Buddy Christ @ A-Kon

Well it is that time again. A long post concerning a general update in my life. In this entry we will be covering

• Visiting Family
• Surgeries
• Scarborough Fair
• Relationship Matters
• Housing
• Vehicular Collision
• Upcoming Parties
• Anything else which comes to mind

Visiting Family

For those who may not know this, I have a brother. In fact, technically I have 1 brother, 2 step-brothers, 1 step sister, 1 or 2 step nephews and 1 or 2 step nieces. Of all those, only my biological brother holds any regard in way of family. The rest just happen to have been produced from the person which is making my appropriate parent happy in life.

Now that we have that piece of information clear, the above mentioned brother, Chris, lives in Florida. I had not seen him in almost 2 years prior to this particular incident. My brother, Chris, flew in from Florida to Dallas for dinner. Granted he was on his way to Houston however I and my mother were able to snag him for a few hours to wander around the fishing store attached to grapevine mills mall and to eat at Love & War. The service was good enough, my mother had to make a point to us that she knew the people who ran it, as usual, and my brother and I worked to get my mother’s new web cam functional. After this dinner Paige and I went to see a movie. Kristen, the girlfriend, may or may not have joined. I am not recalling this specific detail, since I have slept many times since then.

Surgeries

This will be kept brief since detailed conversation about medical situates which is not your own is typcally frowned upon. The short version, in the past 2 -3 weeks, my grandmother, my mother, and my father have all had surgery. All but one went well and the one which did not is starting to look up. Sissy is a god send to have around for the call of “Sissy, can you please translate doctor to mundane?”

Scarborough Fair (I can haz cast badge?)

First to be clear, I am not a member of SAPA, nor am I playing a character out at fair this year. Hopefully this statement will not be applicable next year. I am however working the faire in a non-boothy way. My day is spent with either a pick, sword and shield, lance, stretcher or horse in my hands. Thats right, I am working the joust. It is one of the few jobs you can go from shoveling horse waste, to polishing swords, to talking up women to cheer for your night in less than 15 minutes.

In theory each knight should be provided with their own squire in order to facility the show. To that ends, on opening weekend, we had 2 squires. Between myself and the head squire we made up the full compliment of squires which would be attending the knights. The head squire is a traveling squire who travels with the performers. After our shows on opening weekend, I was not able to feel my legs. Kristen, the girlfriend, came over to massage them, however it was barley felt. My legs had basically gone numb.

Another piece of information, I am a cyclist. I have been cycling for over 14 years of my life. My legs are strong, and can keep going for quite some time. This being clear, walking for the two days after opening weekend was a chore.

Word was put out some how, and Katherine contacted me to ask if we needed an additional squire. The reply to this was basically as you might expect… “PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE YES WE DO PLEASE.” When we we arrived through various means (see Vehicular Collision) there were not only the head squire but three other squires. Somehow we had managed to meet capacity. The first show went well. Katherine and I marched in parade. This is the first time I have ever marched in parade. Ever other time I have ever been in parade I have been Strutting. The horses were basically good during parade and limited route clean up.

Relationship Matters

On the topic of relationship matters there is only one piece of information. This piece of information should not be belittled or overlooked because of the simplistic way in which it can be delivered. It is also directed as a single person who will be reading this. The most complex emotions can sometimes be delivered in a few small words due to the shared condition between us all of humanity.

Kristen, I love you.

Housing

A third piece of information, my birthday is on June 30th. Last year I took that week off of work and proceeded to throw a week long party which was kicked off on the starting Saturday. We will be doing this same thing this year. On June  27th, starting around 8 or 9, I will be hosting a Super Hero themed party. No, it is not a villian party, nor is it a side kick party, Super Heros.

What does this have to do with housing you may ask kind reader? Nothing at all other than the fact it is my goal to throw said party in my new house. That’s right, not my new apartment, not my new rental. MY new HOUSE. Well probably slightly used house.

I am working with a loan broaker, real estate agent, and I am going looking at houses to purchase in 3 days from now.

Vehicular Collision

Short story, car accident, my fault Friday the 11th of April 2009.

Medium story,car accident, my fault Friday the 11th of April 2009, no injuries other person fled the scene, truck is undriveable but repairs appear to be limited to the front bumper.

Long story, I had just left for faire on Good Friday, when god decided to punish me for being Pagan. (Do not even begin to try and let that be computed) After just getting on the highway and shifting over one lane to the left as to avoid any traffic exiting or entering the highway, the small red car in front of me slammed on their breaks. Since I had all of my gear in my truck, the additional momentum carried me directly into the back of the red car.  This was roughly 20 yards before the lovers lane exit. I was able to pull my truck over to the shoulder, and got out to inspect my damage. The vehicle I hit also got out, looked at their vehile. I reached into my vehicle to get my insurance information when a small dog jumped out of the other vehicle. The driver picked up the dog, got in their vehicle and fled the scene. It is suspected the driver was illegal. Either no paper work to be in this country, no drivers lincence or no insurance. My bumper is now rubbing on my front wheel and Service King is repairing it.

No rental is being gotten at this time since I am walking distance to work and Peter and Stacie are allowing me to accompany them to faire.

Upcoming Parties

See Housing

Anything else which comes to mind

I noticed my self smiling today in a way in which I have not smiled since Allee left the country. The reason for the smile was not one of self fulliment, or accomplishment, or even sheer random joy. Instead, I was watching Kristen at country dance going through a dance which my legs decided I should not participate in.

During this dance, I was one of the most amazing things nature has ever created. A true and honest face of sheer joy and laughter on the person one loves. I *almost* had my first tear since Kate left me.

One final note: To those on Live Journal, apologies for the lack of a cut but the method in which this is posted does not allow. I will be looking into editing the API sent to LJ.

We called it the Rubber Duck method of debugging.  It goes like this:

1) Beg, borrow, steal, buy, fabricate or otherwise obtain a rubber duck
   (bathtub variety)
2) Place rubber duck on desk and inform it you are just going to go over
   some code with it, if that's all right.
3) Explain to the duck what you code is supposed to do, and then go into
   detail and explain things line by line
4) At some point you will tell the duck what you are doing next and then
   realise that that is not in fact what you are actually doing.  The duck
   will sit there serenely, happy in the knowledge that it has helped you
   on your way.

Works every time.  Actually, if you don't have a rubber duck you could at
a pinch ask a fellow programmer or engineer to sit in.

On the way home from Trinity Hall, the elevator stopped on the ground floor and a man shouted to me to hold the door. Before he got in, this gentleman pulled a few ciggaretts from the ash. He had obviously been asking for change in the area earlier that evening. It happens for some people that is the best decision they can see. However, the amazing part which says more than anything else about our economly depressed country who has been living on credit and beyond our means for many years is that the man who had been begging for change, use it to buy himself a starbucks coffee.

Chocolate cupcakes
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1713,133181-244194,00.html
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup ganulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate frosting
3 tbsp. butter
1/4 to 1/8 c. cocoa
1 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/6 or less c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

YAY my taxes are done for the year.

Or rather they will be on the 16th. I have filed them and sent them my money but the IRS does not start accepting my taxes until the 16th of January. BAD IRS I want to give you my money now and get it over with.

My grandmother’s husband passed away peacfully, Saturday morning. Paul Fritz fought in WW2 and the Korean war. The obituary should be in the Dallas Morning News on Monday December 29th.

All day friday I wanted to go on a nice romantic date. Kristen agreed to accompany me to dinner. The initial plan was to have dinner at the Olive Garden, come home and watch a romanic movie, like When Harry Met Sally. Both she and I, dressed up a bit. Kristen looked stunning, as one might expect.

While driving to dinner, an executive decision was made that Olive Garden wasn’t quite right. Instead, we decided to head up to plano to eat dinner at the Primivara. The same restaurant I took my homecomming date to. Before we walk in I notice the Nejdl’s vehicle. Russ Nejdl is the gentleman who, besides my father, I have been cycling with the longest. He has been there every year of my hotter’n hell rides and we have known each other for many years. Upon, entering the restaurant, not only do I see Russ and his wife, but also my father and step-mother. The owner in fact seated us at a table next to them.

The romantic meal, just turned into a date with my dad watching over my shoulder. All in all it was far from terrible. He mostly kept to his own business and we kept to ours. After dinner, we went to Obzeet for cake. The server turned out to be one of the trombone players who used to make fun of me in high school. It was very nice, being there in a suit, with a stunningly beautiful date letting him wait on us. Since it was a nice night, we sat out on the padio next to the pond. There was only one other table taken, and it turns out it was my old tent mate from when I worked the boy scout camp. We ate, paid and left. Again, quite nice although odd.

After a little hanging out at my place, we decided to go shopping at wal-mart. I picked up a few scented items, an iron, an ironing board, a place to put my shoes, some new sheets, a few new pillows, a lot and found tub, and shoe polish equipment. It was a lovely evening.

You have to love a girl who can start an evening at a small very nice italian restaurant, and end the evening with a trip to wal-mart and very much enjoy herself the whole time.

Google has decided I need to have my friends over. My calendar just told me I am having a board game night tomorrow.

Apparently it already sent the email as well.

Groan…. I am working a 16 hour shift tomorrow. No overtime pay, the joy of salary.

I was in a meeting, when I got back to my desk, 2 project manges, 2 developers, and my boss were waiting for me all with separate issues and each one I was told was the “top priority”