It used to be that you could get a donut whenever you wanted. That isn't true anymore, it seems.

Last night, my wife wanted a donut. She loves donuts. And being that I'm one of those guys that likes to make my wife happy, we went on a donut run. At 9:30 pm. On a Sunday.

I didn't think twice about it. I've had the cravings for donuts many, many times in the past, usually late at night seeing as how I'm a night owl, and I've run down to Dunkin Donuts and bought myself whatever looked good. Last night changed the way that I think about donuts, and not in a good way.

For almost two hours my wife and I scoured the area looking for an open donut shop. We never found one.

The places that I used to go at 2:00 in the morning to pick up an apple-filled delight were closed. "No problem," my wife calmly stated, "there is a 24-hour place over in Roswell. Let's go there!" So off we went. No luck.

Being a Dunkin Donuts guy, I reluctantly decided that it was okay to go to the Krispy Kream shop over in Marietta, near the Big Chicken. I lived in that area for years, and I passed by a light reading "Hot Donuts Now!" more times than I can remember. It was always open, and seemingly always busy. So we made the long trek from Roswell to The Big Chicken. And when we got there...it was closed. Not out-of-business closed, just closed for the night. And obviously we weren't the only ones disappointed, as there were three other cars that had pulled into the parking lot and were turning around with the same confused look on the driver's face.

It seems that something in America has changed--at least in the southeast. It used to be that I was feeling a little swelling of pride, thinking that this part of the country was becoming like other places in the sense that you felt you could get what you wanted when you wanted it. Not anymore.

I can understand not being able to go buy things like a new car at midnight, but a donut? What are we coming to? Is our society so much in economic decline that we can't even get a glazed delight at any odd hour of the morning? Oh, how I mourn for our children's future...

Personally, I blame Wal-Mart.

Signs can be wonderful things. They let you know exactly what's what with what...or something like that. But when they go wrong they can be very entertaining.

My friend Cliff Biggers recently touched on this in a post, where he talked about one of his favorite phrases, "No Purchase, No Refund", which appeared on a sign at Dr. NO's when he first bought the store. And driving around last night I was reminded that some of the best signs that I've seen weren't supposed to be what I saw.

Last night I passed a sign that read "Disco Tires." Sounds like a great place: get some tires, do the hustle.

One of my foavorites has always been the "Waffle Hose" sign. I'm not sure exactly what you would get at that place. I don't know if it is a hose made of waffles, or a hose that delivers waffles.

I have often passed a place that, for a time, called itself "Iffy Lube". I didn't have enough confidence in the place to stop there and have my car serviced.

Similarly to another place already mentioned, I have passed a place calling itself "Waffle Ho". That seems like a very specific fetish to me.

I know that there are others like this that are escaping my memory, but I'll mention those another time.

So, some signs aren't what the designer intended. But they are still very memorable.

I had a nice Valentine's Day.

Actually, I had a very nice Valentine's Day. I took Allyson out for sushi, which she hadn't had for a couple of months due to money constraints around here, and I can now honestly say that I've seen my wife eat a boatload of food. Normally when we go to the sushi place she gets chirashi (at least I think that's how it's spelled) and I get pad thai with chicken. Sure, it's a routine, but we both like those dishes so what's the big deal.

But on Valentine's Day restaurants feel the need to change things up. They want to present a special Valentine's Day menu. Thank goodness. This means that the menu that you go in to have isn't there. Or if Valentine's Day is the first time that you are eating at a place you have no idea what their normal food is like. Great for business.

Now, I do understand that Valentine's is the single busiest day for restaurants across the United States, and that most places have to make adjustments to be able to feed that many people in a quick turnaround so that they can maximize profit, but it just seems like you aren't getting the best that a restaurant has to offer if you judge it based on food served that one day out of the year.

Oh, about Allyson's food boat. We got the special dinner for two. She got the sashimi selection, while I got the hibachi steak and lobster. They served her sashimi in one of those large wooden boats you normally see the large selection of sushi. She loved it. And she ate a boatload of food. But she was happy, and that's a good thing.

I do want to take another moment here to talk about the cards that my wife gives me. Most people get very nice cards that are bought for them, reflecting either (in best cases) how they feel about their partner, or (in worst cases) how they are supposed to feel about their partner.

My wife makes the cards she gives me. One of the benefits of being married to a graphic designer, I suppose. My Valentine's Day card features the very cute lion and tiger from the Weebls "Kenya" video, each holding a heart and dancing, while song lyrics appear over their head telling me how much she loves me.

I love my wife.

I have two electrical outlets that don't work. They worked last week, but they don't work today. Now, I know a little bit about wiring a house, and I don't understand how this has happened. I traced the wires, checked the connections, and couldn't find a break. The volt/ohm meter told me there wasn't a solid connection, which is I'm sure the problem, but I don't know what caused it. What's more, I have no idea how it happened over a course of the past week. Well, that's not entirely true; I have one theory.

I think that my house is cursed.

Every time I turn around it seems that there is something else that is happening to this house that defies explanation. Whether it's light bulbs burning out far too regularly, or our hot water heater running out of water too quickly, or even our wine going bad far too quickly, things around here sometimes just don't make sense.

I don't think that it's haunted or anything quite as supernatural, but I do think that there is something about this house that brings bad things to the forefront. We don't get good cable reception, or good cell phone reception, or...well, you get the idea. I think that the house might be built on a lodestone, or a pocket of toxic gas, or maybe an ancient indian burial ground. I dunno.

But anyway, I'm gonna call an electrician tomorrow. If things go well he'll get the problem fixed quickly. If not, then the house will burn down and the curse will be lifted. Either way, it's a good thing.

Well, I didn't make it. I forgot to post something last night, mostly due to the fact that I was very tired when I got home last night. I don't know if that was due to the fact that I'm getting old or the fact that I'm fighting a sinus infection, but I do know that it was late and I didn't even think about the blog.

Well, I did send a couple of people to my blog, so i did think about it, but I didn't think about writing for it.

Oh, and as I'm writing this, I thought about something that I want to say about today. It's Saturday, and I have to wonder: what happened to cartoons? None of the network stations in Atlanta show cartoons on Saturday morning. There are Saturday morning cartoons shown on Sunday morning, but nothing on Saturday. I have no idea why this has happened. Apparantly somewhere along the way someone at the local affiliate's offices decided that there were no children in metro Atlanta on Saturday morning. Either that, or children these days don't like to watch cartoons.

In either case, I'm a little saddened by this fact. Some of my fondest memories, as well as some of the events that formed my life, can be found in the moments of a Saturday morning cartoon. True, there isn't a Looney Tunes on network television at the moment--and no, Lunatics Unleashed doesn't count--but there are some entertaining shows out there still. I just wish that I could watch one this morning.

Suddenly it's 1982.

I say this only because I see my wife, sitting on the floor of our rec room, surrounded by a variety of game manuals, preparing an adventure for this Saturday night.

When I first started playing role-playing games I was a sophomore in high school. When I first started running a game, I was a junior. I would spend hours--more hours than I spent on homework, if I'm forced to be totally honest--scouring through the four Dungeons and Dragons manuals that were out at the time, carefully constructing game worlds and scenarios for others to enjoy. And I loved it.

The act of creation is cathartic. Amazingly so, in fact. It gives you a sense of accomplishment unlike almost any other thing. To have your ideas brought to life in any way brings a sense of satisfaction, a belief in yourself, and a sense of completion. Something that you thought of has seen its way to the finish, or at least the start of a finish.

You see, unlike most stories, when you are playing in a role-playing game, you aren't the only storyteller. If you are running a game, you are simply presenting the situation where others get to step in and tell you what happens. You are the archetect of the tale, but in this case the characters truly have their own lives. The players are just as important as the gamemaster, since they dictate what happens.

Of course, the gamemaster is still the archetect of what happens. So, even if you have the best players in the world, the story can still fall flat if the gamemaster hasn't created the right tale. Or worse, if they have too much ego involved in the game. I was in one game where, when the story reached its pinnacle after several weeks of play, the characters got to sit out and watch as the gamemaster told us what happened in the game. Our characters were nothing more than sideline participants as he told us--over the course of almost two hours--what happened around us. Perhaps the worst game that I've been in.

Another gamemaster was so egotistical that if the player's in his game ever came up with a way around what he had set for his plot, he found a way to cancel what they did. At every turn, the players were upstaged by the antagonists of the game, making everything the players did with their characters seem futile and pointless. The players lost interest and the game lost all manner of direction. (Sadly, that game is still going on, and I dread having to go back to playing it...and I hope that gamemaster doesn't read my blog, because he is a good friend and I don't want to hurt him.)

And now I sit here, watching my wife prepare for the game that I will play in two days from now. She is an amazing storyteller. She has a unique voice and a powerful imagination. And she runs a hell of a game. That's not just me saying it because I love her, either; all of the players in her game feel the same. She has been able to create something that we all look forward to playing. And she prepares better than anyone I know. Far better than I ever have.

Still, no matter how much preperation you do, you can't control what others do with what you lay before them. But if you prepare well, and you have the right mindset and trust in your players, you can create a storytelling experience unlike any other that is offered in this world today.

I've been playing role-playing games for over 26 years, and I love it to this day. Sitting here seeing my wife happily immersed in her game creation moments only tells me that the stories that in my future are only beginning. And I couldn't be happier.

Well, I said that I was going to post something every day, so here I am. And that's pretty much the only reason that I'm posting this one, because I am in a really bad mood, and I don't feel like sharing why.

So, let's remember that sometimes people have bad days.

So anyway...

I'm heading to work in about two hours, which wouldn't seem that odd if I hadn't got home from work about an hour ago. You see, tonight is the night that Stephen King releases his first comic. Well, I guess you could argue that it isn't directly his comic, but it is a comic of his imagining.

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born is the new series from King's imagination, brought about by one of his aides, and a couple of comic veterans. Is it any good? Beats me, I haven't read it yet. But I'm going to go sell it at midnight tonight. And I will sell it. There were enough calls about it today to convince me that we will have people showing up at our store to buy this book. I'm all for it.

However, we can't sell them the other books that come out on Wednesday. Sure, any time after midnight is technically Wednesday, but there is a clause in our contract that says that we can't sell them before 9:00 am on Wednesday. Which means that there are going to be some people who show up wanting to get all of their books for tomorrow, and we have to tell them no. I hate that. I understand it, but I hate it. I don't like to look at a customer and tell them that they can't buy something, and worse, there are going to be people who think that I'm going to be doing it just to be mean.

So, in about two hours I'm heading to work. And I'm going to be happy to be selling books to happy fans who are showing up to get the first crack at what is bound to be a very popular comic. But I'm far more concerned that what I'm not going to sell is going to be the issue, and I hate that.

Here's hoping that I don't leave anyone disappointed.

Someone recently said that I don't post enough on my blog. So, for the next week, I'm going to make a post a day. I mean, why not? I don't promise anything inciteful, but at least it will be voluminous.

A week or so ago I mentioned the network shows that I've recently been watching. If you don't remember, then...well, then why are you reading this? I don't have that many posts. Just go back a couple and read. I can wait.

hmmmhmmmhmmm...hmmmhmmhmmmm.

Okay, welcome back. Anyway, I like the show Scrubs. I watch it every Thursday. But the other day I wanted to watch it some more, so I watched two straight hours of Scrubs. On four different channels.

There is just something odd about being able to channel surf from one area of the dial (does that even make sense anymore? Does anyone actually use a dial to change channels these days?) to the opposite area of the dial, and watch different episodes of the same series four times in a row.

I haven't been paying too much attention before now, but this seems to happen more than I realized. It seems that there are only a few shows that make the rounds at any given time, and as such you end up getting a small selection of shows being shown again and again. If you like what's on, that's a good thing, but if you don't...well, just realize that in a few years, or maybe months, there will be a new group of shows that you can see. For a couple of hours at a time.

What happened? And how did I miss it?

It wasn't that long ago that I could say that I didn't watch network television. Oh sure, there was the occassional episode of The Simpsons, but that was about it. Most of my television watching was cable shows or sports programming (much to the absolute delight of my wife, but that's another blog...), and network television was something that was the literal vast wasteland of infamy.

And now...I don't understand it.

I watch network television two nights a week. Not a ton, I know, but on Monday's and Thursdays, NBC has my attention. Monday is Heroes night, and I have become one of the very loyal masses for the show. I'm not blind to it, I find that some episodes are better than others (this past Monday being a fairly nothing episode), but overall I'm hooked. I want to see what happens. I want to know who Linderman is. They got me.

And then there is Thursday. Still on NBC, where they don't just have me for an hour, but for two full hours, and four full shows. I watch My Name is Earl, The Office, Scrubs, and 30 Rock. Every week. If I miss them I get upset.

The dichotomy of these two nights of television doesn't escape me. Mondays are drama, using a very character-driven premise (that has the natural comic book appeal for me), letting the story evolve over a long period of time and providing some edge of your seat cliffhanger moments. Thursdays are the opposite in every way. While the characters on all four of the Thursday shows are strong--and make the shows, honestly--it is the strength of each individual episode's moments and plots that hold it together.

What's my point in all of this? Beats me. I guess that I'm just stating that even in a vast wasteland, you will find an oasis of something that, while not necessarily beautiful, it can be rather pleasant. Maybe even nice--at least for a little while.

I'm just curious to see at this point how long it takes the wasteland to overcome the little spot that I've become fond of?...

Let's give credit where credits are rolling.

Comic book movies are no longer an oddity. They are now a firm part of the cinematic firmament. Some of the best known and popular films of the past quarter century are based on comic icons. From Superman to Batman to X-Men to Spider-Man, comics have left their mark on the silver screen. And I'm all for this. I love comics, and seeing them brought to the big screen was a dream of mine from the early days.

So, given that the films themselves are a reality--and a successful one at that--I think that I'm going to focus my attention on the source material. Well, more specifically, the source company. The publishers that are responsible for the initial act of putting these characters on bookshelves.

Dark Horse has done an admirable job with their product. Most people remember The Mask and Hellboy, and Sin City and the upcoming 300 look great, so they get a passing grade. Image has done Spawn...and that's all I can think of at the moment. Not a great film, but not enough to get a failing grade.

But they aren't who I really want to talk about. I want to talk about the big boys.

Marvel. They have done an exceptional job at getting their product on the big screen--from a particular point of view. They have put out such a plethora of product--with Ghost Rider, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man 3 on the horizon--that you've got plenty to choose from. Spider-Man has been on twice, Daredevil once with an Elektra spin-off, X-Men three times, Fantastic Four once, Blade three times, Howard the Duck, and even Man-Thing got a movie that never made it to the big screen, despite intentions. Oh, and let's not forget Men In Black (even though it didn't start there, they own it now). Next year, they've got Iron Man ready to be a big-budget film. And there are tons of options out there that have a decent shot of getting made, ranging from Power Man to Captain America to Nick Fury.

Now let's look at DC. As much as I like DC comics and characters, I have loved their movies. Three of the five Superman films were great. Two of the Batman films were fabulous. Constantine is severely underrated, and very entertaining. I'm looking forward to Stardust this summer. Catwoman was...well, let's ignore that one. And...that's it, as far as I recall. My problem with DC is that they haven't really had a good showing in the quantity department. They have such a rich history of characters that to have such a small number of them make it to the movie theatre is truly disappointing? Oh sure, they have ANOTHER Batman film coming out next year. And ANOTHER Superman film in the works, but what else? Wonder Woman might get off the ground, but it's taking forever to come together (though I feel that Joss Whedon would do the character justice), but there is little beyond that. And let us not forget that DC is the subsidiary of a company that makes movies, Time/Warner. Marvel has had to go out of house to get it done. Who knows? Maybe that has been their strength. Maybe because DC has been doing everything in-house, they haven't had the time or budget to get it done. But what a shame. Green Lantern, The Flash, Green Arrow, Captain Marvel, Hawkman...all of these are just waiting for a chance at a movie. And what's sad is that they probably aren't going to make it.

Sadly, that puts Marvel ahead of DC in my mind. They have been willing--not always succesfully--to take the risk on characters and put them on the screen. Who would have thought that there was going to be a Ghost Rider movie? Was there really a demand for that? No, but that didn't stop them from making it. And it might be good. The trailer looks decent, and I know that my wife and I will be there to check it out. And then we'll see Spider-Man. And then Fantastic Four. And that's just this year. The only offering we can expect from DC this year is Stardust, and let's be honest, that's a Neil Gaiman product, not a DC product.

So I put DC on the report. They have something to answer for in my mind, because they have kept things from me that I want to see. And I'm sure that I'm not the only one...

Next time, though, we'll talk about the small screen, and who's done the good job there.

So, anyway, my life ends in four days.

Well, not to say that I'm going to die, but I am going to become life-non-gratis as far as most would see it. That is, in four days Blizzard will release The Burning Crusade for World of Warcraft, and at that point, I will have no life.

Yes, I play WoW. No, my wife isn't a WoW Widow. I really enjoy playing the game, probably unlike I've ever enjoyed any other videogame experience, but not to the extent that I've ever neglected anything or anyone (at least to the best of my knowledge).

But I fear that is about to change.

You see, like many hundreds of thousands of others, I've already purchased my copy of the expansion, which is probably bad enough, but...I keep thinking about it. My thoughts and conversations gravitate towards The Burning Crusade when I'm near others that play WoW. I haunt websites, looking for information and images from the game. I've had visions of Blood Elves dancing in my head. It's scary.

I've never been addicted to a drug or anything else for that matter, but I'm beginning to think that I know how they feel. The craving. The desire. The NEED!!

*ahem*

So, anyway, before my life ends and I no longer have the ability to think or form complete sentences, I just wanted to stop by and say that it was good talking to all of you--for both posts--before I fall off the face of the Earth. Or just suddenly discover that I have no life.

Starting Out

A very dear friend of mine, Cliff Biggers (probably the best friend that I've ever had), has been riding me to create a blog. Why, I'm not entirely sure. I have plenty of opinions and experiences that I share with the world, but I'm very much a face-to-face kind of person. That doesn't mean that I don't like to write, or that I don't share things with people via the internet, it's just that...well, to be honest, I've never seen myself as the blog type.

I'm not condemning those that blog, or saying that they should be spending their time doing better things--after all, we all should be spending our time doing better things--it's just that it's hard for me to imagine that anyone would care what I have to say.

Nonetheless, I've taken my friend's suggestion to heart, and here I am, blogging.

The first thing that I noticed was that it is very easy to get a free blog account. That part is nice. The second thing that I noticed was that I needed to decide what to call my blog, and what it should look like. That's not as nice. I wanted to have something that was relevant to my life for a title, and I wanted a look that matched. Not easily done when you are someone that hates reading white text on black, and find that simple black text on white is kinda boring.

But hey, I got it done...for now. I'll change it probably too often to make sense, but that's my decision.

I'll get more into who I am, and what I do, and all of those things as time progresses, but not now. Leave a little mystery for the five people who don't know me that might possibly read this in one of their few precious moments of free time. It's better that way.

Later.