I've written about my life - my mundane, "every day", routine, unremarkable, boring life - and I've written it for me as the audience. If you come to this site regularly, irregularly or even not at all but read through RSS, I want to sincerely thank you for stopping by and reading. To have ANYBODY read this blog makes be feel wonderful, especially if you're not a family member or don't even know me!

I've written about people that I have lost forever, I have written about people that have come into my life. I just write about the things I do, the things that interest me, the people that interest me. As I wrote two years ago:

I don't get a lot of traffic here because of that. I'm not a popular guy - I just write about the things I do in my life along with a few pieces about things I like/dislike or just catch my eye. I don't try for anything deep, anything philosophical, political or edgy. It's just me. I don't have a lot of friends out there who read this blog, and certainly not a lot of family members either. I'm OK with that. I guess if I write for an audience of one (me), I won't be all that disappointed in my traffic or my lack of comments or even the frequency of what I write.

So, if I'm just writing for me, hopefully I won't disappoint me by trying to keep writing almost every day. I feel the need to do that - don't know why. Perhaps it's this feeling that may, just maybe, if people stop-by regularly and actually read this thing, then I should keep it going for as long as I can. Maybe I can get one or two more readers that way.

So - what in the world am I going to try to do to add to the Mundane experience here? I have one word:

West Wing's John Spencer died of a heart attack just days before his 59th birthday.

The floor of my office is ghostly quiet. The only one here is a network guy in the next cube, who wants to shut down all of the switches since everyone has packed-up their offices into the moving boxes and have taken their personal items and have left the building for good. We're all moving to a brand new office complex down the road with brand new cubicles - not to mention a brand new deli to check out on the first floor.

I won't miss this place - my cubicle was built of metal walls - very similar to the cubes I had when I I was with my first company almost 30 years ago. They're just outdated. So was the furniture.

And... it's just time for a new beginning. I have no idea who I will be sitting near. All the people that used to sit around me have been scattered around the floor, sometimes in groupings that don't make any sense.

Well, I've changed all of my many voicemail greetings, shutoff accepting messaging in the old voicemail system, and I'm just shutting-down my laptop.

I'm outta here.

I'm at home, cleaning out the "trays" in Indy & Chip's cage, when Carol calls from work to let me know she's on her way home.

We have to keep the patio door curtain open when the "kidlettes" are out (Indy & Chip) because a certain elder rabbit (Indy) won't stop chewing on the brand new drape. She's chewed-off a strip of fabric about 3 inches long vertically in a pleat. Not visible at night, but sure is visible during the day since it's a solid dark cranberry color.

The weather outside today is a little odd.It feels balmy, even though it just got into the 30's for the first time in what seems weeks. The snow was actually melting.

Anyway, As I got up to answer the phone, my jaw hit the hardwood (floor) when I looked out the patio door. The snow was coming down. Thick. Big flakes. Can barely see out the door. (I would have used other adjectives, but "coming down hard" only applies to rain and not snow). It was bad out there.

So, I told Carol about it and then we started to discuss what we wanted for dinner and if she was willing to pick it up.

By the end of the phone call, Carol asks if it's still snowing.

I look out the door again and... no snow. It stopped.

I hate when Mother Nature messes with you.

I'm still packing up my office. I'll be packing up tomorrow, too, because I have more stuff than I thought I did.

If you think a paper cut hurts, try a manila folder cut.

Yeah. Real pleasant.

Have been having some issue with the quality of my sleep the last few nights. I just can't get the mind to shutdown and relax and get some good rest.

I whole heartedly recommend Tylenol PM. Does the trick and doesn't leave too much crap in your system the next day so you can at least act like a normal human being.

Starting to go through all the drawers/cabinets/overheads in my office and separating, organizing and boxing-up stuff.

A week from today I'll be in a brand spanking-new office with slightly less storage.

But it's a MUCH better facility. I'll even have a VoIP phone and a Unified Messaging center (I can get my voicemails in my email... If I wanted)

Oh! And a great looking deli that I'm hoping will be as great as it looks!

Where the hell was my soap!!!!

I rolled over in bed this morning and get a HELLACIOUS cramp in my right calf.

I'm rolling around in bed, yelling and swearing at the top of my lungs. Carol was downstairs and she came upstairs once she heard me swearing. I just couldn't even point my toes to try to stretch the muscle. Carol grabbed my foot and started pivoting it and rubbed my calf, but it had to be at least 5 minutes of excruciating pain before I just decided to stand on it and walk around to warm it up and stretch it.

DAY-AMN that hurt...

Haven't walked the same since...

My cousin's (Jimmy) wife (Myrina) threw a party for family and friends for her 40th birthday. It had been snowing all afternoon and evening and it was somewhere in... Buffalo Grove? Arlington Heights? at a development's clubhouse that they rented. They catered dinner and had stocked-up drinks and appetizers.

The main room with couches and tables and chairs was a bit... uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice room. It just reminded me of... a funeral parlor. I mentioned that to some of the relatives and we all went scampering around to change the lighting to make it feel "different". It was the fluorescent indirect lighting around the top of the walls that was the issue.

The "highlight" of the evening - if you can call it that. - was a live Family Feud game. We formed two groups of 5 people each - one was Myrina's Family and the other was Myrina's Friends. Prior to tonight, Jimmy had emailed a survey to everyone that was attending loaded with questions that would be asked during the game.

Jimmy had a laptop and LCD projector and a flash piece of software that was a self-contained complete Family Feud game, with all music and sound effects, ability to build all of the Survey Answers on a replica board and a complete lightning round at the end of the game for the winning group.

It actually turned out REALLY well and was a great time!

The last thing I remember as I was sitting on the couch last night was seeing about 5-7 seconds of the Scottie Pippen number retirement during the Bulls Game. Next thing I know, it's 3 in the morning, the TV is still on, and I'm alone sitting on the couch. I had fallen asleep while watching TV, sitting up, resting my head on my right hand, while my right elbow was on the armrest of the couch. I hadn't moved in hours. I sat up, taking my hand away from the side of my head and realized I had a problem.

I couldn't hear anything with my right ear. ANYTHING.

the whole side of my head felt weird as I must have stop proper blood flow to the skin on my scalp, and my earlobe was tingling. And there was this slight ringing in my ear.

But if I put my finger in my left ear, I can't hear a dam thing.

As the house started to wake-up, I could "work" on my ear and if I tug on it a certain way, I can get some partial hearing back. But it would go silent again.

I made it through lunch, thinking maybe eating something will get the jaw movement to move something around somewhere to get my hearing back. I just couldn't clear my ear.

It's not getting any better, so it's time to have it looked at. There's no Immediate Care places around us, so we decide to go to the Emergency Room of our local hospital.

Last Friday Carol wasn't feeling well with this rash spreading around her body. We figured out the next day when looking at a calendar hung on our fridge that we had tickets to the Chicago Wolves game the night before and obviously missed the game.

Tonight, we have tickets to tonight's game.

Only that we're tired and not really interested. So, we're not going.

I don't know - w just have the interest in Hockey - we can't shake the whole baseball thing. And the Wolves have been playing so crappy this year. Last week's game was a loss, so no it wasn't lost time being there.

I don't know - it's just I feel bad about burning a ticket.

Update: Figures - the Wolves scrored 4 goals in the 3rd to beat Peoria 6-5.

I'm riveted to the live coverage of a plane crash on the south side. It's been snowing for quite a while. There were reports of the snowfall being 8.3". Southwest Flight 1248 from Baltimore "landed" around 7:15pm on runway 31C at Midway (6, 522 feet long, but only 5, 826 usable for landing). Don't know what happened, but the plane never stopped. It just rolled off the end of the runway, went through the fence, and landed in the intersection of 55th Street and Central Avenue. The front nose gear collapsed, and the plane pinned at least one car, maybe two, underneath it.There was a family in one of them - just heard an 6 year old boy died from being in one of those cars. 98 people were on the plane. And the snow just keeps coming down. Midway is closed until 6am tomorrow.

Would you believe there was a crash at Midway 33 years ago today? The story of United 533 is below.

Still snowing outside my window, though it doesn't look as bad. We got hit hard - the rush hour was bad. I heard a story of travel times at 4 hours from Lake Cook to downtown on the Edens.

Alright! it's 15 degrees warmer today than yesterday! Still below freezing, though. So, since it's warmer, let's mix it all up and get some snow, too.

A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPING OVER S. MO WILL STRENGTHEN AS IT MOVES ACROSS S. IL & S. IN TODAY.REACHING NW OH BY LATE THIS EVENING. ON THIS TRACK.THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING SNOW TO N. AND CNTL IL & NORTHWESTERN IN TODAY & EARLY TONIGHT.

ILZ006-010>014-020-INZ001-002-081600-/O.EXB.KLOT.SN.Y.0002.051208T1200Z-051209T0600Z/
LAKE IL-LEE-DE KALB-KANE-DUPAGE-COOK-KENDALL-LAKE IN-PORTER-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF.WAUKEGAN.DIXON.DEKALB.AURORA.
CHICAGO.OSWEGO.GARY.VALPARAISO
400 AM CST THU DEC 8 2005

SNOW ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT.

SNOW HAS BEGUN TO DEVELOP & SPREAD NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS CNTL AND NW IL. THE SNOW WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY LATER THIS MORNING.& WILL OVERSPREAD MUCH OF NORTHERN IL & NW IN BY AFTERNOON. SNOW SHOULD REACH THE CHICAGO METRO AREA AFTER 900 AM.MAINLY AFTER THE MORNING COMMUTE. THE PERIOD OF HEAVIEST SNOW WILL BE FROM MID AFTERNOON UNTIL EARLY THIS EVENING.WHEN SNOWFALL RATES MAY REACH 1 INCH PER HOUR. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BEFORE THE SNOW TAPERS OFF TO FLURRIES BETWEEN 6 & 8 PM THIS EVENING.

HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS FORECAST TO OCCUR DURING THE EVENING RUSH HOUR & MOTORISTS SHOULD PLAN FOR EXTENDED COMMUTING TIMES.

A SNOW ADVISORY MEANS THAT SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS & LIMITED VISIBILITIES. USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

THE NEXT SCHEDULED UPDATE TO THIS ADVISORY IS AT 1000 AM CST.

$$

MERZLOCK/SEELEY

Odd day at the office.

Next Friday we're moving to a different building, fortunately just down the street.

In the meantime, we have a crew on the floor tearing down cubicles. They actually had to put signs on our cubicles that say we're moving next week. We're assuming that the sign translates into DO NOT TOUCH because people are walking the floor with tools in their hands looking for things to dismantle. Noisy. Very noisy. There are piles and piles of chairs strewn across different parts of the floor - piles of cabinets in other areas.

Very disconcerting seeing walls going down around you. The building is getting emptier and emptier.

At the same time the length of my current contract gets shorter and shorter without a word about an extension or a re-sign. Or not..

Tonight, on Comcast Sportsnet Chicago, they ran the 2005 White Sox season show that goes on sale tomorrow. It's narrated by Hawk Harrelson and spans 2005 from Opening Day through the parade and rally after the World Series. Well produced, but I'm upset that one particular play wasn't anywhere to be found. It was short, quick and could have been stuck in any montage during the show. It was Paul Konerko and Aaron Rowand turning third and running home and Rowand almost runs past Paulie.

Carol and I both agree that it was great watching the show and it felt like it just lengthened the season just a little bit, like it just ended yesterday. OK, maybe last week. Still feels good, though. It just makes it harder to get behind hockey and the Chicago Wolves with the crappy season they're having.

From WGN's Weather Blog:

Chicago’s 18.3° Dec. average is more than 15° below the long term average temperature and has moved from 9th to 6th coldest on record since 1871.

Maybe that's the reason I've been thinking about Las Vegas lately...

Every year - thereabouts - our friends Chelby & Damian throw a Thanksgiving dinner for friends. I think it stemmed from Chelby's family always being out of town at this time of year, so what better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than to share it with friends?

This year was a bit small - just Chelby/Damian/Conner, Carol & I, and Pam & Tony - friends of their's from the Renn Faire. First thing you notice when walking in the house is the extreme humidity as our glasses fogged severely immediately, since Chelby has been working all morning in the kitchen.

Tony had brought with a few (a couple... hell, it had to have been a case or two) of mostly empty wine bottles left over from a wine tasting yesterday at his store. What a WONDERFUL time!!! Carol & i just had a great time tasting a whole bunch of very nice wines.

Dinner was absolutely great - so much so that I had to take a picture of Chelby... sucking-up gravy from a gravy boat with a crazy straw. Yes, things were that good.

Carol is feeling a bit better today, having woke up early to go to the store to buy new detergent and spending the rest of the day re-washing her clothes.

Because we're busy tomorrow, we all went to mom's house today for dinner. I had purchased something for Jack that - unfortunately - arrived the day after Thanksgiving, so I couldn't give it to him when he was at our house for the first time.

It was an infant knit hat that had two knots in the corners. Oh, and White Sox logos all over. Yes, have to get to him early. Have to get him to formulate an opinion about the team early. A positive one. So, this is the beginning of the subtle subterfuge. Wardrobe. Get him familiar with the shapes and colors.

Carol broke out this afternoon. She felt itchy last night/overnight and now she's got this red stuff on her skin like a rash or allergic reaction on the inside of her wrists, around her waist, on the inside of her upper arms. She said she changed laundry detergent recently so it might be that. I went out to Walgreen's to get some Benedryl lotion and pills. She's been asleep all evening due to those.

Tonight was Carol's company's Christmas Party. We were trying to figure out why we weren't at last year's party. It turns out that last year's party was sometime during when Indy got sick and we didn't go because we needed to shuttle her around the doctors. This year's party is at the same place as last year's, which we frequented for out friends holiday party - Magnum's in Rolling Meadows. I feel almost uncomfortable going to these things because you really don't know anybody. And then there's the slight apprehension of not knowing exactly what your spouse may have said about you around the office. So, you spend your time socializing but not saying too much (depending on the topic). We had filet's for dinner - unfortunately they killed the meat. I guess - on the average - people don't want their meat red or pink. I think it just ruins the meat and you run into the possibility of the meat going dry - which it did. Damn, they had good food there.

After dinner was a raffle and Carol won a Magnavox DVD/CD player. Great. Another DVD player. Still, it was a nice raffle gift. By the time we got out of there and got home it was too late - somehow, I over-ate and now I'm just really uncomfortable. Hopefully I can sleep on with the bloated stomach...

"Rabbit, Rabbit!"

(It's Times 2 because of the two because of our two resident rabbits!) Could it be "White Rabbit" or Rabbit! Rabbit! Rabbit!?

December 1st: First day of the Snow Route Parking Ban in the city of Chicago. Also, official "end" to hurricane season - as Tropical Storm EPSILON is still out in the Atlantic...

UPDATE: A day later on 12/2, Tropical Storm EPSILON becomes Hurricane Epsilon, the 14th Hurricane of the "season"