first off, i am off the next couple of days, and because i had trouble sleeping saturday night (due to intestinal gas not heading out the exhaust pipe), i was able to catch up on my sleep this morning and slept in about as well as can be expected. but as well, it looks like more laundry tomorrow. but such is part of life. if only i was washing more than my own clothes, i wouldn't mind it as much.

but that all being said, at least the weather is calmer than it has been for a while up here. hell, we're actually above normal. not as outrageously warm as it was at times last week (as much as 20 degrees above normal), but still not bad for november. it's definitely better than what they'll be seeing from the florida panhandle to near the big easy the next 24-36 hours as Ida comes to Mobile Bay for a visit. but i guess it's better than the below normal month of October up here.

As for my holiday shopping, not even thinking about it yet. and to be honest, i'm not even thinking past thanksgiving, as it looks like i'll be eating out before work this year, given the work schedule and all. but given that, I am still frustrated that the stores are already having christmas sales and such before thanksgiving even starts. I hate to say it here as i have said this already on facebook as a status update, but what ever happened to going one holiday at a time with your sales and sales displays? it's an annoyance that i think just shows desperation on the store's part since people aren't necessarily buying on the merit of the goods these days (partially because of the job market as well, but that's a different story). But one thing that is good out of this downturn, layaway is making a comeback. It's a lot better than using credit cards, from an interest-rate perspective, and also in a satisfaction standpoint (i know because i bought a quality bowling ball that way when working one summer). But one shopping thing that is kind of ironic. Today, i got in the mail a etter from the bestbuy reward-zone program: we're having a special holiday sale for reward zone members only this sunday, between 730 and 930pm. That sounds nice, until you see that I am working the 1-10 shift on sunday. Not like i would have bought anything anyway, given i don't need anything from them attm, but still, just the luck of the draw.

But at least when it comes to drawing at my local poker game lately, I have been doing better. in the Monday night game a couple of weeks ago, I was a respectable top 1/4 of the tourney. And last Tuesday, I actually placed 3rd out of 30+ people. So maybe i can start drawing a few better things soon.

But finally, going way out on a limb here, does anybody remember back to say 2004 or so, when the then republican-led senate said they were frustrated about the republicans wanting to change the rules in the senate to essentially get rid of the filibuster via the "nuclear option"? The the dems caved and allowed a vote on several issues? What if the dems didn't cave back then, the nuclear option was passed, and the filibuster would have been essentially done away with? Would we have had several more things to undo from the neocons (different from republicans in that most republicans actually have principles where neocons don't have them)? maybe. but wouldn't that be a good thing right now for the dems to get health care reform passed? or maybe that's why the GOP didn't drop the nuke on the rules to begin with? So hypothetically here: what if harry reid brought back the threat of using the nuclear option on health care? would Sen Reid actually have the balls to do that? would he actually use the previous "nuke option" support by the republicans against them to get it passed? Or will the dems come up neutered and spayed again? time will tell.

oh well, such is life. time to make some pizza dough for tuesday. and time to get going so i can get a roll of quarters for laundry. later peeps.