The Gospel of Corwin

A Perfect Recovery

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:48:28 GMT

Originally published at The Last Exit to Babylon. Please leave any comments there.

Tonight, the local Girl Scouts service unit held their annual Daddy-Daughter Dance. I was supposed to take her, but for a variety of reasons beyond my control, we couldn't go. So I was left scrambling to find a way to make it up to her.

I figured we'd start with a nice dinner out, someplace we ordinarily wouldn't be able to go. I was already in my suit, since I didn't find out for sure we couldn't go to the dance until mid-afternoon, so I told her to go ahead and put on the dress she was going to wear tonight and be ready. After some consultation with my friends, I decided to take her up to Shiki. Of all the suggestions I offered her, a Japanese steakhouse with hibachi tables appealed to her most, and I'd been meaning to try this one for a while.

We had an absolute blast at dinner. Our chef was a good one, energetic and entertaining, and chose Brianna as the one to trick with offering a bowl of fried rice on the end of his spatula, then flipping it back over his head to his other hand. She was delighted, and we both ate ourselves almost into a stupor. She had the shrimp, while I went for steak and calamari, and we even splurged on dessert: green tea ice cream for her, and tempura cheesecake for me. One more bite and she would have had to roll me out to the car. I couldn't even eat the wafer-thin mint she offered me.

Next we swung by the house to take pictures. I was trying to include as much as I could from our original plans, and if we were both dressed up, we needed to document the occasion. Unfortunately, I couldn't lay my hands on my tripod, so I had to make due with setting the camera on a table and taking a seated shot of us. She loved it, though, and that's all that mattered.

After that, we went walkabout (drive-about, technically, since it's way too cold for someone with my thin Southern blood to walk outdoors right now) to check out some Christmas lights. We drove around the rich neighborhood of Nichols Hills and enjoyed the light shows the residents had paid people to put up for them. As impressive as some of those were, they paled in comparison before the grandeur of the lights Chesapeake Oil put on all the trees around their offices between Western and Classen south of 63rd. They were bright enough I probably didn't need my headlights, much less any of the street lights. As we drove away from them, Brianna announced from the back seat: "I just can't stop smiling. I don't remember the last time this happened."

Clearly, I had done well beyond my wildest dreams. I had hoped to try and come close to making it up to her for not taking her to the dance, and here she was in such a state of joy over our evening together. It doesn't get better than that.

After totally knocking one out of the park with the lights, I took her on back to her mother's house, and drove up to Sean's for a nightcap. This turned out to be a perfect way to end the evening, spending some time chatting with the staff while enjoying their hospitality. I even got to take some time to discuss their need for a Facebook page with one of waitresses, and will be going back next week to see what I can do to help out with that. Networking at its finest, and a way to help my favorite restaurant and pub get even more exposure.

All in all, a more perfect night than I could have hoped for.

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:00:06 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

08:29 allergies not compatible with housecleaning, particularly not the part where I vacuum up what appears to be several dogs' worth of hair :( #
08:31 @lizzistardust everyone hates the place, but I've gotten decent inexpensive work clothes at walmart. and it's lasted more than a week or two #
08:40 @lizzistardust Having a clotheshorse friend who is exactly my size helps too. love my deryck hand me downs :) #
08:46 ok, end of break time. gotta get the cleaning done. #
09:44 @egoistetx I gotta get me one of those :) #
09:44 @lizzistardust Heh, Deryck mainly does it because he runs out of room in his various closets :) #
09:45 I really ought to close the laptop while I clean so I don't get tempted to sit down every time I pass it. #
09:48 ok, time to face the horror that is the bathroom. I hate house cleaning. #
10:08 @mrpunkjess good thing you occasionally have a friend desperate enough for cash to give you a break once in a while :P no such luck here #
10:15 Bathroom was less horrifying than anticipated, but ate all my papertowels. Guess that means it's time for pants and errands. #
10:24 @egoistetx keeps the mildew and scum from forming on you as well that way. I've considered one of those, actually #
10:53 @mrpunkjess you and me both! #
11:04 Errands successful. Now kitchen and then kiddo #
11:45 House is as clean as I planned to get it, and the kiddo will be here in 15-30 minutes #
12:07 Yay, Brianna is here. She commented favorably on me listening to Dropkick Murphys radio on Last.fm because I am raising her right. #
19:52 Just got a fake email saying my brother got mugged in London tonight. Neat trick considering I had dinner with him in OKC a couple hours ago #
19:56 @elmofromok Bahahahahahah! That is hysterical! #
19:59 @Maeghan Some days I love Oklahoma #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:00:58 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

09:25 Foggy foggy drive to work today. Adjusted my route so as not to count on other people's vision. #
15:33 @elmofromok it'll really need bigtime group buy-in #
15:34 @lizzistardust because four other people had the same appointment time #
18:06 Tired, hungry, and it's been a long week already — at Sean Cummings Irish Restaurant and Pub gowal.la/s/8WR #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

18:24 Downloading the $5 tinyurl.com/yhzntaa Anthology of Anvil album from Amazon's MP3 store right now. If you're metal, you should too! #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:00:57 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

01:10 @elmofromok updating Obsidian Portal is fun :) #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:57 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

16:34 I have achieved huge success. Now to hide till close of business so I can start my weekend on a high note :) #
18:29 Game night sodas — at Shell gowal.la/s/bi8 #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:03:10 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

17:53 #ThaiThursday — at Sala Thai gowal.la/s/8x3 #
18:11 I used #Shazam to discover Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me by George Michael & Elton John www.shazam.com/music/web/track?id=5241573 #
19:29 I'm at Little Shoppe of Games in Oklahoma City, OK gowal.la/s/8st #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:01:04 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

13:07 Followup time — at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons of Oklahoma gowal.la/s/hPG #
14:29 Yay clean bill of health from the oral surgeon. Till february, anyway.... #
15:48 @elmofromok if I can cut it into small enough pieces, I can eat it #
15:49 @galateadia then she can man the office phones #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:01:11 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

15:13 Soreness getting to me. Looking forward to a relaxing evening of meds and zombiegeddon Nawlins-style #
17:44 Time to kill some zombies, southern-style! — at GameStop gowal.la/s/nWf #
17:55 One last chance to give decent service — at A&W / Long John Silvers gowal.la/s/bK8 #
18:28 Odd, didn't get my mandatory xbox update tonight like I was supposed to #
18:55 Downloaded last.fm and zune on the xbox, last.fm works great #
19:01 finally found twitter and facebook on the xbox #
19:02 Testing from xboxlive #
22:38 Wow, that was some INTENSE gameplay #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:01:01 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

12:10 So sore #
12:32 Gonna be a good night for potato soup at Sean's tonight, I expect #
14:47 @brownez have to ask @galateadia :) #
16:38 Really looking forward to a good hot meal, cold drinks, and relaxing music tonight. #
18:30 Raise a glass to Ireland and curse the bloody crown! — at Sean Cummings Irish Restaurant and Pub gowal.la/s/8WR #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:01:28 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

11:41 Brunch — at CousCous Cafe Morocco gowal.la/s/wQD #
12:36 Tasty dessert — at Freddy's Frozen Custard gowal.la/s/9dD #
13:03 Concrete from Freddy's is just the thing for the start of today's soreness #
13:32 Full belly, good movie, warm laptop and painkillers. This is a good day #
16:35 Think I'll head up to @SeanCummingsPub around 5 for dinner. Anyone want to join me? #
16:51 @galateadia Didn't take me that long #
17:11 Mashed potato competition tonight — at Sean Cummings Irish Restaurant and Pub gowal.la/s/8WR #
19:19 Had a wonderful time at @SeanCummingsPub, as usual. Some fantastic chefs entered the mashed potato competition, and I am not stuffed. #
21:36 Gonna miss my days of movies and meds when they end #
21:39 This movie has taken a bizarre turn #
21:42 Fascinating article - RT @sixrevisions The History of the Internet in a Nutshell bit.ly/E4PVy #
21:46 @brownez Amazing indeed! @galateadia's husband makes a tasty version of it too. #
21:57 yay stitches starting to dissolve already #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:01:18 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

12:22 Hungry, time to scrounge something together #
14:05 Time to see if I really did already watch Ong Bak #
14:19 The villain's name is "Don?" #OngBak #
14:27 finally, looks like it's time for some gratuitous badassery! #OngBak #
15:47 Near as I can tell, the moral of this story is not to ever annoy Tony Jaa #OngBak #
16:34 It's kinda sad how rivetting facebook games are when I'm this heavily medicated #
16:36 Blackout's a little predictable, but interesting too #
17:24 @lizzistardust You look kinda pissed off in that shot #
17:29 I need a milkshake or equivalent. Tired of pudding cups. #
17:49 A frosty works — at Wendy's gowal.la/s/wn1 #
17:51 @lizzistardust sorry to hear it #
18:12 I think I'm giving up on this version of Jekyll and Hide. Even the Candyman isn't making it watchable #
18:50 gah, I hate the taste of this nasty rinse I have to use #
19:01 Interesting effects in Walled In. Not the best horror movie I've seen but so far not too bad #
00:26 @invispace I found it worth watching. Better than I expected, even. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:01:54 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

07:55 Feeling so much better today. Woke up sore, but that'll not be a concern very soon. #
08:55 @librainiac I wish I could go this year :( #
12:26 hungry again, time for second lunch #
13:12 nice twist in this episode of supernatural #
13:13 @mrpunkjess I've been hearing about that place. Anything there I would eat? #
13:16 @programwitch I'd give a limb to be able to eat a burger right now :( #
13:21 @mrpunkjess might have to try that place. I even see stuff on the kids menu Brianna might eat #
13:29 @mrpunkjess I'll have to go there sometime when I can eat solid foods again #
13:33 Grr, my brain's too fuzzy for anything more complicated than facebook games, but they're being non-responsive :( #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:01:30 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

11:36 fucking worst fucking dental experience of my fucking life #
11:37 the only pain I have ever felt worse than this was a fucking bloodclot lodged in my fucking lung. #
11:37 broken bones and fucking hernia surgery was a cakewalk by comparison #
11:38 and if that nurse had told me to "relax" one more time, I'd have given her the exact same level of pain. #
11:57 Deryck, by the way, was an absolute godsend. It's good to have such good friends. #
16:37 Woke up. Way sore, but nothing a pill won't handle. Gonna watch me some Punisher extendede cut #
17:11 pudding for dinner, so far so good #
17:31 still so hungry #
19:11 think I'll try some soup #
21:08 The Pelham 1 2 3 remake was pretty good #
21:59 I miss everyone I'd have seen tonight at #ThaiThursday and #FamilyGameNight :( #
22:05 @gowalla I'd like to recomend Sean Cummings Irish Restaurant and Pub (tinyurl.com/ykgc7yr) as a featured site #
22:20 @galateadia Christ, that sucks hard. How long can you keep going like that before you have to do something drastic? #
23:06 @galateadia James could embark on a lucrative and rewarding career as a manwhore #
23:20 I should be asleep by now, of course, but the loooong drug-induced nap this afternoon has me wide awake for the moment. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:01:06 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

08:33 Finally got google voice, seems pretty cool :) #
23:38 I guess since I can't eat or drink after midnight, I ought to go on to bed #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:02:10 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

08:37 Slept like the dead last night. Wonder how long this well-rested feeling will last. #
12:36 Apparently the well rested feeling lasts until I become undercaffeinated #
16:56 Collecting my dog — at Anne's Country Club for Pets gowal.la/s/sQc #
17:58 Angel's ecstatic to be home #
18:00 Dog is my copilot twitpic.com/oxp7u #
18:26 Dining with my girl — at Sean Cummings Irish Restaurant and Pub gowal.la/s/8WR #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:04:40 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

10:51 Geek camping rocks \m/ — at Bobcat Campground at Central State Park gowal.la/s/rcT #
15:21 Food festival and bake saleo — at St Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church gowal.la/s/rtR #
15:45 Ice run — at Conoco Fountain Oaks Station gowal.la/s/qED #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:05:13 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

11:57 Loves hearing from his friends across the pond. Sorry to miss the call, but hearing her accent in voicemail was awesome! #
17:13 Ice ice baby — at Conoco Fountain Oaks Station gowal.la/s/qED #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:04:45 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

16:28 looking forward to #ThaiThursday, #FamilyGameNight, and TheDeryck's artist reception tonight #
17:45 #ThaiThursday begins now — at Sala Thai gowal.la/s/8x3 #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:06:50 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

07:51 Starting the day with a flat tire — at Discount Tire gowal.la/s/iDC #
10:52 hooray for the flat being only a nail, and a quick fix for the discount tire guys #
13:42 I think I just burned off the surface of my tongue. Yay spicy Singapore beef! #
18:04 looks like my grocery shopping for camping will be literally last minute. still at work right now, will shop late tomorrow night #
19:38 Finally home #
20:05 gearing up for some zombie killin fun! L4D2 comes out on the 17th #
22:00 Ahhh, now that was some good, intense zombie-slaying #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:02:39 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

07:15 @the_barron some standard american brunch fare, some mexican brunch and a full lunch menu too #
12:28 @gienahghurab every Monday night. Pat Sawyer plays at 7 and the mic opens at 9 #
15:33 @elmofromok ceritfied Virgin-Free? #
18:30 Getting my game on — at Little Shoppe of Games gowal.la/s/8st #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:01:57 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

06:38 @mightymur I'd have to learn basic fashion sense first. #
08:36 @zinkly I give it three stars. I've seen too many of that style of movie for it to have as much impact as it apparently did for most people. #
08:36 @the_barron tasty info too #
12:08 @zinkly I'm certainly not saying "don't see it" but I do recommend a matinee rather than full price #
12:12 @elmofromok indeed, that Coulton guy should feel lucky to have made the cut #
12:14 After noon already! This day is just flying past. Can't wait for pub time. #
12:54 according to a coworker, I now look like Wilford Brimley in The Thing #
13:03 @invispace @dcperry Medicare can help twitpic.com/o1381 #
15:05 Brainstorming — at UCO - Nigh University Center gowal.la/s/8tE #
16:31 definitely looking forward to Monday night at @seancummingspub! #
18:37 I need this tonight — at Sean Cummings Irish Restaurant and Pub gowal.la/s/8WR #
22:51 they're playing Freebird at Open Mic Night at @seancummingspub! #
00:24 Our very own Jade told me tonight he intends to come to @seancummingspub next week and play at open mic night. Everyone come out! #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:01:19 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

12:41 Brunch! — at Iguana Grill gowal.la/s/5Nc #
14:26 Error correcting — at Gamestop gowal.la/s/nWf #
18:37 Gonna see Paranormal Activity — at Amc Theater gowal.la/s/fGJ #
21:59 @galateadia I'm honored to be #1 :) #
22:51 New post: In memoriam - www.dingir.org/2009/11/01/memoriam #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

In memoriam

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:51:48 GMT

Originally published at The Last Exit to Babylon. Please leave any comments there.

In 1066, William the Conqueror led the Norman invasion of England.

Ludwig von Beethoven put precisely 50 grains of coffee in each cup, no more and no less. He was 5'4" tall, effectively making him the shortest titan ever to walk the earth.

Guiseppe Verdi did not actually die. During a carriage ride late in life, he inexplicable morphed into Michael Jackson.

These are the things I remember from high school, particularly from my world history and music history classes. I wasn't the best of students back then, and I did my best to simply skate through most of my classes with a minimum of effort. And by my senior year, I freely admit I took classes like music history because I was looking for the easy grade. Oddly enough, I did find myself more interested in the subject than I'd anticipated. My teacher, Wayne C. Martin, seemed to have that effect. To this day, some of my fondest memories from high school are from his classes.

Mr. Martin was one of the first teachers I'd ever had who treated his students much more as actual people than as a bunch of unrily kids it was his misfortune to be handed as a class. I never really thought about it at the time, but looking back at my memories of his classes, his teaching style came across less like a lecture and more like the joy a scholar feels at sharing with fellow students choice bits of knowledge he'd come across on his own path to enlightenment. It's no accident that when the time came in college to choose some elective classes to fill gaps in my schedule and add credit hours toward graduation, I picked history classes. Not because I thought they'd be easy As to pad my GPA, but because I was truly interested in the subject. And I did quite well in them, too. I think Mr. Martin deserves much of the credit, both for giving me a good foundation and giving me some of his own joy in the subject matter.

I learned tonight that Mr. Martin died this past Tuesday. The world is definitely poorer for his absence, but much richer for the legacy he left behind. I know he inspired a multitude of students, some of home have gone on to become teachers themselves.

I was wolly unsurprised to see that he'd written his own obituary. It seemed like the kind of detail he'd want to have done just so, and it gave him one final moment to pass on one of the choice facts he'd picked up over the years. I don't think he'd mind me reprinting it here:

"Wayne Calvin Martin is moving from his long-time home on Austin Street two blocks south of the old San Jacinto High School to the Abbey Mausoleum on the grounds of Forest Park Lawndale where he has purchased a small space in the north-side columbarium wall with a glass window near the back of the hall on your left as you face the back door. You can see his picture in the window along with a few mementos from his long rich life. A small folded paper crane is a memory of two years in Japan (the defining experience of his life), a sprig of rosemary in memory of teaching great kids for 39 years in HISD. Greek boys in 500 BC wove rosemary into their hair on test day "to make them smarter." The little crystal owl is Athena's totem. Enough said. The kitty cats were his friends and companions in his happy old age. The Abbey is open every day from dawn to dusk for visitation. Drop by and say hello."

- Written by Mr. Martin on the 17th of February 2009.

I do wish I'd known about the rosemary twenty years ago.

Blogging: UR DOIN IT RONG

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

It's time for you to just scroll on past....

13:55 Need Ultimate Hulk vs Wolverine — at All Star Comics gowal.la/s/aRN #
16:02 Watching the one true Transformers Movie with the kiddo #
18:31 Haunting the zoo! — at The Oklahoma City Zoo gowal.la/s/9qn #
20:29 Celebrating Samhain in style — at Sean Cummings Irish Restaurant and Pub gowal.la/s/8WR #
23:46 Happily exhausted. This was an awesome Halloween! #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter