Dogmatic Doghouse

All the way to WALDAMEER
On Friday, drove out to Boomer's and propmtly trashed his new very old lappy trying to get the USB to work with Win 95. We can fix it, but only if Boom follows a ton of Win 95/Dos getting info from CAB files to restore whatever... Win 95 was shitty. Long live the system restore file. The hell with it. We sat outside and I didn't drink any, well, I had two beers, but they were leftover from AC. (Dammit.)

Saturday, we got up and out late as usual for the two dogs. We WALKED over to the K-Mart at the dead Barkway center to get Boom some new shoes like I'd just bought and he bought a new scale. We walked back and went to the super beer store FOR.... A bag of Jenny's Popcorn. THATS IT! We also ate a great lunch at the Hob House where, well, I couldn't pass up a DOUBLE IPA... (Beer: That's a good fat guy. Aren't my double hops just nectar?)

We then got in Boom's car and flew to Erie PA and with the help of Boom's GPS hooked to his lappy, we found WALDAMEER park.

What a SMALL ASS PARK, and was crowded too, but FREE PARKING and LOTS OF IT. Then we just walked into the park. WALKED INTO THE PARK! No admission fees, no nothing and you could bring coolers in and picnic and WOW, THIS IS SMALL! Actually, it was a nice size, and the employees were very friendly. Prices were very good. We were only there about 90 minutes but we soaked in the whole park and I bought TICKETS so we could ride Ravine Flyer II. About a 20 min wait and we lucked out and had second choice of where to sit, so we got the back seat jones. It was as advertised. The most fun I've had on a coaster in one minute! You don't think it's going to take you very far up but the first drop is breathtaking, and the tunnels and trip over the bridge goes AIRTIME! Then, when you do it all over coming back, you then go into a long turn and down under the coaster for a series of twists ending in a 90 degree turn...on a wooden roller coaster! OMGWTF was my only reaction. Fast, and glass smooth. It was my first Gravity Group coaster, and damn, it was super smooth and fun as hell. Now, Holiday World and the Voyage is next. Waldameer should get a good bump from that coaster.

It was our plan to get a room in Erie, do the park and ride all the rides during the day, however it was dashed because of the motorcycle rally that was in Erie. There wasn't a hotel room into Ohio, 20 miles towards Buffalo, or 40 miles back towards Pitt. If I had my keys with me, we could have gone to my house. If we had done this earlier, we could have stayed with my Bro at his cabin in Geneva On The Lake. No, we decided to go home to Pitt. I set out to ride RF2 and did so and I will be back, just like Kings Island.

So, Sunday we'll try something else, like maybe Kennywood. ARF! -Ric

Current Mood: Ty-Urd
Current Music: Computer Fan

The nose is the windows to a dogs face
Look at those holes in my nose, you could drive a train through those holes!

Actual conversation between myself and beer:

Self: I know that Imperial Cream Ale is 11% ABV, I know that. I enjoyed it. It's going to put me in a real different place and I should stop, sip water and eat poppycorn for about an hour and then when the haze clears, I'll be fit as a fiddle and go home.

Beer: That's exactly what I'd do. You've always been so responsible.

Self: Yep. Water please. Mmmm. Cool, flowing water...

Beer: You know, and I hate to be beer in this situation, but the awesome IPA that they were out of when you got here, has just been re-installed on tap. They say I'm mighty hoppy, more so than the last batch. I know that soft spot for hops that you have, so, why not?

Self: Great Beer, Good times, Indians game in the third, yeah, even though the cream ale hasn't kicked in yet, why not douse that fire with 7.5 ABV. Mmmmm, this is the best stuff on the planet.

Money: $7 a day for lunch, more if dinner out. Check.
Beer: Every night, 2-3 Mmmm. Check.
Weight: Stop. Hammer time.

My Sheepy senses are tingling. Simple equation: Money + Beer= Weight.... Weight with money+ beer= Broke and heavy. So E=MC Hammer, if Garcia Y Vega, you sir are a hypocrite and a liar and MR. GEE! You get an F! F! F! F...minus. Gooday. Shoot.

Simple solution. The only time I've ever lost weight en masse was when I couldn't drink because of meds. Now, I'm not on meds...yet...and I want to keep it that way, so goodbye old friend. We'll meet again I'm sure. I wonder if the Yuengling in my beer cellar will last for 90 days? It's an apple a day for me too, again. Oh yeah, hello Mr. Neighborhood, I've never seen you face to face, we've been so close these past two years. Get those walking shoes ready....

Current Mood: upper beat
Current Music: Area 38 and point bound

Mon DEE
Boom and I went into recovery mode and just relaxed for the day. We went out and I filled my car up at 3.96, bought some damn good cookies, got a quick lunch from Wendys to take back to the doghouse and went to the thrift shop across the street. Found a Dell 366 lappy with Win 95, with no power adapter and battery and a keyboard that was extra clean, for $9! I found it and then decided not to get it but Boom decided to indeed buy it. I found a CROQUET set for $11. I had bought Rob one set for his birthday and after one play, two mallets were broken, another had cracked caps, badly dented balls and cracked whicket. SO, the only way to get a good set was to buy a used one at a thrift store.

Went back to Booms, ate our Wendys and started our projects. I cleaned the set up really good and screwed a old collar of mine up to replace the handle. Beautiful. Boom found an adapter that could power the lappy and hard wired it. It came up great and had been last used in 2002 but had been upgraded with 128 meg of ram and a 10 G hard drive! $9!!! Great stuff. I packed while Boom messed with his transmitter and then we went for food.

It was Karaoke night at the Hop House...and it was noisy a few nights ago, but HEAD SPLITTING on this night. Bad singers screaming through a horrible sounding EB system, we only stayed 10 minutes. We went to Joes Crab Shack but they had closed so we went back to Bocktown. We got a smaller fries with sausage meatball sandwiches. GREAT STUFF! Best food and fries we have ever had from Bocktown.

Went back to the doghouse and rain rain rain, and well, it was time for the sheepdog to crash and I did. Woke about 4:30a and packed the mobile and was going to leave but I park in Booms yard and the huge amount of rain caused my car to run very rough. We dried my distributor cap, and that was that. Drove home, and went to work. Rob loved the stuff from Ikea and the Croquet set, it's too bad I work the day shift and he works weekends. We can't play, but we will.

That's it. Back to the motions of being a pooch trapped in a non pooch body. ARF! -Ric

Current Mood: woof
Current Music: History Of Howie-DC 100 Years

Whats my age again? OOOOP! Fresh Eye PEE A anyone?
It's over Johnny. "Nothing is OVER, I was telling Harrison Ford they do wonders with digital animation to make you seem young again. Adriaaaaaaaaannnnnn" You know there was this con thing, and they call themselves "furBees".

So, there was lots of downpours again and we got into them. I drove back to IKEA for more beer vases and we had a spot of lunch there too, then we went to Steak and Shake for banana milkshakes. S&S, it's in their name and we know why. The best milkshakes. Blows away the $6 shake in Orlando. "There's no liquor or anything in that?" Then there was the Tsunami, raining vertical while I tried to pay the man Shmegman. Thankfully it was a microburst because as we drove back to Boomers, it became clear and sunny out, but that wouldn't last.

We got down to the furry universe and it started pouring again. We had to umbrella to the con, which was okay and we camped out in the lobby for evening picture taking and general goodtimes. MacLeod das wuffie boofed about, saw Innerwolf for 30 seconds and then we went with LMac to the Hop House for our traditional pizza feast.

Usually quiet, usually subdued, the joint was jumping because of a bridal party. 10 chicks, same style dresses, all with Miller Lite or Bud Light baby bottles all made about 50 db MORE noise including some earth shaking "SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE" that would break up the gravel in Bea Arthur's throat. Shuttling back to Booms to pick up the cooler of drinky drinks and we entered the furryverse once amore.

Here was where the fun began. Press "FUN" button, add liquor, mix in furries, sprinkle with fursuits and then some East End Big Hop fresh from the tap, and you've got a John Belushi fishbowl beer glass (AKA Ikea Vase Poof) and you've got a parrrrddeeeeee. Loco and Zen loved the Ikea vase glasses, they really are great ways to drink a damn good beer. We had a serving of Big Hop then went back to the lobby to see a FURSUIT FURPILE right in the center of the lobby that started growing by several more. I don't think I would have laid on that nappy ass floor but you know the janitor was doing his job and emptying his whisk mop right next to you. *cough*

Quiet time. Loco Zen Boom and I went to the river and laid under the clouds for about an hour. I think this was the best of the whole con. It was beautiful on Sunday and just chilling, looking at "looks like a vagine and ass" up in the sky was priceless.

Back up to the lodge for some cocoa. More drinkatude then to the Dead Dog party which was, this year, an invite only affair which made it that much better. We spent the better part of an hour there and I saw lots of furs I can't remember and therefore not to mark on sommeone elses telephone pole, I'll say if I saw JOO , PROSIT. (Is that the greek for Cheers? I dunno, I need another Big Hop with Bebe Newerth in whips and chains.) *fart* No, more like *EARTHSHAKINGFARRRRRRRRRRRRRT* I'm just evil while I'm typing this. Pizza and live beer and popcorn make me rooty toot toot.

So, that draws to a close my review of the unattended cameo con deal type thing. I leaned a few things. Wanna hear it? Here it go!

*Stop trying to see/do/meet all furs. Not gonna happen. No big whoop.

*Remember the names of those you DO Know. Wait, what's your nick again? Oh you mean XXX! What? No I don't remember you from 5 years back when I was face down in a puddle of my own sick,

*Yep. I'm aaaaaaaaaagingggg (Thanks Rob) I went into the party and it was "Gee, I feel OLD" and when drinking heavily I was Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon "I'm getting to old for this S*it and that Gary Busey gets good weed" You know, we do this acting silly crap and chilling with 3000 of our closest friends every year, but when we walk into the world, I'm still a dog, and that's what matters.

Also: That smells like a toilet bowl without the bowl and YER DONE (Extend finger.)

Next will be the sleepy aftermath of a Monday scorned and then it's back to the homer for meeeee. -Ric

Current Mood: Good morning
Current Music: Area 38 and Ikea Throw Up What You Just Drank glasses

Saturday In The Woof
Popcorn. Buy me some popcorn Albert! Saturday was fursuiting day. It was the wrong day to fursuit. While others were having the massive deathmarch, Boom and I had to go for beer. Actually, we went to the East End Brewing company for a growler fill, and I wore my fursuit there. It was about 10 minutes total excursion, but I don't think I got the right mouthpiece for my head to make me breathe easier, because....I couldn't breathe! No worries though. The best thing was asking for the Big Hop beer by extending my arms and hopping.

We then walked the Squirrel Hill neighborhood. I got about 4 or 5 blocks and the wall struck. It was about 80% humidity and just before a storm, so it was not a good walking weather when covered in carpet and foam. At this point I limped back to the car little by little trying to stay in full doggy character and thank dog Boomer's car has the AIR! Other than the little girls that chased with "where did you get a dog so big?" and the drunkard sitting at Giant Eagle who thought the flash on my cam was lightning, we came out of it OTAY.

Back at Boom's doghouse, he fished from his basement a 5000 cube air conditioner and installed it in the second floor window by himself. Don't get him angry. You would not like him when he's angry :) As soon as we were going to leave: (Squiggy enters Lavern and Shirley's apartment at just the wrong moment leading to much 1970's comedy hilarity) "Hello..." Bruce dropped in and needed to use the computer. We had everything shut down because of the impending rain and 15 minutes after he was here, SKADOOSH! Power went out. It came on as it got lighter out and the rain lessened so we went to DG for water and Savaleet for other groceries and Giant Eagle in search of POPCORN but they no got none.

We came back to the doghouse and went on a mission for dinner. We were going to Station Square to hit up Joes Crab Shack, but because of the river and few ways to get over, street closings in downtown and Boomer's fondness for almost hitting city busses, we ended up at the Jimmy Johns by the University Of Pitt. Mmmmmmmm Jimmmmyyyyy Johnnnnnns. Fine by all involved. We got to the con, hooked up with Zen and Loco and watched the elevator line for a couple of hours. MacLeod the wolf joined us and we went to his room and had tasty beverage. (See, a Jimmy Johns cup works great for drinking beer beverage on the sly, so I was doing pretty good when the call came to drink more. Lord Chesterfields when surrounded by furries. Mmmmmmm.) It was getting late. Saw most of the Orlando fur nutjobs. (Yes Yappy, a new Radiolawn I promise...) When Boom and I were leaving , ran into Zen and Loco again and were invited to another room par-tay but we didn't have it in us. Lumped home, we were going to eat the last piece of pizza and crash when "Hello!" :) Gotta remember to shut the front door.

So today, it's back to Ikea, out to a quick lunch, more popcorn, and then some extended con attendance. ARF! -Ric

Current Mood: Up Up Any Away
Current Music: Area 38 and Happy Fun Ball

New Fast Automatic "Ooooop!"
So then, Boom and I seem to be taking our time to get anyplace this year for Kuhnvention. We just didn't bother being quick for Friday's funfest. Rather, we spent a lot of time doing things at Boom's doghouse despite the coffee buzz. I went and bought the value that is Coffee from the naked mermaid and two cookies, $7.50. Ouch. But, it was good coffee. We then had a lazy afternoon with higlights being:

Boom's the software master- Anything you want to do with video he can do. Any type of stream on the web, he can grab. His program strips a DVD of it's soundtrack, puts it in an editible form so I can have Christoper Walken shouting "OOOOOOP!" every time I go on. I love it. It's the first new sounds I've sampled for my computer in about 10 years. "I want POPCORN"

Transmitter blues- We've got my Sirius radio working in his house, but the FM transmitter is crap, so Boom brought out his superdooperheavyduty part "of" 15 transmitter so the whole tri-state area can hear. *snicker* "Are you sure that won't set the place on fire?" "I'll just put it on a 60's radio station analog timer with the big countdown dial and the kung fu grip." (Radio peeps, you're going to see:)

Pizza not so- We went back to Sammys where last time , abouta year ago or so, we had what was a awesome deep dish pizza with toppings big as our head. This time, we got pizza, oh yes we did, but what a change. Still a lot of topings, but about 2/3 less of a pizza experience. Oh well. Plus we sat watching the news after they hyped a "wierd thing with animals invading Pitt called FURRIES OMG RUN FOR YOUR LIVES" ...but no story. Awwww, we'll get it on the web.

Tummy Tum- After the wunderpizza, my stomach exploded. "I always knew!" Boom said a little baking soda and water and I'd burp the pain away like some sort of method so I don't end up hitting the fan and getting Jack Albert bits all over my podenda. (HA! Try and figure those references out!) Sure enough, it worked. He's an alchemist too that pooch.

So, we finally got to furrybaddabing and got a couch in the lobby and met Aerofox and Locobun and Zenwuffie and Lmacleod Das Wuff. We walked around with Loco and Zen for the night, seeing the sights and being NOT at the con. Anticonny going fine with Boom and I. Pittsburgh on the river is really nice at night and the convention center is a nice place for a con, I guess. I never see the trappings. We stopped into the ORIGINAL (no not house of lard) Fish Market for one beer beverage and a iced tea for $8.50 (This furry s*it is expensive bidness) and then left after further couching.

Went home and Boom's friend that does Jazz showed up at 3am!!!!!!!! Bars close. Oh well. I took a shower with a towell that was at the back of Booms linen closet for what must have been 25 years (I heard disco while using it as it turned to dust when it got water on it. :)

Saturday's next. Half my weekend is over. Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Good luck in Iraqgahnastan Artie Lange and Bababooey and Robin's beau. -Ric

Current Mood: Wide awake OOOOP
Current Music: Area 38 and Valerie Biddulph

Anti Con Wednesday and Thursday
Got to Pitt about 2pm. Gave Boomer a big bag of popcorn. A Boy and His Dog has Blood asking for some popcorn and it's become and inside doggy joke. Went to eat at the Hop House and had great food and beer as always. (T Totaler Boomer) Then it was to Dollar General and Save A Lot for supplies, also the super beer stores and we came home and departed for VunderKagecon.

Wed, crowds were more than they were last year. Not much to do, but fun nonetheless. We saw some members of the Yankees coming into the hotel, security was shooing the fursuiters to an upstairs gathering area. Eh. We spent a couple hours, walked a litte downtown, got the lay of the land and went back to Boomer's doghouse where we sat out for a bit and crashed.

Thursday was really fun for us. Continuing the series of seeing where we used to live when we were pups, we went to Boomer's old neighborhood he hasn't walked around since he was 5. We saw Boom's old apartment, and stories of when they had trash burners in the back. Not much has changed. We saw the fire station he used to walk too with his mom and then we went downtown Bellvue. The funny thing about this city was the 60's shopping center sign welcoming you to the city. "Worship" was one of the words on the sign, and there was about 10 churches within the one mile area known as downtown. Silly poop. We went to an indie grocery store that used to be an old Kroger, a Family Dollar that used to be a theater, and several indie bakeries and shops. What a difference from downtown Elyria. This place was full of life. We stopped at a classic hardware store for a part for Boom's kitchen sink and we were off. We came back to the doghouse and installed the parts and it POURED. (I did have a little trouble with the sink, but it really POURED outside with heavy rain and thunder in the back yard it seemed.)

We went to Ikea to pick up a few things for Rob back in Cleveland and to Bocktown for beer and french fries as big as your head (TM) :) Then to Conny con con for a few hours. Saw Pakrat, Nrasser, Awkwafawks, Green Reaper and Duncan and Takaza and Yappy so far, more to come at the meet and greet in the lobby on Friday.

That's all for now. Big deal. Told ya it was more about Boomer and I enjoying Pitt rather than the C word. Awwww, but there will be WHOODAMNS. ARF! -Ric

Current Mood: Tie-Yerd
Current Music: Area 38 and stuff

It's all about the Pitt
I'll be in Pitt. No fanfare. No expected anything. Maybe a trip to Kennywood. Maybe RicSheepy and/or RicOClassic will make an appearance. Maybe there will be beer or Whoodamns. Point being, I'm one of those odd dogs who are glad a big con is happening in my back yard, and will enjoy seeing those "twice a year" best friends, but really, it's time off from work and more chance to chill with another dog. That's what is important. Boom and I are going to be dropping in on the fun and maybe I'll even be a member for a day, other than that, good times in the 'burgh for two dogs. ARF! -Ric

PS: RicSheepy is FINALLY DRY! Let's see, that's two days later... Mmmmm Smell the DG Cold Water Wash :)

Current Mood: Ready
Current Music: Stern: West Coast Wed. 1st Play

Boof.
Boof boof boof boof boof boof. Arooooooooooooooo! *pant* *pant* *STARTING CANINE TRANSLATOR* Ooops, I usually have that running all the time. It needed batteries. Got them NIMHs rolling for me and a bottle of double chocolate stout working. Actually, it's Sunday morning so no drinks to joo.

Friday night was clean the joint night, where I got stuff cleaned around my house that needed it for a while. Also the usual laundry chores. Mundane. *Sarcasm on* "Oh, will it PLEASE get to next week so I can have a FURRY FUN TIME and spend more money than I earn in a month for a PEPSI." *Sarcasm off* (It's the Canine Translator with the KUNG FU GRIP and a sarcasm interpreter. Don't you wish you had six of them?)

SatorYAY started like all others in this series. Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a dog brush through me head. Those wacky Beagles! Mowed the lawn. Yawn. Went to wally. Yawn. Wally was an okay trip because they had jean shorts on sale , so I bought my one pair a year as well as a few more collared shirts and some drawers. A top-up kard and bunz for turkey bratz.

Padded my way over to the Brew Kettle for some micro goodness then as the rain started, back to the doghouse. Sat outside in the garage with the lappy because the rain was too intense to sit under the awning. Killed a few hours then went to dinner with Maughm at the Brew Keeper in Ridgeville. Mom's food was okay, but what a change since last week. I went there last week and it was full, and then I found out why. A wall of noise, BAD NOISE, white rapper with an amp splitting skulls just behind me started playing and made me SICK. (I couldn't even finish my BEVERAGE! A good burp and a fart later out in the car and I was fine. No, really.)

This night there were tumbleweeds. I tried the Double Chocolate stout but was horribly unimpressed because it was turning. It had a very winey taste and a lot of the flavors that I remember had changed. I mentioned it to our server and she offered me something else, but it wasn't undrinkable, it just wasn't the nectar I'd had before. She came back and said that someone else had the same reaction just a few minutes before, and that they were having trouble with the refrigeration and gave me a free 22oz bomber of the nectar I remember. Sure enough she gave it to the other party in the bar. That was a place that cared that we liked their beer. Hell, I was sold from the first time. My food was okay BTW. It really is a place you go to get great beer and food only if you're needing foodstuffs.

Went to home. Did not pass go. Slept and came up with this crap. Onward for Sunday style. Gotta fursuit to clean and make ready for deployment. ARF! -Ric

Current Mood: Morning
Current Music: Area 38..nope 33 until Tuesday

Father's Day At Cedar Point 2008 or...I think it might have been PRIDE day???
First sign when I pulled up and parked, a minivan pulled next to me with a side sign that said something like "Cheerleaders club" and four rather fem guys got out. I went into the park and there was more rainbows all around. While standing in line for each coaster, sure is HAPPY round here, stood in line for Millineum Force and rather than good ol' rock and roll, they were playing TECHNO, really really "screaming queen" techno. When I heard Culture Club playing on the way out, that cemented it. It was happy fun day at the Point. Oh the PRIDE of it all. *snicker*

Okay, so here's how it went. Likely because it was fathers day, crowds were heavy but the lines for coasters were lighter than other Sundays I was at CP last year. At the beginning, Raptor had an hour wait so I went to the Blue Streak and rode once, but a breakdown stopped me from riding again. It feels like they have loosened up some of the trims, so it was fun again. Then to Wicked Twister, great as always. Three times. Walked the sidewalk along the lake and came back in for Magnum and did that three times and went wild. Only really rough part was the turnaround, otherwise HOLY AIRTIME! There were no trims on and it flew!

Then I walked back to see Maverick with an hour wait so I went on what is now, IMHO the worst coaster anywhere. Mean Streak. Last seat was, well, halfway through the ride I wanted to jump off. The roughest, not fast, load of lumber out there. It was bone jarring, teeth rattling. BUT, true to myself, I got back on a second time in the second row because it couldn't be THAT BAD and HOLY DAMN the have it OVERTRIMMED so much that front seat is a nice place to sleep. Either a serious re-track or major re-profile is needed. Even Son Of Beast seemed a better ride and not as rough.

I took the train to the other side of the midway and rode Iron Dragon, which compared to KI's Flight Deck, is awesome. If you don't ride up front on Iron Dragon, why ride. Wildcat was down so I thought about doing Mantis for B&M goodness, but decided on the TECHNO Coaster. Millineum Force was awesome as ever. Best steel coaster period. Still smooth, and still a hell of a drop and speed.

Well, I went for the big one. Top Thrill and had another breathtaking trip. Went through in 30 minutes. (If it would have been an hour, I probably would have gone back to Magnum.) Stopped at the Corkscrew and got one for the old Arrow and that was my day. I did ride Chaos which is more than a spin and puke, it's a turn you over and what next? It was a lot of fun, and much better than the Witches Wheel. Also got nostalgic and rode the Matterhorn. It was a shorter ride cycle than the Hay Bailer at GL and one of my earliest ride memories from the Lorain County fair when I was about 7.

I would have stayed longer and almost got on the Raptor which was down to a 15 minute wait, but it looked like impending rain and I had dinner to cook. Great coaster fun at the point bringing my coaster total: 38CF coasters out of 140.

ARF! -Ric

PeeEss: You know, I'm going to Cedar Fair parks to ride the coasters, but not spending a cent in the parks this year. I may hate what they did to GL, but I love them coasters.

Current Mood: Walked Out
Current Music: HSS: Replay of one of last weeks shows...

Good Times: Radiohead?
I don't own any, I don't really think I've heard any of their radio hits other than stuff that was played on alt-radio, and I couldn't name a song by them. When I was looking on the Retrothing website (www.retrothing.com) I came across this video.

http://www.vimeo.com/1109226

It's a beautiful thing.

ARF! -Ric

Current Mood: Speedbuggy
Current Music: Hard Drive Speakers at 10db

The Perfect Weekend part DEUX
Boom came over to the Cleveland hut and we had another a full schedule of things that were new.

Grilled out Hambugers with cilantro, Bush's baked beans and watermelon. I'm getting better at cooking different things. These burgers were a little too thick, should have been flattened a bit more, but were yummy nonetheless. Sat on the patio and woofed.

Woke up and mowed the lawn. Went to Toxic Hell for a small lunch then went to Microcenter and Boom bought lots of DVD blanks and a 500 Gig portable HD. Prices there are like mail order prices, only better. I got a ball-less mouse. We then went to Tarjay for great Peach iced tea and hot pretzels. Watched a can blowing across the parking lot and a mom walking her daughter pick up the can to put in the trash. More on that in a moment. Went home and took out the water heater that my brother was replacing. *shrug* It sprung a small leak, and I know from experience, it's only a matter of time. Then, we hoofed it over to the Brew Keeper in North Ridgeville for more of the odd beers and the best IPA I've ever had. Beer nirvana has a name, and it's the Mad Brewer at the Beer Keeper. Great stuff and good burgers. Then, the fun began...

We went to the Aut-o-rama drive in theater. Neither of us had been to a drive in in years and years and since this is one of the last in Cleveland and is only 5 minutes from the Brew Keeper, we did it. Other than some mis-direction of screens (we did as we were told but ZOHAN started. I want to see Zohan, but not Made Of Honor which was the second feature, so I found a attendant and we moved to the other side to see:) SKADOOSH! Kung Fu Panda. It was really fun and then we saw Raiders: One Foot In The Grave and it was a popcorn movie. Not a lot to think about, but fun nonetheless. We both thought it was a great way to see a movie (other than mosquitos towards the end of Raiders) and we'll do it again. Went home and crashed.

Sunday, more different and more fun. We went to Elyria to Fazolis Italian and had the great sampler. Fast food Italian style, and good. We toured Midway Mall which is holding it's own, but is on shaky ground as more chains are closing and more "wig city" stores are moving in. Then, it was to the downtown area. This was the first place I remember most as a child and it was the city of my early doggie years. How sad it was. Walking down the streets of downtown and there was nothing. Lots of empty stores, buildings, all in good condition but deserted. Banks. There was about 9 banks including the local Lorain National and the formerly local Elyria Savings. It was cool to see Uncle Vic's night club still there, he was a deejay from Cleveland radio in the 80's that was partly responsible for me getting into broadcasting.

There was a newer park on the river which was nice so I saw some things I did not remember , but for the most part, the walk around town was sad. We then went to my old house and elementary school and took lots of pics. It was the house where I first saw The Shaggy Dog. It wasn't until the second house, the junkyard alley, where all this dog stuff begun. We went to the Friendly's restaurant (that opened while I lived there) and got great ice cream. We sat in the back when a car drove up, followed by a minivan. It was a drop off of a daughter from baby mama to baby daddy, but new boyfriend/girlfriend were in respective cars. It seemed to go well, but baby daddy was flipping off baby momma as they pulled off. That caused baby momma to turn around and with the 8 or 9 year old in the baby pappas car, girlfriend started screaming at baby momma and baby momma was swearing and I thought it was going to be fistacuffs. When I heard the daughter crying while these two had a cat fight of F words and insults, Boom and I got up and walked around the building. This was Elyria. It felt dirty. The lady that picked up a random piece of trash vs. two chicks spitting f words and threatening fistacuffs. Gee, which daughter is going to turn out better?

We left and went to North Ridgeville to see the aftermath of the old Ridgeview center. It's the pile of rubble it was last time but I was bummed because they bull dozed the floor of the old McDonalds, but I was glad I got pictures of it before they did. We went to the Super Wally on the way home and got a salad and super sub, when we got back to the doghouse we sat out for a few hours and ate our sub and salad and Boomer packed up and split.

It was another relaxing weekend, and Boomer really liked it as much as I. RIP Botamer flowers, and Hess & Hess, and Thomassan's chips but great to see Puffers still rocking.

ARF! -Ric

Current Mood: Good
Current Music: Wrap Up Show

In and Out Buuuuurrrrrrgeeeerrr
Lately, I have been trying to cook at home and away more. I make things up or try to create something from nothing. Long time ago, I copied a Eat At Joes dish, fried pupcorn shrimp then baked with penne pasta, sauce and cheese and fresh mushroom thrown in. It was good. I made turkey meatballs stuffed with pepper and onion and cut with spice in a red sauce with wheat spaghetti and fresh garlic bread made with butter. (I bought butter for the first time in 8 years.) It was okay, but turkey didn't do good as meatballs. Boomer and I had grilled salmon with pineapple chutney and grilled veggies like we had at the Cumberland. Salmon was great, chutney was okay. We also tried fresh made cole slaw with steamed brats on toasted buns. That was good. I tried chicken parm, but I made it wrong, so that didn't go well. Point being, I'm trying things. When I have something plain, I'm looking for ways to spice it up or unusual combinations.

So tonight, I had some frozen turkey burgers. I had gotten fresh big buns at the store, but turkey burgers, even when they are made with spice, when they start as frozen pucks, always have little flavor. So, I kicked it up a notch. I cut an onion so I had big slices, put cheese and onion and pickles on the bun, spread ketchup and mustard on the other side of the bun with pepper and oregano and I cut fresh cilantro up for the burgers, which I carefully didn't overcook (but they still are a little rough.) WOW! With everything mixing and cilantro as a kicker, they were the best turkey burgers I've made. If I had fresh turkey meat and I cooked them on my outdoor grill, , I'd imagine they would be even better. I'm going to try chuck burgers the same way and see if I can come close to the Ground Round experience. I also had tropical fruit salad on the side (Aldis believe it or not!)

Chef Cheepdog at your service. ARF! -Ric

Current Mood: Yummmm
Current Music: Injuns Losing Horribly

Spending a day with Maughm
Saturday was as laid back as ever but was painful on the wallet. Mom had suggested on Friday that we see a flick and have dinner and even go to a Jimmy John's Grand Opening event with $1 subs! I missed that because I was driving to work on Friday when the pothole in the freeway that I have been missing for a month, this time seemingly I wanted to explore that crevice with every extra inch of my drivers side front tire. Blowout on the freeway in the middle lane of a construction zone= not a lot of fun. Thankfully I was in "the flat" as I call it, and there was a dirt side of the road for my jack to sink into while changing to TEMPASPARE! (TM)

So, I woke up in the morning and went to the TIREMAN (TM) and he did battle with TEMPASPARE (TM) and for $60, TIREMAN (TM) was triumphant over TEMPASPARE (TM) and he's back in hiding in his little indent inside my cheep jeep. I also went to a few car lots looking for a replacement set of wheels, but I didn't have to flick away any salesmen. Never there when you need them, always there when you don't. American Association of Automobile Salespeople. (TM)

Mom and I got together around four and went to "The Pub" which was a new chain. They had great beers on tap and a huge selection of single malt scotches and we ordered the fish and chips, for $12??? What we got were steak fries fresh from the freezer and a big huge fried fish over the top. Oh, it was breaded, that was it. Tasteless batter, tasteless fish, tasteless tartar sauce, we could have gotten better food at Long Johns for half the price! Very disappointing.

Then we went to the movie but were still too early so we went to Blakes Seafood to have a drink. Mom got a Smirnoff martini and I got a 22oz Great Lakes Burning River. Mom had heard the place was pricey as hell, but we looked at the dinner menu and it seemed reasonable and better than what we just had, until.... It was $7 for my beer and $8 for her martini. Um, two drinks with tax was $16.16??????? HOLY SHNYCKS!

Anyway, we went and saw Narnia: Prince Caspian. I hadn't seen the first one but the second one was enjoyable. Who knew there would be so many talking animals? :)

Got back to moms. Heard the Indians lose, watched the Pen-Goo-Wins lose and then watched the MMA on CBS which was AWESOME. CBS Saturday night fights has something good and cauliflower ear shaped on their hands. Not that I like the brain bashing violence, but because it's REAL, not a soap opera and not a boxing glove away from sleep, it was great.

We were hungry so we ordered a Donato's pizza at 12am and it was good. I went home and crashed shortly thereafter. It's the longest I've spent with Mom in ages. It was good times good times. I was going to go to the point today, but here I am typing away. Oh well. Time to get out and do.

ARF! -Ric

Current Mood: Zippy
Current Music: Fans are back: Summertime

The Berg and The Sheepy Have a Memorial Day
Awesome or something is what this weekend was. Working days again, I finally remember what it was like to take THREE DAYS off, and how much those weekends mean. When I worked third shift, I was late to start the weekend, but long out.

Friday: Got in to Pitt and stayed outside of Boom's house for 20 minutes. Stood at the door twice, but nobody noticed. (Boom's friend Bruce was over producing jazz videos.) I even e-mailed Boom from his front yard to let him know I was there. I got in, Bruce left and Boom and I went to Sheetz for food and then, ZZZZ. It was a little chilly so we didn't sit out.

Saturday: Went to East End brewing to fill my two growlers. Got a Hefe and a Wheat Hop. Nectar. Both. We walked around the Squirrel Hill neighborhood and went to "Heads Together" a oddball video store and also went to a HUGE all vinyl record store. We decided not to eat in Squirrel Hill and decided to go to the Ground Round. We drove there and had the best burgers, AGAIN. Just something great about their hamburgers. We then toured a giant dead strip mall waiting to be torn down for a Wally. Stopped at Wally on the way back to get Boomer some IFLOCK (black enema gloves :) for his clogged drains and then went to Steak and Shake for always good milkshakes. Back at the Pitt doghouse, sat down to watch "A Boy and His Dog" What a great film. It was a "steampunk" kind of film, but the performance by TIGER the dog (yes, from the Brady Bunch) made the film :) We watched It's Alive and Bruce came back to produce more jazz so I crashed.

Sunday: Went to see Iron Man. Boom really enjoyed it, and well, I loved it all over. Got gas and then had lunch at Chipolte. Advertising. It's tasty. Went over to the Robinson Mall to look at Sears for the TV selection and back to Macys to check on Frango stocks. Macys seems to be shrinking the Frango mints selection. Oh well. Another tradition dies slowly. Finally sat out and did some net stuff, then went to the Hop House for our usual Sunday tradition of great pizzas. Watched the finale of Boston Legal and crashed.

Memorial Day: Lunch at Wendys, shopping for dinner at Shop and Save then off to the Carson Street neighborhood. Take Madison, add three times as much population because peeps live in the old buildings. We have been down there before, but never walked the entire street. Funny, I thought we got through better on foot rather than in traffic. Made it to the Caribou Coffee and got peach tea smoothies and started walking back. Because the Penguins were playing, and it was finally warm out, all the restaurants were open and deals on Yuengling were everywhere. We were going to stop at Pittsburgh's own Pimanti Bros. but couldn't get in. It was packed. Same thing with Fat Heads, despite the great beer selection we decided to move on. So, we walked back to a big pool hall/night club that was empty and had an appetizer and I had 23 oz Y!'s for $2. MMMMmmmm. We walked almost 4 miles, which was great, drove back to Boom's and decided, since it was 11:15 or so, to ditch the grill and make food in house.

I had made homemade cole slaw. Shredded fresh cabbage and carrots, added pepper and cole slaw sauce and cilantro. It was good, but missing something, so I added two scoops of CHIP DIP. (Well if I would have had sour cream and chives...but the dip was there...) The MSG did the trick! After cooling, Mmmmmmmmm. Tasty slaw. Also cooked up peppers, onions and spicy sausage which came out good, but should have used fresh peppers. Also had Bush's Molasses beans. Another great, home cooked meal.

Finally sat out for a few more hours, set off some fireworks, I finished my second growler of beverage, caught a little sleep and here I am. As it has been the past few times, the last few hours of the meet, the trip down to Carson St and dinner, was the best of the weekend.

ARF! -Ric

PEEEESSS: My Sirius car antenna has given up the ghost. If you have your wires exposed anywhere or open/close your glove box to use it, TAPE THE ENDS. Put a little resistance in the wire and that may save you the hassle of replacing it.

Current Mood: I want some popcorn!
Current Music: Howie: Dracula Godfrey Meets The Wack Pack (Day 2)

I'm sorry....
Hells Kitchen has been great this year, but there is still the best show on TV...

Boston Legal. Hitting a low on Wed. Had it's season finale and you know,

S H A T N E R!

Not only did he MAKE Airplane 2 a funnier movie, not only did he make the final episodes of "The Practice" that much better (and won his first emmy.) He made Boston Legal the damn funny show (winning an emmy for the same character in two separate series) that it is.

Usually James Spader steals the show and makes the best scenes, but on the season finale 5/21, it was indeed Shatner who deserves all of the credit for having a performance that was the best of his career. It only was about 2 minutes, but his talk to Alan, about how he was deeply offended that someone was challenging America, and that Alan was representing the offending party and that Alan did not know Denny as well as he thought, and that meant their friendship had the depth of a jigger of scotch.....

It's television that means something. Well scripted, well acted, performance just like it was when Shatner first appeared as Denny Crane on the Practice. Bravo David E Kelly for seeing what Shatner really was and putting the show together with James Spader. I got choked up by that scene. It's a fictional world, but for that moment, it meant something. That's good television.

Thanks ABC for at least, not letting BL go, as this show could have been a signature end. There is 13 more in the fall as they finish it once and for all. I'll be there.

Shatner should win an emmy for that two minutes. -Ric

Current Mood: Good
Current Music: Stern Replay #4

Wow!
Just got back from my day trip to King's Island. What a nice park! I can see that Cedar Fair hasn't spoiled it too much, and the employees are more laid back and less "coaster nazi" like at Cedar Point and they are not clueless like Geauga Lake was. Clean, Clean, Clean was the name of the game as with all Cedar Fair parks.

What struck me was, there were no wait times posted anywhere, and for good reason. Except for Firehawk (only one train running, even moderate crowds = forget it) it was only about 15 minutes wait for anything.

Food was, well, expensive as hell. I went all out and had dinner at the Wings dinner buffet. $16 with tax, but it was very good. Better than the $9 I would have spent for a chicken sandwhich and fries, even more with drink. Homestyle cooking, chicken nuggets that were real chicken as well as taco bar, pasta bar, pot roast/meat loaf station, sandwhich station, salad bar, dessert bar. I was impressed. I've heard bad things about Cedar Points buffet, but Kings Island's I'd say yes too again. I just needed a little walking/train riding and easy coasters for about an hour afterwards.

Okie. Coaster reviews after the cut. Enjoy. ( Coasters at Kings Island )

Yeah, it was a great trip indeed and a memorable weekend. I'll be back Kings Island. Oh yes...

CEDAR FAIR COASTER TOTAL 2008= 25 out of 140

Current Mood: YAY!
Current Music: Darkwave on First Wave Sirius 22

Here I is, first post from a hodel model on wyfy
Yep. At the Microtel in Cincinnatti at Kings Island. Gonna hit the island for the first time ever tomorrow. Today, just a bucket load of fun. Got up about 11 and mowed the lawn. Then got in the car and went to Morphicon.

Every year, I do a cameo there. I spend about three hours, see Pakrat, and not much else. First time in, nobody. Went across to the dying deluxe mall which has not changed since last time and maybe even added a few retailers? I dunno, but the former Caribou coffee was a bad artist showcase. Wolves don't have that big of a muzzles....

Went back, called Boomer and while speaking to him, saw Pakrat and Tod walking across the parking lot, so we went to part two of my trip to the morph, JIMMY JOHNS. Ate lots of sub stuffs, and went back to walk around, watch the unexplainable waste of time known as the Rock Star videogame and then, well, time to go.

Got to Cincy, and I wished I would have picked up the discount magazine first, because after I shopped around and decided on a $65 nights sleep, I picked up a discount mag and could have stayed across the street for $40. Oh well. Stayed at Microtel, worlds smallest room that I've ever stayed in. I then went to a local pizza joint across the street that has GREAT pizza and breadsticks. Like Gino's or something...but if you come down to Kings Island, stop at the little place next to Waffle House and Burger King. You won't be sorry. Also, the convienence store next to the pizza joint? Had a cooler and a half of beer that was NOT BMC. (Bud, Miller, Coors.) Got a six pack of Fullers ESB...from a convienience store!!!!! I was looking for a microbrewry nearby, but I stopped after finding a good beverage from a store across the street from the hotel.

So, here I sit on the WiFi with the food network on the tv in the sky. Today (now) is King's Island for the first time. Wooohoooooooo! -Ric

Current Mood: Tired and Mmmmm ESB
Current Music: Food Network: Best Burger 2004

Sunday Wrap Up-Weekly Drudge
Sunday. Forgot to mention that Saturday night, I just got in the mowing of my lawn. Working new hours, I either have to be up and mowing at 9am or do it on weekends. When it rains all day Sunday, it makes it Saturday or nothing. It was almost nothing. So, went out Target to have a little snack bar love and rode all through my old home North Olmsted for whatever reason. Just a drive around with no purpose. Kinda silly that I do that anymore with gas being so $$$$.

When I got home, I got the word from my Bro that the Mother's Day BBQ was a go. I went out to my local GE to buy salmon, and they were SOLD OUT? Sold out of SALMON? Well, they did have some smothered in a cajun sauce, but other than that...

So, I drove almost across the world and went to another GE that had a TON and different types of salmon! YAY! It seems silly that my GE is huge, but has NOTHING when the GE we bought salmon in PITT is really small and they had the SAME SELECTION as the cross the world GE I went too. *Grumble* Then, when I got it back, my brother said he'd season and cook it thank you. It bummed me, because I just got done making the BEST salmon I'd had and here's my brother taking over with cooking? Sheesh.

Mom came over and we had a great meal, and yes, the way my brother spiced up the salmon made them taste good, but I liked mine better. You could taste a lot more salmon with mine rather than the spice, but then, we topped our salmon with pineapple chutney, so *shrug*

Mom really liked all of it so win win. I had to clean the grill after and OIL OIL OIL from the Walleye that my brother cooked.

That was that. My weekend. This week has been working, sleeping, eating and not much else. Thia weekend, I'll be doing my traditional cameo at Morphicon and then going to Kings Island on Sunday. Maybe I'll have a dog with me, if not, I'll have fun nonetheless.

ARF! -Ric

Current Mood: Good
Current Music: Ferrell! On Howie 101

Geodesical Dome, we hardly knew ye
Saturday was my day to get my season pass at Cedar Point and visit my old friend in Toledy. So....

Went to the point. Waited in line an hour and a half for the pass that I had already bought. All they did was take my pic and hand me a card without a pic. Now, when you sign in with the card, your pic pops up so they don't need to put a pic on the card anymore. Nice? Odd? I have my GL card from last year and it has a piccie. I remember when....

So, I got to ride the Wicked Twister. It was the last coaster I rode as the Ohio amusement parks season ended, so I made it the first. It was a walk on because they just re-opened it when I got there. Great ride, then I took a second ride which took three times as long, which put me off as far as timing...

Left about 12:15, underestimated how long it would take to get out of the park because I finally got on the freeway at about 12:45 and I made a mistake and took the long way to Toledo. I was supposed to meet my friend at 1p and ended up meeting him at 2.

First impression of Toledo, so many things have gone out/under. Restaurants, stores, it was a retail space dream. :P On route 2 which used to drive in front of my house, Wally sprawl has arrived, It's widened and lots of new retail, and when I got closer to where I used to live, it got worse and worse for dead retail.

Drove across the new I280 bridge, gee, it only took 14 years to build it. It was talk since before I lived there and was finished early this year. Now, you don't have a freeway over a DRAWBRIDGE that was frequently UP.

Went to Fallen Timbers with my friend. It's the new lifestyle center with a JC Penny and a Dillards. Totally yup-city and nothing special. Stopped at Granite City microbrew. Food was less than stellar, beer was as non-offensive as beer could been. Okay flavors, a decent lighter beer, but overall MMmmmmmmmm...average. It's a chain, and the beer tasted like it.

Then, it was too Southwyck. When I first went to Toledo in 1992 or so, it was THE mall. Full, with all the retail around it was full and rocking. It was the first I'd been too in Toledo and has a Geodesical dome over the center of it. Three anchors, but the center anchor was owned by Lion (it was another store chain that went under and was made into the Lion home store. Lion was a local chain.) 10 screen theater. Montgomery Ward. A few years later, they even built a food court that was pretty popular. Years were tough to the old mall. Montgomery Ward went bye bye, Dillards bought Lion (giving them half ownership of the mall) and the tenants bled.

It's been a dead mall for the past 5 years. When Dillards went goodbye, it's a shell now. Well, when I heard that a city inspection done had found disturbed asbestos near the Montgomery Ward, the city issued a 72 hour shut down. While we were there, the fountains were all running! Deb, Footlockers, and GNC were about all still in business, but the best photo I took was the CLOSED order on the front doors. They were doing work on the place while we were there, although I can't imagine why.

We drove through Toledo seeing what has changed, and it's a pretty sad town anymore with all the closings. Even Cleveland didn't change as much as Toledo has and I was away from both about the same amount of time.

Went home and heard both the Injuns and the Cavs won! The Injuns had their best 1st inning of the year and the Cavs got their must win. Netted and crashed at 1am? Yeah. I did. Change of hours means, a real change of sleep habits. I woke at 8:30 and got the laptop to type this.

ARF! Today, Mom's day food. -Ric

Current Mood: Goodstuff
Current Music: Howie 5/5 replay