Wii hunt

Here's the situation
I went away on a vacation
I got to play with a Wii
And it really made me happy
So now I'm hunting one down
And I'm running all over town
But alas there isn't one to be found
As I run around and around
So pray for little old me
As I hunt a little old Wii

So yes, I'm officially on the bandwagon looking for a Wii. I've wanted one for some time, but never really had the motivation to go out and buy one. After playing my brother-in-law's, I now have motivation. It was a blast to bowl and play tennis. And I actually beat them (the in-laws) at baseball. Boxing was rough (as was dodge ball), but fun. Golf was hard as it was sensitive to how hard you swung. I could go on and on. Bottom line, I want one.

And in other news, I bought a slew of books that I'll be testing my new rating system on. Here's a little taste of what I have on deck:

The Name Of The Wind
Angels and Demons
The Sunrise Lands
The Blade Itself (The First Law: Book One)
Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, Book 1)
Fury (Legacy of the Force, Book 7)
True Colors (Republic Commando)
Twilight Falling (Erevis Cale Trilogy, Book 1)

I'm re-reading Name of the Wind and currently in the middle of Angels and Demons (on audio) and The Sunrise Lands. The Blade Itself, Assassin's Apprentice, and Twilight Falling are all virgin authors for me (meaning I haven't read their work before, not that they are so geeky they are still virgins). And if they suck too bad, then we'll make a virgin sacrifice with the rating system. And speaking of the rating system, well, you'll have to stay tuned to learn more. But if you're smart, you'll figure it out.

I also ordered two micro SD cards for each of our phones. Not sure how much we'll use them, but at least we can use them for something.

Work is picking up something fierce. Potty breaks are few, the calls many, and the escalated cases are growing like a patch of mold in your basement. But I'm still trying to find the time to exercise, shower, and eat during my lunch hour. And I'm trying to keep my books at home in an effort to force myself to read the Bible (for curiosity, not religion).

And my UFO project is due back Monday. I already have some things to talk about but I think I'll need to pay another visit to Dad's to get more material.

Patrick Rothfuss Article

Ran across this article thanks to Google Alerts. Love the picture and his quote about the book being "stupidly successful." It's so nice to see the good guy win a round.

http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007712270576

Snuffle huh wha?

It's a new year and I already feel like I'm behind schedule.

But hark! There's light ahead!

Yeah, that's the dawn of tomorrow you moron. Everything is pretty much "back to normal" after the holiday marathon. The Suburban is unpacked and returned to Dad. The Christmas decorations are back in the attic (except for one tote that's waiting for two towels to get washed). And the dishes are done. Laundry is done. Lunch boxes are our and ready for tomorrow. The floor has been vacuumed, some of the house has been dusted, and there's a new stack of books waiting to be read. I'm in Chapter 12 of The Sunrise Lands (more on that later). And there's even a new shower head awaiting installation.

And of course I get to go to work tomorrow. So, I should be back to a more normal schedule this week.

Finally made it home after

Finally made it home after being 'On the road again.' Can't wait to shower and sleep in my warm bed. Maybe the shoulder will be warm.

ETA 3 hours. -Neil

ETA 3 hours.
-Neil

I can't wait to be-edited-

I can't wait to be home tomorrow. And it's dangerously close to me wanting to be -edited-tomorrow.
-Neil

Fireside Photo

Sitting in front of the fire at Grandma Gayle's.
-Neil

We spent the evening at

We spent the evening at a family party that I didn't want to go to but ended up having a very good time and didn't want to leave.

Eating dinner

Elizabeth at the dinner table.
-Neil

Another day with my second

Another day with my second family and everything is going well. Can't wait to start reading my present (Sunrise Lands by SM Stirling).

We made it Pittsburgh safely

We made it Pittsburgh safely and enjoyed a second round of gifts. And since I left my laptop at home, I'll be blogging via phone.

Christmas Day

Plenty of photos for your viewing pleasure. First, check out the ones I took and make sure you read the comments from Elizabeth. She had quite a day. Then, check out these photos that Elizabeth took with her new camera. She's already a regular Ansel Adams, but tends to move too much and take too many photos. Which means I didn't upload all of the photos, but I did keep enough for you to get the idea.

Presents are open and photos

Presents are open and photos are downloading. They might be up before we leave. Hope everyone got what they wanted!
-Neil

It's 6am and I've had

It's 6am and I've had my shower, William has been fed (and might actually be full), and Elizabeth just woke up.
-Neil

Christmas Eve

Elizabeth playing with her Peoples on Christmas Eve.
-Neil

Dad and me

While the girls are away, William and Daddy play.
-Neil

The Airing of Grievances-edited-

Sienfield had that great episode with Festivus. And while I'm doing quite well in not airing my grievances about Yvonne backing into Dad's car, I feel there are a few things that simply must be said to those out there that need to hear it.

-edited-

To the trees on Caroline Street - Please stop shitting on my car. Your rotten-acorn-like droppings make my car look like it has skin cancer or something.

To the bastards at HBO - Please send me my replacement Deadwood DVD. If it doesn't arrive by the time I get back, I'm going to start sending you hate mail.

To the leftist punks - I can respect your religious preferences. But don't shit your pants when I say Merry Christmas.

-edited-

To the people in traffic on the way home tonight - You're already on vacation so move the hell over. My vacation just started and I want to get home.

To the people in traffic on the way to Pittsburgh - I'm sure somebody will piss me off. I don't know who, but if you're reading this - up yours!

If you open-carry your gun, is that brandishing?-edited-

-edited-

After talking for awhile, I realized that, while I was not brandishing my gun in the legal sense, I was wearing it in the open to make a statement. The statement being, "stay the hell away from me." I usually combine this with my evil stare (or a blank face of contempt) and large size (6 foot, 250 pounds) to keep the crazies away from me. So yes, in his line of thinking I might as well have been advertising I was packing heat.

But I've noticed that when I do open-carry, roughly 75% of the people do not notice. And if they do notice, I don't see any reaction. It's not like I'm wearing a tactical thigh holster or carrying a huge Tommy gun, but I'd expect people to pay more attention. They don't. Most assume it's a cell phone (that would be one hell of a phone call).

In the end, I can see how uncomfortable it may make people. Yet when it comes to my discomfort over not having one or your discomfort for seeing me wear one, I win.

So, that was today's deep thought. Hope you enjoyed my inner thoughts.

So I have a bit

So I have a bit of a surprise. I can now blog from anywhere with my phone!
-Neil (via mobile device)

5 Lessons You Can Live By

Respect and thank your barber - he holds a razor near your throat.

Never trust the scale in the bathroom - it lies.

Never look bored at work - you will soon be too busy to be bored.

Kids are smarter than they look - if you listen to them long enough, you might learn something.

Go visit Unidentified Family Objects - because I said so, that's why.