Stokke

I think I found where my ancestor came from. His name was Kettle Helgeson, but there were many Kittle Helgesons in the south-central Wisconsin. So his last name became Stockland after the area where he was basically a sharecropper.

So interesting, isn't it? Oh, and this is where my mother's side of the family came from many, many moons ago.

Shut Down

In the Spring of '95, I studied in England and was blessed with a 5 and a half week spring break. Of course I took the opportunity to wander around the Continent, bouncing from city to city. It consisted of arriving, finding lodging, converting money, finding food, finding things to do, talking to people (being somewhat shy, that takes a lot of energy for me), sleeping, waking up, rinse, repeat. Day in and day out, I had to figure out everything again and again. By the time I made it to Switzerland to catch up with my parents, I was utterly burned out. I turned off my brain and let them decide everything. That gave me a much needed rest.

Lately, it's been the same. Wake up, go to work, figure things out, go home, do homework (or avoid it), see who's around, do chores, get a beer, etc. Again, I need to figure all of this out. I'm finding simple things, like brushing my teeth, agonizingly tedious. I wish someone would say "This is how it is" so I could turn off my mind and get some much needed mental rest.

*yawn* it's the weekend in seven hours, which means sleep and biking. That's not too difficult.

Not Here

It's in the 60's and I'm supposed to be doing a 20 mile loop at Kettle Moraine.

Instead, I'm at work.

Damn responsibility. Maybe Dave has it right. The comment at the bottom, I mean. I agree with a lot of the post, but, at the moment, I'm taking the more positive view of biking a lot.

Perfect Weather

After a string of 90+ degree days, the weather took a turn for the better. The 66 degree weather feels more like the 50's given the recent hot weather. Not a ray of sunshine pokes through the clouds. On my way to and from lunch, I had the passenger windows slightly down, so the cool air tickled the back of my neck. All the colors seem more vivid and everything seems quieter. This reminds me that fall is almost here.

Last night I had my usual strange dreams. I dreamed my parents were moving from the house they have lived in for almost 26 years (and where I lived, unfortunately, for 13 years. Not a comment on my parents, but the location. It's in the middle of nowhere). I was cleaning out a cabinet that had 20+ year old NutraSweet packets in it along with all my old games and puzzles. After that, I was in the second floor of an old house. I noticed a wheel on the ceiling, the type you turn to open something. I found, or more appropriately, dreamed myself something to turn it with. I opened an attic access later and found my paternal grandfather up there. In reality, he died before I was born. I think he was dead, but alive, in my dream. You know how those things work. I can't remember much, but he had some old telescope lenses.

Oh yeah, and Dave, I had a dream the other night that you were wearing fish net tights and doing a line dance with random dream extras. I wouldn't read much into that.

The Downward Spiral

Billmon does a great job of finding pertinent quotes. I have not yet read the whole post, but I will later today:

"By mid-June, the Iraqi forces had been given 306 million rounds of ammunition, roughly 12 bullets for each of Iraq's 25 million people. But when one senior American officer involved was asked whether the Americans might end up arming the Iraqis for a civil war, he paused for a moment, then nodded. "Maybe," he said."

New York Times
If It's Civil War, Do We Know It?
July 24, 2005


I understand the political/economic reasons (not justifications) of arming other nations, but in the long run you will lose with a nation littered with corpses. All hail my country, the #1 arms exporter!

I think I'll listen to the Clash now.

Kettle Moraine, Housewarmings, and the Champaign of Beers

One perk of my job is that I can take short notice vacation. On Thursday, I had a lot on my mind and was burned out from preparing for the presentation I had to give that night. I knew I would be no good at work on Friday, so I decided to take the day off and go biking.

My roommate and I went to Kettle Moraine and made the long loop around. As you can see, my South Park creation
is pretty accurate:






Now I don't have a beer in my hand and I'm covered in mud instead of blood, but the rest looks the same. It felt good to get a lot of energy out.

Yesterday was uneventful, but I did help drink a case of the Champaign of Beer on my friends' doorstep. We witnessed teenagers going into the woods to get stoned, talked to his "Lady of the Evening" neighbor and her 8 year old son, and shook our collective heads at LOTE's coke head, junkie not-exactly boyfriend who drove up in a Doge Omni looking car completely naked. The only thing missing was a car on blocks in the front yard.

Anyway, it's time to go to Steve's housewarming party in Milwaukee. Couldn't have piced a better day! Ninety-five degrees and rising!

Ok Bink, What Does the Runner Up Get?

So there's this girl that my roommate works with. Somehow, she took a noticeable interest in me. It must be noticeable if I can detect it. So I've called her a couple of times and have generally been patient. Then last night, she shows up at this party with some guy who looks like his name should be Chip. Later in the night, she tells me something about how she's going to date him and would date me if he wasn't around or something and how we can still hang out. Right. It's kind of like the old 70's and 80's game shows where the winner gets a 6 night/7 day trip to the Mediterranean and the runner up gets a week's supply of shitty coffee and the board game so he can relive the failure with friends and family.

I'll pass.

Happiness

Today, I've had a thing for chocolate, which I've fulfilled, and thunderstorms are passing through for the first time in weeks. Life suddenly got much better.

Clarification

I'd like to post a quick clarification for all the extroverts out there. I don't think you're empty-headed, stupid, obnoxious, boring, etc. I also don't think introverts are more intelligent, gifted, superior, and the like. The author of the article below does kind of have a bug up his ass. What I identify with is the misunderstanding I get. I often look bored, distant, uninterested, so on and so forth. I'm really not anti social, I'm just thinking. So talk away, but if you see me staring into space, don't assume I don't like you. I'm hearing everything you say and I'm thinking of ways to use it against you. Heh heh heh heh.

Mutton Chops and All

Macalester Students and Alumni Rejoice!!! Find your favorite professors as they were back in 1973!

Another One

I'm enjoying being an introvert today. I found this article.

Evil Uncle

I should post something, just to keep in the habit. So here's a little story.

My sister's family was up from the Flatlands picking out their new appliances for their new house in the Only Waunakee In The World. Naturally, I need to go over to my parents to harass my nephews. The youngest, William, is obsessed with the alphabet, spelling out any word he sees. That day, I was wearing my Furries shirt and he was busy spelling that out, although he substituted a "1" for the "I". It wasn't long before I had him jumping up and down, shouting "F! U! F! U!" over and over as I pointed to the first two letters. I love pulling things over on unsuspecting nephews.

Not a big story, but I need to post something.