So I've tried to stay as calm and rational as possible in reading news about the RNC, McCain, Palin, et al.

But then I read a blog item that referred to Palin as "Caribou Barbie."

And I laughed and laughed and laughed.

(and then I laughed some more!)

((in fact, I'm still laughing ...)

As of July 3, when my next scheduled payment is made, I will, finally, after much, much longer than I care to admit, have a ZERO balance on my credit card. What a wonderful feeling ... cathartic, actually.

My immediate, visceral thought is: "Wow, I should go buy something to celebrate and then drink lots of beer ... and buy lots of drinks for friends to celebrate too!" ... But then, that's how I got in that bind in the first place.

So, instead, I will sock away the money I've been madly shoveling toward my credit card company and use it down the road on something worthwhile ... a house/condo/flat, perhaps?

They fired the first shot.

It was a divebombing of disgusting proportions. Pigeons, a pair to be exact, and they must be stopped from turning my lovely fifth-floor San Diego balcony with a view into their own personal toilet.

I responded with SHINY THINGS -- CDs tied to the railing with dental floss -- that seemed to work beautifully in the daytime, reflecting sunlight and frightening the poop machines away. And seeing as there's nothing on my porch to to make a home on, I figured I was pigeon free.

I figured wrong.

Came home from work last night, looked out on the patio, and the two little buggers were asleep, squeezed tightly together on top of my 1-foot-by-1/2-foot patio light fixture (and, yes, there was a pile o' bird crap on the concrete underneath ... eww).

One "love tap" with a broom later, and off they went! I turned on the patio light and they didn't return. But I really don't want to leave the patio light on all night, every night, so I'll have to pigeon-proof that fixture somehow as well.

I fear the war has only begun. Any (non-violent) suggestions from the war council?

It's not new, but it still is superb:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My0FyN72Phc

and the album also features one of my favorite singer/songwriters ever -- Danny Greaves --- AND the newer album is even better, including:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz7PVHgkXeY

(sorry, I'm not all up on the embedding stuff ... but enjoy!)

I originally joined LJ as an attempt to help myself lose some weight, and it's high time I get back to that original motive. Post-TBRU seems like the perfect time to do that ... almost cold turkey-ish after a long, wonderful weekend of beer/jello shot/rich food indulgence.

... Short aside on the TBRU: Wow and double wow, what a great time! Met many new, wondrous peeps, finally got to hang out with some awesome guys I've known online for ages and even ran into a few Raleigh-ites, which was awesome. And the SD crew? Quite simply, they rock. Hard. .... Love it. ... OK, back to the originally scheduled programming ...

1. Can I just say that I dig living in a small, 1-bedroom apartment in a town where neither heat nor AC is needed (ever).

My SDG&E payment for January: $20.69.  I don't think I've chortled so much after opening a bill!

2. My health benefits at work have kicked in, and I'm hunting for a good doctor in the area -- I'm up for a full physical soon (been 3 years) and would like to find one relatively close by. I'm on HealthNet, so there are limitations as to the office I can go to (that whole Primary Care Physician thing). But all suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

Why, in San Diego come Jan. 18!

Yep, my brother is comin to visit me for the MLK Jr. weekend, and we'll surely be hittin the town for some beerage ... though I have to work Saturday night (blah).

Probably try to get a zoo or wild animal park trip in as well ... any other good suggestions?

... I have cable. The newly refurbished building I'm living in has 32 units. In two of them, including mine, the cable was not wired correctly during renovations. Hence, the outlets in the unit are D-E-A-D. So, they had to retrofit cable from the Cable/telephone closet on the first floor to my unit on the FIFTH floor -- it's ugly and very inelegant, but hell, it works!

Is it sad that it takes 100-plus TV channels and high-speed Internet access to make me really feel part of the world again? Yes, I think it is ... but I can live with that. :P

NOW, if they'll only get my stainless steel refrigerator fixed so I can get rid of this dumpy, stinky rental one i'm saddled with now ... sigh.

In other news, made first trip to the SD Zoo on Sunday with bearxxl and a small group of cool guys. Lots of walking but a good time was had by all. It's a very cool thing to have so close by. I bought a membership, so there will be many other trips to there and the Wild Animal Park.

I have guest passes too for those who visit ... so visit!

Oh yeah, my new workplace has a gym, so I'll be starting back up with workouts this week and will be getting back to the original aim of this journal, which was to help me get into better shape.

Made it to my new home, San Diego, but it was a heckuva drive. The last day/night, through torrential rains, wind, fog, crappy drivers, etc., was especially tough. With able help from co-pilot danlmarmot, we made it through.

Should be up and running in the new pad in the next day or two. More then after much unpacking.

Thanks to all for the well-wishes on the trip. Very happy to be here!

Departing for San Diego tomorrow (w00t!), after picking up danlmarmot at the RDU airport in the morning.

In a moment of madness, Dan decided to join me on my cross-country trek to my new home. I remain incredulous that he's willing to sit in a rental truck for that long, but I'm extremely grateful for the company! What was looking to be a tedious trek now should be a lot of fun.

Planned arrival in SD is midday Saturday ... anyone around I can rope into carrying a few boxes? Pizza and beer (or popcorn chicken, for some, hehe) will be your reward, as well as my eternal gratitude.

I'll try to check e-mail/LJ on the road, but text messages probably are the best bet.

Hugs to all in NC, CA and points elsewhere.

It's been a LONG time since I've posted (thanks for the nudges, fellas), but I return to LJ-land with big news:

I have accepted a job in San Diego and will be moving back to California at the end of November!

(Assuming I can pass the pre-employment physical, and since I haven't partied recently with Martina Hingis -- SNORT! -- I think I'll be fine on that count.)

This all happened rather quickly (process, from sending of resume to job offer, took less than three weeks), so I haven't had much time to think about everything that I'll need to do before I head out from Raleigh. I finish work here on Nov. 21 and tentatively start work in SD on Dec. 10. It's all a bit overwhelming right now, but exciting too!

It'll be bittersweet leaving NC after 11 years ... It's a wonderful place to live and I've been lucky to have met some great friends while I've been here. I'll miss them, but I certainly won't forget them (and they're always welcome to visit :) ).

More later when I know more ...

... with 120 minutes on VH1 Classic. 

In a row: Erasure, Radiohead, Missing Persons, Jesus and Mary Chain. 

I tell ya, the show is like a two-hour-long multiple soundgasm.

But only because work was an absolute be-yotch tonight and this'll help me chill. 

Oh yeah, and cause bearxxl tagged me. :)

Instructions: Each player starts with 7 random habits/facts about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged & list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged.

1. The first concert I ever went to was the B-52s, with They Might Be Giants opening, at the ol' Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

2. I read erotic stories on nifty.org. I certainly don't espouse doing all the things written about there, but some of the stories get me hot.

3. I hate to clean -- except for kitchens. Washing dishes is like therapy.

4. One of my guilty pleasures is watching "Divine Design" on HGTV.

5. Given the chance, I'm willing and able to sleep the day away. Every day.

6. When I was 5, I peed my pants on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland because we had to wait in line so long.

7. My brother is gay. So is my first cousin.

Tags you're it:

climatebearnj
sluggobear
cpratt
danlmarmot
bearcubbnc
bigredlug
denverjordan

Starting weight: 260 pounds
Weight 3 weeks ago (last time I posted): 250
Current weight: 248
Goal weight: 240

To say I've hit a wall is an understatement. I'm still eating decently, hence the continued weight loss, but I'm not motivated to go to the gym at all recently. Did the first, very tough session with my PT -- followed by a wonderful vacation -- really knock me off track so easily?

I must kickstart myself again here. I feel, a la Lisa Simpson ("Look at me! Grade me! Evaluate and rank me! I'm good, good, good and oh so smart!"), that I need to grade myself -- or have someone else pass judgment -- on the past several weeks as not quite "A" material ... 

Maybe thinking about getting my arms strong for better huggin and nuzzlin will get me going ;)

On the plus side, am going mountain biking again tomorrow evening at Umstead with zacwolfdotcom and some other fellas ... the last time out was great! We biked for about 90 minutes and my legs were burning quite nicely. Very good company to ride with as well.

Recent movies: 28 Weeks Later (so-so, too many logic issues), Bug (interesting to say the least, but oh so odd) and the new Fantastic Four (fluffy, light summer fare).

De-virginized my new mountain bike Thursday evening with a good ride with

zacwolfdotcom at Umstead State Park, which is only about 10 minutes from my abode. We met there about 6 p.m. and it was still steaming hot. Fortunately, there was a decent breeze and some shade along the route. Even so, I was feeling worn down and pretty dehydrated after the ride.

Chilled out at home last night, then tried to get to sleep early as I was gettin up early to play golf. My alarm clock, however, decided to get a poltergeist, and that hampered sleeping efforts until I pulled out my old P.O.S. alarm clock -- which was like $2 but works like a charm!

The "newfangled" alarm clock sets itself automatically, has two separate alarms, different settings for different days of the week, etc., etc. ... but, I think there must be a short in there. The radio kept coming on every minute, and even when I turned "Alarm 1" off, it still showed it was "on" ... needless to say, after the fifth radio alarm episode, I unplugged that beyotch. And, the maker, Emerson, is gonna get an angry e-mail -- I've only had the thing for 2 months!

I did get up in time to play golf today, which was a helluva lot of fun ... but DAMN it was hot! We're in the mid-90s today, and by the time we got onto the back nine, the sun was high in the sky and beating down on us. I survived -- and shot 90 -- but I'm in full recovery mode at home now (I caved and put my A/C on for the first time this summer -- fuck, it's nice lol)

Finally gonna get back to the gym tomorrow (pinky swear!) ... been slothful for too long post-vacation.

 

Bought myself a new mountain bike on Saturday. Got a decent deal at Dick's Sporting Goods, with the associated extended warranty (just $50 and includes two tuneups -- with fresh cables and such -- for those of us not so good with the little tiny bikey parts).

I bike every time I hit the gym -- good for my majorly repaired right knee -- and it'll be nice to once again get outside and ride around a bit. I had an older mountain bike, but it is scrap-heap material at this point.

Heading out to Umstead on Thursday to try 'er out with zacwolfdotcom, and can't wait!

Just gotta put a bit more air in the tires, as my big-ass behind is weighing 'er down LOL