Thursday, December 20, 2007
Reflections on laziness
Why does laziness factor into this, because I have a lot of wasted time. I think I get overwhelmed and rather than vent this constructively, I let it out by becoming a lazy lump. I will watch TV, play video games and do several other non-constructive forms of entertainment. Not bad, as there are many other vices that could be worse, but still not what I want to continue doing. Maybe it is a mind body thing. I am pretty chunky lately and way out of shape. If my mind did not have to keep compensating for all of this, maybe I could turn things around. If anyone knows a good entry level work out routine, please let me know. I also find that laziness is a big impact to my relationship and home life. Why take out the trash, when I could be beating the Ice Castle? Why clean up the living room, when I could watch another episode of Myth Busters? Sigh, why not do all of this stuff first and clear the table of stress and wife backlash, then read a book or write something?
On top of all of this, I procrastinate. I almost did not write this last sentence, because I could do it later. I am wearing a shirt my wife gave me. Written on it is:
Top ten reasons I procrastinate:
1.
That is all. Funny, funny stuff! Lucky for me, my wife knows me and still loves me for who I am. More than that, she centers me. She always gets me to where I need to be. Whether it is through gentle persuasion or excessive use of force, she will bring me back down to earth. I love her so much, just for hanging in there.
Why am I bringing this up? Well, I will be losing my job I have had for the past seven years and it is time to move on. Will I get another job? Will I go back to school? Will I move to the country and become a Hill-Billy hippie? Who knows? These will all be things that will weigh heavily on my mind, going into next year, and neither laziness nor procrastination are going to be much help. Direction and clarity is what I need right now. What will I be going forward? Who knows, so just sit back and enjoy the ride?
Happy (Early) New Year!
- Dr. Worm
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Sunday, December 02, 2007
They Might Be Giants: The Experience
I have to start from the beggining to really do justice to the story. It all started with news that my favorite band, They Might Be Giants, was going to be coming to my town. SWEEEEEEET!!! I was excited. We are lucky to get them every two years and I think we had waited that long or longer to get them to come this time. I have gone to every show I could, since I was 12. When I was 12, I went with my sister to my first concert of theirs. I was not tall enough to see the band. I had to stand on a chair and my sister convinced security to let me. I was 12 and that was back during better times. It was a life changing experience, but not the one I mentioned before. To wrap up this sub story, as the entire band was leaving the stage, I found myself in their path. I was a small 12 years old and was prepared to get moved aside, but that was not the case. The band stopped and shook my hand. The whole band! Then to my wonder and awe, my sister asked them to sign my shirt. I was expecting them to shoot her down. Nope, again I was amazed. The whole band signed my shirt. I wore that shirt into the ground. Not a good idea, in retrospect, but hey I was 12. This experience is what solidified my never ending love for this band.
Well, back to the main story. My favorite band is coming to town. YEEEEEESSS!!! Wait, there is even better news. The concert is free. Wow! The concert is FREE!!! I would gladly pay a pretty penny for tickets, but FREE!!! This is all too good to be true. Sadly, that was the case. It was too good to be true. The tickets to the concert were being distributed by a local radio station, 101.9 The End. I did not have anything against them, going into this whole thing. That would soon change. How hard can tickets be to get? It is a free show I just have to show up and get tickets, right? WRONG!!! I soon find out that in order to get tickets, I would have to perform insane tasks and getting tickets would be next to impossible.
You see, there are people who love to jerk people around. Maybe they don’t have a choice. Maybe they do it because they enjoy it. We have all been around it in some fashion or another. In our personal and work lives, we are always going to have to deal with these people. Then there are the people who take this whole process to the extreme. The term for them, is radio DJs. The worst of which, are those with 101.9 the end. Sure you can get tickets, just come on down to our remote location. Oh, you want to know where the remote location is, too bad. You must listen to our station. Okay, that is annoying, but I don’t care I will do anything for tickets. So I am off to Mordor, to get tickets. Oh, sorry you cannot just get tickets. We need to enter you into a drawing because we have a limited amount of tickets, but thanks for coming to Mordor. That sucks! Oh, you should easily be able to get tickets. We have plenty and everyone who enters into this drawing will get some. We will call you if you win. Okay fine, as long as I get tickets.
Wait, wait and wait some more. No call. No tickets. Listen to the radio more. There has to be another way to get tickets. Radio is terrible. The DJs are terrible. I wanted to hurt myself several times. Okay, not a big deal. Hey, anyone that wants tickets plays our games and wins them. Keep listening to our ridiculous show and you can win. If you can swallow a gallon of water while tap dancing on a 3 inch wide pole, you can win too. Crap!
After all of this and still not being able to get tickets, I gave up. Yep, I gave up. Yeah, I know. You say that if I really am such a true fan I would go through anything. Well, I had to draw the line somewhere and I reached the line. I consented to not being able to see my favorite band when they came to town. I had one last act to admit everything was over and come to grips with my situation. I posted a comment on the TMBG MySpace site and told them what I thought of the situation. How I probably would not be able to go to the show. Whiney? Maybe, but I am not one to whine. Just getting the facts out and pleading my case. I did not post it with the intention of getting anything out of it, or even expecting them to care. I seriously did not think I would get a response at all. It was just my last way of giving in to defeat.
A week passes and that is when things take an interesting turn. I get a message back from the TMBG MySpace people. They ask simply what is happening with the SLC show. I reply with a little more description than what I put in the MySpace comment. Again, I don’t feel I am being overly whiney. Another week passes and they reply that I need to send an e-mail to one of the main TMBG accounts. Of course I am not going to give it out here and if you asked I would not give it either. I email this new account, copying information from my last e-mail, and send it on. Within a day or so I get an e-mail that says something to the effect of “you are on the list”. Okay, but I have never been “on the list” and what is this all about. I reply back just asking for a little more info. They tell me that if anyone gives me any trouble at the show, talk to the tour manager and tell them that I, plus one guest, are on the list.
This is pretty sweet, but I am still pretty skeptical given the entire process I had gone through. Several weeks pass by and the day of the concert arrives. I am traveling with a friend who happens to be listening to the above mentioned radio station. What to our wondering ears would they say? Oh, we have a lot of left over tickets that we are giving away. We did not give away enough of them so there are plenty of extras. ASS HATS!!! You put everyone through all this shit, claiming that you would not have enough tickets, only to find out you poorly miss managed the whole thing and now have excess on the day of!!! Did I already say ASS HATS!?!
Quickly I call my friends and family that have been suffering along with me, so they are aware of the situation. They hurry and go to the location, as I am still far away from the area. I tell them to get my wife and myself two tickets, because I want tickets in hand, in case “the list” thing does not work out. Besides, they have plenty of tickets left over. I arrive at the venue and they were able to get two tickets for us. Sweet, we are going no matter what. We are hanging with our friends in line and are just happy to know we get to go to the show. Then another twist. The band is about an hour late and we are all still standing in line. Crap. Well, should we test the list thing? What is the worst that can happen, since we already have tickets in hand?
We walk up to the VIP line, which had just barely cleared out. Go up to the desk there and tell them that we are “on the list”. The lady at the counter looks at us kind of funny and like we are from another planet. She starts checking lists and asking us if we are from the media or part of the band crew. We say no and she keeps looking. Then I say, “They told us to talk to the tour manager and let them know we are on the list.” She says, “Oh, you must mean the BAND list.” She turns around and gets a small list, maybe four to five names on the list, and asks for my name again. There I am! Top of the list! The lady completely changes. All smiles now. Here is your VIP pass. “Would you like to attend the meet and greet with the band?” Uh, yeah!!!! Gives me a special sticker to meet the band and hang out until they arrive.
We get to sit in the private bar and eat tasty food. The owner of Ken Garff auto comes and shakes our hands and thanks us for being there. My wife and I are having an awesome time. We are on cloud nine, but that is not even the best of it. After waiting about a half hour to forty-five minutes, the band arrives. They announce to everyone in the bar that if you want to meet the band, then to go to the room next door. We go in and they have several gifts for us, including a TMBG foam finger. After we get our gifts and hob knob with the pretty people, it is time to get autographs. The band signs the said foam finger and the VIP passes we got. They also allow us to take pictures with them. My wife pulls out the trusty camera phone; thank goodness we had that, and she snaps some photos. Flans put his arm around my wife. I sat next to Linnell and he told me not to spill his coffee. Did I hear that correctly, Linnell told me not to spill his coffee? WOW!!! The band was great. They were really nice and patient as everyone badgered them for photo shoots and autographs. They were real champs about the whole process.
After the meet and greet, everything else was gravy. We could not come back down from our high. The concert was incredible. They did not disappoint. I had my doubts given the free concert status, but they rocked the house. The venue was great. We were so dazed from our VIP experience that we did not even sit in the VIP section. We stayed with our friends in the back of the venue and had a great time. I would have probably liked that better than the VIP section anyway, but it did not matter, we got to meet the band! They played all of our favorite songs. I don’t think they left a single song out that I wanted to hear. Great stuff! So great, that I have since purchased the concert from the TMBG website. I can relive the experience. Well almost, since I cannot meet the band again when I listen to it.
Jealous does not even describe how everyone felt about our experience, but I did not rub it in anyone’s face. Nothing could taint that night. Nothing could make it less of an incredible time. To top it all off, I used a trick that Flip taught me and was able to escape with a set list. SWEEEET!!! After the concert we bought our shirts, CD’s, etc… Flip and I took a moment to do some weird poses outside the venue and then it was off to home, so we could soak in the greatness of what just happened. Here are the pictures of the stuff we received. Also, I have included the pictures of us with the band.
Thank you TMBG!!! Thank you TMBG MySpace people!!! Thank you TMBG crew and tour people!!! Thank you sponsors for paying for the free show!!! You all came together to make this a great show and a once in a lifetime experience. I went from thinking there was no way I would be able to attend this concert, to getting the VIP treatment. I will never forget this and you have further solidified my love for this great band. Thank you!!!
- Dr. Worm
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Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Indie Pop/Rock
Okay, enough with the rambling. Here is the station. Again, I have tried to weed out the stuff I did not like, to leave the good bits. Have it a go and let me know what you think. I didn’t have any responses on my last post, so step it up hippies.
Great bands of note:
Architecture in Helsinki – Thanks Flip. I really like this band.
Psapp
New Buffalo
Stereolab
Playradioplay
Ms John Soda – “tidy up my binary” – I’ll tidy up your binary!
The Blow
Yo La Tengo – have not listen to it much, but liked what I heard – really different stuff
The Postal Service
There are many others, so just listen to the station.
- Dr. Worm
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
I love Celtic music. I really love the sound of female Celtic singers. More than that, I love Celtic Rock and Celtic Punk bands. Using the awesome power of Pandora, a great online music site, I have been able to expand my base of bands exponentially. I have created a great little station and weeded out most of the crap I didn’t like. There are a bunch of great bands in this station, so enjoy (Click Here).
Some bands of note:
Flogging Molly – My first taste of Celtic Punk and will always be my favorite. Their live shows are awesome!
Oysterband
The Real McKenzies – Not those stupid fake ones
Dropkick Murphys
The Young Dubliners
Street Dogs
The Elders
Carbon Leaf
I know a few of you may have already heard of most of these bands, but if that is the case why didn’t you share with me. Hippies, every last one of you! Well give them a go. Listen to my Pandora Radio station.
Next time, some Indie Pop and Indie Rock!
Later hippies
- Dr. Worm
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Tuesday, June 26, 2007
The Bed Bugs (Day Three)
My work, which is a very, very big building, recently made it known on Friday that we have a Bed Bug infestation. Five, yes FIVE, cubicles were completely covered in the little buggers and it took about a week, reportedly, to reach this state. It was said that when the maintenance crew went to assess the situation, they were getting covered in them. Yep, you heard me correctly. Fortunately, I sit on the other side of the building from this main outbreak. This, by no means, has put any of my nerves at ease. I few bugs spotted here, a few there and a cube mate stating one crawled across her foot are a few of the things we have to deal with. Yeah, this could be peoples' minds playing tricks, or their own paranoia induced responses. The mind is a funny thing.
I will tell you right now, I better not get an infestation of these things in my house or cube. All of the above is serious. This is no lie. An old cube mate of mine got an outbreak of these in his apartment and it nearly drove him insane. They sprayed the building over the weekend, and reportedly last night. Will that fix the problem? Are they still wondering the building? They lay about 5 eggs a day, can go nearly 7 months without eating and can hide in any space that a credit card will fit. Exterminators have said that they, next to termites, are the most difficult pests to get rid of. That is just what I want to hear as I am trying to scratch my skin off.
When you think about how bad your job may be or you are just sick of work. Just think about that itch on the back of your leg. Is it just an itch? Things could be a lot worse.
Sleep tight hippies and don’t let the Bed Bugs bite.
- Dr. Worm
Features
Drive your self crazy with this Bed Bug information: (Click Here).
Friday, June 22, 2007
The Silver State Claims One More
The reason my friend is going to be moving to Nevada is not a hard one to figure out. He has aspirations of being a professional poker player. This is not something you can do in Utah, for obvious reasons, so the move here is one of necessity. I cannot be mad at someone for this. I am happy that they are getting on with their life. I am just always thinking about me, because I am selfish like that.
Three very close friends living in Nevada, and some in other states. I am kind of running out of male friends and friends in general. I think this is just a by product of growing up. We are all busy with our own lives and families. I am not mad at anyone and am not asking for anyone to feel sorry for me. Everything happens for a reason. Some friends move on and others come in to fill the gaps. I have been in contact with several old friends, that I really did not think I would see or hear from again, so that helps.
More importantly, I have my own family. I am lucky enough to be married to my absolute best friend in the world and this is a great thing to have in a marriage. We look after each other and support each other. I would wish this upon everyone, even my enemies, as it is such a great thing. This is why I am glad that you are all moving on with your lives and your families. Those without families, maybe the moves will help you with that. Who knows. I certainly hope you all find happiness.
In summary, I miss you all and will continue miss you. I do think about you constantly, even if I don’t always pick up the phone, respond to an e-mail or reach out to you. I miss just hanging out and ‘chewing the fat’. The crazy and geeky conversations. Completing each others’ sentences and the insane laughter that can only be stirred up between close friends. I love you all and look forward to visiting you soon. I know I will always have a place to stay and great company to be with.
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
- Dr. Worm
Features
I want one of these!!! So if you want an idea of something you can buy me (birthday, Chirstmas, just because), get me one of these. http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/accessories/8e3a/ (if I don't buy one first)
Friday, June 08, 2007
Having a cold sucks!
We may not have found a way to concur this virus, but at least we have some great drugs! MMMMmmmmmmm, sweet life enhancing drugs. Before you think I am some sort of pill popping weird-o, let me assure you that I only use drugs when I am sick or in severe (very SEVERE) pain. My stomach is a very sensitive organ. Add any sort of strong medication and really bad things happen. I avoid taking any medication, unless I absolutely have to. We all remember that great scene from the alien movies. Yep, the one where the alien baby explodes out of that poor space guy’s gut. Well, my alien larva is still growing in there, waiting for its chance to rip my belly into pieces and I would rather not speed up the process. Enough about my belly and back to the drugs. It amazes me how we can drink a few tablespoons of some nasty liquid (and I mean nasty… settle down little alien baby) or a tiny little pill and go on working. It is not a perfect pill, but I can continue to work. The phlegm, mucus, body aches, sneezing and throat issues (too graphic? We have all been there so settle down) seem to melt away. I am a work-a-holic, as you can tell by the fact I am posting this on company time, and really hate to miss work. It is true. I have not taken a sick day in almost a year. If I can make it to September, without taking any sick time, it will be a whole year. Not really sure why this is so great, and my cube mate is quick to point out I should just go home, but take it for what it is worth. Well I will wrap this up by thanking all you drug, vitamin capsule, energy booster and remedy inventing guys out there for making my end of the week a little better. I love the simple things in life and when a simple little cold cannot stop me from going to work, life is sweet. I know, I know, I must be really crazy to say I am glad I did not miss any work, but give me a break, I’M SIIIIIICCCCCKKK!!!!
- Dr. Worm
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