Pink Floyd music abounds on the internet :)

Ever since I got FIOS, I've been spending a lot of time on the computer. It seems the videos I select from YouTube often are set to the music of my all-time favorite rock band, Pink Floyd. For example, I selected one out of hundreds of available Money and Abundance visualization videos off YouTube and it was set to the tune of Money. I marked it as a favorite and intended to watch it daily until it was removed a couple days later for terms of use violation.
Then I discovered a conspiracy theory video set to the tune of Sheep. And just now I was watching another conspiracy video, about "chemtrails" in the sky, and it was set to Goodbye Blue Sky which I think might actually be entitled "The Frightened Ones"? I don't know, I will need to go look at the songs from the Wall to be sure. Anyway it just delights me that so much Pink Floyd is coming my way. It reminds me of how sometimes I will put off going out, until it feels just right, and the moment I get in the car either a Pink Floyd or Aerosmith song comes on the radio. Almost confirming that I made the right choice to wait.

My Most Prized Possessions

My memory is not the greatest. Oh sure, I can impress people by remembering their birthdays, and yes, the license plates of all of my colleagues are now stuck in my head and inextricably associated with their owners, and ok, I can remember the names of people I went to school with and haven't seen in 25 years or played poker with briefly two years ago, but that's just names and numbers. When it comes to events, occurrences and conversations, my memory is the pits.
I have two prized possessions, and they both have to do with keeping my memories for me. My first prized possession is the Aerosmith concert t-shirt I've had autographed by 4 out of 5 members of the band. I haven't met Joey Kramer yet. But the t-shirt helps me remember my encounters with Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Steven Tyler and Tom Hamilton (that's the order in which they signed it). I never wear it because I am afraid to wash it, but the one time I did wear it was very memorable as well, it was the dress rehearsal on the Esplanade for the Fourth of July concert that Steven and Joe headlined with the Boston Pops and the day my Saturn was broken into and all they took was the registration. Eventually I really need to get Joey's signature to make the shirt complete, but I don't see the giant hurry in that.
My other prized possession is my digital camera, given to me by my friend and colleague David Werlin. David bought a new camera because his old one had a dot. The dot is somewhere inside the guts of the camera, it is not on the lens and they couldn't get rid of it so David and his wife were going to throw the camera away. He and I were chatting one day and I said I wanted a digital camera but I only wanted to pay twenty dollars for it. That was when he said he could give me his old one for free. I cracked David up when I said, "I already have floaters, I don't need a dot!" Not only did David bring the camera in for me (right before Thanksgiving break, 2007), he showed me how to download pictures, hooked up the docking station to my work computer, showed me where the battery goes and told me which memory card to buy and where to buy it that would be the most inexpensive and convenient way to purchase it, and even took the first few pictures for me.
Without meaning to sound hyperbolic, this digital camera has CHANGED MY LIFE! I never have to buy film anymore! I never have to pay for developing anymore! And it is so compact and lightweight, I can carry it around with me everywhere I go. I always have it on me. I never have to buy another disposable camera again. And I can easily download all of my pictures to my computer or the web. It's been thirteen months and the novelty still hasn't worn off. I am in love with this camera and still feel very high from the fact that I own it. I've thanked David a thousand times over the thirteen months, so hopefully he knows how much this means to me.
Just in case you're reading this, Dave, thanks again!

Two days of Aahhh...

Tonight is Christmas Eve and tomorrow is Christmas. It's nice to stay in where it's warm and just lounge around in my PJs. My boss told me I don't have to come in to the office on Friday if I don't want to, so I'm thinking I will work from home for a few hours in the morning, then go hit the after Christmas sales, and work from home again for a few hours in the afternoon. Most of my calls on Friday have been cancelled, but I did tell the boys I would probably be in. It was frightening yesterday morning when the doors wouldn't respond to my keycard, but my boss reassured me I have nothing to worry about. I hope he is right!
Paul and I don't exchange gifts at the holidays or on each other's birthdays. He just had his fiftieth and I didn't even do anything special for him. I suppose it's never too late to start, but usually we would just rather hang on to our money and use it for necessities rather than luxuries. But maybe we will start giving each other presents next year, I think that would be nice. I will suggest it to him. Happy Holidays to anyone who is reading this and I will speak to you soon.

Edit February 10th, 2009: "my boss reassured me I have nothing to worry about. I hope he is right! " heh.

Let it snow...

Yesterday in preparation for the storm I spent about a hundred dollars or more on groceries, far more than I usually spend. I bought American cheese and bologna for Paul, two kinds of cheddar cheese (pre-sliced and brick) as well as cream cheese and onion bagels, honey maple turkey, pumpernickel bread and the most delicious sweet and sour brisket I've tasted since my mom was alive. The brisket was $12.99 a pound but I've been jonesing for it ever since the first time I purchased some, in response to the free samples they were cleverly giving away, about a month or so ago. I kept checking back for it, miserably not finding it, until I was inspired to ask the man behind the hot food counter if he knew anything about when it would be back. He assured me it would be back for Chanukah so I've patiently waited and now it's in my fridge just waiting for me to be ready for it. I have both mashed potatoes and soft white bread with which to soak up the juice, it will be a struggle deciding which first.
In addition I bought marshmallow pinwheels, fudge-filled Oreos, Ben & Jerry's cinnamon buns ice cream and Ritz crackers. We should be all set for a while.
I'm listening to Roger Waters Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking on YouTube whilst Pauley naps and Mikey watches sports in the living room. I am marvelling at the fact that Roger Waters ended up so good-looking when it was David Gilmour who started out that way. I'm delighted at the fact that there is so much footage available for me to view, and all for free! With high quality options available and instantaneous load times! So far I've watched outtakes from Friends, old episodes of Soap, videos of rainbow clouds, rainbows, the Aurora Borealis, Abraham and Desteni channelled material, and interviews with Neale Donald Walsch, Mike Dooley and Sonia Choquette. I am in heaven!

12/17/08

Reminiscing...one year ago tomorrow was the night I flipped my Saturn. No wonder I was so skittish driving in today's ice, sleet and snow storm. I had been given the option to work from home by my boss, yesterday, for the next two weeks, but I elected to go in to the office anyway. I worked from home from 6 until 11AM, stopped for food at Grille 103 on my way in and made it to the office well in advance of my noon meeting with SRA. After my 3PM with JCI ended, I came home and have been working ever since. Well, until now. Now I am setting up my blog.
Ever since we got Verizon FIOS installed (on November 28th, the day after Thanksgiving), I have been spending quite a lot of time on the computer. I am on Facebook and MySpace and LinkedIn and Plaxo and I've been working more hours than ever before. It's addictive!
Anyway I just wanted to get this up there so I could customize a bit more, I suppose I will talk to you later.