Isaac Sinnett

After futher review and some discussion with a few loyal readers, I have realized that I may have rushed into the naming of my “year-long bucket list”.  Vat list, while sufficient and somewhat catchy is just not the descriptor.  A vat is just far to large of a capacity to be a the name for a short term list.  A vat is “a large container, as a tub or tank…”  Not to mention that a vat, other than being “a large container” is an unspecified measurement of space. There is just no way that you can call a year-long list a vat.  I now see the error of my ways.  It’s a list that is shorter than a life-long “bucket” list.  So then, how can it be called the name of something that is larger than a bucket? No, no, no.

However, do not fret.  Throughout this process, the correct term has surfaced.  How do you sum up a year-long bucket list.  Easy…pint list.  It just makes sense.  It’s a smaller quantity that is measurable and  can definitely be completed within a year.  It is easy for me to tell people about my pint list.  And if you remember to the previous blog, that pint list includes trips to DC and Tucson.

Beyond that, an even better term has been brought to the table.  You cannot have a vat list for the purpose needed, but you can have a “vat of randomness”.  It’s perfect and I happen to be a very random person.  More so in my thoughts and the things that I say, than the things that I choose to do.

My oh my has a lot happened in my blogging absence. There is so much to cover and I assure you now that I will lose steam before every inch is written about. In fact, let me give you the big three that I think I will discuss; 1) South Carolina, 2) Phantom Thieves and 3) New Robe and Matching PJ Pants.

The car headed out for South Carolina with the end goal of attending/ushering/being extra brides maids (we went under the false pretense of being ushers, we soon found out our destiny upon arriving in Hartsville) for Sam and Caroline’s wedding. So, a road trip was born. We wanted to stop by some Diner’s, Drive-in’s and Dives. (its a Food Network show for the uninformed) The first one we stopped at was The XXX Family Restaurant. For all of you currently scratching your head over the oddity of name, I’m about to explain it too you. Hold on. XXX is the Root Beer not the porn. Needless to say, we asked if we could get our picture with the owner after we saw him walk into the restaurant. He came down and chatted with us for about ten minutes before taking us on a behind the scenes tour. It was sweet!! A stop off in Chattanooga for some entertainment on the UT strip was the only other diversion before arriving in “Harts-vegas”. Well, that’s not entirely true. There was the plumber van that we passed. I’ll try to get a picture and post that. There was the ever entertaining breakfast at McDonalds. Oh my, it’s true, “they do things a little different round there”. While in Hartsville, along with the two main roads, the highest grossing Sonic and the biggest Walmart you have ever seen, we were playing ultimate Frisbee and I came down on the side of my foot. That was painful. In fact, as I came down I went directly to the ground in the fetal position. No one was sure what was going on and Paul informed me that I was eating dirt. This all occurred before the wedding. Let’s just be thankful for advil and codeine. The wedding was a success and Sam and Caroline were sent off in style. The return trip to Chicago was a little more challenging for sure.

Last weekend I received free tickets to go to the Notre Dame vs. Syracuse game in South Bend. It was great. I had never been to a Notre Dame game before and it’s just one of those things that needs to be done. A Bucket List item. It was chilly, there was snow on the ground and I was bundled up like the Artic. The way football was meant to be played. I went to the game with the Dr. aka MD (Michigan Dave). After the game, we boarded the South Shore to return to Chicago as we were going to the Goodman the next day. Upon entering my apartment, I realized that my computer wasn’t there and that the cash I had sitting on my bookshelf was missing. I quickly grabbed (MD did too) a golf club so that I could scope out the rest of the apartment. The weird thing was that all the doors were locked. None of this makes any sense. It is what it is and I no longer have a computer and am short some cash. Definitely not cool.

Last night was a trip to target. Everyone knows that these are dangerous trips. Target is perhaps the coolest, most evil store in the land. It’s easy to go in there for a toothbrush and come out with $200 of stuff. Who would’ve thought that I needed 5 different kinds of the same cleaner? I never would’ve guessed it, but target always seems to prove me wrong. On this trip, it was a trap. Though an awesome one! I got a robe and some matching pajama pants!! Very very awesome. I was just going to get the robe, but thankfully Paul pointed out that I would have the reverse of buyers remorse if I did not also purchase the pants. What foresight. As soon as I got home, both items were worn. Why had I never gotten these before?

For two weeks running, the Home & Garden section of the newspaper has been one of the more entertaining. This weeks feature article “5 things to know about buying a toilet” was a great follow-up to “How to choose a rake that’s right for you”.

1. “Measure”… This is pretty self-explanatory, no need to elaborate.

2. “Two-piece or one-piece?”…hahaha! Just so you know, “One-pice toilets are generally lower and sleeker…and often have more complex mechanisms.” Incase you were thinking of installing a toilet by yourself, the article warned that a one-piece is not a do-it-yourselfer job.

3. “Enough oomph”…very important.  Does your toilet have enough oomph?

4. “But will it clog?”…yep

5. “Form versus function”…it is warned not to pick a toilet just for it’s look.  You must make sure that there is function. This is especially important when buying designer toilets.

I wrote a blog the other day and then it slipped away to a deep dark corner of cyberspace.  Where are you blog?  Don’t run away!  Ok, so that may be a touch on the over dramatic side of things.  Today I am very tired.  No fault but my own.  Weekends are here to enjoy and I thoroughly enjoyed mine.  I didn’t leave a whole lot of enjoying left for the weekend to hold on to.  Just enough to propel me through the week so that I can come back and enjoy next weekend.  (I guess there is really no way “i can come back and enjoy next weekend”)  That, for all practicalities sake, would be  impossible.

I dropped my roommate Paul off at the airport on Saturday afternoon.  He is going to be gone all summer long playing quartets on a cruise.  I then headed off to Michigan, which I do on a somewhat regular basis, to hang out with Sean and Aaron.  Aaron was at a rehearsal for Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra when I arrived, so the hanging out was left to Sean and I to get rolling.  I have to say we did quite a phenomenal job.  We went to the driving range and hit a bucket of balls.  I haven’t played golf for going on four years and it was great to get out there and hit a few.  It was a lot of fun, but today I am paying the price.  Isaac is sore!  Again, it was worth it.

I went to bed really late last night and per my usual, I woke up early.  This time I was able to get back to sleep for 30 minute periods until about 10:30am.  When I was driving back to Chicago this afternoon, I believe that I figured out part of the problem of waking up.  I have a lot to do and am thinking about it and feel that I should be up working on it.  However, I am too tired to first wake up completely, let alone, get up and get something productive done.  The two sides then fight until, a time that I deem it mandatory to finally wake up and get out of bed has arrived.   I will come back to this topic when I have had time to refine it.  If you have thoughts on it, definitely let me know.

I just finished up my taxes.  In fact, I’m going to take a pause right now and go seal the envelope so that the deed is done. (30 seconds elapses)  Ok, ‘The Man’ has one yet again.  I feel somewhat ok that I’ll end up in the wash once I have procured my check from G-Dub.  Note to self.  Securing forms of work that pay you with a 1099 is an interesting way to go.  It’s not all that bad when you think that you are able to hold on to your money and make money off of it instead of the government making money off of it.  However, when you do your taxes are finished and you realize that you have to personally write ‘The Man’ a check vs ‘The Man’ automatically deducting his money, it tends to be a sad moment.  Alas, the deed is done and all is well.

Since I found writing a check to the IRS to be such a thrilling time I’m going to leave you now and go pay other bills.