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Sunday, March 17, 2024

True/False 2024

True False this year was a real banger. Everything we saw was something special. 

Usually Sallie and I are bumping shoulder to shoulder, trying to get a spot at Top 10 Wines or Flatbranch, but the festival admittedly didn't feel as attended as it did in past years, which is great for me, more room at the theater and in the restaurants. But it does make me worry about the future of the festival. 

Weather is always a question at True/False. We've been there for two blizzards. We're talking over a foot of snow. We've been there for tornados. We've been there for the most perfect spring weather. This year was a bit of a mix. It was really warm during the day, sort of cold at night, and rain seemed to be looming constantly. 

Monday, January 8, 2024

Top Movies of the Year


As temperatures are more regularly pushing against 100+ degrees in St. Louis, Sal and I have been looking for ways to be in buildings with air conditioning instead of sitting at home and running ours hard. 

We got a movie pass with Alamo Drafthouse this past summer. Every month, we pay about $18 a person to see unlimited movies. If you see two movies, it's paid for itself. 

Separate from Alamo, I had a goal to try and see an average of a movie a day in 2023, and I was able to hit that mark on December 28th. Three days before I had to. I was flipping through the stats and realized that this year was an incredible year for movies. It felt like things finally were back on track post Covid. 

Here are my top movies of 2023. 

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Viva Las Vegas

In the dead center of the American desert, there stands a testament to mans arrogance against God. Hotels compete to reach heaven, blasting your eyes with lights and stimulation. 

Where you should only find mountains and scorpions, there's giant fountains spraying water several stories into the air. 

Where there should be cactuses, slot machines. 

We've imported some of the world's most famous monuments, just to have them in one spot.

The marketing "what happens in Vegas" calls to people's terrible intentions. Everyone wants to live out The Hangover or Bachelor Party. Do a little coke and party with Mike Tyson. 

Monday, September 11, 2023

Problems We Don't Have Anymore

I was reading through some of my old writings recently and some of the "daily life" irritations I would add to a story to sort of ground a character in realism don't exist anymore. I couldn't decide if I spend time updating my stories, or if I finish it as is as some sort of nostalgia grab. 

In one story, the titular character is frustrated with the way the day went. He had corded headphones on and somehow catches the cord on a drawer handle in the kitchen and rips the ear buds out of his ears. 

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Neighbor Interactions


Sal and I had this great neighbor for the past few years named Jeremy. Jeremy was incredibly kind and friendly. Anytime Jeremy and I were both outside, I got a very hefty, "Heeey Dannnyy." 

He grew most of his own food. Guys garden made me feel inadequate. But with all gardens, you can only eat so much. So several times every summer we'd find baggies of hot peppers or okra on our porch. 


Wednesday, July 19, 2023

I Hate Driving

It's no secret, I hate driving. 

I hate being in a car. I hate dealing with all the other people on the road. If you ride with me, you'll at least hear me dress down another driver for some boneheaded move once during the adventure. 

I also hate being a passenger. I get car sick, so I have to look straight ahead. No phone, no sleeping. And since I'm looking straight on, I get nervous if you're more of a cavalier driver. I'm a phantom brake pedal-er. 

We rode the train in Germany from Hamburg to Osnabrück and Osnabrück to Berlin. It was fantastic. We got there quicker than by car, there was no traffic, I got to read the entire time, and I drank a beer on the way back. Fantastic. Loved it. 

Same riding the train from Chicago to St. Louis. Beer, microwave pizza, tons of Switch, and all of a sudden, I was in Chicago. 

I just want to ride a train or light rail everywhere.

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

The Friends You Meet in the Men's Restroom at the Taylor Swift Concert

Sal somehow scored six tickets to Taylor Swift in Nashville. It took her 8 hours of waiting on line, patiently, for everyone else to give up at 5 pm when work was over, but she did it.

We could've made roughly $3000 selling them on the secondhand market, but Sal's not a monster, and let her friends buy tickets for face value.