More digging out with back-to-back birthday of two female friends whose company I enjoy or enjoyed over the years.
The first is Deb, aka Dr. Deb. I hope to catch up with her soon as one of the female perspectives on gaming. Through Deb, I regained my gaming mojo in college and indirectly it led to my job with GDW.
The second is Melia. I recently had a good time having a FaceTime session with her and the kids.
Need to check out the Nobleworks site for some cards.
The rotten weather or Snowpocalypse ’14 delayed matters for me, the Apple move was rather exhausting too, so I’m plowing through numerous posts to catch up, namely a big landmark for me.
Saturday I finally got my average up to two miles per day. In the previous three years, I never really pulled it off. Not even during the easy month of January. Easy in terms of the math, not from a motivational standpoint.
Thanks to my new membership at the YMCA, I was able to keep up the momentum and close the gap caused by the first five days of January being a complete bust.
I achieved the goal on Saturday with a fifth of a mile to spare. Today I ran over three to build up a reserve. I know I will not have the opportunity to exercise when I go to Vegas in May, the hotels charge an exorbitant amount per day plus I have to be prepped for an off day.
Next goal? Reaching Cupertino.
Such a pisser. After 39 years and they’re in their early seventies, it seems to be a rather dumb and tragic decision.
However, it’s their lives but I will always remember them fondly as a kid. I religiously watched their short-lived TV variety show on ABC, Monday nights. Their gimmick with pianist Daryl Dragon always wearing the yacht hat while barely speaking was appealing. I remember saying I wanted to grow up to play the piano like him and marry a girl named Tennille in 1976, I didn’t know the singer’s first name was Toni.
The Seventies ended, the duo’s sound faded and was washed away with the backlash against Disco. They went on to be the butt of jokes.
As I’ve grown older, I learned how savvy Toni and Daryl were as business associates and respected musicians. They used to own a studio in the LA area utilized by numerous rock bands. Toni also provided backing vocals for albums in the Seventies, namely Pink Floyd’s The Wall. Daryl comes from a strong musical family. His father is Carmen Dragon, a well-known conductor, and his younger brother was in the Surf Punks. Everybody knows about his stint with the Beach Boys.
Mock them all you want. I’m over it and had my reconciliation with their work years ago. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t subscribe to having a guilty pleasure, I like what I like without irony or shame.
Today was the end of a couple exhausting frickin’ days. After 20-plus years, my department has finally moved into a building built for it. Before then, Apple rented various locations around Austin to house the numerous divisions based here. A couple were OK, but they were always retrofitted to accommodate us. This place was specifically made. It has its pros and cons, nothing is ever perfect plus you can’t please everybody. I applaud the Eco things Apple implemented yet I’m going to miss my spacious cubicle along with its privacy; it’s nice to have a little “fort” away from the hustle-bustle.
The hardest part is waiting for the additional amenities to catch up: the gym and the cafeteria namely. Those remain at the previous location, what Austinites call the old EDS building. I can see that the latter is closing in, good thing they’ll be in my building. The recent cold, crummy weather keeps me from having to go outside to get a burger! No clue regarding the gym.
We have a great view of the construction going into what I guess will be building three. In time we’ll see what else we can see from our windows as Spring approaches.
Onward with clutter reduction.
How could I forget, especially with the unpleasant, Midwestern-like weather we’re now experiencing down here in Austin!
It’s par for the course in Minneapolis but Austin isn’t very well equipped plus the final Geek Bowl is scheduled to happen in the next two days.
I do hope Cindy has a nice evening with her family, a warm meal and probably some books for her Kindle.
A gruesome quiz from the Guardian but not all the movies listed were all blood and guts. My score was a mere five out of 10. See if you can do better here.
What began as a blurb in my Christmas card from Hoser finally became a full-blown plan. A mini-Marquette reunion. It’s more like a Hoserpalooza due to this being more his circle of friends, I represent the Marquette element. This isn’t a dig, I like José Cuervo (not to be mistaken for the tequila) and Glenn so we’ll be having fun. I think it’s JC’s first time to Sin City too. We will make sure he gets the proper initiation.
The trip will be a half week, thus I won’t be using the timeshare; it’s reserved mostly for Somara and me. It would’ve been nice but the others found solid deals via those travel websites. I stuck with a Southwest package because I wanted a non-stop flight, no gouging over my suitcase and I plan to die of old age, not the lead news story of yet another jet crashing thanks to cutting corners.
I blame giving in on the hot tub at the YMCA.
It’s going to be great. We wish Nelson could join us. He made other, more important arrangements. Paul? Oddly, he doesn’t care for gambling which I find funny give his encyclopedic knowledge of sports. Phil? I’ve seen that episode of Mac’s big mouth on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, besides, one ass-kicking received at Real Chili is enough for my lifetime.
The traditional countdown won’t be posted until my Austin anniversary is achieved.
Let me preface this day with the night before because it guaranteed my last day was a victory and not a departure-under-a-dark-cloud, aka “I won!”
Two weeks earlier I turned in my resignation. No new job on the horizon, not even prospects. I was headed for joblessness followed by pounding the pavement around Central Illinois or relocating somewhere else. As the final day approached, it appeared that I had made a huge mistake. Financially, yes. With the other categories, not really.
My enemies (it’s the appropriate word), namely the petty asshole Celli, were getting their schaudenfraude on. Others at DG? Maybe. Celli, certainly. The GDW crowd, absolutely. The various dorks at Adventureland, probably.
I continued to follow the routine my life had developed in 1993. The eve before the end was a Wednesday. This meant playing in Andy Powdermaker’s RoleMaster game (like D&D, just more complicated). When I got home, Grandma said I had a phone call from someone named Lee. I knew it was Doc, maybe he received a decision about the offer on the gig in Austin.
Anxiously I called. This was it! Yes or no. Yes? I would be Austin bound. No? I would be crushed and plans for Milwaukee had to be formulated, maybe Chicago.
I can’t recall how things kicked off. In short, Doc told me his boss gave the approval so now the next question was how soon could I be there. I requested two weeks despite tomorrow. I had a damn good explanation.
We agreed. Doc said congratulations and he’d see me on February 3.
I remember having trouble sleeping. I was too stoked to be sweating the details. Austin, warmer weather and whatever were in my future. Maybe Apple, Brian said all the paychecks came from there, he figured something was happening. Maybe I’d get to see a taping of Austin City Limits or Esther’s Follies (it was still on Comedy Central). Potential was the key. Central IL was done and when all the friends you like have already bailed, one couldn’t get a more obvious hint.
My final day at DG wasn’t a completely bitter experience. The nicer people in the department left a goodbye card. I was glad to inform them the Austin offer came through plus I wanted it to work through the grapevine. I was surprised HR cut me a check for unused vacation time. I’m confident I went walking around the building to say farewell to the people I liked and would miss: Christina remains in touch! Our mutual boss was nice enough to let Rad have a couple hours off to have dinner before I drove home.
I think I apologized to him for matters not working out. I’m sure I burned up some of his karma or clout. Rad got a happy ending a year later by moving to Phoenix. Thankfully there were no hard feelings; we have remained friends too.
Do I ever miss Dynamic Graphics? Looking back, it was a rather easy gig compared to the many things I’ve done since. I blame myself for most things going badly. The wounds inflicted by GDW hadn’t healed. This made me hypersensitive and paranoid about history repeating itself. I was also obsessed with “winning at life.” Now I know somewhat better; you only “losing” if let such stupid crap bother you. Others are often too busy with their own lives and problems, few obsess to focus on hoping you fail.
Anyway, I thought I was leaving DG victorious. I was while running away from my deep-seated problems. It didn’t matter though. The excitement of leaving the cold, dreary Midwest loomed.
What a great weekend to work out. There were other great things that happened to me besides running on a treadmill. The key thing is the Apple gym’s locker room shutting down didn’t slow me down on my exercise/fitness goals for 2014. I have been behind the eight ball because I sat on my ass from January 1-5. I want to average two miles/day this year and the last anxiety attack ate up 10 miles (or more) I could have completed.
Now some of you may side with Somara. Just go to the gym and shower at home. Firstly, driving 15 miles there n’ back seems silly, plus not very wise with gas prices. Secondly, I don’t want to stink up my new car already. Towels covering the seat is soooooo classy.
I think the Y on McNeil Road did a great job. Both days I ran over three miles, thus giving me the daily two plus additional mileage to close the gap. Afterwards, I started jonsin’ for Las Vegas thanks to the hot tub, sorry, spa, positioned by the two swimming pools. A good, hot soak is a great reward after running. The showers have a bit to be desired, they seemed to be designed for short people.
The most impressive thing they have is this device to dry out your swimming trunks/jams/whatever. It’s like a little washing machine yet it only does the spin cycle. I love it. This cuts down on the “weight” of wet shorts in my laundry bag.
The important thing, year four is progressing. When I go in for my annual at work, I should be looking great. I need to work out my schedule to play a little basketball next.
Onward to Cupertino!
We had an unusual and great celebration with our friends the Lowrys at Chez Zee. It’s a restaurant I’ve frequently heard plugged on KUT (NPR has commercials, they’re not fooling anybody). Plus I’ve always seen it from a distance on MoPac.
My fellow DM and at times the Co-DM. Now if he would only answer his phone or e-mail.
Farewell to a pair of TV staples from my childhood: Dave Madden who played Reuben Kinkade, the Partridge Family’s manager and foil to Danny’s schemes; Russell Johnson who was Professor Roy Hinkley on Gilligan’s Island.
I want to reverse their order though because I had more memories of Russell. He did a great job helping smart people by breaking free of the stereotype TV and film often went with. The scholarly/scientific types usually wore glasses, were awkward and unattractive. The Nutty Professor would be the easiest example. A couple years ago, I read an article Mental Floss about how Russell requested an encyclopedia and other technical books to help him be more credible in the role. Sadly, the site’s search engine stinks. I cannot find it to back this up. After many afternoons of watching Gilligan, I would then get thrilled to see Russell in other roles from his past: It Came From Outer Space, The Twilight Zone and Tarantula.
Dave Madden I rarely noticed beyond Partridge. My favorite spoof is his appearance as the iconic role in The Ben Stiller Show‘s parody about U2.
These guys will be missed but I want to thank them for all the entertainment they provided. Bob Denver and Danny Bonaduce couldn’t be funny without their talent.
Then again, Waco does smell like ass.
When the treadmill at my house broke down for the second time, I joined Apple’s gym as an interim solution until the repair. However I got hooked on the convenience: location, everything was covered in the locker room and if something breaks, it’s fixed quickly.
Now the locker room will be closed over the next three weekends. Some kind of maintenance or upgrading. No way! The weekends are when I make up the lost distance on my 2014 goal to achieve a daily average of two miles per day. Six days in which I cover over three miles a day would push this back into February.
During our daily commute, we always pass the McNeil-based YMCA. My friend Jeremy belonged to it for a while. At lunchtime I rushed over to investigate. I was sold pretty quickly. Not only do they have a slug of treadmills and a locker room (I will have to get my own towels), there’s a basketball court, sauna, hot tub and two swimming pools. Friendly basketball games have been something I’ve wanted to do for a while. It even gives me a chance to get a pair of Chucks just for this purpose!
Should the trial month work out for me, I will give it a year.
The key thing is to beat 2013’s running record by at least 10 percent.
When they’re not tailgating, they have an obsession with being ahead.
