Friday, May 30, 2008
I'm an @sshole...
(The photo above is of the actual Costco parking lot I was in- this image has been floating around the web for awhile, but I don't know who took it...)
So I wrapped up my shopping at Costco today (I love Costco!), wheeled out my groceries, and was thinking about a slice of the combo Costco pizza from the snack bar. Cruised over to the Element, opened the tailgate, and started putting my groceries in. About the third box in, I noticed her: the parking space stalker. Dumpy, mid-fifties, dark glasses, turquoise Ponitac, stopped in the middle of the lot, scanning for a spot. Normally, me being the friendly guy I am, I'll let a person know if I'm not leaving- maybe staying for a slice of pizza, who knows? But when I looked up, she didn't acknowledge me in the slightest, nothing even resembling a nod, or "Hi, are you leaving?". Instead, she had her nose buried in some colorful-looking mail (I knew it was mail, I saw the open envelope in her hand).
I finished putting my groceries away, shut the gate, then pushed my cart over to the cart "corral". I turned around, walked past my car, and back to Costco and my lunch. I look both ways before crossing the busy driveway, as I've been taught (and as I taught my son), and turn my head just as the lot stalker roars past; she glares at me through an open window, then yells "Asshole!" as she drives off.
Nice. So I'm an asshole for not giving her my spot? Maybe I'm an asshole for letting her wait, then not giving her my spot. But then I realize, it's not me that's the asshole, she is! For assuming that I was leaving, for assuming prematurely that she had ownership of that space, for not letting me know she wanted "my" spot (and assuming that I was going to give it to her), and for yelling "asshole" at a complete stranger because she was frustrated because she assumed I was leaving.
As I sat down to enjoy the massive slice of cheesy goodness that is Costco Pizza, I felt no guilt at all, not in the slightest. And it warmed me inside to think that I was able to provide the wonderful gift of frustration and anger to someone who very obviously deserved it; or maybe that was the pizza....
So I wrapped up my shopping at Costco today (I love Costco!), wheeled out my groceries, and was thinking about a slice of the combo Costco pizza from the snack bar. Cruised over to the Element, opened the tailgate, and started putting my groceries in. About the third box in, I noticed her: the parking space stalker. Dumpy, mid-fifties, dark glasses, turquoise Ponitac, stopped in the middle of the lot, scanning for a spot. Normally, me being the friendly guy I am, I'll let a person know if I'm not leaving- maybe staying for a slice of pizza, who knows? But when I looked up, she didn't acknowledge me in the slightest, nothing even resembling a nod, or "Hi, are you leaving?". Instead, she had her nose buried in some colorful-looking mail (I knew it was mail, I saw the open envelope in her hand).
I finished putting my groceries away, shut the gate, then pushed my cart over to the cart "corral". I turned around, walked past my car, and back to Costco and my lunch. I look both ways before crossing the busy driveway, as I've been taught (and as I taught my son), and turn my head just as the lot stalker roars past; she glares at me through an open window, then yells "Asshole!" as she drives off.
Nice. So I'm an asshole for not giving her my spot? Maybe I'm an asshole for letting her wait, then not giving her my spot. But then I realize, it's not me that's the asshole, she is! For assuming that I was leaving, for assuming prematurely that she had ownership of that space, for not letting me know she wanted "my" spot (and assuming that I was going to give it to her), and for yelling "asshole" at a complete stranger because she was frustrated because she assumed I was leaving.
As I sat down to enjoy the massive slice of cheesy goodness that is Costco Pizza, I felt no guilt at all, not in the slightest. And it warmed me inside to think that I was able to provide the wonderful gift of frustration and anger to someone who very obviously deserved it; or maybe that was the pizza....
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I'm the best there is at what I do, Bub...
A Wolverine-Frog? Pretty amazing creature- it breaks it's own bones to produce claws from it's toes; it grows "hair", too! http://tinyurl.com/44oell
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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Indiana Jones - a quick review
Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull:
I ran into an old friend this past weekend. It had been nearly 20 years since I've seen him- we're both a little older, grayer; he was with his old girlfriend, who was still very like-able, but much more subdued than I remember, letting him do most of the talking while she nodded agreeably. He also had a new friend with him, too- a young man who I didn't think I would like very much, but as it turns out, was a pretty cool guy.
The meeting was a little awkward; he kept bringing up the glory days ("Remember that time we found the Ark of The Covenant? That was awesome..."), and for some odd reason they kept talking about cute little animals- I'm sure they're his boss' pets. But he has a great sense of humor, and has always led a fascinating life. It was fun catching up with them, and hearing about their new exploits (even though many of them seemed pretty far-fetched), then we said our good-byes and went our separate ways.
We didn't "click" like we used to in the past, I'm sure 20 years of change is part of it. We lead new lives, have new friends (I met a really cool weapons dealer a couple weeks ago, really into gadgets and loves a good party; I'm looking forward to seeing my wealthy night-owl goth friend in a few weeks), have different interests. But I'm glad I met him years ago, and I've enjoyed knowing him. He may not be the same guy anymore, but it was nice to visit with him for a little while- I guess we'll always have Cairo..
I ran into an old friend this past weekend. It had been nearly 20 years since I've seen him- we're both a little older, grayer; he was with his old girlfriend, who was still very like-able, but much more subdued than I remember, letting him do most of the talking while she nodded agreeably. He also had a new friend with him, too- a young man who I didn't think I would like very much, but as it turns out, was a pretty cool guy.
The meeting was a little awkward; he kept bringing up the glory days ("Remember that time we found the Ark of The Covenant? That was awesome..."), and for some odd reason they kept talking about cute little animals- I'm sure they're his boss' pets. But he has a great sense of humor, and has always led a fascinating life. It was fun catching up with them, and hearing about their new exploits (even though many of them seemed pretty far-fetched), then we said our good-byes and went our separate ways.
We didn't "click" like we used to in the past, I'm sure 20 years of change is part of it. We lead new lives, have new friends (I met a really cool weapons dealer a couple weeks ago, really into gadgets and loves a good party; I'm looking forward to seeing my wealthy night-owl goth friend in a few weeks), have different interests. But I'm glad I met him years ago, and I've enjoyed knowing him. He may not be the same guy anymore, but it was nice to visit with him for a little while- I guess we'll always have Cairo..
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Monday, May 26, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
California Beer Festival
Woohoo! All the beer you can imagine, all on one fairway! The flow continues...
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Friday, May 23, 2008
The Undead?
A woman apparently returns to life AFTER rigor mortis has set in- <Jack Palance> believe it... or not <JP>:
http://tinyurl.com/63vrab
http://tinyurl.com/63vrab
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Thursday, May 22, 2008
Jack's life in the Magic Kingdom
Los Angeles magazine has an interesting article about a guy who played the character of Jack Sparrow at Disneyland; it's The Nazi-est Place on Earth: http://tinyurl.com/5lvqpc
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Here's to my health!
The Wii Fit was officially released today; I was bummed because I didn't put a pre-order in, and just about every online retailer was back ordered. I took a little trip to Costco, however, and found a whole pallet! Of the approximately 30 people waiting outside Costco at opening, about 10 made a beeline for the stack, one guy putting 5 or 6 in his cart (the manager nixed that quickly). Anyway, I have one, I'll be trying it out, and I'll be giving Arnold a run for his money soon enough!
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
This really happens...
So I was having lunch with some friends downtown today, when a blood-curdling scream broke up the lunchtime conversation. I turned to look and see if someone had been hurt or something, when I saw a nice-sized rat scamper across the wood floor; as I tracked the rat through the room, I saw no less than 3 women, dressed in business casual, standing on their chairs! I thought that only happened in "Tom and Jerry" cartoons? Apparently not. Hilarious.
This being Santa Barbara, we laughed and went back to our lunches...
This being Santa Barbara, we laughed and went back to our lunches...
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Monday, May 19, 2008
Woodwork
Spent the morning cutting a frame and putting together a door-sized "canvas" which will be the basis for a large painting for the bare living room wall. It's not perfect, but also not too bad for a rank amateur. And I still have all my fingers!
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WOLVERIIIIIIIIIINES!
Man, I loved this movie in 1984; apparently it's been considered as a remake. While there seems to be a run on Hollywood reboots lately, I'd love to see teenagers battle the forces of communism again... Vague info here: http://tinyurl.com/4ewurt
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Saturday, May 17, 2008
Change
Shirt I designed for Richie's birthday present. For those who don't know Rich, he's a staunch conservative.
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Friday, May 16, 2008
2 birthday presents...
That spell trouble together. Thanks, Todd, Cheryl and Wyatt, and Beck and Kai!!
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More snake
Pic of the snake before we caught it. Not even the excellent camouflage could help it hide from our professional hunting skills.
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Sunday, May 11, 2008
Speed Racer- a quick review
Speed Racer is one of the first cartoons I remember watching as a kid. I'd been looking forward to seeing the new movie, but after reading some early reviews, I considered skipping it and waiting to rent. My 8-year-old son Kai and I donated our $6.75 each this afternoon, and to be honest, we both thought the movie was well worth admission. Sure, it was loudly colorful, fast, and simple- but I think that's exactly what The Wachowski Brothers were shooting for, a live action cartoon. It seems that many of the folks critical of the movie based their reviews on the visuals- they didn't like how it looked, so they panned the film. Unfortunately the look of the film, reflecting the anime that inspired it, is such a big part of the movie that it can't be ignored; if you can't get past that, you aren't going to enjoy the rest of the movie. I loved the visuals, and I don't think the film would have worked without them. Visuals aside, the acting was serviceable, the story was boilerplate, if a little slow in parts, and the production was top-notch; as a result, the Wachowskis have created a world that was true to the original cartoon. On the whole, we found the movie entertaining, and a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon with my son.
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Saturday, May 10, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Worst album covers ever?
The Chicago Tribune shows us some of the worst album covers ever; some of these are breathtaking: http://tinyurl.com/6pbkaw
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