Speechless again at a loss for words

I get to see Umphrey's tonight in Baltimore. Giddy Up!!!



Set list to follow bitches!!!

Pizza Play!!

Due to the financial strains of planning a classy wedding, rather than going nuts on each other for Christmas this year Kool-Aid and I agreed upon pooling together and getting ourselves something that we both could enjoy. What that ended up being was a Nintendo Wii and let me tell you sumpin' internet audience, a better decision could not have been made.

Playing video games on the colorful level of the Nintendo does something to me. Even though I had never played the Wii before there is a certain level of nostalgia that it brings as opposed to the high tech, action packed games of the Playstation/Xbox realm which pretty much just blow me away with graphics, gameplay, and movie-esque story lines. Not so with the Wii. The games seem almost an almost simple kind of fun. Now, mind you I don't have much experience with this as we only have a few games for it so if I offend those by calling the Wii simple please expect my apology in advance. But in all seriousness, playing MarioKart or fooling around in the living room with Wii Tennis seems just a childlike pleasure to me and as inferred this is clearly not a bad thing. The cartoon graphics, the vivid colors, and the silly overall nature of these games have brought me back to my basement 20 or so years ago when times were less complicated and the Toast was back pain free.

One game in particular has the Toast reminiscing of days of yore. Soon after the Wii purchase I went out with a handful of the Target giftcards we collected and picked up Super Mario Bros. Wii and to keep this blog some what brief I will paraphrase the initital description of my excitement: DANG DANG DANG and WICKED AWESOME!! No, in all seriousness, I haven't had this much fun playing video games since I finally got that first nintendo so many years ago. I don't really know how to put this feeling of innocence into words so you'll have to forgive me if this is as far as I go.

Now, that being said, the Wii is not without it's faults. For example, I have had to go out and by like 4 different controllers for this thing, thus throwing the supposed saving money by toning down Christmas spending right out the fucking window. Nevertheless, on nights when Kool-Aid and I might have gone out and seen some shitty movie or gone to the bar for platefuls of mozz sticks and multiple pints of Guinness, the Wii has given us the option of goofing off together in the living room while allowing me to spend a little QT with my best girl. More importantly, I'm kinda already in my jammies by 8 o'clock on a Friday night as opposed to the far less fortunate leaving my Debit Card at the bar with an still to be paid tab. Whose the big winner??? This guy!! /points to self.

So, in closing: Wii = good, Jammies on a Friday night = even better, and Tessie Girl gets confused/terribly excited when we play Wii Boxing. You should hear the noises she makes, awful cute I tells ya!!

Wait a tic...hold the phone....I'm going to Ireland on Friday?!?!

Yeah...so it's kinda come to my attention that I am slated to head across the pond as they say at the end of the week; Friday to be exact. Not gonna lie to you internet audience, this has sort of caught me off guard. I mean, reservations have been made. My passport still flies. I can afford to take this trip. I know how to drive stick. Tessie Girl staying at her weekly dogwalker's arrangements have been made. Realistically, all I have to do is make sure I have enough underpants for 9 days in Ireland.

And yet...something seems amiss. I mean, am I excited to go; you bet your sweet bippy I am. I am looking forward to touring the Irish Countryside with Kool-Aid something very fierce. But how can it be that it is still to sink in?? Really, I've known about this trip for quite some time, this really isn't a surprise here. I don't know, perhaps it's due to the fact that my mind really isn't quite here at the office today and I've already checked out for this vacation that I can't seem to remember fully. Maybe I was sooo into Playoff Hockey that I am not really a part of the "real" and just mindlessly floating along?? Maybe I just need to suck it up and come to grips that I am heading to Awesome Town come week"s end?? Yeah...that last one seems about right.

To tell you the truth Toastedblog friends, no one could be as up for a trip to Ireland as your's truly. I mean, Europe, a few beers, a few laughs, my kin, fellow Cregg run-ins, QT with the Kool-Aid, boiled meats, Guinness, what-have-you's: this sure sounds like the real deal to me. And don't get me wrong, I am all-up-ons here. I just think that my head is a bit too focused on the task at hand (i.e. workies) and not really set with this whole kickass vacation thingie. Don't you worry, I'll be gettin' there. If not....there is something really wrong with me.

Guess Who's Planning a Trip Back Home??

Due to recent events Kool-Aid and I are planning a spring trip to Ireland. Can you say, "Fuck and Yes"?!?! I think I can.

Things my new office is good for.

What a minute. Hold the phone. You in fact did read that title correctly my faithful internet audience, the Toast has himself a new lot here at the workplace to call his own. With the aforementioned recent departure of a long time team member, office settings were restructured and Corporate Toast now is movin' on up to the big leagues, if by big leagues you mean an office that isn't just a glorified ex-coat closet. This kid has hit the big time....from a certain point of view.

Now, I've only been in this new space for a little over a week but here is a short list of things I have already noticed that this new office is particularly good at and/or good for.

- natural light.
- eating m&m's.
- rocking. I constantly have my I-pod with me at the office so I can hit up my beats. Currently we are thrashing the new digs with some old school Beasties.
- a window to the outside world where I can feel the cool breezes of Anytown, U.S.A.
- previous tenant dropping by as a force of habit (Wait a tick, this isn't mine anymore).
- the occasional lunchtime Toastedblog.
- coffee consumption
- showing off my office flair (that calender of bunny suicides isn't going to show itself)
- upon my arrival every morning while I am in the process of enjoying my apple-a-day, I get to read the daily article from here. Don't you DARE judge me.
- taking down delicious lunch sandwiches
- workies
- confusing others ("When'd you move here??")
- designing and drawing out various football formations and plays (I have this giant wipe-board for some odd reason in here). I know, the fucking jackpot right.

As you can see, the benefits greatly outnumber any possible complaints, threefold. Word to your moms!!