... And Receding

Maybe it's still my birthday after all ...

I had to take the day off work as the Buick sounded like a screaming wolverine being dragged across a chalkboard whenever I stepped on the brakes, and the dash was lit up like the KC Country Club Plaza on Christmas eve. I took it in to my boys at Parkview Automotive (who fixed it up the last go round with the ABS) and in under an hour and a half they had it back in tip top shape. Well, nearly. The floors were still wet, so I made a run to a more high end car wash and had them super shop vac the carpets (and did a nice job scrubbing the exterior too!) I'm still a little suspicious that tomorrow morning the engine will drop out the bottom and I'll find a dead trout under my seat, but for the time being, I seem to be in the clear.

And as icing on the cake, I happened to stop by the Binny's in Hyde Park to see if they had the 2008 George T. Stagg yet. I was saddened to find out that my magical birthday bourbon had still not yet been released. However, the whiskey magnate of Hyde Park informed me, "we got a few bottles of the 2007 in the back." The celebration continues!

... And Rising

Clearly times are tough all over. While I wouldn't claim even for a second to be in the same state as the residents of Houston and Galveston, et al, I did get to join the club of lives directly affected by global climate change. Three straight days of rain finally led to massive flooding in northern Indiana, including the employee parking lot of the Horseshoe Casino. Yesterday I had to wade through about a foot of water just to get to my car. And unfortunately the wading didn't stop when I got to my car; there was water inside the car as well, about five inches. I managed to paddle the car out of the lot and into the parking garage (fifth floor, no chance of flooding unless a comet crashes into Lake Michigan) to prevent further damage but still had to drive home in standing water. Yuck. Fortunately, Heidi had the brilliant scheme to get the water out using the vaccuums at the BP carwash. Things are still soggy (and will mildew soon, I'm sure), and there's potential electrical damage, but for now it looks salvageable. Unfortunately, my insurance doesn't cover it, so I'm hoping the Horseshoe's does.

Here's news on the flooding: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-tom-skilling-explainer_0915sep15,0,326822.story

The Two Trilogy Club

Well the thirtieth birthday has come and gone. I've had a magfinicent week being stuffed with food and booze and lavished with gifts and attention. Thank you to everyone who came out to either the Office on Wednesday or the Brauhaus/Hutenbar last night. Friends are a joy. Also, not paying for stuff is pretty sweet too.

Oh, anyone who hasn't been: Hot Doug's is an amazing Chicago institution, and we are blessed to have it so near.

And almost a little bit somewhat peripherally related to my thirtieth birthday, here is the list John and I compiled a while back of the members of the Two Trilogy Club - actors who have played the same character in at least two film trilogies (or series more than three). Alphabetically, they are:

• Orlando Bloom (The Lord Of The Rings, Pirates Of The Carribean)
• Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Spider-Man)
  
• Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity, Ocean's 11)
• Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones, Star Wars)
• Michael J. Fox (Back To The Future, Stuart Little)
  
• Mel Gibson (Lethal Weapon, Mad Max)
• James Earl Jones (Star Wars, the Jack Ryan series)
  
• Sir Ian McKellan (The Lord Of The Rings, X-Men)
• Mike Meyers (Austin Powers, Shrek)
• Eddie Murphy (Beverly Hills Cop, Shrek)
• Frank Oz (Star Wars prequels, the Muppet movies)
  
• Talia Shire (The Godfather, Rocky)
• Sylvester Stallone (Rocky, Rambo)
• Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation, X-Men)
• Hugo Weaving (The Lord Of The Rings, The Matrix)
• Michael York (Austin Powers, The Three Musketeers)
  

That's the list as I can figure it best. Tim Allen is set to join the roster when Toy Story 3 opens in 2010 (already having completed three Santa Clause films), but no other real potential members on the horizon unless Cate Blanchett decides to make another Elizabeth movie. 'Tever. The list is posted and the floor is open for amendments and debates.

Ten Best Sequels Ever

I just finished The Two Jakes (1990), the almost-never-discussed sequel to Chinatown (1974). It was surprisingly good. It's no Chinatown but it's nevertheless enjoyable. Also: it's directed by Jack Nicholson, which makes watching the film just a little bit more enjoyable.

In honor of this odd sequel, here is my coundown of the Top Ten Sequels Ever Made*

10. The Color Of Money (1986)
9. Babe: Pig In The City (1998)
8. The Dark Knight (2008)
7. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
6. The Road Warrior (1981)
5. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
4. Toy Story 2 (1999)
3. Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)
2. The Godfather, Part II (1974)
1. From Russia With Love (1963)

Honorable Mentions: Spider-Man 2, Star Trek II, The Addams Family Values, Aliens, The Bourne Supremacy, Batman Returns, Evil Dead 2, The Two Towers, and The Two Jakes.

Now, what did I miss?

*I have included only first sequels, the follow-up to the original. Thus, excluded are films like Prisoner Of Azkaban, Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, and Casablanca 4: In Space. Also, I have only included movies in English, and movies that I have seen.

I also enjoy quoting myself.

"That's absolutely true. If there is one thing I enjoy more than looking in the mirror, it's hearing myself talk." - SMH, 9/9/08

That's right. Just sitting on the ground.

I've had a terrific day so far - Daisy and I hung out with Heidi this morning, watched a bit of one of my childhood favorites, Pete's Dragon (it hasn't really held the test of time, but nevertheless), then we headed out for some lunch at the Med and a spell at the Bixler playlot where we saw Daisy's good friends Asher and Margot. Daisy and a new friend, Jayden, played in the sandbox for a while, "cooking cake and dinner and pie" for me and singing me "Happy Birthday" (a little early but appreciated just the same.) Then the clouds started to gather, so D and I packed up our things, crossed the street, found a $100 bill on the ground, and headed back to the car to drive home.

You heard me.

America - Fuck Yeah!

Fake? Well yes. Wildly entertaining? Also yes.

Best. Entendre. Ever.

The Info-Net continues to astound me. The amount of information available is so vast ... This commercial made a dent in my mind when if first aired six years ago. I thought it lost to the ages (who would keep a shampoo commercial?) But one Google search and here it is. I am actually a bit troubled to be a part of a generation so dependent on Google. I really don't know the last time I had to go to a library to look something up. Actually it was probably in the last year of college, 2002, right about the time this ad came on t-v. And on the subject of libraries ...



This is my favorite commercial ever. See if you can find my favorite part.

Sans Pachyderms

John and I went to the Bristol Ren Faire on Saturday. If you were invited and did not go, more fool you, because it was awesome. Alright, not really awesome, but fun. We saw the joust, we saw the swordsmen, we went to an dungeon with animatronic torture dioramas. We saw Christophe the Insultor, who was very entertaining, yet still overpaid. He had a magnificent racket: you give him ten dollars, he insults your friend. The more money you give, supposedly the more insulting he is, though this was not neccessarily the case. Then at the end of the show, one person in the audience is selected and the whole crowd is encouraged to pitch in. In the course of a forty-five minute show, Christophe pulled in about five hundred bucks, and while funny, a lot of the material seemed pretty recycled. But hey, I can't fault the guy for turning a profit and having a good time, especially since I only coughed up two bucks.

The wenches were a bit of a letdown. Not too many chicks in bizarre bondage gear on public display (except for one who outweighed me by a Daisy and was a good head shorter than me. She was the winner of the Least In-Touch With Reality Award for the day), the barmaids had lost the zeal they had at the beginning of the summer, and the only faeries around were fellas. I mean men dressed as tree faeries, not ... well, they probably were that too. One young maid did offer to escort me to the Pig & Whistle tavern, which was flattering, but I have discovered that Elizabethan style Virgin-white cake make-up with Cosmetic Mole is actually a bit of a turn-off for me, so I politely declined.

I skipped the elephant ride this year when Heidi and Daisy and I went for Heidi's birthday, and I regretted it, and I especially regret it now, as this trip, the elephants had been replaced by camels. Don't get me wrong, camels are fun to ride, sure, but there's no real sense of accomplishment from riding a camel. Ride an elephant? Now that feels like you've done something, like something important has happened. That is something that is truly awesome. I tell you, friends, with the voice of experience: never let the opportunity to ride an elephant pass you by.