Flipadelphia Redux

BOOM!

Flip-Flip-Flip-adelphia

I had a few white russians this evening in a vain attempt to be far more dude. In other news, I couldn't find a way in the thirty seconds that I searched to post a "legal" flipadelphia video on this site as I can't seem to get that chant out of my head. Just google video search it and you'll see where I'm comin' from. That is all.

For no other reason...

..than I like to remember what Muse was before they got all stupid of late, here's a little "Shrinking Universe". Plus, it has to do with edgy zombie flicks and Lord knows I do love me a good zombie flick with some edge to it (first one is waaaay better). Little Crapper has recently gone on record informing all that some of their new stuff is being used in recent Television Advertisments claiming that they be on a slippery slope heading straight for Sucktown. And me...well I'm not so much a fan of their most recent effort. But who am I to judge. I mean...this is coming from a guy who has specific pants that are reserved for dog park use alone.



On that note, more shit to come but about to head out and take the dog hiking. It's darn near fist pumpin' weather today.

Sigh...

I know what you're going to say but I have good reason for a spell of not being around. If anyone stops by this piece that is. Anywho...the past few months have been devoted to my attempt to delve into the world of continuing my education. I took some time to complete my applications for Grad School and to study for the GRE which I took twice. You see, when you have a shitty GPA due to a undergraduate tenure spent boozing like a champ you tend to want to ace the GRE as sort of a way to compensate for said shitty GPA. You see where I'm going with this, or did you get lost in the abbreviations. Go ahead and catch up....I'll wait.

To make a long story short after freezing for a spot during my initial GRE run, I took the test a second time and my score was off.....the hook. So, why the "Sigh" title here in this return to Toastedblog?? Well, I have still yet to hear from my schools and I am growing quite weary of this fact. Every day when Tessie Dog barks like crazy at the mail man I run, I check, and I am disappointed.

Part of me worries that I won't be able to dodge my conduct from my early years but then I just rationalize to myself that I did well on the GRE, I have a kickass personal statement, and a resume of ten years of professional experience that demonstrates that I am ready, willing, and able to take on such a momentous task such as Graduate School. Meanwhile, the other part of me stresses about when I do get in these schools, where will I head??

I don't know. I guess what I am trying to say is that I want the suspense to be over and I just want to be able to begin planning on where the family and myself will be heading in just a few short months. Plus...I have to figure out how I am going to pay for this mess of voluntary education. Does anyone have about $60 Grand just lying around?? No?? That's what I thought.

Speechless again at a loss for words

I get to see Umphrey's tonight in Baltimore. Giddy Up!!!



Set list to follow bitches!!!

Help Yourself to Cold Cuts, Cause We Are Family!

RAQ, a favorite of mine, is returning from short 20 month hiatus and, not gonna lie to you, this little buck-a-roo couldn't be happier. You want to know what else makes this fact pretty much gravy?? A certain Toastmaster General is going to meet a few choice cohorts for a weekend in NYC to see 'em when they retur . This won't be the last time that this phrase is uttered but "Fuck and Yes"!! Who's gonna get all sorts of RAQ'ed?!?! This guy!!

So now, for your viewing and listening pleasure, a little "Brother From Another Mother". Enjoy.

Take a look at Yourself.

The Washington DC area is full of some of the most self centered people I have ever encountered. Since moving here I have witnessed some of the most asinine behavior that one can witness. Every day it is people just looking to get ahead of each other no matter the cost. To coin a phrase from a good friend to this here blog: "You think you're better than ME?!?!" (points to self with own thumb)

Currently here in the District we are experiencing something known as "Snowmageddon". Bad title. (their words, not mine) In any event we have been hit with snow that is not well known around here, something like 22 inches in the past day. BOOM right?!?! Well, you can imagine that the roads are kinda not clear and for obvious reasons attempts at navigating them should pretty much be avoided, don't you think?? If you want a better reason to not go out on the roads, there has been a warning issued that you should stay off the fucking things. Nevertheless, people are out there trying to get to the gym, pick up some frozen pizzas, drive to the mall or whatever it may be that they so choose to risk their lives, and the lives of others for. But who am I to judge right, I mean these road warriors (good title) may be driving to church to pray for loved ones or in desperate need of medical attention so in an attempt to keep one of my two New Year's resolutions going I am looking to understand my fellow driver and not get so bitter and take direct offense to their every action.

So, where am I going with this. If reading comprehension has taught you anything you always pay attention to what happens in the introductory paragraph, that is where intentions for writing are often made clear. So, I am out and about at 6:15 am as I have a certain Tessie Girl that has awoken me from my slumber in some sort of wicked need for bathroom goings. I oblige by putting on the ol' winter coat, hiking boots, snow cap, and gloves and take the worthy mutt out to TCB, takin' care of business. As we make the rounds Tessie Dog is playing in the two feet plus of snow and I am carefully observing all around as it is still somewhat dark as the sun has yet to rise. Also, the dog is off her leash seeing as how it is wicked early and we've just been hit hard. Besides, Tessie Dog, she be a good dog and respectfully pays attention to her pack leader (We watch the Dog Whisperer from time to time). While trudging through the poorly cleared and snow filled roads of our neighborhood we come across a tiny foreign SUV, a Honda CRV or something that clearly does not have four wheel drive, that is struggling with in an intersection and has found itself stuck.

Without giving it a second thought and instructing Tessie to stay back I went in to lend a hand. So, while this car began trying to work itself out of a jam I, the courteous good Samaritan, went and pushed the car with all this 5'11" 200 lb frame could muster. After a hot minute of work, I was done, he was free, and that, pretty much, was the last that we saw of him. The guy just drove off. Are you fucking kidding me?!?! Not a thanks, or even a wave. He just sort of kept on driving down the road as his car broke through its snowy barrier, with my help might I add. At 6:30 in the morning on a Sunday, 14 degrees out in two fucking feet of snow, walking my cute and lovable dog no less I stop to help this guy and he just drives off. This occurred no more than an hour ago and I am still in awe and shock at the audacity of this, well this asshole I guess. I really don't know what else to say and am curious to get Kool-Aid's input when she gets out of that warm, cozy bed that I can't seem to crawl back in to.

This behaviour doesn't stop there either. Note the British spelling of behavior back there, nice touch huh?? In any event, no more than I week ago I was at the dog park with Tessie Dog around, I don't know 5:30 in the afternoon or so. The dog park that we go to is about 2 miles away and is this long, about 1/3 mile, somewhat narrow fenced in area along a stream, or crick as I knew them growing up. A pleasant path surrounded by trees, small hills, doggie dug holes, rocks, and for all purposes completely covered in wood chips. While on our way out I happened to notice that there was a cell phone sitting on the ground. I asked the surrounded people if it had belonged to any one of them; all met me with the same answer, no.

So, I turned to Tessie and told her that we were to head back through the park real quick-like to ask everyone we came across if they had lost their cell phone. A lesser man might have just left it there but I like to think that the same would be done for me. So we walked, asking everyone along the way. Some asked me what the phone looked like. Really??? What did that matter?? Check your pockets, your phone is either there, or it wasn't. For the record, it was a Blackberry Storm, or Monsoon, or 30% Chance of Showers, or whatever those things are called. As we neared the far end of the park I saw that a gentleman, in his late 40's I'd say was walking out and heading towards his Mercedes. Even though I told her to wait Tessie girl ran and followed me out of the park as I jogged towards this fella. This is where I asked him a similar question to those I asked so many others just a few minutes earlier. While seated in his luxury automobile he conducted a half hearted search of himself and then cried: "Oh yeah, must have fallen out." He then proceeded to start his car, muttered "Thanks" while checking his phone and began to back up and drive away.

Now, I don't need to be fawned over when receiving a thanks for a job well done nor do I need some sort of pat on the back or a cash reward, but really buddy??? That was it?? It was clear that I had run around the park looking for this phone's owner and that I had ran over to him while my dog had followed me out of the said park without a leash might I add and you are so self involved that while checking to see what calls you missed you give me a this shotty thank you attempt. I feel naked should I leave my cell phone at home, I just don't feel right at all and you had it worse. You lost yours, granted you didn't notice it. Regardless, I took the time out of whatever I had going to bring this phone back to its rightful owner and some half assed thanks was what I was met with?? Not in my house Jackson. I need to start punching people more.

This is why I cannot wait to get out of this self absorbed town. Everyone has their own agenda. All think their shit don't stink and have this utter sense of me first. I must get ahead, that is all that their brains appear to be running on. That being said, I don't want this passage to seem as though I walk around going "Oh woh is me" all the time, that DC is ALL ASSHOLES, or that I think that I'm the tops cause I give a little extra effort for my fellow man. I just think that some of the behavior that I have run into down here is ridiculous, unacceptable, and uncalled for. To think that these people probably have all that they want I am struggling to make ends meet just makes me sick. I like to think that they don't have a kick-ass Kool-Aid, or a world class Tessie Dog, or an awesome mane of hair that flows like the rivers of the mighty Danube. They probably have a Plasma TV though....dammit!!

Come Getcha Some!

The Toast and Tessie Girl hiking in Shenandoah National Park. It's not much but damn are we cute. Figuratively speaking of course.

Pizza Play!!

Due to the financial strains of planning a classy wedding, rather than going nuts on each other for Christmas this year Kool-Aid and I agreed upon pooling together and getting ourselves something that we both could enjoy. What that ended up being was a Nintendo Wii and let me tell you sumpin' internet audience, a better decision could not have been made.

Playing video games on the colorful level of the Nintendo does something to me. Even though I had never played the Wii before there is a certain level of nostalgia that it brings as opposed to the high tech, action packed games of the Playstation/Xbox realm which pretty much just blow me away with graphics, gameplay, and movie-esque story lines. Not so with the Wii. The games seem almost an almost simple kind of fun. Now, mind you I don't have much experience with this as we only have a few games for it so if I offend those by calling the Wii simple please expect my apology in advance. But in all seriousness, playing MarioKart or fooling around in the living room with Wii Tennis seems just a childlike pleasure to me and as inferred this is clearly not a bad thing. The cartoon graphics, the vivid colors, and the silly overall nature of these games have brought me back to my basement 20 or so years ago when times were less complicated and the Toast was back pain free.

One game in particular has the Toast reminiscing of days of yore. Soon after the Wii purchase I went out with a handful of the Target giftcards we collected and picked up Super Mario Bros. Wii and to keep this blog some what brief I will paraphrase the initital description of my excitement: DANG DANG DANG and WICKED AWESOME!! No, in all seriousness, I haven't had this much fun playing video games since I finally got that first nintendo so many years ago. I don't really know how to put this feeling of innocence into words so you'll have to forgive me if this is as far as I go.

Now, that being said, the Wii is not without it's faults. For example, I have had to go out and by like 4 different controllers for this thing, thus throwing the supposed saving money by toning down Christmas spending right out the fucking window. Nevertheless, on nights when Kool-Aid and I might have gone out and seen some shitty movie or gone to the bar for platefuls of mozz sticks and multiple pints of Guinness, the Wii has given us the option of goofing off together in the living room while allowing me to spend a little QT with my best girl. More importantly, I'm kinda already in my jammies by 8 o'clock on a Friday night as opposed to the far less fortunate leaving my Debit Card at the bar with an still to be paid tab. Whose the big winner??? This guy!! /points to self.

So, in closing: Wii = good, Jammies on a Friday night = even better, and Tessie Girl gets confused/terribly excited when we play Wii Boxing. You should hear the noises she makes, awful cute I tells ya!!

Oh, and There's This.

My Morning Jacket is so fucking awesome. I couldn't find a good live video of this song in what would be ten minutes of searching so I settled on this. The song is called "Wordless Chorus" and it's sheer greatness should be apparent pretty much from the get go. If not, just wait a little bit longer. To me, James' voice is absolutely fantastic.

I'M BACK BAY-BEE!!!!

Time to make a concentrated effort to this blog of mine again. To be honest with you, I want to make it a go as this train wreck aids in my airing of grievances, shout outs, high fives, general debauchery, what-have-you's, and so on. Here's to hoping that it sticks.

So, here come the grievances. I have recently undergone what the layman refers to as "a computer issue". While attempting to upgrade the laptop to Windows 7 almost three weeks ago the HP that was purchased in September crashed 95% through the install the four times it was attempted. Nothing left to do but bring it to Best Buy and have them take a look at it. Back and forth I went to retrieve my computer, return my computer, get unacceptable customer service and tech support, replacement of hard drives, arguing for programs to be reinstalled, only to still be left without the laptop weeks later. All for what, something that should be simple, at least according to all those Windows 7 commercials I see on TV. Next time.....I'm getting a Mac.

This present situation o'mine has gotten me thinking about what life is like being somewhat isolated. Thus, the return to the blog. Not gonna lie to you, kinda awful feeling disconnected to the world around you. Anytime you have an issue, with any sort of service (i.e phone, cable, etc.) you get directed to websites. Phone books no longer exist as info is found online. Hell, what's a map without mapquest?? Calling this feeling weird does not do this sense of being lost justice. I challenge you all to try it. Try going weeks without checking your email. Watch the news or read the paper for your information and current events. As I type this now on the special lady's work computer I can't begin to describe the feeling that has come over me. I have a world of information at my fingertips. To have that taken away from you, even if only for a total of 18 days, is just off putting.

In other news, the wedding is still on (nine months away is what I'ms told), Tessie Dog is still be the tops albeit she is rapidly approaching one year of age, and to top it all off the General here is on a vigorous workout regiment that gets me looking super fine. Why don't you female readers take a minute to gander at thoughts of all that. Nice right?? Oh...and did I tell you?? I'm applying for Grad School in the fall. It appears that Kool-Aid and I may be heading north to New England as my program really isn't found down here in the District. For those of you scoring at home, I'm going for Recreation Management, you know, Parks and Rec. administration type stuff and a school known as Springfield College is pretty much the bees knees when it comes to Recreation Management. Long story short, following my displacement from the working world over the summer I took stock of my situation, my ambitions, basically my looked at my life and decided that it was time to do what I wanted. To go after something that will make my professional life rewarding, fulfilling, and most importantly, enjoyable.

So, there you have it, a return to blogging for the Toastmaster. I just hope some of y'all are around to enjoy it. Alright, gotta run. Syracuse is playing West Virginia and I'm not devoted the proper amount of attention that a no. 5 vs. no. 9 match up deserves. Later bitches!!!

SHIT YEAH!!!

Want to see one of the tops in all the land?!?!?! Of course you do. I mean...pay no mind to the wacky Brit in the getup, you know those English sort, but Muse really is the SHIT!! And it's new Muse to boot!!! Why, I couldn't be happier if you told me Pearl Jam had new music out!!!

Muse - Uprising live at Teignmouth 2009 (BBC)
Uploaded by teddie1979. - Explore more music videos.

The Toast's "Backspacer" review to come shortly.

Toastmaster General = Super Engaged!!

This just in, I don't update my blog very often for some reason and I asked Kool-Aid to marry me. After much convincing she hesitantly agreed...JACKPOT!!!

"When something's broke, I want to put a little fixin' on it."

For what it's worth, think I like the riff from "Got Some" a little better. Still, this new stuff appears none to shabby. What kills me is when I read some of the comments in regards to newer Pearl Jam beats and how it's not the same; not "grunge". These boys were never "grunge". A classic rock band in a modern era, hmmm...now we're getting somewhere. Take a look at yourself!!

"You'll wait with the star from a dream and know that I am gone. You'll feel it in your heart but not for very long."

A little off of Wilco's new self titled album, sweet Jebus are they great. Oh yeah, sorry for recent bout with non-posting but I kinda got laid off, well about two weeks ago. Really, it's no big deal. Actually it's kind of a good thing, a god send if you will. Plus I get to spend a crazy amount of time with Tessie Girl, aged five months now. (See Below)

In any event, this post is not about layoffs or sweet sweet Tessie Girl. It is about the sheer awesomeness of Wilco.



Yeah!

Mutha Fuckin' Ireland: Kilkenny, Cashel, and Blarney

So, when I go about doing things like uploading pictures, I upload the shit out of 'em. This isn't all the photos from our trip to Ireland, hell some of them aren't even that good. All that I know is that I just took my sweet ass time putting them on my computer and then took even longer to get them to my ever so masssive internet audience. So, without further ado, here are the pics of The Toast's trip to Ireland, with Kool-Aid in tow. Now, with even more small raccoon shots (I'll explain later)!!

Walking into central Kilkenny from our B&B.

Blaa...Blaa...Blaa...sandwiches!

Kilkenny Castle

St. Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny

View of Kilkenny from atop tower at St. Canice's Cathedral

Kool-Aid and the Toast atop said tower

More Kilkenny

Even more Kilkenny

It's a long way to Tipperary. Kool-Aid and I used to live on Tipperary Hill in Syracuse, NY.

They have trees there too?!?!

Cashel, Co. Tipperary

Open till 17.30, when the shit is that???

Rock of Cashel

More Rock of Cashel

That's a rockin' Kool-Aid..HA!....sigh.

Well, certainly there's going to be a little showmanship.

My foist material possession, my stuffed raccoon Rocky also made the trip. Keep your eyes open for sighting.

Hore Abbey, Cashel, Co. Tipperary. This was right across the street from the Rock.

More Rock of Cashel

The view from the top of the hill

Imprisoned inside the Rock of Cashel. Watch out..that's one vicious coon!!!

Just some path that I liked that lead from Cashel to Hore Abbey

I crush your Abbey!

Kool-Aid and I doing what we do best, lookin' cute.

More Cashel

Cahir, Co. Tipperary

She's just so G.D. dorky.

Cahir Castle

Gratuitous action shot!

This castle was just sitting right in the middle of town in Cahir, like a Starbucks would here.

You wouldn't know it from the shot, but we's were drunk here. Last night in Kilkenny.

Blarney Castle, Blarney, Co. Cork. Home of the infamous Blarney Stone.

Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle

From inside Blarney Castle

Eh..it's a staircase, what of it?

Tree outside Blarney Castle. The whole grounds were pretty amazing.

A path..a path..

Cobh and the Dingle Peninsula

The village of Cobh, Co. Cork. (pronounce Cove)

I think Kool-Aid took this one. For all you purple flower fans out there.

Cobh

Cobh

St. Colman's Cathedral, Cobh.

Cobh was all hilly and shit, and our B&B was right on the top of said hills.

Had some beers here...niiiice.

Ladies and Gentlemen..welcome to the Dingle Peninsula (I wish that damn van didn't make the picture though)

Dingle, Co. Kerry

Kool-Aid feeding Fungie, the Dingle Dolphin our Ireland guide book.

This seems about right.

Our B&B in Dingle was a sheep farm. Once again, this seems about right.

Dingle Peninsula might very well have been the most beautiful place I've ever been. Take a ganders for yourself

Dingle

We basically drove around this 30 KM cliffside road, and this is what you saw.

See the rearview mirror??

More Dingle Coastline

Aforementioned Road

This path rolled you down a hillside ultimately to the beachy coast.

Rocky and I in cold-ass Atlantic Ocean water.

More Dingle Coastline

And again.

And again.

An Dangean. (Irish)