Every Wave

"You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this."
— Henry David Thoreau

(Photo is from Sandy Hook circa 2009.)

Random Hero

At 2:30 AM, Monday morning, Ryan Dunn of Jackass was killed. His Porsche went off the road, hit a tree, and was engulfed in flames. Both he and his passenger were killed. Police believe Dunn was speeding and there has been speculation that he may have been drunk. The owner of the bar he was at prior to the accident claimed he only had a few beers and did not appear drunk. He said that Dunn wasn't a big partier, as far as the Jackass crew goes. An autopsy is being performed to see if his blood alcohol level was past the legal limit.

That's what all the news articles are saying, more or less. Today's latest drama: Roger Ebert has stuck his ugly face into the matter by making insensitive comments on Twitter about Dunn's death. I'm pretty sure that guy is just trying to stay relevant.

After watching Jackass for over ten years, I can't say I'm surprised that one of them died. After all the crazy stunts they've done -- it's amazing they've made it this far. I am shocked that something so common -- a car accident -- would be the cause of one's untimely death. At least Dunn went out in style, turning his $100K Porsche into a fireball, in true Jackass style.

I really don't mean to sound insensitive. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. It's weird -- I usually don't give a crap about celebrity deaths. This is different. Although they're all older than me, I feel like I've grown up with the Jackass boys. From CKY and the original TV series, to the movies, to the spin-off shows, I've savored every nut shot and poop joke. I watched the production value skyrocket, from shaky hand-held cameras to $50K high-speed and 3-D cameras.

I love Jackass because it's simple. It's a bunch of dudes being gross and doing stupid stuff. They took what every teenage kid does and made it their life's work. Some people condemn them for it, but I love it. There's nothing else like it -- there's no plot, no storyline, no computer graphics; hell, they're not even acting. It's the rawest form of entertainment and it will always put a smile on my face.

Last night we re-watched Jackass 3, in homage to Dunn. It breaks my heart that he's gone. And sure, it's possible poor decisions were involved -- but isn't that what Jackass has always been about?

Rest in peace, dude. I'm sure you lived more in your 34 years than most could in 100.

Being a Grown-Up

Somebody stole my little fluff-ball of a puppy and replaced her with a lanky, long-legged young dog. As adorable as puppies are, I'm really excited for her to fill out. She's going to be a pretty girl. Hell, she already is, despite her "awkward" stage.


I ordered her adjustable training harness last week. She lets me put it on her and take it off her without any fuss, and she doesn't really notice it's on when she's wearing it. Unlike Dexter, who freezes in place whenever you put any kind of harness or backpack on him. Well, at least until he gets outside, anyway. He's got issues.

Hmm, what else is new. Oh yea, my car died -- something with the timing belt going bananas. So I bought a big, 6-cylinder, gas-guzzling monster!


My first self-bought vehicle -- kind of a big deal, I guess? My old car is probably going to be salvaged for my sister. My parents are paying to get it fixed, so I figured it was time to pass the car along and get something else.

I put about a year's worth of savings into a down payment and began financing a used 2008 Mercury Mariner. It's a lot like my parent's Ford Escape, which I really like, only newer and better. The gas intake will take some getting used to, but I really don't drive that often, so it's not a huge deal. I wanted something big enough to accommodate people and dogs, with the power to tow, so I really didn't have many gas-friendly options.

I also equipped the trunk area with a dog barrier gate, so most of the fur will be kept in the back of the truck. Time to rejoice and possibly wear black clothing again. My only concern: what happens when I have three or maybe four dogs? Where will they all go? I have problems!