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Is anybody still out there? I'm trying to decide if I should revive this thing, but only if anybody cares. Unlike many bloggers, I don't write this for me... but for you.

So?

Anbody out there?

GL

This post is GUARANTEED to HELP you (some day) !!!

Recently I lost my cel phone. This was extra-frustrating because 1) It was a gift from my wife; and 2) this was the second such celphone-gift from my wife that I had misplaced. Obviously, the first one never turned up.

I was lucky this time. I re-traced my steps and found it at the IHOP where I'd had lunch, and had apparently left it on the table or it had fallen out of my pocket.

I will do everything in my power to not let this happen a third time, as it was a very depressing couple of days while I wracked (racked?) my brain trying to figure out where I possibly could have left it.

SO - to that end, I finally got around to implementing a plan I had concocted some time ago - adhering my home phone # to my cel phone so if anyone found it, they would have a way to let me know.

The execution was fairly simple - open up a word processing document, pick a very small font size (I used 7 pt) and type "If found, please call (my number)". I then printed this, cut it out, put a piece of tape over it, trimmed it down and taped it onto the back of my phone, where it wouldn't interfere with the general aesthetic, but was still plainly visible. I liked it so much that I did my wife's phone as well, and even taped a much shorter message - "Found? (phone #)" onto the main key on each of our key rings.

Extremely simply, right? Most of you will probably think this is a fine idea, and will tell yourself you should do it. But most of you won't get around to it, and eventually you'll lose something and KICK yourself for not doing this. I realize that this plan depends on the kindness of others, but at least you've given yourself a chance. So PLEASE, for the love of all things holy, do this simple task RIGHT NOW. I'm not preaching - just trying to communicate how I felt during those couple of days - and how much I wished I had already done it!

Any alternate or other suggestions re: helpful hints are encouraged and appreciated!!!

Wintergreen - ugh.

Of all the mints, none of which I particularly like, I believe Wintergreen is the yukkiest.

Of course, I post this to create a swarm of controversy, pitting those who agree with me against those who love mint varities, including but not limited to Wintergreen.

Let the games begin!

More Comment (or, let's talk about Camping)

Thanks to one and all for the 22+ comments my latest post received. I'm overwhelmed. I'm also interested - which was the one thing keeping me from posting long ago. I find myself returning several times a day to see who's posted what (I don't set the feature that auto-emails me when I get posts else I'd get NO work done).

So - in order to keep people from having to go to the bottom of the old post - let's continue here.

Topic of the day: CAMPING!

As previously noted, we've begun camping and I imagine will do more of it throughout the summer and now on. Some have already expressed disinterest in the ... sport? hobby? pasttime, and I'm interested why. Was it Raza who said that he lives rurally enough to NEVER need to camp? And yet - do you cook your entire meal over an outdoor stove? Or sleep outside so you can hear the sounds of nature all night long? Or start a fire that you can poke and prod and watch and cook s'mores over? These are just a few of the things I realized I really missed about it. And to me they have little to do with where you live, but rather WHAT you do there. And about leaving one's comfort zone to try a completely new thing. And about hotdogs cooked outside, as nature meant them to be.

In any event - I'm interested - your best/worst/notable camping experiences? Can any of our California readers recommend their favorite camp spots? What are you top 5 most important camping tools/gear/supplies (excepting the obvious). What are your favorite camp recipes? Is there ANYthing about camping that you think we should know?

Junior issue #1: I wonder if Scott reads my Blog?

Junior issue #2: I have decided I don't like Macadamia nuts. I thought I did, but now, I don't think I do.

Junior issue #3: Is "t" Tritia?

Junior issue #4: I wonder how many people Blog because they are bored with their jobs?

In Order to Get Noticed...

I was a marketing major. I believe I know a lot about what people like, and what sells. Therefore, one would think that I should be able to attract attention to my Blog. The comments that I would then receive would probably cause me to be better about posting. And then I'd get more comments. And so on, and so on, and so on.

Therefore, I will post a number of blurbs about things that interest me, and hopefully this thing has some kind of search service to help other people who are interested in those things find me.

1. Dungeons and Dragons - I've always loved the concept of the game, though I've had mixed playing results. 99% of my experience was in high school, where I had an excellent dungeon master but unfortunately, the guys who became part of our game were mostly lame-os who basically just wanted to stomp around and kill everything that moved. Recently my nephew has begun to play D&D 3.5, with which I have no familiarity, though I can't imagine that the basic concepts have changed. Further, my brother Doug has begun to fancy himself as a DM, and after playing one short round, I know he has the ability and knack for it - (IF HE'D EVER PLAY)! I think there is a real art to making this game fun, and most who consider it for nerds or geeks only have either: a) not played, or b) not played with a DM or group who are any good at it.

2. Heroclix - this hobby bit me on the ass and held on for dear life. I have all the "nons" and probably 75% of the Uniques, with about 40% of the Limited Editions. I'm already tired of it (as a game, I don't find it very fun, and as a hobby, it's frustrating because the company is trying SOOO hard to make money that it's nearly impossible to be a mega-collector. So my choices are several - wait for a few years to see what happens, or sell everything but the Uniques, which are the ones I'm really into, and try for that whole set, or just get out altogether (unlikely). We'll see.

3. Comic books - now this I love. I was an avid collector in high school, then have collected sporadically since, with a currently nice-sized collection of about 5000 or so. This is my favorite hobby because I have a consignment service that I trade with, so when I'm tired of collecting a title, I can send them all in and basically get credit on other comics.

4. Video games - Probably the hobby I can most count on for true entertainment. However, when I met my wife, video games were the first time-waster to go - she's not into them, so it's not something I want to play when she's around. Other times, like before she wakes up, etc., I could play, but they're usually too loud (who wants to play with the volume down, or with headphones? not me). To further complicate matters, my PS2 bit it a while back so I don't play that at all. I do play an occasional PC game (strategy games like Warcraft and such are my faves - sometimes I enjoy first person shooters like Quake, but no interest at all in the latest craze - the "reality games" like Worlds of Warcraft, the Sims, etc. Don't like driving games, either.) We'll see where this ends up when the PS3 comes out...

5. Camping - as a boy scout, I thought I'd had my fill, but have recently been camping with my wife, who loves it, and this will probably be our next big thing. I love the "nature" part of it, as well as the solitude.

6. Photography - I've always been a shutter-bug, and that tripled with digital cameras. Now I'm looking for the next step - a digital camera with the bells and whistles of a SLR with a really nice zoom and powerful flash.

7. Music - as in building the perfect collection. Thanks to the IPOD my wife gave me, I'm constantly working on building the ultimate mini-jukebox. This is probably my most fulfilling hobby.

8. Sex. Hey - sex sells! Remember - marketing major? I'll be interested to see what kind of hits I get if I put sex in my blog with a great level of frequency. Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex. Sexy, Sexist, Sex-mobile! Ok, enough of that.

All right - I guess I need to stop playing Blogger and get back to work - the thing that allows me to enjoy so many hobbies. However, before I go, I cannot neglect to mention (although already briefly alluded to in #s 4, 5, 7 and 8) my ultimate favorite hobby - my wife Cindy - and specifically, making her smile.

Let the commenting begin!

I'm baaaaaaaaaack...

Ok, maybe just temporarily. I saw on Doug's Blog that I was now considered "inactive" and that simply will not do!

So what do you need to know about me since 9/04? Hmmmm...

I still have the same wonderful wife. She is the light of my life.
I still have the same great kitties. They are amazing.
I still have the same terrific families. We're moving the grandparents this weekend.
I still have the same great job. It's a good time because I'm caught up.
I still live in the same crappy apartment. We're househunting like fiends.

I've discovered that I like Fuddrucker's burgers.
I don't collect Heroclix much anymore, but still collect comic books.
I've rediscovered my enjoyment of printing and framing photos I've taken.

Today is my mom's and kitty Abby's birthdays.

Today my bro Scott is at E3 and I'm VERY jealous.

I could blah on forever, but let's just say - i'm glad to be back!

Birthday

Friday was my birthday!

The festivities actually started on Thursday, with a phone call from Auntie Peg and Clay singing the birthday song. On Friday, I got emails/IMs/phone calls from Mom & Dad, Tracy, Kelly, Amy, Christopher, Cindy's Mom, Chris, Doug & Tritia & Scott (hope I didn't forget anyone).

Cindy of course made my birthday wonderful. I had asked for dinner at a place with a large selection, and seafood. She took me to Griff's in the Beverly Hilton, which fit the bill to a T. I even got the birthday song sung to me ... "Happy Birthday, NICE MAN...". My presents were three framed pics of us from our wedding (beautiful - they're in my office now), a shower mirror (really wanted this for a long time) and an Oxygenics showerhead that is WONDERFUL.

The holiday weekend was long and relaxing. We saw "Garden State" which I highly recommend if you just want to see a sweet story. We immediately went out and bought the soundtrack. Sunday we had my Bubble Birthday (at the Muratas), where I got to pick dinner (Short ribs, baked beans, corn, salad and rolls), the music (the aforementioned soundtrack), I got a delicious chocolate cake and ice cream, and I got more presents (a Circuit City gift card from Mom/Dad, which I used to get the 20th Century edition of Trivial Pursuit), a beautiful Niagra Falls pen set from Chris/Gordon, an Activision classic games Gameboy cartridge from Doug/Tritia, and a hilarious bawdy squeeze toy from Scott. Cindy surprised me with another gift - a set of pretty coasters, each with a gorgeous pic of her in it!

All in all, 39 was incredibly easy, especially with all the love that surrounded me. Thanks!!!

Recriminations

The thing you don't realize about these Blog things is that they are FOREVER! (ok, they're editable, but that's not really fair, is it?)

Yesterday I posted a comment to B-i-L Doug's Blog (I wish I knew how to link to the comment here - Doug?) and mentioned something about "putting up" with my wife. YIKES! That didn't go over well, let me tell you. I assumed that she is 100% comfortable and confident with my love for her and that she is completely cognizent of the fact that my life didn't really begin until I met her.

Well, I still believe that to be true, but in retrospect, that wasn't really the point. I think she was upset because the posting that went out to the universe (or at least the universe of those who read D's blog) simply saw my first and only (thus far) mention of my wife in a negative light. It was supposed to be funny - in fact, it was crass and uncaring.

I guess the point is - you can never be too sensitive when it comes to the ones you truly love. Callousness and disinterest can be saved for all them OTHER peoples - the ones that pass you on the street without saying "Howdy," or that give dirty looks or give you the middle finger salute when you change lanes in front of them. However, whether in print, or in person, or otherwise, your loved ones deserve every consideration.

I'm sorry honey. "Putting up" with you has been the best thing that ever happened to me.