11.27.2006

The Thanksgiving Post

It was great getting to come home for Thanksgiving. I left Coolio in the hands of Laura, who did me a huge favor and stopped in to check up on her while I was away. Did a nice traditional Thanksgiving dinner at Ali and Bob’s again which was great as always. Tried Goose along with my traditional turkey for the first time, and enjoyed it alot. Picked out the family tree and got it standing proudly in its usual spot by the stairs. No lights or decorations by the time I left unfortunately, but we were crunched for time and people were coming and going constantly.

I found not having a car to be a bit of a bummer, but still managed to get some quality time in with Sarah (she was home surprising her Mum for thanksgiving), some Black Friday shopping and a few trips out with friends. Watched the always classic Ricky-Oh:
The Story of Ricky courtesy of Eric’s oddball movie collection at Ken’s place which was hilarious. Got to meet Ken’s girlfriend Marylyn too which as cool. Made it out to Auld Sheebean for a little chill session with a few of my good buddies too, which was really important for me. I am glad I was able to catch them on such short notice. Even got a lunch in at Potbellies. My cell phone died on my two days into my trip, so I wasn’t able to call people I probably should have, but unfortunately I rely on speedial and couldn’t remember anyone’s numbers to save my life. It was great to be home, and I am already anticipating coming back at Christmas.


The Graduate Post

Before heading back to VA for Thanksgiving, I wanted to wrap up my online drivers class (for my speeding ticket last month). I opted to take the course online vs. in a classroom for all the obvious reasons. Took about 5 hours of reading and note taking and then a 40 question exam. I fetched a 39/40 which I was pleased with, though the questions really ranged in difficulty. The one I missed was ‘What is the average cost of damage per victim in an alcohol related crash in the state of Florida?’ which in all honesty is a tricky question if you didn’t happen tow rite down that figure. But the test also featured such doosies as ‘Seatbelts are beneficial in accidents. True or False?’ and ‘The Blood Alcohol level in your body determines how much ___ is in your system.” So all in all I’m glad to have it over with finally, but I cant feel too accomplished being that half the questions would serve a chimp little trouble.

The Plates Post

One of the last remaining objectives associated with my relocation was to get my car registered down here and have new tags and plates issued for the Celica. My insurance has been slow to transfer, and I’ve wasted a few days driving to the wrong DMVs, inspection stations and state tax collectors offices, but it’s finally sorted. I no longer rock the bland, white Virginia tags; the Celica now has a cheesy green and orange Florida plate on the back (no tags on the front down here which works for me ‘cus it makes my car look sexier). I elected not to go with old LUCHADR for my tags, and went with the standard issue, orange-adorned state plate. ‘Luchadr was very much the Focus’ nickname. I wouldn’t feel right swapping the name over to the new vehicle (though I recognize I did that from my old Mercury…for some reason this feels different).

Once I had the plate in hand it wouldn’t be for another week that that I finally got it on the car. The old tags were so rusted onto the car that I wasn’t able to remove the stripped screws with the tools I have here. So I took it to a body shop off of the Trail… they got the front one off after a lot of work, but could get the back to budge. Took it down to the auto supply store and bought a beefier wrench and some anti-rust spray. No luck. Then took the car to Pep Boys early before work on day. All they were able to do was rip the head off of one of the screws leaving the majority of the little bugger in the hole, unable to be removed. Fortunately Victor at work is a very handyman when it comes to these sort of things, and brought in all the tools he needed to drill out the rusted screw, re-sink new holes and mount the Florida tags. I was very relived because for a while it looked like I was going to be driving on void tags. Cheers Victor.

11.19.2006

The Wiiiiiiiii Post

Last night was the official launch of Nintendo’s latest system the Wii. Having already preordered I stopped by the Millennia GameStop at midnight to pick mine up. Stayed up far too late last night setting it up and getting online with it. Despite the name and the taboo that it’s a kiddy system or a non-gamer system here in the nerd realm, I gotta say, this thing is fun as hell. Playing baseball and tennis where I actual have to swing to hit the ball, pressure sensitive controls for arching bowling balls, and sword swipes being mapped to horizontal and vertical flicks of the wrist… all fantastic additions to the traditional game playing mechanism. Zelda (the only game I bought ontop of the console) is simply fantastic, and a definite must have for all gamers. Though graphically very last-gen, this little system is well worth the hype and 250 bones. I know I’m kinda alone in this opinion when it comes to my friends, (either being non-gamers or traditional gamers who don’t like change –you know who you are) but I felt the need to voice a positive vote for this quirky little system. Is it just a gimmick? Will it burn out after the holiday buzz dies down? Who knows? time will tell, but for now, I’m happy as hell and really enjoying this thing.


Got a few friends linked up online already, and while I don’t expect this to go anywhere I’ll stick my friend code online here if anyone wants to add me to their Wii: 2095 5973 6967 9388. Now if you’ll excuse me they are giving away Xbox 360 games at Burger King. Time for a chicken sandwich.

11.18.2006

The Shaken Not Stirred Post

Last night I went to Movieco Theaters to catch opening night of the new James Bond flick Casino Royal. Elana and a few of her friends arrived at my place for some pizza and general chilling, and met up with Nathan and Bonnie at the show. The theater was maaaaasive, I’m talking twice the size (and then some) of the biggest screen I’ve ever been too, easy. Simply huge. Plus there were seats galore, which was a relief, as Elana implied that we’d be fighting for seats where all of us could sit together…not the case by a long shot. It was actually kinda dead, which was weird, because the theater is part of this Point Plaza area which has bars, restaurants and all kinds of stores. Seeing it empty was kind of creepy in a ghost town kinda way. If a place existed up in NoVa it would be the hangout spot. But I guess with all the tourist focused features down here, there are a lot more options available.

Anyway the movie:….awesome. I am liking it more and more after the fact to be honest. If you’re a Bond fan you’ll love this movie. If you had doubts about Daniel Craig pulling of Bond (as I did) fear not, he does a perfect 007. Just enough of the classic Bond, without the campy cheese that has plagued the last few. It was refreshing to see the bad guy not wanting to take over the world, or have super powers of some sort, and the Bond-girl this time around was a lot more than just another pretty face for Bond to bone as the credits roll. We get to see Bond molded into the suave spy we know and love from a cocky killer, which is a refreshing take on the character, With slight hints into his past, but no enough for him to lose his mystique. Actions scenes were terrific. All fisty-cuffs and good old fashioned asskicking. Don’t worry, Bond-purists, there are plenty of silenced PP7 take downs and more explosions than you can count too. I was extremely hesitant being that this film didn’t feature Brosnan (my favorite Bond), but the films overall quality, change of pace, and Craig’s performance more than mask that fact. I warn you, the story closes, then there is another ending, and then an obscure ending after that to wrap up lose threds…by the end of the whole ordeal you kinda just want it to finally finish. It’s no A.I. where you’ll actually be bored, but it does seem like they should just speed things up for the last 15 minutes or so.

Anyway, in closing definitely a much needed breath of fresh air into a rotting franchise worthy of praise despite the negative spin put t on by Bond purists. Go see it.

"Now the whole world will know that you died scratching my balls!" -James Bond

11.12.2006

The Green Thumb Post

And by green thumb I mean scabbed and cut fingers. Seriously, I am such an amateurish gardener that transplanting a few plants into potters and arranging some large rocks left my hands bleeding like I’d been feeding lions. Small lions…kittens….ok hamsters. Today I decided to decorate my barren balcony with some greenery, primarily to block the view from the ground so Coolio won’t be seen by my landlord (I don’t want to pay pet rent). Until now I have kept the blinds close to closed every day to avoid ‘Cools from being spotted from below. Downside being that it cuts out a lot of light. Now the view is obscured from the ground and less drab from the apartment. Attached are a few shots. I don’t know, I’m hardly a gardener, but this is hardly gardening, so I think I can meet in the middle. Plus it’s just cool to be able to have a palm tree that wont die in the winter, yay tropics!



The 3rd Painterly Post

So some of you more dedicated readers may recall a few weeks back I picked up a very large canvas for painting. (and for those who dont recall...well I did) Well its been an on-and-off-again project but I’ve finally got something to show for it up on the wall. I’ll attach some pictures for your review. I am not 100% with this one yet, but I’m not sure what to do. I am considering adding water below by painting in just the highlights of some waves, but I fear I might loose the nice gradient effect with the blue. Any feedback is appreciated gentle or no.



Oh and P.S. sorry for the pompous beginning to this entry, upon rereading it I sound like an ass.

11.09.2006

The Who? Post

So George brought it to my attention today that there is a remarkable resemblance between myself and the new guy who plays Dr. Who; a Scottish actor called David Tennant. I went online and looked up a few shots on Google, and while its definitely hit and miss, sometimes the guy looks a lot like me (if he had some facial hair, thicker eyebrows and less waifish hair of course). Check out this assortment of shots and judge for yourself? Do I have a long lost brother? He IS Scottish…. Is there something you’re not telling us Mum?


11.07.2006

The Shiny Mt. Post

So on Halloween I went to the Groove Nightclub at Citywalk. It was kinda uneventful, but a cool venue, and I had a good time. I neglected to mention, in previous postings the characters we ran into at said club however. Two of which were a couple dubbed Shiny Mountain and Cracked-Out-Raver-Boyfriend. Shiny Mountain was a delightful 4 foot troll of a woman, complete with pug-like face and hair that looked like seaweed draped over a soccer ball (she was HOT), and was sporting a spandex, silver top (hence her nickname). She was with a crazy dude who looked like an inbred hobbit. He was sporting a braided ponytail, grilled beard, light up LED visor from Epcot (worn sideways of course) and a bag on a string (which he danced with). The two would make their way across the dance floor and Shiny Mt. would stand there looking pissed like Jabba the Hutt, while her raver boyfriend went apeshit dancing around her. Ridiculous dancing. We couldn’t help but laugh at the guy, and shoot this video. He’s the one with the bag and hat if you were wondering. If you look to the left of the screen Shiny Mountain briefly makes an appearance. Now while we were shooting footage on one idiot on the dance floor, we were unaware that a 2nd idiot was caught in the background. Watch the guy pointed to by the video prompt…he totally throws out his knee while attempting some bizarre ‘clap-spin-twirl’ move. Hilarious. We didn’t realize till back t the office the following day how bad the guy wrecked himself. Watch as he clutched his leg in pain…hahaha. Sorry, I just felt the need to share. I have a picture of Shiny Mt. up in at work as she chows down on some refreshments… but I wont clutter up my blog with such an eyesore (thank me later).





11.05.2006

The Bonfire Night Post

Remember, remember the 5th of November…

Being an official descendent of Guy Fawkes (see the Guy family history) I felt the need to at least acknowledge the holiday I am doing nothing to celebrate. I think in the future I’ll make a point of finding out if there are any bonfires going on down here (what with all the Brits about) and partaking in some traditional firework fun. I’d like to think that in the distant future it could be a holiday that I have people over to celebrate every year, and have a big party. It’s quirky enough that people would find it interesting, and unique enough that I don’t think I’ll have conflicting Bonfire Night parties to contend with. Plus since V for Vendetta, Guy Fawkes is cool, so I think my claim to his lineage will make them worth attending. I invite you in advance. Bring fireworks.

The Borat Post

Friday I met up with Elana and two of her UCF friends and went to see Borat. The 11:30 showing sold out way in advance so we ended up sticking it out for the 12:10. Dicked about in City Walk to kill time though didn’t go into any clubs because on of Elana’s friend said she wasn’t 21 yet. The movie was well worth the wait. Very good stuff and funny from start to finish. There were definite lapses where you could tell that Fox had put their foot down and forced Cohen to hold back on his character’s blatant risqué humor and oblivious racism, but for the most part I was laughing out loud at the screen. I will admit to being uncomfortable with the extended naked wrestling scene not being that fond of large foreign man’s testacies (that scene will scar you, don’t say I didn’t warn you). I am not sure how much of the movie is completely staged (there are some parts that are clearly all acted), and which are the traditional Borat style sketches with unaware participants. Some of the reactions were too real to be canned, so I am going to guess that maybe 50% of the scenes are unscripted.

It’s clever, its different and its pretty damn funny. Though the plot makes Road Trip look like a Tolkien quest by comparison, and besides Borat himself, the characters are very half baked.




11.03.2006

The Stairwell Strikes Back Post

My stairwell apparently breeds crazy people. The other night I woke up at 4:00 in the morning to screams of “someone please can you call 911!?” I come to, and look out my window to see a strung out looking chick, in torn jean shorts and a guys jacket talking to Cincinnati (the crazy toothless old guy who lives downstairs) about calling the cops. He does so, and she attempts to leave. I cant hear what’s being said but I hear him shout to tell her to come back. She does, and hangs around for the 2 minutes or so it takes for the cops to show up. Three cars arrive under my window, and two look out at the chick and immediately leave. One stays and gets out. He walks over to her very nonchalantly and starts talking to her with an attitude (I still cant hear what’s being said). From his body motions he was angry and she was being very explanatory with exaggerated motions. I can make out the cop saying “well what did I tell you?” and she responds with high pitched, but aggressive explanations. He leaves, and she wander about outside very loudly for 10 more minutes or so. Two guys roll up, both Hispanic, fairly bulky and dress very well considering the time. They get into an argument with the chick. All I can make out is “where were you before you got here?” and “who did you call”. Her responses seemed the same as with the cop (exaggerated and overacted) and the guys looked about, stroked their chins and looked generally unhappy. I got tired and went back to be4d and they apparently disappeared. Not so.

The following morning I head down to pay my rent at the main office, and on the way back to my car the chick comes out of a nearby bush and asks me if I had a cell phone (while looking at my phone clipped to my belt/ I was about to head to work). I oblige and she says that it was a dire emergency. She calls a friend…no answer. She calls another number, apparently her mom. She convinces the woman to come pick her up (after aking me where she was) and according to her end of the conversation the mother was pissed about the favor. She then hands me back the phone, thanks me, insists that it’s a huge emergency and heads off to the corner of the parking lot to wait for her ride.

Weird. No ideas what’s going on with her, nor why she needed to call the cops. Why she didn’t know where she was, and why her mother had to come pick her up as she hung around a foreign apartment complex since 4:00 in the morning… Bizarre people in this area. Bizarre people. I think my stairwell is lined with catnip for crazies or something.

11.01.2006

The Halloween Post

Yesterday Dawn brought in tones of food for Halloween, which as awesome. Being in the central area of the department the food was not 10 feet from my desk, so I spent all day snacking on chips, dip, pizza rings and donuts. After work Bruce and I headed down to Universal City walk to check up on the Halloween festivities. Unfortunately the place wasn’t that busy, which was very surprising. I guess the fact that it was Halloween didn’t outweigh the fact that it was still a Tuesday. Before hitting City Walk we checking in at the Orlando Ale House and the a Mexican bar who’s name I cant recall. Both were relatively unpopulated. Not barren by any means, but defiantly not the rowdy Halloween crowd from this past weekend. Apparently downtown was pretty crazy again, but the park district didn’t seem to be buzzing as I’d hoped.

Regardless of the lack of partygoers there are some awesome venues at City Walk that will kick ass on a weekend or whenever it is people decide to go. Multiple clubs and bars, all themed and very decked out. Light up fiber-optic dance-floors, DJ spinning decks on high-rises over the bars, live music at most... all in all pretty high class. Ate at the Hard Rock and posed for a bunch of ridiculous costume shots about the place.