joshuagriffis.com

“A marriage is always made up of two people who are prepared to swear that only the other one snores.”
Terry Pratchett

I picked the new 4th Edition Rule Books for Dungeons and Dragons last week and have been reading through the Player’s Handbook. Currently I’m mixed on what I’ve read. You can’t multi class till 10th level. A lousy DM might allow a 30th level fighter and significant chance to succeed at picking a lock. A lot skills have been condensed (for good and bad). You can customize character class powers to a decently granular level.

I’ll reserve final judgment until I play, but at this point playing 3.5 Edition with decent house rules might be the better option.

I couldn’t let this one slide.

Bless me father for I have lived. Its been a very long time since my last real blog session.

Obviously a lot has been going on in my life, which is why I haven’t been blogging. Like John, I’ve spent most of my free time doing some soul searching and trying to figure out what I want to do with my life, and obviously I’m not just talking about my professional career here.

For about the past year, I was officially whoring myself out on the internet. I joined eHarmony and went on dates with more than just few women. They were either insane, flighty, or just plain had nothing in common with me (matched on 29 areas of compatibility my ass). I finally got so fed up with dating that I canceled the service. I’m not closed to the idea, but I’m not actively looking for it anymore.

I also made another realization. I’m fast approaching an age where I will probably not want to have kids due to being the old parent who can’t keep up and enjoy it. It really sucks too because I have always wanted to have kids of my own. And its not that as a man I am physically in capable of impregnating a woman till the day I die. The problem is that when I do remarry, I prefer it be someone close to my age. That currently means I’m looking for someone between 25 to 35, the tail end of a woman’s biological clock. I guess I really shouldn’t worry about it so much, it always turns out for the best in the end.

On to more fun news.

Misty got her wisdom teeth taken out, and I helped her out the day of the surgery. Surprisingly she didn’t come out with much in the way of side effects (like the dry socket I got). This is prompted me to tell her that, “I hate you”, and, “I’m going to start calling you Wolverine since you heal as fast as he does.”

I got my car back from the shop. They had it done just under two weeks, and I have to say I was quite impressed with the work.

Memorial Day Weekend saw the annual family tradition of selling Lemonade at the St Dominic’s festival. The weather was decent, so we were extremely busy. We sold 1517 glasses over the festival (I didn’t keep track of days this year since I was exhausted each night). The most memorable point for me, was Sunday when Anthony and Ayla showed up to play at the festival. They ended up working for about an hour, Ayla helping Shantel on the front end of the stand serving customers and Anthony helping out in back squeezing and mixing glasses. It looks like in a few more years they will be helping us as festival workers.

Katy was kind enough to lend me her SUV, so I could go buy my new TV. I picked up a Samsung 40″ LCD with Full 1080 at 60Hz. It has 3 HDMI ports, 3 RCA ports, 2 Component ports, one 15-pin VGA port, and a partridge in a pear tree. I also picked up a Panasonic Home Theater in a Box with a 5 Disc upscaling DVD player. The mot coveted edition, was the PS3 and a copy of Rockband. For the record, the drums are hard, even on easy.

After getting disgusted with myself in the mirror, I preordered a copy of Wii Fit. I was quite depressed at my first weigh in, but have been devoting anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour each day to exercise with it. While it does make exercising interesting and sometimes fun (depending on the activity), do not be fooled into thinking this is just a game. It really does make me sweat and leaves my muscles sore after a workout. I’ve been using the Fit for about 11 days and I’ve dropped 13 pounds. Here is hoping I can stick with it.

On a final note, a coworker lent me a copy of The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide. While the book is mainly a satire, it surprisingly pointed out some interesting strategies regarding the game. Its also showed me there is an actual World RPS Society.

Peace Out.

This video is really cool and not pornographic in nature. A stunt woman on an Italian talk show is stripped to her underwear by a giant digger claw. Big wow factor here.

I love my parents. Really, I do, but…they are not well versed when it comes to consumer electronics.

So I’m sitting in my apartment when I hear the song “Sunrise, Sunset” from “Fiddler on the Roof” coming fro my phone. This is odd for several reasons. First, its the custom ring tone I have set for my dad (Fiddler is his favorite musical). Second, I can tell by the icon on my cell phone he is calling me from his cell phone, which he never uses.

So I answer the phone and get passed back and forth between mom and dad shopping for a new TV at Best Buy. Why are they shopping for a new TV? I honestly couldn’t tell you why. Its not like there is anything wrong with their current TV. Go fig.

Anyway the highlights from the 30 minute converstation include:

Mom: What’s wrong with Westinghouse?

Me: They aren’t known for making TVs or LCDs.


Dad: What’s this 8 M S response time mean?

Me: 8 miliseconds. Basically the lower the better.

Dad: So which one should we get?

Me: Find the one that looks good to your eyes and buy that one.

I made sure to warn by brother-in-law to be expecting a call about setting up an HDTV. Better him than me.

I’ve been keeping my self busy over the past month or so, with training and hanging out with friends. The truth of the matter is that really just haven’t felt like blogging. Experience has taught me that there are certain aspects of my personal life that will never show up on these pages.

Dark stuff aside, mad props to Michael and Darci for tying the knot last Saturday. Its about damn time!

Now for he thought that brought about the post. Imagine your driving down the road with your friend (let’s call him Mraz) on your way to see a movie (let’s say Speed Racer). You’re sitting at a stop light, when the large passenger van in front of you suddenly throws it into reverse and floors it into the front of your car, totally demolishing the bumper, the grill, the hood, and bows in both fenders. Now lets imagine that the driver in question (probably) has no insurance. What kind of mood would you be in?

On the bright side, the rental they gave me is a 2008 Mazda 6. Its not nearly as fuel efficient as my Mazda 3 “Renivatio” (yes I name my cars), but its still a lot of fun to drive.

From time to time I like to take the original purity test. Mainly it gives me ideas for stuff I haven’t tried just yet. This time around they had a 1000 question version, so I gave it a go. Man I need to work on getting a lower score. XD

SUPPOSEDLY if you’ve seen over 85 movies, you have no life. Mark the ones you’ve seen. There are 206 movies on this list. Copy this list and paste this as a bulletin. Then put an X next to the movies you’ve seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click “Post” at the bottom.

Have fun

(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End
(x)Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
() Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane!

Total:9

(x) The Princess Bride
(x)Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) Saw III
( ) Saw IV
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(x) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Total all together: 15

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
(x) Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
(x) American Pie The Wedding
(x) American Pie Band Camp
(x) American Pie Naked Mile

Total all together:24

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
(x) Harry Potter 5
(x) Resident Evil 1
(x) Resident Evil 2
(x) Resident Evil 3-
(x) The Wedding Singer
(x) Little Black Book
( ) The Village

Total all together: 34

(x) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
(x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
(x) Robots

total all together: 41

(x) Dodgeball
(x) Universal Soldier
(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
(x) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
( ) King Kong

Total all together: 49

( ) A Cinderella Story
( ) The Terminal
( )The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
(x) Final Destination
(x) Final Destination 2
(x) Final Destination 3
(x) Halloween (the original)
(x)The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving Christmas
(x)Flubber

Total all together: 56

(x) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
(x) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards

Total all together: 60

( ) The Day After Tomorrow
(x) Child’s Play
(x) Seed of Chucky
(x) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
(x) Gothika
(x) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter-
( ) The Longest Yard
( ) Gridiron Gang
(x)The Grudge
( )The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask

Total all together: 69

(x) Bad Boys
(x) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Seven
(x) Ocean’s Eleven
(x) Ocean’s Twelve
( ) Ocean’s Thirteen
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremacy
(x) Bourne Ultimatum
( ) Lone Star state of mind
(x) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
(x) Predator II
(x) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
(x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George

Total all together: 82

(x) Independence Day
(x) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
(x) Christine
(x) ET
(x) Children of the Corn
( ) My Boss’s Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
(x) Rush Hour 2
(x) Rush Hour 3

Total all together: 92

( ) Swimfan
(x) Miracle on 34th street
(x) Old School
(x) The Notebook
(x) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf’s Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
(x)The 40-year-old-virgin

Total all together: 97

(x)Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total all together: 103

( ) Love and basketball
(x) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devil’s Rejects
( ) Elf
(x) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
(x) American History X
( ) Three

Total all together: 106

(x) The Jackal
(x) Kung Fu Hustle
(x) Kung- Pow
(x) Full Metal Jacket
(x) Shaolin Soccer
(x) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.

Total all together: 113

(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard

Total all together: 116

( ) High Tension
(x) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
(x) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
(x) Waterworld

Total all together: 120

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
(x)Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
(x) The Hills Have Eyes
(x) The hills have eyes 2
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
(x) 13 Ghosts
(x) Army of Darkness

Total all together: 127

(x)The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x) The Matrix Revolution
(x) Evil Dead
(x) Evil Dead 2
(x) Team America: World Police
(x) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal Rising
(x) Red dragon
(x) Anger Management

Grand Total: 136

1) Do you like blue cheese?
Its ok.

2) Have you ever smoked heroin?
nope

3) Do you own a gun?
yes, but not nearly as many as my brother-in-law.

4) What flavor do you add to your drink at sonic?
whatever

6) What do you think of hot dogs?
good with mustard

7)Favorite Christmas song ?
You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch

What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
caffine

9) Can you do push ups?
yes

10) Can you do a chin up?
no

11) What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?
used to love my dragon claw necklace until it broke

12) Favorite hobby?
reading and gaming

13) Ever been in a car wreck?
several with no serious injuries

14) Do you have A.D.D.

I don’t think so….oh look shinny!

15) What’s one physical trait that you love about yourself?

nothing

16) Middle name?
Delmar

17) Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
I am bored, I am going to finish watch Fight Club, and I need to pull that load out of the dryer

18) Name 3 things you bought yesterday.

Ayinger, Harpoon UFO, and some other beer that tatsed ok

19) Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
pop, coffee, tea

20) Current Worry?
not finding someone to marry and have kids with

21) Current hate right now?
boredom

23) How did you bring in the New Year?
drinking and gaming at my place with Mraz and Katy

24) Where would you like to go?
anywhere in Europe. Disney World would be cool again

25) Name three people who will complete this?
You mean people actually read my blog. No shit?

26) Do you own slippers?
yes, but I usually only wear them in the winter

27) What shirt are you wearing?
bear chested baby!

28) Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
yes, I have fetish for soft things

29) Can you whistle?
yes

30) Favorite color?
blue

31) Would you be a pirate?
Damn straight. Pirates kick Nijas asses.

32) What songs do you sing in the shower?
whatever is stuck in my head and only if I am actually awake when showering

33) Favorite girl’s name?
Kahlan – female lead from the sword of truth series

34) Favorite boy’s name?
Not sure

35) What’s in your pocket?
don’t have any

37) Best bed sheets as a child?
Don’t remember

38) Worst injury you’ve ever had?
don’t want to tlak about it. kind of personel

39) do you love where you live?
its a home, but I’d rather own then rent

40) How many TVs do you have in your house/apartment?
1

41) Who is your loudest friend?
Katy, hands down

43) Does someone have a crush on you?
Wow, that’s funny!

45) What is your favorite book?
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

48) What song do you want played at your funeral?
well at my wake, I would like some up beat music. Definitely need to here “Family Tradition” once and everybody better fucking be drinking to it.

49) What were you doing 12 AM last night?
going to bed

50) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
shit I’m got a change control meeting at 8:30