Holiday Beard - One Month In...

The Brett Show

I didn't see him at the party, but apparently this Bert Hoss fellow took some video and made a trailer for the upcoming 2008 season of the Brett Show. Weird.

CCA Holiday Video 2007

Oh, the merriment!

I've got my top 3 now...

Rivers Edge last night, Colin behind the bar, beard on the face, Galaga/Ms Pacman in the corner. Good stuff. I now have my top 3 arcade games that I will purchase once I have some scratch:

1. Ninja Turtles - Me, Ian & the old man beat this game at the KoP mall about 15 years ago, and it was glorious. It was probably the greatest memory of my Dad acting like a child, or most appropriate I guess. I don't remember if we had to be somewhere. I don't remember if we had anything else to do that day. Because we didn't leave that spot until the game was beaten. Random kids would come in and play a few levels, filling in the other 2 positions, but Ian and I held strong, and Father kept getting quarters until we fucked up Shredder and Krang at the end. We beat the game. I remember nothing else from that day, probably a psychological block, but I remember going to town on the Ninja Turles game. I want this game. #1.

2. The Simpsons game. Pretty much the Turtles with different graphics. But come on, its the Simpsons and it's awesome. The last time I saw this game was in Belmar, NJ back before I was dating a Jersey girl, Mike was dating a Jersey girl, and Simon was still around. Seeing Simon next week would be pretty top notch. But it was raining in Belmar (God, I wish I would have known that area of NJ would be my hell someday) so we ducked into an arcade, and sure enough they had the Simpsons game. Simon and I beat that shit that day. Another good day. Kel was dating Dan, but it was still a good day.

To quote Craig: If I had the Turtles and the Simpsons video games, I would be so happy right now.

3. Right, Galaga/Ms Pacman. Sure, it seems like such a staple of arcade games, and maybe it was the copious amounts of alcohol in our systems (definitely, maybe) but playing Galaga was fucking AMAZING last night. And then Michelle & Deric rocked some Ms Pacman and THAT was amazing. I want this machine in my home so it can be amazing everynight. It's the reverse food chain of video games. I like these more than Genesis. I like Genesis more than PS2. #4 on the list would be Bad Dudes, but I don't have the energy to write a paragraph on that.

1 week. 2 brothers. 3 continents.

Wednesday, we leave New York City, which is located in North America. I haven't left North America in 26 years.

Thursday morning, we wake up in Spain. That's Europe. For the next couple days we'll travel Spain, from Madrid to Sevilla to the vicinity of Gibraltar...

Sunday should find us in Morocco. That's Africa. Africa. Who would have thought a Hauze, let alone two Hauzes, would be in Africa this year. Awesome.

3 continents inside a week. Should be pretty wild. I bought a shitty $200 video camera to document it all.

Robert Goulet 1933-2007

Very unexpected. He was awaiting a lung transplant for a last few weeks and I guess time ran out. Weird, I was just watching the Simpson's $pringfield episode the other day and his gag on the ep is fantastic.

At the aiport. Bart holds up a sign reading "Robert Goulet"

Robert Goulet: Are you from a casino?

Bart: I'm from a casino.

Robert Goulet: Good enough for me. Let's go.

At Bart's treehouse casino

Robert Goulet: Are you sure this is the casino? Mr. Burns' casino? I think I should call my manager...

Nelson: Your manager says for you to shut up!

Robert Goulet: Vera said that?

I hate when celebs pass away that aren't "supposed" to pass away. He'll be missed.

GOU-LET!

2 Brothers, 2 Continents

The idea was hatched. The talk was talked. And the plane tickets have just been purchased.

The Hauze Bros. are going abroad. In two weeks, we leave for Eurasia. Our trip will have us circling Spain and Morocco from Madrid to Sevilla to Tangier and back. Do we know what we're doing? Hell no. Any ideas on how to get around? None. Will it be an adventure? Most definitely.

Our trip will include but not be limited to these things:

Eating more spanish food than is recommended for one person

Bullfights

Snake Charmers

Camel Rides

Rocking the Kasbah

Flying Carpets

Trainrides across the Spanish countryside

Flamenco Dancers

Linen Suits

Adventure

My Beige Whale

I haven't owned a car since the Whale Shark. Imagine this, only without AC, power windows, a working gas tank meter, and the uncertainty of death constantly reinforcing itself everytime you turn the key and put it in drive:

My love affair with the Whale Shark ended about 3 years ago. Now my new whore mistress is the BMW 330xi. In blue. Mmmm. Does anybody have 35K I can hold for a minute?

I also want you in dark blue.

My White Whale

Everybody has a neverending quest. Something you've wanted your entire life, but just have never been able to make it happen, to connect, to quench that thirst of all thirsts. For some it's a girl. For some it's a dream job. For some it's rare piece of memorabilia, like an original pressing of a record or a priceless work of art. For me....it's this:



I have been looking for a clean version of this theme song for years. Years. And it started small. I heard the song. I liked it. I wanted to hear it whenever I wanted. Not at 1130am on a Tuesday on TBS. And this was before the digital age was fully realized. I didn't have a Google search. I didn't have YouTube. I didn't have iTunes. And now I do. And I STILL can't find a good copy of this song.

I do, finally, have a shitty recording of this song. I found a windows media version on some TV Theme website where some guy records songs on a boombox to tape off his television. So I've got that. But it sucks. And there's a CBS themes CD out there somewhere with this song on it, I remember seeing it at a Tower Records (RIP) back in high school, but being the high schooler I was, I didn't have the $20 to impulsively drop on a CD like that. And now thru Amazon, iTunes, you name it, I can't find that CD. Stinks.

So the quest continues. I will find this song. I will have a clean version, on my iTunes, for me to dance around a black and white New York City to. It will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine.

Cosby Theme. It's called Monk's Hat. Written by Benny Golson. The Don Braden Octet does a version of it. To be continued...

A Trip

Being the impulsive Hauzes we are, brother and I want to take a trip in the spirit of The Darjeeling Limited. After some beers and some brainstorming last night, and a Phillies loss to boot, I think we came to the combination of Spain and Morocco over the course of a week. Flight to Spain, boatride to Tangier? Does that make sense? Expedia doesn't think so, but I do.

We're looking to go somewhere that isn't obvious. No England. No Japan. Australia's a wee bit too far. Morocco just seems like a good destination...maybe in the spirit of Almost Famous, but then again, maybe in the spirit of the Bourne Ultimatum. I'm hoping it's in the spirit of buying some linen suits and just exploring for a week. No tours, no attractions. Local color. Sunlit taverns with a creaky fan providing miniman circulation. A feast for the eyes and the soul. You know...equal parts amazing and affordable. Easy, right?

I think the Spain/Portugal/Morocco area can offer that. And you know, maybe a flight that gives us a layover in Amsterdam, just for good measure.

Big Sur made me realize there's a lot I haven't seen. Being single made me realize there are a lot of people I still have to meet. Having no stamps in my passport makes me realize that I should get out there and see some of the world. The Hauze boys could use a good trip.

I wish the sister could come too, but she's already gone international, and she's got college to have fun with for now. There will be a Hauze kids trip in the future, no doubt, but for now the boys will test the waters. We already balked on our London trip early this year, so this one's got to go down, for the sake of sanity and good health. Well, not really that serious, but you know, it would be a damn good trip.