new camera again

DSC_0022, originally uploaded by ditchell.

don't leave your new camera alone with Lawlesses.

rampant consumerism unchecked

Oh yes.

doolittle, chainsaws, and long rakes

Video game talk. Run.

If you know me, you know I am a big fan of Rock Band. Tonight, I played Doolittle by the Pixies.

The entire album. In a game.

I can honestly say its one of those video gaming benchmarks for me. Here's an album I've been listening to for 15 years, I know every word and every sound on it. Getting to interact with it is a truly beautiful experience. One can level many criticisms at music games' lack of reality- and choosing between five colored buttons instead of a fret board is a clear dumbing-down of the process. But in its rawest form, the act of causing Joey Santiago's guitar to play or not based on my input- well its damn fun. I've thought of all of this before- but sitting down and playing a complete album really makes it special.

I can't wait to have some of the crew over who love this album too. I can't wait to screech into the mike "cookie I think your TAAAAAAAAME!". I want to play the bass on every song- guitar is fantastic but there's so many bass lines.

And I haven't even thought about drums.

Guitar Hero: World Tour is coming up. It has an alledgedly better drumkit and the sweet nectar of user created songs (no vocals for obvious reasons). But tonight reminded me that Harmonix (the original Guitar Hero creators who moved on the Rock Band) still have a leg up on the newer publishers of Guitar Hero (Neversoft, who previously did Tony Hawk games. Seriously). If you play Guitar Hero 3 and play Rock band you can just feel the difference. Rock Band was created by people who love music and know music. Guitar Hero 3 (and the upcoming Aerosmith and World Tour) were created by people who used to make skateboard games and now want to make money.

Speaking of money, Guitar Hero World Tour would require me to own 2 (!) fake drum sets. Fortunately I have guitars that will work with it. I don't know if the mike will work with it or not. My plan is this- let it come out and see what the user generated content comes up with. If it's robust, then its a consideration. The unknown factor at this point is how Rock Band will respond. I have a feeling they will answer loudly. They also will most likely allow all the songs I've bought to carry over to the next game.

These things are becoming platforms inside of platforms.

End video game talk.

I've been going to the gym. I am sore in the appropriate places. It feels good. I took tonight off and instead attempted to clean the roof of my shed in the back yard. I duct taped a rake to a long branch to scrape the roof of the leaves and dirt that have collected there. It worked. Sort of. But the funny thing was, there were growing plants up there. Perhaps I should do that more often. I am going to have to devise a more stable Long Rake for future endeavors. On the main roof of the shed I merely succeeded in pushing the loam to the rear of the roof. A couple of my most energetic thrusts (yeah, that one's free folks) resulted in the ladder slightly shifting. Not a good prospect when you're 12 feet in the air. So that- and thunder- ended my pitched roof battle. heh.

Oh and Sunday I got to use my new chainsaw. It is, as I expected, the most fun you can have with a power tool. Especially after cutting down things with loppers and a hand saw. It's almost effortless, and I get a kick out of the arterialesque spray of wood from the small trees I felled. Yeah, I'm into that. Sue me. The yard is a constant battle. Any of you with houses know this. I walk out to get the mail and I can spot about 15 things I want to do. And just looking in the back triggers all sorts of nagging reminders. The weird thing is, part of me wonders why I am so (albeit mildly) obsessed about my yard. I used to look oddly at my father when he would spend hours on his day off in the yard doing all sorts inconsequetial things. But now that I'm older, I guess I get it. It's just like anything else- it can consume you. Sometimes you need something like that to forget about all the crap you have to do at work, or the various other ruts you have dug for yourself.

I'm down with that.

last week

here's what i did at work last week. i'm quite happy with it

bravado

Well. My bravado regarding the spaying of Maeby has most definitely subsided. I took her in this morning, and picked her up after work. She's... worn out. And unlike when my boy cats got fixed, when I saw the incision I gasped. They GO IN there. And remove things.

I'm feeling quite guilty about the whole thing right now. But I guess it's natural. As long as there aren't any complications, everything should turn out ok. But seriously, it's a big ass cut.

She's moping by my feet right now. The doc suggested I isolate her for a night and let her rest. I went downstairs and watched some TV. When I came back up, somehow she'd gotten in my computer chair. Considering how incredibly sore she is, it must have been a feat. It would be like... well shit. I can't actually relate to what it would be like. I bet it hurt.

I'm thinking about taking the chair out of the room tonight.

So instead of going out on a friday night, I'm drinking bourbon and feeling like shit because I got my cat spayed.

This is living.

chop chop

my tiny little furball of biting scratching thumbtack hating misery is getting spayed tomorrow. she is currently unaware of her plight. despite the lunacy of it- i kind of feel for her. she's going to have a traumatic day. i actually scheduled it on a friday so i could hang with her tomorrow nite and make sure she's ok. it's weird how ten years ago i'd be repulsed at the concept of staying in to care for an animal, and i'm kind of looking forward to watching some Mad Men and making sure the cats don't kill each other.

1999

some of us were making short films about unrequited love.

heat

So. My adorable, almost six month old cat Maeby is feelin' frisky. I think. She goes into the center of the house, making sure that all can hear her, and lets out this...yowl that sounds like she's being stepped on by Nazis. The first five times she did this, I rushed to her anticipating her impeding death. 

But now I know. The vet told me I had six months. But Maeby had a different time table. The worst thing about it is that there's nothing I can do. It's best to wait for her to die down before we go in and chop those ovaries. And much like my experience with my male cat, Koba, I can't wait to chop em off. 

Koba was the first cat I had ever been around longer than a couple of hours. He and his brother Otto were (and still are) awesome, badass cats.  When we first got them, I recoiled at the thought of chopping their balls off. As soon as they started spraying everything in sight, I changed my mind. And just like them, Maeby's time has come. 

The funny thing is Koba hates her more than usual now. I think he's kind of upset there's a girl who's good to go and he can't do anything about it. Sorry fella- you're the one who peed on my stereo seven years ago. 

I had some more reader feedback on the blog. It was suggested I spend less time on cars, and more on delicious yardwork. Well I have little to report, other than a perilous oil change for the lawnmower. But that will change. Because sitting on my couch is an 18" chainsaw. I call it ChainMaster X. Well not really. I just made that up. But when the weather's nice and I get a chance to read the manual, there's going to be a culling. If you're a small tree in my backyard, and you somehow can read these words, then know that they are the harbinger your doom. 

More stories

No not the good kind of stories. The kind you write at work.

Here's my story about our new News set!
http://www.cbs42.com/news/local/19721479.html

Complete with pictures of my coworkers with sledgehammers.

It's Promoterrific!

Writin'

I wrote an article for CBS 42's website. Have a read- I'm pretty happy with it.

http://www.cbs42.com/green/19505484.html

Watching too much Top Gear has made me think I can review cars

let go

I had a good weekend. I just sort of let go of all the angstitude and concentrated on the moment. I got some reader feedback that my blog reads like a gossip column. I take reader feedback pretty seriously- if you're actually taking the time to read the blog, then I should adjust. So now I will detail how to properly shotgun a beer...

I kid, I kid.

Actually if I were to keep score, then this weekend wasn't that great. But what's the use of that? I'm not even sure what measurement I could use for scorekeeping. World 16000, Ditchell 6. There. That's the running score. But those six points- I earned them. I guess. 

The beerfest was a spectacular clusterfuck from the outside. Once inside it was fine. Post beerfest was an interesting night. It didn't go well but Sunday morning I didn't care. Something washed over me today. Maybe it was that hellish downpour, hail striking my windshield as I went to visit the parents. But I sort of recentered things. Fortunately such an extreme measure did not require peyote. And it wasn't a conscious decision. I didn't say to myself "OK stop this shit."

I just kind of felt it. I don't think anyone will ever be able to tell me how the subconscious mind works- and if they try they are most likely full of shit. 

But what I find interesting about this...whatever it was... is that not too long ago this wouldn't have happened. I feel (perhaps incorrectly) that getting older has mellowed out my brain. In a good way. Less drama and more... sureness? I don't know the words. 

Never mind. It sounds ridiculous. I think its true, but it does sound ridiculous

With all of that out of the way, I give my highest possible musical recommendation to an odd choice- Springsteen's The Seeger Sessions. 

I thought I was too cool for Springsteen. But I'm not.  It's distilled American music. I can't describe it any better. It's wonderful.