don't understand why a New York City Independent/Really-a-Democrat-but-technically-I-was-a-Republican would think he has anything to contribute to the race. I like Bloomy, I really do. But he is not fiscally or socially conservative at all. He has no real centrist appeal. If he runs it is because his ego is getting to big for NYC.

Permalink: Go_Bloomy_Go.html
Words: 26
Location: Buffalo, NY