Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Boo!

My parents were very into the holiday when I was growing up, and I think that transferred to
In addition to the pumpkins, my family usually had some sort of display set up in my grandparents yard for the trick-or-treaters. Some of the better ones I remember are a vampire (my dad) jumping out of a coffin, and another year a mad scientist (my mom) eating the brains out of a head on a platter (me). I also remember a Halloween party my parents threw for my friends my sophomore or junior year of high school. They transformed our entire house into a sort of haunted house. The basement was the location of the party, and it was covered in gauze and lights and other spooky things. In the basement bathroom there hung a mutilated body in the shower and bloody hands floated in the punch bowl. Upstairs, the guests had to come through the kitchen where my mother dressed as a witch stirring a huge pot of guts on the stove, and pulled cookies out of the oven shaped and decorated like body parts. My father lay in a coffin in the living room (which was decorated to look like an abandoned and scary funeral home). My mother ushered the guests into the living room and made them just sit there with the "dead" body in silence until all the guests arrived. (Occasionally my father would open his eyes or jump up to scare the shit out of my friends.) I also remember someone standing outside chasing people with a chainsaw. My parents always kicked ass, but especially during Halloween.
Some of my past costumes have been (from most recent back):
- Pimpin' Pope Drewby the 69th
- Ben Franklin's gay lover
- Julius Caesar
- Judge Judy
- Out of work Parisian artist
- Zombie professor
- Chucky (from the movie)
- Disco dancer
- Carrie (again, obviously from the movie)
- Hippie
- Juan Valdez (Colombian coffee guy)
- Old Lady
- Cat in the Hat
- Clown

And there it is, a not so condensed version of Drewby's Halloweens past. What are some of your favorite Halloween memories?
HAPPY HAUNTING!
Labels:
FAMILY,
HALLOWEEN,
HIPPIE,
JEN-NAY,
REMINISCING
Monday, October 29, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Pun-kin Carving Part Deux
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year


My personal favorite is the "Roseanne" episode below where Darlene is missing half an arm.
I also really enjoy this Halloween special from "Roseanne" season 4.

What are some of your favorite Halloween TV moments?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Ummm, Dreby, It's Only Monday.

So yesterday I invited some work friends over for a beer or two and some snacks. About halfway through the Oktoberfest case, I pull out a bottle of ApfelKorn apple schnapps, which I had bought to make spiked apple cider. (The helpful man at liquor store informed me when I bought it that if I bought plum brandy "the girl's panties would fall off faster". Ok, thanks.) When the ApfelKorn came out, my friend who teaches German, just started laughing. Not understanding the laughs as disapproval but encouragement, I proceeded to pass out several rounds of the schnapps then moved to Southern Comfort. By that time everyone was feeling pretty uninhibited and began salsa dancing in my kitchen. But, I guess I had the last laugh, since I found my head in the toilet at 7:30pm. Nice.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
White And Nerdy

But, with the completion of this book, my summer reading pile is officially completed (with the exception of a book about atheism, which reads more like a textbook than a novel, so that was just skimmed for ammunition).

My newest book is somewhat of a classic by Nobel Prize winner Herman Hesse "Siddhartha", which is a story about a young boy in India who meets the Buddah and eventually becomes enlightened himself. It's a short book, and was recommended to me by a colleague. I also saw it on a list of "life changing books" somewhere, but I think that might be a little too much pressure for me in 120 pages.
After "Siddhartha" I plan to start "On The Road" by Jack Kerouac. I never knew much about Kerouac until earlier last month when it seemed almost every magazine or newspaper I picked up had an article about the 50th anniversary of this book. Kerouac became big with the "Beat" movement in the 50s, along with Allen Ginsberg. ("Howl" by the way is probably one of my most favorite things ever written). I always thought the Beat generation was very interesting, and actually, when I was in Ecuador got to meet an author who was big there at that time. A very cool experience. (Insert finger snapping here).
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
General Musings
Since I have been gone for a while, and don't have anything particularly interesting to post, here are a few things that are on my mind/happened to me lately.
I think that's enough droning for now. More updates soon.
- First, and sadly probably most exciting, a middle aged man called me a "greedy bastard" from his pickup truck yesterday. No matter how true that may be, he was a complete stranger and has no right making such assumptions without ever seeing just how greedy or bastardly I can be.
I'm very excited to see the new movie Elizabeth:The Golden Age. I can't remember the last time I went to the theater to see a movie, and it always seems like a fun novel thing to me. I need to get out more.
- I broke a very solemn vow I made to myself this weekend and watched Evan Almighty with my mother this weekend. Every time I see my her she brings up the movie, as a sort of insinuation that she wants me to watch it with her. So I broke down and watched it with her. Not bad, but I lost interest and fell asleep well before half way in.
- Along with the movie, I discovered a new decadent delight, Ben and Jerry's Crème Brûlé ice cream. A completely intense experience.
- After some heavy coercing and a guilt trip by my grandfather, I accompanied my parents to church on Sunday. The first time since Christmas at least, and quite possibly the last. Just when I thought I had
survived the worst of the service, the pastor pulls out the "anointing oils" and "praying chair" and turned the quiet little church into something off of the Cornerstone Broadcasting Network. Suffice it to say, I do not plan on going back for quite sometime, and my mother is well aware of that fact.
- Work is still currently nonexistent for me, and it appears it will stay that way for quite a while.
- My new favorite seasonal beer is Penn Brewery's Oktoberfest, thanks to a
fellow alchy out of work colleague.
- I'm currently watching the Law & Order SVU where Mark Paul Gosselaar is "gay for pay".
I think that's enough droning for now. More updates soon.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
I'm Coming I'm Coming.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Mr. Brightside

I read a very interesting article a while back in a Smithsonian magazine titled "What's behind a smile?" which broke the codes of the simple smile and might have changed my mind a bit on the matter. It states that according to research, people who were not happy or uncomfortable were put in a slightly better (although mostly false) mood when they smiled or were around someone who smiled at them. The physical act of smiling isn't exactly what makes people feel better, but it's contagious. I totally agree. I can be the most miserable and pessimistic person when I want to be, but find it almost irresistible to not smile at someone passing me if they flash their teeth first.
Although, sometimes it can feel too cumbersome to act so happy, which is maybe why Mr. Repairman just wasn't havin' it, even though I was trying to kill him with kindness. This article also talks about companies that make their employees constantly smile and be polite. It mentions McDonald's and WalMart amongst others. (However, I have been treated rudely at both establishments on more than one occasion). People can become miserable by pretending to

Maybe being a jerk does have it's up side.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Culinary Delights For All The Senses


In my own culinary adventures, I've been all over the globe this week. Started out with an awesome 3 cheese 3 pepper enchilada at Mad Mex. Tuesday was $5 carry-out day at a local pizza place, so I couldn't pass that up. Wednesday I met a friend at a Japanese steak house where I had spicy tuna and cream cheese sushi (which sounds repulsive but really kicked

In other work-related news, I overheard another colleague saying that Lifetime movies should be shown in school to teach students real life lessons.
This weekend should prove to be interesting and very indie, so I'm sure I'll be blogging that.
Labels:
BLAH,
FOOD NETWORK,
LANGUAGE,
TV,
WEEKEND
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Natalie Merchant And Other Riders
So, I've temporarily/maybe permanently abandoned Travel Tuesdays. It's become arduous and boring for me.
I rocked out on my way to work this morning to the 10,000 Maniacs version of "Peace Train" which I did not know existed. I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the band. Partly because they hail from the neighboring town of my hometown. I also discovered Dolly Parton also covered my favorite jam, which I have never heard. Call me a Purist, but nothing compares to Cat's original.
Also, a big YELLOW to my new reader Katie, and an equally large YELLOW to old reader Rasputin.

Also, a big YELLOW to my new reader Katie, and an equally large YELLOW to old reader Rasputin.

Labels:
CAT STEVENS,
PEACE TRAIN,
TRAVEL TUESDAYS
Monday, October 1, 2007
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