A very non-disappointing sequel

3am...

Typical for me to be awake at this time, and not at all unusual that I just walked through the front door. Although at least this time, it wasn't work related.

As you may recall, I VERY excitedly posted the trailer for "Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian". I have been waiting even longer than that for this movie, and I can happily say, I was not disappointed. I went with a group of friends to the midnight showing, as is standard for most of the bigger movies, as I don't particularly like sitting in movie theatres on opening weekends.

For this movie, I would have. I plan on seeing it at least a few more times while its still out in theatres, as I did with the last one. I won't give a bunch of spoilers, all I will say is the did justice to my favourite character from a book ever.....

Reepicheep. The mouse knight of Narnia. Absolutely bad ass. Fact is, if you've read the series, you know how much of a primary character he really is.

Go see it, it's well worth the 2 plus hours. If you enjoyed the first one at all, you will love this one.

well, mex...

yer pickin a pretty damn good time to leave - because in addition to all the family strife, los angelinos will soon be drinking their own shit:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/us/16water.html?ref=us

haha!

pass me a glass of brown, please?
-d

I've always been a fairly quiet person, so over my lifetime, I've always found it easiest to get my point across by writing it down. I'm a little more vocal now, but the writing still works best. Before, in the form of letters. Now, in the form of this blog.

Some people who still don't know me that well will occasionally ask why I'm still here in California, since I spend a pretty good amount of time stating the fact that I hate it here, and that I can't wait to leave. Shortly before my grandmother Caroline passed away, I came to visit with her for a week and a half. It was a case of it likely being the last time I was going to be able to do so, and as she was one of the two most important people in my life, I took my opportunity when I could. My brother Alfred Jr. and I had one really great day with her 2 days before I went back to Bellingham. It was one of the rare occasions she was coherent enough to have a real conversation, and we had her laughing and cracking jokes, which she hadn't done in quite a while. Losing both of your legs, and having to have dialysis 4 times a week, and having been in the hospital system because of it, has a tendency to destroy a sense of humor.

A week later, she passed away, and as I had promised her I would the last day I saw and spoke with her, I came back to California to stay and try and rebuild relationships with the family I still had here. She never asked for anything, from anybody, so those of us who truly loved her always kept our promises to her.

Sorry grandma, I tried. I just can't do it anymore.

I've been here now for just short of two years, and as much as I miss you horribly....

I'm glad your not here to see what has become of our family.

The fighting over the money (what little there was), and the house started the day before we even buried you next to grandpa, where you wanted to be since he left us four years ago. You never had to say it, I saw it in your eyes from the day we buried him, until the last time I saw you.

We should all be so lucky to share even part of the love you had for each other, a love that spanned over 60 years, since you met in high school. A love that you gave to everyone around you, your children, your grandchildren, and even the few of your great-grandchildren you got to meet.

Everything that is good in me, I got from you.

Which is why I can't understand what has happened to everyone else. How the people that I thought I knew all my life are now all completely different people. Well, not all. Uncle Marty is still the same. Like me, he finds it easier to just keep to himself, keep his private life private, and to not see how ugly it all is now.

We don't see the twins anymore. After they took all the cash they could find in your room, and took everything they knew they could sell, they haven't been back. Gil still keeps to himself, and doesn't really talk to anyone anymore. Anna is still taking care of Armando, who at 36 should be more than capable of taking care of himself, yet refuses to do so, and even the fact that he spends her very hard earned money to keep himself in meth, or whatever he happens to be into that day, is another reason I can't stay here anymore. I've already dealt with that for a good portion of my life, with my mother and Carolina having severe drug and alcohol problems themselves. I can't live with or around that again.

When you and grandpa left this house, all the love that used to be here went with it.

This house, which used to be my one safe haven. is now just an uncomfortable place I don't like being in.

So when I leave this house, it will be for the last time.

The honest truth is, I can't live here with you and grandpa being gone.

I miss walking out into the living room at 11 or noon, and grandpa making jokes about how he was just coming to make sure I was still alive, because it was already so late. I miss the times when you would yell at grandpa, to slow down because he was driving too fast, and he would just give you that naughty little boy grin, to which you would always shake your head and smile, and about 2 minutes later, the process would start over again. Sorting through boxes of pictures and things after you passed away, finding letters I wrote you, and the fact that you still had every single one. Walking around the house and seeing so much of you here, and always wishing with every fiber of my being that you would come walking out of the kitchen, or that I will walk out back and see grandpa out back practicing his putting. I still find his golf balls in random places in the back and front yard.

Those things, and a million more wonderful memories of you both are the only things I will take out of this house when I go. It's more than enough, because nobody can take that from me.

It's just not home without you.

Just another Sunday...

Dan called me today. Just to say hi, but also because it was 4/20, something we've celebrated together for years, with the rest of our friends up north.

Yeah, new information for some people, but already known to most.

Anyway, this is basically how the conversation went...

Dan: "Just called to say hi, and see what's up."

me: "Getting ready to go to work, hanging out with my brother. What are you guys doing?"

Dan: "Heading up to Bellingham. (Dan and Laura live in Seattle now) Can you believe it?? Danny bought a school bus!!"

me:*laughing* "Yes, I do believe that...it's Danny."

Dan: "Yeah, so we're heading up there to take the bus out for a drive, to smoke and stuff."

Which, of course, brought forth the foul language, mostly because I was supposed to be home by now, and able to hang out with my family again, and instead...

I'm here. FUCK!!!!

1 week.....Duy and Jacklyn's wedding. First promise kept.

2 months.....Kat, Dianna, Jessica, Emily and Joseph's high school graduation. Last promise kept.

Shortly thereafter...

...home....

My newest discovery

As you may have already gathered, music and video games are the two things that are most important to me, as they are what keeps me sane. Mostly music, though. So when I discover something new that I really, REALLY love, I get super excited. The last time was Matthew Good. This time it it someone who is in MG's ballpark, but still on the bench. Not that it's a bad thing, it's just that so few musicians are on that level, at least to me. To even be in the ballpark is actually a compliment, so...

I have heard of him before, I just had never heard any of his music, as I don't really listen to the radio much (only if I'm in B'ham, and I can get 99.3 CFOX), and didn't know anyone who listened to him. About 2 nights ago, the opportunity finally came, in the form of a music video at 3:30am, while I was doing a little vacation research.

I'd say it took me about 30 seconds to fall in love..lol



I love I-Tunes. You can listen to clips of the songs before you buy albums. Which is another reason I'm so impressed with him. Like MG, he is even better live than he translates onto recording, and that is something alot of musicians can't do.

Matthew Good still, and always will be #1 in my book. That being said..

*sigh*

I love Jason Mraz. :)

Drunk people are funny

Oh, to be young and not give a fuck. I never went through that phase myself, so to me it's just interesting to watch all these kids I work with go through it. With the exception of about 1o people, the average ages of the rest of the employees is 17 to 25.

So you can imagine what I mean, right?

It's not like I haven't ever done my time drinking and stuff, it just didn't start until I was way older, and everything I've ever done, has always been done carefully and with a lot of "what if?" preparation. There is one or two instances that things didn't go as planned, and as I recall, Dan was there for at least one of those.

Arts County Fair, Dan....Treblecharger, you remember...

I'm amazed, though, at how young some of these kids start partying, and how good some of them are at it. It's probably always been like that, I may have just not noticed it. Then there are the more slightly comedic moments when they think they're far more badass than they actually are, and spend an hour and a half with their head in the toilet. In the boys bathroom...

I'm sorry, but that shit was funny as hell. At least she got everything puked up before we got her in the car. Didn't want her to hurl in the car of the person who was taking her home, that is just not right. Dan knows all about that, too, but not because of me..

It was garlic fries on the way home from the Mariner's game, right? Miss Kristi....

I've got a million funny stories about this stuff, but really, who doesn't?

I'm constantly reminded of how funny I apparently am

Like today, for example.

I got laughed at for most of the day, and why?

Because I was being so damn nice to the customers.

That's what the pure exhaustion of working 7 weeks straight with no day off will get you. Too tired to bother arguing with anybody.

I spent about 10 minutes talking to one customer, discussing pizza crusts. No bullshit. He was telling me about how he was disappointed they discontinued making the pizza he liked. The "Crunchy Cheesy Crust". Stupid Pizza Hut. I told you about that one before. You remember, the one I told you smelled like ASS when it comes out of the oven?? He does not agree with that, he told me he thought it was the best thing they ever came out with.

To each their own, I suppose....

Then, I had what I consider my strangest phone call ever. A couple of our regulars were within hearing distance, and I could hear them giggling at my end of the phone call.

Oh, if they only heard what I was hearing...

Basically, lady ordered one of her pizzas as a stuffed crust, got the wrong one, and she got something else instead of her wings. So asked her which of the two pizzas was wrong, so I could make sure she got the right toppings on the one I was going to send her.

She got upset.

I have yet to figure out exactly why that was. The more questions I asked, the more upset she got. I explained to her 3 times the only reason I was asking was so I could make sure she got the right food this time. I told her I was going to have it made and sent out, and she asked why.

I must say, I was a little confused by the direction the conversation was taking.

I explained to her I was just trying to get her the food that she ordered, and isn't that why she called me? She tells me that they have already started eating it, and that it wasn't what she ordered.

Yeah, caught that 10 minutes ago, which is why I'm trying to send you NEW food....sheesh. Only thought it, didn't say it.

So I say, yes, maam, I understand your order was wrong, I was under the impression you wanted the right food. Which frustrates her for whatever reason, and she puts her husband on the phone. Who just says hello a few times, because he didn't know what the fuck was going on either. I explain it to him, and he says something to her. After talking to her for a minute, he tells me she is under the impression that she is going to be charged for it again.

*sigh*

I explain to him that I already told her several times that was not the case, it was our mistake, why would we charge them for it. He apologizes, which I assure him is absolutely not necessary, we shouldn't have messed up their order, and we'll have it there as soon as possible. Then of course I have to tell everyone the parts they didn't hear, which just made them laugh harder.

Fuckers.

About 30 minutes later, I get the next one. Wants to talk to the manager, straight out. Great.

Customer says she just got her food (delivery was on time), and for the second time in a row, it's barely warm. Normally, I would just call bullshit, and tell her that since it only left the oven literally 15 minutes ago, and is put into a pouch for delivery that prevents this.

Normally...

Today, it was yet another apology, and a credit for 20 bucks for next time. She is more than happy with that, and leaves me alone. This gets more laughter, and they get this..

"Fuck you guys. I'm too damn tired to give a shit at this point, I'm going to give them whatever I have to so they will just leave me alone."

I get a day off. On Wednesday.

I'm going to sleep. Nothing else. Just that.

It will be the best day off ever.

RIP

April 5th. the day grunge officially died, twice over. Hard to believe it all ended 14 years ago, huh. Guess i never did mentally make it out of the early 90's.

RIP Kurt and Layne.

-d

When you grow up, you come to terms with certain things. The fact that the adults were right, you really didn't know jack shit. You can't believe certain things you wore, hairstyles you can't believe were ever on your head, and that alot of the music you listened to was probably crap.

But there are certain things you listened to back then, things that even you yourself may now think you were crazy for loving, yet it still puts a smile on your face to hear it again, and son of a bitch, you even remember the words.

Keep in mind, it is ALL bad Susie's fault for this half of the trip down memory lane.



Damn that Susie. She's sick right now, but not sick enough to walk around work NOT singing this song. If your wondering why she was singing it, it's because NKOTB is apparently back together, and they will be on the "Today" show tomorrow morning.

There is another band that just got back together, and of course, she is excited about that as well. I'll admit it....so am I!!!



Yes, I still love the Spice Girls.

Now I know what I will be listening to for at least the next 3 days...