(no subject)

[essentialsaltes]

Had a fun-filled and active Caturday.

Truly a Caturday, since we recently got Winston a girlfriend/sister, Violet. We picked her up from the SPCA last weekend, but I haven't posted anything, since we've been watching how they get along together. They seem to have reached an accord, but it took some time. Anyway, the SPCA gave us a coupon thing for a free vet exam, and fearful that (if we ignored it) they would yank the cat, and we'd be forced to weep on our TV talk show about the injustice of it all, we took our perfectly healthy new cat to the vet. Of course, that involves stuffing the cat in a box and transporting it. Winston was a pretty good traveller, but Violet is a bit more violent. The cardboard cat carrier has some amazing gouges and tears in it. Given about an hour and free reign, I think she could easily Houdini out of it.

After the trauma, Becca and I made some chili. Well, Becca did anyway, but I helped buy ingredients. It turned out quite tasty, with plenty of chipotliness. We made a huge amount, but I have a huge appetite for chili, so it may not last past this weekend.

Then in the evening, while Becca slaved at paper-grading, I went off to bridared's birthday party, with bonus birthday boy, randbot, who was in town due to uxorial generosity. Beer, whiskey and old good friends were just what I needed. I had a great time and chatted in groups large and small (except the Heroes circle, which literally shunned my infidel self). Brian had acquired Guitar Hero III for the PS3, so ultimately my twitchy fingers had to give it a try. The system was calibrated and recalibrated a dozen times, but I never found the synchronization to my liking. But my brain would compensate after a bit. So I played several face-off games where I was losing for the first 30 seconds and then the brain would slowly lock on, and I arm wrestled the meter onto my side. I didn't notice problems with the guitar, such as described by servingdonuts, but some of that may be that the synch was so far off (and the interface so different) that I didn't have a very good sense of when I was missing notes, much less whether the problem was me or the guitar. More experimentation is clearly required.

Karaoke Revolution was also busted out, and I was happy to retire into the shadows and provide inept back-up vocals from time to time. ian_tiberius has found a lucrative sideline in being paid to sing. His reserve was only partially broken down by whiskey, but the $15 everybody chipped in helped bring down the rest. His performance of "Oops, I Did It Again" reminded one at times of a sick manatee. The performance may never be repeated so I count myself lucky a member of a very select group. Probably, now that he's gone pro, it'll take at least $50.

On the way back, there was a Darwin Award on the 10. I managed to slide off onto the Alameda exit and continue west on Washington. I tried to get back on the 10 at Grand, but the onramp was blocked off. Curses! Finally made it back on at Vermont and made my uneventful way home.

Comments

[colleency.livejournal.com]

"uxorial generosity" You write the bestest stuff!

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

Haha, thanks! That almost came out as 'uxorial largesse,' but generosity sounded more generous.

[hagdirt.livejournal.com]

We've got an old cat carrier that we bought for Spike, but he got bigger, so we had to get a bigger one to fit his hairy fatty-ass in. You want it? (The cat carrier, not the Fat One.)

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

Nah, thanks. We've got a hard plastic one if we need it. The top-loading cardboard one is just usually easier to stuff a reluctant cat into.

Aha!

[colleenky.livejournal.com]

So that's what that mess on the freeway was. We also got off at Alameda and got back on at Hoover, where there was no problem.

And even playing out of sync, you are a Guitar Hero god! My brain was not able to overcome the disconnect between the audio and visual.

P.S. Still don't have much of a voice. Had to miss church today.

[jsadler.livejournal.com]

So there WAS a problem, it was not just my ineptitude. Good to know. :)

[ian-tiberius.livejournal.com]

His performance of "Oops, I Did It Again" reminded one at times of a sick manatee.

Based on what I can recall, I'd say that's a generous assessment.

But I'm fairly certain I was embarrassing myself even before Karaoke Revolution, so at least I made fifteen bucks.

[jimkeller.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the new family member!

[doctorray.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear of the new feline addition to your household. I hope Winston and his new consort get along well - both with each other and with the two of you. Tell Becca I sympathize with her paper-grading pain, having endured much the same this weekend.

[zorker.livejournal.com]

Adorable cat!! Now we will have to find a twin for that one. :)

I am heartbroken that I missed Ian's stellar performance. It was so much more exciting to stay at work till 6 in the morning.