internet is free at orlando but very spotty. seriously grapping with the thing here, i did get connected and got blogspot to load...swore id keep an eye on my connection before i sent my post through so i could copy all the text but of course i did not and lost it. typing this in notepad.
went to bed at midnight with alarm set for 5am. didnt make it that long, woke up about 330am and had trouble getting back to sleep after that. got about 45 minutes until i can board. security was pretty quick though they pulled the laptop out and 'inspected' it or something. gave it back quickly though.
cab showed up early as i was walking up the path. cost me $30 with tip and he didnt even put this meter on for the 1st mile or so. could have saved all that dough if my flight was just 3 hours later. lesson learned.
feeling an odd mix of depression from going home and also stress from not being at home. definate conflict at work here.
this will be my final post as internet in miami is not free. even if it was im not sure if it coudl stay asleep that long and the powerup without AC takes forever.
this blog will be reactivated in T-minus 365 days. perhaps in half that time it will become entertaining and likely somewhat bittersweet when reminicing.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
just about done
99% packed, one beer left. everything is put away, did all the dishes and took all my recycling out, as if that is necessary. even preheated the oven well in advance. 'violent city' is more interesting than i thought it would be, though its role as a relic of the era it originates from on its own is great fodder for my fetish for such things. cant believe the week is winding down, i feel such unique and strange emotions that ive felt before so many times and i guess i shall continue to feel for long into the future. comes with the territory. the blog helps.
7 heinikens and a digiorno
felt a craving for mountain dew so i took the bus to publix one last time. got a sandwich, a pizza and a bottle of dew. the dew wasnt enjoyable at all, seemed super syrupy or something. still working on draining a large bottle of frank's hot sauce that i bought earlier in the week, bought it for my rice but ive been putting it on everything.
i wanted a small bottle but CVS only had these big ones. then i didnt look close and the cap was cracked. i was holding it together when i needed to use it then i pulled it all apart and threw it away after a few days. since then ive been actually pouring it on things carefully and ive gotten good at it. i wont kill the whole bottle but there will only be about 10% left after i dose my 'za later tonite. i have 7 beers left and just opened #1. going to start cleaning and packing when im done typing this. putting on another bronson flick and sending filthy texts back and forth with a girl back home. all good ways to pass the time.
going to do one more load of laundry. alarm goes off at 5am tomorrow so i can brush my teeth, eat a grapefruit and walk to the welcome center to check out. then walk to the guard shack to jump in my cab and hope the cost doesnt make me feel faint. i really dont want to to buy any food in the airport(s) tomorrow. just called my dad to shoot the shit for about 40 minutes and he will pick me up right at 12:30.
i better get this show underway. going to crank some tunes loudly while i get preliminary things done then start up the DVD.
Xanadu House of Kissimmee
As I took my long bike ride up and down 192 through Celebration and Kissimmee, I ride past this place twice. Nothing left but the sign as seen above (did not take that pic, this blog post came about from my own anger at not taking one). The building in the background is just a motel on a separate lot, the Xanadu is gone. I think that motel very well might be abandoned as well, if not it certainly qualifies as a good place to use drugs and/or prostitutes and a poor place to sleep.
Intregued, I researched a bit and learned more. A tourist attraction, one of three in the USA (all three gone now), it was a 'futuristic' house (by late 70s standards) that you could tour for a fee.
192 was such a stretch of abondonded buildings and crushed dreams, it was spooky at times and depressing at most others. Looks like the architect that came up with the whole deal got murdered in the 80s though I can find little information on the crime.
Most interesting to me was in the wikipedia article on the homes was this quote regarding a documentary film that touched on the Kissimmee house:
It showed the house in disrepair with doors wide open, mold growing everywhere and a homeless man living inside. The "explorers" walked through the house filming the decay firsthand as the homeless man slept in a chair on the main floor. At the end of the segment, the man wakes up and threatens the "explorers" telling them to leave "his home"!
slow motion
last night i drank two heinikens and then cracked my 750. it was sickeningly sweet, the same downfall as batch #3. i became so disinterested in drinking at that point i stopped. i wanted to go downstairs (i think) but could not as electrical storms precluded anyone from using the pool or hottub.
i went to bed about 930. i woke up around 530 after tossing and turning a bit. now it is almost 7am and im about done with my first beer. i ate a ham sandwich and im watching 'st. ives', another bronson flick ive had on the backburner for ages. i shot a cinematic video yesterday which i edited this morning and which is uploading now. decided to put this one on youtube to share with my constantly increasing nation of subscribers. going to keep drinking until i feel tired and go from there.
reserved a cab with mears for tomorrow morning. im considering just closing my eyes as i sign the reciept so i never have to see it. tired of spending money. getting up at 5am should be a blast as well.
just went to wikipedia to get the link for the movie above and although the page is a stub and only has a 1 sentence synopsis it succeeded in spoiling the plot a bit.
i went to bed about 930. i woke up around 530 after tossing and turning a bit. now it is almost 7am and im about done with my first beer. i ate a ham sandwich and im watching 'st. ives', another bronson flick ive had on the backburner for ages. i shot a cinematic video yesterday which i edited this morning and which is uploading now. decided to put this one on youtube to share with my constantly increasing nation of subscribers. going to keep drinking until i feel tired and go from there.
reserved a cab with mears for tomorrow morning. im considering just closing my eyes as i sign the reciept so i never have to see it. tired of spending money. getting up at 5am should be a blast as well.
just went to wikipedia to get the link for the movie above and although the page is a stub and only has a 1 sentence synopsis it succeeded in spoiling the plot a bit.
Friday, September 23, 2011
back from knightly
90 minute walk or so, legs are throbbing a bit as i just got in. found a 750 of CCB 110K+OT batch #4, had batch 3 last summer (hated it, if i remember correctly). every batch is a different style however so no worries there. they had 5 or 6 CCB 750s, i had had all of them except this and 'winter warmer, warmer winter' but i couldnt deal with that kind of a style (or maybe just the name, as i guess what i did buy will be just as malty) in this heat on my vacation.
listened to 'breezin' on the way there, ended almost exactly as i arrived. they had a margerita machine cranking and i asked about it, they gave me a small cup to drink in the store before i left. it was damn good, i was thirsty. i had already bought a bottle of nestea which i knew i wouldnt like that much (i didnt) and after drinking that shot of margerita i felt like returning it. drank it anyways, just as gritty and artificial as i remembred. mmmm mmmm.
listened to 'butterfly dreams' on the way back. it played kind of like background in my brain as i thought about other things upfront. nothing in particular i guess, just little crap to stress about. like the joy every year of paying off my vacation then having all three birthdays and x-mas for my mom/dad/brother in a 3 month period. but ive been doing it for so long, i have my ways. i bought my airfare on my american express blue, i dont know why. im going to cancel that thing as soon as its paid off, i used to keep it because if you rent a car with any amex card, amex will insure it for you. but i didnt rent a car and dont know if i will again, and ill bet chase or other major CC companies have similar policies. i think that card has an annual fee as well, but even if it doesnt its getting snipped, hadnt used it since last summer.
i have 11 heinikens left plus my 750 which is 10%. so maybe ill have one heiniken after the 750, them im going downstairs. they are doing karaoke so i think ill try to get another video of myself, i think im going to do a song ive never tried before but one that should be quite easy.
listened to 'breezin' on the way there, ended almost exactly as i arrived. they had a margerita machine cranking and i asked about it, they gave me a small cup to drink in the store before i left. it was damn good, i was thirsty. i had already bought a bottle of nestea which i knew i wouldnt like that much (i didnt) and after drinking that shot of margerita i felt like returning it. drank it anyways, just as gritty and artificial as i remembred. mmmm mmmm.
listened to 'butterfly dreams' on the way back. it played kind of like background in my brain as i thought about other things upfront. nothing in particular i guess, just little crap to stress about. like the joy every year of paying off my vacation then having all three birthdays and x-mas for my mom/dad/brother in a 3 month period. but ive been doing it for so long, i have my ways. i bought my airfare on my american express blue, i dont know why. im going to cancel that thing as soon as its paid off, i used to keep it because if you rent a car with any amex card, amex will insure it for you. but i didnt rent a car and dont know if i will again, and ill bet chase or other major CC companies have similar policies. i think that card has an annual fee as well, but even if it doesnt its getting snipped, hadnt used it since last summer.
i have 11 heinikens left plus my 750 which is 10%. so maybe ill have one heiniken after the 750, them im going downstairs. they are doing karaoke so i think ill try to get another video of myself, i think im going to do a song ive never tried before but one that should be quite easy.
laying about again
havent done much today but lay here and watch the stage production of 'pee wees playhouse' on HBO. ate some beans and rice, far better batch then the first one. i havent drank any good beer this week though ill easily knock out 36 heinikens (not counting what i drank at the bar) and i feel like i should location some cigar city brewing beer before i leave.
the knightly spirits on OBT is going to be over 2 hours via bus and i dont feel like it. the small one on central florida parkway is closer but you cant take a bus, you have to walk. ive taken this walk before and i dont feel like it all that much but i think im going to do it anyways. i almost fell asleep on the couch but i feel more energized now. i think its the hangover that i didnt really register...i dont think it as much an issue of tolerance but of feeling numb to the experience of being intoxicated, i didnt feel that drunk last night but looking back i was quite drunk. i didnt feel that hungover this morning but looking back i guess i was, as it took me until 2pm to come around.
before i leave im going to make one last final push to see if i can get a hotel somewhere else in the city tomorrow night and also decide if i want to do that. if i had my flight for about 10am (at the earliest) id be able to get to the airport for $2. but my flight is at 7:30 so i figure if i can get there for $20 ill be lucky. big difference and im sick of spending money. i emptied my pockets onto the table last night when i got home, all my money was a mess and not in my wallet and i was afraid to actually organize and count it. i do this at home as well. when i did count it i said 'ouch!'. ive also run through all my credit at the bar here, i cannot charge too much more down there. next year some money saving tips are:
1) get off link 111 on the way back from the airport and stop and get my 7 day pass on the way, i was right there but didnt know it
2) try to get a later flight on the way home
3) buy a bottle the first night i get here so i dont buy so much whiskey at the bar here. a 1/5th for $20 would be worth like $200 at the bar.
enough moaning. time to get moving and get something done here.
the knightly spirits on OBT is going to be over 2 hours via bus and i dont feel like it. the small one on central florida parkway is closer but you cant take a bus, you have to walk. ive taken this walk before and i dont feel like it all that much but i think im going to do it anyways. i almost fell asleep on the couch but i feel more energized now. i think its the hangover that i didnt really register...i dont think it as much an issue of tolerance but of feeling numb to the experience of being intoxicated, i didnt feel that drunk last night but looking back i was quite drunk. i didnt feel that hungover this morning but looking back i guess i was, as it took me until 2pm to come around.
before i leave im going to make one last final push to see if i can get a hotel somewhere else in the city tomorrow night and also decide if i want to do that. if i had my flight for about 10am (at the earliest) id be able to get to the airport for $2. but my flight is at 7:30 so i figure if i can get there for $20 ill be lucky. big difference and im sick of spending money. i emptied my pockets onto the table last night when i got home, all my money was a mess and not in my wallet and i was afraid to actually organize and count it. i do this at home as well. when i did count it i said 'ouch!'. ive also run through all my credit at the bar here, i cannot charge too much more down there. next year some money saving tips are:
1) get off link 111 on the way back from the airport and stop and get my 7 day pass on the way, i was right there but didnt know it
2) try to get a later flight on the way home
3) buy a bottle the first night i get here so i dont buy so much whiskey at the bar here. a 1/5th for $20 would be worth like $200 at the bar.
enough moaning. time to get moving and get something done here.
Karaoke: Completed
Strolled in about 8:50, perfectly punctual. The crowd was very thin compared to the same time on Tuesday ironically. Scanned the place for Nina and saw she was not present, got a Jameson and sat down at a table. Realized this limited my options for making new friends so I moved to the bar. Made an interesting friend real quick.
Cute girl to my right, felt her scanning me. Threw her a smile and we were introduced quickly. Saw two other males on the other side of her and tried to deduce her situation. I guess Jenny was drunk but I was unclear on to what extent, she began to playfully argue with me but like her state of intoxication the line between playful and downright belligerent was blurred. I started to reel it in because it is poor form to overwork a prospect while you're waiting for another girl. Also something about this one was setting off my Spidey Sense and I wasn't sure what. She introduced me to 'Dave' and 'Mike'. Why is a 30 something attractive girl traveling with two guys, both of which are in their 50s? I'm still unclear but the story continues.
I was just beginning to wonder if maybe I didn't remember what Nina looked like or something and she really was here. I did spot a very attractive girl with a few tattoos at the bar, I would be lucky enough to meet her later. Nina walked in a short time later. Looked fabulous again and I shook my head in disappointment at myself for thinking I could forget what this girl looked like. What a beauty. She went to get a drink and was chatting with the bartenders and she motioned for me to sit with two others already seated at a table towards the front. I waited for her and we went over, I met Shawn and Misty. Misty has a set of the most perfect breasts I've come across in recent memory, perfect blonde hair and hypnotizing eyes of grey/blue that are identifiable even from a distance. Shawn - later identified as her husband - has a Bic'd head and intense build. Combination of good looks and ass kicking power to bounce at a high profile club downtown (Chicago). At least that is what I would do if I was him. Would you believe this couple is an out of control singing duo as well? Well they are.
Next up was the tattooed girl at the bar. She came over to say hello to Nina then ended up sitting down. Heather has perfect skin and much of it is showing, tight jeans and a shy smile. She sat next to me and was playing the part of the out of towner, I could sense her quietness. I had to get out of the way for her to get it as seating was cramped and I parlayed this into a joke, she scoffed humorously at my politeness. Nina was absorbed in conversation with Misty so I worked hard to keep a conversation going to continue to integrate myself into the group and of course for the pure enjoyment of the company of yet another beautiful girl.
Karaoke began and I sang 'Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?' to some success, while Shawn was tackling obscure Journey tunes and everyone at the table was knocking out technical tracks with ease. Found another point to open on with Heather as she admitted she did not sing and was opposed to the idea, again too shy. Around this time I began to monitor Nina's mannerisms, she was still absorbed in conversation with Misty and Shawn and I could tell she was hardly aware I was there. I had half a thought I would get to chat one-on-one with her tonite as we did Tuesday but I realized that was out and she was likely not interested. I got comfortable and set out to enjoy the night with my ever expanding group of new friends.
More songs were sung all around - I got Nina to record me doing what I realize now is a quite out of tune version of 'After the Lovin'. Per my usual performance of that song I looked for a female close enough to engage visually and began to sing the song directly to her. A group of UK tourists was seated near the stage, with a single female, she smiled and enjoyed my small serenade. However for the final drawn out chorus I quickly turned like a gun turret towards one of her male comrades - much to the chagrin of both.
The table expanded like a Yorkshire pudding: Dave, at least 6'6 with a 10 gallon hat. Tito, hispanic with a fedora and all around nice gear. Mike, a pretty basic looking guy who probably looked older and more worn out then he actually had years. Nina actually asked me to switch seats with him and they had an upclose and personal conversation. I was getting boxed out all around, the table was getting too crowded and now I was sitting on the fringes. The girl I came to see had me play musical chairs to talk to some other guy and Heather had up and left with half a pitcher of beer sitting on the table and never returned. Confidence was taking a beating at this point so I quickly went to refuel with more whiskey.
There had been another singer announced as 'from Chicago'. Randy was in town on business and had been here many times before. He recognized many of the crew at my table and was idenfiying the good singers (his own aptitude was high). But the interesting thing is that like magnets, we had been drawn to each other not for gay attraction but for the fact that we are both predators of women and were there for that reason. I do not recall how the subject was broached but we both were soon talking in rapid fire pieces of recon regarding every girl in the room, our pupils perhaps dilated with the thrill of the hunt. I admitted that my situation was quickly disintegrating and he commented that at least I was meeting such a large group. I offered to buy a round of drinks and he accepted. I ordered another Heiniken for myself and two shots of Jameson. The bill: $19! The 'shots' were poured in rocks glasses sans ice and had to be nearly 2oz each. This got my engine started and we continued our sickening conversation when Nina came up to get a drink (Randy was seated next to a break in the bar where it was easy to get drinks). She seemed a bit more lubricated by the drinks now and sarcastically asked why I had deserted the table. I said that it seemed we had simply run out of room and she verbally worked me over in response, saying that if I wanted to integrate myself into their group and come back next year and sing with them again I should find room or make my own and integrate myself more deeply. If she only knew I had been tabulating names and sizing up every member of the group for hours. I followed her back and seated myself between her and Sophia, another new addition which Randy had already identified as another pro-level singer. A short time later Nina told me that Sophia had talked her into doing a song she did not feel comfortable with and that Sophia was going to sing harmony. The song was 'Alone' by Heart and of course they dominated it. And of course modest as Nina is, she cut down her own performance and said it was too challenging and she should not have sang it.
More new additions: met Jacob (who Nina initially mentioned "Who is that?" and Sophia said that he was a friend) and Rocky, a dark skinned Central or South American likely with intricate lines cut into his hair and sideburns. I had already planned to ditch the last bust at 11:50 PM and take a cab home at 2am close. Randy had already voluenteered to give me a ride and I thanked him profusely. So I bided my time, I had already sang 3 songs and the rotation now was over an hour long so I didn't bother with a fourth.
I must admit at this time I just felt plain homesick. As a game I would silently go around the table, counter-clockwise and repeat everyone's name mentally to test myself. Randy drew me aside and explained he had a prospect of his own: approx. 50 year old mixed Puerto Rican/French Canadian. Attactive and according to Randy - rich. He said he might have to leave but he would come back for me. I ran through the possibility of walking home 4 miles and some combination of the booze and everything else became overwhelming, I was ready to go now and considered quietly walking away. But besides the fact that they had been so nice to me I did not want to miss the opportunity to say goodbye to every person at that table and address each with their own names.
I got up to use the bathroom and opened the door, it was a 'one man' bathroom though it had both urinal and toilet so that two people could share if one felt comfortable enough to leave the door unlocked. We use the same system at the bar at home so I knew the deal. I walked in and approached the toilet and the guy at the urinal - who never looked up, mind you - commented 'nice singing up there'. I thanked him and he walked out. It struck me then that if he had looked up it was so quick it is amazing he could identify me. Then I realized this was Mike - one of Jenny's friends who I now identify as some kind of pimp. She had approached me and chatted me up before I hardly knew she was there. I am good looking but not that good looking. I do believe now that it is possible she is some kind of prostitute.
Someone on stage was tackling 'Wicked Game' by Chris Issak. I cannot remember how or why Jacob decided to talk to me though now sober I realize it is indeed because he is a spaz. He actually pulled me outside so that he could play me the version of the song by the band HIM. He played it through his iPhone and it did actually sound like a good rendition though I must admit while I was familiar I had never actually heard the band HIM before at all. Then with a preamble of 'check this one out!' he played me George Michael's 'Careless Whisper' by Seether. This was also well done and I told him so. I don't remember how we changed lanes conversationally so quickly but he told me then about how his brother worked at or managed a strip club and how breasts do not phase him. Only the sight of a vagina or a women's rear titillate him. I said well yes, you must be jaded to the sight of them and he loudly agreed. I could tolerate all this but his face was the face of a 'spaz'. I realize that term is outdated but I do still feel it is relevant. Nice guy, but a dork.
I returned to the table and before long Randy returned - he had crapped out on his prospect though he had exchanged info to link up at a later date. I told him I needed 5 minutes and he silently nodded and walked to his car. And I went around this giant combination of two tables, not attached, all filled with the same related group. Counter-clockwise and I had practiced.
Sophia, Dave, Tito (and his girlfriend who I had not been introduced to, but was now. Dolores, who had just graduated from college, I congratulated her and she smiled silently). Next was Mike, then Misty and Shawn. Misty was so warm even now, what a beautiful girl. Rocky was second to last and gave me the reaction that explains why I make it a point to remember names. When I said 'Take it easy Rocky, nice to meet you', his eyes lit up and he got out of his chair. He was incredulous that I had remembered his name.
Last up was Nina, how fitting. I thanked her so much for her awesome hospitality and told her how glad I was that we had met. As I left I told her to be well and not to change, that she was already perfect. She smiled and I waved goodbye.
Randy and I discussed the finer points of chasing girls as we cruised down I-Drive in his rented convertible. I remember when we were inside I told him that I could tell that like me he did not have eyes, he too was equipped with a set of laser beams that tune in on females. He told me something I'll never forget. He made reference to the (really lame) song 'Strokin' by Billy Squire. He said his version of it is 'Scopin' and he sang a stanza from the tune with the lyrical substitution. Laser beams, indeed.
I had him drop me off at CVS where I grabbed a frozen pizza and walked home. I put on 'The Evil that Men Do' and coated the cooked 'za with hot sauce and consumed it with one final beer. The reflection was almost painful, I longed for home at that point. Made me want to hug my own friends who back in my jungle are so far away.
Cute girl to my right, felt her scanning me. Threw her a smile and we were introduced quickly. Saw two other males on the other side of her and tried to deduce her situation. I guess Jenny was drunk but I was unclear on to what extent, she began to playfully argue with me but like her state of intoxication the line between playful and downright belligerent was blurred. I started to reel it in because it is poor form to overwork a prospect while you're waiting for another girl. Also something about this one was setting off my Spidey Sense and I wasn't sure what. She introduced me to 'Dave' and 'Mike'. Why is a 30 something attractive girl traveling with two guys, both of which are in their 50s? I'm still unclear but the story continues.
I was just beginning to wonder if maybe I didn't remember what Nina looked like or something and she really was here. I did spot a very attractive girl with a few tattoos at the bar, I would be lucky enough to meet her later. Nina walked in a short time later. Looked fabulous again and I shook my head in disappointment at myself for thinking I could forget what this girl looked like. What a beauty. She went to get a drink and was chatting with the bartenders and she motioned for me to sit with two others already seated at a table towards the front. I waited for her and we went over, I met Shawn and Misty. Misty has a set of the most perfect breasts I've come across in recent memory, perfect blonde hair and hypnotizing eyes of grey/blue that are identifiable even from a distance. Shawn - later identified as her husband - has a Bic'd head and intense build. Combination of good looks and ass kicking power to bounce at a high profile club downtown (Chicago). At least that is what I would do if I was him. Would you believe this couple is an out of control singing duo as well? Well they are.
Next up was the tattooed girl at the bar. She came over to say hello to Nina then ended up sitting down. Heather has perfect skin and much of it is showing, tight jeans and a shy smile. She sat next to me and was playing the part of the out of towner, I could sense her quietness. I had to get out of the way for her to get it as seating was cramped and I parlayed this into a joke, she scoffed humorously at my politeness. Nina was absorbed in conversation with Misty so I worked hard to keep a conversation going to continue to integrate myself into the group and of course for the pure enjoyment of the company of yet another beautiful girl.
Karaoke began and I sang 'Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?' to some success, while Shawn was tackling obscure Journey tunes and everyone at the table was knocking out technical tracks with ease. Found another point to open on with Heather as she admitted she did not sing and was opposed to the idea, again too shy. Around this time I began to monitor Nina's mannerisms, she was still absorbed in conversation with Misty and Shawn and I could tell she was hardly aware I was there. I had half a thought I would get to chat one-on-one with her tonite as we did Tuesday but I realized that was out and she was likely not interested. I got comfortable and set out to enjoy the night with my ever expanding group of new friends.
More songs were sung all around - I got Nina to record me doing what I realize now is a quite out of tune version of 'After the Lovin'. Per my usual performance of that song I looked for a female close enough to engage visually and began to sing the song directly to her. A group of UK tourists was seated near the stage, with a single female, she smiled and enjoyed my small serenade. However for the final drawn out chorus I quickly turned like a gun turret towards one of her male comrades - much to the chagrin of both.
The table expanded like a Yorkshire pudding: Dave, at least 6'6 with a 10 gallon hat. Tito, hispanic with a fedora and all around nice gear. Mike, a pretty basic looking guy who probably looked older and more worn out then he actually had years. Nina actually asked me to switch seats with him and they had an upclose and personal conversation. I was getting boxed out all around, the table was getting too crowded and now I was sitting on the fringes. The girl I came to see had me play musical chairs to talk to some other guy and Heather had up and left with half a pitcher of beer sitting on the table and never returned. Confidence was taking a beating at this point so I quickly went to refuel with more whiskey.
There had been another singer announced as 'from Chicago'. Randy was in town on business and had been here many times before. He recognized many of the crew at my table and was idenfiying the good singers (his own aptitude was high). But the interesting thing is that like magnets, we had been drawn to each other not for gay attraction but for the fact that we are both predators of women and were there for that reason. I do not recall how the subject was broached but we both were soon talking in rapid fire pieces of recon regarding every girl in the room, our pupils perhaps dilated with the thrill of the hunt. I admitted that my situation was quickly disintegrating and he commented that at least I was meeting such a large group. I offered to buy a round of drinks and he accepted. I ordered another Heiniken for myself and two shots of Jameson. The bill: $19! The 'shots' were poured in rocks glasses sans ice and had to be nearly 2oz each. This got my engine started and we continued our sickening conversation when Nina came up to get a drink (Randy was seated next to a break in the bar where it was easy to get drinks). She seemed a bit more lubricated by the drinks now and sarcastically asked why I had deserted the table. I said that it seemed we had simply run out of room and she verbally worked me over in response, saying that if I wanted to integrate myself into their group and come back next year and sing with them again I should find room or make my own and integrate myself more deeply. If she only knew I had been tabulating names and sizing up every member of the group for hours. I followed her back and seated myself between her and Sophia, another new addition which Randy had already identified as another pro-level singer. A short time later Nina told me that Sophia had talked her into doing a song she did not feel comfortable with and that Sophia was going to sing harmony. The song was 'Alone' by Heart and of course they dominated it. And of course modest as Nina is, she cut down her own performance and said it was too challenging and she should not have sang it.
More new additions: met Jacob (who Nina initially mentioned "Who is that?" and Sophia said that he was a friend) and Rocky, a dark skinned Central or South American likely with intricate lines cut into his hair and sideburns. I had already planned to ditch the last bust at 11:50 PM and take a cab home at 2am close. Randy had already voluenteered to give me a ride and I thanked him profusely. So I bided my time, I had already sang 3 songs and the rotation now was over an hour long so I didn't bother with a fourth.
I must admit at this time I just felt plain homesick. As a game I would silently go around the table, counter-clockwise and repeat everyone's name mentally to test myself. Randy drew me aside and explained he had a prospect of his own: approx. 50 year old mixed Puerto Rican/French Canadian. Attactive and according to Randy - rich. He said he might have to leave but he would come back for me. I ran through the possibility of walking home 4 miles and some combination of the booze and everything else became overwhelming, I was ready to go now and considered quietly walking away. But besides the fact that they had been so nice to me I did not want to miss the opportunity to say goodbye to every person at that table and address each with their own names.
I got up to use the bathroom and opened the door, it was a 'one man' bathroom though it had both urinal and toilet so that two people could share if one felt comfortable enough to leave the door unlocked. We use the same system at the bar at home so I knew the deal. I walked in and approached the toilet and the guy at the urinal - who never looked up, mind you - commented 'nice singing up there'. I thanked him and he walked out. It struck me then that if he had looked up it was so quick it is amazing he could identify me. Then I realized this was Mike - one of Jenny's friends who I now identify as some kind of pimp. She had approached me and chatted me up before I hardly knew she was there. I am good looking but not that good looking. I do believe now that it is possible she is some kind of prostitute.
Someone on stage was tackling 'Wicked Game' by Chris Issak. I cannot remember how or why Jacob decided to talk to me though now sober I realize it is indeed because he is a spaz. He actually pulled me outside so that he could play me the version of the song by the band HIM. He played it through his iPhone and it did actually sound like a good rendition though I must admit while I was familiar I had never actually heard the band HIM before at all. Then with a preamble of 'check this one out!' he played me George Michael's 'Careless Whisper' by Seether. This was also well done and I told him so. I don't remember how we changed lanes conversationally so quickly but he told me then about how his brother worked at or managed a strip club and how breasts do not phase him. Only the sight of a vagina or a women's rear titillate him. I said well yes, you must be jaded to the sight of them and he loudly agreed. I could tolerate all this but his face was the face of a 'spaz'. I realize that term is outdated but I do still feel it is relevant. Nice guy, but a dork.
I returned to the table and before long Randy returned - he had crapped out on his prospect though he had exchanged info to link up at a later date. I told him I needed 5 minutes and he silently nodded and walked to his car. And I went around this giant combination of two tables, not attached, all filled with the same related group. Counter-clockwise and I had practiced.
Sophia, Dave, Tito (and his girlfriend who I had not been introduced to, but was now. Dolores, who had just graduated from college, I congratulated her and she smiled silently). Next was Mike, then Misty and Shawn. Misty was so warm even now, what a beautiful girl. Rocky was second to last and gave me the reaction that explains why I make it a point to remember names. When I said 'Take it easy Rocky, nice to meet you', his eyes lit up and he got out of his chair. He was incredulous that I had remembered his name.
Last up was Nina, how fitting. I thanked her so much for her awesome hospitality and told her how glad I was that we had met. As I left I told her to be well and not to change, that she was already perfect. She smiled and I waved goodbye.
Randy and I discussed the finer points of chasing girls as we cruised down I-Drive in his rented convertible. I remember when we were inside I told him that I could tell that like me he did not have eyes, he too was equipped with a set of laser beams that tune in on females. He told me something I'll never forget. He made reference to the (really lame) song 'Strokin' by Billy Squire. He said his version of it is 'Scopin' and he sang a stanza from the tune with the lyrical substitution. Laser beams, indeed.
I had him drop me off at CVS where I grabbed a frozen pizza and walked home. I put on 'The Evil that Men Do' and coated the cooked 'za with hot sauce and consumed it with one final beer. The reflection was almost painful, I longed for home at that point. Made me want to hug my own friends who back in my jungle are so far away.
2 days left
well last night was pretty wild and i have plenty of stories and also videos to share but i just got up and im pondering the fact that a) only 2 days left and b) i dont have anything to do in those 2 days. im also kind of excited at the fact that i dont have to spend anymore money or really even leave the property in my remaining time.
i guess this is the most hungover ive been anyday, part of that is because i stayed up till almost 2am (not that late by my own standards but late relative to my bedtimes this week) which in turn has me go back and realize that yes, i guess i was pretty drunk afterall when i review last night in my mind.
the last thing on my mind is that i have an issue with sunday morning. i have to be at the airport at 6am at the latest and im quite a ways from there, and the busses do not run that early in the AM. i am half tempted to stay saturday night somewhere closer to downtown so that if i have to take a cab it will be alot cheaper. also possible that i can find a hotel which has a free shuttle if its close enough to the airport. i can burn marriott or holiday inn points as well. been thinking about this all week and toying with ideas but had not decided, and i realize now i have to make a decision.
i guess this is the most hungover ive been anyday, part of that is because i stayed up till almost 2am (not that late by my own standards but late relative to my bedtimes this week) which in turn has me go back and realize that yes, i guess i was pretty drunk afterall when i review last night in my mind.
the last thing on my mind is that i have an issue with sunday morning. i have to be at the airport at 6am at the latest and im quite a ways from there, and the busses do not run that early in the AM. i am half tempted to stay saturday night somewhere closer to downtown so that if i have to take a cab it will be alot cheaper. also possible that i can find a hotel which has a free shuttle if its close enough to the airport. i can burn marriott or holiday inn points as well. been thinking about this all week and toying with ideas but had not decided, and i realize now i have to make a decision.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
thursday night pregame
trip to perfumeland was more tedious then expected but came up big. had my eye on this stuff for years, i owned a bottle probably 12 years ago or more and never saw it again.
of course they didnt have any of the smaller bottle they offered on the website so i had to get the big guy which ran me nearly $40 but its worth it, otherwise id have to go on ebay and pay for shipping. and more importantly i dont feel fully comfortable without a couple sprays of good cologne on me, when my gear is not completely fresh it hinders me mentally. no doubt i can get by without out and have successfully all week but its a good deal to have it on me now.
got my clothing laid out and another pot of black/red beans cooking now. looking at an 8:12 departure time to get back to the bar before 9pm. should be legendary. even if everything fell apart id just start from scratch and see what i can come up on. its getting difficult not to drink heiniken continuously. perhaps i will allow myself one more beer, i am becoming more and more immunne to alcohol this week and enjoying it more and more.
i threw down on a pair of nail clippers ($1.89). my nails had grown to a length unnacceptable to me and like a lack of cologne it hinders my game. normally id have one in my toiletries bag but i did not bring it since i only carried on. feeling much better and certainly looking better now but since the clipper is such a cheap, lightweight piece of crap on the 2nd clip the whole thing swiveled and slipped in my hand it ripped at the nail and felt like a vice grips attached to the back of a truck hit the gas pedal. i dropped the clipper and cursed loudly but recovered, it did not actually detach the nail. my nails are so strong, white and healthy like my bowel movements an indicator of my excellent health due to this vacation, i think.
of course they didnt have any of the smaller bottle they offered on the website so i had to get the big guy which ran me nearly $40 but its worth it, otherwise id have to go on ebay and pay for shipping. and more importantly i dont feel fully comfortable without a couple sprays of good cologne on me, when my gear is not completely fresh it hinders me mentally. no doubt i can get by without out and have successfully all week but its a good deal to have it on me now.
got my clothing laid out and another pot of black/red beans cooking now. looking at an 8:12 departure time to get back to the bar before 9pm. should be legendary. even if everything fell apart id just start from scratch and see what i can come up on. its getting difficult not to drink heiniken continuously. perhaps i will allow myself one more beer, i am becoming more and more immunne to alcohol this week and enjoying it more and more.
i threw down on a pair of nail clippers ($1.89). my nails had grown to a length unnacceptable to me and like a lack of cologne it hinders my game. normally id have one in my toiletries bag but i did not bring it since i only carried on. feeling much better and certainly looking better now but since the clipper is such a cheap, lightweight piece of crap on the 2nd clip the whole thing swiveled and slipped in my hand it ripped at the nail and felt like a vice grips attached to the back of a truck hit the gas pedal. i dropped the clipper and cursed loudly but recovered, it did not actually detach the nail. my nails are so strong, white and healthy like my bowel movements an indicator of my excellent health due to this vacation, i think.
catch some rays
every night i sleep like a champion. when i wake up, i commence a legendary bowel movement of great quality and quantity. my body has repaired itself such that my metabolism excels on a level only usually seen in Olympic athletes, laboratory experiments and fictional fairy tales.
i ate a grapefruit on the porch then ate a ham and cheese sandwich with hot sauce on it. i went down to the pool and laid out to try and even out my horrible tan. i laid on my back with my head covered and no sunglasses on and listened to all of 'kaiser von powderhorn II' by prof and half of 'recession music' (prof and st. paul slim). then i took a dip in the pool, leveled out my chaise lounge and laid on my gut in the time it took to listen to about half of foreign legion's 'kidnappervan' instrumentals (produced by dj design). ive been listening to that album for so many years the beats are aligned with my DNA i think. ive only been listening to prof for a couple months but this week ive really gotten to know the mixtapes better and better.
i didnt want to overdo it so i probably did 40 minutes on my back and 20 on my front. im going to wait a while and see if any sort of color comes into focus then go back out midday if necessary. in the meantime i am drinking a heiniken and about to have some beans and rice. then im going to go to publix and also perfumeland. nothing else planned for today, just back to karaoke tonite which is going to be fucking awesome.
i ate a grapefruit on the porch then ate a ham and cheese sandwich with hot sauce on it. i went down to the pool and laid out to try and even out my horrible tan. i laid on my back with my head covered and no sunglasses on and listened to all of 'kaiser von powderhorn II' by prof and half of 'recession music' (prof and st. paul slim). then i took a dip in the pool, leveled out my chaise lounge and laid on my gut in the time it took to listen to about half of foreign legion's 'kidnappervan' instrumentals (produced by dj design). ive been listening to that album for so many years the beats are aligned with my DNA i think. ive only been listening to prof for a couple months but this week ive really gotten to know the mixtapes better and better.
i didnt want to overdo it so i probably did 40 minutes on my back and 20 on my front. im going to wait a while and see if any sort of color comes into focus then go back out midday if necessary. in the meantime i am drinking a heiniken and about to have some beans and rice. then im going to go to publix and also perfumeland. nothing else planned for today, just back to karaoke tonite which is going to be fucking awesome.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
having trouble getting drunk
so i took a shower after my long day, edited the video below over a few beers and threw on the 'death with III' dvd. started feeling sleepy and knew that if i did not go downstairs and get some hard liquor in me id fall asleep.
went down to familliar bartender manny (i started calling him manolo in reference to scarface on monday i was so drunk) and got to work on a double jameson.
rewinding - as i walked out my door there was a lady and a man standing in the hallway and one commented 'so they serve heiniken here?' as i was drinking one as i walked downstairs. this is a multi year ritual as i carry a beer downstairs with me on the way to the bar/pool/hot tub. ill guzzle as i walk downstairs and discard it in a garbage can on the way. i joked in response to the strangers in the hallway 'they do....in here', referencing my front door. the lady commented 'they serve jack in here, but that will be gone before long'. looking back i should have introduced myself but i was caught off guard so i just carried on.
i got down to the bar as previous mentioned and the fella that i saw with the glass of jack in the hallway ended up sitting down next to me. i could tell from his accent that he was not only from new york but from long island...i was correct. he was drinking double jack and cokes, similar (outrageous) cost as my own cocktail. we carried on about life in general and when my drink was drained i asked for a sam adams as $9.75/drink is a bit steep for my budget. rob (the new yorkers name) insisted on buying me another one and of course i graciously accepted.
i ordered some wings a short time later and offered me some. he disclosed that he was 'in construction', i met his wife gloria (an attractive asian) and his daughter bella on their way back from the game room (where they have apparently been fleeing rob for money everyday, addicted to the machines that spew tickets which may be bartered for rubbish).
i bought his final drink and we carried on well past close. manolo is going on a 10 day vacation so we bid our farewells until next year. he did tell me that matt - a long time favorite bartender ive been missing this year - is indeed still employed and works thurs-sat so ill be seeing him after all. i write up matt on the comment card every year for his awesome skills and service and promised manolo a similar treatment. good guys all around
went down to familliar bartender manny (i started calling him manolo in reference to scarface on monday i was so drunk) and got to work on a double jameson.
rewinding - as i walked out my door there was a lady and a man standing in the hallway and one commented 'so they serve heiniken here?' as i was drinking one as i walked downstairs. this is a multi year ritual as i carry a beer downstairs with me on the way to the bar/pool/hot tub. ill guzzle as i walk downstairs and discard it in a garbage can on the way. i joked in response to the strangers in the hallway 'they do....in here', referencing my front door. the lady commented 'they serve jack in here, but that will be gone before long'. looking back i should have introduced myself but i was caught off guard so i just carried on.
i got down to the bar as previous mentioned and the fella that i saw with the glass of jack in the hallway ended up sitting down next to me. i could tell from his accent that he was not only from new york but from long island...i was correct. he was drinking double jack and cokes, similar (outrageous) cost as my own cocktail. we carried on about life in general and when my drink was drained i asked for a sam adams as $9.75/drink is a bit steep for my budget. rob (the new yorkers name) insisted on buying me another one and of course i graciously accepted.
i ordered some wings a short time later and offered me some. he disclosed that he was 'in construction', i met his wife gloria (an attractive asian) and his daughter bella on their way back from the game room (where they have apparently been fleeing rob for money everyday, addicted to the machines that spew tickets which may be bartered for rubbish).
i bought his final drink and we carried on well past close. manolo is going on a 10 day vacation so we bid our farewells until next year. he did tell me that matt - a long time favorite bartender ive been missing this year - is indeed still employed and works thurs-sat so ill be seeing him after all. i write up matt on the comment card every year for his awesome skills and service and promised manolo a similar treatment. good guys all around
17 mile bike ride video
My camera mount only cost like $3 with free shipping, its pretty chintzy but there is one major flaw which I did not understand but now do and can correct, apologies for the shakiness as a result, I had to ditch some footage because it was just too annoying to watch. My GPS battery went dead (that mount was nice but also required modification) a mile or two before my destination.
Fat Boys BBQ was pretty awesome. Service was top notch, I had all you can eat chicken. They just keep on bringing you meat and sides until you give up. I had 7 pieces of chicken and doubled up on all my sides (BBQ beans, green beans), also had a baked sweet potato and an order of fries. And 4 pieces of garlic bread. Their sauce was pretty good however they pointed out that one was sweet and one was 'regular'. Both were very sweet, the regular however was actually quite fruity, I swear they had a raspberry component in there. But no hate here - I have been using guava paste and raspberry jam in my own sauce for years. I was becoming tempted to ask for some hot sauce however, no heat to speak of. Chicken was very good, excellent smoke flavor. The ride back was a bit harsh, the heat started really getting to me. I drank nearly 2 liters of water all told, my energy was good but I was sweating so damn much, the sun was really beating down. The bike is designed in an attempt at super ergonomics and I felt it was odd if you tried to pedal aggressively at all, standing up and pedaling is totally impossible and pulling up the handlebars to go off a curb is as well. Next time I'll get the road bike for sure. The guys were super cool and gave me a bunch of 10% off business cards. I looked at the Cannondale road bike they rent, its $1300 retail and weighs only 21oz!
I protected my neck and bald head with bandanas to good results but I lobstered my arms badly. I am actually going to have to lie in the sun tomorrow for a short period to attempt to even out a little, even got a hint of raccoon style on my face from sunglasses, I'm such an asshole.
Bought alkalines assuming my rechargeables would deny me again, of course today they recorded like 25 minutes of video plus pics and are still running, makes no sense.
On my second beer now, video is edited, rendered and converted to FLV, uploading now. 8% uploaded, as soon as its done I am going downstairs to chill in the hottub and/or bar. Did a bunch of laundry, last bits are drying now. What a day.
Oh, another good story. First of all, today really drove home a point I already realized: Central Florida is full of the ugliest people on the planet. I hate ugly people, men or women. Don't want to be around them. Look at them. Anything. It's such an old stereotype but so true, you cannot believe the amount of fanny packs you see around here. I would rather put my wallet and keys in my urethra then in a fanny pack.
This fact is compounded by the variety of obscure races and nationalities all around you here. I'm not racist, I don't care where you're from but it would indeed seem that many nationalities are naturally fucking ugly. Large Brazillian contingent around here. Came across some other people speaking languages that I do not recognize at all, and I'm from Chicago and I've been to New York and I'm worldly enough to know. Who are these people?
Anyways so I was sitting waiting for the 56 bus to take me to Celebration surrounded by ugly people (to prove I'm not racist: most of them were white. Americans are by far the ugliest people of all). The clothing choices - and then setting off those choices with a fanny pack, often leather - is shocking even after days of it. Another bus pulled up (this is a 'Super Stop', its full of Disney and Lynx buses, constantly arriving and departing). Two girls jumped off the bus and sat down at the table I was at. One of them sat down so close to me I almost jumped. Both of them were very attractive, I'm torn if they were German or Swedes. The one who was not sitting right next to me looked like a supermodel and put on a pair of sunglasses that had to be 5" in diameter for each lens. Ridicolous.
So the one that is sitting next to me was very close, of course I'm not going to let her get away with that. She did actually look worn out from the sun, I didn't realize at this point she was foreign but I could tell she was not from Florida. I said something like 'is the heat beating you down?' and she looked at me puzzled like a puppy who has shit on the rug when you reprimand him. I actually got scared, I did not want to waste this opportunity. My mind raced so I just motioned to the world in general and said 'Hot'. This she understood - she nodded her head and said 'yes, yes, hot'. She was yammering in her language to her friend (who was very standoffish, as you should be in super diameter sunglasses) and I asked if they were German. She said no. I started to run through all my other guesses and some douche bag tried to cut in on my action. One of his guesses (after I had already asked about Holland, Sweden and Norway) was 'Scandinavian'. Indeed - and I am a North American. Fucking idiot.
So I'm trying to tolerate this guy and work these girls at the same time, and the bus could arrive at any moment. She got my attention and pointed to a carving on the table (I photo'd it in the previous post) and asked if I had written it (she was kidding). I said no, I am not Russian (what it looked like to me). She laughed and agreed it was indeed Russian and made some broken comment about Russian (or Russians) being 'bad'. I laughed and agreed (Commie bastards!).
About this time another guy who was sitting on a bench about 6' away says slowly in a syrupy drawl 'how y'all doing?' to the girls. All three of us laughed immediately. First of all, you don't hit on girls from a distance of 6'. Second of all, his drawl was awful and definitely laughable. He was also probably 50 (the girls were younger than me). They amped up their foreign language yammering and were laughing at this guy, I was too. At one point I playfully poked the arm of the girl sitting next to me and said 'what are you laughing at?', we both knew and she laughed even harder. The guy actually got up and walked away, mission aborted.
Fat Boys BBQ was pretty awesome. Service was top notch, I had all you can eat chicken. They just keep on bringing you meat and sides until you give up. I had 7 pieces of chicken and doubled up on all my sides (BBQ beans, green beans), also had a baked sweet potato and an order of fries. And 4 pieces of garlic bread. Their sauce was pretty good however they pointed out that one was sweet and one was 'regular'. Both were very sweet, the regular however was actually quite fruity, I swear they had a raspberry component in there. But no hate here - I have been using guava paste and raspberry jam in my own sauce for years. I was becoming tempted to ask for some hot sauce however, no heat to speak of. Chicken was very good, excellent smoke flavor. The ride back was a bit harsh, the heat started really getting to me. I drank nearly 2 liters of water all told, my energy was good but I was sweating so damn much, the sun was really beating down. The bike is designed in an attempt at super ergonomics and I felt it was odd if you tried to pedal aggressively at all, standing up and pedaling is totally impossible and pulling up the handlebars to go off a curb is as well. Next time I'll get the road bike for sure. The guys were super cool and gave me a bunch of 10% off business cards. I looked at the Cannondale road bike they rent, its $1300 retail and weighs only 21oz!
I protected my neck and bald head with bandanas to good results but I lobstered my arms badly. I am actually going to have to lie in the sun tomorrow for a short period to attempt to even out a little, even got a hint of raccoon style on my face from sunglasses, I'm such an asshole.
Bought alkalines assuming my rechargeables would deny me again, of course today they recorded like 25 minutes of video plus pics and are still running, makes no sense.
On my second beer now, video is edited, rendered and converted to FLV, uploading now. 8% uploaded, as soon as its done I am going downstairs to chill in the hottub and/or bar. Did a bunch of laundry, last bits are drying now. What a day.
Oh, another good story. First of all, today really drove home a point I already realized: Central Florida is full of the ugliest people on the planet. I hate ugly people, men or women. Don't want to be around them. Look at them. Anything. It's such an old stereotype but so true, you cannot believe the amount of fanny packs you see around here. I would rather put my wallet and keys in my urethra then in a fanny pack.
This fact is compounded by the variety of obscure races and nationalities all around you here. I'm not racist, I don't care where you're from but it would indeed seem that many nationalities are naturally fucking ugly. Large Brazillian contingent around here. Came across some other people speaking languages that I do not recognize at all, and I'm from Chicago and I've been to New York and I'm worldly enough to know. Who are these people?
Anyways so I was sitting waiting for the 56 bus to take me to Celebration surrounded by ugly people (to prove I'm not racist: most of them were white. Americans are by far the ugliest people of all). The clothing choices - and then setting off those choices with a fanny pack, often leather - is shocking even after days of it. Another bus pulled up (this is a 'Super Stop', its full of Disney and Lynx buses, constantly arriving and departing). Two girls jumped off the bus and sat down at the table I was at. One of them sat down so close to me I almost jumped. Both of them were very attractive, I'm torn if they were German or Swedes. The one who was not sitting right next to me looked like a supermodel and put on a pair of sunglasses that had to be 5" in diameter for each lens. Ridicolous.
So the one that is sitting next to me was very close, of course I'm not going to let her get away with that. She did actually look worn out from the sun, I didn't realize at this point she was foreign but I could tell she was not from Florida. I said something like 'is the heat beating you down?' and she looked at me puzzled like a puppy who has shit on the rug when you reprimand him. I actually got scared, I did not want to waste this opportunity. My mind raced so I just motioned to the world in general and said 'Hot'. This she understood - she nodded her head and said 'yes, yes, hot'. She was yammering in her language to her friend (who was very standoffish, as you should be in super diameter sunglasses) and I asked if they were German. She said no. I started to run through all my other guesses and some douche bag tried to cut in on my action. One of his guesses (after I had already asked about Holland, Sweden and Norway) was 'Scandinavian'. Indeed - and I am a North American. Fucking idiot.
So I'm trying to tolerate this guy and work these girls at the same time, and the bus could arrive at any moment. She got my attention and pointed to a carving on the table (I photo'd it in the previous post) and asked if I had written it (she was kidding). I said no, I am not Russian (what it looked like to me). She laughed and agreed it was indeed Russian and made some broken comment about Russian (or Russians) being 'bad'. I laughed and agreed (Commie bastards!).
About this time another guy who was sitting on a bench about 6' away says slowly in a syrupy drawl 'how y'all doing?' to the girls. All three of us laughed immediately. First of all, you don't hit on girls from a distance of 6'. Second of all, his drawl was awful and definitely laughable. He was also probably 50 (the girls were younger than me). They amped up their foreign language yammering and were laughing at this guy, I was too. At one point I playfully poked the arm of the girl sitting next to me and said 'what are you laughing at?', we both knew and she laughed even harder. The guy actually got up and walked away, mission aborted.
Bike Ride Completed
All told was gone over 6 hours. Just got back, feel like I got worked over with pipes and bats. Exhausting day but fun. Took tons of videos, editing now, here are some pics for now.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Karaoke: Case the Joint
So I walked into O'Shucks tonite to see what was going on over there. The competition was fierce: all real deal, legitimate singers. Sound quality was perfect, a giant monitor 2' away on the stage provided excellent audio to the performer.
I walked in and ordered a drink: out of Jameson (arghhh) I settled for a Johnny Red (rocks). I put in the slip for my first song ('September Morn') and took a seat, wearing a smile, looking for my 'in'. There were more then a few single girls walking in and rather then keep my eyes on them, I monitored for other hunters like myself zeroing in. I saw nothing.
I already figured that my best 'in' would be at the end of a song (my own or someone elses), it is standard karaoke manners to congratulate ('nice job') the person walking off stage. I knew I could very quickly parlay this into an introduction. I got my chance as soon as I finished my first song and met a couple: Christina and 'Pushy'. They introduced me to their friend, a young lady named Nina. I had just watched her sing 'Before he Cheats' by Carrie Underwood and her skills were blatant, she toyed with the song, made it her own, embellished it. I'm talking about vibrato that was obscene. Equally as important, she was a 10, easy. Brunette, light American Indian features, super tight jeans, slim, and a purple flannel shirt cinched at the waist and unbuttoned up top with perfect cleavage that revealed itself occasionally. There is no sense in working too hard on a girl like this, either you have no chance or if you do, making steps towards it will always backfire. Just be polite, smile and see what happens.
I pulled up a chair a bit awkwardly into their group, as I now knew their names and I could tell they were regulars I wanted to continue to build our relationship. That sounds silly, I'm not talking about marrying a bunch of strangers but this is how you succeed in far away social situations. I started to feel a bit boxed out and was having trouble entering into their conversation. I especially wanted to engage Nina but could barely get a word in. No problem, relax, smile and bide your time.
The night progressed and before long she was engaging me unsolicited. Getting positive response I returned and carefully measured my responses but stayed relaxed and natural. Before long I told this girl that the bar was full of a bunch of idiots: I could see plenty of guys alone, sitting at the bar, staring into their pint while she (and others) was sitting alone and easily the best looking girl in the room. She said that she had been told that she was 'unapproachable'. I said whoever told you that is a liar, and that I didn't care even if it was the case, I don't take face value negative response to heart, I need a verbal 'no' to back off. I could actually see other males sitting alone, doing nothing, making no effort to engage females and I'm sitting here, first time, out of town, been here 45 minutes and I'm all alone with the most stunning girl in the place.
Eventually Christina and Pushy left. I swapped seats so I was sitting next to her and we talked and talked about our backgrounds. She is from Pennsylvania but has lived in Orlando for three years. She has been a professional singer in resturants, on cruise ships and is currently in a gigging band. She was an understudy for the part of Mimi in 'Rent' and got her shot at two nights in Chicago when the star lost her voice.
I asked if she planned to come back at all during the week to sing again. She told me blatantly that I should just demand that she come back on a certain night. Yes friends, that is 'positive response' as I define it. I'll be back at 9pm on Thursday and just before I left I asked if she knew 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers', the duet by Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand. I've wanted desperately to sing this with a female for ages but obviously Babs part is difficult (Neil's is notoriously easy and perfectly within my wheelhouse). I do want to sing with her, and I want to sing a romantic song such as this with her. And I want an excuse to video the performance to prove that I was able to engage such a specimen of physical beauty, worldliness and ability as a performer. She said she didn't know it. My heart sank. She asked if she should learn it before Thursday and I said yes. This should be interesting.
I had Nina video me doing 'And When I Die' but of course the fucking batteries died, even though they were charged and I had taken a total of 1 picture so far (below). I'll be picking up some alkalines today, this is getting out of hand. Worse yet, I could see her off stage trying to get the thing to work and I didn't understand what was wrong, she said she felt terrible that it didn't record and was worried that she somehow broke it. Plus when it died, the lens was extended so I had to have it in my pocket like that all night. Piece of shit batteries.
I walked in and ordered a drink: out of Jameson (arghhh) I settled for a Johnny Red (rocks). I put in the slip for my first song ('September Morn') and took a seat, wearing a smile, looking for my 'in'. There were more then a few single girls walking in and rather then keep my eyes on them, I monitored for other hunters like myself zeroing in. I saw nothing.
I already figured that my best 'in' would be at the end of a song (my own or someone elses), it is standard karaoke manners to congratulate ('nice job') the person walking off stage. I knew I could very quickly parlay this into an introduction. I got my chance as soon as I finished my first song and met a couple: Christina and 'Pushy'. They introduced me to their friend, a young lady named Nina. I had just watched her sing 'Before he Cheats' by Carrie Underwood and her skills were blatant, she toyed with the song, made it her own, embellished it. I'm talking about vibrato that was obscene. Equally as important, she was a 10, easy. Brunette, light American Indian features, super tight jeans, slim, and a purple flannel shirt cinched at the waist and unbuttoned up top with perfect cleavage that revealed itself occasionally. There is no sense in working too hard on a girl like this, either you have no chance or if you do, making steps towards it will always backfire. Just be polite, smile and see what happens.
I pulled up a chair a bit awkwardly into their group, as I now knew their names and I could tell they were regulars I wanted to continue to build our relationship. That sounds silly, I'm not talking about marrying a bunch of strangers but this is how you succeed in far away social situations. I started to feel a bit boxed out and was having trouble entering into their conversation. I especially wanted to engage Nina but could barely get a word in. No problem, relax, smile and bide your time.
The night progressed and before long she was engaging me unsolicited. Getting positive response I returned and carefully measured my responses but stayed relaxed and natural. Before long I told this girl that the bar was full of a bunch of idiots: I could see plenty of guys alone, sitting at the bar, staring into their pint while she (and others) was sitting alone and easily the best looking girl in the room. She said that she had been told that she was 'unapproachable'. I said whoever told you that is a liar, and that I didn't care even if it was the case, I don't take face value negative response to heart, I need a verbal 'no' to back off. I could actually see other males sitting alone, doing nothing, making no effort to engage females and I'm sitting here, first time, out of town, been here 45 minutes and I'm all alone with the most stunning girl in the place.
Eventually Christina and Pushy left. I swapped seats so I was sitting next to her and we talked and talked about our backgrounds. She is from Pennsylvania but has lived in Orlando for three years. She has been a professional singer in resturants, on cruise ships and is currently in a gigging band. She was an understudy for the part of Mimi in 'Rent' and got her shot at two nights in Chicago when the star lost her voice.
I asked if she planned to come back at all during the week to sing again. She told me blatantly that I should just demand that she come back on a certain night. Yes friends, that is 'positive response' as I define it. I'll be back at 9pm on Thursday and just before I left I asked if she knew 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers', the duet by Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand. I've wanted desperately to sing this with a female for ages but obviously Babs part is difficult (Neil's is notoriously easy and perfectly within my wheelhouse). I do want to sing with her, and I want to sing a romantic song such as this with her. And I want an excuse to video the performance to prove that I was able to engage such a specimen of physical beauty, worldliness and ability as a performer. She said she didn't know it. My heart sank. She asked if she should learn it before Thursday and I said yes. This should be interesting.
I had Nina video me doing 'And When I Die' but of course the fucking batteries died, even though they were charged and I had taken a total of 1 picture so far (below). I'll be picking up some alkalines today, this is getting out of hand. Worse yet, I could see her off stage trying to get the thing to work and I didn't understand what was wrong, she said she felt terrible that it didn't record and was worried that she somehow broke it. Plus when it died, the lens was extended so I had to have it in my pocket like that all night. Piece of shit batteries.
Lounging
Went to bed around 2am. Had to get up at 7:30am at the latest but woke up shortly after 6 as I was dying of thirst. Ran up a $65 tab at the bar not counting the beers I drained in my villa. Met a girl, wrote an extensive post about it and realized I don't need to share some parts of my life. Suffice to say I'm a predator of women and largely successful in my hunts. But sometimes you come across prey that ends up getting out of the line of fire of my laser beams, tuned on on getting it in. I've written vacation journals for years, for myself. I decided on the flight here I wanted to do that again. I had such loose or non-existant plans for this year so I figured if I chronicled it formally it would lend some kind of meaning to the whole thing. The blog is just an easy way to go about it and of course it is public. So I decided to reel back the story of last night. Some girls are prey and you get a handful of truly unique moments in life (if your lucky) that supercede that. I was watching a commercial for some dating website today and just shook my head in disappointment as the endorser spoke of not 'clicking' with some of the girls he had met on a competitor's website. 'Clicking' isn't a mathematical formula. That guy is a tool and while he was better looking then me I laugh at his fictional lack of success. My smile is a weapon. My words are poison.
I went to the sales presentation on those few hours of sleep and I was tuning the guy out so badly, thinking of sleep/food and recounting the night before, his droning was just white noise at times and I had to snap myself out of it. Got out of there, grabbed my $100 and headed home. Made a large pot of mixed red and black beans and ate a load of that and a larger load of rice. Drank the last beer in the fridge and went back to bed around noon, took a nap until about 4. Laid around, watched 'The Princess Bride' and a bunch of shows about prison breaks on NatGeo. Just walked to CVS and bought more Heiniken and a bottle of hot sauce as my beans are kind of bland. Something about not having home court advantage, my normal kitchen tools or maybe my kitchen is so filthy at home that it seasons my food.
Going to probably get out of here around 9pm and head down to karaoke at O'Shucks. The bus will take me from doorstep to doorstep but the last bus is at 11:50pm which sucks. I'd like to stay longer but I'm not going to take a cab since I'm sure I'll be taking one this weekend and closing the bar then. Got to watch expenses.
Going to eat some more rice and beans and start drinking soon, shower up and jump into something fresh. Wish I had fucking cologne, my natural pheromones will have to suffice.
I went to the sales presentation on those few hours of sleep and I was tuning the guy out so badly, thinking of sleep/food and recounting the night before, his droning was just white noise at times and I had to snap myself out of it. Got out of there, grabbed my $100 and headed home. Made a large pot of mixed red and black beans and ate a load of that and a larger load of rice. Drank the last beer in the fridge and went back to bed around noon, took a nap until about 4. Laid around, watched 'The Princess Bride' and a bunch of shows about prison breaks on NatGeo. Just walked to CVS and bought more Heiniken and a bottle of hot sauce as my beans are kind of bland. Something about not having home court advantage, my normal kitchen tools or maybe my kitchen is so filthy at home that it seasons my food.
Going to probably get out of here around 9pm and head down to karaoke at O'Shucks. The bus will take me from doorstep to doorstep but the last bus is at 11:50pm which sucks. I'd like to stay longer but I'm not going to take a cab since I'm sure I'll be taking one this weekend and closing the bar then. Got to watch expenses.
Going to eat some more rice and beans and start drinking soon, shower up and jump into something fresh. Wish I had fucking cologne, my natural pheromones will have to suffice.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Bike Rental
I had been planning for a while to rent a bike but I was unclear...why. I considered renting one for the whole week, so I always had it at my disposal. I considered renting it for a couple days (to save money) and lately I had been thinking about getting it for a specific purpose and when I'm done bringing it right back.
I had a rough plan to visit downtown and ride up there for karaoke, general intoxication and maybe a decent place for dinner. But I am so far southwest of downtown that it would be nearly a 50 mile round trip (I'd stay the night out there in a hotel and break it into two days).
Once I decided I had no reason to go downtown (karaoke had been the main influencer) I looked at other options. I already knew that Evolve Cycles in Celebration was to be the place to rent, it is about 8 miles away but the cheapest and closest. So I looked at what there is to do in Celebration...not much. Then I started looking at nearby cities. I looked into any beer related locations (breweries/brewpubs) then remembered, oh yeah, I've already dominated central Florida's (and other regions as well) beer scene.
The only nearby city I could find that was neither too close nor too far was Kissimmee. So I relegated myself to a meal being the 'event' for traveling to. I found a couple places but distance is an issue. I can hit city limits in under 5 miles, that is too short of a trip. I have ridden home from work more then a few times at 10 miles one way and its not even a challenge. Then again 20 miles one way would probably be too much when I hit the return side.
So I found this place at about 8 miles one way. Perfect. Thinking about doing this Wednesday, the bike shop opens at 10 but its going to take almost 90 minutes to get there because the trip distance is doubled; it begins with my old friend link 111 but going all the way to some kind of ticketing center 30 minutes away (but only 2 stops between!) as a half way point.
If I leave around 8am, I'll get there at 10. The 8 miles to Fat Boys should take maybe 45 minutes. If I'm early, I'll cruise around. I bought a handlebar mount for both my GPS (good for the 'crusing around' part) and also a camera mount to document this trip. I'm going to call the bike shop tomorrow to check availability and make a reservation for possibly Wednesday.
I had a rough plan to visit downtown and ride up there for karaoke, general intoxication and maybe a decent place for dinner. But I am so far southwest of downtown that it would be nearly a 50 mile round trip (I'd stay the night out there in a hotel and break it into two days).
Once I decided I had no reason to go downtown (karaoke had been the main influencer) I looked at other options. I already knew that Evolve Cycles in Celebration was to be the place to rent, it is about 8 miles away but the cheapest and closest. So I looked at what there is to do in Celebration...not much. Then I started looking at nearby cities. I looked into any beer related locations (breweries/brewpubs) then remembered, oh yeah, I've already dominated central Florida's (and other regions as well) beer scene.
The only nearby city I could find that was neither too close nor too far was Kissimmee. So I relegated myself to a meal being the 'event' for traveling to. I found a couple places but distance is an issue. I can hit city limits in under 5 miles, that is too short of a trip. I have ridden home from work more then a few times at 10 miles one way and its not even a challenge. Then again 20 miles one way would probably be too much when I hit the return side.
So I found this place at about 8 miles one way. Perfect. Thinking about doing this Wednesday, the bike shop opens at 10 but its going to take almost 90 minutes to get there because the trip distance is doubled; it begins with my old friend link 111 but going all the way to some kind of ticketing center 30 minutes away (but only 2 stops between!) as a half way point.
If I leave around 8am, I'll get there at 10. The 8 miles to Fat Boys should take maybe 45 minutes. If I'm early, I'll cruise around. I bought a handlebar mount for both my GPS (good for the 'crusing around' part) and also a camera mount to document this trip. I'm going to call the bike shop tomorrow to check availability and make a reservation for possibly Wednesday.
Karaoke
So one of my biggest plans this year was to go to some local bars. Then I figured that since I enjoy karaoke I would test myself to see if I could hold my own in another state, when I had no friends around. I'm confident, so I started to look into places in town.
I came across this place first. Their website has some conflicting information; in some places it says Wednesday and others it says Thursday. I called numerous times today to get a clarification - no one answered! So I emailed, no response. I finally did get through and they said Wednesday.
Part of the deal on this was that since I was thinking about renting a bike, I thought maybe I would ride their and get a hotel. But its 20 miles which is a bit far. I could handle that, but it is also 8 more miles from the bike shop. 30 miles in a day is pushing it, I might be a bit beat down. Combined with the bad service I was receiving (the girl was a bit terse on the phone as well) I decided to look elsewhere.
I was starting to wonder about renting a bike at all, if I wanted to bother. Then I found a place so perfect I don't know how it didn't come up weeks ago in my initial searches. They have karaoke EVERY NIGHT which is unreal and it's only 4 miles away, link 42 will take me right there! My plan is to go once before the weekend then again on Friday and/or Saturday and if I close the bar on one of those nights I can take a cab for cheap since its so close. The DJ has her own website (excellent) and a periphery check of her list (over 12,000 songs!!!) has all my standards. I'm going to kill it up there! Lets see how many friends I can make.
I came across this place first. Their website has some conflicting information; in some places it says Wednesday and others it says Thursday. I called numerous times today to get a clarification - no one answered! So I emailed, no response. I finally did get through and they said Wednesday.
Part of the deal on this was that since I was thinking about renting a bike, I thought maybe I would ride their and get a hotel. But its 20 miles which is a bit far. I could handle that, but it is also 8 more miles from the bike shop. 30 miles in a day is pushing it, I might be a bit beat down. Combined with the bad service I was receiving (the girl was a bit terse on the phone as well) I decided to look elsewhere.
I was starting to wonder about renting a bike at all, if I wanted to bother. Then I found a place so perfect I don't know how it didn't come up weeks ago in my initial searches. They have karaoke EVERY NIGHT which is unreal and it's only 4 miles away, link 42 will take me right there! My plan is to go once before the weekend then again on Friday and/or Saturday and if I close the bar on one of those nights I can take a cab for cheap since its so close. The DJ has her own website (excellent) and a periphery check of her list (over 12,000 songs!!!) has all my standards. I'm going to kill it up there! Lets see how many friends I can make.
A Taste of Home?
Link 42 is ultra convienent: pick up and drop off are 100' from origin/destination. Got lots of grub but who could resist this? It is not possible to travel far from Chicago without having something 'Chicago-Style' offered to you. It is actually quite good however. Super chewy and lightly dry crust and pillowy soft interior.
Big name grocery stores often are measured by a standard of off-cuts of meat, for me. If you are lucky you can find a smoked turkey neck of wing. Slightly more fortunate: a neck, maybe a ham hock. And what did I find?
Local (Tampa) smoked pork necks? Encore! I also grabbed some smoked sausage (not kielbasa!) from Atlanta. Going to make black/red beans and rice tomorrow and I'll have plenty of eat for the rest of the week.
Right now going to make some simple pasta (jar sauce) then commence to drink. Have to get up early for the sales presentation (and my $100 'paycheck') which I will use to launch me into my day early - back on the bus by 9am. To where, not yet sure. They had a good beer selection and an outrageous wine selection but not a single bottle of real liquor. I require Jameson or at least some scotch soon but I assume state law prevented them from carrying it. However, plan B makes more sense: with the cornucopia of food and the few restaurants I want to hit up (Mellow Mushroom, Middle Eastern Deli and Tu Casa) I probably won't eat much if at all here in the resort. I'll have to waste the $100 I have from last year on $5/shot whiskey. Going to have a few beers after dinner then go down to the hot tub and bar to patrol for foolish women and damage my liver and brain.
3oz toiletries and grocery shopping
So I stopped at the local store (at home) before I left to pick up a 3oz deodorant. I already had a bunch of small tubes of toothpaste. Usually I check a bag and therefore do not worry about such things but this time around I decided to continue my frugality (not acquiring a rental car) and smash my belongings into a duffle bag and my messenger bag. They only had ladies deodorant (Degree), it kind of just smells like baby powder. And I've long been disgusted with 'manly' scented things (besides cologne). I always buy the most girly body wash I can find, perhaps these things are to blame for my being so irresistible to the opposite sex.
But I also came across small containers of Gold Bond powder. I use regular Johnson's Baby Powder at home in copious amounts on my dick, balls and shoveled/thrown into my ass crack. The long running joke is that when a woman dares to disrobe me it is like an airbag going off. I have always been intrigued by the Gold Bond and heard plenty of stories from friends. I just completed my first application and my balls are ice cold and its bordering on scary.
I am very tired of being hungry with limited or no options available so I am finally going to to the grocery store. For the 100th time I tried to figure out the best way to go about it, there are two Publix nearby but both would be nearly 3 mile round trips. However I had a revelation regarding link 42 today and realized that it does indeed travel all the way up/down Westwood, link 111 is not my only option. I have always shopped at the Publix on Central Florida Parkway but no more; today I shall shop at a different location at which the bus will deposit me directly. In 30 minutes the next shall arrive and I'll be waiting. I assembled a list on one of my bus rides today and I'm ready to eat proper cooking in proper amounts rather then $9 sandwiches from the airport, TV dinners of portions only fit for a child, processed pizza containing red #5 and fast food prepared by mongoloids with hands previously exploring places that I do not want associated with my fuel.
But I also came across small containers of Gold Bond powder. I use regular Johnson's Baby Powder at home in copious amounts on my dick, balls and shoveled/thrown into my ass crack. The long running joke is that when a woman dares to disrobe me it is like an airbag going off. I have always been intrigued by the Gold Bond and heard plenty of stories from friends. I just completed my first application and my balls are ice cold and its bordering on scary.
I am very tired of being hungry with limited or no options available so I am finally going to to the grocery store. For the 100th time I tried to figure out the best way to go about it, there are two Publix nearby but both would be nearly 3 mile round trips. However I had a revelation regarding link 42 today and realized that it does indeed travel all the way up/down Westwood, link 111 is not my only option. I have always shopped at the Publix on Central Florida Parkway but no more; today I shall shop at a different location at which the bus will deposit me directly. In 30 minutes the next shall arrive and I'll be waiting. I assembled a list on one of my bus rides today and I'm ready to eat proper cooking in proper amounts rather then $9 sandwiches from the airport, TV dinners of portions only fit for a child, processed pizza containing red #5 and fast food prepared by mongoloids with hands previously exploring places that I do not want associated with my fuel.
trip completed: bus pass/ron jon/post office
Took about 4 hours. Got back, laid on the couch and finished reading 'Imperial Bedrooms' on my Kindle. Very disturbing, I feel like I was on the verge of totally losing track of things for so long but then it ended and I guess I do understand.
On my way back while I was waiting for link 42, a middle aged woman who was attractive enough approached me with a question about bus routes. I knew most of what she was looking for ironically and then admitted I was not even from the area. She was from Calgary, we had a pleasant conversation until she got on link 8 (she had come in on the I-bus trolley), rolling the dice that it would take her the right way/distance on I-drive to her hotel.
Monday's Beginning
Slept like a rock floating on a feathery cloud, sinking deep within in. Bizarre dreams fleeted through my mind and I rose at 8am.
First priority is to go get a bus pass. I can take the 111 bus which I took here from the airport back to OBT and Sand Lake Rd., a convenient stop near the Florida Mall which is also near one of many Ace Paycheck Cash stores. Once I cop the pass, I can take the 42 bus west on Sand Lake road and get off on I-Drive to stop at Ron Jons to buy some postcards and souvenirs. I can take that same bus continuing on all the way back to Central Florida Parkway and Westwood and walk back.
They just called to throw away another $100 on the 9th sales presentation I've sat through. Will knock that out tomorrow at 8am.
Still trying to decide when and how long to rent a bike for. I'll be getting it from this place but I don't want to spend upwards of $100 on it. So I don't think I'll go today but I'm still unsure.
It would be nice to have the bike today just to run to Publix but I'll probably bite the bullet and just walk.
Leaving now for the above outlined journey. Should take a few hours. Video forthcoming.
First priority is to go get a bus pass. I can take the 111 bus which I took here from the airport back to OBT and Sand Lake Rd., a convenient stop near the Florida Mall which is also near one of many Ace Paycheck Cash stores. Once I cop the pass, I can take the 42 bus west on Sand Lake road and get off on I-Drive to stop at Ron Jons to buy some postcards and souvenirs. I can take that same bus continuing on all the way back to Central Florida Parkway and Westwood and walk back.
They just called to throw away another $100 on the 9th sales presentation I've sat through. Will knock that out tomorrow at 8am.
Still trying to decide when and how long to rent a bike for. I'll be getting it from this place but I don't want to spend upwards of $100 on it. So I don't think I'll go today but I'm still unsure.
It would be nice to have the bike today just to run to Publix but I'll probably bite the bullet and just walk.
Leaving now for the above outlined journey. Should take a few hours. Video forthcoming.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Awaken
9:31pm, half hour until Breaking Bad starts. Upon my arrival and inventory of soaked luggage I found all survived the ordeal (but did I? still not sure). I changed clothes and immediately went back out (it had stopped raining, of course) and went back to CVS. Until I can get a bike over here to make a proper run to Publix for a proper amount and quality of food rubbish would have to suffice.
All I really wanted was a frozen pizza, of course they had an awesome sale - which I had just missed. They were selling two DiGiorno's for under $5! Cooler was barren. Settled for a 2-pack of Red Baron personals which weren't bad. Also grabbed a Banquet TV dinner and a 12 pack of Heiniken for only 12.99, universally as low of a price as you will find anywhere, anytime. Shocking considering the location of this store serves only the nearby time shares and its tourists, the choice not to fleece them is bold and welcome.
It was probably a 1.5 round trip journey, I don't know how I made it back after everything else today. I drank 2 Heinikens and ate the pizzas and went to sleep. I'm going to properly unpack now and clean up, I've been tossing shit about at will since I got here and its time to organize and prepare for my show.
Worth of note: when I checked in I was a sight. I walked up to the guard shack soaked while it was still raining. That drew an interesting look from the guard, I just said 'Williams, reservation'. Usually they check a clipboard or something to verify that, this guy just paused and pointed towards the welcome center and I said I knew where it was.
Inside I got typical excellent service save for one interesting moment. Again, I look like an alley cat, totally soaked with water running down my face. The check in process went underway and she asked 'how many room keys?'. 'One'. Later: 'how many vehicles?', 'None'. A quizzical smile and we continued. Finally 'how many children?' -- 'None'. At this point she smiled and said 'you must be here on business?' and I replied with a smile of my own, 'why would you assume that?'. I did not press the issue.
Got villa 1461, fulfilling my annual request of building 14, high floor (top floor in this case). Building 14 overlooks the pool, the only other building I've ever been in is #15 which is actually attached but does not face the pool.
I did a 5 hour nap on the couch, easily. The flavor lurking inside my mouthhole is unpleasant to say the least. Time to clean up around here, myself included.
All I really wanted was a frozen pizza, of course they had an awesome sale - which I had just missed. They were selling two DiGiorno's for under $5! Cooler was barren. Settled for a 2-pack of Red Baron personals which weren't bad. Also grabbed a Banquet TV dinner and a 12 pack of Heiniken for only 12.99, universally as low of a price as you will find anywhere, anytime. Shocking considering the location of this store serves only the nearby time shares and its tourists, the choice not to fleece them is bold and welcome.
It was probably a 1.5 round trip journey, I don't know how I made it back after everything else today. I drank 2 Heinikens and ate the pizzas and went to sleep. I'm going to properly unpack now and clean up, I've been tossing shit about at will since I got here and its time to organize and prepare for my show.
Worth of note: when I checked in I was a sight. I walked up to the guard shack soaked while it was still raining. That drew an interesting look from the guard, I just said 'Williams, reservation'. Usually they check a clipboard or something to verify that, this guy just paused and pointed towards the welcome center and I said I knew where it was.
Inside I got typical excellent service save for one interesting moment. Again, I look like an alley cat, totally soaked with water running down my face. The check in process went underway and she asked 'how many room keys?'. 'One'. Later: 'how many vehicles?', 'None'. A quizzical smile and we continued. Finally 'how many children?' -- 'None'. At this point she smiled and said 'you must be here on business?' and I replied with a smile of my own, 'why would you assume that?'. I did not press the issue.
Got villa 1461, fulfilling my annual request of building 14, high floor (top floor in this case). Building 14 overlooks the pool, the only other building I've ever been in is #15 which is actually attached but does not face the pool.
I did a 5 hour nap on the couch, easily. The flavor lurking inside my mouthhole is unpleasant to say the least. Time to clean up around here, myself included.
ride that bus
A mist, just droplets pass between openings in the canopy at the taxi stand, they spritz my face and remind me of Florida. This turns quickly to a gushing storm, those openings give way from a mist to a barrage. I do not avoid it, rather, I relish it. My body is tired and sore.
As I exited the aircraft after the short 40 minute flight I walked speedily towards the baggage claim. Surprisingly found my Lynx bus route 111 and was assured that I was on the right track. I am typing this on that bus right now. Only 2 other passengers accompany me. One is a light skinned African American man wearing an Enyce shirt, far too old for the style. Cheap silver chains dangle down his frail chest and music of some sort fills his ears, pumped in by tiny buds. The other is more solemn, also black, arms folded. The driver has the demeanor and face of someone that enjoys his line of work, in an environment such as this and with so few passengers. He sipped a bottle of green iced tea as we waited to depart.
Palm trees dot the landscape as we exit at #1B onto a highway who's name I have forgotten or perhaps never knew. The route creator on the Lynx website said approximately 38 minutes to my end point. I am typing on a moving bus, the sky is darkened even at 1:33pm and clouds hang heavy. Rain expected everyday this week. I cannot wait to eat, and rest. I could use a drink.
Tomorrows order of business will be to get a 7 day Lynx pass and possible rent a bike, though I may leave that for Tuesday. But that comes later, plenty of Sunday left to be enjoyed. I feel relaxed and relieved that my air travel is done for the next span of days. This bus, I can handle. Quite the contrast from the stark portrait we know as the CTA. Patterned with their trademarked Paw print the seats bear a nearly tie die color scheme. Fitting.
The 2nd gentleman just spoke to me: he exclaimed quietly at something he saw, I turned to view it myself. A cab wiped out on the shoulder, seems to have crushed into the shoulder's wall. He seems to have a Jamaican accent. West Indies or the like. I also now notice a third passenger, quiet also in the back of the bus.
As I exited the aircraft after the short 40 minute flight I walked speedily towards the baggage claim. Surprisingly found my Lynx bus route 111 and was assured that I was on the right track. I am typing this on that bus right now. Only 2 other passengers accompany me. One is a light skinned African American man wearing an Enyce shirt, far too old for the style. Cheap silver chains dangle down his frail chest and music of some sort fills his ears, pumped in by tiny buds. The other is more solemn, also black, arms folded. The driver has the demeanor and face of someone that enjoys his line of work, in an environment such as this and with so few passengers. He sipped a bottle of green iced tea as we waited to depart.
Palm trees dot the landscape as we exit at #1B onto a highway who's name I have forgotten or perhaps never knew. The route creator on the Lynx website said approximately 38 minutes to my end point. I am typing on a moving bus, the sky is darkened even at 1:33pm and clouds hang heavy. Rain expected everyday this week. I cannot wait to eat, and rest. I could use a drink.
Tomorrows order of business will be to get a 7 day Lynx pass and possible rent a bike, though I may leave that for Tuesday. But that comes later, plenty of Sunday left to be enjoyed. I feel relaxed and relieved that my air travel is done for the next span of days. This bus, I can handle. Quite the contrast from the stark portrait we know as the CTA. Patterned with their trademarked Paw print the seats bear a nearly tie die color scheme. Fitting.
The 2nd gentleman just spoke to me: he exclaimed quietly at something he saw, I turned to view it myself. A cab wiped out on the shoulder, seems to have crushed into the shoulder's wall. He seems to have a Jamaican accent. West Indies or the like. I also now notice a third passenger, quiet also in the back of the bus.
Taking a shit
Alarm went off at 3:50am and my first thought was that it was some kind of mistake. I actually felt relief a moment after the horror of the buzzer as something reassured me that I could certainly go back to sleep. I 'came to' a short while later and realized this to be false.
I went to bed about 1:30, in my clothes. Somewhat out of the ordinary night at the bar, slower then usual and only friends/locals. I blew off one female to work on a prospect there which was a bust. At 1:30pm I was growing bored with the whole scene. I checked my appearance in the large Jameson mirror I often use for such purposes and ate a T3. I slept well. "Don't sleep long...sleep well".
It was black as my dad drove me to the airport. It was around then that I realized that my stomach felt like it has been treated like a sandtrap at a well manicured country club. Raked to perfection, I could feel the grooves the rusted old implement had cut across the mucous enforced lining. Or maybe that was just the Jameson.
I think that it takes just as long to engage a hangover as it does to remove one. So it wasn't until around the time I sat down on the plane that I really started to feel like shit. I grabbed a sandwich and a Lemon Snapple right before I got on the plane and consumed both in one long breath as soon as I sat down while others boarded. Cost me about $11 for that 'meal' as well. Nice.
Everyone on the plane immediately fell asleep. Ironically I was likely in worse shape then any of them but I could not sleep. My legs felt like stilts, I could not possibly get comfortable and I started to notice a large mass in my stomach. Not the sandwich....probably a femented hunk of red beans swimming in a crock of Irish whiskey and Heiniken. Not an upset stomach, not any kind of liquid excrement on deck, nothing like that. Just had to take a shit.
I'm not one that believes in 'home field advantage' or anything like that, but the airplane was dark and I was the 3rd passenger on my half of the row, at the window. Bordered by a young couple (the girl accidentally [?] whipped me with her hair twice, at flight's beginning and end) they were unconscious and I just didn't have it in me to wake them. I had empathy for their plight, certainly tired they were able to achieve sleep while I could not. I read a few lines from 'Neuromancer' on my Kindle (stole/converted from PDF the night before I left).
I slept a total of about an hour actually, total, over the approximately 160 minute flight. I fell into a deeper sleep just before touchdown, of course. An alternately sleep/wakened state I spent entertaining myself (yet barely aroused) concoting things to do with the prospects in the system and those that have gotten sent down to the minor leagues already. I wanted to scream as the passengers slowly left the aircraft, I grabbed my bags and set out for a toilet.
The first I found had only 2 stalls and a line waiting to get in either. I said no thanks to that...moved on. Found another a short while later, the situation was worse, longer line. I waited outside, with that familiar rake running through my scalp. When I made my move back in I removed a single log so large that it folded in half. I almost laughed at myself as I walked out, with clean hands and a face soaked in cold water...I felt quite good. The humor came from the fact that 'oh yeah...I slept about 3 hours total at this point and I'm still wearing the clothes I put on at 9pm last night'.
I located a large bottle of Smart Water ($5) and WiFi (same cost) so that I've wasted over $20 on nothing and still have not arrived at my destination. I'm still trying to conquer the CPU performance issues on my new laptop battery so I'm ACd up right now, sitting on the floor with my bags around me like a wall. iPod in my ears listening to Prof. I can smell food all around, it smells good but I'm not that hungry and I refuse to eat again anyways with the dough I've already wasted. I'm wearing an Adidas track suit and no drawers or shirt, just shoes and socks. I feel a bit overheated from the toxins in my system so I can conveniently unzipper the top part way to reveal my pale nearly hairless chest.
Seem to have the laptop battery CPU issue under control but the ongoing bullshit of the rechargables for my digital camera are not, so you only get one pic this time, as I actually had to take it using AC power.
First thing to figure out in Orlando will be finding bus 111 to take me down Westwood Blvd. towards my place, and I'll still have to walk '.85 mi' after that toting my sacks of (apparently) bricks. No rest for the wicked - I need food and lots of it, I'm famished now and will be worse then. Must be a 2 mile round trip via foot to Publix, no busses on Central Florida Pkwy. Need to catch some Zs and locate liquor as well before Breaking Bad comes on at 10, caught up on the last episode in the nick of time last night before I left this AM.
I went to bed about 1:30, in my clothes. Somewhat out of the ordinary night at the bar, slower then usual and only friends/locals. I blew off one female to work on a prospect there which was a bust. At 1:30pm I was growing bored with the whole scene. I checked my appearance in the large Jameson mirror I often use for such purposes and ate a T3. I slept well. "Don't sleep long...sleep well".
It was black as my dad drove me to the airport. It was around then that I realized that my stomach felt like it has been treated like a sandtrap at a well manicured country club. Raked to perfection, I could feel the grooves the rusted old implement had cut across the mucous enforced lining. Or maybe that was just the Jameson.
I think that it takes just as long to engage a hangover as it does to remove one. So it wasn't until around the time I sat down on the plane that I really started to feel like shit. I grabbed a sandwich and a Lemon Snapple right before I got on the plane and consumed both in one long breath as soon as I sat down while others boarded. Cost me about $11 for that 'meal' as well. Nice.
Everyone on the plane immediately fell asleep. Ironically I was likely in worse shape then any of them but I could not sleep. My legs felt like stilts, I could not possibly get comfortable and I started to notice a large mass in my stomach. Not the sandwich....probably a femented hunk of red beans swimming in a crock of Irish whiskey and Heiniken. Not an upset stomach, not any kind of liquid excrement on deck, nothing like that. Just had to take a shit.
I'm not one that believes in 'home field advantage' or anything like that, but the airplane was dark and I was the 3rd passenger on my half of the row, at the window. Bordered by a young couple (the girl accidentally [?] whipped me with her hair twice, at flight's beginning and end) they were unconscious and I just didn't have it in me to wake them. I had empathy for their plight, certainly tired they were able to achieve sleep while I could not. I read a few lines from 'Neuromancer' on my Kindle (stole/converted from PDF the night before I left).
I slept a total of about an hour actually, total, over the approximately 160 minute flight. I fell into a deeper sleep just before touchdown, of course. An alternately sleep/wakened state I spent entertaining myself (yet barely aroused) concoting things to do with the prospects in the system and those that have gotten sent down to the minor leagues already. I wanted to scream as the passengers slowly left the aircraft, I grabbed my bags and set out for a toilet.
The first I found had only 2 stalls and a line waiting to get in either. I said no thanks to that...moved on. Found another a short while later, the situation was worse, longer line. I waited outside, with that familiar rake running through my scalp. When I made my move back in I removed a single log so large that it folded in half. I almost laughed at myself as I walked out, with clean hands and a face soaked in cold water...I felt quite good. The humor came from the fact that 'oh yeah...I slept about 3 hours total at this point and I'm still wearing the clothes I put on at 9pm last night'.
I located a large bottle of Smart Water ($5) and WiFi (same cost) so that I've wasted over $20 on nothing and still have not arrived at my destination. I'm still trying to conquer the CPU performance issues on my new laptop battery so I'm ACd up right now, sitting on the floor with my bags around me like a wall. iPod in my ears listening to Prof. I can smell food all around, it smells good but I'm not that hungry and I refuse to eat again anyways with the dough I've already wasted. I'm wearing an Adidas track suit and no drawers or shirt, just shoes and socks. I feel a bit overheated from the toxins in my system so I can conveniently unzipper the top part way to reveal my pale nearly hairless chest.
First thing to figure out in Orlando will be finding bus 111 to take me down Westwood Blvd. towards my place, and I'll still have to walk '.85 mi' after that toting my sacks of (apparently) bricks. No rest for the wicked - I need food and lots of it, I'm famished now and will be worse then. Must be a 2 mile round trip via foot to Publix, no busses on Central Florida Pkwy. Need to catch some Zs and locate liquor as well before Breaking Bad comes on at 10, caught up on the last episode in the nick of time last night before I left this AM.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)