Milestones - 20th work anniversary

Today. Officially. I hit twenty years with my current employer. Yippee for me! It's been a long tenure and at some businesses I could retire from but I'm sure it'll be at least another twenty.

No worries. I don't hate working but I do kind of hate having to work.

I have gotten some things from my current employer albeit not high enough annual raises but the environment has been much better than my previous employer's. So I can't complain...a whole lot.

Here's to another twenty years...or five with a move to Hawai'i would be just fine.

I need to make more money

I'm about to move to a new place. Move in is September 1st. I have to prorate rent on my current place for three days, 1st thru 3rd, so I can move out and clean the place. It'll run about $210 for those three days. I have to pay $2,100 for the first month's rent. I have connection and reconnection fees for utilities.

It sucks!

This will be an extremely rough month financially, particularly because it follows an already tough month of August.

In August, there was school registration for both children, one college sophomore and one high school senior. Books for the college student. Band registration and fundraising as well as theater performance dues for the high school senior. Both need new laptops for school. One of the current nine-year old laptops is dead and the other one is dying.

I had to put our family pet's recent surgery on a payment plan with Care Credit. If I don't pay the $1,700 within eighteen months, I'll pay a whole lot in deferred interest.

I already had a payment plan for a recent ambulance ride and E.R. visit for the wife. That started out at like $1,400.

I also have a few more payment plans and just paying outs of accrued debt with interest that won't end for at least six months to a year.

But I try to remain positive. We have our health (barely/mostly). We have a place to move to (as long as nothing goes wrong). I have a job to pay for necessities as well as all this debt (well I have credit to pay and then some money from the job to make payments towards the credit).

So, life is good!

Colleyville Public Library

I sometimes play tennis early on a Saturday morning in Colleyville. I think the park used to be called Bransford but now it looks to be called Colleyville City Park.

I've been to this park many times but have never walked around it. Years ago I brought my kids when they were little because it had a pretty cool playground facility made out of railroad-ties type timber...but not exactly. It was like a giant wooden fort or an on-the-ground tree house. That's been since removed for a "safer" playground.

This one particular Saturday I drove out to play I had arrived fairly early. My friends, for doubles play, weren't going to arrive for at least twenty minutes so I decided to take a walk around the park to stretch my legs from the thirty minute or so drive from my home in North Dallas. It was a pretty cool day compared to the energy-sapping heat/humidity we had been having. I walked about halfway around the park and saw that it actually backed up to the town square. I've driven through that square once years ago because I thought I could cut through it to get to the tennis courts. I was wrong.

Anyhow, this is the first time I noticed the Colleyville Public Library building.

It's not a huge deal for all people but it looked kind of cool to me. I walked in the little archway there to see what it looked like. I peeked into the building through the large glass windows like a little kid. Nothing extraordinary but nostalgic since I've probably not been in a public library in many, many years!

It briefly took me back to the days I'd go to the Euless Public Library as a kid for class field trips or the occasional origami book to check out so I could learn new paper-folding patterns to impress people.

Weekend breakfast

Over the past few years or so, I've tried to create a tradition of making breakfast at least on one of the weekend mornings for the family but usually Sunday. This is about what it looks like but with a bit more bacon, eggs (scrambled and over-easy), toast (french or toasted).

Add Dunkin Donuts coffee for me, milk for the family and breakfast is good to go in the House of Jay.

I believe creating this tradition has worked as many times my kids have had friends stay the night and I hear them say, "Dude, you picked a good night to stay over because my Dad makes breakfast with bacon and eggs in the morning!"

I'm a good—no, great Dad and husband!

Mashed potatoes in a bucket

Went to my neighborhood Tom Thumb to get some groceries and dinner. My youngest went with me. We were pretty hungry and grocery shopping while being as hungry as we were probably isn't the best idea.

We didn't do too bad. We had to get some treats for a party my youngest was attending. We purchased Safeway branded chocolate-covered donut holes — 50 for $5. Yum! In fact, I purchased two tubs so I could have my fat-building dessert at home all day!

For dinner, we decided to get an over-roasted chicken. You know the kind they have these days at any big-name grocery in the middle of some aisle near the deli that was actually baked/cooked by the deli. They are usually like $4.99-$5.99 depending on if you have their rewards card.

Anyway, my youngest said we needed a side item to go with it. Which normally we don't but today we needed one. My youngest picked this bucket of mashed potatoes for like $3.00. I guess we could test it for such a low price. Besides, unless it's just completely horrible and disgusting, I'll eat it because I was born, bred and raised to NOT waste food!

So, long story short, these are pretty darn good! I was a little iffy when buying and initially warming them up (they're in a microwavable container) but the oldest, youngest and I liked them. I don't think the wife had any but I'm sure she would have liked them as well.

Sometimes you gotta live on the edge, especially with food. If it works out, cool. If not...try again.

Cooking sliders

Started a couple of weeks ago but just now finishing and posting.

I've written about my appreciation of the sliders from Easy Slider Truck. They make 'em pretty good. But as we all know, it's not that hard to make a burger whether it's 1/4 lb, 1/3 lb, 1/2 lb or "slider" lb. No matter how you make it or with what add-ons, it usually tastes good or tastes good to someone. Anyway, it's been a few months or so since we've had any Easy Slider sliders. We just haven't had the time but also, the last time they were near my work, they were charging $8.00 for two sliders or $12.00 for three. It used to be two for $7.00 or three for $10. I think $4.00 a slider isn't worth it when I can get almost an entire value meal (fries, drink and burger) somewhere for $8.00. Anyway, the last time I went to buy sliders for the family, I got nine sliders which cost me $30.00.

So, the family decided to try and make our own. Well, I get to do all the trying and making. The wife and kids get to try the tasting. Hamburger meat @ $8.00, slider buns 12-pk @ $3.00, small goat cheese @ $3.00, strawberry preserve spread @ $3.00, and a pound of bacon @ $8.99 which equals a total around $26.00 plus tax. I saved roughly $4.00 but I also made 16 sliders——the last two (in the bottom pic below) probably could have been broken into four for a total of 18 sliders.

Below: is just the start of the sliders in the skillet. I just mixed the 95% lean hamburger meat with garlic powder. I sliced a yellow onion and put in the skillet with the patties to hopefully pick up some of the juice/flavoring from the patties.

Next: This is just one of the many sliders I cooked. A photo just doesn't do it justice on how good it looked and also lacks the tasty smell that makes the mouth water.

I had some leftover hamburger meat since I didn't know how many sliders I would/could make. I decided to make some Heinz 57 sliders. I mixed the hamburger meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Heinz 57. I ran out of slider buns so I thought I'd see how cinnamon raisin bread would work. Added some bacon and, voila! This shit was pretty darn good and tasty if I may say so myself!

Genghis Grill "rewards"

I'm a Khan Klub member with Genghis Grill. As such, I get email deals sent to me. Sometimes they're not very good deals. Sometimes they are good deals. Most of the time they are just okay deals.

To me, as a business if you create a "fan club" for people to join, it should provide its members with mostly good or very good deals. These members obviously use your business and were willing to join your email fan club for perks. It would be courteous for the business to reciprocate the customer's gesture.

I'm not saying EVERY deal has to be BOGO or something like that but 8 out of 10 deals emailed to me from the Khan Klub are a waste of digital space and a thankless poke in the eye from Genghis.

I've used a few of the Khan Klub deals that I thought were good. One was a BOGO bowl with the purchase of two drinks. Now, if I didn't always get a drink, this wouldn't be that good of a deal. A dinner bowl is like $9.99. A drink is $1.89 x 2. So, the deal would cost roughly $13.80 before tax and small tip. Which is like $10.00 off. That's not too shabby. I've also used another deal that was two bowls, two drinks, and a dessert for $19.99 So, technically that's getting the two drinks and dessert for free.

Today's deal wasn't too bad but I've had better (like the ones I've described). Deal of today was BOGO small bowl with purchase of two drinks. A small dinner bowl is like $7.99. So, I just saved around $8.00 but that's better than spending $8.00. The small bowl is noticeably smaller than the regular bowl but it's not like I couldn't pile that shit in the small bowl like I do the regular!

In conclusion, it doesn't cost anything to sign up for the Khan Klub. The deals usually have to be used by a certain time...typically anywhere form 3-5 days after I received the email. You also get some kind of points every time you dine there as long as you have your Khan's card or your Klub member number. I usually forget to have my card and there's no way I'll memorize my member number but now I have it in my wallet. I'll probably not go again since I have it in my wallet. :-)

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

What makes people think family fucking them over is acceptable or overlook-able?

If it were a friend or an acquaintance, would they give them the same leeway?

Just because they are family, it doesn't excuse them for the negative behaviour. In fact, in my opinion, it makes them worse because they ARE family!

I don't understand people putting up with the bullshit from family just because they are family. If it was a friend or just an acquaintance, they would surely distance themselves from these people.

I just don't get it. I'm baffled.

I for one can say that I don't take shit from anyone like that; not family. not friends. I don't need you around if you are not going to be a positive influence on me or my kids. I get taken advantage enough at work as it is but they pay me to put up with their shit!

Anyway, it was just a thought that popped into my head because I saw a Facebook wall post that my niece and nephew (two of the few family members I tolerate) were a part of with my older sister, their aunt. Their aunt responded to them about some "family" get together but she said that it wouldn't really be family because of the ones that are "Above Us All."

You goddamn fucking straight! I AM above those assholes and ALWAYS will be. I do not treat and take advantage of family the way those fucks did so they are no part of my family anymore and that makes me "Above Them All."

Oh well, just a quick rant. Back to my meditation or medication. :-)

Taos, NM July 2012

I thought I'd share a few more links and opinions on places (mostly restaurants) we visited during our trip to Taos, New Mexico this summer.

The second day we were there we went to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. I've been there before and so has the family but we stopped by there once again. Mainly, we stopped there this time because it was on the way to another destination we wanted to visit. This time, however, was a little different than the others. The west side near the rest area was a lot busier than the last visit AND they had one side of the bridge closed due to construction. They were doing something on the east side of the bridge before you cross it as well as painting the bridge white, I think. That's why one half, the sidewalk part anyway, of the bridge was closed. This time there were more vendors selling shit out of the back of trucks, cars, card tables as well as a smoothie bus near the rest area. There were more motorcyclists as well. We were going to walk across the bridge again just for old time's sake but decided it wasn't that big of a necessity. The bridge is still a pretty cool landmark and the scenery on and around the bridge can be breathtaking. Instead of wasting anymore time, we decided to head on to our original destination: Wild Rivers Recreation Area.

The Wild Rivers Recreation Area contains a lot of hiking trails that allow people to hike from designated areas at the top of the Rio Grand Gorge down to the bottom right to the river. That's what we wanted to do, hike, because the last time we visited there were bad wildfires and they would not allow anyone into the Carson Forest or ANY trails because of a burn ban. If you were caught, they'd fine you $5,000. So, this time, we were doing whatever we could before any damn fires decided to jack with our chances to "roam the plains" of New Mexico. Once we entered the Rec Area, we drove for a bit until reaching the first picnic area. We stopped to take some pictures and use the restroom. We moved on down the road to look for a hiking trail. The next area we came to was the first area with a trail down to the river below. I don't recall the exact name of the trail but it said it was a moderate hike at 0.4 miles. We decided this would be a good one to start out on since it was 0.4 miles and we didn't know how much further down the road the next trail was or how long it was or its rating. As always, walking down is always easy. The trail was "maintained" in the sense that it did have large, stacked rocks along the trail to mark it as well as keep it clearer of debris and help keep people from sliding/falling down the side of the Gorge easily. It zigzagged until about 50 feet from the bottom where there were a lot of reed-type plants before reaching the sandy bank of the river. One child said they spotted a snake of some sort black-colored about 3-4 inches in diameter but it slithered away too fast for me to look back and catch a glimpse. Once we got to the bank and then the water, we found a few more snakes about 1/2 inch in diameter and about 6-8 inches long. I guess they were just garden snakes, a kind of grayish color, but I'm not sure. They moved fast on land and water. We decided to trek along the river over large rocks/boulders. Jumping and climbing from rock to rock and occasionally having some "flat" areas to walk along. We walked and climbed about a mile before we realized that we'd have to go back to our original entry trail because there were no others we saw along the way and we didn't know how far the next one was if there was one ahead of us. To add to the strenuous exercise of up and down over rocks and sand, the sun started coming out from behind the originally cloudy sky to make it much hotter than when we started. Luckily, I was carrying 8 20oz water bottles in my backpack along with large bottle of Gatorade and some granola snack bars. I was prepared. The trek back was much harder because we knew where we were going and we were looking forward to getting there as soon as possible because we were getting very tire and hot. I told the kids to take off their shirts and put them in the river to get them wet. It's a fairly fast flowing river in most parts so it's cleaner and way less polluted than more stagnant ones like the nasty Trinity River in Dallas. I told them that the shirt would probably be dry by the time we got back to the start of the trail to go back up the Gorge. We took frequent breaks along the way to make sure we had energy enough t get back up the Gorge. Okay, I wanted to make sure I would have enough energy to make it back up. So after awhile we make it back to the trail to go up. I went through the reedy foliage first because the kids weren't too keen on running into any critters while trekking through it ahead of me. We got through without incidence. The trek up was way harder than down especially after our two mile trek along the river and back. The steepness of the trail was felt (by me mostly) way more going up than down. We made it after 3-4 breaks on the trail where I wanted to be in air conditioning right then and there. We finally made it to the start of the top of the trail where there was this covered picnic table. I took an extended rest here because it was shaded and high enough out of the Gorge where we got a pretty good breeze. It was good times and I wanted to take a nap. Eventually, we got back to the car and decided we'd had enough hiking for the day (it was about 3-4 hours). We originally had grand plans to hike a lot more but we realized we did hike a lot. Not just up and down the Gorge but also the climbing over rocks and boulders along the Rio Grand River and back. So, we got good exercise and the amount of hiking in that we wanted even though it wasn't at multiple locations. Good enough. We drove back to our location in Taos and picked up dinner on the way.

One day we were driving to Santa Fe. We took what they call they high road to Santa Fe. Along this road or a just short jaunt off of it, there is a restaurant called Rancho de Chimayo. I've heard many people brag about this place...the food and the ambiance of it. The restaurant is in what looks like it used to be a residential house that someone expanded as the business grew. It is a nice setting for a restaurant. It reminded me of a southern plantation type house especially on the inside. Not that I've ever really been in one but what I've seen portrayed in TV/movies. There is no air conditioning in the place and it didn't seem to need it at the time we visited which was about 11:30 a.m. They have some quaint outdoor seating that you have to climb stairs to reach. It's like the front parking lot area of the restaurant is on flatland but behind the house there is a big hill that they had to expand into and up. After we were done eating and checked out, we walked up the stairs to an area that I did not know was there. At the very top of this outdoor area of the restaurant, there is a aquaduct (I guess that's what the locals would call it). It's a modern-type aquaduct in the sense that instead of the natural dirt/mud or wooden it was more like a cemented channel. It was only about two feet wide. I was told that this is the same channel that is used by many of the locals to get water. The aquaduct comes down the mountain bringing the water from melted snow or rains to the people below. I noticed it was almost overflowing and they said it was unusually high this year. That's a good thing I guess but I don't know if it is as a local because too much water means too much rain or too much melting...who knows. Anyway, all the food we ordered but one entree was pretty good. I mean nothing made me say, "Damn!" but not many things do. The entree that lacked in taste and goodness was the stuffed sopapilla. The plain sopapillas with honey were good but this entree was not. The inside was fairly tasty, it was like taco fillings inside, but the red sauce on the outside tasted like it was syphoned from a Spaghettios can. Don't get me wrong. I like Spaghettios with its sauce but I expected something more from a "fancy" restaurant entree. We finally left for Santa Fe. I'd talk about Santa Fe and what we did there (really just visited the Indian Museum) but this is a Taos-ish post.

Another popular venue that we were told about is The Old Blinking Light which is now out of business. My wife and kids had eaten at this place a couple of years before with my in-laws but I did not take that trip with them and therefore missed this supposedly "great" place. We happened to stop by this place on the way to somewhere else because it has a liquor store attached to the restaurant building. Well, apparently the liquor store is the only thing left operational. I guess people will always go out to buy liquor no matter how bad the economy is but they won't always go out to eat. So, I can't give any opinions on the restaurant (and wouldn't have anyway if it was still open because we were only stopping by to get wine and not eat at the restaurant) but I can tell you that the entire place looks like s dive. The areas of the restaurant were gutted and the liquor store felt more like a bait and tackle shop.

One area of note is the Taos Ski Resort. We didn't visit it this year but we have previously. It's interesting that a ski resort is open during the summer. It's smart for business, very smart. Seasonal business is good or even great but when there are multiple ski resorts in the general 10-50 mile radius it's good to be able to make some dough during the off-season. So, the Taos Ski Resort is 'open' during the summer. It's mainly for the hiking trails, some restaurants, some shops, and the ski lift. That's right. They run the ski lift during the summer. I've never been on one but I wasn't going to miss out on the opportunity. My youngest is scared of heights and was scared shitless to go on the lift but did it. It's kind of freaky. To be on this bench seat hovering and climbing over rugged, mountain terrain below at anywhere from 30 feet to 100 feet or more is kind of nerve racking. I think it's one thing to see snow (not from personal experience) because it shows a uniform, flat surface but to see the jagged rocks and shit is a bit daunting. To know that you could easily slip off the bench or the cable could snap, making you 'splat' on the terrain below is not a pleasant thought. To add to the nerves, whenever someone gets on or off the lift, it slows down a bit which makes the liftchair you are on sway in a teeth-chatter-causing way. After a few times, you get used to it but when it's the 1st one or two, it makes you want to piss yourself! Anyway, the base is at 9,207 feet and the ride up from there was about 10-15 minutes. I say that put us up around 10-11,000 feet. We hung out at the this area for a little bit taking pictures of the landscape and breathtaking views. We started to walk up a trail towards Wheeler Peak but the youngest started feeling light-headed. Part of it was the stress of not wanting to get on the lift in the first place and then adding the altitude probably didn't help. I had the young one rest (lay down on a picnic) bench a little while before we rode the lift back down to get something to eat and drink to help overcome this dizziness feeling. After about half an hour, we rode back up. I didn't want to stress the kids out too much so we didn't try the trail again to Wheeler Peak. I'd say we got up the trail the first time to about 12,000 feet before having to turn around so I'd say we were close enough to the Peak's height of 13,161 feet. How much difference could we see in 1,000 feet of forest and mountains? Not much. We rode around the lift a few more times before getting a little bored. The area was getting a few more guests for the restaurants, shops and lift so we decided we done for the day. We'd been there for at least 3-4 hours. It was a great, beautiful day to enjoy nature and the vast scenery. The family will remember that visit for years to come within our memories as well as actual photos and video.

Freaky hallway in an old folks home

For Thanksgiving, I went to the wife's grandfather's old folks home for lunch. This man is like 92 years old. He is definitely an old codger. He's almost deaf, or is deaf if it wasn't for the hearing aids, but he still has most of his mental abilities.

So, in truth, I guess this old folks home is really called an assisted living center. Above a convalescent home and below your own personal home. He has to sign out if he goes anywhere just so they know where he is/was if they do a bed check or whatever and he's not there. The staff were friendly and the food was good. The place seemed well kept and well run.

He gave us a tour of the place and the hallway right outside the door of his room kind of gave me that creepy feeling when I looked down it from his doorway. The photo below is what it looks like.

All that's missing is "The Grady Twins" and a little boy going, "Redrum, redrum, redrum."

Women’s Auxiliary Annual Family Night at Six Flags

The parents of a friend of my oldest had free tickets to the Women's Auxiliary Family Night at Six Flags Over Texas on Friday, April 1^st, 2011. Well, they gave them to us for free but I'm not sure if they were free for the parents.

Anyway, this even is for a good cause and it was a fairly priced event. They discount the tickets to $25 if you purchase them in advance at a Tom Thumb. If you purchase them at the gate, they were $50.

Thursday morning, the mother sold this as "they are closing the park for a private event." She said she could get six tickets for her son and some of his friends. He's a pretty good kid and he even invited my younger child to go along as well as the same-aged sister of one of his guy friends. They are all friends more or less even though there is a two-year age difference. I tried to see if they could get me a ticket because I'd go for free and I know my kids aren't the biggest fans of riding the roller coasters...just about ANY of them. To me, that defeats the purpose of going to Six Flags but my kids said they'd enjoy just hanging out with their friends and seeing them have fun. Again, the friends try to pressure them to ride but my kids usually stick to their guns and hold firm.

Anyway, come Friday morning I see a story line in my Google Reader feed of the Dallas News or maybe the Park Cities People mentioning the Family Night. I click the link and it turns out the park will indeed close for a "private" event but when anyone can get the tickets, it's not really private in my eyes.

The bonus part about this is that I could buy myself a ticket for $25 and tag along with my kids which they were so adamantly against the night before. I consider myself a great, fun dad but my oldest kid didn't want me to cramp their "style." What effin' style is the question but I held off pushing the topic until I found out this private event wasn't so private.

Anyway, longer story short, the night was pretty fun. It was interesting to see the dynamic of my kids' friends and siblings hanging out together as well as the interesting people that attended the event. My kids were glad I came along because I am fun and I didn't get into their business. I only step in when I need to and a couple of times the friend that invited them all was a little hyperactive so I had to tell him to "sit" a few times.

I didn't ride every ride but I did ride The Batman, The Flashback, The Judge Roy Scream, The Texas Chute Out, The Roaring Rapids and The Texas Titan. We did a lot of walking and I was plum tuckered by the time I got home around 10 after midnight.

I think I can say that I've had my fill of Six Flags for the season. I don't see any reason to return as a full-paying guest if at all...maybe another freebie. It's not that I didn't enjoy my time. I think it's more that the rides are still the same and I've already ridden them a buzzillion times. I can find much better things to do than drive for 30-45 minutes to the park and then ride/walk all day long. I'm too old for that shit...did I just type that? LOL.

Anyway, it was good times and thanks for the event Children's Medical Center.

Phone conversation of a wife and husband

.
Husband: [incredulously] Do you know what I have to do for Monday?

Wife: I don't care.

Husband: No really. Do you know what I have to do for Monday?

Wife: No really. I don't care.

Husband: Because you're a bitch!

Wife: Oh that's nice.

[a few minutes pass]

Wife: You should hear what I am writing to a couple of my students? It's pretty harsh.

Husband: I don't care.

Wife: Because you're a dick!

Husband: At least a dick has more usefulness than a bitch!

Wife: [sarcastically] Oh, that was funny.

Husband: Love ya!

Wife: Too!

∞
That's all I got to say about that!
 

Can you pick me up from the airport?

Stupid girl at work came to my desk Thursday afternoon and asked me what I thought about this question. Not specifically this question but her response to this question to someone...who just happened to be her father.

Stupid girl's father was coming into town at DFW Airport, from where I don't know and it's not required for the story. He calls to ask his daughter if she could pick him up from DFW Airport and take him to Dallas for an appointment he has. His flight lands at 7:30 a.m.

Stupid girl lives in Dallas. She's near the intersection of Mockingbird Lane and Central Expressway. In case you are not familiar, DFW Airport is about 25 minutes from her location without traffic or construction issues. She would not experience much if any traffic at 7 a.m.-ish going to DFW Airport but she may hit a bit on the way back.

Stupid girls tells me that she basically told her father, "No." She said she told him, "That's kind of early," and, "It would be different if we could go to breakfast..." and of course he pays. She said, "It'll cost like $15 for a cab. I will give you $15."

She came to me looking for justification in her response to "ease her guilt." She didn't get it from me.

I told her she was wrong and she was selfish for not helping out her father. I said, "It's your FATHER! It's not like it's a friend or a sibling!" I said, "You should do this for your father strictly for the fact that HE IS YOUR FATHER!" This is of course unless her father was a deadbeat but what I have gathered from knowing her, he is not. I ranted a little bit more and told her, "Even if my parent(s) were able to walk to my house in 15 minutes, I would tell them I'd pick them up! That's what we do as good kids to our parents who were good to us."

She still didn't get it. I haven't spoken to her yet today to see what she ended up doing. She wasn't late to work Friday morning so my assumption is that she didn't pick up her father from the airport.

She's a shitty person, a shitty worker and now she is a shitty daughter! I expected nothing less these days from her.

Netflix

A week or so ago I got a promotional mailing from Netflix. It was promoting a free trial for a month. They gave me a promotional code and everything saying I was "special." They were lying. I waited a week or so to decide whether or not I wanted to take advantage of the trial as I already have Blockbuster's Total Access Plan. Granted, the TAP doesn't include streaming but I really don't have a need to watch online. Besides, I typically have time to wait for my DVDs to be mailed to me.

With this crazy ass snow storm we've been having in Dallas, it made me think about this free trial promotion. I have three movies I need to return to the BB store to exchange for three others but the freezing temperatures have not been very accommodating. I could walk there but I said to myself, "Self, why not try the Netflix free trial?" So, that's what I did. What's funny thought is that I believe the promotional code they gave me is just a way for them to track their marketing. Smart but not a special offer for me. I could have just signed up on the main page and received the same "promotion." Basically, I just signed up for a free 31-day trial of the 1 DVD out-at-a-time plan with unlimited time to watch instantly. And I have made as much use as possible in the past three days (since Feb 1st) of my unlimited watch instantly.

Before I get into my brief thoughts on the movies I have seen, I must say that I was initially stoked about being able to watch instantly on my laptop or my PS3 but it sort of wore off a bit as I find that many of the movies I've looked into viewing over the past few days are not available for instant play. I don't know the reasoning behind it because I have seen newer titles as well as 1 to 3 or more years old not available. I guess there is some agreement with the movie industry but again, I don't know. I can see the instant streaming being a blast for instant gratification when you get the immediate urge to watch a movie but if it's not available, it kind of defeats the purpose. I pay $19.99 + tax a month for my BB Total Access Plan with 3 out at a time (DVD or games) and unlimited DVD exchanges in the store. With Netflix, it costs $9.99 + tax for only 1 out at a time and unlimited watch instantly but with the limits of availability. Personally, I think I'm getting the better deal with Blockbuster. Of course, once BB increases my rate, I will probably not use any service and go back to just watching boring Saturday Night Live on the weekends. :-)

To the "reviews..."

Frozen. This movie was slow. It started out slow. It continued to be slow. It ended slow. I know it's a movie but there is no way that a ski resort would not make doubly sure that there are no people on the ski lift before shutting down. It was predictable on how/when the people were going to get stuck. It was further predictable on what the fate of at least one of the people was going to be even though it ended up being two. I don't know much about skiing or how to ski but I would think that someone would be dressed a little more warmly than the first "victim." I also don't understand why they didn't put up the hoods of their jackets to get/stay warm. I found myself saying, "Why don't you put yo' hood up dumb asses!?" One of the best and freakiest parts of the was when the guy jumps from the lift chair and his legs break/shatter. That was pretty cool and gross at the same time. Something I didn't get was when the broken-leg guy yells up to his friend about being careful on trying to monkey-bar the lift cable. He says, "Be careful. Those cables are razor sharp!" Why would these cables be razor sharp? Is it a side effect from being constantly run through the wheels of the lift apparatus or what? I need to know. I may have to Google this when I have time and can remember to. To me, this movie is a pass.

Exam. This movie was also a slow starter. It takes place basically in one room. I don't get how a corporation could allow the shit that went on in the room near the end of the movie but I guess I shouldn't question A MOVIE. Also, when there is only one question and you really don't know what the question is, big deal. It's just downright polite to answer someone when they ask, "Are there any questions?" I get the premise of the movie and how people feel like they have to solve problems or some shit. Personally, I think I probably would have kept quiet and bade my time for the 80 mins. It may have not been the "answer" but it would be better than making up answers or what I thought the interviewers wanted me to do. This movie too is a pass.

Unthinkable. This movie is not what I expected. I thought it was going to be about something else because I didn't read the synopsis or anything. I think Samuel L. Jackson speaks the same in almost all his roles. He either is loud or very loud. He's always yelling at people or talking to people with hostility. Other than that, I thought he did a very good job in this role. Carrie-Anne Moss has always been my leather/latex clad hottie. She's attractive without all the make up and highly doable. I've had a thing for her since she kicked ass in The Matrix. She did a pretty good job in her role as well. I hate movies like this though that end without a real ending. We don't know if there was a 4th bomb or not. Where was Carrie-Anne going with the terrorist dude's children and will they grow up hating America and follow their father's terror-laden footsteps? I do agree that the steps Jackson's character took is fully necessary. If the "terrorist" isn't going to be humane, why should the American government or any government be? Give respect and forgiveness for someone who does not reciprocate? I think not. I still think this movie is passable but I don't think it's a total disappointment.

Octane. There is absolutely nothing positive I can say about this movie. Actually, I can. This movie positively sucks dirty ball sacks! This seemed like it was trying to be a British Fast-&-Furious-type movie and it came up way, way short! The acting was poor. The female characters lacked interest and attraction. I think it should have stayed with its British title (I think) of Dolphins. The best part about this movie was the suped-up Ford Capri which looked like a Chevy Nova. Oh, bugger! You can probably write your own script and it would be better than this movie. I'd definitely pass on this one.

The Runaways. This movie actually wasn't too bad. It wasn't full of excitement, suspense, and intrigue but it was a good story about the starts of Joan Jett. Personally, I thought Kristen Stewart was better looking in this movie than in the Twilight series. Maybe it was the hair. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn't brooding and whining all the time. I don't know. It was the first role I've seen her in where she didn't act the same or similar to all the other roles. Dakota Fanning looked pretty good too. I feel gross saying that since I think she was playing at 16-yr-old and she is only 16 or 17 herself. I think it was the feathered hair and that she didn't play a typical role she's known for: cute, little big-eyed girl. I learned a few new things from this movie like who Cherie was and that Lita Ford was not just Lita Ford. She was part of The Runaways. Interesting to me but maybe not others. Overall, I think the movie was good. It was a biography of sorts and as such I think it did a good job without being boring.

The Girl Who Played With Fire. I was reluctant to continue my viewing of the series of "The Girl Who (With)..." movies. After watching the first movie, I wasn't impressed. In fact, I was left wondering what the hoopla was with this craptastic movie. My expectations were much lower for this movie but I found myself pleasantly surprised. This 2nd movie didn't seem as old-feeling...it didn't feel like it was shot on old 35mm film or something or like a VHS camera. Again, this could be what the original movie was going for but the slow story line and crappy acting didn't help better the movie. I think the Lisbeth has gotten better looking since the last movie. Again, maybe that's what they were going for in the first but I don't know. She had better hair. She seemed more interesting and I think her acting has improved. The overall acting and story line seemed much better to me as well. Unlike the first movie though, I had to read the subtitles because watching instantly on Netflix did not provide me with the subtitle option for English. I don't like the way it ended but I do understand it is a series so I'm accepting it. I think I will probably Netflix the next one (...Kicked the Hornet's Nest?) because I think I saw it available on instant play.

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That's my experience so far with Netflix. I will continue to try and instantly watch as much as I can before I decide to cancel. Again, if I can't get the new releases I want to watch, then there is no reason for me to get Netflix. So far, I think it's overrated. Granted Blockbuster has fucked over a lot of people and I think that's why people hate it...kind of like Windows versus Macintosh. I've heard people say, "Dude, you got to get Netflix. It's so much better than Blockbuster." It makes me wonder what the hell these people are talking about. Maybe it's because I've been on BB for so long that price-wise I'm better off. I don't know. I personally don't see the advantage when I can get my DVDs (3 at a time for $19.99) and then exchange them at the store for three more compared to the same exact plan at Netflix (3 at a time for $19.99) and no store exchanges.

Fort Worth Museum of Science & History

The wife and I took a day off Tuesday from work and allowed the kids to "skip" school for...educational reasons, of course. We decided to visit the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History which we haven't been to in some time. The last time we were went, there was a lot of construction going on around the exhibit we were there to see: The Star Wars Exhibit. That was back in July of 2007...a long damn time!

Anyway, the museum looks a whole lot different than it did then because of the Star Wars exhibit is gone and they have remodeled the entire place (which is why there was so much construction back in 2007). They've improved many things but I won't go into detail. They also now charge for parking which is a bit of a bummer. I think that because the exhibits aren't really that interesting to adults, and some kids of various ages, that free parking should be an incentive or selling point for people to visit! Just my thought.

So, we visited the many exhibits and attended "Under the Sea" in the Omni Theatre. The exhibits were something like "Lost Egypt," "Cow Raisers," and a couple of others. They were somewhat interesting but they weren't enough to maintain long-term interest or future revisits.

I must say that the Omni Theatre movie was lame. I remember seeing The Ring of Fire, the Great Barrier Reef and maybe a couple of others but the Omni movies of today just don't cut the muster. The whole point of the Omni Theatre when it first came out when I was a kid was to give people the feeling like they were in the movie like 3D always wanted to be. Now the movies are shot in an environment but you really don't feel like you are part of it like before. I think the perception of Imax/Omni is overrated these days.

On the other hand, they did have this 4D experience ride that was done actually quite well. I've been in/on a lot of 3D rides and they have sucked at the 3D experience. I must say that this movie/ride was exactly what I expected a 3D/4D experience to be. The animals, debris, stars, and all kinds of stuff popped out at you like you could grab it right in front of you. They did add some physical aspects to it like a rumbling chair and the occasional spritz of water because it was about Earth and it went under water a few times. I also know that this was a good viewing experience because I didn't get a headache from participating. Usually I do because the graphics and such are so crappy that my eyes automatically try to adjust to the defects. The movie/ride was fairly shot, like 15 mins max, but it is well worth it. Also, the first picture below was shot inside the tunnel to the entrance for this exhibit. I think you are supposed to feel like you are under the water with the sea life and the spongy flooring they used to represent the sea bed.

To make things more enjoyable (don't get me wrong, the time was a blast with the family but I think the costs and what I got out of it are not equal or fair but what can you do and what ever really is), I took pictures of things that "appealed" to me.

So, in that context, here are a couple of things of "interest" I'd like to share...

I'm not sure what these are but they look like deformed penises!

The toy for every girl (or boy) and it's so big you can share with a few of your friends.

Funny images found on the web

I actually snagged this from the Facebook page of someone I know but I don't like very much...at all...or even speak to anymore...but we are related...we're brothers...in blood only.

Anyway, didn't mean to bring down the enjoyment of the image. My bad!

I think this should add a smaller byline that says, "and a smile" to make it fit more along with the slogan it's mocking.

TCU v. BYU 10/16/2010

We have a family member that works at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. At the start of the college football season, I mentioned that I would like to attend one of TCU's home games because I've been in D/FW my whole life and have never been in the Amon G Carter Stadium. Which isn't a big deal but since I have an affiliation now with the school, I didn't want to squander the opportunity to attend a game at least once in the stadium...especially before they remodel it over the rest of the year after the football season ends. They are saying it'll be remodeled a side/piece at a time and it will be done by the 2011 season but I'm not as optimistic as whomever is saying that.

The day started out wonderfully. It was a beautiful morning. I woke up around 7:30 a.m and couldn't go back to sleep. I made coffee and decided to walk the dog. I was going to walk her to Chik-fil-a and bring back some chicken minis for the family but when I got there, the line was too long for me to wait in while I had the dog tied up outside. I thought it was mean to her and rude for patrons that would walk along the sidewalk having to listen to her being upset that I was inside and she was waiting.

So, I walked back home and decided to make breakfast. I made bacon and egg taquitos. I must say they were pretty good for something I quickly threw together. I'm almost becoming a domesticated husband...not!

After breakfast, we headed to TCU because it is normally about a 25-30 minute drive from our area in Dallas. The Rangers' 2nd game against the Yankees was sometime in the early to mid afternoon. Hwy 114 was going to be shut down from Cistercian Way to MacArthur Blvd or somewhere there about. We had to take 183 to 121 to 35 to 30 to TCU just to avoid all the headaches that were going to be in the areas of the other highways.

Anyway, it was a long day but it was pretty fun. I was a tired person and yet when we got home around 7 p.m. we had a neighbor's party to join. We made it to the neighbor's party around 9ish but I left around 11:30 because I was tired and had to get up the next morning fairly early.

Without further delay, here are the descriptions of where each picture below was taken:

1. TCU Showgirls and band marching down Frog Alley about 10 minutes before the game.
2. South end zone where kids of all ages(with their parents if need be) get to go on the field and run from end zone to end zone before the start of the game. They are called Bleacher Creatures and the kids get a free TCU football jersey.
3. Middle field taken from the middle of the seats under the upper deck.
4. North side of the field taken from the middle of the seats under the upper deck.
5. South end zone taken from the middle of the seats under the upper deck.
6. TCU Band in the stands taken from section UF, row 16, seat 28.
7. Downtown Fort Worth taken from section UF, row 16, seat 28.
8. South zone and attached building taken from section UF, row 16, seat 28.
9. 20 yard line, north end of the field taken from section UF, row 16, seat 28.
10. TCU band halftime show celebrating breast cancer awareness day.

 

 

 

 

 

Luau buffet plate at the Polynesian Culture Center in Oahu, Hawaii

This is a picture taken with my Blackberry of the luau dinner we had when we vacationed in Oahu, Hawaii this summer. I don't think I've posted it before but was going through the pictures on my cellphone and found this.

The luau was pretty good but it wasn't what I was expecting. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't what I created in my mind leading up to our actual attendance. I wasn't expecting lights, cameras and action but I was thinking of something different. The entertainment wasn't bad. The emcee had a wonderful voice and personality. I think it was more the way I felt being there. I guess I expected a more intimate type setting. It was like a giant cafeteria with phenomenal Hawaiian decorations. We sat at tables like in a cafeteria but well-decorated. They had salespeople (different from our "servers") coming around asking if we wanted those drinks-in-a-pineapple drinks and most people said, "Yes," but then you'd find out that they were like $5 each. They didn't tell you that up front and I think that's the sneaky side of business there because most people were like, "Oh, I didn't know that it cost anything but I guess we'll take it." Others turned them away after finding out about the cost. We were smart enough to ask up front and then said, "No, thank you."

I don't remember all the dishes but I will do my best to name the ones I do know:

• On the far left, the raw dish was marinated lomilomi salmon
• Top left corner is the Kalua Pig which was ceremoniously lifted out of the ground at the beginning of the luau entertainment
• At the top on each side of the plate in the small plastic containers with lids is Pipi Kaula - it's described as a beef jerky but to me it was more like a salami-type texture
• Top right corner is chicken long rice
• The big purple roll at the bottom of the plate is a roll made out of Taro which is where Poi comes from (the Taro root). This is one of the best rolls I have EVER tasted in my life! I had like 6 of them and the kids had quite a bit as well. It had a sort of sweet taste to it but not overly sweet. They were nice and warm and BIG!
• Just to the left of the roll, you'll see teriyaki beef. I prefer my teriyaki sauce to be sweeter versus salty but it was still very good.
• Smack dab in the middle is shoyu chicken. It tasted almost exactly the same way I make it at home. And it was damn good!
• Underneath it all, you'll see some salad. I got some to taste it but I wasn't going to waste my buffet on greens. The salad was good but not good enough to pick it over anything else on the buffet line.

So, I guess that's about it. I think I've briefly touched on our overall trip but since I found this picture I thought I'd elaborate on it.

Aloha!

Good news versus bad news

I had my Benefits class today after our fall break and I got some bad news and some good news today.

The good news is, I passed my second test with a 72.

The bad news is, I passed my second test with a 72.

I decided that if I were to fail this test (below the 67 I made on the first exam70) that I was going to more than likely drop the class. The teacher's syllabus says he will have three tests and one final exam. Of the three tests, he will drop the lowest grade. If test 1 and 2 would have been below 70 but above a 60, I would have looked into dropping even though 67-69 (I didn't think I'd get below the previous exam grade) would have been a D+ average. I'm okay with that. I know I've said it before but I'm not an overachiever.

There's something visually wrong to be about a C- compared to a D+. Minus just has a negative connotation to it. Besides, the grades are very close like a 69 is a D+ but a 70 is a C-. Is there really a difference between those two...I mean really?

Anyway, now that I actually got a 72 it puts the class into a better possibility for me. It says that I might be able to pull off a C- or above. Dammit, I'm not an overachiever. Why am I thinking like that? Why do I really care!? Because C is better than D and finishing this class would mean I'd have three less hours to complete.

Do you see why this was good but bad news?

Not to mention that if I dropped, I wouldn't have to prepare my presentation for next Tuesday that I'm scheduled to give. Now, I have to complete it, practice it and practice it some more. I created a a couple of slides the other day but started thinking, "Why put out this effort if I might be dropping the class?" Now that I'm mister awesome with a 72, I have to get back to business and complete the presentation. Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!

Have I mentioned how much I hate taking classes? Well, hate IS a strong word but it's fucking perfect for what I feel!

Brookhaven Community College

I just visited Brookhaven Community College for the 3rd time (I think) in my life.

The 1st was to drop my niece's husband off for his classes so I could use their truck to haul something I needed a truck to move.

The 2nd time I very vaguely recall. I don't know why but I feel like I've been there once before this time and the 1st time.

The 3rd time, which was today, I had to attend my B&W II photography class at Brookhaven.

This is the first time I was able to walk the campus. I entered the parking lot through the front entrance off Alpha Road. This entrance led me straight to the Student Center building, Building S it is called. I parked. Entered the building and asked where my professor's exhibit was. It was in Building D near the back of the campus. I assume it is the fine arts building but I don't recall if it had a particular name like Building S. So, I was able to journey through at least part of the campus.

I must say that since I was able to do so, I found that the campus is pretty nice. It's not a huge campus. In fact, I think that Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst is bigger. I'm not sure if the buildings are bigger at TCC or more spread across the campus or what but TCC really seems bigger and I think it is.

Anyway, the campus had some nice architecture, fountains and art. The buildings seemed spacious and cozy at the same time. Some of the hallways and classrooms look like they need to be "modernized" and brought out of the late 80s/early 90s. I did find it sort of empty of a plethora of students. I don't know if it just happened I was there during class time or if it was a typical Wednesday afternoon. The campus has quite a decent-sized parking lot and it seemed fairly empty as well.

So, the reason I had class at Brookhaven is for my professor's exhibit/showing of a few (40) of his prints over five decades of taking photos. I thought his prints were pretty awesome. Some of them I thought were very cool while others I think were good, interesting, thought-provoking in the sense some made me nostalgic but others were just "normal" in the sense that it seemed anyone could have taken them and anyone could think they were awesome, like me. What's nice about him and his work is that he has his own darkroom and plenty of time to print one after the other if need be. I'm not minimizing his work and efforts. I'm just saying that it would be nice to be able to hone a craft in such a way as having the lab, workroom, or darkroom in your own backyard to practice.

Anyway, that's what my afternoon entailed.

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