Fresh, Hot Wastes of Time

The old birthday meter clicked over to 33 today. I got the traditional singing telephone message from my brother this morning, which is always amusing. I like to save it and listen to it a couple of times.

Yesterday, after another stop at In’N’Out Burger, we drove out to Rachel, NV, home of the Little A’Le’Inn and close point to Area 51. We got some shots of the “Extraterrestrial Highway” sign (there was an ad for www.homestarrunner.com painted on the bottom, and someone from the AR15.com board had put up a “Peace through superior firepower” sticker on the sign.

At the Little A’Le’Inn we stopped for a minute and got some souvenirs and made sure nothing funny was going on because of the orange alert. Then we headed over to the back gate and took pictures of that gate, but hub was too chicken to stop the car and get out because the security guards (see the truck?) tore up to the gate just as we approached.

After that we stopped at the Black Mailbox (which is now white) and took more photos, then went down Groom Lake Road, about 15 miles down a gravel road in our little low slung convertible. That took a while. Then there was yet another photo op at the gate, while the guards looked on from their truck on the hilltop.

Then back to the hotel, where we ordered uninspired room service and went to bed early.

Tonight we’re off to Pietro’s for dinner. They’re supposed to be old-school gourmet room, making several menu items tableside. As a kid I loved to eat at La Louisianne in San Antonio and get their flaming desserts, but they closed years ago and I’m trying to recapture my youth. After dinner it’s off to Blue Man Group, where we have seats in the poncho section. Fourth row!

I’ve been hestiant to say this out loud, but ever since I started reading Salam Pax’s blog, my internal bullshit meter kept dipping into the red. I’ve seen too many elaborate hoaxes in my 10 years on the internet, not the least of which was the Kaycee Nicole debacle.

Recently several blogs have voiced their doubts publicly – Roger Simon, LGF, Junkyard Blog, this thread on MeFi. I’m glad to know that I’m not reading the only one with nagging doubts. The blog is interesting to read, but is it true? The world may never know, but if Salam Pax suddenly “dies”, I think that will cinch it for me.

I finally finished the quilt for my nephew. It took me about 5 hours to clip into all the seams to create the fringe. There is thread all over the living room! My poor thumb is numb and bruised from the scissors. Tomorrow I’m going to take it to the coin operated laundry and wash it 4 or 5 times to get all the thread off and get the seams raggedy. I’ve got some prelim pictures but I’d rather wait until it’s washed to post them. Hopefully the red dye won’t run and turn the white stripes pink, or the washer won’t eat it, or whatever.

Anyway, can’t type much because my right hand is on strike or something. Cut through 4-8 layers of fabric at a time for hours on end and your hand will likely become uncooperative too.

We decided to fly to Las Vegas. Lord help us.

Ever have one of those weekends where nothing goes the way it’s supposed to?

Yeah, me too.

Salam Pax is back. He’s still unable to post, but was able to send an email to a friend to have her post for him.

Updated – I’d misspelled the URL and sent everyone to a damned MLM dinglemoose. Sorry, y’all!

Recently it has become my holy grail to find an authentic Hermes Birkin or Kelly bag at a thrift store for $25. Seeing as how these bags sell for over $5000 even used, and the new ones have an 18-36 month waiting list, I think it would be an ultimate find.

I’ve asked hub for a replica Murakami designed Louis Vuitton bag for my birthday. The real ones are impossible to lay hands on and cost well into the four digits.

The thought of paying that much for a hunk of leather and some metal fills me with revulsion. When I was in junior high school it was the ‘in’ thing to have a Louis Vuitton monogram Speedy handbag. The Alma style was also acceptable. My mother understandably balked at shelling out $400+ for a handbag for a kid, but she did buy me the $40 knockoff at the store around the corner. You could tell it was fake because the “LV” monogram was right side up on both sides, and on the real ones it’s upside down on one side.

Now, however, the $465 for the Speedy 30 doesn’t seem like such a bad deal. I’ve been carrying my grandmother’s Dooney & Burke for 5 years or so and it’s held up spotlessly. Although it’s sheer insanity to pay $14,000 for a purse, there is something to be said about a well-made bag, and the famous designers generally make a better bag than most.

Hub got this porn haiku email, which was too funny not to mention. I’m not including the pictures, though.

Oooh baby nice ass…
two studs talk sweet in her ear
off with your clothes bitch!

Is there anywhere a definitive (or even non-definitive) list of a-list bloggers? Or even b-list bloggers?