Summer Adventures 2011

And clearly I'm just cleaning my calendar of notes out and posting to the internets today so here is my final adventure count.

Went to Half Moon Bay for clam chowder in a bread bowl, but originally said I would go to Monterey. Saw Doug Benson which I posted earlier. While going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium I stopped by for three bowls of chowder. It turns out you can go to a Monterey and have bad chowder. You just have to not go to a bar and grill. Avoid those and go to a fish restaurant. It's all overpriced so just suck it up. Fish Hopper is excellent and it turns out you can get it to go, so I recommend it. Also I hate big crowds at aquariums because little rude kids piss me off and their crappy parents make it worse because as their kids piss me off, they have their backs turned taking pictures and blocking my views. Got denied my free hat at an A's game on free hat day and they wouldn't give me one since I already entered the park. I know I'm cheap but if you think about it, so are they.

It seems like a lot but even after all this, I didn't make it camping. Seems like a shame to deny my dog an adventure, but he came to Half Moon Bay with us and also he's a dog, so I don't feel that bad. I'm way too paranoid of him crapping in the tent so we'll just have to see what happens next year. 

Here's to a wonderful summer and I hope it goes well again next year. Am looking forward to turning off the A/C.

Plate Hunt 2011

The beginning and end of summer feels unclear since I've finished school. And using the calendar feels just wrong. But I feel now is probably a good time to declare my summer over even though the temperature will now spike to over a hundred because it heard my declaration. But here is my final tally of what I did not get to see. Here's to next year.

Alabama

Delaware

Georgia

Illinois

Maryland

Mississippi

New Hampshire

North Dakota

Ohio

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Vermont

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Though I did see Illinois recently, I do not count it.

Please sir....at the Buffet

I recently asked my husband, when the hell did I become a Disney Princess? We had come back from Las Vegas and I was in a foul mood becuase I forgot how much Vegas likes to suck the dollar bills from your person. I don't just mean gambling because I love Reno and Tahoe. This is fifty dollars for lunch expensiveness.

Yes, I was on vacation and deserved to let go, but that's so hard to do when you have to drop about a hundred bucks a pop to do anything associated with Vegas. I look at the kids in their early twenties wondering how the hell they can afford this. I know how I can, and I don't like that I am, but how did you get a better room than me? 

I know, first world problems, with my room with the big bath tub and view of the topless pool. (I'm not kidding. But it costs fifty just to sit down there and actually see something. Though I think it was free if you were a size two and come with an entourage of slutty friends.) You had to wait a half hour before it opened to get a seat at the pool. And I come back home and my boss asks me why I go to the next state to do what I can here?

There is no good way to take a vacation anymore. I want it all. Giant rooms with fireplaces, tubs that can fit six people, room service, no waits at the buffet, and all for free. Sadly, the feeling came with me back to home. I want to make six figures from my own business, and be a full time stay at home mom with a nanny and maid to back me up. I want my fullest potential realized while creating my own charity helping educational and animal causes. Or to be more on par with how I've been feeling like a spoiled brat lately, despite my wonderful home, great husband, good financial security in an uncertain economy, an adorable dog, and a supportive circle of family and friends......I want mooooooooore.

Like my title suggests, I would like to claim I'm more Oliver Twist with my desire for more, however, I don't have a shortage of food, so I fall into the Magical Kingdom group. But at least they got to take for granted being royalty. I think I'm going to break out my tiara for a few hours. (Shut up, it was my Mom's idea.)

Celebrity Sighting # Ummm.....What?

As part of my summer adventures (yes, I am doing my license plate game, but will spare you the play by play this year) I saw Doug Benson perform at his 4:20 show. He was late which was not a huge shock, but I felt strange bringing in my name tag a la his Doug Loves Movies Podcast. Alas, I was not alone and I bonded with a couple at the next table with their very creative artwork. Did not get picked to play the Leonard Matlin game, but enjoyed avoiding having a panic attack if I were called on stage. It wasn't exactly my crowd of people as I am the biggest square in the world and didn't even know what 4:20 meant until a few years ago. (Still not sure of its origins.) Even stoned as hell, he was damn funny and I really enjoyed myself. 

On a side note, if you ever get the chance to see Ngaio Bealum, do it. He was freaking funny and surprised me with the nerd humor that went over my head(Side note: Took me twenty minutes online to find his name on the internet). And while I'm plugging, check out Doug Loves Movies. I have nothing to gain from this but spreading laughs to the world. They are other people working for the laughs, but I helped.

Don't Hate, Love (Or Just Let It Go)

After days of serious anger issues, I'm slowly calming myself and trying to enjoy what life has to offer. That being said, during my angry time, I managed to catch the trailer for Adam Sandler's new movie Jack and Jill. My instinct is to blame Katie Holmes for this, but there is no way she is responsible, she just wants to work. Then again, she shouldn't just get a pass because there is Adam Sandler and Al Pacino to direct so much blame.

After reading a few very angry and borderline sadistic comments, I realized why spew so much hate at this? I'm just going to not see this movie and move on with my life. The anger might come back when this makes fifty million dollars in it's first week, but once again, I'll harness my meditation practices.

However, this movie does look horrible and in order to reach my middle ground, I am sharing this video. Thank you to it's creator. Don't stop flexing your idea muscles.

(Stolen lovingly from Nerdist)

Put A Little Love in Your Step

Once again, I find myself in the Adam Carolla camp and finding myself becoming severely pissed and obsessed with something that probably doesn't matter. He refers to it as hyper vigilance and he is correct.

Have you been in an intersection or a parking lot somewhere and you have pedestrians sauntering across your path and not picking up the pace? Okay, it doesn’t seem to be much, but what the hell ever happened to the courtesy jog? You see a car waiting for you as you cross the street, you move a little faster and then they can move onto their merry way. I do this all the time and I get the thank you smiles from the drivers.

I was in the car with my mom and this happened and I asked her why people look directly at you and don't move faster. She told me because we're in the air conditioned car and they're in the heat, they can move how they want. My response was then if it's so damn hot, move your ass! Let’s bring back the courtesy jog people! Or just move a little faster.

You may be asking why the thoughts on non-entertainment issues and the answer is it's freaking hot and entertainment sucks. Also, I'm working on the Steig Larsson novels. Slowly, but surely, I will get through these. It's not as funny as his brother Gary's work, but still good so far.

Ode to My Father

I'm staring to get very irritated that You Tube is not letting embed the videos that I want to share. But in any case, this is a small clip from one of the classic movies from my childhood to honor my papa in honor of Father's Day (Click here). Which by the way is a fake holiday, but a celebration for my Dad is not a fake cause.