Banking Error?

Ok... I've had the same two transactions pending, and the same balance on my on-line banking statement since Thursday. Plus, some purchases that should have cleared by now are conspicuously absent from my register. Most alarmingly, my direct deposit from work has yet to post to my account. I'm all for holiday-related slowdowns at the bank when it keeps me from accidentally bouncing a check or something. But I'm not so fond once it starts to interfere with my ability to pay for things like rent and food and shiny little impulse buys.

I get the same balance when I check through the telephone banking and at the ATM. If it hasn't updated by tomorrow, I think I'm really gonna freak out.

UPDATE: Everything seems to have caught up this morning. All my purchases have cleared. There are no overdraughts. My paycheck is where it ought to be. I am, momentarily, fiscally sound.

Vacation #1 comes to an end.

Back at work today. My week off was very refreshing. Still, I wasn't ready to darken my office door just yet. My next break is July 3-7, 2006.

Coke + Coffe? Really?

Does anybody like this stuff?

I mean, seriously? Has there ever been a less refreshing beverage? After you drink one of these do you not have to go immediately and drink something else just to get the ass taste out of your mouth?

Kudos to CocaCola's marketing department for convincing me to spend $6 just to try this abomination. But I think we can all agree their efforts are better spent bringing a classic back to the masses...

Use it or lose it!

The place where I work has a "use it or lose it" policy regarding vacation and personal leave time. We get a generous three weeks a year of vacation time (not including two weeks off at Christmas time) each year. But if we fail to schedule all of it before our anniversary date, we lose whatever we haven't used. So, realizing my time was running short, I scheduled my three weeks about a month apart each over the course of the summer, and I'm in the midst of my first week off now. I might actually take a trip during one of the other two weeks, but this week, I'm staying around the house, getting some sun and exercise, getting some use out of the iPod, seeing a few movies, and trying to fill up my portfolio with some new photos.

I found some great photo subjects walking around the neighborhood. Principally, there were some heavily graffiti covered boxcars parked on sidetracks that run through this part of town that proved to be quite photogenic.



Graffiti, of course, still has strong criminal associations. But, as galleries have increasingly displayed works and/or hosted competitions, tagging has become a respectable representation of modern art. Which, of course, leaves me with the question, is it technically plagarism to photograph a tag? Or does employing photographic technique qualify it as an original work? Either way, I'm fond of several of the shots I've gotten.

More photos will definitely be posted as I sort through what I've taken and as I take new photos I think are worth hanging in the Rut/Groove.

Ok, So I was wrong.

Taylor Hicks is the new American Idol and I couldn't be happier. I know I predicted McPheever would sweep the nation... and it almost did. So I guess I was two for five in my predictions. After Chris was eliminated, I realized that Taylor would probably place higher than I had predicted as he had never, ever been in the bottom of any voting group. But, because I was too lazy to make a new post, I decided to let my predictions stand. I don't have much of an ego. I can be wrong.

Congratulations, Taylor. I'm already looking forward to your second record, the one where you get more control and get to express your self as an artist. May your successes be many.