tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36795184565943675872024-03-13T20:19:06.060-05:00Resplendent Sunrise and Blissful WavesIn other words, some of my seemingly random ramblings.Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.comBlogger206125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-27696259931910844452012-06-01T07:38:00.000-05:002012-06-01T07:41:30.533-05:00Radiohead Frequencies<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This weekend, my lovely wife Sarah and I will be going to the Radiohead concert here in DC. I'm new to the concert-going world, so I've had to learn some etiquette from Sarah. One thing I see her do (sometimes) is look up set lists from a band's current tour and try to guess what songs they will play at the concert she attends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I decided to do this for Radiohead, but as always, I overcomplicated things and put my own nerdy, statistician(y) twist on it. I took each set list from the King of Limbs tour and calculated the frequency with which each unique song has been played. Then I made some pretty [informative] graphics.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymQw0ls_LS3ZXmHJTxuHtiH_mvj6B0X6AIKSZt7LgdBbX67xzdmdHuDcWbnzH7ojPVj6pCoMX4sukg9oBUfKR0qUep-xwHb327OMt6Go-daaaIiSv7514k5pFxIskguAGc1cAvTQk9XKT/s1600/radiohead1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymQw0ls_LS3ZXmHJTxuHtiH_mvj6B0X6AIKSZt7LgdBbX67xzdmdHuDcWbnzH7ojPVj6pCoMX4sukg9oBUfKR0qUep-xwHb327OMt6Go-daaaIiSv7514k5pFxIskguAGc1cAvTQk9XKT/s400/radiohead1.png" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Frequency of Songs Played</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ufm4oroUmjirZmVR_I3vZZlD-gMnymwIRcsxDCxT_Jp2FPCG9UXpDVbe_IEZ-m_-9R1v3QN-pm0mbcEXY1LZpcMOxf9GqAkUNdxn9WE9cVIQ2i10ml9oxSTdvtnq2E4Pn4cQb1Xawq4L/s1600/radiohead2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ufm4oroUmjirZmVR_I3vZZlD-gMnymwIRcsxDCxT_Jp2FPCG9UXpDVbe_IEZ-m_-9R1v3QN-pm0mbcEXY1LZpcMOxf9GqAkUNdxn9WE9cVIQ2i10ml9oxSTdvtnq2E4Pn4cQb1Xawq4L/s400/radiohead2.png" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">What Albums Are Played the Most?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As you can see, yes, I'm a nerd. Second thing, some of the albums (the y-axis above) are made up names like "Secret," etc. I did my best to determine what songs came from which album, and that's what I got. Also note that Pablo Honey has not been played at all. Sad day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Next, I sampled from the distribution of songs using the frequency/total concerts as the probability of being sampled to come up with a probable set list for DC's show this weekend.Observe:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">Pyramid Song</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Reckoner</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Bloom</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Morning Mr. Magpie</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Lotus Flower</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Feral</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Weird Fishes/Arpeggi</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Paranoid Android</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Airbag</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">How to Disappear Completely</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Karma Police</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Staircase</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">These are my Twisted Words</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Exit Music (for a Film)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Everything in its Right Place</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Nude</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">There There</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">The Daily Mail</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Identikit</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Lucky</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Idioteque</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Myxomatosis</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Street Spirit (Fade Out)</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I'd be VERY happy with that show! We'll see how close I come! And Mr. Yorke, if you're reading, it would be really sweet if you played just ONE song from Pablo Honey. Any song will do. Also, please play Fake Plastic Trees. And while I'm at it, I wouldn't mind hearing Talk Show Host, Last Flowers to the Hospital, Down is the New Up, and Punch Up at a Wedding. Thanks!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And thank you, reader, for reading! Love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-72049994208637020532011-11-11T09:37:00.004-06:002011-11-11T09:54:20.146-06:00Day 8It's 11/11/11, folks. I could only say that I wish I would have sold iPhone 3 days earlier so I could call this day 11. This temporary technological digression has its perks. <br /><br />Some of you will have seen the website Wrong Number Texts. I can sit and laugh at it for hours. If you so choose, look it up, but a disclaimer: YOU WILL BE OFFENDED. Don't say I didn't warn you.<br /><br />On to better things, I have a story for you. Ever since Shanefert showed me the aforementioned website, I have greatly desired to experience a wrong number text myself. Good things come to those who wait. Since I have an archaic phone, there was no easy way to transfer numbers from iCloud to the dinosaur. So I decided not to transfer any numbers. If someone texts or calls, I'll go ahead and save his or her number. Else, well, sorry.<br /><br />Anydangway, Sarah and I began to Jones for a Starbucks. My roommate Angie works at one here in Ye Olde Towne, and we frequently frequent and receive free drinks. It's pretty much the best thing ever. This was one of those nights in which we received such an drink and thus our Jones was satisfied at no cost to us. (Thanks, Angie!) As the story goes, The Bucks got super busy as we were conversing with Ye Olde Angie, so we left without having a chance to say "Thank you!" as we normally would. We are buena gente, mind.<br /><br />So I text my other roommate Georff (name changed to protect identity) and ask for Angie's number (since I don't have it). Note that this is breaking my rule, but this situation called for the rule breaking to occur. He politely sends the number via text message, which, fortunately, my phone is able to receive. The conversation is thus:<br /><br />Leon: Hey man! Thank you so much for the drinks. Love you man!<br />Angie: You’re welcome! Hope u enjoyed ur diet tab<br />Leon: Haha I could go for a diet tab right now. :)<br />Angie: Haha oh no im sorry but I don’t know who this is….I thought it was my mom :/<br />Leon: Is this angie? And your mom likes diet tab?<br />Angie: Haha no and yes…..I thought everyone did<br />Leon: I’m a big fan of coke zero myself. But if I think about it, my mom has probably drunk a diet tab or two in her time.<br />Angie: You’re lucky she stopped at only two…mother has tried to stop or so she says, but she hides it from us. Father has tried to stop her but the energy increase she gets from tab makes it impossible to catch her…<br />Leon: Oh no! That’s terrible! I have seen some tab addicts before, but nothing that extreme. It may sound harsh, but you should try setting traps. It may be the only way to save her!<br />Angie: You are wise indeed my friend but mother knew we would try this and tried we have, but no she had prepared by watching countless re-runs of Miami vice and is always one step ahead….<br /><br />Ha. Well it happened, and that's thanks to letting go of technology for a couple of weeks and using the ol' clamshell. Thanks, clamshell. If "Angie" ever texts back, I will add an addendum here. It's also important to note that the number I texted was exactly the number Georff sent me, which means that he either has the wrong number for Angie or decided to play a trick on me. I say it's the latter.<br /><br />Love.Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-88140376298501183302011-11-09T07:05:00.004-06:002011-11-09T07:17:19.828-06:00Day 6I gave a blanket one-finger salute as I exited the belt route this morning. I blame it on The Samsung since I couldn't tweet about how horrible the traffic was and I couldn't update my facebook status to say, "That guy next to me is such a jerk. Look at him singing to his music and staying calm in this horrible traffic. I bet GAW would throw something at him." <br /><br />The other wrong today is the discovery (that actually happened yesterday) that the local 7-Eleven no longer serves #CokeZero on tap. I have nothing to cease the twitches that are now inevitably prevalent. <br /><br />There were three things yesterday that I wanted to take snap a picture of. Guess what? No camera. <br /><br />The Samsung has, however, offered me the ability to pay more attention to conversations I'm a part of with coworkers and friends. Even if the topic goes to politics or sports, I have no Twitter or Hanging with Friends to save me. This forces me to actually participate (i.e. daydream) in the conversations. In other words, I don't know how much more of this I can stand. Stay tuned.<br /><br />Love.Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-21821119634620617062011-11-04T07:34:00.003-05:002011-11-04T07:51:41.843-05:00Day 1I decided I no longer want to be the owner of an iPhone. The convenience. The comfort. The ability it has given me to sleep through alarms consistently. And don't get me started on <a href="http://www.hangingwithfriends.com/">productivity</a> <a href="http://www.wordswithfriends.com/">productivity</a> <a href="http://www.rovio.com/index.php?page=angry-birds">productivity</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/">productivity</a>.<br /><br />So I picked up (borrowed from Sarah's mom) a Samsung SGH-A117. It's a wonderful little clam shell phone. For those of you don't remember what that is, think small flip phone with rounded edges. For those of you who don't remember what a flip phone is, get lost, take a hike, etc. It features, well, nothing really. An alarm clock (which I slept through), a calculator, speed dial (though you can't assign a contact to a speed dial), and a world clock. You can text with t9, so it's back to writing sentences such as, "Hey do you want to in to the mother with of i hear its really home." (typos/grammar errors on purpose)<br /><br />Day 1 thoughts: I'm doing fine. In the short few hours that I've been awake, I've begun to develop a slight twitch, though the Coke Zero seems to suppress that for now. Stay tuned!<br /><br />Love.Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-66004663211229259992011-10-22T17:40:00.003-05:002011-10-22T18:01:36.318-05:00Leon Update<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yes, folks, I'm back. Get excited. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So, here's what I'm sure you all want to know: no, I still haven't invented teleportation. I'm working on it, however.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Some possible benefits of teleportation:</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">You can go wherever you want, whenever you want</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Isn't that enough?</span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Possible...non-benefits of teleportation:</span></div></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I can't really think of any</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">You might not get "put back together" correctly. Eek.</span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So there you have it. Pros and cons. Check.</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Love.</span></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-27830359533776100132011-10-21T23:56:00.004-05:002011-10-21T23:59:53.163-05:00Fall<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Wanna know the best part about fall?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3HxKhhqSPfCsOcHqXJaJKsNrQBpXDFDaZhp3bv_FIdfK3SiiAXFBqmf94Q2WKhh2pOcWxTEmqAcs9-l2-v7RUL1SjIOdnH2ZUHv6o1OZrp1q0dD9Cd7ggnQVoNgR5DP9Y_oCgQ1e8HAK/s1600/Squash+Soup.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3HxKhhqSPfCsOcHqXJaJKsNrQBpXDFDaZhp3bv_FIdfK3SiiAXFBqmf94Q2WKhh2pOcWxTEmqAcs9-l2-v7RUL1SjIOdnH2ZUHv6o1OZrp1q0dD9Cd7ggnQVoNgR5DP9Y_oCgQ1e8HAK/s320/Squash+Soup.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666176364874238434" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 215px; " /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Squash Soup</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO6b1t96D92uW9Dj9Hd6I8qb7y1ALM6QN3Hx7cecVLKDFt7oMhqYSaogCOoTcfsHFMvCjdEJbW6KtVXJCdO004TWSlbRXkp7SMmgCeZdeVXcOKhHaQ4cGfGcyU_b2wysID4cX0qgG7vFL/s1600/pumpkin-pie.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO6b1t96D92uW9Dj9Hd6I8qb7y1ALM6QN3Hx7cecVLKDFt7oMhqYSaogCOoTcfsHFMvCjdEJbW6KtVXJCdO004TWSlbRXkp7SMmgCeZdeVXcOKhHaQ4cGfGcyU_b2wysID4cX0qgG7vFL/s320/pumpkin-pie.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666176284318890402" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px; " /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Pumpkin Pie</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Love.</span></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-3441617166211661002011-03-17T21:15:00.010-05:002011-03-17T23:52:21.616-05:00Fear<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Fear is a serious matter.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXR3c1IrhTFsk9y0g3QFBukmREFjw-BV4IIc61MAlSGQANypl6xjhPHJRMjLSeu5GwAWkoOsyQMdf1Dfdl9iX_1ZhVr2XH60MsyBUpV5l3OZ4Lwmt5Y5NqMPctNk-UamsULmSHTruo2ags/s1600/banshee-1.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXR3c1IrhTFsk9y0g3QFBukmREFjw-BV4IIc61MAlSGQANypl6xjhPHJRMjLSeu5GwAWkoOsyQMdf1Dfdl9iX_1ZhVr2XH60MsyBUpV5l3OZ4Lwmt5Y5NqMPctNk-UamsULmSHTruo2ags/s320/banshee-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585263276636106706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 183px; " /></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Our story begins today, March 17, 2011, St. Patrick's Day, 3 days after March 14, 2 months and 10 days after January 7, 2 months and [some] days before June 15. On this particular morning, I woke up as I do every morning, tired, roll off the couch, fumble around for my glasses without which I can see naught but the brown pointy things on the other side of the room which seem to be flirting with me, glasses on, realize the brown pointy things are straws stained with left over coke and enumerate the number of times I've gone to White Castle this week alone, and after I catch my legs underneath me which are aching due to another night having passed out on the couch, I trip over the shoes and socks that line the way through my living room, to the kitchen, to the bathroom, to the shower. Someday I'm going to pick those up. Wet then dry. Being too mirror-inept to use a hair straightener, I comb my hair straight down which, when it dries, creates a nice Bieberesque effect. Choose the cleanest clothes that match out of the mountain that now makes up the middle of my bedroom floor. Skip breakfast. I'll eat some Werther's Originals once at work, and there's that basket full of Jolly Ranchers that continuously calls my name. Leon. Leon! Shake such nonsense out of my head as my hair, now dry, falls softly over my eyes. In my dreams. Teeth brushed. Smile glistening. I'm getting so efficient at this that the words I scribbled on the mirror months ago are still slowly fading as the steam in the bathroom lifts, reminding me that there's a zombie out there for everyone, even me. Lock the door. Double check the door. Unlock the car. Keys. Ignition. I escape to that imaginary place as I pull out backwards then forwards and somehow arrive at work with no clue as to how I made it alive.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Now at work, conversation with coworker about food begins, the realization that it's now the 17th of March sets in as I look at the LCD interactive interface on the upper-right side of my phone which reads, "March 17 2011." Take off my glasses to clean them with the blue lens cloth secured safely in the top left drawer, right above the chamber which houses that bag of Werther's, a box of oatmeal, some Halloween candy, a bag of pretzels that might be nearing one year old, and a 2009 due-dates calendar that lines the bottom of the drawer. I look around before returning the glasses their home on the bridge of my nose and notice blurs and streaks of different shades of green. As these shapes gain focus, I become aware that everyone is wearing green. I'm wearing purple. Root around in that top drawer and behold! I find a pin with just enough green to satisfy even the strictest abider of St. Patrick's day etiquette. As I don the pin I feel a sharp pain. Am I sticking myself with the pin? No. The pain is coming from another location. My arm, left, bicep, sharp! Pain! AGONY! PINCH?! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">"You're not wearing green." </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">"Aha! Alas, methinks this looks like green. What sayest thou, ya big jerk?" I reply, signaling with my right index finger to the pin that should have saved me from such devotion to the pinching game that takes place every 17th of March. "How would you like not one, but TEN pinches?"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Pinch. Pinch. Pinch. Pinch. Pinch. Pinch. Pinch. Pinch. Pinch. Pinch.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">"You're a cheater! You cheater!" he announces to the rest of the office, and half of Columbia, as he walks away sporting 10 mini welts that are now as red as a green bowling ball isn't.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I would feel sympathy pain were it not for my own pinch-pain from that pinch that was so carefully chosen to attack the most sensitive piece of flesh on the backside of the bicep. Suddenly waterfalls causing pools and floods of memories begin taking over my already-cluttered mind. Every single St. Patrick's day of every single year of my existence was displayed before my imaginary gaze. Then it happened. The pain of a suppressed memory attempting to surface itself after 19 years of being dormant overtook the now-numbed pinch-pain in my upper arm. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I stood 4-foot-9, my boat-shaped, webbed-toed feet perched me up as I began washing my hands in the boys' bathroom. I looked in the mirror at the awkward, adolescent face staring back at me. The pain in my left arm was gone. It was March 17th, 1992. I was in the fourth grade.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">St. Patrick's day. This only meant one thing. I zip out of the bathroom and rush over to my backpack, carefully avoiding the piles of desks and tote trays which carefully lined the walls of the classroom creating a perfectly open space in which 30 kids can sit on the floor and watch a movie. Open the bag: it was there! A 20 oz. Dr. Pepper with the regular, screw-on cap switched for a nozzle top taken from a similarly sized bottle of Geyser a day earlier, accompanied by an entire can of BBQ Pringles, all for yours truly. Movie day means bring-a-soda-and-snack-to-school day. Excitedly I rip the clear, plastic cover off the nozzle, bite the tip with my teeth, and pull up. I'm a quick learner. For example, I learned right now that, when a bottle of soda has been resting quietly in the bottom of a 4th-grader's backpack, and when only a few hours before, that same backpack was resting on the shoulders of that same 4th-grader who walked, ran, jumped, probably fell down multiple times due to his oversized feet on the way to school, and was then tossed into the corner as he hung up his jacket, and then hung on the same hook, a few hours is not enough time for all that pressure contained within a presently bulging, thin layer of cylindrical plastic to settle, and when an opening at last presents itself, that soda is going to rush out like Old Faithful after waiting exactly 1 hour into whatever cavernous space now surrounds the opening.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ouch.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Back in the bathroom. Shirt now patted down with paper towels. That's going to be sticky. Still unable to breathe through my nose, I find a nice spot on the not-so-nice floor, and the movie begins. Darby O'Gill and the Little People. What is this, 30 years old? Oh look, a little guy. Music. Borrrring. Wind howls. Wind? Nay, the Banshee! Her scream! HER SEE-THROUGH FACE! HER CARTOON ARMS FLAILING ABOUT! STOP! YOUR LANTERN CAN'T SAVE YOU! YOU'RE DEAD, DARBY O'GILL! RUN!!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmS0mVEBDKUZ91Cd9kiEdN1BTh27HC6q3O_GR5MWOIDULsQSSBoEYaP7XloVTHBvQXJKKne6_27svGHt9mtnC-1X4TlXo76ICBzaw-UKfj-Rx5PEgkYSn21cAh7C_UZPRWOZdT1vvfhM2U/s1600/darby-ogill-and-king-brian-shar.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmS0mVEBDKUZ91Cd9kiEdN1BTh27HC6q3O_GR5MWOIDULsQSSBoEYaP7XloVTHBvQXJKKne6_27svGHt9mtnC-1X4TlXo76ICBzaw-UKfj-Rx5PEgkYSn21cAh7C_UZPRWOZdT1vvfhM2U/s320/darby-ogill-and-king-brian-shar.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585263630045195730" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 273px; " /></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">As the years have passed, what is the only fear I have ever had? Camping. Sleeping outside. Sleeping on the trampoline. Tent. By the fire. Not by the fire. Miles from nowhere. Backyard. It didn't matter. The second the wind starts blowing, howling, I know the truth. That's no wind. It's the Banshee. We're all screwed. Hide inside my sleeping bag. Cower. I'm a coward. Flashes of light! It's HER! LeOnNNn! LeeOONN!!! Cartoon arms. LEOonn! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">"Leon!" </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Splash! Cold water. I snap out of it. I'm laying on the office floor that we only think has been vacuumed, but that crumb in the corner tells me differently. A coworker stands over me. "Leon, are you alright?!"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">"Yes. It's time to face my fears."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">"Where is he going?" I hear them inquire as I grab my purple jacket. Storm out of work. Car. Keys. Ignition. Best Buy. Look around at Apple stuff. Talk video games with nerdy employee. Find movie. Pay. Imagination mode. Home. Projector: on. Movie: in. Volume: up. Sean Connery? Bad actors. 1959, what did I expect? Music. Chuckles. Oh look, a little guy. Cool fiddle. Mini horses? Silly dialogue. Fun. Wind howls...no...no, not again....it's Her. The Banshee. Frightened. Thumb in mouth. Close eyes. Cowering. Coward. Open your eyes! It's fake! Cartoon arms? Flailing?! Darby! RUN!!! It's over.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I faced my fears.</span></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-75793544905136817392010-12-11T08:28:00.002-06:002010-12-11T08:29:35.045-06:00Christmas MusicksI just have to share this because...well, I love Christmas musicks, and I'm in love with She of She & Him.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="442" height="375" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="ep"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/tegwebapps/tbs/tbs-www/cvp/teamcoco_432x243_embed.swf?context=teamcoco_embed_offsite&videoId=237459"><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"><embed src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/tegwebapps/tbs/tbs-www/cvp/teamcoco_432x243_embed.swf?context=teamcoco_embed_offsite&videoId=237459" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="442" height="375"></embed></object><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-81178494508809541642010-11-25T12:37:00.002-06:002010-11-25T13:20:18.984-06:00Thanksgiving<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Two posts ago (count 'em: 1, 2) I told you all of my November Thankful List (NTL) where every day of November (including October 31) I would write one (or more) thing(s) for which I am thankful. I've enjoyed it: it's been great to take some time [each day] to ponder the things that mean the most to me in my life. So without further ado, the NTL.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">October 31</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Today I am thankful for the Lambson family. They've taken me in as though I'm one of the family. Friendship, making me feel welcome, meals, love. Couldn't have survived Columbia without them.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 1</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Today I'm thankful for Steven and Tamara. They call me almost every day. They invite me to dinner, even though it might be their date night. They let me watch movies with them and treat me like I'm their best friend and a very important guest in their home. Steven's concern for my wellbeing blows my mind, even when I'm feeling especially introverted. As I said yesterday, there's no way I could have survived this place without them.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 2</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Today I'm thankful for Mike aka Klammi aka Wiggy and Kacee. One can't really understand how much one misses a good home-cooked meal until one gets to be a taste-tester for these guys. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I'm afforded to serve them almost on a daily basis. Knowing that they are trying to improve the way they live makes me so hapy. Kalambo also makes work better than bearable.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 3</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Technology. And smiley-face emoticons.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 4</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The Hess shared her opinion on why it's OK to listen to Christmas musicks starting November 1, and so I've been enjoying some lovely Celtic Christmas tunes. I'm thankful for her and for the Celts and for Christmas.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 5</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tonight I watched all of season 1 of The Office, and part of season 2. It made me realize how much I appreciate good humor and made me think of Haley Greet and Paul (Sephin) Harris. Haley introduced me to the fine show, and both used to sit and watch it with me for hours. So I'm thankful for The Office.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 6</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tonight I'm thankful for my ninja skills that allow me to weave in and out of human crowds to avoid being seen and/or stopped by annoying people. Also I could protect myself during a zombie/radiation-mutated monster outbreak.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 7</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">One word, two syllables: Stake Conference.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 8</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tonight I have been watching the ever-nolstalgic Back to the Future trilogy. What this means is 1) I'm thankful for nostalgia, and 2) I'm thankful that the future didn't turn out anything like that.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 9</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">More nostalgia and Final Fantasy IX. It doesn't matter what games come out or how good the graphics get. I get VGADD (Video Game A.D.D. - this is serious). Each time this hits, I pull out a classic Final Fantasy and am instantly cured. I'm thankful for Square-Enix and of course Nobuo Uematsu.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 10</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tonight I'm thankful for tomorrow because I have the day off.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 11</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Again the Lambsons make the list. And vintage clothing shops. And Cajun restaurants. Oh, and Scott Pilgrim. (RAMOOOOONAAA!!!)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 12</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I had to work today and tomorrow is the weekend. I'm thankful that I have a job even though sometimes I really hate it.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 13</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I'm thankful for Chili's, free soup, and $5 bets that involve mixing every condiment on the table together and using it as a sort of "fry sauce." They would have had to pay me $50 to taste it, as I gagged only at the sight of them mixing and adding and mixing. This occasion reminded me of a different occasion. Picture this: me, Nate, Chris, and Brett eating at Ghetto (Apollo) Burger every Friday night. They all loved ketchup. I gag at the smell.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 14</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Travelled to Washington D.C. today for a work training. It's been good to spend time with friends, especially since I can be my normal, stupid, silly self and Wylenne just acts along with me. So I'm thankful for work friends that ease the sucky burden of work.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 15</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Lots to be thankful for. My dad encouraged getting a good education. Tonight I talked with the administrator of my agency that would only talk to you if you had a Master's in Statistics. She introduced me to two other gentlemen who spoke with me about the research division, where I would really like to be. Soon. Also I'm thankful for my friend Melly for picking me up and taking me to FHE so I could have some other Mormons to hang out with.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 16</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tonight, again, I'm thankful for my dad, his love, his example, his dedication to his family, his advice, his funny sayings and quirks, and all the memories, good or bad, that I have of him. Love you, Dad!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 17</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My family. They love me, stick by me, laugh with (at) me, call me, text me, and always want me around. No matter how far apart we live, I'm always a priority to them.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">To my mom, Amber, Mike, little Emma, Shawn, Sheeila, Josh, Jaycee, Nats, and Brooke: tonight, and always, I am thankful for you.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 18</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Art. Air. Space. Declarations. Constitutions. History. Liberty. America. New friends. Pizza. Pie. Sleep.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 19</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I'm thankful for strange, unfamiliar houses in Arlington, VA, and the people that let me stay there. Also photography.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 20</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I saw a lot of great things today. Note that "great" doesn't always mean good. Creativity. Talent. Humor. Dedication. Perseverance. Destruction. Sadness. Death. I'm thankful for the creative and talented people that fill this world and make life worth living. I'm thankful for a good sense of humor. I'm thankful that there are people out there who are so dedicated to a cause and refuse to give up even in the face of death. I'm thankful for challenges that stretch and tug and shape until they are finally overcome creating a new and strong person.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 21</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Mercy.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 22</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Modern medicine, vitamins, an understanding boss, Donkey Kong, and sick leave.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 23</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I applied for a job today in Fairfax, VA. I posted something to this effect as my fb status and my sister commented, "Sweet! :)" Maybe she doesn't know the impact that it has on me, knowing that she supports me even though I'd be even further away. Today, sis, I'm thankful for you.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 24</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Woke up at 2:30 this morning; couldn't fall back to sleep. Couldn't focus at work. I'm thankful for a scattered brain and for those who have to deal with it and don't complain.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">November 25</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The gospel. My Savior. The knowledge that I have that through Him, I can be with my family forever. Nothing could make me happier; nothing brings greater peace. To my family: I love you, and as I said before, I am most grateful for you!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Peace.</span></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-10269260473096485762010-11-23T20:10:00.020-06:002010-11-23T21:31:46.348-06:00Da Coolest<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; ">I went to Washington D.C. this past week. O! what a week. Laughter, smiles, new friends, old friends, new enemies, covetous feelings, tears, rejection, beauty, and I could go on. So allow me, as if you had a choice, to take you on a photo tour of our nation's capital. Pictures.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">First off, a picture of yours truly with a truly spectacular stache in the Air and Space museum. Remember how I said I made new friends before? Well one of them took this photo. Why, you ask? In her own words, "You seem like the lying type. So you should probably be <i>in</i> the picture if you want anyone to believe you were actually here." That's a lie.<br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruxnXezFPmEIWC0QRVYddQHHeXMrTyjTAxBoqK0UoZ455O-Fg2w1wcCS-iL19-l4kRBDkFr4di7tYUc_9JMAL31nq_fkUMyw5AtLmcc5wNZvO3lb4C_DCfn0ZvG0m1OJ-aABdxC7Iudz4/s1600/DC-1.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruxnXezFPmEIWC0QRVYddQHHeXMrTyjTAxBoqK0UoZ455O-Fg2w1wcCS-iL19-l4kRBDkFr4di7tYUc_9JMAL31nq_fkUMyw5AtLmcc5wNZvO3lb4C_DCfn0ZvG0m1OJ-aABdxC7Iudz4/s320/DC-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542936963417661762" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And then we went to another part of that museum where there was this sweet infrared camera you could stand in front of.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCRh5nYJsNe-tGc-3iknQmqii6eeV4JoAhaWDKkmS3g5nuuWd_im661OisMBze2MoNtb2srIgRxfm9Flz6onrPpgn2i2eN392DSjzIAtuyBgY_ts3ITGP54fbJBKBWsrvj-_GRvtoHIdN/s1600/DC-2.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCRh5nYJsNe-tGc-3iknQmqii6eeV4JoAhaWDKkmS3g5nuuWd_im661OisMBze2MoNtb2srIgRxfm9Flz6onrPpgn2i2eN392DSjzIAtuyBgY_ts3ITGP54fbJBKBWsrvj-_GRvtoHIdN/s320/DC-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542937735103932546" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabMMCdNTbj46XKcW3Z1Iu0k4ZkgH_IC4C8LFC9I8Wkvlgd5m3e8pbo7QLt8r3Xqy1PCHXuqoA4nN0RHc_is8qU1comUkEaNq1jYLPDi9m_mpOFuIk9WGwU9wk271YZiHyn8yps4NWoF5e/s1600/DC-3.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabMMCdNTbj46XKcW3Z1Iu0k4ZkgH_IC4C8LFC9I8Wkvlgd5m3e8pbo7QLt8r3Xqy1PCHXuqoA4nN0RHc_is8qU1comUkEaNq1jYLPDi9m_mpOFuIk9WGwU9wk271YZiHyn8yps4NWoF5e/s320/DC-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542937745342923186" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It's always night in the District, except when I took this picture. I must have tripped on a rock as I pushed the button with my index finger that releases the shutter. Or maybe I purposely took the photo like this. Gosh!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ORwf7IwuRjawgPrctRA2LFi4wiHju6EaatQGrSHNZSeX-z-OSUuCVQdn6aQGtE3NSo4RdnQuYqYDat-ELDjig4f8P8BIlwGRMXyd3s2dGYQAqWviHv2ABLQdtCpYlRGu43mh3p4CVCcN/s1600/DC-4.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ORwf7IwuRjawgPrctRA2LFi4wiHju6EaatQGrSHNZSeX-z-OSUuCVQdn6aQGtE3NSo4RdnQuYqYDat-ELDjig4f8P8BIlwGRMXyd3s2dGYQAqWviHv2ABLQdtCpYlRGu43mh3p4CVCcN/s320/DC-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542938437977514690" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I just really liked that people have learned how to carve words into marble. It has nothing to do with what it says. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE51qpkKQRY1cZ_js4s-VBBueuagcG5obnhvqiZad7X_S4av7Z3fWDCv3-tCoHmZ8GZjQnUXmC-kadSFP-Ra-v9cUGMDbjIJOC8fIZenMMJrpOdzXDwA_fTR-sovpOCtWs9JaPX6B2biDB/s1600/DC-5.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE51qpkKQRY1cZ_js4s-VBBueuagcG5obnhvqiZad7X_S4av7Z3fWDCv3-tCoHmZ8GZjQnUXmC-kadSFP-Ra-v9cUGMDbjIJOC8fIZenMMJrpOdzXDwA_fTR-sovpOCtWs9JaPX6B2biDB/s320/DC-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542938448004866082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 109px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My sister loves elephants. No, I didn't say "pink elephants." These jokes are getting lame. I'm done. Oh, this was in the American History museum, where I also saw Dorothy's red slippers and Julia Child's kitchen. No photos.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cHvr6GMmxo_4jXzzJg3eBrHsOR9saboKbb00mHvi9SHezdf1jSYypdIwgBuUXBIwDV336ZGDXxH8QzcR8nCpr6p0_UlXt0BR6m4Q2BJK0QNzopfaJ-7AbvlUsX1h7qHAwcZ1d3AjY3nP/s1600/DC-6.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cHvr6GMmxo_4jXzzJg3eBrHsOR9saboKbb00mHvi9SHezdf1jSYypdIwgBuUXBIwDV336ZGDXxH8QzcR8nCpr6p0_UlXt0BR6m4Q2BJK0QNzopfaJ-7AbvlUsX1h7qHAwcZ1d3AjY3nP/s320/DC-6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542938871367588530" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And then at the gift shop, we found some relevant souvenirs.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawY77YCFRF-dxbzQ1-K5lBp5B8ti4b5auMPDcF-xx24dFPeSosq0y12k9t5tS8VSTjFv3PvVFM_RwzfsC-M7g9AuEO0fdgfDnxpflgLukIrGW5NgxViKS_G6dx2eePqLiqi-bnALhpNY3/s1600/DC-7.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawY77YCFRF-dxbzQ1-K5lBp5B8ti4b5auMPDcF-xx24dFPeSosq0y12k9t5tS8VSTjFv3PvVFM_RwzfsC-M7g9AuEO0fdgfDnxpflgLukIrGW5NgxViKS_G6dx2eePqLiqi-bnALhpNY3/s320/DC-7.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542938884796560626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">D.C. has 2 places to eat. You can go to a bar or a cool pizza place where they cook pizzas in a stone oven. They also serve lentil and ham soup, which is delightful. Also these were embedded into the table.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-iPIlwkBqt1X5L76eEVsPpa3oQK0zvoa6yrNx5z6i0asUXn4SbyqxrJWyC5DLa77T9d6g0Ms4nvcM2pA2Hoo76qkpoqshk1ikti8lyR8Rkag9b0LYnWCrEhPJxlX2CeBjtfWN09jQGgU/s1600/DC-9.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-iPIlwkBqt1X5L76eEVsPpa3oQK0zvoa6yrNx5z6i0asUXn4SbyqxrJWyC5DLa77T9d6g0Ms4nvcM2pA2Hoo76qkpoqshk1ikti8lyR8Rkag9b0LYnWCrEhPJxlX2CeBjtfWN09jQGgU/s320/DC-9.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542939479416611154" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWz-uhb3f_mnNjLJ_NR9xQJwGcozMR4dC-paULl3La0ztSz7JR1xKzRavPE9NLZXxXtP_4TJJnHlWnQxpE72CH2reyMPDqvJZ9mSOWCkBNsAXfcUb16DOSBFVe9HdOT97mLRLW4SqqoUd/s1600/DC-8.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWz-uhb3f_mnNjLJ_NR9xQJwGcozMR4dC-paULl3La0ztSz7JR1xKzRavPE9NLZXxXtP_4TJJnHlWnQxpE72CH2reyMPDqvJZ9mSOWCkBNsAXfcUb16DOSBFVe9HdOT97mLRLW4SqqoUd/s320/DC-8.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542939472289161474" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmYA0dOqQjVr_yMw-o7muzauZwqqSsxeC3K8SqjAyqIrbWMx47Q0d4YiIAZ3Y6o-cmLFA3WGdmfVXBL8rmrtqnD4BXeT6jQ7L4HGc5U2Fig-mXmdsCROQ_ZoTDaLXhuIUs0gcFX8dhdb9/s1600/DC-10.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmYA0dOqQjVr_yMw-o7muzauZwqqSsxeC3K8SqjAyqIrbWMx47Q0d4YiIAZ3Y6o-cmLFA3WGdmfVXBL8rmrtqnD4BXeT6jQ7L4HGc5U2Fig-mXmdsCROQ_ZoTDaLXhuIUs0gcFX8dhdb9/s320/DC-10.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542940002842174562" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Also shadows.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYZdurSlNeGuM-22i0zPEW8ZCH9kGK9n8OPkTHaL9Xp5G9_nRwvqJ1Dt2i_RjCp6R6D3HNg07DQCV_TrdYRuEwomL0_qgtl00zxS3tf9CNpYoqFBeC-bcgmonIXbOjCG014_gJSgGKYDY/s1600/DC-11.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYZdurSlNeGuM-22i0zPEW8ZCH9kGK9n8OPkTHaL9Xp5G9_nRwvqJ1Dt2i_RjCp6R6D3HNg07DQCV_TrdYRuEwomL0_qgtl00zxS3tf9CNpYoqFBeC-bcgmonIXbOjCG014_gJSgGKYDY/s320/DC-11.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542940013681977346" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Remember how I said it's always night in D.C.?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPxchyc62WcvTz9VtqfQ0YynmKY6-zOTRsUgPlBF5co6WkaCx5Asy-pdJZQRv6SEoOvZiEwagGUmLzxYElNlRJ8NjYdidVIjuDLpPhCLTAZf5cWMZB1AsrmIw-5BI1YwreWAd2qkAR9xz/s1600/DC-12.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPxchyc62WcvTz9VtqfQ0YynmKY6-zOTRsUgPlBF5co6WkaCx5Asy-pdJZQRv6SEoOvZiEwagGUmLzxYElNlRJ8NjYdidVIjuDLpPhCLTAZf5cWMZB1AsrmIw-5BI1YwreWAd2qkAR9xz/s320/DC-12.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542940485285898546" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VWNuc0yNgU7rVoVF9duu6mSyVEddgn1RHMq-Vw1Q9LXpv5u1PaG9NkTAXOeLCyZtVJYi81b4tdrCTOp13kqRQTjy9XgQs5DmjDhl96_fCgNmEh4firpL52jYQysUK2OM7keOS1J-jbAf/s1600/DC-13.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcO887F05QDMX5MRmxVqnwoO9hjqxYPEM9s4NqsPddosFXrCyUOdI8ODWXy_ShQzeXs5yDXi2Av50vcJ6M9Z-141e6ZbTuIsl_3-YZ1Nb36WtG8-hD1EcOs1zsSpMUK22gwiGa9nNczzwW/s1600/DC-13.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcO887F05QDMX5MRmxVqnwoO9hjqxYPEM9s4NqsPddosFXrCyUOdI8ODWXy_ShQzeXs5yDXi2Av50vcJ6M9Z-141e6ZbTuIsl_3-YZ1Nb36WtG8-hD1EcOs1zsSpMUK22gwiGa9nNczzwW/s320/DC-13.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542953672783340114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VWNuc0yNgU7rVoVF9duu6mSyVEddgn1RHMq-Vw1Q9LXpv5u1PaG9NkTAXOeLCyZtVJYi81b4tdrCTOp13kqRQTjy9XgQs5DmjDhl96_fCgNmEh4firpL52jYQysUK2OM7keOS1J-jbAf/s1600/DC-13.jpg"><br /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGd6lDWihc9KNwsvTKSSJILY7YUEJvzSA6SVu1CN-7sWzA-iyCvf__rzU70H9vpSGxbmBhCAeEaBQONRakL9CCcmwjoRoeECWZLsOx61wy8f9iyGbifPqzjdbew5Y6BN11_bl0vKK2t76/s1600/DC-14.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGd6lDWihc9KNwsvTKSSJILY7YUEJvzSA6SVu1CN-7sWzA-iyCvf__rzU70H9vpSGxbmBhCAeEaBQONRakL9CCcmwjoRoeECWZLsOx61wy8f9iyGbifPqzjdbew5Y6BN11_bl0vKK2t76/s320/DC-14.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542941089142065874" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1bc7EvuDK_Efwh-TfygtUrLn2Q3yPk518OnEmSc78jheF9ECqTUmYP7h-JuZ_AifH4hG0vCIHoMqZWUW_UnfYH0wTTwHuXyf_2k21bgozh82jC-NTjprOTzn-ofgFWdjICMHPnHNLcPQ/s1600/DC-17.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1bc7EvuDK_Efwh-TfygtUrLn2Q3yPk518OnEmSc78jheF9ECqTUmYP7h-JuZ_AifH4hG0vCIHoMqZWUW_UnfYH0wTTwHuXyf_2k21bgozh82jC-NTjprOTzn-ofgFWdjICMHPnHNLcPQ/s320/DC-17.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542942476441173666" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrR0sMSy-MxyKZ-0mxaT1ecO4mVz1Gud_IWTwYW6efArlZSYs1rwloDgHv0x5Rtx1E-c5ufIts7-EHlqluU8UMDOpxOk7FhOMkDcQamkMjIpymW7NtnD23EDl0_NE83hunheRE3fU-Q0jG/s1600/DC-19.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrR0sMSy-MxyKZ-0mxaT1ecO4mVz1Gud_IWTwYW6efArlZSYs1rwloDgHv0x5Rtx1E-c5ufIts7-EHlqluU8UMDOpxOk7FhOMkDcQamkMjIpymW7NtnD23EDl0_NE83hunheRE3fU-Q0jG/s320/DC-19.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542943422895960562" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDR6mXFi80Y97h0Se2nA86SYTDQV14Nu6qIqzaIAJS7Jt-Yjn1Faw_yqEIT3oHTHuL9XfB5lAhrBFpuNuYF-3UQeyRTkv72eJXxtKUAIXOGtwKP1UJLGttNEUQl3JhoMUQFzEfNOnbcsRf/s1600/DC-20.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDR6mXFi80Y97h0Se2nA86SYTDQV14Nu6qIqzaIAJS7Jt-Yjn1Faw_yqEIT3oHTHuL9XfB5lAhrBFpuNuYF-3UQeyRTkv72eJXxtKUAIXOGtwKP1UJLGttNEUQl3JhoMUQFzEfNOnbcsRf/s320/DC-20.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542945049406885426" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Many people don't believe me, or even care, but Abraham Lincoln suffered from depression. This was kind of a fun shot. Heaps of people were taking photos with their flash turned <i>on</i>, so I turned mine <i>off</i> and just lengthened the exposure time. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xtdejD5G9gi9f_d7cHqkU0e4WKLzE4so-6fewb9m_O7EDUgpbr023Q4tuXAv4W-4wuM62_P410rJJy55357o7bssykctEJ2lKygo5wSD5-nYtEcdB64dzB9kLNXdFKg5bqtQOChNGvON/s1600/DC-18.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xtdejD5G9gi9f_d7cHqkU0e4WKLzE4so-6fewb9m_O7EDUgpbr023Q4tuXAv4W-4wuM62_P410rJJy55357o7bssykctEJ2lKygo5wSD5-nYtEcdB64dzB9kLNXdFKg5bqtQOChNGvON/s320/DC-18.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542943775453873714" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Some people can't keep their eyes open. Some people have a cool mustache.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmCus9OdWLuDbEl2Ko0R0Z8Gulz-kkZkrz6BnPzySW7UjQpT_2AgwWbhcco3ffVXrsIUZoTCEYXbhyQMMUgcsmTR8llX7z5gmmtH7GxFfFaA4lQYI3UXOTKezybsLIm0UULsP7lUaWJ8q/s1600/DC-15.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmCus9OdWLuDbEl2Ko0R0Z8Gulz-kkZkrz6BnPzySW7UjQpT_2AgwWbhcco3ffVXrsIUZoTCEYXbhyQMMUgcsmTR8llX7z5gmmtH7GxFfFaA4lQYI3UXOTKezybsLIm0UULsP7lUaWJ8q/s320/DC-15.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542941093806158386" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Melly and I went to the market for breakfast. The Eastern Market. It's at the Eastern Market metro stop. You scale the stairs out of the metro, head that one direction, and if it's a Saturday, they have this cool farmer's market and, well, it's superb. This place is famous (back to the Eastern Market) for their blueberry-buckwheat pancakes. While we were in the infinitely long line (because this place is so good (!)), we were greeted by the owner. This gentlemen. We talked about family, Utah, food, you name it. What a guy!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfk5iA2pz0r-Dp83ixBM2wLzkHu6lsLrOi1A_JqfcHps27Vel40iSFB-4GDPth9hdCLmwGbevapzi4ZpvzWHx1ErwnMH7xCfIC3vuieb2whkLkyuoRyhduDTCCANatxWNRQxCiW1a1Niud/s1600/DC-16.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfk5iA2pz0r-Dp83ixBM2wLzkHu6lsLrOi1A_JqfcHps27Vel40iSFB-4GDPth9hdCLmwGbevapzi4ZpvzWHx1ErwnMH7xCfIC3vuieb2whkLkyuoRyhduDTCCANatxWNRQxCiW1a1Niud/s320/DC-16.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542942468471648418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Of course, there are only 3 things to do while visiting the District. You can either 1) eat bar food, pizza, or delicious bluebuck pancakes, 2) visit the Smithsonian museums and other monuments at night, and 3) dress up like characters from the hit book series, Harry Potter. Can you guess who I am? Prolly not. Can you guess who Melly is??!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4QDy5gApMiAbR6OlzrRWf2oL9OKY7fs_CrdJkG_B_xno7BSy-oDBvyVNMJEtql4YMtwEXjJzpkHTa0GGRQo4AuDsiGpQa1vl06g_mAjTsgH0BiGYFGcmRfl7i0hByurW7paomzDdirhe/s1600/DC-21.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4QDy5gApMiAbR6OlzrRWf2oL9OKY7fs_CrdJkG_B_xno7BSy-oDBvyVNMJEtql4YMtwEXjJzpkHTa0GGRQo4AuDsiGpQa1vl06g_mAjTsgH0BiGYFGcmRfl7i0hByurW7paomzDdirhe/s320/DC-21.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542945514402267778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Note, I had to teach her how to act </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">mystical</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7WacLm3FPoy7wZJQ0XkEEccMjQu6bFczbpEngFtoC6spCj3_ktjSzKRx2ahW7zJXCYbvs98DJmzA-DzzXfvU25nqVQdwZoQHCUxE0u2tYnx7wy3HKdWb2iHz5AlN3ODgpCcmw_ht2pOZ/s1600/DC-22.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7WacLm3FPoy7wZJQ0XkEEccMjQu6bFczbpEngFtoC6spCj3_ktjSzKRx2ahW7zJXCYbvs98DJmzA-DzzXfvU25nqVQdwZoQHCUxE0u2tYnx7wy3HKdWb2iHz5AlN3ODgpCcmw_ht2pOZ/s320/DC-22.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542945519566649554" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">End of line.</span></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-23211381711980208332010-11-10T21:43:00.001-06:002010-11-10T21:45:26.664-06:00What Are You Thankful For?You may have noticed that my 3- or 4-post streak ended quite abruptly. I guess one could also make the argument that you didn't notice, meaning that you don't come to Resplendent very often anyway. Either way, you're now wondering, "Well Leon, if you hardly blog anymore, why is tonight any different?" You could also be thinking, "I don't care what it is, just get to the point."<br /><br />The point. It's November. That means lots of things: food, eggnog, turkeys, tofurkeys, trebuchets launching tofurkeys from Logan to Salt Lake using calculus to determine the exact angle and power needed, oh, and if you didn't know already, Thanksgiving.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/10/11/10/2628.jpg'><img src='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/10/11/10/s_2628.jpg' border='0' width='265' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />I decided on October 31 that every day until Thanksgiving, I'm going to write down one think for which I am thankful. Thanksgiving day, or maybe night, or maybe within the next day or two after, I'm going to post those things on here. Please bless you'll do it with me! If you do, <a href="mailto:blink3614@gmail.com?subject=Tofurkeys VS Turkeys">email</a> me your lists and I'll post them on here, or post them on a blog somewhere and I'll create a link from here to there. It will be like if this blog were a trebuchet in Logan and your thankful list were in Salt Lake, then the great and spacious interweb would be the trajectory along which a tofurkey would journey between my trebuchet and your thankful list. Now that's something!<br /><br />PS - if nobody sends me a thankful list, that's your problem. I know where my priorities lie. End PS. <br /><br />Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-68192973083637615952010-09-26T01:58:00.005-05:002010-09-26T02:35:18.693-05:00DarknessIt's getting dark.<div><br /></div><div>Visions of green- and gold-colored orbs are floating around me, spinning, threatening my very existence. All I can hear is this eerie, high-pitched noise, echoing through the corridors wherein haunts endless vibrations and brain-waves; it sounds not unlike the index-finger-sized crickets that ruthlessly invest homes in Yuma, Arizona, only slightly higher and 3 times more obnoxious. It's getting louder. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm delusional.</div><div><br /></div><div>The orbs have transformed now. Instead of glowing spheres, they've all turned into bright-blue stars; the once-smoothed edges of miniature planet-like objects have become razor sharp. The sky must be falling. It can't be. They're spinning ever-so-close to my person. I'm scared.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's now dark. Pitch black. What will happen now that all lights have been shut off and the darkness has taken over completely. Light must yet remain in somebody's heart. </div><div><br /></div><div>Flashes of light. Brilliant. Imagine being on the top of a mountain; the sky is embedded with dark, unforgiving shapes. Lightening; bright flashes of electricity just before your face, your eyes tear up at the instantaneous reversal of their pupil-dilation. Your head begins to pound. Your body ceases entirely.</div><div><br /></div><div>The volume of the cricket-like scream is increasing; intensifying. The darkness more immense, completely overtaking the frozen earth upon which you struggle to remain standing, ever-staggering. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am surrounded.</div><div><br /></div><div>An hour passes by. Two. Five. No, three. Time is now an illusion. Hands cramped up. Must hit pause. Must save state and rest while I still can, until the yellow dwarf can send forth its plasma rays and penetrate this dark cloud and these perpetual, pulsating flashes of light. Mixtures of green and gold orbs and blue stars, those relentless, selfish, life-absorbing fiends, now surround me completely; they move in. Not life-absorbing; life-sustaining. Warmth.</div><div><br /></div><div>Light on the horizon.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm saved.</div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-30757140737793805462010-09-04T07:21:00.005-05:002010-09-04T07:35:31.801-05:00Failed AttemptCannot get the creative juices flowing this early in the morning. So far I've tried to write a poem, write a different kind of poem, recite the probability density function (pdf) of the normal distribution, integrate said pdf into a poem, and, of course, fall back to sleep. Like so many other things in life, I have failed at each of these. Some other things I've failed at:<div><ul><li>Going 2 posts in a row without using bulleted lists or mentioning Ramona.</li><li>Becoming a best-selling author.</li><li>Moving back to Utah.</li><li>Learning Japanese fluently by Christmas.</li><li>Gaining a 10-foot vertical.</li></ul><div>You'll notice something here. That's right, my creative juices are still not flowing. It was worth a try.</div></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-25489079275939126542010-09-02T22:16:00.004-05:002010-09-02T23:02:41.448-05:00The Black Mage<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Bl0m913zQ2OTbRR9rJdcg-f3FkYTEHSnxs75-6ijcq8LuvnA61ARS64fTt3pLO3Ucv23BYrpii0He6f1XhELtkd5YPnv1uL9wE-8ks7w7nKI1DOwMf_eJXu7lJbkaXHpa-Y1r6WihuyS/s1600/Vivi%25202.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 244px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Bl0m913zQ2OTbRR9rJdcg-f3FkYTEHSnxs75-6ijcq8LuvnA61ARS64fTt3pLO3Ucv23BYrpii0He6f1XhELtkd5YPnv1uL9wE-8ks7w7nKI1DOwMf_eJXu7lJbkaXHpa-Y1r6WihuyS/s320/Vivi%25202.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512530423035447138" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></u></span></div>Cue Celtic Moon by Enya. Cue awesome CGI cutscene. Enter baddies. Enter Vivi Ornitier, <i>The Black Mage.</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Baddy 1 attacks. Dodged by Vivi. Baddy 2 attacks. Miss! Vivi readies <i>flare</i>. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF9966;">FLARE!!!</span></span> Both baddies lose 1,000 hp and disintegrate right before your eyes in glorious, flawless CGI. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cue victory music. Vivi dances. Vivi gains 358 experience points, 5 AP, a hi-potion, and a mythil ring.</div><div><br /></div><div>If I know you as well as I think I do, you're asking yourself out loud in a mystified tone of voice in your almost-to-par British accent, "What?" Am I right? I might be. I have a 1 in 10 chance of being wrong. Does it scare you that I can see right through the wireless connections that are connecting you to this post, and hence to me, and can see your look of confusion? Does it bother you that I called you out on your poor ability to speak with a false accent? I've been called out on that many times. I've also been told the exact opposite. So what you choose to believe is up to you. As for me, I'm moving on.</div><div><br /></div><div>And by moving on, I'm moving backwards, as if Hiro himself were controlling time. Hands on the clock moving counter-clockwise. Vivi loses experience points and AP and has to give back the mythril and hi-potion. Baddies reappear. CGI cut-scene plays from end to beginning, Enya intones in reverse sounding akin to the destroyer's music, until time freezes and you sit there face-to-face, staring eagerly at the strangest looking character you've ever seen. His skin appears to be made of burned marshmallows. He has no mouth. His planet-sized, circular eyes glow a raging, deep amber. He's short; shorter than you would expect. His appearance doesn't shout power nor pride nor alpha-mage; you see humility, compassion, curiosity. </div><div><br /></div><div>Forward-moving time reveals itself to you once more. The all-familiar prelude to those familiar with Final Fantasy 4 enlightens your mind as the screen goes from dark to light, CGI movement commences, the strange character you deemed weak triumphs over evil with a blast of <i>flare</i> that could melt a red dwarf star. You begin to understand his true power.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Vivi Ornitier, <i>The Black Mage</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRhVpeLyO47Mc7WJ39_PGWoVQ8Uv-gKoZMURKXSXCDZQ_mYXxcyz56y0Bv831KyGaYumLxoI93N6EJi9f9w8t4n23WrdJDm9jRg2r4mbrXN1PNLjC0nbFrrd7IGh_6R_aGEu4dlzjKdUG/s1600/vivi-1.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRhVpeLyO47Mc7WJ39_PGWoVQ8Uv-gKoZMURKXSXCDZQ_mYXxcyz56y0Bv831KyGaYumLxoI93N6EJi9f9w8t4n23WrdJDm9jRg2r4mbrXN1PNLjC0nbFrrd7IGh_6R_aGEu4dlzjKdUG/s320/vivi-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512530404798679714" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXiMvtvFkW6KROh3p2EfFtyGGQ9wB3SBlEdj3zpiFbVGhfAMj6wg03CLY7jg31W_LIuCOiwCgF5kOGxUS101jxMF9uG0CpBHl0J2iWlBpYM4PcUqs4lBBDT7IQ8k8-jIAa5HNPVk3ZOih/s1600/vivi-2.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXiMvtvFkW6KROh3p2EfFtyGGQ9wB3SBlEdj3zpiFbVGhfAMj6wg03CLY7jg31W_LIuCOiwCgF5kOGxUS101jxMF9uG0CpBHl0J2iWlBpYM4PcUqs4lBBDT7IQ8k8-jIAa5HNPVk3ZOih/s320/vivi-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512530413208512578" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-58650111808622738302010-09-01T21:54:00.006-05:002010-09-01T22:26:05.043-05:00Tweet Me!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/technology-live/2010/09/01/apple2x-wide-community.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 420px; height: 290px;" src="http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/technology-live/2010/09/01/apple2x-wide-community.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Despite all claims that I do not have a sense of humor, I'm a pretty funny human. To prove this, I'd like to take this opportunity to repost some of my tweets from today. As you know, today was Apple's big music event. They announced some pretty cool crap, such as iOS 4 dot 1 and 4 dot 2, a multi-touch unit you clip to your shirt when you go for a jog (which stays out of the way if you get attacked by ninjas or zombies), among many others. The event ended with Steve Jobs sucking up to and allowing take the stage lead vocalist Chris Martin of a band whose performance left an almost-deep-enough impression for me to remember their name. I bet I just lost half of my readership.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">During the event, as I just said, I twitted (?) some tweets. For those of you who follow @JLeonBell on twitter will have read these, and I apologize for making you read them again. Just look at the pretty picture at the bottom of the page. Thanks.</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">New Apple store in china made from old iPhone 4 glass. </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23appleevent" title="#appleevent" class="tweet-url hashtag" rel="nofollow" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">#appleevent</span></span></span></a></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Words required when presenting at an apple event: beautiful, gorgeous.</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Going to switch to Microsoft. </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23stevejobs" title="#stevejobs" class="tweet-url hashtag" rel="nofollow" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">#stevejobs</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> got a jack johnson song stuck in my head. </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23appleevent" title="#appleevent" class="tweet-url hashtag" rel="nofollow" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">#appleevent</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (there went the other half of my readership... hello, loneliness.)</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This just in: new </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23coldplay" title="#coldplay" class="tweet-url hashtag" rel="nofollow" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">#coldplay</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> song boring and generic. </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23appleevent" title="#appleevent" class="tweet-url hashtag" rel="nofollow" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">#appleevent</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> (can't lose any more subscribers...)</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">@</span></span><a class="tweet-url username" href="http://twitter.com/SmAuRsAeH" rel="nofollow" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">SmAuRsAeH</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> everything I say is necessary.</span></span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I had to throw that last one in for the H of it. And it's entirely possible that only one of us (me) thinks any of those are remotely humorous. I'll leave you alone then. Here's my final tweet for the night. Adieu!</span></span></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Need to find a purple-haired lady! #ramona</span></span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCsITfMBEWwj6hq0446DbekLnI6SQv8nO016FDyvX_RgN-wG5H9GmpCzjDJm6cZmdutAPuYEH7ycx5kg68Dmsu1Pb3QLxxodghmdPdzbyUXP9KF2unO7Mjusm-7nEecF-fpMyJsirWYUW/s1600/Mary-Elizabeth-Winstead-as-Ramona-Flowers-in-Scott-Pilgrim-vs-The-World-mary-elizabeth-winstead-7743435-2560-1440.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCsITfMBEWwj6hq0446DbekLnI6SQv8nO016FDyvX_RgN-wG5H9GmpCzjDJm6cZmdutAPuYEH7ycx5kg68Dmsu1Pb3QLxxodghmdPdzbyUXP9KF2unO7Mjusm-7nEecF-fpMyJsirWYUW/s320/Mary-Elizabeth-Winstead-as-Ramona-Flowers-in-Scott-Pilgrim-vs-The-World-mary-elizabeth-winstead-7743435-2560-1440.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512150534238580850" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px; " /></a></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(images not mine; Steve Jobs comments sarcasm; Coldplay comments not sarcasm)</span></span></span></div></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-54031135281344165312010-08-31T16:33:00.004-05:002010-08-31T22:16:05.061-05:00Lessons TaughtWe were sitting in the living room in the house where I grew up: a conversation between a kid and his granddad. I had just graduated from high school and was feeling pressure from every which way to get a job and start saving for a two-year mission to a place at that point known only to One. <i>Don't rush getting a job just yet, Leon. Once you start working, you'll be working for the rest of your life. </i>Although the parents probably didn't appreciate this advice, I sure did. I spent 2 of the next 4 weeks at Lake Powell, burst an ear drum, played a lot of Final Fantasy 7 or maybe 8, and finally found a job working graveyard shift as a night stocker.<div><br /></div><div>Approximately 13 years earlier, I was taught another magnificent truth: Chuck-A-Rama. For those of you that don't know, it's a glorious buffet from whence most Utahans obtain those extra pounds that keep them warm during the cold winter months. For a 5-year-old on his birthday, it was like walking into a land full of macaroni & cheese, chocolate milk, and endless desserts, for that is exactly what it is. <i>Leon, you must eat a bowl of ice cream before and after each course, including dessert. It preps the stomach.</i> Again, something the parents may not have appreciated. Something my stomach may not currently appreciate; regardless, I still take his advice to heart each time I eat at a buffet.</div><div><br /></div><div>After my dad rolled an ankle right before a fathers-and-sons outing, he stepped in as proxy. There were two valuable lessons learned: 1) a hotdog is called a <i>tube steak</i>, and 2) if someone threatens you with a knife, it's not <i>tattling</i> to tell someone, such as an adult. We camped in some campground called <i>The Old Church</i> (which, I admit, freaked me out), roasted tube steaks on the fire, I played hide-and-go-seek with some other boys, one (punk) of which threatened me with his pocket knife, and we spent the night in the back of his old yellow Chevy Silverado on top of wooden closet doors, and I listened to him snore all night. I kept a watchful eye outside the window directly at the old church to make sure no ghouls came to attack us. I hate ghouls.</div><div><br /></div><div>This morning that man was called on his next mission: to rejoin with his kin and close friends, to rest from his earthly labors, and to continue sharing the good news of the gospel to those in need. Poppy, I love you and I will miss you! Thanks for the support you always gave me and all of the invaluable lessons you taught! And if you get the chance, let me know if they have ice cream in heaven. Until we meet again.</div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-44387614459259739602010-08-30T17:14:00.003-05:002010-08-30T17:39:45.201-05:00My Hero<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I recently watched LOTR (if you don't know what that acronym stands for, you are unworthy to be reading this blog. Go on! Shew! Get out of here!) and loved every second of it. That's the nerdy side of me.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">At one point, the critical (jerk) side of me popped out. Near the end of the 3rd film (about an hour left), they (if you don't know who "they" are, get out) are discussing a plan to help the ring-bearer succeed. Dialogue.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Gandolf</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">: He's suffered a defeat, yes, but... behind the walls of Mordor, our enemy is regrouping.<br /></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Gimli</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">: Let him stay there. *Let him rot!* Why should we care?<br /></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Gandolf</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">: Because 10,000 Orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom. I've sent him to his death.<br /></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Aragorn</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">: No. There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time... and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that.<br /></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Gimli</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">: How?<br /></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Aragorn</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">: Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate.<br /></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Eomer</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">: We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms.<br /></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Aragorn</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">: Not for ourselves. But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's Eye fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(Interjection. Brace yourself.)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Legolas</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">: </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A diversion!! </span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Well said, Legoman. So I just did a google search. You know how google [likes to think they are taking over the world] will give suggestions to help you finish a search query? I typed "legolas a" and the first suggestion that came up was "legolas a diversion." Apparently there are cults focused around his brilliance. Examples.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; line-height: 17px; "><a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=legolas">Urban dictionary</a>, definition #3. I am not responsible if you are offended by anything you see there.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; line-height: 17px; "></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; line-height: 17px; ">A <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2227594592">facebook group</a>. Caution: organizers of this group love Legolove so much they like to use colorful language. Again, I am not responsible.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px; font-size: small;">And a well-made <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJm8dBiupqU&feature=related">video on YouTube</a> I stumbled across. Lovely.</span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px; font-size: small;">So, in honor of Legoland, I'm going to start throwing in the phrase <i>A Diversion!</i> wherever I deem it the most appropriate.</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px; font-size: small;">Next episode: I will discuss yet another brilliant statement by Legolegs (disguised William Turner) when he, trying to sound bright, throws out the obvious answer to an inquiry by Ichabod Crane. <i>Barbosa!</i></span></span></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-53940140302806412942010-08-30T16:47:00.004-05:002010-08-30T17:04:34.462-05:00This Is My Annoying Post<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Man I'm a slacker. I don't mean this to be a non-gender-neutral post, but it sure started out that way. OK, so I'm thinking I need to start blogging again. And not just once a month or so. I mean really start blogging. Here's why:</span></span></div><div><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">What else am I going to do?</span></span></li></ol><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">You thought that was going to be a longer list, didn't you? It's not. </span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Also, I'd really like to start getting more traffic to this little site. Like 10 visits a day instead of 4. I think to do this, I'll just write a few words for which people frequently search. Such as...</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Starcraft 2</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Twitter</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Leon</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Facebook</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">OK, maybe one of those is a lie. And maybe I ran out of things to write. And this post is going no where. So basically I'll leave you with a few drawings. Let me know what you think. Or don't. And make sure you follow this blog if you haven't already! Or not. Whatever.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlJmzc43HGa2Ff_xNTTNg_tyNj_Z7RBaIBX39pQ79Bg5qVprJEcvafYNJ0QCL51zJwZQkQsQx5dJ6puQhjPyDbmIKuGFqponKvSNbeWJnDQ-qCKJdN3iykLv1dy7HANolkxxJ50ZDaMB3/s1600/IMG_0482.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlJmzc43HGa2Ff_xNTTNg_tyNj_Z7RBaIBX39pQ79Bg5qVprJEcvafYNJ0QCL51zJwZQkQsQx5dJ6puQhjPyDbmIKuGFqponKvSNbeWJnDQ-qCKJdN3iykLv1dy7HANolkxxJ50ZDaMB3/s320/IMG_0482.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511325915406558562" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 269px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This is my new car, Vivi Ornitier "The Black Mage." Yes, that is the full name.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclWuYkcB5tBAgKtJgWslmDu_fR1XmE7r1cBOTTIJLT62Lkh3ZOVIs-ps4nX81GP1SBW6r0B2snT6CTNt7vXS0sgMyLJfiaWfhCvTSdk4bVlfr2kJCK0BGu0x7phrNFQoFPb8mJACOZ4eB/s1600/IMG_0474.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclWuYkcB5tBAgKtJgWslmDu_fR1XmE7r1cBOTTIJLT62Lkh3ZOVIs-ps4nX81GP1SBW6r0B2snT6CTNt7vXS0sgMyLJfiaWfhCvTSdk4bVlfr2kJCK0BGu0x7phrNFQoFPb8mJACOZ4eB/s320/IMG_0474.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511325904564632018" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This is when I almost fell in a monster's pit.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfld0lmDmU4UwsV4IGZkj-RTR032fs6YA1rCG7YdON8XFT_mm2Kl180ShCYH_9BArWj9bBk4NGZCbhiMcsvSCnbQqud5l2DAl8zpVBdTQIVPJjJXxa_JuSk7Fp3zqIQ1YYM5MiuCUtLRD/s1600/IMG_0487.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfld0lmDmU4UwsV4IGZkj-RTR032fs6YA1rCG7YdON8XFT_mm2Kl180ShCYH_9BArWj9bBk4NGZCbhiMcsvSCnbQqud5l2DAl8zpVBdTQIVPJjJXxa_JuSk7Fp3zqIQ1YYM5MiuCUtLRD/s320/IMG_0487.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511325931126168754" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Me and my new bff/gf Ramona.</span></span></div><div><br /></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-92128913616502400842010-08-14T07:04:00.007-05:002010-08-14T08:44:41.033-05:00Karma<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You've heard it said before. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What goes around comes around.</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Personally, I never believed this statement...until last night. Keep in mind as you read this post that I'm not trying to brag about the kind and valiant things I've done. I mean, I'm just a really good person, and it's in my nature to be nice to everyone! If you don't believe me, just become my friend, and you'll be surprised at how much cool stuff I'll buy you. I take that back. I'm on a budget now, so I won't be buying you anything. In fact, I think it's YOU that should be buying stuff for ME!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now that that's settled, it's time I move on to the next portion of the post, called </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the next portion of the post</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. I went out to Salt Lake City a couple of weeks ago for a [undisclosed event]. I was told that [undisclosed criticism] and [more undisclosed criticism] and that I just wouldn't work out for them. Feeling kind of discouraged, I went back to the airport to get the rental car (a Toyota Yaris!) and made my way out to Shane-and-Alese's. Some events cheered me up over the next couple of days:</span></span></div><div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Endless Starcraft 2 gaming with Shane</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Eating at my favorite Mexican restaurant with some of my favorite people on this Earth</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Being challenged to eat the hottest hot pepper I've ever eaten at said restaurant by one of said people and spent the next 10-15 minutes with the hiccups, sweat pouring down my face, and I believe I my face had turned red (either from the hot pepper or embarrassment)</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Being challenged by the same person to practice not accepting challenges (i.e. Mountain Dew Challenge, Hot Pepper Challenge) (it was probably good that I accepted this last challenge because this past week at work I was challenged to drink an entire bottle of Shotgun Pete's XXX HOT BBQ Sauce. There's a warning on the label that says "Warning! Avoid contact with eyes or other sensitive areas at all costs!" One of those sensitive areas must be your mouth, because one tiny drop that you taste-test by barely skimming the top-most surface with your finger and licking it off burns hotter than the sun at midday, or any other time of the day since the sun burns the same temperature then too. I don't think the $20 I was offered to complete the challenge was worth death.)</span></span></li></ul><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZbFmoLLflFNqVKtZ9MR1iTbpI5uuHws3h4wMlQ7vuRSKSCeIvon0bpViFQokAxG7nKGvebvtlsE9mVJWgSuiQEGloSgaZtOMRMQoaqWcIId8WDXPw3EIWGX-8uY8LbkFt3Aek9f9gtdC/s1600/pepper-2.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZbFmoLLflFNqVKtZ9MR1iTbpI5uuHws3h4wMlQ7vuRSKSCeIvon0bpViFQokAxG7nKGvebvtlsE9mVJWgSuiQEGloSgaZtOMRMQoaqWcIId8WDXPw3EIWGX-8uY8LbkFt3Aek9f9gtdC/s320/pepper-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505256081014742018" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Eating the hottest hot pepper. I don't remember that wall</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">being purple. Probably because everything looked red</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">after consuming the hottest hot pepper.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLenSelycLK-nGc_lKlNOoQE76vaHQPtxG1PNSeKNnkVdoxlKHJkp6utcwNBNZMUI2IgGcsgmDPJAUiaeHualnRpXrWPLiYCMMk187SO8cHiSFqa-EHDNsDIvArmoE9-YUMuVv8K94gQ_/s1600/pepper-3.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLenSelycLK-nGc_lKlNOoQE76vaHQPtxG1PNSeKNnkVdoxlKHJkp6utcwNBNZMUI2IgGcsgmDPJAUiaeHualnRpXrWPLiYCMMk187SO8cHiSFqa-EHDNsDIvArmoE9-YUMuVv8K94gQ_/s320/pepper-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505256432666599602" style="text-align: center;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fat-face after the pepper (end still in hand).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxa2WSt4oiS1xTwLqVMN_iHmcHxAqkyD1nYXqdVe3_aUagTGgHgz3wuZPREnH3hLzpz4X_j5oN6JPfPLIM8vj6_ExXPhbf_UNkbduOTBJjEJa9ToTKRxREbg2BzMA4ubEMWlqFtB9BWJoe/s1600/pepper-4.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxa2WSt4oiS1xTwLqVMN_iHmcHxAqkyD1nYXqdVe3_aUagTGgHgz3wuZPREnH3hLzpz4X_j5oN6JPfPLIM8vj6_ExXPhbf_UNkbduOTBJjEJa9ToTKRxREbg2BzMA4ubEMWlqFtB9BWJoe/s320/pepper-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505256966533088018" style="text-align: center;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Still trying to "play it cool" 2 minutes after the pepper.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This angle makes my face look weird (it's not the angle, dummy!).</span></span></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Laser-engraving things and showing them off (in particular, the watch...picture to follow) to everyone I met</span></span></li></ul><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2hUMZ96_cn2DRt8qUGBLrnYi_i14hcV7AwS3oPItAyrxImjNIQprvCHjeIOd1ltp_wGd2JvTQGd6LP6-Byt8rxLKKaoR6SmO4Eb3Ua_dyhVzMx3R6UjmDWerr-nwsbmplamGb7w9EUdc/s1600/IMG_0471.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2hUMZ96_cn2DRt8qUGBLrnYi_i14hcV7AwS3oPItAyrxImjNIQprvCHjeIOd1ltp_wGd2JvTQGd6LP6-Byt8rxLKKaoR6SmO4Eb3Ua_dyhVzMx3R6UjmDWerr-nwsbmplamGb7w9EUdc/s320/IMG_0471.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505249884762605538" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Just in case you forget what it is.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UtcpmSNEnm7DP48G38GSMEzWsJgFXp2HeG-ODDoJ_KsL-vr-OZLiCves6kkNK-X6J_Yw31Jp-TM4UpuWLZPUj06vI6IzgE6s7EB1jD1c92bGcWLhW_e-NcVbctOoLM_Te_E9Rns6fxby/s1600/IMG_0467.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UtcpmSNEnm7DP48G38GSMEzWsJgFXp2HeG-ODDoJ_KsL-vr-OZLiCves6kkNK-X6J_Yw31Jp-TM4UpuWLZPUj06vI6IzgE6s7EB1jD1c92bGcWLhW_e-NcVbctOoLM_Te_E9Rns6fxby/s320/IMG_0467.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505249896705972866" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Advertisement for Water-Resist Shane.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVY564Z6xcWfRlvgzevDqgLN7lvuk51hNs_7nbUkhTra9Ya5ncClAim6_U1sFNU2S9fFj1DBG4o8jzpYlNG5Q-xxVGFavpIUD6mKTrzA8E8ZS_nTFPrsVVtftAJVo4Jf_KcXJHOroFQj69/s1600/IMG_0466.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVY564Z6xcWfRlvgzevDqgLN7lvuk51hNs_7nbUkhTra9Ya5ncClAim6_U1sFNU2S9fFj1DBG4o8jzpYlNG5Q-xxVGFavpIUD6mKTrzA8E8ZS_nTFPrsVVtftAJVo4Jf_KcXJHOroFQj69/s320/IMG_0466.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505249906749747970" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Represents me very well: Zelda, anime, video games, Apple,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">sword-fighting, shield-wielding, coolest person on Earth, you name it!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hanging out with Shane-and-Alese AND Robbie-and-Ali two nights in a row (!)</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Starcraft 2 with Shane</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Breakfast</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Basically, it was my favorite. The whole trip. Except for the [undisclosed criticisms] that [undisclosed person] gave me. And the coming back to reality part.</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As I sat there at the airport, I glanced around at the countless souls, with banners and balloons and well-wishings and tears and laughter and signs that read "Come Back Soon!" and "Best of Luck!" My heart swelled and my soul warmed at all the people who came to see me off. Tears. As the plane took off, I noticed the mountains smiling at me from below and clouds that can change their appearance at will transformed into shapes that looked like a group of close friends sitting around playing Starcraft 2, laughing, smiling, yelling encouraging sayings at their allies. The closer the plane got to Missouri, the more grim and dull the scenery. Crops normally shaped as squares or circles suddenly appeared as hands with one finger extended, clearly telling me I'm unwanted. The crowd at the airport stared daggers as I stepped off the gum-wrapper plane, all dressed in black with fangs and long, pointy fingernails. As one of them advanced, I ran for it, barely catching a taxi who became the only person I could trust for the next 3-6 minutes, as we ventured back to the economy lot to find my car, untouched, unscathed by the harsh weather conditions and bad attitude of this place. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And suddenly I realized that this post wasn't supposed to be about my adventures in Salt Lake City or my slightly strange trip home based very loosely on true events. Nay, it was about the chain of events that I will tell now, and your sympathy is appreciated in the comments section.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I decided yesterday, since good things happened at work this week, that I would take donuts in to celebrate. That's nice, right? And I've been dying to try out this new donut shop that just opened up next to my apartment. I walk in, feeling quite cool and studly in my nerdy shirt and tie (my normal dress-down-Friday apparel), after I remotely honk the horn of my car, signifying locked doors and the armed-function set to </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">on</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. As it normally happens when I walk into an eatery, or as it normally happens in my retellings of the events, I was greeted with smiles and discount codes and a large selection of beautiful donuts. I got 24, including 4 </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Crème-bavaroise</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">-filled ones and 2 apple fritters the size of your face. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Chants of <i>hip-hip-hurray</i> and <i>for he's a jolly-good fellow</i> were exclaimed from the rooftops as everyone's hero walked through the doors of his office carrying a box filled with [undisclosed variety of donuts]. I then proceeded to get all of my work done with time to spare and waste on the practicing of pen-spinning tricks. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After work, I took the missionaries out for dinner at Shakespeare's Pizza Eatery Place, one of my favorites here in Columbia for two reasons: 1) good ambiance, and 2) you get to keep (!) your cup. I headed back to my place afterwards to get the cursed donuts-that-remained that I'd forgotten to take to the missionaries, and took them instead to @kremlincardinal-and-@spousalunit's for 8:30 showing of The Crazies. I stepped out of my car, grabbed the box of donuts, laid my precious iPhone on top of the box, shut the door, went to lock the car, and I hear a slight whimper. "Oh no!" it cries out in fear. SMASH! My phone had just fallen to the Earth, the unforgiving cement from whence no fallen iPhone may return. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I can still use it. Ish. Through a ziplock bag, unless I want to cut my fingers or my face. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOyy1mn9jYRczbfyDX1MUX8x4GN2TnV3zBFvXMhXQR_wYbQ75bOzn9gsbdkDWOrfwqOurbzOKeBvCCRM_7aXN978e2oA7TbP_TM_MJuGVVf1Y_1UpooPvugwq6yxgh7GUsD3KKR9kaApG/s1600/pepper-5.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOyy1mn9jYRczbfyDX1MUX8x4GN2TnV3zBFvXMhXQR_wYbQ75bOzn9gsbdkDWOrfwqOurbzOKeBvCCRM_7aXN978e2oA7TbP_TM_MJuGVVf1Y_1UpooPvugwq6yxgh7GUsD3KKR9kaApG/s320/pepper-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505258099742992482" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Moral: If you do something nice, like buy donuts for people, you will break your most precious possession. And with that, friends, I wash my hands of this weirdness.</span></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-33089240968115210852010-08-03T21:51:00.003-05:002010-08-04T00:04:24.638-05:00Watch Your LanguageDid you get picked last for kickball? I never did. All the kids in all the grades knew that I had an unstoppable leg that kicked the ball further than, say, those mountains over there. Alas, I cannot empathize with you if you were one of the unlucky souls the mean kids would pick last.<div><br /></div><div>Getting picked last for Starcraft 2, well, that's a different story. Those of you who follow me on Twitter will already know this story, and the rest of you probably don't care. Since I'm the one in charge here, and since you were always picked last for kickball, you really don't have a say in this. Do you? </div><div><br /></div><div>Story. I'm sitting there on the couch with my trusty lappy on my lap (her name is Rinoa Heartily, if you must know). On the other side of the room is the one and only codename: Trisha with his lappy on his lap. The ambience is that which you would imagine Trisha's apartment to manufacture, that of happy explosions and little men yelling "Go! Go! GO!!!" and robotic voices chanting ever-so-robotically, "SCV Ready." or "Our base is being attacked."</div><div><br /></div><div>Before you skip the remainder of this post, and before I go numb writing it, I'll get to the point. As many of you know, some more newly than others. I can sometimes get on a tangent, which would be the line that touches (does not intersect) a given point on a curve. Then the slope of the tangent line is the derivative evaluated at that point. See how good I am at math? Maybe I should become a teacher. Maybe I should get back to the story.</div><div><br /></div><div>So with lappies on laps, guns in holsters, and dews on coasters, we're locked, loaded and ready to go! We sign in. We choose 2 vs 2 mode, Trisha is on one team, I'm on the other. Two unknown humanoids join in. The match begins. 3. 2. 1.</div><div><br /></div><div>I start clicking the mouse buttons faster than Maverick drawing his 6-shooter. My fingers are dancing all over the place giving the illusion of Tom Hanks playing chopsticks on a oversized toy piano as an overgrown 12-year-old. Nothing is happening. The Terran jerks aren't scuttling to and fro collecting minerals. The command center isn't training any more Terran jerks. My ally's type-face appears at the bottom of the screen:</div><div><br /></div><div>Derrick Brennon (DB): WTF? Do something!!</div><div><br /></div><div>I ignore him. Who is he to abbreviate that word anyway? Guess I could have told him how his intelligence was shining brightly through the words he was typing on my screen. Trisha and his ally were rapidly training Terran jerks and creating modes of transportation equipped with unparalleled destructive power quicker than Vanilla Ice can feed feasible rhymes in both vision and feeling. They attack DB's base first. </div><div><br /></div><div>DB: Help?</div><div>Leon: I'll send what I have.</div><div>DB: Too late. You suck!!!</div><div>DB has left the game.</div><div><br /></div><div>In retrospect, I can see 2 reasons why he quit. 1) He's a quitter and will never grow up/mature/get a college degree/lose his I'm-too-stupid-to-know-any-proper-insults attitude/go anywhere at all in life and will wither and die an unhappy noob, or 2) I really am terrible at the game, and all players/jugadores/joueur/giocatore who are my allies should follow the DB and leave the game. Thanks for your honesty, Derrick!</div><div><br /></div><div>Love.</div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-69147488640810449762010-07-19T22:23:00.004-05:002010-07-19T23:02:34.359-05:00Lock Your DoorsI've been forgetting to lock my doors lately. I had this idea brewing in my brain not unlike a shadow growing as its reason for existence gradually moves closer to a light source that, in my subconscious mind, I am programmed to automatically lock my doors. I don't have automatic door locks in my car. In a near perfect world, my locks will all be controlled electronically, transported in millions of tiny bits floating above our heads from some handheld device to a computer cleverly placed inside my car, which, when I give the command ("Computer, lock!"), the doors will lock. I'm alluding to something here of even greater depth that you may understand, even with your feeble mind. The device in this nigh-Utopian society of which I speak is probably some sort of app, and I'm guessing you can or could purchase it from the App Store. <div><br /></div><div>The deadbolts and required hardware installed on my principal door are a completely different story. Even Commander William T Riker has to manually lock the door connecting his living quarters to the cruel reality that is the Enterprise. You've seen him do it, I've seen him do it, and by principals of mathematical induction, the entire populace that has, does, or will exist on this planet has seen him do it. So, as probabilistically you might deduce, there's not even a 1 in a googol (yes, that is correct) chance that my apartment in Hell has the capability to act upon voice commands. Perhaps I, as I entered into my apartment last night in a stupor of thought over not having locked the door to my vehicle, vocalized the words "Computer, lock!" expecting the door to automatically lock itself. It didn't. I woke up this morning, late--still deep in stupor--and being quite hasty reached for the door locks to discover that they were already disengaged! </div><div><br /></div><div>This is a growing concern. I lack the capacity to assess the true reasoning behind my faulty doorlocking program. Maybe I do forget. Maybe I don't have a key. Maybe I have the wrong key! Bad, untrustworthy people needn't break into a place that is already unlocked, doors open wide for their enjoyment as they meander through, stealing valuables, reading personal, equally-unlocked journals that share all the author's secrets to whomever disregards personal privacy the most, leaving the place in shambles as they chortle and evil-sinister-laugh their way back out again. Even good people would be tempted if such an open door presented itself to them. And that is a discouraging thought.</div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-84999361891683953642010-07-15T19:10:00.003-05:002010-07-15T19:20:11.270-05:00Some StuffI need to write a blog post.<div><ul><li>I like <a href="http://lindsay-loves-life.blogspot.com/">this blo</a>g a whole bunch. There, I said it.</li><li>I'm a big fan of <a href="http://www.throwedrolls.com/">throwed</a> rolls.</li><li>That thought leads me to text people about throwed rolls.</li><li>They asked me if my dinner was throwed at me tonight.</li><li>Yes, I do realize I that's not a word. "Deal with it." That's what they told me anyway.</li><li>Today, I used the phrase <i>don't matter to me none</i> without meaning to.</li><li>Yesterday, I pronounced <i>tomorrow</i> as <i>two-MAW-rah</i> and <i>Missouri</i> as <i>hell</i>.</li><li>Come to think of it, I always pronounce it that way. If the shoe fits...</li><li>This always brings me back to food fights.</li></ul><div>And I'll end with a music video one of my favorite songs by one of my long-ago favorite bands that features something cool at 3:47. If all you do is watch that part, I won't be offended. Bye.</div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PiBX-ESFDF0&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PiBX-ESFDF0&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-22605117948294857882010-06-28T21:24:00.005-05:002010-06-28T22:12:37.396-05:00We Three Rings<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">That's a clever title. I dare you to oppose me! As I was talking with my lovely sister today, and a very intense talk it was, full of dreams and aspirations and fears and unwanted life-features, I mentioned to her the following:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I need to find my niche. </span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Maybe I could invent titles for people and their lamely-titled or pathetically-untitled posts. Not saying their posts are pathetic or lame, but some of the titles could be better. Take, for instance, </span></span><a href="http://resplendentsunrise.blogspot.com/2010/06/no-subject.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">this one</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Whatever my niche is, it's out there. I just know it. Oft times I've daydreamed of becoming an artist. "What kind of artist?" asked a fellow named Steve. As he normally mumbles out one-word phrases, I was quite taken aback at the clarity, depth, and 4-wordiness of his question. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"Anime," was my reply.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">That?</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">" A reply I'm used to. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And so anime was out. Other times during my daily work-slumber (eek!), I allow my electrical synapses to derive a vivid image of a book written by </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Leon </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">and to display it on the Retina Display that is my mind's eye. "A book?" said a man named Shawn. "Don't make me laugh." I'm only guessing that if I told any man named Shawn that I want to write a book, his reply would be thus, and not </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">thusly </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">since I hate that word almost as much as I hate mayonnaise. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"Maybe my niche is cooking!" I exclaimed at the NPCs running across the 100-inch cinema display on the wall. "Oh it's YOU," they all said in a somewhat eerily familiar voice. I can't win. And that is how I turned my attention to rings.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I promised Bev (all these names!) that I would explain a little about three rings. I wear a size 12 on my index finger, in case you were wondering. Text me for my address.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1) A ring with skulls on it. I know what you're thinking. Yes, it is brilliant, thanks.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">2) Griever - if I could get my hands on a Griever, I'd wear it.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.ffmerchandise.com/squall_ring_black.htm"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jG20wlGZ_eNlbwFrR00TcCERXxAP_lxkUjfa5jHrlpUPQkPdwhwYAyO_WAERK15RGQs71nH5aIuCvxk3Jid_jhiR-j3mCHIey2cWKxkvZvbq_C8AXAGtUK45xPrwQWnvuvJNfqIqU0PG/s320/squall_ring_black.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488021601224156354" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 275px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It's quite possible that it's hard to see how cool this thing is, but that's your problem. With this ring, I could assume the power to be pessimistic, introverted, and yield a </span></span><a href="http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Gunblade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">gunblade</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. What more would one want? An impeccable segue. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">3) This obscure, extremely rare ring has an inscription that reads:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b></b></span></span></span></div><blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them</span></span></b></span></div><div></div></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></b></span></div><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Ring"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimV3Dho3j_kCR8Zvad9tqubrH0e6Zl4dlzN1Q93Ch56MqxhyphenhyphenAvaFVGCGBp7Ur0FrjCtql7SEvo2_U6IRLJXYAm9AHlSVDrAhebgeDQr6tQTikGciyiSmoIVi973ZIR5ZoeD6wYwchpByHX/s320/693px-Unico_Anello.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488023066829352082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 277px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">You better know the kind of powers I would assume sporting this bad boy around! Of course, with both Griever and The One Ring, I would be unstoppable(!), and yet be precisely the same as I am now: a world record setting, Harry Potter reading, video game playing, NPC interacting, clever title inventing, iPhone messing, gerund forming dude. Sans girlfriend. Sans life. Sans niche.</span></span></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-65783021167810558012010-06-26T08:13:00.003-05:002010-06-26T20:00:34.263-05:00No SubjectOK, Bev. Here's a list of things so far: Lost, Pokemon, HP 100", Glenn Miller, Hayao Miyasaki, Arrested Development, Teppanyaki, 12 oz. Mountain Dew or otherwise caffeinated soda, TNG, 8447 talk. I can't remember any more. I guess this could have been a text.Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679518456594367587.post-42524120340387178032010-06-22T17:59:00.017-05:002010-06-23T17:40:02.501-05:00Mountain Dew Challenge<div style="text-align: left;">I promised to keep you updated (followers, people who actually care about me, and the rest of you) on how the Mountain Dew challenge is going. For those of you just joining us, I was challenged to celebrate the arrival of the iPhone 4 by drinking 24 cans of Dew in 24 hours. Sounds easy enough, right? I will now begin my report.</div><br />I prepped by not eating anything past 12:30 pm yesterday, and not having a Dew past 8:00 pm. That allowed me some decent rest and a completely empty stomach for today. Starting just past noon today, and accompanied by a smoked brat and the best beans one can buy in the midwest, I began.<div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMET5NnwZ2jiFR2IVGRDPLc-FZrVaYv0S_9Z0GfBY-stro3BnidnxoOIi8wh-VDtoWybt7t0f2rbZ89X998kP-O7ocz1zFcKeuFLAB86MOU__E9Ko2tPNZu-JdXV55lfji2CiV33tuhOrr/s320/IMG_0337.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485737250939448690" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Feelin' pumped and ready to go! You can tell, can't you?</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8DbC7lVzqEZS4Dqy3Rq9_NxH099LPt0TTtBLe5kYZa1uOfE4nLklT7lszvGFi61gzCSzpAeTVwkhorUT9Yf9_SHKRKw13s_YmdDhloxbvTQbvfMg8UzyVJxV_oy-3-pZ8F9TiHTG0zAa/s1600/IMG_0338.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8DbC7lVzqEZS4Dqy3Rq9_NxH099LPt0TTtBLe5kYZa1uOfE4nLklT7lszvGFi61gzCSzpAeTVwkhorUT9Yf9_SHKRKw13s_YmdDhloxbvTQbvfMg8UzyVJxV_oy-3-pZ8F9TiHTG0zAa/s320/IMG_0338.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485737260961565730" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Just kickin' back another'n. This is going to be easy.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmsEH00usYpqOzp6NEt042vs-o4jIaqXyRbG7P_v67VTVVCigewG1TqSyLZcdUmd64jgbhBnj95vqDAzJtRKUTdd7f76Qd1fS4lyDMAgtb7SpiMYzJm8e2h9Xri4yeayHu86DBxpX0Uii/s1600/IMG_0339.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmsEH00usYpqOzp6NEt042vs-o4jIaqXyRbG7P_v67VTVVCigewG1TqSyLZcdUmd64jgbhBnj95vqDAzJtRKUTdd7f76Qd1fS4lyDMAgtb7SpiMYzJm8e2h9Xri4yeayHu86DBxpX0Uii/s320/IMG_0339.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485737265383423026" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Just before a 1.5 hr teleconference. Yes, that is a Ninja Turtles buckle. Yes, I did make a break for the bathroom the second it was over.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1W_X0KLn8L2l9F5Q9J-3rWOMbKfv9jH8is66680waILnxp-3yRc8OQDDTRaRXT2K5RdXoCTDtvXkmMCk3v25CBILckEYiiOOAxm3s07qy1mm6d04qBXzTCjBlw-sop1XdhZWNawlY1qNx/s1600/IMG_0340.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1W_X0KLn8L2l9F5Q9J-3rWOMbKfv9jH8is66680waILnxp-3yRc8OQDDTRaRXT2K5RdXoCTDtvXkmMCk3v25CBILckEYiiOOAxm3s07qy1mm6d04qBXzTCjBlw-sop1XdhZWNawlY1qNx/s320/IMG_0340.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485737273462171346" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Still going strong before number 4, though I'm feeling a little full. It's now about 3:00 pm. I've just been informed that Dew has 55 mg caffeine per can X 24 cans = 1,320 mg caffeine.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoCE_cF3Jb9mOYaev6b1askG-ZjHh2Fkr-465W3pnLRebwPWINFbA30UTBLOvG0Eu19Vja07nUJ1WZnzr7y1IX851fXXIOBPInCDgIkwqsJXZPXTJTirUrjQFPEY4rP7Po94SVSkHMkXM/s1600/IMG_0341.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoCE_cF3Jb9mOYaev6b1askG-ZjHh2Fkr-465W3pnLRebwPWINFbA30UTBLOvG0Eu19Vja07nUJ1WZnzr7y1IX851fXXIOBPInCDgIkwqsJXZPXTJTirUrjQFPEY4rP7Po94SVSkHMkXM/s320/IMG_0341.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485737279542833426" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Starting number 5! Already dreading having to work out after work.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz3QDDwani09TDBGK2kjmv027J0zQMISnLDYArmBcKBpZta5oRlwz_aQVP2I90zevPOgOIUzsMAa6c7rCdPwlV1QkslwZhLxz_bMDiD71HqWuQZomRfMvhgIMuavqZaLTbr0vU_byWhRS/s1600/IMG_0342.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz3QDDwani09TDBGK2kjmv027J0zQMISnLDYArmBcKBpZta5oRlwz_aQVP2I90zevPOgOIUzsMAa6c7rCdPwlV1QkslwZhLxz_bMDiD71HqWuQZomRfMvhgIMuavqZaLTbr0vU_byWhRS/s320/IMG_0342.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485737413319735714" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A quarter (0.25) of the way there once I finish this one. Not sure how I just walked/ran 2 miles, but I'm feeling OK. I've easily had this much caffeine in my system before.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVq2d3-n1DaUlhyYbzpboryP4n_UGTitBevXEqZ7PY7W0rv80WbI_Nihja-G0TjHXFPzm5xEnJW_RfUDiCkRtBl3POmbI-tdvMS7g7-o9RQlaHnDaAkju8CcQLXCxr_kAI2mHKfAMYOKob/s1600/IMG_0343.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVq2d3-n1DaUlhyYbzpboryP4n_UGTitBevXEqZ7PY7W0rv80WbI_Nihja-G0TjHXFPzm5xEnJW_RfUDiCkRtBl3POmbI-tdvMS7g7-o9RQlaHnDaAkju8CcQLXCxr_kAI2mHKfAMYOKob/s320/IMG_0343.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485754402615785138" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Trying to engulf the entire can.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTY-hOCrYoiX3j3DhVz2CU8D-_ZipGAs-5rRGmoKxZH0QRSqd4DFJy_6Yuvg_z5Rlm0j2rKZQ8yow8lUpou9JCkjiZfTaSMi9GzEA5hez0_jzUnwhYiov6a96hbE5n38270bVt6FJ4vgj/s1600/IMG_0344.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTY-hOCrYoiX3j3DhVz2CU8D-_ZipGAs-5rRGmoKxZH0QRSqd4DFJy_6Yuvg_z5Rlm0j2rKZQ8yow8lUpou9JCkjiZfTaSMi9GzEA5hez0_jzUnwhYiov6a96hbE5n38270bVt6FJ4vgj/s320/IMG_0344.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485754408599345506" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jean-Luc and I are homies.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsKik18BrAs8INBfUgIvFV6V3J2WeohbVZh8DEnXL-blugVREMz6YmsJNdNwMJ-2uqEixqTHCftND9dOX13wDym-JU9UnS9Kw7iU1utjngettuznmhIwTloRR5I1Gmlpnvup3pOw2ZBU8/s1600/IMG_0346.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsKik18BrAs8INBfUgIvFV6V3J2WeohbVZh8DEnXL-blugVREMz6YmsJNdNwMJ-2uqEixqTHCftND9dOX13wDym-JU9UnS9Kw7iU1utjngettuznmhIwTloRR5I1Gmlpnvup3pOw2ZBU8/s320/IMG_0346.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485769392546780418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Starting to feel the caffeine AND sugar. Kind of want to extract my entrails at this point. This is slightly harder than I thought!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvg2ElmOJrOnEUqcMc5zKvfDMXJDR8_qoP-cmYE_sPsuyLSXh2E5kW9Lag9o99FozTSfy6dE5wae_1Vn_6kkL63sGpqcmH5ttpGEMaNrjEeYGdy4MvwY5fqFkLZGcgV83qKCiALhFU-8MU/s1600/IMG_0347.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvg2ElmOJrOnEUqcMc5zKvfDMXJDR8_qoP-cmYE_sPsuyLSXh2E5kW9Lag9o99FozTSfy6dE5wae_1Vn_6kkL63sGpqcmH5ttpGEMaNrjEeYGdy4MvwY5fqFkLZGcgV83qKCiALhFU-8MU/s320/IMG_0347.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485769399019664418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Laughing uncontrollably in my tie-dye. Heart rate monitored at a steady 102 bpm.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6mls_P_FWeTkT0X8TQfLO1Z8hwFhBHX2_7JR3oPy2TIjvUvIoZN0UoPUhuzTGDioHuwWtbwC8mDiOCyVEkmgNFX9MH9txQbc3To9XX-VOOaU17wZb8rmz0AZLbHGX6pj4AQgO4icsCOt/s1600/IMG_0351.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6mls_P_FWeTkT0X8TQfLO1Z8hwFhBHX2_7JR3oPy2TIjvUvIoZN0UoPUhuzTGDioHuwWtbwC8mDiOCyVEkmgNFX9MH9txQbc3To9XX-VOOaU17wZb8rmz0AZLbHGX6pj4AQgO4icsCOt/s320/IMG_0351.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485792244672692642" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Number 11 needs to be stabbed. But will you look at my beautiful hair!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzjXB4FqRBnvWmNoxjMysUO6Bpb7budRVoUaGgySYfydouowemC4FmhYl8yp0isXOigas3BusNl3gpE2UTOZF-d4h4-ea6vBlz9BvhDM-qJgcvIQ6xuOOsX0rOSDS8uP87NuIKQQdlT1J/s1600/IMG_0355.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzjXB4FqRBnvWmNoxjMysUO6Bpb7budRVoUaGgySYfydouowemC4FmhYl8yp0isXOigas3BusNl3gpE2UTOZF-d4h4-ea6vBlz9BvhDM-qJgcvIQ6xuOOsX0rOSDS8uP87NuIKQQdlT1J/s320/IMG_0355.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485792250560760690" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Feeling irritable. Halfway.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75yQQ1tGdi76hdUq1GsKBr-_RR6bA0sDDZyl-VpjYIYEfECNXtBr5hRTdq6ehfxzdipOyA0QsZzGxSliJACvqMcG4fVFJmMzw0CaSEuAtZOim8Utmj8nWY3NAflOIXQxZ_AdrpVNNIHK0/s1600/My+HipstaPrint.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75yQQ1tGdi76hdUq1GsKBr-_RR6bA0sDDZyl-VpjYIYEfECNXtBr5hRTdq6ehfxzdipOyA0QsZzGxSliJACvqMcG4fVFJmMzw0CaSEuAtZOim8Utmj8nWY3NAflOIXQxZ_AdrpVNNIHK0/s320/My+HipstaPrint.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485801919830634722" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This would be a lot more fun with more people.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs261uQt53ZLIsJPpWOm28jSzQMrQwy3bZ5x91_TANKryApCPpVOhMTyKfGkZphAt8YMrh-ohcgvGCDnuOguOHSiwz7zezX3I5v-N-naE1Kvlm_m75buu4JgiDyu408ND7mPAujFkqAMky/s1600/My+HipstaPrint.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs261uQt53ZLIsJPpWOm28jSzQMrQwy3bZ5x91_TANKryApCPpVOhMTyKfGkZphAt8YMrh-ohcgvGCDnuOguOHSiwz7zezX3I5v-N-naE1Kvlm_m75buu4JgiDyu408ND7mPAujFkqAMky/s320/My+HipstaPrint.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485801925556642018" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Notice the screen. I said NOTICE IT!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7KwvapADcmTgn4kR5FKKFxOqzx9PB0j0IvOzvKrIOprrdWMhSU1hFaQK7eZDn2IW0mOB-xfOKN6wkofWH9jVVegxjQl7NgN-Jmev_R9P-6Qow0a6f3U0c3Waq75Cl-qgMrsqcc3c_5ss/s1600/IMG_0361.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7KwvapADcmTgn4kR5FKKFxOqzx9PB0j0IvOzvKrIOprrdWMhSU1hFaQK7eZDn2IW0mOB-xfOKN6wkofWH9jVVegxjQl7NgN-Jmev_R9P-6Qow0a6f3U0c3Waq75Cl-qgMrsqcc3c_5ss/s320/IMG_0361.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485830643234120658" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dreading number 15. Not at all tired. I could probably run a marathon in 40 minutes flat with the energy I'm building up. That's a lie.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcZki1R6UbyYPtPREB2NBkOF7Dm5102ft19A_NxJjuEYmvU_CH-3ab1LInEhdt9KUQ6Dm0-tgHe1_BgVdf-aXrH6326KpJSIlO8tEUocIGWPT_T3mp-bgBbs_zUnhynC4s3KLIfegPKha/s1600/IMG_0362.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcZki1R6UbyYPtPREB2NBkOF7Dm5102ft19A_NxJjuEYmvU_CH-3ab1LInEhdt9KUQ6Dm0-tgHe1_BgVdf-aXrH6326KpJSIlO8tEUocIGWPT_T3mp-bgBbs_zUnhynC4s3KLIfegPKha/s320/IMG_0362.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485830651285565090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Empty polaroid magnets. Such is my life. Although I shoot at thee, number 16, I still love thee. The citrusy flavor, the jolt of caffeine entering into my bloodstream, this I-haven't-eaten-anything-since-noon-yet-I'm-unbelievable-full-and-probably-dehydrated feeling. I should probably stop before you think I'm weird.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9K0dksM18EhkrxUI3IZQRoB16b5WOqqr9Oso878jRq3PsMhn3kGclr9D-N_NQBOcbyBKLheaeMJMWWY0uXdIJdCwEXz9eEe0mgYLkkk2hehzCNehc-IoOc24y1JUiXtDmlyjB9MF7LRRD/s1600/IMG_0365.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9K0dksM18EhkrxUI3IZQRoB16b5WOqqr9Oso878jRq3PsMhn3kGclr9D-N_NQBOcbyBKLheaeMJMWWY0uXdIJdCwEXz9eEe0mgYLkkk2hehzCNehc-IoOc24y1JUiXtDmlyjB9MF7LRRD/s320/IMG_0365.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485869565559497266" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Well what else would I be doing? Honestly.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7pRomEq-Z1D3h3bjgHCguKpCridVWHprMlktnvpj7jJrZDvHOSoutPTco7tH_ivQGHir1ZNkto5k0Ugs_Oq5zrI2_qw75AR0LNg0PbRFcmMx6jrSamvozaioGI9aS3uTdtGaf3Y_rRUb/s1600/IMG_0366.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7pRomEq-Z1D3h3bjgHCguKpCridVWHprMlktnvpj7jJrZDvHOSoutPTco7tH_ivQGHir1ZNkto5k0Ugs_Oq5zrI2_qw75AR0LNg0PbRFcmMx6jrSamvozaioGI9aS3uTdtGaf3Y_rRUb/s320/IMG_0366.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485869572442635522" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fell asleep, woke up an hour later, didn't care enough to write "18" any darker, nor comb my hair, nor had I any desire to drink that can in my hand. But I did, oh yes, YOU, I did. Only 6 more to go by noon.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjM8NGXrOp0Ovpgw7xos7VeaMjQlo9He6JO7QK2bIcjeNXk7fO0yPP0PvdbNDTPknKokcm8W7GFEXfi9fWqJVVqrLOFC5hWdKfO6dWWETyAUEhyrPZB4PWKYN0Kv4fZntnb97ANXytUb_/s1600/IMG_0367.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjM8NGXrOp0Ovpgw7xos7VeaMjQlo9He6JO7QK2bIcjeNXk7fO0yPP0PvdbNDTPknKokcm8W7GFEXfi9fWqJVVqrLOFC5hWdKfO6dWWETyAUEhyrPZB4PWKYN0Kv4fZntnb97ANXytUb_/s320/IMG_0367.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486069295775176034" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Starting out the day strong after only sleeping a maximum of 3.23 hours. Blah.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFWvGdUD9Ma6UQP9Q5ug4rE9U_zb0qQ1PgTna2e5LPJHZAgvq8qrefsDHq1yjiEEmVgnr0UpEgzFmLIgW5li9ABYxrT4GxYVhsWKdbVVOJjGZHHa4pr9ZoLsOw4_4rPM9XpfjqwHYC6jo/s1600/IMG_0368.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFWvGdUD9Ma6UQP9Q5ug4rE9U_zb0qQ1PgTna2e5LPJHZAgvq8qrefsDHq1yjiEEmVgnr0UpEgzFmLIgW5li9ABYxrT4GxYVhsWKdbVVOJjGZHHa4pr9ZoLsOw4_4rPM9XpfjqwHYC6jo/s320/IMG_0368.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486069318435745618" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was caught. Or maybe I was hot and the cool can on my face was quite refreshing. Either way, my hotness is not in question.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZjAnY-SsJN0mP0taXYxh-FmPe5BLh1ooeNLinlLb6z2kXe5WFG6YpbR8gJrGvmFa2ioCIjfOccmH8rNdDDZ-4CBA7XkImn5Lj9e5VGyqRGv-FMdte_8lgg4c08_RPz81pAoTZra0778K/s1600/IMG_0369.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZjAnY-SsJN0mP0taXYxh-FmPe5BLh1ooeNLinlLb6z2kXe5WFG6YpbR8gJrGvmFa2ioCIjfOccmH8rNdDDZ-4CBA7XkImn5Lj9e5VGyqRGv-FMdte_8lgg4c08_RPz81pAoTZra0778K/s320/IMG_0369.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486069325771463346" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hair looking quite delightful today. What's it to you, anyway?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUbJVVT3nPMjfsRezPs90KhIEWGxJn61miEbRzJ0rYO_FWayqd0JAo6AvrQ62rL_mxP2x9082UG_1F8T8mTGLfzZJBGT7QKF_HcQJgqODjDSP1tmloi3TMc7ha2E9PkH0JUv1K9YG4k3-/s1600/IMG_0370.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUbJVVT3nPMjfsRezPs90KhIEWGxJn61miEbRzJ0rYO_FWayqd0JAo6AvrQ62rL_mxP2x9082UG_1F8T8mTGLfzZJBGT7QKF_HcQJgqODjDSP1tmloi3TMc7ha2E9PkH0JUv1K9YG4k3-/s320/IMG_0370.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486069330457066066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">"I don't want to drink you," he proclaimed, as if that was news to others around him.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVy63x1lhMDRy86ro_syI6zj_aIH5g_H67K4pUISOZbyh5D5-zOIjHTdm6u-MqwtTtBEdjC10KA7iRStxMNgkYzx2LRZyu7UacIAGWL5uWwPJeI1eRNP6lIbZKES71wyz5oyp8FIdq1xBs/s1600/IMG_0371.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVy63x1lhMDRy86ro_syI6zj_aIH5g_H67K4pUISOZbyh5D5-zOIjHTdm6u-MqwtTtBEdjC10KA7iRStxMNgkYzx2LRZyu7UacIAGWL5uWwPJeI1eRNP6lIbZKES71wyz5oyp8FIdq1xBs/s320/IMG_0371.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486069337591637346" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">So. Close. Second to last can!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEk6b00pGnFu07aneLKcDfznEZS0E0MrX_TwNdsz_PJvytfsU1LrZvS3P1gNMOKlW5fIxOj2vnvGuuBAnte7WFfqb7Uw27uEIK7PhYtT6DKBry8FENp3iPk5lhUI5j3c9xcIyo4WvRRfgL/s1600/IMG_0374.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEk6b00pGnFu07aneLKcDfznEZS0E0MrX_TwNdsz_PJvytfsU1LrZvS3P1gNMOKlW5fIxOj2vnvGuuBAnte7WFfqb7Uw27uEIK7PhYtT6DKBry8FENp3iPk5lhUI5j3c9xcIyo4WvRRfgL/s320/IMG_0374.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486070422531258066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My iPhone 4 showed up at 11:15. Becky wouldn't let me have it until I finished can 24. So I chugged it. This is me just before the chug is to take place, and you can tell I'm excited because my hands are in the air and I'm smiling.</div><div><br /></div><div>And here is the moment you have all been waiting for. Did our hero, being me, because I am the hero today, and everyday, complete his challenge? The new world record for consumption of Mountain Dew in a 24-hour period goes to our very own Leon. Video.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mkfB04NJ-WU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mkfB04NJ-WU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can click the video itself to bring it up in YouTube to get fullscreen, since it is slightly cut off on the right. And you needn't concern yourself with all that is said, unless you want to. Not closed-captioned. Peaceful music. Lovely.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Notes:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>These notes will be redundant to those paying attention</li><li>World record: most Mountain Dew consumed in a 24-hour period.</li><li>If you happen to find a higher record, inform me in the comments section.</li><li>If you happen to break my record, you are crazy.</li><li>Sugar consumed: just over 5.5 cups.</li><li>Caffeine consumed: 1,320 mg.</li><li>Still feeling nauseated.</li></ul><div>I would like to thank those of you who offered support for your support, and for those of you that didn't offer support, shame on you.</div></div>Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08941444640007376932noreply@blogger.com13