Going to meet some folks from work tonight at a local bar . Hopefully it won't be too redneck infested , as it is called the Mountaintop . Ah , I'm going to have some fun either way . Had some killer Chinese last night , triple walnut delight ( the triple being chicken , beef & shrimp ) . We have too many good places to eat around us . Tomorrow we're planning on going to a Irish pub in Harrisburg called McGrath's . Another great place with really good food & a great selection of taps . They have Young's double chocolate stout on tap !!! Gotta get me some of that . Anyway , hope you're all have a great new year so far . Stay out of trouble ( at least the kind it's hard to get out of ) .

That's right , Vincent f'n Price ! Finally found a shot that would fit . Not the one I would have chosen , but it'll do . I really need a camera , I feel silly not having myself up on the avatar . Anywho , I'm off to the book store for some coffee & cheap reading .

Once I had a few favorite Suicide Girls , then the internet took them away from me ....

Yeah , I'm bitter , ok ? Anyway , I basically gearing myself up for another funeral . My GF's dad is on his deathbed . Cancer , need I say more ? I will admit to being curious about one part of it . He's going to be cremated . Now , that's what I want done to myself ( after any useful parts are harvested , that is ) so I'm interested to see how it affects the ceremonies . I'm sure this sounds morbid , but we've know it's coming for a few weeks now . And having gone through 2 funerals over the last 2 years for my own family ( both around this time of the year oddly enough ) , I've had about enough to last me for awhile . I have yet to hear from her today , so I don't know how things are there . She's been up to her parents since Saturday .
So I hope the holiday season is treating you all better then it's doing by us . I did get a laugh Saturday as I went to the local bookstore & as I was leaving there was a girl by the door dressed as a elf ( Santa was about to appear at the store ) . I suppose it's a living ...

Holiday coming up on us fast & I'm trying to decide whether or not I'm gonna work Friday . I could use the money , that's for sure . Eh , I'll figure it out tomorrow .
I had a exciting weekend last week . Started with a bad head cold on Thursday & it went on through the weekend . Went to the MD Monday & like I figured , I had a sinus infection . I've had them before , so it didn't really surprise me . Just wish I knew some way to prevent them rather then fighting them after the fact .
Picked up Neverwinter Nights 2 last week . It hasn't exactly grabbed me with it's crappy camera angles . Maybe I've just grown out of electronic gaming . Last game I played I really enjoyed was Morrowind . Oblivion is ok , but it's just like more of the same , only prettier .
We did do one thing this past weekend enjoyable . We went to a Irish pub in downtown Harrisburg named McGrath's . Really awesome tap selection . Had Young's Double Chocolate Stout on tap ! Hedonistic beer that . Had probably the best Manhattan clam chowder I've ever had , & a steak boxty . It was in a mushroom gravy & wrapped in what seemed to be potato bread with rosemary in it . Very tasty stuff . We've been there twice now & both times were very happy to be there . They have a upstairs room you can reserve . I'm thinking of maybe posting in my local group & seeing if anyone would be interested in getting together there .
Anyway , hope this finds you all doing well out there . Have a good holiday !

That's better . Wasn't happy with how that photo I was using for a avatar was working since putting it up . This is much better . And it looks just like me too . I'm about to fall asleep at the pc , so this will be short . Hope anyone reading this is looking forward to the weekend . Get out & have some fun for those of us who will be home trying to not spend money they don't have .

Been awhile . guess I better write something . Something musical I think . Ok , so I'm a older , geezer type of guy . I still get in the mood to listen to the music I grew up listening to , but refuse to be stuck in that mind set . Right now , I'm listening to Mastodon's new release . I used to be a real musical snob & wouldn't even give most newer bands a chance . I have my nephew to thank for breaking me of that philosophy .
He was in high school & we used to hang out a lot . He was as close as I've ever had to having a brother . We were goofing around with some D&D stuff , when he made me listen to Ride the Lightning . At the time I blew it off . Then he made me listen to Justice For All . At the time , that actually appealed to me more . He eventually got me listening to & liking Slayer , staying up all night Saturdays hoping to see a real metal video on Headbangers Ball . I eventually started buying more cds then him & turning him onto newer bands like Sepultura & Morbid Angel . I just kept going heavier , faster & more obscure .
Then he went into the marines . He loved it . He had a really hard time in school . He was dyslexic & no one caught on to it until he was in 10th grade . He trained himself for boot camp , knowing it would be hard going in . He loved basic training . He got in trouble for laughing at things that were meant to toughen up the new recruits . And he loved it . He ate it up .
It was really good for him & he eventually got posted in Japan . He loved this also . You have to know , this was before Desert Storm , no one was even thinking of any wars at the time . He had a girl friend in Japan , but I have no idea how serious it was . Cause the first time he came home on leave , he got killed in a stupid car accident . He bought a brand new camaro when he got here , & was taking a girl to a party when someone ran a stop sign & plowed into them , no brakes , no nothing . No drinking either , she was just old & didn't even realize she was supposed to stop .
I don't even think he got to see 21 . It happened right around this time of the year . And here I am alone , bored & now depressed too ! Haven't had sex in months . Life is just one big ass party here right now .
Anyway , if you happen to read this , try to get something out of this life . Cause it can be over before you even realize .

Job search 2006 is about to commence this weekend I think . Going to try to get my act together & try to write up a new resume . I hate doing those as I hate selling myself . I have about the worst self esteem , I just do a fairly good job of hiding it .
Anyway , it's been rainy & cool here the last few days . It's my favorite time of the year , when the temperature goes down & the leaves turn up their colors . I could go for walks in the woods every day in the fall & be a very happy camper . And we have all kinds of harvest festivals going on around us . So how am I spending my weekend ? I'm driving down to south Jersey to work on my computer with my friend Sunday . At least we should have a good time watching the game .

I enjoy reading , but I tend to read at night before going to sleep . This can lead to me not getting much as I'll get into the book instead of relaxing into sleep . So as of late I've taken to reading lighter fare . The latest book was by A. Lee Martinez called In the Company of Ogres . He also wrote Gil's All Fright Diner . Both of these are pretty funny , having a lot of fun at the expense of classic fantasy figures . I'm also re reading the D&D rule books for the latest edition , as I'm really feeling the need to do some gaming again . As I type this , my Gargantuan Black Dragon & Balor figures are watching me from the safety of my speakers . They too are ready for some action of the geeky kind .

I've never seen the movie Titanic cause I know how it goes . Same with Saving Private Ryan , the 9-11 movie , or most any other " based on real life " movie . I don't go to the movies to cry about life , I go to escape it . Last 2 DVD's I bought were MST3K collections . That's about what I need right about now in my life . I can watch Snatch , or Fight Club anytime & still find things to laugh / marvel at . Same with most any Terry Gilliam flick . Give me Slapshot with Paul Newman as a washed up hockey player or The Longest Yard with Burt Reynolds at his best . Give me Shaun of the Dead & a cricket bat & I'm one happy camper .
Part one of the ramblings of a unwinding mind ...

I'm really beginning to hate my job . I put in for a different position a couple of weeks ago , because quite frankly my body can't deal with the pounding I take on a daily basis as well as it used to . Today we ( me & 2 other guys who put in for the position ) were told the hold up is that the person making the choice was told that we're all being paid too much for the position ! Now , they have a poster up in our lunch room showing goals of about half a billion dollars for this quarter alone . But we're getting too much ? Riiight .
That & the fact that I'm on the safety committee & our plant safety head was ready to go ballistic at our last meeting makes me think it's time to start searching again . It's just that at 42 , I'm really getting tired of bouncing to a new job every 5 years .