Ramblin' Man


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Scarab Sages

Ye gods, I really have grown to despise the Thanksgiving holiday. Mostly, it's because I hate travelling, which my wife insists upon. My own condition is that we have to spend our nights at my mother's house, not her parent's house.

It's not that I dislike her parents. They're cool. However, their house is just not set up to be hospitable to visitors. The only guest bed they have is a futon. The only shower they have is the one in the bathroom off my in-laws bedroom.

At my mother's house, we'll at least have an actual bed to sleep in, and a bathroom with shower all to ourselves.

Scarab Sages

Of course, the fact her parent's and my mother live maybe 10-15 minutes away from each other makes things a lot easier.

Scarab Sages

Still, it's really more about the traveling itself. We pretty much eat up a full day going there, and a full day getting back. All of that on the road, with its attendant traffic, sometimes crappy weather, and whiny kids. Plus, I prefer to stay in my comfort zone, so to speak.

Scarab Sages

In the long run, it was either this or Christmas. So I chose this. My wife really just wanted to give the grandparents (i.e. her parents) time to see the grandkids. I just don't see why it's always us who has to make the effort, and not them.

Scarab Sages

It's similar to why I pretty much have no real friends. Those to whom I was close live far away, and I always inevitably fall out of touch with them. I used to try keeping in contact, until I started realizing I was the only one who tried.

Scarab Sages

Hey, though! At least the sun is shining! And though it started off as a somewhat cold morning, hovering right around freezing temps, it's supposed to get up around 60 degF! WOOT!!!

Scarab Sages

A bunch of FB memories of my dad today. In one of them, he was standing at the stove, cooking something. It took me a few minutes to realize I was wearing the same shirt he had on in the picture, which I acquired from is closet (since none of my brothers wanted it) about a year ago.

Scarab Sages

Then, while watching TV with the kidlets, I was reminded of a story from long ago (30+ years). Back when I first started hunting, my dad would put me in a deer stand near his. So, one morning, as he was walking me to my stand, we were stalked by a small group of coyotes.

Eventually, my dad shot one of them, and dragged it's carcass off for the others to munch on.

Scarab Sages

I am beginning to suspect such a thing as cow telepathy exists.

Scarab Sages

Well, weather-wise, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. I guess I should get around to putting up my Christmas decorations.


I try to not put up my decorations when it's this warm. It feels like inviting trouble...

Scarab Sages

Our Cub Scout pack participated in Wreaths Across America yesterday, here in Houston. It was a really good thing for the scouts to see, I think, the honoring of fallen soldiers.

The number heard was about 17,000 participants. Dan Crenshaw, one of our newly elected representatives (and a war hero), was master of ceremonies. That thrilled my nephew (a Boy Scout there with his troop), who is a big fan of Crenshaw.

Scarab Sages

Listen! Do you smell something?

sniff sniff

Smells like....a beer can chicken day. Mmmmmm....

Scarab Sages

So...there's this artwork on this website, on the page announcing registration for Paizocon is now open. It shows three characters, one of which is the Paizo Golem. The other two, however, look like a couple of 12 year old kids playing dress up.

Scarab Sages

Time for my (to me) obligatory occasional post. Not sure why I bother anymore, but I do.

Scarab Sages

Whoa! It's been almost a month since my last post around here.

Scarab Sages

Lately, I've had the sneaking suspicion that my career as an engineer is over and done. It's not a reality I wish to face, since I have no idea what I would do for a living moving forward.

Scarab Sages

I wonder if someone would pay me just to show up and be a cranky, middle-aged man.

Scarab Sages

At least the sun is shining.

Scarab Sages

At long last, my eyes have succumbed to the ravages of time. I now have prescription reading glasses.

It started about a month back, when I was reading one night. I noticed something was off, so went about closing one eye, then the other. Turns out my left eye was more blurry than the right.

After putting the glasses on for the first time, I began to realize that while the left was worse, it did not mean the right eye was without its own problems.

Scarab Sages

Still, I am the last of my four brothers to need glasses, and got away without them for over 4 decades. So, silver lining.

Scarab Sages

My boy turns 8 years old tomorrow. Where has the time gone....?


Happy Birthday to him?

Scarab Sages

Sharoth wrote:
Happy Birthday to him?

Yeah, it was a pretty good day for him. He got what he asked for - a calculator. And we had the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet that night, so he had fun there.

Scarab Sages

My boy and I were supposed to have gone camping this weekend, with his Cub Scout pack. Sadly, the leadership was afraid of the weather and cancelled.

So, to partially make up for it, he and I went to see the new How to Train Your Dragon movie yesterday. He had been wanting to see it, and since his sister already had via a daycare field trip, I figured he deserved it.

It was entertaining, but not the kind of movie I would choose to see. He enjoyed it, though, so that's all that matters.

Scarab Sages

Granted, the camping trip being cancelled was probably a good thing for me. I've been fighting a cold since Tuesday, and being out in the chilly, wet woods probably wouldn't have been good for me. I was fully prepared to suffer through it, however, for the sake of my scouts and making sure they get closer to earning their Wolf badges.

Would that their parents were as determined.

Scarab Sages

We had a few days of cold weather. Then we had even fewer days of sunshine. Now we're back to warm weather, but the sunshine is gone.

Scarab Sages

I weep with sorrow.

My old, original xbox has seemingly finally shit the bed. Sucks, because I was damn near finished replaying Knights of the Old Republic.

Scarab Sages

Might be a blessing in disguise. If I keep running out of things to procrastinate with, I might finally get off my ass and try to put some semblance of a career back together.

Scarab Sages

Maybe not an engineering career, however. Unless I go crazy and start my own business.

I have some thoughts on that......

Scarab Sages

My poor baby girl had a touch of the flu. Thanks to the flu shot she got last October, however, it only lasted about a day and a half.

Scarab Sages

After several years of failed attempts, I have finally managed to institute a somewhat regular dinner schedule for the family. Monday is pork chops and french fries (baked potato for the wife and I). Tuesday is red beans and rice. Wednesday is spaghetti and mini pizza breads. Thursday is stir fry (usually chicken) for the grown ups and Sonic for the kidlets. Friday is pizza (and Family Movie Night).

Huzzah for regularity!

Scarab Sages

Saturdays and Sundays are still variable.

Scarab Sages

Incidentally, I've also adjusted the way I cook red beans now.

I used to smoke a pork loin wrapped in bacon the day before, then use some of the left over pork and all the bacon in the red beans.

Now I smoke a pork butt instead, and use some left over of that in my red beans. It comes out a little more tender, and has the added benefit of supplying us with sammich makings for a few days.

I still use bacon as well. I smoke it on a separate grate. Maple bacon. Mmmmmm….

Scarab Sages

They boy and I marched with other scouts at the head of the local St. Patrick's Day Parade yesterday. I'm proud of him for not complaining once the during the entire route walk. And he had fun, which is even better.

Scarab Sages

I was amazed, however, at the number of parade walkers who didn't make plans to have vehicles at the end of the route to get them back to their cars at the beginning.

Scarab Sages

Dropping my baby girl off in her daycare class, one of the other kids very politely opened the door for us. I told him "Thank you, young man." He and another boy then spent the next two minutes referring to me as "young man". My loving daughter kindly informed them I am not, in fact, a young man.

Scarab Sages

I continue to be disappointed by my Frigidaire appliances. I do not currently see myself ever willingly buying another one of their products.

Scarab Sages

Well, it's good to see some old posters are still off their meds.

Scarab Sages

I've been toying with the idea of shutting down my LinkedIn account, seeing as it's pretty much useless and pointless.

Scarab Sages

As for other social media....

I keep wanting to suggest to the Facebook people they should divide "Friends" into three categories: Friends, Family and Acquaintances.

Or, in my case, just Family and Acquaintances.


Mr Aber Zombie,

I completely agree with the Frigidaire sucky company and products though have found a happy American Company in Kitchen Aid used the mixer for a while. Now just got a dish washer and I love it.

Scarab Sages

I have come to the conclusion that although a decision may not be "wrong", that does not necessarily mean it was "right". I have somewhat become living proof of this idea.

I have, in recent years, made decisions that were not "wrong" decisions, but they were most definitely (in hindsight) "not right".

Scarab Sages

Thus leaving me in a position I once swore I would never be in. I should have listened to my instincts lo those several years ago.


Aberzombie wrote:
Thus leaving me in a position I once swore I would never be in. I should have listened to my instincts lo those several years ago.

Doesn't sound like a good position sorry my friend. Hopefully it will work out for you.

Scarab Sages

Yesterday I found a large toy dinosaur with all my baby girl's princess Little People piled up between its feet. I asked her if the dinosaur was protecting the princesses, or planning to eat them.

Thankfully, she said he was protecting.

Scarab Sages

Stoopid thunderstorm. Now I have to reset a bunch of clocks.

Scarab Sages

My hands, however, still smell of smoke and maple bacon. So things aren't all bad.

Scarab Sages

A beautiful morning. A bit cloudy, some light sprinkles, with a nice cool breeze,

Scarab Sages

Like his father, my boy is not much for roller skating.

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