The line for this entry was spoken by Mugatu, played by Will Farrel, in the movie "Zoolander". But it also explains how I feel right now. And I'm not just talking about stuff in my life. I'm going to take a moment and put my life aside (but Lord knows I have plenty of reason to feel like I'm taking crazy pills for everything that's going on) and talk about something else.
Marvel. Disney.
These two words do not belong together in my opinion. But I read just now that Marvel is considering a deal to be bought by Disney for $4 billion. That's $4,000,000,000. That's a lot of zeros. That's a lot of bags of money. But is it a good move for Marvel?
What will happen to all of my favorite Marvel comic book heroes? Spider-man, Hulk, Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Jean Grey, Iceman, Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Deadpool, Blade, the Fantastic Four, Ironman, Thor, Ghostrider... the list goes on and on (a total of 5000 characters).
I just don't know what to think. I can't put it together in my head. I can't process such a union. It's weird, man. Weird sh!t.
Check back tomorrow. I'm sure I'll be back to the regularly scheduled drama of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
One of those days...
Mom called roughly around 8AM this morning. The dogs had already woken me at 6:17AM (it's the weekend, guys!) so I was up. She was upset. Cubby, one of the family cats, was seriously ill. Dad is out of town. Her vet wasn't in the office. She couldn't get him in the carrier. There was blood and shit all over the house. She started crying. I told her that I was on my way.
What transpired over the next 2 hours is between Cubby and me, period. There are going to be different versions of what happened. There will be a version for the grandkids. There is the version that I told mom. There is the version that I told Jooj. But what went down... well, what happened happened and Cubby is no longer with us. I loved that cat and remember when he was just a little kitty from the litter from the alley cat, Mama, in dad's garage. I buried him next to Pablo, dad's old alley cat that died from FIV. I will miss him but I am glad to know that he will not have to suffer any longer.
I came home and Jooj checked the mail. There was a particular letter that I've been waiting for... Commonwealth of Kentucky v. NoShow. We opened it up and... I WIN!!!! I'd tell ya what it was for but since it never happened I don't know what you are talking about.
Later in the day I was feeding the fish in the pond and noticed some new "additions". I guess we've had some fish getting busy because we have at least four new little fish. One is a straight up goldfish. One is speckled white and black. Two are very dark in color. There may be more but that is what I saw. They are so tiny and cute. Cool!
So yeah, totally circle of life today with a little judicial spice for flavor.
What transpired over the next 2 hours is between Cubby and me, period. There are going to be different versions of what happened. There will be a version for the grandkids. There is the version that I told mom. There is the version that I told Jooj. But what went down... well, what happened happened and Cubby is no longer with us. I loved that cat and remember when he was just a little kitty from the litter from the alley cat, Mama, in dad's garage. I buried him next to Pablo, dad's old alley cat that died from FIV. I will miss him but I am glad to know that he will not have to suffer any longer.
I came home and Jooj checked the mail. There was a particular letter that I've been waiting for... Commonwealth of Kentucky v. NoShow. We opened it up and... I WIN!!!! I'd tell ya what it was for but since it never happened I don't know what you are talking about.
Later in the day I was feeding the fish in the pond and noticed some new "additions". I guess we've had some fish getting busy because we have at least four new little fish. One is a straight up goldfish. One is speckled white and black. Two are very dark in color. There may be more but that is what I saw. They are so tiny and cute. Cool!
So yeah, totally circle of life today with a little judicial spice for flavor.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Proud owner of 250 pinhead crickets
Well, the paintings are hung down on the second floor of ArtSpace next to the Brown Theater. And once I pick the kids up and buy some taco shells (for spaghetti tacos... don't ask) my day is done. I don't even know if I'll be awake for dinner. My head is starting to get that migraine-like pain whenever I move it. Riding in the Jeep is going to be murder.
So on the way home Dad swung by Pets Galore and I picked up 250 pinhead crickets. Why did I buy 250 pinhead crickets? To feed the two new bearded dragons silly!
Will brought home Percy and Panda (short for Perseus and Pandora) on Sunday. We've been feeding them greens up to this point while we waited on my shipment of pinheads. I'm waiting until Will gets home to mess with it but I did manage to sneak 4 crickets in their cage as an appetizer. Bearded dragons 4, crickets 0.
Yeah, and after I get some sleep maybe I'll blog about my horrible experience with the Unemployment Office and how I'm being investigated for fraud. Go ahead and read that last sentence again. So yeah... ain't life grand?
So on the way home Dad swung by Pets Galore and I picked up 250 pinhead crickets. Why did I buy 250 pinhead crickets? To feed the two new bearded dragons silly!
Will brought home Percy and Panda (short for Perseus and Pandora) on Sunday. We've been feeding them greens up to this point while we waited on my shipment of pinheads. I'm waiting until Will gets home to mess with it but I did manage to sneak 4 crickets in their cage as an appetizer. Bearded dragons 4, crickets 0.
Yeah, and after I get some sleep maybe I'll blog about my horrible experience with the Unemployment Office and how I'm being investigated for fraud. Go ahead and read that last sentence again. So yeah... ain't life grand?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Nearing the end... UPDATED x 5
Physically I'm creaky and sore. Mentally I'm a little scattered. Physiologically, well, I simply don't feel "right". I've been living off of hourly handfuls of peanuts and cashews and washing them down with Mountain Dews. However, progress was made yesterday and I have a plan to finish today. I was thrown off my schedule a bit because I had to go pick up Kelsey from school after she threw up. And I also hit a snafu with the foreground for the Opera piece. But I'll make up for it all today.
Orchestra - Foreground complete; need to finish borders and that's it
Ballet - The ballerina is done (and she looks marvelous); must finish rest of it; paint borders
Opera - No progress from yesterday; instead of brown foreground going with Red Oxide, a brick red
Theater - Traced; Dracula should go quickly and smoothly
My plan is to have all of them finished tonight and ready for delivery in the morning tomorrow. I'm going to start today by painting the edges of each piece and giving them 24 hours to dry.
Whew. Hear I go...
UPDATE #1 - It's 10:11 AM and the borders are done. I'm moving onto Dracula now. I hope to have him done by noon. Black is very easy and quick to apply and he has some of the biggest (i.e. least detailed) shapes that make up his foreground. My plan is then to move onto the ballerina and finish her before 3PM. I'm also relying on the power of old skool rap to get me through the day. I just listed to Redman's Muddy Waters and am now moving onto The Wu-tang Clan's first album. But first, let me grab some nuts...
UPDATE #2 - It's 3:35PM and Dracula is done. It took me longer than I had expected. During the last 6 hours my bro-in-law brought me some paint and I've listened to Wu-tang Clan nonstop. I think I'm starting to overdose on Mountain Dew at this point. But I must persist. Every time I stop to do something my body starts relaxing like it's "quitting time" - and then I have to start moving again.
UPDATE #3 - It's 5:15PM and I have to take a break for dinner. A good majority of the wall and about a third of the floor is done on the Ballet piece. The intricate gate behind her will prove troublesome but I have the gusto to push through it. More to do after dinner...
UPDATE #4 - It's 8:58PM and the Ballet piece is done. My hands are both cramping - my left palm from holding my paint bowl and my right fingers from holding the brush. My stomach feels weird. My scalp feels itchy. I keep hearing faint voices yelling my name. I'm really starting to fall apart but I'm going to dig in and start/finish the opera piece. Since each piece is taking me between 4 to 6 hours I hope to be done with it around 3AMish. It's been a looong day.
UPDATE #5 - It's 5:14AM. I'm done. I'm going to go to sleep for 90 minutes and then start the day :(
Orchestra - Foreground complete; need to finish borders and that's it
Ballet - The ballerina is done (and she looks marvelous); must finish rest of it; paint borders
Opera - No progress from yesterday; instead of brown foreground going with Red Oxide, a brick red
Theater - Traced; Dracula should go quickly and smoothly
My plan is to have all of them finished tonight and ready for delivery in the morning tomorrow. I'm going to start today by painting the edges of each piece and giving them 24 hours to dry.
Whew. Hear I go...
UPDATE #1 - It's 10:11 AM and the borders are done. I'm moving onto Dracula now. I hope to have him done by noon. Black is very easy and quick to apply and he has some of the biggest (i.e. least detailed) shapes that make up his foreground. My plan is then to move onto the ballerina and finish her before 3PM. I'm also relying on the power of old skool rap to get me through the day. I just listed to Redman's Muddy Waters and am now moving onto The Wu-tang Clan's first album. But first, let me grab some nuts...
UPDATE #2 - It's 3:35PM and Dracula is done. It took me longer than I had expected. During the last 6 hours my bro-in-law brought me some paint and I've listened to Wu-tang Clan nonstop. I think I'm starting to overdose on Mountain Dew at this point. But I must persist. Every time I stop to do something my body starts relaxing like it's "quitting time" - and then I have to start moving again.
UPDATE #3 - It's 5:15PM and I have to take a break for dinner. A good majority of the wall and about a third of the floor is done on the Ballet piece. The intricate gate behind her will prove troublesome but I have the gusto to push through it. More to do after dinner...
UPDATE #4 - It's 8:58PM and the Ballet piece is done. My hands are both cramping - my left palm from holding my paint bowl and my right fingers from holding the brush. My stomach feels weird. My scalp feels itchy. I keep hearing faint voices yelling my name. I'm really starting to fall apart but I'm going to dig in and start/finish the opera piece. Since each piece is taking me between 4 to 6 hours I hope to be done with it around 3AMish. It's been a looong day.
UPDATE #5 - It's 5:14AM. I'm done. I'm going to go to sleep for 90 minutes and then start the day :(
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Painting Update
I went to bed last night after a rather productive day. Here is where I stand:
Orchestra - About 75% painted and complete
Opera - Tracing complete
Ballet - Tracing complete (and it will be a BITCH to paint)
Theater - Background complete; ready for tracing
And here is the schedule for completion:
Tuesday...
Finish painting Orchestra piece by 10AM
Begin and finish Opera piece by 4PM
Trace Theater piece and be finished by 6PM
Dinner
Paint Ballet piece for 90 minutes and stop at 8:30PM
Paint all borders of all pieces (so they have plenty of time to dry) and be done by 9:30PM
Wednesday...
Paint Ballet and be done by ???
Paint Theater piece after that (it's foreground color is black and is easiest to paint)
It will be a marathon to finish and the first leg is already behind me.
Orchestra - About 75% painted and complete
Opera - Tracing complete
Ballet - Tracing complete (and it will be a BITCH to paint)
Theater - Background complete; ready for tracing
And here is the schedule for completion:
Tuesday...
Finish painting Orchestra piece by 10AM
Begin and finish Opera piece by 4PM
Trace Theater piece and be finished by 6PM
Dinner
Paint Ballet piece for 90 minutes and stop at 8:30PM
Paint all borders of all pieces (so they have plenty of time to dry) and be done by 9:30PM
Wednesday...
Paint Ballet and be done by ???
Paint Theater piece after that (it's foreground color is black and is easiest to paint)
It will be a marathon to finish and the first leg is already behind me.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Not worst case scenario... Back on track
So I didn't get the best case scenario but it was far from the worse case scenario. Adjusting the orange-colored canvas did not work. But stretching the red-colored canvas onto the new frame did work. We removed the orange canvas from its frame and then I successfully stretched it onto the new frame this morning. So I'm behind but back on track. As it stands now...
Blue - Traced and ready to be painted
Yellow - Ready to be traced
Orange - Background washes still needed
Red - Background washes still needed
So by the end of today I hope to have the Orchestra piece (blue) nearly complete, the Ballet piece (yellow) traced, and another coat of washes on Theater (red) and Opera (orange).
No time to dilly dally - I gotta go!
Blue - Traced and ready to be painted
Yellow - Ready to be traced
Orange - Background washes still needed
Red - Background washes still needed
So by the end of today I hope to have the Orchestra piece (blue) nearly complete, the Ballet piece (yellow) traced, and another coat of washes on Theater (red) and Opera (orange).
No time to dilly dally - I gotta go!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Officially on the Verge of Freak Out
I have 4 pieces due by Thursday at the Kentucky Center for the Arts and I'm reaching crunch time. To make matters worse two of the pieces had to be taken off their frames due to warping of the wood. I restretched one of the pieces tonight and I don't like it. The wood is warping on two sides. And I ripped some canvas along the back edges... so doing it again may be out of the question.
Best case scenario: We can mend the braces on the newly stretched piece and salvage it. I successfully stretch the other piece onto a new frame. Move forward at break-neck speed.
Worst case scenario: Messing with the braces doesn't fix the problem. Stretching the other canvas onto the new frame doesn't work either. Two more frames must be built. And then stretched. AND THEN totally repainted. AND THEN NOSHOW GOES BAT-SHIT-FREAK-OUT CRAZY!!!
We'll find out more tomorrow...
Best case scenario: We can mend the braces on the newly stretched piece and salvage it. I successfully stretch the other piece onto a new frame. Move forward at break-neck speed.
Worst case scenario: Messing with the braces doesn't fix the problem. Stretching the other canvas onto the new frame doesn't work either. Two more frames must be built. And then stretched. AND THEN totally repainted. AND THEN NOSHOW GOES BAT-SHIT-FREAK-OUT CRAZY!!!
We'll find out more tomorrow...
Thursday, August 20, 2009
FFL - L'ville Hotspurs
I already have football fever. The Favre news pushed me over the edge. I've spent about an hour a day the past week reading up on player news, preseason recaps, and injury reports. The team I drafted was alright but I had to get rid of some older guys and some dead weight (that's right, Willis McGahee, I'm talking about you, sucker!). Meet the 2009-2010 L'ville Hotspurs...
QB - Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers)
RB - Matt Forte (Chicago Bears)
RB - Kevin Smith (Detroit Lions)
WR - Santonio Holmes (Pittsburgh Steelers)
WR - Eddie Royal (Denver Broncos)
WR - Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers)
TE - John Carlson (Seattle Seahawks)
K - Shayne Graham (Cincinnati Bengals)
DST - Jets DST (New York Jets)
And my bench consists of:
QB - Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings!!!)
QB - Eli Manning (New York Giants)
RB - Ahmad Bradshaw (New York Giants)
RB - Beanie Wells (Arizona Cardinals)
WR - Josh Morgan (San Francisco 49ers)
For the first time since I started playing FFL I have my BYE weeks worked out before the season even begins. And that is a good thing. I'm a little heavy at QB right now but I want to see how Favre and Manning do before dropping either (or possibly trading). I'm also a bit heavy at running back. I feel lucky because Forte and K. Smith are both lone running backs and not part of a 2-man or 3-man RB committee. That's pretty much why McGahee got the boot. Beanie Wells has a banged up ankle and I may drop him at some point, depending upon how well Bradshaw does with the Giants. Josh Morgan is reportedly the favorite in SF so I picked him up. My tight end is just someone I picked up. That position is so worthless and unpredictable most of the time. I dropped my dud kicker and picked up Shayne Graham. He's been good to me in years past. And finally I'm pretty stoked about the Jets defense and special teams. They are ranked highly this year.
There may be some juggling still and I'm sure I'll have to react to injuries but that's what I've got so far. I'd be very happy to win the division this year. I can't set my sights on winning the big game but a man can hope can't he? Go 'Spurs!
QB - Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers)
RB - Matt Forte (Chicago Bears)
RB - Kevin Smith (Detroit Lions)
WR - Santonio Holmes (Pittsburgh Steelers)
WR - Eddie Royal (Denver Broncos)
WR - Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers)
TE - John Carlson (Seattle Seahawks)
K - Shayne Graham (Cincinnati Bengals)
DST - Jets DST (New York Jets)
And my bench consists of:
QB - Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings!!!)
QB - Eli Manning (New York Giants)
RB - Ahmad Bradshaw (New York Giants)
RB - Beanie Wells (Arizona Cardinals)
WR - Josh Morgan (San Francisco 49ers)
For the first time since I started playing FFL I have my BYE weeks worked out before the season even begins. And that is a good thing. I'm a little heavy at QB right now but I want to see how Favre and Manning do before dropping either (or possibly trading). I'm also a bit heavy at running back. I feel lucky because Forte and K. Smith are both lone running backs and not part of a 2-man or 3-man RB committee. That's pretty much why McGahee got the boot. Beanie Wells has a banged up ankle and I may drop him at some point, depending upon how well Bradshaw does with the Giants. Josh Morgan is reportedly the favorite in SF so I picked him up. My tight end is just someone I picked up. That position is so worthless and unpredictable most of the time. I dropped my dud kicker and picked up Shayne Graham. He's been good to me in years past. And finally I'm pretty stoked about the Jets defense and special teams. They are ranked highly this year.
There may be some juggling still and I'm sure I'll have to react to injuries but that's what I've got so far. I'd be very happy to win the division this year. I can't set my sights on winning the big game but a man can hope can't he? Go 'Spurs!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Are. You. KIDDING. MEEEEE!?!?!?!
Bret Favre is a Minnesota Viking.
Seriously? Really? I mean, really??? As a long-time Viking fan I really don't know how to think about this.
On the one hand, we seem to have a bit of a QB problem between Jackson and Rosenfel, so the veteran could add a nice oomph to a weaker offensive area. He's old, yes, but he is very experienced as well as intimately familiar with our offense. With Adrian Peterson in the backfield he should have a little less pressure on him. And with some of our talent in the wide out positions he is going to have some pretty nice targets to hit.
On the other hand, well, he is a former Green Bay Packer - a cheesehead - the mortal enemy (along with the Bears) of any Viking fan (and the Detroit Lions don't count 'cause they are awful and the Bucs don't count 'cause they are no longer in our division) living or dead. So the big, unstoppable, I've-beat-the-record-for-most-consecutive-games-played-by-a-longshot Bret Favre is going to be tossing for the men in purple? As my mother put it, "that's like a [Chicago] Cubbie playing for the White Sox." It sure is, mom. It sure is.
On the other other hand, what divine providence to be given the chance to stick it to the Packers with their old, recently-shunned quarterback of old, throwing bomb after bomb into the end zone? Seeing that may actually make me cry with joy!
Monday, October 5th, I will be at Gerstle's watching the Vikings take on the Packers on Monday Night Football while I drink too many beers with my brother-in-law Jim, dad, and any other Viking-faithful that want to join us! Pat, you in?
Seriously? Really? I mean, really??? As a long-time Viking fan I really don't know how to think about this.
On the one hand, we seem to have a bit of a QB problem between Jackson and Rosenfel, so the veteran could add a nice oomph to a weaker offensive area. He's old, yes, but he is very experienced as well as intimately familiar with our offense. With Adrian Peterson in the backfield he should have a little less pressure on him. And with some of our talent in the wide out positions he is going to have some pretty nice targets to hit.
On the other hand, well, he is a former Green Bay Packer - a cheesehead - the mortal enemy (along with the Bears) of any Viking fan (and the Detroit Lions don't count 'cause they are awful and the Bucs don't count 'cause they are no longer in our division) living or dead. So the big, unstoppable, I've-beat-the-record-for-most-consecutive-games-played-by-a-longshot Bret Favre is going to be tossing for the men in purple? As my mother put it, "that's like a [Chicago] Cubbie playing for the White Sox." It sure is, mom. It sure is.
On the other other hand, what divine providence to be given the chance to stick it to the Packers with their old, recently-shunned quarterback of old, throwing bomb after bomb into the end zone? Seeing that may actually make me cry with joy!
Monday, October 5th, I will be at Gerstle's watching the Vikings take on the Packers on Monday Night Football while I drink too many beers with my brother-in-law Jim, dad, and any other Viking-faithful that want to join us! Pat, you in?
Sunday, August 16, 2009
District 9... what can I say?
The kids and I saw District 9 today. We made an earnest yet last-minute attempt on opening night Friday but it was sold out. We went to the first showing today and the place was packed. Obviously this movie is getting some good word-of-mouth.
I will not give any spoilers away in my recap. The movie, based purely off what can be gleaned from the preview, is about an alien population living among us. Their mothership came to a halt over South Africa over 20 years ago. After we initiated first contact they were found to be malnourished and marooned. We setup a shantytown for the population of 1 million alien refugees outside of Johannesburg. Relations between these aliens, nicknamed "prawns", and their human neighbors is like any other situation you would expect when two people living in close proximity believe each other is different - there is violence and tension. Well, we've decided to relocate the prawns to a new tent town called District 10... and that's how the movie starts out.
The movie started much as I had expected. I knew that parts of the movie were shot to be a documentary. This worked very well. I was completely immersed. The main character, I don't remember his name (for good reason... he's not an actor and has never been in ANYTHING... but the way this guy acted... shit, some "actors" out there should just quit now), is a very unlikeable guy who is put in charge of the relocation program. And you immediately don't like him because he's ignorant, a putz, and a simpleton - and these qualities make him naively innocent in an unforgivable manner. So during the initial stage of the relocation, the eviction notice stage... well, the shit goes down. And the shit never stops going down.
Literally, I never had a chance to catch my breath after things started happening. It was brilliant. The story was full of suspense and action (and social commentary... chock full of it). I could continue with sentence after sentence of kissing this movie's ass. I really could. How about this? I could watch that movie ten more times. Today.
I will have to rearrange my favorite sci-fi films now. This movie falls short of knocking down Aliens but I'm pretty sure it has overtaken Blade Runner. This is sci-fi at its best. If you are even a mild fan, go see this movie now. This movie kicks the shit out of any other summer blockbuster I've seen (sorry Moon, you were creepy and awesome but District 9 is better!).
I will not give any spoilers away in my recap. The movie, based purely off what can be gleaned from the preview, is about an alien population living among us. Their mothership came to a halt over South Africa over 20 years ago. After we initiated first contact they were found to be malnourished and marooned. We setup a shantytown for the population of 1 million alien refugees outside of Johannesburg. Relations between these aliens, nicknamed "prawns", and their human neighbors is like any other situation you would expect when two people living in close proximity believe each other is different - there is violence and tension. Well, we've decided to relocate the prawns to a new tent town called District 10... and that's how the movie starts out.
The movie started much as I had expected. I knew that parts of the movie were shot to be a documentary. This worked very well. I was completely immersed. The main character, I don't remember his name (for good reason... he's not an actor and has never been in ANYTHING... but the way this guy acted... shit, some "actors" out there should just quit now), is a very unlikeable guy who is put in charge of the relocation program. And you immediately don't like him because he's ignorant, a putz, and a simpleton - and these qualities make him naively innocent in an unforgivable manner. So during the initial stage of the relocation, the eviction notice stage... well, the shit goes down. And the shit never stops going down.
Literally, I never had a chance to catch my breath after things started happening. It was brilliant. The story was full of suspense and action (and social commentary... chock full of it). I could continue with sentence after sentence of kissing this movie's ass. I really could. How about this? I could watch that movie ten more times. Today.
I will have to rearrange my favorite sci-fi films now. This movie falls short of knocking down Aliens but I'm pretty sure it has overtaken Blade Runner. This is sci-fi at its best. If you are even a mild fan, go see this movie now. This movie kicks the shit out of any other summer blockbuster I've seen (sorry Moon, you were creepy and awesome but District 9 is better!).
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Marley Died (and other news)
Marley, the infant bearded dragon and newest addition to the family, passed away this afternoon. Will was devastated. Hell, I'm pretty upset too. We buried her in a private ceremony attended by Will and myself, along with Boba and Jack.
In other news...
* My monthly COBRA payment is too high. And to be covered by Jooj is even higher. So I set out to obtain my own personal insurance coverage... and it got denied!!! I'm seeing my doctor on Wednesday to check my cholesterol and straighten out those underwriters!
* I've decided to keep the Jeep and not trade her in for the cash for clunkers program. The fuel line (it turned out to be a 2 inch part instead of the tank or the fuel pump) was fixed and she's going in tomorrow to get that muffler looked at (i.e. "quit down").
* Watched Repo: The Genetic Opera with Kels tonight. Meh, it was alright. It was an awesome story. And the opera angle was very cool. But my point to Kelsey, as to why I didn't like it, was that if you are going to make a movie that is an opera then hire opera singers - not movie stars.
* Going to go see District 9 with the fam tomorrow. I am so stoked. The hype behind this movie is leaving me literally salivating :)
* I'm pretty psyched about my FFL team and am shocked I haven't posted about it. That may be remedied soon...
* I couldn't tell you what I've been doing the last week. I've been busy but I don't know how. Jooj asked me one day, "what did you do all day?", and I couldn't tell her. Time flies by. When I put my mind to it I can get stuff done. But when I'm off-task, like reading articles or playing video games (or blogging), I can waste the day away without even batting an eye.
In other news...
* My monthly COBRA payment is too high. And to be covered by Jooj is even higher. So I set out to obtain my own personal insurance coverage... and it got denied!!! I'm seeing my doctor on Wednesday to check my cholesterol and straighten out those underwriters!
* I've decided to keep the Jeep and not trade her in for the cash for clunkers program. The fuel line (it turned out to be a 2 inch part instead of the tank or the fuel pump) was fixed and she's going in tomorrow to get that muffler looked at (i.e. "quit down").
* Watched Repo: The Genetic Opera with Kels tonight. Meh, it was alright. It was an awesome story. And the opera angle was very cool. But my point to Kelsey, as to why I didn't like it, was that if you are going to make a movie that is an opera then hire opera singers - not movie stars.
* Going to go see District 9 with the fam tomorrow. I am so stoked. The hype behind this movie is leaving me literally salivating :)
* I'm pretty psyched about my FFL team and am shocked I haven't posted about it. That may be remedied soon...
* I couldn't tell you what I've been doing the last week. I've been busy but I don't know how. Jooj asked me one day, "what did you do all day?", and I couldn't tell her. Time flies by. When I put my mind to it I can get stuff done. But when I'm off-task, like reading articles or playing video games (or blogging), I can waste the day away without even batting an eye.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Enjoying my "unexpected vacation"
Last night was the St. Joseph's orphan's picnic. Man-o-man, those Catholics know how to throw a party... I already knew that. And their summer picnics are events not to missed... this has been well established as well. And finally, out of all of their summer picnic affairs, St. Joseph's orphan's picnic is the biggest and best to be had.
I was a bit bummed to hear that Jooj's parents weren't going to be there. But it was a little too hot for them and that was a pretty good reason to stay home. We also heard that her sister, Susu, wasn't going to be there either. What?! Susu and Jim miss this? Blasphemy! I just knew they would show.
We started off at mom and dad's. My sis and bro-in-law were there along with little Emma. We hung out for a bit as I quietly proceeded to pound beers. They left and the four of us were on our way. The fish sandwiches were good and the fries were crisp and salty. But the bratwursts were on fire! They were so good. If I remember correctly (and maybe I don't, I must admit) I ate two of those bad boys over the course of the night.
Pat and Patrick showed up shortly after we found a spot on a bench (Mimi would be proud). A short while later Susu, Jim, and the newly anointed Margeux (sounds so mysterious and French, oui?) arrived. Beers were buzzing and conversations were going down (er, maybe the other way around... maybe :) The times were good and the heat was easy to ignore with all of the good vibes. Cute little Caroline even showed up (although quickly flitted off with the other youngin's).
I stopped drinking after a while in an attempt to sober up enough to drive home. But I was much too far into my drinking endeavor to pull that off. We walked to mom and dad's and Jooj took the wheel. We arrived safely and I promptly went to bed... another happy, successful, fun-filled picnic beneath our belts :D
As for the layoff, I've taken the news of it rather well. My boss and the HR rep seemed sincerely upset to let me go and I really can't complain about any part of the process. These things happen I suppose. And I've been keeping myself busy since I received word of my unexpected vacation. That's how I'm looking at it, by the way - an unexpected, extended vacation. Now I will have time to finish the pieces for Toast on Market in New Albany, finish the pieces for Kentucky Center for the Arts, work on those icons for that patch to that video game I've been playing for years (Warlords IV), and the list goes on.
I was a bit bummed to hear that Jooj's parents weren't going to be there. But it was a little too hot for them and that was a pretty good reason to stay home. We also heard that her sister, Susu, wasn't going to be there either. What?! Susu and Jim miss this? Blasphemy! I just knew they would show.
We started off at mom and dad's. My sis and bro-in-law were there along with little Emma. We hung out for a bit as I quietly proceeded to pound beers. They left and the four of us were on our way. The fish sandwiches were good and the fries were crisp and salty. But the bratwursts were on fire! They were so good. If I remember correctly (and maybe I don't, I must admit) I ate two of those bad boys over the course of the night.
Pat and Patrick showed up shortly after we found a spot on a bench (Mimi would be proud). A short while later Susu, Jim, and the newly anointed Margeux (sounds so mysterious and French, oui?) arrived. Beers were buzzing and conversations were going down (er, maybe the other way around... maybe :) The times were good and the heat was easy to ignore with all of the good vibes. Cute little Caroline even showed up (although quickly flitted off with the other youngin's).
I stopped drinking after a while in an attempt to sober up enough to drive home. But I was much too far into my drinking endeavor to pull that off. We walked to mom and dad's and Jooj took the wheel. We arrived safely and I promptly went to bed... another happy, successful, fun-filled picnic beneath our belts :D
As for the layoff, I've taken the news of it rather well. My boss and the HR rep seemed sincerely upset to let me go and I really can't complain about any part of the process. These things happen I suppose. And I've been keeping myself busy since I received word of my unexpected vacation. That's how I'm looking at it, by the way - an unexpected, extended vacation. Now I will have time to finish the pieces for Toast on Market in New Albany, finish the pieces for Kentucky Center for the Arts, work on those icons for that patch to that video game I've been playing for years (Warlords IV), and the list goes on.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Kelsey (almost) turns 16
We celebrated Kelsey's 16th birthday yesterday. Her birthday isn't until next week but she's at her dad's. It was an awesome party but I am POOPED!
After the concert Friday night we woke up and started cleaning and cooking. I boiled and marinated 18 pounds of chicken for the party on Sunday. I also put an interesting twist on my Root Beer Baked Beans but substituting RC Cola for the Root Beer. I didn't really like the sweetness from the Root Beer and the RC Cola worked out just fine. Preparations were made and the party was a success.
The weekend was a blur, in fact. Jooj woke me up extra early on Friday and I couldn't fall back asleep, fearing the impending layoff (that never happened... more on that as I get the news). I was up 20 hours before finally crashing at 3:30AM. Saturday was filled with cleaning and cooking. I woke up at 7:30AM Sunday to pick Kelsey up from a lock-in. I've had no chance to catch up on sleep.
So this was supposed to be about Kelsey turning 16 and I've talked all about myself. How rude!
In a nutshell, I'm so proud of her and can't imagine being a step-dad to anybody else! Love you and happy birthday, sweetie!
After the concert Friday night we woke up and started cleaning and cooking. I boiled and marinated 18 pounds of chicken for the party on Sunday. I also put an interesting twist on my Root Beer Baked Beans but substituting RC Cola for the Root Beer. I didn't really like the sweetness from the Root Beer and the RC Cola worked out just fine. Preparations were made and the party was a success.
The weekend was a blur, in fact. Jooj woke me up extra early on Friday and I couldn't fall back asleep, fearing the impending layoff (that never happened... more on that as I get the news). I was up 20 hours before finally crashing at 3:30AM. Saturday was filled with cleaning and cooking. I woke up at 7:30AM Sunday to pick Kelsey up from a lock-in. I've had no chance to catch up on sleep.
So this was supposed to be about Kelsey turning 16 and I've talked all about myself. How rude!
In a nutshell, I'm so proud of her and can't imagine being a step-dad to anybody else! Love you and happy birthday, sweetie!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Green Day in Nashville
Kelsey and I trekked down to Nashville on Friday to see Green Day in concert. I've listened to them throughout the years but don't own any albums. She's a pretty big fan. She was pretty excited which made me pretty excited. And since she's been acting like a typical 15-year old recently we needed some good drama-free bonding time.
We left L'ville with three and a half hours for the trip. Google says it takes 3 hours. I remember it taking more like two and a half. Construction on I65 slowed us down leaving L'ville but we cleared that soon enough. I made her a long-promised mix for her iPod, the "Nashville Super Mega Random Mix", and we were enjoying that.
As we crossed into the Central Time Zone it occurred to me that Nashville was also in CST. Hmm, that meant that the 7:30PM start time was actually going to be an 8:30PM start time for us. That also meant that we had some time to kill. We rolled into Bowling Green, hitting nasty traffic along the way, and finally made it to a Cracker Barrel. It was delicious and we were back on our way.
We hit Nashville at 7:10PM local time and walked into the stadium with about 10 minutes to spare. I was kind of cheap and didn't get the best seats - 3rd deck. We made our way to the top and then couldn't find our seats. The ticket people kept telling us to walk down the hall. The sections were curtained off - even our section. We finally walked all the way around the stadium where there was a little table setup and a line of people. We waited in line and traded our tickets up for 1st deck. The seats turned out to be awesome! First row of the 1st deck! We were still a little far away but I had a railing to prop my feet upon (or so I thought) for the whole show.
The Kaiser Chiefs opened for Green Day and they were alright. They sang one song that I recognized. They weren't on stage for very long. And they were the only openers so I knew the time was drawing near.
Billie Joe, the lead singer for Green Day, took two steps onto the stage and the crowd went wild. Kelsey shot from her seat and took on the posture of a grrrl that wasn't going to sit down for the rest of the night. Nobody else stood and I started getting nervous that someone would say something. I felt like such an old fogy. But then Billie Joe lambasted us for sitting down ("You're not at home watching television! Stand the fuck up!") and I never took my seat again (well, okay, for like 60 seconds on the second-to-last song).
The show was awesome. They played new stuff, but not a set too heavy from their new album. They played the classics. Billie Joe accepted any crowd surfer that made it to him. And some he even sent back with a stage dive blessing. He invited audience members onstage to try and sing along (one kid knew every word but couldn't sing - one grrrl couldn't do much besides giggle). Billie Joe and Tre Cool switched guitar and drums and played a song. They all donned silly hats and played "Shout" with quips of "Earth Angel", "Stand By Me", and "Pretty Woman" between the "little bit softer now" and "little bit louder now" parts of the song. The crowd was really pumped and the band kept us engaged the whole time.
The set ended and I asked Kelsey what she thought they'd play for an encore. They came out and encored alright! They played four songs. And the last two was involved another crowd volunteer. They plucked some lucky kid from the audience to play along. Billie Joe handed him his guitar and told him to watch Tre Cool for the cues. And the kid was spectacular! He played right along like he'd been practicing for it all week.
The band went backstage. The crowd cheered. And the lights stayed dim. After a moment or so Billie Joe came back out and performed two more songs on acoustic guitar. The crowd went wild. The lights came on and the show was over.
The drive back was long and tough. But Kelsey kept us energized with her DJing on her iPod and we rolled into the garage at 3:10AM. Whew!
We left L'ville with three and a half hours for the trip. Google says it takes 3 hours. I remember it taking more like two and a half. Construction on I65 slowed us down leaving L'ville but we cleared that soon enough. I made her a long-promised mix for her iPod, the "Nashville Super Mega Random Mix", and we were enjoying that.
As we crossed into the Central Time Zone it occurred to me that Nashville was also in CST. Hmm, that meant that the 7:30PM start time was actually going to be an 8:30PM start time for us. That also meant that we had some time to kill. We rolled into Bowling Green, hitting nasty traffic along the way, and finally made it to a Cracker Barrel. It was delicious and we were back on our way.
We hit Nashville at 7:10PM local time and walked into the stadium with about 10 minutes to spare. I was kind of cheap and didn't get the best seats - 3rd deck. We made our way to the top and then couldn't find our seats. The ticket people kept telling us to walk down the hall. The sections were curtained off - even our section. We finally walked all the way around the stadium where there was a little table setup and a line of people. We waited in line and traded our tickets up for 1st deck. The seats turned out to be awesome! First row of the 1st deck! We were still a little far away but I had a railing to prop my feet upon (or so I thought) for the whole show.
The Kaiser Chiefs opened for Green Day and they were alright. They sang one song that I recognized. They weren't on stage for very long. And they were the only openers so I knew the time was drawing near.
Billie Joe, the lead singer for Green Day, took two steps onto the stage and the crowd went wild. Kelsey shot from her seat and took on the posture of a grrrl that wasn't going to sit down for the rest of the night. Nobody else stood and I started getting nervous that someone would say something. I felt like such an old fogy. But then Billie Joe lambasted us for sitting down ("You're not at home watching television! Stand the fuck up!") and I never took my seat again (well, okay, for like 60 seconds on the second-to-last song).
The show was awesome. They played new stuff, but not a set too heavy from their new album. They played the classics. Billie Joe accepted any crowd surfer that made it to him. And some he even sent back with a stage dive blessing. He invited audience members onstage to try and sing along (one kid knew every word but couldn't sing - one grrrl couldn't do much besides giggle). Billie Joe and Tre Cool switched guitar and drums and played a song. They all donned silly hats and played "Shout" with quips of "Earth Angel", "Stand By Me", and "Pretty Woman" between the "little bit softer now" and "little bit louder now" parts of the song. The crowd was really pumped and the band kept us engaged the whole time.
The set ended and I asked Kelsey what she thought they'd play for an encore. They came out and encored alright! They played four songs. And the last two was involved another crowd volunteer. They plucked some lucky kid from the audience to play along. Billie Joe handed him his guitar and told him to watch Tre Cool for the cues. And the kid was spectacular! He played right along like he'd been practicing for it all week.
The band went backstage. The crowd cheered. And the lights stayed dim. After a moment or so Billie Joe came back out and performed two more songs on acoustic guitar. The crowd went wild. The lights came on and the show was over.
The drive back was long and tough. But Kelsey kept us energized with her DJing on her iPod and we rolled into the garage at 3:10AM. Whew!
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