real versus fake tree?

Quick poll: For those of you who celebrate Christmas (I believe that includes all one or two of my readers), do you favor a real tree, or an artificial one?

I've been leaning torward purchasing an artificial tree, mainly because I usually go crazy with stringing up lights, and it'd be nice if they were already on the tree, but also because I like not having to worry about watering it or it drying out. But the trade-offs of course include having to give up the nice smell, the realness of it all, the fact that a fake tree, at some scale, is obviously fake, and that some day, when my kid(s) is/are old enough to go out, it'd be pretty cool to take them out to get a real tree.

So what's your opinion?

reboot for the brain

I feel like I have an old brain, one that's operating inefficiently like a PC running Windows. Everything is cluttered and slow, all the young kids are so much more hip on where to go and what to do, and I with my trodding, slow processes at work, and at home, look on in bewilderment as they all seem to zip past me, understanding everything and having answers, solutions, or bright ideas about where to head next.

Is there such thing as an upgrade for the brain? I need a faster processing unit, and some savvy new software that will allow me to access the information of the world more reliably. Maybe I can find some brain steroids?

boy, hip, yard

It was probably poor blog-ettiquete of me to not to post a comment two weeks ago that Laura and I found out we will be having a boy. All few of you who follow my blog already knew (I think) that she was pregnant, and by now already know that we'll be having a boy, but, and this is mainly because Nicole gave me a hard time about it, I had to make it official by posting it here.

Yes, I am a little freaked out, but WAY more than that, I am very excited, and looking forward to March, not because of the sleepless nights that probably await me, but because I am excited to be a father, and make my kid laugh, and take him hiking, and to learn all about him as I fumble through trying to show him this world.

----------

Let's see, what else. My hip hurts. It has for the last couple of weeks. I think it's related to my body needing a break from rowing, but I can't confirm. My low back has also begun to bug me, so it's probably a good thing that this Sunday's race in Foster City is our last of the fall head racing season, then rowing will take a back seat to work and home projects for the duratin of the winter (and with the kid coming, rowing could be taking a permanent back seat). So hopefully the dull pain is temporary, and not an indication of any other post-dislocated hip issues. It's seriously been over two years since I dislocated! Crazy.

----------

Oh, I also started working in the back yard. I borrowed my father-in-law's rototiller, and used it all around the back part of the yard to break up the surface dirt. The next part, which starts this evening, will be to rake through it and sift out all the rocks and junk. After that I'll either be trenching for irrigation or just planting trees and hand watering. Either way, I want to get the trees in within the next couple weeks so that they have all winter to get established and start growing.

back to work.

credit and idiot drivers

I heard two ads on the radio while driving in to work this morning for companies that can help you reduce your credit card debt. Both of them liked to say "Do you have excessive credit card debt? It's not your fault, and we can help get those nasty creditors off your back."

While I can't help but agree that creditors can be nasty, I have to wholeheartedly disagree with the notion that someone who chooses to use thier credit card to rack up debts beyond which they can be financially responsible is hardly free of fault. BE RESPONSIBILE FOR YOURSELF! There's plenty of shit out there that I'd like to buy, but every day I gotta say 'no' to myself because I can't afford it! It's like the guys who's "under water" on his house payments, but who refuses to sell his lifted truck or his speed boat because he has to have them. Make up your mind! What's more important? Can you live in your boat?

----------------------------

Idiot drivers; it's not my fault that you left late today. Either I'm becoming a grumpy old man (which is entirely possible), or people are driving crappier and more idiotic than ever. I suppose this is like entropy (it will always get worse), but son-of-a-B, it just seems like people don't know where they are, where they're going, or have any clue about MOMENTUM, turn signals, or any of the other cars around them (except maybe the one RIGHT in front of them, the one which they are tailgating ... yes, that's me, and I'd get out of your way if it weren't for the SEMI THAT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME (obviously you can't see that far), making me go slower that YOU'D like to go).


So I am taking to driving 65 or slower (can such a thing be done?) in the right-hand lane. I don't seem to have to deal with the idiots any more, in fact most of the time I get a pretty good show watching how people fight amongst themselves, jockey for position, and nearly kill each other trying to shave a few seconds off their commute. The only drawback to the slow lane is now I've got to deal with the fools who can't merge.


I think I've said something like it before, but when I start complaining about everything around me, maybe the problem is me.


Nah.


----------------------------


Otherwise, when all else fails, Skittles.