This morning I removed the stupid SP2 from my computer and surprise!

I can burn DVDs and CDs again.

Wait, scratch that.

I can now burn CDs again. DVDs now will not only not burn, they can't even be read by my drive.

Suspecting that SP2 had managed to irrecovably fubar my DVD burner, I went ahead and used goback to add SP2 back to the system, and decided to go out and buy a new DVD burner.

gor-geous
adj.
1. Dazzlingly beautiful or magnificent.
2. Wonderful, delightful.

poof
interj.
1. Used to indicate a sudden vanishing.

After Friday's near-perfect evening I knew that Saturday had its work cut out for it.

As it turned out Saturday was a good night as well, though for different reasons.

My night started out with a quick visit to where VigilanteGirl works to semi-apologize for not calling her the night before as we'd semi-arranged. I think that we also semi-arranged to see each other in the morning but I'm only semi-sure about that.

I arrived at Rich O's right at 8:00, way too early but I keep saying that and it keeps happening.

The played was packed with strangers but I was able to grab a seat at the bar before too much time had passed. I ordered myself an NABC Beaks's Best, remembering how good it had been the night before.

It was still quite good, but I'm thinking that the Beaks's may not be a good choice for the first beer of a session. It was a little bitter.

I'd barely started into my beer when LaptopGirl came in and, not seeing any better prospects, she grabbed a spot at the bar next to me. (LaptopGirl hates sitting at the bar.)

Lately I've been hesitant to write anything complimentary or derogatory about LaptopGirl in this 'blog for fear of unwarranted extrapolations. Tonight I'm still a little hesitant, but I'm also a little tipsy so I'm going to say that she is one very pretty young woman and leave it at that.

Too bad she's got that conjoined-twin thing or whatever going on with her neck. (ha ha inside joke)

While I amused myself with LaptopGirl's attempts to find anyone interesting at Rich O's I enjoyed a Delirium Tremens, a very nice Belgian that I think has less alcohol than the other Belgians I've had lately.

Fairly early in the evening LaptopGirl left for greener pastures and I was left to enjoy a couple pints of Smithwick's. I'm growing more and more fond of this beer each time I drink it, so it will probably be going away soon.

At one point I tried to call VigilanteGirl (who's also waaaaay out of my league) to invite her to Rich O's but I got her voicemail instead. After waiting for a half-hour or so without hearing back from her I went home.

sur-prise
v.
1. To encounter suddenly or unexpectedly; take or catch unawares.

de-li-cious
adj.
1. Highly pleasing or agreeable to the senses, especially of taste or smell.
2. Very pleasant, delightful.

Because of my computer problems I'm writing this entry late on Saturday night.

On Friday I arrived at Rich O's and did my customary survey of the parking lot for the cars of anyone I know. I saw no familiar vehicles, so I was surprised to see LaptopGirl sitting at the bar. After a short time some people left and some other people (thanks, TallLady) changed seats so I sat at the bar and pretended to be keeping LaptopGirl company while in actuality she was so buried in a map of some hiking trail that it would have taken someone a lot more interesting than I am to get her attention.

Speaking of interesting, while I was drinking my first beer of the night, a Smithwick's, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and was delighted to see my old friend Eric and his lovely wife Terri!

Their company was exactly what I needed - not because I felt that I was lacking in companionship, just because they're good people who I knew would understand me.

Shortly after Eric and Terri arrived LaptopGirl left and sure enough, I was immediately interrogated. The difference between this occasion and every other time I've been questioned about how I'm feeling was that this time my words were taken at face value. What a relief it was to not be pitied!

Anyway, while I talked with my friends we all had some Piraat Belgian Ales. I've already written about how much I like this stuff. I don't think Eric and Terri shared my enthusiasm, for they both switched to much tamer beers (Guinness and NABC Beak's Best) for the next round.

At one point during the evening we were joined by NotGeorge and, after Eric and Terri left, NotGeorge and I spent some time talking about what perverts we both were. I had a Beak's Best myself and it was probably the best glass of that particular beer I've ever had.

Friday was one of the more enjoyable nights I've had lately. Everything was perfect. The company and the beer all flowed and blended together to form a night that relaxed and stimulated me at the same time.

My lack of entries over the last few days was not caused by a lack of things to say.

Well, may be a lack of topics played a small part, but a much larger part was played by Microsoft and their XP service pack 2.

I must have tried a half-dozen times to get that damn thing installed, and once I finally did, I realized that both my DVD burner and my CD burner had become inoperative.

At this point I've tried just about everything imaginable to get my burners working again, with no luck whatsoever.

I'd now like to state, for the record, that Microsoft sucks, SP2 sucks, and I suck for installing SP2 without completely backup my system up first.

Okay, I took all of the orphaned images and moved them into a new gallery.

That was 15 minutes of my life I'd like to have back.

I'm always seeing these cars and trucks with "Mile 0" decoractive plates on them.

Actually, I'm always seeing VigilanteGirl's car and yesterday I saw some dude's truck with "Mile 0" decorative plates.

The plate on the dude's truck cleared up the mystery for me.

Under the "Mile 0" it said in small print "Key West, Florida."

So now I know what these plates mean and I can finally get some sleep.

bril-liant
adj.
1. Marked by unusual and impressive intellectual acuteness.

What a dumbass.

When I redid the site layout - specifically when I switched to a two-column layout - I had to shrink all of my CGI galleries from 15 down to 12 images each so the thumbnail bar would fit on a page.

In my haste, however, I forgot to tell the images that they were being reshuffled.

Without getting too technical, I've managed to take one-fifth of all of my favorite images and make them virtually inaccessible except via the cumbersome All Images page.

I can't correct this until I get home.

wan-der-lust
n.
1. A very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.

So I've been thinking about taking a trip.

I've got all these skymiles to use up before Delta goes out of business, and there are places I'd really like to see.

I'd like to travel to New England and across the Northern states to get those colored in on my map.

I'd like to visit the Southwest because it's very cool there. Actually anywhere with some mountains would be nice.

I also need to make it to Hawaii someday. That trip, after all, is what I've been saving my miles for. It just seems a little too depressing to go to Hawaii by myself, and there's no one I'd care to go there with.

Hell I might as well think big and envision a kind of world tour. My previous out-of-country trips were all during the first Gulf War and there was no time for sightseeing.

The thing is, after spending the first 18 years of my life in a total of 2 houses, I then spent the next 15 years never staying at any one place for more than about 21 months.

I've now completely shattered that pattern. This December will mark my 5th anniversary in this house.

Not that I want to move or anything. I'd just like to get away for a while. Ideally for several weeks, but even a long weekend would be refreshing if I could spend it away from the places and people that populate my everyday life. Just to have a change of pace, you know.

I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon. My vacation days are already taken up each year by the Derby City Classic pool tournament. In a couple more years at my job I'll get another week of vacation so maybe then I'll get that chance to go out and enjoy my own company again like I used to.

These days I get all caught up in other things and other people and the time I do spend by myself is spent doing the same things over and over.

Sometime I miss the old days where I was answerable to nobody but myself.

Sometimes I miss me.

claus-tro-pho-bic
adj.
1. Relating to or suffering from claustrophobia; Uncomfortably closed or hemmed in.

potential
n.
1. The inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or coming into being.

Tonight wasn't the most comfortable night I've ever had.

Rich O's was fairly empty. I started out sitting in the living room area with some of the regulars, but when more people joined us I felt a little crowded.

I moved over to the island area thinking this would allow me to drink my beer (a Rogue Dead Guy Ale) in peace.

(Belushi) But noooooooooooooooo! (/Belushi)

All of the regulars followed me to the island area and continued to yap amongst themselves.

Somehow I managed to suffer through the evening with my Dead Guy and my Alaskan Smoked Ported (Yum!) and after those two beers I left.

I went to meet MysteryLady in order to decipher the cryptic voice message I'd been left earlier. Instead of clearing things up I'm now afraid that I've managed to blur the situation.

I had to be a little forceful I'm afraid, reminding her that this arrangement (such as it is) was all her idea and that she'd promised to be able to deal with it.

The alternative is simply too risky and now I seem to be the only one who realizes that fact.

Found out this morning that my niece Bethany has been nominated for Homecoming Queen!

My sister is very excited.

My question is, "Why even bother to vote?" I haven't seen any of the other girls but I already know that Bethany should win.

I mean, who could compete with Beffie?