DZER's Diatribe

Christmas Eve ...

2011-12-24T20:19:00.000+10:00

... and getting ready to head over to my godsons' house for the traditional thing.

Tons of amazing food, including homemade pies and cream puffs.

Tons of presents and toys. It's a madhouse. You think I'm exaggerating, but you have NO idea.

Three days and counting ...

2011-12-22T01:33:00.000+10:00

Christmas is approaching at warp speed, it seems.

I find myself vacillating between not being able to wait until it gets here to not being able to wait until it's over and done with.

From the commercial/social side, I have all my shopping done except for two people, who I plan to take care of today. Wrapping of all the gifts will be done tonight.

Does anyone else sometimes worry or have anxiety over what others will get them for Christmas? Perhaps there have been too many instances of "Really? This is what he/she/they thought I wanted/would like?"

To be fair, there also have been many instances in which gifts to me were "perfect" ... or at least suitable and apt.

From my end, I used to delight in examining a person in my mind's eye, their likes and preferences, their needs and wants, their style and personality in determining what present to get for them at Christmas. A vast majority of the time, I succeeded. I know when I put thought into it and make an effort, I usually succeed in doing a very good job at gifting.

But now I rarely do that, at least not for all the people on my list. This year, for example, the vast majority of people to whom I will be giving presents will be getting gift cards. Well, that's the main part of the gift. The trick I do now is getting a few little things to accompany the gift card. For example, one woman will get a few small bottles of Bailey's, as I know it's her preferred alcoholic beverage. Kids will get candy and little toys together with their gift cards, some other women will get fine chocolate (Godiva, usually).

Not to say they aren't appreciative. Every one that will get a gift card will get one to a vendor they frequent and enjoy, whether that be Macy's, Home Depot (the guys, duh!) or Game Stop (kids can't get enough video games and accessories!)

But maybe next year I'll break this recent pattern and go back to being more of a "Jingle George," like I was in the past. Then again, maybe I won't. I guess it just depends how much more Christmas-y I feel in 2012.

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ...

2011-12-02T02:56:00.000+10:00

It's just the second day of December and yet I'm actually starting to feel the Christmas spirit.

I live on a tropical island, so there's no cold weather, no snow, no icicles hanging from the roof. There are no reindeer, only karabao. No winter wonderland, just palm trees and sun and blue sky for miles and miles.

Yet I'm getting giddy. I can't wait to start wrapping presents. To hear more Christmas carols. To see the excitement of my godsons and all the little kids in my life.

People always seem nicer at this time of year, friendlier. I love exchanging "Merry Christmas" with strangers. Seeing acts of goodwill toward fellow men.

I dread the craziness of shopping malls and stores, especially with the tax refunds going out this weekend and lots more crazy sales just a week after Black Friday, but I'm still eager to shop. I'll just make sure I go when it's the least crazy.

This time of year I especially miss my family. My mom's in the states, as are two brothers and a sister, who I haven't seen in soooooo long, and her beautiful daughters, my nieces, as well.

And I miss my father even more. He died 15 years ago and yet it still seems so recent. I can't think about him without tears welling up, without my heart wrenching and aching. He died far too early.

My dad reveled in Christmas, though he wasn't blatant about it. But I think of all the little things. Making holiday wreaths from the computer punch cards they used back in the '70s. The boñelos aga and dagu. The late brunch on Christmas day. The sleepy Midnight Masses. Opening one small present after coming back from Midnight Mass and trying hard to fall asleep. Waking the next morning to find presents under the tree that hadn't been there when we went to bed, especially the year he had to put four bicycles together between us coming home and going to sleep, and the children waking up early.

I remember the times he would have me wrap his present to my mother, some surprise out of the blue.

I remember him telling me and my brothers and sisters not to "waste" our money buying him presents. And him keeping all the bad ties and cologne we got him, even if he never used them.

I remember him going out to the jungle to cut down our "Christmas tree."

When I became an adult, I realized that my parents always did their utmost to get us good Christmas presents, even if it was just one small stocking stuffer and one main present.

My dad was an NCO in the Air Force and my mom didn't work full-time till I was in high school — that means we didn't have a lot of money, but they always managed it. I remember my dad saying he liked the back and neck of the chicken, not realizing until later it was so the rest of us could have our favorite pieces. How he never through much away so he could use things later — hammering out bent nails, having coffee cans filled with nuts and bolts. Fixing our old washing machine or doing the brakes or changing the oil on our cars ... and trying to teach us to do the same once we were old enough.

I remember going out to the jungle with him and my siblings and cousins, to get betel nut for the family, and how he let us sell the excess so we'd have our own money.

I remember his delight when I was working and able to afford to get him gifts I knew he'd like, such as a big television, a recliner or a bush-cutter.

And how he'd revel in the joy of his grandchildren, especially at Christmas. He was so patient, so loving, so giving, so caring.

My one regret is that I don't think I will ever be even close to the father he was ... mainly because I have no kids and doubt I'll ever have any, let alone meet a woman who'd want to be with me and bear those children. Likewise, I'll never be able to be the kind of grandfather he was.

I can only try to live up to the standard he set by trying to be the best man I can be, by living the kind of life he wanted me to lead, by following the example he set in the way he lived his life. By being kind and generous and helpful. By being there for others. By not bitching and complaining about the little things. By being strong and good and virtuous.

Merry Christmas, Pop. I love you. And God how I miss you and wish we'd have had more time together.

perceptions

2011-11-27T23:56:00.000+10:00

My days used to seem to be too short. Now they seem too long.

Time used to zip by. Now it seems to drag out.

I used to have to decide what I couldn't do so I could do the things I wanted to do. Now it seems like there's never much to do.

I used to wonder when it all was going to start. Now I wonder why it hasn't started or, if it has, then when it will end.

I used to be sociable, fun-loving, surrounded by friends I could spend time with, do things with, laugh about things with, talk and chat, play, etc. Now I feel like someone my friends used to know — they say "hi" when they see me, they occasionally invite me to social obligations, but their focus is on their families, which is totally understandable. They've progressed and I've remained relatively static. I used to know what was going on in their lives, now I find myself trying to catch up on what they've been doing, how they've been.

I never planned or dreamed to change the world. I know the world hasn't really changed me, but everything around me seems to have changed or continues to change. I'm the same guy I used to be, but everyone else is isn't and they relate to the same guy I am now much differently than they do to the same guy I used to be.

Thus endeth the whinging and whining.

See the post below ...

2011-11-26T02:05:00.001+10:00

... it still applies

I need a change ...

2011-08-30T00:51:00.002+10:00

... but I have no idea exactly what kind of change, in which area of my life ... but something needs to change.

Hey Stealth!!

2011-07-20T00:14:00.002+10:00

You need to add me woman, so I can once again see your blog!!

New aircon ...

2011-07-20T00:07:00.001+10:00

So my air conditioner finally went kaput on Sunday. It started making loud noises on a frequent basis and refused to cool the room. In fact, it got stuck on 88 degrees Farenheit; my non-air-conditioned rooms were cooler than my bedroom!

I was able to sleep for just 4 hours or so as a result; it's difficult to sleep while sweating in the heat plus the lovely Guam humidity.

So Monday meant a lunch hour spent driving to Home Depot in a crazy downpour and loading the thing into my trunk. After work I had just about a half hour to lug it upstairs, unbox it, take the old air conditioner out of the hole, then set up the new unit so I could be ready for my World of Warcraft raid.

That left me sore and hurting (it was pretty heavy, as was the old one, and I did it all myself) and sweaty, but at least my bedroom is once again cool. Heck, with the rainy weather out right now, it's actually chilly and cold!

Hello comforter!!

it's even later ...

2011-06-08T02:24:00.001+10:00

... earlier?

2:22 a.m. and trying to figure out why I'm not tired enough to fall asleep.

And yet ... going to try it again. Wish me luck.

It's very late ...

2011-05-29T01:13:00.000+10:00

... and I'm waiting for/dreading the call from work that means I will have to come in because of a technical glitch.

I love it when technology bites me in the ass, whether it's directly or indirectly ... don't you?

Somnabitch.

it can't be Friday already

2010-09-10T00:32:00.000+10:00

Even with the Labor Day holiday, I can't believe how fast this week has flown by.

Still have so much shit to take care of before the weekend and during the weekend.

But thank God it IS Friday because that means payday. Been squeaking by the last 10 days, managing every expenditure, but now there will be some extra cash available and I can finally get:

The massage I've been dying to get for 10 days.
The haircut I've been putting off -- or do I let it grow? Or maybe a high-and-tight? Or the usual shave? Hmm ...
Get a couple new pairs of pants that fit my more svelte self

Bam!

tonight's goal ...

2010-09-09T00:13:00.002+10:00

... is to try to fall asleep before 2 a.m. for the first time this whole week.

Let's hope there are no compelling shows on TV, such as "Swamp People" or "Bones" or ...

sleepless

2010-09-06T01:02:00.000+10:00

I really should be asleep by now.

Saturday night/Sunday morning I was up until almost 6 a.m. Woke up at noon. Laid around the apartment pretty much all day, doing nothing.

Felt tired all day, drowsy even.

And yet here it is, 1 a.m., and I've been trying to go to sleep for about 2 hours. Nada. Nothing.

Still awake.

Bleah.

the weekend ...

2010-09-04T13:56:00.000+10:00

Well, it won't really be a weekend, not as most people count it.

Primary Election is today (Saturday) which means I'm working and I'll probably have to be in the office for a little bit on Sunday as well.

Ugh.

Could really use some real down time.

Of course, it would be nice if my computer was working well enough during that down time to actually play World of Warcraft. Grrrr!

a shameful admission ...

2010-08-31T23:27:00.002+10:00

I'm a big fan of professional wrestling.

There. I said it. Happy now?

Yes, I know it's all "fake." Every fight is scripted and choreographed.

That doesn't mean these guys are top, world-class athletes. Have you seen some of the things they do? The falls, the leaps, the moves?

As much as pro wrestling is fake, it's very real. Real injuries and real deaths, sometimes. Bones are broken. Muscles and ligaments tear. Concussions are commonplace.

In my adolescent years, even into my teens, it was a dream of mine to become a pro wrestler. To make it to the WWE (then it was the WWF, till the World Wildlife Fund sued and won) would have been the ultimate.

Ask the people at school or my brother, who sometimes got put in a figure-four leglock, or pressed above my head for a super slam (only cushiony gym mats), or got my version of the Von Erich "claw."

I loved the old school wrestlers -- Bruno Sammartino, Fritz Von Erich ... the ones of my generation like Kerry Von Erich, King Kong Bundy, Jimmy Superfly Snuka, Andre the Giant, Jake The Snake Roberts ... and down the line to The Rock, Stonecold Steve Austin, the Undertaker ... the list goes on and on.

I never went so far as to think about my persona, but I figured at close to 6'6" tall and naturally big, I would have been a success being in the line of Bundy or Bruiser Brody or Killer Kowalski. And yes, that means I would have gone the "bad guy" route. Hehe.

Plus, I'm good with extemperaneous speaking, so I would have been a natural with the interviews, and maybe even have ended up doing commentary like the great Gorilla Monsoon.

A very bad shoulder injury (regular dislocations) put an end to that dream, as well as to any hope for a possible football career.

There are often times when I dream of what would have happened if I had made it out of high school healthy ... gone on to maybe play some college ball and then, if I didn't have what it took to make it to the NFL, tried my big hands at pro wrestling.

Ladies and gentlemen ... in this corner, from parts unknown, standing 6'6" tall and 300 pounds ... The DZER!!!!!

(cue boos)

Financial bullshit and other meanderings

2010-08-31T02:13:00.003+10:00

So I'm stupid. At no point after my bankruptcy several years ago did I bother to check my credit report.

Big mistake. Huge. Gigantic.

Two credit reporting agencies have everything right.

One doesn't -- the one primarily used by most financial institutions in Guam.

So it's not the fact that I have a bankruptcy that's been keeping me from getting loans, no matter how small the amount. It's not my relatively recent financial activity -- I have been making all payments on time, doing bills as I should.

Nope.

Turns out the big issue is the aforementioned credit reporting agency still had two accounts closed off by my bankruptcy listed as open. And overdue. And unpaid. For years. One of the, a $15,000-plus old loan.

Ouch.

So now I'm disputing it and trying to get it fixed. The catch -- the credit reporting agency will take its sweet time to research and, hopefully, rectify the situation. Up to 45 days.

Which means I'm screwed till then, even though I just need about a grand to get my new home comp and get straight with all kinds of stuff.

At least for the next 6-7 weeks.

Caveat bankruptor, I suppose.

Oh yeah. The DZER is back.

2010-08-31T02:07:00.002+10:00

What happens when a "World of Warcraft" addict can't play the game he loves?

Facebook can only consume so much time, even when it comes to playing poker.

And thus ... the blog is back, baby.

Stay tuned for more ... for any of you who are still out there, that is.

octoberishness ...

2008-10-07T23:55:00.002+10:00

... remember how much you used to look forward to halloween, like when you were a kid? as soon as October hit, it's pretty much all I could think about when I was a child. you got to dress up and get a shitload of candy. i guess it was a bigger deal way back then, when there were only like, I dunno, 15 types of candy? now there are bazillions. also, candy was a rare treat in the george household when i was growing up.

i loved getting root beer barrels. and bottle caps. and smarties. and the real, normal-sized candybars (those were SO rare). hershey's minis were a winner too.

tootsie rolls weren't too bad either.

wasn't a big fan of peppermint candy or butterscotch hard candies, though i'd eat 'em. just not a big hard-candy fan, with the exception of the root beer barrels because ... well, hell — they were ROOT BEER!

didn't like the lifesavers too much either, or the lifesaver lollipops, or any kind of lollipop, really.

i never got, and still don't get, the gum in the lollipop ones. you lick/suck/crunch away the hard candy to get to the gum, but there were always shards of the hard lollipop left over. bleah!

i remember scoring when my siblings got the hershey's special dark, cuz they didn't like it. same way i scored on Easter — i was the only one who liked black jellybeans until the savage came along. but he ate pretty much anything — warm sodas, mustard straight from the bottle, cold soup from the can, etc.

my mom made most of our costumes way back when. we would jealously watch the other kids in their full store-bought costumes while we were in homemade funky costumes ... like the masked hobo i was one year ... plaid pants, ugly shirt, cape and robber "mask." though looking back now, it wasn't so bad .. until you see the picture. I have it somewhere. no, i'm not looking for it.

halloween as partying young man was cool too. lotsa drinking. better, more fun costumes. chicks dressing up as sluts because it was the only time they could.

winning a costume contest dressed up like a Domme biker in a strip club ... only it was just what i chose to wear that night and not a planned costume ... heh.

trick or treat, bitches

stream of conciousness ...

2008-10-06T00:48:00.002+10:00

... there really needs to be an IQ test for people who enter the drive-through at fast food restaurants. I sat behind someone tonight who spent 6 minutes ordering ... and when she got to the payment window, made not one additional purchase, but two. and the fucking idiot cashier let her.

... I hate companies that take action on a late Friday afternoon/night, just late enough so nothing can be done ... and then giving you the whole weekend to be frustrated about them being closed so they can't address the issue until Monday.

... fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck!

bah ...

2008-10-04T12:52:00.001+10:00

a three-day ban ... sumnabitch!!

and so it goes ....

2008-09-10T02:44:00.001+10:00

... the promise of a couple days off ... and in a row, to boot.

please pray there are no murders, fatal traffic accidents, plane crashes, etc. this weekend.

as for me ... I'm optimistic ...

... can't you tell?

the return of the 'stache ...

2008-08-26T22:36:00.000+10:00

new job ...

2008-08-21T00:17:00.000+10:00

... same company.

stay tuned.

fitty ... pibty ... Five-Oh ...

2008-08-12T22:58:00.001+10:00

stolen from me brudder's blog ...

1. Do you like blue cheese?
Not as much as I like bleu cheese. Fail!

2. Have you ever smoked heroin?
No, but I once dusted a heroine.

3. Do you own a gun?
My attorney has advised me not to answer this question.

4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
Fuck me, I wish there was a Sonic anywhere near me!

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
I. Hate. Fucking. Doctors.

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
Wait a minute. Are you one of those people who believe that hot dogs exist?

7. Favorite Christmas song?
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” — the version the kid sings in “Love Actually.”

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Is limited to liquid matter?

9. Can you do push ups?
I’ll do yer push-up bra, my little chickadee.

10. What was the name of your first girlfriend/boyfriend?
Imaginary.

11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
That other stripper’s eyebrow ring.

12. Favorite hobby?
World. Of. Warcraft.

13. Do you work with people who idolize you?
Most of the barely tolerate me.

14. Do you have A.D.D.?
No, I have S.U.B.T.R.A.C.T.

15. What's one trait that you hate about yourself?
Besides the globulous, cetaneous fat?

16. Middle name?
Miguel. I shit you not.

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.
That exact moment already passed.

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday.
Iced tea. Deodorant. Body wash.

19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink.
King Car Lemon Tea. Coffee. Is there anything else?

20. Current worry right now?
How much sleep I’ll get.

21. Current hate right now?
The amount of sleep I’ll get.

22. Favorite place to be?
Sleeping.

(Can you sense the pattern?)

23. How did you bring in the New Year?
See above.

24. Where would you like to go?
To sleep.

25. Name three people who will complete this?
I’d be fucking stunned if anyone did.

26. Whose answer do you want to read the most?
Fuck ‘em all.

27. What color shirt are you wearing?
I’m not wearing shirt.

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
Who has time to sleep?

29. Can you whistle?
Just put your lips together and …

30. Favorite color(s)?
Does sleep have a color?

31. Would you be a pirate?
Arrrrrr!!

32. What songs do you sing in the shower?
Die Zauberflote: Act II-Die Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen

33. Favorite girl's name?
Hel.

34. Favorite boy's name?
Mephistopheles.

35. What's in your pocket right now?
Nada.

36. Last thing that made you laugh?
“The Colbert Report.”

37. Best bed sheets as a child?
Back to the sleeping thing I see.

38. Worst injury you've ever had?
Broken heart. Duh.

39. Do you love where you live?
If you can’t live in the place you love, baby, love the place you live.

40.
There was no question associated with this number.

41. Who is your loudest friend?
Shh!!

42. How many dogs do you have?
Hot dogs?

43. Does someone have a crush on you?
Nobody has EVER crushed on me.

44. Who is your favorite president?
Of what?

45. What is your favorite book?
Too many to mention.

46. What is your favorite candy?
Butterfinger.

47. What is your favorite sports team?
Chicago Bears.

48. What song do you want played at your funeral?
Amazingly, I have nothing smart-assed or poignant to write here.

49. What were you doing 12 AM last night?
Socketing a belt on World of Warcraft with new gems.

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
Fuck. I have to wake up.

wuh-wuh-wuh weekend?!?!?

2008-08-05T23:08:00.003+10:00

was supposed to get Mon.-Wed. off.

didn't happen. too much to get done by too many people.

next attempted days off: Sat.-Sun.

yeah. a weekend.

a FULL weekend.

i'm crossing my fingers and praying to god and hoping against hope and daring to dream it will happen.

we'll see, though i must admit i am somewhat optimistic ....

tired ...

2008-07-31T00:37:00.004+10:00

... haven't had a day off in a loooooooooong time.

close to 2 months if I remember correctly.

might be getting a bit of time off in the next week or so.

plan to sleep lots.

eat tons of cereal (so I don't have to leave the house for food).

play tons of WOW.

watch bad movies from bed.

sleep more.

maybe do some cleaning.

i really do need time off though ... i'm seriously about to crack ...

I hardly ever blog anymore ... therefore I'm not?

2008-07-29T22:35:00.001+10:00

Updates:

• New car

• Same job

• Same apartment

• Same boring life

• Better-equipped boomkin

• Same no woman problem

television memories ...

2008-05-12T01:41:00.002+10:00

I'm 39. If you're significantly younger than me, your television experience is vastly different from mine. If you're around the same age, maybe you'll identify with some of the following tripe ...

Television is the great corrupter. At least that's what many experts in sociology and related fields, and many a pundit (including those on television!), say and have been saying for years.

Maybe it's because there's SO much of it these days. Most people have access to scores, if not hundreds of channels. Maybe it's because, in order to fill up so many channels, there is so much crap on television. Maybe it's the reality shows, which show us, as humanity, at our most base, crassest, and idiotic behavioral worst.

But it wasn't always the case. At least, not to me.

I watched a Disney flick today — The Rock in "The Game Plan." Not the greatest movie ever, but entertaining and sweet and endearing.

But the previews got me thinking ... well, reminiscing. OK, not the previews per se, but the part with the fireworks going off and Tinkerbell flying over the Disney castle.

It reminded me of the program "The Wide World of Disney." It was a staple in our family viewing. We watched it every weekend. It really was a family event. Pop in his recliner. Mom in her chair. Some of the kids on the couch. Some of the other kids on the floor. All glued to our big-ass RCA that lasted forever and had the two rotary dials — yes, this was pre-remote control. VERY pre-that time.

Sometimes there was popcorn — NOT microwaved, but made in a big pot on the stove or, if we were "lucky," in one of those Jiffy Pop pans. Sometimes it was mom's famous Chex mix, with a few varieties of Chex cereal, some pretzels, some nuts, etc.

It didn't matter what the show was. "Escape from Witch Mountain." "The Apple Dumpling Gang." "Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang." "Old Yeller." Or one of those nature semi-documentaries about the raccoon or whatever. We were all there, as a family, to watch and enjoy.

Those were the days ...

And yes, I'm old, dammit ...

seems like I'm tired ...

2008-05-07T00:06:00.002+10:00

... way too often these days.

tired at work.

tired on the drive home.

tired while playing WOW.

tired when I wake up, no matter how much sleep I've had.

tired.

worn.

beleaguered.

wrought.

etc.

1:30 a.m. and still at work on a Saturday ...

2008-05-04T01:24:00.002+10:00

... oh, and I've been here since 1 p.m.

Thanks, Democrats.

You see, Guam held its Democratic caucus yesterday. We have 9 total delegate votes -- 5 superdelegates, each with a full vote, and 8 delegates, each with a half vote -- in the upcoming Democratic National Convention.

So, for once, Guam has some influence with national presidential candidates. We can't actually vote for president in the national election, but we do have delegates to the party conventions, and since the Democrat one is still up in the air, technically, we're important for a time.

We've gotten more attentional from presidential candidates than at any time previous. Clinton and Obama have regularly called the media here, given interviews, done TV and radio time, kept in touch with the newspapers, etc. NEVER happened before.

And so they're still counting districts. And probably will be until 3:30 a.m., if not later.

Fucking bleah.

I wish you peace ...

2008-04-29T21:30:00.001+10:00

I wish you peace when the cold winds blow
Warmed by the fire's glow
I wish you comfort in the, the lonely time
And arms to hold you when you ache inside

I wish you hope when things are going bad
Kind words when times are sad
I wish you shelter from the, the raging wind
Cooling waters at the fever's end

I wish you peace when times are hard
The light to guide you through the dark
And when storms are high and your, your dreams are low

I wish you the strength to let love grow on,
I wish you the strength to let love flow,

I wish you peace when times are hard
A light to guide you through the dark
And when storms are high and your, you dreams are low
I wish you the strength to let let grown on,
I wish you the strength to let love flow,
I wish you the strength to let love glow on
I wish you the strength to let love go on.

Sometimes, there's just not much to say ...

the ever increasingly rare update ...

2008-03-11T23:17:00.002+10:00

Job: Still a LOT of hours and a lot of work.

Love: Yeah ... as if.

Family: No changes.

World of Warcraft: Kicking ass with my druid; guild progressing very well in 25-mans.

Weight: Still losing a little bit here and there.

Poker: Good two weeks ... until Friday. Ouch.

Anything you want to know? Ask, bitches!

ze update du jour ...

2008-01-22T23:26:00.000+10:00

It's been several days and no further incident of malicious tire damage.

Good sign, no?

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Had my official birthday dinner on Saturday. Went to a very nice steakhouse with some close friends.

• Absolut kamikaze on the rocks.

• Warm spinach salad. To die for.

• 16 oz. NY strip steak, twice-baked potato.

• Cheesecake.

• Cafe au lait.

And then there were the prezzies.

• iPod Nano

Do I have good friends or what?

• Gift certificate to iTunes.

• Gift certificate to my favorite local clothing store.

Work is still killing me, slowly but over the course of long, long days. But, thus far, I'm still alive.

another update; sorry it's late ...

2008-01-15T22:17:00.000+10:00

Christmas
OK, I never did get fully into the Christmas spirit, but everything ended up OK. I got all presents bought and wrapped in time and did good by the godkids and everyone else I think. Also got some decent loot ... mostly gift certificates to get new clothes, since most of what I own is a bit big on me these days.

I did happen to get an early Christmas present:

Yeah, came downstairs the Saturday before Christmas to be greeted by a smashed windshield. 'Tis the season!

New Year's Eve and New Year
Nothing exciting.

Oh yeah ... except a couple days after, I came downstairs and found both my rear tires punctured ... on the side, as if by a knife blade. Happy New Year!

Work
We don't really want to go there, do we?

Love
See above.

Anything else ya guys needed to know?

OK ... one more pic of me in red, from the company Christmas party:

the grinch has struck ...

2007-12-20T01:06:00.000+10:00

I have zero Christmas spirit this year.

None.

A week till Dec. 25 and I have bought one present.

I haven't written or addressed any Christmas cards.

I'm seriously considering doing most of my shopping at the gas station convenience store, which has a rack filled with various gift cards.

I have hung no decorations or lights.

My miniature, fiber-optic lighted Christmas tree is in a box somewhere.

I haven't been this apathetic about the holiday since the diaspora of high school.

Christmas carols and songs aren't doing anything for me.

I haven't been to a mall or big store in weeks and weeks, so decorations and sales have done nothing for me.

Brightly lit homes with yard ornaments do nothing.

It's that not I'm all Scrooge-bah-humbug or anything like that.

I'm just not feeling it this year.

Not at all; not in the slightest.

Not even "Love Actually" has managed to stir any yuletide cheer.

Nor has the Christmas theme running through WOW at the moment.

*Sigh*

it's been a while ...

2007-12-11T22:08:00.000+10:00

... not much, how 'bout you?

so I've been very much busy with the job. lotta long days. lotta long hours.

lotta lost World of Warcraft time *sigh*

but I've been getting by.

last week was double nice ... it was a payday and we got our Christmas bonuses, and on Saturday had our annual Christmas party, which was extremely fun, thanks in no small part to ... ME!

I've been emcee the past 5-6 years and do such a magical job that I can't ever get out of it, as long as I work for the newspaper. oh well ... I was compensated with lunch for two at my fave Japanese restaurant -- teppanyaki AND sushi AND sashimi and more ...

this was me after coming home ... a little wrinkled, but still pretty snazzy in red, if I do say so myself.

a recent pic ...

2007-11-20T23:59:00.001+10:00

I'm not looking thinner ...
but definitely less fat ... heh

urg ...

2007-11-15T23:32:00.000+10:00

... conference call in about 6-1/2 hours ... "lucky" for me, corporate is holding this one "late" for them ... could be at 3 a.m. ... again.

peace, peeps.

stolen meme ...

2007-11-13T22:14:00.000+10:00

Mad props to Natalia, who also stole it.

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night?
Nobody made me laugh last night.

2. What were you doing at 0800?
Struggling to get out of bed and awake. The hours of the new job suck.

3. What happened to you in 2006?
Won the Nobel Prize. Ate 4,000 cookies. Wrote a best-selling fiction novel under a nom de plume. Bagged an elephant in an illegal safari.

4. How many beverages did you have today?
3 — 49 fluid ounce King Car Lemon Teas
4 — A&W Root Beers (can)
1 — Coke (can)
1 — Americano

5. What color is your hairbrush?
I don’t remember the last time I owned a hairbrush.

6. Where were you last night?
At work, then at home playing World of Warcraft.

7.What color is your front door?
An ugly brown.

8. Where do you keep your change?
Quarters near my desk and in a money bag in the truck for laundry; other coins in a big Nebraska plastic bottle piggy bank.

9. What's the weather like today?
Rained, then hot. Repeat 8 fucking times.

10. What's the best ice cream flavor?
The chocolatey “bread” of an ice cream sammich.

11. What excites you?
Tier-4 epic drops, strippers, talking dirty on the phone, a woman who has an extensive vocabulary and makes frequent use of her lexicon of multisyllabic verbiage.

12. Do you want to cut your hair?
Shave it every week baby.

13. Are you over the age of 25?
Too far over.

14. Do you talk a lot?
Yakkity yak.

15. Do you watch the OC?
Sif.

16. Do you make up your own words?
Zyzmargentsia!

17. Are you a jealous person?
Yep. Actually, more of a whiny, envious person.

18. Name a friend whose name starts with an "A."
Asshole. Applies to a number of friends.

19. Name a friend whose name starts with a "K."
Kermit the Frog ... we go way back.

20. Who's the first person on your received call list?
Poker buddy.

21. What does the last text message you received say?
“Who is this?”

22. Do you chew on a straw?
Aren’t you suposse to drink with them?

23. Where's the next place you are going?
The bathroom to take a shit, most likely. Existentially? Hell, I’m sure.

24. Who's the rudest person in your life?
Probably me. Oh wait; that’s “crude.”

25. What was the last thing you ate?
Bacon-ranch toasted chicken sammich from Subway. I am the next Jared.

26. Will you get married in the future?
How much are mail-order brides again?

27. What's the best movie you've seen in the last 2 weeks?
1408 on DVD.

28. When was the last time you did dishes?
A couple of them last night … just enough to eat a meal.

29. Are you currently depressed?
When am I not?

30. Did you cry today?
No, I had something in my eye.

31. What was the last thing you said aloud?
“Fucking idiot.” It was mumbled.

32. What car do you drive and what bumpersticker(s) do you have on it?
I drive a truck. It has no bumperstickers.

33. Why did you answer this and post it?
In the immortal words of Richard Gere in “An Officer and a Gentleman” … “I got nowhere else to go!”

what's new ...

2007-11-13T01:09:00.000+10:00

• started the new job last week ... at same company but now am in charge of local news section and No. 2 editor at the paper. still getting used to flow and not used to schedule, which often is 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. or so. lot more hours of work and lot less sleep, and less WOW. hopefully payday next friday will ameliorate the circumstances.

• one of my favorite uncles died last week (husband of my dad's oldest sister), Uncle Pete. He was a great guy and an important part of my early life, as we practically lived at his house, being there every weekend for church/CCD and any fiestas/parties. He had a lot of health problems late in life but always persevered and soldiered on.

I remember him working on the Navy base, bringing home toys that were thrown out that he'd fix for us. Still have a Navy china mug he had made for all of us kids when we were young, with our names on them. He also used to bring home C-rations, which we loved to eat, especially if you got lucky and got chocolate as the snack.

A lot of Air Force veterans will miss him too. He was one of the lead guys in Mongmong's sister village program with the Air Force. In the old days, for the air base's open house, he'd help build the hut and barbecue. He brought all the young, single guys who were far away from their homes to his house for parties, fiestas, holidays, etc., making sure they were welcome and feeding them some of the best Chamorro food on the planet.

I also remember he helped put the village cross together for the Good Friday trek up Mount Lamlam.

He was funny and sweet and just a great uncle ... and a good man.

Godspeed, Uncle Pete. You will be missed.

happy dzerween ...

2007-10-30T23:35:00.000+10:00

spooky pics from the California wildfires ...

2007-10-27T03:30:00.001+10:00

heh ...

2007-10-25T10:39:00.001+10:00

The long-overdue update

2007-10-09T20:00:00.000+10:00

OK kiddos … I know it’s been a long time since I’ve updated you with anything that’s been going on in my life, so here ya go!

Old Friends
A guy that used to work with us at the newspaper came back to Guam to visit his parents a little while ago. Me and R and S hadn’t seen him for years and years, and we used to hang out all the time when he was living here. So me and S took him and his brother out for a day of golf at one of Guam’s nicer golf courses.

Later in the week, R and S and I took him to dinner at one of the better sushi restaurants here, Rotary Sushi (and barbecue). The food was awesome, and I only like certain kinds of sushi. We sat at a table in the barbecue side, where we cooked up our own food on a grill plate in the middle of the table, and ordered a bunch of sushi to go along with it. The four of us managed to keep the bill under $200, which was amazing … guess we weren’t super hungry. LOL

Poker and Money
I was on good roll at the poker table the last few weeks, with four big wins. I suffered a minor setback last Friday, but basically over the last month I’m up a LOT. Let me put it this way — I haven’t had to use my checkbook or checking debit card for weeks. Heh.

And lucky I have been on this roll, as it allowed me to help out a friend who was in a bit of a bind. It always makes me feel good when I can do that for a good friend, especially these days when I’m not putting myself into a deep financial hole by doing so — back before my bankruptcy, I relied way to much on my many credit cards, overextending myself on profligate gifts, self-indulgence and the friend assistance … which led to me having to go the bankruptcy route.

Since then, I’ve been Mr. Financial Smartness. I have no credit or charge cards .. well I think I have a never-used Spiegel account, but it doesn’t count because I don’t use it and never have. I maintain a healthy balance in my checking account, pay my bills on time, make monthly deposits into a savings account that has mostly been left untouched and has enough to be useful in case of some kind of emergency, or for part of a down payment on a new vehicle, perhaps later this year (leaning toward a Scion Xb).

Last 10 days it hasn't gone so well on the poker tables ... lost some, but not more than I won previously. Hoping my luck will improve this week. :)

Women and Sex
Who woulda thought you could get some from someone you meet playing an online video game? Heh. No, not in-person, unfortunately, but it’ll do. ;)

The Work Life
So I’ve been training some new folks for my copy desk, including someone who eventually will take over my position, so I can move up to a higher position in the company. It’s gonna be a big challenge, but I think I can do some good for the company and also further my experience in the newsroom and as a manager. Oh yeah, it also means a bit of a pay upgrade, which is part of the reason I’m thinking of getting a new vehicle.

Still a lot of transition work and training of other people in the company to step up into new positions, so I won’t officially take the new job for several weeks. I’ll keep you posted.

The Godsons
Had a fun Sunday afternoon the other week with the godsons. We went to lunch, together with their parents and the new baby, at a place I hadn’t been to in a while. After that, we went to a new putt-putt kinda place that opened recently. Me, S and the boys played while R sat with the baby.

It was a lot better than I expected, though a far cry from the nice miniature golf courses I’ve been to stateside in the past. Still, much better than I thought it would be.

The kids had a lot of fun, as did me and S … especially me, since I beat him! LOL

I scored one hole-in-one, and on the next to last hole, both boys got an ace as well. They were super happy for that and S was feeling left out, but he hit the hole in the skeeball-type finishing hole and thus won a free round.

We’re sure to hit that place on a regular basis, as it really was a great time for everyone involved.

OK … that’s pretty much it. I’ll try to get back to posting on a semi-regular basis.

stolen meme ...

2007-10-02T20:10:00.000+10:00

Taken from the ever-great kathi ... the middle-name meme. The rule is to describe yourself with each letter of your middle name.

Here goes:

M: Massive -- yep, I'm huge.

I: Intelligent -- smarter than your average smart cookie.

G: Giving -- says it all.

U: Ugly -- hit all the branches on the fall off the ugly tree.

E: Expressive -- in some ways ... writing, drawing.

L: Lazy -- evidenced by this stolen meme.

... oh, you didn't know my middle name was Miguel? For shame!

mutha fooker!!!

2007-09-27T17:37:00.000+10:00

The main reason I haven't posted in a long times is that my DSL modem connection has been pretty much absent since Friday. It was on-and-off most of the weekend, but since Sunday night the longest I've been on in one sitting has been about 12 minutes.

Multiple calls to the ISP have resulted in no improvement thus far. I'm hoping to go home tonight (I'm posting from work) and have a stable connection. I haven't played WOW for shit the past 4 days, and it's pissing me off mightily.

If nothing else, the company is going to do one more check/test tomorrow (they couldn't get around to it today).

I even have a relatively lengthy post, with accompanying photos, ready to go ... but they are in digital documents on my desktop at home.

Fucking bleah.

summary of past week ...

2007-09-12T13:42:00.000+10:00

... had a cold that's still lingering.

... 2 new employees started, in the process of training them.

... had another huge win at poker.

... thinking about a new car later this year.

... had 2 flat tires over 4-day span.

... taking the promotion.

... lots of WOW.

the vacation ...

2007-09-04T00:01:00.000+10:00

... was nice while it lasted; could use another ... I dunno ... 500 days of it.

did a lot of nothing. played a bunch of WOW.

played some poker. Had a big win night. How big? Well, let's just say 4 digits.

got some household stuff done.

bought a few new shirts and jeans with some of the winnings.

hid away from the world, pretty much, which I've become much better at over the years.

Vacation Stats

• Number of hot dates: Zero

• Number of romantic liaisons: Zero

• Number of women hit on: Zero

• Number of flirtations with women online: A few

• Number that went anywhere, or will go anywhere: Zero

• Number of contacts with non-work people: Four, though two with same person and both brief.

• Number of videos watched: 10 or so.

• Best of the bunch: Re-viewing of "Love Actually."

• Amount of cash left from poker winnings: Tidy sum

• Number of people who give a shit: To be determined

I wanna be a cowboy, baby ...

2007-08-28T22:05:00.000+10:00

... hat courtesy of my little bro, Missouri Savage

vacation ... sort of ...

2007-08-27T22:26:00.000+10:00

I'm off for this whole entire week ... unless something happens and I need to come in. LOL

In order to make this happen, I got a to do pretty much a large part of my section done ahead of time, which meant Sunday, because I procrastinate.

I pretty much have to do this now, because week after next my new assistant editor starts, a copy editor leaves, and a freelancer starts to take over that position. Then, in a month or so, I lose another one for a bit, as she will deliver her baby then.

So today (Monday), I get a call that one copy editor had to drive another one to the hospital ER around 3 p.m. The driver came back and the other is OK, but I was on red alert for a while. Then, early evening, my toilet water regulator thing pretty much gave out and it took a while for the plumber to get here. The shutoff valve on the toilet didn't work, and my water meter was locked, so basically I got a flooded bathroom. Luckily, the fix was relatively easy once the plumber got here, and I can deduct the $145 fee (night service extra) from my rent.

Boy ... I can't WAIT for Tuesday!

Friday through Sunday ...

2007-08-19T19:29:00.000+10:00

Friday
• Woke up at 5:45 a.m. and realized I had to have the edit for the next day to the boss by 6:30 a.m. because I didn't do it the night before as I planned, as I went to sleep early and forgot. Got that done and ended up just staying awake, playing a little WOW and tweaking my presentation for later.

• The presentation went pretty well. "Sold" my idea in the form of a political speech. Bosses decided they would implement my proposal, so that's good. Below is my "costume." Heh.

• A good friend of mine, also of R&S, is back on island for a bit, so we had dinner at R&S's house and then played low-ante poker (25-cent chips), just like we did in the old days. It was a good night -- good food, good companionship and conversation.

Saturday
• Slept in a bit, played a little WOW, went into the office for a while, took a nap, played some more WOW.

Sunday
• Went to play golf at a very nice course, Onward Talofofo Golf Resort, with the old friend and S. Got pretty toasty in the sun ... it was a very hot day! All of us pretty much played like shit, but it was a good time with good friends.

• Came home, played WOW for a little bit, and now I'm typing this. Trying to decide on going out for some food or taking a bit of a nap.

Decisions, decisions ...

the long tuesday ...

2007-08-14T21:34:00.001+10:00

Ever have one of those super-busy days, where you have all this extra stuff you have to jam in with you regular day? That was my Tuesday.

On top of my normal job, which includes conceiving and writing an editorial, editing national and local columns and letters, then putting it all on a page with other elements, as well as managing a staff of copy editors (not to mention the routine things like checking, replying to and verifying e-mail, dealing with phone calls, etc., I got to:

• Write a story for another section.

• Go to a long lunchtime meeting for a big offsite project, including updating my presentation and doing a dry run of the presentation.

• Assign the wire section and lay out the main wire page, as one of my staffers is on vacation.

• Had to go to another meeting later.

• And a buncha other stuff.

To top it all off, the WOW server will be down all the rest of the night and into the early morning ... *sigh*

common courtesy ...

2007-08-11T04:04:00.000+10:00

If someone does something for you, especially if it's at your request/behest, say, "Thank you." Say, "I appreciate it." Say, "Thank you; I appreciate it."

If you accuse/imply someone of doing something wrong or bad, and then come to find out/realize/see that you were wrong in your judgment, the proper response is to apologize. "I'm sorry I accused you of doing XXXX, or implying you did XXXX. I was wrong and I apologize to you. Please forgive me." Also, "I'm sorry for judging you based on (whatever) and that I didn't talk to you first to hear your side of things. That was wrong of me."

Thanks. I appreciate it.

the long-awaited update ... (as if)

2007-08-07T22:36:00.000+10:00

... sick a bit.

... toe infected a bit.

... played WOW a bit ... OK, a lot.

... work is stressin' me something fierce.

... my mom turns very old Aug. 8.

... my present to her? what every mom wants ... cash ;)

... wrote some stuff.

... nothing worth reading here.

... paid some bills.

... won at poker twice last week, only lost once.

... looking forward to the game tomorrow night.

... posting while WOW server is on rolling restart. heh.

... rented 2 DVD's ... "Premonition" and "Deja Vu." I believe I will think I watched them already.

you don't want to know ...

2007-08-03T02:06:00.001+10:00

... trust me.

nothing much happening ...

2007-07-26T19:37:00.000+10:00

... work's getting a little stressful, which will only increase for next several weeks.

... the dog thing doesn't look good.

... focusing on my druid in WOW, trying to get back the hundreds in gold spent in a short time, knocking out quests and getting rep so I can run heroics.

... yes, I realize the vast majority of you have no clue what I wrote in the previous point.

... won several hundred dollars last night in poker ... woot!

... got a new computer.

... my old computer may be totally fucked, which means I'm totally fucked, because I'm stupid and backed up almost none of it.

... was issued a Treo at work ... can now surf the net, check e-mail, take and send photos from almost anywhere.

... recently got a 2-gig thumb drive -- More memory that my first couple of computers. And sooooo teeny.

... Beef Curry Don is one of the best microwave meals ever ... and Beef Yakiniku Don is pretty much just as good.

... I think I will buy some new sneaks in the next few days.

... new tatt coming up soon as well, I think.

... ice cream sammiches are the best ice cream treat you can get from a store.

... time for chocolate chunk cookies ... dunked in milk, naturally.

a quick little update ...

2007-07-22T19:31:00.000+10:00

... coming off what was (mostly) a three-day weekend. Saturday was Liberation Day for Guam, marking the day when U.S. forces landed to reclaim the island from 2-1/2 years of Japanese occupation during World War II, so I had Friday (mostly) off. Spent a big chunk of that time -- what else -- World of Warcraft.

... Sunday was spent with the godson, S and C playing golf. I had a horrible front nine but did good on the back. I need to spend much more time working on my putting ... I could have easily broken 90 if I had made a few short putts.

... I hear Hermione is killed and Harry then kills Voldemort. Haven't read it, don't plan to, but that's what I hear. Heh.

... Big project coming up at work ... bleah ... annual thing with all the top managers. Gonna have to bust my ass to catch up on some stuff.

... Also got to write something up for the newspaper outside of my normal stuff. Was supposed to do the interview Thursday but couldn't get in touch with the guy, so I will have to cram it all in Monday.

... No word on the dacshund; I think the guy might have given them all away already. :(

... time for dinner ... Chef Boyardee Ravioli!

meanderings ...

2007-07-19T02:51:00.000+10:00

... I hate having to go into the office on evenings to cover for someone else who is out ... it's part of the job but obviously not one of my favorite parts.

... had a nice lunch ... thick steak, baked potato ... salad and some buffalo wings for appetizer ... mmm.

... got a line on a daschund puppy ... guy's supposed to call me later this week.

... Saturday is a local holiday -- Liberation Day, marking the day the U.S. came back to retake Guam from the Japanese, which means Friday is holiday pay ... but also means Thursday will have to bust my ass to get the full weekend's worth of stuff ready ... will try to limit my office time on Friday for -- what else? -- some World of Warcraft guild missions!

... ever take a shit so big and nasty that afterward it changed your entire outlook? No? Just me?

fancy birthday dinner ...

2007-07-17T22:51:00.001+10:00

Monday night was an indulgence night. It was the birthday of my pare', S, who's the dad of my godsons, a friend and co-worker. His wife and I took him to dinner at Genji, a VERY nice Japanese restaurant at the Hilton Guam Resort.

The service was a bit spotty, unusual for this place. For example, I ordered a vodka with 7-Up and a guy came over a little while later and said, "Your FLAT 7-Up, sir." I corrected the order (taken by a woman who spoke much better Japanese than English) and got my desired cocktail. My entree came before everything, including my salad and my dinner companions' salads, and the sushi we each had ordered came at the end of the meal, and we had intended for them to be appetizers.

But the food, as usual, was outstanding. I had a combination teppanyaki plate, featuring sirloin steak and bacon-wrapped prawns (I know, I don't usually order seafood, but was kinda in the mood for something a little different). Awesome.

Genji also makes my favorite sushi of any -- tempura shrimp sushi. Yummmmmmmm .....

So it was a great dinner with great friends, and S got the ultimate (for him) gift from his wife, a San Diego Charger official NFL Throwback helmet, signed by his favorite player, LaDainian Tomlinson. He must have said, "Oh shit!" (in the good sense) and "This is so cool" about 12 times each. She did good.

I got him Elvis movies, which he grew up on and love, so I did good too ... but nowhere near compared to the helmet.

This was me after dinner, in the lounge awaiting coffee, in my somewhat metallic-ish dark gray new shirt.

Hmpf.

Had to call the evening a little short as one of my people had some kind of personal crisis to deal with and I had to go into the office for a couple of hours to finish out his shift and assign the main wire news page.

But, all in all, a good night.

When I got home I ran a Dungeon on WOW, getting a cool new hat ... only to realize/remember when I was done, around 3:30 a.m., that I had an 8 a.m. conference call at the office I HAD to be at ... ouch.

golfing with the godson ...

2007-07-15T22:26:00.000+10:00

On Sunday (which is almost over for me), I hit a golf course with the godson, S (godson's dad) and C, a co-worker. It's one we normally don't play, and found out -- at the counter -- that they had jacked up the price from $40 to $50 for a round. Ouch.

It was a great day for golf ... slightly breezy, clear ... just VERY hot.

I was off for most of the day with my driver and woods, but still didn't do too bad ... shot a 96 I think and did have several pars. Missed 5 putts by less than centimeters, usually to left or right, which would have turned my round around ... oh well.

The godson is getting more consistent and confident, and will often play his shots from the fairway (before, he would only hit from the tee and putt on the greens). He had a few of drives today that went close to 200 yards; in a couple instances, he outdrove all of us adults, or at least some of us. Give him another year or two and that will be commonplace, I think.

McDonald's on the way home ... MegaMac, baby! ... then mostly a relaxing evening of WOW. Managed to get an instance done that had been on my "to do" list forever, which was nice. Watched some nature shows.

Right now, I'm deciding whether to go into the office for a while to knock out payroll, or to take a nap/go to sleep ... then wake up early and go in early to do it then.

Decisions, decisions ...

shoulda listened to my own advice ..

2007-07-14T02:03:00.000+10:00

... and taken that break.

Two VERY bad beats (aces cracked by bullshit river straights) = $360 less in my bank account.

In addition to what I've lost the rest of the week.

Gonna have to take about a month off now ... and this time I will ignore the siren call.

time to take a break ...

2007-07-12T21:33:00.000+10:00

... from poker.

Shoulda just continued my WOW addiction at previous levels.

Run of bad luck and bad beats.

Oh well ... what's several hundred dollars when you have cheap rent, no car payment and no social life? LOL

it's sad but ...

2007-07-11T22:18:00.001+10:00

... this was the best part of my day on Wednesday ... coffee with too much sugar and too much cream, and three peanut butter cookies.

In fact, it was probably the best part of my week ... hell, my month ...

... but sometimes, that's just how things go I suppose.

Oh ... more meaningless drivel recently posted below, if you haven't been here in a little while.

a two-fer meme ...

2007-07-11T10:55:00.000+10:00

... stolen from someone's blog, but I can't remember who ... sorry! :)

Two names you go by:
• Duane
• DZER

Two things you are wearing right now:
• Glasses
• Red gym shorts

Two things you want in a relationship:
• A woman
• Me

Two of your favorite things to do:
• Play World of Warcraft
• Play poker

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
• Money
• Her

Two things you did last night:
• Played Poker
• Bought a webcam

Two things you ate today:
• Banana-nut muffin
• Barbecue spare ribs (Jamaican jerk)

Two people you last talked to:
• Poker people (in person)

Two things you're doing tomorrow:
• Playing World of Warcraft
• Working

Two favorite holidays:
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

Two books you recently read:
• The AP Stylebook
• Born in Death

Two things you wish you did better:
• I wish I wrote better
• I wish I understood better …

Two shows you watch on TV:
• The Daily Show
• The Colbert Report

Tuesdays suck ...

2007-07-10T22:53:00.000+10:00

... because it's the day (night for me) that World of Warcraft servers go down for many hours of maintenance. For me, it's usually from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., which means I can't play for a good 3-4 hours of playing time. Today, it was due to come down at 8 p.m. my time, and I got held up at work and didn't get home till 6 p.m.

So I log in and start playing a bit. The power goes out.

I wait a bit .. 10 minutes or so later, power is back on.

I log in an start playing again. Ten minutes later, power is back out.

I go wash some dishes, organize some receipts, grumbling the whole while ... then the power comes back on. And almost immediately goes out.

So I leave to get some dinner, play poker for a couple hours, head home ... power is still out. So I go to Kmart, shop a bit, come back home after 10 p.m. ... finally it's back on.

But the game is down, and will be for another 5 hours or so.

I hate the power utility ... and I hate getting cheated out of quality WOW time.

Bleah.

Oh, I haven't made the change yet in the sidebar, but if you were on my Yahoo! Messenger list, or want to be, my Yahoo! I.D. has changed ... to thedzer.

blustery, overcast, gray ...

2007-07-09T19:46:00.000+10:00

... funny how the weather sometimes echoes the thoughts rambling, crashing, spilling from your mind in a cacophonous disarray of chaotic blather ...

Anyway, the weather changed abruptly yesterday. Went from all too sunny and all too hot to gusty, rainy and dreary. A tropical storm was passing south of Guam, and its feeder bands were slapping us silly, like a drunken angry woman who isn't ready to go home at the end of a debauchery of a night in a shitty, rundown dive.

Hmm ... too many bad novels perused.

Gusts got up close to 50 mph. The wind whistled and moaned through my apartment all night. The following morning, the shears of wind knocked out my power, then again later while playing WOW during lunch. Got bad enough that it knocked down some old wooden power poles. A lot of places lost power, at least temporarily, from branches knocking down lines. In the south, a dog was killed when a live power line struck it.

This is what it looked like as I made my way back, and this wasn't a bad patch:

• Lunch was crappy. A couple of plain hotdogs. Tried to improve on it afterward, stopping at a coffeehouse/bakery. I couldn't decide between peach and blueberry mini-pies, so I got one of each. Back in the office, I discovered the blueberry wasn't a pie ... it was a fruit-filled hockey puck. Crust was thick and hard. Bleah. Peach pie was worse ... overweening amounts of ginger. With peach pie? Bleah Part II. Even the coffee sucked.

• Redemption at dinner: yakisoba, chopsteak and yakitori at a little Japanese place close to my apartment.

• Was going to do laundry right after work, but because of the weather, it was pack-jam. I didn't feel like waiting around for a half hour or more before I had access to a washing machine. Hopefully not so crowded tomorrow.

• Have started taking more photos on a daily basis, with the occasional video, as evidenced above. Will try to keep it up.

• Toying with the idea of a webcam. Had one ages ago but it didn't work when I bought this new computer. So might get one that will work with this one ... and my beautiful little Mac mini, which should be in sometime this week. Not like I had serious plans for the $1,500 for the computer, flatscreen and new keyboard/mouse. At least work will load it up with all the necessary top-flight programs ... so I can be more effective at work, even when at home.

taking time away from WOW ...

2007-07-09T00:40:00.000+10:00

the blue is tape ... need to replace my frames this week ...

... OK, not a TON of time away. I still play a lot.

But those of you who have actually sniffed around here over the last week have probably noticed (but then again, maybe not), that I've been posting much more often than has been my "usual" once per week.

This last week, I have also spent two evenings playing poker, which meant about 4-5 hours of WOW "lost" each night.

Twice this week, I feel asleep around 6:30-7 p.m. and didn't wake up till after midnight once, and after 1 a.m. the second time. Again, a good 5+ hours of "lost" WOW time.

Earlier tonight (Sunday night for me), I went over to my godsons' house for dinner and to spend some time with the boys. R made lasagna, which was quite tasty ... best I've had in forever. Before and after, I played a lot with A, the older godson, who loves me because I'm big and strong enough to play rough with him, as he is a big, husky boy. I can't lift him up over my head and toss him around like I used to -- and doubt that anyone outside of the World's Strongest Man competition could -- but I can still manage much better than most. Again, more "lost" WOW time.

Maybe it's because my two main characters are both the max level, 70.

My woman gnome warrior, Butchie, also has some pretty fancy stuff, though still far from the uber stuff you can get. The problem is she's a type of warrior (DPS) that doesn't get a lot of dungeon/instance runs. People want warriors they take to instances to tank. So the end result is she probably won't get all that much better unless I switch her spec, but I hate tanking, so there ya go. I will use her to "farm" (make money) and help out other people in the guild with normal, non-instance quests.

As for my druid, Treebrother, he's been respec'd to resto (healer) from Moonkin (aka Boomkin, aka DPS class) so he can help other high-level members of the guild in instances, as he's the only high-level healer. But that means he mostly sucks at anything except healing, for quests or for instances. When he goes out solo, he has a hard time killing the things that used to be easy, and hence dies pretty often and pretty quick. So he's kind of in a limbo too.

I've spent some time having Butchie learn and level cooking and fishing talents, which have and will mean more gold making ability, but the fishing has been kinda slow and, after a while, boring.

I do have another character, a level 7 dwarven priest, but frankly I haven't been in the mood to slowly level another character lately.

So, that gives me a little more time to post, and to do other things.

Oh ... and I think I should probably get to the doctor sometime this week ... cold that I caught weeks and weeks ago still hasn't gone completely away and I have been sleeping a lot and have a marked loss of appetite ... which probably means I have something a bit more than a cold ... so we'll see.

6 a.m.

2007-07-08T05:59:00.001+10:00

so I almost killed a child today ...

2007-07-06T02:41:00.000+10:00

... no, I wasn't overcome by rage, or recklessly shooting off a gun or anything crazy like that.

Just driving. And not driving recklessly or dangerously. Not driving and not paying attention to the road while fiddling with the radio. I wasn't even speeding.

Thank God.

I was going about 10 mph on a small road in my village when, all of the sudden, a little girl sprinted out from behind a parked car, running across the road. She saw me and stopped. I saw her and stopped. It wasn't really all that close, thanks to my low speed and reaction time, and then she just continued across after her brief stop. As if nothing had happened.

What's worse is two of her relatives (parents? aunt and uncle?) were on separate sides of the road, and neither made a big deal about it either; not to her or me -- especially not to her.

I think I'd have been a bit upset if a child (or young relative) of mine was so careless about crossing a street, especially when there was traffic and he or she had a real chance of being hit.

It was drilled into me when I was young that I had to look both ways before crossing a street. Just running across a road without paying attention to cars was not acceptable, leading to a yelling, admonition and, usually, a swat to drive the lesson home.

I guess not every parent does that.

unwanted ...

2007-07-04T23:32:00.000+10:00

... unneeded

... unattractive

.... unappealing

... uninteresting

... undesirable

... unbecoming

so it's not just us Americans ...

2007-07-03T21:53:00.000+10:00

OTTAWA (Reuters) -- Most Canadians know so little about their own country that they would flunk the basic test that new immigrants are required to take before becoming citizens, according to a poll released on Friday.

The Ipsos-Reid survey showed that 60 percent of Canadians would fail the test. A similar poll done in 1997 showed a failure rate of 45 percent.

"Canadians appear to be losing knowledge when it comes to the most basic questions about Canadian history, politics, culture and geography ... (they) performed abysmally on some questions," the firm said in a statement.

Only 4 percent knew the three requirements a citizen had to meet to be able to vote while only a third could correctly identify the number of provinces and territories. Just 8 percent knew that Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state.

The survey was carried out for the Dominion Institute, which aims to boost knowledge of Canadian history and values. It said all high school students should have to pass a special citizenship exam before they can graduate.

"It is frankly disheartening to see the lack of progress made by our group and the countless other organizations working to improve civic literary of Canadians over the last 10 years," said institute co-founder Rudyard Griffiths.

and so ...

2007-06-29T23:49:00.000+10:00

... the funk seems to have struck again.

what am I doing? why am I doing it? why am I not doing anything to change it? should I? should I just ride it out?

does it really matter -- to me or anyone else -- in the long run? or the short run, for that matter?

guess I'm just wondering ... well, about everything. but the "what ifs" and "why nots" and "if onlys" don't generate any coherent thought; in fact, they only serve to make things more jumbled, complicated, meaningless. they only serve to make me more disaffected, morose, befuddled, furious. but not thinking about that does pretty much the same thing.

i envy those who have a much better grasp on things ... what they want to do for a living or career ... who they want to be with or are with ... that actually like where they're at ... even those who know for sure that they don't like where they're at and plan to do something about it.

obviously, there's no real coherent point to this rambling, self-pitying, mopey post. and yet, nonetheless, here it is ...

burp

2007-06-23T01:12:00.001+10:00

excuse me!

wonderful discovery ...

2007-06-11T15:35:00.000+10:00

Those of you who been around the Diatribe for a while will remember reading about my "discovery" of microwaveable mashed potatoes, as well as mac and cheese, that are both very good and extremely close to homemade. I love finding these kind of products because they save mucho time and preparation work.

I've found another.

Pre-cooked bacon that only requires 5 seconds a slice in the microwave. So for two hearty BT sammiches (bacon and tomato — lettuce is a total waste!!!!) it only takes two rounds of 40-sec zaps, slicing the tomato while the radiation crisps up the bacon slices to perfection. Then it's a slight coat of mayo on the bread and *BANG!* ... BT's in like 3 minutes. No more greasy spatter on the stove. No more greasy spatter from zapping uncooked bacon in the microwave.

I'm SUCH a happy camper.

Each pack as about 15-18 pieces or so ... I bought 3 packs the first time I saw it a week and change ago ... then 5 more packs last week.

Yes, I do love bacon-tomato sammiches THAT much!

the weekly posting ...

2007-06-05T20:03:00.000+10:00

... that's pretty much what it's come down to, isn't it?

And even worse, don't really have anything personal to post that I can think of off-hand, so I leave you with this:

It’s Test Time!!!

Do You Know More Than America’s College Seniors?

Want to test your knowledge of American history? Here are the 34 questions which were asked of elite college seniors by the Roper Center at the University of Connecticut as part of ACTA’s report Losing America’s Memory. Eighth-one percent received a D or an F.

No Googling or otherwise looking up on the Web, in reference books or asking others!

E-mail me your answers if you want, or just keep them to yourself. I will post the correct answers in a few days ... or a week, more likely. LOL

Oh ... and for the record, I missed 5, for a 29/34, or an 85 — a solid B!!

1. When was the Civil War?
a. 1750-1800
b. 1800-1850
c. 1850-1900
d. 1900-1950
e. After 1950

2. Who said: “Give me liberty or give me death?"
a. John Hancock
b. James Madison
c. Patrick Henry
d. Samuel Adams

3. What is the Magna Carta?
a. The foundation of the British parliamentary system
b. The Great Seal of the monarchs of England
c. The French Declaration of the Rights of Man
d. The charter signed by Pilgrims on the Mayflower

4. The term “Reconstruction” refers to:
a. Payment of European countries’ debts to the United States after the First World War
b. Repairing of the physical damage caused by the Civil War
c. Readmission of the Confederate states and the protection of the rights of Black citizens
d. Rebuilding of the transcontinental railroad and the canal system

5. Are Beavis and Butthead:
a. A radio show
b. Television cartoon characters
c. A musical group
d. Fictional soldiers

6. The Scopes Trial was about:
a. Freedom of the press
b. Teaching evolution in the schools
c. Prayer in the schools
d. Education in private schools

7. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by Lincoln stated that:
a. Slaves were free in areas of the Confederate states not held by the Union
b. The slave trade was illegal
c. Slaves who fled to Canada would be protected
d. Slavery was abolished in the Union.

8. The purpose of the authors of “The Federalist” papers was to:
a. Establish a strong, free press in the colonies
b. Confirm George Washington’s election as the first president
c. Win foreign approval fort the Revolutionary War
d. Gain ratification of the U.S. Constitution

9. Sputnik was the name given to the first:
a. Telecommunications system
b. Animal to travel into space
c. Hydrogen bomb
d. Man-made satellite

10. The Missouri Compromise was the act that:
a. Funded the Lewis and Clark expedition on the upper Missouri River
b. Granted statehood to Missouri but denied the admission of any other states
c. Settled the boundary dispute between Missouri and Kansas
d. Admitted Maine into the Union as a free state and Missouri as a slave state

11. Which documents established the division of powers between the states and the federal government?
a. The Marshall Plan
b. The Constitution
c. The Declaration of Independence
d. The Articles of Confederation

12. When was Thomas Jefferson president?
a. 1780-1800
b. 1800-1820
c. 1840-1860
d. 1860-1880

13. What was the lowest point in American fortunes in the Revolutionary War?
a. Saratoga
b. Bunker Hill
c. Valley Forge
d. Fort Ticonderoga

14. In his farewell address, President George Washington warned against the danger of:
a. Expanding into territories beyond the Appalachian Mountains
b. Having war with Spain over Mexico
c. Entering into permanent alliances with foreign governments
d. Building a standing army and strong navy

15. The Monroe Doctrine declared that:
a. The American blockade of Cuba was in accord with international law
b. Europe should not acquire new territories in the Western Hemisphere
c. Trade with China should be open to all Western nations
d. The annexation of the Philippines was legitimate

16. Who was the European who traveled in the United States and wrote down perceptive comments about what he saw in Democracy in America?
a. Lafayette
b. de Tocqueville
c. Crevecoeur
d. Napoleon

17. Identify Snoop Doggy Dog
a. A rap singer
b. Cartoon by Charles Schulz
c. A mystery series
d. A jazz pianist

18. Abraham Lincoln was president between:
a. 1780-1800
b. 1800-1820
c. 1820-1840
d. 1860-1880

19. Who was the American general at Yorktown?
a. William T. Sherman
b. Ulysses S Grant
c. Douglas MacArthur
d. George Washington

20, John Marshall was the author of:
a. Roe vs. Wade
b. Dred Scott vs. Kansas
c. Marbury vs. Madison
d. Brown vs. Board of Education

21. Who was the “Father of the Constitution?”
a. George Washington
b. Thomas Jefferson
c. Benjamin Franklin
d. James Madison

22. Who said “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country?"
a. John F. Kennedy
b. Benedict Arnold
c. John Brown
d. Nathan Hale

23. What was the source of the following phrase: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people?"
a. The speech: “I Have a Dream”
b. Declaration of Independence
c. U.S. Constitution
d. Gettysburg Address

24. Who was the second president of the United States?
a. Thomas Jefferson
b. James Madison
c. John Adams
d. Benjamin Franklin

25. Who was the president when the U.S. purchased the Panama Canal?
a. Theodore Roosevelt
b. Jimmy Carter
c. Franklin D. Roosevelt
d. Woodrow Wilson

26. Who was the leading advocate for the U.S. entry into the League of Nations?
a. George C. Marshall
b. Woodrow Wilson
c. Henry Cabot Lodge
d. Eleanor Roosevelt

27. Who said, “Speak softly but carry a big stick?"
a. William T. Sherman
b. Sitting Bull
c. John D. Rockefeller
d. Theodore Roosevelt

28. The Battle of the Bulge occurred during:
a. The Vietnam War
b. World War II
c. World War I
d. The Civil War

29. Which of the following was a prominent leader of the Abolitionist Movement?
a. Malcolm X
b. Martin Luther King Jr.
c. W.E.B. Du Bois
d. Frederick Douglass

30. Who was the president of the United States at the beginning of the Korean War?
a. John F. Kennedy
b. Franklin D. Roosevelt
c. Dwight Eisenhower
d. Harry Truman

31. When the United States entered World War II, which two major nations were allied with Germany?
a. Italy and Japan
b. Italy and Poland
c. Italy and Russia
d. Russia and Japan

32. Social legislation passed under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society Program included:
a. The Sherman Antitrust Act
b. The Voting Rights Act
c. The Tennessee Valley Authority
d. The Civilian Conservation Corps

33. Who was “First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen”?
a. George Washington
b. Woodrow Wilson
c. Dwight Eisenhower
d. Abraham Lincoln

34. Who was the leader of the Soviet Union when the United States entered the Second World War?
a. Peter Ustinov
b. Nikita Kruschev
c. Marshal Tito
d. Joseph Stalin

wow has it been almost a week?

2007-05-28T15:21:00.000+10:00

• Still lingering effects from that cold, which went strong for like 4 days ... I think I'll be sick forever.

• Seems as if more and more people are giving up blogging, taking breaks or just plain disappeared (or moved and didn't tell me). Some time soon I will update the sidebar ... deleting the blog links that are gone; but I will leave up the ones that are there but just not posting, at least for a while. The DZERettes will stay up, but I think I will just take the links off the disappeared ones ... oh, and add a couple DZERettes who shoulda been added a long time ago but have been overlooked by their lazy DZER.

• Slow work day today ... the days that are holidays for everyone else but not for us just seem to draaaaaaaaaaag.

• It's laundry time again ... ai adai!

• Also, it's afternoon meeting time ... bye!

wonderful weekend that wasn't ...

2007-05-22T20:04:00.000+10:00

Caught a bug from a co-worker, the bastard. It hit me Saturday afternoon; pretty bad sore throat and hacking cough.

How bad was it?

Well, I went to sleep around 7 p.m. and didn't really get out of bed til about noon Sunday. Woke up a few times, took medicine and went back to bed.

Which means ... you guessed it ... hardly any WOW at all in my prime WOW playing time. That tells you how sick I was. In fact, on Sunday I didn't play much at all ... I logged in and talked to people and stuff, but didn't actively play all that much.

Now THAT is sickness!

:P

just some stuff ...

2007-05-15T23:42:00.000+10:00

• It's Tuesday, which means WOW server maintenance, which means I can't play until 4 a.m. my time ... which means I'm going to bed soon, a good 2 to 4 hours early.

• I love irony in plain sight ... like the tow truck being towed by a tow truck I saw yesterday.

• I managed to put off doing laundry one more day (so I could play WOW until it went down) by buying a couple new shirts after work.

• Why is the start of the NFL season so far away, while hockey and NBA basketball seem like they NEVER go away.

• When the hell did Camel start making menthols, by the way? You quit smoking and you miss all kinds of developments! LOL

• Anyone wanna do my laundry for me tomorrow?

• What's another word for Thesaurus?

some questions and answers ...

2007-05-11T22:41:00.000+10:00

Got this in an e-mail from My Favorite Person and thought I’d share my answers, since it’s so meme-ish.

1. WHO WERE YOU NAMED AFTER?
No one that I know of.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
It's been a while.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I have excellent penmanship.

4 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Steak.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
I'll go with the standard, "None that I know of."

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOURSELF?
I would ... but he wouldn't.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Next question.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
All of them!

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
I don't think they make industrial-strength bungee cords ... LOL

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Depends on my mood.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Sometimes ... sometimes I never bother to tie them when I put them on.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
DZER strong! *pounds chest*

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Ice cream sammich.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Women ... tits. Men ... who cares?

15. RED OR PINK?
Red

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I don't have the time to list them all.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My dad.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Well, if anyone wants to blog it, feel free.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Black pants, no shoes.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Some nasty baked potato chips.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
"Without a Trace," the TV show.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Pasty.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Nekkid woman.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Someone from work.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Duh!

26. There is no 26.

27. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
NFL and NCAA football.

28. HAIR COLOR?
Brown when I let it grow.

29. EYE COLOR?
Steel blue

30. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Put something into my eye? Are you nuts?!?

31. FAVORITE FOOD?
Too many to list.

32. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings at the massage parlor.

33. WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
"Music & Lyrics."

34. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
I'm not.

35. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter.

36. HUGS OR KISSES?
Both at the same time, please.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Sam Choy's cheesecake.

38. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Dunno.

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
You.

40. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
None at the moment.

41. ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
My mouse.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
SportsCenter, some Comedy Central.

43. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SOUND?
Subdued moans ... or frenzied moans.

44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles.

45. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Thousands of miles.

46. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Like in "The Jerk?"

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Rome, N.Y.

staying chilly ...

2007-05-08T11:25:00.000+10:00

So after a full weekend with power and getting used to a return to normalized life, what happens? Air conditioning unit decides that 3 years is enough time to live and cool.

First, I gotta take it down. It sits up in a hole in the wall about 7 feet up. It's a 12,000-btu unit that almost killed me when I put it in, because I did it myself, being the big strong man that I am. Well, 12,000-btu units are very heavy and bulky, and I almost dropped it on my head putting it in.

Taking it out, I somehow managed to power it down and then, as the weight hit, push it out far enough so that when it hit the ground in front of me, it didn't crush my toes.

Quick drive down to the warehouse store ... $199.99 for a new, 8,000-btu unit ... back home, take it out of the box, attache the little expander wings on the side to fill the space, since this unit is smaller ... used a variety of foam, wood and tape to seal up the rest of the hole and then plug it in to start the cool air -- which was needed because I was coated in sweat from all this manual labor in a hot apartment .. totally drenched ... it wasn't a pretty sight.

Nothing.

Remote doesn't work. Buttons don't work. Try a different outlet. Nada.

About to start breaking things when I notice this unit has a reset button like power strips right where it plugs into the wall. Duh. Click. Cool air again. Nice.

Then it was a long, cool shower, followed by a super-late night of WOW and 4 hours of sleep.

i'm back, bitches!!

2007-05-04T01:55:00.000+10:00

fucking finally!

the update ...

2007-05-03T11:22:00.000+10:00

I guess this will teach me to refrain from optimism.

I didn't take a new place because work was being done and I thought I'd soon have power and thus be able to keep living the cheap rent life.

Yesterday — Wednesday, the inspector came out and OK'd the work. A little after 1 p.m., as I was leaving my apartment, a power utility bucket truck was on the scene. I did a little internal "woo-hoo," thinking I'd have power when I got home later that afternoon.

I didn't.

Seems the electrician botched things. When the utility went to energize the lines, there was a short on the building side. According to the power guys, the work never should have passed inspection.

Nice, huh?

The building owner's representative hates me and one other tenant, who have been constantly bitching about the situation. He told her that she complains too much. Over piddling things, like not having power for 12 days ... 13 now.

As I left, the electrician was on the scene. I talked to the other tenant last night, who said she was told things would be fixed today, and we'd have power again.

I won't hold my breath.

The building owner's representative has threated to find a way to block power from my unit once power is restored, and he and the electrician were standing at the bottom of my stairwell near my power meter when I left today.

So you might want to check back here in the next few days, as My Favorite Person has the "keys" here, just in case I'm indicted for murder or something of that sort ...

Tuesday, 3:15 p.m. ...

2007-05-01T15:17:00.000+10:00

Still no power.

Landlord of the building needs to get from from utility, then get inspection by gov't. agency, then utility will reconnect power.

So far, none of that's been done.

And boy, oh boy does it suck.

hopes for Monday ...

2007-04-29T18:45:00.000+10:00

So the electricians worked Friday ... and then Sunday (today). I talked to the main electrician about 10 minutes ago, and everything is done from their end. All that's needed is a government safety inspection, then reconnection of lines by the power utility. He's pretty confident power will be back on at the building in the afternoon ... and only 10 days after we lost it.

Huzzah.

Some of the things that I've done since losing power:

• Cleaned up a bit, throwing a lot more junk out (and some more still to come).

• Watched a lot of movies this week (air-conditioned theaters, no TV/cable) -- in no particular order, I've seen "Shooter," "Fracture," and "In the Land of Women." In about 30 minutes, it'll either be "Next" starring Nicholas Cage or "Blades of Glory."

• Sweated in the semi-dark, including whilst trying to sleep. I think I've only had one real good, long, restful night of sleep in my apartment ... it was very rainy Saturday night, so it was cool and breezy all the way up till noon.

• I've driven my truck more in the last 10 days than in the previous month. The homebody became a leaving-the-hot-dark-homebody.

• Found an Internet cafe that is very cool and helpful, even though I'm the only one over 21 playing World of Warcraft there at varying hours.

• Eaten a lot of cheap meals in cheap restaurants.

• Read four books and have just started my fifth.

• Played poker twice ... losing both nights on bad beats, unfortunately.

• Just today I: ate a lazy breakfast at a diner-esque place and did the Sunday crossword puzzle; got the oil on my truck changed (long overdue); saw a movie; went to the bookstore (and bought the fifth book mentioned above); bought a new bed, complete with frame, headboard and nightstand, as well as a new, comfy desk chair; moved said furniture up into my apartment; swept the stairs up to my apartment, as well as most of the living room ... and I'm currently blogging and almost ready to head for the theaters.

That's it ... look for a much more boring week ahead for me ... IF the power actually is reconnected tomorrow.

Guam to shine(?) in national spotlight ...

2007-04-27T15:21:00.000+10:00

• The Thursday edition of the Colbert Report featured none other than Guam Del. Madeleine Bordallo, our non-voting congresswoman in the House of Representatives. If you missed it, try to catch the repeats on Friday.

I'm told he skewers her, Guam and focuses mucho on the brown tree snake ... but can we expect less from Stephen Colbert? I'm sure it's gonna be hilarious!

• Parts of Guam also will be featured on "The Amazing Race," I think this coming Sunday ... though it mostly focuses on military base areas -- they don't really get out in the local Guam area.

update ...

2007-04-26T17:51:00.000+10:00

Thursday here and still no power. I talked to another tenant Wednesday night and he said a couple people came out to look at the main breaker box earlier that day, and that an electrician was supposed to come out today for the repairs. I never saw him, nor did anyone else, and it looks like nothing has been done yet.

I was to have signed the lease for a new place today, though I wouldn't be able to move in until next Wednesday. So I held off and haven't done it yet, hoping/praying that maybe the power will be back on at my apartment sometime this weekend. If it's not fixed by Monday, that still gives me about 2 days to find a new place, and I'm well on my way to clearing up junk, tossing things out and packing away what I want to keep.

I'm hitting an Internet cafe every night for 2-3 hours to get some kind of World of Warcraft fix, though that's still far short of what I usually play, plus it's a lot less comfortable. But the place I've found is cool, have given me some discounts, and I have actually talked WOW with other gamers, who don't look at me with the "whatever, geek" expression on their face. We've traded tips, tricks, and death wipe stories.

I really should move stateside, but I just can't up and go ... I need to have the prospect of work waiting for me ... I can't imagine just moving and then looking for a job. Plus, it's not like my field is that general ... How many newspapers are in your town? How many editors? It's not like I'm a retail manager, salesman, executive assistant or accountant, where the job is basically the same from company to company and industry to industry. If I decide to move someplace and there are no news jobs, I could go to the darkside of advertising or marketing or government public relations or something like that, I suppose ... but even then I'd much rather have the prospect of a waiting job than trying to eke by on my savings and wits while trying to seek employment.

oh well ... that's it for now.

DZER has become powerless ...

2007-04-22T21:10:00.000+10:00

OK, this time my excuse for not being around isn't World of Warcraft.

On Friday, I get home about 5 p.m. to find a cop car and a truck from the power utility at my apartment building. Turns out someone stole, or tried to steal, some of the copper lines connected the building to the power grid.

But the owners of the building are cheap and don't care about any tenants there (there are two or three other units now occupied by some families), and it's the weekend, and the representative of the owners says he's not sure when they will bother to fix things and reconnect the building to the power lines. Not only that, but since the owners and the guy who owns my unit are still at odds, he actually threatens that once the power is reconnected, he will make sure mine isn't.

I tried to get some electricians out to look at the problem to see if they can at least just reconnect me, but it's the weekend, or they're busy, or they want some kind of OK from the power utility first, and of course the utility is closed on the weekend.

Friday night I sleep at the office on a futon on chilly tile, because at least it's cool and I won't sweat miserably in my apartment.

For the weekend though, I need something beyond that. I book a room at Best Western. They have a $109 2-day package and all rooms have high-speed Internet, so I lug over my eMac and a couple changes of clothes.

Hook up the computer and nothing. Turns out they recently discontinued using the modems that are still in the rooms, and are completely wireless. I have no wireless card in my computer. I argue for a bit and get a full refund.

Still stuck without a cool place with Internet connection. Call the Hilton and ask for the local rate. Am pleasantly surprised when informed about a weekend getaway special for $150 that includes welcoming drinks, breakfast ... though high-speed Internet will cost me $12.99 per night (24 hours). Oh well ... booked ... checked in ... connected ... happy.

Bed's a little hard, but the room is great and the view is awesome.

The hard bed ...

My weekend WOW workstation ...

Tub big enough for 2, or 1 DZER ... and used for 2 bubblebaths ...

The view from the room ...

The view continued ...

So everything's cool, right?

Until I go to check out Monday morning.

Turns out there was a "miscommunication." The weekend getaway rate of $150 is PER NIGHT. I argue that I was told it was $150 for the weekend. Front desk goes to get a manager. Who is extremely rude. It is what it is, he says. A miscommunication, but tough shit, basically. Any attempt to ameliorate an angry guest? Any discount on that or future stays? A free brunch? Nada.

"I'm never coming back here again," I growl.

"That's too bad," the manager says.

Go back to apartment. Nothing's been done. Go into work.

During lunch break, look at a couple apartments. Squallid. Dirty. Dingy. Urine smells in hallway.

Back to work.

Look at nice place in afternoon ... only double my current rent.

Home. Clean some. Organize some. Sweat lots.

Shower. Mall. ATM. Two-choice dinner. Movies — "Fracture."

Currently at work. At almost 11 p.m. Know I have to go home soon and sweat some more.

Will I be able to sleep at all in the heat?

Probably some, but not well.

Hope your weekends were much better.

a new post ... finally

2007-04-17T21:52:00.000+10:00

Stunning, no?

Well, I can't blame the lack of posting and failure to read blogs on World of Warcraft. Yes, I have played it a bunch since my last post, but no more than normal.

I've just been in a state of ennui, pretty much, plus not all that much has been going on, at least nothing all that different from normal.

Some of the stuff that has happened:

• The mother of my godsons had another baby last week ... I was gonna go see her and him at lunch today, but had a bit of a cold or something, and didn't want to risk getting the baby sick, so I'll have to wait a day or so.

• My mom is going under a round of radiation treatment as a follow to the removal of a lump recently. Doctor is pretty sure he got all of it and advised her that radiation was the best bet, instead of chemo or chemo/radiation combination. She's doing good; I spoke with her a little after Easter. I really don't call her enough ...

• Big load of laundry tomorrow ... and probably another trip to the laundry on the weekend. I've let it pile up and up ... at the end of last week I bought a couple pairs of pants, shirts and some socks just to further procrastinate. Sad, but true.

• I've also managed to read three books over the past week or so, plus re-read another three. Also watched two DVD's ... with a huge range between the two -- "The Holiday" ... and "WWE: No Way Out." How's that for variation?

• Tonight will be spent balancing my checkbook and doing a stack or two of dishes.

• I also have to clean out some boxes and junk from my bedroom ... I'm going to buy a new bed this weekend. Was gonna do it last weekend, but someone called in sick and I had to fill in for her shift. Ugh. And it's not really a new bed; there's a store here that sells remainders from hotels and other businesses. Still, it will be better than mine, which I should have replaced long ago. The "new" bed will be a double -- just $95 for the bed, boxspring, frame, headboard and nightstand.

• Dinner will be either a HUGE bowl of Golden Crisp cereal ... takeout Vietnamese food ... or PB&J's.

• I also will try to post a new early HNT from Guam over the next couple of days; just need to remember to buy batteries the next time I'm at the store.

thank god for memes ....

2007-04-06T23:46:00.000+10:00

A meme stolen from one who dodges most artfully … based on my Friday.

1. What time did you get up this morning?
I think it was something like 11:30 a.m.

2. Diamonds or pearls?
Doesn’t the Prince song acknowledge that you can have both?

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Haven’t been the movies in a LONG time; can’t remember

4. What is your favorite TV show?
Of all time? Currently? I’d have to go with SportsCenter … “Criminal Minds” … “How I Met Your Mother” …

5. What did you have for breakfast?
I normally don’t eat breakfast … first food of the day was a banana.

6. What is your middle name?
Miguel

7. What is your favorite food?
Type of cuisine? Meal? Individual item? Hmm … Chamorro/Italian/Chinese … roast beef/turkey with mashed taters and gravy … red meat

8. What foods do you dislike?
Almost any kind of vegetable bean, peas, asparagus, okra …

9. Favorite chip?
Chocolate

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
I don’t invest in certificates of deposit.

11. What kind of car do you drive?
Old, beat-up Nissan Kingcab pickup

12. What is your favorite sandwich?
First of all, it’s “sammich” … and there are too many from which to choose

13. What characteristic do you despise?
Hypocrisy and bigotry

14. What are your favorite clothes?
The trashy ones strippers wear

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation?
I don’t like traveling all that much, but yes please

16. Where would you want to retire?
We’re allowed to retire?

17. Favorite time of day?
Very late night, early a.m.

18. Where were you born?
Rome, N.Y.

19. Who do you think will not respond to this?
Respond emotionally? Everyone will … my writing is moving ;)

20. Person you expect to respond this?
That woman. No, her. No …. HER! Geeze!

21. Beavers or ducks?
If it’s for building a dam, the former; if flying, the latter

22. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I am related to Woodsy the Owl … give a hoot, don’t pollute!!

23. Pedicure or manicure?
No thanks

24. Share?
Sonny was the genius behind that duo!

25. What did you want to be when you were little?
I’ve NEVER been little … only younger

26. What is your best childhood memory?
I have a lot of great ones, usually involving stuff with my dad and the family.

27. Piercings?
Both ears; two in left, one in right.

28. Ever been to Africa or Alaska?
Neither …

29. Ever been toilet papering?
Just my ass

30. Been in a car accident?
A few, but never anything too serious.

31. Favorite day of the week?
Sunday is golf and a lot of World of Warcraft …

32. Favorite restaurant?
Al Dente Ristorante

33. Favorite ice cream?
Ice cream sammich …

34. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Burger King

35. Last e-mail?
That I sent or received? Sad, but in either case to myself … from home to work and vice versa.

36. What was the last movie that you rented?
The Departed

37. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
No credit cards here

38. Bedtime?
Somewhere between 2 and 4 a.m., usually

39. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
God.

40. Last person you went to dinner with?
My friends R and S

41. What are you listening to right now?
SportsCenter highlights

42. What is your favorite color?
Black and charcoal gray

43. How many tattoos do you have?
Four

44. Favorite magazine?
None in particular

45. What book are you reading?
I’m about to start a Sci-Fi novel by Haldemann

46. Weirdest thing in your purse or wallet at the moment?
Is money weird? Coffee card?

47. If you had one wish, what would it be?
In the immortal words of the Dave Chappelle Show … to be “Riatch, biatch!”

well it's tuesday here ...

2007-04-03T20:01:00.000+10:00

... so that means that the WOW server is down, and will be for 8 hours.

Yes, I realize I'm pretty much addicted and don't have the time anymore to blog as much as I used to or, for that matter, to visit all of the blogs on my blogroll all that much either.

Oh well. Life changes. :P

In WOW news, my main character is progressing well, up to level 64 and almost enough gold to be able to purchase my epic mount. And yeah, I know that the vast majority of those who read my blog, of the few that are left, have no clue what any of that means.

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Went to a friend's baby shower on Saturday. One of those progressive, both-sexes-invited things. The expectant mother is the mother of my twin godsons, and she's due in about two weeks. Some good chow, for snackish kinda food, and some fun games -- make a baby out of modeling clay, list as many songs with the word "baby" in the title.

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Dinner tonight is roast beef (from a can) and microwave mashed taters (from Country Crock). Might not sound that great, but it's pretty fucking tasty.

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

There's another typhoon out in the area where the ones form that have a chance at hitting us, after this last one narrowly missed us. Fucking Bleah!

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

OK ... off to cook and do a couple chores. Ciao!

close call ...

2007-04-02T22:09:00.000+10:00

Guam almost was hit by a typhoon.

But, luckily, it tracked more northernly.

Whew!

*knocks on wood*

oh you bitch and other meanderings ...

2007-03-27T23:55:00.000+10:00

• It's just plain mean when you comment on someone's blog about the fact that you're making pot roast and potatoes when you know full well how much that person LOVES homemade pot roast and potatoes.

• It sucks when Blizzard tells you that there will be only rolling restarts instead of extended maintenance, which is supposed to mean only 20 minutes of down time, and then later comes back and tells you they need to do three hours of maintenance. Assbandits!!

• I'm hungry ... it's gonna either be roast beef sammich, turkey sammich, roast beef and turkey sammich, tuna fish sammich, or hot chicken noodle soup with peanut butter sammiches to dunk into soup. Or pop tarts. Or frozen toaster waffles.

• Politicians -- at pretty much every level -- suck major ass.

• I sooooo need to see the Will Ferrell figure skating movie!

• Ooh! Almost forgot that I had Golden Crisp cereal!

• Ugh ... at least another hour till WOW's servers come back up ... Fucking Bleah!™

recent highlights ...

2007-03-27T01:24:00.000+10:00

FRIDAY
Sumptous dinner:

• Duckstein lager

• Tapas platter (shared appetizer) — Genoa salami and prosciutto, sliced thin; fine Italian cheese; marinated olives; garlic sauteed shrimp with creamy dipping sauce; sauteed vegetables.

• Garlic-sauteed mushrooms covered in cheese, baked onto perfectly toasted bread.

• Fettucine in a creamy pesto sauce with sliced chicken.

• Creme brulee.

• Coffee.

Oh yeah, it was a fucking gooooood dinner!

SATURDAY
• A little bit of work.

• A lot of World of Warcraft.

SUNDAY
• Golf — me and S both played horribly, in large part due to the glacial pace ... we ended up only playing nine holes, because it took us 3 hours to play that!

• Big, sloppy Triple Whopper with cheese.

• WOW (of course)

• A brief stint in the office to straighten out payroll.

• Waffles laden with syrup for a late dinner.

MONDAY
• The highlight of my day ... a pineapple-coconut milkshake after lunch ... yummy!

missing: DZER

2007-03-20T16:05:00.000+10:00

OK, OK ... so I've been away for awhile, and more than infrequent in posting and reading blogs.

Not much has been happening in my life ... but that's nothing new.

Been playing tons of World of Warcraft, as I'm sure many of you have surmised ... busy leveling my main character.

Also, my laziness and phlegmatic nature have been in overdrive, if that's possible.

Added to that, I took Monday and Tuesday off (today is Tuesday for me and it's getting closer and closer to being over .. gah!), and indulged even further in my do-nothing lifestyle. Tomorrow, it's back to work ... I really need to hit a lottery so I don't have to work ever again. I like my job and the people I work with, but I like doing nothing a whole lot more ... LOL

I'm actually going to leave the apartment — which I haven't done much of the past three days, except for golf with S and my godson. I need a relaxing shave and neck massage, a satisfying meal, some groceries, and to pay a couple of bills.

Will try to check in on you guys later tonight, when the WOW servers are down for maintenance. :)

can anyone else out there ...

2007-03-10T14:57:00.000+10:00

... use another three hours of sleep?

... go for an overindulgent lunch?

... appreciate a good, long massage right about now?

... think of something for me to blog about?

is it thursday already?

2007-03-08T18:34:00.000+10:00

• Home a little early, but about to head back into the office of a meeting with my staff. Hopefully it won't take too long, but I do have to get some things across to them, so who knows?

• World of Warcraft is still fun and highly addictive; my main character is steadily leveling up to the point of become pretty badass. I've put my other two characters on a kind of hiatus, until I get my main up there nice and high.

• How much do you think it will add to my power bill if I did ironing in the morning, then left to work, came home later that day, and didn't notice until early morning that I had left the iron on all that time? Ugh.

• Been neglecting balancing my checkbook, so I gotta go through two weeks of receipts later tonight to reconcile it. Not that it's low ... it's actually more than I usually have. This bankruptcy thing has actually been a blessing -- my checking account stays flush, as I have been living well within my means, and I've even managed to save a couple grand over the last year. Last month, I upped the auto-deduct from checking to savings to $250 a month. So, basically, if and when I finally find something over there that fits/suits me and my abilities, I have the wherewithal to giddy-up and go.

• Shoulda posted the following last week, but never got around to it. Yep, it's the return of the early HNT from Guam, albeit a week and a day late.

Yep, this is how my thumb looked about 10 days ago. Not as detailed as I would have liked, a little fuzzy and unsharp, but you can see the difference in color. Too bad the pus didn't show up very well ... heh.

it's 6:30 a.m. ...

2007-03-06T06:30:00.000+10:00

... and I am very reluctantly awake.

The only times I usually wake up this early in the morning is to play golf or because I'm just getting home from an all-night poker game, or because some natural disaster has struck or is about to strike the island.

Oh yeah ... and for corporate multi-teleconferences. See, the best time for them to meet is 4 p.m. EST, because they can head home once it's done. Even though it's lunch time on the West Coast ... and 7 a.m. way over here.

It could be worse ... they could've wanted to meet their morning time, which would have meant a 3 a.m. showtime for me.

Time to go ... want — no NEED — to get coffee on the way in.

Hopefully it won't take all that long (fingers crossed) and I can come back home in time to catch a couple hours more of sleep.

things actually got done today ...

2007-03-01T19:33:00.000+10:00

• All my work for day, and early to boot.

• Four loads of laundry, almost all of it heavy stuff like jeans.

• Dinner cooked and eaten.

• Fan cleaned.

• Air conditioner cleaned.

• Toilet cleaned.

... and maybe I'll even get around to folding that laundry and putting it away ... heh

brief update ...

2007-02-27T17:09:00.000+10:00

I'm just waiting around for one more thing to get taken care of before I can head home -- well, to the grocery store first -- for the night.

I even took the time to get some advance stuff knocked out of the way, but basically I'm just sitting around waiting for this one thing.

So, lucky you, you guys get a brief update.

• Bought pants yesterday. Wore them today. Zipper broke 1 hour into work. Returning pants after work (changed at lunch).

• Bought shirt yesterday. It has performed admirably well. Keeping it (duh).

• Hatred and disgust with political figures has only escalated over the past two days.

• Really, REALLY need to do laundry tomorrow afternoon. I hate it. Bleah!

• Think I'm gonna try a new Italian place tonight ... thinking chicken Fracaise and penne a la vodka.

• OK ... boss is back ... hopefully outta here soon ...

a worthwhile post ...

2007-02-23T22:12:00.000+10:00

I've had this for a while ... almost forgot I did.

It's a very long read, but well worth the time ...

By Jim Sheeler
Rocky Mountain News
December 15, 2006

The skinny sailor sat in the Philadelphia airport terminal in his deep-blue dress uniform, cracking his knuckles, shifting in his seat, waiting for his best friend.

A woman from the airline walked over and motioned for him to follow. She saw the nervous look on the sailor's face and stopped.

"Wait," she said. "Is this your first time doing this?"

"Yes, ma'am," the 22 year-old said, his voice cracking.

"Well, unfortunately, it's not the first time for me," she said. "Not even the first time this week."

She led him toward the gate and gave him a soft smile.

"You'll do fine," she said.

Inside the airport, the public-address system pumped out Peggy Lee's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. A nearby group of passengers loaded up their ski clothes, readying for a vacation. Suit-and-tied businessmen with premier privileges watched as the sailor was led in front of them all.

None of them knew his mission.

On board the nearly empty plane, a flight attendant was one of the first to shake his hand.

"I understand you're escorting today," he said. "Is this the fella from Longmont? I live in Boulder. I've been reading about him in the papers."

"Yes, sir," the sailor said in a warbled voice that sounded like an eighth-grader.

"I'm sure you'll do yourself and your service proud," the flight attendant said.

After speaking with the crew, the pilot walked over and offered his hand.

"I understand he was your friend," the captain said.

"I'm sorry."

The sailor nodded. He carried his soft, white hat in his hands. The patch on his left shoulder signified his status as a Navy hospital corpsman.

The captain then looked at one of the crew members.

"Are there any seats in first class? I'd like to bring him up here."

After the sailor stowed his bags, the woman from the terminal walked him back out to the jetway, where he waited as the other passengers boarded the plane. As they filed past, some stole glances at him, some smiled at him, and he tried to smile back.

As the sailor waited, another flight attendant, a Vietnam veteran, walked over.

"Hello," he said, grasping the sailor's hand. "Thirty years ago, they didn't say thank you to us. I wanted to say thank you now."

The sailor nodded again and managed a grin. Then the chief of the ground crew opened the door to the stairs that led to the tarmac. "OK," he said. "We're ready."

In cardboard box, a casket
Underneath a whining jet engine near the rear cargo hold, baggage workers lifted the tarp on a cart, and the sailor swallowed hard. He checked to see if the name on the cardboard box matched that of his best friend.

An American flag was printed atop the box, which encased the polished hardwood casket, protecting it during transit from Dover Air Force Base to the airport, and then to Denver, where the box would be removed before anyone saw it. On each end, the box was stamped with a large official seal of the Department of Defense.

The last time Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class John Dragneff saw his friend was the same day Hospital Corpsman Christopher Anderson left for Iraq. They talked endlessly that day, about taking care of each other's families, about taking care in general. That was, after all, what they had in common.

Often in restaurants, the waitperson would ask the sailors, "Are you brothers?" The first few times, they laughed it off. After a while, they started answering without hesitation, "Yes."

The two men had met at field medical training school, and they clicked right away. They soon studied together, went to the beach in Camp Lejeune, N.C., where Anderson surfed, and just generally hung out, talking about where life was headed for both of them.

More recently, they spent time talking about what it meant to hold somebody's life in your hands - and to lose it.

Tuesday afternoon, the young sailor stood on the chilly tarmac in Philadelphia. As the casket made its way up the conveyor belt, he snapped to attention, grasping his hands into fists, thumbs at the seams of his pants, trying to squeeze back the tears.

His eyes emptied as he brought his hand to his face in a salute, which he tried to hold steady until the casket disappeared into the plane's belly.

As he turned, the sailor's face melted, and he walked into the embrace of Pamela Andrus, the United Airlines service director. The ground manager took his other side, supporting him.

"I'm so sorry," Andrus said.

Together, they walked back up the stairs, into the plane, where a cheery flight attendant came over with several tissues plucked from the lavatory.

"You can cry," Christine Sullivan told him. "All of us want to send our love and blessings to you and be here for you.

"You're going to do great."

Corpsmen have long history
On Dec. 4, Chief Hospital Corpsman Kip Poggemeyer wasn't supposed to be in his office at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora. It was his day off, but the 37 year-old was busy trying to finish medical reports that would send another batch of Navy reservists from Colorado to Afghanistan.

Only last year, the Navy corpsman had returned from Marine Corps Air Station Al Asad in Iraq, the closest medical base to some of the heaviest fighting in the country - a base that shook with mortar attacks 26 times during his deployment.

Within his first week, he saw massive combat wounds while performing the same job that his grandfather held during World War II, the same job he knew he wanted since he was a little boy.

The history of the Navy hospital corpsman dates back to the Spanish-American War. The Marines needed a field medic, and looked to the Navy to provide one.

According to Navy historian and Hospital Corpsman Mark Hacala, the Navy hospital corpsman has provided front-line medical care that has saved countless lives on the battlefields of every conflict since, earning a disproportionate share of accolades and awards and suffering a similarly large percentage of casualties.

Despite both services living under the umbrella of the Navy, Marines and sailors hold an intense traditional rivalry. When new hospital corpsmen are assigned to Marine units, the Marines may tease them as "squids" - or worse. Still, the hospital corpsmen have to learn to think, act and react with the speed of their Marine unit.

When a hospital corpsman is first attached to a unit, the Marines will call them by their last name, or maybe just "corpsman." Eventually - only when corpsmen earn the Marines' respect - they earn the nickname "Doc."

"The first time they call you 'Doc,' it's like, 'Yes! I have arrived,' " Poggemeyer said. "It makes you feel like you're part of the team."

Once the fighting begins, the corpsman's duty is usually one of the riskiest - carrying their own weapon along with medical gear.

The Marines say they will take a bullet for the corpsman, because he's the only one who can take it out.

"If they yell, 'Corpsman up,' they know Doc is going to be right there," Poggemeyer said. "When the Marines call you 'Doc,' you know you'll never let them down, you'll never leave their side. That bond between a Marine and a Navy corpsman is something that will last forever. We call them 'My Marines' - they call us 'My Doc.' "

Somewhere near Ramadi on Dec. 4, Christopher Anderson's Marines called on their Doc. Details of the attack have not been released by the military, other than the information Poggemeyer received in his office that afternoon.

"They told me it was a corpsman, KIA (killed in action) in Ramadi from a mortar attack. . . . It brought back all the memories," he said. "I had come full circle. I was in Iraq and saw people die. But I had never seen this side."

That afternoon, Poggemeyer and another casualty-assistance officer met the Navy chaplain in Longmont. The chief carried with him a sheet with the name of 24-year-old Hospital Corpsman Christopher A. Anderson and his parents' address in Longmont.

Together, the sailors drove to the modest home with an American flag flying from the porch, and another special flag in the window.

After they parked the government sport-utility vehicle at 5:30 p.m., Poggemeyer saw the blue-star flag, signifying the family had a loved one overseas.

"Doc Anderson," it said underneath the star.

"When I saw that, my heart just sank," he said. "My mom and dad had one of those flags up while I was gone. My wife had one up."

Still, he made his way to the door.

"I pushed the doorbell," he said, "and I felt like a horse kicked me in the stomach."

Debra Anderson opened the door and saw the men in uniform.

"Oh, honey," she said with a smile, calling to her husband.

"The sailors are here. The recruiters are here."

Rick Anderson came to the stairs and his face paled. A former Navy SEAL, he recognized the uniforms.

"Honey, we need to sit down," he said. "These aren't recruiters."

With service came emotion
In the first-class section of United Airlines Flight 271 from Philadelphia to Denver, the sailor looked through a booklet called Manual for Escorts of Deceased Naval Personnel.

"It's weird. I think back, and I was never an emotional-type person until I joined the military," Dragneff said. "In the past, I've had relatives who died, but I never really cried. I guess that since I've been in, it all means a lot more."

He thought back to one of the last times he saw his friend, Chris, when they went to visit Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, and Dragneff found the grave of a sailor he had trained with.

"When we went out to Arlington, standing there, I just started crying, and I couldn't understand why. I didn't really know the guy that well," Dragneff said.

"Chris just grabbed me and hugged me and let me sit there and cry. As we were walking away, a man walked up and shook my hand and said, 'Thank you.' So then, Chris started to cry. So there were just the three of us standing there, crying.

"A few minutes later, just trying to cheer me up, he made up some story about a squirrel on crack. Just like that. He could make you smile."

Dragneff was the responsible one, relatively shy, the designated driver who didn't drink or smoke. He was the one happy in a sweat shirt and jeans, while Anderson would change clothes five times before going out, a neatnik who splurged on Armani and Ralph Lauren.

At 6-foot-2 inches tall, with short-cropped, jet-black hair and hazel eyes, the muscular, outgoing 24-year-old never lacked in self-confidence.

"Damn, I look good," he wrote on one of the photos displayed on his MySpace.com account. On the Web site, Dragneff posted regular updates about his friend while he was in Iraq. He was also the one to inform them of Chris' death.

"Dec 5 2006 12:56P," he wrote.

"Christopher Anderson, you weren't a 'real' brother, but you were still my brother. A person could not ask for a better friend or brother. You will be greatly missed. Love your brother, John.

"Rest in peace."

Brother gets a phone call
On the evening of Dec. 4, Kyle Anderson wound through the remote roads of Weld County, making his regular rounds in his Schwan's food-delivery truck, when he realized he had a message on his cell phone.

"It was my dad, saying that he had a problem and he needed my help, and that he wanted me to come home right away," he said.

The 22-year-old shook his head.

"My dad is a Navy SEAL. There's nothing he can't handle. I knew something was wrong," Anderson said.

"When I called back, the first thing I said was, 'Is my brother alive?' And he said 'No.'"

He hung up the phone.

On the other end of the line, his parents worried.

The notification team offered to go and pick up the young man who was now their only son.

When Kyle called back, his parents asked him to pull over, saying the sailors would meet him to help drive back. He parked his truck at the intersection of Interstate 25 and Colorado 66, and waited, crying alone in the dark.

"It was so surreal. I wondered, 'Is this really happening?' " he said. "As I waited longer, I thought, 'Maybe they won't show up. Maybe it's not real.' "

When the government SUV arrived, Kyle dropped his head.

"It was about 25 degrees outside, and we were standing on the side of I-25 telling him about his brother," Poggemeyer said. "And giving him hugs."

Once back at the home in Longmont, the family talked to the notification officers about their son, breathing life into the name on the casualty list.

"We spoke to him on Dec. 3," his father said. "He talked about the Christmas presents he wanted us to buy for a neighbor, and that he wanted us to send out Christmas cards for him."

At his funeral service today in Longmont, the family plans to hand out their son's Christmas cards to everyone who attends.

He asked that the card end with a single phrase: "Please Remember Our Troops!!!!"

Fourth-generation serviceman
When Christopher Anderson enlisted in the Navy in 2005, the Longmont High School graduate became the fourth generation in his family to do so. At boot camp, he was voted the "honor graduate" in his class. After that, he wanted to excel in everything.

Before he left for Iraq, Christopher and his father mined military supply shops, looking for any equipment that might help him in the field. He looked for anything that might help him blend in with the Marines, since he knew corpsmen were prime targets.

"I have to be able to do this in the dark," he told his father.

In Iraq, he asked to be stationed with the front-line Marines and was assigned to a 12-man unit. One of his first tasks was to memorize each Marine's medical records. His medical expertise stretched beyond his unit to the Iraqi people, who would talk to him "because he was 'the dictor' (as the Iraqis called him). "There were times that nobody would talk to anyone except him," Rick Anderson said.

Once, he told his parents, an angry crowd had mobilized, but it was quashed when a woman recognized the corpsman and stepped in.

"She said, 'This is the one who helped my baby,' " Rick Anderson said, "And that dispersed the group, and everything was OK."

After some of his weekly early morning calls home, it was impossible for the couple to fall back asleep.

"One time, he called us at 5 a,m. My wife heard some funny noises and heard shouts of 'Where's that coming from? Where's that coming from?'" Rick Anderson remembered.

The Andersons, still in bed, listening with the phone between them, heard gunfire.

"I'm going to stay down here," he told them. "I'll just belly-crawl down the hallway so I can talk to you."

In one mortar attack, he was blown across a room, bruising him. Not long afterward, after another attack, he was in the back of a Humvee, his hands covered with his sergeant's blood, speeding toward a field hospital, tying tourniquets and offering encouragement.

"The sergeant told him, 'Tell my wife and kids I love them.' He told him he wouldn't need to do that, while he was pinching off an artery because the tourniquet came loose," his father said.

That sergeant is now recovering at Walter Reed Army Hospital, the family said, and plans to attend Anderson's burial at Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 21.

Before he left, Christopher and his father talked about the possibility that he wouldn't return, and Christopher had asked for a burial at Arlington.

He had only one other request:

"If something happens," he told his father, "I want John there."

Word spreads through plane
At 31,000 feet, the word slowly slipped through the plane about the sailor in first class - and his mission.

When the passengers found out, their emotions spanned the debate that continues to split the country. Some cursed President Bush by name.

Others cursed anyone who says they support the troops without supporting the war. Despite their political leanings, they all said they appreciated the sailor that most of them called "the kid" in the front of the plane - and, even more, the one in the cargo hold beneath them.

Seat 33F, Patrick Mondile, Philadelphia:

"I look at my own situation - I'm 24 years old. I think about, it very well could have been me, if I'd chosen that path. I have friends over there right now," Mondile said. "I don't understand why we're there (in Iraq), but I feel for the families - not just for this soldier, but the thousands who have died."

Seat 14A, Pam Anderson, New Jersey:

"God bless him. God bless him," she said of the sailor in first class. "If he wants any free hugs, just send him back here," the 62 year-old said. "I'm serious. I'm completely serious. I joined the Air Force as a flight nurse, and my squadron is taking a lot of men and women out of the field right now."

Seats 8D, 8E, Dave and Lindy Powell, Monument:

"To me, it's a sense of honor. We didn't know him, but he's part of the Colorado family. We're from Monument. So he's part of our family, too," Dave Powell said.

"Our nephew is a C-130 pilot who's flying into Iraq and Afghanistan. Kids in my Scout troop joined the Marines and went right to Baghdad."

His voice broke.

"They all came home safely."

Seat 22D, Terry Musgrove, Ontario, Ore.:

"If we don't support them, then it's going to embolden the terrorists," he said, fuming as he spoke about a new poll indicating that support for the war is declining. Before the flight took off, he was the only passenger to shake the skinny sailor's hand at the terminal.

"It breaks my heart to know that he's on the plane. I had no idea," he said, as he began to cry. "But I'm proud to tell you, I'm proud."

Seat 16F, Michael Lipkin, Aspen:

"I think it's extremely sobering. This is a war where few of us have family and friends over there, and despite the fact that it dominates the media, I think most of us don't feel the cost, the real cost of this war. And we're going to be paying it for a long time," Lipkin said.

"I'm just chilled that that body is on here."

Inside the cabin, flight attendant Christine Sullivan walked back after visiting with the sailor again.

"It just makes it real," she said. "It's separated from politics at this point. It's just about the humanity."

Airline pilot pays tribute
As the plane began its initial descent, Captain George Gil's voice crackled over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, pardon the interruption, but if I could have your attention," he said, and then paused.

"The great song from Francis Scott Key says that to live in the land of the free, it must also be the home of the brave. Today, we're bringing home two brave men: Petty Officer 3rd Class John Dragneff, and, in great sadness, a fallen hero, Hospitalman Christopher Anderson."

He asked the passengers to let Dragneff off first to meet the casket, then addressed the escort:

"Please know that our prayers and blessings are with you and the family. Thank you for your courage."

A phalanx of pallbearers
As the plane taxied to the gate at Denver International Airport on Tuesday evening, the passengers saw the flashing lights of the police cars, the hearse parked on the tarmac, and they spoke in hushed whispers.

As Dragneff left the plane, a phalanx of pallbearers - three Marines and three sailors - walked toward the plane, for the sailor who died saving Marines.

Inside the belly of the plane, ramp workers removed the cardboard box protecting the casket, while sailors arranged the American flag.

The family embraced as the casket was lowered on the conveyor belt. Some of the plane's passengers watched from their windows. Some watched from the windows inside the terminal.

The pallbearers loaded the casket into the hearse, and Dragneff hugged the family before climbing into the passenger's seat.

As the motorcade made its way toward Longmont, the three sailors who served as pallbearers jumped into a white van, which pulled in behind the limousines.

As they left the airport, police officers and firemen stood in salutes, bathed in the flashing emergency lights.

"This is so cool that they do this," said Storekeeper 3rd Class Ben Engelman. "This is so amazing."

At the Erie and Dacono exit, firetrucks and ambulances, lights flashing, were parked on the overpass. As the procession turned toward Longmont, the lights burned even brighter.

"He deserves this. He was doing good," said Petty Officer Rick Lopez.

On Colorado 66, cars pulled over, along with firefighters, who continued to salute.

Then there was Longmont's Main Street.

At 20th Avenue and Main, the flags began. Kids holding plastic flags, Korean War veterans holding worn American flags, bandana-clad Vietnam veterans holding POW/MIA flags.

At 18th and Main, groups held candles and signs. "God Bless Your Son. Thank You." A boy held his candle to his mother's to light it, as the hearse passed.

At 17th and Main, hands over hearts. Hats over hearts.

"Dude, this is giving me chicken skin," Lopez said, shivering. "I've never seen anything like this."

At 15th and Main, people came out of a restaurant to watch the procession. Police cars with blue lights and medical cars with red lights shone on the Christmas decorations wrapping the trees of downtown.

Outside, it was about 40 degrees. Still, the crowds continued to line the streets. More children with wobbly salutes. A woman in a walker. A couple that embraced in a hug as soon as the hearse passed.

They drove in silence for a few minutes, then Lopez spoke again.

"You know," he said, "sometimes I wish they would do this for us when we come home alive."

A 'smile in his voice'
Inside the funeral home, a few feet from her son's flag-draped casket, Debra Anderson held tight to a single photo.

"I had to have my picture of my smiling Christopher," she said, staring at it, then at the casket.

While Christopher was deployed, his parents talked with him at least once a week - mostly for only a few minutes. The last time they spoke, the day before he died, he ended his conversation the way he always did, telling his parents, "I love you."

"You could hear his smile in his voice, you could hear it on the phone," his father said. "He was going back to work, back to do his job, back to doing what he wanted to do."

Inside the funeral home, Debra Anderson leaned into her husband of 26 years, wiping her face with a tissue.

"My boy, my boy," she said. "Christopher said he'd be OK. He promised he'd be safe, Rick - he PROMISED me. I miss him. I miss the phone calls. I miss him terribly. I want to talk to him."

"Hey," Rick Anderson said softly, "now we can talk to him anytime we want."

"Ooooh," she moaned. "My heart hurts. My heart hurts. It was my job to take care of him. I shouldn't have let him go. I shouldn't have let him go."

"You were going to stop Christopher?" his father asked. "Since when?"

They both managed a smile, and their eyes again fell on the casket.

As the family told Christopher stories from chairs in a corner of the room, Kyle Anderson stood at the foot of the casket, refusing to leave his place, patting his hand on the rough, wrinkled flag.

The brothers had grown up as opposites - Christopher the well-dressed go-getter, Kyle the rebel who shopped at thrift stores. They fought like most brothers fight. Sometimes, they fought worse than most brothers fight.

Since his brother's death, Kyle now says, they talk all the time.

As the family continued to share stories, sniffling and laughing, Kyle Anderson refused to move from the casket.

"Why don't you come over here with us?" Rick Anderson asked him. "Why are you standing there all alone?"

Kyle looked at his father, his eyes red, and patted the casket again.

"I'm not alone," he said.

More than 16 hours after John Dragneff's day began, the skinny sailor walked into the room, after finishing his final paperwork, and handed Christopher's parents a condolence card.

"Instead of saying, 'I'm sorry for your loss,' I wanted to say 'thank you' for Christopher. We claimed each other as brothers."

"You did good, John," Rick Anderson said. "You did good."

As they sat together in the quiet room dominated by the casket, Debra Anderson grasped the young man's hand and looked into his eyes.

"I'm glad you came with him. It's what he wanted.

You did a good job. You got him home," she said, gripping his hand even tighter.

"Thank you for bringing him home."

DZER's Diatribe

Christmas Eve ...

Three days and counting ...

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ...

perceptions

See the post below ...

I need a change ...

Hey Stealth!!

New aircon ...

it's even later ...

It's very late ...

it can't be Friday already

tonight's goal ...

sleepless

the weekend ...

a shameful admission ...

Financial bullshit and other meanderings

Oh yeah. The DZER is back.

octoberishness ...

stream of conciousness ...

bah ...

and so it goes ....

the return of the 'stache ...

new job ...

fitty ... pibty ... Five-Oh ...

wuh-wuh-wuh weekend?!?!?

tired ...

I hardly ever blog anymore ... therefore I'm not?

television memories ...

seems like I'm tired ...

1:30 a.m. and still at work on a Saturday ...

I wish you peace ...

the ever increasingly rare update ...

ze update du jour ...

another update; sorry it's late ...

the grinch has struck ...

it's been a while ...

a recent pic ...

urg ...

stolen meme ...

what's new ...

happy dzerween ...

spooky pics from the California wildfires ...

heh ...

The long-overdue update

stolen meme ...

mutha fooker!!!

summary of past week ...

the vacation ...

I wanna be a cowboy, baby ...

vacation ... sort of ...

Friday through Sunday ...

the long tuesday ...

common courtesy ...

the long-awaited update ... (as if)

you don't want to know ...

nothing much happening ...

a quick little update ...

meanderings ...

fancy birthday dinner ...

golfing with the godson ...

shoulda listened to my own advice ..

time to take a break ...

it's sad but ...

a two-fer meme ...

Tuesdays suck ...

blustery, overcast, gray ...

taking time away from WOW ...

6 a.m.

so I almost killed a child today ...

unwanted ...

so it's not just us Americans ...

and so ...

*burp*

wonderful discovery ...

the weekly posting ...

wow has it been almost a week?

wonderful weekend that wasn't ...

just some stuff ...

some questions and answers ...

burp