This Christmas, I racked up on the presents. Heidi got my a nice wireless keyboard/mouse combo (the keyboard is a small hacker keyboard, the kind I like, and the mouse is a gyro mouse... very cool). My parents got me a Firestorm 18v Cordless Drill and Saw Combo kit (along with a flashlight and dustbuster), which means Im going to have lots of fun building things this winter/spring. No more sore arms from using a screwdriver. I also got a couple shirts and a couple toboggan hats (very comfortable) from Old Navy. I guess I'm turning into an Old Navy whore. I can't help it, the clothes are inexpensive, stylish (so Heidi says.... she's the expert on this stuff), and dang comfortable. Pretty soon, my whole wardrobe will probably say old navy... Not to worry though, I still don't look like the people in the blasted commercials (shame on Old Navy for using Fran Drescher and her annoying-as-hell voice). Anywhoo, there were a couple other things I got, but I'll spare you the details.
This year, I decided not to spend Christmas by myself. With a little collaboration with Heidi's father, I decided I could afford the trip to Dallas to spend Christmas with her and her family. Heidi had no clue whatsoever... but everyone else knew. I arrived one day earlier, and was there waiting for her when she arrived at her parents house. The girl was exstatic! It was just a mini-version of what happened when I proposed to her. We had a great weekend together, and with her family. I think it was money well spent. I can't wait to see her again.
Have you ever seen the MTV show Newlyweds? You know, the one with Jessica Simpson and Nick LeShea? I've had the opportunity to watch a couple of these shows, and i've come to a conclusion. Even though Jessica has extraordinary looks, I personally could never put up with her. The girl lacks a sufficient level of intelligence, and is a spoiled brat who whines when she doesnt get her way. That would drive me knucking futs! They were playing a game on the show, and Jessica was asked "would you rather have a brilliant mind or a brilliant body when you were 90". Jessica answered that she'd rather have the body. I guess that makes sense... she already knows what having a brilliant body feels like. Having a brilliant mind is a bit of a stretch for her.
Here is an excerpt I found online of the "Technical Night Before Christmas".
'Twas the nocturnal segment of the diurnal period preceding the annual Yuletide celebration, and throughout our place of residence, kinetic activity was not in evidence among the possessors of this potential, including that species of domestic rodent known as Mus musculus. Hosiery was meticulously suspended from the forward edge of the wood burning caloric apparatus, pursuant to our anticipatory pleasure regarding an imminent visitation from an eccentric philanthropist among whose folkloric appellations is the honorific title of St. Nicholas.
This month I start paying the government back for all the money they lent me to complete my bachelors at Covenant College. Its rough... Ive been waiting to find out how much my payments were going to be BEFORE i consolidated (not sure why...) The first place I tried to consolidate my loans offered me no sort of interest reduction. Right up there at like 3.5%... and I have good credit?!?! So, if ANYONE knows anywhere to get a good consolidation loan, from a respectable establishment, it would be more than appreciated!
Theres a song Ive heard on the radio several times now (internet radio), and it has the coolest sound to it. It reminds me a little of queen mixed with pfr (pray for rain... an old christian rock band). Its a fun little song. The group is "Belle & Sebastion" and the group is Step into my office, Baby".
Ever since high school, all my friends have played video games. I have never been big on this. Now, Im in the "post-college" time of my life, and it still seems like all the guys my age (and older) are still playing video games?!?! I know that the video gaming audience has grown to encompass guys of all ages, but I never thought it would be so prevalent. I have known several guys who have lost their job, or failed to get a job due to video games. What is the draw to video games? I know I'm probably in the minority here, but all I do is program (write web applications). This is an addiction of my own that I have to work through so I don't let it hurt my marriage (remember, im getting married soon!). However, I am comforted by the fact that I am strengthening my skills and learning new things in the process, not to mention learning how to code faster and more efficiently. My friends have told me that gaming is a stress reliever for them. My question to them would be "Why don't you get yourself out of the stressful situation?". Whatever happened to athletic endeavors to relieve stress??
I've decided that as a freelance developer, I tend to migrate towards the ignorant and fickle clientel. I had one client trying to get a 6-7 page website up. The guy had no day-job, he was merely living off of a good real-estate deal that his father made (he is a 40yr old man... it was kinda pathetic). It took the better part of a year for me to drag enough information out of him to create a site template (he was always changing his mind, and how he wanted things). I presume he was also gay (or had extremely bad business conduct), because it appeared as though he hit on me. Anyways, he finally decided to go with some other poor young guy (after a while, i steered clear of personal conversation, and tried to stick to business, which he apparently didnt like). He owed me some money still (deciding to cut his losses), which interprets into me having one less moron to deal with.... screw the money. Besides, many of the changes he had me implement into the basic template were things that went against good web design (and therefore reflective of me).
Man, back in July Valparaiso seemed to be a quaint little town. Today, I found out differently. The place is blanketted with a nice thick layer of snow. If I were still in Chattanooga or Atlanta the city would have informally shut down, and I would be at home, getting some extra sleep, staying in my jammies all morning, and watch my weekly dose of TV, and that would just account for my morning. Who knows what I'd do for the rest of the day. (*IF* I had any friends, Id probably go out and play in the snow for a good solid half hour or until I couldnt feel my fingers anymore.) However, being in Valparaiso, they EXPECT you to drive in this stuff!! I did fairly well. I happened to look out the window early this morning and notice everyones car running, and people here and there scraping the snow off their vehicles. I did my best to mimick their actions. The snow came off like buttah! And for some odd reason, it didnt feel quite as cold as usual (and yet the snow was sticking). Anywhoo, my drive to work went fairly well until i started to pull into our parking lot. Lets just say I cut the wheels a tad to hard and I start sliding towards our buildings' sign. I personally didn't want to be known as the guy who "knocks-down-building-signs-because-he-can't-drive-in-the-snow". The snow is supposed to stop at some point today, but once I arrived at work the flakes were getting larger and larger. I wonder what its going to be like at lunch, or even the end of the day.
I thought i was going to blog on some insanely popular topic, and generate lots of friendly comments. Instead, I stare at the blog entry page. Its a very nice page. I wish I had more like them.
So Heidi's first day of wedding planning was yesterday. And from what I hear, she was a busy little girl. I finally found something she gets excited to do (she has no passions like I do...), and its unfortunately wedding planning. I can see it now, she's gonna want to get married every couple years just so she can plan more weddings (hopefully I'll be the groom on all occasions). I sure hope I don't have to flip the bill on all subsequent occasions!
On Wednesday night at 11pm (EST), I proposed to Heidi. We Had just gotten home from a Wally-world shopping trip and had just finished putting everything away. She gave me a big hug and I told her I had something for her. I pulled out a nice little box and opened it up in front of her. She looked at me, and then looked down to find a diamond ring waiting for her. I figured she would start crying (happy tears of course), but no, I was waaaay off. Heidi started screaming... and screaming... and screaming. I thought for sure that someone was going to call the police on us (these weren't quiet screams... they were more of the blood-curdling persuasion). Fortunately the police never showed up, and heidi eventually stopped screaming. In the meantime though, after the initial scream heidi takes another look at me and the diamond and starts running (ok, so her apartment really isnt big enough to actually run in... it was more like a skiddattle). She scurried over in the general direction of the door, and I thought 'great, im going to have to chase her down', but fortunately she stopped at the door, turned around and faced the corner for a minute (screaming is still taking place...). I finally made it over to her (my moving seemed to make her scream even louder, so I tried to avoid any sudden movements). I dropped to my knee(s) and waited for the screaming to finish. She stopped momentarily after a minute, and quickly bounced up and down before jumping at me saying 'YES, YES, YES!!! NO WAIT, YOU HAVE TO ASK FIRST!!!'. So I waited a tad longer (for her to shuush), and proposed to her. I of course was welcomed with a big hug and an excited 'YES!'.
Next stop in the road of life, marriage!