Unintended Break

So, I took a little unintended break from blogging these past couple weeks. I have no entries in draft or any ideas brewing right now except for a movie review. Things have been pretty busy and I've decided to sum them all up in one massive blog post.

I got stomach flu this week. Was feeling nauseous and cold at work on Monday. Left early and started hyperventilating on my way home. Caused my muscles to tighten up like something fierce. It looked like I had cerebral palsy... no joke. Went to the ER where they ran some tests and gave me some fluids. Had the second most painful IV done in my life. Spent the majority of Tuesday in bed. Came back to work today feeling about 80% better. It was awful, but not as bad as when I got food poisoning.

Work has definitely picked up in the last few weeks. This is most likely due to busy season approaching, but there are a few big projects that we are preparing for as well. We also have a potentially huge project lined up if all things go well. I'm not allowed to talk about it too much, but I hinted about it a little bit back in January when Microsoft first announced layoffs. Pray that Studios gets the gig. It would really help out.

And speaking of work, I did another side job last week. I won't disclose my client's identification, but I will say that they have a huge influence on public radio. I'm not just talking NPR (for Seattle it's KPLU 88.5), but the entire nation's public radio network. I don't know what more I can say to build up my client's importance. Anyway, they own two really nice houseboats on Lake Union; one that they live in and the other that they work in. I fixed miscellaneous stuff on their PCs and they were quite happy with my work. So much so that they recommended me to a few radio stations and other people. All these side jobs have really got me considering starting my own tech support LLC. What do you think? Is it worth it? What should the name be? I really enjoy helping people with their computers and the extra cash is nice.

Even though I haven't been writing here, I have still been writing. I have been working on my movie script to and from work almost every day. I take occasional breaks to catch up on my latest anime shows (K-ON! looks to be my new favorite so far this season), but I've been going at it pretty hard. A lot of times I'll get stuck on how I want a scene shot. Getting the terminology right is the hardest part for me. I know what I want to do in my mind, but translating that to paper is a struggle. Maybe I should just direct also. I'd tell you more about it, but I'm way too paranoid about people stealing material. When I get close to finishing (in another year or so), I might post a brief synopsis or something.

My father-in-law, Keith, retired from Paccar on Tuesday. Ironically, I think he'll actually be working more now that he has retired since the whole family likes to use him as a handyman. I threw together a retirement video to show at his party on Saturday. Actually, it's more like a slide show since it is just made up of a bunch of pictures. I thought it turned out quite nice:


For a few weeks, our car was driving a bit wobbly. I tried putting some air in the tires to see if maybe they were just low, but that didn't help. When Bethany got the oil changed, the mechanic took a look and noticed that our driver's side rear tire was losing tread. Figuring we would need to get a new tire, and remembering that the last one cost $130+, I decided to call a friend who works at Discount Tire. He totally gave us the hookup with his employee pricing. Ended up spending a little over $60 for a brand new tire and service. He even showed me what had gone wrong with the tire. There was a huge gash in it. Explains the wobbling.

We're off to Hawaii in a week and a half. I haven't taken a vacation day since last June. I really need this break. We'll be spending a week on Oahu. We went there back in January 2007. Fell in love with the place. Last time, I felt pressured to see all the big touristy sights (Pearl Harbor, Polynesian Cultural Center, Waikiki, etc.). This time, I want to relax a little more and visit more beaches. I've already got a few places lined up. I also can't wait for the awesome food like Leonard's malasadas, Curry House, and shaved ice. Mmmm. We'll be staying with our friends and old Texas neighbors, Christy and Nelson. Nelson is stationed at Hickam AFB and they apparently have a big place on base. Free lodging is fine with me. This will be Jelly's first time out of the mainland United States, as well as her longest flight taken. It will certainly be an interesting experience.

Jelly has been growing up so much recently. It's amazing how she pieces things together. When we tell her that we are going out, she knows that she needs to sit down at the bottom of the stairs so that we can get her shoes and coat on. But, not before she reminds us that her coat resides in the closet. It's little stuff like that that blows my mind away. She had her 18 month doctor's appointment yesterday. I can't believe she's a year and a half old! It wasn't a very happy appointment. She got poked by needles numerous times, but stayed a trooper through the whole thing. She might have a low iron problem, but it could also be thalassemia which is something both me and my mom have (confirmed as low iron). Neither are too big of a deal to worry about, but something to be aware of. She recently got over a cold only to fall right into another one, but she seems to be doing better now.

And here's something I have been meaning to get off my chest for a long time now. I was keeping quiet on it, but it has finally bothered me so much that I must say something. I hate those giant sunglasses that women have been wearing lately. You know, the bug-eye ones that look like Willy Wonka's glasses? They are hideous. In what form do any women think this looks good on them!? It doesn't. Oh sure, "they make my face look skinnier." Right. That statement is almost as dumb as how you look when you wear them. Want proof? Look who started the trend. Nicole Ritchie. Definitely an IQ you girls need to aspire to if you're so convinced that these glasses look good on you. Do you know why girls like Ritchie, Lindsay Lohan, and Kate Moss wear big sunglasses? They actually wanted their heads to look bigger as they stick their fingers down the back of their throats at night. So go ahead and keep wearing them. Take plenty of pictures of yourself in them so that you can look back on them in 10-20 years and think to yourself, "What was I thinking!?" Whatever happened to showing off your facial features and structure? Hiding your face has become attractive now? Don't bother trying to defend yourself or these glasses. I won't listen to any of it. Gosh I hope this trend is on its way out. For all you friends and family members that I know are reading this and wear these glasses, I love you to death, which is why I am trying to help you. /rant


So, apologies for the lack of posting. Just know that I am still working hard and writing other material.