A Christmas Wishlist

I know it's a little bit early to be talking about Xmas, but if the stores are already putting out candy canes and ornaments, and my neighbors have already plugged in their big cheesy plastic snowman, then maybe it's ok to talk about what I want for Christmas. In no particular order, here's what I'd like this year:

1. A computer that works. That means no blue screen of death, no slooooow boot up, and no freezing everytime I try to open up a frigging spreadsheet....AAAAAAGH!! For the record, today wasn't too bad. Only had to flip the bird to my computer screen twice today for lack of cooperation.


2. Patience. This would help with the computer issue. My staff may also consider it a present to them, too.


3. One measly championship...in anything. Consider the following teams that I support:
   - Ravens - long shot
   - my fantasy team - since the football gods hate me (despite me sacrificing my Redskins fandom), Michael Turner is now out for who knows how long, so no chance
   - Penn basketball - similar to achieving world peace...a nice thought but completely impossible
   - Caps - since my interest in hockey is relatively new, I don't think I've quite poisoned their playoff potential yet.


4. Pie weights. Admittedly, this is a bit random, but it is the holiday season and I am baking a lot again. Pie weights are needed to help pie crusts from blowing up into big puffs of dough while they're in the oven. I've been using pennies wrapped in aluminum foil, but I'm thinking it's time to invest those pennies in real kitchen gear so I don't have to do this MacGuyver baking anymore.


5. A BB gun. The local squirrels are running around foraging for food, but they seem to enjoy using my roof and windowsill as a nut-trafficking route. This is incredibly annoying especially since my roof slopes down in my bedroom, so it sounds like their scurrying is happening directly over my head. A couple of warning shots might make the little bastards plan their re-up and distribution differently (can you tell I've been re-watching The Wire recently?).

Everything Old Is New Again

Is it just me, or does it seem like everything that was cool or popular circa 1985 is suddenly all the rage again? It started with Transformers, then GI Joe, and now V. For the uninitiated, V is a tv show about aliens (who look human but are really lizards) who come to Earth with a message of peace but who are really intent on turning people into food and slaves. The show originally aired in 1983, and the relaunch aired earlier this week (or tonight, thanks to the magic of DVR).

It surprised me that I still remember scenes from the original 1983 show. There was the scene where a car got blown up and one of the V (aliens) crawled out of the burning wreckage and showed his lizard face (heat exposes their true form). Then there was the scene where the lead V lady threw some guy into a glass room filled with sand...as well as some creepy crawly thing that scurried its way through the sand and then ate the victim. Finally, I recall the lead V lady devouring a hamster or some other small, cute rodent. That last one was especially traumatizing, as we had a guinea pig at my day care, and I thought they were really cute, not an option for Lunchable. Keep in mind that I was about 4 years old, so my parents letting me watch a show like that is perhaps an indication of lax parenting. Now, almost 30 years later, the show's back, and I can actually appreciate the storylines that mix the concepts of fascism, occupation and resistance, media tampering, and alien encounters all into one convenient hour-long package. I also appreciate the producers getting rid of the huge hair and red spandex unitards (yeah, nothing screams 80's like bad hair and awful clothes).

So, everything old seems new again. I'm ok with bringing back classic shows like V and remaking the Transformers, but I draw the line at remaking the Smurfs (you CANNOT mess with or do a live action version of the original) and bringing back leg warmers, big hair, and headbands.

Halloween and Other Randomness

Here's the rundown on the last couple of weeks:

• MCM 10K - Another race, another medal, another chance for mom and dad to load up on swag
• Practice Thanksgiving - There is no such thing as too much turkey...or cider...or pie.
• Halloween - Brit-com with zombies and close encounters with the deer-kind
• Ravens v Broncos - A winning equation: purple sweater + purple Coach wristlet = 30-7 stomping of previously undefeated team.

MCM 10K

My last big race of this year was the Marine Corps 10K, which was the same day as the full marathon (we just started at the Smithsonian and ran 20 fewer miles...hahaha!). Mom and Dad came with me to the race again, as they were on the hunt again for freebies. The morning was cold but clear, and about 6000 people ran the 10K. I did ok and attacked The Wall (VERY steep hill leading to the Iwo Jima Memorial) at the end of the race. My knee was acting up again, though, so I got checked out by the ortho physician on duty and iced it until I couldn't stand the cold anymore. I met up with Mom and Dad before heading off to the refreshment area to grab some snacks and then head home. Mom and Dad seemed to enjoy it, and I did appreciate the moral support. Mom told me later that she was at the bottom of The Wall, cheering me on, so that was nice, even though I didn't actually hear her over the rest of the crowd.

Practice Thanksgiving

Anne invited some folks over to practice her Thanksgiving feast-preparing skills on Saturday, and if the test run is any indication, she's going to have a really good meal on the actual holiday. There's probably nothing as comforting (food-wise) as warm turkey, mashed potato, and stuffing, so helping the Vances polish off a turkey was a good way to spend the evening. Much better than manning the door, waiting for pint-sized candy panhandlers to stop by.

Halloween

After I left Anne's house, I headed to Silver Spring to see Shaun of the Dead with Beney. I don't usually like horror movies, so a British comedy that happens to feature zombies was a much better fit. On the way to the theater, though, I was driving along Rte. 29 when I suddenly was hit on the right side of my car by a flash of white. The impact dented an area around the rear passenger side of my car, just around the wheelwell. I figured it must have been a deer because no one would possibly run across 29 in the middle of the night for no reason. Then again, it was Halloween, and there could have been some drunken idiot running around, so I called the non-emergency number for the police to report the accident, just in case. I didn't get a call back, so I think Bambi just picked a fight with my Honda and lost. I got to the theater right on time and had a good time at the movies.

Ravens game

Yesterday was also a lot of fun, as I got invited to the company box at Ravens stadium. Since the big boss was going to be there and we were entertaining clients, I didn't wear my actual Ravens gear and stuck with a purple sweater instead. It also gave me a chance to break out a purple Coach wristlet that I saw at the mall recently and bought on a whim. The clouds breaking and rain stopping just as the game started should have been a sign that the football gods wanted the Ravens to have a good game. They ended up breaking their losing streak, and the Ravens looked really strong all game long. It was a good result for my new favorite team!