What a Weekend!

Ok, I promise the issues are coming...probably on Wed/Thurs. this week, but I must recap this past weekend. It consisted of returning to the pharmacy, costume parties, and a great Colts/Broncos game. I'll start at the top.

Saturday - Went in to work at Walgreen's for the first time in a couple of months. It was technically for training, so there was another licensed pharmacist on duty. It went well, fairly slow, but I remembered how to do most of the things. Next time I'll be flying solo (at least as the RPh goes). That went from 9-6. Then it was home to put the finishing touches on my costume. My roommate figured out the ears and I painted my face. By 6:40ish, I was a full fledged care bear (pictures coming....I promise). Then it was off to the pre-party (ie. where people drink before they leave to go drink). Then to a 5th year grad student house party, then off to an administrators house from the pharmacology department for a party. Partying pretty much wrapped up by 12:30, and home by 1 AM...which with the clock "fall-back" was really like 12 AM. Pretty fun, no obnoxious drunks, so that was a bonus.

Sunday - Sleep in, watch the PBA on ESPN. Doug Kent was on fire, 248-247-277. Made the Black Widow (bowling ball) by Hammer look really good. Then off to a sports bar/pub to meet some people from the lab I'm working in. I wore my sole Colts shirt and was seriously outnumbered (one stranger said I was "brave"....brave would have been wearing face paint...actually, I think that falls under stupid). But at the end of the game, I was the only one clapping...so HA! It was fun and a great game. If the Colts only had a run defense, they would be nigh unstoppable. So far this season the offense keeps bailing them out. Then home for some video games and the Amazing Race (go Cho brothers).

Ok, that was my weekend. Busy but fun. Ok, have a good day.

My Halloween Costume

In due time you will probably be seeing pictures of me dressed up in my costume. In the mean time, follow the link and you will see who/what I am dressing up as. It really has actually been a pretty easy costume to put together. The only question is if the cream face paint I bought will color my beard blue (the hair dye was a really light shade of blue, not what I needed) or not....if not, oh well, if so, great. Please feel free to laugh at the concept, and laugh when you get the pictures.

I'm guessing that I'll probably be one of the tallest of these famous cartoon creatures to ever exist. It should look really fun when it is all put together.

Here's the link...enjoy.

Halloween is fun!

Oh yeah, Go COLTS!!

Costume!!!

Ok, first off, let me give you the results of the "issue" vote. 1-0 in favor of hearing my thoughts on issues. The turnout was amazing (thanks J2). Anyway, that means you'll get to read about some issues....but not today. Today is a day for catching up on my life and asking about Halloween. So, first things first. Last week was relatively uneventful, classes, lab, and thats about it. This weekend consisted of football and studying. Saturday I watched another amazing Irish comeback win (really exciting...OSU and ND in the national championship game?). Sunday I got to watch the Colts. I was amazed. I figured Fox would show the Seahawks or the Raiders/Cardinals game (west coast teams), but no, they showed the Colts. It was great to watch the Colts play...brought me back. Both good games, and both wins for my Indiana teams. Oh yeah, I also studied...a lot. Test was yesterday (in class finished in 45 min. and out of class turned in a little before 11 AM).

Ok, now the important stuff. There are a couple of halloween/costume parties this weekend that I've been invited to. I will for sure attend one, and possibly two, but regardless, I need a costume. I have 2 easy standbys. 1) I can easily bring back the Papa Smurf costume and 2) Crazy Scientist is also simple (white coat, crazy hair, etc.). I would like to hear some ideas from you, my more creative, reading audience. My only requirement is that the costume is made up of household items, or those that can be purchased at thrift stores (ie. cheap!).

Let me know what you think...I have a couple of days to get it together.

Get to know Me!

As promised, here is the get to know me questionnaire. This is basically a stop gap until the votes are counted and I proceed with posting issues, or more about my life. If you are confused about my promise and the vote, then after reading this post, continue on and read my post from last Thursday. Then you will be enlightened. So, without further ado, here is the questionnaire.
Sorry for the small font, but I didn't want this post to be forever long.

1. What time did you get up this morning? Physically or Mentally? Physically around 7 am. Mentally….I’m working on it, the hot chocolate’s helping (it’s 10:30am).

2. Diamonds or pearls? Uh? Diamonds are a girls best friend…and I like girls, so diamonds…I guess.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Geez, it’s been a while. I generally rent. Probably X-Men 3 with J2.

4. What is your favorite TV show? Without a doubt, Grey’s Anatomy

5. What did you have for breakfast? A very quick bowl of Rice Krispies (Snap, Crackle, Pop….first my bones, then my cereal)

6. What is your middle name? I don’t generally give it out willy-nilly. Let’s say its one of the 4 Gospels and starts with M (hint: you have 2 choices).

7. What is your favorite cuisine? I don’t think anything I eat is fancy enough to be called a “cuisine”…but I like Steak (mmmm….Outback)

8. What foods do you dislike? Well, the list is extensive and that is a full couple of pages on its own.

9. What is your favorite type of music? Classic Rock…specifically CCR

10. What kind of car do you drive? A race car….or it used to be. Dodge Intrepid

11. What characteristics do you despise? Stupidity…is that a characteristic?

12. Favorite item of clothing? Retro Bowling Shirts are cool (right?)

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Not sure, but just the idea of a vacation is nice (no work and good food…sweet)

14. What color is your bathroom? Do you want all the stains, or just the general paint color? It’s some variety of white...I think.

15. Favorite brand of clothing? Fruit of the Loom…very comfortable

16. Where would you retire to? That’s still about 15-20 years away…plenty of time to think about it.

17. Favorite time of day? 5-10 PM….video game and TV time…oh yeah.

18. Where were you born? Indianapolis, IN

19. Favorite sport to watch? College Basketball (Go BU)

20. Who do you least expect to send this back? Uh, I’m posting on a blog, so I don’t expect any back

21. Person you expect to send it back first? Still nobody

22. What is your favorite product that you use? Deodorants good…Nobody likes BO…or nobody I know does

23. Coke or Pepsi? Dr. Pepper….but if I have to choose, it’s Coca-cola, no contest.

24. Are you a morning person or night owl? Actually, I’m a person regardless of the time of day….does turning into an owl at night make you a were-owl?

25. How many kids do you want? Well, that’s not really my decision to make…I just get to say “yes, dear”

26. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Hopefully a double Dr…and have a job lined up

27. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share with everyone? This is a bit redundant isn’t it…”new exciting news” wouldn’t you just say news….by definition news is new…if not, the question would ask, any exciting olds to tell? Silly question writer.

28. What did you want to be when you were little? Bigger.

29. Favorite Candy Bar? Do Reese’s count? They aren’t really bars, more like candy pucks. Seriously though, snickers are pretty good.

30. What is your best childhood memory? Probably bowling a 300 at 15….that was cool.

31. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Cut grass (“grounds keeper”), baby sitter (“childcare professional”), pharmacy cashier/tech, pharmacy intern (glorified pharmacy tech), pharmacist (RPh), and graduate student.

32. Nicknames: Biggie (in high school) and ButlerBowldog (AIM and Xbox 360)

33. Eye color? Blue

34. Ever been to Africa? I’ve heard of it…that counts, right? How about Disney’s Animal Kingdom…does that count?

35. Ever been toilet papered? No, but TP is very useful stuff

36. Ever loved someone so much it made you cry? Excluding family members…not yet

37. Croutons or bacon bits? Add cheese and lettuce and we have a salad…No dressing, thank you.

38. Favorite day of the week? Those not involving class or work.

39. Favorite restaurant? Outback Steakhouse…cheese fries, Outback special, medium, baked potato butter only…..or Shylers…all you can eat pork-n-sauce, cottage cheese, French fries, white bread, cheese sticks (the best) and cheese fries….man, I’m hungry now.

40. Favorite flower? Uh, whatever she likes…they’re not for me anyway.

41. Favorite ice cream? Maggie Moo’s…especially after the Mooooovies.

42. Favorite day of the year? Anyone that involves bowling well, eating good food, and having my parents pay for it.

43. Favorite fast food restaurant? Mickey D’s…best variety…and best fries.

44. Favorite web site? Downmyalley.blogspot.com…after the plug, usatoday.com and espn.com are good…gotta get your news

45. How many times did you fail your driver’s test? Zero…I’m a male, I can drive.

46. Before this one, from whom did you get your last e-mail? A spammer

47. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? I would NOT max out my credit card…but if I had to choose, probably GameStop.

48. What do you do most often when you are bored? If I’m doing something, I’m probably not bored. If I’m bored, then I’m probably doing something I have to do (ie class).

49. What time do you usually go to bed for the evening? 11 pm – 12 am. I should go earlier, but it just seems wrong.

50. Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire? Not expecting responses…my readers will laugh and roll their eyes.

51. Last person you went out to dinner with? Some fellow students from lab on the boss’ buck…free food is great.

52. Ford or Chevy? Depends on the model. Generally I’ll take a Ford, but if you’re offering a Corvette, then I take the Vette

53. What are you listening to right now? The humming of equipment and the typing of my keyboard….though is that just hearing sounds or actually listening. Listening involves paying attention and retaining, right? So, I’m not listening to anything, but hearing noises.

54. What is your favorite color? Red

55. Lake, Ocean or river? Ocean…no waves in those other bodies of water…a swimming pool would be a good choice too.

56. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? I don’t like philosophy. No answers, just questions and debate. I like science for a reason.

57. What is your favorite song? Too many to choose from. Fortunate Son and Bad Moon Rising are good ones from CCR

58. What book are you reading right now? I’m reading this questionnaire, not a book…you would think the writer of the question would know that. But if referring to what book I’m reading on a regular basis, it’s In the Presence of Mine Enemies by Harry Turtledove

59. What is the one thing you could not travel without? Uh, me. If I’m not there, I’m not really traveling, right?

60. How many people are you sending this email to? Zero directly, but the indirect number of readers is very very large…like 15 or 20….ok, more like 3 or 4.

61. What is your favorite alcoholic beverage? Uh, does Dr. Pepper have any alcohol in it? No, well, then I guess none.

Input Request

I've been curious about a certain issue, so I've decided to be democratic about this (which is very kind, because I could be tyrannical about MY blog site). Anyway, here's the issue: issues. That's right, issues. With election day closing in, political ads annoying during commercial breaks of TV shows, sermon topics, and even ethic class topics constantly a part of my life, I've been tempted to give my view point on some of these things. However, I have not done this, because the main point of my posting is generally to keep friends and family informed and entertained. Chances are most of you (my gracious audience) probably have a feel for my viewpoint on many matters, it is possible that I could surprise you (doubtful though, I'm pretty predictable).

So, here's the deal. I'm putting it to a vote...or something. If I feel that you want to read about my views, I'll post my views. If I feel you'd rather I just be me and post about me, I can continue to do that. The gameplan: post a comment and let me know which you'd rather read about. I'll give it a week or so. I might post some random things (I haven't done one of those about me survey/questionnaire thingys for a while), but I will revisit your "vote." The will of the people will be done.

One week with the 360

I have now owned (or in a couple of hours will have owned) my Xbox 360 for a full week, and thought I'd give you wonderful people my reflections on it. In general, I really like it. I'm not quite sold on the controller, but it isn't terrible. It just is quite a bit different than the PS2 that I've been playing for quite some time. The system itself is relatively easy to navigate and offers tons of features. Xbox Live (online marketplace and gaming center) is really neat. A bit of a rip how they try to get you buy a bunch or worthless junk, but still cool that it is offered. Playing online is really interesting. It is something my brother and I did occasionally at his place, but only a few games offer online play with split-screen. Now, however, we can both play together, or with other people. I kinda suck at online play, but I'm still a newbie at the system, the games, and online play in general. Ok, now for the games (from worst to first):

Madden '06 - very disappointing. The control scheme is terrible. Some of the bells and whistles are not there. Graphics are ok, but not enough to make up for the deficiencies. I'm tempted to plug in my PS2 and play Madden 05 to get my football fix.

Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (GRAW) - surprisingly good. I played this one a little bit with my brother prior to moving, but not enough to get a true feel for it. I bought this so he and I would have a game to play online. Online is really good, and the single player is also fun, makes great use of cover.

Call of Duty 2 - WWII first person shooter. I really like WWII fps games. So far, this one has been awesome. The great thing of the CoD series is they don't make you a commander of a squad. You are just a member of the army fighting your way, but your buddies still help and you don't have to tell them what to do. If only this game, used cover like Medal of Honor: European Assault. Still frickin' sweet. Also online enabled that my brother has.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - unbelieveable! The game is HUGE. I honestly felt that Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) was the most epic game I've played. Well, that feels very very small by comparison. The map of the country alone is gigantic. Then there are so many side quests/missions, that it gets easy to lose the main game element. You could spend hours running around the countryside...feels like Lord of the Rings. I like the fact that it is a created-character game (unlike my brother I don't get truly immersed in my character) and that uses a first person viewpoint for a hack-n-slash game. It's a game that you can easily play for 3-4 hours and only felt like you played for 1-2. I'm looking forward to continuing to play this game frequently....if only I can get a battleaxe!!

There you have it. My initial thoughts on the thing that will take up most of my freetime. The good news is, the 4 games I have will take up enough time, that I probably won't be spending the $50+ on games very often....Gears of War is a possibility though.

I also realized that I used all kind of gamer slang in this post. It's kind of like when I talk bowling with a bowler...normal people get confused. It could easily happen here too. Anyway, hopefully you understood all of it.

TV watching

I enjoy TV shows, and generally can find something to watch most nights of the week, but generally there are only handful of shows that I make sure I watch. Some people in my family - I won't mention my sisters name - watch 2 shows a night and record 2 more to watch later. Anyway, tonight is Thursday which includes the best TV show on right now, Grey's Anatomy, but I don't just want to talk about that, so I'm going to give you the Kyle Johnson recommends list. This includes several shows to watch every night, with astericks highlighting my weekly favorites (ie, ones I watch regularly).

Sunday:
Sunday Night Football (NBC) - depends on the game
Amazing Race (CBS) ** - best reality TV show....ever
Family Guy (Fox) ** - hilariously random

Monday:
How I Met You Mother (CBS) - decent sitcom
Heroes (NBC) - interesting concept, but needs to get moving
Studio 60 (NBC) - Aaron Sorkin may be the best TV writer...ever (also SportsNight and the West Wing)

Tuesday:
NCIS (CBS) ** - really good show
The Unit (CBS) - not too bad...most of the time
Eureka (SciFi)** - had it's finale this past week, but I really found this show to be fun

Wednesday: I bowl on Wednesdays and live the house at 8, so I don't really get to
watch TV, but...
Jericho (CBS) - watched the premeire and was intrigued, could be a good.

Thursday:
Grey's Anatomy (ABC) ** - best show on TV...period.

Friday:
Battlestar Galatica (SciFi) ** - really good...and considering network friday nights, not much competition. (premiere this week)

Saturday:
Notre Dame football...or other college football...really nothing good...go to the movies.

There you have it. Feel free to disagree, but we all know I'm right.

A test, a gift, and an anniversary

Yesterday was a big day. It all started with my second exam. The in-class portion was done in 25 minutes (of the 2 hour allotment), and the out-of-class was finished by 11 am (with a deadline of 5 pm). I felt pretty good about the in-class, and decent on the out-of-class. The out of class consisted of many questions about "design an experiment". Well, my experimental design knowledge isn't very deep, but they were trying to get us to apply some of the techniques/methods explained during lecture. So, I rationalized which technique/method would work and then wrote that as my answer (with some explanation as to why). All in all, I should do alright, especially if the partial credit is passed around liberally.

As I stated earlier, I planned to get myself a little gift for the success of my first test. This tradition dates back to my pharmacy school days when I would buy a little something after each set of clusters (normally previewed movies, or the like). Yesterday however, I decided to go big...really big. I purchased an XBox 360, some accessories, and several games. I now own 4 games (Madden 06, Call of Duty 2, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter {GRAW}, and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion). The football was must, as was call of duty. GRAW is used for online play and Elder Scrolls because my brother raved about it. Speaking of my brother, we can now play video games together again. It was little different to play not doing split screen. I'm looking forward to many hours of killing bad guys with him.

Now, I'm sure you are going... "A test, ok....a gift, ok....an anniversary? What? You've been single for as long as I've known you." It's not that kind of anniversary, but this week does mark the two-year anniversary of Down My Alley. That's right, you, my faithful audience, have been enlightened, educated, and hopefully laughed at my ramblings for 2 years now. Now there's not many out there who expect me to stick with something for that long....that is something extra-curricular, non-bowling related. I mean seriously, I can't hardly finish video games I really really like (ie, Star Wars Battlefront II, haven't beaten it...probably never will now). But anyway, it's true. October of 2004 saw the first post on Down My Alley. I have probably averaged at least a post per week (I'm not going to go back and count though). Pretty impressive if I do say so myself.

Stay tuned for the next several years....I have big things planned....ok, that's a lie....but stay tuned anyway.