Toy Story 3

There are probably a lot of people who are going to disagree with what I say next. The Toy Story trilogy ranks right up there with the original Star Wars trilogy and The Lord of the Rings. There, I said it, flame war engage! All three trilogy's share some very common factors. They all pushed the cutting edge of technology for their time. They all have deep, emotional stories and very memorable characters. The stories they tell are important and true to life.

As you probably figured out, I watched Toy Story 3 over the weekend. The only negative I can take away from it is that the first two films were just so damned good that it felt done before. That's it! The movies was perfect. It looked phenomenal. As always the voices were great, the story was funny and touching and emotional and action packed. It was the perfect ending to the trilogy. I could go on. I could spew hellfire to get you to agree that this trilogy is equal with Star Wars and LotR, but I won't because the films speak for themselves.

Camping Trip

I love camping. There is no better way to just relax and get away from noise and cell phones. You can bring your cell phone with you, but it won't work; at least, not where we went. Over the weekend, starting Thursday, the wife and I packed up and went camping. We borrowed the canvas pop up camper from Mom, thanks Mom, and made way to Hocking Hills State Forest. We went there last year as well so I'll only say that if you haven't been there you are really missing out. Another coupe we know joined us on Friday, camping and friends go so well together.

So it's just hot and humid. I complain a lot on here, but I try not to went talking about camping. Camping is my Zen place, or my Ka for any DarkTower junkies. Camping is just the best; hot or cold, rain or shine. Unfortunately, we got a good dose of hot and rain. It wasn't a damper (no pun) on the weekend, just another part of it. The couple that came with us had no idea how to get there. For the record it is out of the way. I gave them directions, but my directions have taken people the wrong way before; a certain attendee from my wife's last birthday can attest. So I was nervious when it cam time to meet them. I'll state again, there is little to no cell phone service there. It's a good twenty to thirty mile drive to get it. I went to the predetermined meeting place a little early and sat in the back of the truck and relaxed. Generally I despise waiting, but I was camping, so no problem. Then the rain came.

This was a downpour for the ages. When they pulled into the parking area I didn't even see them until they were parked right beside me. Normally I would be pissed about the rain. No, I'm camping, bitch! Nothing is going to get me down. They follow me up the narrow and curvy road to the camp site and we arrive to see it had become a mud slide. We packed inside the camper; four people or various sizes and two dogs; Winston our small Miniature Schnauzer and Issac, their large Golden Retriever. I wasn't cramped, but it was close. it didn't help that our small dog with an inferiority complex had to bark at everyone who came in the door. He also barked when they left and again when they came back in; as if he completely forgot who they were in the two minutes they were gone. This did stop after a while, but at first and during the rain storm it was, testing.

We had dinner ready and soon after it was dry enough to go outside and try to make a fire. I love camp fires. I don't love making camp fires out of wet wood. It's not imposable, just difficult. But I pushed on and got that fire started and it was good. I looked past it low burn and constant need of tending. I was able to make peace with all the chair being wet. I sat on a log for the fire. That was fine although I had to stand from time to time. The log was standing up strait and it was just barely thick enough. I have conjured several jokes about it being too thin to sit on, but I decided not to go there right now. I guess the camping vibe is still with me.

The next day we hiked more and it rained more. We ate and it got super humid. But people here is the truth; it didn't bother me, because I was camping. If all the crap happened to me in a regular day, the blog make have gone:

So I'm sick. Hot Damn! There is nothing better than being sick and camping and it's so humid a fish just swam by my face! Think of all the days it doesn't rain and the one it does, I'm on vacation and sick. Head cold; irony that I have a cold yet I'm hot as hell and sweating like a fat guy at the county fair eating a funnel cake. My head is so stuffed I'm just waiting for the alien to bust out of my sinus and go terrorize Signorine Weaver...

But I didn't do that. I won't do that. I don't feel that way and writing that was hard because I just don't have it in me right now. Don't worry, I'm sure angry Hobo Dan will return at some point, but for now I'm on camping high.

Epic Fast Food FAIL!

I am sick; not in the head like most of you are probably thinking. I have a head cold or sinus problem or some damned allergy to everything. I felt terrible at work today, I just wanted to run the letter opener through my skull. I got through work and came home. Vacation days, yay! No work for me till Monday. Nothing can go wrong... you all know me too well.

We don't cook too much anymore. We are lazy, poor and out of food. So we went out. Where? How about Taco Bell, fast, cheap; not particularly good, but it better than nothing. Taco Bell it is. So we get to Taco Bell and the guy in the speaker box tell us it's a twenty minute wait! WTF? What do they make at Taco Bell that could take twenty minutes? Ten? Five? Maybe the secret underpaid Mexican they have working in the basement all quit? I don't know.

Where do we eat now? How about KFC. Everyone loves KFC. We get there and ask if they have any of the their grilled chicken ready, they answer: "No, but we could put some down for you." Wha-huh? You could put some down for us? Now I'm no fast food expert, I did however work at McDonalds for nine months and generally when we ran out of something, we "put some down" even if there wasn't anyone waiting. So I asked how long it would take and they answered; twenty minutes. That must be the super secret magic number of the night.

We went on dismayed. Arby's? Sure. We pull up to the speaker, no hello. Silence. About five minutes later we order and get food. After all that I get my nourishment and feel a little better. I still can't figure out what caused a twenty minute wait at Taco Bell.

Tonight was a Massive Fast Food Fail!

Blogs?

Blogs... What are we really doing with these oddly named entities? Sure there are all kinds of themed blogs which have very particular purpose: you have movie blogs and music blogs; even gossip blogs. But are all the blogs themed? Do they all have such narrow focus? I struggle to find real focus with my own blog. So what am I, or anyone else for that matter, trying to accomplish with a public blog?

I've used the excuse; I am using this blog as a forum for my writing. It is a way to keep me writing and make me accountable for what I say, because it's public. Is that really what I'm doing? Well there is only one piece of fiction on this blog (which no one has bothered to comment on). The rest of the blog is fairly auto biographical. Not to say I never embellish the stories or add colorful adjectives to make then funnier. So the question then becomes, as long as I am writing, even nonfiction, it counts as writing, right?

Perhaps I want to give some incite into my fascinating life, for those not fortunate enough to be highly involved. Then again, I don't think I'm that interesting in the first place. I certainly don't want to read about myself all the time. It's funny because a famous person can write the same bullshit kind of stuff I write and get tons of people to read it. I should just get famous, like it's hard or something.

It's not that I'm just desperate for attention. We all on some level or another everyone enjoys attention, but I'm not actively seeking more and more of it. Or am I? Maybe that's what a blog is really all about. Attention. In writing this blog, am I seeking the attention and approval of others, if only subconsciously? That seems like the likely case. If I were really just writing for myself I'd put all this in my poor neglected journal I scribble in every now and then. But my ego must have gotten the better of me to start putting this nonsensical writing in to public domain. Like anyone wants to read about my car trouble...

Holeless Pillow

It's rare to find that one person in life who can make your day better in one sentence.

Oh, the suck I have endured. I bitch a lot about the wife's car, so I'll only say, it still sucks. Hard. We've spent money and time on it, we are frustrated. Things are out of hand. The house is a mess. Clothes, they aren't washed. We had to use the remainder of the Disney Princess paper plates from her birthday party to eat dinner. We have no food at the house; none. We DO have a giant tower of pizza boxes.

The truck I am using to drive while her car is being worked on? Its breaks went out on me today! THE BREAKS WENT OUT! You realize I was driving when this happened? WTF!!???!!? I could have seriously wrecked. I am not making this up.

My wife has been driving my car that she is too short for. She has to use a pillow under her and behind her to see and reach the pedals at the same time. One of the pillows is also a pillow we use in the house. We are short on pillows? Are we poor or some shit? She picked me up and drove me home, then we went out for dinner because of the no food thing. Downtrodden. I probably have to mow the grass soon, I hate that. Our mailbox is falling down. I stepped in dog shit while taking the dog out, to shit. Am I trying to find everything wrong with the world?

Tomorrow I have to catch a ride with a co-worker to work. First she has to pick me up, then drop her kids at school. I am riding the school bus to work? The next day, also bumming a ride. Hobo Dan anyone? I have no idea how I'm getting to work Saturday. All of this and more are on and in my mind. God why, oh why.

We get back from Subway. I open the door to the car and step out. The wife stops me and says:

"Get my pillow out, the one WITHOUT the hole in it."

I cannot stop laughing. If you don't get it, I guess you just had to be there.