Totally forgot:

I want you to tell me what the Top Three records of 2004 were. I don’t even think I listened to 3 records that were made in 2004 this year. Well, I probably did, but I’d have to think about it. All I can tell you is my #1 is Modest Mouse – Good News for People Who Love Bad News. That record fucking rocks people’s socks off. I told Wordy it’s in my Top Five of the 21st century.

So yeah, either comment on this post with your Top Three, or email em to me…

So the other day I sat down to watch the extended edition of Return of the King (final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in case you need to know).

The movie was ungodly long to begin with, then they added enough additional footage to make it The Longest Movie of All Time Anywhere In Movie-Seeing? World. Two people could sit down, one to watch ROTK, the other to watch the Back to the Future trilogy, and the first person could join the second mid-way through the second person’s last movie. I mean the mother is long. Four hours of long.

I watched the last Lord of the Rings flick the least of all of them. I saw it once in the theater, once when it first hit DVD, and this was the third time. Compare that to the 5 times and 4 times I saw Fellowship and Two Towers IN THE THEATER, respectively.

I have to admit it. I have watched ROTK three times now, and never seen it all the way through. I dozed for 15-20 minutes the first two times, and I napped for like, I dunno, 30 or so this latest time. Some of you will think that makes me a bad person. Some of you really… won’t care.

This really doesn’t fall into the “confession” category, but here’s the facts, Jack:
I am down to the wire, finding-a-date-for-Jen-and-Joe’s-wedding-wise. It’s like…. 3 months and a week away. I figure you need to be dating a girl for a good two months before you ask her to go to a wedding with you which all your relatives are attending. Three would be better. But anyway.
I meet like, 0 women a year. The women I meet are my friends’ girlfriends and people at work. Difficult to date at best.
I may have to resort to some unorthodox methods to find a potential mate. That’s right — I’m talking internet. *sighs* I’m kind of at a loss.

OK, other things to do…

Hey check this out, eh? Back in full tiki effect.

Thanks to a visit from Joe Mundschau on Saturday, the groupware version of soloshootsfirst is totally operational again. That means you can see all the stuff in the archives, you can look at pictures, and I can blog easier. All these things good in my book.

And hey — you registered folk can post comments as well.

Today Joe and I took a ride to his sister’s place in Stevens Point to pick up a trailer and some furniture and stuff. It was a pretty painless trip, and now I’m watching this defensive struggle in Foxboro.

Last evening, we went out to dinner at Mario’s with the Poquettes and Karla. Karla’s birthday is today, so she, Joe, Knitt, and I went out to Peabody’s later on as well. We drank em out of Guinness and Knitt drank a ton of O.J. We had a good time overall.

Yee-hah, got the day off tomorrow, so I’m probably gonna end up doing laundry and some other ’round the house crap.

OK, off to put up some new pictures in the digital gallery…

Wednesday night, Knitt was due to come over for Alias. For those of you who may have fallen behind, I recently watched the three previous seasons and the 4th just started on ABC.

So, it’s 8 PM Central on Wednesday night, and first off, lemme say that I could run with a tangent about how the networks are running shows now a bit off the hour schedules, like Alias actually started at something like 8:03 or whatever, and that pisses me off, but I sit down to watch the show, and still no Knitt, so I started the computer to tape it as well.

First commercial break comes and goes, still no Joe, and I’m watchin, and then the door buzzes, so I dash down the stairs to get him, and I’ll all, “What the hell are you doing? You’re late!” And he’s like, “I know!” and so we run back up the stairs, and goddammit all to hell, I locked myself out of the farking apartment.

First thing that crosses my mind: well we’re gonna miss the show. Not “how I am gonna get back in the apartment?” I was concerned first and foremost with Alias.

But anyway, after a trip back to Joe’s place and then to my building again, I knocked on the door of my neighbors John and Steph, since I figured they would have A) a phone, and B) the number of the emergency contact guy, which John reminded me was stenciled on the door. So I left the guy a message and then Knitt and I sat in their place for like nearly an hour waiting for someone to call back. John and Steph were watching the third season of the Sopranos. I drank a can of High Life Light.

So finally, it’s like 10 after 10 or so, and the scruffy lookin key guy shows up. Joe and I are standing there with him while he monkeys with the door, and he’s tryin all these keys, and stick-n-no-turn, and stick-n-crank, and no turn, and try another one, and then finally he says to me, after like 10 minutes of this “Uh, they gave me the wrong keys, I’m gonna have to wait for the guy to bring me the right set.”

Awesome.

So the guy goes back downstairs or whatever, now Joe and I are just sitting around next to my door waiting, and we noticed that Key Guy busted one off in the deadbolt of my door, so that was cool, and finally it’s about quarter to 11 and we get let back in. Fan. Tastic.

Well, good thing I was taping the show, and I asked Joe if he wanted to stay and watch it right away, we agreed we’d just watch the next night instead. Before I went to bed, though, I wanted to at least check out the recording I’d done, and I was quite pissed to see that I TAPED THE WRONG DAMNED CHANNEL.

I dunno what happened, cuz I flipped it on the ‘puter, but maybe I forgot to hit ‘enter’ after the number or something, but either way, instead of Alias, I had almost 3 hours of high school basketball.

All I wanted to do was watch Alias.

So thank god for the internet, because I was able to go online and download the episode, and by the time it was morning, I had it, and Joe and I successfully watched the show on Thursday night without commericals or anything. We had weinie wraps and beans for dinner. No harm no foul I guess, but after this fiasco, I am putting three people in addition to myself in possession of my keys.

Sorry for not getting back early in the week here, but as I said: I was watching Alias. I’m finished now. Completely. I’m all caught up. Eagerly ready to watch this week’s ep.

If you saw the Packers game on Sunday, you didn’t need to. It was over in the first ten minutes and they deserve what they got, y’ask me. Some things need to change around the organization to get them back to an elite standing in the NFL. They’ve been living and dying by Brett’s arm since the last time they went to the Super Bowl, so what does that say about the rest of the team? That’s all I’ll say about that for a while.

My jazz station is down today, kind of a bummer. I’m listening to movie scores instead, and this station is all about John Williams.

Car didn’t want to start again on Monday morning, and hasn’t since. And I just realized it’s only Tuesday. That’s fabulous.

I some more room in my work area again (I think I’ve mentioned this?) so I should bring some stuff in to hang up again.

This is a fairly unexciting day. Please consult other areas of the Internet for interesting topics and email me with your opinions.

For those of you who have been held in suspense since earlier in the day, the car started in the work parking lot today, both at lunch and after work.

I’m impressed with myself for finishing the majority of my daily lists while I’m at work or at home. Today I wiped out 4 of 6 items. I am having a problem at home, though: it’s called Alias.

Knitt lent me the first two seasons of the show just before Christmas, cuz it seems like I should enjoy it, and the 4th season just started this week on ABC — I wanted to “catch up” and watch this year. I still have quite a way to go, but if I keep up on this rate of six episodes a night, I should be there pretty soon. But, y’know, there’s four and half hours right there, so I’m not getting a lot done in the evenings at home at this point.

I would write more or start making some sense, but, to be honest, I’m watchin Alias, so…

OK, so the holidays are over. In my book, that means it’s time for the snow to melt, the sun to stay up, and spring to begin.

Yes, I’m aware that it’s the 4th of January.

I enjoy winter for 4 weeks every year — the 4 weeks of December — and then I’m pretty much done. My WPS bill was a hundred bucks last month, so I say “to hell with cold.” I’m going to be turning down the heat again, after a Christmas-timey treat of 66 degrees for something like 15 days, so if you’re coming over, bring a sweater. And a hat. And don’t take your shoes off. Don’t worry, I do have plenty of blankets.

Lorch and I laughed the other day when he was playing with my PDA and noticed that all of the tasks on my To-Do? list are overdue. I’ll have to push back those dates a little.

Many thanks to those who attended the Global New Year’s Extraveganza — it was a good time, as usual. Nice to see everybody, hang out, etc. Mark your calendars for 12/31/05, we’ll do it all again.

The Priceless Quote of The New Year’s Festivities is from the mouth of Nick Petters:
“I remember when I decided to grow my hair long. I was hiiii-igh as SHIT.”

I just jotted down my list of things to do today. It is quite reminicent of my summer lists, with lots of little things on it to make me feel like I’m accomplishing stuff.

My car sort of broke down the other day as I was on my way out of a movie, it just wouldn’t start. Like, electrically it wouldn’t start, as in, no cranking, good battery, turn key nothing happens. I paid to have it towed to my house and then it started right up. So I need to have it looked at for sure, I’m going to look for some diagrams or repair docs or something that might help me find the problem. I walked to work this morning, and it was cold but not unbearable. The car started this morning, too, but I don’t want to chance driving it around unless it’s going to stay running the whole time.

Oh, and the NFL Playoffs are upon us. Man, I was cheering SOOO HARD for Minnesota to get eliminated, because I thought it would be hilarious, but as it turns out, they’re in and they’re coming back to Green Bay again. I don’t know that the Packers can beat the Queens 3 times in one year. It will likely be quite a contest.

Come on over for the game if you want, I have a lot of beer left over. Just bring a sweater.

Oftentimes, on the last day of the year, newspapers, TV shows, websites, etc, all have a review of the major events of the year, or occasionally you’ll get a reflection about the passage of time, reverence for the past, hope for the future, that sort of thing. I have done it myself. I thought about the year of 2004, and realized that the most remarkable thing about it for me, was its *relative* unremarkablity. There were three very significant events:
– Kevin and Amanda had a son, Kilian, in April
– My grandma, Bettie Bock, passed away on August 31
– Just days later, my cousins Sarah & Dan had a son, Jake

These were the major things — the ones that will mark 2004 in my memory. Other than those, I’m quite happy to report that after the better part of three years being spent in flux, I can say the following things about myself:
– I have been living in this apartment for six months now, and I have no plans to move for at least six more.
– Early next month, I will mark my 1-year anniversary working back at the Financial Aid Office, and that’s the first time I’ve had the same job for 12 months since 2001.
– Everything on the horizon points to a perfectly agreeable and worry-free 2005.

My best to you and all those close to you in the New Year.

I said to myself yesterday when I got to work, “I should blog,” but I didn’t feel up to it. It was a long but enjoyable weekend, I wish I would’ve had Monday off, to be honest. I’m looking forward to eventually having a job where one actually accrues “vacation,” cuz then I’ll be able to (theoretically) take these useless Days of Christmas off.

So yeah, Mom and Dad stayed over on the 23rd, that was nice. We had a late dinner at Brooklyn Grill, where I locked the keys in the car. Mom has the triple-A, though, so shortly after we got done eating, the car was open again. No harm, no foul on that front.

We left for Milwaukee around 11 on the 24th, and so we arrived at Jen & Joe’s in advance of the Packers-Vikings? game. That was a helluva contest, no? Quite an enjoyable game, and when we got down to the 2-minute warning, Dad, Joe and I had reasoned that if it went to OT, we would have to forego 5:30 church and go to midnight mass instead. Thank goodness Mike Tice is a moron (and a moron who has a job for at least another year, which delights Packers fans across the midwest). Grandma, Uncle Dave, and Adam came over for the game as well, and Joe’s mom, Kathy, went with us to church and hung out for the evening as well. Nice ‘Eve’ in general.

On the 25th, we opened some gifts, everyone gave and received adequately, then we stopped over to the Saffords before heading to Mukwonago for the Bock X-Mas? shindig. That event was kind of a blur for me — it seemed like we weren’t there that long, and I didn’t get a chance to talk to everybody, but I did get my turn to hold my little 2nd cousin Jake, who looks exactly like his mom, or exactly like his dad, depending on who you ask when. Aaron brought some fabulous beer from Capital Brewery, whose wares I had not sampled previously, and Dan and I decided we should go up north for ice fishing next month.

Boxing Day we went over to Grandma Markowski’s house, and I thought it was kind of funny that for the first time that I can remember, we all sat together in the basement watching some of the Bizarro Packers-Vikings? Game: whereas the premium matchup on Christmas Eve decided the NFC North champion, Sunday’s game between the Bears and Lions would settle the question of the division’s biggest loser. That turned out to be Chicago, although they got seriously hosed on a touchdown call in the game’s waning moments, so that debate may not be so cut-and-dried. Something else that day that I found to be hilarious: Uncle Dave and Grandma bought me the same pair of gloves at Kohl’s. Now I have a spare.

On Sunday night, back at Jen & Joe’s, the 6 of us played Jen’s new DVD-based trivia game, “SceneIt?” Everyone else assumed that I would dominate the game with my vast wealth of useless movie knowledge, and as it turns out, they were right. It was a fun game, though. Dad even knew a few answers, and humored us all by staying awake for two full games.

I ended up staying over one extra night and then calling in to work on Monday morning. I arrived back at my desk @ 10:45. I think I’ll probably work another couple hours on Thursday to make up the difference. Or I might not, depends how I feel after tomorrow. I’m gonna guess “bored out of my skull.”

After the NFL weekend, my playoff tree encountered a few very minor changes, most notably, the unexpected Green Bay victory in Minnesota leading to a playoff contest @ Lambeau.

First of all, check out this fantastically humorous story that I read off the AP wire.

Today I’m at work just until noon, which, y’know, is nice, with the, uh… all the work I have to do. I’m gonna go home later for the Classic Tidying-Up? Trifecta: laundry dishes floor. Should be fun; Mom and Dad are getting in at 8, so I also need to pick someplace to go for food after they arrive. Or I guess I could pick something up. I dunno. We’ll see. What do you think?

I told Knitt I would copy a CD for him and then I forgot to bring the damn thing to work today. Ah well. Maybe he’ll still be around when I get home from work later.

Not a lot to report today, other than wishes for the season, since it seems unlikely that I’ll blog again until 12/27… kinda wish I could come up with something substantial and important to say, but… might have to save those sentiments for the year-end recap.

Oh, I guess I do have two things:
1) I watched Alias for the first time last night (thanks to Knitt) and got kind of pissed when I realized that I once wrote a character that is basically just a middle-aged, male version of Sidney Bristow.

2) It was a couple years ago I filled out the NFL Playoff Tree week to week. Sorry that I offer no explanation/justification. At this point, I just let the season and history speak for me. Here’s what I’m thinking this year: