Multi-State Fluid Problems

Yesterday morning, I was preparing my grits in the office kitchenette.

(It's the one that's really small and has an inconveniently-placed I-beam in the middle of it. If there are more than two people in it at the same time, you have to tango your way around.)

Anyway, I took the bowl out of the microwave (if you fill the bowl with hot water from the spigot on the coffeemaker, you only have to nuke it for 60 seconds, tops) -- it was a chili-style bowl with a flat grab handle -- and as I was setting it down, I jostled it, causing scalding hot grits to splash over my fingers.

Fortunately, the burn spray in the first aid box works pretty good.

Then, I went to the other kitchenette to get some ice (ours doesn't have an icemaker).

Immediately after I got to my cube, I dropped the cup of ice, spilling half of it out.

The Siren Song of Ham, Salami and Provolone

Despite specifically bringing in a sandwich today, I willfully and deliberately bought a 14" Wegman's "Danny's Favorite" (a.k.a. an "Italian") sub, of which I ate half.

Damn DOMS

DOMS is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It's what happens after a workout, especially when you've been slack like me and not worked out for a few months.

You're fine the next morning, then things gradually start getting tight -- say, 18-24 hours after you worked out. Not only is it soreness and tightness, but it's a whole feeling of restlessness. It's kind of annoying.

It's particularly bad when it happens in your legs, since you walk funny for a few days.

I've Been Had (or, First Taste's Free)

Apparently, Haloscan (the free comment provider I've been using) archives comments older than 4 months.

In other words, they disappear and there's no way to get to them.

At least, not without upgrading to a premium membership.

Want to see your archived comments to check if there's anything that needs saving? Upgrade to a premium membership.

After checking, I see that it does get a line in the FAQ, though I daresay that they don't go out of the way to tell you this.

Bye-bye, Haloscam. (Oooh, burn!)

Serenity Now

Firefly is one of those things that I know I should be into, but I'm just not.

Same thing with Family Guy.

Dumb Things at the Harris Teeter

Stopped by the Harris Teeter after the gym. (First time in 8 weeks or so. In the words of Mr. Cardinale, my high school chemistry teacher: "I predict pain.")

I was going to pick up a rotisserie chicken, which is pretty cheap and will last a week. Tasty too, even after you pick off the skin and drain the fat. They didn't have any left, though.

Went to the deli counter (It's open until 10pm. The whole store is open 24 hours. I like Harris-Teeter.)

They had honey smoked turkey, two-for-one. Not half-price.

I was unclear on how cold cuts could be two-for-one, until the deli worker told me it was buy a pound, get a pound.

So, I'll be eating a lot of sandwiches this week (even after freezing a pound).

Also, I'm pretty sure I was overcharged on 4 cans of stewed tomatoes (made for chili), but I didn't feel like getting into it for two bucks.

Unanswered Questions

When sending an e-mail in an attempt to gain information, it is typically more useful if the intended respondent is included on the e-mail distribution.

Storage Math

I'm looking at external USB hard drives. Here's the question:

160 GB @ $100 (after rebate) = $0.618 / gigabyte

or

120 GB @ $70 (same rebate) = $0.58 / gigabyte

Note that we're well under a dollar per gig.

I remember not so long ago when a dollar a meg was a good price.

Napkin Entry #7: I'm Never Gonna ________ Again

(Still 9/24, still in Cafe Montmarte. My handwriting is getting a little hard to read at this point.)

I realize that this is self-defeating, and yet to pull in the obligatory and perhaps unavoidable geek quote (in this case, ST: TNG, BOBW part II):

When a man is convinced he's going to die tomorrow, he'll probably find a way to make it happen.

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I wasn't talking about death. Maybe a little death. Or the little death.

Napkin Entry #6: Dearth of Late-Night Dining Options

According to rough estimates, I've eaten more Taco Bell in the past 3 weeks (especially their beef products) than I have in the preceeding 9 years.

Napkin Entry #5: Numb3rs

(Is that show even still on?)

98 does not equal 89.

Napkin Entry #4: Choices

So, I had a choice to make this weekend.

1. Go to the National Book Festival and be solitary among thousands of people (including the anti-war demonstrators) on the Mall

2. Go to Blocktoberfest in Arlington, to be crammed among thousands of people, but with friends.

I chose the latter. Only time will tell if I made the right choice.

If it goes according to type, no matter which choice I make, I will invariaby wish I picked the other.

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Blocktoberfest was pretty good. Some interesting conversations and a lot of ogling. I punched out around 9pm, then spent the next 20 minutes trying to find my car. I'd even had a location written down (11th & Vernon, behind Eastern Auto), though I'd neglected to remember which direction off of Glebe Road it was, so went the wrong direction.

There was also a moment of confusion as to whether a particular street was one-way or two-way.

In hindsight, since I'd stopped by the Mazda dealership to pick up a new rear windshield wiper blade (they didn't have just the refill, so I had to buy the whole thing, though it was only 5 bucks more -- it's a weird size, so I couldn't just go to an auto parts store), I should have just asked to leave the car in the lot, it would have been much easier.

Napkin Entry #4: Call & Response

(9/24, Friday night at the Cafe Montemarte bar)

In passing, saw a cow-orker in the stairwell at lunch.

Me: What's the word?

Her: Not much...

This was not the expected response. Nevertheless, I was willing to maintain the polite fiction that it was acceptable.

However, she owned up to her misstatement instead of making her getaway.

Napkin Entry #3: Dumb Things From Kickball

(This should actually be Napkin Entry #0, since it happened 9/13.)

Kickball on Tuesday. To save the suspense, we won, 8-0.

I went 2 for 2, though #2 had significant dumbness.

I was feeling out the new pitcher, who put a mid-speed roller right down the middle. It was too late for me to kick it and it was going to be a strike, so I went to foul it off with a gentle tap.

Unfortunately, the gentle tap went right up the middle.

I hear myself say, "Oh, shit" and book towards first. I think I actually had to jump over the ball. Somehow, I end up on first base, plus they overthrow, so I moved up to second.

Next kick goes into right field, so I take off towards third.

Now, here's where I'm hazy. Brian was coaching third, and he either said "You're standing up" or he might have waved me on. In any event, I round third and head home, head down.

Halfway there, I look up, and I see that the ball is already there.

I dig in and back to 3rd. I'm almost there, I know the ball is coming at me, and I feel my legs start to give out. (I'm really out of shape. Also, the pregame beers may have been a factor.)

I dive towards third, half-diving, half-crawling.

I slap the base as the ball hits me on the bounce. Out.

To boot, I had a nice raspberry on my elbow, plus dirt impacted under my left ring fingernail. I think the oozing has mostly cleaned it out by now.

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That was 9/13, and that's been our last game to date, since Fairfax County has pulled WAKA's field permits. The reason is unclear (though it wasn't for alcohol.)

Napkin Entry #2: Road Rage vs. The Mellow Burn

Leaving the office by the back road, I'm in the left lane, semi-truck slightly ahead in the right lane, which is a right-turn only onto gravel. I figure he's in the wrong lane and going to move over, and considering there's only 50 yards to the intersection, I decide to give him a break and let him move over.

BMW SUV bitch feels I've made the wrong decision, and lets me know with her horn.

Way to go against stereotype.

The thing about driving in this area, you can't really flip someone off, because you just find yourself in a meeting with them. Especially if you see the parking lot hang tag on their rearview mirror.

The rest of my drive home, I'm wondering what manager or executive was willing to piss off someone with whom they might have a future business relationship, for a momentary advantage in positioning that would be nullified at the next light.