SWEET

The price of our next cruise dropped 384 dollars!! Woot!

My throat hurts like one thousand puffer fish are stuck inside it, trying their bestest to get out.



Also, I hate Folklore. Why do Japanese game makers never realize that, sometimes, the only way to save this story is to have the main characters get it on?

Congrats!

Congrats to Erik and Heather Larr!

Their reception last night was a blast. Seriously, so much fun. Though I think the older people may have been wagging their crooked fingers at we young hooligans...probably more than once.

My one regret is that we did not bring a videocamera, as there are dance moves that will now only exist in memory.

Quick questions

Q. What do Frosty the Snowman and broken condom have in common?

Q. What do third trimester abortion and Quidditch have in common?

A: Charades. Yes, charades.

Weekend social

At first, I thought that this was going to be a lazy weekend. It turned out to be anything but. We hung out with our Indy crew on Friday, playing games and such. We were supposed to eat with my mom at the Rathskeller, but my idiotic father had his car break down and just could not handle that on his own. So my mom had to babysit him until the car could get towed, then he left and went to a high school football game once they got home. He's a real winner.

Saturday we made it up to Mom and went to Buca. Yummy lunch! I don't know if it is just something they do at lunch or if it is a new thing, but they gave everyone free gelatto cones. Free makes things more delicious.

Then we decided to go to Fort Wayne to visit Jeremy and Erik. We hung out a little, then met Adrian and went to see Quarantine. That movie might have been one of the most horrible movies I have ever seen. There is just no end to the list of problems with that movie. It only gets points because the premise was in the realm of possibility, not, you know, like walking dead. But, of course, there was no consistency. And, listen up all you future movie directors:

Hand-held camera photography is not an excuse for forgetting to write a script.

Also, the main character was horrible and annoying, the first fifteen minutes meant nothing, there was an inexplicable Castle Freak-type character for like 5 minutes...I could go on. I won't, in the interest of the remainder of my weekend.

Then we fell asleep at Erik's on accident and left the Huntington area at 6am. We got home and slept until 2. Ah, I had forgotten how that feels.

Rock on

This album fucking rocks:


My personal favorite are the renditions by Marilyn Manson, The All American Rejects, Korn and Rise Against.

If I get a speeding ticket anytime soon, I am betting this album will be involved.

bring it

I think I would have to call it a great night when there is a purple hippo stuck to a wall and the ceiling, blind betting, broken shoes, LED lights, and Beth saying things like, "Why is Ed so magic?" On a side note, I hope Bland is not too injured today.


Also, why is Robert Downey Jr. so fucking fine?

Bringing the hotness as Tony Stark

**is slain**

Seriously, so fine. This makes me wonder if Iron Man was really as good as I thought it was, or if I was distracted by the smoldering. Oh, wait, that's right...Gweneth Paltrow was in it. She definitely brought me back to reality. I guess they could not have too much beauty on the screen at one time. She balances the above. Really, really balances it.

Now for today. Andy and I went to see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, which may be one of the most adorable movies ever. Ah, young, awkward love. Really good casting, I must say. It was sweet without being saccharine. Why do I love the teenage indie movies so?

Additionally, I must profess my lady love for Ms. Kat Dennings. Hotness!

Her characters are always a little quirky; not your typical leading lady...and isn't that an awesome thing?

On a side note, yes, I loved Charlie Bartlett, and yes, both Robert Downey, Jr. and Kat Dennings were in that movie. Why do I not yet own that film?


This makes me wonder, what is the last movie that I bought? Hmm...Netflix has been good to us. I honestly don't remember. What I should have done is buy Pan's Labyrinth when it was on sale at Frye's last week. Alas, I did not.

And back to my Saturday.

Weekend wonderful

Yesterday was quite wonderful. We went down early for the IU football game and did some tailgating. It was nice to see everyone and hang out and eat and watch the game. Also, Andy learned that he can play cornhole with his foot. Very interesting. I also got to see Ann's new place, which is so very college, in it's way. I love how their place always smells like maple syrup; it makes it feel much more home-y. Oh, PS, IU won! Yay! Kellen Lewis is really the only reason we have a team, so the rest of the season might be iffy. Oh, and Andrew Means too.

Then home, then back up north. I opted out of Axis and Allies. The manual to that game is longer than some books I have read! What in the world? Really, it just looked too complicated for me to enjoy, and, when playing strategy games with Holtz, you really have to enjoy it because you are probably going to get beat, like Andy and Daniel did :(. I must say, there was something a little odd about watching The Sound of Music and having them play that game. PS I have obviously never watched that movie all the way through, or I repressed some of it. I do not remember some of the songs at all. Also, after the wedding, nothing was familiar to me. So much Nazis! And that little fuck-up bitch soldier who ratted them out...I would have shot him. Straight up. Fuck him for being a Nazi whore. That really would have brought a whole 'nother level to the movie though, and I am not sure that a '60's musical film director would have wanted to go there. I would love to have Quentin Tarantino direct a new version! Can you image? Ooo, that would just be wonderfully hilarious in a desecrate-an-award-winning-movie kind of way. Guarantee that Nazi solider would get his. Guaranteed.

PS #2 IMDb tells me that Christopher Pummer, aka the Dad in Sound of Music is still alive and acting! Good for him! Also, he is going to be in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Heath Ledger's last movie. Just one more reason to see it!

Back to the task at hand, no more postscripts. But there was much talking otherwise; sometimes my tongue gets the best of me. I did learn about the EOD, though, which, contrary to some opinions, is not a common acronym. Really, when would the common folk use EOD in normal speech? When, I ask you?! Beth always teaches me things, and that is good.

I was so horribly tired at the the end of the day. Sun and eating and waking up at 6:45am just make be exhausted. I wish I could remember some of the amazing quotes from yesterday because there was much laughing and joyousness.

Risk-y

I have to say, there was something utterly hilarious having the guys play risk while the ladies watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and the parade of nations. Things like, "Just take Brazil! It's poorly guarded!" really brings you a sense of togetherness and peace in the world.
I do love the Olympics, though. And China can really put on a show! I can't wait to watch sports I only watch once every four years, like beach volleyball, rhythmic gymnastics, handball...the list goes on and on!

P.S. WTF, Russia? Leave Georgia alone! There is a wonderful quote here. The Russian "President" wants "to force the Georgian side to peace". As Andy said, that sounds like a Hitler quote.

Ponder on

I went to the horse track on Saturday with Andy and my parents. Yes, yes, totally hick-ish, but, oh, how fun betting is! I just like having a horse to root for, and then watching that horse fall completely out of the lead and finish dead last. And now that the casino is there, well, we definitely go more often. All part of their marketing scheme, I am sure.

But I happened to see a girl I went to high school with, which was weird. We chatted briefly, you know, the pleasantries. It was interesting, and it makes me think that maybe the high school reunion won't be too terrible when it comes up again. As I think back on other people I graduated with, however, I think, well, maybe it will be. How much can people change? A question for the ages.

I wonder what it would be like to hang out with some of the people from high school now. You know, the people who you had a couple classes with but were never in the same social circle. Would we have a fun, glorious time, or would it be high school all over again? Oh, how I wonder. Maybe I will find out in 3 years!

my psychotic childhood, part 1 of many

So, I was thinking back on all the shows I used to watch as a kid...and, wow, that shit was fucked up. I mean, of course I watched all the old school Nickelodeon stuff: Hey Dude, Salute Your Shorts, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, etc etc. Those were hokey and all, but good, clean fun. But, there were others...oh, were there others.

I sometimes wonder if my mom wasn't raising my sister and I to be drug addicts. Really, trying to explain some of the shit I watched when I was little makes me feel like Example one: Hugga Bunch, the movie. Have you ever WATCHED that shit? What in the world? "Grandma is going in a home kids, because we are too selfish to take care of her! What's that, young one? You try to save grandma by going into a different world by passing through a mirror and there are all these creatures there that just want to hug you? And then you try to use their help to steal young berries from the queen so Grams won't have to be old and a total burden on us? But then you fucking trip like a dumbass and spill all the berries on the ground and ruin them?" This is what happens when people in the '80's get high on crack make a movie. Or when old people get pissed at their kids for putting them in homes. Yep, propaganda.

Example two: Calling all Safety Scouts. No one, and I mean, no one else I have ever talked to has ever heard of this. There aren't even videos on You Tube for god's sake. This is some Canadian program with puppets that teaches kids how to be safe (at home, on the farm, at school). And these puppets are freaky as a castle freak! Seriously, there was this cat who looked like he was completely strung out and he thalked een a rhassssphy voisssse...horrifying. I was actually so scared of him when I was little that I would hide under the covers. There were alway puppets getting hurt, and watching puppets get hurt, well, is a little strange in and of itself. And then there was that damn squirrel who always needed a reminder to be safe. Do you really need a voiceover to remind you not to eat random berries growing on the side of the road or to play with bottles marked poison?! Damn! Natural selection would have gotten that bitch years ago. Oh, and when someone is safe, they get a Safety Scout badge. This is really just setting kids up to expect something they are never going to get. Newsflash: The reward for being safe is getting to FUCKING STAY ALIVE.

And these are just the crazy puppet ones. Don't get me started on David the Gnome, Wee Sing/Sillyville, or Smurfs.

independence

Nothing says a classy Independence Day celebration like fireworks at 12:30pm, having you garage door eternally open, and having your friends? sleep in tents on the side of your house. Oh, or setting fireworks off randomly for two weeks prior to the 4th. Our neighbors are definitely the classiest people on the block. (Image used for simulation. Our neighbors are classier, per my definition, than this image).

In other news, it was a good 4th for us. Friends and some downtown fireworks. Note to self: Do not park at the Zoo. Additional note to self: Do not play 20 questions with Andy.

great American concert

Andy and I went to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers last night...and it was, of course, amazing! It was a fun, good ol' American rock concert, right before Independence Day. It made me feel quite American, and the Bud Light and Bud tall boy cans everywhere just added to the good ol' American feeling. I was feeling very nearly patriotic.

Tom Petty is just awesome. I am sure he was baked last night or at least suffering from years of being so. Maybe there were a few missed notes while they got back in the groove, but it was fuckin' Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers! They played nearly all their classics. Of course "Mary Jane's Last Dance" received quite a reception. Tom Petty said he had been waiting two years to play that song her again. Here is the (minorly creepy) video, for all those who love Indiana references in song or just love great rock:

Creeps Creeps

Additionally, gotta give love to Steve Winwood. He was rockin' as well!

Roshambo!

Tonight, while playing Oh Hell, I learned what roshambo is. Why would people do this to each other? Though I did think it was going to come to that at some points tonight...I still wonder who actually played the Ace of Diamonds...

IU can be redeemed

Finally!!

I feel like I need to do something to celebrate. If I did not have to work tomorrow, I would drive down to Kilroy's for a Long Island and some breadsticks.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Storms

Oh, Midwestern summer storms. I will always think of the Pool when it storms. Those long, hot days, wishing the children would go away or at least that the sky would open up and make us close. Of course, some of the best days were when we only had a few kids (preferrably those who forgot to bring concession money), and we would just sit and play Egyptian Rat Screw or N64 or just listen to the Rain CD. Oh, those were the days. The storms that make you stop working are the best kind.

But, seriously, we have had so many storms that it is getting a little ridiculous. Ignoring for the moment my irritation with making calls for property...Look what has been happening in Bloomington!That is Kirkwood, friends. It looks like Nick's, Kilroy's, most everywhere got flood damage. I hope everything is OK, because I know we would all be quite devastated if something happened to these institutions. This was posted on the IDS website, and they have a montage here. I think the people jumping in the Jordan might have been crazy, just a little.

Oh, and the football field got fucked up too! As if the football team needs this to add to its list of problems. Who thinks Greenspan will actually take care of this? I don't. He will probably just say that someone else should have been paying attention and that it is not his responsibility. Dick.

This is just lubricious. And there are more storms for tonight.

celebrate the quarter century

I have considered starting a new blog for a while, and, you know, life just gets in the way. I am not sure that I have posted in my other blog for more than 6 months, so let's start fresh. I am going to post about things that make me happy. My blogs tend to creep toward the purging, ranting so I am going to start fresh. There are many things that make us happy everyday, so why do we tend to talk about the things that frustrate us more?

Well, I say no more! At least, not for now. Who knows what this will morph into later, but for now, happy thoughts. I will be keeping the crap in the real world for now...we don't need to publish the crap online.

First thing's first, my husband makes me happy. I could really go on an on and on, but I love him the most because he knows me, really knows me, and loves me anyway. He doesn't try to be someone else, and he doesn't expect me to be anyone but me. He knows that the best birthday present he could give me would be to take a day off work and spend my birthday with me, and that is what we did. We spent the day around the city: the zoo, the grounds of the art museum, and even Crown Hill. He didn't even bat an eye when I told him that I had always wanted to go to the cemetery. So, we went, and it was beautiful.

It was sunny, and quiet, and all the trees and flowers were blooming. We went to the highest point in the city and looked at the skyline and down at all the markers. It was a wonderful view, and we even learned about how schoolkids saved up money to have James Whitcomb Riley buried in Crown Hill. It was absolutely lovely, and quite a poignant way to spend Memorial Day, I realized later. But the day was perfect, because I spent it with him.