Drew’s Inner Dialogue

I’ve been overhauling my photo album, and I came across this photo from a few years ago. Our medical school class had a halloween bowling party, and I had just started using my original Digital Rebel. I spotted this guy in the arcade, and had to snap a shot.

Of course, it immediately reminded me of the song, “Cows With Guns”, by Dana Lyons, which I first heard in 1999 at Duke.

You owe it to yourself to track down this song, and actually listen to the lyrics. It’s “moo-tacular”, whatever that means…

Several weeks ago I heard a clip on a local radio station. The DJ played a recording of Martin Gore, of Depeche Mode, explaining that his inspiration for their recent hit — “Precious” — was his experience growing up when his parents divorced.

I already liked the song, but now I listened to the lyrics, and it definitely tells that story.

Which, unfortunately, relates to my current experiences within my own family.

Interesting. I’m not entirely sure where the data for this search comes from, but it strikes me as mostly accurate. (For example, try searching for “Smith” here.) Essentially, the darker the color, the more people with a given surname live in that particular state.
Here’s an example, using my surname “Elliston”:

Justin Alston, a buddy from my years at Duke, has appeared in a TV commercial. Jason and Sarah mentioned they had heard of such a thing while we had our way with Las Vegas. Upon returning home, I was watching The Simpsons… and there he was! I’d seen a few of the VW “Fast” commercials (they’re pretty good!), but not this particular one. He’s ordering Chinese delivery for dinner on a rainy night, and decides to pick it up himself anyway (he let his “fast” do the thinking).

A couple of things - I haven’t seen him for quite awhile, and while I’m thinking about it I need to see if I can reach him. The commercial doesn’t seem to be based in LA (it’s raining, thundering, and lightning, for goodness sakes - that simply doesn’t happen here), but that’s where he’s living and working.

Road Trip! Woohoo!!

I have no explanation how such fortune befell me, but I have a 3 day weekend coming up, and I was just informed that 2 of my best college buddies (Jason Bailey and Sarah Scolnik) are going to be in Vegas (3 hrs away) from Saturday to Wednesday. So of course I’m going.

Much photographing, frolicking, and racing with the top down to ensue.

I have not forgotten about you - I’ve just been spending a lot of time planning ways to better serve you, faithful site (and reader).

Well, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

After a few burps in functionality over the last few months, I finally have some breathing room in my schedule and am currently working to get this site up and running with even more flair than before.

Hear that? Even MORE FLAIR!

Hmm. The photos for her graduation were the whole reason I finally put my website back up. I shared them with family and friends, but didn’t mention it here.

So, belatedly, I’d like to announce the graduation of my littlest sister, Audrey, from Claremont McKenna College in May of 2005. She majored in Psychology, is working for Americorp for a year at Turning the Page, and plans to apply for graduate school to study psychology further. Eventually, she wants to work with schools and kids.

So…last Thursday I swung by the house for some food between rounding at the hospital and reporting for clinic in the afternoon. Spike, as usual, walks from the garage to the back yard with me, and what do I see?

Two unexpected guests swimming around in the pool like they owned the place. I didn’t chase them away, as I figured they wouldn’t be coming back anyway, and I wanted to grab my camera for some shots.

At first, Spike was so focused on getting pet that he didn’t notice them swimming around on the other side of the pool (he can’t get to that side because of the invisible fence). Once he did spot them, he crouched at the edge of the pool, whipped his tail around, and did that teeth chattering thing cats do when hunting.

[http://elliston.net/drew/photoalbum.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=67|Oh - the couple was a pair of Mallard ducks.]

Interesting. How reliable it is, I can’t say, since there are only a few questions. Still, I’d say it “hit the nail on the head.”

70% General American English, 30% Dixie (southern)

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Ack! Next time I get the urge to visit Home Depot on a Memorial Day, someone slap me upside the head.

It was like trying to park at a mall on Christmas Eve. Once I got inside, I had to weave through wide individuals who congregated in the aisles with all of their carts, stretch over carts to grab a few things, and weave back to the front of the store.

Normally, I actually enjoy a visit to the Depot. Not this time, although I did get the irrigation parts I needed.