New Year's Eve

As I getting ready to get call it a day and sleep for a few hours, a thought popped up in my brain. I have nothing planned for New Year's Eve. This is the first time that's occurred in about twenty years.

Originally there were talks with some friends who live in Indianapolis about doing something. But that fell through because of few reasons. Not a big deal.

So that leaves me with three choices.

1. Go to my hometown and hang with friends - This has been the staple of mine since drinking age. A huge amount of us would get together at the local bar, get very drunk, and hang out. Over the last few years the group has gotten smaller and we've moved from the bar to someone's house. While getting drunk has been replaced by a few drinks. But this year, I've heard of nothing. And I'm not heading up there just sit around and do nothing. I've spent a lot of time in the area over the last couple of weeks doing that since my power was out for extended days.

2. Stay at home - It's cheaper. I can drink a few beers and easily go to sleep whenever I feel like it without worry. But I'd be alone, which is is rather sad on New Year's Eve, especially for a single guy.

3. Stay in Fort Wayne and head to a bar - Since I'm not one who generally frequents bars alone anyways, I highly doubt if I choose to do so on one of the busiest nights of the year when it costs more to enter the place. Still, a small part of me is tempted by the thought.


Well I have a few hours to think about it and something fun could still turn up tomorrow. Maybe's it's just getting older, but New Year's Eve doesn't seem like that big of deal to me anymore. Then again, maybe that's because I dont have any plans yet.

If you have any ideas, get a hold of me.

Horror Movies Watched and Horror Book Read in 2008

Here's a list of all the horror flicks I've watched this year. Why? Because sometimes I tabulate stupid things for no reason at all. And to be honest, the list isn't as bad as it first appears. I get bored easy and tend to fast forward though flicks if its not working for me.

I've also give my rating (out of 5), depending on who much I enjoyed the movie and if it held my interest. And on occasions, really bad movies hold my attention.



THE MOVIE LIST
1/2 - Black Christmas (2006) *
1/3 - New Years Evil (1980) 1/2
1/6 - Are You Scared? (2006) *
1/7 - Shietan (2006) ***1/2
1/8 - The Girl Next Door (2007) ****1/2
1/11 - Solstice (2007) **1/2
1/12 - Creature Unknown (2003) *
1/13 - Art of the Devil (2004) **1/2
1/17 - Isolation (2005) ***
1/18 - The Messengers (2006) **1/2
1/19 - Antibodies (2005) ***1/2
1/21 - The Roost (2005) ***
1/22 - Time (2006) ****
1/25 - Incubus (1965) **1/2
1/26 - Happy Birthday To Me (1981) *1/2
1/28 - The Cello (2005) **1/2
1/30 - Halloween (2007) **1/2
2/4 - Perfect Creature (2004) ***1/2
2/6 - Accion Mutante (1997) **
2/7 - Wind Chill (2007) ***
2/8 - Sunshine (2007) ****
2/9 - Dead Mary (2006) **1/2
2/11 - Black Sheep (2006) ***
2/12 - Bloody Reunion (2005) **
2/16 - Burnt Offerings (1974) **1/2
2/17 - Day Watch (2006) ***
2/20 - Art of the Devil 2 (2005) **1/2
2/22 - Saw IV (2007) ***1/2
2/25 - Arang (2006) ***
2/28 - 30 Days of Night (2007) ****
3/1 - Succubus: Hell Bent (2007) 1/2
3/2 - Mr Books (2007) ***1/2
3/4 - Undead or Alive (2007) ***
3/6 - Witchfinder General (1968) ***1/2
3/8 - Death to the Supermodels (2005) 1/2
3/10 - Nightmare (2000) ***
3/12 - Doomed (2007) *1/2
3/14 - Castle of the Walking Dead (1967) **1/2
3/15 - See No Evil (2006) **
3/18 - The Eye 10 (2005) **1/2
3/20 - Spiral (2007) ****
3/22 - Nightmare Man (2006) ***
3/25 - Mulberry Street (2006) ****
3/26 - The Number 23 (2007) ***1/2
4/1 - The Deaths of Ian Stone (2007) ****
4/3 - I Bury the Living (1958) **1/2
4/4 - The Last Quarter (2004) ***
4/7 - Disturbia (2007) ***
4/9 - Them aka Ils(2006) ****
4/10 - Crazy Eights (2006) **
4/11 - Joshua (2007) ***
4/13 - Sublime (2007) ***
4/15 - The Covenant (2006) 1/2
4/16 - The Red Shoes (2005) **1/2
4/19 - Premonition (2006) **
4/21 - Wrestlemaniac (2006) **
4/22 - Nightmare Detective (2006) ***
4/24 - Children of the Living Dead (2001) *1/2
4/27 - Catacombs (2006) *
4/28 - The Lost (2005) ***1/2
4/29 - Sweeney Todd (2007) ****1/2
5/3 - The Orphanage (2007) ****
5/4 - Candy Strippers (2006) 1/2
5/6 - The Plague (2006) **
5/8 - Borderland (2007) **1/2
5/9 - Fingerprints (2006) **1/2
5/11 - The Dorm (2006) ***
5/12 - Dead Heist (2007) **
5/16 - Cloverfield (2007) ***1/2
5/17 - Die My Darling! Die! (1965) **1/2
5/19 - Perfect Witness (2007) ***
5/20 - Frontier(s) (2007) ****
5/23 - Hollow Man 2 (2006) *1/2
5/25 - This Night I Will Possess Your Corpses (1963) **
5/26 - The Boston Strangler (1968) ***1/2
5/28 - Beauwolf (2007) ***1/2
- Lost: Season 4 (2007-2008) *****
- Supernatural: Season 3 (2007-2008) *****
- Reaper: Season 1 (2007-2008) ****1/2
6/1 - A Lizard in Women's Skin (1971) **1/2
6/3 - Scarecrows (1988) **
6/5 - Cinderella (2006) **1/2
6/7 - Teeth (2006) ****
6/8 - Blood Trails (2007) *
6/9 - The Last Sect (2004) **
6/10 - Sleepaway Camp (1983) *1/2
6/11 - Jekyll + Hyde (2006) **1/2
6/12 - Eaten Alive (1971) **
6/14 - The Slaughter (2007) **1/2
6/17 - Big Bad Wolf (2006) **
6/21 - Dead Silence (2006) **1/2
6/24 - Benny's Video (1992) ***
6/26 - Tales from the Crypt (1972) ***1/2
6/29 - Final Draft (2007) **
6/30 - Inside (2007) ****1/2
7/1 - Botched (2007) ***
7/2 - Wishing Stairs (2003) **1/2
7/3 - I Know Who Killed Me (2007) *
7/6 - Snoop Dog's Hood of Horror (2007) *1/2
7/7 - The Mist (2007) ****1/2
7/8 - Diary of the Dead (2007) ****
7/10 - Weirdsville (2006) ****
7/13 - Hellboy II (2008) ****1/2
7/15 - Night of the Living Dorks ***1/2
7/17 - The Devil's Rain (1975) **
7/21 - Resurrection Mary (2005) **1/2
7/25 - Otis (2007) ***1/2
7/27 - The Burning (1981) **1/2
7/28 - House of Usher (2007) **
7/31 - The Feeding (2006) 1/2
8/4 - Noriko's Dinner Table (2005) ***
8/6 - Red Water (2003) 1/2
8/7 - Return to Horror High (1987) 1/2
8/8 - The Reaping (2007) **1/2
8/9 - Alien vs Predator: Requiem (2007) **1/2
8/10 - The Ruins (2008) ***1/2
8/11 - Devil's Den (2006) **1/2
8/12 - The Red Skulls (2006) **1/2
8/14 - The Last Winter (2007) ***1/2
8/17 - Boy Meets Girl (2006)***
8/18 - Who Could Kill a Child (1976) **1/2
8/20 - The Mad (2007) ***
8/22 - Alien 3, Director's Cut (1992) ***1/2
8/23 - Return to the House on Haunted Hill (2007) **1/2
8/24 - The Eye (2008) *1/2
8/26 - Curse of the Komodo (2004) 1/2
8/27 - Driftwood (2007) **1/2
8/28 - Nekromatic 2 (1991) *1/2
8/30 - The Ghost of Mae Nak (2005) **1/2
8/31 - Angst aka Penetration Angst (2003) ***
9/1 - Jungle Holocaust (1977) *1/2
9/2 - Cutting Class (1989) *
9/3 - Clawed: The Legend of Sasquatch (2005) 1/2
9/4 - Vampyres (1974) **
9/5 - Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural (1973) *1/2
9/6 - The Gathering (2002) **
9/7 - The Iron Gate (1973) **
9/9 - Frostbitten (2005) **1/2
9/10 - Dr Phibes Rises Again (1972) *1/2
9/11 - The Chambermaid aka Lovesick: Sick Love(2004)**1/2
9/12 - Twisted Sisters (2006) **1/2
9/15 - Madman Marz (1982) **
9/16 - Nympha (2007) **
9/20 - The Haunting of Julia (1977) **
9/22 - The Victim aka Spirit of the Victim aka Phii khon pen (2006) ***
9/25 - Mother of Tears (2007) ***
9/28 - Rogue (2007) ***1/2
9/30 - Pathology (2008) **1/2
10/3 - Blood for Dracula (1972) **1/2
10/5 - The Locals (2003) ***
10/7 - Bloody Murder (1999) 1/2
10/10 - Horror of Dracula (1958) **1/2
10/12 - Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1983) **1/2
10/13 - Wilderness Survival for Girls (2006) ***1/2
10/15 - Death Note (2007) ***
10/17 - Ring of Darkness (2004) *
10/18 - The ReCycle (2007) ***
10/19 - Campfire Tales (1992) ***
10/21 - Hikoru the Goblin (1990) **1/2
10/22 - Deranged (2005) ***
10/24 - Blood Car (2007) ****
10/27 - Drive Thru aka Hellaburger (2006) **
10/28 - The Wisdom of Crocodiles (2000) **1/2
10/30 - Machine Girl (2006) **1/2
10/31 - Twice Told Tales (1958) ***
11/3 - Slaughter of the Vampires (1970) **
11/8 - Gangs of the Dead (2007) **
11/9 - Nightmare in Blood (1978) *1/2
11/11 - Outpost (2007) ***
11/12 - Timber Falls (2007) **1/2
11/13 - The Signal (2007) ****
11/14 - Maniac Cop 2 (1990) **1/2
11/15 - The Secret (2007) **1/2
11/18 - I, Monster (1971) **
11/22 - One Missed Call 2 (2007) **1/2
11/23 - A Dead Calling (2006) *
11/27 - Sisters (2007) **
11/28 - Day of the Dead (2007) *1/2
11/29 - The Tooth Fairy (2007) *
12/1 - Gimmie Skelter (2007)**1/2
12/2 - Dead Space: Downfall (2008) **1/2
12/4 - The Rats (2002) **
12/5 - Home Sick (2007) *1/2
12/6 - Demon Hunter (2005) **
12/7 - Midnight Meat Train (2008) ***1/2
12/8 - Pact with the Devil (2001)**
12/9 - The Marsh (2006) **1/2
12/10 - The Garden (2006) **1/2
12/11 - Slash (2003)**
- Dead Like Me: season 1 (2003) ***1/2
- Dexter: season 3 (2008) *****
12/12 - The Cradle (2007) **
12/14 - The 4th Floor (1999) **1/2
12/15 - One Missed Call (2008) *1/2
12/22 - The Maid (2005) **1/2
12/23 - Cold and Dark (2005) **1/2
12/24 - Blackwater Valley Exorcism (2006) **
12/25 - Maléfique (2002) ***
12/26 - Funny Games (2008) ****
12/28 - 11:11 Hell's Gate (2004) **
12/29 - Gruesome Twosome (1967) **
12/30 - Doomsday (2008) **1/2






The Book List
1. Rant - Chuck Palahnuik ***1/2
2. Baltimore or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire - Chris Golden & Mike Mignola ****
3. Infernal - F. Paul Wilson ****1/4
4. Riders In the Sky - Charles Grant ****
5. Anno-Dracula 1959 aka Dracula Cha-Cha by Kim Newman ***
6. Heart Shaped Box - Joe Hill ****1/2
7. Harbingers - F. Paul Wilson ****1/2
8. Hell House - Richard Matheson ***1/2
9. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Irving Washington ****
10. The Man Who Was Thursday - GK Chesterton ***
11. Insomnia - Stephen King ***1/2
12. Classic Short Horror Stories - various authors ***
13. The Body Snatchers - Jack Finney ***
14. Monster Island - David Wellington ****
15. American Gods - Neil Gaiman ****
16. House of Leaves - Mark Danielewski ***1/2
17. Demon - Hubert Selby Jr. ***
18. The Goon, vol. 0 ****
19. The Goon, vol. 1 ****
20. The Damnation Game - Clive Barker ****
21. The Keeper - Sarah Langan *****
22. The Association - Bentley Little ***1/2
23. Hellboy: Seed of Destruction - Mike Mignola ****
24. Unspeakable - Graham Masterton ***1/2
25. Infected - Scott Siglar ****1/2
26. Created By- Richard C. Matheson **1/2
27. Hellboy: Wake the Devil- Mike Mignola ****
28. Black Butterflies - John Shirley ****
29. The Long Walk - Richard Bachman ****
30. The Running Man - Richard Bachman ***1/2
31. Hellblazer: Original Sins - Jamie Delando **1/2

VEGAS, baby! - the return

It was time to leave the city of sin and head back to the good ole midwest where I could enjoy the rest of my vacation and the holiday season.

My flight left at 11:30pm (Vegas time), so I arrive at the airport around 9:30pm. It's not busy at all. The first thing I notice is my flight is not listed on the Departure screen, which in all my times of flying I have never seen. When I did the express check in nothing was said about the flight being delayed. I see the flight arriving from Cleveland is on time, so I dont think anything of it. I go wait. At about 11:15pm an announcement is made that the flight will be delayed...two hours! A lot grumbling going on amongst the passengers as many now are going to miss connecting flights. Eventually we all find out the reason for the delay. A flight attendant on an arrival flight from Newark is scheduled to be on the Cleveland flight. That's right we couldn't take off and over half of the passengers had to reschedule because of a missing flight attendant. So I wait more. We finally get boarded around 1:30am and take off. I manage to doze off for about two hours on the flight.

We land in Cleveland at 8:15am (EST) and now I have under thirty minutes to get to another terminal and catch my flight to Fort Wayne at 8:45am. I haul ass to get there only to find out it has been canceled. I go to the desk and tell them I need to be rescheduled on the next Fort Wayne flight and when that is. The lady at the boarding gate tells me the next flight is at 12:15pm but she cant process any changes here and I have to go to Customer Service. I ask why she cant change it here and she explains that they have several flight getting ready to board and she doesn't have the time (bullshit). I go to Customer Service and stand in line for two and half hours to get a ticket that took all of three minutes to process.

So I wait in again. At noon they announced the flight is delayed because of mechanical problems. They will give us an update when they know. We finally board at 1:30pm and then get the pleasure of setting in a plane for another forty minutes because the shitter is froze up and it cant be emptied.

I finally arrive at the Fort Wayne airport around 3:30pm and head to the Economy lot ($6 a day...yes). I chip away the half inch of ice from my vehicle and head out. Except I cant get out of the lot. The economy lot has no attendant and it's pay with credit card only. The card reader wont read my card. I try several times and make a call to the help center. He tells me that he'll be there as soon as he can. I keep trying as I wait and about twenty minutes later it finally takes. The attendant arrives with a police escort because he's on crutches as I exiting the lot. We straighten things out and I am on my way.

It occurs to me that I have no food at home and should make a quick pit stop at the store. Meijer is busy as hell and it takes me about an hour. It's almost 5pm and I'm close to getting home. Unload the groceries, shower, and sleep for awhile are my only goals as it's been 17 hours since I left the hotel in Vegas and almost thirty hours since I really slept.

On the way home I'm checking out the damage of the ice storm. Lots of branches down, but my neighborhood seems to have power. I pull into my driveway and notice my outside light is off. Then my garage door doesn't work. Shit. I get out and walk around to the back where I see the tree shattered in pieces sitting on top of the power line going to my house. Great.

I call AEP and they put me on the list. The estimated time of fixing the situation is December 27... and it's Monday the 22nd. Fuck. It's forty degrees in my house so I cant stay there. I call a friend, toss whats left in my fridge and freezer in with my newly bought groceries and head an hour north.

As of writing this blog, still no power.

My vacation is close to being ruined.

Happy Holidays!

VEGAS, baby! - the arrival

When Las Vegas is experiencing the coldest weather in years and gets six inches of snow the day before you leave to head out there0, then you might be in trouble. Fortunately, the flight out really wasn't that bad. It took a little longer than it was expected because of strong head winds.

Vegas. Such a unique place. Incredible buildings, all with a different theme. Enough blinking lights and sounds to make an A.D.D. suffer go into seizure mode. Lots of tourists. And nothing comes cheap. This is not the old Vegas. Those days are long gone as new casinos are constantly replacing old ones.

I really dont gamble, though I did lose $70 playing blackjack. And I've been out to Vegas a couple of times before and was able to check out the a lot sites on the strip and downtown. So what did I do this time - drank. A lot and often. I abused myself in ways that I haven't in years. After the third day of pouring different liquor and beers in my belly for 12 straight hours on little sleep or food, I was wiped out. Big time.

The whole reason for going out there was a friend's wedding, which happened on Saturday. And it went off well and all were happy. The post party was celebrated and this very upscale club called LAX in the Luxor where we had a private room over looking the jam packed club. I still hate these clubs, but scenery was nice and alcohol made it tolerable.

My final afternoon was spent walking around and feeling worn out. Then it was time to catch the red eye back to Indiana. Getting home and the weather that awaited...that's a different blog.

- Three more days until vacation. YES!!! Counting holidays and weekends, I'll be for a total of 18 days. DOUBLE YES!!!

- The troubled economy is hitting the AV market just like damn near ever other occupation. I've been at my current employer for ten years (yikes). In 2008 I traveled the least amount in 8 years, the least amount of hours I've worked in 9 years, and for the first time I am going to earn less money than the previous year. That hurts, especially when you need the OT to make decent money.

- Heading out to Vegas on Thursday for 3.5 days. One of my best friend's is getting married. It's going to be a fun time. But because of the statement above, it's really going to hurt me financially, even with the decent discounts. I've been to Vegas a couple of other times and I really dont care for it, mainly because I dont gamble and I'm not into all the tourist spots like the Strip. I'd be cool to actually go about town and check out the real city. On the plus side, it wont be 100+ degrees this time around. Actually the temperature is suppose to be kind of cold for Vegas. Only around 60 degrees, but hell that's a lot better than Fort Wayne right now. Maybe I'll get extremely lucky and toss a $20 in a machine for few thousand dollar return. That'd be sweet!

- Christmas is near. The end of the year is closing out. And in a couple of weeks I'll turn 35. Doesn't hardly seem possible.

Boob Punch

Sometimes you see a clip on the internet and what "what the hell?". Here's one of those clips.