I've decided that I want to do something really really awesome for my birthday this year. No, it's not some sort of milestone year (28), but last year's birthday sucked so much, that I need to erase it

(No offense to James and Ali, who were the ones that actually got married on my birthday. It's just that three weddings in one week would suck anyway, and three during my birthday week, including the ex's, sucked a billion times more.)

My sister was talking about going to Oktoberfest in Germany. If I can make enough money this summer, maybe I can head out there for the month of October. Too bad the dollar is worth about as much as my toe nail. Slightly more than my toe nail. Hey, it's a good toe nail.

But I don't know if I'm actually invited to that.

I was also thinking, hey, maybe I'll go to Vegas for the weekend (the actual day is a Monday this year). I've never been, and plans to go last year fell through. Except I'm not sure who would go with me, and going to Vegas alone sounds about as depressing as going to three weddings.

Maybe I could go out to LA and visit my uncle and have him spoil me, and make him take me to the House set and get my picture taken with Olivia Wilde on my biiiiiiiiiiirthday. Eeheehehehe. Okay, sorry.

The problem with all of this is, of course, that I can't even afford my health insurance currently. Let alone a trip to Europe or Vegas or anywhere else. But whatever. This is the planning phase, when dreams can be big and out of reach, and it's up to me to find a way to reach them.

So I'm taking suggestions.

Even crazy ones. How do you erase a three-wedding birthday with a birthday of total awesomness?

1) Time for a new park.


And I was not the only one with an obstructed view. In a stadium that sells out around 35k, having 100 people with an obstructed view is a lot. Plus I couldn't feel the lower half of my body most of the game. Yeah, I'm fat, but my seat was also built in 1912. There's no reason they couldn't preserve the spirit of Fenway in a new park that would allow for more seats and therefore cheaper ticket prices and concessions. Keep the Green Monster, lose the poles. Win win.

2) Okajima's entrance song. Best ever. Y/Y? (Warning: link leads to crazy Japanese techno MP3). Japanese pop culture fascinates me. I seriously can't get enough of the wacky (to me) hijinks.

3) Great endings make for great games. It was a pitcher's duel until the 7th really. The Sox were up one, then the Jays came back. They bring Papelbon in for the ninth and the first batter gets a hit. I lean over to Jack and say: "They made Paps mad. Paps shouldn't get mad. Paps smash." And then he picks off the guy brought in to pinch run at first. AHAHAHAH. Then the bottom of the ninth, guys on first and second, Moss gets a hit and the pinch runner, Lowrie, goes for home from second and gets thrown out. By this time, my bladder was nearly exploding and I needed some resolution one way or another, or I'd face certain doom. As would all the people around me. Then Tek's up, and he hits it to the same spot, and Manny tries for the same things and he makes it. OMIGAWD. So good.

(I was going to provide video links but they don't appear to be working. Check this link later, maybe it'll be up.)

4) I love baseball.

I feel like taking a poetry class or something. I know, I know, poetry. I have vague memories of enjoying thsoe units in high school, though. I liked experimenting with different forms. Also, most poetry appeals to my lack-of-attention-span creativity. I don't have very much creativity anymore, so I may as well feed that sort.

I'm going to the Sox game tonight with Jack, and I will try to tweet as much as possible from there. I don't drink as much when with Jack, because he doesn't drink, so my hands should be fairly free. Plus the beers are way too expensive. I'll probably have one with dinner (Brown Sugar again, yay!) and one at the park and that's it. Also Dice-K is pitching, and we're going to be in good seats. So I am excited. As excited as I get about anything these days.

The only problem I have with Josh being home for vacation - and I really shouldn't complain since I'm here all the time - is that the TV is no longer free during the day. I can't just randomly watch my shows, because he's playing video games. And he gets new ones and plays so much that it's not really fun for me to play with him, because he kicks my ass. I need some catch up time, but I prefer to be on my computer in the evening (or out), so I'm not sure when that would be.

Speaking of which, I'm going to the ballet tomorrow. Swan Lake, with Nneoma for her birthday. There's a week's worth of grocery money down the drain. I really hate thinking this way, but I find I'm backed into this corner. No money. I'm due for about $600 in checks. Hopefully I'll get that tomorrow, because I've got two months worth of health insurance premiums to pay. Sigh.

But I'll end on a good note, because I refuse to be a pessimist about this stuff. It'll get better. I'm better off than lots of people. Etc. etc. etc.

Anyway, House last night was very very good and I'm very very glad it's back. The end.

My sister and I just video chatted via Skype for the last hour or so. So cool. This is the sort of technology I've always known exists, but have never needed to use. There were a few glitches (there was lagging and dropping when she tried to upload pictures) but overall it was really awesome and I'm irratioanlly excited.

Things I was useful about today: ironing some shirts, getting an oil change, getting a new car battery, getting the stupid security code for said car batter (seriously, wtf, the dealer we bought it from said they don't do it on the phone, I called the service place that gave me a number for the nationwide Honda service... that then gave it me on the phone).

Things I was not useful about today: cleaning my car, figuring out life.

Not too shabby. And it's still only a bit past two. I could have that life thing done by five.

Therapy was rough this week, which is why I haven't really been talkative. I'm not sure why that should affect anything, since I'm perfectly capable of making entries without reference to therapy, but I felt like I was purposefully ignoring it if I posted without mention. See? Don't you wish I'd ramble more about Doctor Who?

Ah, spring. Nice weather, sunny day... and the cigarette smoke of my upstairs neighbors wafting through my open windows (I no longer open the window on the porch, but I can still smell it). Use your own porch, guys, you have one. Do we have to go through this every year?

Do you suppose someone that talks about theoretical physics a lot but without the math to back it up is a philosopher? I wrote my mom a big long email about white holes, and at the end of it I sort of sat there and went: huh, that was way more satisfying than writing a 93A demand letter. Except for that one I wrote where I got to be all snippy. That was satisfying.

I just, you know. Don't do math. I suppose I could (I certainly used to), but I'm sort of already a lawyer. Funny how that happened.

Okay, I got a twitter account. Samfeasor. I have absolutely no idea what's going on, how to structure my updates, or if I'll ever use it, but it seems like the next big thing, and we all know I like to hop in on those.

I bought my sister an HD DVD player for Hanukkah in December. (Ironically, I now have that HD DVD player, because she's in England DVD regions still exist.) Anyway, Amazon emailed me to tell me I can have a $50 credit towards any purchase because I got screwed by the stupid system. And I've got a $25 reward thingy from my credit card, and $30 from Alexis (as a thank you for Thursday night which, now that I think of it, is better than whiskey).

So I've got $105 to spend on Amazon. And as much as I'd like to just pay bills (because man do I need to pay bills) with it, that's not an option, so I'm gonna buy pretty pretty things.

Just not sure what yet. I haven't really felt a desire for anything in particular lately, so I'm sort of clicking around waiting for something to inspire me. I don't really want to buy DVDs any more, because... I've noticed I don't watch most of the ones I have. There are some shows I'd like, but, eh. I've got a pile of twenty books to read, so I don't want to buy books. I'm still annoyed about that Absolute Watchmen thing, because now the cheapest used one is $119, and I could have had it for $45. Grragh.

Anyway. Materialism ftw.

Last night Alexis called me at 12:15 am to inform me that she was in Providence and had lost the key to her car. Following the informational part of the conversation, she then asked me to drive down to Providence to bring her her key.

Assuming I had been drunk dialed, I asked if she was kidding. Nope.

So I drove down to Providence. Had to change out of my PJs and pack an impromptu overnight bag, because I'd decided to stay at my mom's. Of course, this was the one Friday in the last six months where I've had to be in the office in general and for 9 am specifically.

I ended up at my mom's around 2, tried to get some sleep, woke up at 7, drove in rush hour traffic (though it wasn't that bad, really) back to Boston.

I think Alexis thought I was joking when I mentioned buying my a bottle of whiskey might be a way back into m good graces. 'Cause right now, the graces are definitely ungood.

Everyone, meet Gonzo:


He was basking today when I got home from work (bad bad day) and it cheered me up, so I decided to take a few pictures. Here's a full back view, along with his spiney-tail:



He's named after Dr. Gonzo, not the muppet. Josh calls him Jabba, but I really don't see the similarity. Besides, Jabba just reminds me of:



Pizza's gonna send out for you!