Tag Archive for: Stuff

[update #8]

My Wii Adventure

Ugh . . . So I have been itching (a bit) to get a Nintendo Wii – and was even around when two of my pals got them (I was way too far away from temporary headquarters to get one for myself at the time). But I kept trying to tell myself that even though I wanted it – I would be good and wait wait wait until (both) I had the time to play and I didn’t have to camp out in a line to actually get my hands on one.

And then I finally broke . . . a little switch went off – and what had started as lazily walking into toy stores (or electronic stores) every so often and asking the good/kind people inside the over emasculating question “Do you happen to have any Wiis?!” turned into full scale planned forays to specific locations. I even went to a Wal-Mart every night for 3 (three) nights after work (getting there at midnight) to pump them for information (On the third night – they told me that they would be getting a shipment in on Dec. 6 “But get here early if you really want one . . .”).

Well – I really wanted one . . . but then more information came through the pipeline from ‘Raj’ the manager at Circuit City who said that even though “they had the system in the back,” they “couldn’t put them out for sale until Sunday . . .” ugh – ugh – ugh – I replied that it seemed like a questionable business practice to have something in the stock room that they wouldn’t sell (to me especially) when I wanted it wanted it wanted it (yes I understand that the last bit makes me sound a tad brattish – but I gotta tell this stuff as it happens – or where would the truth ever come from?!) – Luckily – though – mi esposa was there to pull me out of the store (clucking the whole time).

Sometimes I cluck.

Toys R Us said they would have some the next morning. So I got up (what I thought was) stupidly early to drive over there and get one . . . only to be met by a nice worker that laid out the same deal of “some in the back – can’t sell them until Sunday.”

Here is my take on the whole thing . . . I understand that stores are hoping that people will keep coming in looking for a product with the possibility that they may buy other things when the thing that they want isn’t in stock. But it really seems like by letting people know that they have things – but aren’t selling them because they want people to get into a line on a random day (in the cold cold cold) – they have gots to understand that this tactic just annoys the dickens out of people and tends to engender customer dissatisfaction – I happen to be a dissatisfied customer – check out how engendered I am right now . . .

Blah blah blah with my tiny rant thing – I am nothing more than a beat down consumer . . . it drives me (to buy things – and stuff that I totally have to need to want to have).

I went to Circuit City on Sunday at a little after 7 (seven) am and was about the 25 (twenty-fifth) person in a line of about 150 (one hundred and fifty) people. We waited until 10 (ten) am [I was tired and cold and was feeling particularly anti-social – so I avoided as much conversation as I could – but I also blew it – because I had forgotten my cell phone – or anything at all to keep me occupied – so I just stood there and listened to a bunch of hoot-en-nanny going on around me.]. At 10:06 the doors opened. I was number 25 (twenty-five) and there were 20 (twenty) systems. So I went home empty handed with my tail solidly between my legs.

The next day (today) I came to the workplace – and said to my boss “Hey – if you want a Wii – they have them at Toys R Us across the street – and the line isn’t too too bad.” He was all like “Oh – I got one yesterday at Target.” It seems that he was one of the people in the world that was lucky enough to pretty much walk up to a store – and without any of the fenagling – or jumping through hoops that I had been hopping (partially) through.

After I finished the early part of work – my coworkers convinced me to ask if I could go and get one (and by convince – I mean they seriously had to bend my arm – one at the wrist – another at the elbow – and the last at the shoulder – a lot of bending was going on).

I zipped over and stood – and waited (only for an hour) – and then poof – I had it – and I actually felt myself getting giddy . .. which was odd/fun because I couldn’t remember the last time that I got giddy – and it is a good way to get! The funny thing is how excited I had gotten to spend a bunch of money for something that I really don’t even have the time to play with right now. When I got back to the office – I even did a (small) bit of a giddy dance.

(really really small)

So hooray Wii – and watch out temporary headquarters . . . because we are about to get some serious accelerometer action going on up in there (up in there) . . .

And I’m gone.

I swears that I am doing the stuff . . .

Hi all . . . this is just a quick note to say that I just got the computer up and running a couple of days ago – and then started work a couple of days ago – and so there will be more stuff up in here soon – I am working on what they call a ‘system’ – so chew on that!

Until then – here are a couple of back to back Ants to keep your clouds floating!

Today – my dog burped.

This very morning – I was woken by my dog (Irving Brown Socks) rustling at the foot of the bed. It is good that he did rustle – as I was in the kind of sleeping mood that could have lasted for the next several days (or so).

Back to the point – a bit – though . . . So the dog moves – I sit up to look at him (all the way down at the foot of the bed) – and then he turns, looks at me and burps.

It was an odd moment – and an even odder way to start the day up.

[This was just a tiny quick update (kind of an attempt to put a bit more things up besides just the ants and really long long stories . . . we shall see how that goes – though).]

** burp **

An update on "Miss Pickles" & "O.K."

So as it turns out . . . “O.K.” isn’t a girl at all – he was a lying little boy – who knew?! (I was going to link to a site about how to determine if your kittens are boys or girls – but then I went to a few and decided that they were a bit too risque – the first had up close and personal photos – please – a little dignity for the kittens – please?)

Oh – and “Miss Pickles” was indeed a girl. The whole time if I were going to guess – everything would have been reversed – my money would have been on “Miss Pickles” being “Mister Pickles” and “O.K.” being – uhm – “O.K.” (but a girl version – which she already was anyway – which makes this all very confusing) – or something like that – but – oh how wrong I ended up being . . .

I guess it just goes to show you how wrong you can be about people . . . and kittens – too.

Moving beyond the whole gender issue – the kittens went to a nice foster home where they can grow up some more until they are ready to go where ever they are going to end up finally going eventually . . . uhm – somewhere. They were dropped off at Petsmart with a group by the name of FurKids. That is where the picture at the bottom came from.

They seemed plenty plenty plenty happy (especially when wet food was shoved in front of their tiny blue eyed faces) – and even though Socks and I miss them ridiculously – and also even though the women at the table decided to drop their given names (“Miss Pickles” & “O.K.”) to really push their whole origin story (they were found in a bag by a creek – and are now called “Paper” & “Bag” – I’m not even sure which one is which – which is kind of an odd outcome) – I will always hold a teeny kitten place in my heart for them – regardless of the whole gender/name confusion.

I will update when FurKids puts them on their adoption site – if they even even even make it up there. It is totally possible that they will go to the wherever they are going to end up going before they even make it up on the web . . . we shall see.

Let's talk about "O.K." & "Miss Pickles"

Last night (at 8:30 (eight thirty)) – my neighbor knocked on my door and said “I found 2 (two) kittens in a bag down by the creek and my mom said that I can’t keep them in the house and I don’t know what to do with them . . .” Which was a lot to drop on a guy who was in the process of cooking a nice dinner of green beans and tofu cubes (marinated with a wonderful blend of ginger, soy sauce and sriachi) . . . but such is the way that the world works – and such is the way that I get tangled in things.

I got the number for some places and then went to check out these “creek kittens from a bag” – and found them covered in fleas hanging out in a plastic drawer with a large plate of tuna on a purple towel. I called a few places and got no answers (it was a bit late I suppose) – and so I then realized that they would end up sleeping at my house for the night. I quickly hopped into the car – since the pet store was closing at 9:00 (nine) – and off to buy some supplies I went – the guy ended up selling me some all-natural kitten shampoo and some sort of kitten formula – that all growing kittens need.

After their bath (by the way I highly recommend Natural Chemistry “De Flea Pet Shampoo”) they felt at least 100 (one hundred) times better (Miss Pickles told me so) – they even perked up enough later in the night to have a taste of formula – and then 1 (one) of them actually used the litter box that I had set out for them (how do they know how to do that?!).

Now they need nice homes with nice people. I called about 10 (ten) places today and the common response was that they already had too many kittens (I was annoyed to no end that places that are around to take care of/house/facilitate stray cats couldn’t give me any help with these girls – but then I counted to 10 (ten) and everything was awesome!). I will keep trying these avenues – but if anyone knows anyone that would like a cute little girl kitten – please let me know.

For right now I their temporary names are “O.K.” & “Miss Pickles” (just for the sake of not saying kitty-kitty all of the time). They are now flea-less – seem really healthy (especially after the formula/bath combo) – and are as ridiculously cute as kittens can be. They also came at a really inopportune time – since my house just went on the market . . . so time is of the essence . . .

Hooray for “O.K.” & “Miss Pickles” – the best kittens going!