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I realized the other day that I usually post on here about things that Emily and I do, and I don’t post about other stuff that seems routine because it is, well, routine. So, here’s a post about all of that.

Last Saturday we had lots of little adventures. We went to DooDahDay (think: more dogs than people, one turtle, and two cats) and I played around with my camera. Then we walked around with Trey and Amanda and their four (4) dogs. Came home and decided to go across the street to the hippie park, and promptly fell asleep in the sun. I woke up to the sight of the worst frisbee-golf players I’ve ever seen. Went for a drive in the Mountain Brook and ate dinner downtown at the fish market with Joe, the sweetest loneliest guy I know. Joe and I split a bottle of wine.

This week I’ve been crazy busy at work, getting home at 7pm at the earliest. My bike rides home have been awesome, though; 7 or 8pm is the perfect temperature for an uphill bike ride. We had a MS web server get hacked (via Frontpage extensions), so I moved the site to a linux box and fixed up a Dreamweaver template to replicate the Frontpage design. I’ve been super busy for the past couple of months; last month I billed almost double my take home pay.

Here is how my evenings go: get home, lock up the bike. Come inside, the cats are crying and insist on hanging out within stumbling distance of my feet. Put on a record, get the mail, sit on the front step and hang out with the organic neighbor and her 3 year old son. He and I like the same PBS program (Thomas the Train), and I’m not sure what that says about me. Fix dinner (this week it has been beans and rice, which sounds boring as hell but it is really really good), open the mail, pay bills. Catch up on livejournal and metafilter. Call a friend or two, read, clean up, go to bed. Listen to AM talk radio until i can’t take it anymore, fall into fitful sleep.

Last night Whitney stopped by around 9pm to drop off FNB supplies. We ended up talking about mothers in general and our mothers in particular. Our mothers are alike in a lot of ways except for one: my mother is not dying of cancer.

surprise!

My only regret about snapping this picture is that I didn’t grab the balloons and stick them on someone’s car. Granted, there were two people standing about 15 feet from the dumpster, and I was on my bike about two miles from home, but it still would have been funny.

We’re almost completely unpacked and it feels great. Emily still has to move in her bedroom suite, her entertainment armoire, and her computer desk but those things all have their reserved spots. Last weekend we made a quick trip to Ikea to buy a cabinet for the stereo/records and a kitchen table. It has been a really long time (Trey-era) since I had a kitchen table, and it is awesome to be able to eat on a real table that is not situated in the living room. Even though we’ve been co-habitating for about six months now, this is our place and it feels like home.

I’m off work tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll get the little stuff unpacked, some art up on the walls, and the kitchen wall racks mounted. Maybe I’ll even have time to play with the new camera.

—-
What happens when you get two chat-bots (ALICE and Jabberwacky) to talk to each other?

ALICE: Who created you?
Jabberwacky: My mother gave birth to me. Is that what you mean?
A: Jabberwacky, I meant exactly what I said.
J: Do you believe in God?
A: Of course I believe in God.
J: Why do you believe in God?
A: The Bible tells us to believe in God.
J: That’s circular reasoning.
A: I’m glad we have that all cleared up.
J: Yes. Would you like to hear a joke?
A: Sure, tell me about it.
J: Why don’t blind people skydive?
A: Perhaps it is impossible.
J: I think you lie a lot.

Read other existential snippets of conversation at discovermagazine.com – or chat with another chatbot, iGod (but beware – he will hang up on you).

No image today. I’ve spent the past week in a whirlwind of moving boxes and packing tape. Emily and I signed a lease on a place in Glen Iris last Monday; we packed in four days and moved on Friday. Saturday was spent arranging, unpacking, and running to Lowe’s. Sunday was spent arranging, unpacking, and at Food Not Bombs. Monday was spent arranging, unpacking, and waiting for the cable (internet, not tv) guy and the gas guy so we could have hot water. Yesterday and today I actually had to work, but have spent each lunch break and night either cleaning the old place in hopes of getting my deposit back, or unpacking.

Moving is a pain in the ass, but this move has been pretty easy. The new apartment is bigger, brighter, and has a front and back door with grass on both sides. The neighbors seem nice (one even left me a note and a lime basil plant today!), and it’s extremely quiet here so far. Best part of all – no frat boys or frat parties or frat band practice.

I bought a new-to-me camera for half-price off of craigslist. It is really nice – more camera then I’ve ever had before – and I know I have a lot to learn. I’m excited about it, though. Seriously, almost every single thing that I have that is cool came from craigslist. Bike, check. Couch and chair with ottoman, check. Apartment, check. Super nice digital camera, check. Record player, check. Bike rack, check. Girlfriend, not check. I guess some things have to be done the old fashioned way.

It was actually refreshing to not have internet access for four days.