I went on a mission last night to find my Ottawa Senators home jersey but failed miserably. I am surprised at all the myriad baseball, basketball, and football paraphernalia found at sports fan stores around and the distinct lack of hockey or soccer stuff. Not that I’m a soccer fan, but those two sports seem vastly underrepresented in the merchandising arena, at least in the Portland, Oregon area.

So after calling around to some places this morning, I ended up ordering it off the NHL site. There were other sites that had Ottawa jerseys, but none had the home jersey. So, NHL it is.

I also started cashing in my Yahoo! Visa points for SuperCertificates so I can buy the James Bond Collection, Vol. 1, from Amazon. Once I get those points cashed in, I’ll probably order that and my copy of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City since they both come out within three days of each other.

And I ordered The Bourne Identity (the TV miniseries) and a book from the Barnes and Noble site because they’re offering free shipping on any two items you order, which I find more acceptable than Amazon’s current promotion of free shipping for orders over $49. Barnes and Noble was more expensive for each item, but with the free shipping thing I saved, like, a buck or two.

I really need to stop buying things. I’m actually putting quite a cap on the stuff I’ve bought lately since I got my frickin’ Visa bill. YOW! Time to make use of the things I have and stop getting new things. Of course, not buying stuff means not going too many places, which is fine with me, but Jenn gets a little restless at times. Besides which, the stuff I like to do at home (reading, art projects, PS2, etc.) is usually inherently one person stuff, and it would be nice to involve Jenn in the stuff I’m doing.

Oh, well. Such is life.

I went to Safeway to stock up my fridge at work and get some lunch.

I only go to Safeway, at least on this side of town, once in a blue moon. How come every time I go there’s either construction in the parking lot or they’re remodeling the building?

Apparently, this time they’re putting in a Starbucks. Because there aren’t more Starbucks outlets around here than there are 7-11 stores.

While I was shopping, I realized there’s something they don’t sell that they should.

How come you can’t buy fried eggs?

I mean, in the name of convenience, they have cooked chickens, sliced cheese, and microwave breakfast sandwiches, but if I wanted to buy a fried egg, I’m SOL. They could come in round Pringle-style containers. You could buy them in three varieties - solid yolk, liquid yolk, or (for the health-conscious) no yolk. They could even have spin-off products: poached eggs, hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, etc. All you have to do is put ‘em on a plate and nuke ‘em for a protein-filled snack.

I’ll have to think about this some more.

I learned something this morning when I opened my mini-fridge at work to get a beverage:

If you turn the fridge up past the 50% mark, Snapple “Element” beverages freeze solid.

I also learned, as a corollary to that lesson:

If you let Snapple “Element” beverages freeze solid, they will expand enough to seep out the top of the cap, whether you opened the bottle or not.

Welcome to my grape-covered world.

Interestingly, Sobe beverages do not freeze solid, though some crystals do form.

The fridge has since been turned back down to 50%.

Tonight I’m going to go to the mall and pick up my Ottawa Senators home jersey if they have one. I decided on that over, say, binoculars, because I think I’d get more use out of the jersey. Besides which, honestly, what am I going to do with binoculars? Maybe I’ll go into Software Etc. and preorder my copy of GTA: VC.

Speaking of buying things, I went out this weekend on a mission to find the original TV miniseries to The Bourne Identity on DVD. I guess I forgot (and remember now that I’ve looked on Amazon) that it won’t be released until August 27. I suppose that explains why I couldn’t find it anywhere.

Went to see Goldmember this weekend and had a blast with it. Really didn’t get the Dutch jokes, but thought it was, overall, probably the best Austin Powers movie. I don’t think it would have been as funny had I not seen the other two movies because a lot of the jokes built on stuff shown in the previous films. Still good, though. Loved the Ozzy cameo in there.

Jenn and I really need to have a garage sale. We have just way too much crap. Since we moved all of our movies and videos into bookcases, we’ve got a bunch of those wooden video racks and DVD racks to get rid of. Plus we sort of missed out on the whole “spring cleaning” thing, so we need to go through our stuff and I’m sure I’ll come up with many more items. Like the boxes to toys that I have out that I realize I’m never going to sell - I don’t need the cardboard boxes they came in. Much as I’d like to think I might make out like a bandit if I ever did sell them.

Hey, gang.

Due to lack of popular demand, I’ve opened up the paraesthesia Junk Store. Right now, I’m selling one - count ‘em - one t-shirt style. Hey, it’s my first foray into t-shirt design. Anyway, I’ve got this thing set up so I can now create new t-shirt styles and everyone who gives a rat’s ass can wear paraesthesia.

The existing shirt style is, shall we say, a little “less than exciting.” I’ll work on some new ones and see what I can put out there. Honestly, it’s mostly for myself - this is the best/only way I know to make up my own custom shirts and crap. But I figured, might as well open it up to the rest of the world too. You guys might want some, right?

I woke up this morning 10 minutes before my alarm went off because a guy in my dream shot me in the nuts with a silenced .22 semi-automatic pistol.

I really should probably stop reading spy novels.

Ahem.

Today, as many may know, is Sysadmin Appreciation Day.

And let me say that I have the coolest boss ever, because he got me a $50 gift certificate to ThinkGeek in honor of said day.

So I clicked over to my ThinkGeek Wish List and ordered myself up a SoundBug and a cool SQL t-shirt. I’m stoked.

I pulled out yet another nice, chilly beverage from the refrigerator under my desk this morning. I cannot stress the convenience I’ve found in such a thing. I really need to get some running water and a microwave in here.

I still haven’t decided what I should get with the money from the other fridge. I figure I’ve got about $80 to work with, so I could get lots of small things - DVDs, CDs, etc. - or I could get one big thing. I’m leaning towards one big thing. But what? Options include…

• Ottawa Senators home jersey
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (preorder) - I’d actually probably get this at Software Etc. at the mall because you can preorder and get a free strategy guide with it
• The big Alphonse Mucha book I’ve been looking at
• A glare screen for my television (the glare on our TV is awful)
• A hooker (okay, I was kidding about that one, but I had to make sure you were still paying attention)
• A Cost Plus World Market shopping spree (which would last about six seconds because I like all the expensive stuff in there)

I’m just not sure. I’m sort of an impulse shopper, so I don’t know what I want until I walk through the store and see it. I’m leaning towards the Senators jersey, though. You can never have enough hockey jerseys. Stylish and comfortable.

I think I will go this weekend to see the new Austin Powers movie. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, so I’m hoping it’s as funny as it sounds. I crack up every time I see the preview where Austin is staring at Fred Savage’s mole. “MOLE! Moleymoleymoleymoleymoley….” It just never gets old.

I still haven’t seen Men In Black 2 yet. I heard it wasn’t all that and a bag of chips, so I guess I’ll wait for it to hit the Bagdad and then go see it for three bucks.