Critical Update

Today Microsoft released a bunch up critical patches for Windows computers. Everyone should make sure that they download and update their computers so you don't get hacked. Well, everyone except Graham and people from Brooklyn running Mac OSX who make strange comments on my blog :-/ ! Oh yea, and Firefox is on version 1.0.7 right now and it looks like most of you haven't upgraded to that version yet. Click on red arrow on the top of your browser to upgrade!

It's been raining cats and dogs out here. I am not sure which hurricane this storm is related to, but it's been raining since last week and all I see in the next week's forecast is rain, rain, and more rain. And, since I lost God's Umbrella (sometime during or after Oktoberfest :( ), I am being punished with only my mid-size umbrella. On my way home from the Brazillian consulate today (more on this later), there was a midget dog standing next to it's dog-walker (it's raining too much for an owner to be walking their own dog, methinks) with a rain jacket and booties on, looking up at me with pitiful eyes and shivering slightly. Gee, and I thought that I lived a sheltered life....

I would like everyone to know that I don't want anything this year for Christmas. Seriously, I know that the economy is sluggish and The Man wants us to spend lots of money on gifts for people, but I really have everything I need this year. If you want to give me something, it better be hand-made or be something personal (like pictures). I'm serious - I don't want ANYTHING ELSE this year - well, maybe a new God's Umbrella or a pair of rain slickers for my shoes.

Speaking of Winter and shoes, a co-worker of mine (a white guy who thinks he's black and who talks to himself non-stop during the workday) mentioned the other day (to himself, of course) that he was excited because he was going to buy himself a pair of new Timberlands early this year. P&C, you will find this amusing ;o)

So today I spent the morning getting ready to travel down to the Brazilian consulate so that I could get my travel visa. I filled and printed out the visa application, made photo copies of my plane tickets, spent $0.90 on a money order for $100 from the post office, spent +$10 on passport photos, and about an hour on the subways (which weren't running to the station I had to go to, naturally). Once I got there, I waited the requisite 15 minutes in line to give them my documents, only to find out that I hadn't signed my printed materials yet. I signed it and got back in line behind a few people. Finally, all my documents were there and he thumbed through my passport, looked at my visa from two years ago and said "your visa is valid for five years. Go deposit your money order in your account". Uggh. While I'm stoked that I didn't have to spend $100, I am seriously annoyed that I spent the whole morning down there. I looked at the visa in my passport and finally did see the fine print. But it is awkwardly worded and I probably would have gone down there to clarify it regardless. But still. Annoying. And wet.

Last night I got an urgent call from Cathy asking me for the biggest favor that I've ever had to do in my life. I quickly ran through my mental rolodex of favors that I've had to do - fix my computer, fix my other computer, upgrade my computer, set my computer up to use my neighbor's wireless connection, buy me a new computer, etc. - and figured that I could fix whatever broke on Cathy's computer, so I agreed. "I killed a mouse in my apartment and I need you to take care of it". I couldn't stop laughing. She wasn't very amused at my laughing, but I thought it was hilarious. So I hightailed it over to her place and dumped the mouse-trap into the trash shoot. I'm not as cool as Paul because he re-uses the mouse traps but I figured I'd save him a flight out here and dispose of the mouse and the $0.50 trap at once. And then I proceeded (attempted) to fix Cathy's laptop. I guess I can add dead rodent removal services to my repitoire of skillz...

J. Riley, I'm downloading Brazilian Portuguese language training CDs. I hope I'm fluent by next month.