Where Have I Been?

Folks, it's been a while since I posted. My apologies. Here's a run down of what I've been up to these past couple of weeks.

Bachelor Party and Wedding - Went down to St. Louis for my buddy Jason's bachelor party. Had a great time and will leave out the details to avoid incriminating people... The wedding was great and we had an awesome time. The Par-A-Dice hotel was very nice and we liked our room.

Second City - To celebrate Rachel's birthday, we went to see the Second City touring show at the Center for Performing Arts. The show was hilarious and we really enjoyed it. Next time they come around, we'll definitely be there. Dinner was at Reality Bites. The seared Ahi tuna was delicious, calamari tasty as usual, and the pork tacos did not disappoint.

Everything and the Kitchen Sink - In our quest to remove all traces of brass color from the house we are replacing fixtures and various hardware. Included in the items we purchased from Menard's (curse bless you and your no payments no interest until 2010) was a new stainless steel kitchen sink and faucet. Naturally, replacing a sink involves removing the old one, which brings with it a whole host of "learning opportunities". My learning opportunities in this adventure were:

• Silicone sealant really really really seals
• Putty knives jammed under an old sink with the help of a hammer, twisting, cursing, sweating, and generally getting mad, helps unseal
• One can never have too many PVC pieces
• Different sinks have the drains at different levels and locations
• Different drains require a lot of problem solving and adventure
• PVC cement should not be used in enclosed spaces, nor open spaces, or space for that matter; I think I'm still high
• Sewer gas is somewhat unpleasant
• Specialty wrenches rule
• Tile floors are not very comfortable to sit on
• One can never have too many buckets and bowls
• I don't advise looking in the drain pipe of your sink, you might not like what you see
• Reusing is great in theory

The sink took about 4 hours total. It was worth it though to have a sink we like and a faucet that doesn't look like it came out of an 80's whore house.

Sickness - Last week Rachel and I both came down with whatever flu/cold/plague has been going around. I left work on Tuesday and was out the rest of the week. Let's just say it was unpleasant. I'm not 100% yet but I feel a lot better. The silver lining is that I had worked ahead on my project at work and did not suffer any setbacks. Let's hope less procrastination is in my future.

That's all for now. In the upcoming weeks I have a CLU test to study for and we will be painting the upstairs bathroom, and removing more brass.

Mmmmm...civil rights...

Looks like Vermont is trying to join Massachusetts and Connecticut by legalizing same sex marriage.



http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/24/vermont.samesex.marriage/index.html



Hopefully Illinois can follow suit.

Welcome Back

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/09/obama.stem.cells/index.html

I would like to welcome Science back to the White House. It's about time we started funding this again. As for those who disagree with the research, please pass on any discoveries or innovations that result for this research. When even the exalted queen of the GOP, Nancy Reagan, agrees with Obama, you know that Bush was misguided.

And we are friends with them because....? Part 3

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/03/09/saudi.arabia.lashes/index.html

40 lashes for mingling with unrelated men? For a 75 year old woman? Really? Your interpretation of a holy book tells you this is OK? You see nothing wrong with this Saudi Arabia?

Tree Sap (Random Thoughts)

• 
  I knew I was growing older when I started buying travel insurance.
• I'm convinced that if you took a random sample of drivers on the road and gave them the full driving test (written and road), at least 50% would fail.
• I am constantly on the lookout for the perfect wallet design.
• I think judges should be given "smackin rights" (thanks to Michelle for that phrase). Present a frivolous lawsuit, SMACK!
• Chicago style pizza (deep dish) is superior to all other styles. This is not up for discussion.
• I alternate between "Pop" and "Soda". However, when I'm feeling saucy I say "Sody".
• I'm sure he's a fine upstanding guy but Philip Seymore Hoffman seems like he could be a bit of a D-Bag. One of those guys who prattles on and on about his craft.
• One of my proudest accomplishments is my record of eating 98 donut holes in one sitting during high school marching band camp.
• You know the lead apron the dental hygienist puts on you at the dentist's office to prevent birth defects in your theoretical offspring? I wish I had one to sleep under; always makes me comfortable.
• The best tool/technique I have found for becoming a competent writer is to read voraciously.
• I fully subscribe to George Carlin's observation that anyone driving slower than you is a moron and anyone driving faster than you is a maniac.
• I would be happy if the rest of the hair on my head (except the facial hair of course) fell out.
• I wonder how much money it would take to get Bill Waterson and Gary Larson back on the job. I would give $100 to the cause.
• Life is too short for generic liquor.
• McDonald's is like the sun; wherever you go, there it is.
• My drug of choice is Cheetos.
• My dad said that if Ritalin were available when I was a child, he would have given it to me intravenously.
• I never understand why people are rude to those who serve them food. Seems like playing with fire to me.
• I love all of my scars, shows I've lived.
• If I could have any career it would be world class surfer.
• Some days I wish this country was more European; other days, I'm grateful it isn't.
• I'm constantly rooting for the city of Detroit and it's inhabitants.
• I wish Anheuser-Busch would spend some of it's advertising dollars on making Bud and Bud Light more palatable...and eliminate Bud Light's tendency to make me grab for the Imodium.
• If I ever meet the advertising person who came up with Life cereal's 'Mikey Likes It' campaign, I'll punch them in the nose.
• The harder it is to find a company's 800 number, the more I think they have something to hide.
• This country will start turning around when I overhear more parents discussing their children's academic success, rather than their athletic prowess.
• Customer service is an art form. Unfortunately, most people haven't progressed past finger paints.
• If I had three wishes and couldn't wish for more wishes, I would wish for: The ability to eat, drink, and smoke whatever I wanted without any detrimental effect on my health; Magic pockets that would contain whatever amount of cash I needed at the time; And World peace (I'm not totally self-absorbed).