Linky Links

I have a few links for all you readers. I know it's not really what a blog is for, but at least I didn't send you a forward with the links shoved in there. Count your blessings.

The first is the picture of now world-famous Stuart on stuffonmycat.com:

Stuart's Halloween Candy

Once again, musical genius, Deb Whalen has introduced me to another absolutely perfect song:

The Postal Service, "Such Great Heights"

And, as if that weren't enough, Ben Folds does a live cover of it on Australian radio:

Ben Folds, "Such Great Heights"

In "M.D.S." related news: Engagement plans are in the works for my beautiful sidekick and myself. In case she happens to read this, I think I'm planning on proposing as soon as the Tim Horton's opens. I figure we could go get some doughnuts, coffee and hash browns. Then I could profess my love in the most romantic place ever: a fast food/coffee shop named after a Canadian hockey player. If I did it before we completed our order, though, maybe they'd give us a discount. That's the ticket!

Additionally it seems like we'll both be heading to Millersburg this weekend to help move future mother-in-law and father-in-law into their new home.

Son-In-Laws = Cheap Labor. We work for food and parental approval.

-M.D.S. AWAY!

Report of the North-land

It wasn't that cold. I spent an amazing amount of time talking about Belfast, Northern Ireland. I had no idea I had that much to say about it. My throat is froggy from all that jib-jabbing. Another success (in addition to making all my connecting flights-which was no small task) was successfully checking a backpack that contained both Spinach Punjab simmer sauce and a can of marinara sauce and having them successfully make it to Toledo moderately unharmed.

That's right, gentle readers, BE AWARE: If you fly on an American airline you are now NO LONGER allowed more than three fluid ounces of gels, pastes, or liquids. This, of course, includes all manner of simmer sauces and tomato pastes. I suppose the fear is that through some application of scientific knowledge I could somehow have made either:

A) Spaghetti (a truly tasty, edible object on an airplane flight has been, if not forbidden, certainly taboo for decades)
B) Some sort of concentrated super-acid which might have been used to blind the flight attendants and also to burn through the cabin door locking mechanism allowing me unfettered access to a machine I am wholly incapable of operating successfully.

After days of academic inertia, my slight lead on this semester's work has been handily erased. I am now, if not behind, than barely keeping my head above water. To avoid detrimental laziness I must steal myself away to begin work on a paper for my social marketing course.

-M.D.S. Away!

"Bbbrrrr" ...Here I come.

Tomorrow I am flying to Minnesota. I think it's supposed to snow. When I came into the office today, my former office-mate, Jamie was telling me about his latest conference trip (last week) to South Carolina. I am notably jealous.

For my international readers who may not be up on their U.S. geography (or for my U.S. readers who are similarly globally impaired), Minnesota is “The Land of 10,000 Lakes”. All of which are currently frozen over. Did you see Grumpy Old Men? It was about ice fishing retirees who were feuding. That movie took place in Minnesota, in July. It's like Canada, Jr. up there! Hell, it practically is Canada, if it were slightly more French. On the upside, they are the only state (as far as I know) to elect a former professional wrestler (yes, just like Terry “Hulk” Hogan and “The Macho Man” Randy Savage) as their governor.

South Carolina, on the other hand is where my grandparents live. It is warm and calm and full of churches and lunch platter specials. They would never dream of living in a state whose state drink is "ice", or who would place someone who knows how to reverse a pile driver into a choke slam into the governor's chair. They're much more sensible (and warm) than that.

-M.D.S.

Short Week

Two days off Columbus Day plus one extra day apparently makes a "Fall Break". Monday my sister and her daughter came up for some breakfast. Later that afternoon, Super Hero Colleague Man and I made a fantastic voyage to White Castle in Toledo for a much-anticipated luncheon. We had a fine time. Tuesday was a day of work, preparing supper, and watching movies. All in all, a good break for the M.D.S. Today I'm back at the TV station, working hard (on my blog, clearly).

This weekend, Side Kick Extraordinaire Woman and I went engagement ring shopping. It was a pretty good experience and I think we've narrowed down the field to "affordable" and "so laughably expensive you simply respond 'mmm...that's beautiful, but not really what we're looking for'."

This weekend I'm being flown to Minnesota for a speaking engagement at a Presby Mission Do-Wop. That should be quite the good time. There will be a good number of former Y.A.V.s in attendance, including doppelganger, Brenton Thompson, A & M-ary Weeks, and others.

Well, I think I'm just about done "working" so I'll be heading home now.

M.D.S. AWAY!