During my work from home today I took a break to free my car from its icy prison and take some pretty pictures. This is the biggest power outage in Oklahoma's history. I've heard there are over 400,000 people without electricity tonight. I count myself as very lucky.

Journal entry with more pics here.

I actually put my trees (3 of 'em!) up the day after Thanksgiving this year, but hadn't snapped any pictures yet.

Obviously that's because I was waiting for this shot. There I was playing WoW when my cat climbs up my Christmas tree, right next to me mind you, and sticks his head through the branches! I just about died laughing, and managed to snap this shot before I properly scolded him for doing such a naughty thing.

Once a year my employer hosts a week of festivities kicked off by Employee Appreciation Day. We, the employees, get to wander about the large area of the parking lot blocked off for our pleasure doing a variety of wonderful things.

I personally participated in the Wii competition, karaoke, and I spectated at the Dunk Your Manager area. The picture to the left is my old manager taking a hearty splash. Luckily there was no charge and no limit on how many times you could throw the ball. So most of the managers were dunked about a dozen times. That is, they were if they were popular. lol

They also had a huge inflatable slide and basketball thingy, plinko (like from the Price is Right), and a set up for the Armchair Quarterback where a recliner (with a seatbelt) rockets around while the hapless player tries to throw a football through a few targets. Quite fun!

Last year's Oklahoma State Fair was a bit lackluster. Could be because I went on the last Saturday of the fair, could be it just sucked.

Not this year. :)

I walked my little ass off all around the State Fair complex in downtown OKC. I ate wonderfully sinful food, talked to strangers, and made some fun purchases. MY HAT first off was the most important purchase. lol I also bought a Ganesh door handle and a Hand of Peace wall sculpture. Not the merchandise I expected to find at a state fair. Besides getting horribly lost at the end trying to get to my car (and then spending 45 mins LEAVING the freakng parking lot) the whole thing was a blast.

Did I mention I saw the Village People live in concert?

Some jackass hit and ran my car in a hospital parking lot on July 30th 2005 (day after my birthday mind you!) And left a gaping hole rent through my lovely bumper. Finally today my car has been made whole again! I paid my insurance deductible (which took me this long to build up) and paid out of pocket for my rental. So I'm out a good chunk of change but I'm oh so happy.

Of course this means I can't an iPhone when they come out on the 29th, damnit.

Oklahoma City has had the wettest June ever on record. We broke a 70-year old record with over 17 consecutive days of rain fall. Lots of flooding, but luckily nothing near me or anyone I know.

Lots of people wish the reain would go away, but I'm still enjoying it! Hell I come from the desert. I don't think the day will come when I don't enjoy watching rain.

I took an extra long weekend and went down to visit my Ma. We mainly hung out and did little. Though we did take on the project of removing the horrid purple-bubbly tint from my car windows!

Poor Foxie (my old labrador retriever) is just getting older and older. But she was still spry enough to go on a walk around the block with me and mom. Heck, I even got mom to do a bit of power walking with me too!

The rest of Midland was boring, as usual.

This is pretty much our own little national holiday here at work. Today for half the day we all get to party and the company treats us to entertainment and food and fun stuffs.

Oh, and money. There is also the money. :) Hence the name "Profit Sharing Day".

Yay for having vision insurance! I was finally able to go update my upteen-year-old glasses prescription. Of course it took them bloody 2 weeks to get my new goggles to me, but aren't they handsome?

I think I look rather distinguished in them myself. Really odd though b/c the prescription was so different than my old pair I felt like I was living in a constant state of vertigo for a couple of days.

That made driving fun!

Here I am hamming it up for the camera at Lake Hefner right before my jog. I've been getting out there about 2x a week (if not there, then I just jog around my apartment complex). I'm feeling pretty damn good about the whole thing. I always feel amazing right after a run.

I swear it's like endorphin drugs or something!

My mom's newest book is out, BLOOD LINES. Isn't the cover gorgeous? It came out on January 2nd and has been selling very well. Problem is that they're still shelving her in romance when so many sci-fi/fantasy readers should be picking up a copy! But they (much like I) wouldn't ever wander over to the romance section to browse titles.

MORTAL DANGER is still my fav, but this one's awesome as well. Go, buy it!

Soon I should have a new slew of school books to add to my library as well. $300 worth. :(