Wonderful Morning

This morning was great.  One of my nephews slept over.  I woke up early and dozed back to sleep.  At some point I heard my nephew get up, and he went out to my living room and started quietly watching DVDs.  I eventually got up a bit before eight, came out and finished up my work for church tomorrow (I put the song slides together).

Then I had plenty of time to cook an omelet for breakfast, take a shower, fix my lunch, and still have a couple minutes to watch the DVD that my nephew was enjoying.  I didn't really feel rushed before I had to leave around 9:15.

It was quite relaxing and not a bad way to start the day, especially when I knew it would be a good day at work.  I wish that more of my days were like this, but I don't want to get up at five or five thirty, so I only leave a half-hour to get up and get ready each morning.  What with returning from my night job so late I just need time to unwind at night and would rather cut sleep than never have any weekday free time.

I am getting tired of it (as I've mentioned far too often)--but that is why I'm hoping that at the very least I can interview for the Answers in Genesis position.  But anyway, I don't mind working so early when it give me more time before my night job (taking fifteen to twenty minutes to go home, fifteen to twenty to get to the other job and thus only having twenty or fewer minutes wasn't fun when I first started this crazy routine).  However, once I can hopefully settle down to one day job and the Museum for fun on the weekends I would definitely not mind a later start time!

~Matt

--
"A room without books is as a body without a soul." -Cicero

Serene

Today I got a bit homesick for Firefly, so after work I popped in my DVD of Serenity.  I haven't watched it in a while, so it was refreshing.  Of course now I'm just more homesick for another movie, more TV, or at least more comics.  Only the last have been promised, so I suppose I'll set my sights there so as not to be disappointed.  ;-)

~Matt

--
"A room without books is as a body without a soul." -Cicero

The Jack Dixon Casefiles

I'm not sure if you'll guess this from reading this entry, so I'll make it easy and spill the beans up front. I was addicted to the Hardy Boys books growing up. I did start to write some stories as a kid (including one that was heavily influenced by Brian Jacques' Redwall series) but they never really went anywhere unless they were also school projects. That is where the genesis of my sci-fi universe lays, in a short-story project in my junior year of high school. Sadly that remains one of only two short stories that I've completed (though it desperately needs reworking).

Here I'll start to share some stories that were written all of the way back in 1994! Yep, it has been nearly (they were written in September if the date labels are to be believed) a baker's dozen of years since these were written, but I thought they might provide some ammusement


The first offering I give you is Jack and the Alaska Trip - Wilderness Crash I hope you enjoy reading this lite fare.

It was the first day of Christmas vacation for Jack. He decided to go backpacking in the mountains. Since he lived on an island with no mountains, he planned to fly to Alaska. So he bought plane tickets, but he found out at the last minute that he had been given tickets to China. What was he going to do?? He could not get a refund, the airline would not allow that now. Neither would they admit that they had made a mistake by giving Jack the wrong tickets. He also did not have enough money to buy other tickets. So he decided to go to China.

In the morning he drove to the airport and boarded his plane. He found out that there was to be an overnight refueling stop in Alaska. When the plane took off, however, he learned from the pilot that they were flying over but not landing in Alaska. Jack was crestfallen.

Just then a terrorist stood up and demanded to see the pilot. He was refused. So he took out of his suitcase four sticks of dynamite. He said that he would set them off if he was not allowed to talk to the captain. So a stewardess took him to the cockpit. He told the pilot to reroute the flight north-west to Russia. The pilot agreed, of course.

Then the pilot looked at the gas gauge. He screamed “We’re out of gas!!!!!!” Then the engines coughed and spluttered. With a sudden explosion the plane began to descent rapidly. That was when everybody realized that the plane was going to crash.

They crashed right in the middle of Alaska, where there were no people for eight hundred miles in any direction. The pilot and everyone in the cockpit were killed. So Jack and the other passengers were on their own. Luckily there was a nurse on board. She treated the stewardess for minor injuries. Since it was in the middle of winter the plane had become everyone’s home. The first thing Jack did was to get his dog out of the baggage compartment of the plane. The dog was a purebred Doberman Pincer, named Wayne. Jack and a man named Shaw, who lived on the same island got everyone’s luggage for them. Then Shaw, Jack, and a native Alaskan named Joe hunted for food. They borrowed rifles from three of the five soldiers on board to guard against terrorists. The soldiers had not had time enough to get their guns out before the terrorist was killed in the crash. When the three boys went hunting they shot and killed one moose, three deer, and three elk. They went hunting every other day after that. They went on like that for two weeks. Then a plane flew over the wreck and spotted them. Within two days all the passengers had been picked up and flown back home

~Matt

PS Oh, the two dogs were based off the two dogs that I had growing up, if only in species.

Dessert

For the first time in a while I'm treating myself to dessert. Okay, truthfully the problem is that I've been too lazy to cook any more cookies or similar desserts for a while, and I don't want to pay for anything from the store, so I've been stuck.

Tonight I defrosted some raspberries and blackberries and added them to some vanilla ice cream. It isn't at all complicated, but it does taste good.

~Matt

A Perfect Oportunity?

What may be the perfect employment opportunity has just presented itself to me--or at least I've been made aware of the possibilities.  It is a "guest services" position at the soon to open Answers in Genesis Creation Museum here in Northern Kentucky!  This appears to be quite similar to what I do at the Museum Center at Union Terminal.

Coupling my over two years of experience doing that with my commitment to Creation I hope that I at least have a shot at being interviewed.  I took the first step of telling them of my interest via the AIG website.  Not I just have to wait for the HR individual to return my message and I can send off my resume, cover letter, and other documents.

I would appreciate prayers.  At first glance this looks like a perfect opportunity (though I don't know what the job pays).  I don't hate where I am now--but it isn't what I want to be doing in ten years if they end up hiring my on full-time.  Of course they might just string me along as a temp for months.  This wouldn't be so bad but I don't have health insurance and I need to keep working at bigg's.

I'm getting quite tired of that and having no life.  No Saturdays free because I choose to work at the Museum Center is one thing.  Having no nights free because I have to slave away at bigg's is quite another altogether!

~Matt

--
"A room without books is as a body without a soul." -Cicero

There's the downside

I just received my second (or third?) phone call on my phone line.  Anybody want to guess what it was?  Yeah, a sales call!  I need to go put the number on the Do-Not-Call list.  It is nice in one way that the call is just for me and I don't have to say on behalf of someone that they're not interested.  I can just say definitively that I'm not interested in any offers!  :-)

~Matt

--
"A room without books is as a body without a soul." -Cicero

Laundry

I hate doing laundry.  I have a couple loads in right now, including one that should be done in the dryer that I forgot about.  *sigh*  It just takes too long.

~Matt

--
"A room without books is as a body without a soul." -Cicero

This side of the river

Apparently I'll be heading back to Kentucky to work. My main day job wants me to work at the Kentucky plant again, even though I'm nowhere near done with what I'm doing in Ohio. At this point I'll just wrap up what I can tomorrow so as not to leave anything hanging and then head back to Kentucky on Monday.

I enjoy some things about Ohio more--but it will be nicer to be closer to home again (and thusly using less gas) and able to shop on the way home or drop by the library. Of course I don't know how long I'll be doing this. Hopefully I'll be back in Ohio at some point, but I'm not sure.

~Matt

Warmth

Yes, it has warmed up again.  Right now I'm sitting in front of my computer in my pajamas and I'm quite warm.  My bare feet are on the wood floor and I feel no discomfort.  I'm sure it won't be too long before it is too hot sans air conditioning, but I'm going to try and keep a positive face and welcome the banishment of the cold.

~Matt

--
"A room without books is as a body without a soul." -Cicero

Early to bed...

Early to rise.

That about sums up my day yesterday and today.  I did manage to make it to bed early (around 22:30--a time I obviously won't make tonight), and it felt good to get that much sleep.  This Saturday will be a different story.  I've arranged for someone to take my place at the Museum on Saturday (since I'm working for someone else on Sunday) and I'm going to sleep in!!!  Yes!  I don't know if I'll stay up late on Friday, but I'm not going to let anything get me out of bed on Saturday until I'm good and ready!  I haven't slept in in months and I'm quite ready.  :-)

~Matt

--
"A room without books is as a body without a soul." -Cicero

Satan isn't the main focus

This is the main point of our current sermon series on Spiritual Warfare.  Yes Satan is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking those whom he may devour--but his power is severely constrained and limited by God.  He isn't allpowerful like God--the two sides aren't equal.  He is God's creature and can do nothing without the permission of God (look at the book of Job).

Pastor Brad makes the point that we shouldn't focus on exorcism of demons or other anti-demon topics that may be popular.  We should go back to Scripture instead.  The best way to fight the influence of Satan is to fight that which he exploits--our flesh.  We should fight against sin and its influence.  We should pray.  These are the bread and butter of spiritual warfare--not naming demons and casting them out.

~Matt

--
"A room without books is as a body without a soul." -Cicero

Flyboys

I'm watching Flyboys.  My parents got me the DVD for my birthday!  This was one of the two summer movies I really wanted to see (the other being Flags of our Fathers).  I can see that dramatic license was taken with the story, but it is a fun ride.  I'm not done yet, but what I've seen so far is great.

~Matt

--
"A room without books is as a body without a soul." -Cicero

Baking

I'm backing Hungry Boy cookies for work tomorrow so I'm too busy to blog anything more.  Perhaps I'll have pictures at some point.

~Matt

--
"A room without books is as a body without a soul." -Cicero

Feliz Cumpleaños

One of the best birthday presents I received yesterday didn't cost very much at all. Chris was just out in Colorado and he found a good used book. I was quite happy to discover that it wasn't one of the ones I already had (or contained in the treasuries).

Something Under the Bed is Drooling was only the second Calvin and Hobbes book published. :-) I'm slowly re-reading it and came across something that I had to blog about. I know there were many reoccurring plot details, but if you ever read the strip can you forget Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs? The picture I'm looking at shows Calvin and Hobbes sitting in an easy chair. Hobbes is sticking his tongue out at a bowl of cereal while Calvin has swirly eyes and is eagerly munching while he rots his brains out watching TV.

Here I leave you with what Wikipedia claims is Calvin's first in-strip consumption of the delectable cereal in question. I really only enjoy Cheerios, but I could sure go for a bowl of CFSBs and several scoops of sugar some mornings!

Enjoy!

~Matt

Quarter

Today I am a quarter-century old.  But on the positive front my youngest nerf celebrated his first birthday today!  :-)

Right now I'm tired.  I need to get to sleep.  Good night.

~Matt

--
"A room without books is as a body without a soul." -Cicero

Taste of Freedom

Sunday I had a taste of freedom. I had no work commitments that day, so it was largely a fun day. The museum had a Celtic Culture Fest last weekend so I took my four youngest local nerfs down. They had fun with crafts and the sights.

Their favourite part was getting their faces painted. :-) I left with four kids and returned with one dog, one cheetah, one tiger, and one dragon. :-) Being an uncle is great!

Here is a shot of Cincinnati's skyline that I took from the parking lot of the Museum Center before I left for home that day. Someday I'd like to go downtown and get some good shots--or find a good vantage to take a clearer shot of the skyscrapers. But for now this will have to do.

~Matt

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him.

Thus begins Orwell's classic 1984. I would be amused by all of the people who think we now live in a police state if they weren't so serious. Look at how many dissenters there are in the public sphere. Would they be allowed to remain if we were in a police state? Saddam was re-elected with 99% of the vote.

Liberals and other anti-GOP dissenters should be quite grateful that George Bush is in the White House. It could be much worse and we could be in an actual police state instead of one where some people just happen to dare to think and act differently from the status quo. And they dare to do so for deeply held personal beliefs, not for mere political convenience.

Shocking I know, but such is the world in which we live. Thankfully!

~Matt

Rat's Nest

Why is it we name unpleasant things after rats? They really aren't liked much.
This rats nest of cables is for my two computers and all of their peripherals. Quite a mess there. I think I have one free outlet between the wall outlets and two power strips. I need some extension cords! ;-)

~Matt

Like a candle...

...burning at both ends

That is how I feel. Today I arrived at work at 09:30 and left at 23:00. But I was working two separate jobs--Titanic and Evening Events.

Additionally it was the Museum, which is my favourite place to work. Unfortunately we lose an hour tonight. I hate this part of Daylight Savings. Especially when I couldn't go to bed early even if I wanted to.

~Matt

Success

Everything is set up. :-) Both computers are on-line. Now I just need to get them networked together.

Here is my new computer desk set-up at right. Hopefully I'll fill up the empty spaces.

~Matt

Excitement

My brother-in-law just helped me move my new computer desk into my apartment. I also received a call from the phone company today informing me that everything should be set up by tomorrow evening at 19:00 at the latest.
Now I'm sure that everything won't go perfectly, but hopefully enough will go right so that I'll be on-line from my apartment by tomorrow evening. :-)

The picture at left is one that I took on the same day that I took the clouds picture I posted recently. It was one of the first days I left my day job and it was relatively warm (at least not freezing) with bright blue skies. I couldn't resist several fun shots like this one and several other cloud ones that I captured.

~Matt

China in Ohio?

I pass this building every day on my way home from work. I finally had a chance to snap a picture of it today while I was waiting at a red light behind a long line of cars.

My job is working out well and should last for quite a while yet. Hopefully I'll be offered a full-time job when my temp work with the company is done. However, I'm not completely sure that this will happen. Right now I don't have enough free time to job search (at least if I like to have any sleep!) so I'm not worrying about it. I have enough saved up that when this job ends I can pay bills for a couple months while I look for work--not that I anticipate it taking too long to find something.

In the meantime though I'm just trying to make do. ;-) My internet connection should be hooked up on Friday and a neighbor just gave me a computer desk! :-)
~Matt

Townsend

This name has a history in my family. Someone a ways back, I can't remember exactly who, was named Townsend after a friend. Thereafter there has been a Townsend every generation. My grandfather was named Max Townsend. I have a couple cousins with the name and several nephews. One though has the name as a first name.

He enjoys finding things that share his name--like Townsend, Tennessee, which he had the opportunity to visit a few years ago. Therefore I thought that he might enjoy this picture. I took this picture of a coworker's keys when I was at the museum last weekend.

~Matt

Outback

I received a gift card to a restaurant earlier this year, but I don't have anyone to ask.  So I asked my sister if she wanted to go out to eat.  Today I took her to Outback Steakhouse.  I haven't been to a nice restaurant like that in quite a while.  We started out with cheese fries (they also had bacon).  My sister had salmon and I had a sirloin steak with a baked potato.

I ordered the appetizer not only because I was hungry and it looked good, but because I didn't want to be too hungry when it came time for the main course.  I usually eat everything I order, which is fine then--but it does make the leftovers a bit sparse.  Today I had some steak and potato left--so I think I might get a couple of steak sandwiches.  :-)  I haven't had one of those since I left California.

~Matt

--
"A room without books is as a body without a soul." -Cicero

Cotton Candy

Yeti

You can tell what I've been thinking about lately. I have Disney on the brain. When I snapped this picture just after being stopped in traffic I didn't think of mythical creatures from the snowy mountains of Central Asia.

No, I thought of the version that currently resides in Florida at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Yes, I speak (er, type) of Expedition Everest, the new ride at Disney World. I've never been there, but I almost feel as though I have been.

I've been listening to several Disney podcasts and they have included both audio and video of the ride as well as much talking about it. If you're at all lonely for the Disney parks or want to know what you've missed by not visiting then you should check out the Window to the Magic, one of the best unofficial podcasts that I've had the good fortune to stumble across. Try a recent episode or two, and then if you're truly hooked you can do as I did and download them all from the start! ;-)

I started this back in December and just finished up earlier this week--but I usually just listen at work (Givaudan and bigg's) since that is the only free listening time I have. Anyway, I'm now kicking myself for not visiting Disneyland more growing up, or even when I was in college. Hopefully I'll be able to visit my Aunt who works with Wycliffe (now headquartered in Orlando!) sometime in the next few years and pay a visit to the Mouse's world.

~Matt

Oh My!

I was woken up early this morning, about thirty minutes early in fact. There were perhaps ten to twenty minutes of thunder quite audible in my apartment around 05:30 this morning.

There wasn't much rain on my way into work, but I thought that perhaps it would be raining when I left, so I dug around in my car for an umbrella. I found it, but then forgot it on my seat. Naturally it was raining when I left so my coat (I don't have a true rain-jacket, :() got a bit wet as I walked the long walk out to my car. The picture is one I took from the driver's seat of my van before I started the windshield wipers up on my way out of the parking lot.

It was coming down pretty hard for part of the time on the way home. I hope it doesn't start up again while I'm at bigg's. Lightning will keep me from doing carts--but I doubt it will keep up until ten, meaning I'll just have less time to pull them in.

~Matt