Bachelor Party - Oh yeah!
Did I mention that I was getting married on the 21st? Oh yeah, well I am. So now that that's out of the way I can talk about my activities over this past weekend.
My friends threw me an unofficial bachelor party. I actually told everyone I did not want to have one but I am never opposed to going out with the guys. So it was guys night out using my bachelor celebration as the excuse.
First stop was a Hooters Family Fun Filled Restaurant. Great time. A friend in the group is recovering from a breakup so I spent most of the night nudging (he would say bruising) his arm to check out the waitresses. Yes a family restaurant, bring the kids, ogle the employees in their skimpy uniforms, have some chicken wings. The guys picked up my bill after I argued for about 3/10 of a second. Thank you.
From there we went and caught a flick. There was much debate about what we wanted to see, which we had down to Matrix Reloaded, Italian Job, A Mighty Wind and Finding Nemo. Yes a bunch of 30 something guys on a bachelor outing considered Finding Nemo as flick of choice for the night. We decided on Italian Job because no one had seen it, it was on everyone's list and not on anyone's wife's list (which is why Finding Nemo was struck down). It was an entertaining film. I didn't see the original with Michael Caine but I think they did a good job so it was a good pick for us. Sorry no review.
The movie let out about quarter after midnight so it was back to my house to decide what was next. Strip club was suggested. Everybody was game, but a couple bailed due to the late hour. So off some of us go to the strip club to wallow in depravity.
Did I mention it was my first visit to a strip club? Well yeah it was. So now that that's out of the way, I can talk about what it's like for a new guy to be at a strip club.
I must say, for the most part it was what I expected. I mean I've seen Sopranos and the Bada Bing so that qualifies me as a strip club expert. But it didn't really sink in until I was actually sitting in one that, and excuse me for talking like a kid who just saw Porky's for the first time, there were naked women walking around the joint, doing their job like you would see at any establishment, only sans clothes. I have to say that it was quite entertaining to see waitresses walking around with nothing on but a G-string taking your drink order. Where else can you get that?
Then it got interesting.
We had picked up a couple of our wives to go with us, including mine or in my case my soon-to-be-wife. One of the other guy's wife ordered a lap dance. Is ordered the right word? Would you like to super size that? Anyway she ordered the lap dance to be performed on her. That's right - girl on girl. Now remember this is my first experience at a strip club. I was just there for the show. I didn't even have any alcohol since I was the DD so I'm flying straight. Anyway, back to the girl on girl. Now I know that this couple has a history of doing the lap dance this way, so the idea that it was happening didn't phase me. It was seeing the nude woman on my friend's wife that got me. I mean I knew it was going to happen, but to actually witness it, you have no idea. Well maybe you do. But I didn't. I'd love to go into detail about the techniques used in this performance, I was particularly impressed by her talents, but I'm sure there are some laws on Blogger that may prevent me from going any further. Sorry no review on this either.
We tried to give them their privacy during the gropefest, but when it's three feet from you and you've never seen anything like that that wasn't on a TV screen, you have to realize that you will turn into Ken Starr standing outside the Oval office at the White House, nose plastered against the glass watching the President press a Cuban (and I mean the cigar) into an intern's anatomy usually reserved for feminine hygiene products. Should I have taken notes? Oh the husband had the widest grin on his face that I have ever seen on a person and I think they got their money's worth. I felt like I should've chipped in.
Good times. So I had a good weekend. How about you?
CD in the car stereo: Tool's Lateralus
Last movie I saw at theater: The Italian Job
Last movie I saw at home: Animatrix
Wednesday, June 04, 2003
Mile Stone
I turned 60k miles over on my 2000 Jeep Wrangler today. It happened on my way in to work and I watched it roll over doing 65 in rush hour traffic - it was that important to me. There is a sense of something, watching your vehicle flip over a major denomination of miles. I'm not sure what the feeling is. It could be the human need to keep things simple. 60,000 is an easier number to remember than 58,436 so we're relieved to have a possession of ours in a state that we can best remember it.
But I can't say I'm happy to see my car have that many miles. I imagine the feeling is similiar to a parent watching their kid grow up, realizing they're just going to get older and someday they'll break down, rust out and before you know it you have to sell it to a junkyard for $100 so they can dismantle it for parts, crushing the rest into a tiny steel box, ready for disposal.
I can feel the empty nest syndrome kicking in already.
CD in the car stereo: Live's Birds of Pray
Last movie I saw at theater: Bruce Almighty
Last movie I saw at home: Blow
I turned 60k miles over on my 2000 Jeep Wrangler today. It happened on my way in to work and I watched it roll over doing 65 in rush hour traffic - it was that important to me. There is a sense of something, watching your vehicle flip over a major denomination of miles. I'm not sure what the feeling is. It could be the human need to keep things simple. 60,000 is an easier number to remember than 58,436 so we're relieved to have a possession of ours in a state that we can best remember it.
But I can't say I'm happy to see my car have that many miles. I imagine the feeling is similiar to a parent watching their kid grow up, realizing they're just going to get older and someday they'll break down, rust out and before you know it you have to sell it to a junkyard for $100 so they can dismantle it for parts, crushing the rest into a tiny steel box, ready for disposal.
I can feel the empty nest syndrome kicking in already.
CD in the car stereo: Live's Birds of Pray
Last movie I saw at theater: Bruce Almighty
Last movie I saw at home: Blow
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
Capitalism and Gardening: My Kind Of Game
I was busy for most of the week last week at work. A few of the people from the company I'm contracted to flew out to train some of the FAA personnel on a new analysis tool that was developed and is currently running out here at the air traffic control center where I work. It's pretty nifty actually. And I'm sure if I was an air traffic controller it'd be even niftier. So that kept me busy last week and my posts suffered.
At home, the woman and I have been spending most of our free time with a Gamecube title I picked up called Animal Crossing. This is a very cutesy looking game - the kind most adults would turn off quickly in shame and fear of eternal persecution should their adult friends happen to walk into the room and spy them playing, which at first glance appears to be way below what their palate of entertainment should require for grownups into video gaming. No matter. We play what we like.
In Animal Crossing, you create this town (more like a village) and exist in it. That's it. There's no fighting, no killing, no blood. But it does support capitalism and gardening a lot. You micromanage your town, keeping it up to specs and try to earn currency in the process. It's fun for players who don't like games where you die and have to start over. You just build and build and build. My favorite pastime is probably fishing because it is a bit fun and can be very lucrative if you know when/where to fish. Sega Bass Fishing 4 it ain't but it's a nice little game within a game.
I'm sure I can go on for hours talking about the detail of the game, but I won't bore anyone with it. If interested, check it out for yourself.
CD in the Jeep stereo: No Doubt's Rock Steady.
Last movie I saw at theater: Bruce Almighty
Last movie I saw at home: The Seventh Sign
I was busy for most of the week last week at work. A few of the people from the company I'm contracted to flew out to train some of the FAA personnel on a new analysis tool that was developed and is currently running out here at the air traffic control center where I work. It's pretty nifty actually. And I'm sure if I was an air traffic controller it'd be even niftier. So that kept me busy last week and my posts suffered.
At home, the woman and I have been spending most of our free time with a Gamecube title I picked up called Animal Crossing. This is a very cutesy looking game - the kind most adults would turn off quickly in shame and fear of eternal persecution should their adult friends happen to walk into the room and spy them playing, which at first glance appears to be way below what their palate of entertainment should require for grownups into video gaming. No matter. We play what we like.
In Animal Crossing, you create this town (more like a village) and exist in it. That's it. There's no fighting, no killing, no blood. But it does support capitalism and gardening a lot. You micromanage your town, keeping it up to specs and try to earn currency in the process. It's fun for players who don't like games where you die and have to start over. You just build and build and build. My favorite pastime is probably fishing because it is a bit fun and can be very lucrative if you know when/where to fish. Sega Bass Fishing 4 it ain't but it's a nice little game within a game.
I'm sure I can go on for hours talking about the detail of the game, but I won't bore anyone with it. If interested, check it out for yourself.
CD in the Jeep stereo: No Doubt's Rock Steady.
Last movie I saw at theater: Bruce Almighty
Last movie I saw at home: The Seventh Sign
Friday, May 30, 2003
Darth Dork
I think Lucas just found his new light saber choreographer for the next Star Wars installment.
Watch the Star Wars Dork act out a light saber fight with a curtain rod.
I think Lucas just found his new light saber choreographer for the next Star Wars installment.
Watch the Star Wars Dork act out a light saber fight with a curtain rod.
Duty Free Dog Cage
I have a friend who keeps a large, 70 pound dog. It looks like a Rotweiller to me but he insists it is half sheperd half... I don't even remember what he said. Who cares. The story is what happened to him this week.
Some background; when my friend is at work, he keeps his 70 pound dog in a steel cage. The cage is pretty good size for the dog to move around in, so he's not constrained to face only one direction all day long.
At some point this week, the dog crapped in the cage, as animals are known to do. Normally, the dog can wait until the owner gets home to let him outside and do his business, but today he had to go. To make matters worse, I guess the dog decided to play in the pile since he didn't have much else to do-do and when the owner got home, the dog was apparently covered in it.
So now the dog desparately needed a bath. Unfortunately, the bathtub is on the second floor by way of spiral stair case and did I happen to mention it was a 70 pound dog? He couldn't carry the dog up the steps, he had to drag him, dog covered in his own poop, up a spiral staircase and into the bathtub. The dog got clean but the cage is still soiled and now my friend has the carpet to worry about, like a trail of breadcrumbs from cage to tub.
The carpet he's still working on trying to make doody-free but the cage, that should be easy. The bars are steel and the floor is durable plastic. Nothing is going to stain. However, my friend does not have a water spout on the outside of his apartment and certainly no water hose. I mean why would you need a water hose if you have nothing to plug it in to? So the tough question: What do you do?
Well I'll tell you what he did. He's got a nice lake-view apartment. A lake I say? That's right. He got the bright idea to submerge the steel cage into the lake to wash out the contaminate. It was a solid idea, something that might be worth pursuing except for one thing. He assumed (probably correctly) the apartment owners would frown upon him washing dog dookie into their man-made lake which is normally used for the viewing pleasure of hundreds of residents. There's a simple solution to that - he decided to do it in the cover of darkness.
Out of sight, out of mind.
With as much stealth as possible, my friend hauled the enormous steel cage out back to the lake (it's more of a pond actually), pushed it down into the water with as little as a noise-making splash as possible, to submerge the floor of the case where most of the fecal matter lie, trying to not lose control of the cage where it would float out to the middle of the waterway and partially sink. I say partially sink because the pond-lake probably isn't deep enough to submerge the cage completely and come daylight, the residents would look upon their pond-lake, gazing at the ducks, swans, geese, small man-made waterfall and one partially submerged steel cage covered in dog feces.
His fears were allayed however, he didn't lose control of the cage and I guess the mission was a success. The cage is back in the comfort of his apartment, clean and tidy, awaiting the day for the 70 pound dog to mess it all up again.
You can't make this stuff up.
I have a friend who keeps a large, 70 pound dog. It looks like a Rotweiller to me but he insists it is half sheperd half... I don't even remember what he said. Who cares. The story is what happened to him this week.
Some background; when my friend is at work, he keeps his 70 pound dog in a steel cage. The cage is pretty good size for the dog to move around in, so he's not constrained to face only one direction all day long.
At some point this week, the dog crapped in the cage, as animals are known to do. Normally, the dog can wait until the owner gets home to let him outside and do his business, but today he had to go. To make matters worse, I guess the dog decided to play in the pile since he didn't have much else to do-do and when the owner got home, the dog was apparently covered in it.
So now the dog desparately needed a bath. Unfortunately, the bathtub is on the second floor by way of spiral stair case and did I happen to mention it was a 70 pound dog? He couldn't carry the dog up the steps, he had to drag him, dog covered in his own poop, up a spiral staircase and into the bathtub. The dog got clean but the cage is still soiled and now my friend has the carpet to worry about, like a trail of breadcrumbs from cage to tub.
The carpet he's still working on trying to make doody-free but the cage, that should be easy. The bars are steel and the floor is durable plastic. Nothing is going to stain. However, my friend does not have a water spout on the outside of his apartment and certainly no water hose. I mean why would you need a water hose if you have nothing to plug it in to? So the tough question: What do you do?
Well I'll tell you what he did. He's got a nice lake-view apartment. A lake I say? That's right. He got the bright idea to submerge the steel cage into the lake to wash out the contaminate. It was a solid idea, something that might be worth pursuing except for one thing. He assumed (probably correctly) the apartment owners would frown upon him washing dog dookie into their man-made lake which is normally used for the viewing pleasure of hundreds of residents. There's a simple solution to that - he decided to do it in the cover of darkness.
Out of sight, out of mind.
With as much stealth as possible, my friend hauled the enormous steel cage out back to the lake (it's more of a pond actually), pushed it down into the water with as little as a noise-making splash as possible, to submerge the floor of the case where most of the fecal matter lie, trying to not lose control of the cage where it would float out to the middle of the waterway and partially sink. I say partially sink because the pond-lake probably isn't deep enough to submerge the cage completely and come daylight, the residents would look upon their pond-lake, gazing at the ducks, swans, geese, small man-made waterfall and one partially submerged steel cage covered in dog feces.
His fears were allayed however, he didn't lose control of the cage and I guess the mission was a success. The cage is back in the comfort of his apartment, clean and tidy, awaiting the day for the 70 pound dog to mess it all up again.
You can't make this stuff up.
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Hyper-Hypo Links
I have a couple of links for you today.
Everything you wanted to know about Matrix but were afraid to ask. Matrix Essays has excellent theories on what exactly the Matrix might be and where the next sequel might end up. Lots of spoilers so make sure you've seen Reloaded before reading.
Also, if you ever wanted to see the 555 telephone exchange phonebook used in movies and television. It's a big town. Some residents have to share the same number.
I have a couple of links for you today.
Everything you wanted to know about Matrix but were afraid to ask. Matrix Essays has excellent theories on what exactly the Matrix might be and where the next sequel might end up. Lots of spoilers so make sure you've seen Reloaded before reading.
Also, if you ever wanted to see the 555 telephone exchange phonebook used in movies and television. It's a big town. Some residents have to share the same number.
Friday, May 23, 2003
Jeepers United
Jeepers United
As I write this, I have an earpiece hanging on my right ear. That piece has a wire connecting it to a 2.4 Ghz phone hanging on my belt. It's not a cell phone, just my office phone. I am listening to very light jazz buzzing into my right ear even as I type this line. Every, I'd say, 20 seconds or so, a male voice, obviously automated (or someone without any tone inflexion and a very boring job) interrupts the light jazz to say, "Our representatives are currently busy. Your call will be answered in the order it was received." It has been 14 minutes since I originally dialed the number so I've heard that line roughly 42 times. I'm not a fan of light jazz, so it's ok to interrupt the music, but I heard you the last 41 times.
Since I am at work and getting paid for my time to sit on the phone and listen to crappy music and automated messages, I actually don't mind the wait.
Now to explain who I've called. I am a proud Jeep owner, a 2000 Wrangler, and the phone number I've dialed that I am patiently waiting to be helped on is part of the registration process for an annual event Jeep throws for all of its loyal customers called Camp Jeep. This is my second year going. I did attend Camp Jeep 2002 and am trying to make it two in a row. I had a great time last year, there is so much to do. Jeep allows a lot of corporate sponsors to setup a booth, but it's more than a booth, you can try out their products for free. For example there are ATV's you can ride, paintball arenas, swimming pools, scuba, video arcades, rock climbing, all sorts of activities.
Camp Jeep 2003 will be a special event for me as it is doubling as my honeymoon. We planned to make this trip quite awhile ago (since Camp Jeep 2002), and then at some point decided to get married. The date we picked happens to be the week before our trip so we decided to make it an official honeymoon. At Camp Jeep you have the option of camping out on the grounds or picking a close by hotel to live at for the duration of the event. We'll probably be going with the hotel for some strange reason. My tent doesn't have a threshold (or does it?).
Looking forward to it. More about it later I'm sure.
As I write this, I have an earpiece hanging on my right ear. That piece has a wire connecting it to a 2.4 Ghz phone hanging on my belt. It's not a cell phone, just my office phone. I am listening to very light jazz buzzing into my right ear even as I type this line. Every, I'd say, 20 seconds or so, a male voice, obviously automated (or someone without any tone inflexion and a very boring job) interrupts the light jazz to say, "Our representatives are currently busy. Your call will be answered in the order it was received." It has been 14 minutes since I originally dialed the number so I've heard that line roughly 42 times. I'm not a fan of light jazz, so it's ok to interrupt the music, but I heard you the last 41 times.
Since I am at work and getting paid for my time to sit on the phone and listen to crappy music and automated messages, I actually don't mind the wait.
Now to explain who I've called. I am a proud Jeep owner, a 2000 Wrangler, and the phone number I've dialed that I am patiently waiting to be helped on is part of the registration process for an annual event Jeep throws for all of its loyal customers called Camp Jeep. This is my second year going. I did attend Camp Jeep 2002 and am trying to make it two in a row. I had a great time last year, there is so much to do. Jeep allows a lot of corporate sponsors to setup a booth, but it's more than a booth, you can try out their products for free. For example there are ATV's you can ride, paintball arenas, swimming pools, scuba, video arcades, rock climbing, all sorts of activities.
Camp Jeep 2003 will be a special event for me as it is doubling as my honeymoon. We planned to make this trip quite awhile ago (since Camp Jeep 2002), and then at some point decided to get married. The date we picked happens to be the week before our trip so we decided to make it an official honeymoon. At Camp Jeep you have the option of camping out on the grounds or picking a close by hotel to live at for the duration of the event. We'll probably be going with the hotel for some strange reason. My tent doesn't have a threshold (or does it?).
Looking forward to it. More about it later I'm sure.
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Summer Free TV, RNC Wastes A Stamp
It's season (and some series) finales month and I've been busy watching and recording, recording and watching, sharing and giving...
I decided to give Buffy the Vampire Slayer show a try so I watched the series finale. Just in time. I'm still sore at the cancellation of Firefly so I thought I'd give Whedon's big success a try. Not bad.
Of course I had to watch the 24 finale. The President was essentially poisoned in the last scene and collapsed. And on The West Wing, the President resigned his post in response to the kidnapping of his daughter. So both Presidents on TV were taken out in the finales. Lot of parallels between the two shows I noticed. Both Presidents were also involved with the invoking of the 25th amendment this season. Are the writers sharing their material?
Speaking of the President of the United States, I received quite an amusing piece of mail yesterday. It's a letter from the Republican National Committee (RNC) asking me to fight liberalism and donate $25. Boy are they barking up the wrong tree. I wonder how I got on their list?
Here are some highlights from the letter:
...the liberals are retrenching! And now, they're hungrier than ever to undermine President Bush and his agenda for a better, more prosperous America...the LIBERALS don't agree with President Bush. They want BIGGER GOVERNMENT, HIGHER TAXES, and LESS PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY! And now, they're more determined more than ever to take TOTAL CONTROL of the federal government in 2004! Make no mistake: The liberals will stop at nothing to undermine President Bush and his agenda for a better America. That is why I must have your support today!
It's signed Mark Racicot Chairman of the RNC. There is a post script and also a post-post script. You'd think he could incorporate both PS's in the main letter. Anyway, here's the P.P.S.
While many folks make donations of $50, $100, or even $1,000...
*laugh*
...your generous contribution of just $25 today will go a long way to help President Bush further his agenda for a stronger, safer, and better America.
That's good stuff.
It's season (and some series) finales month and I've been busy watching and recording, recording and watching, sharing and giving...
I decided to give Buffy the Vampire Slayer show a try so I watched the series finale. Just in time. I'm still sore at the cancellation of Firefly so I thought I'd give Whedon's big success a try. Not bad.
Of course I had to watch the 24 finale. The President was essentially poisoned in the last scene and collapsed. And on The West Wing, the President resigned his post in response to the kidnapping of his daughter. So both Presidents on TV were taken out in the finales. Lot of parallels between the two shows I noticed. Both Presidents were also involved with the invoking of the 25th amendment this season. Are the writers sharing their material?
Speaking of the President of the United States, I received quite an amusing piece of mail yesterday. It's a letter from the Republican National Committee (RNC) asking me to fight liberalism and donate $25. Boy are they barking up the wrong tree. I wonder how I got on their list?
Here are some highlights from the letter:
...the liberals are retrenching! And now, they're hungrier than ever to undermine President Bush and his agenda for a better, more prosperous America...the LIBERALS don't agree with President Bush. They want BIGGER GOVERNMENT, HIGHER TAXES, and LESS PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY! And now, they're more determined more than ever to take TOTAL CONTROL of the federal government in 2004! Make no mistake: The liberals will stop at nothing to undermine President Bush and his agenda for a better America. That is why I must have your support today!
It's signed Mark Racicot Chairman of the RNC. There is a post script and also a post-post script. You'd think he could incorporate both PS's in the main letter. Anyway, here's the P.P.S.
While many folks make donations of $50, $100, or even $1,000...
*laugh*
...your generous contribution of just $25 today will go a long way to help President Bush further his agenda for a stronger, safer, and better America.
That's good stuff.
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
World Building Taking My Time
It's been a week since I've made a post. I blame it on the PC game Neverwinter Nights by Bioware. If you've ever seen the Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale series, it's the same guys, similar format, DND-style adventure. NWN is more advanced than Bioware's previous titles. It will let you create your own worlds, put them online for all to see and that is taking all of my free time. I'm developing a visual mud based on a text-only mud we ran in college. If you don't know what a mud is, it's a realm for roleplaying. MUD = Multi User Dungeon.
So I'm working on that and my blog suffers. I'll try to get back in the swing of things as soon as I knock out some of the major hurdles I'm working on.
It's been a week since I've made a post. I blame it on the PC game Neverwinter Nights by Bioware. If you've ever seen the Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale series, it's the same guys, similar format, DND-style adventure. NWN is more advanced than Bioware's previous titles. It will let you create your own worlds, put them online for all to see and that is taking all of my free time. I'm developing a visual mud based on a text-only mud we ran in college. If you don't know what a mud is, it's a realm for roleplaying. MUD = Multi User Dungeon.
So I'm working on that and my blog suffers. I'll try to get back in the swing of things as soon as I knock out some of the major hurdles I'm working on.
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