October 31, 2007
October 30, 2007
Quit Smoking 2007
The great Droog smoke-out begins November 1, 2007. I am included in the scrum. I will use my http://www.radhole.com as a support forum for whoever wishes to show support, comment, rant, ramble or rave.
Many of the Droogs will use this time to quit smoking those filthy vile cigarettes. I know of at least 7 quitters attempting to relinquish the filthy habit forever. Remember, it's like alcoholism: you smoke one and you'll be back. I do plan on smoking a cigar every now and then.
Please support me. Please send good Wakan my way. Please perform magik and spells for me. Please send your good vibes my way. Please support me. Please understand if I get testy or nervous or shaky due to the nicotine withdrawals. Please support me.
MELT has been taking some stop smoking medication and has had 2 ghastly nightmares in which I died violently and horribly in each. Good times.
A PSA from R2 and 3PO
October 28, 2007
October 27, 2007
October 24, 2007
October 22, 2007
A Weekend Trip to Florida
The Arrival
The weekend adventure to the Florida was a rip-roaring good time. The trip was perfect and everything went in our favor except for the plane ride home. More about that later.
We left warm Denver early on Friday morning, passing through Security at Denver International Airport with smiles on our faces and no problems, unlike the last time where I was almost stripped searched before leaving for Las Vegas. The flight was uneventful, as most flights are. Upon landing in overcast Orlando, the real fun began.
A smiley old woman awaited us at the airport with a huge sign that said “DALE” surrounded by Mountain Dew logos and shiny bling. Since we packed light and did not have any bags checked she immediately ushered us outside to where a massive black van was waiting to take us to the hotel. It was humid outside and the sweats began to pour.
During the ride from Orlando International Airport to the downtown Marriott, the driver, Archie, filled us in on local hotspots and where not to go in Orlando. Archie was genuinely concerned about our safety. My sister and I have some charisma. He got us to the hotel safely. We walked into the lobby and saw the Mountain Dew Playstation Pro booth, signed in, received $200 cash, picked up our grounds passes and checked into the hotel.
We were on the 14th floor, the same floor as the Presidential Suite.
Our first quest was to get dinner and we wanted seafood, as there is no good seafood in landlocked Colorado. Daniel, the deskman at the Marriott, suggested we try a local place, Straub’s Seafood, where they are serious about seafood, on Colonial Drive. Daniel called us a taxi and we were off.
And we feasted like royalty on king crab legs, citrus marinated salmon, blackened dolphin, sesame seared ahi, lobster tail, Maryland style crab cakes, mesquite grilled shrimp, baked potato, rice pilaf, creamed spinach with mushrooms, breads, Caesar salads and stuffed tomatoes.
After dinner, Daniel upgraded our hotel to the Rewards Elite membership, meaning we got accesses to the secret special lounge on the 14th floor with beverages, foods, desserts, honor bar and internet; all for free. Plus he hooked us up for the breakfast buffet both Saturday and Sunday morning!
We walked around the Playstation Pro festivities then went to sleep. We were to awaken early for a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth, the Disney theme parks…
Walt Loves Us
It was pouring rain in Orlando on Saturday morning. After a breakfast of homemade waffles, omelets, coffee, juice, plates of crispy bacon and grits, we purchased umbrellas and walked to the Lynx Central Station downtown bus terminal. Instead of paying 40+ dollars for a cab ride, we decided to take public transportation. It cost $1.50. The bus driver knew we were tourists and gave us false information at simple question I asked. We wanted EPCOT Center but we got Downtown Disney instead. Everything was closed because it was so early in the morning. Evidently people in Orlando do not wake up before 9am.
The rain stopped and yet it was still very moist outside. The humidity was unbearable and I had a slick of sweat on my bodyself the entire time I was out of doors. It’s a Dale genetic curse.
There are no direct park-to-park shuttles, so we had to catch a resort bus to the freaky Pop Century Resort, where the bus magically became the EPCOT shuttle with a bit of fairy dust and diesel fuel. We didn’t have to wait in line and hordes of yapping, screaming, unruly, spoiled brat kids and their bewildered parents packed the bus to capacity. Children were spitting up, spilling bile and breakfast on their Pirates of the Caribbean shirts and their Disney knock-off Crocs, the partially digested pieces of Cap'n Crunch filling the mouse-shaped holes. Parents threatened wailing children with “We’ll get off this bus right now if you don’t behave!” and “Billy quit standing up!” and “Little Sarah, please quit saying ‘Why?! WHY!? WHY!!??!!’ or else Mickey will turn you away at the gates and your behavior will have single-handedly ruined our expensive vacation.”
Hottie, braless, scantily clad mommies in their Daisy Dukes and moist t-shirts, their pointy, tenty nipples poking out like beacons from heaven whilst sporting sandals and “It’s a Small World” pedicures, were everywhere. The din of children squealing with Disney delight was overwhelming.
We arrived at EPCOT and got in for free. Yes, free. We saved $240 bucks due to networking and the ‘it pays to know people’ principle. A quick appearance by Lowell the Little Green Alien and it was off to Mars on Mission: Space. Then it was time for the reveling in the World Showcase to begin. We feasted on pierogi in Poland, drank margaritas in Mexico, Cream Stout in the United States, talked German to the Deutschland beauties in Germany, laughed at the smarmy filth in the United Kingdom, sprinted through Morocco and Canada, indulged in photo ops in China and Japan, totally missed Norway and ended up back in Mexico for more margaritas. We shopped and stumbled about, letting the humidity guide us in delirium.
EPCOT Center was a really, really good time. I sweat the whole time. But the day wasn’t over yet…
Disney World in the key of Fall
It was now time to ride the monorail to the Magic Kingdom of DisneyWorld. The park was all decorated for Fall, with pumpkins and yellows and oranges. And Mickey Mouse. And hordes of people. And sweating in the humidity. And Jack Sparrow.
We had the buffet at The Crystal Palace situated between the Adventureland entrance and Casey's Corner on the West side of the main street plaza. The Crystal Palace is modeled after a similar building in Regent's Park in London built in the late 1880s. DisneyWorld is crowded.
Our aching, oil-slicked bodies rode the bus back to the hotel and it was off to relax while watching “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” and sipping Coke from bottles. We drifted off to sleep with dreams of the PlaystationPro on Sunday and the journey back home.
Shaun White was skating and it was fun to see some professional skateboarding action.
Overall, the weekend was a super awesome time, an adventure worthy of many more words. We accomplished a lot, saw a lot and did a lot. The plane ride home was delayed by hours due to weather. The first snow of the season had hit Denver and screwed with air travel. I got home around midnight.
My garden is dead and dying now.
paper towel dispenser
Who installs a paper towel dispenser in this awkward place? Only the people I work with. Not that it is in the way or anything…
Home from Florida
Home. Fun. Some pictures here. More always coming. Write-up soon. Must sleep.
October 18, 2007
World Series
I will be representing Colorado whilst in Florida with my new hat! World Series! Go Rockies!
10-19-07
Since I will be in Florida tomorrow, here is Jeff's birthday rap!
--
J. Charles Birthday Rap 2007
Yo. Check it. Step it.
Have a fit. Lay sit. Tasty grit.
Swampy word lit.
He downloadin’ the hi-rez
Sportin’ Yoda Jedi Mastah head Pezâ
I see the J. Charles flappin back and forth
Up inside dat great white north
Shabby with gravy on his chin
Drinkin’ bathtub jin
Grayin’ and baldin all seamy chagrin
Stand backs coz he’s kin!
Back ache when awake!?
The cotton candy was a mistake!
New Underroos you forsake!
And quake! Don’t forget the emergency brake!
He’s ancient.
Clothes be torn and tattered.
Focaccia batter all a splattered!
Them comics double bagged and scattered!
Finest china broke and shattered.
Craggy membrane surround dat body
Bearded and hairless is so oddly
But wise and wizardly you embody
I see you craftin’ wit dat twine
A technique dat you refine
It’s all good and you’re doin’ fine
Coz yowza my man, you be 29!
October 17, 2007
Eyes are on Orlando
Well, soon I am off to the Playstation Pro Action Sports Tour in Orlando Florida to redeem the Grand Prize that I won. My sis and I plan on hitting up the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Center while we are there. I’ll say ‘hi’ to Goofy for you. It is going to be a whirlwind of a good time. I am excited.
There will be updates to my Flickr Gallery from the cellular phone and who knows, I may even find time to update this here radhole from the hot and humid road, because as most loyal readers know, that’s how I roll.
October 15, 2007
October 13, 2007
October 10, 2007
October 8, 2007
October 7, 2007
frost warning
Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Greeley and all areas below 6,000 feet in eastern Colorado are under a FROST ADVISORY through 9 a.m. Monday.
This won't be the final total, but we'll see what happens to the Urban Garden if the frost comes...
October 6, 2007
Kaz Matsui
I admit I am a fair-weather Colorado Rockies Fan. It’s exciting to watch when they are in the playoffs.
My favorite player is Kazuo Matsui.
Baseball isn’t NFL football though.
Danger Monkey
Pablo's Coffee: Danger Monkey Best.Coffee.Ever. Bought at Stella's Coffeehaus.
October 4, 2007
static
"Faraway, so close
Up with the static and the radio
With satellite television
You can go anywhere
Miami, New Orleans, London, Belfast and Berlin"
U2 - Stay (Far Away So Close!)
cult God
I remember the first time I saw "Gleaming the Cube" at an advanced showing at the Cooper 5 Theatre in Aurora, Colorado and I thought, "One day Christian Slater will make 'Pump Up the Volume' and be a cult God." --Russ Dale, 2007
Hungry?
Check out Jamie's Flickr Page. You will be hungry then. I'm hungry.
October 3, 2007
Hobo Life
Sometimes I crave the wayward hobo life and I would cheerfully be one who drunkenly flips on freight trains to travel the world whilst shabbily dressed in my best glad rags. That's right I know the hobo lingo. My hobo name would be Sir Railcar McRumdum.
Railcar do scoff at using shopping carts to carry my belongings and they are impractical when leaping aboard moving trains. My bindle would be proudly slung over my shoulder, made from the finest gaudy blanket and tied around the end of a lavish mahogany stick etched with symbols of my creation and unknown origin. In it I would carry the essentials: iPod, extra changes of underwear, soaps, biscuits, a smallish cask of bathtub gin and a picture of my family.
In Britain I would be called a "rough sleeper." I prefer "hobo" thank you. Or please call me "My Sovereign Hobo." Thanks. Don't look me in the eyes!
I am the best mulligan mixer ever because I have the finest recipe for Mulligan Stew consisting of beef broth, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, cat meat, spices and herbs. Hobos chuck a dummy at my stew. I share my stew with the "Brotherhood of the Hobo" only and none other. So don't even ask for a bit of my stew unless you know the secret hobo handshake and can interpret the wall signals scrawled in crayon or charcoal.
My road stake would be 75 US dollars, for emergencies. I hide that cash in a special place.
I would spread misinformation of the hobo code so that nobody could horde my safe zones around the nation. I'd be a sinister hobo, an infamous hobo and a hobo who doesn't play by those wacky hobo rules. I create my own hobo code! You wish you knew my hobo code. Why don't you hobo yourself away from me wretch! I like the word hobo. Maybe I will name my firstborn Howard Hobo Dale if it's a boy and Glenda Hobo Dale if it's a girl. The possibilities are endless. I could name them Hobo only, like Bono, Madonna and Cher.
Sir Railcar McRumdum, me, will be the most famous hobo of all time. I foresee it. I know it will be true. Perhaps I could star in a hobo reality show like "Dancing with the Hobos" or "Survivor: Hobo Town" or "Hobo Factor" or " Hannah Mont-Hobo" or "CSI: Special Hobo Unit" or MTV's "Pimp My Hobo" or science fiction classics "The Bionic Hobo" or "Flash Hobo" or "Babylon Hobo."
October 2, 2007
Frosty (tm)
I hanker an original Chocolate Frosty (tm) treat from Wendy's. That is all.
Soon Florida
Florida is soon, for the contest I won. It’s very exciting. I wonder what the weather is like in late October in Florida? I hope the Pro Action Sports Tour is fun. Maybe my sister and I can have coffee with Tricia when we are there? Did you know it costs 72 bucks for a Disney World ticket? I need a picture with me and a large person in Goofy costume. I am rambling.
