The Myth & The Majesty

It's safe to say that this weekend was, hands down, the most relaxing one I've had in months. Thanksgiving was quiet and the days following involved a little shopping, some Christmas decorating, a long chat with Mia Sorella, and the construction of a set of bookshelves that I now need to stain and finish so I can get them moved into my living room. I also watched the Macy's parade for the first time in at least four years and -- I admit it -- both paid attention to and cheered on the Packers Thursday afternoon. I'm not ashamed. Mostly. All in all, it was everything a holiday is meant to be, really. Quiet. Relaxing. A break from the rat race. Aside from my persistent single-symptom cold, it was absolutely fantastic. Now the race is back. But what I really want to know is ... Cyber Monday?! Really? Is this truly necessary, folks?

Thankful for ... ... a year with a lot of ups and downs because at least I was never bored. ... family get-togethers of all shapes and sizes. ... parents and siblings who aren't afraid of a little adventure. ... technology to keep up with those who are mid-adventure. ... a car that runs with tires that don't slip. ... turkey, potatoes and gravy, and crescent rolls. I made it back to Sioux Falls last night in pretty good time. Now, I get to bask in a real weekend break, with no real obligations aside from helping cook. Life is good. Have a great Thanksgiving, folks.

Aside from waking up with an inability to speak, I'm having a pretty good day. I described it to my mother yesterday as feeling like I was just getting over a cold -- but being confused because I have no recollection of having a cold to begin with. Yesterday was just a scratchy throat, however ... Today I couldn't speak. Through hot tea, various liquids, and general use I'm back to almost-normal (a little hoarse and an octave lower than usual, but almost-normal). And I feel fine. I'd rather deal with one symptom (and one that's only a little annoying and not so bad, really) than a real cold. Oh please, let me only have to deal with one symptom and not a real cold. It's hard to be in a bad mood this week, really. The office is already half-empty; I'm surprisingly caught up on my work and my desk is getting cleaner (as in I found it again). Holiday weeks are often some of the best ones -- fewer distractions, fewer panicky managers (although I haven...

Yesterday was the trip. I shall remember it well ... It started with 140 solid miles of fog, clearing up in time to see the last of Wisconsin, continued with some quality time at IKEA, ended with the Body exhibit at The Mall and 185 miles of dark (I recommend the exhibit to all, but the drive only to those who don't mind driving at night). There was some additional shopping in there, but more importantly, the purpose. Yes, the Pioneer Woman herself was at The Mall yesterday. Brave woman -- I'm pretty sure the total signature line was no less than six hours long. (I wouldn't kid about something like that.) I'm not sure how many hundreds of people that was, but the crowd was huge. I ended up in line with two other people there alone -- a woman buying books for her sisters (and, after waiting for a couple hours for the signing to start, bought one for herself) and the other a gentleman from Kentucky getting books signed for his daughters (and, after waiting fore a couple o...

Let me tell you a story. Some time back -- I estimate between 18 and 24 months ago, although I'm not totally sure -- I took Sophie in for an oil change. As usual, I kicked back in the customer waiting area with my mp3 player and a book, paying very little attention to the things going on around me. I glanced up as someone else walked in -- and caught sight of the television over my head, tuned in to some cable news station. The host was talking via webcam to someone I didn't recognize, and here and there still photos flashed up -- photos of cattle staring at the camera, photos of kids doing random things, and occasionally photos of men in chaps. The chaps. The chaps were what ultimately made me take out my ear buds. It turned out that the woman's name was Ree, and she ran a website that was quickly growing in popularity. I caught that last part as they went to commercial and the segment ended, and I quickly jotted down on a piece of paper the only reference I caught -- ...

You know what? Yesterday, I had a truly fabulous day. From beginning to end. It started freakishly early. (I will never fully understand early risers. I like mornings, but I really, truly love my nice, warm, cozy bed.) It started so early because that's how I've been doing Tuesdays ... They're my mornings to talk to Mia Sorella, and yesterday was no exception. Anyway, I got up freakishly early, got ready for the day rather leisurely, and found my way to a local coffee shop where I can sit in the parking lot and use their wireless without freaking people out. Some of my habits are a little odd. I saw two meteorites on my ten-minute drive, which basically made my day right then. Just plain awesome. Anyway, I got some coffee, then made myself comfortable and logged on. While chatting with Mia Sorella, I got to watch the sun come up, and I made it to work an hour earlier than usual. Which meant leaving an hour earlier than usual, during daylight. Fabulous. After work there was ...

Church of the Savior on Spilt Blood, St. Petersburg, Russia July 2005

Oh my.

Here's the thing: I have not had an exciting couple of weeks. That's only half accurate. There have been some pretty neat aspects. But there's not a lot to talk about. I know, I know. It's a good thing, at least for you guys. Fewer totally useless posts. However, I'm starting to feel like a slacker again. This past weekend, I started and finished my Christmas shopping. That's right. Finished. I'm not "done" -- I have three gifts that need to be put together and then there's the wrapping, hauling, shipping, and so forth -- but officially, I don't need to do any more shopping. That is a strange and wonderful feeling. Moonie and I also won a Cribbage tournament -- which was pretty cool. Made for a truly productive weekend. (I earned back some of that money I spent shopping for Christmas presents, which was just a bonus.) In the next week, I need to get my apartment clean so I can start decorating ... And hopefully my p...

It's official. The Season is in full swing; every store I shop regularly has a sale going on today and I'm feeling ambitious. There is nothing I'd like more than being done with my Christmas shopping by the end of this weekend, and I may just pull it off. It's a good thing I get paid on Thursday. There is absolutely nothing that's turning out as expected about this Season. Not that I'm surprised -- 2009 has been anything but normal and if it were to end in a quiet manner I'd probably be a little disappointed. It's looking like Thanksgiving will be just my parents and I ... which hasn't happened since I was a year and a half old (for those keeping track at home, that would be 24 years ago). The parents may be on their way to China on Christmas Eve to visit Mia Sorella ... which means Shorty and I will be fending for ourselves. It's going to be an interesting few weeks. I have this weekend to prep, regroup, and have some fun. Tango and an '80s ...

Why are mustaches inherently creepier on men under forty? Why do I continue to watch new romantic comedies even when I see a preview and think, "Egads. What are they thinking?" Should I cave in and get internet service again? When I was in high school, would it have made a difference in my life choices if I too had gone on a chem-e job shadow? Are the Salvation Army bell ringers out early this year, or was I just not paying enough attention last year? What goes well with gorgonzola? Where did Hubba go? How is it I can hear someone eating from four cubicles away but I can't always hear my own phone ringing? Is that a reflection on my hearing -- or that person's eating habits? Do I, too, have some genetic mutation that leads to surprisingly resilient telomeres? Who in the world would think up a Sigmund Freud action figure ... and can I justify buying one?  How about the Marie Antoinette action figure with the removable head? Why am I shoppi...

It's in season! I may have been just a little too excited when I saw it on the menu, but the peppermint mocha just makes my day. And somehow it serves as an opening signal to the season ... Right up there with ridiculous inflatable decorations and Salvation Army Santas. Much tastier than either of those, though. I assume. I think it's time I find a new place to camp out for access ... Too many of these and I'll be twice my size by February. And broke.

There is something indescribably neat about living in the 21st century. I mean it. An example: I picked up Awesome Aunt in Minneapolis on Friday night -- she had flown up for my cousin's wedding, making a weekend trip of the jaunt from Houston to South Dakota. That's pretty impressive in itself. An hour or so down the road, somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota -- emphasis on "nowhere" -- I got a call on my cell phone. No towns in sight but my phone rings. And ... it's Mia Sorella. Using her computer to call from South Korea. We both got to chat with her for quite some time before she had to leave since it was actually after 1:00 PM Saturday in Seoul and she had plans with one of her friends. So, to summarize ... For some time there, my aunt from Houston was talking to my sister in South Korea while we made the drive through the middle of nowhere in Minnesota. Only ten years ago, that was only possible with the most expensive phones an...

That was amazing. Under no circumstances in my life previous to now would that sentence have made such absolute and perfect sense. "Stuart, Brian just smashed a bunch of peanuts in your book." * That's right -- it's a Friday. Not that Friday is a necessary requirement for peanut-smashing, but it explains why the above statement was utterly hilarious to me. Plus I was up at an unreasonable hour this morning. Things to do, people to see, and so on and so forth. This weekend I'm westward bound and quite excited about it. It's been almost five weeks since my looong drive back from Rapid City and I'm ready for another trek ... Of course, this one is considerably shorter and -- bonus! -- I'll have a passenger after Minneapolis. That hasn't happened since Mia Sorella moved back to SoDak. So three or four hours by myself, then four or five hours with an Awesome Aunt. Good times. (Well, for me. She's kind of getting the short end of...

Steak lunch today for our safety milestone; Mexican tonight for the first of an occasional revival of our weekly dinners. This is all good news. I'm headed west this weekend for a cousin's wedding and I'd rather not go to the grocery store tonight ... And I'm pretty much out of food. Something about that makes me feel like less of an adult and more of a slacker college student. Oh well. Something of substance ... I need to post something of substance. But what?

Hey guys, guess what? Only 51 days till Christmas. Just thought you might like to know.

Facebook -- that strangely fussy website I can't seem to stop tabbing over to when I have unhindered internet access -- has been truncating my posts. SO! If you're reading this as a note on Facebook, please go to the full note, then click on "View Original Post" just above the comment section. I hope that whole bit is in there and didn't get truncated. Alas, I am long-winded. It may have. Now that I have your attention (right?) I'm going to give you a link. However, if you are in a public place -- such as, say, a library -- find a quiet corner. Or wait till you're at home. Whatever you do, don't click on any word of this paragraph if you're in a crowded room. Please. Or do it anyway. I mean, I wasn't afraid to cry in public. And this site always does that to me. I suppose those holding-in-laughter-tears are probably better than uproarious laughter where I could theoretically get kicked out for being too loud ... I'm not totally sure why I...

I finally raked my yard yesterday. Well, not completely. It was a bit like trying to brush a feral dog's fur -- just when you think you're getting somewhere, you hit a snag and he tries to bite you. Okay, maybe not, but how could I pass up the chance to use a feral dog analogy? In any case, until Friday it seemed silly to even attempt it because only one of my four trees was naked and the wind hadn't really started. Unfortunately, by Saturday I had a foot-high leaf drift on my front sidewalk. Time to get it at least half cleaned up. All in all it was an interesting weekend. Saturday's movie marathon was fantastic (albeit a little depressing and I had some really freaky dreams, but good all the same) and then I got to wander a corn maze with three zombies. Yesterday I made some actual headway with house stuff, did some Christmas shopping ... and got a call from Calvert, who got a new job and is currently en route to Oklahoma. His life is infinitely more i...

Yes. Chick flicks today. Or maybe I should follow the lead of the American retail empire and watch "The Santa Clause" or something similar. Yep ... Definitely November.