The Dark Side

Alas, life is not all grickle grass and truffula trees. Sometimes the darker side swims up and takes a big bite.

We had some sad news this week. Heather's uncle Bob was killed in a motorcycle accident on Monday. He apparently lost control of his Harley in a turn and crossed over the median, colliding head-on with a pickup truck. He never even knew what hit him. Such a terrible tragedy. Heather's aunt is very distraught as you can imagine, and the shock of this has greatly affected all of us.

Going For Multiple Stumpings

I pride myself in being able to stump the grocery checkout person at least once during each shopping trip. If there is a strange, exotic, or rare item in the produce section, I'll get one and the poor employee will stare at it, completely dumfounded, until he or she gives up and asks me what the hell it is. Sometimes I get more than one stumping in a given checkout event. My record is five.

My past triumphs have included lychees, tomatillos, habanero chilies, Syrian cucumbers, jicama, chayote squash, and golden beets. Occasionally, more common items such as cilantro or mustard greens will elicit a stumping. And every now and then you get a poor sap who doesn't know what parsley is.

I don't like that. That's not a challenge. That's a tragedy.

Zero Hit Points

Gary Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons died yesterday. Many of my teenage (and later) hours were spent playing his incredibly diverse and complicated and wonderful creation. And before you say that only geeks play D&D, please note that Vin Diesel also plays, so go tell him that first. Then you can come back and tell me. Anyhow, it is not an understatement to say that much of what I am today is because of this game. It showed me how to use my imagination and I still get goosebumps thinking about roaming the halls of some humid imaginary tunnel being hunted by a herd of dark beasts.

Bye Gary, happy travels...