TTLB

I've added our blog to The Truth Laid Bear ecosystem, a system that scans the Blogosphere daily and rates blogs based on activity. OK... I'll be realistic and understand that I'll be the biggest bottom-feeder in this ecosystem, but it looked interesting. I saw this on Woulda Coulda Shoulda.

Next blog button

I think I'm going to stop clicking the "next blog" button because half the time I'm taken to some blog that is just full of pop ups and junk ... cross fades to the next window, anti spam messages ... I guess it's almost too random.

No response to Star Wars?

I'm surprised no one commented on the Star Wars Holiday Special post. Aside from Star Wars being a key search word, I figured someone would recall, and let me know if they believe it to actually have existed, or believe me to have turned a dream into a memory. Maybe it's because I changed the "comment" link to read "reflections" to play off of my title...

Weekend blogger

I blogged this weekend! (This entry is for Cathy)

UT game

We saw that the UT/Louisiana Tech game was available on the ESPN Gameplan so I called the cable company to see how much it would cost to order ... $24.95! That's nuts. If it was about $4.95, no big deal, but $24.95 is just ridiculous.

Movie review

Last night, we rented Hellboy on the Movies on Demand. Nearly to the end, our digital signal got messed up and the movie started stalling on us and getting pixally, so they said they would comp us the movie, and for us to try another one at no charge. So we watched some other stuff, and came back after several more false starts on Hellboy, and the movie started playing right again. So we finished our free movie ... pretty good actually, then took them up on the next free movie, The Big Bounce. All I can say is thank goodness it was free. That movie was so lame. It was based on an Elmore Leonard book, and if you're seriously thinking about renting it, just rent Get Shorty instead and save yourself the frustration. But I would recommend Hellboy.

Retro Vs. Metro

I don't usually click on banner ads, but this one caught my eye.

Star Wars Holiday Special

Am I insane, or is this some juvenile dream that has become a memory, but I distinctly recall a Christmas special as a kid where Han Solo and Chewbacca return to Chewy's home for the holidays and end up encountering a handful of Stormtroopers that rip off the head of a doll/stuffed animal and were tearing up the place. If anyone else recalls this, or knows of it on tape somewhere, please let me know.

Drug markup

Check out the markup on prescription drugs. Adbusters is starting a Prozacspotlight feature on mental health based on the premise "that all human beings are created different. That every human being has the right to be mentally free and independent."

CSPI

I came across this very informative and action-oriented web site. It is the Center for Science in the Public Interest, dealing with a good bit of nutrition and market honesty and accountability. I could spend hours reading their analysis and articles.

Ghost Cat

This is my other really short story. Again, not a winner, but a fun, quick read. There's a challenge to write something this short, and still feel like you've told an actual story that conveys a feeling, moment or emotion.

Ghost Cat
I have a pet cat. I know this to be true even though, honestly, I haven't seen it for several years. But the evidence is there -- I refill food bowls and empty litter boxes. Occasionally, I awake and there is an unexplained warmth behind the crook of my knees. But there is no visible proof. My wife gave it a cute name -- Snowball. I thought Phantom was more fitting. She got angry with me over that, telling me that was a mean name for such a nice cat. So we compromised and she let's me call it Casper after the Friendly Ghost.

Once, I was sick and had to stay home from work. I fell asleep on the couch and dreamt of something heavy yet soft on my chest, humming and vibrating the illness out of my lungs. When I awoke, I was warm and I could feel my head starting to clear. The congestion loosened in my chest.

I still cannot say I've seen our cat in many years (and sometimes I still question his existence) but in the rare mornings when I awake and the covers are warm against me, a feeling of calm comes over me and I can't help but smile knowing he's watching out for us.

Judy Blume

Judy Blume was interviewed on the Connection on Wednesday. Very entertaining. I would do a trackback to Cathy's post about banned books, but I'm not sure how...

Smell-o-phone

Cell phone being developed with a chip to detect bad breath...

Happy Birthday Deano!!
I know it's a little late, but this was the first time I was able to walk in to the other room today (due to a back and leg injury).

Guess my age

Being my birthday today, I asked one of my patients to guess my age. He looked carefully, and explained awkwardly that he doesn't look at appearances but instead takes in to account maturity, and guessed my age to be 45. He was laughing even more awkwardly as I explained that, no, I'm actually 32. Must be the gray hair.

Birthday card

I got the nicest birthday card from the staff at work today. It's nice to see that they respect the effort I try to put out there. They wrote very sincere comments.

TV spot

I taped the tv spot and it wasn't too bad. No one came in today for our Backpack Awareness Week screenings, but it's just Monday and the weather was incredible so that made things weird. It's always interesting to see yourself on tv. I've even had a few people comment that they saw me (not sure if that's good or bad...)

TV appearance

I did a little bit on the local school TV program about backpack safety. It went well, and airs tomorrow, but on the way home I just kept thinking "I should have said this... I forgot to say that... ugh!" But overall I'm very happy with it.

Call waiting

I wrote this very short story for a contest in the weekly independent newspaper about a year and a half ago. You were only allowed 200 words. This one comes in at 144, including title. No, I didn't make the cut, but thought I'd give you something to read.

Call waiting

“Hello?” she said into the lifeless, inanimate receiver, practicing sounding pleasant and welcoming, without sounding eager. “Hell-oh! He-low?”
She looked at the silent phone, the caller id screen staring blankly back.
“Ring dammit!” She shook the phone and gave it a slight squeeze.
“Is it working?” Turn it on, dial tone, off. Too quick to give a busy signal.
“Said he would call. Today. It’s almost tonight.” She twisted a strand of hair around her finger, then, straightening it, pulled it into the corner of her mouth and chewed.
“Answer on the second ring. No, between second and third.”
On, dial tone, off.
Thumbing the caller id buttons – no new calls.
On, dial tone, off.
“Ring!” Another small shake and squeeze.
Ring! “Hello!” (“Answered on the first ring. Ugh! Did I sound eager?”)
“This is a courtesy call from MCI.”
“He called!”

TB dropped off

I finally got to drop off the travel bug that I've been holding on to for so long. Perfect day for some geocaching.

Plate off

I finally got the Iowa plate off and the SC plate on. I had to go to the Nissan dealership and the guy used a grinder to take it off. So it cost me a whole 87 cents, because I had to get some new bolts. Not too bad.

Geocache miss

I tried to place a travel bug while I was in Ohio ... found a cache that I knew where it would be (in general) and it should have been easy. Well, I was wearing Birks and had to climb down an eroded hill, through some underbrush, and look under a big rock. I followed the hint, too, but couldn't find it. I even poked around with a stick. But all I got was dirty and bug bit. So I still have this TB that I've had way too long. I'm going on a hunt this weekend to find a place for it, even if it just ends up in the cache I picked it up from.

License plate defeats me

Well, I managed to get the front plate off of the car ... albeit I had to remove the bracket along with the plate. I now have both back bolts spinning, but not backing out. Hmmm...

Family reunion

We have returned from Jeni's family reunion in Ohio unscathed. Stories to follow.

Solitaire Showdown

Jeni and I played Solitaire Showdown on MSN Messenger today while I waited for my last patient at work. It was kind of fun, even though I got skunked. I've always seen the "Invite to play a game" feature but this is the first chance I've had to actually use it.

Tags still on

Well ... let's just say the Coke didn't quite do the trick, but I do now have Coke splattered on my tags. Back to the drawing board. Maybe it's time to look at liquid wrench.