Hunc tu turbatus caveto....

Tis the season...

2006-12-14T03:06:17Z

...for frustration?

In the last week or so I've been hearing various things about our IT consolidating to our main office. Nothing solid, just rumors as usual.
Well yesterday the rumors became true, our team will need to move to MN.

Now it turns out my boss and the manager of the other team are moving on to other things. The plus side I'm getting promoted and will be in charge of both.
Still involves moving to MN though...

Tomorrow should be interesting.
I'll find out what my supposed increase is and find out how many of my team will actually make the move and stay with.
Not sure if I should feel happy, sad, or just both...

Retirement?

2006-12-09T02:43:18Z

Lately I've been thinking more and more about retirement. Yes, its a long ways off, but not as much thinking of how to save for retirement but rather what do I want to do with my retirement.

Last thing I want to do is sit around at home. So I'm tossing around the idea of selling off the house and most of the stuff and buying a Yatch. Nothing too fancy, have to afford it after all, but something big enough to live on and sail across the ocean to europe. The freedom to travel and see the sights.

Any one else ever had thoughts like this?

Coolest cruise ever!

2006-10-17T00:09:20Z

And I mean that literally and metaphorically.

http://www.northpolevoyages.com/?page=northpole&lang=eng

For the low low price of $20,500, per person, you can have a 15 day journal that takes you to the north pole! Ok, if you want to splurge you can spend $26,990 per person and get the suite. :)

Take a ride on the nuclear powered Yamal icebreaker ship and have a pinic on an antarctic ice shelf!
Ok, well I think it would be very cool.

The waiting...

2006-09-28T20:18:59Z

I'm sitting on my ass in a hotel room waiting for the time to pass. I've visted the highlights of this little town which consisted of the local subway sandwich shop and the every present walmart.

Can't even pass the time in the conviently attached bar as I'm waiting for time to pass so I can go to work. Guess that will just have to wait.

Depression is interesting, on one had its well, sad, but on the other its like a nice cool familiar blanket. Yes cool not warm. Its an all too familiar feeling, but its one that I feel comfortable with. Hard to explain, but I'm sure some of you will get it.

I remembered a while back that my former shrink said I should try drawing to express how I feel. I tried that earlier today. I sat for a moment and thought about how I was feeling and tried drawing the first mental image that came to me.

An old cell with mostly stone walls and a locked iron gate. A large hunched over beast stomps around as a heavily battered man cowers in the corner of the cell. Another man stands outside of the cell with a key in hand but has his head turned as if to ignore the man in the cell.

This was of my own need to express my feelings, so no comments.

Well....

2006-02-20T03:01:31Z

It's certainly been a little while since I last updated.

So what's new...Started my guitar lessons. Going pretty well, still very novice, but picking up stuff and having fun. Been working on some System of a Down, Atreyu, and Chevelle stuff lately, very rewarding when it actually starts to sound like the real song. LOL

Got a new toy, a Yamaha HTR-5990 receiver.
980 watts of 7.1 surround sound goodness with HDMI switching to boot! :)

Also got my Windows Media Center PVR box up and working, just in time for the opening ceramonies of the winter olympics. This is the first real HD stuff I've gotten to watch on my 47" panny, but wow. I don't really care for football, but I sat and starred at the superbowl for about 5 minutes before I even realized I was watching it. LOL The olympics in HD weren't as impressive, as derek put it, they overly sharpened the picture. But stuff like Grey's Anatomy, SVU, and Desperate Housewives looks very nice in HD.

Now I just need that Xbox 360 so I can remove the computer from the living room and use the 360 as a media extender for it. That and well, the newer 360 games are looking VERY nice. Lost Planet, DOA4, and Ghost Recon Advanced Warrior. Drool.

In other, non-geeky news, I'm continuing to loose weight and get into shape.
Feeling pretty good, had a few bad food days, especially over the weekends, but that's going to change starting this week. Need to get some more muscle tone so I look good in a bathing suit on the beaches of Naples next year, ok that made me sound like a girl... Anyways, with my traveling for work that is coming up I should bank enough united miles to get two tickets to Italy. :)

Heather's been wanting to go to Italy for a while now and well I've never been anywhere outside the US so once place is as good as another. Still wouldn't mind going somewhere in Russia, god I love the russian language. Need a reason to learn that one.

Anyhoo, my wife is as beautiful as ever, even though she may scoff at that I say it anyways. Got to play some hot wheels with my son earlier today, lots of fun when you're racing cars and then he decides to attempt feeding one to me. LOL :)

Well I think that's about it for now, going to go watch some Olympic curling now! Way underrated!
G'night!

Iron Chef Lazy American!

2006-01-10T15:08:34Z

So I tried my hand at some more cooking last night, or as mike likes to say "Food modding".

I made some Japanese Chicken Kabobs.
The marinade, and dipping sauce, is made up of orange juice, orange peel, ginger root, hint of garlic, and soy sauce.

The chicken had a very nice orange zing to it, not too strong, just right.
Keeping with the orange theme I split the orange and served it up with dinner too. Hard to see in the pic, but that is rice under the kabobs.

For all those bust a move players...

2006-01-06T13:41:39Z

Those little dinosaur guys used to have their own game back in the NES days...

Ewww....

2006-01-03T20:10:40Z

Happier post...

2005-12-29T16:39:26Z

Well I thought I'd post today since it has been a little while and I'm feeling quite happy today.

X-mas went well, gave out some fun stuff and got some awesome gifts, notably guitar lessons!
I called up the day before last and got everything all schedule and was asked to pick three songs that I want to learn to play.

Well got it narrowed down to two so far. Picked two bands that are trios, being that they only have one guitarist as not to mix up the lead and rythm when I listen to it.

1. Chevelle's "Get Some"
http://www.sonybmgmedia.com/streams/wm.asx?id=206553

2. Green Day's "Basket Case" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B000002MP2001007/104-6256924-1122353

I was going to go with another Chevelle song since I really like Pete's work on the guitar, but heather recommended something with less distortion rock and more clean sound. After listening to several Eric Clapton recommendations, nothing against his music but I don't need that much of a challenge, she suggested "Change (In the House of Flies)" by the Deftones.

Anyone else have some suggestions? Thanks! :)

A complete lack of christmas joy...

2005-12-23T17:47:00Z

Not sure what it is lately, normally I get big into the christmas joy. I always look forward to christmas morning, watching people open their gifts and the happiness on their faces but this year it's not there. Hard to say if it's simply missing or if something killed it this year, but I just cannot find that joy I normally feel.

Today. Today feels like any other day, it doesn't feel like christmas is two days away. Hell it doesn't even feel like a friday.

I've tried for the last week or so to get myself into the christmas mood and nothing seems to be doing it, so today I just do not care.

LoTR quiz to pass the time...

2005-12-23T03:09:48Z

Numenorean

To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?
brought to you by Quizilla

First time for everything?

2005-12-12T02:37:17Z

So like it was about 5:00am this morning and I decide I need a drink, a strong one.
Needless to say about 20 minutes later I find myself unable to negoiate the stairs standing up right.

First time I can save I've ever actually been "drunk", it was fun, might have to do it again some time.

It's 4:10am and I cannot sleep...

2005-12-11T10:13:05Z

Tired, just cannot fall asleep.
Guess I can make my D&D character for heather's up and coming adventure.
Need to reover the PHB, been so long I think I've forgotten how to make a
character.

mourel @ 2005-12-09T08:18:00

2005-12-09T14:21:03Z

My contention is that religion is still useful amongst
the herd - that it helps their orderly conduct as nothing
else could... The crude human animal is ineradicably
superstitious, and there is every biological and
historical reason why he should be... Take away his
Christian god and saints, and he will worship something else.

-H.P. Lovecraft, letter to Woodburn Harris, 1929

Oh Great Cthulhu!

2005-12-08T15:34:12Z

Oh Great Cthulhu!

I have been an extremely industrious devotee this year.

In January, I fed elle_o_yellow to a Shoggoth (250 points). In June, I recruited g3kko as a new cultist (30 points). In May, I rescued maleesa from being sacrificed (-200 points). In February, I burnt my copy of the Necronomicon (-75 points). In October, I stopped g3kko from defiling Lovecraft's grave (-20 points). In August, I exposed kender00 to soul-rending horrors (250 points).

In short, I have been very good (235 points) and deserve the honour of having my body used as a host for one of your servitors.

Your humble and obedient servant,
mourel

Submit your own plea to Cthulhu!

Wow...Just wow....

2005-12-06T15:58:40Z

So...Buying porn for maleesa is the only "nice" thing I've done?

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

This year I've been busy!

In November I broke morgan_dewinter's X-Box (-12 points). Last Tuesday I ruled Duluth, Minnesota as a cruel and heartless dictator (-700 points). In October I pushed g3kko in the mud (-17 points). In September I committed genocide... Sorry about that, kender00 (-5000 points). In January I bought porn for maleesa (10 points).

Overall, I've been naughty (-5719 points). For Christmas I deserve stern beating!

Sincerely,
mourel

God and me?

2005-12-02T02:01:32Z

Ok, so I was discussing religion to an extent earlier today. I think I believe in a form of intelligent design. I cannot believe in a all powerful "Divine" being of sorts, but I can believe in a race of beings many times more advanced than us and fucking with our evolutionary path. Strange perhaps, but is it much different with our genetic experimentation with the "lesser" forms of life on our planet?

Which leads me to an interesting point.

My first name means "A gift from god" and
My middle name means "Appointed by god".

Hebrew in both cases. I found it interesting, figured I'd share.

In any case onto something completely different.
http://valthonis.friendtest.com

If you'd paid attention you might have figured out an answer already to one of the questions, but watch out for number one, it's a history lessen in the making.

Really bad geeky pickup lines...

2005-11-29T18:32:39Z

Ok, I found these and had to share.

- Tell me of this thing you humans call *dramatic pause* love.

- If you turn me down now, I will become more drunk than you can possibly imagine.

- They don't call me Bones because I'm a doctor.
- Your name is Leslie? Look, I can spell your name on my calculator!

- What's a nice girl like you doing in a wretched hive of scum and villany like this?
- You must be Windows 95 because you gots me so unstable.
- My 'up-time' is better than BSD.
- I can tell by your emoticons that you're looking for some company.
- Is that an iPod mini in your pocket or are you just happy to see me.
- Want to see my Red Hat?
- If you won't let me buy you a drink, at least let me fix your laptop.
- You had me at "Hello World."
- Mind if I run a sniffer to see if your ports are open?
- You make me want to upgrade my Tivo.
- By looking at you I can tell you're 36-25-36, which by the way are all perfect squares.

- Jedi Mind Trick: "This is the geek you're looking for." *waves hand*
- You can put a Trojan on my Hard Drive anytime.
- Have you ever googled yourself?
- How about we do a little peer-to-peer saliva swapping?
- With my IQ and your body we could begin a race of genetic superchildren to conquer the earth.

- What's a girl like you doing in a place like this when there's a Farscape marathon on right now on the Sci Fi channel.

- I'm attracted to you so strongly, scientists will have to develop a fifth fundamental force.

- I'm attracted to you so much that scientists will begin to doubt the Theory of Relativity.

- What's a nice girl like you doing in a chatroom like this?
- Resistance is futile.
- No matter how I sort things, you'll always be first.
- No, that's not a Logitech MX-100 in my pants, but thanks for noticing.
- I think you could be an integral part of my project life cycle.
- I'd switch to emacs for you.
- You put the SPARC in my workstation.
- If you have an empty slot, I have the card to fill it.
- We're like SLI. Were great alone, but we'd be so much better together.
- You got me stuck on Caps Lock, if you know what I mean.
- I have so much love to give you'll have to pipe it through more.
- Did you make a Google Bomb? Whatever I search for, it's you I find.
- Do you work for a TelCom? Because I bet you'd be good at pulling cable.
- I was hoping you wouldn't block my pop-up.
- Would you like to play Scrabble with me? I am tired of playing with myself.
- You compute me.
- Girl, I wish I was your differential, because then I'd be touching all your curves.
- But enough about me, let's talk about mu.
- Be my queen and mate me with your knight moves.
- You've stolen the ASCII to my heart.
- You must've been made by Intel to be that hot!
- I entered the probability equation into my TI-89 Titanium Graphing calculator and it predicted you would go out with me, see! (hold up calculator)

- What's a nice girl like you doing on an unsecured webcam like this?
- Can I have a large coffee with sugar and your phone number, please?
- Do you prefer the static or expanding universe theory more? Because, since I first saw you, I'm expanding.

- That Princess Leia slave girl outfit would look great in a crumpled heap next to my bed.

- You make me want to be an honest man, and register all my shareware.
- Yes, that is a real light saber replica in my pocket, but I'm still happy to see you.

- You're so beautiful, I'd take my Steve Austin action figure out of its original packaging for you.

- Do you want to come back to my place, and we can prank call George Lucas?
- I don't mean to disturb you, but Heisenberg's Uncertainly Principle said I already did that by observing you.

- Did it hurt when you fell out of heaven, because F=ma and your acceleration after falling that far would be incredible.

mourel @ 2005-11-27T20:22:00

2005-11-28T02:22:50Z

You are a Warlock. You have raw arcane power in
your blood. Most likely your dad was a demon or devil
of some kind and took advantage of an innocent woman.
You may feel that your dark heritage is a bit of a curse,
but you still secretly love the power. You survive on this
evil tained power, not study. You like leather, lots of black
leather.

What D&D Class are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Ok, maybe I "slightly" skewed the results, but still. ;)

Nate can cook! Well maybe...

2005-11-26T15:07:37Z

Well I helped out since we're having thanksgiving with my family today, lots of food to prep so last night I prepared some scalped corn and a cherry pie. Sure doesn't sound like alot but for those that know my cooking 5k1775 you'll know that's quite a feat.

Cooked the pie this morning and the corn will go in later. I'll report back tonight with the causalty report.

Wheeee!

2005-11-25T20:47:41Z

Ok so I'm killing time at work doing work things some not so work things, but finally I get a call with something half way entertaining and timeconsuming.

Have to join a computer to one of our domains, nothing real exciting, but if you've had the day I'm having it's like giving sugar to a two year old. Anyways, so he goes to one of our stores to get connected to our VPN and join the domain, receives the error "cannot contact server"...
Eh? Check dns names and what not, seems fine, will not connect. Talk to one the guy at our main office, guess they're having problems with their domain tree at the moment...Reschedule for another day.

Back to watching loosers spend upwards of $1000+ for xbox 360s on ebay...

Ok....

2005-11-25T16:02:38Z

Ok, so enough with the quizes and such.
This morning started off ok, slept pretty well, took a nice hot shower, ate some breakfast, made some toast for Tanis, plopped him on the couch to watch a movie.

Left for work and then once I got here I realized that I left my laptop at home...turn around and drive all the way back home. Boss didn't care that I was late, just laughed at me, the drive was actually kinda nice.

Had thanksgiving at heather's parents house yesterday, it was nice. Tanis was crabby but he didn't get much nap time in, so it's understandable. Didn't eat too much, so didn't get the overly stuffed feeling which is nice. Also didn't have to take left overs home since we're having thanksgiving with my family on saturday, which should be fun.

Reminds me, I need to make scalped corn tonight, well atleast get it ready to be cooked.

Did I mentioned that today is BLACK FRIDAY? Well I didn't, but I'm sure you know that. Today is the day that crazy people get up way too early to fight over stupid savings and limited supplies of hot toys for their kids. No thankyou, I'll just keep it as a day to sleep in, well maybe not today since I'm at work, but atleast I'm not at the mall...

More quizes!

2005-11-25T15:53:48Z

Slow and Steady

Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy.

They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder.

It'd really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment.

They expect you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then usually decide against it.

How Do People See You?

Any real surprise here?

You are an Atheist

When it comes to religion, you're a non-believer (simple as that).

You prefer to think about what's known and proven.

You don't need religion to solve life's problems.

Instead, you tend to work things out with logic and philosophy.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

New daddy and I used to be a redhead!

2005-11-25T15:30:33Z

Your Daddy Is Patrick Stewart

What You Call Him: Papi

Why You Love Him: You don't love him, you just love calling him "daddy"

Who's Your Daddy?

Well this sucks...

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Redhead Belly Dancer.

Where You Lived: Australia.

How You Died: Buried alive.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

Random updates...

2005-11-25T15:15:22Z

For those that don't read Penny Arcade, this lovely character is Fruit Fucker. That's really all that needs to be said.