2025 Lewisville Punkin Chunkin
A Day of Flying Pumpkins and Flying Fun What do you get when you combine medieval siege engines, autumn gourds, and a beautiful lakeside setting? The 2025…
· 5 min read
Tag: events
From the ashes...
This week, I found myself in one of the most unique and challenging situations of my life. And now that it’s all over, I find myself in tears. Not because of sadness, but because I now know myself as someone who can actually make a difference is this world, despite the circumstances. Now for a little backstory. It should be no surprise that I love to build. I found my best friend, Lee Gibson, when a LEGO set came up at a White Elephant party and we both schemed on how to win it. I’ve created a non-profit called “The Trebuchet Societyâ€, with the primary goal of hosting SlingFest, a (mostly) annual event designed to gather builders from around the area to create trebuchets and toss pumpkins hundreds of feet. It’s a blast and fuels my desire to build and be around other builders. In 2014, I discovered TheLab.ms via a tweet. A budding Makerspace/Hackerspace. Its mission is to foster a collaborative environment wherein people can explore and create intersections between technology, science, art, and culture. I found my people. Their guiding principles were more focused on education and ethical hacking instead of building trebuchets, but that’s cool. My mom was a librarian, so education is in my blood. I just wanted to be around like-minded people. I watched Shawn Porter, Roxy Dehart and Richard Gowen pour their heart out into it and build it from scratch. TheLab even got an article in the Plano Magazine. As with all non-profits, you want awareness, engagement and members. These usually bring in new ideas and fresh blood. Sometimes in alignment with your own ideas, sometimes not. And as a father, I can tell you, there is no rage in the world like watching something happen to your baby. Fast forward a few years and after some leadership changes, the last of the founders resigned as a board member, and a number of positions were either vacant or MIA. Then the Education Coordinator resigned. Then the President resigned. Then the Floating Board Member. And the Vice President. And the Secretary. Their reasons were their own. And I support them 100%. I was now in one of the most unique and confronted situations of my life. The sole Board Member of TheLab.ms. A community that I’ve been with from almost the very start and loved so dearly was fighting amongst itself. Anger and frustration was evident on a daily basis. People were burnt out. Thankfully, I had an ace in my pocket. For the last 6 months, I’ve been registered in a course called “Team Management and Leadership Program†from Landmark Worldwide. It is a course designed around creating teams and teamwork in any situation that produce powerful results in many areas of life with freedom and ease. I called my coach and the classroom leader in tears that day. I felt completely broken down and had no idea how to make this work. Through an insightful and “tough love†conversation, I started to see a path forward. I organized a last-minute event and invited people to create the future of TheLab. I expected about 6 people to show up. I had to hold back my emotions when the room completely filled up, including members I hadn’t seen in years. These were people who, despite the burn-out, despite the anger, despite the frustration, deeply wanted TheLab to not just survive, but to thrive. It was showtime. In an hour and a half, we dug deep, asked some good questions and had some fun. We had some deep, meaningful conversations about the future and not the past. And most importantly, people stepped up to the plate to take on some big leadership positions. Elections are next week and I invite all of you to learn what we’re about. I have never been more proud to be part of an organization than I am right now. I have found my people. Again.
//build 2017
//build is a developer-centric conference Microsoft hosts every year. Since I never expected to work for Microsoft, I wasn't even aware of //build. So,…
· 3 min read
DockerCon 2017
After hearing about it for years, I was fortunate enough to attend DockerCon this time around. Since joining Microsoft as a Open Source Technical…
· 5 min read
To our Friends, Family and those in between,
This is the time of year I electronically dust off the addresses of friends and acquaintances, old and new, and ask myself over a cup of hot chocolate, "Do they still live there? How much is postage these days? Do I even know how to write something that isn't my signature? This is to overwhelming. Maybe I'll do it next year." This is also where we'd have a picture of our family in front of a christmas tree showing how big Kara has grown and with a message about how great this year has been. Fortunately, our lives have been so blessed that one picture couldn't possibly summarize everything that we've experienced this year. So, I present to you this e-essay/card where you can click on links so we both reminisce on what's happened to the Falgout Family in 2011. Early on, I reconnected with my family through my long forgotten Falgout family tradition of a bonfire on NYE, as well as celebrating Kara's birthday in our new Falgout family tradition: Cupcakes! We also got to meet Kara's namesake celebrity, Katee Sackhoff. And a few other celebrities! Kathy and I also had a joint birthday celebration which resulted in the best surprise of my 35 years on this planet and an amazing party. But that's not to say life doesn't have its falls, with screams of laughter, fear and excitement. In fact, one of my favorite accomplishments of the year was the Trebuchet Contest. Which also had it's own falls, laughter, fear and excitement. Somewhere mixed in all this was a trip to Italy, which I had promised Kathy for many years. And we discovered that even thousands of miles away, international cultures have more in common than you think. For the first time, since moving into the Plano, we participated in Halloween. Verdict: Cute! I also picked up bowling, which I found out I can be quite good at if I put my mind to it (read: Don't drink as much). And who in Dallas could forget the Mavericks finally winning the NBA Championship! This year was also a resurgence in our friend's fertility! 12 of our friends are on their way to starting their own families this year. (I sometimes think of ourselves as the Baby Making Hipsters of our friend's circle.) Looking back, it's amazing to see all that has happened this year. It's an extremely blessed and fortunate life. And it's enriched by all of our friends and family which support and encourage us and our wacky lifestyle. Thanks and here's to outliving the Mayan's expiration in 2012! -Tommy, Kathy and Kara Falgout
If I were to have a restaurant
I attended a friend's Anniv. of the Repeal of Prohibition party on Friday. It was awesome with all of the costumes, libations, and even a secret password which you had to give though a sliding peephole to boot. We were reminicing about the Food and Spirits party when a friend told me that if I were to open a restaurant it would need to be named 'Nom nom nom yarr!'. This would of course be hugely successful and need to be followed up with other specialities, similar to the Papa's brand. We would have the French: Tres nom and it's sister Qui est ton nom? The Mexican: Los Nomos The Asian: Om Nom Nom The Indian: Om Om Om --Snoopykiss might be onto something here.
Food & Spirits 6
6 years is a long time to keep anything going. Especially an annual event. True, by the time the next year rolls around, you've forgotten how much work it was, but when you've got something like the Food & Spirits, it becomes with it each time. I learned some interesting things this time around: My friends are incredibly diverse. Two of them ran out to get a breaker for the hot tub @ 9:45 and installed it themselves. My wife is mischievous. When said hot tub failed for the last time, and people got in anyways. She offered a bottle of Jamaican rum to the person who would last the longest. No jets. No heater. It was ~30 degrees outside. Neil won by lasting for 3 hours. You can't get rid of alcohol by throwing a party. You just accumulate more. My friends are willing to drive 8+ hours just to come to the party. We had visitors from Kansas City, Tulsa and Austin. Just for this soiree. Congrats to the winners! This year, we settled ties by having a "Duck Off". (Pick random duck with a number on it. Highest number wins. Pure awesome.) This is the point where I would say that I can't wait till next year. But I'm hoping to have a new floor by then. That way I'm not embarrassed by statements like, "New Rule: If you make a stain. You have to sign it." Till next year! --Snoopykiss
Yup!
Yes. I'm married. It happened. It's become obvious to me that a number of people still relate to me as my old party/bachelor-esque lifestyle. "I thought you'd never marry." "Last chance. I've got the car running if you want to bolt." "I was starting to wonder about you." -- My Dad. "Wha-wha-what? Can you back up 3 sentences?" I don't think of it as much as no longer having the wild and crazy parties. I think of it as having found someone whose company I enjoy in between the "New and (Mostly) Family Friendly Soirees". She's quite a gal. Anyone who's met her can attest to it. Anyone who hasn't can probably imagine since she's putting up with me. -- Snoopykiss now has a ring. But keeps forgetting it. P.S. When we came back from the honeymoon, some friends invaded our house with ~1000 duckies. It was awesome. Except for the one under the pillow. I'll get you back, Neil. PICS! Honeymoon Duckie Invasion Wedding
Wedding Site!
The updates...they are a-flowing. I've created a Wedding Website to answer all of your questions. Â Like when we actually decide on a date, color and style. I think that my ideas for having a huge raver party complete with glowsticks has been properly shot down. Â I'll see if there's a way I can sneak in the midget tho.
Air Guitar Champ
Air Guitar Champ Originally uploaded by Strange Muse Air Guitar Nation. Simply a beautiful movie about the spirit of humanity through the hidden bedroom…
German Pigeonholes
As you can imagine, Germans are quite concerned with their image. Their BMW and Mercedes-Benz are beautiful pieces of machinery that are known for their style and precision. Many Germans are also frustrated with one of the typecasts. But it's not what you're thinking. You can't do a tour without here without touching some piece of Nazi, WWI or WWII past. Strangely enough, there are still some historic locations which has a Swastika-ish mark a door or someplace hidden. But even those are being removed as part of a strong image reconstruction by the gov't and the people. But no matter how much they work, they will never be able to get rid of the Bavarian stereotype of Leiderhosen, Bratwurst and Beer. It's Munich, the capital of Bavaria, a South-East region, that has given Germany it's festive spirit, world-renouned beer, and funky pants. And as joyous as the people are, and as beautiful the beer gardens are (which don't seem to be as much of a garden, but more of a huge picnic area to keep the drunks together), and as tasty the food is, if you talk to most Germans, and ask they why they don't wear the funny clothing, they'll roll their eyes and think to themselves, "Good Lord, not again". Or whatever that would be in German. It was here that Octoberbest was started as part of a wedding ceremony, which took on a life of it's own as an anniversary party, and is now celebrated world-wide. I wonder if I can do the same with my Food and Spirits Party. I was adventurous and determined enough to try a radler, a Bavarian concoction of beer and either soda or lemonade. But my efforts backfired as I think I offended the entire bar when I turned it down all 3 of the hefty samples that was poured for me. I'm not sure if they threw the rest away (which is a sacrilege) as I sunk my head in shame as one guy behind the bar shouted, "But Bavaria Beer is the best!" Yes, sir. Even I'm confused why this Texan just can't get the taste of beer. I've been Smirnoff Ice free for over 1 month. I thought that would help. I also met up with a fellow Louisianian, who was one of the tour guides for Mike's Bike Tour, which I highly recommend if you get the chance.
Now I don't feel as bad about 2 years.
In talking to the Sweed in my night sleeper, I found out some very interesting factoids about Swedish couplehood. We talked for a while and he mentioned his wife. And a bit later, he mentioned his girlfriend. Ah ha! So the Sweeds DO get to have it all. The beautiful scenery, the beautiful women, and multiples of each! But no. He called her his wife because they've been together for 13 years and have 3 kids together. But they're not married. All of this is common around here. He asked her about marriage one time, but she gave him a very strange look and he dropped the subject. Many times, couples will get married after 25 years as an excuse to have a party. I swear..blondes do have more fun. I also told him about how the Americans worship the Swedish women, and were they really that beautiful? His response: "We don't deserve them." So far, I think he's right. April 22nd, 1:49PM on a Swedish Train to some city that I still can't pronounce or spell correctly.
Berlin Bug
As is common with many exchanges, I walked out of it with a smile on my face and sick the day after. I was glad to get out of London, quick trip to Paris and then off to Berlin. Berlin is a beautiful city that has worked very hard to remove the dark scar of Wars long past. And it's done a fantastic job. I hobbled my way to a bike tour around Berlin in the morning only to find out that our guide was sick and hospitalized. Most of us waiting around went our separate ways, but me and this guy from S. Korea walked around and chatted. He used to be in the Korean Military and after some discussion about my favorite Korean movie (Attack the Gas Station), he actually has done PAGOOO!!! It's been validated! This actually does happen! He had to stick his hands behind his back, and then balance himself using only his head and the tips of his toes with his butt in the air, making a perfect upside-down V. Try this at home. I'm sure you'll be amazed at how difficult it really is. Afterwards, we parted as I went back to the hostel, crawled into my top bunk and crashed for about 12 hours. When I crawled down, I woke up the person below me, I apologized and realized, it was the same Korean guy from yesterday. Crazy! We laughed about this and then headed back out to the bike tour area again for another chance. It was lead by a spunky Sweed who told us the story of the Berlin Wall collapse and how (if the story is true. I'll have to Wikipedia it) it was all 100% unintentional. There was a plan to remove travel restrictions between East & West Berlin; however, it was part of a long plan with practically impossible hoops to follow, years worth of paper filing, and an outstanding cost to the process. But during the press conference, the leader of East Berlin only read some part of his news notes and permanently removed travel restrictions. And thus the wall collapsed. Le oops! I'm now heading to Amsterdam where I'm going to spend a night with the other guest I met from LLX. Gotta love the Lindy housing network. Tomorrow, I meet up with my mom who's visiting the Netherlands for the Budding of the Tulips. One interesting note of national profiling I've learned is that our Swedish tour guide would get scowls and rougher service when she'd talk in English with a slight American accent. But when she told them that she was from Sweden, they immediate apologized. It's amazing how much Bush is really hated outside of America. It makes me sad that America has created such disdain. (Many of which have currencies stronger than ours. Sorry guys, but the almighty American dollar isn't worth much out here.) I hope that we can mend this international relationship soon. I also found out that the Germans really don't love David Hasselhoff. It was just that one song. Riiiiiight. April 19th, on a train from Berlin to Amsterdam
London Lindy Exchange
My second International Exchange has been a great adventure. Although, there are some differences which struck me as odd. One I wish I would have learned before coming is that it's common to dance with the same partner for two consecutive dances. This was a bit of an ego deflator as I thought I was so good that all these girls asked me for a 2nd dance, but it's just the way that they roll here. There's a bunch of good dancers here, so it wasn't a problem, but so many times I found myself finishing the dance with one girl, hearing the next song come on and then wanting to find another follow to dance with, but sticking with the same one. Not a complaint, mind you. Just different. The other is that this Exchange is dance event first, and a social event second. I've been to so many exchanges by now that it's quite the opposite for me now. People dance, and if they sit down, they look at everyone else dancing. Noone's grouped together, pouring each other drinks, no cliques hanging out together. Just dancing. Once again, not a complaint. I danced my butt off at this exchange, when I've been drinking at all of the others. There was no arse-slapping either. Well, at least till I noticed it was missing. Few things will catch you off guard like saying, "You know, there's no ass-slapping at this exchange." And then having your Asian dance partner say in her Australian accent, "Yeah! I like that!" Definitely not a complaint. I've also seen more ariels and Zoot Suits today than in the last 3 years of my dancing. I guess just like what's cool in America hit Europe years later, what's lost fashion travels just as slow. Ok, this one's a complaint. :) There were a few snacks for us and one guy said in his perfect English accent. "There's such a wonderful selection! This is quite exciting!". My internal dialogue was, "No. If some girl just took her top off and started running around, THAT would be exciting. This is just fruit and candy." It's amazing what we find amazing. April 15th, 5AM in the same Flat in London
A bit o' Catchup.
I've barely been here a week and already so much has happened. Good lord, this is not a boring adventure. (I never took a shower until the 5th day.) After spending about ...Ok, the fire alarm just went off...some Spaniards just burnt their meal. Not a boring adventure at all. After spending over 16 of my first 24 hours on this trip traveling, I found myself in Edinburgh. Screw England. I wanted to see Scotland! I want hills! And lively music! And meet women who can drink me under the table! (Yes, they do have Smirnoff Ice here, but I've restrained myself from buying any.) But only after taking a leak in the "Lou of the Year". This is the time of year when Hen Parties (Bachelorette Parties) emerge. The happiest, Pissed, Mad Women you'll ever meet. I made friends with a few and they loved hearing the stories about Texas and having an uncle with an alligator farm. Apparently, arse slapping is just as common here as it is in America. I then jumped on a tour bus, guided by Duncan, through the Highlands of Scotland, the 23 mile long Loch Ness, sheep, sheep, sheep, and enough whiskey to make you go blind. The bus returned and I knew that I had to go back. Who knows how many pints later, I jumped to Inverness. A beautiful city with a lot of character, a small castle in the middle of the town and Scotland's largest music pub (3 stories with different music in each story). A Hen Party later, I made a few more friends and even met another guy from Dallas, Texas. Back at the Hostel, I hung out with a few Spaniards that almost had me fall off the top bunk bed laughing. (Ask me the difference between Regular Porn, and Asian Porn.) One of the best lessons I learned from Rick Steves was that if you want to enjoy Europe the most, chat up with the locals. I constantly asked them for their recommendations and everyone kept pointing back to the Isle of Skye. The next day, I did one of the craziest things so far. Long story short, the best place to see a sunset nearby was back at Eilean Donan Castle, about 8 Miles back. The bus driver told me that it would be too long to wait for the next bus, and that I should hitch it. ... "Hitchhike?" "Yea." "Is it safe?" "Sure. I hitched 500 miles one time." "... Um. ... Ok." So, I started walking and threw my thumb out. (Sans towel) About a mile later, I got picked up! It must have been pretty creepy for them as I was absolutely beaming because this was such a new experience for me. But they were fine with it. The driver used to hitch all the time when he was young. I got dropped off right at the castle, next to another hitcher who I swapped out with. I got my pictures, learned some history, even chatted with a set of English kids to seemed quite taken by a Texan that would talk to them. I got back to the hostel and chatted with some friendly Germans who were driving around the Isle of Skye and next thing I know I've got plans for a day-trip with them tomorrow. The Isle of Skye is the epitome of what I imagined Scotland to be. Sheep, Beautiful mountains, jagged cliffs and tiny roads. Most of the roads are only fit one car. So, they have humps so that one car can pull off to the side. Crazy. Tomorrow morning, I take a bus to Glasgow to see some more beautiful cemeteries and the end of my Scottish trip. Next to Switzerland, this is my favorite. So many wonderful, friendly and inviting people. It's almost like my Grandmother raised everyone of them to be so great. I haven't tried on a kilt yet, nor have I tried haggis. I'm adventurous, but not with my meats.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is gorgeous. Although, a bit cold, even for this Coonass who likes it like that. Backpacking is an amazing experience where you get to learn a lot about yourself and other people. However, it does get a bit...well...lonely. So, I went up to the bartender and told him about my problem: I'm here to visit Ireland and Scotland, but...I don't drink beer. After a few shocked looks, and having to indeed verify that I was a Texan, he eased me into a decent cider. I then struck up conversation with a Scotsman right next to me and we chatted for a while till I got drawn into this "Hen Party" (i.e. Bachelorette Party), where one of the girls was so Irish (i.e. drunk) that I think I introduced myself to her 3 times. Europe is a great place. All it takes is saying you're Texan, and then singing the first 4 notes to "Dallas" and you've got insta-friends. Tell them your uncle has an alligator farm, and they'll never let you out of their sight. I'm up bright and early now to head out to do a day trip to Loch Ness. Makes me wish I brought my squid shirt. P.S. I went to bed early, and woke up to the sound of a girl coming into my bed room. (It's a 6 person, dorm-style room with private curtains for each bed.) At first, I thought some lucky guy had made a friend and wondered if this would be more like college than I was hoping for. Then more women came in and I realized that I was the only guy in here. It's an awkward experience hearing a woman undress knowing that she probably has no idea you're there. Seriously.
I turned 31 the other day
Kathy and Me Originally uploaded by SnoopyKiss. Traditional social standards tell me that I should have had a beautiful day in the park with my kids and…
MezzJelly Funk, Soul, Blues and Good Times
Bring on the Funk Originally uploaded by SnoopyKiss. As a white guy, why do I love the Funk so much? Maybe it's because it's got a hard bass. Maybe…
I'm going!!!!!!
Europe in 2005 15.jpg Originally uploaded by goldmember@gmail.com. Ok, after years and years of telling myself that if I ever got laid off from Nortel, I…
Punch a Nun
How good can good food be? A question recently pondered by myself right after my recent Food and Spirits party. And I think I found the limit. After talking about how she took the leftover chocolate fondue and threw in whipped cream and poured it over pound cake, Kathy's friend realized that this was tasty enough that she'd "Punch a Nun". NOTE: To all you nun-lovers out there: I highly doubt that this friend would go around actually punching nuns for pound cake. But what if she opened up a Denny's/La Quinta rival: Punching Nun Inn/Slap a 4 Year Old Diner. Crack a Cardinal Tuesday's. 4 Year Old Friday's. Wrong, yes. But it's be tasty. I'd eat there. --Snoopykiss wishes he could Feast on Asphalt.
May Pole!
It worked! Originally uploaded by SnoopyKiss. What's May without a Pole Dance? What started out as a joke between Neighbor Dan and I about how we should…
30 in binary
30 in binary Originally uploaded by SnoopyKiss. "What's it like turning 30?" "I was giddy for most of the day. I was just unconditionally happy through…
Growing vs. Falling
Summit Plummet Originally uploaded by bobscrazyblog. Not out of resolutions, but more out of revolutions, I've noticed changes in myself. All seem to be…
Strip White Elephant Party
mensshirtL2 Originally uploaded by jen-rocks.com. So, I'm chatting away with Miss Sam, of Weyandt's affection, and discussing a possible X-mas party. There's the traditional White Elephant party, but when your attendance reaches 100+, you've gotta bend the rules to make this work. Otherwise, you'll be there till my Birthday (St. Patrick's Day. I like Legos). In America, you can turn anything into a game by adding either "Strip" or "Drinking" to it. So, what would happen if there was a penalty for stealing? --Snoopykiss is suddenly in the Christmas mood.
I binge and purge
Chicken Elmo Originally uploaded by SnoopyKiss. So, I successfully completed my "Stick it to the Man" Tour with a buttload of pictures and some new…
Stick it to the Man Tour: Day 3 & 4
Sears CN Tower Originally uploaded by SnoopyKiss. After a much needed rest and some good work put in, I finally got the full "Stupid Lack of Parking…
Attack of the 50 mm iPod
iPody Dude. Originally uploaded by SnoopyKiss. BIG UPS! to Ruby for accessorizing one of my favorite toys. 9 Guests last weekend, half of which I never…
· 1 min read
Jazz Fest, babye.
Jazz Fest Logo Thingamabob Originally uploaded by SnoopyKiss. Road trips are funny things. You never know what's going to happen or where the…
Single but not Alone
After going through enough 100+ people parties, there comes a time where one realizes that there is a core group of people who are not just your party buddies, but people who you can really depend on. Those are the people I wanted around me for my St. Patrick's B-day. It's those people I wanted singing Happy Birthday in the loudest, off-key, deaf-tone, intentionally unharmonious, way possible. Ones that would give me Pinky, the Love Pig as well as show me the epitome of "ghetto wrapped". Ones who know me and what I want, oh so well. (Thanks for the Mentos and shirt!) As well as ones who are so willing to help me "find something to bang" while making a joyful noise unto the Lord. And then give me a spatula to help with spankings. After much merriment and a very-welcomed day slept in, I was kidnapped by two awesome Denver Follows, and whisked off to Lindyfest in Houston. This consisted of a weekend full of the country's best and intriguing instructors where I took a class called, "Learning to Dance to Soul Music" and even saw my friends compete in the American Lindy Hop Competition Regionals. Pictures forthcoming. --Snoopykiss needed that. In a good way. And a bad way.
21 and Gay
Have I stressed enough how much I love my friends? My very diverse set of friends. Well, at least as diverse one can be while living in a city pretty much comprised of computer geeks? My good friend Mark had his 30th B-day party, and I was excited to see him and his husband, Dave, and their new house. It was a surprise theme where everyone was supposed to come dressed up in their favorite Rocky Horror or Disco outfit. I figured I was going to be the only straight guy there, but this would not be an unfamiliar situation to me. Regardless, Disco Stu made an appearance. After hanging out with Mark and his friends, and apparently blending in quite well, this one girl seemed affectionate, and we got to talking. Somehow age came up, and she wanted to know how old I was. "You're 23, right? 25? Ok, maybe 21. pause Wait...you're not 19 are you? You're drinking. You can't be 19. 21?" I held out for a while and then told her that I was 28 and she gave me a huge hug and said that I was so cute for 28. It then hit me, "She thinks I'm gay!!!" So, I had fun with this and have made a new friend. Who still doesn't know if I'm gay or not. And for some reason...that cracks me up. --Snoopykiss is uni-curious.
Lindy Gras...now with Parental Units!
Of course, thanks for everyone who helped organize this wonderous event. It kicked much arse! Unforunately, I had too much fun and my body's making me pay for it now by being sick and stuff. Some of my favorite highlights were: Riding the bull and doing a damn fine job of it, if I don't mind saying. Video forthcoming. Meeting up with my parents and other relatives at Cafe Du Monde and seeing the "No Funk For Tommy Team" and hearing my dad say, "You know, your mom doesn't have to know, but I'm proud of ya." Getting a picture of me and my dad with me wearing my "Qui Est Ton Papa?" Shirt. Priceless. Walking down Burbon Street, and biting on Erica's neck, and then running into my relatives again. Ack! As Stella said, "You turned a deep purple." THE Blues Club Going to The Blues Club with the gang and then getting my relatives and parents to go inside. Then showing off. :) Watching my parents dance. This was pretty much THE highlight of my weekend. I can't say how much that meant to me. It gave me an infinite number of warm fuzzies. The smallest Room / Shower in the world. Being a Marshall for the 2nd Line Parade. w00t! Free Umbrella! The Matrix Posings with Sharon. Where's those pics, G?! Bowling Ball Dancing with Holly. The Last Dance with Jasmine. Oh yeah, PICS ARE UP!
Turning a new tree.
Greetings Tommy-party enthusiasts, Over the years, I've thrown countless parties, all with amazingly great success. And I owe that to my friends, my peeps, my homeys. What's made all of these events (Auction Party, Food and Spirits, God and Goddess, etc.) such an overwhelming success is the people who make it and what they contribute. And by that, I am only slightly referencing the tangible items brought. I am more referring to the spirit and general "good natured-ness" which is why I love every one of my friends. This is truly what makes a Tommy-Party (tm). In that same breath, along with the huge successfulness of my parties, stuff happens. And along with the wacky antics, some the hilarious stories. But sometimes it takes away from a greater picture. Something I'm far more committed to. In this case, "Ensuring that everyone that attends, enjoys themselves fully and walks away feeling that they were part of a really special event." That's pretty much the essense of a Tommy-party(tm). That and shaking your Groove Thang. I often think back to all of the parties, specificly, what worked and what didn't work. I take what worked and keep it in mind for the next party. And I take what didn't work and try to remove it in the next one. Sometimes I've succeeded in doing this. Sometimes...not so much. And when I look at what I could have done to eliminate it sooner, one thought shouts out above all other. "Be true to yourself and trust your instinct." SO! This New Years Party shall be unlike any other Tommy-party. This year, there will be participation and celebration! Here is my idea: Everyone attending is invited to bring two pieces of paper. One stating what they are proud to have accomplished this year. A boasting and acknowledgement of themselves. One stating what they are not proud of, or didn't accomplish this year. An acknowledgement of what didn't work or what didn't happen. I'm gonna have a fire a'blazing that evening and everyone participating is invited to read those papers to themselves (and to others, if so desired) and then do with them as they please. (Personally, I look forward to watching one piece of paper burn as I then move on.) Of course, there will be the usual Tommy-Party food and merriment and stories and activities and lots and lots of social interaction. This is something for people to participate in at their own leisure. NOTE: This is NOT about making resolutions. You can do that on your own time. This is about acknowledging exactly where you're at, and what you accomplished and didn't accomplish. What you do from there is your journey. Let's get this party started! Much Love, Tommy.
Tommy's Marriage Service
It's always great to learn something about yourself. Especially when it deals with your impact on other people. I just had a theory of mine soundly reinforced the other day: "If you want to get married, date me. Chances are, you'll marry the next guy you date." Thankfully, I end all of my relationships on good terms so I'm able to share the joy and encourage them on their way. I don't think of this as a positive or negative, but rather a better after effect than my other friend who had the running joke, "After you date me, you turn gay." We were all worried about how that was going to turn out when she started dating one of my Navy friends. They're married now. With child. So, I'm guessing he enjoyed it. --SnoopyKiss wants a ring...A One Ring. P.S. Oh yeah, the blues party was yet another success. These are starting to become my new favorite types of parties to throw! Right number of people too.
w00 and Yea!
It had been a while since my last Exchange, so when it came time for Tulsa's, I knew that I had to be there. I also brought along Lee and Miss Heather who found themselves . On Size: No, LOLX was not a huge exchange, about 60 people or so. But with last year, I think that people were expecting something different. On Quality: One of the things I loved most about this exchange were the people. So many cool people to talk to, so little sleep had. One of my new finds was a Lounge covers of of NiN, Papa Roach, Disturbed and other "Angry White Boy Music "(tm). On Longevity: Arriving at 11PM on Friday and leaving 4AM on Monday, this gave us the maximum amount of Exchange for the minimal amount of vacation time (Read: 0 days). On Pillow Talk: One of my favorite moments was finally getting a chance to sit down with an old college friend of mine who I "ran into" while in Denver about 6 months ago. It's always intriguing to converse with someone who knew you 8 years ago. That and compare "Halle Stories". :) In Conclusion: For those that made it, I'm overjoyed to have spent a weekend with you. And those that missed, this may sound crude, but I'm glad you had your plans, as it wouldn't have been the same Exchange if y'all crowded the place like a Tommy party. On playing favorites: Without a doubt. But a close second. Speaking of which...
Ok, now it's funny.
The weekend that kept getting wackier still lives! It started with seeing an X and getting insanely jealous. That was later calmed down by attending The Angry Asian's "Stereotypical Party", where you come dressed up as the worst stereotype of your race. I was about to go home and mope until I was told that I couldn't until I went to see "Madame Wong". Boy, that was a good idea. The next day pushed my limits of stress and ability to deal with physical threats. These two unrelated "tests" involved gunshots from outside at 1:30, and later, an unwelcome visitor who burst into my bedroom in an outrage and had some very unpleasant and tramatic things to say. Thank God I was dressed. Throughout the numerous ordeals, I was brought back to sanity with the help of my amazing friends who don't mind getting 4:30AM emergency phone calls from me. Today has been interesting as I'm finally getting a few week's worth of laundry done, got a Thank You card from Barb and (OMG!) Mentos from Australia and New Zealand from about the coolest person on Earth! And then I got an SMS from Brooke. Now I know why she disappeared for so long. Maybe I should have left a "Tommy was here" in the closet. --SnoopyKiss can't wait to settle down with some girl that won't eat his Mentos.
Would you like an apple pie with that?
I've got so many great taglines to use in my jorunals, but so little content. This latest one sparked my imagination after a fairly reenactment of this happened at the BK near my work. Few things put me me in the holiday sprit. That's one of them. I've also been proud of myself as I've finally embraced the idea of doing my homework. Growing up in Louisiana, you usually couldn't get me to go outside unless you tossed the computer out the window. And even then, that would be because I was attached to it. So, that I actually bought and USED a weed-wacker, is about as shocking as having Mushmouth replace Dick Clark and getting the countdown right! I'm also excided as I will be getting a minion (read: Co-op) at work. Don't know what else to say. --SnoopyKiss just got professionally insulted, and feels honored. P.S. After-hours blues party = Good, Good, Good, Better.
The Best Exchange Eva!
Another month, another exchange. (Although that ratio is a lot lower this year.) I've made many decisions in my now 28 years of life. Some have brought me great amounts of happiness, such as buying this house. Others...well, there's a reason why I'm called SnoopyKiss. (Also realizing that a Variable Life Insurance Policy is not a worthwile investment for a Gen-X'er was another poor decision.) However, one of them will go down in my mental history books as being the wisest of them all. Staying in Denver those two extra days. It wasn't a quiet exchange. In fact, with all of the hundreds of pictures I took, you'd think that hardly danced a song. But I did. Mmm...Amber blues. The Denver Exchange is a meeting of some of the best Lindyhoppers in the entire country. And not only are they good dancers...but they're HOT! So, why were those two extra days so great? Where else would I have gotten to compete in a cage dance competition, lindybomb the techno club upstairs with some sessy, sessy blues dancing downstairs, and have three women commandeer my camera to make a home video of "Why Tommy should move to Denver." And no, you can't see the video. And yes, it's good to be the King. Oh yeah. I got to pick out fetish wear for hotties. --SnoopyKiss contemplates moving to Denver. But will they still respect me in the morning? P.S. A few more shoutouts: Kat, Jen and Amanda: God bless you and your fine arse slapping! Kathy!!!!: Without you, I probably would have skipped out.
2nd Annual Food and Spirits Party
Yet another weekend proving that I have the coolest friends this side of the universe. About 100+ people stopped by my house this Saturday to check out some amazing dishes. I was so happy to throw this party, that I even bought prizes for the winners! The award winning receipes were: Appetizer: Apple Happiness (Matt Musselman) Entre: Grilled Salmon (Matt Weyandt) Dessert: Sopaipilla Cheesecake (Eric Simpson) Best of Show: Raspberry Brownie (Helen Cantril) I only wish I would have had the frame of mind to get pictures of the winners with their dishes. Instead, I was facinated by Sarah and her Jello-Shot Wedding Cake which boggled my mind in at least 3 different ways. Ahh...now off to Denver this weekend for more partying and a Birthday dance with the countries best follows! Amazingly enough, after 3 weeks of progress, Heather, Lee and I were able to get the walls and white boards in time for the party. With 2 hours to spare! Words can not express their coolness. w00+! SnoopyKiss knows that it's good to be king.
Fat Lindy (Lindy Gras)
I wish I had more to say about Lindy Gras right now, but it's pretty late in the night (or early in the morning) and after postponing this post for so long, the vivid memories of dances and follows are quickly being replaced with Perl code. One speciality of this Exchange was that Heather and Lee got their Exchange cherry's popped. I think they enjoyed themselves. The invitation for the 2nd Annual Food and Spirits party just went out, and I'm amped! I plan on this being a bit more subdued than the last one, but still a good time with great people that know how to cook. Or at least know how to pick out great spirits. --SnoopyKiss hates breakups.
Okie Smakka!
Another weekend, another party. This time, it was a bit more personal focused, than an all out, Crazy Go Nutz time. Some Okies thought that they could actually dance better than us, so by some miracle, they were actually able to follow directions and make it down to Dallas for the 2nd SmackDown. There were some pre-dance activities which involved me showing off my "mad shuffleboard skillz", and Heather (#6; Double-Three; C; Casey; ) schooling everyone in pool. And I don't mean: Winning. I mean: Slack jawwed Okie still has 4 solids on the table as she sinks the 8 and gloats. It was like all out Pool-sodomy. Afterwards, there was a major good time at Party Central (Chez Falgout) involving some damn fine blues dancing and music, an interesting game of "I Never", and a visitation from the local Police at 5AM. --SnoopyKiss thinks it's time to give in and buy a professional steam cleaner.
I threw a party.
Wacky antics ensued. I want to shout out to a few people who helped make this last party such a huge success: DJ FU! Who kept the tunes raging and the people dancing from 8PM-2AM. The Tommy Support Team: You know who you are and what you did. This party was a hit and kept on going because of your efforts. I'm blessed to have y'all as friends. The Cleanup Krew: Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies. And there were a few there to move. Everyone and anyone who contributed to the party. Now to go crawl under a rock for a while... Oh yeah, the pics are up. And no, not THOSE pics.
That's me in the closet.
Too many things have happened since I've last posted for me to describe in any great length, so here's the 5 minute ramblings: Most of the Falgout Family came into town to visit. I even got Charles, my nephew, to come out dancing. I never knew I could have so much fun pimping out my own nephew for dancing. :) Had Thanksgiving dinner with my family...at IHOP...at 9AM before they left for Cut Off. Got stuffed into a closet. snicker After two weeks of no returned calls from Brooke, finally heard from her on Thanksgiving day. We talked about what happened and how I didn't hear from her in such a long while. She promised to call me...a few days later: still haven't heard back from her. I'm STOKED about the Naughty or Nice party coming up on the 20th. It's just less than 2 weeks away and I've already got 40+ people confirmed. There's gonna be prizes, a DJ, a Blues room and a visit from No-Pants Santa! I finally took a non-Lindy Exchange trip! Goddess Kathy found me cheap-ass tickets to Denver which I could not pass up, so packed up some warm clothing and jumped my butt over to Colorado. It's there that I met a whole bunch of Yehoodites I'd talked to before and most amazingly, Jen Hohnstein! Some might have heard my "First Kiss" story (aka, "Tommy, I'm so drunk I can't find your mouth."), well Jen was an instigator of that immortal night. After her Freshman year of Tulane, she dropped off the face of the Earth and I ran across her while dancing in Boulder! I even got to play with myself! I got a new girlfriend. Long brown hair and blue eyes. I know that they care; because, it shows in my call log. His name's Rob. :) Sorry Christine, but I found him first! He knows how to make me do "Man Swivles." (Just kidding mom!) My Strong Bad CD came in...and I'm so glad the Cheat's not dead. What's one to do when you've been living in your house for over 2 years and a package comes for the previous owners that got shipped back due to a Custom's failure?
My Resolve has failed.
On many different levels. One of which was that I didn't even notice that my site's been down for quite some time because my ISP (Comcast) changed my IP w/o me knowing. Therefore, lastcoolnameleft.com didn't resolve. If you don't find this funny, ask a techie. If the techie doesn't find this funny...well, it's probably not. But hug your techie anyway; because I'm sure he would enjoy it. (Hmm...Hug A Techie Day.) The other level is that I promised myself to post whenever events happen. Probably one per event. As of my last entry, there have been enough events to overwhelm a freeze-dried turkey. So, I shall summarize: Austin Lindy Exchange - Dancing, dancing, dancing and more dancing. At some point I slept. Oh yeah! And I had 3 women staying at my house! We even made shirts. Tommy's Bordello. I felt so special. Halloween Party #1 - Unbeknownst to me, I had tickets to go see the Plano Rep's Chicago that night. I went to a costume party where Disco Stu was accompanied by the likes of Angie the Carpenter and Greg the Cholo (sp?). It is here that I met who was awesome enough to sing some Janis Joplin for me outside. Halloween Party #2 - Helen and FWSWS threw a Dance with a live band, costume and even a birthday party for Mistress Helen who was spawned on Halloween, a few years go. My class was also there! Sidenote: I've never been so self-conscious in my life than when sitting in a Greyhound bus station for an hour while wearing my Sugar Daddy PJ's. Afterwards, went to Weyandt's party which was an event and a half. Halloween Party #3 - Rocky Horror. I could go into that some more, but my mom reads this site at times. After a particularly unfortunate Hallowween ending, involving a miscommunication between friends, I feel that karma smiled down upon me (that is if karma would have the properties of a face and muscles to make such a movement). And presented a gift which I have been reveling in ever since. The aforementioned Brooke. (Who a number of my friends are starting to doubt the existance of because due to some reason or another has been unable to join me on none, but one of my social expeditions thus far.) Oh yeah! My new Treo 600 came in and I'm once again, like a giddy school girl playing with my new toy. I only wish I wouldn't have dropped and scratched it on the concrete last night. ("That didn't take long.") Now to prepare for Movie Night. Yarr! --SnoopyKiss now believes in Karma.
The Auction Party
At one of my last parties, I realized that I had thrown enough parties designed to get wild and meet lots of cool people. I wanted to do something new. Something with a bigger purpose in mind. Something that would leave people with warm fuzzies. Something...for the children. So, I started spreading the word about people auctioning items off and donating the proceeds to charity. People seemed genuinely interested in the idea and had lots of creative ideas. So, I went for it. I planned the party the weekend after the St. Louis Exchange and I knew that it was going to be awesome. A few setbacks occurred, like getting sick during the exchange which had lasting after-effects that kept my throat in a constant state of dry-coughing hoarseness. Thankfully, with the help of the best man in the world, Lee Gibson, I knew that nothing would get in our way. From the beginning, Lee was the backbone of this operation. From coming up with the name: “Tommebay”, to designing the website, to designing the “I Gave Stuff” and “I Bought Stuff” stickers, to auctioneering, to building the hot-tub steps in the 13th hour, this man's presence reigned supreme over the party. It would take forever to go over all of the magical highlights of the party; however, in brief, some were: Auctioning Matt Peck's pants Mary's demonstration of Blues Dancing with Becky My roommate, Mark, winning the $105 bid for the “Date with Amy” Finding Mark and Amy exploring new items already. (Read the can) Kathy's AMAZING painting of the Shim Sham steps. Matt Peck bidding $250 on that same painting. The “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” Consultation Me freaking out after finding out what cool stuff I missed out on in the “Assorted CD 1” collection and finally getting the “Assorted CD 2” box Rusty buying Sarah's “Soon There Will Be Art” Lee making Waffles at 3:30 AM for all of the late-night snackers. “The Tingler Demonstration” (I have video. Wow.) By the time the 3rd and last set of auctioning was done, (1:30AM) everyone was in high spirits and Lee announced that had raised $1695 for charities. At that point, my heart froze. I knew that we were going to make some money. I knew that we were going to help some people out. I knew it was going to be a good time. If we raised, say, $400, I was going to be happy. But 1.7K?!?! I'm very honored to have been blessed with such cool people (with deep wallets. :) ) to be able to pull this off. There's been mention of doing this again. Definitely. Just let my my house recuperate for a while, ok? --Tommy is feeling the warm fuzzies P.S. I think that this must have earned me some karma points, because I got pulled over for speeding coming back from Movie Night and got off with a warning. :)
STLBX 2003 - Dance till you're blue in the...
Apparently, it was that time of the month for me. I was a bit late; however, that was ok; because I was able to resolve some personal issues since the last time. And once it happened, it was a big relief for me. I was starting to get really worried. The St Louis Blues Exchange proved to be an amazing time. It ended on a bad note for me, (i.e. sick as a dog) but I have never has such high spirits with so low of an immune system. For this exchange, I joined forces with some of the other Dallas-ites (Greg, Helen (Yes, even though she lives in Ft. Worth, she's considered a Dallas-ite.) and Andre) going to STLBX. We rented a car and headed over to the "Un-Cruise" Dance of the evening. We were supposed to be cruising up and down the Mississippi River, but alas the propeller was broken. On a positive note, the bartender provided some extra liquid happiness to make up for it. I got to see the Arch, tho. So, I was quite happy. Little by little, I started seeing people that I recognized from previous exchanges and St. Louis was becoming more and more like home to me. After the cruise, I begged everyone to stop by a White Castle for their tiny burgers which I had never had before. Andre warned me that it was toxic waste. I should have listened. Then, we headed to the late night event at Fusion Dance Studio where Helen slept in the Car and I refused to give up until the DJ was done (~4AM) We traveled to our hosts place where we amazingly enough didn't wake her up because she's an Mech. E. student who was up late working on homework with her beau, Ro. She let us in and I slept like the dead. Rob, the X-local, pointed us to some amazingly tasty BBQ and I even discovered a poster from back home in the window of a Fish market. We also ran into some other Lindyhoppers and tried some imaginative blues dancing with cell-phones (Greg's phone had the best advice which was to keep "Looking for Service" .). We then jumped off to the first Friday Dance, where I realized how naked I feel without my camera. Between dances, I shot back to our hosts place and got there in time to watch the wacky antics of combining mini-tricycle races, dancing and roller-skating all in one package. Back to sleep at 5AM. One guy was even lucky enough to say, Ahhh...I have women at my feet. I woke up bright and early (Read: 11:30 AM) to go to the Blues Dance Workshop which I hope will make a huge difference and look forward to taking back to Dallas. After the class, which was done near a fountain with a beautiful backdrop of the St. Louis Arch, we decided to jump in the fountain and see what happens. Well, we got wet. Lotsa wet. But thankfully, no one ever fell down. One thing that will never cease to amuse me is how 50 people can be dancing in a fountain, but the moment it starts raining, they will run like rabbits for shelter. The rain continued to greet us, and we remained determined to last this through. In the end, we won. One bathroom induced shower later, we were off to The City Museum where, yeah, it was for kids, but HOLY COW, I had too much fun. I think I danced maybe 5 songs, and ran around with my camera and my youthful psyche for hours. There were dozens and dozens of places to crawl through, get stuck and take pictures of. There were airplanes to crawl through. Old, old comic books. Things to pet. 3 story slides. Big Galoot Underwear. Toys. Lots and lots of toys. I can't wait to get back there once their 10 story slide is operational!!! Oh yeah, and some good dancing and a nice massage. Before the late night, a few of us went to Have a Nice Day Cafe where we Lindy-bombed the place. And then off to Late Night where I was starving, but didn't want to stop dancing. Although, some people wished that I would have. Moooree sleeeeppp... By this time, I feel as if I've done enough exercise, that I can properly treat myself so a grease-ball burger from Rally's. One of my favorite burger places back in college which doesn't exist here in Dallas. So, Greg, Rob and I pigged out before starting our dances at the History Museum which contains the famous Spirit of St. Louis. It's also here that I grew a new appreciation for my last name. I could be more funke, but I'm proud to be a Falgout. Because I could be something else. Apparently, St. Louis also has a high Catholic population. So much so that they have their own Catholic Supply store. Apparently, you can actually buy a Savior. Before we started the final late night of the weekend, some of us went to the grocery store for snacky-treats. This lead to more food dancing...and even some food dancing affairs!!! Also some naughty Austin Exchange Paddle pics. Everyone wanted to get involved. And Diva Jeff putting up a great show. The late night also had some structural beams which lead to a few interesting moves. Plus I got to hang out with some cool froods and even some drunk ones. By this time of the night, I was dead. My body, totally exhausted. My immune system, left for Istanbul, leaving me feeling like I just got run over. However, what also really made my day was coming home, and giving my roommate some money and having him come back with exactly the type of milk I like, OJ with extra Vit C and E for immune pump-upping, Aleve and oats for my breakfast. He's the shitz-bomb-diggity. To summarize. STLBX: Good. Mark: Good. Not taking care of immune system: Bad. I give it 4 and a half "Yarrs!" The only thing I was hoping to get out of the exchange that I didn't was to work my balance issue. I guess I'll have to go back next year to get it rights. Sucks to be me. Yeah, I know. :) --Snoopy Kiss is ANXIOUSLY looking forward to the Auction Party.
· 6 min read
Maryland/Wash. DC - It ain't Dallas.
After taking enough trips for dancing/swing related events, I decided to do something completely different: Accept an invitation to go to Baltimore/Wash. DC to see a wedding of someone I had never met before, a friend of an x-girlfriend. And get some dancing in, if I'm so inclined. As you might know the x-gf in reference is Melissa, the only girlfriend who matched the "area code" rule Lee and I created. (My mobile's 214, so close enough.) We parted on good terms and have kept in touch. I had always seen pictures of the beautiful spread out houses of New England and was delighted to see that unlike my neighborhood, you could walk out your front door for more than 10 straight steps and not be on the road. These people had yards! I mean REAL yards. Ones with more than 50 blades of grass. And hills! And REAL houses. Not ones that have some floorplan as 20 other houses in the same 1 mile radius. While doing touristy stuff there, I saw the Baltimore harbor, had a deee-licious crab cake and observed some of the local marine life. Afterwards, a Asian wedding was to be had and if you know anything about Asian weddings, you know that at the end, you won't be hungry for days. I partook of a 12 course meal, that went on for hours. Thankfully, I shed that shyness layer a while back and I was able to socialize with a bunch of people I'd never met before and even walked out with a small gift! I also did some dancing. Well, I tried, but the music was too fast, and definitely not to my style. I only danced with 3 people the entire night. One of which was a woman who used to live in Austin and was in desparate need of some Texas style dancing. (which I was already missing) I hung out with some of peeps afterwards, and although they were cool enough (they started writing funny sayings on the Equal and pink stuff), the guys definitely don't treat outsiders as well as I'm accustomed to. ("Hey Texas. Go get me some more sugar packets.") The next day I got to play around on a carousel and witness Contra dancing. And then ahhh....back home to Dallas where I've been running around like a crazy person with his head chopped off...but still with all of his motor functions. Err...nevermind. In any case, I've been busy and am finally getting a chance to journal this. -- SnoopyKiss likes the dancing in Dallas, because DC's too fast. And the people are cooler too. Those kids and their damn fast music.
· 3 min read
Kerrville?! Why would I want to go there?
A while back, my good frirend Teel told me about this place called Kerrville. Being somewhat perceptive, I noticed that Teel seemed to like this place a lot. A LOT. Like A LOT, A LOT. No really. More than that. After finally letting my mind accept the fact that if I went to the Kerrville Music and Wine festival, I would have to be camping the entire weekend, possibly w/o showering. I did enough of that back as a kid to know that it's not my cup of tea, coffee, beer, or soy protein drink. However, feeling adventurous and curious, I decided to jump in. I would say that I got more than I expected, but how can you really expect something like Hippies named Shaggy, sampling and passing out numerous Texas wines, skinny dipping and staying up till 5AM with about 20 other people listening to lots of folk music and comtemplating life? Without a doubt, my favorite part of the weekend was being on wine duty, where people would give someone else a dollar for a ticket and then give me a ticket for "a taste" of wine. The quotation marks are because as I "tasted" the wine myself, my "tastes" got bigger. For both me and the ticket holders. It was a win/win situation. Except that I was on a red wine table, and I strictly prefer sweet white wine. But that just meant I got to make friends with ... uh, um ... some vinyard that had a really good traditional Reisling. Man, I wish I remembered who it was. Mind you, snake bites can be pretty nasty. There was also a wedding! By the time it was over, I was sleep deprived to the point where I was seeing things, stinky and having problem comprehending the English language. All the signs of a good time. -- Tommy now thinks that hippies are cool!
They can't say that on Television
Oh yeah..I forgot some of the quotes that I either overheard or instigated during the exchange: "Let the a$$ slapping begin!" Our waitress at Minnies - "Our food is really great, which is surprising considering the crappy service." "Carbonated yogurt with Seltzer. It tasted like goat." "Wow, it's like Valley girl meets caveman: Dude...ugg...dude!!...ugg.." "So, you're a fish snob?""I prefer to call myself an fish-anadio" "I hope that's blood.", After slopily eating a steak. "You're going to like what I'm wearing tonight. Bring your Extra brain." "What?! You ate her danish and you didn't even know her name?!" "What makes you think I'm wearing underwear." "We need to start the rumor that all Jews are good dancers.""So, when a girl says 'Good Dance.', I should say, 'Thanks, I'm Jewish.'?" "I don't need a push-up bra. I need a push-in." "Which one is Solomon?""He's the one that looks like Harry Potter grown up about 10 years." "Swing dancing is great. There you are listening to great Jazz and grooving with hot women....some of which ride motorcycles." "He just gives women the look and they come dance with him.""A little big of tongue helps too." "Smirnoff Ice? I haven't sold that to a guy before."
A delicate combination of fast music, blues, and all out insanity.
As Seattle has been one of the most talked about Lindy Exchanges out there, I pondered...who am I to pass up such a great opportunity such as this? Apparently, about 200-300 people had that exact same thought. or maybe some deviation of that thought. or maybe it went along the lines of "Wow, there's going to be some kick'arse women/men there!" (Including the infamous Skadoo) or "Hot Damn! I feel the need to dance to some 200+ bpm song while totally experiencing the whole tribal rhythym." or maybe it was just subconcious that anyone who is anyone should be there. It was all of that and a bag of really finely cooked salmon. Hosted by the lovely, talented, and sexy Mrrree and her beau Jeremy, I was able to browse the finer locations of Seattle, from their balcony. Completely, on a whim, on Thursday night, I attended a performance workshop by Zah-Zu-Zay (2002 American Lindy Hop Championship winners) which we later performed that night. I was also "properly introduced" to the Meghan/Mrreee combo of Seattle fame. After some food and going through my 3rd or 4th wind, I was ready to crash. Which, I did. Quiet successfully, I might add. The next morning, another Dallas-ite, Heather Leigh Smith, and I went roaming around downtown Seattle for some dancing with the local band "Dusty 45's". Later on...there was more dancing. And even after that...even more dancing. Next few days...guess what? More dancing. Random blues-ing. There was also some beach side activities and cutting up that happened about every time I heard someone scream out, "Tommy! Come over here...and bring your camera!" Oh yeah...lots of good naughty-ness with the Austin Lindy Exchange paddle. We also got to visit the famous Pike's Fish Market. One of my favorite dances was in the heart of Seattle, where some "Got Milk?" advertisement campaign tried setting up a concert across the street from us, but they only lasted 30 seconds, because they knew that they couldn't compete with the entertainment provided by 200 people from all over the world (Including France and Australia, let alone 6 people from Texas!). That place is also where I think that I got the best picture of the exchange. It's also where Will finally got to invoke his revenge on an old water fight from the Salt Lake City Exchange. Thankfully, Melissa's a good sport.
Outage...BAD! Seattle Exchange...GOOD!! OBEY MY DOG!
As some might have noticed, my site has been down for a while. This seems to happen right after exchanges. Which is, of course, the worst time for it to go down since I'm ready to start posting pics ASAP for all to see. Hopefully, I will have the Seattle Exchange pics up by tonight for your viewing pleasure. In the meantime, if you're looking for the story of the Snoopy Kiss, here ya go. This is Lee's account. I plan to have mine up soon enough. -- Feeling refreshed. Could be the 11 hours of sleep I got today.
Jeromy's Gettin' Married!
I've always known that I'm surrounded by some of the greatest people on Earth. I think that God has blessed me in many ways by providing me with friends that care for me deeply and will support me eternally. This weekend, I got to be a Groomsman in the wedding for one of those people that I hold very, very high: Jeromy McDerment. Jeromy and I were Sophmore roommates back in my zany days of college. During that time, I was off persuing my own ways, trying to figure myself and my life out; meanwhile, Jeromy was a strong Christian influence on me which was unwavering and never-ending brotherly love. He and his brother Cliff, and Cliff's wife, Brooke, always amazed me at the amount of pure love and respect they had for each other. They don't know this, but they were my idols back in college. Jeromy and I always used to kid about who the other people was going to marry and about our futures. (Ahem...Annette McDerment!) And now I got to see this lucky girl who Jeromy asked to be his wife. I first found out about Cathy when Jeromy told me that he was engaged. I knew that they were perfect for each other after seeing this picture of them. Now onto the wedding: I carpooled with some of Jeromy's current friends and one of my old Tulane buddies, Aaron Kirtley. (One of the smartest men I know, who just finished MIT graduate school and knows at least 3 languages and is a very humble and pleasant person. Pretty good for someone who also looks like Matt Damon.) We caught up and had lunch together at the mall where we discovered the freaky chicken guy. (Some white guy who wore lots of makeup, had dreadlocks which he wore up while some dreads beaded down his white beret.) We got to the hotel to discover they had Krispy Kreme right across the street. My taste buds were more than happy to take some free samples and eat some for breakfast, dinner and lunch the following days. After the rehersal and rehersal dinner, I crashed after getting only 2 hours of sleep in the last 48. The wedding went almost flawlessly, except for the limo driver who didn't know what he was doing and passed the church on more than one occasion. Here's some pictures from the wedding: One of my favorites: The bride and groom getting heart shaped sugar-paper tossed at them. After the wedding, the two of them couldn't keep their hands (or lips) off of each other. We then went to this beautiful park to take some pictures. Come to find out, we weren't the only ones to have that idea. There were about 5 other bridal parties taking pictures at the same park that time. Some of them apparently had a hard wedding and needed to help loosen up. Some people were also fishing at the park and caught a biggie. Jeromy learned that if you ever need support, to just call on your friends. Following the picture taking was the reception. Were the women had their hands up most of the time either catching stuff, or doing the YMCA. And of course, what would be a wedding w/o the ceremonial wrapping of the groom's car. Maybe I should get out of the way. The next day I went to Niagara Fall's with some of Jeromy's buddies and we had a good time talking about the follys of life, Krispy Kreme, women and of course...how to meet them. The best thing we could come up with was following in the footsteps of this one guy who we saw walk past us with a T-shirt that said, "Available." How much easier could it get except for adding your phone number to the back? Needless to say, Niagara Falls was breaktaking. I forget how many gallons of water flow over each minute, but it was some number larger than my bank account. Oh, and here's something I didn't know. Niagara Falls is actually two water falls. One is "America Falls" and the other is "Horseshoe Falls". People say that the Canadian side has a more attractive view, but I think that it couldn't get much better than where I was standing. One thing I really liked was the cloud of vapor that rose from the Horseshoe Falls. Me and the guys also went on a boat ride to the middle of Horseshoe Falls which was awesome. If you're ever there, you MUST go. Oh, and yes, I took all of those pictures myself. All in all, it was an amazing experience and I am so glad that I was able to be a part of my good friend Jeromy's wedding. Many blessings and much love to you bro. Thanks for everything. 8/5/02 - Just in case you were wondering if I had any fun. :) (That's Cliff and Brooke in front of me.) Here's another good picture of the couple.
VLE 2003 (Hey! It rhymes!)
Some hobbies are expensive. Some cheap. Others, like swing dancing are cheap, but if you really want to go crazy with it, they can get really expensive. But now that I think about it, I'm sure you can say the same thing about every hobby. So, nevermind. My latest expense, justified towards redeveloping the growth of the world economy, was my trip to Vancouver for the Lindy Exchange. As some of my close friends know, one of my deep dark secrets is that I have a Canadian Fetish. I don't know why. I just seem to be drawn to them. I call it "Eh-dar". (Speaking of that, look at what I found!) In any case, while I was there, I had some really amazing dances. All too many to single out. (Mostly because I'm afraid that I'd forget someone. I'm also really bad with names. So, chances are, if I danced with you, told you "Thank You.", I probably enjoyed it.) While I was at it, I finally purchased new clothing! Something I don't believe I've done in about 6 months. (Check out the Gallery for pictures of the city and of the dance.) Unfortunately, there weren't too many quotes at the exchange, but I updated the quote page, with other mindless ramblings. In other news, my Pool of Pudding Pictures have become quite the rave. I'm getting calls from managers really high above me asking for the password to get in. --Just a boy looking for your love.P.S. I love my friends. They're insane. But not insane like this.
Any party that lasts 20 hours, is a good party.
You know, I really wish that I could say that I had full control of the God and Goddess party yesterday, but I'll have to admit...there was no holding it back. "It turned that knob to 11." Oh yeah, when I woke up, there was an octopus in my sink. That's how you know it was a good party. We also did have a cop come by, but thankfully the God of Bad Instructions waved to him with his beer bottle and he waved back and drove off. The party went till about 2PM, the next day as some of the hard-core partiers (read: People too tired/drunk to drive home) went to the Original Pancake House for doilies and good grub. I'll also have to admit that this was one of the most fun parties to invite people to. How often do you actually get to be the God or Goddess of your choice for a night? We even had prizes which I bought, but never gave out. Two of the un-official winners were Jenna as the "Goddess of One Night Stands" who had a table, night clock, and other items attached to her. And Lee, The "God of Arrested Development" whose favorite X-mas gift in recent years was a K'Nex rollercoaster which he proudly wore on his head and was even functional! The party was also paid a visit by Cleopatria, The Goddess of Water, The Goddess of Fire (completely unplanned), the Goddess of Fashion and the Goddess of Fashion Faux Pas (I kid you not, also, completely unplanned). George Lucas' Goddess of Marketing, The God of Turn Tables, The God of All Things Shiny (your truly), The Goddess of Unfinished Projects (who went quite well with the God of Unfinished Party Decorating, as I was late on the preparations), The Goddess of All Things Naughty, God's Gift to Women, Goddess of Common Sense (who should also win a prize for spending 3 hours hot gluing about 300 pennies to her already shiny dress), The God of Turntables who kept spinning his live mix till about 3AM and too many other deities to name. It was a truly divine party, that I was proud to host; because there were so many cool people there. About 10% I met at that day. And another 10% I met the day before. :) Pics are up! (Unfortunately, I didn't take too many pics myself, and will get other people's pics up as soon as I can.) Oh yeah, and for those interested, I have the Pool of Pudding Pictures up. Although, due to the "Nature of the pictures" they're password protected, so shoot me an email if you want in. BEWARE! Not safe for work. (That means you too mom.) If you want some of the videos, let me know. This was one of those parties, that I had no idea what I was getting into. How often do you get to see 60 gallons of pudding with people wrestling in it? Yeah...that's what I thought.
Rest...please...
They say that God/life will never throw anything at you more than what you can handle. I agree to that; however, in this past week, I think that I’ve thrown about as much as my body could handle. The weekend before, I went to Salt Lake City for a Lindy Exchange. That was a hella lot of fun, even though the cops came in and busted us for holding a dance past 2AM. It was pretty upsetting as Salt Lake City is trying to be seen as a “normal” city, but still doesn’t allow organized dances past 2AM. As an outcry, I’ve created http://freenate.lastcoolnameleft.com where we hope to raise money for the Free Nate Foundation. (Nate being the person who organized the SLC Lindy Exchange, and is going to court, because of it.) As for this few days, here’s a lowdown: Parents came to town and brought my two nephews, Evan and Charles. It was interesting to have the little rug rats running around the house to see what a real family would be like, but I can definitely see that I’m not ready for parenthood. To spend some quality time together before she headed back to Baltimore, Melissa stayed at my place for about a week. The Master shower drain pan started to leak and my preciouuusss (read: House) started to leak and have all sorts of water problems. Earlene Falgout, my grandmother passed away after a lengthy battle with Lung Cancer. She was almost 90. May she rest in peace. Falgout Family Food Festival!!!! W00t! If you missed out on it, make sure not to do that next time. There was more seafood and other food that we didn’t know what to do with it all. Thankfully, I’ve got a big stomach and appetite. And of course, Melissa’s departure from Dallas. I took a sick day today, to let my body recuperate from all of the stress and it’s feeling much better, but my tummy’s rumbly. I think that there’s been a lot of loss for me recently; however, I’m quite proud of how I’m handling myself and not losing focus that life does go on and that these types of things happen. BTW, if you’re a Matrix Fan, I HIGHLY recommend watching Animatrix. “The Final Flight of the Orisis” kick MUCH holy arse. Carry on, -Me.
5 Years already?!
Didn't I move to Dallas just a few weeks ago?Didn't I start working for Nortel the day after that? Didn't I just buy my house?! Then what the heck is this email saying that I'm getting a gift for my 5 years of employment?!!! Hopefully, that doesn't mean that I'm getting old. Because that would probably require me settling down, getting married, having little rugrats, and being "responsible." I've successfully avoided all of that so far, and I plan on continuing to do so. I plan on having a small taste of this whole, "family" thing coming soon as my house will soon have it's "maximum family stability factor" tested when Melissa stays here for a few days before heading back to Maryland, and my mom and dad come to visit and bring my two nephews, Charles and Evan. Yes, I will be good to see all of them; however, I'm not sure how high my "family tolerance" meter goes to. I bet that it'll be pushed to 11. The Utah Swing Exchange is getting more and more on my mind as the time nears. Yea! I used to think that I would get some of my best new pics at Utah, but I'm starting to think that the prize winners can be the expressions I get when I tell them that I'm going to Utah to dance. "You're going to Utah...to dance?! They have music over there?""You mean, you don't know these people and you're going to stay with them?" I should have my pics from my second trip to the Scar. Renaissance Faire up soon. Word to the wise: Don't go when raining. Blah.
Lots o' Stuff
So, I've realized that I haven't posted here in a while, and I think that's because I usually spend a lot of time working on getting all sorts of links in with my stories, which takes a considerable amount of time. However, since I want this to be more of an online journal and less of a online link-fest, I'm now resolving myself to posting more often but less links. Except for really cool ones. As I'm sure most of you know two weekends ago was the Dallas Lindy Exchange. I was one of the team leads and had a freggin' blast. It wasn't until the Saturday night dance that I finally got my groove on, but once I did, I was ready to jet. Lots, and lots of pictures and even three different albums! (Thanks Greg and Jerry!) Every year, Waxahachie (sp?) is blessed with two special events. One of which is the Hallowween Fright show, and the other is Scarborough Faire. This is a grand Renaisance Festival from April 12th to June 1st. I went once and I'm determined to make it to every one from now on. Gene, Becky and I herded on over there at the bright hour of 9AM. (yeah, I know it's not early, but for me, that's harsh on a Sunday) Mine eyes did feast upon many beautiful costumes and I also had a slight revelation: Not all breasts look good squashed together in very tight costumes. I did end up running into a number of people like the security guard for my building at Nortel, an old friend from Landmark of 4 years ago, and Erin Finn and Teel Flemming. (You might remember these two from a Mardi Gras, and Food and Spirits Party from a while back. They're cool peeps. Just trust me.) Now, the pictures are uploaded and I'm ready to crash.Good night everybody! (Good night Tommy!)
Best Quotes (Updated 2/27/04)
My friends say the darndest things. Thankfully, I usually have enough sense to capture them down and the put them on the internet. Now the latest quotes are updated at the top: Only funny if you live in Dallas: "there seem to be a lot of accidents...especially on the freeways that end in 5" When's your birthday? St. Patrick's Day, March 17th. Oh really? Are you Irish? I feel like the life is being sucked out of me from my feet. Your boobs needs manual intervention Is that a Heather in your pocket? Wake up, ass! I'm going to use your hat as the armrest condom Project for this afternoon: I think I'm going to use this nice rare day and stain a bed. Y'know, paint. She runs like a woman. I swear, if that's a Yoga position, then I'm going join Yoga tomorrow! Ah No! The ugly sock of Christ! It was so hot, I felt like Frodo in the 3rd Matrix Movie. What the Hell's eating him? I bet you it's not his girlfriend. You had to put up with a lot while dating xxx. Was it the challenge, or was there anything else? Well, some people climb Mt. Everest. And others date xxx. I've got an empthy thing. If you're sad, I'm sad. If you're crying, I cry too. I'm horny... Mistletoe is always a good idea. Better watch it, or you're gonna get cream sauce all over your hoo-has... Now with more God. So how is it that God creates us both, man and woman, in his image? He's a hermaphrodite? Shallownees is only skin deep. I don't go on dates because I'm po' Our people don't make the difference. Our customers that buy our shit makes the difference. She's a Catherine with a C. Can't you tell? F*ck the cow. I wanna be a boy. I have a full license to operate the cookie. I'm just a lesbian with a built in strap on. Now with more tongue. "You know you're drunk when you can't feel what you're eating anymore." "They go together like Oreos and mayonnaise." "I never realized you were white until I saw you dressed like this." I have a customer on the line who's pissing me off! I'm about to be a faggot on a rampage! Let the a$$ slapping begin! Our food is really great, which is surprizing considering the crappy service. "Carbonated yogart with Seltzer. It tasted like goat." "Wow, it's like Valley girl meets caveman: Dude...ugg...dude!!...ugg.." "So, you're a fish snob?""I prefer to call myself an fish-anadio" "I hope that's blood.", After slopily eating a steak. "You're going to like what I'm wearing tonight. Bring your Extra brain." "What?! You ate her danish and you didn't even know her name?!" "What makes you think I'm wearing underwear." "We need to start the rumor that all Jews are good dancers.""So, when a girl says 'Good Dance.', I should say, 'Thanks, I'm Jewish.'?" "I don't need a push-up bra. I need a push-in." "Which one is Solomon?""He's the one that looks like Harry Potter grown up about 10 years." "Swing dancing is great. There you are listening to great Jazz and grooving with hot women....some of which ride motorcycles." "He just gives women the look and they come dance with him.""A little big of tongue helps too." Smirnoff Ice? I haven't sold that to a guy before. "Well, you know 10% of people are gay.""No No No No No. Only 5-7% are..." "Sounds like someone's in the 8 percentile." Is this corn starch or cocaine? Dude, I'm going to find out. I gotta go. My Depends are riding up on me. On dancing connection: "We've gotta give equal forces...like our friend Issan Newton said." This bar is very secure in it's masculinity. You know it's a good blues dance when you have to adjust your clothing afterwards. Somewhere, there's a trailer park that's empty, and a tornado that's looking for something to do. Whatever you do, you can do it better with more women. You know you're drunk when you don't know whose navel you sucked it out of. You've been a bad girl! Go to Tommy's room! Were you supposed to ravage me, or was I supposed to ravage you? You were supposed to get me drunk. Oh, should I drink you more? Put the jailbait down. Don't make me bitchslap you where it counts. I have a nine inch tongue and I can breathe through my ears. Rod, what are you doing back there?" I often have my head in the clouds...when it's not up my ass." Is he your boy?""Tonight he is." It's called foreplay! You damn men. That's what's wrong with you. You don't take your time. Would it hurt you to heat up the pan before you put the meat in it?" At least I'm a nice whore." Oh, I thought you were a lesbian." On movies: "He seems to only play black people." Vegetables are what food eats." Your hair is so silken. It's like the rope they bound Gollum with." The more you eat...the more you drink...the more you throw up...the more you can eat." Wiskey always makes me butch." The water fountain doesn't work and someone bit me!" I just got sucker punched by a 6 foot 2 blonde amazon. I'm supposed to be embarrased, but I actually like it!" Everything's fine. Better than "Cats". I wanna see it over and over again." Jesus loves everybody. But I'm his favorite." His Lindy hurts me. I got a grey hair last year. That'll never happen again. All I need is a psychologically damaged man with good abs. I look foward to dancing West Coast...when I get old enough. I'm a musician. I play the radio. Any party that lasts 20 hours, is a good party. You know it's a good party when there's an octopus in the sink. I have to remember to shave when I come to Tommy's parties. I forgot about all of the man-handling. This little piggy's hung over, this little piggy's hung over, this little piggy's half in the bag, this little piggy had LOTS and this little piggy went WHHHEEEEEE!!! Testostorne...We're helpless under it's power! Mmmm...Mormons You don't know whose fault it is? It's the fault of the wang. Don't blame the wang. If there's a white girl telling you to shut up, you better SHUT UP! Your mom said, "woot." When Luby's starts closing down, you know the economy's going down. Damn, that was the part of my brain that did long division. That was a double combo of happiness. And what do they think happens to the placentas in the wild?! My new instrument is my voice; because it's, like, so portable.
Food and Spirits Party
Being from Louisiana, food is a major topic of conversation with me and my friends, and I constantly hear, "You know, I make the best " Well, I gave those people a chance to put their food where their mouths are. Or someone else's mouth to their food...anyway, you get the picture. Plus, I made it into a contest with prizes! Also, since a few of us were so inspired by what we saw at Lindy Gras, we knew that we had to re-enact parts of it. Naughty us. And speaking of naughty...my pig had a good time too. Ride the pig! (or Erin. Either way is fine with me.) Back to the food...Some of entries were: EXP appetizers (brought 3 hours after the party started! :) ) Couscous a la Melissa Girl Scout Cookies DA-BOMB Sushi (Some in reference to previous mischief at Chef Tommy) Gourmet Mac and Cheese A most tasty Filet Mignon Taco Salad Mucho Alcoholo! 125 Jello shots! …bunches of other things that I have forgotten, or didn’t eat because I was quite toasty that night. (Many mega super happy thanks to Andre and Angie who brought me liquid happiness: Smirnoff Ice!) One of the more interesting events was when Matt M. bet me $5 that I couldn't eat one of his Sushi rolls without blinking. Scoffing at his offer, I got a big crowd to watch me as I threw the tiny morsel of seaweed in my mouth. For about 5 seconds of chewing, I was fine. Then it hit me. Once everyone was satiated, Teel whipped out: “The Tingler”. Words themselves cannot describe the sensation of being “Tingled.” Next time you’re out dancing at the Sons of Hermann, ask Teel about it. Just make sure that you’re sitting down and don’t get too carried away, else you’ll contort it and then have to pray to the “Tingler Diety” for forgiveness. We then sprawled out the always-faithful party-enhancer Twister. Except Helen had something else in store for us: Jello Shot Twister. If you landed on a spot that had a shot, it was yours. The prize for winning the Twister match? Once again…Tommy’s house. I tried defending my title, and almost succeeded. I got too anxious and knocked everyone down (including myself), so the judges defaulted to me, the defending champion. (Studio 54 Party) However, it was then noted that Helen took the most amount of shots and was on the mat the longest (we didn’t start at the same time), so in the spirit of the Olympics, Helen was the declared the winner. But it’s now been 24 hours and she hasn’t claimed her prize, so I get to keep the house. Woohoo! :) After some more drinking, it later hit me, “I should stop.” So, I did. But the room didn’t. Many many glasses of water later, I was ready to bed, which happened around 4AM. There were still people on my couch chatting, but like I tell people, when you come to my house, you’re family. Which also means, don’t expect me to fix your plate. :) When I woke up, those left over from the party, (Myself, Melissa, Lee, Janice and Brian) were treated by the master cooking skillz of Monsieur Gibson. Complete with homemade waffles topped with strawberries and syrup. For those that missed out…next time bring a pillow. Some of the more interesting quotes overheard: On how to have the most out of life: "The more you eat, the more you can drink...the more you drink, the more you throw up...the more you can eat" Let's not do that again: "Wiskey always makes me butch." Let's do that again: "Whatever you do, you can always do it better with more women." Let's make sure do do that again: "You know you're drunk when you don't know whose navel you sucked it out of." On tough issues: "Hit one little brown kid with a Stretch Armstrong and all of a sudden, YOU'RE the racist." No parking here: "These (lift boobs with hands) are just for show." Bad girl, good girl: ", you're being a bad girl. Go to Tommy's Room!" (I did not say that! I swear!)
Lindy Gras 2003: This ain’t your average exchange
Now that I have been exposed to the deep, dark underground that is Swing Exchanges, I will admit that I have become addicted. On Feb 14-17th, I danced and partied my arse off in New Orleans for their first exchange, Lindy Gras. I was hesitant to make the 8 hour drive there, since I waited too long to get tickets at a reasonable price, but Greg and I later decided that we’d make the hike together. We finally arrived at our David’s (our host for the weekend) very shag-a-riffic house around 7PM. Equipped with a dry sauna, pool, and a Jacuzzi, I knew that this should would be perfect for crashing after the 1-5AM after hours dance parties. At this point the party was Gene, Dan, Craig, Greg, Helen, David, Jeff, and myself. Needless to say, Helen enjoyed the ratio. But we had a problem. We were hungry. David, once again, had the great hookup because there was NO WAY we were going to find a restaurant with a decent wait time on V-Day…on a Friday night. So, we went to a club with a live band and some home cooked jambalaya for a $7 cover charge. I was in heaven. Let the dancing begin. With full stomachs we headed out to the Registration/V-day dance not too far from my Alma Mater, Tulane. Met some people. Danced some dance. The generous people of New Orleans even put on a “Dating Game” skit for our amusement. But then the real dance fever came out…at the after-hours Pajama dance. I was in my comfortable “Suga’ Daddy” regalia while others donned more fitting nightware. Oh yeah, watch out for the Killer Frogs. Not all were able to hang in till the bitter end, but some tried. The following morning, David took us out to Jaegers on the Lake, for some good eatings. It had been too long since I’ve had boiled crawfish, so I was quite content. Thankfully, we didn’t get into too much trouble since Jeff was harassing our waitress and she swore that we just let him loose out of a Psychiatric Institution. But my food craving were not to be completely satiated until I got my beignets. Man, I miss Café du Monde. Back in college when I had the only car, I would be my friends’ beignet/car pimp. If they needed a ride, they would have to feed me. Café du Monde was the standard payment. Strolling around New Orleans, we felt the urge to visit Coyote Ugly. Who knew that we’d find so much good clean fun? (Complete with the down home hospitality.) Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves quite a bit. Even Helen and Jeff. Thankfully, Jeff didn’t mind us sticking him in the trunk since we didn’t have much room in the van by then. Back to dancing! We arrived just in time to watch them crown the King and Queen of Lindy Gras. Lo and behold, the Queen was Dallas’ own Jamie! But before heading out to the After Hours party for some more 1-5 dancing, Andre, Greg and I decided to be boys and visit Bourbon Street for some sights. Believe it nor not, my favorite was the disproportionately sized truck. Timing was apparently on our side, because right as we got back Andre jumped into a Birthday Jam for him and a few other Lindy Gras’ers. But not everyone knew that it was Andre’s Birthday. J Afterwards, Jeff and Atalanta did a good job of stealing the show. (FOCUS, Jeff!) …sleeeeep… My mom and sister (on left) were in town, so I went to the Olive Garden and had lunch with them. Let’s hear it for free food! J I then drove like a demon to Lindy in the Park. Here’s where I’m going to get all sentimental on ya, so just brace yourselves: Growing up, I was always the social outcast. Everyone poked fun at me, and I didn’t seem to fit in anywhere, except with the other outcasts. Even then, it didn’t always feel right. When I went to college, I didn’t really do much. I stayed inside, played on my computer, rarely partied, and only drank once or twice. Needless to say, I’m making up for it now. So, when I was dancing in Audobon Park, right across from Tulane, it was a truly spiritual experience for me. It was a testament to how far I’ve come. How much I’m enjoying life. How rich of a life, I now have. And how very grateful I am. I’m really happy with how some of the Park pictures turned out. But then again, some of the best pics are done with the cooperation of Mother Nature. Good dancing too, next to a lake. Just had to make sure that I didn’t fall in, or do a swing out and find my partner all dripping wet. (And not in a good way.) This was the "say goodbye" dance for lots of people. Nap time. Then the last dance of the schedule: Rock and Bowl. Take an old fashioned bowling alley, add some very tired, but party hardy swing dancers, and a DJ, and you’ve got Rock and Bowl. (Plus a little celebrity endorsement.) A brief, but fun finale to the scheduled dances… And that’s when the cat’s got let out of the proverbial bag… Bourbon Street. World renowned for it’s drunken fests, parties, good music, great picture ops and dancing. Now add people who know how to get drunk, get their party on, deal only in the best of music, love attention and traveled hundreds of miles to dance…that might give you some small sense of the intensity of the night. I could write an entire journal entry just on Sunday night, but I’ll only give highlights. Some dude asked to see girls boobs. Got punched in nads. Hard. Andre went in search of a Pimp Daddy Hat Heard my favorite Teenage Lipstick Lesbian Russian Band, Tatu, playing at the Cat’s Meow. 6 person Charleston Lindy Bombing every 2 blocks Andre’s Hat gets around Pat O’s Piano Bar Revelries Mary and her dips LindyChef gives HyprChick a B-day dance. LindyChef tries to re-enact his stripper experience and dances for LindyPhil. Jeff strikes a pose Piggy Back Body Rolls Needless to say, this was one of the grandest times of my life. It’s two days later and I’m still trying to catch up on all of my sleep. Some of the more memorable quotes of the weekend were: “What better way to say someone you love than with beer?””Say it with a lager.” (After the lights came on at 5AM and people were screaming and running away) “We’re like roaches!” “Munbah netch kha””You read my thoughts!” “Full contact Lindy Body Shots” Insight: “Demons are spawned from (chocolate) Jeff’s loins.” On a church outside sign: “Stop Drop and Roll doesn’t work in Hell.” “Hey Baby, wanna go out?””Save your breath for your inflatable date.” ”She cancelled.” In reference to Jeff’s loins:”Bring the Devil out.” ”Is that what you call it?” Heard from someone who needed to talk to a fellow Lindy Hopper that was driving away:”Stop the wedding!!!” “There will always be auta’s, shoulda’s and woulda’s” Count the boobs: “If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them both.” Spoken by the lead singer of the Blues band after mentioning that it was his birthday:Murmur from the crowd. “I’m a pussy?! Oh, a pieces.” On kissing: “Have y’all kissed yet?””Not officially.” “Don’t hate the player…hate the game.” “Sometimes, it’s good to be the bitch.” “This weekend raised the bar. But then again, the bar is now at lesbian booty.” Passing by a cop from Venus, TX: “I’ll be damned. There is a guy from Venus.” I wish I had a more profound ending to this story, but all I can come up with now is: Thank you, New Orleans. Now I’ve just gotta get myself ready for my own “Food and Spirits” party this Saturday and practice giving Penalty Shots. Then, another possible trip back to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Phew. It’s a good and busy life. Gotta love it. And when I got back, my new toy was waiting for my at my doorstep. I'm so happy. You can see all of the pics here, and the best of the pics here.
Lindy Gras a cometh
For those still not aware of my new habit of going to Lindy Exchanges, get used to me mentioning them. I should be hitting quite a few this year. The latest one which I am preparing myself for tonight is Lindy Gras, hosted in one of my old neigborhoods of New Orleans. Most of the dances will be right by alma-mater, Tulane. I’m really looking forward to it. Although the drive (Yes, I’m driving there instead of flying), will be quite an 8 hour hike which I’m not looking forward to. Thankfully, I’ve got Greg to keep me busy. Plus, I just found all of my missing MP3 CD's! Yea! Each CD is about 11 hours of music, so we’ll never run out of music. Yarrr! I’m also planning another trip down to New Orleans in two weekends for the classic celebration of Mardi Gras. This time, George, Lee, Michael and I are planning to make the journey. I’m not sure how that will turn out since George is our more “pure” friend joining us. I wonder how his brain will handle the massive visual breast intake. Will it fry his brain? Or will Pat O’s do it first? Planning a trip to New Orleans always concerns me. Living there for 4 years and hearing about your friends getting mugged, I’m always the cautious one, watching my step. I hope that this will be a safe time for me and my fellow Lindy Hoppers. May God keep us safe. Especially through this time of international tension. I hope that no crazy guy decides to bomb New Orleans while we’re there. Pray for a safe trip for me. Dancing like there’s no tomorrow,Moi. P.S. I also have the pictures from Matt Weyandt's 80's B-day party up. It was a total blast, dude. Complete with Rubix Cube cake and almost working Atari's.
Make it stop...make it stop!!!
Going to visit the family is, of course, always a pleasant thing to do. Have home cooking from mom, chat about the future with dad, kid around with Michelle, play with the newphews, etc., etc., etc. However, there is one party of going to Cut Off, which I abolustely despise. My allergies. Plain and simple I'm allergic to my hometown, especially my home. It didn't bother me for the first 24 hours, but soon after I wrote my last blog entry, I would be found roaming the halls doped up on Benedril, Claritin or whatever else I could find with a box of Kleenex in my hand, like a patient with an IV trailling them. It was absolutely miserable. Thankfully, my sister needed a babysitter so mom and I drove up to visit her near Nawlins, and in the 8 hours that I've been away from Cut Off, I have started to ween myself off of the Kleenex and make a visible recovery. I'm walking upright now. Yeah. My main concern is recovering in time to go dancing at the DSDS Holiday dance. I'll be driving directly from the airport there, so if I do make it, I've got a long, fun road a head of me. Let's hope I'm an animal enough to make it. After taking the "Which Muppet Are You?" test, I found out that I'm Gonzo. That'll do.
Merry Christmas
Normally if I don't write anything in a while, it's been because not much has happened; however, it's been quite the opposite as of lately. About a month ago was Kathy and Jerry's wedding. For those that haven't been blessed yet meeting these two crazy kids, they are two amazing swing (especially blues) dancers. They've been dating for eons and finally tied the knot. The wedding was at an old hall that I remembered going to a freaky fashion show years earlier. At this fashion show they had H. R. Giger-esque models going on and even guys suspended in midair by hooks going through their back. All very creepy stuff. Anyway, the wedding was nothing of the such. It was a good time where people came from all over to see the happy couple celebrate their marriage. The festivities and dancing went till about 1-2AM. Good party. (Don't forget to check out the pictures of their red leather couch.) Another good party was Janice's Christmas Tree Decorating Party, where I got to meet Janice's boyfriend, Brian, who is quite an accomplished West Coast Swing Dancer and is an all around cool frod. Lanelle, Andra and Kirk (who I still think looks like Bono of U2) all joined in the decorating. I later used the leftover ribbon to decorate my Medusa Lamp at the house as a makeshift X-mas tree. Good party. Next weekend, one of my favorite bands, the Polyphonic Spree threw their 3rd Annual X-mas party at the Lakewood Theater. Along with the devoted fans wearing choir robes, were some very bizarrely dressed peeps from some girl wearing an original Battlestar Galactica outfit, to someone in an HR Puffnstuff outfit, and of course, the "non-skirt" girl. There was also an alien ventriliquist, Mickey Mouse, and of course, Tim Delauder, the lead singer of the Polyphonic Spree. He da man. To top the show off, was a definition in absurdity: A fashion show/hair cutting extravaganza. Once the PS walked off the stage, they announced that they were giving free haircuts to anyone wanting to come up stage. Since my hair has been getting pretty shaggy, I considered it, until I saw the absurdity occurring on stage. It was more of a "Random shaving" than a hair cut. I was glad to have kept my locks of hair...even though they are getting too long for me. Good party. I currently find myself in Cut Off, LA. For those unaware, Cut Off, is my hometown. To give you some type of perspective, we had 7 towns for our one high school with a graduating class of 263. I'll let you do the math. Anyway, it's about an hour southwest of New Orleans and is surrounded by marshland. Last night was the Falgout Family Christmas party where I got a chance to pick up my accent again and listen to some of the most hilarious stories of my dad and his brothers growing up. Some I plan to post up here, some I dare not. All of which almost had me in tears, laughing. Good party. Today is Chrismas. While wearing my Sugar Daddy PJ's, I "bachelor wrapped" my family's gift by putting their gifts in different compartments of my backpack and telling them which zipper to open. We were all amused. My big present was tools from dad to work on the house with. Yar! I hope that your stocking was filled with your wishes and you're surrounded by those that love you. Merry Christmas,Tommy.
What I'm thankful for...
I realized that I am not only surrounded by some of the greatest people on Earth, but those people are also great cooks. This attribute comes in quite handy, especially when you're cooking for a feast like Thanksgiving, which is what we all did yesterday. For me, it was a "Home Away from Home" Thanksgiving Feast, because my parents just left a few days ago to go back to Cut Off. And I am quite happy to call these fine culinarians (my friends), family. The main course was our cooking experiment in Southern goodness - Deep Fried Turkey. None of us had performed this maneuver before, so everyone did their research and gathered their assigned ingredients. Easily enough, I supplied the house, some peanut oil and the all important 2x4 piece of wood, which will be explained later. Lee gathered a 12 lb turkey from his work at Hirshes' and the all important "Flava Injector". Nejdl's brought the nice and shiny "Bayou Classic" turkey fryer. We were ready to rock and roll!!! Of course, other traditional Thanksgiving items that could be found in the kitchen were Apples, Strawberries, Pecan and Pumpkin for our pie eating pleasure. Our guest list was: Me - The hostLee Gibson - Cook Extraordinare Liz Gibson - Potato and Apple Pealer Mascot Rusty Nejdl - The Frying Overseer, and Ice Cream Chef Sarah Nejdl - Provider of Powerful Female Aura, and Precise Flava Moderator The Fergusons (Kevin, Patty and their child Eric) and - Provider of Family Values Jeff Stowe - Comic Relief and Cleaner of the Dishes Rachel Clarke - Late comer, and Fun Interrogator The prepping of the Turkey was a bit more exciting than we anticipated. I kept hearing about how some unfortunate cooks had their house burnt down from their turkey frying events. So, needless to say, I was a bit worried about doing this in front of my house, after seeing various warnings. However, I put my faith in Lee and Rusty, who are both top notch Boy Scouts and went about my hosting buisness. One important step was that we had to inject the turkey with it's Flava. Thankfully, we had some experts in that arena. (Interesting virtual slideshow: One, Two, Three, Four) Then for cooking the beast, we thought that we would just lower the turkey into the heated 4.5 gallons of peanut oil and wait. Thankfully, the aforementioned Boy Scouts were prepared and used a long wooden beam to lower the turkey into the hot pot. Much bubbling and spewage ensued. I hate to think what would have happened if they would have used their hands. About 30 minutes later, like a Beautiful Symphony of Culinary Delight, everything came together perfectly. The carrots, the potatos, the salad, the wine, the cinammon bread, the turkey, the Everything. Of course, the Master Chef Gibson had first dibs on the turkey, and was quite pleased with the results. Then...we ATE LIKE KINGS!!!! Ten minutes later...Tryptophan attack. Few were free from the Turkey's Revenge from Beyond the Grave. Except for Jeff, who started his "calming and soothing" process of washing dishes. Noone dared distrub him. 40 winks later, the house started to smell differently. Mmmmmm...pie. And once again, the feast began. But this was no ordinary dessert feast. We had homemade ice-cream and homemade whipped cream made which was designed to send us straight to taste bud heaven. After everything was all said and eaten, Rusty pointed out that NOTHING was store-bought. Everything we ate was homemade. One thing I'm thankful for is friends that know how to cook...and do it quite well. Soon after, the Fergusons left, baby in tow and the rest of us chilled, drank Espressos, played Tribond and discussed just about everything under the sun: Cure for Poverty. Positive impact of 9/11 on NYC. Dreams (Paintball with Pierce Brosnan???). Difference between Nerds and Geeks. What we would change our first name to (I'm just glad I'm not Barney.). The reason why Tommy has those stuffed animals. Favorite non-bathing suit place to be touched. (Back of knee-cap???). Homeland Security. Age of friends that we associate with. Wild animal we'd like to have as pet. (Ex: Dolphin, piranna, tiger) And a whole bunch of other subjects that I can't remember because we finished up around 2-3AM. All in all it was an AMAZING time. You can see the album for the entire event, here. And for those that missed out...I've got lots of leftovers. :) So, come on ova', ya here?!
Falgout Family Food Festival
Every so often, my parents realize come to visit me in Dallas. And every so often, my place gets cleaned like it never has been before...my laundry is also done and neatly folded with matching socks...some put off household chores are done...my freezer is stocked with seafood...and the world-famous Falgout Family Food Festival. On the menu this time was: Shrimp Fetachini - prepared by Mom (The photographer) His Masterfully prepared Brie - Lee A Tossed Salad - Allison ??? Chocolate and Fruit Dessert - Valerie Squash Casserole - Rachel Kickin' Green Beans - Rusty (also some White Wine) Apricot Bars - Sarah There was not a single bit of food that was not completely enjoyable. The conversation was good too, as Sarah retold the "Jergen's Story", and my dad, and Lee, and Lee's dad was able to converse with Valerie who is originally from France. The other great thing is that Mr. Sushi Matt and I will be able to eat like kings for a very long time. Rusty also brought over "French Connection" and we were able to knock another movie off of the enormously big "Movie List". The golden generation of the party were remenicent, but the rest of us were quite bored. The pictures that my mom took can be found here. Ca c'est tres bien! (except for the big pile o' dishes)
Movie Night (Updated 11/16/03)
On Sunday, May 26, my life changed. I found out that I was not whole and complete because I had missed out on a major part of American culture: Movies. So, to help me become a better person, my friends helped me compile a list of movies that I have yet to see. To undertake this huge task of watching all of these movies, (over 250) I will start planning "Catch Tommy Up on Good Movies" parties at my place. If you wish to join us or have an addition to the list, email me. Movies Now Seen: Requiem for a Dream - Everyone kept telling me how horribly depressive the movie was. I guess some part of my brain decided to flip the switch and force myself to be amused. Yeah, there were some pretty upsetting parts, but I thought the best character was the fridge. Had me rolling around in laughter. Twin Peaks (TV Series) - "Who Killed Laura Palmer?" Saw the pilot. Sorry Matt, but it just didn't catch my attention. Tommy the Musical - "Tommy's Cool, OK?!" That was one of the posters seen in the movie. I think that I finally found my life mantra. Pretty decent movie. Kinda confusing at times, but keep your eyes open for the cameo appearances. Le Dernier Combat (Luc Besson) - Don't see it. I don't even think it was done by Luc Besson. We ended up fast forwarding through the whole thing just to see if there was a surprize ending. Nope. BASEketball - Trey Parker and Matt Stone can get away with just about anything now. I think they were granted Diplomatic immunity in Hollywood, but the news never got out. This movie was wrong in about 200 different ways. All of which had us laughing and me on the floor rolling around. All that and the best site gag ever. Go see it. Don't tell your mom. Cure - Japanese psycho killer movie. Imagine killing your wife or some random stranger and then slice an X into their throat...why? Because you were hypnotised and it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Deliverance - Wow. This was one of the movies I felt that I had to see because it was a classic, but wouldn't be that good (i.e. Soylent Green), but it was surprisingly delightful. Delicatessen - French movie done by the same guy as Amelie. Another dark French comedy. But not nearly as distrubing as Man Bites Dog. Pitch Black - Van Diesel and aliens. What else can I say? I fell asleep halfway through it. Man Bites Dog - This movie had nothing to do with dogs and everything to do about a dark French comedy with a killer who's making a documentary about himself killing people. It got really gross at time. Not for the faint of heart. The Specials - Oh my Lord! Talk about one of those movies, that prove you can't judge a DVD by it's cover. Lee pointed this movie out to me while at Movie Trading Company and we both scoffed at it, thinking it would be really stupid. I then suggested we watch it...because it would be really stupid. And that it was. But in a really funny good humored way. I now own that DVD. Amazon Women on the Moon - By the creators of Kentucky Fried Movie. Sketch Comedy. But not nearly as good as KFM. The Godfather - Wow. Another Classic, which I thought would be lame. Just as intense now as back in the 70's. Now I must see Parts 2 and 3. The Perfect Storm - Once again, George Clooney amazes me. I keep relating him to his GQ, stereotypical macho, handsome guy that doesn't have much acting ability, but I think he did really well in this. Of course, watching it with my dad might have had an influence since he was a fisherman and my dad and I have gone out shrimping and fishing sometimes together. French Connection - As part of the Falgout Family Food Festival, Rusty brought over this movie. My dad and Lee's dad ragged the rest of us that had never seen of it and how great the car chase scenes were. Note to possible future viewers: There are no car chase scenes. The oldies of the group (Mom, Dad, Lee's Dad) enjoyed it. The youngies (myself, Lee, Rachel, Allison, Rusty, Sarah, Valerie, Matt) agreed that it was a very boring movie. City of Lost Children - A French movie. Very bizarre. Had one of the same guys as from Amelie. I'm sure that I would have liked it a lot more if I was in the mood for it, but I wasn't. So, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Not a movie I would watch twice, so it just might stay there for a while. Four Rooms - 95% of the way into this movie, I didn't get it. It's a Quentin Tarantino flick, but you've really gotta strap yourself in for the long ride tho. But I promise, it's worth it. Mulholland Dr. - Uhh....what was that about??? Like most of David Lynch's stuff, it doesn't make much sense, but you can tell that there's a deep involved plot behind it, but that would take too much brain power to figure out. And besides, after seeing, it you feel like your brain is mush, so good luck. It was a very interesting movie, because I like bizarre twisted stuff like that, but it even made my head go pop. Oh yeah, and there was an interesting lesbian scene in there. Most of the guys were cheering when it happened, because Mr. Lynch was messing with you the whole time building up the tension between the two main female characters. Many lewd jokes from the peanut gallery followed. The Legend of Speed - Another "Midnight Asian Movie". Not nearly as good as Attack the Gas Station, but still a quality movie. To state it quickly, it's like a Japanese "Fast and the Furious" Attack the Gas Station - This is part of the "Midnight Asian Movie" festival held by the Asian Film Festival of Dallas. For those that aren't in the know, at the Magnolia theatre, they show a FREE Asian movie at midnight. This is one of the funniest movie I've seen in quite a while. So much so, that I'm purchasing it. Let me know if you'd like for me to have a showing of it as I'd be more than happy to. Seven Samurai - #8 on imdb.com's Top 250 Film list. The Magnificent Seven is based off of this move, but in a more modern tale. I really enjoyed this movie, even though it was very lenghty and the plot advancement took a few hours. It was an over-all really good movie. Another black and white movie. Dr. Strangelove (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb) - Bizarre. This is the late Stanley Kubrick's last movie before 2001, and was done in black and white. It was quite boring at the beginning (I fell asleep), but picked up in a very twisted way at the end. Thankfully, we had a real Dr. Strangelove buff with us watching and told us about the neat behind the scenes about the movie. As a classic, I recommend it. Das Boot - INTENSE! This is THE ORIGINAL sub movie. U571? Feh! So much of what you see nowadays in movies is nothing more than a copy of this original German movie about a WWII U-boat and the hell (psychological and physical) that it's crew went through to fulfill on it's orders above and beyond what my mind can comprehend. It also covers the mistakes made by the German army at that time and how they weren't too happy with Mr. Hitler at that time. Good movie. Human Traffic - This was recommended by "Rusty" as a movie that's not great, but when you're finished, you've got a huge grin on your face because it's a happy movie. How true he was. Yet another movie that came out as a big surprise to be a good flick. There's no protagonist/antagonist conflict, but it's a movie that when it's done, you're left smiling and feeling good about life. Pi - I remember seeing the poster for this movie right after Se7en (one of my favorite movies.) came out and thought, "Wow...just another rip off." Well, I was wrong. It's not a rip of off that great movie, but a very strange movie by Daren Aronofsky about a mathematical genius who is obsessed with determining a sequence of number that has some vague connection to that infamous number Pi. SLC Punk - Amazingly enough this was a REALLY good movie. I was expecting it to be full of bad acting and other not so great classic movie-isms, but the acting was really good and so was the plot (The trials and tribulations of an angst ridden anarchist growing up in Salt Lake City (SLC)...home of the Mormons.) Go - Previously watched. I think I was one of the few people that enjoyed it. It follows one of my favorite quotes, "Life begins at 3AM." Soylent Green - Not a great movie, but a small portion of my life is complete because I've now seen Charleston Heston yell, "Soylent Green is People!!!" Fight Club - GOOD MOVIE! Makes me want to start my own Fight Club...but I wouldn't tell anyone about it.) Harry Potter - Despite the negative publicity for it being a children's book, this was a really good movie. I highly recommend. The Sweetest Thing - Typical movie of women discovering live, love, men and why they're still single. Engh... Oceans 11 - Really good movie thus proving that Julia Roberts will be eternally beautiful. North by Northwest - Good Alfred Hitchcock movie. Not my type of movie tho. But definitely one of those that I'm glad that I've seen. O Brother, Where Art Thou - Apparently, this movie is based on Homer's "Oddessey". I haven't personally read the Oddessey, but I know that it's mostly based on Mythology. Thankfully, I did have some people who knew it and was able to point out the parallelisms out to be. (I like hanging out with smart people.) Definitely a good movie...I bet the soundtrack is good too. Monster's Inc - Not to be confused with Monster's Ball. This is the animated movie by Pixar. One of the things I love most about Pixar are the short movies that they put at the front of each of their feature movies. This one had me rolling around laughing. All together, it was an amazing movie. Just make sure to watch it all the way through the credits. The Man Who Went Up A Hill And Came Down A Mountain - I learned a bit of English trivia watching this movie. All Hugh Grant movies have a love scene in them. Yup. This one too. A quaint movie with a nice pretty plot and filled with human spirit. And the girl from "Run Lola Run"...a movie I haven't seen yet. 2001: Space Oddsey The Cook the Thief His Wife and Her Lover The Shining Attack of the Killer Tomatoes This is Spinal Tap Raising Arizona Chocolat Clash of the Titans Doom Generation Logans Run The Gods Must be Crazy Movies To See Tron Planes, Trains and Automobiles Old Yeller (Am I going to cry at the end of this?) Taxi Driver Bonnie and Clyde My Big Fat Greek Wedding Rashomon (Japanese Movie) Lord Rama Brazil Subway (Luc Besson) The Big Blue (Luc Besson) Yamakasi (Luc Besson) Groove Tube Supercop Orgasmo Devil's Advocate Krull Phare Du Four The Adventures of Barron Von Munchausen The Barber Being Light When Harry Met Sally Grave of the Fireflies (Anime) Highway 61 Nil By Mouth Kafka Shindler's List In the Name of the Father The Name of the Rose Full Monty Green Mile Young Frankenstein Full Metal Jacket American History X Defending Your Life Fist of Legend Groove Nowhere Fucked U-Turn Pushing Tin Casablanca Eating Raul African Queen Guess Who's Coming to Dinner One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest Carrie Chinatown 9 1/2 Weeks Body Heat All the Presidents Men Moonstruck The Last Castle Butch Cassidy Behind the Green Door The Sting The Hustler The Great Escape Being There With 6 & an Egg Roll Sex, Lies & Videotape Multplicity The Longest Yard Rush Heaven Can Wait Michael Dog Day Afternoon Scarface Tha American President Notting Hill A Knight's Tale Frankenstein Silent Movie Grand Canyon Fahrenheit 451 Mr. Mom Author Author The Rose The Road to Morocco Platoon The Others Sex and the Single Girl Gidget Regarding Henry Animal Farm Fletch Forever Young Powder The Patriot City of Angels Time Machine (original) Starman Enemy Mine Star Chamber Andromeda Strain Breakfast Club M. Butterfly Sleeper Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex, but Were Afraid to Ask Westside Story Jesus Christ Superstar Godspell Hair Big Wednesday St Elmo Fire Paper Moon Beaches Private Benjamin A League of Their Own Them Dawn of the Living Dead Misery Suspect Fatal Attraction The Jerk Women Behind Bars Last Dance Green Beret Billy Jack 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Fast Times at Ridgemont High Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion The Truth about Cats and Dogs While You Were Sleeping Entrapment Groundhound Day What About Bob? Stake Out Fargo Dangerous Liasons To Sir with Love Zorro the Gay Blade Romancing the Stone Don't Tell Mom the Babysitters Dead Pacific Heights Prince of Tides What Lies Beneath The Deep Ed Pushing Tim Arthur Micky and Maude Benny and Joon Bound Decadent Night in Tokyo Paper Chase Best Little Whorehouse in Texas The End High Anxiety Midnight Cowboys Space Cowboys The Day the Earth Stood Still Pollack Diner My Dinner with Andre American Graffiti Ordinary People (Have I seen already?) Same Time Next Year MASH They Shoot Horses Don't They Out of Africa The Natural Rudy Turning Point Gentlemen Prefer Blondes For the Love of the Game Donny Bosco Bridget Jones' Diary Jason and the Argonauts Fritz the Cat The Boxer Wild Things (I recommended this to myself for the Denise Richards/Neve Cambell apperance.) The Bound Dangerous Choice The Color Purple Blue Lagoon Yellow Submarine Black Rain Wild at Heart Giant Iron Giant Citizen Kane Trading Places The Piano Living Out Loud Copycat One Joint 9 to 5 9 Months Rain Tree County The Committments Twilight Zone Family Disturbance My Life In Pink Wings of Desire Elizabeth Timecode Cube Ghost World Dead Again The Tall Guy Dial M for Murder Midnight Cowboys Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf The Apartment Todo Sobre Mi Madre Killing Zoe Dangerous Liasons Bad Movies to See: Dr. T. & the Women Desperate Living - John Waters
A few of my favorite things...
Jean Reno and Luc Besson. You put these two guys together and you know only good will come of it. The latest installment of their blessing to the rest of us people is the movie "Wasabi." As is typical with my latest set of favorite movies (About a Boy, Attack the Gas Station, Amelie, etc.), this is a foreign (French) comedy. I used to think that I would never be interested in foreign comedy, because very little of it actually made me laugh. However, this one really got me good. What also makes this movie especially great was that I kept seeing pictures for it while I was in France and wanted to see it, but the whole "Non-English-Subtitles" part kept me away. So, when my friend Lee said that he scored two free tickets to it, I knew that my time had come. Lee, Liz (Lee's sister), Matt and I made a stop to what Lee refers to as the Happiest Place on Earth -- Chipotle. Mmm...Burritos. For those that aren't familiar with Chipotle, they make Burritos. And not just any Burritos. God's Burritos. If you haven't had one yet, then DON'T run out the door yet. Wait a few more hours till you're really good and hungry, then go! The thing about them is that their Burritos are so big that they beep when they back up. And like all good food places, it's not just the food, but the atmosphere which makes it king. Just go see for youself. You'll be glad. Oooh...parents are coming soon. Gotta make the invitations for the Falgout Family Food Festival! Good night, Chief! Good night, McCloud!
New Lady in my life and 8 Mile
In the past 10+ days, I've had quite a few things open up for me. One of which was the meeting and dating of Miss Melanie Rusk. Raised in Midland, Texas, Melanie (who also dons the name Trillian Prefect), and I met a few times earlier Swing Dancing at the Red Jacket, Sons of Hermann and Bass Club. On the Wed. before Halloween, I invited her to come dacing with me a few of my very wacky friends at Kempi's Night club. We had a good time and I was hoping to see her again at my Studio 54 Party. Alas, Miss Melanie was sick. Not to be deterred, I told her, "That's ok. If you can't make it I'll just come over and cook you some gumbo." One Studio 54 Party and a bowl of gumbo later, Melanie and I were watching Amelie (an amazingly good French movie) together on her couch. After much conversation, I realized how glad I was that I had the opprotunity to meet and cook for her. She really struck my fancy. After seeing the pictures of her at the Halloween party, my parents now call her, "My Lady in Red." One of the things which has really been a pleasant surprise for me upon meeting her was how much we actually talk about what's bugging us. Typically, if I met someone I liked and something happened and it bugged me or if I had a concern about something, I would just stuff it down and not bring it up. And I would do the same thing over and over again with little things, until I got the point where we were dating for a while and then I would just have a total release session that would not be pretty. Well, Melanie's great because she will work with me on the things that bug me. And as I'm learnings. Lot of little things bug me, but I typically don't even notice it. Another cool thing is that she's a devout Christian. And even though I've questioned my faith these past few years, I've always knew that I wanted to be with a Christian. Don't ask me why...it's just a Tommy thing. Anyway, she's been a good influence on me and we even went to Church yesterday to watch my Lee sing in the choir. It's all good. On a completely separate note, Matt and I went to go see 8 Mile this night. It starts the controveral rapper, Eminem and is about a young man's frustration and angst and how he uses rap as a release. I had heard that this was a good movie, and although, I didn't know what it would be like, I was once again, pleasantly surprised. It was a really good movie, but I wouldn't recommend it to my parents, because of the generation gap thingy. Quality flick. It also had me see how blessed I really am. God...you my #1 ..err...Dude! Of to bed. I've got some cool Perl programming to make happen for my boss!
Studio 54 Party...total success!
I'll write about the amazing Halloween event later, but I've gotta get the Studio 54 party out on paper (be it electronic, or whatnot) while it's still fresh in my head. Before the party started, I had a TOTALLY crappy beginning, as I did some poor planning and scheduled the party 2 HOURS after finishing a course at Landmark. Well, the class took a bit longer and then when I rushed to my car, I found out that my car battery had died and wasn't going to easily let me leave the parking lot it was so comfortable at. After some panicy actions, I finally got my car started thanks to my good friend, Cliff. Pre-party preparation started with myself, Lee Gibson, Lee Blum., Lydia (who left quite early) and Mark blowing baloons and decorating the place. Noticing that Lee B. and Mark didn't have costumed, I figured that I need to remedy this. So, I made Mark take off his shirt and pants and don a Toga I had from a party a while back. A joke was then made about Lee B. not having a costume to which she responded with the immortal words, "What? Do you want me to go home and put on my G-string and Leather chaps?" At that point, I don't really remember much else of what happened. I could have passed out for all I know. But Lee said that she didn't feel like going back to her place in Allen, and opted to just walk around in her Harley jacket and a bra. Quite an acceptable substitute in my book. Little by little, the guests stared showing up in their beautifully done costumes. Kelly as Miss Havisham, some girl from Great Expectations that got stood up at the altar. Sarah and Rusty as hip 70's looking people. Lee, who went at Santa Clause just to get pretty girls to sit on his lap. Matt in his Jumping Asian Outfit (which apparently was REALLY from Asia). Andre and his lady all dressed up. Laura in a Swingish outfit. Holly in a neat outfit that I can't really classify this late at night (3AM). And Matt Weyant donning his Russian hat, complaining about Capitalist swine and their horrible alcohol. Cliff, Erin and ??? (God I feel horrible for not remembering Erin's friend's name, who was a VERY amazing dancer) And, of course, our very bizarre and eccentric host...Disco Stu. Some of the highlights of the evening were: Multi-female dippings Multi-male dippings The surprise dippings Night at the Roxbury re-enactments Girl on Girl dancing The really mixed up Conga Line Stu's Fantasy The Electric Slide And of course...the COUCH O LOVE! The horrible, immense, torturous tickling session which followed the aforementioned "Couch o Love". (Which definitely hurt...but in a very good way. A good and naughty way.) Then there was the time that Mark tried lighting his shoe on fire so we had to pin him to the ground. Matt showing off his frilly rump. And of course, the party foul committed by the host himself...the ceremonial breaking of the wine glass...with his foot. The last of the hardcore partiers left around 2:45. So, as far as parties go...this was definitely a swinging party. Lots of dancing, lots of really cool people and conversation. Lots of dancing and posing too. And if you didn't go to the party, consider this your warning. Do not miss the next one. (Which was already under discussion. Possibly an "Un-birthday Party") I think everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Love, Sunshine and Disco,Stu. P.S. A special thanks go out to those that came to the party, especially those that brought stuff, and even more so the essential cool lights, Disco ball, and liquid pleasure. It was very much appreciated. P.P.S. If you want to see the whole gallery, click here. Rusty also posted his own pictures, here.
Those Special Words that Mean So Much
In this society of uncertainty and insecurity of ones future, there are always those little things that managers can say to you that have you realize that they're not going to lay you off anytime soon. Today, I heard those special words... Working in Nortel's 3rd Generation Wireless Department (3G/UMTS/Wireless Data), I'm developing this script which will be able to configure their servers automatically in a matter of minutes. You see this, is a big deal, because many times, it takes people hours if not days to configure their switch properly. So, needless to say, this is a BIG deal. And I'm the brains behind the operation there. Anywho, I'm doing all of my development on this separate workstation I have in my cube. And everything pretty much resides on it. I was talking to my manager today about future roles for me and he said that he wanted documentation of everything, because "If you were to die tomorrow, we'd be screwed." (If you haven't caught on by now, those are the Special Words I was referring to earlier.) Some people might think that's morbid. Some people might think that means I've got more work to do. Some people might get a power trip from that...but Me...I think that's AWESOME! (Ok, maybe I enjoy the power trip a tad, but that's ok.) You see, I have now proven my value to the company, and future productivity now is vested in my staying with Nortel. Now yes, I know that once I'm done with this project, that I can be canned, but I've also got a few ideas up my sleeve that I can prevent to management for future job security. :) Feeling good about myself and looking forward to the Studio 54 party on Friday-Me.
Will you be my HO tonight?
First off, the title is the beginning of a very interesting story that goes against everything mom brought me up learning. It started off with me going swing dancing at the Sammon Center for the Arts where there was going to be a costume contest. Some of the people there looked really good while some looked really evil. (The front of her T-shirt says, "Evil" in blood read.) Of course, I got decked out as Disco Stu and rocked the casba. My friend Andre then approached me about heading out to the Lizard Lounge for some good happy time at a "Pimp and Ho Costume Contest" Never turning down an opprotunity to shake my groove thang, I happily joined him and his girlfriend. But I was lacking one essential piece of the puzzle. A Ho. So, I turned to this really charming girl I just met and blurted out, "Will you be my Ho tonight?" After not being able to get in touch with her friends who she was supposed to hang out with for an after party, she grabbed my arm and I took off...complete with my wench ... err...ho at my side. The Pimp and Ho Contest was more than a specticle worthy of wating in the outside drizzling cold for. Some of the people were totally self-expressed in their Pimp-Daddyness. There was even a female pimp, that was quite the Mack Mamma. But they were all infinitles compared to the Mack Daddy of the Pimp Daddies. He won first prize. And then came the Ho's: If you can pay close attention to these next few pictures, you will see that just about every male fantasy was present on stage. Heck, there was even two girls that flashed. You like Zebra's? They had them. Transvestites? Yup. Them too. Overall it was a great time. My legs are definitely in pain from the football, earlier today, the hours of swing dancing, club dancing and standing around. Thankfully, I had little enough sense to say, "Hey, Maybe I should take a break." and went out dancing instead. The rest of the night was spent discussing Europe, Programming HTML, dancing and francais parlant avec Miss Scarlet. (My Ho for the night.) Life is grand, n'est pas? Click here if you want to see the whole album.
Leftover Party
A good friend of mine, Amanda, and I heard of a really interesting idea. It's called a Leftover Party. The name's not too appealing, but the idea is definitely curious enough to have me throw one. The way it works is that you bring a "friend" of yours that you might have dated at one point, but that you think they're a really cool person, and would recommend to your friends, but there's just no spark between the two of you. So, that person now becomes your "undate". So, you and undate now go to the Leftover party and meet other people and their "undates". Tomorrow, Friday, October the 24th, I'm throwing one of those parties at my house. Theoricly, it would be half and half guys and girls, but so far only 3 "couples" are coming. :) Hopefully, there'll be an even amount. Regardless, I know it'll be a blast. And next week? STUDIO 54 PARTY!!! The place to be in Dallas on Nov 2nd. (I was also told there's going to be a Pimp and Ho party this Saturday, so Disco Stu could get a lot of visibility the next few days. Which is good, because he's been sitting in the closet for quite some time lately, itching to shake his grove thang.) PeacE!
Countdown to Hallowween
Many years ago, some friends of mine and I created a monster. This monster has become known throughout the globe as Disco Stu. Disco Stu, some say, is my alter ego. But I tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that Disco Stu is more than an alter ego. He's a modern Disco diety. And all the women worship him. Anyway, two years ago, Disco Stu signed up for a costume contest at Kempi's night club...and won!...$500 smacks! Needless to say, everyone was impressed by this feat. But Stu knew that it was from the power within. The following year, while I was living in Paris, my good friend Patty K., took over the contest by wearing a costume caked in blood and bobbing birds, imitating the movie "The Birds" and walked out of Kempi's half a grand richer. Needless to say, she's been bragging about it for almost 365 days so far. Well, those bragging rights are about to be over, because Stu's back in town. Here's a bit of banter back and forth that Patty and I had regarding the upcoming Kempi's Hallowwen party this year: Patty (via Mary Muldoon): You will EAT MY DUST and the feathers too. Tommy: WOMAN! You betta RE-CO-NIZE!!! Just wait until the Mothership of F-U-N-K comes landing on your doorstep. Then we be seeing who be eatin fethas! Patty: **Okay Mr. Funkmeister - we'll just have to see who RULES ! I got fresh birds, and word has it - they eat FUNK for lunch! And they'll be plenty hungry come Halloween eve! We're out for Bloooooood Baby!** Tommy: **From the Eastside to the Westside, everybody knows that when I shake my Southside, the women start going Tommyside. There ain't NO way, you'll be getting your hands on my green. It's mine, and you betta get it through your skull, honeychild. Peace, Love and Fro's, Mr. O. (as in the Big One.)** As you can tell, this will be an awesome place to be at on Hallowween. If you're interested in joining us, let me know.
Hanger Dance and Fox and Co. Party
My evening consisted to two totally awesome parties on completely different ends of the spectrum. I started at the Fox and Co Investment party, where I was given free Margarita's and food. What else can I say? I was in Heaven. The theme was Cowboys, so a bunch of people got dressed up in their typical outfits. And I also learned something...I love women in cowboy outfits. But it ended on an even higher note as I left that party to go to a once in a year event hosted by the Flying Vintage Museum, called the Hanger Dance. This was a truly magnificant site to behold. People decked out in their vintage outfits, a live Big Band a B-17 behind them, and pinup girls on the walls. I had missed it the past 3 years I knew about it in Dallas, but I will be sure to never miss it again. Oh yeah...and women in sailor uniforms drive me wild too. Check out the gallery for pictures to both. Hanger Dance Gallery and Fox and Co. Party Gallery
Good/Bad Influences
You know how there are those good influences in your life? And those bad influences on you? And then there's those "Good Bad" influences. Well, my friend Lee is that person for me. We've been coming up with a few ideas for T-shirts to make. Some of them good, like (ask me if you're curious) and others, like and (Yet another really hilarious story behind this one. If you have been raped or are offended by this picture then, I apologize. The story/picture combo is just too good to pass up.) Of course, all of these are copyrighted. And it seems like everyone one of my friends that I tell about this, wants one of the t-shirts. I usualy have to tell people the context, but it makes for great stories every day. I figure that with enough promotion, we'll get the Christian Colliliation beating down our doors in no time. Who knows...maybe I'll get to see my mom again. :) (No offense, mom.) And today I was talking to Krystie about my upcoming Halloween party. I had so much fun at the Toga party last time, that I figure it's time to throw my own. But, I want to be original, so I'm going to throw a Studio 54 Party I've got the wacky friends with the great imagination, I just hope that everyone else can bring the costumes! If you think you're up for it, email me and we'll coordinate. Till then cheers and much love and partying! Tommy.
My Car!!! (Toga Party)
So many events...so little time that it happened in...I'll try to be as brief as possible, but good Gaud!...So much happened. It started off with a Birthday Party invitation from my friend Suzyn, who was throwing a Toga party with another friend Celena A. Diamond. Determined to not make the drive by myself and to brind my favorite partying and travel companion, I informed Lee that he was going to be joining me on this trip. Since he had such a crappy week beforehand, I knew that this would cheer my main man up. The plan was to leave after Lee left work and I would pick up the clothes (For the Toga) and other materials (laurel and grapes for women to feed to us) for our little adventure. I did forget to get Suzyn a b-day gift, so we stopped by Carl's Corner, TX to find an appropriate gift. After much searching, I found what I was looking for..."A Carl's Corner Toothpick Holder.", some beef jerky and a postcard exaggerating the size of the crickets in Texas. After picking up some alkeyhol beverages, and more grapes we arrived. Before walking into the party, Lee and I donned our new attire and "ran on up in there!" to be the new lives of the party. Little did these inhabitants of the Toga Party know that their night was going to change because we were now there. I immediately joined up with a few of my friends, and maaaaadddd partying ensued! They started to dish out birthday wishes and cut some apparently good cake soon after we got there. It was great to see some of my old friends, Cathy, Suzyn, Cecilia (Sorry if I spelled your name wrong there.), and Celena (the awesome hostess of the evening.) As well as meet some new ones who's names I don't remember...but faces I shall never forget: (Thankfully to my trusty digital camera) "Cowboy boots Toga girl", "Scary Neighbor Jimmy", "Girl with Cool Shoes", "Girl not wearing a Toga but kept with tradition by going Commando", "Guy mixing Mardi Gras and Toga Party", "Anthony...Alfred...Author...whatever.", "Holly and Paula." Here are some other really good misc pictures that I can't afford to pass up: "God Bless photography", "Lee wanted me to destroy this picture...So here I am putting it on the Internet.", "Dude! I just totally grabbed your ass! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that...and I did a really poor job. If you want me to make it right, you can come back and I'll do it again.", "Gaudess luv.", "Umm...your toga's too small.", "The picture of the night.", "It's good to be Emperor", "Uhh...umm...I'm sorry...were you just saying something? I got distracted.", "I see Toga People." After many, many hours, the party died down...That was at about 3-4AM. Then, little by little, people started to trickle off. And then there were 10...More talk...more chatting...more people leaving. And then there were At which point, Lee and I started mellowing the party out by telling our tales of The Polyphonic Spree, and how we think they are God's Gift to music. (They're going to be in Austin on Sept 14, so Austinites BE THERE! Lee and I might be making a trip down there again to experience this.) This, plus a few of our other amusing stories and Lee's huge lexicon kept the group entertained for quite a while. Suzyn and "Anthony...Alfred...Aurthor...whatever"'s left...And then there were 4. More music, more chat...And then it was 7AM. "Uh guys...wanna go get some breakfast?" So, we then performed a sacred "Prayer of extinguishing the Tikki Torches and thanking the Party Gauds who bestowed many fortunes on us these past hours." and dragged our tired butts (At this point, it was myself, Celena, Lee and Eric) to Kirby's for some omlettes and more entertaining stories. Since I had to be back in Dallas for 2PM, I figured that we would roll on outta Austin. By this time, I was VERY braindead and asked Lee to drive the way back. I kicked the chair back and took a short nap. I was then woken up by the sound of my tires screeching. My immediate thought was, "It's going to be ok, we'll stop in time." Then...WHAM!!! Forward motion throws me into my seatbelt and I am now looking (very closely, mind you) at the rear end of a white Chevy. Not good. We pulled off into a bank parking lot and assessed the damages. Thankfully, NOONE was hurt. The guy in the truck had no visible damage, except for a bent plug, which they can probably take a wrench to. My car had a new cleft lip. We were able to bend my hood down a lot and even though there was some fluid leakage, the car was drivable. Thankfully, we were able to make it back to Dallas w/o the car overheating, simutaneously combusting, or just plain stopping. The trip back was much more somber than the one coming, but towards the end, we were back to our normal chipper selves...at least as chipper one can be w/o sleeping for 36 hours, driving for 7 of them, and partying for 10 of the rest. That and we discussed our new line of shirts involving our favorite catch quotes, "Qui est ton papa?!", "And...WWHHHEEE!!!!", , "PIE!", which we might get Celena to design. Final analysis: Party...GOOOOODD!!! Driving.....BAADDD!!! Still, a great time was had by all and I'm looking forward to doing it again...just this time in Dallas. :) Here's a link to the entire album of pictures I took at the party.
Dating.
It's been a while since I've updated this place. Not much has happened, except for an occasional date. Which brings me up to an topic: Dating... Growing up, I always hated dating. I would say that it was nothing than a bunch of horny guys chasing after girls that just want to play with you. Thus, all of the relationships I had started not out of dating, but because we instantly connected and found ourself in a new relationship. No courting, no working up to it, no sexual tension. We would meet, we would have one night together, and then poof. We're together. So, I'm now exploring this new idea of dating. (i.e. I'm now one of those horny guys.. :) Thankfully, I'm not out to just bed every girl I meet.) Anyway, I digress. These past few weeks have been chock full with dating and other women meeting opprotunities. A 3rd date with Snoopy Kiss Girl, a blind date with one of my friend's fiancee's sister...and tomorrow...TOGA PARTY!!! Yeah babye! Now I know that people say that they're just dating and that they don't want to get serious. And for some people, I believe that, but for the most part, I think that's total BS. We're all looking for someone. We're built for partnership. Call me a romantic, but I'm looking forward to the day that I find my special someone that I say to myself, "Ok. I've found her. I'm now ready to dedicate myself to you." And I think that one thing that is really cool is that I've learned a VERY valuable lesson in life, dating and relationships. The job of the guy is to make sure his woman is happy. Yeah, yeah yeah, some of you might argue with that; however, I know that I am really satisfied and fulfilled knowing that I'm doing the right thing which pleases her. Now to find a woman willing to communicate what she wants. :) Before I get too far off track and forget why I started writing this at 3:15AM, I will let you know why the circle is now complete. On Thursday, I called one of my X-girlfriends, Jenny to wish her happy birthday. Everyone has "Their X". The one that broke their heart more so than anyone else. Well, this is Jenny for me. The conversation went remarkably well and I can say that I am now friends with every one of my X-girlfriends. That's something not many people can say. I wish there was something really profound that I could tell you about that, but I can't think of anything at 3AM. Maybe something will come to me tomorrow. Till then...good night...err...good morning.
The Snoopy Kiss
Ever had one of those days where everything went your way? Where you were on top of the world? It seemed like for 24 hours, your guardian angel was the cream of the crop? And then it his 12:01, the next day, and his/her shift was over? On Friday, I had a truly extraordinary day. I got figured out A LOT regarding perl, Makefile and installing libraries on my UNIX system at work, without having root access. Go me. :) Then, I got a call from a girl who asked me out! Woah! Don't get much better, than that, right? Well, I then went to play disc golf with my best friend Lee and then I sank an 85 foot putt! (Quite an amazing feat, I will say.) After celebrating at one of our favorite restaurants, Chipotle, we went to CD Warehouse and I bought music from a band I've been wanting for a long time. Oingo Boingo. And on the way home, a really great girl who I think is the total bomb, called and wanted to hang out. I did the Snoopy Dance of Joy as soon as I got off of the phone with her. When she came over we chatted, and watched "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back". Kevin Smith is one hell of a director, and we both enjoyed the movie. A woman who can hang with Jay and Silent Bob says a lot to me. Anyway, the universe was at my every command. Muhahahaha! And as far as I can figure, at 12:01, all of that changed. What happened is that I licked her. Now before your mind goes south with that, I want you to know that it was just on the cheek. It is what I call a Snoopy Kiss. Remember how Snoopy would lick Lucy and then she would go around screaming, "Dog Germs! I've been touched by Dog Lips!" Well, she didn't run around like Lucy did, but at that point, the evening was over. Nor have I heard back from her. Lesson learned. So, boys and girls, what's the moral of the story? For the Love of God, don't Snoopy Kiss someone until you've reached "that point" in the relationship. Even then...wait a few months. Commit that to memory. Here's Lee's account of the event:
Squid Attack!
So, it's been a while since I've played a prank on anyone, and tonight was the night to make up for the lost time. Matt Mussleman (No really, that's his real name, and not one fabricated for this story.) saw a whole octopus at an asian market a while back and knew that mischevious things could come from this, but hadn't determined anything yet. Then, he thought of a great joke...put this in someone's toilet, and wait..and wait..and wait...till you hear the girlish shreak of some unsuspecting victim. He decided that this victim shall be my roommate Ann. (Note: Matt did not just purchase an octopus, but also 2 squids...one for use elsewhere and another for "backup". When he unwrapped the octopus, he found out that it was already sliced, so we opted to use one of the ickier squids.) Now originally, this was supposed to happen at my house w/o me knowing any of it, so that I would be in just as much shock as Miss Dubose. However, so that the plan could be perfectly executed, Matt clued me in so that he could determine when Ann was going to be home. The social plan for tonight was to have a gaming party at my house with a Dreamcast, PS2, and Gamecube on my nice new 36" TV. This was a hit with everyone, including Sarah who didn't participate, but enjoyed watching a bunch of guys screaming at each other as we mauled one another at Quake 3, SSX and Chu Chu Rocket. The participants were Lee, Rusty, Sarah, Matt Mussleman, Matt Turner and myself. Rusty and Mr. Turner were kept out of the squid loop so that we could have some other bystanding victims. So we waited...and waited...and waited for Ann to finish her shift at Cozymel's. The time for Ann to come home came and the "Squid waiters" waited patiently for Ann to do her duty. We were disheartened that instead of using the bathroom like any normal person should, she made haste to grab her things so that she could go stay with her boyfriend for the night. We all gathered downstairs and the made every suggestion we could to have Ann go back into her bathroom and check the toilet. But alas...she said her goodbyes and closed the door behind her. Frustrated and thwarted, I fell on the floor screaming..."Anything!!! Just go!!!" The aforementioned door then opened and Ann poked her head in, curious as to why I was now yelling. At this point, we couldn't hold it in anymore and we then dragged her to her bathroom...She was disgusted...amused, but very disgusted. After she left, we were still recovering from busting a gut laughing about the whole ordeal.
More B-day!
I don't have a really smashing opening for this entry, so I'll just say this. I had an AMAZING time for my birth-weekend. It started out with a pub crawl down in Deep Ellum. Lee and I got the the pub crawl late; however, we were able to follow the horde of people walking around Deep Ellum wearing the same T-shirt with the words, "Pub Crawl" on them, figuring that this is where we wanted to be. On the walk to our first pub, we met up with two ladies that were quite intoxicated and when they found out Lee's name, one of the girls got really upset because her X-fiance was named Lee and then started to get upset at Lee for stealing her motorcycle and breaking her heart. (All playfully so.) So, the crawl was off to a good start. We got to the first club and met some very beautiful and interesting people. The Coors Light girls were there; however, they had enough makeup on that made me hope that Clairol wasn't flammable. I found out that they were passing out "Hello" nametags and got someone to give me on. (Some of them were "Ivana Pearl Necklace" and "Kanigo Downonya" A bit disappointed with, "Never had an Orgasm" I realized that this could turn into a benefit since it was my birthday. (Just kidding mom! :) ) Some of the women were interesting to talk to, and some of the women were a bit too tipsy. At some point, we decided to blindfold Lee and have him pin the tail on the Enron Executative. One thing that was great was that some people, despite the cold weather, dressed up in semi-traditional Irish garb and others decided that they were too sexy for it. But all in all, the boys had a grand ol' time. The slogan for the night was, "10 Bars, 250 People, Many Blondes, No Waiting" When Lee and I ended the pub crawl, we realized that I no longer had my camera and had no idea where it could be. I was a bit bummed, but not discouraged. After talking to "The Librarian Girl", (The one touching her boob.) and some searching, we found that They Might Be Giants were playing right next to us the entire time. Almost worth missing the pub crawl, but not quite. We got back to home safely, after using Whataburger to dilute the blood in our alcohol stream and kept chanting out ourselves, "Good Pub Crawl." At that point, around 2-3AM, I went to sleep in my own bed. Around 9AM, I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, so I joined my friend Angie Champion for an adventure down to the St. Patrick's Day Parade. (Since I didn't have my camera, I don't have any other pictures. Sorry.) We had a good time looking at the variety of floats, including the "Heterosexual Men In Favor of Moustaches." "Beware of the Mullets" and "Drunks Against Madd Mothers." And low and behold the same Coors Light girls from last night. We ended it with a friend of Angie's buying me lunch and sharing decorating ideas. I got in time to start cleaning the place up for the real party. Slowly, but surely, people started to wonder into my house and realize that this is the place to be for a good time. There were about 30 people there and after people started to leave, I broke out the Twister mat and the Twister contest began. Little did I know that as I was stepped out of the room that the grand prize was my house. I came back into the room to find out that Frank Fu was now the proud owner of 769 Panorama. I demanded a grudge match. Things started to look dim for our past landlord, but then Mr. Fu made a critical mistake. With one foot on blue and one foot on yellow, I had to move my hand to blue and he tried to prevent me from doing so by pushing his body as high as it could to, which left his underside open, where I quickly got a hand on the situation and was able to use my leverage to push him up, over and off the board. Huzzah! The house was mine again! Disco Stu also made an appearance and got the house and a lot of bootie shaking. I started to get tired and found a friend of a friend (Cathy) sitting on the couch and plopped my head in her lap. Our mutual friend (Suzyn) then mumbled something about getting tired and then plopped herself between me and the back of the couch. Needless to say, I was in 7th Heaven. Cathy then proceeded to give me the best face massage I had ever gotten my entire life. Slowly people started to leave the party; however, I was too intoxicated, not by the alcohol, but by the position that I was in. Around two PM, the last of the people left and I was still enjoying myself with my head in Cathy's lap and Suzyn cuddled by my side. Before my blessed friend Lee left, he did one of the coolest things. He took my other couch and set it right next to the couch I was currently lying on so make a big bed...to which Cathy was able to lie down beside me. God Bless You Lee!!! This is the point where I should have gone to sleep, but couldn't so, because I was too happy. Cathy and I stayed up early talking and enjoying each other's company and did sleep for a little while before they had to leave to go back to Austin. (They drove all the way over, just for the party.) The next day, I attempted, poorly, to clean up and just walked around in a daze, saying to myself, "Good Party." I later saw Resident Evil, which was a good movie, especially since I hugely lowered my expectations, because it was a movie based on a video game. I found out that people are STILL talking about the party and how much fun they had. I also feel so blessed that I as able to have such a great party and have such great friends join me at it. To quote my best friend Lee..."It's allllll good."
Birthdays
Birthdays. You get one once a year. And after a while, you get numb to them, and I've heard that at some point, you actually start dreading them. Thankfully, I'm not going to be one of those people. Each one of my birthdays will be a blessed and sacred event that I spend with the people closest to me. And last night, I was lucky enough to create one of those events for someone else. At Mary's wedding (see "Mary's Married"), a close friend of mine, Sherri Zeitman said that she wanted a surprise birthday party since her birthday was next week. So, I, along with a few other cohorts, gathered up some friends of hers and planned an adventure for her. It started with her finding a Kidnapping Letter attached to her door after the doorbell rang at her house at 7PM. (At the time, she was expecting Chuck Sutherland to pick her up.) After waiting for a while, I walked into her house to find her awaiting her captor. I then took her by the hand and escorted her to my car where I never said a word. After she was secured in the car and unable to hear me conspire about what was next, I then called Chuck who in turn talked to Sherri and told her that she was on a "Mission", if she chose to accept it. And she did. Chuck then told her to let the force guide her. I got in the driver seat, highly amused that I had made it this far w/o messing anything up and drove over to Mindy and Shelia's house. Along the way, I kept performing "reality checks" on myself and couldn't stop laughing. Here I was, driving a Landmark Education Self Expression and Leadership Program Leader, blindfolded, in my Saturn and my only method of communication with her was through motioning her arm to represent "Yes." or "No.", laughing and writing letters on the palm of her hand. She then started to tell her captor (me) that she was really scared and excited at first; because it was like being in one of the Teen movies. When we arrived at Mindy and Shelia's, we decided to make the most out of her unaware state and take a possible blackmail picture. Little did I know that the pictures taken later on in the evening would be all the more incriminating. We unmasked Sherri, got a great look of surprise and delight on her face and had fun drinking wine and champaigne before heading out to Abacus...home of the worlds greatest cheese fries. A great time was had by all at Abacus as we wined and dined on some of the greatest food, deserts and cherry's I had had in a long time. The best picture of the night: Smile, my gorgeous ladies.
Mary's Married.
You can find my picture album for this, here. The prize winning photograph. Yesterday, along with about 70 other people, I witnessed the marriage of someone very near and dear to me and someone who I believe will cherish and love her for the rest of his life. Congratulations Mary and Richard Ameredo. (sp?) I used to think that only women thought about things like this, but I then started thinking about my own marriage. Who would it be? How would the wedding be? Who would be my best man? Would Pastor Bill do the sermon? Where would it be? If I plan to get married, then I better find a church here to call home, else I'll be looking pretty out of place having the marriage in my house, because I'm not a member of any other church. In any case, I realized that I was thinking too much and by that time the wedding was over and Sonny came out from behind us playing bagpipes, indicating that the ceremony was over and that we were supposed to get to downtown for the reception. The reception was one of the most fun I have had in a very long time. It started off with an open bar. (And it ended with taking a bottle of champagne and going to Zeitman central (where I find myself now) and talking all about Europe and my adventures there.) There were a lot of Landmark people there and of course, we were all VERY self-expressed and later owned the dance floor. I found myself very tipsy at the beginning from two bottles of wine and no food in the last 6-8 hours. I was enjoying myself very much, but very cautious every time I walked near the beautiful cakes, afraid that I would become the token clumsy fool that tripped into them after paying more attention to a beautiful woman walking by me than my own feet walking in front of me. Even in my "more than tipsy, less than drunk" state, I was able to avoid disaster and certain embarassment. I will admit that I look forward to my wedding. I look forward to meeing the person that I will intently look at with both eyes in front of an audience of about a hundred people and say, "I do." and then know that for the rest of my life, this woman will light me up, turn me on, make me do the "Dance of Joy" for as long as we both shall live. Yes, I know that like any relationship, my marriage will go through hard times. It will go through REALLY hard times. Hell, it'll go through times where I will wish that I had that device in Men in Black where I would forget the about everything; however, I KNOW that I have the tools to make the relationship work. And if I can find someone with tools of her own, I think we'll be set for life. Marriage...How 'bout them apples. NOTE: I finally wrote down my My Theory of It. Please read and comment.
Thanksgiving in Europe
If you haven't read yesterday's jounral entry, please do so now, because otherwise, you might be lost... I sure am glad that I went to the Thanksgiving banquet at the church. They were having a huge American festival. Complete with turkey, mashed potato(e?)s, gravy...the whole kit and kaboodle. Since I came in late and most every seat was taken except for the volunteers, I volunteered to stay and help clean up afterwards. Something I was more than happy to do so that I could enjoy the atmosphere as long as possible. The dinner was good and the people were friendly. I had no problem making myself at home with second servings of dark meat and mashed potatoes. I make a few more friends including one Indonesian girl who experienced Thanksgiving for the very first time. I later found out how hard she had to work to persuade her father to allow her to come to Europe to study since women over there VERY rarely move away from home at such an early age. (I'm beginning to see how interesting other cultures are and how differently they work than Americans. We are quite free.) One of the other girls, German, who I had met before, was quite "open" and had no problem putting her fingers on my plate to remove some of the strings from the cooked turkey as I was eating. My thoughts went from shock to amusement as I repeated my mantra which has kept me sane these past weeks: "That's just how they do things." This journey in Europe has been very interesting as I continue to see life and other people's reality as just that...another person's reality. For her, it's ok to put fingers in another person's plate. Funny, eh? I got home and packed up for this weekend, still not sure of where I will go, but backing warm. To finish off about last weekend, the next day I got ready to go paragliding again and luckily, we took a different route so I was able to see some different, beautiful scenery, including a city that's in the Guiness book of World Records for being the longest city in the world (7km). Nervous, I walked behind a house, made some yellow snow and then syched myself up for flying in nothing but a parachute. (Tandem, of course). Giglo strapped oursevles to the parachute, told me to run off a cliff and then... We were off!!! I'm flying! I'm really flying!!! Everything below me looked so small. The view of the lakes was mystical...A few minutes into the flight, I hear the question, "You like tricks?" "Sure!" "WE GO LEFT!!!!" Little did I know that "tricks" meant barrelling down towards the earth while listening to the altimeter beep off the number of meters we had left before we hit the ground. I truly had the experience of being in a plane, which was spinning on an axis right before a crash. I was so horrified and excitied that I couldn't move. However, I knew that I was in the hands of a professional and was really enjoying myself. When we stopped circling around, my heart and breath caught up with me and I felt the adrenaline rush finally hit my head. Whoo!!! And to imagine I'm thinking of going back for skydiving or canyon jumping! :) Then, all to shortly, we landed. We both thanked each other for the experience and he dropped me back off at Balmers. I then rested for a while and read some of Anne Frank's Diary and talked to some of the people that just came back from skydiving and canyon jumping. One of the guys had a smile on hit face that you could scrape off. "That was the wildest thing I've ever done!", he exclaimed. After the rush wore off, I went touring around town and had a LOT of fun at this restaurant called Bebbie's. Where the waiters sing along with the radio and are extremely cheerful and friendly. They also ring cow bells for children. Oh, one thing about Europe which amazes me is how they allow their pets to come into the restaurants with them. It's just commonplace. Finally, my journey was over and it was time for me to head back to Paris. I vowed, tho to come back and spend another weekend in Switzerland, most likely in Interlaken, because I am amazed by it's pure beauty and naturality. Oh yeah, and the chocolate's good too. :)
Speeding on the Autobahn
More pictures! Innsbruck and Salzburg, Struttgart and the Porche Museum, and Venice I recommend reading the story first, tho. Normally, I would give a long spiel about how much travelling I did this weekend; however, I'll try to keep it short…just like my attention span This past Thursday was All Saints Day, which the French have off. So, Ankur, Nilaksh and I decided to take Friday off and go to Rome and explore Italy. We started the trip around 9AM, Thursday morning. We never got to Rome. Using our Internet provided driving directions, we started and found out that our trip takes us through Switzerland. Slight problem. Ankur and Nilaksh are from India and need a Visa to get in. After getting turned away by the border guards, we tried finding the Swiss Embassy, but to no avail since everything was closed due to the holiday. Frustrated that we could no longer use our directions we started plotting a new course…Venice. We realized that to do this, we would have to go north of the Swiss, through Germany and Austria. And that's what we did. Up unto this point I had not driven yet; because the car was a standard, which I don't know how to drive. I decided to stop letting that hold me back and took the wheel in Germany…on the Autobahn. I had a quick lesson and started driving…fast. Reaching speeds of 170km/h, I was quite happy. That was until I passed a cop car and they pulled me over. "Guten tag…. … … Sprecken se deutch?" …some dialoge… He almost sounds like a Japanese guy scolding me. "You were going 100. 20! The speed limit is … 80!" "Really?!" (Plays the dumb American role.) He then goes back to his car and comes back. "Normally…100 marks! But I let you go. Drive carefully!" Completely amazed that after only driving on the Autobahn for 30 minutes, I was stopped for speeding, I decided that my driving mojo is no good here and I handed over the car to someone else. We arrived in Italy around midnight, and Venice around 1:30AM. We got lost and finally found a hotel on the outskirts of Venice. The next morning we got up and took the train into Venice. We couldn't find any place to buy tickets, so we just hopped aboard without paying. Venice is beautiful. A bit smelly tho. We visited San Marco square. I even made some new friends. We then took a gondola ride around Venice and saw some beautiful scenery. It's amazing how everything is surrounded by water. Once we had our fill of Venice, we jumped in the car and headed to Innsbruck, Austria home of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, there was no snow around, so we looked around the quaint Austrian town and saw some statues and monuments and paid tribute to someone great who has allowed this amazing exploration into the world happen. (Thanks Cecil!) We then moved moving onto my FAVORITE part of the weekend: The Swarovski Museum! Swarovski is the leading crystal manufacturer in the world. Their museum entrance was a giant head with water coming out of the mouth. The entire place was sparkling and full of crystals. They also had a dome of mirrors where I had too much fun with my camera. Outside they also have a labyrinth of hedges and a blue crystal in the middle. I was like a little kid playing again. The scenery from there was also amazing. We then gathered up our souvenirs and decided to visit Salzburg. Home of Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart, a castle, and people play on a VERY large chess board. We got there late, so we rushed up to the castle and almost collapsed when reaching the ticket booth only to find out that they only took cash and we had no marks or shillings. Thankfully the US Dollar is the most accepted currency in the world and we were able to get through. (Thanks Ankur!) We toured the castle and found an interesting story about the Salzburg people and why they're called "Bull Painters." Exhausted, we drove to Struttgart, Germany where one can find the Mercedes-Benz and Porche museum and where we found the MOTHER of a hotel. This place had 2 casinos, a concert hall, a dance club, a movie theatre, an Irish pub, about 10 restaurants and 5 bars. Amazingly enough we pooled our resources we were able to manage a double room in a business suite (The brought in a separate bed for me.) and our view was amazing. Being inventive, I decided to make my bed on top of the conference table where I had a nice view of the Mercedes-Benz museum. We got up and drove to the Porsche museum, saw a few cars (Some fancier than others, and some speedier than others) and then headed back to Paris. When we finally made it back to Versailles we had traveled about 3300km (~2000 miles) and through 5 countries. What a trip. So, I tried to make this a small entry; however, as you can tell, so much happened that it's almost impossible to keep it brief. Who knows what next weekend will be like!