Merry Christmas

I'm stuck at work for a couple hours, thus I blog.
This morning I was thinking about the days when Derek and I, being about ten or eleven years old, would call each other on Christmas morning to tell each other what we had recieved. Things like Rock'em Sock'em Robots or F-Zero for Super Nintendo. Those were the golden days of being a kid.
We went to church last night for the Christmas Eve service where it was mentioned briefly that amongst the gifts that came with unending life through Christ on the night He was born, was our celestial body awaiting us in paradise. This reminder stuck with me pretty hard while I sat there with my head ache, my stye, my ever worsening eyesight, my sore back, and my heart burn. I can't tell if I sound like a big baby or a seventy five year old man, but oh how I look forward to better days sometimes.
Back to the aforementioned topic of gifts, I'm going to re-live a moment from those golden days and make my "phone call", which will only work if you reply in the same way.
A painters easel.
The complete Calvin and Hobbes hardcover boxset.
An Atari with built in games.
A new Wilco shirt and Tweedy tour DVD.
Muswell Hillbillies on vinyl.
An electric fireplace heater.
Reservations for dinner and a hotel in San Diego.
Bulfinch's Mythology
1000 places to see before you die.
And a book about the art of the Disney imagineers.

Now it's your turn. If you want.

So Pine Summit, or Nazi Germany, as our little circle of ex-employees like to call it, has given my parents the ol' boot due to their need for more prisoner hou-, I mean staff housing. The date that Der Führer gave mom and dad was Feb. 1st. However my old man is going to sit tight until at least the first of March, so that they can look for a house to buy or build.
In the twenty years that I've spent growing up in that house, I've racked up a few memories, and I would think most of my friends have as well being that we spent the better part of our high school days there bbq-ing and watching movies and playing games. So we were thinking of having a little get together before they leave. One last hurrah, and then we'll burn it down. Or if you happen to be in town between now and then, we'll max out there until they leave, and then we'll fill the house up with styrofoam popcorn. Or something. Let us know.

Awesome

The word, to me, can have several meanings.
1. To be more than just cool. "Man, that's awesome."
2. Being or getting inebriated. "Let's get awesome!"
3. To be super super dumb, and evoke feelings of, "Man I hate this" and "Why am I here" and "I just want to die".

With respect to reason #3, work today was, well, awesome.

Gladden Christmas party...

...after many a Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Nog.

Please pardon the lack of light.

I'm looking for a Clark W. Griswmmnnn.

It's that time of year, again.


I stole the following from Lindsay. I had to. I'm a sucker for these things. And Lindsay, yours ruled. Particularly your birthday.

11 LAYERS OF YOU

LAYER ONE: ON THE OUTSIDE
Name: Matthew D. Pool.
Birth date: August 16.
Current Location: Big Bear.
Eye Color: Kind of brown on the outside, green inside.
Hair Color: Dark brown.
Righty or Lefty: Righty.
Zodiac Sign: Leo.

LAYER TWO: ON THE INSIDE
Your heritage: Irish, Italian, Danish and Welsh. My dad swears there's some African American too. I'll have to check on that one.
Your fears: Getting stuck in a long Taco Bell drive through, while having to pee.
Your weakness: Cream Cheese.
Your perfect pizza: The Vato from Maggios (shrimp, ham, roni, jalapeno, onion, cilantro).
Goal you'd like to achieve: Make a living.

LAYER THREE: YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW:
Your thoughts first waking up: First, I'm going to slit those dog's vocal cords, then I'm going to burn them alive. And watch. Over a beer.
Your best physical feature: My double chin.
Your bedtime: In bed about 10:30, sudoku or book until 11:15ish.
Your most missed memory: Right now, Christmas as a kid.

LAYER FOUR: YOUR PICK:
Pepsi or Coke: Diet A&W.
McDonald's or Burger King: Taco Bell.
Single or group dates: Group dates? Like me with my wife and Rosie? Sure.
Adidas or Nike: Vans.
Lipton Tea or Nestea: Tetley.
Chocolate or vanilla: Dark chocolate
Cappuccino or coffee: Double vanilla soy latte.

LAYER FIVE: DO YOU?
Take a shower: Usually every month.
Have a crush? YES!
Think you've been in love: It's known.
Want to get married? Too late.
Believe in yourself: Often enough.
Think you're a health freak: Every month, for about a day and a half.

LAYER SIX: IN THE PAST MONTH
Gone to the mall: Does the Big Bear mall couNT HAHAHA?! no.
Been on stage: Once. We're slacking.
Been dumped: Nope
Gone skating: Skateboarding, for about 45 seconds.
Dyed your hair: With wet concrete? Yup.

LAYER SEVEN: HAVE YOU EVER
Played a stripping game: Like making candy canes? Sure.
Gotten beaten up: A homie punched me real hard once. Ask me sometime, I'd love to tell the story.
Changed who you were to fit in: I had alot to drink one time, and told some dudes that I liked them and their music, which I don't, very much.

LAYER EIGHT: GETTING OLD
Age your hoping to be married: Why is this under "Getting Old"? C'mon.
Age you wanna have kids: Between now and 31.

LAYER NINE: IN A GIRL/GUY
Best eye color: Brown
Best hair color: Dark.
Short or long hair: Long. I've come around.

LAYER TEN: WHAT WERE YOU DOING
1 MINUTE AGO: Thinking about when I want to have kids.
1 HOUR AGO: Doing some online Christmas shopping for the wife.
1 YEAR AGO: At this very moment? Not sure. Maybe pooping.

LAYER 11:FINISH THE SENTENCE
I LOVE: The ol' lady.
I FEEL: Like having a coctail, a Colorado Bulldog, real soon.
I HATE: Stupid, not smart, dumb ass little dogs.
I HIDE: A hammer under my bed, until I buy a gun.
I MISS: The Talbots, the Chapmans, Ty Watts, Rosie, Suz, the Blacks (all of them), Zack, beer, the shaggin wagon, Disneyland, Screeching Weasel, paintball, the tooth fairy, jr. high, King's Quest 5, Buck (the dog), Buck (the Matt), Chicago, concerts, crossing the line, 94.7 the wave, Norpain, and Nintendo. And probably a few more things.
I NEED: To do my fafsa.

Thanks.