Sunday, December 31, 2006

Superhero or Supervillain? Both!

Your results:
You are Superman

























Superman
75%
Spider-Man
55%
Robin
52%
Green Lantern
50%
Hulk
45%
Catwoman
45%
Batman
40%
Supergirl
35%
Wonder Woman
30%
Iron Man
30%
The Flash
25%
You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.


Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...


Your results:
You are Lex Luthor


































Lex Luthor
44%
Apocalypse
42%
Dr. Doom
42%
Magneto
39%
Mr. Freeze
36%
The Joker
32%
Green Goblin
32%
Kingpin
32%
Venom
30%
Catwoman
29%
Poison Ivy
29%
Dark Phoenix
26%
Mystique
24%
Two-Face
24%
Riddler
23%
Juggernaut
20%
A brilliant businessman on a quest for world domination and the self-proclaimed greatest criminal mind of our time!


Click here to take the Supervillain Personality Quiz

Saturday, December 30, 2006

"Saddam is Dead"

That is the headline that greeted me as I stepped outside in the warmth of my robe to pick up the newspaper. But, suddenly, I was cold. Death, regardless of who or how, is never a cause for celebration. Yes, even when it's Saddam Hussein.

I believe executions can be a necessary evil. But I will never, ever celebrate the death of another living thing, human or otherwise.

So imagine my disgust when I read that a mosque preacher--preacher--called Saddam's execution "God's gift to Iraqis." I don't know about the Shiite god, but the God I believe in doesn't commit or support murder. No, this was all human. Human decision. Human execution. God had nothing to do with it.

Meet... Dundaar Moorhart

I'd like you to meet my new Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach persona, the barbarian dwarf, Dundaar Moorhart!

Friday, December 29, 2006

ChristyAndGreg.com Takes Over the World!

Yesterday our blog received the most hits in one day so far in its brief history, according to Google Analytics. As you can see from the map, we're getting hits from all over the world.

Interestingly, here are some of the search terms entered in Google that brought up our blog:

  1. greg short blog

  2. is huell howser married?

  3. most wonderful and wonderful and wonderful again

  4. "daryl patch"

  5. christy
The first is obvious, because, well, it's me! I am very happy about #2; as you all know I am a huge Huell Howser fan. The third search term comes from a title of one of Christy's posts, which is, of course, a quote. The oddest by far is "daryl patch", though I do have a brother named Daryl. And #5, well, she's my wife!

I attribute this sudden burst of traffic to the fact that I've been quite active on Netscape, even though Netscape appears to only account for 11.27% of the hits.

I will drop in from time to time to inform you of the progress of ChristyAndGreg.com's world domination. Be prepared.

Mmmmm... Tasty

Movie Downloads? Ha!

Here's why legal movie downloads have not caught on. It's a lengthy article with lots of references and statistics. But, really, all they needed to say is this: Movie downloads are two damn expensive!

Considering there is no physical product, downloads should be priced at no more than 25% of the price of a movie's real world counterpart. We're talking five bucks in most cases. That, dear movie industry, would make your movies sell like hotcakes!

Do you movie-industry-decision-making-types think we're idiots?!? Why would we pay $10 or more for something that we have to spend time downloading, and even then we can only watch it on our computer. For a few bucks more, we can get the real thing. Hopefully the movie-industry-slow-to-adapt-types will catch on soon. It could be so fantastic.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Scavenger Hunt in Chicago



What won't this woman do for money and HP Gear? They sent her on a scavenger hunt to win money and HP products. I never thought she would complete the tasks when they announced that she had to take a picture of someone in shorts... in the harsh Chicago winter. But the Postie Patrol team helped her out when one member tore off his pants to reveal he was, indeed, wearing shorts for just such an event. What a nice guy! I've never done any sort of scavenger hunt, but hey, Postie Patrol, I'm game! Give me my HP Gear....

Digital Photography Review

This post was brought to you by HP.

Happy Birthday, Stan!

Happy 84th Birthday, Stan Lee!

The Murse

He referred to it as a "man purse," but let's just call it a "murse." Gregory has ordered his murse, and he is very excited about it. He showed it to me online and it's terribly cute, in a manly sort of way. Of course he chose the navy over the light blue. I find this murse situation extremely amusing and I believe he likes my teasing.

"You wait and see how cool I look with my murse. You're gonna want a murse. You're jealous. You're jealous of my soon-to-be murse."

That is what he just said after I burst out laughing and I told him I was thinking about his murse. This murse is, of course, a prime example of why I married him.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

In Search of... MAN PURSE!


Welcome to eBags.com!
Yes, I need a man purse. I think I have enough gadgets to warrant a nice little bag. After looking at some manufacturer's web sites and seeing the variety available, I realize this may take a while. First stop: eBags.

The Book I Didn't Get For Christmas

I didn't get this book for Christmas, probably because it was on the bottom of my list (chronologically, not by interest)... and it is a bit macabre. But I really want it, so I will probably order it soon. I first heard about it in the NPR Books podcast, and it sounded very original and fascinating. So fascinating, in fact, that it answers the question on all of our minds: Why did the chicken cross the road?

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

The Minister of Super Heavy Funk

James Brown is dead. And with him a big part of American music.

Friday, December 22, 2006

Deja Vu

My cubicle neighbor was just talking about experiencing deja vu. This brings to mind the question, what if before we are born we agree to everything we will experience in our lives? Deja vu, in this case, would be a glimpse of what we knew--on some level--was coming. Thus, it seems familiar, as we knew it would happen.

This harkens back to my New Age days....

The Slow Death of Hockey

NBC's coverage of the NHL is a step in the right direction, but without regular, frequent "Big Three" network coverage, the death of hockey in America is inevitable. Football, basketball and baseball can always be found on the major networks. Hockey is lucky if it can be found on network television a few times per season. Even if they have delayed broadcasts in off hours, so long as it is regular and frequent, I think the NHL would get a boost.

Living a cable television-free lifestyle, I have only satellite radio or the occasional KDOC broadcast to rely on. But hockey is difficult to follow on radio, and the Ducks are not my team of choice.

I am very excited about the NHL's partnership with Google. I just can't sit in front of my laptop long enough to watch a whole game. Oh, and... where's the puck?

Where's the puck, indeed. Hopefully we'll be seeing more, not fewer of them.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

2lb. Workout

No, I am not so feeble as to be working out with 2lb. weights. No, no; the first one-hour workout last night apparently made a 2lb. difference. Yes, I'm down to 182.5. I suspect a lot of that was water weight, as I don't think it's possible to lose 2lbs. in just one workout. But, you know what? I feel great already!

Christy was tremendously supportive when I explained what I had discovered yesterday morning. I told her what my plan was, and--bless her--she enthusiastically declared, "I'm in!" Man, I love this girl. I'm so glad I snatched her up.

Together we can do this. Together we can do anything.

Monday, December 18, 2006

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, and again most wonderful..."

As I like to quote from HAMLET during such weather: "The air bites shrewdly. It is very cold." Likewise, during the summer I like to turn to Gregory and say, "Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines." (From one of Sh.'s sonnets--can't remember which one) ("Sh." is my abbreviation for Shakespeare, of course.) But anyway, my point is that it's very chilly. Like the tundra.

Greg is playing his wrestling game on the Gamecube. His enjoyment of the WWE is his one flaw. But I try not to say anything too rude during the Friday Night Smackdown, although, to his credit, he tries to watch it on the Tivo when I'm not around. I do wish he would play Super Monkey Ball 2 instead. Then I could destroy him in Monkey Bowling.

We had a lovely workout at Bally's this evening. It's amazing how quickly an hour passes when you're listening to your favorite music on your ipod. But now I'm going to finish writing my last two Christmas cards and then settle down with my book. I am officially on vacation from work, and it is a wonderful feeling.

Trip Back In Time


The large, gruff woman was my Grandma Short. I don't have many memories of her, but I do remember the fresh peanut butter cookies she would send home with us. With my brother Daryl on the left, and brother Brian on the right, our dad took this picture of us, presumably in the parking lot of a Six Flags in the Midwest somewhere. (If you look closely at the background on the right, you can see a tall tower and parachutes with baskets, which provided the clue to help identify the likely setting of this photo.)

[Note: You may notice Daryl's patch. No, he was not missing an eye. Indeed, both of his eyes were--and are--intact. His left eye was "stronger" than his right, so for about a year he wore a patch over his strong eye to strengthen his weak eye. Such a prescription seems primitive, but it worked.]

Scared to My Senses

I was scared to my senses--a wake-up call, if you will--when I stepped onto the scale this morning.

I bought a nice digital scale with the intention of keeping track of my weight. But if I didn't step on that scale, I didn't have to face my problem. And I haven't faced my problem for months.

When the display blinked 184.5, I suddenly felt sick. I wondered how I could let myself gain so much weight and not notice it. "I just feel bloated. I'm not really fat," I always reason.

Wrong. Dead wrong. I am not just bloated. I am overweight--if not outright fat.

My beautiful wife deserves better than this. I need to take care of myself... for her, if not for me.

I need to do something. Seriously. Now.

The first plans of action are to up my workouts from two half-hour sessions per week to five one-hour sessions, and go on a serious diet. Fruit and salads, here I come!

Friday, December 15, 2006

'scaping the Net

Thanks to Wil Wheaton, I joined Netscape which has been reinvented as an user-driven news portal. It's ugly as sin, but if you do join, add me as a friend.

Speaking of ugly as sin, what is it with all of these über-popular sites (e.g. MySpace) that don't give a damn about aesthetics?

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Keeping Up With Iraq

Okay, so I admit it. I haven't followed the war in Iraq. At all. I feel a bit ashamed of my apparent indifference to a war that will most likely go down in the books as the next Viet Nam.

If I'm not going to go as far as speaking my mind to anyone who will listen, I may as well keep myself informed, just in case someone asks for something more than a shrug of the shoulders. But where can I get the latest, accurate information, preferably sans Bush-bashing? Not that I like Bush--I don't--but enough already!

Fortunately, I think I may have found my preferred source of the latest info in the form of the oddly named IraqSlogger.com. When I figure out what the heck the name means, I'll let you know.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Monday, December 11, 2006

It's Good Milk



No, they're not talking about milk in this Huell Howser: The Drinking Game. And they forgot a rule: Every time Huell says "because"... take a drink. Oh wait. That game wouldn't last very long.

Friday, December 08, 2006

Here's to Our Health!

Christy woke up worrying about our health, so we agreed to help each other work towards a healthier lifestyle. I, for one, am looking into a couple things that might help: iTrain.com
and the Zone Diet
. I need definite plans for both eating and exercise if this is going to work. We'll see how it goes.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Smell That? Nope.

Thank God the cruelty has ended....

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Woo-Hoo!

I made my first sale. Granted, it was basically handed to me, but it still feels good. Especially since I talked the advertiser up from a $300 campaign to a $500 one. Not to mention, the print reps get handed sales all the time, so it's only fair. Nyah, nah, na-nah, nah! :P

This sale will take some pressure off of me. Plus, with other sales very likely for January, things are starting to look up. Whew!

Monday, December 04, 2006

Try It, You'll Like It

Karma works. Try it.

Smell That?

This is cruel. So cruel.

In other news, after about five days of celebrating Christy's birthday, I'm a bit wiped out. But we had so much fun! It was totally worth it. But this sets a high standard for next year....

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Stabilizing Iraq

It’s not often that I write about politics, but after reading just the first couple paragraphs of this AP article on PE.com, I had to comment. According to the article, Bush is not going to withdraw our troops from Iraq until the country is "stabilized". First of all, what is his criteria for or definition of a stabilized Iraq? And, perhaps more importantly, will Iraq ever be in any degree of stability? Not likely.

Sorry, boys. You’re not coming home. Ever.

Monday, November 27, 2006

The State of the Sweetums Address

It is November 27, which means that I have two days to find my journal and write my annual State of the Sweetums report. I made up that name just now, but there really is a journal (several, actually) and I really do comment upon my life every birthday. Unfortunately, I have papers to grade right now, so the journal will have to wait.

I considered writing my annual birthday entry in this blog, but I have decided that the information likely to be contained within may be so explosive as to affect the lives of all who read it, and for all our sakes, it must remain sub rosa. I just made that up, too. I have no secrets, really. But I could make up one of those, as well.

I think that my tendency toward procrastination and my job as a writing instructor do not match up well. However, neither is likely to change, so we must press on.

Anyway....

Monday, November 20, 2006

"Money for nothing..."

Sometimes I can’t believe I’m getting paid for the work I do. In many regards, it’s the second easiest job I’ve ever had. (Now, Crown Books was eeeasy! And it paid accordingly.) There are difficulties and frustrations, but I’m pretty darn happy overall!

It's That Time of Year

Yes, it's wishlist time! Thanks to Kaboodle, you can view the last couple items in my wishlist in the little box over on the left, or the entire list here. Check it out and buy me something cool!

Friday, November 17, 2006

Reality TV Star

Sometimes at work I feel like the reality TV star that comes in late in the season, never quite fitting in.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Bandwidth Thief

Bandwidth thief that I am, I'm blogging in Redlands thanks to some poor unsuspecting wireless broadband customer. I don't feel bad. It's not like a person says, "Hey, where did I put my bandwidth? You know, I think it must be stolen!"

I've had a good day of prospecting out in the field for a change, as opposed to sitting in the office all day making cold calls. It feels so much more productive this way. Some reps hate doing walk-ins, but I love them. Well, I love them as much as anyone can love talking to a complete stranger.

At any rate, I just thought that I would mention how you can help our Happiness Fund grow! Do you see that little ad over on the left? If it interests you, click on it and buy something! Christy and I get a small commission, which will be deposited directly into our Happiness Fund. I've added several companies with whom I either already do business or will very soon, so you can rest assured they are good.

Well, my shady spot keeps moving, so I think that's my cue to head back to the office.

We're Lifers Now

Well, in the battle of the virtual worlds, Second Life has won not only my vote, but it also got Christy hooked in! One minute she was watching me play, and the next she had downloaded, installed and started playing it herself. I’m impressed.

I liked the idea and the look of GaiaOnline.com, but it’s just too buggy to be any fun. It seems like it’s in alpha testing! Not to mention, there wasn’t enough activity in the “world” to keep my interest.

So it looks like Christy and I are Lifers now. See you in Muhalu….

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Doctor Who Toys are Taking Over the World

Need a Pit Stop? Go to Times Square!

Yes, apparently for the holiday season, Charmin is sponsoring a 20-stall restroom, complete with attendants, in the middle of Times Square.

 

In other news, GaiaOnline.com appears to be very buggy. Though I haven’t given up on it (yet), I started my Second Life. It looks pretty cool, but it runs a little slow on my non-gaming-ready laptop. It seems to me that There ran much more smoothly. I would switch back, but Second Life appears to be it. But, you know, anything beats MySpace….

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

A Whole New World


I may be dropping City of Heroes for GaiaOnline.com. I just signed up and look how cute I am! Sites like this put MySpace to shame. I can't wait to actually dress my new self!

Thursday, November 09, 2006

They're Not Toys...

… they’re our readers. Collect them all!

Wow. The Sydney Morning Herald actually had a set of toy figures made representing the diversity of their readers. And this has got to be one of the cutest sites I’ve ever seen. Ah, those Australians….

Friday, November 03, 2006

Working Today for Tomorrow's Payday

I haven’t discussed work very much lately. I’ve been feeling a lot of frustration and discouragement. I knew this would be a challenge, but it’s downright hard!

I came into this job with little in the way of structure. “You’re the guinea pig,” they warned me. With essentially no sales materials to speak of, I am expected to go out and sell online advertising. That’s tough. You try it.

Well, needless to say, after nearly three months of this, I am discouraged. But I have hope. Today, I met with one of the long-time online sales reps. Not only did she have some good suggestions for me, but she also made me see that it’s a struggle for everyone. We’re all in the same boat, and all we can do is work together as a team. We’re all learning together and the only way we can fail is if we don’t persevere.

Oh, and you know what? That works for life, too.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Dozing to Zen

Last night, with Christy’s approval, I picked up a Creative Zen V, a nifty little white-with-red-trim 1gb MP3 player. We had talked about getting matching iPods to act as encouragement for going to the gym, but I’m perfectly happy with something-less-than-an-Apple-product (i.e. something less expensive). I brought it to work, and although one of the other employees doesn’t hesitate to plug in his ear buds, I waited for my break to do so. As a result, I spent about an hour dozing in my car to the ultimate best-of collection.

 

Expect a full review after I’ve had a chance to put it through its paces.

God Bless KDOC, the NHL & Google!

Suffering from hockey withdrawal due to our lack of anything more than network TV, I was very happy to discover that some Anaheim Ducks games air on KDOC. But I was ecstatic when I read that the NHL and Google have partnered to make all the games available on Google Video! I think this may just be for a limited time, but at least I can get my fix for now. If only I was at home to watch some hockey!!! Being a responsible, working adult sucks. Ha!

 

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Starting My Day Right (On The Web)

I've been a happy user of Google's customizable start page. But in one of the dozen or so marketing/advertising email newsletters I receive at work now, I read about:

NetVibes.com
ProtoPage.com
PageFlakes.com

I am tooling around with all three, but I have to say that I just really love the look of ProtoPage. It's certainly not the most functional of the three, but man, I sure wouldn't mind starting my day by looking at that! Nice....

Also, to my delight, I found out that I can get paid to blog! Yep, thanks to PayPerPost.com, I can get paid an average of $5 per blog post... and I would only have to sell out just a wee bit. Okay, a lot. But hey, I'll take money for my writing whenever and however I can get it! Now, if they'll only approve this blog....

Yes, Christy's right. I have gone mad with this Tivo thing. It's wonderful. Oh, and what she didn't mention is that I can transfer the shows from our Tivo box to my laptop. Then, with a quick copy to my flash (thumb, USB, et al) drive, I can watch TV on my break at work! (Now that I've finished watching Season One of the new Doctor Who during my lunch hours, I'm free to start watching my Tivo'ed shows.)

I... LOVE... THE NEW... DOCTOR WHO!!!

Lastly but not leastly, I am very happy watching movies on Starz Ticket.

Who needs cable with all of this other exciting technology?!?

G'night!

Sunday, October 29, 2006

I (inadvertantly) lied

Last time I said that we don't watch that much television. However, Gregory has gone completely insane over the Tivo. He records nearly everything in the world. I caught him recording the teen sensation (I think) One Tree Hill. Our Now Playing list is quite eventful, and this is without cable. I can only imagine what life would be like with access to BBC America--even I would go crazy over that. But it's rather amusing how he's become a Tivo fiend, and I'm quite enjoying it. I'm a little surprised that he's not in here watching it right now, but I think it's because I'm supposed to be working. I fully intend to get back to grading papers when I'm done with the blog.

In completely unrelated news, Bertram tries to open the door for us when we get home. If he is in the window and sees us coming, we wait for him to disappear and moments later we the little click of his paw (or possibly head) on the doorknob. It is the cutest thing ever, and it lessens his evilness quite a bit. Actually, the little tyke's been behaving very well, for him, so I shouldn't say that he's evil. But we all know he is, in a loveable kind of way.

Monday, October 23, 2006

He's Slipping!

Well, since Gregory seems to be slipping in his blogging duties, I will have to step up to the plate! Right now we are watching Heroes (actually it's commercial time). We are watching on our new Tivo, which we fully expect to revolutionize the way we watch television. It's funny, though, because we really don't watch that much television. But we do need to keep up with our Days of our Lives, Gilmore Girls, and Heroes, and whatever else strikes us.

Sylvan is out of my life, at least for a while. More on this later.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Comments

Due to popular demand, I have fixed the comments feature so you don't have to register to leave a comment. Sorry, I should have done this a long time ago!

Feeling Super(human)

It's like I'm a kid again! I've suddenly gotten back into comic books. I'm now a proud subscriber of Moon Knight. I'm fighting the inevitable addiction to City of Heroes. And I am glued to the TV every Monday at 9PM to watch Heroes on NBC. This, hopefully, explains why I haven't been posting on a regular basis lately.

Speaking of Heroes, there is an article you won't believe in Defamer about how a garbage disposal--In-Sink-Erator in particular--cannot possibly mangle someone's hand if they were to thrust said hand into the device.

On another subject, I'm getting the itch of self-employment again. But Christy and I talked about it and we don't want me to engage in any activities that could jeopardize my employment with The Press-Enterprise. I have to say I'm a bit disappointed, but I'll get over it. Christy's point is valid, as what I had in mind could be construed as being a conflict of interests. Oh well. One day I will be self-employed again.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Chocolate Pudding

It is late. Gregory sleeps. He is the only one who can truly appreciate the state of my brain right now, but I shall try to explain it to the hoi polloi. I now have three part time jobs. I live the life of the true commuter and the adjunct instructor without one college to call her own (yet). I work in Moreno Valley, Norco, and San Bernardino, and I live in Riverside. This strikes me as somewhat insane, though I know of several intelligent people who have survived the same kind of lifestyle (and worse) and are now thriving in full time tenure track positions.

Our friend Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) noted, "The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug." Or was it "the lightning bug and lightning"? Anyways, the absolute best and most precise words to describe my brain are "chocolate pudding." Mushy and ill formed, perhaps, but mighty TASTY...

Bertram bit Gregory and I cleansed and covered his wounds. (Hello, Nurse!) Bertram is an evil kitty. We love him so.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

REAL DSL!

We finally have our own REAL DSL! Yippee!

Work is great. I love it.

But right now, Christy and I are watching Days of Our Lives. Okay, so I like it. Give me a break.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Bertram in the Bathroom

For reasons unknown to me, I have not posted in a while. I guess I'm just not a good blogger....Bertram is currently in the bathroom meowing because he wants to come through the bedroom and go out on the patio. He's a little out of his head, because he just came in from the patio. Like Depeche Mode, he just can't get enough.

A while ago he was knocking on the door. I'm not yet sure how he does it, but he knocks on the bedroom door now.

And that's really all I have to say about that. (I didn't mean to quote from Forrest Gump just then. It just happened.)

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Workin' the Birthday

Tomorrow is B-Day 34. Yup, and I'm working. But that's okay. My department is throwing me a birthday lunch, catered by Quizno's. It's very nice of them, but it puts us all in the uncomfortable position of celebrating my birthday like they know me. It's a little weird. But I'm sure it will be a good time, nonetheless.

Yesterday I missed my first day of work with what I believe was food poisoning. I felt really guilty calling in sick, especially since I asked for this Friday off for my second birthday celebration; this one with Christy. (Then there's my family celebration on Saturday, and Christy's family celebration on Sunday. Whew! I'm too old for this.) I don't know if it's residual from the food poisoning, but I have a huge headache right now. I need to lie down for a while before Christy gets home from work.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

If You Love Your Books...

... set them free!

I just joined BookCrossing, and I'm thinking Christy will do the same shortly. (When she gets the invite I emailed to her!) I encourage you to join, as well.

Here's the idea: After reading a book, you slap a label on it and leave it in a public place. The label allows the book to be tracked. Then, you can follow your book's journey on the BookCrossing website!

You can also use the web site to track down books that may have been set free in your area. And, of course, you can interact with other BookCrossing users.

What a great idea! I can't wait to get started. Now, which book will get the boot first?

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

YouTube Addict

So, I have become a YouTube addict. I went on a spree of watching and commenting on videos. But guess what? YouTube tells me "You've made several comments recently, so wait a while before you make any more." What is that?!? Here I am being a productive member of the YouTube community and they shut me down? Hrumph!

Wedding Announcement & Photo

Our Wedding Announcement is online! (I'm at work, so this had to be ultra-brief.)

Saturday, September 02, 2006

YouTube Debut

Bertram hits the airwaves on YouTube:

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Proving a Dream

We have two pieces of evidence that confirm that our dream is, in fact, a reality:

1. We finally received our marriage certificate in the mail, and

2. we finally were able to watch our wedding DVD last night!

My little brother Eric and family friend Vito did a spectacular job on the DVD, and the wedding photos (most of which we also have yet to see) that were included in the montage at the end were beautifully photographed by Christy's brother Gabe. I, personally, am extremely excited to see the rest of the photos now, as I'm sure Christy is, as well. The ones we've seen so far are truly gorgeous!

Well, it's time to take care of the pets. Bertram is crying in the living room and wants to go out on the patio. That, really, is the safest place for him. He can only get in so much trouble out there....

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Poor Excuse for an Update

Haven't posted in a long time. I've been busy getting used to the new job and am adjusting to waking up early again. But I just thought I'd drop in to let everyone know that everything is great. I am loving the new job, even though there is a steep learning curve. Working for a big company makes me feel like I'm in an episode of The Office. I had no idea that life in a cubicle was really how it's portrayed in the movies. Sometimes art imitates life, I guess.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Eggie-weggie

Poor Gregory has passed out, right in the middle of my reading of MSN's list of the best egg brunch dishes. It's okay, though. He's put in a long, lovely week--plus there were no Eggs Benedict recipes anywhere on the list. (Eggie-weggie--or is it eggy-weggy?) They did have a nice-looking frittata (I think I spelled it correctly), which reminded me that I have a healthful frittata recipe I've been wanting to try.

Speaking of cooking [segue music here], I made Greg the Egg a special dinner when he got home from work: homemade BRC's. If you don't know what a BRC is, perhaps you should take this time to find out. Go now. If you do know what a BRC is, read on. Anyway, I used Trader Joe's organic pinto beans, TJ's Spanish rice, TJ's Handmade Tortillas, and TJ tortilla chips. And of course, cheese. (But not from Trader Joe's. Sad.) Anyway, such activities make me feel like a good wife. Omigod, I'm like totally a wife now...

First Week... Check!

Yes, the first week of my new job is complete. What a wonderful feeling! What a wonderful week. I am so happy with this job, I can't begin to explain. This is the first job I've had that makes me feel important. I will be the online "expert" for the San Bernardino office of The Press-Enterprise. It's going to be hard work, with some long days, but I am going to bust my backside to do a fantastic job. I want so badly to deserve this job. I know I can do it. Watch me.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Working... and Loving It!

I am so happy with my new job at The Press-Enterprise! Today was my second day and all is well... very well. I am truly going to love this job. There's a lot to learn, but by all accounts I am catching on quickly.

Unfortunately, until I am used to working again (i.e. getting up early), I won't have much time to post during the week. Today, I came home from work, spent a little time trying to reinstall Norton Antivirus after I had to reinstall WinXP (something was causing my system to run very choppy; reinstalling WinXP was the only solution I could find on the 'net), then promptly fell asleep. I didn't wake up until Christy came home. I suspect something similar might occur tomorrow.

At any rate, I will try to keep you all updated as regularly as I can. But now, I am off to find a fix for Norton.

[Wow, I can't believe you read this whole post. It's really quite boring, to tell you the truth. I promise to do better next time.]

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Seven Cats For Two Sweetums

I failed to mention that Christy and I are taking care of our friends' seven cats for the next few days. It's interesting, the dynamic created when you stick a bunch of cats in one house. Each one has such a different personality. Makes me (almost) want to get Bertram a friend... almost.

Well, they're setting up another one of those damn meetings here at Borders. I may head over to the Starbucks in Moreno Valley before meeting with Christy to go take care of the cats. But we'll see....

Finally!

After passing the drug test and physical with flying colors on Tuesday, The Press-Enterprise has finally set up my start date and orientation: August 7th. So the vacation continues a while longer.

The other day, Christy and I bought me a bunch of new clothes for the job. I'm going to look sharp!

I wish I could get a new car, as my current one is going to be driven into the ground with all the driving. I'm looking at something more practical, something that we would have room to actually carry stuff in. My first choice of a Toyota Tacoma was shot down due to the poor gas mileage. The Matrix is a possibility, but contrary to what Toyota says ("loads of cargo space"), I'm not sure it has enough storage space to make it worth the funky look. One is almost tempted to go with the boring-but-trustworthy Corolla, or--dare I say it?--look at other manufacturers. But this decision is moot for now; Christy suggests we wait for a while.

In the meantime, I've ordered another faceplate for my car stereo. Got a great deal on eBay for $25 including shipping! (The manufacturer wants $129.83 for a new one.) Since the original faceplate was stolen, I've been using the FM transmitter feature of my Sirius satellite radio paired with a small, mono AM/FM radio. Crappy sound, but I've gotten used to it. I can't wait to get the new faceplate, possibly in time for the drive to my first day of work.

Anyway, now I'm just rambling. In summary: I start work on the 7th.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Mmmm... Donuts!

You Are a Glazed Donut

Okay, you know that you're plain - and you're cool with that.
You prefer not to let anything distract from your sweetness.
Your appeal is understated yet universal. Everyone dig you.
And in a pinch, you'll probably get eaten.

The Bowl is Alive...

... with The Sound of Music!

Last night, Christy and I went to the Hollywood Bowl to see The Sound of Music. We were in the very back section--the $8 seats--but it was still wonderful. However, we did miss the first hour or so, after our poor LA navigational skills took their toll. What a confusing city!

Before last night, I had thought what a wonderful place LA must be to live. But now I think it would take a lot of getting used to. Whereas NYC is compact and relatively easy to navigate (most of the streets are numbered, for crying out loud), LA is sprawling and winding and not visitor-friendly.

I would still like to get to know LA on now-and-then basis. There is so much to see. And Huell Howser lives there....

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Audio @ ChristyAndGreg.com

For those of you that only have this blog bookmarked, and not our website itself, be sure to check the site for new content (e.g. pictures, audio, etc.). I've just added audio to ChristyAndGreg.com!

Husband Typing, Wife Sleeping

This post is for no good reason other than the fact that the free broadband is actually working for a change. When I find such rare cases, I just go on a downloading spree to celebrate.

And speaking of celebrating, I should splurge and get cable broadband. (We've thought about DSL, but it would involve switching phone service providers from MCI to AT&T.) Maybe I'll look into some Charter Communications alternatives.

It's nice to sleep in with a relaxed mind. Having a job, a good job, is a huge relief, and I'm allowing myself some time to recover from all of the stress of the job search.

Of course, this forced vacation is probably extended by a couple of weeks as I wait for work to start. And though I have a job in hand, I'd much rather get right to work. After all, the sooner I get to work, the sooner I will be comfortable in my new occupation.

Christy, meanwhile, sleeps on....

My Precious

Yes, my precious, my job, it's all mine. Mine! My precious.... Woops, I slipped into Golem mode there, sorry.

I GOT THE JOB!!!

Next step: Wait for them to call me to schedule a physical/drug test. They should call on Monday.

Sorry, I am just completely wiped out from all the nerves and excitement. What a day!

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Setting the Hoop On Fire...

... and jumping through it with bells on!

I went through what I believe is the final hoop for The Press Enterprise job. I had to go in this morning to meet with the rest of the staff and see if I "fit". Well, in my mind, I fit like a glove! It went very, very well. I am really excited.

My excitement isn't limited to the job itself, or even the money(!), but perhaps most of all I finally feel that maybe, just maybe, I deserve all Christy gives me. Even though she's my wife now, I still find it hard to accept that I deserve someone who any man would be extremely lucky to have in his life.

But she chose me! That just goes to show how much faith she has in me. I am trying harder and harder every day to make her belief in me justified. If I get this job, her pride in being married to me will have paid off... maybe. (She's really proud of me and I'm never quite sure why.)

At any rate, I should find out if I got the job tomorrow. Bobbi, my will-be supervisor, said if she doesn't call by late tomorrow to go ahead and give her a call. That, dear readers, sounds promising!

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. It won't be forgotten.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Hair--Not the Musical

Speaking of musicals, on Friday we are going to the Hollywood Bowl to see The Sound of Music! I can't quite believe this, but I have married a man who has not seen Julie Andrews in the classic film, which happens to be one of my favorite movies. I'm going to try to get him to watch it in preparation for the live show.

But anyway...I did get my hair cut and Sweetums (Gregory) did go with me, and we did eat at Simple Simon's afterward. The hair, I must say, is rather cute and the sandwiches were wonderful, chased by a shared triangle of shortbread.

I will go now so that Sweetums can properly go to sleep and be rested for his interview tomorrow (see previous posting). Southpark is on and the kids are fighting the Civil War, and poor tired Gregory sleeps...

One... More... Hoop

Yes, the interview process for The Press Enterprise job is not over. They asked me to come in one last time to have the rest of the staff of the office in which I would be placed (San Bernardino) meet and interview me. This is good and bad. Bad because it's yet another hoop which I must jump through, another thing to emotionally tie me to this job opportunity. (If I don't get it after all of this, I will truly be devastated!!!) The good news is that having gotten this far probably means I will have little about which to be devastated.

I really do think the job is mine (all mine, my precious!), that this is almost just a formality. I think I'd have to turn psychotic--in addition to being late for the 9AM appointment--to not get the job at this point.

Wish me luck. Good news, I'm sure, is on the way....

Waiting for an Answer

Okay, so the interview--the third and last--at The Press Enterprise went really well. Now it's just a matter of waiting until the end of the week for them to decide.

I hate waiting.

I am going with Christy to get her hair cut. She had grown it out for the wedding, and now it's time to get it cut, I guess. Of course, I love it long--the longer the better, I say--but she'll be really cute with shorter hair as well. I just hope her hairdresser doesn't decide to go too short.

I may take my laptop when we go, as her hairdresser is downtown in prime--and free--wifi territory. But apparently it doesn't take all that long, so I may not bother. I can always go out and about when Christy leaves for work. If that's the case, I'll be able to do an audiopost using Odeo.

At any rate, I'll be sure to update when I find out about the job....

Monday, July 24, 2006

Today's the Day

I have my third interview at The Press Enterprise today. I should be sleeping right now, but I wanted to check out the web site in a little more depth for my interview. Research for a (very) possible job is a good excuse; admittedly, the Vanilla Chai Spice French Market Coffee & Chicory has something to do with it, as well. (The creamer smells like eggnog! Dangerous.)

I hope Christy will take a moment to post in here now and then. She's the more practical of the two of us, so blogging isn't high on her list, as it is on mine. Maybe if everyone harrasses her with emails, she can be prodded into making her first entry! Haha....

Friday, July 21, 2006

Four Years

Having just recently celebrated our One-Month Wedding Anniversary, today we now celebrate four years of being together! Four years. It seems like it's been a lot longer than that, and yet it all seems so very fresh and new.

I really am loving life right now. Especially since I just heard back about the third interview for The Press Enterprise job I've been hoping for. If you haven't been following the story, it's detailed in my old blog.

Christy wants to check her email, so I better write more later.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Announcing... Christina & Gregory Short!

Welcome to our marriage... er, I mean, web site. This web site will be updated frequently with news, info, opinions, ideas, photos, audio and much more from our daily lives as a newly married couple.

Though we fully expect friends and family to bookmark our new web site, we hope the casual stranger just clicking by will stop a moment and check out all the cool stuff, as well. With two writers sharing the duties here, you're bound to find some good reading, if nothing else. We're both a little odd, so it should be amusing.

There's still a lot of work to do on the site... but first, we're off to celebrate my brother Daryl's 36th birthday! Happy Birthday, Daryl!