Do not adjust your set

... I actually have nice things to say about people, too, sometimes.

Had a very nice chat with the dude who lives next door yesterday, who came over to mow my lawn because it had gotten a bit primeval in parts, and my electric mower literally wasn't cutting it. We've got a lot in common, and a bunch of you folks would like him - former WoW addict, martial artist physics/astrophysics professor. (Sorry, he's romantically spoken for. *laugh*) He may or may not come over to lift occasionally, schedule permitting and stuff. It was nice to just have a new and random conversation like ostensibly adult neighbors - the stuff that's been going on with our street, where to find a local Galaga arcade machine, deep dish vs new york style pizza...

Have had, of course, the usual run of pleasant virtual social time with CS, and are currently making plans for her to stay a week past the end of D*C to provide oversight during the first days of my post-surgical convalescence.

Caught up with some other friends via IM this week whom I haven't chatted with much lately; lots of folks going through rough times, so it's good to touch base and stuff.

Time to make some breakfast, drink a shitload of water, and, now that my shoulder has stopped hurting for the first time in a week, get back unde the bar and kick as much ass as I can.

Fan Service

There's a mini snippet of previously unseen AJ byproducts for your delectation out today, for them's that wants it (with a chance to score a free copy of "Cold Comfort" if you're hep to Rafflecopter's doodadery)

http://badassbookreviews.com/guest-post-and-giveaway-cold-company-by-a-j-aalto/

Regeneration

Slightly inspired by the mockup series of before & after photos that were posted here, and because I am a vain, calendar-defying ass-basket who is stolidly flipping my impending 40th birthday off, this morning, I did what has become cloyingly termed (within the context of my relationship with CS[1]) "regenerate," to see how much difference a shave and a haircut (two bits) actually makes.

( Wide-ass image under the cut, so as not to jack up your /friends page view. )

I joke that I can shave fifteen years off my face when I bother; I'm wondering whether or not throwing a baseball cap on might make it twenty.

[1] Invariably, when I do go all the way to clean-shaven[2], she jokes about checking my ID and wondering where my hot older brother went.
[2] Which is seldom, because I'm lazy, and clippered to a sixteenth of an inch or whatever is my default setting. I have every expectation to get weird looks and confusion when I walk into the office tomorrow on a par with showing up wearing pants.