Meanwhile.... Pt. 2

[zryson]

While at the bookstores earlier, I took time to thank all the staff who have made 2012 such a memorable one for me comics-wise. That was very important to me, to express gratitude and thanks to those who were kind enough to help me this year. I think often people don't do it enough (express gratitude for those who help make our journey, whatever it might be, more pleasant). I feel a little sad too knowing it was my final visit for the year because when I'm at the stores its like being a kid in a candy store. All those goodies and exploring like a treasure hunt. Never knowing what you might find.

[adam_warlock_2099]

My youngest, 6 years old, has that Batcave and a lot of the additional figures to go with it. He really likes it and the moving parts and things that you can do with in it, really help his motor skills. It's pretty durable so far. He got it for Christmas last year. Even his 9 year old brother plays with him.

Edit: Come to think of it we went through a lot of Imaginex dinosaurs and dragons, as eventually they got carelessly left behind outside and got rained on or at younger ages either of the boys didn't know they weren't water proof and took them in the bath. So while they are all still around and still get played with none of them move on their own anymore.

One toy I remember having (and actually still have, saving it for when my boys get older) is the building blocks called Construx. I got them when I was preteen and really had a great time with them. I got a smaller set out a year or so back and made something for the boys with them but as they played and they took it apart pieces got lost so I decided to wait a bit and see if they can play with them when they get older.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construx

[DubipR]

Made my final trip to the bookstores today for the year 2012. Was it worth it? Yes, I bought some nice stuff. The downside is that I had one of my fainting spells which isn't so good.

Do these fainting spells occur quite a bit?

Last night was the first night of Hannukah and I spent it with my brother and his family and my best friend. We lit the menorah and had a festive meal. While my brother and I agreed not to get anything for each other, sans buying gifts for my niece, my brother gave me a DVD.



Since there's no hockey this season, this will be the closest I'll get to seeing it. Even though I was there, outside of the Staples Center celebrating that night and the next day at the parade, it's a great gift he gave me.

[zryson]

Hi DubipR; they happen several times a year. Usually it comes on very fast, I will be feeling okay and then all of a sudden I will feel dizzy and sometimes that's the last thing I remember until I wake up (usually on the ground). I remember when they happened in school, I would say "i dont feel well" and then i would see stars and collapse. usually somebody would grab me as i fell so it prevented injury but a few times when i was out riding my bike it would happen and sometimes that resulted in injury because i would feel faint and think 'i better pull over' and the next thing i would remember is waking up on the ground and wondering what happened?

[dan bailey]

Good grief. Some minor form of epilepsy, maybe? I'm told my dad had that -- the family called them "blackouts" -- & as a result my mother wouldn't let him drive, though I know he did every now & then, anyway.

[DubipR]

Hi DubipR; they happen several times a year. Usually it comes on very fast, I will be feeling okay and then all of a sudden I will feel dizzy and sometimes that's the last thing I remember until I wake up (usually on the ground). I remember when they happened in school, I would say "i dont feel well" and then i would see stars and collapse. usually somebody would grab me as i fell so it prevented injury but a few times when i was out riding my bike it would happen and sometimes that resulted in injury because i would feel faint and think 'i better pull over' and the next thing i would remember is waking up on the ground and wondering what happened?

Possible low blood sugar? Have you gone to the doctor's office lately?

[zryson]

I have an appointment later this week. I'm still waiting on several tests that were done a few weeks back. So hopefully the results have come back. I remember talking to a different doctor years ago and they said it can be related to changes in temperatures like when its humid/hot. They also said it can be due to a sudden drop in blood pressure. And that ten/fifteen minutes later the person will be fine again (which mirrors what happens).

[zryson]

Blackouts are a good way of describing them. Sometimes it comes on so fast and you think oh crap, and that's the last thing you remember until you wake up.

[dan bailey]

Two hours till I hit the road for my hometown (I'm so horrible at finding locations & such -- those of you who follow me on Facebook will have learned that I spent at least an hour late Friday night in this little section of Shreveport trying to find the hotel, which I not only had directions but had been to the previous year -- that I'm lucky as hell that pretty much any route one takes out of Shreveport toward Arkansas will lead to benighted Lafayette County, where I'm from), which means it's time to finally grapple with the task I've been dreading for days ... wrapping presents.

That's a superpower I completely lack, & having "real simple" online instructions for doing so is only a minor help, so inept am I at such things. Normally Allison handles this (& before her, various wives & gfs) & is pretty much a pro at it, but of course as noted previously she was ailing this year, & I would've felt really presumptuous if I'd ask her to do it ... though of course the thought certainly crossed my mind.

*sigh* I think wrapping gifts is one of those genetic advantages built into the female of the species.

I suppose it'd be out of the question for me to go searching for a new gf over the next 30 minutes or so, then ask her to wrap these things ...

(Yes, I know there are gfs one can hire for a few minutes, as it were. Not really my thing, though, & besides asking one to wrap presents -- & not in, uh, any euphemistic sense -- might be viewed as overly kinky, I suppose. Also, of course, I'm a cheapskate.)

[dan bailey]

At least I've got really good music to listen to during this onerous task. My car's audio was knocked out some 2 1/2 months ago when a guy I was getting a jump-start from hooked up the cables wrong the first time, so I bought my ghetto blaster & a bunch of D-cell batteries (Radio Shack didn't have an in-car converter that would allow me to run the player off the cigarette lighter, like the one I had back in the early '80s).

In a related matter, anyone not familiar with stellastarr* (the asterisk & lower-case "s" are theirs -- pretentious, yes, but so it goes) is hereby advised to check out their 3 CDs.

Otherwise, so far the soundtrack for the trip has been provided by the debut CDs by Dead Cowboys (the Room/Benny Profane/Dust alternate-country-playing successors, not some other band I've run across by that name), the Ting-Tings & Consolidated, as well as the bonus disc with Wire's Send (Ultimate reissue).

[zryson]

Hi Dan, its good you have some good music for the long trip. I often give my friends Cds to take with them when they go on long trips. Problem is my taste in music is a little well more disco than theirs so its stuff like Donna Summer and Abba and other 70s and 80s stuff.

[dan bailey]

Back at work today & trying to settle back into the routine. During my absence, winter began (as part of a front that actually swept into Shreveport my last night there; Saturday, I was wearing a T-shirt & shorts & could easily have done the same Sunday if I hadn't been visiting the nursing home ... by Monday, not so much). I would appreciate a reset, if anyone happens to have contact info for Weather Wizard.

[grphxkindaguy]

But many things arent built nearly as good as they used to be. I see it with furniture at charity stores sometimes. The woodwork will be very ornate and solid whereas a lot of the new furniture in stores is very light and hollow. Its the same with toys too. Most of them are churned out and have defects, sloppy paintwork, minimal articulation, etc.

Try EVERYTHING these days isn't built as well as they used to be. IMO Manufacturers intentionally make their products to not last as long, so you have to buy another one sooner to replace it. Toys, furniture, cars, electronics, you name it...

[Jezebel Bond]

I better come clean with an addiction of mine, I've been averaging 1-2 packs of Hershey's Milk Chocolate drops per day for the past week...got choco cravings.

[berk]

At least I've got really good music to listen to during this onerous task. My car's audio was knocked out some 2 1/2 months ago when a guy I was getting a jump-start from hooked up the cables wrong the first time, so I bought my ghetto blaster & a bunch of D-cell batteries (Radio Shack didn't have an in-car converter that would allow me to run the player off the cigarette lighter, like the one I had back in the early '80s).

In a related matter, anyone not familiar with stellastarr* (the asterisk & lower-case "s" are theirs -- pretentious, yes, but so it goes) is hereby advised to check out their 3 CDs.

Otherwise, so far the soundtrack for the trip has been provided by the debut CDs by Dead Cowboys (the Room/Benny Profane/Dust alternate-country-playing successors, not some other band I've run across by that name), the Ting-Tings & Consolidated, as well as the bonus disc with Wire's Send (Ultimate reissue).

My latest discovery is a band called Cat's Eyes, whose lone cd I have so far been unable to find, as either a download or physical disc. You can hear most of it on youtube, but I'd like to buy the album if I could.