Friday, March 16, 2007

Travel Time

Today I and my fiancée got up at two thirty in the morning to drive from Norman, OK to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. We then had to

  1. navigate a terrible structure
  2. find parking that costs well more than I thought it would
  3. get into the airport
  4. get past security
  5. remember that I left my phone in the car and I got to repeat steps 3 and 4.

We then got onto a plane that had screaming kids on it for 3 hours until we arrived in Chicago. The connecting flight to Baltimore was on the same airplane, so we got to wait for 45 minutes waiting for the next batch of cattle to get onboard. Another hour of turbulence filled flying and we touched down in the BWI airport, which neither of us has any real familiarity with.

Next we got onto a shuttle to get into Washington that made the turbulence feel like a massage chair. From the time that we registered for the shuttle until the time that we arrived at our hotel (which is about 31 miles away) 2 hours and 10 minutes had passed – a little side note: I’ve been to Honduras where they have one lane highways and gone faster than this experience.

We then got to the hotel and unpacked. My brother was there to pick us up and the three of us walked in the sleet/snow/hail for about 15 minutes to get to the subway. 20 minutes later we got off the subway and walked about another 10 min or so to my brother and sister-in-law’s house. I figure that, all in all, we spent about 13 or 14 consecutive hours in one form of transit or another.

And then I got to see my nephew for the first time.

Today was a good day.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Comic Book Movies

I was watching reruns of Scrubs tonight and JD was talking about how much he enjoyed the movie "Judge Dredd." That reminded me of when I went to see that movie (in the theater, no less) and after watching it, my brother made the astute comment, "I wish I had just burned my $5 [yes, back then movies only cost $5 (I sound more and more like my dad every day)]. It would have been faster and less painful to watch." It also got me to thinking that there have been some pretty bad-as-in-god-awful comic book movies made recently. With that in mind, and with Ghost Rider out this week, I'd like to pose a question: What are the 5 worst comic book movies ever made?

Here are the contenders:

Judge Dredd
Catwoman
Daredevil
Electra
Hulk
Batman Forever
Batman and Robin
Blade II
Blade Trinity
Constantine
Punisher
Spawn
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
X-Men 3

Of these, I think the worst are
5. Hulk
4. Judge Dredd
3. Batman and Robin
2. Electra
1. Catwoman

Any that I'm leaving out? What are your 5? And in case anyone is wondering, there is only one movie up here that I haven't seen. I love comic book movies. I think that they can be some of the best action movies out there (see X2 and Spider-Man 2) and, unfortunately, some of the worst.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Addiction: thy name is Fantasy

Well, it's official. I have become a total Fantasy Football addict. And before anyone starts on me about how I'm not all the way there yet, I know I don't have a multitude of teams on different leagues. But I am currently watching a show dedicated to Fantasy Football, I was listening to a show on the radio earlier, and I just got done debating my team for Week 6. I think I'm traveling down the dark path.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

It's getting __________ all the time

Things in my life keep on getting (better / worse) - circle one.

Better:
Roommate left me a notice that he plans to leave (this is big time news!)

Worse:
Now, I have to find a way to suppliment the income I got from him.

Better:
I'm enrolled in all the classes I need to graduate!

Worse:
I'm behind in at least 2 of them, and catching up in your hardest 2 classes is double tough.

Better:
I've started walking more, and this is helping with my plan to get into better shape.

Worse:
The car needs major repair, and will probably become scrap at the end of the year.

Better:
I'm winning the first Fantasy Football league I've ever joined.

Worse:
Not for long. I'm playing against Unoquivocal Sunday and will get thouroughly stomped.

Friday, September 15, 2006

I Feel Lost

I'd like to give a little shout out to The Count and Unoquivocal, for they are the ones that turned me on to the excellence that is "Lost." I watched the first season of this show last year and was pretty blown away by it. But now, my obsession is getting out of control. I bought the second season last Tuesday, and I just finished the entire season Wednesday night, 8 days after my purchase.
While working 25 hours per week.

And taking 18 hours of class.

I'm so tired.

About Damn Time

Well, It's official. I recieved a letter in the mail yesterday informing me that I would be graduating this fall. I am awesome. One Bachelor's degree, nine years. Don't ask me how I do it, just bask in my wonderfulness.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

The Little Black Cloud

My Girlfriend has a theory:

There is a little black cloud that hangs over her head and brings bad luck whereever she goes. Never has this been truer than this week. On Friday, she was driving to work when the car in front of her broke suddenly, causing her to also break suddenly. Unfortunately, the Chevy Caprice behind her did not follow suit and she was rear ended. Turns out, the Chevy was really an unmarked state highway patrol vehicle (can't you see something like this happening on Super Troopers?) . He was a major, no less. A high ranking officer in the Oklahoma State Highway Patrol. And he gave her a bogus insurance number.

The following Monday is the big day for us. We have to take the car in and get 2 different estimates, take her to the doctor's office and get a perscription for some minor back pain. Everything is going great and according to plan. We go to the doctor, we get the perscription to the pharmacy, we get the first estimate (which is way too high - she doesn't want her car totaled).

Then the maddness begins. First, her perscription isn't covered by her insurance plan. OK, that's a problem that can be solved with a little bit of money, so in the grand scheme of things it's not a real problem. Once she's able to get the money, we decide to just pay for the perscription.

Unfortunately, her doctor is a bit of a quack and when we go to pick up the perscription, the pharmacologist informs us that the quack has perscribed her a drug that she's allergic to. So the pharmacy calls the quack doctor to change perscriptons and she gets a different anti-inflamitiory. Great news time! This one's covered by the insurance, so it's really cheap! So everything's looking great as we get the new drugs (on the forth thime to the pharmacy for those of you keeping track at home). And these drugs are great. They reduce the pain and don't have any drowsy side effects. Everything is going great. Trough Tuesday.

Wednesday morning, she spots some spots (I really didn't plan that double use of the word spot, sometimes shit happens) on her legs that itch a little bit. At first, we think it's bug bites. But later in the day, they get remarkably bigger. And Redder. And Itchier. And More of them. So we go to the minor emergency clinic to make sure she doesn't have Leprecy and the doctor there (this is not the quack, by the way) tells her that it's an allergic reaction to the new perscription.

Yippee! Hope she never needs anti-inflamitory drugs again since the two big ones cause major allergic reactions. Then the non-quack doctor perscribes a steroid pack to help her get over the reaction and tells her to discontinue her anti-inflamitory drugs immediately. He tells her to take Benadryl and if the symptoms get worse, to get the scrip filled and take the roids.

So Wednesday night, the itching gets so bad that while waiting for the Benadryl to take effect, I have to tie her hands up in pillowcases to prevent her from scratching herself to pieces. The spots have spread all over her body - head to toe. Legs, arms, neck, feet, scalp, face, hands, back, everything. Needless to say, we're getting the roids filled as soon as possible. So Thursday Morning we go back to the pharmacy to get this one filled and get her home. So now I get to watch her suffer through this increadably uncomfortable situation without being able to do really anything to help. All because of some State Trooper who couldn't be bothered to look up and break. And I bet he doesn't even get a ticket.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Top Five

The top 5 list for this Saturday is Top 5 Guilty Pleasures!

Here are My Top Five

1. Watching Gilmore Girls

2. Watching Friends (that show is so popular and so, so bad.)

3. Laughing at the totally NASCAR people that come into the store I work for.

4. Listening to The Cartigans

5. Reading Comic Books - especally bad ones

As always, I open the floor to you. What are your top 5?

Top Five List

The Top Five List for Saturday this week is Top Five Bands that have recently been in my CD player. By the way, when did I get outdated by saying "in my CD player" as opposed to "on my playlist?" I feel like that guy who still plays vinal records and swears that they sound better - and by better he really means worse.

My Top 5 (in no particular order)

1. R.E.M

2. The Clash

3. Wilco

4. A Tribe Called Quest

5. Wheat (they only have 3 albums and they've since broken up but they were great)

So what are your Top Five?

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Things I Like

This is a list of the things that have gotten me through the day at one point in time or another. It is not meant to be comprehensive or in any discernable order.

1. The Simpsons episodes whenever the rich Texas oilman is involved.

2. The 4 dogs that I’ve ever been caretaker for.

3. The game “Mafia.”

4. The comic book series “The Flash” when Mark Waid was the writer.

5. Debating politics with my friend John (it often results in him calling me a commie and me calling him a racist).

6. Pizza Shuttle. For those of you who do not have a Pizza Shuttle in your town, you have my sympathies.

7. A fine cigar and a gourmet dinner.

8. December 2006.

9. My girlfriend. Even though I know she reads this, I’d put this on here anyway.