Want To See My Cookies?

One huge achievement I accomplished was to make good sugar cookies. Nice soft cookies. Not hard ones that I always make. Now to try my luck in chocolate chip. I was so excited I ate almost all of them, which was not a good idea.

One of the great things about small towns is small town activities. Some have gone away while others remain.  Not many show for these activities and it is what makes a small town a small town, different from the empty bland metropolis down the hill. One of these activities was our yearly tree lighting ceremony marking Santa's way across all the towns on the rim. This was to be done Friday but the rain kind of cancelled it.

Not getting many hours again at work and I am tired of fighting. Seems I can do every one a favor and work in every department but no one helps out. I may start helping out a friend in town for about 2 months in his shop. Works out as I will save in gas, stay in town enjoying the weather and get the gossip.

NASA is still working on space programs and I just came across an article where a warp drive is being talked about and researched. Read up about the Alcubierre Drive >>

Do you know from what movie this image is from? Can you name the 4 characters pictured? Hint, greatest movie ever.

Still reading Bowl Of Heaven and was hoping to have it done by now. In the meantime I got another book recommendation in Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel. So many books, so little time. If only I can read as fast as one of my friends.

Geek News - Baldur's Gate for tablets out November 28. Ridley Scott working on a movie based on the Forever War book. Catching Fire (Hunger Games second book in trilogy) is on its way. Spider-Man #700 releases soon and it marks the end of the original series. Stephen King's Under The Dome novel will be a TV series next year.

Check out Sword & Laser wrap up of The Dirty Streets Of Heaven.

Grey Thursday.

Black Friday is done and I have to say it was the slowest ever. Maybe not Friday as retailers this year decided to start sales the night of Thanksgiving. If any analyst says sales were high or normal, they are very wrong. I still can't believe how slow it was at my job that night. I miss the years prior with the masses and being very busy. I wonder if the trend of starting sales the night of Thanksgiving will continue.

Natalia is doing well and she always gets her way. Just the words - "just a lil bit, daddy" is all I need to hear. We spent most of the week together and relaxed up here as usual. All she wants Santa to bring her is a Barbie. I already spoke with Santa and that is not a problem.

Still reading Bowl Of Heaven and thinking my next read I will go back to Midworld in the Dark Tower series. I left off in book 4 a while back and I think it is time to see how Roland and his companions are doing. Only if the Dark Tower was written years earlier. Maybe we could have seen the Man With No Name being called Roland in his journey to the Dark Tower. One can only imagine. I guess you have to be an Eastwood fan to appreciate.

Borderlands new DLC Mr. Torgue's Campaign Of Carnage is out and it looks pretty good. However no new level cap.

Check out latest Sword  & Laser interview of Patrick Rothfuss at the Geek & Sundry Channel.

Day of Thanks?

Happy Thanksgiving! What is the true story about Thanksgiving? Most don't know it and many refuse to accept it as it is better to believe what it has become. Below I posted a nice explanation of the birth of the holiday and its meaning. Also feel free to read a little story here about its conception. Christmas tree up and decorated and most of the house decorated inside. Good hours at work this week leading to Black Friday but next week looks grim. Funny how such a profitable company as the one I work at can have so many workers on government aid and struggling. Those on the front line serving its profits (customers) personally.

Customers at work kept telling us how sorry they were we have to work Thanksgiving. Funny thing is, I'm sure many if not all of them will be shopping the first sales at 8pm on Thanksgiving. Then they wonder why we have to work that day.

Natalia loves watching "the funny boy" Ralphie in A Christmas Story, as it is one of my favorites also. We didn't do anything this week as I kept her on her pajamas as much as possible as she was sick.

The Hostess Company has closed its doors and we say bye to the iconic Twinkie, Chocodile and HoHo. President of the bakers' union said, "They decided that they were not going to agree to another round of outrageous wage and benefit cuts and give up their pension only to see yet another management team fail and Wall Street vulture capitalists and 'restructuring specialists' walk away with untold millions of dollars."  Or maybe the unions failed their people by getting greedy as they too had a financial stake at the firm. Either way 18,000 jobs gone. I think it is a another mismanaged company hoping to get a government bailout and make the rich richer. Seems everyone waits for bailouts to screw the working class.

Finally finished Foundation & Empire and didn't find it to my liking. It was kind of a historical look at the Foundation. Went back again to hard sci-fi with the Bowl Of Heaven by Gregory Benford. I haven't read much fantasy at all this year as it is all I used to read.

The real meaning and story of Thanksgiving?

Check out the Sword & Laser interview with Jim Butcher at the Geek & Sundry Channel.

Oh, Christmas Tree!

The Christmas Tree is up. I know, I'm probably the first guy to have it up. I don't care, I like Christmas. Actually about a week earlier than planned. Took me a while to find a place for it in the new house but found a decent place. Now to slowly decorate over the next few days.

Slow week and not much work so I stayed at home and played as much as possible. No shame in saying this. Natalia again sick, and I may have to start questioning where Natalia is being taken. Sick but that never hampers her spirits. She is so much like me. I can't wait until she gets older.

Well, as I figured my schedule for Black Friday changed. Rumors were they wanted the new people to work the registers that day. That was a real good idea, not. So I'll be up for about 24 hours but that is retail. No complaints.

Still playing Borderlands 2 and finally made Legendary with my Siren character. While farming for guns a nice player just dumped them all in my lap. Decided to start a new character (Mechromancer Little Girl) while dropping in on high level games, hope you guys don't mind. Haven't jumped in on Assassin's Creed 3 as I thought I would, but it is a game I want to finish. Hopefully I can pick up Halo 4 on sale during the sales. XBOX Live turns 10 and a few ask me why I play on the XBOX. Simply is always up and it is monitored. The PS system tend to be down often and updates that don't run in the background and take a while to download and install.

Geek & Sundry looks to not be posting any more Table Top shows. I so much liked this show but I knew it wasn't going to last a long time. Only so many games one can play. I wonder why the decision. They have replaced it with On The Table, which is a news and comment show. I like it so far as it shows me so many cool games out there.

Not reading much lately but need to finish my recent book as it it short but taking a while. No idea what to pick up next, but there a re a few candidates. This weekend it warmed up at a bit but snow may be expected next week.

Check out the new Space Janitors and On The Table shows at the Geek & Sundry Channel

Snow Turkey. Hoorah Changes?

Christmas boxes are up and starting to go through them and decorating around the house. No tree up yet. Cold and wet this weekend and I like it. I picked up Natalia with a little fever and will take care of that here just by relaxing.

Cold and wet and a light dusting of snow overnight. I was hoping for about 4 inches so Natalia can at least play in it, but instead got a dusting and cold temps this morning. Natalia managed to play with a little snow this morning and made the world's first "snow turkey".

Reading has slowed down as I don't find Foundation And Empire very catching, but I'll plow through it.

Economy must be real bad because around work Black Friday is not being hyped up or planned. Normally we plan it out for weeks, have meetings, schedules get done for that day. No meetings, no real schedules. I'm not even working that day. Lots of empty holes on the schedule. I volunteered to work the worse of it but there seemed to be no interest to have people cover the event. Truth is there usually are no good deals and the good deals are so limited it's not worth the hassle. I think this year online retailers may see the shift to them this year. As far as my new position goes, it is going well. Not being pushed outside jobs and doing what I am paid to do. However I am still scheduled in my old dept one day next week which I will question since I took a pay cut to get out of there. I already hear people are being pushed to do my old job and it is not going too well.

I will not dwell in politics again and rather let John and Adam at No Agenda do all the talking. One thing I will say is I don't feel my vote counted, as elections were already called before I even voted and I know I was not alone. I will live the American dream of "Just getting by" for a few more years. One last thing to mention as the picture above may mean - Are us "turkeys, going to be given another snow job?" I know, it's a stretch.

Last but not least Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps - Hoorah!

Catch the latest The Guild Episode at the Geek & Sundry Channel.

A Book. Drill Weekend. Snow?

May sound stupid but I think everyone should read the book Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss. I picked this book at the thrift store and read it to my daughter and it hit me. This book speaks the truth, and remember - "98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed."

A dilemma or a question; when should I put up my Christmas tree? For those that don't know me, must know I love Christmas. I am not one to put up the tree the day before Christmas. I put it up weeks in advance and take it down weeks later. I see it as a decoration and love the mood it causes. Also have no idea where to put it in the new house. Sadly this year I will not be able to put up lights around the house.

Drill weekend done and as usual it went well. Again offered opportunities for classes and even spending two weeks at the reserve center verifying medical records but these things tend to not get funded and approved. We had a fashion show on Saturday with the uniform inspections and Sunday the PRT. PRT went well again and passed.

Looking to a full week at work and clean up around the house and start to decorate for Thanksgiving. Have to keep going with my wood pile splitting for this winter. I got a good chunk done already but need more as I love to turn on the fireplace as much as possible. Snow may be forecasted for the end of the week.

Finished reading The Marks Of Cain by Tom Knox and found the book entertaining. The book got me to know a little about Cagots and their background in the Basque Country. The ending of the book got you to think why the holocausts might have happened. My next read I went with a shorter book in Asimov's Foundation and Empire.

With the elections around the corner I find this short clip very appropriate.

Geek News - Jamie Foxx to play as Electro in Spider-Man 2 movie.

Check out the latest Table Top Gaming Episode: Star Fluxx at the Geek & Sundry Channel.

All Hallow's Eve

Halloween was great. I went out with a friend and her daughter and a few of her friends. Natalia had a great time. Couldn't have asked for a better day. So far so good on my new position at work. No headaches or problems. Now I hope I can get the work hours needed.

Finished watching season 2 of The Walking Dead and that last episode left me wanting more (Daryl Dixon is awesome!). But I will have to wait, and find another show. Playing a little Borderlands 2 and Assassin's Creed 3. Two more big games being released the next 2 weeks and that is it for the year.

Natalia again went to the doctors and again prescribed OTC cream. I picked her up with minor scars so I will clear those up in he next few days here.

I'm not religious but I do like to read about the bible and things that make you think. My latest book referred to Genesis 4:14 where Cain was punished - "... and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that everyone that findeth me shall slay me". Who shall find him? I thought it was just Adam and Eve and no one else on earth. Where there others roaming the earth that the bible is trying to refer to? Who were they?

Disney buys Lucas Arts. Now I can say bye bye to Star Wars. I think the picture says it all. However Star Wars Episodes 7-9 are planned.

Don't forget to catch The Guild Episode 5 at the Geek & Sundry Channel.