So it's been over 1 month since I started my quest to only use a classic, no frills blue 'round stic fine' BIC pen. ScottyO said to me that he didn't think I could go a month using no other pen but this one. I've gone above and beyond. I don't even miss the old smooth Deluxe Signia.
Screw that noise...it's back to the Atlas Deluxe Signia Twist Pen for me!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
...can't think of anything witty for a title...
Well, I made it. 26 years on this planet, and what have I got to show for it? I'll tell you what, a lot of really great people in my life. We had a little swarray Saturday night that went really well. From what I can tell, most people had a good time. The night started off really slow, but before I knew it, the whole thing was in full-swing and I was feelin' no pain. I discovered that I am now able to drink tequila again w/o disposing of it instantly. I was introduced to a fantastic concoction called a Green Varmint. Take one shot of tequila, followed by one shot of pickle juice. Sounds gross, but went really well together. Try it. We had a bartender for the evening (Kandis) who I think did a phenomenal job. I'm not sure if anyone was able to stump her. I'm pretty sure that my Beer Pong partner (Rob) and I won 3 games in a row. Something inevitably caught my attention and distracted me from playing anymore for the evening. At one point a neighbor from across the street and a few houses down had to intervene and tell me that we were all being too loud and that if we kept it up she'd call the po-lice...so everything was moved inside and the garage door was shut. Sorry neighbors.
The rest of the evening was spent indoors mingling with the other partygoers, snacking on some food, and enjoying more tasty beverages. It seems that at some point people began leaving. I hope that I was able to thank everyone for coming, but as it stands, I cannot necessarily remember saying 'goodbye' to everyone. We had much fewer people crash at the house than I was anticipating, I'm hoping they all had responsible drivers. As of writing this, it has been a few days since the event, I have not heard of anyone having any trouble arriving home.
Sunday was spent lounging around the house not accomplishing much of anything, we attempted to clean up a bit, but I slept most of the day. Thanks to everyone who came for allowing me to have a great time. I think this was one of the best house-parties we've thrown so far.
And now, movies you should see...
Day Zero
Starring: Elijah Wood, Chris Klein, Jon Bernthal, Ginnifer Goodwin & Ally Sheedy
The movie is set in an alternate modern day in which The Draft has been reinstated. As the movie opens three friends are each recieving and reading their draft letters. They all have 30 days to report for duty. The film spans those 30 days following each of them as they wrap up their affairs.
Jon Berthal's character, Dixon is a young guy with little going on in his life. He drives a cab, drinks beer, and gets into a fight. Of the group, he is the only one who is looking forward to serving his country. Much of his time is spent arguing with his friends that what they are being asked to do is right and for the good of the country. Early on, he meets a girl and quickly falls in love. By the end of his 30 days he begins to question if he is truly ready to go to war.
Elijah Wood's character Aaron, spends his time working on his novel, while attending psychiatry sessions with an uninterested Psychiatrist played by Ally Sheedy. Aaron spends most of his time throughout the film worrying about what people will think of him and how weak he is. After receiving his letter he devotes his 30 days to attempting to get into shape while accomplishing a set of goals such as go skydiving, get a tattoo, and sleep with a prostitute. His arch takes him from being a geeky and shy novelist to pushing himself into situations to test his resolve. Ultimately he pushes himself too far when 'day zero' arrives.
Chris Klein plays George, a well-off young lawyer spends his entire 30 days trying to find a way of getting out of his obligation. He becomes more desparate and willing to try anything to avoid serving. He and Dixon spend much of the film in opposition of eachother, resulting in the breakdown of their friendship. Dixon and George have opposite character archs. One feels it is his duty, the other, that his life is too 'on track' to be interupted. In the end, these two come to terms with eachothers point of view, as well as what to do when when 'day zero' comes.
The movie is entirely performance driven. There is not much action or comedy. The dialogue feels completely real and natural. I think this movie is a great representation of how people would be divided while dealing with a draft.
until next time...
The rest of the evening was spent indoors mingling with the other partygoers, snacking on some food, and enjoying more tasty beverages. It seems that at some point people began leaving. I hope that I was able to thank everyone for coming, but as it stands, I cannot necessarily remember saying 'goodbye' to everyone. We had much fewer people crash at the house than I was anticipating, I'm hoping they all had responsible drivers. As of writing this, it has been a few days since the event, I have not heard of anyone having any trouble arriving home.
Sunday was spent lounging around the house not accomplishing much of anything, we attempted to clean up a bit, but I slept most of the day. Thanks to everyone who came for allowing me to have a great time. I think this was one of the best house-parties we've thrown so far.
And now, movies you should see...
Day Zero
Starring: Elijah Wood, Chris Klein, Jon Bernthal, Ginnifer Goodwin & Ally Sheedy
The movie is set in an alternate modern day in which The Draft has been reinstated. As the movie opens three friends are each recieving and reading their draft letters. They all have 30 days to report for duty. The film spans those 30 days following each of them as they wrap up their affairs.
Jon Berthal's character, Dixon is a young guy with little going on in his life. He drives a cab, drinks beer, and gets into a fight. Of the group, he is the only one who is looking forward to serving his country. Much of his time is spent arguing with his friends that what they are being asked to do is right and for the good of the country. Early on, he meets a girl and quickly falls in love. By the end of his 30 days he begins to question if he is truly ready to go to war.
Elijah Wood's character Aaron, spends his time working on his novel, while attending psychiatry sessions with an uninterested Psychiatrist played by Ally Sheedy. Aaron spends most of his time throughout the film worrying about what people will think of him and how weak he is. After receiving his letter he devotes his 30 days to attempting to get into shape while accomplishing a set of goals such as go skydiving, get a tattoo, and sleep with a prostitute. His arch takes him from being a geeky and shy novelist to pushing himself into situations to test his resolve. Ultimately he pushes himself too far when 'day zero' arrives.
Chris Klein plays George, a well-off young lawyer spends his entire 30 days trying to find a way of getting out of his obligation. He becomes more desparate and willing to try anything to avoid serving. He and Dixon spend much of the film in opposition of eachother, resulting in the breakdown of their friendship. Dixon and George have opposite character archs. One feels it is his duty, the other, that his life is too 'on track' to be interupted. In the end, these two come to terms with eachothers point of view, as well as what to do when when 'day zero' comes.
The movie is entirely performance driven. There is not much action or comedy. The dialogue feels completely real and natural. I think this movie is a great representation of how people would be divided while dealing with a draft.
until next time...
Thursday, April 16, 2009
con⋅ti⋅nen⋅tal
Is anyone fooled by the words "Continental Breakfast" anymore? I mean really? Why not just call it what it is: Free doughnuts and bagels. Or if euphemisms are necessary: Complimentary Breakfast. Why the word Continental? What is sexy about Continental...why not Nationwide Breakfast? Has a Continental Breakfast ever been the deciding factor in staying at the Days Inn over the Holiday Express? I doubt it.
con⋅ti⋅nen⋅tal
Pronunciation [kon-tn-en-tl]
–adjective
1. of or of the nature of a continent.
2. (usually initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the mainland of Europe, to Europeans, or to European customs and attitudes.
3. (initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the 13 original American colonies during and immediately after the American Revolution.
4. of or pertaining to the continent of North America.
–noun
5. (initial capital letter) a soldier of the Continental Army in the American Revolution.
6. a piece of paper currency issued by the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.
7. a small amount: advice that's not worth a continental.
8. an inhabitant of a continent.
9. (usually initial capital letter) an inhabitant of the mainland of Europe.
Thanks to Dictionary.com for the assistance.
I'm really jazzed about this upcoming weekend. We've got the house looking about the best it ever has. I'm looking forward to our Birthdayapalooza, I turn 26 on Saturday and Amanda turns 26 the following Tuesday. We're having some friends over and it should be a great night. Hopefully the weather stays true to AccuWeather.com and gives us a warm day. Currently the RealFeel temp is holding at 69 degrees during the day and 42 at night.
Recently I've been getting back into video games hardcore. Amanda and I have been putting massive amounts of time into the Wii. We love the feature that allows you to download classic games onto your system. We've downloaded the original Super Mario Bros., as well as Super Mario 3, and Super Mario World from the Super Nintendo. It takes you back.
And now...A Podcast you should be listening to:
Soccergirl, Inc
If you like a chick with a fantastically filthy mouth, this is the pCast for you. Soccergirl, AKA - Anneke Rudegeair is a podcaster from Upstate New York. She is completely original in her content. She puts out a multitude of shows, both audio and video: Soccergirl, Inc, Ask Soccergirl, and Feisty Meatball (coming soon). She'll routinely break into song, freestyle and recorded. Her stories are always amazingly unique and crazy. She speaks her mind no topic is too taboo for her to discuss. She has a "supporting cast" which consists of her fiance - Ryan P. Murray, Eliza (sister) and Jake (brother), and UK Johnny. There is no rhyme or reason to the show, it follows no format, other than most episodes end with call-ins from listeners. She keeps the show very conversational and light which makes you feel like you're in the room with them and are a part of the discussion.
Topics of the show can range from Smurfs to bodily functions, and then from Star Trek to politics.
You can jump right into the show without having to listen to the past 4 years worth of shows. But, I highly recommend checking the older eps out anyways just because of how entertaining it is. I've been listening to her show since '05, and it's great to see how she has evolved the show, while staying true to who she is.
You can subscribe to her show via iTunes, or find her all over the web (myspace, facebook, twitter, etc...). Check out her website at www.soccergirlincorporated.com - be warned that it's not always safe for work (she likes to show off her boobs).
Thanks for the hours of entertainment Soccergirl.
That's all I got for right now...
con⋅ti⋅nen⋅tal
Pronunciation [kon-tn-en-tl]
–adjective
1. of or of the nature of a continent.
2. (usually initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the mainland of Europe, to Europeans, or to European customs and attitudes.
3. (initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the 13 original American colonies during and immediately after the American Revolution.
4. of or pertaining to the continent of North America.
–noun
5. (initial capital letter) a soldier of the Continental Army in the American Revolution.
6. a piece of paper currency issued by the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.
7. a small amount: advice that's not worth a continental.
8. an inhabitant of a continent.
9. (usually initial capital letter) an inhabitant of the mainland of Europe.
Thanks to Dictionary.com for the assistance.
I'm really jazzed about this upcoming weekend. We've got the house looking about the best it ever has. I'm looking forward to our Birthdayapalooza, I turn 26 on Saturday and Amanda turns 26 the following Tuesday. We're having some friends over and it should be a great night. Hopefully the weather stays true to AccuWeather.com and gives us a warm day. Currently the RealFeel temp is holding at 69 degrees during the day and 42 at night.
Recently I've been getting back into video games hardcore. Amanda and I have been putting massive amounts of time into the Wii. We love the feature that allows you to download classic games onto your system. We've downloaded the original Super Mario Bros., as well as Super Mario 3, and Super Mario World from the Super Nintendo. It takes you back.
And now...A Podcast you should be listening to:
Soccergirl, Inc
If you like a chick with a fantastically filthy mouth, this is the pCast for you. Soccergirl, AKA - Anneke Rudegeair is a podcaster from Upstate New York. She is completely original in her content. She puts out a multitude of shows, both audio and video: Soccergirl, Inc, Ask Soccergirl, and Feisty Meatball (coming soon). She'll routinely break into song, freestyle and recorded. Her stories are always amazingly unique and crazy. She speaks her mind no topic is too taboo for her to discuss. She has a "supporting cast" which consists of her fiance - Ryan P. Murray, Eliza (sister) and Jake (brother), and UK Johnny. There is no rhyme or reason to the show, it follows no format, other than most episodes end with call-ins from listeners. She keeps the show very conversational and light which makes you feel like you're in the room with them and are a part of the discussion.
Topics of the show can range from Smurfs to bodily functions, and then from Star Trek to politics.
You can jump right into the show without having to listen to the past 4 years worth of shows. But, I highly recommend checking the older eps out anyways just because of how entertaining it is. I've been listening to her show since '05, and it's great to see how she has evolved the show, while staying true to who she is.
You can subscribe to her show via iTunes, or find her all over the web (myspace, facebook, twitter, etc...). Check out her website at www.soccergirlincorporated.com - be warned that it's not always safe for work (she likes to show off her boobs).
Thanks for the hours of entertainment Soccergirl.
That's all I got for right now...
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
...stay out of the deep end...
I'm not sure why I try to do things that I shouldn't do. I need to accept that there are things that I'll never be. I'll never be a photographer. I have a standard digital camera, but I do not have a 'photographer's eye'. I am continuously taking pics of something visually interesting with the intention to create my own FlickR page, to share with the world. But as it stands, I have a big chunk of my iPhoto which is filled with pics that never make it to Photoshop or the internets. Good intentions. But I need to give up the notion that I can create amazing photos with my digital. I'll just continue using my digital to take pics of friends at party's. To sum up. I'll leave the pretty pics to the professionals.
I find that more recently I've been giving up more things...not on some epic scale. But big for me. I read fewer comics, I watch fewer TV shows. I'm losing the idea that I must finish what I've started. Years ago I would never turn off a movie once I've started it. A few weeks ago I'm watching Max Payne, and I shut it off after the first half hour. It just wasn't holding my interest so I decided to quit watching it instead of wasting another hour+ by watching it. I'm not slagging the movie, I'm sure it wasn't horrible, it just wasn't keeping my attention.
In a lighter note...
It's pretty crazy that in 2009, Pirates are still a threat on the open seas. But really, when you think about it, Piracy is a timeless career. It doesn't have to be relegated to the 1700's(?). Nowadays, they have faster boats, better technology, cooler weapons. But so does the opposing side. So be careful out there pirates. We're all counting on you.
That's it for now...
I find that more recently I've been giving up more things...not on some epic scale. But big for me. I read fewer comics, I watch fewer TV shows. I'm losing the idea that I must finish what I've started. Years ago I would never turn off a movie once I've started it. A few weeks ago I'm watching Max Payne, and I shut it off after the first half hour. It just wasn't holding my interest so I decided to quit watching it instead of wasting another hour+ by watching it. I'm not slagging the movie, I'm sure it wasn't horrible, it just wasn't keeping my attention.
In a lighter note...
It's pretty crazy that in 2009, Pirates are still a threat on the open seas. But really, when you think about it, Piracy is a timeless career. It doesn't have to be relegated to the 1700's(?). Nowadays, they have faster boats, better technology, cooler weapons. But so does the opposing side. So be careful out there pirates. We're all counting on you.
That's it for now...
Monday, April 6, 2009
...busy
Well, it's been a few days. I found out that apparently a few people have been reading this thing and enjoying it. Good to know.
As I write this I'm listening to Pearl Jam's re-release of their 'Ten' album. Still a great collection of songs (as well as some new ones) that have held up for 19 years.
(Friday 4/3)
Went to dinner at Grindstone Charley's with Amanda, Rachel & Eddie, Rob & Kendra, and Bridgette. Had THE BEST salmon ever. Had terrible service, which is rare for G-stone Chuck's. After dinner we went to Drifty's for a few.
(Saturday 4/4)
Picked up my new spectacles Saturday morning. I'm really diggin' em, and they've been pretty well received by others. We had breakfast at a tiny little place in Greenwood, called 'Simple Brew'. It's on Old Meridian between Main Street and County Line. I recommend the B's & G's*. They had decent coffee and good prices.
After breakfast we went toy shopping at Toys R Us. We only purchased 3 things. One was for me (20th anniversary edition of Princess Bride, to which I'll get to later), one was for my niece Claudia, and one was for Amanda's mom. We went there with a specific goal of buying birthday presents for our other niece Madyson. I hate shopping when you're after a particular thing. I'd much rather be in search of nothing and happen across something. We abandoned shopping for the rest of the afternoon. We opted to head to the grocery store in order to get supplies for me to make egg salad. We had a craving for egg salad sammiches. And I make damn good egg salad.
After boiling, re-boiling, and re-re-boiling the eggs, I managed to get them cooked all the way through. I hate hard-boiling eggs. Love hard-boiled eggs, but I can never remember the proper way to do it. They turned out fine though.
The rest of the day was spent lounging around, getting caught up on some of the weeks TV. The new season of Reno 911 kicked off with a decent episode, not as strong as previous eps, but they had to introduce new characters. I'll definitely miss Garcia and Clementine.
That night we went out to a bar for the 22nd birthday celebration in honour of Nathan 'Cooter' Schipp. The gathering took place at 'John Waynes' which boasts the most pool tables under one roof in the Indianapolis area. After losing 3 games of pool (I'm sorry Ray Martin) I was done with billiards for the evening. We had some drinks, some laughs and could here a really decent cover band in the distance playing some good Beatles and Johnny Cash tunes.
(Sunday 4/5)
The party ended up moving to Rachel and Eddies house for further studies of the effect of alcohol and the human anatomy. We played some Beer Pong, or Pong Toss, as it's known to the kiddies. Around 4 (guessing) in the morning, Eddie decided it would be a good idea for the remaining party-goers to gather round and watch 'Wanted' on BluRay. Fantastic movie. Horrible time to start a movie. As Cooter was passed out behind the couch, we started watching the flick. I believe Ben was the first one to fall asleep about 20 minutes in, followed by me. As the end credits began crawling I was disturbed from my slumber. Apparently at some point during the movie, each of us had fallen asleep.
I believe we got home sometime after 6:00
Amanda and I were up 3 1/2 hours later to get ready for another birthday celebration of our niece Madyson (5). We quickly showered, dressed and raced to Target to acquire the gifts we failed to get the day before. After a quick in and out at Target, we headed to Shelbyville to pick up my other niece Claudia who spent the night at Granny & Grampa's. With Claudia in tow, we headed to Greenfield to 'That Fun Place', which is Chuck E Cheese without the horrible animatronic band. The pizza was decent, and the kids seemed to really enjoy the games and rides. Headache commence.
Arrived home around 7:30, chopped up the eggs and finally made the egg salad. We watched someTV, I think 'Rules of Engagement' and 'The Soup'. Went to bed.
As promised...Princess Bride, if you have not seen it, is not a chick flick, as the title may have you believe. It is a story about a 'princess bride' who is trying to find true love. It is a hilarious, odd, quirky movie directed by Rob Reiner, with performances by Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Andre the Giant, Mandy Patinkin, Fred Savage and Peter Faulk (as well as many, many other great actors). There's lots of great swordplay, great dialog, hilarious moments and great imagery. This movie also features one of the greatest delivered lines in movie history..."Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die." The movie is worth watching for that scene alone.
-End-
* B's & G's = Bisquits & Gravy
As I write this I'm listening to Pearl Jam's re-release of their 'Ten' album. Still a great collection of songs (as well as some new ones) that have held up for 19 years.
(Friday 4/3)
Went to dinner at Grindstone Charley's with Amanda, Rachel & Eddie, Rob & Kendra, and Bridgette. Had THE BEST salmon ever. Had terrible service, which is rare for G-stone Chuck's. After dinner we went to Drifty's for a few.
(Saturday 4/4)
Picked up my new spectacles Saturday morning. I'm really diggin' em, and they've been pretty well received by others. We had breakfast at a tiny little place in Greenwood, called 'Simple Brew'. It's on Old Meridian between Main Street and County Line. I recommend the B's & G's*. They had decent coffee and good prices.
After breakfast we went toy shopping at Toys R Us. We only purchased 3 things. One was for me (20th anniversary edition of Princess Bride, to which I'll get to later), one was for my niece Claudia, and one was for Amanda's mom. We went there with a specific goal of buying birthday presents for our other niece Madyson. I hate shopping when you're after a particular thing. I'd much rather be in search of nothing and happen across something. We abandoned shopping for the rest of the afternoon. We opted to head to the grocery store in order to get supplies for me to make egg salad. We had a craving for egg salad sammiches. And I make damn good egg salad.
After boiling, re-boiling, and re-re-boiling the eggs, I managed to get them cooked all the way through. I hate hard-boiling eggs. Love hard-boiled eggs, but I can never remember the proper way to do it. They turned out fine though.
The rest of the day was spent lounging around, getting caught up on some of the weeks TV. The new season of Reno 911 kicked off with a decent episode, not as strong as previous eps, but they had to introduce new characters. I'll definitely miss Garcia and Clementine.
That night we went out to a bar for the 22nd birthday celebration in honour of Nathan 'Cooter' Schipp. The gathering took place at 'John Waynes' which boasts the most pool tables under one roof in the Indianapolis area. After losing 3 games of pool (I'm sorry Ray Martin) I was done with billiards for the evening. We had some drinks, some laughs and could here a really decent cover band in the distance playing some good Beatles and Johnny Cash tunes.
(Sunday 4/5)
The party ended up moving to Rachel and Eddies house for further studies of the effect of alcohol and the human anatomy. We played some Beer Pong, or Pong Toss, as it's known to the kiddies. Around 4 (guessing) in the morning, Eddie decided it would be a good idea for the remaining party-goers to gather round and watch 'Wanted' on BluRay. Fantastic movie. Horrible time to start a movie. As Cooter was passed out behind the couch, we started watching the flick. I believe Ben was the first one to fall asleep about 20 minutes in, followed by me. As the end credits began crawling I was disturbed from my slumber. Apparently at some point during the movie, each of us had fallen asleep.
I believe we got home sometime after 6:00
Amanda and I were up 3 1/2 hours later to get ready for another birthday celebration of our niece Madyson (5). We quickly showered, dressed and raced to Target to acquire the gifts we failed to get the day before. After a quick in and out at Target, we headed to Shelbyville to pick up my other niece Claudia who spent the night at Granny & Grampa's. With Claudia in tow, we headed to Greenfield to 'That Fun Place', which is Chuck E Cheese without the horrible animatronic band. The pizza was decent, and the kids seemed to really enjoy the games and rides. Headache commence.
Arrived home around 7:30, chopped up the eggs and finally made the egg salad. We watched someTV, I think 'Rules of Engagement' and 'The Soup'. Went to bed.
As promised...Princess Bride, if you have not seen it, is not a chick flick, as the title may have you believe. It is a story about a 'princess bride' who is trying to find true love. It is a hilarious, odd, quirky movie directed by Rob Reiner, with performances by Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Andre the Giant, Mandy Patinkin, Fred Savage and Peter Faulk (as well as many, many other great actors). There's lots of great swordplay, great dialog, hilarious moments and great imagery. This movie also features one of the greatest delivered lines in movie history..."Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die." The movie is worth watching for that scene alone.
-End-
* B's & G's = Bisquits & Gravy
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