Blog

I have heard that a slew of people are starting to receive my Christmas card so I thought I would throw up an introduction message to my blog in case this is the first time for some people.

• There are blog (aka web log) entries updated periodically. There is no structure to them other than the fact that I like to keep a blog for a keepsake (aka, go back through the years to see what I have accomplished) but at the same time, see what I was thinking at the time. This stems from my trip to Europe where I found it interesting to document what I was thinking, what I was listening to at the time, what type of beer I was drinking…
• Every blog entries allows comments so you’re more than welcome to leave/read one.
• On the right hand side, you will find a variety of links – to my photo gallery hosted at flickr.com, friend’s blog sites, my webcam based Morning Show episodes (still being updated), random links to oddities, as well as archives of all the posts I have written.

Voila!

iplaying: Rebellion (Lies) by The Arcade Fire – Funeral

So here is Eric and I carrying out the Christmas tree to my house. I would like to point out that for the first half of the trip I was wondering if Eric was doing alright in the back, but it turns out that I was doing 99% of the worload whereas Eric was holding the stump.

More pictures in the photo gallery!

Hey, I actually agree with this legislation which will prevent dropouts of high school to get a driver’s license.

Read article here.

Last night, I was talking with Vero about famous couples and I mentioned Han Solo and Chewbacca. She replied “Which ones are they?”

Sigh…

So…let’s talk about Christmas parties.

My office Christmas party usually is during the day, involves a lunch, some games here and there, and some door prizes.

I read an article (here)the other day talking about how parties have swayed from drunken debauchery where you kiss at least three colleagues and then look ashamed the next day at work to the politically correct office parties.

I must admit that the old Christmas parties seem like a lot more fun. I went to a wedding back in the summer and met quite a few people from work whom I don’t see outside of this environment…and it was fun! I saw the husbands they talk about, saw them pound back a few drinks and get on the dance floor. That’s what it’s all about people…party down.

In a jumpback to the old days, a few of us at work have decided to have our own party at Baton Rouge on Thursday night.

Wow. That graphic didn’t really come out big at all.

Anyhow, I’m tired of the Internet being 99% non-Canadian so I’d like to share a great Canadian site with you.

Redflagdeals.com tallies all the great deals that are going on across Canada…gift certificates, special in-store offers, you name it, they have it! Heck, even in the forums they go ape over when the new Canadian Tire flyer comes out (as we all do!)

Anyhow, if you are ever thinking of purchasing anything ANYWHERE, check out this site first.

I am finally done mailing my Christmas cards. I’m sure there will be a few stragglers I forgot (like Kevin last year who I insulted by actually asking for his mailing address but never sending him a card! Woops!) but that’s why I have extra cards.

This year, I went on a more personal angle than usual which I personally think is hilarious and falls in line with the Palmer you all know and love.

I just had a brainwave when James and Ferda said they woudln’t make it to the Christmas party. With everything else on my mind, I didn’t realize they were going to Cuba the same time of my party. Dang, oh well. Something tells me they’ll have quite the time there and don’t need eggnog.

HEY! Speaking of my party, I would like to put on record that Vero and I may have picked up the best cheesy holiday sweaters there ever were at Value Village yesterday. I thought I had a winner until I stumbled upon goodness in the wool form. I cannot wait to post a picture.

iplaying: Where Is Everybody? Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile

Yesterday, I went out to buy some Christmas party items along with hauling Vero and Eric out to pick up a Christmas tree up the road.

Let me tell you something…in the city, you don’t get the Charlie Brown Christmas trees that you find in the woods. These are full fledged genetically produced perfecto Christmas trees. I was thinking “I don’t deserve this as my first tree!”. Anyhow, after some clever engineering, the tree was up with some great lights. I am in the total Christmas zone now.

Dad mentioned that I should water the hell out of this thing and he wasn’t kidding. I put some water in last night, and when I woke up, there was not a drop left in it. The good thing is that the tree is starting to smell like one. Maybe it needs water to have the pine smell.

For the rest of the week – mail out more Christmas cards, pick up Christmas party necessities, and pick up Maureen at 7:30 on Saturday morning. I better remember that little ditty.

I don’t know about you guys, but I am the king of procrastination when it comes to studying for an exam. I feel guilty when I tell people that I can’t go out and do anything since I’m studying because I feel that I don’t really get much done. However, it’s worked for me in the past…oh…15 years of my life so I guess I am doing the right thing.

Let me tell you of my productive day due to studying for an exam at 7 that night. Let’s start on Friday night.

• Have some dinner. Start reading some course notes.
• Watch an episode of Smallville. By the way, Smallville rules. I was watching the Superman movies just to start me off in the Supescape, but now I’m a full fledged member. I’ll be honest, I’m a sucker for those high school drama type shows. Hello Dawson’s Creek!
• Checked out some more notes. Realized I’m a little sleepy. Will only take a 15 minute nap on my oh-so comfortable couch.
• Wake up to Joe and Lucas calling. Realize I should study some more. That works for another 20 minutes. Watch another episode of Smallville.
• Decide to go to bed since a good early morning start should prepare me.
• Read Dune: The Battle of Corrin for an hour.
• Go.To.Sleep.(Again)
• Get up, eat an apple. Go on the computer.
• Decide to sit down and study some more.
• Pop in some Zeppelin in the new stereo and play around with the different sound settings.
• Call Eric to ask him about some of the different settings and how Pro Logic disseminates the sound from a CD into the rear channels.
• Go to Amanda’s to drop off paint supplies. Go to Eric’s to drop off a vaccuum.
• Get home, eat some lasagna, watch a bit of Smallville.
• Study for another half hour. Periodically go to check if I should upload some more pictures to Flickr.
• Study some more. Studying involves me looking at key messages and checking out the practice tests online.
• Realize that the Christmas party is coming up soon so think about some good tunes that we may play.
• Haul out the guitar and play some good tunes that flow together.
• Realize it’s time to make a freakin’ setlist after all these years that will work well in a crowd
• 1 1/2 hours later, I’m done choosing the songs for the setlist, but maybe I should think about the order.
• Realize I should really get back to studying. Sit back down to the stereo and study for a 1/2 hour.
• Eat some supper.
• Go to Vero’s and then go to my exam. I love this girl. She’s great.
• I am pretty sure I passed the exam. Don’t know if I got over 80% but I think I did pretty good. One more exam to go on the 19th. It’s an essay writing class so no real studying to prepare.
• Came home, bought some frames at Wal-Mart (may I point out that during the Holiday rush, the hours to go to Wal-Mart are after 9:00 since they are open until 11:00. There was no one there).
• Hung up some more concert reviews.
• Watched another episode of Smallville.
• Am killing time until Flickr is done another upload.

There you have it. A day in the life of Palmer when he is studying for an exam. Pretty productive if you ask me. If it were just a normal day, it would have consisted of the following:

• Wake up.
• Watch Smallville.
• Go to bed.

iplaying: Mina Loy (M.O.H.) – Billy Corgan – The Future Embrace

Lucy introduced me to the writings (ramblings) of Herbert Kornfeld a few years ago and I thought we had lost him…not a new posting since 2004, but lo and behold, he is back, along with free access once again! (The Onion was pay per view for awhile…)

Click here for Herbert’s Ramblings.

A biography of Herbert:
Herbert Kornfeld writes about workplace issues for The Onion. He works as the Accounts Receivable Supervisor at Midstate Office Supply, the state’s oldest wholesaler and retailer of office supplies and business machines.

Note: I would highly recommend reading the entries from Day 1 onward. His entries follow a storyline of sorts. So just navigate backwards in time and start there.

Can I just say that the ramblings of Herbert closely mimic the ramblings of our very own James in his accounting department? I remembered Herbert as soon as I read a few of James’ entries. His blog is here.

update: Oh, this is mint. They made a website for Midstate Office Supplies.