Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Race's LiveJournal:

[ << Previous 20 ]

Friday, November 20th, 2009
4:15 pm	Wow, an update! Hey all. Currently sitting in the Atlanta airport, waiting for a flight out to wild Branson, Missouri. (As Bart Simpson said, "Branson is like Las Vegas if it was run by Ned Flanders.") Long story short, my dad works there now, and I'm going to visit him and my mom. I'll be back home late Monday night, but have my BlackBerry. Everyone have a good day! Current Mood: cheerful Current Music: CNN on the terminal televisions (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, June 8th, 2009
8:37 pm	Oh great. Just got this in the mail: "According to our records, as of May 13, 2009, your vehicle has not had the necessary recall inspection and/or repairs completed. There is a possibility that on certain 2001-2004 Mazda Tribute vehicles, the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) Module connector may have missing or dislodged wire seals. This condition could allow contamination to enter the module connector creating a potential for an electrical short. An electrical short might cause an ABS malfunction that would illuminate the ABS warning light and, in some cases, the module may overheat resulting in burning odor, smoke, and/or fire. This condition could occur either when the vehicle ignition switch is in the off position or while the vehicle is being operated. Your Mazda dealer will inspect the wiring harness connector to the ABS module for missing or dislodged wire seals and repair or replace the harness connector as appropriate. Your dealer will also inspect the ABS module and replace it if the connector is corroded or damaged. These repairs will be performed free of charge." I guess it's nice that the repairs will be free. Unfortunately, the closest Mazda dealer from here is about 45 minutes away. I hope I don't have to use my brakes on the way there... Current Mood: annoyed (Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009
8:58 pm	Looking for a good movie? Pick UP. I've lived in this town for a year and a half now, but I had never gone to see a movie at the local theater until tonight. I'm very glad I did, as I decided to go see Pixar's latest movie, "Up." Even though the theater here is very outdated (in other words, I didn't see it in 3-D or digital), it was still an amazing experience. As far as I am concerned, "Ratatouille" is still the gold standard as far as computer animation goes. "Up" falls just short of that level, but comes very close. Really, this is the movie where Pixar used everything they learned in their previous films, and put it all together to make a masterpiece. It has the action and suspense of "The Incredibles," it has the emotion of "Wall-E," it has the nostalgic feel of "Toy Story" and it has the fantastical feel of "Monsters, Inc." The story is amazingly deep, and I know that I will have to see it again in order to catch all the nuances. I want to see it again, and in a good theater. Kudos, Pixar. Current Mood: good (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, May 31st, 2009
7:20 pm	I couldn't do that again even if I tried... I just got off the phone with my family. I was curious how long I had talked to them, so I checked the log on my phone. The time: 48 minutes, 44 seconds. Just out of curiosity, I decided to also check the length of my previous phone call home (on May 24). The length of that call? 48 minutes, 44 seconds. Spooky. Current Mood: good Current Music: "Total Eclipse of the Heart" - Bonnie Tyler (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
8:31 am	I don't care for the NBA much... But I have to admit, this playoff season has been extremely entertaining (Horror of horrors that I'm saying this, but it's been MUCH more entertaining than the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs this year). I love the underdog-vs.-media-darling matchup that's present in both the East and the West, I love the small-market-vs.-large-market fight in the West, and I love Chris "Birdman" Andersen's hair. Plus, it will be fun to see David Stern's head explode when the NBA is saddled with a Denver vs. Orlando finals. :D Current Mood: sporty (Comment on this)
Sunday, May 24th, 2009
8:18 am	21 years...better late than never, I guess. Just finished watching "My Neighbor Totoro" (first released in 1988, when I was 5 years old) for the first time. What a beautiful, incredible film. I've found other Miyazaki movies a little frustrating because of the "save the earth you heartless bastard" message that is constantly driven into the viewer's head. The message is there in this one, too, but it's a lot more subtle; the kids and other characters are cute; and the music is wonderful. I will definitely watch this again. Current Mood: cheerful Current Music: "Tonari no Totoro" - Azumi Inoue (3 Comments |Comment on this)
5:41 am	Weird dream. Last night, I had one of my weirder dreams in a while. For some reason, I was a professional photographer, and I was trying to line up a group of military graduates for a class shot. In order to get everyone's faces, I had to use something to elevate my point of view. I'll try to explain the "machine." Imagine basically, a flat surface that you could stand on, with a little accordion-style elevation mechanism that would extend outwards and upwards to make that platform go higher. Sort of like this: So anyway, I'm on the platform and it starts to go higher, only something goes unrealistically wrong and it doesn't stop. It just keeps going higher, and higher, until I'm up in the clouds and can even see some of the stars at one point. I can't remember how, but I remember then falling off the platform and just falling down, down, down. And then I wake up. No, not from the dream itself, but I wake up -within- this actual dream. Then my dream self goes to take a shower, only to check the clock and see that it's only 1:30 a.m. And I also find out that my brother is already in the shower, so for some reason I get angry and throw him out, wet and totally nude. Then my dad comes in and yells at me. That's all I remember. Like the title says, "Weird dream." >.> Current Mood: weird (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, April 26th, 2009
7:49 am	So, if you ever want to be sure to get a good night's sleep... Go work at a Habitat for Humanity build site. I did it yesterday for about four hours, helping to nail in siding -- especially the pieces that were near the roof, since I was tall enough to reach them with the help of the ladder. Although I ended up pounding my thumb with the hammer a few half dozen times, it was still a fun and positive experience. I can now understand why construction people take so many water breaks, too! And, like the title said, it must have sapped a lot of my energy, because I was out like a light last night around 9 p.m. Time to enjoy my last free day before getting back to the jorb tomorrow. Current Mood: accomplished Current Music: "What is This Feeling?" - Wicked (Comment on this)
Sunday, April 19th, 2009
2:02 pm	Adventures in the Land of Oz I went to see "Wicked" in Birmingham yesterday. I have only one thing to say: I've seen a musical in London's West End, one on Broadway, and several in smaller venues. This performance of Wicked was definitely the best of the non-West End/Broadway performances that I've ever seen. I got goosebumps at several points, and teared up a little a few times as well. It was funny, sad, thought-provoking, and of course had tremendously catchy music. There were also a lot of neat little "inside jokes" for those who have seen the Judy Garland version of The Wizard of Oz (Of course, is there anyone in this world who's NEVER seen that movie?) If you've never seen "Wicked," I would highly recommend it to anyone. My favorite songs were "Popular," "Dancing Through Life" and "Defying Gravity." Current Music: "Popular" - from Wicked (Comment on this)
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
8:37 pm	A more detailed look at my Vegas trip. ( Want to read my drivel? ) Current Mood: good Current Music: "Viva Las Vegas" - Elvis Presley (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, April 13th, 2009
9:22 am	Back to the grindstone... Hey everyone. Just pulled into my apartment a few minutes ago, and now it's off to work again. I had a great time in Las Vegas, and am returning home $2,350 richer! I'll have a more detailed post in the future. Take care. Current Mood: okay Current Music: "Piano Man" - Billy Joel (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, April 5th, 2009
8:55 pm	Viva, Las Vegas! Tomorrow I fly out to Las Vegas, where I'll be spending the rest of the week with Ragnar Wolfcoon. We're not going to have computers while we're out there, so I'll just have to touch base with everyone when I get back in town next Friday. Take care. Current Mood: excited Current Music: "Viva Las Vegas" - Elvis Presley (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, March 30th, 2009
7:55 pm	Ma Coon update... I heard from my mom earlier today and she said the doctors told her the growth on her breast was benign. She was so happy that she was crying. Thanks to everyone for your support, both spoken and unspoken. Current Mood: good Current Music: "Le Festin" - Ratatouille soundtrack (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, March 29th, 2009
4:23 pm	Because third grade humor is the best humor of all... I was driving back from the laundromat just a few minutes ago when I passed a local bank that has one of those signs that shows the time and temperature. As I was going past, I saw that the time read 4:20. And guess what the temperature was? That's right. 69 degrees. Current Mood: amused Current Music: "Beds are Burning" - Midnight Oil (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
9:05 pm	Keep my family in your prayers (or thoughts)... My mom's recent mammogram shows that she has a small growth of some kind, even though there's no physical lump that she can feel or see. She will be going to the hospital to have a surgical biopsy Friday, and will know more then. She said that her physician said this is most likely a benign growth, but there is still the small possibility that it could be more serious. Just keep her and my family in your thoughts and prayers. On a happier note, my recent visit to the dentist came back with a full bill of health. No cavities is awesome. Current Mood: okay (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009
12:52 pm	Just FYI I've got my little brother visiting me this week, and since the guest bedroom is also my computer room, that means I probably won't be on late nights. Everyone have a good day. Current Mood: good (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 14th, 2009
7:41 am	Work anecdotes. Usually nothing very interesting happens at work, but today there were two things that kind of stuck out. First, I got a phone call Friday afternoon from a lady who has an annual Easter party at her house, including a picnic and an Easter egg hunt. She wanted to know if we would send somebody from the paper out to take pictures on Easter Sunday. My response was that our staff gets hardly any holidays as it is and we'd rather not have anyone working on that day, so they can spend Easter with their families. I mentioned that if she would take some photos with a digital camera and e-mail them to us, we'd be glad to eventually run them. Her response: "Well, don't they PAY you people to actually cover things? Isn't that what being a reporter is all about?" What I was thinking: "Lady, they'd have to pay me about four times what I'm making now before it'd be worth it to work on EASTER SUNDAY." I obviously didn't say that, and instead just re-iterated that people in the newspaper business work very hard and don't get many days off, and Easter Sunday is a special day and we're not covering anything unless it's of the utmost importance. She asked for my name and hung up. I never heard back from her. The second semi-humorous story came when I was doing a phone interview with someone about an upcoming event. He mentioned that they had this stage that would "unfold like a transformer." My initial thought was, "What does that quote even mean? That doesn't make any sense." The reason I didn't understand, was because I thought he meant -this- kind of transformer: Not this one: I probably should lose some geek cred, now. If I had any to start with, in the first place. Current Mood: good Current Music: "Jet Jaguar Victory Theme" (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, March 12th, 2009
8:47 am	Happy otterdays. Happy birthday to Thomas Otter, who is celebrating his birthday today. Also, belated happy birthday to jamieotterbein, who celebrated his yesterday. I loves both my ottahs. Current Mood: okay (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
11:37 pm	What a crazy world. By now I'm sure most of you have heard about the shooting rampage that took place in my state earlier today, with 11 people dead at most recent count. Here's the story, if you haven't. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090311/ap_on_re_us/south_alabama_shootings I'm pretty much in shock about this. It happened just one county over from where I'm living now, and most of the shootings took place in a town that's half the size of the small town where I'm currently living. I'm sure it will be all over the national news over the next few days. It just goes to show you that there are crazy people everywhere, I guess. :/ Current Mood: cynical (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, March 9th, 2009
8:51 am	The lost weekend That's really what it feels like this past weekend was. Friday night, I was starting to come down with a serious bug, so I just basically spent all weekend lying around doped up on various over-the-counter stuff. I feel better now, but it's frustrating to think that I just wasted all that possible free time, especially with how much I work during the week. Oh well. Off to the grind again. Current Mood: busy Current Music: "Family of Me" - Ben Folds (1 Comment |Comment on this)