Is today a postal holiday I don't know about? Because I just checked my mailbox and there's nothing in it. Usually, it's here by now. And it's important, because my freakin' unemployment check is supposed to be here today. If the fuckers just didn't deliver the mail here today and I get screwed, I'm gonna be really, really pissed.

Has everyone around here been living in the Arctic Circle the past decade? When did everyone forget that it gets hot in the summer and that it IS June?

All this complaining about the heat has to stop. :) Yes, I have central air and it's on. And yes, technically I don't have to go out much if I don't want to (although today, I have to work outside, as I had to on Sunday, in the blazing heat), but still, it's just a little heat wave.

Otherwise, I've hit a lazy spell. I just am tired of not hearing from anyone on anything as far as this job search is concerned. It's like, I send shit out and I wonder what the hell I'm doing wrong. Is something wrong with my email (if I email, which happens more often than not because it's the only damned option)? Is something wrong with my attachments? Are they even receiving my stuff? Is there an editing landmine somewhere in my cover letter/resume? What's the fucking problem?

I just don't get it. And I'm getting really sick and tired of it.

Well, on the first few listens, Velvet Revolver's new album is solid. Several good songs...sounds like STP's older stuff with one distinct difference--guitar solos a la Slash. And they're quite good, I must say. But they didn't just put together a hard-rockin' album. There's some brooding, easy stuff too, which is nice. It'll be a nice addition to my collection.

Anthony, I meant to say thanks here publicly for the CD, but I'm trying to figure out for the life of me why you got me the album you did. :) It's good stuff (although the occasional whiny, screamy singing gets on my nerves a bit), so what was the reason? Just a good album in your opinion? Or did I say something here that tipped you off to this band?

Along with the Velvet Revolver CD I bought with birthday gift cards, I walked around Best Buy for a couple hours, collecting up stuff to buy, then culling the selections after much thought. I originally had picked up "High Fidelity" for $9.99 and "Chicago" for $21.99, when I went over to the CPU games. I was going to get Civilization III: Conquests, but can you believe this? Not a single Civ III game or expansion pack was on the shelves. I don't know what the hell was going on, but I looked EVERYWHERE. It wasn't worth asking, as I found a game I've wanted for a while, The Sims. I know, I'm a geek, no doubt. I decided to get that game plus three expansion packs that were bundled with it for $39.99. My thought was, even if I stop playing after a while, I'm more likely to get more use out of this game than out of DVDs. Plus, I can always pick those up anytime. It was not an easy choice, though, I must say. And I'm not that peeved to see they're coming out with "The Sims 2"...I'll be quite content with this one for a while, I'm sure.

I also saw this game that I really don't know why, but it caught my eye and I think I'd like to get it. It looks cool...it's "City of Heroes". There also were some really cool-looking WWII games and a Civilization-type game that looked like it had some real kick-ass graphics. But whatever.

Today, PFW softball lost our second straight game by one run. In good news though, my friend and former coworker, K-mac, returned to the field for the first time since last year...he's been really sick (like, to the Mayo Clinic and everything) since October, so it was great to see him. I hadn't seen or talked to him much since then.

Oh, and I leave you with this compare, contrast and vote accordingly:
On one hand, we have this.
On the other hand, we have this.
Where are all these new jobs, exactly?

Is blogging going the way of the dodo? Or Friendster? At least, among those of us in this little group here (other than Laz, of course)...

I hope not...kinda. I've been bad about posting, but I hope to do better. Honestly, the life of an unemployed person is not all that interesting, ya know? But we'll see.

I drove down to Sid's Greenhouse in Palos Hills on Friday to look for Swiss chard, thinking, "If I'm going to find it, that's where I will find it." And I did. :) I also bought a rosemary plant and a flower, along with another (just the third) pot for my deck. I planted those plants plus a pepper plant back there. I'll try to remember to take and post a picture.

With that, I'm done with my deck "garden" at least until stuff dies. I can't spend any more on it, and honestly, there's no more room at all.

I went to Target to spend a gift card I got from Luis. I was able to get (finally!) a plastic storage drawer for under my bathroom sink to put stuff in, and I got a new fan for my room (just in time, before the mad rush to buy them when it gets hot--kinda like today) and a cookie baking sheet, because I didn't have one. So, a very utilitarian use to my first gift card purchase. :) But that's what I like...things that are cool and nice but that I can use. :)

Friday evening, Gina and I decided to watch "Road to Perdition" because she hadn't seen it. I think she liked it...I know I like it. It's not one of my top "favorites" or anything like that, but it's a good movie.

Saturday night, Gina and I went to a bar in Elk Grove Village called "Ringside", where Gina had won a $50 gift certificate earlier in the year. So we ate and drank to our hearts content with her friend and that girl's boyfriend. A band came on, and they did a quite good rendition of "China Grove" by the Doobie Brothers...the guitarist was particularly good. Otherwise, they were so-so. We then wandered over to Hala Kahiki for a little while. Didn't stay long though...but whatever.

Today I worked, of course. And then I stopped at Gina's to figure out moving van rental. She's officially moving on Thursday July 1, for anyone who might be off that day and wants to help. ;) But whatever...

All right...I'm tired now. So that's enough of the recap. Goodnight all.