Molly Burkhart's Blog, page 5
December 29, 2013
Dear Charlie:
Well, the after-bye wasn't pretty, but we're still in the playoffs. Woot! Go Chiefs!
And I know the conversation's gonna be about how San Diego won't last long if they only barely squeaked by our second string, but it really ought to be about "Holy crap, the Chiefs' second string was actually pretty tight!"
Of course, I might be biased.
Also, I just found out in the after-game info that on Succop's missed field goal, San Diego should have been penalized for having too many men on the line. If that flag had been thrown, we would have had 5 more yards and another shot, and Succop is usually Mr. Reliable. I cannot conceive of him missing that one twice. That would have put us in the win column (with our second string, remember!) and would have put Pittsburgh in the playoffs instead of San Diego.
Sure, the league will probably publicly apologize for the incident, but that's probably not much comfort to the Steelers. Oi.
Anyway, so long as we win at least one playoff game, I'll be thrilled. It's been a while since we were more than one-n-done in the post-season. I'd love us to get further, of course, but... please... just not one-n-done. Please.
We're up against the Colts. We are not historically great against the Colts. Dammit. I need to wrack my brains to remember what used to be good luck in our post-season games! It's been so long since we won more than one that I can't remember what used to be lucky!
Oh, the humanity!
And I know the conversation's gonna be about how San Diego won't last long if they only barely squeaked by our second string, but it really ought to be about "Holy crap, the Chiefs' second string was actually pretty tight!"
Of course, I might be biased.
Also, I just found out in the after-game info that on Succop's missed field goal, San Diego should have been penalized for having too many men on the line. If that flag had been thrown, we would have had 5 more yards and another shot, and Succop is usually Mr. Reliable. I cannot conceive of him missing that one twice. That would have put us in the win column (with our second string, remember!) and would have put Pittsburgh in the playoffs instead of San Diego.
Sure, the league will probably publicly apologize for the incident, but that's probably not much comfort to the Steelers. Oi.
Anyway, so long as we win at least one playoff game, I'll be thrilled. It's been a while since we were more than one-n-done in the post-season. I'd love us to get further, of course, but... please... just not one-n-done. Please.
We're up against the Colts. We are not historically great against the Colts. Dammit. I need to wrack my brains to remember what used to be good luck in our post-season games! It's been so long since we won more than one that I can't remember what used to be lucky!
Oh, the humanity!
December 11, 2013
Dear Charlie:
So my Chiefs lost three in a row, but we're back on top again. I will admit to being a little bummed about that second loss to Denver, mostly because we owned that game in the first half, and I can't for the life of me figure out how it slipped away. It's like a different team came out at halftime. We started to get back on track and only ended up losing by a single score, but... yeah. We should have won that one.
Anyway, the 45-10 almost made up for it. We need to win the rest of our games, though -- especially the two division ones. We can't afford to fall any further behind Denver, since they're two up on us divisionally. The bastards.
ANYWAY.
So I've managed to not blog about Pacific Rim yet, though I watched it the first time two or three weeks ago and enjoyed it so much that I was sad when I had to take it back to the rental store and couldn't buy it before my next paycheck. I did buy it, though, and have watched it many times since. As Guillermo del Toro himself said, this is him at his least restrained, and it's a beautiful thing.
I love everything Senor del Toro does. Lemme just get that in print. I think he's a genius. I think he has an extraordinary vision that encompasses everything from fantasy to science fiction to horror, all of which are my favorite things. He is, hands down and no competition, my favorite director/writer/producer.
So, yeah. I loved Pacific Rim. I had no idea how much I was going to love it. I had deliberately avoided reviews and articles about it because I wanted to see it for myself and make up my own mind. All I knew when I popped it in was that it was Guillermo del Toro (which was really enough, right there), and it was giant robots fighting giant monsters from a rift in the Pacific.
I spent that entire first viewing as excited as a little kid watching Godzilla fight the Transformers. I enjoy movies, of course. They're my favorite thing besides books and music and football. But some movies really stand above the pack, and this is undoubtedly one of them. It was so entertaining that first time through that I immediately watched it through again.
I've... er... done that a couple of times since then.
Now, it's not a perfect movie. I don't want to give you that impression at all. There are a few little nitpicky things that other reviewers have said that I tend to agree with. The lead guy couldn't hold his American accent (he's British), which I find a little silly because, really, there's no reason for him to be American in the first place. The cast is intentionally multi-national, including the awe-inspiring Idris Elba, who is unashamedly British, and the two Australian strikers (one of whom is actually American, ironically enough, and has no trouble keeping his Australian accent), and the lead's new Japanese partner, Rinko Kikuchi (who, I think, does a much better job than the lead, but that's just a personal preference).
And, really, some of the dialogue was... cheesy. And delivered with a bit of extra cheese on the side. Not all of it, mind you. Just some. And all the Ron Perlman cheese was fully intentional and priceless. I'd watch Ron Perlman read stereo instructions. I love that guy.
And honestly... the hyper little scientist just kinda made me want to smack him. I understand the choice -- he needed to be a foil for the staid and proper British scientist who thinks numbers are as close as humanity can get to the handwriting of God (a brilliant line brilliantly delivered, as was the "Heheh, what??" from said annoying character). I didn't mind the hyper so much as the rising shrillness in his voice every time he got overexcited (which was frequently). If he comes back in the sequel, I hope his up-close-and-personal with a kaiju has calmed him the hell down a little.
But seriously, who cares about all of that?? This is giant, telepathically run robots beating the ever-loving shit out of enormous interdimensional monstrosities. This is a little girl walking the devastated and empty streets of Tokyo, sobbing because she's so traumatized by the loss of her family that she can't even think to put her little red shoe back on. She can only carry it as if it's her entire family in her hand and she will not let go.
And that's why it works. On one hand, it's a big, crazy cross between hard-core sci fi and the cheerful insanity of a kaiju movie (think Godzilla or Mothra, etc.). On the other, del Toro is a master of reminding us that a story is only as good as the characters we either do or don't sympathize with. He excels at putting human emotion in a robot's armored, unfeeling body.
It's a beautiful thing. I love it. I wish I'd seen it at the theater because I know I missed something of the grandeur of it, but that's okay. At the theater, I would have been irritated to have to fork over another ticket price to turn around and watch it again. At home, I just have to push the button.
My favorite, most iconic scenes from the flick all have their share of that crazy crossing of sci fi and human emotion. The horrifically damaged Gipsy Danger stumbling out of the whiteout to take a knee and then faceplant on the frozen shore (a powerful scene because you know it's nearly impossible for one pilot to drive a Jaeger alone, and yet Raleigh is doing so even after watching/feeling his brother torn away from life). The oldest Jaeger in the service banging its fists together before trying to avenge a fallen comrade. Marshall Pentecost (the amazing Idris Elba) climbing out of a Jaeger and standing, limned in holy light from the sun at his back, and smiling down at the little girl he just saved, the little girl clutching her one red shoe.
And then one that's badass because it's just badass: the again-grievously damaged Gipsy Danger throwing up her chain sword and slicing the charging kaiju right down the middle because screw missing and damaged limbs!
No, TWO that are badass because they're just badass: Gipsy Danger strollin all up the streets of Hong Kong, dragging a huge freighter as a club. God, I love that scene.
Beautiful. Simply beautiful. Senor del Toro has made yet another masterpiece, in my humble opinion, and I cannot wait to see what he does with the sequel. Because while they closed the Breach, the kaiju are connected as a species with a hive mind. Because they are planet-purgers by nature, there's no way they were all in one place when Gipsy owned them.
They will be back.
And this time, I'm seeing that shit in the theater!
Anyway, the 45-10 almost made up for it. We need to win the rest of our games, though -- especially the two division ones. We can't afford to fall any further behind Denver, since they're two up on us divisionally. The bastards.
ANYWAY.
So I've managed to not blog about Pacific Rim yet, though I watched it the first time two or three weeks ago and enjoyed it so much that I was sad when I had to take it back to the rental store and couldn't buy it before my next paycheck. I did buy it, though, and have watched it many times since. As Guillermo del Toro himself said, this is him at his least restrained, and it's a beautiful thing.
I love everything Senor del Toro does. Lemme just get that in print. I think he's a genius. I think he has an extraordinary vision that encompasses everything from fantasy to science fiction to horror, all of which are my favorite things. He is, hands down and no competition, my favorite director/writer/producer.
So, yeah. I loved Pacific Rim. I had no idea how much I was going to love it. I had deliberately avoided reviews and articles about it because I wanted to see it for myself and make up my own mind. All I knew when I popped it in was that it was Guillermo del Toro (which was really enough, right there), and it was giant robots fighting giant monsters from a rift in the Pacific.
I spent that entire first viewing as excited as a little kid watching Godzilla fight the Transformers. I enjoy movies, of course. They're my favorite thing besides books and music and football. But some movies really stand above the pack, and this is undoubtedly one of them. It was so entertaining that first time through that I immediately watched it through again.
I've... er... done that a couple of times since then.
Now, it's not a perfect movie. I don't want to give you that impression at all. There are a few little nitpicky things that other reviewers have said that I tend to agree with. The lead guy couldn't hold his American accent (he's British), which I find a little silly because, really, there's no reason for him to be American in the first place. The cast is intentionally multi-national, including the awe-inspiring Idris Elba, who is unashamedly British, and the two Australian strikers (one of whom is actually American, ironically enough, and has no trouble keeping his Australian accent), and the lead's new Japanese partner, Rinko Kikuchi (who, I think, does a much better job than the lead, but that's just a personal preference).
And, really, some of the dialogue was... cheesy. And delivered with a bit of extra cheese on the side. Not all of it, mind you. Just some. And all the Ron Perlman cheese was fully intentional and priceless. I'd watch Ron Perlman read stereo instructions. I love that guy.
And honestly... the hyper little scientist just kinda made me want to smack him. I understand the choice -- he needed to be a foil for the staid and proper British scientist who thinks numbers are as close as humanity can get to the handwriting of God (a brilliant line brilliantly delivered, as was the "Heheh, what??" from said annoying character). I didn't mind the hyper so much as the rising shrillness in his voice every time he got overexcited (which was frequently). If he comes back in the sequel, I hope his up-close-and-personal with a kaiju has calmed him the hell down a little.
But seriously, who cares about all of that?? This is giant, telepathically run robots beating the ever-loving shit out of enormous interdimensional monstrosities. This is a little girl walking the devastated and empty streets of Tokyo, sobbing because she's so traumatized by the loss of her family that she can't even think to put her little red shoe back on. She can only carry it as if it's her entire family in her hand and she will not let go.
And that's why it works. On one hand, it's a big, crazy cross between hard-core sci fi and the cheerful insanity of a kaiju movie (think Godzilla or Mothra, etc.). On the other, del Toro is a master of reminding us that a story is only as good as the characters we either do or don't sympathize with. He excels at putting human emotion in a robot's armored, unfeeling body.
It's a beautiful thing. I love it. I wish I'd seen it at the theater because I know I missed something of the grandeur of it, but that's okay. At the theater, I would have been irritated to have to fork over another ticket price to turn around and watch it again. At home, I just have to push the button.
My favorite, most iconic scenes from the flick all have their share of that crazy crossing of sci fi and human emotion. The horrifically damaged Gipsy Danger stumbling out of the whiteout to take a knee and then faceplant on the frozen shore (a powerful scene because you know it's nearly impossible for one pilot to drive a Jaeger alone, and yet Raleigh is doing so even after watching/feeling his brother torn away from life). The oldest Jaeger in the service banging its fists together before trying to avenge a fallen comrade. Marshall Pentecost (the amazing Idris Elba) climbing out of a Jaeger and standing, limned in holy light from the sun at his back, and smiling down at the little girl he just saved, the little girl clutching her one red shoe.
And then one that's badass because it's just badass: the again-grievously damaged Gipsy Danger throwing up her chain sword and slicing the charging kaiju right down the middle because screw missing and damaged limbs!
No, TWO that are badass because they're just badass: Gipsy Danger strollin all up the streets of Hong Kong, dragging a huge freighter as a club. God, I love that scene.
Beautiful. Simply beautiful. Senor del Toro has made yet another masterpiece, in my humble opinion, and I cannot wait to see what he does with the sequel. Because while they closed the Breach, the kaiju are connected as a species with a hive mind. Because they are planet-purgers by nature, there's no way they were all in one place when Gipsy owned them.
They will be back.
And this time, I'm seeing that shit in the theater!
November 24, 2013
Dear Charlie:
Yeah, still not distraught at the loss. Why? Because we scored 38 points.
That's a lot of points.
That we lost anyway is mostly because we lost both Hali and Houston in the first half. Those are our two big, bad pass rushers, and once they were out, we kinda quit harassing Rivers. Berry got to him a couple of times, but it just wasn't the same threat, and so the Chargers kept racking up the points.
But still. Thirty-eight points. That's a lot of points.
So yes, we can get into a shoot-out and score a lot. Once we get our defense back on track -- please, God, let both our big guys just need a little R&R! -- we'll be sitting pretty. I'm feeling great about next week against the Donkeys at Arrowhead.
...
Or I will... as soon as I hear Hali and Houston are back in action. Please?
That's a lot of points.
That we lost anyway is mostly because we lost both Hali and Houston in the first half. Those are our two big, bad pass rushers, and once they were out, we kinda quit harassing Rivers. Berry got to him a couple of times, but it just wasn't the same threat, and so the Chargers kept racking up the points.
But still. Thirty-eight points. That's a lot of points.
So yes, we can get into a shoot-out and score a lot. Once we get our defense back on track -- please, God, let both our big guys just need a little R&R! -- we'll be sitting pretty. I'm feeling great about next week against the Donkeys at Arrowhead.
...
Or I will... as soon as I hear Hali and Houston are back in action. Please?
November 18, 2013
Dear Charlie:
I'm not distraught by Sunday's loss to the Donkeys. Why, you ask?
Because we played very well.
Our defense held one of the most dangerous quarterbacks who ever played the game to just 323 yards, one touchdown, and his second-lowest quarterback rating of the season. We held one of the highest-scoring teams in league history to a measly 27 points, which is 10 points lower than their lowest score this season. Our offense scored 17 offensive points, and those were straight-up march-down-the-field scores, not momentum scores off of takeaways (though we could totally have used a few of those, too).
Honestly, if not for three crucial dropped passes -- and I gotta say, those specific, crucial ones were on the receivers, not on Alex Smith or even on the Donkeys' defense -- Denver wouldn't have won that game. Or it would have at least gone to overtime. Bowe stepped up and made some plays (yeah, I won't get into that), but he's usually pretty well covered, and the tight ends can only do so much.
So I'm surprisingly pleased by our first loss of the season. It would have been nice to start 10-0 for the first time in team history, but 9-1 is still pretty rare country for us, and we'll gladly take it. Especially since we will very likely crush the Donkeys at Arrowhead. We need to hassle Peyton Manning more -- when we got in his face, he inevitably flubbed it, which accounted for his rather sad 24-out-of-40 completion ratio -- and our wide receivers need to catch the darn ball. I know it isn't easy. Those guys take some serious shots. But if our tight ends can do it....
Of course, we can't look past San Diego next week. It would be easy to forget that AFC West division games tend to be way harder than they should be, stats-wise, but we won't do that. We'll take San Diego as it comes, then take on Denver again.
And crush them. Mwahahahah!!
Go Chiefs!
Because we played very well.
Our defense held one of the most dangerous quarterbacks who ever played the game to just 323 yards, one touchdown, and his second-lowest quarterback rating of the season. We held one of the highest-scoring teams in league history to a measly 27 points, which is 10 points lower than their lowest score this season. Our offense scored 17 offensive points, and those were straight-up march-down-the-field scores, not momentum scores off of takeaways (though we could totally have used a few of those, too).
Honestly, if not for three crucial dropped passes -- and I gotta say, those specific, crucial ones were on the receivers, not on Alex Smith or even on the Donkeys' defense -- Denver wouldn't have won that game. Or it would have at least gone to overtime. Bowe stepped up and made some plays (yeah, I won't get into that), but he's usually pretty well covered, and the tight ends can only do so much.
So I'm surprisingly pleased by our first loss of the season. It would have been nice to start 10-0 for the first time in team history, but 9-1 is still pretty rare country for us, and we'll gladly take it. Especially since we will very likely crush the Donkeys at Arrowhead. We need to hassle Peyton Manning more -- when we got in his face, he inevitably flubbed it, which accounted for his rather sad 24-out-of-40 completion ratio -- and our wide receivers need to catch the darn ball. I know it isn't easy. Those guys take some serious shots. But if our tight ends can do it....
Of course, we can't look past San Diego next week. It would be easy to forget that AFC West division games tend to be way harder than they should be, stats-wise, but we won't do that. We'll take San Diego as it comes, then take on Denver again.
And crush them. Mwahahahah!!
Go Chiefs!
November 10, 2013
Dear Charlie:
Yesterday was one of those best days ever.
Went to the boonies for a weenie roast. Finally, right? Me and my beloved sister have been trying to get together for a weenie roast for like two months now. But I had texted Dad to see if he had any extra ground beef he'd be willing to part with -- yeah, I can go to a butcher shop, but Dad's homegrown beef just tastes better -- and he said heck yeah, if I was willing to come down and get it and suffer through a weenie roast. Heheh.
Anyway, when I got down there, the adored brother was there with my nephew. I so rarely get to see them! But he'd come down to shoot some rounds through his new Colt .45, and he graciously let me blow through 5 clips. Woot! I'd never shot a handgun before -- always wanted to and, man, do I ever want a Glock! -- and I'm so not accurate at all with it, but I love it. That's a completely different feeling from firing a rifle. I'm better with rifles, but I'm now a bit addicted to a handgun. Awesome.
Then, Toby and Dad both brought out their deer rifles and let me squeeze off a few rounds there, too. As I said, I'm much better with a rifle. I put four shots through Toby's .270 and three shots through Dad's .243. All seven hit the paper plate targets set out at 120 yards. One of the .270s was just inside the one-inch red circle at the center of the plate. Woot! I could totally go deer hunting!
Yeah, haven't been deer hunting since I was a kid. I discovered early that sitting still forever until a deer comes along is sooooo not my bag. I've never been good at sitting still. Might give it another try sometime, but probably not this year.
Anyway, then Joely and company showed up. My nephew and youngest niece played a little one-on-one basketball while the two older nieces rode horses. Poor Dad had separated his shoulder earlier in the week, but that didn't stop him from saddling up the horses and even working the one who was a little feisty. He resorted to some ibuprofen after he got all the kids occupied, but he didn't finally sit down and relax until we were all chowing on charred hotdogs and cool potato salad. The man is a machine.
We even got to see a very brief fireworks display off in the distance, which was a nice little surprise. And then, when we started on our way back, Dad gave me a whole freaking box of meat. *boggles* I mean, I was hoping for maybe five pounds of ground beef, but I ended up with two roasts, a handful of minute steaks, and probably twenty pounds of ground beef. Woot! I have meat forever!
Add that to the two chickens and a bone-in ham I'd just bought and put in the freezer, and I won't be able to fit anything new in there until January. Ha! Sooooo not complaining!
Anyway, just a great day all around. I love target-shooting (oh! forgot that I also tried a little skeet shooting with Dad's shotgun and I toooooootally suck at it!), I love weenie roasts, I love getting together with my siblings (getting both the beloved sister and the adored brother together is oh, so very rare and precious), and I love love love spending time in the country.
Good day. Yeah.
Went to the boonies for a weenie roast. Finally, right? Me and my beloved sister have been trying to get together for a weenie roast for like two months now. But I had texted Dad to see if he had any extra ground beef he'd be willing to part with -- yeah, I can go to a butcher shop, but Dad's homegrown beef just tastes better -- and he said heck yeah, if I was willing to come down and get it and suffer through a weenie roast. Heheh.
Anyway, when I got down there, the adored brother was there with my nephew. I so rarely get to see them! But he'd come down to shoot some rounds through his new Colt .45, and he graciously let me blow through 5 clips. Woot! I'd never shot a handgun before -- always wanted to and, man, do I ever want a Glock! -- and I'm so not accurate at all with it, but I love it. That's a completely different feeling from firing a rifle. I'm better with rifles, but I'm now a bit addicted to a handgun. Awesome.
Then, Toby and Dad both brought out their deer rifles and let me squeeze off a few rounds there, too. As I said, I'm much better with a rifle. I put four shots through Toby's .270 and three shots through Dad's .243. All seven hit the paper plate targets set out at 120 yards. One of the .270s was just inside the one-inch red circle at the center of the plate. Woot! I could totally go deer hunting!
Yeah, haven't been deer hunting since I was a kid. I discovered early that sitting still forever until a deer comes along is sooooo not my bag. I've never been good at sitting still. Might give it another try sometime, but probably not this year.
Anyway, then Joely and company showed up. My nephew and youngest niece played a little one-on-one basketball while the two older nieces rode horses. Poor Dad had separated his shoulder earlier in the week, but that didn't stop him from saddling up the horses and even working the one who was a little feisty. He resorted to some ibuprofen after he got all the kids occupied, but he didn't finally sit down and relax until we were all chowing on charred hotdogs and cool potato salad. The man is a machine.
We even got to see a very brief fireworks display off in the distance, which was a nice little surprise. And then, when we started on our way back, Dad gave me a whole freaking box of meat. *boggles* I mean, I was hoping for maybe five pounds of ground beef, but I ended up with two roasts, a handful of minute steaks, and probably twenty pounds of ground beef. Woot! I have meat forever!
Add that to the two chickens and a bone-in ham I'd just bought and put in the freezer, and I won't be able to fit anything new in there until January. Ha! Sooooo not complaining!
Anyway, just a great day all around. I love target-shooting (oh! forgot that I also tried a little skeet shooting with Dad's shotgun and I toooooootally suck at it!), I love weenie roasts, I love getting together with my siblings (getting both the beloved sister and the adored brother together is oh, so very rare and precious), and I love love love spending time in the country.
Good day. Yeah.
November 7, 2013
Dear Charlie:
What, me? Sheepish?
Okay, so today was one of those days where you just can't get home fast enough. While we did manage to make plans for a weenie roast this weekend, the rest of the day pretty much left me wanting to throat-punch someone. A couple of someones, actually.
Then I had errands to run, which exposed me to traffic, and oh. Throat-punches all around. I mean, seriously. You're on a 35 mph road. If you want to go 25 mph, there is a 25 mph road literally a block away on either side of the 35 mph road. PICK A SIDE. And please, get out of the way of the normals.
Sorry. I digress.
Anyway, needless to say, I was a wee bit cranky by the time I could head for home, so I decided that a venti Earl Grey tea latte from Starbucks (you gotta get the venti or they only use one teabag, and that's just appalling) was a reward for my lack of throat-punching. I don't get them very often. They're expensive. Plus, Dad bought me an espresso machine so I could use the milk steamer and make them myself if I have milk (I don't, currently, but milk is soooo cheaper than Starbucks). But sometimes, you just gotta have the real deal, and this was one of those times.
So I get in line at the drive thru and wait. And wait. And wait. Even at the window, the lady in the SUV in front of me was just taking forever. It's too dark to read the book I always have in the car. I kinda need to go to the bathroom. My patience has stretched so thin I could probably read braille through it. In my mind, I'm thinking, "Geez, lady! What the hell did you order?"
Then, the barista hands out her drink and... they chitchat for a bit. She holds her phone out the window and the barista scans it. They chitchat some more. Really?? Move it move it move it, lady, I gotta pee!
Finally... FINALLY... she inches forward to leave. I already have my five dollar bill and a penny handy (it's always $4.26 - like I said, I don't get them often, but that's ALL I get, so I have the expense down to a nicety), so I pull up to the window and smile (because, hey, I'm never the only person who's had a bad day, so why make anyone else's worse?), and the barista smiles and says the words that make me feel like a real jerk.
"Oh, the person in front of you already paid for yours, so you're good to go!"
I'm. A. Jerk.
Not missing a beat, I ask how much the next person's order is. She says it's $10.91. I hand her my five and say, "Well, tell 'em they're halfway done." She smiles and takes the money and I drive away. Yes, I spent 75 cents more than I expected to, but I figure that's the jerk-tax I have to pay for being a jerk.
Oi.
So... was it someone I knew? I didn't recognize the SUV, but hey, people change vehicles all the time. Totally could've been someone I know that I was blaming for being the cause of all traffic everywhere (even though we were just in line at a drive thru). Was it a random nice person who routinely pays for other people's orders? Could've been. Had the person before them bought theirs so they did what I did and kept the pay-it-forward thing going? Who knows.
All I know is that I shut my mouth, smiled ruefully, and drove home determined to not get road-ragey at every single bad driver I encountered. And there were many. But I didn't mentally cuss at any of them.
Okay, most of them. There were two people who shouldn't have been allowed driver's licenses. Just sayin.
Anyway, to whoever bought my Starbucks, thank you very much. Not just for the Earl Grey, which is greatly appreciated, but for the lesson in patience. I needed it.
Because I'm a jerk.
Okay, so today was one of those days where you just can't get home fast enough. While we did manage to make plans for a weenie roast this weekend, the rest of the day pretty much left me wanting to throat-punch someone. A couple of someones, actually.
Then I had errands to run, which exposed me to traffic, and oh. Throat-punches all around. I mean, seriously. You're on a 35 mph road. If you want to go 25 mph, there is a 25 mph road literally a block away on either side of the 35 mph road. PICK A SIDE. And please, get out of the way of the normals.
Sorry. I digress.
Anyway, needless to say, I was a wee bit cranky by the time I could head for home, so I decided that a venti Earl Grey tea latte from Starbucks (you gotta get the venti or they only use one teabag, and that's just appalling) was a reward for my lack of throat-punching. I don't get them very often. They're expensive. Plus, Dad bought me an espresso machine so I could use the milk steamer and make them myself if I have milk (I don't, currently, but milk is soooo cheaper than Starbucks). But sometimes, you just gotta have the real deal, and this was one of those times.
So I get in line at the drive thru and wait. And wait. And wait. Even at the window, the lady in the SUV in front of me was just taking forever. It's too dark to read the book I always have in the car. I kinda need to go to the bathroom. My patience has stretched so thin I could probably read braille through it. In my mind, I'm thinking, "Geez, lady! What the hell did you order?"
Then, the barista hands out her drink and... they chitchat for a bit. She holds her phone out the window and the barista scans it. They chitchat some more. Really?? Move it move it move it, lady, I gotta pee!
Finally... FINALLY... she inches forward to leave. I already have my five dollar bill and a penny handy (it's always $4.26 - like I said, I don't get them often, but that's ALL I get, so I have the expense down to a nicety), so I pull up to the window and smile (because, hey, I'm never the only person who's had a bad day, so why make anyone else's worse?), and the barista smiles and says the words that make me feel like a real jerk.
"Oh, the person in front of you already paid for yours, so you're good to go!"
I'm. A. Jerk.
Not missing a beat, I ask how much the next person's order is. She says it's $10.91. I hand her my five and say, "Well, tell 'em they're halfway done." She smiles and takes the money and I drive away. Yes, I spent 75 cents more than I expected to, but I figure that's the jerk-tax I have to pay for being a jerk.
Oi.
So... was it someone I knew? I didn't recognize the SUV, but hey, people change vehicles all the time. Totally could've been someone I know that I was blaming for being the cause of all traffic everywhere (even though we were just in line at a drive thru). Was it a random nice person who routinely pays for other people's orders? Could've been. Had the person before them bought theirs so they did what I did and kept the pay-it-forward thing going? Who knows.
All I know is that I shut my mouth, smiled ruefully, and drove home determined to not get road-ragey at every single bad driver I encountered. And there were many. But I didn't mentally cuss at any of them.
Okay, most of them. There were two people who shouldn't have been allowed driver's licenses. Just sayin.
Anyway, to whoever bought my Starbucks, thank you very much. Not just for the Earl Grey, which is greatly appreciated, but for the lesson in patience. I needed it.
Because I'm a jerk.
November 2, 2013
Dear Charlie:
This really is my favorite time of year. I just had a wonderful day today.
Despite having the dregs of a lingering migraine (bad insomnia week + still dealing with allergies + weird barometric stuff = a blinder of a migraine for Geeb), I got up all ready for the day. I finally got some good sleep, so that probably helped.
Anyway, I put on a pot of chili first off. I'm not usually much for chili. People put weird stuff in it or are determined to make it scorchingly hot, which I think is pointless. If it's too hot to enjoy....
But I've been craving it lately, which is odd, so I decided I'd cobble together my own recipe, and damn if it didn't turn out amazing. It's a little spicier than I thought I'd make for myself (I got a little happy with the cayenne pepper), but with some Fritos, cheese, and sour cream, it's juuuuuust right.
I'd promised my friend Annie that I'd come over to her place and tell ghost stories to her Boy Scout troop tonight, so at around 5:00, I put on an extra layer and headed out. What a beautiful drive! Annie lives out in the boonies -- ya know, where I want to live because I grew up in very similar boonies and miss them -- so the drive was a combination of that perfect blue of an Autumn sky and all the blazing reds and oranges and yellows of the changing foliage. Gorgeous. Just beautiful.
And, while I'm not much for kids, I gotta admit that I had these ones eating out of my hand. Annie started a huge bonfire, and while her husband took half the kids on a hayride behind his tractor, I told some ghost stories I made up or cobbled together from local lore or from stories I've read. It was lots of fun to watch the kids go from, "Oh, this old lady can't scare me" to "Wow... so does the bloody cheerleader appear all the time? Or just when it's foggy?" and "Tell another one! Tell another one!"
But more rewarding still? I even had the adults crowding around. That's a good feeling. This older gent got so involved when I told the one I'd made up about the skeleton of a long-dead miner trying to claw through someone's basement walls that he actually squawked when I told how, as the husband took a sledge hammer to the wall, a stream of black, stinking water came squirting out of the first break in the concrete. Heheh. Good times, good times.
Then, the second group of kids took the hayride and I got to tell to a whole new group. It was darker, and these were mostly older kids, so I got a little more in depth. Mwahahah!
I also somehow managed to convince some of them that demons are attracted to campfires -- that's where all the people are, duh! -- so they have to put their glowsticks in the bushes around the perimeter to keep the demons at bay. I think an entire Boy Scout troop will now do that any time they have any kind of fire outdoors. Heheh.
Anyway, then I came home, had some more chili, and am watching movies. Currently, I'm enjoying Young Frankenstein for like the millionth time. It never gets old.
Such a good day. Even though the migraine's creeping back in, I'm calling it a good day.
Despite having the dregs of a lingering migraine (bad insomnia week + still dealing with allergies + weird barometric stuff = a blinder of a migraine for Geeb), I got up all ready for the day. I finally got some good sleep, so that probably helped.
Anyway, I put on a pot of chili first off. I'm not usually much for chili. People put weird stuff in it or are determined to make it scorchingly hot, which I think is pointless. If it's too hot to enjoy....
But I've been craving it lately, which is odd, so I decided I'd cobble together my own recipe, and damn if it didn't turn out amazing. It's a little spicier than I thought I'd make for myself (I got a little happy with the cayenne pepper), but with some Fritos, cheese, and sour cream, it's juuuuuust right.
I'd promised my friend Annie that I'd come over to her place and tell ghost stories to her Boy Scout troop tonight, so at around 5:00, I put on an extra layer and headed out. What a beautiful drive! Annie lives out in the boonies -- ya know, where I want to live because I grew up in very similar boonies and miss them -- so the drive was a combination of that perfect blue of an Autumn sky and all the blazing reds and oranges and yellows of the changing foliage. Gorgeous. Just beautiful.
And, while I'm not much for kids, I gotta admit that I had these ones eating out of my hand. Annie started a huge bonfire, and while her husband took half the kids on a hayride behind his tractor, I told some ghost stories I made up or cobbled together from local lore or from stories I've read. It was lots of fun to watch the kids go from, "Oh, this old lady can't scare me" to "Wow... so does the bloody cheerleader appear all the time? Or just when it's foggy?" and "Tell another one! Tell another one!"
But more rewarding still? I even had the adults crowding around. That's a good feeling. This older gent got so involved when I told the one I'd made up about the skeleton of a long-dead miner trying to claw through someone's basement walls that he actually squawked when I told how, as the husband took a sledge hammer to the wall, a stream of black, stinking water came squirting out of the first break in the concrete. Heheh. Good times, good times.
Then, the second group of kids took the hayride and I got to tell to a whole new group. It was darker, and these were mostly older kids, so I got a little more in depth. Mwahahah!
I also somehow managed to convince some of them that demons are attracted to campfires -- that's where all the people are, duh! -- so they have to put their glowsticks in the bushes around the perimeter to keep the demons at bay. I think an entire Boy Scout troop will now do that any time they have any kind of fire outdoors. Heheh.
Anyway, then I came home, had some more chili, and am watching movies. Currently, I'm enjoying Young Frankenstein for like the millionth time. It never gets old.
Such a good day. Even though the migraine's creeping back in, I'm calling it a good day.
October 27, 2013
Dear Charlie:
Are you seeing this? Are you seeing 8-0? Because I'm seeing it, and I almost can't believe my eyes!
Don't get me wrong. These last two games have definitely been Cardiac Chiefs games. They've made us nervous. But my boys have clung tenaciously to whatever lead they've been able to muster and damn if they don't just keep coming up with ways to win.
God love 'em. I sure do.
In other (less heart-pounding) news, ghost tours may be over for the season. We're tentatively planning at least one tour Friday night (technically November, but just after Halloween), but weather may make that moot. We'll just have to see. It's been something of a rollercoaster this year with us trying out a new town, and while we've made a profit, I don't think we'll be going there again. Which is good news for me because, hey. Gas money.
The opportunity I mentioned a few posts ago didn't pan out, but I'm not too downcast. It was a shot in the dark, anyway. I'm too stoked about my Chiefs being up to bother about such a piddly thing. Eeee!
Also, we're already thinking about DickensFest, and we're always happy about that. As much as I love the history and costume-y nature of the ghost tours, I think I like DickensFest a little more, just because it's only the one weekend, not counting rehearsals. It doesn't steal two months of my life at my favorite time of year like the ghost tours can do.
Eh, either way.
Also, I'm in the odd position of rooting for the Redskins right now. Why, yes, they just happen to be playing the Broncos. Why do you ask? Also, go Steelers! You can totally make a comeback against the Faders!
Found myself rooting for all sorts of teams that don't usually get my love this year. Heheh. Anything to help my boys. I love it! GO CHIEFS!
Don't get me wrong. These last two games have definitely been Cardiac Chiefs games. They've made us nervous. But my boys have clung tenaciously to whatever lead they've been able to muster and damn if they don't just keep coming up with ways to win.
God love 'em. I sure do.
In other (less heart-pounding) news, ghost tours may be over for the season. We're tentatively planning at least one tour Friday night (technically November, but just after Halloween), but weather may make that moot. We'll just have to see. It's been something of a rollercoaster this year with us trying out a new town, and while we've made a profit, I don't think we'll be going there again. Which is good news for me because, hey. Gas money.
The opportunity I mentioned a few posts ago didn't pan out, but I'm not too downcast. It was a shot in the dark, anyway. I'm too stoked about my Chiefs being up to bother about such a piddly thing. Eeee!
Also, we're already thinking about DickensFest, and we're always happy about that. As much as I love the history and costume-y nature of the ghost tours, I think I like DickensFest a little more, just because it's only the one weekend, not counting rehearsals. It doesn't steal two months of my life at my favorite time of year like the ghost tours can do.
Eh, either way.
Also, I'm in the odd position of rooting for the Redskins right now. Why, yes, they just happen to be playing the Broncos. Why do you ask? Also, go Steelers! You can totally make a comeback against the Faders!
Found myself rooting for all sorts of teams that don't usually get my love this year. Heheh. Anything to help my boys. I love it! GO CHIEFS!
October 13, 2013
My Dearest Charles:
6-0.
Take a look at that scoreboard down in the sidebar. It says 6-0. I love it. I LOVE it. Our defense is just smothering offenses. Our special teams are more than pulling their weight (did you see that beautiful wrap-up tackle by Colquitt the Beast??) and winning the field position battle. Our offense struggles in the second and third, but when our D gives them the ball on a turnover, they've done great turning those takeaways into points.
We. Are. Clicking.
I love it. Woot!
Okay, now that I'm done gushing, I've got some good stuff going on personally, too. Keep your fingers crossed, folks. I may have some good news for ya.
On the other hand, ghost tours seem to be doing well. We've had some good people coming through that have really enjoyed our stories, and that's what we like to hear. We always do better ourselves with a receptive audience. However, I will admit that kit-made moccasins are not made for gravelly, rocky terrain. Just sayin. My character longs for the grasslands of her youth.
Screw it. I'm too stoked about my Chiefs to think of anything better to say. I'm actually rooting for the Patriots today to knock the Saints down (normally, I'd totally be rooting for the Saints) to 5-1. I think it's probably too much to ask of the Jaguars to put the stop on the Broncos, but hey. Crazy dreams are made of weirder stuff.
6-0! Did I mention 6-0? Because... 6-0.
Take a look at that scoreboard down in the sidebar. It says 6-0. I love it. I LOVE it. Our defense is just smothering offenses. Our special teams are more than pulling their weight (did you see that beautiful wrap-up tackle by Colquitt the Beast??) and winning the field position battle. Our offense struggles in the second and third, but when our D gives them the ball on a turnover, they've done great turning those takeaways into points.
We. Are. Clicking.
I love it. Woot!
Okay, now that I'm done gushing, I've got some good stuff going on personally, too. Keep your fingers crossed, folks. I may have some good news for ya.
On the other hand, ghost tours seem to be doing well. We've had some good people coming through that have really enjoyed our stories, and that's what we like to hear. We always do better ourselves with a receptive audience. However, I will admit that kit-made moccasins are not made for gravelly, rocky terrain. Just sayin. My character longs for the grasslands of her youth.
Screw it. I'm too stoked about my Chiefs to think of anything better to say. I'm actually rooting for the Patriots today to knock the Saints down (normally, I'd totally be rooting for the Saints) to 5-1. I think it's probably too much to ask of the Jaguars to put the stop on the Broncos, but hey. Crazy dreams are made of weirder stuff.
6-0! Did I mention 6-0? Because... 6-0.
September 19, 2013
Happy Sidebar:
Look at our boys. My Chiefs are sitting at 3-0. Brings a happy tear to my eye.
After that 2-14 season last year, it's so beautiful to see them operating on all fronts. The offense has shown a little reluctance to get rolling, but they're good at grinding it out when they do get moving. The defense has been superb. SUPERB. And the special teams have come up with some really big plays that have helped us win the battle of field position several times over.
This is a team that is clicking. It's... it's so good to see.
After that 2-14 season last year, it's so beautiful to see them operating on all fronts. The offense has shown a little reluctance to get rolling, but they're good at grinding it out when they do get moving. The defense has been superb. SUPERB. And the special teams have come up with some really big plays that have helped us win the battle of field position several times over.
This is a team that is clicking. It's... it's so good to see.
