Brentology.com

I am buying some kind of sleep aid tomorrow. Tomorrow, because I forgot to pick it up on my way home tonight even though I walk past two drug stores and a grocery store. I don't know why, but lately I have been waking up several times a night. And it's making my efforts to get up at 6:15 quite a challenge. I'm the worst morning person in the world so not sleeping is a problem. And it could be the cause of the pissy mood I'm in.

I think pissy is a funny word.

I have been in a chinese food phase recently. Eaten it five times in the last couiple weeks.

I'm watching "Jeffrey" on LOGO right now and my favorite scene is on when jeffrey is talking to his very old fashioned yet very enlightened parents and they are asking him embarrassing sexual questions. Funny. Although Nathan Lane, as a priest, coming over to the pew and putting his hand on his ass is a close second.

At work today, I learned that stupid people and technology don't mix. If your monitor is black, check to see if it is turned on via the button facing you on the front of the screen. Do this before you go over your managers head and call tech support and they send someone out to fix it by pushing the button in.

Intolerance alert: According to a news report, a video used to teach junior high school students about diverse families has raised the ire of parents in Evesham Township School District..... If it's only ire, I wouldn't worry about it. Now if their dander is up, that's another story. Until then, stand your ground and teach the wonders of diversity.

It pisses me off that "The Decider" makes $400,000/year. That's like 50k for each IQ point.

I love getting mail at work. Finnigan got gourmet cat food and I got a Betty Crocker lemon cake bowl all the way from Michigan via interoffice mail. There are bright spots in my workday.

Should I try my taxes myself or use Block? I don't get much back if any, so I hate to pay for it but I do want it done correctly.

Ok, time to stop thinking out loud before I get to the naughty stuff.

Posted by Brent at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (423)

I know it is early, but since the 2008 election has started on the cable news channels, it has got me thinking about the likely candidates. I'm not sure about Obama yet. I have not done enough research or know enough about him yet including his stance on gay issues. His lack of experience gives me pause, but then that could also be a good thing.

Now Hillary I have never much cared for, in fact she scares me a little bit. But she is driven and experienced and can communicate her positions well. And elections pretty much come down to the lessor of two evils anyway. You also get Bill as part of the package. Like him or not, that can be a plus. She has been quoted as in support of full equality of benfits for gay people. Not marriage, but everything else. But she also said she would not object if the governor of her state, (NY) wins/legalizes gay marriage. So baby steps there I guess.

So really all I know is that I am still nauseous from 2004 and while replacing the asshat we have now is always a good topic, I could do without all the 2008 election coverage in the beginning of 2007. But if we have to, may I suggest:

Posted by Brent at 06:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I think Finnigan can pick and choose the timings of his little stink bombs. Yesterday I got a whiff of something not too pleasant. Could this little aromatic bouquet possibly come from this little ball of fluffness who is looking all innocent but is really laughing on the inside? His usual routine is to bury his little "piles" like a good little boy inside his potty dome and safely under the odor crystals in his kitty litter blend. But every once in a while he does not and these are the pungent ones. Now what makes him cover up some "deposits" and not others? Is he being mischievous, is he getting me back for running out of turkey, or what? I think he knows exactly what he is doing. There is a prankster lurking behind those cute eyes.

Posted by Brent at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I hate it when people send me emails with a ton of abbreviated words. Especially when it is at work. We are not texting or emailing privately, you are using corporate email that often has to be forwarded if you are seeking or needing to give info. Not everyone realizes this. Sometimes seemingly smart people send company emails that look like they were written by a junior high school girl.

So my coworker forwards an email to my home email address after she realizes I was not still at the office when she sent it. Her ginormous misconception here is thinking I would have anything to do with work issues at home on the weekend. The company gets my soul during office hours only. I need the weekend to try to piece it back together in time for Monday.

I'm all for condensing words while texting or even very short 1 prgrph emails. But after reading this email, I literally CRAFT about it. WTF??? Just B/C U want 2 B cute in email doesn't mean I want 2 read it. Rly, FCOL. IMHO, you should be more professional @ work. K? O BTW, if U could take this suggestion 2 heart, I would B SHICPMP.

Seriously

Posted by Brent at 03:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Should have been on page one. Doughnuts with caffeine - mmmmm

DURHAM. N.C. (AP) -- That cup of coffee just not getting it done anymore? How about a Buzz Donut or a Buzzed Bagel? That's what Doctor Robert Bohannon, a Durham, North Carolina, molecular scientist, has come up with. Bohannon says he's developed a way to add caffeine to baked goods, without the bitter taste of caffeine. Each piece of pastry is the equivalent of about two cups of coffee......

Posted by Brent at 06:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Go Matty, Its Your Birthday
Go Matty, Its Your Birthday....

Posted by Brent at 07:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Day off today. And if I do say so myself, it was much deserved. Yesterday I literally scooped everything on my desk into one big pile in my arms and dropped it into my filing cabinet in one big messy pile. I hope nobody needed anything from my cabinet because they would be shocked at my organizational skills. But since they are lucky I have not pulled a "Milton" and burned the place down, I'm sure there will not be complaints.

I actually got up early this morning and began my happy dance that I do on my days off while jamming to some tunes while Finnigan looked on in amazement. He eventually jumped in the fun and it turned into a game of hide and seek. I will poke my head out from around the corner and he will get up on his hind legs and bat my head with his paws, no claws of course. But the best is when he jumps across the bed in a kind of Kitty-Matrix slow motion jump with his paws spread and eyes super wide open. Even though I hate waking up in the morning, he at least makes it fun. And he waits for the alarm to start going off because that is what good kitties do. After early morning fun I went and swam for a little while, trying out some new goggles I bought so I would be able to keep my head down more thus easing pressure on my neck. They seem to work ok. And they are blue, so functional and fashionable.

Next was Caribou Coffee and reading while watching it snow. Yes we finally have a litle snow. Not too much but enough to cover the ground a bit. Laundry, errands, and some research on colleges (I may be going back) took up some more of the day. Later Paul and I played racquetball and that pooped me out. Good games though, it was fun. He did try to kill me once with a racquetball of death return hit aimed directly at me, but my massive muscles repelled the asassination attempt and with only a red mark, I lived to play two more games.

Tonight has been having more coffee at Starbucks (I love having it next door) with a couple friends passing through the hood. I also took a little nap after laying down on the bed intending only to give Finny a quick scratch behind the ear, but I must have been tired. Back to the grind tomorrow.

Posted by Brent at 08:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As reported in the NY Times today, Iraq's Parliment is having trouble completing their democratic duties. It seems that nearly every session since November has been adjourned without anything getting done because members, many living outside the country (wtf??) , can't be bothered to show up and without a quorum nothing happens. And these so called harbingers of democratic freedom earn upwards of 120K. I guess politicians are the same the world over.

What are we doing there again?

Posted by Brent at 07:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm sitting here watching the State of the Union speech. Yes it's painful watching him try to talk like a grown up and I think he has a retainer in his mouth. I hate that I am hearing a lot of the same things I heard last year and the year before. How about acting on some of these grand ideas already. But I am amazed it was a half hour into the speech before he mentioned 9/11.

Nice props to Nancy (Madam Speaker) Pelosi at the start. Classy move for this administration.

Posted by Brent at 09:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Now gas drops below two bucks a gallon. Now that I put gas in my car about every three weeks, but not when I was driving to BFE every day. Yes I can even find a way to complain about low gas prices.

Posted by Brent at 09:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Epic Movie opens.

If you are reading this and your name is Paul, you should not be making plans for Friday. I swear its better than Scary Movie 4.

Posted by Brent at 09:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You Sometimes Don't Get Enough Sleep

You're often more tired than you'd like, and you're probably not getting enough quality sleep. Sleeping a little more could make you a lot more energetic and happy. Try having a bedtime, keep your bedroom cool, and only eat fruit before bed.

Posted by Brent at 08:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

1. Caribou Coffee now has BANANA BREAD. Bonus -- no nuts !!

2. It's snowing !! I'm going for a walk.

Posted by Brent at 02:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's time for an update. I have been neglecting my little home in cyber space lately. This past week was a bit odd. It was emotionally and physically draining. Lots going on at work and life in general. Yesterday (saturday) I worked in the morning and came home and fell asleep as soon as I sat down. Woke up a few hours later. It's unusual for me to sleep that long in the middle of the day like that. So I went and got some chinese food for dinner. Fell asleep again after eating and awoke to Finnigan wanting some play time. So did that, watched a little TV and went to bed and slept till 9:00 this morning. I was a tired boy...........

Moving backwards to Friday, that was the day that the week came to a head for me. I was really down and a bit pissed Friday night. Being exhausted didn't help, but I even passed up some after work Crown & Cokes to just come home. The week was a bit stressful and busy, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Besides I would rather be stressed and busy than bored. But on Friday I was given the task of doing the annual performance evaluation for a couple of employees. And I was given about an hour to the deadline to finish them. At first I was told by my boss not to worry about doing them because I had not worked with the individuals too long and he would take care of them. But he did not start them early enough and the deadline to have them submitted was 4:00 Friday. But I didn't mind doing them because it is part of my job and he is a good guy even if he puts things off till the last minute. Its just that the eval's at my company are kind of long and doing two in an hour while taking care of the branch on a Friday afternoon is challenging. But anyway, the issue comes up after I finished and we were talking about my evaluation. He shared with me that one section of mine might not be as high as I expected. He softened that by saying overall it will be a good evaluation but one section I may not agree with and he only has a little say in it. It turns out, he explained, that one of the higher ups feels I was the reason for the conflict that made my former coworker quit. And I should mention this individual was the one who hired her and of course it does not make them look that great when one of their managers quits after a short time. My boss says not to worry about it and that everyone knows the truth and he and others will fight for their people and this is just one person. But it bugs the hell out of me that I should have to defend myself over this person who was not competant, not a team player, and just lazy. Luckily there is room for employee comments. Maybe it shouldn't, but this one thing makes me feel like everything I have done here gets overlooked and this issue over this person gets creedence. That's bullshit. And it makes me think more about doing something else. It seems like everyone I know and have gotten to know here in Pittsburgh does something they enjoy or has a job that makes some kind of difference in the world. I mean I would like to be a little more excited about what I do. And more money would be nice too because at this stage in life I always pictured being a little farther along financially. BUt one neat thing about my week ending was on Friday Finnigan seemed to know how I felt. He was extra cuddly and did all the rights things to make me go "awwwww." It's neat how perceptive animals can be.

Speaking of the Finnmeister, I promised him when I left for Caribou this morning that I would get him some turkey on my way home since I have been out for a few days and he so looks forward to it as a treat. And of course I forgot so I relented and opened a can of the wet mushy can cat food that he also thinks is total greatness when it is actually total grossness. I do buy the little individual bags of sliced wet food for a treat every so often but those are not as bad as the cans of mush. But I promised a treat so I popped open a can. Now I have to look forward to a big stink bomb in the litter box later. He's lucky he is so cute.

Posted by Brent at 01:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It has finally turned cold in Pittsburgh after having spring-like weather up till now. No real snow yet, just a light dusting one day, but at least it feels like January.

Work has been really busy lately with lots of meetings, training, and day-to-day stuff piling up. I have a presentation to give to one of our business clients and their employees tomorrow. Basically I get to tell them all about our bank and why they should bank with us. And I bring food, bagles, muffins, and doughnuts.

I am not seeing the guy I was seeing for a bit any longer, at least not in the dating sense. We are still friends and hang out but kind of realized there was no real spark for anything more. It's all good, pretty mutual feeling about not seeing anything happening for the long term, and we really got to know each other well so we can remain friends.

I have been trying to adjust to getting up earlier for my goal of working out before heading into work in the mornings. The problem is I have been having a hard time getting to bed earlier. There have been lots of activities going on in the evening too which contribute to my staying up. I just need to be more organized on things like laundry, house keeping, and errands. I have been pretty good at getting my behind out of bed an hour earlier than I have before and the morning activity energizes me for the day s i really like that. And it's nice not to go straight from bed to work. It's like I have made time for me in my day and not just the little things I have to do, like make a living.

Last night was my singles supper club monthly dinner. We went to a great little restaurant in Regents Square right by Alison’s Gallery. Even though we were so close, she did not want to join in the festivities even though there is always at least one table full of interesting women.

Tonight I had a board meeting for my networking group followed by a work session on our membership roster. I also have another title, that of 'website coordinator.' I kind of stumbled upon that by making suggestions on how our website can be changed and features added to help enhance our image for recruiting and working with other associations. I am pretty excited about it because I have some good ideas for the site and I like learning how to do updating and design of web sites. So far, after some instruction from Paul, I have been able to change or update minor things on it but the real stuff I want to do will take a lot more time and effort and most certainly more help from Paul here and there if he is willing. I will have to let him beat me in racquetball as kind of a bribe.

After the meetings tonight, I was off to feed the kitties at Alison and Paul’s house as they travel with Laurie to Western PA for a funeral. They are so good and such cuties, I just want to stay and have kitty fun all night, but I must leave to come home to my own bed at some point.

So there is a quick update in what has been a busy week in The World of Brent. Hopefully this weekend I will spend some time updating and playing around with my little online home.

Posted by Brent at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (6896)

Not long ago, Finnigan did not even take up half of his little napping pad.....but now

After stretching........

.........I will unleash my huge paws of fury on you

Posted by Brent at 09:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1058)

I started today with such good and responsible intentions: cleaning, starting a book, hanging pictures, exercise, bringing peace to the world, and generally making the world a better place for all mankind. But much like George and Barbara Bush's attempts at having non-retarded children, I failed. Instead, I accomplished sloth but in the process made a certain cutie-patootie kitty very happy by being on hand to play all day. I did get out for a bit to hit Starbucks and then again later for some pizza. After all, I did not want to go a whole day without seeing daylight. And I needed my java and pizza-pie.

I finally just gave Finnigan one of my less attractive ties to play with and he has left the others on the rack alone. I should have thought of that a long time ago. Tonight he has tired himself out batting a blue racquetteball around. He bats it once and it slowly moves all around the wood floor slowly bouncing off things and he just kind of follows it around until it stops. I did it with him for a bit, it really is quite mesmorizing. Later we are gonna meet under the dining room table and play with string.

I checked out the cats up for adoption recently while picking up kitty litter. They had some little grey tabby's with the exact striping that Finnigan has. I came close to syaing F-it and bringing another kitty home. I just don't know. I know Finny would be happy with a playmate but he also seems pretty happy solo. Plus do I need another pooper that does not use a toilet in the house? The adoption lady suggested I bring the Finnmeister down and let him pick out someone. Eh, I don't know.

I really want to get a camera. I have a couple great fantastic neato superduper ideas for a picture project/exhibit.

What is up with The Donald and Rosie's feud? Is either side going to let it die down? You are both loud and annoying and we get you don't like each other, now give it a rest already.

Current iTunes favorites: Pay Me My Money Down and American Land by Bruce Springsteen and Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers -- which also is the best video ever.

Does it make you a bad person to add to the tip jars next to cash registers only when you find the person serving you attractive? Or even buying a Costco membership? Just asking.....

I kid you not, at my TNL function the other night, this guy said I have a great voice for like radio and as an announcer. And I'm pretty sure he said radio voice and not face. Anyway, apparently, being congested and having a few drinks makes my voice sexy. I can do the permanent buzz, but how to maintain raspiness? Start smoking?

The new iPhone is really cool. Not $500 cool, but still neat. Give it a few years and it wil be the free phone you get for signing a two year contract. Remember when the Razor was $500?

Crap I missed the start of SNL. Peace out......

Posted by Brent at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Happy Dance Time.

Posted by Brent at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (63)

Long and unusual day today. I actually had someone who refused to be helped by me because she heard me cough when she came into the bank. I came out of my office to introduce myself and ask her if I could help her and she literally backed away. She said she did not want to get any germs. ???? And then she explained she heard me cough. Without giving away that I thought she was a complete loon, I simply explained that I was actually just clearing my throat as a sip of water went down the wrong pipe just before she came in. She wasn't taking any chances and turned to go my partner in the office who happens to be African American and I swear for a minute she was then torn who to go to as she momentarily stopped in her tracks again. It could have been a coincidence or misstep but perhaps she fears germs more than black people so off she went to his office. The rest of the day was odd too and it was one of those where you just watch the clock waiting for 5:30.

After work, there was a mixer with my networking group. It was a very enjoyable time. I think out of all the ones we have hosted so far, tonight was the most fun. It was held at Bar Louie across the river at Station Square. Drinks were a bit pricey though. Crown & Coke's were $7.50 each (not that it was a factor in the enjoyment of cocktails) so I guess we missed happy hour. I think I shall try negotiating prices for our group in the future if we are at more pricey establishments. We do make arrangements for our group beforehand and we bring a lot of business so it’s worth a shot. After, a group of us went for a late dinner at Sesame Inn also part of the same complex. I have found another Chinese restaurant in Pittsburgh that lives up to the high standards that I have for my food from the Orient, so that is a good thing.

Posted by Brent at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1951)

Did "W" really only reference 9/11 one time in his speech last night?

I joined Costco today. They are opening a new one at The Waterfront and the door-to-door sales people were making the rounds of the businesses in my hood today trying to sign people up. I had a membership in Michigan and I really like Costco so I was an easy sale. They were quite happy to not only get someone to listen to them, but also buy. And it killed twenty minutes of a long day.

I closed out one of my savings accounts today. It had $5.60 in it. I used it for lottery tickets. Fingers crossed.

I'm looking forward to work tomorrow because it is someones birthday and that means there will be cake.

Posted by Brent at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (396)

I did it. I actually got up early this morning (7:30) and went to the JCC to swim laps. And the amazing thing about this morning is that I don't have to go into work until 1:00 today for a meeting downtown and I still hauled my ass out of bed. Now I am the laziest person when it comes to getting out of bed in the morning. I have never been one to give myself time in the A.M. to relax or ease into my day. No time to sip coffee or read the paper. Nope, it has always been get out of bed at the very last possible second and hope I can find an ironed shirt, clean underware, and clean socks that match. And if I don't get that tie tied correctly the first try, well that kills the whole routine. After Finnigan found me, I did manage to drag my behind out of bed to play with him for a few minutes in the morning, but he really gives me no choice as he sits on my chest and purrs. If there was a thought cloud above his little head it would read "get up and pay attention to me you lazy mofo." Finnigan, much like his feline cousins down the road has a potty mouth from time to time.

Anyway, with this new health club membership I vowed to get out of bed early and hit the gym and pool before work at least a few days a week. I know one day doesn't seem like a big deal, but for the worst moring person in the universe, it's a day to celebrate. Now on a normal work day I will need to get out of bed no later than 7:00 and that is if I get my clothes and things organized the night before. I think I am just going to leave my work shirts at work so I don't have to bother transporting them from place to place since I walk to the gym and then to work.

I feel really good too and have lots of energy. Hoepfully it lasts and I don't fall asleep in my meeting today. But there is always a chance of that happening anyway. Swimming was great. I was surprised how much work it really is. I got in the pool and after doing just one length of the pool and back and my heart was about coming out of my chest. A little scarey but also a good feeling to do something that gets your heart rate up so high. So I did that for about a half hour and explored the weight room for a bit. We'll see if I can get out of bed tomorrow morning.

Posted by Brent at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Posted by Brent at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

**thanks to "perfect score"Alison for the link

Posted by Brent at 09:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not much happening today in WOB and that's not a bad thing. After waking up too early thanks to a certain cute little orange tabby dragging his toys onto my bed to play, I headed to Caribou Coffee for my daily fix and Sunday paper reading. And while people watching I discovered that you can fit a petite top onto an overweight 50 year old woman who appeared to still be living in her college days. Sausage casing (an appropriate comparison) is thicker than this accidental belly shirt was on her.

I then joined the local neighborhood fitness center, the JCC. It is a really nice facility with a wide range of equipment and a pool. It is where I have played racquetball with Paul in the past as he and Alison have memberships there. My goal is to swim laps in the morning before work three days a week and hit the weights at least a couple times on my way home at night. Like everything else in my hood, it is within walking distance of home and on the same street as my office, about a thirty second walk up the block. I am thinking the convenience and the monthly charge on my credit card for at least the next year will be enough motivation to keep with it. Plus since I walk by it each day if I don't go it would be a constant reminder that I am lazy so even more motivation.

Right now I am thinking of taking a nap before cooking dinner for myself, Alison, and Paul tonight. I am making chicken corn chowder. It's a family recipie so I hope I do justice to the other cooks in my family who have made it for me in the past. I went up to the bakery for bread a little while ago and some kind of Tuscan something or other bread was recommended to me. It looks a little odd from the outside so I also bought the old standby, french baguette. This is a meal you have to have bread with so I was not going to take any chances. I am a firm believer in backup bread. That's a nice little factoid about yours truly you can file away under "interesting things about Brent."

Peace out

Posted by Brent at 02:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (62)

This movie was great. Now it is the usual kind of outsider adult wanting to make a difference in young people's lives 'based on a true story' type of movie. But for me one aspect made it not the usual old inspiring and predictable story, and that is the use of writing and how through one's own personal thoughts can show how everyone has a story to tell, not necessarily by being creativily gifted, but by our own unique experiences and way we view our life. It is set in an inner city high school classroom that has segregated groups of friends of "their own kind" and one lone white kid who was able to add some laughs that white suburbanites can probably uncomfortably relate to. The main form the teacher uses to connect with her kids, and for the kids to eventually connect with each other is through writing.

A side note: I am fascinated by how words on paper can move so much, often so much more so than spoken word which has the aspects of audible tone, volume, and feeling. Is it because we have to use our imagination more and we have to give life to characters? Is it because the thoughts that come out via pen or keyboard can be much more revealing of our inner feelings than we are willing to share by conversing? Is it because we are willing to more easily let our guards down when not dealing with issues in-person?

Back to movie. The reading of books that they can relate to their daily lives (i.e. The Diary of Anne Frank), a trip to the Holocaust Museum, and in particular a daily journal turns out to be the keys to getting inside the kids heads. These are the beginning of life altering events for everyone in the movie whether it be dealing with personal demons, conflict at home, or ethical questions in the world of these kids that has up until now, never extended out of the gang ridden streets in which they live. The daily writings of the kids reveal enough tragic information it inspires this teacher to go above and beyond the call of duty when others have given up, including the kids themselves. The turn-around in the lives of all involved makes the movie inspiring and at times a tear-jerker.

Posted by Brent at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

"The Democrats are back!" -- Nancy Pelosi

The Dems took control of Congress today. My fingers are crossed that they can turn campaign promises into results.

Posted by Brent at 09:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of these would be so awesome

Because I deal with so many of these

Posted by Brent at 09:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

First day back to work in the new year was crazy. Because of being short handed already and two people on vacation, I find myself doing lots of tasks that are not usually my job which means I may be a bit rusty at them so that makes it more hectic as I take longer to do things and my normal work piles up. In a laspe from my usual genious ways, I did manage to send a rather large wire to the wrong place today which lead to a few anxious minutes until I could get it recalled. Luckily I was able to because once you transfer electronically, it's gone. You literally have a three minute window to take the steps to recall it before it goes to the FED bank branch for distribution to the beneficiary account. So two minutes and 57 seconds later --- "whew."

I have gone Tubeless
In other World of Brent news, I bought a new TV yesterday. I have needed one for awhile now as my old set was getting darker and darker and watching movies on it just plain sucked. I did splurge a bit because let's face it, I'm worth it. Luckily I had some x-mas gift cards to Best Buy from some generous family members that helped bring the cost down a bit. It's a 32 inch LCD HDTV and the Simpsons never looked so bright and colorful so YAY for not having to watch a sucky suck suck TV any longer.

It's Thin

Posted by Brent at 06:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)