Firefighter

Dream One

I was at the wheel of one of those huge firetrucks that has a joint in the middle. I don’t know if it was a ladder truck or not, only that it was really big, and there were no seat belts and we were on our way to the scene of some sort of emergency.

I was aiming this huge truck down pastoral country roads and going along like a bat out of hell for a while, but the roads keep getting curvier and there was more and more traffic, including other emergency vehicles parked at angles on the road, so I had to fight this rig around and through all that mess. I did OK at first, but then I started trying to jerk and cut through gaps and a heavy truck with a joint in the middle doesn’t do that well.

The truck rocked up on its wheels on one side, then the other, then we plowed through a car and headed down a long steep hill and were truly out of control. I tried using the brake but had a hard time reaching it because the hill was so steep, I had to brace one foot on the dash to get any leverage to steer. I managed to get to the brake a couple of times, but each time I pressed it, the load in the truck schooched forward and slowly crushed me.

Getting Startered

<proclamation>I decided today that I am going to make some sourdough bread.</proclamation>

I found a jar, found a recipie (and boy, is it a complicated one), and mixed up some flour and water. Now the jar of white goo is sitting atop the dishwasher waiting for wild yeasties to find this tailor-made nirvana.

Go, goo, go!

Yes Man

So apparently, I’m a yes man. Or maybe, more accurately, a multiple choice man. You see, I took a couple tests to measure my skills at troubleshooting and supporting Windows XP and I passed.

I was able to seperate Microsoft-approved answers from real-world stratagey long enough to earn a spot right in the middle of the curve. Isn’t that nice? And I’ll get a couple certificates for my wall and a card for my wallet (to go right next to my ordination papers ;-)) . Most (or least, depending on how you look at it) importantly, I have letters to go after my name now.

A.J. Van Beest, MCDST.

So now at work, with my new certification, I’ll make exactly the same amount of money as before, but my duties will change not one iota. So I’ve got that going for me.

New Music Reviews

So I’ve started doing a few music reviews again for Indie-Music.com. My latest one is here, while the one I wrote in October lives here.

Had Flu, Am Better

Monday night, I came home from taijutsu and promptly entered a four-hour communion with my bathroom. Then I slept for twelve hours, barely moped around the house for five hours, and slept for another ten hours. Then I felt better. Mostly.

The bad news is that Meg had the flu, too. The good news is that it seems like Alden dodged the bullet, maybe because of the antibodies he gets from his mom.

Letting my little light shine

You know, we’ve all got talents. Some are hidden, some are not. Looking back through my posts, I realize that one of the things I tend to do a lot of here, and do pretty well, at that, is make inflamatory comments. I really think I’m good at it. I’ve lambasted religion, poked at politics, reveled in graphic and not-so-graphic violence, and consumed a boat-load of coffee.

Well I don’t have a crystal (or even an eight) ball, I’d imagine you can safely expect more of the same for the foreseeable future. Except for the parts where I’m a little insightful or just plain wierd. I don’t really know what to say about those.

Huh.

Out of all the political action sites and talking heads and information repositories online, I think this one might need to go near the top of the heap. At least it oughtta for folks who are looking to do their own thinking.

Big Surprise

Your Career Type: Artistic

You are expressive, original, and independent. Your talents lie in your artistic abilities: creative writing, drama, crafts, music, or art. You would make an excellent: Actor - Art Teacher - Book Editor Clothes Designer - Comedian - Composer Dancer - DJ - Graphic Designer Illustrator - Musician - Sculptor The worst career options for your are conventional careers, like bank teller or secretary.

I’m just shocked. Shocked, I tell you.

Attention:

The previous post re: buying a farm was in regard to a *dream* Repeat: AJ and Meagan have no more farm than they had last week.

Sorry for the confusion. I thought I was fairly obvious, but then again, I also live in my head and know what I’m thinking.

A New Stick

Two weeks ago in taijutsu, I broke my bo (a sixish-foot staff) when blocking a strike from my training partner (not Pete, damnit ;-)). Monday night, I got a new staff of compassion (I’m thinking of naming this one Betty, but I haven’t decided yet). It’s made of white oak so it’s not going to break when I’m blocking an attack. It might break when I whack someone, if I hit them hard enough.