Transitions... (no, not the contact lenses)

Falmouth, KY


I have reached a crossroads of sorts. I began blogging several months ago under the pretense of relaying stories and anecdotes from my life as an over-the-road truck driver. Well, for good or ill, that part of my life is over. I drove my last mile for Schneider National Carriers on Saturday, June 24. I have enjoyed being off the last two weeks. It has helped me to rest up and recharge a little bit. Monday morning, I started my new job driving for Griffin Industries here in good ole Falmouth, KY. It's not pretty work, but it's about the same money I was making at Schneider and, more importantly, I WILL BE HOME EVERY NIGHT AND OFF WEEKENDS!!!!!!!!


I apologize for the all caps, but I am MAS excited. It's another step towards a more normal life. Over-the-road trucking is interesting for awhile. But, honestly, if you've seen one twelve-foot wide lane of blacktop, you've pretty well seen them all. I'm glad to be rid of it.


So, what to write about



Italy won the world cup Sunday over France. I had intended to watch the final match, but I forgot that the day was Sunday. I remembered just in time to see the penalty kicks that ended the match. I don't like the penalty kicks. I think it would be far more interesting if the overtime was sudden death and you play till someone scores an actual goal. I think that would be more exciting. But, then again, I'm just a silly American. What would I know about futból?



To tell the truth, I felt like a lot of Americans before the tournament started. "Soccer is boring. Its too slow and archaic", and all that. But once I started watching a match, I couldn't take my eyes off of it. The best match I saw was the semi-final between Germany and Italy. 118 minutes of 0-0 tie before Italy finally put one in with a minute left in overtime and then followed that with the clincher some 45 seconds later. Great match. I find myself looking forward to the next World Cup four years hence in South Africa. Go USA! Or Italy! Or Brazil! Or anybody else who isn't the French!!


I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest last night.


***Aye, be ye warned, maties! Thar be spoilers ahead, arrrrr!!***


As a general rule, I avoid reading reviews of movies I intend to see before I see them, lest it cloud my judgment. After having seen the film, I have read a few reviews which were, to say the least, lukewarm. One reviewer for CNN.com headlined his article "Bermuda Triangle of Bad". I don't know if I would go that far. This same reviewer criticized the film for not having a resolution. I mean, Duh! I knew damn good and well when I walked in the theatre that I would be seeing the first part of a two part story, a la the Back to the Future sequels. How any self-respecting film critic could have expected otherwise is beyond me.


Another general criticism was that the film, at roughly two hour and fifteen minutes, is too long. In this, I happen to agree. A few of the action sequences did seem to drag on a bit. Another critic remarked that Orlando Bloom's talents were remarkably wasted in this film. I would only change one word of this statement. I would replace "wasted" with "over-rated". What can you say? Through two films, Bloom's character, Will Turner, has ensconced himself as the moral compass of this epic. And as we all know, moral compasses are boring. Right up Blooms alley.


I liked the film. In some ways, I thought it was better than the first one. With the novelty of Johnny Depp's quasi-rock-star-drag-queen characterization of Jack Sparrow wearing off a bit, the supporting cast was in need of a bit more punch this time around and it delivered beautifully in the person of an increasingly impressive Keira Knightley and the addition of two new characters. The first is our new antagonist, Davy Jones, played by Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Underworld). The second is someone you may remember from the first movie. It is none other than Will Turner's father Bootstrap Bill, played here by Stellan Skarsgard (Good Will Hunting, Breaking the Waves). These two veteran actors combine to give the film much needed depth and more of an ensemble feel that doesn't rely so heavily on Depp's genius.

All in all, I enjoyed the movie and got out of it exactly what I was expecting and then some.


Lets see, anything else? Congrats to Mike and Erin on their impending move. I know their looking forward to it.

You know what really bugs the shit out of me? People who say "supposebly". Theres no such fucking word!


Any questions? Any Comments? Be Quiet as You Go...