Found in Lize's old purse:

Note the date at the top. After such a solemn promise, it still took me five years to get into treatment. I conveniently forgot about this for five years!
The particular incident which generated the above was that on Jan. 24, 1982 it was Super Bowl Sunday. I went across the street to my neighbor's to watch the game and suggested that we drink a shot every time somebody scored. See http://www.superbowl.com/history/recaps/game/sbxvi
There was plenty of scoring and I suggested we go out to dinner with our wives and families after the game. We went to the CandleLight restaurant where I used to bartend (got fired for being drunk on the job) and I threw up in the entry way on our way out.
The next day, I swore off liquor forever. But I thought I could do it on my own willpower. That turned out not to be the case. I went from quitting forever to quitting for lent and you know where that ended up.
I've shared this story with my recovering friends many times. It was probably the longest period of time that I stayed sober once my drinking got bad enough for me to want to quit.
I thank God today for my sobriety and I don't leave it up to my own "willpower". I get the strength from a Higher Power.

Ciao, babies!

I'm a published writer! The following appeared on the February 17, 2006 issue of the SNC Times:

Dear Editor-

Since my coronation as Student Computer Support Specialist (SCSS, pronounced skuzz) here at St. Norbert in 1996 shortly after I was fired for playing the audio from the fake orgasm scene in "When Harry Met Sally" in a sophomore geometry class, one thing has caused me unrelenting agony. That ONE THING would be the stapler in the general computer lab in Cofrin hall.

Stapling in the General Lab began in 1996 with a free-standing Swingline stapler. To my great consternation, the humans who frequent the General Lab feel they should loco-mote outside the confines of Cofrin 101 with said Swingline. They have no concern with their fellow humans, only their own, sick, selfish, seething, stapler salacity. (http://www.dictionary.com)

Thus, several swinglines swiftly snuck silently skyward.......Or at least to the hole in the universe that, unbeknownst to all, is really beneath the dust bunnies (a distant cousin of staple bunnies) under my desk in Cofrin 103.

This troubled the me to the point that I began (er, continued) losing my hair, hummed "In-a-gadda-da-vida" incessantly and chewed the heads off several aluminum bats (Relax, you excitable PETA proponents. I said ALUMINUM....AS IN BASEBALL?).

Further, the song "Bodies" by Drowning Pool was heard blasting from my crude lodgings in Cofrin 103 at a volume that caused John Beck, Director of Computer Services, to frown unappreciatively and make the tisking sound that old (Mr. Beck is 4 months my senior) people are known to emit.

I petitioned Mr. Beck for funds to purchase that savior of sanity, that golden glowing promise in the sky, AN ELECTRIC STAPLER. And, lo, though we had to postpone implementing Banner by two years, stretch Pegasus Mail another decade and generally underpay the mice that gnaw at the network wires in the basement of Boyle hall, Mr. Beck found the money.

The sun shown as a Platinum Promise in the sky that happy morning when I showed up fresh from Office Max with the Stanley Bostich Model XQ7374-2 (not the real model number...didn't want to start an internet industry as in the red stapler from Office Space).

"Bossy", as she became affectionately known, was secured by her electrical cord to the countertop and began happily fastening student papers (even the illegally produced multiple copies) with ruthless efficiency. She barked like an AK-47 and was known to make freshmen girls piddle every so slightly, but Bossy was the Queen of Staplers.

Alas, of late, Bossy has taken a beating. The aforementioned HUMANS have dropped her on the floor and various plastic pieces have broken off. Bossy still fastens ably but when she is out of staples, she must be opened surgically (with a phillips screwdriver) in order to release the staple tray. Yes, Bossy is sick and we may have to put her down. Sniff....sob...........waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!! Oh, AGONY!!

I fully expect a spread for Bossy in the Times that will make the legend of the Albino Squirrel seem like the life of a "runt of the litter" mosquito born in a mound of spoiled Crab Rangoon in the dumpster behind Number One Chinese.

So I may have to prostrate myself before Mr. Beck soon to ask for funding for a replacement for Bossy. A sharp stick in the eye sounds more appealing.

Please, dear reader, be gentle with the stapler in Cofrin 101. Further, I ask that you mount a full blown protest against the use of paper in general. (I'm calling for at least one hundred naked students to protest at the next faculty meeting.) Why should we kill so many trees to produce paper and thoughtlessly slaughter so many innocent staple bunnies just so our "lost in the sixties" faculty can bathe in a pile of paper? (Oh, yeah, they need them to do that "throw them down the stairs thing for grading.) Strike, I tell you. STRIKE!!! ......but take it easy on the stapler.

--the skuzz

So far the boss has not called me in to his office to ream me a new one. Life is good.

Ciao, babies!

feb 16, 2006 - SNOW DAY!!
Yes, my friends and beloved relatives, I stayed home today. There is a good foot of new snow out there!
Last night, Liz and I joined Geoff and Laura for a birthday dinner at Red Lobster in Appleton.
I arrived a little early, knowing that there was a Birkenstock store down there somewhere. After driving around for about 20 minutes looking for it, I walked into the store and my phone rang. It was Liz. She had gotten a ride up there from a co-worker who lives in Brillion but was going to visit a brother in Hortonville. Liz asked me to come and get her so Bonnie could travel on to Hortonville. So I walked out of the store and drove across the street (the very long way as navigating near the Fox River Mall in Appleton takes some experience which I lacked) and picked up Liz. Since we were a half hour early, we went back to the Birkie store and I bought these.

I've been wearing them around the house all day. I at first thought that the wool socks were too thick but after a little while they felt just fine. I had been thinking about getting some clogs for some time and I knew that the only Birkenstock store in the area was in Appleton, so it all worked out well.

We had a great time with Geoff and Laura. The food was wonderful and the service was fantastic and we didn't even have to wait long for a table. When we used to go to Red Lobster in Wauwautosa, we always had to wait a long time and the place was like an ant hill.

It's been a wonderful, delicious day at the computer while it snowed lots and continues to blow like crazy. Having a Thursday off is wonderful because you just have to work one day and then you are off again.

I've been thinking about picking up the guitar again and playing some. I want to make some movie clips of me playing and singing. I can do that with my webcam. To my dismay, I learned today that my camera is not compatible with Trillian Pro, which I paid $25 for. So far, no family member has been able to see me because nobody has the capability of receiving video via IM. Oh, well, someday. In the meantime, I'll continue to provide a face of the day every so often. It's all about MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

That's it for now. Ooo there goes a grader. Not gonna get out of the driveway without blowing snow....may wait till tomorrow morning to do that. No telling how much it will blow tonight.

Oh, yeah, this post would not be complete without some cat talk. Alas, it is sad talk. I discovered last week that Murry is doing what Liz feared she would. She is peeing to mark territory. There was cat pee all over the bed in the back bedroom and on a chair cushion in that room too. Thus, Murry's litter box and water dish and food tray are now down in the basement. We need to get a door on the stairs up to the second floor so we can be sure she doesn't go up there and pee on the bed. Into each life, some rain must fall. Maybe a little cat pee too. :-(

Ciao, babies!!

It's the day of my NEW GLASSES! Here's the first FACE of the DAY with my new look!


So what do you think?

Nothing much is yanking my chain today. So........


Ciao, babies!!

Faces of the day: Murry and George


Murry has been gradually integrating into our household. She has the old back bedroom all to herself at night but I bring her into the house during the day. She and Smokey don't like each other. Murry is the aggressor. We try to keep them apart as much as possible. Cat fights are not pretty.

Nothing much else is happening. I'm hoping my new glasses arrive this week. They are rimless and extremely minimal. I'm looking forward to getting them.

Work has been like play. I have lots of diverse things to do. Some PC work, some Mac work. Some lab work. Some individual faculty members to assist. We are close to beginning interviews for the vacant networking position in our department. This is an exciting propect. The new person will have the office right next to mine. The committee (which I am not a member of) will meet this week Tuesday to decide which candidates to invite in for interviews. This will probably be 3-5 people. Then we'll have to have time to interview them all. Then, if we have a candidate that we want to hire, we'll have to wait till they are available to start. This may go into March but could happen by the end of this month at best.

I just got my new chair this past week and am getting new glasses soon, but I'm still fighting the winter blahs. A couple weeks in a warm climate would really help out, I imagine.

That's it for now.

Ciao, babies!!

This Chair is as comfortable as it looks!

The face of the day is really a chair. My Christmas present was received on February 1. I won't be sitting in it to watch the Super Bowl because we are going to Theresa and Robin's to watch the game. Oh, and I haven't farted on it yet either :-) Ciao, babies!!