WiredMonkey's Minutia

Oh Yeah - I'm Not Here Anymore

2010-02-07T13:25:00.002-06:00

I can't believe I forgot to post that on here...though I think anyone reading this knows about the new blog. I've been equally reticent about posting there, so there's no favoritism. Here is the link to One Cool Monkey (http://www.onecoolmonkey.com) See you there!

Change is Coming

2008-11-05T11:23:00.004-06:00

"A new dawn of American leadership is at hand..."Barack Obama was elected as the 44th president of the United States of America last night. He is also our first president of African-American descent.I don't know that I can properly express the optimism and happiness I feel that my fellow Americans still have faith in our government, and still have hope that our ship can be righted and our

Please...Don't Vote. Ok, Well, Maybe You Should....

2008-10-03T11:45:00.003-05:00

What a great video this is...as long as people in this country still understand sarcasm. I think they do...I *hope* they do. I've made lots of assumptions over the past few months about the American populace, and they haven't turned out to be as accurate as I hoped (check how close the race still is...), but I guess we'll see.So - the video asks for you to pass it along...and I request the same

Catching You Up

2008-09-17T09:24:00.003-05:00

I know, I said I would post again last night. It's sort of true...I just didn't do it here. Damn, what a great segue that was... So, I have this pending gig as a blogger for a Dallas pro sports blog aptly named DallasProSports.com. They needed a piece on the Dallas Stars, who they want me to cover each week, by Monday night. Well...we had some family stuff come up and I didn't get to it.

More Photo Entry Fun

2008-09-16T11:11:00.006-05:00

The Greeblepix contest for this month is up, and I've once again to submit a picture of the cutest little boy in the world (this determination is an independent conclusion, with no influence from any biased parties). How can you NOT think he's just adorable, ya know? Anyway - real post coming later today. I'm such a slacker...

My Little Monkey

2008-08-19T11:26:00.005-05:00

My friend Aimee over at GreebleMonkey is running a photo contest, and the above is my entry. It's one of my favorite shots of my little guy from this summer. Go check out all of the fun entries here.

A Thing a Year - Part the Third

2008-07-27T23:11:00.002-05:00

24. The human metabolic system is a finicky, annoying thing to deal with through the course of a lifetime. But, essential to life and all that crap.25. Sometimes, I need to be reminded just how good I have it, and what a great number of blessings I have in my life. This also goes for most people I know.26. Walking on a cold, snowy evening, where the blanket of snow falling is so thick that

A Thing a Year - Part the Second

2008-07-26T23:34:00.003-05:00

13. Delayed gratification is a bitch. But, still probably for the best.14. Drinking 1/2 an ounce of water for every pound you have, every day - no exceptions - leads to feeling better and actually losing weight. Weird.15. Sports are a universal unifier, bringing together people despite economic and social boundries. This is a good thing.16. It's tough to hate family, even if you want to.

A Thing a Year - Part the First

2008-07-25T23:33:00.005-05:00

A Thing A Year - 34 Life Lessons I've Learned:1. Attitude is everything. When you're down in the dumps, life dumps on you more. When you stay positive and happy, you'll be amazed at what you can do with just scraps and a smile.2. The first axiom is much easier believed than put into practice.3. Money isn't everything. But, everything wants money.4. A day spent without music is like a black

Vacation Recap

2008-05-12T18:51:00.004-05:00

I am back from vacation today. Mrs. Monkey, the Little Monkey and I all went to Florida to visit my mom and her husband. As we were in the state, my Dad and stepmom drove up from the Keys where they live, and we all got to visit. It was a really great vacation in the sense that we got to visit with lots of family I don't see too often. And Cole loved the water available to him in Florida -

Earth Daze

2008-04-23T11:42:00.008-05:00

See what I did there? With the Daze? And the Days? Ehh? Ehhhhhh??? Yeah, okay, it was silly, but hang in there.So, Earth Day was yesterday. I think we all know enough about it by now that I don't need to give you a linky to go read up on it. Google it if you have been under a rock and still aren't sure about what it is. I sat for a good while yesterday, trying to think of a good post to

March They Might Be Giants Show - Dallas, TX

2008-04-18T09:39:00.003-05:00

I meant to post the set list for the They Might Be Giants show I went to at the House of Blues in Dallas on March 5th. I used twitter to do a sort of "live play-by-play" while I was at the concert, so that left me with a log of the show. It was a fun experiment to do.So, if you weren't able to make it to the show, and you happen to have these They Might Be Giants songs, you could always put

Wildflower 2008

2008-04-15T09:53:00.006-05:00

Tickets went on sale yesterday for this year's Wildflower Festival in Richardson, TX. This festival is almost always a great time. They have a great gathering of restaurant booths and artist displays, and always seem to attract some relatively big-name bands. In the past, they have had Bowling for Soup, Better than Ezra and Cowboy Mouth, just to name a few. They are usually bands that can't

Post 100!

2008-04-11T15:18:00.002-05:00

One Hundred posts...seems like a benchmark of sorts, but as I have only been posting a few times a year, as of late, I guess it's kind of an anti-climactic benchmark. But, I'm happy to be here nonetheless. W00t!If you are reading this within a few days or weeks of this posting, you are probably noticing several changes to the site. I made some changes to kind of focus this area to be

Updates Coming Soon...

2008-03-18T21:05:00.006-05:00

Wow - how have you all been? Sorry for the delay in getting back to writing. Wowzers. Anyway, while I'm getting things in order, here are a couple of things:1. This is good information to know:242. If you haven't signed up already (and nearly all my friends haven't, at least as far as I know), go to Twitter and sign up for an account. I update on Twitter pretty regularly - a few times a

Yes We Can

2008-02-04T10:21:00.000-06:00

I don't do much political talk here at the Minutia, but it's important to point out that many states here in the U.S. are going to have a caucus tomorrow, and that many of you might live in such states. I urge you, if you do live in such a state, to go out and make your voice heard. If we want change in this nation, no matter how difficult that change is to make happen, it starts with a vote.In

I'm Going Down to South Park...

2007-12-02T12:55:00.001-06:00

Just in case any of you ever wondered what the WiredMonkey might look like as a South Park character....wonder no more:Just thought you might want to know.

Over the Holiday...

2007-11-28T20:19:00.000-06:00

The posts have been lacking again - sorry about that. One thing lead to another...it was an evil domino effect. Horrible stuff those dominos. Evil dominos of blog prevention.The holidays were nice. Had a great visit with A&E, ate lots of turkey and marveled at how quickly time can fly when you're having fun. Took a great road trip - Dublin Dr. Pepper plant in Dublin, TX. It's the oldest Dr.

Crazy Day in North Texas

2007-11-17T23:41:00.000-06:00

Mrs. Monkey and I got new phones yesterday, which finally got us away from Cingular. I don't have any particular complaint against Cingular, other than the fact that they gouge their customers every month for service. What we were paying for the service we got is really pretty shabby. We went back to Sprint, which is what her family has. That alone should save us some money with the all the

Dumb Rambling

2007-11-16T23:48:00.000-06:00

The weekend is here - plenty of relaxing to be had, and hopefully a few exciting times as well. I really want a pizza. Advertising to those who are hungry and craving cheese should be unlawful. Unfortunately, I guess it's hard to know who wants the fromage and who doesn't. Bah. I want pizza.

I Love This Time of Year

2007-11-15T23:06:00.001-06:00

It's a beautifully crisp night out tonight - weather that reminds me strongly of the Northeast. The air is very cold and smells like decaying leaves and far-off chimneys. Your breath hangs in the air after you exhale or talk...it just feels right. I really love this season the best, but can't point to just one thing - it's a combination of them all.Mrs. Monkey and I are getting things in order

A Return to the Cool...

2007-11-14T21:39:00.000-06:00

Seriously, Southwest Airlines? Why is the freedom to sit where you want such a big perk when it comes to airlines seating. Is this really what surveys revealed to be passengers' biggest gripe? Honestly? Keep the scary food, keep the limited leg room - let's make sure passengers can sit where they want? Whatever, Southwest.We had a cold front come in today, and are finally feeling some more

A Bit of This...A Bit of That...

2007-11-13T20:22:00.000-06:00

Oops - missed a few. Well, you didn't think I'd make it all the way through the month posting everyday anyway, did you? I actually thought I might be able to, but oh well. Hey - I'm still going to do my best to finish out the rest of the month strong.So, the Stars made a few moves today. They fired Doug Armstrong as the GM and replaced him with Les Jackson (who I think was the director of

A Brief Entry...

2007-11-10T23:59:00.000-06:00

Had a great time tonight - went out for a bachelor's party for a friend of BurntoutZen's and mine tonight. Saw a fun show by Poison Cherry (Glam is BACK baby!) - will have more info about that tomorrow. As I haven't gotten to bed tonight, this is still the 10th. ;)

Where's My Staple Remover?

2007-11-09T23:26:00.000-06:00

I posted this site about two years ago on here, but I had COMPLETELY forgotten about it. GO. Become an NHL superstar, and then we can rule the league together!!

Whip Out Da Tongue and Squirt That Mofo!

2007-11-09T20:32:00.000-06:00

A lot of my posts have been kind of Apple-centric lately (sorry to those MS fanboys & fangirls that might be out there), but what can I say - I work at an Apple-centric job and it's been moreso lately. Anyway, today I got to take apart the LCD Screen on a 12" iBook G4. Wow. Man, it's really impressive how they orchestrate everything inside of those panels. The planning and coordination that

Apple Dinner

2007-11-08T23:13:00.000-06:00

Today at work we had an impromptu visit from some Apple representatives. It was interesting, because I'm not completely Apple Certified yet, and don't have anyone that I work with who is...I am therefore at a loss, sometimes, as to how to use their help pages and support site. During the visit, they cleared up a bunch of things which was nice.They also let me know about a "Bench Table Live"

The Guys' Evening

2007-11-07T22:36:00.000-06:00

After work today, I went to go pick up my son. This is something I don't usually do - getting the Monkeyling from the in-laws, who watch him while Mrs. Monkey is in school and I'm at work. It's not because I don't want to do it, or like doing it - I simply don't have the tools to do it. I drive a little beat-up pickup truck, and though it's endurance is a trait that I LOVE (nearly 110k and no

Weather Musings

2007-11-06T21:06:00.000-06:00

The kiddo is sleeping, and the dog is too...so I get a chance to chime in. I missed posting yesterday - yeah, I admit it - but I'm still staying with the spirit of NaBloPoMo as much as possible. Yesterday was just a bit difficult to get out here and make my mark.There was a bit of a return to some cooler weather in North Texas, today. This was welcomed with opened arms by me. I much prefer

Post-game Debriefing

2007-11-04T22:09:00.001-06:00

First off - great game today. The Patriots bested the Colts in a nail-biter. The Pats won by 4 points, and I'm sure it's not the last time we'll see them.There was a great turn out for the game - lots of fun New England folks at the bar. I bought a tower of beer for the group, but not enough people helped me to consume it. I need to go, because otherwise I can't work on the sobering that

End of the Day Ketchup

2007-11-03T23:55:00.000-05:00

Just squeezing in under the deadline...who knew this posting every day thing would be a difficult thing?It's a great Texas fall day today (meaning temperatures in the low 70s as a high, which feels downright cool after nearly 6 months of 90-100 degree heat). The Little Monkey and I had our weekly Saturday outing - kind of created to give Mrs. Monkey a bit of a break and let her catch up on some

Hockey, Music & Monkeys

2007-11-02T23:15:00.000-05:00

It's been rough watching the Stars play tonight. Currently, the score is 3-0 Phoenix with 5:27 left to play in the 2nd period. What's sad is that the Stars have had many more scoring chances than Phoenix. The Coyotes are just getting all the lucky bounces. Things just haven't gone the Stars' way this season so far, and I think one of the big reasons it hasn't happened is management's decision

Many Monkeys!

2007-11-02T00:15:00.000-05:00

Okay, this is a bit of a test, because I haven't posted pictures since my cat passed away nearly two years ago. But, I'm sure we've had some technological developments since then, right? I think it said something about that on the back of the AOL Free Trial CD I got in the mail the other day....What?? Oh. Here's a pic of my mom and my son and I. MONKEYS!!

NaBloPoMo and 80 Blatherings!

2007-11-01T22:32:00.000-05:00

So, what is this gibberish you're reading above, and why should I start my blog posting talking about it? I'm glad you asked, Hector. You always were the inquisitive one of the twins. Quick, to the explanation stool!Okay, so NaBloPoMo is a site that I stumbled upon after a late night of binge-drinking and yahtzee. Actually, I came across it while web-meandering from page to page (while

Where's My Time Machine??

2007-10-31T01:14:00.000-05:00

As I have been detailing (modestly and scantily) on this very blog, I have been growing my music collection on my Mac Mini (also known as Fred). Fred got a buddy last spring in the form of a 300 GB firewire drive, and some friends and I got together, shared our music collections, and promptly stuffed the firewire buddy to his gills. I do not exaggerate - I believe there was just over a gig of

Red Sox, Patriots and Leopards...Oh My!

2007-10-29T19:31:00.000-05:00

It's been great to be a New England sports fan lately. The Boston Red Sox clinched their 7th World Series title last night after sweeping the Colorado Rockies. And, the New England Patriots have run their record to 8-0 after shellacking the Washington Redskins 52-7 this weekend. The sports pages are ablaze with disgruntled fans and offended, PC-geared, commentators who say the Patriots are "

Interweb Nets Rule!!

2007-10-19T23:03:00.000-05:00

I came across a great blog today, whilst sitting back with a nice cold one, and smiled to myself once again about what a cool age of technology we get to enjoy. I've got an extension on my iTunes called iLike, and while you're listening to songs in your library, it tells you about other "related artists" you own, and allows you to build a quick instant playlist with similar artists (which is

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

2007-10-01T23:46:00.000-05:00

Bonjour, tout le monde...I hope everyone has been doing well while I haven't checked in lately. Things have been tumultuous in the Monkey household lately. There are a few who have heard, and some who haven't...but for those who haven't, I'll let you in. I lost my job a couple of weeks ago, and have been in heavy-duty job search mode since. It really couldn't have come at a more inopportune

Reconnecting to my Musical Roots

2007-08-01T23:40:00.001-05:00

Over the past few months, I've really been reconnecting with a vital part of my "youth" (14-24 yrs old, anyway): my music. God bless iTunes, my iPod (and Apple, by proxy, for those two things), large hard drives and technology in general. I have my entire music library uploaded onto iTunes, and thanks to a good friend, I have about quadrupled my library with additions from outside sources.

Late Night Neuroses

2007-05-20T03:34:00.000-05:00

It's the thoughts that come to you late at night that throw you for a loop the most - the "what if's", if you follow me. I sat around tonight, downloading my many, many, many CDs from over the years into my faithful Mac Mini, and the old gray matter got to wandering/wondering...what if my little boy thinks I'm the biggest nerd on the planet? Seriously...what if?My friends thinking this - I can

He-Monkey, Master of the Uterus!

2007-04-26T00:28:00.000-05:00

It's official - the Little Monkey is a boy. "It" is now a "he"! LampLover and I are both just happy that he is healthy and happy. There was lots of activity in the ultra sound. He was a very active little guy. He didn't much care for his happy warm home being bombarded with intense levels of energy for the ultrasound, so he was having a bit of a tantrum. It was like watching a fit on mute.

The Working Zombie Monkey

2007-04-15T23:58:00.000-05:00

I don't have one of those jobs that inspires - no life-changing decisions are made at my work, no lives are bought and sold, no empires created or crumbled. That said, however, I don't dislike my job. It's relatively challenging, consistantly changing (something I enjoy that others perhaps do not), and I'm compensated adequately. It's not a job that inspires. That's just fact. So, Mondays

Still with a pulse...

2007-03-09T00:39:00.000-06:00

Yep, I'm still here. Vitals still good, everything still intact. "The rumors of my death are greatly over-exaggerated". Er sumthin...Anyway, lots of news - the biggest of which is that my wife, LampLover, and I are expecting our first child in September. There was some adversity getting to this stage of things, but we're both thrilled about the news.I'll blog again soon, but I hope everyone

Monkey of the Month - WiredMonkey

2006-09-27T22:57:00.000-05:00

Skipping the obligatory "Dang, I haven't blogged in a while" drivel.... (you've only heard it a hundred ways from a hundred sources).Big news rumbling in Camp WiredMonkey. You may think you know it, but you don't...it's not ready for blog dissemination yet, but contact me and I will release it on a case-by-case basis. That sounds sufficiently snooty. *grin*Big News has left me so very happy

Labor Dabor Day - The Weekend

2006-09-02T02:34:00.000-05:00

Still alive here. Just not much updating lately due to a few things.LampLover is on break from Chiropractic College, so I'm cramming in lots of one-on-one time with her.Getting the last of LL's unclaimed items from her house.A new fitness regime (oh, GOODBYE BIG FAT FLABBY GUT)More of the same at the Grindstone (AKA, work).That's what life's like right now though.Last weekend, LL and I got the

Back from a Welcome Retreat

2006-07-06T22:44:00.000-05:00

I finally got my new toy to help me post! I'm sorry, but sometimes it's the smallest victories that make you feel like you have some semblance of control over your life. Good times.Over the 4th of July, I had the pleasure of getting away from it all. LampLover and I took the invitation of a couple of dear friends, and got away to the mountains for the long weekend. We were in the western arm

Testing, Testing...

2006-07-06T22:43:00.000-05:00

One, two, four...

The New Toy

2006-06-06T18:26:00.000-05:00

Not to overshadow the other post - I'm keeping this one short and sweet. This is my new toy. Only discovered down-side to new toy so far: Inability to post to Blogger. I've been trying to post for the last week or so, and so far it comes to the site, lets me create a post, but then won't update. Doesn't like Safari or Firefox. *sigh* Oh well - everything else on it rules. We've decided to

WiredMonkey + LampLover = MonkeyLover?

2006-06-06T18:17:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to post this forever, but apparently have been having issues - more on that in a future posting.Since I'm not so good with the phones, and have a few friends who won't hear about this if I don't pick up one of those silly little things...I have a bit of big news.I asked Her to marry me, and she said "yes".How much does THAT rock? Answer = more than the usual amount.Happy monkey

Handfuls of poo

2006-05-13T02:52:00.000-05:00

Wha?Oh yeah, the blog. Heh. I knew that was around here somewhere.Forgive me, my friends, for slacking off once again. But, if you look at it positively, I've been completely 100% effective, and quite aggressively accurate in being...a slacker. Yup. Who can we get that we are SURE will slack off on their blogging duties? Hrrrrrmmm....that WiredMonkey fellow seems to be pretty out of it.

I'm here!

2006-04-08T22:00:00.000-05:00

Things are good. I'm alive. I felt a post was needed as it's been nearly a month since I've posted. This past month has been particularly active though. LampLover and I are looking at co-habitation. We have our eye on a nice place in a neighborhood I'm very familiar with, having rented a house in that area once before. It's a great neighborhood - nice neighbors (mostly older and retired or

Writing About Sports in DFW

2006-03-11T00:44:00.000-06:00

I have a new job - freelance sports writer in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. This is a big step in my dream to be a full-time staff sports writer in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I'm extremely excited about the opportunity, and although I'm not completely happy with my work on my first story, I keep in mind I'm working out the rust of nearly two years of writing inactivity. And hey - it's soccer...

I've Been Tagged...So That Explains the Dart In My Ass and the Sharp Pain in my Ear...

2006-03-02T09:59:00.000-06:00

These are making the rounds I guess...I got this in my email, but I've also seen them in blogs. Besides, I need a break from work, so this will suffice.FOUR JOBS YOU HAVE HAD IN YOUR LIFE:1. McWorker 2. Best Buy Employee3. Mac Technician 4. Sports Writer Four Movies you would watch over and over.1. Wayne's World 2 . Evil Dead II