Nick Postagulous
Friday, October 29, 2004
Rethinking GTA:SA
Well, I’m a little less bitter against GTA:SA today, mainly because I found some information at Gamefaqs.com. Remember my money problems, or maybe I was ranting about what a crap neighborhood I live in, but there are drug dealers to shoot and take their cash. Usually about $2000 each. I also have the location of a bullet proof vest. However, the best news is that the guy I’ve been working for, and getting no money at all for missions, well, I’m on his last mission. I still have to work for the random thugs that are allegedly my friends, but later on after I take over some major gang territories, then I get more entrepreneurial.
Front Mission 3 Does, In Fact, Totally Rock
Yesterday, I got sick of being a big old loser in GTA and started playing Front Mission 3. After Nina went to bed I also got to playing it again. Great plot, great mechs (though I still don’t have too many customization options really), and very theatrical renditions of the battles. It’s turn based strategy, a genre that I’ve ignored but I’ve found out I really like.
Other Aspects of Life
My car is filthy. Since being a father, I don’t really have too much time. I think Alison has negative time. The only way she doesn’t turn into a zombie is that the baby takes up so much of her time that she’s actually traveling backward in time slightly. But now that the rainy season is starting again, my black car is getting worse and worse looking as dirty water keeps getting splashed on it. I’ll take it by a spray-it-off car wash on the way home and spray it off.
Tantrumy Kid
Nina is now throwing around six to ten tantrums a day. This would be a horrible thing if she had any idea of how to throw a decent tantrum. In fact, Alison has managed to get Nina to laugh during one of her more pathetic performances. The last tantrum Nina threw directed toward me was when I tried to allow her to have a bottle. Before that, though, it was a more tantrum worthy moment, when I wouldn’t let her open and close the garage door with the remote in the Miata. I should have never let her know what that thing did (aka, I should have never let her play with it for 20 minutes.)
Back to Video Games
I’ve got my PS2 back downstairs after setting up the spare TV in the library. I’ll need to run a CAT5 cable down to it from the computer in the loft so that I can play online Ratchet & Clank III death matches. Though, sometimes that kind of thing lets you know how much you really suck at a game. But, really, the game I’m looking forward to the most, and is the Juan Come Lately, is The Urbz. I really hope it lives up to the superhype that I’ve generated all by myself in my little mind.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
First Impressions of GTA: San Andreas
One of the reasons I really never played Metroid Prime past the first mission was that, though I found it to be technically excellent, with wonderful controls and lots of neat stuff to do, I just didn't like being in that dark dingy world. Such is the case against GTA:SA so far.
I'm CJ, some poor wretch who's friends are stupid (I think they are supposed to be funny. Ho, ho, look at the wacky druggy I HAVE to work with). I've got around $600 to my name. I lose four missions and reload for every one that I get. There is no easy way to make money, since YOU DON'T GET MONEY FOR DOING MISSIONS. So, the last time I got over the $1000 mark, it was because I mowed down a crowd of people with a stolen car, shot any who survived that, and took all their money.
However, while the core of the gameplay is turning me off majorly, the side stuff is amazing. You can play pool. You can shoot some hoops. You can walk up to any arcade machine and play it (though I must note that the early 90s were a very low point for stand alone video game systems). But, when you play pool, you do so in a dingy bar. When you shoot hoops, you do so in your crap neighborhood where weeds have overgrown. The arcade machines are in dilapidated bars or convenience stores.
I'm hoping Rockstar planning it this way. Because if they were trying to illustrate the plight of some poor kid born into the Compton type area, the captured it. I have no money and no way to make it without random killing. Heck, the game even offered that if I can find a certain type of truck, I can start braking into random people's houses. Sarcastic Whoop! Most missions are me working for either the brain dead druggy pal of mine or for Sam Jackson's character, a bad cop who makes me work for free. I'm limited to about 1/5 of the map that I can see. But this 1/5 is about twice as large as all of Vice City. About 4 times as big as all of GTA3 (using math, that makes San Andreas about 20 times the size of Liberty City).
But I'm constantly frustrated. I have no money. I only have 17 bullets left. Oh, and I forgot about the messups. If you are in a firefight and pull out your camera (yeah, more extra goodies, you can take pictures and save them), the game just might lock up. If you run your favorite mountain bike that you had since you stole it early on in the game into the basketball court, you can't get back on it since it's "inside".
I don't know where any body armor is. The cops are everywhere. The missions don't let me progress any. And I know from X-Play on TechTV that after they played for 10 hours, they still couldn't get out of the crap neighborhood.
Oh, and I took today off work to play this. I think I'll give it another try and, if I'm still discouraged about it, hold off and play Front Mission 3.
After all, the new Ratchet & Clank will ship next week, and the week after that it'll be The Urbz.
Sometimes it's good to be swamped with games. Because, no matter how brilliant a game is, if I don't like it or I suck at it, and both are true in this last GTA, then I might not play it.
I mean, how the heck do you screw up GTA?
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Autumn is Video Game Season
Due not only to the consumerism of Christmas coming up, but also because I tend to get money or gifts of videogames for my birthday, usually November through January I’m totally swamped with quality video games. This year is no exception.
I’m currently playing two different games. Yesterday, I popped Armored Core 2 in and did manage to beat the mission that I thought was the last one, but it wasn’t. The reason that I thought it was the last mission is that if I failed it, and boy, did I fail it, the game would be over and I’d have to reload. Here’s the mission. Stark (or whatever his name is) hires me to kill off some mechs. I get there and there’s mechs, kill kill kill. Then some big mech shows up and I kill it. Now, at this point I’m almost dead, generally. And then Stark (or whoever) turns on me and tries to kill me. It’s then that I die die die.
Alison actually got to see me finally beat that mission. “Crap!” exclaimed Alison. Because when Stark (or w/e) attacks, the entire screen is full of fire and black smoke. I finished it by adopting a strategy from an online faq, but his mech totally sucked.
Ok, call me a mech snob, but if I have dorko humanoid legs and that makes me have to kneel down to fire a rocket propelled grenade, that sucks. Chop them legs off and give me tank tracks. Actually, I used a hovery jet-type platform, dual multiple warhead shoulder missiles, support missile extensions (but only on Stark or w/e), and some assault rifle that I honestly had never bought and I’d have to say thanky to the faq writer.
Alison also saw me flat out stomp some underground base mission that I entered equipped totally wrong. Then there was a defend-the-submarine mission and then one that I got stuck on. So, I loaded up my other game.
And let me say now, that every 20 minutes or so, I’d ask Alison if she wanted the TV. Like, to watch that Survivor episode from last Thursday we still haven’t watched. I know Bubba is gone, and uh, who cares about him. Twila is my favorite. I want him to win.
(snerk)
The other game is even older. It’s Front Mission 3. I was so pleased after I beat the three missions I played last night that I could actually modify the mechs I have in that game. Ok, Armored Core is arcadey action. But Front Mission is turn based strategy, like chess is turn based strategy, but in chess you don’t fire shotguns at point blank range at the rook and make him burst into blue lightning and a puddle of oil.
Now, that may not be swamped with games. But consider that I have Metal Arms and also Jak II, unopened in the media cabinet, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (which will suck up at least 90 hrs of my life) will arrive today. Then on the second of November, Amazon will ship me Ratchet and Clank III, which PSM gave, on a scale of one to ten, both a 15 and then a 4 jillion. Both R&C one and two ate at least 30 hrs of my time each.
And then, the most gigantic time suck every will ship on November 9, The Urbz. If you’ve never played a The Sims game, don’t. They are great and you’ll turn into some Sims zombie due to lack of sleep.
The irony with staying up too late playing The Sims is that most of the work in The Sims is balancing your little people’s lives so they get enough sleep, eat, etc, and you’re staying up until one a.m. when you have to wake up at 5:30.
Oh, and I got a 2.5% raise at work. That too. Oh, and Nina’s fine.
[Edited to add: In Armored Core, the mechs are called ACs, which stand for the obvious. In Front Mission, they are wanzers. Just letting you know that, yes, I do know my brand specific mechs.]
Monday, October 25, 2004
Don't Tell X-to-the-Z
Seems that the chicky who had her ride pimped by West Coast Customs via Xzibit and Mtv has no love for her, quite frankly, stupided up new ride. Neither does anyone else since she didn't have one bid on ebay where she tried to auction it. Hey, I have to agree. A pig in a dress is still a pig, and a VW beetle with $20,000 in mods still has no decent heater.
We Went To Tate Farms
Rather than post tons of pictures here, just click any of these to go to our Pbase site.
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Greetings from Amazon.com.
We thought you'd like to know that we shipped your items today, and that this completes your order.
Thanks for shopping at Amazon.com, and we hope to see you again soon.
You can track the status of this order, and all your orders, online by visiting Your Account at http://www.amazon.com/your-account/
The following items were included in this shipment:
--------------------------------
Qty Item Price Shipped Subtotal
--------------------------------
1 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Ooh, yeah!
Friday, October 22, 2004
Thursday
My parents came over to see Nina before they left on their ten day cruise. Above is a picture of Dad holding Nina up so she can mess with a wind chime. I had just relocated it to a stronger branch, which ended up being a little too high for dad to be able to hold her up for very long.
Earlier we had an apple.
And after witnessing my regrown in tragic hairline, I shaved my head afterward.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Tantrums
How low into fatherblogness this blog has sunk. I’m now going to write about my wonderful daughter throwing tantrums. What is a little unique is that she is only 15, and not in the ‘terrible twos.’ I’ll take that as her being advanced for her age.
I was reading how Dooce’s kiddo threw a tantrum at Chili’s and she made a good point. When you’re childless, you have this ideal of how you’ll have kids. You see some demon child in the Mexican restaurant throwing crap all over the place and screaming while the parents stoically eat their food and then shuffle out with the hellbeast in tow and you think, “My child will never be like that.” I had a version of that thought, but it was “I’ll try to keep all potential projectiles away from my little beast so as not to overtax the wait staff.”
Tantrum 1
I don’t have the full details and I’m sure that Alison will email me with corrections, but the short version is that when they were at the doctor’s office to have Nina’s hearing checked, something set Nina off and she hit Alison in the face. Twice. Hard. And this isn’t back in some exam room, this is just waiting. I think Alison took a “fine, sit on the floor and freak out” stance.
Tantrum 2
This happened at home. I honestly don’t remember what caused Alison to offend Nina so badly, though I think the phrase was “No, Nina” delivered in the softest tone possible without it being just plain stupid. But, Nina didn’t want to hear the word “no” at that point in time, and thus freaked out.
Theory About Sleepy Parents
When you don’t have kids, and especially when you have a kid on the way, people will make the same lame comments like “Enjoy your sleep, because you won’t get any later.” But, really, I wouldn’t be so sleepy if I hadn’t stayed up past Nina’s bedtime watching Family Guy, Venture Brothers, X-Play, Judgment Day, and one of Alison’s shows which I kind of already purged from memory.
Oh, that Darn 8811
Another thing I did last night was try to reprogram the All For One 8811 remote that we have. It’s a learning remote, but it’s learning the 30 second skip forward of the Replaytv wrong. It’s putting out too long of a blip, so rather than skipping forward 30 seconds, it skips forward a minute. Not too irritating, as the skip back 6 second button still skips back six seconds, but hitting it 4+ times to get where the show actually resumed is a tad irritating. But, it seems that most of my shows have 4 minutes of commercials at a time, so no biggie. I need to research this at their website.
Another thing I want to research is those pet quality birds that look like crows. I think they are actually ravens. I think this because a random bystander at a pet store told me this. Sure, it would be killer to have a raven, but since they live like 100 years, I’m not so sure I want to be an old dude and take care of some cool bird. All the punk kids would be saying, “Cool bird, Grandpa.” And I’d be all like, “You kids get off my yard.”
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Birthdayness Part 3.1
With the money that my parent's gave me, I preordered Ratchet & Clank III, bought last year's Jak II, and picked up a used copy of Antichrist Superstar by Marilyn Manson. I emailed them and thanked them and told them what I bought, minus the Marilyn Manson. They wouldn't like that.
But, as a child of the 70's, who was sheilded from the really rather wonky schtick that was KISS, I see Mr. Manson for the actor he is. Plus, he constantly drops self referential jokes about his whole bad is good gag.
Favorite Marilyn Manson Quotes
After smashing up a hotel room with a guitar in front of MTV cameras: "See that [broken] mirror. Last time, the hotel charged me $800 to replace that. I've seen that exact mirror at Home Depot for $35."
After hearing the the Hanson boys cried after viewing the [clay stop-motion animation] Celebrity Deathmatch where Marilyn Manson kills all three of them by dropping a lighting rig on them: "I'm just glad I had part in making those boys cry."
Bwah ha ha ha.
This Weeks Trauma
Oh, before you get all worked up, it’s no big deal. Well, I say that, but to Nina it was a big deal. She had to go for a hearing test. And, really, that part was no big deal. (And just because I’ve typed it so much; no big deal, no big deal, no big deal.)
The way they test a kiddo’s hearing is by having a moderately entertaining person moderately entertaining Nina and Alison. Then, off to the side, a speaker with a monitor on top of it makes a little peep of some frequency. If Nina looks over at it, a cartoon of a panda bear eating an ice cream cone accompanied by crazy music and flashing lights happens. Ah, such joy and novelty. And then back to the moderately entertaining lady. And they do different tones and different directions, etc.
[Edited to add: Alison just called me to let me know the panda et al were anamatronic. So, even more novelty.]
Well, Neener missed some of the low tones. And was punished by getting a bunch of junk cleaned out of her ears. When I got home, she was in a puny mood.
Birthdayness Part III
We dressed puny feeling Nina in her floral Gap shirt, her new black ribbed flares, and her new boots and headed over to Nanny & Papa’s house. That would be Nina’s grandparents on my side. And I have to say, the Nannyness of it all is starting to break down. Mom (aka Nanny) called Nina Nanny a few times last night. She caught herself, but still. Just face it, Mom, you’re a grandmother.
And I shouldn’t speak so lightly to my mother, especially not after they gave me cashola-rock-n’-rolla for my birthday. I’ll report to my loyal (and non-loyal) readers what I end up buying with it.
After we’d gotten home, and had already gone to bed, Alison remembered that the gift from Leeann had showed up. So, we went out into the garage and she got it. It was Metal Arms: Glitch In The System. Alison told me that it showed up as Metal Arms: GITS, which Leeann who lives in England now found humorous. Then we went back to bed.
This morning, it’s storming.
Monday, October 18, 2004
Birthdayness Part 2
Saturday night, over at our place, we had Alison’s side of the family over for my birthday. I made chocolate cupcakes for everyone. Everyone but me that is, as chocolate gives me migraines. I thought I’d make it a special day since normally I don’t like chocolate to be in the house at all. My true birthday cake was actually a pumpkin pie. But, since I didn’t read the box that well, I didn’t realize that you had to let it sit and cool for about an hour to two hours after it cooked. It was good, even if I did overcook it a little.
Tom & Teri (and Christine and Brad, at least in theory) got me Front Mission 3 and Ghost Recon. Ghost Recon actually hadn’t showed up yet, so they just printed out a copy of the cover art and put that in with Front Mission 3. Tom wanted to see how FM3 looked, as it is an old PS1 game, and after he had his mech punch the arm off another mech, he said, “I need to get this game.” Its turn based strategy, so he’ll whomp it easily.
Alison’s mom got me a $40 gift certificate for Home Depot which quickly turned into a Skil Orbital (or not, it can be turned off) Jigsaw and two clamps. These are some of the kinds of tools that I’ve been lacking. Now, I can make my Ikea Expidit-clone, but beefier, shelves and make that retro TV screen shaped coffee table I’ve been thinking about. I need to get Dad to help me pick up a mess load of 4x8s at some point (he has a van, not a dinko car like Alison and I both have.)
And, when I got into work today, Kelley, my sister in Atlanta, had send me a $25 gift certificate for Amazon. Ooh, and I hadn’t spent my bi-weekly $20 video game money yet, so I had $45 to spend. So, I bought The Urbz which, with shipping and tax, was $56. Only a little overbudget.
Tonight, Part III, where we got to my parent’s house for our weekly Nina visit, will be my birthday again. And today, it actually is my birthday. I’m now 36. Dang, how’d that happen. The parental units usually write me a check, which will probably translate to me getting Ratchet & Clank III. Yeah, I like video games a little.
Nina Update
Nina continues to be pretty dang clever. I’m only a little worried that she’ll become a Bond Villain. But better a Bond Villain than some Bond Girl who’s putting it out for any old dude. You know these hussies aren’t waiting around for Bond before they get their freak on. It’s modus operandi for those chicks.
Saturday went well. Nina had lots of fun at the party, then collapsed once the younger set (Christine and her boyfriend Tyler) left. Sunday went well, but she was exhausted after church in the morning. She woke up from her nap a little fussy, so we took her “to play” at Home Depot (when I got the saw) and then to “the zoo” at Petsmart. We didn’t really even need anything at Petsmart. I think Nina liked the parakeets best. Actually, she really spent the most time looking at a sleeping rat.
Today, Alison, Nina, and I, which means I took off work a few hours, went to that consignment baby thing, Kid’s Market. We bought about $135 in shoes, clothes, and then, even though we’d said no more toys, I couldn’t resist some actual brick sized Lego type blocks. It was a 2’x3’ box full of them for $10. Oh, and we got her a popper, you know, the push things, for $2.50. All the rest was clothes or shoes.
The only real stand out amazing thing we got was a pair of black pants that were just freakin’ killer. I need to take pictures of what we got. Well, after I get rid of that hideous shirt we had to buy in order to get Nina some red corduroy pants.
And, granted I’m a little partial to my daughter, but really, when I see other kids who are both her age or older, I realize that generally, compared to her, they’re all mouthbreathers and neanderthals. No offence. Just sayin’.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Birthdayness Part 1 of 3
Alison gave me the stuff she got me for my birthday last night. My birthday is actually Monday, but we're having a party with Alison's side of the family over here tonight. I go to my parent's house on Monday, which is our normal Nina visiting day of the week.
Alison got me the book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, the One For All URC-8811 Upgradeable Universal Remote Control with Learning Ability (8-Device)
, and (best of all) the Logitech 2.4 GHz Cordless Action Controller. I'm actually absolutely amazed that the cordless PS2 controller works as well as it does. But with 2.4 gigs as it's bandwidth, you'd think that other manufacturers could make one that works good too. Logitech is actually kind of the manufacturer for Sony on this one, as there was a big Officially Licensed thing on the front. In prismatic hologrammy-ness too.
The remote is programmed for out TV, VCR, and the Replay TV. I had to change some of the buttons on the Replay settings since I couldn't figure out which button they had the Replay Guide assigned to. The Guide button was assigned to Channel Guide. I had also assumed that the Prev button, though not with the correct name, would be the jump 30 seconds forward button. They didn't seem to assign that one to a button either. I assigned that to both L4 (learning four) and the button used by DVD players to jump to the next chapter. Back one chapter turned into jump back six seconds. And that Prev button became the Replay guide.
I use the PS2 DVD controller to program the DVD portions. I used L1 and L2 for audio track and subtitles, and besides that just put in the basics. I've removed the AMW DVD player that I bought because I thought I'd buy lots of cheapo DVDs in China and the internet indicated that it was region free. Well, it's not region free, has non-remote settable region settings (meaning you have to burn a disk to upgrade the software in it, and sometimes it messes up and you don't have a DVD player anymore), and the remote just plain sucks. But, I did get lots of cheap DVDs in China and they, the DVDs themselves, were non-regional or region 1. It's funny that Van Helsing is just now coming out here. I bought it for 25 yuan back on the 8th of July.
For dinner tonight, we're having chili, but with sides configured to allow it to be taco salads if people want that. Alison's side of the family is big on chili over rice. My side of the family would consider this alien, as we always had chili with saltines.
My cake is a pie. A pumpkin pie. But since we have people who might not be too hip on a Birthday Pumpkin Pie, I've made some overfilled, mushroomy devil's food cupcakes that I still need to go downstairs and frost. I spent most of the late morning and early afternoon changing around the way everything is in the media cabinet. I took the time to label all the cords so I can tell what they are. And both powerstrips are now inside the cabinet itself.
Odd that it took me over a year to figure out that there was no reason to have 8 different cords exiting the cabinet to get to the powerstrips behind it. Why not put the two power strip cords through the thing? Duh.
I think I'll clean up some and play a little Armored Core 2.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Baby Update
If you don’t remember, or maybe I forgot to mention, but Nina’s MMR vaccination that she got back on July 18 got infected. When we showed it to the doctor in mid-September, they thought it was a staph infection. The reason it took us so long to take her in for it is because when she was vaccinated, they told us that the chicken pox vaccs would probably puff up, and might get really nasty looking. Well, this got nasty looking, but it was the MMR.
What prompted us to get that nasty thing looked at was, besides it just being plain nasty, that it popped open and all manner of horrible, gooey, nast came out. Ooh, it grosses me out just thinking about it.
Well, she goes back to the doctor today. She went on Monday too. Because even after a few weeks of antibiotics, it’s back. On Monday, they didn’t know what it was, but they did know they were wrong last month. Today, the lab tests from Monday should be back, hopefully, and things can start getting back to normal. Worst case scenario is that they’ll have to sedate Nina and cut the thing out. I would say “cut it off” but there isn’t really anything to cut off. It’s not an object, it’s more a pocket of nast on her arm, with a nasty little head to it that would love to just weep nasty goop out. Yuck.
All this infectiony badness makes Nina fussy. Well, that and she’s getting to the point in her cognitive development that she’s getting her greedyness started. We haven’t had any full blown “Mine! Mine! Mine!” type stuff yet. But, eh, I’m sure we’ll be there in a few months.
Geek Restraint
I’m really trying not to blather about Armored Core 2, which I bought used two weeks ago off Amazon and just now finally showed up at the house yesterday. It was a launch title for the PS2 back in 2001 and, hey, it’s a great game that passed me right by. But, it rocks, and that’s all I’ll say since I’m sure next to no-one wants to hear me talk about painting my mech or having enough RMB, or whatever the money they use in the game is, to buy a sniper rifle, or even a weenie particle weapon. Woot!
Shelfus Maximus
I’m sure if I bought the Ikea Expidit Shelving I’d be happy with it. However, the area that I need that king of shelving is only 62 inches wide, with really about only 52 of that useable, and it has a ten foot ceiling. So buying their 5 foot square shelving doesn’t do me any good. But, I’ve got a plan. Literally, I planned out how to cut up the ¾ inch melamine coated 4x8 MDF that sells for $30 at Lowe’s to make the shelving, but obviously more robust. It’ll take two of the 4x8s and I’ll have to find out how many packages of the 25 feet of ¾ inch melamine finishing edge I’ll need. Each is $5.
I’ve also planned on having the inner members flush with the front of the unit, but one inch from the back of it. That way I can mount a back wall which would hide any electrical cords. Not that I’m planning on putting a lot of electronics in it, but it’s not a bad idea, and I consider this a prototype for future modern contemporary woodworking projects.
And I mentioned how robust this thing will be, with MDF ranging from 33 lbs to 50 lbs per cubic foot, my shelf plan will weigh between 110 lbs and 170 lbs. And this is going to be wall mount. Woo!
Friday, October 08, 2004
Everything I Know Is Wrong
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 05:21:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: TC
Subject: New William Shattner CD
To: Nick Postagulous
William Shattner - Has Been
Item Number: CDSHAT1
Price: $16.50
Total shock---this far, far from sucks and is a truly unique, unusual and highly listenable gem. Why? Produced and arranged by Ben Folds and featuring numerous notable guest appearances, Has Been is the result of the collision of two great creative forces - a surprisingly pop-driven, lyrically potent collection of songs to enlighten and entertain. Throughout, Shatner`s own insightful lyrics are masterfully woven into perfect pop melodies written and arranged by Ben Folds. Contributing to the project is an incredible lineup of singers and musicians, including Jon Auer, Adrian Belew, Matt Chamberlain, Joe Jackson, Lemon Jelly, Aimee Mann, Brad Paisley, Henry Rollins and Sebastian Steinberg. Highlights include the poignant "That`s Me Trying," penned by Ben Folds with High Fidelity author Nick Hornby, a brilliant version of the Pulp Britpop classic "Common People," featuring vocals by Joe Jackson and closing track, "Real," a duet with country star Brad Paisley, written exclusively for this project. We highly recommend checking this baby out..not for most, but for those who `get it`, you`ll be thankful.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Years Ago
Sicne I'm posting so much today, I thought I'd link to my old blog and show you what I was writing about several years ago. I wish there was some way to suck those entries into this one.
One year ago:
Talking About Six Flags in the Week of Kill Bill
Two years ago:
Yes, yes, I know his name is Watson
or
Me Being Me Over The Weekend
Three years ago:
Not The Most Brilliant "All About Me"
Chiron Shuffle II
An email I just got:
Due to the recent news concerning the shortage of the flu shot vaccines, the Madison County Health Department just informed the City that flu shots will not be available for the upcoming Flu Shot & Wellness Fair, scheduled for Wednesday, October 13, 2004. Therefore, the Flu Shot & Wellness Fair has been cancelled!
Please communicate this notice to all employees in your department, especially those without email access.
I called my doctor, and basically, unless I get elderly or at risk suddenly, there is no way I'll get a flu shot. This is going to be a hoot this season.
Similar Pages
Sometimes, when I forget my target=_top when linking out from my site, you'll get the other site but with www.postagulous.com's URL still listed. Such is the case for when I linked to the retractable Sharpie markers.
I followed that link and then went to Sharpie's home and this used the Similar Pages function of my Google Toolbar. And rather than similar to Sharpie stuff, I got, in theory at least Google Search: related:http://www.postagulous.com/
The Chiron Hustle
My work announced that it was going to be letting us have free flu shots if we'd just wait in line like good little droogs on the 13th. So, I knew that I was taken care of. Also, Nina has a doctor's appointment on that same day, so I'm sure she'd get one then.
And I know, you naysayers out there, fussing that it's a roll of the dice and that it's possible to get flu symptoms off a vaccination. Sure, true, but 24 hours of Flu-Lite is lots better than a week of Captain Trip's Miracle Uber-Flu.
[Note: Captain Trips is the stupid name that Steven King used for a flu that wiped out nearly all of humanity in The Stand. I know it sounds drug related, but it's not. And now that we've flushed all possible humor away from my little literary reference...]
So, I'm heading out in my van, going to install a computer controlled rain gauge for my flow monitoring enviro-crap, and I hear on the radio that the UK yanked Chiron's pharmaceutical manufacturing license, thus, possibly changing the 48 million flu vaccs that they normally send to the US from medicine into an environmental paperwork issue. The only other company, which has a French sounding name, makes the other 54 million injections that the US uses. And usually, even with that 102 million, there are still always rumors of shortages.
I called Alison and she called Nina's doctor's office and we got her an appt for this afternoon. I'd be taking Nina to the doctor for the first time.
By the time, I had gotten of work, the big flu story had hit the mainstream media. Flu shots would be yanked from the common people and given via age discrimination to the elderly and other at risk types.
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Nina was pleased to see me, but also oddly wanted to just leave her grandmother's house. I wonder if it was because on Friday we went on a walk with Brad and then on Monday we went to see my parents who feed her cake and pineapple and ice cream, etc. But today, nope, no fun for you.
She did enjoy the ride there in the Miata. She usually does. But she was acting tired and sucking her tongue, which isn't the best look, but I guess it's more acceptable to be a toddler and do that than an adult. But still, not a good look for being in public.
The actual doctor's office visit was what Alison and I would call a "surgical strike." I was maybe in the building for seven minutes and most of that was Nina walking herself out. We went in and I expected panic once she recognized the building, or the elevator, but she just wanted to push the elevator buttons. When we got into the waiting room, everything was still cool. Only when we were led into the actual exam room did she start crying a little. But once the nursey type who walked us back left the room, I said, "She's gone. You want to look around some?" And we did look around for about a minute and then the lady was back.
I was told I had to hold Nina down while the gal gave her a shot in the leg. I hugged her down, rather than using some obvious suppression move. Granted, I only worked for a vet for about 8 months, but I know how to hold an animal in an unescapable but comfortable hug.
A little crying after the shot. But once we cleared the room she had stopped. She got a sticker for her vaccination and a Wiggles sticker for just showing up. Once we were home, she was pleased as punch and had her first Boohbah fix since Friday.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Greedy Guts
My Amazon.com Wish List now has 130 items on it. And that is after weeding a lot out last week. I did have 160 items.
Alison and I have changed our spending habits so that every two weeks I get 20 dollars that must be spent according to Postagulous Family Gift Rules.
Gift Rules
1. Money cannot be spent on anything that can be eaten.
2. Money cannot be spent on paying bills.
3. Money cannot be spent on anything transitory, like seeing a movie.
4. That basically leaves clothes, books, videogames, and other solid objects which do not dissipate through eating, drinking, or using as deoderant or toothpaste, etc.
Only $20 Every Two Weeks Can Swamp A Gamer
So, with the newfound money which I could never justify spending on myself anyway but now is forced on me, I am picking up about one older Playstation game a week. Currently in transit is Armored Core 2 and Smuggler's Run 2. Each of those would take about a month of pre-fatherhood time to complete, or complete until I reached the level of my incompetence.
Armored Core is going to be a game that I more that likely will really like, but might just suck at. That's why I got 2, and not 2: Another Age, or Silent Line: Armored Core 2. Yes, there are at least three Armored Core 2's. There are two Smuggler's Run 2's also, but they are are on different systems and are basically the same game. But all those Armored Cores are different games entirely.
No One Likes You When Your 36
Hey, family et al, I'm about to turn 36 years old on the 18th. I've made a gift list for Alison which contains a few items that are on that Amazon gift list, and this is key, almost none of the games can be bought new anymore. They are old games. They might just cost $6 for a game that used to cost $50, but you'll have to depend on a shipper that's not Amazon and their amazing three day free shipping. Only 13 shopping days left.
Ooh, I am a greedy guts. (Puts on hair shirt, flail flail flail.)
Monday, October 04, 2004
Weekend
This weekend was full of happenings. Saturday we went to eat at IHOP while Nina was hungry and tired, which is a mistake. Later, she fingerpainted.
Sunday was pretty easy, compared to Saturday. There was a "We Care" lunch so that made that meal easier. Nina and Alison took naps while I played The Sims: Bustin' Out, in eager anticipation of The Urbz. Nina was good at pm worship also.
I didn't mention that Nina was fussy all day. I've mentioned that she doesn't like to poop herself, meaning use her diaper, but prefers to use the toilet. It wasn't until 8 at night that we put her on the toilet, except for once when she had just woken up and was hungry, and you aren't getting any result but "I want up. I want food." out of that. Alison was the one helping her with her Baba Mmm and sure enough, she was the poopmeister. I believe that Alison mentioned a "Holy Cow" coming out of her butt, or something. But I think Nina's fussiness was probably constipation or just trying to hold it for too long.
I offered to scan this for Alison for her former coworker who had deleted the old email with it:
Friday, October 01, 2004
Other TV
Well, we finally watched last week's America's Next Top Model. I had no idea that some rank crybaby was shaming my hometown. Yes, there was a gal from Huntsville on the show. And unlike the bulemic gal who was disqualified for reading minds, but totally had the Karen Carpenter look down, Huntsville gal was not meant to be on a show where you competed based on your looks. Keep her on Fear Factor, or frankly any other show that I don't watch. The height of shame was when she got cut and reacted by crying in the women's restroom. Yeah, full blown sitting on the floor loser moment. Tyra went in to comfort her. Boo. Hiss. Keep that crap on the Lifetime network so I don't see it.
We also watched the second episode of Lost entitled Heroin and Handcuffs and Polar Bears, Oh My! It was good. However, I do want them all to get eaten by the unseen Jurassicness from the first episode. I predict this will totally suck by the 8th episode and be cancelled after it's second appalling season featuring Chaka the Pakuni.
On Survivor, the guys won the fishing kit. One of the guys got to go to the girls camp, but due to lame casting, he really wasn't interested in any of them. Just like us at home. In a Twist, both an annoying gal and a stuck-up guy were sent packing. This show needs better casting and more melee battle type challenges, like that crossing the bridge thing they always do.
