Familiar Sights, Seen With Fresh Eyes

L to R: Jessica, Crow, Lacy, Dave

What began as a visit from one of my wife’s online friends, ended as a new friendship with two cool people and one cool dog.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

All I knew was my wife’s friend, and ex-co-worker, Jessica, was going to be in Indiana with her traveling companion, Dave, and his dog, Crow. I had no idea I was about to kindle three friendships that day.

It all stared with a call from Jessica. We already had plans to be in Lafayette that day, and we knew Jessica was going to call soon, and at around 2:00 pm, she did. We had just crossed over into West Lafayette when we received the call. They were exiting onto SR 26 from I-65, and could see the Taj Mahal restaurant from their exit, so we asked them to stop there, instead of continuing on to the Tippecanoe Mall, where we had initially planned to meet. As we arrived at the restaurant, Jessica and Dave were sitting on a bench outside. They waved as we entered the parking lot. After Jessica greeted us with hugs and Dave with handshakes, we entered the building.

Clifty Falls, Burger King and Why I Can’t Have It My Way

Barry

On July 7th, 2009, my wife and I, along with five of our friends, made the three hour drive south to Clifty Falls State Park. I had visited Clifty Falls as a child with my parents, but didn’t remember much of the park and was interested to visit it again, especially after viewing images of the parks water falls.

My wife and I were joined in our vehicle by Sonny and Shannon, while Ty, Barry, and Tara followed in Ty’s vehicle. The trip started out on a positive note. But started to go downhill once we stopped for lunch at the Columbus, IN Burger King on SR46, just off of I-65.

Strip Club Adventures

A couple weeks ago, (Tuesday, June 16, 2009), my wife and I visited the Touch of Class Show Club in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Upon our 7:40pm arrival, we were greeted with an empty stage, four dancers sitting around two tables, and Billy tending bar.

After paying our cover and picking up a couple drinks, we  join the dancers at their tables. We chatted with them for over an hour about various things from which films Christina Ricci looked best in, to the curse/blessing that is large breasts.

Michael Jackson and His “Fans”

As we all know, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, died June 25, 2009. I was shocked, like everyone else,  when my wife woke me with the news. I was both sad and relieved. I was sad that we could never see Michael turn his life around and I was relieved that the drama of his life would be over, well, over soon enough.

I never appreciated Michael’s music until I was in my 20’s. As a child I hated his music, with the exception of Thriller. The song and video for Thriller appealed to me since I was a fan of horror. Thriller may have been my introduction to horror legend Vincent Price, who later became one of my favorite actors.

Remembering Dom DeLuise

Dom DeLuise was as much a part of my childhood as Old Fashion Loaf sandwiches and Little Debbie Zebra Cakes.

I first saw Dom DeLuise in the 1980’s. I cannot remember exactly when I first saw this comedic genius, however, if I took a guess I would say it was his role as Buddy Bizarre, the limp-wrist director, who asks to not be punched in the face, in Mel Brooks’ comedic masterpiece, Blazing Saddles (1974). Around this time I also saw him in The End (1978), a black comedy starring Burt Renoylds and Dom DeLuise. Looking back on it, this may have been my introduction to black comedy, and one of the reasons I still love the genre today.

The Day of Surgery

It started out like any other Thursday. The dogs woke me up before the alarm clock could torture my ears, only to demand I take them out to potty and be feed. But this Thursday was different, because it was the last Thursday I would spend with my gallbladder.

Four years of pain and misery were about to come to an end, or at least be replaced with a few days of pain and misery in recovery as a result of having an organ full of stones pulled through my navel.

Last Days With My Gallbladder

Today is the last day I will spend with my gallbladder. Before we get to today, lets take a look back at yesterday.

Yesterday I took my gallbladder for a horseback ride at Turkey Run State Park, something I had last done as a youngster. It was ok, although my horse, Mary, wanted to stop and eat every so often, plus my testes got a few good smacks against the saddle when the horse trotted. My wife did not fair as well. Not only did her horse, Bandit, take to trotting excessively, he nearly bucked her off at one point. The guide assured us this was unusual behavior for Bandit, as he is often ridden by children. Fortunately, our guide was able to calm Bandit. We had no further trouble the remainder of the trail. Afterward, my legs felt like jelly. I was glad our next destination was the inn.

A Farewell to My Gallbladder

The ballots have been cast, and the results are in, Justin’s gallbladder is the first organ to be voted off This Island Justin.

It’s been a interesting 32 years, full of ups and downs, ins and outs, and even a few what-have-yous. However, we are unable to ignore the gallstones any longer. It is clear the time has come to move on in life. We will always be indebted to you for your years of service, aiding in Justin’s digestion of tacos, pizza, and breakfast cereals to name a few. We wish Justin’s gallbladder the best of luck in it’s future endeavors.

The Time is Now

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” Never in my life has this statement held more truth for me than now.

In December of 2008 I lost my job. As a result, the debts and stress soared to new heights. As if this was not enough, a few weeks ago I learned my gallbladder is full of gallstones, which has been the source of much discomfort the past four years.

However, during this difficult time, I realized my true passion…film criticism. I may never know why it took me 31 years to realize something which now seems so obvious, but instead of dwelling on the past, I am looking to the future.

A Sense of Direction

I have been unemployed since December 1, 2008. During this time I have observed many things about myself and life in general. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my years of employment and what I want for my future in the world of work. During my time away from work, I have had a few revelations. The most recent of which came to me while I was watching a biography on Robert Downey Jr. Once the revelation hit, I immediately grabbed my note book and began jotting down my thoughts. After the Robert Downey Jr. biography, I watched a biography on Johnny Depp. This biography brought even more revelations to my mind, which I promptly wrote down.