Out With The Old

I took down my old website this morning.

It was just time to do it. I've been getting progressively irritated by all the old things that I have stored away, or those things that have been status quo for several, if not many, years. I told Teek last night that I am craving adventure; something new, exciting, and different. Although I have no idea what it is, I am getting rid of old things that stand in my way, or objects which I no longer use.

I put together a quaint little placeholder for the time being, consisting of a fall photo and a poem I wrote last night.

Who knows, maybe someday I'll have another website. One with a defined purpose.

Retail Riddles

The world of retail is so very odd. Volatile to a fault, and rife with inner politics, insanity, and overall chaos, it never ceases to puzzle and surprise me. In my personal case, I was employed with one of the nation's largest retailers for three years, working steadily towards business management and eventual store management. My "career" was cut short by managerial bickering, politics, and of course, the ever present drama of the "he said, she said" chain of command failure. I left, disillusioned and vowing never to return.

And then, the district manager calls and personally asks me to return. Just like that. The store's managerial staff has been replaced, new initiatives are in place, and it's an entirely different ball game. Here I go again, may God have mercy on my confused and displaced soul. I report back to my old job at 0900 hours tomorrow morning.

Let's give it one more try, shall we?

I get to join the cadre of retail workers trying to survive yet another holiday season, amid the impatient and selfish masses of shoppers, and it's strangely exciting. I thrive under pressure.

It is not, of course, what I want to do for the long term, but as I am working towards larger goals, this small responsibility will keep me sharp, focused, and ironically, entertained.

Remember, Remember.

Guy Fawkes Day is a blast. Americans really should think about adopting it as the perfect excuse to spout nursery rhymes about revolutionaries and sit around, drinking tea, discussing the fate of the modern world's government systems. I am probably the only one.

Remember, remember, the 5th of November;
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot.
I see no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason,
Should ever be forgot.


The wind is beginning to wax eloquent on leaves and limbs, as it increases in speed and vehemence. The "cold" front is arriving earlier than predicted. The cats are eyeing the doors, concocting a plan to gain warm, fluffy refuge in the house. It's a perfect day for pictures.

This wonderful autumn weather is book weather. It also enhances the shopping instincts, sharpening that deep seated desire to barricade yourself in a bookstore, amid mountains of delectable books and immserse yourself in that literary escape of reading. Half Price Books was my first campaign, and victory was achieved by finding Burke's Essay on the Sublime and Beautiful for only one dollar. One dollar for such a treasure.

Chocolate and raspberries are the perfect marriage of flavor. I'm enjoying every bite.

Back Again

The trip was supposed to be longer ; a three month long contract construction job, in the damaged coastal areas of Texas and Lousiana. However, due to a wide variety of events outside our control, we only ended up staying around three weeks. The was a vast abundance of adventures, driving, and strange occupational activities that many us never dreamed of, but all in all, it was a fantastic experience.

So, after 2,944 miles, I am finally back home, recuperating from a severe head cold, and considering other job opportunities.

Yesterday was Ben's 24th birthday. Thomas, Kristi, and I took him to Dave and Buster's, and had a time of much hilarity and amusement! The key lime pie was excellent, and the grilled shrimp were received with universal acclamations of delight. Ben was fascinated by the lamp that was fastened to the side of the table, and spent the greater part of the meal conspiring of how to abscond with it. In the end, he was content with the souvenier glass that the staff presented him for his birthday, and we departed into the gaming room for a night of virtual combat, racing, and Dance Dance Revolution, at which I am a miserable failure.

The air outside has a peculiar, bracing quality to it; I believe I shall go for a walk.

Hurricane Flurry

Hurricanes in Texas are somewhat of a novelty. We are not strangers to the occasional beach-lashing, but said lashings are so few and far between, that when one does decide to head for Texas, hustle and bustle breaks loose.

So right now, the highways are a veritable jam of people fleeing low ground in search of higher ground, which happens to be Central Texas. It was comical, when I was getting gas after work, to see the big city drivers frustrated with the laid-back attitude of the locals. Honking your horn at the driver in front of you may get results in Houston, but in little ol' Rockdale, it only illicits a raised eyebrow.

For someone like me of course, who has a morbid fascination with storms and inclement weather, a hurricane is nothing more than free entertainment. I love nothing more than to drive through high waters, be drenched in rain, buffetted by high winds, and have that dangerous element of disaster lurking nearby. One of these days, I WILL be a stormchaser, in my decked-out Hummer with all my gear, gallavanting around in all kinds of storms.

Rain, rain and more rain! Which means floods. Which means I get to rescue and aid people, which I also love. Helping the local fire departments is always fun, and helping others during a natural disaster is even better than the weather it brings. There's always aftermath, but that's what I love about this state. Neighbors may be hundreds of miles apart, but rebuilding doesn't take long in the Lone Star State, and everyone wants to help.

There's just that element of preparing; the storing of supplies, checking of flashlights, gear, and buildings, and battening down the hatches to brave the foaming onslaught of a hurricane, tucked away in your fortress, or roaming the wild weather to lend aid and frolick in the rain.

Call me crazy, but this shall be an adventure. Of sorts.

My internet company is headquartered in Houston, so I shall probably be without internet for weeks. 0_0

New Computer!

I finally have assembled and successfully configured my new computer! Whew, I am exhausted. Next time I think I will get someone else to build me one, lol.

Specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo : Wolfdale E8400 @ 3.00GHz
4GB RAM
500GB HDD
Sound Blaster XFi sound card
nVidia 8800GT, 512MB GDDR3 video card
(2) Samsung 22X DVD burners

and of course, good ol Windows XP Pro, with SP3.

I'm sooooo tired.

ZZZZzzzzz......

Summer Rush

I have found that the summer distracts you from blogging, and a lot of online activities. It's just that simple. There is just so much to do in the summertime, and the time is just full of activity, and bustle, and before you know it, you haven't posted on your blog or checked your Facebook for weeks, and don't even really mind it that much. You're too caught up in the rush of summer to notice.

Now winter and fall is a different story. Especially in the winter. It's cold, and ideas, thoughts, and plans seem to incubate in the warm corners of your mind, as you bask in the glow of your screen amid a pile of brownies and hot cocoa.

In the summer? Facebook? Blogging? HA! Let's go to the lake and get burned half to death by the sun, and then drown our sorrows in ice cold Coke and BBQ. Or watch an evening movie, followed by a late-night swim. Swimming in the dark is awesome.

I've been busy at work. We were audited, and although it was stress, it was comical to see the things a small company gets flustered about. Compared to Walmart, it isn't hard at all.

The biggest news of all:

My computer, after 8 dedicated years of service, died and took everything with him. Except my external harddrive, which thankfully has most of my stuff backed up to it anyway. So now, I get to build a new computer, out of custom parts, which is one of my favorite hobbies. It might take awhile, but hopefully not too long.

I have also been seriously contemplating this being my last PC. Mac just keeps looking better and better. I need several Mac-savvy friends to start teaching me about them though, because I am lost. So any help from all you Mac-Attacks would be awesome. I'd love to hear your Mac experiences. Besides being better engineered, designed, etc, they are just plain beautiful. *sigh*

So where do I start with Macs?


Quote of the Day:

Chris: *at Walmart* It's hot in here. *pause* I think I'll go buy a new hoodie...
Grant: Okaaaay....