The Manic Mechanic

Well, just as I had promised by not seeing my shadow on my birthday, winter has been a PMSing bitch along its last six weeks of existence. Jeff got called Sunday afternoon to head down to the hotel near the hospital in preparation for the winter nastiness, and plans on being there until Tuesday afternoon along with other essential personnel keeping the patients fed and cared for. Yeah, I'm bummed some, but it did come off of a four-day weekend with lots of accomplishments and fun. We saw BOOK OF MORMON at the Hippodrome (Latin for "Horse Arena") theater in Baltimore Saturday evening, our sides are still practically sore from laughter. I had a friend come over yesterday to help me run network cabling in La Casa Mayhem, and I've been generally busy if not held back by pain trying to get on with daily life, at least my version of it. All this goodness became soaked in rain and sleet before turning into snow overnight, whereupon I woke (late) to yet another picturesque winter scene. I plan on tackling this latest mess tomorrow morning. In the meantime, By-Tor, the Snow Dog and I will have what is likely our last days of snowy fun and frolic. They love it, becoming a white cloud of snarling, yapping energy chasing about in the yard.

Now, for those who made it past the seasonal visuals, I must let it be known that Jeff and I have been very busy with some very important preparations that will culminate in an implosion of extreme fabulousness and celebration at the end of June, and I invite all who are reading this to please make yourself part of the festivities with us. Jeff and I are getting married on June 28! I know that I know many if not most of you reading only via the interwebs, but I sill consider you as family, and would love for you to attend. If you desire to be a part of the nuptials, along with with an incredible catered food extravaganza all being held here at Mayhem Acres in Maryland, drop me a PM with your address and the names of anyone else you'd like to accompany you and I will send you an invitation with additional details and RSVP card. It's gonna be a good time, guaranteed.

Yes, I've been a bit cagey with hints and details in the past, but that's my nature. I want this to be a fun event, open to all. I also have to overcome a bit of personal fears as well, and I think that has been progressing well. No fears about being wed to Jeff, mind you, that's a given and not subject to pause. No, my problem is associating it to the greater world of friends and family. As a pretty serious introvert I have some issues, but I want to cast them to the wind while having the most important day in my life, which I swore for nearly half a century that I would never get to experience for myself. So please, be a part of it. It's a huge reason to celebrate!

My, my, it's been a vastly busy few days for me. Work has been a nightmare, as it usually is this time of year. Part of my big order from Amazon came in Thursday, so lots of music has been cranking around the house. Friday evening Jeff and I went to see Rent. Having seen the play (and thoroughly enjoying it) we had high expectations for the film. It did not disappoint. In fact, many parts of the movie seemed more powerful on the big screen than in person. The detailed sets, camera angles and lighting, the sequences, all seemed to add so much more impact. I consider this a must-see movie, despite whether you have seen the play or not.

Saturday had us heading up to NJ for a weekend spent with our dear friend Packy as well as a jaunt to a yearly Christmas Holiday (hah, got all secular AND fundie there) party in the evening. Got to stuff ourselves with terrific foods while catching up on all the latest from our buddies from NYC and NJ. It's great seeing these guys, I feel I don't do it nearly enough. Packy is a dear (though can come up with confusing directions), and he puts up with nearly constant harrassment from me and Jeff. It's in direct proportion to how much we adore the big lug, however. I'd seriously damage anyone who would hurt him. Tentative plans are being tossed around for a NYC trip in the beginning of February.

Sunday afternoon saw us driving home. After the trip I had noticed that my committment ring had gone missing. Searching the truck and around the yard and house came up empty. I was bumming big time. Monday morning before Jeff headed off for school and his final exams he searched the truck in the daylight and discovered the ring on the floor behind the seat. Apparently my digging around back there for the various new CDs knocked the ring off and I was totally unaware. Crisis averted, happy me once again.

Monday was more madhouse preparations for A2LA Accreditation for the calibration labs. The longish weekend and the day's stress caused me to come home and collapse in bed after dinner. I needed the rest, big time. Today was the culmination of the accreditation, which ended up being quite interesting and actually rather mentally stimulating compared to the workaday drudgery. On the way home after working overtime, I stopped at Homo Depot to pick up the remaining backordered items I needed for my door project (which might just have to wait till the spring, unless I get a couple good days between xmas and new year). Minor entertainment for me in-store as I watched a rather huge (but sadly, not very attractive) dude loading concrete bags onto a cart. 90 pound sacks, stacked two at a time, as easily as one would handle pizza boxes. Me being me, I quipped, "Looks like you need some help there." Dude laughed, said that he's barely making it, to which I said, "You'd impress me more if you were doing three at a time." To which he did, saying "Like this?". "That's more like it!" says I, as I continue on with my business, biting my hand and thinking that this dude just bent down, scooped up two-hundred and seventy pounds of concrete up in his hands, swiveled around and set them knee-high on a flat cart as if they were a stack of sofa cushions. Color me impressed, and wanting some lift-and-carry time.

I really need to get my total wreck of a body back into shape. I miss the soreness of accomplishment, which has been replaced by soreness of old age.

One a completely different and mashed-up note, it's Save Dean Gray Tuesday. Fans of Green Day should rush over here while there is still time and pick up on one hella cool CD's worth of music for slack, just to piss off The Man. You wont be disappointed.