9 posts from February 2008

Case in point regarding TMBG as puppets. If you think I don't squeal at this you'd be WRONG. Sad and WRONG.

"I LIKE MONKEYS. LOTS AND LOTS OF MONKEYS."
"Right... monkeys."

...And the song is deathly catchy too.

"Most people say 'No MSG.' We say, 'Yes MSG.'"
"INTEGERRRRRRRRRRS!"

I would like to see a film of just the two of them talking. For like, three hours. As puppets. I would watch that. Many, many times.

What's the meanest thing you've ever said to someone?

"I do."

Ba-da-bum.

My friend LoMac found a website to the creepiest sounds ever. I'm famously (well, in my circle of friends and family) terrified of the Screen Gems logo, so she knew these sounds would creep me the hell out. They did.

Here's the Screen Gems logo, for reference:

It's called The Conet Project, and it's a collection of shortwave numbers/music/what-have-you:

"Shortwave Numbers Stations are a perfect method of anonymous, one way communication. Spies located anywhere in the world can be communicated to by their masters via small, locally available, and unmodified Shortwave receivers.

These stations use very rigid schedules, and transmit in many different languages, employing male and female voices repeating strings of numbers or phonetic letters day and night, all year round. The voices are of varying pitches and intonation; there is even a German station (The Swedish Rhapsody) that transmits a female child's voice!"

The audio is all distorted, other-worldly, and bizarre. As I told her, it's the soundtrack to my nightmares. But it's so fascinating... I can't stop listening.

Here are a couple of samples. Sweet dreams.

This pretty much rules. Wish I had made this. Gotta love how he walks around town with a huge picture of Rick Moranis (it's from Little Shop of Horrors by the way... swoon...).

You know what I need? Another blog.

This one is to help me learn about affiliate programs, and it's fun. It's called Disneyland Finds and features for-sale vintage Disneyland items I really shouldn't be buying due to lack of space. And money.

It's very difficult to not buy some of these things.

However, rest assured if it's something I really want, I won't be posting it. Don't want the competition. Sorry. That's the way I roll. I'm kind of a jerk.

I haven't even designed the thing yet, but the domain resolved today. So there you go.

Buy something and gloat, won't you?

Yesterday, as a Weekend of Fun™ installment we so desperately needed, Paul took me on my very first flight in a single-engine airplane. Of course, the weather thwarted us somewhat, but finally relented and allowed us to go on our merry way.

I put together a little video documenting the occasion (as I am wont to do), but here are a few observations.

1) I could never be a pilot. Oh, I'm sure I could learn how and all, but I have no patience. All the checking beforehand would be met with, "Ah, I'll do it next time. Really, what could go wrong?" As it was, I was calling bullshit on the visibility the weather service was claiming, and telling Paul, "Let's just go, okay?" That, and I'd probably kill myself trying to document the flight with various cameras.

2) It didn't seem that much different that riding in a commercial plane. By that I mean the sensation wasn't much different. I expected to have a more pronounced sensation of speed, but I didn't. And the ride was rather smooth, so not much in the way of bumpiness. Sitting right next to the pilot who happened to be my husband was a departure from commercial flights, however.

3) IT'S REALLY, REALLY LOUD IN THE PLANE.

4). You get to places a lot quicker than driving. What would have taken us about 2 1/2 hours came out to about 40 minutes. I know, duh, but I was surprised at how much quicker it was.

5). I wasn't scared or nervous at all. I thought I would be, but no, I was just excited and impatient. I wanted to go, and wanted to go NOW. (My family will not be surprised at this observation.) I was more scared on Supreme Scream at Knott's Berry Farm than climbing into a circa 1977 single-engine plane.

6). Paul looks good in his headset, and he sounds so official when he's talking to the tower. Like a real-live pilot!

In case you haven't seen it on Paul's blog yet, here's the video:

We took Friday off to finally get the remainder of our stuff (yeah, mostly mine) out of the house that will now be referred to in subsequent posts as, "The Rental House."

It didn’t seem like a lot of stuff to do.

Let me recount my weekend to you, starting with Thursday night:

Thursday

Work late on a project. Beg designer to stay late to work with me. Drive her home. She lives in Oakland. Drive from San Jose to Oakland to San Francisco. Get home at about 10:00.

Paul beats me home by only a few minutes. Pack. Go to bed around midnight.

Friday

Alarm goes off at 5:45.

Head to the airport for a 7:30 flight.

Arrive in Ontario at 9:00.

Have a phone conversation with colleague about project while waiting for rental car.

Drive to the house. Pick up my BMW 318 ti and drive to the mechanics.

Get Miguel’s burrito (yum).

Go to the house. Take stock of what needs to be done.

Lowe’s for smoke alarms and wood screws (heh).

Get a call from the mechanic while driving back. My sweet little car is pretty much totaled (whole separate post).

Sob into my hands until we get back to the house.

Starbucks for coffee and Internet access. Work for a couple of hours.

While I work, Paul installs smoke alarms and calls a locksmith to install front door hardware.

Back to the house. Hour conference call about project.

Talk to the mechanic again. Mechanic will buy 318 ti.

Go to AAA to get a duplicate title for the 318 ti, transfer ownership of the ’67 Sunbeam Alpine into my name, pay for Sunbeam registration.

Off to the bank. They show we have indeed paid for 318 ti. But no notary (which the DMV requires). Have them mail it.

Drop off new house keys at property management company.

Drive to mechanic’s to clean out sweet little car.

Cry.

Back at the house. Paint the bathroom cabinets.

Shower and go to dinner with in-laws.

Go to mother-in-law’s and collapse.

 

Saturday

Wake up at 6:30.

Put ad on Craigslist to sell washer/dryer.

Go to UHaul and get pickup truck and appliance dolly.

Paul goes to the house. I go to Kragen for Sunbeam battery. They don’t know which one it takes.

Starbucks.

Back to house. Paul is painting cabinets.

Check battery product number. Call Kragen. They have it.

Start fielding calls from people wanting the washer/dryer.

Move giant, heavy dining room table into truck.

Load boxes in truck.

Drive to storage unit. Get storage unit.

Unload giant, heavy dining room table (and boxes) into storage unit.

Back to house.

Eat leftover, cold burritos from Friday (yum) while standing in kitchen.

Paul tries to unhook washer/dryer. Can’t do it without tools.

I drive to Lowe’s for cheap tools.

Back at house. Paul unhooks washer/dryer and moves them to driveway.

Return truck and dolly to UHaul.

Back at house.

I install battery in Sunbeam. Still won’t start.

Call Mom/Dad. Get advice on how to start it.

Try again. Starts right up.

Move Sunbeam out of garage. Paul and I wash it.

Shit. Find more stuff that needs to go into storage.

Go through house and find odds and ends. We have more trash than will fit in the garbage can.

House next door is vacant. Realtor is there. I ask for that can. She gives it to me.

Fill up that can too.

Paul cleans out refrigerator. I sample every alcoholic beverage before pouring them down the drain.

Buyer for washer/dryer calls. Will be at house in 40 minutes.

Buyer shows up 60 minutes later. They haul the washer/dryer away.

Go to Subway and Golden Spoon.

Eat at mother-in-law’s.

Have a long shower.

Watch TV for 30 minutes.

Go to bed.

 

Sunday

Wake up at 8:00.

Starbucks.

Back at house. Pick up stuff for storage unit.

Drive to storage unit and drop stuff off.

Go to Target for car cover. They don’t have one for a small car.

Go to Auto Zone for car cover. They don’t have one for a small car.

Go to Pep Boys for car cover. They don’t have one for a small car.

Go to Kragen for car cover. They don’t have one for a small car.

Back at house. Try to hang cabinets in bathroom. Hinges I got won't work. Fuck it. Use old hinges.

Drive Sunbeam to mother-in-law's.

Offer to pick up lunch for mother-in-law.

Back to house. Move dresser to driveway for Salvation Army.

Finish picking up and sweeping.

In-N-Out for lunch.

Go to Paul’s aunt’s house to visit for an hour.

Back to mother-in-law’s. Shower.

Pack.

Sit for 20 minutes looking at old photos. They're awesome.

Paul drives me to airport. He goes to hotel because he has a meeting in Orange County the next morning.

Work on project before getting on plane.

Work on project on plane.

Drive home.

Pour big-ass glass of red wine.

Work on project.

Don't even finish half the wine.

Bed at midnight.

...But we finished.