Moving Forward

There have obviously been some major events in my life since I stopped the Rhymes With Drowning blog and launched Life 2.0. Much of this past year has been spent talking about the impending move and wedding, and now that those things have happened, I find myself wondering which direction to take this blog.

Rhymes With Drowning was a very public yet very personal journal of a single father going through several kinds of compounded grief and loss. It made sense that when I met my wife-to-be, life had very visibly turned a corner, and Life 2.0 seemed to be the perfect title for a journal of new beginnings. Assuming those new beginnings are not in fact over, I'm planning to keep this blog going, mostly as a journal of juggling professional life and parenting teens with a marriage. And I am adding comment moderation.

* * *

So with that disclaimer and a much overdue paint job to the blog, I bid you welcome to the new and improved different-looking Life 2.0.

Google Search as Cheap Entertainment

Although not as creepy or disturbing as some of TFMD's referrals, a Google search string just popped up in my own Sitemeter report, and it made me chuckle.

why do you hate my trains

Thanks, Sitemeter. I needed the laugh.

Thursday Morning Engrish

I first got hooked on Engrish when I was the Art Director at Hyperbole Studios in 2000. It was often a wonderfully bizarre break in the otherwise soul-sucking day that was life in the videogame industry (to be fair and financial issues aside, Hyperbole was probably the most fun I've ever had working for someone else). Anyway, being an amateur linguist, I've always been amused by the peculiarities of how languages work, and how they really don't work together sometimes.

And while it's probably bad form to make fun of non-English-speaking Asian cultures as they attempt to communicate in English, at least they're trying, which is more than we do over here most of the time. I think that's because we follow Homer Simpson's advice to his son Bart: "You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is 'never try'."

Heh. Failure is funny.

It's all because of the monkeys. Damn monkeys.

I totally would have worn this three years ago.

Back to Abnormal

While I offer no apologies for waxing political during this history-making past few days, I now return you to your regularly-scheduled blog.

The autumn rain is here. It's not hard rain. It's that Pacific Northwest dense veil of wet that's somewhere between thick fog and real rain. This is the wet we're famous for.

I've been a domestic Superman, clearing space for the imminent move-in, scheduling doctors' appointments and talking to school officials. It's a crazy, crazy time, and I'll be happy when this phase is over. Tyler has his sleep study consult scheduled. In January. Oh well, at least it's now on the books.

Been trying to distract myself from the mundane worries that usually end up as a knot in my stomach making me sick. Today that meant a carry-out lunch from Taco Del Mar and Eulogy. I'd not heard of this film before putting it on my Netflix queue, but man, what a cast and a fantastic script! Hank Azaria is great. And when do we really get to see Debra Winger anymore?

Tonight will be more soup for dinner, and more Buffy episodes. They're good time-wasters in the evening, and heck, I've done everything on my checklist today.

Jealousy Ain't Pretty

But this is gorgeous.

I was just surfing my blogroll, followed by my friends' blogrolls, and ran across this on Planet Dan. He makes a good (and funny) comparison with his iPod, but portability and sound quality is not what the jukebox is about. Man, I can't stop ogling that thing - it's so very 1973-licious.

Tease!

We are in California (aka The Republik of Kalifornia).

We are alive and well.

We have many pictures.

We will post a mid-week update tomorrow.

That is all.

Love Missile!

Why we love Dad Gone Mad. You can be sure I left a comment on that one.

There Will Be a Test...

There you have it. Junior, leave the room.

A Bullet List for Thursday

Things I Am Pondering.

1. Those pics from the dual 40 birthday party make me look fatter and balder than I perceive myself to be. Crap.
2. I don't "feel" what 40 is "supposed" to feel like. As Raechelle is so fond of saying, "I love my sixteen year-old boyfriend," whenever I say something sophomoric or raunchy. Which is often.
3. I have always felt no older than about 25. That's when time stopped for me. So I've always felt "younger" even before I had a 33 year-old girlfriend and despite having the life experience and wisdom of an 80 year-old. People usually tell me I present younger than my chronological age, too. It seemed like I didn't even think of going gray before Sam died. Then it was like life caught up with me for a time, and I've spent the last three years beating back the clock as best I can.
4. Other fortysomething friends have told me that this is usually the prime time, when age and wisdom meet the physical body (and as long as you take care of yourself, it can be very rewarding). I can get behind that.
5. In two years, Tyler will be the same age I was when Sam & I got together.
6. I will miss Raechelle while she's in WV for a week, but I'm so happy where we're at right now, and the time apart will be great perspective.
7. The Duo stuff should be making me quake in my boots, but it's not. I feel challenged, but not intimidated.
8. I'm getting weird hits on the blog from places like Dubai and Indonesia, as well as France and China. I know where the Australia hits are coming from (hi, Ali), but I know nobody in Dubai.
9. I'm also getting multiple daily hits from an IP address with a masked location. Ah the intrigue!
   
10. I was considering leaving a note for the blog-stalker from Raechelle's past who is now hitting mine, but I won't waste the energy (except to say "Come on, dude. Move on. She has"). And that's all I have to say about that.
11. I want Randy to fly up and hang with us.
12. I want to hear about my sister's trip to Paris when they get back next week.
13. I love thunder.
    
14. Wiley is being obnoxious.
    
15. I need a shower. Stinky man.

Peace out.

It's Going Around...

Wow, two posts and it's not even 6:AM yet! My widda friend Ali in Australia has just honored me with the Arte y pico blog award. My instructions on receiving this award are as follows:

1. Pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog.

3. Each award winner (upon acceptance) should show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award.

4. Link to the Arte y pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award. If you can read Spanish go and enjoy an interesting read; from a very quick check it appears to be a craft based blog.

5. Show these rules.

So here goes:

1. I can't NOT tip my hat to (My New) Life Out Here. Girlfriend or not, Raechelle's blog is fun, entertaining, often educational and occasionally heartbreaking. It's a great read, always.
2. Acid Indignation. Brutally honest on issues of health and family with some silliness for dessert. Beth blogs like nobody is watching, and that often yields the most rewarding insights.
3. Konradical. Yet another high school friend, recently married. It's a mix of his private life and some very public work as a documentary filmmaker covering post-911 racism in America.
4. Cheek and Bluster. Still another high school friend, now professional actor in LA. Derek casts a wide net, from arts and entertainment to politics (which, given the circus-like atmosphere of the primaries, might seem to indicate a smaller net than I originally thought).
5. It's Beach. I've known David Beach for 30 years. He's an artist, an Internet guru, a visionary. His blog covers a lot of ground, from tech to media to family to his local interests.

There ya go. Take a bow, you blogging fools.