flickr update
I’ve posted 2 new sets to Flickr: Disney Photopass and Ride Photos
update 072907
The lab system’s go-live was, ummm … fairly successful. I got called in early the day of go-live. Tuesday was surprisingly a quiet one, but day 2 was not. We actually had issues each day right up until 1 PM on Friday. I could have left early, but I had other non-lab-related tasks that I wanted to finish. So I didn’t get out of there until after 4 PM. I really would’ve preferred my normal 4-day weekend, but it wasn’t gonna happen. The way I see it, they owe me a day and a half off for the past 2 weeks. (more…)
top 5 on friday #134
Top 5 Nighttime songs
(songs about evening or things related to the evening)
- “Wonderful Tonight” – Eric Clapton
- “The Last Worthless Evening” – Don Henley
- “Nightswimming” – R.E.M.
- “Lonely Ol’ Night” – John Cougar Mellencamp
- “Still the Night” – BoDeans
good fortune?
The other day, one of my buddies at work stopped at my desk asking if I wanted Chinese for lunch. I explained to him that I had no money, but he insisted and offered to pay. So I was game; I needed to get away anyway. We went to our usual place, a Chinese buffet with very good food at a very good price. After venting about work over crab rangoon and vegetable lo mein, he got the check along with our fortune cookies.
Mine said, “Your financial outlook is excellent.”
His said, “Be generous, and the favor will be returned within the week.”
I bought him lunch the next day.
summer movies
A ton of movies this summer. D’s seen just about every one of them. I’ve only seen two:
Ratatouille – 5 out of 5 – Pixar at its best. May be too grown-up for kids (the boys in front of us at the theater were bored), but me? I thoroughly enjoyed this one from start to finish.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – 4 out of 5 – I never finished this book (but I’m working on that now). There’s no doubt that the books are better than the movies. But the film series stands on its own, and I think this is probably the best Potter film of the bunch.
Teny Jr, Simpsonized
I’m not a big fan of “The Simpsons”. I watched the first season, but I don’t really remember much from it. I do remember them when they were just animated shorts on Fox’s “The Tracey Ullman Show”. But since then, I haven’t watched any of the series because I just don’t have any interest in it (or in the upcoming movie). I will say SimpsonizeMe.com is pretty fun. I uploaded a picture of me, and the site transformed me into a Simpsons character. Afterwards, I tweaked it a bit to get it to look more like me. If you want to make yourself a member of the Simpsons universe, I recommend reading these tips to get the best results. I actually like this one better than my previous “Simpsons” avatar, which I manually created.
for Salem's Lolo
Salem keeping cool in his short fur
week in review
With the lab project going live at 0001 on Tuesday, this past week has been a mad dash to the finish. I worked 6 days in a row, accumulating roughly 52 hours in the office. My mind is mush, and I’m tired. Like I said before, I lack the energy and motivation to do much when I’m home. Aside from eat, drink, and sleep, I’ve walked the dog, played golf (on my PlayStation), and watched the British Open, Big Brother, and The Sopranos on TV. Oh yeah, I did do the dishes today. I have a headache now, and I think it’s from anxiety and the anticipation of the go-live on Tuesday. At this point in time, I just want to make it to another Friday.
bees and ipods
Found this on Digg. It’s stupid and silly, but it made me laugh (and it made my day).
I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to kill a bug on a cushioned surface, but they don’t die right away. Their exoskeletons are extremely tough, and it usually takes a ‘jam, grind, and smear’ technique to make sure the deed is done. But this bee didn’t die and immediately disappeared under my a**…
birthday
Happy Birthday to my wife Christine!
(seen here with Daniel on the Kilimanjaro Safaris in Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
I love you, Babe! 
top 5 on friday #132
Top 5 Musical Collaborations (songs, albums) it can be a mixture of both.
- The Traveling Wilburys
(Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty)
“End of the Line”
- The Beatles and Billy Preston
“Get Back”
- Queen and David Bowie
“Under Pressure”
- Power Station
(Robert Palmer, John Taylor, Andy Taylor, Tony Thompson)
“Some Like It Hot”
- John Mayer Trio
(John Mayer, Steve Jordan, Pino Palladino)
“Vultures”
MIA?
Got an email from my dad yesterday. He noticed the lack of postings on this blog and was wondering how things were going. To be honest with you, it’s been hell. I’ve been so busy at work with the lab project that I’m just mentally and physically drained when I get home. Because of this, I don’t really have much energy to do anything. (more…)
top 5 on friday #131
Top 5 albums that are at least 20 years old. (There’s a stipulation however…all 5 albums cannot be by the same artist/band)
UPDATED: I’ve included my favorite songs off of each album (while trying a new audio player plugin)
- Abbey Road – The Beatles
“Something”
- Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin
“Ten Years Gone”
- Van Halen – Van Halen
“Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love”
- Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi
“Wanted Dead or Alive”
- The Joshua Tree – U2
“Where the Streets Have No Name”
having a bad day
Today was rough. My manager returned from vacation, I had 3 meetings (2 of which lasted nearly 3 hours), I’ve fallen behind, and I screwed up the wireless configuration on a test device I’ve been working with. The big boss was not happy to hear that we may not meet the go-live deadline for the lab project (something I knew all along since January). She didn’t place blame on me, but she made it clear to all of us in my department that if we got an extension (which is possible) there would be no excuse to be in the same boat. As much as I’d love an extension, I want this hell to be over.
create your own fireworks display
Happy 4th of July 
