Last night Jabba and I had a brainstorm that we should build a pin-hole camera to show him how the eye works. So this morning I tracked down a shoebox and built one that works pretty good, I say. I tried unsuccesfully to photograph the things outside of my windows, and got the bright idea to photograph the sun using our pinhole camera – and so we did!

Man, it really is a wonderful world. So far this summer I’ve shed some pounds (but I’m getting them back), laid waste to an entire civilization of warts, and, this week, half-fixed up my teeth (the bad half.) Aw snap, it’s the summer of Brad.

Well, it would be if I had a bitchin’ schedule. But that may change, as all things must – ‘with strange æons, even death may die.’ Sukie’s got an iPod, I’ve got one, and Dax is going all out with a 20Gig. Ok that’s not all out, but it’s 5x bigger than mine

Road Trip! In a few weeks I’ll be making a return to Denver, Colorado. It’s hard to beleive we really only lived there for 4 years, 10 years ago. If I put much thought in to it, I probably had a horrible time in Denver, but time does put a shiny sugar-coat over the painful past – and there were so many other positive things, like Boy Scouts. theorb77, from what I understand, didn’t enjoy it so much. But then again, he’s not exactly the best camper in the world. I’m probably not, anymore, but who cares

The trip is for Carebear’s wedding – omg I knew her when she was like 2 feet tall or something! Jeez! I should be able to visit my buddy Azymn while I’m out there, too. And I want to go to the Zoo. And the Museum. Damn – Denver’s got some cool academic places to go

Oh and I polished up my pop-up comments, and changed the layout ever so slightly. I like my faux-gold 3D logo, but I don’t think Sukie does.

Ok, so as most of you know, I work a job, and have a crappy schedule. I took this schedule because the bills were piling up, times were getting dangerously rough, and desperate times called for a desperate measure. Seeing an opportunity to take some of the burden of solving the problem upon myself. It was my idea.

So here we are, months later, out of debt. If I had a day schedule, Lucas would be back in daycare, and this would be an added expense on the pocketbook. Right now it feels like we could handle it, honestly. We’ve been making purchases and eating out a lot. There’s lots of cash flow now.

There’s a lot of pressure on me to get a better schedule, one way or another. Frankly, I’d rather sit on my ass at home all day, but the paltry sum I bring home every so often actually justifies the pain and aggrivation of going to work. And when I kick ass, I like it. When it kicks my ass, I don’t like it.

I get criticized about my job by my friends and family, a lot. Mostly because of the schedule, and also because people think I could do a lot better. It happens so often that I’m pretty much pissed off.

I know I told Sukie that I’d look for a new job, and I sent a few resumes out, got one interview, and I couldn’t fricking make it to the goddamn interview, which by the way, was for a pretty shitty schedule and even less pay than I’m making right now.

Goddamn if the job prospects don’t look enticing. Since the last time I went job-hunting, 4 years ago, I’ve gained skills and (almost) a goddamn associates degree. I should be able to see something out there, but there’s nothing that suits my fancy.

I’m discouraged.

I’m upset.

And no, I don’t want to talk about it.

… and the living’s easy.

This weekend Sukie, Theorb77, Striker, Jabba and myself set out for the far reaches of Utah, in a place called Delta. It’s about 140 miles from Salt Lake City, and a fair distance from a great many other things as well. That might sound bad to some of you, but to me, that’s a good thing.

When we got there we still didn’t know where we were going, so we knocked on the door of an empty house and then backpedalled and found the right house. Once there we grilled up some delicious bratwursts, marvelled at the extreme leetness of my uncle’s place (after all, it is the tradition of my people) and then were coerced in to riding on inflated tubes, pulled by a motorboat.

Everyone wanted Sukie to go first, they all coaxed her, and it was with no small ammount of pleasure that I watched her attempt it, even though she was terrified, because she can’t swim. She did good, and it was fun, so I went next. The advice I was given for getting in to the tube was to straddle the tow-cable and drop my bottom straight back in to the tube, and I damn near went over backwards – whoops! Theorb77’s ride was definitely the best – he was up in the air on that tube about 5 feet!

Anyway, after that we pitched tents on some of the driest, hardest ground on this earth. It was definitely not comfortable. Jabba did not go to sleep very easily, but eventually tired and went to sleep. It felt like I just blinked a few times, and suddenly I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I got up.

Apparently it was 6:15am. Anyway, Saturday featured Jared’s second run, Striker went with. Jabba (on the far left – Sukie, theorb77, and Striker in the forefront) went in the tubes for a second time – it was cool because he didn’t even express any fear or apprehension about going in the water.

Striker fell out twice! On the way home we saw the great Mt. Nebo, and an 18 wheeler pilotted by Captain Kirk.

So I guess you could say things started to get ugly last night when I got home from work. A good buddy of mine was over for a visit, playing The Simpson’s: Road Rage with Sukie. Fun aside, we stayed up til the wee hours eating Monster Fries and playing video games. No problems there, right?

In the morning, I woke to Jabba’s bloody nose and we pinched it off, but I wasn’t sure so I was screaming at Sukie to come to the bathroom and double-check to make sure I was doing things right. Bloody noses aside Sukie went back to bed and I got up and played some more video games until Sukie woke up a little before 10 and then she was playing video games, too. We got a heads-up from theorb77 and Antigone that we should all have hot dogs for lunch, so we planned that up.

My friend took off for home and I got in to a little tiff about starting the coals and then leaving them whilst we went to WalMart to purchase stuff for the cookout. We got some needed drinks from StarBucks and good, joyous supplies at WalMart but our Debit Card refused to work, so we ended up leaving empty handed. I, of course, was less than pleased with the situation, and snapped at Amy when she asked me if I was ok.

I’m an incompetent moron, a fact that is roughly reinforced by the fact that I’m married to someone who’s supercompetent. Jabba behaved very adult-like (as he often does) and took me aside and told me that I shouldn’t be stressed out right now.

Well, the short of the story is that Sukie is pretty much fed up with dealing with my many (many, many) flaws. She deals with more than any of you know, and I really can’t blame her for being waaaay past done with me.

Sukie, I really am sorry for being the way I am, I hope that you can forgive me.

:: how nintendo are you? ::

Meh, stupid Mario. There should have been more LINK references, right?

So I’m going to go out on a limb here and once again express my desire to purchase 2 vials of Smallville Season One on DVD. I shall quaff said vials and be fuller for the quaffing.

Oh, and Sukie and I bought a coffee table. It rules. We can re-arrange it and stuff.