The SandBox Files

52:18 Three simple rules...

2011-05-18T05:26:00.000-07:00

There are a few rules one must follow when attempting to see a film aimed at young children when you don't have children.

Rule number 1: Avoid the opening weekend of said film (9 times out of ten you and your date will be the only adults in the theatre without children and the noise generated by the 300+ children are likely to drown out any dialogue of said film)

Rule Number 2: Avoid early evening and weekend showings of said film if it has been in theatres for longer than a month. (These show times are aimed at families with very young children and parents with little to no control over their children)

Rule Number 3:. Enter at your own risk. (If you have ignored the above rules you have knowingly entered a temporary child kingdom and have forfeited any rights to a quiet evening and for all intents and purposes are at the children's mercy.)

You would think that of all people I would follow the above rules to the letter, unfortunately I blatantly ignored them when Helen and I saw RIO. The film itself was alright, unfortunately as we were in an early evening Sunday viewing we shared the cinema with 1 other adult and roughly 20 children in ages varying between 4 and 16.

The children were out of control climbing over seats from the back of the cinema down to the front and back up; stomping up and down the aisles, and throwing sweets (two of which hit me and inspired this little rant) and generally being disruptive; While I know the above rules, I don't think it is completely out of the question to hope that parents would instil some kind of manners into their children. God only knows what my own parents would have done to me or my siblings if we acted up half as much as these kids.

end rant...

As you may or may not know Helen and I recently moved in to our own place which is why this blog is about three weeks late, hopefully I will catch up and be back on track in the next few weeks.

Random Fact. Mandarin duck couples stop liking each other after their nest is built.

52.17 Yeah I've got nothing.

2011-05-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Helen and I had a nice day, we went down to the sea side and saw a bunch of classic cars, including a couple of American classics. And after that we went to a friend's Bar-B-Que and met some awesome new people.

We have seen three more flats since my last post and really liked one, but we are not sure if our application will be accepted so we are waiting to hear back from the letting agent (real estate agent)

Random fact: RICHARD MILHOUSE NIXON and WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON are the only U.S. presidents whose names contain the letters C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L.

52:16 Moving on out...

2011-04-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

This week Helen and I have finally given into the reality that as badly as we want to relocate to the Brighton area, it isn't going to happen any time soon. Swallowing that bitter pill with smiles on our faces we have actively begun searching for our first home as a married couple.

We don't want much (and we can afford less) but after looking at a small flat yesterday we are very aware of compromises we are willing to make and those we aren't going to consider.  This is an odd experience for me for a couple of reasons. It is the first time I have had to look for a new place as part of a married couple.

Both Helen and I have expectations and reservations about our new place and finding a happy balance will be the biggest challenge in this move. Luckily we both are fairly agreeable and willing to compromise.

One of the other reasons this is an odd experience for me is that I have never rented a flat in England (or any country that isn't America for that matter) Though I have lived in a couple of different countries the military handled the living quarters in each of those circumstances. There are so many little rules and taxes (council and television) that are alien to me it just seems to be incredibly overwhelming.

 The fact is we are both very excited about having a place to call our own, and while this first place may not tick every box on our wish lists it is with out a doubt a step in the right direction.

As of this post we have seen two flats and learned areas we are willing to compromise on  and areas we are not.

Random Fact: Giraffes and humans have the same amount of vertebrae in their necks.

52:15 @Kapow

2011-04-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

One of the things I enjoy most about weekends away is the tiny things you do that you wouldn't normally do. Helen and I spent last weekend in London, with our friends Kim and Ross, they live together in Brighton and unfortunately we aren't able to hang out nearly as often as we would all prefer.

The four of us get on really well, and spent the majority of the weekend laughing at one thing or another. We all met up the Friday evening before the conference at our hotel. The St Athans Hotel was the only hotel on the street with a seedy looking neon light sign above it's door, but all in all it was a decent hotel, and even though we shared the three available restrooms between two floors I didn't have to wait to use the showers or bathroom once. After settling in to the hotel the four of us set out to look for a place to eat dinner (we chose a nice little place called Gourmet Burger Kitchen that had amazing delicious burgers) after our meal we jumped on the underground, went to Covent Gardens and found a small comedy club where we watched a few comedians tell jokes and after the show we headed back to our hotel and called it a night.

We spent the majority of Saturday either walking around the convention centre or waiting in a queue for one cool thing or another. We were lucky to get pretty decent seats for each panel excluding the very first one we went to where we were in the second to last row and could hear the people on the panel but couldn't actually see any of them. The four of us were all blown away by the Thor footage that we saw, and I even got to ask the actors playing Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Heddington) a question during the Q & A portion of the panel. I asked them if the fact that Iron Man 2 had gotten a lot of criticism for cramming so many nods at the upcoming Avengers film that the actual story seemed a bit muddled had affected the production of Thor. Hemsworth answered diplomatically and said it was a definitely film in the established Marvel Film Universe, but Thor was very much its own film.

On Sunday the four of us all dressed up as comic characters, Helen as Rogue, Kim as Bat Girl, Ross as The Spirit and I went as Beast's alter ego Senator Hank McCoy. We had a lot of fun and took a ridiculous amount of pictures with a lot of different people, we even did a couple of interviews with different forms of media like Bizarre magazine, (the article will apparently appear in June/July issue.) Though I think we had the most fun when we went out to lunch in full costume we got quite a few looks from children and adults. We all had an excellent weekend and eagerly await the next convention on the horizon...

Random Fact: Over 50% of all singles in America have not had a date in more than two years.

52.14 Sin-ema

2011-04-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

Helen brought up a topic during the He said, She said, VEDA project on Monday that I have very strong feelings about, and I thought I would weigh in this week with my own cinema peeves, of which I have a few. I should preface this by saying that I am sure at one time or another I have been guilty of at least some of the following things that really annoy the piss out of me.

The following are in no particular order.

Cinema sin 1  Texting/answering calls and or generally fapping about with your mobile phone during the film.

This was the subject of Helen's video on Monday so I wont spend too much time on this particular issue but seriously unless your significant other/family member is either in labour or otherwise seriously ill, TURN THE DAMN PHONE OFF!

Cinema Sin 2 Full volume conversations (and or dumb ass comments) through-out the entire film.

I don't expect you to be completely silent during the film, even Helen and I talk to each other now and again. (although mostly we just give each other knowing looks and discuss things on the ride home) The point I'm making is that there is an acceptable volume to use with the person on either side of you, if the person on the other side of them can hear you, you are using the wrong volume.

If you are one of those people that struggles following complicated plots (Like those of Inception, 2009's Star Trek, or Unknown ) I encourage you to do one of three things, (1) sit as far back or to a particular side in the cinema as possible (in order to limit the number of people you are likely disturb) (2) Refrain from asking questions until the credits role. or (3) Wait for the more complicated films to hit DVD, that way you have the ability to pause the film at your leisure.

 Cinema Sin 3 Loud snack/sweets packaging and or glass bottles.

There are a number of reasons why your local cinema has numerous signs posted restricting outside food and drink. The biggest reason is that the cinema's profit margin is derived from concessions, another reason is that these products are made to be as quiet as possible the large cups and sturdy popcorn buckets are intended to minimise the rustling noises you get from bags of crisps (chips) and similar items.

There are ways to make your Pick 'n mix bags quieter as well, If you tear off the top of the excess bag it will rustle less (Helen and I usually do this as soon as we sit down.) as you paw around trying to get at your sweets, you can do the same with the popcorn bags during the film but, it can be loud if you aren't careful. Helen and I rarely ever have popcorn at cinema but know from experience how loud the sweet sacks can be.

I have never understood the need to sneak alcohol into the cinema; usually those that do get belligerent and disruptive and pay little to no attention to the film they paid to see. Anyone who has been in a cinema when someone drops a glass bottle is well aware of the amount of noise one makes let alone multiple bottles. If you need to be drinking to enjoy a night at the cinema, perhaps you would be happier in a bar with a big screen.

Cinema Sin 4 Children and age appropriate films.

I'm not implying that people with children shouldn't be able to go to the cinema. I do think that bringing your small infants and toddlers to films that are obviously not intended for them is frankly rude to other theatre goers with out children or with the presence of mind to find a baby sitter.

Obviously if my wife and I are seeing the latest Disney/Pixar or Dreamworks animated film we expect to share the cinema with small children and the noises that go along with them, we shouldn't how ever have to share a cinema with a screaming chorus of infants when watching Unknown, or Source Code or the like.

You may not agree with the things I have said, but really most of my Cinema Sins annoy me because of the lack of consideration for others that is displayed when they aren't heeded. I love everything about the cinema, really and truly no matter how I am feeling, I genuinely leave the theatre feeling happier. Call it escapism or mini vacations or what ever just please don't disturb the theatre patrons around you.

Random Fact: Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, was afraid of the dark.

52.13 Oh right... this...

2011-04-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

Yep, totes didn't write a blog this week, and as I have less than 2 hours before next week starts you aren't going to be getting much out of me...

Today is mother's day in the UK so Helen and I spent the day with her parents and her Sister her husband and our nephew. It was Helen's sister's first mother's day (Phew that was a mouthful to say) and we had a fantastic roast lamb meal, that I couldn't possibly do justice to in blog format... Know that nomz were had.

I have every intention of writing more in the weeks to come, but this is all you get today....

Random Fact:

When Heinz ketchup leaves the bottle, it travels at a rate of 25 miles per year.

52.12 A little bit Random...

2011-03-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

The Wizard of Oz was fantabulous, Helen and I both had a fantastic day in London. This week I haven't accomplished much more than work so unfortunately I have very little to write about so I thought I would flood the random fact section with a few completely unrelated facts, along with little snide and hopefully amusing comments on each.

Random Facts:

Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world. (Also where Borat comes from.)

Infant beavers are called kittens. (there is a joke here that is just too easy.)

Hummingbirds can't walk because their legs and feet are not designed for it. (Take that evolution!!)

In the Middle Ages, chicken soup was believed to be an aphrodisiac. (possibly because anyone even remotely healthy is sexy prior to Penicillin?)

Humans are the only primates that don't have pigment in the palms of their hands. (we are also the only primates that rarely chuck feces at one another.)

Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete. (Remind me to avoid testing that particular fact.)

The New York Stock Exchange started as a coffee shop. (and Starbucks started as a criminal enterprise to launder large sums of Money.)

By raising your legs slowly and laying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand. (you might however find yourself pregnant.)

The can opener was invented 48 years after the can. (Really? shelf-life be damned!)

And finally:

A week before President Lincoln died, he was in Monroe, Maryland.

A week before President Kennedy died, he was in Marilyn Monroe. (Some times the jokes write themselves.)

52:11 We're off to see the Wizard

2011-03-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

I have very little to write about today as I have spent the majority of the day either at the cinema (where I saw Unknown for the second time) or huddled away in the dark corner of the back reception/living room playing my recently acquired (new to me) game Saint's Row 2.

Saint's Row 2 is basically a carbon copy of the Grand Theft Auto games, it is an open world game with a thin plot and a heavy helping of unnecessary and gratuitous violence. (read man fun) The game is fun and the controls are easy enough that I am able to complete missions in order to move along further in the game and the structure is designed that if I randomly decide I want to carjack a vehicle by yanking the driver out of his door, and take his remaining passengers on a high speed police chase until they pay a ransom, I can do just that.

Tomorrow Helen and I are going to spend the day in London. We are going to have a nice lunch and visit our favorite geek schwag store Forbidden Planet (which sells awesome things like this ) and the actual reason we are going into London, We have tickets to see Andrew Lloyd Weber's Wizard of Oz production at the London Palladium theatre!

We are both very excited last year we watched Danielle Hope win the cherished role on a talent search show called Over the rainbow, and Helen gave the tickets to me for my birthday this year. We are both very excited and I am sure you will hear more about our London adventure next week.

Random Fact:

Since Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s venture into the world of reality TV in shows like Over The Rainbow, the demand for theatre tickets has soared. Audience numbers have increased by well over one million since Lloyd Webber's new cast members began appearing on stage.

Lee Mead took the lead in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, while Connie Fisher starred in The Sound of Music. Jodie Prenger filled the lead role in Oliver! and Danielle Hope most recently took the lead role in The Wizard of Oz. Theatreland (or the West End) has treated Lloyd Webber well and this year he was listed as the third-richest music millionaire in

Britain

. He beats Simon Cowell, Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney with a personal fortune of £700 million.

52.10 Unusually, unusual...

2011-03-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

It has occurred to me that I am somewhat unusually, unusual. I have always been very lucky in life, surviving helicopter crashes and bullet wounds, being lost in the desert of Iraq with 4 other soldiers and an Italian television reporter and her camera man for more than a week with out any contact with the rest of my unit and no help of support. I managed to survive all of these possibly dire situations relatively unscathed if you ignore the fact that I bring it up every day.

I am married to a beautiful and loving woman, living in a far away land, (complete with castles, manor houses and actual royalty.) It occurred to me yesterday how odd and wonderful my life is when Helen and I went into London for an interview (read her blog about the interview) had lunch at the very American TGI Fridays, and went back home.

Never in my wildest dreams as a child did I picture myself popping into London for a meeting and bit of lunch only to jump back on the Underground to head back home via London Liverpool station and the National Railway service.

I was terribly gutted when I didn't get that Disney job last week but the truth of the matter is I am very lucky. I'm married to an amazing woman (five months tomorrow!) I have a job that pays the bills. (though I am far from loving the hours) My life is freaking awesome and I am grateful for every minute of it. With that thought I shall bid you adieu.

Random fact: Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

52.9 Swing and a miss

2011-03-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

Sports metaphors aside, I do not handle failure well. I did not get the job that I mentioned in last weeks post. The feedback from the employer was highly positive and said that had their other applicants not have been such a high caliber they would have happily employed me.

I don't know about you, but I read that statement and while it seems nice what they are really saying is you were good but there was better. Which is obvious as I wasn't chosen. The interview process was intense and interesting and I am gutted that I was not selected to be a part of what appears to be a creative and resourceful team, but life moves 0n.

I could go on and on about how miserable I am that I didn't get the position, and how when I recieved the email informing me of that, I apparently got something in my eye for the next few minutes, but really the fact is there will be other opportunties and better jobs. I think to end this post I will conclude with another sports metaphor: I have to keep my eye on the ball.

Random Fact:

The modern game originated in Scotland was entitled Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.... and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language. The first written record of golf is James II's banning of the game in 1457, as an unwelcome distraction to learning archery.

52.8 ME, Me, Mouse Ears

2011-02-25T12:17:00.000-08:00

Being an honest to goodness adult can be tricky at times. I don't feel any more responsible then I did 15 years ago. (though most would testify I was a much more mature 16 year old child than I am as a 31 year old adult.) All that said, I have grown up responsibilities now. I have a wife and very soon we will have a home to ourselves.

Helen and I both hope to live in Brighton some time in the future and we are both constantly looking for opportunities to make that hope a reality. I was gutted last November when two weeks before my VISA was approved a job came up in Brighton that would have been ideal both for my previous experience and location, location, location. The closing date for said job was three days before my VISA was approved.

The job is roughly summarised as an adult moderator for a youth populated online game community hosted by a well known house of mouse. My duties will include but not be limited to helping parents of members in the community as well as policing the community so that it remains a safe place for the members to make friends in all corners of the world, and the freedom to play several different online games. I think.

The job has recently been listed again, and I jumped at the opportunity to throw my hat in the ring. Obviously the circumstances are slightly different. I now actually have a job for one, and scheduling interviews around my very long and anti-social work hours is no small task.

As of yesterday I have made it through three levels. (A call back after emailing my CV {Resume} and cover letter, A phone interview, and a questionnaire.) the final stage of the interview process is a 3-4 hour assessment interview in Brighton which has me stressing more than I would like to admit. I am not worried that I will do poorly I'm worried that I am so excited that I might actually get this job that I will be devastated if I don't.

I am very lucky in that I do very well in interviews, I'm likeable and have a quality that makes people want be part of the fun that is knowing me. (I'm not being conceited I have worked long and hard at being good at this, or at least giving off this vibe.) I'm also really good at using humour to deflect my nervousness. (A skill that I have been honing since I started noticing girls liked boys that could make them laugh.)

This interview is really important to me, not least of all because If I get the job Helen and I will be moving into our own place! I will let you all know how the assessment day goes in my next post, hopefully by then I will know one way or another if I will be working for the online division of the house of mouse.



Random Fact:

2,500 lefthanders die each year trying to operate a right handed device.

52.7 Broad searches

2011-02-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

I have absolutely no Idea what I should write about this week. So in an attempt at spontaneity and a hope for inspiration I googled the word images. which is just about as broad a search term as googling "stuff". There were something close to 3 billion images in my search and most of the ones I glanced at involved space and then I saw the image at your left.

It's educational, bitches! Deal with it.

Random Fact:

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"

52.6 Ghost....Writer

2011-02-12T06:18:00.000-08:00

Ghosts, as in beings who were at one time alive. Do you believe?

If you do are there ghost rules or restrictions?

I am reading Her Fearful Symmetry written by Audrey Niffenegger the same author that wrote the fantastic Time Traveller's Wife (which was made into the film starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana) Niffenegger has an interesting writing style that consists of a well woven narrative with no discernible antagonist. The only antagonist in Time Traveller's Wife was the genetic condition that allowed/forced the character to travel in time.

Her Fearful Symmetry is a ghost story, the story is about estranged twin sisters that have spent 20 years more than 3000 miles apart, one of the sisters has twins daughters as well and on their 21st birthday they learn that they have inherited their recently deceased Aunts central London flat as well as a large endowment. When they first arrive, everything seems to be new and exciting and ordinary until their dead aunt leaves them a message in the dust on a piece of furniture:

Greetings Valentina and Julia

I am here

Love, Elspeth

It is this message that has inspired this weeks post, We have all known people who have died either by natural or unnatural causes. Depending on what you believe the generally accepted idea is that when you die, you find yourself elsewhere, be it Heaven or Hell or for those of us that aren't restrained by religion just gone. My question is what if we chose not to go, dead, inevitably to be forgotten, but still here?

I love the idea of being a ghost (though I am less enthusiastic about being trapped forever in a single apartment/flat as is Elspeth) The idea that my story (as life would no longer be accurate.) could possibly continue in a new way is very interesting and even exciting to me. Would you want to know if I was still around, possibly haunting you or a place you associate with me?

I am torn on this idea, I love the idea of knowing that my story doesn't end simply because my bodies sell by date has expired. My hesitation stems from whether or not I would want to burden others with that knowledge. Could my wife (and inevitable offspring) live their lives to the fullest extent with the knowledge that I could be there watching without the ability to interact.
Is that fair to them? Is it fair to me? What do you think?

Random Fact: Area 51 is 575 square miles in size, and located in the middle of the Nevada Test & Training Range (NTTR), which covers 4,687 square miles.

52.5 Brought to you by the Letter L

2011-02-04T11:13:00.000-08:00

Another post written intermittently while answering calls at my desk at work which looks eerily similar to this image, but isn't. Todays post is apparently brought to you by the letter L.

It doesn't happen very often but once in a while, I Learn something new about myself. Allow me to give a few examples, when I was a soldier I learned just how many miles I could run in a day and I frequently learned that given the correct motivation, (e.g. someone I feared more than muscle pain) I could run even further.

I also learned that I am ridiculously Lucky. Many people that have shared similar experiences to my own (helicopter crashes, bullet wounds, insurgents bombing airfields less then 10 feet from my sleeping bag) have faired far worse than me and have the scars to prove it if they are still lucky enough to be standing. I have also been lucky in love as the several previous posts about my ever blushing bride can tell you.

Today I learned I am quick to judge a complete stranger by their appearance alone. It isn't that I am unaware that I do this, I have always formed my opinions on my first impressions mostly due to the fact that I tend to be dead on the money. When I was in the Army I knew with in the first few hours whether or not a new soldier in the unit was going to be anything more than an annoyance or a problem waiting to happen (eg, attitude or behaviour issues) , something that most of my fellow soldiers took weeks and sometimes months to catch on to, usually to their dismay.

It occurred to me today holding a door open for a guy that I can only describe as a bit flamboyant,(in his full denim jeans and denim shirt, and his lavender midriff showing undershirt) and my inner thought process chuckled (at the time I had been thinking about a character in the book I'm reading dealing with OCD) I am under the general impression that I am a decent, well mannered person, I hold doors open for people, I say please and thank you, and I am often heard to say sir and ma'am to just about everyone I speak with, so why is it do you suppose, that I am amused when my assumptions about a complete stranger are confirmed seconds after I form them. (In this case Mr flamboyant gave an effeminate giggle and sashayed into the office.)

So my question for you today is what have you learned about yourself, that you may have been aware of but didn't actually know?

Random Fact: Harrison Ford presented Edward Zwick (the director of Love and other drugs) The 1998 Oscar award for best picture for Shakespeare in love.

52.4 From the desk of...

2011-01-28T12:18:00.001-08:00

This morning as I am halfway through my fifth day of training at my new job, I am happy to say that I think I will be just fine. Over the last five days I have gone from knowing next to nothing about this company or its wares as it were to having a comfortable understanding of what part I will play in it's customer service area.

I have never thought of myself as an overtly shy person. That is to say I am very aware of just how awkward I can be but it never occured to me that this might be due to shyness more than just being awkward. On more than one occasion I have stressed about something I said that might have been misconstrued or even misunderstood as rude.

For example Wednesday morning our little town of Felixstowe had a water main issue and it affected the majority of the town and more importantly, yours truly. There was little to no water pressure and what water did come through the shower was that brillant brisk cold that brought back memories of gravity fed ice showers in Iraq. I am a strong believer that I should shower everyday come hell or low water pressure. So I soldiered through the frigid trickeling hardly more than dripping shower and attempted to wash my hair as well, this took nearly half an hour to accomplish and needless to say I didn't have time to style my hair as I had the previous two days.

One of the first things one of my fellow trainees asked was if I had done something different with my hair and my less than abrupt answer was "Yeah, I didn't do it." two days later and I am still concerned I said it in a rude way, which is ridiculous because really even if I had the only person that hasn't gotten over it is silly old me. It is very odd to percieve oneself as confident and even somewhat charming if not aloof, only to realize that mostly I am still the spazz I was nearly 15 years ago in high school.

Tomorrow is my 31st birthday, and to be honest I couldn't care less. It upsets me that I have lost that eagerness to reach my next birthday, considering it wasn't that long ago that I stopped saying " and a half " or practically the next age as my heart was beating months before I was born. I am gratefull that I can share the day with my wife and friends but I have finally accepted that the novelty has worn off much like the appeal of a once favored toy the night before Christmas.

Hopefully my rantings next week will be less melencholy and more amusing.

Random fact: Apparently according to the astute journalists at Cosmo magazine people who have sex about three times a week are percieved to look four to seven years younger.

52.3 Time Travel made possible! (via my game console)

2011-01-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

It should go with out saying that I think the concept of time travel is pretty amazing. While I would be hard pressed to say my all time favorite film, My favorite trilogy of all time is Back to the Future. While I enjoy a lot of very different shows, my all time favorite (even though it first aired nearly 23 years ago.) is without a doubt Quantum Leap (Doctor Who has become a close second). All of these fictional universes explore my favorite question simply stated: What if time travel is possible.

Earlier today I was watching a popular youtuber (Hank Green) play Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood via videos he has posted of playing and commentating on the game, and I realized why I am 31 and I still enjoy video games as much if not more than I did when I was younger. A lot of games (the ones that interest me that is) make it possible to travel in time.

Games like the above mentioned Assassin's Creed series, Red Dead Redemption the Fable franchise and even the recent Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions allow me to experience the past and future I have seen portrayed in films and tv shows first hand. I am able to walk around and explore 15th Century Italy with Da Vinci, 12th Century England with kings, knights and wizards. I can be a cowboy in the Old West and see New York in the 1930's. As well as futures that I could only dream of, both post apocalyptic and technological utopias.

This simple idea really is the reason I enjoy games as much as I do. I have wanted to travel through time for as long as I can remember. I know it isn't likely, but I just get excited thinking about it. (there are three films I am excited to see this year purely because they deal with time travel in one shape or another.)

I know alot of gamers that play shooter/war games and while some of them share that tiny part of history or future that I enjoy I shy away from them because they focus more on the shooting then the exploring. That is not to say that they are better or worse in my opinion but the fact of the matter is, if I had traveled in time I wouldn't be very likely to jump hamfisted into a war situation if I could avoid it.

The games I enjoy and play over and over again, have stories but they are more or less open ended, allowing me to explore a world that thanks to ever progressing technology is as real and alive as the one I live in. I don't expect everyone to agree with or even understand this part of me. I just like to think that I'm not alone in my hope that time travel is possible.

Random Fact: Time is described as the fourth dimension. The other three dimensions are space, that is, upwards and downwards, front and back and left and right. We can travel through all the three other dimensions but traveling through the fourth dimension, time, is not yet possible.

52.2 A Temp's Perspective.

2011-01-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

It amuses me how quickly ones perspective can change in so little time. I have spent the better part of the last two days temping in what can only loosely be called a mail room stuffing envelopes full of helpful little bits of information and plastic access "keys".

My perspective hasn't changed on mind numbing labour. It is still as mind numbing as ever, but from now on when ever I open any piece of mail that has either a bank card or other random clunky piece of plastic (like the kit-Kat shaped pay as-you-go "keys" that I have been stuffing.) I will think about the room full of people telling their stories from the night or weekend before telling inappropriate jokes, having 6 hour long rubberband wars (while stuffing envelopes and syncing keys) and building friendships with people who are only brought together because a shared employer rather than shared interests.

I have had a lot of different jobs in my nearly thirty one years of age. I think the one similarity that each job shared was how many different types of people I met simply because of where I worked. I have been introduced to so many differnt things because of people I have met doing one job or another. I have tried new foods, new games, new activities. I have celebrated new and different holidays, I've learned faster and more efficient ways to do my own job, but the single most important thing I have learned is how to see someone elses perspective.

If there is a point at all to this weeks post its that I love meeting new people, learning the things that amuse and annoy them. (Usually I am amused by annoying them.) The things that have brought them to this point and the things they are looking forward to. Life to me is discovering other peoples stories as I pursue and forge my own.

Random Fact: Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades - King David, Hearts - Charlemagne, Clubs - Alexander theGreat, Diamonds - Julius Caesar

Project 52 Week 1

2011-01-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

Back in September I made a promise to my Grandparents that I would be updating this blog with more frequency, unfortunately like most things promised on the Internet I have yet to fulfil this promise. That is about to change,

My wife (more on that in a minute.) came up with an idea that she had titled Project 52. The basic premise of the project is for both of us to post a blog at least once a week (on a non specific day) this year on our individual blogs. (Obviously we will still be updating our joint venture film review blog as we see films.)

A lot has happened since my last update in November. As I mentioned above Helen and I are now Married. We had a small ceremony on the 12th of November with just Helen's Parent's her Sister and Brother-In Law and of course their new baby, and we are planning to have a Large wedding sometime in the fall of 2012 (Which co insides with my next VISA requirement.)

We had a fantastic Christmas and rang in the New Year with friends and family. I am finally able to look for work and have been on the look out for any and all employment opportunities. I have an interview lined up for this Thursday which looks to be a good possibility.

Helen and I have officially stopped our Radio Show on Felixstowe Radio for the time being but we have decided to bring He said, She said to YouTube and launched our first video on the official HeSaidSheSaidFM channel yesterday. Which you can watch below.

Hope you enjoyed the video and I hope you enjoy this weekly glimpse into a former soldier's continuing adventures.

Random Fact Today in History:
in 1959: Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the U.S.S.R.

This thing we do...

2010-11-04T02:58:00.000-07:00

Hey long time no talk this is mostly an update for my grandparents as I told them I would start updating this blog again a little more regularly. I am doing great life over here is a bit hectic, but I am really enjoying it, A lot has happened in the month that I have been here. Helen's sister has had a bouncing baby boy, (William Thomas Aykroyd) which I am sure you have seen pictures of by now.

As you know Helen and I contribute to an ongoing video project once a week, this weeks video fell on Halloween so we decided to make a themed video, hope you enjoy it!

Random Fact of the day:

Helen and I are heading to Brighton in southern England for a long weekend with our friends, later today!

The Complete Marmot Guide (a fast fiction)

2010-06-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

The following is a fast fiction story.

Fast fiction is derived from being given a random title (up to four words) and constructing a short (200 word story). This first fast fiction title was suggested via twitter by @duplicatehelix.

The complete Marmot guide

Cowering in the shadow of his burrow, crouched the young marmot. Discretely hidden amongst the loose rocks the uprights dislodged while laying the parallel flat rocks.

The Marmot knew there were rules to survive living so close to an upright burrow. There were risks and rewards, though the risks frequently overshadowed even the best rewards.

Rule #1. Daylight is dangerous.
The uprights are mostly day foragers and hunters, and are prone to hunting to fight boredom. While they are still present at night they seem more interested in their sour water and females than their surroundings.

Rule #2 Food on the fly.

The uprights seem to leave food everywhere they go, but if they discover some other creature consuming, they will chase with thundersticks and place their prey's skin on their walls.

Rule #3 The further the better:

The uprights control sweet plants, they guard the outskirts of the sweet plants tend to be homes for 8 leggeds and water holes out of the line of sight.

Knowing these rules the marmot waited until the light grew dim, ventured across the flat rocks, and crept near the sweet plants, only to be snatched into the air by the talons of the great grey owl.

Five things you didn't know

2010-06-09T23:07:00.000-07:00

So some friends of mine and my very beautiful girlfriend Helen have decided to blog everyday until the start of Vidcon, I know that it is highly unlikely that I am going to be able to make that type of commitment.

In fact I am convinced I wouldn't last a week let alone 29 days, so I have decided that when ever one of them brings up a topic that I have an opinion on or that tickles my fancy, I am going to write my own blog, Hooray for solidarity, or lazy idea thieving writers.

The topic that caught my idea today was written by the very beautiful Helen Abbott, I'm not biased, really. The girl is a fox. Her blog today was based on a youtube video by one of our friends Kayla.

I am now going to answer the same questions to the best of my ability!!!

Question 1. If you could go back in time and speak to your 15 year old self, what one thing would you say to yourself?
Wow, 15 years ago, I was a bit of a bastard child. I think I would tell the young twerp to avoid girls named after Greek mountains that resemble them in stature no matter what they are willing to do to get your attention.

I think I would also tell him to be a bit less of a jack ass to his mother, although I doubt I would listen. And to let her know that she should stick with the Wild ginger haired guy that her children adore, as she will eventually figure out she is his brand of heroine. (I should be shot for referencing my mother and her husband and Twilight in the same sentence.)

Question 2: If you had a boat what would you name it?

I think if I had a boat I would name it The Scarlett Delorean, referencing two things that have a solid influence on me to this day. Spider-Man (aka the Scarlett Spider)and Back to the Future.

Question 3: What was your best birthday ever
I think with out a doubt my best birthday ever was my thirtieth birthday. I was in England with the love of my life, and could not have asked for a better day.

Question 4: In a film of your life what actor or actress would play you?
Helen suggested the British comedian James Corden, which I would obviously be happy with, though as Helen mentioned she talked about this very same subject on her show last week, I think I would be happy with Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen or Jack Black if James Corden was unavailable.

Question 5: Is there something you do that not many others know about, that would help them if they knew to do it?
Much like Helen this question confused me. I think they are asking if I do anything that helps me get by in life that others are unaware of that might help them. I think the thing I do most is watch, Adults, children, Men, women, animals, life happens with out waiting. If you aren't looking it might happen with out you.

Random Links:

As I mentioned a few of my friends are doing this blog everyday till VidCon thing, I don't have all of their links but here are a few that I am aware of. I think Karissa and Mary Kate might be vlogging on youtube everyday as well, check out their links leave them a comment, everyone loves comments.
Helen

Mary Kate

Karissa

Heather

If I didn't put your name in this list leave a comment and I will rectify it.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (details of a seemingly unending jorney)

2010-06-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

The following post is a summary of three emails I sent to Helen detailing my trip home, some parts have been edited and others have been added to help the flow. If while reading this it strikes you as though I am speaking directly to an individual as opposed to the masses that is why.
I have so much to tell you, I will try and put it into a recognizable frame.
After I left you at the security checkpoint, I walked ages through the terminal, realized I should have used the toilet after I passed a sign that said there were no further toilets after a certain point. LAME!!!!

I was in the fourth group to board the plane and my seat was very near the rear of the plane which is always fun,it was supposed to be an aisle seat but the woman I sat next to, a large very loud, very opinionated and very flexible (i found out mid flight) black woman. She was obnoxious but not the worst person I have run across. She asked me to switch with her window seat as she likes to frequently get up and down during the flight. At one point half way through the flight on one of her many up and downs I got up and went to use the toilet, and as I was waiting for the loo I watched her do all this Yoga stretching nonsense. Some of which was very impressive.. for a woman of her size, approx 15 stone (230 lbs)... i think.

The rest of that flight was mostly uneventful, I arrived in Denver made it through customs and border checks. As I was heading from the baggage recheck to the terminal I got on one of those trans terminal train things with a group of 14 year old cheerleaders that were 'surfing the tram' I was not sad to say good by to them when I got off. I was able to hijack a local wireless network and talk to this beautiful English girl that I know, I think you know her...

I was in the fourth group to board on the Denver flight as well, (whats up with that?) and I sat next to a Vietnam veteran that was very proud of his service, (of which he served less than two years) he was kind of funny as he was talking about how much harder they had it than soldiers of my generation. He got shot in the shoulder and took some shrapnel in the leg, and spent the majority of his life working for the Postal service. A nice enough guy...

I arrived in Seattle and that brings the end to the first day of actual travel.

Previously on your boyfriends voyage home we discussed the two plane journeys... a loud black woman a group of junior cheerios and a Vietnam vet...

We now join his journey already in progress.

When I arrived in Seattle I had to ride another damn tram with more annoying people, (this time it was two OAPs (Old Age Pensioners a British abbreviation) bragging about their Airline benefits.) I partook in that weird ritual of baggage claim, you know the one where you all stand around and stare at the baggage carousel waiting to jump up and cut anyone that gets between you and your luggage. Luckily for me and my VISA application no one was harmed during the retrieval of my luggage. ( I may or may not have growled at annoying OAPs in my way.)

After collecting my luggage I found the exit and walked outside and found Trey and his Black Jeep Wrangler waiting. He had just happened to have just pulled up. "Excellent timing!" He said as he got out of his Jeep and helped me load my luggage into the back. As I got in and settled he asked what I wanted to do and I said I had no plans other than to eventually get to moms down in Oregon. We had already previously decided that we would attempt to do that the next day and after stopping at a grocery store to pick up some much needed Ice tea and REAL AMERICAN Lemonade, we headed for his house.

We decided to rent a film, to pass the time as neither of us were tired enough to go to sleep but both felt crappy and didn't feel like going anywhere. We rented All about Steve with Sandra Bullock it was a good film. but due to the NyQuil I had taken I started passing out fairly early on into it.

Trey had said that he was a little worried that Inara wasn't going to remember me, thankfully she did remember me and reacted like I had returned from the grave. She didn't leave my side the entire time I was in their house, and she slept on me that night on the couch, she was absolutely adorable, I was going to Dailybooth but I was having issues with the Internet.

I headed to sleep, on his couch down stairs and at some point, Britta brought me a blanket and pillow and I crashed out, I only slept till about 6 am, and then I read for a while. (Pandaemonium as I had finished Carter beats the devil while on the plane. GO ME!!!!)

Intermission:
As I am writing this Ted has just turned Saturdays episode of Doctor Who, I am continuing to write you my trip rant, but I am very likely to be distracted.... BOOBS
we now return you to your regularly scheduled rant.

At about 8 Britta came downstairs and tried we talked for a while. Around 9:30 Trey finally woke up and came downstairs, And he and I tried to set up my phone via my original plan, but as I found out today that is not an option. More on that later.

After some hemming and hawing about what to do and Trey telling me he really didn't want to drive me down to Portland we decided I would take the train to Portland (a ridiculous four hour trip) and Mom and Ted would pick me up from there. As Ted had wanted to visit his parents in Vancouver for a while.

So at 2pm Trey took me to the saddest train stop you have ever seen in your entire life, (similar to Derby Road only looking less like a train stop and more like a walkway near the tracks.) For some unknown reason Trey reserved a Business class seat so I ended up paying more than necessary ($60.00 instead of less.) But all in all it was a nice trip. My nose was running like non stop which was really aggravating but not the worst thing.

I sat next to skinny little man on the train (who I am pretty sure I just annoyed the piss out of with all of my sniffling.) There was a plug near my seat so I was able to watch one of the films I had on my itunes. (I watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall which is really funny I think when you have some time you should check it out. ) OH I forgot to mention the train limited what I was allowed as far as carry-ons, and there was no checked baggage, so I had to eliminate my large carry on, I crammed as much as I could into the two other suitcases and Trey is going to ship the rest down sometime this week.

I managed to get off in Portland at the right stop (shock and awe I know) and walked through the Terminal, which can I just say was the nicest Train terminal I have seen in ages, like seriously it was fantastic. Really a beautiful building with a fantastic interior, surrounded by ridiculous and amazing pieces of Art.

I walked outside and found my mother and Ted and Kai(their dog) waiting by the Truck, and with that I will end today's rant. I love you so very much I hope you had a wonderful evening. I hope you are sleeping better .

When we last left our Hero we had just arrived at the Portland and met up with Ted and Marry other wise known as his parents...

We now return to our adventure already in progress,

I went out to the truck where my mother was standing and gave her a big hug and said hello to Ted and Kai, (seriously that dog goes everywhere.) My mother decided that we needed to wrap the suitcases in plastic trash bags in case it continued to rain on the three hour trip back home. (Which it didn't) Apparently the torrential downpour on the way to Portland had seemed as if god (lowercase g deliberate) himself was throwing buckets of water on the highway over and over again, (my mothers words)

On the ride home I was really feeling the jet lag and the conversation was mostly about what I did while I was with you, as well as about you, and sex and blow jobs... lol. I so wish I was kidding. Before we got home we stopped for fuel, which cost nearly $3.00 a gallon, so Ted not wanting to pay this outrageous amount (sarcasm is fun) decided to only get 3 gallons worth of fuel. (we were really close to home, and I mentioned how petrol worked in England, (i.e charging nearly £1.30 per liter which is about a fourth of a gallon) and how respectively speaking we were lucky) After that we went to walmart to get things like toothpaste, deodorant (for me) and razors for my mom.

After wal mart we went to a grocery store similar to waitrose named thunderbird, (lots of Native Americans in this area) and picked up vitally important things like Iced tea and other things I can't think of right now. We also rented Avatar from a redbox vending machine (only a dollar a day!), and then finally went home.

We arrived home at about 10:30 and you and I were able to talk a little online. That was fantastic. My mom had prepared corn beef and Ted and I had awesome sandwiches (Corn beef on rye with actual Pickles Swiss cheese and mustard, mmmm mmmmm) We watched about an hour of Avatar before Ted and I both starting passing out from pure exhaustion and decided to go to bed.....

And that is where the journey concludes... tune in tomorrow for The First day on the Job... where you will learn all the things our hero had to learn as well as how he will be paid... I love you....

James

PS. Hearing you this morning (last night for you) was absolutely fantastic, I seriously did cry, like actual cry not just eyes watering, I miss you so much, I can not wait until we are together again, I want to spend the rest of my life starting and ending every day with you by my side.

I hope you bought some Aloe Lotion for your sunburn it really looks painful Take care of yourself today!!!

Mom really enjoyed your show today, (she also cried, she started during the initial All by myself song, which was brilliant but completely heart wrenching!!

Random Fact: I am dating the most fantastic woman on earth. I am a very lucky guy. The above picture was taken at The Craptacular Portland Zoo nearly a year ago the weekend Helen and I met in person the first time.

He said, She Said Round Up

2010-05-06T03:44:00.000-07:00

Helen did an awesome summary of all the films we have reviewed together on our collective blog, I thought you all would like a gander~ James
WWW.THEYSAIDREELADVICE.BLOGSPOT.COM

This is a round-up of all the reviews we have written on He said, she said. If you have missed any of them then here is your chance to read our reviews and let us know what you think. If a review takes your fancy just click on the link and enjoy!

SPOILER FREE! We try our upmost to maintain a spoiler free blog so that we can give you reel advice of what to see and what to miss. There is a trailer for each film we review before our blog. We aim to only discuss plot points that occur in the trailer so we don’t ruin your enjoyment.

Let us know your favourite reviews that we have done and if there are any reviews you think we should do. Comment here, on our blog reviews, on Twitter @hesaidshesaidfm or by emailing hesaidshesaidfm@gmail.com

• Nine - an Italian set sexy musical directed by Rob Marshall)
• Double review: British icons - Nowhere Boy, the story of John Lennon and Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downy Jr
• 10,000BC - the dodgy Emmerich flop
• Avatar 3D - the money making machine... with blue people
• Did you hear about the Morgans? - a comedy with Hugh Grant playing Hugh Grant
• Double feature: crime fighting - Hot Fuzz, the British action film parody and Watchmen, the adventurous graphic novel adaptation
• Up in the Air - Mmm George Clooney
• Daybreakers - an interesting twist on vampire films
• St Trinian's 1 and 2 - British deliquents in mini skirts
• Iron Man - from the Marvel universe
• The Princess and the Frog - the new Disney hand drawn animation
• It's Complicated - but the Nancy Meyer's story is pretty simple
• In the Loop - a hilarious satire of British-American politics
• Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief - Clash of the Titans for teens
• The Lovely Bones - Peter Jackson's latest endeavour from a modern classic novel
• Valentine's Day - a romcom set on... some day in February
• The Crazies - a horror of the Outbreak genre
• Gosford Park - the most enjoyable complicated film of all time
• Alice in Wonderland - the latest Burton/Depp/Bonham Carter collaboration
• Oceans 13 - the Las Vegas set heist film
• Shutter Island - thriller set in an institution for the criminally insane
• I love you Phillip Morris - if Brokeback mountain were set in Florida
• The Holiday - the Christmas set romcom
• Knowing - see it to take the piss out of it
• Nick and Norah's Inifinite Playlist -a great film where Micheal Cera and Kat Dennings basically play themselves
• The Wrestler - Mickey Rourke's comeback film
• The Blind Side - a true story about skin colour, American football and family
• How to Train your Dragon 3D - the latest Dreamworks animation
• Kick-Ass - a kick ass adaptation of a graphic novel
• Whip It - Drew Barrymore's directing debut about roller derby
• Kinky Boots - a true story about a traditonal show factory that creates shows for drag queens
• Clash of the Titans - Percy Jackson for adults
• Double feature: all about the lifestyle - American Psycho, the 80s set murder thriller and The Joneses, a comedy about people who seel their lives
• Cemetary Junction - Merchant/Gervais dip into 70s culture
• The Lost Boys - the dated vampire classic
• Better than Chocolate - a great film about lesbian rights
• Double feature: Sparks flying - Dear John and The Last Song, tearjerkers adapted from Nicholas Sparks novels
• Iron Man 2 - contender for the biggest sequel of the year

We have a movie review radio show which is on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm GMT. Click here for the live stream or visit the website.

All That I am.

2010-04-27T04:39:00.000-07:00

There is something very humbling about not having an actual job or income for 5 months. I knew that my 6 month trip to England to spend some quality time with Helen would not be with out a cost. Financially it was a very foolish thing to do. I can't express how lucky I am to have someone love me the way she does. With out her support and that of her family this trip would not have been possible.

I am not complaining, I was very lucky as previously mentioned, I found a volunteer job as a News reader at a local station, (which eventually grew into two shows a week with Helen and I discussing Films and the music surrounding them.) Which allows me to do something with the ample amount of time one finds when he doesn't have a job.

It sounds ridiculous but really I just miss having money to purchase stupid things with. I haven't bought a DVD in over 5 months. (If this doesn't sound shocking you obviously have no idea who I am.) I want to buy little gifts and flowers for Helen, things that if I had a job I would do with out a thought. I want to be able to take the woman I love and the family that has stood behind us to a nice meal or a night out on the town.

I have never been what I would call financially stable but I have, for the majority of my life, kept my head above water. I have one month left in this beautiful and amazing country, and I am lucky to have a job lined up back home for when I do arrive. A job that I hope I do well enough to excel at.

This post isn't funny or insightful, it is just thoughts that are running around my head.

Helen says I have become very quiet over that last couple of weeks. I hadn't noticed a difference until she brought it to my attention. My whole life the only time I was quiet or reserved was when I didn't feel a need or necessity to perform. I am truly comfortable here. I can't describe how amazing it is to groggily reach out in a half sleeping slumber to find someone reaching out for you.

I can't tell you how lucky I am, or how lucky I feel, because if i attempted to put it into words I fear it would have less effect. I love her, with all that I am.

Random Fact: The picture above is of Warwick Castle, one of the recent amazing places I have seen in the time that I have been here. (It is older than my country, as I am constantly reminded.)

Hey DJ!!!! (and parenthesis overkill)

2010-02-08T01:06:00.001-08:00

I feel like when ever I find the time to write a post here that I need to start said post with an apology, but as it has been less than two weeks since my previous post I am going to forgo the formality. A lot has been happening in my life in the previous two months, I moved to another country! (England for those of you playing the home game) I heard about a volunteer position at a local radio station (I am unable to have a paying job on my visitors VISA, RED TAPE FAIL!) The position started as a News Reader in the mornings and has transformed into an afternoon drive time show during the week.
I have also started a show with Helen (the girl I moved to England to be closer to.) Wednesday nights and Friday nights Listen Here! we have our show where we talk about Films and theatre productions with music from these through out. (this week we are having a two hour Disney Film special Wednesday night from 8-10pm (GMT) you should check it out. The show is called He said, She said and it has become a lot of fun for the both of us. Helen and I have started a film review site with the same name (He said, she said) where we review the films we have seen together. It is a lot of fun as it helps start a discussion after the film, and occasionally one of us will have picked on something the other might have missed. After each film we take notes on points of the film that stuck out to us and write our review for the site. A fairly easy and fun way to do something together no matter where we are.
Helen and I are going to see the West End (England's equivalent to Broadway) production of Chicago the weekend after next in London we are both really excited as our first real date was another West End Production by the name of Wicked. and we had a fantastic time. We both really enjoy theatre and rarely walk away with a lack luster feeling.
As odd as it may seem I am planning a trip to Los Angeles in July for a convention. It will be Helen's first trip to L.A and the first time I have been to my home town in over 7 years. I am really excited. It will be a large gathering of a lot of people I know and respect as well as hundreds of people who have some sort of clout on youtube. (I am not one of those) The evenings will be reminiscent of last years NWYT Gathering, with too many people in too few hotel rooms making memories and jokes that will continue to be referenced for the entire next year.
That is the view from my perspective at the moment. A lot going on and a lot still to come.

Random silly joke:
What is black and white and red all over???

An embarrassed penguin!

Happy 30th Birfday to me!

2010-01-29T02:06:00.000-08:00

The above video, was put together by Helen and is truly the sweetest and most heart warming video I have ever seen, My friends are awesome!

Random Fact:

I co-host a radio show twice a week with Helen called He said, She said. I also read the news all week long... you should tune in and let me know what you think http://www.felixstoweradio.co.uk . The show is on Tuesdays and Fridays 10am (PST)

The Writer does that Writing thing...

2010-01-07T03:23:00.000-08:00

Before the winter holiday, I went to work with Helen so that we could spend half the day in town. While at work with her I wrote this poem, it isn't anything special and it seems to be a little too X-mas like to be reading in January but it is what it is. As it is now it is written on a folded piece of paper that is likely to be lost sooner or later. I have decided to share it with you.

With out further ado.....

Out for a walk

A long walk,
No particular destination,
listening to the locals talk,
oblivious, deep in their conversations.
Children playing with their sidewalk chalks,
lost amongst dreams and imagination.

Rain drops, dropping,
temperature rapidly falling,
snow soon following,
head down, onward forging,
weather always changing
an angry winter is leering.

As families large and small,
huddle together around films and fires.
Reminded or the love they share for each and all.
Re-telling of stories and jokes that never tire
Roast turkey,dressing and hot veggies on table,
Bangers and biscuits cooling on the wires.

A glimpse an impression, of lives in motion.
Through windows and opened doors.
A journey with no destination,
home at last with friends and neighbors.
The night, the year the story has just begun.

Jan 2010 AJ. James

So that is that I hope you all had a wonderful December and that your New Year is everything you hope for!!!!

Random Fact: If you put a raisin in a glass of champagne, it will keep floating to the top and sinking to the bottom.

Snowed in? He Said, She said

2010-01-06T01:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!!!
So if you haven't noticed I haven't been updating this particular blog very often. I don't mean to ignore it. In all honesty I have been very busy. In the time that has passed since my last post, I have left the country once again. I am currently living in England. I have had a truly beautiful British X-mas, and I have made some terrific and wonderful new friends. I am currently in the very real likely hood of being snowed in. A rather unfamiliar and thus poorly planned for occurrence in Jolly ol' England.

In more exciting news Helen and I have started a blog together, It is a different format than this one, as for the most part it will mostly consist of Movie and Television reviews, and the occasional theatre review as they are relevant. Just click the link He said, she said and it should take you right to it. the actual address is http://www.theysaidreeladvice.blogspot.com If you prefer adding it to your bookmark lists. It should be a fun thing to read as the subject matter involves film, which is something that Helen and I both truly enjoy.

I promise I will continue to update this blog, and if I can find the time it will be at least weekly. I love you all and hope you have a fantastic New Year....

Random Fact: The number of days of snowfall and snow cover varies enormously from year to year. At many places in lowland England in the last fifty years it has ranged from none at all in a number of winters to in excess of 30 days during the winters of 1946/47 and 1962/63.

I'm Rockin' the Shotgun!

2009-12-05T01:14:00.001-08:00

I've blasted a devastating 715 shells in Shotgun Free. I bet you can't
match my speed, with a fastest fire of 0.164 seconds, fastest five
fires of 2.938 seconds, and 18 fires in 15 seconds.

How are your numbers looking? Check out Shotgun Free (http://tinyurl.com/getshotgunfree
) and Shotgun pro (http://tinyurl.com/getshotgunpro) for the iPhone
and iPod touch!
I've blasted a devastating 715 shells in Shotgun Free. I bet you can't
match my speed, with a fastest fire of 0.164 seconds, fastest five
fires of 2.938 seconds, and 18 fires in 15 seconds.

How are your numbers looking? Check out Shotgun Free (http://tinyurl.com/getshotgunfree
) and Shotgun pro (http://tinyurl.com/getshotgunpro) for the iPhone
and iPod touch!

Sent from my iPhone

She knows when we lie....

2009-11-10T21:40:00.000-08:00

Today didn't really work out the way that I had hoped but I did get a chance to see some friends and have a nice meal with them. We had planned for more hanging out, but that wasn't meant to be. Tempé (the car) was true to form very temperamental today and decided she didn't want to cooperate. Luckily it wasn't a big deal and we were able to meet up with everyone as planned.

Before we sat down to eat I walked across the street to wash my hands (as they reeked of fuel) I was walking towards the 7-11 (which for the record did not have a public restroom) and an obviously homeless woman asked me if I had a cigarette I told her that I didn't smoke and went on my way thinking nothing of it, as she was walking away she said she knew when people were lying to her. I laughed and said no really, smoking is bad for you.

About an hour later the same woman came in to the Teriyaki place where we were eating and after being loud and yelling at the hostess came to our table and asked for money we all replied that we didn't have any to give and she once again mentioned that she knew when people were lying to her and that more or less we could all rot in Hell. I told her to have a nice day. I am an A-Hole...

After our meal we walked back to the car and after some gentle coddling (I may or may not have kicked the car once or twice) She started back up. I drove The Alien and Miss Lewis Home and then Miss Abbott and I came Home and watched a film. As I type this Miss Abbott is quickly falling asleep behind me...

Random Fact. Modern research has shown that a sharp decrease in daily calories results in fewer nocturnal ejaculations in men and an overall decrease in the sexual themes of dreams .. Which explains my constant need of Ice Cream before bed.... (awkward)

Never push the Button...

2009-11-09T21:38:00.000-08:00

Today was a bit hectic and in response this will be a short update. I went to work at 6:30 this morning and more or less faked ill so that I could go home early. I also plan to call in the next three days. When I finally did get home, Miss Abbott was getting ready as we had plans to meet Adam and Molly. Plans changed and we ended up rescheduling our day for tomorrow, so instead Miss Abbott and I decided to travel less and catch a movie.

The movie we saw was an absolute bore. The movie was titled "The Box", (a movie about how one choice, whether or not to Push a button, could seal your fate.) but trust me when I tell you it really isn't worth your time. After the movie we had an early dinner at Red Robin which unfortunately didn't sit well with either of us. In order to try and feel a little better we walked around the Not so SuperMall. Funny little side note about this mall They do not have any ATM's in the entire mall. That was just really odd to me. According to the customer service attendee the New Bank that took over the ATM service hasn't delivered the new machines.

After our uneventful walk we went and swapped cars with my brother and his wife as I had used his car for the impromptu road trip. We had a nice long conversation with them about our trip and Miss Abbott's adorable English pronunciation of words like Tudor and Cheetah... which sound very similar. And we made plans to hang with them again later this week. I am going to cook dinner for all four of us on Wednesday night. Fun!!!!

Random Fact: When Lightning strikes it can reach temperatures of up to 3-5 times as hot as the sun.

Weekend Roadtrip.

2009-11-08T23:59:00.000-08:00

Hello true believers,

Sorry for not having a post for two consecutive nights. Miss Abbott and I spent the majority of Saturday at my little brothers JiuJitsu tournament. He took first place in his weight and belt division which is awesome, He really was incredible. The kid can grapple. After his second match around 3:30 or so we had to leave to head down to my Mom & Dad's it was supposed to be a five and a half hour drive but due to the ridiculous rain storms all the way down the freeway it took closer to 7 hours. When we finally arrived we all sat in my mothers dining room and looked at tons of old family photos, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I wasn't a half bad looking kid. as the Winter Ball picture to the right can attest. (The girl is of little to no consequence.) We looked at the pictures until nearly 2 in the morning and all decided to turn in.

The guest bed was so warm and comfortable it was hard to leave it the next morning. Sunday morning we woke up around 8:30 and had cute little conversations. My mother made amazing stuffed omelets and home made bread toast. We had a very relaxed day of good conversations and funny stories. My mother made another amazing meal of cheese and spinach quiche and fried chicken strips... Mmm there is nothing like homemade cooking. We made my Mom and Dad watch Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog. I don't think they were as into it as Miss Abbott and I were, but I think over all they were amused. (Miss Abbott and I sang almost the entire production verbatim while we were watching it.)

After Dinner Helen and I packed ourselves back into the car and began the journey back home. We were both much more tired at the start of this leg but managed to make it home with out too many concerns. (when we were nearly home I got off at the exit for my house and for some unknown reason got right back on the freeway and started heading in the opposite direction, It took me a full two miles to realize my blunder. Miss Abbott was very tired but very amused by this turn of events.

When we finally did get home, we got ready for bed straight away and went to sleep as fast as we could, as I had to be at work at 6:30 this morning. And that is where I will leave you until tonight.

Random Fact: Canada has the longest Coast line in the world.

The Meet & Greets!!!

2009-11-06T23:59:00.000-08:00

So unfortunately I had to work today, so while Miss Abbott was able to get a few more hours of sleep, I was up bright and early for a 6:30 shift. I only had to work four and a half hours so as soon as I was done I drove home picked Miss Abbott up and we headed in the general direction of Tacoma, Washington. Our plan was to pick up the very talented Molly Lewis (more commonly known on the Interwebs as Sweetafton23) and then meet AdamtheAlien for a Frost park Chalk off. (For the record Frost Park is a tiny little beautiful memorial park.)

Unfortunately it was raining balls and we were unable to play with chalk. so instead we went and looked at some really awesome legal graffiti, had some really good soup and then after dropping Molly off we went and played Monopoly with Adam and his roommate.

After our Game (in which Helen destroyed all the American despite constantly referring to the currency as pounds, and not recognizing any of the spaces, apparently the British version is very different) Helen and I headed back towards home and dinner with my brother and his wife

we had some home made pizza and a night of board games and conversation the picture above was my brother celebrating making his weight for tomorrow's Jujitsu match. (note the creepy facial hair, a remnant of his Halloween costume where he portrayed a gay partially dressed construction worker, and meant to scare his opponents)

Tomorrow after my brothers match we are heading down to my mothers so that Miss Abbott can meet my Mom & Dad. I am very excited about getting there, not so much about the 12 hour round trip in two days.. But it will be very good.

Random Fact: Swallowed gum is not digested by the gastrointestinal system, it usually passes through within 24 hours. Take that fib telling parents...

"One Short Day in The Emerald City"

2009-11-05T22:50:00.000-08:00

Miss Abbott and I decided to spend the day in Seattle, (the Emerald City). We had a bit of a late start but we managed to go and have an amazing tea latte at the tea house I mentioned the other day and then we headed into the city. We walked Pike's Market and went into my favorite geek store in the market. (It's a comic book store with ridiculous amount of schwag) It took a great effort to not buy all of the awesome Spidey stuff. We had a really nice chinese meal for lunch and then walked the 12 blocks up to the Space Needle.

It was a miserable and rainy day. But the view was beautiful. It was so windy at the top that I was able to lean forward at almost a 45 degree angle and not fall on my face. We took some great pictures and even some footage that will show up in a vlogtag video very soon. While we were standing in front of the needle I managed to take this shot, Link here Not bad for a picture I took with out looking with a phone...

Random Fact:

The entire worlds population could stand on the Isle of Wight

Totally not late at all...

2009-11-04T23:59:00.000-08:00

So today we decided to go in search of A tea house.... Which we found, but we were there an hour and a half before it opened so we decided to go in search of Pancakes, I meant to drive to a specific IHOP in Tukwilla, but I got lost, as even with GPS I am still very prone to do. and I accidently found another in Renton. After breakfast we went out to Tempé (my new to me car) and true to her name she didn't start... We decided to give her a little time to herself, and went for a walk. After our walk and some amusing observations at the Renton Wal~Mart, we got the car started and decided to go see a film. We saw Couples Retreat with Vince Vaughn,Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell, and others. It was really funny... after the movie we had a light dinner and found a little loose tea shop in the mall and had some nice Chai tea and then headed home where we made my Vlogtag video Link here We are adorable, Tomorrow I think we are headed out to Seattle should be tons of fun...

Random Fact: Mustard can prevent Alzheimer's Disease .... contributed by my mother, and Helen's total aversion to said Mustard and her completely Rubbish memory...

The British Have arrived!!!

2009-11-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

As you can see by the picture to the right, Miss Abbott has finally arrived to spend some quality time with yours truly. The night has been uneventful so far there has been cuddling and kissing, and then once I finally managed to get her to put Inara down we cuddled as well. We are getting ready to go to sleep while watching Ant Bully. As I write this Miss Abbott is lying down supposedly resting her eyes. Which means she will be fast asleep with in a matter of minutes.

Inara being the attention whore that she is seems to have taken to Miss Abbott very quickly. My dear cat also managed to lay on all of Miss Abbott's clothes as soon as she opened her Suitcase (which weighs a bloody ton I might add, I am pretty sure she smuggled some royal guards in her luggage.) I think other than not really approving of our cuddling Inara is going to enjoy having Miss Abbott here almost as much as I will.

My day had some humorous moments, the first involving a forklift two empty propane tanks and a number of back & forth trips with a set of very important Managerial Keys. The second involving an electric cart pusher and the incompetent employees responsible for it's maintenance. Horray for a tiny little cart pusher needing three 12 volt batteries daisy chained together in order to power it. The scary part of the second highlight is that I managed to fix for free what the mechanic had bid three days prior for $1200.00 Obviously I am in the wrong line of work...

Well I have been away from Miss Abbott for far too long and she is already far too quiet, so I am going to say good night I'll see you again tomorrow...

Random Fact: According to a recent scientific study children of mixed race heritage are less susceptible to emotional, mental and physical diseases. Due to certain racial immunities and the combined hybrid dominant genes. (Contrary to my brother having cycle-cell anemia)

The last minute cleanings

2009-11-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

After working another 11 hour work day I was exhausted when I got home today. And after half an hour or so of procrastinating I scrubbed my entire bathroom from top to bottom. While I was scrubbing my bathtub with the hot water running I was filling up my sink with hot water and Pine-Sol, which as it turns out over flows faster than you would think. Water was spilling out over the side and down the cupboards. It was all over the floor, and hilarious I only noticed because my socks were all of a sudden soaking wet. After I cleaned up that mess I finished the entire job. The floor is clean, the toilet is clean, the tub is clean... the sink is clean. Well I should say it is clean as long as "Douche" doesn't eff it all up.

I am so excited Miss Abbott will be here in nineteen hours!!!!! Tomorrow is going to be a hell of a day at work, I have to work a full shift before leaving to pick her up. We are going to have a nice dinner and then head home and watch a movie, as I am sure we will both be exhausted from our travels...

Random Quote overheard while at work: "I don't have a vagina; my mouth is my vagina." ~~~random guy in the next aisle.

The Beginning of NaNoWriMo

2009-11-01T22:28:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow blog readers!!!!

So Nov 1st is the beginning of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) I thought I would take this opportunity to start writing here again. I have done so many things since my last posting. I have been to England! I have fallen head over heels for a girl. (A different girl, and an amazing and unique woman.) You will be hearing a lot about Miss Abbott in the near future as she is coming to stay with me on Tuesday. She will be here for ten days. I am very excited... and very nervous to have her here. On the one hand I really miss waking up next to her. (I spent my vacation in England with her.) On the other hand my roommates make me crazy. And I really don't wish for anyone else to have to deal with what I do on a regular basis. I promise to make every effort to update every day this month similar to when I was doing BEDA...

Random Fact of the Blog

A cow has four stomachs... (contributed by Miss Abbott.)

This picture makes me lol

2009-07-11T10:47:00.001-07:00

Two months, too long

2009-07-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

"Holy jesus that fat guy actually posted another blog!"

I can honestly say that it feels like forever since I updated this blog, a lot of things have happened in the previous months. "i'll 'splain, no there is too much, I'll sum up."

~I have become even more of an introvert hardly speaking to anyone, including people that I care deeply about, sans an instant messenger service known as Skype and the always present Twitter account.

~I have begun searching vigorously for a job on the other side of the country (and even a few out side of the country.) Which obviously includes looking for housing and the such in similar areas.

~I met and hung out with a large group of people that I previously had only known via the internet, and spent an amazing weekend getting to know 13 of them specifically. Via this meeting which was both emotionally (and financially) devastating I have been introduced to more people, and became closer with people I was only slightly aware of. Of all the things that have happened and that I have done in the previous two months this "gathering" has had the biggest impact on not only my idea of the internet but my idea of relationships and bonds made through the internet.

~On May 27th my birth fathers wife passed on. I haven't spoken directly to her in more than 15 years aside from an email or two I received a year or two back I haven't really had any contact with her at all, My thoughts and condolences are with My father and her children and grandchildren.

~Today July 11th 2009 my uncle is getting married I wasn't able to make it to the ceremony but I did want to say congratulations to him and his new wife.

In other news I really don't have a valid excuse as to why I haven't updated this blog in the last two months, it has occurred to me more than once, hell last month Laurie even sent me a tweet via twitter saying it had been too long. It just seems that I haven't had the urge. Writers block is to easy an excuse but it is very accurate..

Random Fact: this Picture is why I will not ever dress as Spider-Man for Halloween no one wants to have that image burned into their brains, not even me...

Weekending; and walk-by creeping!

2009-05-11T16:15:00.001-07:00

I spent Friday evening and the majority of Saturday with my brother
his wife and her parents. They were both really nice. Friday night our
little group had dinner at a very smarmy grill & lounge named Joey's.
I swear one of the qualifications to work there was to be an aspiring
Super Model. After dinner we saw the new Star Trek movie. With out
spoiling the movie allow me to just say Wow!
Saturday we headed to Snoqualmie falls. This amazing waterfall is
about thirty minutes away from my house and could not be more
picturesque or beautiful. When you first arrive there is a resort and
lodge at the top and a steep hiking trail down to the base of the
falls. We took pictures at different points during the hike but I
think mostly we were trying not to fall on our rears. The slope down
was determined and steady. On the way back up the trail I saw this
girl http://www.youtube.com/user/italktosnakes and this boy http://www.YouTube.com/user/nerimon
On their way down, I managed to accidently creep them out as only
I can. Note to self randomly greeting strangers with their first and
last names is a teensy bit creepy. Go figure.
random fact: writing this blog was a fantastic way to spend my lunch.

Sent from my iPhone

A Post For my mother

2009-05-04T17:36:00.000-07:00

My mother wants a permanent link to InaraEveryday

Random Thought: Things like this shouldn't count... but they do....

Yes i know the photo is terribly blurry That is why it is here and not on the above linked site.

Post vacation Crack, or S'mores Anyone?

2009-05-03T16:27:00.000-07:00

I have noticed a funny thing about a post vacation work week.. I am actually working... I don't know what they had in the water on the East Coast but I have just been running my ass off at work since I have been back. Now, don't get me wrong, I work a lot to begin with, but very rarely do I ever feel the necessity to do my job with any amount of added exertion. More than once a day for the passed week someone either a customer or an employee has commented on my fast pace. Today I was just bolting all over the place. It was ridiculous.

Can I just say that Inara is adorable? she is currently bounding around playing with anything that dares move in her presence. I am trying to teach her auditory cues. In hopes that she might start coming when I call her. Man she is picky. She might just be the only cat on the planet that doesn't eat fish flavored anything. So far she enjoys Chicken flavors so at least there is that.

I have every intention of writing a blog entitled "more little things", or "it's all in the details", which would be some of my vacation stories that didn't make it into the blog that week due either to lack of time or patience with the Iphone touchscreen keyboard, I think about it almost daily but haven't managed to actually sit down and write it out all proper like. OOOh blog cliffhangers... I bet you can hardly wait.

Random Photo:

So another Blogger that I read (HayleyGHoover) mentioned her love for smores recently and I have been craving them daily ever since, and then today while I was grocery shopping I saw this Display at the store... How did they know????

"Why did you call him Blob?"

2009-05-01T23:57:00.000-07:00

I worked... I had an extremely embarrassing moment, that I am only even slightly mentioning as my face is still red... I came home played with Inara talked for a little under an hour with my amazing girlfriend and saw a movie with my brother. Aside from the slight hiccup of the embarrasing moment, it really wasn't the worst day I have had.

Random fact... He had said Bub....

The Completion of BEDA and an Introduction.

2009-04-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today marks the End of Blog Every Day April. I don't plan to quit blogging everyday as of now, but after today i am not obligated to do so. I have actually really enjoyed this last month, I really enjoyed chronicling each day while I was on Vacation. I did the majority of them on my way home at the end of the night while Laurie drove. I wanted to make sure it got done, and wanted to make sure I didn't take time away from her while I did it.

An interesting thing happened to me while I was at work today... A co-worker said he had something for me and that i was to follow him home after work... I was a little concerned but went along with it. Turns out his cat had kittens about two months ago and he wasn't able to give this last one away, Her name is Inara (which is from Middle-Eastern Mythology and means protector of Wild Animals) I named her this for two reasons... First, the name is very unique. I could not bare to saddle another feline with a name like Precious, or Princess ... Though I was tempted to name her Serenity... and second Inara is the name of a Character on a short lived T.V. series created by Joss Whedon titled Firefly, (It is a space western, freaking awesome!) Oh and their Ship's name??? is Serenity.... (as well as the name of the Movie that was made after the TV on DVD sales were insane and fans demanded more.)

Random Fact Inara is 10 weeks old

A working Stiff

2009-04-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

Before I went on vacation I went to great pains to avoid doing anything that even vaguely resembled actual physical labor. For some reason unknown to me, I have spent the previous two days doing ridiculous amounts of physical labor, This morning I moved all of the furniture Departments freight by myself, the majority of which weighs between one to two hundred pounds. It wasn't as though I was trying to prove how much of a Bad Ass I am. (Though Admittedly I am pretty bad ass...) I was just asked to help the group of ladies that were assigned the area and they voted me as Mule. Eh what can you do...

I spent the majority of the remaining portion of the day running from one task to another. I need to figure out how I was slacking so efficiently before and put that darn plan back into action...

I need to make my Vlogtag video still tonight, but honestly I am just not sure how I am going to measure up to Molly's video from last Wednesday... I mean she read us a story and everything!!! Granted it was a story about how to Un-Gay someone, but it was a story non the less... Maybe i'll do something awkward and inappropriate... stay tuned...

Random Fact.... I have made 6,000 Twitter updates... in less than a year, and 309 actual blogposts in almost 3 and a half years.

Back to the Grind

2009-04-28T23:59:00.000-07:00

AS I am sure all of you can relate, The first day back to work after a vacation of any length is always rough, mine was no exception. It began with having forgotten to close my drivers side window after arriving home last night, which led to my sitting in a very wet driver seat this morning. Rest assured the window is closed tonight.

I am extremely tired, work wasn't really bad so much as I just really would have rather been any where else, or more specifically any where closer to the amazing woman I spent the last week with.

I am not sure when my next day off is as of right now, but trust me when I say, the countdown has begun.

Random Fact: Youtube Haters are like soo lame...

Day 6~ The Voyage Home

2009-04-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

Today was a hard one, I woke in my girlfriends bed, next to her, and I will in a few very short moments fall asleep in my own bed very alone. It was a pretty relaxed day we slept in as late as we could manage and then went for a light lunch at Arbys (we had each won a free sandwich at Friday nights IronPigs game.) After our sandwich we went to Rita's for dessert, a popular east coast Icee/custard stand, It was very good and very perfect for the warm day.

With my bags already packed and in her trunk we headed to the airport and said our goodbyes.

My trip home was mostly uneventful barring a woman that collapsed in the doorway of the plane as I was getting off in Seattle.

My brother and his wife were waiting for me at the baggage claim area, and after what seemed like forever we collected my one checked baggage, and headed home. My car was not too amused at having been ignored for the passed week and stalled in the middle of the road on the way home. Luckily my brother and his wife were still in the area and after about an hour of fiddling with this part and that part we were able to get the vehicle running again... I hate that car.

Random Fact: This is the last picture Laurie and I took together this morning.

Day 5: Philly Spread

2009-04-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

Today was the last full day of my trip. We went up to Philladelphia
proper, and met a couple of Laurie's college buddies, one of whom is a
pastor at a church. We woke up a little early so that we could make it
to his sermon. He is an excellent speaker. I haven't been to church
since my last tour of the Sandbox, it was really nice.
After church we went to Pat's king cheese steak joint. Which is
apparently the place to have a cheesesteak in Philadelphia. It was a
really good sandwich for a reasonable price, and we sat next to a
couple of girls that were nice enough to share their table.
When we finished lunch we headed to the Zoo. Mind you at two
o'clock in Philly today it was 96* and rising. The animals were mostly
lethargic but incredibly adorable.
On our drive back to Allentown Laurie and I went over the highlights
of our week, it has been an awesome week and a much needed vacation.

Random Fact: The Philadelphia city Zoo was the first Zoo in America!
They are celebrating their. 150th anniversary this year.
Sent from my iPhone

Day Four: The Big Apple on foot!

2009-04-25T18:17:00.001-07:00

Laurie and I took the commuter train into NYC today. With that
exclusion we walked all over the city. We saw the Empire State
building, the Statue of Liberty (granted it was from a far) we walked
up and down Broadway, fifth ave and what felt like every street and
avenue between the two.
I saw my first Broadway play on broadway. Laurie surprised me with
tickets to the show. Avenue Q was an amazing hilarious musical with a
not so subtle moral to the story. The basic idea is it might suck to
be you today but the future of change and opportunity are just around
the next bend.
Random Quote "The Internet is for PORN" Trekkie Monster ~ Avenue Q

Sent from my iPhone

Day three/four: IronPigs Triumph

2009-04-24T22:09:00.001-07:00

Yes I know I titled yesterdays post day three; turns out I fail at
life. I titled the evening I landed as Day Zero
But I keep thinking of it as an actual
Day.
Laurie had to work half a day today and like a good boyfriend I
slept till right before she got home.
When she finally did get home we went and walked around an outdoor
mall similar to the one in Kent, and while waiting for the game we saw
17 again. Which was a great movie.
The IronPigs are a triple A baseball team, they won tonights game
13-3 they had 7 runs in the third inning alone. It was a lot of fun. I
met two of laurie's friends at the game, Katie and Shayne they were
both a lot of fun, we had a late snack at Dennys with them after the
game.
Tomorrow we are spending the entire day in New York City. I am so
excited I can't wait!!! Laurie even surprised me with tickets to the
Broadway show Avenue Q!!!! so exciting!!

Random Fact: The LeHigh IronPigs destroyed the Pawtuckett Red Soxx!!

Sent from my iPhone

Day Three: Exploring Nazareth

2009-04-23T19:44:00.001-07:00

Today was more or less uneventfull. Laurie had to work till five so I
slept till half past 12. When I finally drug my lazy arse out of bed I
walked the two
Blocks to Laurie's bank and met her for lunch. After lunch i wandered
down main street listening to my music and enjoying the historic
buildings.
Laurie and I had dinner with her mother and brother and are on our
way home.
I also met Laurie's cousin Alyssa, the person that introduced
Laurie to my videos on Youtube. Alyssa also started the
7awesomenerdfighters collab channel where I post videos on Mondays.
Random quote: "You have to be rich and smart to get into this
college." Laurie Cook
Sent from my iPhone

Day One: meeting the family

2009-04-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

This will have to be quick, if it has passed midnight when this posts
I maintain that I have until midnight pacific standard time to post
each BEDA this month. I met Ninnin today (laurie's grandmother on her
mother's side) as well as Grammy and pop-pop (her fathers parents.) I
played with Ninnins little ten year old dog the majority of my visit
there and if nothing else at the very least I made a friend with the
very spry pug/mix.
At Grammy and Pop-pops we had some interesting conversations.
Interesting due mostly to pop-pop being 81 years young, and at the
very least ninety percent deaf.. Grammy compliments him by being very
soft spoken and completely adorable...
Random fact: Grammy and Pop-pop will be married fifty-nine years on
December thirty first. The date according to pop-pop selected for tax
reasons... Wow
Sent from my iPhone

Pennsylvania day zero

2009-04-21T19:13:00.001-07:00

So todays flight was more or less uneventful, checking in at SEA-TAC I
learned someone with same first and last name as me is on the TSA
National terrorism watchlist... That was aMusing in that not at all
kind of way. I slept the majority of the first flight and caught my
connecting flight with out hassle. Laurie and I had dinner and watched
Crank:High Voltage with Jason Statham. Which was a ridiculous movie
from start to finish.
We are currently enroute to
Meet laurie's mother and brother...
Random fact: I am not an effing terrorist...
Sent from my iPhone

Vacation Countdown

2009-04-20T23:01:00.000-07:00

AS it stands I will be on a plane leaving for Pennsylvania in nine hours and thirty two minutes. I can not wait... I am excited to spend time with Laurie, I am excited to not have to work for a week and I am excited situations like the following will be mostly avoided.

So the other day a co-worker told me he was having a lot of problems and if he didn't check himself into Alcohol rehab he was going to be checked in. My first response to break the obvious solemn tone, was... "Damn man, that sucks... you want to grab a beer after work and talk about things?" Was I ever a good person... its time for bed, I should end this.

This next weeks blogs will mostly all be posted via Iphone, so they will probably not be the most in depth unless I have a ridiculous amount of time... i hope you all have a great week!!!

Random Fact: I'm bringing my passport, but i am not leaving the country...

Quick Change Artist

2009-04-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

Home from work later than I wanted to be going to have dinner with my little bro ad his wife.... more tomorrow...

Random Fact.... Blue is a primary color

This Post serves only one purpose.

2009-04-18T21:48:00.001-07:00

Holy bejesus!!!

BEDA 18!!!

I want to go on Vacation NOW!!!!!

Today was a long day but not as bad as it could have been. I have been working this whole week, with just my vacation as my goal. I am talking to Laurie on the phone as I type this, which is why this may not seem to flow as smooth as normal.

Random Fact: Pizza isn't always round...

Loves Labor Lost

2009-04-17T22:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, look at me, stealing blog titles from Shakespeare... Today while i was working I helped a mother of two young children, it took very little time and even less effort and yet she was so happy, She even wrote a nice letter to my boss thanking me for helping her, there really aren't enough moments like that in a day.

After work I got a hair cut, from the same woman that has been cutting my hair for over a year now, as it turns out I am still just as awkward and uncomfortable around her as I have been since day one. She is very well endowed and I swear she like shoves her chest into me on a constant basis. I would stop having my hair cut by her, but I figure what the heck, she is only a little creepy.

After my hair cut, I grabbed a chilled beverage at Starbucks, read for about half an hour and then helped a coworker move an entertainment center.. Damn if i don't qualify for at least a good samaritan award.... Three days and counting...

Random Fact: Spider-man (Peter Parker) lives in a suburb of Queens known as Forrest Hills.

Meth-heads to my madness

2009-04-16T18:51:00.001-07:00

While I was at lunch this evening I decided to run a couple of
errands, in hopes that I would then have less to worry about tomorrow
and this coming weekend. While paying my insurance at a local check
cashing place I was standing next to a very nervous looking young man,
he was shaky, fidgety and very obviously was in dire need of at the
very least a very long very soapy tour of the local car wash strapped
to the bed of his '87 ranger that was parked, stereo blasting in front
of the establishment. Apparently the gentleman/meth-head didn't have
his I.D. on him and had managed to answer all but one of the
identifier questions incorrectly and was unable to cash his check. He
walked out in a huff and returned moments later with a large female
friend that looked like she too would benefit from a similar tour
through a car wash or two. They continued to argue with the teller and
eventually left together in an odious cloud of defeat. Who would have
thought the lunch hour could be so entertaining?
Random Fact: i Sent this blog from my iPhone

The little things

2009-04-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

You know how some days, it is all the little things that make life such a wonderful and fulfilling part of your life? Today was one of those days. I hate my job. It isn't a secret, in fact if you have read more then the first sentence of this blog, you know it is a frequent topic of discussion. Don't get me wrong it's retail, you are expected to hate it. You would have to be some kind of masochistic freak to enjoy being belittled by people who think and behave as though they are better than you because they don't have to lower their standards to work in such a less than fulfilling place. One of my secret joys in life is running into the exceptionally rude customers in places like Burger King when they ask if I would like fries with that... it is the little things...

Amount of time till I'm sitting on a plane headed towards Pennsylvania and Laurie? ... 5 days 10 hours and 35 minutes

Not that I am counting....

Random Question.... What is the most awkward thing you have ever had in your carry on baggage?

Is it me or is this picture begging for an OJ Simpson joke?

Too Much Idle time...

2009-04-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

I have gone through like epic amounts of TV on DVD lately... it makes me happy...

Random Observation.... This is what happens when i have idle time... Thank the heavens for NetFLix and a 40 Hour a week Job.

Defending my Sexual preference

2009-04-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

This is one of those blogs that I am going to write with little to no actual thought. I am a heterosexual male. I am one of those rare heterosexual males that rarely cares what others think about me. I like chick flicks, I have a completely heterosexual man-crush on Scott Backula. Which is perfectly normal. I have a girlfriend. (To whom i also have to defend my sexual preference. She worries.)

Saturday night i ended up at a gay bar in downtown Kent by the name of Vibe with my brother and his wife, we were there for maybe the sum total of 45 minutes. I was the DD and it was the last place open still serving drinks. This was not a calm cool collected type of gay bar. This was your stereotypical gay bar. Complete with lesbian bouncers, Ridiculously masculine Drag queens, nearly naked male go-go dancers, Explicit gay porn on different monitors in multiple places scattered through out the bar and with awkward man sex in the male restroom that I entered. I say awkward because I entered the bathroom and had un-zipped before my ears registered the sound as what it was.

All in all it was a fun night, prior to the Vibe, we had gone bowling and spent an hour or so at a local restaurant bar before they closed. My brother and his wife had fun. (my brother was hit on by every male in the bar excluding myself.) My brothers wife had the rare joy of dancing in a bar without fifty nasty men trying to grope you. Ironically, I think if my brother would have danced he would have had quite the opposite experience. Instead he got a few free drinks out of the deal.. not bad. I however was completely unabashedly ignored. I'm not complaining I just found it amusing.

On a fun side note the lesbian bouncer recognized me at work yesterday. When I had first entered the bar the partial contents of my wallet had fallen out and she was nice enough to find me and hand them back. I wanted to make a joke to the bouncer, but nothing witty jumped to mind.

I spent the majority of my day off hiding in my room, willing this next week to go by faster, I am eagerly awaiting my much needed vacation with my girlfriend.

Random Fun Fact... Scott Backula is on CHUCK!!!!

A Doctor Who Easter???

2009-04-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

So a new episode of Doctor Who is on the interwebs... and I need to find it... After this episode there are only three David Tennant episodes left. This is sad indeed. Last night I hung out with my brother and his wife. There was much drinking involved, I was a designated driver. There were some funny moments... But for the most part I assume they are best left as secret adventures to be remembered in fictional stories I hope to one day write...

Random Fact... Monday Is my weekend... Huzzah!!!

EDIT: This egg was decorated by one of my friends... It is about a song on youtube that has a ridiculously catchy tune...

Holy Crazy Days

2009-04-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

So today was a hectic crazy day, I finally dropped my vacation bomb on my boss... I was like, "So uh... I'm going to Pennsylvania... like uh... in 9 days... " He was less than pleased... This is how much I care... "Zero!" I haven't had a vacation in over two years... I am in desperate need of one.

I found out yesterday that my mother now googles my screen name (AslanEnlisted) I don't know if this is weird because my mother and computers aren't on the friendliest of terms, or because some of the places my screen name turns up are just awkward. Due mostly to the random people that signed me up on Xtube as a homosexual video enthusiast... Thank you all so very much... le sigh. The people I call friends... LOL!

Wahoo one more work day and then weekend... Woot!! Woot

Random Quote: "I don't like my penis why would I play with someone elses?"

said by AJ James Brooks... pretty much when ever anyone accuses me of being gay... It has become my staple response...

Napalicious

2009-04-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

I just awoke from a much needed nap, my question is why is it when i take a nap I am not able to sleep later that night. (granted said nap was six and a half hours... whoops) "I mean other people take naps all the damn time right? It is going to be a rough night... Hooray for T.V on DVD... It really does make the world a better place...

Random Fact... My first Vacation in over two years starts in 10 days woot woot!!!

so wait BEDA is every day of April?

2009-04-09T23:48:00.000-07:00

I worked all damn day, i'm tired... Darn you BEDA making me write every day. this will be better tomorrow I hope... sorry I am so lamesauce....

Random Fact Hayley G Hoover is awesome.

How to stop being in "Love" with an Ass Hole

2009-04-08T17:09:00.000-07:00

This particular blog has less to do with me and will be written more as an interesting approach on how to get over that black hole that is your heart.

The truth of the matter is that there is no "get out of Jail free" way to get over someone. When you pour your heart and time and emotions into a guy (or girl for that matter.) It is an investment. The fact that what ever they did that you once found endearing and that you now find absolutely the most annoying habit for any person to have ever possessed. Doesn't change the fact that if you see them doing it for someone else, it is going to sting a little. (And what the hell does he/she see in him/her anyway they are obviously Uglier/more hairy/less mature/heavier, fill in your idiom. )

I have found there are three main types of break-ups; the ones I cause, the ones I initiate and the ones that feel like a sucker punch from the Linebacker of the Varsity football team. Let me explain the difference between the three.

TYPE 1 The Ones I cause:

(a) Forgetting important dates. (No our first hug is not an important date!") (b) Teasing in a non-loving way (It doesn't matter how funny it might seem to say "It isn't your pants that makes your ass look fat, It is your ass." This is not the proper way to build a long lasting relationship.

(c) Showing my lack of compassion about things you care about. (I'm a guy, as it turns out, it rarely bothers me when your bangs wont cooperate.)

TYPE 2 The Ones I Initiate:

(a) Cheating (There isn't really a need to explain this one, is there? If he/she puts his/her tongue or any other part of his/her body in a boys/girls orifice that is not yours, the Relationship is considered forfeit)

(b) Greener Pastures ( If he/she thinks the grass is greener in someone else's yard.... good riddance! This includes anything longer than a glance at an attractive passer by.)

(c) Double the fun. (Dating more than one girl at a time is technically cheating, but it seems so common lately i thought it deserved its own sub-division. If he/she isn't completely committed to a single person, odds are they are not looking for a single person.)

Type 3 The Ones you don't see coming:

(a) Drive by dumping. (you think everything is fine, and then it's over, usually if you were unaware of any of type 2 they tend to lead into type 3's)

(b) Parental Guidance. (Like it or not, if the Parents aren't fond of you, they will not let your partner forget it.)

Now that I have walked you through the various ways you could have ended up in your current situation. I want to give you some advice on how to get over this A-hole. If you are a Type 1 or Type 2 break up, odds are you initiated the break up... and most of the heart ache is numbed by your pro-active approach. For those Type 3's out there, the road ahead is a rough one, just know that you are not alone on this road, many preceded you and many will follow.'

Getting over the A-Hole in 3 easy steps...

Step 1...

Get Rid of their Junk. (That article of clothing you slept in/with those nights to remind you of their scent, will only bring negative memories and emotions when you find it three weeks from now at the bottom of your laundry basket.)

Step 2

Get out and do something. (avoid couple centric locations, your best bet is to get a group together and go bowling or dancing or go play pool, anything to keep you out of your room, and your head.)

Step 3

See new people! (The best way to get over an ass hole is to meet a nice guy/girl. I know it sounds simple but most of us after a bad relationship just want to hide in a hole. get out there have some fun...)

The simple fact is the best way to get over an ass hole, is to move on. So many of us reminisce back to the better times and up dwelling on where it all went wrong. Life is full of heart aches, the trick is finding the one that is worth crying over that doesn't make you cry.

I want to thank Laurie Cook for helping me get over the Ass Holes in my life.

Random Fact: This blog was inspired by and dedicated to Hayley G Hoover.

I may never understand

2009-04-07T23:10:00.000-07:00

I think it is kind of funny how I spend my entire work week looking forward to my weekend. Then i spend my entire weekend, dreading the work week. Yet i do nothing to fully enjoy my weekends, other than going to se those movies yesterday and walking around yet another establishment that has ratified it's bookstore. (Seriously what the hell is with the lack of book stores in this area... it is absolutely criminal.) I also people watched a little, I do oh so enjoy randomly making up stories for the random strangers i encounter. and now for some Ice Cream!

WOOT WOOT

Random Fact: I have Air Plane Reservations... EFFING WOOT

I'm a REEL watcher

2009-04-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hmm does anyone even remember the old Wheel of Fortune slogan "I'm a Wheel Watcher!"??? I'm hoping at least some of you do or else my blog title wont seem as witty... I saw three new movies today, being my first day off in 7 days I wanted nothing more than to lose myself in other stories. I saw Monsters Vs. Aliens, Fast & Furious, and Adventureland. The last of which was definitely my favorite. Other than that I didn't do much...

Random Question:

Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive up ATM?

Watch that hand mister...

2009-04-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

The problem with portraying the Easter Bunny I have discovered, is that people feel way too comfortable touching you. I mean at least with the Santa suit people (more specifically males in general) assumed that there was a dude under the suit. Especially since the bunny suit is sort of feminine looking... Pink cottontail and all.. That still doesn't excuse random Adult men from caressing my upper leg.... ewwwww.. and older women from sitting on me in a way that no one should.

After seven straight days, I have the day off tomorrow, I am ridiculously excited about sleeping in... and accomplishing tasks that will bring me closer to my goal...

Random Thought... Why does the bunny bring eggs????

Stuffy Head, And New Britches

2009-04-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

I can not shake this Head cold to save my life... it is so effing frustrating.... especially when I am trying to eat because I can't breathe through my nose. So I end up chewing my food like some kind of Cow chewing its curd. *Chew,(breath) Chew, (Breath) Chew (Breath) * Try telling me that isn't five kinds of sexy.

So I was ringing up these three women today while at work and all three of them were purchasing new panties. Which isn't a big deal people buy underwear on a semi-regular basis. The part that annoyed me is that every time I Picked up a pair of panties, the girls, (early twenties at youngest) would giggle. I mean seriously folks, are we that Immature???

And then to add insult to injury while I was purchasing my own underwear the girl out the check out was obviously uncomfortable and giggling at the site of mine... I was like hello, I am not wearing them at the moment.

I finished the last Episodes of Star Trek Enterprise last night, and tonight I have started Supernatural tonight... slightly different types of shows... to say the least.

Random Thought: I am not wearing underwear!!!!

"That Alien can Draw, Did she lick the Pineapple???"

2009-04-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

So starting today the City of Tacoma Weekly Chalk off has begun every friday at noon.. A group of people come together every week for about 5 months and draw different themes each week, the picture to the right was drawn by a friend of mine. Not bad if i do say so myself... Adam is an awesome artist on many levels, those of you who follow my VlogTag Collab channel on youtube may know Adam as Monday. Recently he did that Noir video that blew us all out of the water. You can watch that video here. There seem to be more interesting Videos coming from this channel every day, Every Friday we have a different Day of the week complete a challenge, Mary Kate's for this week was to create a 5 minute stop motion Epic Adventure you can follow the link here to watch that video. ( It might help you understand the humor in the video if you know that VlogSmoothie and Nerdfightastic are also collab channels on Youtube. I am surrounded by amazing Artists, and I am reminded of that on a Daily basis. While my day (Wednesdays) may not always be the most creative I am most definitely in great company. You are all awesome and I am thankful to call you my friends.

Random Fact I have watched 4 seasons of Star Trek: ENTERPRISE in 3 weeks, I only have two more episodes... I am a little bummed. Does anyone have any TV on DVD suggestions???

Through Rain sleet and snow

2009-04-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that weather is stupid. Hmmm maybe I should be more specific, Western Washington weather is DUMB... Today's weather was so ridiculous that if i believed in Mother Nature I would wonder if maybe she was entering Menopause...

Hung out with my little brother again today, we have been hanging out a lot recently, It makes me really happy... just a thought.

Random Question.... Are Mother Nature and Mother Earth considered to be the same being???

¡¡¡¡¡sǝɥɔʇıq ʎɐp slooɟ lıɹdɐ sı ʇı

2009-04-01T18:29:00.001-07:00

¡oʎ 'uʍop ǝpısdn sı ʇıɥs sıɥʇ :ʇɔɐɟ ɯopuɐɹ ¡¡¡ʇooʍ ¡¡¡ɥʇuoɯ sıɥʇ sƃolq ɟo spuıʞ llɐ ƃuıʇʇǝƃ ǝq plnoʍ noʎ ʇɐɥʇ ʍouʞ oʇ llɐ noʎ pǝʇuɐʍ ʇsnɾ ʇɹoɥs uı ˙˙˙ǝɹıɟ ʇoɥ ǝʇıɥʍ ǝʞıl pɐǝɹds sɐɥ puɐ pǝʇɹɐʇs uosuɥoɾ uǝǝɹnɐɯ ɹǝʇıɹʍ ʇlnpɐ ƃunoʎ ʇɐɥʇ ǝƃuǝllɐɥɔ ɐ sı ɐ˙p˙ǝ˙q) ˙ɥʇuoɯ sıɥʇ ɐpǝq uı ʇɹɐd ƃuıʞɐʇ ǝq llıʍ ı ʇɐɥʇ ʍouʞ llɐ noʎ ʇǝl oʇ pǝʇuɐʍ ı puɐ ʎɐp slooɟ lıɹdɐ sı ʇı sɹǝpɐǝɹ xoqpuɐs ʍollǝɟ ollǝɥ

The curious case of F. Scott Fitzgerald

2009-03-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today I started reading a collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald's early works. For those of you that are unaware the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button that came out a couple of months ago is based on a short story by the same name written by mr Fitzgerald, he also is considered to be one Americas greatest authors, he wrote the Great Gatsby. The beginning of the collection has a short biography of the young Authors life. I have to be honest, it scared me a little. He died from complications of a heart attack at what now seems to be the very young age of 44 years old. It started me thinking of what other classic stories he might have contributed to our nation had he lived a few decades more. Piers Anthony still publishes books and he is 75 years old.

The reason I bring this up is simply this... We never know how much time we have, it is high time we stopped wasting that precious time. Don't you agree?

In other news I finally got an IPhone!!!! You have no Idea how excited I am about this. It has pasted a smile on my face for the past four days.

Random Fact

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American writer of novels and short stories, whose works are evocative of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost Generation" of the twenties. He finished four novels, including The Great Gatsby, with another published posthumously, and wrote dozens of short stories that treat themes of youth and promise along with despair and age.

Via Wikipedia

Wrote a mini-review

2009-03-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

Hey all, so I wrote a little mini-review for the book I just finished. I thought i would let you all read it... see this counts as a blog post and it is sort of funny.

Review of Amber Benson's Deaths Daughter

Calliope is your stereotypical fashion socialite, and much like everyone else in New York has one "Hell" of a family.. I refuse to sum up the story as it has been done more than once here and I am sure you get the drift.
I completely agree with the grievances noted in the other reviews, The Heroine of the story whines a lot, an effing lot. Honestly aside from that this was a really good book, the story was interesting and had supporting characters that more than made up for Calliope's never ending whimpering. Great dialogue, engaging story I am recommending this to my friends, especially the The "Twilhards" (my nickname for the fans that support that drivel.) I mean if they could push through Breaking Dawn they will effing love this book.

The TwiHards I am referring to are fans of the books in the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. The fourth book titled Breaking Dawn was absolute crap and received quite the backlash when it was released, hence the jab at the end.

The Author of the book is quite the entrepreneur this is her first Solo Novel but she has Co-Authored books previously. She also is an Actress, screenwriter and Director, My Mother might recognize her as Tara (Willow's Girlfriend) from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Random Fact:

My mother might be interested to know this book is available for Kindle as well.

Nomadic By Nature

2009-03-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

Aside from not posting in my blog for a week it appears the extrication from the internet didn't actually happen... let me tell you what I have been up to... It has been snowing here for the past three days... I am not amused. I have started toying with the idea of picking up and moving East, like far east, like east coast east. The few people i have talked bout this with are more or less convinced that my motivation to move is motivated with the relationship I am currently basking in. (I hate dangling modifiers and yet I use them so very often.... sigh) The truth of the matter is that while I am very excited to pursue this relationship, all it has given me is that little extra nudge to move now. I have spent my whole life moving from place to place, and to be honest I enjoy it. I honestly feel that I have been here too long. I have a nomadic spirit, that I have ignored for far too long...

In other internet related news there is a new social networking type website that I have started partaking in... the basic idea is that you take a picture every day for a year, at the end of the year i'll probably make a video of all the pictures, but for now if you are interested you can keep track of them by clicking on the link HERE

Random Fact of the day,

You should watch the documentary Religulous with Bill Maher it is pretty funny.

Tempted

2009-03-03T01:47:00.000-08:00

I don't sleep well recently, which is in part due to my ridiculous sleeping/work schedule and in part due to how much I have on my plate. A couple friends of mine have extricated themselves from the internet almost all together, I am tempted to do the same. It's been so long since I was completely cut off from the internet, I wonder how long I could do it. I am tempted.

Random piece of sad information,

I rented all three High School Musical films today so far I have only watched the first one, but to be honest it wasn't nearly as bad as i had feared it would be.

A week of memories

2009-02-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

I often wonder How people meet and fall for each other and manage to cultivate that attraction into a fifty plus year relationship. This previous week was a very fun and exciting week for me, the only negative aspect I can think of it would be the fact that I had to work a majority of the time that she was here, excluding the last two days where I called out...

I'm sure there will be more details of the previous week in the post to follow.

Random Fact:I have Cable in my room now... Fan freaking tastic.

There is Always Tomorrow ...

2009-02-13T15:45:00.000-08:00

I spoke to my mother on the phone today and she was more or less annoyed that I haven't updated this in a week, the reason for the lack of updating is mostly just that I am exhausted, I have been working a lot this previous week. I am super excited about my guest that arrives tomorrow, Laurie is coming to spend a week with me. We are going to spend the first day and a half in Seattle. There is this Valentines day comedy shindig that we have tickets to on Saturday night and of course we are going to dinner, and then on Sunday my brother his wife and the two of us are going to spend the day doing touristy Seattle things... It should be a blast... I'm only a little nervous... grin... only a little.

Random Fact:

Life is Freaking Amazing!!!!!

A Not So Random Survey

2009-02-07T21:29:00.000-08:00

You know what I love? I love not posting my blog for a few days and then when I do post I write in a little Joke or fill out a survey... Like this one.... (for those of you that read this blog and don't watch my youtube videos... for shame... but this will probably make less sense than normal.)

And now on with the Questions:

Username: AslanEnlisted
Why did you pick it?: The First part of it is after the CS Lewis Character of the same name, which was the first series of books I ever read. the second part was when I chose the moniker I had just enlisted in the US ARMY,
Who did you first subscribe to?: RavensTears
Who did you most recently subscribe to?: VlogSmoothie
What does your last text message say?: "I called. You didn't Answer. I was sad, wondering where you are." from my girlfriend.
Do you have any goals?: To complete and publish a novel. And to not suck at being a parent, that'd be good.
What was the last thing you bought?: A double Cheddar bacon burger at Johnny Rockets a Fifties themed Diner in Kent.
Describe the person who posted this using one line?: Amazing hilarious, gorgeous, all around fun.

Are you excited about anything?: My girlfriend is coming to visit for a week this saturday.
Do you have a crush?: More than a crush I think
Have you ever been drunk?: not often but yes.
Who was the first Youtuber you met in real life?: AdamTheAlien
Who was the last Youtuber you met in real life?: SweetAfton23
Do you prefer day or night?: I seem to thrive best at night.
Are you a member of any collab channels?: 7AwesomeNerdfighters & VlogTag
Do you have a secret account?: not really a secret account aleftfieldproduction
Do you believe in God?: I did at one time, but after two tours of Iraq, we aren't on speaking terms.
Which Youtuber do you talk to the most?: The ClASSy ladies... mostly
Which Youtuber do you think makes the best videos?: There is no way I could choose just one but I have never been disappointed by a HayleyGHoover video.
You may only subscribe to 5 channels and only watch their videos. Who will they be?: VlogBrothers, HayleyGHoover, 5AwesomeGirls, Vlogsmoothie, WalllofWeird
Are you in a relationship?: Yeppers
Would you date a smoker?: I'd Rather not.
Where is your favourite place?: The next one, I love to travel.
Are you a happy person?: more or less.
Would you kiss the person who posted this?: in a friendly non creepy sort of way..
What would you take to the desert island?: Yeah I never have a good answer for this question.
Do you prefer sun or snow?: I would have to say the sun.
Who did you last speak to on the phone?: Laurie, the Aforementioned Girlfriend
Who did you last text?: Twitter
What are you doing tommorow?: As of right now I mostly plan to sit at Starbucks all day and read. I am that POSH
What is your favourite flavour of potato chips?: Cheddar and Sour Cream
What size are your feet?: 11
What do you want?: A family, a good Job, less money concerns
What do you need?: friends.
What do you remember?: the bus pulling into Basic Training and thinking, What Have I gotten myself into...
What do you wish?: That I had a brain to mouth filter
Confess: I don't show emotions, it isn't you. I just don't.
Honestly, do you want people to anonymously post what they REALLY think of you?: If you have read more than this blog post you would know that people do what they want, when they want.

Random Fact: you can do it too!

Good for a laugh

2009-02-04T04:22:00.000-08:00

Three Explorers Choose Their Deaths

A Frenchman, an Englishman and a New Yorker are exploring the jungle and are captured by a fierce tribe.

The chief tells them, "The bad news is that we've caught you, we're going to kill you, and then use your skins to build a canoe. The good news is that you get to choose how you die."

The Frenchman says, "I take ze poison." The chief gives him some poison; the Frenchman says, "Vive la France!" and drinks it down.

The Englishman says, "A pistol for me, please." The chief gives him a pistol; the Brit points it at his head, says, "God save the Queen!" and blows his brains out.

The New Yorker says, "Gimme a fork." The chief is puzzled, but he shrugs and gives him a fork. The New Yorker takes the fork and jabs himself all over -- the stomach, the sides, the chest, everywhere. Blood gushes from every hole.

The chief screams, "What are you doing?"

The New Yorker looks at the chief and says, "So much for your canoe, a**hole!"

Random Thought: How is that for american ingenuity?

Recession Reposition?

2009-02-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

Due to economic cut backs my current position was eliminated, I haven't lost my job, just my position. This is lame sauce...

Random Fact:

HA Ha they still have to pay me.... for now....*worry*

Happy Birfday to me!

2009-01-29T18:32:00.000-08:00

Yep today is my birthday, and I got a letter from my Grandparents. That was literally drowning in scotch tape, Thank you both sooo much. the cards are really sweet and the gold coins made my day, Movies here I come. thank you thank you thank you.

Random Fact

My mother's card has not arrived yet. sad panda. (she sent it it just had some issues.)

Sometimes I have really blonde moments

2009-01-28T06:36:00.000-08:00

Dear AJ James,

please open the iStopMotion box. Inside this box, you will see an iStopMotion CD and a manual. Take out the manual, on its back you will find a serial number. This serial number can be used as iStopMotion license.

Best regards,

Tino Tezel
Boinx Software Ltd.


>- If you are seeking help with a problem, please describe the actions you performed:
>
>I purchased your software at a local apple store, and can not figure out how to install the license. >
>
>- What happened?
>
>There is no license. >
>
>- What did you expect to happen?
>
>I expected there to be a license >
>
>- What version do you use?
>
>iStopMotion 2.0.

This is an e-mail I received after writing a complaint that I couldn't register a product, I think I expected it to say license instead of serial number, man i feel dumb. I do feel I should get bonus points for being annoyed by their bad Grammar.

Random thought.

I should probably go with that feeling.

Where have I been?

2009-01-26T20:40:00.000-08:00

I have been running errands and working and fighting off the crazies. No like seriously, The crazies are effing every where. I finally received my Washington Drivers License in the mail today. Woot!!! I applied for my Passport which is odd to me. I don't want to apply for a damn passport, I want to purchase a Passport, so that I have the option to go wherever I want when ever I want. and honestly if I am paying a hundred plus dollars for a damn passport I shouldn't have to apply. Humph.... so yeah.

Random Quote: In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress.

- John Adams

A Blog Dictated

2009-01-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

I had an orange today, it was round like a ball, ha ha ha I said ball... the end

This doesn't have to make sense, but know that I am loling...

Random fact,

YouTube people know my stereotypes better than I do...

Going Back

2009-01-19T21:03:00.001-08:00

I was laughing at my self at work today because I wasn't doing what I wanted, but I was getting paid two dollars more an hour to do it. ha ha ha silly job.

Random Fact,,, I am not Rich...

Sometimes

2009-01-18T23:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I read the comments and smile a little in spite of myself.

Sometimes all of my ducks are in a row.

Sometimes I post blogs that have nothing to do with anything, just so I can mention folks like the Classy Ladies!!!

Some times they make me smile.

Sometimes, I write really short posts.

Random Fact:

Sometimes I say too much

Letter to myself

2009-01-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

As I was perusing the internet and youtube specifically I came across a youtuber (that resembles a certain British Doctor at a truly alarming level if you ask me.) This video logger (or if you are cool and up with the Geek speak more commonly known as a Vlogger, see what we did there we are effing clever aren't we?) This Vlogger made a video asking if you could go back in time and talk to a younger version of yourself, knowing what you know today, what ten things would you tell them... He suggested Ten years... so come with me now as we jump in our suspiciously Delorean looking TARDIS (Did I just mix a Doctor Who reference with a Back to the Future reference? Yes I did what of it?)

The ten things I would tell my 19 year old self.

1.) Trust me it does not matter how much you enjoy your Job, nothing is forever.

2.) She is going to cheat on you, and you will break her heart.

3.) Believe it or not there are a ton of people that care about you, try not to walk away from all of them, you would be surprised how much you miss them when they are gone.

4.) Something huge is going to change your world in two years, less than a month after your first day of Basic Training.

5.) While you are in Iraq on your second tour, in a specific building get off your high horse, that insurgent will shoot first.

6.) For goodness sakes stop dating married women... Idiot.

7.) Women are going to continuously mess with your head for the next ten years, all I can tell you for sure is that as of today, so far, It has all been worth it.

8.) Self confidence now and again will not make you look like an egotistical bastard, constantly mocking yourself will make you look pathetic.

9.) Do the wrong thing now and again, in retrospect you have missed out on some amazing adventures.

10.) Keep tabs on your friends, you really will need them in the future, and it is far more sobering than I could relay to you, to realize that you are the reason you are all alone.

Basically your future is what you make of it... stop hiding.

Random Fact...

I was turning 19 in 1999

Return of the Idiot

2009-01-16T23:24:00.001-08:00

So I slept majority of the day, I managed to get the court papers necessary to get my license renewed this Thursday. So that relieves a lot of stress from my current load which is never a bad thing. My raise was finally approved by the company today, and for a total of 2 dollars more an hour including back pay... hooray for that... oh how I will spend that money... Oh and I found this picture which made me laugh...

Random Fact.

I basically paid close to six hundred dollars for a single sheet of paper..LAAAAME

The Roommate Wars

2009-01-15T21:45:00.000-08:00

My roommate and I had an argument about something trivial... I hate that.. I am not a fan of his, he is very aware of it. I really wish he would just get over his self... seriously... le sigh.

Random thought... Living alone in a cave looks more and more like a viable option everyday.

Spidey in Technicolor

2009-01-14T22:16:00.000-08:00

Today I am working 20 of the available 24 hours in the day. as I write this I am supposed to be sleeping... and instead i'm writing this. And spent most of the time before this filming and editing a crap-tastic video.

Random Thought:

If you are tired and giggly Peanuts sound a lot like Penis... Just saying.

Out of season

2009-01-13T23:59:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning I will be heading to to southern Washington for an all day seminar on equal employment opportunities, A drawn out day of classes on Sexual Harassment... The fun part of these classes is that I actually have to retain enough knowledge to later be able to repeat it to my associates. (not unlike a mother bird partially digests food and then regurgitates it back for its young.) Luckily I have suckered someone else into actually driving so all that I actually have to do is stay conscious. We can hope anyway. I bid thee adieu.

Random Joke 30 days past it's seasonal expiration.

Communist Weather Expert

A Russian couple walks down a street in Moscow when the man feels a drop hit his nose.

"I think it's raining," he says to his wife.

"No, that feels like snow to me, dear," she replies.

Just then, a minor communist party official walks towards them.

"Let's not fight about it," the man says. "Let's ask Comrade Rudolph whether it's officially raining or snowing."

"It's raining, of course" Comrade Rudolph says and walks on.

But the woman insists, "I know that felt like snow."

To which the man quietly says, "Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear."

this post completely for this pic

2009-01-12T23:59:00.000-08:00

I know you shouldn't bring a knife to a gun fight... but should you bring a knife to a lobster fight?

Random Quote taken out of context.

"the last male has left, it's Penis time."

Great Convos

2009-01-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

It never fails that If i have two days off, the day that the day that I go back to work, there will be an amazing chat taking place right before I have to leave for a graveyard shift. this makes me a sad panda.

Random Quote.

"in my pants, exactly where a one eyed, stuffed seal should be."

taken out of context, said by me.

In my Spidey Pj's

2009-01-10T23:59:00.000-08:00

It is currently eighteen minutes after midnight and I am in my pajamas. Which is perfectly respectable i suppose, until you take into consideration that I have been in my PJs all day. I woke up showered and got right back into them. Be thankful I am not naked.

Random Annoyance,

My nipples itch... true story.

Paid...Beeches

2009-01-09T23:59:00.000-08:00

I sent the money to Oregon today, Priority mail, certified so that I would get a notice as soon as it arrived at the courthouse or whatever.... can I just say....Speed traps are effing LAME

Random thought,

this is only today. tomorrow could be soo much more.

Not the best day

2009-01-08T23:59:00.000-08:00

Today was not the best day, Which is odd considering how stupidly happy I was for a vast majority of the day. long story short in order to renew my license I must send the state of Oregon, 559 dollars. yeah sooo not excited. On the upside directly after learning this I went to the movies and watched THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON which in my honest opinion is absolutely a fantastic movie.

Random Question:

Why do people stress over things that can not be predicted?

Or I could...

2009-01-07T22:31:00.001-08:00

My brother that currently resides in Japan is home on leave, we talked on the phone for about twenty minutes where in we emailed each other different disgusting links. I think I might use the internet as a crutch. I'm off to watch a movie drowning in pink, and I am not even ashamed.

Random Fact....

the answer is still 42 and the Rule of 34 is always in effect.