Anniversary: Chicago, Cookout

Wow...has it really been that long since I posted? Terribly sorry, really. Where to begin? I guess I'll hit the highlights of the past few weeks.

For the Fourth of July weekend, Megan and I headed up to Chicago for our Anniversary. Driving into the city is a hell of an experience. We stayed at the Omni--the same hotel Oprah puts her guests up in--so we were right down on the Magnificent Mile. The closer you got to downtown, the worse the traffic got. People would simply walk out in front of you if you didn't block their paths, and for the most part, taxi drivers/native Chicagoans are very impatient if you get in their way. We finally arrived at the hotel valet stand and that was the last we saw of the car until we left; traffic was simply too hard to deal with. In addition, it was the biggest summer holiday weekend, so there were many more people in the area than usual. I took the subway/train to a Cubs game (against the Washington Nationals) while we were there, which I rather enjoyed. The game went into extra innings, and the Nationals won the game, so that was pretty cool. Later that evening, we walked down to the Navy Pier. That place was entirely too packed (well over a million people just in that little area, I believe I heard on the news), and the lines for the bathrooms were awfully long. We ended up leaving soon after we got there, long before the fireworks and caught a movie just a couple blocks up. What did we watch? Err...Cinderella Man--a good movie, but it seemed to be a bit longer to stuff all of the story in. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe one evening, and the hotel's internal restaurant (Cielo) the other evening. I'm sure you can guess which one was more expensive. Here are a couple of hints: one of them was fully 80 dollars including tip, and it wasn't the one that had animatronic gorillas. Oh, and it starts with a "c". I took some pictures...I'll upload a few here in a bit for the end of the post.

The following Sunday, my parents threw an Anniversary cookout for us. We had your typical cookout food, lots of pop, and lots of alcohol. Of course, I don't drink, but it was there if I wanted to. My brother and his friend made a cornhole set--a pretty nice one, in fact--and that was the hit of the party. The party started around 4 and people were still playing it well on toward midnight, even though it was a Sunday night. With all the alcohol, everyone playing kept getting louder and louder as the night progressed. We also roasted some marshmallows, but the fire was far too hot to stay near it for long. Again, pictures to come below.

Finally, where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Pictures

Our hotel room had a dedicated bedroom


Rainforest Cafe...Those gorillas in the background move and stuff. Actually, I just put this picture up because of the kid's Dunn jersey.


The Omni Hotel


Wrigley Field--Yeah, everyone who goes to Wrigley has a picture of this entrance, I know.


The Navy Pier--as you can tell, my camera sucks when the sun goes down. Actually, my camera sucks when the sun is up...


This is a picture I took of our families (blurred-out, obviously), but just today I realized that my wonderful brother Josh was flipping me off. Smartass.


Here's my brother again (on the right), standing by the cornhole set he made with his friend Adam. They've been getting orders from people to make cornhole sets. The boy on the left is my cousin Patrick.

Movies, XM, Dave Matthews Band

On the weekend before last, Megan and I were (once again) in Cincinnati dealing with some car warranty service, and we stayed at this ancient Comfort Inn. Man, that place was rundown. They had real cable, though, instead of that LodgeNet crap that only gives you the networks, ESPN, and HBO. They also advertised some sort of "data hookup," which is really just code for "Haha, suckers! It's just a place to plug in a phone cable!"

Anyway, we went to Gameworks, then to the AMC theater at Newport on the Levee. We saw two movies in the same day: The Longest Yard and Madagascar. I wanted to see Star Wars, but it was sold out and I don't think there's any way I could've roped Megan into seeing that. The Longest Yard was your typical "prison is hilarious" movie (OK, there really aren't that many movies that cast prison as being humorous--except Ernest Goes to Jail, which was awesome). It had some funny moments, but I almost enjoyed picking out the cameos as much as the comedy. Wow, that is really dorky; I even checked IMDB to see if I was right. However, it's probably a movie that I will eventually forget about.

Madagascar was also pretty entertaining, as it's one of those movies--like Shrek and Finding Nemo--where there are some jokes and parodies that only adults will get. They didn't attempt to make the animal characters so lifelike that they just end up looking creepy, and the style of [computer] animation worked. The main characters were alright, but I really enjoyed the scheming of the penguins and the psychosis of the lemur king Julian. <Tangent:> King Julian was voiced by Sacha Baron Cohen, the guy that plays Ali G. Da Ali G Show is wonderfully funny, if you ever get the chance to watch it. He sets up interviews with real celebrities and politicians and asks some of the most ridiculously stupid questions with a straight face. His two other characters are also funny: Borat, the chauvinistic Kazakhstani reporter; and Brüno, the host of an Austrian gay TV show. Oh, and the Ali G movie isn't really that funny because it's all scripted, so stay away from that</Tangent>

The next day, before heading back home, we decided to see another movie after lunch at Texas Roadhouse. Megan saw Monster in Law, and I finally got to see Star Wars Episode III. OK, the dialog wasn't good. I get it. However, the experience was very good. SPOILER WARNING: Anakin is Darth Vader! Oh noes!!!!!!11111elevenelevenoneoneone... Seriously though, I really enjoyed the movie. Take my opinion with a grain of salt though; I didn't hate I and II like you're supposed to if you're part of the "in" geeks. Of course the special effects were great, but the theater I was in had an awful sound system. All the sounds seemed to be coming the front, rather than the surround sound experience you might get on opening night in the best theater available.

On to my XM Radio...When I bought my new Honda, of course the salesperson brought over the "well-equipped" Accord EX, and one of the features that it came with was XM Radio. Well, I like to listen to lots of different types of music, as well as ESPN and other sports talk radio, so I was hooked. It started with 3 months free, which is like getting you hooked on free crack, then charging for your second hit. I decided to go ahead and buy the 3-year plan since it was cheaper per month (they let you cancel at any time, and refund a pro-rated amount). One reason I love it is that I don't have to listen to our Zeke Mullins (he's on our local EPSN affiliate instead of ESPN programming in the morning) during my drive to work, and I can pretty much always pick up XM. Now, for my standard complaining...The interface for the receiver that is in my car is very basic. Spartan, you might say. The Delphi XM branded receivers have so many more features. For instance, the Delphi ones can be programmed to tell you when a song by your favorite band comes on on another station. Things like that. Also, that 3-year plan is locked to this unit, so I can't just transfer service to another radio if I ever decide to get one. Still, I'm happy with it.

Last thing on the list...the Dave Matthews Band concert on Wednesday. Well, we got there about 6:30, and it was raining. That shouldn't have been a problem, since we got seats "in" the pavilion area. However, they failed to mention that the specific seats we got were not covered. So we moved up and stood under the roof next to this huge support pillar until the opening band came on stage around 7. We sat down in a pair of seats that WERE covered, and luckily nobody came to claim those seats for the whole concert. Robert Randolph (and the Family Band) was the opening act, and they were pretty good. We had seen them on the PBS show Austin City Limits and liked them, so I was glad to see that they were the opener.

Around 8:20, Dave Matthews and crew take the stage. It was a good performance, but I felt like it was too heavy on the newer music. I hadn't even really heard much from Busted Stuff, and Stand Up just came out (as mentioned in a previous post), so I wasn't really that familiar with some of the stuff they played. Actually, the most entertaining part of the show came near the end when Robert Randolph came out and played steel guitar with the band. That extended jam session finished up around 10:45, and since I had to be at work the next day, we decided to leave before the encores. Normally, I'm not the type to leave early like that, but I knew I would be dead the next day, especially after waiting for traffic to let out.

I think that's all for today.

14 Innings, The Contender, Movies...

...at least that's all I have on my list. As those who are close to me can attest, I'm forgetful. So lately, I've been keeping a list of things to write about. Since it's been a while since my last post, this list is now somewhat outdated, but I'm going to go ahead and toss it out there, even though nobody ever reads my blog. Am I really that boring? Yes, I know I am. The least you could do is reply sometime.

First off, my cousin Mike(y) and I met up in Cincinnati to go to the May 24 Reds game against the Washington Nationals. Also, it was Griffey Bobblehead Night, which was our original reason for getting tickets. The tickets that I picked up were $30 seats, two rows back from the field. I also got an extra ticket so I could pick up a Bobblehead for my brother Josh, which was a hassle, because they made me run out to the centerfield exit to re-enter. Bleh. Anyway, the game was pretty enjoyable until the 9th inning, when Kent Mercker started his second inning giving up a hit. Then David Weathers came in, retired two batters, and allowed the runner to score, tying the game at 3-3.

Of course, at this point you think it's all over, as it generally is with the Reds. Well, the game drags on for some time, with both teams going through a multitude of pitchers and bench players. It was getting awfully late, and I still had a 2-hour drive ahead of me and an alarm clock ready to wake me up at 6:30AM. My scorecard was so screwed up by the time I ran out of space in the 12th that I just gave up and put it away. In addition, it had been sprinkling off and on all night. Finally, in the bottom of the 14th, the Reds get LaRue and Luis Lopez on base, when the newly called-up pitcher Randy Keisler comes to bat after pitching two good innings. He drops a hit just over the heads of the infielders, and the Reds win in four hours and twenty minutes. After it was all over, I can say that it was actually pretty fun, but I was tired at work the next day.

Moving on...The Contender finale was aired on the same Tuesday night, so I didn't get to watch it live, but I did remember to record the whole thing. Megan and I have been watching it pretty much all season, and I never thought that I'd get into boxing that much. One thing I didn't like about the finale was that they didn't show 3 of the undercard matches, which we were looking forward to. First, they showed the Bronze Medal round between Alfonso Gomez and Jesse Brinkley. After the first round, Alfonso really took over and won the match. Too bad he couldn't take over the previous match like that, because I was really pulling for him to take it all. The Final match between Sergio Mora and Peter Manfredo was actually pretty boring. Mostly it was Mora being held back on the ropes but landing some good punches every time. By the end of the match, Manfredo had pretty much given up trying to get a desperately needed knockout, so Mora won decisively. I guess they're planning on having rematches and more title fights within the confines of The Contender, so we may see these guys on TV again. One thing to note: boxing is much more interesting--especially at these lower weight classes--when it's "Contenderfied," rather than live, because they give you the highlights, have better camera angles, and show great punches in slow-motion. It is much easier to follow and understand.

Bleh. That was a lot of typing. I'm even boring myself at this point. I'll leave my movie-going experiences until next time.

Subway, Dave Matthews Band CD, Next Gen Consoles

I went to Subway for lunch today. Megan had told me that they are doing away with stamps, and sure enough, they had a sign posted saying what discount you will get for giving up your stamps. In August, you will no longer be able to use them. That's pretty disappointing, because there was a stretch of college where I ate Pizza Subs almost exclusively. Also, they have switched to Coca-Cola products (at least in Waverly), so I can no longer enjoy a nice, cold Mountain Dew with my meal. Yes, they do have Mello Yello, but that's like Nintendo saying, "we've decided to adopt Crash Bandicoot as our new mascot, because he's so X-TREME and IN YOUR FACE!" The Crash games may be decent games, but you simply can't replace Mario.

Saturday, Megan and I went with my brother (Josh) and his girlfriend (Breanna) to Olive Garden and the Huntington Mall. Our waiter was your typical artsy stoner who will never rise above entry-level anything, anywhere. I bought some shirts for work at J.C. Penney, since most of my dress shirts are long-sleeved.

While we were waiting to be seated, Josh and I walked over to Best Buy so I could purchase Stand Up, the new DMB CD, as I mentioned last time. In my opinion, this CD is alright, but it is far from my favorite DMB release. In fact, I liked Everyday better, which is an album that many others list as one of their least favorites. This album is a strange amalgam of love songs and thinly-veiled political jabs at our current administration. Aside: Most people probably don't know this about me, but my general beliefs don't fall in line with those of most of my peers, nor the beliefs of some of my favorite musicians. It's hard to reconcile sometimes, so that's why you won't hear me talk politics very often. It's generally a waste of time; you won't convince me to change, and I can't convince you to change, so why argue about it all the time?

Anyway, I also bought the bargain-priced 80's gem, The Toy. If you don't know what the movie is about, here are the Tagline and Plot Summary from IMDB:

Tagline: When Jackie Gleason told his son he could have any present he wanted, he picked the most outrageous gift of all... Richard Pryor.

Summary: On one of his bratty son Eric's annual visits, the plutocrat U.S. Bates (Jackie Gleason) takes him to his department store and offers him anything in it as a gift. Eric chooses a black janitor (Richard Pryor) who has made him laugh with his antics. At first the man suffers many indignities as Eric's "toy", but gradually teaches the lonely boy what it is like to have and to be a friend.

You couldn't get away with a premise like that today, I would guess. An interesting note about this movie: the child star, Scott Schwartz somehow worked his way into the porn industry as a manager, then appeared in such hits as 1996's Scotty's X-Rated Adventure, and 1997's Dirty Bob's Xcellent Adventures 35 and 36. In a word, "Xcellent."

E3 coverage is coming in already, with pictures of all three next-generation systems hitting the Internet. Here's the general description: smaller, more horsepower, some curves (except Nintendo), more online features (damn you infernal dial-up service), wireless controllers, backwards compatibility, and the ability to stand on their sides. We'll see more details this week, I guess.

Friday the 13th and Other Nonsense

Today is Friday the 13th...nothing spectacular, really. Well, I guess that's all I have to say about that. How boring... See, now that I say that, the rest of my day will be all messed up.

Hey, remember that NES game A Boy and His Blob? I guess they're remaking it. Good luck to Majesco on that one. Nintendo should remake Kid Icarus, since they've been rejuvenating all their other classic NES franchises lately. Another game that should be remade (though I don't know how they could ever do it unless it stays 2D) is Taito's Bubble Bobble. Interesting...It looks like they are remaking Bubble Bobble for the Nintendo DS.

The new Dave Matthews Band album--Stand Up--is in stores now. I think I'm going to pick it up, since I've never actually purchased one of their CDs. Megan and I are going to one of their Germain Amphitheater shows this summer. Of course, since nothing ever goes the way it should, the tickets we purchased (all my fault, I know) fall on the same night (June 8) as Wily Mo Peña Bobblehead night in Cincinnati, so I've been trying to get someone to go in my stead to pick me up one.

This is the second time I've typed up this post (this time without links, because I'm going home), so I think I'm going to stop now. Maybe I'll edit the post and add links later. Maybe not though. Goodbye.