Cause today can probably and just might get worse..

So things today are a smidge stressful and I'm not in a good mood. And to add to the mix, Shelby just imed me to inform me the CD House is being demolished. :-(

Thanks Shelbs. I really didn't need to know that right this minute.

I Caved

Just couldn't do it. I have to have my internet. I just can't stand not having it.. random google searches, AIM, checking emails regularly.. I just feel so lost without it. I just ordered DSL Lite from ATT. It's DSL sans voice-line which is sweet. And $19.99/mo. will keep my wallet happy. Granted, it's 768k, but I don't download anything large on a regular basis or play games online, and I'm sure it's a lot faster than the one bar of linksys I've been mooching. Anyway, looks like I'll be back online regularly sometime next week.

A Printer with a mind of its own...

Got this from Daniel. He found it here. Cracked. me. up. Even though I haven't worked in print in over a year and a half, still. Enjoy!

It's a Death Cab for Cutie kind of day..

The weather outside is gorgeous, it's Friday and for once, not-quite-so-busy (don't dare say slow). It's just a kind of chill, zone-out while listening to music, get-shit-done kind of day. If it were 20º warmer I'd suggest sitting on a porch with lemonade (or sweet tea) and that perfect silence between two good friends, the kind of friends where no conversation is necessary, the company is all that you need, with a witty comment thrown in for good measure. Or even a leisurely stroll through the woods, or meandering around flea markets on a hot morning.

I've got 5 Death Cab for Cutie albums and 1 Postal Service album on shuffle. It's perfectly relaxing. Every time a Postal Service song comes around I think of Conference Services, summer of 04. *sigh* that was a wonderful summer. Jenna and Kevin, I'm thinking of you both today. Your company would be perfect.

Wired.. is it worth it?

So it's been almost two weeks since I've had internet in my apartment. I'm debating whether or not I really want to suck it up and get internet. The absolute least expensive option I can find is DSL through ATT which would involve setting up a landline ($13/mo. being the cheapest) and then getting internet ($19.99/mo. for cheapest, $32.00/mo. for decent quality). And really, I just think that's a lot to pay when so many places give it away for free. Not to mention the hassle of yet ANOTHER bill to pay each month.

Sure, using the internet at a coffee shop means I have to pack up my junk and cart myself to the nearest café, but when I get there, I am WAY more productive than when I'm working at my apt. I actually focus and get stuff done (and while stuff is loading I doodle with my Wacom). I don't spend as much time messing around on myspace or facebook or just random nonsense. And the fact that I'm at a computer ALL day every day is really making me re-think how much time I was spending at my computer. I probably checked email upwards of 20 times a day at home, not counting how often I check at work (that's no exaggeration). Sans-connection, I find at night I spend my time reading or watching a DVD, or going outside.. and who knows, at this rate, I might even start using my cellphone once in awhile! And spending time at the coffee shops isn't so bad. It's about the same price if not cheaper (and tastier) to buy 10 cups of coffee a month and soak up some atmosphere and community than it would be to get internet full time.

Anyway. I do miss having the ability to search random stuff whenever I want, but now that the addiction's not as fierce, it's not so bad. I kind of like it really.

For those of you who DO have internet, check this out: ffffound.com. I think Josh, you might like this especially, if you haven't already heard of it. You click on a found image and it shows related images at the bottom of the page, which you click on one and it shows more.. a visually exciting chain of events really. And you can check out the artists' work as well. It's quite inspirational!

Getting my Hike On!

Going backpacking again this weekend. Heading out to Dayton, TN to check out Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness. I'm WAY excited!! A weekend jam-packed with mountains, waterfalls and, well, wilderness!

I created a logo for a co-worker and he gave me a $50 REI giftcard which meant I had some burned holes in my pockets. Went out to REI last night and bought this here Kelty Coyote pack. I haven't hiked with it yet, but I could tell a huge difference between this one and the borrowed Kelty I used last month. This one is fully adjustable so I could fit it exactly to my 14.5" torso... WHAT a difference! No spaces between the shoulder straps and shoulders, the waist strap fit around my waist and not my hips. I can't wait to see how it performs this weekend. Also while I was there I splurged and bought a pair of hiking pants. That store really is dangerous. At least everything I buy there (not on sale) goes toward my cash-back dividend at the end of the year.

I've also decided to start slowly acquiring gear, one piece per month. The pack was my first priority but then there's a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent, camelback, etc. etc. And at some point (not this year) I'd love to get a kayak. Sigh.

p.s. Heather, you should join the Nashville Hiking Meetup! Even though you're in Knoxville, we do a number of hikes further east (mostly along the Cumberland Plateau, but still, at least backpacking, seems a lot of the hikes are 2.5-3hrs. east of here). Also, I need to get out to the Smokies now that the weather's getting nice. Seriously.

Anywho, back to work.

Internet Addiction: Denied

So my neighbors moved out this weekend, which is sad. They were awesome neighbors. And even worse, I can no longer share their internet and will be making many a phone call this week to get myself hooked up.

I can live perfectly content without cable, but no internet? ugh. that's a toughie.

Barnabus

My kitten, playing with a cat toy while I make breakfast. What a ham.
My baby..