Insignifica

Best of Weekends, Game Night, Shootings and God, Hair, Steak Tonight, Friday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:47:13 GMT

Happy Friday! I love me a quick week.

Picture of the day!

Banana cream pie. Delicious stuff.

End of the week, payday, and surprise 3rd quarter bonus day. Steak tonight!

Shaved to my standard goatee, but I'm still rockin' more of a 'stache than a beard. I don't wanna look like a cop, honest.

It's sad, but I'm always surprised there aren't more mass killings with firearms in this country - one dude just has to go a little bit crazy and find a crowd. Also: I'm tired of elected officials telling me to pray for families. I'm sure most are just saying it out of habit/kindness, but if you believe in a god that can help these families, you also believe in the god that allowed this to happen. Seriously, you guys.

I realize the holidays are upon us, but I think we're long overdue for a game night. I like me some Trivial Pursuit, personally. I think a babysitter would be a pretty good option, too...

Anyway, it's Friday, and I wish you the best of weekends. Seeya Monday!

Enjoy!, Shaving, Cockeyed.com, Holiday Cooking, DST Fishbowl, Feelin' Good, Thursday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:23:43 GMT

Happy Thursday!

Picture of the day!

Well-dressed monster child.

Feelin' pretty good this morning, allergies aside.

I realized again this week that Daylight Saving Time means my office turns into a fishbowl for the last couple hours of my shift - everyone can see in. Thank goodness for blinds.

I'm getting excited about holiday cooking. Not just sweet treats, but roasted things, and slow-cooked things, and all the warming foods that just don't sound as appetizing when it's 95 degrees outside. I love me some Autumn.

If you're a fan of Halloween like I am, check out Rob Cockerham's costume construction story for this year.

I haven't shaved since shaving everything but my mustache for Halloween. I look strange, and am learning that my goatee hair grows me slowly than the rest of my beard. WTF?

That's it for today. Enjoy!

That's All, Same-Sex Marriage, Good Days, Weird Weather, Schedule, Morning, Wednesday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:05:31 GMT

Wednesday!

Picture of the day!

Steampunk Ken.

Weird morning - Katie woke up zombie-style, totally not there. She then fell back to sleep, and woke up otherwise normal. Given the prevalence of sleepwalking, etc. in the Girlfriend's family, we're thinking that's all it is.

My weird morning meant a weird schedule, but now I'm at work. Weather's weird too - kinda cool, but cloudy and muggy-looking. Crazy Smarch weather.

On the upside, quite a few friends had facebook/twitter updates today saying how good their days are going. That's a bit unusual, and pretty awesome.

Looks like other states have just as much hate as California in terms of giving gays the right to marry. It's time to get rid of marriage for everyone if it's not open to everyone - let the churches do as they will, but the state should only offer civil unions.

That's all I got. what's happening?

Project, Catalogs, November, Sick, Tuesday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:22:32 GMT

Happy Tuesday!

Picture of the day!

Captain Crunch Cupcakes. They were awesome as long as you ate the crunch berries within an hour of them being applied. I made them for Chris' "Make something with a "c" name" birthday event.

Could it be that I have a new cold? Did the old one come back? I'm tight in the chest, sniffly, and feel a bit run down. I hate cold/flu season.

I'm having trouble believing it's already November - I know we've had Halloween, but still, the year is almost over!

Someone apparently told various catalog retailers that I'm the boss, so I've been getting corporate gift-giving catalogs all week. I find this very strange.

Halloween's over - I need a project. Thanksgiving is yummy but boring, and I'm not ready for Christmas. What's happening out there?

What's Up, 65,536, Terrible Twos, Funny Bits, Party, Halloween Recap, Monday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:48:02 GMT

Happy Monday!

Picture of the day!

Colonel Sanders. Many, many more pictures to come. If you and I were at the same event, send your pictures to me!

Halloween was pretty awesome, and while I didn't get everything done that I wanted to, there was a lot that went just right. Got to see a lot of friends. I found the mystical white suit in a Halloween store, living life previously as a plus-size disco outfit. There were some China restrictions that went out the window, but I'll pay them back three times in donations to appropriate charities.

The party was the perfect size, very mellow, and even after having a crazy week beforehand, went off very smoothly. Great to see so many people dressing up in theme - it'd be nice to do a theme costume party on a non-Halloween event - it'd be a hoot.

Funny bits: After picking up Katie at my mom's house, she woke up, and stayed up until 4am old time (3am new time). That was a funky evening. Also, due to costume issues, I'm now rockin' a 'stache.

In other news, I'm back at work. I'm sniffly, but that seems to be seasonal, not viral. Katie's much better, but still with all the annoyances of being three (those "terrible twos" you hear about really run from about 18 months til at least 3 1/2 years).

Saturday night, my car passed 65,536 miles (no picture, was driving) - very possibly the last power of 2 mileage it'll see.

What's up, my friends? How was Halloween?

Since I'm Here, Halloweening, Insurance, Friday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:51:52 GMT

Happy Friday!

Picture of the day!

The Girlfriend and me, last Halloween.

You know, it sucks when the car insurance people don't get your payment, and instead of calling to let you know, they just let your policy expire. That's great.

The above snafu has delayed my day, but I'll drop off the kid at daycare in a few and be on my way - to my allergist appointment. Then I can get some Halloweening done for real.

Since I'm here anyway, I'll take the opportunity to wish you a happy Halloween - it's the greatest holiday of the year - enjoy it! Also: What are you dressing up as? The world needs to know!

Off Tomorrow, No Suit, Cold, Katie, Thursday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:50:05 GMT

Happy Thursday!

Picture of the day!

Joe and Katie, Halloween 2002.

Busy day already, and it's early. Katie seems to be feeling pretty good, though she's definitely still got a cold. She did sleep through the night relatively cough-free, though, which is a huge improvement.

Speaking of cold, wow - it's chilly out there. Mid 40s, which for those of us in socal, especially with 80 degree days earlier this week, seems pretty darn frigid.

Still no white suit - the beta plan is in effect. For that, I need some specific large plastic animals. Wish me luck.

Gotta get this day going - I'm off tomorrow, so you might or might not get a post from me. If not, Happy Halloween!

Anything Interesting, Vegan Vegas, Costume Considerations, Feelin' Fine, Wonderful Weather Wednesday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:07:21 GMT

Happy Wednesday!

Picture of the day!

Twins. Really.

It's a beautiful southern California autumn day out there - cool, very dry, breezy, and clear.

I'm feelin' pretty good considering I had a 3-year-old kick and cough at me all night. She's actually doing pretty well too, it seems, with a lingering cough her worst symptom. I'm about the same as yesterday - feeling a little congested in the chest, but otherwise fine.

Sorta considering my number two costume, which would be easier to find and wear, is funny, and wouldn't require much more work. I think lunchtime today (and a trip to the toy store) may help me decide. It's less original, but great nonetheless.

Apparently the Las Vegas Hilton's coffee shop (all vegas hotels have a 24-hour generic coffee shop restaurant) now has a separate vegan menu. It's hard enough eating vegetarian in Las Vegas - this is pretty fuckin' amazing right there.

Anything interesting happening out there, friends? Cause that's all I got today.

What's Happening, Clocks, Dreary, Katie, Tuesday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:50:00 GMT

Tuesday!

Picture of the day!

The Girlfriend and me, Halloween 2006. Easily my favoritist costume in a long time.

Katie had a near-normal day yesterday, but a restless, coughy night last night, so we'll see how she's doing today. I suspect she'll be mostly fine, and I'm hoping I already have what she's got, and am getting over it too.

It's kinda dreary out today. I haven't kept up with what the weather holds for this weekend, but cooler is definitely better than hotter, and I think that's the direction we're headed. Sorry not-very-dressed ladies, but this host has a suit to wear.

Wow, we change the clocks back an hour this weekend - that means if my party is so awesome it goes until 2am, we get an extra hour of partying.

What's happening?

What's Going On, Geocities, China, White Suit, Sick Week, Angels, Monday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:42:05 GMT

Happy Monday!

Picture of the day!

Me and Chris, Halloween 2005.

Well, the Angels are done. Very good season, and not a bad showing against the Yankees. I'm just hoping they lose in the World Series -- I'm not a fan of their (and their fan's) sense of entitlement. I'm not sure if that's petty or not. Probably.

Katie's got a bad cold and fever (though she's much better today), so I'm hoping I've already had it - I gots me some Halloweening to do this weekend.

Speaking of, I still need a white suit (46-48R in a coat) for Halloween. I decided I can't buy new stuff from China (even one-off) for something like Halloween, so I'm taking out all the stops. We'll see what I find.

Speaking of China, there are some things you just can't find not made there - certain sizes of light bulbs, for example. It's rather frustrating. Overall, however, I'm surprised how well we CAN do without going to China or other third-world countries.

Geocities is being shut down today, forever. Goodbye, first easy place for most people to post their crap online...

What's going on readers?

Sassytime, Angels, Fog, Halloween 2001, Marcia's Birthday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:49:18 GMT

Happy Friday, and Happy Birthday Marcia today!

Picture of the day!

Chris, Halloween 2002. Well, setup for Halloween 2002. I don't have any Halloween pictures of Marcia.

A quick aside: The only Halloween party in the Socal era that Marcia came to was my 2001 event, also known as "The Halloween ruined by Osama Bin Laden" - we rented the clubhouse, got a bunch of booze and decorations, and then 10 people showed up, out of an invited 40-50. Big hall + small crowd = boring party. I have no idea if anyone has any pics of it - I don't.

Anyway, back to today! It's another beautiful Fall day out there - I woke up to fog, and while it was foggy at my house, by the time I got to the 22 freeway (less than a mile north), it was clear. By Chapman, you couldn't tell there was ever fog around. By the time I got home from dropping off the kidlet at daycare, even my house was totally clear.

Good win by the Angels last night - they've made every game unfortunately exciting. I yelled at the TV several times.

I've chosen today to be sassy. I tend to run on the north side of of the "boring/shocking" border, but today seems like a good day to amp it up. Fuck yea, etc. Happy Weekending, and keep it awesome!

Beautiful Day, Cheezy Snacks, Eating Better, Flickr Tagging, Contradictory, Thursday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:23:17 GMT

Happy Thursday!

Picture of the day!

Adam as a New Jersey resident, Halloween 2004.

It's weird when I think a week is passing by slowly, only to realize I'm surprised it's already Thursday. Sometimes, completely contradictory ideas can exist in my brain at the same time. I have hope in the Republican party yet!

Flickr has added Facebook-style photo tagging to images - very cool, except I've spent the last few years individually tagging my own photos. Hopefully their Organizr is smart enough to let me filter by my own tags and add people in bulk. I'll play around with it soon.

My new-found heartburn has inspired me to eat better, at least in the short term. It may be the push I need to drop a few more pounds. While I feel like I haven't been working hard enough, my overall weight loss graph for the last few years is steadily downhill. Not bad.

On that note, I've been craving Doritos and Cheez-its lately - partially because I can't buy them (cheese), and partially because eating better means fewer fatty snacks. But man, don't those sounds good?

It's another beautiful day here in Southern California. I hope it's as nice where you are. Have a great one!

Keepin' it Short, Halloween Props, Delicious Foods, Angels, Hump

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:36:15 GMT

Happy Hump Day!

Picture of the day!

Jesus H Me!

Another beautiful day out there, though the Angels tried their best to bring a funk down on all their fans yesterday. 10-1? Seriously? That's crazy. Also, umpires: stop being stupid.

I'm starting to think I can't eat like I used to - even small doses of delicious fatty foods give me heartburn, and large doses set me out for the night. This is a most disturbing development.

Got some Halloween Home Depot shopping done today - hoping to finally have a good, working version of a prop I've been toying with for years. Also, if anyone has a pump for a medium-sized fountain that they're using, I'd like to make an offer.

Keepin' it short today. Have a great one!

Awesome, No God, Halloween, Exercise, D&D, Tuesday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:47:49 GMT

Happy Tuesday!

Picture of the day!

Katie and her devil mamma on Halloween, 2006.

I'm finding that running a D&D game online, specifically editing maps after every turn, is time intensive. I think there's a few ways to streamline the process - I hope so, as I'm enjoying everything but that.

I was all set to go back to the gym today, but between running late and feeling a bit blah, I skipped it and walked around the neighborhood instead. Works for me - the gym ain't going anywhere.

Is Halloween really in 11 days? Holy Christ. Gotta get going!

Also, for those of you who follow such things, "No God" is a trending topic on twitter, but not because twitter's full of unholy heathens. A bunch of folks were retweeting "Know God, Know Peace. No God, No Peace" which, while clever linguistically in English, really isn't particularly biblical.

I hope your days are awesome. Rock on!

What's New, Easy Weekend, Angels, D&D, Halloween, Birthday

michael@michris.com (Michael Doss) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:05:27 GMT

Happy Monday! Happy late birthday to Lisa!

Picture of the day!

Marek amused, Halloween 2006. Wait until he turns around...

Finally got the Halloween stuff out of the garage this weekend, and a few projects presented themselves. The costume idea is strong, but the acquisition of said costume is still pending.

My D&D game is finally up and running (I'm the DM this time - new role for me). It's exciting! Well, to me at least...

Angels would do well to win today. That is all.

This weekend was fairly laid back and easy - and it's the last one for a while. Friends in town this weekend, Halloween the next, and November begins all sorts of family birthdays, etc.

What's new, my friends?