Indata Valid
Monday, February 25, 2008
JANUARY AND FEBRUARY BLOG
I KNOW, I KNOW…
I know I am over a month late. If I were a female, that would be a problem (or blessing, depending on how you look at fetuses- right now, they are evil to me). I apologize, but all I can say is that I was extremely busy for the last month. There were so many tests (all of which I never got above a “C” on) and other projects to do. I barely had time to see much of Katie. :(
I’ve been working at Walgreens 1 or 2 days a week. For awhile there, I was pulling 4 days a week. That sucked. I had no time except to go home and sleep. I couldn’t handle that anymore, so on one day when I was figured to work, I just pulled an Office Space-esque move. I walked in and told the pharmacy (I worked at 2 different Walgreens at the time) that I wouldn’t be working that day or any other day for that store. My grades were suffering and I needed to give up my hours at that store. So now I have no excuse for shitty grades. But at least I don’t have to work 4 days a week and go to school 5 days a week.
Chastise me if you must. I will try to be a better blogger in the future.
EVE 6 IS BACK!!!
I’m sure you’re probably thinking “who the hell is Eve 6 and why should I care?” Well, I don’t really care if you care. And you probably don’t care that I don’t care that you don’t care. Etc.
Anyhow, they happen to be one of my top 5 bands. They have had a couple radio songs (“Inside Out” and “Here’s to the Night”), but really, all of their music is excellent. They had a falling out and the lead singer was arrested for streaking through a hotel room at 4:00 AM drunk off his ass. But now, they’re back together and recording new music. This makes Rico happy.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=159005921
Check them out if you want. Or don’t. I don’t care.
MOVIE REVIEWS
I Am Legend
Greg was pretty amped for this movie. The previews made it look pretty awesome too. And I pretty much like most of Will Smith’s movies. And maybe I had too high of expectations of this movie. Don’t get me wrong- I liked it alright. It’s just that I felt like there was a lot of the movie left unexplored, a lot of plot left open, and a lot of information left out. I would give it 3 stars out of 5.
When A Stranger Calls
Another horror movie remake (along with The Omen and The Messengers) that fails to measure up to the original. Boo. I was fairly disappointed in this one. There never was an explanation of who the bad guy was and the movie just ends in a bizarre manner. Not a great film, let’s just say that. 1.5 stars out of 5.
Vacancy
I was a little surprised when I found myself actually jumping a few times during this one. Also, I was surprised that Luke Wilson was able to act seriously. Just doesn’t seem like his cup of tea. Anyhow, this was a decent movie. Beats the hell out of When A Stranger Calls. 3.5 stars out of 5.
The Messengers
Weak, weak, weak acting. Dylan McDermott is a homo. Probably one of the weakest movies I have seen in awhile. Some movies should just not be re-made and this was one of them. The special effects weren't bad, just predictable. 1 star out of 5.
The Devil’s Rejects
This is actually part 2, the follow-up to House of 1000 Corpses. And yes, this is the Rob Zombie movie with an evil clown and his murderous family. This one had a much more developed plot than House of 1000 Corpses and the budget was obviously higher. The filming style is different than most movies. Instead of using gross sounds and screams and such, Mr. Zombie utilizes odd juxtapositions of cheery music and gory scenes. Very strange, but it works. 4 stars out of 5.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Once again, I think my high hopes kinda let me down on this movie. I did think it was pretty funny and there were some great moments, but I think I just hyped it up too much in my mind. Plus, Jessica Biel’s ass looked bizarre in the movie. 3 stars out of 5.
FADS OF 2007
#3 Guitar Hero/ Rock Band
I admit it. I participated in this fad. It’s a fun game. And who doesn’t like pretending they’re a rock star (or at least musically coordinated)? I suck at the drumming though. It’s impossible for me. I have no rhythm. I can’t even finish a song as the drummer. I haven’t really gone for the singing yet. I think I will probably just stick with the guitar and preferably the bass. If you know me, you know I suck at all things musical. Burning CDs is another matter entirely. I kick ass at that.
#2 Baggin’ on Britney
It was a national pastime this last year. Not that she didn’t bring it on herself; she did. Her life was like an episode of Cops featuring white trash. It’s just that I got damn tired of hearing about Britney and her relapses. Jesus. I honestly just don’t care. She's just one person struggling through life. There are plenty more white trash whores out there. And really, she's not a very good singer. Listen to Amy Lee of Evanesence or Christina Aguilera, then listen to Britney. Hear a difference? Thought so.
#1 i-Everything
It was en vogue to slap an “i” in front of everything electronic this last year. Every stereo and everything relating to an iPod or iPhone had a goddamn little “i” in front of it. Just because something had an “i,” it meant it was cool. Not. The manufacturers should be a little more original and come up with new ideas and not just ride on the coattails of Apple. I know Apple is awesome and all (bleh), but seriously, just use a different letter.
CRUISE
In January, a large group of pharmacy dorks went on a 6 day, 5 night cruise to Mexico from San Diego. Here’s the synopsis of that trip:
San Diego: We stayed the night in San Diego so that we were fresh for the boarding the next morning. After having dinner with Greg at California Pizza Kitchen, we had planned on going out and seeing the San Diego nightlife……however, we had sat in the hot tub for about an hour earlier on in the day and the quantity of food combined with the darkness in the room and the comfort of the beds put us all to sleep.
This is Dave and me standing in front of the Star of India on the docks at San Diego.
Cabo San Lucas: a couple friends and I rented ATVs and got turned loose on a beach after a 20 minute ride in. We had an hour of free play in the white sand and then had a 20 minute ride out. Ginger kid Chris high-centered his ATV, I had one that stalled quite a few times due to a low idle setting, and the other guy we went with was really good at riding. Fun times. I may have to purchase an ATV once I graduate. My $30,000 signing bonus with Walgreens is already getting split about 12 ways (big TV, new car, ATV, down payment on a house, savings, etc.). We’ll see.
Dave, me, and Kyle on the tender (the little ferryboat takes you from the cruise ship to land and back).
Me, Kyle, and Chris prior to ATV-ing. This is the last time we were clean for the entire day.
Kyle doing a donut. He is pretty slick on an ATV.
Chris getting brave (using one hand) as he came over a hill.
The mighty Pacific.
Chris and Kyle riding towards me.
The coastline and the beach where we rode the ATVs.
Me being a huge dork.
Chris hi-centered his ATV.
I will have you know that I took this while driving my ATV.
Chris is a dirty boy.
We had to pay to have the iguana in a picture. He weighed more than he looked. Kyle was pretty damn jazzed about being in this photo. Haha.
Some friends got to hold baby lions. We saw an iguana. Not a fair trade-off.
Chris standing with a federale.
On Board: We went to various shows, dress-up dinners, many other meals, and made many trips to the casino. Also, we had an hour of power for $10 (all you can drink). It was murder for several members of the group (especially the Asian dude Dave- he just can’t hold his alcohol).
We had an excellent view of a wall in our stateroom.
Me in the atrium of the ship.
Dave won $13….which he quickly put back into the sluts….er…slots.
Funship Freddie came around and got his picture made with us. I'm sure he/she hates his/her life.
Dave and Josh at dinner. They're classy.
Do you know how hard it is to putt with a rubber head and shitty ball on a swaying deck with 40 mph gusts?
They each ate $80 worth of lobster at this meal.
A portion of the group at dinner.
Quite possibly the worst pour of all time. Nice one, Josh.
There was always a new creation waiting in the stateroom for us each night. Those workers were clever with the towel folding. The comedian on board showed us how to make a penis to leave for the workers. Haha.
I believe immediately prior to this picture was an "OH SNAP!" moment.
Dave did a lot of sinning aboard the ship, so here he is trying to atone for it.
That water was frickin' cold and salty (they just pumped ocean water up).
Violated that rule every morning.
Kind of an impressive talent? Kind of? Not really?
The beginning of the end for Dave.
Dave was the life of the party….for 45 minutes of 60.
Dave looking a little worse for the wear.
None of us in this picture puked that night. Excellent.
Not sure where his shoes went.
The hour of power group.
Dave prayed to porcelain god after this picture.
Chris and Kyle love one another.
Notice Chris did not bother to put his drink down.
Piercings.
I put this in Kyle's bed and Chris and I got him to think that the maids left it for him. He was impressed by their balls.
Probably my favorite picture of the trip.
Josh with some lesbians (seriously).
Who doesn't want to lick Dave?
Kyle, Chris, Josh, and I right before dinner (you were supposed to dress nicely- I was pretty much of the few to follow rules).
At dinner with Ms. Brown.
No idea...
Part of the group again.
Ensenada: This is the little bastard brother to Cabo San Lucas. We went to La Bufadora (the blowhole) and a shopping district. We also tried to go to a strip club….but the club only had the D+ team out (think fatties, C-sections, botched tummy tucks, amputees and so forth). It was a Thursday afternoon and the girls were fat and uncoordinated. Not a good time there. I believe the locals would have said "no buenas."
Who wants some?
Kyle, Josh, and Dave standing next to La Bufadora as it blows.
A couple of New York whores from out cruise ship got in trouble with la policia.
Are the quotes necessary? I think Mexico could have quotes around it ("Mexico").
San Diego: We made it back, safe and sound. All in all, it was a great trip and definitely something I’d be willing to do again. Throughout the entirety of the trip, the ship was a-rocking. There were some seasick folks. I didn’t have a problem (never have been seasick actually). The first day was the worst for people though- it was rough, people weren’t used to it, and I don’t think anyone was prepared for it. I expected it to be a lot smoother ride (since the boat is huge and has stabilizers).
A retard didn't tie his mattress down very well (I-15 north).
PROOF THAT LDS = A BUSINESS
I just find it hard to believe in the validity of a religion that sprung up 200 years ago. That's a tough pill to swallow, as our professors would say. Anyhow, check out this article I found in The Press Enterprise (Riverside, California newspaper). I just can't believe how much Mormonism resembles a business.
STEERING CLEAR OF FOOT LOCKER FROM NOW ON
For Christmas, I received a $25 gift card to Foot Locker from an uncle I rarely see. And since I have been suffering from knee pain recently (which I am sure comes from the running I have started), I figured I could use the gift card for new Nike Shox so that my knee pain could be prevented by having proper running shoes.
I went to the Foot Locker website and kinda narrowed down my choices to a couple lines of Shox in a couple different color schemes. Once I had my picks in my mind, I went to the Boise Mall to try them on. I found the Shox I wanted, but they didn't seem to have my size on the shelf. I waved to a worker and asked if they had the model I wanted in 7.5 or 7 (yes, I know I have baby feet- it's cool). He disappeared for minutes on end and finally reemerged empty-handed. That's never a good sign. He said that Foot Locker does not typically carry sizes that small in store and that I should try Champs Sporting Goods, which is conveniently located inside the Boise Mall and is owned by Foot Locker.
I wandered on down to Champs and picked out my desired model of Nike Shox again. The chump at Champ's went into the storeroom to see if they had my size in stock, but I got the same result: nothing. The chump also suggested I try to order them online since they have a wider selection and larger inventory online.
Discouraged but not defeated (yet), I drove back home. I searched on Foot Locker's site and finally narrowed the search down to the shoe I definitely wanted. It was going to be $140 shipped. So I typed in all my info (name, address, credit card info, etc.). At the end of the process, I had to put in the gift card number. However, the website kept rejecting my card number (saying that it was an invalid number). After a few tries, the website was sick of having me get rejected and it gave me a phone number to call and check on the status of the card.
I called and played along with the automated system only to find out that the card did indeed have $25 on it. Weird shit going on…..
I found another phone number online where I could order the shoes. I called it and it took about 15 minutes to place my order. I had to give the item number, the credit card number, address, and so forth. The last thing the customer service lady asked for was the gift card number. I relayed it to her, then she asked for the PIN.
There was no PIN number.
I informed her of this and there was silence on the line for a second.
"I'm sorry, sir. That must be an older gift card. If it doesn't have a PIN, then it has to be used in-store," she apologized.
Son of a bitch.
I was furious. I cancelled my order immediately when I found out about that. I decided right there on the spot that Foot Locker was not going to get a goddamned dime of my money. I put the gift card on eBay and it sold for $22. Better than nothing.
I still wanted the Nike Shox though, so I just went to the Nike website and designed my Nike Shox with a personalized color scheme and put "Plick 22" on them. The price (shipped to my door with step-by-step tracking) was $130. IT WAS CHEAPER TO ORDER DIRECTLY FROM NIKE!!!
So anyways, it took awhile to get the shoes due to the increase in number of special orders after Christmas. They probably came from a little sweatshop (check out the shipping info below):
Katie asked if I felt bad that a poor little Vietnamese kid with bloodied stumps of fingers made my shoes in a sweatshop. I'd only feel bad if the kid got blood on my shoes. I paid good money for those things.
But anyhow, here is what my new shoes look like:
PAPAYA SUCKS
Katie and I bought a papaya since neither one of us had ever tried the fruit outside of a blend fruit drink. She spent a good 5 minutes cutting it up according to directions online. And then we sat down to eat it. I think this may have been one of the least tasteful things I have ever consumed in my life.
It's not that it had a bad flavor or texture. It had a texture similar to mango, but there was zero taste. Zilch. Completely and utterly devoid of all flavor. It was gross to eat Styrofoam. I nearly gagged as I neared the end of my first piece. I couldn't do it. We had to throw it out. L
BUT IT NEVER SNOWS IN BOISE…
Yeah, someone told me that it never really snows or sticks in Boise. This year was a freak year then. It snowed almost every day for 3 weeks in January and February. And it stuck for weeks. Sucked. I mean, it made good sledding conditions, but it made driving anywhere hell.
Here are some wintery pictures for you.
Katie and I have gone sledding a couple times. The above was a result of a wipeout the first time. I pretty much rolled the entirety of the hill.
But just in case you don't believe me about the shittiness of driving in the snow, perhaps you should take a peek at the picture below. That is a Chevy Trailblazer that went off the road (which has a 35 mph speed limit and a decent sized curb) and crashed through a fence. Josh and I saw this on the way to class a few weeks back. Crazy stuff.
The other day, Josh and I saw a four year old drive a Cadillac into a parked Subaru station wagon in a driveway. That was pretty crazy too.
SHIPPING SNAFU
I had an issue getting Rock Band delivered to me. Check the below shipping itinerary and see if you can the problems there:
MY UNINTENTIONAL FAUX PAS
I mentioned in my last blog that I had to get a filling. Well, in the two months since then, I have gotten that filling. And here's the story for that:
The dentist numbed my mouth and may have been a little over-zealous in that endeavor (although, I'd rather be over-anesthetized than under). He went to work and completed the filling in less than 15 minutes. Well, the anesthetic lasts for hours. And I had to go to work.
I went into work, knowing that patients were going to think I had suffered a stroke. The entire right side of my face was paralyzed. I couldn't move that side of my mouth, my cheek didn't move, and my eyelid was a little slow on that side. I got some strange looks from customers, so I felt like I should explain my shortcoming.
I was working the drive-thru when a guy came in and dropped off a script for 3 meds. I didn't really look up at the dude since we were pretty busy and I was focusing on typing the script. He must have mistaken my paralyzed look for quizzical, because he proceeded to tell me that he had just been diagnosed with Bell's palsy earlier that day.
I took a close look at the guy and half of his face was slumped downwards. He matched me, except mine was temporary as in hours and his was temporary as in months. I think he may have thought I was mimicking him. I felt pretty bad after that guy left.
Current music:
I KNOW, I KNOW…
I know I am over a month late. If I were a female, that would be a problem (or blessing, depending on how you look at fetuses- right now, they are evil to me). I apologize, but all I can say is that I was extremely busy for the last month. There were so many tests (all of which I never got above a “C” on) and other projects to do. I barely had time to see much of Katie. :(
I’ve been working at Walgreens 1 or 2 days a week. For awhile there, I was pulling 4 days a week. That sucked. I had no time except to go home and sleep. I couldn’t handle that anymore, so on one day when I was figured to work, I just pulled an Office Space-esque move. I walked in and told the pharmacy (I worked at 2 different Walgreens at the time) that I wouldn’t be working that day or any other day for that store. My grades were suffering and I needed to give up my hours at that store. So now I have no excuse for shitty grades. But at least I don’t have to work 4 days a week and go to school 5 days a week.
Chastise me if you must. I will try to be a better blogger in the future.
EVE 6 IS BACK!!!
I’m sure you’re probably thinking “who the hell is Eve 6 and why should I care?” Well, I don’t really care if you care. And you probably don’t care that I don’t care that you don’t care. Etc.
Anyhow, they happen to be one of my top 5 bands. They have had a couple radio songs (“Inside Out” and “Here’s to the Night”), but really, all of their music is excellent. They had a falling out and the lead singer was arrested for streaking through a hotel room at 4:00 AM drunk off his ass. But now, they’re back together and recording new music. This makes Rico happy.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=159005921
Check them out if you want. Or don’t. I don’t care.
MOVIE REVIEWS
I Am Legend
Greg was pretty amped for this movie. The previews made it look pretty awesome too. And I pretty much like most of Will Smith’s movies. And maybe I had too high of expectations of this movie. Don’t get me wrong- I liked it alright. It’s just that I felt like there was a lot of the movie left unexplored, a lot of plot left open, and a lot of information left out. I would give it 3 stars out of 5.
When A Stranger Calls
Another horror movie remake (along with The Omen and The Messengers) that fails to measure up to the original. Boo. I was fairly disappointed in this one. There never was an explanation of who the bad guy was and the movie just ends in a bizarre manner. Not a great film, let’s just say that. 1.5 stars out of 5.
Vacancy
I was a little surprised when I found myself actually jumping a few times during this one. Also, I was surprised that Luke Wilson was able to act seriously. Just doesn’t seem like his cup of tea. Anyhow, this was a decent movie. Beats the hell out of When A Stranger Calls. 3.5 stars out of 5.
The Messengers
Weak, weak, weak acting. Dylan McDermott is a homo. Probably one of the weakest movies I have seen in awhile. Some movies should just not be re-made and this was one of them. The special effects weren't bad, just predictable. 1 star out of 5.
The Devil’s Rejects
This is actually part 2, the follow-up to House of 1000 Corpses. And yes, this is the Rob Zombie movie with an evil clown and his murderous family. This one had a much more developed plot than House of 1000 Corpses and the budget was obviously higher. The filming style is different than most movies. Instead of using gross sounds and screams and such, Mr. Zombie utilizes odd juxtapositions of cheery music and gory scenes. Very strange, but it works. 4 stars out of 5.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Once again, I think my high hopes kinda let me down on this movie. I did think it was pretty funny and there were some great moments, but I think I just hyped it up too much in my mind. Plus, Jessica Biel’s ass looked bizarre in the movie. 3 stars out of 5.
FADS OF 2007
#3 Guitar Hero/ Rock Band
I admit it. I participated in this fad. It’s a fun game. And who doesn’t like pretending they’re a rock star (or at least musically coordinated)? I suck at the drumming though. It’s impossible for me. I have no rhythm. I can’t even finish a song as the drummer. I haven’t really gone for the singing yet. I think I will probably just stick with the guitar and preferably the bass. If you know me, you know I suck at all things musical. Burning CDs is another matter entirely. I kick ass at that.
#2 Baggin’ on Britney
It was a national pastime this last year. Not that she didn’t bring it on herself; she did. Her life was like an episode of Cops featuring white trash. It’s just that I got damn tired of hearing about Britney and her relapses. Jesus. I honestly just don’t care. She's just one person struggling through life. There are plenty more white trash whores out there. And really, she's not a very good singer. Listen to Amy Lee of Evanesence or Christina Aguilera, then listen to Britney. Hear a difference? Thought so.
#1 i-Everything
It was en vogue to slap an “i” in front of everything electronic this last year. Every stereo and everything relating to an iPod or iPhone had a goddamn little “i” in front of it. Just because something had an “i,” it meant it was cool. Not. The manufacturers should be a little more original and come up with new ideas and not just ride on the coattails of Apple. I know Apple is awesome and all (bleh), but seriously, just use a different letter.
CRUISE
In January, a large group of pharmacy dorks went on a 6 day, 5 night cruise to Mexico from San Diego. Here’s the synopsis of that trip:
San Diego: We stayed the night in San Diego so that we were fresh for the boarding the next morning. After having dinner with Greg at California Pizza Kitchen, we had planned on going out and seeing the San Diego nightlife……however, we had sat in the hot tub for about an hour earlier on in the day and the quantity of food combined with the darkness in the room and the comfort of the beds put us all to sleep.
This is Dave and me standing in front of the Star of India on the docks at San Diego.
Cabo San Lucas: a couple friends and I rented ATVs and got turned loose on a beach after a 20 minute ride in. We had an hour of free play in the white sand and then had a 20 minute ride out. Ginger kid Chris high-centered his ATV, I had one that stalled quite a few times due to a low idle setting, and the other guy we went with was really good at riding. Fun times. I may have to purchase an ATV once I graduate. My $30,000 signing bonus with Walgreens is already getting split about 12 ways (big TV, new car, ATV, down payment on a house, savings, etc.). We’ll see.
Dave, me, and Kyle on the tender (the little ferryboat takes you from the cruise ship to land and back).
Me, Kyle, and Chris prior to ATV-ing. This is the last time we were clean for the entire day.
Kyle doing a donut. He is pretty slick on an ATV.
Chris getting brave (using one hand) as he came over a hill.
The mighty Pacific.
Chris and Kyle riding towards me.
The coastline and the beach where we rode the ATVs.
Me being a huge dork.
Chris hi-centered his ATV.
I will have you know that I took this while driving my ATV.
Chris is a dirty boy.
We had to pay to have the iguana in a picture. He weighed more than he looked. Kyle was pretty damn jazzed about being in this photo. Haha.
Some friends got to hold baby lions. We saw an iguana. Not a fair trade-off.
Chris standing with a federale.
On Board: We went to various shows, dress-up dinners, many other meals, and made many trips to the casino. Also, we had an hour of power for $10 (all you can drink). It was murder for several members of the group (especially the Asian dude Dave- he just can’t hold his alcohol).
We had an excellent view of a wall in our stateroom.
Me in the atrium of the ship.
Dave won $13….which he quickly put back into the sluts….er…slots.
Funship Freddie came around and got his picture made with us. I'm sure he/she hates his/her life.
Dave and Josh at dinner. They're classy.
Do you know how hard it is to putt with a rubber head and shitty ball on a swaying deck with 40 mph gusts?
They each ate $80 worth of lobster at this meal.
A portion of the group at dinner.
Quite possibly the worst pour of all time. Nice one, Josh.
There was always a new creation waiting in the stateroom for us each night. Those workers were clever with the towel folding. The comedian on board showed us how to make a penis to leave for the workers. Haha.
I believe immediately prior to this picture was an "OH SNAP!" moment.
Dave did a lot of sinning aboard the ship, so here he is trying to atone for it.
That water was frickin' cold and salty (they just pumped ocean water up).
Violated that rule every morning.
Kind of an impressive talent? Kind of? Not really?
The beginning of the end for Dave.
Dave was the life of the party….for 45 minutes of 60.
Dave looking a little worse for the wear.
None of us in this picture puked that night. Excellent.
Not sure where his shoes went.
The hour of power group.
Dave prayed to porcelain god after this picture.
Chris and Kyle love one another.
Notice Chris did not bother to put his drink down.
Piercings.
I put this in Kyle's bed and Chris and I got him to think that the maids left it for him. He was impressed by their balls.
Probably my favorite picture of the trip.
Josh with some lesbians (seriously).
Who doesn't want to lick Dave?
Kyle, Chris, Josh, and I right before dinner (you were supposed to dress nicely- I was pretty much of the few to follow rules).
At dinner with Ms. Brown.
No idea...
Part of the group again.
Ensenada: This is the little bastard brother to Cabo San Lucas. We went to La Bufadora (the blowhole) and a shopping district. We also tried to go to a strip club….but the club only had the D+ team out (think fatties, C-sections, botched tummy tucks, amputees and so forth). It was a Thursday afternoon and the girls were fat and uncoordinated. Not a good time there. I believe the locals would have said "no buenas."
Who wants some?
Kyle, Josh, and Dave standing next to La Bufadora as it blows.
A couple of New York whores from out cruise ship got in trouble with la policia.
Are the quotes necessary? I think Mexico could have quotes around it ("Mexico").
San Diego: We made it back, safe and sound. All in all, it was a great trip and definitely something I’d be willing to do again. Throughout the entirety of the trip, the ship was a-rocking. There were some seasick folks. I didn’t have a problem (never have been seasick actually). The first day was the worst for people though- it was rough, people weren’t used to it, and I don’t think anyone was prepared for it. I expected it to be a lot smoother ride (since the boat is huge and has stabilizers).
A retard didn't tie his mattress down very well (I-15 north).
PROOF THAT LDS = A BUSINESS
I just find it hard to believe in the validity of a religion that sprung up 200 years ago. That's a tough pill to swallow, as our professors would say. Anyhow, check out this article I found in The Press Enterprise (Riverside, California newspaper). I just can't believe how much Mormonism resembles a business.
STEERING CLEAR OF FOOT LOCKER FROM NOW ON
For Christmas, I received a $25 gift card to Foot Locker from an uncle I rarely see. And since I have been suffering from knee pain recently (which I am sure comes from the running I have started), I figured I could use the gift card for new Nike Shox so that my knee pain could be prevented by having proper running shoes.
I went to the Foot Locker website and kinda narrowed down my choices to a couple lines of Shox in a couple different color schemes. Once I had my picks in my mind, I went to the Boise Mall to try them on. I found the Shox I wanted, but they didn't seem to have my size on the shelf. I waved to a worker and asked if they had the model I wanted in 7.5 or 7 (yes, I know I have baby feet- it's cool). He disappeared for minutes on end and finally reemerged empty-handed. That's never a good sign. He said that Foot Locker does not typically carry sizes that small in store and that I should try Champs Sporting Goods, which is conveniently located inside the Boise Mall and is owned by Foot Locker.
I wandered on down to Champs and picked out my desired model of Nike Shox again. The chump at Champ's went into the storeroom to see if they had my size in stock, but I got the same result: nothing. The chump also suggested I try to order them online since they have a wider selection and larger inventory online.
Discouraged but not defeated (yet), I drove back home. I searched on Foot Locker's site and finally narrowed the search down to the shoe I definitely wanted. It was going to be $140 shipped. So I typed in all my info (name, address, credit card info, etc.). At the end of the process, I had to put in the gift card number. However, the website kept rejecting my card number (saying that it was an invalid number). After a few tries, the website was sick of having me get rejected and it gave me a phone number to call and check on the status of the card.
I called and played along with the automated system only to find out that the card did indeed have $25 on it. Weird shit going on…..
I found another phone number online where I could order the shoes. I called it and it took about 15 minutes to place my order. I had to give the item number, the credit card number, address, and so forth. The last thing the customer service lady asked for was the gift card number. I relayed it to her, then she asked for the PIN.
There was no PIN number.
I informed her of this and there was silence on the line for a second.
"I'm sorry, sir. That must be an older gift card. If it doesn't have a PIN, then it has to be used in-store," she apologized.
Son of a bitch.
I was furious. I cancelled my order immediately when I found out about that. I decided right there on the spot that Foot Locker was not going to get a goddamned dime of my money. I put the gift card on eBay and it sold for $22. Better than nothing.
I still wanted the Nike Shox though, so I just went to the Nike website and designed my Nike Shox with a personalized color scheme and put "Plick 22" on them. The price (shipped to my door with step-by-step tracking) was $130. IT WAS CHEAPER TO ORDER DIRECTLY FROM NIKE!!!
So anyways, it took awhile to get the shoes due to the increase in number of special orders after Christmas. They probably came from a little sweatshop (check out the shipping info below):
Katie asked if I felt bad that a poor little Vietnamese kid with bloodied stumps of fingers made my shoes in a sweatshop. I'd only feel bad if the kid got blood on my shoes. I paid good money for those things.
But anyhow, here is what my new shoes look like:
PAPAYA SUCKS
Katie and I bought a papaya since neither one of us had ever tried the fruit outside of a blend fruit drink. She spent a good 5 minutes cutting it up according to directions online. And then we sat down to eat it. I think this may have been one of the least tasteful things I have ever consumed in my life.
It's not that it had a bad flavor or texture. It had a texture similar to mango, but there was zero taste. Zilch. Completely and utterly devoid of all flavor. It was gross to eat Styrofoam. I nearly gagged as I neared the end of my first piece. I couldn't do it. We had to throw it out. L
BUT IT NEVER SNOWS IN BOISE…
Yeah, someone told me that it never really snows or sticks in Boise. This year was a freak year then. It snowed almost every day for 3 weeks in January and February. And it stuck for weeks. Sucked. I mean, it made good sledding conditions, but it made driving anywhere hell.
Here are some wintery pictures for you.
Katie and I have gone sledding a couple times. The above was a result of a wipeout the first time. I pretty much rolled the entirety of the hill.
But just in case you don't believe me about the shittiness of driving in the snow, perhaps you should take a peek at the picture below. That is a Chevy Trailblazer that went off the road (which has a 35 mph speed limit and a decent sized curb) and crashed through a fence. Josh and I saw this on the way to class a few weeks back. Crazy stuff.
The other day, Josh and I saw a four year old drive a Cadillac into a parked Subaru station wagon in a driveway. That was pretty crazy too.
SHIPPING SNAFU
I had an issue getting Rock Band delivered to me. Check the below shipping itinerary and see if you can the problems there:
MY UNINTENTIONAL FAUX PAS
I mentioned in my last blog that I had to get a filling. Well, in the two months since then, I have gotten that filling. And here's the story for that:
The dentist numbed my mouth and may have been a little over-zealous in that endeavor (although, I'd rather be over-anesthetized than under). He went to work and completed the filling in less than 15 minutes. Well, the anesthetic lasts for hours. And I had to go to work.
I went into work, knowing that patients were going to think I had suffered a stroke. The entire right side of my face was paralyzed. I couldn't move that side of my mouth, my cheek didn't move, and my eyelid was a little slow on that side. I got some strange looks from customers, so I felt like I should explain my shortcoming.
I was working the drive-thru when a guy came in and dropped off a script for 3 meds. I didn't really look up at the dude since we were pretty busy and I was focusing on typing the script. He must have mistaken my paralyzed look for quizzical, because he proceeded to tell me that he had just been diagnosed with Bell's palsy earlier that day.
I took a close look at the guy and half of his face was slumped downwards. He matched me, except mine was temporary as in hours and his was temporary as in months. I think he may have thought I was mimicking him. I felt pretty bad after that guy left.
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