Xujof

Just saw Cream Soda and Root Beer flavored Faygo sodas in Lee.  No other flavors though.

Yay, power and internet has returned to my little piece of the world.

No, this isn't the same entry that I was previously writing in my head for a week.  It is a bunch of random stuff that's rambling around my head.

1. Thinking about buying a Wahl trimmer and cutting my own hair.  I might save money in a long run.  And they've been advertising Wahl trimmers on TV and I'm really suggestible.
2. I mentioned to Mom that I was thinking about taking up cigar smoking.  She surprised me by not immediately saying I shouldn't.  She mentioned that she thought I wouldn't like it, but I really think that a cigar now and then might help me relax.  As from what I've read it takes time and patience to properly smoke a cigar.
3. I am absolutely convinced that at any given time you can find an episode of Family Guy on TV somewhere.
4. I am really tired of seeing commercials for restaurants that we don't have in my area.  Popeye's, Red Robin, etc.

Interestingly enough I've been writing a journal entry in my head for a week or more.  The concept behind it was basically just a bunch of random stuff that was rattling around in my head.  See, it's hardly random if I've been writing it in my head for a week.  Better still is that most of it is gone now.

In my journal entry posted 7/29/10 I mention that I went on a date with a woman I met through an online dating service. 
I find myself a year later (tough to believe it's been that long) in the same situation, single.
So now I ask, are dating services good or bad?

The one I signed on for seemed pretty good.  I was matched with 200 or so women over the 3 months I was a member.  I initiated contact with around 50 of them.  I ended up getting through their guided communication with only 3 of them.  Of those 3, I only ended up going out with 1 of them.  Those odds seem pretty awful to me.  Particularly for the $60.00/month I paid.  Perhaps it was me.

So, do online dating services indicate that I'm desperate enough to pay someone to find a date for me?  Or do they say that I have disposable income to spend on dating services and could spend it on dates too?  I tend to feel that for men resorting to a dating service it's desperation, but for women who turn to a dating service it's because they genuinely don't have time and have the money to burn. 

So, I've once again let my LJ languish in favor of FB.  9 out of 10 times it's because I don't really have anything to say that's worth more than a few lines.  I haven't joined the Twitter ranks yet, but I fear it's coming.  It appears that LJ has given me the ability to repost to both FB and Twitter and I'm sure there are probably ways to do the reverse. 

So, I don't really have anything to say except that I still check my LJ friends list every day... it's one of my homepages. 

And maybe I'll actually post more often... or join twitter.

Edit: Apparently my friends page is broken.  It's only showing 1 entry and who knows when that was updated last.  :-(

I'm involved a little too, but mostly it's some folks I know trying to put together some funds to publish an RPG book of their creation.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wickednorthgames/azamar-the-role-playing-game-a-cinema6-and-opend6

It occurs to me that there are a couple of people who only have my LJ address and haven't found me on Facebook yet, so I should post a little update.

Car A/C trouble cost $1100+

Motorcycle working again after getting the Carb cleaned.  Pricey, but worth it because I've rediscovered the ride.

More car trouble... Cam-shaft position sensor cost $240+

As a result of the car trouble I've been thinking about buying a new car.  Something a little higher off the ground because I've managed to get my Cruiser stuck in the snow banks at the end of our driveway three times and at work a couple more times.  I don't like it.

I went to a seminar for work about organizational skills and managing deadlines.  I picked up some good tips, but actually getting them in place and training folks to work within those confines will be next to impossible.  I gave my notes and the workbook to my boss so hopefully I'll get some support from above. 

Had my annual review at work.  No surprises, my boss thinks the world of me.  Will get my annual step increase.  I feel bad that when I'm out on vacation things seem to go poorly though. 

I went on an honest to god date with a girl I met through an online dating service.  I guess it went OK, but I haven't heard from her since, so I'm guessing she wasn't interested.

I started a Roth IRA with some money I had hanging around.  Still looking for a couple more investments so I can earn a little more than the 1.1% I'm getting on my savings account. 

I had a great time visiting my sister and meeting her boyfriend.
I ended up leaving a couple of days late due to the weather in DC.  Sadly that meant I missed the Palace Tour Sara had scheduled for us in Kyoto.  Arriving on Tuesday, we used Wednesday to take it a little easy and shop, eat, and get me acclimated to the time change.  Thursday we went to the Nissin Museum.  We had a ball learning about the guy who created the cup noodles that everyone is familiar with and customizing our own cup of noodles (actually we did two and I could have kept going).  Friday morning we were up early to catch a bus to Matsue to visit a castle, the Lafcadio Hearn Museum, an old samurai residence and ate soba.  We took a very small (two car) train to Izumo where we stayed overnight.  In Izumo we visited the Taisha (Grand Shrine) arguably the 2nd major shrine in Japan, second only to Ise.  Izumo Taisha is built to house Okuninushi.  We visited an old abandoned train station also.  We took the shinkansen home Saturday evening.  Sunday we spent in Osaka and saw a budhist temple, visiting the Osaka Museum of History and the Pokemon Center.  Monday 12/28 we got up early again to go to Hikone Castle, we walked castle road and ate 'All you can eat' Kushikatsu (fried things on sticks).  Tuesday was another day to take it easy; I got some new eyeglasses and ate cheese-filled hamburg steak set (rice, soup and salad).  Wednesday we walked around my sister's neighborhood and ate our way back.  I'm really beginning to understand why the Japanese basically travel to eat.  You get a tasty souvenir that you don't have to pack.  I don't seem to have any notes on what we did on 12/31, but 1/1/10 was great fun.  New Year's day is a big deal in Japan.  We visited Ikuta Shrine and Nagata Shrine, along with the Tetsujin statue in the area.  Sat 1/2 we went in search of Fukubukurou, grab bags of stuff retailers want to move that they sell for cheap'ish prices.  1/3 we went to Kyoto and visited Kinkaku-ji and did some final shopping. 

Apparently Five Guys burgers has opened a place in Nashua.
Looks like it's some place I'd like to try.
www.fiveguys.com/index.aspx