Crazy And Random

A while back a good friend of mine recommended an online comic to me.  It’s called Something Positive and I think I like the sarcastic humor.

So today, R.K. Milholland had the comic pictured up in the left corner there.  If you click on it, you’ll get to see it full scale.

I’ve decided I need to find a woman like the character in the bottom right panel.  I don’t think she exists.  Or maybe I’ve already found a woman like that.  It’s hard to tell.

I love online comics.  Maybe too much.  Go check out Something Positive.  There are a cornucopia of gems scattered throughout.

Socially Stupid

How do you fix social stupidity?  I am so bad in social situations that I will sometimes sit in a corner and observe people without saying anything for hours.  And if that's not sad enough, I am a lot better now than I was in High School.

I've been trying to force myself to go out more.  I have even done karaoke in an attempt to repair my introvertedness.  Now I am starting to wonder if this hasn't taken me from one version of debilitating social awkwardness into another.

There are a group of people from my old Kermit/Wink school days meeting in Fort Worth this weekend (it's a 3 day weekend).  I didn't enjoy my school days.  I had a few really good friends (who probably won't be there) and a few people I enjoyed spending time with (who might be there) so what do I do? 

I was a social basket case in junior high and high school and the thought of seeing some of those people again may cause me to jump back in my waste basket of unfounded silence.  On the other hand, it might be good for me.  You're supposed to do something every day that scares you.

Do I sign up and let a few select people know I'll be participating?  Do I totally go crazy reverse logic and just let everyone know I'll be there?  Do I remain completely mute on the subject and perhaps turn up, check out the situation from afar and see if there is anyone there I would like to talk to?  Do I collect some of my local buddies to go out drinking with me so that I'm not sitting at a bar by myself watching people I haven't seen in 20 years from a safe distance?

Or I could just go to downtown Dallas and do karaoke on the rooftop of Gators... Last time it was fun.

Slightly Stoopid

For some reason I'm in a mood today.  I've heard Slightly Stoopid before, but today, for some reason, I could listen to this stuff all day long.  It's...relaxing.

Being Single Again

I'm a loner, but I'm not good at being single.  My spontaneity is to blame.

For the most part, I like being alone.  I don't like having to reach a consensus when I decide to go to the movie theater.  I don't like having a debate before watching something on Netflix.  I don't like being interrupted when I'm playing on the computer.

However, when I decide I want to go for a walk, I want someone there who is willing to walk with me.  Sometimes I want to debate.  When I want to go out and eat I like it when someone says, "Hey, have you ever tried Vietnamese food?  I know this great one down the street."  Occasionally, a person is required to spark new ideas.  I'm good, but I can't keep coming up with new ideas all on my own.

How does one accomplish this?  If I could meet a new person every week who was full of new ideas that would be wonderful.  But, new people aren't interested in sharing ideas.  It takes time and a relationship before you learn to work together to come up with cool stuff.

Sometimes my crazy ideas require a partner in crime.  My isolationism poses a problem for finding partners in crime.  I want to go on a cruise for my vacation this year.  I'd kind of like to go to Alaska or the Mediterranean, but I'd settle for a 7 day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.  I've already put a $100 deposit on a Carnival Cruise.

What are the odds of meeting someone at a bar or at the grocery store and saying, "Hey!  How about a 7 day cruise to the Caribbean with me?  I won't pay your way, but we can share a cabin and if we really hit it off we can do some excursions together!"

People that know me know that I'm relatively safe and my intentions are good.  But, for the general public, how long do you have to know someone before you'll go for something that crazy and spontaneous?  If you are reading this and thinking, "I'd do that", then I should also qualify it by saying I'm not paying the way.  I'd like a partner in crime, but I'm not desperate.  If I have to pay for 2 tickets, I'll go alone.

I joined a dating website hoping to meet new people.  I had done it before about 9 years ago and still keep in touch with some of the people I met back then.  I firmly believe that online dating has become worse rather than better in the past 9 years.  That's going to be a post all on its own.

Clearance Sale! One Day Only!

I can only offer this deal today!  Tomorrow she will no longer be available!  Take advantage while supplies last!

I know.  It was uncalled for.  It made me laugh on the inside though.

Hot Fudge Sundaes

When it's 100 degrees outside and the humidity has the heat index at 115, nothing sounds less appetizing than a Hot Fudge Sundae.

Are you kidding me?  You start dripping sweat as soon as you step outside!  How can you be craving anything with hot fudge in its descriptive title?

And yet, the blogster I am about to introduce, did give me the honor, nay, the distinction, of introducing me to Hot Fudge Sundaes on 110 degree days.  Well, that is, until he started starving himself.  For almost a week now I have been missing my Hot Fudge Sundae happy hours.

He's only written 3 posts so far.  It shouldn't take you long to figure it all out.  He needs help from D man for planning an event in the DFW area that tops plane rides.  Can D help?  You be the judge.  I'm a little skeptical of the D's abilities lately.

After all, D recommended a car ride over Hedonism.

Without further ado and with no more hints and allegations, I present you with Zaiditime and his walks of life.

More Saturday Night Shenanigans

I think I mentioned before that sometimes when I plan things they tend to go slightly awry.

Well, this Saturday was no different.  Let me start from the beginning...

Sometime back in the 1990's (95 or 97 or so), I heard a song on the radio.  It was called Shining Sun by a band called Vallejo.  It was one of those songs where I pulled in at the nearest music store to buy the album after I heard the song.


VALLEJO - LIVE



A couple of weeks ago I heard that Vallejo was going to be at a little bar near my house called, "Hat Tricks".  To this day, Vallejo is one of my top five favorite bands.

They were going to be playing with a band I had never heard of before, "Josh Weathers and the True Endeavors".  Silly name.  Good band.  Helluva party band.



The show was amazing.  Incredible.  And I discovered "Hat Tricks".  The owner of the bar came out and greeted us and I told my brother, "I know him from somewhere."

Well, the owner of Hat Tricks is Joe Avezzano.  You can see him being crazy in the video.

Believe it or not, with all my harping on football and its detriment to the education system I used to love watching the Dallas Cowboys.  Way back when Jimmy Johnson was the head coach, I loved watching them play.  I never missed a game.  And that, my friends, is where I recognized Joe from.  Jimmy Johnson hired him as the special teams coach for the super bowl winning Dallas Cowboys and now he owns one heckuva rock'n'roll club in Lewisville.  You guys should drop by and say, "Hi" and listen to some good music while you are there.  The food's pretty good as well.

The Error Of My Ways

Not too very long ago as time is measured in this realm we call the blogosphere I posted a small note about a trip I made to a Beatles tribute concert.

Somewhere within the confines of that dull verbiage I mentioned something like, "I have about 900 albums in my music collection, but not a single Beatles album."

To which a dear friend of mine responded, "The fact that you consider yourself a music lover and have not a single Beatles album in your collection is really just... sad."

In order to remedy this sad injustice, I have purchased every single Beatles album.  If you also have suffered through this sadness in the absence of your missing Beatles Collection, you can get yours by clicking on the picture below.  I've heard good things about it.

Funchops

A while back I mentioned that sushi and I don't normally get along. I've discovered a place near my work that has sushi happy hour. It's called The Blue Fish. Rolls for $2 and beer for $2 off. It's a steal and it lasts from 5 to 7.

Yesterday I was expressing to the bartenderess my difficulty with chop sticks because they don't make a left-handed variety and she gave me some Funchops. I keep them in my pocket now and sneak them on when no one is looking.

They are made in the USA to help those Americans who are dexterously challenged.


I asked the bartenderess where I could find some of these little plastic gadgets and she said I'd have to go to a specialty Asian store and look in the little kids section.  I think she was being facetious.  You can order a set online for about $5.95.

Following The Meandering Path

Spontaneity and I go together like chocolate and peanut butter.  You can decide which one is which.  Anytime I just "do it", I'm always left with a warm fuzzy.

For example, last Saturday before going to the 1964 Tribute concert the kids and I were walking around Sundance Square in Fort Worth looking for a place to eat.  We wanted something kind of casual and easy going so we ended up skipping by a lot of places that seemed too hip and happening.

I finally stopped at Razzoo's.  On the way in, I asked the guy at the door if there was a wait.  "How many?" he asked.  "Three," I replied.  "About 30 minutes".  That was too long so we bailed and walked across the street.

On the corner of 3rd and Houston I spied a quaint little place called Sammy's Pizza.  As we got in line we were greeted by a friendly guy who gladly helped us place our orders with a clever smile and a cheeriness that subtly snuck out and captured the patronage so that the whole place became cozy.  My youngest offspring ordered "spaghetti with butter" which forced him to yell at the cook in Italian and it cracked me up.  Once again, my spontaneous instincts paid off.

At the show we sat next to an older retired couple and I started chatting with the woman.  She was telling me how her husband saw the Beatles in Germany when they were called The Silver Beatles.  We got to talking about our favorite places to watch live music and she told me about the Meyerson in Dallas.  I've now lived in the DFW area for about 19 years and I've never been to the Meyerson.

This, of course, forced me to look for Meyerson events and I've found one; although the timing is a bit bad.  It's called "An Evening with Pink Martini".  This song made me sentimental and weepy. It made me want to "rest my head upon the grass and listen to it grow".

Nostalgia

Nostalgia: a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition.

Yesterday (all my troubles seemed so far away), I took my daughters (13 & 16) to see 1964 at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth.

I saw people there in their 70's and I saw kids there who were 7.

I have about 900 albums in my music collection, but not a single Beatles album.  I don't know why.  Seems like I once had a two-CD best of thing that got lost in one of my many divorces.

Anyway, these four guys come out and for the next 2 hours they are Ringo, George, Paul and John for all intents and purposes.  I assume they try to take you back to 1964 (although I would have no idea what that was supposed to be like).

It's funny.  It's sad.  It's memorable.  At one point, "Paul" is introducing a song and says, "Now for an oldie".  It was just silly.  Near the end of the show, "John" gets everyone to pull out their "pocket phones" and call someone so that everyone can hear the music.  I didn't call anyone, but it was funny (for a 60's show).

They have banter you'd expect to hear from the Beatles in the 60's.  I suspect they've probably studied tapes.  After the intermission they bring out the "strings" on the left and the "brass" on the right to have orchestra accompaniment.  I thought it was funny because during songs when the orchestra didn't play they would sit back there and do choreographed hand dancing and stuff.  I'm always appreciative of "the little things" and the attention to detail.

It was very easy to imagine yourself at an actual Beatles concert in 1964.

I think it all came together for me in an emotional high when the Chinese family sitting behind me all started singing along (and quite loudly) when they did "Yellow Submarine".  It makes you realize how good music can go a lot further than government officials at bringing the world together.

Of course, then when the father of said Chinese family started clapping very loudly and slightly offbeat to the next song, I briefly thought of ripping his arms out of their sockets and wrapping them around his rhythmically challenged neck.

Concert Announcement!

I just found out that Buddy Guy and B.B. King are going to be in Allen, TX on August 29th.  Buy your tickets here. I'm hoping they'll give me a free ticket. Of course, I don't really know if I'll be here on August 29th, but I think I will.

When Football Coaches Teach Geography

Heard this on the radio today.  I don't know how they thought to combine the two videos into a fitting profile of the education system in America, but I found it humorous...  Watch and learn.

First we have the girl from South Carolina in the Teen USA competition of 2007:


Next you have an up and coming government official who has thankfully only risen to the ranks of Milwaukee County Board Supervisor (she's kind of let herself go since her teen USA days):

Fodder Free

Me Being Constructive (rare)

I think I have said before that I try to do this at least once a week no matter how useless the information I present seems to be.  My week is up and I am blog fodder free so you get the honor, nay the privilege, of reading this meaningless meandering monologue aloud.

My new living room furniture came in last Thursday.  I'm thoroughly enjoying it.  It's quite comfortable and makes my couch potato tendencies much more enjoyable!  At first I thought it may be a little crowded in my living area, but once I removed some unnecessary items and sat down in my little gliding recliner and took a nap I felt better about things.

In my previous fodderless blogging, I mentioned that my Magic Jack quit working.  Well, I was partially wrong.  It was still working, it just seems that the latest software update made my Panasonic phones quit working with it.  Somehow Magic Jack made it where it no longer detects the DTMF from my Panasonic phone.  Somewhere on the Internet someone posted a little article on how to "fix" the phone to make the DTMF "louder", but I chose not to pursue that avenue.

One of my hard drives on my Windows Home Server went nutty last week.  Its SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) flag was triggered.  I downloaded some monitoring software that told me it was in "critical" condition.  Interestingly enough, Seagate has a pretty nice website where you enter your serial number, model number and the error code returned by their freely available diagnostics program (Seatools) and then they'll tell you if it's under warranty and instructions on how to return it.

I haven't signed up for acting classes yet.  I'm trying to arrange for my company to send me to Germany for a month in September so it's probably best I start acting after I get back.

I'm thinking on buying an instruction manual on how to attract and keep women.  It's called Double Your Dates.  If nothing else, it'll give me some interesting experiments to try when I'm out and about.