Well, here it is. The long-awaited weekend. What to do? What to do?
I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, I’m going to get a gallon of grape soda and a big bag of the Super-Spicy-Cajun-Flavored Pork Rinds (yes, they taste just like Cajuns… or at least a Cajun’s socks) and plop down in front of the home entertainment center, baby! Here’s the layabout’s guide to the weekend from one of the premier layabouts in Shasta County…
Friday: Go get the box set of The Beatles’ newly remastered catalog. Yep, they’ve gone back into Abbey Road studios and taken the original tapes and dusted them off 21st century style. The set includes the original mono mixes of the originals (minus Yellow Submarine and Abbey Road which were mastered in stereo.) An authority no less than Sir Paul McCartney hisself has stated, “It’s like I’m sitting in the studio again with John, George and Ringo. Amazing.” How cool is that? As a Beatles related aside, my kids are rediscovering the Liverpudlians via the Rock Band video game featuring the Fab Four. It’s cool to hear them banging out And Your Bird Can Sing from the back of the house. Makes the ol’ man kinda misty. Oh, wait, no… that’s the grape soda.
For the artistes out there, I ran across a really cool website (thanks, drawn.ca) with a fun, Flash-based sketching program. If you’re just goofin’ around (like I always am) it can be habit forming. It’s called Odosketch and it’s hosted by Odopod. Click here to visit. It’s true you need a stylus to take advantage of the sketch capabilities, unless you’re really good with a mouse. Still, I thought it was fun to click on some of the drawings and watch them magically redraw themselves. Yeah, I’m easily amused.
Tonight the family will gather for new episodes of Monk and Psych. Like I said, we’re easily amused.
Saturday: Televised sports. Yessiree! Baseball’s regular season is lumbering toward the finish line with most of the playoff spots pretty much decided. Looks like we’ll be seeing perrenial pennant contenders like the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL, along with the Angels and (probably) Tigers. Over in the Senior Circuit defending champs, the Phillies, will be joined by the Cardinals, my beloved Dodgers and (probably) the Colorado Rockies. There’s still reason to watch the games this weekend as the battle for home-field shapes up in the NL. Looks like the Yankees have it sown up in the American League.
College football is getting into the meat of the season as conference play begins for most teams. Some of the more intriguing (televised) matchups include the #6 Cal Golden Bears invading Autzen Stadium in Eugene to take on the Ducks. This will be a real test for the Bears and their Heisman-hopeful, Jahvid Best. USC will try to right the ship at home against Wazoo. Other games on TV are the Big 10 showdown between Michigan State and Wisconsin. Also, the #9 Miami Hurricanes go to Hokieland to take on #11 Virginia Tech in the marquee game of the week.
Once you’re tired from all the football, check out your PPV movie guide and buy Lonely Street, the movie starring Jay Mahr which was based on our own Steve Brewer’s book of the same name. If that doesn’t put you to sleep I don’t know what will.
Sunday: Normally, this would be the day I’d spend muttering at the TV as the Raiders, who have found a way to stink even when they win, stumble through another NFL game. But, like the lowly Lions, they failed to sell out their home game against the Broncos (that’s never happened before) so the “contest” will be blacked-out in the Bay Area. Now, depending on your cable/satellite provider you may or may not be subjected to the game. I’m not taking any chances, I’m going to the Air Show. The Sunday night game will feature two actual NFL teams, the Colts will take on the defending NFC champion Cardinals in Arizona.
Sunday evening will find me glued to the couch as new episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bored to Death (my new favorite) and season premieres of Dexter and Californication will be aired. The Fountain household has been patiently waiting out what seems like an eternity between season three and season four of Dexter (the world’s most lovable serial killer). What this says about our family, I don’t know.
Gosh, I hope I can recover from such a jam-packed weekend in time for work on Monday. Who am I kidding? I’ll phone it in on Monday like I always do.
Uh, my boss doesn’t read this stuff, does she? Nahhh, I bet she has a life.
Phil “Philbert” Fountain has been in a creative slump lately. We know what you’re saying, “How can you tell?” Well, you can tell because he resorts to writing about his weekend plans, like we give a flying croissant. But, somebody gave him a contract, so we had to post it. Send your complaints to: donig.anewscafe@gmail.com
