aftermath...

This is what I expect the tables at our houses in heaven will look like after we welcome home old friends.

Thanks to the Smith's for the warm welcome, and being the hardest people in Birmingham to say goodbye to. I've missed you guys.

tagged...

So I was tagged by Susan.  Due to said tag I am writing 6 or so random things about myself.  While I'm glad to respond to the tag, I don't feel the need to tag anyone else specifically.  But if any of the 2 or 3 people that read this would like to write random stuff about themselves in return go for it.

I've developed an odd affinity for pumpkins this season.  I don't ever remember liking pumpkin pie, but I liked it this year.  I've also drank a ton of pumpkin beer.  DogfishHead Punkin' is the best by far.  I even made, well sort of made, pumpkin bread this week... kind of weird.

I'm learning that I'm a much bigger nerd than I ever thought.  My boss was giving away a book of fractals, and I was excited to get it.  I like all the math in it, but don't understand a lick of it.  I also was abnormally excited to find out that z-depth information can be contained and manipulated in RLA files exported from 3D programs when imported into 2D compositing applications.  

I am really terrible at bowling.  I wish I were better, but I am not.

I have an irrational fear of getting my fingers chopped off after falling down during the act of ice skating.... which I've never done.

The fact that the Market - Frankford line is both a subway and an el blows my mind.  I mean I get it... but still.

I constantly replay conversations and events in my head.  I think of things I should have said, or said differently.  I wonder how that would have changed the outcomes of conversations.  I think that I do it so I'll be better prepared next time.  I never am though.  Every time I walk away and my head is flooded by more clever comments,  better explanations for myself or the perfect parting words that I typically am left to say to myself.

broken iPhone...

So... my iPhone broke. It actually kinda got soaked by the most rain I've ever seen in my life... while it was in my pocket... as Haley and I were also being soaked by said rain. I'm no meteorologist, but I would say at least 8 to 12 inches of rain fell in the amount of time it took us to walk the last 5 to 6 blocks to my apartment. We looked like we'd been swimming in our clothes. Ridiculous. Anyway... the phone would turn on, but there was about a third of the touchscreen that no longer worked. I got up this morning and decided I'd drive to King of Prussia (yes that is an actual place) to the Apple store and see what, if anything I could do. I get there, make my maintenance appointment, then get to walk around for about two and a half hours waiting on my Genius to become available. In that time I got attacked by a toy helicopter, had my hands exfoliated with salt from the dead sea, found a bathroom to wash dead sea from my hands, and determined that Vampires are definitely in this season.

After all that was done I met Wallie*, my Genius.
"Whats the problem with your phone?"
"The touchscreen isn't working in these areas."
"Oh that has to do with the thermal layers. Let me run the info and if its under warranty we'll get you a new one and you'll be on your way."
"Oh great."
I knew it wasn't under warranty, but I'd let him run it just in case. Then something amazing happens. Wallie goes to the back and gets a small white box... from a gigantic lego-castle-ish stack of small white boxes and pulls from it a shiny new non 3G iPhone. After typing in some stuff on his computer he comes over and says,
"Its not under warranty, but I ran the serial and your phone is known to be prone to this type of issue. We're going to replace the phone at no cost to you."
"Oh great." and in my head I think... "my phone is prone to getting soaked by an afternoon torrential downpour. cool."

Hooray Apple! Hooray Wallie! And hooray for not asking any questions about when I first started noticing this problem!

Check out other pics from this guy.

*not his real name... I remember his real name, but though it might be better to not use it.

my neighborhood...

Took this a little while back while walking home. Its a couple blocks away. There's a lot of speculation about the meaning of shoes tangled in wires. I think it means at some point in time someone threw some shoes up in the wires to see if they could get them caught. I had shoes tangled in the wires at my place in Montevallo too. Probably meant the same there.

what I've learned about Philly...

I've decided that Philly is a town that's just waiting for something to honk its horn at.