Two things...

Today:

1. I feel like an actual doctor.
2. proved programming meetings can be fun.

Montana Part I (in which I discover Cabela's)

Hey, guess what?  I was in Montana last weekend hanging out with The Wanderer, her boyfriend, and their adorably gentle and well-behaved dog, Caddie.  We had some beers at the local breweries (Bubba got his own stool at one), made some dinner, and went to Wild and Scenic film festival (go to this in your area - it's good).

The first thing you need to know is that Bubba and Caddie became friends right away.  We knew that Caddie would like Bubba - she's friendly that way.  Bubba, on the other hand, doesn't really dig dogs that much.  Dog, he's just not that into you.  Move along.  But.  There is a rare occasion where he meets a dog small, gentle, or sensitive enough that he's cool with.  That he'll play with and not just ignore.  Caddie is one of these dogs.

Check them out actually playing together!

Adorbs.

The Wanderer and I took the dogs backpacking Saturday and Sunday.  We tried to head up early and camp at the trailhead Friday night.  First we had to make a couple stops.

#1.  Cabela's for duct tape and something else I can't remember.  The Wanderer wanted to be in and out of here.  But.  This was my first Cabela's experience.  I thought it would be no thing, but I was wrong.  This. place. is. awesome.

For one thing, you're greeted by a giant dead animal carcass.

And they are here for all your commercial grade grinder needs.

This cast iron skillet with lid was not only giant - it was $35.

Vertical stuffer, anyone?

What about a meat mixer?

Utz cheese balls anyone?  This is around the point I fell in love.  Not only do they have cheese balls in a can, they were giant, and made by Utz - from the potato chip company on Mad Men.  If it weren't for the fact that I knew I would down these in 2 days on my own, especially owing to the fact the container was too big to fit in my luggage, I would have bought these.

Ah, guns for hunting.  Yes, I expected I could get that here.

Firearms checkout?  Does this mean I can check out guns like a library, or does this mean I need to pay for my guns here?  I don't know.  But look at those bear rugs.  Are those for sale?

A gun safe.  That I could walk into.  This is where my desire to have an armageddon-style bunker started to rumble.  Yes, I want a giant safe, and a safe room or an underground bunker filled with guns, ammo, water, food rations, blankets, an emergency radio, flashlights, batteries, books, etc.  Someday, I don't think it's unreasonable to think that something very bad will happen.  And there will be marauders.  And they will want my food, and my guns, and my water, and to kill my family.  I've been to movies, I've seen this thing.  And no, I don't think it will be because the Rapture will happen - more like some sort of revolution.  I mean look around the globe, and throughout all of history.  Somebody's always fuckin somebody else up.  We've been in quite a golden age around here.  It can't last forever.  I'm going to be somewhat ready.  

Uh, zebras.  Apparently Cabela's isn't interested in just the things you can shoot on this continent, they're thinking globally.

At this point I hit the Gun Library.  What???  I had to know more.  So I went in.  Actually being in the library failed to clarify what they meant by library.  Can I check out guns?  Is this a museum?  What's going on?  So I asked.  I found out this is where the rare, old, and expensive guns live.  You can buy them.

This on the bottom was their oldest gun.  It is from the American Civil War (which was only 146 years ago people.  See what I'm saying?).

These are automatic guns from like the mobster days or something.  I don't know.

Oh, look.  More dead things.  I don't think it's actually the bear that's on clearance.

This is where I learn to set up a better shot of this dead things diorama.

George Strait???  Why yes please.  You know I entered this contest for his signed guitar.

The Wanderer got bored of this exploration and went to go sit in the car with the dogs.  I got through as fast as I could but I had to at least get through the whole store!

Anyway, on our way out of town (to go camping, remember?), we passed CandyTown USA and she asked, "Hey do you want to check out that candy store?"  And I was like, "Well, is it any good?"  And she was like, "Yeah, there's a lot of candy in there".

Now it must be said.  The Wanderer is not a candy connoisseur like some people.  So while I didn't know what to expect by her judgment of the place, I thought it was worth a shot.

There were bins and bins and bins and bins of bulk candy.  And it was not expensive!  Craziness.  They should call this store Candy Craziness.  I bought one of everything I had never tried before that wasn't hard candy or black licorice.

And then there was this. 

I don't know how you feel about Sixlets but I had deep feelings for them.

And I had never seen big pearlized Sixlets.  So into my bag they went!

The Wanderer pushed me out of this place too.  I spent probably 20-30 minutes there, but look what I was up against...

And I only spent $12.

So then, after 2 hours of unnecessary "errands" in town, we were finally on our way.  To camping.  But then 15 minutes out we saw rain.  The Wanderer called her BF to check the weather and we were going to get rained on all night.  So we turned around and decided to head out the next morning.  Plan B.

As for my Cabela's experience, Mr. Renaissance (who has a Cabela's black card he uses all the time) says we'll go to the one here and get some cheese balls.  Oh, and he's down with the armageddon bunker.

Labor Day weekend

Oh boy, I should have written this a long time ago.  But... since this is a few days late, let's just rely heavily on pictures, shall we?

First of all what you need to know is that Bajabucky came to visit from Alaska.  She was in town for a Fish Conference (that I didn't attend since two years into this post-doc I still don't have results per se).  Ahem.  Anyway, she came in a weekend early to hang out.  

Bubba and I picked her up Saturday at her other friend's house near the airport.  Where we had a few beers, yes.

The second thing you need to know is that Bajabucky took most of these photos.  Which is why you may notice the quality is markedly improved.  Markedly.  Improved.

My main man as his snarly underbite normal self.

Then she and I went home (by way of this place), and she cooked some steak and made me a martini (yay!), and I provided the Sierra Nevada and made a salad.  Then we drank and hung out and drank and hung out.

The third thing you need to know is that we had a dinner party on Sunday.  We all know she likes to cook.  I like to eat.  I thought The Violent Offender might want to hang out with us.  Also Mr. Renaissance needed to meet all these friends.  So.  Bajabucky and I set up the iPod and cooked up some stuff.  The Shutterbug, his friend who just moved from New York, the Pennsylvania Dutch, and one of the new housemates (who we're going to go ahead and call Lucille Two) joined us.

This is what I made.  

For full disclosure, I also cleaned up after the Tasmanian Dev... Bajabucky in the kitchen, did some prep work, and set up the table.

Carnitas.  We all know who made this.

Corn!  Because I would not let her make chips.

Tacos

Tacos with carnitas, crema, queso blanco(?), avocado, homemade salsa, and cabbage.

If I am ever on death row, this will be my last meal.  It was queso melted between two fried tortillas.  This also shows how much I like Mr. Renaissance that I was sharing it with him.  He only got one bite.

Why can't I have ANY?!?! (Reality check: he had a little).  Unrelated note: the vet says he needs to lose a few.

Dinner turned into me pushing beers on people (successful as always), which of course led to karaoke at the local gay bar.  Because that is always a win.  Bajabucky sang an Erasure song, blissed out on the gayness, and may or may not have stolen some people's pulltabs.

Monday Bajabucky, Mr. Renaissance and I made some breakfast and lounged around the house.  After dropping her off at the conference (ha ha!) Mr. Renaissance and I headed over to the sailboat.  It's now become a bit of a thing that we like to hang out on the docked boat and pretend we're going somewhere. Someday, someday.

This is how cool Bubba is on land.

This is how uncool Bubba is near water.  In this case it was bobbing boats and bobbing docks.  Not. a. fan.

Say cheese, buddy!

Uh oh.  Eye boogs on the dog as always.  I usually let these go since they are constant.  Mr. Renaissance however, is a groomer.

Then we went home, Mr. Renaissance made some kick ass nachos with leftover taco fixin's and freshly made cheese bechamel, and we watched a movie in bed.  

Bajabucky was in town for the rest of the week.  We hung out, went out to another gay bar, did some dancing, ate some Vietnamese food, and then the night before she went back to Alaska, I finally packed up her poster that I got mounted on MDF board.  The packing job involved a custom-cut piece of particle board, some foam, bubblewrap, a bunch of cardboard, a third of a roll of duct tape, a Bajabucky out of the way, a boyfriend supplying tape, and much ridiculousness.

This is what I sent her off with for the journey.  

But totally worth it because it made it all the way to Alaska unscathed for $20 instead of $120.  And now this poster that she loves will last decades instead of a few years on the wall.

Labor Day weekend.  It was a really good time.

Mindbanger

Been there, done that.



God bless this show (and yes, this is a 30 minute sitcom episode I just posted).

I am writing this post under duress

So those of you worried that the fact that Mr. Renaissance can now read this blog will change the way I write don't worry.  He has been warned of the fact that I will keep writing unedited.  More to the point, he was a little worried his reading would change the way I write, so warned is a bit of a stretch.  But anyway.

What is happening right now is that he's forcing me to write this post.  You see, we've been in a bit of a crushy/obsessive/love bubble.  In which we stay up 'til 2 am talking, and stick around bed until 2 pm talking and hanging out.  Then we go to work late, some of us stay at work late, and some of us don't get our shit done.  Seeing how I can get a little distracted from work and really need to focus, we've set up some rules.  For the sake of balance, for the sake of productivity, for the sake of sustainability.

We came up with these rules together and they're good, but he's the one forcing me to post them here.  For the sake of accountability.  I don't like sharing my dirty laundry when it comes to weaknesses that have to do with work.  Anything else I'll tell you.  You know that.  But this is hard.

But here they are.  Our new rules.

1. Both Mr. Renaissance and I must be out of my house by 10 9:30 am on weekdays.
2. I do not get to open my computer before I get to work.
3. I do not get to look at facebook or google reader at work except during lunch.
4. If we both do not get 6 7 good hours of work in Mr. Renaissance does not get to spend the night OR come over.
5. Our new bedtime is midnight 11:30.  This means the only things we can be doing after midnight 11:30 on weekdays is reading or sleeping (you can pretty much bet I'll be the one reading and he'll be the one sleeping).

So there you go.  This is what it's like to be an adult around these parts.  You know, with jobs and whatnot. 

Love