Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Empty Hot Dog Day

Behold! My awesome costume...

A newsie!

Yeah, okay, so it's very similar to what I wore two years ago; my fantastic chimney sweep attire. But you know what? It isn't the same! Chimney sweeps and newsies would have never gotten along on the streets!

Actually the two costumes I had always wanted to do were Chiimney Sweep and Newsie. It's not my fault they are so similar. But really? I just like the hat.

And honestly, there ain't much more to say. I dressed up and ta-dow! Bada-boom. Completo.


Boom.

Ricky

Saturday, October 27, 2007

House

Today was a big day!

We have been searching for a house to invest in (and move into) for the past year or so; maybe even longer. After working for a couple of ears and by still living with the folks, Timotei and I have been able to save enough for a down payment on a house.

We had first looked at a bunch of new developments in Corona, but decided it was way too far out. We put the housing search on the back burner for a long time and just recently got back to looking (after the housing market crashed).

We scoured Chino and found our dream house. It was gorgeous and within our price range. The only caveat was that it was right next to a small privately owned airport and a block from a correctional facility (jail). The house was so perfect, though, that we were able to overlook those small badalities. Of course there were other things like a big association fee for a small "Olympic" sized pool. An hour after we fell in love with the house, we went back to put down a deposit and found that someone else had bought the house. The spell that the house placed on us faded and we realized that we were compromising a lot for this house. So we saw this as a sign and decided to look elsewhere.

Ten minutes down from the Chino house, we found ourselves again in Corona. And lo-and-behold, we found a place we really love and jumped to buy it before it was taken. It comes in cheaper than the other house, away from airports and prisons, and no stinkin' association fees!


So here I am, 26 and a homeowner. Though we won't be able to move in till early next year, we could sure use some furniture. Anyone willing to donate?


More to come soon,

Ricky

Monday, October 15, 2007

HalloweenTime Flies

Just yesterday, I started thinking about my costume for Halloween. But I put that planning aside because I had months to throw something together. Oh wait, that's right... it only feels like yesterday. It was back in February to this date that I began planning my Halloween 2007 costume. At the time I had just finished playing Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and wanted to be the main character Kyle Hyde. I grew out my bangs (I hadn't had bangs since high school!) and worked on my eyebrow movements. But the thing that made the character was the jacket.

I looked around and tried to find the exact jacket, but failed. Nowhere did I find a pleather jacket with a racing stripe down the shoulders and arms. And honestly, I couldn't stand the bangs! So I gave up early.

Now, it's two weeks before the big day and I am scrambling for a costume! It always happens this way.

I saw this costume in a Party City ad. It seems perfect.



I mean check out the detail! It's obviously Jack Bauer. No denying it! Take a look at what this guy looked like before the costume...



The costume is just magnificent! It's a total transformation. And scarily uncanny. I need this costume.

Okay, maybe not. This year I am cheating a little. Remember two years ago when I dressed as a Chimney Sweep? It was my greatest costume since the 2nd grade when I popped two holes out of a bedsheet and called myself a ghost. Well, I am going to take a step in that same direction and be... a Newsie!

That's right friends. I will once again don my Sweep hat, but this time with a striped shirt and vest, and become filthy, stinkin' Jack Kelly. Or maybe even the one with the crutch.

But don't think I'm gonna be prancing around singing about Santa Fe. No. I'm just going to be hawkin' paps on the corner, earnin' mah keep.

I'll have pictures when the costume is complete.

Till then, safe hauntings!


Carryin' da banner,

Jack Ricky

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Just Give Me the Goddamn Green Tea One!

Me and my brilliant ideas. It's been about 6 days since I've been to the gym. I have this thing about being lazy.

So today, when I had the biggest most ginormous craving for a Green Tea Sensation smoothie from Robek's, I thought it would be best to make myself work for it. After all, it's not that far from where I live.

So I dragged my fat ass out of the house and began a steady trot. That didn't last long when I felt a very nice burning in my throat. Was it the out of breathness of it all? Perhaps it was the blood trying to squeeze its way through my goo filled blood vessels. Whatever it was, I came to a halt. Suddenly, an epiphany. This was a bad idea. There I was already tired and just down the street.

But the smoothie called! The brilliant Green Teaness of it all! I trudged along despite an assured heart attack. A couple of steps... spit... a couple of steps... spit... a couple of steps... spit... wipe dangle from my chin... a couple of steps...

At last, crawling through the door to the smoothie shoppe, sweat pouring down my frontal lobe, I reached my destiny. And I reached up the counter to a smiling worker.

"What can I get for you?" she asked.

The answer plinkoed off my parched tongue. "G-G-Green Tea Sensation. Regular."

She glared at me. "Okay, sir. But just so you know, it's called a Green Tea Serenity now." Apparently the name Green Tea Sensation was taken and they were probably served a cease and desist. BUT WHO THE HELL CARES?!

What should it matter what I call it, so long as it's not officially called a Sensation. It's not like there are 10 different kinds of Green Tea smoothies available. Once I say the words "Green Tea," the workers should ignore any insignificant words after. "Green Tea" and boom! it should be known what I want.

But get this: if the smoothie's name has changed, then how come the take out menu still says "Sensation?" It boggles the mind!

Pigheaded as it may seem, I will NEVER call it "Serenity." In part because "Serenity" is a dumb word. Secondly, it's one more syllable than "Sensation." It's a stupid change! They shouldn't make it such a mouthful to order. Just call it the damn Green Tea One and BE DONE WITH IT!!! In fact, I should just be able to ask for the green one and that should suffice. How many other green smoothies do they sell?

Okay, don't mind me. I'm just a little on edge because I've got some hefty deadlines coming up.


Oh the overreactiveness of it all,

Ricky

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

The Long and Winding Road: Part Finalmente

Okay, let's stick a fork in this and end it. It's October and I'd like to just get this done and over with so I can move on to more random elements.

So on the next day where the skies were so overcast we couldn't even see the Rocky Mountains, we drove into Denver and wondered what the hell there was to do there. I dropped a line to my coworker and asked her to find a few things.

A few minutes later, she came through with a list that included the Denver Zoo, a Six Flags theme park, a botanic garden, the governor's mansion, and a couple of churches. So basically, she confirmed that there's nothing interesting to see.

We got to the hotel at around 11am. It was an old Days Inn going through an ownership transition... and it showed. This hotel was absolutely filthy! The carpets were disgusting, the lobby smelled of the sawdust sprinkled over fresh vomit, the curtains had red blood(?) on it, and the bathrooms were unscrubbed. To this date, it's the worst hotel I've ever stayed at. I'll never complain about Circus Circus again.

But before they would even check us in, we found a Famous Dave's barbecue joint and dined in. My co-worker Santa Monica lives near one and frequents Famous Dave's and always raves about the barbecue and cornbread. I would staunchly counter with "Lucille's rules!" Not terribly creative, but it effectively put her in her place. But MAN WAS I WRONG! I was pwned! I got servedorxxrrxx1111!!11!!!

Famous Dave's is much better than Lucille's. And their cornbread (coming from someone who isn't big on cornbread) was to friggin' dye for! I would go hippie-riffic for these breadly treats.

And after that we went and saw a baseball game at Coors Field. Sat in Mile High seats. One of the teams won.

And then we stayed the night and drove to Vegas for 12 hours. I played the Wheel of Fortune slots and won $60 immediately. Then won another $20. I cashed out. Then I turned a useless $5 into a beautiful busty $20 on the digital roulette wheel. We ate at Chinatown and went home.

Check out our Route on this map. It be coo.



Finally I'm finished. Worst write up ever.

Rushed