Lazy Summary

I've been in my lazy summer mode. I'll try to recollect the past couple of days:

Monday
After sleeping most of the morning away. I decided to go for a walk downtown. I took the Metro-North express train into Grand Central Station (42nd. Street). I walked to 14th Street and Union Square. I went to see the movie "Despicable Me". Although I paid for the ticket, I did use points on my movie card to order a small popcorn($6) and a small box of candy($3). Yep, those two items combined would have cost $9.00. A single hot dog would have cost $6. Normally, I don't buy food at the theater.

Back to the movie. I really liked that movie. It was very entertaining. I liked how they threw in the occasional adult humor. Adults were laughing just as much as the kids.

After the movie, I walked back to 42nd Street, and went to visit my foster father.

**I forgot to mention the drunks who rode the trains. The subway had a single drunk who talked to himself and other passsengers, and cursed God. Asking passengers if they wanted to fight him. Finally, he decided that he didn't want the train to move, so he stood between the doors so that the train doors wouldn't close. Finally, the guy got off the train expecting to be arrested, because he told the the train conductor (who came to see why the guy wouldn't move), "You're gonna arrest me". The good news was the train went express to make up for lost time. From the subway, I got on the Metro-North train, and....I got on the train that had a group of drunk guys coming from a baseball game. One guy kept getting up to check what station he was at. Another guy kept going on about how he was going to fight the conductor if he (the conductor) asked for a ticket. Both guys were very loud.
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Tuesday
Another lazy morning. Today I have a social networking event that I planned. Only one person signed up for the panel discussion at the Museum of the City of New York. The panel discussion was nice. Not great, but nice. It lasted about 2 hours. One of the panelist seem to have some interesting stories to share, but it was difficult to hear him. Near the end, the audience had to remind the guy to speak up. Overall, the event was okay. At 2 hours, I was expecting something a bit more substantial. It seemed to just be a presentation of a group of individuals who seemed to be sharing a bit of past recollections. Although the stories were nice, there wasn't much substance to them. Sorry, I didn't take any pictures.

Slideshow - Maritime Aquarium

Below is a slideshow of the photos I took at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk Connecticut.

Maritime Aquarium

Hello All. I'm tired. I didn't finish the captions for the new photos, so I'll have to do the slideshow another time. To save time, I'm going to cut and paste the my review of the event.

I forgot to mention that this isn't the NYC aquarium but the one in Norwalk, CT.

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A whole day isn't needed to see the aquarium, but with all of the exhibits (except for the very small African Penguins) in an airconditioned facility, it was a very nice experience. I didn't feel like I had to rush to "see as much as I could". It was nice stooling through the aquarium. The Metro-North ($24) ticket covered the admission into the aquarium(included the Classic IMAX show but not the 3D ride). I paid for the 3D ride, it was nice, but not worth $5.50. I was surprise at the $11 ticket price for the Shrek IMAX movie. All in all, it was a nice experience. The train ride at 47 minutes each way was also nice. I wouldn't mind going back again next summer. However (having seen everything), it won't be an all-day event. The NYC aquarium can be done in 30 minutes. This aquarium can be done in about 2~3 hours.

A Movie and Bookstore

Today, I joined a social networking group event to see "Salt". I enjoyed both the movie and the company of the group members who attended. I thought the plot, pacing, and acting were all done very nicely. The ending of the movie does leave open the possibility of a sequel, a series, or a character franchise. After the movie, three of us went to a nearby restaurant "Chipotle Mexican Grill". I thought the restaurant was a nice selection, it was able to accommodate the vegans and the non-vegans (like myself). After lunch, each person went their separate way.

I went to Barnes & Nobles. Although I have a stack of unread books at home, I still decided to buy something. As I was brousing the sci-fi/fantasy section, I continued into the horror section. Normally, I'm really not a horror fan. However, for some strange reason, I want to read Stephen King's latest book, "Under the Dome". I read a couple of chapters just to see if the book would hold my attention. Much to my surprise, the chapters I read did hold my attention -- Yes, I know the book has 1088 pages. A part of me was worried that I would lose interest in the book and not finish reading it. Also, a part of me didn't want to carry around that heavy book. In a moment of strength (I rarely have to resist an impulse buy), I decided to hold off on buying the book. I decided to buy another (smaller) King book with the idea that if I could finished the smaller Stephen King book, then I would buy the much larger "Dome" book. After lingering in the King section for awhile, I narrowed down the selection between "Misery" and "Salem's Lot". I settled on "Salem's Lot". I also purchased "Infinite Crisis - A Novel" by Greg Cox. They took a 5 or 6 issue comic book series about Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman and made a novel out of it(404 pages). Interesting.

Post Date - Sunday, July 25, 2010 12:44AM

Preview

Not much to write about. For the last couple of days, I've been trying to tackle the cluster of papers, receipts, and other clutter that I've lived in, on, and over for the last couple of years. I also need to clean up my living room so that I can unpack my exercise bike and start exercising.

The attached photos are a couple of "Previews". The first photo is my computer area/dining area, finally cleared off. I've had papers, and clutter covering these surfaces for at least a couple of years. Yesterday was the first day in at least two years that I've eaten at that table. The other photo is the exercise bike. Hopefully, I will finally be able to clean my living room. Once my living room is cleaned the other rooms will be easy to clean.

Finished!!!

Another lazy day. Today was my FedEx wait day. I was waiting for my stationary exercise box. While I was waiting, I spent the day watching various court shows on TV. Is it me, or are the signals for the converter box getting worst. Sorry, I got sidetrack.

My new bike arrived about 4:30PM EST. Some assembly required. While waiting for my bike, I also FINALLY started to do some cleaning of my dirty apartment. I also finished the jigsaw puzzle "Comic Relief - The Great Escape". Yep, it was much easier on a flat surface. However, I would've had more difficulty if I didn't have the picture on the box to help.


Post Date - Tuesday, July 20, 2010 11:59PM

Lazy Day

The title says it all.

Oh, I was surprised to get an email from Amazon saying that my exercise bike would be delivered tomorrow -- not a moment too soon. I was surprised because I qualified for the free shipping which gave the shipping time between 5 and 9 business days (and delivery date a few days afterwards). I placed the order around Saturday around midnight (Sunday morning). If the email was correct, then I'll receive my bike in two business days. Great!

Jigsaw Puzzle in Central Park

Today was the first meeting of one of the social networking groups that I organize. I think I've mentioned a few times, that social networking groups are ways a person can meet others who share common interests. In this case, I started this group on an impulse during a moment of boredom. As I was "creating my group's profile page (choosing color combinations, and introduction page, etc...), I was planning to delete the group when I got to the payment options page. However, that page never appeared, so my group became a reality. I mentioned that it doesn't matter what interests you might have, there will probably be people who share the same interest, or if they don't, you can be placed on a waiting list until someone creates the group.

So, what is my new group?

Jigsaw puzzles.

The goal of the group is to find others who share an interest in completing jigsaw puzzles as well as building scale models.

Well, with my group now operational, I accepted the meeting time and place of the automatic scheduling. Today was the day. Even though no one has joined my "Jigsaw" group, I still went to the park to complete jigsaw puzzle I purchased yesterday at the mall.

Below is a slideshow of the results of my first "Jigsaw" social networking group.

Another Impulse Buy

I think the title says it all. When it arrives, I'll try very hard to not make this just another expensive clothes rack.

Movie - Sorcerer's Apprentice

Today, I decided to go to the mall. While there, I saw the movie, "Sorcerer's Apprentice". I really liked the movie. It was light, entertaining and very enjoyable. I thought all of the actor's did a nice job. My only complaint is that the "mop scene" seemed a bit of an afterthought.

After the movie, I walked around the mall for awhile. Yep, I'm still off my diet. I had Wendy's for lunch, and Chinese takeout for dinner.

Quick Entry

I've slipped into my regular vacation mode(being lazy). Hopefully, I will be able to break out of it. I'm going to try to make this quick.

Playstation 2
On an impulse, I resumed playing with my Playstation. I've been playing "Fantastic Four - Rise of the Silver Surfer" for the last few days. Before this, I hadn't touched my Playstation console in 2 years. The last game saved on it was July 3, 2008.

The Medical Results
Just my luck that the day I had two different doctor's appointment, it rained...hard. My first appointment was for the toenail removal. I arrived soaking wet, in a lobby with the air conditioning cranked up high. So high, the elderly waiting in the waiting area went to stand by the main door.

Anyway, the minute I arrived(on time), I knew I wouldn't make the other appointment on time. I was told that "they were a bit backed up" and I would have to wait. For the 15 minute procedure, I had to wait about an hour. However, once the doctor (podiatrist) arrived, I was very pleased. The doctor was very polite and professional. Although the tools she had looked a bit intimidating, she was very careful. She told me that the whole toenail didn't need to be removed. She told me that a blood blister under the nail was the cause of the toenail growing out of place. She cut down the toenail with what looked like a pair of wire cutters, and used an electric drill to file the nail down. She told me that a new nail will grow in about 9 months, but I shouldn't expect it to grow completely normal. She told me to keep the nail area cleaned and rub antibiotic ointment on it. I am scheduled to returned in October for a check up. No pain, and no discomfort. I was very pleased.

The next stop was another clinic in another part of Manhattan. Although this place was further "downtown", the behavior, attitudes, and responses seemed a bit more "Uptown". People skills were sorely lacking. However, there was a quite a bit of loud "chitchat" going on around me. Here (luckily), I didn't have to wait long. I was at this clinic to have an ultrasound taken of my groin area. I was attended to by a medical technician or a nurse, (either or, the woman lacked people skills). I was out in about 15 minutes.

My Diet
Since my doctor told me that I needed to "added a bit more protein and carbohydrates" to my diet, I fell of the diet wagon. I translated the doctor's statement as, "Your diet's wrong start over". I think I mentioned in a previous blog entry that I was looking for any excuse to stop the diet...and I found it. So, what have I been doing for the last couple of days? I've had a couple of dinners from a buffet-styled takeout restaurant, a meal at MacDonald's, a spaghetti dinner from a local takeout restaurant, fried chicken and beef-fried rice dinner, and a few pints of Hagen Daz ice cream. The plan is to resume the liquid diet (with modifications) on Monday. I also plan to start working out on Monday at the local Y.

Twitter
Today, I reactivated my Twitter account. I don't remember when or why I got it in the first place, but I never really used it. With Tracfone (my old prepaid service), I could use the mobile twitting feature, so I didn't use Twitter at all. Now with AT&T, I can send twits with my cell. I also signed up for a couple of Twitter services. I now have CBS and NY1(a local 24 hour news channel here in NYC). I also added NY1 Weather to my cell phone. I now get weather updates in the form of a twit. I just hope the weather reports are not as annoying as the Notify NYC. I signed up for automated "emergency" reports that was suppose to tell me about important things like school closing due to snow days", but now I get almost daily reports about what seems like every delay and incident that occurs in the 5 New York City boroughs. Today, the report was the temporary suspense of the Path Trains (New Jersey trains that travel to downtown Manhattan).

Well, I think I'm done. I also just finished two pints of ice cream. I will have my work cut out for me when my diet resumes.

Post Date - Friday, July 16, 2010 11:118PM

Health Update

Today I had a walk in appointment at 3:45pm to see my healthcare provider. I went to have a groin check and a toenail check as well. After about an hour and a half waiting time, the nurse called me in to "check my vitals". Summary:
Weight - 224lbs
Blood Pressure - I don't remember, but she said it was borderline high.

Finally, the doctor called me into his office and asked me to explain my problem. After checking the groin area (and asking for the cough), he told me that I probably didn't have a hernia. But when I told him that there were times when I had a soreness in the area, he told me that I might have pulled (or strained) a muscle there. He also said that the discomfort was probably due to me lifting heaving items -- I suppose he meant like moving a classroom for summer storage. He told me that he would refer me for a sonogram just to make sure there was no damage in the area.

For my toenail, the doctor told me that my nail was growing in crooked and it would have to be removed. Both procedures were able to be scheduled for tomorrow, so I was feeling very happy.

Then, I decided to take Paperback's advice (a fellow blogger)and mention my liquid diet. He mentioned that I should be eating something solid like fish or a slice of wheat bread for protein and carbohydrates. However, I only heard the liquid diet is wrong, stop it. So, I went out and bought a dinner from a buffet-type restaurant along with a caramel, walnut, and chocolate topped brownie. I think I mentioned in a previous blog about looking for any and I many any excuse to break the liquid diet. Well, I found on. Sorry to say, I was really getting annoyed with people eating around me.

So what now? (in terms of the diet), I will of course try again (hopefully sooner rather than later). Considering, I actually weigh 224lbs. For the last couple of months I was under the impression that I only weighed 200lbs. Although, I didn't like the taste of the vegetable juices, nor did I like the hungry feeling I have day after day, nor did I like the annoyed feeling I have walking past people eating. I do have to be honest, I did like the simplicity of the only liquid diet. Before the diet, I would (very easily) rationalize myself into eating unhealthy foods:

"I'll only eat small portions..."
"I'll only eat some of the bad foods..."
"I'll start tomorrow..."
"I'll eat some vegetables with..." Etc...

Even though I didn't have a scale, I could see that I was losing some weight. I'll have to modify my liquid diet. But, my new diet will have to be just as simple as the "liquid only diet". For all the things I didn't like about the liquid diet, I did like the structure. I also liked the idea that I could stuff myself with all the fruit I wanted -- vegetables too, but let's be real, how many people like myself raised on sugar, salt, and greasy foods, really what to stuff their faces with vegetables.

I think I've lost another epal. My new epal wasn't too happy with the liquid diet I was on. He kept wanting me to eat some fast foods with him. After I told new epal that I fell off the wagon, but I still didn't want to go out for a ravioli dinner. I got the impression that he was no happy.

Well, gotta go. Doctor's appointment tomorrow (later today actually).

About the picture. Since I didn't have a photo for this blog entry, I found the attached photo using a toenail+cartoon search.

Post Date - Tuesday, July 13, 201012:39AM

Movie Day

Today my social networking event was a bit of a bust...as usual. The one person who said that he would come was a no show.

The event was to see the movie "The Last Airbender". I was surprised. The critics didn't seem to like the movie, but I was sure I was going to love this movie. Unfortunately, I wasn't too impressed with the movie. It was okay, and visually very nice, but for a sci-fi lover, I kept wanting to look at my watch wondering when the movie would end. The movie seemed a bit sloppy with gaps in the plot (and in character motivations as well). I found the older brother annoying. I also thought there was waaay too much arm flapping and rotating. I could go into more negatives, but I'll just end my review here.

After the movie, I sat in the park for a while. This diet was really doing a number in my willpower. Both in the movie and out, I found myself feeling annoyed at those people eating near me. I started thinking about getting a milkshake since it was a liquid. Luckily, I didn't. Well, the 7 days is just about up. The original plan was to have a strictly liquid diet for the first week, and then modify the diet (see previous entry). I should have been exercising, I would have seen better results. However, I need to wait for my doctor's appointment. Hopefully, my doctor will tell me it was nothing, and I'll be free to work out.

Quick Entry

I have a to try to keep this short. One, I'm tired. Two, I have a social networking event tomorrow morning. We will be seeing the Last Airbender.

Today, I started the day with washing my fruits and vegetables. I forgot to mention in my previous blog entry that the fruit and/or vegetables need to be dried before using the juicing machine. The excess water on the f/v seems to add to the pulp, but not the juice.

I experimented with the using a red bell pepper; I liked the kick it gave the juice. The juice still tasted awful, but the red bell pepper help a lot.

After a midday nap, I went out to pay my bills, and then visited my foster father. The difficulty I encountered was stepping out while on a diet. WOW!!! I couldn't take 3 steps without food (in one form or another in my face). I was so annoyed at those around me eating. I can't count how many times I wanted to have a slice of pizza, or stop in the many fast food places I walked passed.

I returned home and managed to do my laundry. I also started reading "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum. Originally, I bought the book because I was interested in reading the sequels written. However, after reading 2 or 3 chapters of the original "Oz" book, I got bored. I'm really not a literary person, but I found the story a bit too repetitively simplistic. Instead, I started reading "The Sea of Monsters"(book 2 in the series) by Rick Riordan.

The photo is a picture of my fruits and vegetables.

Post Date - Saturday, July 10, 2010 11:42PM

Health Update

Today was one of my less than productive days. This morning after checking my email (and blog comments), Jeff (one of the blog readers) mentioned that the pain I've been having in my groin area might be the start of a hernia. After checking a couple of medical websites, I started to stress out (something I do very easily). I finally called my health care provider. The earliest slot was a Monday "walk in" appointment. The next step was for me to cancel my rowing lessons. I was prepared to "try it" and see what happens, but with the idea of a hernia operation (involving surgery) firmly planted in my head, I was in no mood to risk any physical activity. I cancelled because I would be missing the first lesson and with a waiting list, I didn't want to hold a spot that someone else could use. I can always sign up at another time. Anyway, after cancelling the lessons, I was a bit depressed, so I didn't do much else for the rest of the day except watch a few YouTube videos, clips, and slept the day away. I finally got out of bed about 4pm.

I was hungry having not eaten anything all day. I only had a cup of water and a vitamin. The problem was that I didn't have much in the way of fruit. I've been able to fill up on fruit, but not the vegetables. I'm going to have to moderate my fruits much better. I went through about $40 dollars worth of fruit in a couple of days. I have a big appetite and I would usually have a full plate of food. Now on this liquid diet, I've been trying to fill up a stomach that is very, very used to being very full. the other problem is that the vegetables are not really tasty. My so-called liquid diet has been a bit out of balance with me consuming much, much more fruits Not even a little. Spending decades on sugary, fried, salty, and greasy foods, it will be a while before I can tolerate a vegetable drink. Today, with 3 apples and a handful of spinach made the drink somewhat tolerable, unfortunately, it only produced about 8 oz of juice.

Dietary Changes
I'm adding whole fruits to my diet(as in eating not just juicing them). Considering I haven't been totally on a liquid diet this week. I cheated with eating grapes, peaches, pineapples, and raisins, so the "addition" isn't a big change. Next week, I'm adding oatmeal and cream of wheat to my diet. I will continue with drinking ENSURE to fill up, but I will have to drink much less. I went through a couple of six-packs in two days. I also need to add plain tea to the diet. I should have been drinking tea (as part of the liquid diet), but I got lazy with boiling water. I will dust off my double-insulated thermos -- I might have mentioned it in a previous blog entry (months, or years ago). With the double-insulated thermos, I only need to boil water once, and it will keep it pipping hot for about 6 hours (and keeps cold drinks ice cold for 12 hours). It also has a convenient pump on the top.

I think that's about it. Below is a slideshow I made of the photos of my juicing machine. I don't know if I gave a review of the machine, but if I didn't here it is:

I really like the machine. I like the idea that I can get a good dose of vegetables on a daily basis (something I haven't really been doing). I also like that the machine is relatively quiet. The blender is much, much noisier. The cleanup of the juicer is fairly easy. I originally timed the cleanup of the juice at about 16 minutes. Today, the time was closer to 12 minutes. The half of the time clean comes from cleaning the shredding/strainer disk. The cheap brush provided really isn't doing the greatest job. I'll probably have to use one of my extra toothbrushes to clean the shredding/straining disk. Oh, I noticed that the juicer really should be clean soon after using. Today, I wanted to go to the store. I was smart enough to leave the shredding/straining disk soaking, but leaving the machine with the pulp in cause condensation of the pulp juice into the area under the pulp-collection basket and spinner. I think the juicer is fairly easy to clean if you don't let the food sit in it too long. I can see it becoming a nightmare to clean if the food hardens and dries out.



Post Date - Saturday, July 10, 2010. 1:08AM

Quick Entry

Let's see if I can be brief. I haven't blogged for a few days (not including the posting of slideshows). My original plan was to do a day by day journal entry of my summer of change. Well, those of you who have been reading awhile, know me pretty well by now. That didn't happen.

Monday
My plan was to start on Monday with my liquid diet. My plan was to spend this week getting my body used to the liquid cleansing, and to clean my apartment. That didn't happen.

Having passed on several invitations to meet a new epal (electronic pen pal) due to me cleaning and packing up my classroom for the summer, I finally agreed on a Monday meeting. I resisted the urge to do yet another "I'll start tomorrow" excuse for my diet. I brought a quart of vegetable juice for breakfast, and drank water for most of the day. The meeting? It was nice. We met at 10am in the Bronx. About 7:30pm, my epal had to return his sister's car. I stopped off at the store to buy some more vegetables and fruit (determined to start the diet tomorrow) before returning home.

Much to my surprised, I resisted the urge to "start the diet tomorrow". I settled for an 8oz. bottle of ENSURE (a health shake) and called it a night. The downside was that I managed to aggravate an old injuring. I banged my toenail causing it to bleed a bit. For awhile, that toenail has been growing up instead of out. Now, it is in a very delicate position. Any bang will most likely cause it to come off. There's more.

Also, (probably due to pushing, pulling, and lifting heavy boxes and things in my classroom, I might have sustained a groin injury. I thought if I just rested, it would get better, well it flared up on Monday, but lucky it did get better. Yes, I know I do need to see a doctor. I have already made an appointment for August 5th, but I probably should call to reschedule my appointment as a possible "it can't wait until August 5th" change. I have HIP, so my options can at times be limited. The downside is that the injures (mainly the toenail) has put me in a lazy mood these last couple of days. I haven't been out for the last couple of days (not including my brief walk to play the Lotto. I also haven't eaten anything since Sunday. The problem is that I haven't done any exercising. As a result, I haven't lost any weight (probably because my body is in starvation mode).

Wednesday
Well, today, I finally got around to unpacking the juicing machine. After washing it, I tried it out for the first time. I like it. I hated the carrot juice, but I like the machine. It took about 16 minutes to clean --the strainer basket with the attached shredder took about 5 minutes of those minutes to scrub (yes scrub) clean. I made a carrot and apple juice mix. Yuck!!!


Post Date - Wednesday, July 7, 2010 10:12PM

Brooklyn Museum - Egyptian Exhibition

Below is a slideshow of the photos taken during the Egyptian part of the Brooklyn Museum.

This and That

A New Diet
Starting tomorrow (I hope), I will be starting a new diet. I'm going to try a liquid diet. Originally, I saw a news report about a liquid diet. When I visited the site, they had a 3 day diet plan that cost $58 per day. I actually considered it, but considering my financial situation at the moment (college, credit cards, etc...), I changed my mind. I decided to buy a juicer, and try making my own juices. The plan is to try 3 ~ 7 days of a liquid diet. I also joined up for 8 lessons in rowing. I also have my unused membership to the local YMCA (due to expire in November).

Reading
I recently finished reading, "Star Trek Voyager - Unworthy". I'm not sure what novel I'll start with for my summer reading. Over the past few months of feeling a bit stressed, I'm been buying and collecting books, but not reading them. On my bookshelf at the moment are the following possible choices for my summer reading:

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
2 of 3 books from the boxset of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Book 2 - The Sea of Monsters
Book 3 - The Titan's Curse
2 of 3 books from the second boxset of Terry Goodkind's "Sword of Truth"
Book 5 - Soul of The Fire
Book 6 - Faith of the Fallen
Book Five of The Age of Fire "Dragon Rule E. E. Knight
Legends of the Dragonrealm by Richard A. Knaak
Into A Dark Realm by Raymond E. Feist
Ananzi Boys by Neil Gaiman
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Recent comic book purchases:
Incredible Hulk #610
Hulk #23 "Who is the Red Hulk?"
Brightest Day #2 "Dead Sea King"
Brightest Day #3 "Why Have They Returned?"
Brightest Day - Green Lantern Corps #49
Amazing Spider-man #621
The Invincible Iron-Man #27
Avengers #2
Fantastic Four #580

Jigsaw Puzzles
I keep saying I would try to complete one, but I have yet to try. I just had a thought of modifying my social networking group to include jigsaw puzzles. I have this felt roll that would let me transport incomplete jigsaw puzzles.

Social Networking
I will be trying to plan activities during this summer that will force me to learn to socialize more and try meeting new people.

Well, I think that is about it for now.

Brooklyn Museum - American High Style Exhibition

Yesterday, I organized a social networking group trip to Brooklyn Museum. To save time, I'm going to just cut and paste my review of the event.

I thought the event was nice. We went a bit off schedule. Since the only member to join the event wanted to look at the "American High Style" exhibit, I went along. Clothes are not really my thing, however, it wasn't a bad experience. After the clothes, we went to the Egyptian exhibit. I thought that was very interesting (and informative). Due to being in the "American Style" exhit, we did not get tickets to the free art class. After ending the event about 6:30pm, I went back to see the Andy Warhol exhibit. It was...okay. I then continued into the African Art exhibition. Since it was still early, I went to the movie to see Iron Man 2. The movie was okay. Considering I never really liked the Whiplash character, I wasn't too excited. The movie was entertaining. I thought they should have chosen a better villain than Whiplash (even though I thought Mickey Rourke did a very good job. Every time the character stepped onto the screen, I kept thinking "just a single bullet..".

2010 Gay Pride March/Parade (Part 3)

Below is the last slideshow from my Pride Event photos.

2010 Gay Pride March/Parade (Part 2)

Below is the slideshow from the second set of photos taken during the NYC Gay Pride Parade/March.

2010 Gay Pride March/Parade (Part 1)

Hello All. Yes, it has been a while. Strangely enough, you haven't missed much. I still need another day to clean up before my vacation starts. I just visited another blogger's site on an impulse haven't not visited in several months. I thought I should post something on mine.

The only thing I had available (that I could post quickly) before calling it a night is a slideshow of the photos I took viewing the 2010 Gay Pride March/Parade. I ended up taking 250 photos and narrowed the photos down to 150 that I'll post.

The march/parade. Officially, this is a march, but it looks very much like a parade. It lasted about 3 hours and 15 minutes. It was interesting, but a bit too long. It would have been helpful if they had consistant running commentaries for those who don't know what the various groups represents.

Well, I better go. I just thought I should post something. I'm not sure if I'll post the other two photo sets. I'll think about it.

Quick Entry

Quick blog entry.

After a week off for midwinter recess, I really don't have anything to write about. I did go to the movies with a social networking group. The event was a movie and dinner event. I thought this was a very positive experience. As usual, the members seem very nice. We met in the lobby of the theater. The Wolfman showing was fairly packed.

The Movie (The Wolfman)
I liked the movie for the style, costumes, and the sets. I thought they were really trying to focus on style, trying to capture the look of the early black and white Wolfman movies. If judge on style, I thought the movie was very good, but if judged on plot...well, that is another story. If you are looking for plot, character motivations, or pacing etc...You might be sorely disappointed.

The Dinner (Italian)
I enjoyed this restaurant much more than the last one. The food was good, and the service was nice. I also like that it wasn't noisy. The group was easily able to hear one another. I also liked that there was space at the table, it didn't feel like we were squeezed into a small space.

Post Date - Monday, February 22, 2010 12:38AM

This and That

The midwinter recess has begun. I'm going to have to try harder to make the most of it. I can't keep wasting my vacation time, to return to work just as stressed as I was before the vacation.

I returned to college to finish my Masters Degree. I'm paying out of pocket to avoid my ever increasing mountain of debt. Paying out of pocket put me in a bit of a financial bind (one I hope to correct by next month). I was able to get the books I needed for my classes. I had to order a couple of books on Amazon.com because the books were sold out in the college bookstore. I'm taking two classes that are both scheduled on Wednesday. Last Wednesday, was the snow day, so I didn't have to go. Considering I hadn't done the read, I was glad for the snow day.

Yesterday (Saturday), I managed to get an early start. I went to a local diner to order takeout breakfast (pancakes, eggs, and sausages). I slept most of the day away.

Today, I also managed to get up and out early (for me). I decided to visit my foster father. After, I went to 42nd street to see "Percy Jackson & the Olympians - Lightning Thief". I read the book and was looking forward to seeing the movie. A couple of websites seem to suggest that this movie will have the same frenzy Harry Potter had...I don't think so. I thought the movie was nice, but as usual, liberties were taken, elements changed, etc...I liked the book better.

After the movie, I walked to 14th street stopping on the way to a comic store and a couple of Barnes and Nobles. It still amazes me how the flagship Barnes & Nobles has such an incredibly small science-fiction/fantasy section of only a couple of bookcases. Luckily, there is another Barnes & Nobles a few blocks away from the flagship store with a greater selection.

My purchases:

Comics
Blackest Night - Secret Six #17
Blackest Night - Secret Six #18
Justice Society of America #35
Fall of the Hulks - Gamma
Incredible Hulk #606
Red Hulk #1
The Mighty Avengers #33

Books
Star Trek voyager - Unworthy
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz*

* I'm not sure why I bought this one. In the past, I have been tempted to buy the sequels "Wicked" and "Son of a Witch". Now that I have the original "Barnes & Nobles Classic "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum, I might buy the other sequels.


Post Date - Sunday, February 14, 2010 9:57PM

Snow Day 2010

SNOW DAY HERE IN NYC!!!!

Quick Entry

Let's see if I can keep this blog entry really short and simple.

I'm posting because I haven't posted in a while.

Last week, I began my return with my first classes. The 5 hour block without only a ten minute break (moving from one class to the other) was the only break. Homework was assigned already. I thought I would be able to get the books on Friday to read over the weekend. Well,

1. The College bookstore closed on a Friday at 3PM on the first week classes started.
2. What materials I did receive, I didn't touch any of it. So, I'll probably be doing it at the last minute as usual.

On Saturday -- there was suppose to be a snowstorm here in NYC, but we lucked out. No snow and the weather was great. Anyway, I went shopping for some school supplies. I was a bit surprised by the poor quality of some of the "college" merchandise. One thing that impressed me was something called a book holder, it was a foldable frame that can hold a variety of books to reduce the strain and fatigue with holding a book. After food shopping, my day was basically done. I did finally see the DVD "Inkheart". I really enjoyed the book, but the movie was crappy, to say the least. The movie had none, none of the charm, wit, or magic of the book. It really felt like the old afternoon movie special for kids. I didn't like the acting, the plot changes, nor the special effects.

Sunday
I didn't do much. Having stayed up late Saturday night, I slept much of Sunday away, so there wasn't much to do beyond making a return trip to the store to get a couple of items.

Post Date - Monday, February 8, 2010 12:12am.

Museum & a Movie

My Saturday was nice. One of the members who attended a couple of previous "Movie & Dinner" group event asked if I would be interested in going to the Rubin Museum. The guy was very nice. He has a very interesting life, and he was more than willing to share every detail of that interesting life. I learned the details about his two marriages, his house, his jobs (past and present), working conditions, plans for the future, and difficulties (past and present). Since the conversation was so detailed, we had only seen about a floor and a half of the 4 or 5 floors worth of exhibitions. Normally, I would have seen most (if not all)of the exhibitions.

After the museum, we ate at a nice Chinese restaurant. My epal's plan was for us to share a bowl of soup, but luckily, the waitress mentioned that one bowl was not enough. Epal had pork and wonton soup, I had chicken wonton soup. It was very cold yesterday here in NYC. I didn't dress for the weather. The restaurant with its wall of windows was very drafty and cold.

After the meal, epal needed to buy a couple of dress shirts for work. He was going to take the train a couple of stops to Macy's in Herald Square. I suggested we walk. I had hoped the walk would warm me up. Yes, even though it was freezing outside. It worked.

In Macy's, we went to the dress shirts department, but epal couldn't find a style and/or size he wanted (I don't remember which). Epal next went right to the young men's department (he's 58 years old). He didn't seem to realize that he was in the young men's department, and was ready to give up because he couldn't find something in his size (medium). After finally convincing epal that there had to be regular men's department, -- I was starting to get confused as well. It just seemed strange that someone wouldn't know that there are different departments, and I tend to get confused very easily. Epal let me ask a clerk for the regular men's department. We found it. The main surprise, a ratty, torn flannel shirt, with bleach stains was being sold for $90. $90!!! Epal finally agreed on two dress!?! shirts with patches on the elbows. I wasn't sure how to deal with the situation. I wasn't sure if the guy would have gotten self-conscious if I started suggesting the shirts were not dress, or how to be tactful without appearing too critical. In the end, I didn't say anything. It was a bit strange, the guy just took two shirts off the rack, checked the sizes and went to the cashier. Didn't even hold it to himself to try visualizing the shirt on. I don't like shopping, but I never imagine just walking in picking items off a rack and walking directly to the cashier.

After Macy's, epal said he wanted to go home to take a nap. Since it was only about 4:20PM, I decided to go to see a movie. I went to see Sherlock Holmes. I liked the movie. The style and pace of the movie was very nice. I also like the setup of Professor Moriarty as the villian for a possible sequel. After the movie, I headed home with a stop at MacDonald's.


Post Date - Sunday, January 31, 2010 3:28PM

The Cloud Above

Since I'm up, I might as well stay up...again. On Monday, I finally started cleaning my living room. Mainly, I was focused on removing the months (yes months) worth of newspapers piled up, boxes packing materials from things bought, and of course papers, lots of papers. Well, after sleeping most of the day away, I finally got started with cleaning. By 10PM, I was finished with the preliminary clean (more trash removal, sorting of items and materials). My living room is still messy, but now they are tidy messes (a pile of papers here, a pile of electronic stuff there, and pile of mail [opened and unopened] over there.

By the time I finished emails and online chatting, it was about 2AM. I went to bed about 2:30AM. Imagine my surprised when I woke up at 5AM not feeling bone tired. I was up and out at 6AM. I arrived at school at 6:50AM.

In the evening, I went for college orientation. After about a 90 minute presentation, it was time to register. It was then that I found out that I would have to redo the entire Masters program I had suspended about 15 years ago. I never really thought about college. In my mind I just assumed that I would pick up where I left off. Even my acceptance letter seem to suggest that I only needed to finish up with 12 credits. I could go into details of how my "advisor" kept mixing my details up with the other guy he was talking to, but when all is said and done, I will have to redo the Masters Program. I did mention that if someone had told me, I could have thought more carefully about what Master's program I would do. Retaking almost all of my classes over doesn't have much appeal. It would have been nice to switch to a school administration program, but my school doesn't have one. Having completed the application process with days before college classes start, and about 1.5 years before my teaching license expires, I can't do anything but stay where I am. And hopefully, learn a lesson about quiting,...

...but I probably didn't.

Post Date - Wednesday, January 20, 2009 5:02AM

This and That

A few random comments considering the time I'm posting (and not editing) this, I hope it makes sense. Since I haven't posted in a while, I thought I should post something quick.


Cell Phone
I'm not sure how or why, but since adding more minutes for my phone, it seems to be okay for the time being. Speaking of minutes, I might have to give up my prepaid phone. When I had Tracfone, I basically had a cell phone. I couldn't do much with it but peck out simple text messages, and make calls. With the Tracfone, minutes would last for months. Now, with my AT&T phone, I seem to be going through minutes like there is no tomorrow. Now, I have (limited) access to the internet. I can check my Hotmail account and send/receive instant messages. I've only done the instant messages once, if I start doing that on a regular basis, my minute usage will only increase. Anyway, I had to purchase more minutes today. I purchased 100 minutes ($100) because the original 25 minutes, and the 25 minutes I purchased last week are gone. I will see how long these 100 minutes last. If they don't last until the (approx.) 10 left in the month, then I will have to sign up for one of those prepaid plans with a couple of hundred minutes that will cost about $30 ~ $40 per month.

Today (Sunday, January 17th), I decided to visit my foster father early and then return home to do the laundry and go food shopping. Well, his lady friend asked me to help her add minutes to the Tracfone I gave your as a present. I was on the phone for about 49 minutes trying to get the minutes added. First the problem was that the "add minutes" option was not on her phone, so I had to jump through the automated system nightmare of trying to get a live person, because the options given didn't fit. And each time I chose wrong, I was bumped back to start again with a 15 minute waiting time to speak to a customer service representative. Next, the problem was me misreading the number on the prepaid minute card misreading the last digit as a "0" instead of an "8". That took another 15 minute investigation. When I was finally finished, the Tracfone message couldn't be removed. I took the battery out, and put it back in only to discover that the phone would now not come on. Hopefully it is just the battery needing recharging.

On my way back home, I bought another black messenger bag. This one is closer to what I want in a messenger bag, but not quite. my previous one -- see a previous blog entry with black bag the newspaper and yellowpage phone book in it. This new bag ($20) bought from one of those stands on the streets, is a bit more sporty. It is a bit bigger 9in height x 12in length x 3in width. The previous bag only had a Velcro closure for the main flap. This new bag has a zipper closer for the main compartment, and doubled-clipped closure for the flap. I also like that this bag has a handle for hand-carrying when I don't need it over my shoulder. It has about 10 pockets/compartments, two pen slots, plus the main storage area(with a zippered bottom for a slight expansion). It also has a pipping around the edges so the bag will hold the rectangular shape. Finally, this bag is waterproof. The other bag was just cotton canvas. Sunday was a rainy day, and I had to carry my cotton canvas bag in a plastic shopping bag to keep it from getting wet, which defeats the purpose of having a messenger bag. I just wanted a daypack to keep junk out of my pockets. A backpack is too big when I don't need to carry anything to the movies or the museum.

Social Networking
My membership to the social networking site mentioned in recent blog entries expired January 12th. For three months, I joined this site with the hope of making new friends. In the three months of planning different events like movies, museums, etc...not a single person participated. Not including the circus where my event was posted on another group's site. And the two people who did joined avoided me (politely) like the plague. I was going to let the membership expire. My thinking was why put all of the time and effort into planning events no one shows up for. However now, I thinking that I should give it more time.

On an impulse -- I'm sure you see a pattern. I tend not to do things unless planned or on an impulse. I joined another social networking site. I've heard this site mentioned over the years, but never had any interest in joining. However, on an impulse, I joined about 2 weeks ago. On this site, you answer several questions, creating a profile, and your profile is posted. People with similar interests can find you, or visa verse. At first I was a bit put off by the specificity of the site, but I've grown to kind of like it. You can set search filters for for friends with a search within any state or you can search down to a local search. For the last couple of weeks, I've been chatting online with people who live in my neighborhood. Interesting. One of the reasons for my lack of blog entries.

Work
Nothing's changed. Letting procrastination slowly take over. Letting deadlines build and collide. This past week, I've been working on about 3 or 4 hours of sleep per night. Now, I've developed at wake up at 2AM after falling asleep from exhaustion the minute I touch the couch only to do last minute prep work for the following day. That has to change. Oh, and I have to set time limits on my online chatting. One of the nice things about my new cell phone, is I don't need to be at the computer to chat. I can do it commuting to and from work. There is no longer the need to log it to "check my messages", my phone notifies me when I've received a new text message or email.

College
This Tuesday, January 12th. I return to finish up my Masters Degree. Tuesday is orientation. They sent me the paperwork in the mail. The college even included a scheduled list of classes I need to take in order to graduate. I need to take four classes in order to complete my Masters. Once I've completed the requirements for getting my permanent certification, I stay in college to get my second Masters in school administration. I'd like to see what it's like on the other side.

Movie
I joined another group's event from my previous social networking organization. The event was a movie and dinner. There were about 7 of us attending. Normally, I buy my movie ticket on line, to avoid arriving and finding out it has sold out. This time, the movie was for Sherlock Holmes. I was tired from the previous week, so a part of me wasn't really in the mood for a movie, but I did say I would attend. I had planned to arrive early get my ticket. However, not only did a not arrive early -- I called the organizer to let him know that wouldn't be arriving with the the group. Since the groups usually don't sit together in the movie theater, it really doesn't matter. So, I don't count this event as arriving late. Anyway, when I arrived, and the movie was sold out, so I went to see "Daybreakers". Luckily for me, the movie end at just the right time. My movie finished, I was in and out of the bathroom and in the lobby waiting for the movie group. I'm glad I didn't go to see Sherlock Holmes. I was told the theater was packed. Below is my review of the event:

I didn't see the Sherlock Holmes movie -- it was sold out. I met with the group after the movie. I went to see "Daybreakers" instead. The dinner part of the event was okay. Again, the guys were very nice. The organizer took the time to plan ahead. Unfortunately, the organizer couldn't have foreseen a different atmosphere from the one seen the previous week. This time the place was more cramped, the lights were too low, and the music was too loud. The guys seemed very nice, I enjoyed the conversations. I had more in common with the guys this time around. To be honest, the cheapskate in me was a bit annoyed at having to split the check. I had an expensive $25 dollar burger and fries with a single glass of soda(no water was served). Each person should have known what their own meal should have been. Or, the check should have been passed around so those who didn't know, would have been able to find out.

Well, I think that's about it.

Post Date - Monday, January 18, 2009 6:42AM

The Honeymoon is over

Something is wrong with my phone. Surprised!?!

It started yesterday with messages saying that emails couldn't be sent. I thought it related to not having enough minutes available. However, this evening I notice the phone is not shutting off (going into sleep mode) like it used to. Also, the phone is running warm to the touch. This is a nice phone, but this is not good.

New Phone

I'm loving my cell phone. The more time with it, the more it impresses me. I can't believe I waited so long to change over. AND...it is a prepaid phone. Now, each time I receive an email or text message, my phone alerts me. I also have access to the Internet along with three different Instant Messenger programs. Texting has gotten so much easier with the QWERTY keyboard. The only complaint (so far), the phone has a very low ring, but that is minor.

Quick Entry

Let's see if I can keep this quick. I started the work week (after the vacation) on the wrong note, but there have been some pluses along the way:

I finally got my (refurbished) cell phone. And so far I'm loving it! I used to have Tracfone (Prepaid). Now (with my old number transferred), I'm on the AT&T network. The phone should have arrived Dec. 31st, but after a couple of trips, the phone was located somewhere at the post office. I haven't really had it long enough to do a complete review. The only thing that impressed me so far is an email alert when I have new hotmail. There are a lot more bells and whistles on this new phone.

I bought a Nesco Oven Roaster. Once again, another impulse buy. This roaster actually does the job of a slow cooker a long with baking and roasting. I want to try cooking enough food on the weekend to be able to have leftovers for the work week.

Social Networking Event

Today, was the (probably) last social network event I plan. It was basically another wasted effort. My event had the "Science-fiction" theme. My group mission was to find others interested in science-fiction, fantasy, comic books, and graphic novels, movies (with the same themes), etc... Would you believe once again, with a group of about 33, I still had no one who was interested in those themes show up. Oh, I did add "40+ Guys (giving women the option of also attending if they wanted), but no one. I did link up with another group by posting my event on their site, t group has over 1,050 members (their group theme is NYC). From the other group, one one woman showed up. She many came because she wanted to see "Avatar". She seemed bored by the comics, stayed for the movie (anted to sit up near the front), and was gone the minute we stepped into the hallway. At least this one took the time to say good bye before leaving.

Quick summary -the planned schedule

1:30PM - Barnes and Nobles Bookstore (Graphic Novels)
2:15PM - Coffee / Tea in the B&N cafe
2:45PM - Walk over to Forbidden Planet (Comics)
3:00PM - Browse the Shelves at Forbidden Planet
3:45PM - Walk over to the Regal Theater
4:00PM - See the Movie "Avatar"
7:30PM - Dinner (a nearby restaurant)
8:30PM - End of the Event

Although, I had two members RSVP "Yes" for the event (with about 9 "Maybe" RSVP). For the Barnes & Nobles part no one showed. I stayed about 90 minutes. Since you can stay and read the books, it is like a library. When I left, I was about $68.46 poorer.

My purchases:
101 Things to Do With A Slow Cooker
Green Lantern - The Sinestro Corps War
E. E. Knight's Dragon Rule (Book Five)
United States Puzzle - 55 pieces
The Global Puzzle - 600 pieces

The last two where more impulse buys (picked up on the way to the cashier). Whenever someone used to ask about my hobbies, instead of saying I don't have any, I would always say jigsaw puzzles, but to this day, I have complete few (if any). However, I do remember liking jigsaw puzzles. When I saw the global puzzle (with pieces shaped like the countries), I really liked it. Although my geography skills are not what they should be, I shouldn't have any problems finishing the global puzzle. However, realizing I'm not the sharpest knife in the draw, I decided to start off with something easy like the United States (hopefully without looking at the box).

Next stop, was Forbidden Planet the local comic shop (and about $10 poorer)

War Machine #11
Justice Society #34
Astonishing X-Men #33

At $2.99 apiece, I tried to find comics that wouldn't have me returning for the next issue. Being the cheapskate that I am becoming in my old age, I really don't like buying comics that are basically the same shape and size (about 15 pages including pages of advertisements). After about 30 minutes, I received a call from one of the members from the other group who had RSVPed "Maybe". She arrived only to see the movie "Avatar". From the way she was staring at the comics, I knew she was only there to see the movie.

Last was the movie. I thought I was being smart to get to the theater early, but the theater was PACKED!!! Although I avoid the ticket line by purchasing my ticket online, there was still a long, very, very long line to get into the actually theater playing the movie. The line extended down the hall, around the corner to the back and then wrapped around and ended near the theater #8 doors. I offered the lady with me to select the seats she was comfortable with...she wants to sit in the near the front...crap! As soon as we sit down, and the theater is full, the lady starts wondering out loud if there are better seats in the back, and noticing (or thought she noticed available seats in the back. During the 2.5 hour movie, the lady was a bit restless twisting and turning in her sit. As soon as the movie was over (and the first credits hit the screen), the lady was up and ready to leave. As soon as we made it into the secondary lobby, the lady tells me she has to go. I was actually glad the "event" was over. I wasn't in the mood to eat, so I just headed for home.

Oh, the movie "Avatar" was very good. I LOVED THE SPECIAL EFFECTS!!! I thought the characters were very well acted.

Above is a short slideshow of a few pictures I took during the event.

Post Date - Sunday, January 3, 2009 4:13AM

Slide Show - (Big Apple Circus 2009)

I finally got around to posting the photos I took at during the Big Apple Circus. With the help of the brochure and the website, I was able to provide some details for the photo captions.

Also, if you want more information about the individual performers, click on the link:

The Big Apple Performers

Slow Cooker

Another day wasted. I'm amazed how fast the day goes by (Partly due to sleeping very late). By the time I get up and shower the day is half over.

I should have started cleaning my apartment, but instead I showered and went to the post office to send off my waistpack. I think I might have mentioned in a previous blog entry that it arrived in a less than new condition. After the post office, I had a slice of pizza. Not wanting to return home, I wandered around downtown for a while.

On an impulse, I bought a slow cooker. For the last couple of weeks, I've been telling myself that I need to move away from the Chinese takeout and the microwaveable meals. Unfortunately, that leaves me cooking.

In theory, I like the idea of a slow cooker. From what I understand about it (and have been told), you can throw in basic ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and when you return home, the food is hot and ready. Cool!!!

Unfortunately, I'm not comfortable with the idea of leaving appliances on when I leave home. I don't even like to leave my cell phone charger plugged in when I'm not using it. And yes, I even unplug my computer when I'm not using it.

In order to get the most out of my slow cooker, I'm going to try throwing the ingredients in at night so that it cooks overnight. I've already did an internet search for slow cooker receipes. The first website I found was "Slow & Simple". The receipes seem easy and simple. The slow cooker also has a website with receipes as well[Proctor Silex].

If this slow cooker works the way it seems, this would be a great investment. I only need to use it once or twice a week to make enough for leftovers.

Having just seen a video for a roaster oven, I now want one of those as well.

Post Date - Tuesday, December 29, 2009 9:16PM

What Happened ?!?

I don't understand. I can't tell you how much I searched for prepaid phones online. I can't recall how many times I've visited Amazon.com to check if they had prepaid phones. I've typed "Prepaid Phones"....nothing. I've typed "QWERTY+prepaid"...nothing. I've typed Tracfone, and beyond the regular Tracfones seen many times before, there was nothing new. Now, after purchasing an ugly (neon green) prepaid phone from AT&T, I received from Amazon.com an email with the tag line "someone who has searched for cell phones" that included a link to... -- get this... a line of prepaid cell phones. Including a grey and black phone just like the ugly green (refurbished) one I purchased.

CHEAPER!!!

On the AT&T site, my (refurbished)phone was offered for $299 with a $200 (online)discount making the purchased price $99(with a $25 prepaid minutes card). At Amazon.com the same phone (better color) is being offered for $74(with a $50 prepaid minutes card)... no mentioning of a discount, but with a MSRP$99 with accessories not shown on the AT&T site.

What Happened?!?

I should be angry, but strangely, I'm not. Annoyed Yes, but not angry. I already know I'm not the smartest or the quickest. My first impulse was to order from Amazon.com and return the AT&T phone unopened. But, with the green phone arriving tomorrow, and the Amazon phone not arriving until Jan. 5th at the earliest, I'm going to stick with the green. I don't like the green color, but it really isn't as ugly as I'm suggesting. Besides, I'm happy with being able to carry over my Tracfone phone number (which has been my "official" phone number for the last 4 years). I can't tell you how many applications and documents with "my phone number" I have completed in the last 4 years, I have no desire to backtrack to find out or update. As long as the phone arrives early and works well, then I'm happy. Besides, I don't mind the idea of upgrading to a fancier model on this new system. Tracfone has been a good company but their phone selection suck! Besides, I'm someone who doesn't like change. If Tracfone even suggested that they might have "QWERTY" phones in the near future, I would have probably stuck with Tracfone. I'm someone who gets (too quickly) set in my ways and routines.

If this green phone doesn't measure up, I have no problem going out and buying a newer (fancier) model. Although, knowing I'm eager to buy a new phone when the green one breaks or gets a scratch, this green one will probably last much longer than I want it to last. That's how my luck works.

Lesson learned? Being impatient is costly.

Post Date - Tuesday, December 29, 2009 12:50PM

New Phone

I just brought a new phone!!!!

I guess you didn't think I would be able to hold out for very long.

So, What do I think about spending about $100 per month for a cell phone?

Actually...

I didn't buy the one mentioned in the previous blog entry. Nope. I settled for a refurbished phone. Yes, refurbished. The cheapskate in me won out. I hate the color, but I like the style -- just what I was looking for in a new phone. Easy texting...I hope. I ordered the phone online. If everything goes well, I will be switching companies..

Snag...My credit card was rejected. That can be correct later.

I'll post a photo found from the internet.


Gotta say, having just looked at the posting. I'm really starting to hate that color (light neon lime green). Maybe the ugly color will keep me from burning through my minutes. Anyway, I'm hoping that if the phone is activated and works, I will then be on a network that would allow me to purchase a newer better "unlocked" model. Unfortunately, the Tracfone network system doesn't allow compatability with other phones not on their network.

P.S. - In the excitement, I forgot to add the most important part.
THE PHONE IS A PREPAID PHONE!!!No contract!!! No fees!!!

The Invisible Man at the Circus

Today I planned a social networking trip to see "The Big Apple Circus" in the park behind Lincoln Center. I made the meeting time 3:45PM to give the group time to meet beforehand -- the show started at 4:30PM. This time, yes the Invisible Man did appear...again. You'll see in a few minutes what I mean.

I arrived at the meeting spot about 3:25PM. About 4:06PM, I got tired of waiting in the cold and went inside. About 10 minutes before the show started(4:20PM), I received a text message from one of the members of the group. Basically, she wrote that since they didn't see me at the meeting spot, they decided to go in. Didn't ask how I was, or my location. Later(during the first 4 or 5 minutes of the 15 minute intermission), there was still no reply, so I sent a vague email to see if I'd get a reaction. I texted about the show being great. The response I had gotten was basically, "Yep, it's great". That's it. Another 4 or 5 minutes later still no attempts to contact me. Finally, I asked where they were. The response, "Section 9 Blue Area". The blue area is the Mezzanine ring. I'm guessing there were about 40 or 50 seats in the "blue section #9". They were 7 or 8 rows behind me in the front row of the Mezzanine Area. I was in the front row Box Seats Area. After the last text, they still made no attempt to contact me, ask where I was, or to try and see if they could see me. Since the ring attendees were sweeping the dirt and straw (to the edges) as if there was no one in first rows, I got up and moved to the aisle separating the mezzanine ring from the box-seat ring. All the while scanning the "blue area" for the other two. After about 2 or 3 minutes, I see someone who looks like the RSVP profile picture laughing with the woman who also looked like her RSVP profile picture. They were making no attempt to find the guy who organized the meeting (or at the very least had the idea to go see the circus).

When I approached the two, the guy did most of the talking. He explained that they couldn't find me. I just said it wasn't a problem. However, since I received the first text about 35 minutes after the meeting time, I'm assuming they had arrived around that time. It would have been nice if they had contacted me (via call or text) to say they were running late, or that they wouldn't meet at the meeting spot. Actually, it would have been nice if they responded to any of the planning emails asking for feedback. The only response was from both of them at different times (and days) stating that they had (and would) buy their own tickets. The small talk ended with the guy suggesting we go for drinks after the show.

After the intermission, I returned to my seat to watch the second half of the show. When the show ended, I stopped to take a couple of pictures of the clown playing a trumpet in the music box as the audience began to leave. That was only about about a minute. The strange thing, when I looked to see if the other two were waiting (they were closer to the exit). I just assumed that they would have waited for me at their seats or in the lobby. Nope! I went to the bathroom area...nope. I waited 2 or 3 minutes outside the tent entrance...nope. I returned to the meeting spot (waited about 10 minutes [just to be sure]). They were gone.

So you see, the Invisible Man was at the circus.

I was a bit annoyed that I had managed the invisibility act once again. Over the years, I've managed to appear invisible in various situations. Now, I can add invisibility to an event that I planned (and had a couple of people accept my invitation). That includes the circus hand sweeping dirt and straw directly in my direction (in fairness to the circus hands, they did the "sweep to the perimeter" around the whole ring not just at me.

So, how was the show. It was nice. I was expecting the venue to be larger. I didn't need binoculars. I thought the circus was very nice. The performers (human and animal) were all very well trained. It was an enjoyable experience. It was a nice show, so I decided to end on a positive note and headed for home. I liked this circus better than one I saw many years ago in Madison Square Garden. Then, I was way up in the nose-bleed seats. This time around, I thought I might need binoculars, but I was wrong the Big Apple Circus was a nice size.

The attached photo is just one of about 178 pictures I took at the circus. I narrowed the selection down to 31 pictures I'll upload into a slideshow at another time. I'm posting this early, so that I won't have any excuses later on today to get online. Once I get online, I'll probably stay online for a few hours. I really need to make use of this vacation time so that I don't end up starting the new year repeating the mistakes of the past year(s).

Post Date - Monday, December 28, 2009 6:14AM

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus

Saturday, December 26th
Today (despite the rain), I ventured out for a bit of scouting. I organized a social networking event for tomorrow. Unfortunately, I didn't plan well by putting the event so close to Christmas. I just knew I wouldn't be doing anything, and thought there would be others like me. Well, at this moment, there will probably two others who will be joining me to see the circus.

Anyway, my goal today was to scout around the neighborhood for planning purposes. Since I'm not good with directions, I wanted to look around the neighborhood. I also wanted to try finding a place for dinner that wasn't too expensive. The circus is set up behind Lincoln Center. When I did an online search, I kept getting expensive places. Well, with the walk around, I was able to find a couple of nice places.

After scouting out the neighborhood in the rain, I stepped into Barnes & Nobles. I didn't buy anything because I have another social networking event planned for Jan. 2nd. It involves a book club/ book selection in B&N (more details at another time). After B&N, I went to the movies.

I saw "The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus". I don't know why, but I thought the movie would be empty. But, maybe due to the rain, and/or this movie being Heath Ledger's last movie, the theater was PACKED!!! PACKED!!! I really don't like going to crowded movie theaters, and today's was one of the reason.
1. There was just too many people in that theater.
2. The theater was poorly designed. This was a disappointment I was not expecting. I just assumed that a theater about two blocks from Lincoln Center would have been better. I think in order to pay for the rent, the theater tried to cram as many seats in as physically possible. How small? I'm 5'8" tall. Sitting, my knees just touch the seats in front of me. Unfortunately, when someone sat in front of me (as usual it was someone very tall), the seat kept banging my knees. I don't believe I've ever been in a theater where the seat in front touched my knees. Halfway through the movie, I had to sit sideways to stop my knees from getting banged by the guy who kept trying to get comfortable in small seats.

So how was the movie? I thought it was going to be much better. Visually, the movie really looked nice. The premise was also an interesting one, but the execution was poorly done. Since Heath Ledger died before the movie was finished, other actors were brought in to finish his role. Nice idea, but having other actors play one character was a bit unsettling. For me, it was difficult to get a sense of the Ledger character, because different actors were playing the character at different times during different character moods. Since Ledger didn't end the movie, the character who ended the movie didn't feel like the character who started the movie. I know about character growth and development in a movie, but when there are different (in this case three different) actors, playing that character, there was (for me) a certain "disconnection" from the character. There was also plot points that were distracting. The character discovers there is magic (to a certain extent) involved in the mirror, although the actor is written to be initially surprised, but quickly starts acting as if he is hired to wait tables in a restaurant.

After the movie, I headed over the Staples to buy a calendar. For Christmas, I received a cover for personal planner. Yep, just the cover($10). I should have been a bit annoyed having spent about $60 on a gift. However, I liked the gift. It was something that reminded me about needing to get organized. Since I will be returning to college to finish up my Master's Degree, having a personal planner would be very useful. So the positive of the gift was that it was something that I could really use. I also liked the idea that the color was black.

I better go. Once again, this was much longer than I was planning to write. And to think I got online just to send a quick email to those who RSVPed "Yes" my contact information for the circus. Here it is 8AM. Now, I'm tempted to buy the phone (see previous blog entry) just to feel like I accomplished something this morning.

Bye for now. Today, is the circus. I get to try out my new binoculars.

Post Date - Sunday, December 27, 2009 8:09AM

New Phone

The title should have been "Should I or Shouldn't I". I'm thinking about getting a new cell phone. For the past 4 years, I've been using a prepaid Tracfone. The cost of the Tracfone are only the minutes I've paid to use. I don't use my phone very often. 100 minutes will last me a couple of months (or more). For the last couple of days, I've been wanting a new phone. With the prepaid, the services are very limited, not to mention the slow texting ability. Well, I was surfing online, and checked out the various cell phone providers. I was just about to make my online purchase, when I saw the monthly charge for the basic package (about the same as my landline phone). The monthly cost does not include "the extras" like internet connection, etc... Do I really want to be locked into paying about $80 per month every month(about $96 per year). That's excluding taxes, fees & other charges). Once the "extras" are factored in, I could be spending over a thousand dollars for a phone I don't use very often. Now that I think about it, the "extras"(Taxes, Fees & Other Charges) could be as high as $15 per month.

In the past, I've always smile when those around me complained about their cell phone payments. Do I really want to join the ranks of those who have to deal with contracts, penalties, monthly payments, etc...? I saved the shopping cart page. For once, I resisted the impulse buy I usually cave in to. But since I saved the shopping page, isn't it a matter of time before I cave. Also, I like the idea of starting something new at the beginning of the new year. Well, ...

"Should I or Shouldn't I?"

Below is a picture of the phone I was planning to get.

A Day at South Street Seaport

Yesterday, I planned a social networking event. The plan was to spend the day in the South Street Seaport area. I thought it was a nice event. Unfortunately, there was a no show. It was a bit disappointing for the only other"Yes" RSVP to not show(and not contact me). Anyway, I followed the plan. Starting first at the Bodies Exhibition. Unfortunately, picture taking was not allowed. I found the audio tour helpful, I liked being able to choose from two settings (one for adults / kids), I ended up listening to both. The tour was about two hours. From "Bodies" I headed over to the South Street Seaport Museum. For $12, it was okay (not great, but okay). Lots of old maps and old toy models of boats. Staying for two hours was a bit of a stretch, but I managed. Next, I headed over to the two boats included in the S.S.S.M fee. The boats were also nice. I called it an end to the "Day" about 4PM. I skipped dinner at UNO, the area was overflowing with Santas(SantaCon?!?). SantaCon is an area event were people meet dressed as Santa. Since it was still early, I decided to see a movie. At first I went to Union Square, but nothing was starting at that time, so I settled for a movie on 42nd Street (Ninja Assassin). Before the movie, I took a walk around Bryant Park, they had a shopping village and ice skating rink. I'll post photos later.