Sunday, June 29, 2008

Stating the obvious

(I'm up late blogging because Better Off Dead is on TV...)

So Nicole and I were driving in Joplin today, and we passed by a fast food place called Taco Mayo. Well, it was a Taco Mayo, until they completely shut it down, removed the signs and boarded up the windows.

As we passed in front of the former taco restaurant, Nicole so astutely remarked, "Oh, no - I think they're closed!" You think?

We must have laughed at that for the next five solid minutes.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

According to the note, I am supposed to direct you to this site

Passive Aggressive Notes (Warning, some of these could be NSFW for language)

I find this collection of photos hilarious because I am exactly like one of these people! I'd rather leave a note for someone to read than talk to them about an issue. There's good reason for this - first, it can get the exact same message across to more than one person; also, when it's written, I can convey the message better than if I tried to convey it verbally.

I remember at one place I worked, people would always leave the single-occupancy men's room light and fan on. When the door was closed, it appeared from the outside as though someone was using the facilities. So if I needed to use that restroom, I'd either have to wait like a fool, because no one was ever coming out, or unnecessarily walk to the other end of the building. Finally I got so tired of wasting my time that I made and posted a sign on the bathroom wall that read:

THIS IS NOT A McDONALD'S!
PLEASE TURN OFF THE LIGHT WHEN YOU
ARE FINISHED IN THE BATHROOM!


And what do you know, people started turning off the light!

Dog for sale, cheap!


I could totally use this for a Movie Grab.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Thank goodness they don't have 'em for NBA games, especially last Tuesday

I find it hilarious that soccer (oh, excuse me, Nigel, I meant football) goals happen so infrequently in professional games that there are actual services set up to alert your cell phone (I mean, your mobile) when every goal is scored.

Do-it-yourself blog post

Anything you want to talk about. Here, I’ll leave you some space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, go ahead.

1 Talked Back:

At June 27, 2008 at 1:33:00 AM CDT, Blogger Jim said...

the freeway overhead signs at Springfield used to be:
"Buffalo" "Springfield"

It's not where the group got its name but it was always fun to see. Knowing MODOT, the two signs are now gone!

 

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Maybe there was a junior high school basketball game in the hall

It really stinks in the office today, kind of like a pile of gym shoes. I wonder what happens around here after hours??

Monday, June 16, 2008

Haven't blogged in a while...

...haven’t had a whole lot to say.

Nicole’s been working at youth camp (some last week, all of this week), and I am unable to stay the whole time she’s there. So, this week will have a lot of alone time. Which is okay to some degree – I think it’s healthy for everyone, even married people, to be able to have just a little bit of alone time once in a while – but it’s really quiet around the house when Nicole’s not there. No, I’m not saying she’s loud or noisy...it’s just that when she’s not there to talk with, there’s no point in talking when it’s just to myself (although I will talk to her on the phone, when she has a signal). I do get to go back up there tomorrow night and stay through Wednesday afternoon, so that will be good.

Speaking of camp, I was up there yesterday when a major storm blew over us – heavy, sideways rain and hail, tornado warnings, etc. The camp director, who built that camp there more than 40 years ago, said it was the worst storm he’d ever seen during camp. A tree blew over and destroyed much of one cabin. There wasn’t any obvious hail damage to the cars, but the storm did knock the power and water out all night long.

I tell you, living here’s definitely an adventure. The observation I’ve made is that around here, when it comes to rain, it’s all or nothing. Whereas in Oregon, there are so many different grades of rain, drizzle, showers, etc. Growing up, whenever I would see a movie or TV show that depicted lightning as constant and rapid, with nonstop flashing and thunder, I used to think it was ridiculous; because in my experience, lightning was always on the horizon, and it only struck every 15-30 seconds or so. But here in Tornado Alley, a thunderstorm is a sight to behold. It’s kind of like being hounded by paparazzi, with the constant flashes and noise, only less annoying. Most of the lightning never hits the ground, but just leaps between the clouds. I call it “cloud-on-cloud violence”.

1 Talked Back:

At June 24, 2008 at 11:58:00 PM CDT, Blogger Katie said...

Cool that Nicoles working at camp. I'm glad you got to go up for part of it. I have been thinking about you guys and hoping you are doing well. Come for a visit soon I miss ya.

 

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Saturday, June 07, 2008

Airbus A380 Delivery: In a Heart Beat Build

Now, normally I'd be all about Boeing, and I am, because it's a Northwest company (even though they moved to Chicago...I know). But I happened to find this really cool time-lapse video of workers assembling an Airbus A380.

If you happen to find a similar video of perhaps a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner being assembled, let me know. I'd love to see it. And post it.

1 Talked Back:

At June 12, 2008 at 11:13:00 AM CDT, Blogger Matt and Lori Graber said...

That was really neat, thanks for sharing! I tried to count the tires on it, but gave up. - Take care, Cousin Lori

 

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Friday, June 06, 2008

For the last time, I know about putting the cover on the TPS reports!!!!!!!

Russian Office Worker Rampage

(If there's any bad language in here, I wouldn't know, since it's not in English.)

1 Talked Back:

At June 6, 2008 at 10:53:00 AM CDT, Blogger Samuel John Klein said...

You know, I've heard about that video all week and that's the first time I've ever seen it.

I feel kind of sad now.

 

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Thursday, June 05, 2008

Food from hometowns old and new

Even though I’ve been living here in Carthage/Oronogo for more than a year and a half, I still find myself getting cravings for meals only found in Portland and the Portland area. Earlier this week I really wanted a Dagwood sub from Sandwich Depot (NE 57th & Glisan), and today, it’s a Honkin’ Huge Burrito from Shelly’s Garden (Pioneer Square kiosk) I long for. Sometimes I wish I was feasting the rib-eye teriyaki combination from Du’s in Gladstone; other times it’s a Chicken BLT burrito and cheesy tots from Taco Time (the closest store is in Fort Worth, TX); an Ultimo Burrito or Baja Ensalada from Baja Fresh (there’s one in Dallas); or a Pepper Bacon Tillamook Cheeseburger from inconveniently located Burgerville.

But that’s not to say that there aren’t great places to eat at here. One of my favorite places here is Mucho Mexico in Webb City. It’s a Mexican buffet that features some items I’d never find on any restaurant’s regular menu. I also love the generous-sized cheeseburgers from Iggy’s Diner in Carthage. Johnny Carino’s on Range Line Rd. in Joplin has several unbelievably good dishes, as does The Red Onion on Main Street. Pizza by Stout, also on Range Line, makes a really good pizza, and it has an incredibly varied buffet on Sundays. And of course, there’s just not enough that can be said about Wings ‘n’ More on 7th St., which I believe is technically in Duenweg (though it might as well be in Joplin); garlic-pepper boneless wings just don’t get any better than theirs.

Oh, have I mentioned that it’s almost lunchtime?

(In case you’re interested, tonight I’ll try to add links for all the places I’ve mentioned in this post.)

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Playing Eanie Meany with the music

I’m listening to Jim Noir’s album Tower of Love yet again, and today I have made a hilarious discovery.

Up until now, when I’ve listened to the iPod at work, I’ve always had only one headphone in – on the right side, so I can better hear phones ringing to the left of me. Because of this, I’ve (obviously) been listening only to the right channel of the music – but Noir’s songs have a lot of elements that are only on one side or the other. There were two or three songs that I usually skipped over because they only sounded like monotonous instrumentals that went on far too long.

Today, I decided to pop in the left headphone instead. And I’m telling you, it’s like listening to a whole bunch of new songs! Those monotonous instrumentals? Turns out the vocal tracks and some of the percussion are on the left channel. It changes everything.

Man, I love this album!

It all makes sense now - precisely!

Now I get it – the whole reason why Hill Valley’s public square and clock tower are upgraded before Doc Brown and Marty McFly’s arrival in 2015 is because of a major fire in 2008.

1 Talked Back:

At June 6, 2008 at 10:10:00 PM CDT, Blogger Jim said...

maybe that's who started the fire, there were flames in the street

 

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Sunday, June 01, 2008

The moment when America began its descent into moral bankruptcy

It was when the jingle went from:

"I am stuck on Band-Aid,
'Cause Band-Aid's stuck on me."


To:

"I am stuck on Band-Aid brand,
'Cause Band-Aid's stuck on me."


1 Talked Back:

At June 6, 2008 at 10:12:00 PM CDT, Blogger Jim said...

focus group

 

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