It is a small bar, kind of dingy and disheveled with neon in the windows that matched the tired sag of the building.
A gravel mud-pit parking lot plays host a myriad of vehicles in various states of disrepair and modification.
It is the type of bar that you wouldn’t really notice as you drove by unless it was raining.
Stepping in the front door offers a buffet of sensory input.
Your nose is offered up a potpourri of fragrances including sawdust, beer, whiskey, cigarette smoke, pool cue chalk, field mud, cut grass, sweat, and bar food with an underlying hint of debt collection, divorce and despair.
Your ears are treated to a softly undulating din consisting of the idle murmur of farmers and hunters taking a break from the fields, the banter of blue collar workers as they drink away their paychecks, the plaintiff moaning of country music intermixed with the sexual innuendo of hair metal, the clink of glasses and the cracking of pool balls.
Your eyes witness the spectacle of the Middle American low common denominator as they co-mingle in a stew of jeans, Harley patches, boots, tattoos, mullets, crew cuts, and T-shirts covered in bumper sticker philosophy.
Elbowing up to the bar you flag down the barmaid who is now in her early twenties but will likely live herself into her forties before the decade is over, tattooed and pierced to give the illusion of having three left nipples, and order a beer.
As she walks away to get your beer, you pull your eyes off the shorts she’s barely wearing to survey the room and you see three guys setting up band equipment over in the corner.
A question to the barmaid as she brings you your beer with a sidecar of flirty facial expressions confirms that the band is of the local variety, common to this establishment and will begin around 9 pm.
The clock hands meander their way through the evening as you continue renting your barstool and glances at the barmaid.
The music is cut off in mid-boot scoot and the band in the corner swings into the first song of what will become a four hour show, complete with Chuck Berry guitar tricks, groovegasmic bass solos, and a drum solo that lands the entire bar back in 1986.
The undulating din has been replaced by the frantic noise of invading troops and the bar hemorrhages beverages at a near fatal rate. The band is raining sweat as it moves with the music and the bar crowd sways along like a Cobra in the trance of a blues rock snake charmer. The bar, once tired and sagging, is now alive and breathing, drunk and lusting, seconds from combusting and on the verge of collapse. You are completely swept up in the experience, drunk on music and beer, not concerned at all with how you’re getting home or where you’re going to sleep because at some point in the night, a woman has seen fit to graft herself to your right arm, and though you have a suspicion you may be considering coyotes in the morning, most of your decisions are being made by other organs.
The words “Thanks G’nite” cause you to cast a bleary eye up at the clock and say hello to one thirty.
Between bouts of what seems to be recreational CPR with the woman who appears hell bent on sharing the cloths you’re wearing you survey the scene.
The band is packing up their equipment, carrying pitchers, bottles and shot glasses up to the bar by the armload, and trying not to step on the casualties of the night’s festivities who litter the barroom.
You are led outside by your newest, soon to be, regret and poured into the front seat of a rusted and noisy mid-80’s Camero decaled with cartoon characters urinating on various items, but not before slurring admiration to the bands bass player for his awesome performance of “Pink Cadillac” while laying on the pool table and smoking a cigarette, to which he says “Thanks!”
As you ride away into the night, that little bar on the corner of “Nowhere” and “Special” seems to sag back into its accustomed position then to fade into the inky country night all together.
It was a brief moment in the years you will spend alive but you will remember it fondly for a long, long time, or most of it anyway, and when, by chance, you happen to drive past that intersection, a small but evident pang will slip across your heart as you find an abandoned lonely patch of overgrown grass where that little bar used to sag and a gravel mud-pit parking lot played host a myriad of vehicles in various states of disrepair and modification.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Something Random
I have recently discovered a large community of bloggers dedicated to horror movies. The first one I found was “Day of the Woman” and quickly discovered “Fascination with Fear.” Both of these blogs are by women and both are very, very good. The reviews I’ve read were insightful and well delivered, and the advice regarding movies is well worth noting. Please spend a few hours and surf their entries. You will njot regret it!
I stole this subject from Fascination with Fear who, in turn, stole it from Final Girl - she has it somewhere in her blog, I think like two years ago or something...
She titled it 'Pretend you care...', and I think that about sums it up.
My answers might not all be horror-related, but I'll try.
Here goes:
1) Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times:
Star Wars (The original trilogy)
2) Name a movie that you've seen multiple times in the theater:
Star Wars – Episode I – Only because I was in a band with a Star Wars Fan
3) Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie:
Simon Pegg – I have never been let down by one of the movies he’s been in.
Mila Jovavich – She’s a great actress, does a lot of her own stunts, and I’m a guy.
4) Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie:
-Will Farrel – No Problem, short of a couple of indie films (Stranger than Fiction and Winter Passing) I generally can’t stand the characters he plays.
-Sara Michelle Geller – Her face never changes…EVER
5) Name a movie that you can and do quote from:
Star Wars - Obviously
6) Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs:
I don’t know all the lyric I’ve written much less in a musical, but “Sweeny Todd” and “The Triplets of Bellview” both have tunes I can hum along with.
7) Name a movie that you have been known to sing along to:
Return of the Jedi – The Ewok celebration theme.
8) Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see:
The Triplets of Bellview – It’s an animated silent film (there are no real dialogue scenes in the film)
9) Name a movie that you own:
I’m glad to see these aren’t vague questions. I own “Wolf Creek” which is one of the most brutal, disturbing movies in my collection.
10) Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops:
Justin Timberlake – His music makes me want to eat chalk but he has been pretty good in the films I’ve seen him in.
11) Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in; If so, what?
I saw “Gremlins” at the Drive –In when it came out. More accurately I hid in the back seat while the movie played I also remember going with my Dad to see E.T. at a drive in.
12) Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't yet gotten around to yet.
[rec.] – The Spanish original version of Quarantine.
13) Ever walked out of a movie?
Nope – Way too expensive!
14) Name a movie that made you cry in the theater:
I got lumps in my throat at the end of “The Mist” and “The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy” primarily due to the elation of seeing scenes from books I love adapted to the screen better than I could have ever hoped.
15) Popcorn?
At home, if I have any micro-pop in the cupboard but at the movie it’s too expensive and is a distraction from the movie.
16) How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
I am a big Netflix fan and again with money being what it is. I’d say 12 out of every 100 movies I see in the theater.
17) What's the last movie you saw in the theater?
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
18) What's your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Sci-Fi/Action/Horror
19) What's the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Either “101 Dalmatians” or “The Fox and The Hound”
20) What movie do you wish you had never seen?
Bloodrayne – Damn my male-driven decision making skills regarding sexy Terminators
21) What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
As in “YOU liked than movie?!” probably “Amelie”
As in “WTF did I just watch?!” probably – A Clockwork Orange”
22) What is the scariest movie you've seen?
Sadly- “The Ring” ruined my ability to sleep in the same room with a closet or play VHS tapes for weeks.
23) What is the funniest movie you've seen?
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken – Don Knotts + Haunted mansion = ruptured spleen
I stole this subject from Fascination with Fear who, in turn, stole it from Final Girl - she has it somewhere in her blog, I think like two years ago or something...
She titled it 'Pretend you care...', and I think that about sums it up.
My answers might not all be horror-related, but I'll try.
Here goes:
1) Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times:
Star Wars (The original trilogy)
2) Name a movie that you've seen multiple times in the theater:
Star Wars – Episode I – Only because I was in a band with a Star Wars Fan
3) Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie:
Simon Pegg – I have never been let down by one of the movies he’s been in.
Mila Jovavich – She’s a great actress, does a lot of her own stunts, and I’m a guy.
4) Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie:
-Will Farrel – No Problem, short of a couple of indie films (Stranger than Fiction and Winter Passing) I generally can’t stand the characters he plays.
-Sara Michelle Geller – Her face never changes…EVER
5) Name a movie that you can and do quote from:
Star Wars - Obviously
6) Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs:
I don’t know all the lyric I’ve written much less in a musical, but “Sweeny Todd” and “The Triplets of Bellview” both have tunes I can hum along with.
7) Name a movie that you have been known to sing along to:
Return of the Jedi – The Ewok celebration theme.
8) Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see:
The Triplets of Bellview – It’s an animated silent film (there are no real dialogue scenes in the film)
9) Name a movie that you own:
I’m glad to see these aren’t vague questions. I own “Wolf Creek” which is one of the most brutal, disturbing movies in my collection.
10) Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops:
Justin Timberlake – His music makes me want to eat chalk but he has been pretty good in the films I’ve seen him in.
11) Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in; If so, what?
I saw “Gremlins” at the Drive –In when it came out. More accurately I hid in the back seat while the movie played I also remember going with my Dad to see E.T. at a drive in.
12) Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't yet gotten around to yet.
[rec.] – The Spanish original version of Quarantine.
13) Ever walked out of a movie?
Nope – Way too expensive!
14) Name a movie that made you cry in the theater:
I got lumps in my throat at the end of “The Mist” and “The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy” primarily due to the elation of seeing scenes from books I love adapted to the screen better than I could have ever hoped.
15) Popcorn?
At home, if I have any micro-pop in the cupboard but at the movie it’s too expensive and is a distraction from the movie.
16) How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
I am a big Netflix fan and again with money being what it is. I’d say 12 out of every 100 movies I see in the theater.
17) What's the last movie you saw in the theater?
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
18) What's your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Sci-Fi/Action/Horror
19) What's the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Either “101 Dalmatians” or “The Fox and The Hound”
20) What movie do you wish you had never seen?
Bloodrayne – Damn my male-driven decision making skills regarding sexy Terminators
21) What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
As in “YOU liked than movie?!” probably “Amelie”
As in “WTF did I just watch?!” probably – A Clockwork Orange”
22) What is the scariest movie you've seen?
Sadly- “The Ring” ruined my ability to sleep in the same room with a closet or play VHS tapes for weeks.
23) What is the funniest movie you've seen?
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken – Don Knotts + Haunted mansion = ruptured spleen
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Farscape From Women
Between March 19, 1999 and March 21, 2003, there was a television show that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel here in Wisconsin. The show follows the adventures of an astronaut who gets pulled into a wormhole in space/time and dumped out into a different universe. There he is rescued by a ship of fugitives on the run. The show was called Farscape, and I am a fan!
I watched a good deal of the series while it aired but missed the last part of season 3 and all of season 4. It was released a few years later on VHS and then on DVD. I bought the first few tapes but couldn’t afford to keep buying them. Then one year, for my birthday, my friend Erik bought me Season 1 on DVD. I was delighted! I quickly immersed myself in the show watching the season, one episode after another. I chewed through the season like a zombie through the top of your head! And then I watched it all over again. It was great!!
At this time, I was working 3rd shift so the routine was this; work Monday night through Thursday night 7:30 pm until 6:00 am, join society Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and then Sunday night I would stay up all night so I could sleep Monday before work. One Sunday, as I drove home from my parent’s house, I realized it was imperative that I buy The Second Season of Farscape and watch it that night! I had no choice! So I headed over to my local Best Buy, power walked back to the DVD isle, scanned the titles found the Farscape section and immediately realized they had every season, except the one I needed! The frustration was immense. I scanned the area, hoping someone put it where it didn’t belong. No Such Luck! So, dejected, I started walking away when a young girl approached me and said “Is there anything I can do for you?” I said “As a matter of fact there is! I am looking for The Second Season of Farscape and I see that there is every season except the second season on the shelf, which is a bummer because I can’t watch the third and the fourth season without watching the second season to see what happened so I won’t be lost and miserable and I know it seems like a trivial thing to worry about but I am a fan and we get like this some times (DEEP INHALE)!” Surprisingly, she didn’t seem too put off by my ravings and said that she wanted to check the computer to see if there were some in the back or at another location.
After looking at the screen for a couple of minutes she frowned and said that inventory claims they have one on the shelf. I explained that being built like I am and blinded by a driving geekish need to see this show that I may have over looked it. After studying the shelf for a while she says, with a mix of disgust and frustration, that it was likely shop lifted. “I hate shoplifters!” she says, “They screw up inventory, cost us money, and disappoint our good customers like you. If I ever caught one I’d stomp them down with my big old feet!” Automatically, I looked down, assessed the size of her feet in comparison to her frame and made the determination that they were an appropriate size for her and stated as much. She smiled and said “Thanks, you’re sweet.” She then reminded me that one of the other locations had two copies in stock and that I had time to go there and pick one up.
I quickly thanked her and said that if she ever did get the chance to take out a shoplifter, to get in a couple of good jabs for me. She smiled and said, “I sure will, but I’ll probably have to take my shirt of if I do.” I only briefly thought about this and assumed the store has a strict “Zero Customer Ass-Kicking Tolerance” policy. I jumped in my car and headed for 76th street. Once parked, I headed inside, through the doors, past the greeter, straight to the movie department. I quickly scanned the shelves with baited breath. Then the clouds parted, sunlight splashed all around, and Angels with golden horns trumpeted as I held in my trembling, geek-sweaty hands The Second Season of Farscape! Much like Gollum, I clutched “my precious” and made a beeline for checkout! I stood in line admiring my new obsession and realized, after a short while of day-dreaming about the wonders I will witness as soon as I get home, that I was, in fact, not actually making much progress at getting home. The person in front of me currently checking out seemed to be involved in a conversation with the checkout girl. I was a bit annoyed but quickly sank back into a land Far, Farscape away. (Wink, wink, see what I did there? Heh heh snort)
Anyway!
I was soon jolted out of my fantasy buy the arrival of a mother and two children behind me. I realized I was still waiting to check out. I then began to focus on the situation in front of me to determine what the hold up was. The gentleman in front of me was a handsome, fit man in his late fifties or early sixties, dressed in a suit that looked like it probable had a set of BMW keys in one of the pockets. He was smiling at the checkout girl in a fashion that made you want to avert children’s eyes and maybe hand the all the women in the area an extra layer of baggy clothing. The checkout girl was smiling back at him with a “I need this job to much to run screaming away from you” smile.
It appears as though Grampa Gotrocks is flirting with this girl and doesn’t seem willing to grasp her refusal. She asks him “Will this be cash or credit?” to which he responds with “Well, I could pay for this with cash or I could use a credit card and use the cash to take you out to dinner.” She wisely doesn’t react and the man gives her his credit card. Because he uses a credit card, she is forced to ask for his phone number. His smile grows a bit bigger and drips a little more grease and he produces a silver card case, extracts a business card (add favorite “American Psycho” quote here) and writes his phone number on the back and put it on the little counter thing you use to write out checks and says “Here you go sweetheart, you can call it anytime!”
It’s at this point I decide to break one of the social rules involved in shopping which is “Do not stick your nose into other peoples business unless you want them to stick their nose in yours!” It was clear to me that this man wanted to stick something somewhere but my immediate cause of irritation was his interference in my attempt to purchase and absorb The Second Season of Farscape! I stepped forward and with as pleasant and non-threatening a voice as I could muster I said “Sir? Pardon my interruption, but if you look straight out the window here in front of us you will see 76th street on which there are any numbers of bars, clubs, and restaurants where in you would have a chance to meet single women who are actually looking for a companion. There is even a good chance you will find one a little more suited to your age bracket who remembers growing up in the ’40 and the two of you could share stories about D-day and discussing whether “Rosie the Riveter” was hot or not and then you wouldn’t have to waste your time while embarrassing this young lady who is trying to do her job.
There was a moment of tense silence and the gentleman stared at me while I politely smiled at him. “Well!” the man exclaimed as he grabbed his bag and stormed off muttering about respect and minding one’s own business. As I said, it wasn’t my place to interject but desire for Sci-Fi is an unrelenting beast so my hand was forced. I smiled at the cashier and apologized for the male gender. I said it was men like him that make me embarrassed to be a man to which she replied, “You have no reason to be embarrassed, you’re sweet for telling that guy off.” I said thanks and proceeded to purchase The Second Season of Farscape!!!! As I picked up my beloved acquisition, I said to the cashier that I hoped the rest of her was good. She replied that she would and wished me the same and said “Thanks again, that was really sweet of you.” I said “you’re welcome” and blasted out of there. One hour later, I was at home, in my “Redneck Tuxedo” (boxers, white tank top, and bathrobe) eating pizza and fully engrossed in the best show ever aired on the Sci-Fi Network!
It was several hours later while watching our heroes attempting to survive the harsh existence of life on the run in the uncharted territories when in a scene between Aeryn Sun and John Crichton; Aeryn does this thing with her tongue that made me raise my eyebrow. It was sort of a roll/wave/flicker movement all with a set of "smokey eyes". It was at that moment I thought to myself; “Mmmm, I like women, it would be great to have a girlfriend. I wish I knew some girls who were interested in….wait, “Thanks, you’re sweet.”…..“You have no reason to be embarrassed; you’re sweet for telling that guy off.”…“Thanks again, that was really sweet of you.”...Ohhhh MAAAAN! I totally missed that! Damn It!!”
I think I may have actually said “Aw Crap” outload as I got up and got a beer and some left over cold pizza and resumed watching The Second Season of Farscape!!!!
Alone.
I was eventually rescued from my ignorance induced exile from the world of relationships by a wonderfully persistent woman, who patiently deals with my cluelessness with a smile. She is great and she doesn’t need some fancy tongue moves to prove it!
I watched a good deal of the series while it aired but missed the last part of season 3 and all of season 4. It was released a few years later on VHS and then on DVD. I bought the first few tapes but couldn’t afford to keep buying them. Then one year, for my birthday, my friend Erik bought me Season 1 on DVD. I was delighted! I quickly immersed myself in the show watching the season, one episode after another. I chewed through the season like a zombie through the top of your head! And then I watched it all over again. It was great!!
At this time, I was working 3rd shift so the routine was this; work Monday night through Thursday night 7:30 pm until 6:00 am, join society Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and then Sunday night I would stay up all night so I could sleep Monday before work. One Sunday, as I drove home from my parent’s house, I realized it was imperative that I buy The Second Season of Farscape and watch it that night! I had no choice! So I headed over to my local Best Buy, power walked back to the DVD isle, scanned the titles found the Farscape section and immediately realized they had every season, except the one I needed! The frustration was immense. I scanned the area, hoping someone put it where it didn’t belong. No Such Luck! So, dejected, I started walking away when a young girl approached me and said “Is there anything I can do for you?” I said “As a matter of fact there is! I am looking for The Second Season of Farscape and I see that there is every season except the second season on the shelf, which is a bummer because I can’t watch the third and the fourth season without watching the second season to see what happened so I won’t be lost and miserable and I know it seems like a trivial thing to worry about but I am a fan and we get like this some times (DEEP INHALE)!” Surprisingly, she didn’t seem too put off by my ravings and said that she wanted to check the computer to see if there were some in the back or at another location.
After looking at the screen for a couple of minutes she frowned and said that inventory claims they have one on the shelf. I explained that being built like I am and blinded by a driving geekish need to see this show that I may have over looked it. After studying the shelf for a while she says, with a mix of disgust and frustration, that it was likely shop lifted. “I hate shoplifters!” she says, “They screw up inventory, cost us money, and disappoint our good customers like you. If I ever caught one I’d stomp them down with my big old feet!” Automatically, I looked down, assessed the size of her feet in comparison to her frame and made the determination that they were an appropriate size for her and stated as much. She smiled and said “Thanks, you’re sweet.” She then reminded me that one of the other locations had two copies in stock and that I had time to go there and pick one up.
I quickly thanked her and said that if she ever did get the chance to take out a shoplifter, to get in a couple of good jabs for me. She smiled and said, “I sure will, but I’ll probably have to take my shirt of if I do.” I only briefly thought about this and assumed the store has a strict “Zero Customer Ass-Kicking Tolerance” policy. I jumped in my car and headed for 76th street. Once parked, I headed inside, through the doors, past the greeter, straight to the movie department. I quickly scanned the shelves with baited breath. Then the clouds parted, sunlight splashed all around, and Angels with golden horns trumpeted as I held in my trembling, geek-sweaty hands The Second Season of Farscape! Much like Gollum, I clutched “my precious” and made a beeline for checkout! I stood in line admiring my new obsession and realized, after a short while of day-dreaming about the wonders I will witness as soon as I get home, that I was, in fact, not actually making much progress at getting home. The person in front of me currently checking out seemed to be involved in a conversation with the checkout girl. I was a bit annoyed but quickly sank back into a land Far, Farscape away. (Wink, wink, see what I did there? Heh heh snort)
Anyway!
I was soon jolted out of my fantasy buy the arrival of a mother and two children behind me. I realized I was still waiting to check out. I then began to focus on the situation in front of me to determine what the hold up was. The gentleman in front of me was a handsome, fit man in his late fifties or early sixties, dressed in a suit that looked like it probable had a set of BMW keys in one of the pockets. He was smiling at the checkout girl in a fashion that made you want to avert children’s eyes and maybe hand the all the women in the area an extra layer of baggy clothing. The checkout girl was smiling back at him with a “I need this job to much to run screaming away from you” smile.
It appears as though Grampa Gotrocks is flirting with this girl and doesn’t seem willing to grasp her refusal. She asks him “Will this be cash or credit?” to which he responds with “Well, I could pay for this with cash or I could use a credit card and use the cash to take you out to dinner.” She wisely doesn’t react and the man gives her his credit card. Because he uses a credit card, she is forced to ask for his phone number. His smile grows a bit bigger and drips a little more grease and he produces a silver card case, extracts a business card (add favorite “American Psycho” quote here) and writes his phone number on the back and put it on the little counter thing you use to write out checks and says “Here you go sweetheart, you can call it anytime!”
It’s at this point I decide to break one of the social rules involved in shopping which is “Do not stick your nose into other peoples business unless you want them to stick their nose in yours!” It was clear to me that this man wanted to stick something somewhere but my immediate cause of irritation was his interference in my attempt to purchase and absorb The Second Season of Farscape! I stepped forward and with as pleasant and non-threatening a voice as I could muster I said “Sir? Pardon my interruption, but if you look straight out the window here in front of us you will see 76th street on which there are any numbers of bars, clubs, and restaurants where in you would have a chance to meet single women who are actually looking for a companion. There is even a good chance you will find one a little more suited to your age bracket who remembers growing up in the ’40 and the two of you could share stories about D-day and discussing whether “Rosie the Riveter” was hot or not and then you wouldn’t have to waste your time while embarrassing this young lady who is trying to do her job.
There was a moment of tense silence and the gentleman stared at me while I politely smiled at him. “Well!” the man exclaimed as he grabbed his bag and stormed off muttering about respect and minding one’s own business. As I said, it wasn’t my place to interject but desire for Sci-Fi is an unrelenting beast so my hand was forced. I smiled at the cashier and apologized for the male gender. I said it was men like him that make me embarrassed to be a man to which she replied, “You have no reason to be embarrassed, you’re sweet for telling that guy off.” I said thanks and proceeded to purchase The Second Season of Farscape!!!! As I picked up my beloved acquisition, I said to the cashier that I hoped the rest of her was good. She replied that she would and wished me the same and said “Thanks again, that was really sweet of you.” I said “you’re welcome” and blasted out of there. One hour later, I was at home, in my “Redneck Tuxedo” (boxers, white tank top, and bathrobe) eating pizza and fully engrossed in the best show ever aired on the Sci-Fi Network!
It was several hours later while watching our heroes attempting to survive the harsh existence of life on the run in the uncharted territories when in a scene between Aeryn Sun and John Crichton; Aeryn does this thing with her tongue that made me raise my eyebrow. It was sort of a roll/wave/flicker movement all with a set of "smokey eyes". It was at that moment I thought to myself; “Mmmm, I like women, it would be great to have a girlfriend. I wish I knew some girls who were interested in….wait, “Thanks, you’re sweet.”…..“You have no reason to be embarrassed; you’re sweet for telling that guy off.”…“Thanks again, that was really sweet of you.”...Ohhhh MAAAAN! I totally missed that! Damn It!!”
I think I may have actually said “Aw Crap” outload as I got up and got a beer and some left over cold pizza and resumed watching The Second Season of Farscape!!!!
Alone.
I was eventually rescued from my ignorance induced exile from the world of relationships by a wonderfully persistent woman, who patiently deals with my cluelessness with a smile. She is great and she doesn’t need some fancy tongue moves to prove it!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Something for everyone
Sometimes you wander around a store looking for a particular item and when you find the area where they keep the item you’ve been searching for, you find something works better. That happened to me a few weeks ago on the internet.
Back-story
I was in my hometown in Michigan last year for a family reunion. On Saturday mornings there is a farmers market in town, so Mel and I went to check it out. As we were wandering around we came upon a man selling home made soap. We chatted with him for a little bit and I asked if he made any shave soap. He explained that he did but it is only good for shaving with a brush and razor. I explained that I, indeed, use a brush and double edged razor to shave and have been for many years. After some conversation I bought a cake of shave soap and we were on our way.
I was delighted by this soap and when I had used it up I realized that I had no easy way of getting more from that guy at the market. So I turned to the guru on top on the almighty internet mountain known as Google and stared a quest to find this guy. After some searching, I found “Mom and Pop Soap Shop.” After glancing at the “menu” I sent an email asking if they might be the people selling shave soap at the farmers market in Owosso. I received an email stating that they were not but could make some if I ordered it. I thanked them but continued my search for the guy at the market.
A couple of weeks later, I got and email from them asking if I would try a sample of their soap and give them an honest opinion. I replied that I would be delighted to try out their product and that I with thoroughly review their shave soap. A short time later I got a package in the mail with a tin of wonderful smelling shave soap so I got busy testing it and as promised, here is the review.
I have been using a tin of “Bay Rum Spice” shave soap from the “Mom and Pop Soap Shop” located on the internet at http://www.momandpopsoapshop.com/. Based out of Michigan, Mom and Pop offer a wide selection of high quality, hand made soaps. They also offer custom soaps available by request. From the first time I put brush to soap I realized I was in for a treat. The lather produced was rich and full and went on very easy. As I began the shave I noticed I was getting a very smooth shave with a lot less drag than with other soaps I have bought from stores and larger internet suppliers. When I finished with the initial shave I discovered, to my surprise, that I didn’t need to lather up again for a finishing shave. I was smooth to the touch the first time. With store bought soaps, I always had to shave twice to get the smoothness I wanted, even with a new blade. But with soap from Mom and Pop Soap Shop, one pass was all it took. The after scent from the soap was pleasant but not over-powering. I was able to use my standard after-shave with out the two clashing. I have used it for a few weeks now and I will say that I plan on using this soap for the foreseeable future.
Here is my tin of shave soap along with my Tweezerman Soap Brush and my Murker Safety Razor.
The soap comes in a 3 ounce tin with a lid that makes storing the soap very easy. The tin is, however, shaped in such a way that use of a standard sized brush (as seen in the picture) might become a challenge as the soap is consumed. I reported this back to Christine at Mom and Pop and it is being taken into consideration depending on feedback. I also noticed that the paper label doesn’t handle the wet environment of shaving very well but this is such a small matter that it barely deserves commentary. I will be trying out some more of their soap in the near future and am anticipating the same level of excellence there as well. Christine informed me that the shave soaps are $5.50 each and are in 3 scents: Unscented Aloe & Green Tea with Kaolin clay, Spiced Tangerine (Bentonite clay) and Bay Rum Spice (Bentonite clay).
All in all, I will recommend this soap to anyone interested in experiencing just how good shaving can be. If you have any questions there is a link on main page of the website where you can send email inquiries. So go buy some soap and let me know how you liked it!
Back-story
I was in my hometown in Michigan last year for a family reunion. On Saturday mornings there is a farmers market in town, so Mel and I went to check it out. As we were wandering around we came upon a man selling home made soap. We chatted with him for a little bit and I asked if he made any shave soap. He explained that he did but it is only good for shaving with a brush and razor. I explained that I, indeed, use a brush and double edged razor to shave and have been for many years. After some conversation I bought a cake of shave soap and we were on our way.
I was delighted by this soap and when I had used it up I realized that I had no easy way of getting more from that guy at the market. So I turned to the guru on top on the almighty internet mountain known as Google and stared a quest to find this guy. After some searching, I found “Mom and Pop Soap Shop.” After glancing at the “menu” I sent an email asking if they might be the people selling shave soap at the farmers market in Owosso. I received an email stating that they were not but could make some if I ordered it. I thanked them but continued my search for the guy at the market.
A couple of weeks later, I got and email from them asking if I would try a sample of their soap and give them an honest opinion. I replied that I would be delighted to try out their product and that I with thoroughly review their shave soap. A short time later I got a package in the mail with a tin of wonderful smelling shave soap so I got busy testing it and as promised, here is the review.
I have been using a tin of “Bay Rum Spice” shave soap from the “Mom and Pop Soap Shop” located on the internet at http://www.momandpopsoapshop.com/. Based out of Michigan, Mom and Pop offer a wide selection of high quality, hand made soaps. They also offer custom soaps available by request. From the first time I put brush to soap I realized I was in for a treat. The lather produced was rich and full and went on very easy. As I began the shave I noticed I was getting a very smooth shave with a lot less drag than with other soaps I have bought from stores and larger internet suppliers. When I finished with the initial shave I discovered, to my surprise, that I didn’t need to lather up again for a finishing shave. I was smooth to the touch the first time. With store bought soaps, I always had to shave twice to get the smoothness I wanted, even with a new blade. But with soap from Mom and Pop Soap Shop, one pass was all it took. The after scent from the soap was pleasant but not over-powering. I was able to use my standard after-shave with out the two clashing. I have used it for a few weeks now and I will say that I plan on using this soap for the foreseeable future.
Here is my tin of shave soap along with my Tweezerman Soap Brush and my Murker Safety Razor.
The soap comes in a 3 ounce tin with a lid that makes storing the soap very easy. The tin is, however, shaped in such a way that use of a standard sized brush (as seen in the picture) might become a challenge as the soap is consumed. I reported this back to Christine at Mom and Pop and it is being taken into consideration depending on feedback. I also noticed that the paper label doesn’t handle the wet environment of shaving very well but this is such a small matter that it barely deserves commentary. I will be trying out some more of their soap in the near future and am anticipating the same level of excellence there as well. Christine informed me that the shave soaps are $5.50 each and are in 3 scents: Unscented Aloe & Green Tea with Kaolin clay, Spiced Tangerine (Bentonite clay) and Bay Rum Spice (Bentonite clay).
All in all, I will recommend this soap to anyone interested in experiencing just how good shaving can be. If you have any questions there is a link on main page of the website where you can send email inquiries. So go buy some soap and let me know how you liked it!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy 4TH!!
Hanging out with friends until 1:30 in the morning drinking wine and laughing
Rock and Roll
Cold pizza for breakfast
Restaurants that serve breakfast food at 9 pm
Walking in the park
Laying out in the sun during your lunch break
Mom’s rhubarb pie
Dad’s chop suey
’58 Plymouth Belvedere
Rambo
Ice Cream Sundaes
Summerfest
The freedom to post whatever you want on the Internet
Driving with the window down and the stereo up
Harley Davidson
The Steaming Cup
Voting
Building friendship regardless of personal political, religious, or ethical views
Getting away from technology and camping and then coming back to technology
The Men and Women who have served this country since it started regardless of the price they had to pay in limb, love and life.
The Men and Women who are, right now, somewhere else in the world, away from their loved ones, putting their lives at risk so that we can enjoy everything we have.
The sound of your girlfriend singing in the shower as you sit in the morning sunshine with a cool breeze while you type a list of things you think about on the 4th of July
Happy Independence Day
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