JOURNAL

~ 01:39 AM ~

Have a Happy New Year! Yes once again. Did you think I would be otherwise occupied? No, we are home and I decided to check my email. We had fun. The Flying Fig was good and worth the 45 min. wait for our table. I decided on principle that we should have walked after 20 min. but alas I was not the decision maker. The food was excellent and the waiter was very good. Being New Year's Eve we talked about Dick Clark and he is....(drum roll)... 72.

Yes once again...the journal will be archived for you reading pleasure..have you noted the clues? I have some Twin Peaks ep. Tivoed. I am the arm.

Linkage:
They died
Top Religion Stories of 2002

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.:: Tuesday, December 31st ::.

~ 01:39 PM ~

Have a Happy New Year! Neale and I are going out to dinner with Dolores, Joe, and her coworkers. Be safe.

I highly recommend Big Fix to make sure you have the proper updates for Windows. However, since I installed SP1 I have not received any updates despite the fact that when I use Windows Update there have been needed patches. Nevertheless, today it worked.

Linkage:
New Year's Eve in Times Square

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.:: Monday, December 30th ::.

~ 01:57 PM ~

Our New Years' plans are set. Neale is out shopping for a new outfit. I have not had much to do today, which is nice. I did start our Chia Herb Garden (yes, I know your jealous) and mount our under-the-cabinet can opener. I have also been enjoying a better shave since Neale got me a Norelco Wet/Dry shaver for Christmas. It is from the line of electric shavers that dispenses lotion while you shave and it is a very good tool. I gave Neale clothes. We do not usually exchange gifts but we decided to this year.

Since I have been traveling more than usual I signed up for Southwest Airlines' Rapid Rewards program. I should have a free ticket sometime next year. The program has worked out well for Neale. Since most of our travel is in the Midwest, Southwest has worked out well. But, neither of us would recommend it for any further than a 3 hour flight.

I started Alton Brown's I Just Here For the Food last night. We spent our Border's gift cards on cookbooks. I also found a really nice vegetarian cookbook entitled The Bold Vegetarian Chef. Neale picked up a huge book entitled The Classic Cookbook, which is a combined edition of The Cook's Bible and The Dessert Bible.

Listening to: Gangs of New York soundtrack

....A meeting a pleasure...A parting a grieve...But an unconstant lover...is woser than a thief

~ 12:49 AM ~

We are back. We had a lot of fun. The travel went smoothly and the weather was fine. It was good to know that everyone is doing well and is healthy.

We already spent some of our Christmas money. We picked up a new Calphalon Kitchen Essentials cookware set, which is very useful since we cook several times a week. Someday we will be able to afford the top-end Calphalon but this 9-piece set will work for now. Also, I purchased a Canon Powershot A40 tonight at PC Nation. It is our first digital camera. They had the lowest prices and free delivery. I upgraded to a 256MB Sandisk flash card to make sure we never run out of room for pictures, added a set of batteries and a charger plus a handy bag to keep it all organized. However, it will take a week or two to be delivered. Finally, we picked up a Braun Handblender, which will help make the omelets fluffier and the soups creamier.

Neale has to do some work tomorrow and I have a couple of things to do but I am not prepping until Thursday.

The tapas were great. If you want the recipes just ask.

Linkage:
How Stuff Works: Gas Prices

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.:: Wednesday, December 18th ::.

~ 08:49 PM ~

Our Christmas Day Tapas Feast: Sauteed Artichoke Hearts, Baked Goat Cheese on Baquettes, Garlicky Mushrooms, Patatas Bravas (that's Brave Potatoes anglo), Assorted olives, and red Sangria.

We went over to Panera for dinner. The Strongsville location opened this week and the food was good as always. They are doing a huge amount of business. Strangely, this town has no Starbucks now that I think about it. Hmmm....

Linkage:
My Real High tech Holiday Wish List

~ 11:15 AM ~

I got many tasks accomplished yesterday. Today, I have to do the weekly cleaning and later we are planning our Christmas Day Tapas Feast. I also have a gift or two to pick up before we leave on Friday. It will be nice to have some time off for both of us.

I updated the main page and added the Thanksgiving pics to the photos page.

Linkage:
Lesser Known Movie Ratings

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.:: Tuesday, December 17th ::.

~ 02:38 PM ~

The grades are in, the loose ends are tied, and the next semester has been scheduled. It is time to take a few days off from lectures and exams. Besides some reading, I will not see syllabi until after New Year's.

Despite it being a day that I did not have to do anything, it actually got busy very quickly and I accomplished quite a bit. I spent some time yesterday organizing end of semester paperwork and notes. I have managed to keep every semester of teaching materials in nice bundles so far. I have to move the boxes into the outside storage shortly. Besides my need to organize my workplace, I keep it all together in hope that I will have to organize a presentation of my materials soon and already have a lot the work squared away.

I am listening to The Clash's self-titled album. Westway to the World was on MTV2 last weekend and it was still great.

Linkage:
So Long Rey Rey

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.:: Monday, December 16th ::.

~ 09:16 AM ~

It is a grey and snowy day here. I have to visit LCCC for about an hour to drop off grades and hand back any exams to the students. Then I am picking up any remaining papers and exams at CSU so I can submit my last section of grades. The web-based grade submission works well. Finally, I am visiting Neale at work. I will be on vacation by this evening. Neale's last day is Thursday and then she is free until after the New Year.

I updated our video card drivers last Thursday. It went fine except for one leftover .dll that produced an error message at startup (nvqtwk missing). I am using the Detonators 40.72s and getting better results. In the future, I will make sure to uninstall these drivers before adopting any new ones. Guru3D is a great resource.

Linkage:
So Long Rey Rey

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.:: Saturday, December 14th ::.

~ 09:37 AM ~

Finals are over. They went well with only a few mishaps, which were students missing my exam. I only had to give two makeups at CSU and two at LCCC. I had to make a couple of makeups for them and I hope they took advantage of my good intentions. I will be submitting grades tomorrow. We have shifted to a web-based grade submission.

My spring teaching schedule is taking shape and it is working out great. Being an adjunct you’re unsure if you will have a job next semester at times and hope you do not have to go back to temping to pay the bills until a position opens. I have a few decisions to make about my schedule but will have it nailed down by Tuesday of next week.

Neale is shopping for gifts this afternoon and we are going to the NLRB Christmas party this evening.

We have decided to do tapas for Christmas dinner.

Linkage:
Hounds of Zeus
You Are My Friend
Taste of Tapas
Tapas at Suite101
Internet Lessons: Tapas

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.:: Wednesday, December 11th ::.

~ 06:37 AM ~

Like it or not, it is that time of the year for... A Christmas Story. Is it any better than It's A Wonderful Life?

Linkage:
Movies.com

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.:: Tuesday, December 10th ::.

~ 11:55 AM ~

Two finals down, two to go.

It is a sunny day so I am going to walk outside after finishing some grading.

"An optimist laughs to forget. A pessimist forgets to laugh." --- Anon

Linkage:
House of Quotes

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.:: Sunday, December 8th ::.

~ 09:22 PM ~

"...You woke up this morning, Got yourself a gun, Mama always said you'd be, The Chosen One." I am watching The Sopranos. Neale is at a coworker’s choral performance.

Despite our contemporary lifestyle, we do have a few traditions. We made our Christmas Thin Mints today. It takes about four hours but it is worth it. Thanks again to Top Secret Recipes for the instructions.

We saw Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets last night. Neale liked it and I was less than mystified.

Linkage:
Sun Tzu

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.:: Saturday, December 7th ::.

~ 01:28 PM ~

We faced off in Scrabble last night. Very fun despite Neale winning.

We may go for a walk if the weather holds. It is clear and about 40.

I took the last two days off to catch up on end of semester work. Next week is finals and then grades must be submitted,

Our New Year's plans are taking shape. We may go out to dinner with Dolores and Joes. There could be others involved too.

Linkage:
License Plates of the World

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.:: Tuesday, December 3rd ::.

~ 04:28 PM ~

I have to consult the pros from Dover before the end of the year.

Linkage:
Word Origins
Phrase Finder

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.:: Monday, December 2nd ::.

~ 07:39 PM ~

Just a few days left in the semester. I am busy.

Updated the film and main page.

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.:: Sunday, December 1st ::.

~ 12:31 PM ~

We're back. We had a fun time this weekend. Dinner was good and there should be some photos to post soon. Sami is almost full-size and full of energy. The drive back was alittle snowy but we made good time.

I added new photos from my birthday. Please check the photo page. Thanks to Dolores for the photos. I decided to post them as black and white because I couldn't get the colors adjusted to my liking.

The 'Black Box' teaching project has ended. I ordered a new bag and it should be here shortly. I used ebags from Amazon to get a Ogio Post Master bag. It is a discontinued model.

Linkage:
Smart Bargains
Overstock
Bluefly

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.:: Wednesday, November 27th ::.

~ 11:41 PM ~

We leave for Oswego in the morning. We are both looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. I also put up the Christmas lights and found our tree. Let the holidays begin...

Neale and I Tivoed "Mulholland Drive" a few days ago and we started it last night. Neale gave it about an hour and then had to stop. I was impressed by her love of "Memento" but Lynch can be a bit much for most people. I still catch myself dreaming about ordering cherry pie and black coffee at a dated Northwestern diner, but I digress. I finished "Mulholland Drive" this afternoon and it is one Lynch's best films. I would only discourage you from seeing the film (if you haven't already) by explaining it here but Salon had a great overview. All I can say is....silencio.

Linkage:
Lynch Net

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.:: Monday, November 25th ::.

~ 03:20 PM ~

I would appreciate it if Mr. Crudy of 6310 Beverly Drive would stop calling asking me to rake his leaves.

~ 07:56 AM ~

Despite the chill in the air, we went for a walk in the park late yesterday afternoon around dusk. Then, we picked up dinner and watched The Sum of All Fears (see review on film page). This is a short week for us as it probably is for you too. We leave early Thursday morning to drive back to Oswego. It is only a 6 hour trip and traffic should be light.

Linkage:
Chase the Frog

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.:: Sunday, November 24th ::.

~ 11:31 AM ~

We rented Panic Room and Sum of All Fears last night. Panic Room was good. The story was well paced and acting was acceptable. Neale believes Jodie Foster's character should have gone for the cell phone earlier though. Afterwards, Not Yet Another Teen Movie was on and it was a good satire. At one point, it managed to mock 10 movies in under a minute. Despite the obvious comic appeal, maybe, just maybe, screenwriters will stop making overly simplistic movies for teenagers.

Linkage:
Brain Candy Trivia

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.:: Friday, November 22nd ::.

~ 03:06 PM ~

We are going to the West Side Market this weekend. We need some bulk spices.

We have snow. It made the drive in alittle stressful because it was a hard rain and sleet mix.

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.:: Tuesday, November 19th ::.

~ 05:28 PM ~

I found a new place for lunch... Bellacinos. Very good and a nice change from Quiznos.

I added new pictures of Sami.

I only have a few classes left at CSU and LCCC this semester.

~ 06:09 AM ~

My Bally’s membership expired in August. I biked or walked since then for exercise and enjoyed it thoroughly. I occasionally used our complex gym for free weights or on stormy days. Since the cold is here to stay, I have started using the renters' gym three or four times a week. I already miss the bike path.

It has rained in our area since Saturday…it is cold, rainy, and grey everyday.

I do not think this story still applies but it helps provide some background on Daypop, which is still down.

I heard some sad news about a co-worker yesterday. I was quite upset about the rumors I heard about his situation. When I know more, I may be able to understand what happened.

Ohio State v. Michigan this weekend. Tickets on the 50 yard line are going for $1000.

Linkage:
Crate and Barrel

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.:: Sunday, November 17th ::.

~ 11:01 AM ~

We had fun last night. We had dinner at the Greek Isles in lovely downtown Cleveland. Neale has lunch there all the time but it was only my second time. The Greek Isles has very good Greek food (I opted for the spinach pie and Neale the stuffed grape leaves) and a nice atmosphere. We used a gift certificate that was given by Neale's coworkers to me (thanks again!). Afterwards, we tried the Culture Club (yes, an 80's retro bar) but they were charging a cover and we only wanted one drink. So, it was the Rock Bottom. In short, their beer and drinks are terrible. Avoid at all costs.

Chris' Birthday gifts (thanks again everyone! I spent wisely.)
Sonicare: One for each of us!
Merrell Reflex Trail shoes: The most comfortable shoes I have ever worn.
EBgames: Some games for my free time.

Linkage:
Deconstruct Take-out
Cartoon Database
ACLU Quiz

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.:: Friday, November 15th ::.

~ 06:52 AM ~

Neale had a late night. She had to do some work south of Cleveland and didn't return until after 11. Luckily, not a typical week but a busy one.

I can't put my finger on it but I have a strong desire to see Repo Man this weekend.

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.:: Tuesday, November 12th ::.

~ 05:20 PM ~

It was a gray day and that was my mood. I didn't smile until 12:15. However, I did get a new ID card at Sam's. There is one in the mall where I have lunch on Tuesday and Thursdays. I hadn't been in a Sam's Club for a few months and was curious if they had any cookware sets available. They did but nothing that I would allow in my kitchen. We use our cookware everyday so it has to be durable.

~ 06:35 AM ~

We went for a ride yesterday. It was warm and clear. The colors were nice.

I called several people that sent me birthday cards and gifts over the weekend. Neale has a new cell phone and service plan so I used some of the 300 free weekend minutes. The reception is great and the phone has many useful functions. She decided to go with Alltel over Sprint. They offered us better coverage.

We had bad weather Sunday night and our dish was interrupted. So, we have not seen the Sopranos yet this week. This season has not been the best. The storylines lines seem crowded and slow to develop.

Since it has gotten cooler, we have had a taste for chili. I have made chili for our Sunday dinner three of the last four weekends. It has been really good.

Linkage:
Refdesk's Recommended Pop-up and Spam Blockers

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.:: Sunday, November 10th ::.

~ 08:35 PM ~

We went for a walk today. I had some things to take care of around the house and Neale made some calls. The weather has been good but rainy. It has kept us off the bikes.

We had a good time with Neale's coworkers at the Sacred Heart of Jesus raffle last night. It was a reverse raffle for a good cause. We had two numbers and lasted until the last twenty.

I spent some of my birthday money on a pair of Merrell's. They feel great.

Linkage:
All You Can Read

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.:: Thursday, November 7th ::.

~ 06:35 AM ~

Neale surprised me. I had no idea that she planned a surprise party at Great Lakes Brewery. It was fun and I will remember 30. There should be some photos soon. Thanks to everyone that sent cards and gifts. I appreciate it.

Linkage:
Phrase finder

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.:: Wednesday, November 6th ::.

~ 07:45 AM ~

It is my birthday.....30.

Linkage:
AnyDay

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.:: Monday, November 4th ::.

~ 05:05 PM ~

The Forest by Susan Stewart

~ 07:28 AM ~

I went for a ride yesterday. It was a crisp 50 degrees, sunny, and not too windy. So, with a few layers of clothing I was able to get in a good 40 minutes of riding. The trail was also empty but the colors beautiful.

I was able to get the grading in one of my classes finished this weekend. When the assignments are good, the grading goes smoothly.

Happy Birthday Markie Post(52), Laura Bush(56), & Ralph Macchio (41).

Linkage:
Ralph Macchio
Remember: Matthew Shepard

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.:: Sunday, November 3rd ::.

~ 11:39 AM ~

Neale is a little groggy this morning as she was out late having a bit too much fun with Dolores.

I have sorted out a pile of papers to grade and have decided to do a set number a day until I am finished. I plan to go for a walk later. I will probably walk outside since it sunny and not too windy.

Linkage:
Not in our name
Media Democracy Day

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.:: Saturday, November 2nd ::.

~ 08:10 PM ~

Neale is out, I am done grading, and I am giving "Behind Enemy Lines" a chance.

~ 01:55 PM ~

We made quiche this morning for brunch. Neale picked up a copy of the New Basics and she has been inspired to make new recipes. My crust making skills are still amateur but it turned out light and flaky.

~ 08:11 AM ~

I have a busy weekend of grading ahead of me. My mantra: It all starts with one paper....

I didn't realize how tough the Knicks have it this year.

Linkage:
Random Acts of Kindness

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.:: Thursday, October 31st ::.

~ 05:21 PM ~

Safe Samhain.

Neale is at Dolores' house to hand out treats. I had a difficult afternoon and have a headache. However, Talk of the Nation helped with a discussion of Halloween and classic scare films.

The previous journal has been archived and is available through the link above.

Linkage:
How Stuff Works: Halloween

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T O P