I got a root canal. and it was okay

I am writing this at 3:15am because I can't sleep. I am writing this on my new laptop. The "H" key comes loose from time to time but it snaps back in. I ordered it online and don't want to go to the trouble of sending it back because of the "H" key. The sound card on this laptop must be amazing because I'm listening to The Postal Service on iTunes and they've never sounded so good. I have my Bose headphones on and I would swear that I'm listening to ambient sound. Amazing how even so so music can sound really good when it sounds really good. I had a root canal finished on monday but my gums are all swollen again. I'm going to call the dentist tomorrow and if there was some mistake made I'm going to be pissed off. This is my second root canal now and it seemed slap hazard compared to the last one. Those of you who know me, know that I hold dentistry in particularly low regard. Aside from the fact that it makes me panic in ways that, say, a bear encounter wouldn't; you have to understand that the science of dentistry has not changed much since the old west (have I discussed this in this venue before?) The only treatment for a bad tooth is still to drill the shit out of it and fill it with poisonous metals. The only thing that has improved is the anesthetic. Which, by the way, the dentist I went to didn't use on the second part of the root canal. It didn't hurt though. I did take exception to the fact that Judge Judy was on in the "operating room". Then there was the part of the procedure where the dentist called for "flame" and the dental assistant fired up a portable Bunsen burner and the dentist heated some poking tool and applied it to my tooth. I definitely didn't remember that part from the last root canal.
I worked until 10:30pm tonight and am due back at 8am. I'm not really worried though. At least it means I'll be outta there by 5.
Today is officially Randy's birthday, we are going bowling tonight. That should be fun.
I've been re-reading A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. It's about how the author decides to hike the Appalachian Trail. After reading the first few chapters again I tried to convince Randy to quit his job and hike the AT with me but he said "no" because he "doesn't enjoy physical excersion." I can't argue with that, just tonight I asked him to go online and he said no because the laptop was in his bedroom and he was in the living room. I called him a "lazy fuck shit" He didn't seem to like that much.
Now I'm listening to INXS Don't Change. Its one of only a handful of songs I like from the 80's. Here's a listing of the rest:
Melt with You by Modern English
99 Red Balloons by Nena (I like the English version)
Time After Time by Cindy Lauper
Ordinary World by Duran Duran
Everyone Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears

pretty much the rest of that decade can go and fuck itself.

Today's Quote

It is a profitable thing, if one is wise, to seem foolish.
- Aeschylus

En Pace Resquiescat

I have never seen Road House. And I rate Dirty Dancing and Ghost among the worst movies I've ever seen. But God Damnit if Swayze wasn't one of the best movie villains of all time. I LOVE Point Break. Rest in Peace Patrick.

Quote for today

The mind determines what is possible. The soul surpasses it.
-Pilar Coolinta

So True...

Television is more interesting than people. If it were not, we would have people standing in the corners of our rooms.
- Alan Corenk

Just a quickie

Just a quick thought here. There's been alot of "tech" news about the new Beatles Rock Band game coming out along with remastered CD's. *Ahem* CD's? I don't know who in the Beatles camp is resisting going digital, but they are making a huge mistake. I wouldn't say that CD's are a dead technology, but I would definitely say Dying. It's like when I held out way to long to start buying CD's and was sticking with tape. I had to re-buy everything on CD. Of course, now I'm re-buying a lot of stuff digitally. But there are two things that are silly about not going digital, the first is that if you buy a CD it can be easily converted to a digital file so there isn't any real protection. and two, because you can rip a CD, its easy to get Beatles music illegally. So why not give iTunes or whoever the right to sell the music and give fans the chance to pay for it. Simultaneously giving the next generation a chance to get the music, the way they get music now.
I'm just sayin'.

Gibbs Lake Trail

Here's what the guide book said:

Directions: From Lee Vining, drive about one mile south on US 395, then turn west on Forest Service road 1N16 (look for the sign indicating Upper Horse Meadow.) Drive approximately 3 miles to the trail head at the end of the road.

Trail notes: The 2.7 mile hike from Upper Horse Meadow to Gibbs Lake is one of the truly great day hikes in California. Since the trailhead is not located at a lake or other attractive destination, nobody get there by accident. It starts at upper horse meadow, elevation 8000 feet, and climbs up Gibbs Canyon to Gibbs Lake, 9,530 feet. That figures to a 1,500 climb, and except for a half mile of switchbacks at the beginning of the trail, most of the route is a steady grade along Gibbs Creek. It is a pretty spot, backed by bare granite, fronted by conifers, the trail ends at Gibbs Lake, meaning you will not be competing with backpapckers arriving from other trails for trail space or a picnic site.

Here's what the guide book should have said:

Directions: From Lee Vining, drive about one mile south on US 395, then turn west on Forest Service road 1N16. The road is completely unsigned and is, by the way, a dirt road. drive past the squatters in broken down RV's and hope you're going the right way because the actual sign for the road doesn't appear until you are a mile in. Also the sign is faded and almost unreadable. Go ahead and add a mile to the hiking distance, because unless you have a four-wheel drive you're not going to be able to get to the end of the road.

Trail Notes: The 2.7 mile hike from Upper Horse Meadow to Gibbs lake is one of the worst hikes in the Sierras. Since the trailhead is not located at a lake or other attractive destination, good luck finding it. It starts at upper horse meadow, elevation 8000 feet, and climbs up Gibbs Canyon to Gobbs Lake, 9,530 feet. The trailhead has no sign so, again, cross your fingers and hope you're going the right way. The 1,500 elevation gain is a straight uphill slog up the side of a mountain. The trail never switchbacks, it is a straight uphill climb that will have you winded in about 5 minutes. After the first half mile the incline decreases from 85 degrees to 70 degrees. But don't worry the incline jumps back up to 85 degrees again after about 10 minutes of walking. Gibbs creek can be heard as a distant trickle somewhere in the distance. for the duration of the trail you won't be able to see 10 feet in front or behind you because of the severity of the incline. Gibbs lake is an average lake by Sierra Nevada standards so unless you absolutely have to see it. Stay the hell away from this trail!

Fantasy Sports 2009

To start off, Randy thank you for inviting me to your fantasy league. I am sorry not to have joined it only because a bunch of you cool ratracers are a part of it. This fact I have guessed from the ensuing fantasy trashtalkin I witnessed on FB earlier tonight.
However, I am actually glad not to have joined. Last year I suffered from what I now term "fantasy burnout." I had three NFL teams, two NBA, an MLB and an NHL. Quite a few seasons had major coincidence with one another: The end of football with the beginnings of basketball and hockey was fun!
I wish you guys well in your friendly league. I am a part of another, 12-team, money league called "Masturb8ting Elephant" named for in honor of Joe Bima's team. George Miranda is the commish and damned if I do say so I think he does a bolly good job. I've talked my fair share of shit, I know I know. But we've been doing that league for about three or four years now.
The gist of this is that my new mantra for the next year of my life is to keep it as simple as possible. Nothing extra. By the way here's how my team looks this year:

QB A. Rodgers; RBs L. Tomlinson, Felix Jones, L. McCoy and L. Washington; WRs Dwayne Bowe, Randy Moss, Desean Jackson, Torry Holt, Percy Harvin and Earl Bennett; TE Greg Olsen.

K and DEF are negligible to me really. Of my main players I think Bennett might be the only throwaway. I like my team because I also have three kick/punt returners in Jones, Jackson and Washington. Excitement.

Two Things and then another thing

I got two things to say and neither is of any particular import but they need to be said. First, Fuck Ashton Kutcher. I know most people were like Fuck Ashton Kutcher a long time ago, but I'm just now starting to see the impact of the damage he's caused to society. See I have this really perfect John Deere trucker hat that fits my head perfectly and is perfect for hiking because it breathes. And this ain't the John Deere trucker hat you can get at Target, this is the real deal, from the Implement Store where you go to buy hundred thousand dollar combines and shit. But because that peice of shit wore a goddamn John Deere hat for the year when Punk'd was on TV, everytime I wear that thing I feel like people are going to think that I'm some kind of 10 years to late Ashton Kutcher wannabe. So yeah, Fuck that guy.
Second, I just saw that movie "I love you, Man" It was a good movie, but it's the second movie that makes a big deal out of the band Rush. The first one was "Fanboys", also a good movie, also puts way too much emphasis on Rush. I don't get it, I hate Rush. Where is all this support for Rush coming from all of a sudden? Are thier songs easy to liscense for movies or what? Is there anyone out there that likes Rush? Am I missing something? That guy sings like his balls are in a vice and the music...it just has no soul. Maybe its me, but I'm just not hearing it.

On another note, I'm heading for Yosemite tomorrow and I'm super excited about that. Everytime I go there I take a big risk of not coming back. John Muir lived up there for months at a time, living on tea and biscuits. I got a backpack full of cookies and some chai tea, I might just wander down some trail and just keep going.

Getting After It

So this week has been pretty annoying for me and I know why. The fact that since Tuesday I have been working from 1PM-10PM which sucks for lack of a better term. I basically can't do anything when I get home because people are tired and are ready for bed. I would usually be as well but anyway. Last night a friend texted me a couple times saying he was bored. I felt for the guy. I think I might have convinced him to go out with the promise I would meet him after work.

So 10PM rolled around and I was out I could not wait to wash away my work woes with the elixir of mass produced Light beer. Unfortunately the 10 was a nightmare. There was some accident over by Rosemead that was making everybody of course stop and look. I met up with a friend at Domenico's finally around 11 and man did I need a drink something fierce. "Barkeep something Domestic, Light and Cold over here." He obliged and we proceeded to drink. I drank. I had probably 3 maybe 4 of those Domenico's glasses of beer. I was feeling good and was like let's do something else I didn't have to work till 1 the next day. By this time another friend had joined us and we decided to hit The Station to continue our consumption of beverage.

On the way back to my place I almost had a heart attack as I was crusing down Huntington without a care in the world. I saw flashing lights and people waving flags. I thought oh shit it is a sobriety checkpoint or something. I am so fucked. Luckily enough for me Big Baby Jesus was smiling down on me and it was just some roadwork or something. Crisis averted.

So we met back at our place. Everyone got in my car and we got to The Station in one piece. The Station was crazy busy but we managed to find a spot near the bar and ordered up some Coor's Light. Well after shooting the shit and drinking at least 3 or 4 Coor's Lights. We decided it was time to head home. Usually this would be where the night would end. Not so this night.

Once home we started drinking there. We got out the beer and started standing around the kitchen drinking more Coor's Light. We called Suzy my girlfriend and sang 'Happy Birthday' to her. It was her birthday yesterday, she was as expected trashed. Anyway we started talking about the old times like Casa De Moe and me passing out early most of the time. Everybody was having a good time. We talked about going out to UCR to visit Jenny and going to frat parties. I think it was about that time we ran out of beer unfortunately. And based on previous experiences after 2AM Pasadena and surrounding areas are dry. BTW it was now close to 3AM. No alcohol purchases allowed. So we talked for a little bit more. Then we all decided it was time to call it a night. So we packed it in and stumbled back to our respective bedrooms and that is where the story ends my friends.

All and all it was a very good night and just what I needed. Work had stressed me out and I needed to forget about everything that was going on around me and refocus on the important things in life...Friends, Good Times, the Old Days and Fun.

And Beer of course the magical drink that cures all and makes me get after it!

BTW this occured 7/31/2009 and was written on 8/1/2009. I just didn't get around to posting it till now. Hope you liked it.

Crazy. My iPhone (yes, I have an iPhone now) is all set up for ratrace posting. In case you didn't know, I was in San Diego this weekend. Not for comic con like Pete, Lauri and Randy, but to visit Dave.
So let me paraphrase the trip for now (this post is only a test):
1. Tom fell down twice.
2. Danny apparently has a problem telling twenties from ones in dim light.
3. Dave hasn't got laid in a long time.
4. Tim is gonna be mad when he sees his table. Tim is always mad anyway.
5. Ron snores I snore we all snore.
Tbc....

Film Fest Update

Here is a tentative screening line-up for the film fest. We reserve the right to change our minds up to the last minute:

Rocky III
Torque
The Big Lebowski
Punisher: War Zone
Point Break
Tombstone
Evil Dead II
TBD

I'm not sure about the last one yet, I'm thinking about either book ending with Stallone and showing Rambo: First Blood II (Directed by the same guy who did Tombstone I just found out) or an Edgar Wright/Quentin Tarantino recommendation called Silent Rage starring the man who leaves a trail of tears and blood wherever he goes...one Chuck Norris. We'll start screening at 8am and take a lunch break around 11:30am so if there is a movie you really wanna see you can work out the schedule from here.

So Many Movies, So Little Time

I'm starting to get pretty excited and about Pete & Randy's 1st annual Film Fest Marathon. Here's whats on my short list so far. This is without having seen Randy's list yet. I'll have to narrow it down to 4 which is going to be difficult:
1) Bottle Rocket
2) Rushmore
3) The Big Lebowski
4) Raiders of the Lost Ark
5) Jaws
6) Tombstone
7) Raising Arizona
8) Cool Hand Luke
9) Big Trouble in Little China
10) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

This is Really Happening

This Saturday, Randy and I are going to do a 16 hour film festival at my house. 4 of the films will be his picks. 4 of the films will be my picks. There is no theme and there are no rules, except that for timing's sake they can't be much over 2 hours. Talking and commentary will not only be allowed but encouraged so long as its of a filmic nature. I would like to invite anyone and everyone to stop in throughout the day anytime for some good cinema, beer and good converstation. The screenings have not yet been announced, but will be within the next few days. I'm not sure if I'm going to publish the order or not, you might just have to take your chances. Rest assured though that anytime you stop by, we will be screening a bit of cinematic gold.

The guy in the middle is Randy's Dad.

It's not a fake, here's the link

One question

Why is it that a flight between Chicago and LA only costs $289 or so?
But a flight from Cordova to LA costs $806?

Things that make you go hmmm...

Possible Answers

1) When there is only one road, there are only so many ways to identify it.
2) Since man's early days he gathered around the fire for warmth and protection. People are naturally drawn to it. Also, when the parents live on a virtual island there is really isn't anyway to get them out of the house for the night.
3)That wasn't really a question.
4)Alcohol. Remember kegs in the pool? Urination into the neighbors yard. Vomit on your bed. It's all interrelated.
5) Probably because when you pay all that money for a big truck you would expect that it could make its way out of a puddle.
6)if you think she was sucking them off then yes. Self esteem issues. I will say this, you were probably the only one besides the four that noticed. You always were a keen observer of the human condition.
7)Damp conditions, out of control breeding and no natural predators. Don't you guys have bats up there?
8)Again, yes you should have. You should have disappeared on that thing and hid it behind a tree or something. 4 wheelers are fun, never pass up a chance to drive one. Just watch out for cow shit.
9)You should have "done" her. Let people think it chicks like guys with skills. Acting skills, improv skills, video game skills.
10) "You're here to save the world, what a mind job...what do you say to something like that"

Questions I thought about at a Party

I went to a roadside party here in Cordova on the 4th of july. I was invited by some people who graduated high school 1 year ago. They even didn't invite me to bring beer when I asked they said they had enough. But there were a bunch of questions I came up with.
1. Party was at Mile 27 why are there no adresses or streets. Everything here is done by mile markers. This was the 3rd party where the directions to the party were given by number of miles. The others were at 6 mile, 23 mile, now 27 mile.
2. Why do all parties here contain a bonfire are there no house parties here.
3. Kids asking me I bet Mrs. Moe doesn't know I do this while they are drinking. I guess they think my Mom is a retard.
4. Why people here throw fireworks into the ground. They lit them and threw them in the ground they weren't set in the ground. This resulted in a girls hair being singed which nobody apologized for.
5. Why do people who drive big trucks get all mad when their trucks get stuck in the puddle of water and mud they were driving through.
6. There was a girl who left with a different boy 4 times and then they came back 15 minutes later. Were they doing what I think they were doing.
7. Why are there so many mosquitoes
8. Should I ask to take this guys 4 wheeler for a spin. About 5 people did and they said it was the best 4 wheeler they had ever been on.
9. People thinking I "did" that gossip girl (Blake Lively) when I was doing the movie Accepted cuz I was in her trailer one time.
MOST IMPORTANTLY
10. Why am I here

It was fun but I think these are interesting questions that could lead to interesting posts. If any of you have answeres to these questions either comment or post them. Later.

"War is destructive, even for the victors."

As I write this a fairly large spider dangles to my right, building some kind of web nest. I am trying to keep an eye on this pest, this hated animal, when I realize it is on the move, directly behind me it crawls across an invisible bridge across the steps on which I sit. Just as it reaches the other side, it surprisingly falls. I've lost sight of this dangerous entity, the common house arachnid. I not so slowly get to my feet to see it had crawled right up to my butt, presumably to kill me and make a mockery of his whole proceeding.
I stare the spider down as he crawls over the book by Sun Tzu I am reading. At this point is the best time to destroy my enemy but I decide to let them live. Maybe one day an enemy of mine could afford me the same mercy.
He crawls over the front cover, spine and back cover as if to mock my efforts at self-learning, and then not so slowly creeps up into the night.

A Plea

Could somebody please post something? I haven't been in a writing mood lately and I have to chose the subject matter a little more carefully since the audience has *ahem* widened.