Randy sent me this link. This physicist has a series on his blog in which he discusses physics with his dog.
And discusses how we live in a multiverse.
DC was right all along...
Friday, May 11, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Reporting in
Our pal Heather is off from her studies at Texas Tech, and so she's using League HQ as a sort of base of operations for the week she'll be here. She's studying speech therapy, which sounds incredibly complicated. Perhaps unduly complicated.
Tomorrow I am scheduled to catch up with a blast from my screenwriting class past as Joanne P. is dropping into town. Joanne was in my screen writing classes with Jim D. She's a swell dame, a nifty writer, and she helped us find our realtor in PHX. So we like Joanne.
Then Saturday we're leaving the house and dogs in the capable hands of Heather as we head off to Houston to see the Astros defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks. We should be back early Sunday afternoon, and then back to work.
I'm still adjusting to this whole "weekend" idea again. It was so much easier to stretch out fun over several days when you're kicking it unemployed style. Now they expect for me to work a few days a week, and that interrupts my flow.
Anyhow, hope Leaguers are doing well. All FOUR of you with babies are probably spending the weekend changing diapers. To which The League enjoys a hearty chuckle. Until one of the animals throws up on the carpet.
Oh, and I finally may have turned a corner on ABC's "Lost". Not only did the network promise a conclusion this week, but someone finally (FINALLY) took action in figuring out what the hell is going on.
That said, and this is sort of a spoiler so...
SPOILER
I sort of hoped Jacob would be the cute little white bunny from the flashback sequence. But that's just how I roll.
END SPOILER
Add in some background fill ins, tie some scenes together that didn't need to be tied together (but they are, so it's kind of cool). Anyway, Lost is back in my good graces.
Tomorrow I am scheduled to catch up with a blast from my screenwriting class past as Joanne P. is dropping into town. Joanne was in my screen writing classes with Jim D. She's a swell dame, a nifty writer, and she helped us find our realtor in PHX. So we like Joanne.
Then Saturday we're leaving the house and dogs in the capable hands of Heather as we head off to Houston to see the Astros defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks. We should be back early Sunday afternoon, and then back to work.
I'm still adjusting to this whole "weekend" idea again. It was so much easier to stretch out fun over several days when you're kicking it unemployed style. Now they expect for me to work a few days a week, and that interrupts my flow.
Anyhow, hope Leaguers are doing well. All FOUR of you with babies are probably spending the weekend changing diapers. To which The League enjoys a hearty chuckle. Until one of the animals throws up on the carpet.
Oh, and I finally may have turned a corner on ABC's "Lost". Not only did the network promise a conclusion this week, but someone finally (FINALLY) took action in figuring out what the hell is going on.
That said, and this is sort of a spoiler so...
SPOILER
I sort of hoped Jacob would be the cute little white bunny from the flashback sequence. But that's just how I roll.
END SPOILER
Add in some background fill ins, tie some scenes together that didn't need to be tied together (but they are, so it's kind of cool). Anyway, Lost is back in my good graces.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Sam and Max!
Here's a look at Nathan C's kids, Samantha and Maximilian in their latest adventure!
Ah, I kid. Here's the real deal. Samantha and Maximilian share a moment.
Samantha plans out the next 16 years of psychological torture which she is duty bound to inflict upon Maximilian as the elder sibling.
Ah, I kid. Here's the real deal. Samantha and Maximilian share a moment.
Samantha plans out the next 16 years of psychological torture which she is duty bound to inflict upon Maximilian as the elder sibling.
Owen strikes a pose
Obviously several days late. Anyway, here's Peabo's kid adorned in the proper attire for impressing the whole gosh-darn world.
Rock on, Owen!
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Marvel'ing at The Leagues other choices
As many readers of League of Melbotis will note, my interests skew largely toward the comics published by DC Comics.
The other powerhouse on that end of the comics spectrum is Marvel Comics, publisher of titles such as Spider-Man, Avengers, Iron Man, Fantastic Four and more.
As much as I love my DC, I'm not immune to the charms of the Marvel U. Recently I've been reading the "Civil War" cross-over and mega-event, as well as some of the fallout titles, such as "The Initiative".
Leaguers such as Peabo and Reedo will recall my former interest in X-Men and X-Men related titles. Sadly, my interest in Marvel's Merry Mutants hasn't been terribly high since Claremont left the X-Books in the early 90's. I enjoyed a brief resurgence with Grant Morrison's "New X-Men" and have followed that series and Joss Whedon's "Astonishing X-Men" as trade paperback collections. Both Whedon and Morrison told the kind of mutant-centric tales I enjoy, although Whedon seems to skew too far into generic superheroic tales.
I also pick up the Ultimate Spider-Man collections (which Jamie reads before I do), the Ultimates collections, and the Supreme Power trades (although I've not picked up the new Squadron Supreme books).
With "The Initiative", I'm once again picking up monthly Marvel titles as I try to suss out what the new Marvel universe will look like. For those who don't know, the Marvel U recently passed a law asking all the superheroes to register as federal agents, quit, or become outlaws. It's a fairly major seismic shift, and it's piqued my interest.
My other Marvel reading includes two of the Spider-Man books (as my love of Spidey comes and goes, but never really fades all together). I'm having a hard time picking up Peter David's "Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man". Something about Peter David has never really worked for me, although I don't react exactly negatively to his work. The issues I have picked up have been okay, but...
Black Panther has been on my pull list for a while. I love the idea of the book (king of a highly advanced African nation who uses super-intellect, super-tech and herbal supplements to defend his nation in both combat and "the hard stare" diplomacy), even if I do not always love the execution. I'm also picking up "Fantastic Four" while Black Panther enjoys a short stay on the team. We'll see if I stick with it.
Daredevil is a must-read (no, really. I think there should be a law), but it reads best in a collected format. Whether you're picking up Bendis' amazing run, or Brubaker's equally fascinating stories, I prefer to have a full Daredevil tale that I can sit and read in an evening. That said, the recent runs of Daredevil from Bendis and Brubaker are some of the best "superhero" comics out there, and fall in an interesting gap that looks a bit more like "the real world" than most comics. And it's generally far, far better than the movie from a few years back.
Marvel is also dipping into the world of literary adaptation. I picked up the first issue of "Last of the Mohicans" last week, and was pleasantly surprised. The dialog seems as if it was taken from the original book, and the art is okay, if not always great. The adventure genre translates very well to comics. However, I don't know if I like the multi-issue format, especially as I know that once the series is collected I'd proudly keep an illustrated "Last of the Mohicans" out on my shelf. So, yeah, I'll be picking up this series as a collection, as well as the upcoming "Treasure Island" (actually, especially "Treasure Island" which I loved reading when I was 10). Now, lets' get an illustrated "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."
In many ways I'm not a fan of Marvel's Cosmic adventuring, such as Adam Warlock or even Captain Marvel. The concepts are usually much more interesting than the execution. I attempted to get into "Annihilation" limited series from last year, but just didn't make it past the second issue. But it looks like Marvel has sucked me back in. How, you ask?
ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST - STAR-LORD #1 (of 4)
Written by KEITH GIFFEN
Penciled by TIMOTHY GREEN
Cover by NIC KLEIN
Annihilation: Conquest continues here - - with the war book that brings back cosmic cult faves from throughout the decades! Peter Quill is once again Star-Lord - - but what could possibly make him take on his former identity? And what brings together the motley crew that includes Bug, Captain Universe, Deathcry, Mantis, Groot and Rocket Raccoon? Grab your blaster and say your prayers as Keith Giffen (ANNIHILATION) and soon-to-be star Timothy Green (Rush City) deliver a sci-fi twist on Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
You didn't read the above solicitation, so let me point you to the two words that have me sold on this comic: Rocket Raccoon.
In middle-school I picked up the Rocket Raccoon mini-series from Austin Books (two owners ago). You either love/get Rocket Raccoon or you don't. Surely this book was never going to appeal to 80's comic fans seeking even more ninjas, but it DID appeal to those of us who liked the idea of a laser-pistol wielding raccoon with rocket-skates. Oh, yes. It did.
And it still does.
To explain the plot would be nothing but a grave injustice to the mayhem of the series, so i won't try. But after two decades of cooling his heels (and rocket skates), Rocket Raccoon will be appearing in a comic once again.
Let's all hope they collect the mini-series in some sort of prestige format.
And to get my current dose of RR, I'll have to jump into the middle of a massive cosmic cross-over that I abandoned some time ago. Go figure.
The other powerhouse on that end of the comics spectrum is Marvel Comics, publisher of titles such as Spider-Man, Avengers, Iron Man, Fantastic Four and more.
As much as I love my DC, I'm not immune to the charms of the Marvel U. Recently I've been reading the "Civil War" cross-over and mega-event, as well as some of the fallout titles, such as "The Initiative".
Leaguers such as Peabo and Reedo will recall my former interest in X-Men and X-Men related titles. Sadly, my interest in Marvel's Merry Mutants hasn't been terribly high since Claremont left the X-Books in the early 90's. I enjoyed a brief resurgence with Grant Morrison's "New X-Men" and have followed that series and Joss Whedon's "Astonishing X-Men" as trade paperback collections. Both Whedon and Morrison told the kind of mutant-centric tales I enjoy, although Whedon seems to skew too far into generic superheroic tales.
I also pick up the Ultimate Spider-Man collections (which Jamie reads before I do), the Ultimates collections, and the Supreme Power trades (although I've not picked up the new Squadron Supreme books).
With "The Initiative", I'm once again picking up monthly Marvel titles as I try to suss out what the new Marvel universe will look like. For those who don't know, the Marvel U recently passed a law asking all the superheroes to register as federal agents, quit, or become outlaws. It's a fairly major seismic shift, and it's piqued my interest.
My other Marvel reading includes two of the Spider-Man books (as my love of Spidey comes and goes, but never really fades all together). I'm having a hard time picking up Peter David's "Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man". Something about Peter David has never really worked for me, although I don't react exactly negatively to his work. The issues I have picked up have been okay, but...
Black Panther has been on my pull list for a while. I love the idea of the book (king of a highly advanced African nation who uses super-intellect, super-tech and herbal supplements to defend his nation in both combat and "the hard stare" diplomacy), even if I do not always love the execution. I'm also picking up "Fantastic Four" while Black Panther enjoys a short stay on the team. We'll see if I stick with it.
Daredevil is a must-read (no, really. I think there should be a law), but it reads best in a collected format. Whether you're picking up Bendis' amazing run, or Brubaker's equally fascinating stories, I prefer to have a full Daredevil tale that I can sit and read in an evening. That said, the recent runs of Daredevil from Bendis and Brubaker are some of the best "superhero" comics out there, and fall in an interesting gap that looks a bit more like "the real world" than most comics. And it's generally far, far better than the movie from a few years back.
Marvel is also dipping into the world of literary adaptation. I picked up the first issue of "Last of the Mohicans" last week, and was pleasantly surprised. The dialog seems as if it was taken from the original book, and the art is okay, if not always great. The adventure genre translates very well to comics. However, I don't know if I like the multi-issue format, especially as I know that once the series is collected I'd proudly keep an illustrated "Last of the Mohicans" out on my shelf. So, yeah, I'll be picking up this series as a collection, as well as the upcoming "Treasure Island" (actually, especially "Treasure Island" which I loved reading when I was 10). Now, lets' get an illustrated "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."
In many ways I'm not a fan of Marvel's Cosmic adventuring, such as Adam Warlock or even Captain Marvel. The concepts are usually much more interesting than the execution. I attempted to get into "Annihilation" limited series from last year, but just didn't make it past the second issue. But it looks like Marvel has sucked me back in. How, you ask?
ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST - STAR-LORD #1 (of 4)
Written by KEITH GIFFEN
Penciled by TIMOTHY GREEN
Cover by NIC KLEIN
Annihilation: Conquest continues here - - with the war book that brings back cosmic cult faves from throughout the decades! Peter Quill is once again Star-Lord - - but what could possibly make him take on his former identity? And what brings together the motley crew that includes Bug, Captain Universe, Deathcry, Mantis, Groot and Rocket Raccoon? Grab your blaster and say your prayers as Keith Giffen (ANNIHILATION) and soon-to-be star Timothy Green (Rush City) deliver a sci-fi twist on Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
You didn't read the above solicitation, so let me point you to the two words that have me sold on this comic: Rocket Raccoon.
In middle-school I picked up the Rocket Raccoon mini-series from Austin Books (two owners ago). You either love/get Rocket Raccoon or you don't. Surely this book was never going to appeal to 80's comic fans seeking even more ninjas, but it DID appeal to those of us who liked the idea of a laser-pistol wielding raccoon with rocket-skates. Oh, yes. It did.
And it still does.
To explain the plot would be nothing but a grave injustice to the mayhem of the series, so i won't try. But after two decades of cooling his heels (and rocket skates), Rocket Raccoon will be appearing in a comic once again.
Let's all hope they collect the mini-series in some sort of prestige format.
And to get my current dose of RR, I'll have to jump into the middle of a massive cosmic cross-over that I abandoned some time ago. Go figure.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Small Items
Spider-Shame
For your dog.
Thanks to Randy for the link.
More Spinal Tap
New Spinal Tap Video
from JimD
Stok Caffeinated Coffee Creamer
A caffeinated coffee creamer? Seem redundant? That's because you don't know how to ride the Pony Espresso, Leaguers. WHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Yup. I put this in my 7-11 coffee this morning. Sure, some extra jolt of caffeine was entirely possible, but I couldn't really tell. Perhaps tomorrow. Anyway, adding caffeine to your coffee is a novel concept. I'm no longer the caffeine junky I once was (Vivarin is a cruel mistress), but I still like the idea. Why be just a little peppy when you could be vibrating your way to Earth-2?
I'm just a little sad I never found a can of this little marketing error.
Steve Nash's Nose
I don't really care who wins the Spurs/Suns series. But I also think it's a fun series, and it may be one of the best in this year's play-offs. Sure, I'm pulling for the Suns as the Suns have been my team for the past few years. But I've always enjoyed the Suns/Spurs/Rockets tri-fecta.
And the Suns might have pulled it out had Steve Nash not been a bleeder. Poor fella.
Paris Goes to Jail
Is there any greater feeling that the one you get when you hear Paris Hilton's prosecutor sent her to jail? No.
And I'm not sure that hoping someone hits her with a lunch tray makes me a bad person.
Lost to End
Apparently ABC has decided that running a show into the ground may not be a great policy. Looks like Lost will actually build to a conclusion.
Mellies '07
Someone asked about the '07 Mellies.
Sigh.
Every time I sit down to think about The Mellies, I really can't think of any good questions. I've had a lot less time for pondering the imponderables of pop culture and the human heart this year, and usually I ask questions that somehow reflect topics that are on my mind. I also sort of have a "been there, done that" feel about a lot of the media/ pop culture questions, but I think those questions are a sort of necessary evil.
I dunno.
Steven's also been working very hard on the application which will collate the responses into a usable format. And then he got busy with work and school. So probably sometime after Steven finishes the semester and after I come up with some questions.
It IS a Small World After All
So yesterday I was making a mention of some of our Saturday Free Comic Book Book day adventures, and I used some unfortunate grammar that made it sound as if Austin Books had not provided some of the free Steve Rude's Nexus comics. Let me assure you, Austin Books had a really nice FCBD set-up which included the comic in question.
At any rate, today I received an e-mail from Brad, the proprietor of Austin Books, who was very concerned that I hadn't found the Nexus comic, and who promised to place a copy aside for me for my next visit. THAT, Leaguers, is customer service.
Realizing that I had, in fact, made a grammatical error which not only confused my message but might lead folks astray, I quickly rewrote the offending sentence. I hope that set things square.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Austin Books does a heck of a job, and it was kind of cool to see the owner doing his due diligence to see how their event did in the public's eye. And when he found waht looked like a dissatisfied customer, working to resolve the problem. I assure you, Leaguers, this is not the industry norm for comic shops.
After the recent adventures on this site and Saturday night's beer-fueled conversation about the Clambake Jake incident from recent posts, I've been thinking a bit about how the world is a shrinking place. And, sure, Google's relationship with Blogger is most likely shoving LoM posts closer to the top of the Google search results. A bit of blogging now seems to lead to contact with businessmen in a manner which I would never consider communicating in a face-to-face. After all, unless I have a question, I don't usually start telling shop owners what I'm thinking. How business owners will learn to engage bloggers is probably an open question, but I look forward to seeing how it plays out here at the League.
I'd be curious to see what the algorithm might be for size of city, likely number of customers/ attendees, readership of a blog, content of the blog in question, etc... for how likely a business owner is to actually contact the blogger.
Is this a new mode for a more democratic mode of consumer awareness? Or is the ability for any jerk with an internet connection merely the new nightmare for any business smaller than a Big Box Store?
I dunno. But it's a trend to watch. After all, this isn't the first time we've been found by the very subjects we've mentioned in a blog post. Which is why The League will be name dropping Lynda Carter a lot more in the future.
Anyway, thanks to Austin Books for caring about a Nexus-less comic geek!
For your dog.
Thanks to Randy for the link.
More Spinal Tap
New Spinal Tap Video
from JimD
Stok Caffeinated Coffee Creamer
A caffeinated coffee creamer? Seem redundant? That's because you don't know how to ride the Pony Espresso, Leaguers. WHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Yup. I put this in my 7-11 coffee this morning. Sure, some extra jolt of caffeine was entirely possible, but I couldn't really tell. Perhaps tomorrow. Anyway, adding caffeine to your coffee is a novel concept. I'm no longer the caffeine junky I once was (Vivarin is a cruel mistress), but I still like the idea. Why be just a little peppy when you could be vibrating your way to Earth-2?
I'm just a little sad I never found a can of this little marketing error.
Steve Nash's Nose
I don't really care who wins the Spurs/Suns series. But I also think it's a fun series, and it may be one of the best in this year's play-offs. Sure, I'm pulling for the Suns as the Suns have been my team for the past few years. But I've always enjoyed the Suns/Spurs/Rockets tri-fecta.
And the Suns might have pulled it out had Steve Nash not been a bleeder. Poor fella.
Paris Goes to Jail
Is there any greater feeling that the one you get when you hear Paris Hilton's prosecutor sent her to jail? No.
And I'm not sure that hoping someone hits her with a lunch tray makes me a bad person.
Lost to End
Apparently ABC has decided that running a show into the ground may not be a great policy. Looks like Lost will actually build to a conclusion.
Mellies '07
Someone asked about the '07 Mellies.
Sigh.
Every time I sit down to think about The Mellies, I really can't think of any good questions. I've had a lot less time for pondering the imponderables of pop culture and the human heart this year, and usually I ask questions that somehow reflect topics that are on my mind. I also sort of have a "been there, done that" feel about a lot of the media/ pop culture questions, but I think those questions are a sort of necessary evil.
I dunno.
Steven's also been working very hard on the application which will collate the responses into a usable format. And then he got busy with work and school. So probably sometime after Steven finishes the semester and after I come up with some questions.
It IS a Small World After All
So yesterday I was making a mention of some of our Saturday Free Comic Book Book day adventures, and I used some unfortunate grammar that made it sound as if Austin Books had not provided some of the free Steve Rude's Nexus comics. Let me assure you, Austin Books had a really nice FCBD set-up which included the comic in question.
At any rate, today I received an e-mail from Brad, the proprietor of Austin Books, who was very concerned that I hadn't found the Nexus comic, and who promised to place a copy aside for me for my next visit. THAT, Leaguers, is customer service.
Realizing that I had, in fact, made a grammatical error which not only confused my message but might lead folks astray, I quickly rewrote the offending sentence. I hope that set things square.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Austin Books does a heck of a job, and it was kind of cool to see the owner doing his due diligence to see how their event did in the public's eye. And when he found waht looked like a dissatisfied customer, working to resolve the problem. I assure you, Leaguers, this is not the industry norm for comic shops.
After the recent adventures on this site and Saturday night's beer-fueled conversation about the Clambake Jake incident from recent posts, I've been thinking a bit about how the world is a shrinking place. And, sure, Google's relationship with Blogger is most likely shoving LoM posts closer to the top of the Google search results. A bit of blogging now seems to lead to contact with businessmen in a manner which I would never consider communicating in a face-to-face. After all, unless I have a question, I don't usually start telling shop owners what I'm thinking. How business owners will learn to engage bloggers is probably an open question, but I look forward to seeing how it plays out here at the League.
I'd be curious to see what the algorithm might be for size of city, likely number of customers/ attendees, readership of a blog, content of the blog in question, etc... for how likely a business owner is to actually contact the blogger.
Is this a new mode for a more democratic mode of consumer awareness? Or is the ability for any jerk with an internet connection merely the new nightmare for any business smaller than a Big Box Store?
I dunno. But it's a trend to watch. After all, this isn't the first time we've been found by the very subjects we've mentioned in a blog post. Which is why The League will be name dropping Lynda Carter a lot more in the future.
Anyway, thanks to Austin Books for caring about a Nexus-less comic geek!
weekend
FCBD
How was your Free Comic Book Day weekend?
What? FCBD isn't treated as a Holiday in your home? You're an anti-comic-bookite.
Saturday we rose around 9:30, Jamie made some breakfast and we puttered around for a while.
Finally about 1:00ish we left the house and headed to Southside Comics where Ty pointed us toward the FCBD offerings, and then said "back issues are by the game tables. Oh, and if you want to look for more, they're in that room behind the yellow door."
So poor Jamie had to stand there for somewhere near 45 minutes while I rifled through the backstock Ty had put out, and then passed through the yellow door where many, many more boxes remained.
I found some interesting back-issues of The Flash, Green Lantern, and some copies of Kirby's "Eternals". All in all, I had quite a stack, and noted that none of the issues were actually priced. My plan was to have Ty put them somewhere safe, and I would buy the issues up slowly (this is how I got my run of Mister Miracle, some of Kirby's Forever People and an issue of "The Demon" featuring the first appearance of Klarion the Witchboy). Instead, Ty decided to give me the stack at a deeply discounted flat price, as he said, "I want to get rid of that stock and knock down that wall". Well, Ty's impatience was my gain. I paid literally a fraction of the value of those comics.
Next we headed to campus/Lamar for lunch, then picked up Pat Sanchez, and headed down to Austin Books to see their offerings. Austin Books had set aside a separate area for local comic creators to set up and hawk their wares. I bought two comics from a local artist whose stuff I found sort of dreamy and pretty. I'll be reviewing her stuff either here or at Comic Fodder at some point.
Pat picked up some stuff from two guys whose spiel was kind of annoying me, but he liked it, so... you know... they made a sale.
Inside Austin Books I picked up Adventure Comics 364, which features one of my favorite covers in all of comicdom. I think it may end up framed in my reading room.
Plus a handful of MORE free comics.
Typical of Southside, they had not ordered any FCBD copies of Steve Rude's "Nexus", which is slated to make a comeback. (editor's note: I DID find a copy at Austin Books!*). I missed Nexus the first time around, so I'm hoping they begin releasing the old issues in a format I can afford and not just the $50 HB editions (come on, Steve Rude!).
All in all, a fun FCBD.
COOK OUT!
And Juan Diaz hosted a cookout! It was very nice. Matt was back from Colorado, but is holding up pretty well, I think. I played fetch with Levi, met Juan Diaz's lady-friend, talked a bit about work with Pat and Matt, and generally had a good time.
Well done, Juan Diaz.
We shall host the next. Levi will be welcome.
Getting healthy, '07
Among many other tasks, today Jamie and I joined Gold's Gym. After having a less than satisfactory experience with Fort Fitness (aka: Lifetime Fitness), we've opted for the straightforward, more economical model of Gold's Gym. Plus, their equipment has the TV built right in. That's cool.
I've gotten really out of shape, which has led to an increasingly odd body shape which is beginning to resemble a ham perched atop sausage legs with floppy sauasage arms. I don't think it's readily apparent unless you're me seeing me in the mirror en route to the shower, but... man...
So, okay. I was assigned a standard chair at work in Day 1. A week and a half ago, I heard the chair's plastic arms (and back support) make a loud "POP", as the plastic gave away in one location, making the chair uncomfortable but mostly okay.
Wednesday my co-worker was in a phoen conference and I was quietly working on a schedule when a second loud "POP" occured, and the whole left side of the chair gave away and I yelled "WOHOOOOOOAAAHHH!!!" into her conference call as I listed severely to the left.
So Thursday afternoon I bit the bullet and asked for a "big boy chair". "This chair must sipport more weight than the average chair," I explained. "My girth is trememndous and must receive support or I will break the next chair."
Working with the office-runner, I found a chair in the "Big and Tall" section of the Office Depot website. "I'll have to check with Anne," Cassie told me. "We can't just buy a chair this expensive."
"We can either pay the money now," I warned, "Or go through two or three more chairs, and then end up buying my Big Boy Chair."
So it went to Anne, who runs Internal Relations. Anne looked a bit nervous. "It's over $100," she explained. "I need it approved by (The VP)."
"Fine," I sighed. "They saw my girth when they hired me. They had to know this was coming." Nothing like the cumulative effects of your fat ass drawing the attention of the VP. But such is the fate of The League.
Bear in mind, I share an office with two people, who welcome a constant stream of co-workers. So, yeah, any hopes of doing this quietly or on the sly were long gone as I had to explain to a great number of people (a) what the conversation was about, and (b) why i was sitting on the floor.
The good news: The new chair will be here this week. The bad news: Week three and already I'm breaking furniture.
Grande Ryan strikes again.
So, yes. I joined a gym today. Shut up.
*Editor's Note: Apparently Austin Books is concerned with customer satisfaction. Brad from Austin Books somehow found the post, contacted me and promised to set aside a copy of the Nexus FCBD book. THAT is customer service, Leaguers. I already picked up the copy on Saturday, and my poor grammar is to blame for the miscommunication. It was my usual shop that had no copies of Nexus.
I just want to point out what a class act they are at Austin Books. Three huzzahs for Brad and his shiny new sign!
How was your Free Comic Book Day weekend?
What? FCBD isn't treated as a Holiday in your home? You're an anti-comic-bookite.
Saturday we rose around 9:30, Jamie made some breakfast and we puttered around for a while.
Finally about 1:00ish we left the house and headed to Southside Comics where Ty pointed us toward the FCBD offerings, and then said "back issues are by the game tables. Oh, and if you want to look for more, they're in that room behind the yellow door."
So poor Jamie had to stand there for somewhere near 45 minutes while I rifled through the backstock Ty had put out, and then passed through the yellow door where many, many more boxes remained.
I found some interesting back-issues of The Flash, Green Lantern, and some copies of Kirby's "Eternals". All in all, I had quite a stack, and noted that none of the issues were actually priced. My plan was to have Ty put them somewhere safe, and I would buy the issues up slowly (this is how I got my run of Mister Miracle, some of Kirby's Forever People and an issue of "The Demon" featuring the first appearance of Klarion the Witchboy). Instead, Ty decided to give me the stack at a deeply discounted flat price, as he said, "I want to get rid of that stock and knock down that wall". Well, Ty's impatience was my gain. I paid literally a fraction of the value of those comics.
Next we headed to campus/Lamar for lunch, then picked up Pat Sanchez, and headed down to Austin Books to see their offerings. Austin Books had set aside a separate area for local comic creators to set up and hawk their wares. I bought two comics from a local artist whose stuff I found sort of dreamy and pretty. I'll be reviewing her stuff either here or at Comic Fodder at some point.
Pat picked up some stuff from two guys whose spiel was kind of annoying me, but he liked it, so... you know... they made a sale.
Inside Austin Books I picked up Adventure Comics 364, which features one of my favorite covers in all of comicdom. I think it may end up framed in my reading room.
Plus a handful of MORE free comics.
Typical of Southside, they had not ordered any FCBD copies of Steve Rude's "Nexus", which is slated to make a comeback. (editor's note: I DID find a copy at Austin Books!*). I missed Nexus the first time around, so I'm hoping they begin releasing the old issues in a format I can afford and not just the $50 HB editions (come on, Steve Rude!).
All in all, a fun FCBD.
COOK OUT!
And Juan Diaz hosted a cookout! It was very nice. Matt was back from Colorado, but is holding up pretty well, I think. I played fetch with Levi, met Juan Diaz's lady-friend, talked a bit about work with Pat and Matt, and generally had a good time.
Well done, Juan Diaz.
We shall host the next. Levi will be welcome.
Getting healthy, '07
Among many other tasks, today Jamie and I joined Gold's Gym. After having a less than satisfactory experience with Fort Fitness (aka: Lifetime Fitness), we've opted for the straightforward, more economical model of Gold's Gym. Plus, their equipment has the TV built right in. That's cool.
I've gotten really out of shape, which has led to an increasingly odd body shape which is beginning to resemble a ham perched atop sausage legs with floppy sauasage arms. I don't think it's readily apparent unless you're me seeing me in the mirror en route to the shower, but... man...
So, okay. I was assigned a standard chair at work in Day 1. A week and a half ago, I heard the chair's plastic arms (and back support) make a loud "POP", as the plastic gave away in one location, making the chair uncomfortable but mostly okay.
Wednesday my co-worker was in a phoen conference and I was quietly working on a schedule when a second loud "POP" occured, and the whole left side of the chair gave away and I yelled "WOHOOOOOOAAAHHH!!!" into her conference call as I listed severely to the left.
So Thursday afternoon I bit the bullet and asked for a "big boy chair". "This chair must sipport more weight than the average chair," I explained. "My girth is trememndous and must receive support or I will break the next chair."
Working with the office-runner, I found a chair in the "Big and Tall" section of the Office Depot website. "I'll have to check with Anne," Cassie told me. "We can't just buy a chair this expensive."
"We can either pay the money now," I warned, "Or go through two or three more chairs, and then end up buying my Big Boy Chair."
So it went to Anne, who runs Internal Relations. Anne looked a bit nervous. "It's over $100," she explained. "I need it approved by (The VP)."
"Fine," I sighed. "They saw my girth when they hired me. They had to know this was coming." Nothing like the cumulative effects of your fat ass drawing the attention of the VP. But such is the fate of The League.
Bear in mind, I share an office with two people, who welcome a constant stream of co-workers. So, yeah, any hopes of doing this quietly or on the sly were long gone as I had to explain to a great number of people (a) what the conversation was about, and (b) why i was sitting on the floor.
The good news: The new chair will be here this week. The bad news: Week three and already I'm breaking furniture.
Grande Ryan strikes again.
So, yes. I joined a gym today. Shut up.
*Editor's Note: Apparently Austin Books is concerned with customer satisfaction. Brad from Austin Books somehow found the post, contacted me and promised to set aside a copy of the Nexus FCBD book. THAT is customer service, Leaguers. I already picked up the copy on Saturday, and my poor grammar is to blame for the miscommunication. It was my usual shop that had no copies of Nexus.
I just want to point out what a class act they are at Austin Books. Three huzzahs for Brad and his shiny new sign!
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Welcome Maximillian Jude Cone!
Samantha Cone has a brother!
Congratulations to Nathan and Renata Cone! Maximillian Jude Cone came in at 19 inches and around 7 lbs. 14 oz's.
It sounds like the birth went pretty quickly from contraction to MJ's arrival, so you probably can't complain about that. The kid just isn't patient.
Anyhow, mom and baby are okay, Nathan sounded all giddy when we talked,
Of Loyal Leaguers, Nathan seems to be increasing his voting power on the League Board of Directors at a greater rate than the rest of you.
Welcome, Max! We're happy to have you onboard!
Congratulations to Nathan and Renata Cone! Maximillian Jude Cone came in at 19 inches and around 7 lbs. 14 oz's.
It sounds like the birth went pretty quickly from contraction to MJ's arrival, so you probably can't complain about that. The kid just isn't patient.
Anyhow, mom and baby are okay, Nathan sounded all giddy when we talked,
Of Loyal Leaguers, Nathan seems to be increasing his voting power on the League Board of Directors at a greater rate than the rest of you.
Welcome, Max! We're happy to have you onboard!
Thursday, May 03, 2007
#1 Son
So this evening we headed over to Casa de Peabo to bear witness to the miracle of DNA recombination that is Owen Jefferson Peek.
As expected, 01 is quite small. He's a week old and his primary interests seem to include sleeping, occasionally thrusting his arms around as if he suddenly had a good idea, and then getting some more sleep.
He's got quite a head of hair, this kid. And he looks quite a bit like his mom. Which is probably all for the best.
Adriana's parents were there, and being parents, in the brief time we spoke, they tried to feed us. Nice folks.
Overall, it's an interesting thing seeing this crossing of the generations. Both Peabo and Reed are people I've known for a long, long time, so seeing your friends as parents, when you've also seen them in the hallways of middle or elementary school, is an odd, odd thing. You have to take that moment to think "Yes, this is the same guy who wanted to go capture rattlesnakes by hand, but we're going to have to trust that his judgment is now a bit more sound." Even when you know darn well that we may all have jobs and a mortgage now, but we're essentially the same goofy people we were in middle school. And it wouldn't surprise us if, tomorrow we were to find ourselves in the woods again being berated for NOT wanting to use our shirt as a rattlesnake bag by this guy who is now responsible for the care and handling of an entire human being.
As fast as time flies, I know that we're probably not too far off from showing up at some of Owen's first soccer games. Or receiving Christmas Cards with photos containing more than one child in Peabo's brood. But when I think I'll be 50 when that kid graduates high school... Well, time marches on.
Congrats to Peabo and Adriana. That is one heck of a kid you've got there.
I cannot wait for him to attend high school with Carla's kid, who will pummel him mercilessly.
As expected, 01 is quite small. He's a week old and his primary interests seem to include sleeping, occasionally thrusting his arms around as if he suddenly had a good idea, and then getting some more sleep.
He's got quite a head of hair, this kid. And he looks quite a bit like his mom. Which is probably all for the best.
Adriana's parents were there, and being parents, in the brief time we spoke, they tried to feed us. Nice folks.
Overall, it's an interesting thing seeing this crossing of the generations. Both Peabo and Reed are people I've known for a long, long time, so seeing your friends as parents, when you've also seen them in the hallways of middle or elementary school, is an odd, odd thing. You have to take that moment to think "Yes, this is the same guy who wanted to go capture rattlesnakes by hand, but we're going to have to trust that his judgment is now a bit more sound." Even when you know darn well that we may all have jobs and a mortgage now, but we're essentially the same goofy people we were in middle school. And it wouldn't surprise us if, tomorrow we were to find ourselves in the woods again being berated for NOT wanting to use our shirt as a rattlesnake bag by this guy who is now responsible for the care and handling of an entire human being.
As fast as time flies, I know that we're probably not too far off from showing up at some of Owen's first soccer games. Or receiving Christmas Cards with photos containing more than one child in Peabo's brood. But when I think I'll be 50 when that kid graduates high school... Well, time marches on.
Congrats to Peabo and Adriana. That is one heck of a kid you've got there.
I cannot wait for him to attend high school with Carla's kid, who will pummel him mercilessly.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
A bit of catch-up
Real Life Superhero Files
Remember my post on Mr. Silent from a while back?
It appears I left the greater Phoenix area all too soon. Phoenix now has its own superhero, Citizen Prime.
Read here.
And here.
And, of course, his MySpace page.
I was pretty bored in Arizona, so I can only imagine what thoughts would have been running through my head if I had remained in the desert. Perhaps I, too, would have joined Citizen prime in the battle against evil. Perhaps we could have teamed up with others and formed some sort of crime fighting alliance. Could I afford a costume? Was I prepared to take on the menace of crime? Was it going to hurt when the cops shot me?
It's really worth checking out this guy's MySpace page to note how many OTHER real life superheroes seem to have linked to his site. Apparently Grant Morrison's prediction that the 21st century would see real-life superheroes is already very much a reality.
Also, I would have made Octavio team up with me, using his soccer skills to battle crime. He would always deliver the knockout punch by performing a bicycle and launching a soccer ball right into the crook's head. It would be awesome. And his codename would be: Soccer Lad. And his outfit wiuld be a shiny green and yellow so the crooks would shoot at him, first.
Also, we'd have jetpacks.
Really, it would be worth it to have a whole story about me in the paper running around in a superhero suit simply for the look of utter disappointment on Jason's face.
SPIDER-MAN 3
So I guess Spider-Man comes out on Friday. I don't plan to see it for two weeks so the crowds can die down a bit before I catch the movie, but...
I can't believe it's already out. I can't believe the summer is already here. And I can't bleieve Spidey has already made millions of dollars and it hasn't opened yet in the US. ComicMix was reporting that the movie had already made $30 million overseas.
Go SPURS!
Until you play Phoenix, and then I will probaby cheer for Phoenix.
52 Wind UP
I was surprised by how much I liked the final issue of 52.
But now I think Dan Didio is a bit of a moron. I suspect that if I were on the 52 team, I would not care much for the man.
A LuLu of a Comic
For the past few years, the comic series "Little Lulu" has been enjoying a bit of a resurgence among certain comic circles. I've been too invested in DC, some Spidey, etc... and learning about Uncle Scrooge to pay much mind.
But after Mike Sterling's post the other day, some of the Lulu I recall reading as a kid came flooding back to me. It is a clever series.
I think Dark Horse publishes those Lulu collections...
Remember my post on Mr. Silent from a while back?
It appears I left the greater Phoenix area all too soon. Phoenix now has its own superhero, Citizen Prime.
Read here.
And here.
And, of course, his MySpace page.
I was pretty bored in Arizona, so I can only imagine what thoughts would have been running through my head if I had remained in the desert. Perhaps I, too, would have joined Citizen prime in the battle against evil. Perhaps we could have teamed up with others and formed some sort of crime fighting alliance. Could I afford a costume? Was I prepared to take on the menace of crime? Was it going to hurt when the cops shot me?
It's really worth checking out this guy's MySpace page to note how many OTHER real life superheroes seem to have linked to his site. Apparently Grant Morrison's prediction that the 21st century would see real-life superheroes is already very much a reality.
Also, I would have made Octavio team up with me, using his soccer skills to battle crime. He would always deliver the knockout punch by performing a bicycle and launching a soccer ball right into the crook's head. It would be awesome. And his codename would be: Soccer Lad. And his outfit wiuld be a shiny green and yellow so the crooks would shoot at him, first.
Also, we'd have jetpacks.
Really, it would be worth it to have a whole story about me in the paper running around in a superhero suit simply for the look of utter disappointment on Jason's face.
SPIDER-MAN 3
So I guess Spider-Man comes out on Friday. I don't plan to see it for two weeks so the crowds can die down a bit before I catch the movie, but...
I can't believe it's already out. I can't believe the summer is already here. And I can't bleieve Spidey has already made millions of dollars and it hasn't opened yet in the US. ComicMix was reporting that the movie had already made $30 million overseas.
Go SPURS!
Until you play Phoenix, and then I will probaby cheer for Phoenix.
52 Wind UP
I was surprised by how much I liked the final issue of 52.
But now I think Dan Didio is a bit of a moron. I suspect that if I were on the 52 team, I would not care much for the man.
A LuLu of a Comic
For the past few years, the comic series "Little Lulu" has been enjoying a bit of a resurgence among certain comic circles. I've been too invested in DC, some Spidey, etc... and learning about Uncle Scrooge to pay much mind.
But after Mike Sterling's post the other day, some of the Lulu I recall reading as a kid came flooding back to me. It is a clever series.
I think Dark Horse publishes those Lulu collections...
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Johnny Clambake's, cont'd... Again
HIATUS INTERRUPTED
Well, The League did not see this one coming...
From the comments section.
Part of my initial conversation with Mr. Hauser was that I thought I had a readership of less than 20, and mostly out of town. So my itital thought is: This is terrific, but there's no way we can pull it off.
In fact, I think I can count the number of current Leaguers in Austin up to possibly seven. Including me, Jason and Jamie. And one of you just had a baby and probably disappeared on us for the next three months or so. And the one of you in San Antonio has a baby due in, what..? A few days? So you're out, too.
So while I think maybe I can dig up a few more folks who would be up for a free meal, I have to get some show of hands to know who could attend an event any time in the near future. I can appreciate the lunchtime scheduling. Hopefully Mr. Hauser could accomodate on a Saturday or Sunday as I'm not sure if I could make it work on a weekday, what with the work schedule and all.
Whether you've always been an anonymous reader or whatever, I'd like to see what we could pull together to make this worth Mr. Hauser's time. So speak up.
I'd also like to point out
(a) this blogging thing just gets weirder all the time
and
(b) considering my initial post, I can see where Mr. Hauser is coming from trying to get folks to check out his place and make up their own mind. First one's free, right?
So in the spirit of fair play and free food, who is up for working with me to schedule a free meal?
You know, the dividends the initial post is paying, I shall next complain how Lynda Carter never just stops by (the Wonder Woman suit is optional) and that the US treasury is awful stingy with their gold supply.
Well, The League did not see this one coming...
From the comments section.
Dear All,
Can we do a "League" event at Cannoli Joe's? All bloggers are welcome. I will cover entire cost of the event. I would prefer a lunch and cap the number of attendees at 20.
Lunch for 20 free.
Support your local meatball rollers, Union #270.
Let me know (Greedy capitalist pig that I am)
Sincerely,
Bob Hauser
(512) 892-4444
www.cannolijoes.com
Part of my initial conversation with Mr. Hauser was that I thought I had a readership of less than 20, and mostly out of town. So my itital thought is: This is terrific, but there's no way we can pull it off.
In fact, I think I can count the number of current Leaguers in Austin up to possibly seven. Including me, Jason and Jamie. And one of you just had a baby and probably disappeared on us for the next three months or so. And the one of you in San Antonio has a baby due in, what..? A few days? So you're out, too.
So while I think maybe I can dig up a few more folks who would be up for a free meal, I have to get some show of hands to know who could attend an event any time in the near future. I can appreciate the lunchtime scheduling. Hopefully Mr. Hauser could accomodate on a Saturday or Sunday as I'm not sure if I could make it work on a weekday, what with the work schedule and all.
Whether you've always been an anonymous reader or whatever, I'd like to see what we could pull together to make this worth Mr. Hauser's time. So speak up.
I'd also like to point out
(a) this blogging thing just gets weirder all the time
and
(b) considering my initial post, I can see where Mr. Hauser is coming from trying to get folks to check out his place and make up their own mind. First one's free, right?
So in the spirit of fair play and free food, who is up for working with me to schedule a free meal?
You know, the dividends the initial post is paying, I shall next complain how Lynda Carter never just stops by (the Wonder Woman suit is optional) and that the US treasury is awful stingy with their gold supply.
Monday, April 30, 2007
hiatus
The League is going on hiatus for a while. We have a bruised ego to nurse and some imponderables to ponder on the very nature of The League of Melbotis itself.
I'm not really sure how to respond to many of the complaints of the past few days as some very valid points were made. That said, I stand by my decision, and that's something I need to think about for a while before we move forward.
We'll be back.
I'm not really sure how to respond to many of the complaints of the past few days as some very valid points were made. That said, I stand by my decision, and that's something I need to think about for a while before we move forward.
We'll be back.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Johnny Clambake, Cont'd
So readers looking for the post on our visit to Johnny Clambake's will find that I've taken down the post. This was not a decision that I came to lightly.
Folks who've followed this little drama know that I was contacted by the owner of Johnny Clambake's. Now, I've been at this long enough and worked on enough blogging projects to know that the internet is a funny place, and occasionally when you discuss someone or their work, they may pop up and argue with you.
Some time ago, when Nanostalgia was in existence, I made a stray remark about a web-comic creator, and wound up in an online debate with that creator. It was sort of surprising, but I thought kind of cool. And Lea Hernandez turned out to be really cool.
When we were using HaloScan for comments, musical composer "Meco" once commented upon remarks made here about the Star Wars Christmas album.
The internet is the world's biggest small town, depending upon what kind of Google Search you're performing.
Here's the thing: I'm a big ol' softie. I love people. And I also don't exactly feel like LoM is the blog of record, so I feel only a minor responsibility to ensure my journalistic integrity.
So I pulled the post not for Johnny Clambake himself. I pulled it for these guys...
These are the employees of Johnny Clambake's who were photographed making meatballs BY HAND (how about that?). I am told they do not live at the restaurant, but have no doubt that they're working hard to make good meatballs. (Now if someone can tell me how noodles are made...)
And I don't want for some random Google search results resulting in even one of these people to lose their job. Look at 'em. Those guys are all right.
Folks who've followed this little drama know that I was contacted by the owner of Johnny Clambake's. Now, I've been at this long enough and worked on enough blogging projects to know that the internet is a funny place, and occasionally when you discuss someone or their work, they may pop up and argue with you.
Some time ago, when Nanostalgia was in existence, I made a stray remark about a web-comic creator, and wound up in an online debate with that creator. It was sort of surprising, but I thought kind of cool. And Lea Hernandez turned out to be really cool.
When we were using HaloScan for comments, musical composer "Meco" once commented upon remarks made here about the Star Wars Christmas album.
The internet is the world's biggest small town, depending upon what kind of Google Search you're performing.
Here's the thing: I'm a big ol' softie. I love people. And I also don't exactly feel like LoM is the blog of record, so I feel only a minor responsibility to ensure my journalistic integrity.
So I pulled the post not for Johnny Clambake himself. I pulled it for these guys...
These are the employees of Johnny Clambake's who were photographed making meatballs BY HAND (how about that?). I am told they do not live at the restaurant, but have no doubt that they're working hard to make good meatballs. (Now if someone can tell me how noodles are made...)
And I don't want for some random Google search results resulting in even one of these people to lose their job. Look at 'em. Those guys are all right.
FREE COMIC DAY MAY 4th 2007
Hey, Leaguers. A little FYI.
Next weekend sees not just the premiere of Spider-Man 3 (which I will not see opening weekend), but 2007 Free Comic Book Day.
In years past, we've visited shops on Free Comic Book Day, but hadn't actually hit FCBD ourselves last year (or the year before, possibly. I can't recall.).
Anyway, FCBD is exactly what it sounds like. It's a day when you can get yourself some free comics. In recent years it has also meant that comic shops have been having events in-store as part of the fun.
For example, one store in Greenville South Carolina will have a battalion of Storm Troopers and an appearance by Spidey, himself (which you gotta figure is going to help move some Spidey product). Anyway, its now not just dropping in on a comic shop, it's a carnival of comic chaos, and that, kiddies, is kind of cool.
Here's some additional information from the Free Comic Book Day official site.
Honestly, I have no idea if my local comic shop, Austin Books, or any other shop is doing anything special. We'll see.
Next weekend sees not just the premiere of Spider-Man 3 (which I will not see opening weekend), but 2007 Free Comic Book Day.
In years past, we've visited shops on Free Comic Book Day, but hadn't actually hit FCBD ourselves last year (or the year before, possibly. I can't recall.).
Anyway, FCBD is exactly what it sounds like. It's a day when you can get yourself some free comics. In recent years it has also meant that comic shops have been having events in-store as part of the fun.
For example, one store in Greenville South Carolina will have a battalion of Storm Troopers and an appearance by Spidey, himself (which you gotta figure is going to help move some Spidey product). Anyway, its now not just dropping in on a comic shop, it's a carnival of comic chaos, and that, kiddies, is kind of cool.
Here's some additional information from the Free Comic Book Day official site.
Honestly, I have no idea if my local comic shop, Austin Books, or any other shop is doing anything special. We'll see.
Trailer for Death of Superman
The trailer has been released for the upcoming straight-to-video DVD release of "Death of Superman" or "Superman/Doomsday" or whatever they're calling it.
The copy written for the VO on the trailer sounds like it came from the desk of a WB Home Video intern, or else the studio totally missed the attempt at retro trailer copy with lines like "See! The Amazing Superman! See! Him Perform Amazing Feats!" Anyway, I think if you just look at the footage itself, it looks pretty cool.
It looks like the story has been greatly altered from the comics, cutting out all of the extra storylines and, it seems, dumping the "Rise of the Superman" storyline, which leaves the "Return of Superman" storyline in some serious doubt. But he does come back with the Super Mullet, and that's got to be good.
The copy written for the VO on the trailer sounds like it came from the desk of a WB Home Video intern, or else the studio totally missed the attempt at retro trailer copy with lines like "See! The Amazing Superman! See! Him Perform Amazing Feats!" Anyway, I think if you just look at the footage itself, it looks pretty cool.
It looks like the story has been greatly altered from the comics, cutting out all of the extra storylines and, it seems, dumping the "Rise of the Superman" storyline, which leaves the "Return of Superman" storyline in some serious doubt. But he does come back with the Super Mullet, and that's got to be good.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
OWEN JEFFERSON PEEK: ROCKING THE FREE WORLD
I have not yet seen the little nipper, but Jeff (aka: Peabo) and Adriana Peek are now the proud parents of a wee little man. I don't have any details yet, and I'm awaiting some sort of "all hands proud poppa e-mail", but I do have a voicemail message telling me that there's an additional Peek onboard spaceship Earth.
So, The League of Melbotis formally welcomes young Owen to this groovy thing we call life.
Congratulations to Jeff and Adriana, Phyllis, PK and Adriana's parents (whose names I do not know).
So, The League of Melbotis formally welcomes young Owen to this groovy thing we call life.
Congratulations to Jeff and Adriana, Phyllis, PK and Adriana's parents (whose names I do not know).
Ann-uh-ver-sur-ry
Saturday (today) marked our seventh wedding anniversary. Hooray for us. I'm sure we've now defeated some statistical challenge regarding our ability to remain married. (The secret, you ask? I'm on a steady regimen of vicodin and Jamie is allowed one free punch, head or gut, once a week.)
So, we were unable to get a reservation for Saturday at our restaurant of choice, so we went out Friday. We got married at this place called "Green Pastures" in South Austin, and it's not a bad little place, so we went back for our anniversary dinner as we'd done once upon a time when we used to live here prior to Arizona. The place costs an arm and a leg, but that's okay. The food is phenomenal, service excellent, and Green Pastures has a lovely atmosphere. Plus, I was in a good mood as it seems like many of the risks we took in picking up stakes from Arizona are panning out. So I think we were celebrating that as well.
As I mentioned, the place is a bit pricey. And it took us a while to get seated (we were given cocktails and the staff kept talking to us, so we weren't just sitting there. It was nice.) But I think they were a little concerned we were unhappy before we ever sat down (we were not). So, apparently, when I said "Salmon" to the waiter, he believed I said "Sampler", referring to their Game Sampler. And he panicked a little, but... as The League is up for new experiences (some of which meet with mixed results and angry letters) we gave the waiter a pass and went with the Game Sampler.
So to celebrate my seventh wedding anniversary, I ate Bambi and, I think, a quail. I dunno. Anyway, it was lovely.
Today we were going to try to go to Austin's annual party in the park, "Eeyore's Birthday". Yes, for those familiar, Eeyore's Birthday is the dirty hippy party at Pease Park. But we wanted to do something outside today as it was lovely out, and we wanted to hang out with the dogs. With this plan in mind, we were between breakfast and heading out when Jamie kicked the wall. Jamie kicks lots of things in any given day, but today she was trying to kick a tennis ball for Lucy, missed and did some internal damage.
We still made it to dirty hippy park party, and Jason posted some pics, so here you go. What you can't see here is Jamie getting hit on by some 19 year old dudes. That's two for two weekends. Anyway, all i heard was Jamie say "It's a boy, his name is Mel."
To which her young suitor replied, "No. What's YOUR name? Heh heh heh..."
To which I turned around to see what was going on, and saw the 19 year old, who saw me (and, I assume, Jason) staring back, to which he gave us a "Whoop. My bad." and went on his way.
My wife is in demand. I am hoping she is flattered.
Unfortunately, as we were leaving, Jamie began to show signs that her foot was hurt and had a tough time getting to the car.
So tonight we were going to hit a small party and then possibly go see "Aqua Teen Hunger Force", but as we rested up post-dirty hippy party, Jamie began complaining loudly about her foot. I mean... loudly.
I knew that she was under the impression that her foot was broken (I had my doubts), so off we went to the ER.
I can't tell you how much better the Austin ER is than the ER situation in Phoenix. I think it's a mix of Austin having a greater number of medical facilities per capita, and that people here don't seem to go to the ER unless they think there's really something really wrong. You do not see people walking in with minor symptoms. Like the guy who fell off his motorcycle who came in right before us. That dude was really ragged up.
Unlike the Arizona ER, they also not only had three tracks (fast track for things like broken feet which are a straightforward diagnosis, cardiac track for people who might die immediately, and everyone else), but appear to have a much faster process for getting people from the waiting room to the ER. It was kind of impressive.
Anyhow, Jamie's foot is NOT broken, so we can all be glad about that. She was given a big boot to wear, crutches with which to walk, and a shot of pain killer to make the night groovier.
She's now gone to bed. After being in a really chipper mood thanks to Mr. Pain Killer.
So happy anniversary to us.
Seven years. I'm a lucky guy, Leaguers.
So, we were unable to get a reservation for Saturday at our restaurant of choice, so we went out Friday. We got married at this place called "Green Pastures" in South Austin, and it's not a bad little place, so we went back for our anniversary dinner as we'd done once upon a time when we used to live here prior to Arizona. The place costs an arm and a leg, but that's okay. The food is phenomenal, service excellent, and Green Pastures has a lovely atmosphere. Plus, I was in a good mood as it seems like many of the risks we took in picking up stakes from Arizona are panning out. So I think we were celebrating that as well.
As I mentioned, the place is a bit pricey. And it took us a while to get seated (we were given cocktails and the staff kept talking to us, so we weren't just sitting there. It was nice.) But I think they were a little concerned we were unhappy before we ever sat down (we were not). So, apparently, when I said "Salmon" to the waiter, he believed I said "Sampler", referring to their Game Sampler. And he panicked a little, but... as The League is up for new experiences (some of which meet with mixed results and angry letters) we gave the waiter a pass and went with the Game Sampler.
So to celebrate my seventh wedding anniversary, I ate Bambi and, I think, a quail. I dunno. Anyway, it was lovely.
Today we were going to try to go to Austin's annual party in the park, "Eeyore's Birthday". Yes, for those familiar, Eeyore's Birthday is the dirty hippy party at Pease Park. But we wanted to do something outside today as it was lovely out, and we wanted to hang out with the dogs. With this plan in mind, we were between breakfast and heading out when Jamie kicked the wall. Jamie kicks lots of things in any given day, but today she was trying to kick a tennis ball for Lucy, missed and did some internal damage.
We still made it to dirty hippy park party, and Jason posted some pics, so here you go. What you can't see here is Jamie getting hit on by some 19 year old dudes. That's two for two weekends. Anyway, all i heard was Jamie say "It's a boy, his name is Mel."
To which her young suitor replied, "No. What's YOUR name? Heh heh heh..."
To which I turned around to see what was going on, and saw the 19 year old, who saw me (and, I assume, Jason) staring back, to which he gave us a "Whoop. My bad." and went on his way.
My wife is in demand. I am hoping she is flattered.
Unfortunately, as we were leaving, Jamie began to show signs that her foot was hurt and had a tough time getting to the car.
So tonight we were going to hit a small party and then possibly go see "Aqua Teen Hunger Force", but as we rested up post-dirty hippy party, Jamie began complaining loudly about her foot. I mean... loudly.
I knew that she was under the impression that her foot was broken (I had my doubts), so off we went to the ER.
I can't tell you how much better the Austin ER is than the ER situation in Phoenix. I think it's a mix of Austin having a greater number of medical facilities per capita, and that people here don't seem to go to the ER unless they think there's really something really wrong. You do not see people walking in with minor symptoms. Like the guy who fell off his motorcycle who came in right before us. That dude was really ragged up.
Unlike the Arizona ER, they also not only had three tracks (fast track for things like broken feet which are a straightforward diagnosis, cardiac track for people who might die immediately, and everyone else), but appear to have a much faster process for getting people from the waiting room to the ER. It was kind of impressive.
Anyhow, Jamie's foot is NOT broken, so we can all be glad about that. She was given a big boot to wear, crutches with which to walk, and a shot of pain killer to make the night groovier.
She's now gone to bed. After being in a really chipper mood thanks to Mr. Pain Killer.
So happy anniversary to us.
Seven years. I'm a lucky guy, Leaguers.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli
So while I was at work today, apparently the owner of Clambake Jake's called my house. Jamie took the call, but for some reason picked up while she was asleep, so she was a little sketchy on the details.
You kind of have to think that this fellow is not real happy with The League right now. We're coming up a little high on the 'ol Google search when one looks for his restaurant online, and our commentary was full of opinions. And that makes me feel a little bad. After all, Cannoli Joe's is a new place and they're trying to make a buck. And The League isn't out to put anybody under. We have our opinions, and we feel entitled to them, but we also think it's OUR opinion. Go get your own.
Anyway, apparently we're now in one of the sites that pops up when you Google Clambake Jake's, and that puts me square in the sights of an irate restauranteur. I may wind up buried in the end zone of Giants' Stadium.
I'll keep you posted.
You kind of have to think that this fellow is not real happy with The League right now. We're coming up a little high on the 'ol Google search when one looks for his restaurant online, and our commentary was full of opinions. And that makes me feel a little bad. After all, Cannoli Joe's is a new place and they're trying to make a buck. And The League isn't out to put anybody under. We have our opinions, and we feel entitled to them, but we also think it's OUR opinion. Go get your own.
Anyway, apparently we're now in one of the sites that pops up when you Google Clambake Jake's, and that puts me square in the sights of an irate restauranteur. I may wind up buried in the end zone of Giants' Stadium.
I'll keep you posted.
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