Gushing 2.0

  OK. So, when I wrote the last Gushing entry (see the [february 2004 archives]), I had no reason to really gush. But now, there are reasons out the wazoo to gush, and gush hardcore.

  You see, after I wrote that, things started happening to me all at once. And now, it's gotten to the point where I'm innundated with all sorts of insanity. What do I do? What choices do I make? And how do I go about making them? You know, I have no clue how. But then again, I'm used to that, because that's how life goes, not just for me, but for everyone.

  What to do, what to do. So many options, but only the desire to pick one. It can't be like the days of my youth, when I did whatever without a care in the world. Now, I'm a different person. I've grown up, as it were, and now I just want to get on with the rest of my life.

  Not that I've put aside all of my teenage wildness. Just the stupid aspects of it. It's been 10 years since I was 16, and it's time I acted my age, don't you all think? Well, not _totally_ my age, but you get the idea...

  So off to work Eric goes. Where he stops, noone knows. But one thing I do know: Sometimes, just sometimes, gushing really blows...

Posted by Eric @ 3:36am, 02-29-04

Uncle Willie Says...

  Everyone should read [this entry] over at Wil's site. He's right, and we all need to get into this one mindset right now: WE NEED TO STOP PRESIDENT BUSH. NOW...

Posted by Eric @ 5:15pm, 02-25-04

I Wanna Go Home...

  OK, so alot of you are thinking, why the hell would he say "I wanna go home" when, in fact, he is home? Simple, really. Houtzdale is not my home. No, I've adopted my own home, and it's certainly not this nowhere town. My home is in Pittsburgh.

  I miss the pyramid and spire of 5th Avenue Place, the glass castle facade of PPG Place, the towering presence ot the USX&G Steel Building. I miss walking the streets of Downtown, the North Side, Mount Washington. Hell, I even miss the trendiness of Oakland and the South Side. The point is, I miss my city.

  The sad part is that I can't afford to go back anytime soon. Yes, I can go for a visit, but that's not good enough. I want to be a little fish in a big pond on a regular basis again. Here, I have a name, and several reputations (both real and rumor) are attached to it. There, I'm nobody. Just another face in the crowd. And that, I love more than anything. Well, not "anything," but more than most things.

  Most of all, though, I miss being far away from the boredom of Clearfield County. There's nothing here, and I mean NOTHING. A handfull of friends at best, but mostly hatred and heartache. When I was in Pittsburgh, I was happy. Granted, the whole thing with Erina happened because I was there, while I was there, but I was still happier than I am now...

Posted by Eric @ 11:27am, 02-24-04

Where A Kid Can Be A Kid...

  Today, I was reminded of a time when I was younger. A friend of mine and I kicked around the idea of going to Chuck E. Cheese's for dinner. Pizza and arcade games (ever so few these days). When I was a kid, that place was like Mecca is to a Muslim.

  Of course, Chuck's wasn't the giant Pizza And Entertainment Emporium chain it is today. Back then, the idea was just getting started, and they had competition. Back in my day, we had Show Biz Pizza. It's mascot was a big, lumbering countrified bear. When we went there as kids, the only thing on our minds were joysticks, buttons, beeps and flashing pixels.

  In the early to mid-80s, the Arcade industry was booming. Games were coming out like wildfire, and they were addictive. Sure, they're not Rainbow Six or Ultima Online, or anything like Final Fantasy, but you had to understand the technology limits back then. Memory was frightfully expensive, so games were limited. And it was after the inital home console market crash, so with no new home games out, the arcades were our source for new stuff.

  Sure, there was a Bally's Alladin's Castle, and later a Crocidile Alley, in the Logan Valley Mall, but neither one compared to the place where bad anamatronic entertainment, an American original food and techological tomfoolery came togeteher in a blinding flash.

  When you walked in, they presented you with a glimpse of the arcade itself, the front counter, and far off beyond the arcade lay the dining area. It was torture to a 6 year old addicted to digital gaming. They paraded you through the games and then to your table, where your parents insisted that you ate dinner first. I would have been fine ordering, going to play, coming back when it was ready, and snacking on it slowly from there. But nope, my mom and dad had me eat my fill.

  There was a flaw in their logic however, as I ingested my body weight in Mountain Dew. When I finally did get a good handful of tokens, I was wired for the gaming rush. And boy, did it rush. Kids today scoff and pass off the joys of Pac-Man, Lock-N-Chase, and Dig Dug. They call you gay if you reminisce about Mr. Do, Galaga or Centipede. And they don't even remember clasics like Elevator Action, Rastan, and the sit down model of Star Wars. These games were the absolute shiznit back then.

  Who reading this blog remembers Dragon's Lair? It was a marvel of interactivity in its day, a game played from a laserdisc (think Big CD, kids), featuring full motion animation drawn by Don Bluth (An Amerrican Tail). I remember HUGE crowds surrounding it. You'ld die if you got to even touch it, let alone figure it out and get anywhere. Dirk The Daring trying to rescue Princess Daphne... Those were the days...

  Yeah, I'm old. Sue me.

  I think going to Chuck's today would suck, and not have the magic that Showbiz did so long ago. The arcade industry is on it's last legs thanks to the new rise of Consoles like the PS2, Game Cube and (vomit) X-Box. Home gaming is where it's at, so not many actual video games are produced these days. The rest are all cheap carnie games that give you tickets to turn in for prizes. Sure, that was the case back then, but the coin-op video games far outnumbered the carnie crap.

  I do still like Skee-Ball, though. Classic fun...

Posted by Eric @ 7:58pm, 02-21-04

The Morning After...

  Finally got to play our first show of the year last night. And let me tell you, it rocked! Decent crowd (for once), the guys were right on all night long, and everyone in general had a good time. Gotta say big thanks to John and Bre, who came out to help us out. Bre is a sweetheart for sitting at the door collecting cover charges, and John is a whiz on the mixer board. Tempered Edge is now ready to take over Central PA, thanks in part to these two people. You guys rock!

  As I woke up this morning, my computer decided to greet me with an arbitrary reboot. I'm really starting to hate that. If this computer comes accross something it doesn't like, like streaming media or moving large amounts of data over the network, it just up and reboots itself. Sometimes I think Liza cursed me intentionally when she gave me this machine. But at least it allows me to communicate, so I guess I really shouldn't complain...

  Today, I'm actually going to sit down at work and watch the movie, The Last Samurai. Since Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, I haven't really been all that interested in the films we've run. I most certainly didn't care for Cheaper By The Dozen (HATE Hillary Duff and Ashton Kutcher! Sorry, Steve Martin, couldn't save this one), Something's Gotta Give (though it was a good role for Jack Nicholson) and Cold Mountain were both decent, but not exactly my chosen fare. But The Last Samurai covers something I'm truely interested in: Japanese culture.

  There's something about their culture that interests the hell out of me. Isolated for centuries, they created a system of honor, strength and beauty that easily rivals any other cultural development this human race has seen. The Last Samurai is set at a time when this culture is going through its own modernization, as Japan is learning to deal with the greater world beyond its shores. Should be a very good film.

  Well, I have about four hours til I have to flip the switch on the film, so I'm going to go back to sleep for a little bit. I'd tell you what's invaded my dreams, but right now, it's too early to understand just what or why it it is and just how it fits into my already odd life...

Posted by Eric @ 11:01am, 02-21-04

Phantoms And Paranoia

  I'm starting to notice something quite disturbing. If you take the time to click a few links here on the Ranch, I'm sure you'll notice it too. Doesn't make me very happy (notice the trend here?), but then again, there's not much I can do about it.

  Anywho, today is pay day. Gotta love that. What's even better is last week Justin instituted Thursday Night Karaoke at the Avenue. Which means that I'll be heading down to my all-time favorite local bar for fun and tunes. And hopefully, I'll have a special guest there tonight as well. No need to expound on that, but I will say this: Sure beats the hell out of past experiences...

  Yeah, I know, that was petty and childish. And you know what? I don't give a rat's ass. Why? Because it actually makes me happy...

Posted by Eric @ 2:55am, 02-19-04

Gushing...

  I'll tell you what. It must be aweful nice to be happy, and to be able to gush about it.

  Me? I haven't had cause to be happy in quite a while. Yes, I have the band. Yes, I have my friends, both in Clearfield and at the Avenue. Yes, I have my cushy little job at the Rowland. But what else do I have? Certainly nothing to gush about, that's for sure.

  Sometimes I wonder how my life got this way. There are the obvious reasons: the horrible decisions I've made at various points in my history, some of my personal choices, too. But ultimately, I'm a good person with a good heart. What is it about that that says "Hey Eric, you're not allowed to be happy, so go fark yourself?"

  What am I going to do about it? I don't know. One thing I can do is continue to plug forward, to make the most out of what I have at my disposal. If you look through the [archives], I've had moments where I have been able to gush somewhat, but not much, and they never lasted very long at all. Maybe someday I'll get my chance to do some gushing of my own...

Posted by Eric @ 3:25pm, 02-18-04

Showtime

  I'm getting really excited about our show this Saturday. According to Andy, the crowd should be our best yet. For me, though, it'll be good to perform live with my own band again. We haven't done any shows since we played Pokey's last year.

  In the meantime, though, I find myself bored out of my skull. Nothing new, really, but still a pain in the ass none-the-less. Sucks to be me, I suppose. But things aren't really all that bad. The only thing that bugs me is the lack of things to do around here. About the only thing I look forward to on any sort of regular basis, besides work, is going to Electric Avenue for Karaoke.

  Thankfully, Justin has added an extra night for it, that being Thursday. So now, I have Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to go and get my sing on, not to mention hang out with my favorite people, like Mum, Mat, Carri, Kathy, Barb, Terry, Ann, Traci, and many many more. Apart from Bre and John, they're the only people who help me keep my sanity anymore.

  Well, them and Jodie... ;)

Posted by Eric @ 5:55pm, 02-17-04

Fun With Fark, Episode One

  I was right. The people in the [fark personals forum] do kick ass. Check this out, made for me by [mutilato]:

  It's well known at Fark (and now on the Ranch, I guess) that I've got quite a thing for Mila Kunis, star of That 70s Show, and the voice of Meg Griffin on The Family Guy. He even took into account the Band and our music style. What a guy! Thanks, [mut]!

Posted by Eric @ 3:05am, 02-16-04

Noone Knows What It's Like...

  First thing's first. The hell with Fred Durst and Limp Bizkit. The Who did the original, and the best, version of that song...

  Another Valentine's Day come, another Valentine's Day gone. And yet again, I spent the day sans female companionsip. In fact, out of the last five Valentine's Days, I've only spent one in the company of a lady. Our story begins three years ago, in the little hamlet of Clearfield, PA...

  I had recently met yet another Jill, this time around a young lady from Clearfield. This particular Jill (not the same Jill I've written about before) was something of a wild card. She's a deffinate hottie, though she won't say so. Sure, she's a little bigger than most girls. But she's by no means fat in the traditional sense. Trust me on this one, OK?

  Anyway, her mom wasn't home this particular V-Day, and I decided that I was going to go pay her a visit. I'd made up a card on my printer and enclosed a gift certificate of sorts. Well, when I got to her house, I found that she had gotten me the sweetest teddy bear I'd ever gotten from anyone. It was a little white bear holding a red heart which read "King of Hearts." How sweet is that? Too sweet, that's for sure!

  Well, we spent the rest of the time liplocked in the van in her driveway, up until her mom came home and busted us. A bummer of a way to end the night, but I don't think either of us cared. I know it was worth getting busted for.

  Let me tell you about Jill. She's kickass, 100%. Funny, smart as hell, a smartass if there ever was one, and somehow I managed to attract her to me. Lucky me! Because this girl has a pair of the prettiest eyes I've ever seen! In fact, I might go so far as to say they're the two most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. Bright and mysterious, they posess a glow all their own, and command your attention when you look at them. There's no staring at her chest, fellas (though there's nothing wrong with that, eitehr, by any stretch of the imagination). Either you submit to the power of her peepers, or you just aren't worthy to be in her presence.

  Well, recently, I told her that I'd like to try a relationship with her. Problem number one is that she's already seeing another guy. But problem two is the big hurdle: She doesn't believe me. Well, dear readers, you know that here at the Ranch, I'm nothing but honest. What you read here is the genuine truth. That's the point of having a blog: to give you a 100% real look into my daily life.

  I do want to try a relationship with Jill. Once you get past the eyes, behind them lies one of the coolest personalities I've ever had the honor of coming across. Like I said earlier, she's smart, has a twisted-fun sense of humor that makes you laugh til you pee yourself, and her smartass/often-bitchy attitude adds so much to the mix. Why? Because it makes her a challange. She's by no means easy, fellas. And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Who wants an easy dingbat when you can have a challanging, engaging person to go after?

  I've spent quite a bit of time talking to her, trying to convince her that I do want to have a serious thing with her. No success as of yet, but I'm not going to give up. I know she and I can be something special. But how to convince her of that?

  Well, I know this isn't exactly the right way to go about proving that, but I can't help myself on this one. Today, we honor Jill with her very own I'd Hit It Gallery Entry! And wait til you see the pic of her I chose. Can you say SEXY? Sure, I knew you could...

  So, Happy Valentine's Day, Zazzy! Maybe next year we can celebrate it together, nes pas?

Posted by Eric @ 2:45am, 02-15-04

Grouse Grouse Grouse

  I've discovered a new time waster: Grousing in the [fark personals forum].

  The people who post there are quite the interesting lot, and I think they'll be fun to interact with in the coming days/weeks/etc. Good people. Odd, but good.

  It sure beats reloading [slashdot] 50 times an hour. Ha ha ha ha...

Posted by Eric @ 11:35am, 02-12-04

Dumbass Neighbors

  Ha ha ha ha ha! My idiot redneck neighbor is probably kicking himself for buying that "sweet Mustang" right now. For the last few days since the nasty weather began, he's been trying to get it out of his driveway with no success.

  Let me tell you about this driveway. It's about 15 feet long, and level except for the slight rise where it meets the road. That rise goes up about 9 inches at a fairly steep angle. Which means, as snow is plowed, it collects right on that rise. Then it melts, runs down to the main part of the driveway, and freezes again.

  And so, in a small measure of sweet revenge, the idiot hilliblly who invaded the sanctity of my Aunt Ruth's home is now paying the piper. Maybe he'll rip those Dale Ernhardt stickers off of his car window and try to use them under the tires for traction...

Posted by Eric @ 5:02pm, 02-09-04


Just Like Old Times...

  Ladies and gentlemen. Coming soon to the internet: Pickle Boy and the X2 Tapes.

  For those of you who don't know what that means, get ready to laugh. Instead of going out and shooting each other over drug deals, getting young girls pregnant to satisfy our primal urges, or just getting in trouble in general, my friend Fred and I chose to entertain ourselves. We were young, we were bored, and we had access to high tech gadgets no teenagers should ever have.

  Along with our long-lost buddy Ken, we made a series of video taped "comedy specials" that involved nothing less than juvanile humor (The Chicken, Toilet Boy) and ranged all the way up to the infamous Pickle Boy segment, which is just plain insanity. Then there's the "J" commercial and the stuff Fred and I did two years later, The Eric And Fred (Fred And Eric) Show...

  A little further along on the tape, we have some random insanity from my days in Pittsburgh, including my one and only appearance on [WPXI - 11]'s morning news broadcast. My my, is that [julie bologna] the HOTTEST weather person on the planet or what!

  Last night, Fred and I decided that we should in fact release the X2 Tape to the world. We'll hopefully be premiering it on the JMP sometime down the road. Well, at least the choice bits, anyway. But I'll have it here on the Ranch first. There's talk of also releasing a DVD! Stay tuned for that one...

Posted by Eric @ 4:35am, 02-09-04

When The Lights Go Down...

  Outside my window, I can hear the winds howling. Ice crystals rattle against the glass, reminding me again and again that mother nature's ire can be a very nasty thing.

  What makes it worse is that weather like this, a mere three days after a foot of snow was already dumped on us, is a very bad thing. Ice on top of snow packs snow down, and it gets mixed and refrozen. Then, to make matters worse, it will warm up a little bit and straight rain. So everything is going to melt, and we're going to flood pretty damn good.

  Welcome to winter in Central Pennsylvania.

Posted by Eric @ 4:30am, 02-06-04

Important Contact Changes

  Since I've changed over to Broadband, I've decided to cancel out my Pennswoods dot net account (for obvious reasons). Therefore, in about a month or so, my old email address, erock@pennswoods.net, will no longer be functional. With that, I'll be switching over to a new email address. Update your address books (spammers, go to hell) and other such contact info accordingly. The new addy is:

  [unavailable]

Posted by Eric @ 5:21am, 02-05-04

The Sickness, Part 2: Electric Boogaloo

  Wouldn't you know it, I've gotten sick again. I'm sick of being sick. And what's worse, it's the single sickness type that I hate the most.

  The most annoying version of the sore throat in the world.

  I'm sure you've had it before. You know, where the one side of your throat hurts like a bitch every time you go to swallow your drink. Sometimes the pain is minor, sometimes it's just plain unbearable. But no matter what, it's always a neusance.

  To a singer, this is the most annoying sickness in the world. It means that you can't do any singing at all for fear you'll agrivate it. If you agrivate it, of course it gets worse, but you also lose your voice a whole hell of alot faster. Pain in my ass, because I love to sing.

  When will it end? Hopefully soon, I'm sick of it already...

Posted by Eric @ 10:17pm, 02-03-04

Broadband Is Teh R0X0RZ

  Oh dear gussie is it NICE! Finally, after years of waiting, we have Broadband here at the Ranch on a full time basis! No more buffering while watching the JMP, no more waiting 20 minutes for a song to download, and I can create and test a whole bunch of high bandwidth content for my websites!

  Let the party begin...

Posted by Eric @ 2:42pm, 02-02-04

Broadband Soon, Eric Happy

  Cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable cable mooooooooooooooodem!

  Can you tell I'm excited?

Posted by Eric @ 9:52pm, 02-01-04