JOURNAL

~ 10:42 AM ~

We are going to P.F. Changs tonight after handing out treats with the Taulbees. I am already hungry!

Neale got two new tires last night. There was a slow leak in the left rear tire and it wasn't patchable due to its location. She had to wait awhile at Costco though.

~ 07:54 AM ~

Happy Samhain.

Linkage:
Art of Kissing

~ 05:56 PM ~

Whatever

~ 02:19 PM ~

Neale and I are checking our credit and finding good news. We both had good scores and the reports helped us find a few stray accounts that needed to be closed because we no longer use them.

Linkage:
International A.N.S.W.E.R.
Workers World

~ 06:24 AM ~

The Elegant Universe was well done. We both enjoyed the show. We were able to follow it and learned a few things. I never had a course in physics so most of my information about the material was through philosophical or general science sources. The examples they used were very helpful.

Our new DSL connection is working well. The setup was easy and I only had one sticking point, which was solved by rechecking the connection of a line filter. The line filters are installed on each phone line so the regular phone and DSL signal can operate on the same line. Overall, the installation was painless and from box to online was about 30 minutes. I also downloaded the trial version of Zone Alarm and it is very easy to use. We already had some suspicious traffic trying to access our computer and it was blocked successfully so the firewall is worth the price.

Linkage:
Career Voyages
USA Jobs

~ 11:52 AM ~

Watch this.

Linkage:
Critical Realism

~ 01:25 PM ~

My eye is looking much better.

We had a good ride yesterday. It was chilly though. Tonight, we are walking and it will require some flashlights. We want to exercise outside for as long as we can.

I made chili last night and it was good. I also decided that I want to give brewing my own beer a try. So, I located a brewshop and will give it a try this weekend. In my limited knowledge of the process, I should have results in about 3 weeks. I am reading up on the process and finding more sources of info.

Linkage:
Antabaka
Joe Frank

~ 12:51 PM ~

Did you fall back?

We went shopping for me yesterday, which was an unusual. Nevertheless, I needed some new pieces, especially for the fall & winter. TJ Max had a few good pieces and we even found a Kenneth Cole Reaction dress shirt at Costco. We did not intend to find a dress shirt at a warehouse club but when your browsing for bulk detergent and soap, it was a pleasant surprise. Also, Neale wanted to see me in an updated jean so I have something besides standard Gap denim. So, my patience and good discounts made the day.

Linkage:
Ewiz
CNN: Sexual identity is hardwired

~ 08:39 PM ~

Neale is in-between elections. She finished the first shift and will be leaving to start the second half soon.

We have new windows at our place. We are awaiting the new door and house number.

We have upgraded to SBC Yahoo DSL. I will know more soon when I get it installed. I used Broadband Reports for information. I have already looked into firewalls and will probably go with Zone Alarm because it has nice interface and a handy Internet lock.

Linkage:
Walmart...got visas?

~ 10:43 AM ~

My eye is slowing getting better.

We went to Britt's alum soccer game last night. It was a game between Saint Louis High School and CBC. There was not a huge turnout but it was fun to watch. The varsity game before the alum game ended in a tie. It was the first time I watched a high school soccer game.

Linkage:
Serenity Prayer
Nature Valley

~ 11:53 AM ~

I went to the doctor and she informed me that I am having a mild allergic reaction to my new environment. I have plenty of Allegra, Flonase, and eyedrops to battle the situation now. Hopefully, this will pass.

I really like SeaLab 2021. Check local listings if your interested in a good laugh. "Pudding can't fill the emptiness inside me... but it'll help!" - Murphy

You are Captain Murphy. You've lost your mind, but
you have more fun without it.

Which Sealab 2021 character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Linkage:
Low Low Standards

~ 09:22 AM ~

My parents are in town. We visited St. Charles yesterday and had dinner at the Schlafly Brewpub. Also, we took the Schlafly Bootleworks tour to see how the beer is brewed. I have been wanting to give home brewing a try for a few years and I will make my first attempt this November.

Today, we are visiting Lewis and Clark and taking a trip on the River Road bikepath.

I had a small accident yesterday and spilled some water on the keyboard. Despite taking it apart and cleaning the interior, some keys are not responding. I will be upgrading to an inexpensive Belkin.

Linkage:
Mugshots

~ 02:00 PM ~

Next year.

Conservative radio and TV hosts can berate diplomats and continue to fan the flames of anti-intellectualism among it myopic audience but we need the UN. It will help to distract from meetings like this. When will people look elsewhere?

Linkage:
US Economy At a Glance

Caterpillar sues George of the Jungle

~ 07:50 AM ~

We are going to Cafe Provencal tonight. It is a weeknight date for us. Some of you may remember it as the place where we had our rehersal dinner.

Linkage:
Boondocks

~ 01:58 PM ~

TigerDirect had a great deal on a Viking thumb drive...128MB for $30 after rebate. Not too shabby. I do not believe "thumb drive" will catch on as there are many names to describe this type of drive..."USB drive" or "stick drive" or "jump drive". It is becoming a necessity though as my office PC does not have a Zip drive and the CD-RW function has been disabled.

~ 11:34 AM ~

In the continuing series of "What's In Chris' Lunch?" today's entree was Seeds of Change Spicy Peanut Noodles and it was excellent. The best frozen veg meal I have eaten so far.

Linkage:
Art.com

~ 02:29 PM ~

Neale's ankle is much better. She has returned to work.

The painting was finished yesterday and the office looks great. I received a few compliments today. Neale, my parents, and Sami will see it this weekend.

Linkage:
DSW

~ 05:19 PM ~

The painting went well. I have alittle trim work to do tomorrow but it is 85% done.

Neale got her Dell yesterday. Her ankle is 95% and she can drive.

Linkage:
Bush's Blog

~ 10:15 AM ~

The xrays were negative.

I am painting today. It should go rather smoothly. I plan to start in the afternoon and finish up tomorrow. It is dry and sunny so it should dry quickly.

Linkage:
Best place to retire

~ 01:59 PM ~

Neale is getting an xray...we shall see what comes of this.

Linkage:
Coffee Review

~ 10:00 AM ~

Intolerable Cruelty was cruel and intolerable but not untrue.

California: Good news....voters rejected Prop 54 & 53...bad news....your terminated.

Linkage:
Memory Hole

~ 01:45 PM ~

Chris and Neale will not cross.

We are going to see Intolerable Cruelty tonight as I was given a special pass to see a preview of the film. Neale's ankle is better so she can hobble into the theater.

Linkage:
Sickle Cell Anemia
Is Rush Limbaugh a Big, Fat Idiot?

~ 02:44 PM ~

Neale's ankle is still rather swollen but she is putting more weight on it. She went into work today and got a cab ride in. I may have to pick her up this week.

I did a good job being the primary caregiver this weekend but I am having an allergic reaction of some sort. I have a red rash on my eyelids. I believe I touched something at the gym or on the bike path and have some minor irritation. I will be picking up some hydrocortison on my way home today.

Besides these minor problems, all is well.

We purchased Neale's new laptop today. Hopefully, it will tax-deductible as a business expense. She will be using a Dell Inspiron 1100. It should arrive shortly.

Linkage:
Cortizone-10

~ 04:48 PM ~

Neale's ankle is better and should be almost healed by Monday. I am watching some baseball after cleaning the home. I plan to go for a ride shortly.

I added photos of Neale's soccer game to the photos page. Please follow link above.

Linkage:
Iraq's New Money

~ 07:48 AM ~

My plans for painting this weekend have been put on hold as I must become the primary caregiver of my home. Neale sprained her ankle last night and probably will not moving around much this weekend. Images of Misery seem familiar....

Linkage:
Sprained Ankle

~ 02:23 PM ~

I am watching Neale play soccer tonight...I will sneak some photos to share.

Linkage:
Orisinal Games

~ 07:51 AM ~

My second attempt at semi-homemade sushi showed improvement. I improved my sticky rice recipe and the Chris Roll was much better (onion, green pepper, shitake mushroon, wasabe, and Soywise).

Linkage:
Population Index

~ 12:07 PM ~

I donated yesterday and it went well. The process was slightly different but it was enjoyable. During the donation, I was watching Food Network's Barefoot Contessa and she was making sushi. After the donation, I had a craving for sushi and have been wanting to make my own for a few months. I knew of an Asian market near own home so I was going to pay them a visit. However, there was an Asian market next to the Red Cross so I stopped in there. After some wandering and examining foodstuffs that were new to me (canned quail eggs), I found the bamboo mat, rice, vinegar, wasabe, and seaweed I would need. In addition, their prices were lower than Dierberg or Schnucks on the condiments. I will not buy my soy sauce, tamari, or rice vinegar at Dierberg anymore. In addition, I got some dried Shitake, which smelled great. After some prep, I rolled my first veggie roll (mushroom, onion, & wasabe) and it was good. My rice needs alittle work and I need to sharpen our knives but it was a good first attempt.

Linkage:
Sticky Rice

~ 07:49 AM ~

We had fun at Schlafly on Saturday. The food was great and the beer was better. We got a growler of Hefeweizen when we were finished.

Neale is still a little sore but is getting better.

I am donating today. I hope they have the one-arm apheresis machine in St. Louis.

Linkage:
Workplace Violence

~ 10:22 AM ~

It was a good week for both of us. Neale started playing in her soccer league and I was able to get many things accomplished at work as well as at home. My office is looking better and I will paint next weekend. I mixed my exercise rountine by running the stairs at Creve Couer park yesterday. There are over a hundred stairs and it was a nice change. I believe we are walking at Castlewood today because Neale is still sore from her first game. Tonight, we are eating at the Schlafly Tap Room and spending time together.

Neale spent time with Sara last night and I was with my colleagues from L & C. We started our movie club and the first film was Hurlyburly.

We are playing on attending the Scottish Games in October.

Linkage:
CNN.com - Will other states recognize Vermont's civil unions?
NationMaster.com - Where Stats Come Alive!

~ 07:46 AM ~

Neale has her first game at Concord tonight. Wish her luck.

Matters of Race

Linkage:
Do Not Call List in jeopardy
Cobb

~ 12:54 PM ~

Giving the classes the news and making the adjustments to their scores is stressful. I think it maybe because I am full-time and want to have a good impression of being fair, fun, and informative in the community for years to come. I did give all classes a "boost" but also told them they need to make changes to how they prepare, reading, etc. However, I told them the boost was a one-time offer and it will not be offered again this semester. I had people thinking about dropping but I was able to tell them they did not get this far in education by giving up so quickly. In short, the impression management is working but it is hard.

We had a great time at Forest Park yesterday and it was a nice ride. The homes on Lindell were very impressive.

In the ongoing series of "What's in Chris' lunch?", last week saw more products from Cascadian Farms and their line of pasta dishes. Overall, they were good....B-/B.

I added a wreath to my office door and have an aloe vera plant.

Linkage:
Upcoming

~ 11:50 AM ~

We did errands yesterday after we went to the Katy Trail. Neale purchased some soccer gear at Soccer Master and is ready for this Thursday's game. She has joined a league and is looking forward to playing.

We watched Casey, Harrison, and Anna last night. Besides the occassional bumps and conflicts, they were fine.

I decided to clean up the site files and removed the R &T section of the site. Since I have a central office and webspace at work, the research and teaching section was no longer needed on the personal site.

It is a beautiful day and we are going for a ride. I believe we are venturing to Forest Park.

Linkage:
Sense & Dollars

~ 07:42 AM ~

Yesterday, I was in the mood to go far and fast on the bike path so I chose to go to the Katy Trail rather than the Creve Coeur Park. The problem with going to the Katy Trail during the week is the traffic crossing the river. So, I found an alternative route that avoided the 70/270 exchange. The trail was empty and I had a good ride.

Neale went to watch an adult soccer league and she loved it. She met a few people that she played with in the past and signed up. I will go eventually and have pictures to share. This weekend we are going shopping for a pair of indoor shoes as Neale is back to playing and very excited about it.

Linkage:
Oshmans

~ 12:10 PM ~

I have finished my last class of the day and have prepped for a meeting I have later this afternoon. My students have their first exam coming up and I believe they are ready for it.

This weekend Neale and I are babysitting our nephews and neice. It should be fun.

I have decorated my office and am in the process of deciding what colors I want in my office. I have some color swatches from Sherman-Williams and a rough idea of cost. Next month, I will pick a Friday night to start the process and finish on a Saturday.

Since we are living in a larger home, we needed a new phone system with an intercom and the AT&T 2255 is working great.

I have decided to stream NPR through KWMU.

Linkage:
Name your hurricanes

~ 12:49 PM ~

Today, it is my first pay day as a full-time worker in my chosen career. It felt nice.

We had a great weekend with Steve and saw alot of family.

I ventured to Weldon Spring Conservation Area on Saturday. It was very nice and seeing the Daniel Boone Judgement Tree was worth the trip.

Linkage:
Lexar Jump Drive

~ 11:38 AM ~

Remember

Neale's Dad, Steve, is visiting this weekend. He is arriving today and we plan to spend some time with him.

In the continuing series, this week's meals are from Cascadian Farm. The Japanese Noodles and Rice were excellent....A/A-....the Teriyaki Rice was ok...solid C....and the Szechuan Rice was good...B/B+. Once again, sodium was the main ingredient of concern but the taste was still very good. Last week a Middle Eastern line of foods was dropped from consideration because of the amount of fat in the meals. For example, one entree had 50% of the daily allowance of fat. But, with fall approaching, I am eyeing a line of soups.

The Cog Movie link below is excellent and worth the download time. Great short film and well done.

Linkage:
Cog Movie
Green Mountain Coffee

~ 12:09 PM ~

I finalized my 457 plan yesterday. I am set in regards to retirement plans. In only a few weeks, I have achieved a few goals that I wanted to accomplish for quite sometime. I have serious life insurance and we have savings for the future after work. Also, our health care is excellent.

We spent an hour last weekend looking around neighborhoods that we are interested in moving to next year. Prudential and Coldwell Bankers have very helpful sites to do searches in prospective neighborhoods.

Linkage:
How Stuff Works QOTD

~ 07:45 AM ~

I am doing more for my eventual retirement today. I completed the materials for my SURS account last week. We decided to go with a self-managed plan that is connected to the stock market but also has an annuity. Today, I am discussing a 457 plan. So, when the twilight of my career comes, we will be ready to walk away (well, one hopes).

Back to school...who is the American student?

Linkage:
Admiral Ackbar
Cobb

~ 02:15 PM ~

We had a fun weekend. On Saturday, there was an event at Betty and Jack's retirement village. Neale had to work in the evening but I was able to remove a recent Internet worm from Debbie's PC. On Sunday, we visited the Saint Louis Art Fair and browsed the booths. However, the highlight was our first sampling of Ted Drew's Frozen Custard since we have been back in Missouri and we watched a glass blowing demonstration. Both days of the weekend, we were able to get out on the bikes.

On Saturday, I enjoyed some Shiner Hefeweizen. I had not had any in over a year and it was so good.

Linkage:
IWW Posters

~ 08:22 AM ~

We are going for a ride this morning. Then, there is a "Grandparents Day" at Betty and Jack's retirement village. We are making an appearance. Neale's hearing went well but she has to head back to Greenville today for another (final?) affidavit. I plan to try to remove the Blaster worm from Debbie's PC this evening.

We are planning on attending the Saint Louis Art Fair tomorrow.

I recently added nutrional yeast to my diet. Very tasty.

Linkage:
Global Rich List: Show Me the Money

~ 02:34 PM ~

It is great day in STL. I was caught up on work so I was able to leave after my last class today. I am looking forward to going for a ride later. Neale is running a hearing this afternoon so if she finishes on time, we can go together. In the meantime, I am enjoying "Total Recall" and catching up on some online reading.

Linkage:
Bowling for Truth

~ 11:31 AM ~

Once you get use to something, it can be hard to change. Yes, how true in many ways especially our creature comforts. So, I have dusted off my old Gateway scroll mouse for my L & C office. The new system they gave me (IBM) is black but the mouse is now white. The mouse that came with the system did not have a scroll button and I needed one. Maybe, I will spend the change and buy a black scroll mouse in the future.

In the continuing series of "What's in Chris' Lunch?", this week I am trying Seapoint Farms' Veggie Bowls. The Kung Pao Vegetable was quite good...B+/A- and the Stir Fried Rice was good...solid B. However, if you good to the website, you will notice on the product pages (click the icon on the meals) that these meals are rather high in salt. Be aware. Be warned.

I finally broke 800 miles on my bike. When I get to a 1000, I am buying new tires. But, in roughly a year, I have put on many miles and had fun doing it.

Linkage:
AAA Fuel Prices Report

~ 05:57 AM ~

It was a busy day yesterday. However, it was productive. I am really enjoying classes so far and like getting my projects accomplished. Plus, I shared Zimbardo's Prison Experiment during out discussion of research.

Neale is making a trip to Springfield, IL this evening.

I will probably not start watching the series regularly but I enjoyed A&E's MI-5 marathon on Labor Day. It is a show similar to Fox's 24 and CBS' The Agency.

Linkage:
St. Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau
usnews.com: Education: America's Best Colleges 2004 Rankings

~ 10:18 AM ~

While we watched "The Hours" last night, I enjoyed my first sampling of Schlafly's Oktoberfest and it was good. We are looking forward to visiting the Tap Room soon.

I would pass along a "Happy Labor Day" but since the US Labor Day is separate from the World's Labor Day (ie May Day), I have already celebrated back in May.

Linkage:
Welcome to Schlafly Cyberspace

~ 04:46 PM ~

We have a good ride on the trail. We also beat the rain. Today, is Neale's one year anniversary of biking riding. It is a very nice crushed limestone trail. Neale is making a run to the grocery store (she prefers Schnucks, I have been going to Dierbergs) and stopping by Blockbuster (last day for another $1 rental coupon). I believe she wants to pick up "The Hours".

I downloaded the latest Nvidia drivers and they are very nice. The Nvidia Media Center is useful.

Tomorrow, we are attending a dinner at Britt and Kelly's place.

I also cleaned the site for dead links. I was reminded to do this as I was transfering links from my LCCC sociology page to my new pages at Lewis & Clark.

Linkage:
St. Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau

~ 11:04 AM ~

Neale is out getting bagels and then we are going to the Katy Trail.

We watched "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" last night and I made my first batch of pickles...very good sour & garlic recipe.

I archived the journal and as always, past versions are available through links above.

Linkage:
Reel.com

T O P