Free Solo, 4DX, Pumpkin Ales & Eighteen Inning Baseball

Not the most exciting of weeks, but alas. Monday through Wednesday I did a few things. This included a visit to Wal-Mart, time spent at Disney Springs and yet another airport trip. The Disney Springs sojourn was to see a film called Free Solo; it was a documentary made by National Geographic about the free solo climber Alex Honnold. Free solo climbing is when you do mountain climbing without any safety equipment at all. He is great at that activity yet he had the crazy idea to try and climb El Capitan at Yosemite National Park; I was there as a kid and what he did was go 3,000 miles straight up a vertical granite face with little in the way to grab on to. It was an insane thing to attempt so it was natural that such a guy was profiled. He was indeed a little weird but once you see him try it... talk about breathtaking. Wednesday I made the airport journey, this time to Orlando International; beforehand I killed time at a BJ's Brewhouse & Restaurant, where I had a pumpkin ale. The drive there and back was especially bad traffic-wise, both due to the number of cars & the number of maniacs and clueless bozos on the road.

Thursday I did nothing except drink a pumpkin ale; it was a large bottle from Elysian and the brew was The Great Pumpkin. It was indeed good. Friday, I saw the movie It on the big screen. No, I did not travel back in time to last fall... and I saw the movie theatrically last year. No, those Regal Cinemas locations that have 4DX auditoriums have a special deal this Halloween week where they show a few different horror films a day. I presume most are not familiar with 4DX; it's a wacky gimmick (to be honest) where not only the seats move around to the action but there are other effects like wind blowing at you and from the seat-and sometimes from the side-rain falling on you (that can be turned off with a button push) and while it didn't happen in this film, other movies have a scent option. The experience was definitely different; at times it was distracting but 4DX wasn't something I hated so one day I will have to try it out with a new release. I mean, on Friday the main reason why I finally gave this a shot when it's been around for a few years now... tickets are even more expensive than for an IMAX screening, but for this week the price was half-off. Only a few other people were there but I presume it's usually more busy.. at least I hope so for this place's sake. Oh, and It is still very good; hopefully next year's Chapter 2 is just as fun.

Before that I ate at a nearby Hooters. I know, I know... I wish the music wouldn't have been so loud in there; otherwise I had no complaints, about the food or other things... the weekend nothing was done at all. Sunday, the Chicago Bears played against the New York Jets. It was not worth the effort to go somewhere to watch the contest in full. At least the Bears easily won, albeit over a not so good team. I did see parts of all five World Series games, including Friday night's game that went eighteen innings and did not end until after 3 in the morning Eastern time. I would have been more interested in the Dodgers winning as their last World Series was in 1988-those are the breaks. Nothing's on the agenda yet for my upcoming week-I know I'll stumble into an adventure or two.

Michael Myers, Citrus Swirl Floats, Smirnoff Ice Smash & Chicken Guy!

Monday through Thursday had only a few exciting moments. One day I went to the Magic Kingdom, because why not? I have an annual pass so it means I don't have to stay there for many hours if the place is hotter and more crowded than expected, which it was on that day. Still, I spent a few hours there, went on several rides, had a meal, and the treat I had was a citrus swirl float from the Sunshine Tree Terrace, which was a good decision on my part. One early morning I had to drop someone off at the airport... yes, again. After that I had a tasty meal at the nearby Denny's.

Thursday itself had me at Disney Springs. First, I ate at a new restaurant called Chicken Guy!... the exclamation is in the name. It's a quick service place and only after entering the place did I realize the Guy was referring to Fieri; he is not lacking for restaurants he has some ownership in. The food was pretty good, thankfully. After that I went into the AMC to see the new Halloween, and in the Dolby Cinema, no less. The original film from 1978 is still a classic; most of the sequels ranged from OK to pretty bad. This new film is good so it's one of the best entries, but considering all the high praise I heard I was hoping for something I would love... instead, I only like the film. Alas. I won't go into details as to why I feel that way, except that there are some pretty stupid moments.

Friday I went to a Walmart to get a few items, and that was the “highlight” of the day. Saturday I did nothing at all. I am not carping about this as at least I had other things to do, like watch Live PD. The episodes this past weekend and the weekend before: incredible. The number of insane people, car chases, suspects running on foot, drunken fools... tremendous entertainment, it is. I did have a drink that I purchased recently at Total Wine & More. It was a Smirnoff Ice Smash, which I will just presume is a big hit among the college kids as not only do I understand they still drink Four Loko but this is 23.5 ounces at 8 percent alcohol... I mainly purchased the drink for laughs and because it was a few bucks. I tell you, it goes down a lot easier than a Four Loko.

Sunday was interesting. I did not pay too much attention to the Bears game; they played against the New England Patriots and I expected a big fat L and that did happen, even though they only lost by a touchdown and were literally a yard and a kick away from tying it at the end. To me that's worse than them getting their butt kicked so I am glad I went nowhere to watch that. While I did go to the local Wawa for a sandwich and to pick up a Mega Millions ticket (how can I turn down a minuscule chance at winning a 1.6 billion dollar jackpot?), my entertainment was in the evening: first was the drive to a place I had been only once or twice before, called Gator Joe's; my parents dig it. It is in a middle of nowhere town called Ocklawaha, which does have a claim to fame... those that known the 20's and 30's criminals the Barker Gang-led by Ma Barker-that city was their final stand in a showdown with police back in 1935. Anyhow, that place has decent food so it was about time I returned there. On the way back I went to another place I hadn't been to in a long while: Rural King. As I've mentioned in the past, that place is exactly what you'd expect from the name-including NRA and Smith & Wesson shirts... think of that how you will. I purchased several items there, including really cheap jeans.

I could once again complain about traffic this past week; I won't because it's something done by me all the time but one moment I do have to bring up: on Sunday while in a town I was passing a car (it was a four lane road) and out of nowhere a minivan started to pull out right in front of us! Both horns were blown and both vehicles slammed on their brakes before I swerved around that fool, who stopped in the middle of oncoming traffic. Things like this happen all the time in Florida, no kidding. Hopefully in the upcoming week there will be no further near-misses for me to discuss.

First Man, Spruce Lager & Realizing The NFL Is Truly Unwatchable Now

Here is what I've done since this past Monday. On Columbus Day (or Indigenous Peoples Day, depending on which you prefer) I ended up in the Altamonte Springs area, where I first stopped at a Total Wine & More to pick up some beer (including something from Sam Adams known as Spruce Lager; yes, beer made with spruce tips. Odd, yet not bad), then ate at a WingStop, a place I hadn't been to in awhile. It'd have been better if that WingStop wasn't approximately 50 degrees inside but at least their food is fine. That was the highlights of what I did on this day, where because of occasional rain I saw even worse Florida traffic than usual-such as the aftermath of a few accidents-and even when it was clear out there were a number of morons who were driving dumb in several different ways. As I did nothing on Tuesday and Wednesday, I'll mention two things: the Conor McGregor fight that happened on the 6^th of this month and its aftermath, it reminded me why I don't really watch the UFC or MMA in general anymore. It'd take way too long to explain all the reasons but I am glad I did not see a second of that fight. As for Hurricane Michael, I live a few hundred miles away from the Florida Panhandle so there was only some rain and wind where I live but that storm caused such catastrophic damage I feel awful for anyone that lives in the region.

Thursday, I went to the Florida Mall; I walked around and saw that some stores were new. Not a surprise, as I hadn't been there in awhile. Friday, it was a lame day overall as there were too many annoyances that piled up throughout the day. One highlight was going to the AMC at Altamonte Springs and as I am still an avid user of the AMC A-List app, that made it all the easier to see the new movie First Man on an IMAX screen... appropriate, as a few minutes near the end were shot with IMAX cameras. I understand why some were not fans of the film as it's focused on a man who was usually pretty stoic; it worked for me as I was never bored and as far back as I can remember I've enjoyed outer space so the topic seemed made for me anyhow. Friday and Saturday I did nothing of note; that was fine as it meant I did not have to deal with traffic, which was an issue throughout the week. There were amazing episodes of Live PD on and that captivated me.

Sunday, the Chicago Bears... they played at Miami against the Dolphins. I did not make the drive down there for the game; between being gone from the early morning until late at night, the exorbitant cost of a ticket and how the NFL has become even more unwatchable than it has the past few seasons (honestly, I am half expecting a new rule next season that all quarterbacks must be covered in bubble wrap to further protect those dainty little men)... thank goodness I did not make that long journey. Plus, the Bears lost right at the end of overtime and Miami had in a second string quarterback as the first string guy was injured; this result should not have happened. I did make a journey to see the game... I hadn't been to the Friendly Confines sports bar in a long while so why not return? At least I had a nice lunch and was able to bring home a nice dinner for someone else. But note that as I left this Chicago-themed place, some clowns were crowing about how their Dolphins won and trash-talking Chicago fans. They were ignored by me as honestly, I am better than those losers!

I'll close this out on a somber note. While I never got to talk to this individual personally, early last week someone who wrestled in Florida at local shows passed away due to a long illness they had. I will not mention their birth name but his wrestling persona was Navy Seal. On social media, many people in the scene were broken up over his death and had many different nice things to say about him; I regret not knowing someone so highly regarded but I still feel sad that he passed away.

When I return a week from today, I hope to be in a cheerier mood and much more importantly, I hope no further tragedies happen.

Hell Fest, Dumpster Fires & Skywalker Vineyards Sommita Pinot Noir

Last Monday through Wednesday not a heck of a lot happened. Sure, the Chicago Cubs ended their season by falling apart at the very end and flopping in the playoffs, but alas... I did take a trip to Walmart but that went as expected and nothing noteworthy happened there. Thus, I'll mention the film Hell Fest, which I saw during this time. The trailers made it look cool and despite the mixed reaction it has gotten from all walks of life-meaning, not just critics-I was hoping for the best. Well, I thought it rocked. It is like an 80's slasher in some ways and I appreciated how this was R-rated and thus some of the kills were rather graphic. The aesthetic and atmosphere were great, so it's a shame more people did not enjoy Hell Fest.

Thursday, I had the opportunity to go out and do something, so I made my return to the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. I did not need an excuse to attend that festival or have the opportunity to consume a few drinks but there was a great reason for me. Thursday happened to be the 39^th birthday of Rachael Leigh Cook; I lavished plenty of praise on her back in July... for a long time I fancied her so it was magical getting to see her in person back in July at a comic-con. I rate her cosmetic looks quite highly, but in addition she is quite funny and as I can attest to, she is very nice... and even when anxiety made me act even more socially awkward than usual during that professional photo I put on social media the next day then the short chat I had with her at her table as I purchased a photo she signed, Rachael was quite kind and I'll always appreciate that. Anyhow, I had food & drink there, so naturally I had a good time. I had wine both from Kurt Russell's winery (this wasn't the first time moment for me) and from George Lucas; of course that is known as Skywalker Vineyards. Both were tasty pinot noirs... not that I am an expert at that as wine isn't usually my drink of choice. As I've mentioned before, it's now become a popular thing to attend these Epcot festivals and wear shirts bragging that you are going to become drunk. It's definitely an expensive way to get hammered.

Friday I returned to the downtown area of where I live; this time I was with someone as we had food from the various food trucks around. There wasn't as many there as usual but it was all good as we both found meals that were decent. Saturday and Sunday I did nothing at all. At least I watched Live PD and on the Saturday edition of the show, a dumpster was literally on fire. Of course this made me laugh, as I often refer to things as dumpster fires. Speaking of that, the National Football League on Sunday... what I saw of the games yesterday, it was the usual nonsense from the league which leaves me “meh”. As the Chicago Bears had a bye week, at least I did not have to pay too much attention to all the kickers performing poorly, or those genius NFL head coaches who called the dumbest plays when they tried to score touchdowns or otherwise win the game.

When I return a week from today, hopefully I'll have more to discuss.

Cheddar Goblins, Smelly Patrons & Football Discussion, Both American & Australian

If you're wondering what a “cheddar goblin” is, it's a character that briefly appears in a new Nicolas Cage movie known as Mandy. For most (even me), you can only see it from an online rental via a service like Amazon or iTunes. A lot of people like this cult film but for me, I was rubbed the wrong way. It tried WAY too hard to be “cool” and a cult film; more often than not, a movie that does this will be something I won't like no matter what everyone else thinks. It's also highly pretentious and I found it all to be twaddle, despite a groovy synth score, nice lead performances from Cage & Andrea Riseborough, and at times you do get Crazy Nic Cage.

Anyhow, last Monday I went and got a haircut; as I always say it was much-needed. I also stopped by my city's library, as I hadn't been there in a long time. Tuesday I did nothing but Wednesday I went with someone to a Uno's Pizzeria & Grill. The cheese on my pizza was a little burned but it was still edible. At least we did not have to sit by a couple that walked in with a pungent aroma. We did not notice their stench but the person I was with overheard a conversation where a woman switched tables because the stinky couple was sitting right by them and this woman could not take that olfactory attack and had to get away. 

Thursday, I had to make yet another airport run; I picked someone up at the one in Sanford and drove back home; a good amount of the journey was in rain, some of it quite heavy... so of course people drove even worse than usual, as it's a Florida tradition. Before then I both walked around the mall in Sanford (as I hadn't been there in many, many months) and I ate at a Logan's Roadhouse; there isn't one close by me anymore so I only end up at one on rare occasions. My food was the typical for me but the drink was known as an Electric Lemonade; it was a frozen blue concoction with lemonade. The drink was as good as it sounds, so a wise decision on my part.

Friday through Sunday was devoted to football, both American and Australian. Late Friday night was the Australian Football League Grand Final, which is their championship game. I had no dog in the fight so I just sat back and watched as the West Coast Eagles came from behind to defeat Collingwood by only a few points. From Twitter, I now know that a lot of people don't like Collingwood... I am not quite sure why. Saturday I went and saw another small college football game live; this time it was the Southeastern Fire at the Webber Warriors; Webber does not have a stadium on campus so they've played at various stadiums over the years, and the one I was at on this night was an ancient high school field in Winter Haven with concrete bleachers that were not too comfortable to sit on for a few hours. Still, I can't complain because at least there was plenty of parking at the stadium so I did not have to walk a country mile like I did the previous Saturday. It was a fun game that Southeastern literally won in the final seconds; the score was 20-17.

Sunday, I was able to stay at home and see the Chicago Bears play against the Tampa Bay Bucs. The end result was a shock to even me; Chicago looked like one of the best teams in the NFL (or maybe Tampa Bay is just that bad) as they blistered them to a score of 48-10. I looked, and 2012 was the last season that they destroyed a team that badly. It was exciting to watch and I am glad there was none of that “roughing the passer” nonsense which is only the latest thing the NFL has done to try and ruin their own product... maybe one day I'll rant against that stupidity, but not today. The Bears have a bye week next weekend but I do have some ideas as to what I'll be discussing instead.