perhaps its bad form to point out the flaws, but you lose the strengths of doing anything only sparingly, and writing is no different. Grammatically incorrect and structurally derp, please forgive the way its presented and just take the message...
Today is an important day in the life of one d$. It was on this day in 1998 that I moved to Birmingham, Alabama. I knew no one, I had no church, I didn't know my way around... but I chose B'Ham.
Why, you ask? Well, my original intent was Mobile, a city that I still think is cool. My other options were Atlanta and Nashville, because I'm more of a city guy... or was when I was 23 anyway. But job offers had not come from Mobile, but I did get one job offer from Birmingham, at a little place called Designers International.
Now, if I could go back, there are a number of things I would tell 23 year old d$ to consider before shaking Rob Zuckert's hand and agreeing to work for this company.
First, what will I be doing? The answer ended up being going door to door, store to store, parking lot to parking lot, selling knock off perfume out of a box.
Next, ask what my starting salary would be... The perfume was $22 a bottle, so anything price I got beyond the $22 was mine to keep. My first week in Birmingham, I made $7. I wish I were kidding...
Finally, ask where the door was so I could leave... this was a disaster, but that's another post.
No, the main reason I moved to Birmingham was for a girl named Amy Wible, because I thought we'd go out. When the girl you dig says "Move here and we can see each other!", you move. Or I did. As it turns out, we actually didn't see each other for another 2 years, but that is also another story.
But, this day in history... my friends Allysong, Shelby, Eddie, Troy Mac, Claire and a few others helped me load my stuff into my car and into another, and we drove to Birmingham together to unload it into my new, $435 per month loft at Carousel Apartments on Lorna Road. My friends were so cool, in fact, that we drove back to Troy, loaded up the rest of it and came back... the guys spent the night with me, the girls with Allysong (who was from Alabaster, a Birmingham suburb), and early the next day, they drove back to Troy, Alabama. Without me. I was on my own.
My dream, besides working at Designer International, was to catch on a radio station and maybe be behind the mic... after all, I did it for 3 years in college, so this can't be hard, right? Or maybe work at a TV station, first in production and then perhaps, who knows, in front of the camera?
It's been 18 years since my dreams of my two years in Birmingham would surely spill into a great job in Nashville, TN, or maybe over in Atlanta, maybe with Amy, maybe not. Or maybe I'd just move to New York City for a year or so... but first, let me spend two years here, get settled, pay off some debt and then pack up and move on.
But a funny thing happened on the way to 2016.
I met a guy named Michael and ended up moving to Pinebrook Apartments with he and Shawn and Big Tom Johnson. Then we moved to Briarberry Circle and founded The Deuce.
I joined Valleydale Baptist Church, now known as Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship), my first -- and only -- church membership. I'm still there, despite all the changes.
I met Stephanie Campbell in our college & career group at church, and thought she was the cutest thing ever.
I got a job as a temp at Parisian Corporate, which turned into a full time sales assistant job.
I worked at a radio station as a sales assistant, and realized I didn't want to do radio as a career.
I worked at the local NBC station, again as a sales assistant, and realized it was the worst job I'd ever had.
I worked at a movie theater and learned that many high school students are lazy. But many work hard.
I reconnected with Amy and realized she wasn't the one for me (and she knew I wasn't the one for her)
I worked at Starbucks because I decided I would pay off my debts and save up for a ring because I really, really liked that cute girl named Stephanie Campbell.
I worked at The Disney Store and it confirmed my love of all things Disney. And I realized that yes, you can have a complete broken heart when the job ends.
I worked at Starbucks again and realized, maybe years too late, it wasn't my life's goal.
I worked at Alabama Power, to help clear my head of Starbucks.
And then I became a full time travel planner.
I've been a ticket tearer, a perfume pimper, a make-salespeople-look-good'er, a barista, a shift supervisor, an assistant manager, a manager, a barista, a shift supervisor, an assistant manager, a shift supervisor, a Cast Member, an engineering contractor (!) and finally, a travel planner.
'
I helped start a podcast with some of my best friends, my Deucemates... I've been close to my Sunday Scho... er, Life Connec... uh, Life Gro... that group on Sunday mornings for over 10 years now... I've reconnected with my BFF Best Mate Wookiee after a few years apart... I've reconnected with my worst first date ever, Ginny Kochan... I've become friends with reality stars like Brooke from The Bachelor, now on NBC, and been put into the Million Dollar Hold by WWE Hall of Famer Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase... I joined the cult of Jon Acuff, and three years later, I can say names like "Clay Shaver" and "Rick TOOOOLIE" and "Debra Henessy" and "Liz Clark" as some of my favorite people on the planet, people that help push me to what I'm doing now...
In 18 years, I've written 1000+ blog posts... traveled the East Coast... watched 1000s of movies... read 100s of books... been to Disney World countless times, and even did the "four parks in one day" thing twice (while doing the water parks too, for a 6 parks in one day trip) and accomplished 50 attractions in 24 hours...
In 18 years, I got married to the cutest thing ever, The Lovely Steph Leann... we had Campbell Isaiah, who is the most amazing kid I know... lost both of the people who raised me, but gained a mom who'd let me go 36 years ago... we paid off debt, we bought a house, we bought a brand new car...
And if I had moved to Mobile... I would have never had The Deuce... I would have never found Valleydale, and thusly never met The Lovely Steph Leann... I might've never met Clay Shaver or Liz Clark... Wookiee may have never come to see me in Mobile, so we would have been another case of "best buds in college, but lost touch over the years"... my life would be different.
Maybe worse, maybe just a lateral move in quality (I mean, who's to say that I wouldn't be talking about my life in Mobile, wondering what life would have been like had I moved to Birmingham instead?) but...
but... I like it like this. For what was supposed to be a two year stop in Birmingham before moving to bigger and better... I somehow found my bigger and better right here.
Two years becomes 18, and 18 will likely become 25 and beyond.
Here's to the next 18.
Showing posts with label The Deuce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Deuce. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
write on through the dry spell
This is the part of the show where this story gets lengthy, you, the reader, are ready to move onto something else, and I, the writer, must ask for your patience... quite simply, I want to finish this story, no matter who does (and doesn't) read it...
It's the story of my writing. How it started, like in part one... and writing in high school, which is part two... so here is part three... the dry spell in college leading up to the creation of this blog and beyond.
I think I neglected to mention that I kept a journal from about 9th grade to the summer after I graduated. Literally, I would write a sentence or two every day or two about what's happening, what I was writing, accomplishments and so on. Doogie Howser had a blue screen on his PC, I had a notebook with Paula Abdul on the front. Well, one of them anyway, because I filled about a dozen notebooks over the course of five years.
And when I got to Troy State, I just up and stopped. No slowly ceasing to write, no gentle progression of forgetfulness when it comes to journaling, no I just straight up didn't do it anymore. I tried for about three or four days after I got to college, and when a week went by with nothing written, I just packed it away in a box. I don't think it was writer's block so much as it was, I just didn't want to do it.
I was in college from September of 1993 to March of 1998, and anyone who knows me knows that I loved the heck out of college... I made the most out of my 5 years there, and wouldn't change much of it (well, except I might not get that Discover card... darn you Rebecca Miller and your green eyes!)
How I got to Birmingham is a topic that goes onto the pile of things mentioned in this post that will become their own blog post one day, but for now, just know that the first 6 months or so in Birmingham, Alabama, were some of the hardest months of my life. I was along, I knew not a soul, the reason (I thought anyway) that I had moved here was in Tuscaloosa with nary any contact, I had no church home, and I was broke and hungry and nearly depressed.
I then sat down with a few sheets of paper and went back to a routine that I knew well. I was going to write a love letter to my very dear friends, some of my favorite people, in the form of a story... it was a "where we will be in 5 years" type story, entitled "Hey Now"--the title being a play on words from something in the story itself. And I still have it, all 55 pages, written in pencil on loose leaf paper, in a binder. It was the beginning of closure for my time at Troy State...
(this is the part where I stop typing, lean back in my chair and stare out the window, while "The Story" by Brandi Carlile starts to play)
From about July 1998 to February of 1999 were 7 of the hardest months of my life. I was in Birmingham, I was alone, I barely knew anyone, I hadn't found a church until late in that time period, the reason I had moved (her name was Amy, in case you are wondering) and I hadn't even talked, and it was painful and dreadful and expensive and... well, lonely.
You'd think I'd plunge myself back into writing, and I tried. The story I mentioned, the one I had floating in my head for all this time, I tried to put it on paper, and got nothing. I wrote "Hey Now" for my friends in college in August of 1998, but beyond that, nothing. Call it writer's block, call it lack of desire, call it what you want, not only could I not write, but I just didn't want to try.
Over the next few years, a great number of things happened--once again, more stories for another post--but in that time, I got involved in Valleydale Baptist Church... I moved into an apartment with a couple of guys who would become some of my closest and dearest friends, people that some of you know like Shawn Sharp, my buddy Mikey, Tommy Mac, Big Tom Johnson and so on. Not too long after that, we moved into a four bedroom that would be christened "The Deuce". In late 2000, I met a young lady named Stephanie Campbell, and in early 2001, we became good friends. Things were clicking.
Though I didn't own a computer until much, much later, my buddy Mikey did, as did Shawn Sharp, and so one day I sat down in front of one of those computers, and rather than taking a risk, or overthinking it, I went back to what was familiar. I took the people closest to me--roommates, good friends, etc--and wrote still another story, this time called "The Hillary Letters". It was about our friend Ty, who was in love with another friend Hillary, and a particular afternoon where a love letter from he to she gets picked up by the wrong hands, causing a series of silly misunderstandings that culminated with Mikey standing on top of the dining room table doing a John Malkovich impression right before it collapsed. I read this not too long ago (this is one of the few I still have) and it holds up, stupid as the concept might be.
The next year, I had my adult "Dayton's Quest" moment, the one that this time didn't help me discover real writing, but instead brought me back to writing. I wrote another "friends" story, this time over the course of three or four days during Christmas, and I'll be honest with you... I think its really, really good. I'm so proud of it, in fact, that I actually posted here on this website some years ago.
What I mean by "brought me back to writing" was quite simply, it let me know that I can do it--I could still do it. It let me know that yes, I can come up with things, solve problems, invent situations and lay them together in a cohesive story, and in one of my favorite tropes, I can interconnect seemingly unconnected plots with only a few passing sentences. It's called, stupidly enough, "A Very Deuce Christmas". Perhaps it's not well written, and I know there are parts that need to be straightened up a little, but truthfully? I like it.
So that brings us to Clouds in My Coffee. First, let me say that in 2005, I had no idea what "blogging" was. Not a clue. A group of us, Mikey and Tommy Mac included, was scheduled to go to Star Wars Celebration in Indianapolis, early that year, and Tommy created a blog set up for the trip, perhaps for us to report back, post pictures on the interweb and so on... he opened it up for us to create an account name and post.
I created the name "Dave Windu", and wrote a paragraph about the upcoming trip, not really having a clue what I was doing. But I hit publish, and there it was, for all the world to see. And it kind of confounded me. Someone suggested that I look at Live Journal and MySpace, perhaps to do online journaling there, so I opened up an account on both--hey Top 8, how are you?
And now... the final part of the story... including a mission trip, mistakes, American Idol, The Lovely Steph Leann and more... coming tomorrow.
1002
It's the story of my writing. How it started, like in part one... and writing in high school, which is part two... so here is part three... the dry spell in college leading up to the creation of this blog and beyond.
I think I neglected to mention that I kept a journal from about 9th grade to the summer after I graduated. Literally, I would write a sentence or two every day or two about what's happening, what I was writing, accomplishments and so on. Doogie Howser had a blue screen on his PC, I had a notebook with Paula Abdul on the front. Well, one of them anyway, because I filled about a dozen notebooks over the course of five years.
 |
| Doogie used to end every episode by writing one or two lines that encapsulated what we just watched in the previous 1/2 hour, almost like a "what I learned today" thing. Problem was, some were so vague that in five years, he had to read over some of those and thing "What the crap was I talking about? What does this even mean?!" |
I was in college from September of 1993 to March of 1998, and anyone who knows me knows that I loved the heck out of college... I made the most out of my 5 years there, and wouldn't change much of it (well, except I might not get that Discover card... darn you Rebecca Miller and your green eyes!)
How I got to Birmingham is a topic that goes onto the pile of things mentioned in this post that will become their own blog post one day, but for now, just know that the first 6 months or so in Birmingham, Alabama, were some of the hardest months of my life. I was along, I knew not a soul, the reason (I thought anyway) that I had moved here was in Tuscaloosa with nary any contact, I had no church home, and I was broke and hungry and nearly depressed.
I then sat down with a few sheets of paper and went back to a routine that I knew well. I was going to write a love letter to my very dear friends, some of my favorite people, in the form of a story... it was a "where we will be in 5 years" type story, entitled "Hey Now"--the title being a play on words from something in the story itself. And I still have it, all 55 pages, written in pencil on loose leaf paper, in a binder. It was the beginning of closure for my time at Troy State...
(this is the part where I stop typing, lean back in my chair and stare out the window, while "The Story" by Brandi Carlile starts to play)
From about July 1998 to February of 1999 were 7 of the hardest months of my life. I was in Birmingham, I was alone, I barely knew anyone, I hadn't found a church until late in that time period, the reason I had moved (her name was Amy, in case you are wondering) and I hadn't even talked, and it was painful and dreadful and expensive and... well, lonely.
You'd think I'd plunge myself back into writing, and I tried. The story I mentioned, the one I had floating in my head for all this time, I tried to put it on paper, and got nothing. I wrote "Hey Now" for my friends in college in August of 1998, but beyond that, nothing. Call it writer's block, call it lack of desire, call it what you want, not only could I not write, but I just didn't want to try.
Over the next few years, a great number of things happened--once again, more stories for another post--but in that time, I got involved in Valleydale Baptist Church... I moved into an apartment with a couple of guys who would become some of my closest and dearest friends, people that some of you know like Shawn Sharp, my buddy Mikey, Tommy Mac, Big Tom Johnson and so on. Not too long after that, we moved into a four bedroom that would be christened "The Deuce". In late 2000, I met a young lady named Stephanie Campbell, and in early 2001, we became good friends. Things were clicking.
Though I didn't own a computer until much, much later, my buddy Mikey did, as did Shawn Sharp, and so one day I sat down in front of one of those computers, and rather than taking a risk, or overthinking it, I went back to what was familiar. I took the people closest to me--roommates, good friends, etc--and wrote still another story, this time called "The Hillary Letters". It was about our friend Ty, who was in love with another friend Hillary, and a particular afternoon where a love letter from he to she gets picked up by the wrong hands, causing a series of silly misunderstandings that culminated with Mikey standing on top of the dining room table doing a John Malkovich impression right before it collapsed. I read this not too long ago (this is one of the few I still have) and it holds up, stupid as the concept might be.
The next year, I had my adult "Dayton's Quest" moment, the one that this time didn't help me discover real writing, but instead brought me back to writing. I wrote another "friends" story, this time over the course of three or four days during Christmas, and I'll be honest with you... I think its really, really good. I'm so proud of it, in fact, that I actually posted here on this website some years ago.
What I mean by "brought me back to writing" was quite simply, it let me know that I can do it--I could still do it. It let me know that yes, I can come up with things, solve problems, invent situations and lay them together in a cohesive story, and in one of my favorite tropes, I can interconnect seemingly unconnected plots with only a few passing sentences. It's called, stupidly enough, "A Very Deuce Christmas". Perhaps it's not well written, and I know there are parts that need to be straightened up a little, but truthfully? I like it.
So that brings us to Clouds in My Coffee. First, let me say that in 2005, I had no idea what "blogging" was. Not a clue. A group of us, Mikey and Tommy Mac included, was scheduled to go to Star Wars Celebration in Indianapolis, early that year, and Tommy created a blog set up for the trip, perhaps for us to report back, post pictures on the interweb and so on... he opened it up for us to create an account name and post.
I created the name "Dave Windu", and wrote a paragraph about the upcoming trip, not really having a clue what I was doing. But I hit publish, and there it was, for all the world to see. And it kind of confounded me. Someone suggested that I look at Live Journal and MySpace, perhaps to do online journaling there, so I opened up an account on both--hey Top 8, how are you?
And now... the final part of the story... including a mission trip, mistakes, American Idol, The Lovely Steph Leann and more... coming tomorrow.
1002
Thursday, January 31, 2013
the top ten coolest things of 2011
Okay, its finally here... you've been waiting all year for this... well, all last year for this, and here it is, only one solid year later... the Top Ten Coolest Things of 2011...
The 10th Coolest Thing of 2011... Tyler Gets Engaged
Its a little hard to imagine, but my brother in law got engaged in 2011. Young Tyler Campbell, who I remember meeting at The Deuce back in the day, playing pogs and annoying My Best Mate Wookiee... Young Tyler Campbell, who we watched grow up, first with little hair, then with shaggy hair, and now with short, short hair and a beard... he finally found the one he liked, that being Brynn Bralley, this incredibly small little thing with a big smile and a warm heart. He asked, she said yes, and it was on. (expect the wedding to be a part of 2012's list)
The 9th Coolest Thing of 2011... Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2
I reviewed this movie mere moments after I watched it, and here's part of my review:
All in all, this is the best of the Harry Potter series. I think if you have only seen the movies, you will have a few questions and you'll find a few holes... and if you have read the book, you'll be like me, and have questions that start with, "I wonder why they did/didn't..." However, because of the scope and size of the book, I think you will agree that they did the best that could have been done. The screenwriter, Steve Kloves, got it right... absolutely right, and almost perfect.
And as the camera panned away from Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, and the familiar music came on and credit rolled, I had only one thought...
All is well.
You can read the full review by clicking here
The 8th Coolest Thing of 2011... 2nd & Charles
To say I was overwhelmed the first time I walked into this store is a bit of an understatement. I was blown away. 2nd & Charles is really a used bookstore, but its huge... and not only do they have thousands upon thousands of used books, but also thousands of used CDs... and comic books... and DVDs... and record albums... and videos... and Blu Rays... and hundreds of electronics... and even fun t-shirts... I spent a good two hours the first time, and that was nothing but in the CDs and movies... it was a bit reeeedonkulous, but its worth it. Their music is bargain priced, the movies are also cheap, and its a great place to hunt up used books.
The 7th Coolest Thing of 2011... "Rolling in the Deep"
The first time I heard this tune, I was driving across Mississippi, headed towards the other side to see The Revr'n Ty Coffey get married... The Lovely Steph Leann in the front seat, Shawn Sharp in the back, and this cool riff and this awesome vocals streaming out of my satellite radio, "There's a fire burning in my heart..."
Much in the same way I was mesmerized by KT Tunstall's "Black Horse in the Cherry Tree" with her multiple layers of vocals, smart instrumentals and great, if not somewhat puzzling metaphors, "Rolling in the Deep" drew me in and never let me go. Adele rules.
The 6th Coolest Thing of 2011... The Deucecast
Text from Mikey, circa February 2011: Hey man, I got an idea
Text response from me, within a minute or so: Sure, what's up?
Text from Mikey: So, wanna do a podcast with me?
Text response from me: Dude!? Seriously!?!
Text from Mikey: Yeah. I think it would be awesome
Text response from me: I had been thinking of doing a podcast on my own anyway... let's do it
Text from Mikey: I think we should call it The Deuce Podcast. Or The Deuce Show. Maybe... Deucecast.
And so it was. We called those first episodes "Negatives", and we started with The Deucecast -4... and it was rough. Really rough. In fact, I don't ever want to hear it again, because I remember how bad we both were. I talked to fast, Mikey rambled on about Sea Monkey oppression (I'm not kidding) and it was a bad 30 minutes. But... we got better. I'd say The Deucecast Episode -1 was pretty presentable.
And we had our big kickoff with The Deucecast Episode I: The Podcast Menace, and kept going, weekly. Its movies. Its music. We play random games with stupid names like "Faux or Show"... "The Ryan Phillippe Game"... "Reel or Unreel"... and Mikey's favorite, "Simple Star Wars Trivia". Matty Rector joined us for about 30 episodes as a co-host, and we've had a number of special guest hosts along the way, including recurring hosts like Doc Earl... Hurricane Rhett... Steph Nipparector and even more. Check it out... The Deucecast.
The 5th Coolest Thing of 2011... Wrestlemania XXVIII
The 4th Coolest Thing of 2011... Disney in February
Without knowing Campbell was on the way, The Lovely Steph Leann and I still had the mindset that every Disney trip we took could be our last without a kid. To be honest, every trip from mid-2009 thru all of 2010 was like that, but the more time went along, the more we knew "well... if we are going to have kids, then this trip might be it." And this February 2011 trip was, in fact, it.
Our plan was to do the things we wanted to do that we hadn't done, stuff that would be much harder to do with a child in tow... dine with an Imagineer... go see Cirque de Soleil: La Nouba... have dinner at the Hoop de doo Revue... take a Segway tour of Epcot... do the then-brand spankin new Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom... plus a host of other little things we'd missed--Flights of Wonder at Animal Kingdom comes to mind. Now, even after all of this, there is still a huge amount of activities and such we've never done, and maybe will get to at some point.
I won't give you the full recap, because it would take a while, but those things I listed are highlights... of course, I did get a little borderline sick halfway through the trip. We invited our good friends Melanie and her hubs Chris to join us for a few days at the end of the trip, and they flew down Wednesday morning... we did lots of stuff together, they had some coupley time, so did we. We all shared the La Nouba experience, including Chris purchasing drinks for both women--he went for the large $14 daiquiris... The Lovely Steph Leann chose not to guzzle it, lest she be hammered early.
I did deal with the that not-so-fresh feeling, including taking a long sleep on a Thursday night while the others went and did their thing and The Lovely Steph Leann went to Epcot and took pictures of French mimes and chair stacker dancer people. Or something like that.
Anyway, it was a fabulous trip, sickness aside... and it even culminated with...
The 3rd Coolest Thing of 2011... The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando
Let's be clear. Disney beats Universal every time its tried. The only reason that a Disney trip is one notch behind Harry Potter is simply because I'd been to Disney alot.. and never to the Harry Potter experience.
Towards the end of our Febraury 2011 Walt Disney World vacation, we scheduled to spend a day at Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios Orlando, notably to go into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Again, our friends Melanie and Chris went with us, with Melanie and I being huge Harry Potter fans, The Lovely Steph Leann being a pretty big Harry Potter fan and Chris somewhat indifferent...
And it was a blast... the only hindrance I felt at all was mid-way through trip, I had one of those not-so-fresh feelings... as in, I woke up and didn't feel all that great. I battled a cold or sickness for several days, dealt with it through La Nouba and an entire day at Epcot... was able to sleep some on Thursday night (some of the best sleep I've ever had) and finally, on Friday, while not fully recovered, was able to enjoy the dreary weather and incredible atmosphere of Hogwarts.
I could tell you tales all day of our adventure at Universal, but really, it can be summed up in a few words... incredible castle... incredible ride... Ollivander's is brilliant... and butterbeer? Absolutely awesome. Heck, that should have been its own number.
The 2nd Coolest Thing of 2011... Mom
While its true I lost my mom, the woman I grew up calling mom, in September of 2011, I also managed to gain a mom too...
You can find it in the post called "Mom, Mama and Mother's Day", written in May of 2012... here's the link, and I hope you enjoy it.
And...
The Coolest Thing of 2011... This guy:
What can I say? The Lovely Steph Leann went in for a check up on November 30th, 2011, and called me from the hospital to tell me she was being admitted to labor and delivery.
You read what happened on Day One, as we began to realize we were about to have a baby... and what happened on Day Two, as we actually HAD a baby... and then, the journey of how we brought Campbell Isaiah home...
Well, there it is. All 10 of the top ten, preceded by 90 more of the coolest things about the year 2011... now... let's start a 2012 list, shall we?
The 10th Coolest Thing of 2011... Tyler Gets Engaged
Its a little hard to imagine, but my brother in law got engaged in 2011. Young Tyler Campbell, who I remember meeting at The Deuce back in the day, playing pogs and annoying My Best Mate Wookiee... Young Tyler Campbell, who we watched grow up, first with little hair, then with shaggy hair, and now with short, short hair and a beard... he finally found the one he liked, that being Brynn Bralley, this incredibly small little thing with a big smile and a warm heart. He asked, she said yes, and it was on. (expect the wedding to be a part of 2012's list)
The 9th Coolest Thing of 2011... Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2
I reviewed this movie mere moments after I watched it, and here's part of my review:
All in all, this is the best of the Harry Potter series. I think if you have only seen the movies, you will have a few questions and you'll find a few holes... and if you have read the book, you'll be like me, and have questions that start with, "I wonder why they did/didn't..." However, because of the scope and size of the book, I think you will agree that they did the best that could have been done. The screenwriter, Steve Kloves, got it right... absolutely right, and almost perfect.
And as the camera panned away from Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, and the familiar music came on and credit rolled, I had only one thought...
All is well.
You can read the full review by clicking here
The 8th Coolest Thing of 2011... 2nd & Charles
To say I was overwhelmed the first time I walked into this store is a bit of an understatement. I was blown away. 2nd & Charles is really a used bookstore, but its huge... and not only do they have thousands upon thousands of used books, but also thousands of used CDs... and comic books... and DVDs... and record albums... and videos... and Blu Rays... and hundreds of electronics... and even fun t-shirts... I spent a good two hours the first time, and that was nothing but in the CDs and movies... it was a bit reeeedonkulous, but its worth it. Their music is bargain priced, the movies are also cheap, and its a great place to hunt up used books.
The 7th Coolest Thing of 2011... "Rolling in the Deep"
The first time I heard this tune, I was driving across Mississippi, headed towards the other side to see The Revr'n Ty Coffey get married... The Lovely Steph Leann in the front seat, Shawn Sharp in the back, and this cool riff and this awesome vocals streaming out of my satellite radio, "There's a fire burning in my heart..."
Much in the same way I was mesmerized by KT Tunstall's "Black Horse in the Cherry Tree" with her multiple layers of vocals, smart instrumentals and great, if not somewhat puzzling metaphors, "Rolling in the Deep" drew me in and never let me go. Adele rules.
The 6th Coolest Thing of 2011... The Deucecast
Text from Mikey, circa February 2011: Hey man, I got an idea
Text response from me, within a minute or so: Sure, what's up?
Text from Mikey: So, wanna do a podcast with me?
Text response from me: Dude!? Seriously!?!
Text from Mikey: Yeah. I think it would be awesome
Text response from me: I had been thinking of doing a podcast on my own anyway... let's do it
Text from Mikey: I think we should call it The Deuce Podcast. Or The Deuce Show. Maybe... Deucecast.
And so it was. We called those first episodes "Negatives", and we started with The Deucecast -4... and it was rough. Really rough. In fact, I don't ever want to hear it again, because I remember how bad we both were. I talked to fast, Mikey rambled on about Sea Monkey oppression (I'm not kidding) and it was a bad 30 minutes. But... we got better. I'd say The Deucecast Episode -1 was pretty presentable.
And we had our big kickoff with The Deucecast Episode I: The Podcast Menace, and kept going, weekly. Its movies. Its music. We play random games with stupid names like "Faux or Show"... "The Ryan Phillippe Game"... "Reel or Unreel"... and Mikey's favorite, "Simple Star Wars Trivia". Matty Rector joined us for about 30 episodes as a co-host, and we've had a number of special guest hosts along the way, including recurring hosts like Doc Earl... Hurricane Rhett... Steph Nipparector and even more. Check it out... The Deucecast.
The 5th Coolest Thing of 2011... Wrestlemania XXVIII
The 4th Coolest Thing of 2011... Disney in February
Without knowing Campbell was on the way, The Lovely Steph Leann and I still had the mindset that every Disney trip we took could be our last without a kid. To be honest, every trip from mid-2009 thru all of 2010 was like that, but the more time went along, the more we knew "well... if we are going to have kids, then this trip might be it." And this February 2011 trip was, in fact, it.
Our plan was to do the things we wanted to do that we hadn't done, stuff that would be much harder to do with a child in tow... dine with an Imagineer... go see Cirque de Soleil: La Nouba... have dinner at the Hoop de doo Revue... take a Segway tour of Epcot... do the then-brand spankin new Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom... plus a host of other little things we'd missed--Flights of Wonder at Animal Kingdom comes to mind. Now, even after all of this, there is still a huge amount of activities and such we've never done, and maybe will get to at some point.
I won't give you the full recap, because it would take a while, but those things I listed are highlights... of course, I did get a little borderline sick halfway through the trip. We invited our good friends Melanie and her hubs Chris to join us for a few days at the end of the trip, and they flew down Wednesday morning... we did lots of stuff together, they had some coupley time, so did we. We all shared the La Nouba experience, including Chris purchasing drinks for both women--he went for the large $14 daiquiris... The Lovely Steph Leann chose not to guzzle it, lest she be hammered early.
I did deal with the that not-so-fresh feeling, including taking a long sleep on a Thursday night while the others went and did their thing and The Lovely Steph Leann went to Epcot and took pictures of French mimes and chair stacker dancer people. Or something like that.
Anyway, it was a fabulous trip, sickness aside... and it even culminated with...
The 3rd Coolest Thing of 2011... The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando
Let's be clear. Disney beats Universal every time its tried. The only reason that a Disney trip is one notch behind Harry Potter is simply because I'd been to Disney alot.. and never to the Harry Potter experience.
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| One of my favorite pics from that trip... the girls enjoying the Butterbeer |
And it was a blast... the only hindrance I felt at all was mid-way through trip, I had one of those not-so-fresh feelings... as in, I woke up and didn't feel all that great. I battled a cold or sickness for several days, dealt with it through La Nouba and an entire day at Epcot... was able to sleep some on Thursday night (some of the best sleep I've ever had) and finally, on Friday, while not fully recovered, was able to enjoy the dreary weather and incredible atmosphere of Hogwarts.
I could tell you tales all day of our adventure at Universal, but really, it can be summed up in a few words... incredible castle... incredible ride... Ollivander's is brilliant... and butterbeer? Absolutely awesome. Heck, that should have been its own number.
The 2nd Coolest Thing of 2011... Mom
While its true I lost my mom, the woman I grew up calling mom, in September of 2011, I also managed to gain a mom too...
You can find it in the post called "Mom, Mama and Mother's Day", written in May of 2012... here's the link, and I hope you enjoy it.
And...
The Coolest Thing of 2011... This guy:
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| How cute is this kid? And the baby too! |
What can I say? The Lovely Steph Leann went in for a check up on November 30th, 2011, and called me from the hospital to tell me she was being admitted to labor and delivery.
You read what happened on Day One, as we began to realize we were about to have a baby... and what happened on Day Two, as we actually HAD a baby... and then, the journey of how we brought Campbell Isaiah home...
Well, there it is. All 10 of the top ten, preceded by 90 more of the coolest things about the year 2011... now... let's start a 2012 list, shall we?
Friday, June 22, 2012
38 memories of wookiee
My best mate Wookiee (aka, Christopher J. Fulaytar) has a birthday today. I have a card for him, but like a bad friend, I keep losing his address.
Its worth noting that two of my other good buddies--Mikey and Shawn--also have birthdays today and tomorrow, respectively, but I'll see them on Wednesday, give them the cards I bought them, and probably will leave them notes on Facebook with my birthday sentiments.
But I thought this time for Wookiee, I would give you, the reader, some insight into why I love this big lug. Actually, many of you won't get many of the references listed here, though each has a story behind it.
So, in no particular order, here are 38 memories I have of Wookiee, my best mate Wookiee, one for each year of his hairy life.
1) Fruit Wheels Twin Packs. His cereal of choice.
2) Eating at Denny's once per month. Its like... our man date or something.
3) I was trying to use up a roll of film (remember the days before they were digital) and I walked into Wookiee's room and said, "Okay! Show me mad!" And he did. "Okay! Show me happy!" And he did" I took a pic with each emotion... flirty... serious... fun... and when I said, "Sexy", this pic is what he gave me. Check out those pants.
4) The fact that, as big as he is, I found him one night curled up in the corner of that same bed you see here, playing video games. His reason? He saw a mouse. I left. I came back around 3am, four hours later. He was in the same position, telling me, "Dude, I ain't getting up til I know that mouse is dead, or daylight hits."
5) For some reason, Wookiee and I liked to perform the 50s classic song "Little Darlin'". Well, he would lip-sync and I would play the spoons. And I would not just play the spoons, I would also drum them on anything within reach, which usually meant Wookiee's head was fair game. One night, our buddy Barrow was spending the night on our floor, and our antics had him laughing so hard he could barely breathe. He literally opened the front door and hung halfway down the steps to get some fresh air. It was classic.
6) His mom and dad are are awesome... they are really, really good people.
7) His wife Gina is also a great person, helping him produce his spawn, Austin.... and his other spawn, Abby Grace. Good job, Wookiee.
8) He's been a part of at least half of my moves from one place to another. Somehow, we finagled him into moving our big Sony Trinitron from The Apartment to The Deuce... and he helped me move from our first apartment to The Cabana. And when I say helped, many times I mean he's moving heavy stuff and I'm supervising. That's the way it should be.
9) He used to drive a Trans-Am T-Top. He is 6'9, so its understandable that you couldn't sit behind him in the backseat. He had the seat pushed all the way back. I'm pretty sure his head stuck out of the top of the T-Top itself.
10) Wrestlemania. He, Big Tom and myself attended last year's Wrestlemania in Atlanta, an experience I'll never forget, and one of the top four coolest things of all of 2011.
11) He took me to see Troy play Central Michigan in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile. It was my first overtime bowl game (Troy lost in 2 OTs), it was crack ninja cold out there, and our seats were eh. But Gina, the wife, had given him two tickets to the game, and he called me up to go.
12) He booked us a room at the La Quinta. Not the Marriott next door, or the Hampton Inn on the other side, but the La Quinta Inn. It was, however, within walking distance of... you guessed it, a Denny's.
13) We dated the same girl at the same time, he as a freshman in college, me as a senior in high school. It was absolute hilarity when we discovered this fact some years later. I'm serious--we laughed for an hour.
14) Our Halloween party at the Thomas Circle apartment. He went as "Fulaytar Vader"
15) In our Three Notch Street rented house, we shared a huge bedroom, complete with a wall gas heater. When The Wench, his chick at the time, broke up with him, he skipped all of his classes for like, two weeks, sleeping in the room alot. As a result, our gas bill was over $175. As a broke college student having to pay for half of this, I had no idea what to do, until he told me he was going to pay all of it because he felt like he was responsible for it being so high. This is the kind of guy Wook-Fu is. (she cheated on him, but they got back together soon after)
16) A year or so later, at our next apartment in Thomas Circle, I get a tap on my window at like, 6 in the morning on a Saturday. I open the window and see... its The Wench. "Can I talk to Chris?" I rolled out of bed, opened the door, and let her in, then went back to bed. About two hours later, Wookiee opens my bedroom door and says, "I just broke up with The Wench." Awake now, I said, "Dude, what happened? Are you okay?" He nodded and said, "She cheated on me again. I just said, 'Get out, The Wench'. I'm cool. Want to go get some breakfast?" And we did. He might have even bought. And he was fine.
17) A teacher, he got a job after graduation in the humming metropolis of Hazelhurst, Georgia. On the morning he was moving, he had all his crap in a U-Haul, ready to go. We had breakfast at Julia's in a hotel nearby, and then he said a somewhat tearful goodbye. It was sad to see him go. But I'll always remember the sadness of seeing my best friend leave for however long it would be.
18) Troy State versus Missouri. His bachelor party, as a bunch of us bought this ticket to see the 17th ranked Tigers come to Troy, anchored by Heisman hopeful Brad Smith. Then in an unbelievable night, we watched Troy handily beat Missouri, knock them out of the rankings, kill Smith's Heisman chances and then become the 24th ranked team in the country the next week. What a night.
19) Exploring the USS Alabama with Wookiee. Both of us have connections to the military, so it was great doing something like that with someone who understands it. If only I hadn't lost all the pictures. Whoops.
20) People don't understand our bromance. We're very special. Or some would say.
21) The 1996 Olympics. Yes, The Wench was there, as was the upstairs neighbor, Smokey Steve, but we actually got to see the second incarnation of The Dream Team play--Jordan, Robinson, Barkley and more. And, of course, we were almost blowed up by the bomb in the park. That was fun.
22) The hilarious sight of him, in only his boxer shorts, leaving our apartment and walking up the hill to the parking lot to get the morning paper. There are somethings you just can't un-see.
23) One day, I'm reclining in my bed watching TV, and he sticks his head out of the bathroom. Then we have this exchange...
Wookiee: Uh, d$... can I ask you a question?
Me: Sure. Whaddup?
Wookiee: When you are in the shower... does the curtain ever... well, does the shower curtain ever attack you?
Me: Uh... sometimes.
Wookiee: Okay, just wondering.
Then he disappears back into the bathroom. And I cracked up. And 17 years later, I just laughed out loud thinking about that conversation.
24) He was the best man in my wedding, and I in his. Wouldn't have had it any other way. He was petrified he would lose the ring, and more petrified of the bride's reaction if it happened.
25) He knows how to break it down. Like a big, hairy clown. (and though it looks like pants, I am totally wearing jorts in this picture)
26) During the Deuce Days, he lived at The Deuce for two summers in a row, and it was awesome watching him immediately integrate amongst all the friends I had here, and become just a part of the group. He actually had a portable closet he kept in our dining room with all of his close. And sometimes, because he would get so annoyed with Tommy and Drew playing Tetris until the wee hours of the morning (especially when Wookiee is trying to sleep on the couch), he would hide Tetris. And THAT was hilarious.
27) I wrecked my car on the third Saturday in October of 1996. Fell asleep at the wheel of my old Buick on the way back to Samson, ran off the road and into a telephone pole. Head snapped forward, face hit the steering wheel, and it caught me in that space between my upper lip and my nose. Blood spatter on the windshield, and I was lucky I didn't break my nose entirely. Had stitches from one nostril to the next, and three feet of thin gauze in each nostril. And I was without a vehicle. And Wookiee, graciously if not begrudgingly, gave up the Alabama/Tennessee game to drive an hour south to Samson, pick me up and take me back.
28) Many of my favorite catchphrases somehow lead back to him. We went rock climbing with Michael Brunson and a few other friends one day, north of Birmingham. And when the rock climber guy in charge strapped on the harness to Wookiee, it was fastened around his mid-section. Before the V-shaped harness was pulled tight, the rock climber guy in charge gave caution to Wookiee for any necessary... well, adjustments. He said, "You may want to make sure and keep 'Sparky' in the 'V'" And "Sparky in the V" is a phrase that elicits loud laughs even now.
29) So, in the Three Notch House, in our shared bedroom, we both woke up on a Saturday morning around the same time. Neither of us wanted to get up, so we both went back to sleep. Around 11, we both woke up again. And then both went back to sleep. By 1 or so, we had agreed upon a contest... whoever gets up first, loses. About 515p, I won, when Wookiee had to get up and use the restroom.
30) Also in that bedroom, also when we are both laying in our beds, refusing to get up, we are watching TV... it might have been the same day as the sleeping contest, who knows... and the former President Bush is on TV. The annoucer is saying something political, with a "something something something something George Bush something something." And randomly, Wookiee pipes up, saying "Yeeesss George Bush". After I finished rolling in laugher something like 20 minutes later, I wiped my eyes and knew I had something. And the "Yes" catchphrase caught on big during The Deuce Days. Its not used as much now, but you'll still hear it from me, or Mikey or one of the guys from time to time. Yeeeesss Wookiee.
31) We are riding in the car with a friend of ours, some tiny little vehicle we were stuffed into--me in the backseat because Wookiee couldn't fit... anyway, at the time, Jann Arden had a big hit on her hands with the song "Insensitive", which came on the radio. I actually really like that song, and was singing along. Apparently none of us knew the second verse, though, because it was all quiet in the car when Jann Arden sang, "How do you numb the skin... after the warmest touch... how do you slow your blood... after the body rush...", to which Wookiee breaks the silence by saying, "Yeeesss body rush." I lost it.
32) Because of our height disparity, people think its fun--and original, to take our pictures back to back. And this pic is the typical result (taken at the 1995 Farmhouse Fraternity Formal).
33) We are all sitting around The Deuce one day, plotting on how to get the downstairs neighbors to move out, so we could rent that apartment as well, putting a firemans pole between the two apartments. I, who worked for a radio station at the time, said, "I'll broadcast subliminal messages that they need to leave!" Mikey, working at a bank, said, "I'll screw up their finances and force them into bankruptcy!" Shawn, who worked for the phone company at the time, said, "I'll tap their phones and black mail them!" Tommy, working in interweb stuff, said, "I can plant viruses in their computers!"
Not to be outdone, of course, Wookiee, a teacher, yells, "And I'll make their kids stupid!" I lost it.
34) The Great Rib Eat-Off. Tony Roma's, when they were open, offered "endless ribs" for $20 or something like that... Mikey, Big Tom, Wookiee and I went to Tony Roma's to participate in this feast of gluttony. Well, actually, Big Tom got something else, and I think I went the burger route... but Mikey and Wookiee went at it. And they ate, and ate, and requested more, and ate and ate and ate. All in all, they ate 50 ribs. Each. Between the two of them, they devoured 100 ribs. The lead cook came out to meet them and tell them that they went through an entire case of ribs, plus 4. The other patrons watched inhorror wonder.
35) While typing this, its fitting that my 21st favorite movie of all time, "Major League" is on TV... like myself, Wookiee is a huge sports nut, and a sports movie nut too--he shares my love of "Major League"...
just a bit outside... going somewhere, meat? about 90 feet... and for the Indians, that's one run on, let's see...one hit? That's all we got? One goshdarn hit? [Monty: You can't say "goshdarn" on the air!] Don't worry; nobody's listening anyway... up your butt, Jobu... hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill!... personally, I think we got hosed on that call... I can't find it, to heck with it!... this guy threw at his own kid in a father/son game... forget about the curveball, Ricky! Give him the heater!
...but he also has a big hankerin' for "Mystery, Alaska", something I will admit I've never seen. That's a bad friend on my part. Hold on...
...I just added it to my Netflix queue, 7th on the list, in between the remake of "Fright Night" and Disc 3 of Everwood's first season.
Anyway, Wookiee has an almost obsessive love of the Chicago Cubbies, the Boston Celtics and I believe the Dallas Cowboys. Being a Orioles/Spurs & Magic/Broncos fan, we always had something talk about--especially when it came to college football.
Though we love the line, now that we are married, Heywood's line "How's your wife and my kid?" doesn't work as well anymore. Sad.
36) You can't help but love a guy who does this to a swimming pool... our buddy Drew called it a "complete phenomena of water displacement."
37) At our very first DeuceFest, on June 20th of 2000, we had a karaoke machine... too good to pass up, Wookiee joins the father figure of the group, Mikey's dad Mr. Ken on "stage" to sing a rousing rendition of "My Way". It was quite a hoot. And a holler.
38) I became a Christ Follower in January of 1995. He became a Christ Follower a week later, led by the same guy, Reggie MacAllister. It was thrilling to relate our testimonies to each other, and share in such important spiritual matters as our eternal futures.
And one to grow on...
39) He's my best friend. Wookiee truly is. We've known each other since September of 1993, been friends since April of 1994, and he is my brother in Christ and my best mate.
Happy Birthday, Wookiee. Hope I made you proud with this dedicated post, though I'm sure there is something vital that I'm forgetting... Next stop... FORTY!! Well, 39, but FORTY sounds so much more dramatic.
Its worth noting that two of my other good buddies--Mikey and Shawn--also have birthdays today and tomorrow, respectively, but I'll see them on Wednesday, give them the cards I bought them, and probably will leave them notes on Facebook with my birthday sentiments.
But I thought this time for Wookiee, I would give you, the reader, some insight into why I love this big lug. Actually, many of you won't get many of the references listed here, though each has a story behind it.
So, in no particular order, here are 38 memories I have of Wookiee, my best mate Wookiee, one for each year of his hairy life.
1) Fruit Wheels Twin Packs. His cereal of choice.
2) Eating at Denny's once per month. Its like... our man date or something.
3) I was trying to use up a roll of film (remember the days before they were digital) and I walked into Wookiee's room and said, "Okay! Show me mad!" And he did. "Okay! Show me happy!" And he did" I took a pic with each emotion... flirty... serious... fun... and when I said, "Sexy", this pic is what he gave me. Check out those pants.4) The fact that, as big as he is, I found him one night curled up in the corner of that same bed you see here, playing video games. His reason? He saw a mouse. I left. I came back around 3am, four hours later. He was in the same position, telling me, "Dude, I ain't getting up til I know that mouse is dead, or daylight hits."
5) For some reason, Wookiee and I liked to perform the 50s classic song "Little Darlin'". Well, he would lip-sync and I would play the spoons. And I would not just play the spoons, I would also drum them on anything within reach, which usually meant Wookiee's head was fair game. One night, our buddy Barrow was spending the night on our floor, and our antics had him laughing so hard he could barely breathe. He literally opened the front door and hung halfway down the steps to get some fresh air. It was classic.
6) His mom and dad are are awesome... they are really, really good people.
7) His wife Gina is also a great person, helping him produce his spawn, Austin.... and his other spawn, Abby Grace. Good job, Wookiee.
8) He's been a part of at least half of my moves from one place to another. Somehow, we finagled him into moving our big Sony Trinitron from The Apartment to The Deuce... and he helped me move from our first apartment to The Cabana. And when I say helped, many times I mean he's moving heavy stuff and I'm supervising. That's the way it should be.
9) He used to drive a Trans-Am T-Top. He is 6'9, so its understandable that you couldn't sit behind him in the backseat. He had the seat pushed all the way back. I'm pretty sure his head stuck out of the top of the T-Top itself.
10) Wrestlemania. He, Big Tom and myself attended last year's Wrestlemania in Atlanta, an experience I'll never forget, and one of the top four coolest things of all of 2011.
11) He took me to see Troy play Central Michigan in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile. It was my first overtime bowl game (Troy lost in 2 OTs), it was crack ninja cold out there, and our seats were eh. But Gina, the wife, had given him two tickets to the game, and he called me up to go.
12) He booked us a room at the La Quinta. Not the Marriott next door, or the Hampton Inn on the other side, but the La Quinta Inn. It was, however, within walking distance of... you guessed it, a Denny's.
13) We dated the same girl at the same time, he as a freshman in college, me as a senior in high school. It was absolute hilarity when we discovered this fact some years later. I'm serious--we laughed for an hour.
14) Our Halloween party at the Thomas Circle apartment. He went as "Fulaytar Vader"
15) In our Three Notch Street rented house, we shared a huge bedroom, complete with a wall gas heater. When The Wench, his chick at the time, broke up with him, he skipped all of his classes for like, two weeks, sleeping in the room alot. As a result, our gas bill was over $175. As a broke college student having to pay for half of this, I had no idea what to do, until he told me he was going to pay all of it because he felt like he was responsible for it being so high. This is the kind of guy Wook-Fu is. (she cheated on him, but they got back together soon after)
16) A year or so later, at our next apartment in Thomas Circle, I get a tap on my window at like, 6 in the morning on a Saturday. I open the window and see... its The Wench. "Can I talk to Chris?" I rolled out of bed, opened the door, and let her in, then went back to bed. About two hours later, Wookiee opens my bedroom door and says, "I just broke up with The Wench." Awake now, I said, "Dude, what happened? Are you okay?" He nodded and said, "She cheated on me again. I just said, 'Get out, The Wench'. I'm cool. Want to go get some breakfast?" And we did. He might have even bought. And he was fine.
17) A teacher, he got a job after graduation in the humming metropolis of Hazelhurst, Georgia. On the morning he was moving, he had all his crap in a U-Haul, ready to go. We had breakfast at Julia's in a hotel nearby, and then he said a somewhat tearful goodbye. It was sad to see him go. But I'll always remember the sadness of seeing my best friend leave for however long it would be.
18) Troy State versus Missouri. His bachelor party, as a bunch of us bought this ticket to see the 17th ranked Tigers come to Troy, anchored by Heisman hopeful Brad Smith. Then in an unbelievable night, we watched Troy handily beat Missouri, knock them out of the rankings, kill Smith's Heisman chances and then become the 24th ranked team in the country the next week. What a night.
19) Exploring the USS Alabama with Wookiee. Both of us have connections to the military, so it was great doing something like that with someone who understands it. If only I hadn't lost all the pictures. Whoops.
21) The 1996 Olympics. Yes, The Wench was there, as was the upstairs neighbor, Smokey Steve, but we actually got to see the second incarnation of The Dream Team play--Jordan, Robinson, Barkley and more. And, of course, we were almost blowed up by the bomb in the park. That was fun.
22) The hilarious sight of him, in only his boxer shorts, leaving our apartment and walking up the hill to the parking lot to get the morning paper. There are somethings you just can't un-see.
23) One day, I'm reclining in my bed watching TV, and he sticks his head out of the bathroom. Then we have this exchange...
Wookiee: Uh, d$... can I ask you a question?
Me: Sure. Whaddup?
Wookiee: When you are in the shower... does the curtain ever... well, does the shower curtain ever attack you?
Me: Uh... sometimes.
Wookiee: Okay, just wondering.
Then he disappears back into the bathroom. And I cracked up. And 17 years later, I just laughed out loud thinking about that conversation.
24) He was the best man in my wedding, and I in his. Wouldn't have had it any other way. He was petrified he would lose the ring, and more petrified of the bride's reaction if it happened.
25) He knows how to break it down. Like a big, hairy clown. (and though it looks like pants, I am totally wearing jorts in this picture)26) During the Deuce Days, he lived at The Deuce for two summers in a row, and it was awesome watching him immediately integrate amongst all the friends I had here, and become just a part of the group. He actually had a portable closet he kept in our dining room with all of his close. And sometimes, because he would get so annoyed with Tommy and Drew playing Tetris until the wee hours of the morning (especially when Wookiee is trying to sleep on the couch), he would hide Tetris. And THAT was hilarious.
27) I wrecked my car on the third Saturday in October of 1996. Fell asleep at the wheel of my old Buick on the way back to Samson, ran off the road and into a telephone pole. Head snapped forward, face hit the steering wheel, and it caught me in that space between my upper lip and my nose. Blood spatter on the windshield, and I was lucky I didn't break my nose entirely. Had stitches from one nostril to the next, and three feet of thin gauze in each nostril. And I was without a vehicle. And Wookiee, graciously if not begrudgingly, gave up the Alabama/Tennessee game to drive an hour south to Samson, pick me up and take me back.
28) Many of my favorite catchphrases somehow lead back to him. We went rock climbing with Michael Brunson and a few other friends one day, north of Birmingham. And when the rock climber guy in charge strapped on the harness to Wookiee, it was fastened around his mid-section. Before the V-shaped harness was pulled tight, the rock climber guy in charge gave caution to Wookiee for any necessary... well, adjustments. He said, "You may want to make sure and keep 'Sparky' in the 'V'" And "Sparky in the V" is a phrase that elicits loud laughs even now.
29) So, in the Three Notch House, in our shared bedroom, we both woke up on a Saturday morning around the same time. Neither of us wanted to get up, so we both went back to sleep. Around 11, we both woke up again. And then both went back to sleep. By 1 or so, we had agreed upon a contest... whoever gets up first, loses. About 515p, I won, when Wookiee had to get up and use the restroom.
30) Also in that bedroom, also when we are both laying in our beds, refusing to get up, we are watching TV... it might have been the same day as the sleeping contest, who knows... and the former President Bush is on TV. The annoucer is saying something political, with a "something something something something George Bush something something." And randomly, Wookiee pipes up, saying "Yeeesss George Bush". After I finished rolling in laugher something like 20 minutes later, I wiped my eyes and knew I had something. And the "Yes" catchphrase caught on big during The Deuce Days. Its not used as much now, but you'll still hear it from me, or Mikey or one of the guys from time to time. Yeeeesss Wookiee.
31) We are riding in the car with a friend of ours, some tiny little vehicle we were stuffed into--me in the backseat because Wookiee couldn't fit... anyway, at the time, Jann Arden had a big hit on her hands with the song "Insensitive", which came on the radio. I actually really like that song, and was singing along. Apparently none of us knew the second verse, though, because it was all quiet in the car when Jann Arden sang, "How do you numb the skin... after the warmest touch... how do you slow your blood... after the body rush...", to which Wookiee breaks the silence by saying, "Yeeesss body rush." I lost it.
33) We are all sitting around The Deuce one day, plotting on how to get the downstairs neighbors to move out, so we could rent that apartment as well, putting a firemans pole between the two apartments. I, who worked for a radio station at the time, said, "I'll broadcast subliminal messages that they need to leave!" Mikey, working at a bank, said, "I'll screw up their finances and force them into bankruptcy!" Shawn, who worked for the phone company at the time, said, "I'll tap their phones and black mail them!" Tommy, working in interweb stuff, said, "I can plant viruses in their computers!"
Not to be outdone, of course, Wookiee, a teacher, yells, "And I'll make their kids stupid!" I lost it.
34) The Great Rib Eat-Off. Tony Roma's, when they were open, offered "endless ribs" for $20 or something like that... Mikey, Big Tom, Wookiee and I went to Tony Roma's to participate in this feast of gluttony. Well, actually, Big Tom got something else, and I think I went the burger route... but Mikey and Wookiee went at it. And they ate, and ate, and requested more, and ate and ate and ate. All in all, they ate 50 ribs. Each. Between the two of them, they devoured 100 ribs. The lead cook came out to meet them and tell them that they went through an entire case of ribs, plus 4. The other patrons watched in
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| This is the actual napkin from that day at Tony Roma's. I dug it from the upstairs back bedroom, which is full of random Deuce memorabilia that I've somehow been able to keep... who knows if this will make it back upstairs. |
35) While typing this, its fitting that my 21st favorite movie of all time, "Major League" is on TV... like myself, Wookiee is a huge sports nut, and a sports movie nut too--he shares my love of "Major League"...
just a bit outside... going somewhere, meat? about 90 feet... and for the Indians, that's one run on, let's see...one hit? That's all we got? One goshdarn hit? [Monty: You can't say "goshdarn" on the air!] Don't worry; nobody's listening anyway... up your butt, Jobu... hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill!... personally, I think we got hosed on that call... I can't find it, to heck with it!... this guy threw at his own kid in a father/son game... forget about the curveball, Ricky! Give him the heater!
...but he also has a big hankerin' for "Mystery, Alaska", something I will admit I've never seen. That's a bad friend on my part. Hold on...
...I just added it to my Netflix queue, 7th on the list, in between the remake of "Fright Night" and Disc 3 of Everwood's first season. Anyway, Wookiee has an almost obsessive love of the Chicago Cubbies, the Boston Celtics and I believe the Dallas Cowboys. Being a Orioles/Spurs & Magic/Broncos fan, we always had something talk about--especially when it came to college football.
Though we love the line, now that we are married, Heywood's line "How's your wife and my kid?" doesn't work as well anymore. Sad.
36) You can't help but love a guy who does this to a swimming pool... our buddy Drew called it a "complete phenomena of water displacement."
37) At our very first DeuceFest, on June 20th of 2000, we had a karaoke machine... too good to pass up, Wookiee joins the father figure of the group, Mikey's dad Mr. Ken on "stage" to sing a rousing rendition of "My Way". It was quite a hoot. And a holler.
38) I became a Christ Follower in January of 1995. He became a Christ Follower a week later, led by the same guy, Reggie MacAllister. It was thrilling to relate our testimonies to each other, and share in such important spiritual matters as our eternal futures.
And one to grow on...
39) He's my best friend. Wookiee truly is. We've known each other since September of 1993, been friends since April of 1994, and he is my brother in Christ and my best mate.
Happy Birthday, Wookiee. Hope I made you proud with this dedicated post, though I'm sure there is something vital that I'm forgetting... Next stop... FORTY!! Well, 39, but FORTY sounds so much more dramatic.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Everybody's Free to Have a Quiet Time
So, sometimes when I am looking for something blog and I know I have to not only be up in about 7 hours for work, meaning I'll need to be in bed in an hour or so... and so tonight, I found this little gem. Well, to me its a gem, to you it might just be something to skim on your daily check of Clouds in My Coffee
...which I've noticed I'm getting alot of traffic daily, probably due to The Summer of Blogging--so... thank you so much...
...anyway, its the lyrics to a version of "Everyone's Free to Wear Sunscreen", done by Baz Luhrmann from 1999.
It originated in 1997, when Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune wrote a column entitled "Advice, Like Youth, Probably Just Wasted on the Young". She described it as "a commencement speech, were I asked to give one". Over the years, it has been erroneously attributed to Kurt Vonnegat, though it became truly famous when, in 1999, Australian film director Baz Luhrmann used the entire essay in a spoken word song entitled "Wear Sunscreen".
And by 2000, this song was everywhere. So, on January 9th, 2001, I did my own version. And I thought I'd give it to you...
"HAVE A QUIET TIME (EVERYBODY'S FREE)"
Ladies and gentlemen of The Deuce... read scripture.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, a daily quiet time would be it. The long term benefits of The Word has been proven time after time by God and joy in your life that comes with Him, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice...
...now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of The Deuce. Oh, never mind, you will never understand the power and beauty of The Deuce until it has disbanded. But trust me, in twenty years, you will look back at photos of Deuce Christmas and an old DeuceFest shirt and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much fun you had and how fabulous the Deuce guys really looked.
...which I've noticed I'm getting alot of traffic daily, probably due to The Summer of Blogging--so... thank you so much...
...anyway, its the lyrics to a version of "Everyone's Free to Wear Sunscreen", done by Baz Luhrmann from 1999.
It originated in 1997, when Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune wrote a column entitled "Advice, Like Youth, Probably Just Wasted on the Young". She described it as "a commencement speech, were I asked to give one". Over the years, it has been erroneously attributed to Kurt Vonnegat, though it became truly famous when, in 1999, Australian film director Baz Luhrmann used the entire essay in a spoken word song entitled "Wear Sunscreen".
And by 2000, this song was everywhere. So, on January 9th, 2001, I did my own version. And I thought I'd give it to you...
"HAVE A QUIET TIME (EVERYBODY'S FREE)"
Ladies and gentlemen of The Deuce... read scripture.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, a daily quiet time would be it. The long term benefits of The Word has been proven time after time by God and joy in your life that comes with Him, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice...
...now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of The Deuce. Oh, never mind, you will never understand the power and beauty of The Deuce until it has disbanded. But trust me, in twenty years, you will look back at photos of Deuce Christmas and an old DeuceFest shirt and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much fun you had and how fabulous the Deuce guys really looked.
They are not as lazy as you might think.
Don't worry about the future or worry, but know that worrying is as ineffective as McLeod trying to be entertained by watching Jason Takes Manhatten. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that has a Mercedes blindsiding your insuranceless car at 10:30pm on a random Tuesday.
Bring one new person to Common Ground, even if it scares you.
If you are Stephanie Campbell, sing. Unless you are Rebecca Glassco. Then act.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with Delta Zetas who are reckless with yours.
Use coasters.
Don't waste your time on jealousy... if she likes you, great, if she doesn't, being jealous will only turn her off of you even further. The race is long and though you may never reach the end, enjoy the run.
Remember compliments Michael gives you, forget his insults. If you succeed in doing this, you aren't Sarah Hasha.
Keep your old movie tickets. Throw away any bills.
Slam.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 20 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 25 year olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of Hamburger Helper.
Be kind to the Nipp family... you'll miss Sunday lunch when its gone.
Maybe you'll get a date, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll go out twice, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll go stag at Deuce Date Party, maybe you'll eat cheese fries on your 2nd anniversary.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, dont berate yourself to much either.
God's will is going to happen, whether you like it or not.
Enjoy the Deuce. Visit every chance you can, don't be afraid of it or what other people think of it. It has some of the greatest fellowship you'll ever know.
Watch the History Channel at least once a week, even if there are others things on.
Don't worry about the directions, just shove them behind the DVDS.
Do not read Shawn's Better Homes and Gardens, it will only make you feel gay.
Get to know Factor 7's music. You'll never know when they'll break up for good.
Be nice to your roommates. They are the best link to paying rent on time, and the people most likely to stick with you when everyone else won't.
Understand that friends come and go, but a precious few you should hold on to. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and gender, for as the older you get, the more you'll need somewhere to go and just relax.
Visit Hunter Street once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Visit Brookhills once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Accept certain inaliable truths... Daniel will have his palm pilot, and Ty Coffey will own Samford and Mike Williams will try to date Rebecca. When you get older, you'll fantacize that when you young, Daniel used an ink pen, Mike was meeting girls at Ropers and Ty was merely a Senator.
Respect Wookiee, Sybil and Jimmy, for they are your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to pay your bills.
Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a loaded roommate, but you'll never know when either one will run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you are 40 you will look like you are a minister at Valleydale.
Be careful where you buy your used cds and movies, but be patient with those who supply them.
Know that advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of sharing your opinions without seeming like you are telling the other person what to do. Usually its recycled advice spoken for more than its worth.
But trust me on the quiet time.
The Summer of Blogging Day Forty One
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Phase 10 With God
Another long day, another late night and I dip into the computer archives to pull up a Random Email of Encouragement (I've still got about 80 of these never posted, so I might use one per week just to fill in). I was actually going to post something I found kinda funny (I have about 30 email ha-ha things that can be used... again, maybe once every few weeks...), and in fact did cut and paste it here, then started to type the intro by saying, "Its late, just got in from playing Phase 10 with the family..."
And then I remembered this little gem that actually takes place around a game of Phase 10, a delightful card game that lasts hours and hours, and I can thank Julie Haynes in Troy for introducing me too... and I myself am responsible for it sweeping through parts of Virginia, lower Alabama and much of other parts of the country...
It should be noted that this ever so slightly lifts a concept from Leonard Pitts in the Miami Herald, but his game of choice was basketball... everything else has been changed.
From March 19th, 2001...
Phase 10 with God
The following story is not true. But it could be.
So, the other night, Justin Glenn, The Lovely Steph Leann, Jennifer Pritchett, Sarah Hasha and myself were sitting around at The Deuce. We were about to play Phase 10, when God called. He said He was coming over, so we figured we would wait on Him to get there.
Finally, about 8:30, He comes in. He doesn't knock, but then, who really does?
“About time, Abba,” Sarah says, getting the cards off the coffee table and heading for the dining room.
“Sorry,” God replied. “I was attending to the prayers of the sick in New Delhi. That and they are doing construction on 65 again… quite annoying.” (fyi--just as a quick aside, when I re-read this, the first thing I thought of, now that its 2011, was "some stuff never changes")
We all sat down at the table, and I begin to deal. Now, its not widely known, but God is practically unstoppable at cards. Its easier when you know what’s coming, I guess. Justin gets his cards and grunts about how crappy his hand is, while Jennifer seems happier with hers. The Lovely Steph Leann comes out of the kitchen with her glass of water, picking up her cards as she sits.
God seemed happy with His hand. Yeah, the hand of God seemed pretty strong, I think. So, as we are playing, I ask God what He thinks about this Indian guy that is in the newspaper. God, while laying down His phase immediately, replies He hadn’t seen the paper today. Before New Delhi, it seems He was healing a cancer in Omaha. Busy man, He is.
I reach to the counter and hand Him today’s paper, showing Him the story. It seems this fellow named T. John, an official in the Indian province of Karnataka, was forced to resign his position over remarks he made in a speech to some students. Apparently he told them the recent earthquake was an act of revenge by God for attacks by Hindus on the country’s Christian minorities. The quake claimed about 12,000 lives.
“Wow, God,” Stephanie asked, laying down her first phase. “Is this true?”
God sighed, drawing the 7 card Steph just laid down. “Does T. John know anything about these 12,000 people, you think?” He put the 7 on his cards in front of Him, an 8 on Stephanie’s cards and went out. “Do you guys know? Can you tell me which ones persecuted Christians and which ones were Christians themselves? Or Muslims or Jews? Can you describe the ones who stole from the poor or mistreated children? Or can you describe the ones who gave bread to the hungry or read to the blind?”
“Of course not, God,” Jennifer replied, shuffling the cards. She turned to me, “Oh, I had 60 points.”
God replied, “I wouldn't expect you to, Jennifer. But I can. Those people didn't die for revenge.”
“They why…” I caught myself, remembering how hacked off he got with Job pestering Him with questions.
God just smiled. It was kind of neat, because when he did, a slight spring breeze came through the open window.
“I know, d$. You want a world without pain. A world without suffering and loss.”
“That would seem like a good idea, Father,” Justin replied.
“Tis true, Justin. A nice world that would be, but that would also be a world without healing, without joy and redemption. Each one gives meaning to the other.”
Jennifer began to deal the cards, as I announced that God and Stephanie were on phase 2, Justin, Jennifer, Sarah and I were on phase 1.
“So, teaching lessons isn't why you allow chaos and calamity to happen?” I asked.
“Now, I didn't say that, d$,” God picked up his cards. “I mean, I thought Chicago needed a shot of humility, so I gave them the Cubs.” He laid down His phase, three cards with the number 4 on them, and cards 7 through 11. “Adam Sandler movies are my way of saying ‘Support your local library’. I’m not above sending messages.”
“Well, if that’s the case,” Justin asked, picking up the 2 God discarded, “then why does this guy bother you so much?”
“See, its simple,” He said. “People like him irk Me because they are always quoting Me when I haven’t said anything to them. Always asserting their own petty motives to My name. They are forever putting My name on some moronic thing that has nothing to do with Me.”
The Lovely Steph Leann discarded a 3. God drew from the pile, placed a 9 on the phase Justin had laid down, and then went out. It's like He knew.
He continued, “It’s not just him, though. It’s the people who declare war claiming I told them to do it. Its that TV preacher who says send him money or I’ll kill him. It’s the crowd that says I sent AIDS as a judgement upon some of my children. It’s the ones who hate in My name.
“And the worst thing about it, is that the things I DO say, no one seems to pay attention. I tell you to take care of one another. I tell you to honor your parents. I tell you to stop stealing, killing and coveting. I tell you I love you.”
“But you said those things a long time ago. Maybe you need to say them again,” Sarah replied, dealing the cards.
“I say them everyday,” God smiled back. “I remind you every day. In sunrises and silences, in breezes and in smiles, , in your encouragement mails, d$, and in Justin’s praise and worship, in love and even in tears.
“What about Marilyn Manson?” The Lovely Steph Leann smiled. “Should you just get rid of him?”
“You’d be surprised, Steph,” God said as he picked up a card. “Just between us, I've got some plans for him. Don’t be surprised to see him in Heaven. Trust me.” He winked at The Lovely Steph Leann, who blushed.
“You know what the problem is?” He laid down phase three, then went out. “You people make so much noise, you hardly ever hear Me. You talk so much I can’t get a word in edgewise. You need to listen.”
I wrote down my 75 points. “What, God?”
“My point exactly,” He smiled back.
God won that night. He had five points, but that’s because Justin skipped Him and went out. Justin had a stomachache later that night.
And then I remembered this little gem that actually takes place around a game of Phase 10, a delightful card game that lasts hours and hours, and I can thank Julie Haynes in Troy for introducing me too... and I myself am responsible for it sweeping through parts of Virginia, lower Alabama and much of other parts of the country...
It should be noted that this ever so slightly lifts a concept from Leonard Pitts in the Miami Herald, but his game of choice was basketball... everything else has been changed.
From March 19th, 2001...
Phase 10 with God
The following story is not true. But it could be.
Finally, about 8:30, He comes in. He doesn't knock, but then, who really does?
“About time, Abba,” Sarah says, getting the cards off the coffee table and heading for the dining room.
“Sorry,” God replied. “I was attending to the prayers of the sick in New Delhi. That and they are doing construction on 65 again… quite annoying.” (fyi--just as a quick aside, when I re-read this, the first thing I thought of, now that its 2011, was "some stuff never changes")
We all sat down at the table, and I begin to deal. Now, its not widely known, but God is practically unstoppable at cards. Its easier when you know what’s coming, I guess. Justin gets his cards and grunts about how crappy his hand is, while Jennifer seems happier with hers. The Lovely Steph Leann comes out of the kitchen with her glass of water, picking up her cards as she sits.
God seemed happy with His hand. Yeah, the hand of God seemed pretty strong, I think. So, as we are playing, I ask God what He thinks about this Indian guy that is in the newspaper. God, while laying down His phase immediately, replies He hadn’t seen the paper today. Before New Delhi, it seems He was healing a cancer in Omaha. Busy man, He is.
I reach to the counter and hand Him today’s paper, showing Him the story. It seems this fellow named T. John, an official in the Indian province of Karnataka, was forced to resign his position over remarks he made in a speech to some students. Apparently he told them the recent earthquake was an act of revenge by God for attacks by Hindus on the country’s Christian minorities. The quake claimed about 12,000 lives.
“Wow, God,” Stephanie asked, laying down her first phase. “Is this true?”
God sighed, drawing the 7 card Steph just laid down. “Does T. John know anything about these 12,000 people, you think?” He put the 7 on his cards in front of Him, an 8 on Stephanie’s cards and went out. “Do you guys know? Can you tell me which ones persecuted Christians and which ones were Christians themselves? Or Muslims or Jews? Can you describe the ones who stole from the poor or mistreated children? Or can you describe the ones who gave bread to the hungry or read to the blind?”
“Of course not, God,” Jennifer replied, shuffling the cards. She turned to me, “Oh, I had 60 points.”
God replied, “I wouldn't expect you to, Jennifer. But I can. Those people didn't die for revenge.”
“They why…” I caught myself, remembering how hacked off he got with Job pestering Him with questions.
God just smiled. It was kind of neat, because when he did, a slight spring breeze came through the open window.
“I know, d$. You want a world without pain. A world without suffering and loss.”
“That would seem like a good idea, Father,” Justin replied.
“Tis true, Justin. A nice world that would be, but that would also be a world without healing, without joy and redemption. Each one gives meaning to the other.”
Jennifer began to deal the cards, as I announced that God and Stephanie were on phase 2, Justin, Jennifer, Sarah and I were on phase 1.
“So, teaching lessons isn't why you allow chaos and calamity to happen?” I asked.
“Now, I didn't say that, d$,” God picked up his cards. “I mean, I thought Chicago needed a shot of humility, so I gave them the Cubs.” He laid down His phase, three cards with the number 4 on them, and cards 7 through 11. “Adam Sandler movies are my way of saying ‘Support your local library’. I’m not above sending messages.”
“Well, if that’s the case,” Justin asked, picking up the 2 God discarded, “then why does this guy bother you so much?”
“See, its simple,” He said. “People like him irk Me because they are always quoting Me when I haven’t said anything to them. Always asserting their own petty motives to My name. They are forever putting My name on some moronic thing that has nothing to do with Me.”
The Lovely Steph Leann discarded a 3. God drew from the pile, placed a 9 on the phase Justin had laid down, and then went out. It's like He knew.
He continued, “It’s not just him, though. It’s the people who declare war claiming I told them to do it. Its that TV preacher who says send him money or I’ll kill him. It’s the crowd that says I sent AIDS as a judgement upon some of my children. It’s the ones who hate in My name.
“And the worst thing about it, is that the things I DO say, no one seems to pay attention. I tell you to take care of one another. I tell you to honor your parents. I tell you to stop stealing, killing and coveting. I tell you I love you.”
“But you said those things a long time ago. Maybe you need to say them again,” Sarah replied, dealing the cards.
“I say them everyday,” God smiled back. “I remind you every day. In sunrises and silences, in breezes and in smiles, , in your encouragement mails, d$, and in Justin’s praise and worship, in love and even in tears.
“What about Marilyn Manson?” The Lovely Steph Leann smiled. “Should you just get rid of him?”
“You’d be surprised, Steph,” God said as he picked up a card. “Just between us, I've got some plans for him. Don’t be surprised to see him in Heaven. Trust me.” He winked at The Lovely Steph Leann, who blushed.
“You know what the problem is?” He laid down phase three, then went out. “You people make so much noise, you hardly ever hear Me. You talk so much I can’t get a word in edgewise. You need to listen.”
I wrote down my 75 points. “What, God?”
“My point exactly,” He smiled back.
God won that night. He had five points, but that’s because Justin skipped Him and went out. Justin had a stomachache later that night.
The Summer of Blogging Day Fifteen
Friday, June 10, 2011
This Week in Blog
Didja miss something being posted this week?
Here's your chance to have some weekend reading during The Summer of Blogging...
Day Six... Its a recap of Days 1 to 5, so you can start from the beginning!
Day Seven... "A Review of Pirates and Mutants"... movie reviews on the newest Pirates film and X-Men First Class
Day Eight... "My Yard Goes Disney"... thoughts on the newest HGTV show, featuring people that have too much time on their hands
Day Nine... "Feelin' Funky"... A random email of encouragment from 2001, using Susan Ashton's "I Go Down" as a message for the power of prayer in poopy times
Day Ten... "The Best Show You've Never Heard"... Wondering what The Deucecast is? You'll find out by reading this post.
Day Eleven... B@d Movie Trio... Three terrible films that I watched so you don't have too
Next week on the Summer of Blogging... The Deuce Remembered... more of the best of 2010... and OJ Simpson...
Here's your chance to have some weekend reading during The Summer of Blogging...
Day Six... Its a recap of Days 1 to 5, so you can start from the beginning!
Day Seven... "A Review of Pirates and Mutants"... movie reviews on the newest Pirates film and X-Men First Class
Day Eight... "My Yard Goes Disney"... thoughts on the newest HGTV show, featuring people that have too much time on their hands
Day Nine... "Feelin' Funky"... A random email of encouragment from 2001, using Susan Ashton's "I Go Down" as a message for the power of prayer in poopy times
Day Ten... "The Best Show You've Never Heard"... Wondering what The Deucecast is? You'll find out by reading this post.
Day Eleven... B@d Movie Trio... Three terrible films that I watched so you don't have too
Next week on the Summer of Blogging... The Deuce Remembered... more of the best of 2010... and OJ Simpson...
The Summer of Blogging Day Twelve
Thursday, June 09, 2011
The Best Show You Haven't Heard
Just got in from recording our podcast, The Deucecast, Episode X: On Stranger Podcasts. Have you heard our show? Then let me tell you about it, so you'll know...
So not too long ago, maybe March or something like that, Mikey sends me a text that simply says, "I think we should do a podcast. Call it the deucecast. what do u think?"
Immediately, I smiled... a podcast? A real, true life, on iTunes podcast? I was down with it, completely. Mikey is one of those guys that, when he is all in, he's all in. He's totally in. He's behind it a billion percent. And this idea had been perculating around his mind for a little while, to the point where he started prepping for it before he even asked me about it. Probably because... well, he' knew I'd be in.
After doing this website for just shy of six years now, I had been thinking of the next step, the next progression. Heck, I had decided a year or so ago that a podcast would be a great idea, one of my own where I could talk about what I want, having guests of all calibers to discuss and debate--don't know if it would have been interesting, but at least I would have enjoyed it.
Problem was, I knew nothing of a podcast. Nor did I have the equipment to even start with it. But Mikey... he had the equipment, or at least some of it. He needed me to kind of put a frame work on the show, maybe segments, games and so on. What we would talk about, do a "rundown" of sorts.
But how to get the show running, the techie stuff? Enter Tommy Mac and Shawn Sharp, who both have a great idea of how this stuff works.
Though Mikey was ready to do an hour plus show the first week, I knew we'd have to build. We met on a Wednesday night about a week or so after our initial conversation, and figured we'd put down some audio, talk about whatever, and that would be that... and after 90 minutes of playing with earphones, wires, sound levels, microphones, filters and so on, Mikey and I finally began to talk with Tommy and Shawn producing.
And it was dreadful. Part of the show is unintelligible due to a bad buzzing noise, the other part was just that we had no idea what exactly we were doing. I don't remember exactly what we talked about (I've never made it entirely through that particular episode on playback), but I do remember thinking that, "Well, that sucked... but it didn't suck as bad as it could have."
The next week rolled around, and this time, I actually brought "show notes", and a written "rundown". The rundown was just the flexible schedule we were going to go by, the show notes were typed out notes for my own use to get my own thoughts out a little easier.
Mikey's brother-in-law, and hubby to Mikey's sister Snipp, Matty, began listening from the beginning. Living in Chattanooga, he would email and text us both some thoughts and suggestions on making the show better... so it didn't take long before he became a "guest contributor", and then into a full fledged co-host.
So the three of us, Matty, Mikey and myselfy have hosted The Deucecast now for what was our 10th episode last night... well, thats 10, but we also did 4 "negative" episodes... meaning we took 4 weeks and did shows as a rehearsal of sorts.
You know how a big attraction at a theme park, or even a big store location has a grand opening, but before that, they do "soft openings" to work out the kinks? This was us. We took four weeks to work out the audio problems, to get our style down, to figure out segments that did and didn't work, games that needed redefining... and by Episode -1, we got it down. In fact, that is one of my personal favorite episodes!
We even called in some "guest contributors" like Hurricane Rhett and The Good Dr. Earl to come in every few weeks and add something different to the show. Perhaps Rhett's Rhants is one of our more popular segments, I'd say. We had best selling author Justin Fisher in-studio to discuss his book as well (and if you haven't read it, shame on you.... its great... book review coming soon enough) for our first in-studio interview.
So, you are asking, what's The Deucecast about? I'll admit, we aren't for everyone. Not that its bad language or anything, but some people (re: chicks) might find us dorky and boring... we talk about movies and music and celebrities and pop culture stuff for an hour every week. Mikey does a music segment where he brings up new music from sometimes obscure bands, and Matty and I make fun of him. Matt does a "smorgasbord" where he discusses whatever, though alot of times it revolves video gaming.
We also do an homage every week to actor/lawman/activist/humanitarian/musician/jack of all trades/master of all trades Steven Seagal, mostly catering to Matt's possibly unhealthy obsession to the guy.
And in our "Roundtable", we just talk about whatever. Star Wars is a popular topic, as is Charlie Sheen and I like to discuss Amy Adams (whom I'm in love with), but we cover everything from topical headlines to books to anything else. Just a random free for all, almost like we are sitting in the living room just tossing stuff out there... cause thats actually what it is.
Overall, its a fun show. I think its funny, but again, its not for everyone. However, if you haven't listened to it at all, take a listen.
You can find the website at http://www.thedeucecast.com/ and listen there, or go to iTunes and search for "The Deucecast".
So, before you write us off, give it a listen. When you find out we are actually unfunny hacks who just laugh at our own inanity for an hour a week, then you can write us off. But you have to listen to a show first. Heck, even Amarylis by Morning (up from san antone) thinks we are hacks--but thanks anyway to Painted By U for being a sponsor.
Okay, well, they arent really a sponsor, and legally, our show and her business have nothing to do with each other, and anything we say and do are not representative of the views and opinions of her or her business in any way (and vice versa), but if we DID have a pottery paintin' sponsor, Painted By U would totally be it, and if Painted By U wanted to sponsor a podcast, then... The Deucecast is it!
(summer of blogging, day 10)
So not too long ago, maybe March or something like that, Mikey sends me a text that simply says, "I think we should do a podcast. Call it the deucecast. what do u think?"
Immediately, I smiled... a podcast? A real, true life, on iTunes podcast? I was down with it, completely. Mikey is one of those guys that, when he is all in, he's all in. He's totally in. He's behind it a billion percent. And this idea had been perculating around his mind for a little while, to the point where he started prepping for it before he even asked me about it. Probably because... well, he' knew I'd be in.
After doing this website for just shy of six years now, I had been thinking of the next step, the next progression. Heck, I had decided a year or so ago that a podcast would be a great idea, one of my own where I could talk about what I want, having guests of all calibers to discuss and debate--don't know if it would have been interesting, but at least I would have enjoyed it.
Problem was, I knew nothing of a podcast. Nor did I have the equipment to even start with it. But Mikey... he had the equipment, or at least some of it. He needed me to kind of put a frame work on the show, maybe segments, games and so on. What we would talk about, do a "rundown" of sorts.
But how to get the show running, the techie stuff? Enter Tommy Mac and Shawn Sharp, who both have a great idea of how this stuff works.
Though Mikey was ready to do an hour plus show the first week, I knew we'd have to build. We met on a Wednesday night about a week or so after our initial conversation, and figured we'd put down some audio, talk about whatever, and that would be that... and after 90 minutes of playing with earphones, wires, sound levels, microphones, filters and so on, Mikey and I finally began to talk with Tommy and Shawn producing.
And it was dreadful. Part of the show is unintelligible due to a bad buzzing noise, the other part was just that we had no idea what exactly we were doing. I don't remember exactly what we talked about (I've never made it entirely through that particular episode on playback), but I do remember thinking that, "Well, that sucked... but it didn't suck as bad as it could have."
The next week rolled around, and this time, I actually brought "show notes", and a written "rundown". The rundown was just the flexible schedule we were going to go by, the show notes were typed out notes for my own use to get my own thoughts out a little easier.
Mikey's brother-in-law, and hubby to Mikey's sister Snipp, Matty, began listening from the beginning. Living in Chattanooga, he would email and text us both some thoughts and suggestions on making the show better... so it didn't take long before he became a "guest contributor", and then into a full fledged co-host.
So the three of us, Matty, Mikey and myselfy have hosted The Deucecast now for what was our 10th episode last night... well, thats 10, but we also did 4 "negative" episodes... meaning we took 4 weeks and did shows as a rehearsal of sorts.
You know how a big attraction at a theme park, or even a big store location has a grand opening, but before that, they do "soft openings" to work out the kinks? This was us. We took four weeks to work out the audio problems, to get our style down, to figure out segments that did and didn't work, games that needed redefining... and by Episode -1, we got it down. In fact, that is one of my personal favorite episodes!
We even called in some "guest contributors" like Hurricane Rhett and The Good Dr. Earl to come in every few weeks and add something different to the show. Perhaps Rhett's Rhants is one of our more popular segments, I'd say. We had best selling author Justin Fisher in-studio to discuss his book as well (and if you haven't read it, shame on you.... its great... book review coming soon enough) for our first in-studio interview.
So, you are asking, what's The Deucecast about? I'll admit, we aren't for everyone. Not that its bad language or anything, but some people (re: chicks) might find us dorky and boring... we talk about movies and music and celebrities and pop culture stuff for an hour every week. Mikey does a music segment where he brings up new music from sometimes obscure bands, and Matty and I make fun of him. Matt does a "smorgasbord" where he discusses whatever, though alot of times it revolves video gaming.
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| Seagal is all things to all people. And by "all people", I mean Matt Rector. |
I do a bit called "Buried Treasure" and discuss movies that you may have forgotten, movies like "Boomerang" with Eddie Murphy, and wrestling film "Body Slam", and sometimes music, like Hootie's "Fairweather Johnson" CD.
There several in-studio games we rotate through from week to week, like "Name That Crap", where everyone has to name the song being played, usually something along the caliber of early Michael Bolton or Lisa Lisa & the Cult Jam... we do a game called "Faux or Show", where we discuss horrible television shows from the past... and a great little movie game that keeps us laughing and bewilders us about how much random crap we know.
There several in-studio games we rotate through from week to week, like "Name That Crap", where everyone has to name the song being played, usually something along the caliber of early Michael Bolton or Lisa Lisa & the Cult Jam... we do a game called "Faux or Show", where we discuss horrible television shows from the past... and a great little movie game that keeps us laughing and bewilders us about how much random crap we know.
And in our "Roundtable", we just talk about whatever. Star Wars is a popular topic, as is Charlie Sheen and I like to discuss Amy Adams (whom I'm in love with), but we cover everything from topical headlines to books to anything else. Just a random free for all, almost like we are sitting in the living room just tossing stuff out there... cause thats actually what it is.
Overall, its a fun show. I think its funny, but again, its not for everyone. However, if you haven't listened to it at all, take a listen.
You can find the website at http://www.thedeucecast.com/ and listen there, or go to iTunes and search for "The Deucecast".
So, before you write us off, give it a listen. When you find out we are actually unfunny hacks who just laugh at our own inanity for an hour a week, then you can write us off. But you have to listen to a show first. Heck, even Amarylis by Morning (up from san antone) thinks we are hacks--but thanks anyway to Painted By U for being a sponsor.
Okay, well, they arent really a sponsor, and legally, our show and her business have nothing to do with each other, and anything we say and do are not representative of the views and opinions of her or her business in any way (and vice versa), but if we DID have a pottery paintin' sponsor, Painted By U would totally be it, and if Painted By U wanted to sponsor a podcast, then... The Deucecast is it!
(summer of blogging, day 10)
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Its Gettin' Hot in Herre
The Summer of Blogging Day Three
So, on Wednesdays, I typically work from really, really early in the morning to mid-afternoon, and when I come home, I immediately sit down at the computer and start writing up a rundown and show notes for The Deucecast...
The Deucecast is our podcast, and by "our" I mean my buddy Mikey and Matty, Tommy Mac and Shawn. We've also had Hurricane Rhett in studio, JustFish to promote his new book and The Good Doctor Earl... and so, today, like every Wednesday, I began typing up what would be our 9th episode, "At Podcast's End".
Two hours later, I was satisfied with what we had, having already emailed Mikey and Matty the details, gotten some feedback from them on a few changes and had a finished couple of documents. Glancing at the clock, its a little past five, so its time to finally get upstairs, change out of my coffee makin' gear and put on my not workin' gear and head out for a meeting at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship).
I walk up the steps, not paying much attention to anything, and about six steps in, I notice something drastically different. Its hot. Like, its really, really hot. Like a wall of heat I just stepped through, or ascended into, it was horrible.
The Cabana sports two AC units, one for upstairs and one for downstairs, and the thermostat for the top floor is at the top of the steps... it reads a nice, breezy 85 degrees. Like someone who opens the hood an jiggles a wire when their car won't start, then expecting it to just fire right up, I push a few buttons expecting the air to kick right on... aaaaaand... it doesn't. The thermostat is set on 74, the temp just rose to 86.
And I'm already sweating.
Long story short, some very dear friends of ours recommended someone they knew and used for their AC work--I wont say who the friends were nor who they recommended, not because I dont want to talk about them, but because I don't know if they's appreciate me telling the world who "their guy" is. But... our friends are rock stars and awesome, and The AC Guy is turning out to be quite a find himself.
My father in law, Big Daddy Ron, and Bro in Law Tyler stopped by first to look at the issue--Big Daddy Ron has built a few homes pretty much by hand, so I trust his judgement. However, there wasn't much he could do but try a diagnosis.
When The AC Guy arrived, who by the way was a rock star for even coming to our home at 8pm at night, he did a deeper diagnosis... turns out Big Daddy Ron wasn't too far off base, and myself and The AC Guy found the real problem...
There was water dripping from too much condensation, cause it to fill up the drip overflow pan, which shut the AC unit off for safety issues. Thankfully, the motor is still in good shape, the compressor still works and it seems to be a little cloggy drainage issue... we hope. We hope.
Apparently, some of the parts and labor is under warranty still... but it looks like our issue is not. The important part is, its cooling off right now. I went upstairs a few minutes ago, and it the temperature is around 79 or so, which is considerably better than where it had gotten.
The joys of being a homeowner. Can't wait til we need a plumber.
So, on Wednesdays, I typically work from really, really early in the morning to mid-afternoon, and when I come home, I immediately sit down at the computer and start writing up a rundown and show notes for The Deucecast...
The Deucecast is our podcast, and by "our" I mean my buddy Mikey and Matty, Tommy Mac and Shawn. We've also had Hurricane Rhett in studio, JustFish to promote his new book and The Good Doctor Earl... and so, today, like every Wednesday, I began typing up what would be our 9th episode, "At Podcast's End".
Two hours later, I was satisfied with what we had, having already emailed Mikey and Matty the details, gotten some feedback from them on a few changes and had a finished couple of documents. Glancing at the clock, its a little past five, so its time to finally get upstairs, change out of my coffee makin' gear and put on my not workin' gear and head out for a meeting at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship).
I walk up the steps, not paying much attention to anything, and about six steps in, I notice something drastically different. Its hot. Like, its really, really hot. Like a wall of heat I just stepped through, or ascended into, it was horrible.
The Cabana sports two AC units, one for upstairs and one for downstairs, and the thermostat for the top floor is at the top of the steps... it reads a nice, breezy 85 degrees. Like someone who opens the hood an jiggles a wire when their car won't start, then expecting it to just fire right up, I push a few buttons expecting the air to kick right on... aaaaaand... it doesn't. The thermostat is set on 74, the temp just rose to 86.
And I'm already sweating.
Long story short, some very dear friends of ours recommended someone they knew and used for their AC work--I wont say who the friends were nor who they recommended, not because I dont want to talk about them, but because I don't know if they's appreciate me telling the world who "their guy" is. But... our friends are rock stars and awesome, and The AC Guy is turning out to be quite a find himself.
My father in law, Big Daddy Ron, and Bro in Law Tyler stopped by first to look at the issue--Big Daddy Ron has built a few homes pretty much by hand, so I trust his judgement. However, there wasn't much he could do but try a diagnosis.
When The AC Guy arrived, who by the way was a rock star for even coming to our home at 8pm at night, he did a deeper diagnosis... turns out Big Daddy Ron wasn't too far off base, and myself and The AC Guy found the real problem...
There was water dripping from too much condensation, cause it to fill up the drip overflow pan, which shut the AC unit off for safety issues. Thankfully, the motor is still in good shape, the compressor still works and it seems to be a little cloggy drainage issue... we hope. We hope.
Apparently, some of the parts and labor is under warranty still... but it looks like our issue is not. The important part is, its cooling off right now. I went upstairs a few minutes ago, and it the temperature is around 79 or so, which is considerably better than where it had gotten.
The joys of being a homeowner. Can't wait til we need a plumber.
Monday, July 05, 2010
A Movie for Grown Ups
For anyone who knew me in The Deuce days, watching "Grown Ups" this past weekend made me think of one thing... this movie is what Deuce: The Movie would be if Deuce: The Movie was in fact a movie.
Adam Sandler's films have evolved over the years, starting out a little hokey (remember "Airheads"? Yeesh...) turning into borderline brilliant silliness and hilarity (I love love love "Happy Gilmore" and "The Waterboy", and know a inordinate amount of people who worship "Billy Madison"), before trying to get into more adult fare with little success--"Eight Crazy Nights", "Punch Drunk Love", "Spanglish" and "Funny People" were anywhere from mediocre to downright bad.
However, Sandler can still be funny. And when you throw in the likes of David Spade (who, let's face it, hasn't had a truly funny movie since the Farley days), Chris Rock (hasn't truly been funny in a real movie since "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"), Rob Schneider (aside from the random funny cameos in most Sandler movies, he was last seen being funny in... in... well, The Lovely Steph Leann liked 'The Hot Chick"--a movie that I dug not for Schneider, but for Anna Faris and Rachel McAdams) and Kevin James (who was truly charming in "Paul Blart", was the funniest part of "Chuck & Larry" and truly held his own with Will Smith in "Hitch"), you have got the potential to have a pretty funny movie. And for the most part, "Grown Ups" delivers what you would expect.
Its a movie that features a group of guys who were friends back in the day, all playing on a middle school (back then it was "junior high") basketball team that won the championship... they grow up and lose touch, but are all called back together when their coach passes away. They end up spending the 4th of July long weekend together, with Sandler playing Lenny, a successful Hollywood agent, married to Roxanne (Salma Hayek) with three completely spoiled brat kids. Kevin James is Eric, married to Sally (an incredibly good looking Maria Bello) with a couple of problem kids of their own, including a 48 month old son who still likes to nurse... from mom. Yes, that's 4 years old.
Rob Schneider is Rob, and marries a woman 30 years his elder, which makes for a running gag that eventually gets tiresome, while David Spade is Marcus, a player who never got married and still chases women. Finally, Chris Rock isToken homemaker Kurt, married to the bacon-bringer-homer and very pregnant Deanne (Maya Rudolph), with a few kids of their own.
What follows in the course of the hour and forty five is a series of vignette-like scenes that carry the group through the weekend as they catch up, learn about family and friendship and say lots of innuendos and poopy farty jokes along the way. You know, its five guys. They do run into the grown up versions of the kids they beat on the championship team back in the day, allowing for fellow SNL alums Colin Quinn and Tim Meadows to make appearances, as well as Steve Buscemi, who looks like he's playing his squirrely bug-eyed look to the hilt.
Some jokes are funny, some fall flat, but you just have to be into this kind of a buddy-reunion movie to enjoy a film like this. Having lived with three other guys who paid rent and like, seven other guys that didn't, all at the same time, I could relate to this film in terms of how people change, the direction that life takes for some... though I cannot fathom being that close to your homeboys, and then having no contact with them for 30 years. That's just... well, maybe I'm being idealistic, but that's almost unreasonable.
The language is fair, not too bad, and with the exception of Maria Bello's booby coming out for a nursing scene (without showing anything, by the way) there's nothing really bad in this film.
Don't expect to see "Billy Madison" all over again... if you can wait until the Ghetto Theater for a Buck, do so. If you just have to see it now, take a matinee, otherwise catch it on a rental in probably September or October.
By the way... the soundtrack is absolutely fantastic... REO Speedwagon... J Geils... Journey (something other than "Don't Stop Believin'", for once)... Jefferson Starship... The Kinks... Eddie Money's "Two Tickets to Paradise", one of my 100 favorite songs of all time... and Bob Welch's "Sentimental Lady", which Chris Rock's character declares to be, somewhat correctly, "the whitest song in history"... oh, and one more song that's in the movie, but not on the soundtrack...
That's Bob Seger's "Rock and Roll Never Forgets". Bob Seger, what the crap, yo? First, let's be honest, you rock. "Shakedown" from "Beverly Hills Cop II", rocks. "Hollywood Nights" rocks. "Still the Same", "Turn the Page", "We Got Tonight"... they all rock. And so does this awesome song called "Rock and Roll Never Forgets". And you can't find it on iTunes.
If you are Garth Brooks or The Beatles, who have catalogs that are both infamous for not being available, then I can understand. Why sell on iTunes, you got a bajillion dollars anyway. But Bob Seger? Seriously, dude. Open up that catalog. I don't want "Greatest Hits Volume 2", I want that one song.
Adam Sandler's films have evolved over the years, starting out a little hokey (remember "Airheads"? Yeesh...) turning into borderline brilliant silliness and hilarity (I love love love "Happy Gilmore" and "The Waterboy", and know a inordinate amount of people who worship "Billy Madison"), before trying to get into more adult fare with little success--"Eight Crazy Nights", "Punch Drunk Love", "Spanglish" and "Funny People" were anywhere from mediocre to downright bad.
However, Sandler can still be funny. And when you throw in the likes of David Spade (who, let's face it, hasn't had a truly funny movie since the Farley days), Chris Rock (hasn't truly been funny in a real movie since "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"), Rob Schneider (aside from the random funny cameos in most Sandler movies, he was last seen being funny in... in... well, The Lovely Steph Leann liked 'The Hot Chick"--a movie that I dug not for Schneider, but for Anna Faris and Rachel McAdams) and Kevin James (who was truly charming in "Paul Blart", was the funniest part of "Chuck & Larry" and truly held his own with Will Smith in "Hitch"), you have got the potential to have a pretty funny movie. And for the most part, "Grown Ups" delivers what you would expect.
Its a movie that features a group of guys who were friends back in the day, all playing on a middle school (back then it was "junior high") basketball team that won the championship... they grow up and lose touch, but are all called back together when their coach passes away. They end up spending the 4th of July long weekend together, with Sandler playing Lenny, a successful Hollywood agent, married to Roxanne (Salma Hayek) with three completely spoiled brat kids. Kevin James is Eric, married to Sally (an incredibly good looking Maria Bello) with a couple of problem kids of their own, including a 48 month old son who still likes to nurse... from mom. Yes, that's 4 years old.
Rob Schneider is Rob, and marries a woman 30 years his elder, which makes for a running gag that eventually gets tiresome, while David Spade is Marcus, a player who never got married and still chases women. Finally, Chris Rock is
What follows in the course of the hour and forty five is a series of vignette-like scenes that carry the group through the weekend as they catch up, learn about family and friendship and say lots of innuendos and poopy farty jokes along the way. You know, its five guys. They do run into the grown up versions of the kids they beat on the championship team back in the day, allowing for fellow SNL alums Colin Quinn and Tim Meadows to make appearances, as well as Steve Buscemi, who looks like he's playing his squirrely bug-eyed look to the hilt.
Some jokes are funny, some fall flat, but you just have to be into this kind of a buddy-reunion movie to enjoy a film like this. Having lived with three other guys who paid rent and like, seven other guys that didn't, all at the same time, I could relate to this film in terms of how people change, the direction that life takes for some... though I cannot fathom being that close to your homeboys, and then having no contact with them for 30 years. That's just... well, maybe I'm being idealistic, but that's almost unreasonable.
I almost feel like this could be Shawn, Big Tom, Mikey, myself and Tommy Mac in a few years. Or Wookiee. Or Drewski. Or, if you are thinking Chris Rock, it could be The Hall--though I would think if we reunited for a coach's death, it would be for The Hall's funeral. Then again, I don't fish... Just sayin'.
The language is fair, not too bad, and with the exception of Maria Bello's booby coming out for a nursing scene (without showing anything, by the way) there's nothing really bad in this film.
Don't expect to see "Billy Madison" all over again... if you can wait until the Ghetto Theater for a Buck, do so. If you just have to see it now, take a matinee, otherwise catch it on a rental in probably September or October.
By the way... the soundtrack is absolutely fantastic... REO Speedwagon... J Geils... Journey (something other than "Don't Stop Believin'", for once)... Jefferson Starship... The Kinks... Eddie Money's "Two Tickets to Paradise", one of my 100 favorite songs of all time... and Bob Welch's "Sentimental Lady", which Chris Rock's character declares to be, somewhat correctly, "the whitest song in history"... oh, and one more song that's in the movie, but not on the soundtrack...
That's Bob Seger's "Rock and Roll Never Forgets". Bob Seger, what the crap, yo? First, let's be honest, you rock. "Shakedown" from "Beverly Hills Cop II", rocks. "Hollywood Nights" rocks. "Still the Same", "Turn the Page", "We Got Tonight"... they all rock. And so does this awesome song called "Rock and Roll Never Forgets". And you can't find it on iTunes.
If you are Garth Brooks or The Beatles, who have catalogs that are both infamous for not being available, then I can understand. Why sell on iTunes, you got a bajillion dollars anyway. But Bob Seger? Seriously, dude. Open up that catalog. I don't want "Greatest Hits Volume 2", I want that one song.
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