Tonight's run was intended to be a shorty, just to whet the appetite for tomorrow and a new week. Alas, I think tradition says Sunday is the start of a new week. I don't know; it's all so confusing. Calendars kind of befuddle me: Gregorian, Roman, Hebrew, lunar, etc. I think even the work week ends Saturday for those whose jobs entail at least occasional Sunday labor. I don't know. Being a salaried bloke, none of that matters to me. I just turn up as needed and "Git R Done."
Quite a weekend was Mother's Day weekend. Saturday was Free Comic Book Day. I've never been a comic book fan or collector. I once dabbled, ever so briefly, and sough to be different from my friends. I decided I liked the Green Arrow. I think there was some companionship with the Green Lantern, but I liked the guy with the bow. I think I bought one comic about 25 years ago. The cover showed Green Arrow at the end of a dead-end alley, the open end blocked by a slew of bad guys. The thought bubble read something like, "Fifty-to-one. I've got 'em outnumbered!" Loved it.
FCBD's focal point was Green Lantern, because of the recent movie release (or upcoming: I don't know and don't care enough to Google it for accuracy's sake here).
Anyway, I scored a handful of freebie comics, primarily because I'm decoupaging the inside of an old storage trunk with college English course notes and thought some comic pages would add some flashy color. One to note is Civil War Adventure, which claims in the forward: "Civil War Adventure is a series of graphic novels that presents exciting, fast-paced, fact-based, illustrated stories, of the the war that tore our country apart. ..."
Thinking at first it was just that, before I'd even read the forward, or glanced through a few pages, I initially passed it by. Then I overheard someone say something about "the Civil War and zombies..." and I was intrigued. So I grabbed one of those, and a Simpsons, and Elric, Criminal Macabre, Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Mouse Guard, Toy Story, Overstreet, 2000 AD. I am totally ignorant of all but The Amazing Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Elric and Toy Story (because of the movies).
But it was a big comic book day and there were extra specials. Stone Alley Books & Collectibles offered 20 percent off graphic novels. I used some of my extensive storeries. credit from trade-ins and bought the first hardcover volume of "The Walking Dead." After the discount and store credit for half the cost, I paid about $16. Su-wheet. I haven't really delved into that, but I watched the first season of the AMC TV series on DVD a while back and was hooked. Had to check out the origins of the AMC production. It is simply awesome.
FCBD's focal point was Green Lantern, because of the recent movie release (or upcoming: I don't know and don't care enough to Google it for accuracy's sake here).
Anyway, I scored a handful of freebie comics, primarily because I'm decoupaging the inside of an old storage trunk with college English course notes and thought some comic pages would add some flashy color. One to note is Civil War Adventure, which claims in the forward: "Civil War Adventure is a series of graphic novels that presents exciting, fast-paced, fact-based, illustrated stories, of the the war that tore our country apart. ..."
Thinking at first it was just that, before I'd even read the forward, or glanced through a few pages, I initially passed it by. Then I overheard someone say something about "the Civil War and zombies..." and I was intrigued. So I grabbed one of those, and a Simpsons, and Elric, Criminal Macabre, Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Mouse Guard, Toy Story, Overstreet, 2000 AD. I am totally ignorant of all but The Amazing Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Elric and Toy Story (because of the movies).
But it was a big comic book day and there were extra specials. Stone Alley Books & Collectibles offered 20 percent off graphic novels. I used some of my extensive storeries. credit from trade-ins and bought the first hardcover volume of "The Walking Dead." After the discount and store credit for half the cost, I paid about $16. Su-wheet. I haven't really delved into that, but I watched the first season of the AMC TV series on DVD a while back and was hooked. Had to check out the origins of the AMC production. It is simply awesome.
Pursuing that vein, I bought a handful of raffle tickets at Alternate Realities, the Main Street comic, book and gaming store -- for the benefit of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Knox County -- and ended up winning issue No. 75 of The Walking Dead.
Topping it off were the extra goodies in the shopping bag from Stone Alley. A clip-on badge declaring R.I.P. Superman (with his logo); a one-day free pass to Discovery Depot Children's Museum; a Free Comic Book Day pin-on button; a Free Comic Book Day temporary tattoo; a couple of comics; and, for knowing the Green Lantern secret password, which Stone had posted on his Facebook page Friday night ("Beware My Power."), a tiny Green Lantern figurine by Heroclix.
All right, enough geek speak. Not really my bag, as a geek. I'll admit to geekdom, but it has limits, or shall we say direction. Not that there's anything wrong with comic books or graphic novels. In fact, I've picked up a couple of really cool graphic novels: one is an interpretation of Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451," the other a collection of Edgar Allan Poe tales reimagined in graphic novel form.
Topping it off were the extra goodies in the shopping bag from Stone Alley. A clip-on badge declaring R.I.P. Superman (with his logo); a one-day free pass to Discovery Depot Children's Museum; a Free Comic Book Day pin-on button; a Free Comic Book Day temporary tattoo; a couple of comics; and, for knowing the Green Lantern secret password, which Stone had posted on his Facebook page Friday night ("Beware My Power."), a tiny Green Lantern figurine by Heroclix.
All right, enough geek speak. Not really my bag, as a geek. I'll admit to geekdom, but it has limits, or shall we say direction. Not that there's anything wrong with comic books or graphic novels. In fact, I've picked up a couple of really cool graphic novels: one is an interpretation of Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451," the other a collection of Edgar Allan Poe tales reimagined in graphic novel form.
Anyway, on to Mother's Day, shall we? While shopping with daughter No. 3 for Mom and my in-town mom, we were perusing the ecclectic goods of the Calico Cat on South Seminary Street -- I love the oddball gifts they have there -- I came across a "Smoking Donkey." There also was a "Smoking Elephant." Though not expressly political, the symbolism was not lost on the son of a pair of "yellow dog Democrats." Although I don't wish to support the nasty habit of smoking tobacco products, I couldn't pass up the donkey.
He is molded to resemble an old-time miner's companion, bearing a pack with a shovel and pickaxe on either side. You load the pack with your cigarettes of choice, and when you push down on his ears, his tail raises and out "poops" a "butt." Classic. I might just buy one for myself to see if it'll dispense crayons, or at least "candy sticks" -- the politically correct version of the old candy cigarettes.
He is molded to resemble an old-time miner's companion, bearing a pack with a shovel and pickaxe on either side. You load the pack with your cigarettes of choice, and when you push down on his ears, his tail raises and out "poops" a "butt." Classic. I might just buy one for myself to see if it'll dispense crayons, or at least "candy sticks" -- the politically correct version of the old candy cigarettes.
To my slight dismay, my parents already owned one, a gift from my Aunt Betty, who has a knack for finding oddball gifts for any occasion, like the ultimately cool electricity meter lamp she got my dad one year for Christmas. It's a lamp with a base made from an electricity meter, which spins along to show the kilowatt/hours consumed as the bulb burns.
Well, have I rambled quite enough? My parents had a good chuckle at the coincidence of my choice of gift, but ultimately displayed the two donkeys nose-to-nose atop their refrigerator. All's well that ends well.
You can see from the stats what I collected on tonight's run. I had spotted the hanger earlier today and all the cans while biking out to Menards for some needed item. The wheel cover I noted a few days ago while visiting the dreaded Walmart (they haven't questioned my backpack the past three visits with it). Not a bad night, though. Strangely, the Toyota wheel cover matches one I found a while back, so now I have two identical. Oddly, they do not match those on either Toyota in the driveway on Bateman Street. Maybe they'd attract a buyer on eBay.
Well, have I rambled quite enough? My parents had a good chuckle at the coincidence of my choice of gift, but ultimately displayed the two donkeys nose-to-nose atop their refrigerator. All's well that ends well.
You can see from the stats what I collected on tonight's run. I had spotted the hanger earlier today and all the cans while biking out to Menards for some needed item. The wheel cover I noted a few days ago while visiting the dreaded Walmart (they haven't questioned my backpack the past three visits with it). Not a bad night, though. Strangely, the Toyota wheel cover matches one I found a while back, so now I have two identical. Oddly, they do not match those on either Toyota in the driveway on Bateman Street. Maybe they'd attract a buyer on eBay.
Today's Stats
Temp: 70 degrees F
Distance: 4.9 miles
Weekly Total: 4.9 miles (I think the new week is begun)
Treasure: 1 Toyota wheel cover/hub cap; 1 plastic hanger (dark blue); 12 cans.
iPod Playlist (shuffle)
Time and a Word - Yes
I'll Be Back - The Beatles
The Scientist - Coldplay
Yer Blues - The Beatles
Hey Ya! - OutKast
Theme Time - The Tobasco Donkeys
Your Long Journey - Robert Plant and Alyson Kraus
The Arrival (live at the Village Vanguard) - Wynton Marsalis Septet
Introduction (live at the Orpheum) - The Don't Be Brothers
America - Simon & Garfunkel
I Ran (So Far Away) - Flock of Seagulls
Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran
What Do You Want from Me? - Pink Floyd
Temp: 70 degrees F
Distance: 4.9 miles
Weekly Total: 4.9 miles (I think the new week is begun)
Treasure: 1 Toyota wheel cover/hub cap; 1 plastic hanger (dark blue); 12 cans.
iPod Playlist (shuffle)
Time and a Word - Yes
I'll Be Back - The Beatles
The Scientist - Coldplay
Yer Blues - The Beatles
Hey Ya! - OutKast
Theme Time - The Tobasco Donkeys
Your Long Journey - Robert Plant and Alyson Kraus
The Arrival (live at the Village Vanguard) - Wynton Marsalis Septet
Introduction (live at the Orpheum) - The Don't Be Brothers
America - Simon & Garfunkel
I Ran (So Far Away) - Flock of Seagulls
Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran
What Do You Want from Me? - Pink Floyd
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