What is it about Guitar Hero? I am bad at playing it. I have no ambition to own the game. But I can stare mesmerized at the screen while others play it. I've even dreamt about it.

It's one of the first successful party video games ever. People enjoy standing around watching others play fake guitar listening to old hit songs. It gives us a reason to sit around and listen to music.

We watched the new "Hairspray" It's a fun movie. Very much a musical. It's been a long time since I saw the old Hairspray. I have a feeling that the old Hairspay was more twisted (Since it was a John Waters Movie) But still, in the new movie the mother is John Travolta in drag.

As if on queue, as if Labor Day was the offical end of summer, here in Seattle it has turned cloudy and gray and has started raining.

We had a great weekend though.

Saturday we went to RO's sister's on Mason Lake. We boated, swam, inner tubed and played with their jet ski.

Sunday we went to the Coleman Pool at Lincoln Park. The Coleman Pool is a salt water pool. I had a great time there. The salt water feels much better on your skin then clorine.

Monday was free stuff day. Thanks to Craigslist, we found free brinks nearby and are using them as pavers in our front lawn. We also got a free treadmill and a nordick track. They appear to be high quality. Hopefully we will use them.

Small world story-- On Sunday our neighbors new that we went to Mason Lake. It turns out that RO's sister's ex-brother in-law's daughter is dating our neighbor's son. The ex-brother in law has stayed good friends with RO's sister. He was at her place on Saturday. When he showed the pictures of the day to his daughter, the daughter recognized us as her boyfriend's neighbors.

Last night we had a martini party at the store. I over heard that one of the attendies thought I was always changing my hair style. That confused me a bit and made me laugh, because as far as I know, I never change my hair style.

Then I thought about it. I cut my hair once every three or four months, and then when I do cut it, I get a buzz cut. So, if you only see me once a month, then I will have different hair every time-- sometimes very shot and sometimes very long.

I got a promotion today. It includes a 11% raise and a 12% bonus. Yay me.

Neighborhood gossip.

The couple next door is getting divorced. He met a new girl friend and has moved out.

For a couple of months now, we've noticed that he hasn't been taking as much care of his yard as he used to. His wife noticed as well.

The wife worked days. He worked odd hours and had days off. He would usually take care of their yard-- it was pristine. When the wife noticed that their yard wasn't kept up as usual, she started digging into the situation, to find out what he was doing with his time.

And that's when he moved out.

Last night was Biz Talk night. Once a month RO and I get together with a few friends who are, or want to, run their own business. It's always interesting.

Elle runs a landscaping business. About six weeks ago her appendix burst. Afterwards two hematoma's formed. The result was that she's been in bed for the past month and half. She is better now, but it was scary for her business. She is still getting caught up on the bills.

For the past three days Seattle has been cool and rainy. This morning I put on a sweat shirt. When RO saw it he said in a very acusing tone "Those are falls clothes. Are you giving up on on summer?"

I had a day off yesterday. RO went to a Gift Show to buy for the store. I stayed home to clean, cook, watch TV and run errands.

It was relaxing.

I made a nice dinner for RO and I. But, when he got home, he had already eaten dinner. Oh well.

Today RO and I went to the warehouse to let a cutsomer was pick up a sofa and love seat. The customer turned out to be an old highschool buddy of RO's

ROs old buddies can be a bit odd. They (and RO) did a lot of drugs and alcohol back then. Over time some of them did overdose or burn out. The rest, individually, decided to leave gang, clean up and have a normal lifes.

We've bought a new dishwasher. It won't be installed for a couple of weeks. So we have been cooking more one-dish meals.

We are getting a KitchenAid Architect II diswasher. We almost got a Bosch. The Bosch had better exterior styling and the engineering was simplified-- less to go wrong. But the KitchenAid felt better-- less wiggle in the racks and or more firm, solid and precise feeling to the door. The KitchenAid also has a built in food desposer so it is more forgiving if we don't pre-rinse the dishes.

KitchenAid says the the dishwasher eliminates the need for pre-rinsing. We'll see about that.

Our dishwasher has died. It's seven years old, so it's had a good life. But still, we really didn't need to have another expense right now.

The dishwasher had been leaking for a while. RO and I replaced the seals on Sunday. But, it kept leaking. Then, it conked out completly. We debated fixing, but then we found out that the average dishwasher lasts five to seven years. So, now we are dishwasher shopping.

Yesterday RO and I went to Matt's birthday. It was the first time in months that we've seen Matt and Sandy. Things went well.

The've redone their yard. It looks excellent.

One of the guys at Matt's party was a former rock star. He never made it big. But, hedid play with the Marshall Tucker Band and co-wrote songs with Kris Kristofferson.

He had a good summary of why so many rockers drink and do drugs. For months on end, every day you travel for eight hours and then play the same twelve songs. It slowly drives you crazy. At times he felt he would explode if he had to perform "Can't You See" one more time. Then he would thing about the alternative-- flipping burgers for $2.00 and hour-- and he would carry on.

To pass the time while traveling, he would doodle and draw. Eventually this lead to a job as an illustrator. He's drawn a few "Archie Comics" and much commercial stuff.

My work is starting to get under control. Last night was the first nigt in weeks that I didn't work till late.

The warehouse has moved, but RO has hurt his back. He's not a good patient. I can't get him to stretch regularly or go to the doctor. He is getting better though.

We watched Babel last night. Babel is a good movie, but I didn't enjoy it. Early on I determined that Babel is one of those movies where good people are bady hurt by stupidity and carelessness. I don't enjoy watching that.

It does have a sort-of-happy ending-- no one dies. Instead they characters are left badly injured, in deep emotional pain, or deported.

I just reread my "Harvey Birdman" post. It made me laugh, not because it's funny, but because it slightly pathetic.

What wonderful memories, what deep thoughts, do want to preserve in my blog? How about the cancellation of an obscure, late night, cartoon!

My real life is very stressful right now. The store is switching warehouses and RO has been working dawn to dusk to move the inventory. I have big deadlines at my day job. Deadlines that I can't make. And, the store is just about broke. We are earning enough to pay bills, but that it. We have to pay for Christmas is September. Coming up with the money will be challenge.

Harvey Birdman is Dead. Sigh.

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law is a show that I watched, mostly because we share the first name. It's a spoof of those 60's and 70's Hanna Barbera Super Hero cartoons. Harvey Birdman is a B Grade superhero who becomes a B Grade lawyer.

It was on for six years. The last episode was Saturday night. The episodes were 15 minutes long, so even if they were bad, you didn't feel like you waisted much time.

But, usually they were good. They made fun of interesting issues like gay marriage, corrupt courts, sexual harassment, evolution, the law, and of course, the absurdity of cartoons.

One episode spoofed Jonny Quest. Dr. Quest and Race Bannon are 'partners' fighting over the custody of Jonny Quest and Hadji. It was all played very straight as if the Quests really did appear in a serious lawyer drama. But there was soo much gay subtext and innuendo that you had to laugh the whole time.

Anyways. I have one less way to waist my time now. Maybe I will blog more.

In 2005 I made an error on my tax returns. About a week ago I received a letter from the IRS stating that I owed tax on over one hundred thousand dollars of income.

I've had a knawing feeling in my stomach since then.

But, today, I found the paper work I needed. I don't owe the owe tax. The hundred thousand dollars was an option exercise that netted me a few thousand dollars and I have already and correctly paid the tax on that.

Whew.

We just signed a new lease for a warehouse. The new warehouse is less expensive and has more space than the old warehouse. This is good.

Our BBQ was fun. About 15 people showed up.

The threesome was there. The third fits very well. He is like a clone of the original two.

The rain helt out for long enough that we could eat and drink outside. I enjoy our back deck. It overlooks a forest and raveen so even though you are in the suburbs of a big city, you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere.

Our new lawn is growing. The grass is very pretty. Part of thinks the lawn will never be more perfect than it is now-- there are no weeds, no bald patches, no moss.

Other than that, it was hot, humid and rainy this weekend. I like that weather. RO likes it cooler. But I like being out side in the warm rain.