On A Lighter Note

Okay, there has been way too much doom, gloom and introspection on this particular part of teh interwebs lately.


Today, because I'm sure I'm not moving, and I think I'll have a job for at least three more years because that's when the lease on our office space runs out (I'm not kidding, that's my cynical self talking but it's usually not far wrong), I sprung for a toy for myself.


"Sprung" is an operative word, mind, because I got it for $9.99. But, my Crackberry habit is re-established as of Friday. World beware.


The last time I had one of these addictive toys, my job paid for it. I wanted one, and my job required it, but I had no idea how fast I would become a fan of this small device. TH and The Bits were not such big fans, particularly the time I had a "screaming" argument via e-mail with the Co-CEO of the LLC we worked for in Utah. Because, you see, I was standing in line at Disneyland. That's when they decided I'd had enough. Everytime I picked it up when off work from then on, I had one to three sets of eyes looking darkly in my direction.


When I got the job in Idaho, I thought I would get a Palm as part of my new job, everyone at my level or above has one. However, my boss, in a misguided bout of either economy or enforcing work/life balance, said "Oh, you don't need one". I underwent at least three months of serious withdrawal. I had to pay attention even in boring meetings. I couldn't keep abreast of Jazz scores at my convenience (I fondly remember tracking the playoffs in Singapore and updating my co-workers on how it was going - we were all avid fans). I couldn't have someone call me to get me out of a boring meeting. I couldn't make scathing comments about someone right in front of them (yes, sad to say, I did that sometimes in Utah. But Sybil deserved it).


We have had some need over the last several months at times for at least a web connection. We got TH a data package, but he has an old RAZR and it is pretty sub par at best. So, today I orderded my new baby:

I know, it's shallow to get pleasure out of material things. But a lot of my work clothes are from Fred Meyer and until lately I got my hair cut at SuperCuts. So it's not like I'm throwing money down the sink all the time.

And, TH wanted me to get it. Oh, ye of short-term memory loss.

You Know You're A Geek If....

You show up to the new "Star Trek" movie in costume, as an online poll found 10% of people were planning.

I'm just sayin'.

Live long and prosper.

On The Subject Of Things That Suck

Update: Friday, February 13. Charles passed away this morning. God Bless and RIP.

TH has been a Dungeons and Dragons guy for many moons now, since high school.

When he was at loose ends around 6 years ago (because the Mother Ship was foolish enough to let him go), he met up with Steve the Lawyer (of Golden Mallet Fame), Jim, the Professor (of Ugly Hoodie Fame) and lastly, Charles (another lawyer, loyal to the Mother Ship). They all shared this interest and went on to have many nights full of Mountain Dew (Yvette will get the reference even before finishing reading). While we lived in Utah, anytime TH came up for work, Charles, especially, was the one who said "come stay at my house...anything you need is yours." He is so very, very shy, but for TH, he made the effort and though I didn't know him well, it made me care for him very much.

Well, as of tonight, Charles is in the hospital. He has cancer, which we've long known, never with much hope for recovery, short of a miracle. Still, especially given how long TH's mother lived with her own particular form of this horrible illness, you just never expect someone to really go. You expect the miracle. But we think this time, it may be not happening.

And he's forty damn years old. Never married. No kids. Loving family and friends yes, but somehow I feel he's been robbed of the chance to live all of the facets of life he may have desired.
Some things just suck.

Be well Charles. Whatever happens, be well.

In his honor (thanks Yvette) I post the below video because I think, right now, he'd rather be having Cheetos and Mountain Dew and laughing at this stereotypical D&D adventure.