8794 –

Dinner with BHK and Cyn after watching Cyn do ink on a client’s ankle – Mardi Gras mask and beads. It was very pretty—lots of greens and peacock feathers. Afterward, we went to the Mexico restaurant and got some yummy foodies.


DSCN4530
Probably my fave (or at least in my top 3) blooming trees right now… weeping cherry.


1 year ago – payday, mortgage day, cases run at last minute, sams, first pic of newt with new cam, grumpy newt pic

2 years ago – collections, sick call excuse, palm doodles of ape-o-naut and we’re ants guy, famous monkeys through history, fatcats, newt pic, lost seeding, cell phone abuse, vampires taste like corn, poop thief, doctor vs cop

3 years ago – sensory experiment, propeller island lodge, privacy/recording laws, newsmap, viral spam

4 years ago – insider trading time traveler, gigs

5 years ago – nice morning, honey, clowns, bentons, google bombs, methadone to wean criminals *on* to heroin, interest index, radioactive beans, Chuck Heston

6 years ago – No-nose’s gf, hanging out with bro, new pooterGeotargetVisitor Map

8792 – 0330071022.jpg


0330071022.jpg, originally uploaded by scottobear.

the view from my desk – calvert county courthouse. bonus today… bake sale out front! brownie with lunch and pound cake for dessert tonight! ( off to the left is where bhk and I were wed.)

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8790

Nice crew here at the County – working in the courthouse annex for the last week or so has been nothing but pleasant. Broad variety of issues and concerns, from migrating systems from 2000 to XP to major server concerns. Calvert is blessed to have so many skilled employees in the tech department. There are some politics, but those follow in any place with more than 5 workers. The department as a whole seems quite cohesive, and able to run as a pack. Additionally, it’s a pleasant surprise to see it pretty balanced gender-wise. Most of the tech-rooms I’ve been in have been either heavily male-centric locker rooms, or a mostly female-type library environment. The more balanced, the better it seems to me.

Since I’m temping, I don’t have a lot of security access or the like – my primary duties are getting the phone and setting up service tickets, since I’m still not totally in the loop regarding policy and can’t change many things from my end. I have, however managed to be useful, in addition to doing the standard help desk stuff like talking people through navigation on the file server, power user stuff like outlook or excel questions, and imaging drives for new machines. I would really like to see this gig change to a more permanent position, but that may or may not be happening, depending on what the county wants or needs.

One of the people over in GIS made a comment about snatching me up, too, so there is a possibility of a paradigm shift, I suppose. Mapping software is something I have a knack at, so I figure I could be of utility there.

This gig came at a good time… my savings were getting close to the depletion point, and it’s nice to have the ability to pay the basics off every month, and even maybe recover some a bit.

I have Good Friday off, and maybe that weekend will be a good time to go with BHK to Washington , DC for the cherry blossom festival. (http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org ) I’m way overdue to donate blood, too. Maybe a trip to the Red Cross can happen then, as well. I’d prefer to give platelets, but if I can only do whole blood, that’s fine. I missed the blood drive last weekend due to my cough and my back, and it’d been nagging at me for a while.


St Marys College Campus, originally uploaded by garyfgarcia.

Spring has really Sprung here… I’m used to evergreen Florida , but the shock of things coming back to life really drives the contrast here after a season of winter. There are all sorts of things flowering already – white popcorn-type trees, pink and yellows dotting here and there amongst the yellow-green of fresh shoots and leaves beginning to show. There are still a ton of bare branches out and about, but the blooms are just making things look so awake and alive.

BHK has gotten a real fascination with reality TV in recent months – America ’s top model, American idol, my sweet 16 and that pussycat club thing (I enjoy watching American idol with a group, primarily due to the social factor – I’m not as concerned about the outcome as I am the comparisons and discussion about it). My preferences are more in line with House and The Riches, though the 2nd episode wasn’t as good as the first. Dresden Files is surprisingly entertaining to me too, so far. I’m looking forward to new episodes of Venture Brothers and Hyperdrive – I’m hoping the next season of Dr. Who is better than the last. Heroes, I’m waiting to watch a season at a time, and I tried 24 again, but it wasn’t my thing. Polished off Police Squad on my PSP at lunchtime at work, so my next series in hand will be Red Dwarf and Invader Zim. (I still have the Incredibles on the memory card to fill the little Zefrank synch void left behind. I’m getting better at PSP’s Grand Theft Auto – Liberty City Stories, too.

My time on the Emergency preparedness committee hasn’t been as fruitful as I’d hoped. I fear that for it to be effective, I may have to take charge of it. I really just wanted to be on a team, but if I have to take the bull by the horns, I will. I’d like to plan out an evacuation strategy for North Beach, including how to contact as many people as possible – I’m going to try to push CodeRED notifications through for that, in addition to emails. It’ll cost the city about $5000 a year, but it’d be well worth it. I wonder how much it costs the city to put up a Stop sign, for usefulness comparison.

Newton and Pye are getting along pretty darn good these days… my only complaint is that Pye picks on Newt while he’s trying to eat or use the little box… both of which should be safe zones. Newt is still a bit hissy with Pye, too… it can be hard to tell when he’s playing and when he’s really POed.

Adam’s now on the Tennis team. From what I’ve seen, he’s a great athlete, but really needs to practice in the Tennis Department. Jimmy’s playing too, but I missed seeing his stuff. On the romance front, it seems that Adam and Kendall are going to prom together as ‘more than just friends’.

In-laws are going to Salem next week to work on the house… I wonder if BHK is going to want to visit them there at all for Easter? Tina is planning an Easter dinner with BHK and me, but that’s all I know so far on that front. I’d like to check out the dawn services just to see what North Beach ’s congregation looks like compared to Fort Lauderdale … plus, I do enjoy seeing the sun come up over the bay.


1 year ago – code template, interest cloud, pda cam dies, p&B in german, song tapper, bus on fire doodle

2 years ago – easter manatee, complimented, server/servant, spliced people, germs

3 years ago – Lj then and now (I spend less time now), bro, ice cream cake, Smokey & the Bandit

4 years ago – bro got me some Godzilla movies at the gift store up the road.

5 years ago – minority report poll, breakfast with Danny, grabber rabbit meme spreads, Words describing animal traits, Ketchup packet bear, Klaatu’s speech, scary dream, link-to poll

6 years ago – babelizer, mushy-feelings, book-burningGeotargetVisitor Map

8788

Back is *much* better this morning, and this afternoons hearing went quite well, too. I should know the results in about 2 weeks. I should be ok to go back to work at the county gig first thing tomorrow morning.


BHK is still a little sickies, but not as bad as this morning. I think she’ll be ship shape soon, too.


Squirrel in the back yard


Death threats against bloggers are NOT protected speech (why I cancelled my ETech presentations) (pretty disturbing stuff)


1 year ago – V movie, political ramble / revolution, boca/popular comics, pictures from walkabout, newt playing fetch pics

2 years ago – Easter, Deadbolt, Danny recap, K, piccies, personality test, heard from everway gamers, kitties video, walking octopus, waterbus

3 years ago – Procrastination, Henchman, search warrants/LA, booger eaters, vacuum cleaners, Brian Blessed, heroclix, zombie pinups

4 years ago – jkg, TAG, souls, Bahá’í, soul & body, leaving FMM

5 years ago – dream, dented the door with my mitt, sleepy and grumpy, how I sleep w/newt, small hands=rude, army men, Dan Bfast, lab grown meat, dali museum, secret fun spot, 2 dead celebs

6 years ago – lj bump, baby newt pic, one ring, mush, thebot, palm art, John DenverGeotargetVisitor Map

8787 –

Back is a bit better today… I think that I just pulled a muscle, thank goodness. A few pain spikes during the day, but nothing totally debilitating. I should have no problem by tomorrow afternoon. BHK is on the wost part of her cold… Hopefully she’ll mend up quickly under Dr. Scotto as I did under her care.


Pics from BHK and my driveabout on Saturday – Lookout point in Maryland
confederate monumentLookout point barnlookout point - crab traps, and a possumlookout point  - foggylookout point - beach


1 year ago – made a couple of bucks, Hero dial, tree zoo, ladybug, shin splints, quizzes

2 years ago – danny visit, moskau, balloon wizard doodle, slugbaby snowsuits, Jarvis Sow Bung System Model VC -for the cutting out of sow bungs, Caffeine contents per serving, coconut bonk, taser rick Sanchez, famous homosexual quiz, Jesus-scented candles, finger-wendy’s

3 years ago – Newtie-reaper, policy almanac, GP&K coming to town, Parkland cops bad, cargo ship aground, wandering piccies

4 years ago – Sickies, schoolhouse rock, bro dating

5 years ago – hydrant, alton brown, Halle Barry Freakout, weird emma, annoying cabbie, aa, tcup, Disney/Dali

6 years ago – plh, grumpy at boss, maple cologne, slackerjack, treatsGeotargetVisitor Map

8785 –

Taking it slow and easy today – back got pretty bad last night, but dr bhk and the nurse-kitties set me to feeling better this morning. Watching movies and internetting are about all I’m up to doing today.

I wonder how much of my cough is from springtime? The plum trees, japanese magnolia (I think) and willows are all ready to rock and roll. BHK brought me some flower seeds for our garden out back.


I just remembered… the best part of 300 was a preview for HOT FUZZ. – it looks great.


Found out bro is living with the girl who sent him to jail, and lied in court to cover her butt. He’s been behaving quite badly since he got out, and I suspect he’ll be back in before we know it. (he got a year’s probation, narrowly dodging 3-5 years in the clink)


Obligatory Kitty-pictures, and a shared sponge bob ice cream bar with BHK.

newtsunbeampyeslacking
tigger lounges at inlawsspongebobpop


1 year ago – porch entry, newtcam pic, consulting work, zeppelin hotels, hornsuit

2 years ago – dr who leaks out, tree, death as a doodle, in the news, tmbg-bloodmobile, missing a brown-eyed girl, squirrel names, pirate vote

3 years ago – playing with icons, palm doodles, magical flesh fearing saw, bro still in the pokey

4 years ago – throat tickle, possible gig, FMM stuff

5 years ago – yahoo kills pop3, Can Asians Think?, llamas!, spring break, Egyptian musk, cat-recognition flap, rice dreams

6 years ago – Green Eggs & Hamlet, moody, China, Sophomore Uses List Context; Cops Interrogate

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8784 – fresh Haircut

run forrest!

Run, Forrest!

A bit shorter than I’d planned, but I think it looks ok. certainly good in the warmer weather that’s coming. Spring has pretty much sprung. Green shoots are coming out of trees everywhere. (Not to mention a lot of pink and white buds on plant life, as well.)

Not sure about the cause, but I’ve been coughing today… to add injury to insult, I coughed so hard that I threw out my lower back. Walking is a bit of a chore… we went to the Amish Market but I wasn’t up for a long trek through uneven terrain, so we went on a driving tour instead in the love cube (after BHK picked up a shoofly pie from one of the vendors). BHK’s got a little ickies chasing her down, too.

Swung by Arizona Pizza for a later din-din with Tina, but between my ickies, and the general food quality of the place – not much was consumed by me. The visual ambience and smells were fantastic.. maybe it just takes a better server and/or ordering something different from the menu next time.


1 year ago – funnel clouds, nice gabbing, alligators door-to-door, you go to my head, black and white 2, v for vendetta, musical meme

2 years ago – readablog, banksy, laughing boy audio, pictures, birth chart

3 years ago – condo falls through, lj being bad, GIMP, AIM games, chimp mask, first remarked on how the Roanoke/Lumbee entry is still active, origin poll, Calliope fest

4 years ago – cool chemical reactions, pronunciation query, gael returns , a pic of newt

5 years ago – Happy chats, urban ruins links, some website renewal ideas, old icons

6 years ago – Baron Munchausen, computer needs fixifying, Coconut song, Oscar Picks, Crayola Crayon color time line

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8783- 300. what-ev’.

Sooo… I saw 300 with BHK and Tina.

Long story short – I was bored by the movie.

It was a gladiator movie with some nifty visuals… but I feel that maybe I should’ve read the comic first for more appreciation of transfer of scenes to film.

Not sure what I was expecting, but I really got a general sense of ho-hum from the whole thing… I wasn’t engaged at all by the story. Some nifty phalanx action, but that’s about it. I can’t get into the high speed / slow mo combat stylings.

Had supper at Chevy’s – they serve a mountian of food. Not bad, though the Mexico has a better selection of veggie options.


1 year ago – six comments per entry, dark organic secrets, working rocket boots, no ‘e’s, hurricane names, ape & kitty,

2 years ago – superhero idea, prvt brokentoy on pavement, bandwidth pull, eclipse, DOJ presentation, Digicam RIP

3 years ago – Bubba Ho-Tep, Bro info, RI annoying

4 years ago – Season poll, spring rains

5 years ago – Newtie Mer, grabby bunny, text-m’s, Pirate disfigurement poll, clever robber, outside reading sources online

6 years ago – sql, free pulp novels online

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8786 – went unentered, due to back issues.

Very fruitful day – Haircut, dinner with the in-laws, and BHK was a real trouper by helping out so much with all of my things to do.

some Local Color –

littleshop-disabledkites


1 year ago – time distortion, senior kitties, shleep, movie meme, acim worker overview

2 years ago – Calimocho, escort crazy man (with sound files), netflix slacking, LEACH

3 years ago – morning has broken, weak Spanish knowledge, Wondering about JTD, winged sandals, Kenya, free movies legit, robo-predators, word count, 2! 2! undead movies nearby

4 years ago – Bro pissing me off, haiku, bro meets porn stars.

5 years ago – pen refill dream, baby llamas

6 years ago – cool weather, my 1376th post, talked to ckirk, ornj, and Devil-troll ticks me offGeotargetVisitor Map

8782 –

Work for the county was pretty keen on the first day – nice folks there. Help desk duties are pretty simple and straightforward – image laptops, XP transitioning, phone and online support, so far.

On the second day, it was primarily imaging desktops and laptops for the police department, punctuated by telephone help-desk stuff… all very straightforward.

I like the people I work with, ad would enjoy a full-time gig with that crew. I’m pleasantly surprised to see an even mix of the sexes, with some marrieds… very different than the all guy network rooms or all female non-profit agencies.


BHK got us macaroons from the Cakery! oh, yum, yum yum. Cookie Monster knows his stuff when he claims them as his favorite cookie. when done right, they are a bit o’ heaven… and those guys make ’em right.


Apple CEO Steve Jobs has written an interesting essay, “Thoughts on Music“,in which he explains why Apple has refused to license its FairPlay DRM scheme, and calls out to the music industry to end copy protection.Jobs also points out that the vast amount of music on iPods is DRM-unencumbered, and argues that the 3% of music on iPods which is DRM-encumbered is hardly enough to lock users into the iPod platform.

It will be interesting to see the fallout from this essay, both from the music industry (which has recently shown signs of re-thinking DRM), and the European countries like Norway, which has declared Apple’s DRM illegal.


Looks like spore is still on schedule! I’m really looking forward to it.


1 year ago – sleepyhead, ren-festige, Chacarron again, comic-book picture, condo commando, network named elements, Sandra Day O’Connor comments on right-wingers, star wars concept pics, don’t walk through words, political profile quiz

2 years ago – Fragments, Chatted a cutie, BEAR TRAP/ PUNCH!, homeopathy=placebo, ref desk, giant sea monkeys, walkabout pics, rhemish, Parallel Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

3 years ago – local search sillies, copyright disclaimer, zombie minis, missed bro

4 years ago – palm pic, whiskerliscious-fuzzy-paw newt-pic, cat eaters, the coffee song, interviewed @ starmark

5 years ago – radiology, reading lensmen books, riker in trouble for DVDing, corpse Tupperware, Elisabeth, and a bunch of dead links.

6 years ago – IMT politics, and so onGeotargetVisitor Map

8781

Try #2 at the temp gig – second verse, different than the first, I hope. An interview at St Mary’s College as the web-guy on Thursday, too!


BHK and I made up for lost time yesterday and picked up a few work clothes, and stumbled over one of her ex-employees from about a decade ago. Fun to compare BHK’s bookstore past to my own…she and I have had a lot of parallel development over the last decade and a half (or so) – not to mention the vast divergence in said development, too. Environment / Nature comes up with a few unusual branches there… more to follow when I’m not bolting out the door.


via jwz

A Conversation at the Grownup Table, as Imagined at the Kids’ Table

MOM: Pass the wine, please. I want to become crazy.
DAD: O.K.
GRANDMOTHER: Did you see the politics? It made me angry.
DAD: Me, too. When it was over, I had sex.
UNCLE: I’m having sex right now.
DAD: We all are.


This entry keeps attracting porn-spammers in the comments. Not sure what’s setting it off, but I’ve gotten more than a few over the last 5 months or so there. Screened, so the linkage won’t be shared, but it is odd. I wonder that keywords are setting off the bots? Gilmore?


1 year ago – rebis picture, deaf language, chacarron, math, phallic removal, open source, fake cigs as meds, prisoner comic book

2 years ago – Brady Kids welcome the equinox, shamrock shake, cosmic truth, mp3s,experimental gameplay, get your tasty hot sweet potatoes in Japanese,teen kidnappers, good advice, invisible mermaid airfare

3 years ago – openoffice, Visited w Dan, open door poll, people of worth

4 years ago – Al gore, Blue’s clues, Cranky Finn

5 years ago – Spring!, Socks, overturned issues, Linda let go from FMM, LJ directory, cool picture link

6 years ago – walkies, 2 chris-sites, both have long since been left dormant, lj brokenGeotargetVisitor Map