Loki's Domain goes 'bye-bye'

For those of you who have known me for awhile, you know that I have my own domain. Something rather odd happened recently - I cleared my cache and *poof*...my domain was gone!

Turns out it had expired on the 16th...but did I receive a 'renew now' or 'your domain will expire soon' e-mail? Nuh-uh...not a word, not a peep. Just *poof* =/

Not that I had done anything with my site in the last two years anyway, but still - it's MINE!

Surviving Christmas

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. The wife and I had a great weekend spending time with our families. We had lots of great food, played board games with relatives and drove all over the Wisconsin countryside. Both of us received some really cool presents - and gave some neat gifts to them as well! Hopefully our friends had a great holiday also...

Let It Snow ^3

We got our first 'real' snow yesterday...finally! Although it wasn't quite as dramatic as Denver's piles upon piles, it was nice to see everything covered in white. The trees were gorgeous on the drive home from work. We're supposed to get 1-3 inches, so hopefully we'll have a White Christmas after all! *crosses fingers*

I'm an Inland Northernite

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North   You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Midland
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The South
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Baggy Leather Pants

I completely forgot to post about this on Friday. I was on my way back from lunch, and this woman in her early 40's crossed the street with her SO and walked in front of me. She was wearing a holiday-ish red sweater...and baggy, loose fitting, black leather pants!!!

Now, it's bad enough to wear leather pants to work - even if it's a casual Friday - even if they fit. But come ON now, lines have definitely been crossed! It was the topic of the office that afternoon...and people went *eww*

My Day Off

Today starts the second year with my wonderful wife. =) We celebrated our first anniversary this weekend and had a great time! After having dinner at the restaurant where our reception was, we stayed at the same hotel where we stayed on our wedding night, reminisced about our past and discussed our future. We ordered breakfast in our room, and then went shopping for a few hours before relaxing at my parents' farm.

So, what about today you ask? I have a couple of vacation days that I have to burn before the end of the month or I'll lose them. It was a great way to start another year of married life - relaxed! =)

Guys Night Out!

Last night my ex-roomies and I spent the night out in our old stomping grounds. We went to Doolittles for drinks, which used to be an 'air cafe' (sports bar with aviation stuff everywhere) but recently got remodeled and is now a woodfire grill type restaurant...with less aviation stuff. Paul, Kurt, Keith and I talked about everything (almost too much about their kids, but not quite) and had a great time catching up! It was determined that we need to do this more often - we'll see how that pans out. =)

I'm a Lego Maniac!

I found this via /., but felt the need to share how Lego bricks are made. You see, I've been playing with Legos since I was a toddler. I still buy them for myself and get them as presents. When I was an older kid, my mom said that I should try to get a job with them as a set designer. Maybe I should have listened!

Beyond Beta

So, I finally gave in to all those flashy "switch now" signs upon login - and upgraded to the new & improved format. Not bad so far - but it's a pain to post a comment on an unconverted blog. Okay, 1...2...3...switch now! (then we'll all be on the same page)

'Tis The Season

The holidaze are once again upon us - and the bottom feeders in the lake of humanity are out in full force. I'm not sure why it happens, but for whatever reason people just lose their senses and do really dumb things.

Driving, walking, shopping, eating and thinking - they all go out the window. This is the time of year when 'normal' people lose their morals and common decency.

It's sad - just plain sad - to witness it happening.

Love your family and friends, help your neighbor, be nice to strangers...and develop tolerance when others don't. If everyone could possibly do this the world would be a better place!

Happy Turkey Day!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving - and today I remembered one of my friends from college who loved to sing The Thanksgiving Song by Adam Sandler. So, here it is...

...but it's hard to believe that this is 13 years old now. I'm OLD!!!

Loki : The Soundtrack

So, here's how it works:
1) Open your music player (iTunes, Winamp, MusicMatch, etc).
2) Set it to shuffle/random.
3) Press play.
4) For every question, type the song that's playing.
5) When you go to a new question skip to the next track.

Opening Credits: No Doubt - Hella Good
Waking Up: Pet Shop Boys - Fugitive
Falling in Love: Alphaville - Dance With Me
Fight Scene: No Doubt - It's My Life
Breaking Up: Information Society - Walking Away
Getting Back Together: Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes
Secret Love: New Order - True Faith
Life's Okay: Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence
Mental Breakdown: Rachael Yamagata - Worn Me Down
Driving Flashback: U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name
Partying: Supreme Beings of Leisure - Strangelove Addiction
Happy Dance: Siouxsie & The Banshees - The Passenger
Regretting: The Cranberries - Go Your Own Way
Long Night Alone: NIN - Every Day Is Exactly The Same
Final Battle: Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
Death Scene: The Legendary Pink Dots - Soft Toy
End Credits: Michael Hutchence - Fade Away

This is my third attempt - it's so dead-on it's almost scary! I was hoping for a little more Industrial and at least one Erasure song, but hey...you get what you get! Go ahead and try it...

What Goes Around Comes Around

I'm not sure which is worse:
1) Local Sheriff candidate changes name to Andy Griffith.
2) Losing the race. Badly. Coming in Third.
3) Being sued by the real Andy Griffith!!!

Embarrassing? Yes. Downright hysterical?! Definitely!!!

Everybody Wants A Rock

My wife and I met up with her side of the family for a few hours at Rosedale. I always get turned around there, no matter what entrance we use I always think I'm pointed a different direction. They've got a brand spankin'-new wing that sports some nifty restaurants, Borders, a multi-plex theatre and Granite City Food & Brewery.

I must say that their beer is some of the best I've tasted - and the food is quite good and not terribly expensive either.

Cheers! *clink*

Exercise Your Right To Choose

GET OUT AND VOTE ! ! !
If you don't, you have no right to complain...

PSB-MSP

My friends and I saw Pet Shop Boys this weekend. I carpooled with long-time friends Adam and Matt who also had tickets. Unfortunately, Adam's wife Heather had fallen ill - which was too bad, as she was really excited about going and had bought my extra ticket. Dinner at Solera before the concert was a bit pricey but definitely delicious!

The concert itself was absolutely fabulous (pun intended)! Neil and Chris have been doing this for 20+ years and it definitely shows. The stage set was minimal (again, pun intended) with nothing but a chaise lounge and three fabric-covered electronically outfitted white cubes. The cubes were used for everything from video projection, stage lighting, and platforms for silhouetted dancers. Later on, cutouts of their heads were brought out along with a big sparkly gold hat.

Songs from their newest release, Fundamental, were included as well as several classic hits from days gone by - my personal favorite being "It's a sin." A nice, yet sullen, touch was a wonderful performance of "Dreaming of the Queen" where the funeral procession of Princess Diana was shown.

One of the neatest features of the concert was the inclusion of an intermission! That's right, at a pop music concert. It was either PSB being clever (the concert was at the Orpheum) or just being cheeky as usual. During the intermission I bought myself a drink from the bar and met up with Jason and Anneka to finish out the show.

Sometimes I Wonder...

Okay, so I grew up in southwest Wisconsin. I used to use Platteville as a reference point, as it's one of the bigger towns from my area - but I can't do that anymore:

Sheriff candidate changes his name to Andy Griffith

Maybe someone should change their name to Gomer Pyle and run down the street, shouting "Citizen's Arrest! Citizen's ARREST!!!"

Eat "Old School!"

Dinner at Nye's last night was like stepping back about 30 years. It's just like an old supper club - except this one has pizazz with sparkly gold vinyl booths, a Chopin Room, a Karaoke Corner and a Polka Room! We went with our friends Heather and Adam, who suggested it after I made a failed attempt at getting an early table at The Melting Pot.

Enough blabbering, Elizabeth has more details! =)

"And this one time, in Marching Band..."

As a veteran of an old-school marching band, I have fond memories of Hell Week and welcoming new band geeks with various rituals and traditions. Times have changed a lot since then. Younger generations of college kids are far more sensitive than we were, and apparently the rituals have gotten far more twisted than we ever dared to attempt. I blame reality TV...

At UW-L, we played hard and partied harder - but it was all in the name of having fun. We never forced anyone to do anything they really didn't want to do. Here's yet another opportunity to throw the "we're better than you" card at 'the' UW (Madison):

UW Marching Band On Probation

I know I'm old when the quote "those darn kids" comes to mind!

Guys Night Out

Saturday was "Guys Night Out" - where a few friends and I went to the local watering hole to join in some friendly conversation, laugh at the spectacle of youth and catch up on what's been going on in our busy lives. We had a great time, but came to the following conclusions:

1) The inability of certain youth to contain their alcohol was quite amusing.
2) 80's fashion is making a comeback...and not always in a good way!
3) The bathroom is the best way to rank the quality of the establishment.
4) As we keep getting older, college kids still stay the same age.

And now, back to your normally scheduled programming...

Cereal Killers

Every year in downtown Minneapolis, Malt-O-Meal throws a party for cereal lovers and sells its 'off-brand' varieties for $1 each. This is a big event, and hundreds of people show up to claim their favorites - ranging from Marshmallow Mateys to Cinnamon Toasters. What's even better? Malt-O-Meal matches each purchase with a donation to charity! That's way-cool in my opinion...

"Roll out the barrel...

...we'll have a barrel of fun!" *cheers* Every year at this time, I make the trek back to good ol' La Crosse (WI) to participate in the annual "Oktoberfest USA" celebration. It's always a fun time! Not only do I get to visit my old stomping grounds, but dozens of people that I spent the days with in college come back for the event - it's like a college reunion every year! We're in the Marching Chiefs Alumni Band and close the parade playing crowd favorites, doing goofy antics and of course - drinking lots of beer!

Interestingly Enough...

I cleaned the filters on my vaccuum cleaner today. You'd be surprised at just how many microscopic particles can fit into a small piece of foam! *yikes* I think the neighbors were wondering if I was crazy as they walked by...

International "Talk Like a Pirate Day"

Just in case you ever wanted to learn, here's an instructional video - complete with annoying narrator and cheesy soundtrack! Arrrr!

Lemmings!

Now, play a little...and show those poofy-green-haired creatures who's boss!

A Moment of Silence

Just once, take a moment of silence today to remember the events of 9/11/2001.
*pause*
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming...

A Weekend at the Lake

There is definitely something to be said about going to the cabin (or cottage, as some of my in-laws call it) for the weekend. I grew up in the middle of nowhere and life is much different in rural areas than it is in the city. The rustle and bustle of getting somewhere as fast as possible doesn't really happen - everything is more laid back and relaxed.

I miss that relaxed nature quite often - and it's great to be able to have the opportunity to enjoy it every once in a while.

One quintillion pennies for your thoughts?

A colleague directed me to this pretty nifty site about the penny. Check it out!

The Great Minnesota Bump-A-Thon

Liz and I went to the MN State Fair on Friday night. It wasn't all bad, and wasn't too crowded - which leads me to the following observation:

On several occasions, we found a nice open spot without another person for 20-30 feet so we could stop and eat our whatever-on-a-stick in peace. Every single time some moron stumbled his/her way toward us and bumped right into us. It didn't matter if we were off to the side of the street or in the corner next to the bushes or in the median - we always got nailed!

Most of them weren't watching where they were going. However, some could see us plain as day! I just don't get it...

I'd hate to see what it's like when the State Fair is packed!

Look Out!

Yesterday, I learned a few things while volunteering at the St. Paul Inline Skating Marathon:
- People rolling toward you at 20-30mph can be quite scary
- The ability of said people to grab a bottle of water from your hand takes some talent
- Many of the aforementioned people do not possess such talent
- Those who do should get extra points or prizes (way to go!)
- If the water isn't capped, cold, or where you want it...don't take any! =)
- (Pothole) + Skater = [Road Rash]

Visit from the Parents

My parents came to visit this weekend. It has been about two years since they have made the trek up to the Twin Cities. They had a great time! We went out to some restaurants, spent an afternoon at the Walker Art Center, cheered for my wife doing a triathalon, and introduced them to IKEA. Mom brought up some homemade fresh bread and chocolate chip cookies, too - yum!

The History of Pop

For those of you who wanted to know what brand of soda came out when, here's a list. Not even close to containing everything, but the big names and some oddities are included. Enjoy!

Loki meets celebrity

I forgot to mention that when my sister took us to Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Tom Green was there filming a little clip for Jay Leno. We met Tom Green! =)

My Summer Vacation

Elizabeth and I spent the last week in the Pacific Northwest. It was a wonderful trip, including such great locales as Vancouver and Victoria (BC), Seattle and Portland. Elizabeth's family joined us, making the week that much more memorable.

Here are some links to places we visited:

Vancouver (BC):
> Hotel Pat, Gastown, Chinatown, Stanley Park, Granville Island
Victoria (BC):
> Cottage Pirouette, Downtown, Irish Times Pub, Buchart Gardens
Seattle (WA):
> Pike Place Market, Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Mt. Rainier, Red Hook Brewery
Portland (OR):
> Wineries: Rex Hill, Duck Pond, Sokol Blosser, Kramer
> Neato: Voodoo Doughnut, Saturday Market, Powells Books

Elizabeth and I both agree that Portland was the highlight of the entire vacation. It's a huge city that's very peaceful and beautiful, yet modern and upbeat - think Madison but huge. It's also where my sister lives, so we got the inside scoop and became very familiar with the 'little cool places' that make a neighborhood great. We can't wait to go back!

Short & Sweet

I've noticed that my posts have been pretty long recently. This one is not! =)

Country Jam! *yeeeehaw*

I'm not a Country music fan. I'll repeat, I am -not- a Country music fan! However, I did volunteer at the 2006 Country Jam music festival held in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I grew up listening to Country & Western music before I knew any better, so it was somewhat tolerable.

Some of the artists were pretty good (Little Big Town, Sawyer Brown, Josh Gracin) and one was downright painful (Sugarland). The latter's lead singer kept talking in-between songs about nothing in particular and her faux-country (at least I hope it was) accent could drive a herd of cattle off a cliff to their imminent deaths.

Our job was to take tickets and give out wristbands. We had a pretty good system worked out and there weren't any problems. I caught one person with a fake ID (21+ had specially colored bands to get them into the beer garden) and another asked me to give him one without a Driver's License. We saw one girl get kicked out for underage drinking, but not because of our group's wrongdoing.

People-watching was at its finest, however. Some of the things that our fellow citizens come up with to go out in public just suprised me! Some of these gals wore stiletto heeled shoes/boots and were complaining about not being able to walk well?! Um, hello? You're in the middle of the woods walking to a field! Common sense was definitely lacking...

Target wins "Stupid Flag" award

Today, I went to Target to have some lunch and buy Sudafed. They wouldn't sell me any, saying that I had hit the maximum limit of a restricted item. Target's Pharmacy told me the maximum was 3 grams in 10 days, and I was only permitted to purchase 0.6 grams currently. My last purchase of 24-hour Sudafed (2.4g) was more than 10 days ago. I complained, naturally - as I was being wronged!

Target Pharmacy gave me their Guest Relations number that I could call. I asked them what difference that would make, and they really didn't know. Then, the pharmacist told me that although all of Target's stores are connected - they aren't connected with any other retailers so I could go elsewhere to get what I needed! Target just told me how I can circumvent the law they're trying to uphold! I laughed and walked away...

Okay, now this is where I raise the "stupid flag" - MN state law limitations state that you can't purchase more than 6g in 30 days (as of 4/6/06). I've purchased 4.8g that I can remember (two 24-hour Sudafed packages - both at Target on different dates). 2.4 x 2 = 4.8 ...so I should be able to purchase 1.2g yet (not 0.6)! Which I did, from the retailer Target referred me to.

My conclusion - Target is stupid: they're not educated about the laws they are required to enforce, inform customers on how they can circumvent such laws, and they can't add! ;)

Heat Wave

For those of you who think it's too cold in Minnesota...


...you should come visit us in July!

I won!

There's an afternoon radio contest done by Moon and Staci called "Smarter than Staci" on KS95. When I get out of work at a decent hour, I usually end up listening to it on my way home from the train station. Yesterday I was making great time and heard the announcement for contestants to call in...

Now, usually if I call the only thing I get is a busy signal. This happened again, but I decided to give it another try - and it rang! I was on the air!!!

Contestants are asked five questions with Staci out of the studio. The answers are revealed and your score is given. Staci then comes back and gets the same questions. If you have a higher number of correct answers, you win! I got 4 out of 5...and so did Staci - and therefore we tied.

For the tiebreaker, the contestant gets a choice between a "speed round" (first correct answer wins) or playing rock/paper/scissors. I went for the latter since I sometimes think too much. First match: 1,2,3...I chose rock (so did Staci) - another tie. Second match: 1,2,3...I chose paper (Staci chose rock) - I won! *yay*

I got a $50 gift certificate to a local mall and a session at Let's Dish with Staci and a guest of my choosing...which was my wife, of course!

Some of my co-workers heard me, and said that I didn't sound too much like an idiot.
I think I'll buy a Powerball ticket today...maybe my luck is still good! ;)

Viva Italia!

Those who know me realize that I'm not into soccer that much. However, since it was my friend Jason's birthday I decided to join him at Brit's Pub in Minneapolis to watch the 2006 World Cup. Was I ever in for a surprise...

The place was packed...literally! Downstairs, upstairs, inside, outside - everywhere. I've never seen that many people there ever in my life. It was quite a show!

We conveniently had a spot (standing, squished into the back wall) where we could see one of many big screens. The walkway to get outside was between us and the tv, which led to a lot of heckling that was really funny sometimes. People from all nationalities, shapes and sizes made an appearance. More often than not, it was more entertaining to watch the people watching the game than the game itself! Sorry, soccer fans...

We also got to witness a little brawl between a stupid guy, a cool chick and the chick's mom. After getting skooled by the mom, the guy got thrown out of the establishment...and there was much rejoicing! *yay*

The "Taste of Minnesota" (aka: "Pre-Fair")

I have always protested going to the "Taste of Minnesota" event, the Twin Cities' Independence Day weekend festival, but was persuaded by my wife to go for a short time yesterday.

Let me say one thing: "This is not the 'Taste of Minnesota'...it's the 'Taste of the MN State Fair!'"

In other cities (Madison, Chicago, Denver, etc.), the "Taste" event is truly a wonderful experience. Local restaurants set up booths with samples from their menu, at a discount price, and usually include a coupon good for a dinner or something. Local merchants sell trinkets that show how they're unique compared to other stores. It's a great time!

Not so for us Minnesotans! Instead, we have the privilege of the expected carnival atmosphere. No-name tents selling knick-knacks, sign up for a free vacation, and pay an average of $5 for a smaller portion of the same deep-fried food you can find at most county/state fairs. (except the cheese curds, which were the worst I've ever had anywhere in the Midwest - also $5)

And some of the people attending this event had to have been raised by cows. Mind you, the place wasn't packed - and yet you still couldn't walk 20 feet without having to stop or change course because some inconsiderate buffoon walked right in front of you.

It's truly a sad state of affairs.

What kind of cookie am I?

You Are a Black and White Cookie

You're often conflicted in life, and you feel pulled in two opposite directions. When you're good, you're sweet as sugar. And when you're bad, you're wicked!

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

Ray Gun - "Smart Ray" Gun

Have you ever wondered how people can be so idiotic sometimes? Whether in line at the grocery store, driving down the street, in the workplace, on a bus/train or whatever...the stoopit ones are everywhere. My solution? A "smart ray" gun! Whenever you encounter someone being an id10t, simply aim and fire - a wave of intelligence surrounds them and the stupidity issue is resolved! Patent pending...

Bachelor Weekend

Elizabeth left for CA on Thursday to spend some time in the sun with her cousins at Palm Beach. That left me to my own devices for 5 days! I had a great bachelor weekend, hanging out with friends and having no schedule whatsoever. On Friday, I did happy hour and dinner with friends, then went out for a couple of drinks with N8. Saturday, I went to the annual "Back to the 50's" car show, hung out in a hot tub for 3 hours, and went clubbing. Sunday I went shopping and watched Sci-Fi. Overall, it was a very relaxing weekend! I miss my sweetie, though...good thing she comes home tonight!

Busy Busy Busy

Things are getting really busy. Every weekend left this summer has plans attached to it! I can remember when (not too long ago, even) there was absolutely nothing happening. Strange...

Reunion!

This weekend, we'll be heading down to my old stomping grounds for a family reunion. Everyone (and I do mean everyone) will be there. Usually we get together for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but a bunch of us thought it would be good to hang out when it's nice out for a change. So, pool party at my parents followed by bonfire at my aunt Mary and uncle Kev's place. S'mores! =)

"Decoration Purpose Only"

Last week I volunteered some of my work time to sit at a company-sponsored career festival. I sat at a table with other managers and answered questions about Information Technology. Human Resources gave each of us a silver bucket filled with candy - way cool!

Today I looked at the bottom of the bucket...there was a sticker that read: "Decoration Purpose Only"

Somewhere a lawyer sits at his desk and comes up with this crap! Obviously, this is a necessary step in production because someone might try to use the bucket for something else - and then file a lawsuit because nobody told them a bucket couldn't perform to their expectations.

The bucket has star-shaped holes punched out just under the rim. It's obviously for decoration. You can't pour anything with it without spilling. You can't fill it to the rim without leaking. It's simply a nice looking bucket!

Paying a visit...

My sister is coming to town! Partially to visit friends and relatives, and partly to show her boyfriend what the Twin Cities has to offer. I'm sure fun will be had by all.

Online Predators are Stoopit

Last night Elizabeth and I watched Dateline NBC's special about online predators. They had teamed up with a police unit who lured predators to a house by posing as teens on chat sites - but when the predators got there, they found Dateline and were interviewed and arrested. Some of the offenders had even seen the "To Catch A Predator" special on TV previously! This leads me to the following conclusions:

1) Adults who believe that intimate relations with kids is 'okay' are idiots.
2) Kids spend too much time online and at weird hours of the night.
3) Some parents obviously aren't doing a very good job.

Sometimes the world is a pretty dumb place...

Short-lived 'puter

I decided it was time to finally upgrade from my P3-500 to something a little more modern and speedy. Since you can now buy a PC for under $1K that's just as good as one you can build, I chose the easier route and bought my first Dell Dimension E510. It screamed! And, I had spent several hours migrating data off of my old PC before wiping it clean and letting a friend have it.

I was going to create a backup once I was finished with my initial tweaking. I never got the chance...

Friday 5/26: Shut down system to head up north for the annual "SBH Classic"
Monday 5/29: Came home and powered on system - and got "Disk Read Error"...the HD clunked twice.

*bah*

I'm now re-installing everything that I had from my previous backup.

X-Men: The Last Stand

The supposedly "last" X-Men movie is definitely a must-see. I'm not sure I've ever saw a sci-fi picture with that much action in it before, and if I have it isn't coming to mind at this moment. The effects in this flick are killer - literally. (you'll understand once you see it) Rating: **** out of 5.

Gone Fishin'

Every year my friends and I spend Memorial Day weekend fishing near Alexandria, MN. It's a great little resort that's family owned and operated. Originally I didn't fish, but just went to spend time with friends and get out on the lake - but curiosity killed the carp, and I've been a fisherman now for the past 4 years. Different people join us every year to fish, drink, play games and be merry. This year was no exception, however we're now a lot older than we were 9 years ago when this tradition started.

I've made a few observations of this past weekend - you pretty much get it or you don't:
- Children under the age of 3 walk with the weight of an elephant
- Recovery from a night of consumption takes twice as long as it did 5 years prior
- As people get older, they complain more when things happen outside of their routine.
- An eelpout is one ugly fish.
- Resort cabins are made with thin walls and no insulation.
- A bonfire brings out the best conversation topics.

I hope that your weekend was equally as relaxing and enjoyable. We all had a great time!

Imagine that

Apparently my life is pretty good (7.8/10)...they even asked me how I do it! What's this world coming to, anyway? Something smells fishy about this rating...

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.8
Mind:	7.3
Body:	6.9
Spirit:	8.4
Friends/Family:	6.6
Love:	9.1
Finance:	6.3
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

...especially when a C+/B- average is considered to be something noteworthy!

Fondue!

Last night, we had Adam and Heather over for dinner. Everyone had a great time! Elizabeth made a delicious salad and prepared fondue. Chicken, steak and potatoes for the main course - chocolate fondue with cake, marshmallows, bananas and strawberries for dessert. We all loved it - and promised to set up a date for The Melting Pot sometime this summer. The Kooyers are awesome people, and it was a lot of fun to hang out with them again!!

Ribbon Me This...

I have a great first 'actual post' topic - those stupid ribbon magnets people have on their cars. I hate ribbon magnets! And here are a few reasons why:
> People buy them to support a current something-or-other, thinking that their $3 will go to that group...when it's actually .001% and goes to another group entirely.
> People have more than one on their vehicle. Sometimes different causes, sometimes re-iterations of the SAME THING!
> People not only put them on the back of their car...but on the sides, top and even hood (yes, HOOD)! Saturn owners are especially guilty of this (plastic body panels).
> People never remove them, even if they're faded to the point of obscurity. It's similar to flying a flag that is tattered and torn - take pride in your pride, will ya?

This does not mean that I do not support these causes. I do - but I'm not obnoxious about it.

That is all for now...

Wel.com

Welcome to Loki's very first blog! I've been putting this off for what seems like forever...but it's time I join the 21st century. I have a new computer so I might as well use the blasted thing, right? Of course I'm right! =)