Today is the 16th anniversary of the most important day in my life… the 1994 Northridge earthquake. You can see my reflection on the day here and here.

Yesterday was spent up at Shawn’s best friend’s husband’s family’s cabin.

Did I say Cabin? I should say unbelievable mansion. If I EVER live in a house that nice, let alone have a backup this nice, I will be a lucky man.

There were two things that really made it over the top.

It had #2 and #6 on my home gadget list. The list of large-ticket items that I’d love to have in my house/man cave one day:

1. Hot Tub
2. Juke-box
3. Pool table
4. Arcade (Maybe one pinball, one video game of Simpsons Arcade and/or Street Fighter II to start)
5. Home Theater/Surround Sound system (Bose, of course)
6. Air-hockey table
7. Ping-Pong table

I love the fact that the air hockey goals are set inside the field and away from the boards, like real hockey, which creates a lot of interesting shots and bounces.

Perhaps even cooler is CENTRAL VACUUM!!! This was 100% new to me and I LOVED this… and I want this for my house one day.

Well, for now it’s all football, hangin’, and looking forward to another ‘work’ week.

P.S. Have you seen the LT style electric glide?

If you have not, you should… it is so awesome and camp… love it!

But I do have to say, am I the only one who thinks LaDanian Tomlinson was hanging with Tim and Eric? Apparently not. In case you’ve never seen or heard of Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, here’s some samples.

It’s been one week since my last day of work.

I do feel bad, lazy, helpless, and what-not, but I figure, I’m an American and I pay taxes for unemployment insurance. Why not use it? It’s my duty to this country that I love! OK, maybe that’s a little much, but I don’t plan on using it again, put it that way.

So, what to do with myself? I have (of course) been looking for new work. Today I sent out 12 emails to the heads of several private schools, charter schools, and districts to try and spark some interest. The more I think about it, the more I wanna teach and try to coach football… if not now, then when?

I have some other little things to do, but my time is somewhat empty… not bored yet, but I thought I’d ask you out there in internet land for suggestions.

I am going to do some more Wiki editing, including working on the Wikiversity geology section.

I have been working out more… bike and weights.

I’ve been reading a lot more…

I’ve been getting into Avatar (and not the blue-people one, the real one) again.

But other than that, what should I do with myself?

Oh, and there’s always making more LEGO real people… I got plenty of blank slates…

P.S. Check out this video that I had NOTHING to do with, really… after a brief intro, you get to see/hear things fall 215 feet to a watery splash down a metal well… it is REALLY cool, even though the video can not do it justice to the sensation in real life, so I’ve heard…

Now that I’m unemployed, I might just be adding more to this blog, even if I have less exciting things to say…

In honor of Cheaty Petey charging into a Titanic-esque Iceberg in Seattle and away from the sinking ship that is $c, and Mark Sanchez’s epic burn on Pete, I will retell you a 100% true story I heard on this day from the guy who runs the Parabolic mic for Utah Football Games.

Utah upset usc in the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl. After the game, Parabolic mic guy ran out beside Coach Pete Carroll to get the “good game” handshake audio with then-Utah coach Ron McBride. As he ran out, Pete saw the Utah coach and then basically ran away toward the tunnel. He ran to the side, even with the Utah coach trying to establish a connection and get a handshake and yelling “Good game, Coach Carroll.” The mic guy turned to Carroll and said, “classy move, coach.” To which Pete responded “Fuck You” and continued to run. I always knew he was an douchebag, but this story, and his leaving now right before NCAA sanctions come in, is proof.

I don’t know how much this will help UCLA, but again, my schadenfreude again perks up.

EDIT: The day just gets worse for $c, as former trOJan Mark McGwire surprises no one that he’s a ‘roider.

EDIT #2: $c (and Pete) aids and abets a coaches pain med addiction, he gets in a wreck, gets fired and sued. What a day…

Does it get any better than this?

I am a statistic… laid off. I thought this little photo review might be a good way to remember all that happened with my time at the state.

My plan is: send out feeler letters for teaching jobs in private/charter schools this month, follow ups in April, all the while look for regular geology jobs. Wish me luck!