I’m still back! I swear! Just been a little swamped.

Remember the UFIL? Well he just arrived (at 1:30 am) for a three week visit. He was supposed to be here at 3:30, but his flight from Italy was delayed, so he missed his connecting flight in Paris, then got rerouted through Atlanta before he finally made it to Philly. Poor Papi.

The bad news? We still only have a one-bedroom apartment.

The good news? It’s not the UMIL.

1) Romeo and Juliet - The Killers
2) Your Time is Gonna Come - Led Zeppelin
3) Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend
4) Nazi Punks Fuck Off - Dead Kennedys
5) Ophelia (live - Last Waltz) - The Band
6) If God Will Send His Angels (Big Yam Mix) - U2
7) The Big Hand - The Cure
8) Listen To Me - Buddy Holly
9) Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues - Bob Dylan
10) Groovy Times - The Clash

Bonus: Sally MacLennane - The Pogues

I’ve been “back” for a week now, and thus far I’m having trouble coming up with something to say. It seems like I had so much to report while I wasn’t blogging, but now that I’ve made the decision to come back, it’s all disappeared into the musty backlog of my brain.

So over the last few days, I’ve been re-reading a lot of my old posts. I had forgotten just how much I had written during my two years of active blogging. According to my stats, there are currently 600 posts (this will be 601) and 2,604 comments, contained within 40 categories. It’s kind of awesome, actually. And some of my posts were really quite good (if I do say so myself). It now makes me regret my silence all the more.

I guess it’s not so much an issue of having nothing to say as it is a problem of where to begin. You’ll have to bear with me as I try to find my “voice” again. I think it will come. I just have to be patient and persistent.

Of course, this may not be an issue, since I don’t think anyone besides Holz has figured out that I’m back yet!

Dear Katie, please drop me a line,
just write, Love, to tell me you’re fine.

I’m not sure if anyone out there even cares about this little blog anymore, but enough people have encouraged me to come back that I thought I’d give it another go. There were countless times over the last year and a half where I thought “I would so like to blog about this.” I’d even start composing the post in my head. But it’s surprisingly hard to get back into things once you’ve let them go for so long.

There were a lot of factors that led to my sudden disappearance. One was that I was just spending way too much time online. I was getting a bit obsessive (as I often do with things), and I needed a clean break. Another is that I moved at work and no longer enjoyed the privacy I once enjoyed.

But the main reason is just that I was burnt out. I couldn’t make the words flow anymore. I felt like I had nothing interesting to say. And hey, maybe I didn’t. But I think I do now. SO much has happened during my blogging hiatus. I have so much catching up to do. I’ve got a million stories to tell. And there are a few rants in here somewhere, too. ;-)

I can’t promise daily or even weekly posts, but I’ll try to give you a reason to keep coming back. So what do you say? Can we be friends again?

Can you guess where I am right now?

Okay… so my last attempt didn’t work out so well. I’m no longer going to make you any promises. I’ll just say this: I’m not closing the blog down, but I can’t guarantee regular updates. Things are just too crazy right now. But I love you guys, and I really do want to get back to this eventually.

Well… I do seem to be failing at this comeback of mine. I promise to try a little harder. Really. Starting with the answers to the questions I solicited from you guys a while back… I’ll try to get to at least one a day. And if you have any new questions, now is the time to ask!

We had a professional moving company handle my office move a couple weeks ago. The contract I had to sign seemed fairly routine… until I got to the part about them not being responsible in the event of a nuclear attack or outbreak of civil war.

I dunno, maybe that is par for the course—I’ve never dealt with professional movers before—but it did seem just a little bit overkill…

I would just like to take a moment of your time to say…

YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

No more Rick Santorum, no more Rick Santorum, no more Rick Santorum…
(repeat ad infinitum)

I am very proud to be one of the voters who helped cast Rick Santorum out of the US Senate. Not that I’m in any way thrilled with his replacement, mind you. But almost anyone would be better than Ricky.

Good riddance, you narrow-minded, scheming, hypocritical bigot.

Related:
-Pennsylvania Senate Election Results [CNN.com]
-Philadelphians Against Santorum

See Also:
-Santorum [Wikipedia]
-Santorum [Urban Dictionary]
-Bob Casey, Jr. [Wikipedia]

1) Sam’s Town - The Killers
2) Green and Red of Mayo - The Saw Doctors
3) Fragments - The Who
4) For the Sake of the Song - Townes Van Zandt
5) Lazy Sunday - The Small Faces
6) The Rain, The Park And Other Things - The Cowsills
7) Yellow Rainbow - The Move
8) Tape From California - Phil Ochs
9) At Home He’s A Tourist - Gang Of Four
10) Working - The Why Store

Bonus: November Rain - Guns N’ Roses

November Open Thread

I know that some of you have been wondering where the hell I’ve been these past few months… Well, there’s no simple answer. I have been many places. Some of them real, some of them more… conceptual in nature.

One of them was the level of hell designated for office moves. More specifically, the sublevel reserved for moves from a private office to a cubicle in space shared with two other groups, located further away from almost everything. I’m currently clawing my way back out.

I know I used this image last year on Halloween, but it’s just so perfect that I had to use it again.

So… anyone dressing up for Halloween? What are you going to be?

1) The Same Deep Water as You - The Cure
2) O Valencia! - The Decemberists
3) Tomorrow Is A Long Time - Rod Stewart
4) Burned - Neil Young
5) Laura - Billy Joel
6) Carrie Loves The Dark - Wonderland
7) Desolation Row - Bob Dylan
8) Can’t Buy Me Love - The Beatles
9) Animal Bar - Red Hot Chili Peppers
10) It Ain’t Easy - David Bowie

Bonus: The Bitch is Back - Elton John

Enough boobie talk already!

Well, your webmistress may be dead, but she is still interested in your comments. Find to the right the October Open Thread, only 20 days late. Leave comments, possibly not involving boobies.

Thank you.

The PlaceHolder.

Hey guys, thanks for bearing with me during my down time. I’ll be back very soon. I promise. Until then, here’s a belated September Open Thread, since I’ve stagnated so long that my comments on the last entry actually closed. That’s never happened before. :-p Ugh.

I fear I’ve left this blog alone so long that it’s starting to grow mold.

Have no fear, I’m still alive and I have no intentions of abandonment. I’m just running on fumes right now. And I’m so busy.

Work is really killing me, to the point where I don’t even check the blog during the day. And when I get home at night, the last thing I want to do is sit in front of my computer.

Truth be told, I might have made the time to sit down and write something if I, in fact, had something about which to write. But even though I’ve done many things lately, I find myself with nothing interesting to say.

Trust that I will answer all of the questions and resume my regular posting just as soon as I get my groove back.

…just wholly uninspired and super busy. So in order to get my creative juices flowing, why don’t you guys come up with some questions for me?

Is there a topic you want me to cover? A story you’d like me to tell? Or just something about me you want to know? Well now is your chance to ask.

And while you’re waiting anxiously for that newly inspired content, you can still answer my latest set of questions for you: Survey 2.0 - Living in the Moment.

Previously…
-I Will Now Take Your Questions

Stop oppressive gardening! Free the gnomes!

Okay, I know it’s silly, but I really get a kick out of garden gnome pranks. You know, when people kidnap the little guys and take them on a trip? Or leave a number of them arranged in a forest somewhere? Or under water?

Now I’m not the least bit fond of people putting these things in their yards. I think it’s tacky and low-class. But the stories of gnome mischief somehow make it a little better for me.

I do realize that some people would consider “gnome liberation” to be theft, but then I don’t really understand how anyone can be so attached to a damn lawn ornament that they would actually get upset over something like this.

Besides, it’s all in good fun. The gnomes are usually recovered or returned. Many of them write home, and some even come back with pictures and a story tell.

Almost makes me want a roaming gnome of my own… Almost.

Further Reading:
-Museum of Hoaxes: Gnomes [Museum of Hoaxes]
-Underwater gnome threat ‘returns’ [BBC News]
-Man gets letter from missing yard gnome [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]
-Edgar the roamin’ gnome is home [Fulton Sun]
-Policeman ‘goosed’ over gnome prank [NZ Herald]
-Garden Gnome Liberation Front [Wikipedia]
-Garden gnomes spark pop culture frenzy and ‘liberation’ movement [AZ Central]

Related:
-Uncle Roel the Travelling Gnome
-FreeTheGnomes.com
-Gnomes!!! Gnomar and Friends [Gnomar.com]
-Gnomar and Friends Photo Pool [Flickr]
-Nigel the Gnome [nigelthegnome.com]
-Welcome to the Home of the Roaming Gnome [Travelocity]

Phone conversation with my dad, in which I attempted to help him download the photos from his camera:

Me: Okay, so you created a new folder for the pictures, and opened the window with the contents of the camera?

Dad: Yes. So now I do edit, select all…

Me: Alright, now drag the files into the new folder.

Dad: Right click or left click?

Me: Left click.

Dad: *Misses folder, 337 files start copying onto the desktop* Stupid thing!

Me: *sighing* Cancel it.

Dad: I swear, I dragged them into the folder!

Me: I’m sure you did, Dad, but the folder icon is a small target. Open it up and try again.

Dad: Okay, I cancelled that and deleted the files from the desktop. So… edit, select all… oh, here it says “copy to file.” Should I do that?

Me: Dad, you are making this way more complicated that it has to be. Let me teach you a little trick. Select the first file in the list you want to copy.

Dad: Left click?

Me: Yes, left click.

Dad: Okay.

Me: Now, hold the shift key, and click on the last file on the list.

Dad: Nothing happened.

Me: Did you keep holding the shift key? Because you have to hold it until you click the last file.

Dad: Okay, let me try this again.

Me: *Repeating the instructions*

Dad: Nothing happened.

Me: *laughing* Dad, are you sure you did what I told you?

Dad: Yes. Why are you laughing at me? You know, it was working just fine when I was doing edit, select all.

Me: *laughing* Fine, just go ahead and do that again.

Dad: What’s so funny?

Me: Dad, what I just tried to teach you has been one of the most basic computer functions since, like the dawn of time. I just can’t understand why you couldn’t get it to work.

Dad: Edit, select all… okay, it’s copying.

Me: Finally! Dad, are you sure you were holding the shift key?

Dad: Yes, I was holding the shift key!

Me: Not the control key, the shift key?

Dad: Yes!! You know, I resent this! I know where the shift key is!! I KNEW WHERE THE SHIFT KEY WAS BEFORE YOU WERE EVEN A GLINT IN MY EYE!! SO IF I SAY I’M HOLDING THE SHIFT KEY, THEN I’M HOLDING…

Me: Yes?

Dad: …the spacebar.

Me: Ha ha. Wait, are you serious?

Dad: Yes. God, I have to stop doing this so late at night.

Me: Dad, it’s only 9:30.

Dad: I know, I know.

Man, judging from the recent comments, it looks like you people need something to keep you occupied. Sorry I’ve been lacking on that end, but your wait is over. It’s time for another installation of the famous SALIME Survey.

As always, the rules are simple: answer truthfully or lie your ass off, whichever you prefer.

1) What’s the current weather where you are?

2) Where are you?

3) What’s the last thing you ate?

4) The last thing you drank?

5) What’s the background image on your computer? If you email me the image (landslide at dunedan dot com), I’ll display it in your comment.

6) What are you wearing right now?

7) Who was the last person you spoke with on the phone?

8) Who was the last person you spoke with in person?

9) What is the last book you read?

10) What’s the last song you heard (or the one you are hearing right now)?

Press your space face close to mine, love: this time it’s Pandora done David Bowie style…

1) Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) - David Bowie
2) (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman - The Kinks
3) Invisible Sun - The Police
4) New Song - The Who
5) TVC15 - David Bowie
6) Surrender - U2
7) Go To The Mirror Boy! - The Who
8) Criminal World - David Bowie
9) What You’re Missing - Chicago
10) Sweet Maxine - The Doobie Brothers

Bonus: Mary Jane’s Last Dance - Tom Petty

Second Bonus (because I freaking love this song): Moonage Daydream - David Bowie (BBC Radio Sessions 68-72)

Also, please notice, the strange David Bowie-Superman connection continues…

Previously, At The Landslide In My Ego:
-Friday Random Ten: Twilight Zone Edition
-Friday Random Ten: It’s the Freakiest Show

Link Love for Other Random Ten Players:
-A Modest Construct
-Apartment 2024
-The BM Rant
-Freakapotimus
-The Sam and BeckyBoo Show
-The Smedley Log