Damn

So, the USB idea didn’t work.  Guess I’ll have to snag permanent internet access some other way.  You can thank the public library for this post, and probably for the next few. 

[SHAMELESS PROMOTION OF FRIENDS TIME]

Everyone who reads this needs to check out my friend Alyssa’s new blog.  She’s doing study abroad in India next semester, and she’s going to be blogging about her experiences up to, during, and after the trip.  Only a few posts are up so far, but it’s interesting stuff. 

I’m finally getting started on Twilight Princess–should be something fun to do tonight after Olbermann.  More to come, folks.

I Put the “In” in “Interim”

Okay, here’s the skinny.

I just moved back home, which is a good thing.  A minor inconvenience–no Internet.  I’m working to fix this issue, however.  I just ordered a USB wireless internet grabber thingy (can’t remember the full name of it).  Should allow my desktop, which I built in 2004, to grab the internet like it couldn’t before.  Not sure when the thing will be here, but I should be able to make do with occasional stops at the library.  Do not fear, Reader–I’ll be back to regular schedule in no time.

Thanks for understanding, peeps.  For enjoyment in the meantime, just read some old stuff, or better yet–go outside and escape the Webz.

YouTube & the Ukulele

As the time on my lease dwindles, I’ve done what any responsible tenant would do–postpone packing to watch surf the Web!

I play music somewhat regularly (meaning I grab my guitar everyday and play something to keep my fingers nimble).  Over the past month, I’ve been thinking about getting a ukulele.  They have a neat sound, and they aren’t tuned like guitars, meaning I’d have to relearn scale patterns, which I’m excited about regardless of how big my hands are.

Anyhoo, I found this YouTube artist through my searches.  She has a few songs uploaded, and they’re all worth viewing.  As a video-tastic treat, I was going to post her cover of Britney Spears’s “Toxic,” but this video just made me laugh too much.  For your viewing pleasure, I present to you…Mr. Fancy Pants.  Further proof that overcoming obstacles, no matter how small or hilarious, can bring out the best in all of us.  Enjoy.

[EDIT] Had I waited a couple seconds longer, I could have also told you that our young heroine also has a blog.  Ch-ch-check it out!

Other Natural Flavors

I love orange soda.  [insert Kenan & Kel references here] </nostalgia>

Seriously, though.  I do.  It’s one of few drinks–alongside root beer and Dr. Pepper–that can taste good anytime.  Sprite, Coke, they just don’t cut the mustard sometimes.  Orange soda is always there for me in my time of need, want, or any other type of time (including military).

In other news, everyone should take a little time to watch this new JibJab video.  It’s the election follow-up special to 2004’s This Land is my Land, which is also on the site.  Enjoy.

On Moving

Moving is a big pain in the ass.

I’m not just talking about the physical aspect of it–lugging refrigerators up and down steps, moving box after box in and out of different rooms, etc.  To me, the mental side of it is more aggravating; more importantly, my mind can’t seem to break away from one thing–how in the hell did I get so many small items?  Items that seem to go with nothing else that, for a mind like mine, are a bitch to pack.  Let me explain.

Picture an empty box.  Good.  Now imagine how well you could fit items such as books, CDs, or DVDs inside this box.  Because DVD cases usually have the same dimensions, it’s easy to utilize all of the space inside the box with them.  Same thing with CDs.  Books can vary in size, but they have a fairly simple shape like CDs and DVDs do.  Because these items fit so well together, you can maximize packing efficiency and minimize pockets of space.  Better yet–you can clearly label these boxes with your trusty Sharpie.  “Books.”  “Movies.”  “CDs.”  Solid titles, letting you know exactly what you’re getting into when you get ready to lift a box (a box full of hardback novels is going to weigh more than a box of movies or records).

What about those odd items?  You know, those items that there’s no reason to have more than one of (it’s possible that there’s no reason to have even one of these items, let alone commit multiple offenses).  Imagine your box with all those pockets of empty, unused space.  But what else were you supposed to do when all you had to fill the box with was a bottle of vitamins, a small photo album, HDMI cables for your Wii, and a tube of Burt’s Bees Replenishing Lip Balm?  I have no problem labeling a box “Miscellaneous,” but the thought process behind carefully structuring a box to maximize its space is different from throwing items into a box at random–so jarringly random that, frankly, I’m surprised my head hasn’t exploded from writing about it.

This little rant could be brought on by the fact that my dad is showing up at 9 AM tomorrow (checks watch to see it’s 10 after 4 in the morning, throws watch across room ’cause he doesn’t have time for that shit).  I need to send as much with him as possible to make sure I can fit whatever’s left in my truck when I move home for good; for example, I wouldn’t want to send him back with only a bag of clothes.  That’s a waste of gas, and there’s no way that I can fit everything I own into my tiny truck.  Better to send him with as much as possible, crash afterward, then leave sometime in the next couple of days.  That’s my plan, anyway.

Enough writing.  I need to get back to my rushed, haphazard packing.  I’ve been working in spurts: I’ll throw a few items of clothing in a trash bag, stick a few items in a box, unplug an item that I want to take home but can’t move until tomorrow, then go to the living room and watch TV for a few minutes.  I might notice something that needs cleaning in the kitchen–say, the stove top–so I do that.  A Dr. Pepper later, I’m ready to put a few more items of clothing in a trash bag, a few more items in a box. . .maybe not as focused as others would want, but it works for me, and I get a hell of a nap when it’s over and done with.  I think it’s time for that Dr. Pepper.

Updation

I’m back, everybody.

Sorry for the long hiatus.  I took a trip home–land of many mountains and no Internet–for my brother’s birthday, and moved a few boxes of things back home.  I wanted to take large, awkward things (mini fridge, stereo, amplifier and guitars, etc.) but the sky was threatening to piss all over that plan, so I instead boxed up all my books, movies, and Wii-related materials, threw the boxes in some trash bags to protect against light rain, and hit the road.  I left Monday evening, and got back into town early this morning.  After some quick email cleanup, I had to power nap; two hours of sleep before a three-hour drive will make anyone tired.

In music news, I picked up a sweet LP today–Two Men With the Blues, by Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis.  I found out about the record by flipping through the channels and landing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at just the right time.  I’d like to do a full review of this album in another post, once I’ve had time to familiarize myself with the tracks.  One thing I can say, though, is that I’m very satisfied with my purchase.  More to come.

Some of you may have noticed an addition to my sidebar–the TwentySomething Bloggers (20SB) link.  I came upon the site just noodling around on the Internet.  In order to be eligible for membership to the community, you must maintain a blog, and you have to be 20–29 years old.  If you meet these criteria, and want to meet other bloggers in your age group, click the link to my 20SB page and take a look around.  I’m glad I did.

Fun fact: Though it may look black in the glass, Guinness is apparently a very dark shade of ruby.

Becoming a Boomeranger: Why Moving Back in to My Parents’ House Isn’t All That Bad

When I left for college and moved into the dorms, I never thought that I would move back in with my parents. I knew that I could always consider my parents’ house my “home,” but I saw myself becoming more independent, moving into an apartment or renting a house after I graduated. Life has a way of changing our plans, however—I received my degree two months ago, and I’m packing my things and reclaiming my room at home. For many people I know, moving in with their parents after being on their own for a while would seem like the end of the world for a number of reasons—admission of failure, loss of independence, parents drive you crazy (mine don’t, but I know this is an issue for some), etc. The more I think about it, though, there are some significant advantages to moving back home for a while.

Money saver. That’s right, money. It’s not the only reason I’m moving back (keep reading) but it certainly helps. My last job forced me to drive roughly forty-five miles a day roundtrip. That’s 225 miles a week, not including trips to the grocery store, going to friends’ houses, or any other “normal” driving I would do. For my vehicle, that’s at least $200 a month, and gas prices are only getting higher. My hometown isn’t that large, so I’ll be able to find a job that’s not so far away from where I live, cutting my gas costs. I’ll also have a smaller grocery bill, and I’m sure that being around Mom’s home-cooked meals will keep me from wasting money on fast food. All that money I save will be put toward payments on my student debt—neat, huh?

Reconnecting with friends. I’ve been away from home for four years, and I feel as though my bonds with my friends there have weakened as a result. Now that I’ll be living at home, I’m going to have more chances to hang out and have fun. Some of my favorite memories from high school are of late nights spent playing video games and shooting the breeze, or of weekend-long musical extravaganzas. I’m eager to relive the times when a case of the best root beer and a guitar were tickets to a great weekend.

Quality time with my family. Money and friends are good, but my family is the biggest and most important reason I’m officially becoming a member of the Boomerang Generation. My parents both have significant health problems (the top reason I’m moving), and they’re not going to be around forever. From the moment I entered this world until I left for college, my parents had to be…well, parents. They had to enforce rules, teach lessons, monitor behavior, and all those other parent-type things that parent-type people do. That being the case, I was only able to see a few sides of who they were. Whenever I’ve made weekend trips home to see them, I’ve seen them not just as my parents, but as people. Though my parents have always been frank and honest with me, I still want to get to know them better while I still have the chance. My brother and sister are also continually growing into what my mamaw (that’s southern for “grandmother”) would call “fine young adults.” My brother has been married for just over a year, and my sister is going to graduate high school next May—it’s going to be great for me to build stronger relationships with them (and hopefully pick up some golf tips from my brother).

I make enough money to cover my expenses, but these three things are more than enough motivation to bring me back home.  I won’t be there for a great deal of time—my current timeframe is twelve to eighteen months—and I want to make the most of my stay.  Therefore, instead of dreading going back to my parents’ house because of foolish pride or a fear of what others may think, I’m throwing that junk out the window and focusing on what really matters.

My Love Affair with StumbleUpon

I get bored easily.  On the Internet, anyway.  I get stuck in a cyber-rut—going to the same sites over and over, checking my email for the billionth time (which I really don’t do anymore, thanks to my Blackberry), etc.  I don’t think I’m the only one with this issue.

Recently, my friend Erin recommended StumbleUpon to me, and my boredom has been cured.  StumbleUpon is an app that brings up random websites for you based on your interests.  You get to rate the websites, which will of course affect what you see on future Stumbles.  Here’s a demo of how it works.  Enjoy.

Airwaves.

I’m watching a show on the History Channel called Countdown to Armageddon.  They’re talking about the Four Horsemen right now.  And now about the beast who will apparently attempt to conquer Earth.  Seriously, Revelation is the best book in the entire Bible, for my money.  I invite anyone to read the New Testament as literature, and realize that, away from the all the spiritual/religious stuff, it’s actually a good book.

Let’s change the channel.  Hm.  TV Guide Channel is talking about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.  The idea of celebrity bugs the hell out of me.  I dunno.  You do a couple of movies/albums/books/whatevers—you could do a mediocre job, mind you—and suddenly everyone wants to know your whole story.  It’d be pressure, to be sure.  Why the hell are we so fascinated?  I understand the “if I understand them maybe I could learn to be famous” idea; if you wanted nothing but to be famous, it makes some sort of weird demented sense to look at famous people and try to nab a few pointers.  I think we just go too crazy about celebrity.  It’s fine to have role models, but I think our time would be better spent developing our own personalities and talents instead of trying to know every single detail about anyone who pops up on our TV screen.    </accidental rant>

In baseball news, the home run derby is tonight 8 PM, ET.  My pick to win it?  Wolf Blitzer, making a guest appearance and fulfilling a childhood dream.

I Love The Guitar

And damn it, it loves me.

I’ve been listening to one of my Pandora stations, Alternative Musical Entertainment.  It’s focused on talented guitar players, composition, and other music that probably won’t get played on the radio.  Check it out in my sidebar.

Also, Mario Paint rocked my face when I was a kid.  I’ve tried to profess my love of this game to my friends, with little response.  Leave it to YouTube to glorify my youth.

In case you couldn’t guess, that would be the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers theme song…on Mario Paint.  So badass.