February 2005

Monday, 2-28-5

Had a fantastic weekend. Went down to Lakeland to spend time with friends. We don't get to do that often. Especially with Zephyr and Cephlian. We normally only get to see them twice a year at festivals. It was really nice to hang out, get to know them better.

We scooted over to Tampa for the Bay Area Renaissance Faire. Cephlian and Todd had to work so they couldn't go. That sucks, but the rest of us geared up and went out. Teresa hadn't been to one before and I had only been to a few. We saw lots of cool stuff. Had a great time. Couldn't have asked for better weather.

Link to some of the pictures

I walked around with five beautiful women, all of us in period gear, I was seen as a very lucky guy. We made sure Teresa picked up an "essential" addition to her costume. I picked up a drinking horn and put it to good use. It was said that I drank my own weight in mead this weekend, little did she know that the horn was filled with 2 orders each time I stopped to fill up. Man is that stuff good.

As expected, my writing phase has slowed down. Hasn't stopped completely but is showing signs of going dormant again. I guess I'm just not cut out to be a writer. Another best-selling novel that won't get written. I've been busy with other things. Work is picking up and I'm happy to actually be DOING something here at work. I'm also hooked into another book I'm reading. Egil's Saga. Icelandic poetry. Not for everyone but I can't put it down.

OK, enough chit-chat, back to work.

Wednesday, 2-23-5
OK, now that that's out of my system... Let's move on, shall we?
Originally Tuesday, 2-22-5

It's good to re-evaluate yourself every once in a while.
There was a discussion recently about musical tastes. I think it turned into a playful "I'm weirder than you" competition between Wade and I. I fully submit to his weirdness but I will contest one point. He said that most of my top play list was all metal.

I started to think about whether or not he was right. Metal is my favorite style to play and to listen to but I thought I listened to a lot of other styles. Am I excluding everything else now? I looked it over and found that, no, I still listen to a lot of different stuff through the day. I'm not exclusive to any one style.

In defense of this, I submit the current list of the 25 most commonly played songs played in my iPod.

25 - She Mourns A Lengthening Shadow - Cradle Of Filth
24 - Peek-A-Boo - Siouxsie And The Banshees
23 - Always And Forever - Whistle
22 - Reigning Blood - Slayer
21 - Play Minstrel Play - Blackmore's Night
20 - Full Drum Cadence - FSU Marching Band
19 - Sweet Transvestite - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
18 - Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor - Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
17 - Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker w/Big Head Todd and the Monsters
16 - Rock & Roll Ain't Noise Pollution - AC/DC
15 - Alabamy Bound - Ray Charles
14 - Toxic Waltz - Exodus
13 - Malaguena Salerosa - Chingon
12 - Kiss An Angel Good Morning - Charley Pride
11 - Alice In Hell - Annihiliator
10 - Only If... - Enya
09 - Scotland The Brave - Dropkick Murphys
08 - The Bible Is Bullshit - Corporate Avenger
07 - Bring Tha Noize - Public Enemy w/Anthrax
06 - Blessed Be - Dreamtrybe
05 - Subdivisions - Rush
04 - Pagan Girl - Emerald Rose
03 - Christians Murdered Indians - Corporate Avenger
02 - Donald, Where's Your Trousers? - Enter The Haggis
01 - Exile - Slayer

7 fully qualified metal songs out of 25. (#s 25, 22, 14, 11, 8, 3 and 1)
8 of 25 if you still call AC/DC metal. Some people did, I always called them rock. Hey, stranger things have happened. VH1 (or was it Rock 105?) considers Led Zeppelin heavy metal. Anyway, give me the point on AC/DC because I gave you 2 points on Corporate Avenger. I'm not sure how to categorize them, Rock-Rap, Intense-Rock, but they're hardcore so I counted them as metal for this list. Either way, not too bad. I see metal on the list but I also see country, blues, rock, rap, classical.

Aside from family, music is probably the greatest passion in my life. I found myself wanting to edit the list as I wrote it because there's a lot of great stuff that I wanted to see on the list and couldn't believe some of the stuff that did/didn't make the list.
I was surprised to see that Pink Floyd hadn't made it but I think that's because I prefer to listen to them as whole albums instead of individual songs. Sweet Transvestite is on there because every time I get in my truck, Becca wants to sing along with me. Luckily, Hillary Duff has only recently been added so she hasn't had a chance to make me play it over and over and over...

Another anomaly that is affecting this list is my musical A.D.D. Especially now that I have the iPod, I'm always flipping songs. 10 seconds in and I go, "Oh yeah, this is a good one. What else is on?" and then I flip to the next one. The play count doesn't pick it up until the end of the song so a lot of music that should be on the list isn't.

I also knew people would be looking at this so I wanted to make a good showing. Kind of weed out the lamer music and fill it in with stuff I liked but in the end, I restrained myself and here you have the unadulterated list. Music is sacred and I can't even lie to myself about it. If I can't be honest here, why bother posting anything.

Wednesday, 2-23-5

The story of last night.
I have a friend that lives in Lakeland. After being down here in Orlando last week, she said that if I was stuck down here for a week again, we should meet up for dinner or something. She called me last night and we met up.
We walked around the Downtown Disney area and had dinner. We spent most of the time sitting on a bench in front of the Virgin Mega Store just talking about anything and everything. She wouldn't let me go into the store because she knew I'd be there all night and spend money I don't have... I guess she knows me better than I thought. Around midnight we each headed home.
Leaving the parking lot was simple enough but trying to find I-4 again was different. I finally saw the sign for I-4 East but it was by a construction site and the lane looked like it was coned-off. There was a hole to get into the lane. The van in front of me went in there and it looked like it was the lane I needed so in I go.
When I heard the crunch and felt the bang, I felt my heart sink and I knew what it was. My brain, on the other hand, said, "What the hell was that?!" We pulled over and made sure everyone was OK. They sent out the rescue squad anyway. I dented up both of his driver-side Ľ panels and took out my passenger side signal lamps with a small dent on the sliding door. It also destroyed the hub cap but the tire was undamaged. Very little damage considering what "could have been".

The other driver was a young guy and his mother. They had just gone out to buy a CD. They were at the Virgin Mega Store. I was just there! Had I only followed him out of the parking lot... They were real nice people and we talked a little bit before the cops arrived. She had a interesting accent. I never did get a chance to ask her where she was from.
Before the cop even got there I realized what I had done. That wasn't a construction lane, it was permanently separated by those flexible pole type things. The hole I cut into was for cross traffic and not for entry into the lane. The entrance into the lane was before the parking lot exit so I never saw it. While sitting there waiting for the cops, I saw no less than 7 other cars make the same mistake. One almost caused the same accident I was in. Sure enough, I got the ticket. Illegal lane change. Moving violation at $115 and 4 points on my license.

No excuses, I made the turn, but I've ALWAYS hated Orlando traffic. They move fast and the roads aren't marked until you're right up on them. I'd rather drive Atlanta, Richmond or D.C. They move even faster but I can see where I'm going. The roads here do weird stuff. Lots of left exits and quick turns. If they marked things better I'd bet they'd have less accidents.
I always thought I'd get into an accident because of my tendency to drive digital. Full speed or stopped. Either that or monkeying around with my iPod or my cell phone. I was behaving I tell you! I really was...

Pictures when I return to Jax.

I'm an excellent driver. Excellent driver. Yeah. Dad lets me take the car out on Saturday, of course, this isn't Saturday. Yeah. UHHOHHH!

This is the (non)intersection where it happened.
When you're lost in a strange town and finally see the sign for where you want to go, this looks like a good place to turn.

Monday, 2-21-5

I'll be in Orlando for the rest of the week. I've requested a hotel that had high-speed internet but I won't know until I get there. So if this place stays stagnant for a week, you'll know why.
Hunter S. Thompson is dead. He wrote some weird stuff. I originally got into him because he was labeled a counter-culture writer. Try reading some of his lesser known stuff and you'll see this guy wasn't doing it for the show, he was truly whacked out of his mind!
I'm in here at work trying to get prepared for the trip to Orlando. I'm asked Paul about updated site information sheets and printing out enough data sheets for the test. I don't think we have enough and the whole point in coming in this morning was to get prepared for the trip. He said we may have enough. I said let's make sure . He said if we ran out we could run and make copies while I was down there. I'm sitting 2' from a printer/copier and have the data sheets on the screen. I want to print them but he says wait until we get down there (where I won't have a printer).
"So, we have the ability to be prepared but we are choosing the option not to be?" I ask. He says, "Well why don't you be a bitter-ass about it then?"
This is what I'm fighting every day. Incompetence and laziness. Also, it's becoming harder and harder not to put my fist through something when he overrules common sense with play-it-by-ear.
I hate this place. I can't take the sedimentary, "don't think for yourself" type of atmosphere this place mandates. I'm thinking of going back to flipping burgers. My brain was wasting away there too but at least I didn't have the expectation of hope. It's the hope that's killing me. If I can kill that off, I'll be happy here.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy...................................

Friday, 2-18-5

Haven't been concentrating on anything recently, it's hard to type when your brain is moving at 700mph. I've got a FULL schedule from now until... until I die!
This afternoon I'm going out to Hidden River to help with the concrete pour. Tonight is dinner with the phamily.
Tomorrow morning is Teresa's school carnival. I was volunteered to help set-up and break-down. We have to go pick up the Girl Scout Cookies. 2pm we have an appointment with the tax man (Beatles song in my head now). We have plans with the Ellis' that night.
Sunday I have plans with Freddy. I haven't seen him in a month and we've been putting off some stuff.
Monday I go back to Orlando for the week.
By Friday I need to be home from Orlando in time to get packed and out the door. Teresa and I are taking a little road trip to visit friends.
This is going to be hectic.

Oh hey WOW man! I'm available by a Google search! How cool is that!?!
I'm not sure how web crawlers pick up some pages and not others but it picked up my page through a link on Wade's Phoenix page.
In any case, if you go to Google.com and type in "Christopher M. Morgan", I come up on the bottom of page 1 (for now).

To quote Navin R. Johnson, "Things are going to start happening to me now..."

Tuesday, 2-15-5

Yes, I've been missing and yes, I'm back.

New miscellaneous pics and a Lizzy page. If I can find time before the end of the day, I'll try to get the trivial facts page running again...
Feb 3rd I had to go down to Orlando Executive (ORL) to turn up some circuits to Orlando International (MCO). It should only take a few hours but we will plan for Thursday and Friday since we may try to squeeze in Kissimmee (ISM) and Sanford (SFB). There are too many airports in that area. These 4 are only the beginning. There are thousands more! OK, maybe not thousands but still...
I was put up in a hotel that advertised "data ports". Extra phone lines in the room with dial-up speeds of 14k. Not really what I was expecting.
By the end of Friday, we still hadn't tested one circuit. Problems with the install. Down we go on Monday.
I requested a hotel with "high speed access". It was a single computer in the lobby and $5 an hour. The dial-up in the room was up to 26k though. I can see that I'm going to have to be real specific next time.
By the end of the week we had tested 9 circuits in ORL and did some troubleshooting at SFB. ISM hasn't been touched. Our other tech is down there again this week and so far, things are only getting worse. I feel bad for him but not bad enough to drive down myself. Once again I'll tell you, if you knew anything about the FAA's communication network, you'd never get on a plane again...
Anyway, that explains where I've been and why I never updated the site or checked my e-mail. I've got so much coming in that without high speed I'm swamped. Spoiled little brat that I am...

Friday Teresa and I went out to dinner and a movie. I've been trying to fight back my instant hatred for anything new and improved. Movie and TV re-makes are especially hard for me to take. I get so frustrated when they change things I know so well. C'mon, Pink as Janis Joplin?, Cedric the Entertainer as Ralph Kramden? And I just plain don't like Will Ferrell so I'd like to see him get replaced halfway through Bewitched... BUT, I'm trying. I'll hide from the theatres when they release the new "Beowulf" movie but I intend to see the re-makes of "The Longest Yard" and "War Of The Worlds" with an open mind, at least I'll try. With this in mind, we went to see "The Phantom Of The Opera". I've read the book innumerable times, seen the different movie versions and have been to the theatre to see it many times. I'll try but I knew I was not going to enjoy this new version one bit.

They forgot the chandelier drop scene.

When Erik (Phantom) takes Christine into his lair they wandered into a crew filming a cheesy goth music video. The fog, the boat with the lanterns, Christine all goth'd out reclining in the boat, the bad synthesizer music. I thought The Smiths had made a comeback!

When Raoul comes to rescue Christine he falls into an M.C. Escher trap. He falls into the water on TOP of a grating and ends up underneath it. Ohh, but before you get concerned for him, know that this is magical water. Bubbles float downward in this water so he should be OK.

The phantom is a weakling. He runs and leaps onto a statue but his footprints in the snow are evidence that he can only run at the same pace other people walk. Why are people afraid of him if he's so slow?

Oh, there's the chandelier drop... at the END instead of the beginning!

I found errors all throughout but in the end, I LOVED it! It was really well done and I wanted to see it again right away. Is this a new beginning for me? Am I actually giving way to enjoying things that are new? No, not me, I'm a crotchety old man who hates everything new! At least I'm trying to give a little.
Go see this movie. It was spectacular. I'll even say that the fact that they moved the chandelier to the end was a good choice. It worked well in the film.

So now you've heard it all, Chris likes a re-make. I'm actually looking forward to "Snow and the Seven" where a Chinese refuge girl is taken in by 7 Shaolin monks.
On another website, I just read about a remake of "The Bridge on the River Kwai" in which Jim Carrey is a prisoner in Nevada being forced to build a viaduct over Route 66 by prison warden Pat Morita. Another is "The African Queen" in which Samuel L. Jackson is a cab driver and tries to get Whoopie Goldberg uptown through a massive traffic jam. The Germans have been replaced with vampires.
The Shaolin Snow White is for real but the other two are just a nightmare. They were too funny not to share.

Don't expect much more out of me, Jessica Simpson as Daisy Duke is bad enough but I really don't think I can take Halle Berry as Foxy Brown!!! Oh god, kill me now! smite me (gods know I deserve it), strike me blind and deaf!, do something! Stop! Stop! Halle Berry is not a tough girl and although she is pretty, she's no Pam Grier.

Tuesday, 2-1-5

Yesterday was quite a day. I had all these plans and had to immediately throw them out the window. I spent some time this weekend catching up on my "Media Library" sheet and just need to dress it up a little and put it on line. I had an idea or two for the daily trivia page. I wanted to report on Becca's masquerade ball from Saturday. The new guy was going to start at the office so I got up early so I could be in there early enough to get settled before he got there.
I went out to the truck and it wouldn't start. We had been through this before so I wasn't too concerned until it still didn't start 10 minutes later. We knew this day would come but didn't expect it to be today. It ran just fine Saturday. We rushed around and finally came to the conclusion that even if we could fix what was wrong this time, there is so much more wrong that maybe it was time to replace the H8Mobile. With a tear in my eye I agreed that maybe it was time.
Thom and Katy are graciously loaning us their van for as long as we need it. We're going shopping tonight. Anyone need a beat-up pick-up truck?
I get to work a half hour late and find out the new guy can't get into the high security building without a few more days worth of bureaucracy. After settling in and getting my e-mail we get the phone call that I need to go to Orlando to do someone else's job for them. It seems that the installation team can't handle double checking their work so if they say it's working and it's not, then it must be broken. Of course, every time I get there it turns out the install team didn't turn up the right cards or even enter the IP address in the router but sure, "it was working.." RIGHT!!!
So I didn't get back from Orlando until 8:00 last night and it was too late to go look at cars. A few months ago we took out a home loan to do some house repairs and now it looks like we'll have to use that money for a down payment on a vehicle. We sold our soul to a mortgage company and all we got out of it was one lousy bathroom. I'm feeling a little depressed here...

Onward to March 2005 Back to Updates