Eerie...isn't it.

Whats does your personality rate from 1-10? by morning_prayer
Your first full name
Your personality rates a	ten!
your best quality is	youre hilarious
your worst quality is	you have a huge.....ego
this is because	its genetic
Created with the ORIGINAL MemeGen!

For them I will be...A HERO!!

as you can tell, like just about everyone else on the planet, I've been addicted to City of Heroes. There's a couple of characters I'm playing with, but primary among them is my alter ego, Lord Legion. Right now he's just a budding little level 7 Tanker, but he'll be big and strong someday, cuz he's drinking plutonium :) anywho, just wanted to explain my absence and let everyone know that I am still alive.

Better?

Well I had my interview this morning. It went incredibly well actually. I've discovered that most of what this company believes in is the same as it was with Stacy, which is a good thing. I think I was rather spoiled with Stacy's work ethic and the way he did things. The company is very "family oriented" and offers a great incentive package...20 plus dollars an hour doesn't hurt either ;) Just wanted to keep everybody updated.

It Begins...

Tomorrow morning is the big interview. For those of you not entirely keeping up with my life here's what it's all about. I have an interview at 10am tomorrow morning with a local HVAC company. This is a HUGE, did I stress the word HUGE, opportunity for me. The pay is around 25 bucks an hour and training in boilers and such, so i'm hoping that it works out like I hope it will. Either way I look at it, it's better than lugging bricks and asphalt all day like I'm currently doing working for the city of Portland. After that I get to cash my paycheck, the first full one that I've gotten since I started working up here. For one reason or another I've missed days or hours and haven't amassed over 35 hours up until this last week, so a full paycheck will be nice.

On lighter news, yvonne and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie at the 2240 showing, so you can imagine how late we were there. (for those of you not familiar with military time, I'm sure there's a book out there to help you) It was pretty good I thought though I'm not a big harry potter fan like yvonne. I'm sure I'll talk to anybody actually reading this thing afterwards to let you know how it goes.

An interesting day...

The more I work at my present job, the more I realise how much things are done in half-measures. We laid some asphalt down today and just seemed that everytime we got halfway through something, we were being moved onto some other project. On an upnote, I found my old poetry corner. while it doesn't have all of the updated stuff, at least it has the vast majority of it. for anyone who's interested here's the LINK. That's about all that's going on at the moment. I have an interview with an air conditioning company friday so here's hoping that goes well.

I surrender...

I tried to go to sleep earlier tonight but everytime i lay down I start hacking up a lung so I think I'll just stay up for a while. I think it's in everybody's better interests if I do. There's been a whole lot going on this weekend, but most of it not in my life surprisingly. On a sad note some one in the web comic community committed suicide friday. Mike Buonauro from Wrench Farm killed himself. Which brings up some thoughts in my mind as I read through his LiveJournal. Reading through the last week of entries it was glaringly obvious that he was in some sort of downward spiral. His posts got darker and darker beginning with his girlfriend breaking up. But that's not the thing that made me think. What made me think were the comments in his entries after the fact. Everyone that claimed to be his friend came out of the woodwork and said almost the exact same thing. "I was Michaels best friend back in . though we lost contact over the years and we haven't really talked to each other in he was one of my best friends." Most of them went on and on about how much they looked up to him and how much of a great person he was and so on and so forth. but here's the thing...why could they not have said all of this stuff beforehand? Why now, after he felt like he had nothing left in the world, do you praise this man? He needed this praise last week and sooner than that most likely. Now I'm gonna say my peace on the subject and be done with it. He was in fact a talented writer and probably a great guy, and I feel that the web comic community, and the world at large is going to miss him. He had a lot to offer the world in his writing and from what I've read of his LiveJournal, in his thoughts as well. I'm sure everybody that counted themselves amongst his friends will wish that they had said the things that they say now, sooner.

That being said, we had a fun night last night. We kinda just stayed home and got quietly drunk off of Allen's Coffee Brandy (shameless plug). It's good stuff and will put you in a world of hurt if you do not respect the bottle. Yvonne found that out this morning as it took her three glasses of water just to get out of bed. Anywho I'm gonna try and lay back down so maybe at least one night in the last week I can get more than a couple of hours sleep in a night.

Our other little girl  She's not ours, but I feel like she might as well be. If nothing else, I miss her as much as anything else from Pensacola.

Denied...Mostly

As I stated a few nights ago, I've been feeling kind of nostalgic lately. So, at about 2 this morning I decided to install Vampire: Redemption again. Just on e of those shits and giggles things. I pop the cd into my cd rom and it loads to the first screen. However past that there wasn't much that it felt like doing. It would just kinda crash after I selected Install. My night of vampire nostalgia wasn't to be. However I did pop in a game that I bought a long time ago and haven't really played in forever. It's this darling little rpg by the name of Septerra Core. Most of you out there probably haven't heard of it, but it's a fun little rpg with a great story.

The world of Septerra consists of seven "shells" that orbit each other all connected by this bio-mechanical "spine". Every hundred years the shells line up just right to allow a ray of light to hit the core, activating it, allowing those who possess the keys to access the power of the creator. Most of you have probably looked over this little title or never heard of it, but if you're looking for something in the lines of a good rpg on the PC, then I suggest you hit the bargain bins at your local software store and check it out.

Well isn't that special...

Florida has managed to do it to me again. Since I know you're all clamoring to know what I'm talking about, here's the kinda longish-short version. Florida cancelled my license. I got as notice from the Florida DMV that if i didn't get insurance in 30 days they were gonna suspend my license. Well, I turned in my tag instead. Before I moved I checked with the DMV to make sure that my license was all right and they said sure. U-Haul checked my license and they said it was good. So I went on with my life and moved.

I got pulled over by Falmouth police last week for speeding. I was kinda driving my grandmother's car and kinda wasn't paying attention to how ffast I was going (53 in a 30 just for reference) So she tells me that my license isn't valid; it's not suspended or revoked, just isn't valid. So thank god that she just lets me go back home with a warning. But it's kind of started a little union war at work. See, my supervisor (that word still leaves a bad taste in my mouth) Gordy said not to come abck to work until my license situation is cleared up. Well, that set off my dad (who is also the president of the union) and he called the higher up supervisor and all i know is that I'm going back to work yesterday. It's odd really. Everytime I'm honest with someone at work they seem to evolve into a minor civil war. You may perhaps remember the little war I mentioned over my paycheck last year. Just being honest and it started all that.

Anywho, I've got to call one guy back today on a job, and I'm waiting to hear from the city for the interview for the job I want down there. Wish me luck...

So, do you come here often?

Patrick  I know it's been a while since I've blogged and even longer still since I've had internet but I'm now back up and running. If you haven't noticed, I've figured out that Blogger now wil let me put up pictures, which makes my day because I don't have to put most of them up in the msn group. But I'll give you a brief rundown of how things went from the time we left up until now.

We left Pensacola on the 26th. I'll run right through the trip because it was incredibly long and about put me down for the count. Anyhow, I'm now forking for the city of Portland as a temp waiting on an interviewq from a great job in Air Conditioning that pays almost 3 times what they pay in Florida. So that's working on for us definitely. Things have been weird though. It's just not the same as it was in Florida, which is the main reason we moved. But to be honest I'm sure that I can speak for both of us in that we miss everybody terribly and pose to you the question "So, when are ya moving up here?"

But leaving Pensacola was sad for me because I thought of it as a day of lasts on several counts. It would probably be the last time I stepped foot in Pensacola (for a while) without needing a funeral or a wedding. It would be the last time I walked out of Hazel's house. And, despite what everybody says and means to do, I knoew it would probably be the last time I would see a lot of my friends down there. I know how these things go. get busy, get out of touch, and soon you don't even really talk anymore. It's sad but I know the people who are truly our "friends" will keep in touch and not be strangers. That would be great. I'm rambling now but I think I needed to Blog for a long time and never got the chance. But those of you who read this, don't be a stranger. Keep in touch even if it is just a short note a week or something. I am interested in all that's going on down in Pensacola.

we're coming up on the zero hour

The day is quickly approaching where it'll be time to leave the state of florida. things are all packed and it's all over but the crying. we leave out of pensacola the 26th and head on up to maine straight from there. not much else to say at the moment cuz i'm kinda rushed for time at the second, but i'll let you all know what else is going on when i get a minute.

damn it's been forever...

Yeah, i guess this could be considered one of those stranger things that happen...I'm actually blogging. I know it's been forever and I'm sure that all six of you have missed it....riiight. anywho, i'm at a friends little internet cafe downtown and enjoying myself. i'm teaching my son to be a computer geek early in life :) just wanted to keep people in the know that, regrettably, i'm still alive lol. i'm about to jump into some jedi academy and whip some little kids ass :)

Well well well...

I know it's been a while since I've even thought of posting in this thing, but hey, I've got the free time and might as well while I have the access. I just got back from my vacation to maine to show off the new baby to the grandparents. Everything went as well as can be expected. I know that didn't come out how it was intended but let me explain...The visit itself was great, and I'm pretty well considering moving back up there when I get the chance. The problem came in the form of Delta losing our luggage. Then, when we got the luggage back we discovered that they had lost our carseat. That was a lot of fun, lemme tell ya. Anywho, just wanted to let everyone who matters know that everything went great.

From the Frozen North...

I know it's been forever since I've blogged, but I just thought I'd go ahead and do it while i'm on vacation. I came home for christmas and it's been a lot of fun since I got here. I got a camcorder for Christmas so I'm gonna be taking a lot of video I see. It's been an absolute riot.

It Lives....

Just wanted to write a quick little something to say that I'm still alive. Unfortunately, I'm without internet at the moment. The funniest thing about being a new parent is, I've found, that there is a few things that you seem to re-prioritize as things go along. So, instead of the cable bill, I've bought diapers and such and supplies to remodel parts of the house. I have little weekend projects that I've been enthralled with so the internet will have to wait until I get things caught up. I've been practicing with my CSS in my "spare" time as well, and am getting to the point where I have it pretty much memorised...the important parts anyway. That's about all for now. I've gotta get things together and get ready for work in the morning....I'll return eventually.

Now That I Have Your Attention

I haven't really had much time to write in this thing since last weekend, but there is a very good excuse. Even better than "My dog ate my homework." I'm am the new owner of a 2003 model baby boy. His name is Patrick Everett Vance. He weighed 5lbs 12oz and was 20 1/4 inches long. Personally he's a little angel. I stayed up at the hospital until both him and yvonne came home, which should win some sort of award in itself. The little cot they brought me was engineered for maximum uncomfortability. Yvonne hasn't seen much of him since every opportunity I've been home he's been with me.

Someone should have published a handbook or something though. I was expecting the emotional from Yvonne afterwards, but no one prepared me for the emotional rollercoaster I've been on since Monday night. I look down at him while he's lying there and can't help but smile. It breaks my heart everytime he cries. I went through a good crying spell with him at the hospital. I'm sure there's no doubt in anyone's mind how much I love the little guy. I also see where the term "overprotective parent" comes from as well. I never want to see any harm or heartache come to him, and again it breaks my heart thinking about it, even though I know it's bound to happen sometime. I find myself wanting to get home just so I can see him. I also see where the term "Proud Daddy" comes from as well.

Which takes me to another topic, of which I'll be vague, but I'm sure the people who read this will know what, and/or whom, I mention when they read this. I don't see how anyone could leave their child, or claim that they don't love them. I don't care if it was conceived at a time when you weren't wanting/expecting/needing a child. My boss Stacy said it best I believe. He said "You don't plan for children. They happen and you just incorporate them into your life." Anyone who hates their child, or feels they don't love them, or just wants nothing to do with them, has no heart in their chest at all.

Another Sleepless Night. Another Boring Day

Well, as has become my trend over the last few weeks, my sleep has wittled down to nil. I was up until about 6am this morning chatting with friends and playing Gunbound. I've been a sucker for these online games lately, and for some reason this one has become all out addictive. It's uber cute but, if you liked the game Worms then you'll dig it. I was going through some old websites last night and I figured it was about time that I come up with another one. After the loss of the Hyperswitch server all of my pages have been in limbo. So, when that happens I'll put it up here for all you guys...all five of you.

On other breaking news, the Department of Highway Safety saw fit to send me a letter saying that my insurance company had reported me to them saying that I didn't have insurance. I have until the 22nd to bring them the insurance card from my insurance company...not just the agent, to them or i lose my license. Now I know everybody's saying "Bad Mike" but here's the way it actually happened. My policy was up with my current agent and since they'd hiked my premium up but at least ten dollars a month since I started the policy, I saw to it to find another insurance company. This was, um, Friday before last. I got a new policy and this week this letter arrives. Anyone who has car insurance knows that it takes somewhere around two weeks to a month to get the card from the company so I don't know quite how this is gonna work out. I'll figure it out I'm sure.

Well, I'm sure I'm about to pop back in to either Gunbound or Star Wars Galaxies so have a good day or something like that.

Weirdness..

I was thumbing through a few files i have backed up on cd from god knows how long ago, and I got a little melancholy. I dunno, but it's just kind of a longing for the way things used to be. Granted I haven't had an uber exciting life, but there's things i've been looking through that I realise that I miss a lot. We started talking about stuff in an online group I'm in, and the conversation swung towards the old Vampire: Redemption community, since a couple of the other members of the group were in teh clan I keep ranting and raving about through all of my psycho babblings on this thing. Some of the screenshots I've taken and some of the memories that were dredged up teh other night got me to thinking about everything else that I miss that's just gone by me. I live life pretty happy-go-lucky, and I guess this leaves me to take things for granted, that they're always gonna be there. And they're not, not like they used to be.

I think back on when I started this strange Internet trip that I've partaken in, of my own accord since probably around '96, though I'd been online over at chad's a while before that...closer to about 93 there. And I think back on when I was first learning HTML, and the excitement and awe I had over creating my own web page and sharing myself with the rest of the world. I put up the Poetry Corner, which to this point, has seen several incarnations. Then followed the Domain, which had all of my poetry on it, along with a few other things. The site was frankly ginormous. I think it weighed in at a grand total of about 84 separate pages on it. back in the infancy of my web designing, that was incredibly exciting. I could go on for hours about my web pages, frankly because there've been too many to count. But I think the first time I truly had FUN on the internet was when i started Vampire. This is probably why I keep ranting about it through all these months. It was the first time that I'd actually enjoyed my self, not only online, but in a game as well. I met some incredible people, formed some incredible bonds. Several, if not most, of these had deteriorated considerably in the meantime. And I think that's where the melancholy comes from. Much when I realised that the arcade was dead, I missed the experiences I had with those people, for good or bad. It seems like we get on now in a more-or-less friendly manner now, but not like it used to be.

So, I guess the moral of this story is to keep your friends and loved ones close, and your enemies closer, but keep all of them where you want them, because they can disappear just like that.

A pretty damn good time.

Last night we all ended up going out to dinner. A damn good friend of mine (one of the few i have left) from high school came into town. We started out at dinner at Appleby's, but we migrated after that and stayed up well past my bedtime. We had, or at least I had, a blast. We talked about all sorts of stuff, and even though it had been almost seven years, it almost seemed like it was just the next day. I wish the Starbucks had been open because I was sooo in the mood for a four shot mocha. Anywho, Jackie leaves thursday night, or afternoon and i'm sure i'll run into her at least once before she goes.

Wow...

I've been playing Star Wars Galaxies now for a few days....NON STOP. I promised chad I'd check it out when I got my new computer built. And I made good on that promise last weekend, in spades. I have a budding Pistoleer that's almost ready to progress. I'm sure I'm gonan play with it a little bit more when I come home. I don'thave too many complaints about the game really. I just wish they'd make with the vehicles....oh yeah, AND THE FUCKING JEDI!!!! But my Marksman/Medic/Artisan is coming nicely. matter of fact I'm thinking of scratching the medic field and picking up scout so I can go the way of the Bounty Hunter. Woot.