- Signed: Matthew Hartman
- Filed under Chicago Cubs , rant .
I'll apologize ahead of time, if my language offends anyone. As I'm sure this post will come out as one of the most evil I've ever written...
I think I have earned this right to fucking bitch out the Cubs and every one of the players on that field tonight in Los-fuckin-Angeles.
I didn't even know who the hell those players were that stood on that field tonight wearing the white and blue pin-stripes. Those players that wore those red, white, and blue "C's" on their chest. Those players that stood on that field with those blue hats.
They looked completely different than they did in May, June, July, August, or September. How can an entire complete team go cold when it matters most? It makes no sense to me.
Sure, they pressed, it was as clear as a thumbprint on a windshield. But, when everyone in the god-fuckin' forsaken world knows a low-and-away slider is coming, why swing? Soriano has got to be the dumbest shit-head in Major League Baseball.
Jim Hendry, I very doubt you read fan blogs on the Internet and even if you do, I very doubt you read this one... But, may I suggest something to you. Force Lou to drop Soriano in the batting order... Or ship him (Soriano, that is...) out of Chicago altogether. He clearly is not clutch, especially when we need him to be.
Place Reed Johnson or Ryan Theriot in the leadoff position and plug-in-play Derosa where we need him. It's as simple as that.
Enough of this horse-shit Soriano crap, that says he's a born leadoff hitter. Bull-fucking-shit!
But, listen to me going off on Soriano... Getting swept by the Dodgers (yeah, the fucking Dodgers!) was not entirely his fault. Lou, you should have pulled Dempster in Game 1 by the end of the 5th... When clearly, by then, you could tell his control was not on and he had thrown almost 90 pitches. Lou, I put Game 1 entirely on you. You fucked up the first game in Wrigley. Game 2, I put on the entire infield. Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Theriot, Mark DeRosa, Derek Lee... You all fuckin' blew that game with your errors. All year, you four were the foundation to a great defense. You let us fans down...
And Game 3? I don't know who to put this game on... I want to leave a steamy pile on Harden's front door-step, but he really wasn't the problem. He pitched a decent game - he just happened to give up the two-run double tonight in the first. He clamped down and the rest of the way he got out of jams and kept the team in the game. It was the bats and the entire offense unit that let us down. Karuda, while he has good stuff, isn't a dominant pitcher. Yet, this Cubs team, that lead the National League in runs - even lead the entire Majors for a short time, were shut down. It's god-damned amazing that an entire lineup can struggle like this after having a season like they did.
Jim Hendry, Lou Piniella, and the entire Cubs lineup - I will tell you one thing - you'll always have a fan by the name of Matthew Hartman, but you'll also have one, by the same name, that wants to rip your paychecks to shreds, mix it with cyanide, and force it down your fuckin' throats.
That's how frustrated and disappointed I am with your 2007 and 2008 versions of this Chicago Cubs team.
To the guys in blue - have a pleasant winter...
I think I have earned this right to fucking bitch out the Cubs and every one of the players on that field tonight in Los-fuckin-Angeles.
I didn't even know who the hell those players were that stood on that field tonight wearing the white and blue pin-stripes. Those players that wore those red, white, and blue "C's" on their chest. Those players that stood on that field with those blue hats.
They looked completely different than they did in May, June, July, August, or September. How can an entire complete team go cold when it matters most? It makes no sense to me.
Sure, they pressed, it was as clear as a thumbprint on a windshield. But, when everyone in the god-fuckin' forsaken world knows a low-and-away slider is coming, why swing? Soriano has got to be the dumbest shit-head in Major League Baseball.
Jim Hendry, I very doubt you read fan blogs on the Internet and even if you do, I very doubt you read this one... But, may I suggest something to you. Force Lou to drop Soriano in the batting order... Or ship him (Soriano, that is...) out of Chicago altogether. He clearly is not clutch, especially when we need him to be.
Place Reed Johnson or Ryan Theriot in the leadoff position and plug-in-play Derosa where we need him. It's as simple as that.
Enough of this horse-shit Soriano crap, that says he's a born leadoff hitter. Bull-fucking-shit!
But, listen to me going off on Soriano... Getting swept by the Dodgers (yeah, the fucking Dodgers!) was not entirely his fault. Lou, you should have pulled Dempster in Game 1 by the end of the 5th... When clearly, by then, you could tell his control was not on and he had thrown almost 90 pitches. Lou, I put Game 1 entirely on you. You fucked up the first game in Wrigley. Game 2, I put on the entire infield. Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Theriot, Mark DeRosa, Derek Lee... You all fuckin' blew that game with your errors. All year, you four were the foundation to a great defense. You let us fans down...
And Game 3? I don't know who to put this game on... I want to leave a steamy pile on Harden's front door-step, but he really wasn't the problem. He pitched a decent game - he just happened to give up the two-run double tonight in the first. He clamped down and the rest of the way he got out of jams and kept the team in the game. It was the bats and the entire offense unit that let us down. Karuda, while he has good stuff, isn't a dominant pitcher. Yet, this Cubs team, that lead the National League in runs - even lead the entire Majors for a short time, were shut down. It's god-damned amazing that an entire lineup can struggle like this after having a season like they did.
Jim Hendry, Lou Piniella, and the entire Cubs lineup - I will tell you one thing - you'll always have a fan by the name of Matthew Hartman, but you'll also have one, by the same name, that wants to rip your paychecks to shreds, mix it with cyanide, and force it down your fuckin' throats.
That's how frustrated and disappointed I am with your 2007 and 2008 versions of this Chicago Cubs team.
To the guys in blue - have a pleasant winter...
1 conundrum(s) | Have one of your own?
Okay, I had a meeting to attend earlier and while eastbound on Demers I noticed a light pole decorated with Christmas lights spiraling upward with a lighted snowflake adorning the top.
First off, what the hell is the purpose of this?
And second off, I don't want to see a damn snow flake in the middle of August. Damnit, Grand Forks, leave those things out of sight, until December! ;)
If any of you living nearby find yourselves traveling through the area, and feel like head-butting your dashboard (like I almost wanted to!) - it's on Demers right across from the Firehouse, just after Washington.
First off, what the hell is the purpose of this?
And second off, I don't want to see a damn snow flake in the middle of August. Damnit, Grand Forks, leave those things out of sight, until December! ;)
If any of you living nearby find yourselves traveling through the area, and feel like head-butting your dashboard (like I almost wanted to!) - it's on Demers right across from the Firehouse, just after Washington.
0 conundrum(s) | Have one of your own?
- Signed: Matthew Hartman
- Filed under rant .
I've come to a conclusion late tonight... It comes on the heals of advice my sister and brother-in-law gave me several years ago.
It was probably the summer of 2001 - after I graduated college - and after I had moved down to Fishers, IN to live with my sister and brother-in-law, when they both had approached me and told me that I would find out who my true friends are. Especially, that I had graduated college and was now "officially" in the "real world."
It's hard, even at this late hour (it's currently 2:50am!) and that it's 7 years later, that I'm just now grasping this concept.
I won't go into details, but just the fact that I'm sitting here writing this after several drinks and an evening-full of visiting with co-workers, rest assure, I'm in a state-of-mind that I can reason.
I know who my true friends are, now. And definitely, those close friends I can trust.
Let's just say everyone accompanying either category lives back in Bluffton, Indiana or Fishers, IN.
None of them live in North Dakota.
That's all I'm going to say... For now.
It was probably the summer of 2001 - after I graduated college - and after I had moved down to Fishers, IN to live with my sister and brother-in-law, when they both had approached me and told me that I would find out who my true friends are. Especially, that I had graduated college and was now "officially" in the "real world."
It's hard, even at this late hour (it's currently 2:50am!) and that it's 7 years later, that I'm just now grasping this concept.
I won't go into details, but just the fact that I'm sitting here writing this after several drinks and an evening-full of visiting with co-workers, rest assure, I'm in a state-of-mind that I can reason.
I know who my true friends are, now. And definitely, those close friends I can trust.
Let's just say everyone accompanying either category lives back in Bluffton, Indiana or Fishers, IN.
None of them live in North Dakota.
That's all I'm going to say... For now.
0 conundrum(s) | Have one of your own?
- Signed: Matthew Hartman
- Filed under rant , relationships .
The notions and gut feelings I felt all day yesterday hampered the excitement somewhat for my trip to Fargo yesterday morning. It's hard not to be super-excited for Thai food but deep down, that seemed to be the case.
No, unfortunately, I had other things on my mind and why I always let these things bother me so much, I really have no idea. Maybe it's the fact that I'm turning 30 in a couple of months... Or to put it more bluntly, that I can not get anywhere with women up here in North Dakota.
Yet again, have I been fooled by my opposite sex. Another conclusion I've come to... I have never understood women and I likely never will. They play too many games to get inside their heads and misconception and manipulation simply come second nature.
I had to ask this evening, after getting back in touch with this newest "person of interest," if she was involved with anyone. To which, I received the answer I was fearing... and one I don't even need to elaborate on here. I'm sure you all know the answer. All I want to understand is, why would you even leave a profile on eHarmony, if you're in a relationship. And even more, why would you communicate with someone on eHarmony if they have expressed an obvious interest in you?
For those of you who may not know, when meeting someone for the first time on eHarmony, you typically go through what they call "guided communication" with a new partner. It's eHarmony's unique way of getting two people close to one another. You ask each other questions, you answer each other's questions, you get to read what kind of person they can tolerate and the type they can't. It sounds rather simple, but it can be a drawn-out process sometimes...
So, you see, when you go through that much effort just to get to know a person, you would think a light would turn on in your head. You know, one that would flash, "Hey, this person is INTERESTED in you!"
Apparently, some people don't have any of these lights in their heads and mislead others that may just want to pursue something with you as if you are single and looking, as well. When you, in fact, are not at all! That's what I call down-right deception, right there...
So, what do I have to show for two, almost 3 weeks of trying to communicate with this person? Just another lady-friend that will probably only stay in touch, occasionally. I have enough of those, god-damnit.
Maybe this one will be somewhat different, but I really doubt it. Or maybe she will realize that someone close-by that will actually care for her and respect her is a lot better than dealing with someone that lives 200 miles away.
We'll see... I still feel burnt, either way...
No, unfortunately, I had other things on my mind and why I always let these things bother me so much, I really have no idea. Maybe it's the fact that I'm turning 30 in a couple of months... Or to put it more bluntly, that I can not get anywhere with women up here in North Dakota.
Yet again, have I been fooled by my opposite sex. Another conclusion I've come to... I have never understood women and I likely never will. They play too many games to get inside their heads and misconception and manipulation simply come second nature.
I had to ask this evening, after getting back in touch with this newest "person of interest," if she was involved with anyone. To which, I received the answer I was fearing... and one I don't even need to elaborate on here. I'm sure you all know the answer. All I want to understand is, why would you even leave a profile on eHarmony, if you're in a relationship. And even more, why would you communicate with someone on eHarmony if they have expressed an obvious interest in you?
For those of you who may not know, when meeting someone for the first time on eHarmony, you typically go through what they call "guided communication" with a new partner. It's eHarmony's unique way of getting two people close to one another. You ask each other questions, you answer each other's questions, you get to read what kind of person they can tolerate and the type they can't. It sounds rather simple, but it can be a drawn-out process sometimes...
So, you see, when you go through that much effort just to get to know a person, you would think a light would turn on in your head. You know, one that would flash, "Hey, this person is INTERESTED in you!"
Apparently, some people don't have any of these lights in their heads and mislead others that may just want to pursue something with you as if you are single and looking, as well. When you, in fact, are not at all! That's what I call down-right deception, right there...
So, what do I have to show for two, almost 3 weeks of trying to communicate with this person? Just another lady-friend that will probably only stay in touch, occasionally. I have enough of those, god-damnit.
Maybe this one will be somewhat different, but I really doubt it. Or maybe she will realize that someone close-by that will actually care for her and respect her is a lot better than dealing with someone that lives 200 miles away.
We'll see... I still feel burnt, either way...
0 conundrum(s) | Have one of your own?
- Signed: Matthew Hartman
- Filed under announcements , dating , lifestyles , rant , relationships .
Dear Mr. "I-stole-your-debit-card-number-and-tried-to-charge-over-$800-to-it," you are a dipshit!
How the hell someone got a hold of my debit card number is beyond me, but it happened. A couple of days ago, my bank calls me to ask if I had authorized a charge of $860 to Photo Vista (a photo service, of some kind) in Paris, France... I've never heard of such a place and likewise, had the card canceled right away.
So, while it actually does me a bit of good, it has been a little inconvenient. I do need to save money for my vacation in a few weeks! But, I now have to wait for a new card... and a new account number. Of which, I'll have to change with every bill I pay online. Which happens to be all of them.
If I ever was able to meet this person, I'd personally take my shredded card and feed it to him by shoving each little sliver down his throat.
On a brighter note, things are looking up - as your's truly may just have a little something cooking on the relationship front. I met a woman about a week ago over the Internet and since, we've been enjoying E-mails and have, twice now, talked on the phone. The first call, last evening, went nearly two hours and tonight's conversation went almost an hour and a half. We seem to find things to talk about and it seems that we both have become rather comfortable with each other rather quickly. So, hopefully, that means something... We've planned a dinner-date for tomorrow evening, so we'll see how it goes.
I'll certainly keep you all up-to-date... On the debit card and dating situation!
How the hell someone got a hold of my debit card number is beyond me, but it happened. A couple of days ago, my bank calls me to ask if I had authorized a charge of $860 to Photo Vista (a photo service, of some kind) in Paris, France... I've never heard of such a place and likewise, had the card canceled right away.
So, while it actually does me a bit of good, it has been a little inconvenient. I do need to save money for my vacation in a few weeks! But, I now have to wait for a new card... and a new account number. Of which, I'll have to change with every bill I pay online. Which happens to be all of them.
If I ever was able to meet this person, I'd personally take my shredded card and feed it to him by shoving each little sliver down his throat.
On a brighter note, things are looking up - as your's truly may just have a little something cooking on the relationship front. I met a woman about a week ago over the Internet and since, we've been enjoying E-mails and have, twice now, talked on the phone. The first call, last evening, went nearly two hours and tonight's conversation went almost an hour and a half. We seem to find things to talk about and it seems that we both have become rather comfortable with each other rather quickly. So, hopefully, that means something... We've planned a dinner-date for tomorrow evening, so we'll see how it goes.
I'll certainly keep you all up-to-date... On the debit card and dating situation!
0 conundrum(s) | Have one of your own?
Has it really been since the beginning of September since I last reported here? Apparently so... Not much has happened between here and there, but let me post a few conundrums to you all. Maybe they will make you think twice - as it has me the past week or so...
First, why is it that when it comes to women hanging out together, they seem to gravitate toward each other - ignore the men they may be with and why on god's green Earth do they seem to either "act" like they are kissing each other or sticking out their tongues toward each other. WTF? I swear to god, do a search on a popular networking site. Be it MySpace.com, Facebook, Xanga, or whichever... I will guarantee you, you will find them (women - especially, between the ages of 22 and 30) partaking in this activity. Note to you women out there that may fall between these thresholds... Us guys (read: me!) find this as immature! I don't understand... Guys, if we were to partake in any kind of this activity we would be labeled as "gay," "faggots," for "f'in fairies...." Women, if you chose to live this kind of lifestyle, don't be surprised if you find yourselves on Match.com, Yahoo!, or Date.com with profiles asking why the "right" guy hasn't turned up. The lifestyle you chose will often define the type of person you end up with... Think about it for just one-half second!
Second, why are some people so god-damned close-minded? Let me elaborate for a second. While I am not the type of person to hang out in bars and drink all the time, why is it that most people seem to gravitate towards those that do? I know I am not the social-butterfly I used to be in college. But, hey guess what? I'm not in college anymore. I'm pushing 30, god-damnit... I feel there are much more important things in life than going out and drinking at every opportunity. Case in point, I'm out with a couple of friends from work just tonight, watching the Rockies/D'Backs game... One of my co-workers mentions a female friend of his and the other co-worker I'm out with refers to her as if he knows of her rather readily. Understand that the one mentioning the female friend has worked with us at Meridian for only a month or two... I construe this situation as, "I feel comfortable with this guy sitting across from me," but "I don't with the guy sitting next to me." All I want to say to this guy is "man, I feel like I'm 2 inches tall..." At the same time, however, I haven't really hung out with this guy enough to really know him. Is it wrong of me to think this guy is so god-damned close-minded to reject who I am and not invite me "out," as he has others?
These things bug me... I'm not sure why... Maybe I'm becoming so insecure with myself now that I'm going on six years without a real relationship with anyone. I mean, really... How many people can I say I'm "really" good friends with - someone I can confide in... You know, talk about things other than sports or work... Umm, one? And she packed up and moved to Pittsburgh in June... And yes, I miss her like you wouldn't believe! I try to bring up a different topic tonight, for instance, and for some reason I, practically, get shunned - and when I ask to hang out a little while longer after the game, I get thrown aside like a bum on the street. What the fuck is that about?
Is it selfish of me to feel that there IS someone out there that actually cares to want to be around me or more simply, someone that actually doesn't mind hanging out, talking about life, friends, family, goings-on, and such?
If it isn't, then I suppose I'll be one of those loners that drift through life, thinking the next best thing is right around the corner... when it actually never was to begin with.
First, why is it that when it comes to women hanging out together, they seem to gravitate toward each other - ignore the men they may be with and why on god's green Earth do they seem to either "act" like they are kissing each other or sticking out their tongues toward each other. WTF? I swear to god, do a search on a popular networking site. Be it MySpace.com, Facebook, Xanga, or whichever... I will guarantee you, you will find them (women - especially, between the ages of 22 and 30) partaking in this activity. Note to you women out there that may fall between these thresholds... Us guys (read: me!) find this as immature! I don't understand... Guys, if we were to partake in any kind of this activity we would be labeled as "gay," "faggots," for "f'in fairies...." Women, if you chose to live this kind of lifestyle, don't be surprised if you find yourselves on Match.com, Yahoo!, or Date.com with profiles asking why the "right" guy hasn't turned up. The lifestyle you chose will often define the type of person you end up with... Think about it for just one-half second!
Second, why are some people so god-damned close-minded? Let me elaborate for a second. While I am not the type of person to hang out in bars and drink all the time, why is it that most people seem to gravitate towards those that do? I know I am not the social-butterfly I used to be in college. But, hey guess what? I'm not in college anymore. I'm pushing 30, god-damnit... I feel there are much more important things in life than going out and drinking at every opportunity. Case in point, I'm out with a couple of friends from work just tonight, watching the Rockies/D'Backs game... One of my co-workers mentions a female friend of his and the other co-worker I'm out with refers to her as if he knows of her rather readily. Understand that the one mentioning the female friend has worked with us at Meridian for only a month or two... I construe this situation as, "I feel comfortable with this guy sitting across from me," but "I don't with the guy sitting next to me." All I want to say to this guy is "man, I feel like I'm 2 inches tall..." At the same time, however, I haven't really hung out with this guy enough to really know him. Is it wrong of me to think this guy is so god-damned close-minded to reject who I am and not invite me "out," as he has others?
These things bug me... I'm not sure why... Maybe I'm becoming so insecure with myself now that I'm going on six years without a real relationship with anyone. I mean, really... How many people can I say I'm "really" good friends with - someone I can confide in... You know, talk about things other than sports or work... Umm, one? And she packed up and moved to Pittsburgh in June... And yes, I miss her like you wouldn't believe! I try to bring up a different topic tonight, for instance, and for some reason I, practically, get shunned - and when I ask to hang out a little while longer after the game, I get thrown aside like a bum on the street. What the fuck is that about?
Is it selfish of me to feel that there IS someone out there that actually cares to want to be around me or more simply, someone that actually doesn't mind hanging out, talking about life, friends, family, goings-on, and such?
If it isn't, then I suppose I'll be one of those loners that drift through life, thinking the next best thing is right around the corner... when it actually never was to begin with.
0 conundrum(s) | Have one of your own?
Late December, back in '63... Oh, wait, that's Billy Joel...
Oh, was it a night in Grand Forks tonight for your's truly. After all the wonderful things that have transpired over the last several days of vacation, travel, and spending time with one of my best friends - the wonderfulness and good fortune had to end some time. I was waiting for it, but didn't quite expect it to hit this hard or this soon!
Lu and I got together this evening (Tuesday evening) and went through all of our photos and expenses and split everything up. Everything started out so innocent... Then Lu asked if I could drive her to Wal-Mart to get some cough medicine - as apparently I had given her some of the what I have been battling this past weekend. We were driving nonchalantly down Columbia when we came upon the construction zone near 24th Street. There was a small sign that had an arrow pointed towards the right, so I progressed to the right lane and no sooner I did that, I looked up and saw the pavement end. Yes, the pavement ended - as in there wasn't anything there. I slammed on my brakes but the loose gravel and dirt didn't allow me to stop and the car slid over the edge of the pavement and went straight to the bottom of a 3 to 4 foot gouge, where the road had once been. They had barrels up, yes, marking the construction, but honest to god, they had these things lined up like it was a lane - as in where you would drive around the construction. Apparently, the city DOT guys have no clue how to put up a "Road Closed" or "Road Ends" sign, because there wasn't one there. I have the pictures on my phone to confirm it...
So, I call the police to report the accident, a cop shows up, we have a brief laugh and he looks at the situation and says, "I'm surprised this is the only one we've had tonight... this is very poorly signed." Honest to god, that's exactly what he said. As we (Lu, me, and the police officer) stood there assessing things and waiting for the tow truck, we had several other cars swerving over into the other lane because they had figured out they were in the wrong lane. It was that horrible.
So, anyhow, now I have a damaged car... A dented and detached muffler and some bashed in materials on the underside of the front of my car. I don't think there's any major damage, but it's dark out there and I can't really make out a whole lot. I'll have to wait until morning to go out and look everything over.
This isn't happening at a very opportune time for me, either. I have traveling plans in three weeks to return home to Indiana and now, I have no idea if I'll have the fundage or, perhaps, the transportation to do so. Obviously, I'll need to call my insurance carrier first thing in the morning and, I guess, the Nissan Dealership to get an estimate on the repairs and to check on my air-bags. They didn't deploy, but I'm nervous that the impact may have jarred something. The one advantage is that I have the day off work tomorrow, so I'll have the time to get things done. The disadvantage, money, of course. Interstate Tire charged me $200 tonight for wenching my car out of that mess and I'm only assuming that I'll have another $1,000 in repairs to pay for on the car. This, at a time, when I'm already pinching from my vacation last weekend.
Someone, please tell me a joke. Fart in my face. Or do something to make me laugh. I'm really in the dumps right now...
Oh, was it a night in Grand Forks tonight for your's truly. After all the wonderful things that have transpired over the last several days of vacation, travel, and spending time with one of my best friends - the wonderfulness and good fortune had to end some time. I was waiting for it, but didn't quite expect it to hit this hard or this soon!
Lu and I got together this evening (Tuesday evening) and went through all of our photos and expenses and split everything up. Everything started out so innocent... Then Lu asked if I could drive her to Wal-Mart to get some cough medicine - as apparently I had given her some of the what I have been battling this past weekend. We were driving nonchalantly down Columbia when we came upon the construction zone near 24th Street. There was a small sign that had an arrow pointed towards the right, so I progressed to the right lane and no sooner I did that, I looked up and saw the pavement end. Yes, the pavement ended - as in there wasn't anything there. I slammed on my brakes but the loose gravel and dirt didn't allow me to stop and the car slid over the edge of the pavement and went straight to the bottom of a 3 to 4 foot gouge, where the road had once been. They had barrels up, yes, marking the construction, but honest to god, they had these things lined up like it was a lane - as in where you would drive around the construction. Apparently, the city DOT guys have no clue how to put up a "Road Closed" or "Road Ends" sign, because there wasn't one there. I have the pictures on my phone to confirm it...
So, I call the police to report the accident, a cop shows up, we have a brief laugh and he looks at the situation and says, "I'm surprised this is the only one we've had tonight... this is very poorly signed." Honest to god, that's exactly what he said. As we (Lu, me, and the police officer) stood there assessing things and waiting for the tow truck, we had several other cars swerving over into the other lane because they had figured out they were in the wrong lane. It was that horrible.
So, anyhow, now I have a damaged car... A dented and detached muffler and some bashed in materials on the underside of the front of my car. I don't think there's any major damage, but it's dark out there and I can't really make out a whole lot. I'll have to wait until morning to go out and look everything over.
This isn't happening at a very opportune time for me, either. I have traveling plans in three weeks to return home to Indiana and now, I have no idea if I'll have the fundage or, perhaps, the transportation to do so. Obviously, I'll need to call my insurance carrier first thing in the morning and, I guess, the Nissan Dealership to get an estimate on the repairs and to check on my air-bags. They didn't deploy, but I'm nervous that the impact may have jarred something. The one advantage is that I have the day off work tomorrow, so I'll have the time to get things done. The disadvantage, money, of course. Interstate Tire charged me $200 tonight for wenching my car out of that mess and I'm only assuming that I'll have another $1,000 in repairs to pay for on the car. This, at a time, when I'm already pinching from my vacation last weekend.
Someone, please tell me a joke. Fart in my face. Or do something to make me laugh. I'm really in the dumps right now...
0 conundrum(s) | Have one of your own?
- Signed: Matthew Hartman
- Filed under rant .
Yeah, thank god it's officially Thursday... Wednesday may go down as one of my worst days ever. Not only did I wake up a little pissed off, but the day progressively got worse as it went on. My phone rang twice early Wednesday afternoon, which the first woke me up. That never goes over too well. :) Both were wrong numbers. Add that to relationship issues I don't really want to get into... (maybe later!) Then to find out the entire set of driver-side speakers in my car not working. I so needed a drink, and low and behold I was invited out for drinks tonight. I don't feel that much better - but I guess it took my mind off things regarding some of the issues for a little while.
The problems with the audio system in the car, I didn't discover until I left tonight just after midnight to meet Justin Shaw, Jeff Luxford, Rob Giglio and his girlfriend at Sledsters. Yeah, I promised all that I'd do a bit of name-dropping to expose their names to the wide-world of the Internet! Inside joke, I guess... Anyhow, the audio problems in my car pissed me off, beyond belief. And just added to the frustration I had building on all day. I went about the day fairly nonchalantly but by the time evening rolled around, I was so wound up, I began to eat - and that's usually a sign that I'm stressed.
It was a good thing Shaw called me around 11:00pm. It gave me that little bit of motivation to put the fuckin' ham and cheese back in the fridge (yeah, I had decidedly devoured three sandwiches in just under a half-hour). I'm not quite sure what does it, but when I get extremely stressed, I feel the need to eat like a god-damn pig.
So, here I am not quite with a buzz going, unfortunately... My tolerance to alcohol pisses me off, as well. Let's see, what was it? Three Crown and Cokes at Sledsters and I have downed one Amaretto Sour already here since I've been home and nothing. It pisses me off when I clearly want to drown away all the negatives with just a few drinks... when "just a few" isn't enough. I'd drink Crown until I passed out, but unfortunately (and probably, luckily) I'm all out.
Maybe a good night's sleep will help.
Let's see...
The problems with the audio system in the car, I didn't discover until I left tonight just after midnight to meet Justin Shaw, Jeff Luxford, Rob Giglio and his girlfriend at Sledsters. Yeah, I promised all that I'd do a bit of name-dropping to expose their names to the wide-world of the Internet! Inside joke, I guess... Anyhow, the audio problems in my car pissed me off, beyond belief. And just added to the frustration I had building on all day. I went about the day fairly nonchalantly but by the time evening rolled around, I was so wound up, I began to eat - and that's usually a sign that I'm stressed.
It was a good thing Shaw called me around 11:00pm. It gave me that little bit of motivation to put the fuckin' ham and cheese back in the fridge (yeah, I had decidedly devoured three sandwiches in just under a half-hour). I'm not quite sure what does it, but when I get extremely stressed, I feel the need to eat like a god-damn pig.
So, here I am not quite with a buzz going, unfortunately... My tolerance to alcohol pisses me off, as well. Let's see, what was it? Three Crown and Cokes at Sledsters and I have downed one Amaretto Sour already here since I've been home and nothing. It pisses me off when I clearly want to drown away all the negatives with just a few drinks... when "just a few" isn't enough. I'd drink Crown until I passed out, but unfortunately (and probably, luckily) I'm all out.
Maybe a good night's sleep will help.
Let's see...
0 conundrum(s) | Have one of your own?
Has it really been a month since I last wrote in here? God damn!
It seems that each of my last 2 or 3 entries in here I've apologized that I haven't written and that'd make an effort to write in here more. Heh... I don't think I've upheld my promises very well. So again, I'm sorry! ;)
My sister and brother-in-law were up here over Thanksgiving, as well, so I didn't really feel like sitting on the laptop and writing when I had company to entertain. It was really nice to have them up here for almost 2 weeks! They drove up on the 18th and were here through the 27th. It was fun having them around... and I'm looking forward to going back home for Christmas. Yep, my vacation actually went through and I'm actually going to get to go home for Christmas now! Woohoo!
We have been in a fairly active pattern lately, weather-wise and as such, we've had several clippers pass through the region. Nothing significant has come of them, but we probably have about an inch or maybe an inch and a half out there on the ground. Just enough to get the roads and parking lots around town all nice and ice-covered for us. And believe me, they are! The roads aren't actually all that bad, but the parking lot, in particular at work, is horrible. It's nothing but ice and that has made for some interesting treks from the car to the office.
The only real news to share, I guess, is that I recently upgraded my cell phone! If you really care to know, that is! ;) If the title to this entry is any clue, I went with the LG Chocolate phone. I received a mailer just the other day from Verizon advertising their holiday promotions and apparently I'm eligible for an advanced upgrade. My "New-every-Two" contract is up for renewal in January, and apparently with the promotion I was able to upgrade early. So, I went into the Verizon store yesterday (Wednesday) and got the phone. It was free with the upgrade credit, so all I paid for was the 1GB memory card I bought for it. It's a pretty sweet little phone and I love the mp3 player feature! The touch-pad is a bit sensitive and that has taken some getting use to, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. I haven't received any calls on it yet and I haven't even made a phone call on it as of yet, either - so I'm anxious to see how the reception is and if others can hear me alright. We'll see soon enough, I need to make my rounds to the family before long, anyway. You know, call them all up and see how they've been. It'll be especially nice, because I'll now be able to call more than two people now without having to charge my phone back up! My old phone's battery was friggin' horrible at keeping a charge!!!
Work has been going alright, I suppose... I found out today the one thing you should never say to any forecaster - "Why was your forecast so shitty?" If you can believe it, my boss actually asked me that today... Apparently, we had some backlash with our new clientele in Indiana this afternoon about Wednesday evening's forecast, which incidently was my forecast! I don't know what it is about my boss, but he has the worse way of approaching people. I don't mind the criticism of my forecast or the fact that it was my boss who approached me about it... BUT, I have a major problem with him referring to my forecast as "shitty!" I would have a major problem if anyone made a statement like that! There is simply no respect in making that statement and especially makes me feel like I'm two inches tall. Not because of the fact that he's speaking down to me like I'm inferior to his "supernatural" powers as the BEST FORECASTER IN THE WORLD, but because he chose to say all this in front of my co-workers... It was totally uncalled for and, in my opinion, very unprofessional and disrespectful. I don't want to get into what all the issues were, but I came out of the "meeting" having learned a little something about what exactly these folks in Indiana AND Ohio really want. I'll work on the problems and fix them - and hopefully that'll be something my boss will appreciate. More effort and a little more attention to detail will help, I'm hoping.
Anyhow, the ol' ticker is calming down and I'm getting a bit hungry for a snack. Hopefully, everyone out there is having a pleasant day, evening, or whichever. I'm sure you're all feeling much better about yourselves than I am feeling about myself right now...
More later... (there I go making promises, again!)
It seems that each of my last 2 or 3 entries in here I've apologized that I haven't written and that'd make an effort to write in here more. Heh... I don't think I've upheld my promises very well. So again, I'm sorry! ;)
My sister and brother-in-law were up here over Thanksgiving, as well, so I didn't really feel like sitting on the laptop and writing when I had company to entertain. It was really nice to have them up here for almost 2 weeks! They drove up on the 18th and were here through the 27th. It was fun having them around... and I'm looking forward to going back home for Christmas. Yep, my vacation actually went through and I'm actually going to get to go home for Christmas now! Woohoo!
We have been in a fairly active pattern lately, weather-wise and as such, we've had several clippers pass through the region. Nothing significant has come of them, but we probably have about an inch or maybe an inch and a half out there on the ground. Just enough to get the roads and parking lots around town all nice and ice-covered for us. And believe me, they are! The roads aren't actually all that bad, but the parking lot, in particular at work, is horrible. It's nothing but ice and that has made for some interesting treks from the car to the office.
The only real news to share, I guess, is that I recently upgraded my cell phone! If you really care to know, that is! ;) If the title to this entry is any clue, I went with the LG Chocolate phone. I received a mailer just the other day from Verizon advertising their holiday promotions and apparently I'm eligible for an advanced upgrade. My "New-every-Two" contract is up for renewal in January, and apparently with the promotion I was able to upgrade early. So, I went into the Verizon store yesterday (Wednesday) and got the phone. It was free with the upgrade credit, so all I paid for was the 1GB memory card I bought for it. It's a pretty sweet little phone and I love the mp3 player feature! The touch-pad is a bit sensitive and that has taken some getting use to, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. I haven't received any calls on it yet and I haven't even made a phone call on it as of yet, either - so I'm anxious to see how the reception is and if others can hear me alright. We'll see soon enough, I need to make my rounds to the family before long, anyway. You know, call them all up and see how they've been. It'll be especially nice, because I'll now be able to call more than two people now without having to charge my phone back up! My old phone's battery was friggin' horrible at keeping a charge!!!
Work has been going alright, I suppose... I found out today the one thing you should never say to any forecaster - "Why was your forecast so shitty?" If you can believe it, my boss actually asked me that today... Apparently, we had some backlash with our new clientele in Indiana this afternoon about Wednesday evening's forecast, which incidently was my forecast! I don't know what it is about my boss, but he has the worse way of approaching people. I don't mind the criticism of my forecast or the fact that it was my boss who approached me about it... BUT, I have a major problem with him referring to my forecast as "shitty!" I would have a major problem if anyone made a statement like that! There is simply no respect in making that statement and especially makes me feel like I'm two inches tall. Not because of the fact that he's speaking down to me like I'm inferior to his "supernatural" powers as the BEST FORECASTER IN THE WORLD, but because he chose to say all this in front of my co-workers... It was totally uncalled for and, in my opinion, very unprofessional and disrespectful. I don't want to get into what all the issues were, but I came out of the "meeting" having learned a little something about what exactly these folks in Indiana AND Ohio really want. I'll work on the problems and fix them - and hopefully that'll be something my boss will appreciate. More effort and a little more attention to detail will help, I'm hoping.
Anyhow, the ol' ticker is calming down and I'm getting a bit hungry for a snack. Hopefully, everyone out there is having a pleasant day, evening, or whichever. I'm sure you're all feeling much better about yourselves than I am feeling about myself right now...
More later... (there I go making promises, again!)
0 conundrum(s) | Have one of your own?
So I hear as of Saturday, March 18, 2006, that we've occupied Iraq for exactly 3 years... I got to thinking about this and after about 15 minutes, I realized, I would not make a very good President of the United States.
Here are a few select reasons why: (note: I may progressively add to this list)
1_ International policy would pretty much be eliminated - I realize international economics is important, yes, but I look at it from military and financial perspective. The U.S. does nothing but get involved in other countries' wars and issues. Why don't other countries get more involved? Because either, they just can't - or they're not willing to. Both, mostly because they have issues of their own. Why can't the U.S. solve their own issues first? What has the government done for welfare or poverty in this country over the past 5 years? NOT MUCH! Our education system is suffering, health-care reform has become a major issue, and why? Because of budget cuts... Because our money is going towards this god-damn war that was "technically" over 2 years ago when we captured Saddam Hussein. Why the hell are we still there? More and more of our own men keep getting killed... and why? Because Iraq needs to develop a government? Hello, they have... they've conducted the vote, they've got an interim administration... Let them run their own country. Our objective was finalized years ago. I would pull our troops, and yes, I mean ALL of them, tomorrow, if I could. I also read online earlier this evening that the cost of this war is soon to top a trillion dollars. As if the national deficit isn't bad enough already... let's linger this war into another year! I haven't agreed with staying in Iraq, ever since we captured Saddam - and my feelings get stronger and stronger each month this keeps continuing. It's complete B.S.
2_ Homeland security funds wouldn't be allocated to only the Dept. of Defense - Some of this money would go towards the Corps. of Engineers and to the Dept. of Commerce, where NOAA and the National Weather Service lies. This country has some sort of issue with natural disaster response and the formation of local Emergency Management Agencies. There are lots and lots of communities out there that don't have local EMA's. And why? Because the administrations over the past 5-10 years have seemingly ignored their scientific advisors AND the Dept. of Commerce.
3_ There would be a much higher demand from the government for alternative fuel exploration - I just heard tonight that Brazil has declared itself energy-independent. It no longer relies on the importing of oil for developing energy. It relies entirely on ethenol fuels... Why isn't this country seriously demanding this to happen. Yes, it's being explored, but why has Brazil been able to do this *before* us? They say that gas prices are increasing because of high demand... Well, Mr. Bush - you can do something about that. Demand that all car manufacturers to produce FlexFuel vehicles. Only a few select new vehicles in production are FlexFuel candidates. GM is now, finally, marketing these vehicles - and I feel that all manufacturers should follow suit. E-85 is pretty much the future, and this is produced with corn - something we can plant, harvest, and develop into bio-fuels over and over and over. Why aren't we allocating more money into this? Because our administration is led by George "the oil-man" Bush... and, of course, nor he or his other oil-rich debutants wouldn't want to lose any money. God forbid that they do some good for this country.
4_ I'm too smart to be president - Apparently, you have to be a freakin' moron and sound like a bumbling idiot when giving addresses to your nation. In addition, you have to be able to sound like a complete dumbass, even when reading from a prepared, written speech that's provided to you. Oh, and I can pronounce "Abu Ghraib" and most of the countries around the world... and that's just not acceptable.
Last addition: (#4) on 03.21.2006 at 1:04am
Here are a few select reasons why: (note: I may progressively add to this list)
1_ International policy would pretty much be eliminated - I realize international economics is important, yes, but I look at it from military and financial perspective. The U.S. does nothing but get involved in other countries' wars and issues. Why don't other countries get more involved? Because either, they just can't - or they're not willing to. Both, mostly because they have issues of their own. Why can't the U.S. solve their own issues first? What has the government done for welfare or poverty in this country over the past 5 years? NOT MUCH! Our education system is suffering, health-care reform has become a major issue, and why? Because of budget cuts... Because our money is going towards this god-damn war that was "technically" over 2 years ago when we captured Saddam Hussein. Why the hell are we still there? More and more of our own men keep getting killed... and why? Because Iraq needs to develop a government? Hello, they have... they've conducted the vote, they've got an interim administration... Let them run their own country. Our objective was finalized years ago. I would pull our troops, and yes, I mean ALL of them, tomorrow, if I could. I also read online earlier this evening that the cost of this war is soon to top a trillion dollars. As if the national deficit isn't bad enough already... let's linger this war into another year! I haven't agreed with staying in Iraq, ever since we captured Saddam - and my feelings get stronger and stronger each month this keeps continuing. It's complete B.S.
2_ Homeland security funds wouldn't be allocated to only the Dept. of Defense - Some of this money would go towards the Corps. of Engineers and to the Dept. of Commerce, where NOAA and the National Weather Service lies. This country has some sort of issue with natural disaster response and the formation of local Emergency Management Agencies. There are lots and lots of communities out there that don't have local EMA's. And why? Because the administrations over the past 5-10 years have seemingly ignored their scientific advisors AND the Dept. of Commerce.
3_ There would be a much higher demand from the government for alternative fuel exploration - I just heard tonight that Brazil has declared itself energy-independent. It no longer relies on the importing of oil for developing energy. It relies entirely on ethenol fuels... Why isn't this country seriously demanding this to happen. Yes, it's being explored, but why has Brazil been able to do this *before* us? They say that gas prices are increasing because of high demand... Well, Mr. Bush - you can do something about that. Demand that all car manufacturers to produce FlexFuel vehicles. Only a few select new vehicles in production are FlexFuel candidates. GM is now, finally, marketing these vehicles - and I feel that all manufacturers should follow suit. E-85 is pretty much the future, and this is produced with corn - something we can plant, harvest, and develop into bio-fuels over and over and over. Why aren't we allocating more money into this? Because our administration is led by George "the oil-man" Bush... and, of course, nor he or his other oil-rich debutants wouldn't want to lose any money. God forbid that they do some good for this country.
4_ I'm too smart to be president - Apparently, you have to be a freakin' moron and sound like a bumbling idiot when giving addresses to your nation. In addition, you have to be able to sound like a complete dumbass, even when reading from a prepared, written speech that's provided to you. Oh, and I can pronounce "Abu Ghraib" and most of the countries around the world... and that's just not acceptable.
Last addition: (#4) on 03.21.2006 at 1:04am
0 conundrum(s) | Have one of your own?
I haven't pulled the "(first-name)(last-name) is a douche-bag" card in a while, so I figured I reach for it this afternoon.
So, without further ado...
1_ He's not popular within scientific Meteorology circles (at-large).
(I never heard one good thing about his "prediction" on New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina through any of the 3-4 meteorological list-servs I'm a part of.)
2_ He relies heavily on StormTrack for his tropical meteorology expertise...
(If I've never of these two guys, it's either one of two things - they're not proven scientists... or they're 18 yr old kids taking credit for other's forecasts/research. I'm guessing it's the latter.)
3_ He's referenced Jim Bastardi (of AccuWeather fame) and AccuWeather, in general, in previous tropical meteorology posts he's made...
(AccuWeather? Of all private companies to put your faith in... Ask any real Meteorologist and they'll tell you what their opinion is of AccuWeather.)
4_ He's a law student, and has no extensive education or training in Meteorology...
(And CNN, MSNBC, etc... supported this kid?)
5_ His blog is generally boring and dripping of political crap I really don't care about.
(How many times (or ways) can you say Pres. Bush is a complete moron? We all know, Brendan... Any political rant you post about is pretty much saying the same damn thing. Oh, and I'm proud of my alma matre, Valparaiso University... but I don't post about their athletics program once or twice a day! Notre Dame, I'll give ya that - just because it's in my native Hoosier-land... but USC? Way overrated, dude...)
And most of all...
6_ Reaped the benefits from taking a decades-old prediction (the flooding of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina) from fellow scientists and researchers, and posting it to the Internet.
(I feel bad for those folks that have worked for years and years on pioneering research and forecasting of Tropical Meteorology... Some kid comes along, makes a claim that had been known to the scientific community for decades, and gets all the credit from these maniacally self-centered media-types. It just doesn't seem fair.)
This is no jealous tirade... by any means. This all came about by a very recent post he made on his site (of which, I will no longer support or endorse) about not receiving comments in his blog. Heaven forbid if Brendan does not receive the validation he so deservedly needs! "Yeah, I was just checking to see if Haloscan was having issues with accepting comments..." Nice cover, Brendan...
You and your croonies can waller around in your own politcal mud-pit.
So, without further ado...
1_ He's not popular within scientific Meteorology circles (at-large).
(I never heard one good thing about his "prediction" on New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina through any of the 3-4 meteorological list-servs I'm a part of.)
2_ He relies heavily on StormTrack for his tropical meteorology expertise...
(If I've never of these two guys, it's either one of two things - they're not proven scientists... or they're 18 yr old kids taking credit for other's forecasts/research. I'm guessing it's the latter.)
3_ He's referenced Jim Bastardi (of AccuWeather fame) and AccuWeather, in general, in previous tropical meteorology posts he's made...
(AccuWeather? Of all private companies to put your faith in... Ask any real Meteorologist and they'll tell you what their opinion is of AccuWeather.)
4_ He's a law student, and has no extensive education or training in Meteorology...
(And CNN, MSNBC, etc... supported this kid?)
5_ His blog is generally boring and dripping of political crap I really don't care about.
(How many times (or ways) can you say Pres. Bush is a complete moron? We all know, Brendan... Any political rant you post about is pretty much saying the same damn thing. Oh, and I'm proud of my alma matre, Valparaiso University... but I don't post about their athletics program once or twice a day! Notre Dame, I'll give ya that - just because it's in my native Hoosier-land... but USC? Way overrated, dude...)
And most of all...
6_ Reaped the benefits from taking a decades-old prediction (the flooding of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina) from fellow scientists and researchers, and posting it to the Internet.
(I feel bad for those folks that have worked for years and years on pioneering research and forecasting of Tropical Meteorology... Some kid comes along, makes a claim that had been known to the scientific community for decades, and gets all the credit from these maniacally self-centered media-types. It just doesn't seem fair.)
This is no jealous tirade... by any means. This all came about by a very recent post he made on his site (of which, I will no longer support or endorse) about not receiving comments in his blog. Heaven forbid if Brendan does not receive the validation he so deservedly needs! "Yeah, I was just checking to see if Haloscan was having issues with accepting comments..." Nice cover, Brendan...
You and your croonies can waller around in your own politcal mud-pit.
0 conundrum(s) | Have one of your own?
- Signed: Matthew Hartman
- Filed under car , photography , rant .
I'm not sure exactly what the opposite of "weekend delight" would be, but this past weekend would be it... The first half of the weekend, wasn't all that bad, but Sunday was another story. Saturday night, Amanda and I went out again... We went to dinner at Appleby's then came back to my place to watch a movie. She decided on "Gone in 60 Seconds" so we watched it, hung out, and talked quite a bit. I got brave and decided to show her some pictures of my friends and family. ;) And I got to see a picture of Anna and Noel, her two daughters. They're cute kids...
Sunday was your typical "sunday..." I pretty much laid around all day, watching TV, watched a couple movies, and made some phone calls to the family. I, seemingly, dozed off and on all day, too.
Monday morning, upon entering my garage, and subsquently, my car, I quickly found out that someone had apparently entered my car and went through my stuff. I found stolen, the hand-held mic for my mobile amateur radio and my cell phone battery charger. After looking around briefly, and yelling several thousand curse words, I had to drive on to work. I was so upset... and pissed... but couldn't really let it sink in, with my having to work that morning. What pissed me off the most was that I even had my garage locked and something like this happened! That's a part of having a garage, right? Better security for your automobile and it's contents? I had the god-damn thing locked! How could something like this happen??
Well, to explain things... Within the garage units at this apt. complex I live in, all that separates each individual unit is a piece of sheet metal and it doesn't reach all the way to the roof. You can easily enter any unlocked garage unit and climb up and over into a unit next-door. It was clearly evident that this is what had happened, in my case. I had pretty distinct proof. I had footprints on top of my car! I knew that's how they got in and got back out. I also found that the sunroof/moonroof on my car had been slightly damaged, because of the fact. It had sunken down, so it wasn't level with the roof of my car. It wasn't really bad, but it still made me concerned... I took the car to a body shop here in town Monday after work and they found that the set-screws on both sides weren't completely tightened. The dude at the body shop was able to move the window into place and tighten the screws up. So, that was an easy fix and he didn't charge me anything. So, that was the one positive thing to come out of my Monday.
I also filed a police report and reported what had happened to the office here at the complex. Maintenance guys looked at my garage unit yesterday morning and made some measurements to put up some boards on both sides of my unit to prevent someone from climbing up and over. When I returned from work today, they had it done. It looks good and I'm actually impressed how well they covered everything. If I think about it, I'll take some pictures of what it looks like later, or maybe tomorrow afternoon. If I do, I'll post it so everyone can clearly see that you can not enter my garage anymore... At least, without some good effort!
So, even though I was very upset at my discovery Monday morning, things have worked out thus far. I'm "fairly" confident it won't happen anymore. I'm locking my car now when I park in the garage and with those boards up, I think I'll be okay. I'll just need to buy a new hand-held mic for the radio (they run almost $90, but I've found a few places selling them for around $65-70) and a charger for my phone. Those are only about $25-30, so I'm not too worried about that.
I also got brave last night and went ahead and ordered the camera I've long wanted... I put the Canon Digital Rebel XT on the credit card last night. I've got money from Christmas that will go for paying off the credit. Whatever I get back from my taxes this year will go towards the rest of the it. I found out the rebate for the camera expired on the 15th, so I won't be able to get the $75 off, but I will be able to send a mail-in rebate for the SanDisk Ultra II memory card I purchased through Amazon. With the rebate, I'll receive $20 back. So, not bad... The card sells at most places at $100-110 and with the rebate through Amazon, I'll be getting it for around $75.00! So, yeah, not a bad deal. The rebate for that expires on the 30th, so I felt that I'd go ahead and get it ordered now. After that, I finally decided to just go for it... I took the plunge... and just ordered the camera as well.
It should be on its way next week, and I'm hoping to have it sometime during the first or second week of February. I could have had it much earlier than that, but having it shipped slower, I was able to get free shipping on both the camera and the memory card. If it's going to save me money, I can wait!
Anyhow, I've got dinner waiting on me!
Take care... and I hope everyone is doing well...
Sunday was your typical "sunday..." I pretty much laid around all day, watching TV, watched a couple movies, and made some phone calls to the family. I, seemingly, dozed off and on all day, too.
Monday morning, upon entering my garage, and subsquently, my car, I quickly found out that someone had apparently entered my car and went through my stuff. I found stolen, the hand-held mic for my mobile amateur radio and my cell phone battery charger. After looking around briefly, and yelling several thousand curse words, I had to drive on to work. I was so upset... and pissed... but couldn't really let it sink in, with my having to work that morning. What pissed me off the most was that I even had my garage locked and something like this happened! That's a part of having a garage, right? Better security for your automobile and it's contents? I had the god-damn thing locked! How could something like this happen??
Well, to explain things... Within the garage units at this apt. complex I live in, all that separates each individual unit is a piece of sheet metal and it doesn't reach all the way to the roof. You can easily enter any unlocked garage unit and climb up and over into a unit next-door. It was clearly evident that this is what had happened, in my case. I had pretty distinct proof. I had footprints on top of my car! I knew that's how they got in and got back out. I also found that the sunroof/moonroof on my car had been slightly damaged, because of the fact. It had sunken down, so it wasn't level with the roof of my car. It wasn't really bad, but it still made me concerned... I took the car to a body shop here in town Monday after work and they found that the set-screws on both sides weren't completely tightened. The dude at the body shop was able to move the window into place and tighten the screws up. So, that was an easy fix and he didn't charge me anything. So, that was the one positive thing to come out of my Monday.
I also filed a police report and reported what had happened to the office here at the complex. Maintenance guys looked at my garage unit yesterday morning and made some measurements to put up some boards on both sides of my unit to prevent someone from climbing up and over. When I returned from work today, they had it done. It looks good and I'm actually impressed how well they covered everything. If I think about it, I'll take some pictures of what it looks like later, or maybe tomorrow afternoon. If I do, I'll post it so everyone can clearly see that you can not enter my garage anymore... At least, without some good effort!
So, even though I was very upset at my discovery Monday morning, things have worked out thus far. I'm "fairly" confident it won't happen anymore. I'm locking my car now when I park in the garage and with those boards up, I think I'll be okay. I'll just need to buy a new hand-held mic for the radio (they run almost $90, but I've found a few places selling them for around $65-70) and a charger for my phone. Those are only about $25-30, so I'm not too worried about that.
I also got brave last night and went ahead and ordered the camera I've long wanted... I put the Canon Digital Rebel XT on the credit card last night. I've got money from Christmas that will go for paying off the credit. Whatever I get back from my taxes this year will go towards the rest of the it. I found out the rebate for the camera expired on the 15th, so I won't be able to get the $75 off, but I will be able to send a mail-in rebate for the SanDisk Ultra II memory card I purchased through Amazon. With the rebate, I'll receive $20 back. So, not bad... The card sells at most places at $100-110 and with the rebate through Amazon, I'll be getting it for around $75.00! So, yeah, not a bad deal. The rebate for that expires on the 30th, so I felt that I'd go ahead and get it ordered now. After that, I finally decided to just go for it... I took the plunge... and just ordered the camera as well.
It should be on its way next week, and I'm hoping to have it sometime during the first or second week of February. I could have had it much earlier than that, but having it shipped slower, I was able to get free shipping on both the camera and the memory card. If it's going to save me money, I can wait!
Anyhow, I've got dinner waiting on me!
Take care... and I hope everyone is doing well...
0 conundrum(s) | Have one of your own?
- Signed: Matthew Hartman
- Filed under Indiana Hoosiers , rant , sports .
I nearly forgot that Indiana played tonight, but after my mother had called and reminded me, I switched it over to ESPN. Unfortunately, they fell to MSU tonight 87 to 73, behind some awful defense and one of the worst shooting halves they've had all season.
The Duke / Maryland game just started and as always, Duke has once again, shown how "classy" of ball players they are. Can you believe that Coach K actually had each individual player "sign" center-court? Well, apparently he did. According to ESPN analysts, the signing was prove a point - that Cameron Indoor Stadium is their floor... their home! What a bunch of class-acts... And to know it was Coach K's idea to do so - makes it all the more unsportsmanlike. Personally, if I were a Maryland player, coach, assistant, or associate, I'd file a grievance to the NCAA. It shouldn't be allowed. No, it doesn't directly affect the outcome of the game, but what's the difference between the mind-games they're trying to play here with say, taunting? To me, there is no difference... They don't allow taunting in games, so they shouldn't allow players, coaches, or anyone associated with the team to alter any of the equipment associated in the game, including the floor itself. It's disrespectful to opponents and honestly, to the game.
Not to be redundant, but... It simply should not be allowed!
I hope the god-damn Dookies lose by 20 tonight...
The Duke / Maryland game just started and as always, Duke has once again, shown how "classy" of ball players they are. Can you believe that Coach K actually had each individual player "sign" center-court? Well, apparently he did. According to ESPN analysts, the signing was prove a point - that Cameron Indoor Stadium is their floor... their home! What a bunch of class-acts... And to know it was Coach K's idea to do so - makes it all the more unsportsmanlike. Personally, if I were a Maryland player, coach, assistant, or associate, I'd file a grievance to the NCAA. It shouldn't be allowed. No, it doesn't directly affect the outcome of the game, but what's the difference between the mind-games they're trying to play here with say, taunting? To me, there is no difference... They don't allow taunting in games, so they shouldn't allow players, coaches, or anyone associated with the team to alter any of the equipment associated in the game, including the floor itself. It's disrespectful to opponents and honestly, to the game.
Not to be redundant, but... It simply should not be allowed!
I hope the god-damn Dookies lose by 20 tonight...
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- Signed: Matthew Hartman
- Filed under Indiana Hoosiers , rant , sports .
I've never solely believed in ranking college basketball teams... And the last few years, haven't helped. Being ranked, for example, number 1... what does that mean? Last year, Illinois was ranked #1 nearly all season, and honestly feel they may have been the last truly deservingly ranked #1 in quite a while. They nearly went undefeated on the season and very nearly became the NCAA Champions!
This week's rankings have me scratching my head, once again:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankingsindex
Why the hell is Illinois ranked below Gonzaga?? They're 7-0 and even though they haven't had any big games, they have won some close, tough games. Gonzaga has lost two games... and before you even say it, yes they were against ranked opponents - but so what!?! Washington, #19 on the poll... they should have handily taken care of them, right? I mean, if you want to look at the polls, they're "supposed" to be better than them... Also, why is Louisville ranked so high on both the AP and ESPN/USA Polls? Yes, they're 4-0, but look who they've played... and they won at Richmond only scoring 53 points? Indiana gave Duke a run for their money last week and those "dookies" BARELY pulled out a win against Virginia Tech Sunday; a team that is 5-3 and quite frankly, not that good! Why are those shitbags at Duke ranked #1??
College basketball rankings, however you want to look at them, don't mean squat... at least, in my opinion.
Congrats, by the way, to Hoosier's head coach, Mike Davis. Indiana's win over Eastern Michigan Saturday (79-63) gave him his 100th win at Indiana.
This week's rankings have me scratching my head, once again:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankingsindex
Why the hell is Illinois ranked below Gonzaga?? They're 7-0 and even though they haven't had any big games, they have won some close, tough games. Gonzaga has lost two games... and before you even say it, yes they were against ranked opponents - but so what!?! Washington, #19 on the poll... they should have handily taken care of them, right? I mean, if you want to look at the polls, they're "supposed" to be better than them... Also, why is Louisville ranked so high on both the AP and ESPN/USA Polls? Yes, they're 4-0, but look who they've played... and they won at Richmond only scoring 53 points? Indiana gave Duke a run for their money last week and those "dookies" BARELY pulled out a win against Virginia Tech Sunday; a team that is 5-3 and quite frankly, not that good! Why are those shitbags at Duke ranked #1??
College basketball rankings, however you want to look at them, don't mean squat... at least, in my opinion.
Congrats, by the way, to Hoosier's head coach, Mike Davis. Indiana's win over Eastern Michigan Saturday (79-63) gave him his 100th win at Indiana.
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A buddy of mine from work referred this site to me, and thus far, I'm having a blast reading through it, shaking my head at every article and laughing my ass off at how much hate there is for Duke. It's become apparent, also, that I'm not the only one that thinks J.J. Redick is a shitbag and doesn't know the difference between an open team-mate and a crack in the wall...
You've got to check out this web-site:
http://www.truthaboutduke.com
(Edit: 8:00pm - 03 Dec 2005)
You've got to check out this web-site:
http://www.truthaboutduke.com
(Edit: 8:00pm - 03 Dec 2005)
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- Signed: Matthew Hartman
- Filed under computer , fantasy sports , rant .
By the way, I don't know if I've said so, but this laptop is a piece of shit. For the past year or so, I've been experiencing some problems with this thing shutting off on its own. When it first began, I had serious concerns, because it wasn't long after I had reloaded it (new OS install). However, I quickly found out it wasn't related to the reload at all. The thing was overheating and would shut down. It didn't matter if I had it setting on the floor or in my lap, the thing would shut down! Damn, has it been a major pain in my ass.
Well, since moving up here to Grand Forks, I've had continuing problems. However, since purchasing a computer desk a couple months ago, it had stopped occurring. Tonight, while "battling" with my brother-in-law in WarCraft III the friggin' thing starting doing it again! Three god-damned times...! What an F'in piece of shit!
While I was hoping to save up some of my own money and some christmas money for a digital camera, I may decide to spend that on a new laptop! While I would absolutely love to get my hands on the new Canon Digital Rebel XT, a new laptop may be a more sensible purchase. Sitting here and typing this out and checking my eMail since my last reboot, it hasn't shut down once. I don't know, maybe it has something to do with that game running. I guess, looking back at it, most of the times the frickin' thing has shutoff on me, I've been playing WarCraft III. Maybe it has something to do with the graphics card or the CD-ROM. I am required to have the CD in to play, so that would make sense. Either way, it's annoying as hell...
Besides that, my weekend off has gone fairly well. I went out and bought Season 10 of Friends and the DVD from the Final Episode, Friday night after work. The Season 10 DVDs were released near the beginning of the month and I've been aiming to get it to complete the set. I haven't watched them yet, but that may just change here soon!
Anyhow, I suppose I should get to bed! I've gotta be up for some NFL action tomorrow afternoon! The Colts don't play until Monday night, but of course, I gotta follow my fantasy players! Speaking of which, I've lost 3 weeks in a row now... Blah! I'm in desperate need of a win this week, if I want to remain in a playoff run in the league. I'm tied for 3rd place with 4 other teams with a 6-5 head-to-head record thus far. My hockey fantasy team is still sitting in first place, though! How so, I have no idea. Especially given the fact I hardly know a thing about the sport. The top spot actually has been teetering back and forth between me and another guy in the league, but so far, I think I've remained atop most of the time. Simon Gagne is having a great season for me so far... and I've got 4 players on my team with 12 or more goals and 9 players with 12 or more assists. I just hope they can keep the stats up throughout the season!
Take care and goodnight, folks...
Well, since moving up here to Grand Forks, I've had continuing problems. However, since purchasing a computer desk a couple months ago, it had stopped occurring. Tonight, while "battling" with my brother-in-law in WarCraft III the friggin' thing starting doing it again! Three god-damned times...! What an F'in piece of shit!
While I was hoping to save up some of my own money and some christmas money for a digital camera, I may decide to spend that on a new laptop! While I would absolutely love to get my hands on the new Canon Digital Rebel XT, a new laptop may be a more sensible purchase. Sitting here and typing this out and checking my eMail since my last reboot, it hasn't shut down once. I don't know, maybe it has something to do with that game running. I guess, looking back at it, most of the times the frickin' thing has shutoff on me, I've been playing WarCraft III. Maybe it has something to do with the graphics card or the CD-ROM. I am required to have the CD in to play, so that would make sense. Either way, it's annoying as hell...
Besides that, my weekend off has gone fairly well. I went out and bought Season 10 of Friends and the DVD from the Final Episode, Friday night after work. The Season 10 DVDs were released near the beginning of the month and I've been aiming to get it to complete the set. I haven't watched them yet, but that may just change here soon!
Anyhow, I suppose I should get to bed! I've gotta be up for some NFL action tomorrow afternoon! The Colts don't play until Monday night, but of course, I gotta follow my fantasy players! Speaking of which, I've lost 3 weeks in a row now... Blah! I'm in desperate need of a win this week, if I want to remain in a playoff run in the league. I'm tied for 3rd place with 4 other teams with a 6-5 head-to-head record thus far. My hockey fantasy team is still sitting in first place, though! How so, I have no idea. Especially given the fact I hardly know a thing about the sport. The top spot actually has been teetering back and forth between me and another guy in the league, but so far, I think I've remained atop most of the time. Simon Gagne is having a great season for me so far... and I've got 4 players on my team with 12 or more goals and 9 players with 12 or more assists. I just hope they can keep the stats up throughout the season!
Take care and goodnight, folks...
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- Signed: Matthew Hartman
- Filed under random , rant , relationships .
Hey folks,
What a lazy day... I've had the entire day off of work and as such, I haven't felt like doing a whole lot. Yes, it is Friday and I realize that I should be cutting loose on a 20 gallon mug of Killians, but well, I just don't have the money (or motivation) to go out tonight. You see, I sit around and bitch about being single and this is what I'm doing about it. I can see the edge of hermitville just over the horizon! *grin
I did leave the apartment once today, but only to return a PS2 game to Blockbuster. With fundage running low, the last thing I need is a late charge on a stupid game. Upon stepping outside, I realized I've picked a good day to sit around and do absolutely nothing. What a dreary day... It's relatively warm today (as opposed to what it's been lately) but still cool; I'd guess in the mid to upper 30's or so. It's wet all over and just feels raw out there. Oh, and you know one thing that annoys me more than ever? Friggin' wet roads! Cars and trucks in front of you splashing dirty road water all over your windshield... gah! Nuthin' annoys me more than to use my windshield washer fluid every 2 minutes just so I can see. After I returned, I threw in some Friends (Season 5), fixed a couple sandwiches and lounged some more. Damn, am I pathetic. Friday night and I'm sitting here on my laptop writing to you.
I hate being an adult... I just wanna go back to when I was 17, living at home, and didn't have 8 different bills to pay! And a time when I was dating a sweet, beautiful girl named Christy. Have you ever wanted to get in contact with someone so bad and you have no way of knowing how? That's the way I feel. I wonder what she's doing with her life now... if she's married... has kids... if she's happy? In hindsite, I think at the time, I was in love with this woman but never realized it. And even though I did have strong feelings for her, I don't think I ever did truly tell her how I felt about her. Now, over 10 years later, I honestly regret not telling her. Because I really do think if things would have worked out between us, we'd still be together. I really have no idea why or how she would be reading this, but if she was, I'd want her to know that even though it's been years and years since I've last seen or talked to her, I do still think about her often. When you've been without a truly committed relationship for so long, you tend to reflect on past relationships, and that ONE, seems to bubble up to the surface most often.
Well, that's enough sappy commentary from me for tonight. Think I'll check some eMail, maybe chat some, then laze around some more!
Cheers -
What a lazy day... I've had the entire day off of work and as such, I haven't felt like doing a whole lot. Yes, it is Friday and I realize that I should be cutting loose on a 20 gallon mug of Killians, but well, I just don't have the money (or motivation) to go out tonight. You see, I sit around and bitch about being single and this is what I'm doing about it. I can see the edge of hermitville just over the horizon! *grin
I did leave the apartment once today, but only to return a PS2 game to Blockbuster. With fundage running low, the last thing I need is a late charge on a stupid game. Upon stepping outside, I realized I've picked a good day to sit around and do absolutely nothing. What a dreary day... It's relatively warm today (as opposed to what it's been lately) but still cool; I'd guess in the mid to upper 30's or so. It's wet all over and just feels raw out there. Oh, and you know one thing that annoys me more than ever? Friggin' wet roads! Cars and trucks in front of you splashing dirty road water all over your windshield... gah! Nuthin' annoys me more than to use my windshield washer fluid every 2 minutes just so I can see. After I returned, I threw in some Friends (Season 5), fixed a couple sandwiches and lounged some more. Damn, am I pathetic. Friday night and I'm sitting here on my laptop writing to you.
I hate being an adult... I just wanna go back to when I was 17, living at home, and didn't have 8 different bills to pay! And a time when I was dating a sweet, beautiful girl named Christy. Have you ever wanted to get in contact with someone so bad and you have no way of knowing how? That's the way I feel. I wonder what she's doing with her life now... if she's married... has kids... if she's happy? In hindsite, I think at the time, I was in love with this woman but never realized it. And even though I did have strong feelings for her, I don't think I ever did truly tell her how I felt about her. Now, over 10 years later, I honestly regret not telling her. Because I really do think if things would have worked out between us, we'd still be together. I really have no idea why or how she would be reading this, but if she was, I'd want her to know that even though it's been years and years since I've last seen or talked to her, I do still think about her often. When you've been without a truly committed relationship for so long, you tend to reflect on past relationships, and that ONE, seems to bubble up to the surface most often.
Well, that's enough sappy commentary from me for tonight. Think I'll check some eMail, maybe chat some, then laze around some more!
Cheers -
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God, I love people's continued misperception of what the difference is between a tornado and a funnel cloud... This just in from the CNN article provided in my previous post:
How many funnel clouds remained aloft? I'd guess all of them... *Sigh...
"Funnel clouds were also sighted in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, but it was unclear how many remained aloft or touched the ground."Hrmmm... Let me spell this out for everyone right now. Funnel clouds DO NOT touch the ground... tornadoes DO. It's one of the easiest fundamentals to understand in science... and is a very distiguishable difference.
How many funnel clouds remained aloft? I'd guess all of them... *Sigh...
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