Mysteries of Pokemon Daycare

purity: i solved a pokemon mystery
purity: but i'll never have time to tell the world
purity: i know how they get the pokemon in the day care to level up
Kyatt: uh oh
purity: that sweet old couple runs a sweatshop --the pokemon are making running shoes
Kyatt: hmm
Kyatt: that's probably why they level up the more you walk
purity: yeah, its why you have to walk the eggs
Kyatt: oh, you're gonna need some good hatching shoes too

some days later….

Kyatt: oh, i started sketching that thing you were talking about
Kyatt: http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/3368/picture1idn.png
manny: HE IS WATCHING
Kyatt: i realized gold has some ridiculous shoes
Mars: thats who makes the characters ugly accessories huh
Kyatt: they give you eggs and tell you to wander around for them to hatch
Kyatt: which, i can assume, wears out shoes like whoa
Kyatt: so now they have shoes to sell made by pokemon they're getting paid to employ
Kyatt: it's the perfect racket
purity: thats how the pokemon's levels raise in daycare, mars
purity: they're being forced to make running shoes in the underground sweatshop
purity: its why you NEVER SEE YOURS in that happy fenced in play yard
manny: !!!
Mars: thats why half the moves they learn always seem to be sewing related
purity: hmmm

I Always Get Robbed When It's All-You-Can-Eat

Ok, so everyone is recovering from yesterday's Regional and some of us are recovering from a long week at KDE, so no one was really up and going too early today.

Eventually everyone was awake (except Jerome who had apparently gone back to sleep) and consensus was reached "Let's go get some lunch." The only common ground we could find was "ramen sounds OK" - but Ajisen was way too far, SSG was too far, Mitsuwa was kind of far, Ryo wasn't open yet, and I'm not a huge fan of the other place in Rolling Hills that starts with an "s" (forgot the name).  

Remembering there was a place we hadn't tried; Frank, Jason and I headed to a different shopping complex. They didn't have shio or tonkotsu, though - just shoyu and miso.  Tonkotsu is everyone's #1 favorite (I like shio too) so it wasn't terribly appealing.

However, there was a yakinuku place a few doors down so we took a look at their menu, and decided to give it a try. (Hey, it passed the "do they have free refills on drinks?" test...)

I start flipping through the menu and figure I'm going to eat about $15 worth of food. However, there are some all-you-can-eat options as well - which made much more financial sense for my dining companions, because they can freaking eat a lot. Anyways, the restaurant won't let you order an "all you can eat" option unless EVERYONE at the table orders it, so I either had to go ahead and get an all you can eat that was SO not going to be worth it, because I don't eat very much, or oblige Frank and Jason to order a la carte and a) spend a lot more money, or b) not get enough to eat.

So I agreed to do the all-you-can-eat, because I'm a hero like that. And admittedly I got a lot more food options than I would have if I'd ordered individual items, but still.

The food was really really good - salad with a nice dressing, and I got sweet potato in foil (butter, salt, and pepper, mmm) and then the meats were short ribs (excellent), chicken breast, a finer cut of beef, and pork belly. All pretty good, and I think I ate 1-2 pieces of each kind and then I was full.

Then I sat and watched Frank and Jason demolish about five refills of meat, more rice, and more soda.  They certainly got their money's worth, I'll say that much...but the bill for me was pretty steep considering I didn't really eat all that much. Jason gave me $10 though because it was kind of an unfair setup, so that helped a bit.

Good restaurant, though, I'll recommend it - Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ on Crenshaw Blvd, in Torrance.

The Home Prepares To Up Sticks

Yup, we're moving. Finally. I never thought this day would come...I thought I'd be doing a 2 hour commute for the rest of my life.

But I've got a really nice new place closer to my new job, it's got a LOT more space, and for the first time in my life I own a garage door opener (at least, I rent a garage door opener.) I am looking forward to using it tomorrow. I think I will stand out side the garage and press it over and over! Up down up down up down up down I think this might be a good way to meet my new neighbors.

At any rate, the movers are coming tomorrow and I will leave them in the capable hands of Franklin and Jason, since I have to go to work. 

I'm really looking forward to the new digs!  I understand there is already a growing waiting list of people who want to come and visit; since they hear there is a lot of card playing, and also the food is good.

Why You Want To Live Here

The food is really good.

We went to an asian market the other day, and I bought a wagyu steak, which is American "kobe-style" beef. It was surprisingly inexpensive* at $15 a pound.

Now, I could have eaten this tasty steak all by myself, but I am nice so I decided to prepare it to be shared by everyone in the house (myself, Jason, Franklin, and my mom who is here helping me pack.) 

So, I crushed some garlic and mixed that with a bit of olive oil and a little soy sauce, then sliced the steak into pieces and coated each slice with the marinade. Then I turned up the heat very high under a saute pan, and quick-seared each little piece.

I carried the plate around with forks for everyone to try it and they all agreed it was a damn good steak. I will definitely buy this kind of beef again sometime. 

Do you get random kobe-style beef steak snacks in your house? 

I didn't think so.

*for wagyu beef

Star Wars Innuendo Fun In The Zeo Chat

kiz: Okay zeo
kiz: sum up your sex life in a star wars quote.
me: pardon?
manny: "I've got a baaaad feeling about this"
me: oh, i see
me: hehe
Kyatt: "what a piece of junk!"
Dane: and i thought they smelled bad on the outside
Kyatt: "NOOOOOOOOOOoooooo!!!!!"
Dane: or "great shot, kid. that was one in a million"
kiz: "i'll make it legal"
me: i can't think of one, to be honest
Kyatt: "mr. vader, how long are these star wars going to last?"
manny: "Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age."
kiz: oh oh
me: haha
kiz: good relations with the wookies, I have
Kyatt: haha
Kyatt: i forgot about that one
manny: Gold Five: It came from... behind!
kiz: myself, the boy, two droids and no questions asked
manny: I have to stop reading through these quotes
manny: my mind is too dirty
kiz: yeah...
kiz: your father wanted you to have this but your uncle wouldnt allow it
me: dear me
kiz: Yeah, but this time I've got the money.
kiz: was about to say Gold Five: It came from... behind! but manny had already done it :C
kiz: Red Six: I got a problem here.Biggs: Eject!Red Six: I can hold it.Biggs: Pull up!Red Six: No, I'm all right... ahhh!
kiz: ...I'm going to slp
manny: ...night.
manny: thank you for stopping.
mars: ...how could you guys not have thought of
mars: "you came in that thing? you're braver than i thought"
manny: haha
me: hahaha
me: all i can think of is "i happen to like nice men"
manny: see, I immediately discarded the "your sex life" part
manny: and went straight to the innuendo

Squid or ****? You Decide

Jason departs for the midnight showing of Watchmen...

Watchmen And Its Impact On The Home

Well, most members of the household were looking forward to this movie. Preparations began weeks in advance. 

jason: hmm, qq. IMAX Watchmen at the only nearby venue is sold out for the 12:01 showing. there's a 3:09 AM showing, but dammit, that's way too late.

me: do we have to see it opening day? why can't we go the next day

jason: yeah, we could

jason: Tickets are available then

jason: Granted, I couldn't wear the 30 inch plush squid on my head.

jason: Let me see what Kevin thinks.

me: i mean we didn't see dark knight - what?

jason: in protest of the removal of the giant squid from the movie,  I plan to wear one on my head (the book involved a giant squid causing harm to new york city)

jason: if anyone asks, I'm cosplaying as new york city.

me: you haven't got a squid

jason: I "haven't got a squid"? That's a daring assumption you're making there, sir. *mock offense*

me: i am not a sir

me: and i don't believe you have a squid.

I was incorrect. He did have a squid, and he tied it to his head and emerged from his room. 

Anyways, Jason and Frank decided to go to the midnight non-IMAX showing of the movie (squid tied firmly in place) and I chose to go the next night to see it in IMAX. When I got up the next morning, Jason had emailed me to tell me "I don't think the movie is appropriate for you" with a few explanations of the graphic nature of the violence and general tone of the movie. Frank seconded the opinion, and honestly that was good enough for me. I will see R rated movies, but I am a bit sensitive to some things. Ah well.

Anyways, the movie's been discussed on and off in the zeo chatroom, and it reminded me I still have to post an embarrassing picture of Jason with a squid  tied to his head.

elroy: so gloom

elroy: watchmen, right

elroy: wtf, right?

jason: wtf good, or wtf bad?

elroy: wtf ending

elroy: also don't spoil it for bolt.

me: bolt, the blue guy walks around naked

elroy: or manny

me: manny, the blue guy walks around naked

jason: I didn't mind the ending.

elroy: what about...wtf random unnecessary changes

jason: they changed the ending cause they couldn't fit thirty minutes of pointless back-story to set up the ending into the movie

jason: so I didn't mind.

elroy: i mean like...

me: tell em about the squid, jason

jason: I knew there was no squid

jason: So I decided there had to be some sort of squid at my midnight showing.

elroy: oh gosh

jason: So I bought a big plush squid and wore it on my head.

elroy: pretty good

elroy: should have just started throwing raw squid at the screen

manny: haha

jason: I...in retrospect, I'm given to understand it's erect state atop my pate may have looked like a large red...yeah. 

kyatt: hahaha

jason: :(

me: i'll post pictures on my blog

jason: "Blog Entry: Jason with ****-on-head"

manny: haha

jason: Jason: "nooooooooooo! ;_;"

me: and that's exactl-E! what it looked like

jason: hahahahaha

elroy: haha

me: i should do that blog now