The Empirical Manifesto

Meant to see so many other people and do so many other things, none of which actually transpired. That said, I did far less driving than I anticipated, and ended up relaxing more. I can't complain. We arrived back in Newton a day later than scheduled with little impact.

drax0r & jesskd26 introduced me to Game of Thrones and facilitated my furthering education here in Newton and drax0r manifested daily - supremely gourmet meals cooked in cast iron, sending me home with my own cast iron starter skillet following my interest and amazement. It was also extolled upon me the virtues of Google's Chromecast, and now that I understand what it actually does - and how it differs from all my other devices - I am now a proud owner of one of those as well.

And since the majority of my money was spent on gasoline and beer and my 7 year old Waterpro's were starting to look their age, I replaced them with the pair which replaced them, the Mykos - on clearance - and a pair of the ones which replaced those, the Mykos Strech at the Merrell store at the Allen Outlet Mall. (Their rigid sole and breathability make them fantastic bicycling shoes.)

Also brought home two Cisco-branded DL320's! They're just like the HP DL360's but use SATA rather than SCSI SCA and only support a single processor. I haven't fired them up yet.

I can't believe how much Anna, TX has grown.

The World is my Teleconference Room

I have a new meeting space, its the walking path around the water-filled ditch (read pond) in the subdivision adjacent our own, about a sixty second walk from the house. At four and a half miles an hour, each lap takes me about 10-minutes. This is where I take all my scheduled calls. We have a daily meeting at 0900 which lasts between half an hour and 45 minutes. I arrive early and get a good hour in in the mornings.

If we don't have an afternoon call, this is where I spend my lunch hour. I try to spend an hour there in the evenings as well.

Only I haven't been doing as much walking as I have running. Interval training. And I'm surprised that I'm able to do it the full hour, three times a day. Especially given my weight. That being said, I was afraid my Merrell's might no longer be up to the task. But "traditional" style running shoes have been replaced with minimalist "natural" "barefoot" running shoes. Shoes with no cushion, no heel, and no support. The opposite of what someone of my size/age requires.

catttitude and I were in the Wichita mall one Friday after work and I stopped at a Famous Footwear because we have one here in the outlet mall in Newton. I found the most expensive pair of traditional running shoes they had for $125 - Asics. I've never had a pair before but I think celtmanx wears them regularly. This morning I found them at the outlet mall for $90. They arrive in a week.

If the gel does what they say it does, I may end up increasing how many times a day I run, or how long.

I feel compelled to.

This exercise is made more effective because I gave up wine. This exercise is made more effective because I started getting adequate sleep. And this effective exercise attunes my mental health.

I am becoming more powerful at an alarming rate.


Asics Gel Nimbus 13 "Fire"

My neighbor's ass is always causing me frustration. Its just sometimes *right there* there, waiting to be noticed - and notice I do! Its disconcerting and a couple of times has caused me to nearly lose control of my vehicle. I mean, I know its there, close by, but I'm rarely expecting it where it causes me trouble. I'd be embarrassed about it if I thought it'd do any good, but I know it won't. Most of the time it just makes me angry; an unexpected delay. My neighbor's ass is not bad looking - I've even mentioned this to my wife, just so she's prepared when it happens, but I don't think there's anything to be done about it.

You see, I live in a nice subdivision, and all these subdivisions reside in town. A rural town. And there is one house off the half-mile county road from the highway to our subdivision, and every so often, his donkey gets out in the road. The road is beautiful and twisty, and every once in a while I have to come to a complete stop because of that donkey blocking traffic. I don't know how it gets out, and I've seen the cops there on several occasions helping secure it in its pen, but every so often it just surprises me out on the road.

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I found the following email in my inbox Thursday morning:

stay off the city forum with your insults-with respect I'm imforming you. it's your choice.

This from the same poster who, before we banned her, threatened, "you can't intimate me, with your actions. Laugh Now-tell your friends at the city office- No mess with Jesus Christ." Charming. Anyway, I mulled it over a little bit, and finally drafted my reply:

Ma'am,

You've listed no repercussions for my non-compliance, which essentially turns your demand into a request. That being said, I'm disinclined to acquiesce. Furthermore you've suggested that I have a choice, yet haven't outlined an alternative course of action. This is problematic for two reasons. First, though you use the word, 'respect' there isn't anything respectful about your tone or request. Secondly, the word, 'inform' denotes the impartation of knowledge of a fact or circumstance, neither of which you've provided here. Due to these inconsistencies, I can't even begin to imagine what you were attempting to communicate, but it was altogether ineffective. However, because I'm not in the business of allowing random people to dictate my actions, I ask that you refrain from doing so in the future.

Thank you so much for your understanding,

Eric

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I've been toying with the idea of getting a PlayStation3. My son overheard my wife and I discussing the pros and cons of such a multi-faceted device and very excitedly offered me $75. All of his savings.

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And finally, I discovered a fatal flaw in my perfect plan: Shifting my narrowly-spaced small-footed Korean clutch in those freakishly formidable Frankenstein boots I bought, is akin to a brachydactylic with anaphia attempting to dexterously digitize a supermodel to completion.

We were at the outlet mall in Allen at the Merrell store and I'm being my usual engaging self to the young lady behind the counter - I'm quite sure she didn't know what to think of catttitude and I as I carried on about this and that while trying on shoes. Occasionally other customers would come in, look around, and leave. I had my shoes off, and was walking around looking for a different pair when some minority youths came in. I made a visual check of all my stuff.

Some would call this prejudicial of me.

They would be wrong. I can assure you, my opinion is not based prematurely, on preconceptions, or without merit. Rather, though pragmatic first-hand observations and experiences. Think of it more as bias. As there was an adult present, I was far less concerned. Though I am curious, do they teach their children to steal, or simply turn a blind eye? My brother has explained to me many times that if its not locked up, its free for the taking.

Of course he's been arrested too many times for me to count, so I consider his assumptions suspect and his conclusion flawed.

Either way, they managed to steal my six-year-old Guess prescription sunglasses, which were in their case, adjacent my boxes of shoes. I hope they burn in hell.

At least they didn't also take my shoes.

Stupid fuckers.

Undaunted, I ended up with the Chameleon Hex the replacement for the Chameleon II I came looking for. These are much less bulky as the fasteners aren't folded leather, nor is the leather molded like on the Chameleon II. Alas, they didn't have my color (shown below) so I ended up with brown mesh. They're very comfortable.



I also found my Polo shirts for 75% off, with another 50% off at the register: $9 each. I bought five, $100 shirts for $50. This breaks me previous record of $12.75 per shirt. Other sundry items included Paint Your Wagon (listening to now) and of course, some of those stupid clasp-type, clip-around, cheap-assed "sunglasses."

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Last night catttitude and I spent with jesskd26 and drax0r as they hosted us for BSG and ziti. We drank a lot of Shiner Black and watched the first two episodes of Season 4. It was fantastic. The ziti was fantastic. Everything was fantastic. So much so, in fact, that I spent the next seven hours digesting both my meal, and the show, in lieu of sleep. Thank you both.



Prejudice? Perhaps. Rec'd a call today from the shoe store. They found my glasses. They were stuffed in one of the bins. How they got there is anyone's guess. I've already heard a few, but I don't want to spread any more hate than this post has already sparked. I pick them up tomorrow.

What a wonderful weekend!

Friday on the way to work I picked up an Anna hat. drax0r had purchased one previously, and I was envious. While dining at The Jalapeno Tree with my wife later that evening, I stood to go, and put on my hat. The gentleman with his family adjacent us asks me, "Is that an Anna hat?" Turns out he was the Athletic Director for the ISD. I've met more influential people in Anna this month than my entire 18 months in STL. Crazy.

From there we hit Home Depot where we picked our colors for the new house. I chose two colors, the darker as the base, the lighter as the trim. It has a very...unique ceiling insofar as they try to continue the bay window motif into the office.




We ended up at the Allen Outlet Mall just down the street from the first Wild Damn Texan office where we dropped off my wife's Mother's Ring to be resized (just call galinda822 anytime you need to know anything about me, my wife tells me) and I found a pair of shoes I've been looking for for about a month now. It's hard to find Merrell shoes, and there was a shop which opened up just a couple of months ago who carry the regions largest selection.





That evening, my wife's car experienced a catastrophic failure, so drax0r called his sister's husband who used to be lead mechanic for Saturn of Plano, and greased the skids prior to our arrival the next morning. Thanks!

Saturday morning we dropped off the car, stopped at Party City I grilled burgers for my wife and I, my folks, drax0r and jesskd26 and his parents & sister and her husband. Then we had Little Girl's birthday party! Afterward, my folks took both the kids and the wife and I headed to Stonebriar Mall in Frisco, where we found IKEA. As soon as we stepped through the threshold, my wife knew she was ill-equipped to face the enormity of the place single-handedly. "I need Carla." She stated. This misadventure provided me opportunity to chat up Carla while I followed my wife around the store.

We had two shots of espresso over gelato at Paciugo followed by a trip to Half Price Books and dinner at Cafe Brazil.

Arriving home, we walked straight into a game of Catchphrase which we enjoyed until approximately 0300.

Today, I picked up the following:

• Nick Glennie-Smith - The Man in the Iron Mask score.


• Richard Gibbs - Queen of the Damned score


• N3: Ninety-Nine Nights score


• Byeong Woo Lee - The Host score


• The Electronic Tribute to Pink Floyd

It was a fun and eventful weekend; one of those which come around only every so often.

Here's the shirt they got me for Father's Day:

I dreamed that I ran into an old friend from my childhood (who really wasn't an old friend from my childhood except for the purposes of this dream - I have no idea who it was in r/l, unlike most of my other dreams) who used to make things, specifically amps and speakers. As we're reminiscing, I show him some plans I had drawn up for one long ago which never materialized. He gets serious about these plans and begins putting it together right in front of me. But he needs some specific architectural drawings, so we go visit some nuns at this research facility, but their plans are locked down pretty tight, which requires they badge me. I end up following this other guy around who's in a wheelchair and he makes his way in and out of document rooms, checking out manuscripts and drawings. It's all feeling very Stargate (the movie) what with the scrolls and trying to decipher symbols and running around this facility. The nuns are all a titter and most of them are now naked. How odd - at first they were concerned with my whereabouts because I was wearing a visitor badge, and now they seem self-absorbed in their quest.

I run into the Base Exchange (I almost always end up at the Base Exchange in my dreams, I have no idea why) where I see my mother coming in from the parking lot through the windows (its dark outside) but I realize the nuns took my all my clothes. Rather than be ashamed at my nakedness, I grab a purple Indian blanket and wrap it around my shoulders - unfortunately it was too short to cover anything, but that was okay since an expensive pair of shoes caught eye on sale, I'm ogling those. I thought they were marked down from $139.99 to $3.99 (a hell of a deal) - but a second look shows they were only marked down to $19.99, and that wasn't such a good price (for whatever reason). They were very narrow cycling shoes, but made of out of various colored space-age translucent rubber, and hadn't been fitted with pedal clips yet, allowing them to be used as a walking shoe. Somehow I'm clothed again, and walking down the Macintosh isle. The isle is filled with what looks like gift cards. One of the gift cards show the 'PC' guy from the "Mac & PC" commercials, only there is actually video embedded in this gift card, the entire face of the gift card is in fact, a moving video. It's a pretty humorous card, but since its suddenly 1984 I wonder how they know who the 'PC' guy is since the commercial is a fairly recent development. At the automated checkout, I start pushing buttons to order a Burger King Whopper, and one of the options is to pay by Base Exchange Macintosh Account. I no longer live on base, so I slink away at this point, forgo my burger and something else catches my eye. But jaceman comes up to the counter to pay for his wares (and by this time the checkout is staffed) and as Jace gives his items to the man to scan, he's given a chit for his Whopper. "Cool, I get a free Whopper!" Jace tells his pals, he thinks its free, but because I was there before him and failed to cancel it out, he accidentally paid for it and does not know it. I consider telling him this, but its just too damn funny to see him brag about his free Whopper, so I remain quiet.

I'm now at USSTRATCOM. Generally I dream I'm outside the inner sanctum of United States Strategic Command because I no longer have my clearance, but today I'm inside. All my old friends are there, and it's dark, and everyone is busy. USSTRATCOM was my worst two-year stretch in the military, and the reason I left the service. I always dream about USSSTRATCOM with great apprehension. The hum of light-tables and video displays is visible from the low, dark cubes. I see Brinkmeyer's cube, and across from it, Joel Winjen, USMC has an office. How ironic, I think (another story altogether). I'm allowed free-reign despite my visitor badge (something which in real life would never happen) and get bored waiting on the nuns & the guy in the wheelchair to finish the discovery phase of their quest. I have to urinate. I start around the maze-like complex looking for a restroom (always the maze & restroom!) All the ones I find are either filthy, occupied, or otherwise unobtainable. I usually go in one door down a hallway, and come out another, adding to my confusion about where I am at any given time, though I do continue to run into the two nuns and the guy in the wheelchair. They think I'm still helping them, and I do actually pick up and carry two old 16mm portable projector screens and carry them back to the second house I lived in Rhome, TX when I was in High School. The guy in the wheelchair is now driving around the outside of my house in this very small car which gives one the impression that his entire body is under the surface of the earth, and only his head and hands are visible in this tiny vehicle which appeared to be more like a miniature golf cart.

I'm back at STRATCOM and still looking for a bathroom. I go a little further out and see a couple of people in uniform chatting outside a German bistro-style food stand which is closed. One of the men is a marine in the new camouflaged utilities and it looks like he's drinking Soju. I wonder if he just returned from Korea. Nah, it's probably German apfel-wine. I go a little further and there's a large black lady interviewing with someone in the hall which opens to the theater. No bathrooms! I'm at these tall, tall, doors, three of them, which are the exits to the wing. I turn back around and there are door everywhere, but none of them marked restroom. I pass the theater, I pass the black lady having the interview, and just as I'm approaching the German bistro-style stand, it dawns on me that there should be a restroom in the eating area! I turn to find it, and the Marine stands to go as well, as does the man he's been talking to. Great - this always happens in my dreams - company at the last minute! There is indeed a restroom there, and there are many stalls. Because the marine is right behind me (in fact, holding the door open behind me, waiting for me to enter) I take the first, middle stall, just as you enter the door. The marine takes the stall to my right, and the other gentleman takes the door to my left. The toilets are filthy, as if some drunk has thrown up in them. I notice under the partition that the marines toilet is in the same condition, and he's on his knees vigorously cleaning it with toilet paper. I begin to clean my bowl as well. I ask the marine, "So is that soju you're drinking?" Before he can answer, the guy in the left stall says, "Ahhh.... you like sojo? You love this soju! Here - you try!" I look under the left stall, and the marine looks under the stall and the guy he was talking to outside (who is now to my left) is a ROKAF Korean Air Force officer in his blues. He hands me his bottle of soju - "Very good, top of the line." he says to me. He makes a 'drinking a shot' motion and says, "You say, 'Ho Jo'" when you drink. Korean custom." He repeats the gesture and the saying. "Means, "Holy Smoke"" I uncap the soju and try to mimic his movements and words. The stuff comes out like honey. I try to snap the cap back on, but cannot, more soju-honey oozes from the opening. I wipe it off the bottle with my hand and eat it. Every time I try to close the bottle, it oozes more, and I repeat the process. Finally, I get the lid back on and try to tell him, "I couldn't get it closed." Only thing is, I slur my words - badly. I try to tell him, "Damn, this is some strong shit." since I've already begun slurring, but that too, comes out slurred. He's not laughing, or smiling now, and he's holding a sign. I have to tilt my head to read it, and it's scrawled in red ink on a yellow legal pad. It says, "My sin is enjoying watching you die from a heart-attack." It wasn't soju - it was laced honey! I begin to panic, my heart races, I turn to the marine who's' still kneeling in the stall watching all this play out from under the partitions, only he can't see the legal pad to read it, and I can no longer talk. My heart is racing and my body is tingling - I'm going to die and can't do anything about it. I wake up with my heart still racing and my body still tingling from the rush of dream-inducing adrenaline.