Official Summer 2K6 Travelogue

On the rizzoad to soda

2006-06-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

At the moment kt and pk are a little over halfway between Illinois and the hell hole...er...wonderful drunken paradise that is Minnesota. DJ is currently driving and rocking out while we act bored and sadly not watch Hellraiser 8 like we'd really prefer to. Oh well, at least pk can bitch via blackberry and wait for the blackouts to occur at an increasing frequency. The upside? Pk won't remember a bit of the next four days. Phew.

Bovine Bingo -- 06/03/06

2006-06-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

kt explains: Bovine bingo is a traditional rural fundraising game that is often played at country fetes and summer fairs, usually for fundraising purposes.

Bovine bingo is not really a form of bingo, but a form of lottery. The game is set up by marking out a grid of rectangles on an enclosed land area, such as a paddock or farm field. This is usually done by chalking lines. The grid cells are then numbered or otherwise identified in some way, and chances are sold on each cell. A cow (or other livestock animal) is then let loose within the enclosure. Where the first “cowflop” (defecation) lands determines the winner. Another popular variation of this game takes place during parades, usually with horses. Same rules apply, however.

The game is also known as “Cowpie Bingo,” “Fertilizer Lotto,” “Cow Patty Bingo,” “Cow Pat Lottery,” or “Bossy Bingo.”

Pk and I had the honor of joining Beck and Annie in the traditional Bovine bingo festivities. Here are some delicious visual splendors:

beck and annie use pk's armspan to obtain the most raffle tickets

say "cheese!"
eating every morsel in a random unexplainable pattern, that's the best piece of corn i've tasted!
aw cute!

Oh DS Lite, I <3 you -- 06/11/06

2006-06-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

Sleak, smooth, sophisticated, and sexy, the new Nintendo DS Lite provides gamers with delicious satisfaction. The Nintendo DS Lite is the new and improved version of the original Nintendo DS. Many problems arose with the original including; the large bulky size, the dull lighting, and the poor battery life.

The Nintendo DS Lite is less than two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS and more than 20 percent lighter. Surprisingly, Nintendo made a wise move by staying with $129.99, the same cost as the original DS.

The original dull lighting worked fine in the dark but lost its luminesce in a well-lighted area, making play during a car ride or in direct sunlight strenuous. The new and improved DS Lite includes four brightness settings, much brighter than the original.

The original Nintendo DS battery life largely depends upon the game being played, but it can last about 10 hours and takes roughly four hours to fully charge. On the lowest brightness setting, you can play the Nintendo DS Lite for up to 19 hours in between charges. On the highest setting, gameplay is reduced to five to eight hours.

The physical appearance of the Nintendo DS Lite, it's polar white color and polished glossy physique, blows the massive mammoth original out of the water. Before, you couldn't slip the DS into your back pocket. The new lite slips in and out like linguine through an overused colander. Simply magnificent.

I am a happy, proud owner.

A pile of shit named Capote -- 06/??/06

2006-06-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

pk bitches: Sorry, Mark, but Phillip Seymor Hoffman has let me down. Correction: his Oscar-winning film let me down. The man's clearly a talented piece of work, and while I'm unfamiliar with author Truman Capote and his mannerisms, it's clear Hoffman put an extraordinary amount of work into nailing his character and bringing him to life. In that sense, Capote succeeds admirably; it's a fasinating piece of cinema in the character study sense, but is it entertaining?

Not really, no.

Films are meant to be appreciated in an endless number of ways; the popcorn-esque term entertainment is loose and easy, but in the end, unless you're an art student, you're looking for a little entertainment when you decide to spent time with a flick. I didn't find it with Capote; Hoffman's character is mostly unlikable, his manner of speaking borders on unbearable and his relationship is detestful.

It's the kind of story I'd be more interested in hearing about via a documentary, not a feature film. Hoffman certainly deserved an acting nod for this, but of all the best picture nominees from this year I've caught up on so far, Munich is the only one worth writing home about. I'll get around to that soon enough, too

Rocky Horror Scare My Penis Show -- 06/11/06

2006-06-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

pk cries: "My penis crawling into my asshole." -- me during a viewing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show

That's an appropriate summary of my immediate reaction to much of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which kt and I decided to randomly watch when we were unable to participate in finishing the second season of Entourage before the new one started. I had no pre-conceived notions of the film, not even fully aware it was a musical. Consequently, I was the perfect subject for the movie to come out of left field and totally weird me out -- and I'm the guy who counts Hellraiser as one of his favorite movies, so that's saying something.

It's not fair to classify my awkwardness towards the film's subject matter simply in terms of "weird," though; that's being effectively vague. The film's rampant amount of bizarre sexuality is actually what through me off; I really wasn't expecting to find Tim Curry running out in a tranvestite's costume, songs about having butt sex with a genetic creature and flip flop sexual orientations amongst the lead characters. It was hardly a bad reaction, in my opinion, but more a credit to the film's undeniable uniqueness. There really isn't anything else like it.

I'm not sure I feel comfortable with anything else being like it ,to be honest. I also remember hearing the song "Time Warp" at one point or another; I can't pin where or why, but it seems oddly familiar. Even though I'm tentatively apprehensive towards the film as a whole, the music quickly stood out as the spectacular element that kept from starting to wright it off. I've even downloaded the soundtrack to listen to while I work, so that's an appreciative start.

kt claims the real Rocky Horror Picture Show experience comes with attending the live show, something we're apparently going to try and do sometime. I don't know when (putting it on this list might be a bit premature), but I'm definitely going to have to be drunk during the process -- maybe my crotch will crawl in a different direction if my mind's forced to wander.

I fell in love with a Razr -- 05/??/06

2006-06-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, we're slacking a bit here. Each of us has had a new phone for almost a month now (technically I'm on my second one due to a freak washing incident, but we'll gloss over that for the time being), and thankfully kt was able to finegal a deal through DJ in order to pick up a Razr phone on the cheaps without having to sign an extensive two-year contract with her shit-tastic cell phone provider, Verizon Wireless.

An interesting factoid, however: kt hates pink, yet has a pink cell phone. Albeit an unexplainable phenomenon until you consider she's actually taken to the phone quite a bit, and while far from a fan of the color in all its forms, she has no problem showing off the not-quite-red tint of her swanky piece of cellular technology. If you see her, feel free to ask her if pink's her new favorite color.

We tried to have the phones make out with each other but it didn't work out. Darn.

Chicken Inn II exists ... no more - 06/04/06

2006-06-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

kt and pk once had the bright idea to eat at Chicken Inn II off Route 12 during a trip to Wisconsin. It was a simple objective with a clear purpose: figure out what the hell a Chicken Inn II was. Questions needed answering, and we wanted to fill the gaps. What happened to the first Chicken Inn? Does a chicken-oriented inn necessarily have wonderful chicken servings? Breast or leg?

Unfortunately, in the end, we were only left with one question: what happened to Chicken Inn II? On our way back from Wisconsin this past weekend, we noticed Chicken Inn II no longer existed; it was a shell of its former self, a deserted warehouse where Aaron's favorite food was once served but no longer existed.

No more, however, no more, but if you're morbidly curious, apparently you can still peruse the menu.

Cubs win, Cubs win - 05/31/06

2006-06-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

Being a Cub’s fan requires a dedicated psychotic alcohol consuming boisterous individual who enjoys cheering for a losing team. I personally enjoy attending a Cub’s game, not to watch baseball, but to hope for a miracle.

Shocking, the baseball gods (finally) smiled at the Cubs. The final score was Cubs 7, Reds 3. Kerry Wood actually started and won a game for the first time since July 15 of last season. Remarkable, to say the least.

Pk and I attended the Memorial day 1:20 p.m. home game. We forced ourselves to arrive at the Rosemont Blue line station around 10:30 a.m. and arrived in Wrigleyville around 11:00 a.m. to begin our pre-gaming.

I took pk to my absolute favorite Cub's bar, Sluggers. The main bar consists of wall-to-wall flat screens with more baseball coverage than you could consume in a single sitting. Sluggers presents itself as a laidback tavern-like sports bar with a welcoming atmosphere. Upstairs contains a world of wonder; batting cages, arcade games, skee ball, air hockey, mini-bowling, and high ball (a basketball-type game played on a trampoline). To make matters even more intense, Sluggers markets a delicious pre-gaming special of a giant above-average can of Old Style (the Chicago Cub's official beer) for just $4.95. After a few of those, a few rounds in the batting cages, and a game of skee ball, pk and I were set.

Since I had never dared enter the next-door commercialized bar, The Cubby Bear, we decided to give it a try. Upon our arrival, we sensed the immediate snobbery and snooty inhabitants amongst the posh environment. Obviously, trite compared to the preferred Sluggers. We snuck to the back of the bar and came across a Cincinnati Reds’ loving lively duo. With their southern accents and jolly friendly faces, pk and I swigged an expensive crappy tap beer with them. Afterwards, we headed towards Wrigley Field for the Cub’s magic to commence.

Personally, I paid no attention to the game, but rather to the obnoxious cheering and screaming required of a Cub’s fan. The pure shock and delightful amazement of the Cub’s victory spawned a celebration, "Charlie Murphy" style. Pk and I made our way back to the beloved Sluggers, where we ran into our hick Reds’ fans. Amongst the chaos of singing, dancing, boozing, and sloshing around, Pk and I managed to hail down a cab and make our way back to the train station.

From this point on, things become a blur. Somehow, Pk and I arrived at O’hare airport. Far from our destination, we chaotically and confusingly ran around desperately trying to find our way back. Apparently, we fell asleep on the train and missed our stop. I do not know how we made our way back to the car, but we did.

We had an intense adventure that left us perplexed, sweaty, bruised, and extremely content.

Prince of Persia actually sucks - 06/02/06

2006-06-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry, Jim, you won't be getting my copy of Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. How come? Turns out Ubisoft's third sequel is actually a pile of trash. Yes, sure, it has high production values, some fantastic platforming elements and a story that nicely ties up the Prince of Persia trilogy, but the combat's absolutely atrocious, constantly ruining whatever fun I was having with the game.

Don't even get me started on the final boss. I don't even want to think about it anymore.

Here's to hoping Tomb Raider: Legend and its Xbox 360-based boobies are an improvement.

E3 2006: Six E3s Too Many - 05/10 - 5/13/06

2006-06-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

I used to laugh when I could take a picture in front of the Electronic Entertainment Expo's "no one under 18 allowed" sign ... when I was actually under 18. Unfortunately, it's now three years past that, and those moments were years after I'd already been to the show. This year marked the sixth time I've trecked all the way to Los Angeles for the world's largest gaming event, and the second time I've done so as a legitimate journalist running around doing shmuck for 1UP.com, the site that pays me every month.

Actually getting there was no picnic, though. School finals needed to be moved around, and ironically enough, the only professor who put up a fight was my journalism one -- what a f'ing bastard. A chance to actually participate in an actual event where I can run around doing countless interviews and on-the-spot coverage in the field I want to cover, and he has the nerve to be a stickler about moving a test up a day or two. In the end, it worked out OK because I could help out 1UP.com from home, but blargh.

The consequence of leaving for LA so late, though, meant that I missed the first day of the show, meaning less money for Patrick to make from writing stories up because most of the big stuff was covered on the first day. Son of a...oh well. The reason I was out there was really to mingle and meet with my San Francisco friends, though, simply because I wouldn't be out there this summer to rock out. Needless to say, when I showed up for the Ziff Davis party (conveniently placed in my hotel's bar), I made sure to come in like a rock star, hooting and hollaring and basically making an ass of myself.

Thankfully, everyone obliged me, and plenty of drinks commenced, if only for Patrick to forget for a moment that once he'd left LA, he still had another final to finish. By the end of the night, though, things had become a bit blury and suddenly Patrick and his boss Sam decided it would be a good idea for someone to end up in the pool. Editors shouldn't be doing such debauchery, though, but why not an intern? So, that's what happened. I ended up in the pool, eluding security because the rest of my company kept cheering me on, resulting in additional dives into the pool.

I stopped jumping when I started becoming dizzy. Drunk + swimming = not the best combination. In fact, it's the one I predict will eventually be my downfall in my apartment next year -- but that's a separate story entirely.

The rest of the show was mostly running around, seeing games, writing them up, and basically having as much fun as possible. Summing up everything in words isn't nearly as fun as pictures and video, though, so let's run the gammut:

Interviewing 'Game Life' for The 1UP Show (skip about 2/3rds in)

My grand entrance to Ziff Davis' party

Dancing my ass off at the Sony party

The season finale of "Lost" - 05/25/06

2006-06-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

With a grueling effort, pk managed to get kt caught up on “Lost” in the nick of time. It was monumental. The 2 hour season finale provided a whole new batch of uncertainty. Who knows if Locke and/or Desmond are still alive after the freak magnetic explosion occurred? Will Michael and Walt make it back to the real world safely? What will happen to the A-team: Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sawyer? And what relevance and meaning is the very last scene involving Desmond’s ex-girlfriend and a random magnetic-wave reading duo entail? All of these questions will remain unanswered until September, when the new season begins.

Who is my favorite character? Choosing just one elite islander is an unfair task. I love them all for many reasons and they all possess unique attributes:

John Locke, a true miracle, gives the island optimism, hope, courage, and strength. He plays a key role in everything. Used and manipulated by his father for a kidney, broken-hearted by several loved ones, and handicapped at one time, Locke leaps through life’s obstacles with determination. I love Locke because of that.

Then there is Locke's nemesis, the infamous Jack Shepard gives the island solutions, heroism, organization, and medical attention. Ripping the medical license from his alcoholic father and never being able to accept failure, Jack is a perfectionist who will do what it takes to get the job done. He is genuine, devoted, and relentless. I love Jack because of that.

Thanks to pk, I am an admitting “Lost” addict. Pk once said that “Lost” is superior to “24.” I may not agree completely with that statement, but it is an ingenious show. Unfortunately, I am now a regular devoted fan who cannot watch back-to-back episodes of "Lost" at my leisure. I must patiently wait each week for the measly hour episode. The whole summer will pass by before I can get a fix.

pk's mind fuck: I'm not sure what to do with myself now. LOST is over -- well, the second season has come to its conclusion, the first season where I've been following around during its television run. That decision had its own ups and downs, as LOST has a tendency to run into mid-season lulls as it works between the starting revelations and teased conclusions with poor character episodes. That in itself isn't entirely a problem, but having constant three to six to eight week gaps in-between new episodes does not a happy LOST fan make.

Oh, well. What's most important is that it's finished. What did we learn? Quite a bit and not much at all. At least we discovered the hatch does something, and Locke's previous convictions are fulfilled. The Others didn't seem so concerned with the explosion, however, and still seemed confident Michael would have trouble finding his way back to the island if he ever chose that path -- which blows a hole in my personal theory that the LOST island is hidden by something similar to the Philadelphia Experiment. That is, unless The Others didn't realize the hatch's significant, but considering their mastery of the island, that seems unreasonable.

Additionally questionable is the assumption that Desmond ended up bringing down the plane. LOST has spent two whole seasons creating connections between the people on this specific Oceanic flight, how they came to end up in Australia, and creating peculiar links between them. Then we're to suddenly believe it was all an accident, they ended up on an island together because someone forgot to push a button on an island that doesn't really exist? I find that hard to believe.

At the very least, the last-minute-WTF confirms once and for all that LOST doesn't take place in a time warp; it's present day, it's on planet Earth, and it's a place that other people can certainly visit...somehow. It doesn't explain the giant foot Sayid, Jin and Sun came across, the 'Black Rock' ship where they found the dynamite or other island-related mysteries, but it's a step towards reality.

The first season is most definitely better than the most recent, but I haven't lost faith in the show like many other people have; watching it on TV kind of ruins part of the experience, and watching the season over again with kt made me realize that. There's certainly more adventure, fun and discovery in the first season, but there's plenty of headway made by the time season two comes reaches the finish line.

Here's to hoping they pick up the pace a little in September, though.

Bleeding saves lives -- 05/11/06

2006-05-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

kt after giving blood (notice the pale face)

Each time that I sacrifice a pint of my blood, I possibly save three or more lives. Blood is a medicine that can only be given from one person to another - no other source is currently available. Every minute of every day, someone needs blood.

My mom influenced my passion for donating blood. My grade school friend acquired leukemia. My mom used to go to the local hospital to donate blood for her. That memory came back to me when I was a freshman in high school. Lifesource held blood drives at the school. Upon eligibility, I immediately began donating. It made me feel proud.

Before each donation, the nurse cleanses an area of my arm that I will use. I always choose my juiciest vain on my right arm. It always delivers the best and quickest results. All of the supplies, including the needle, are sterile. The nurse uses an excessive amount of iodine to clean the area, reassuring that all of the possible germs are terminated.

After verifying that my area has been disinfected, a gauze is placed over it. As soon as I see the gauze placed down upon the yellow tinted area of my arm, I look away. I know what is coming. Soon there after, I notice a brief “sting” from the needle. Then the bleeding commences.

The donation usually takes about 15 minutes and I am usually very uncomfortable. The nurse always seems to place the restraint around my arm too tight. It is supposed to help the blood flow. Regardless, it makes me uncomfortable and I can always feel the pulsing in my arm. Towards the end of my donation, I always feel light-headed. I summon the nurse who flips me upside down and tosses an ice pack on my forehead. This reduces the chance of fainting.

Upon completing my donation, I will have successfully bled a pint of blood. My body will replace the plasma (liquid part) in hours and the cells in a few weeks.

The best part about giving blood is the sweet snacks afterwards. When I start to feel semi-normal, the nurse flips me right-side up. I will slowly stand up and inch my way to the snack area. I devour animal crackers, cranberry juice, and water. Not only am I dehydrated, but starving too. This constant hunger and thirst will not go away for at least 24 hours. Not a problem, since I love to eat.

Giving blood puts a smile on my face. It’s virtually painless and truly rewarding. It makes me smile.

Silent Hill -- 04/29/06

2006-05-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

Silent Hill
pk reflects: Videogame movies are trash -- some of them are mildly entertaining trash (Uwe Boll's Alone in the Dark quickly comes to mind, while others make you want to tear your heart out in frustration (Resident Evil: Apocalypse) both for their complete ignorance of the source material and disregard for crafting a proper movie in the first place. It was my hope that Silent Hill would avoid that fate, and for the most part I'm actually contrary to most videogame fans in my satisfaction.

Director Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf) obviously understands what Silent Hill is about. He hasn't fucked around here; this movie is, by and large, a faithful adaptation of the Silent Hill videogame mythologies taken in a new light. Gamers aren't going to find a reason to complain if we're talking about respect for the source material; the real issue is the filmmaking at hand -- but that's at least one step above the competition.

Can someone explain how the screenwriter who worked with Quentin Tarantino on scripting Pulp Fiction wrote Silent Hill's mostly stilted, wooden dialogue? The talent certainly doesn't add up, and it doesn't help the actors do nothing to elevate the already shoddy writing. Rhanda Mitchell isn't a terrible actress, but she and Laurie Holden do a fantastic job of creating one of the worst examples of on-screen chemistry in ages. The poor Lord of the Rings reject doesn't do much to elevate the situation, either.

So, what makes Silent Hill worth watching? The visuals, the storyline, the artistic direction and incredible faithfulness to Akira Yamaoka's vision. Though it's easy to classify Silent Hill as a horror film, it's difficult to claim it's scary. At times, especially whenever Pyramid Head's involved, the movie borders on disturbing and unnerving, but there were only a handful of moments I winced from the on-screen antics. I live in perpetual fear when playing the games, so it was disheartening to be removed from those emotions during the film; less cutaways to the boring lonesome-father storyline would have helped.

Silent Hill is worth your dollars, especially if you love videogames. It has all the seeds for an absolutely amazing sequel, and hopefully its first-run box office reign was enough to convince everyone involved to come back for another run into the fog-covered town.

three and a half torn off skins out of five

The Sentinel -- 04/30/06

2006-05-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

The Sentinel
kt reviews: After last weekends' failed attempt, pk and kt finally basked in the god-like presence of Kiefer Sutherland for the Jack Bauer-like role as a U.S. Secret Service investigator in The Sentinel. Sharing the drool infested obsession with Kiefer, pk and kt gazed longingly as David Breckinridge doused the screen with his intuitive investigation of a conspiracy to assassinate the president.

Breckinridge’s prime suspect is Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas), a betrayed friend who is fraternizing with the First Lady and who is falsely deemed the first traitor in the service's 141-year history. Outrunning and outwitting Breckinridge, Garrison runs to a fugitive lifestyle to uncover the truth. Overall, Garrison proves to him, via forensic evidence, that he is innocent and the tainted secret service agent is still out there. To intensify his heroism, Garrison saves the life and once again takes a bullet for a U.S. president.

Overall, I thought the paranoid thriller provided a poor amount of suspense, surprise, and originality. As Pat Carron reassured pt and kt, any film involving Michael Douglas will be mediocre. Compelled to swoon over Sutherland, I enjoyed his "Dammits!" and cocky demeanor towards his rookie sex symbol assistant (Eva Longoria). Also, to give a shout out to Pat Carron, I particularly relished the Ronald Reagan reference.

three out of five shark fins
Patrick counters: Dammit! I thought I'd called this movie's twist when the trailers first started airing, but I was wrong. You'd think that because Kiefer Sutherland is portrayed on 24 as a patriotic and sympathetic character, he'd be a little more cold blooded by the end, but he basically plays it by the numbers here. It's too bad; Kiefer's a stronger character acter than that (look at what he did with just his voice in the otherwise mediocre Phone Booth), and it's unfortunate he's stuck behind Michael Douglas in a mostly boring role.

It's interesting to see how 24 has changed Kiefer as an actor; it's almost as if he can't break out of that mold when he's acting intense. Maybe it's just because that's the only way he knows how to act like a government agent, but The Sentinel seems to suggest he's almost characterized himself in a certain sense. During the scenes where he was quieter, more methodic abou this dialogue, he was undeniably someone other than Jack Bauer, but as soon as his voice was raised...it's hard to seprate the two, and it's certainly possible that's a viewer issue, too.

The Sentinel is a by-the-numbers thriller that's hardly worth sitting down with unless you're an especially big Kiefer fan, and even then it's difficult to justify not waiting for the DVD release. Unless I decide to start building a Kiefer-specific DVD collection sometime down the line, The Sentinel's one movie I'll be passing on the next time around.

two DAMMITs out of five

A lesson in jam(b)ing -- 04/28/06

2006-05-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

pk muses: Well, well, well. In spite of repeated protests and weeks of making fun of kt for dragging me along to see this so-called favorite band named Umphrey's McGee, I have to admit I enjoyed myself. Now, let's be honest, kt and I had been slamming beers before we showed up, we each had flasks in hand, and she continued to pump Red Stripes into me before and during the performance. Nonetheless, I'm pretty sure I had a good time. Okay, I know I had a good time, but I can't remember much of the music. I just remember it would get really intense, loud and rock-worthy, forcing me to head bang like a mother f'er. Of course, this meant some douchebag behind me eventually had to remark 'if you head bang one more time, we're gonna have a problem,' but I continued to bring the groove thang from my hips -- as if there was any doubt.

Also, could there have been more pot at the show? Probably not, but at least the experience (slightly) erroded my opinion of jam bands. Generally speaking, I'm still not a fan, but I suppose there are exceptions to every rule. Umphrey's McGee may not have played a Prince cover during their set list, but someone was obviously watching out for me; the intermission was literally a Prince greatest hits compilation.

The real question is whether I'd want to see them again. I guess the honest answer is...I wouldn't mind. While incredibly doubtful I'd go out of my way to track them down the way kt has done in the past, but if they were playing at the Canopy Club again and kt hadn't abused me too much in the past couple days (wallet excluded), I could be convinced to attend. Plus, I can't think of many other opportunities where she feels so compelled to pump me full of alcohol. I'm trying to find a reason to complain...

kt's side of the story: My first experience of an Umphrey’s concert caused massive amounts of overwhelming bewilderment. The hippies infested the entire venue, their fragrance of petruli lingering in my nostrils. The sloshed, the tanked, the juiced, the destroyed, the blazed, and the hammered roamed about like zombies in search of human brains. It took me a large quantity of alcohol to become accustom to the mavericks. As I slipped towards my own inebriated state of mind, I succumbed and rocked out to the music. It left me thirsty for more.

With the hesitation and the overwhelming sensation of my first experience, I worried that pk would undergo a similar feeling. In order to alleviate the hippie intimidation, I predetermined a mandatory force-feed of alcohol to pk.

I must admit that I successfully completed my ambitious goal. Before arriving to the Canopy club, pk and I pre-gamed like champions. As we entered the club, a swarm of nervous butterflies quickly crowded my stomach. With all of the fast paced consumption, pk headed straight for the bathroom and I headed straight to the bar, ordering some hopefully lucky Red Stripes.

We found our niche amongst the crowd. Making friends with our new neighbors, I whipped out my brother’s flask, full of the delicious Jameson, and offered to anyone interested. Oh, there were definitely fans of the grand Irish whiskey! As soon as the music started, happiness spread throughout the crowd. We were dancin' machines!

During the set break, the sweet sounds of Prince filled the club. Immediately, pk started groovin’ to the sweet beats. I ran to the bar to swipe some more Red Stripes to maintain his buzz. I had to convince pk to let me carry out my duty as beer wench (since he purchased the tickets with his amazing wallet), but could tell that he really didn't like the fact that I was facing the zombies on my own. However, I reassured him that I would be okay. If need be, I can fake being a hippie to blend in with the crowd and avoid oncoming predators.

Overall, I was pleasantly pleased with the night. I enjoyed pk’s company during one of my favorite band’s performances. We danced the night away and rocked out.

So, I thank you pk, for enduring a hippie polluted show, which put a blissful smile on my face. :)

Umphrey’s McGee Setlist:

Set One

Partyin’ Peeps, Kabump, “Jimmy Stewart,” Water, 2nd Self, Eat, The Spinal Shaft, “Jimmy Stewart,” Flying, Intentions Clear, End of the Road, Bright Lights

Set Two

The Triple Wide, White Man’s Moccasins, No More Tears, Tribute to Spinal Shaft, “Jimmy Stewart” (with Underworld Super Mario Brothers theme jam), The Crooked One (with GZ and Hustlas [Snoop Dog] intro), Visions of Parin, Dirty Love

Encore

All in Time

You have to start somewhere

2006-01-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

You can read the little description on the side for the basic gist of this blog. It's not really meant for the rest of the world to enjoy, though anyone who ends up joining myself and my Tetris fiend (aka kt) on our adventure through the summer of 2006 is welcome to come along. We have epic plans -- some of which involve each other, others that are individual goals -- that involve everything from writing, producing and filming a short film to visiting the bay area of California for a week to heading into downtown Chicago for the day and attempting to score cheap tickets to Wicked.

A cynic might remark that people often "say" they're going to do so-and-so and then never get around to it, but the point of the Official Summer 2K6 Travelogue is to provide a working environment where the two of us are reminded of the laziness that sometimes surrounds our being and having an active area demanding an update on what's left.

It won't be easy. Then again, it's not meant to be.

Obviously, summer isn't quite here yet, so the point is kind of moot, but to get the ball rolling (and to provide some extra buffer time for us to plan/accomplish tasks), let's just assume that, as of today, summer has begun. This specific post will be updated by the two of us with our ideas for the summer, meaning it will be constantly updated. There's probably a better system to manage the ideas, but it will suffice for now.

Stay tuned.

TO DO LIST FOR SUMMER 2K6:

Pick up cheap tickets for Wicked downtown

~~Attend the Pitchfork Music Festival (07/29-07/30)~~

~~Travel to the California bay area for a week (travel itinerary to follow)~~

Write, produce and shoot a short film starring Matt Kahler

~~Attend Umphree's McGee concert in Champaign (04/28)~~

Watch the following films: ~~Capote~~, ~~Munich~~, Brokeback Mountain, ~~Hellraiser~~, In the Mouth of Madness, Slackers, Jarhead, March of the Penguins, My Own Private Idaho, ~~Rocky Horror Picture Show~~, Freeway

Play The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on Xbox 360

~~Attend Warped Tour and see The Audition play (07/23)~~

Travel to the Shedd Aquarium for a charity auction (08/26)

A day where kt shows pk WTF makes Chicago so cool

~~Celebrate DJ Hayden's 21st birthday~~

~~Attend the Taste of Chicago (06/30-07/09)~~

~~Attend the PLAY! Symphony at Rosement Horizon (05/27)~~

~~Get a new cellphone a.k.a. the sweet motorola razor~~

~~Turn Kelly Jean against kt~~

~~Give blood for Lifesource (05/11)~~

~~Attend the Hayden family reunion in Minnesota (06/21-06/25)~~

Learn how to play the guitar

~~Get caught up on "Lost" before season finale~~

~~Attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo in LA (05/10-05/13)~~

See A Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D (10/20)

Create a masterpiece meal for pk

~~Take pk to the hump night festivities at Lamps~~

Go see the following films in the theater: ~~Silent Hill, The Sentinel~~, Flight 93

Accompany Trish to the Maxium Exposure party in Champaign

~~Hold party up at Lake Geneve lake house, complete with fire pit~~

~~Purchase a Nintendo DS Lite (06/11)~~

~~Attend the Memorial Day 1:20 p.m. Cub's game (05/31)~~

~~Accompany Beck and Annie to Booze and Bingo (06/03)~~

~~Eat at Chicken Inn II~~

Get a psychic reading

Covert VHS movies to computer

~~Give Jim Prince of Persia game~~

~~Take Schuessler to Medieval Times for his birthday~~

~~See Harry and the Potters at Beat Kitchen (07/08)~~

Rock out to Pat McCurdy at Beat Kitchen

~~Final party at Ashley's lake house~~

Take pk to the Vic's Brew and View

~~Attend G-Fest film screenings at Pickwick Theater (07/08)~~

~~Practice golf skills before Hayden reunion (driving rage; mini-golf)~~

Volo Car Museum

Go thrift store shopping

~~Eat strawberries on day when would be attending Strawberry Fest (06/17)~~

~~Purchase TOOL album 10,000 Days~~

Run through Buckingham Fountain with Emma

~~Watch entire Hellraiser movie series~~