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  • Stairway to Heaven

    The State of Georgia, of the United States of America, is in fact a third-world nation. There are only two IMAX theaters in the entire state, and neither host 3-D movies. We have to drive to Greenb'o, Alabama in order to see Harry Potter in 3-D.

    Augusta, Georgia, is the armpit of the state. As experienced so far, there is nothing to do in the "greater metro" area that is family-friendly while not requiring a large outlay of cash. There is also this pervasive stench of pulp mill. If you've never smelled stale pulp mill, imagine sitting in a half-full porta-potty for about an hour on a warm day, just for fun. And to make it all complete, the entire town appears to be under construction. It's fab fun for the whole fam.

    Tonight, The Boy announces he must have a Spanish-English dictionary for English class. Just kidding. It's really for science.

    So Mister and I head off for the book store. I was expecting it to be a tiny, useless den of inanity. After all, Augusta has always been and will continue to be an utter disappointment. I can't possibly expect local retailers to keep up with "modern times."

    I was wrong.

    The coffee shop didn't overpower you at the door, there were actually sales reps wandering around keeping the snowflakes from running and screaming, and the whole place was massive.

    We had to walk all the way to the back to find the language section, which seemed to take a really long time, and along the way we passed the Manga section. After collecting the required text, we perused the Mangas in search of stuff for The Girl. Another display caught my eye, and I couldn't help myself. I just had to look. It was their gaming gear, and it was packed!

    So many modules, so many options, so many books. Nearly everything ever put out for E3.5 including many items that were older modules that had been updated for the "new" rules. And then, there were the E4 books.

    Wow.

    I'm busy drooling over the collection, calculating how many hours I'll have to work to buy one of everything, when Mister comes along and suggests that I pick a module and then run it with him and the kids. Drooling stops immediately, and the jaw drops. Pick one? One?!

    He's not the geek I thought he was.

    Anyhoo, I can't run a game, anyway. I'm not a rules bitch. And I don't have the bully-boy ball-busting 'tude required to keep the geeks in their place. ... Wait, what was the question?

    EDITED: I must apologize, and I do, most sincerely. It appears that most of the Deep South is culturally deficient, not just Georgia.

    In order to watch Harry Potter in 3-D as we always do, we will have to make a weekend trip of it by driving to either Chattanooga, Tennessee or Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. While Alabama does in fact have one more Imax theater than Georgia, none host movies in 3-D.

    I have moved to Hell. At least it's raining today.
    -21 Aug 08

    9 comments:

    Beav said...

    Eh, DMing's not that hard when you don't have to fight Wayne's min/max style of play.

    Soo Mi said...

    You still have to factor in that I've never had the desire to DM. I enjoy playing too much.

    However, perhaps I can get my head around the idea of being the all-knowing, all-seeing Goddess of the Game....

    No, sorry. My ego does have boundaries, after all. I don't think I was raised right.

    Soo Mi said...

    PS-the Manga section was an entire aisle long! The comics had an entire side of one aisle. It were brilliant!

    Oh hey. Maybe I should get a job there. I mean, even if it is just for the holiday shopping season. Surely they offer an employee discount... :P

    Anonymous said...

    Try the Pulp Mill it sounds like a great place to work.
    Fell lucky your not in Trenton N.J.
    Try this place for your solar panels
    http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Home_10551_10001
    The big name green stores will rape you on price.
    I think International Harvester is coming out with a new type of Carbon Gel Cell Battery soon.
    It's said to be 1/2 the weight of a lead Bat. and will last 8-10 years.

    We'er looking at a Wind Gen for here.
    In my truck I use a 800w power inverter to power sawzalls and such off 1 12v DC to 110v AC , it cost me $40 bucks but I don't have to drag a Heavy Gas Gen around for most scraping jobs.
    2 bats. on a fare size solar panel with a inverter would work for you
    110v AC in the play house. use flro bulbs they'll work on 12v DC but don't let the bats, go to low or they screw'em up. LEDs burn even less juice up.
    Hope it helps you.
    PS Don't get a Job with the Ass Hats at Planning and Zoning or I'll have to call you Queen BITCH ! ; )

    I hate buroCraps !!!!
    Keep on top of things : o
    Bob

    Anonymous said...

    Almost forgot the FBI has a file on me.
    Something about being a Malcontent and sending the Feds letters about state buroCraps violating my rights under the color of law.
    I'm living now EH ? : )

    Bob

    Soo Mi said...

    I have a file at the FBI, but that got started because I held a security clearance while in the military.

    As for the "green" stuff, I never did like gas-burning power gens. Stinky, loud, and never fuel efficient.

    We're buying some land in Alabama, just under four acres, not enough to farm but enough for complete family garden and a go-cart track. As soon as it's permitted, I want to put a weather station up there to determine if a wind gen would be more benefit and less eyesore.

    We're keeping our power bills for the next three years so that when we build our "green" house, we'll know how many kwatts of solar panels to buy. I'd like to have a turbine to supplement the sun, if it would be in motion more days than not.

    And I can't work for the government ever again, for any reason (especially the planning commission!). I advocate much too freely the open protest of an unjust government, even encouraging the burning of my beloved flag.

    Planning commissions can bite me in the ass. I needed to buy a permit to replace the windows in my own damn house! In order to have my shed powered by the grid, I have to have a contractor and an electrician put it together and certify it, after I've bought the permits, hence the solar-power loophole for me. Good times.

    Anonymous said...

    4 acres is a good bit of land.
    We only use 4 of 10 for farming the other 3 left in native hardwood
    and pines the other is the yard and buffer zones (woods) to keep the other guys Chems. from going into our well water.
    Screw The Tyrants! The only flag I ever burn is the UN flag on 10/24 each year.


    Oh yeah I forgot a joke.

    Once a Gal asked me to kiss her where it stinks. : o
    So we drove out to the pulp mill.

    I picked up another inverter today going to power the barn and chicken coups with it.

    I hate lead batteries but I can pick up a few cheap at the junk yard. Then take them back when they go dead.
    We live about 20 miles from the Delaware Bay almost always a wind from the south.
    Put a few solar panels in later.
    The wind gen I look at runs $435 + S&H

    The gas gen is OK only 3500w but it will run the oil heater, frig. and lights. Need heat for the kids if the power goes down in the winter. I'm ascared of fire in the house.

    We use dead wood in the barn for heat. We're always planting new trees never enough shade.
    Going to rain here FINALY!
    If you need a tractor for your new place check out Mahindra. To me they look like the best built for the money. Some even have Mitsubishi diesel engins.
    We don't run the Bio Crap around here it's either heating fuel or K1. Only the soy farmers run that to promote the product.
    They pay out the nose for injector rapairs.
    Well the price they're getting for beans and corn they can aford it.

    Bob

    Soo Mi said...

    I'm all for alternative energy, but I'm super-pissed that the E85 and the soy-based stuff has caused my food prices to skyrocket. My mom runs a truck stop and she thinks it's because of the high price of diesel, but I told her if that was the only reason, then the prices of staples like flour, rice and corn oil wouldn't have doubled and tripled, it would have just gone up a bit.

    If only I could make my own Crisco, eh?

    I've been thinking about a small chicken coop, maybe a few laying hens for the eggs but none for meat. I just can't go that hardcore (I'm a wuss). The girls want a pony, but we'll be moving to Mister's hometown and he's got cousins who run a riding stable so they can make do with that.

    His uncle has the tractors and plows for gardening (his 'family' garden is an acre at least). He said he'd plow up my fields for a small fee. My sister in TN is giving me a small tiller, too.

    I've got about 3 years or so before Mister even retires, so we've got time to put together the "small stuff" before moving there. It's a pretty lot at the top end of a terraced slope (was a farm back in the 30s), and I'll be the only "farmer" left on the hillside. The only drawback is that I'll have a lovely downhill view of my neighbor's race-car repair shop and a massive power-line tower.

    I may plant some fast-growing evergreens. :P

    Anonymous said...

    Crisco YUCK ! Do you know how they make that stuff? It'll kill ya.
    You ever try duck eggs?
    My wife will eat them in cake and corn bread but not fryed.
    They'er very rich.

    Chickens are a good start.
    Self Reliance is the way to go.
    Alabama you should be able to find someone that will kill and pluck your birds for you.
    I skin mine, much easyer.
    They charge you more for skinless chiken at stores.
    Fresh chicken taste alot better then the salted ones in stores.
    Alot of good hatcherys down south.
    I just got a call tonight from a friend. He said he has a week old Black Angus hefier that he will sell me. : ) in a few months.
    The Chicago Board of Trade sets the mid west prices.
    Corn jumped 100% in the past 3 years.
    I hope the greedy bastards get burnt.
    This year the farm bill pays $25 an acer to farm.
    I like my Freedom and won't make Faustian deals with the Government.

    I have thought about the flag burning thing.
    I guess its OK if its soaked in K1 and wraped around a politicians head. ; )
    We keep a bunch of birds here turkeys ducks pigeons.
    If you need any Info let me know.
    Most feed stores are glad to help you too.
    They want to sell you feed.
    It's cheaper by bulk or buy from a feed mill in that area.

    How's the job hunt going?

    Bob