Ok… I should have titled this *”Hello from Water World”*… I don’t dare walk outside…the one minute I stuck my head outside was one minute too many. It’s FREEZING too…very odd Vegas weather…so much so that if not for the dinging of slot machines in 5.1 surround sound, I would have a hard time buying that i’m actually in Vegas. Trippy! So much for relaxing near the pool.

It’s good to see my mom(who flew here a few days ago) …we had dinner last night and she goes back to Michigan tomorrow. I’ll probably head back late tonight and avoid the early checkout as well as day traffic ( I actually like to drive at night-easier on the eyes). Even with the crappy weather, it’s still good to get away.

I haven’t hit any huge jackpots but I did play a little blackjack and I learned this new card game called “Lose your money even faster”…actually I don’t remember the real name of it but… one second I had a handful of chips and the next? I’m Blogging It was actually more of a vanishing trick if you ask me …i didn’t like this game

Well…that’s the report for now.

Well…I’m *almost* to Vegas… I’m sitting inside the World Famous “Bun Boy”…drinking super strong coffee and waiting for my Waffle to be served.

The drive so far…has been quite bad (traffic is the worst). It’s been raining off and on…which of course means that everyone forgets how to drive….must have passed *at least* 4 car wrecks …1 that looked DEADLY..and the other 3? Well, those were just enough to make everyone slow down to look.

I snapped a picture of just how bad the traffic is but i’m not sure how to post from the cell phone…will post when I get back.
gonna run…food’s here

I’m REALLY looking forward to getting out of this town for a few days! I leave for Vegas tomorrow and I’ll be meeting my mom there who flew there from Michigan.  I’ll also be meeting a few other friends in Sin City. All I need is 2 days away and that’s enough to recharge my Los Angeles Battery. [Hollywood could drain the Energizer Bunny]

Sometimes just getting out of town for a day can help. Don’t get me wrong,…I do love living in Southern California…it’s just that having lived other places, there are certain things I miss that LA just doesn’t have…of course that works the other way around too

I’m also looking forward to my trip back to Michigan the last week in this month…being in the Midwest in the Fall ROCKS! (It’s just those Winters that can kill ya)

Well… I’ll be sure to blog from Vegas and take some photos for posting when I return…hopefully shots of me winning some monster jackpot! I’ll settle for a 25 cent jackpot…  I’m not that greedy.

Not much time now…need to get ready for tonight’s Hockey game…we’re short a couple players so I have a feeling I’ll be on the ice a little extra…no complaints.

Happy Sunday!

Not too long ago I posted my troubles with this homeless lady who pesters me as I walk in to my corner 7-11 each day. Today, I exploded on her and now I’m feeling a little guilty for doing what I did…which makes me more angry that I would let this silly event have such control over my mood today. I hate when that happens!

For anyone who needs a refresher, here’s the link about the details of the situation but the short version is…each time i walk into the store she asks for "spare change" and each day I just ignore her.

Today, I just snapped. See, when I ignored her she just asked LOUDER(as if i didn’t understand English or something)…and the closer I walked to the entrance the louder she said it…almost to the the point where it was obvious she was trying to make a point of some sort.

It’s a little like the scene from the movie Better Off Dead …where the paperboy keeps asking for his $2.00

As I got closer I just started screaming at her to "QUIT FUCKING ASKING ME FOR MONEY!" [before i start to get the "you're a heartless fuck" comments, please read the back story.] My rants continued as I walked in the store realizing I was making a scene to everyone in the store–but I KNOW just about everyone was feeling what I was feeling since they had to walk through the doors to get in as well.

The Clerk and Manager where there and they seemed to be amused at my LOUD Tourette syndrome outburst. And so …as I was shopping I started to think about how much money I spend in this store a year. I’m embarrassed to say ..but about $10 per day (at the most) = $3650.00 per YEAR [give or take a few hundred] And so as I walked up to the counter asked the the guys behind it why they allow her to sit outside the door and subject their customers to her. Their response annoyed me even more than the lady asking for money.

"Oh, we let her stay out there because people give her money"

I said…"IsTHAT really your excuse?–because people give her money? I don’t see the logic."

[By this time I'm holding up the line of people having slurpie withdrawals]

I then said "look, you guys see me in here just about EVERY DAY and I spend about $3000.00 a year here…there is a store across the street and in the future I’ll be taking my business there all because you fucks don’t give a shit if your customers are being harassed by something you DO HAVE CONTROL over."

I didn’t give them a chance to reply…I just left. I won’t be back. I know…I’m heartless…but I’m not sure what annoyed me most out of this whole situation…The Lady, The Clerks or at Myself for letting it GET ME. Sorry for the Rant.

Let me start out by saying sorry if this post seems more like a commercial for iTunes …but I’m super impressed with the new version that allows video downloads of TV shows like Desperate Housewives and Lost. Pretty sweet if you ask me!

No, I’m still not a Lost fan,…however I watched the 1st season of Desperate Housewives and I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. I think because I didn’t expect to like it, made it even more enjoyable…a pleasant surprise.

*Please don’t mention anything about Season 2 to me…I’m waiting for it to be released on DVD to watch it back to back.

There’s some other sweet features on the new iTunes [like being able to Gift music to people]–feel free to Gift my stuff out [cough] while you’re there

Anyway…it’s Friday and I just downloaded the 15 day trial version of a program called BREEZE…it’s pretty SWEET Real Time Video Conferencing. It’s WAY to rich for me though…so when the 15 days expires, that’ll be the end of that…but talk about getting spoiled on live motion video.

Anyway…Have a great Friday!

I spent some of tonight messing with webcam software. Most I’ve tried are pretty sloooooow and jerky java things…if anyone knows the best software for streaming webcam video, send me an email at bob@bobgentry.com or leave a comment. I’m told the Real Player has pretty good one…but it’s just nice to know my options.

Let’s see…I’m running out to watch the DVR recording of this week’s Smallville. I sure hope it’s better than last week’s. I really loved the season opener but last weeks show left me thinking about caffeine injections.

Anyway…I only have a second but wanted to jot something down.

JOT JOT JOT

I’m not sure if an email notification will go out with this post but I guess we’ll see. I made the mistake of trying to upgrade the plug in and not going step by step on the directions. It seems I tried to fix it and by doing so, I think i made it WORSE. With any luck, it’ll be back to a state of "normal" soon.

*let me say that it has nothing to do with the plug in itself—rather, my own silliness by not installing correctly

I spoke with my friend Tony DeFranco last night on the way to hockey. He’s from Canada so he knows how to get into good hockey discussion. He said he’s now playing on a league with his son. Cool.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with The DeFrancos, it just means you aren’t a junkie of the 1970’s Bubble-Gum Music. Here’s a VH1 video narrated by 90210’er Shannon Doherty that aired not too long ago.  It’s also a clip that shows how shitty heartbeat-less the music business can be…but it’s cool to see these old clips of The DeFrancos. There’s a bunch of other music to check out on the DeFranco website too …and of course…

Today’s been pretty busy considering I haven’t really done anything. It’s funny to feel mentally beat at the end of the day and then look back and see that you didn’t really accomplish anything.

My options for today were…

1. Audition for a Soap Opera
2. Go to Stick Time to work on my Hockey skills
3. Watch a bunch on New to DVD movies later

I’m am choosing to do #2 and #3. Not that I wouldn’t do a soap, I would…I just didn’t see this role as something that was right for me. Hard to explain… but I’m feeling that If i don’t feel a spark for the part then I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time faking it. I know…that’s what actors do….but something else will come along that I’ll feel good sweating over.

Meanwhile, I must run off to work on my Ice Skills …ya never know when they’ll be making The Mighty Ducks Part 3 LOL

It was 1 year ago today that I posted:

Hello Everyone,

I’ve been keeping an online journal since 2001 but it’s been somewhat hidden. I thought about just making that one a “public journal” but then I realized that wouldn’t be such a good idea. So why have a public one at all? Why not?

Anyway…I’ll try to update as much as I can. And for anyone reading …I only hope my life is worth reading…either way, It’s always nice to document.

365 days later and I couldn’t be more pleased with creating a public blog…

Thanks to anyone who has been reading and to the new online friends I’ve made just this year alone from blogging. A year goes by pretty fast! I’ve been pretty good at writing a little something each day…it may not be Earth Shattering stuff….but it’s been great fun for me

I heart Bloggers and Blogs

Sunday…I haven’t done much of anything today other than fart around online. Later (like in an hour and a 1/2) I’ll be going out with Val for his birthday meal. [Happy Birthday!]

  I’ve never been a huge fan of my own birthdays but I do OK when it’s someone else adding another candle on the cake. I might have to bring the fire extinguisher tonight…could be dangerous!

Let’s see…what else? Oh, I added these little flags at the bottom right of the journal that should (in theory) translate the page. I guess some things just don’t translate….see…I’ll take text from the last post like:

The other night while playing a game of Tennis Chainsaw Massacre at the public park, there were a couple of people doing this Brazilian type of Martial Arts/Exercise. It was sort of fun to watch ‘em…they were doing it in super slow-motion and in a sort of rocking back and fourth motion.

Translated to Spanish:

La otra noche mientras que juega un juego del tenis Chainsaw Massacre en el parque público, había pares de la gente que hacía este tipo brasileño de Martial Arts/Exercise.  Era clase de diversión para mirar el ‘ em… que ella lo hacía en a cámara lenta estupendo y en una clase de oscilación detrás y de cuarto movimiento.

And then taking that and translating is BACK to English and you get:

The other night whereas a game of tennis Chainsaw Massacre in the public park plays, there were pairs of the people who made east type Brazilian of Martial Arts/Exercise.  It was class of diversion to behind watch the ‘ command post… that she made in wonderful a slow motion and in a class of oscillation and fourth movement.

"It was class of diversion to behind watch the command post"–What the?? LOL

Perhaps having a translator on the page is pointless. Specially if it makes me seem even more illiterate