The trials, tribulations, ramblings, and adventures of a renaissance techno-warrior. Life, pop culture, lunacy, CSFYB probably has something for you somewhere within.
I have so many things to say right now.
The problem is, I can't say them. At least not here. Big Brother is always watching, you know.
This is a very frustrating conundrum. Unrectifiable, nonnegotiable, and frankly, pretty much unfair. Well, they never said the world was fair.
Live and let die.
In an completely unrelated note, I saw a lime green VW Beetle with the personalized tag of AREDCAR on the way to work today. Couldn't get my camera phone out in time though. Weird.
Anyway, 'nother week, 'nother decent loss. Steady as she goes, as it were.
Starting weight (8/12/08): 221.4
Weight today (9/29/08): 193.8
Last week: 196.8
Difference from last weigh in: -3 lbs
Do you know where you were the first time you saw this?
I do. It was a buzz clip on MTV the morning before I went to school. Back then, in hallowed 1991, MTV actually played videos more often than not, and every morning I would simply turn my cable to channel 16 (yes, I remember that), and soak in the music as I got ready. This morning, a relatively brand new clip (I think it actually premiered the night before) smacked me in the face. I remember vividly seeing my friend Bosch before school and saying "did you see that Smells Like Teen Spirit video? Bosch would probably deny liking it today, but he did back then, as did I. We were both blown away for exactly the reason Nirvana caught on like a dry brushfire...it was new and a welcomed breath of fresh air.
I know it's hard now as we wind down 2008 to think about how it was in 1991, but try, because if you do, watching that video becomes that much more sweeter. I also use the same reasoning when watching Halloween.
Docs still use beepers
Kind of archaic I think
New technology?
I'm sure there's some reason why but for the life of me I can't put my finger on it.
So yesterday, I got some results back from a chiro. Finally had enough of the back pain in the morning, especially since it started to get worse in the sense that it would carry over in to the day longer sometimes. So, he pulls out the x-rays. Found out later that these were the wrong ones, which is nice because that guy was REALLY screwed up...but mine weren't great either. Not as bad as this guys though. Anyway, the doc tells me that there's damage near the problem area, as well as my pelvis being out of alignment which is causing a horizontal spinal compensation, and asks about any trauma in the past. I remind him about a fall I took in winter (which I did blog about...I slipped on some ice and butt bumped down about 3 stairs). He says "oh, no, I'm talking years ago." So we start thinking about it, and he reminds me that I said stuff about bike spills as a kid. Then I remember it.
It.
And I realize, that the asshole from Archbishop Curley might have done more than simply completely screw my knees up. I mean, I hit hard almost completely horizontally. It definitely could have thrown my pelvis out of alignment slightly, as well as causing trauma along the spine itself from the impact. I simply never noticed because the obvious and pressing pain and problems were coming from the knee. Then the butt bump aggravated it or accelerated it, whatever you want to say.
So, if I see him now, it's on like Donkey Kong. Punched in the nuts is too good for him. Effin' jackass.
Seriously, that's about what it looks like when I'm driving. Okay, Maybe my eyes are a little higher and about 4 inches farther back, but that's pretty close to what it looks like to me as I drive off campus and make my way to the Baltimore Beltway for my commute home.
First things first...Happy Birthday to the Queen. Taking her out to a nice dinner at Sakura, a Japanese steak house. Kind of like Benihana.
Anyway, another loss this week. Stop asking what my secret is, though, because there is no secret. Here's what I'm doing:
1) Drinking at least half my weight (in ounces) of water a day.
2) Loosely following the points (Flex) system of Weight Watchers. By that I mean I'm not keeping track of every last point, but I know basically what I'm eating here and there, and know when to take it easy or when I can "splurge" a little.
That's it. No more, no less. Now, on to this weeks results.
Starting weight (8/12/08): 221.4
Weight today (9/22/08): 196.8
Last week: 199.0
Difference from last weigh in: -2.2 lbs
I finally took one specifically for the assignment! And I thought like good ol' David McMahon taught me too...go for the weird angle. Which TOTALLY got me a weird look from a motorist as I rolled out of the way. I'm sure he was wondering why the lunatic was laying face down in the middle of the road...
Okay, so this ad campaign creeped most people out, but I thought it was hilarious. I couldn't get enough.
So, I totally intended to tell the story of how I ended up pouring water on my bandmate in the middle of a gig back in 2000, but for the life of me, I can't remember exactly why I did it. Neither can anyone else that was around. We came to the basic conclusion that he said something that really insulted me to the audience, but other than that, nothing...so back to the well of The Music Man in 1997 I go...
However, I think this might be one of the last significant stories from The Music Man, so there is that. There's also the time the house set came on to stage slightly crooked and managed to screw up a curtain as a result. Of course I have other stories from other shoes. I have at least one from Cinderella, a few more from Peter Pan, a couple from All My Sons, several from The Importance of Being Earnest, and countless from The Diviners (since we took that one overseas to England as well). So the theatre well is far from dry yet. My gain, your loss!
The Music Man gang, I'm front and center. John has the long hair up and to the right, Katy right above me, she comments here sometimes, especially after these stories...Justin not pictured.
Anyway, as I've mentioned in countless other recountings of goings down during The Music Man, I was the master flyman, responsible for the curtains, legs, scrims, and any flying scenic elements. I had my nice cozy fly loft gallery above the deck, and stayed fairly busy during the show.
Well, smack dab in the middle of the run, I came down with...well, something. Maybe the flu. Definitely a reaaaaaaaaally bad cold at the very least. But I was in bad shape. I don't remember much about that night, but I do remember bits and pieces.
I remember thinking "the show must go on" a lot.
I remember intermission being out on the loading dock and everybody telling me I looked terrible.
I remember heading back to the ladder up to the fly gallery, and finding my friend, and in a few years roommate, Justin starting his way up the ladder. I asked what he was doing and he told me that he was going to take over for me. I said something along the lines of "the hell you are, you don't know the cues" and somehow forced him off the ladder. Keep in mind that Justin has me by probably 70 lbs, easy, at this stage of my growth, and that I was dog sick. Not to mention that the cues were written down meticulously by me, and that my assistant flyman would probably have taken over for me, while Justin took his cues. Also not to mention that Justin was master flyman the year before for Peter Pan so it wasn't like he couldn't figure it out.
The gang years later. Justin pictured this time, on the left. I'm on the right. John's the one getting sorta headlocked by Katy. The other Katie and Ryan (or mrnumi as he comments on this blog as) fill out the group.
And that's pretty much all I remember. Apparantely, after seeing me on the dock, everyone convinced Justin (who was on shift crew, they move the scenery) to take over for me. After I put up a fight, Justin let it go. Probably shouldn't have, I was pretty bad. I mean, kind of dementia'ed bad. Oh well, the show must go on, and it did. And I'm still here to talk about it.
Specifically David McMahon, Dan Mega, and Nichole M:
Why do you all think you recently missed my birthday? Unless you're wishing me a belated 30th from October 2007, you guys are actually a month and a half early.
My birthday is, almost infamously, on Halloween. Adjust your calenders accordingly. And please tell me why you, en masse, thought it was recently (since you all wished me the "belated" birthday)?
Edit: Jessie informed me that when I was celebrating my 10k hits with the "it's my birthday..." Yeah, sorry about that. That's a song. Back in the mid to late 90s people used it all the time to "celebrate." If you've ever seen the movie Chasing Amy, Holden does it when he thinks he's going on a date with Alyssa. In fact, Ben Affleck improvised that scene without Kevin Smith's permission, but Smith liked it...unfortunately, he had to get the rights to the actual song as a result. So there, my befuddlement has now become some trivia for you.
Once again, back pain
I guess its not my weight, Doc
back to drawing board.
Hey, I haven't done one of these in awhile. Again, something I wish I was making up. Alas...I am not.
Well, I gained. A little over half a pound, but it's still a gain. Can't say I'm surprised. All day at the hospital Thursday didn't help, and I'm sure that the cake I had at the baby shower Saturday also didn't help. At least I'm still under 200, and I'm not worried at all. Last time I would randomly, even while following the program to the letter, spike up 1.5 lbs. My body must be weird like that. There might be a real reason, but if there is, I don't know why, that's for sure.
Starting weight (8/12/08): 221.4
Weight today (9/15/08): 199.0
Last week: 198.4
Difference from last weigh in: +.6 lbs
On today, the release of Metallica's new album Death Magnetic, I bring you the song/video that really brought them to the collective consciousness of most people. They had bucked tradition, in the 80s at least, by not filming any videos up to this point, but when they did, people stood up and took notice.
Metallica's "One." Movie footage, "Johnny Got His Gun," the movie that inspired the song.
So, here we go again...the surgery is back on for this afternoon. So those good vibes and prayers and such that you sent and recalled a few weeks ago, go ahead and resend those. Thanks. I'll try to put updates up there on the Twitter box on the left, if you're interested.
Remember Wayne's World?
Wayne says "that was a haiku."
But it was not one.
So, another story from The Music Man. That was one eventful show. I told you about the Wet Tech, and I told you about how my brush with death. Now, for one of the funnier moments.
On the last night of the show, we would generally figure out some pranks. As I alluded to, but never actually outright mentioned, in The Great Mountain Dew Caper, we usually would try to hide it from the audience, because Chief, the head of the program, frowned on "changing things" on the last show. In fact, he would usually gather everyone in the "green room" (which was actually only our makeup room) to give a standard closing night lecture about this.
Well, one of the stage crews pranks (there were a few) was to put Simple Green in the town fountain in the opening scenes. Simple Green is a cleaning agent.
Only problem was, nobody coordinated or communicated on this.
So, show starts. I have a really great vantage point from up in the fly gallery. My assistant flyman and I look down, anticipating the small frothy show that was only for the actors. After a few seconds, we look at each other, because we both realize something is very, very wrong. Because it looks like a washing machine spilling over already. We stifle giggles, and right as I'm about to turn to my assistant to ask him what he thinks Joy, our stage manager, is gonna do, Joy's voice comes crackling over the headsets. And pardon my french here.
"What the HELL? What is coming out of the fountain? Who the fuck did that??"
Therein was the problem. Almost everyone did. At least five people surreptitiously added Simple Green to the fountain, thinking that no one else had. Miiiiiiiiiiistaaaaaaaaaake!
Luckily, most of the cast were in front of the fountain, singing the mainstay "Oh We Got Trouble," and blocked it from the audience, but Joy had a slightly higher angle from the control booth. Also, most of the bubbling over went behind the fountain.
However, this didn't stop the actors from noticing, and according to my sources down on the deck, many of them came off from the scene laughing and singing "Oh We Got Bubbles, Right Here in River City!"
New goal has to be met now. Darnit, that's what I get for being over motivated. So now, I'm gonna try to be at 190 before Erin is born. The way I'm going, I might have to set ANOTHER goal. Heh.
23 pounds in a little less than a month. Right about now, about a million American women would probably like to kill me. I'm not even exercising yet. Well, unless you count some of the work I do on a daily basis exercising, and a case could be made that it keeps me active and moving. But still.
Starting weight (8/12/08): 221.4
Weight today (9/8/08): 198.4
Difference from last weigh in: 5.8 lbs
...Joe Flacco. He sure played like he didn't want to give that job up when Troy Smith is ready to play again.
You know how much it pains me as a Towson University alum to root and be happy for a UDel QB? Heh.
For not updating lately. I've been caught up in work and stuff. And after today, I may never be dry again. Thanks Tropical Storm Hanna!
I'll be back and better than ever either tomorrow or Monday, I promise.
With a release of his trailer for Zack and Miri Make A Porno.
I've pretty much eaten up everything Smith has done, so of course I'm on board for this. Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, and porn. A winning combo!
Warning, this is a Red Band trailer. That means it's uncensored. No nudity or anything, but langauge. NSFW.
http://www.askmen.com/video/2008_apr/apr02.html
And that is I have nothing to say. One of those days where I know I have at least 10 topics I've wanted to talk about, but I can't seem to wrap my brain around them enough to formulate a post. But I also don't want to get back in a funk where I don't update because darnit, I'm pretty sure I lost a few readers the last time that happened.
Perhaps I'll go to an old stand by and do a Tales From the Past later on today, if I can't wrap the brain around anything else that's a bit more current. And if I do one of those, maybe I'll see if Katy still reads me.
So, for now, a shout out to my friend John and his wife down in Baton Rouge, who is apparently doing okay as of yesterday, and also a reminder that I wasn't in the least bit kidding about that donate button to the left there, underneath the countdown. I'm not freaking Rockerfeller, people, and this kid is gonna be disadvantaged enough being my kid. Help the poor girl out by helping her parents out.
Welp, that initial "holy crap fear for his health" drop is over. Now I'm on a more normal drop, so those of you that did fear for my health can stop covering your eyes.
Starting weight (8/12/08): 221.4
Weight today (9/1/08): 204.2
Difference from last weigh in: 2.2 lbs
