I finished with the huge project mostly, it's already slated for one catalog for next year and our calendar (which if I'm not featured on at least 8* of the 12 months I've obviously slipped).
The impressive part is I basically came in and had to rebuild everything.
* Mowers get a participant month and each hardscape crew gets one month (2 other crews), and the excavator crew gets one.
How long ago were you there?2011.
From what I've gathered from the locals, it's changed a lot since then, especially in the last 5-10 years. And by "changed," I mean "grown like an out-of-control tumor."
The brief version is that property developers came in and bought out all the farmers on the outskirts of town, then turned all of north-central Polk County into one giant HOA surrounded by acres of strip malls and shiny new warehouses. As of right now, Ankeny's in the same size category as Sioux City and Davenport.
Parts of it are really eerie, like the shopping center designed to look like the downtown of a small town, complete with mock second-story apartment windows. Or the block of miniature replica New York brownstones plopped in the middle of an empty field. The list goes on.
Doesn't surprise me - kinda similar pattern to the St. Louis area when I was a kid.
I was over in Bondurant and only ended up in Ankeny once or twice - was exploring backroads because I wasn't in the mood for getting on the highways back to Des Moines.
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Has anyone seen Borderlands movie already?
Since I saw a trailer, I am expecting a trainwreck... But is it a flaming trashcan, or a disaster?
I haven't seen it, but there was actually an article noting that so far it had a perfect 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. By the time I went there it was up to 3%, but that ONE positive review basically said, "Anyone who isn't a Cate Blanchett fan will hate this movie."
Not exactly positive so far...
Has anyone seen Borderlands movie already?
Since I saw a trailer, I am expecting a trainwreck... But is it a flaming trashcan, or a disaster?
I haven't seen it, but there was actually an article noting that so far it had a perfect 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. By the time I went there it was up to 3%, but that ONE positive review basically said, "Anyone who isn't a Cate Blanchett fan will hate this movie."
Not exactly positive so far...
When YouTuber during a review cites as the main strong point of the movie that it is short, it is not a good sign...
Owlie!
Owlie!
Whats an owlie?
Whats an owlie?Owlie!
Looks like a hawk to me.
Though I also need to replace my screen protector.
Whats an owlie?Owlie!Looks like a hawk to me.
Though I also need to replace my screen protector.
If you look through the photos, there are (at least) two birds.
The one in two videos (and one photo, I think), is an owl (Owlie!). The other is a hawk, or maybe a falcon?
The one with the hunched shoulders looking angry is an eagle. The one the falconer is holding and in the videos was some kind of owl from Eurasia. There was also a falcon he flew over us a couple of times and a Harris hawk.
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Eurasian eagle owl I think
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When YouTuber during a review cites as the main strong point of the movie that it is short, it is not a good sign...Has anyone seen Borderlands movie already?
Since I saw a trailer, I am expecting a trainwreck... But is it a flaming trashcan, or a disaster?
I haven't seen it, but there was actually an article noting that so far it had a perfect 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. By the time I went there it was up to 3%, but that ONE positive review basically said, "Anyone who isn't a Cate Blanchett fan will hate this movie."
Not exactly positive so far...
Now, I have to say that it seems that the best thing that came out of that movie are hilarious reviews about how bad it is. I have seen about three so far.
Now, I have to say that it seems that the best thing that came out of that movie are hilarious reviews about how bad it is. I have seen about three so far.When YouTuber during a review cites as the main strong point of the movie that it is short, it is not a good sign...Has anyone seen Borderlands movie already?
Since I saw a trailer, I am expecting a trainwreck... But is it a flaming trashcan, or a disaster?
I haven't seen it, but there was actually an article noting that so far it had a perfect 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. By the time I went there it was up to 3%, but that ONE positive review basically said, "Anyone who isn't a Cate Blanchett fan will hate this movie."
Not exactly positive so far...
After I'm finished with work today (cutting and gluing the wall caps on a big project) I plan on getting super baked and seeing it at the movie theater as a treat for myself.
After I'm finished with work today (cutting and gluing the wall caps on a big project) I plan on getting super baked and seeing it at the movie theater as a treat for myself.Now, I have to say that it seems that the best thing that came out of that movie are hilarious reviews about how bad it is. I have seen about three so far.When YouTuber during a review cites as the main strong point of the movie that it is short, it is not a good sign...Has anyone seen Borderlands movie already?
Since I saw a trailer, I am expecting a trainwreck... But is it a flaming trashcan, or a disaster?
I haven't seen it, but there was actually an article noting that so far it had a perfect 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. By the time I went there it was up to 3%, but that ONE positive review basically said, "Anyone who isn't a Cate Blanchett fan will hate this movie."
Not exactly positive so far...
From the reviews I gather you might end doing yourself a disservice...
One of the reviewers fell asleep (allegedly, for the first time ever for him in the cinema), and folks from the group he was with envied him.
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Drejk PM
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the reality of it still hasn't set in.
this past Tuesday morning, one of my two best friends died. he was a single (divorced) father of four. he had celebrated his 46th birthday just Monday. over the last two years, he had opened his home to host our regular game sessions, both for my post-KotOR II Star Wars homebrew, and my current fantasy homebrew game. he was an excellent roleplayer, and devilishly clever when it came to driving the narrative forward in any ttrpg i'd played alongside him. in many ways, he was the heart of my regular group. i'll miss him, and likely more than i can truly understand at this point.
i'm not bringing this up simply to remark upon and/or mourn the loss, though, but to get some feedback from any of you who may be willing to venture into the weeds. i'm going to spoiler most, if not all, of what follows, because i believe it's fair to say that it gets pretty grim from here.
Warpriest, Witcher, and i all graduated high school the same year. Warpriest and i ventured farther out into the world; Witcher stayed in our hometown. Warpriest and Witcher got married and started families; i got married and divorced before either of them made their vows, if i remember correctly. eventually, Warpriest and i moved back home, and over several years we three eventually reconnected. by that time, Warpriest had had his four children, and his wife had filed for and gotten her divorce (i phrase it this way because Warpriest didn't want it).
Magus is Warpriest's second child.
Tuesday, Magus skipped school, and at some point in the morning went downstairs to check on Warpriest, and found him cold and unresponsive. the calls were made, the family gathered, and after some time the text notification to Witcher and me was sent. i woke up to the news, and was gut-punched.
i cannot fathom what Magus is feeling. what he felt. he had already been confronted with the possibility of Warpriest's mortality a couple of months before, as he was the only person on-scene when Warpriest had his first heart attack (this is our tentative guess for cause of death). he's a solid young man, and loves his father deeply. i haven't gotten to see him in person, yet, so i can't well gauge exactly where he is with this tragedy, but he's tough, and seems to be holding together rather well.
the part that worries me isn't Magus, or his older brother, or his younger sister -- it's his little brother, and their mother. this is where my personal bias enters the frame most clearly: i think Warpriest's ex is an indisputable idiot. and Magus' little brother is special needs: very much on the "difficult" end of the autistic spectrum. in and of itself, those two components aren't necessarily alarming -- i think we all know of parents who might not make good decisions still managing to love and raise their children well.
but Warpriest's ex made a recent decision that only came to light in the last two weeks, and its potential to go abso-f+@#ing-lutely sideways in the worst possible manner is astounding.
evidently, War-Ex (for brevity) let the four kids stay with Warpriest on Mothers' Day weekend (weird, right?) . . . and went and married a guy she had only known for two weeks. and she kept it a secret. from the kids, from the family, from Warpriest. apparently, it was only a slip of the tongue in a conversation two weeks ago that dumped the news on everyone.
to say that Warpriest was incensed is an understatement. for as long as i've known him, he's been a volatile person (and justifiably so -- long, long story; suffice to say that he has overcome a great deal to live as stable a life as he did, and provided for those kids, and his friends). his hotheadedness back in high school was legendary, and i've never seen or heard him react to anything in the way he broke this news to me and Witcher.
i'm not suggesting that War-Ex's Newb is a bad guy -- but i know Magus didn't take to the news very well, and he's had some exposure to Newb.
but nobody knows who this guy is. "he ain't from around here, y'know?" so there's that unfamiliarity already in play, and then the secrecy surrounding this new marital bond is . . . it's just alarming. and when i look at those things and acknowledge Magus' younger brother's vulnerability . . . . that just takes it to another level for me.
i've communicated my love and support to Magus, and plainly told him that he can bring anything to me that he feels he should. but that's easily seen as just another stack of "event-appropriate" platitudes; he might not grasp just how serious i am.
maybe Newb is good for War-Ex, and good for the kids, and we just don't see it yet. i hope that's the case. but i can't help but feel . . . unsettled . . . by the ramifications of this new reality.
i have no valid legal claims; i have insufficient socioeconomic clout to achieve anything, should real aid become necessary . . . . but i'm trying to make sure that Magus knows i'd be more than happy to remain an active part of his life. it may be of great help in the present, and maybe even moreso in the future.
i'm not trying to inject myself into that murky dynamic; i'm just trying to leave an avenue of communication open to Magus if he ever feels he needs it. just a "steady on" approach.
am i correct in feeling/thinking that some 'alert attention' is justified here, FaWtLies? or am i just projecting too much paranoia with a dash of hero complex?
--------------------
i miss my friend. i want the best for his kids, even if my part in their tales is already ended.
i'm sure most of that came out as a garbled mess. i'm looking for some validation, tempered by wise counsel -- i figured touching base with y'all was a good idea. wordify away, please.
thanks, gang.
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Drejk PM
That was very generous in comparison to other reviews...
Pengiunz0: "If you haven't seen the movie, I am jealous..."
:D
i'm sure most of that came out as a garbled mess. i'm looking for some validation, tempered by wise counsel -- i figured touching base with y'all was a good idea. wordify away, please.
Marriage after knowing each other for two weeks is a big warning sign, indeed. Being warry about the kids' mother's new relation is not unjustified. At best it means that sheer chemistry overrode any rational thought.
the reality of it still hasn't set in.
this past Tuesday morning, one of my two best friends died. he was a single (divorced) father of four. he had celebrated his 46th birthday just Monday. over the last two years, he had opened his home to host our regular game sessions, both for my post-KotOR II Star Wars homebrew, and my current fantasy homebrew game. he was an excellent roleplayer, and devilishly clever when it came to driving the narrative forward in any ttrpg i'd played alongside him. in many ways, he was the heart of my regular group. i'll miss him, and likely more than i can truly understand at this point.
i'm not bringing this up simply to remark upon and/or mourn the loss, though, but to get some feedback from any of you who may be willing to venture into the weeds. i'm going to spoiler most, if not all, of what follows, because i believe it's fair to say that it gets pretty grim from here.
** spoiler omitted **...
Worth keeping a close eye on, certainly.
I'm a construction foreman, this is outside my area of expertise.
I can take you out for a beer and complain about my ex-wife or give you a hammer chisel and some safety glasses and let you go to town on some old pavers but otherwise I've got nothing.
thank you for the feedback, folks.
cap, if i ever manage to actually visit the town my mother spent many of her formative years inhabiting (Toma), i'll take you up on that beer and an ear -- i can listen. i might even break some pavers with ya.
Dancing, i certainly appreciate the simplicity and clarity of what you shared. i think the "uncle-by-friendship" concept is spot-on. Magus has been spending the majority of his time with his peers/friends lately, and it sounds like the distraction and engagement have been a help to him -- life is going on, and he's being active in it. so that's excellent. i'm glad to be "here if he needs me".
Witcher and i got to hang out for a while last night, and i can tell that he's definitely uncertain about how to grapple with these things in the present, but we touched upon our concerns and considerations plainly. this isn't the first time he and i have lost a friend unexpectedly, so we've been here before, even if that was nearly twenty years ago. we're both committed to honoring Warpriest's memory and his family as best we can.
i'm also glad to read that Drejk and Limey don't find my wariness excessive or foolish. thanks, fellows.
welcoming and watchful. i guess those are our buzzwords in the now.
-------------------
in other news, today is the day i take my parents out to lunch to celebrate Mom's birthday. she turned 68 yesterday! it seems like only yesterday that she and i would walk down the road to the shop beside the railroad tracks so i could get a Nugrape and some bubble gum . . . more than four decades ago . . . .
i'm not old. time's just dragging on.
chat more with y'all later. love ya, folks. :)
Syrus, I'd be concerned too.
You already know your legal limitations. The only thing you can do is follow through with Magus and help guide him through his options if he wants that advice. Obviously I don't know the kid, but my experience tells me don't push too hard. You don't want him feeling like you're trying to replace Warpriest.
Also...*hugs*.
Don't confuse your grief with others' grief for Warpriest. Knowing the difference isn't always the same as recognizing it in the moment.
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Fantasy Monster: Judgmental Owl
Don't mind its presence. It doesn't judge you... Yet.
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thanks, Vany.
i *am* trying "not to try" with Magus, though i may have overdone it a bit in the last couple of days. i'm making a conscious effort to not be obtrusive. the last thing he needs is somebody meddling. i think i've said and done all i can and should until he communicates otherwise.
and i hadn't quite thought of it all in the same way you phrased it, but i wonder if i might be in a mode of being more concerned with others' sense of loss than my own. i don't know. in tandem with what i said above, i'm probably just going to keep to myself more for a while.
we'll see what it's like when it really catches up to me. tonight's game session will probably be the first true test. i'm here for it.
gaming is (a good part of) life. gamers are family.
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...this past Tuesday morning, one of my two best friends died...
** spoiler omitted **...
Sorry for being so late in responding, but Travel Hell as only American Airlines can seem to manage.
You've already received excellent advice:
(1) Every person grieves in their own way. There is no "template for grief". Allow yourself to feel the way you do, allow Magus to feel the way he does, and neither of you can possibly be "wrong". The test will be, "How often should you reach out to Magus to let him know you're there for him?"
I'm no expert, having failed this test a fair number of times, but I'd think checking in with him once a week and asking, "How are you doing? Did you want to talk about anything? Well, OK. Just wanted to keep letting you know that I'm here if you need me." Magus will hopefully let you know if younger sibling needs help, or if once a week is too often.
(2) "Alert attention" doesn't even scratch the surface. When my best friend committed suicide at 24, our entire group was shaken to the core. He was the driving force that kept us together, and nobody was enough aware of this to keep the games and gatherings running. Shortly thereafter, and you'll recognize this, one of our group members told us he was engaged to a woman none of us had ever met. When we questioned the wisdom of this, she encouraged him to close off all communication with us because we were obviously toxic influences and he did, in spite of all of us warning him that he was being manipulated. And that was the end of our group. I still see three of them once every 10-15 years, but the combination of a death and a two-week marriage ended everything for us, so paying careful attention right now is the best thing you can possibly do.
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Speaking of Plane Hell, after all these years we finally have a confirmed case of COVID in the house. Needless to say, it was from our plane flight to the South. Someone gave it to GothBard, she was bedridden with something that didn't seem at all like the COVID descriptions on Wednesday, then while she was recovering I showed symptoms on Friday and Saturday. At Impus Minor's urging, I just tested myself and I'm positive.
Can't say I've never had it any more.
NobodysHome Disapproves -5
(Yeah, that might seem like a low score, but, "You're tired, you have a moderate fever (101.6°F), and you have to stay in the house and not socialize with anyone," isn't that much of a punishment for me in particular.)
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...and you have to stay in the house and not socialize with anyone...
Are you bragging or complaining?
i hope you recover quickly, NH. i had my two cases of it post-vax, and the vax was worse. and coming from a 20-year smoker with a lifetime history of horrible upper respiratory infections, saying that COVID was a mild annoyance is, well, saying something. i hope your symptoms stay as they are, chief. take care of yourself.
Speaking of Plane Hell, after all these years we finally have a confirmed case of COVID in the house. Needless to say, it was from our plane flight to the South. Someone gave it to GothBard, she was bedridden with something that didn't seem at all like the COVID descriptions on Wednesday, then while she was recovering I showed symptoms on Friday and Saturday. At Impus Minor's urging, I just tested myself and I'm positive.
Can't say I've never had it any more.
NobodysHome Disapproves -5
(Yeah, that might seem like a low score, but, "You're tired, you have a moderate fever (101.6°F), and you have to stay in the house and not socialize with anyone," isn't that much of a punishment for me in particular.)
Please take care of everyone including yourself. Let us know if you need anything.
the reality of it still hasn't set in.
this past Tuesday morning, one of my two best friends died. he was a single (divorced) father of four. he had celebrated his 46th birthday just Monday. over the last two years, he had opened his home to host our regular game sessions, both for my post-KotOR II Star Wars homebrew, and my current fantasy homebrew game. he was an excellent roleplayer, and devilishly clever when it came to driving the narrative forward in any ttrpg i'd played alongside him. in many ways, he was the heart of my regular group. i'll miss him, and likely more than i can truly understand at this point.
i'm not bringing this up simply to remark upon and/or mourn the loss, though, but to get some feedback from any of you who may be willing to venture into the weeds. i'm going to spoiler most, if not all, of what follows, because i believe it's fair to say that it gets pretty grim from here.
** spoiler omitted **...
I am so very sorry. This is a true loss, and i hope you are able to lean on the people you share with him and those around you.
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I just got a call that I will get a raise (yaaaay!) around September, but it will mean that I will have to work more (boooo! hisss!).
I am feeling weird.
It might be side effect of waking too early, though, and not having enough rest over the last few days because of completely borked sleep pattern, or lack thereof.
i might be way off the mark here, but isn't more pay for more work . . . just . . . more of the same?
regardless, i hope the increase in zloty makes life more livable for our dragon-in-residence! congrats (-ish), and keep on workin'!!
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I think he's booing the added responsibility.
*SIGH*. I had to take the day off work, but my fever finally broke and it seems like spending the day in bed has helped me mostly recover -- I'm weak and sleepy but haven't broken 100˚F today...
...and now Impus Major is showing mild symptoms.
Guess it's lots of takeout and in-house gaming this week.
Just watched a video: "Who would win in a hot dog eating contest? A professional eater or a grizzly bear?"
I was honestly curious because professional eaters go to tremendous lengths to expand their stomachs, and I didn't think hot dogs would be so appealing to a grizzly that they'd do anything more than casually nibble, giving the competitive eater a solid chance in any contest with a time limit or a finite number of dogs (which this one was).
Aren't bears fond of trash foods anyway?
My guess? It took the grizzly a while to recognize amount of salt and fat inside (and possibly sugar, depending if it was in the bun or not).
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Yeah, I would have expected the bear to go at the hotdogs with great gusto.
Reminds me of the first time I gave my dog a shrimp. She nibbled a bit, then spit it out. I went to pick it up and throw it away. Then she wanted it. And after eating it she developed a definite taste for shrimp.
First rule of handling wolves. Do not, under any circumstances, let them know you're made of meat.
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First rule of handling wolves. Do not, under any circumstances, let them know you're made of meat.
too late.
No really I met a wolf once a long time ago at a zoo. First thing he did was start licking me.
He was tasting me.
He was tasting me.
Being a salt lick is fine...
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Being a salt lick is fine...
He was tasting me.
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OK. I've tiraded about it to the point you're all likely sick of hearing it.
But again: An executive schedules a mandatory meeting for over 5,000 of his reports, all of whom make over $60/hour, or $1/minute. Then he's 5 minutes late. That's $25,000 down the tubes 'cause he can't be bothered to show up on time. (And no, even our execs don't make $5,000/minute.). Then he's woefully unready -- he doesn't have his presentation open, he can't find his notes, and we lose another 4-5 minutes as he figures out what the heck he's doing.
Would it be SO hard to schedule the meeting at 8:40 am so you can be actually ready to start it?
EDIT: My best analogy: If every 3 months I told the kids we were having a 5:00 pm meeting to plan vacation and car stuff for the next 3 months, then I was 5 minutes late and showed up with no idea what I was doing, they'd stop showing up and no would no longer pay any attention to the meetings. Which is pretty much what's happened to me. I have it on in the background, but I couldn't even give you a 3-sentence summary of it.
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That's why I have the "you have five minutes to explain everything before I casually fire up my saw" rule.
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That's why I have the "you have five minutes to explain everything before I casually fire up my saw" rule.
LOL. I would love to fire up a saw during most of these meetings!
Even if they started on time, they're a bunch of, "Rah, rah! Look how great our company is! Look at all the stickers we give you for being good little employees!" morale-fests that I've been disdainful of since before I even had a career. Listen to the Dead Kennedys for 15 minutes and you'll know just how much I loooooove fake corporate loyalty.
So yeah, not a fan in the first place, THEN they throw in being 10 minutes late to start every meeting and I'm at the point of putting them on, minimizing them, and ignoring them.
There are three (3) execs whose meetings are, "Here's our agenda. We're starting right on time. OK. Agenda item 1: Bang!"
To no one's surprise, when one of those three execs schedules a meeting I actually set aside time to listen. Any of the others? I'll be working while you're talking, thanks.
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i can't watch a single YouTube clip without seeing Harris plastered across my screen, asking for money i don't have to spare. or Walz talking about the "right to safety from guns" or somesuch. i think i've gotten two Trump-associated ads in the last three weeks.
yep, i've got opinions. yes, you'd likely think that because of my upbringing i'd be more likely to vote Democratic. yes, i've voted Democratic in the past.
but everybody knows where i stand in this.
i'm completely fed up with political advertising, no matter from which side it comes.
i can't wait for November the fifth.
till then, f&%! the algorithm, and the company pushing it.
in other news, the weather has been quite pleasant for the month of August -- the temperature has gotten down into the upper 60s in the early morning a few times. the yard is in decent shape, the dogs seem content, and it's nice to sit on the porch for a few hours at a stretch, just relaxing. the world is absurd and nonsensical, but i'm generally okay.
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** spoiler omitted **
in other news, the weather has been quite pleasant for the month of August -- the temperature has gotten down into the upper 60s in the early morning a few times. the yard is in decent shape, the dogs seem content, and it's nice to sit on the porch for a few hours at a stretch, just relaxing. the world is absurd and nonsensical, but i'm generally okay.
I find it bizarre that I don't get political ads for candidates; I must break some algorithm somewhere.
But yeah, now that we're back from Kentucky every YouTube video comes with at least three "vote Yes/No on Proposition ABCXYZ" idiocies. Which I honestly find fun, because I listen carefully to the ad, assume that every single thing they say is a lie, and then try to figure out what the proposition actually says.
Unfortunately, I'm usually wrong, because the ads have nothing whatsoever to do with anything remotely related to the actual text.
Have I mentioned how proud I am of my kids' generation lately?
So I'm the only one who's tested positive for COVID, but since Impus Major has minor symptoms he assumed he did and canceled all his social plans for the week. Impus Minor has shown no symptoms and was the farthest from any of us on the whole trip, so he's very likely to be uninfected...
...but he still swung by the drug store over lunch to pick up a bunch of COVID tests so he could test himself before going to visit his friends.
It's not really hard; it just takes being conscious of being infectious. There's even a great MythBusters on the subject.
EDIT: And he was even rewarded for his diligence: His test came back negative.