BillyStyle

Well I finally gave World of Warcraft a try. The game’s website offers a free 10 day trial. I decided I’d give it a go. So on Monday I downloaded it and went through all the upgrading. I played for maybe 5 hours total yesterday. I got a couple characters up to level 6, one to level 3, and one to level 2. I just wanted to get a feel for playing some different characters in different spots.

It’s alright, but I don’t see myself playing much anymore, even throughout the rest of the free trial. I tried joining a group on the game because some dude kept following me around asking me to. I didn’t really dig that, I’m more of a solo guy. So the game, to me, seems like you just kill things to level up so you can finish quests that will give you better equipment to help you kill stronger creatures to make you stronger so you can complete tougher quests. Just repeat that process over and over. I do see how that can be fun and challenging, but it just doesn’t do it for me.

I am a video game fan, never been one to play them on the computer though. I’m more into console sports games and the games now known as hack and slash. I like some role playing console games as well, like the Final Fantasy types. I also enjoy the multi-player party type games like Mario Kart, Tennis, and Party…speaking of that, Anson, Tomp, Brandi, we need to get our Mario Party on soon. World of Warcraft is a beautiful game and it’s ridiculously huge, but after I hit level 6, I lost patience in leveling up and realized it was only going to get worse.

So as for computer games, I’ll stick to Hexic, Bejeweled, and Text Twist.

Time for a report on Billy’s wild weekend adventure! Well, my cell phone started working when I was about an hour away from Salt Lake City. Apparently the Sprint network in the whole state of Utah had a problem for over 12 hours. Awesome. I think my contract runs out here in a few months, I may let that happen and shop around.

I made it up to Layton and met up with Bill Sr. We went to Marie Calendar’s for lunch, that was some tasty food! Before our food arrived, I called up Pete, our hang glide instructor. He had just landed from a tandem flight, during which the wind was a little uncooperative, which led to getting crossed up on the landing and ultimately breaking part of his glider. Nothing serious, but to fly he needed to repair the wing, and he had no spare parts on hand. So we couldn’t fly, blast!

After a little moping, we decided that the copper mine might be fun to go ogle. After finding directions online, we headed out. It took almost an hour to get there from Layton, but it was only $5 to get in. We went way up the hill, then down into the pit, where the visitor’s center is nestled. We watched the little intro video, got blown away by the massiveness of the numbers and stats, then went out and just stared at the whole thing for over an hour. We didn’t even realize how long we’d been there, the place is mind blowing. The most impressive thing to me was that the trucks can carry a load of just over a half million pounds! And each truck is a little bigger than the condo I live in.

Now it was time to meet up with my kid sister, go eat dinner, and go rock. We went to Lonestar Steakhouse, and it was wonderful. I had the sweet bourbon salmon with a sweet potato, it was delectable. Off to The Depot to see Les. The Two Gallants were the opening show. Just two scronny white kids that could rock with a very original style. The guitar player/lead singer played a Les Paul guitar and played it well. It sounded like there was a bass guitar hidden on stage somewhere. They started off with at least 5 minutes of jamming that sounded kind of distant, which reminded me of other music I’ve heard, and my sister nailed it on the head. She mentioned that they kind of sounded like Explosions in the Sky. Then the guitar player started belting out vocals and totally surprised me at how he sounded. His voice kind of made me think of a higher, raspier John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival. The drummer had about as much energy as a hyperactive 3 year old with ADD who had just topped off a box of sugar cubes and washed it down with a cappuccino. They were quite entertaining.

Then Les Claypool came out with his bass guitar, Gabby La La (who I’d seen with him on his Bucket of Bernie Brains tour) on the sitar, the drummer of Cake in the back, and 2 guys I was unfamiliar with, one on baritone sax, and a utility guy in the back on xylophones and other various percussion instruments. It was an awesome show that I’d describe as power funk/jazz. No traditional lead guitar was ever on stage during that part of the show. Just a bass guitar and sitar were the closest, although the sax player had some awesome riffs that rivaled many a guitar riff.

The only downside to the show was “the lovers.” A grimy couple had apparently gotten all hopped up on ecstasy (however it’s spelled, the drug) and couldn’t get off of each other. Somehow they ended up migrating over to where we were comfortably watching the show, and stayed there for probably an hour. I’m tall enough to just look right over their heads and block them from my view, but my Dad and Sister had to witness their every move. We could have moved, but the place was crowded and we figured we couldn’t get a better view.

All in all it was a great weekend. Here are a couple pics from the mine:

A shot of the main hole of the mine. It’s the largest excavation site in the world. You can see it from space!

Here’s a great perspective shot. This shows the size of the load trucks, a water truck, a normal pickup, and a bus. Click on either of these pics for more of the mine.

I like that phrase, but right now it’s the reason I have a headache. My phone is officially tits up. At about 9:30pm Friday night, after I had just sent a text message, and received one, I tried to send another text and it didn’t go through. That was weird, so I waited til I got back in town (I was about 8 miles out of St. George) to try again. Same result, it failed. So I tried calling my Dad, who I was trying to text. My phone tells me the network is busy. I tried again, same thing. Tried a couple more times, same thing. After trying everything I could think of (taking the battery out, swapping batteries, etc) and throwing it across the room a few times to let off steam, I came to the conclusion that my janky piece of crap LG PM-225 phone had gone from mostly worthless to completely worthless.

So now the part that makes it all worthwhile. I’m leaving for Salt Lake City tomorrow morning at 6:30am. I am planning on meeting up with my Dad, who is driving from Oregon, starting tomorrow in Boise, ID. Within an hour of when we will be meeting up, we’re supposed to call our hang gliding instructor to meet up to go tandem hang gliding. So yeah, I kind of need a phone tomorrow. I’ll be long gone before any Sprint store down here opens, so there’s the icing on my cake of poo.

Just thought I’d share that with the INTERNET world. Other than that, my weekend should be awesome. Taking the boat back to Bill Sr. Then we are going tandem hang gliding for the second time in just under a year. Immediately following the flying, we’re headed to The Depot to see Les Claypool in concert. Should be a great weekend. I guess I’ll have to bring a good amount of change so I can use some pay phones on the way or something. I have no idea how much those cost these days. In fact, I haven’t even paid attention to see if they’re still around. I sure hope so.

I have the amazing ability to lose something in less than a minute’s time. I can be holding it, set it down, take a few steps, then completely forget where I left it. It’s pretty awesome. Now, I’ve figured out a little trick that helps me not so much avoid losing things at home, but in public places.

Typically I will have my keys with me in public places, like restaurants, work, somebody’s house, etc. If I want to set something down, like a wallet, sunglasses, and what have you, chances are I’ll leave it behind on my way out. I’ve learned that as soon as I set that thing down, I should take out my keys and place them right there with the object. That ensures that even if I forget the stuff, I’ll realize I have no way of getting back into my car as I leave, so I’ll go back in and get my stuff.

The only way I can see this failing, other than thievery, is completely forgetting I even drove there and bumming a ride off of somebody else. At that point, I think I deserve to leave that stuff behind.

I find myself watching people at crosswalks for some good old amusement. There are a number of different approaches people take at the intersections with traffic signals that have those buttons pedestrians push in hopes of getting the walk signal. Out of those approaches, I have a couple of favorites to watch.

The first type is a quick easy laugh. They stand right next to the button and push the sucker as fast as they can, over and over until they finally get their wish. If somebody is with them, trying to have a conversation, they will have a tough time getting through to the button pusher because of the focus it takes for them to push the button repeatedly and stare down that do-not-cross signal until it finally gives in to the pressure.

The next type is one that goes through phases, and to get the full enjoyment, you must luck out a bit and show up right after the do not walk signal has shown up. This button pusher calmly walks by the button and pushes it in stride. Fully expecting the signal to change as soon as they push the button, they keep moving right on to the edge of the curb, when they suddenly notice that the light didn’t change in their favor. They will pause for around 5-10 seconds right there on the edge of the curb, figuring that the glitch will shortly be corrected. Then it hits them, they must not have pushed the button in all the way. So they will calmly turn around, walk back to the button, and push it again, then return right to the edge of the curb and tell themselves that light will change very soon.

Around now, the button pusher is starting to finally notice that cars are moving by pretty close to where they stand. Typically, it’s a car making a right turn just inches in front of their toes that gets them to realize they’ve almost been standing in the street. Now the anxious pedestrian will back off a couple of steps and start to check out some alternatives. They start to think of crossing to their right or left, weighing the chances that the other walk signal will hold long enough to make the crossing in time. At this point, it can change quite a bit. Anywhere from the person giving up all dignity, returning to the button and reverting to our first example of the button masher, to something I saw a few days ago and completely giving up on crossing the street, and just walking further down the sidewalk perpendicular to the one on which they arrived. (I was awaiting my food at the drive through and the person walked all the way around the fine establishment, Fazoli’s, behind me, and into the door on the other side. I saw him near the door as I passed by on my way out.)

I think my favorite option though, is where the button pusher, while contemplating their other options and amid the other potential street crossers who have by now gathered around them, misses the golden moment where the walk signal appears. They will notice the others nearby have begun to make their way onto the road and suddenly realize that there is still a glimmer of hope left in this world. Their press of the button was finally answered and now they can safely cross with confidence to the other side of the street.

The end.

About a week ago I got a sliver (maybe multiple slivers) from something at work. I don’t remember much about it now, but it went right under the edge of my index finger fingernail. I tried to get them out, but it was plastic (I think) and I couldn’t even see the slivers. I forgot about it and now a week later, my finger has begun to get irritated. So it’s obviously still in there. Last night I searched all over the INTERNET to see if I could find a miraculous way to remove slivers. I found this: Yahoo Answers. That sounds pretty wild, egg yolk and salt. I found another salve online that has all kinds of other stuff in it, but is still just supposed to be good at lifting out slivers.

So I tried the egg thing about 10 minutes ago. We’ll see if it works. If it does, that’s one of the most awesome and random home remedies I know of. Who in the world came up with such a thing?

Update: I took the egg/bandaid combo off after about a half hour due to slimyness. After work, I came home and soaked the finger in some hot water for a couple minutes (adhering to the advice of a wise woman at work) then got the tweezers and got ready to start digging. After just a few swipes at the area, a brown sliver of significant length emerged. I didn’t even have to grab it with the tweezers, it just stuck to one of the prongs. I thought the sliver was something clear, but that’ll do. Now I wait to see if the pain and swelling go away.

Human brains are neat. Every now and then, my brain will come up with something clever, but within a second of the thought, reality kicks in. Two examples for ya (both happened whilst driving for some reason):

1) A friend of mine was driving his car when he saw a car hauling trailer (one of those two layer trailers that can carry 10 or so cars) and right away thought he could use it to launch real far! For just that split second, he thought it would work out great. He did come to, and didn’t jump.

2) Another friend was driving when he realized that his gas gauge hadn’t moved in a long while. He figured it must be broken. Right then his brain told him “Hey, I never have to pay for gas again!” Like the first example, he immediately laughed at himself for even thinking of such a ridiculous idea.

I think things like that make life more fun. It happens to me from time to time, but I can’t think of anything right now.