I got some money back, money back, money back....

Woohoo! $1054 back from IRS :)

I see a new latop in my future... :)

Is it legal to be this cold?

Damn it's cold out there today - I literally can't see out the winows of my apartment.

This type of weather should be illegal. The National Weather Service should be fined just for REPORTING this tpe of weather.

I know one thing - I'm not going anywhere tonight.

Oh Boy - I've been bitten by the Bug...

The MMORPG bug that is. Thanks to the great and talented folks at FunCom, Massively-Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games are now FREE. Anarchy Online is completely 100% free. No Purchase, No Credit Card, No Monthly Subscription.

The basic game is totally free (although an 830+ MB download), and I've been playing for about 3 hours now, and I must say it's pretty damn cool.

And it's free until At LEAST January of 2006. 1 Year of free playing? That's the one thing that stopped me from going out and buying a MMORPG. I could never justify the cost of the game ($35-$50), and then having a monthly subscription fee ($10-$20) on top of that. AO is taking a huge step in the right direction by offering it for free (although if you want to play with any of the 3 expansion packs, you must pay a monthly fee). And who knows? If I really get into AO, I just might subscribe.

The game was really easy to get into, and runs pretty decently on my computer. I figured out how to do a lot just by fooling around with the interface (which is pretty slick, I might add), and using the mouse. I even managed to team up with a couple of people to take down a Big-Ass slimy snake/lizard thing on the East side of the crash site. Not bad for 3 hours play time, and I plan on playing every night for at least an hour or two.

Anarchy Online - There isn't a better time to try a MMORPG.

Ever hum the first 10 notes....

... of Darth Vader's theme? Or hear the "Jaws" theme in you head whenever your swimming? I just watched The Kennedy Center Honors and they were honoring my all-time favorite movie composer - John Williams. Talk about an awesome career.

Let's take a quick peek -
Indiana Jones 4 (2006)
Sub-Mariner (2006)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2005)
Jurassic Park IV (2006)
Vengeance (2006)
Superman Returns (2006)
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
War of the Worlds (2005)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
The Terminal (2004)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Minority Report (2002)
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
The Patriot (2000)
Angela's Ashes (1999)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Stepmom (1998)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Amistad (1997)
Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Sleepers (1996)
Schindler's List (1993)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Far and Away (1992)
JFK (1991)
Hook (1991)
Home Alone (1990)
Presumed Innocent (1990)
Always (1989)
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
The Accidental Tourist (1988)
Empire of the Sun (1987)
The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
SpaceCamp (1986)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
1941 (1979)
Dracula (1979)
Superman (1978)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Star Wars (1977)
Midway (1976)
Jaws (1975)
The Towering Inferno (1974)
Earthquake (1974)
The Sugarland Express (1974)
The Paper Chase (1973)
The Long Goodbye (1973)
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Now how many of these movies have you seen and NOT realized who wrote the music? The man's a genius - and as Steven Speilberg said - he's a national treasure.

Pria (2000-2004)

I had to put Pria down today at the Animal Hospital. I really wish I had figured out what was wrong with her earlier - I might have been able to do something.

The vet said that her temperature was 10 degrees below normal (around 90F), had ulcers in the teeth/mouth... and he was very thin.

I miss her already....

Some other great news!!!!

So great it warrants a separate entry on today's blog.

I'm going to be officially hired for BankNorth Group Inc.

Woot! I can't wait to start full-time. It'll mean a slight cut in pay - I'm making 9.25/hour now - but the benefits alone are worth getting hired full-time.. Check it out...

"We're proud of our heritage and commitment to the high standards and values unique to our markets. We seek individuals who will help us reflect this commitment. As a result, we invest in our employees, providing advancement opportunities, competitive salaries and incentives and an excellent benefits package.
Benefit programs
	Medical and Dental Insurance Life Insurance 401(k) Pension Plan Incentive Compensation Paid Sick Time Vacation and Holiday Pay Short-term Disability Insurance Long-term Disability Insurance Tuition Assistance Education and Development Banking Services Adoption Assistance Employee Stock Purchase Program Wellness Program Employee Assistance Program Flexible Spending Accounts"

Ain't that cool? I can't wait to start - They've actually increased my hours through Bonney so I can finish my contract with them - and as soon as I'm done with Bonney, I'll be an Official Banknorth Employee. I'm so psyched for this - Finally a job that pays excellent benefits, and I'll be enjoying what I'm doing - and there is a HUGE potential for advancement with Banknorth. They've been rated "The Best Managed Bank of 2004" by Forbes Magazine, and is a relatively STRESS-FREE work environment.

All in all it's a good week - and it's only Tuesday :)

It's the first place I look for my keys...

Here's a little story that happened on Friday night. I went over to my friend's house for supper, and I ended up heading down to the Mega (conveinience store) for some soda and chips. So I get back, and about 10:30 I leave for home.

After stopping at the Hannaford's for some alcohol (Smirnoff Ice), I head home and realize I left my keys at Chuck and Heather's. "Superb" I think. I end up getting a ride over from one of the guys at Domino's and when I get there, I tell them I forgot my keys. Heather pipes up.. "I put them in your shoes!"

Turns out while I was at the Mega, she put my keys and checkbook in my workshoes so I wouldn't forget them... although she neglected to tell me she did so.

So basically, I went through all that trouble just to find out I had my keys with me the WHOLE TIME... sigh... oh well. It's funny now, so I can't complain.