switz1873’s blog

I'm nearly finished with this book. A Dan Brown fan, I had to get my hands on this book and give it a go.

The Lost Symbol

Dan Brown

Dislike:

• a sandwich that was intended for a cruisant, just isn't as good on wheat bread (and I love wheat bread)
• the service at the Hickory House is slow, really slow --- like fall asleep before the bill comes slow.
• thought we might escape summer without much heat -- the last two days have proved otherwise
• too many pickles on my Wendy's burger - I like pickles but too many just ruin it
• Duke
  

Like:

• despite the heat lately, the weather this summer has been as nice as I can ever remember it being
• LetsGoRockets.com is part of the CBS Sports Blog Poll this year - stoked about that
• starting to get our plans in place for the fall
• 25 days till football
• BD takes DCI Finals by nearly 2 points
  

Dislikes:

• mushrooms
• the way half and half pizza topping somehow cross over the equator onto the other half
• the back rim of my Doc Martins (steel toes) is starting to wear out
• all of August to get through before football starts
• Duke (and BGSU)

Like:

• how the lady at Dragon Village recognizes me when I go to pick up orders, has mine ready, and sits it aside for me so I'm in and out really quick
• had a good time at the Incubus concert last week - certainly a top 3 concert
• the Dublin Irish festival was pretty neat - we'll be going next year, I'm sure
• we've been watching a bunch of movies lately - catching up on some old ones we missed and seeing some brand new ones
• Cavies and Devils percussion books are pretty sweet this year, good to see those two corps doing so well - only a few more days left in their season
  

Dislike:

• the price of replacement bulbs/headlights for the Jeep - too much $$$
  
• the garbage crew around our place pick up at 6 AM and sometimes before -- do they really have to start that early?
• how seldom we make time to get together with my extended family (mom's side) I hope to do that more.
• Duke

Like:

• Vols season opener vs. Western Kentucky on 9/5 (Kiffin's first game) - got tickets in the mail on Saturday - we'll be there.
• G3: Live In Tokyo is awesome
• Incubus concert tonight, Creed concert on the horizon
• Still really liking my new phone, Rumor2
• LetsGoRockets.com is gaining some traction and spreading across the web. Prospects for new Barry Church stuff look good - pumped to work on that.
  

Dislike:

• the stinky dumpsters at the strip mall next to our apartment
• the gang of kids that insist on playing ball outside our apartment and manage to always hit the apartment, the landscaping and the vehicles
  
• how difficult it is to generate interest in a football program that 1) isn't setting the world on fire 2) isn't a big top tier program
  
• Duke

Like:

• the fantastic fall weather we've been having lately - makes me even more excited for college football
• my new phone, Rumor2
• participating in the Relay for Life, raising money for the American Cancer Society for research and awareness, and doing that with three of my closest friends
• streaming Netflix to the XBOX - really, really simple.
  

Dislike:

• chunks of cob/husk in my frozen corn
• the cheap umbrella we bought to take the dog out bleeds its dye all over when it gets wet = crap.
• I forgot 'Gods and Generals' is part of a trilogy --- 4 hours and I only got part 1? Yikes.
• My xbox has been in the shop for over a month
• Duke

Like:

• an entire week of meals left for me by AES when she went away
• UDF's Chocolate Marshmallow ice cream - I can't get enough of it.
• picking up some new tunes with Missing Daybreak
• NCAA 2010 looks pretty amazing - and is released today
• Ashlin will be home soon
  

Dislikes:

• our mowing service starting at 7 AM
  
• the pool at our place is always full of kids whenever its nice enough for us to actually go swimming
• that my xbox is still in the shop
• Zildjian Z3s - don't look/sound half bad
  
• Duke

Like:

• AES's Chicken Piccata
• 'Taken' and 'Valkyrie'
• two nights of fireworks - the second, with my family, and a much more impressive display
• last week off with Streeter and BB - got a lot done, and a lot of nothing done = perfect.
• some new tracks from Seabird
  

Starting reading Stephen King's UR (on AES's Kindle) on the beach a few weeks ago and finally took the time to finish it last night. It wasn't a very long story and probably took 2 hours total to read but it was an entirely new experience for me to read a book entirely in an electronic format on the Kindle.

While the story was nothing to write home about - it was interesting to see such dedicated product placement in a story, especially when the product is the one you're holding your hands. I know this was the plan for both Amazon and for Stephen King - but it's a little odd as a reader, in my opinion. The Kindle format made it so easy to flip through with one button press and made the experience of reading, both outdoors in full sun and indoors in low light, very enjoyable and equally viable. Having no other experience reading on the Kindle - this was a great way to start.

Anyone who has a Kindle but hasn't picked this one up --- have a look - best of all, it's free.

Dislike:

• how little information on the current situation in Iran is reported, and reported accurately in local media sources (newspapers, etc.)
• shutdown at work next week - enjoy the time off, don't enjoy the $$ lost
• that we couldn't stay in Boston for longer
• Duke and BGSU

Like:

• all the wicked awesome hairstyles from the past week
• the Maine shoreline near Portland
• seeing all kinds of new things and seeing it with the right people
  
• Fenway Park
  

Dislike:

• gas prices sneaking back up on us
• banana peppers sneaking onto my sausage pizza
• first night out on a trip, I always sleep like crap
• poor Kenley's cell phone at the bottom of the canal (reminds me of a similar experience involving a body of water and a cell phone that couldn't swim)
  
• Duke

Like:

• spending time at the ocean / beach
• getting work done on the Jeep so it's ready to rock for the next trip (don't like the $$, but like the peace of mind)
• cruising around Ocean Isle on a golf cart - forget how much fun it is, especially when your cart really hauls
• "Sometime Around Midnight" by The Airborne Toxic Event --- not sure what it is, but I like this song
• it's been fun trying out all my new xbox games - haven't made it to all of them yet, but there's countless hours of entertainment awaiting me