“I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”
— Stuart Smalley

Back when I first moved into an apartment on my own, around 21 years old, I didn’t have an answering machine. This was around 1988-89, and answering machines were not ubiquitous like they are now. Many homes/families had one, but they were still relatively new. The very first message I ever left on an answering machine, when I called my best friend, whose family had just gotten one, was of our toilet flushing. Yes, it was as funny as I thought it would be.

The first few months in my own apartment, I kept thinking about all the calls I was missing without an answering machine. So I saved up some cash to buy one. I was very excited when I hooked it up and left my outgoing message — I expected to never miss a message ever again.

No one ever left a message. Either no one was calling while I was out, or no one cared to say anything when I personally didn’t answer their call. I couldn’t believe no one was calling me. Come on! Why was no one calling me? I got calls while I was at home. Eventually I came to accept that the answering machine was a waste of money — I wasn’t missing any calls while I was out. I just wasn’t as popular as I had deluded myself to believe.

With my old blog set up, I knew people wanted to comment on my posts, but with my simple HTML page arrangement, they couldn’t. So I finally got around to setting up some real blogging software, with lots of functionality (like comments), because I wanted to read all the comments I knew people wanted to make on my posts.

Just like with my first answering machine, I’m discovering that no one really is wanting to talk to me. Although, unlike with the early answering machine, I can actually tell that people do come here and read the blog. So I can keep deluding myself that this blog is a popular read.

[Actually, I don’t mind. I’m not writing all this stuff and junk to get comments. It’s just that the comparison to my old answering machine situation was funny.]

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com

A friend forwarded a questionnaire titled, “Who Are You”. It’s full of questions that supposedly tell something about you, but really they’re just simple trivia about yourself that might be interesting to compare between friends. Here are the questions with my answers — and explanations:

* * *

Place an X by all the things you’ve done and remove the X from the ones you have not. Answer the 30 questions at the end and send it to your friends.

This is for your entire life!

(X) Gone on a blind date
– Back in high school. A double date with a friend. I don’t remember anything about the date or the girl.

(X) Skipped school
– In college, but never before that without my mom’s permission (once or twice).

( ) Watched someone die
– Never a person, but my dog of 15 years died in my arms.

(X) Dated two people at once
– I actually dated three girls at once for a short period of time. None were serious, exclusive, relationships for either of us.

( ) Been to Canada

( ) Been to Mexico

(X) Been to Florida
– Why Florida? Why no other state?

(X) Been on a plane
– Many times.

(X) Been lost
– Has anyone never been lost?

(X) Been on the opposite side of the country
– What about those folks living in the center of the country?

(X) Gone to Washington, DC
– I want to go back and see the Smithsonian museums again.

(X) Swam in the ocean
– Many, many times. I spent many weekends at the beach in my youth.

( ) Cried yourself to sleep
– I’ve cried, like any human being, but never fell asleep while doing it.

(X) Played cops and robbers
– And cowboys and Indians, and war.

(X) Recently colored with crayons
– I’ve done this with my children, but really, everyone should revisit this activity even without children.

( ) Sang Karaoke
– I don’t sing.

( ) Paid for a meal with coins only?
– I said “no” here, on the assumption that “meal” meant something like sitting down at a restaurant. I’ve had a pack of nabs for lunch before, and used coins in the vending machine — surely the question didn’t mean that kind of “meal”?

(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t?
– This is too vague and open to say anything about oneself.

( ) Made prank phone calls
– I’ve been with friends who made prank calls, but I’ve never been the caller, myself.

(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
– Coke.

(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
– Unless they’ve never been in a snowfall, surely everyone has done this at least once.

( ) Danced in the rain
– I’ve run around and played in the rain, but never actually danced.

(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
– Is there anyone who never did? Even once?

(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
– My senior year in high school, I actually took a branch of mistletoe to school one day and got a few dozen kisses.

(X) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
– Yes.

(X) Blown bubbles
– Another sure “yes” question.

( ) Gone ice-skating
– Never been on an ice rink, or on a lake frozen enough to support my weight. It just don’t get that cold for long enough in the South.

( ) Been skinny dipping outdoors
– I’ve never understood the allure of this activity.

(X) Gone to the movies
– The question writer isn’t even trying to come up with good questions.

(X) Played D&D
– OK, there’s a good question — one I didn’t expect on such a general list.

( ) Ever hit a girl?
– Despite some girls abusing this double-standard.

( ) Told a lie to your partner just so you wouldn’t have to hear them gripe
– I don’t lie. Believe it or not.

( ) Thought at some point in your life you would develop super powers
– Not seriously. I’ve thought about how cool it would be, but I never really thought it would happen.

( ) Would do your life over if you could
– I’ve invested 40 years in this life so far, I don’t want to have to start over. Now, if I were nearer the end (say in another 40 years), I might consider this a good/fun option.

Mother’s name? XXXXX

Any nickname? Well, there’s “Bullgrit”

Favorite drink? Cherry Coke (Coke with grenadine) — haven’t had it in over 5 years

Tattoo? None

Body Piercing? None

How much do you love your job 1-10? 7 — I like it, but I can think of jobs I’d like better

Birthplace? Land of Dixie

Favorite vacation spot? A beach

Ever been to Africa? No

Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Yes — they’re not just for breakfast

Ever been on TV? No — and have no desire to be

Ever steal any traffic signs? No — but I found one in the woods in my old neighborhood

Ever been in a car accident? Yes — was hit by an 18-wheeler at a railroad crossing (really — but the result wasn’t as bad as the set up sounds)

Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door

Favorite salad dressing? Honey mustard

Favorite pie? Chocolate chess

Favorite number? None

Favorite movie? Many — no favorite book question?

Favorite holiday? Thanksgiving — get together with family without worrying about presents (giving or getting)

Favorite dessert? Cookies — but really, anything sweet

Favorite food? Steak — love me some beef

Favorite day of the week? Saturday

Favorite brand of body wash? Don’t care — although Cowgrit has got me used to Caress

Favorite toothpaste? Crest — I do care about what taste I put in my mouth

Favorite smell? Newly mowed grass — but I don’t enjoy mowing the grass to get that smell

What do you do to relax? Sleep/lay down — naps are little pieces of heaven

How do you see yourself in 10 years? Can’t be answered in one word/sentence

Furthest place you will send this message? How far away are you?

Who will respond to this the fastest? brogrit

* * *

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com

Viewed: Theater (25 minutes of trailers!)

Back in the 80s and early 90s, I was a fan and collector of Iron Man comic books. By the late 90s, the writers were doing some really strange stuff with Tony Stark and I lost interest in the stories. But this movie. . . this movie makes me love Iron Man again. I think this movie will bring non-comic-fans to know Tony Stark like the original Spider-Man movie brought Peter Parker to the mainstream consciousness of the general public.

If the movie-goer didn’t know Iron Man was a comic book, they’d see this movie as pure science fiction rather than a super hero tale. You don’t need to know anything about the comic book to get into this movie story. This movie stays pretty true to the comic book origins for Iron Man, but updates the setting to the modern-day. The writers did an excellent job with this updating, and I am very pleased with the result — this movie is great.

We see Tony Stark, the billionaire playboy industrialist weapon designer become the billionaire defender/avenger. We see his near-death experience — which literally “scars” him for life — and his obsession with perfecting the armor he first created out of scraps from high-tech weapons. The movie takes us through the Mark I, II, and III armors so well that the advancement feels perfectly smooth and logical.

The writing is great, the acting is great, the special effects are superb, and they all come together to make a truly fantastic movie. I’ve been excited to see the movie since the first teaser trailers started coming out last year, but to be honest, I had my doubts as to whether it would actually be good. I so love it when my fears are so thoroughly wiped away.

For me, this movie is on the high-quality level of Transformers from last year. I’d even go so far as to say this movie is better because the writing, plot, and story are tighter. It’s just a damn good movie. I’ll see it again in the theater.

My only complaint about watching this movie has nothing to do with the movie itself. Twenty-five minutes of trailers before the feature is just ridiculous. Really. There should never be more than 15 minutes of trailers, and more than 10 should be rare.

There is an extra scene at the end of the credits, and for comic book fans, it’s definitely worth staying to see.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com