Monday, November 07, 2005

No suck...


A quality weekend for the Damfinoworld - even got to fit in a little nap time amidst all of the fun.

As I mentioned on Friday, this weekend was a celebration of birthdays for our family - and things started off with a bang on Friday night. We hit the Latin King for a semi-expensive meal of Chicken Spadini, their most well known and perfect dish. After Stevens did some present opening (he finally received Sopranos Season 5 - don't spoil anything here... he has not seen it yet!!!), we ran off and got to see "Jarhead."


Sam Mendes has talent - no doubt about it. He creates some striking images in the film (DP Deakins kicked ass!!!!) and produces a very slick thoughtful movie... but I still left the theater going "huh?" The movie is really about what happens to a trained killer - who has no other function but to slaughter - but who is forced to sit and do nothing. This is not a film about why we were in the Persian Gulf... or the shocking images of death in war.... it is about man's psyche - and how corrosive inactivity is on it.

Mendes includes a nice dream sequence to Nirvana's "Something in the Way," one of the highlights of the film. While watching - loving the song and the idea behind using it... I realized that this dated me.... and then I wanted to pummell the kids behind who giggled at the film.


Saturday hit and we found ourselves at the Valley Drive-in Theater in Newton, IA. One of the last remaining in Iowa (and midwest), we showed up waaaay early and found that we had the place to ourselves. Dan, Matt and I, passed the time by playing football in the rain and mud right in front of the screen - it was a blast!! The films were ok - "Dreamer" - kind of gross horse film with Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell, and "W&G Curse of the Were-Rabbit" - we love Wallace and Grommit... but it was not fall out of the car funny.

It rained all night... I was scrunched in the back seat with Caleb and Josh... but we had a ball.


Sunday brought PAINTBALL!! We did this last year for birthdays and had fun because the four of us (Dan, Matt, Caleb - me) got to play against each other... this weekend, we were thrown in with a large group - and some fun was had. In the first round I got shot point blank between the eyes... then proceeded to let my entire paint container pour out onto the ground. Not cool. Got some welts... endured my screaming knees... and continued on.


Finally, we wrapped up birthday weekend with a trip to Buca de Peppo - and found out that it was their final day open. They had gone out of business. We got the Pope room... and Caleb got the Pope's chair. Good eats... and we had fun unwrapping gifts and mocking each other's mean cards.

I landed at home around 5 pm... worn out... full... and unprepared to work on the Cavalier... the OverDrive shifter solonoid went out on it. Ugh - look for a report later this week on how much fun Devin and I have with that one.

Later!

Yo

18 comments:

Sheriff Officer Greg the Bunny said...

Wow,

Fun filled weekend Fino.

"Not like this Jake!!!!"


Bunny Out

Damfino said...

Whatdjado Sheriff?

FlopTheNuts said...

WDM Buca di Beppo went out of business?!?!!! WTF?!?!?!!! Granted, it's been a while since I've been there, and I had only been a handful of times, but *every* time I went, it was busy! Sad. Great food, great atmosphere.

I will never own a Cavalier - between Trish's old POS and Jed's, the advertising has worked on me! Ahhhhh, the good old days - not knowing if your car can get you to work or back home from work. And even if it did, it was with no AC. In Houston. In August. In one of the hottest, most humid Summers on record.

The 3 and only 3 times I've played paintball were in Houston, though. Good stuff - 1st time I played, almost made it through the whole day without getting pegged, then a sniper hit my knee while I was kneeling behind a big wooden spool. Then I got hit like 6 times while walking off the course - with my hands up!! Good times, fun stuff!!

Damfino said...

Last year I had a within 3 ft multi-hit take down. You are not supposed to shoot if you are within 20 ft... but I was creeping forward and this other guy was as well - we did not see each other. He came around a wall and unloaded 6 shots on me... Face - chest - crotch... the works. That kinda hurt.

Yesterday was cake though. Only one good bruise on my left shoulder.

How are you living if you are not worried whether or not your car is gonna make it to work?

krysta jo said...

FYI - there are THREE drive-ins in the greater Minneapolis area.

Sounds like a fun weekend.

I got to see Dierks Bentley up close and personal. He tried to tak me home but I have a boyfriend so I had to decline his promises of a bus ride to the next town, loads of junk food, and cuddling with his super cute puppy.

Wait...actually...he only really spit on me because we were so close to the stage. Nevermind that proposition...that was a dream. Oops.

Damfino said...

Dierks Bentley... everytime I hear that name I think someone is about to tell a joke.

Too close to Dirk Diggler!

Spit on you eh? Well - to each his own filth!

krysta jo said...

Don't make fun of Dierks - he's the greatest thing since Post Toasties. Well probably not because...there are many more people who are amazing, but you know what I mean.

Buttercup said...

Can you pack anymore fun and excitement into one weekend?? Hitting people with paint what fun.

Kern said...

Sounds like a fun weekend. Definitely filled to the brim with birthday and other assorted goodness.

Kern said...

By the way, Fino, you should check out Sal's Digest. He put up a new piece this weekend on his blog. You and I get namechecked!

Sheriff Officer Greg the Bunny said...

Did no one catch my Family Guy "16 Candles" Peter and Jake Ryan quote in the 1st post on this board.

And you call yourselves fans!

the shame.....

"My wish already came true, Jake Ryan"

b.o.

FlopTheNuts said...

As I do 75% of the time, I missed the Family Guy ref. Great ref., though, Senior Bunny! I did DVR and watch FG later last night, though! Side boob!!!

FlopTheNuts said...

Sadly, I'm out for the rest of the day. I'm heading to Bloomington, IL. Hitting our theater in Savoy (~45 min. E of Bloomington) Tuesday morning and hitting our Willow Knolls theater (Peoria) Wednesday morning. So, I have to drive down today so I can get up bright and early in the morning to attack Savoy. NOT staying at a Motel 6 (but I will be at his dreaded cousin, Super 8). :)

I'll pop in later this evening to see what I missed and maybe put up a post or two that will never get read... :)

Take care, all, and have a good one!

L8R!
Flop

Damfino said...

The Stevens gut had a rough weekend. Both Italian places had major calories... and wine added to it. Then he went and pigged out at the Drive in (me too!). Finally, the only moment of reprive would have been Sunday morning... but he could not hold his hunger - he stopped off at McDonald's for a few sandwiches.

Tsk tsk.

Damfino said...

Ha!

The McDonalds' Monopoly game got me for a few weeks... still recovering from the grease factor.

Stevens has got to lose some pounds in order to fit into his speedo (which is gross anyway... but he is weird) for the cruise.

Kern said...

You guys going on the Love Boat? Tell Isaac the Bartender I said hello...

Um, Jed, you're not going to be wearing a speedo anywhere, are you?

Buttercup said...

they are not called Speedos they are Man Hammocks that is a Bunny term and if you all want some Man Hammock pictures we have plenty. Including little boys. Weird!!!

Kern said...

I thought they were banana hammocks...

I think I'll pass on the man hammock pix, thanks. Those things are frightening.