shit, there's literally nobody here. :-/ I forgot how many people aren't here. at livejournal you don't dare subscribe to the 'add me' comms, because your reading page would be flooded. here there's one comm, with like 2 new people a week, and they're bi-polar band nerds who are into anime and reading.

ack.

(big probably unfair generalization - my bad)


think I might have to go back to lj.

neil armstrong died. :-( first man on the moon.

most people now have a hard time imagining what it took to get to the moon. hitting a moving target in space with an on-board computer less powerful than a modern cell phone. and coming back afterward, to this moving target. they had to calculate all the unknowns, because it was all unmapped. some of it was guesswork - highly educated guesswork, but still guesswork. our atmosphere refracts light like water in a glass, so the sun and moon and stars aren't where they look like they are. they had to calculate where the moon really was, plan a trajectory thousand of miles in a vacuum, figure out acceleration and steering, braking, landing, life support, even how to eat and take a piss. nobody really knew 100% for sure what would happen and if it would really work.

but people lined up to go. guts doesn't even begin to describe that.

it was probably the best, most inspiring thing mankind has done during my lifetime.

ooo good day shopping today. got two of the best filet steaks I've ever seen, and got a perfect piece of salmon. gonna have some good eating this week. :-) the salmon's for supper tomorrow.

also got some nice smoked salmon for snackage (I think I'm addicted to salmon now), and various interesting things from the import aisle.

I'm drinking a pomegranate flavoured aloe vera drink right now. tastes a bit like dish soap smells. :-p and it has bits of aloe suspended in it like frog spew. kind of disgusting but also amusing. maybe it's better cold.

well, bedtime.

nicky have a good trip! I'll watch for travel blog updates.

check out the_cooking_mom .  I don't read a word of russian (pretty sure its russian), but the pictures of dishes there are all so incredibly tasty looking.  looking through that journal is inspring me to cook awesome things, which is awesome.  and a few of the recipes are in english.

found this flaked parmesan in the cheese aisle a while ago, and it's the best thing ever.  it's not grated - it's cut into thin flakes that are more substantial than grated, and have a whole different texture and flavour.  been playing with that in meals a lot lately.

also, I've been playing with flavoured butter.  my favourite is butter with honey - it makes the tastiest scrambled eggs I've ever had.


bah lunch break's over.  back to work.

this week I'm determined to do something with all the computer parts I've been hoarding. right now I have 2 computers that I use, 2 that I don't use, and enough parts to make at least one more and then some. and that's kinda silly. especially since storing stuff neatly in one place really isn't my thing. :-p

so I'm setting up a workbench in the bedroom where the best lighting is, laying out all my parts, building what I can with it, and then getting rid of what's left over. I already have some parts earmarked for upgrading family, and the rest I'll make a list of and sell or give away online.


in other news, I shoulda been in bed 3 hours ago. my body thinks I still work nights. :-/ stupid body.

*sigh* back to work :-/

3 more shifts and I'm done working nights.

it's 17 degrees in my apartment. after a bunch of annoying 30-degree days this is so damn nice. :-)

I'm baking cabbage rolls right now. :-D

SHITFUCKBALLS

I fell asleep on my coffee break. :-/

(still haven't straightened out my sleeping hours)

1) What's the worst movie you've ever seen?
1. titanic (you listing it reminded me). first time I saw the movie I commented that kate winslet looks like she should be leonardo whatshisname's babysitter. and I fucking hate how they ALWAYS pollute historical movies with a sickeningly sappy love story - it's like it's the standard formula now. it's kind of insulting that hollywood doesn't think the historical story is enough to make it interesting (on cable there's several whole channels devoted to history for fuck's sake, and not one cheesy love story channel).

2) What is your most favorite dessert indulgence?
hot fudge sundae. do I need to explain why? :-p

3) Most favorite country you have visited?
I'm so lame - I have a great hotel discount (way better than the discount I can get other people) and potentially free flights and I haven't fucking gone anywhere. only place I've been outside of canada is a few miles into the states smuggling plutonium and kinder surprise eggs. quebec city feels like another country, so I'll say that.

4) What country have you not visited yet that you are excited to explore?
mostly I have a big list of museums and restaurants and battlefields, rather than a list of countries. they'd be day trips if I could teleport. dear science community: where the fuck is teleporting technology you lazy pricks?

5) What books have you enjoyed this year so far?
all I've really 'read' other than manuals and gaming magazines is the hunger games and books 1 & 2 of song of ice and fire on audiobook. actually haven't got one actual book here right now, because I gave them all to a charity sale earlier this year.

bought a sata 3 solid state hard drive yesterday, to replace the sata 2 one. even though numbers-wise it's not much difference, some things are noticeable faster and smoother. :-)

also bought a ups (battery backup) unit. the power went out a couple of days ago, AGAIN, and I cringed. it's like turning the computer off by unplugging it - everytime that happens you roll the dice on whether it'll be okay when you turn it back on. :-/ so yeah, now when the power goes out I'll have a few minutes to shut everything down properly.

fucking power goes out more in my part of the city than anywhere else - what the fuck. it happens so often I've taken the time to make myself a 'power outage kit' so everything I need is together. that reminds me, I gotta go to the store and get more candles - severe thunderstorm forecast for later.

also need bacon. :-p