Word association for January 16th

As always, taken from here.

1. Yoda:: Star Wars
2. Mensa:: Smart
3. Pink:: Elephants
4. Text message:: Phone
5. Galactic:: Battle
6. Chicks:: Women
7. Quesadilla:: Cheese
8. Backpack:: School
9. Socket:: Wrench
10. Compromise:: Reaching a

The Plot Thickens

So I get up this morning, and I have a note from one roommate, and one roommate only. Yes, the one I've been complaining about the most, ironically. It's a very nice note telling me he's not planning to move out in the near future, he'll give me 30 days notice before he does, and he is looking for a cheaper place but not proactively. Since I think I'm one of the best deals in town, I'm not too worried. He also apologizes for making me worry about all this.

There was nothing from my other two roommates, however. Now happy about that, so I call them and ask them to let me know.

Finally get a call back about 5. That roommates tells me that they'll all be moving out March 1st to give me more time to find new roommates. Sounds different, so I start asking him more questions. Finally, I ask to talk to roommates number 3, who's sitting in the room. He says that he and roommates 1 (who left the note) will move out if they find a cheaper place, but not before March 1st.

So now I don't know what's going on. I do know I have six weeks before I loose them, and I will get a definite answer about March in two weeks. But March will be almost impossible to find roommates. Middle of the semester.

This does also explain why I felt like I was getting mixed signals a week ago. The three of them didn't know what was going on and each thought something different had been decided on.

I think banging my head on the wall will be less painful then trying to figure this all out!

I really, really, really need the opportunity I spoke of to come to be. I'll find out more Tuesday.

Meme Time

Um, I have some catching up to do with these, don't I?

Since this week's is about Elvis, and my answer would be boring, I'm doing last week's TV Tuesday.

1. Did you watch more or less TV during the holidays? Did you sample any new shows in repeats or watch reruns of your favorites to catch-up?
Decidely less. My family never watched TV, and most of what I watch was in reruns anyway.

2. Did you get any TV on DVD as a gift during the holiday season?
Not directly. I didn't have any under the tree waiting for me, but I did use the money I got for Christmas to get Alias season 3, 24 season 3, Crusade complete series and Monk season 2 on DVD.

3. Which do you like more--watching the ball drop in NYC or all the college football bowl games?
Watching the ball drop. Although I must admit Benjamin is wearing off on me. Sports don't drive me crazy like they used to. Then again, I'm usually reading while they're on. Hope this doesn't become a problem for me. I need more TV to watch like I need another hole in my head.

4. Looking forward--are there any mid-season replacements shows or any returning shows your anxious to see?
As you could probably guess from looking at what I bought, I'm most excited about the return of Alias, 24, and Monk.

~ BONUS ~ If you watched Dick Clark's Rocking New Year's Eve (hosted by Regis), rate this year's event without Mr. Clark. Was it good, bad? Just OK? Did you miss Dick Clark or was Regis enough for you?
I saw a few parts of it. But no more or less then I normally watch. What drove me crazy was all the celebs talking about how they missed Dick Clark. They were obviously pre-recorded, so it was pretty lame to me.

And since I need to do every week ever of the Thursday Threesome, I'll start with the first one I missed from the 23rd. It was brought to us by My Two Front Teeth.

Onesome: All-- Ready, set, go! It's all over in just a few days. Are you ready to relax a bit and kick back for a day or two? ...or are you going to be the one working so darned hard to make it all work? (...or is that how you like it?)
By this point, I was ready to relax and enjoy. Starting with a nice car trip, of course.

Twosome: I want-- The easy one : what is it you'd really like for Christmas this year? ...any chance you're getting it?
What I wanted most for Christmas was Apples to Apples, which I got!

Threesome: For Christmas-- For Christmas? Sarah and I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy yourself this weekend!
Why thank you. :)

Ok. Next up was the one from 12/30, brought to us by Work Around the House.

Onesome: Taking-- some time off? Are you on holiday schedule tomorrow? ...or is it just another day in the mines? How about a party in the evening? No?
I was on holiday schedule for an entire week and a half. Didn't work from the 23rd to the 3rd. My plans for New Years Eve fell through, however, so I spent the majority of the evening at home watching DVD's.

Twosome: the Lights-- Hey, is this the weekend all the decorations come down? When do you "de-Christmas" your place?
The decorations came down on the 3rd. Which wasn't soon enough for one of my roommates. But that's generally when my family takes them down. Although I think a couple units in my complex still have theirs up.

Threesome: Down-- time... Are you getting any relaxation time this weekend? ...or are you all wrapped up in parties and events? ..and for the students: are you done with down time? When do you have to go back
Actually, I was all wrap up in helping a friend get packed to move and taking down the lights. I got much needed down time last weekend, however.

Heck, I might as well do them all.

Here's the 6th, brought to us by dinners I refuse to eat.

Onesome: Fish- Do you have a favorite outdoor hobby or are you a strictly stay at home type?
I love to swim and play ultimate Frisbee. But that doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me or reads this blog. :)

Twosome: Chips- Do you gamble? Lotto, weekly poker night or weekends in Vegas?
None of the above. I even have a witness that I didn't gamble when I was in Vegas.

Threesome: and mushy peas- What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten?
Tofu. I certainly consider that strange.

Ok, finally today's, which is brought to us by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Onesome: The Phantom-- Pick one (or more!): Hey, have you seen it yet? Are you going to go see it? Have you seen it on stage? Read the book? What Phantom?
I would like to see the movie, and I'm sure I will at some point. I did see the stage version last time it was in town, and enjoyed it more then I thought I would.

Twosome: of the-- Of the sights and sounds and smells of Spring what are you waiting for the most? ...and what is the first sign in your area that Spring is on its way?
Temps in the 70's for about a week. I love weather in the 70's and 80's!

Threesome: Opera-- Theatre? Stage? Local shows? Do you get a chance to visit any of these venues? Any recommendations on current items?
Let's see, if you haven't seen them, The Incredibles and National Treasure both come highly recommended from me. And there are several more in the theater I'd like to watch right now. I would like to see more stage shows then I do. But, aside from the money, I have a hard time finding someone to go with me.

Ok, I think this post is long enough. I'm going to post now!

Quick update and a story

So I got home last night all ready to talk to my roommates...and none of them were home! I'd been home all of 10 minutes when they all came home, so I was able to talk to them all at the same time. They seemed to think I was being logical and fair by asking for 30 days advance notice. I did tell them to tell me by Friday who was going and staying this month, so we'll see if they do or not. Which means right now I get to wait.

Although I think two of them aren't since they both promised me 30 days notice. At least I can hope they aren't moving out.

Let's see, the sun has come out big time. And it wasn't too cold outside without a coat on today. I think I'm even going to try opening my garage door again tonight.

I'm over half way through Evan's Gate. I just can't stop reading. Great as always with this series. If you haven't read it yet, go get it now. After you finish this entry, of course.

And now for the story.

I've been reading in my car on my lunch hour this week. Yesterday, two co-workers came back from lunch while I was doing so. One of them took one of my magnetic bumper stickers off my car to put on the other's car. So person number two immediately took it off her car and started to walk up to my door to move it for me. Now I'd seen person #1 take the magnet off my car to begin with, so I was already getting out of the car. By suddenly emerging like I did, I really scared them both. They were laughing loudly about it all the way across the parking lot. I got a kick out of it, too. Except for the fact that if people keep messing with them, I'm going to wind up loosing them to theft or just loss. And that's won't make me happy.

Ups and Downs

I'm really tired of living on emotional rollercoasters. I honestly don't think I've gotten any better then when I was a teenager.

The good - One of my roommates came in to apologize for some stuff he had said about me and his attitude toward me that evening. The best part? It was something I had missed all together since I was in the other room. But it was nice to be apologized to for not being included and invited to be included.

The bad - I am loosing one to three roommates by the end of the month. And I can't get a straight answer as to how many. Right now is when I need to be lining up replacements, not two weeks down the road when they decide on something. Plus the fact that I don't want to have to adjust to new guys yet again. At least I'm getting enough warning to be flexible. :)

Of course, my lack of sleep isn't helping this at all. I stayed awake later then I had planned, partially from a 24 induced adrenilin high and partly worring about money last night. You think I'd learn about God taking care of me. After all, last time this happened I found roommates no problem. Yet here I go again. I can't take this much more.

And yes, this might effect my attendence at Trixie camp this year. If I can't get new roommates fast enough, I can't go.

On the weather front, the "heavy rain" we were supposed to have today never showed up. Which I'm very happy for since we are way water logged. None of the mud slides have effected me directly, but it's rather scary. I hope we have several weeks to dry out and absorb the water we've been given. Yes, this coming from the guy who has been gripping about lack of rain for two years now. Never satisfied, am I?

And can I just say how much I love 24? I got to watch all four episodes of this season last night. Yes, it was a bit much, but I loved it. They had me hooked in the first 5 minutes. Can't wait to see where this season's thrill ride takes us. I'm guessing it's not where I expect it to go.

Yesterday=Great. Today=Not So Great

Most of yesterday was the normal church/talk to my family type stuff. But last night I met up with some friends in the evening. We had dinner then played Harry Potter Uno (yes, there are a couple small changes). We had a blast. It was a much needed time with friends. In fact, we decided to have a regularly scheduled game night.

However, when I got home and told the one roommate who was home and up about it, he was really rude about it. I announce they'll be over, but varified that he'd most likely be out of town. In fact, two of my roommates plan to be out of town that night, which is why I volunteered to go first. He seemed really put out by the fact that I was planning to have friends over at all. And then he says, "Well, can I reserve the house for the 27th." After double checking the date, I say, "Sure. What's going on?" "I don't know yet."

Mind you, this is after I've told him that all my roommates are more the welcome to join us if they're in town.

I don't know what it is, but he and I are butting heads constantly these days. This is the same roommate who seems most included to exclude me from things the other three are doing. So you'd think he'd be happy to see my developing a social life. But I guess he just wants me to stay home and mope all the time.

Anyway, after that, I finished Third Watch. Actually, I read about 2/3's of the book this weekend. Just spent a nice relaxing weekend in the condo trying to stay out of the rain. Great book. Much better then the last one.

For some reason, the condo has gotten very warm over the last few days. And I could not get it to cool off last night. Finally went to sleep about 2:30AM. Got up and going in time to get to work on time, but then I had to fight my garage door. Seems it only wants to open about 1/3 of the way. Maybe it's due to the storm. I really don't know. But I had to get it open all the way to get my car out. Stopped for gas, but the gas station I was planning to stop at was closed. And I had ants all over my keyboard when I got into the office. Honestly, I wanted to head back to bed.

But the days been ok once I got to work. Nothing exciting happening either way. Except that my package from Amazon hasn't quite made it here yet. Hopefully tomorrow!

So now, I need to get gas and head home. Figure out what's wrong with my garage door and watch last night's premier of 24 so I can watch tonight's episodes. You know, 4 hours in two nights is a little too much.

Word Association for January 9th

Wow, it's been a few weeks since I've done a word association. I hope I still remember how to do them. :)

1. Pistol:: Gun
2. Rick:: Drive
3. Full circle:: Back to the Beginning
4. I wish:: Into the Woods
5. Frame:: Glasses
6. Adult:: Kids
7. Photography:: Pictures
8. Stew:: Rabbit
9. Cheat:: Liar
10. Brad:: Garret

And For My Second Post of the Year

Yes, I'm still alive and kicking. This week was just too busy at work to update much.

We were doing the W-2's we would normally do before Christmas. It was rather nice to not rush around and try to do them before break. Especially with the problems we had. Which meant I was actually working during work hours most of the time. :)

Frankly, there hasn't been a whole lot going on in my life this week. With students gone, it's been very quiet, in fact. Come home and hang out around here, mostly.

Wednesday was the season premier of Alias. Finally. While there is some potential there, I'm not as excited about it as I'd hoped to be. It seemed like they were trying a little too hard to recapture season 1 with some stuff that made no logical sense. But we'll just have to see what happens. I'm certainly not going to write it off yet.

And Thursday was our first night back at youth group. It felt good to be back. And Scott and Jared let me play even though I missed practice Sunday, which really boosted my ego. It was also nice that they put the songs together themselves without any adults around to make them. I was very happy about that.

And please pray for me. I had an opportunity presented before me when I got home last night. Don't want to get too much into it here and now, but please pray for wisdom for me and most of all for God's will to be done. It makes me nervous both ways.

Oh How the Time Goes By

Looks like I'm finally going to get a chance to update this thing with my Christmas/New Years news. So let's get cracking.

I spent a week with my family in Northern CA. It was crazy busy. I hardly had time to turn around or relax, which was what I really needed more then anything. And Mom and I had several moments that weren't great.

The first involved her numbering syster for packages. Normally, they don't put out presents before Christmas Eve, then we aren't allowed to see them until we actually go to open them. This year, presents were out when I got up there, but they numbered. And Mom kept going on and on about how we had to figure it out. Including at 2 in the morning when we were trying to go to bed after picking my brother and sister-in-law up from the airport. Finally, I mentioned that I don't necessarily enjoy games like this. O, she wasn't happy with me for saying that. Frankly, I was tired of her constant talking about it. When Mike did figure it out, Mom wasn't happy we figured it out because we weren't supposed to figure it out. MAKE UP YOUR MIND!!!! And, we're the only people she won't put names on before hand. I feel like I'm being treated like a little kid.

And that really didn't help with this next one. Before I said what I did about not enjoying the game, Mom told me that I couldn't buy anything on my Christmas list I did'nt get until after my birthday. Um, hello! I'm 29. You can't order me around like that any more. Based on what I got for Christmas, I'm sure I know what they got me planning for my birthday. And it wasn't something I was planning to buy between now and then. But every year, they talk about how happy they are with my Christmas list because it gives them lots of options. I come up with that by not buying things for the last few months of the year planning to do that after Christmas is I don't get them. If this is going to be the new policy, my Christmas list will suddenly shrink. Trust me.

Finally, there was the moment alone in my car when she asked me "Do any of your married friends ever try to set you up?" When I answered in the negatory, she reponsed "Why do you think that is?" You know, I always appreciated the fact that Mom never went on and on about me being single. I hope that's not going to change.

But over all, I had a great time. Enjoying seeing Mike and his wife. Spent one night with Donald and Heather, which was great. (And a much needed break, I might add.) And got to see some extended family Wednesday night before I left. Even managed a visit, finally, to the Charles Schultz Museum. Really enjoyed that, being such a fan of Peanuts.

Came back and spent New Year's Eve home alone for the most part. Which brings up another rant about my roommates, but that's for another time.

Finally, New Year's Day, got to pick up Matt from the airport and head down to his parent's house. We were supposed to finish off Babylon 5, but since he got in a week later then planned, we only had time for 5 of the 14 episodes. Spent most of the time helping him pack up his room to move cross country. So I start the year saying goodby to yet another friend. I honestly don't think I can take much more of this goodby nonesense.

And I got a new haircut yesterday. A flattop. I surprised myself by actually getting it to stand up after my shower this morning. I think I like it. Probably keep it for the foreseeable future. Although I may shop around a little. Not completely happy with how it was cut.

Today was the first day back after vacation. Naturally, it's crazy with end of calendar year stuff going on. And at some point this week, we need to run W-2's.

Happy New Year!

Let me be the first post you see dated and timed for this year.

Yes, I've made it back safely from my parents. I know I need to post about it. I promise I will. Eventually.

But for now, may God bless you in the year to come.