Movie fun!

Good morning all--

In my constant movie watching I often see films that are, well, terrible (see post about "The Great Rupert") - but I must say I've seen 3 great films recently:

"That Uncertain Feeling" - a screwball comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch. I think it's my first Lubitsch film and it was hilarious! I followed this with "Something to Sing About" a Jame Cagney musical where he plays a singer trying to make it in Hollywood. He makes it, but doesn't realize it, as he goes on a 2-week honeymoon just as his picture is being released. When no one can find him, he becomes an instant celebrity. Returning to the states he's confronted with his stardom and the fact that he wasn't supposed to get "married" because of his contract. Musical numbers and dance numbers were excellent. In crisp black and white.

Then last night I watched "My Man Godfrey" another screwball comedy about a "Forgotten Man" (a homeless gentleman) who is adopted by a family of rich eccenctrics. The film was MAGICAL in its pacing, dialogue and acting. A wonderful, wonderful film.

All three in the public domain - so look for them. Cheap!

Later...

What a Weekend!

Okay - here's another try...

For a weekend with a Holiday - I need a holiday for the weekend. Friday night I went and saw "Gypsy" with my family. The next night I worked the show with my kids. Miriam got to spend 5 who hours in the house ALL BY HERSELF. I can't remember when I was alone for that long.

Sunday she went to church as she was scheduled for Sunday school and I slept in (sinner that I am). Saturday morning (sorry to bounce back a day) - Nick and I went to see "X-Men III" which was "good" - not "great." Should have been longer. "Lord of the Rings" longer.

I watched 6 other movies - all old black-and-white films. The most unique being a film entitled: "The Mighty Rupert" about a trained squirel that helps people. No. I'm not kidding. With Jimmy "big schnoz" Durante. It was produced by George Pal who did the first "War of the Worlds" I would assume this was made BEFORE "War" but that dead animatronic stop motion squirel was far more creepy than a three-eyed alien.

Sunday we had an impromptu party at the house for 10 teenagers. Thrills. They were at our house from 2 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. It was the same day as my 22nd anniversary of mine and Miriam's first date. Spent with a bunch of kids - spending money we shouldn't have... Heavy sigh.

Yesterday, our day off, was spent doing chores. Ended the day watching the Mariners lose (again), having a steak dinner, and watching my soap opera (WWE Wrestling).

Almost more relaxing to be at work!

OOOOH, lookee! TRAINS!

I just have to comment that I think it's friggin' hilarious that on the news this morning they did a report on the power outage in the Northeast and how it stopped train service.

Did the footage show people waiting?

Did it have interviews of mothers and fathers complaining that they couldn't get home to their dying/starving children?

No. It showed a bunch of trains in a train yard and they were, uh, sitting there. Oh and there was one shot of a guy looking at the trains.

Compelling, COMPELLING news.

Car Purchased

Am I excited?

So, knowing full well that this car was already tops on Miriam's list (and her father's), it was just a matter of time before I was vetoed out of whatever my thought was/were.

Still, I had hoped for one more weekend of car shopping. Heck, if you went to the Lynnwood Ford Dealership you got a FREE GEORGE FORMAN GRILL - just for a test drive! But, I knew as my previous blog said: That the odds were stacked against me.

Down we went to the dealership - a small place. No pressure, really, but still a couple things I thought were "shady" (but I'll get to those in a moment).

We looked at the car and it was nice and Miriam took it for a test drive and that went well and around the block we went. On the way down Miriam's dad offered to buy tires for the car and with that in my back pocket, I really couldn't say no. Could I?

When we finally got into the dealership and started talking money - I clammed up. I still wanted to wait the weekend but with free tires and a nice car and a beaming wife and a contented father-in-law - DID I REALLY HAVE AN ARGUMENT? So I sat in silence.

Which was worse. "Why are you so quiet? What do you think? Are you okay with this?" Now, do they REALLY want to know - or are they throwing the questions to you out of courtesy? And was I really going to tell them with contract in front of me IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DEALERSHIP?

We signed the paperwork, wrote out a check for 2 thousand dollars and left. We still have to get the rest of the money ($8,171) - but that's a mere formality which will be resolved in 48 hours.

We got home and Miriam asked me again and I told her again what my issues were. But they carried no weight. What weight could they carry now? Really?

Here are the shady things I did not like:

1. They used "auction" numbers in regards to the trade-in of our mini-van. We know by Kelly Blue Book that the van can be sold for as much as $2,700 in "good" condition. The auction list's top amount was $1,200. They offered us $1,500. They'll probably sell it for $2,500.

2. The car came with a 3 month, 3,000 mile warranty which was, unknown to us, removed from the deal. So this "supposed" warranty doesn't exist now. What was it worth? Why didn't they tell us?

Heavy Sigh

Okay, why do I even try? Or have a comment? Or, really, two cents.

So the week has been busy. Taught my last "Film Study Class" last night. 8 weeks. Good to get it done, but sad to see it go. Gosh I love teaching.

While I was doing that, Miriam and her father were checking out the cars at Classic Coaches on Aurora and making a determination that this Toyota Camry with 66,000 miles on it (a 1999) was a good buy at 10Gs. Still, I think, we can buy a NEWER car than one that is 7 years old. But as I taught they bargained.

By the time I got home the decision had, pretty much, been made. I STILL want to wait through this weekend and see what special "Memorial Day Sales" all the various car lots will have - but my voice is echoing.

Yesterday I found a 2005 Hyundai with 11,000 miles for $9,000. Still 4 more years under warranty. 55,000 miles less than the car she's looking at. When I brought it up she said flatly:

"I'm not buying a Hyundai." Oh, okay. Swell. What if I said: "I'm not buying a Toyota?" Then where would we be?

More conversations. She found a car that was not even in the same class to compare to to make me think this other one was even better. Heavy sigh. I can tell you right now that we're buying this car. A car I haven't seen, driven, licked, or ANYTHING. But it's what she wants. And I'll be damned if I don't let her get it.

Stay tuned.

Better Day - Still Car Hunting

Went to another place last night.

I had a splitting headache after doing ALL the work yesterday (wah wah) and showed up at home with wife holding printed pages and VIN numbers.

I had a meeting at church, thank GOD, so we weren't going to be out until 10 p.m. kicking tires and being hassled.

Still, attempted to drop my daughter off at her friend's house. Her friend is a boy but he's not a "boy friend." Though when I jokingly said: "Michelle would like him as a boyfriend." She didn't deny it.

Anyway, she was going to a church function with him - but he left without her - BASTARD! Then to Mazada on Aurora. The car Miriam was looking for was sold just 20 minutes earlier, but then we wandered the lot until 7 p.m.

Off to "The Pizza Man" for dinner. On Mondays you can get a large 1 topping pizza for $3.99. We always get 2 (one with Pepperoni and one with Canadian Bacon). Got those, home to eat two slices (one of each) and then off to my church meeting!

When I got home I had to channel switch from my soap opera (WWE Professional Wrestling), to the Clippers v. Suns game 7 and the Mariners.

At least my headache went away.

Ooops

Forgot to mention work.

I work in a 3 person department.

2 people are out today.

That leaves me doing all the work...

I'm going to go to the Indian All You Can Eat buffet on Queen Anne Hill. Yummy.

To heck with the back-load of work.

Car Shopping and Work

Welcome to Monday.

We said we weren't going to go car shopping until Memorial Day Weekend but found ourselves shopping on Saturday.

All the important things we wanted to look at, or were priorities...

low mileage
good gas mileage
small car
ABS
Automatic
low cost (under $10,000)

Got thrown out the window by the 4th place we stopped.

I still that the Kia Spectra for $8,000 was a nice little car. 03 with 20,000 miles. When we were accosted at CarPros, though, that was it and we vowed never to go back to them (though I DID like, and drive, a red Hyundai) - but they didn't want to let us go. The bastards.

On Sunday Miriam finally decided that she wanted a Honda or a Toyota - and wasn't really going to take less - even though the costs, to me at least, were prohibitive.

We're still looking.

I wonder if that Spectra is still available.

300+ e-mails

I hit over 300 e-mails by 4 p.m. on Friday. Another successful week.

Why do I care? I don't know.

Car Shopping and E-mails

At 8:40 I have 240 e-mails. Will I get the required 60 today and tomorrow. Doubt it.

Starting Car Shopping with my spouse which is always an adventure when you're shelling out $10,000. Got into a bit of an argument last night about a car that she thought was "perfect" and I thought was, well, "less than perfect."

We'll be car hunting this weekend. Can it really be that hard to find a decent newish car?

tick tick tick

223 e-mails so far at 4:09 PST

I'm gone.

What a day...

With all that is going on around work, the day started out pretty boring. I was given a lap-top with REALLY small screen and was told to use that. I used it for about an hour and realized that I was going to get carpal tunel if I continue working at it.

I went back to my other computer and worked there and then the system entirely crashed and burned. BLEAH. So things had to be shut down, work piled up and then more work piled up. E-mails galore.

I consider 300 e-mails a week busy. I was behind in totals earlier today so I didn't think I'd get to my 240 by Thursday. As of now I have 221. Will I get 19 by midnight tonight. No. But I also don't count Saturday in that mix. Am I rambling?

I am.

Must go to Happiness now. I will write about the play later.

Reason for the Title

It was post High School. I had made friends with a group from Shoreline High School in "North Seattle" (the school is now closed). Due to my lack of self-esteem, or whatever, I used to say to people I would meet:

"Hi, my name is Matt - like, wipe your feet on the Matt." (ha ha)

My good friend Carolyn (who I was secretly in love with at the time) got very iritated by this but, what the hey, it made people laugh. I accomplished my goal.

Day

As in: "what a..."

I'm tired again. Co-worker having surgery. Another co-worker going to have surgery...probably.

I'm trying to be proactive about my position - but that doesn't seem to work in terms of the "powers that be" so go F**KING FIGURE!

Oh, sorry, venting.

Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Tired

It's been a long day. Feel like I will have no staff soon - then what?

Threat of out-sourcing looming. Possible job for me to go to where I would make more $$. Am I willing to take the risk to threaten to leave to get more money here?

People often say: "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." For some reason, I grew up with the saying: "The squeaky wheel gets replaced by a wheel that doesn't squeak."

In the morning, in the evening...

ain't we got fun?

Once again, I'm getting the short end of the stick at my work. I have to bend over backwards for everyone else - though, seemingly, no one ever bends over backwards for me. Heavy sigh.

Ooops

Making somone feel bad - by trying to make them feel good:

I went up to a co-worker today - a young guy, mid 30's and said:

"So... Did you call your mom yesterday (mother's day)?"

He said:

"Uh, no, my mom's dead."

ooops

Randomness

This site is going to be, as the title suggests, random thoughts on a myriad of subjects. I have other websites that I have created, or participate in, that have real articles that deal with real subject matters like: Movies, Rock Concerts, High School and Sex. Sounds like my High School experience (without the sex).

Welcome?

This is a new blog. Aren't we excited?

Good.

Now what the hell do I do?