Ash the Mighty

CNN is carrying the story that I first read on the front page of the East Valley Tribune. In it we discover that South Dakota legislators have already thrown down the legal gaunlet which will inevitably lead to the Supreme Court revisiting Roe v. Wade.

I remember doomsayers pronouncing that Bush getting the chance to nominate not one but two Supreme Court Justices meant very real trouble for the right to choose in this country.

Looks like they might have been right.

And to head off as much controversy as possible, I know I’m not a woman. I’ll never have to make that choice myself and so can’t really talk about this. But I don’t believe that other males (or anyone of any gender for that matter) should have the right to take away this kind of choice either . . . especially since this lovely piece of legislation does NOT allow for abortions in cases of rape and incest (and to my British readers, I feel I should inform you that in America rapists with good enough lawyers have legal rights of access to any children born of such an act).

OK, enough preaching. Just vaguely sad about all of this hooplah.

Au revioir.
~DTAR

So do I look lighter? Like maybe about two thousand bucks or so? Let’s just say that I might as well have not bothered with buying and installing a new harddrive when my laptop was attacked by a suicidal duck. A problem which started in Glasgow (and which, in fairness, I was warned would eventually get worse) has finally taken it’s toll. My power cord, which for some unknown reason that I don’t follow is different from all American powercords, has stopped charging my laptop. I’ve tried ordering replacements on multiple occassions, but I’ve heard the phrase “the manufacturer is backordered and is unsure of when they’ll have more” a whole more than I’d like to.

So I finally gave up and submitted to the inevitable and went to buy a new computer. This one happens to be a tiny little Fujitsu LifeBook S6000 Series. I more or less like it so far, though like all things there are little bits which annoy me. You know, Chris Bowles is my hero because he’s still typing on an ancient laptop he got from his Mom when he graduated from college in like ’98. I however can’t keep a computer running much beyond 2 and a half years! Hopefully this one will last longer because I intend to build/buy myself a nice desktop as soon as time/funds allow, thus hopefully mitigating the amount of abuse I put this machine through.

So that’s what I’m doing for my Friday night. Trying to find the various programs that I usually have and reinstalling them . . . sans whatever trojans or what have you which caused such slowdown on my previous laptop, preferably. Aren’t I just a barrel full of laughs?

I hope everyone is well out there. I feel like I’ve not been in contact with others as much as I should be and I’m sorry if you’re one of the many who have been ignored by me, I do apologize!

Take care, all of you.
~DTAR.

P.S. In other news, my swanky new business-cards-with-my-picture have arrived. They’re pretty cool, though I’m still a little weirded out about the implied level of vanity required to hand out pictures of yourself to everyone. There’s no copy online thusfar, but if you wanna check out the very talented photographer/graphic designer who did the work for me, you can click here.

. . . like, say, hosting open houses perhaps? I sit before you all currently in a vacant house in Gilbert, writing an update to my blog because I have sweet F.A. else to do with my time! There sure as hell isn’t anyone else here, after all!

I can’t really blame anyone but myself though. Had I been more on the ball I would have advertised and marketed this thing and might have some people showing up. Alas I didn’t find out I’d be doing this until Friday, so as a result I didn’t exactly have time to do all I should have.

Anyway. So yesterday I had an interesting experience. A____’s younger brother is just about to ship out to boot camp for the Marines, and they had a picnic for the families of such soldiers-to-be, and I was invited along. I’m torn to be honest. On one level, this young man is about to be given intensive training for a successful career if he wants it (and will be paid for the priviledge) and I’m a bit jealous of the options this gives him (though part of that may just be my jealousy of him being 17 with so many options open to him in general). But by the same token, I’m just disgusted by some of the attitudes of the drill instructors who were there. Frequently mentioned in a “ha-ha-just-kidding-but-not-really” manner was the fact that these kids are about to be utterly brainwashed by their training into believing that the Marines is the best thing that’s ever happened to them. Also lingered over with relish was the fact that the kids were noe the sole property of the United States government. All in all it was just ever so ghoulish. What was even scarier though was the fact that most of these parents obviously didn’t have a clue as to what was going on and what the kids were in for. One mom even asked if she would be allowed to reclaim her son if he decided he didn’t like it! Scary!

Wow. Just had a young couple come in! Holy crap! I guess the day has officially not been a 100% waste of time after all!

OK. I think I’m bored with this now. hope everyone out there is doing just great . . . Oh, and do me a favour and wish me luck with A_____. Things are absolutely great with her and all . . . I just hope I don’t manage to screw things up as per usual!

Later on.
~DTAR

Gotta love those wastes of time!

. . . like, say, hosting open houses perhaps? I sit before you all currently in a vacant house in Gilbert, writing an update to my blog because I have sweet F.A. else to do with my time! There sure as hell isn’t anyone else here, after all!

I can’t really blame anyone but myself though. Had I been more on the ball I would have advertised and marketed this thing and might have some people showing up. Alas I didn’t find out I’d be doing this until Friday, so as a result I didn’t exactly have time to do all I should have.

Anyway. So yesterday I had an interesting experience. A____’s younger brother is just about to ship out to boot camp for the Marines, and they had a picnic for the families of such soldiers-to-be, and I was invited along. I’m torn to be honest. On one level, this young man is about to be given intensive training for a successful career if he wants it (and will be paid for the priviledge) and I’m a bit jealous of the options this gives him (though part of that may just be my jealousy of him being 17 with so many options open to him in general). But by the same token, I’m just disgusted by some of the attitudes of the drill instructors who were there. Frequently mentioned in a “ha-ha-just-kidding-but-not-really” manner was the fact that these kids are about to be utterly brainwashed by their training into believing that the Marines is the best thing that’s ever happened to them. Also lingered over with relish was the fact that the kids were noe the sole property of the United States government. All in all it was just ever so ghoulish. What was even scarier though was the fact that most of these parents obviously didn’t have a clue as to what was going on and what the kids were in for. One mom even asked if she would be allowed to reclaim her son if he decided he didn’t like it! Scary!

Wow. Just had a young couple come in! Holy crap! I guess the day has officially not been a 100% waste of time after all!

OK. I think I’m bored with this now. hope everyone out there is doing just great . . . Oh, and do me a favour and wish me luck with A_____. Things are absolutely great with her and all . . . I just hope I don’t manage to screw things up as per usual!

Later on.
~DTAR

In no particular order:

– The power cord on my laptop is pissing me off and won’t reliably maintain a flow of electricity to my machine. This means that every time I turn it on might be one of the last. No replacement is apparently available despite me paying for multiple such right before getting a “notice” that the company is out of stock and will continue to be for the forseeable future.

– My cousin-of-some-removed-nature-or-another continues to be devastatingly cute and pictures WILL follow at some point. Along similar lines, all the right people have been told by now so I can reveal that my sister-in-law, Brianne, is pregnant again! I think baby will be due some time in October, but don’t quote me.

– Also in cousin news, my cousin Adam Reich safely returned from Iraq on Sunday. He was deployed a grand total of almost 18 months (during which time he was injured twice resulting in hearing loss in the same ear), meaning that Uncle Sam can only legally take him into active duty for another six months, meaning (knock on wood) that he shouldn’t actually be deployed again. Everyone is just so thrilled to see him back and safe!

– And finally, I went to the Arizona Renaissance Festival for the first time in a few years today. Most of you know that I spent my highschool and most of my college Februaries and Marches in the middle of the Arizona desert pandering to the easily-fleeced. Well today I joined their number and paid for admission. I’ve missed it SO bloody much! It’s remarkable the number of people that I knew and the number of people who not only recognized me, but new me by name! Heartwarming, you could even say. I actually agreed to go out and help out for student days . . . what good is a flexible schedule if you can’t flex it every once in a while? Besides, something like 75% of my happy memories of my 16th through 22nd year revolve around being out there in the dust and sun. My favourite smell is still “Faire,” after all (a combination of dust, sweat, leather, sunscreen, and rose oil)!

It did make me feel old though. The girl who played the princess for years and will always be 11 for me is now a squire out at the Joust Crew. She’s like 17 now. This makes for an old-feeling Ash.

That’s all. Sleep.

~DTAR.

I hate this day. Always have. So all you happy couples out there can kiss my great big butt.

Two additions beyond the general sourness for this year:

One, Chris is a traitor for having a girlfriend this year. Rot in hell, Bowlesie.

And two, someone out there, and you know who you are, made me feel like I could fly today . . . if only I hadn’t just had my wings cut off with a rusty cheese grater or something similarly painful. Both thank you from the bottom of my heart, and sonofabitch at the same time (though of course not in any way your fault. We both know that it is ALL mine completely).

~DTAR.

A few little fun tidbits to share with you:

From BBC Online. First off, Vice President Cheney has apparently gotten tired of being only indirectly responsible for deaths and has decided to start shooting people himself. This is why guns and old-guys-with-bad-hearts-and-worse-aim don’t mix.

Vaguely less grim and also from BBC online, all my friends from the Mediterranean Archaeology department are probably in nearly-orgasmic joy over the Grecian Tomb which has been found near Pella (where Alexander the Great was born). This is actually pretty cool and you might learn something if you read the article so give it a try.

Speaking of paroxysms of dirty joy, my friend down in London is also going to be needing to go to her bunk after seeing the preview for Mission Impossible III. In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment you see the Tom Cruise will be dressing as a priest at some point in the coming travesty of a movie (and further supporting the inevitable truth that the man is gayer than the day is long).

And finally, I can happily report that migraines which are proof against Imitrex, Aleve, and Excedrine can actually be taken down by a very full glass of Kettle One vodka. Who knew?

OK, not finally. REALLY finally, I’ve got exactly 1000 hits on home.ashrhodes.com as of now. Woo hoo!

And that’s the news for now.
~DTAR.

Of course you gotta start with the tall, gangly dude. A great big happy birthday to “Hey Blinkin’” . . . er . . . I mean Abe Lincoln. Born today, died some other day which as a history guy I really should remember. But other than him, I also want to send out Happy Birthday wishes to two other people, both very special ladies.

First in time is my mom, Chris. She turns 51 today, and even though I’ve missed her last two b-days, I’m happy to be a part of this one! And the other of course is the Boss Lady, Kristan who will ALWAYS be the Boss Lady even though I haven’t actually worked for her for something in the region of 7 years.

So happy birthday, chicas!

In other news, “King Kong” is NOT a movie to see while suffering from a migraine. Stupid giant monkey.

~DTAR.

So previously I mentioned that my blog had moved off of www.ashrhodes.com and had found a new “home” (ha ha) at home.ashrhodes.com. This was in preparation for the main page to become my “Please buy/sell Real Estate through me” website.

Well, it’s now happened. Not exactly as I planned (instead of hosting it, the page really just automatically forwards to my Keller Williams website) but what can you do? And despite this warning, I’ve already gotten people clammoring to know where the can get their fix of all things Ash. Yes, I am that popular, I guess. Who’d a thunk it? So now you know, go to where I said to in the first place!

OK, a hole in my plan has just occurred to me. If you’re reading this entry, it means you’ve already found the proper website or else my LJ site. Hmmmm. Well, disregard the entire previous post then!

What?!?

Don’t look at me that way! It’s early! I don’t function well when the sun is still climbing the sky!

Take care everyone!
~DTAR

Just how many blind dates am I going to have to go on before I find something? Seriously. I’ve been back in the US for a bit more than three months. In that time I’ve gone on absolutely no fewer than a half dozen “blind” dates (in this world of e-mail and text messaging, I had at least communicated in some way with all of them) and absolutely all of them have been complete failures. Of the half dozen that absolutely spring to mind (there have been more, but I think I’ve blanked them out or something), I only met one of the girls again and that’s because we’ve acknowledged that we’d be better friends than lovers.

Today was the most recent. Seemed like a very sweet girl, and we’ve been exchanging e-mails for a while now. Lots of stuff in common including being pretty seriously fucked over by our respective long-term ex’s and a mutual love for the theatre. So I agree to meet the girl at 12:15 at a restaurant in Phoenix. At 11 I get a text that she’s running way late, can we make it 1:30 instead. Sure, no prob. Get there at 1:30 and wait. And wait. Text her. She’s stuck in traffic but is only five minutes away. Wait some more. Text again. She’s apparently super nervous and is sitting in her car in a parking lot afraid to come in. This I admit is endearing except for the fact that it’s now 2:30 and I’m tired of waiting. So I go meet her at her car. I coax her out of it, we get in the restaurant and she starts talking . . .

. . . and never stops.

Ever.

I can talk a lot if given a subject that I love. But we’re talking 3 and a half hours here and I’m not at all exagerating. I had to finally cut her off, kiss her on the cheek, and say how nice it was to meet her before going to get in my car.

Again, I could count this as endearing but while sitting there trying to continue to nod and smile, I realized that this isn’t just the nervous chatter that some people do when in situations they’re not comfortable with. This is the never-ending stream of information about the most worthless aspects of the lives of the terminally self-absorbed. It’s really a shame too, because she’s a very cute girl, we DO have a lot in common, and all could have possibly gone well . . . if she cared about anything outside of her own life.

Ugh. This is upsetting. Mostly because I’m starting to get the totally-unfair-but-still-compelling-feeling that if a girl doesn’t have a boyfriend when she gets to be my age (26) then there’s every possibility that there’s something bloody wrong with her!

So what does that say about me?

~DTAR