Vampire Bunny... but that might just be me

It appears, borrowing the words of Jay Severin, there was at least 50% of people, including Jim Braude, who voted in a Socialist. There was a Hussein who reigned for a number of years in Iraq, and now someone with that same name will be in the White House.

Yeah, call me a racist, I don't give a flying **** right now. Do I care that he's black? No. Technically he's Milatto, half-white and half-black. His race is insubstantial as far as I'm concerned. Apparently it's all that mattered to at least 45% of America.

Socialists on the Supreme Court? Coming up!

Tax hikes on the Middle Class? Remember Clinton! Yep! That's coming too! Even if there's something to their claim (I doubt it), don't forget if you make $42k/year as an individual or household, your takes WILL rise in 2010 when the Bush Tax Cuts expire. Yeah, you remember, the tax cuts that only helped the richest of Americans? Two jobs just a bit above minimum wage and BOOM! There you go!

The Fairness Doctrine? Yep, no doubt.

Internet restrictions on speech? Possibly, and that scares me a lot.

Thugs on the Streets? If Obama has his way... yes with his Civilian Security Force idea. Welcome to Nazi USA.

And to those that may have forgotten, Nazi is short form for what the Germans called their "National Socialist" party in the 30's and 40's.

You might read all of this and think I'm rather upset. Honestly, I am. I only pray I'm wrong on how bad Obama is going to turn out.

Well, it looks like my physical went a bit better than expected. No word yet on my blood work, and honestly, the less I hear the better. I thought I was heavier than I am since I was too chicken to check myself out on the scale. Regardless, some relatively good news there.

My wife and I went to see separate movies this week, and rarely see the same movies anymore, since our tastes in movies are so incredibly different. I like action and comedy, she likes comedy and romance, but we both like disney. Go figure. I saw The Dark Knight, the new Batman picture. Not quite as good as the first, but it is grittier, darker, and yeah, Heath Ledger made a magnificent Joker, even better than Nicholson. I have to give the movie it's props: good story, good suspense, vintage Batman: 9/10.

She went to see Mamma Mia, the ABBA album turned into a musical movie. She loved the movie and will see it again this week with coworkers. This is probably not my type of movie.

This morning we got word from my sister that Harley, beloved Golden Retriever to the family, passed away after a brief illness this morning, from complications due to a just discovered heart tumor. She was nine, and doing very well until recently. She was one of the smartest dogs I knew, only being topped by her predecessor Chelsea. This is a rather shocking and sudden loss.

RIP, dear girl.

Well, I haven't updated in like... hmmm... a few months, so why not something small. Got through six calls today out of eight. Not a great percentage, but then again, tomorrow is a day off. Not for relaxation or something nice like that, but my first bloody physical in... ummm... over ten years.

I've always been afraid to go to the doctors and find out what I might have if anything, since I'm only 34, fer crissakes. I'm asthmatic as it is and my mother is a diabetic and has congestive heart failure. She herself is going through a hard time of having a device help pump her blood through her body and now something else to help with staph infection. She's okay right now, but she's gone through a lot in the past four years.

In addition to that I'm pretty badly overweight, and my diet isn't recommended by any dietician.

I'm hoping I get through tomorrow with even a partial good bill of health, or at least some exercise. I really, REALLY, don't want to have to come home with fifteen sets of medications. I'd definitely ask if there is anything else I can do other than complicated meds. The last thing I want is to be dependent on pills for the rest of my life. >.<

I'll let everyone know soon.

Yes, if you know of me, you know I take vacations away from the frigid climes of New England most years and head south of the Mason-Dixon. The usual destination is this year: Sanibel Island, Florida. We touched down safe and sound on Wednesday of this week and have been relaxing a bit since. Our accomodations are a condo suite shared with my parents on the lovely Sanibel Arms Condominums. I've been here a few years and it's really a nice little place.

We had a birthday dinner for me that night at Cheeseburger Cheeseburger, a local spot on the island. The food was admittedly pretty good but they got most of the orders wrong, forgot my BBQ sauce on my chicken sandwich, took awhile to get our food and our frappes were mostly melted. An outrage, but the good thing was, I didn't pay, so I can't complain too much. This wasn't my first choice, but my first choice had an over 1 hour wait. Maybe another time.

Yesterday was the trip on the Everglades that my wife convinced me to go on after I originally resisted. I didn't care for the price, but after going, I must say I don't regret going at all. We got a number of great pictures that some may be showing up on myspace once my wife and I get back. A lot of alligators, a pair of very photogenic wild hawks (Red-Shouldered Hawks), a captain of a boat that had jokes that just got worse as the time went along. Oh, and my wife's favorite, dolphins on the catamaran boat ride.

The first part of the trip was a nature walk where we got pictures of the hawks and a few alligators, as well as a bit of the other flora and fauna. The second part was a catamaran ride on the bay in the Everglades, where we saw dolphins, and had a tour of the Everglade City area. The third stop was to a restaurant named Seafood Depot, where I had to admit, I had the best food so far this entire trip, including a pair of alligator nuggets (like chicken nuggets, but with alligator in it instead). Tasted just like... uhhh... chicken, yeah, that's it.

Today was rather quiet, as we had a few brief thundershowers. We decided to make today the shopping day (or more like, my wife decided and I went along with it). We got a few t-shirts, a sweatshirt (for her), and some stuff for the nephews.

Still have three more full days of the trip, so I may blog more once I get back. Until then, have fun folks!

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

This past month has been rather busy, as my car's repair costs were mounting up (if I had to bring it in to bring it up to specs, it would have been a $1700 repair). So, I was left with the following thought: "Man, it's time for a new car". It was time to bid the 1999 Volvo XC V70 adieu after 131,000 miles (the last 40k or so of which were mine). Not a bad car, but it needed repair after repair after repair, and just didn't get fixed.

I decided on something not-so-flashy but had good mileage, and it was a relatively small car (which is a change for me) since I needed to take advantage of mileage, but not a hybrid until the technology improves. I ended up getting a 2007 Toyota Corolla. Only 25k miles on it (it was a demo/fleet car), so this new car is the one I've had the fewest miles on any car I've purchased.

We'll see how it goes on it's first day of work, and a reminder to myself, I must get it registered by Friday according to Massachusetts Law (we only get 7 calendar days to register it, and govt offices are closed on saturday).

Also a note to self, I have to get my lazy butt back in shape... soon. But for now, time to clear out a few boxes from the car so I'm ready for work today.

...really really bites. Customer sent a complaint saying I was rude and didn't do what he had wanted, but I had already replaced both parts for his system and he wasn't even in the room. I thought I was nothing but courteous to him. Granted, I had already traveled nearly 150 miles that day by that point and had to travel another "90" in order to get home.

Hopefully a little of this may help get me to sleep. I usually need a day to sort such things out, waking up early from an email like this.

Oh, sorry about not posting about the rest of the honeymoon, things have been insane lately. I need health insurance (state law now), problems on my wife's side of the family, and work has taken a different process now, which everyone is still getting used to.

Bleh.

Well, I got through the wedding, reception, and honeymoon relatively unscathed, with the possible exception of a bronchial condition I may have picked up while in Cancun, but it's only really bad at night.

Regardless, the wedding went by splendidly, and the song I sang for my wife got rave reviews over there. No, I'm not doing Idol, I have a "decent" voice. Great voices win Idol, decent voices become Sanjaya. I refuse to be Sanjaya Mark Two.

As of Sunday the 29th, while at our resort in Cancun, we were completely incommunicado with our familes, save for an initial call from the hotel room to our parents. The next time they heard from us, it was a week later. And we took it relatively easy on Monday, not straying from the hotel much, except to a flea market, where I forgot it was okay to "bargain". Never... forgetting... again.

While at the airport, we were given the option to visit a resort and listen to their schpiel for about 90 minutes, and in exchange, we would be given our transportation money back, and two vouchers for tickets for Swimming with the Dolphins at the Interactive Aquarium at "La Isla" Mall. We decided, what the hell, we'd listen in (considering those tickets would have cost us $250US otherwise).

Tuesday, we went to the resort and it was, I admit a very lovely resort. ( Sales pitch we said no to... read if you want... )

Nice resort and timeshare options, but we're not in the position to drop $2400 for a timeshare, nor your original deal where we had to drop $27000 THAT DAY.

We returned to the hotel and relaxed during the day, going to a rather nice magic show that evening at the resort.

Part two of honeymoon adventures tomorrow, as Tara and Andy go Mayan at Chichen Itza and Coba.

Two weeks to being married, and as I told others, it'll probably hit me as I hear the bridal march in the halls of Central Church downtown. Almost as important, perhaps even more so for my wife-to-be, is that only fifteen days remain to the honeymoon in Cancun.

On a side note, I'm just wondering what happened to lilariana and yusefa. Granted I think they may have wondered where I am as well as I haven't been on Trillian lately.

Wedding starting to drive both of us crazy, though we'll be happy when it's done. :)