A good day to celebrate a birthday...

What a day! Nothing too special happened, just a good all around day with my folks and my daughter. Jess and I went over to my folks home this morning as I wanted to change the oil in the van before starting our running around. Arriving there we found out that their roof was going to be replaced today so changing the oil was pretty much out of the question. I had planned to go in to work for a short while to finish out my hours for the week and to get a headstart on next week. I was going to go in late in the afternoon after the days events but since I could not change the oil I decided to go in at 11am and be finished in time for lunch. Dad went along for the ride and read a magazine in my office while I processed a couple of credit memo's. Turns out I went in at the right time because my new boss, having just learned the day before I am the unofficial department photographer had a customer come in complaining that his front bumper was fading and it should be covered by his warranty. Of course it wasn't because it was caused by enviromental damage, but we humor the customer by taking the photos and submitting for approval or denial. So I took the shots and then it was time to leave. I work really hard and give alot of my own time to the company. In return I take a few liberties and perks that not everyone else gets. I have always done that and it has always worked out to be very beneficial for me and the company. I have to have my 4-5 hours of overtime each week just to pay the bills, otherwise I would have to take a second, part-time job. If I did that, and there is nothing wrong with that, but then I would not have the time to do the work I do at home. It takes 50 or more hours each week to keep up with my work so I make it worth the companies time to pay me the overtime. I was two hours late on Monday because I went to pick up the scanner I had purchased on ebay. If I did not go in today to make up that time, it would mean I had paid $50 instead of $20 for the scanner. I could have bought one at the store for that price and therefore it would have been a waste of time and gas to drive all the way to North Dallas to pick it up. So, in I went and I am glad I did. We went out for Mexican food for lunch, there is this little diner near the folks house that is very, very good. I had a monster chimichanga and plenty of chips and salsa. I ordered the beef chimichanga and Dad ordered the chicken. But when the waitress brought out the food, she got them mixed up and I had the chicken! No matter, she was so beautiful and had the most sensous voice I would have eaten dirt and enjoyed it! It really was good and at six dollars, quite a deal. From there we went to Frye's electronics, mom wants to buy a digital camera with her income tax return and I am helping her do some research on various models. From there we went to Sam's, I thought because they wanted to buy some groceries. Turns out they wanted to by me a gift, a 256mb xd card for my camera. I had recently expressed an interest in getting one. My current xd card is 128mb but it works fine. I didn't want to hurt their feelings but I told them if they were going to spend $40 on me there were other things I would rather have right now. We were wandering the aisles while I was thinking of something else. That is when we ran across the wireless pcmcia card that I had been wanting for my laptop. My laptop is an old, slow, 133mhz pentium powered fujitsu. I bought it mostly to fill out pdf forms I have scanned in for work. I had no idea it would be able to get on broadband internet, much less wireless access! Most pc cards requred much higher speed processors but I had found one from U.S. Robotics that only required a minimum of a 100mhz processor. Only thing is, on the net it cost $60 and I was not yet prepared to spend that much on something I would only use once a week, if that much. But as soon as I saw it I remembered I had seen it the last time I was at Sam's, again for $38, the same amount as the xd card they were going to get for me. So, now I have a wireless card for my laptop, along with a scanner. I am going to go to the library on my next mid-week day off and try it out. The library has free wi-fi internet access and I have been waiting for months to go there. Three nights a week (mon, tues, and thurs) they are open until 9pm. I get off work at 7 and the library is basically on my way home. I have dreamed for months now about stopping off and checking email and such there, where it is quiet and just a different environment. Not that home is a bad place, but sometimes you just want your surroundings to be different for awhile. That's not true, you want to be around other people. You may not talk to them or have any other contact other than being in the same room. But still, it means your not alone. The only thing left to resolve and I won't be able to until I get there is a power source. My laptop does not have a battery so I need a power outlet. If they have some near the desks and tables I will be all set. If not, I will figure something else out. Also there is a cafe halfway between work and home, but not along the freeway, that offers free wi-fi. I will also check them out for power outlet availability. I will find the right place that will suit my needs. Ok, so then we went home and just hung out while watching the roofers work. Last night we rented some movies, including "The Chronicles of Riddick" and "Alien vs Predator". I am a big fan of Vin Diesel and of course my all time favorites are the Alien series of movies. The movie "Pitch Black" introduced me to Vin Diesel and I love that movie. Being the geekoid I am, I am a massive sci-fi fan. And as a true fan, I don't need non-stop special fx. A movie is no different that a good book. You have to use your imagination along with visualation. I think that is why "Pitch Black" was so good. Five minutes of space ship scenes at the beginning and for the rest of the movie, even though the land looks like death valley, I believe they are on another planet. That is because the story, action, and characters are so good. So, my point is that even though "The Chronicles of Riddick" was panned by the critics (what do they know anyways?) I loved it. I don't care for blood and gore, I don't feel they are needed to get a point across. Non-stop action and pretty good special fx. In short, it is my kind of movie. I read that the studio was planning to make three of these, depending on how this one did at the box office. Unfortunately, and I don't have an data to back this up, but I feel it did not do well enough to warrant the cost of more movies. Too bad. I think I am going to watch AVP tonight and if I feel up to it, watch Riddick again tonight, otherwise I will watch it tomorrow. I don't need superb acting in each movie I watch. I want to be entertained. I think that is why I don't watch drama's very often. My life is nothing but drama. I want escapism. In sci-fi and to some extent, fantasy, you can be whomever and/or whatever you want. I may be forty years and day old, but I am not "old". I still have dreams, desires and emotional needs unmet. So, if I indulge in a fanstasy movie headlined by a bald guy a few years younger than I am with a couple of hot chicks at his side, so what? oh, and this short poem. She may be in the distant past and far away but she is still on my mind everyday.