Chapter 205 ~ Slight Aftermath.

So... while Roboter's visit was rather short [arriving on Friday, leaving back for New York yesterday], much was accomplished. Though not as much as I had hoped... still, there were a good few things that were taken care of.

For one, Roboter got to meet the parents--on BOTH sides of the matter! He survived rather well the visit with Dad and Stepmom, and he got to play a couple of fun rounds of Uno [best. card. game. EVER.] and caught on quick! Dad told me as I was taking care of my laundry that he thought Roboter "is a nice guy." Now... imagine how thrilled I was... hee! Roboter also got to meet Grandpa Jim, and the two talked of World War II, which both Grandpa Jim AND Roboter's dad both took part in. I was rather excited [and happy as hell, to be honest] as I watched and listened in on the conversation, which unfolded at the Dinner Table.

Monday was also the starting point for my Mom's journey to Chicago--yes, she and Stepdad are moving to Chicago! They visited me and my brother Robbie on Monday afternoon and also met Roboter. Needless to say everyone got on along rather well. And of course, Robbie... the typical smartass that he is. But, as I said, everyone got along very well. I was pleasantly surprised!

Friday was when Roboter arrived into town--the poor thing! >.< I don't blame him for having a proper panic over driving in Florida... for one I'd had my share of its hells. But, he made it in one piece... he flew in to Orlando. I'm just glad and thankful he was able to arrive in one piece!!

Saturday we mostly hung around the apartment, not much went on. Except for extra sleep. Sleeping in was definitely in order, especially after one helluva week that led to it. I for one was rather exhausted by Friday afternoon when I clocked out at work. *sigh*

My 'adopted' big brother Ani also got to meet Roboter at Church on Sunday--though I didn't get to see much of it because I was inbetween being the Chorister and being the Carilloneur [yes, I was on Carillon duty Sunday, Corky was out of town]. But apparently all kinda went well, or so that's what I'm thinking from what Roboter told me about meeting Ani. *shrug*

Oh and... I am now a newbie fan of... well... this...

Top Gear ~ The Vietnam Challenge... Part 1!

So... yes, I am a fan of Top Gear as of recently. What?

Yesterday was the longest. day. EVER. Roboter took me to work in the morning before having to catch the flight back home to spend some time with his parents. Work was kinda... well... bleah. It didn't take long for me to miss him already. And then last night, Kids Night... I now do this by myself. Last night was the first night I was in charge of it, and taking on that by myself... oh my God. It didn't take me too long before I got into a proper panic about it, because the 6-7 P.M. hour was extremely chaotic. In short, 15 kids... all. at. once. Needless to say I was drop-dead-exhausted by the time it was time to put the pics together on the wall at 8:15 P.M. And I was still exhausted when I got to work this morning. As you can tell, however, I did survive--otherwise I wouldn't be blogging about it, right?

Oh and... I am officially happy to say that, Siren has FINALLY realised that, there is no such thing as a second chance for him! Oh don't get me wrong--do y'all have any damn clue as to just how long it's taken for him to realise the fact of the matter that, I don't love him anymore! At all! But he sure wanted to try to throw some two cents early on last week before trying to pursuade me to consider that second chance. And I'm sure he must've thought I wasn't serious when I told him "No" at least three times... but, as I haven't heard from him since Monday afternoon, when I told him that I don't trust him with my heart anymore [which, as y'all know, is SO true], I think it's safe to say that I finally got through to him. That, as of now, has been the biggest accomplishment of the time Roboter was here, hands down, because Roboter was there to help keep my chin up through it all.

Sooo... all in all, I had been very busy. And between the anxiety of the visit between Roboter and I, I think we were definitely able to enjoy each other's company. But now... things resume some sense of normalcy. Except, the loneliness hurts just a little more now, because of the time spent together with him. However, we still have much to tend to... yet we still have each other. It's hard to explain, but I do think our time spent together was time well spent. We're happy... that's probably all that matters now, right?

Tomorrow is the next Thursday Tradition--I'm not saying who it is... wait. Did I even mention anything about it...? No... aw hell... I'm sure I'll think of something. Some band or another. Like... maybe... oh, I don't know... maybe... erm... Better Than Ezra? Yeah! that's it! Better Than Ezra, and Semisonic 'cause I owe one on 'em too. So it'll be a double-feature on tomorrow's Thursday Tradition here in the Underground! Okay, it's official--I am psyched for this!

And on that minor bombshell, Until the nex--

oh shoot. I almost forgot.



And on THAT minor bombshell... Until the next round...

~ me

Chapter 198 ~ What a Holiday!!

Sooo... I'm back... and on a freckin' laptop!! Got a laptop [from "Santa" --alias the parents] for Christmas as well as a Doctor Who shirt [from Roboter], some Hanukkah presents from the gang at the Temple, and lots of cards! *LOL* The Christmas Eve service went alright as well, and Choirmaster Peter forgave me kindly for my lack of alertness during one part of the Prelude and the sermon--he knew I had a long day and didn't get to recharge my batteries any!

In other news, surprisingly... Morrissey's got a gig at the Hard Rock Live, Sunday 1 March 2009... and I'm going... and my pal Ry's going with me! I'M GONNA GO SEE MORRISSEY FOR THE SECOND TIME LIVE!! *squee!!*

And finally, tomorrow's the final day of 2008--and good God almighty has it been a long one! So, looking back on some of the finest moments for me here...

To start, the Top 12 Pictures of 2008 ~

January [103rd Floor, Sears Tower, Chicago]


February [about an hour after the break-up with Hikari; you'd never guess I was crying an hour prior to taking this pic]


March [Saint Patrick's resident leprepunk]


April [Oakdale Cemetery, DeLand]


May [pipes from the Visser-Rowland organ at church, Pentecost Sunday ~ Remix of the Year]


June [Sissy-Boo wearing my work tie]


July [Independence Day]


August [Presbyterian Church bell tower, Celebration]


September [decorating for People Day at work]


October [the Carillon at the church]


November [Hilton Head Island, South Carolina]


December [Christmas Candlelight Concert]


Other whimsical memories--from Roboter's two cents' worth, in my words--
The two or three 8-hour conversations on the phone.
Reconnecting back in March, where it all began a second time around.
Our 1-year anniversary in October.
The letters and cards sent and received.
Our Birthdays, and workdays good and bad.
Roboter nearly getting struck by lightning.
And at another point taping storms while on the phone with me.
Late July, when we first told each other we love each other.
Kraftwerk, Doctor Who and Top Gear.
And last night--

--which is probably the closest to face-to-face as it's going to get!
And Sunday Night Vinyl, which is made of awesome.

Obviously I can't wait for tomorrow's final Blogpost of the year. And the final Random 20 Countdown of the year too, with a final Requiem prayer to start. Who's ready for the New Year?

~ me

Chapter 193 ~ Oh. My. God.

Okay, I'll admit it. What. a. week.

Monday I burned my finger. Bad. To the point where I decided it best to hide in my apartment the rest of the day and play nurse. Needless to say I couldn't get to a blog or write to save my life. And I couldn't get to the laundry.

Tuesday store manager Joel had me work on that darn Christmas tree at work. Finally. And yet, of all the days to have done so... In any case I got started fighting the tree lights and garlands at 2 in the afternoon; by the time all was said and done [between fighting the strings and buying the new treetopper and putting the whole damn tree together!], it was 6:30 P.M., almost 7. Manager Daniel and his sister Manager Veronica were very nice to take me home [and probably the proper repentance at it was at the fault of Daniel that I'd burned my finger on Monday!!]. After I got home I got to the laundry [with caution due to the finger], time was spent on the phone with Roboter but not for too long. Particularly due to exhaustion.

Wednesday had me working like a hellhound on Wild Turkey Lunch Rush, finishing up the tree, and no time for pre-Thanksgiving Day feast lunch whatsoever [the managers brought in food for the crew and Joel cooked a turkey in the grill oven]. Got home, got packed, got picked up by the parents, got dinner, and got out of town!!

Thursday was Thanksgiving Day here in America, spent in Hilton Head Island, in South Carolina, with the family and the Grandparents...
Taken in the room where I was staying, looking out the window.


Best wishes from the family!


Off to the beach with the family, which helped to make this the best Thanksgiving day, ever; the weather was, in a word, perfect...


My new pet Tom wanted some shells...












Grandma and Zach found some sand dollars too.




Yesterday, weatherwise it wasn't so great...


Tom wanted another souvenir photo so...


And for this one I did a color effect on the phone camera. Gave it a blueish tint.


Went to the Mall in another part of the Island with Addie and Mom...


You can't see it too well, but that's Saint Luke Episcopal Church across from our little area of the Island known as Shipyard.


Later on I went with Grandma and Addie to an area of the Island known as South Beach. NOT RELATED AT ALL to the overrated South Beach of Miami, Florida...


Grandma even got her two granddaughters some ice cream! Addie went for mint chocolate-chip, I opted for this tasty flavor: brownie-cheesecake. Yummy!!


This morning wasn't too bad, finally stopped raining.


At 9 A.M. this morning we set out for home! I took more pictures along the way and, mind you, it's NOT easy taking pictures with a cameraphone while in a moving van!!

Final shots of South Carolina:








Georgia:




Along the Georgia-Florida Border, our quick stop at a gas station which, with the gas station at this pic, was at $1.67 a gallon!!


Hi Florida, We're Baaaaack!!


Jacksonville, Florida:






A Super-Size can of 7-Up...!


Right around the center of the photo is, yes, a blimp.


This one's for Choirmaster Peter, who lives in Palatka. ^_^


Weight stations are lovin' it...


It's just SOOO good to be home!!


So there you have it, pictures to offer up for my weeklong absence! AND, tomorrow's the First Sunday of Advent, which means Service at 11 A.M. as usual. But wait--what the... OH YEAH! Evensong is at 4 P.M., Choir assembles for practice at 3. So I might get a chance to blog before the Evensong, because after that is the Choir party at Dr. Steeves' place. So this promises to be a very thrilling day tomorrow.

With that, apologies again about my week-long absence, I posted some pics. And here's two songs to crank up the volume to. I still have more of my to-do list to get done before tomorrow as I didn't get 'em done this week [Opacity holiday card exchange anyone?] AND I have dinner in less than two hours! Whew!!

This one's kinda more for Roboter. Uhm, anyone remember when I posted the edited version on the codename ~ TECHNO post some weeks back? Well, this one's the full version, basically. Roboter hun [and everyone for that matter], you have my full permission to crank this track up full blast...
"Who's Your Daddy" [original extended mix] - Benny Benassi


The other track was first heard in brief when I went to the DJ mix set with Benny Loco [Friday 24 May was the concert, Saturday 25 May was the blogpost, Chapter 130 (One By One I'll Knock Ya Out!!) which noted it]. I just finally found the full version of this remix. And to be honest, I'm thinking about making it my Remix of the Week.
"Get Innocuous!" [Soulwax remix] - LCD Soundsystem


And that's about it, the week in a nutshell! Belated Thanksgiving wishes to you and yours, and may God prosper us all as a new Church year begins with Advent I tomorrow.

--oh and yes, this week's Thursday Tradition will be a double-feature: The Sundays and... well... I don't quite know who yet... maybe Depeche Mode or Massive Attack or something...

Until the next round...

~ me

Chapter 189 ~ Between the Goth and the Funeral...

For some reason, I seem to have "Marian" by the Sisters of Mercy--yes, the Sisters of Mercy--replaying in my head. After yesterday being exhausting and today just plain irrationally upsetting, I think this might be the proper song of the day. I don't know why... it just, I don't know, it just seems appropriate. Maybe it's the music. Bit in any case, for all I know, it's replaying in my head. That and "Flood II" as well. I think a Sisters of Mercy spotlight might be in order for this week's Thursday Tradition.

Saturday I went to a tea party hosted by my two best friends in the Choir, and it was a quaint four hours of fun, tea and seriously good snacks. And I got to spend time with my two dear pals.

Sunday was the annual Church Fish Fry at the home of the Underhills. [Yes, the family name is Underhill. Don't even start with the jokes!] The Fish Fry was absolute fun, complete with hay rides, horses [thank you trudie for bringing 'em over!], and other surprises. Here are my favorite pics that were taken Sunday afternoon [all of 'em I'd sent to Roboter after I'd taken them, and the album in its entirety with the larger versions will be up tomorrow]...
Lake Daugherty, being the end of the Underhills' backyard!


Homemade vanilla ice cream!!


Trudie with her horse.


A game of badminton.


The boys-vs-girls Tug-o-War... which the girls won, by the way!


Time for a hay ride!!






Returned just in time to catch a pic of Deacon Nana on one of the horses.


And as things dwindled down, all in all a fun time was sure to be had by all.


This week it's all 5 A.M. to 1 P.M., Wednesday evening I have Discipleship class as usual, and Thursday being our favorite day of the week here with the music. But I'll also be busy preparing for what is, unfortunately, my fourth funeral this year. Last Wednesday, Store Manager Joel sent Grill Team member Elena home early so she could help take care of her father, who was very ill.

Sadly, word was received two days afterwards [last Friday] that her father had passed away.

So this Saturday, I'll be joining the funeral-attending team from our Store to be there for Elena at the funeral. I know, I don't really know the deceased, but this is my friend Elena here. She's in her late-20's... maybe early-30's? Still kinda young to lose a father. And I know it's going to be very difficult for me to go through this, but I have to be strong--if anything--for Elena's sake. Sure, I'll be emotionally spent by the time all this is over. Sure, I'm going to get all bent-up and half-past emo. And yes, chances are I'll need a Kleenix. I just don't do funerals very well. Yet I go through 'em anyway, as death is a part of life. But even Saint Paul got it right when he said--and mind you the Choir sang this as our anthem two days ago!!--

If we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also who sleep in Jesus,
will God bring with him.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
~ 1 Thessalonians 4: 14, 18
One thing more--and kinda saving this for last--Roboter's dad is a veteran. And as today IS Veterans' Day for us American Underground Citizens, I believe a proper moment of salute is in order for those who fought for the sake of our country and the freedom and liberty that we enjoy. So to Roboter's dad, and for those you Veterans who somehow come across this blog, I tip my hat in your direction and thank you for knowing and showing what it took, the sacrifices being made, the courage high when the odds were high enough. Cheers!!

In closing, and before I forget, and as a minor little preview for this week's Thursday Tradition, yes. One of the songs I heard on Sunday Night Vinyl [it was a special Sisters of Mercy edition], and probably the Song of the Week if I can't find "Marian"...
"Flood II" - Sisters of Mercy


*sigh* I suppose dinner is in order. I haven't eaten since breakfast, and I'm going to need it after a very long day spent in near-hell. Something to that effect. I can't be so entirely sure at the moment.

Until the next round...