Cliff Pant-one

Misty Water Colored Memories: My boyfriend Airon

About 5 years ago, I purchased a "boyfriend."  This boyfriend was redheaded, inflatable and very small, but we developed a strong attachment to one another.  Upon buying him, it was decided that he should be called Airon (when said it sounds like a legit name, but when spelled it's PUNNY!).

Airon was a real doll (punny again).  He wore nothing but his biker shorts, and he had sparse chest hair.  We shared many great laughs at our house on Dixie Trail.  Sometimes he would join our group in a round of drinks.  We would stand him up in the corner.  Eventually he would fall down, and we would get the biggest kick out of it, claiming that Airon drank so much that he couldn't stand.  "AIRON FELL OVER AGAIN!  HE'S SUCH A LUSH," we'd all yell.  OH AIRON!

Months passed, and I moved to Bickett Blvd.  Sadly, Airon popped during the move.  I tried to keep him propped up in a lawn chair, but it wouldn't be long before all his air would run out.  I eventually threw him away, but it was hard.  I loved Airon.  He was the perfect beau...except he was shorter than me. 

Now I'll highlight some of our favorite moments together:

As you can see, Airon always wore a glow necklace.  He used to be into the rave scene, and never could shake it completely...

 

Above is a photo in which we're laughing it up.  I agreed to let him ride on my shoulders even though I had a broken foot!  And I have no idea why I always wore that coat...

This one above is one where Airon had fallen down in a drunken stupor!  Please excuse the appearance of the house- we were in college!!!

In this one, Airon fell down AGAIN and left himself in a compromising position!!!  He had a lot of explaining to do in the morning!!!

Here is one of Airon and I sleeping in on a Sunday morning!  I'm nestled into his nook!!!

Oh Airon and I did have some good times.  I look back at those times fondly, and I smile.  He'll always have a part of my heart.  I just wish he was still with me now.

A Horse With Shoes?! Stop Trippin'!

One day when I was in high school, my friend and I were eating a meal at Lucky 32. I'm fairly sure we ordered the "Lucky Club," because that is what we always ordered. It was delish. Too bad they changed the menu and closed the location most convenient to me...and too bad I also don't eat meat anymore, so I wouldn't be able to ENJOY the LC now anyway...

BACK TO THE ANECDOTE!

So we were eating, and all of a sudden my friend got really wide eyed and goes, "Oh my god! There's a horse with shoes on!"

At the time, we were young, dumb high school kids who had recently been experimenting with "ways to expand our minds." I thought she was having some sort of a flashback, and she was freaking me out. I refused to turn around and look at this mirage she was "seeing." "Stop it," I shushed! "People are going to hear you and think you're crazy!"

"No, I'm serious. There's a horse with shoes on. A tiny horse!" Reluctantly, I turned around. This is what I saw:
(note: this is not the actual horse I saw, nor is it the location in which I saw it)

So yes, there it was: a horse with shoes on!  Of course, it is a seeing eye horse, but I had never seen one before (and come to think of it, never again either). 

The thought of seeing eye ponies brings a few thoughts to mind.

1. Why would people use a seeing eye horse instead of just using a seeing eye dog?
2. Why does the horse wear shoes?  And in the pic above, it looks like the shoes are only covering half of his "feet."
3. Why is the horse so small?
4. Where can I get one?!

It seems to me, these SEHs would be as much of a curse as a blessing.  I'm sure the seeing-impaired owner of the SEH is not able to go anywhere without attracting a crowd along with a load of questions and a bunch of annoying toddlers wanting to pet the pony!   

Here's some info from The Guide Horse Foundation about who makes an ideal candidate for a guide horse:

• Horse lovers - Blind people who have grown up with horses and understand equine behavior and care are ideal candidates.
  
• Allergenic people - Many people who are severely allergic to traditional guide animals and find horses a non-allergenic alternative for mobility.
  
• Mature Individuals - Many people report difficulty dealing with the grief of losing their animals, and  horses tend to live far longer than traditional guides. 
  
• Physically Disabled folks - Because of their docile nature, Guide Horses are easier to handle for individuals with physical disabilities. They are also strong enough to provide support, helping the handler to rise from their chair. 
  
• Dog Phobia - Individuals who fear dogs are often comfortable working with a tiny horse.
  
• Outdoor Animal - Many individuals prefer a guide animal that does not have to live in the house when off duty.

So there you have it!  If you're ever out in public and see one of these cute little horses, do not fear that you've become victim to the long term effects of psychedelic drug experimentation!  It's just a guide horse!

Misty Water Colored Memories: The Torkelsons

Do you remember The Torkelsons?!  I do!  It was a brilliant show about this woman, Millicent Torkelson, raising her five children in the small town of Pyramid Corners, Oklaholma.  Millicent has a lot of financial woes, which she struggles with throughout the show.  The money problem gets so bad, they have to get a boarder to live in their basement, whom they refer to him as "Boarder Hodges..." because his name is Wesley Hodges. And by the way, I always find it odd when people refer to one another as whatever they are followed by their name.  For example: Widow Jenkins (Buttercream Gang reference) or Cousin Dick (Full House reference). I would hate to be singled out as "Courier Mary" or "Daughter Mary."

Either way the show was tops!  One of the best of it's time.

All the kids had double names: Dorothy Jane, Steven Floyd, Ruth Ann, Chuckie Lee and Mary Sue (that's also the order of their ages from oldest to youngest...how do you like them apples!?).  Dorothy Jane was a whimsical teenager who frequently sat on her widow seat and conversed with "the man in the moon."  As a kid, I thought she was so cool for having a window seat.  I wanted a window seat more than anything.  So much so that I tried to craft one by setting up my toy chest in front of a window and putting a bunch of pillows on it.  It was not the most comfy.  So when that didn't work, I tried to climb onto a shelf that was built into the wall underneath this window that we had in a little alcove.  I didn't fit, and I most likely did a bit of damage to the shelf.

Anyways, I digress!  Dorothy Jane was the kid they focused most on.  The rest were kind of secondary and annoying.

One eppisode I remember really well was when Dorothy Jane was trying to get advice from the most popular girl in school, Callie Kimbro.  Callie's advice to DJ was something like this, "Just be confident.  Say to yourself, 'I'm better than everybody else.  I'm the homecoming queen."  You have to imagine that being said in a very many southern voice (because Callie was cursed with a deep voice).  Me and Kitty still quote her on this.  Hey!  It's good advice!

Oh!  I did some IMDBing, and it looks like everybody in the cast has a pretty long acting resume (Ruth Anne's was the shortest). 

Anyways, it's a great show.  If you didn't ever get a chance to see it, here's a clip:

Misty Water Colored Memories: Mary Jane & Friends Bakery Products

All that talk about Nancy's face on the soap got me thinking about my favorite "realistic face on product."  Me and Amy were in Myrtle Beach during the year of 2005 (May to be exact), and we found this bread, and the brand was called "Mary Jane and Friends."  I have never seen this product in Raleigh...only at M.B.  God knows why they are the only ones who get to feel its wonder.  I guess we'll never know. 

So anyways,  this bread was hilarious for a number of reasons.

• The obvious: the doobieliscious name.

• The fact that it is not just Mary Jane alone, but she has two side kicks (both of whom look much younger than her...perhaps she is their sitter?)
• Her male friend's choice of garb (the button-up denim shirt with a few claps left undone to reveal a stylish white cotton turtleneck --- hey, at least it's not a mock)
• Mary Jane's hairstyle.  We found her sideswept emo bangs highly entertaining at the time.
• The little blurb above the title that reads "enriched buns."

We were so pleased with our find that we decided to roll the shopping cart into the condo and photograph ourselves WITH Mary Jane and her two cohorts by means of the self timer function on the camera.  See below:

Every time we went to MB after the initial discovery of MJ and Friends, we made a point to pick up another of their products.  In time, I think we went through a bag of hot dog buns (and we didn't even have hot dogs), a loaf of bread and a pack of yeast rolls.  We could have kept collecting, but MJ & F is becoming increasingly harder to find.

Perhaps I will send them some fan mail in hopes of obtaining a few coupons, or even better, some free merchandise adorned with their logo.

Oh good!  I found the pictures of us with their other products.  PLEASE excuse the way I look in these shots.  With its lack of social pressures, I do not take great pride in my appearance when on holiday at Myrtle Beach (especially in 2005).   And in one of these photos, we were dressed up pretending to be an emo band, so that may offer a bit of comfort to the unsettled feeling you might get upon viewing:

I made the previous one smaller in hopes to keep our appearances as inoffensive as possible.  

Frozen in Time: Best Moments of MY 2008 (month by month)

Because I know you all want to get a good hard look at these, you can click on all the photos to make them bigger!

January

 

     

This is when Katie and I visited Amy in New Orleans.  One of the best parts of our stay was when we dressed up as 80s hair band members and watched Rock of Love (and as the photo shows, we also watched Scott Baio is 45 and Pregnant).

February

 

 

I bought this sweet little ride in February.  It's a Subaru Impreza.  I bought it based on looks and safety, but it turns out that it's also some kind of race car and men are drawn to it.  They flock to me now (the men...).

March

 

 

I spent the entire month of March watching my roommate fret over Britney Spears' every move.  And in a bit of an Amy Winehouse inspired moment, I also did some frantic outdoor night exercises.

April:

April was the month that I finally saw Bret Michaels in person.  That is the moment I realized what all the fuss is about (with the girls on his show all falling in love with him).  He is one smooth talker!  The way he wooed the crowd!  Don't even get me started.  There were also tons of bitchy girls there in the audience who kept pushing me.  Then I got feisty and pushed back.  And then later on, I felt guilty about it. 

May:

 

In whatever month this is, Kitty and me went to the Kanye West/Rihanna concert.  At this concert, in an attempt to save money from buying drinks inside, I drank too much beer in the parking lot and in turn, was only tempted to keep drinking beer inside (where I met a 21 year old drifter wearing jean shorts, and let me say, I was quite taken by him), which led to me being too drunk to operate a car and having to take take a taxi home.

Also in this month, as you can see, I went to the beach with the prossies and got a tattoo. It's some real classly ink.  Okay...Relax! It's just a temp!

June:

 

June held almost too many fun moments, so I had to settle on one, or I would never be able to stop!  This is when Jen, Larry and I went to Waffle House.  I wasn't sure if Larry would want his face broadcasted over my internets, so I covered it up for him.  I'm not sure he'd handle the celeb status with as much grace as I have.  Either way, this trip to WH was tops!  Especially when I shouted the F word too loud, and some lady with her kids gave me the death stare, which in turn, encouraged us to leave pronto.  Later on, I felt like maybe I wasn't the bad guy in that situation.  I mean, anybody taking six year olds to WH is just asking for foul language...and a sprinkle of childhood obesity.

July:

 

I went to Las Vegas in July.  While there, I drank too much, and in turn, probably had the most fun of anybody in our group.  Although the drinking also resulted in me almost falling off a VIP booth and onto a glass table.  ALMOST! 

A LOT of other stuff happened in July too, but like in June, I had to narrow it down to one! Plus, this blog post is getting kind of long, and I need to take a shower!

 Actually, I do need to take a shower!  Now you will just have to wait in suspense for Best Moments of MY 2008 Part TWO!!!  Don't hold your breath! 

Have a safe New Year!

Misty Water Colored Memories: Amy is a Randy Bunny on the Loose

I'm having Bloggers' Block (it's a curse), and I can't think of anything to write about.  Even with Christmas going on, I'm stuck with a blank!  So, I dug up some old photos of a very fun time in my life. 

At some point in college, my best friend, Amy, (whom I'm mere hours away from seeing, because she is coming to town) selflessly volunteered to wear an Easter Bunny suit and pose for photos with people's pets at a local pet store.  I'm pretty sure it was for some charity...we could all do more service work!  

Well, Amy pleaded with the owners or renters of the bunny suit, and got them to allow her to borrow the costume for one extra hour. 

So, I'm sitting at my lovely house on Dixie Trail, and Amy plows into my drive way.  She was calling me on her cell phone.  "COME OUTSIDE," she said.  "I HAVE TO SHOW YOU THIS!!"

I waked outside, and she was grappling with the trunk.  As it lifted, I saw the giant bunny costume.  The possibilities were endless.  "We only have an hour," she said.

With Amy's great modeling/acting skills and my knack for master photography, this is what came of that hour:

This is "Peeping Amy Bunny" peering into our neighbor's window.
Not sure exactly what this one was portraying...
In this one, she is suggestively straddling a tiki torch.  Feel free to let your imagination run wild.
A close up to scare the children.

This one, in which we took to the streets, is my personal favorite. 

There are more photos from this day, which according to the file's folder was in March 05, but I cannot seem to locate them.  One such missing pic was what appeared to be Amy straddling a bench and "riding" it like a quarter horse.  I wish I could find that one. 

Misty Water Colored Memories: Chris Klein's Douche-Baggie Elle Interview

I saw something online about Chris Klein today, and it made me think of this old interview of him I read in Elle Magazine.  It was probably about 2005 or something when the article came out.  Either way, I remember reading it and thinking to myself, Wow!  I can't believe the words coming out of this guys mouth.  He's got to be the biggest ass-clown on the face of the earth. 

I've dug up the interview:

ELLE: If you could play only one album to woo women, what would it be?

CHRIS KLEIN: I've been lucky enough that I don't need music for that.

ELLE: Is there a dish that you prepare to impress women?

CK: I don't need food to impress, man. It's a flash of a smile and a nice conversation. And at the end of the day, she's cooking the food.

ELLE: What's the one thing you could tell a woman to convince her that you aren't Paul, the thick jock you played in Election?

CK: Hello.

ELLE: This would convince her?

CK: Absolutely. You start making eyes across the room. Right then it's not a Paul Metzler situation. It's a predator-prey situation.

ELLE: Have you always been this confident?

CK: I grew into myself fairly late. The first girl I was ever with, you know, kissing and getting blow jobs, I was a freshman in high school and she was a senior. And she was hot too, by the way.

ELLE: When would have been a better time to start? Fifth grade?

CK: It's just that right at that moment, I didn't really get it. But she showed me the ropes, and I took it from there.

ELLE: Is there a common misconception that you feel you need to correct when you're with a woman?

CK: If there is and they don't get it right away, they're gone.

ELLE: Is there anything you don't want women to learn about you?

CK: Nothing. I don't have many secrets. At the same time, I stay very closed off until a woman deserves to know me completely.

ELLE: Isn't it tough for a woman to figure you out if you won't talk?

CK: Hey, man, I'm not here to hold hands and babysit. She's got to come to the table with something.

ELLE: Any weaknesses in relationships?

CK: Trying to control the situation. You have to give her enough credit to let her take the reins once in a while. But if it's a two-week spark-off, f--k it. Have a blast and fizzle out. It can be just as fun.

ELLE: How do you extricate yourself from these “spark-offs”?

CK: I don't placate. I tell 'em straight up.

ELLE: Let's pretend we're dating. What do you say to get rid of me?

CK: You and I are definitely not dating. Role-playing is fun and all, but you're a dude and I'm an alpha heterosexual.

ELLE: You're an actor, for God's sake! Pretend.

CK: How hot are you?

ELLE: I'm a solid 7.5.

CK: I only date 8 to 10s.

ELLE: What's the worst thing a woman has ever said to you?

CK: "You're an asshole." The time it really hurt was when a stranger said it. I was just trying to tell this chick to get lost. I try to treat all women with respect whether they're pretty or ugly. I want to be nice and be like, "Wow, thanks for the attention. But get out of my face."

ELLE: Are you cool with it if a woman you like gains a few pounds?

CK: I'm not tolerant of that at all.

ELLE: So do you tell them to lose weight?

CK: When a woman isn't feeling good about herself and you combine that with her period, eventually she'll ask you if you like her body. You have to say no.

ELLE: Don't you think they're just looking for you to say, “You look beautiful to me, honey”?

CK: If they do, it's placating. I don't placate.

ELLE: Who's "the one that got away?"

CK: Every beautiful actress I've ever worked with. I've got this policy that you don't sleep with them; it complicates stuff. So it's the Heather Grahams, the Rebecca Romijns, the Mena Suvaris, and the Leelee Sobieskis of the world. They all got away.

ELLE: There's a lot on the Web about your being a devout Christian.

CK: That's because I went to Texas Christian University.

ELLE: So it's not as chaste as people might think?

CK: There you can be as dirty or as clean as you want to be. The ratio at TCU was three women to one man. It's an expensive school, full of daddy's little girls. I liked it when they called me Daddy. And they did, too, because they were all hungry.

ELLE: If you assembled all the women you've ever slept with in a room, what would they say about you?

CK: "We ended on good terms."

ELLE: If you had to commit to the number of women you'd like to sleep with before you marry, how many would it be?

CK: I think that for every dude the number is massive, and it just takes that one chick to punch you in the face, and all of a sudden you're walking down the aisle, whether you like it or not.

ELLE: Speaking of marriage, why did your engagement to Katie Holmes end?

CK: We both came to realize that it had run its course. We started dating when we were 20. We had an absolute ball, but we grew up. There's no reason to fight that.

ELLE: Do you feel like you'll ever be friends?

CK: Are we friends? Absolutely. Do we talk? No.

ELLE: Do you follow coverage of her engagement to Tom Cruise?

CK: No way. I've got fantasy football to play. 

Wow.  I guess freako Tom Cruise doesn't seem to bad compared with this winner.  I'm still unsure though...I mean, maybe he's joking.  I can't imagine he would actually say stuff like that.  Although, who would knowingly make such a jackass out of themselves in a major magazine for a laugh?  Has Klein even been in a movie lately?  Hmm.  He and Ginnifer Goodwin just broke up.  I wonder if he'll still be pulling in 10s?  He's not exactly the big C-Lister he used to be! 

Misty Water Colored Memories: Pain is Love

I just found my old Ja Rule "Pain is Love" (so true, right?...haha) CD, and it brought me back to 2001.  It's a pretty good CD.  Unfortunately, I unknowingly purchased the "clean" version of "Pain is Love," and we all know that the cursing is what makes rap music so enjoyable.  You see, this is back when CDs were sold in stores, and KMart (where I bought it) only sold "clean" CDs. 

Whatever happened to ole Ja?  I used to love him, and I even thought he was kind of cute.. .even if he did look a little like a goofy wet rat.  But I really did think he was cute, and now that I'm thinking about it and looking at his photos, I don't know what I ever saw in him.   Well, I'm looking again now.  Maybe he's okay. Opp, wait...there's a picture of him in jean shorts! So NO!  I'M TORN!

Anyways, I did a killer impression of the guy in the Down Ass Bitch music video.  You know, the guy who shouted, "WHERE'S JA?!?" 

Apparently he's been in some movies, but the last one was in 2005.  His last album was 2004.  What's he been doing for the last three years?  He did get arrested with Lil Wayne for drug and gun possession in 2007.  Wikipedia says that he has an album coming out called Mirror (the release date is TBA).  If he's friends with Lil Wayne, maybe it could be a smash.  I don't know.  I'm sure there are a lot more people who are more informed about Ja than yours truly. We'll see what the future will bring for this young rap artist.  In my opinion, it will hold bright things.

Misty Water Colored Memories Frozen in Time: When I was homeless

In college, my friend (and current roommate) was doing a graphic design project, and yours truly got to be her special assistant.  She had a vision, and that vision was a final product that would somehow include photos of a homeless person.  Not really wanting to go downtown and bother potentially drugged up bums that could be offended by her photographing them, she asked me to pose as a homeless person. I jumped at the opportunity.

I had completely forgotten about this whole situation until the other day.  If you remember from prior posts, my old laptop died.  Well, I just got my new one, and in the midst of transferring my photo files to the new machine, I stumbled upon the amazing shots of me pretending to be homeless.  I find them highly entertaining (and I may very well be the only one), but I figured they were worth posting and analyzing.

Here I am looking rough in the basement of our old house.  I guess we thought it would look like I was, as they say, "squatting" there. We worked very hard to make me look homeless.  To give my shirt a tattered look, we ripped it and stuck lit cigarettes into the fabric.  I think we even ended up setting part of the shirt on fire.  Then I put tons of bronzer on my face to appear as if I hadn't showered for days.  Come to think of it, I probably hadn't...but the bronzer was to add extra grime.  Then of course I have my "Got Beer?" trucker hat, flask and blanket (that I still use on my bed).   Okay, moving on:

 

Here I am looking helpless by the road.  If you look closely, you will notice our dirty old carpet behind me.  The dogs peed on it so much that we didn't want it anymore.  We set it by the curb, and apparently the trash men never wanted to pick it up.  It was there for a few months.  I think it adds a nice touch to the image.

 

Jen decided we should change locations.  Not wanting to be around lots of traffic or bystanders, we opted for the parking lot of the RBC Center.  Not really sure why.  I can't imagine homeless people hanging around there.  We brought along some props: a backpack, an empty 12 pack and a cup (for panhandling).  And if you're thinking that the crutches and large orthopedic boot are merely for show, you're sadly mistaken.  I actually had broken my foot (cuboid bone to be exact) while dancing at a heart-thumping performance of The American Hunks.  I'm being serious. 

 

Here we have, what I would say, is the shot that shows the most desperation.  I'm managing to hobble away from my pile of belongings with only one crutch.  I look downtrodden.  I look blue.  And let's not overlook the fact that the composition of this photo is nothing less than remarkable. 

 

I love this one.  My car is in the background, and if you look hard, you can make out the handicapped sign dangling from my rear view mirror.  If I can tell you one thing, my friend, it is this- the handicapped sticker is the silver lining to any broken cuboid bone.  You can also see the employees' cars behind me.  I wonder if they noticed us.

 

And finally, we have the close up.  I look highly disgruntled here.  You can really get an idea of how much bronzer I smeared on.  We also put something disgusting in my hair.  I can't remember what it was, but I remember I said "DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO MY HAIR," so it probably was gross.

I hope you enjoyed those as much as I currently am.  The joy that I have experienced as a result of finding these photos is priceless.  The pictures are ridiculous.  I do not look homeless, and I'm pretty sure that Jen wasn't able to use any of these in her project.  I had a great time doing it though, and I'll treasure the images for a lifetime.

Misty Water Colored Memories: The Confectionery at Belk

It seems that I'm feeling quite nostalgic as of late...

Long ago, The Hudson Belk at Crabtree Valley Mall had two restaurants.  Number one was the Belk Cafeteria, which sadly just closed a few years ago.  That place was good.  I love going to cafeterias and getting cake and cottage cheese.  Don't worry, I eat them separately!  One time I went to the Belk Cafeteria with my sister Katie, and we told them it was my birthday.  It wasn't really my birthday, but it HAD been my birthday a few weeks prior.  They didn't give me a slice of desert or some done up sundae like some restaurants; they gave me an ENTIRE cake!  And it was GOOD CAKE!  AND I KNOW CAKE!  Cake is my favorite food.  Anyways, I've digressed from the main point I was trying to make.

What I wanted to mention was the second restaurant, which was The Confectionery.  The Confectionery closed some years before the cafeteria.  It was a little sandwich shop/desertery.  My mom LOVED to shop, and we would go to the mall just about every day.  Pretty much anytime we were at Crabtree during a meal time, we'd eat at The Confectionery.  We would always get club sandwiches and broccoli and cheese soup!  They served the food on plain white plates and gave you Ruffles as a side.  I'm pretty sure they had a black and white checkered tile floor.  The place was a little cramped, but that was part of it's charm.

I really miss that place.  Crabtree doesn't have a cute little cafe anywhere in the mall now.  You either have to eat fast food at the food court or a chicken pot pie the size of your head at Cheesecake Factory.  Of course there are other restaurants, but no sit down places that you can just swing in and out of.  I guess Panera is Crabtree's 2008 version of The Confectionery.  I do love Panera Bread, but I miss The Confectionery.

I just thought I'd bring it up to see if any of you ole' Raleigh folks remember what I'm talking about.

Misty Water Colored Memories: The ButterCream Gang

When I was little, I loved the movie The ButterCream Gang.  It was one of those straight to video Feature Films For Families that gets delivered right to your door. 

The movie was about a group of kids (Scott, Lanny and Eldon) who go around doing good deeds in their small town.  These do-gooders call themselves The ButterCream Gang.  Mostly they just helped the Window Jenkins, but they were still pillars of their quaint little society!

Well, the action in the movie starts when an old friend Pete comes back to town.  Pete has been living in the big city, where whomever he was living with made spaghetti with ketchup (I distinctively remember him saying that).  Since Pete had a taste of life in the fast lane, he's all crazy!  Scott, Lanny and Eldon invite him back into the BC Gang, but Pete seems a little too far gone.  He even starts dressing like a hispanic gangster, opting only to fasten the TOP button of his dress shirt and wrapping his dome with a dingy bandana.  I mean, he's even goes to Mr. Graff's store saying that he's going to "buy neon shoelaces," but he really steals treats!  Then Pete meets some other small town ruffians, and they start their own youth-gang- a dangerous, edgy youth gang!  They find some young girl in the neighborhood and circle her with their bikes!  Thank goodness Scott comes to her rescue!!!  Then Pete tries to rob Mr. Graff's store! That is when his most powerful acting comes out.  He really goes bananas. What the heck could have happened to him in Chicago?!  I don't think they ever reveal that.

I'm sure you're all wondering where the cast is now.  Well, it looks like the rebel Pete has developed quite a resume.  His real name is Michael D. Wheatherred, and he has been in a lot of films that I've never seen.  The only other movie that Scott, Lanny OR Eldon were in was The ButterCream Gang in Secret of Treasure Mountain (the sequel).  I guess they were at risk of being typecast!  Same for Window Jenkins, I'm afraid! 

Well, if you haven't seen this movie, you should.  It's a good laugh.  Even when I was seven, I thought it was incredibly cheesy.  I doubt they sell it anymore.  You could probably find it on ebay.  DO IT! And please enjoy these clips:

Misty Water Colored Memories: Sprinkle Spangles

I've never been a huge cereal fan, but lately I have been obsessed with Special K.  They have like six different flavors, and it seems like I want Special K for every meal.  I highly recommend the Red Berries and Vanilla Almond flavors.  After my current box is finished, I'm going to buy either Chocolatey Delight or Fruit and Yogurt.  I'm still debating which.

Either way, all this thinking about Special K got me to reminiscing about my childhood cereal choices.  I always enjoyed Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Trix and Fruit Loops.  However, there was ONE cereal that was my FAVORITE, and then all of a sudden, it disappeared.  I would go shopping for a box, but I could find it nowhere!  To make a long story short, I gave up trying to locate it a long time ago.  I just assumed that they just stopped making it. 

Anyways, the cereal that I LOVED so dearly was Sprinkle Spangles!  I LOVE SPRINKLES, so of course I would naturally be drawn to a breakfast cereal covered in the tiny pearls of delight.  It was so good.  I find myself thinking of this from time to time and I just don't understand why they took it off the shelves!  WHY did General Mills stop making this?!  I'm tempted to create another online petition to try and bring it back (although, it might not be worth the effort, seeing as my petition to bring Bravo to Raleigh was not really received with as much enthusiasm and recognition as I'd hoped for...)

I just wanted to bring up Sprinkle Spangles to see if anybody else remembers it or enjoyed it as much as I did.  Maybe I can buy a vintage box somewhere.

Oh, and here is what I dug up on the subject.  According to Wikipedia, "Sprinkle Spangles was a short-lived breakfast cereal by General Mills. It was introduced in the early 90s, alongside Hidden Treasures. The cereal was of star-shaped pieces covered with multi-colored sprinkles. The commercials claimed that they "Spangled every angle with sprinkles." Sprinkle Spangles were no longer available in 1995."

The mascot for the cereal was genie.  Maybe that's why it failed.  Who likes genies?  I'm willing to bet that Sprinkle Spangles would have REALLY blown up if the mascot were a unicorn who whimsically shot sprinkles from her horn.  But I don't know, I'm kinda partial to Unicorns, so maybe I'm biased...

UPDATE: Looks like somebody beat me to the punch with the petition.  Click here to sign it.

And here is a commercial:

Misty Water Colored Memories: 606 Dixie

Thinking about Dixie Trail got me feeling all nostalgic.  Soooo many good times there.  Soooo many crazy characters around there. I am having a sensation urging me to provide a bulleted-type list:

Miss Isea, Thurlin, and Scotty Diamond (who lived in the basement):   
*The smell of [what I presume to be] crack wafting through the air vents.
*Sitting by the air vents listening to the screaming, breaking dishes, and MOANING that would also slip through the vents.
*Thurlin hitting golf balls in the backyard. 
*Scotty's friend, Jay, who sold knit shoes.  One time I didn't recognize him when he came to the door, and I told him that I couldn't talk because I was "bathing my sister."  His girlfriend would come by looking for him after he moved out.  She was pissed about something!
*Giving Jay and Scotty a ride to the store to buy alcohol.
*Cops looking for Scotty.
*The weekend visitor in the PT Cruiser.
*Receiving Xmas cards from Thurlin after he moved to FL (and Applebees gift cards).
*Thurlin helping me move the kitchen table into the house.
*Jumping on the floor and screaming at the top of my lungs to piss them off.      

Stan
*Chatting about poetry at night.  Reading his poetry book- Stealing Teacups From the Sea.
*Listening to the engine of his car at all hours.
*Going to his house with Amy at like 3am, because we were locked out.  He was very kind to help us!  Then I made him a poundcake to express my gratitude.
*Hearing about his Yogarate and war stories.
*Seeing him at Cup-A-Joe everyday.

Laura and Bob (who lived in the basement after Miss Isea's crew)
*Their cat who wore diapers and a leash and had a frequent urination problem.
*When I found Bob's underwear (tighty whitey briefs) mixed in with mine (complete with SKIDMARKS).
*When me and Katie walked by and saw Laura in her underwear, and she ran over and shut the blinds.

*The lady across the street who got mad whenever we parked near her house.
*The lady who taught piano lessons and hung her shirts on her porch.
*Mickey and Laura- the nicest people ever! 
*The hot military dad with a bitter wife.
*Crazy lady who said her husband was chasing her.
*All the crew from the Spanish Trace.
*Lady who came to talk to us and wouldn't leave and told us about the "shaft" on the wind chime.

So many others.  I will stop, because this has no relevance to most of you.  But to those of you who know what I'm talking about, I hope it brings some good memories! And feel free to comment with people who I forgot.  I know Meg has a better memory than I do!  : )