So, I stood in the shower yesterday (Saturday) morning, steuggling to wake up and be "excited". Friday night, we came all the way down to NJ, to meet the photographer........at 9:30am......on a Saturday........for 10 minutes. Apparently, No one (myself excluded) figured it would be that short. I guess they thought maybe we would have to take a course in film developing while we were there or maybe plan the proper light metering...

Later on in the day was the woman's bridal shower. 38 women in a house, doing weird tribal woman stuff. I ducked out to a movie to avoid most of the proceedings. Saw "The Passion of the Christ". I don't get why it's "*The* Christ", but then again, I'm not religious. Maybe there's an explanation in the Bible. Anyway, people freak about how graphic and violent it is. To them, I say "duuurrr". It's historical fact that the Romans could be brutal and vicious. It was the Romans who took Jesus through the streets and finally crucified him (from what I understand). Do people think the Romans didn't show the same brutality in this instance? I think people have seen too many glorified, bloodless depictions to believe it could have been anything other than a shining, heavenly ascension.

As for the claims of anti-semitic tones in the movie, I thought that was the way it happened. Again, I'm not a Bible scholar, so I'm not really sure what supposedly did or didn't happen, according to the Bible. Things like Rabbis striking Jesus may have been an embellishment. I'm not sure. Thing is, it was an interpretation, just like every other movie or piece of literature that has been created on the subject. None of us were there (if it really ever happened), so we'll never really know the specifics.

Anyone remember "The Last Temptation of Christ"? Boy, did that one get a rise.

So, back to the shower... I ended coming back while the gifting was in full swing. 38 women staring at me and making silly woman comments, as they're prone to do when in numbers above 2. I just hid out upstairs, until they were done and it was my time to come down, so everyone could meet me. It wasn't too bad at all.

We have *lots* of crap to take back and no room to do so.

Pics: Favors, Crap

--Chris/Logik AIM: ChrisLogik

Man... It's been a looong time. Problem is, I'm so used to having my SK with me now, I forget to use it. Heh.

We went and bought our wedding rings this passed Thursday. Not much exciting to say about that. They're rings and all. [insert imaginary picture of ring shop]

I upgraded my PC over the weekend. I watched FedEx all week, waiting for my parts to come in (newegg.com rules, by the way). I finally had them all Thursday night and was ready to go. I gutted the entire case, so I could re-wire it the way I've wanted to for years. Finally, I had everything the way I wanted it and all the parts in. Like a giddy kid, I hit the power button and.......nothing. Drives spun up. The CPU fan spun, but that's it. I felt like the floor just dropped out from under me.

After an hour or so of sheer panic and frantic testing, I realized something. Turns out a new power standard was established after my last build. I ordered a new power supply that night and bought a temporary one for the meantime. My new machine screams. It just runs a bit hot right now, because of the crappy PS. I'm sure it'll cool off a bit withe the new PS.

Saw a Blazer on my way to work - huge, super-wide, chunky tread tires and jacked up almost another tire's height. It had a brand new, full-size spare tire on one of those swing arms on the back. Thing is, it was a standard size tire. Duh. Best part was the statement written on the back in Star Trek: TNG font - "Kick ass toyz aren't just for boyz" I've been trying all morning, but my eyes just won't roll hard enough.

Pic: The new PC guts - MSI K8T Neo, Athlon 64 3200+, 2x512 MB PC3200

--Chris/Logik AIM: ChrisLogik

Sigh. We went to see where we're getting married, which is the same place we're having the reception. Of course, I had my SK and camera with me. Of course, I totally forgot to take any pics. Some blogger I am... Anyway, it's a pretty cool place, the tenderloin was *amazing*, and I was introduced to my new favorite dessert - imported Italian tortuffo (chocolate, lemon). Good lord, was that last one good... We also met our officiant and discussed the wedding details over a dirty table in a mall food court. Heh.

Yeesh. The sky dumped about 50 bajillion pounds of slushy, wet, *deep* snow and freezing rain on us the other night. I've never seen that type of snow get that deep, and we're no stranger to snow in the Northeast. Almost killed myself shoveling. It was like trying to move cement.

Hmm. Well, I was sort of bored at work, figured I hadn't posted in some time, and realized that my desk was beginning to become a toy box. So.....I took a picture....

Awesome! Just now, I got a very belated Christmas gift from an online buddy. He mentioned a few times that he got me something, but I wasn't sure if he was just kidding or not. I don't know how, but he found one of the *coolest* gifts I've ever gotten - "The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead" Just awesome. I love survival guides, and who doesn't wish they were better prepared for a possible zombie outbreak?

--Chris/Logik AIM: ChrisLogik

Just kidding.

My fiancee's and my parents met for the first time tonight. Dinner at Olive Garden. They got along famously. Talked, and talked, and talked. We were there for hours. It's funny, because it was sort of like a world clash. I'm a country boy, 1 generation away from the farm (Mom grew up on the farm, 20 minutes away from where I grew up). The woman's family hit the cities/suburbs right off the ship and never went any further. It's not a problem at all, just some of the differences are funny.

Pic: Dinner

--Chris/Logik AIM: ChrisLogik

Nothing. Although, I just turned 33 yesterday, which is the same mysterious number that appears on their bottles.

My Mom's birthday is the day before mine, so we always end up with a combined affair. One year, the bakery screwed up and we ended up with an anniversary cake, wishing my Mom and me continued happiness in our marriage.

Pic: The candles were cool spirals.

--Chris/Logik AIM: ChrisLogik

Ok then... CHRIStmas came. Actually, this was my first Christmas away from my family ever. I really missed all the fun and excitement with the kids. I did get to talk to them, though. They were thrilled, as always (about Christmas, not my call, heh).

I feel bad. I made out *like a bandit* this Christmas. *Piles* of awesome stuff!

BOOTY LIST PT 2!

-- Korn: Take a Look in the Mirror

-- Dave Matthews: Some Devil w/ bonus CD

-- 2 sets of figures from Tim Burton's "The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories" (the GF thought she was buying "Nightmare Before Christmas" figures, they still rock, though)

-- Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Epic Series

-- Another Adventures of Indiana Jones (to be returned for X2 and 20th Anniversary Reservoir Dogs)

-- A sweater

-- A 64 MB pen drive (rock!)

-- Tenacious D: The Complete Master Works DVD

-- Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (Gamecube)

And the funny thing? My birthday is in 2 weeks. Heh.

Pic: Booty Pt. 2 --Chris/Logik AIM: ChrisLogik

Just woke up. It's CHRIStmas morning. Tree. Presents. Soda (not much sleep and I don't drink coffee). Now begins the painful process of waiting for everyone to wake up (I'm always one of the first ones up).

Pic: Tree and loot (duh)

--Chris/Logik AIM: ChrisLogik

Had half the Christmas a few days ago, with my side of the family. Now we're at the fiancee's parents' house for the second half tomorrow. You know, I actually don't like getting gifts. I feel bad that someone feels they have to stress over making sure to get something they hope I'll like and then spend money on me. But hey, there's no stopping them. If they're going to do it anyway...

BOOTY LIST! (thus far)

-- Alien Quadrilogy -- The Adventures of Indiana Jones -- Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Extended Edition -- Pirates of the Caribbean -- A trippy nature CD -- 2 Christmas ornaments -- $200 for PC upgrades -- A 3" sock monkey -- A $20 Amazon.com gift certificate -- A pair of slippers -- A chocolate peanut butter block -- A bag of peppermint brittle

Pic: Loot! --Chris/Logik AIM: ChrisLogik

I've already pointed out that I'm not a God fearing man, but I *am* a family man. I'm at a contata that my Aunt sponsored. Mom's narrating. My sister's jokingly call it the copacabana......

I grew up in a really small town, so it's always pretty fun coming home around this time. The whole town knows each other and you get that sort of Rockwell feeling.

The choir was pretty darn good, by the way.

Pic: The contata. Duh. --Chris/Logik AIM: ChrisLogik --Chris/Logik AIM: ChrisLogik

I think someone sucked out all my ambition with a giant ambition sucking machine (they exist) or something. With the gray, perpetually overcast, cold days of winter here, all I feel like doing is sleeping (best sleeping weather of the year) or staring off in to space with a blank mind. It's not depression at all (which means I've ducked the "Waa waa. I hate my life. Listen to my strife." stereotype that things like weblogs and forums sometimes bring.) Nope. I'm happy as a clam, though I'm not exactly sure why clams are considered happy......

Dicovered the fancy little chat function last night in CSK AIM that someone forgot to mention (Alt+J from the buddy list screen). Very cool. Real live chat on the CSK. Too bad it's AIM chats only (or you can make your own in the AIM realm). I'd kill to be able to hit my group's server. But alas... I've spent entire spans of time just watching some of the teenie-bopper moronity that thrives in some of the AIM rooms (80% of which is dudes speaking with alt characters, while they try to woo supposed chicks to send nude photos). It's like that whole "can't look away from a car crash" thing. Enthralling...

Pic 1: The first snow, which happened a couple weeks ago. See ambition reference for the delay.

Pic 2: Back home for Thanksgiving, playing the nephew's improvised melding of golf and hoseshoes. Oh, to have a child's mind.

I think I'll go take a nap.......

--Chris/Logik AIM: ChrisLogik