Brrrrrrrrrrr

It's HELLA cold in Seattle. You know I mean it because I used the word "hella" in a sentence without a hint of snark.

Although, since you can't sense snark on the Internets you'll have to trust me when I say that the use of the word "hella" is part of a snark-free zone.

Side-Bar: "Hella" is recognized by my Mac as a real world, but "snark" is not. When did this happen, of computer of mine?

But yeah, it's hella cold and I love how this city freaks out about it. The snow makes Seattle piss its pants and forget itself, which is hilar and terrifying all at once. I'm going to have to be a cautious driver again, and you all know how I hate being the bigger person.

I'm working on an "It's Hella Cold" mix. So far all I've got is a track by New Young Pony Club (that super-duper-awesome-one-you-guys that was played on Gossip Girl like a month ago), "Secrets" by OneRepublic, and "Crystalized" by The XX. A hunt for new tunes is definitely in order! Short order, you might say.

Today we went with Brian and Gabby to the Sunday Market in Fremont and saw lots of cool things. Things like a turn-of-the-century type writer that I fucking had a massive want-boner for, and this guy was selling it for $20. A disturbingly good deal, and here I had no cash.

But alas, I'm sort of waiting for some of my moneys to get dispersed back to me. I, like several hundred other Seattleites, recently had my identity stolen. Apparently anyone living in or boozing it up in or eating foods in the Capitol Hill area was a target. I personally had around $200 stolen from me, but luckily my bank kicks ass and flagged the phony charges. I'm waiting on $90 of that bunch to still be returned--right now it's just a provincial credit, but I'd rather not tempt fate, you know? I'll wait until it's real dollars in there and not imaginary pseudo-dollars.

Anyway, it was really cool to see everyone out and about despite the cold supporting local vendors and crafters. I will be back with moneys for you, kick-ass type writer! After we browsed, we had pho. It was really nice for this cold I'm starting to get (yes, it's time for my annual "cold of perpetuity" whereupon I'll have a cough and the sniffles for about 2 months). Alli says that during this time I'm a lot like a Dickensian orphan struggling with the black lung, guv'nor.

Speaking of Alli, last week Ellen and Alli and I had a "ninja photo shoot" in the arboretum. Details/photos will hit this blog as soon as Ellen is done editing them. It's for a calendar for their friends in Korea. I played a bank robber. Juuuuuuudge.

Un-Related: This is the most adorable thing I've scene on the Internet all month. A cute scruffy and tatted boy holding a corgi puppy like his own personal piratey parrot? WHERE DO I SIGN. Note that it's not even a question as to where.

Today I watched the first 20 minisodes of that new Avengers cartoon on Comics Alliance. It's actually not half bad, for having very "kid friendly" animation. It views a lot like the first run of the Justice League cartoon that Timm and Dini did in the late 90s/2000s. Lots of epic moments and cool cameos, new-to-universe accessibility in stories, and nods to fans. If you can get past some of the cheesy dialog clearly aimed at the childrens, it's totally worth it. And kudos/balls for including The Mandrill. Here's hoping that it gets a few good seasons and segues into a more badass version of itself, much like the JL cartoon did when it turned into "Justice League Unlimited." Would I love to see a similarly plotted series featuring a rotating cast of Avengers characters? Oh you bet your ass I would. Especially if it would mean animated Kate Bishop or animated O'Grady Ant-Man.

This week we'll be hitting the road and heading back to Idaho to be with my family for Thanksgiving. I'll be skipping entires for a day or two while we enjoy family time, but I might need to therapy-rant on here while we visit, so be on the look out for that . . .

. . . Also, be on the look-out for THIS!

That's right kids, my piece for Mutineer on the fine folks at Coffee Strong was published in the annual Holiday issue (Nov/Dec for the layman among you)!

Because I love you, loyal readers, I'll link you to the Internet-only version found right here.

However, you'd be doing me and my pals at Mutineer a huge favor by getting out there and buying yourself a copy. How else will you see the AMAZING photography work done by Josh Mackey and Mike Bowen? You could Google it, I guess, but you would probably fail in an epic sort of way. So go grab yourself an ish, yeah?

If I don't see you before then, Happy Thanksgiving, folks!

"I like the bad boys,

In the big towns.

I like the bad bands

And their big sounds."

What's up, Doc?

Today I have a doctor's appointment, though it's not about the cold that I've been fighting for a week now (I'm feeling much better today--I'd say at about an 85%?) it's about the mysterious goo that builds up in the corners of my eyes randomly; something I've ignored for about a year (I know, I know a guy my age needs to stay on top of his health--but I'm also a guy, so I tend to put things off in favor of the "no, I'm fine" argument). I'm worried it's going to end in one more prescription I'll have to pay out for every month but I guess if it makes me healthy then it's a positive change.

Another reason why I can't wait to leave Idaho: I grew up not really getting sick or having allergies or getting seasonal colds but when we moved to Idaho when I was 16 I found myself getting sick all of the time, and it became even worse when I moved to Moscow. Perhaps as I've gotten older my immune system has been worse, but is it a coincidence that any time I leave the damn state for an extended period I always feel healthier and less sick (even if it's on a vacation and I'm eating tons of junk food and binge drinking, I feel at my healthiest!). I think the state of Idaho might be detrimental to my existence.

The more we talk about moving, though, the more I start to fret about all of the little details. How much money we have saved, what we're going to sell, how much a U-Haul will be, what we're going to do for jobs, changing the addresses and notifying the 1,001 different places that need to have my address about the change . . . It's a healthy dose of feeling "blerg," as Tina Fey would put it.

Today will consist of the aforementioned appointment, laundry, and hanging the eff out. Josh and I have the day off together, which is nice, but there's always a bit of a struggle as to what we're going to do with our day (well, most of it). We want to go walk dogs at the Humane Society but there aren't any open to the public right now, sadly. So until some flea-bitten friends that aren't "high risk animals" come along, it looks like it's more episodes of The West Wing for us!

"Yeah, we are the blue, so strong and confused; 

Tracking down dusty roads finding what we lose. 

Dancing with the causalities: Spirits of wars, 

Shedding a few tears for the beggars and whores."