It got my attention when a cop was hanging outside a room, out of view just waiting.
Then the guy came out and called his dad on his cell phone, and basically gave me the scoop. This guy was in a fight, and after the cops were called, he was admitted to the ER and he was bitching about the potential ER bill. Of course, on the phone he was describing how he plummeled the other guy, and he was getting stitches. It's never, "Man, he hit me so hard my grandfather rolled in his grave." or "Man, if this was a prison fight, I'd be the spoonee, not the spooner."
Anyway, all the grandstanding was cut down by a nurse who told him to not speak on the cell phone in the hospital, but also to get back into his room.
When he was discharged, the nurse read off a bunch of stuff that was juicy, like "contusion", "drunken" and stuff like that.
And just a moment ago, a cop mistakely popped his head in our room.
I was just about to say, "it's not sodomy if we're married and she likes it," but he left.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
A Zen Moment
So I was in the kitchen, just thinking about myself, what the hell I'm supposed to be doing and whatnot. Thinking about how I'm lucky in the sense that I have a lot of interests, but none of them really define me per se.
I love Macs, but I'm not in Terminal plugging away at code or buying every new iPod that comes out or going to the conventions in San Fran, even though that might be cool. I love photography, but I have an entry level DSLR and pretty basic lenses. Although I was doing some mental math in my head while washing out some dishes and realized that my meager 500 dollar camera, after two different lenses and a speed light, comes in barely under a grand. Oops. But hey, I'm not buying glass that's 800 bucks. Crazy.
I love gaming, and yeah, my newest system is a Wii, but I don't have anything considered next gen graphics. I don't have to buy new games when they come out, though I have exceptions. Paper Mario is looking really fun right now. I think the whole concept of Paper Mario is appealing to me because I envy the idea:
If I came to a problem I couldn't figure out, just draw a box around myself and voila! I'm in another dimension, and I can just walk around the problem. Now that's problem solving.
I also love movies, but unlike my good friend up in Alaska, whom I secretly envy because he has a DVD collection that rivals the library of a small town, I don't really buy that many movies. Now if you knew me, you'd say, "Well, no, you don't buy them..."
But you know, I don't go out to see movies anyway. Except this Friday when I subject myself to Grindhouse. Before the Weinsteins decide to split it into two movies.
Point is, my passions have the same level of commitments as my skills. I'm not great at anything, just okay in a lot of things. I think about my zodiac, which is Libra, and I think that's mighty representative of my personality. I try to seek a balance in the things I do, and although I think I often fail miserably, I still think that that's embedded in me. I don't want conflict, and I try to make peace.
Enough philsophy for now. I've got to exploit this free hospital internet. Whee!
I love Macs, but I'm not in Terminal plugging away at code or buying every new iPod that comes out or going to the conventions in San Fran, even though that might be cool. I love photography, but I have an entry level DSLR and pretty basic lenses. Although I was doing some mental math in my head while washing out some dishes and realized that my meager 500 dollar camera, after two different lenses and a speed light, comes in barely under a grand. Oops. But hey, I'm not buying glass that's 800 bucks. Crazy.
I love gaming, and yeah, my newest system is a Wii, but I don't have anything considered next gen graphics. I don't have to buy new games when they come out, though I have exceptions. Paper Mario is looking really fun right now. I think the whole concept of Paper Mario is appealing to me because I envy the idea:
If I came to a problem I couldn't figure out, just draw a box around myself and voila! I'm in another dimension, and I can just walk around the problem. Now that's problem solving.
I also love movies, but unlike my good friend up in Alaska, whom I secretly envy because he has a DVD collection that rivals the library of a small town, I don't really buy that many movies. Now if you knew me, you'd say, "Well, no, you don't buy them..."
But you know, I don't go out to see movies anyway. Except this Friday when I subject myself to Grindhouse. Before the Weinsteins decide to split it into two movies.
Point is, my passions have the same level of commitments as my skills. I'm not great at anything, just okay in a lot of things. I think about my zodiac, which is Libra, and I think that's mighty representative of my personality. I try to seek a balance in the things I do, and although I think I often fail miserably, I still think that that's embedded in me. I don't want conflict, and I try to make peace.
Enough philsophy for now. I've got to exploit this free hospital internet. Whee!
Blogging from the Hospital
My wife's been having some pain in her abdomen and back for the last few days, and she's thinking bladder infection. She's drinking a ton to cleanse her system, with water and cranberry juice, and even taken some OTC medication that her stupid stupid boss suggested, in lieu of actually going home early.
Well, today before she went to work and she was just miserable. And when she came home tonight, she had a fever to boot. After a bit of considering (since we have absolute crap insurance and no extra money coming in), we decided to go to the emergency room.
And here we are.
They don't think it's a bladder or kidney infection, and they are going to run some blood work and also start an IV. There's talk of a CAT scan for her abdomen also. And all we're thinking about is how we can't really afford all of it.
Don't really know how long it'll be, but I reckon it's going to be a longish night. Oh boy. They haven't even officially started yet and it's almost 2:30 in the morning.
Well, today before she went to work and she was just miserable. And when she came home tonight, she had a fever to boot. After a bit of considering (since we have absolute crap insurance and no extra money coming in), we decided to go to the emergency room.
And here we are.
They don't think it's a bladder or kidney infection, and they are going to run some blood work and also start an IV. There's talk of a CAT scan for her abdomen also. And all we're thinking about is how we can't really afford all of it.
Don't really know how long it'll be, but I reckon it's going to be a longish night. Oh boy. They haven't even officially started yet and it's almost 2:30 in the morning.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Monday, April 9, 2007
A Real Post
Okay, here's a real post.
Easter, as always, wasn't so much about religion around the house. Nope, it was two little kids running around being happy as can be, with the permission to devour as much candy as their little bodies can handle. They had three hunts, one at a YMCA, another one indoors at home, and one at Grandma's house. The YMCA hunt was okay, the disproportionate amount of people versus eggs was fairly noticeable - Alex only got like 4 eggs and Zoe got 6 or so. There was a toddler who had a basket full of eggs, and I'm sure the mom got a lot of evil eyes for that. Good god, what a terrible example to pass on.
We did the Redmond Senior Center last year, but this year decided against it because after the cost was all tallied up, it would cost us 19 bucks just for admission. Excluding Zoe, who is still young enough not to be charged. I'm sure we would have gotten better candy, more eggs, and a smattering of eggs and bland pancakes that is the included "breakfast", but I dunno. 19 bucks seems a bit steep for something like an egg hunt.
So we did one at home as well, and the kids enjoyed going around the house, finding coins, chocolate eggs, weird foam edible bunnies, and lost souls in the little plastic eggs strewn all about the house. Yesterday was yet another hunt, although Grandma used real eggs, which Mr. Alex found out when he punctured an egg with his thumb expecting chocolately goodness only to find a bruised yolk staring back at him.
Easter, like Halloween, has become a boon for the candy industry. Alex can get kinda weird about candy, obsessed really, and this morning the first thing he wanted in his mouth was more candy. He was quickly shot down by his parents.
----
This is the problem that I've been having lately, and it's something that I really need to work on. I have a very short span of patience now, and I think it's hugely in part that I feel like I'd rather be doing something else with my time. Yes, yes, I'm a parent, and quality time with my children is something that I should look forward to, and it is. But this internal battle that I have regarding how I should spend my time goes back a long way. It's not just like, oh, I have kids now. Okay, I'd rather be doing something else.
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm an oxymoron. Yes, I'm a pimpled face ointment junkie who happens to be a moron. I'm an oxymoron because I'm a private person most of the time, but I'm also very open about my problems. I practically broadcast that I'm not a great parent. But in real life, unless I'm comfortable with you, I usually keep to myself. I like my own time, and there are a lot of times whereby I don't really talk to people much, because I don't really have anything to say to them.
I've found people on myspace who are from my past, met them enthusiastically, and then... nothing. It's anti-climatic because I don't really have much to say to people. I lack skills to small talk, which impairs and probably dissolves a lot of relationships that I have with people. I don't try awfully hard to keep in touch with even my closest friends, and I don't maintain the friendships I have very well. It's just my loner personality. My family left me pretty much by myself growing up, so I've grown to adapt to being self-sufficient to a fault.
Anyway, what this has to do with my kids is that I need to knock it off. I know that if I continue of this path of not giving them quality time, and time to enjoy them for who they are will evaporate. Kids grow up and out of their parents anyway, but there is no reason why I shouldn't try to keep them close. It hasn't been easy lately, since Alex is getting combative and argumentative, and Zoe is passively defiant, and I feel like I have absolutely no control over what they do, and how I react. I'm sure it's just me refocusing my goal in life. This Videography thing has really thrown a wrench in my system, and I just need to get into a groove.
Sigh. I try with the kids, and I need to try harder. I don't want them to grow up and be like me. All anti-social and possessive of my time.
Easter, as always, wasn't so much about religion around the house. Nope, it was two little kids running around being happy as can be, with the permission to devour as much candy as their little bodies can handle. They had three hunts, one at a YMCA, another one indoors at home, and one at Grandma's house. The YMCA hunt was okay, the disproportionate amount of people versus eggs was fairly noticeable - Alex only got like 4 eggs and Zoe got 6 or so. There was a toddler who had a basket full of eggs, and I'm sure the mom got a lot of evil eyes for that. Good god, what a terrible example to pass on.
We did the Redmond Senior Center last year, but this year decided against it because after the cost was all tallied up, it would cost us 19 bucks just for admission. Excluding Zoe, who is still young enough not to be charged. I'm sure we would have gotten better candy, more eggs, and a smattering of eggs and bland pancakes that is the included "breakfast", but I dunno. 19 bucks seems a bit steep for something like an egg hunt.
So we did one at home as well, and the kids enjoyed going around the house, finding coins, chocolate eggs, weird foam edible bunnies, and lost souls in the little plastic eggs strewn all about the house. Yesterday was yet another hunt, although Grandma used real eggs, which Mr. Alex found out when he punctured an egg with his thumb expecting chocolately goodness only to find a bruised yolk staring back at him.
Easter, like Halloween, has become a boon for the candy industry. Alex can get kinda weird about candy, obsessed really, and this morning the first thing he wanted in his mouth was more candy. He was quickly shot down by his parents.
----
This is the problem that I've been having lately, and it's something that I really need to work on. I have a very short span of patience now, and I think it's hugely in part that I feel like I'd rather be doing something else with my time. Yes, yes, I'm a parent, and quality time with my children is something that I should look forward to, and it is. But this internal battle that I have regarding how I should spend my time goes back a long way. It's not just like, oh, I have kids now. Okay, I'd rather be doing something else.
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm an oxymoron. Yes, I'm a pimpled face ointment junkie who happens to be a moron. I'm an oxymoron because I'm a private person most of the time, but I'm also very open about my problems. I practically broadcast that I'm not a great parent. But in real life, unless I'm comfortable with you, I usually keep to myself. I like my own time, and there are a lot of times whereby I don't really talk to people much, because I don't really have anything to say to them.
I've found people on myspace who are from my past, met them enthusiastically, and then... nothing. It's anti-climatic because I don't really have much to say to people. I lack skills to small talk, which impairs and probably dissolves a lot of relationships that I have with people. I don't try awfully hard to keep in touch with even my closest friends, and I don't maintain the friendships I have very well. It's just my loner personality. My family left me pretty much by myself growing up, so I've grown to adapt to being self-sufficient to a fault.
Anyway, what this has to do with my kids is that I need to knock it off. I know that if I continue of this path of not giving them quality time, and time to enjoy them for who they are will evaporate. Kids grow up and out of their parents anyway, but there is no reason why I shouldn't try to keep them close. It hasn't been easy lately, since Alex is getting combative and argumentative, and Zoe is passively defiant, and I feel like I have absolutely no control over what they do, and how I react. I'm sure it's just me refocusing my goal in life. This Videography thing has really thrown a wrench in my system, and I just need to get into a groove.
Sigh. I try with the kids, and I need to try harder. I don't want them to grow up and be like me. All anti-social and possessive of my time.
Easter Pics
Above is the slideshow of Easter 2007, they're scattered, but that's Twango for you. One of the photos is just of a car driving ahead of me, and since I was driving and didn't have my telephoto lens, I did the best I could and scaled the photo up for you.
Basically, the lady driver was wearing bunny ears, but since her ears were taller, she opened her sunroof to accomodate her detachable ears. Hmm. I worry about the world we live in.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Snazzy!
As you can see, I got my Nikon SB400 in the mail, and I was jumping around like a little boy. I told my wife that day that I needed a man in shorts to visit me, and she just looked at me like I said something homosexual. Wonder why. Anyway, as you can see, the photos above were taken with the flash bouncing off the ceiling, and every shot looks like a well-lit room, despite the fact the fact that it was dusk and the house was pretty dark. It's so awesome! In addition, I can now use my 18-55 lens indoors, because in the past I just didn't have enough light to make any good shots. I took some more but I'll upload them later. What a great speedlight. I even played with the continuous flash, and boy, I'm a happy little boy.
For those who might have noticed, Alex has bandages all over his face because he's got this obssessive habit of scratching his healing wounds, so they never seem to get better. We tried bandaging his fingers, but so far the band-aids seem to be doing the trick. Of course, they went out today and all the neighbors were telling him what cool bandaids he had, or in parent-speak, "What the hell do you let your kid do to himself?" I actually forgot about his face and took him to the playground - and he got a few looks. But don't worry, it's still the same old boy.
----
Finishing up another wedding, doing the compression right now so I have a slight excuse to be goofing around. I've been falling a little behind - just seems like there's never enough time in the day, does it?
----
Bundled up a lot of old toys to be sold on ebay. Seems like a waste to just toss them, and donating them is alright, I suppose. The little bit of extra change will help us, with all the phantom medical bills and all. Turns out that I still owe about 700 bucks on my tooth extraction, and this isn't including the 200 plus that I initially paid before the whole thing. I just the insurance company covered 90 percent, but there was a cap on the limit. So it's another chunk of change we don't have. Sigh. And then some of the medical bills that I thought was done with got up there again. We're making our premiums awfully fast this year.
----
Well, gotta go say hi to mom. Will post more pics later.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Sad Fool Who's Hopeful.
The Sad
I read a lot of news, mostly to keep myself informed with the world but mainly to look for things to do other than edit, and I come across some truly sad things. Everyday, CNN.com has at least one really depressing thing about a parent being a bastard to their children, or bad things happening to children. I imagine journalists do get jaded and callous because it's the only way to deal with all these everyday tragedies. Anyhow, it wasn't on CNN, but last night when I was stalling bedtime (yes, I procrastinate going to sleep too) I caught the tail end of "American Experience" on PBS, about David Vetter, a.k.a. Bubble Boy.
Now like most of my generation, I only know about "Bubble Boy" as a movie that John Travolta was in, and there was some stupid teen movie and was featured in Seinfeld. Didn't really think much of it, and I knew very little about it.
But after watching the documentary and also reading about it, I have to say that it's one of the saddest stories I've ever read. David being put into a sterile isolation 20 seconds after he's born because he had effectively, no immune system, and living in the plastic space for 12 years before a failed bone marrow transplant ultimately ravaged him with hundreds of cancer tumors. Reading about it was sad, but watching the documentary and seeing the photos of the poor boy, who looked polite but genuinely sad in the photos, and listening to all the people who have helped and watched over David, and even his Mom, whom only got to touch her son only once before his death, was just terribly sad. I couldn't imagine how any of them had cope with this for 12 long years, but the photos of David looking into the camera, resigned and sheepishly hopeful, has been lingering in my mind.
The Fool
Of course, today's April 1st and though I haven't played any pranks, I was a victim of one nonetheless. I admit, I was a little baffled at Google announcing their "Paper Archive" feature on their email, I have to say that I only bought it because I read it last night, not realizing that it was indeed April 1st, and that the cost of printing and mailing your documents was free due to ad placements on the copies. Why is that plausible? Because they offer so many cool features free anyhow, why not?
The Hopeful
I'm highly skeptical of anything I read today, and nothing on the web has confirmed this report, but it could be plausible... though likely not. Being such a big fan of Grand Theft Auto, it is a little bummer that the new GTA will premiere on 360 and PS3, and the spanking new trailer sure got my saliva going. It stated that because of the hardware limitations of the Wii, the port will be downgraded of course for the Wii. It isn't a rumor that Nintendo's Reggie has been courting Take-Two to bring over some GTA action, but right now it actually being on the Wii is just me hoping. It would be really cool if they did though.
I read a lot of news, mostly to keep myself informed with the world but mainly to look for things to do other than edit, and I come across some truly sad things. Everyday, CNN.com has at least one really depressing thing about a parent being a bastard to their children, or bad things happening to children. I imagine journalists do get jaded and callous because it's the only way to deal with all these everyday tragedies. Anyhow, it wasn't on CNN, but last night when I was stalling bedtime (yes, I procrastinate going to sleep too) I caught the tail end of "American Experience" on PBS, about David Vetter, a.k.a. Bubble Boy.
Now like most of my generation, I only know about "Bubble Boy" as a movie that John Travolta was in, and there was some stupid teen movie and was featured in Seinfeld. Didn't really think much of it, and I knew very little about it.
But after watching the documentary and also reading about it, I have to say that it's one of the saddest stories I've ever read. David being put into a sterile isolation 20 seconds after he's born because he had effectively, no immune system, and living in the plastic space for 12 years before a failed bone marrow transplant ultimately ravaged him with hundreds of cancer tumors. Reading about it was sad, but watching the documentary and seeing the photos of the poor boy, who looked polite but genuinely sad in the photos, and listening to all the people who have helped and watched over David, and even his Mom, whom only got to touch her son only once before his death, was just terribly sad. I couldn't imagine how any of them had cope with this for 12 long years, but the photos of David looking into the camera, resigned and sheepishly hopeful, has been lingering in my mind.
The Fool
Of course, today's April 1st and though I haven't played any pranks, I was a victim of one nonetheless. I admit, I was a little baffled at Google announcing their "Paper Archive" feature on their email, I have to say that I only bought it because I read it last night, not realizing that it was indeed April 1st, and that the cost of printing and mailing your documents was free due to ad placements on the copies. Why is that plausible? Because they offer so many cool features free anyhow, why not?
The Hopeful
I'm highly skeptical of anything I read today, and nothing on the web has confirmed this report, but it could be plausible... though likely not. Being such a big fan of Grand Theft Auto, it is a little bummer that the new GTA will premiere on 360 and PS3, and the spanking new trailer sure got my saliva going. It stated that because of the hardware limitations of the Wii, the port will be downgraded of course for the Wii. It isn't a rumor that Nintendo's Reggie has been courting Take-Two to bring over some GTA action, but right now it actually being on the Wii is just me hoping. It would be really cool if they did though.
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