The Bolts Are Still Going to the Bowl...

...just not this year. They certainly had their shot at winning this game. In fact, I think they had several. Dropped balls, fumbles, unnecessary penalties (not even during the play?), blah blah blah...see you next year, San Diego Superchargers.

Rocky II

Saw it last night. I liked it more than Rocky, but I think I still like Rocky III the best. But maybe that's just because of the nostalgia of RIII. I was a young man, just making my way in the world, the next featherweight perhaps? I must've weighed about 75 lbs., 2.7% body fat, a human wrecking ball I'm sure.

But seriously, who can deny the Hulk Hogan's part of this cinematic masterpiece? Thunderlips was what all little boys should aspire to become. Remember when Rock got pissed and picked up Thunderlips and tossed him out of the ring? That was rad.

I think if I actually watched Rocky III again I'd probably change my mind, so I'm just going to leave it alone - ignorance can be blissful. Rocky II on the other hand was a pretty good movie, despite the toned down Paulie. I love hating Paulie and his role in RII was almost non-existent if you omit the part where he offers to knock her teeth out for The Italian Stallion. I need to have more Paulie; I need more self-destructive, alcoholic idiot. When he's at his best, and you're really hating him even though you're just watching a movie, you're suddenly struck with the reality that he's a friggin' moron. It's not done out of malice, it's just Paulie.

Slacker

Yes, it's true. I've been slacking off again. And I've never felt better. Not really sure how to get back into the groove here, so I'm just going to be reckless.

• $400 Billion so far for the war in Iraq. Wow, that's a lot of gin and tonics.
• Can't seem to quite (but will) finish off "Lies, and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them." I like Franken, he makes me laugh, I think he's smart. But the book seems to be 80% partisan complaint that the Republicans are too partisan. Any way you slice it, the read makes me chuckle from time to time, and if I'm having a party and can invite anyone I want, Al is on the list....right behind that other lopsided liberal non-Gore Al.
• Watched "Rocky" for the first time last night. Still think Rocky III was better. Those scenes with 'T' in the ring, still the contender, pushing the sluggish champ around, taunting him, chiding him with "you ain't so bad." Now that was a good f'in moooovie.
• Finished "Dry," by Augusten Burroughs. A-
• Couldn't escape the Deathstarish tractor beam stare of this local Greenpeace worker outside REI, donated $10/month.
• The tooth that I had capped for who-knows-how-much-was-billed-to-insurance-but-I-paid $600 is now more sensitive to heat, cold, and any kind of pressure. And only because I swore I would blog about it, and then didn't, I'll let you know that I've had lots of dental experiences, and the 3 trips necessary to stick a piece of industrial plastic on my cracked tooth were the worst 3 I can recollect. Getting my root canal felt more pleasant and relaxing. Anyhow, lucky for my dentist she's this hot, Asian mother of 3, so you see why I have to keep going back? You do, right?
• Belated b-day blast to JV......nice shot, JV!!
• Currently reading "Magical Thinking," by Augusten Burroughs and will be watching "Rocky II" tomorrow night.
  

What's on your agenda?

The Joys of Irresponsible Youth

I had a credit card all through college and didn't pay a penny in finance charges. If I bought something, I paid the balance in full before the interest hit. I was good at being good; I was establishing credit history without falling for 'the trap.'

This was back in the late 80's, early 90's. Then, as now but it seemed more normal, I had no money. I didn't eat out unless it was a taco shop, and my entertainment budget was limited to Mickey's forty's and games of pool in the living room. And I remember pretty clearly the day before we were to move out of our house in Del Mar for the summer. Quick back story, we lived in wood shack directly on the sand between 18th and 19th in Del Mar, CA. The owners rented out their ramshackle 5 bedroom, 1 garage with 3 people in it, to us college students during the school year for something like $2,000 per month, and we packed at least 9 people in there. In the summer they kicked us out so they could collect that amount every week. It wasn't a bad deal or anything, we knew it was coming before we even moved in every September.

So this last year we haven't really lined up any place to move to, we're all trying to pretend we're ready for finals, and the move-out date is speeding toward us faster than we care to realize. In the eleventh hour we just decide we'll pack the 40" truck and figure it all out later. Curt and I drive to Alberto's at midnight for several orders of "Chips con Todo" and 2 cases of Budweiser. At a tick before the final buzzer we find a great place across the street from the cliffs of Downtown La Jolla. Now we just need $3,000. Did I mention that we were college students?

So I cash advance the 3 grand on my pristine credit card and after we've moved in everyone pays me back in cash their portion. At this time I don't have a job for the summer, I've just graduated from college, and now I'm living walking distance from one of the most beautiful beaches on Earth.

Well...I didn't work all summer, just lived off the $3,000 in cash, read The Brothers Karamazov, hung out in coffee houses, surfed any time there was a hint of a swell, snorkeled and swam in the ocean constantly, and somehow never missed a party. And If I could do it all over? I'd pay twice that for half as much.