New Shoes

How to Act Natural During a Break-in

Never run around in the bushes in a ski mask when you're breaking in some place. Somebody catches you, what are you gonna say? You want to look like a legitimate visitor until the very last minute. If you can't look legit, confused works almost as well.

Burn Notice is a great TV series available on USA. The main character, Michael Weston, is a spy that has been black listed from his service as a spy and spends his time tracking down the person who burned him and carrying out operations for those in need. Needless to say the show is awesome. Throughout the show, Michael gives the audience Spy Tips.

Enter Geek Tips

The day your damaged XBOX console returns from the repair shop make sure you have plans and prior commitments. If you don't chances are you'll end up losing half a day and all your sleep.

It happened! It actually happened! I didn't believe it was possible, but now I know its true. My XBOX was resurrected!

(Image 1: UPS tracking - couldn't focus at work once I knew the package had arrived and was waiting for me)

(Image 2: Alive and returned to me at last! My healthy XBOX makes its triumphant appearance)

So, what happens when you take a complete geek who has been going through XBOX withdrawals for the past several weeks, a recently returned XBOX, a 12 pack of Cherry Pepsi, an XBOX LIVE subscription, Assassins Creed 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1 and 2, and complete disregard for the Geek Tip above? No sleep. That's right, the evening my dear friend returned itself to the warmth of my apartment, plugged itself in, and put on its new shoes. 9 hours. That's how long it took. To break in the new shoes. Excuses, I have plenty. But no care to use them. I'll tell you flat out. From Modern Warfare on LIVE party with my brother to solo missions with Ezio in Assassins Creed, worlds flashed before my eyes. Entirely different dimensions appeared and I was utterly lost in the magnificent of it all. It was delightful. Food didn't exist, nor did time.

Until 4 am rolled its eyes at the fact that I was still awake. Still burning the calories out of my starved body (which I wish could have been Fat calories, but for some reason our bodies don't see fit to burn fat and pull all nighters at the same time). I suppose you could call it sleep, this short visit I paid to my sheets. I don't recall any unconsciousness (but then again, isn't that the point?). Not long after my head jammed itself into my tired scratchy pillow did I jerk awake to the annoyingly necessary shriek my alarm. Shortly after that, the snooze button had anger forced upon it and I swear to you, in the five minutes that followed, my total sleep time that night doubled!

Then off I was again to work, dreaming inside my cubical of the joys that would come once I arrived home again.

The day the XBOX passed away, January 11th 2010 (curse the day).

The day Microsoft received the XBOX, January 19th 2010.

The day the XBOX returned to Salt Lake City Utah, January 23rd 2010 early morning (37 minutes into the day).

The day the XBOX was returned, delivered, plugged itself in and took its new shoes for a spin, January 26th 2010.

1288800 seconds had passed.

276 hairs had been lost

14 movies had been watched.

0 games had been played on my XBOX

I can only describe the 26th by quoting (and modifying) the following line: "It was the best of times, it was the [best] of times".

Woke up cold one Tuesday,
I'm looking tired and feeling quite sick,
I felt like there was something missing in my day to day life,
So I quickly opened the wardrobe,
Pulled out some jeans and a T-Shirt that seemed clean,
Topped it off with a pair of old shoes,
That were ripped around the seams,
And I thought these shoes just don't suit me.

Hey, I put some new shoes on,
And suddenly everything is right,
I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,
It's so inviting,
Oh, short on money,
But long on time,
Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,
And I'm running late,
And I don't need an excuse,
'cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.

Woke up late one Thursday,
And I'm seeing stars as I'm rubbing my eyes,
And I felt like there were two days missing,
As I focused on the time,
And I made my way to the kitchen,
But I had to stop from the shock of what I found,
A room full of all off my friends dancing round and round,
And I thought hello new shoes,
Bye bye them blues.

Hey, I put some new shoes on,And suddenly everything is right,
I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,
It's so inviting,
Oh, short on money,
But long on time,
Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,
And I'm running late,
And I don't need an excuse,
'cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.