Random Thoughts...

moved over to xanga

2007-02-12T16:21:00.000-06:00

do not be alarmed - i'm not resurrecting my blogspot account...although i should - man, i haven't updated this blog since 2005. anyway, i'm just using this to respond to other blogspot users. for any and all future updates, please refer to my xanga account

http://www.xanga.com/bennettshin

thanks!...

Cinderella

2005-11-18T21:09:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Duksim got a phone call from her sister telling her what her nephew (Isaac) said. He was looking at our wedding photos and the following conversation ensued:

Isaac: "mom? emo (aunt) is a Cinderella"
Mom: "ha ha really? then what is mom?"
Isaac: "mom is mom~ (duh!)"

Kids say what they will...

The photo that inspired his imagination...

Isaac (left) with his older brother Justin...the excitement coming through on my face for this photoshoot is simply unreal...

White Sox World Series parade

2005-10-29T16:12:00.000-05:00

Man, if you want to talk about totally non-productive workdays - yesterday was the day - but for a good thing, mind you! As you know, the White Sox finally won the World Series after 88 years of disappointment. As a result, being that Mayor Daley is a die-hard Sox fan - he spared no expense in setting up this ticker tape parade to congratulate them for their acheivements. Luckily, I was working downtown this past week, and since the parade route ran right in front of my building, I was literally in the right place at the right time. The parade started at U.S. Cellular field, wound their way through various south side neighborhoods and finally made their way up LaSalle Street to LaSalle & Wacker where the rally was to be held. Weather-wise, it was perfect, and large crowds turned up for the event. Here are some pics I managed to take while in the midst of all the craziness:

This was in front of the CBOT building - very nice!

This was hanging from the Federal Reserve Building.

This is an example of the air cannons used throughout LaSalle St. to shoot the confetti into the air as the parade passed by. I have to say, they ended up doing a pretty good job...

And now for pix from the actual parade itself:

Unfortunately, after the parade passed by, I had to return to work and was not able to join the rest of the crowd at the rally. It's ok though, this was fun regardless! And all I can say is - I am glad I am not stuck cleaning up all this confetti...

door county

2005-10-18T17:40:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, Duksim and I drove out to Door County. It was the first time for the both of us, and the timing would be great to experience the famous fall colors in the trees. We stayed at this B&B for the duration of our stay.

A profile shot of the B&B...right by the lakefront (you can kinda see it in the window reflection).

One thing about T-Mobile, I think they have a number of partners from which to distribute their wireless service. In Door County, we encountered one such partner...

Yet another alternate service partner for Duksim's phone...gotta love T-Mobile...

Here we are on a biking trail - I guess it's true what they say in that once you learn how to bike (like swimming or driving), you never forget...

Apparently no one told me about that rule...doh!

After almost two hours of biking (it was only supposed to be one hour), it was time to check the map and see where the heck we were...note Duksim's rather pleasant expression.

mmm! Duksim was enjoying sliced carmel apples while we attended a street festival.

What kind of animal do you suppose this is? You don't see them very often, that's for sure...

Neither do you see goats on a rooftop very often either! Wild...

A scenic shot of the fall foliage of Door County...the main reason why we went in the first place.

While we were in Door County, we took part in a traditional fish boil. The host gave us a history of the event while the fish was boiling, then he proceeded to put out the fire:

Good thing we got out of the way...

Finally, the resident dog of our B&B. I forgot her name or what breed she was, but she was very friendly...and very old.

delayed marathon post

2005-10-18T16:45:00.000-05:00

First things first, sorry for taking so long to put these pics up...I could give you a thousand reasons for not doing so sooner - but basically it all comes down to laziness. But I actually found time to put these up today! Why? Maybe because of the prodding by some, but also because I happened to have the day off of work. Why? Please refer to my xanga posting. But in any case, here we go:

The start of the Chicago Marathon. The cover of the Tribune section looks much more impressive than this does, unfortunately. But needless to say at least 40,000 people started, and 1.5 million people were along the sidelines cheering the runners on.

Here's James and Rob as they were passing by the Starbucks where Duksim and I were casually enjoying refreshments (he he). Note Rob's forced acknowledgment of the camera. Where's Ravee?

Jennifer Willbanks reportedly ran this race (and I saw her name in the paper). But of course she inspired others to become "runaway brides" as well...

Judy was able to capture our enthusiasm as we cheered on James, Rob and Ravee. Admittedly having only one Thunderstik didn't help matters, but I couldn't scavenge another one...

Here's the victorious James and Rob! It's good to see that they are their own greatest fans, as the signs indicate...

Another pic of the twins - where's Ravee?

Aha! Turns out that he ran a pretty even-tempo race from the get-go, and almost caught up to James and Rob in the end...

The three runners with their medals (and very nice medals, I have to say)...

Eliza, this picture is for you! Many strange and colorful characters in this race...

Finally, the agony of the 26.2 miles caught up with pretty much everyone by the end of the day. Rob is not going up the staircase, as you might suspect - but going down...yes, his legs were that sore already! All good though - will this inspire me to run next year? We'll see...

ARGH!!!

2005-10-10T23:30:00.000-05:00

I was on my way to post an update about the past Chicago Marathon weekend...when this happened:

I love Microsoft...of course I lost everything I typed and didn't think to save periodically. ARGH!!! Update to the Marathon will be forthcoming when I cool off...

good as new (?)

2005-10-08T21:56:00.000-05:00

Well, today Duksim and I was busy as a bee running errands - and one of the things we accomplished was to pick up our SUV from Woodfield Nissan. Duksim received a call from them stating that the repairs were done, and that it was ready for pickup. Even though the body shop was closed on weekends, they mentioned that it would be in the service area - so that wouldn't be an issue. So today we went to pick it up, but when we went to the service area, they couldn't find our work order - which meant to them that the car was not ready. Argh!!! We promptly went to the service bay and talked to the manager in the area - and after much back and forth, they found that the paperwork was underneath the piles that they kept at the counter. Jeez! Well, they brought the car to the front all washed and ready for us. By then, I had drove the rental back to Enterprise to return it and finalize all the paperwork. Well, you would think that it would be a simple procedure, right? Hah! After processing it, the guy behind the counter told me that AllState (the other party's insurance) denied the rental coverage. Without giving specifics! After explaining that the AllState insurance adjuster assured me that it was covered, the Enterprise guy emailed AllState for an explanation. So we'll see how that develops. Anyway, with that behind us (hopefully), we proceeded to drive home in our repaired Murano. Unfortunately, as we were driving in stop-and-go traffic, we heard a rather unusual noise coming from the brake area - kinda like the brake pads were sticking - but only happened when releasing the brake from a full stop. We considered turning back to the dealership, but after driving for a bit, the noise went away and now the car is working normally. Good thing we didn't turn back - it would have developed into a classic mechanic scenario where the problem mysteriously goes away the minute one pulls into the service bay (you know exactly what I mean by this). We'll see how it goes the next few days...but regardless, it does feel good to have our car back...

autoshow in motion

2005-10-01T20:26:00.000-05:00

Today, Duksim and I attended this event, which was held at Arlington Park parking lot. I only assume that I received an invitation in the mail because I got included in some database when we attended the auto show earlier this year. Whatever the case may be, of course I jumped on the opportunity to go to this event. Why? Well, aside from there being cars, it provided an opportunity to test drive the models they had on hand and experience more than just sitting in the models on the showroom floor. They had a pre-defined track from which to navigate once inside the cars - and the vehicles they had available to test ranged from small cars to the monster SUVs. This was basically a GM-sponsored event, so most of the cars were from GM. However, they also had other models from the competition on hand to test (for comparison) - which was nice. It was interesting to test drive cars that otherwise I would not be able to test unless (1) someone I knew had one - and would let me drive it, or (2) visit a dealership. But there was no pressure to buy here - which made the experience altogether rather laid-back. Some of the models we tested were: Chevy SSR, Hummer H3, Acura MDX, BMW X5, Nissan Titan, Lexus ES330, Lexus LX470, Mercedes ML350, and Volvo XC90.

But by far the best of the day was test driving the Corvette!

I had my skepticism of this car prior to jumping in the driver's seat - I dunno, maybe my bias of American cars was affecting my perceptions. But after driving this beast, I was blown away! This car was a smooth as silk, engine growls like a cougar, corners like it was on rails, acceleration left my breath at the starting point - you name it, it happened...but I did not wet myself, thankfully. Unbelievable - I can see why so many Corvette fanatics love this car. Not bad - not bad at all...left me with a huge grin on my face...

Lastly, this is for Jae:

They had a live display of the upcoming Saturn Sky. Have to say, looks very nice - much better in design than their other attempts in the past. Quality and reliability remains to be seen - but this is a very promising start...

not quite the same

2005-09-30T23:16:00.000-05:00

well, today was the day that I had to take our Murano to the Allstate insurance adjuster to get an estimate for the damage done to our back bumper (insurance company for the person who hit us). The good thing was that my manager was off today, so I was able to use some time during work to take the car in (I mean, during my "extended lunch break"- he he). Also, fortunately for me the adjuster's office was not too far from my work (it was located at Grand and Narragansett). So the appt was for 1:30pm, and I dropped off the car and ducked into the waiting room while the guy did his thing in the garage. Funny thing, at one point he stuck his head in while he was on the phone and asked me if the car was a rental. Um, right - of course I corrected the obvious error. Eventually he called me in and went over the details, gave me a printout to give to the body shop and cut me a check for the damage. The grand total for the damage came out to $894.58 - apparently the rear bumper did what it was supposed to and absorb the impact. The rear hatch wasn't damaged, and the structural integrity of the body wasn't compromised. We'll see, after the body shop does its thing, whatever the leftover charges come to will be covered, so I'm not too worried.

So, now on to Woodfield Nissan for the body shop visit. Why all the way out to Woodfield? Just wanted to have the body shop of the dealer we bought our car from service the repairs. So after battling rush hour traffic, finally got there around 4-ish. Dropped off the car and requested for a rental car. They placed a call to Enterprise and said they would pick me up from the front of the dealer. The manager told me to wait about 5 minutes and they would be there. Well, after waiting around 20 minutes, I asked the service bay rep to call Enterprise to see if they forgot about me. After that, 5 minutes later a lady shows up in a gray Ford Focus to pick me up and take me to the Enterprise office across the street. Why didn't I just go across the street myself? Just in case I decided to walk, and they decide to drive over and pick me up and we miss each other...eh, wanted to avoid the whole scenario. Anyway, after many phone calls and paperwork, we got our rental car:

Let's just say...it's not quite the same. Oh well, at least the rental is covered under the insurance claim - so on that front, it's tolerable until our car is repaired. Man, amidst all the hustle and bustle I forgot to ask the mechanic how long the repairs will take. Jeez, gotta call back on Monday for that...if it isn't one thing, it's another...

new car no more

2005-09-24T21:22:00.000-05:00

ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish there was a more harsh way for me to express my frustration, but doing so would not be the wisest thing to do anyway. Ok, here's what happened. Duksim and I were on our way to my dad's house in Round Lake, as his parents were there (flew in from Korea) and were leaving tomorrow afternoon. They wanted to see us before they left, so we obliged. It was raining at a good clip through the drive, so keep in mind the potentially slippery conditions on the road. We were on Townline Rd in Vernon Hills and up ahead we saw people were stopping - probably for an accident that just happened. So of course I slowed down to a stop, but through my rear view mirror, I saw a white Jeep Wrangler bearing down on us at a speed that told me that they weren't gonna stop in time. It was one of those slow-mo moments where I pictured myself saying n-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o (I think you know what I'm talking about). Also keep in mind that this particular road was one lane going in either direction, so there was absolutely no way I could have avoided this. Well, we got hit pretty solid from the back by that Jeep, but since I was still on the brakes, thankfully it didn't turn into some chain reaction accident. So we moved over to the side of the road - along with another pair of cars that apparently had the same kinda accident (what are the odds?) That must have been a spectacle for all the gapers passing us by (yes we were causing the infamous "gaper's delay" here). The people who rear-ended us turned out to be a couple of teenage girls (the driver whom we later found to be around 16 years of age, so she just got her license...great!). She was apologizing profusely stating that she was braking, but her tires were hydroplaning and thus the reason she plowed into our car. Regardless, the look I gave her could have curdled milk. Eventually the cops arrived, 2 cars in fact: one that we happened to flag down, and another that was called by another person. At least those girls were insured, so this will be taken care of hopefully sometime this coming week. But for now, our rear bumper is dented in the middle, and apparently pushed up somewhat, as now we cannot open our rear door (which is also kinda bulging out). So now we have to deal with the hassle of lowering the rear seat to access the hatch area, bring the car in for repairs, get a loaner/rental car until it's done, and so on and so forth...yadda yadda yadda...

Duksim already knows this about me, but whenever things like this happen, it usually takes quite a bit of time for me to get over it. For her, she is pretty good at rolling things off her back and moving on. In this case, for me anyway, I think I will not fully get over this one until we get the car back in its original condition. Of course, I know that now it cannot be classified as a new car anymore, but still - until I see our car back in like-new condition, I shall remain in my dark and moody cave...

"summer" cleaning

2005-09-12T11:55:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday was a day that I hoped would never come...

I was forced to clean out my junk.

I admit, I am somewhat of a packrat, a clothes-horse...all the adjectives you can think of - I can associate with. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I am nearly as bad as I used to be back at my mom's house, but yeah - it was kinda getting up there (in retrospect). I tried my best to keep them arranged and out of the way, but alas, I think I finally brought home one too many gadgets. This past Saturday, we went to WalMart, and purchased a rather hefty 2 drawer storage chest to use for my clutter. Lo and behold, both drawers are now rather full and HEAVY - man, amazing that it is still holding up under all that weight. What I could not fit in them, I brought downstairs to our storage area in the basement (which by the way is also practically filled to capacity). Believe me, this was quite an effort to accomplish, more than once I tried running Duksim out of the room so that I could somehow enact some "out of sight, out of mind" maneuver on her (he he). Hey, at least that tactic kinda worked in Duksim allowing me to keep whatever stuff I have in my closet in there - at least I can close those doors and hide the contents from view. Man, I think my mouth was turned downward the entire time (those of you who've seen it can imagine how hilarious it must have looked).

Well, the whirlwind cleaning of the computer room has been accomplished and all my junk put away in one location or another. I have to admit though, it does look more spacious - imagine that, I wonder where all that space came from? Duksim told me that the next time we move (single family home), I will have a room all to myself (home office) where I can junk up to my heart's content. Whereas I was initially elated by that prospect, I now realize that before that happens, I'd probably better purchase a dust mask and more storage bins...

what are the odds...

2005-09-07T22:43:00.000-05:00

I had to do a double take when I saw this in the Bally's parking lot today as I pulled in after work (note the color):

What are the odds that I would actually see another one of these apart from the one in Jae's driveway? he he...

busy weekend...

2005-09-06T23:43:00.000-05:00

Ugh, what a weekend! Busy, but glad it turned out that way. Each day had something going on, so let's see how it all broke down:

Friday - I had the day off, and spent it running errands while Duksim was at work. Why did I have Friday off, you may ask? In all fairness, I totally forgot that I had that day off (I think we were planning on spending the Labor Day weekend at her sister's in St. Louis - but didn't pan out). Ah well, it was all good - at least I was away from the office, that alone was awesome!

Saturday - Another kinda lazy day - made even more so because I took care of most of the usual things we would do on this day yesterday. But we did section some time off to visit the park area of The Glen. Usually we would go to that area to see a movie. But this time we took a detour and perused the park area, sat on a swing bench and watched the kids play, had some ice cream from a truck that passed by, and walked the trails. We got to see brand spanking-new tennis courts, the new Kohl's Children's Museum (opening next month), and the Glen Club (great golfing facility - the LaSalle Bank Open is held there every year).

Sunday - During lunch after service, Duksim received a call on her cell regarding her Honda Civic that we're trying to sell off. It is currently parked in the parking lot of her aunt's cleaners (for better exposure to the public). We agreed to meet up with them, so after lunch we went home, changed and went to meet them at her aunt's cleaners. We got there, and after some negotiations, they wanted a test drive. Unfortunately, when Duksim tried to start it, it wouldn't start! My guess was that the battery finally kicked the bucket. It's been sitting there for a week, and found that after 7 years, she was still using the same battery in her car. But man, what a time to find that out! It was an embarrasing moment, to say the least. Really didn't matter though, those people were still trying to undercut our price, so we passed on their offers. Next up, we went to a farewell BBQ get-together at the house of one of Duksim's coworkers. It was pretty entertaining, turns out he's leaving because he managed to sign on full time with US-99 as a radio DJ. He was already doing it on the side, but the opportunity came up to go full-time, and he grabbed it. We don't listen to country, but knowing he'll be on the air may cause us to tune in once in a while...Lastly, we ended our day by seeing "The Lion King" at the Cadillac Palace Theatre downtown. Very nice production all the way around - stayed true to the animated film storyline, visual/vocal/musical aspects were all great. It was the final show of their run in Chicago, so I guess we lucked out in grabbing tickets while we were able to...

Labor Day - Duksim and I decided to take a chance and go visit James over at his neck of the woods in Indiana. The 2.5 hour drive over there was not bad - not nearly as punishing as a drive down to St. Louis would be...but then again, maybe taking a new car helped to cushion the effect of the road trip. Ah well, in any event, the visit was great - and James was right on the money when he forewarned us on the lack of things to do there. Yeah, it was pretty dead - but we had a nice picnic and mini-hike in a nearby park area. Judy was there as well, so it made for a good time all around. We saw a chestnut tree, knocked some nuts down, but they weren't ready to be eaten. We even cracked open one with two in it (cool, a bonus!) James acted as our official tour guide on our hike, and wouldn't you know, I found myself in a bit of a jam at the end...maybe it was those chestnuts - I didn't take any, I swear!

it is now official...

2005-09-01T14:12:00.000-05:00

Well, this has been mentioned internally for seemingly forever, but now the contracts have been officially signed - all the t's crossed and all the i's dotted, and now released to the public. The scheduled cutover will be in November of this year.

As it has become painfully obvious in recent days, nobody is immune to these things - no matter how large the company, no matter how financially stable things may seem, it's the cold hard reality of the world we live in. Five years ago, when I started working here, my company was absolutely thriving (I'm talking about year end parties at the John Hancock, generous bonuses for everyone, the whole shebang). Those glory years seem like such a distant memory now. Can the blame be put on 9/11? The war in Iraq? Globalization/synergization of corporate resources (of which my company is largely affected, due to their Dutch roots)? It's hard to pin down just where things started on this downhill slide, not just here in my company - but all over the world (or so it seems). Amidst the negativity and pessimism that is becoming increasingly rampant among my coworkers, it's hard not to become affected by it all in some way.

But you know what, one thing I have gradually learned from Duksim is not to dwell on it. Doesn't do a bit of good, and actually fosters even more of the same negative behavior (from myself and from others around me). Like it was said to me, I can't be depressed over things that I cannot control, and I find that to be very true. All I can do is take it as fact and move on from there. My company mentioned that the changeover will be a lateral move from here to the vendor, along with other provisions. I'm honestly keeping all my options open, but we'll see what happens...

too many cars

2005-08-26T16:40:00.000-05:00

So Duksim and I are currently going through a slight decision-making quandry here. The photo I posted at left is not Duksim's Honda Civic (since I didn't take a picture of her actual car - just pulled this off the web, and wouldn't you know it, I couldn't find a black one). Anyway, as you know, we purchased a new 2005 Nissan Murano and the plates just arrived at the dealership. The insurance has been transferred over to the new car. For all intents and purposes, we should not even be driving the Civic anymore. But for now, Duksim is still tooling around in it on the weekdays - since it's only to her aunt's cleaners and back home. But we've now arrived at the time where we need to unload the Civic. The dealership undercut us big time at the point of sale, so we didn't go the trade-in route. So now we are planning on selling it ourselves - by posting a large FOR SALE sign on the rear quarter window and seeing if we can sell it that way. Blue Book value for its present condition puts it at around $5000 (more or less). I don't think people will fork over the full resale price, so maybe $4000 might work? How about $3,500? Dunno how to balance cost with present condition. The engine is excellent, around 70K miles, only options are an automatic transmission, air conditioning and 3rd party alarm system. There are minor dents in the front hood (with a little rust) and rear left taillight area. I do not have much experience in this, and neither does Duksim - any suggestions as to the best way to go about doing this? We have a little bit of time, the temporary plates on the new car do not expire until October - but would still like to get this car out of our hands sooner rather than later...

***update: We just posted a FOR SALE BY OWNER sign on the driver's side rear quarter window. We ran the car through a car wash and thoroughly cleaned out the interior. Cleaned the tires and emptied out pretty much all of Duksim's personal belongings. We also went to Wal-Mart and purchased a set of inexpensive floor mats, as well as giving it an oil change (since it was due). Now we will see what happens, we set the initial price at $4,300 or best offer. Funny thing was that after all that was done, a family drove up to Duksim inquiring about the car. Let the games begin!!!

***update 08.30.05: Duksim and I decided to increase the visibility of her Honda Civic by relocating it to her aunt's cleaners in Glenview at the corner of Harlem Ave. and Glenview Rd. We'll keep in parked there for the next couple of weeks and see what happens...her aunt mentioned that a couple looked at the car today, so that's a good start.

question on ethics

2005-08-10T10:39:00.000-05:00

This is just plain creepy...

I didn't post this until now partly because of my laziness, but also was debating whether to put this up at all. Well, it doesn't directly affect me, so I guess it's ok - since no names are being given. About two weeks ago, a person at my work passed away from a heart attack. She was 5 months pregnant at the time. Her wake was held the following week on a Thursday, and one of my coworkers lived close enough to the funeral home and decided to pay his respects. When he arrived, there was only maybe 4 people inside. Peculiar, but maybe he was early. He saw the open casket in front, and the person inside was holding something in her arms. From a distance, it looked like a teddy bear or something, which is what he figured. As he moved closer, he took a second look and discovered that it was not a teddy bear - it was her unborn baby! Needless to say, he didn't stay very long - and probably explained the low turnout for the wake.

Now I am not a mortician or a doctor, and cannot vouch for these acts - but is this in any way normal? I don't know if this lady prepared a will or final directions to have this arranged - or if the lady's family took it upon themselves to have this done. I dunno, this seems like a scene straight out of a bad horror movie - and I can only imagine how my coworker must have felt at that time. Jeez - I dunno if he even got any sleep that night...I know I'd have a major case of insomnia if I saw that - and I don't scare that easily anymore. Even now, it's grossing me out just thinking about it...ok, better stop.

is it the dog or the owner to blame?

2005-08-03T16:34:00.000-05:00

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-080305dog_lat,1,4315162.story?coll=chi-news-hed

I just saw this news clip in the online version of the Chicago Tribune, where a rottweiler literally ripped a girl out of her mom's arms, dragged the kid down the driveway and mauled the kid to where she died at the hospital. Now I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I have an extreme bias against rottweilers. No other dog species have I seen more in the news attacking people than them. I realize that they are guard dogs and are usually used as such - but I have seen way too many examples where these dogs have literally gone out of control. The question to ask, I guess, is whether the blame falls on the dogs or on the owners. True, I don't know what condition this particular dog was in when it attacked that girl, how it was being treated, any abnormal medical condition, etc. And in all fairness, there have been numerous examples of animal cruelty that totally mess up what can otherwise be a very happy and healthy pet. But certain animals have to cast some shadow of doubt as to whether they are truly cut out to coexist with humans - especially humans with children. To me, rottweilers can be classified in this category - not enough are known about them, why they behave so aggressively for seemingly no reason. There are plenty of other species of dogs that can perfectly fit the bill when it comes to companionship, protection, and so forth. I also realize that there are rottweilers that do end up as perfect pets with no serious problems to speak of. But I personally feel that owning one is likened to a roll of the dice when it comes to personal safety, and I for one would rather err on the side of caution...

accessories - part 2

2005-08-03T08:46:00.000-05:00

The accessories keep coming for our new car.

For those of you who have seen my car, you know that I have some rain/wind guards around the top of my windows (the picture at left is from the manufacturer's website). They are not the cheap, thin stick-on variety, but a thicker, more sturdy version that slides into the window channels. The purpose for these (aside from the obvious image enhancement bonus) is to be able to crack open the windows during rainy weather and not let any water in. It also allows for the windows to stay cracked open while the car is parked, so as to allow for heat dissipation within the car. True, people already do this with their sunroof - but unfortunately I bought my car without one, so this validated my initial purchase. Also true that people still crack their windows open without these, but I feel safer leaving the windows cracked open with these installed so that the windows still appear closed (safety measure) - and also serves to allow for interior air circulation, and interior protection in case the windows are left open and it starts raining . And like I mentioned before, they are pretty thick, and also install within the window channels, so they are pretty darn secure and won't break off/walk away (the ones on my car still look like they did when I first bought them a few years ago).

Well, the company who makes them are still around - so we purchased a set for the new car. They just came in yesterday, so I installed them after work. Not bad, looks very custom-made, almost OEM quality - and perfectly complements the wind deflector for our sunroof. The picture I included at left is again a sample picture from the manufacturer's website, but you get a good idea of what it looks like...

accessories

2005-07-29T10:52:00.000-05:00

I love to accessorize my cars. It's a weakness that I have had for the longest time. I dunno when it started - maybe when I had my first car ('75 Pontiac Grand Prix), that came fully loaded with every imaginable accessory available at that time (and even some that didn't, but was retrofitted anyway). If any of you saw my current car ('99 Nissan Altima), you would agree with my affinity with accessories. Although I don't go so far as to pour thousands of $$$ to convert my cars into outright racers (pimp my ride, anyone?), I do indulge in a bit of accessorizing so as to personalize them (to a limit, of course).

Why am I sharing this? I have been bitten by the accessorizing bug again, since we recently purchased a new '05 Nissan Murano. Don't get me wrong, it already has come with plenty of accessories at the point of sale, so there's not much I want to do. But in flipping through the accessories catalog, I saw something that we didn't have - a rear bumper protector:

I know, it's not much - but when unloading and/or loading things from the rear, I just wanted to minimize the chance of creating premature scratches at that area (for some odd reason, the protector did not come standard like in other SUVs). I called a dealer for a price quote, and they gave me a price of about $40. okay...so I noted that, and scoured the web for a better price. Lo and behold, when I went to nissan.autowebaccessories.com, I saw that they offered it for about $30 - that's the price with shipping/handling, and no tax! Needless to say, I ordered it online. It arrived yesterday, and installed without any issues (love it when that happens). So it begins...

spoiled

2005-07-25T21:08:00.000-05:00

darn it...I have become spoiled. I knew this was gonna happen.

Today I had the good fortune to drive the new Murano to work. I admit, I succumbed to the typical paranoid new-car owner behavior...meaning that when I got to my parking lot at work, I made sure I parked all the way in the back away from everyone else (for fear of door dings or scratches). I also parked in the back of the parking lot when I went to the gym after work. Man, it is such a sweet ride - the feeling of sitting up high above the traffic really makes a huge difference. I may have to retract all those nasty comments I have made about other SUV drivers in the past - all except for those drivers who feel that they own the road because they drive a tank. Our new SUV doesn't quite qualify for that distinction - since it is a midsize and not a Hummer or anything (still have my opinions on those cars, but I digress). Tomorrow I officially hand over the keys to Duksim and return to my car. Over dinner tonight, I warned Duksim that she will get spoiled driving the new car. After experiencing it in real-world driving today, I have already become spoiled - and internally am saddened to return to my car.

But then again, I look back and remember when I first bought my car 6 or so years ago, and that feeling of driving a new car was evident even back then. The new car smell, the new interior, just the general feeling of newness. Perhaps what I am experiencing is what is called "new-car euphoria". I dunno, but the main difference here is that I didn't cut short the feeling this time around by running over a skunk like I did back then with my car...and that memory is still vivid in my mind as well...unfortunately...

pictures of the NEW CAR!!!

2005-07-24T19:47:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are some shots of the NEW CAR!!! from our parking lot:

front

back

proud owner (I forgot to take picture of myself - the other proud owner...but trust me, I'm here too)

interior shot (plenty of aluminum trim - very nice selling point!)

sticker detailing CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) - standard on this (and all) Murano trim levels

rear (with hatch open) - note standard dual chrome-finished exhaust outlets...

we transferred over things from Duksim's old car to the NEW CAR!!! - and of course we did not forget the Tweety danglers, positioned on top corners of the front windshield...

...and the Tweety from her rear view mirror somehow migrated over here as well.

NEW CAR!!!

2005-07-23T20:17:00.000-05:00

Today we took the bold step forward and purchased our new car - platinum 2005 Nissan Murano SL AWD from the Woodfield Nissan dealership. Pictures will follow in a separate blog (since it is now getting dark outside and I won't be able to capture the fullness of it in the dim outdoor lighting)...

PlayStation 3

2005-07-18T11:49:00.000-05:00

The following is an excerpt from GameSpot.com, detailing out specs for upcoming PlayStation 3 due out Spring 2006. Rather impressive, I have to say...

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

...Sony confirmed the PlayStation 3 will use Blu-ray discs as its media format. The discs can hold up to six times as much data as current-generation DVDs. It will also support CR-ROM, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R formats. Sony also confirmed that the machine will be backward compatible all the way to the original PlayStation. It will also have slots for Memory Stick Duo, an SD slot, and a compact flash memory slot. It will also sport a slot for a detachable 2.5-inch HDD, somewhat similar to the Xbox 360's. Sony did not mention if the drive would be standard.

Sony also laid out the technical specs of the device. The PlayStation 3 will feature the much-vaunted Cell processor, which will run at 3.2GHz, giving the whole system 2 teraflops of overall performance. It will sport 256MB XDR main RAM at 3.2GHz, and it will have 256MB of GDDR VRAM at 700MHz.

Sony also unveiled the PS3's graphics chip, the RSX "Reality Synthesizer," which is based on Nvidia technology. The GPU will be capable of 128bit pixel precision and 1080p resolution--some of the highest HD resolution around. The RSX also has 512MB of graphics render memory and is capable of 100 billion shader operations and 51 billion dot products per second. It also has more than 300 million transistors, larger than any processor commercially available today. It will be manufactured using the 90nm process, with eight layers of metal. The RSX is more powerful than two GeForce 6800 Ultra video cards, which would cost roughly $1,000 total if purchased today.

The PlayStation 3 will also sport some hefty multimedia features, such as video chat, Internet access, digital photo viewing, and digital audio and video. Speaking of video, Sony Computer Entertainment's chief technical officer Masa Chatani was on hand to show off the PS3's panoramic video functions. Since the console has two HD outputs, it is can be hooked up to two side-by-side HDTVs to projecting video in a 32:9 extra-widescreen format (think Cinemascope in your living room). Like a gigantic version of the Nintendo DS, the dual digital outputs also allow for an extended game display, with the action on one screen and either game information or video chat on the second.

Out of the box, the PS3 will have the capability to support seven Bluetooth controllers, which can be used for nearly 24 hours before they require charging. Later, pictures of the controllers themselves were released, showing their almost boomerang-like shape. It will also have six USB slots for peripherals: four up front and two in the back. As rumored, it will also have Wi-Fi connectivity to the PSP, which can be used as a remote screen and/or controller.

Sony also emphasized that the PlayStation 3 would have similar online connectivity and services as the next generation of Xbox Live. Calling it "an always on, always connected device," Chatani said the PS3 would be constantly in touch with a "PlayStation World" network "fundamentally based on a on community, communication commerce, and content." He said that subscribers could "exchange unique characters and items through the network," much like Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace.

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

I personally am just admiring from a distance, since I have no plans to purchase this product. I barely have time and/or energy to play with my PS2 - so a PS3 would be a colossal waste of money for me. Jae, on the other hand, may perhaps entertain the idea - though having a PS2, GameCube, PSP, and countless PCs would kinda hinder the acquisition process somewhat (I think). Ah well, there's always the XBOX 360 and the Nintendo Revolution to consider as well...so many toys, so little time...

golf escapade

2005-07-16T23:33:00.000-05:00

Today me and 3 other guys (Jae, Juan and Rob) met up for a full day of golf. It was gonna be a daunting task, playing 18 holes - since we had a rather late tee time at 4:30 pm. Ah well, the things people do to save a few bucks.

Well, all I can say about my game is that there is none...absolutely non-existent. Those par indicators for each hole was a joke. I suppose if I played more consistently and/or devoted more time to improve my swing, I might actually be decent. This was not to be, as I found myself consistently whiffing my swings, hitting grounders or severely hooking/slicing my drives. One time I almost decapitated Jae with my ball as I accidentally clipped it with the front end of my 5-wood. Juan yelled "ball" at the last minute and Jae ducked out of the way, though he was already maybe a foot from where the ball buzzed his head at his original position. Needless to say I switched to a different club afterwards...

Not having a driver of my own did not help matters either (it broke during a previous outing) - though Jae was gracious enough to lend me one of his. Still though, there is nothing like having one of my own. Seeing Jae's new driver had me dreaming of my future purchase...perhaps it can be an early Christmas present...we'll see.

Eventually we had to call it quits after 13 holes - it simply got way too dark to proceed any further. Overall, good times were had by all - though it was way too humid and sunny/hot. Good thing for sunscreen and the occasional watering hole to refuel after hours of sweating it out on the links. Definitely looking forward to the next outing - whenever it may be. Hopefully I will have obtained my new driver by then...

sticker shock aftermath

2005-07-15T23:52:00.000-05:00

Well, this is my first day of work after my trip to Minnesota. I had to drive around a bit, and decided to take care of my license plate sticker (since it was still in my car and I had not had a chance to put it on my plate).

I guess an explanation is in order at this point. I have these plastic covers on both of my license plates (to keep the grime out). They are held in place with these screws that require an allen wrench - but a special allen wrench that is hollowed out, since the screws themselves have a metal piece sticking out the center (kinda like a security measure). Well, unfortunately I lost that allen wrench, so I had to go to the auto store to buy another one.

I went to Murray's and bought another special allen wrench. Went to my car, and started to unscrew the screws to loosen the cover to gain access to the sticker area. Unfortunately, the screws wouldn't come off! After much struggling, I got the right one out. Turns out, the culprit was RUST!!! Not the screw, but the retaining clip inside. Unbelievable. So I would need to replace the retaining clips before I could screw them back on. Great! Well, I was able to work the cover loose to put the new sticker on, so that was accomplished. But Murray's didn't have the retaining clips I was looking for. So off I went to a Nissan Dealership, and ended up at Arlington Nissan in Buffalo Grove. The person at the service desk had the clips in stock, and gave me a couple free of charge (good stuff!)

Unfortunately keep in mind that I was only able to work the right screw out on my license plate - the left one is still jammed in there - too rusted to move. Fortunately, I was able to swing the plate out of the way, remove the rusted right retaining clip and replace it with the new one. Swung the plate back down, and was able to screw it back in.

Jeez, what an ordeal. My only hope is that I will never have to remove my rear license plate. Unless I can somehow work in some WD-40 on that left retaining clip, that plate ain't never coming out...hmm, that's a pretty good security measure in and of itself...

sticker shock

2005-07-15T23:36:00.000-05:00

So about a week or so ago, Duksim tells me she noticed that my license plate sticker expired in May. I looked at her and just blinked repeatedly before asking her to repeat herself. So she did, and presented me with my registration paper, which clearly showed 05/05 as the expiration date. So for a couple of months, I was driving around with expired plates. Great! So last Saturday I went to the DMV in Niles to get my new sticker. The line inside seemed daunting, but wasn't altogether slow (surprisingly). Maybe because it was close to closing time, and they were trying to get everyone out the door. What's more, I ended up in a separate waiting area to get my sticker, and it only took me about 20 minutes of wait time. Not bad! Unfortunately when they called my number and I got to the counter, they ended up charging me the sticker price, but also a late fee. Turns out that according to Duksim, they give you some kinda grace period of 30 days after the expiration date to get the new sticker without a late fee - but I missed the cut by a few days! ARGH!!! So grudgingly I forked over the combined grand total of 95 bucks (or something like that). Man, what the heck...well, looking at the bright side of this event - at least it's cheaper than getting pulled over for expired plates, I guess...

war-torn veteran

2005-07-07T20:12:00.000-05:00

This is absolutely incredible...I just got this in my mail at work. Apparently, I've become a war-time veteran! I guess somehow in a past life I've enlisted and fought in some war somewhere - and now I qualify for benefits. Duksim thinks there's something I'm not telling her - I'd like to think there's something I'm not telling myself since I have no recollection of ever being in a war! I dunno, maybe a cannonball smashed into my helmet. If that's the case, it would explain a lot of things...

science experiment

2005-07-07T19:57:00.000-05:00

These are pictures of the coffeepot we have at work that has not been cleaned out in a few months already. We've been meaning to clean it out, but one day passes, then another - and lo and behold, look at what happens to what used to be perfectly good Starbucks coffee. I dunno if we're ever going to clean this out, but I just had to bring the digital camera and catch the science experiment in the making. Oddly enough, it still smells like coffee - so no rank stench is fouling the air to remind us of its presence.

If you guys have ever watched the movie "Super Size Me", there is an extra bonus clip that these pictures will remind you of. Ugh, good thing I ate dinner already...

St. Louis 4th of July vacation

2005-07-06T23:30:00.000-05:00

Hmm, I posted these pictures up using blogspot's new image upload utility. Not bad - have to say that it is much easier to use than hello.

Finally got some pictures from the other families, so here they are. We met up with another family in Chicago and left for St. Louis early Saturday afternoon via rental Chrysler Town & Country. Not a bad car (surprisingly) - but not good enough to sway my opinions on American cars. But I digress. I have said before, and I will say again - I do not like road trips. Never mind the fact that I brought my laptop for movie watching, and never mind the fact that I did not drive the entire trip (the father of the other family was the official chauffeur) - I still do not like road trips...especially 5 hour road trips. My tolerance level is pretty low on these things, I guess.

The vacation was pretty eventful - maybe because we tried to pack in a lot of things in a short period of time. We attended Duksim's sister's church service on Sunday. The overall feel reminded me of Bethel - although they gave me a wireless headset for live translation during the service (not bad!)

We explored a cave that used to be the hideout of Jesse James. Very interesting to see all the stalagtites and stalagmites - and best of all - natural air-conditioning (60 degrees). Aaaahhh...

We went to check out the Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis. It was ok, though it was pretty anticlimactic - although I don't know how much I really expected from an arch, but still. We emerged from the arch to a drenching downpour that followed us all the way back to the minivan. Just our luck...

We visited a VERY NICE lakefront house of Duksim's sister's churchmember family. I have to say, the property value in St. Louis is pretty low - in comparison to Chicago standards. Duksim's sister's house is equivalent to a house in Glenview/Northbrook. But this lakefront house was literally a mansion. Pretty nice! Also the owner had a speedboat, and took us out for a spin - it was pretty exhilirating when the boat gathered a full head of steam in the wide open areas. They had a norebang session later that evening (large projection tv, disco lights, etc) that went wayyyy longer than it should have - I dunno, Koreans are crazy like that, I guess. Duksim and I didn't join in, but acted as spectators.

We stopped by a local fireworks tent and purchased two shopping bags full of roman candles, mortar shells, and bottle rockets to set off. Mind you, this was not my idea - but everyone else was all gung-ho about it. Have to say one thing - money talks when it comes to fireworks...you literally get more bang for more bucks - and some of those gave off a pretty colorful and loud bang! One other note - when sticking rockets in the ground to light the fuse, make sure there is enough slack for the rocket to take off into the sky. The explosions are meant for the sky, not the ground - trust me on this! No casualties to report - but jeez, some pretty close calls.

All in all, a pretty nice trip. One last note - I cannot say enough about dvd entertainment in cars - they are a real lifesaver. If I didn't bring my laptop, I shudder to think what might have been, especially on 5 hour road trips like this.

But it was enough to keep me entertained, so everyone was happy.

unplanned exercise

2005-06-28T21:06:00.000-05:00

Gotta love taking Metra. Even though I personally don't, I enjoyed hearing this from Duksim during dinner tonight. She usually sleeps on the train on her ride back to the Glenview station, where she gets off to hop into her car. Usually she does a good job of waking up before the train arrives at the station, or when the conductor announces the arrival over the intercom. This time around though, she kept sleeping and instead heard the conductor announce "North Glenview", the next station over! She immediately snapped awake, which prompted another passenger to ask her if she missed her stop - to which she sheepishly replied in the affirmative. She got off at the North Glenview station - but faced a dilemma: whether to wait 20 minutes for the opposite train to arrive to go back to the Glenview station, or walk back instead. Deciding on the latter, she started to walk. Unfortunately, the walk took her 30 minutes to get back - in comparison to the 3 minutes it would have taken her by train. What's worse, that train passed her up as she was walking back! She finally arrived at her car tired, sweaty and frustrated at the choice she made. Of all the days to have this happen, a day in the mid-90's with high humidity, lots of sun and no wind was quite the unfortunate combination...

golfing casualty

2005-06-26T20:14:00.000-05:00

the victim

location of decapitation

closeup of the victim's head

Yesterday I went to the driving range with Peter, a close friend of mine. It's been such a long time since I've last been out golfing in any form - in fact, I don't remember the last time I went...either it has really been that long, or my memory is failing me once again (big surprise). Anywho, we both took turns with my set and tried out different clubs at varying intervals. On a whim, he picked out the driver, set up for the tee shot, and swung. Afterwards, he started laughing. I turned around and saw the shaft of the driver, but no head! Apparently it snapped off during the swing (most likely upon impact with the golf ball), and now the detached head was out around the 50 yard marker. After receiving permission, he went out and retrieved it. It was indeed a surreal moment; Peter said that after the swing, he did notice a sudden lightness in the club, which prompted him to look and discover the decapitation. Thankfully, there were no more beheadings to report, but now I find myself in the market for a driver. Hmm, wonder if anybody has any tips that can guide my selection process...

college first

2005-06-24T17:40:00.000-05:00

Finally, some sanity has seeped back into the minds of professional sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=afp-basketnbaoden&prov=afp&type=lgns

Just saw this on a headline, and thank goodness that they decided to raise the minimum age for NBA players to 19. I mean, LeBron James is the exception to the rule (I suppose), but realistically speaking - do people really think that high school kids are ready in any way for the rigors of professional sports? From a physical and mental perspective - I DON'T THINK SO! Spending time in college sports, along with obtaining a decent education will do wonders for these kids. It will help to develop and hone their skills, the added maturity growth will also be a major positive factor, and the overall time spent will increase their marketability and value to a future organization. But even if it doesn't (due to injury or what not), at least they have an education to fall back on. They will not have that luxury if they dive right in after high school. I am not sure if the same regulations have already been applied to other professional associations such as baseball and football, but if not, they should be. Football - now that's a sport that is definitely NOT meant for high schoolers - and I am purely talking from a physical standpoint on this one...

Odd News from Yahoo

2005-06-24T10:51:00.000-05:00

I don't know what to think of this recent piece of news I found on the web this morning:

Man dies after lightning strikes metal cross

LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - A man died after lightning struck a metal cross he was holding during a funeral in a village near Ljubljana, the Slovenian news agency STA reported Thursday.

It said the 62-year-old man died in hospital Wednesday evening, several hours after the incident in the village of Brezovica. Another person at the funeral was slightly injured.

Seems kind of ironic in its symbolism - but then again, stranger things have happened in recent days when it comes to religious topics (i.e. Fullerton bridge saltwater stain). I really enjoy reading the odd news section of Yahoo News - it amazes and amuses me when I read about the strange antics of people and/or circumstances surrounding their odd behavior...I sometimes wonder if these things actually happened the way they are described in the articles. Then again, as I have seen and experienced in many circumstances in my life, literally anything is possible...

some random thoughts

2005-06-21T23:30:00.000-05:00

Firstly - Jae, this is for you:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/3705826

Now, some random thoughts that I just wanted to post, both inspired by what I saw on tv tonight:

- On DatelineNBC, the Katie Couric interview with Jennifer Wilbanks was broadcast. Now, I was not sure if I was even going to watch it, seeing that it was going to be an hour-long segment on something that really should have been kept private in the first place, but I ended up watching it anyway. The whole thing was pretty uncomfortable to watch, really. I could even tell that Katie Couric was not altogether enjoying this as well, but hey - NBC got the rights to broadcast the interview, so what was she supposed to do? At the end of the broadcast, she even intimated to the audience that she suspects Jennifer Wilbanks probably didn't totally level with her on all counts - that there's still more to the story. Jeez, well I suppose that's why there'll be the book deal and the made-for-tv movie that will come out sometime in the near future (still can't believe she sold the rights - capitalizing on this is just unbelievably wrong on so many levels). She can't be faking those eyes though...they were still larger than life.

- On the 10:00pm NBC5 news, I saw a special segment on a family in DuPage County that recently had their house totally remodeled for a tv show called "Renovate My House" (a takeoff of the Extreme Makeover: Home Editon" trend). The same timeline was used (7 days) to tear down and rebuild the house, and it was also supposed to be handicapped-accessible for their wheelchair-bound son. The end product looked good at first, but now is falling apart. Turns out everything seemed to be held together by flimsy nails, the disabled son is having a lot of problems with the ergonomics, and there were a lot of underlying safety code violations. Unfortunately, the family signed a 25-page agreement prior to the work, so the tv show and the city of DuPage, along with the contractor all wiped their hands clean. I dunno if this is symptomatic of all these 7-day rush jobs, but I hope not - otherwise my views of "Extreme Makeover: Home Editon" will be severely tarnished, as I had considered it one of the better, more heartwarming shows on tv.

sox update/batman begins commentary

2005-06-18T23:21:00.000-05:00

Well, just wanted to provide an update on my team - they have just come back against the Dodgers to win yet again - this time 5-3, and in the last inning, compliments of A.J. Pierzynski. Record now stands at 45-22, recent comments from Buehrle and Guillen not withstanding...

Today I had the opportunity to see Batman Begins, and thankfully the movie started on time (last time I was at the theatre, the movie started 15 minutes late). Anyway, I definitely was not disappointed, much better than the camp and light-hearted fare that pretty much comprised the previous batman series (excluding the first Tim Burton version - still a very good movie in its own right). A lot of the mysteries that were left untold in previous versions were explained in greater detail in this one (where his batsuit came from, the weapons, the batmobile, his martial arts expertise, etc). This movie also exposes in greater depth the psychological changes that Bruce Wayne goes through after his parents were killed off that ultimately led him to his conversion to batman. The actor selection, I have to say, are pretty good and fitting for their respective roles. Rich goes into further detail on that on his blog (http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=earz) - and for the most part, I concur with his character analysis. I also agree that Christian Bale's attempt to lower his voice for the batman role was pretty funny - in comparison to the others before him. I still think Michael Keaton's batman voice carried over the best effect. Having seen the film, the tank-like batmobile is not that bad after all, in and of itself - and fitting for this particular setting. Overall, I still lean towards the original in Tim Burton's film as the best version (just can't beat a car propelled by a jet turbine). My hopes are that the sequels to follow will stay true to the formula that made this one work (and stay in Chicago - really enjoyed seeing the Franklin St. bridge, LaSalle St. and Lower Wacker) and that they will not disappoint - as sequels frequently seem to do.

new toy for my new toy

2005-06-16T22:19:00.000-05:00

bluetooth headset

In a posting I put up a while back, I mentioned that I had received a new toy - my company replaced my phone with another one that is a combination phone/blackberry. I've had it for a couple of weeks now, and I've gotten quite used to it, strangely enough. It's kind of grown on me, the convenience of the phone plus email/address book/calendar/wireless web. But as I dug deeper into the functions of this device, I noticed that it also supports bluetooth wireless. This piqued my curiosity, so I started hunting online - and lo and behold - found what seems to be the bargain of the century. The earpiece in the photo above retailed at compusa for $39.99 (original price $79.99, and no mail-in rebates). Of course, I jumped at the opportunity and bought it. Charged it up, paired it up with my phone, and now is working pretty well. I admit it's taking a little getting used to keeping this thing in my ear, but it's fun to play with this while the novelty is still fresh. Not bad - considering the price. Plus, whenever the time comes for me to toss my blackberry back to the company, I can always use this for any other bluetooth-enabled cellphone in the market. What can I say - I love my toys...

close call

2005-06-15T09:52:00.000-05:00

It's funny reading other people's blogs, as they tend to jog my memory and remind me of similar things that happened to me in the past. One such blog is a recent one that Eliza (cazile) posted about forgetting/losing her keys so that she could not get back into her apt. I recall one such incident that happened to me a while back. I was running a little late that morning as I was preparing to leave for work. I hurriedly washed up, got dressed, packed all my things and ran out the door. When I got to my car, I realized that in my rush I forgot my car keys. Unfortunately, my house keys are on that same keychain - so I couldn't get back into the condo complex. It's amazing what goes through your mind during those times - I was seriously considering at one point hot-wiring my car to get to work. Snapping back to reality, I was wondering what I was going to do - I was cutting it pretty close to being late. I couldn't call Duksim, as she had already taken the train downtown. I looked around and saw that someone was using a ladder to do some repairs to their condo. I was severely tempted to ask that person if I could use that ladder to climb up to my 2nd story balcony - since I also left the patio door open by mistake. I thought better of that, and started ringing people's buzzers in the lobby to see if anyone would let me in. Unfortunately it seemed that nobody was home, as no one was answering their buzzers. What are the chances of that...great!!! But finally the lady in the 1st floor left side condo opened her door and let me in, since she was right by the lobby door. I couldn't thank her enough, though I felt very embarrassed (I must have just woken her up). I ran upstairs, closed/locked the patio door, grabbed my keys, locked the door to our condo and proceeded to arrive late to work - though my boss wasn't around to catch me (luckily). Fortunately this was the only time I can recall having forgotten my keys at our condo - hopefully this will not jinx me into doing so sometime in the near future...

my frugal side

2005-06-14T12:09:00.000-05:00

I will be the first to admit that at times I spend more money than I am supposed to. If a great deal comes around that I believe will not come around again (at least for a long time anyway), I will grab it - a spur of the moment decision, if you may. Duksim doesn't always appreciate this side of me, but old habits are indeed hard to break. This applies really to things that I perceive we would need at some point in the future, like computer supplies, household products, etc.

But at other times, I take the time and hunt around for good deals (comparison shop), and when I encounter a deal that seems to be the best of the bunch - then I go for it. Sometimes, however, this tactic backfires on me and I end up regretting the decision. Yesterday was a prime example of this. I started the day with less than a quarter tank of gas in my car. I had to go to Skokie for a project that morning. Around noon, my boss and I went out for lunch to a Japanese restaurant down the street. We took my car. Afterwards, I commented that I needed to fill up somewhere with gas. She mentioned a station ahead of us, but I saw that regular was $2.21/gal. I decided against it, and passed it up. Ended up going back to the Skokie site to finish the project without filling up. On the way back to my office, I saw a gas station that had regular for $2.14/gal. Thinking there must be a better deal at another place, I passed that one up too (shouldn't have done that). Unfortunately there was no other station with a better deal on the way back to the office. There weren't any others with a better deal when I left the office at the end of the day to go to the gym either - in fact, the prices were much higher. Argh!

I left the gym later to go home running almost on empty now, but I refused to cave in and pay a higher price than I needed to. I couldn't go back to the $2.14/gal station because that was all the way back at Skokie somewhere and I was in Morton Grove. I decided to head back home, hoping for the best. I passed a Citgo on Milwaukee that had $2.14/gal. Perfect! I pulled in, and just as I was about to insert my credit card, I checked the sign again - and for some reason it now said $2.19/gal! Was I seeing things? I could have sworn it said...argh! I packed everything in and left without filling up. I decided to fill up at the Gas Depot near home - the price is not the lowest, but I was gradually caving in at this point. When I got there, I pulled in - but all the pumps were roped off! What the...??? Moving closer, I realized that they were in the midst of replacing all the pumps with new ones. ARGH!!! I gave up and went home - my car now literally running on fumes. This morning I sheepishly ended up pulling into that Citgo station on Milwaukee and filled up - but only $5 worth (price was still at $2.19/gal). Now I am back up to a quarter tank of gas...good enough for me to continue my hunt for low gas prices. As of now I haven't found a low-enough price to cause me to pull in, but at least I'm not running on fumes anymore - at least not yet anyway. Argh...maybe I'll just drive back up near my mom's place - the Marathon station over there always seems to have the lowest gas prices for some reason...all the way back up in Arlington Heights...double argh!!!

the infamous apron

2005-06-13T21:26:00.000-05:00

this woulda been classic...

by popular request, I thought I'd toss this additional Italian vacation photo out here...Jae, consider yourself lucky that we reconsidered our gift idea...

Some reflections on Italy

2005-06-13T17:16:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a few weeks since the trip to Italy for our first wedding anniversary. Man, some of those memories are still fresh in my mind - and that's saying something, coming from a person who is famous for being rather empty-minded at times. Don't worry, give it some time for those memories to gradually fade into oblivion. Thank goodness for cameras and video recorders! Traveling overseas to another country made me realize how different other cultures live, and how I take for granted certain aspects in life. Even though one can watch the travel channel and read articles on other countries (like I have), I've come to realize that it does not measure up to actually being there and immersing oneself in the midst of the culture. I admit I've been to Korea once before, but I was way too young and immature at that time to fully appreciate the opportunity of travel. Having been exposed to this Italian vacation was an invaluable learning experience. Some observations:

1. Do not take the water and bread that are served in restaurants here in the States for granted. In Italy, they are extras that - if you are not careful - will be added to the final tab. You need to actually tell the server that you do not want bread and/or water, and they will take them away. Although, as we have seen, expect to be given an attitude from that server the rest of your time at that restaurant...

2. The natives in Italy are pretty nice towards foreigners, if you at least attempt to communicate in their language (I think this holds true in any country).

3. Too many tourists!!!

4. I was blown away at the similarities in language between Italian and Spanish. I'm kicking myself for not paying more attention in my Spanish classes in college...

5. We are way too spoiled in terms of the amount of land we have here in the States. The typical residences in Italy are small apartments/condos, and since everything apparently is historic, nothing can be knocked down. Therefore, many of the buildings we saw can easily be 3 or 4 centuries old. Compare that to the new mansions and luxury townhomes being built all over the place here in the States...

6. The cars are very VERY small. The preferred method of transportation are bicycles/scooters. They have electric cars (literally the ones you plug into the wall). They have Mercedes-Benz public transit buses. They have no subway system.

7. Too many tourists!!!

8. They need a graffiti-blasters program in Italy - similar to what they have here in Chicago.

9. Michelangelo's David is amazing - but then again, a 500 yr old 14 ft statue is quite the spectacle no matter how you look at it (apron or no apron).

10. The street actors are very talented.

11. Did I mention that there are too many tourists?

12. Outdoor cafes are cool. Cars and/or bikes sneaking by right behind you while you eat is not cool. Proliferation of excellent wine in the country is very, very cool...

1st Wedding Anniversary Italian vacation

2005-06-11T19:58:00.000-05:00

Duksim has been riding my back to have these posted for the longest time, so I figure it would be good to post a few of the 412 photos+video clips that we took during our vacation to Italy. We were there on the 3rd week of May and spent a good week touring Rome, Venice, Lake Garda, and Florence. All in all, a great trip and recommended for anyone who has not yet visited the country.

Michelangelo's David
(replica, as actual statue was off-limits to cameras and video)

Roman Colosseum

St. Peter's Basilica

Way to the Sistine Chapel
(no picture of actual chapel, as no cameras and video were allowed inside)

Gondolas in Venice
(including authentic Italian graffiti)

St. Mark's Square in Venice

Lake Garda

future hall-of-famer followup

2005-06-10T10:39:00.000-05:00

I came to work today and the receptionist again stopped me. She said that some NY Mets representatives were stopping by their house tonight to have some papers signed and other formalities. I guess the reality of it all is starting to sink in...I'm actually feeling excited for them now. She told me to visit the Mets website and click on the draft link and her son will be listed 5th from the bottom. I checked, and there he is. I provided the link below:

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/draft.jsp?c_id=nym

As I said, he's the property of the Mets now, but will not be officially signed until he plays at least a year of college ball and shows improvement in key areas (speed, weight, etc). Man, she's already telling me that they were shopping around the Glen in Glenview for new houses...I told her not to jump the gun, as he hasn't been officially signed to anything. But I guess that's what happens when the prospect of financial security suddenly becomes a tangible reality...

future hall-of-famer?

2005-06-09T14:03:00.000-05:00

The receptionist at my building at Norridge pulled me to the side today to tell me some great news. Her son was just drafted by the New York Mets! She was unbelievably excited as she told me this, but she attributed it to her lack of sleep (she went to bed at 5:30 this morning). Her son had just graduated high school, but was on the baseball team and apparently was good enough that the NY Mets scouted - and eventually drafted - him in the 47rd round or so. What probably happened, since he's so young, is that he will be a conditional draft pick or something. He will still be going to college, but will be monitored as he plays at the collegiate level. When they believe he's ready, they'll pull him into the minors and he'll start from there. Who knows? If things work out, we may see him one day at shortstop in Shea Stadium...

oops...

2005-06-08T21:24:00.000-05:00

I unwittingly deprived one of my neighbors of her daily newspaper today. Duksim usually wakes up and leaves for work before I do...in fact, she wakes me up before she steps out the door. We have the Chicago Tribune delivered to us every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday (strange pattern, I know, but that's the delivery pattern we have). Because we live in a condo, the delivery person leaves the paper in the front lobby area. Usually Duksim takes the morning paper with her, since she reads it on the train to work. She usually brings it back home so I can read it in the evening (even though by then, the news is already a day old - oh well).

For the longest time, I was led to believe our paper was the only morning paper delivery to our condo complex, so I usually don't see any paper laying around as I leave for work. This morning as I left for work, I saw the Tribune still in the lobby. Thinking Duksim was running late and forgot to pick up the paper, I took it with me and left it in my car. The reason I do this is because we had a few times in the past where our paper wasn't delivered. Either the paper delivery person got lazy, or someone swiped it. So that was my reasoning for grabbing the paper this morning.

Well, when I got home and came in through the front door, what did I see - but today's Tribune on the living room table! I was still holding the paper I grabbed this morning in my hand (still in it's original plastic bag). I think the look on my face was priceless as I came to realize the situation. I was thinking about just accepting the fact that we have two papers today. Later on, I found that Duksim took the paper and "delivered" it to the lady upstairs (who I later found also has a Tribune subscription). But because she is a teacher, she does not get up as early now that school's out - which explains the paper in the lobby. When I mean "delivered", Duksim just left it in front of her door. She usually calls me if she forgets grabbing the paper...she didn't call this morning, and I didn't make that connection when I grabbed our neighbor's paper. Gotta love living in multi-family units...

staying cool

2005-06-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

When the weather gets hot and humid like it did the past few days, I find it becomes a challenge to stay cool. At work, it's no big deal because the buildings I go to are usually well air-conditioned (sometimes too air-conditioned - at least to the women working there). In my car, depending on how long it has been in the sun, I can usually expect a blast of hot air upon entering the vehicle, but the air-conditioning works well enough to cool the area in a pretty short amount of time. At home, we have central air to provide our air-conditioning/heat. Unfortunately, the warm and humid nighttime weather seems to cause the air-conditioning unit to continuously run overnight (or so it seems). What I've also come to realize is that for some reason, this is not enough for me. Therefore, I have installed a clip fan on my side of the bed to assist in cooling the area to a point where I can sleep comfortably. I have heard that it is not all that unusual for guys to do this - I guess guys have a higher internal body temp than women, I dunno the scientific facts (if there are any to support this theory). True, I know the body temp for people drop during sleep, but just getting to that point is sometimes an exercise in frustration during this warm weather. As far as I can tell, Duksim has no such problems...5 minutes and she's out like a light...with sheets on, for crying out loud...

Fun times in India

2005-06-07T10:35:00.000-05:00

I recently read a post by Slacker regarding his great conversation with tech support for his DirecTV service. It made remember the fun times I had when I purchased a wireless print server for our laser printer at home. The brand was SMC (didn't really know too much about them at the time), but the setup was just what I was looking for. So I went ahead and bought it, and proceeded to set it up once it arrived. The fun started from there. I set it up, but could not get it to recognize the signal from the wireless router. There are three LED lights on the front of it, and the middle one lights up once it receives a signal (meaning that the setup procedure is complete). For the longest time, I tried to get it to work, to no avail. Unfortunately, the wireless print server works on the 2.4ghz range, meaning if I wanted to call tech support, I would either have to use a cellphone, or use a wired landline phone (we didn't have a 5.8ghz phone at the time). The phones we had a home used the same 2.4 ghz frequency, so using them would cancel the signal path to the print server (argh!). So I used the wired landline in the computer room and was severely restricted in movement as a result. What's more, when I finally caved in and called their tech support, I knew from the long pause that I was being transferred to INDIA! Now keep in mind, I never really had a reason to talk to anyone in India prior to this, though I had heard horror stories from other people. Well, you can add my story to that list...everything you have heard is true! From the struggle to understand the person on the other side of the phone (and vice versa, I assume), to not comprehending what I was trying to say (again, vice versa as well), to frequent pauses as they went to talk to their supervisor. Unbelievable!!! I called back a few times after trying different things - each time I got someone different, but always ended up going through the exact same routine. Finally got fed up, and ended up figuring it out myself, for crying out loud. To their credit, though, they did get my technical thought process flowing amidst all that - so at least they did that much for me. Hearing about how tech jobs are being lost to offshoring (India, China, etc), I really don't know how much actual cost-saving there can be if the customers are being treated to (and being driven away from) the kinds of customer service experiences I've been exposed to...

New Toy

2005-06-06T21:58:00.000-05:00

Nextel BlackBerry 7520

Today my group at work decided that having access to our email 24/7 is a good thing to have (highly questionable, if you ask me). As a result, they have replaced my current phone (Nextel i730) with this model. I admit, it is quite a bit bigger than my previous one. On the other hand, it has a lot more functions that can keep a guy like me entertained for hours. Wireless web, games, email...and I haven't even cracked open the manual yet. Guess I'll have to get used to holding this large thing next to my head when making cellphone calls...

famous celebrities

2005-06-06T16:32:00.000-05:00

This is so funny...at work we are using Lotus Notes as our email client. As such, the Notes administration group came up with an internal phonebook that lists the name/phone number and other pertinent information for all company employees worldwide. My coworkers and I happened to come across a few names that matched up letter-for-letter to famous hollywood celebrities...it just strikes me as funny to think that these celebrities are working for my company. Some of the names we ran across are Michael Jackson, Jack Nicholson, Marilyn Monroe, and Robert Wagner. I even came across George Stephanopolous. What are the odds? I wonder if these people actually refer to themselves as such when they meet up with clients...I think their reactions would be priceless...

Bargaining with Car-X

2005-06-06T14:02:00.000-05:00

Well, this was interesting. I took my car in over the weekend to have my brakes serviced on my 116,000-mile car. A few days ago, I took my car in to Firestone to have my oil changed (with a coupon), and had them rotate my tires as well (unfortunately, without a coupon). Since they were going to do that, I asked them to check my brakes. They told me that the front pads were 80% worn (I had a feeling), but the back drums were fine. They gave me an estimate which came to about $125 bucks for parts and labor for the front brake replacement. Luckily, I had a coupon for Car-X that provided the same service for about 20-25 bucks less, so I went there. After dropping it off, they called me an hour later giving me an estimate for the work that needed to be done. Turned out, the pads needed to be replaced. But also, I needed to have the rotors replaced, the calipers replaced, the back drum brakes cleaned out, and the brake fluid replaced. Altogether, the bill came out to about $660.00...a little more than I bargained for. Fortunately, Duksim was with me at the time, so knowing her prowess in bargaining - I transferred the call to her. After some severe arm-bending, she knocked the price down to about $560.00 or so. A few hours later, the job was done, so we went and picked up the car. We payed the price that was agreed upon, and the manager was good-natured about the whole thing - saying to me that I should never leave the house without her (Duksim). I really should brush up on my bargaining techniques, but then again, I probably wouldn't get the best price as I would if I transferred the phone over to Duksim and let her do her thing...

Whiffleball

2005-06-03T21:25:00.000-05:00

so a bunch of us went to a park district picnic area and played some whiffleball after work today. Man, when was the last time I played that game? It was funny how it came about - it almost didn't happen at all. Some people from another group at another building at work wanted to challenge us to a game, and it was supposed to be today around 2:00pm (yup, I got the clearance from my manager to attend). But they were going to cancel at the last minute due to conflicts in time with my group. So as a result, I left my change of clothes at home this morning. I should have known better - they contacted me later saying that the game was back on, and that they expected me to be there. Great! I got in my car, drove back home (glad I'm only 30 minutes away), packed my clothes, and met up with everyone at the park. It was a good time all around - glad the rain stayed away (though the gnats kept circling around everyone's heads).

Now either I haven't played Whiffleball in such a long time that I forgot the rules, or we totally made it up as we went along. Apparently there's no physical baserunning, but the kind of hit made is dependent on how far you hit the whiffleball past the designated cones along the baselines (failed outfielder catches also count, depending on where it was dropped). Unbelievably, my coworker Angelo was the slugger of our group - even though he has no depth perception (due to past eye injuries). He chalked it up to tennis practice...well, I suppose anything's possible. Unfortunately my team lost by one point, even though we staged a furious last inning comeback from a 4 point deficit. That's OK, we plan on playing again in August...hopefully we can all get to play, and that my team emerges victorious...

ipod mini

2005-06-03T11:32:00.000-05:00

I saw this on the news the other day...

http://www.suntimes.com/output/business/cst-fin-apple03.html

This does not surprise me...nothing seems to these days. Apple seemed to hit a home run with their ipod lineup (it pretty much resurrected the brand and put Apple back on the map), but now this comes along to put a monkey wrench in the works. Fortunately, the model that I have doesn't seem to be affected by this, as it only encompasses the earlier models (I'll have to double check). But I do have to keep in mind that the internal rechargeable battery in mine is non-replaceable, and that eventually I will have to either toss it, or ship it back to Apple for an expensive battery replacement when the battery finally runs down. I dunno, by then something new will probably be on the market that will render the ipod obsolete, so we'll see how it goes. As it is, I only use my ipod for workouts at Bally's (I know Wany, no butt references this time). I have to admit, though, the design is pretty good - the jogwheel is very innovative, and despite jamming all the music I care to listen to into it, I still have about 3 GB of memory left to use (out of 4 GB). Really makes me wonder how people make do with those 20 or 40GB models...

Revisiting the 80's

2005-06-02T20:17:00.000-05:00

Currently I am watching a TV show on channel 5 called "Hit Me Baby, 1 More Time". I have to say, it's definitely something else to see how music groups that I grew up with change over the years - especially from a physical standpoint. Man, how they have aged! Their expressionistic dress and exaggerated hairstyles have toned down, but the music is still the same as I remember them. Groups like Arrested Development, Loverboy, Ce Ce Peneston and Tiffany were some of the groups performing - and brought back memories of the interesting 80's era. Apparently this is a twist of the reality-tv craze (meaning it will be a weekly thing), but it's a better concept than some of the others out there...

Hi-Lo

2005-06-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

Duksim and I have an established workout schedule that we try our best to adhere to. We have a membership to Bally's and usually attend the NorthShore (Morton Grove) facility every Monday and Wednesday after work. Sometimes I go on Saturdays as well, if Duksim is successful in kicking me out of bed (hard to motivate myself to work out on the weekends, for some odd reason).

Monday workouts are usually the run-of-the-mill variety, where a combination of cardio and weight-training is usually what encompasses the regimen. However, on Wednesdays we attend an up-tempo cardio class called Hi-Lo. It lasts about an hour, and involves a lot of jumping, kicking, and running at a rapid pace to fast music (that's the best way I can describe it - how you envision that description of the class actually playing out should prove to be hilarious and/or wildly inaccurate). Duksim originally started attending this class, and eventually got me involved. It's a pretty good class, and a great way to pack in a cardio session into one hour. However, after not attending this class for a few weeks (due to vacation time away), yesterday was our first time back to this class in a while. Let's just say that today my lower body is definitely feeling the effects of that workout class...much more so than when I played tennis over the Memorial Day weekend (strange).

This past Monday, Duksim decided to attend a Pilates class at Bally's...I'm not sure if she's planning on attending any future sessions, but I think I'll choose not to get involved in those...

Movie Mistakes

2005-06-01T16:30:00.000-05:00

A coworker just sent me this link. I thought it was interesting to see the number of mistakes made in various movies - mistakes that many people may have missed...almost makes me want to watch the ones I have at home all over again to see them. You have to be a member to see any pictures or what not, but what it gives you as a nonmember is pretty interesting.

http://www.moviemistakes.com/

Wi-Fi security

2005-06-01T12:03:00.000-05:00

I was recently reminded of the importance of maintaining a secure Internet environment when using Wi-Fi at home. I was having breakfast with a close friend this past Memorial Day, and he inquired about how I had set up my wireless access at home. The reason is that he has wireless set up at his place, but every once in a while when he fires up his computer, he would be connecting to another router (he would notice this from the indicator by his system clock). He still connects fine, but worries about how secure his own router is - that someone can hack in and mess it up. He also didn't like the idea that someone could be leeching off of his wireless connection that he's paying good money for. I told him I'd stop by later to check it out, but I remember I had to deal with that when we first set up our wireless connection at our condo. Being that we were in a condo, anyone upstairs, downstairs, and across the hall could tap into our router if they had a wireless card in their computer. But since the people in the condo complex at that time were elderly, retired people, there was no reason to act on anything. However, a younger couple later moved in next door, and soon enough I noticed wireless activity on my router at a time when I was sure our computers were turned off. At that time, I decided to filter out all wireless card access except for the ones I specifically allowed access. That apparently did the trick, and haven't had a problem since. Security is an important issue, and it's always good to stay on top of things to avoid getting burned. Ironically, every once in a while I still can access other wireless routers when I do a scan of the area from our condo (as other people have jumped on the wireless bandwagon by now)...

AZN TV

2005-06-01T10:15:00.000-05:00

For those of you who like to watch Korean television (or asian programming in general), you may be watching it on channel 28 on free tv. The major downside to this is of course that it is a very weak signal, so major antenna changes and/or enlisting the help of another person to hold the antenna with arms waving around is the usual M.O. to obtain decent reception (trust me, I know). But now there's something comparable that exists on Comcast cable, on channel 240 - AZN TV. It's kind of the cable counterpart to channel 28, though I don't know if they deliver news. But they have Korean dramas, music videos, and other things. Other asian programming is offered, and other nationalities/infomercials rent it out once in a while. Overall, not a bad alternative - though Duksim is getting more out of it than I am...

Batman Begins

2005-05-31T19:59:00.000-05:00

Batman Begins logo

I used to think that this new Batman logo looked awful in comparison with the Michael Keaton version...but now it's grown on me to the point that I think it looks pretty cool. I'm currently counting down the days until it is released in theatres...15 days and counting.

Puns

2005-05-31T16:16:00.000-05:00

I received this from a coworker a few days ago, and they are hilarious...if you know how puns work, they will crack you up...well, maybe not all of you - since some of you have recently seen these...I can hear the collective groans already...

A small selection of lesser known puns.....

1. Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.
2. A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."
3. Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a salted.
4. A dyslexic man walks into a bra.
5. A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm and says: "A beer please, and one for the road."
6. Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?"
7. "Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home.'" "That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome." "Is it common?" Well, "It's Not Unusual."
8. Two cows are standing next to each other in a field. Daisy says to Dolly, "I was artificially inseminated this morning." "I don't believe you," says Dolly. "It's true, no bull!" exclaims Daisy.
9. An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.
10. Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.
11. I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any.
12. A man woke up in a hospital after a serious accident. He shouted,"Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!" The doctor lied, "I know you can't- I've cut off your arms!"
13. I went to a seafood disco last week...and pulled a mussel.
14. What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fish.

Here are the 10 first place winners in the International Pun Contest:
1. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."
2. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and says "Dam!".
3. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.
4. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says "I've lost my electron," The other says, "Are you sure?" The first replies "Yes, I'm positive."
5. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.
6. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why?" they asked, as they moved off. "Because", he said, "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."
7. A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."
8. These friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So, the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they didn't close up shop. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that only Hugh can prevent florist friars.
9. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him ..(Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good)..... A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
10. And finally, there was the person who sent ten different puns to his friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did!

Aftermath

2005-05-31T10:43:00.000-05:00

Well, this is the day after the Memorial Day BBQ at Jae and Wany's place...and strangely enough, I am not worse for the wear. It's been ages since I've played tennis - in fact, the last time I played, it was at UIC, and I remember launching a ball out of the court and striking the window of a passing CTA bus. I wonder if the people inside knew what hit them. Anyway, it was refreshing to see that my ankles withstood the constant side-to-side motions, I'm sure it provided for some hilarious moments the way my body contorted unnaturally for some of the return volleys. At one point I actually started feeling my butt muscle pull, so I eased up a bit. Then again, this is only the day after...usually my muscles really start to feel sore after two days or so...we'll see how Wednesday goes...