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 Wookiee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wookiee. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
hey thanks
It's Thanksgiving time once again! From outta nowhere, the holidays are bearing down on our faces, because for some reason, Christmas is in December this year. Doesn't it feel like 2014 just barely got started? I'm not sure I'm finished with 2013 yet, and all of sudden, I have to deal with 2014 going away forever.
So here's something I've never done and thought it might be fun to do... give thanks. I've given thanks before here and there, but I figured I'd go big or go home... 100 thanks in a single post. Let's go!
First, let's get the big ones out of the way... my Savior, Jesus Christ (1), for whom it's all for. I hope my words encourage in a way that pleases Him. The Lovely Steph Leann (2), the best helpmate I could ever ask for, because she gave us Campbell Isaiah (3), who is a pretty special kid--he turns 3 in a week! What!
My job is secure (4) and that's a big deal. And it's not hard work either (5), which means when I go home, work stays at work (6) which makes for very low stress. And of course, there is my other job, being a Disney Travel Planner, and I am so excited to put more time into doing it! (7). Cause I'm good at it.
I mean, there is so much to be thankful for, so many blessings all poured into my own life. Things are looking up (8) more than ever... Campbell is making great strides in his development (9). No, he's not talking yet, but he's in a solid Mother's Day Out program at CASA (10) and in a great therapy program at Mitchell's Place (11). Insurance is covering much of the cost (12), so that's a huge answered prayer for us. He's signing more (13), and he is much more directional than he used to be (14), like when he leads me to the recliner, then pushes me to sit down, just so he can sit in my lap. That's worthy of a thanks (15).
We paid our car off this year (16) so that helps our budget tremendously, and it's one piece that's helping us form our plan for me to go full time with Disney Travel Planning (17). But I'll get into that later.
Got a new phone this fall (18), bumped up to an iPhone 5, which is nice. I love voice texting (19) though autocorrect is a bit of a hassle sometimes.
The San Antonio Spurs won the NBA title (20) for the fifth time, and the Baltimore Orioles made it into the baseball postseason (21). Can't say I have much thanks for the Florida Gators OR the Troy Trojans for the way they have played this year, but both Florida (22) and Troy (23) are looking at new coaches next season, so it's time for a re-start. Overall, though, the college football season has been incredible (24) and anyone who thought this four-team playoff would ruin the regular season is crazy, because it's done nothing but heighten the importance of dozens of games (25) that by now, wouldn't mean much except for bowl positions. And, of course, even though I didn't make the playoffs of The DFC, the football pick'em that I've run for now its 15th season, its still be a great season (26). Congrats to Big Eddy McBroom and Steven Ray for making DeuceBowl XV, set for this weekend.
I can also give thanks for the movies (27) and most notably, The Deucecast Movie Show--we are on a digital network now, Shotglass Digital (28) which is like being picked up for syndication. Pretty exciting... new episode dropped today (Tuesday) and is all about our own movie thanks. We owe a big thanks to the hosts of the TechnoRetro Dads podcast, especially one of the hosts who calls himself Shaz (29), and I am very thankful for my own co-hosts Mikey (30) and Pinky (31) and the rest of the Deucecast team, like Tommy Mac, Shawn and our endless rotating guests (32).
The blog is going strong (33), by the way, for which I'm thankful for. I successfully made it through the entire month of October, blogging every day (and some extra) and made it like, 32 days straight (34)... which, if you've followed this blog long, you'll know I've tried similar challenges and have failed miserably. My friend Corie Clark (35) really pushed me on this, along with a few others, so thanks for that. Corie, by the way, wrote a fabulous book about making life simple, called "The Simplicity Project". Full disclosure, I have't read all of it yet. But I've followed along on the challenges online, and will have it read and impletmented by years end.
If I get on the subject of friends, I could be here forever... but I'll tell ya, there are a few people who have really made me a better version of d$. Remodeling Clay host Clay Shaver (36) is a solid guy, as is Writer Chris Holmes (37) (who has his own book, mind you). A fellow named David Mike (38) is an extremely good encourager in all that I, and others, do, and his story is pretty incredible.
Thanks to Rachel Mayo (39) for being awesome--and extremely photogenic. No kidding, that chick can look great in an Instagram picture. May Bohon (40) likes to check in on me, which I appreciate, and Angie Buchanan (41) has also been pretty gracious to me and the family this year as well. And Amy Campbell (42), master of LinkedIn and owner of a resume company called the Red Checker, has also been pretty great to me this year.
I always have thanks for My Best Mate Wookiee (43)... I have been able to chat again with my friend Nikki (44) and my friend Laura (45)... and funnily enough, doing Disney Travel has helped me reconnect with my long lost friend Rebecca (46). I get a kick out of reading my friend Missi's (47) posts (she's one of my favorite people on social media. and gorgeous)... I'm thankful for the new friends in our lives, like the Kilgores (48) and the Rileys (49) that we haven't gotten to know... for the returning friends, like the Tucks (50) who returned to our lives... long time friends like DeNick & DeLisa (51) who are always helpful and generous... and the friends who have been here all the time, like the Rays (52), and Hurricane Rhett and Amarilys by Morning (up from San Antone) (53) and all the other families that we love (and love us) at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship) (54).
Also, I've planned trips for three different women that I dated in college (and their families). I wasn't saying "hey thanks" for that, I just thought it was worth a mention.
So thankful for Taylor Swift's new CD "1989" (55) and of course, "Shake It Off" which is my Song of the Year thusfar. Then again, it comes out just ahead of Pitbull's "Fireball" (56), which I blast everytime it comes on. But lest we forget Colbie Caillet's new CD (57), which is marvelous in it's own right. And Garth Brooks is back (58) and better than ever. Thanks Garth. You are the man.
My friend Teri Mo (59) made one of the best comments (60) I've ever had bestowed upon me, saying (paraphrasing), "I think d$ is great at getting his political points across, he's never disrespectful, he tries to stick to facts and I appreciate that." Fabulous comment.
We discovered a new place to eat this year, Urban Cookhouse (61), which is awesome. It's up at the Summit, and we frequent it about once per month. And to top it off, we are pretty fond of Steel City Pops popsicles (62), which The Lovely Steph Leann and I have probably had about 300 each so far this year. Addiction is a bad thing, kiddies.
You know what else I'm thankful for? Whataburger Patty Melts (63) without the onions. It's so, so good.
I'm still very thankful for Walt Disney World (64) and all the dreams and opportunities it holds. Campbell rode his very first roller coaster there, The Barnstormer (65) and it was truly magical, as he laughed and giggled and squealed the whole time. We went a few weeks back with The Lovely Steph Leann's parents, Big Daddy Ron and Mama Ruthless (66), and had a pretty great time. I'm thankful our room wasn't that expensive and was pretty large in size, and it was comfortable... I had stayed in Art of Animation (67) before, but everyone else was enjoying it for the first time.
The food is always great, as the Epcot Food & Wine Festival was going on, but the best part was the Captain's Grille (68) at the Yacht Club, likely my favorite meal of them all.
I'm thankful for my friend Aimee Sale (69), a fellow travel agent, who has been willing to help answer questions on the fly when needed, as well as my own agency owner, Frances (70), who has been an amazing travel agency lead.
My friend McQ (71) got married (72) this fall! It was a long time coming, I think, for her and her boo Jason, and it's so great to see them so happy... and I was honored they asked me to help announce (73) and I was thankful to be a part of the festivities.
The Republicans won the Senate in a landslide election (74). I'll say that I'm thankful for that, but I'll hold off on any further apprecation until I see what they will do... or won't do. You know what, they make me nervous (-74). I'll say I'm thankful that we live in a country where we can elect our leaders (74).
Survivor (75) is good this season. And The Lovely Steph Leann has got me watching HGTV, and I'm kinda hooked on "Flip or Flop" (76).
I'll always be thankful for my iPod (77) which helps me get through the day. From Adam Carolla (78) to Alison Rosen (79) to Rush Limbaugh (80) to the bevy of Disney World Podcasts (81) I listen to, I'm thankful I have it here.
Audible.com (82) also is owed a thanks. I've been a customer for years, and this year have been able to pick up gems like the memoir of one of my favorite, Judy Greer (83), and listen to Stephen King's "Mr. Mercedes" (84), which is excellent. The Harry Potter audiobooks (85) will always be some of my favorites because of the masterful performance by Jim Dale (sadly, not on Audible--I had to get them from the library).
I'm thankful that my home is less than one and a half miles from my office (86)
I'm thankful that I was able to give up three months of no sodas, called the #NoSoda30 (87). I drink some Coke now, but I've curbed my consumption.
I'm thankful my mama still loves me (88).
I'm thankful for my extended family, both with Randy & Angie, my bro/sis-in-law, and kids (89) and my other bro/sis in law, Tyler & Brynn (90).
I'm thankful that yesterday I spilled a little grease from an Arby's cheese stick on my pants and got juice from some squash on my shirt... and that was the extent of my Monday worries (91)
I'm thankful I can still afford to splurge a little and frequent Kingdom Comics (92)
I'm thankful that I got to spend a weekend at the Alabama Phoenix Festival (93) downtown, a nerd convention that I actually sat on discussion panels for.
I'm thankful for Sharpies (94). They rule.
I'm thankful for the WWE Network (95), allowing me to watch every Pay Per View without the expensive price--and the fact that Sting (96) showed up at Sunday's Survivor Series.
I'm thankful for Doug Benson's Doug Loves Movie podcast (97), perhaps my favorite podcast. Oh and for Serial (98), which is an amazing podcast experience.
I'm thankful that another year is almost over--not for the time has gone by, but that life is good (99).
And I'm thankful for you (100), for reading this blog as much as you do. You don't have to, yet you keep coming back, and I appreciate it more than you know. You fulfill the "writer" part of my "writer/blogger/podcaster/travel specialist" bio.
Finally... if you read this, and you wonder "Where am I?" (like my friend Katie (101), who is likely to text me and say "Where am I?"), then consider this number-- 102 -- that you are in. Thank you.
And Happy Thanksgiving.
Update... I completely forgot to mention this, and realized it a day after I posted this column... thank you to the men & women in the armed forces who are protecting us right now... thank you to the police, emergency and fire department workers who are keeping us safe as well... and thank you to those behind the retail counters, either being forced to work because of a crap schedule or because you need the money badly... thanks for doing it.
So here's something I've never done and thought it might be fun to do... give thanks. I've given thanks before here and there, but I figured I'd go big or go home... 100 thanks in a single post. Let's go!
First, let's get the big ones out of the way... my Savior, Jesus Christ (1), for whom it's all for. I hope my words encourage in a way that pleases Him. The Lovely Steph Leann (2), the best helpmate I could ever ask for, because she gave us Campbell Isaiah (3), who is a pretty special kid--he turns 3 in a week! What!
My job is secure (4) and that's a big deal. And it's not hard work either (5), which means when I go home, work stays at work (6) which makes for very low stress. And of course, there is my other job, being a Disney Travel Planner, and I am so excited to put more time into doing it! (7). Cause I'm good at it.
 |
| Here's a few things/people to be thankful for this year... |
We paid our car off this year (16) so that helps our budget tremendously, and it's one piece that's helping us form our plan for me to go full time with Disney Travel Planning (17). But I'll get into that later.
Got a new phone this fall (18), bumped up to an iPhone 5, which is nice. I love voice texting (19) though autocorrect is a bit of a hassle sometimes.
The San Antonio Spurs won the NBA title (20) for the fifth time, and the Baltimore Orioles made it into the baseball postseason (21). Can't say I have much thanks for the Florida Gators OR the Troy Trojans for the way they have played this year, but both Florida (22) and Troy (23) are looking at new coaches next season, so it's time for a re-start. Overall, though, the college football season has been incredible (24) and anyone who thought this four-team playoff would ruin the regular season is crazy, because it's done nothing but heighten the importance of dozens of games (25) that by now, wouldn't mean much except for bowl positions. And, of course, even though I didn't make the playoffs of The DFC, the football pick'em that I've run for now its 15th season, its still be a great season (26). Congrats to Big Eddy McBroom and Steven Ray for making DeuceBowl XV, set for this weekend.
I can also give thanks for the movies (27) and most notably, The Deucecast Movie Show--we are on a digital network now, Shotglass Digital (28) which is like being picked up for syndication. Pretty exciting... new episode dropped today (Tuesday) and is all about our own movie thanks. We owe a big thanks to the hosts of the TechnoRetro Dads podcast, especially one of the hosts who calls himself Shaz (29), and I am very thankful for my own co-hosts Mikey (30) and Pinky (31) and the rest of the Deucecast team, like Tommy Mac, Shawn and our endless rotating guests (32).
The blog is going strong (33), by the way, for which I'm thankful for. I successfully made it through the entire month of October, blogging every day (and some extra) and made it like, 32 days straight (34)... which, if you've followed this blog long, you'll know I've tried similar challenges and have failed miserably. My friend Corie Clark (35) really pushed me on this, along with a few others, so thanks for that. Corie, by the way, wrote a fabulous book about making life simple, called "The Simplicity Project". Full disclosure, I have't read all of it yet. But I've followed along on the challenges online, and will have it read and impletmented by years end.
If I get on the subject of friends, I could be here forever... but I'll tell ya, there are a few people who have really made me a better version of d$. Remodeling Clay host Clay Shaver (36) is a solid guy, as is Writer Chris Holmes (37) (who has his own book, mind you). A fellow named David Mike (38) is an extremely good encourager in all that I, and others, do, and his story is pretty incredible.
Thanks to Rachel Mayo (39) for being awesome--and extremely photogenic. No kidding, that chick can look great in an Instagram picture. May Bohon (40) likes to check in on me, which I appreciate, and Angie Buchanan (41) has also been pretty gracious to me and the family this year as well. And Amy Campbell (42), master of LinkedIn and owner of a resume company called the Red Checker, has also been pretty great to me this year.
I always have thanks for My Best Mate Wookiee (43)... I have been able to chat again with my friend Nikki (44) and my friend Laura (45)... and funnily enough, doing Disney Travel has helped me reconnect with my long lost friend Rebecca (46). I get a kick out of reading my friend Missi's (47) posts (she's one of my favorite people on social media. and gorgeous)... I'm thankful for the new friends in our lives, like the Kilgores (48) and the Rileys (49) that we haven't gotten to know... for the returning friends, like the Tucks (50) who returned to our lives... long time friends like DeNick & DeLisa (51) who are always helpful and generous... and the friends who have been here all the time, like the Rays (52), and Hurricane Rhett and Amarilys by Morning (up from San Antone) (53) and all the other families that we love (and love us) at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship) (54).
Also, I've planned trips for three different women that I dated in college (and their families). I wasn't saying "hey thanks" for that, I just thought it was worth a mention.
So thankful for Taylor Swift's new CD "1989" (55) and of course, "Shake It Off" which is my Song of the Year thusfar. Then again, it comes out just ahead of Pitbull's "Fireball" (56), which I blast everytime it comes on. But lest we forget Colbie Caillet's new CD (57), which is marvelous in it's own right. And Garth Brooks is back (58) and better than ever. Thanks Garth. You are the man.
My friend Teri Mo (59) made one of the best comments (60) I've ever had bestowed upon me, saying (paraphrasing), "I think d$ is great at getting his political points across, he's never disrespectful, he tries to stick to facts and I appreciate that." Fabulous comment.
You know what else I'm thankful for? Whataburger Patty Melts (63) without the onions. It's so, so good.
I'm still very thankful for Walt Disney World (64) and all the dreams and opportunities it holds. Campbell rode his very first roller coaster there, The Barnstormer (65) and it was truly magical, as he laughed and giggled and squealed the whole time. We went a few weeks back with The Lovely Steph Leann's parents, Big Daddy Ron and Mama Ruthless (66), and had a pretty great time. I'm thankful our room wasn't that expensive and was pretty large in size, and it was comfortable... I had stayed in Art of Animation (67) before, but everyone else was enjoying it for the first time.
The food is always great, as the Epcot Food & Wine Festival was going on, but the best part was the Captain's Grille (68) at the Yacht Club, likely my favorite meal of them all.
I'm thankful for my friend Aimee Sale (69), a fellow travel agent, who has been willing to help answer questions on the fly when needed, as well as my own agency owner, Frances (70), who has been an amazing travel agency lead.
My friend McQ (71) got married (72) this fall! It was a long time coming, I think, for her and her boo Jason, and it's so great to see them so happy... and I was honored they asked me to help announce (73) and I was thankful to be a part of the festivities.
The Republicans won the Senate in a landslide election (74). I'll say that I'm thankful for that, but I'll hold off on any further apprecation until I see what they will do... or won't do. You know what, they make me nervous (-74). I'll say I'm thankful that we live in a country where we can elect our leaders (74).
Survivor (75) is good this season. And The Lovely Steph Leann has got me watching HGTV, and I'm kinda hooked on "Flip or Flop" (76).
I'll always be thankful for my iPod (77) which helps me get through the day. From Adam Carolla (78) to Alison Rosen (79) to Rush Limbaugh (80) to the bevy of Disney World Podcasts (81) I listen to, I'm thankful I have it here.
Audible.com (82) also is owed a thanks. I've been a customer for years, and this year have been able to pick up gems like the memoir of one of my favorite, Judy Greer (83), and listen to Stephen King's "Mr. Mercedes" (84), which is excellent. The Harry Potter audiobooks (85) will always be some of my favorites because of the masterful performance by Jim Dale (sadly, not on Audible--I had to get them from the library).
I'm thankful that my home is less than one and a half miles from my office (86)
I'm thankful that I was able to give up three months of no sodas, called the #NoSoda30 (87). I drink some Coke now, but I've curbed my consumption.
I'm thankful my mama still loves me (88).
I'm thankful for my extended family, both with Randy & Angie, my bro/sis-in-law, and kids (89) and my other bro/sis in law, Tyler & Brynn (90).
I'm thankful that yesterday I spilled a little grease from an Arby's cheese stick on my pants and got juice from some squash on my shirt... and that was the extent of my Monday worries (91)
I'm thankful I can still afford to splurge a little and frequent Kingdom Comics (92)
I'm thankful that I got to spend a weekend at the Alabama Phoenix Festival (93) downtown, a nerd convention that I actually sat on discussion panels for.
I'm thankful for Sharpies (94). They rule.
I'm thankful for the WWE Network (95), allowing me to watch every Pay Per View without the expensive price--and the fact that Sting (96) showed up at Sunday's Survivor Series.
I'm thankful for Doug Benson's Doug Loves Movie podcast (97), perhaps my favorite podcast. Oh and for Serial (98), which is an amazing podcast experience.
I'm thankful that another year is almost over--not for the time has gone by, but that life is good (99).
And I'm thankful for you (100), for reading this blog as much as you do. You don't have to, yet you keep coming back, and I appreciate it more than you know. You fulfill the "writer" part of my "writer/blogger/podcaster/travel specialist" bio.
Finally... if you read this, and you wonder "Where am I?" (like my friend Katie (101), who is likely to text me and say "Where am I?"), then consider this number-- 102 -- that you are in. Thank you.
And Happy Thanksgiving.
Update... I completely forgot to mention this, and realized it a day after I posted this column... thank you to the men & women in the armed forces who are protecting us right now... thank you to the police, emergency and fire department workers who are keeping us safe as well... and thank you to those behind the retail counters, either being forced to work because of a crap schedule or because you need the money badly... thanks for doing it.
Thursday, June 05, 2014
the alabama phoenix festival
Every year, starting like, last year or something, Birmingham has hosted a geek-fest known as The Alabama Phoenix Festival, which is a small version of the San Diego Comic Con or the Dragon Con that happens around the country... I didn't get to go last year, but because our podcast--The Deucecast Movie Picture Show--was actually a guest of the Festival, I was somewhat expected to be there.
There are a few facets to the Alabama Phoenix Festival itself, which include the Exhibition Hall, a large ballroom area full of vendors, artists, dealers, writers and so much more. They had everything from a LEGO corner (four large tables just covered in LEGOs where people could sit down and just build stuff), to a huge Kingdom Comics area with lots of comics and toys to The Alabama Ghostbusters, who had several large set up areas... plus, a group is building a life sized Millennium Falcon, and you could sit inside a life size cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. I mean, how stinkin' cool is this.
There were also "Panels", or discussion groups set up all during the weekend, all day long. Topics included Anime... Ghostbusters... Star Trek... Star Wars... Lord the Rings... making costumes... making armor... Avengers... comic books in general... there was also a room for "Bronies" and "Pegasisters", which from what I understand, was pretty much one of the two or three most popular rooms the entire weekend.
Anyway, here are some little notes, stories and pictures from the weekend...
What's this "Bronie" or "PegaSister" you speak of? Adult male and female fans of My Little Pony. No, I'm not kidding. Seriously, stop laughing, I'm not kidding you at all. This exists. And it's big. They had a two hour singalong where every song from every episode of the latest incarnation was playing, and the entire room sang loudly and proudly.
The gem of the night came, though, when my buddy Hurricane Rhett let his daughter go in there unattended. When people were answering questions and discussing their love for the Ponies, little Catalina, 7, stood up and proudly proclaimed how her daddy had watched every episode with her, how her daddy loved the Ponies, and how he kinda gets upset when she watches My Little Pony without him. On an unrelated note, I saw Chris Hansen this weekend, walking around with some sort of transcript, a plate of cookies and a stool to tell people to "Have a seat right there."
There was a costume contest on Saturday night, where everyone who was wearing a disguise of any kind could sign up, walk across the stage, be judged by the judges and hopefully win stuff. It was entertaining, though only a few costumes really, really stood out. There were several Deadpool outfits, two of which really should have had the guy wear a cup of some sort... lots of witches, fairies, Dr Who related stuff, a few Walking Dead nods, and a full on Iron Man suit, battle worn, and an Iron Patriot suit, with flashing lights and an AC/DC soundtrack. Holy cow, it was awesome.
However, the winners of the costume contest included a pretty convincing Jor-El outfit, and a Jim Lovell Space Suit--both great, but Iron Patriot should of taken that prize home. They even brought up four of the fan favorites to the stage for the audience to vote via applause, with Iron Man and Iron Patriot being two of them. When the host asked for applause, Hurricane Rhett and I stood up cheering.
There was also a chick in an impressive handmaid antebellum dress ("I even made my underwear!" she yelled from the stage) and a costume that I was not familiar with, someone in a nautilus helmet. Must have been popular, though, as the audience went nuts over the guy. And he won.
The host was interesting as well... I didn't know her costume, but it allowed her the opportunity to place the mics between her cleavage and talk into it.
The kids contest was also funny, as there were are cute costumes all around. Rhett's daughter, Catalina, was a Zombie School Girl, though she didn't win--she might have done better if she'd played more to the crowd. Then again, the judges were off, because one cute 3 year old showed up in an incredibly awesome Kid Icarus outfit... and lost to another kid in a... Terminator? outfit? It was cute. But nothing like Icarus.
There are a few facets to the Alabama Phoenix Festival itself, which include the Exhibition Hall, a large ballroom area full of vendors, artists, dealers, writers and so much more. They had everything from a LEGO corner (four large tables just covered in LEGOs where people could sit down and just build stuff), to a huge Kingdom Comics area with lots of comics and toys to The Alabama Ghostbusters, who had several large set up areas... plus, a group is building a life sized Millennium Falcon, and you could sit inside a life size cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. I mean, how stinkin' cool is this.
There were also "Panels", or discussion groups set up all during the weekend, all day long. Topics included Anime... Ghostbusters... Star Trek... Star Wars... Lord the Rings... making costumes... making armor... Avengers... comic books in general... there was also a room for "Bronies" and "Pegasisters", which from what I understand, was pretty much one of the two or three most popular rooms the entire weekend.
Anyway, here are some little notes, stories and pictures from the weekend...
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What's this "Bronie" or "PegaSister" you speak of? Adult male and female fans of My Little Pony. No, I'm not kidding. Seriously, stop laughing, I'm not kidding you at all. This exists. And it's big. They had a two hour singalong where every song from every episode of the latest incarnation was playing, and the entire room sang loudly and proudly.
The gem of the night came, though, when my buddy Hurricane Rhett let his daughter go in there unattended. When people were answering questions and discussing their love for the Ponies, little Catalina, 7, stood up and proudly proclaimed how her daddy had watched every episode with her, how her daddy loved the Ponies, and how he kinda gets upset when she watches My Little Pony without him. On an unrelated note, I saw Chris Hansen this weekend, walking around with some sort of transcript, a plate of cookies and a stool to tell people to "Have a seat right there."
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This is the man, Brock Parker, one of the leaders of the Alabama Ghostbusters. And yes, there is such a thing, and has been for several years. He has his own working proton pack. He's a buddy of mine on Facebook for a few years, and we finally meet in person. Not that unusual, except we probably grew up around 15 miles from each other, as he's from Enterprise, Alabama, I grew up in Samson, about 20 minutes Southwest on a country backroad through Five Points. Not the Birmingham downtown 5 Points, I mean were five country roads come together to form a big circle, and a great place to say "Meet me at..." when you either want to fight or make out. Or both. Up to you. Where was I?
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I couldn't attend on Friday, as I wasn't feeling good, plus I had to help The Lovely Steph Leann take care of our offspring, but Mikey, Shawn Sharp, Hurricane Rhett, P!nky (our other The Deucecast co-host) attended, got some good pics, met some good people and had a good time.
Saturday morning, I was on a panel with Mikey and another podcaster, Shazbazzar, from the TechnoRetro Dad's podcast (he also co-hosts a Tron Podcast, which shows his Tron Love, considering you have only 2 movies a short lived cartoon series, you don't have a ton to work with) concerning the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII, and our hopes for it. Turned out to be a lively discussion amongst the three of us with help from the audience, including a dude in a Star Trek uniform who knew his Star Wars stuff.
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Ladies and gentlemen, Darth Vol. Yup.
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I sat on another panel on Sunday morning, a "podcasting" panel, hosted and moderated by AJ Wiley and Paul Smith, hosts of the Gobbledygeek Podcast, a popculture cast that's picking up steam in this area quite a bit. Along the panel were hosts from other shows, including several from the Earth Station One network and mostly pop culture. There was even an Auburn Football show and a personal podcast hosted by a dude who just "talked about whatever I want to talk about". Sounds like my kind of cast.
It was a good hour, as we all discussed why we started podcasting, where we thought our shows were going, our formats, our content being family friendly or not (The Deucecast is, many are not), and so on. I knew I was there with some heavyweights, so I had to chime in as much as I could, which I think I did quite nicely, holding my own. We'll release the show as a podcast episode, and I think Gobbledygeek will release the same hour discussion, at least in part, as one of their shows.
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Tommy Mac takes a ride in the cockpit of the starting phase of the lifesize Millennium Falcon. This is being built somewhere else, and will be on display when it's finished. I mean, a full sized Falcon? First, it's going to be insanely big... and I would probably pass out from the sheer joy I'd have, especially if I could walk inside of it.
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There was a costume contest on Saturday night, where everyone who was wearing a disguise of any kind could sign up, walk across the stage, be judged by the judges and hopefully win stuff. It was entertaining, though only a few costumes really, really stood out. There were several Deadpool outfits, two of which really should have had the guy wear a cup of some sort... lots of witches, fairies, Dr Who related stuff, a few Walking Dead nods, and a full on Iron Man suit, battle worn, and an Iron Patriot suit, with flashing lights and an AC/DC soundtrack. Holy cow, it was awesome.
However, the winners of the costume contest included a pretty convincing Jor-El outfit, and a Jim Lovell Space Suit--both great, but Iron Patriot should of taken that prize home. They even brought up four of the fan favorites to the stage for the audience to vote via applause, with Iron Man and Iron Patriot being two of them. When the host asked for applause, Hurricane Rhett and I stood up cheering.
There was also a chick in an impressive handmaid antebellum dress ("I even made my underwear!" she yelled from the stage) and a costume that I was not familiar with, someone in a nautilus helmet. Must have been popular, though, as the audience went nuts over the guy. And he won.
The host was interesting as well... I didn't know her costume, but it allowed her the opportunity to place the mics between her cleavage and talk into it.
The kids contest was also funny, as there were are cute costumes all around. Rhett's daughter, Catalina, was a Zombie School Girl, though she didn't win--she might have done better if she'd played more to the crowd. Then again, the judges were off, because one cute 3 year old showed up in an incredibly awesome Kid Icarus outfit... and lost to another kid in a... Terminator? outfit? It was cute. But nothing like Icarus.
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A working, moving R2D2, courtesy of the 501st Legion. I really want to join the 501st Legion one day... though the restrictions and qualifications are like, hard core. And expensive.
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I didn't have any quarters, or I probably would still be there playing.
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We were about to leave after the costume contest when we heard they were doing Who's Line Is It Anyway on the mainstage. So, Mikey, Shawn, Hurricane Rhett, our friend Lisa B-Dub, her friend Something or Other and Tommy Mac and I stuck around to watch. And it... it was... oh em gee... it was just terrible. Not funny. At.All. The jokes were flat, they didn't even follow the rules of the game they were playing, they stuttered and stammered and it was just... bad. I am sure the people in there were pleasant enough in real life, but onstage, this night, this group of people were not humorous in the least... to the point I winced a few times. It was painful.
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Set up across the room from the Alabama Ghostbusters, its the Florence, AL, Ghostbusters that provided the Ecto-1, which is pretty close in detail.
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Towards the end of the night, we were approached by a young lady named Sarah. She was a UAB student in psychology, and asked if we would be willing to take a survey. Thinking it was survey about the Alabama Phoenix Festival, most of us said "Sure thing," and took the clipboards to help out. It was three pages long, and it was absolutely insane.
It was not about the Alabama Phoenix Festival, that was very clear from the first few questions, and as we soon learned, it wasn't about any festival at all. It was about... well, the psychology of men and women. It was about preferences, feelings, emotions, stereotypes and even more. While I figured this would still be anonymous, we had also signed a waiver at the beginning, so our name was actually on the survey. Pages 1 and 2 were easy enough, though a little strange, but then Page 3 came.
All in a "Give a number 1 through 5, with 1 being strongly disagree, 2 being disagree, 3 being neither agree nor disagree, 4 being agree and 5 being strongly agree" answer format, it was questions about men and women, and the way we view each other. Questions about whether we men think we are better then women, whether we are uncomfortable when a woman makes more than we do, wondering if women have more potential in the workfield than men, and then, my favorite... "Men should always save themselves first, then women, in a disaster situation."
When we all finished, we all let Sarah know that we felt the survey was a little manipulative (it was) and not easy to answer truthfully (it wasn't)... "So, if you put 'agree' here, are you saying you 'agree' with what it says you shouldn't do, or should you put 'disagree', because of the way it's worded...?
Sarah seemed a little disinterested in our response to the survey, especially when Hurricane Rhett and I said the following:
Me: So in this question about whether men should save themselves first in a disaster situation... I guess my question for that is... how hot is she? Because that might determine what we as men do?
Hurricane Rhett: Yeah... and then, can she cook? Can she clean? Because if the answer to those questions are both Yes, then I'm a little more inclined to break a sweat over her rescue...
Sarah stared at us, forced an uncomfortable smile, and simply said, "...wow...".
It was awesome.
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Our new friend, Shazbazzar, in a Star Wars Clone Wars panel.
About that Star Wars Clone Wars panel... having never seen a single episode of the heralded series, I chose to sit that panel out, though Mikey and Shaz again led. There were two more guys that were supposed to be there, but failed to show, so again, it became a lively discussion amongst the two panelists and the audience. I barely had anything to contribute, though I did read a little about Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, who was working with the Kaminoans to... you know what, it doesn't matter.
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Stan Daniel and I discuss Star Wars and Disney for a solid hour. And it was magical.
The final one of the three panels I sat one was probably my favorite. Stan Daniel, owner of Kingdom Comics, and one of the heads of the Alabama Phoenix Festival is also like me, a huge Disney fan. So our topic was "May the Mouse Be With You... Always", which was simply Star Wars & Disney. It was supposed to be about merchandising, and much of it was, but we delved into Harry Potter and Universal's coming on strong, the prospects of a new park for Disney, what to do with Star Wars in the parks, hopes for the new movies, and Jedi Mickey. Afterwards, our friend Hurricane Rhett, in the audience, pointed at me and said, "I knew he knew Disney. But this guy KNOWS Disney." I was proud.
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I love Tinkerbell. And I didn't mind a tattooed Tinkerbell. I told her that I was excited to get my picture with her, and she made a comment about how she'd had two stalkers earlier today. Unsure if that was true, or just saying that because I came on way to strong, I laughed and told her I had the same issue when I wore my Tinkerbell costume. After she laughed, and then swallowed the vomit that she thew up in her mouth, we got a picture. Her real name is Shay Blaze.
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We also had dinner on Saturday, and lunch on Sunday, at Mugshots, a burger joint that I liked very much. My best mate Wookiee joined us and enjoyed the last day of the Festival, so it was good to have him around. The food was excellent, reasonable for the location and what it was and the service was also enjoyable.
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I told Stan that I was surprised there was no Harry Potter panel of any kind... they even had a "Hobbit: Book versus Movie" panel, but absolutely nothing Hogwarts, and how they should consider that next year.
He asked me what I was thinking, and I told him any number of topics would work... Harry Potter: the Books versus the Movies... Predictions for the upcoming trilogy (which I do not agree with)... Discussions of the locations and little seen characters... anything like that, though what I really wanted to discuss was the Legacy of Star Wars vs The Legacy of Harry Potter, including Universal and Disney in particular. That is a conversation I could spend hours on, and am planning it for a blog very, very soon.
He loved the idea so much that he said he would seriously consider submitted a Harry Potter track of panels next year, but he also wants myself and Mikey to come and debate in a forum against a local children's author and a local Harry Potter historian ("she knows Harry Potter like it's her Bible", Stan said later, which is good because if she's like me, I don't know my Bible nearly as well as I should). That will happen sometime later this summer, so that should be fun.
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All in all, we had a blast at the Alabama Phoenix Festival. Finally met Brock Parker, attended a real life Ghostbusters panel, saw how big the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon would actually be, met a tattooed Tinkerbell, whispered, "I love you!" as I walked away probably hopefully making her feel all kinds of awkward, discussed Disney, Star Wars and Harry Potter at length, saw a real R2D2, a real Iron Patriot, a real Iron Man, about 72 Harley Quinns, a Joker, a Dr. Who phone booth and just got to hang with my boy-oyz. So it was great.
By the way, what is it with Doctor Who? I mean, five years ago, few people cared, and now the TARDIS phone booth thing is everywhere. Should I be in on this? Do I have time for this?
Will be making a return next year, as we are already considering doing a live show from there and having a table in the Exhibition Hall to broadcast from and do live games from.
So, listen to The Deucecast Movie Picture Show once per month (though on iTunes, we have a back catelog of over 75 shows you can listen to as well), like us on Facebook and all that.
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
 |
| 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.
Friday, December 30, 2011
The Ten Coolest Things of 2010
And finally... after 11 months and 29 days, here are the ten coolest things of 2010...
The 10th Coolest Thing of 2010: "Toy Story 3"
Its a cartoon, right? You keep telling yourself that, and remember that when you are wiping your eyes if not for the scene in the trash conveyor belt, then for the ending scene with Andy and Woody and little Bonnie. "Toy Story 3" is one of the best overall films to come out in a long, long time, and probably one of the best 3rd parts to a trilogy ever. And Lotso Huggin' Bear makes a great villain.
The 9th Coolest Thing of 2010: "Hey Soul Sister" by Train
This song was everywhere... in commercials... in movies... on the radio... on television shows... and in my car too, via the iPod (44 plays in 2010). And talk about a singable song! Hey ay... hey ay ay ya ay... hey ay hey ya ay... With any luck, thats in your head right now. My favorite song of the year.
The 8th Coolest Thing of 2010: The GMAC Bowl
With his kids, and now with mine own child, time spent with my best buddy of 18 years is scarce. We do try to make it happen with a dinner here and a lunch there and a hang-out time over a televised football game, but with life in general, it doesn't happen often.
So in December of 2009, when Wook Fu called me up and said, "Hey you silly Mexican, my Wookette got me a pair of GMAC Bowl tickets in January, with Troy playing Central Michigan (the Chippewas), so you up for it? I want to take you, holmes." Of course, I was like, "Si! Si!"
I love me some college football, especially live and in person, and it was my 2nd bowl game. My first was the PapaJohns.com Bowl some years back, but the GMAC was my first for overtime, and my first ever double overtime game. Unfortunately, the Chips won 44-41 on a field goal at the far end of the field, which Wookiee and I couldn't see, but still.
Anyway, it was a great night, Wook Fu set us up at the glorious suites of the La Quinta Inn, and after the game, we drowned our sorrows in a big plate of Denny's. And the next day, we spent most of the morning touring the USS Alabama battleship and just enjoying ourselves. I took a ton of pics, but unfortunately, I can't find a single one of them. I know, I know, bad friend.
Love my Best Mate Wookiee.
The 7th Coolest Thing of 2010: Disney in December
Who doesn't love Walt Disney World at Christmastime? We were honored to even be invited to stay with the Zarzaur family at the DVC rooms in Animal Kingdom Lodge, which were glorious. We got to see the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, we introduced the Z Family to Via Napoli, which is now one of their family favorites, see lots of characters, ride lots of rides and essentially, have an incredible time.
The 6th Coolest Thing of 2010: "Inception"
Holy smokes, what a movie. I think there are two camps when it comes to "Inception"--those that love love love it (me) and those who hate hate hate it (not me)... there are very few people in the middle.
I don't even know how to explain this movie in a way that, if you haven't seen it, you will understand what an incredible ride the film takes you on. Its all about dreams and stealing dreams and implanting ideas in your subconscious and there are incredible visuals and amazing effects and so on and so on... and for the first time perhaps ever for me, I saw Leo DiCaprio not as Jack Dawson on the Titanic, but as Dom, the leader of the literal Dream Team. The excellent ensemble includes Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page as Ariadne (who names their kid Ariadne? Olive would be better than that!) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur, one of the coolest supporting characters in recent memory. And the fight in the spinning hallway is one of my favorite scenes in any movie in all of 2010.
Someone commented on this YouTube clip that "don't ask me what's going on, I was too confused..."
Once it passes the minimum 2 year time period from release, which will be some time this summer, "Inception" will find itself clearly planted in The Dave100, somewhere very, very high, like Top 30. And that's big.
The 5th Coolest Thing of 2010: My Big Screen
Not much I can say about this beyond... my big screen tv rules. Though sometimes the remote signal doesn't reach as far as I'd like it to. First world problem.
The 4th Coolest Thing of 2010: The Z Family
I speak of course of the Zarzaur Family. The dad, Chris, who owns Chris Z's, drives a Daddy Caddy and grills like a motha. Good guy, very loyal, very generous and has an uncommon (these days, anyway) high value of family. The mom, Melanie, who I've mentioned alot here, and I'll get to in a minute. There's Jay-Z, the oldest, probably the most like me (which is good. and bad. and good. and bad. let's move on) in his jokes, his mannerisms and what he spends his time enjoying. He's like the "independent, do his own thing" kid. When we all get to Disney World, he's just as happy touring the park from ride to ride on his own, could care less if anyone is with him.
Then there's Special K, the only girl, the middle child. You can tell that when she grows up, she'll be very pretty, but right now, she's in that "not an grown up, but not really a kid stage". She's very good at volleyball, and she's got this dry sense of humor that will sneak up on you. Finally, there's The Zach Attack. Whereas Jay-Z is a free bird and Special K is definitely a daddy's girl, The Zach Attack is by far and away his mama's child. He's funny, he's random, he's pretty good at karate and he is a genius at Words with Friends.
Put them all together, and you have five close knit wonderful individuals that have been nothing short of amazingly giving and generous to my own family. Whether being excellent company at Pablos or great traveling partners at our several Disney trips together. You may have noticed that this family pops up alot over the 100 Coolest, and with good reason... the Z clan has become embedded in our lives, and now is beginning to be as such with Campbell Isaiah. The Lovely Steph Leann and Chris are like kindred spirits, easy going, laid back, and at Disney, partners in slow walking crime, while Melanie and I... well, that's...
The 3rd Coolest Thing of 2010: Melanie
...she's my friend. If My Best Mate Wookiee is my best dude, then Melanie is my best chick. I've talked about Melanie off and on randomly and for various reasons, but mostly because we, as people, tend to discuss what's important to us in our lives at that moment. (Yes, yes, I know, I don't talk about my faith enough, and thats important, but that's an entirely different issue.)
Back to the point... here's what I wrote in a randomness blog in July:
...I see Melanie an awful lot, most of that at work, but many times at family outings and such. (seriously, we aren't stupid--its not like me and Melanie slumber parties at our respective homes or anything... its called boundaries, so stop your worrying)
That being said, let me brag on Melanie for a second... Well, she's awesome. She's gorgeous and she's funny and she's a great mom and she's cool and she's hot and she's all those things... plus, she's one of my very best friends. So yes, I do bring her up frequently on the blog site here, mostly because she's involved in half of my stories I have to tell.
We do have our moments, mostly when in the midst of battle behind the counter in a busy coffee war, but overall, she is one of the most loyal and dependable people I know. I know for a fact that I can count on her for anything. Ask The Lovely Steph Leann--takes a lot to put up with me daily (heck, ask Wookiee, he'll tell you--he lived with me for the equivalent of about six years), but she does it in fine fashion. What can I say? I love me some Melanie.
Oh, and it doesn't hurt that she's hot.
The 2nd Coolest Thing of 2010: My iPhone
Thaaaat's right... I freakin' love my phone. No joke. I love being able to check my email, or Facebook, or a score, or look up something on Wikipedia anytime I darn well please. Its addicting, and its probably not good for me, but I love it.
Here's what I wrote in August of 2010 in a post entitled "Pawn Stars, iPhones, Roller Derbies and Cryptosporidium (and other random things)":
Finally got me an iPhone. Not that I needed one... truly, who actually needs an iPhone? I mean, if you think about it, do we really need portable phones? I got by for 28 years without one, and sure, its nice to be able to call someone and say, "Hey, I'm on the way" or send a text really quickly to say, "Remind me again what time the movie is" or "Can you pick up some milk?" but really, do we need one?
The answer? We do now. Its become an integral part of life. We'd survive without it, but why do we have to? That's like saying, "Well, yeah, we'd get by if every Baha Burger or Chipotle closed its doors forever" but why would we want to do that?
Racing home, I found it sitting on the end table, as The Lovely Steph Leann was home for lunch while the FedEx guy stopped by. I tore it open like a kid tearing into a Christmas gift, pulled out the box, opened it with my teeth and picked up my black 3GS iPhone... and plugged it in.
Went to church, as we came back, turned it on, no service. Figured we'd go by the AT&T store, get it solved. Well, the store closed at 7pm. And its 754pm. Called AT&T, and was told that I had to go back to the store upon which I purchased the phone. So, at 9am, I have to go. Until then, no service. No phone.
I did end up getting service, the very next day... and never looked back. Rock on.
And finally...
The Coolest Thing of 2010 is.... RED ROBIN
From November 21st, 2010, in "Just Don't Tell Dave Ramsey"...
I ask to test drive the KIA Soul. He goes and gets the keys, and we pull out of the lot, a car with 31 miles on it. Its... its just cool. Its just fun. Its bright red, a color that I usually associate with 21 year old guys in Mustangs or convertibles to pick up chicks, and higher insurance rates, so I ask about other colors, and am assured that if I want this car, they'll get me whatever color I want. Of course they will, its a car dealership.
I've already done some research on the KIA Soul, and have liked what I'd seen... its quite safe, it holds appreciation well, its sporty, its not too expensive, its roomier than most cars of its kind and so on. And in driving it... its fun. I like this car. And this is not good, because this thing is brand new! This thing is costly! There's no way we're going to be driving away with a KIA Soul. The Lovely Steph Leann won't allow such a mockery of Dave Ramsey Justice! Right? Right?
I noticed something as we walked around a little afterwards... the KIA Rio is about $1200 more than the KIA Soul. So... if we wanted to get the Rio, which The Lovely Steph Leann liked, then... wouldn't the Soul make more sense? Its bigger... and cheaper?
Smashcut to a half hour later... we are sitting in Gene's little cubicle and he's in front of us, hands clasped, elbows on table, telling us that he wants us to drive off the lot in a new car. Of course he does. This is a car dealership.
The Lovely Steph Leann and I listen to his pitch, and both simply tell him, "No". It was too much. Too much down, too much in car payments, car payments that we were trying to avoid all together. He had written down the details on a piece of paper, and they only would pay $500 for Toni Rocki Honda, which was a travesty in my own mind. Sure, she needs a $1000 repair in air conditioning, but I am pretty sure I could get a grand for her on Craigslist or even the paper, but $500?
And I watch the car salesmen tricks unfold... "Okay, what if I do this? What if [crossing out the number 500 and writing in pen] we give you a $1000 [writing the number 1-0-0-0] for your Honda?" We say "No". "Okay, well what if I say you don't have to put this much down [crosses out the amount down] and you only put this much down [writes down another number] and we say "No".
He says, "Okay, let me go run some more numbers", and runs off to do a credit check, leaving The Lovely Steph Leann and I alone. We start chatting quietly about what we are going to do, and suddenly, getting a new car, the bright red KIA Soul, is a distinct possibility. A real possibility.
The Lovely Steph Leann is the budgeter in our family, the "Nerd", is Ramsey speak. I am the "Free Spirit", the one who spends a little more than he should, so I'm leaning on her, my wife, heavily to help me through this (isn't that the way it should be, really?). She says one single "No way, we can't do this", then I'm not going to fight her for it. I tell her straight up that there is a certain threshold of savings I want to keep in there, and no matter what, we don't go below that. She tells me what the reality is of our budget.
Gene comes back with another set of details and agreements. I smile and simply say, "Okay, man, listen... this is a great deal. We have talked about it, and we agree this is a great deal, but we just don't think we can do it. We weren't looking for car payments, we don't want to kill our savings and really, if we have to say yes or no at this very moment, we'd have to say 'no'." Gene tells us, "I understand. But let me just tell ya, we haven't sold a car today. I'm going to do what it takes to get you into this car." He gets up and runs out.
Gene comes back in, with the same piece of paper, folded over, with words written in Sharpie at the top, saying "XMAS COMES EARLY HO HO HO", with some details on the bottom. And the details are... (read how it unfolds by clicking here)
So there ya go. The 100 Coolest Things of 2010, about a year late. What say we do The 100 Coolest Things of 2011 list a little quicker this time, eh?
Oh yeah... honorable mention...
Brad Latta
The 10th Coolest Thing of 2010: "Toy Story 3"
Its a cartoon, right? You keep telling yourself that, and remember that when you are wiping your eyes if not for the scene in the trash conveyor belt, then for the ending scene with Andy and Woody and little Bonnie. "Toy Story 3" is one of the best overall films to come out in a long, long time, and probably one of the best 3rd parts to a trilogy ever. And Lotso Huggin' Bear makes a great villain.
The 9th Coolest Thing of 2010: "Hey Soul Sister" by Train
This song was everywhere... in commercials... in movies... on the radio... on television shows... and in my car too, via the iPod (44 plays in 2010). And talk about a singable song! Hey ay... hey ay ay ya ay... hey ay hey ya ay... With any luck, thats in your head right now. My favorite song of the year.
The 8th Coolest Thing of 2010: The GMAC Bowl
With his kids, and now with mine own child, time spent with my best buddy of 18 years is scarce. We do try to make it happen with a dinner here and a lunch there and a hang-out time over a televised football game, but with life in general, it doesn't happen often.
So in December of 2009, when Wook Fu called me up and said, "Hey you silly Mexican, my Wookette got me a pair of GMAC Bowl tickets in January, with Troy playing Central Michigan (the Chippewas), so you up for it? I want to take you, holmes." Of course, I was like, "Si! Si!"
I love me some college football, especially live and in person, and it was my 2nd bowl game. My first was the PapaJohns.com Bowl some years back, but the GMAC was my first for overtime, and my first ever double overtime game. Unfortunately, the Chips won 44-41 on a field goal at the far end of the field, which Wookiee and I couldn't see, but still.
Anyway, it was a great night, Wook Fu set us up at the glorious suites of the La Quinta Inn, and after the game, we drowned our sorrows in a big plate of Denny's. And the next day, we spent most of the morning touring the USS Alabama battleship and just enjoying ourselves. I took a ton of pics, but unfortunately, I can't find a single one of them. I know, I know, bad friend.
Love my Best Mate Wookiee.
The 7th Coolest Thing of 2010: Disney in December
The 6th Coolest Thing of 2010: "Inception"
Holy smokes, what a movie. I think there are two camps when it comes to "Inception"--those that love love love it (me) and those who hate hate hate it (not me)... there are very few people in the middle.
I don't even know how to explain this movie in a way that, if you haven't seen it, you will understand what an incredible ride the film takes you on. Its all about dreams and stealing dreams and implanting ideas in your subconscious and there are incredible visuals and amazing effects and so on and so on... and for the first time perhaps ever for me, I saw Leo DiCaprio not as Jack Dawson on the Titanic, but as Dom, the leader of the literal Dream Team. The excellent ensemble includes Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page as Ariadne (who names their kid Ariadne? Olive would be better than that!) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur, one of the coolest supporting characters in recent memory. And the fight in the spinning hallway is one of my favorite scenes in any movie in all of 2010.
Someone commented on this YouTube clip that "don't ask me what's going on, I was too confused..."
Once it passes the minimum 2 year time period from release, which will be some time this summer, "Inception" will find itself clearly planted in The Dave100, somewhere very, very high, like Top 30. And that's big.
The 5th Coolest Thing of 2010: My Big Screen
Not much I can say about this beyond... my big screen tv rules. Though sometimes the remote signal doesn't reach as far as I'd like it to. First world problem.
The 4th Coolest Thing of 2010: The Z Family
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| The Z's... Chris and Melanie in the back, Special K, The Zach Attack and Jay-Z in the front |
Then there's Special K, the only girl, the middle child. You can tell that when she grows up, she'll be very pretty, but right now, she's in that "not an grown up, but not really a kid stage". She's very good at volleyball, and she's got this dry sense of humor that will sneak up on you. Finally, there's The Zach Attack. Whereas Jay-Z is a free bird and Special K is definitely a daddy's girl, The Zach Attack is by far and away his mama's child. He's funny, he's random, he's pretty good at karate and he is a genius at Words with Friends.
Put them all together, and you have five close knit wonderful individuals that have been nothing short of amazingly giving and generous to my own family. Whether being excellent company at Pablos or great traveling partners at our several Disney trips together. You may have noticed that this family pops up alot over the 100 Coolest, and with good reason... the Z clan has become embedded in our lives, and now is beginning to be as such with Campbell Isaiah. The Lovely Steph Leann and Chris are like kindred spirits, easy going, laid back, and at Disney, partners in slow walking crime, while Melanie and I... well, that's...
The 3rd Coolest Thing of 2010: Melanie
...she's my friend. If My Best Mate Wookiee is my best dude, then Melanie is my best chick. I've talked about Melanie off and on randomly and for various reasons, but mostly because we, as people, tend to discuss what's important to us in our lives at that moment. (Yes, yes, I know, I don't talk about my faith enough, and thats important, but that's an entirely different issue.)
Back to the point... here's what I wrote in a randomness blog in July:
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| At a Christmas gathering (I think...) |
That being said, let me brag on Melanie for a second... Well, she's awesome. She's gorgeous and she's funny and she's a great mom and she's cool and she's hot and she's all those things... plus, she's one of my very best friends. So yes, I do bring her up frequently on the blog site here, mostly because she's involved in half of my stories I have to tell.
We do have our moments, mostly when in the midst of battle behind the counter in a busy coffee war, but overall, she is one of the most loyal and dependable people I know. I know for a fact that I can count on her for anything. Ask The Lovely Steph Leann--takes a lot to put up with me daily (heck, ask Wookiee, he'll tell you--he lived with me for the equivalent of about six years), but she does it in fine fashion. What can I say? I love me some Melanie.
Oh, and it doesn't hurt that she's hot.
The 2nd Coolest Thing of 2010: My iPhone
Thaaaat's right... I freakin' love my phone. No joke. I love being able to check my email, or Facebook, or a score, or look up something on Wikipedia anytime I darn well please. Its addicting, and its probably not good for me, but I love it.
Here's what I wrote in August of 2010 in a post entitled "Pawn Stars, iPhones, Roller Derbies and Cryptosporidium (and other random things)":
Finally got me an iPhone. Not that I needed one... truly, who actually needs an iPhone? I mean, if you think about it, do we really need portable phones? I got by for 28 years without one, and sure, its nice to be able to call someone and say, "Hey, I'm on the way" or send a text really quickly to say, "Remind me again what time the movie is" or "Can you pick up some milk?" but really, do we need one?
The answer? We do now. Its become an integral part of life. We'd survive without it, but why do we have to? That's like saying, "Well, yeah, we'd get by if every Baha Burger or Chipotle closed its doors forever" but why would we want to do that?
Racing home, I found it sitting on the end table, as The Lovely Steph Leann was home for lunch while the FedEx guy stopped by. I tore it open like a kid tearing into a Christmas gift, pulled out the box, opened it with my teeth and picked up my black 3GS iPhone... and plugged it in.
Went to church, as we came back, turned it on, no service. Figured we'd go by the AT&T store, get it solved. Well, the store closed at 7pm. And its 754pm. Called AT&T, and was told that I had to go back to the store upon which I purchased the phone. So, at 9am, I have to go. Until then, no service. No phone.
I did end up getting service, the very next day... and never looked back. Rock on.
And finally...
The Coolest Thing of 2010 is.... RED ROBIN
From November 21st, 2010, in "Just Don't Tell Dave Ramsey"...
I've already done some research on the KIA Soul, and have liked what I'd seen... its quite safe, it holds appreciation well, its sporty, its not too expensive, its roomier than most cars of its kind and so on. And in driving it... its fun. I like this car. And this is not good, because this thing is brand new! This thing is costly! There's no way we're going to be driving away with a KIA Soul. The Lovely Steph Leann won't allow such a mockery of Dave Ramsey Justice! Right? Right?
I noticed something as we walked around a little afterwards... the KIA Rio is about $1200 more than the KIA Soul. So... if we wanted to get the Rio, which The Lovely Steph Leann liked, then... wouldn't the Soul make more sense? Its bigger... and cheaper?
Smashcut to a half hour later... we are sitting in Gene's little cubicle and he's in front of us, hands clasped, elbows on table, telling us that he wants us to drive off the lot in a new car. Of course he does. This is a car dealership.
The Lovely Steph Leann and I listen to his pitch, and both simply tell him, "No". It was too much. Too much down, too much in car payments, car payments that we were trying to avoid all together. He had written down the details on a piece of paper, and they only would pay $500 for Toni Rocki Honda, which was a travesty in my own mind. Sure, she needs a $1000 repair in air conditioning, but I am pretty sure I could get a grand for her on Craigslist or even the paper, but $500?
And I watch the car salesmen tricks unfold... "Okay, what if I do this? What if [crossing out the number 500 and writing in pen] we give you a $1000 [writing the number 1-0-0-0] for your Honda?" We say "No". "Okay, well what if I say you don't have to put this much down [crosses out the amount down] and you only put this much down [writes down another number] and we say "No".
He says, "Okay, let me go run some more numbers", and runs off to do a credit check, leaving The Lovely Steph Leann and I alone. We start chatting quietly about what we are going to do, and suddenly, getting a new car, the bright red KIA Soul, is a distinct possibility. A real possibility.
The Lovely Steph Leann is the budgeter in our family, the "Nerd", is Ramsey speak. I am the "Free Spirit", the one who spends a little more than he should, so I'm leaning on her, my wife, heavily to help me through this (isn't that the way it should be, really?). She says one single "No way, we can't do this", then I'm not going to fight her for it. I tell her straight up that there is a certain threshold of savings I want to keep in there, and no matter what, we don't go below that. She tells me what the reality is of our budget.
Gene comes back with another set of details and agreements. I smile and simply say, "Okay, man, listen... this is a great deal. We have talked about it, and we agree this is a great deal, but we just don't think we can do it. We weren't looking for car payments, we don't want to kill our savings and really, if we have to say yes or no at this very moment, we'd have to say 'no'." Gene tells us, "I understand. But let me just tell ya, we haven't sold a car today. I'm going to do what it takes to get you into this car." He gets up and runs out.
Gene comes back in, with the same piece of paper, folded over, with words written in Sharpie at the top, saying "XMAS COMES EARLY HO HO HO", with some details on the bottom. And the details are... (read how it unfolds by clicking here)
So there ya go. The 100 Coolest Things of 2010, about a year late. What say we do The 100 Coolest Things of 2011 list a little quicker this time, eh?
Oh yeah... honorable mention...
Brad Latta
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