RIP: Stitch the Fish

Won from gypsies at Harbor Fest: August 2006 - Died: January 2010.

Favorites

I don't know about you, but I go through these phases every couple of weeks where I am totally hooked on something and then, for some unknown reason... possibly global warming or the presence of new sun spots, it changes abruptly and I find myself hooked on something else. I generally don't give this phenomenon any thought, so I won't. Here is a current list of things I am hooked on:

1) Price Chopper Crunchy Raisin Bran:



This has been more than a phase. In the past month I've gone through 7 boxes and it didn't just start a month or so ago, it has been going on since the summer, save a brief stint where Price Chopper didn't stock it, for some crazy reason! Also, I should note that due to reasons beyond our comprehension, they switched the color of the box from a dark purple to a light purple and then back again. I'm not going to analyze it. I'm just happy the dark purple is back and hopefully here to stay.

2) Cheesy Power Metal:



Notable bands making this list: DragonForce, Rhapsody, Avantasia, Dream Evil, etc. I have nothing against power metal and do quite often enjoy listening to it, but recently, I have been listening to DragonForce daily. I'm not their biggest fan, usually. I enjoy the speed, but it gets boring and tiring quickly and I cannot normally listen to them as much as I have been this past week. For some reason DragonForce makes doing Quantum homework easier.

This doesn't mean I'm exclusively listening to power metal. I still find time to enjoy other goodies like Cradle of Filth, 3 Inches of Blood, Nightwish, Therion, Sonata Arctica (still power metally), Fragments of Unbecoming, and many more, but overall, my headphones are pumping out solid, cheesy power metal.

3) Tea:

I drink about 3/4 of a pot of coffee a day. Not much by some people's standards, but I'm a coffee guy all the way. Still, a cup, or two, of tea has been a ritual at night before bed.

4) V8 Fusion:

Yeah, the fruit+vegetable drink. One or two bottles a week. Why? It's delicious.

5) Steep and Cheap:

http://www.steepandcheap.com

WARNING: Click and you will get addicted. Don't blame me for the sudden drop in size of your bank account.

If it looks like crap...

Smells like crap, and (while I did not taste it, I can guarantee you it) tastes like crap, it must be crap. Thank you anonymous person walking their dog without a baggie, my shoe is very grateful for the mess that now rests upon its sole.* I suppose it is just as much my fault for running well after darkness had settled in, but for the life of me, I can't figure out where along my trek I managed to squish in a pile of crap and not notice! Along the nearly 4 miles which I ran tonight, not once did I see a pile in the bit of light provided by street lamps, nor did I feel a squish! There are only a couple remote places where light from the street lamps does not reach, but when running on the road or sidewalk I can hear the padding of my feet on the ground; I'd notice a moment of silence which was simultaneously occurring with a squishy, soft landing. Ah well, the run was fantastic, dog crap included.

* A friend has mentioned to me that blog posts, in general, should be accompanied by pictures; it makes them more entertaining and just straight up better. This is not one of those posts.

UPDATE: I have decided a picture may be appropriate for this post. I feel the need to warn others about the theorized locations of a now squished pile of pooh. Each red "x" marks a theorized location which was selected based on several criteria: Amount of time spent not on a sidewalk or road, amount of leaf cover/grass, the amount of light provided from street lamps, and the allowance for making contact to the ground with my heel (location of pooh on shoe). Thus, the Highland Ave. "x" is only valid for a downhill decent at the beginning of my run, since I run on the balls of my feet going uphill. No heel contact whatsoever. So, pedestrians, beware!

Flickering

I often find myself staring absent-mindedly into the flickering of a flame. Whether it be the single dance of one lone flame atop a candle or the ballet taking place inside a roaring wood stove, I continually find myself captivated. My mind slows, my thoughts clear and this amazing feeling of relaxation takes over. While I know there is some complex science taking place in front of my eyes, I care not. I don't think I ever want to know all that is going on in front of me, some things are better left unknown in my mind, this is one of them. It's an escape, I suppose, a place of retreat where I can go whenever and just unwind, let the events of the day unravel in my mind so that I am ready to go for the next. I guess it's a place I've known about for a while, mainly around Christmas time, sitting in front of the wood stove with a pup snuggled up next to me, the tree lit and Christmas music playing softly in the background, but a place I've never put too much thought into outside of the moment. Tonight was different. I'm not sure why, but as I stared at the newly lit candle, I felt as if I were there in front of the wood stove with Sammy... relaxed. Relaxed and completely content.

Boloco

Dear Boloco,

I wanted to thank you for the yummy wrap you provided me tonight. While, yes, I did have to in turn pay your for a chance to eat it, I do enjoy your Buffalo wrap - it's just plain good. Now, while my stomach does thank you for filling it, it also would like to inform you that it may not be wanting a refill any time in the near future. Not sure what it was tonight... maybe the fact that it was 8pm and I was eating a Buffalo wrap or maybe it was the fact that I ate it in about 10 seconds... I don't know, but either way, it ain't feelin' too well right now.

Sincerely,

Me

P.S. ~ It could also have been the Vitamin Water, so don't feel bad.

Smell the Roses

We've all heard it and are constantly reminded to stop and smell the flowers. Ironically, the statement is normally given by some two-bit writer in New York City trying to access their philosophical side and push deeper into the crux of human emotions in order to trigger the primeval urge, present in all of us, to just slow down and take it easy and appreciate the world around us, as they stand in a crowded Starbucks howling at the Barista because they used whole fat whip instead of the organic non-fat whip while simultaneously flicking off the person next to them, simply because they can, and creating the scene for what will become headlines on the 6 o'clock news; "Mass riot unfurls after minor scuffle over whipped cream spills into the streets" which has the inevitably tragic, yet poetic, conclusion of the entire block being set aflame, vanquishing the local flower population.

I digress. Look up the next time you're outside. Maybe it's my philosophical side and my urge to slow down and appreciate the Universe (at least a riot on Earth can't destroy that!), but it's something people rarely do. We live in the age of technology, which, while infinitely good, has created a nation of robots staring down at little screens, typing senseless combinations of letters that to any normal person would seem like a toddler got a hold of their parents phone and started smashing buttons (LOL!? ROTFLMAO!?). It seems that a lack of curiosity has begun to set in amongst the younger population (namely those I've come in contact with) who care more about Kanye's recent act of idiocy further proving how ignorant and disrespectful he is; thus raising his "coolness" factor by a whopping [insert random made up number]%.

Maybe this is just the rant of a disgruntled astronomer who has seen the History Channel take Astronomy and turn it into a joke science of soothsayers predicting the death of the Earth any second now... wait for it... damn. We're all still alive, but just wait until 2012, it'll be bigger than Y2K. Remember that? Did you hoard toilet paper to prepare for the end of the world and the beginning of the age of Toilet Paper Currency? Silly? I remember seeing it on the news. Can a disaster of astronomical proportions destroy the Earth? Yes. Right now, though, I'd be more worried about a disaster of economic proportions than a GRB.

So before I completely lose track of what my initial intention was for writing this post, look up, smell the air and stare at the stars... just get out of the street before you do and avoid the riot progressing down your street from Starbucks.

Look up, imagine, and wonder... why are WE here and give pause to the miracle that is life, all that had to go right for even a single cell organism to form. I do believe Carl Sagan put it best, we are currently the only known mechanism for "the Universe to study itself".

With Open Arms

Fall. Never has this planet seen a more polarizing season, with some arguing that it must surely be the worst season as it signals the end of the warm spring and summer seasons and beckons forth humanities mortal enemy - or at least the mortal enemy of those who deem 60 degrees "cold" - winter. I, on-the-other-hand, take more kindly to the presence of fall. To me, fall is marvellous, a season filled with a majestic beauty that rivals any on the planet.

As we begin this natural transition out of the summer months, take notice of the slight bitterness in the air, permeating the walls of your nose creating an indescribable tingling sensation leaving you feeling refreshed and satisfied with the current state of life. Yes, fall most certainly lets you know that you are alive and well and, if even for just a minute, it has the power to cause you to forget all of the stresses that life in this era brings - and to think, I haven't even mentioned the changing of the leaves!

Anyone who has never experienced the change of the green leaves to the bright oranges and reds, offset perfectly by the right amount of browns, beiges, and purples, has not experienced the true wonder of nature! I must say, it is easy to take for granted the fact that the leaves change and then slowly wander away from their creator, especially when you've lived with it your entire life, but if you slow down and just watch and listen... nothing more... you begin to gain a greater appreciation for the phenomenon. People travel across the country to watch this event... but I have the opportunity to see it every year.

Wait! Who can forget the pumpkins, apples, and apple cider!? Just to add to the wonder of fall, trees in the Northeast produce the most wonderful apples the world has ever seen and not just one or two varieties, but a plethora of succulent little spheres of goodness. And what else do we get from apples? Apple sauce and the most delicious drink ever created by man, mulled cider! The tartness of the apples mixing perfectly with the spiciness of the cinnamon, allspice and clove - there is nothing better.

Okay, so others I am sure have conveyed the wonderment of fall with a more poetic touch - but I cannot help but write about the coming of fall, for I have already had several encounters with that bitter air, just ever so slightly perking my senses and exciting my mind to the prospect of the coming months. I highly recommend taking a look around in the coming weeks in order to appreciate what is about to transpire - and maybe listen to Evergrey after you do - did I mention that Evergrey is the best band to listen to in the fall? I don't know why, but they are. So farewell and happy autumn!