I'm finally back online.

I have now officially moved into my new apartment (actually, that happened last weekend), and I got cable installed today, so I can get onto the internet from my living room. Hooray. ANd I have Limited Cable, which is broadcast channels, and occasional cable channels like Hallmark, but nothing good like Comedy Central or Discovery. Oh well. I'm online and can watch anything iI need to on the internet.

The Unpackening continues!

Here are the pictures of my empty apartment. I'll be getting all my stuff moved in over the course of March, as well as getting some more furniture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thpomer/sets/72157614449390791/

So back in September, at one point while I was talking to Toccarra (Erik's wife), she mentioned that she and Erik only wanted a roommate for 2 years, when I had moved in. I was given the deadline of upcoming June. As much as I could argue that being told I had 24 months total to live in their house after 15 months of that time didn't seem fair (this was the first Erik or Toccarra had mentioned a deadline at all), I really couldn't complain, since they did me a favor by letting me live here period. So I figured I'd start looking for a place after the holidays. It would give me time to figure out what I wanted to do, and still ignore the deadline that was looming 9 months away.

( The rest of the story.. and a map! )

Hey guys, just in case you were not aware, today is Dave Meickle's birthday. If you can, send him an email at DMek79 AT yahoo.com He's turning 30, so why not send off a quick email?

So with one exception of a Youtube link 6 weeks ago, the last any of you heard from me was right after Dave's Wedding.

I am in fact alive, and I wish I could blame my lack of posting on a combination of floods, locusts, computer problems, a shocking romantic life, scores of interviews with government agencies or any of a number of other excuses. Nope on all counts. It's more a combination of laziness, lots of reading, lots of Wii, and a lack of major changes in my life.

Some news I do have is that I'm no longer a temp. As of today in fact, I'm now a Chemist I for Aurora Analytics. My boss was very happy with me, so he hired me full time. I now have a pay raise (to what I was getting in NJ before I left), benefits, and vacation days! I can actually not go into work and I still get paid!

I'm actually so excited by the concept of vacation days, that I'm taking a vacation day the first week I'm employed. Gina has beaten the odds, and is graduating from Monmouth Regional on Saturday, so I'll be driving up to Jersey on Friday instead of working. If anyone's free Friday night and wants to hang out, let me know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaGHVWKrcpQ

Pretty good job.

Here are the pictures that Toccarra took at Dave's Wedding. She accompanied the groomsmen from picking Dave up to waiting at the church and then through our trip to Monmouth University and picture taking.

www.toccarra.shutterfly.com

Yes, while waiting at the church, we attempted to play hackeysack. No, we didn't succeed at all.

I'll post the pictures Gina took of car decoration and the few I took of the reception soon. Gina did get some video of both my speech and the Key speech, but the quality is very low. If she puts it on YouTube, I'll let you know.

I was informed (by way of a Star Wars website) that at a mall in Virginia they were building an 8-foot tall R2-D2 made of Legos. SInce i had to work yesterday, and they mall is like an hour away, I went today.

It's a huge project, though not the most impressive Lego construction I've seen (they go to some of the other stuff, life size Chewbacca or the like 8 foot long prequel Star Destroyer I've seen at SW conventions. But this was still impressive. And I helped out by building a block, and getting a certificate.

Pictures are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7404847@N05/sets/72157604024868364/

Yes, the dome is currently missing, but Erik's going to stop this week and I'll send my camera with him to get some completed shots.

OK.. Flasheart, Kaitzi, and Aerten. Dave needs RSVP's about his wedding. You can just email him and let him know if you are showing up at his wedding on 3/29. If you don't have his email, I can get it to you.

Here was one of the highlights of Erik and Toccarra's wedding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9u0Vo8ahF4

It is the two of them lip-synching and dancing to the Elephant Love Song Medley from Moulin Rouge. It was a surprise for everyone at the wedding, (I knew, but the DJ kinda has to know these things) and it was really great. One of his friends from work managed to tape it, but he missed the opening. He did get "when eagles soar" though, so that's important. Dave and Lauren are the couple at the table you see for most of the video, and you can see me in my suit getting up from talking to Dave.

90% Barack Obama
86% John Edwards
85% Dennis Kucinich
84% Chris Dodd
83% Mike Gravel
83% Bill Richardson
82% Hillary Clinton
80% Joe Biden
41% Rudy Giuliani
33% John McCain
29% Mitt Romney
27% Mike Huckabee
25% Ron Paul
21% Tom Tancredo
17% Fred Thompson

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

On Digg they had this logic puzzle page listed.

http://www.brain-fun.com/Brain-Teasers/EinsteinsRiddle.php

Apparently Einstein wrote the puzzle and said that only 2% of the world could solve it. It took me 3 tries, and over 90 minutes, but I solved it on Excel. Yay me.

I can't wait for Chuck and Heroes to come back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUPBgYeanZ0&feature=related

The same guy also did the Superman Theme song here, which I really like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELNh23yRiJc

And it isn't with Target (anymore). I had an interview today with Aurora Analytics, a infinitesimally small company (2 guys, a girl and a lab space)and they offered me the job later that day. It's a temp position right now, but looks to hire soon. And the news only came 4 hours too late for me to be able to say I have never worked retail. I have now put in 8 hours standing at a register at Target. I took the Target job because I needed to make enough money to make a car payment. They hired me for stocking toys, but stuck me on my first day behind a register. So after being told by the temp place during my lunch break that I was hired, I managed to easily get through the last 4 hours, cause I knew I wasn't coming back on Friday. Cause I have a job! Yay!! Just in time for Xmas.

From the creator of webcomic PvP, here's a comic about Batman, which finds the true core of the character.

http://www.pvponline.com/my-parents-are-dead/

Erik's brother Clay was going to give the toast at the reception. However, I was asked to have a backup toast just in case Clay was an asshole and had an inappropriate toast. I really was nervous about standing up and giving the toast, so I didn't want to do so, but I'd suck it up to allow Erik and Toccarra some decency back into the reception. And then I'd get to be even more awesome than Clay again (I showed him up quite a bit anyway).

However, Clay surprised us all and managed to pull a very acceptable toast out of his ass, and I simply had to man the speaker system. I had managed to take a look at his toast before he gave it and let Erik know it was acceptable.

In any case, I toasted Erik and Toccarra tonight at dinner, since they wanted to hear it, and I wanted them to hear it. And if you are interested, here it is:
"
This one time, Erik and I were so drunk in Tijuanana....

No, not really.

Back when we were still in college, and before Erik and Toccarra started dating, the three of us went out to dinner at Applebees just to hang out. After we were done eating, I left the two of them at the table, and went to the restroom. When I returned, they were laughing about something, but wouldn't tell me what it was about. Once we got back to Erik's car, they told me to check my jacket pockets. They had stuck this pot holder from my fajita pan in my pocket and then had me unknowingly smuggle it out of the restaurant. It just goes to show that they were working to build a home together before they were even dating.

As JRR Tolkien said in Return of the King, "It is best to love first what you are fitted to love." I don't think I have seen two people better fitted to love each other.

To Erik and Toccarra.
"

And there will probably be one more Erik and Toccarra wedding entry tomorrow, giving you a rundown of the festivities, from the Bachelor Party on Thursday night (really, it was just dinner and drinks at a bar. No boobies, no inappropriateness at all) through to the late night Denny's run after the reception on Saturday night. Then I'll stop bothering you with the details about a wedding between two people most of you haven't met.

Back in the summer 1997, when going into college at RIT, I was assigned a roommate by the name of Erik. He was a nice guy, little angry, but fairly harmless to me. We became good friends and continued through the school year. During the winter, a number of chemistry students decided to join together and form a special interest floor in the dorms. I fully planned on living in the dorms with the floor. A few weeks before the housing deadline, I asked Erik if he wanted to join the science floor. Since he wanted to stay in the dorms, and he didn't mind living with me, he agreed. So, we became founding members of the House of General Science. We stayed in the dorms with HOGS for the rest of our time in RIT. During our fifth year, we met a second-year girl named Toccarra who we had mutual friends with on HOGS. We hung out for a while, and then Erik and I graduated in May 2002.

In November of that year, I went to Maryland where Erik was living, and he was telling me that a week after I left Toccarra was going to come down and visit. After that visit, they started dating. They did long distance while she finished her last 2 years of school at RIT, then moved down here and moved in with him in 2004.

Erik and Toccarra got married last night in a beautiful ceremony. I really couldn't be happier for the two of them.

And it all started, really, with the RIT housing computer putting Erik and I together. If we hadn't been roommates, he never would have joined HOGS, and then they never would have met. You can argue that they may have met another way, but it isn't very likely.

but I wanted to go as part of Dave's bachelor party in March...

http://uncoolkids.com/buffy/?p=156

The theatrical performance of Buffy's "Once More With Feeling" episode has been yanked by Fox, because they aren't sure about rights for residuals and such. Which makes sense, but I wanted to see this. There's a chance it will come back, so you can help by signing a petition.

Back in September, Dave and I performed as Jedi for my cousin Michael's birthday party. We taught 12 little kids how to swing their inflatable lightsabers. After several minutes of training, I had to go to the little Jedi's Room, and while I was gone, Darth Vader tried attacking the kids. They were able to fend of the Dark Lord of the Sith, with a maximum of hitting his body and helmet. After Training, the kids got to shoot down a TIE fighter (think Pin the Tail on the Donkey), and solve a Star Wars word search. Cupcakes were had, and everyone had a good time.

Pictures can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7404847@N05/sets/72157602237896720

As of 2:00 Sunday, The mets are losing 7-1 against the Marlins, and the Phillies are winning 1-0 against the Braves. The Mets have been in first place for the NL east since April, and the are now fighting for a shot at the playoffs. If the Padres win and the Rockies win, the NLDS doesn't start till Thursday, and there's like 5 playoff scenarios that have to be worked out. How the fuck did this happen? They were in the lead by like several games all summer.

Apparently, the only thing I can truly count on the Mets to do is consistently blow September.