It’s looking like the Double Dutch hour will be feasable.

We have a location and a bunch of tentative folks. I’ll get more information to those involved as the time draws near.

Work’s been super busy lately. We’re trying to get the last of the equipment out by the end of the year in order to get super hot bonuses for all our employees. So we’re expecting some late nights over the next few days.

in other new JonAbad returns to the House of Rock today! And Becky is visiting! It will be a glorious weekend.

Some say there’s no one cheaper than mike d, to that this blog replies “Nay!”
Scene: Christmas Morning Gift Unwrapping

Dad: “you got me Long Johns!”
Mom: “yes!”
Dad: “does this mean I have to throw out my other Long Johns?”
Mom: “yes!”
DiDonato Children: “are the old ones in bad shape?”
Mom: “they’re torn to pieces. he’s had them since High school.”

The Award for ‘Most Frugal’ goes to Dad DiDonato!

In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a news strip along the top edge of your gmail inbox. If you go to your Spam folder you can get a bunch of delicious Spam recipes from this news strip.

Google rocks.

I think that a fun event for the new years would be a big double dutch spectacle. I’ve never even tried Double Dutch before, but it looks awesome. Imagine a big crowd of people, maybe two sets of double dutchers, everyone learning how to double dutch under the sweet beats of Parliament Funkadelic and Old School Michael Jackson.

If you live in or near worcester, and you’d be willing to seperate yourself from your current plans for an hour or so in order to skip rope into the new year, leave a comment. We’d probably need about 8 people to make this exciting.

In case you hadn’t noticed already, all leftside filmstrip features are taking a week off to celebrate the holidays.

My sister has discovered the wonders of alkaseltzer. she calls it Crackaseltzer because it makes her feel soo good.

thanks jonabad

Narnia Rap Commentary

JonAbad put a top 10 of 2005 on his blog. I’m going to do the same.

but I’m going to make mine rhyme.

10. The House of Rock gets it’s name
9. Brand new Struts on the Acclaim to Fame
8. Work’s work but I got a promotion
7. Giant Sand castles create a commotion
6. Kiteboarding with old man schenk
5. Bumping up my Kung Fu rank
4. Climbing 5.12, to my surprise
3. Reaching new levels of exercise
2. Friends, laughter, playing games
1. As the Wellesley girls cheer our names

#3 was going to be “making fun of Kurt’s large thighs” but that was just as fun in 2004 as it was in 2005… so I didn’t think it was necessary to add it in there.

Christmas eve started out with a Denny’s adventure with Infinity and MoreUh. There was much laughing. I tried the Lumberjack breakfast, it was filling and spectacular. The day continued with the traditional DiDonato chinese food christmas eve bash.

Christmas day was full of joys. I got some really spectacular gifts! A new toothbrush, of which I am very excited. An Interactive Solar System electronic toy, which you’ll hear more about soon. Hip clothes, rock music, and power tools. Really? It was an ideal Christmas. It was wonderful hanging out with my family, singing songs and eating food. Merriment to the D.

Yesterday I had the day off from work, and I visited Rick Richter. We played Fooseball and Scrabble. And then there was traffic.

Once again, Christmas was a smashing success! I’m taking ideas for new years, so if you have any suggestions, please comment.

*Updated: see comments

I’m going to start jumping more rope.

The House of Rock needs a Double Dutch Arena.

seriously. this is awesome.

“we’re about to be taken to a dreamworld of magic”

For two days in a row I’ve left my lights on in the parking lot.

One of the reasons for this is that my car no longer beeps if the lights are on and I open the door.

bummer.

When most people think of Frank Lloyd Wright they think of his biggest and greatest creations. Houses like Falling Water and the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. But many of FLW’s most influencial buildings were designed when FLW was first becoming an architectural giant. FLW lived in Oak Park, a small suburb of chicago that’s about 20 minutes from Midway Airport. Recently when I flew into Midway I decided to stop by FLW’s home and studio.

Frank lived here from 1899 until 1909 as he developed some of the architecture that helped define the Prarie style of architecture. It really is a fun house. I didn’t take the tour because I was cheap and a little concerned that I wouldn’t be able to make it to the airport on time, but it was a pleasure just to walk around the house snapping some photos.

As I wandered I noticed something sad. Next to the Frank lloyd wright house and the museum that honored him was another house.

How unfortunate it must be to live in the house next to frank lloyd wrights house. How do you give directions to your place?

“take a right onto chicago ave… you’ll see a huge beautiful house on the right, our house is the one right after that.”

Forever in the shadow of the greater house, this little gem deserves some notice. So here’s to you HouseNextToFrankLloydWright’sHouse! That your architect might sleep soundly knowing that even if only for a few brief moments, a tourist turned his camera from the giant that is FLW and focused it on your house next door.

I haven’t even STARTED my christmas shopping yet. It’s true. I am completely and utterly unprepared for the Christmas giftgiving. But I’m okay with that. In fact, I think it’s better this way. It will make the next couple days extra exciting.

I’m thinking I might also send out some holiday cards this year. I got one yesterday from Abby and it was wonderful. She wrote: “don’t fall off the rock wall” It was funny and quirky. So, I’m going to try to send out some Christmas cards this year.

If you’d like one, please comment with your address… or if you’d like to keep your addy secret to the world, e-mail me at mikedidonato AT gmail DOT com with your address. Either way. It will be joyous and festive. And while I can’t promise you’ll get it by Christmas… in fact you may not get it until February, I CAN promise that I’ll put some Hardcore HEART into these cards. I will make an effort to make them the coolest cards that the U.S. Postal Service has ever seen.

It’s way busy today at work, so the daily update may come later than expected. Check out the Video on the left side bar for some entertainment.

We needed an electric mixer. We had a whisk, an electric drill, and duct tape.

that’s jesse with the mixer and jonabad holding the bowl.

You may want to sit down for this.

For future generations of males everywhere, I hope and pray that she has a daughter.

Last night I bought two rock climbing calanders.

1. Rock&Ice
2. Women of climbing

Both are in my cube at work, and both are awesome.

It’s amazing how quickly free food appears around the holidays. And I’m beginning to understand how weight gain would be so simple at this time of year. Yesterday, there was a 4 pound tin of cookies that was slaughtered by my company.

Today there’s another 4 pound box of cookies.

4 pounds. is a lot of cookie.

I should start running again. Anyone want to be my running partner?

The Question

Jon Abad asks:
Why was Worf allowed to have his Klingon sash if the Starfleet uniform code didn’t allow Ensign Ro Laren to wear her Bajoran earring thingy?

The Answer

Several reasons.

1. With Picard’s relationship with the Klingon Empire, I imagine it would have much greater political conseqences to impinge the honor of the Klingon Empire in that way than the Bajorans. Think about the relationship here. Piss off a vast empire of warriors, who are already very touchy about honor, or a single world of freedom fighters, who really aren’t big fans of the Federation already?

2. Picard and Worf had a relationship already. Easy to bend the rules for a buddy, eh?

3. Look at the picture in the filmstrip to the left of the main mikedidonato.com page. Would YOU want to say NO to angry Worf? I didn’t think so….

wow

We need to get these.

My boss is taking our team out to lunch on Thursday. Hot!

More reasons I have absolutely no respect for Sander:

#4624
He doesn’t know the national anthem.

#4625
He hates hippies… all of them. Without any real reason.

JonAbad a.k.a ‘The Internet’ has left the House of Rock. While he plans on returning on December 30th, it’s sad to see him go. Please go here to remember his majesty.