Binkomonster!

Getting better...

What you are viewing is a wonderful noir snap of the Binkomonster Lounge. Which has a new setup this evening. Euler passed away on Monday evening, and since then Tesla has been in the 'Fish Hospital Ward'. We've now remedied the whole situation by setting up a gorgeous ADA tank/lighting system on the top floor. Modern tank, elegant lighting, real plants, fresh bubbles, awesome filter, and, a new friend. His name is Positron (you know, because he is so small in comparison to Tesla). Both denizens seem to be very happy and doing well which is not only relief, but comfort. The CTO has spent the better part of the night (after setting up the whole contraption) nursing a delightful Negroni (of course) and watching the fish-to-fish interaction. Better than TV. Much more relaxing. Until we were sucked back into the 'vortex of the man' for a brief 20 minutes or so. We've since been instructed on the error of our ways, and Outlook has been shutdown in favor of doing some silly photo snaps, and sucking down some Hungarian wine to finish up our evening. Work will be there tomorrow. But for right now, it is time to enjoy the peace here in the Palace.

Where is the rock?

We want to hide underneath until such time as things right themselves. And by 'right themselves' we mean things proceed along a normal path and don't crumble to dust at the merest hint of a touch. Yes, it has been that kind of day today.  The kind of day that leaves one very prone to secretly coveting the lives of others if only to escape the insanity of one's own.  But let us look at the positive. Our coolio-designer-dude dropped by today to assess the horror that is the Binkomonster Castle entryway, to facilitate drawing up some plans on how it will be fixed. Blueprints and drafts are forthcoming. Provided they look good, so is some interesting german cabinetry. And unfortunately, some moolah too. But the end result will be worth it. Shoes, bags and crap all within easy reach and organized. No worries, we'll highlight a 'before' and 'after' when we're at the end stage. The SuperHero day job working for the man is at about a tolerable simmer. And we've gotten some nice emails from folks willing to take our new 6 gallon Nanocube off of our hands. Also known as the 'expensive mistake'. We attempted to move Euler and Tesla into a new home this weekend. It didn't work. We lost Euler (sniff). He is now buried alongside Grumpy and our small snail population. He was a good fish. And he is very much missed by Tesla who is recovering in the hospital ward tank. The Nanocube is nice, but not what our goldfish crew need. So we're going to trudge back to the Aqua Palace tomorrow, and do what we wanted to do in the first place. Which is to buy an ADA tank, lighting, and gorgeous glass filters/bubble generators/etc. Nice/easy ecosystem and maybe some new friends for Tesla so he doesn't get lonely. And hopefully he takes to it better than the Nanocube. We're running out of tank options at this point. Waiting now for our illustrious CEO to come home so we can eat dinner as a tribe.And yes, we're on our second or third champagne..hiccup!

All Hail the Negroni. And the set of Fangs that drives us to Imbibe It.

May we present Exhibit A? No, he's not in the process of depositing a present on our lovely Pratesi-festooned bed. No, he hasn't just eaten a small rodent or bird. Yes, he is flashing those incisors of his along with a grin to let you know know he means business. And yes. Though we love him dearly, his antics do drive us to...

Exhibit B. What time is it? Who cares! What day is it? FRIDAY. What *is* it? Our prescription for relief at the end of a long, hard, fraught-with-uncooperative-cats-and-filled-with-political-turmoil-at-work week. Cheers.

The Jackhammer. It Gives us the Headache.

Continuing on in our superhero day job, working for the man, is already starting to extract a toll. Thank goodness we've arrived at Friday. To put it in plainspeak, apart from brief bits of sunshine, it has been a thoroughly crappy ride from August into September. This being the third week of some misery. The sunshine truly has been appreciated. We received a last minute/unexpected visit from a board member residing in Paris. And so there were some wonderful dinners. A trip up to Napa. And some cooking. And what else? Oh cocktails of course. We've added some new components to the bar (FINALLY got our hands on some Elderflower liquor), and some great vino to the cellars. And the fridge continues to be stocked with all manner of garnishes, and tasty sauces. But the actual spirits? (As in corporeal, not fluid). Well, let's just say we could use a bit more cheer, and less roller-coaster. So what's on tap for the weekend? Our yearly stint for the wonderful folks at CAR. We'll be swimming the laps tomorrow and finishing up the last sprint of fundraising for this great charity. And then we're hosting a dinner for some wonderful friends. And Sunday? Hopefully it will be quiet. Unlike today, where the fortress building efforts of this jester have given us a collective migraine while at the same time raising blood pressure. Yes yes, we don't need to be told. The building is wonderful, it adds to our neighborhood, and how wonderful that someone can enjoy the hard earned spoils of the dot-com era. But the constant construction din over the past year? We can do without thanks. Let's just say that when the last of the concrete-pouring crews, and home theater installation vans, and appliance delivery vehicles have packed up and gone home, we'll be cracking open a magnum of something and enjoying the absence of cacophony. So, off the tangent and back to plans. Sunday. At this point, fluid planning. Could be upgrading Euler&Tesla's residence (their horrendous little plastic prison is beginning to grate on us), could be going down to the Renaissance Faire, or could just be hanging around the castle, doing nothing.