It’s weird how my hatred for the dog living in my house has caused my hatred for all dogs to increase.

I just got home from seeing Blast (thanks, Spike!). I must say, it was truly incredible. I don’t know much about drum corps, so I can’t speak to it from a technical standpoint of precision performance, but as a show and as a spectacle, it was amazing. The lighting was great. The sound was incredible. And the show was just a joy. It sounds strange to say it, but I almost felt tears at a few points. Now, you say, “Tears? From Blast?” But here’s what I realized. When I get REALLY happy about something, when I REALLY feel joy about something, I end up with tears. I can’t help it. So, the show worked that well for me. As Spike pointed out, I gave them a standing ovation at the end, and I don’t just give those out. They have to earn that.

Wow. I got to turn off my air conditioner for about 3 hours today. Now it’s humid and disgusting in my house again, and the air conditioner has been turned back on.

You’ve gotta love summer in New Jersey.

Travelling in the wayback machine….
Me: I don’t want a dog. Dogs bark a lot and I hate that.
Wife: No, they don’t bark if you train them not to bark.
Me: Yeah. Right.
The world goes hazy as we return to the present…

And here I sit, listening to the dog bark. Just as I listen to the dog bark EVERY time someone leaves the house. The training must be going really well. Let this be a lesson to all of you: People lie in order to get what they want.

Dammit! Why didn’t anyone TELL me that the price of stamps had gone up 3 cents before I tried to send all of these letters? Stupid government…..no wonder no one sends letters anymore.

I just sent off a lot of money, and now my new computer, which I just got, is completely paid for. You know what? It feels REALLY good to be able to say that.

Hello, y’all. You probably didn’t notice, but I’ve been gone for a little while. I’m back. We were at LBI. It wasn’t too bad, this year. Our anniversary was fun, despite the fact that we went to see a god awful production of The Scarlet Pimpernel at Surflight Theater (I think that not only is it a bad show, it was a bad production. Oh well…). Ali was silly enough to buy me Warcraft III, so I imagine my soul will be sucked into the computer now and you may not see me for a while.

I could write more about things that happened down at the shore, but not that much happened, and why bore you with the silly minutae of my life, anyway? So, I’m back. Carry on.

From the Vermont Teddy Bear newsletter:

TOP 5 REASONS BEARS LOVE SUMMER

1. Fur keeps you from getting sunburned.
2. You are much more rested than the rest of the world who doesn’t sleep all winter.
3. Tourists fear you and, therefore, will not bother you.
4. You can crash human’s picnics and eat all their food.
5. You don’t have to wear pants when it’s too hot outside.

Speaking of my dad, I feel it necessary to post this for him, if no one else….

‘Buffy’ will rise from graveness

The return of a lighter tone also means a return, Whedon says, of many fan favorites. Look for appearances by Eliza Dushku as Faith; Clare Kramer, who played Glory; and Amber Benson, who played Willow’s murdered girlfriend Tara � though Whedon isn’t saying how Benson returns.

You also can expect to see a spunkier, “whine-less” Dawn and the welcome return (for at least 10 episodes) of Anthony Stewart Head as Giles. “I had underestimated his presence and what he brings to the show. The authority figure was lacking,” Whedon says.

Also, look at the end of the article for Joss Whedon’s thoughts on Broadway musicals.

I know I’m repeating myself, but this is relevant….

I never had much family. Growing up, it was pretty much just myself, my mother and father, and my brother. That was pretty much my family. I was okay with that. I replaced family with friends, and my friends became my family. Any time anyone would talk about things they did with their family, I could pretty much replace the word family with friends and end up with the same experience. People wanted to spend holidays with their family and I wanted to spend them with my friends. I bear the same sort of love for my friends that one would bear for family. It’s unconditional. Sometimes they do stupid things, and I get angry with them and tell them how stupid those things are. But I always forgive them and I always come back to them. They are my family.

My family has been getting smaller as I grow older. Gradually, you realize who your real friends are and who were just acquaintences. Beyond that, I’ve come to accept that I no longer speak to my brother. It’s not by choice, but I accept it now. Maybe that will change someday, but if it doesn’t, I’ve at least come to accept it. Recently, though, I’ve been spending more time with my father than I probably ever have in the past. They say that as you get older, you start to appreciate your parents more. They stop becomming parents and start becomming people. Well, my father has been added to my list of friends, and he’s a welcome addition to the family.