bird bird water foot sun waterpot lasso (egyptian for: "welcome to my blog")
Monday, March 31, 2008
I Am KItten, Hear Me MEOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Our childhood cat, Fritz, is pretty much amazing. I don't really get near her, as I have pretty bad allergies, but she has outlasted two other cats, one bird, and to some extent, me and my brother. We found her hanging 8 feet in the air on one of our window screens during a storm on Thanksgiving 1991 (true story). Though her fur may not still be all white, her little feline heart sure is. As she turns approximately sixteen and a half, I made this video in her honor:
That's the Fritzmeister (in white) holding the fort against the evilest cat in the universe, Winnie.
You Can Only Harmonize About Loneliness So Many Times
Rascal Flatts' video for their new single, "Stand", is...well, the best way I can describe it is that it looks exactly like every other Rascal Flatts video ever. They are singing in a warehouse and there is rain falling on people.
Hey guys, let's try branching out on the next video and--while we're at it--the next album, too. You long time Rascal fans know what I'm talking about.
We made this video over the weekend. It's super dramatic, and I'm pretty sure Grey's Anatomy is going to steal the storyline for Season 4. My cousin Chris is awesome in this, and I'm really surprised at Heather's performance, too! I really like the montage at the end, complete with The Fray.
EDIT 3/19/07: I re-edited the last few seconds of the video to make sure that it is completely G-rated (there was a shot of a dude shooting some guy in the chest while making out with a chick--just kidding.)
Have a Safe Trip, as if You Were Planning to Have Any Other Kind!
I used to get annoyed when my parents would tell me to "drive safely!" as I left to go back to Davis after a weekend at home.
Really? Drive safely? Because my plan was to ram a few cars off the road and then play chicken as I crossed the Benicia Bridge.
Well, you know how as you get older, you notice more of your parents' traits in yourself? Lately, I can't help but tell my fiance Heather to drive safely every single time she gets in her car. Why do I do it? She's a conservative driver who has never been in an accident, yet I remind her every single time. I wonder if it's just one of those things that people say because "See ya!" can get boring.
You know, my friend Justin used to tell me "Take care" every time we separated, and I really felt like he meant it. But I think with most people, those compassionate directives (?) can become so ingratiated in our minds that they no longer mean much other then "bye!" or "later." When was the last time someone told you to "Have a safe trip!" right before you got on a plane?
Right! I'll make sure to relay that message to the pilot!
But the fact remains that rational, logical people still tell their loved ones to be safe. My theory is that we say it more to appease ourselves than anything else. When I tell Heather to drive safely, it's probably because I want to make sure that I have done everything in my power to ensure that she arrives safely. I want to be certain that I at least say something so I don't feel useless.
Dad's approach to the compassionate directive is a little different. He checks my tires, asks if I have cash in my wallet, and usually asks something else that is somewhat out of the blue: "When was the last time you checked your wiper fluid level?" "Is your spare tire full of air?" "Have you ever tested your air bag?" I swear, I get the spare tire question about once a month. You know what though, my spare tire IS always full of air, and I know that.
So we say "drive safely" because we have to do something. If we don't, and something bad does happen, then we may feel even worse than we already would have given the circumstances. And I think it does help to know that people care about you; personally, I do think I drive more conservatively sometimes because I an reminded that there are people who would be very let down if I were to be at fault in an injury accident.
So keep saying "drive safely" and "take care" and "have a safe trip." And I will make sure not to use my iPod during takeoff and landing.
Comedian Brian Regan has a funny bit about responding to a cabbie saying "Have a safe trip!" with "You too!" and then feeling like an idiot. I couldn't find that clip, but here's Brian Regan about eye exams.
We decided to make a video on New Year's Eve, and since we didn't feel like leaving Kat's apartment in Davis, we did what we could with what we had. Enjoy Cookmasters!, starring Brian, Kat, and myself. Please have low expectations.
I think Charles Barkley did this once with Barney. This video is four years old and I still love it:
In retrospect, I should have paid John 5 bucks to put up shots that I could block easily and made a much more exciting video. He was actually pretty good, too. I might need to refilm this with me wearing a headband.
EDIT: Okay, just to let everyone know, John is practically my cousin and he had a lot of fun doing this. I showed this to some of the parents of the kids I coached in little league and they said that this was basically the exact opposite of me. I guess that's what makes it fun.
