The New Musings of a Quiet Geek

I was going to see how long I could hold out before someone actually asked where I went but I can now see my readers aren't that type so I'm posting. Friday, my mother's church had a "Parent's Night Out" event so my father and I went to lend technical support. After dinner we played a special Connecticut Conference UCC edition "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." Yes, it was as exciting as it sounds... Saturday, my mother and I went to The Old Avon Farms Inn for a Simmons Alumni Winter Tea with guest speaker author Elinor Lippman. As a writer myself, I enjoyed it despite the fact I was the only male. The champagne punch didn't hurt either... Sunday, was my church's annual meeting so that was different. Oh and I was asked to greet so I had to get up a whole 30 minutes early to be able to get over early enough. In the afternoon, we went to a family party and my mother's cousin whom we met just after we moved down here. This will be the third ti...

I was watching Revenge of the Sith special features today and came across the scene where Anakin comes to see Palpatine at the theater and the Chancellor says, "Anakin, I have good news." Every time I hear that I want to turn it into a Geico commercial. A merchandising option old George let slip through his fingers... Saw another Western yesterday: Vengeance Valley . This was more of the traditional Western that we are all at least somewhat familiar with so, perhaps at least partially, the pacing was much improved as was the story but the dialogue, alas, wasn't as funny. Today, I finished reading my Christmas book: Consent to Kill by Vince Flynn. I like espionage fiction, particularly this author. It was pretty well written. There was a scene that, if this was a TV show, you'd expect it to happen but somehow, because it was a book, it really threw me. I know that probably doesn't make any sense but there it is. This is the six book in a series of sorts. You coul...

My parents have been at a conference since Sunday afternoon so yesterday I took the opportunity to watch one of the Westerns I received this Christmas: Santa Fe Trail with Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland and Ronald Reagan whom you can recognize immediately since he combs his hair the same way he did forty years after. It was fairly entertaining with great dialogue but they could have shaved off a good 15 minutes to improve pacing in parts. Interestingly, the dialogue I liked best doesn't appear on IMDB. Here's some examples: Kit: My brother likes you Jeb Stuart but he was dropped on his head as a child. Drunk train passenger: Where am I going? Conductor: To Hades I suspect. In other news, I have been conversing lately with three POIs. All know I don't drive and why and are still interested although one still doesn't know what my parents do so we'll see. I need a job now!

My posts are usually incoherent and disjointed anyway but this one may top them all in that department. Random Comment 1: I like Alanis Morrisette with bangs but not as a blonde. Random Comment 2: More freakin' miners trapped? WTF? I was amused by the fact, however, that the mine owner didn't show his face at the press conference last night. Can you say "Take the money and run?" Random Comment 3: Stargate SG-1 finally had a good episode this yesterday. Really, the first one of the whole season which is now more than half over. How pathetic is that? Random Comment 4: Did you know Belgium still has a monarchy? Does Portugal? And finally, Random Comment 5: Why can't finding a job be like finding a significant other as in sitting back and just letting it happen? (Like when have I ever done that either anyway?) I am really getting tired of the whole process. I seriously considered pursuing a career in talent scouting even though I'm sure I'd suck at it. T...

That librarians actually read... :) The Novice And the Survey Says: 73% You obviously paid attention in high school, or cheated off the smart kid. Commendable, but there is always room for improvement - books really are your friends. So go find that smart kid and steal his book. Recommendations: Kurt Vonnegut - Cat's Cradle Paulo Coehlo - The Alchemist Link: The Books Are My Friends Test written by whoisjohngalt on Ok Cupid , home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Boxing Cat You scored 83% Catness! You're tough and scary. You might not have a permanent home, but you always know where to get food and you can always find a safe place to sleep. Don't forget you only have seven lives. Be nice to that old lady who lives on the corner and if you ever get tired of the street life, you'll have a nice lap to retire to. Link: The What Cat Are You Test written by rorire on Ok Cupid , home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Thursday night, we went to see legitimate theater downtown. We saw Moon for the Misbegotten which I discovered was the last play written by Eugene O'Neill. Our seats were great. We could actually see the expressions on the actors' faces. The play itself was pretty good and fairly engrossing. I would recommend it for those readers who want a little culture. Friday afternoon, we went to the mall and I bought A Bigger Bang which is the new album from the Rolling Stones. Such a great album. The overall feel of the album to me is that the Stones have matured to their age but still remember how to rock. One song Jagger complains she drives too fast and in another complains he's eating breakfast at 9 and she's just getting in. It's quite amusing. As many may already know, the song "Sweet Neocon" basically rips the current administration a new one. Gotta love it. Friday night, we went to the movie theater to see Memoirs of a Geisha . I went because wh...

Last night, my father and I went to another UConn Men's game and this time really seemed like a real guy's night out. Of course, mother wasn't even in the building this time. I think it was before the game even started my father commented that the couple shown on the Fan Cam at a particular moment looked like Loggins and Mescina. During the game, out of nowhere, he comments "I think it should be the Patriots versus the Steelers in the AFC championship." I declared that to be the Most Random Comment of the Night. About the game itself, I've noticed two things about this year's team. Hilton Armstrong has certainly stepped up his game and the team foul shooting percentage seems to be improved. (Conversely, the women's foul shots have gotten worse. Who could have seen this two or three years ago?) The band didn't really play anything new but I did hear "Love Shack" this time. No, the songs they played over the speakers were the ones ...

Happy New Year. I'm back. I just spent a week up in Maine helping my cousin as I mentioned I was going to. It was a good time although most of what we did doesn't translate into good blog reading. I didn't really see any movies this time except for walking down to see Narnia again but, now that I think about it, I guess the straight to DVD "movie" Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story also counts. That was so good. We watched it once then we watched it again later in the week with the audio commentary on and it was just as funny. I also got the chance to watch a bootleg copy of the new Doctor Who series which was very good as well. They've done a good job speeding up the action and dialogue. I left there Friday afternoon. My father arranged to stay at my mother's step-mother's before driving back down here. My cousin who just turned six was there unbeknownst to me. If I had known I would have stayed downtown. I ended up playing a lot of rather bor...

Though the night is still young, we have begun the New Year's celebration. This morning, we had a delicious breakfast of eggs and little cheese smokies left over from Christmas then not longer after prepared to see the UConn woman play in Hartford. The game against Army wasn't as bad as the blowout that was the UConn men's game we went to recently against Moorehead State at Storrs, my first time up there. Both games had the band playing "The Final Countdown" by Europe. I am not kidding. That has to be one of the worst songs ever and VH-1 agrees with me. For the game today, my mother almost fixed me up with a lesbian... I think that was the first time I've been back to the CC since I worked there. I saw many people I knew still working there but only remembered the names of a handful which probably shows you how much I loved that job... It was kind of weird directing my father to different places. Tonight, we tried out the new Texas Roadhouse restaurant. Surpri...

I'm not sure where to begin since I have a jumble of things to say. I think it was either Christmas morning or the morning of Christmas Eve that I finished reading Prince Caspian, Book 2 of The Chronicles of Narnia . The edition I read was almost as old as I am so the binding is coming loose. I had read the book, or at least had it read to me, decades ago but I was inspired to read it now. It's not as good as the first book but second books never seem to be, do they? I think, given how the book is set up, it'll be much better in movie form. The night before last, my parents and I watched The Lady and the Highwayman which my mother received as a gift from my aunt and was billed as one of Hugh Grants earliest appearances. It supposedly came out in 1989 but has a real seventies feel to it. It also seemed it was originally made for TV which, you can see, it was. And now for the "hard" news: My Yahoo account was apparently shut down without much warning. I remember ge...

I agreed to help my mother with her church's Christmas pageant so I actually went to two services on Christmas Eve and then one on Christmas morning, of course. I heard from my mother that She'd be at the second service so I made her a card and gave it to her in person. She was obviously surprised but I figure it was only a card so what's the big deal? I was going to ask her if she wanted to do something for New Year's but I just can't figure out how it would work since I don't drive so I didn't bother. Presents this year basically fell into three categories: clothes, DVDs and food. I received the first season of Battlestar Galactica (new series), Revenge of the Sith and some obscure Westerns from my aunt. In the food category, my mother made me homemade peanut butter cups and my father bought me a bottle of Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Nog which had brandy, rum and whiskey in it. Damn that was good! I also got Wildflower , Sheryl Crow's latest CD....

If you love me, won't you call me? I've been waiting; waiting too long. In my soul is constant yearning, Always singing; singing this song. Only love is strong enough to take it on the chin; When did I begin to fall? Anyway, anyway, you can make that call. You feel free to make yourself at home. Aaaaaah; Ooooh. If we could be closer longer, that would help me; Help me so much. We can cure each others' sorrow. Won't you please, please, please get in touch? If a love is strong enough it may never end. Why would I pretend to fall? Wooooh. Any way, any way, any way at all Any way that you can, make that call!

Is it because of the success of The March of the Penguins that nuns are so popular right now? Ok, bad joke but I'm serious. Tonight on PBS is a special on The Cheese Nun which I doubt will be as good as a Sister Wendy special but I'll probably watch it anyway since the donkeyholes at ABC took off my Boston Legal. While Christmas shopping last week, I saw a calendar I think was titled "Nuns Having Fun;" the cover had nuns frolicking at the beach. I am not making this up. In addition, it, coincidently, was paleontologist Richard Leakey's birthday yesterday which reminded me of my Science Concepts class at St. Joe's with Sister Eunice and the day she said, "Richard Leakey was in a plane crash and lost two of his legs !" I still don't know how many he had... This quiz result may actually make sense if we make it a given cats are of this religion as has been postulated: Buddhist Holy Crap! You're taking -5 souls with you to hell! -20 to 10 On t...

Everything you think you know baby Is wrong And everything you think you had baby Is gone Certain things turn ugly when you think too hard And nagging little thoughts change into things you can't turn off Everything you think you know baby Is wrong It's all over but the crying Fade to black I'm sick of trying Took too much and now I'm done It's all over but the crying Do you really think I'm made of stone baby? C'mon! That we only love the things we own? Baby you're wrong Certain things just happen when you make no plans And love can really tear you up and it can break you down Everything you think you know baby Is wrong It's all over but the crying Fade to black I'm sick of trying Took too much and now I'm done It's all over but the crying Baby we're done If I could I would I'd change everything Cause I can't forget you though you don't believe me Now I can't walk back I can't leave behind Where does it go all the...

We went to the "scene of the date" for the first time since last night and saw The Family Stone . I was expecting a typical chick flick, which my readers know I like, but this was a true family film as in about a family. It was very emotional. I don't come from a large immeadiate family but I'm pretty sure I don't want to bring a date home. (True, the woman mentioned above already knows my mother...) Not only was it about a family it was a "blue state family" meaning very liberal which we are but many are not judging by the numbers Narnia raked in. I'll be interested to see how it does. Amy, the youngest daughter played by Rachel McAdams, arrived home carrying an NPR bag and looking very much like a library science student which means nothing perhaps but it certainly intrigued me. As you might suspect, I'm starting to really miss her. I haven't heard from a few other POIs either but she's the one I miss. Something to be said for f...

I meant to discuss this a couple days ago but I forgot then I just wasn't in the mood to post yesterday so here it is: I just recently finished reading Star Trek: Titan: The Red King . This was basically part two of the "pilot" if you will, introducing us to the crew and what not but also had a separate plot from Taking Wing . You didn't really need to read that previous book but I know I'd be left with like a hundred questions if I didn't. I really don't like how Trek books aren't stand alone any more. A prime example: Riker's first officer was apparently introduced in a previous book that I didn't read and really have no interest in reading and if I didn't read it I'm pretty sure no one else did. I have other problems with the crew. I think it's great that Alyssa Ogawa, also late of the Enterprise, is part of the crew but why is she still a nurse? Shouldn't she be doctor? The Enterprise is the flagship so transferring off of ...

So there's nothing wrong with the brakes. Apparently, that's normal for anti-lock brakes to not lock. Who knew? We went Christmas shopping at the mall last night. I think I'm done since I'd imagine I'm out of money. I will also mention it seemed really easy to find gifts this year for some reason. Perhaps unlike the last one, this quiz result is much more accurate. I actually predicted I'd get this answer... You Are Blitzen Always in good spirits, you're the reindeer who loves to party down with Santa. Why You're Naughty: You're always blitzed on Christmas Eve, while flying! Why You're Nice: You mix up a mean eggnog martini. Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

No, my aunt will not have her surgery so, despite the suggestion by my cousin that I come up anyway, I'm still here in CT. No, my reasons were not in fact including the one I mentioned earlier but perhaps the overly optimistic chance something employment-wise will happen, I haven't even started my Christmas shopping, there could be something wrong with the brakes of one of the cars and frankly, I'm tired. No, I haven't heard from the two matches I referred to in awhile but another match I had thought was gone for good contacted me today so...I don't know. I'm just saying... More eventful things did actually occur, however. On Friday, I helped my mother with a "Parents Night Out" child care thing at her church. I was The Bank during a game of Cat-in-the-Hat-opoly and I pressed play on The Polar Express , which was very boring actually, and I also met the returning parents at the door. They didn't need me really and I was told I'd be paid whic...

Cute Smile You scored 107 smilyness! Not good enough to be a celebrity but your smile is sooooo cute. Like the picture everyone thinks you are adorable, you need to show your smile a little more don't be affraid to, its a cracker of a smile. The what kind of a smile you have Test written by Pen_Boeth on Ok Cupid , home of the 32-Type Dating Test