Grandma just called and said you're supposed to go home!

I had briefly considered making the last round a trick question, just because it was so easy. I mean come on, Minkus got it. I'll give Sowers a virtual point for being so clever.

Now the current challenge is a bit tougher. I originally didn't think this one would be a valid location for our game, but upon recent review of the movie in question, I have determined that it is possible to get the correct answer. However, because of the difficulty I will award two (2) points for this one. This would be a good time for the slackers who have yet to put any points up to catch up with those on our leaderboard.

If you vote for me, it will be Summer all year round

And JAdam answers back with a correct answer, bringing the current standings to:

1. The Missile (2)
   
2. Minkus (1)
   
3. The entire rest of the world (Tied at 0)
   
4. Cuv (Some large negative number)
   

Here we have another incredible photograph of a mystery dwelling. Whose it be?

OT: I got paid today!

It's probably the best drawing I've ever done

So Minkus ties it up with JAdam with his correct response (took ya long enough, though). Indeed, that was the site where Napoleon picked up his date, one miss Trisha Stevens.

For round 3, we're going to mix it up a bit. To take this round, tell me what character works in the store depicted.

Get off my property or I'll call the cops on you!

Round 2 of Name That ND Landmark continues with this beaut.

The "Missile" leads the competition thus far with a score of... one.

Hey Summer, wanna play me?

I said before that there would be more to come from my trek to Preston, ID. So, let's play a little game, shall we? I present to you Name That ND Landmark, Round 1.

The rules are simple. I post a picture of a building from Napoleon Dynamite, and my attentive readers have to guess which building it is.

Our first challenge should be an easy one for any true Napoleon fanatic (of which I know several), so I expect this one to go quickly. First correct answer in the comments wins this round.

FRAGILE: Handle With Care

"That one don't sound too good," he stated plainly as he handed the box down from the truck. I shook it gently, hearing that unmistakable "tinkle" you might her while picking up a box of Christmas ornaments that just fell down a flight of stairs. Or, I guess, a box full of glassware that had been crushed under 200lbs of bigger, meaner boxes during a cross-country move. I stared at the big, orange "Fragile" sticker, crushed into near unreadability, along with the top half of the box. "You mind if I open this one?" I asked sheepishly. "It's your box now."

The damage report: 3 Pilsner glasses, 2 Bass pint glasses, 2 margarita glasses, 4 highball glasses, 2 wine glasses, 1 coffee mug, 1 beer mug. That and one 51" HDTV (it works, but I think the electron gun needs to be re-calibrated). Not bad for a trek of 2500 miles, all things considered. Little disappointed about the margarita glasses and the pilsners, but the trauma is outweighed by the fun of buying new wine glasses. I needed some anyway (or, at least, that's what I'm telling myself).

The moral of this story? None really. The movers (Von Paris, a United agent) were pretty competent and out of the 50-some-odd boxes this was the only casualty. I guess I should pass on the tidbit I got after the fact (hindsight is wonderful): If you ever move, be sure to pack glassware standing up like it would on the shelf (dishes, on the other hand, should be packed vertically). And make sure it's in a seriously heavy-duty box. The danger appears not to be mishandling so much as the need to cram absolutely every item into as small a space as possible.

Guess I should have bought some "Do not crush" stickers instead...

Priorities

Taking the time to:

Buy a second broadband router at Fry's

Set it up in the DMZ of the current main router

Set up WPA-PSK on both systems, as well as MAC filtering

Re-configure the port forwarding and address space for each router

Test that everything works the way it should by attempting to break into your own network

Write a blog entry about everything you did

...all while your to-do list contains things like "Pick a health plan", "Pay electric bill" and "Fill out direct deposit forms".

Who knows. Maybe it's like how I used to clean the heck out of my dorm room anytime I had a major exam to study for.

El Trabajo

Well, I survived day 1!

Oh yeah, haven't posted since I got here. All moved in, this place is HUGE compared to my last place. Heck, it'd be huge even without the second bedroom and screened-in patio. I have no idea how I fit all this stuff into my apartment in Rosslyn!

Anyway, the place is pretty decent, nice neighborhood, near the fire department (which makes my mom happy). 4 blocks from the beach. Only gripes: no dishwasher, and there's no washer/dryer in the unit. Ah well. Tradeoffs. It's cheaper than my other place was!

Other thing, no A/C. But guess what? It doesn't matter around here! Just a hair warmer than I'd like come bedtime but it's tolerable, and I'm sure after the July/August timeframe it's perfect. And I can imagine I'll appreciate it when it's time to pay the electric bill.

Anyway, pics will be forthcoming. I'm still sifting through all of the ones from my trip. Translation: I'm feeling lazy now that I'm finally moved in and have taken care of all the various administrivia around town. But it'll happen. That or you punks will just have to come out here to visit. $99 each way on JetBlue if you book in advance!

So, work was pretty good. The commute to El Segundo wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but still longer than I'd like. Next week should be an improvement when I actually head to the client site. Had to go through a mountain of paperwork and met all kinds of people (including my boss for the first time). Lots of nice folks, seems like it should be a great environment. El jefe took me out for an excellent lunch and Dave met up with us after being out of town all last week. That kid... He drags me out here then skips town just as I arrive. The nerve!

Got better oriented after lunch and set up my computer, an Inspiron 9100. I call it, "Lapzilla." This thing has a 17" screen and weighs at least 10 lbs. Has a 3.2GHz P4 with HT, 1GB RAM, DVD and CD burner, and two fans that make my desktop sound like a Mac Mini. It's a "portable" powerhouse. I think that second battery will come in handy.

Met up with a new friend and a bunch of her friends for "Margarita Monday". $2 margaritas all night and free food from 4-7? Yes please!

Found parking not too far from my place (that waiting list for the garage can speed up aaaanytime now) and here I am. Surprisingly energized for the end of the day, but it's time to relax for a bit before day 2.

Ciao!