I hate writer's block.


That's all I have to say, really.

I stole this from annearchy and she stole it from celtic_fish.

( this is the longest, most random questionnaire ever )

Got back from Chicago last night. Bryan graduated from law school on Sunday, and it was an awesome day. I tried sushi and sake at a Japanese restaurant. I saw a zombie love story horror play (no joke). Sadly, I did not make it to either the Museum of Science and Industry or the Cubs game on Saturday, but that's okay.

that movie would have totally PWNED Christmas, if they'd released it on its original date. So awesome, I don't even know where to begin. Great cast, some clever nods to Trek history (especially Scotty beaming Archer's beagle) and some nice J.J. Easter Eggs (Slusho! Grunny!)

Will definitely be seeing it again. Hopefully very soon.

Jeebus, how in the world did I ever survive before I got a laptop and wireless? I am such a Luddite, seriously.

Also? Zack Greinke is 6-0. Just sayin'.

The letters H and P, and the number 802.11n.

For you non-techies, that means I am posting from my shiny hew HP G60 laptop from my living room! Despite a nearly hourlong call with tech support for my wireless router, I am all set.

Hooray!

The MLB standings as of today, Saturday, April 18:

Just got finished with my first go-round on my taxes, and for the first time in a decade (literally, the first time since I started working full-time) the IRS owes ME money, not the other way 'round. Thanks in large part to the First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit (and yes, I know that $$$ is ultimately taken out of future tax refunds) I'm getting a nice refund, some of which will go right back to my Roth IRA, and therefore will count as a deduction for next year. (heh, aren't I clever?)

Next year should be even better, since I will have a full year of property taxes and mortgage interest to deduct. Woohoo!

I'm too old to be staying out until 12:30 watching basketball on a school night. And OF COURSE I had to work the Thrashers game, and OF COURSE it went into OT and then a sudden-death shootout (great game though, totally not complaining) so I didn't get to Taco Mac until the start of the second half. And I didn't get home until almost 1.

That being said ....

GO MIZZOU!

I love March. Not just for the fact that March has a ton of birthdays of awesome people (four shopping days left for you slackers out there!) but it gets nice and warm, and the pollen isn't quite out yet, and St. Patrick's Day, and the tail end of spring training, and MARCH MADNESS! Tipoff is just under two hours away.

GO MIZZOU!

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Almost makes you wanna gag with the cute overload, doesn't he?


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Okay, maybe not quite. But it really did snow pretty much all day today here in ATL.

It's March 1.

It occasionally snows significantly this late in the winter back home - we even had a snowstorm on my birthday one year.

But not here. I'm told the last time we got a significant snowfall this late in the season was back in '93. Pictures of today's snow, maybe tomorrow. Too lazy to get them off the camera right now.

It occurred to me earlier this evening that today - Feb. 6 - marks the five-year anniversary of my last day at SI.com. We were informed of the layoffs before Christmas (boy, that was a weird holiday season) but anyone who wanted to be able to collect their full severance had to stay until the Friday after the Super Bowl, so we were basically lame ducks for almost six weeks.

Getting laid off was scary, but ultimately, as these kinds of things tend to be, it turned out to be okay. I took some time off, remembered what it was like to work a normal person's schedule, and ultimately landed at my current employer that summer. My tenure at TMP has not always been sunshine and roses, but the job came around just when I needed it and I have gotten to know some really great people there.

Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.

Girlfriend of a pro athlete division: Carrie Underwood at Philips Arena tonight. She's dating Mike Fisher of the Ottawa Senators and has apparently been spotted at several home games at Scotiabank Place, but it totally didn't occur to me that she might actually show up at some roadies! She's quite tiny in person, FYI.

New dining room set was delivered today. It's preeeeeeeeeeeeety. And comfy; the chairs have nice thick cushions. And it's all growns-up.

Now again, if only someone would claim the old stuff ......

This year seems to be starting on a good note, as I sold my gas grill that the former owners of my house left me. Buyer picked it up today!

Now if only I could get someone to take on my dining set before the new one arrives on Sunday .....

I don't have time to do a full '08 wrap up post today, as I am headed out to my friend Amy's for dinner and what I hope will be some hotly contested matches of Trivial Pursuit, but I did just want to say Happy New Year to all of you reading out there. 2008 was interesting; '09 will probably prove to be more of the same.

Be well, everyone!

This was supposed to be Monday Miscellany, but that sorry excuse for a bowl game (I don't care that we won, we looked ugly as all get-out doing it) ran long.

First things first, I bought a new dining room set last night. Dad and Chris gave me some money for Christmas, with the specific instruction that it be used for new dining room furniture. This is the package I bought - the china cabinet is really nice too, but is kind of pointless since I don't have nice china to put in it yet!

Of course, the new set means that I have to find a home for the old set, pronto! It's listed on craigslist Atlanta if anyone knows of someone who might need a cheap table and some chairs and isn't picky. I'm also selling a propane gas grill and a few Thrashers bobbleheads if anyone's interested.

Lastly, I bought a book last night. This wouldn't really be news, were it not for the fact that with the exception of the Harry Potter series, I haven't bought a new, fiction book in probably forever. I had an Amex gift card (company bonus, woo) and I was hoping to be able to get a sweater at Old Navy, but no dice. So I went over to Borders and got a 2009 calendar and this book. Love the post-Christmas sales.

Happy holidays to everyone! We are here in sunny, warm Hilton Head with extended family. Headed to Savannah on Tuesday, spent yesterday doing some last-minute shopping, might be headed to Charleston tomorrow. It's been a busy week but we've all had a really great time.

Hope everyone is spending time with the ones you love.