| Writer's Block: Conversion Rate |
[Jun. 17th, 2009|07:43 am] |
Not seriously, but of late I've been slowly but steadily abandoning even the faith I kept when I quit religion.
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| Wish You Were Here (For Specific Values of "You") |
[Jun. 15th, 2009|08:49 pm] |
Work continues on GenCon stuff. Would have been more productive tonight, but I left my USB drives at the office and had to return for them. Knocked a little bit of the energy off.
May have a short-term solution to my sleep problem. #1 Crush recommended something to me, and I'm going to look into it very soon. |
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| Vacation |
[Jun. 7th, 2009|08:07 pm] |
So, I went to Florida last week. The original plan for the time off was to go to Diecon again, but my enthusiasm completely evaporated in early May, so I extended my time off from work and decided to head somewhere.
I left Lexington around 4:30 Wednesday morning. Made an impulse side trip to Savannah, Georgia, and Tybee Island, both of which were utterly beautiful, but in totally different ways. Spent a few hours at each place, then pressed on to Daytona Beach and spent the night.
Saw Daytona International Speedway, walked around the beach a bit, then headed south to Kennedy Space Center. Holy ground for a space geek like me. Saw Endeavour out on 39-A. Nice long tour of KSC. The astronaut memorial is beautiful. Drove to West Palm Beach and spent the night.
The Shell convenience store where I refuelled in West Palm Beach had a good-sized wine rack, about 20 varieties on hand, with a recommended pairings list. Man, it's a whole other planet sometimes.
Friday was Key West. Got there around noon. Saw the Hemingway House, the end of US1, and met some fun folks from Maryland. Left Key West around 8 p.m., and decided to try driving straight home. Took 22 hours, but I did it. Stops every four hours or so for fuel and drinks, and one real meal along the way.
Lots and lots of time to think while driving. Made some decisions; now to see if I can stick with them.
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| Clock Strikes Ten |
[May. 26th, 2009|07:47 am] |
Saw Terminator Salvation yesterday. Not especially impressed, except for Anton Yelchin's rather spectacular performance as Kyle Reese.
Got in some time with The Niece, and took her home to Louisville in the evening. She's a sweet kid, and it's good to talk with her on these little trips.
Short workweek, of course. And next week, too.
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| Sea of Love |
[May. 24th, 2009|09:28 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  tired | ] |
Erin's graduation was today. Good time, but I'm rather dehydrated and dealing with a headache as a result. Lots of water in the next couple of hours, then to bed for me, I think.
I am tired, and I feel incomplete. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 16th, 2009|08:00 pm] |
More busy-time at work. W&B are out for a long weekend (back Tuesday), so that's plenty of extra for SC and me. Two weeks until my vacation, though, so it'll all balance out.
Out stupidly late last night. Went out with some friends (birthday celebration). Shot pool (badly), then over to Rosebud. Loud and crowded, short on eye candy. Had plans to continue the party tonight, but no joy.
Presently chatting with #1 Crush. Maybe heading to Louisville tonight anyway. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 10th, 2009|07:53 am] |
X-Men Origins: Wolverine was rather fun. Nothing remarkable, but worth the $6 and two hours. ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) tegyrius and I engaged in gratuitous mocking of Gambit.
Invincible Iron Man #13: I really hate the Controller.
Power Girl #1: This was fun. If the series keeps this tone, I'm had.
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| Season of the Witch |
[May. 1st, 2009|08:43 pm] |
This was a pretty intense week at the office, what with the launch of a new product and all. Overtime was made available, but I opted for comp time instead. Yay for getting to sleep in.
Swine flu panic! Apocalypse! The End! Load up the car, head to Boulder or Las Vegas!
Not going to Diecon after all. Will be roaming other places instead.
Done with the War Machine comic, I think. Can't even give it one more issue. |
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| Commitment |
[Apr. 5th, 2009|07:33 am] |
Yesterday was a good day. Dad wanted to go to some sort of antique car parts swap meet, and I went along, as it was in Louisville, and I've meant to get up there and screw around for a while now.
Dropped Mom&Dad off at the Fair & Expo Center, and set out to revisit some places in the city that were/are important to me. Hit most of them - The Louisville Game Shop was first on the list of course, and I got in a good hour or so of shooting the breeze with Colin (and bought a couple of books), then out to UofL's campus, to just walk around for a bit. Drove through downtown, just taking turns more or less at random.
So, Louisville definitely stays on the "Yeah, I could move there" list. There are plenty of factors left to determine what happens to me in the next year or so - new job? Grad school? A second Bachelors, instead? - but now, at least, there's a door remaining open. |
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| It All Got Black |
[Mar. 8th, 2009|07:14 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  sleepy | ] |
Skipped out on gaming last night to go to OGBJim's birthday party. Good times. Curse-a you, Mario Kart.
Up waaaay too early this morning. Early enough, I think, that I'm going back to bed now. |
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| Pictures of You |
[Mar. 5th, 2009|09:38 pm] |
So, Erin called last night - and the timing was rather funny, and with all due respect, it's not really meant for your eyes, dear friends, but someday, the whole story can be told. Maybe. She is, as I write this, attending a performance by the New York Philharmonic at the Norton Center in Danville. On the program for tonight is Pictures at an Exhibition. I am extremely jealous.
Work is going okay. New project lead work tomorrow. That makes me feel a little bit better about job security, but I'm still not relaxed, and won't be until this latest round is hashed out. In the event of job-go-away, there's a good-sized severance package, enough to keep me going here for a while, or resettle me in one of the three cities I'd look at shipping out to pretty quickly.
A fair bit of excitement here in town today. Number One Crush called while it was going down, as she was near The Ridge when, as she put it, half the cops in town suddenly appeared.
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| Cold Wars |
[Mar. 1st, 2009|09:49 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | sleepy | ] |
UKON - could have been better. Fantasycraft was pretty well-received.
Slept well last night, and today, I'm going to take care of some neglected chores and indulge myself with some leisure time. |
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| Kobayashi's Domain |
[Feb. 22nd, 2009|09:13 am] |
It's been a long week.
Tuesday afternoon was all of the obligatory scrambling around and getting family together and making arrangements and finding places for people to sleep and other associated stuff. We all stayed busy, reinforced each other, that sort of thing. Had a tiny spat with my mom - I stayed in a hotel for the two nights I was in Liberty, and that's just outside Mom's ability to understand, but I cannot get anything like restful sleep in Mom&Dad's house anymore. As always, late-night phone call with #1 Crush.
I volunteered to drive to Louisville to get The Niece on Wednesday morning, and #1C called while I was on I-65. We clarified some things from the previous night's talk, and from a conversation we'd had when I was at a hospital Monday morning. Got to The Niece's house and headed back to Liberty. Poor girl, she was dealing with a nasty cold. Got a text from tegyrius regarding a tornado watch in Liberty - just before we got off of I-65 and drove through some really nasty rain mixed with hail for about 15 minutes. Clear weather for the rest of the drive, thankfully.
Visitation was that evening. Lots of hugs and handshakes and tears, and getting to see people I missed without really knowing that I did. #1C and elalyr and Tegyrius came down for a while, and the four of us and my brother spent some time together telling old stories and catching up and just being together when Matt and I needed it. Late dinner with #1C, and then back to my hotel while she headed to Lexington.
The funeral itself was as good as such things can be. Darren Gillespie, who was pastor of my home church when I left (not because of him, dear heavens no) conducted the service. I did what I'm apparently wired to do - was stoic, the rock against which the waves break, the one family member who grieves privately and provides strength for the rest. Wake afterwards, lots of reconnecting and some pictures and exchanging contact information. I had planned to drive The Niece back to Louisville that evening, but she stayed with Mom&Dad, and I headed home.
Friday started the return to normalcy. It was a good - if busy - day at work. Lots of "We're glad you're back" and "Let us know if you need anything." Got through it okay, was reminded again that I work with and for some pretty terrific people, and went home. Another late-night talk with #1C.
Yesterday was solitude, for the most part. Worked on UKON stuff, which will be the order of business for today, too.
Thanks again to all of you for your kind words and support. They mean a lot.
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| Endings |
[Feb. 17th, 2009|11:33 am] |
My last grandparent, my paternal grandmother, died this morning around 10:20. She had been undergoing a rapid deterioration in the past few months - mild dementia, increased weakness, that sort of thing, and in the last couple of weeks, things really went downhill.
I saw her for a few hours yesterday. She was sedated into unconsciousness, to control the pain from the bisecting aortic aneurysm. According to my chief advisor in things medical, hearing is the last sense to go, and Mamaw likely had enough consciousness to recognize our voices. So, when I had a moment of privacy with her, I told her I loved her, that we all did, and while we'll miss her terribly, it was okay for her to go, to let go, to move on.
And now she has.
Adele Davis was a guiding hand in my life. Much of whatever kindness and gentleness is in me is due to her.
Services will be held by McKinney-Brown Funeral Home in Liberty, Kentucky. I expect they'll be Thursday, but may be as early as tomorrow afternoon. I'll be in and out of contact for a little while; messages will get through and responded to. Best e-mail is hirumaandy at Yahoo; if you want a phone number, contact me there.
I'll be back in a few days. |
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| Chasing the Light |
[Feb. 14th, 2009|05:47 pm] |
I don't often make a big deal about my birthday, outside of taking a few days off from work and either relaxing or hitting the road. It's just how I'm wired. My ACS team at work is pretty cool about it. Yesterday, though, my new teams did something that, in the great big scheme of things, is small, but it really made me happy. Cake, ice cream, and a little celebration in the afternoon. Completely unexpected, but very kind.
Today, of course, is Valentine's Day. I've railed against it, hated it, been ambivalent towards it. I sent Amy flowers way back when, and a few dinners and cards and other things with someone else, but Kathryn wasn't into Valentine's Day at all, and that godawful mess with Sasha had so many complications that even if I'd wanted to make note of February 14, I couldn't have without making things even worse than they were. 2009 sees me going down a path with #1 Crush - we're not together today, and probably won't see each other until I get back from Alabama, but I'm happy as the day is long that we've got places in each others' lives.
So, here's to Valentine's Day. Here's to romance and to love and to butterflies in the stomach and your heart racing when that particular name shows on your cell and to conversations that go into the wee hours of the night. Here's to what-if and promises and a boast that she's willing to call you on. Here's to having an ache from missing someone, and not wanting that ache to go away because even it feels so good. Here's to gentle touches and whispers and private looks and things that no one knows but you and her. Here's to knowing what you want, and knowing that any risk is worth it. Here's to trust and to someone placing the whole of their existence into your hands.
Here's to my crush. |
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| I Put a Spell on You |
[Feb. 12th, 2009|07:34 pm] |
My grandmother's diagnosis is now chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rather than clots in the lungs. No real difference in her long-term health, I guess. She's so small now. It's like she's beginning to collapse in on herself.
After a month off, we got back to the Star Wars game this week with some big scary Sith hoodoo. No game next week, though, because of my absence. I regret that, for the other players.
Dinner with #1C last night, followed by a writing-and-studying session. Found out that there's a specific type of damage that a human eye can undergo that allows the eye to see into the ultraviolet.
Early-morning trip to Danville to get some paint damage repaired on the Taurus. Very busy afternoon at the office, and hopefully that'll continue for a while.
I hit 37 in a few days. Hitting the road for a few days after that.
Right now, though, I've got some sleep to catch up on. |
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| Dance Floor Metaphor |
[Feb. 9th, 2009|06:32 pm] |
It can't ever be simple with me.
Headed to Liberty on Saturday morning, looking forward to a day-and-a-half of relative solitude, some clearing my head, and some writing. Had a little maintenance done on the Taurus, checked in with my Uncle Garland and then my grandmother and Aunt Janice, then went to Mom&Dad's empty house. Wrote, read, napped until about 5, when Dad called. Janice had taken my grandmother to the county hospital, and a preliminary exam showed that her aneurysm was beginning to bisect. So, off to the hospital I went. Most of the closer Davis relatives were there, or arrived over the course of the evening. Mamaw was awake and alert until around 11:30; when she went to sleep and the overnight watches were decided on, I headed back to Mom&Dad's and finished up a few things, then headed back to Lexington, arriving around 2 a.m.
(Mom&Dad, by the way, had gone to West Virginia on Friday evening to visit Mom's sister and pick up an engine.)
Mamaw was taken to another hospital Sunday evening for tests on possible blood clots in her lungs. Still inconclusive. She may be hospitalized for a while longer.
One of my cousins was placed in detox Saturday after OD'ing on his painkillers. Was not, in fact, dead, as was earlier reported.
Talked with #1 Crush in the late afternoon and early evening. And again late into the night. Quite nice. Cleared some air between us, too.
Very tired now. Should probably grab a nap before working a little more and then going to bed for real for the evening. |
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| Gray Sky Eyes |
[Feb. 6th, 2009|09:58 pm] |
Survived the ice storm. No power loss for me, didn't miss any time at work, no real problems. Luckier than many in this respect.
Work's going okay. Writing's slower than I'd like, though. Doing more stuff for GenCon.
Crushing still. |
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| Tuesday Evening Coming Down |
[Jan. 27th, 2009|08:28 pm] |
We are getting some weather. Ice/snow/sleet last night and throughout the day, and still coming down. I spent about 15 minutes chipping away at the ice that coated the Taurus this morning, and the drive to the office took about 20 minutes - better than double my normal drive time. Staff attendance was about 50% today, and I had so very little to do. Went home at 4. I'm expecting to have to dig Heph out again tomorrow morning, if I even go in. I probably should, since I've already scheduled a half-day for Thursday.
Have been trying to reach Dad since leaving the office, but no luck. He was near Chattanooga when we talked this morning; must be in a limited-coverage area.
Power outages here and there, both in the city and around the state. Heard reports of outages in Garrard County early on; checked in with Erin, and she's in Berea already, but power's out there as of this evening. Danville has shut down its streets, and power to the city's water supplier is out. This is going to be a rough night for a lot of people. |
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rejuvenated
discontent
bored
thoughtful