Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Thursday, September 18, 2008
More toilet paper than you can shake a stick at
Where does the time go? It seems like it was only yesterday that I was writing about who has bad breath, and that was two and a half years ago. What has happened since my last real post, which was March 24, 2007?
Let's see.
1. I am still awesome, and spectacularly good-looking.
2. So is the wife.
3. We have another dog.
4. I am a homeowner.
5. I work at a German Pacemaker company.
6. My credit is actually good for the first time in my life.
7. I have a fully stocked cabinet of toilet paper.
Number 7 is the real clincher. When I was young and irresponsible, living in apartments that were later condemned (true story), the toilet paper never lasted. If you ran out, you would move on to paper towels, paper napkins, and Kleenex if you were lucky and there was any left in the house. I remember at the time I would visit my mom, and she would have closets dedicated to housing surplus toilet paper. I always marvelled at this. I wondered how anyone had the spare resources to not only buy a lot of toilet paper, but also store it.
At the time, I equated being a grown up to having an ample supply of toilet paper. Think about it- when was the last time your grandma ran out of toilet paper and you had to scrounge for newspaper because all the soft paper products were spent? Never! She thought ahead, and planned to replace the toilet paper when it got low rather than rolling the dice and waiting until the last minute.
Fast forward to New Years Eve, December 31, 2007. We went up to Wacky and Jimmy's house to spend a quiet holiday with friends, and were talking about what the year meant to everyone. When it got to me, I said happily "I have a fully stocked cabinet of toilet paper!" I am growing up, and surprisingly, it isn't as bad as I thought it would be.
The days have gone by since I first posted something on this blog, and I realized something about myself. A lot of the terms I used a couple years ago are totally dated. I don't think people are "down" with stuff anymore. If I ever return to this blog long-term, the "Down List", (see earlier posts) my list of everything I was totally down with, will be renamed to something more relevant.
Regardless, I don't think anyone reads this blog anymore, which is exactly what I was waiting for. I am going to write stuff when my mood takes me here, but I will not tell anyone about it. It may be tomorrow, it may be next week, it maybe next month. See you next time...
Let's see.
1. I am still awesome, and spectacularly good-looking.
2. So is the wife.
3. We have another dog.
4. I am a homeowner.
5. I work at a German Pacemaker company.
6. My credit is actually good for the first time in my life.
7. I have a fully stocked cabinet of toilet paper.
Number 7 is the real clincher. When I was young and irresponsible, living in apartments that were later condemned (true story), the toilet paper never lasted. If you ran out, you would move on to paper towels, paper napkins, and Kleenex if you were lucky and there was any left in the house. I remember at the time I would visit my mom, and she would have closets dedicated to housing surplus toilet paper. I always marvelled at this. I wondered how anyone had the spare resources to not only buy a lot of toilet paper, but also store it.
At the time, I equated being a grown up to having an ample supply of toilet paper. Think about it- when was the last time your grandma ran out of toilet paper and you had to scrounge for newspaper because all the soft paper products were spent? Never! She thought ahead, and planned to replace the toilet paper when it got low rather than rolling the dice and waiting until the last minute.
Fast forward to New Years Eve, December 31, 2007. We went up to Wacky and Jimmy's house to spend a quiet holiday with friends, and were talking about what the year meant to everyone. When it got to me, I said happily "I have a fully stocked cabinet of toilet paper!" I am growing up, and surprisingly, it isn't as bad as I thought it would be.
The days have gone by since I first posted something on this blog, and I realized something about myself. A lot of the terms I used a couple years ago are totally dated. I don't think people are "down" with stuff anymore. If I ever return to this blog long-term, the "Down List", (see earlier posts) my list of everything I was totally down with, will be renamed to something more relevant.
Regardless, I don't think anyone reads this blog anymore, which is exactly what I was waiting for. I am going to write stuff when my mood takes me here, but I will not tell anyone about it. It may be tomorrow, it may be next week, it maybe next month. See you next time...
Monday, February 11, 2008
Is there anybody out there?
Hello out there. Just a quick check to see if anyone comes to this site anymore. If you do, say "I".
Monday, April 02, 2007
Not as responsible as I thought I was.
But it was worth it. I caved, ladies and gents, and bought me a couple gadgets. More to come...
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The Glory of Metal
Right now I am watching UCLA play Kansas in the NCAA tournament, and it is shaping up to be a classic. back and forth leads, shots at the buzzer, steals, and all kinds of crazy shit. Right now it is halftime, and I am crossing my fingers that the second half kicks ass as much as the first.
So what's new with the Chaz? Not too much. Week 2 of operation quit smoking is a success. I went to a smoking bar last night and did not smoke. I definitely felt much better this morning, and I don't smell bad anymore. Well, not that bad.
In addition, I got a bonus at work yesterday, which was completely unexpected. Typically when I get an unexpected stash of money, it goes towards something for myself, usually electronics of some sort. Well, today I went to a TV store to find myself a fancy new TV, but something stopped me, and I turned around and walked out. The bonus money is now sitting comfortably in my savings account. Why is this important? Because it is so uncharacteristic of me. I am the guy who goes out and spends money on stupid stuff and lives paycheck to paycheck. For the past 10 years, I have been the guy who spends my money irresponsibly, throwing it away on whatever I could. It will be interested to see how long the money sits in there before I get the itch to spend it on something...
In the meantime, I did buy two things:
1. The Arcade Fire Neon Bible- This is the new CD by The Arcade Fire, a band I first heard a few years ago on a jukebox in a smoky bar. Since then, it has been a major part of my music rotation, along with Grandaddy and Bloc Party. I have only listened to half of the new CD I got today, and so far it is phenomenal. Amazing. In fact, when this basketball game is over, I will listen to the whole album in it's entirety.
2. See's Candies Chocolate Lollipops- These might be the greatest treat ever invented. These little square gems might look like a turd on a stick, but that's where the resemblance to poop stops. I have been rocking these things since mom used to buy them for us back in the day, and they are just as good today. In fact, they are suprisingly effective in helping me keep off the cigarettes.
I also made another purchase, this time for my kickball team which starts league play in a couple weeks- A Dio Holy Diver T-Shirt. That's right, Dio. If you have never heard Holy Diver, crack open a cold one, put on some oversize headphones, pop in an 8-track and prepare to rock. This song will make you want to throw on some acid wash jeans and a mesh shirt, rock a mullet and bang your head. The reason for the shirt? This year's team is called "Lords of Metal". We will celebrate the glory of metal by crushing our kickball opponents. It is sure to be a fun time.
So what's new with the Chaz? Not too much. Week 2 of operation quit smoking is a success. I went to a smoking bar last night and did not smoke. I definitely felt much better this morning, and I don't smell bad anymore. Well, not that bad.
In addition, I got a bonus at work yesterday, which was completely unexpected. Typically when I get an unexpected stash of money, it goes towards something for myself, usually electronics of some sort. Well, today I went to a TV store to find myself a fancy new TV, but something stopped me, and I turned around and walked out. The bonus money is now sitting comfortably in my savings account. Why is this important? Because it is so uncharacteristic of me. I am the guy who goes out and spends money on stupid stuff and lives paycheck to paycheck. For the past 10 years, I have been the guy who spends my money irresponsibly, throwing it away on whatever I could. It will be interested to see how long the money sits in there before I get the itch to spend it on something...
In the meantime, I did buy two things:
1. The Arcade Fire Neon Bible- This is the new CD by The Arcade Fire, a band I first heard a few years ago on a jukebox in a smoky bar. Since then, it has been a major part of my music rotation, along with Grandaddy and Bloc Party. I have only listened to half of the new CD I got today, and so far it is phenomenal. Amazing. In fact, when this basketball game is over, I will listen to the whole album in it's entirety.
2. See's Candies Chocolate Lollipops- These might be the greatest treat ever invented. These little square gems might look like a turd on a stick, but that's where the resemblance to poop stops. I have been rocking these things since mom used to buy them for us back in the day, and they are just as good today. In fact, they are suprisingly effective in helping me keep off the cigarettes.
I also made another purchase, this time for my kickball team which starts league play in a couple weeks- A Dio Holy Diver T-Shirt. That's right, Dio. If you have never heard Holy Diver, crack open a cold one, put on some oversize headphones, pop in an 8-track and prepare to rock. This song will make you want to throw on some acid wash jeans and a mesh shirt, rock a mullet and bang your head. The reason for the shirt? This year's team is called "Lords of Metal". We will celebrate the glory of metal by crushing our kickball opponents. It is sure to be a fun time.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Love that chicken at Popeye's
For some people, change comes easy. I have always wanted to be one of them. With risk of using an overused cliche that really underestimates the statement, old habits die hard. Over the course of the past month or so, I have been attempting to stick a pitchfork in some of my old habits. I have:
1. Quit Smoking (1.5 weeks so far)
2. Rebuilt my credit (2 years in the making, but really moving forward the past month or so)
3. Purchased Jogging Apparel to incorporate actual exercise into my life
4. Ate me some Popeye's chicken
OK, maybe #4 doesn't fit in there, but if you haven't had it you can't understand how otherworldly it is. Sure it kills #3, but sometimes you have to jump on the grenade, even if it's for yourself. Nevertheless, it sure feels good to attempt to get my ass respectable again.
Habits I have yet to kick:
1. TV- My sweetest friend. I have ice cold Tivo running through my veins.
2. The internet
3. Popeye's Chicken
In other news:
1. I have gone from basketball fan to basketball fanatic. For those of you who don't know, the wife and I have Blazers season tickets, and we are loving it. I am also completely immersed in the NCAA basketball tournament, which is fun. Every now and again, I will throw down some basketball blogs that will bore the pants off of everyone, but hey, no one knows I am back anyway so it really doesn't matter. In the meantime, check out Henry Abbott's fantastic basketball blog, Truehoop.
2. The wife is still sewing away and just completed her first pair of jeans. I figured I would throw that in there, because she is really excited about it and she should be. They look pretty darn hot on her.
3. The Riches, a new show on FX, is fast becoming my new favorite show. For those who don't know, the show is constantly being replayed and is only in it's second episode, so catch it now and we'll chat about it later.
4. I am looking for good hip-hop, because I am really missing it. Kick any suggestions my way.
I have a lot more to catch up on, but that's all for now. Until next time...
Monday, October 02, 2006
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Viva Las Chazzy
Vegas is one of the only places I know that can be simultaneously fun, depressing, exciting and terrible all at the same time. I have been to Vegas a number of times over the past few years. I went in 2002 with my main dog Chewy, whose goal in life at the time was to do a line of coke off a stripper's ass to commemorate his 30th birthday. My aspirations for the trip were a bit more subdued, being that I was to be married a week following our trip.
Chewy's main drive for being in Vegas was simple: Gamble and look at tits. I had a more relaxed approach to the city. I wanted to walk around, check out the different places, and get a real feel for the town. In the end, Chewy's approach won for the most part, as we partook in table games and slot machines all over the city for the next two days, drinking all the free drinks we could. At one point I was sitting at a blackjack table at 6:00 AM, drinking a Jack and Coke and smoking a cigarette. That is how we did.
After a couple days of non-stop gambling, I decided to break free from the shackles of the casino floor. I walked up and down the strip, checking out all the different attractions there were to see. Finally I came upon the Bellagio, where I sat outside and waited to watch the water show in their large lake. I was entranced with the elegance of the water shooting off the lake, the lights cascading off the rippling waters, and the beautiful opera song the water danced to. I was at once reminded of my soon to be wife at home, how much she would enjoy it, and how much I really loved her.
That's how Vegas reels you in. Just when you think it is a cold lifeless place that preys on your cash and soul, something interesting happens. You never know what you're going to get.
This time around, I was for a convention for the second year in a row for my work. The convention is nothing exciting, just a bunch of computer manufacturers peddling their wares and technology for folks like me. They give you pens and other crazy gifts, you chat for awhile about how they can help your company, and you move to the next booth. At 4:00 PM, everyone stops what they are doing and goes out to get shitfaced on the Strip. Welcome to the Vegas workday.
Over the years of going to Vegas for different trips, I have put together a list of things I have to do before I leave. Here is that list:
1) Go to Caramel Lounge in the Bellagio for a martini. The martini used to cost a whopping $18, but now it is a more reasonable $15 and completely worth it. The scene is dark and candlelit, with a DJ playing a mix of downtempo and hip-hop music. The beautiful people file in as the night goes on, and soon you are surrounded by eye candy, like something out of the show Las Vegas on TV. A great place to chill.
2) Watch the Fountains in front of the Bellagio. See reasons above. Even though a lot of the music pairings are cheesy as hell (Elton John on the most recent trip), the place still holds a special place in my heart.
3) Drink a Jack and Coke at a Blackjack table at Dawn (Non-work trips only) I mean, hey, it felt good doing it then, right? Jimmy and I will be doing this within one year. Guaranteed.
4) Figure out new innovative ways to get a free drink This is one of my favorite games to play, since I don't necessarily want to"gamble", yet I still want the free drink that comes with it. This past trip was a good experience, as I taught a co-worker the art of copping free drinks. It was one of those times where as the teacher, not only did I help develop someone else, I learned a lot about myself. Damnit, I told myself I wouldn't cry...
5) Find a diamond in the rough I love to explore, and this time around, my find was in downtown Las Vegas, otherwise known as "Old Vegas" in the Four Queens casino. We were lured in by free stuff giveaways by the door of the casino, and while starving looking for something to eat and drink that wasn't a shrimp cocktail or prime rib, we came across the Chicago Brewing Company. We sat down to some better than average beer and a surprisingly decent Chicago style deep dish pizza, and marveled how we lucked upon the place in such a shitty location. It was a good find.
6) Walk like crazy This isn't something I really want to do, but you have to on the strip to get anywhere. Why take a cab for $10 when it takes 15 minutes to walk? It makes no sense. The problem is, a little walking can become a lot of walking quick. This time around, on the second day of the trip, we got out of the convention at 2:00 PM and had to kill time until 6:30 PM, when we had to be at the airport. None of us wanted to drink or gamble, so we ended up walking. and walking. and walking. We got to see a whole lot of stuff, but man, it was a lot of walking. My feet are still recovering.
That's all I got on Vegas this time around, but I might have some random notes about my trip in the next couple days. I am only half here today, for reasons I will explain in more detail on Friday.
Chewy's main drive for being in Vegas was simple: Gamble and look at tits. I had a more relaxed approach to the city. I wanted to walk around, check out the different places, and get a real feel for the town. In the end, Chewy's approach won for the most part, as we partook in table games and slot machines all over the city for the next two days, drinking all the free drinks we could. At one point I was sitting at a blackjack table at 6:00 AM, drinking a Jack and Coke and smoking a cigarette. That is how we did.
After a couple days of non-stop gambling, I decided to break free from the shackles of the casino floor. I walked up and down the strip, checking out all the different attractions there were to see. Finally I came upon the Bellagio, where I sat outside and waited to watch the water show in their large lake. I was entranced with the elegance of the water shooting off the lake, the lights cascading off the rippling waters, and the beautiful opera song the water danced to. I was at once reminded of my soon to be wife at home, how much she would enjoy it, and how much I really loved her.
That's how Vegas reels you in. Just when you think it is a cold lifeless place that preys on your cash and soul, something interesting happens. You never know what you're going to get.
This time around, I was for a convention for the second year in a row for my work. The convention is nothing exciting, just a bunch of computer manufacturers peddling their wares and technology for folks like me. They give you pens and other crazy gifts, you chat for awhile about how they can help your company, and you move to the next booth. At 4:00 PM, everyone stops what they are doing and goes out to get shitfaced on the Strip. Welcome to the Vegas workday.
Over the years of going to Vegas for different trips, I have put together a list of things I have to do before I leave. Here is that list:
1) Go to Caramel Lounge in the Bellagio for a martini. The martini used to cost a whopping $18, but now it is a more reasonable $15 and completely worth it. The scene is dark and candlelit, with a DJ playing a mix of downtempo and hip-hop music. The beautiful people file in as the night goes on, and soon you are surrounded by eye candy, like something out of the show Las Vegas on TV. A great place to chill.
2) Watch the Fountains in front of the Bellagio. See reasons above. Even though a lot of the music pairings are cheesy as hell (Elton John on the most recent trip), the place still holds a special place in my heart.
3) Drink a Jack and Coke at a Blackjack table at Dawn (Non-work trips only) I mean, hey, it felt good doing it then, right? Jimmy and I will be doing this within one year. Guaranteed.
4) Figure out new innovative ways to get a free drink This is one of my favorite games to play, since I don't necessarily want to"gamble", yet I still want the free drink that comes with it. This past trip was a good experience, as I taught a co-worker the art of copping free drinks. It was one of those times where as the teacher, not only did I help develop someone else, I learned a lot about myself. Damnit, I told myself I wouldn't cry...
5) Find a diamond in the rough I love to explore, and this time around, my find was in downtown Las Vegas, otherwise known as "Old Vegas" in the Four Queens casino. We were lured in by free stuff giveaways by the door of the casino, and while starving looking for something to eat and drink that wasn't a shrimp cocktail or prime rib, we came across the Chicago Brewing Company. We sat down to some better than average beer and a surprisingly decent Chicago style deep dish pizza, and marveled how we lucked upon the place in such a shitty location. It was a good find.
6) Walk like crazy This isn't something I really want to do, but you have to on the strip to get anywhere. Why take a cab for $10 when it takes 15 minutes to walk? It makes no sense. The problem is, a little walking can become a lot of walking quick. This time around, on the second day of the trip, we got out of the convention at 2:00 PM and had to kill time until 6:30 PM, when we had to be at the airport. None of us wanted to drink or gamble, so we ended up walking. and walking. and walking. We got to see a whole lot of stuff, but man, it was a lot of walking. My feet are still recovering.
That's all I got on Vegas this time around, but I might have some random notes about my trip in the next couple days. I am only half here today, for reasons I will explain in more detail on Friday.
Monday, April 17, 2006
I'm not dead... yet.
This is not a ghost speaking. Chaz is still alive and kickin' it y'all. I have been crazy busy with a new baby in the family (as I am sure you are all painfully aware by now) a trip to Vegas for work (story to come) my mother coming to town, crazy work, and more! This has all led to a general lack of any sort of personal time necessary to write something to the standard I really want to write. I could slop a bunch of shit on a page real quick, but you really don't want that, do you?
Don't answer that question.
Things are finally starting to mellow out now, and with that will come fresh new writings that tell of my past few weeks. For those of you who still check my blog all the time, I apologize for my lack of stuff. For those of you who have given up on ol' chazzy, you can eat poo. (Just kidding, I love you guys too)
For now, I have a See's candie lollypop with my name on it in the living room. A new blog is on it's way tomorrow!
Don't answer that question.
Things are finally starting to mellow out now, and with that will come fresh new writings that tell of my past few weeks. For those of you who still check my blog all the time, I apologize for my lack of stuff. For those of you who have given up on ol' chazzy, you can eat poo. (Just kidding, I love you guys too)
For now, I have a See's candie lollypop with my name on it in the living room. A new blog is on it's way tomorrow!
Thursday, March 30, 2006
My New Niece
Ladies and gents, may I present you with my new Niece, born this morning at 3:00. Welcome to the world, Acadia Rose.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
