Last night my friend/date and I went to The Maize on Niagara Falls Blvd. It was dark, hot and fun. In previous times, I had only gone as part of a "field trip" with the consumers I worked with, therefore not having the opportunity to enjoy the Maize for myself (many behavioral challenges). Also, I never went at night; the ideal time to go get lost in a maze among the cornstalks. The light of the almost full moon added to the effect.

Its open until 9pm S-Th, until 11pm Fri and Sat. Cost is $7 Bring a flashlight and a couple of hours to spare. We arrived around 7:45 and finished around 9:30.



On Sunday, we had gone out to the House of Horrors and Haunted Catacombs located on George Urban Blvd (near Dick Rd). We pretty much had the place to ourselves. I loved it!!

[box]General Admission $20
Includes Admission To All Monstrous Attractions:The House Of Horrors, Haunted Catacombs, and The all New Psycho Therapy and City Of the Dead In 3-D.

$3 Off Coupons Available at: Burger King, FYE, Mighty Taco, Best Buy, Blockbuster Video, Delta Sonic, Subway, Dunn Tire, Cold Stone Creamery, Verizon Wireless, Fantastic Sam's, and Tanning Bed Locations[/box]

This was insanely cool and not for the faint of heart. I mean you, (e:mike)! It will make you cry, lol. (e:ladycroft)- you would LOVE it. Why did we never venture out and explore all the halloween activities before? ok, it really does all add up. This one is $20 but TOTALLY worth it. I would do it all over again. Get your $3 discount at the above locations or print one out on the website.

Anyway, very sensory oriented- not for the claustrophobic! Some stinky stuff, some very unexpected things to have to do, fun actors, great props, awesome atmosphere. Honestly it was a turn on.

I can't get into it, because you just have to go an experience it and not know what to expect before hand. The hours run late-- seem to close the earliest at 10pm.. and some nights 1am. FUN!!

There are a lot more things going on-- I want to hit up as many as possible. It may seem a bit early, but some things I want to experience without a mass of people around me; which is sure to occur the closer to Halloween it gets.

On to the b-day photo dump. A LOT of pics ahead. Bonfire was fun- good food, drink and friends. Didnt keep track fully, but--I was very tickled to see (e:libertad), (e:mike), (e:paul), (e:terry), (e:jim), (e:james), (e:metalpeter), (e:zobar), (e:dragonlady7), (e:pyrcedgrrl), (e:vincent) also all my buds, Lynn, Damian, Shawn, AJ, Solomon, Shawn(girl), Rainy, Katie, Steve, (e:soma) was missed! Lishy, Barry, Rhonny, and others will get a kick in the ass!). I snagged a bunch of (e:metalpeter,41296) to add to my picture folder, so I hope not to accidentally add any of his here. Also a few pcitures from a b-day night out at Diablo are included.














































































































JIGGLY FACE montage:
this was really entertaining- it was hard for me to keep from laughing, as you will see..

damn tequila.

I vaguely recall some ass shaking.

...more when I get some quality sleep.

• was up very early this morning after going to bed just a few hours before, to get out and get things for the bonfire party on Saturday. I think all the food stuff has been figured out.

• (e:pyrcedgrrl) presented me with b-day gifts today. I LOVE them. A super awesome comfy pretty mottled pink sweater and a vibrating cow print roll pillow. I need to take a pic.

• thank you for all of the birthday wishes!

• Tomorrow (friday) I will spend time getting the yard prepared. My bonfire pit has a tree or something growing out of the middle of it. Apparently I haven't hosted a bonfire in awhile.

• TATS was crazy this evening. It pulled in one heck of a crowd, perhaps the busiest I have seen it in awhile. People were crazy for Dropkick Murphys.

• this is more than I care to get into at the moment, but the evening gave me a headache and a few "red flags". I hate miscommunication, but what can you do other than try to sort it out as easily and respectfully as possible? Crapola. Also too much contact with cigarette smoke at the square contributed to it too. yuck.

• if you are into Lolcats AND into Postsecret, there is now Lolsecretz. Its creative..

"The meeting of two of the internet's most famous memes- PostSecret and LOLcats."

• I'm sad when I miss the Colbert Report. I just realized I completely missed tonights episode. Stephen would have helped make me laugh and snicker my headache away.

• sigh*

YAY! Enjoy your Day :)





Love the September B-days!!

As you know, I always encourage people to celebrate not only the birth-day but the whole birth-week. Seems to work that way anyway- getting together with friends at various times, getting together with family at another, perhaps a little something at work too. And so, this past weekend commenced the beginning of my birthday celebrations.

Anyway, I made my way out to Diablo Friday night, for the 2nd annual RIP Continental party. I don't get out there that often and it was nice to make specific plans to meet up with a bunch of friends for celebratory debauchary. Thanks for the birthday drink, (e:soma)! Tattoo Rum and Coke is too yummy.Great to hang, its been awhile! It was also a pleasure to chill with (e:pyrcedgrrl), (e:redletterweek), (e:vincent), and our other buds- Harry, Katie, Rainy, Shawn, & Solomon.

Yesterday was dinner and a movie. A very nice evening. I finally got to see, Balls of Fury. Funny, but not as hilarious as I think it could have been. However, Christopher Walken and the sex slaves made me giggle endlessly. I need to see, Superbad. And scrumptious Clive Owen on the big screen in, 'Shoot 'em up'.

Today at some point, my mom will be over. She hasn't been feeling well, which I hate to hear. I'm not sure if its a quick visit or if there are plans for dinner or something. My step-dad called me today as well, wondering what i am up to. I think he will come over when my mom does. This actual birthday evening will most likely be free for me.

Then, the celebrations will wrap up this Saturday with my South of the Border bonfire. Come on out!
and (e:ladycroft) it feels TOO WEIRD not to have you here. OY!
I hope someone will be taking lots of pics.

I just love this picture of (e:soma) and I.


Good and Evil:






There were a lot more from that night, but I'll wait and eventually do a b-day photo purge on here; keep it all together.

So, I'm beginning to prep for the Bonfire. Weather is supposed to be perfect. As always, I will plan on having something set up in case the weather isn't so great. Set up my garage for shelter along with access to the apartment-- give people options.

Right now I am looking for inexpensive margarita glasses; preferably plastic, reusable and again, CHEAP. Does not matter what they look like. Party City was ridiculous on cup prices- because it had a little design they go for 3-5 bucks a piece. Um, no. I'll buy a bag of colorful plastic cups instead.

I found a pinata at Party City that was reasonable and that will provide a perfect medium for drunk people to be blindfolded and given a bat. While it isn't a good idea, it certainly is a fun one. :D

I saw a bunch of party decorating stuff that would be fun to have, but decided against. I think I will keep it simple. I think-- I still have till Saturday to figure it out. Anyway, an inflatable colorful sombrero that is used as a cooler by lining the outer part of the hat with ice and sticking bottles of beer in the brim. Its cute; I kinda want it, but not sure- I don't want to go crazy on stuff like that.

and I want Sombreros too, thanks to (e:janelle)'s idea.

Again, I will give myself a few more days to really think about it. The main thing is good food, drink and company. PARTAY!

Loafing can be a most excellent way to enjoy the weekend, (e:mrmike)!

After a couple of very late nights (and getting up too early), the lack of sleep muddled my brain enough to fail to take the initiative in going to spend time with a new friend. I can be such a dork.

Instead, I watched a marathon of Scrubs on Comedy Central and played a few rounds of, "Orphan Feast". I hadn't played it before now. (e:pyrcedgrrl) introduced me to it, explaining to me that "it's a game set in London in 1886, and you have to catch and bag orphans so you can eat them all the while fighting off cops and prostitutes" jeez, what is the world coming too. What about the good ole days of rape and pillage? ;)


anyway, as with all things AdultSwim, you can expect a healthy dose of perversion. Wanna play?



Going out would have been nice, but staying in faired well for my sleep deprived brain. I did run out into the evening for a long brisk walk (sleepy brained yes, but still with oodles of physical energy; as usual).

Multiple episodes of Scrubs and a few rounds of Orphan Feast; not shabby for a Saturday in.

right?

haha..

I am stumped as to what to go and do today.


What activities/events are going on this afternoon- evening?

Thursday at the Square, September 13th

I wasn't paying much attention this summer, but its the 20th anniversary of Thursday at the Square.

It was a perfect evening to venture downtown for the second to last TATS performance. Although I had not seen or heard, Charlie Hunter Trio previously, what little I did know, made me eager to know more.

I am pleased to the point of popping! I intend to buy some music very soon. I know a lot of the sounds and experience in general is lost in a venue like TATS, so acquiring a cd or going to another concert should prove to magnify the experience I had. I LOVE finding 'new' music. I'm in a perpetual search for 'good music'; yes, subjective, I know.


Anders Osborne was the other performance. I like blues, I love the Saxaphone, I deeply enjoy tuning into one instrument all the while feeling the symphony of cohesion. Anders didn't have that. It felt mechanical. Not sure if this is the norm or if anyone picked up on that, but it decreased my favorability, and instead I found my mind wandering to the going-ons of everyone else.
Hey, I saw a lady hauled off in handcuffs, escorted by two officers, one of which was carry her purse by his elbow. I saw kids (or men?) doing wheelies on bikes, one of which fell off the back when the rear tire kept going forward mid wheelie. I saw the extreme pleasure a man took in dancing his own special rhythm to Anders Osborne. I wasn't sure if he has his own music in his head, or if he was just really letting loose, if so, I kinda dig that.

I usually sit in the same spot- up near the statues, and I have noticed that this year, I have seen the same people when I go. The ever present "air guitar" player did not disappoint in contributing his participation with the bands. Please tell me someone has seen this guy? haha, he is always to the right of the stage. Also, the super funny older 'drunk guys' found their way to the bushes, as always, with their multiple cups of beer. They are super happy drunks yet I can only hope they walked or took a cab.

Next week is Dropkick Murphys. I am kinda curious about them. I think if anything, it will lend to an energetic atmosphere for as the last performance of the season. So I will try to go.
Also, Jackdaw is on.

a couple of Dropkick Murphys videos:
Walk Away


Sunshine Highway

I guess, south of the Canadian border.
well, technically, east. But anyhow..

'South of the border' is the theme. Have decided on Tex-Mex food stuffs for my upcoming bonfire, Sat 9/22. Fajitas, beans and rice, guacamole, corn bread and of course, Tequila! OOOH and a pinata! But there seems to be something missing. Like I should have another option as a side or two. Maybe a vegetable? I have no idea! Any suggestions?!!

The foodie sites haven't been that helpful to me!

OK, that was a freaky little storm we had there.

I had returned home and thought about going for a walk. It was around 8pm. I decided to return a call to my mom instead. I had windows slightly open still from earlier in the day. The evening was calm and nice, so I figured I would leave my front door open as well, for awhile.

Then I heard some noise that I couldn't identify. A look around, I noticed that the curtains at the windows were flapping back and forth. I looked outside, and the source of the sound was the wind whipping rather violently through the trees. I could see the branches swaying back and forth. I wondered what the wind speed was at that moment.

A few minutes later, rain, thunder and lightning followed. All with big crackling booms-- kinda cool and scary at the same time. I unplugged my laptop and waited it out.

Anyway, I totally would have been caught in that if I would have left for my walk when I wanted too. freaky!

on another note..

Anyone have experience with alternative treatments for rheumatoid arthritis? I know someone who has been suffering from it, dealing with it for several years; and while they are following western medicine protocol, I can't help but wonder what more is out there. Seems more meds are prescribed for other issues that arise and then those meds easily contraindicate-- and exacerbate other issues, and its a crazy cycle-- AND this is taking into consideration lifestyle changes, etc.


and speaking of meds, (e:mike,41054) that was one crazy story. I can't even think of what your day was like to actually be there! wow!