Hello Again

I noticed recently that with the addition of Netflix to X-box live has created a paradox. You can go online and select movies in their "Play Now" section and add them to your Instant Queue and then go and watch them on the big screen using the 360. While this is very convenient, it also causes me to go through much fewer movies a month that they send me. Movies sit on my counter for a week before I pop them in. I used to get it and watch it and turn it around in a day or so and now I'm doing 8 movies a month through the mail. While I'm not sure this is a terrible thing, seeing how the online movies are just as good in quality, with only a slightly worse selection. Maybe I will drop it from two at a time to one at a time.

Another thing it causes me to do is discard bad movies very quickly. If I queue up an instant movie and in the first fifteen minutes it doesn't impress me, I cut it off immediately and move on to the next one. When my only choices were to watch the movies that I got in the mail, I would sit through some really awful movies because it was either that or watch reruns of NCIS. While its sorta nice to not have all my eggs in that little red basket, I also wonder if I cut the movie off too fast and missed the hidden gem that it will become. Then again the blond girl might just make bad decisions for the next hour and a half, to the point where I'm yelling at my TV for her to get some parental supervision.

Last weekend D.P. and L.C. came to visit. Its always a mind boggling experience being around those two. One second they are cuddling on the floor, everyone is peachy, we're playing some Scene It (or not so much playing as I'm kicking ass and they're trying to keep up), and the next: there's an accidental elbow to the balls that starts a shouting match, an angry controller throw, and about a half hour's worth of arguments and apologizing. Of course this is followed by a cutesy make up kiss, and then another argument about the amount of alcohol that is being consumed. It's like hot to cold and back again in zero seconds flat. Can't end up being a good thing. 

Also last weekend we bid a fond farewell to Captain Pretentious and The Katie. They moved off to Sweden and left us poor country folks behind. While we all promised to come visit, and the idea of hot easy women (Swedish chicks are the most likely in the world to have a one night stand, over 65% have) and tasty meatballs is very appealing, I doubt I ever will. The simple fact is that I would much rather drop several hundred dollars and my year's vacation days on a nice Caribbean vacation then going over there and freezing my ass off. I'm pretty content over here sending C.P. obscene text messages at ungodly Swedish hours.

OK I think I'm going to go try to find a coffee table or some art to spice up my walls here. If y'all want to get more posts, you should really say "You should update your blog, write about...." and insert your own subjects. I could use the help after coming home brain fried from work.

The Hinder Factor and Other Thoughts

The other day I was driving back to work at lunch and had a breakthrough thought. If you listen to a Hinder album and can relate to the songs, you are part of a bad relationship. With songs such as Better Than Me, Nothing Good about Goodbye, Lips of an Angel, and How Long (which don't sound very bad with just the titles) the album is a catalogue of relationship woes. Try it out, you could learn things.

Why the heck did they have to cancel Pushing Daisies? For a channel that has such shitty unintelligent shows as Wife Swap and Nanny 911, is it too much to ask that one night a week they put on a show that is actually good. I guess this show shows how stupid the majority of the American television audience are.

Tomorrow, on the 18th of December, its supposed to be 70+degrees in South Carolina. Thank you Jesus for answering my chilly prayers.

I wonder if I made more if I would have more spare money around or if I would just spend more. Sounds like something I wish I could test out.

Speaking of which these commercials that make it look like the thing to do at Christmas is giving away a Lexus or a $3000 ring are pretty unbelievable. While I would love the ability to give away high end automobiles, it sorta seems like bad advertising to believe that you can influence enough of the TV watching public into buying them that you could pay for prime time advertising.

Infused with Goodness

I was determined this weekend to have a great time. While not a horrible week, I wasn't very successful in the major project I had hoped to accomplish. A birthday party for The Katie on Wednesday did a good job on tiding me over to the weekend with a nice infusion of midweek fun (even though The Katie started crying when she saw me at the bar, not very good to see even if its happy tears). When Friday rolled around I had every reason to believe that it would be a fantastic weekend.

After a long nap I figured that showing up by 6 would be plenty of time for Jeb and BMS to get home and start hanging out. With holidays and being in other parts of the state, it would be the first time I'd hung out with Jeb in three weeks and would be the last time I'd see him before New Years. He had also made it clear that Friday would be the only day this weekend that he would be in town, having already committed to two Christmas parties on Saturday. This was fine with me since the epic friends' Christmas was planned (at the last minute) for Saturday afternoon. Anyway I showed up at Casa de Hunter around 6 and as I was pulling in I received a call from Jeb saying that he was still at work. But he encouraged me to go on in and he would be home in a little bit. So I go in and drop off my stuff and let the dogs out of their little cage as they were freaking out with the introduction of a human to their private party. I let them outside and was just sitting down and getting used to them trying to interrupt me reading a magazine when my phone rang.

C.P. had apparently gotten out of work early and had been drinking since 3 in the afternoon. He wanted me to come over and join him in continuing the hitting the bottle. I was greeted by a miniature pint glass of the current Benjamin's Bastard Brew. We played Mario Cart and sipped booze while the rest of the party got to town. An hour and another argument about shoes later (two weeks in a row) we headed downtown to meet Mr. and Mrs. H at Nick's. We were sure however to drive through the drive through of Rite Aid and taunt C.P.'s brother Ginger through the drive through call system (which may or may not have involved the penis game).

Nick's was packed as usual as we had a beer or two and talked about odds and ends and how amazing and unexpected it was that the polo twins are now engaged. Jeb and BMS finally showed up and we headed out to Griffin's (I know there's a pattern here). On the way we ran into Ginger and all gave him a group hug on the sidewalk. The really hot bartender was there as usual (Nicole or Melissa or something like that) and it was time for liquor. I was starving since I thought that I would be getting food at 6 when I showed up at Jeb's. After some buffalo chicken wrap and Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka (feel free to sponsor me Firefly, your shit is delicious) I was talked into leaving Griffin's for TTT's. I was pretty against it except for the part that the only women that were there were the wait staff and the women that we brought.

The ratio was much better at TTT's as we revolved around the place with two different pitchers that I unceremoniously mooched off of (in a good, "here friend have some liquor" kind of way). We eventually found a table and sang, danced and teased into the early morning hours. I may have threatened C.P. with punching when he wouldn't cut out trying to pinch my nipples (in a good, "here friend id prefer if I didn't have to punch you in the face" kind of way). Eventually both couples decided that they were too tired and left (an apparent plus to having a significant other is being able to have an easy excuse to head out). One thing I learned however was normal Mrs. H is funny, drunken Mrs. H is hilarious and makes deep throating motions in a crowded bar. Jeb and I finished the last of the alcohol and he decided that he might have to get up early tomorrow so we headed out. Even though when we got back Jeb beat the new Prince of Persia again before heading to bed (which is a really stupid ending and makes it a waste of a game). I ended up passing out on the sofa as usual.

The next day I woke up sort of early for a Saturday and watched part of a movie while waiting for a ride to my car to drive home. The party was scheduled for 3 at Mr. and Mrs. H's. Fried turkey was promised and Mrs. H is like Martha Stewart so I definitely expected everything to be absolutely unbelievable. So when 3 rolled around I grabbed my Secret Santa gift (I was designated to buy for The Katie, got her this goofy looking snow hat that she could wear in Sweden, it could have been lame but the other women at the party all asked where to get one for themselves, so I either did a fairly good job or they were being nice) and my fairly unsophisticated bottle of wine and headed over. I expected everyone would be super late, but I showed up at quarter after 3 and was at least an hour ahead of the next guest. Seems sorta like a bad thing but it didn't turn out to be that bad as I got to chat with the H's and hear stories from Mrs. H that I wouldn't expect her to say (that involved watching porn). Amazing appetisers and The Katie, C.P., D.P., L.C., and Keihner followed. There was some football throwing, video game playing and something that involved parking a boat. Frying the turkey only caused a small fire and dinner as I predicted was amazing. We ate until we were all stuffed and sat around telling funny stories afterwords. We did the whole secret Santa thing and the polo twins ducked out fairly early. We sat around on the deck for a while when I definitely felt tired enough that I wanted to go home but was met with a lot of resistance (see this is where the significant other comes in handy, no one questions a woman feeling tired and needing to be driven home). There was a bottle of really alcoholic beer that had a hint of brown sugar (not really tasty to me) broken out and split between all of us and I gave my share away. People started to get cold and I thought it was my perfect time to duck out. Unfortunately I wasn't very secretive and my plan was figured out immediately. I still headed out and passed out upon reaching my home.

So apart from a nice trip to Red Robin today with D.P. and L.C. before they drove back to Columbia, and plenty of laundry, that was the weekend. Hope yall enjoyed it as much as I did.

Christmas Spirit

I don't know whats wrong this year. Usually I'm pumped for Christmas and as a very positive person, I'm usually really feeling great with the general positiveness of the season. This season however, I just can't get into it.

I turned down my mom's offer to get me a little Christmas tree for the apartment.

I've barely even started Christmas shopping. Last year I was pumped to go out and get thoughtful gifts for friends and family, this year I find other things to do and just put it off.

Today at lunch they were playing Christmas music over the speakers at Quiznos and I really contemplated asking them to change the channel.

I even have Christmas lights up on my balcony (in the shape of lobsters!!! My neighbors are coming up with theories on the hidden meaning between the lobsters and the poorly strung light rope.) and it still doesn't help to put me in the Christmas spirit.

This Christmas break is going to be huge, eight days off, and I get to go home and be with the family this year. And still no enthusiasm.

I don't know what it is this year but it just sorta fills me with apathy. I'm not even really sure if I'm bothered by it. It's just kinda strange.



In case you haven't noticed (or complained to me in person), I haven't wrote on here in a long while. The other day C.P. texted me at work and asked me why. So I thought I would share it with yall. The reason that my writing has cut down (aside from laziness) is that it seems so much harder lately to tell a weekend story without cutting out large interesting, fairly funny parts because they could embarrass someone or tick off someone else. Its not even bad things but leaving them out would really make for a bare bones story without the funny anecdotes that I think that everyone who reads this blog enjoys. I can't write about friends fighting, even if their arguments are at times some of the most hilariously pointless fights I've ever heard. And even if I do well with the ladies, I can't really write about it later. It just has seemed so difficult lately to get a great post worthy story up.

That and I'm lazy.

Insider Trading is Dumb and Stuff

Last week or so, Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks got busted for insider trading. Sucks for him. Because really the whole idea for busting people for insider trading is dumb. Think of it this way. You and a bunch of your friends put your money in a pot. Then one of your friends tells you that if you don't take your money out of the pot someone will set it all on fire and you won't get anything back. You would take your money out of the pot. Insider trading is like that only on a much larger scale. I'm sorry but punishing these people because they were told that their $750,000 was going to disappear and them thinking that was a bad idea, is really dumb. Investing like life, doesn't need to be fair.

Apparently in the last week two of the characters from Laguna Beach were married. The only way that I would care about this is if the reception hall caught fire and got rid of the cast of Laguna Beach.

Last weekend Jeb and I were playing the new game Little Big Planet for the PS3. While possibly being one of the most beautiful, perfectly textured, fantastically witty games I have ever played. Playing it (especially with a friend) is the most frustrating experience of my life. What looks like a kids game, with characters call sackboys (which you can dress up with mustaches and sombreros, which is hilarious), is anything but kiddish. Jeb and I are not novice gamers but it was like asking five year olds to do Calculus.
Your partner goes and grabs the thing you were going to swing off of as you jump:
You die.
Your partner sets off explosives while you are right beside them:
You die.
You wait too long so your partner can get out of the way before you go:
You die.
One level even had depth charge type explosives that only exploded if you hit them onto some other object, guess how many times we died before I quit:
27.

I am leaving tomorrow for a trip back up to Pennsylvania for the Thanksgiving holiday. Plenty of family and friends that I haven't seen in over a year so we might get a crazy post Sunday but chances are after driving a combined twenty hours in the next five days, I won't be all that conscious Sunday night. Also feel free with your complaints on me not writing to suggest something that you would like to hear my opinion on. I could always use the suggestions.

Gurdy Gurdy and Bartender Infatuation Continued...

So I awoke (much earlier than I hoped) and got a ride back to Jeb's from Ish's. Immediately upon entering I almost fell back asleep on the couch, but was talked into hitting up some Moe's (that's a lot of apostrophes in two sentences). We got it to go and headed back to Jeb's to crash. And crash I did, falling asleep almost immediately upon finishing some burrito goodness.

I awoke later to the beginning of the Clemson football game and a video that Jeb took of me snoring. Clemson seemed to be doing half decently but as the game went I suggested we head down to Esso to watch the rest of the game and get more of their fairly good food. Sadly everyone and their mother had the same idea and we abandoned Esso for a walk up the street back to Griffin's. Griffin's has a big advantage over the Esso and she was definitely working Saturday night. This woman is a goddess and apparently also plays the guitar and teaches special needs children. She is like how you would describe the perfect woman to someone else. I want to make a move with all my being but can't for the life of me get up the nerve. Part of it could be that I enjoy the fantasy of the perfect girl and don't want that to be ruined by the inevitable rejection, but probably it has to do with my brain turning to mush when she talks to me and me being a big dumb ass around every woman there is. Anyway Jeb and I ate and had a great time sitting there for like six hours. At first I felt great, hanging out and having a good time, just still a little tired. But as the night went on I felt worse and worse. I did my best to hold it together, drinking a lot of water but it was no use. I was exhausted and felt horrible and had to get out of there. Even the silly teasing I was getting (which ranged from me drinking water to the way I was sitting?) was getting on my nerves. So I cashed out and got out of there. I strolled back to the condo in the cold (which surprisingly helped). After chatting with BMS for a little while about things that I don't remember in my deliriously tired state, I was able to get back to the couch to fall asleep.

The rest of the weekend involved staying much longer than I had planned, watching Jeb kick so much ass in Spiderman that he actually made the game skip. Once I got home I hunkered down and trimmed the inserts so they would be ready for Monday and watched three of my favorite movies. All and all it was a great weekend like usual, one I'd be happy to repeat any week.

Gurdy Gurdy and Bartender Infatuation

After sadly missing writing about last weekend's Halloween extravaganza, where, dressed as a doctor I dominated all challengers in Beer Pong to the point where I tried to handicap myself by holding small dogs at the same time, I decided to do my best to knock this entry out before the wave of Captain Pretentious's bitching hits my cell phone. For some reason, some weeks I just don't feel up to writing when I get home from work and last week was one of those weeks. Especially when I had to bring at least two hours of work home three days out of the week. So making it to the weekend (even with the disappointment that came with my week's work needing to be trimmed down this afternoon) was a welcome relief of the stresses of the work week. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but sometimes its very stressful. Especially those moments where you're trying to insert a piece of plastic into its holder in front of your client and its not fitting.

So after that stressful Friday morning where I was sent over to the hospital to put vinyl hours on their doors and deliver the stack of inserts that I had been working all week on, I was looking forward to getting the weekend started. All week on the radio at work I had been hearing about this sale going on at the one expo center where you could get electronics for much cheaper than normal. I had been wanting a wireless router for weeks, hoping to allow both my x-box and my computer to access some Internet at the same time, with the added bonus of being able to surf the net on the couch or in bed. So after work I headed over there. I was greeted by a sign telling me that I would have to pay four dollars just to park. I never carry cash. It just doesn't seem very logical for me to do so with the ability to use my debit card, so I had to drive around and find an ATM to get some money out. I finally got some cash and headed back to the lot where an old woman was collecting cash. Before handing her the money, I asked if I would be charged again before I was allowed to check out the merchandise in the expo center. She said it would be another seven dollars. So now I'd be up to eleven dollars before even seeing if they have anything I want. I kindly thanked the woman and did a U-turn back out onto the road. Anyway long story short, I ended up going to Walmart and buying one for what it would have cost to get into the expo center and purchase the shady marked down merch. Setting it up was another story as the directions are delightfully vague and the only way I got it to send out Internet was to directly plug to router into my computer, which sort of takes away from the benefit of the Internet being wireless. So hopefully I will figure it out later this week or get some help.

After failing at turning my apartment into a wireless haven, I put my stuff together and drove on down to Clemson, a surreal feeling because this now involves doing so in the dark despite it being only about five in the evening. I arrived at Jeb's place, seconds after a call saying that he had been caught at work and wouldn't be there for another forty five minutes. BMS was also absent and I basically just sat around waiting for someone to get home in a house that isn't mine. Jeb says that this isn't a problem but its still sorta weird to me. I was relieved to finally get a call from the Polo Twins (C.P and the Katie) extending an invitation of pizza. Ten Minutes later Benjamin time (45 minutes real time) we hopped in the car and headed over to Peppinos. Both Jeb and BMS had arrived home in those ten minutes and so the evening began. For some reason I have come to hate Peppinos because it seems like its always 90 degrees in there so I feel uncomfortable sitting in there sweating my ass off, waiting for their overly greasy pizza. Happily we weren't there too long and started our night out at the bars.

As usual we started at Nick's with a couple Dale's Pale Ales. One of the bartenders was told by my party that it would be funny to spank my ass, and did so on a sneak attack when I wasn't paying attention. We bounced from bar to bar and ended up as we often do at Griffin's. This was happily early enough to get a waitress for at least the beginning of the outing and she turned out to be a really cool chick that coincidentally was from twenty minutes away from my house in Pennsylvania. After a while of hanging out, she decided to join us after she got off, and we all had a fun time. Except for one thing. I don't really know how it started or why they do it, but when the Polo twins join us out drinking, everyone pinches my nipples. I am sitting there relaxing with my friends and suddenly one of the three of them will lay into me with some wicked pinching. I kinda don't get it, don't really appreciate it and wish they would just come up with something else to bug me with, but apparently to them it is hilarious. After the twins left, Jeb and I stuck around for another couple hours before heading home, where I somehow was able to get a ride from Ish to spend the night at her place, which is always nice.

To be continued....