| Update. |
[Mar. 13th, 2006|03:33 pm] |
What's new with me? Well....
Went to a roller-girl party this weekend with my wife and krankykris. It was awash with beer and err... girly-bits. It was fun, I got to have a very good beer which is sold somewhere near the North Market on High st, whose name I can't remember... Blast.
Bagpipes have been aquired and I've been deemed competent enough to destroy my eardrums next weekend. The first tune I'm learning is "Abide With Me" which I could have *sworn* was a love song but it is, in fact, a hymn. Ah well..
Err.. will be working 6 extra hours this week on friday and saturday. I had completely forgotten it was paddy's day so no bagpipes and beer for me :( ah well... I'll console myself by rolling around in the over-time cash. |
|
|
| Something about nothing... |
[Feb. 8th, 2006|06:00 pm] |
It's been a while since I've posted something substantial, so thought I'd give a mini-update to the three people out there who read this thing....
I got hired on full time by my current employer, with a better than expected wage. This makes me happy.
I found a new bagpipe teacher and that is going MUCH better than the old one. He talks really fast but breaks down what I need to do decently and is super positive. I still don't think I'm pipe band material but I've been enjoying the 3 lessons I've had so far anyways. Hehe.. on a related note, I've picked out the pipe + accessories combo... just haven't broken the price tag to the wifey yet :P
Ryokogal and I are considering a second house or possibly a second investment property. We're both a bit tired of our current "hood". The occasional murders, the heavy police presence, the litter... it starts to leave a bad impression after a while.
On a semi-related note to the above.. Nationwide is not on *my* side. They're on the "lets charge this jerk double for his house insurance than what he could get elsewhere" Bastards... |
|
|
| To Complete Before Death... |
[Jan. 28th, 2006|07:09 pm] |
This is my (hopefully updated from time to time) list of stuff before I kick the bucket.
Skills
Learn to speak a foreign language and make sure you use it.
Learn how to dance
Learn to play a musical instrument with some degree of skill (Bagpipes to Grade III)
CPR certification
First Aid certification
Sing a great song in front of an audience.
Learn how to cook one really fantastic meal
Busk somewhere
Travel/One-Shot things
Go on multi-day train ride
Drink beer at Oktoberfest in Munich.
Spend New Year's in an exotic location.
Visit the Senate and the House of Representatives to see how Congress really works.
Watch the launch of the space shuttle.
See the northern lights
Work on an archaeological dig
Go to Carnival/Mardi Gras
Drive across America from coast to coast.
Shower in a waterfall
Experience weightlessness.
Make love on a train.
Throw a huge party and invite every one of your friends.
Be a member of the audience in a TV show.
Send a message in a bottle.
Plant a tree
Sit on a jury.
Have your portrait painted.
Go white water rafting
Paint the Big Apple red
Give your mother a dozen red roses and tell her you love her.
Write a fan letter to your all-time favorite hero or heroine.
Drive a convertible with the top down and music blaring.
Attend one really huge rock concert.
Make yourself spend a half-day at a concentration camp and swear never to forget.
Visit Japan
Visit Scotland (See the World’s ((Bagpiping thing)))
Visit Ireland
Visit Germany
Visit Italy
Visit Australia
Visit Amsterdam
Camp on the beach
Drink at a bar until it closes
Go Skiing/snow boarding
Spend week backpack camping
Financial
Write your will.
Donate money and put your name on something: a college scholarship, a bench in the park.
Buy your own house and then spend time making it into exactly what you want.
Retire with a $1,000,000
Pick two charities and donate yearly
Completely fund children’s education
Buy Gibson Bagpipes with stainless steel tuning slides
Buy reasonable vanity car
Buy boat
Create/Maintain emergency kit for home and cars
Health
Weight down to 175#s
Triathlon
Earn a black belt in some martial art
Job-Related
Earn a B.A.
Earn an A+ Cert
Earn a Network + Cert
Earn MCSA |
|
|
| Ah, if only I were single again.... |
[Jan. 6th, 2006|10:18 pm] |
This is probably made up but I thought this was awesome. If I were single, I would love to write an personal ad in a similar vein. Enjoy you hatchet-faced bitches!
------------
How can you possibly not love the Irish?
Actual Personal Ads in the Dublin News:
Heavy drinker, 35, Cork area. Seeks gorgeous sex addict interested in a man who loves his pints, cigarettes, Glasgow Celtic Football Club and has been known to start fights on Patrick Street at three o'clock in the morning.
------------------------------------------------------
Bitter, disillusioned Dublin man, lately rejected by longtime fiancee, seeks decent, honest, reliable woman, if such a thing still exists in this cruel world of hatchet-faced bitches.
------------------------------------------------------
Ginger haired Galway man, a troublemaker, gets slit-eyed and shirty after a few scoops, seeks attractive, wealthy lady for bail purposes, maybe more.
------------------------------------------------------
Bad tempered, foul-mouthed old bastard, living in a damp cottage in the arse end of Roscommon, seeks attractive 21 yearold blonde lady, with a lovely chest.
------------------------------------------------------
Limerick man, 27, medium build, brown hair, blue eyes, seeks alibi for the night of February 27 between 8 PM and 11:30 PM .
------------------------------------------------------
Optimistic Mayo man, 35, seeks a blonde 20 year old double-jointed supermodel, who owns her own brewery, and has an open-minded twin sister |
|
|
| Merry Holidays... |
[Dec. 24th, 2005|05:11 pm] |
Have been in the office for 2 and 1/2 hours and the phone has not rung. The shift before me took 3 calls, two of which for the wrong department. What have I done to occupy my time, you ask? Well... I found this!! I've drawn up my own plans since his are kinda confusing.
I'm not sure what kind of sound quality you get out of PVC, but they'll be interesting to hear when (or more properly, if) they're completed. Usually, bagpipes are made out of super-expensive black wood for their tonal quality, while PVC is used to carry water in your kitchen, bathroom, etc. Either way it'll be fun :P
Well, I hope everyone has a good holiday! |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Dec. 15th, 2005|09:04 pm] |
 Dear Santa...
Dear Santa,
This year I've been busy!
In April I pulled over and changed ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1) triggur's flat tire (15 points). Last Saturday I gave ryokogal a wet willie, then I took it back (-5 points). In January I gave krankykris a kidney (1000 points). Last Sunday I signed my organ donor card (28 points). In August I bought porn for cowsgomoo4you (-10 points).
Overall, I've been nice (1028 points). For Christmas I deserve a Lego set!
Sincerely,
talimane |
|
|
|
| Chieftans |
[Nov. 21st, 2005|03:57 pm] |
My wife introduced me to her Chieftans VHS. It's a kind of "making of the Christmas album". The highlights? Watching Paddy Moloney play Uilleann Pipes and someone else (whose name I don't remember) playing Northumbrian Bagpipes. Uilleann Pipes are the most complicated looking fuckers I've ever seen. They're bellows driven so you're pumping both elbows (one for the bag and one for the bellows) while trying to work out a tune on the chanter. Plus, you've got drones hanging out all over the place (not on your shoulder like GHBs). The Northumbrians looked a lot more manageable with the drones being much shorter than the Uilleanns. Plus the Northumbrians had a smoother sound. Kinda like a harpsichord.
I must admit, I've been a bit obssesive about playing my pipes recently. It's something to do before work and helps spice up my days off. It's better than playing video games... At the end of the day, I can say that I can play this or that tune much better than earlier. With video games, it's like "I can no beat Zoxgroth the mystical killer unicorn creature"... whop-de-fucking do :P On the bad side... I'm starting to get the itch to collect other kinds of bagpipes and bagpipe like instruments. It's the kid-collector in me. Gotta catch them all :P
Going to be seeing the next Harry Potter film tonight with wifey and some friends.
On a side note: The Live Journal spell-checker suggested "skyscraper" for my killer unicorn "Zoxgroth". I'm not sure what that means. |
|
|
| Quickie |
[Nov. 12th, 2005|08:11 pm] |
A snap-shot of my life:
I've been shopping at Aldi's and I've observed that three groups of people frequent Aldi's: the elderly, rednecks and Somalis. Now, by nature, I don't have any issue with any of these three groups but often one in particular seems to draw my ire much more than the others. This leads us to the story:
I was standing in line at the Aldi's check out and I was behind one other person. Behind me stretched a long line with carts stuffed to the brim with cheap Aldi's goodness. Two Somali women (50'ish) get into line and slowly start to unload the stuff in their carts, effectively (although I would argue ignorantly) ditching in line. The lady who was legitimately next in line (enter the redneck) starts to argue with the woman. I point out to the Somali lady (in a polite manner) who was next in line. She repacks her stuff and goes back to the end of the line. The redneck thanks me and then launches into a mini-tirade about foreigners.
So, by doing a good deed, I assist a reactionary, ill-educated nutjob in her xenophobic fantasies.
I'm like a redneck saint. |
|
|
| The Coffee didn't turn out so well... |
[Nov. 9th, 2005|08:48 pm] |
The Coffee didn't turn out great. Kinda ok. Not good enough to drink certainly but not bad enough for me to give up quite yet. It was kinda cool, the house ended up smelling like a coffee shop for two days. I was getting caffienated just by breathing the air. It rocked.
I voted. Everything I voted for failed and everything I voted against passed.
Reading a Richard Dawkins book: Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder. I really enjoyed the Selfish Gene, so I thought I'd give another one of his books a try. I must admit my grounding in science is pretty slim but the more philosophical arguments I'm able to follow. The funny thing about Richard Dawkins is that it inspired the Intelligent Design movement. Richard (?) Behe the founder of ID started writing his books as a response to Dawkins.
That is all. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Nov. 1st, 2005|11:34 am] |
I'm sitting here listening to the sounds of my bathroom being torn apart and rebuilt. The wax seal in our toilet gave out, causing flooding in the bathroom and a small waterfall in the basement. It will be REALLY nice to have a working toilet in the house again. The neighbors were starting to give me funny looks when I was watering/fertilizing the lawn anyhow (j/k).
Next on the home improvement list is insulation, cleaning the gutters and replacing the sink faucet. Wifey and I are having to decide our future. It's clear that simply socking money away into a savings account and relying on social security just isn't going to cut it but is real estate our best option? I understand landlording better than I do investing, but stock brokers don't call you at 3am about issues with your portfolio. On the other hand, an investment in real estate feels more REAL than a share in a company.
I'm done with the bagpiping group. Taking lessons in the instrument really takes the FUN out of playing.
Roasted my own coffee beans today. Easiest thing in the world. Take green coffee beans and put them on a perforated baking sheet. Set your oven to 500 degrees, put coffee beans in and voila! 12 minutes you have roasted coffee beans! Haven't actually tried them yet so I'll have to update everyone later on taste. It's funny I don't cook very creatively but between the coffee and the beer I seem to be channeling a bit of Aegir.
Everyone should, at some point, go to the James Randi Educational Foundation! |
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|
