Oil is pronounced OL

Virginia weather is crazy. My first weekend in the grand ol' city of Richmond, hurricane Ernesto dropped on us. "Luckily" at this point, the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm. The boiler in our house went KAPUT and we were out of hot water for a week while it was being fixed.

Since this time, we have had our cellar flooded 2 and a half times. Welcome to Virginia! Locals have told me that the weather this fall is abnormal. I am not so sure.

For years, I wondered why the weather channel actually existed. Why on earth would a channel need to dedicate 24/7 programming to something as boring as the weather? Last thursday I watched this channel for over two hours. I eat my words.


There was a TORNADO WATCH! Does this scare anybody else? At the height of the storm I was outside brooming water away from the house as it was pooring down into our cellar. Since I have moved here, I have learned the joys of a sump pump and an above ground oil tank.


Oil is pronounced OL in Richmond, VA.

Never become committed to a show with cocky Executive Producers

This summer, I made the leap into a cultural phenomenon. It cost me $87 to join, and I have invested at least 50+ hours into the cause.

I am a Lost addict.


I admit this with a reluctant heart. Even to the point of self-ridicule and the knowledge that I did this to myself. While I was in NY on my internship, I needed something to do to pass the time while I lived as a "single" dude in the City. Since money was tight...I was paying my dues in the form of an unpaid internship AND tuition, I needed something to do that was free (a one time cost at least;)

I also needed to get OUT OF THE HEAT. (Man, I don't miss the scorching temperatures of an NYC summer).

I digress.

So in my mind, I justified the purchase of season 1 on DVD. I knew what I was getting into. Instantly, I was hooked. Perhaps it was the power to watch as many episodes I wanted at my fingertips. The storylines were intriguing and the action and character development were fun and satisfying. I zipped through season 1 in about 3 weeks, tops. As an addict, I could not control my urge to purchase season 2 on iTunes as it had not made it to DVD yet. Two weeks later, and I was done with that season as well.

Now, here I am, 6 weeks into season 3 and I am not a happy camper.

This is the meat of what I am trying to say. NEVER BECOME COMMITTED TO A SHOW WITH COCKY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS. Mr. Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof how I despise you now.

Really. I do.

As a public service, I have created a quick how-to guide for any up-and-coming Television producers.

GUIDEBOOK FOR COCKY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

1. Create a brilliant show. TV viewers get hooked on said show with a huge budget, all-star cast and great location. Throw in some mystery, clever flashback sequences and mix all together...


=the most popular water-cooler TV show in recent history.

2. Entice these fans to interact with all aspects of the show. Create a community in which people can speculate about the mysteries of the storyline and the island. These said fans will spend loads of money on DVD's and whatnot. Win some Emmy's.


3. Let it all go to your head. This includes smug podcasts, teasing of loyal fans, arrogance and the ability to write mysterious storylines into a corner. Make sure to avoid answering any real plot questions or mysteries.

The sad thing about the show is it really used to be brilliant. My feeling is that the production staff is trying to milk the series for all the money its worth. Pressure from ABC and its investors have put the creators of LOST in a hard position.

They are stretching out the show.

My feeling is that the writers really only had a story which would be told in about 4 or 5 seasons. Since the LOST franchise has brought in so much revenue, they are trying to spread out the show to last much longer than originally, or creatively planned.

Anyone who has seen Season 3 can testify of this. Each week, the fans get their hopes up. "This week will be better...some questions will be answered....it'll get moving." And each week we are dissapointed.


Sad thing is, since I have invested so much time into the series, I have chosen to stay until the bitter end. In the meantime, these two smug Exec Producers, Mr. Cuse, and Mr. Lindelof continue to insult the intelligence of their viewers. They do this by systematically neglecting to answer any real mysteries that have arisen since LOST began over 2 years ago.

According to the Neilsen Ratings, Lost has continued its downward slide in the ratings. Hmm, imagine that. I guess money really does talk. Hopefully this 'lost' revenue will cause these dudes to wipe the smug look off their faces and give us some real answers.

ahhhh Richmond

Looks like we made some national news.

Voting mishaps

Yorktown

Last Saturday, we went to the 225th anniversary of the Battle @ Yorktown, VA.

I am from the OTHER Washington, as in the state, and I have no recollection of this all-important battle during the Revolutionary War. Not to say that the education system let me down as a child. Its just that the happenings of the eastern United States 200+ years ago went in one ear and out the other.

I (heart) history, just not when I am tested on it.


I learned an important lesson on this particular sunny Saturday. Do not, under any circumstance, give your email address to a Revolutionary war actor/volunteer. Even if it is your junk email account. I have received 4 group emails* (see spam) since Saturday. He is a nice enough guy(on the left), just REALLY passionate about these reenacments.

Those costumes are extremely expensive, and I was suprised to see the following these events have. People from all over the country convene and a good time is had by all.

change

The past year has been filled with big changes. (in no particular order)

1. marriage
2. three different jobs
3. leaving Provo
4. un-paid internship in NY
5. living apart for the summer. this one was interesting to say the least as I had 4 single roomates and no Elissa :(
6. 2nd internship/slave job
7. supportive law school spouse (wink)
8. renting a real house
9. finding real job (still working on that one).

The hardest change so far? Getting a Virginia license. Yeah. So I am lame. During my 4.5 years as a college student I proudly displayed my WA drivers license to anyone who would ask to see it. I didn't get very many requests, but thats not the point. I had my identity as an outsider, a rebel without a clue if you will.

Lenny the Lumina had his matching License plates 111-AHM (*) (* changed to protect my identity ;) Whenever I would drive my 4 door grandpa-mobile around P-town I would happily display that plate like a badge of honor. "Hey...I'm not from Utah, check out my Washington plates. That is why I am a better driver than you."


Now, I look at Lenny and all I see is assimilation. As far as anybody knows, I am from VA, I have always lived here, and I'm not going anywhere. This is entirely not true! I am from the great state of Washington, birthplace of the apple and grunge music.


Don't get me wrong...Virginia is a beautiful state...HELLO! "It's for Lovers" TM. It's also home of the Dave Matthews Band and Philip Morris! I just miss the noteriety (albeit small), of standing out a little in a sea of bland license plates. I live in Virginia now, and that is not gonna change anytime soon.

Now that I am in Nascar country I need to take some pride. Tom Cruise drove a Lumina in Days of Thunder. Beat that.

paradigm shift

Two weeks ago, I had a paradigm shift.

I know thats a rather heady way to begin a post, but there is not a simpler way to describe the events that transpired to get me to this declaration.

It all started on the morning of September 20th. About 7:30am I did one of those half awake full body stretches. You know the type that causes your legs to defiantly resist the movement by involuntarily spasming (well not a REAL spasm... *ask if you need further clarification on the morning stretch). On this particular morning, I was not even 15% awake when I did the stretch. The next thing I knew, I was SCREAMING, as pain shot from my lower back. I could feel it all the way down in my legs. I swear that Elissa about had a heart attack as she was still fast asleep when she was instantly woken up by my outburst. No matter how I moved, it hurt.


Back story: A week previous to this occurance my back had started hurting at work as I was shuttling clients from a hotel to a photoshoot. It wasn't too bad, but the pain was annoying.

Anyway, long story short I "threw out my back." as the old-timers say. I insisted to Lissy that I needed to go to work and plead my case. When my boss saw me, she knew that my shuffle walk was a result of said injury and allowed me to go home. Both Wednesday and Thursday were spent on my back, watching episodes of 24; the most highly addictive show on TV. Don't start unless you have the stamina to watch at least 2 a day. Other side effects include perpetual teeth clenching.

Back to the story. I learned a few important lessons while being quasi-immobile for 2 days.

1. Never take your back for granted. EVERY movement you make involves your back, and when you are injured, every movement you make can be felt in said back. ouch.

2. When you have legitimate back pain, if something drops on the ground, its as good as gone. At one point, I dropped the entire container of Q-tips on the bathroom floor. They might as well have been lost in the Bermuda Triangle...they were GONE.

3. Too much 24 makes you paranoid.



COMING SOON TO A BLOG NEAR YOU....

"The Paradigm Shift Continues" (Including excerpts from the crazy phone story and the trauma of getting a VA license).

HALLELUJAH! We have internet again

For the two people following my struggling blog, you know that it has been about 2 months since I posted. The sad news is I have been without the World Wide Web at home. I know, I know, poor me. You try it though and I doubt you would last long.

I finished my internship in NYC. Bittersweet. I was super excited to live with my wife again, but sad to leave my co-workers. Who would have thought that I would have warmed up to the City so fast?

This fall, Elissa and I moved to a 2 Bdr house in Richmond, VA. Its a nice little place with all the amenities we could ever want. Deluxe washer/dryer combo from the 80's, AND a killer Wal-mart pond in the front. The times are good and the lifestyle is laid back. We are in NASCAR country.


Fans of the Weather channel will remember the tropical storm/hurricane Ernesto. Turns out without TV, internet and AM radio, we didn't find out about the storm until Elissa got a concerned phone call from her parents. We just thought that Richmond rained a lot. So, we survived our first tropical storm. Welcome to Virginia Brent and Elissa! The only bummer was we had a foot of water in our cellar which consequently knocked out our hot water for a week. Beside the faint smell of home heating oil, things are almost back to normal at Reese Manor.

Elissa is enjoying the U of Richmond Law School as her teachers are "easing them into it." Forty plus hours of reading a week is not my idea of "easing!" I am at an advertising internship at Circle S Studio. You haven't heard of it? Not surprised, as not many have. This will be a short-lived stint as I am heavily involved in looking for a "real job." I could write a whole blog on how much I have become the whipping boy/intern man at this place.

"Hey Brent!, can you organize my business cards alphabetically?" SURE!!

"Hey Brent, can you buy a file cabinet from Staples and assemble it?" Yessiree...ain't no thang. This is NOT what I went to school for!! I am so done with paying my dues!

You never realize how it centers your chi to be able to watch a dozen film trailers on apple.com. Aaaah the life of being connected again.

What I am thinking... "Barbara Walters is an amazing journalist!"

What Jake is thinking... "I wish I didn't have to run EVERYTHING at Tomax. 010 010010100 01 0101 010101 010 100100101"

We are so glad you are ok, Jakey Pooh.

I'm meeeeelting!

Another week has passed, and I am still alive in NYC. I don't know why because it is hot enough to cook a small turkey. The subway walls are melting.

Literally.

I would take a picture, but I am afraid that my camera would melt. This is me last week, before I wilted into a puddle of intern goo.

NY rights of passage

Since I arrived in the Big Apple, I have had two experiences, which I felt, were rights of passage.

The first occurred when I was walking in a subway tunnel near Grand Central Station. I noticed that a large crowd had formed to the left of me, accompanied with the feel-good groove of Michael Jackson's "Billy Jean" echoing against the tunnel walls. My curiosity got the best of me, so I went over to take a look.
There, before my very eyes... was a midget MJ impersonator. I joined in the energy of the group and had a good laugh (took a couple of phone pictures as well). His schtick ended abruptly as the song came to a close, and he walked (more like waddled) around to gather his nominal fee in a bucket. Only in NY folks!

The second event happened at lunch during my first week. I was wandering around Greenwich Village, looking for a good place to eat, and I remembered that a co-worker had told me about a Japanese restaurant called Monster Sushi. I decided to check it out since Elissa does not share my same enthusiasm for raw fish (I have to get my fill when I can ;) I brought along the book I am supposed to read for my internship (The Tipping Point), and was having a nice time eating my teriyaki when I noticed that 3 patrons, out of the 8 total people in the restaurant, started talking to the two women adjacent to my table. "I am your biggest fan, I loved you in Brokeback.....I don't normally do this, but can I get a picture with you?" Apparently, the woman who had her back to me was none other than Anne Hathaway. I'll have you know that she and her mother have a completely normal relationship. At one point, I remember her mother saying "You owe me $50 for the contacts." I think Anne is good for the money.
She was very nice and courteous to her fans, and graciously accommodated their request for a photo and a signature. When they were posing, I could have reached out and poked Ms. Hathaway in the butt. It's an interesting experience to have a famous person's behind in your face as you are trying to eat lunch. I didn't finish the page I was reading. Who wouldn't eavesdrop on a celebrity if they had the chance?

Round 2

So my brief blogging experiment was a flash in the pan. I started with every intention of posting quasi-regularly, and failed miserably. Even this "regret filled lax in blogging" post is a page right out of the unofficial blogger.com handbook. Just trying to keep up with the posting Jones's.


The original posts were actually when Elissa was on a small business trip back East and I was all alone. Poor me. For the last 2 weeks, I have been living in NY as I fufill my internship requirement for graduation. If I am to sum up the City in one word....OVEN. This place is a-cookin'.
I am at an agency by the name of The Geppetto Group. www.geppettogroup.com. More details to come later, but I am enjoying my time working with the Account Planners.

The real experiment will begin after I finish my internship in NY and I am with Elissa again. If I continue to post religiously, then I might actually catch the bug.

peace out.

the most important meal of the day

So, two weeks ago, Elissa and I flew to California.

Out of the blue, we decided to get away on a weekend trip (mainly to go to Knotts Berry Farms) with our best friends, Jake and Odessa. If you are ever in Anaheim, CA, go to the Pancake House! It has the BEST breakfast I have ever had. More details to come later about our fantabulous trip.

Separation=Anxiety

I believe in karma. At least a mormon watered-down version of it.

In my single days, I would always mock people who could not handle being alone. Elissa has been out of town the whole week and I am a mess. Well, not really a mess, but I miss her. Ya know? I guess it all comes back around.

She has been on a business trip to Massachusetts, and I have been king of the house. I haven't done the dishes all week. Its been great!

It's quiet here. A little too quiet. I didn't fully realize how attached you can get to a person. So the overall consensus here in #308...We want our Queen Elissagan back.

The Beginning of the End

Hello blogging world. The past year, I have observed the blogging phenomenon from the sidelines. In doing so, I noticed an important insight regarding the socially accepted protocol.

This insight revolves around the importance of the inaugural blog. There is a lot of weight riding on the witty dialogue I initially throw down. It might even set the tone for my entire blogging lifetime. Hope it was good. I think I crashed and burned.

Oh, and about the picture. Unruly children need a Hulk glove beat-down.