Thursday, July 10, 2008

Shaking off the rust...

Since "both" of you have probably been wondering why nothing's been happening on the blog all week, I suppose I'll give an update...

I started a new job.

Out of state. In fact, this week I've actually been at the corporate HQ, which is out of state from the new state. So the last few weeks have been consumed by travel and preparing to relocate the family from Michigan to Asheville, North Carolina. That has entailed selling and buying houses, and the all-consuming task of packing. And packing. And getting rid of stuff. Then packing some more...

Since I arrived in Charleston on Monday, I've been relived of those duties in the evening, but I just haven't been feeling the blogging...I've been reading 'em, and have probably even been to each of your blogs—but I'm just a bit burnt out on the whole thing. So, I haven't been commenting in my usual haunts, and I really haven't felt like sitting down and working through a big post here.

I'm sure I'll snap out of it—I enjoy ranting too much, and there's far too much fuel for it out there—but I've been sequestered from my normal immersion in all things politics, baseball, etc.

There's a tv in my room, but I haven't turned it on. I've spent no NPR time in the car, but the biggest single thing hampering me? My new job requires that I actually, um, work?

What the fuck is that shit?

So, quickly, here are some things that have been rattling around in my head this week:

1. I'm pissed at Obama on FISA, but I recognize he had no choice. Clearly (to me) the Dems in "command" wanted—no, needed—the immunity as badly as Bush. And they aren't handing any reins over to Obama without some serious CYA maneuvering—this was the price for his ascension.

2. I have never before lived in a state without a bottle/can deposit, and I have actually forgotten that not everyone does that...What the fuck is the matter with the rest of you people? Get your shit together and...Recycle. Your. Fucking. Cans!

3. This year the A.L. will lose the All Star Game.

4. People in the South ARE more friendly.

5. My car got an astonishing 28 mpg on one leg of this trip—on the highway. It is back to it's gluttonous ways around town again.

6. Starbucks iced coffee is pretty good. Starbucks hot coffee still sucks.

7. A big-ass G5 tower is not a laptop. But I've still been taking it "home" every night and gotten very adept at hooking it all up in less than a minute.

8. Did the internet abandon italics?
None of them showed up in this post, and they seem to missing everywhere else, too.

9. iPhones. Mrs F and I are strongly considering getting iPhones when we move to replace our current cells.. and, no, we won;t be waiting in line tomorrow like a jackass to do that.

10. I'm beat. I am going to bed and possible get 8 actual hours of sleep.

12 comments:

Old Dominion Blue said...

Good luck with the move, Mr. F. Did you buy the cute little house in Asheville that you posted here on the blog? I'm telling you, before too long, we're gonna be neighbors. I very much like Hendersonville, just down the road, for my retirement location. They have an apple festival around Labor Day down there; check it out.

I'm still pissed at Obama about FISA too, but I haven't been able to get past it. Especially when that steaming pile of faith based initiative bullshit was piled right on top the following week.

Starbucks iced coffee is quite good, but can get expensive. Better yet, make a pot of regular coffee at home, presweeten to taste, and put it in your refrigerator. I find one pot lasts me all week, at the rate of one iced coffee per morning.

I found the people in North Carolina friendly also. Politeness is inbred in southerners; however, don't ever make the mistake of thinking that because we are polite to your face that we have accepted you into the fold. You'll still be a Yankee until you've lived in NC at least 20 years, and maybe even then we'll still have our doubts about you. :=)

Mr Furious said...

Yes, we are moving into that house next week. I'm very excited about it, particularly after living out of a suitcase all week. Next week we'll ALL be living out of boxes and bags until our stuff arrives on Friday, but I love moving into a new place.

--

I'm pissed about FISA, and wish he handled the whole thing differently, but he got put in a corner by the leaders of his own party. Reid, Hoyer and Pelosi fucked him over by allowing this to even come up. They have successfully pushed this back for three years, and suddenly immunity needed to happen now?

They wanted it, and Obama was powerless to stop it. That being the case he made a tactical decision to alter his position. I think that was a massive mistake and undercut his whole message, but its too late now. MoveOn and everyone else calling for him to reverse AGAIN are fucking high. The worse thing that can be tattooed to Obama is that he is a weak, poll-driven politician like the rest of 'em.

That's the bed he made with this vote, and now we all have to lie in it.

--

We make iced coffee at home all the time. Since I am in a hotel, I've to go out in search of it. I never normally go into Starbucks because I don;t like the coffee and it's a rip, but iced, it's pretty good.

--

I'm in Charleston, SC this week, and the politeness is out of control!

angie said...

8 hours of sleep? Do you know how to do that.

I was going to be a jackass and wait in line for MY iphone, but then i called Verizon. My contract ends on July 29th and I have paid through July 29th. However, if I got an iphone and thus ATT and changed my number before July 29th, i get charged $175 contract cancelllation fee. Such bull shit. So on July 29th, I will get my iphone. Tony has one and loves it.

Starbucks...try the doubleshot iced--it's awesome (even the decaf version, which is all i get).

You know, must states don't do the bottle/can refund. See you are leaving an enlightened state. Yea, laughing my ass of right now as I think of the last 2 elections proposal 2's (or crying my eyes out).

Take care and see you this weekend for one last hurrah. Now I am crying my eyes out.

Anonymous said...

actually, that stupid nickel never stopped me from throwing out a can. just caused me to lose money. i find it easier to recycle the can without having to truck it back for a sticky, crappy coin.

congrats on the move, now do your job

Mr Furious said...

Good point, cock-o. We actually always ended up putting our deposit cans at the curb with all the other recycling...I considered it part of my charitable giving...to the guy on the bike with two ginormous garbage bags who would come by and take all the deposit cans.

And in MI, that's 10 cents a pop!

Anonymous said...

We actually always ended up putting our deposit cans at the curb with all the other recycling...I considered it part of my charitable giving.

For the longest time, I thought the deposit went to the state but the beer/soda(pop) company actually keeps it. Likely not who you want to donate to.

Arizona was also the first place I have lived without a deposit law. I find it much more convenient to throw my bottles in the big recycling container and leave it out on the street once a week then to wait until I have a couple cases in the garage/basement to bother to take back to the beverage store for my $5.00 in deposits.

Chris Howard said...

A can deposit? Never heard of such a thing. We used to have bottle deposits, but those are long gone. I do remember searching the ditches for bottles to scare up some candy money. Now most of us toss our bottles and cans in the recycling bin.

Starbucks may be a rip-off, but they have good coffee, hot and cold. Way better than Dunkin Donuts. Burger King is also making pretty good coffee these days.

Forget the iPhone, get an i760. The iPhone is a better iPod, but the i760 is a better smartphone. I was working from the hospital room using my i760 as a wifi router for my laptop. Very cool.

Anonymous said...

A can deposit? Never heard of such a thing.

Don't your beer/soda bottles and cans have a 5 cent deposit (10 cents in MI) statement on them with all the states that have a deposit law? Thy do here in AZ but it might just be due to proximity to CA.

And you are just wrong on Dunkin Donuts coffee. By far the best fast food coffee you can buy.

Anonymous said...

Agreed on the DD coffee. Maybe not the best,
but definitely good, and much better than Starbucks.

Come on, Chris, haven't you figured out by now that I'm a Mac snob?

Noah said...

Who *the fuck* is T. Boone Pickens??

I see his energy policy commercial...but, like, is he running for something> Or is he just super-rich, has an idea, and figures someone will listen if he puts out some commercials.

Anyway.

I gotta say, for the super-hot-designer-coffee fix, I like the Michigan-based chain recently renamed Biggby.

Kiki said...

Hey Mr. F, I hope you don't mind me stopping by here just thought I'd check in here since I usually check in on Mrs.F and she hasn't posted today....so anyway, my husband and I have the iPhone and I freaking love it, I want to call Steve Jobs and tell him what a genius he was for coming up with such an easy to use piece of equipment!!! But that's just me, before this I had the Razr and I hated it!!

The best coffee I've ever had was from Sahadi's in Brooklyn, on Atlantic Street, I think...we order it from there and we are in SC....not that you are looking for a recommendation!!!

Hoping you guys are faring well with the packing....all the best.

Missives From Suburbia said...

You'll have to tell me how the iPhone works out for you. As much as I love Mac products, my BlackBerry is too good to be true. I've heard complaints from friends about the iPhone, but they're not quite as tech-savvy as you and Mrs. F., so I think I need an opinion from someone who knows really complex techy things like how to leave a comment on someone's blog. (Hey, I moved from San Francisco to Minnesota -- I had to adjust my expectations of mainstream technology abilities.)

I don't even know if MN has a deposit system. I wonder if that would bring in more money than the blog... maybe I should stop putting them out in general recycling!

Good luck. Hang in there.