Saturday, May 26, 2007

I'd like a spare tire to go, please.


I like Arby's. It may be a strange loyalty thing, because my first real job was at Arby's. I liked it because it never really got as busy as McDonald's, which I later worked at and quit after a few weeks because there were always too many customers. Perhaps it is the succulent aroma of thin-sliced "roast beef", or the tangy original sauce. I really like the Horseradish sauce, too. I like it on all meat sandwiches now. Abbie started crying when she tasted it, and Anna wrinkled her nose. "It's spicy!"

So I'm in the car, driving to a friend's apartment to help them load up a moving truck. It's 12:45pm, and I haven't had any lunch, so I stop at the Arby's near my apartment and pick up a large curly fry and soda to tide me over. $3.83. Yeah, I'll have to use my card. No, I don't ever carry cash anymore. That's SO last century. Then on my way home after the move, I decide that a Jamocha shake sounds delicious. The same guy takes my order at the drive thru window, and I again pay for my $2 shake with a debit card. I drive sheepishly away, wondering if the girl who I could see working the register saw me. She was usually the drive-thru cashierperson....

Friday, May 18, 2007

This is the Industry

Here are a few videos that I found hilarious. They deal with aspects of my trade that may only be funny for people who know something about it.

Nevertheless, enjoy! I just had to share these.


Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Starving Artist?

As some of you may know, from time to time I try to do some artwork. I have an aspiration to be like Justin, but I have a lot to learn about oil painting. Last Saturday, the kids and I painted a special painting for Mother's Day. Then, I worked on an apple. Abbie and Anna immensely enjoyed painting with toxic chemicals. Miles immensely enjoyed poking the canvas with a brush. Here are the fruits of our labors (pun intended):






Monday, May 14, 2007

Weird Al

So apparently my last post made people feel funny inside. No, not "fuzzy" - FUNNY. I have too many inside jokes, and it really is sad that I am the only one in on the joke. Well, sometimes my wife will roll her eyes and mutter "oh brother". Weird Al Yankovic has a "newer" album called "Straight Outta Lynnwood" and it has some great work on it. Apparently there is a video for the one I referenced recently, and here it is in all its glory.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Lizard Stomping Day

I didn't want to believe it. My shaking hand nearly dropped the phone. Could it be true? Was my little boy a bonafide stone-cold killer??! No, my wife explained. He was just stomping his feet as he shrieked at the poor little reptile. The boy's supersonic vocal chords must have pierced the lizard's fragile eardrums, driving it to scamper unwittingly underneath the Shoes of Death. It was an accident. After all, does a 1.5 yr-old even have the fine motor skills to commit such a horrid act?

The darkness subsides, the monster sleeps. The night mourns in silence.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Shameless Plug

So, I finished updating my website today. Check it out and let me know what you think! Yes, it's a template. I may someday actually create my own site, as I would like a better Gallery where you can view larger images. But really, who has the time to make all that stuff? Plus, I'm lazy.

Thanks, Lissa!

Sunday, May 6, 2007

What Means "Template"?

I need a new template for my blog. It's so ... boring. I know very little about HTML and tried to update my template with one I found on another blog for templates...but it kept giving me an error. This makes me feel quite unintelligent. Eventually I'll find a tutorial or something, and maybe try to make my own.

Today is the anniversary of my wedding. We celebrated it all day yesterday at Universal Islands of Adventure, while the kids were being watched by our friends. It was pretty hot, and after one look at the line for the Hulk ride I promptly bought 2 Express passes. "Express Pass" is another word for nobility. I had basically upgraded our social status for a mere $20/person. We marched up to the Express Pass lane and bypassed a multitude of sad-faced commoners on our way to heart-racing excitement. After all, our time was too valuable to be stuck in a line like lemmings.

We actually (fleetingly) missed our kids while at Universal. We saw other families with kids in tow, and remarked how difficult that looked. 7 years sounds like a while, but it has passed by so fast! I had Alissa pluck a few white hairs off my head yesterday. I feel old... but I can say that I'm looking forward to the future. My wife and I have been through a lot, grown closer, and still love each other. What more can you ask for?

Just a new computer, I guess. And maybe some Pear Jelly Bellies?

Friday, May 4, 2007

I'm sorry



I'm sorry. I truly am. I did not previously comprehend the extent of my rambling powers, but I am now confident that I have joined the illustrious ranks of Sylar, Hiro, and the Petrelli brothers. Humanity is changing.

Also, Spiderman 3 sucks. It's worth seeing, I suppose, but seriously - it was bad. I've already described it to my wife as "like Pirates of the Caribbean 2 - but it has an ending". There are some nice parts, but as a whole I give it one thumb in a stinky pile of poo.

Tonight, I will not display my awesome Rambling Powers. Have a nice weekend!

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Wow! What a Ramblin'

I don't blog very much, I guess. Maybe it's cuz I don't have much to say? Hey, I'm new at this! It's time for The Office, I'll be back to finish this masterpiece later..

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I don't watch that much TV. I usually just watch Lost, Smallville, The Office, and Heroes. We don't have cable and haven't missed it enough to get it yet, though that may change.

Some more films I've seen lately for the first time:


Lady in the Water. I'm not really an M. Night Shyamalan (I had to IMDB that spelling) fan, but I enjoy his plot twists. It will be interesting to see what he does with Avatar, since I am a big fan of the show.

Little Miss Sunshine. Fantastic acting by the entire cast! Also a nice role change for Steve Carell. Double thumbs up.

Snakes on a Plane. What a fun movie! Ridiculous and exactly what you expect from the title. What more can you ask for?

Flushed Away. Nice animation, but I found myself liking the support characters more than the main ones....I love the slugs and frogs!

Thanks for the plug, Stu! I'll do my best to post more interesting material than these silly TV and film reviews.

I should mention that I watch most of these movies while working. Understandably, I am not fully concentrating on them and sometimes miss little things. Oh, speaking of work, check this article out! It may illuminate a bit more of the Game Industry than you previously knew... The only thing I'd add to what the article says is that these work conditions are not the same at every company. The article mentions this, but it's a big part of where you work.

I don't really want to vent about work here, isn't that what the water cooler is for? =) I'm actually becoming more and more involved with "extracurricular" activities at work now. My wife is somewhat confused and isn't quite sure if I actually DO any work while I'm at the office anymore. I'm a member of the Artist Gallery Committee, Sculpting Club, Character Club, and participate in as many Figure Drawing and other art classes we offer at work. I figure, mise well take advantage of the big budget whilst I can, eh? I'm excited to break in my new easel and practice mixing paints, because my color mixing is akin to a blind man's ability right now. Is it bad that I've only ever painted "on the computer"? The demise of the modern artist...

Speaking of which, my wife is an awesome photographer and is working on a computer from the Mesozoic Era. The fan begrudgingly squeaks and shudders at startup, while her volumous 512mb of RAM propels Adobe Photoshop at elephantine paces. I'm going to go ahead and make up words here. Maybe someday I'll be regarded as the Bill Shakespeare of the Digital Era. Anyhow, my wife's photography business has generated a good amount of income. Soon she will have enough to buy another computer with an estimated lifespan of 2 years!

Does anyone play Counterstrike: Condition Zero? Yeah, I know this isn't 2004 anymore, but I still love that game. Eventually I may continue on to another version, but for now I'm still on CZ. I think it may have something to do with my lack of funds to toss into a silicon card with wirey thingys and a GPU on it. I'm in a Counterstrike clan that plays for fun only. Our server is G-rated and for ppl who just want to have fun and not be hassled or have to listen to immature or annoying chatter that can happen on other servers.

PS. Remember that I'm a total geek? Sometimes I wish I were a smart kinda geek, but really I'm just geeky. I don't know THAT much about computers, programming, or Lord of the Rings. However, I am totally excited for Spiderman 3 tomorrow! EA bought tickets for employees, guests were $8. Alissa really didn't want to find a babysitter because we are going on a Top Secret anniversary outing all Saturday and leaving the kids with some friends for the day...thanks, Melinda and Jacob!

This is really long. I don't know if people really read this much. If you are still reading, please stop. Go to the bathroom or something. Seriously. I'm going to get a drink and blow my nose, not necessarily in that order.