So this is what technology has brought our relationship to.
11:42 AM
Me: Is there any chance that we could walk around the mall (maybe Franklin Mills) for some exercise before we head back to R&H?
Him: are we eating lunch here?
Me: That’s up to you.
Him: or franklin mills?
Me: I’ll research what’s available at Franklin Mills
Him: ok
Him: they have 3 food courts
Me: w00t
Please keep in mind that I am looking him square in the eye while we are chatting over instant messenger.
Earl and I have set up shop in a corner of the newish Panera here in Feasterville, Pa. for the morning. We are in town for Rick and Helen’s official wedding reception taking place tonight. We will be kilted for the occasion and I’ll be sure to share pictures tomorrow. It seems the kilt pictures were popular.
We always seem to migrate to Panera when we are looking for free wi-fi and decent food. Supporting my ghetto Panera theory, this Panera is nothing like the one we have back home. This store has a calm, quiet atmosphere going on, complete with fireplaces, lounge chairs and new age music. The Panera at home is really out of the norm with it’s McDonald’s vibe. I think that speaks volumes regarding the area we live in.
Using my quasi bionic hearing I’ve been eavesdropping on the conversation going on behind me. One woman’s daughter is taking the train to New York next weekend and she’ll be spending the night in a “haushaus”. The woman mentioned this haushaus several times before her friend corrected her and let her know that it’s a hostel.
I giggled.
Speaking of bionic hearing, I was reading some superhero geek message boards and noticed that the producers of Bionic Woman (the fake one) have altered the show a bit in attempt to stop the ratings from their freefall. They did this in the last episode by using a bit of slow-motion and sound effects to indicate that “Jaime” was doing something bionic. I appreciate the effort and I watched a clip online, and the effects looked quite cool, but it didn’t make up for the fact that there is a fake Jaime Sommers (which is worse than a fake Jan Brady), Isaiah Washington was on the show and the dialogue was really, really weak (and I only watched a seven minute clip). There’s rumblings that they’re going to “reboot” the entire show in January, hopefully they’ll start from scratch and listen to the suggestions from the public to make it more inline and continuous with the original bionic shows. Lindsay Wagner recently said that she doesn’t like the new show at all. So much for her cameo.
I still firmly believe that there is only one true Bionic Woman.
After my one class today I had this attack of frustration unlike anything I’ve experienced in a while. The class is scheduled for 12:00 to 12:50. Over the past week or two, my classmates will start packing their books, etc. up at 12:49 and then start walking out at 12:50. The problem with this scenario is that the professor is still in the midst of conversing with the people that live in the chalkboard. I sit at my desk and wait for him to finish. He’s gone as long as another five minutes beyond his allotted time before realizing that the class has dwindled down to a few foolish few.
I find this scenario frustrating for several reasons.
First of all, it shows me that the majority of the class has absolutely no respect for the professor. This can’t be a good thing no matter how you look at it. Yeah, the guy is unorthodox but he holds the key to collegiate goodness. Without him and the next class in the sequence (he’s the only one that teaches it next semester), there’s no goody at the end of the ride. Like him or not, he should be given some respect.
Secondly, it’s confirming my belief that the professor doesn’t have a grasp on what’s going on in the class in any manner; how well we comprehend the material, how much material to cover in a class period or whether the students are sitting in their seats or not.
So I did something that I shouldn’t have done. I jumped on the closest thing we have to the Autobahn (long stretch of expressway with no hiding places for cops), cranked up my theme song of “Distorted” from La Nouba and drove really fast. Like three digits fast. And I’m talking three digits in the archaic manner of measuring things. I slowed down before the curve though and got it all under control.
It was release that I shouldn’t have done but felt really good.
I think one of the reasons that I’m feeling a little frustrated these days is because I’m having really good dreams at night. I remember a sizable number of my dreams (something I’ve discovered is rather rare when I mention this to others) and last night I was flying and flying and floating like a leaf on the wind. It was a beautiful moment for me and it felt very real. I woke up this morning feeling centered and at peace and the goofiness of class just messed it up.
Perhaps I tried to recreate that feeling by flying along the expressway as fast as I can. It wasn’t the same though.
I think I need to meditate.
Jeff at Esoteric Diversions talks about something that sounds quite heavenly in his blog post today.
The Thanksgiving Sub at D’Angelos. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy in a sub roll! Ooh la la. I’d even venture to eat the whole sub as intended instead of taking it apart to eat it. (It’s a long story).
Me thinks it’s time for a road trip to Massachusetts.
Dear kind and gentle readers, you may notice that I’ve done some tweaking of the blog site a bit.
* You can see me if I’m in the office/studio now courtesy of the Home Office Cam. It updates once a minute and may occasionally venture into PG-13/R territory depending on my mood. If it gets X, it gets covered. I’m shy.
* New additions to the Blogroll include Moby and Gooster. I love clicking on the links of others, which leads me to another, which leads me to another. I think Homer‘s blog started the chain this time. I haven’t met any of these guys face to face but I’d stalk them should the opportunity arise.
* I have a new Xbox Live game card based on my new name. We’ve officially entered Xbox 360 season in our household. Especially since the Eagles are kind of sucky this year.
* I’m getting a little multimedia happy these days with an increase in photos again. I’d like the kind and gentle reader to enjoy a multimedia experience.
Now sit back and enjoy a pleasant flight.
There is something magical about a big blast of sunshine in the middle of November, at least in this part of the country. I think it’s Mother Nature’s way of saying, “Yes, I’m still here, now brace yourself bippee, because you’re in for a ride.” She then showers up with lots of snow. Lots and lots of snow.
Whatever the reason, I’m enjoying the interlude of sunshine today. I’m drinking it in and sharing it with as many folks as I can.
Life isn’t meant to be gloomy.
When Earl is out of town on business I tend to bring the PowerBook to bed with me. I wonder how he’ll feel about the extra company in bed when he gets back.
With less than a month in this less than stellar semester at school, the professors are discovering that the syllabus wasn’t some sort of weird nightmare and that we all have to get cracking if we are going to be ready for the next Big Test. Professor Frightful and his cast of characters that live in the chalk board (and only speak to him) decided that our next exam will be extra long to catch up with the syllabus, but as a bonus we’ll get to take it home so that we can share the merriment with the family. This may save me. Please disregard the bags under my eyes when that day comes.
In Surveying class we are running speed trials on how fast we can set up equipment that is so obsolete it has a built in abacus. Earl is constantly reminding me that I must learn the basics so that I can appreciate the technology that is available to a budding engineer such as myself, and when my classmates share my complaints I remind them that Rome was built without a computer and I suppose we could do the same just so we can appreciate the good old days. Besides, I hear Caesar was hot.
For the past two hours I’ve been struggling with inverse coordinates in coordinate geometry. The method we are using is for checks and balances purposes. I have numbers that are positive. I have numbers that are negative. I have numbers that dance on a calculator and I have numbers that dance in my nightmares. I know they’re matching with something out there and I’m confident I’ve drawn my required maps properly, I just can’t prove it. To keep the mood giddy, we have a quiz on all this tomorrow.
Maybe I’ll go raid the stash of cookies in the cupboard. Just don’t ask me to find the diameter of a Lorna Doone.
I’m often commenting on how I feel that the abuse of current technology is sort of ruining our society. Well maybe “ruining” is too strong a word, perhaps “changing it considerably” is more applicable. People are engaging in less face to face interaction and are relying more and more on the latest technological advances through instant messaging, social networking websites and the likes of all that.
While I often harp on the negative aspects of the introduction of this medium to everyday life (ignorant drivers on cell phones, etc), there are a great deal of positive spins on this as well. For example, I have been a “roadgeek” all my life. Roads, transportation and to an extent, networks of just about anything, fascinate me to no end and it’s because of this fascination that I returned to school earlier in the year for a civil engineering degree. Growing up I thought I was the only one in the world that took photos of road signs and begged my parents to drive through construction zones. With the internet explosion, I discovered that I wasn’t alone in this passion and I regularly chat with others with similar interests and I maintain my roadgeek website documenting our little corner of the world. Technology has given me the opportunity to network and share with others interested in the same subjects as I.
The same holds true for the gay, and to a bigger extent, gay bear community. It was through the olden days of the BBS (bulletin-board service) that I first met like minded individuals online back in 1986 (let’s hear it for the Commodore 64!) at 300 baud and today Earl and I enjoy the company of many people we have met recently that have similar interests as we do. I mean, think about it, as I sit here at my computer, I am able to chat with my friend Steve in Buffalo and carry on as if we were sitting across the supper table from one another. We can see each other if we want to, or we can just type little quips back and forth. Back in the day we’d have to let our fingers do the walking and wait until the rates dropped after 5.
This weekend was another example of bringing people together through technology, as Earl and I met up with Greg and Bob in Connecticut. Greg and I have chatted for a couple of years online and we have met up for lunch and whatnot on several occasions. Last night was the first night that all four of us met up as a group and quite frankly we had an outstanding time. Earl and I would have never met Greg and Bob if it weren’t for the technology available to us.
So I have to remember that when I complain about the occasional gross abuse of technology around me, there’s also a great benefit for many others.
Now if we could just do something about the La Cucaracha ring tones.
Earl and I have installed ourselves in Danbury, Conn. for the evening. We’re going to hit the town with some friends tonight. After we get some chow.
Ciao.
Just a guy with a husband. We’ve been together 28 years and he still makes me see fireworks on a daily basis. Hiker. Storm Chaser. Private Pilot. Tech Guy. Hackerish.
Weird? Eccentric!
