Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
Saturday was a blessed day, as my southern counterpart would say. As you may have noticed from my post, it started pretty early. I got a call just before 5 AM from Bubbles and she needed to talk. She apologized for calling me at that hour...but I assured her it was okay because we're friends and friends are there for each other at any time of day (and I was getting up in an hour anyway). She went on to tell me how much she missed me and that she doesn't enjoy Vegas like she thought she would and she's worried about her job and she's frustrated that she can't find another friend like me in Vegas. Granted, she was a little tipsy (I mean, it WAS 4 AM in Vegas at the time) but I had heard this before when she was sober too. I assured her that it was going to be okay...and it doesn't matter if she finds another friend like me because she already has one...and frankly, you're not going to find another $teve. Anywhere. (How's that for humble?) It got a laugh out of her...and after a few more minutes of pointing out her numerous wonderful attributes, she said that she felt much better, thanked me, and slept it off. Most might say that would have been really inconvenient and got frustrated that somebody called them in the middle of the night...but not me. I enjoy those calls. Why? Because I'm a glutton for punishment. Okay, not really. It's because I kind of like being the person that somebody calls when they need a friend...or just somebody to talk to. We all have those moments when everything just kind of adds up...and we have a Gloomy Gus Day. I've discussed this before repeatedly. It gives me a feeling not unlike Pride to help somebody who's having a horrible day (or night or very early morning) and make it better. It's what I live for really. So yeah, I was awake after that, blogged a bit (since I didn't the night before thanks to my brother's barbecue), then went to my next blessed event.
I went to Neighbor Works in my old stompin' grounds of Rose Park. For those who have never heard of it (like me) it's basically a wonderful community improvement program for a part of town that really needs it. They do community service projects, loans for homes & small businesses in the area, outreach programs and lots of other wonderful things. I showed up a little early (like I always do) and got to meet some of the people behind the organization and get a little background from them. Please check them out and organizations like them in your deck of the woods. Anyway, today we were getting treated to a complimentary breakfast (provided by the Rose Park Lions Club) of pancakes and then we headed out to an elderly widow's home to paint her house. This was with a few other people from work so it was pretty fun...and the lady was incredibly sweet and had two beautiful dogs. Being vertically gifted, I was able to help out without a ladder so while everybody else was waiting for supplies, I grabbed a scraper and a brush and got to work pretty early...and the weather was absolutely perfect for painting. It's was like seventies, we were afraid that it was going to rain and literally wash our work away...but it didn't, not too sunny so that the sweat flows freely, just perfect outdoor working weather. I met some new coworker friends and was reunited with a few that I hadn't seen in a few years (moved to other department and lost contact). It was good times...and we helped a sweet lady out. What more could you ask for in a day...and all before noon? But wait, there was more.
Since I was in the neighborhood, I went to hang with my dad for about an hour. It wasn't much...but I helped my stepmom set up her new laptop a bit & caught up with my dad who I hadn't seen in a few weeks. Then I went home, did about four loads of laundry, cleaned up my kitchen & bathroom, cooked me a nice little dinner (chicken alfredo), finished the first season of "Dollhouse" (love that show like a fat kid loves cake), and basically just chillaxed all day letting the cool air flow throughout my apartment. It was just about the most wonderful time that I could have by myself...and was even occasionally blessed with a text message from JL Clyde (now back from San Francisco) and Lilie and others. Then I had a hinkering that I hadn't had for a long time...to look at some old videos from my trips around the world. See, I have a camcorder...but I haven't used it much the past few years (mostly because pictures do pretty well and are much easier to share). The problem was that the batteries were dead on it, so I charged it up a bit...and while charging, I noticed there was a tape in it and tried to remember what the last thing I videotaped was...and when...and where. Was it my 26th birthday in Vegas? No, I'd taken it to Europe with me last year, maybe it was that. Hmm, only one way to find out. When it was partially charged, I rewound a few minutes, pushed play...and what did I see? "Hey Kairi, where's your nose? Where's your eyes? Where's your mouth? Where's your bellybutton?" It was video from about a year ago of my niece...and she was just about the most adorable thing that I had ever seen. "How does a dog sound?" "Woof woof woof!!!" Yeah, good times. Also, I'm thinking about checking out my tapes from China four years ago & Europe last year soon...so if anybody wants to go on a mystical journey through time & space with me...and maybe experience China secondhand (probably complete with stories) then let me know and we can watch them. I'll warn you...there's probably four hours or so of videos...but you'll see all the sights of Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Zhouzhuang, Hangzhou, Leshan, Dujiangyan, Suzhou, a Chinese Acrobats show, Pandas, edible delicacies, guards with AK-47s and so much more.
That night, I also watched "The Maltese Falcon" starring Humphrey Bogart in his legendary role of Sam Spade, a private eye caught up in a web of lies, deceit and golden bird statues. Basically, the story is the typical gumshoe caper. Beautiful dame walks in, gives a story about a missing sister & her evil boyfriend in town, the partner's sent to tail him, ends up murdered, then the boyfriend's murdered, the police are poking around, there's more to the story than expected...and the private eye has to figure it all out on his own without getting killed. The flick is legendary...and basically sent the benchmark pretty high for its genre...but it does get a little...overexposed by today's standards. Granted, I know it was a different time when this movie was made (1941) but still it's a great film and I'd suggest checking it out. This was actually my first time watching the film...but apparently it was parodied as a child (probably on Tiny Toons or something like that) because a lot of the characters seemed EXTREMELY familiar to me. Everything from Sam to the Dame to the Fatman to Cairo I felt like I had seen before...but yeah, that's neither here nor there. Great classic flick. Check it out if you want.
Sunday, I worked in the morning and then in the afternoon, the "G.I. Joe" viewing was cancelled because my dad was on a new medication and didn't want to be in public. Apparently it made him really hyper and lose frontal lobe capabilities or something...because he was like he was ten years earlier. Not really saying anything...but making sure that you heard every single syllable...even the gibberish. I hung out there for a few hours, mostly for my stepmom because she was trying to set up her laptop...and I can imagine the chore that would've been having to listen to him too. Oh well, it wasn't that bad.
Around 7, I headed up to meet JL Clyde & Cat at the Mount Olive Cemetery for an event that I had no idea existed until a few days ago...and I really wasn't prepared for...but hell if I was going to miss it - Zombie Walk 2009. Basically, a bunch of people dress up like zombies, compare costumes & give advice for next year, and then slowly walk down the hill towards Trolley Square, entertaining neighbors & passerbys along the way. It was actually quite the sight...and a lot of fun, until they slowly advanced on the rookie police officer who then panicked and opened fire. Apparently he had seen "Dawn of the Dead" and knew there was only one way to stop a zombie. Jack will be missed. The walk concluded at Trolley Square where all the zombie then started to dance to "Thriller" in a lovely tribute to the late Michael Jackson. Here are some pictures...
Saturday was a blessed day, as my southern counterpart would say. As you may have noticed from my post, it started pretty early. I got a call just before 5 AM from Bubbles and she needed to talk. She apologized for calling me at that hour...but I assured her it was okay because we're friends and friends are there for each other at any time of day (and I was getting up in an hour anyway). She went on to tell me how much she missed me and that she doesn't enjoy Vegas like she thought she would and she's worried about her job and she's frustrated that she can't find another friend like me in Vegas. Granted, she was a little tipsy (I mean, it WAS 4 AM in Vegas at the time) but I had heard this before when she was sober too. I assured her that it was going to be okay...and it doesn't matter if she finds another friend like me because she already has one...and frankly, you're not going to find another $teve. Anywhere. (How's that for humble?) It got a laugh out of her...and after a few more minutes of pointing out her numerous wonderful attributes, she said that she felt much better, thanked me, and slept it off. Most might say that would have been really inconvenient and got frustrated that somebody called them in the middle of the night...but not me. I enjoy those calls. Why? Because I'm a glutton for punishment. Okay, not really. It's because I kind of like being the person that somebody calls when they need a friend...or just somebody to talk to. We all have those moments when everything just kind of adds up...and we have a Gloomy Gus Day. I've discussed this before repeatedly. It gives me a feeling not unlike Pride to help somebody who's having a horrible day (or night or very early morning) and make it better. It's what I live for really. So yeah, I was awake after that, blogged a bit (since I didn't the night before thanks to my brother's barbecue), then went to my next blessed event.
I went to Neighbor Works in my old stompin' grounds of Rose Park. For those who have never heard of it (like me) it's basically a wonderful community improvement program for a part of town that really needs it. They do community service projects, loans for homes & small businesses in the area, outreach programs and lots of other wonderful things. I showed up a little early (like I always do) and got to meet some of the people behind the organization and get a little background from them. Please check them out and organizations like them in your deck of the woods. Anyway, today we were getting treated to a complimentary breakfast (provided by the Rose Park Lions Club) of pancakes and then we headed out to an elderly widow's home to paint her house. This was with a few other people from work so it was pretty fun...and the lady was incredibly sweet and had two beautiful dogs. Being vertically gifted, I was able to help out without a ladder so while everybody else was waiting for supplies, I grabbed a scraper and a brush and got to work pretty early...and the weather was absolutely perfect for painting. It's was like seventies, we were afraid that it was going to rain and literally wash our work away...but it didn't, not too sunny so that the sweat flows freely, just perfect outdoor working weather. I met some new coworker friends and was reunited with a few that I hadn't seen in a few years (moved to other department and lost contact). It was good times...and we helped a sweet lady out. What more could you ask for in a day...and all before noon? But wait, there was more.
Since I was in the neighborhood, I went to hang with my dad for about an hour. It wasn't much...but I helped my stepmom set up her new laptop a bit & caught up with my dad who I hadn't seen in a few weeks. Then I went home, did about four loads of laundry, cleaned up my kitchen & bathroom, cooked me a nice little dinner (chicken alfredo), finished the first season of "Dollhouse" (love that show like a fat kid loves cake), and basically just chillaxed all day letting the cool air flow throughout my apartment. It was just about the most wonderful time that I could have by myself...and was even occasionally blessed with a text message from JL Clyde (now back from San Francisco) and Lilie and others. Then I had a hinkering that I hadn't had for a long time...to look at some old videos from my trips around the world. See, I have a camcorder...but I haven't used it much the past few years (mostly because pictures do pretty well and are much easier to share). The problem was that the batteries were dead on it, so I charged it up a bit...and while charging, I noticed there was a tape in it and tried to remember what the last thing I videotaped was...and when...and where. Was it my 26th birthday in Vegas? No, I'd taken it to Europe with me last year, maybe it was that. Hmm, only one way to find out. When it was partially charged, I rewound a few minutes, pushed play...and what did I see? "Hey Kairi, where's your nose? Where's your eyes? Where's your mouth? Where's your bellybutton?" It was video from about a year ago of my niece...and she was just about the most adorable thing that I had ever seen. "How does a dog sound?" "Woof woof woof!!!" Yeah, good times. Also, I'm thinking about checking out my tapes from China four years ago & Europe last year soon...so if anybody wants to go on a mystical journey through time & space with me...and maybe experience China secondhand (probably complete with stories) then let me know and we can watch them. I'll warn you...there's probably four hours or so of videos...but you'll see all the sights of Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Zhouzhuang, Hangzhou, Leshan, Dujiangyan, Suzhou, a Chinese Acrobats show, Pandas, edible delicacies, guards with AK-47s and so much more.
That night, I also watched "The Maltese Falcon" starring Humphrey Bogart in his legendary role of Sam Spade, a private eye caught up in a web of lies, deceit and golden bird statues. Basically, the story is the typical gumshoe caper. Beautiful dame walks in, gives a story about a missing sister & her evil boyfriend in town, the partner's sent to tail him, ends up murdered, then the boyfriend's murdered, the police are poking around, there's more to the story than expected...and the private eye has to figure it all out on his own without getting killed. The flick is legendary...and basically sent the benchmark pretty high for its genre...but it does get a little...overexposed by today's standards. Granted, I know it was a different time when this movie was made (1941) but still it's a great film and I'd suggest checking it out. This was actually my first time watching the film...but apparently it was parodied as a child (probably on Tiny Toons or something like that) because a lot of the characters seemed EXTREMELY familiar to me. Everything from Sam to the Dame to the Fatman to Cairo I felt like I had seen before...but yeah, that's neither here nor there. Great classic flick. Check it out if you want.Sunday, I worked in the morning and then in the afternoon, the "G.I. Joe" viewing was cancelled because my dad was on a new medication and didn't want to be in public. Apparently it made him really hyper and lose frontal lobe capabilities or something...because he was like he was ten years earlier. Not really saying anything...but making sure that you heard every single syllable...even the gibberish. I hung out there for a few hours, mostly for my stepmom because she was trying to set up her laptop...and I can imagine the chore that would've been having to listen to him too. Oh well, it wasn't that bad.
Around 7, I headed up to meet JL Clyde & Cat at the Mount Olive Cemetery for an event that I had no idea existed until a few days ago...and I really wasn't prepared for...but hell if I was going to miss it - Zombie Walk 2009. Basically, a bunch of people dress up like zombies, compare costumes & give advice for next year, and then slowly walk down the hill towards Trolley Square, entertaining neighbors & passerbys along the way. It was actually quite the sight...and a lot of fun, until they slowly advanced on the rookie police officer who then panicked and opened fire. Apparently he had seen "Dawn of the Dead" and knew there was only one way to stop a zombie. Jack will be missed. The walk concluded at Trolley Square where all the zombie then started to dance to "Thriller" in a lovely tribute to the late Michael Jackson. Here are some pictures...
"ZOMBIE BABY!!!"
There were probably around 200 zombies
No one is safe!!!
After that, it was off to Red Rocks for a few beers, introducing JL Clyde & Cat to "Dollhouse" and then sleeping. Today I worked, played some volleyball and then gave you the news...
Nicolas Cage / Green Hornet Update - Speaking of other movies that I expect to suck a bit, here's some news on the running gag known as "The Green Hornet" motion picture. About fifteen years after the process was first started, they're still about as close to finishing as they were back when Will Smith was the Fresh Prince...but Taiwan's pop singer Jay Chou will star alongside Nicolas Cage and Cameron Diaz in the movie remake of popular US television series "The Green Hornet," reports here said Saturday. Chou, 30, has been cast as the superhero's sidekick Kato, a role played by the late Chinese-American martial arts icon Bruce Lee about 40 years ago, said the United Daily News. "I am very happy to act in an international film. I will do my best," the paper quoted Chou as saying in a statement issued by his company JVR Music. Chou won the role after a video-link audition a month ago with the movie's director Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") and writer Seth Rogen ("Knocked Up"), who will play the lead role Britt Reid, or The Green Hornet, the report said. Chou will start shooting for the film, scheduled to be released on July 9 2010 (in theory), after wrapping up his directorial work for a television series and two concerts in China, it said. Now, please don't get this Chou confused with Stephen Chow ("Kung Fu Hustle") who this time six months ago was set to direct & star in this movie...because he pulled out faster than...I'm just not going to finish that metaphor, if that's okay with you. Director Kevin Smith ("Clerks" etc) has had his hands in this bit for the better part of a decade before he gave up. It could be good...but with build-up like this, who knows? I guess we'll find out next year...allegedly. This movie could be pretty good...but after all the hype, who knows? I'm a little weary of Seth Rogen being the lead. I mean...is it supposed to be an action comedy...from the guy who brought me "Science of Sleep"? I can see the angle of the clumsy, kind-of-out-of-shape billionaire who fights crime...but it's really the Bruce Lee sidekick doing all the work...and then some eye candy (Diaz) drops in...but is Nicolas Cage his evil arch nemesis FU MANCHU? Could his legendary role in "Werewolf Women of the SS" finally be hitting the big screen in a full feature length movie? AAHAHAHAHAAHHAAAAA!!! I guess only time will tell.Anyway, that'll do it for today. Volleyball tonight...but we'll see how that goes. Also gonna catch up on some sleep. Feel like I'm missing a few hours here and there, know what I mean? Of course you do. Have a great day everybody!!! And keep an eye out for those zombies!!! Aim for the head!!!
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