Today's post is brought to you by Sugar-Sweetened Flavor Drink #17: Flavor 17 is inspired by what we think lemons and limes tasted like.

There's some short stories I need to read to help Ender with his homework.

"Harrison Bergeron"

"Helen on 86th Street"

"Scarlet Ibis"

"The Necklace"

Not familiar with these stories yet, but I will be. 

My dad asked me to cut his hair, a buzz cut. He's had long, silvery hair for a while and I guess he's tired of it. He is balding a little, but not much. Maybe he just wanted a cooler haircut for the summer. 

I lifted yesterday, and completed a shorter walking workout. Slowly building back up to where I was all of two weeks ago. Bah. This weakness heaps me.

My habits are falling apart. Must repair them. I think. It's also been nice just doing whatever I want. However, the freedom I crave will come as a result of the effort I put in today. So no procrastination. Do the work daily, do whatever I want the rest of the time. Simple.

Plus it's almost my birthday. I'll take a break that day. 

The puppies keep trying to eat the new bamboo plants, so I purchased five puppy pens and placed them around each bamboo clump to protect them. I looked at garden fencing, and the nice metal panels would have cost much more than just getting the puppy pens. And hey, now I have an excuse to get five more puppies.

I did a lot this weekend. Hung out with Bianca, Cobe, and Brian. Also took the twins out for lunch as a thank-you for dog-sitting. Went over to Emma and Chris's on Saturday evening. They were playing Magic: The Gathering (draft tournament) and I enjoyed seeing the neat new mechanics and card art, but I did not play. Still refuse to give any more of my money to the game. I'll just play other people's decks if they want to test them out. Equally fun, and I don't have to blame myself if I lose...it's clearly their deck-building that is wrong. 

I think what initially messed me up in my habit of working out was the server issues with Titanfall 2, my online multiplayer FPS game. It's the fighting that keeps me walking along on my treadmill, and when I kept getting kicked out of matches it was extremely frustrating. In that game, I can lose all by myself, thank you, and I pride myself on never quitting matches. Even when my team is getting pummeled and people start bailing and suddenly it's 2 vs 6, I still fight. 

Harness my inner contrarian powers...

Last night, I went over to visit some new friends, Lee and Jeff, at their home tiki bar. It was pretty neat. Sort of a classical (for Phoenix/Tempe) mid-century home, and they had made a backyard bar that had a porthole with video of different beach scenes, a smoking tiki carving with light-up eyes, and also dynamic lighting and a rain effect.

Pretty neat stuff.

Now I have a head full of ideas to do to the house. Then I think, oh wait, that's money. And there's all kinds of supply shortages and price gouging right now. So I don't need to rush anything. I'm going to water my bamboo and see what materials I can grow from that.

Ah yes, and I'm going to try to listen to more music. Let it soak into my brain. It's good for me. 

Still feeling uneven, like a ship on a choppy sea. Not entirely unpleasant, just noticeable. A larger issue in my life, my unstable internet connection, was resolved and now I'm less irritated overall. 

I dreamed of Watson the dog. In my dream, he just trots up like it's no big deal. I say to him, "Hey! You're dead!" Watson gives me a bored look. I say, "Okay, get over here and get your pets." And I pet him.

Dreams like that are puzzling because I want to believe that my self-aware ego is frolicking in my mental playground, it's also entirely possible that I was just dreaming that I knew I was dreaming. Noted, and now I'm moving on.

So very uneven.

Had a great time at Tiki Oasis 2021. Definitely want to go again next year. Met a lot of great people, especially our new favorite Indianapolitans, Bianca and Kobe. Picked up some really cool art for the walls too.

The atmosphere itself was pleasant. We had a room there, so we could wander about with all the convenience of snacks, drinks, and non-public restrooms close at hand. Which was good, because after the first night, my stomach was upset. 

I met a lot of neat people. Tiki enthusiasm cuts a wide swath through many other interests. I met people who had been to the very first San Diego Comic Con, and we swapped stories about the good old days (my first Comic-Con was 2002, when you could still get into panels without waiting in line days before) and man, I forget his name, but we talked about chatting with Ray Bradbury and he said good old Ray sent him a birthday card every year.

I met so many people I hope to see again. Judy and Kevin (from Vegas), and Lee and Jeff (from AZ) and Dave and Chris and Matt, oh, and Camilla. Camilla and Chris were my partners in witty banter. We should get ourselves a podcast. 

I'm still pretty out of it. I don't drink very often these days, and I can't remember the last time I drank two nights in a row. Oh wait, Vegas. Chris and Mishea's wedding. So over a year. I did my walking yesterday and it went okay. The lack of structure was good for me, I think, but it's time to get back to my routine. 

Ah, the last day of work before a short vacation. Lots to accomplish. Yup yup, much to do. 

And now I must shine my shoes. Very important. And dust my fez.

Grocery shopping must be done. Must obtain snacks. 

How am I feeling today? Pretty good, I think. I slept okay. Lots of dreams I don't remember.

I smell clean. That's important to me. 

My mind is elsewhere. Don't be there, mind. I guess you don't have to be here, but don't be there. 

Does posture even matter anymore? Can I lie perpendicular to my laptop, twisted over and typing? 

Better not try it. Not for too long anyway.

There is much to be done. Tiki-Con is this weekend! I've got to pick out something to go with my fez. I'm thinking...all black. I think I'll need to carry around an Erlenmeyer flask filled with smoking green liquid. 

The twins are going to be watching the house and the pups. Hopefully watering the bamboo. 

They better water the dang bamboo. We're still in the critical phase here. I think. Mostly I don't understand how anything works, and am constantly min-boggled when anything works at all.