New car

Well I recently got a new car. More specifically, a 2018 Jeep Compass Sport 4x4.

 Why?  I apparently have not had good luck with A/C. My past 2 cars kept going out, and 4 summers of no A/C in the desert is not fun. So I traded in.  And I have been wanting my own Jeep.

So far, I am enjoying it. And yes I have been driving off road a little.

Thanksgiving holiday and weekend

For the Thanksgiving holiday, we went up to Washington, Utah.  We left on Wednesday night, after i got off work.  The drive up actually wasn't that bad.  Oddly it seemed better at night.  I spent time with the in-laws.  We had a great Thanksgiving day.  Food was great, and we had a good time.  We did watch some football, and the Vikings lost.

The next day was younger sister-in-law's birthday.  Happy birthday!!!  For some reason I thought she was younger than she is.  She and her hubby had plans, so we helped with watching the nephews.  We went to a craft fair, but to me it seemed more like a swap meet of mall kiosks than actual crafts.  Later I actually went to a park with the 3 older boys.  We drove some r/c's, and played on the playground.  The boys really enjoyed driving the Pro-line Ambush, even though it was slow.  Their dad and grandpa showed up with the 4th boy.  We played with some of the balls at the park.  After spending a few hours at the park, we went back home and had left overs for dinner.

I've actually gotten into doing a Thanksgiving sandwich.  Some places refer to it as the Bobby, and others as the Pilgrim.  I do bread, turkey, stuffing, mayo, and cheese.  I'm not real big on cranberries or cranberry sauce, but I will drink cranberry juice.  Go figure.

I also brought along a few of my indoor drones, but only flew the Inductrix FPV.  I let the nephews where the goggles, and they really enjoyed watching the flying.  Only one didn't get dizzy when doing the funnel move.

On Saturday, the wife and I went for pizza and the Pizza Factory.  A good pizza place.  After that, we meet everyone else at a park.  When driving their we tried using Waze.  It got us close, but wanted to take us into a gated community.  Luckily the park wasn't too far away, and we made it.  We just relaxed.  After the park, it was time for us to return back to Vegas.  We got back and all was well.

And now another personal bit of info: I drink beer.  Yay me!  But I actually prefer hard cider, with my favorites being Angry Orchard and Smith & Forge.  I do try to sample other beverages.  This weekend was Great Basin Wild Horse Amber Ale.  Please keep in mind that I am no connoisseur.  If I like it, I say I like it and I drink it.  If I actually finish a bottle, I definitely liked it.  I liked this one, and will pick it up again.

Well that's all for now.  I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!  Now on to the Christmas holiday!

Stay safe, drink responsibly, and be merry!

New Thrash Metal, and VG Soundtracks!

Hey! Another personal info post. ("Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?)  Sorry about that.

Eariler this year in January, Megadeth released a new album: Dystopia.  I finally got a digital copy back in July.  A great ablum!  Feels like their Countdown To Extinction album, which I have.  The only other full album I have of theirs is "So Far, So Good...So What!"  And then I have a few singles here and there.  I really should listen to some of their other older albums.

Just last week Metallica released "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct".  But if you are Metallica fan or follow me on Facebook, you know this.  And what is awesome about the promotion for releasing this album?  They did music videos for all the songs on the album.  They had already released 3: "Hardwired", "Moth Into Flame", and "Atlas, Rise".  All very awesome songs.  Then on Wednesday and Thursday last week (Nov 16 and 17), they released all of the other music videos.  I do not know of any other music group or artist that has ever released official music videos for every song on an album.  I would love to see more of this, and not every single album.  I know that would be very time consuming to do.  But I do think that more of the big names should do this.

Metallica actually released 2 version of this album.  A regular one with 12 new songs, and a deluxe one with 14 additional previous songs (most of which are live versions).  On iTunes the price difference was only $3, so I got the deluxe since I don't really have much of their older stuff.  I have "...And Justice For All" and "Metallica" (aka the black album), and singles here and there.  But I also did pick up the full "Master Of Puppets" album.

It's funny.  Here I am in my 40's getting into old school thrash metal.  Love it!

(OK, so what about this "VG" thing?)

I have also been getting into video game sound tracks.  This actually all started with Quake II.  With the original game, you could put the game disc in a CD player, and listen to the music tracks from the game.  So recently, mostly due to my r./c video, I have started "collecting" some video game soundtracks.  And 2 actual music soundtracks have been released.  One for the original DOOM done with actual instruments instead of  MIDI music, and from the new DOOM 2016 (or DOOM 4 as it has been dubbed).  Both are great metal music.  I do have a few other soundtracks.

Keep rocking! And papering and scissoring! Ha ha!

Fun with nephews

Today we too nephew #2 birthday shopping.  First we stopped off for lunch at Firehouse Subs, his choice.  We then went to Toys-R-Us, and he ended up getting a new r/c car.  I picked up 3 new Hot Wheels monster cars.  (But it's after Halloween, you know?)  Then back over to older sister-in-law's place.  When we got there, they were all playing outside, so we joined in.  We tossed around a couple of soft footballs.  They rode scouters.  And there was even an Otter Pop break.  It was a fun time.  I don't get to do much of that.

chairs and comics

Yesterday I got a new office chair.  Well, computer chair for home.  The one I have been using is easily 15+ years old, and has been showing its age for awhile.  I was supposed to get a chair from the in-laws.  Instead, that went to my younger sister in-law and her husband.  Mom in-law provided funds to get a new chair instead.  We went shopping at Staples.  I was going to get a small one, but wife convinced me to get a bigger one.  So I did.  And it is very nice to have a new chair.  I just assembled it this morning, and so far it is very good.  Hope that I can keep it nice and it lasts 15+ years.

For those that know me and follow me on social outlets know that I like comic books and characters.  Just last year I actually started collecting more comics.  My usual has been trying to get any Predator comics.  This is my favorite sci-fi/comic character.  Bad-ass aliens with kick-ass technology!  Sorry for the language. (no.  no you are not.)  They have actually been doing a lot for Aliens and Predator the past few years.  Here are some titles:

• Archie vs Predator
• Vampirella vs Aliens
• Fire and Stone under the following:
• Aliens
• Predators
• Aliens vs Predators
• Prometheus
• Dredd vs Predator

The Fire and Stone was done with 4 parts under each franchise(?), giving a total of 16 comics.  Now I am not sure what order to actually read them in as I am sure they all reference each other.  Dark Horse Comics is doing a new arc for the Aliens/Predator franchises called Life and Death.  And it is being done in the same manner, but being released one franchise at a time.  I guess this is to help us know where to start reading.  Hopefully this will encompass all 4 franchises.

I am also getting:

• the main Star Wars arc
• Deadpool
• Deadpool/Spider-man
• Deadpool and the Mercs for Money
• Puppet Master
• Batman Beyond
• Oblivion
• The Shadow
• The Lone Ranger and Green Hornet

Plus some other one-offs and short arcs.  The only problem is that I need to read them.  I really should set aside time for comic reading.  (I never expected to say that as an adult.)  There are so many more that I would like to get, but I need to keep my comic book budget in check.  After all I do have other pricey hobbies.

Well that's all for now.

Party on Wayne!  Party on Darth!

October movies week 4

And almost a week late.   Here is the list:

• Zoombies
• The Mummy 1999
• Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
• The Wolfman 2010
• I, Frankenstein
• The Fog
• Hotel Transylvania
• Monsters vs Aliens
• Dracula 1931
• The House of Dracula
• The Wolf Man 1941
• Young Frankenstein
• The Addams Family

I know that Universal is rebooting their monsters and trying to do a shared universe like the MCU.  Too bad they couldn't include The Wolfman and I, Frankenstein into it.  I actually enjoyed watching those movies.  Though I do have to admit that the original Wolf Man is better.  But I do like the new take on Frankenstein's monster with I, Frankenstein.  Oh well, I guess we'll wait and see what Universal does.  I hope the keep with the original Wolf Man, mostly.  I do like the idea that he is a reluctant werewolf in search of a cure.

Zoombies.  Well what's there to say about that one.  It's a Syfy pictures movie (The Asylum).  So basically what you would expect: a bunch of zoo animals become zombies and kill people, while a group of people try to escape.

Unfortunately I didn't get chance to watch any movies on Halloween.  But I did go over to younger sister-in-law's house and help hand out candy.  Yay!

Earlier at work, I wore some of my costume t-shirts.  I also participated in a potluck by baking some gluten free peanut butter cookies.  I actually tried to make them vegan.  No, I'm not vegan.  I also got in my new iPhone.  My previous one was requiring a recharge before i even left work, and after a full night of charging.  But the phone is over 3 years old too.  So it was time.  It was an OK Halloween.

At work, we have been allowed to grow beards again. So I have been doing that.  And I also found out that there are beard care products.  I have tried some from Badass Beard Care.  Next I am going to try some from Texas Beard Co.  I've been going for the outdoorsy scents.  So far I am likely the cedar and pine smell.  Oh, and no shave November is just like any other month for me now.

That's all for now.

Happy November!

October 2016 Movies Week 3

Well I'm posting this a little late, but I'm posting it.  Here is this weeks (don't you mean last weeks) movie list:

1. Resident Evil: Damnation
2. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
3. The War of the Worlds 1953
4. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1941
5. The Return of the Vampire 1943
6. Them!
7. Underworld
8. Lego Scooby-Doo!: Haunted Hollywood

Another mix of good and fun movies.  I've actually been enjoying the classic monster movies.  I think I'm going to have to remember to go to TCM and scroll through the list next year and hopefully catch a butch that I have missed.  Love watching these old classics. (I really should look at TCM's schedule more.  There are probably other great classic movies to watch.)

This past Friday was my 10th year anniversary.  Every year past 3 for me is a great one (I have my reasons, and not going into them here).  I'm going to have to try and do something extra next year, but we'll see how our schedules go.  I would like to take a train ride for one of our anniversaries. We went to Hash House A Go Go for brunch.  A very awesome place.  Their tag line is "Twisted Farm Food."  I ended up getting just a regular breakfast: eggs, potatoes, biscuit, bacon, and sausage.  It was good.  Will be going back, and I'll have to get something different.  The place seems a little like a bar and grill, farm food with good rock and roll.  We then went to see Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.  It's been a while since we saw the first one.  This one is good.  I like action films.  Then for dinner we ate at Panchos.  I'm not big on eating Mexican, mainly because I'm not big on spicy foods.  But I did have my first Chimichanga!  Thanks mostly to Deadpool.  It was the wife's pick so I agreed.

Well that's all I can think of for now.

"What evil lurks in the heart of man? Only the Shadow knows!"