Tuesday, October 31, 2006

I know I know...

I'm probably the last person to have seen this ad from Dove, but I like it a lot. It's been watched on YouTube over 3.5 million times. I must have been in a cave.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Let's do some aerobics!


So I found out last week that I might be going to Paraguay for two weeks in late November. That place is not to be confused with this movie, which I first thought about.

But lemme start from the beginning as this is kind of cool. So the National Guard has a sister country program in each state. Our sister country for Massachusetts is Paraguay. I only vaguely knew this as there were officials from that country visiting my agency in June. They met with the Director and a few other senior people. Anyway, so I guess they called up the Mass National Guard and asked for technical assistance with putting together an emergency management program for their nation. They liked what they saw/heard in June I guess.

The agency decided to send two people.

They asked me to be one of them.

I'm still not sure if there is a much more qualified Graham Crampbell in my agency who I just haven't met. So it would be for about 10 days - 2 weeks. Late November to early December. If you don't know anything about the nation of Paraguay, here is some info. The CIA version is here. A little trivia.... They apparently have the largest navy of any landlocked country. And kidnapping of foreign nationals is a lucrative business.

As to that last point, I'm hoping that the Massachusetts procurement/purchasing process is so convoluted and complicated as to dissuade would be banditos. I do have to fill out a form called the ISO PREP form, which is an army form. It asks you things like boot size, blood type. My favorite is the personal statements, of which there are 4. You need to put things in there, so that if you get captured, they can verify your identity. I kind of like the idea of Navy Seals busting into the hut I'm being held in and looking me point blank in the face and yelling "Over what summer were you a tour guide on a double decker bus?"

I'll write more....thirsty bloodsuckers.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Reason# 361 why I love America

AMC's Monsterfest

So AMC has Monsterfest. This is the 10th year they've done this. Basically, it's horror movies all day and night long. I'm currently watching Wolfen. It's decent and stars Albert Finney which is pretty cool. But I love this series of movies. Tomorrow it's supposed to rain and I have a date with this TV and some great classics, like Children of the Corn and the Exorcist.

I have returned...

I was gone this past week to our the mecca of Emergency Management training sites, EMI. The class I took was so-so, but the people I met were top notch. I made some friends from California and Minnesota and we laughed so hard we cried. It was good times.

I got back, before this nasty storm hits tomorrow. My good friend from high school, Chris and his lovely girlfriend Lilly were in town for a wedding. So I went out to see them tonight. It's odd. I find myself to sometimes be a hermit with my friends. I love my friends and treasure their friendship above all else. But I'll find myself ducking calls or hoping rings go into voicemail. Maybe some sort of social anxiety thing? I'm not sure. Perhaps that can be added to the list of things to discuss with the shrink.

But it was great to see them, but it's really good to be home. Something about sitting on your own couch and watching your TV that's comforting. So thanks for being patient this past week.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Flava Flav!!!

My week has been kind of crazy what with papers due and me still getting the hang of the new job. I'm leaving today for about a week. I'm going to be down at the Emergency Management Institute, run by FEMA. At least I'm going with a friend from work, so that should be good. I'm not sure if I can update this thing from down there, but I should be able to.

I also wanted to say that I saw the season finale of Flavor of Love 2, which might be the best television show in the world. Flava Flav has this awesome viking helmet with horns that we wears during his "confessionals." This is where TV needs to be going. Screw Lost.

I have put the exciting ending to the finale below. Flav has to choose between Deelishis and New York. These women have class. New York represents and doesn't dissapoint. God I love America.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Jericho Verdict


So I just saw the Pilot about 3 weeks after everyone else....

It's like they put "Lost" in Kansas. A small town in Kansas with all different types of people, with far more diversity than I think might actually exist. Skeet Ulrich is his most promising role since that epic drama, Chill Factor.

I think I'll skip it for now. It has all the built in plot lines....loner returns. Finds ridiculously hot ex is engaged to a banker. (Don't know many bankers out in farm country.) Power struggle between Mayor and rival candidate. Loose prisoners... My head hurts.

Greeting adoring fans...

Hey. I know you've all been dying to read more of my crap. Some general notes and thoughts:

  • I went down to NYC this past weekend for a benefit. A cop I used to work with has an inoperable brain tumor and is undergoing chemo. He came to the racket, and it was tough to see him as he was really bloated and had trouble walking. But he seemed genuinely touched by all the people that showed up. And after he left, we drank and laughed. Laughed so hard I hurt the next day. Note: That link above goes to the NYPD Rant, the unofficial discussion board of the NYPD. Some funny crap on there.
  • Amtrak is expensive. And apparently taken by very old people. I knew this of course, but was reminded again by the people sitting next to me. There was a cute girl across the row, but I've realized that Ipods have effectively ended that chance meeting on a bus/plane. Idle chit chat is gone, so I can listen to Beck and not be bothered. Sad, really.
  • My very expensive Bose home theater system is having problems. This is making me very sad. I am downloading the Pilot episode of Jericho currently.
  • I seem to be going to bed earlier and earlier. Maybe it's because I'm not doing much. Or I'm tired from work. Still, it's sad when a single guy is in bed at 9PM.
That's pretty much it. Stay tuned. I'll let you all know what I think of Jericho. Anyone else have a good weekend?

Friday, October 13, 2006

So I was talking to my best friend Emily Eagan, who is down in New Orleans. She e-mailed me, which got on my Blackberry. I'm sorry. They call it a "Crackberry." I've found out how addictive it is and I think it's the future. Imagine if all of your e-mail arrived to you, no matter where you are.

So she mentioned Taco Bell, and so on the way home I got Taco Bell. I brought it home and watched Law and Order: SVU. Verdict?

Taco Bell: KFC Cheesy Snacker: C-
Crunchwrap Supreme: Most surely not good to go
Double Decker Supreme: The trusty standard B+ Update: I'm lowering this grade to a C+. No sour cream. Where has the attention to detail gone?
Mostly dissapointing...always sound better than it turns out to be

L&O: It never gets better.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Breathe...breathe

I'm sitting in my office right now. My new office. Listening to music. Allowing myself 15 minutes to recenter, because there is a decent chance I could either:

  • Burst into tears
  • Order an assault rifle over the internet and reap terror
  • Hide under my desk, and refuse to come out until my Mommy comes to get me.

I'm finding this to be very useful to keeping my fragile psyche intact.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Broadway, me likey

So apparently, there is a musical version of Evil Dead coming to Broadway this month in New York. The website is here. I think we should get a field trip together. No seriously.

Sorry for the non-posting

Between the long weekend and the new job, I've been wicked busy. (Hope all of you non-Bostonians enjoyed that reference.)

I took Chuck and Sara down to see Nueva York this weekend. Of course, I saw some folks and missed a lot more. That always happens. You can check out their blog for some decent photos. I didn't bring the camera, so I depend on them. It was good, and we got to see some real New York places. Like:
  • McSorley's Ale House: Oldest bar in the city. They only serve two types of beer, light and dark. One beer comes in two half-pint mugs. Sawdust on the floors goodness
  • H&H Bagels: This and Ess-a-Bagel tie for best in NYC, but were weren't near EAB. Good, warm bagels. Crunchy on the outside and warm and chewy on the inside. Makes me think twice about wearing sweatpants
  • Forbidden Planet: Where geeks go to heaven when they get killed by a mage with a +12 Attack bonus. A comic book store beyond compare, shames Newbury Comics which is really more of a music store.
  • Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop: Thanks to my Mom, I know where to go for a lime rickey and the best tuna melt in the city. God bless that place.
We didn't hit some of my other favorites, which we can get into another time. It was a good trip. It's always tough to come back on a Tuesday. I felt like I was starting at a sprint, which was true considering my workplace situation anyway.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Wow...

Greetings friends,

First, speedy recovery wishes to Mikie after her surgery today. I'm sure she will be up on her feet in no time. May the drugs they give you be really, really good ones.

Sorry for the lack of posting, but this week has been nuts. So to summarize:

  1. Graham has to teach a class Tues, Weds, and Thursday that he just learned the material on last week. Graham did not know about this class until 5 minutes before class started, which was an hour from Graham.
  2. Graham's boss resigns on Tuesday morning, sending things into even greater chaos than they were when he was there.
  3. Graham gets acting manager job this morning...and is a little scared
So that's what's going on...in addition to the other nuts stuff like grad school and exisiting crap. Oh, and my good friends Sam and Lizzie sent me photos from their wedding, which was this spring. The photos are of me. Which makes you wonder, "Why the hell do I want drunken photos of myself?" I'd rather have drunken photos of other friends. My roommate thinks I should put them up in my new office, like people do with their kids photos. I just may do that.

Hope everyone is having a great week.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

I survived

So I ran about 3/4 of it, maybe a little less. Chuck and Sara ran the whole thing and thus beat me. All in all, it was a good run for a great cause. I didn't need the paramedics, which is good. I was lucky the event was sponsored by Boston EMS. I'm already in training for next year.

Here is my first bib ever.

Chariots of Fire

So remember I was talking about signing up for a 5K in memory of a guy I knew who died of cancer?

It starts in an hour.

So I'm up super early on Sunday. I haven't really been training, and I'm quite nervous. I'll let you all know how it went once the dry heaves stop.