Not a Good Mix

While much of the country watched the Academy Awards show last night, I decided to be a contrarian and go "retro". Instead of seeing which movies won this year, I decided to watch an old favorite that was on TV..."Apocalypse Now". Actually, it was "Apocalypse Now Redux", which is the extended version that was released in 2001 with about 50 minutes of extra scenes. In case you have been living under a rock for 25 years, this is one of the best movies ever made. I always tend to like movies that are a little out of the ordinary and Apocalypse Now definitely fits the bill.

My mistake was to mix a lot of chocolate chip cookies with this rather vivid, trippy and at times unsettling movie. I had nightmares from the time I went to bed until I woke up. I had such a bad night sleep that I had to go out and buy the DVD today. I guess I feel that if I watch it a few more times, I will have somehow conquered it. If anyone hasn't seen this movie (or wants to see the full version the way the director intended), let me know and I'd be happy to have another viewing soon.

Come Sail Away

After a quiet and relatively uneventful Friday night, Cheryl and I attended the much-anticipated cruise on the Palm Beach Princess last night with some of my co-workers and their spouses. A cruise boat full of slot machines, blackjack tables, and even a sports betting book seemed to be a real fun thing to do. While it had its moments, I think we both came away from it disappointed (and slightly sea-sick). The seas were by no means choppy, but you could feel the slight movements of the ship at certain times. When you are on deck this is one thing...when you are below decks it's quite another. It also seemed as though the gambling rooms were either too smokey or too hot most of the night. While I did win some money(before I lost it), the damage at the end of the night was about $60 for me.

I think the high point came at dinner with Eric and the bearded old guy in the yellow flowered shirt. While waiting in the buffet line, this guy decided to push Eric out of the way as he walked by. No "excuse me" or "pardon me" to speak of. Well, this didn't sit too well with Mr. Jones and he let Mr. Flowered Shirt know in his own subtle way it was rude. The guy didn't seem to even notice Eric talking, he just keep going. Now, to most people this may not seem funny, but if you know what types of comments come out of Eric's mouth once he's had a few Bud Lights, you can imagine what I'm talking about. It was even funnier when the guy got back in line with his wife, who was standing directly behind Eric.

It was good to see everyone get together, but a return engagement to the Palm Beach Princess might not be in the offing...I think I might just drive to the Seminole Hardrock Casino in Lauderdale next time. That way if I want to leave, I can do so without having to swim home.

Hangin with Mr. Golden

It seems that every two or three weeks I get a call from Keith. It's always on Thursday. It's always around 4pm, which happens to be when the stock market closes. And it's always the same conversation. It basically goes like this:

"Whats up pardner"
"Hey...Catfisherman. Whats up?"
"Not much.....Wanna go to QD for a few colbeers?"
"Sure..how about 5?"
"Alright"

Any of you that know Keith knows that he is one of the best guys around. Sure, he drinks to excess on a regular basis, but thats all part of the persona of Mr. Golden. Hangin out at the Quarterdeck on a Thursday afternoon watching the first round of the PGA tournament. It doesn't get any better than that, pardner!

The Margarita Lounge is Catching on!

I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who reads and comments on The Margarita Lounge. I'm happy that you can take a minute or two out of your hectic world to see whats going on in mine. Don't forget that under each story there is a section to comment. I know that a few people didn't realize they could send comments on the stories.

I'm always open to new ideas, so let me know what you want to see and hear. (no porn though, K-Delish....sorry!) Once I get things fine-tuned there should be links to other sites as well as different sections to access. If anyone wants to set up a free blog like this, go to www.blogger.com. No, I don't get paid for referring people. It only takes about 10 minutes to setup and is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends.

Presidents Day in Paradise

What a wonderful holiday Presidents Day is! I get a day off work, which is always welcomed at the Margarita Lounge. Got to have lunch with Gunther at Brus Room today...we ate a few wings, drank a beer, stared at the talent. Typical things that married guys do when they are young enough to remember the single days but old enough to realize the frolicking days are behind them. A good time was had by all.

Continued my landscaping work this afternoon in the back yard. Tracy was much more helpful than I expected. Actually, she did a great job helping pick out the plants and bushes at Home Depot and was more than happy to get dirty helping plant them.

I listened to "American Idiot" today for the fourth time in two days...no wonder it was nominated for all those Grammys. After "Nimrod" was released, I lost interest in Green Day, but listening to this CD, I am back on the bandwagon. Sure, their political views are much different than mine, but the quality of this CD easily blows the other ones away. More varied tempos and much better songwriting on this one. If you haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, go buy it...it's well worth the money you will spend.

That Plumber Guy...

Does Anyone remember this guy? I spotted him last Halloween on Clematis Street. He worked for a plumbing company and we hung out with him all night. You can click on the image if you need to see a bigger version. I heard that he lost the weight recently. Funny guy.

Chillin'

Tracy, Cheryl and I decided to stay in last night and relax. Cheryl the game mistress (see frotuss.com for reference) broke out Scrabble around 8pm and had a particularly intense battle with Tracy that ended in a 224-224 tie. During the game, Tracy amazed us with her knowledge of the male body by incorrectly spelling the word "penis". For some reason, young sister thought it was spelled "penus". It seems that this could be the root of some other problems....hmmmm. I'm sure there will be plenty of comments on this one over the next few days.

We also rented the movie "Eulogy" from Blockbuster, which we watched after I over-cooked the nice filets that I got at "The Boys". Nothing ruins a dinner faster than overcooking $30 worth of steaks. Since Tracy was the one who suggested the movie, I was naturally unsure how good it would be. It was actually pretty funny, especially the end when the little kids blow up the boat. I think the ladies are heading to the beach shortly so I can get some nice peace and quiet around here today.

Friday Night at CityPlace

We had a great time last night down at CityPlace. Cheryl and I met Chad, Mark, Enrique(popularly known as George the man-whore to his friends), Ria and Chad down at Brewzzis for a few adult beverages. Unfortunately, Tracy was a little under the weather and couldn't make an appearance.(she must not have wanted to fall under the spell of George) While I'm on the subject, I need to make a humble apology to George. In one of my first posts, I mentioned Kris now being the king of partying. While Mr. Douglas is indeed an accomplished veteran of the circuit, I think George takes the trophy in terms of regularity of partying and level of game. Sorry Kris, but you will need to at least share the crown.

Back on subject here, I think a good time was had by all. Mark and Chad started at Happy Hour, so they were both feeling no pain. By the time we retired for the night at a reasonable 12:15, the words and sentences were beginning to slur. In the words of Gunther..."Yellow line on the left, white on the right". During a particularly interesting one hour time period, Mark disappeared from our little conversations. After ruling out alien abduction and a woman, I found him out on the balcony near CityBar talking to a British antiques dealer about politics and US foreign policy. For most people, this would be a disturbing find, but it is par for the course for the future senator! It was good to see Ria out of the office setting and Cheryl and I are looking forward to the Palm Beach Priness cruise next Saturday Night .

Speaking of pricesses, I hope things worked out for you last night Enrique. Let me know the details in the "comments" section. I wasn't too crazy about Miss Nebraska the enhanced anorexic party girl, but I guess you weren't probably looking for personality. Happy Hunting and everyone have a good weekend.

Surprise!

Right on time, Tracy! Tonight at 7pm the front doorbell rang and there stood Tracy and Bear on our doorstep. For the second time in 3 weeks, Cheryl was surprised. She wasn't crying this time, but the look on her face when Bear came running through the front door was priceless! Nobody really knows how long they will be here, but it should be fun to have them around.

Anyone want to party this weekend? Consider this an open invitation to join us for some drinks this weekend...maybe in Delray, Boynton, or even West Palm? I know you are always in for a few cocktails Senator! Chad? George? Gunther? K-Dog? Well, maybe not you.

Just Sue Em

In our ever more litigous society, you knew this one was coming. Austrian and German lawyers are preparing a lawsuit against the country of Thailand, French hotel chain Accor, and NOAA saying that these groups did not react adequately to the Tsunami disaster in December. The lawyers say that the suit is not designed to demand compensation, just to uncover evidence of negligence. Uh-huh. We'll see about that....

Marcus Welby, MD resurfaces!!

After weeks of what I thought was hermit-like behavior, Mark resurfaced today amongst the living. I guess he was up north visiting Steve in Cincinnati(we miss you buddy...come back to South Florida!), doing a little partying (always acceptable), and rubbing elbows with the Young Democrats in Washington (nobody's perfect, but he gets a free pass on this one since I've known him for so long).

Mark also said he is going to be the chairman of an upcoming event for the American Cancer Society in May. Regardless of your political, social, or spiritual views, it is a great cause and I encourage everyone to support the ACS with their money or time, as I certainly will be. Stay tuned for the details.

I was surfing the internet last night reading up on Video Cards (exciting, huh?) and realized that Sunfest is only about 2 months away! Sunfest is by far my favorite "holiday" in Palm Beach County. Mark the calendars boys and girls...April 27th will be here sooner than you think!
www.sunfest.com

Slackin'

I apologize to my 2 or 3 readers for being lazy recently. There weren't any real interesting news stories the last part of the week and I was really busy yesterday running around like a mad man. Cheryl and I finally got our porch swing up last night after 3 tries..it looks sweet! Now we can be real lazy.

Helped my sister move into a new apartment yesterday too. The big brother always seems to be the one who is designated as the "electronics guy" in the move. Wire the speakers to the stereo...attach the TV to the DVD player, the VCR, the TIVO. Not that I mind as it really wasn't too complicated. Her apartment is pretty cool and I'm sure that everyone involved is happy that Lisa and Layna are getting out of Gary and Sue's house. "Fish are like family....after 3 days they begin to stink".

I think I'm going to be real lazy today...I just picked up the PC version of HALO last night and see myself chillin all day. I wonder how Kris's date went on Friday night. Give me a call with the details man!

Hot for Teacher

I see yet another female teacher has been arrested for having sex with her teenage students. Have I seen this type of story at least two or three times in the past year? Let me get this straight....A young, attractive teacher her mid to late 20's feels that having sex with men her own age is not exciting enough. So she decides that a 13 year old boy would be better?? Hmmm. File this under "what the HELL were you thinking?"

This is really an odd double standard in our culture, isn't it? If a 27 year old man had sex with a 13 year old girl, he would have his balls cut off and the girl would be the innocent victim. In this case, a 27 year old woman has sex with a 13 year old boy and every man in the country looks at it and says, "Where were these teachers when I was in school?" Article from CNN: www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/02/09/teacher.charged.ap/index.html

Oh yeah...you kiddies making comments in "Just a-good ol boys" play nice!

Give AB a Break

Why is it that no matter how good intentioned something is, SOMEBODY will always have a problem with it? I was just watching NBC Nightly News and saw a story on the Anheuser Busch ad from the Super Bowl. This was the one showing the returning soldiers walking through the airport. While it wasn't funny like the typical Super Bowl ad, it was one of the classiest and heartfelt ads I've seen in a long time. I think NBC did a good job showing the ad and mentioning how it was made as well as the intent behind it.

At the end of the story, they threw in some scruffy college aged kid who said that the ad was inappropriate and to capitalize on the troops to sell beer was wrong. Herein lies the problem. Some people are never happy. They constantly have to whine and find problems where none exist. Instead of saying "WOW...that was a real nice ad...Good job Anheuser Busch!", they beleive that it is all a big conspiracy by the evil corporate beer-mongers to hook us on Budweiser. By the way, none of the products AB sells was even mentioned in the add...no Budweiser...no Michelob...no Bud Light...just a simple "Anheuser Busch" at the end. A very heartfelt "good job" from the Margarita Lounge! Lets go drink a Bud Light.

The Poison of Yasser

While on the subject of "good job", I see that the Palestinians and Israelis are set to call a cease-fire tomorrow to get the peace process back on track. In the past month, the Palestinians under Mahmoud Abbas have done more towards establishing peace with Israel than Yasser Arafat did in 30 years. While it is only a first step, it is a start...

Super Bowl Sunday

After months and months of buildup and hype, we've finally reached the big day. Today we engage in the biggest spectacle in sports known as the Super Bowl. You note that I don't say the biggest GAME in sports as the event has transformed to something much bigger than just a simple football game. I have to admit that some of it is just a LITTLE over the top....$2.4 Million for the average 30 second commercial. Pre-game coverage starting at 10am. No Janet Jackson??

As for the game, I'd like to see the the Eagles make it a good one, but my gut feeling is that the Patriots will win. I think Phily will keep it close in the first half, but New England will eventually show they are the better team. Enjoy.

Those Lazy French

Tens of thousands of French workers showed up today in Paris to protest the government's attempts to increase the work week. Who can imagine having to work more than the back-breaking 35 hour work week many French now enjoy? The French government made this change back in 1998, and they wonder why the economy sucks in Europe?

Just a-good ol' boys....

I bought my wife the First Season of the Dukes of Hazard on DVD for her birthday last week since she has an an obsession with John Schneider (aka Bo Duke). A couple of things strike me as odd about this series now looking back at it 20 years later:

1. Daisy still looks good! Usually the sparkle and appeal of a sex symbol fades over the decades, but not in this case.
   
2. With the exception of John Schneider, nobody ever heard from the other cast members, at least nothing I remember. I mean, when did you last hear from Tom Wopat, James Best or Sorrell Booke? By the way, thats Luke Duke, Roscoe and Boss Hogg for non-fans.
3. Where's Flash?? I hope he shows up in Season Two becasue he was the best!

Frotuss Rules!

In the cutting-edge style he has made famous, I would like to thank Gunther over at Frotuss.com for his link to my blog. As usual, he is way ahead of everyone in his realization of the potential of the Margarita Lounge. I like to consider myself one of the leading supporters of Gunther and his wonderful site. For those of you not familiar with it, you need to check out www.frotuss.com. Happy frotification!

Fridays

Fridays are great. While most people enjoy going out after work to begin their weekend intoxication, I seem to have more fun coming home and chilling. Being on the phone all week does that to you. Plus the fact that I'm an old man now at 31...well past my "party like a rock start until 3am and then get up on Saturday and do it all again" stage. Douglas was (and still is) the master of this fine art. Things aren't the same without you chief...hope you are keepin warm up in Picksburgh..too bad about them Stilers.

Genesis

Thanks for the help Scott. Because of your email, I finally got off my lazy ass and set this up. Please bear with us as Cheryl and I stumble along with the settings and play around. Word!