Quirky.

Space.

Looking back on it, I can safely say that yesterday was a shitty day for me. I should probably use a classier word choice, truth be known, but that would just cover up the fact that it was just a shitty day. That whole lipstick-pig thing. I call it like I see it.

I was so unfocused yesterday. I don’t feel like I accomplished much. I was cranky. Irritable. It’s that whole expectations thing I was talking about in one of my blog entries yesterday; I have expectations, they’re not met, and then I’m cranky when in all truth of the matter I really don’t have a reason to be cranky because they’re my expectations. Someday I’ll learn.

What’s more important is that today is a much better day.

I did discover that one thing that was making me cranky was working on my work MacBook Pro from home yesterday. It’s a 15-inch display but it feels so cramped when I’m working. Like most folks I multi-task a lot, and when I have five windows open on one window and I have four different desktops that I am flinging back and forth on my screen, the 15-inch screen feels a bit cramped for serious work. That size of a display works great when you’re focused on one task, much like when you’re working on an iPad (or other tablet), but when there’s a lot going on in your work life you need to have a lot of space to manage it all. The other frustrating part of it all is that I have a 27-inch Apple Thunderbolt Display for my personal Mac Mini that won’t work with my mid-2010 MacBook Pro from work. The port looks the same. The plug from the monitor plugs into the port, but nothing happens, because apparently there’s one wire difference in the way the connector works.

That’s just silly. It’s even more irritating. You’d think that Apple would make an adapter but they didn’t.

So I’m trying to figure out how I can get my work computer on a bigger monitor without breaking any budgets. I think I’m going to end up selling three computers to buy one robust computer and then I’ll buy one monitor and call it a day.

I just need more elbow room.

I guess it’s little things that make me cranky.

The Conversation Spin Agitation.

“The washer isn’t spinning!” Some would claim that I sounded hysterical, I but was just yelling over the sound of the washing machine endlessly tumbling our bed linens (doesn’t the song go, “I’m not talking about the linens and I don’t want to change your life”) while the display had showed 0:08 remaining for the past 35 minutes.

Our new washing machine has a bit of a feisty streak. In order to show off his full 1200 RPMs when he’s doing his spinning thing, things have to be perfectly aligned and balanced. And in this world of chaos, this last year of the Mayan calendar, apparently finding the perfect alignment and balance of two sheets, two pillow cases and a blanket is a very difficult thing to do. So instead of tweeting, beeping or sending a smoke signal (we didn’t go with the high end model of the washer), the washer just sits there tumbling at random speeds trying to shuffle the contents of the tub around until balance perfection can be achieved.

Perhaps we need to shove all of the politicians into a Speed Queen and push a button to restore balance inside the Beltway.

I digress.

Ok, perhaps I was slightly hysterical when I loudly declared (I don’t have all the options either) that the washer was stuck on 0:08 again. But the thing is, it’s my bed time. And in order for the bed sheets to be dry at a reasonable time, the washer has to fling them around at its full 1200 RPM in order for them to dry in the dryer at a reasonable speed. You see, I refuse to sleep in the cat’s discarded cat bed again. And we don’t talk about the litter box incident in our house.

After hauling the wet clothes out of the washer, rearranging them, waving some crystals in the direction of this tower of laundry apparatus and then doing a rapid hula dance as I pushed some buttons and made some encouraging whirring noises, I begged the washer to spin at high speed so Daddy could get some sleep. Because I can speak “washer”, the door locked, unlocked, locked, unlocked and then locked again before the tub spun counter clockwise, clockwise and then ramped up to 500 RPM. This showed encouragement. The counter finally dropped itself down to 0:07 and we hit medium speed 800 RPM. If there was a clutch pedal I would have popped it into sixth because it was less than a minute later that we reached high speed goodness and the washer kicked into high. We had full 1200 RPM, baby, and to prove this the dryer that is perched on top of the washer wagged a little dance back and forth and the cat shot into his litter box, flung some litter around and then went tearing down the hallway to tell the Papa Bear.

Life is good when your sheets are clean. They’re not only good, they’re hysterically good.

9 April 2012 by J.P. Ponderings and Musings Quirky. 3

Exercise.

I was walking up to my favorite Dunkin’ Donuts when the voice in my head started in on me.

“Remember that dream you had the other night where you were running so fast that you were running in slow motion?”

“Yeah, what about it,” my curious side asked.

“Remember how good you felt when you were running so fast that you were running in slow motion. Remember how streamlined and how healthy you felt when you heard those ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch sounds in your head?”

“Yes,” I confessed. I didn’t want to pursue the conversation any longer because the fact that I was running in slow motion and hearing ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch sounds at 43 years old was a little disconcerting.

“You should skip the cookie today, just like you did yesterday.”

“But yesterday after skipping the cookie at Dunkin’ Donuts I ended up eating pistachios at my desk and they were really good,” I countered.

“You should skip the pistachios, too.”

“I want to ride my bike but it’s not bike riding season yet,” I silently remarked, using whatever telepathic means was necessary to shut the voice up inside my head. I don’t like it when that voice reminds me of ch-ch-ch-ch and healthy eating.

“Riding your bike will be much easier this spring if you watch what you eat during hibernation season.”

“I want to sleep if it’s hibernation season,” was my simple reply.

“You can’t. There’s too much to do. Why don’t you ride the exercise bike tonight as a way to celebrate the fact that you’re not going to order a cookie when you get to the counter?”

I was entering the front door of Dunkin’ Donuts when I muttered out loud, “Fine.” I wonder if people think I have tourettes.

I didn’t have to place an order for the unsweetened iced tea because the order was already in the process of being assembled. Yesterday I had encountered a new person behind the register and she asked what I wanted as the other person behind the counter handed me my already assembled beverage of choice.

“I’m predictable, I guess,” I remarked to the new person behind the register. Apparently this translated to “my UFO has cruise control” because she gave me a look like I was an alien.

I started my journey back to the Jeep to write this blog entry when the voice started up again.

“See, you did it, no cookie today. You’ll thank me for it later on.”

I better find a way to make the ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch sound.

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

14 February 2012 by J.P. Fitness. Ponderings and Musings Quirky. 3

Ritual.

My iced tea was ready and waiting when I walked in the door of Dunkin’ Donuts. One of the friendly clerks behind the counter had a smile.

“Since it’s a holiday week – do you want your cookie today or tomorrow?”

Wow, I am freakin’ predictable.

The cookie was good. Nom nom nom. I think I’ll have another one tomorrow.

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

29 December 2011 by J.P. Quirky. 0

Reconnected.

Quickshot 2011-05-07 at 13.41.59.4870.jpg

It was back in January that I mentioned that I was contemplating buying a new vehicle, after sliding off the road in my beloved Acura RSX Type S. I decided that it was time to be sensible and to invest in a vehicle that I could drive year ’round.

How silly of me.

I don’t need to buy a new vehicle at all, but rather, I just need to make a small investment into the vehicle I have so that it can be driven year ’round.

I noticed that Pep Boys was having a sale on tires; buy three tires and get the fourth tire free. Since the car I have has four tires it only makes sense that I would leap at such a deal, and since the Acura’s current tires were way beyond their prime, perhaps we needed to make the investment to find the enjoyment of exploring the roads again.

The Acura was grinning wildly as we left the Pep Boys parking lot this morning. My smile was even bigger. The tires feel sticky and make my baby feel like he’s a brand new car again. He’s boasting a brand new NYSDMV inspection sticker, didn’t need any anticipated brake work (yay!) and doesn’t sound like he’s running with bad wheel bearings, because it was the old tires that were so loud.

We kept it under the speed limit, barely, but we handled the curves like the way an orchestra handles the sweetest of symphonies. One of my favorite driving tunes, “Hello Piano” by Inkfish and David West, could be played at an aggressive, yet not overpowering level because I didn’t need to drown out the noise of the bad tires. My Acura and I reconnected again and after a well needed bath, we are ready for summer again.

And I’m ready to live out the dream of driving him across the salt flats of Utah. Why investment money in something I don’t need, when I already have motoring perfection.

Quickshot 2011-05-07 at 13.41.59.6260.jpg

7 May 2011 by J.P. Quirky. Random 2

Bald.

I have a question for the bald men and their admirers. Do the cool kids still shave their head or has that been relegated to old farts and the younger, balding guys now go with the shadow buzzed look. Though I am never fashion conscious (Earl made me throw out my International Male parachute pants just last week), I am age conscious and while I am determined to age gracefully and without impediment, I don’t want to look older than I am. I have accepted the fact that my hair has gone from ginger to cinnamon and sugar and that the right side of my mustache is downright gray, but if I’m starting to look like an old fart before my time something has to be done.

I’m never going to comb over and I’m certainly never going to wear the high and tight flattop I had so long ago, but if I can save the minutes in the morning in an effort to look a little younger I’m going to do it.

26 April 2011 by J.P. Quirky. 0

Walk.

It has been a gorgeous weekend. Earl, Jamie, Scott and I went out to dinner to a local Irish castle (even though we are not in Ireland). The Beardslee Castle is known for it’s ghosts, it’s ambience and it’s great food. We had a wonderful evening.

We’ve been doing some work around the lawn getting everything ready for spring. I added a few new landscaping lights to the collection; I have promised these are the only landscaping lights I will purchase this season. Solar powered lighting rocks!

From 2011-04-03: Connections.

The last remnants of winter are almost gone. We are hoping that all remaining snow will be gone by sundown. It looks like we are making good progress towards that goal.

From 2011-04-03: Connections.

I went for a walk to “town” and back and decided to bring the good camera along for the walk. I snapped some photos with the theme “connections” in mind. The first two photos in this blog entry are part of that theme; the landscape lights stand in unison, connected to their sun via their solar powered batteries. The last bit of the snow bank is the connection to the winter that has (hopefully) passed.

The lilac bush in the front lawn is feeling connected to spring. Soon we will have lilacs giving us a lovely scent as we walk out the front door. I think lilacs are my favorite flower; Grandma City had quite a few bushes in the back lawn and when they were in season, she’d have a small arrangement on the kitchen table. The scent was pleasant

From 2011-04-03: Connections.

The local county DPW has decided to start marking the county routes like most of the counties in New York State does, connecting folks to the directions stamped on their printed Google Maps directions or barked out by their GPS. I took this photo of one of the new signs.

From 2011-04-03: Connections.

As I notice these signs I bark out “we are on County Route (whatever)!” Everyone else in the vehicle sighs.

Before the road came through, their was a railroad that is now mainly used by a local railroad preservation society. This line goes into the Adirondacks and is aptly home to the Adirondack Railroad. The northern end of the line is just south of Old Forge in Thendara; the southern end of the line in Utica at Union Station.

Northbound. From 2011-04-03: Connections.

Southbound. From 2011-04-03: Connections.

Grandma Country had a fondness for watching the trains go by as she read in her rocking chair. I wish this line was busier so I could snap some photos from time to time. I’ve never ridden in a locomotive; that’s something I’d like to do.

Because I’m a big geek and have always been a big geek, I occasionally take photos of power lines. These particular type of pylons (I believe that’s what those who know call them) are only found in Upstate New York (mostly in the former Niagara Mohawk territory), at least as far as I have observed and there are several variations on this theme throughout the Empire State. I plan on taking some shots of the variations. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a manufacturer or date when I inspected this closely.

From 2011-04-03: Connections.

It’s hard to believe that the local expressway is eight years old already. It keeps us connected to the small city, pictured here in the distance. Someday this road will have an official Interstate number and everything.

From 2011-04-03: Connections.

I have been feeling particularly connected to my country these days. This flag made me smile, as it is up 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and given the proper lighting and respect it deserves. This is at the local post office.

From 2011-04-03: Connections.

All in all the walk was around two miles and it felt good to be out in the sunshine. I’m ramping up to be on the bike by the end of the week; the weather predictions say we’ll be near 60 by then. Perfect cycling weather.

3 April 2011 by J.P. Ponderings and Musings Quirky. 0

Vanity.

I’m sitting in the Jeep enjoying the winter sunshine during my early lunch hour. The screen of my iPad is very reflective, so I thought I was long overdue for a vanity shot.

(Updated 11 Jan 10 1836 EST to actually include the photo, since the WordPress app on the iPad sucks so bad.)

10 January 2011 by J.P. Geek Quirky. 2

Sleepwrite.

It was very early in our relationship when Earl discovered that I had a habit of sleepwalking once in a while. We still lived in the apartment and he found me standing in the walk-in closet of our bedroom. I was just standing there, seemingly asleep. He gently guided me back to bed, made sure I was tucked in and then went to back to bed. The next morning he asked if I remembered standing in the closet; I had no recollection of any of the event, but I told him that I have been known to sleepwalk once in a while. My mom tells of another favourite pasttime I had as a kid; I would shout out but be completely asleep. She’d check on me and I’d be making fighting motions in the air and be yelling about spiders or something. I wouldn’t let her turn off the light.

I still sleepwalk from time to time. Earl usually finds me in front of the window looking at the sky. Like before, he guides me to bed and I don’t remember a thing.

Apparently last night I added a new twist to my occasional nighttime activity for this morning my friend Greg alerted me to an e-mail I sent him shortly after midnight last night. The contents of the were a bit babbly and somewhat corresponded to a dream that I remembered having. I noticed that there were a lot of typos (something I try to avoid) and a strong element of incoherence in my dreamy prose, but apparently I was aware enough to compose the e-mail and hit send.

It would seem that having a computer near the bed is a dangerous thing.

31 August 2009 by J.P. Quirky. 2

Notice.

Today my co-workers began to notice that I have posted a photo on my cubicle wall.

Printed out and photographed before being attached to the cubicle wall.

The picture is obviously of Lauren Tewes, a screencap of the credits from the first season of The Love Boat. Since I used the screencaps of Julie McCoy as an illustration of maintaining a positive outlook, I decided a reminder at work was appropriate.

It has done wonders. I haven’t snarled or yelled at or bitten a customer yet this week.

A couple of people have asked why Julie McCoy and I give them the same story I outlined in the previous blog entry. I also add that if I was just a tad bit gayer, at this very moment I’d probably be a Julie McCoy on a cruise ship somewhere. Not that I think that being gay has anything to do with being a cruise director, well at least the kind on a ship, but it probably would lead my path in that direction.

26 August 2009 by J.P. Quirky. 1

Quirky.

Space.

The Conversation Spin Agitation.

Exercise.

Ritual.

Reconnected.

Bald.

Walk.

Vanity.

Sleepwrite.

Notice.

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