If there actually is any such thing as a long time reader of this blog, you may recall me referencing The List. The List is a list of men that if either I or the husband were to hook up with, it would not be considered cheating and not grounds for any consequences (as long as pictures were taken and shared with the other).
It is pure fantasy. Neither of us would really do it- but a threesome....well that is a horse of a different color...The only requirement- other than being hot- is they are famous and not- that is n-o-t- a porn star, lol.
We have never actually written The List down so I figured I could start it here.
Here goes (in no particular order):
Chris Evans, Chris Pine, Tom Brady, Hugh Jackman, Tom Hardy, David Beckham, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Antonio Sabato, Jr., Mark Wahlberg, Rob Gronkowski, Cam Gigandet, Sean Faris, Henry Cavil, Brandon Routh, Dylan Bruce, Josh Duhamel, Bryce Harper, Sidney Crosby, Marcus Schenkenberg, Justin Bartha, Ryan Robbins, Jamie Bamber, Michael Trucco, Tamoh Penikett, Stephen Amell, Travis Fimmel, Brad Pitt (the Fight Club version or the Thelma &Louise version), Taylor Lautner, Grant Bowler, Chael Sonnen, Richard Madden, Kit Harrington, Alexander Skarsgard, Ryan Kwaten, Justin Timberlake, Casper Van Dien, Matt Bomer, Brady Quinn, Tim Tebow, Wes Welker, Ryan Lachote, Jason Sehorn, Alex Pettyfer, Channing Tatum, Prince Harry, Ryan Reynolds, Dylan McDermott, Adam Levine Ben Foster...
It is a preliminary list. It can and most likely will be changed over time.
Again- pure fantasy, placement on The List does not imply anything at all about the person's sexual orientation.
Any suggestions are welcome...
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
IMHO...
Spring break was kinda exhausting for not traveling. I basically was a housewife all week- chauffeuring the boys to and from practices, matches etc, doing dishes, cleaning the house (no laundry, the husband did that). I can see why by 4 PM a lotta housewives need some sort of mother's little helper, aka booze.
The good thing is I got to actually take in three tennis matches for son #1- considering I did not get to see any last season. I also found out he is the captain of the team! I am very proud of him and pissed off he did not tell me until I saw his first match.
The husband, my younger brother and I recently ran the Rutgers Half Marathon. I ran the fastest half I have ever done coming in at an 8 minute mile pace. I am happy for that but I secretly had the twin goals of breaking 8 minute miles and beating the husband and my younger bro. I only beat my younger bro by about one minute and the husband beat me by the same margin. The course was pretty nice except it had three turn arounds- not a big fan of that many turn arounds in a half marathon. I am fairly certain all three of us will do it again next year.
With the Rutgers Half that officially kicks off race season for us. The husband is doing an Olympic in three weeks or so along with my younger bro- I am secretly sign up for it too but I need to get in the pools a few more times. I then have the annual tri I do with my coworkers in June and the husband and my younger bro are doing a half Iron Man a week after up in mom and dad's neck of the woods. After that we will be doing the NJ State Olympic in July and we will prob end with the sprint tri in Asbury Park. I am not getting the haircut with a #2 or race season this year- doing something completely different, growing a beard.
Congratulations to Jason Collins for showing his bravery and courage. Not to defend that douschebag Tim Brando but I have to say something about the whole situation. I know what I am speaking of when I say that living a lie, pretending to be something you are not and then admitting to the lie is not heroic. Maybe I am splitting hairs but when I was living that same lie it felt incredibly cowardly to me. To me heroic is the actions of the passengers on Flight 93, or the participants in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Being heroic to me is facing odds that will most likely end with your death and not backing down. What Jason Collins did was incredibly brave and courageous but not heroic. The 14 year old in the middle of the Bible-belt who comes out in middle school should be viewed as heroic. Yes Jason Collins faced a situation where he may lose many things but I am pretty sure his life was not one of them. I am not belittling his bravery and courage and he may end up being viewed as a hero for his bravery but what he did was not heroic. I am sure I will be getting a lot of flack for that paragraph but whatever...
I haven't talked about t.v. lately so: Orphan Black on BBC America- pretty great show and Paul the bf of the protagonist is smoking hot and you get to see his ass in the first episode. Arrow is still very good and as JW said clearly the director or producer is gay as they make sure Stephen Amell is shirtless several times each episode. Supernatural- I thought maybe this season would be tired but it is actually pretty good so far. Game of Thrones- love it still. The Following- last night's season finale was great- a serious cliff hanger- need to see how it all plays out next season. DaVinci's Demons is promising and a lot of eye candy. I am liking Defiance so far and Grant Bowler is still easy on the eyes.
I started off using Twitter for serious stuff- news, economics etc but have found I am starting to use it more for fun. I do find it funny though that I have almost 5x as many followers on Instagram than I do on Twitter- clearly my pics are better than my writing...
The good thing is I got to actually take in three tennis matches for son #1- considering I did not get to see any last season. I also found out he is the captain of the team! I am very proud of him and pissed off he did not tell me until I saw his first match.
The husband, my younger brother and I recently ran the Rutgers Half Marathon. I ran the fastest half I have ever done coming in at an 8 minute mile pace. I am happy for that but I secretly had the twin goals of breaking 8 minute miles and beating the husband and my younger bro. I only beat my younger bro by about one minute and the husband beat me by the same margin. The course was pretty nice except it had three turn arounds- not a big fan of that many turn arounds in a half marathon. I am fairly certain all three of us will do it again next year.
With the Rutgers Half that officially kicks off race season for us. The husband is doing an Olympic in three weeks or so along with my younger bro- I am secretly sign up for it too but I need to get in the pools a few more times. I then have the annual tri I do with my coworkers in June and the husband and my younger bro are doing a half Iron Man a week after up in mom and dad's neck of the woods. After that we will be doing the NJ State Olympic in July and we will prob end with the sprint tri in Asbury Park. I am not getting the haircut with a #2 or race season this year- doing something completely different, growing a beard.
Congratulations to Jason Collins for showing his bravery and courage. Not to defend that douschebag Tim Brando but I have to say something about the whole situation. I know what I am speaking of when I say that living a lie, pretending to be something you are not and then admitting to the lie is not heroic. Maybe I am splitting hairs but when I was living that same lie it felt incredibly cowardly to me. To me heroic is the actions of the passengers on Flight 93, or the participants in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Being heroic to me is facing odds that will most likely end with your death and not backing down. What Jason Collins did was incredibly brave and courageous but not heroic. The 14 year old in the middle of the Bible-belt who comes out in middle school should be viewed as heroic. Yes Jason Collins faced a situation where he may lose many things but I am pretty sure his life was not one of them. I am not belittling his bravery and courage and he may end up being viewed as a hero for his bravery but what he did was not heroic. I am sure I will be getting a lot of flack for that paragraph but whatever...
I haven't talked about t.v. lately so: Orphan Black on BBC America- pretty great show and Paul the bf of the protagonist is smoking hot and you get to see his ass in the first episode. Arrow is still very good and as JW said clearly the director or producer is gay as they make sure Stephen Amell is shirtless several times each episode. Supernatural- I thought maybe this season would be tired but it is actually pretty good so far. Game of Thrones- love it still. The Following- last night's season finale was great- a serious cliff hanger- need to see how it all plays out next season. DaVinci's Demons is promising and a lot of eye candy. I am liking Defiance so far and Grant Bowler is still easy on the eyes.
I started off using Twitter for serious stuff- news, economics etc but have found I am starting to use it more for fun. I do find it funny though that I have almost 5x as many followers on Instagram than I do on Twitter- clearly my pics are better than my writing...
Friday, March 1, 2013
Maybe Calvinism is right but just way off on its timing?
The vacation in the Dominican Republic was incredibly relaxing. The house Mr. Clifford and Mr. Surret found was really amazing. Great pool, amazing views and huge.
I went horse riding for the first time ever while there. On the beach. I also learned the hard way why one must sit forward in the saddle or you will get saddle sores/abrasions/brush burns on parts of your ass and they hurt...
I, Mr. Clifford and two other of the trip participants went waterfall jumping too. There is a series of twenty seven water falls in the DR that tourists can go jump down. The four of us decided to do all twenty seven (you can opt for just seven or twelve also). Our guide did not speak English, I mentioned I spoke uno poquito of Spanish and that gave him license to speak Spanish the entire time. The guide was surprised that that we completed all twenty seven in just over two hours and I caught the phrases "no gordo" "fuerte" and "jovenes" and told the rest we just got called young, handsome, strong young men....
The boys are now all about working out. It is really driven by the oldest son as he is of an age where physical appearance is starting to matter. So we joined the local YMCA. I have completely reworked my workout schedule so that I now take the boys to the Y on Saturdays and Sundays. My oldest is all about lifting, the youngest not so much. So generally I and son #1 lift for the first thirty to forty minutes then hit the cardio. Son #2 does cardio the entire time because with gay dads there is no such thing as too much cardio.
Speaking of lifting, son #1 is all hot and bothered to start doing leg workouts. I told him fine, that means you will be learning how to do squats correctly and safely- squats really, really are the best leg (and overall) lifting to do. But we will not be doing those as son#1 is having some issues with one of his knees.
We saw Mama. It really isn't a horror movie, it is a fairy tale. A fairy tale in the traditional, Brothers Grimm sense, i.e. there is not a happy ending for all involved. It was a pretty good flick, we all liked it. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters was actually very entertaining and not a bad late Saturday night movie to see with the boys. We also watched Silent Hill: Revelation on On Demand and while it was visually cool it was complete crap. The plot was incoherent and very disjointed. This weekend we have the boys and will be seeing the oxymoronic titled The Last Exorcism: Part II.
I think it was JW who had me read an article about what we can learn about where the global economy is headed by comparing and contrasting two epic, classic sci-fi icons: Star Trek and Star Wars. Star Trek was noted for the fact that due to the invention of replicators, the need for money disappeared. So humanity was able to pursue a more noble goal. Star Wars was the mercantilist, chaotic one that had various groups vying for control of resources and political power. I say this as I read about BitCoin and it makes me think we are definitely headed the Star Wars route with the whole idea of credits being the monetary unit of the future. I hope we also get light sabers and droids. Not so much looking forward to Stormtroopers...
Speaking of replicators, I am kinda stuck on how they would really work. If e=mc² and there is a finite amount of mass in the universe, at some point wouldn't replicator use start eating up mass somewhere in the universe and slowly cause the destruction? I am not a quantum/theoretical physicist by any means and maybe I am being overly simplistic but I was just wondering out loud.
Sticking with the physics line, apparently quantum physics somehow predicted the mass of the Higgs boson. No big deal right Not so fast. It seems by possible correctly predicting the mass, it heralds the end of the universe because it means it is possible for an alternate universe to start growing within our own and destroying us in the process. Granted, the process is something like another tens of billions of yearsbut the mass of the Higgs boson predetermines it all if the calculations are correct Still it go my geeky, sci-fi, fantasy, comic book influenced mind thinking how it is kinda like melding together BSG, Babylon 5, Galactus and Lord of Light. It could probably make a great pentad of books. The universe ten billion years from now, slowly being eaten away at/usurped/destroyed by the alt universe bubbling up from within it, humans are something akin to Vorlons. Several are debating what to do, one says it is the way the universe works we let it, another opposes him and wants to break the cycle, they and hundreds of others survive and witness the big bang of the old one caused by the new alternate universe. The ones who wanted to let it happen decide to guide the new one, the ones against want to destroy it and use some kind of quantum flux thing-a-migig to go back to how it was. Sadly I do not have the time, skill or imagination to write such a series...
I went horse riding for the first time ever while there. On the beach. I also learned the hard way why one must sit forward in the saddle or you will get saddle sores/abrasions/brush burns on parts of your ass and they hurt...
I, Mr. Clifford and two other of the trip participants went waterfall jumping too. There is a series of twenty seven water falls in the DR that tourists can go jump down. The four of us decided to do all twenty seven (you can opt for just seven or twelve also). Our guide did not speak English, I mentioned I spoke uno poquito of Spanish and that gave him license to speak Spanish the entire time. The guide was surprised that that we completed all twenty seven in just over two hours and I caught the phrases "no gordo" "fuerte" and "jovenes" and told the rest we just got called young, handsome, strong young men....
The boys are now all about working out. It is really driven by the oldest son as he is of an age where physical appearance is starting to matter. So we joined the local YMCA. I have completely reworked my workout schedule so that I now take the boys to the Y on Saturdays and Sundays. My oldest is all about lifting, the youngest not so much. So generally I and son #1 lift for the first thirty to forty minutes then hit the cardio. Son #2 does cardio the entire time because with gay dads there is no such thing as too much cardio.
Speaking of lifting, son #1 is all hot and bothered to start doing leg workouts. I told him fine, that means you will be learning how to do squats correctly and safely- squats really, really are the best leg (and overall) lifting to do. But we will not be doing those as son#1 is having some issues with one of his knees.
We saw Mama. It really isn't a horror movie, it is a fairy tale. A fairy tale in the traditional, Brothers Grimm sense, i.e. there is not a happy ending for all involved. It was a pretty good flick, we all liked it. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters was actually very entertaining and not a bad late Saturday night movie to see with the boys. We also watched Silent Hill: Revelation on On Demand and while it was visually cool it was complete crap. The plot was incoherent and very disjointed. This weekend we have the boys and will be seeing the oxymoronic titled The Last Exorcism: Part II.
I think it was JW who had me read an article about what we can learn about where the global economy is headed by comparing and contrasting two epic, classic sci-fi icons: Star Trek and Star Wars. Star Trek was noted for the fact that due to the invention of replicators, the need for money disappeared. So humanity was able to pursue a more noble goal. Star Wars was the mercantilist, chaotic one that had various groups vying for control of resources and political power. I say this as I read about BitCoin and it makes me think we are definitely headed the Star Wars route with the whole idea of credits being the monetary unit of the future. I hope we also get light sabers and droids. Not so much looking forward to Stormtroopers...
Speaking of replicators, I am kinda stuck on how they would really work. If e=mc² and there is a finite amount of mass in the universe, at some point wouldn't replicator use start eating up mass somewhere in the universe and slowly cause the destruction? I am not a quantum/theoretical physicist by any means and maybe I am being overly simplistic but I was just wondering out loud.
Sticking with the physics line, apparently quantum physics somehow predicted the mass of the Higgs boson. No big deal right Not so fast. It seems by possible correctly predicting the mass, it heralds the end of the universe because it means it is possible for an alternate universe to start growing within our own and destroying us in the process. Granted, the process is something like another tens of billions of yearsbut the mass of the Higgs boson predetermines it all if the calculations are correct Still it go my geeky, sci-fi, fantasy, comic book influenced mind thinking how it is kinda like melding together BSG, Babylon 5, Galactus and Lord of Light. It could probably make a great pentad of books. The universe ten billion years from now, slowly being eaten away at/usurped/destroyed by the alt universe bubbling up from within it, humans are something akin to Vorlons. Several are debating what to do, one says it is the way the universe works we let it, another opposes him and wants to break the cycle, they and hundreds of others survive and witness the big bang of the old one caused by the new alternate universe. The ones who wanted to let it happen decide to guide the new one, the ones against want to destroy it and use some kind of quantum flux thing-a-migig to go back to how it was. Sadly I do not have the time, skill or imagination to write such a series...
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
The new year
So, first off my little dashboard doohickey tells me this is my 500th post. I really don't recall writing that many times but it's on the internet and they can't put anything on the internet unless it is true.
Christmas was great. We hosted friends for Christmas Eve dinner- there was a total of seven dining. The husband made a freakin' amazing five course meal. First off was roasted butternut squash soup with a dollop of cinnamon sour cream. Then a very simple salad of mixed greens, haricot verde and a simple dressing. Third course was roasted duck stuffed with dried plums (aka prunes) and Granny Smith apples served on a bed of stewed red cabbage with plum sauce. BTW- for the record red cabbage is not fuckin' red- it is purple! Then was the garlic-rosemary roasted leg of lamb with garlic mashed potatoes and mom's (in)famous scalloped tomatoes. The final course was mine and it was pumpkin pie and brown butter apple tart.
Christmas I picked the boys up at their mom's house around 1:30 and brought them home. We then opened gifts with them and ST and PJ. Everyone was very happy with their gifts. The husband had quite a butch Christmas as he got a new Carhart field jacket, a new Northface jacket, the Woodsman's Pal (google it) and a nifty Garmin heart/mileage tracker for his many months of upcoming training for his first ever Half Ironman Triathlon.
The highlight gift for me was a ping pong table. I wanted to set it up in the basement but the boys said no as they think the basement is too spooky. So we will be setting it up on the screened in porch. the boys are going to learn how to crush everyone at beer pong by the time they get to college. The husband also said we should probably re-watch Balls of Fury (yes we actually own it on dvd).
The other great gift I received and am excited to use is a whoopie pie pan. I will be making whoopie pies tomorrow night for Friday night's dessert.
I dropped the boys back at their mom's house around 6 in the evening. For Christmas dinner the husband and I were pretty beat from working on Christmas Eve dinner so we just had left over roasted butternut squash soup and then it was to bed relatively early.
This past weekend the husband's younger sister came to visit us as she is on her Christmas break. It was pretty relaxing. the only highlight is we went and saw Les Miserables. I had never seen the show and while not a fan of musicals I had read enough reviews about how this one was different as all of the singing was done live during the filming. I have to say it was a pretty amazing flick. Even if you are like me and not a fan of musicals it is worth seeing as you really have to have a heart of stone to not be moved by some of the songs and it makes you realize why some people are such huge fans of musicals. It is also funny as the only other musical I have seen was Sweeney Todd and that too was during Christmas and with the husband and it also had Sash Baron Cohen and Helen Bonham Carter in it.
Little confession here- after seeing the movie I did some research and found out there will be a Broadway revival of the show in 2014. I actually would like to see it as I am interested in how such a spectacle can be done on a stage. I have not told the husband yet.
I was kinda bummed the world did not end on the Winter Solstice. Clearly the Mayans lost a lot of credibility. The Solstice was also the official end of my annual AFHP. I am thinking it might be time to switch it up and start a WFHP instead; from Winter Solstice to Vernal Equinox...just a thought. Kinda makes more sense to do it in the winter anyhow.
Did anyone else love the face plant the GOP did? Seriously, this whole fiscal cliff thing has to have them in complete disarray. The supposed party of fiscal rectitude voted for tax increase and no spending restraint and the plan adds to the deficit. How can anyone take them seriously at this point when they talk about small government? One astute co-worker told me on the 31st that when the GOP Congressmen vote for the plan it spells the end of Speaker Boehner's term. I gotta think he is right at this point. I imagine Rep. Cantor will be the new Speaker of theDead House when the new Congress convenes.
A few things about the whole fiscal cliff farce. If my limited faculties work properly, there are no real cuts. What Congress talks about when they say cuts is really nothing more than further increases in spending, hence my prior comment about spending restraint. A cut in spending to me means actually reducing the amount of money spent on something not just freezing it at the current level of spending. The supposed deal did nothing to avert the cliff, it just pushed it out for two months for the new Congress to deal with then. It also is a slight bit of prevaricating when anyone says Congress prevented taxes from going up on most people. The payroll tax goes back to its normal level and the ACA tax kicks in. Anyone who says a bad deal is better than no deal is a weasel. If there had been no deal the tax increases would have kicked in and the spending restraint would have kicked in and yes it would suck for most of the country in the short term but in the medium to long term it would have helped a lot. One newsletter writer I read says Americans will always take the easy way out and we did.
Got back into the training regimen last week. I really have no choice as two weeks from Friday the husband and I are off to the Dominican Republic with Mr. Clifford and Mr. Surret and a cast of other unsavory types for a week. Need to look good in the square cut and once we get back I go back to lots of running as I did what I swore I would not do again- I signed up for a half marathon...
Christmas was great. We hosted friends for Christmas Eve dinner- there was a total of seven dining. The husband made a freakin' amazing five course meal. First off was roasted butternut squash soup with a dollop of cinnamon sour cream. Then a very simple salad of mixed greens, haricot verde and a simple dressing. Third course was roasted duck stuffed with dried plums (aka prunes) and Granny Smith apples served on a bed of stewed red cabbage with plum sauce. BTW- for the record red cabbage is not fuckin' red- it is purple! Then was the garlic-rosemary roasted leg of lamb with garlic mashed potatoes and mom's (in)famous scalloped tomatoes. The final course was mine and it was pumpkin pie and brown butter apple tart.
Christmas I picked the boys up at their mom's house around 1:30 and brought them home. We then opened gifts with them and ST and PJ. Everyone was very happy with their gifts. The husband had quite a butch Christmas as he got a new Carhart field jacket, a new Northface jacket, the Woodsman's Pal (google it) and a nifty Garmin heart/mileage tracker for his many months of upcoming training for his first ever Half Ironman Triathlon.
The highlight gift for me was a ping pong table. I wanted to set it up in the basement but the boys said no as they think the basement is too spooky. So we will be setting it up on the screened in porch. the boys are going to learn how to crush everyone at beer pong by the time they get to college. The husband also said we should probably re-watch Balls of Fury (yes we actually own it on dvd).
The other great gift I received and am excited to use is a whoopie pie pan. I will be making whoopie pies tomorrow night for Friday night's dessert.
I dropped the boys back at their mom's house around 6 in the evening. For Christmas dinner the husband and I were pretty beat from working on Christmas Eve dinner so we just had left over roasted butternut squash soup and then it was to bed relatively early.
This past weekend the husband's younger sister came to visit us as she is on her Christmas break. It was pretty relaxing. the only highlight is we went and saw Les Miserables. I had never seen the show and while not a fan of musicals I had read enough reviews about how this one was different as all of the singing was done live during the filming. I have to say it was a pretty amazing flick. Even if you are like me and not a fan of musicals it is worth seeing as you really have to have a heart of stone to not be moved by some of the songs and it makes you realize why some people are such huge fans of musicals. It is also funny as the only other musical I have seen was Sweeney Todd and that too was during Christmas and with the husband and it also had Sash Baron Cohen and Helen Bonham Carter in it.
Little confession here- after seeing the movie I did some research and found out there will be a Broadway revival of the show in 2014. I actually would like to see it as I am interested in how such a spectacle can be done on a stage. I have not told the husband yet.
I was kinda bummed the world did not end on the Winter Solstice. Clearly the Mayans lost a lot of credibility. The Solstice was also the official end of my annual AFHP. I am thinking it might be time to switch it up and start a WFHP instead; from Winter Solstice to Vernal Equinox...just a thought. Kinda makes more sense to do it in the winter anyhow.
Did anyone else love the face plant the GOP did? Seriously, this whole fiscal cliff thing has to have them in complete disarray. The supposed party of fiscal rectitude voted for tax increase and no spending restraint and the plan adds to the deficit. How can anyone take them seriously at this point when they talk about small government? One astute co-worker told me on the 31st that when the GOP Congressmen vote for the plan it spells the end of Speaker Boehner's term. I gotta think he is right at this point. I imagine Rep. Cantor will be the new Speaker of the
A few things about the whole fiscal cliff farce. If my limited faculties work properly, there are no real cuts. What Congress talks about when they say cuts is really nothing more than further increases in spending, hence my prior comment about spending restraint. A cut in spending to me means actually reducing the amount of money spent on something not just freezing it at the current level of spending. The supposed deal did nothing to avert the cliff, it just pushed it out for two months for the new Congress to deal with then. It also is a slight bit of prevaricating when anyone says Congress prevented taxes from going up on most people. The payroll tax goes back to its normal level and the ACA tax kicks in. Anyone who says a bad deal is better than no deal is a weasel. If there had been no deal the tax increases would have kicked in and the spending restraint would have kicked in and yes it would suck for most of the country in the short term but in the medium to long term it would have helped a lot. One newsletter writer I read says Americans will always take the easy way out and we did.
Got back into the training regimen last week. I really have no choice as two weeks from Friday the husband and I are off to the Dominican Republic with Mr. Clifford and Mr. Surret and a cast of other unsavory types for a week. Need to look good in the square cut and once we get back I go back to lots of running as I did what I swore I would not do again- I signed up for a half marathon...
Monday, December 17, 2012
Alcohol saves the day again...sorta...
So we had a bit of a snafu with the Christmas cards this year. The husband had made the comment(s) he was sick and tired of the same old, boring family photo. Ok, I decide I will take care of that situation. I get Farmer Vinny to take a family photo that I staged and no one got to have input on it. The photo was great and I was cracking myself up about it and the little message I put in it. Thursday night I had the company Christmas party and of course was drunk and wisely got a hotel room half a block from the office for the night so I would not kill myself driving home from the train station. No big deal right? Well some of the cards, namely our friends and family whose surnames begin with the letters A through C had been addressed. Friday morning the horror in Connecticut takes place. Well the cards for A-C got mailed out. Suffice to say I sent out an email from work this morning to those people explaining the situation, apologizing at how the card in hindsight is completely inappropriate and that I will be sending out new ones- with a boring family photo. I have learned that there is clearly a reason for the boring family photo on the Christmas card. And clearly getting drunk at the company Christmas party prevented me from prepping the remaining cards to be mailed out.
Since we are on the topic, several friends have commented the card is pretty hilarious- clearly why these people are our friends. And I got a very reassuring pat on the back from Mr. Barrett telling me I "handled the clean up well from a crisis communications point of view." That made me feel a bit better as that is his job so he knows what he is talking about.
I am done shopping for everyone on my list and I actually have all the gifts wrapped and under the tree ready for the big day.
We are having friends over to dine on Christmas Eve then I will pick up the boys the afternoon Christmas day and drop them off in the evening. I am def wearing my Christmas pants Christmas Eve for dinner.
The AFHP ends this Friday and I must say I am looking forward to shaving.
Since we are on the topic, several friends have commented the card is pretty hilarious- clearly why these people are our friends. And I got a very reassuring pat on the back from Mr. Barrett telling me I "handled the clean up well from a crisis communications point of view." That made me feel a bit better as that is his job so he knows what he is talking about.
I am done shopping for everyone on my list and I actually have all the gifts wrapped and under the tree ready for the big day.
We are having friends over to dine on Christmas Eve then I will pick up the boys the afternoon Christmas day and drop them off in the evening. I am def wearing my Christmas pants Christmas Eve for dinner.
The AFHP ends this Friday and I must say I am looking forward to shaving.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Half of 90 aint so bad
The week of Thanksgiving was very busy at the cottage. Not only were we hosting but it was also my birthday and dad's birthday. Mom and dad came down Wednesday and stayed until Saturday. Thanksgiving was awesome. The boys were with us this year along with mom and dad. We also had PJ and ST and two of our Graces- MM and MP.
The meal was amazing as usual. The husband did a great brined turkey, wild rice dressing with a bunch of fruit, cornbread dressing with sage and sausage, white cheddar chipotle mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce with thyme and mustard (actually really good even though it sounds kinda funky) and roasted carrots and parsnips. Mom being mom felt the need to do something so we had her make the pumpkin pies- one regular and one gluten free crust- on Wednesday when they got there. I also made gluten free cranberry walnut muffins and an apple tart. The highlight of Thanksgiving though was when mom got into the Scotch and when she asked for a second one both the boys blurt out "Grandma, every time you drink brown liquor you kill a little part of my soul!" Her response was "Cheers." and she took a big swig.
I got a super, awesome, amazing birthday gift from the husband. A Genesis compound bow and arrows. Of course mom, dad and the sons were all making jokes about me now needing tights too. I like to think I will be all Clint Barton-like but I am sure many people would think "You big queen, you are soo Katniss..."
Friday we all went to MP's place or lunch. She made an amazing beef bourguignon and creme brulee for dessert. We had a great time and then had left overs for dinner.
Saturday my younger brother came down with the wife and kids for birthday lunch for dad. Of course they were late so they are now in the lie to them about what time things start so they are on time.
Sunday I took the boys to see Argo. One of the great touches was the Warner Brothers 70s/ 80s logo in opening of movie and the fonts of the the opening and closing credits. The movie was actually not bad at all and I have to give Ben Afflack credit for improving as an actor.
I am gonna guess that we go over the so called fiscal cliff. I mean what little I know of game theory would lead me to believe the Dems look at the situation and say fuck it, let's go. Their reasoning may be that when we go over they will land on the GOP and be in better shape to stand up and walk away albeit injured whereas the GOP won't survive the impact.
Speaking of the fiscal cliff, am I the only one nauseated by the whole Rise above bullshit CNBC is doing? That is not journalism. To my point, if you had any doubts CNBC is not news and only infotainment then look no further than President Obama's opinion. He detly expressed it by giving his first official post election interview to none other than Bloomberg TV. It is a huge coupe for BBRG and makes sense as BBRG is the only relatively non-partisan news channel aroudn these days and focused on news thanks to being privately owned and not worrried about selling advertising time.
The meal was amazing as usual. The husband did a great brined turkey, wild rice dressing with a bunch of fruit, cornbread dressing with sage and sausage, white cheddar chipotle mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce with thyme and mustard (actually really good even though it sounds kinda funky) and roasted carrots and parsnips. Mom being mom felt the need to do something so we had her make the pumpkin pies- one regular and one gluten free crust- on Wednesday when they got there. I also made gluten free cranberry walnut muffins and an apple tart. The highlight of Thanksgiving though was when mom got into the Scotch and when she asked for a second one both the boys blurt out "Grandma, every time you drink brown liquor you kill a little part of my soul!" Her response was "Cheers." and she took a big swig.
I got a super, awesome, amazing birthday gift from the husband. A Genesis compound bow and arrows. Of course mom, dad and the sons were all making jokes about me now needing tights too. I like to think I will be all Clint Barton-like but I am sure many people would think "You big queen, you are soo Katniss..."
Friday we all went to MP's place or lunch. She made an amazing beef bourguignon and creme brulee for dessert. We had a great time and then had left overs for dinner.
Saturday my younger brother came down with the wife and kids for birthday lunch for dad. Of course they were late so they are now in the lie to them about what time things start so they are on time.
Sunday I took the boys to see Argo. One of the great touches was the Warner Brothers 70s/ 80s logo in opening of movie and the fonts of the the opening and closing credits. The movie was actually not bad at all and I have to give Ben Afflack credit for improving as an actor.
I am gonna guess that we go over the so called fiscal cliff. I mean what little I know of game theory would lead me to believe the Dems look at the situation and say fuck it, let's go. Their reasoning may be that when we go over they will land on the GOP and be in better shape to stand up and walk away albeit injured whereas the GOP won't survive the impact.
Speaking of the fiscal cliff, am I the only one nauseated by the whole Rise above bullshit CNBC is doing? That is not journalism. To my point, if you had any doubts CNBC is not news and only infotainment then look no further than President Obama's opinion. He detly expressed it by giving his first official post election interview to none other than Bloomberg TV. It is a huge coupe for BBRG and makes sense as BBRG is the only relatively non-partisan news channel aroudn these days and focused on news thanks to being privately owned and not worrried about selling advertising time.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Brandi Terrace at your service...
The husband and I cleaned the garage out this weekend. I had had enough of the frost in the windshield in the morning and having the truck freezing when I get in. We still need to get the garage door on the husband's side fixed and then he can leave his in the garage at night as well. Sadly it means the bikes are put down in the basement for the winter.
I finally got caught up on all the t.v. I missed due to the cable getting knocked out from Sandy. "Arrow" is actually not bad and Steven Amell is quite the specimen. the husband and I agreed he is on the list...
Speaking of "Arrow" the husband signed us up for an archery safety/beginner course at the local firearms range/club. We did well and hopefully s\Santa will bring me a Genesis compound bow...call me Daryl.
We have the menu for Thanksgiving all planned. Tuesday and Wednesday will be prep days so ideally all we- read the husband- have to do is put things in the oven at the right time and voila- the picture perfect Thanksgiving dinner.
Friday while chatting with PF he told me someone called his phone looking for Latisha Brown. I told him I thought that would be a great drag name for him when he started. He said he already had one and we got on the topic of how I was told you take the name of your first pet and the the street you lived on to make it. So by that means I would be Brandy Terrace but PF and I though Brandi would make a much better spelling..
Mom and dad are coming down for Thanksgiving. Friday is also Dad's birthday but we are celebrating Saturday instead so my younger brother and his wife and sons can come down and celebrate with us.
We saw Skyfall this weekend. Javier Bardeem made a super, awesome villain. I was surprised the movie was almost three hours long as it went by very fast while sitting there in the theater.
I finally got caught up on all the t.v. I missed due to the cable getting knocked out from Sandy. "Arrow" is actually not bad and Steven Amell is quite the specimen. the husband and I agreed he is on the list...
Speaking of "Arrow" the husband signed us up for an archery safety/beginner course at the local firearms range/club. We did well and hopefully s\Santa will bring me a Genesis compound bow...call me Daryl.
We have the menu for Thanksgiving all planned. Tuesday and Wednesday will be prep days so ideally all we- read the husband- have to do is put things in the oven at the right time and voila- the picture perfect Thanksgiving dinner.
Friday while chatting with PF he told me someone called his phone looking for Latisha Brown. I told him I thought that would be a great drag name for him when he started. He said he already had one and we got on the topic of how I was told you take the name of your first pet and the the street you lived on to make it. So by that means I would be Brandy Terrace but PF and I though Brandi would make a much better spelling..
Mom and dad are coming down for Thanksgiving. Friday is also Dad's birthday but we are celebrating Saturday instead so my younger brother and his wife and sons can come down and celebrate with us.
We saw Skyfall this weekend. Javier Bardeem made a super, awesome villain. I was surprised the movie was almost three hours long as it went by very fast while sitting there in the theater.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Oh Sandy
So Sandy the Superstorm definitely was super. I am a bit perplexed though as we were told Hurricane Irene was the storm of the century and one tear later we are told Sandy is the storm of the century. Apparently Irene was the storm of the preceding century, you know 1911 to 2011. Sandy is the storm of the proceeding century, 2012 to 2112 (at least I hope).
We lost a lot of roof shingles- they were strewn all over the backyard- and a sixty plus year old pin oak. Thankfully the pin oak fell into another sixty plus year old pin oak next to it and not on the house. I was not sure if we were covered by our insurance for that or not- we are not.
Thankfully- and this is what makes our country great I think- there was a wildcat tree removal team in town ad they took it down. These guys came in from Michigan. They drove out to Jersey as soon as the storm hit. They were looking to make easy money with lots of trees down. The husband and I were dreading that it would cost us more than $2500 to dispose of the tree. We had that number in mind because ST had to have a tree of similar size removed after Irene. The wildcatters told us they could take it down for $750! Clearly they thought they were getting the better of us ad we could not believe how cheap they were so we immediately had them take it down right then and there.
My youngest son is now a teenager. His birthday is November 1st and he and his brother were supposed to be with us the weekend of November second but since we had no power, heat or- more importantly to tow teenage boys- cable and internet, I asked the ex to keep them for the weekend while we cleaned up.
They were with us this past weekend and the husband and I got the birthday boy a new iPod Touch- the fifth generation kind. I am stunned by the product btw. If you have WiFi it is essentially an iPhone. It is really cool and I have to disclose that my 6 + year old iPod Touch went on the fritz last week I got myself a new one just like his but a different color.
So the election. I don't think the results could be qualified as a mandate for President Obama. 51% of the popular vote is a slim majority, If he had received 60% or more I'd say that is a mandate.
I think I have lost and alienated friends with my commentary on President Obama being a moderate Republican in his actions- oh well, guess they were only friends if I agree with them politically which translate to not really friends.
One thing I have been expounding to some is when the refer to President Obama as a socialist. I ask for one socialist action he has taken. Generally they claim the Affordable Care Act is socialism. Really? So you are telling me the Affordable Care Act has nationalized all health insurance providers, combined them into one enterprise and the government runs it all now and has advocated equal outcomes for all who seek health care? I dunno but it seems more like the plan Republican Governor Romney put in place in Massachusetts- oh wait because it is. The retort to that is yes but the Romney plan tried to reduce the mandated services whereas the President's plan increases them and places new taxes on...tanning salons! OMG what would we all do if tanning salons were taxed out of business??? The horror..the horror...
I have been accused of espousing a belie in equal outcomes. No, I get that not everyone gets to be a winner. But I do believe that everyone should theoretically have an equal starting line and if the government needs to step in for that then so be it. Funny how the GOP lives and breathes economic/social Darwinism but not Darwinism in science and how the Democrats are the opposite.
My oldest is at the age where he is now gettign interested in lifting. I have given him some tips and since he and his brother are with us for the Thanksgiving weekend I told him e and I would go to the gym so I can walk him thru some things.
We lost a lot of roof shingles- they were strewn all over the backyard- and a sixty plus year old pin oak. Thankfully the pin oak fell into another sixty plus year old pin oak next to it and not on the house. I was not sure if we were covered by our insurance for that or not- we are not.
Thankfully- and this is what makes our country great I think- there was a wildcat tree removal team in town ad they took it down. These guys came in from Michigan. They drove out to Jersey as soon as the storm hit. They were looking to make easy money with lots of trees down. The husband and I were dreading that it would cost us more than $2500 to dispose of the tree. We had that number in mind because ST had to have a tree of similar size removed after Irene. The wildcatters told us they could take it down for $750! Clearly they thought they were getting the better of us ad we could not believe how cheap they were so we immediately had them take it down right then and there.
My youngest son is now a teenager. His birthday is November 1st and he and his brother were supposed to be with us the weekend of November second but since we had no power, heat or- more importantly to tow teenage boys- cable and internet, I asked the ex to keep them for the weekend while we cleaned up.
They were with us this past weekend and the husband and I got the birthday boy a new iPod Touch- the fifth generation kind. I am stunned by the product btw. If you have WiFi it is essentially an iPhone. It is really cool and I have to disclose that my 6 + year old iPod Touch went on the fritz last week I got myself a new one just like his but a different color.
So the election. I don't think the results could be qualified as a mandate for President Obama. 51% of the popular vote is a slim majority, If he had received 60% or more I'd say that is a mandate.
I think I have lost and alienated friends with my commentary on President Obama being a moderate Republican in his actions- oh well, guess they were only friends if I agree with them politically which translate to not really friends.
One thing I have been expounding to some is when the refer to President Obama as a socialist. I ask for one socialist action he has taken. Generally they claim the Affordable Care Act is socialism. Really? So you are telling me the Affordable Care Act has nationalized all health insurance providers, combined them into one enterprise and the government runs it all now and has advocated equal outcomes for all who seek health care? I dunno but it seems more like the plan Republican Governor Romney put in place in Massachusetts- oh wait because it is. The retort to that is yes but the Romney plan tried to reduce the mandated services whereas the President's plan increases them and places new taxes on...tanning salons! OMG what would we all do if tanning salons were taxed out of business??? The horror..the horror...
I have been accused of espousing a belie in equal outcomes. No, I get that not everyone gets to be a winner. But I do believe that everyone should theoretically have an equal starting line and if the government needs to step in for that then so be it. Funny how the GOP lives and breathes economic/social Darwinism but not Darwinism in science and how the Democrats are the opposite.
My oldest is at the age where he is now gettign interested in lifting. I have given him some tips and since he and his brother are with us for the Thanksgiving weekend I told him e and I would go to the gym so I can walk him thru some things.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The Highlight Reel
I have been really bad about keeping up on writing I know but I have been totally infatuated with InstaGram...
Since I last wrote Mr. Clifford and Mr. Surrett visited us and we ended up at some super swanky party one night in Bucks County. The theme was county fair so of course we broke out the cowboy boots, Wranglers, plaid shirts and trucker hats. It was a lot of fun and I found that many straight women clearly have a hick fetish. One woman asked me if I dressed like this all of the time to which I replied no. She then stated- in front of the husband and her cute, German boyfriend- that she just wanted to rip my shirt open and essentially motor boat my furry chest.
Speaking of German, the husband and I are hosting some of my high school friends this weekend for Oktoberfest. This is the gang that usually does a ski trip but that did not happen this year. Instead we decided to do the real Oktoberfest in Germany but then one guy put a pool in, another added on to the house, another just had a second child, etc. so I suggested they all come to the cottage and we have Oktoberfest. Everyone agreed. There will be a beer tent- entry gained only if you have the wristband, brawts, Tyrolean hats for all and the husband is actually going to wear lederhosen.
I did a sprint tri in Asbury Park a few weeks ago. Came in fifth for my age group and 54th overall so was happy with that. My first transition totally sucked ass because I for some foolish reason decided to wear socks. That mistake will not be made again in any race.
The husband got talked into doing a half Iron Man with my younger brother next summer- ha ha!
Mom and dad were on mom's birthday gambling road trip last month. They invariably ended up in Atlantic City so they stopped at the cottage on their way home and we celebrated mom's birthday with lunch and cake. They boys were with us that weekend so they got to spend some time with their grandparents too.
Speaking of the boys- and not to sound like a boastful father but- apparently they are quite handsome. We had a co-worker and her husband over for dinner one weekend we had the boys recently. The Monday after all my co-worker could talk about is how handsome the boys are. I told her I still see them as my little guys. Then, the next weekend they were with us, the three of us were running errands. We are in a check out line at CVS when this woman in front of us keeps turning around and staring at us. Finally she asks if I am the father and I reply yes. She then proceeds to tell me how proud I must be to have two such handsome and big sons.
At what point do we call a spade a spade and admit Greece is in a depression? I think they have been in a recession for something like five years now, isn't there a time limit that once you are in recession for over three years it is no longer a recession?
Doesn't Apple already have a mini iPad? I think it's called an iPhone 5, right?
I am a bit disturbed by the whole glorification of military action and war. I know it has been around since Lacedaimonians were around but it just seems to be at a cycle high these days. Go figure- we are involved in a hot war and god knows how many cold war. I say this all because the tv show "Stars Earn Stripes" just finished. I never watched it but a lot of people at work were discussing it today and it just reinforces my belief the American Empire is in decline. It is no different- just less bloody- than gladiatorial shows put on by the Romans.
The first Presidential debate is tonight. I am soo excited to watch the season premiere of Supernatural instead....
Since I last wrote Mr. Clifford and Mr. Surrett visited us and we ended up at some super swanky party one night in Bucks County. The theme was county fair so of course we broke out the cowboy boots, Wranglers, plaid shirts and trucker hats. It was a lot of fun and I found that many straight women clearly have a hick fetish. One woman asked me if I dressed like this all of the time to which I replied no. She then stated- in front of the husband and her cute, German boyfriend- that she just wanted to rip my shirt open and essentially motor boat my furry chest.
Speaking of German, the husband and I are hosting some of my high school friends this weekend for Oktoberfest. This is the gang that usually does a ski trip but that did not happen this year. Instead we decided to do the real Oktoberfest in Germany but then one guy put a pool in, another added on to the house, another just had a second child, etc. so I suggested they all come to the cottage and we have Oktoberfest. Everyone agreed. There will be a beer tent- entry gained only if you have the wristband, brawts, Tyrolean hats for all and the husband is actually going to wear lederhosen.
I did a sprint tri in Asbury Park a few weeks ago. Came in fifth for my age group and 54th overall so was happy with that. My first transition totally sucked ass because I for some foolish reason decided to wear socks. That mistake will not be made again in any race.
The husband got talked into doing a half Iron Man with my younger brother next summer- ha ha!
Mom and dad were on mom's birthday gambling road trip last month. They invariably ended up in Atlantic City so they stopped at the cottage on their way home and we celebrated mom's birthday with lunch and cake. They boys were with us that weekend so they got to spend some time with their grandparents too.
Speaking of the boys- and not to sound like a boastful father but- apparently they are quite handsome. We had a co-worker and her husband over for dinner one weekend we had the boys recently. The Monday after all my co-worker could talk about is how handsome the boys are. I told her I still see them as my little guys. Then, the next weekend they were with us, the three of us were running errands. We are in a check out line at CVS when this woman in front of us keeps turning around and staring at us. Finally she asks if I am the father and I reply yes. She then proceeds to tell me how proud I must be to have two such handsome and big sons.
At what point do we call a spade a spade and admit Greece is in a depression? I think they have been in a recession for something like five years now, isn't there a time limit that once you are in recession for over three years it is no longer a recession?
Doesn't Apple already have a mini iPad? I think it's called an iPhone 5, right?
I am a bit disturbed by the whole glorification of military action and war. I know it has been around since Lacedaimonians were around but it just seems to be at a cycle high these days. Go figure- we are involved in a hot war and god knows how many cold war. I say this all because the tv show "Stars Earn Stripes" just finished. I never watched it but a lot of people at work were discussing it today and it just reinforces my belief the American Empire is in decline. It is no different- just less bloody- than gladiatorial shows put on by the Romans.
The first Presidential debate is tonight. I am soo excited to watch the season premiere of Supernatural instead....
Monday, August 27, 2012
Shutter day
I have to say it is sad Tony Scott felt he had no choice but to take his own life. However I also have to question if we really need a sequel to Top Gun? Don't get me wrong, great flick, helped define the late '80s and I still quote certain lines from it. But is it really worthy of a sequel?
The Jerky Boys have had a min-revival at work. Our favorite by far is the excellent Frank's Pickle Barrel Ass. We of course did some leg work and it appears the company called was Eagle Pickles in Maspeth. Of course we called the number and the same lady answered- so we hung up.
If you have never seen the t.v. ad for Stamps.com it is really annoying. They play it on BBRG TV all the time. The one point that truly irks me is one guy saying there is nothing worse than having to go to the Post Office and stand in line to buy stamps. Two things: 1) You don't need to stand in line these days as they actually have vending machines you can buy stamps at and 2) I personally can think of many worse things- finding out a loved one has some horrible cancer, having your dog die, the Large Hadron Collider creating a small black hole and destroying the world, Israel striking Iran and precipitating a much larger conflict to name a few.
The niece's wedding was a lot of fun. The space was amazing and shockingly the flowers were stunning- who'd have thunk that the NY Botanical Gardens would have great flowers? The food was very good and the best part was the wedding couple had a photo booth there. I had never seen it before and it was pretty great idea. You got two copies of the photos, one you had to glue into an album they had and you got to keep the second copy- which is now prominently displayed on our fridge.
Saturday was a shutter day for the husband and I. A lot of our friends had told us we need to watch "Grimm." So we spent all Saturday in the house, plopped in front of the t.v. catching up on all of season 1 and watching the two episodes of season 2. It is not a bad show- not quite "Buffy" but clearly owes a huge debt to it and is not trying to be that show. I mean that makes sense since David Greenwalt is involved in both shows.
Yesterday was a bit more productive. We got up and did a 21 mile bike ride then I cut the grass. I was psyched as I got to ride the lawn tractor. With the drought still in effect I didn't cut it too short and I did not have to use the bagger.
I was surprised to read this morning that Frau Merkel wants to have a convention to write up a new Eurozone treaty. What was even more surprising is that it got very little airplay or ink in the business press here. Supposedly she hopes to have a date set for said convention in December. I am sorry but that does not bode well for the whole thing. It is also actually a pretty brilliant ploy. We'll see how it all plays out.
Another topic I can't seem to fathom. Last week there was a lot of chatter about the federal government thinking about a release from the SPR. Then today I hear chatter about several international oil reserves supposedly getting ready to do a release. It is real simple actually. The whole war drum beating Israel has been doing over the last three weeks or so tells you that it may be more than just posturing. Apparently I am one of the few who seems to think that is what all the chatter about strategic oil reserve releases is related to...
At times I wonder if it drives the ex crazy that her dog loves me and goes bonkers happy every time I go over to the her house to pick up or drop off the boys. Hell even her cat loves me too.
The Jerky Boys have had a min-revival at work. Our favorite by far is the excellent Frank's Pickle Barrel Ass. We of course did some leg work and it appears the company called was Eagle Pickles in Maspeth. Of course we called the number and the same lady answered- so we hung up.
If you have never seen the t.v. ad for Stamps.com it is really annoying. They play it on BBRG TV all the time. The one point that truly irks me is one guy saying there is nothing worse than having to go to the Post Office and stand in line to buy stamps. Two things: 1) You don't need to stand in line these days as they actually have vending machines you can buy stamps at and 2) I personally can think of many worse things- finding out a loved one has some horrible cancer, having your dog die, the Large Hadron Collider creating a small black hole and destroying the world, Israel striking Iran and precipitating a much larger conflict to name a few.
The niece's wedding was a lot of fun. The space was amazing and shockingly the flowers were stunning- who'd have thunk that the NY Botanical Gardens would have great flowers? The food was very good and the best part was the wedding couple had a photo booth there. I had never seen it before and it was pretty great idea. You got two copies of the photos, one you had to glue into an album they had and you got to keep the second copy- which is now prominently displayed on our fridge.
Saturday was a shutter day for the husband and I. A lot of our friends had told us we need to watch "Grimm." So we spent all Saturday in the house, plopped in front of the t.v. catching up on all of season 1 and watching the two episodes of season 2. It is not a bad show- not quite "Buffy" but clearly owes a huge debt to it and is not trying to be that show. I mean that makes sense since David Greenwalt is involved in both shows.
Yesterday was a bit more productive. We got up and did a 21 mile bike ride then I cut the grass. I was psyched as I got to ride the lawn tractor. With the drought still in effect I didn't cut it too short and I did not have to use the bagger.
I was surprised to read this morning that Frau Merkel wants to have a convention to write up a new Eurozone treaty. What was even more surprising is that it got very little airplay or ink in the business press here. Supposedly she hopes to have a date set for said convention in December. I am sorry but that does not bode well for the whole thing. It is also actually a pretty brilliant ploy. We'll see how it all plays out.
Another topic I can't seem to fathom. Last week there was a lot of chatter about the federal government thinking about a release from the SPR. Then today I hear chatter about several international oil reserves supposedly getting ready to do a release. It is real simple actually. The whole war drum beating Israel has been doing over the last three weeks or so tells you that it may be more than just posturing. Apparently I am one of the few who seems to think that is what all the chatter about strategic oil reserve releases is related to...
At times I wonder if it drives the ex crazy that her dog loves me and goes bonkers happy every time I go over to the her house to pick up or drop off the boys. Hell even her cat loves me too.
Monday, August 20, 2012
I need an updated guide
Just some highlights as I have been really bad on writing lately.
The wedding we went to several weeks ago was a blast. The husband and I were very busy setting up the chuppah, serving lunch for out of town friends and actually attending all the wedding weekend festivities. I actually sat next a woman who graduated from the same college I did but definitely a few years later. The person on the other side was a professor from some Ivy League university who did not take kindly to me peppering him with so many questions about his field of work- he is a political science professor and I was basically hammering him on how do you model for things when humans are innately irrational creatures, lol.
I think I need an updated gay guide because clearly mine was published before the advent of Instagram. I say this as I have come to realize if you are gay and on Instagram then it must say somewhere in the guide that you have to post as many shirtless selfies (as the Brits call self portraits) as possible....I am much more voyeur than exhibitionist so I do not post many selfies let alone shirtless ones.
My oldest finally got a proper haircut, started styling his hair and actually using product- holy shit he is growing up!!! When I picked them up this past Friday I noticed and told him it looks really good and he will have chicks all over him once school starts up in a few weeks. His younger brother- this is what is great about little brothers- blurts out it is already happening at tennis camp, lol.
I will admit I might be wrong about the Eurozone breaking up if someone can give me just one example of a state willingly giving up part or all of its sovereignty to another state. Until that happens I stand behind my belief the euro is doomed because Germany will want to control things if they are footing the bill.
As a corollary to my above statement on the doom of the euro, let me make it clear that it does not mean the end of the world. The Large Hadron Collider creating a small black hole would most assuredly mean the end of the world; the euro disappearing and the markets going down does not. Will it be painful? Yes. Will it cause problems? Yes. Will the sun still rise int he east and set in the west? Yes. Will the earth continue spinning? Yes.
I think there will be some good t.v, i.e. major hotties on the show, this fall . I am thinking mostly of "Arrow" on the CB with one Stephen Amell.
The husband's niece is getting married this Friday at the Bronx Botanical Gardens. It should be a fun time even though I will need to suit up at the office.
The boss took two weeks off in a row for vacation. That meant the j.v. was on the field, i.e. me. It totally reinforced what I told him over six years ago when he first interviewed me- I do not want his job. I am not wired correctly when it comes to dealing with "office politics" or having to answer the same question from the same person 4 different times.
Last weekend was my annual boozefest with the fraternity brothers. Oh and we also took a small drinking break to do the Warrior Dash. The course had a lot more incline to it this year and we all agreed the obstacles- whilst there was much more barbed wire- were not as good.
The wedding we went to several weeks ago was a blast. The husband and I were very busy setting up the chuppah, serving lunch for out of town friends and actually attending all the wedding weekend festivities. I actually sat next a woman who graduated from the same college I did but definitely a few years later. The person on the other side was a professor from some Ivy League university who did not take kindly to me peppering him with so many questions about his field of work- he is a political science professor and I was basically hammering him on how do you model for things when humans are innately irrational creatures, lol.
I think I need an updated gay guide because clearly mine was published before the advent of Instagram. I say this as I have come to realize if you are gay and on Instagram then it must say somewhere in the guide that you have to post as many shirtless selfies (as the Brits call self portraits) as possible....I am much more voyeur than exhibitionist so I do not post many selfies let alone shirtless ones.
My oldest finally got a proper haircut, started styling his hair and actually using product- holy shit he is growing up!!! When I picked them up this past Friday I noticed and told him it looks really good and he will have chicks all over him once school starts up in a few weeks. His younger brother- this is what is great about little brothers- blurts out it is already happening at tennis camp, lol.
I will admit I might be wrong about the Eurozone breaking up if someone can give me just one example of a state willingly giving up part or all of its sovereignty to another state. Until that happens I stand behind my belief the euro is doomed because Germany will want to control things if they are footing the bill.
As a corollary to my above statement on the doom of the euro, let me make it clear that it does not mean the end of the world. The Large Hadron Collider creating a small black hole would most assuredly mean the end of the world; the euro disappearing and the markets going down does not. Will it be painful? Yes. Will it cause problems? Yes. Will the sun still rise int he east and set in the west? Yes. Will the earth continue spinning? Yes.
I think there will be some good t.v, i.e. major hotties on the show, this fall . I am thinking mostly of "Arrow" on the CB with one Stephen Amell.
The husband's niece is getting married this Friday at the Bronx Botanical Gardens. It should be a fun time even though I will need to suit up at the office.
The boss took two weeks off in a row for vacation. That meant the j.v. was on the field, i.e. me. It totally reinforced what I told him over six years ago when he first interviewed me- I do not want his job. I am not wired correctly when it comes to dealing with "office politics" or having to answer the same question from the same person 4 different times.
Last weekend was my annual boozefest with the fraternity brothers. Oh and we also took a small drinking break to do the Warrior Dash. The course had a lot more incline to it this year and we all agreed the obstacles- whilst there was much more barbed wire- were not as good.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
You are slowly becoming a man
I almost got sick at work yesterday morning. I happened to look up at one of the televisions and it was the one that had the Childrens News Brodacasting Corportion airing. There he was- the man about 95% responsible for the repeal of Glass-Stegall which lead to banks keeping profits but socializing losses. This guy actually had the audacity to call for the break up of the TBTF banks. Talk about hypocrisy. I am surprised the guy was not crucified more in the press today. He got off pretty lightly.
Then I moved over to BBRG and I heard some talking head averring that the Fed's dual mandate is causing huge problems. So far, so good. He then went on to say he can't understand why the Fed is worried about growth when they have delivered a 6-7% increase in the S&P 500. WTF? That statement right there beautifully encapsulates what is wrong with so many of the financial elites. They equate price appreciation in the market with a growing economy. I mean I get it as they are the majority owners of the assets that get traded and have had a huge rally. JW has repeatedly told me I live in a lifestyle and information bubble and the guy on tv saying that a 6-7% rally in the S&P 500 is good for Joe Six Pack proves how myopic many in my industry really are.
I have to chuckle that I find myself defending Turbo Tax Timmy. He really had very little recourse in the whole LIBOR-gate issue. I found myself agreeing with one of the Democratic Congressmen who basically said he is getting scapegoated by the GOP because he is serving a Democratic President.
My oldest had a rite of passage the other day. Instead of going to his job at his mom's boyfriend's place of work he was asked to stay home and wait for the cable guy to come. He was told the cable guy would be there between 2-4 PM. Of course the guy did not show up until 6 PM- hahahaha! My oldest was pissed and went on a rant about what the hell is wrong with these people? They grow up so fast don't they?
The whole Chik-a-Fil thing had me torn a bit. I am all for free speech etc. If people don't like what some business proprietor publicly says they can choose not to give him their business. Then I read a friend's post on the Tome of Mugs: "Ok people- to clarify: Having an opinion and expressing that (including an opinion on the opinions of others) = free speech.
Then I moved over to BBRG and I heard some talking head averring that the Fed's dual mandate is causing huge problems. So far, so good. He then went on to say he can't understand why the Fed is worried about growth when they have delivered a 6-7% increase in the S&P 500. WTF? That statement right there beautifully encapsulates what is wrong with so many of the financial elites. They equate price appreciation in the market with a growing economy. I mean I get it as they are the majority owners of the assets that get traded and have had a huge rally. JW has repeatedly told me I live in a lifestyle and information bubble and the guy on tv saying that a 6-7% rally in the S&P 500 is good for Joe Six Pack proves how myopic many in my industry really are.
I have to chuckle that I find myself defending Turbo Tax Timmy. He really had very little recourse in the whole LIBOR-gate issue. I found myself agreeing with one of the Democratic Congressmen who basically said he is getting scapegoated by the GOP because he is serving a Democratic President.
My oldest had a rite of passage the other day. Instead of going to his job at his mom's boyfriend's place of work he was asked to stay home and wait for the cable guy to come. He was told the cable guy would be there between 2-4 PM. Of course the guy did not show up until 6 PM- hahahaha! My oldest was pissed and went on a rant about what the hell is wrong with these people? They grow up so fast don't they?
The whole Chik-a-Fil thing had me torn a bit. I am all for free speech etc. If people don't like what some business proprietor publicly says they can choose not to give him their business. Then I read a friend's post on the Tome of Mugs: "Ok people- to clarify: Having an opinion and expressing that (including an opinion on the opinions of others) = free speech.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
That was sorta fun...not
So this Jew and Hindu are getting married and they have two goys making their chuppah for them...I know that sounds like the start of a really bad, possibly offensive ethnic joke but it is not. The husband and I are the goys and our friends who are getting married this coming weekend are actually a Jew and a Hindu. They are getting married down here and because we are local and we have an awesome set of tools they asked us to take care of it for them (they currently live in the city). So yesterday we assembled it. I learned the husband is afraid of the jig saw- ha! I also learned that the two of us are both sometimes opinionated about how to do things. There were several times where in my supreme snippiness I told the husband fine you cut it. regardless we got it done and it will only be up during the ceremony for a short time so it does not need to be built to last forever. The husband will be painting it though.
This past week was a bit truncated for me. I worked Monday and then was off Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and back in work Friday. I had the three days off because I and my brothers and our spouses and spawn all made the trip up north to mom and dad's new house to have a fete for their 50th anniversary. The boys had a blast and it was really quite fun even with a family photo Tuesday in 99 degree weather. That night we had a barbecue at the new house and Wednesday we hung out all day there and then it was a family dinner at a great restaurant on Skaneateles Lake. Thursday morning it was back here and since we had the boys for the weekend too they decided to stay with us Thursday night and Friday.
This morning we got our tired, old asses out of bed way too early for a Sunday morning to go over to the county park and do a triathlon. Not just any triathlon either but an Olympic. I was not sure I was ready for it as I had given quite a half assed effort at training but I finished it. My time by my Timex was 3 hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds. That includes all my transitions btw. My only concern is during the bike ride there was a race official riding the course on the back of a motorcycle and I saw him look at me and make a note. The race was a USAT sanction race so I am not sure if I incurred a penalty and if so for what I don't know.
Hmmm- I just saw my race results and I was assessed a two minute penalty- I am not sure what rule I violated but the good thing is the husband got one too, lol. And my Timex was pretty accurate as with the penalty I came in at 3:14 and change...
This coming week is rather busy. The husband has to demonstrate the chuppah tomorrow, Tuesday night we are having dinner with JD and JW, Wednesday we probably will have to tidy up, Thursday I have business drinks, Friday we have wedding guests staying with us for the weekend, the wedding Saturday.
This past week was a bit truncated for me. I worked Monday and then was off Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and back in work Friday. I had the three days off because I and my brothers and our spouses and spawn all made the trip up north to mom and dad's new house to have a fete for their 50th anniversary. The boys had a blast and it was really quite fun even with a family photo Tuesday in 99 degree weather. That night we had a barbecue at the new house and Wednesday we hung out all day there and then it was a family dinner at a great restaurant on Skaneateles Lake. Thursday morning it was back here and since we had the boys for the weekend too they decided to stay with us Thursday night and Friday.
This morning we got our tired, old asses out of bed way too early for a Sunday morning to go over to the county park and do a triathlon. Not just any triathlon either but an Olympic. I was not sure I was ready for it as I had given quite a half assed effort at training but I finished it. My time by my Timex was 3 hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds. That includes all my transitions btw. My only concern is during the bike ride there was a race official riding the course on the back of a motorcycle and I saw him look at me and make a note. The race was a USAT sanction race so I am not sure if I incurred a penalty and if so for what I don't know.
Hmmm- I just saw my race results and I was assessed a two minute penalty- I am not sure what rule I violated but the good thing is the husband got one too, lol. And my Timex was pretty accurate as with the penalty I came in at 3:14 and change...
This coming week is rather busy. The husband has to demonstrate the chuppah tomorrow, Tuesday night we are having dinner with JD and JW, Wednesday we probably will have to tidy up, Thursday I have business drinks, Friday we have wedding guests staying with us for the weekend, the wedding Saturday.
Monday, July 2, 2012
The grand tour
Ok, yes it has been awhile but we were off in Europe celebrating our honeymoon five years after the fact.
We arrived in Paris Saturday morning and right away we were doing the tourist thing. We hit everything. I was asked what my favorites were and they are Hotel des Invalides- especially Napoleon's tomb, followed by Musee d'Orsey, amazing museum from a philistine in terms of art and culture; Tuileries Garden and running along the Seine very early in the morning. Yes, we actually trained while we were on our honeymoon. The one thing I noticed about European runners is they are not friendly at all. Generally when you are out running here, you pass another runner and make a small wave or nod in acknowledgement of oh, you are crazy/in pain too? Not European runners. Everyone of them looked at me like I had two heads.
We actually went out to a club. You know how they have open mike night at a lot of clubs here in the States? Well apparently the club we went to- Spyce was the name, apparently that is the French spelling?-clearly had open stage/stripper pole night. Seriously- the place was tiny, had a deejay and stage and two very small bars. We got there and there were cute go go boys on the stage dancing in skimpy attire. They got off and then out of the crowd cam two other cute go go boys. I looked at the husband and said whoo hoo, we hit open pole night! The best act though was the last one. These three guys came up and took off their overcoats. Two were regular sized, gym fit hotties. The last one was a giant- had to be around 6' 4", jacked, mustache, no body hair and ink all over. The two smaller guys were wearing black leather jock straps and motorcycle caps. The giant was wearing a leather jock strap with spangles hanging off the front, black leather boots to mid thigh, black gloves above his elbows and - wait for it- pasties with tassels hanging from them! I and the husband looked at each other and said no fucking way! He really did not dance at all, he just stood there doing pseudo vogue moves. I said to the husband you know in his mind he is wearing a long red gown, is blonde and holding a cigarette holder...
We departed Paris on Thursday from Gar de Nord and went off to Bruges- no we did not see the movie and everyone tells us it is hilarious. Bruges is technically a city as it has a cathedral. Well technicality aside it is a small town. How do I know this other than trusting my eyes? Um because we actually ran around the entirety of it in fifty minutes. My favorite thing in Bruges was the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Apparently during one of the Crusades some noble brought back what is believed to be two drops of Jesus' blood. How did Dan Brown miss that when he was writing The daVinci Code?
Saturday morning we took the train from Bruges to London- I was psyched as we got to go through the Chunnel- clearly dating myself by calling it the Chunnel instead of the Channel Tunnel.As we were en route the husband is warning me that London's weather is notoriously grey and wet. We got off at St. Pancras and it was sunny as all get up and in the mid 60s. I looked at the husband and asked where he had packed my Oakleys.
London actually stayed sunny and in the mid 60s the entire time we were there. I got more tan than the husband from all the walking around we did. We did all the tourist things and London was much more social as the husband had lived there for several years. I got introduced to his friends and thankfully they all gave me the nod- not that it would matter five years after the fact. I was told I was quite mischievous and very American polite- I am not sure that is a compliment or sarcasm as I don't speak British...or quite get their sense of humor.
That is all for now, will write some more later this week.
We arrived in Paris Saturday morning and right away we were doing the tourist thing. We hit everything. I was asked what my favorites were and they are Hotel des Invalides- especially Napoleon's tomb, followed by Musee d'Orsey, amazing museum from a philistine in terms of art and culture; Tuileries Garden and running along the Seine very early in the morning. Yes, we actually trained while we were on our honeymoon. The one thing I noticed about European runners is they are not friendly at all. Generally when you are out running here, you pass another runner and make a small wave or nod in acknowledgement of oh, you are crazy/in pain too? Not European runners. Everyone of them looked at me like I had two heads.
We actually went out to a club. You know how they have open mike night at a lot of clubs here in the States? Well apparently the club we went to- Spyce was the name, apparently that is the French spelling?-clearly had open stage/stripper pole night. Seriously- the place was tiny, had a deejay and stage and two very small bars. We got there and there were cute go go boys on the stage dancing in skimpy attire. They got off and then out of the crowd cam two other cute go go boys. I looked at the husband and said whoo hoo, we hit open pole night! The best act though was the last one. These three guys came up and took off their overcoats. Two were regular sized, gym fit hotties. The last one was a giant- had to be around 6' 4", jacked, mustache, no body hair and ink all over. The two smaller guys were wearing black leather jock straps and motorcycle caps. The giant was wearing a leather jock strap with spangles hanging off the front, black leather boots to mid thigh, black gloves above his elbows and - wait for it- pasties with tassels hanging from them! I and the husband looked at each other and said no fucking way! He really did not dance at all, he just stood there doing pseudo vogue moves. I said to the husband you know in his mind he is wearing a long red gown, is blonde and holding a cigarette holder...
We departed Paris on Thursday from Gar de Nord and went off to Bruges- no we did not see the movie and everyone tells us it is hilarious. Bruges is technically a city as it has a cathedral. Well technicality aside it is a small town. How do I know this other than trusting my eyes? Um because we actually ran around the entirety of it in fifty minutes. My favorite thing in Bruges was the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Apparently during one of the Crusades some noble brought back what is believed to be two drops of Jesus' blood. How did Dan Brown miss that when he was writing The daVinci Code?
Saturday morning we took the train from Bruges to London- I was psyched as we got to go through the Chunnel- clearly dating myself by calling it the Chunnel instead of the Channel Tunnel.As we were en route the husband is warning me that London's weather is notoriously grey and wet. We got off at St. Pancras and it was sunny as all get up and in the mid 60s. I looked at the husband and asked where he had packed my Oakleys.
London actually stayed sunny and in the mid 60s the entire time we were there. I got more tan than the husband from all the walking around we did. We did all the tourist things and London was much more social as the husband had lived there for several years. I got introduced to his friends and thankfully they all gave me the nod- not that it would matter five years after the fact. I was told I was quite mischievous and very American polite- I am not sure that is a compliment or sarcasm as I don't speak British...or quite get their sense of humor.
That is all for now, will write some more later this week.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Hitting "Reply All" isn't that embarrassing
So last week my man-crush here at work sent out an email that was work related. He is also a closet sci-fi/fantasy geek so I replied "all I care about is the fight for Kings Landing "(we talk about Game of Thrones every Monday).
I mistakenly hit "Reply All" instead of plain old "Reply." He emails me back telling me to watch that reply all button. I tell him please, I have done way many more embarrassing things in my life than publicly state I am a geek. More importantly I now know who all the other geeks- professed and silent- in the office are as they all replied back to me with some kind of comment on the show.
Tuesday morning I swear it was like Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. First I almost hit a raccoon, then I definitely hit a fox (which I felt really bad about hoping it was not the mother who was going through our backyard with her two kits) and then had to stop twice for a near herd of deer. I was just waiting for Marln Perkins to voice over "And now Jim will shoot the driver with a tranquilizer..."
Apparently today is World No Tobacco Day. Yeah, that so aint happpen' with me, epic fail. As I have said before, they will pry the tin of Skoal from my cold, rigorous hand.
Some talking head was on BBRG tv yesterday commenting on how when the Texas S&Ls went under in the early '90s, all the other states helped bail them out. He was saying that is what should happen in Europe. Well yeah, I could envisage that happening-if Europe was a federal system! It aint, I highly doubt it will become one so I don't see how countries in Europe will willingly bail out other countries banks. Comparing Texas S&Ls getting bailed out y the rest of the U.S in the '90s to Europe today is apples and oranges- apple and oranges I say.
Am I the only one who thinks Mitt Romney makes Al Gore look like a lively, warm and personable guy? Seriously, the guy is so forced and even more robotic than Al. He is like Data except without the positronic brain.
I mistakenly hit "Reply All" instead of plain old "Reply." He emails me back telling me to watch that reply all button. I tell him please, I have done way many more embarrassing things in my life than publicly state I am a geek. More importantly I now know who all the other geeks- professed and silent- in the office are as they all replied back to me with some kind of comment on the show.
Tuesday morning I swear it was like Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. First I almost hit a raccoon, then I definitely hit a fox (which I felt really bad about hoping it was not the mother who was going through our backyard with her two kits) and then had to stop twice for a near herd of deer. I was just waiting for Marln Perkins to voice over "And now Jim will shoot the driver with a tranquilizer..."
Apparently today is World No Tobacco Day. Yeah, that so aint happpen' with me, epic fail. As I have said before, they will pry the tin of Skoal from my cold, rigorous hand.
Some talking head was on BBRG tv yesterday commenting on how when the Texas S&Ls went under in the early '90s, all the other states helped bail them out. He was saying that is what should happen in Europe. Well yeah, I could envisage that happening-if Europe was a federal system! It aint, I highly doubt it will become one so I don't see how countries in Europe will willingly bail out other countries banks. Comparing Texas S&Ls getting bailed out y the rest of the U.S in the '90s to Europe today is apples and oranges- apple and oranges I say.
Am I the only one who thinks Mitt Romney makes Al Gore look like a lively, warm and personable guy? Seriously, the guy is so forced and even more robotic than Al. He is like Data except without the positronic brain.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Talk is sheep
So the summer has begun. We had the boys this long weekend which meant we took in two movies, used the grill and did yard work.
Saturday morning I had the list of errands to do and took the boys with me when the hot sex on a stick painter showed up. We ended up doing a few more things- namely getting the boys hybrid bikes (road and trial) for here at our house and my oldest got a fishing pole and tackle kit as he wants to fish on the canal at the back of the property.
Saturday night we tool in Men In Black 3. I thought it was just ok, rather nondescript. The husband found it very boring and the boys liked it. There were a few funny scenes but the whole time paradox thing kinda annoyed me. A time fracture really isn't a normal sci-fi trope.
Sunday we were kind of lazy and we went and saw Battleship. I have to say I think it was a better action flick than MIB3 and I am surprised it only got a roughly 30% on Rotten Tomatoes. I may be biased as I got to see Taylor Kitsch in nothing but a towel and he is totally smokin'.
Sunday night I almost blew up the house using the grill. I made grilled flat bread using the pizza stone over charcoal. That is not what almost blew up the house though. On the propane side I was supposed to grill hamburgers and hot dogs. I preheated the grill, went inside to refresh my wine glass and came back out to see the propane side roaring and smelling like burning plastic only to see the frackin' line from the grill to the tank on fire! I ran inside got the fire extinguisher and put the whole thing out, reached under and turned off the tank and turned it off. That shook me a bit. So of course I drank more wine.
We got into watching "Total Blackout" on SciFi. That is one messed up show but is really funny. I think they have a rule that they have to have at least one really fey gay man in each episode. I would love to get the husband and I on it as a team as he would be really entertaining.
So I just read that a newspaper in Spain, El Pais, is saying that Spain may get another year to meet the debt to GDP requirements. Ok, if I was Greece that would totally make me say fuck you to the rest of the Eurozone and quit. Maybe that is the goal. Yet all the talking heads are preaching fire and brimstone for the Greeks if they default and leave. Really? Are you fucking kidding me? How much worse can it get in Greece than the depression they are already suffering through? At least if they are out and reissue the drachma they will be in charge of their own fate as opposed to having to give up their sovereignty to Germany.
I got no training in this past weekend which I am kind of bummed about as I have somewhat foolishly committed doing an Olympic triathlon in July with the husband. "I'll give it a whirl" is what I think I said when we discussed it. That means in about 8 weeks I will be swimming 1.5 kilometers, biking 40 and then running 10. Wish me luck.
We had dinner last week with friends in the city. We got on the topic of how the husband has been making his own mulch, how we compost in touch with our inner Earth Mother. Out of the blue the husband stated how he would like to get sheep. I am all or that as I think it would be neat and we could make our own sheep's milk cheese and the husband could shear them, spin yarn form their wool and knit those hats you see all the Peruvians selling on the streets of NYC. I told the boys this weekend and they agreed it would be a pretty cool idea to get some sheep. We have the acreage so we could probably support a limited number- like two to three. We clearly need to do some more research on the subject. It also means we will definitely be fencing in the whole grassy area of the property next spring.
Saturday morning I had the list of errands to do and took the boys with me when the hot sex on a stick painter showed up. We ended up doing a few more things- namely getting the boys hybrid bikes (road and trial) for here at our house and my oldest got a fishing pole and tackle kit as he wants to fish on the canal at the back of the property.
Saturday night we tool in Men In Black 3. I thought it was just ok, rather nondescript. The husband found it very boring and the boys liked it. There were a few funny scenes but the whole time paradox thing kinda annoyed me. A time fracture really isn't a normal sci-fi trope.
Sunday we were kind of lazy and we went and saw Battleship. I have to say I think it was a better action flick than MIB3 and I am surprised it only got a roughly 30% on Rotten Tomatoes. I may be biased as I got to see Taylor Kitsch in nothing but a towel and he is totally smokin'.
Sunday night I almost blew up the house using the grill. I made grilled flat bread using the pizza stone over charcoal. That is not what almost blew up the house though. On the propane side I was supposed to grill hamburgers and hot dogs. I preheated the grill, went inside to refresh my wine glass and came back out to see the propane side roaring and smelling like burning plastic only to see the frackin' line from the grill to the tank on fire! I ran inside got the fire extinguisher and put the whole thing out, reached under and turned off the tank and turned it off. That shook me a bit. So of course I drank more wine.
We got into watching "Total Blackout" on SciFi. That is one messed up show but is really funny. I think they have a rule that they have to have at least one really fey gay man in each episode. I would love to get the husband and I on it as a team as he would be really entertaining.
So I just read that a newspaper in Spain, El Pais, is saying that Spain may get another year to meet the debt to GDP requirements. Ok, if I was Greece that would totally make me say fuck you to the rest of the Eurozone and quit. Maybe that is the goal. Yet all the talking heads are preaching fire and brimstone for the Greeks if they default and leave. Really? Are you fucking kidding me? How much worse can it get in Greece than the depression they are already suffering through? At least if they are out and reissue the drachma they will be in charge of their own fate as opposed to having to give up their sovereignty to Germany.
I got no training in this past weekend which I am kind of bummed about as I have somewhat foolishly committed doing an Olympic triathlon in July with the husband. "I'll give it a whirl" is what I think I said when we discussed it. That means in about 8 weeks I will be swimming 1.5 kilometers, biking 40 and then running 10. Wish me luck.
We had dinner last week with friends in the city. We got on the topic of how the husband has been making his own mulch, how we compost in touch with our inner Earth Mother. Out of the blue the husband stated how he would like to get sheep. I am all or that as I think it would be neat and we could make our own sheep's milk cheese and the husband could shear them, spin yarn form their wool and knit those hats you see all the Peruvians selling on the streets of NYC. I told the boys this weekend and they agreed it would be a pretty cool idea to get some sheep. We have the acreage so we could probably support a limited number- like two to three. We clearly need to do some more research on the subject. It also means we will definitely be fencing in the whole grassy area of the property next spring.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Damn- I missed St. Matthias Day
Monday was St. Matthias Day. St. Matthias is the patron saint of luck. I should have bought a ticket to Power Ball or Mega Millions.
I rode the bike at the gym this morning. I am not sure the Star-Tec eSpinners are right about how far you ride. I was on it for forty minutes and supposedly I rode 15.2 miles. That pace seems a bit fast for me honestly. Don't get wrong- I posted it on Run Keeper, lol, but I am not confident I actually biked that far in that time span.
No Soccer Coach at the gym this morning but it did open on time.
I happened to read about a professional baseball player throwing his batting helmet at an ump. Big no no and I wanted to see who it was. Brett Lawrie. I of course googled images of Brett and he is pretty darn cute.
30 Seconds to Mars- the Nickleback of alt rock? I ask that because I really think that are not that good of a band. Maybe when they did an anthem for some animated owl movie that turned me against them but no, I just think they are an annoying, shitty band.
So it would appear thatthe French trans-sexual Christine Lagarde in her capacity as head of the IMF made a rather disconcerting statement regarding Greece earlier this evening. I am paraphrasing when I say her comment was the IMF has to be technically prepared for a Greek exit from the euro. Hello- that is a bell ringing.
I personally think- as I am in no way licensed to give investment advice to the general public- that the whole hullabaloo over Facebook is another bell ringing. It just seems like it is going to end badly for all especially when you have astate-owned enterprise company as large as General Motors saying they are pulling their ads as they show no benefit.
Monday I left work early to go and catch my youngest son's last home track meet. IT was raining, he was in the second to last heat for his 100 yard "dash" but I am pretty sure he was totally thrilled I made it. He had that look in his eyes when he saw me before his race and a huge grin on his face. I asked him if was surprised I made it and he hesitated and said no, he knew I would. Friday I am leaving work early to hopefully catch my oldest sons' last tennis match.
The husband is doing a triathlon this Saturday. I will be there to drive and cheer him on. I may do one on July and an Olympic at that- have not really decided yet.
I rode the bike at the gym this morning. I am not sure the Star-Tec eSpinners are right about how far you ride. I was on it for forty minutes and supposedly I rode 15.2 miles. That pace seems a bit fast for me honestly. Don't get wrong- I posted it on Run Keeper, lol, but I am not confident I actually biked that far in that time span.
No Soccer Coach at the gym this morning but it did open on time.
I happened to read about a professional baseball player throwing his batting helmet at an ump. Big no no and I wanted to see who it was. Brett Lawrie. I of course googled images of Brett and he is pretty darn cute.
30 Seconds to Mars- the Nickleback of alt rock? I ask that because I really think that are not that good of a band. Maybe when they did an anthem for some animated owl movie that turned me against them but no, I just think they are an annoying, shitty band.
So it would appear that
I personally think- as I am in no way licensed to give investment advice to the general public- that the whole hullabaloo over Facebook is another bell ringing. It just seems like it is going to end badly for all especially when you have a
Monday I left work early to go and catch my youngest son's last home track meet. IT was raining, he was in the second to last heat for his 100 yard "dash" but I am pretty sure he was totally thrilled I made it. He had that look in his eyes when he saw me before his race and a huge grin on his face. I asked him if was surprised I made it and he hesitated and said no, he knew I would. Friday I am leaving work early to hopefully catch my oldest sons' last tennis match.
The husband is doing a triathlon this Saturday. I will be there to drive and cheer him on. I may do one on July and an Olympic at that- have not really decided yet.
364 years and still going strong...
Small, local businesses are really hit or miss. For example, we are getting a new washer and dryer installed- or so I thought. Having owned homes before I thought I knew the drill. I had the husband get the plumber on the calendar a month ahead of time before we needed him as all plumbers are scatter-brained. The husband was excellent on communicating with the plumber and this is the guy that did the bathroom for us when we did it over. He is very good at plumbing and reasonably priced. Last night I get home only to find out the plumber says he can't install the appliances today or even this week. WTF?? I was livid but there really is nothing we can do even though I vented that we should tell hi to fuck off and find someone. It is not my fault he didn't finish some other job- he knew for a month he ha dour job. His poor planning is not my problem. I really want to write in the memo space on the check when we pay him "Fuck off and die! I hope you fucking choke on this money." but I most likely won't write that.
On the other hand we are getting the house painted as we are pretty sure it has not been painted in over two decades. The husband scored big on the painter. The guy is hot! He is, to quote the husband, "Sex on a stick." Ukrainian, blond, tall, amazing guns, hot ass that looks good in painters jeans and a great chest in a white tee shirt. I told the husband after meeting him that we should offer him a cash bonus if he paints shirtless and lets us take lots of pictures.
The whole JPM situation is a shit show. Some things I have picked up from it are for the "hedge" to have lost that much money that quickly can only really mean they had massive- like LEH size- leverage; it had to be 30-40x. The other thing is there is no way in hell it was a hedge. It was a prop bet on the markets and it went wrong. They had to be a huge portion of the index and you don't do hedges that large. Also it was not a hedge because whatever they were supposedly hedging would have mad even more money than they lost. I also have to believe it shows how flawed Dodd-Frank was which makes sense since that was written by the lobbyists employed by all the banks.
Which leads me to my next point- Glass-Steagal. We need it back. If you think it can't happen then you need to look at Queen Elizabeth II's recent address to Parliament She advocated splitting retail banking from investment banking. It will happen.
Yesterday marked the 364th anniversary of the signing of the Peace of Westphalia. Ironic no, considering all that is going on in Europe right now. My stance on the euro has not changed and I clearly was two years early. Greece will be out within a month and the euro gone by year end.
I went to the gym yesterday morning only to have to wait 15 minutes as no one was there to open it. I find it irksome that I make the effort (along with probably 12 other people) to be there at 6 AM and the person responsible is not dong the same- and they get paid- albeit I am sure it is a pittance. So that cut my workout short but at least Soccer Coach was there.
On the other hand we are getting the house painted as we are pretty sure it has not been painted in over two decades. The husband scored big on the painter. The guy is hot! He is, to quote the husband, "Sex on a stick." Ukrainian, blond, tall, amazing guns, hot ass that looks good in painters jeans and a great chest in a white tee shirt. I told the husband after meeting him that we should offer him a cash bonus if he paints shirtless and lets us take lots of pictures.
The whole JPM situation is a shit show. Some things I have picked up from it are for the "hedge" to have lost that much money that quickly can only really mean they had massive- like LEH size- leverage; it had to be 30-40x. The other thing is there is no way in hell it was a hedge. It was a prop bet on the markets and it went wrong. They had to be a huge portion of the index and you don't do hedges that large. Also it was not a hedge because whatever they were supposedly hedging would have mad even more money than they lost. I also have to believe it shows how flawed Dodd-Frank was which makes sense since that was written by the lobbyists employed by all the banks.
Which leads me to my next point- Glass-Steagal. We need it back. If you think it can't happen then you need to look at Queen Elizabeth II's recent address to Parliament She advocated splitting retail banking from investment banking. It will happen.
Yesterday marked the 364th anniversary of the signing of the Peace of Westphalia. Ironic no, considering all that is going on in Europe right now. My stance on the euro has not changed and I clearly was two years early. Greece will be out within a month and the euro gone by year end.
I went to the gym yesterday morning only to have to wait 15 minutes as no one was there to open it. I find it irksome that I make the effort (along with probably 12 other people) to be there at 6 AM and the person responsible is not dong the same- and they get paid- albeit I am sure it is a pittance. So that cut my workout short but at least Soccer Coach was there.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Proper form at all times
So what is the proper etiquette in the gym when you see someone with really, really
bad form- like so bad it makes you cringe? I ask because for the last
several months I have seen this guy at the gym who's form is probably
worse than my college roommate's form- and his was bad.
The guy is probably around my age- if he were younger once could call him "lanky" or even "awkward" and that would describe him to a tee. But since he is around me age we'll call him skinny.
Anyhow the guy does the same exact exercises every day and I am sure he is getting frustrated he is not getting very good results. I have almost told him several times that his form is terrible and if he fixed it he would see much better and quicker results. Then I step back and think if he wanted to know he would ask or he would be using a trainer at the gym.
Speaking of the gym, this morning not only was orange Nikes there but there was also another hottie- we'll call him Soccer Coach. Bit taller than me, huge calves, dark haired beauty. Soccer Coach because he was wearing a tee shirt that identified him as "coach" and it was for soccer.
Could everyone please stop with the bullshit that Bankia (over in Spain) was partially nationalized? That is akin to saying someone is partially pregnant. The fact that the Spanish government only holds 45% of the company now does not matter. They are now the largest shareholder and they are calling the shots. The whole situation proves once again how important semantics are.
Speaking of semantics, yesterday I red how the Japanese government was taking over Tepco- you know them, they own the Fukishima reactors- to prevent the company becoming insolvent. Really? Something tells me the company was so close to insolvency already that it was all to save face.
Ron Paul and Paul Krugman faced off on BBRG tv last week and it was a very good discussion. I am of the camp that Ron Paul won but it was pretty close. I have to give Paul Krugman credit for openly admitting that we are in a depression. I think he is the first to do so on national television.
I really enjoy Instagram. The one negative is I asked the husband for a digital camera for Christmas- which he got me and it is a nice one. But I find myself using the camera on my phone all the time for the stuff I post there and I feel some regret that I don't use the gift.
Speaking of Instagram a friend who follows me there commented that the photos I like often border male porn. My reply was he is bordering creepy stalker, lol. I also told him I am married, not dead. We both agreed that it is a fun app for amateurs like us. I told him if the husband ever joined I'd most likely block him. My reasoning is the husband is an avid collector of photography and I really would not want to get some art critique of photos I have snapped with my phone camera and posted for fun.
I also discussed Instagram with Mr. Barrett. He is a tumblr guy but the apps are similar enough. He commented that a photographer he knows was a bit derisive of Instagram. I told him I understand why as it is a threat to his profession. I feel similar about all the on-line trading sites out there. I like to think that what I do actually takes some skill set that not just anyone of the street possesses. With Instagram everyone can dream they are the next Thomas Ruff, Cindy Sherman, James Caseofbeer, Vik Munoz or Ansel Adams (that last one is for my straight friends).
I am really sick and tired of many people in my line of work who constantly try to "normalize" things. It is a form of laziness they have picked up from those in the dismal science and think everything can and should be normalized. Hello? Markets are rarely to never "normal."
I gotyelled at scolded reprimanded last week about wearing sneakers at work. Really? Don't get me wrong- I toe the line for my boss when I am told to but I am fairly certain there is not a single shred of evidence or model you could test for heteroscedasticity (just cuz I like that word and remember it from my econometrics classes- it really doesn't apply here) showing that what I am wearing on feet has any correlation or impact on the direction of financial markets.
The guy is probably around my age- if he were younger once could call him "lanky" or even "awkward" and that would describe him to a tee. But since he is around me age we'll call him skinny.
Anyhow the guy does the same exact exercises every day and I am sure he is getting frustrated he is not getting very good results. I have almost told him several times that his form is terrible and if he fixed it he would see much better and quicker results. Then I step back and think if he wanted to know he would ask or he would be using a trainer at the gym.
Speaking of the gym, this morning not only was orange Nikes there but there was also another hottie- we'll call him Soccer Coach. Bit taller than me, huge calves, dark haired beauty. Soccer Coach because he was wearing a tee shirt that identified him as "coach" and it was for soccer.
Could everyone please stop with the bullshit that Bankia (over in Spain) was partially nationalized? That is akin to saying someone is partially pregnant. The fact that the Spanish government only holds 45% of the company now does not matter. They are now the largest shareholder and they are calling the shots. The whole situation proves once again how important semantics are.
Speaking of semantics, yesterday I red how the Japanese government was taking over Tepco- you know them, they own the Fukishima reactors- to prevent the company becoming insolvent. Really? Something tells me the company was so close to insolvency already that it was all to save face.
Ron Paul and Paul Krugman faced off on BBRG tv last week and it was a very good discussion. I am of the camp that Ron Paul won but it was pretty close. I have to give Paul Krugman credit for openly admitting that we are in a depression. I think he is the first to do so on national television.
I really enjoy Instagram. The one negative is I asked the husband for a digital camera for Christmas- which he got me and it is a nice one. But I find myself using the camera on my phone all the time for the stuff I post there and I feel some regret that I don't use the gift.
Speaking of Instagram a friend who follows me there commented that the photos I like often border male porn. My reply was he is bordering creepy stalker, lol. I also told him I am married, not dead. We both agreed that it is a fun app for amateurs like us. I told him if the husband ever joined I'd most likely block him. My reasoning is the husband is an avid collector of photography and I really would not want to get some art critique of photos I have snapped with my phone camera and posted for fun.
I also discussed Instagram with Mr. Barrett. He is a tumblr guy but the apps are similar enough. He commented that a photographer he knows was a bit derisive of Instagram. I told him I understand why as it is a threat to his profession. I feel similar about all the on-line trading sites out there. I like to think that what I do actually takes some skill set that not just anyone of the street possesses. With Instagram everyone can dream they are the next Thomas Ruff, Cindy Sherman, James Caseofbeer, Vik Munoz or Ansel Adams (that last one is for my straight friends).
I am really sick and tired of many people in my line of work who constantly try to "normalize" things. It is a form of laziness they have picked up from those in the dismal science and think everything can and should be normalized. Hello? Markets are rarely to never "normal."
I got
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Time for a title change
So Mr. Barrett was up visiting this past weekend and we got on the topic of our blogs.
He casually mentioned he thought I might consider changing the title of mine. He has referred to me as Darth Jersey since we first met at The Green Lantern on Go Shirtless and Drink For Free Night.
It is not a long story nor complicated but I just don't feel like going through it all.
It got me thinking that he was right as I have not actually resided in Hoboken for almost three years now. Also if you are reading this and have not yet figured out I am gay and have sons from a previous marriage to a woman(I tried to live a straight lifestyle- it didn't work out) then do you really care what the title is?
He casually mentioned he thought I might consider changing the title of mine. He has referred to me as Darth Jersey since we first met at The Green Lantern on Go Shirtless and Drink For Free Night.
It is not a long story nor complicated but I just don't feel like going through it all.
It got me thinking that he was right as I have not actually resided in Hoboken for almost three years now. Also if you are reading this and have not yet figured out I am gay and have sons from a previous marriage to a woman(I tried to live a straight lifestyle- it didn't work out) then do you really care what the title is?
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