Archive for December, 2002

Well, this will be my last blog entry for 2002. I would like to say that I’m on my way to a concert where lots of hot women will be and I’d be hanging backstage with my best friend but those plans were killed long ago. Sometimes friendship ranks lower than a woman it seems. Despite said friend’s offer to buy me a ticket to still go that doesn’t really change the fact that A: You can’t buy a backstage pass so what do I do when they leave me with the rest of the crowd, B: what fun would being the odd man out be hanging out with a dude and his woman, and C: we had the plans for over a month. Whatever, the dude will still be my friend still but I am a bit disappointed and get more so as I reflect on it.

2002 sucked, I am not sorry it is ending. My 2002 was full of back pain, missed work, a failed attempt at reconciliation with RMD, and a couple failed attempts at relationships. I can look back at this year and see little good so goodbye 2002 and good riddance, I hope 2003, despite it having an odd number in it, will be a hell of a lot better.

Happy new year everyone, I hope you have a safe and fun evening.

I went and saw the new Lord of the Rings movie today. That movie was simply amazing. I liked it even better than the first. How I managed to make it thru a 3 hour movie after drinking a large pop and not have to go out to the bathroom in the middle of the movie is a mystery to me. I used my free ticket that came with the first LOTR DVD to go see the film today, so my only expense was the popcorn and drink, which was as much as the admission would have been!

One thing that really bothers me, they show commercials now before the actual movie trailers and film yet the price of admission keeps going up!! If they are getting ad revenue and I have to sit there through that shit, then lower the price of admission and/or the snacks. Another thing that really bothers me is when someone’s cell phone rings in the middle of a movie. There is NO reason ever to have a cell phone turned on during a movie, let alone to ANSWER IT. If you can’t be away from a phone call for 3 hours, then you should not go to a movie then! If it is a case where it is a parent and they leave the kid with a sitter, BUY A FUCKING PAGER and set it on vibrate, then you won’t disturb the rest of the theatre. That is one of the most inconsiderate and rude things I can think of and I always fancy punching the culprit in the face when I see who it was.

I put up an 8 billion on my Star Trek:TNG pinball machine tonite, my second best game ever I think, I felt pretty damn good after that one.

Spent a full day doing laundry, straightening up the house, and playing a lot of pinball. Koz came into town and at nite we headed over to Season Tickets to check out the new Stern pinball machine that they put on test.

The Simpsons. This is easily the best machine Stern has made so far. The playfiled has a lot to shoot at, and is layed out very fair and doesn’t rape you. My ball times were pretty long, and the rule set is very deep and the multiballs are fun, not to mention just about every mode can be stacked. I barely know what I am doing yet I had a really good time playing it. And if I spend more than 2 hours in a smoky bar with some lame ass cover band playing, you know it is a good game. I give that game a solid thumbs up, and it is worth checking out if you are into pinball.

Here is a picture of Punch in the Face from last nite’s show, My pix didnt’ really come out, I read up on the camera some more in the manual and think I figured out why. I will have to try agian next time I go see a show.

I listened to the Punch in the Face 7″ that Jeff gave me, it was pretty good, intense hardcore. I also listened to The Sleepers LP I got in the mail today. It is some retrospective LP that came out in the 90s. It fucking rules. I must seek out the other 3 Sleepers records now too. If anyone has them, I require them!

The show was pretty good. I got there as the second band was just finishing. I do not know who it was. Punch in the Face played, and they were pretty good. My friend Jeff plays guitar in the band and this was the first time I had heard them. I hadn’t seen him in a couple years so it was nice to see him and catch up. I also ran into 2 other old friends (who are a couple and now married) that I haven’t seen in a few years and I was really happy to run into them again. It was weird because just the other day actually I was wondering what happened to them. Limp Wrist was the headliner, and they were rather entertaining, and Martin’s between song banter was actually quite funny. I tried to take some pix during the show but they kept coming out blurry. I have to read the manual again and figure out what to do. I think it has to do with too long of exposure in the low light when the subjets are in motion. I’m not sure what I adjust to compensate for that, I’m not much of a photographer. So I gave up on the pix early on. I lost my lens cap and didnt’ even know it until someone came into the bar area after the show and announced that he found a cap and it was mine! I claimed it and thanked the fellow for returning it. I need to make a strap to clip it to the camera since I didn’t get one with it. Overall I had a fun time at the show and I was glad that I went.

Work went by quickly despite there only being a few people there. However one of my friends brought up a really sore subject with me, and told me some shit that disturbed me and ruined my whole day, and I am still upset about said topic now as I write this. Aside from life needing a fast forward and rewind button, the mind needs and erase button so I can just get rid of certain things in there so they don’t bother or haunt me, and cause me to obsess over them, dwell on them, and lose sleep over them.

I had planned on doing nothing but cleaning and laundry this weekend, along with grocery shopping. Now I learn that a new pinball machine is going on test tomorrow nite at this bar so I’m heading out there tomorrow nite to check it out.

1. What was your biggest accomplishment this year?
The rebirth of Spontaneous Combustion, as a web zine. That I did myself.

2. What was your biggest disappointment?
My attempts to reconcile with RMD didn’t work out, despite my never ending efforts. Now we no longer even speak to each other. Second would be that most of the year was robbed from me due to the back trouble. Third would be this girl, K, who turned out to be a total let down.

3. Will you be making any New Year’s resolutions?
Yeah, to meet a nice woman so I won’t be so fucking lonely all the time.

4. Where will you be at midnight? Do you wish you could be somewhere else?
I don’t really know, but at this point it looks like I’ll be at Keith’s party.

5. Aside from (possibly) staying up late, do you have any other New Year’s traditions?
Not really. I usually end up doing something different every year, whatever I can find to do.

Back home!
Despite my plane being delayed by almost and hour, and an irritating full plane full of kids, I have safely returned to Combustion Manor. I had a pretty good time on my trip, but I am glad to be home. I have to return to work tomorrow, and tomorrow nite I think I am going to go check out a show at the Fireside Bowl. Anyone want to go with me?

Merry Xmas everyone. I hope you all have a nice holiday and get some cool swag from your friends and family.