I’m watching Hard Candy. I remember this movie being a dialog-driven situational mindf–k, and it’s getting that way as this is being typed in another window on the same screen ’cause the JW199D pwnz.

I’ve been doing more relaxing than usual these past couple weeks, but that only means I’ve only left slightly bigger gaps in the whole to-do. I look forward to the next learning phase in the Fall, the second to the last, the heart of what I need to move forward along in my career path (and hopefully some better weather alongside).

The point in my life where I have an idea of what I’m going to do with myself is closer than ever. That happier repetition is just around the corner. A little more mini-golf, a continued indulgence in Texas BBQ and chicken wings, the growth of what has already been going on for decades now: my abstract? Ellen Page’s teenage character in Hard Candy has gone berserk on the guy tied to the chair, and he’s screaming for help.

When I punch the keys, I’m working. Makin’ it rain… peanuts. Actually, it’s much better than I expected ’cause the 4th anniversary of this psyche rummage is next week. Ha! Peace out.

After that exam, I will be cramming another study guide for the exam in my other class on Wednesday evening. Fortunately, this exam allows two double-sided pages of notes. I would be doomed otherwise.

The completion of that exam will conclude my summer session.

Mary and Max (IMDb 8.3/10 9,403 votes) is a movie well worth viewing. The fusion of high-quality claymation and a thought-provoking story made it a very interesting film. The way it plays out threw me for a whirl. I enjoy movies that do that to me and make a good impression on my movie memory bank.

If you haven’t seen this movie & <3 cheesy flicks, then this is a must-see.

[mosotube]

The job is easy and pays decent. What I enjoy most is the lack of stress. I don’t deal with customers, my tasks are not very challenging but are monitored for performance, and I can listen to my MP3 player all day long. I hope to have this job for a while, because it makes life much better than my previous job.

After I leave work, I don’t have to worry about it until I return. My co-workers are nice people, and the company has a good amount of projects to stay busy. I gave up a bunch of perks leaving my last job like a real coffee machine, a snack machine where everything costs a quarter, a soda machine where everything costs a quarter, a big desk with drawers, and health insurance that didn’t cost me anything out of pocket. Sacrifices have to be made, and I’ll be OK without any of that for now.

I sit in front of a computer in a quiet room with only a couple other workstations crunching on a keyboard all day. The day goes by relatively quick and stress-free. I look forward to leaving for the day to get things done because I can, but I don’t dread being at work nor do I dread having to go back.

I try to take a nap around 3 after I return from work, so I don’t have to go to bed around 9. I like having the ability to run errands when traffic is relatively light, and everywhere is open. I am getting my current comics read in a timely manner now. I’ve been keeping up with watching movies and catching my favorite TV shows. The worry about finding a new job is gone for now. This routine makes me happy.

This upcoming Thursday will be interesting. I plan on getting my eight hours of sleep right after my shift ends, so I can wake up in time to get prepared for the Watchmen midnight premiere at Alamo. I’m not super excited, but I am looking forward to seeing it. Once I get that movie out of my system, I’ll be eager to see the new Wolverine movie.

My bedtime is near. Peace out.

I also look forward to being in a theater filled with dedicated comic fans for this 163-minute film and enjoying a late night meal and a beer or two with Neil, Mare, and K$ at the most brilliant movie theater concept on the planet: Alamo Drafthouse. (Real) food, beer, and movies were always meant to be together. They say that theaters make almost nothing off ticket sales and rely on their concession to keep them in business. Alamo has no problem with that.

Nevertheless, this movie should be a good watch in the theater. I’m picky with which movies I spend ticket prices on, and I usually wait until the DVD is released to completely enjoy films in the privacy of my home. When the time arrives, I see myself saying how much I liked seeing Watchmen. Tune in after March 6th for that. Peace out.

This weekend was enjoyable for a change. It usually goes by before I really get a chance to grasp it, but I think I had some good use of it this time around.

Friday night was my company’s holiday party. It was a casino night party. The food was much better than last year, but I would say last year’s party was much more fun.

Mare and I played blackjack with a couple co-workers and then left early to go downtown to enjoy the rest of night. We had some drinks at Creekside Lounge on 7th. Surprisingly, their drink prices are very decent and the bartenders know how to make them. A couple DJs were spinning. The music was loud as you’d expect from a downtown bar on a Friday night. Before we knew it, the whole place was packed with people. That was the signal to close out the tab and call it a night.

Of course, the late night munchies after drinking surfaced. Mare and I went to Jack in the Box for some 2am breakfast. We also had to get some bacon cheddar potato wedges, because those are the best late night fast food drive-thru fries that I’ve found anywhere in town. Please let me know if you know any better fries that you can get at a drive-thru open at 2 in the morning, but I’ll be doubtful. They also had a new menu item we had to try: mini-churros. They were decent for late night dessert.

On Saturday, I cleaned the Hex 5 aquarium. I cleaned up the wires behind the television set. I went to the Crown and Anchor Pub for the first time in a few months and had an excellent time. We had a decent-sized posse present, and more fun is always to be had with strength in numbers.

On Sunday, I did the two to three times a year deep cleaning of the betta bowls. I finally beat Portal. I haven’t beaten a video game in years, and it’s a good feeling and was definitely worth the effort. I’m working on Half-Life 2 now. I read the first issue of Watchmen. DC has reprinted this series and will be releasing the 12 issues weekly until the movie is shown in theatres on March 6th. I’ve been hesitant to get the graphic novel, but I’ve decided to collect the single re-issues.

In less than eight hours, I will be back to my occupation as an office zombie. I should have VPN’ed today but decided to enjoy my entire weekend instead. I feel it is my obligation to worry about work when it’s time to work or when work needs to be done and relax when everything work-wise is mostly stable.

Mare will be going to North Carolina on Wednesday. I will be going next Wednesday. I finally get a much-needed vacation elsewhere. This year really came and went. I’m glad I will be able to get some time away from this town real soon. Peace out.

[from a sticky note that has been sitting on my desk since its date, February 10th.]

2:37a 2/10/8
the prodibase max
250w video recording device from the
’70s that recorded onto hot dogs

From Tim Lindenschmidt’s World’s Longest Hot Dog | source: Wikipedia

I was up late one night, and Mare had fallen asleep but briefly woke up long enough to tell me about the prodibase max, a 250-watt video recording device from the ’70s that recorded onto hot dogs.