A Hell of a Girl

Probably only funny to Robert Jordan fans

So I was trying to explain to my friend Amy about Samurai Champloo.

It's a great anime series Justin and I really like about a ronin samurai named Jin, a smart-alec street fighter named Mugen and a nutty waitress named Fuu, set in Meiji-era Japan. So three characters on a quest, with some cool hip-hop soundtrack segments and edgy editing. Very good show. I tell Amy and this is her reply:

Amy: Well. Yes. That sounds like it would be completely confusing for me. 

So I replied: Said the woman who reads Robert Jordan.  There are only 3 main characters in this Amy. Three. Not a cast of thousands.  Not the Mugwump Witches of Derentaul. Not the sand midgets of Desplentsia. Not the sentient cloud people of Merthe. Not the common kilted folk of the lower plain lands. Not the fisher folk of the reedy Islands of Murgdor. No Blind Seers of MNGLKURHpiuhn.

None of that. 3 people. A samurai, a street fighter and a waitress. Three.

Amy replied: I want you to know I just laughed out loud and am now crying over this.

Brodie's Oscar Meyer Weiner-Mobile

It is remarkable how a stuffed toy Weiner Mobile can make a small dog happy.

Of course, the weiner mobile (which we will probably see tomorrow on eBay for $100) was full of those little plastic beads like beanie babies. We tried to remove the beads before giving the weiner mobile over. We inevitably miss some and are picking up stray plastic fill beads for a week or so. It's worth it though to see Brodie enjoying his toy so much and carrying it all over the house.

Hellboy animated

If you are, like me, a Hellboy fan, get over to the Typepad blog for Hellboy Animated. Tad Stones documents what goes into making HB, Liz, Kate Corrigan, Abe and Broom all come to life in 2 Toonami movies. They worked closely with creator Mike Mignola, so I am very excited. I am guessing from the "clue" Tad posted recently, that at least one of the stories might be related to an adaptation of the story "Heads", one of my favorites, when HB takes on some Japanese floating heads with malicious intent. I'm just guessing though. :)

Hellboy Animated

10 notable things about my day

1. Started out with nasty sinus headache bad enough to make me come home from work.
2. My dog is now addicted to hormone-free, additive-free, organic, vegetarian-fed Bison-jerky. This stuff costs $1 per ounce. I have come to suspect it contains heroin. Or canine brain enhancers, because if you have some in hand, suddenly Brodie remembers every trick he ever learned, ever.
3. The Glacier now has a new tire. While chatting with my manly mechanic, I discovered he shows Pomeranians on the weekends.
4. I am going into Battlestar Galactica withdrawl. On the flip-side, Justin and I might be more social now that we are are not staying home every friday night to see the new episodes...
5. Quietly amazed that V for Vendetta and Larry the Cable Guy could be released in theaters in the same month and not have some sort of explosion at the co-existence of such opposites. V rocked.
6. Justin thoughtfully got me The Very Best of Lisa Loeb CD, once again reminding me I lucked out and he's a KEEPER.
7. Justin got me a copy of Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2, proving that he is evil, as he will laugh hysterically as I attempt a game that hyperactive 13-year olds regularly show off at. This is a recipe for humiliation. I have assured him that if I crash and burn I will take him with me, as I have internet access and his baby pictures.
8. I am reading three books: The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, (re)reading Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson and Postcards from the Pug Bus by Phil Magetti. A fictional account of the battle of Gettysburg, a cyber punk sci-fi and a non-fiction about a guy and his wife who have 5 pugs.
9. I am about to take a shower (not actually notable but I am stretching to get to 10 things).
10. Uh..........

RA, New Hair Salon, The Glacier

First off, let's just get this out in the open. Disease SUCKS. Justin's RA isn't worse, but it isn't really better either. Which is why he and his specialist are going to begin treatment for his Rheumatoid Arthritis with Remicade. It is, from what I understand, supposed to stop the disease. In some cases, the RA goes into remission (I wish). Lots of people have had good results, so we are hopeful. However, a small percentage of people have allergic reactions. There are dangers of TB, Lupus and a slightly higher instance of cancer in people on remicade. Then there is the delivery method of the treatment. It's a 2 to 3 hour (HOUR!) intraveneous injection. So Justin has to sit there, while they load him up with Remicade, no wi-fi, and then wait while they observe him for any adverse reactions.
As if it weren't enough to have to live with this disease, as if the treatment weren't awful , on top of it all - the treatment is SO GODDAMN EXPENSIVE! Even with Justin's insurance, and thank god and all his angels Justin HAS insurance, it's still expensive. No wonder pharmaceutical companies are so freaking rich. One bit of good news is that there are actually programs to help out folks with the cost of treatment, because someone at the pharmaceutical companies might have a clue that some people in need are self-employeed artist/webmasters.
Sorry for the rant. Remicade treatments start in April. We'll update everyone then.

On a lighter and happier note, I believe I may have found a good hair salon. After the horrible bob haircut I got at the Nicole Martin salon (when I went in asking for a straight layered shoulder length cut and came out looking like Velma from Scooby-Doo), I just let my hair grow out. It's a good length now but the ends are split a little and I need some layers cut in so it looks a little nicer and more polished. A little while back a new Hair Salon opened here in Clintonville, right next to Nancy's Home Cookin', on High Street. It's called Lucky 13 Hair Salon.

Their logo is a skull (with comb teeth) but instead of crossbones they have open scissors.
Lucky 13
I went in tonight while walking Brodie and they said no appointments were necessary and gave me their card. Their prices are great (haircut for my length $21) and the people are friendly. Their motto? "Come see us! We'll cut you."
Needless to say, they loved Brodie. He was looking pretty stylin' though because he had been to Shampoodles that morning and gotten bathed and his nails trimmed and they had put a little red bandanna on him. Brodie was looking good and macking on all the cute girls. I have decided that come next payday I will head in and get my split ends trimmed and some layers cut in. I will post before and after pictures and a review. :)
Lastly, The Glacier has arrived. Our new (used) car is here! Poor girl, she arrived a little late though, because on the drive up Dad got a flat. She's on her doughnut tire until Monday (not that we drive a lot or anything) morning when I will take her up to Clintonville Auto for a new tire. I did clean her out nicely, applied a UV protectant to the dash (did I mention we have a plastic faux-wood panel running across the dash? Told you she was a classic.) sprayed a little air freshner and applied Rain-x to the front and back windshield.
Also got to see Mollie this weekend, which was great, as she let me practice make-up application on her. She looked fantastic! Big green eyes and a gorgeous smile! We grabbed Justin and went to target together, followed by a delish late lunch at Pacific Eatery.
Ok, time to sign off until tomorrow. Got some leftover Singapore Noodles and a Samurai Champloo DVD to watch with Justin!

Take my love, take my ... muppets?*

Ok, the funniest thing I have seen in a while, if you are a Firefly/Serenity/Muppets Fan:

http://www.palisadestoys.com/forum/showthread.php?p=70208#post70208

Suz

* Title by Paul Storrie, who said it better than me and sent me this link to begin with.

Couple Observation #1

After living together for 8 years, phone etiquette between Justin and I has degraded a bit, but the ability to understand the way the other person's mind works, has improved greatly. Please note that Justin doesn't even question what I am talking about or why I am asking.

Example A, a phone conversation Justin and I had a few days ago.

*I called Justin*

Justin: Hi Honey.

Me: Hi, what's that kind of moss that I mistake for werewolves?

Justin: Moth?

Me: No, moss. Like the stuff that grows on the sides of trees.

Justin: Oh, lichen. As in Lycanthropes, another name for werewolves.

Me: Thanks Honey!
*click*

The New Ice Age

Well folks, I am getting a car. Justin and I have been sharing his Camry and in the city surviving with one car is pretty doable. But the Camry has some serious problems and we have been considering selling her for parts.

Then last night I got a phone call from my Mom. I have been the lucky recipient of my parent's generosity and they are giving me their 1993 Chevy Lumina. She is large and white and has a lot of miles on her, but she runs like a top. As Inara said in Out of Gas, "No need to sound so defensive, Captain. I prefer something with a few miles on it." 

Anyway, beyond title, registration, insurance and all those mundane details is the really important thing: HER NAME.

My folks don't name their vehicles, but I do. I actually have a name already picked out, but I'm also gathered others just to make this blog post.

My suggestions:

Blanco

Chalky

The Ghost-Car

The Glacier or Iceberg

Saltlick

Snowflake

Amy's suggestion:

Vroomette

Mollie's suggestions:

Albina

Aodhfionn (Irish for "white fire")

Pahana (Lost white brother (Hopi))

Paquito (or "a") (Teutonic for "free")

Ben's suggestions:

think that "Abominable" would be a good name, and you could call it Yeti for short.

Or, go the other direction, and call it Blackie.

Or, give it a far out nickname like "The Danger-mobile."

Or, incorporate you name, like "The Suz-squire." (Oh, that one is BAD.)

Or, give it a name that sounds like it is an English translation of something in Mandarin, like "Spirited One Standing on Palm Fronds" or "Demon Caught With Chopsticks."

Or, just give it a name that scares people, like "Blitzkrieg," "Kamikaze,"

"Zero," or "The White Plague."

My choice? The Glacier. She is large and white and shall move slowly across the land. Ben expounded upon this choice by saying:

I think it is a great name. And think of all the great jokes about time that can be made!

"Suz, what time are you going to come over?"

"Well, we'll hop in the glacier and should be there in an eon or two."

<cold, uncomfortable silence on the other end of the phone> "That was a joke, we'll be there by 8."

"Oh. Good."

<click>

You can also say that your commute to work took "an ice age." They're funny on the inside.

So I have already arranged a notary for title transfer, spoken to our way cool insurance guys at State Farm and I just have to arrange to register, get tags, etc. Did I mention she has BENCH seats? Yep, this baby is a classic. :) Will post pictures (the picture above is of a 93 Chevy Lumina Euro) when I get her. :)

Laptop thought

I have been asked previously why I didn't just get a new Mac mini, since I want a new computer so much. I have always stuck to my guns that I want a laptop. This morning is a perfect example of why. I woke up groggy at 7 AM (yes, even on a Saturday) and made my way downstairs in the chilly house to make coffee. Once I had a cup o joe, I *borrowed* Justin's laptop and made my way back up to bed. I just wanted a nice quiet morning. Justin is still sleeping and I quietly climbed back into bed. Brodie needed to return to bed, obviously, to burrow under the covers and continue his daily 17-hours of beauty sleep.
So here I sit, sipping my coffee, reading news and other cool stuff, in bed. This is why I am waiting for the intel iBooks (Macbooks they may be renamed?) to be released. I really like the freedom a laptop provides me of surfing, watching a movie, etc, anywhere I can take it.
More to post my but brain has not reached it's 100% coffee saturation point. More then.

Taste the rainbow

  Well, what do you know? The PEBL will be released in a multitude of fruit flavors this summer. I think they are cute overall, but really you can't top my basic black one. It's multi-seasonal, goes with everything and is timeless and a classic. As I frequently remind Brodie, black is the new black.

Speaking of black, Brodie has told me that for his upcoming birthday, he would like a copy of the Wesley Snipes classic, Passenger 57.  He just can't get enough of Mr. Snipes saying "Always bet on black".