Other stuff

As usual, I've done very little while here at home. I have been making my way through the first season of The Wire with my sister, who lives in Baltimore so she recognizes all the locations. And as you can tell by the post below, I've been doing a lot of catching up, movie-wise.

I did manage to catch up with a few PHS kids while I was out here. I grabbed a drink with Daisy, Carrie, and Cinnamon down at the Plaza and we caught up. Amani turned out to be at the same bar, so yes, that's three people who either live in the LA area or visit out there often. Trips out to KC are becoming increasingly irrelevant. But I hadn't seen any of those ladies for a while, so it was still nice.

In a genius move, I stuffed my suitcase to the brim before coming out here, so I have no room for all the new presents and clothes I've got while I was here. I might have to wind up shipping some of it. We'll see when I pack tomorrow morning.

I can't wait to get back in LA. I'm due to fly through Denver tomorrow, so dear sweet Lord please don't let the snow be too bad. Fingers crossed.

Two-word catch-up movie reviews

The Departed - Totally awesome.

The Queen - Mirren rules.

The Good Shepherd - Pretty dull.

Happy Feet - Mostly great.

Dreamgirls - Mostly awful.

Chiefs

Ha! Suck it, Oakland! Suuuuuuuuck it!

Irrational crushes developed while in KC

Sarah Chalke (I'm now averaging at least three episodes of Scrubs a day!)

Autumn Reeser (She was so charming on Carson Daly!)

Jodi from MTV's The Duel (I... have no excuse for this one.)

Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins (Just kidding. This one's from way back.)

The Bickersons

Both parties might resent this, but it's awfully true: Emory and Leslie bicker just like my parents.

Chicks

My dad watches quite a bit of poker, and I noticed that when it's all guys at the table, they list their hands by their last names. But when it was all women the other night, their hands were all listed by their first names. Because they're women, you see. Also, I doubt commentators often mention how good-looking players are when only dudes are playing. "Lamkin may be knocked out, but he's smart and pretty... we'll be seeing him again."

The ol' homestead

Well, two days in and things are looking to be pretty dull.

I did have a nice steak the for lunch the first full day I got back. That was nice. And I did manage to see The Departed at long sweet last, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. And my sister gets in tonight, so that'll be nice. But I'm still looking down the barrel of a week and a half with almost nothing to do. And all the television is on repeats. Although that South Park where Santa is shot down over Baghdad is on right now. That's all right.

Maybe I should think about taking vacations and staying in LA for them.

I'm out, folks

I'm heading back home to KC later this afternoon. I'll still have internet access and everything, it's just that my life will be very dull while I'm there.

I'll leave you with an amusing story. I headed out to Target last night and on my way out Emory said "Hey, get one of those five-dollar movies while you're there. Whatever you get, I'll watch it." I pointed out that I wouldn't want to watch whatever shit Target would be selling for five dollars. Emory countered that I wouldn't have to watch the movie with him, but he would seriously sit down and watch whatever I bought. As Leslie said, "Jeff, I think this is probably worth five dollars." So I went to Target, and while briefly toying with the idea of purchasing My Baby's Daddy, I spotted a film that could best be described as Emory Kryptonite.

I bought him Jersey Girl.

Man, the look on his face...

Ill communication

So due to a hilarious misunderstanding, it turns out that Kim and I broke up three weeks ago and I didn't even know it. Welcome to the topsy-turvy world of my romantic life!

And since I keep forgetting to post about it specifically, I'll take this moment to remind everyone that there's a new Atrox strip.

Simon interview

You thought just because The Wire's fourth season had ended I was going to stop talking about it? Fool!

Here's a good interview with Wire creator David Simon where he talks about all sorts of things about the show, including season 5.

So what's been going on?

Quick summary of the past few days' events, primarily for my own benefit.

Friday night was McKenna's birthday party at the White Horse. Pretty much the entire bar was there for the fiesta. Matt got ragingly drunk. Laurel and I drank Frank's beer behind his back. I think someday we might be friends again.

Saturday I went to Mike's for some Rifftrax action. Turns out that The Island of Dr. Moreau is so bad that even clever quips can't distract from its soul-crushing awfulness. But it was nice to hang out with everyone. Afterwards Frank and I went to a screening of a USC movie that Laurel starred in. It was showing with three other movies, and Laurel's was the best. It is always a relief when your friends are in stuff that is good.

We were chatting with Heath at the reception afterwards when the sky opened up and it started pouring, thus putting a damper on our plans to head out to Dave and Buster's for Mike's birthday. Word on the street is that they didn't have any air hockey, so it's probably good that I didn't go, because if I had driven (or ridden, rather) out to Orange County and found out there was no air hockey, I would have burned that place to the ground. Or at least complained about it all night. I think everybody dodged a bullet there.

Frank and I got some dinner with Laurel and Heath, then headed to Martha and John's place because it was apparently Martha's birthday (I think?), and that was a good time. I like those kids.

Sunday Paul called and asked me if I was coming to play four-square. I told him I had forgotten all about it and Paul was like "Well you should come down!", apparently not remembering that I don't own a car. Suffice to say, I did not make it to four-square. Does four-square have a hyphen? Ben would know.

Last night was margarita night at Big Wang's. I finally told Mike that he's in a good enough place now where I can admit that I don't like him and that we are Friend Divorced. Glad to get that off my chest! On another note, when Lindsay and I have both had bad days we should probably not be allowed in the same room together. It will only end in stupid arguements. It was kind of a pokey night but then the Hollywood Female team showed up and Laurel got to yell about her hatred of movies where animals don't talk but are treated like people. Good times.

The healing process

So my big leg wound has moved from painful to crazy itchy (and still a bit painful). It is AWESOME.

The TV halftime report

So most shows are about halfway finished (or completely finished), so let's check in with them, shall we?

The Wire - Well, time to wait another year and a half or however long it'll take to come back. The season ended about as bleakly as you'd figure a Wire season starring four middle-schoolers would. Actually, a few things were sort of looking up at the end of this season, at least as far as the police department goes. Maybe Simon's going soft. Or maybe he's just waiting to fuck it all up again in season five. History suggests the latter. And by the way, this show is awesome.

Veronica Mars - The conclusion to this season's first big mystery was quite satisfying, and also featured Veronica stabbing a dude in the leg, so bonus points for that. Further bonus points for breaking up Logan and Veronica and letting Logan do crazy and awesome things again. Get those kids together when the series ends, sure, but they are boring as hell on a weekly basis.

BSG - I haven't even seen the last two episodes yet, but this season's solid, if a little derivative of season 1.

Lost - Since this show has rekindled my interest, naturally the general critical concensus seems to be that this season is lacking. I can't win.

Heroes - The dialogue's improved, and the plotting remains awesome. Seriously, big kudos to the plotting of this show. This last episode was probably the best one so far, but then I am a sucker for people being telekinetically pulled through plate glass. I am also a sucker for Hiro vs. Dinosaur, coming soon (hopefully). There just wasn't a damn thing in that last ep that wasn't awesome. Even Peter was interesting! And Mohinder was barely in it and didn't have a stupid voiceover! Good on you, Heroes.

Beat down

Naturally, since this is my last week here in CA before heading to KC for the holidays, this week has decided to kick my ass. Pretty much the only significant errors I've made professionally this year all revealed themselves this very week, not long before my employee evaluation! Awesome! Thanks, job!

Hopefully this weekend will be as fun a time as I'm hoping it will be.

Limpy McGee

I was over at the Psychic Bunny offices on Wednesday night to see the premiere of the music video Doug directed that Frank, Danny, Laurel, and Jared starred in. The video was great and we hung out for awhile, drinking and watching whatever was on the shelf by the projector. At the end of the evening, I attempted to assist Doug in turning off the projector mounted on the ceiling, and everything went horribly wrong. I was up on the couch, reaching for the button, but then I pitched forward and scaped the length of my shin on the corner of a chair and also managed to headbutt Liz right in the face. I think we should all feel fortunate that I didn't rip the projector out of its moorings and then shred the screen on my way down to the floor.

Anyway, Liz was okay, but my leg was completely effed up. The pain has greatly ebbed, but I'm still kind of just limping around everywhere. In fact, I missed the bus yesterday because I couldn't make a dash for the stop when I noticed the bus arriving a couple of minutes early. It wasn't bleeding badly or anything when I checked it out right after I did it, but when I got home that night apparently some blood had pooled and dried in the shallow cut so it's all black and terrifying-looking. But it's mostly the bruising that hurts. So if you see me hobbling around like Long John Silver (although in all fairness, it doesn't hurt nearly as bad anymore for this to be likely), that's the reason why.

The Celery Stalks at Midnight

I know the posting has been light this week. Just haven't summoned the energy for it, I guess.

But anyway, Bunnicula. My mom emailed me earlier this week to tell me that she had been reading it to her class, and had just gotten to the part where Chester and Harold try to pound a steak through Bunnicula's heart. Mom remembered that I loved that sequence as a kid. The best part is that it remains funny TO THIS DAY. Bunnicula, asleep and all wrapped up in a huge cut of meat, Chester furiously and futiley pounding on the steak with his little kitty paws, tyring to drive it into the bunny's chest... and then the owners walk in! That's comedy gold, folks. Bunnicula is the shit.

And then Paul brought up Howliday Inn yesterday on Begum apropos of nothing. I guess it's a Bunnicula sort of week.

It's official

I like, but do not love, Superman Returns.

The weekend, plus a day

Thursday night Lindsay, Frank and I headed up to Northridge to see the touring Second City sketch show, featuring Laura. The show was funny overall, although pretty much every poltical sketch was a bomb (note to the writers: saying "Up yours, Mr. President!" is not partciularly funny nor helpful), but all the performers were great, especially Laura. During and after the show I was struck with inexplicable and excrutiating abdominal pain, which mercifully wore off by the time we were back in Hollywood. Have no idea what that was about. It didn't seem digestion-related.

After the show we wanderd about Northridge awhile, wondering where to go. Northridge is not know for its Thursday nightlife. But we finally wound up at El Compadre back in Hollywood, minus Lindsay and plus a friend of Laura's who had recently moved to LA. We had a few drinks and it was a delight to see Laura, as always.

Friday night Emory and I spent the early evening watching the original ECW revival PPV One Night Stand, back before they decided to bring back the brand permanently. It was awesome, and turned out to be the wrestling highlight of the weekend, unfortunately. But more on that later.

Mike and Corinne came over at the tail end of One Night Stand, soon to be followed by Paul and Liz. Emory went to bed and we broke out the Guitar Hero. Have I mentioned that I occasionally dream in Guitar Hero? Not a good sign. Frank came over too, and hung out for a bit longer than everyone else.

I woke up ass-early on Saturday to hand over my ailing car to Peter for a shoot he's doing, only to belatedly realize that we couldn't get the car out of the garage since Leslie has the only opener and she was at work. I apologized profusely and went back to bed.

Paul and Frank came over during the day and we worked on some new buttons for The Atrox, to try and make the main page look a little less like a shitty Blogger template. I think we did okay. It looks better, certainly. We'll see how they go over.

That night Paul and I headed over to Darren and Amy's new house (conveniently right by Frank's place!) for their holiday Gloog party. Gloog reminds me of wassail. Perhaps they are related. We knew next to no one there, so I spent most of my time chatting with Chandler, since Darren and Amy were both amusingly bombed by the time we arrived. Danny and Katherine showed up eventually, as well as Lindsay, Liz, and Corinne, but I'd pretty much had my fill of the party by that point, so Paul and I headed over to Hollywood House's Period Party. Frank and Laura wound up there, as well, so I got a chance to (drunkenly) say goodbye to her. It was a decent time but alcohol and my early awakening that morning conspired against me, so we headed home.

Sunday was the big ECW PPV December to Dismember, which had a ridiculously disappointing main event. Nice one, WWE. I mean, I know Rob Van Dam is on the outs, so I knew he wouldn't win. But nothing that went on in the Extreme Elimination Chamber lends itself to further storylines. Sure, Bobby Lashley beat Big Show, but Big Show is retiring soon due to health problems. So I guess Lashley will fued with Test? Lashley him down with almost no problem, so he doesn't really seem like a credible threat. What are CM Punk and RVD going to be doing? Nice move making CM Punk look stupid, by the way, WWE. After all, he's only your biggest rising star, so naturally he should be the first dude out of the chamber. And RVD made the pin there, so CM Punk won't even have a villain to get revenge on. Just a big fat mess. At least the opening tag match was good and the Knox/Thorn match was perversely entertaining. Thanks to Corinne, Paul, Aimee, Ben and Laurel for coming out and watching with us. I had a good time with everybody there. Shame the main event was such a bust.

Creepy voyeurs

Am I the only who finds those "See who's on Match.com now!" ads that have shown up on MySpace lately INCREDIBLY creepy?

I'm hoping no.

Taste the gritty realism

Yeah, there's a new Kitty-Face Kitty up at The Lair. You want to make something of it?

Riches

If I had $400, would I ever buy this.

If I only had a spectacularly wealthy and generous friend. Or a Magwitch-esque benefactor. Oh, to be a Dickensian protagonist. (Not really. Most Dickensian protagonists lives totally suck.)