Tough Choices in Gardening...

We wanted to plant some little fruit trees in our backyard (e.g. apples, pears, cherries). While I would like to say that this idea would be to better the environment, to promote green-ness in our societies, yada, yada, I unfortunately have to say that it's because my mom thought we could get a good return on our investment in terms of free fruit. Our current yield: two small apples (about the size of a big cherry each), and one small pear (about the size of a small cherry). It may be a while.

Planting trees is not so easy, though.

MamaTang: So, what would this kind of fertilizer be good for our trees? *gesturing at bag*
PlantGuy: You don't want that one -- it's chemical fertilizer. After all, you're going to eat the fruits. What's in the fertilizer goes into your body!
MamaTang: Oh, okay.
PlantGuy: Yeah, you want this bag of manure.

Tonight...

Tonight, C and I talked about living together.

C: Wouldn't it be fun to live with me?
Me: *noncomittal mumble*
C: What! Lots of guys would be willing to give their left nut to live with me!
M: Find one!
C: I can think of one at work!
M: Find two!
C: Done.
M: And they can't be handicapped.

Damn I am clever.

UPDATE: This is not to make fun of the mobility-impaired... Observe that if you lop off someone's left nut, he is now...

There is a chance I am getting old

For some reason, I never considered this possibility, but there have been clues for a while.

Yesterday in the eyeglass shop:

Me: My friend was suggesting I get a pair of glasses that is more "fun." Any idea what that means?
Woman: Bwahahahhahahaha!
M: Well?
W: Shouldn't you ask her? Bwahahahahahha!
M: Oh.
*while she's showing me some glasses*
W: All the young kids are wearing them these days.

She said that twice! TWICE! Dangit! She was twice my age! :-(

The other clue is that the undergrads in my lab use all these weird phrases that I'd never heard before (e.g. hate on, stylez -- although apparently, it is also spelled styles). I'd assumed it was because they were young little gangsters or something.

In discussing this little tidbit with C today:

T: I even used the phrase, "hate on," yesterday.
C: ... To be cool or to pretend you're uncool?

I'm getting no love here. I should send her an IM to remind her that she's older than me.

UPDATE (8:27am): In relaying this message to my mom...

M: Yeah, your face looks old.

Dammit!

Soccer Memories...

(on IM yesterday)...

CB: reminds me of when i used to play soccer!
   hahaha
   this guy is awesome
me: it's funny to see all these people get    totally burned
C: he's a bit of a ball hog... geez
me: so... very MUCH like you then
C: hahaha
me: ;)
C: apparently my 7 year old nephew is a    soccer star on his team...
   multiple hat tricks kinda deal...
me: wowzers
C: one time, he ran through the goal with the    ball and kept going
me: hahaha
   so...
   one time, i turned around, scored on my own goal
   ...
   and celebrated
C: hahahahahahahahaah
me: ...
   the funny thing is that it must be in the blood or something
   four years later
   my brother did the exact same thing!

Puzzled Creator

Because I am a poor puzzler, I tend to enjoy creating puzzles (I think it's a sadistic streak).

Something funny happened though. I created this GREAT puzzle in Hong Kong (at least, I remember thinking it was great)... unfortunately, I never documented how to solve it since it "seemed so obvious."

Of course, now I don't remember how to solve it. The funny thing is that I know (roughly) what the solution is, but I don't remember how to get there.

Any puzzlers out there want to try this out, and let me know how to solve it?

'Nice Set of Bumps' Volleyball Highlights

My only output for four months of work...

Yesterday Night...

Me: Man, I had a depressing day...
J: Yeah, me too...
*silence*
M: How about we play some online Halo?
*silence*
J: I don't think us getting our asses kicked in Halo will make us feel much better.

Sign of the time, really. I check up our stats online... we have a less than 50% winning percentage in online Halo. Those dang kids are getting better and better...