As I've stated from the very beginning, the primary reason I even have a blog is because I'm one of those overactive-mind types.My brain races night and day and I can't ignore it.One positive effect this has is that, in order to entertain myself, I'm pretty open to trying new things, even if only a couple of times.Some things stick and never leave.Others are merely discarded and forgotten.This blog post is dedicated to those forgotten little treasures.
My apartment is like the world's lamest museum.I keep all manner of nonsensical trinkets that mark some passing interest I had at one point or another.I thought it would be fun to pull some of these out and see where my mind was at when these were an important part of my life.(All of my hobbies are, or were, important to me.What you choose to do with your free time says a lot about you.)Anyway, here we go.
1)ANIME
I count 17 anime DVDs in my collection.I probably got most of them about 5 years ago...I think.I was making decent money as a contractor and thought nothing of dropping a few bucks(a common trend for me) on some mindless entertainment.I always loved the animation and the unconventional stories.It is nice to have quality animation with adult themes.Some people still dismiss anything animated as "kids' stuff".Those people are missing out.The only animes I really watch now are pretty much just the Miyazaki ones.They're the only ones that hold up for me.I know they may be too mainstream for a hardcore anime enthusiast, but fuck em.The other ones don't hold up.Sorry.
2)SKA/PUNK
At one point sometime in the late 90's I was in a bit of a rut musically.My music of choice was, as it is now, heavy metal.The problem was that all of my favorite bands were breaking up, putting out less music, or putting out less good music.It never occured to me to try other bands, like I had always done.Instead I decided, on a whim, to pick up a few punk and ska compilations.I had known some people in college who listened to it and I always though it was, at worst, a little goofy.
I liked most of what I heard.The songs had good hooks, but didn't sound like typical pop or pop rock music.Maybe it was just a way for me to listen to some more mellow music.I was drinking a lot back then, which might explain why I wasn't thinking right.At that point in my life I needed mellow.I bought dozens of these compilations for like $5 each and then bought the albums of the bands I liked best.I was making mix tapes(about 30 over a 4 year time period) of the best songs because my car didn't have a CD player.I couldn't stop.
Then something funny happened.Listening to punk and ska turned into listening to hardcore groups like Earth Crisis and Strife.Listening to hardcore than evolved into listening to metal again and I came full circle.I stay away from the CD store now if I can help it.I can spend a couple hundred dollars in no time at all if I'm not careful.
3)SWORDS/WEAPONS
It all started when my gf and I had just started going out.We were at an outdoor flea market near the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border when we happened upon a table with a few assorted knives and daggers.There was one in particular that I thought was pretty neat-o:
It's a WWI combat dagger, or at least a replica of one.The handle, with the brass knuckles and the spike, look like they could really make your day miserable if they came into hard contact with you.I thought that was awesome, so i bought it.At about the same time, I started getting catalogs from a company selling inexpensive swords and replicas.So I started buying weapons.
You can see my collection a few pictures up.There is also a katana, but that is in my bedroom.My gf has kept it on her side of the bed ever since the day our place was broken into 1 1/2 years ago.The nunchukas are foam.I tried using them once or twice and felt really silly and put them away.People who visit usually like to play with the katana, once they see it.Everyone wants to be a ninja.
4)STICKFAS (WARNING!!!These shelves have dust on them because...I don't dust them.It's too boring and would occupy time I could be doing something fun.If dust offends you....I don't know what to tell you.Tough cookies.)
I have a couple others, but you get the point.For a few months about 3 or 4 years back, I thought these things were the greatest thing ever.If you don't know, Stickfas are these little models kits of anything from a skateboarder to knights and the dragon seen above.They are meant to be very poseable and all share the same ball-and-joint locking mechanism, so the parts are interchangeable.As you can see, my dragon comes equipped with missles(Sigh...I'm 5 years old again.But a dragon armed with missles would friggin' rock and you know it.)I bought the majority of the kits available at the time and then just quit.I have a bag of about 100 different parts, blades, guns, etc.I just don't feel like changing anything around anymore.
I think I might do this from time to time here.I have all sorts of odd little collectables, toys, CDs, books, and other assorted junk.Sharing these are the best way I can think of giving people a good idea of who I am.Some of my recollections might be a bit hazy and/or vague.Some of these things I might not remember at all if I didn't actually own them.It's always fun to try.
I wasn't completely happy with the match.I had a decent one set up, but the guy I was wrestling was having a bad day of the highest degree and wasn't really into it.After the first minute went good, he forgot a spot and everything after that went out the window.We had to improvise the whole thing from that point on.He wasn't hitting me very hard or staying on me like he should have been.Shit happens.The world didn't end.Our lives have gone on just fine.We have another shot in December to make up for it.It will be in a tag team match.
I signed probably about 20 that night, which is a record for me.Some kid wanted autographs so bad he took off his shoes and was having people sign them.That was a first for me.A few kids were getting their T-shirts signed.I'll sign everything shoved in front of me.They don't know I'm a jabroni, just some guy with a day job who does this on the side.It doesn't matter to them though.I love entertaining the kids.They're so unashamed to be into it.They yell, scream, cheer, and boo louder than anyone.They aren't sitting around, waiting for you to fuck up so they can call you on it.They just want to have fun.Every audience should be so loose and free.
