Well, there are only ten days left until the big move. Am I excited? Yes. Am I scared? Yes. Am I happy? YES YES YES! I'm also a little sad. I love my current job, and I have made some decent friends here. But as Stephen Schwartz once put it: "Everything has it's season. Everything has it's time." And it's my time. My grandpa told me the other day, that this is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. I hope he's right, because I feel the same thing. I've already got some things lined up as far as work goes. I'll be helping out part time at a production company for rent money, and from what Tammie has told me, the place where she works knows that I'm coming in to apply for a job when I get there, and they are keeping an eye out for me (apparently she has put in multiple good words for me)... we'll see... I haven't even applied for the job yet.

I need new headshots. My friend 'G' who already lives in LA, is an amazing photographer and she offered to do my headshots at a good price, so I think I'm going to go that route.

I can't wait to see all my old college friends. I miss them.

Next Thing I Know, I'll be an Action Figure...

This is a new comic book character. His name is Scanner. The comic book is the brain child of a friend whom I grew up with. The characters are based on characters that were our little group of friends "alter-egos." This was my alter ego. So, now I'm a comic book character. Sweet ass.





Scanner. AKA me. Note the amazing muscle tone and awesome package.
This is yet another random twist in my increasingly bizarre life. I enjoy it though.

-Aaron

New Tires... sorta...

So, the other day, I got an estimate for 4 new tires and a wheel alignment. The estimate they gave me was for $440. Yeah right. After having spoken to Dan and Josh on the phone, they advised that I just get 2 new tires for the front, and put my 2 front tires on the back. I called another place that told me I could get 2 tires for $85, so I decided to go there. Upon arrival and subsequent inspection of my car, they told me that all of my tires had pretty bad dry rot, and I really should get them replaced, not only that but, they didn't have the sizes I needed in the price they quoted me, and to get what I needed it would be $65 per tire. Fuck that. I'm poor, and couldn't possibly afford that. So, I drove down the road, and found a place that advertises "4 New Tires for $99." I stopped there and went inside to ask if that was true... I got the same answer more or less. Yes, it was true, but not in the size tire I need. He said he could get me 4 new tires in my size for $240... same as the other place... now I'm started to freak out. I need tires desperately, and don't have the funds to get them. But then he tells me, he just got in a set of used tires in my size that are 'like new'... he takes me to look at them, and they look great. He says he'll sell me the tires and put them on for a flat $100. This is where I peed my pants. So, now I have four sorta new tires, and it didn't completely destroy my finances, although I really REALLY could use that 100 bucks. Oh well, you win some and you lose some... I guess in the scheme of things, this was a minor victory for me. This should ensure against any tire problem for the drive to California. Thank God.

Bad Day...

So, I got up to go to work today (normally, I don't work Sundays, but today is International Museum Day, so it was "All hands on deck.") and when I get out to my car, I see that I have a flat. Totally 100% flat.... shit. So I walk to work. Remarkably, I was still only 4 minutes late. Work was crazy (of course). And I'm trying to figure out how to get my car repaired. I get a hold of my brother and had him get the jack from my grandpa. I walk home after work, get the donut on, and drive to the tire place. When I got there, he told me he was swamped and that I would have to come back in the morning (of course). So, now I have to get up at the buttcrack of dawn, so I can get my tire fixed before I have to be at work in the morning. Needless to say, I'm a bit pissed.

-Aaron

Haha.

Keith really says it all here:



He's my new hero.

As some of you may know, I have decided exactly what I want for my first tattoo. Minor details still have to be worked out, but the basics are in my head. What I want to get is basically the lamppost from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I had originally envisioned a more cartoony version of Pauline Baynes original illustration, but I saw this and fell in love:




So basically, take this version of the lamppost (or something close to it), take out Mr. Tumnus and Lucy, and frame it in a keyhole. The illusion is that you are looking through a keyhole into Narnia. I may have the edges of the inside of the keyhole bookended with fur coats but I haven't decided yet... I would have to see it drawn out. I really like the visual of looking kind of up at the lamppost from below, as opposed to a straight on perspective. It gives it more of an epic feel. Me likey.

Come on down!

I just finished watching 'The Price is Right' Million Dollar Spectacular on CBS. Nobody won a million dollars because the contestants were kinda lame. I have to tell you though, one of the reasons I'm excited about moving to Los Angeles, is not only will I be getting my Price is Right name tag that Tammie got for me, but were also planning to go to the show when I get there. Tammie won't be eligible to be called down, but I sure as hell will... and I hope I do. It's kinda silly, but I always dreamed that I would be able to go The Price is Right. And now I can. Sweet.

These are promotional images for the new Star Trek movie which is due out at Christmas time. I'm so geeked I can't even tell you. I'm a huge nerd, I know, but I don't care. J.J. Abrams is at the helm of this one (he created the show 'Lost') so, it should be good. God, I'm excited!

At work today, my boss decided that the office was too quiet and promptly started rifling through her CD's. She looked at me and said, "Oh, you'll love this." Then put in a disk. The music started, and what hit my ears was music that I have not heard in YEARS... it was a compilation disk of music from "Sharon, Lois, and Bram's Elephant Show." It was crazy. I was totally thrown back into my childhood. I loved that show. I'm not sure why I loved it so much, but I did. It was bizarre.

It's a Spock Monkey!

The Writing is on the Wall...

The first numbers from West Virginia's primary are in, and Clinton is the easy winner, so far having about 63% of the vote with 22% of the precincts reporting.

I think it's a pretty safe bet that Barack Obama is going to be the Democratic nominee, but it's still incredible how close this race actually is. Hillary Clinton is not being a sore loser. In the grand scheme of things, this truly is a close race, and Hillary owes it to her supporters to stay in the race until every vote is counted.

Now having said that, simply for the sake of uniting the party and getting the Republicans the fuck out of the White House, I don't care how much perceived bad blood there may be between the two... Barack and Hillary NEED to be on a joint ticket! I do not care if you don't like the one who isn't the candidate of your choice... the other half of the Democratic voters DO! If they run together, it will unite the party, bring in all sorts of voters who might not necessarily vote otherwise, and finally end 8 years of blunders, lies, invasions, Constitution trampling, and mis-management. Otherwise, well get an old guy in the Oval Office who thinks the state that this country is in is 'just dandy'.

No matter how you look at the numbers, Obama is not winning by a landslide... and if Clinton was in the lead... she wouldn't have that luxury either. They need eachother. Plain and simple. Obama appeals to people that Hillary never would, and Hillary appeals to people Obama never would.

Obama-Clinton '08 That is what I want to see. And it seems most of my fellow Americans who lean slightly to the left agree with me. Let's hope that Obama and Clinton can rise above the politics that they claim they can, and put aside their differences for the sake of this country. Otherwise... we're doomed.

-Aaron

Suppertime, yeah! It's suppertime, and when suppertime comes can't supper be far away...

Just a little while ago, my new sister-in-law made dinner. I have to say, it is actually quite delicious. It was some sort of vegetarian pasta dish, that she got out of her Rachael Ray cookbook. The only problem is that the noodles were slathered in cheese. Now don't get me wrong. I love cheese. The issue is that I can't eat it. I'm allergic.

Now, I know what you are thinking and no, I'm not lactose intolerant. I have absolutely no problems digesting dairy. I have an actual allergic reaction to the stuff... I break out into hives, my throat swells, etc. So, I only was able to eat about half of what was on my plate.

Now I have that annoying tingle in my throat. I hate that feeling. The feeling that my body is saying to me, "If you don't stop at this very moment, you'll be spending the night in the emergency room, having some new nurse stabbing you in each ass cheek with a needle full of steroids, and then again in each arm only this time it's antibiotics, then having to take antibiotic and steroid pills every day for the next month." I'll pass.

The nurse would probably be ugly anyway.

-Aaron

I wish I was given this talk...

This is how every dad should talk to his son about this traditionally awkward discussion topic...




Weeds. Watch it. It's a great show. If you don't have Showtime, rent or buy the DVD. It's worth it.

For Kristina...

I got a ton of stuff accomplished at work today, which is odd, because it is a Monday. Usually Mondays seem to be the least productive. Oh well. Good for me anyway. My pile of paperwork is now tiny compared to the mountain that greeted me when I got back from Michigan (I was there for my brothers wedding).

The earthquake news out of China is crazy too. It weirds me out in a way, knowing that I am moving to a city that experiences earthquakes on that massive of a scale. Oh well. Still going.

Where Would Jesus Work Out?

Clever.

This just gets better...

The lines just get more and more blurred... I can't tell if this is an instructional video or gay porn...

...at least this doctor is wearing gloves.



P.S. I think the dude that found a "lump" just wanted to get felt up by the hot doctor.

-Aaron

Keep Your Eye on the Ball...

I'm sorry, but I just had to post this. Of course this is a very serious matter and we all need to do self exams. Not that most of us guys need another excuse to touch ourselves anyway...

But for whatever reason, this is just funny. Just watch the models face... I would kill to have been able to hear his thoughts while they were filming this. And the doctor doesn't even use gloves! What the hell? But the best part is the joke the doctor makes at the end. It almost seems like the only reason they made this video is so he could tell his little joke for a wider audience than just the patients in his office that come in for their yearly physical.

An Update of the Plan...

Since I have had such short notice with the whole moving to California thing, naturally a couple of hiccups in the process of moving have occurred. To expect this not to happen, would be asking a bit much. It's already pretty much a miracle that this is even a possibility to begin with. Last night however, the biggest hiccup thus far has been resolved, thanks to my college friend 'B'. If it becomes necessary, and it probably will... I will be staying at his place in Burbank for a couple of weeks until Dan, Ryan and I can get our own apartment. 'B' is a life-saver. The bast part is that if, for some reason we have a difficult time getting an apartment, I can start paying 'B' rent and we, in effect, will become temporary roommates. I'm as excited as ever. This is really happening... I almost can't believe it.

-Aaron

New (to me) Laptop!!

I just got my laptop (which was a gift from my friend Josh) working!! I'm popping it's blog cherry as I type. Here is a picture of one that is very similar to the one that I now have:



Me likey.

-Aaron