Thursday, August 3, 2017

Yes! OH SHIT!

Okay, this True Story is short, silly and maybe even stupid. I don’t know on that last one. This would be your call, not mine.

This is a True Story I call Yes! OH SHIT!

You might want to be a serious collector (of anything) or just someone who has been searching for something for years to appreciate this story.

Correction – you might want to be someone who has found something you have been searching for, for years.

This is such a moment.

When it comes to books, comics and DVD I have a list of stuff I need for my collection. Often the books and comics I am looking for are very hard to come by. DVD’s are not so hard, but there are some that I want that are long out-of-print.

I found one of those long out-of-print DVD’s a few weeks ago at a Zia Records store. It was a used copy for $9.99, but that doesn’t matter. Even used, the same item goes on eBay for up to $150. It works, I can watch it, it’s in the collection finally – that is what matters.

I was in this Zia’s waiting on items I was trading in and looking around. This time, oddly enough, I really wasn’t looking for anything, just passing the time. That is usually how it happens.

I saw something out of the corner of my eye . . . could it be! My heart raced, my eyes bugled, I felt the excitement of a major find. I jet my arm out to snatch the disc from the shelf before the couple coming up from the other direction could possibly grab it . . .

And almost committed mass murder!

Yes, I almost killed (or at least injured) the people on the other side of the shelf. I grabbed out for the disc so quick and hard that I almost knocked the entire shelf over! The shelf rocked! I quickly grabbed the top of it and balanced it out.

Then, once it was steady and safe, I jetted around the corner of another shelf out of view.

Ace.

WHOSE THE OLD FUCK?

Here we go with another True Story from San Diego Comic-Con. It is Convention Season after all.

This took place around 2006 or 2007, one of the last years I attended San Diego. It involves a complete idiot.

This is a True Tale I call WHOSE THE OLD FUCK?

It was the Marvel booth, and there was very long line for a particular person (guess who). I had already been through the line and was resting, sitting down on the ground against a pillar, staying out the way. This weird, grungy guy was walking around, trying to cut in the line and get a glimpse of who everyone was in line for.

He must have finally got a glimpse of the person, and didn’t seem impressed, or to recognize the gentleman doing the signing.

He said, to no one in particular, “Who’s the old fuck?”

I just sat there and watched the fireworks.

Someone in line answered, “Stan Lee!”

To which this man said, “Who’s that?”

Seriously, this guy was at San Diego Comic-Con, hanging around the Marvel Booth and had no idea who Stan Lee was.

Those fireworks I mentioned went off at this time. Some people in line where this guys was standing were pissed. They took great offense to “Who’s that?” There were choice words leveled at the guy, and he returned them in the same vein.

It was an insult he hurled at Stan Lee that took things to the next level and I thought people in line were going to kill him. Security was called and the situation calmed down.

I just sat there listening and watching through all of this.

I figured he was just a jerk there to bash on fans, and almost got bashed himself.

Ace.

KEYLESS/CLUELESS

Man, I just have to admit, I just can’t figure out what some people do. Things that children would know better than to do. I mean stuff that even mentally challenged people would know is not a good idea. Stuff that anybody with a brain would know is Stupid!

This is a True Tale I call KEYLESS/CLUELESS.

This story comes about because I have a number of people I know with the some outlook that I can’t understand.

A couple of years ago, a client asked me to house sit, and I planned on it. The house was nice, in a retirement community and he had lived there for over ten years. Both the front and back doors had heavy security doors for safety and added protection (or so one would think.)

The day before he left I went over to his house and we discussed things. He gave me the code to the garage door, so I could come and go that way. This got stupid when I asked him about keys to the house.
STUPID. Are you ready for this?

He told me I didn’t need any keys, he never locks the inside garage door. In fact, he told me, he doesn’t even have a key to that door’s lock.

Um . . . really?

The only key he had was to the front and back door – and then only the handles.

Ok, it gets stupider. Really.

He drilled home to me to only come in and out through the garage. Do NOT lock the inside garage door (to the house), Do NOT lock either security door and Do NOT lock the deadbolt on the regular front and back doors.

Why?

Yes! He didn’t have a key to any of those doors/deadbolts. (He still doesn’t)

THIS IS TRUE.

Recently I’ve ran into the same thing. Clients telling me not to lock certain doors (front, back, security, laundry room) because they don’t have keys to the door and would get locked out.

Yes, people I know have doors to their house unlocked because they don’t have keys to the locks!

Seriously.

Needless to say, I didn’t stay at the man house for the two weeks he was gone. I just checked it every couple of days.

Oh, and when he stiffed me on payment – claiming he thought this was a favor – I made sure every door in the house was locked.

Ace.

HI-FIVE AWAY

Recently, fellow WrestleMentary Crew Member Chris and I attended the NXT Brand event in Phoenix. We had a great time, and a moment that fits right into the whole point of this THIS IS A TRUE STORY blog. Yes, this is another True Story involving pro wrestling that I call HI-FIVE AWAY!

One of our fellow Crew was unable to make the show, but Chris and I had dinner then popped on over to the Theatre were NXT did their thing. On the way over, and at the venue, we ran into some people I know from local indie events, and even some of the Indie Wrestlers.

All in all a great night, but none of that is what Hi-FIVE AWAY is about. No. My favorite moment of the night came during the ring entrance of a wrestler known as No Way Jose. No Way Jose is a very athletic, charismatic, dancing fool, happy-go-lucky wrestler. With great catchy music that everyone signs to.

No disrespect to ‘Jose,’ but I’m not a fan. I’m not saying he isn’t good. I just don’t like the dancing, smiling, overly happy, treats everything as a joke gimmick. I’ve seen it to many times and it has worn thin.

His theme music hit, he danced his way to the ring for almost five minutes. Throngs of fan were moving, shaking, singing along “NO WAY JOSE, NO WAY JOSE,” everyone but . . .

ME. I moved and shook, yes I did, but I was chanting something else. After a few seconds, when Chris realized what I was chanting, he joined in. A couple of guys next to me even high-fived me in excitement.

One of them wore a NO WAY JOSE t-shirt.

It was a great, hilarious and energetic moment I must admit.

I never did tell the guy wearing the NO WAY JOSE t-shirt that I was dancing and chanting GO AWAY JOSE . . . GO AWAY JOSE . . . GO AWAY JOSE.

😂

Ace.

DUMB ASS

Ok, this story takes place sometime around 1994/1995. I remember this event and the few minutes quite clearly, and I know I was around 20 or 21 at the time because I was in college. Plus, at this time I was driving a Saturn (loved that car), and that was the only time in my life that I owned one.

This was late at night, around 10:00 P.M. or so one evening. I don’t remember what day, but I do remember – now that I am writing this – I was heading home from closing up the store I worked at in a Mall.

The only real details that matter here are those of the actual event. What year, day and even my age are not really relevant to this particular true store.

This is a True Story I call DUMB ASS – for the lack of a better name right now. Dumb Ass can refer to myself and/or the other guy in this tale.

I was heading home one night and it was fairly dark, with only my headlights and dull street lights to light the way. It had to be a week night, because the streets were fairly empty – which was a very good thing.

The drive from work to home was normally about twenty minutes, but with little traffic I was making excellent time, until I drove by my college campus and run into Dumb Ass!

From out of nowhere some guy came screaming down the road in his car behind me. I could hear the car before I saw it in my rear view mirror. There was no reason for the speed he was going, and no way he wasn’t going to slam into me.

I was in the curb, outside lane. I switched lanes to get out of this guy’s way. That is when this happened: Dumb Ass slowed down, came up beside me, honked his horn a number of times, laughed at me when I finally looked over and flicked me off. He then suddenly gunned it and barreled into my lane, cutting me off and almost crashing into the front of my car.

I slammed on my brakes, swerved into the left turn lane to avoid being hit and almost spun out. Fortunately no one else was on the road and I was able to control the car. I sat there, heart pounding, thoughts racing of everything that could have happen.

Then I did what any sane, rational person would do: I calmed down, let it go and went home.

AFTER I taught this bitch a lesson. I put the car in gear, slammed the gas and screeched off after his ass. I was pissed. Whomever this was thought it was fucking funny to try and run me off the road on purpose.

I was way above the speed limit when I caught up with him, lights be damned. I pulled up beside him for the briefest of seconds, then gunned it ahead a few car lengths, pulled over in front of him and hit my brakes.

This forced him to slow down and swerve into the other lane – almost spinning out himself.

I didn’t care and neither did he. We both did this a few more times, cutting each off as we raced down the road. This continued until we came to a major intersection and the light turned red as we came up to it. There were no cars around, and neither of us could stop in time.

I cut across in front of him, then slowed down and turned left the best I could. There was no way I could stop in time for the red.

Neither could he. He jammed his brakes on, and one of his back tires blew out!

After doing my illegal, through the red light left turn, I pulled off to the side of the road. I watched as smoke poured from his car, saw him skid through the intersection, and finally pull off into a strip mall parking lot.

Pieces of tire were flung across the street. Even parked, smoke still emanated from his car. I watched as he excited the car, popped the hood and a jet of smoke rose from the engine. Boy, was he pissed! He blew a gasket!

NOW I let it go and went home.

Yeah, I know in this situation I was just as bad and in the wrong as this guy. I shouldn’t have done it, but I did. I did mention that Dumb Ass could be applied to him and/or ME.

Ace.

A Brief on the State and Return of This Is A True Story . . . And an Awesome True Story!!

You Want a True Story . . . Truly?

Well, here it goes: This is A True Story is back! Or at least I am back to posting.

Another True Story, I have a number of stories written for the BLOG!

The Follow up to that, is I just haven’t posted. No reason way, just didn’t.

But here is the happy ending to this True Story, I am posting now and will be weekly again!

This week’s story should have went up a while ago, but here it is now. It’s about something close to my heart – Awesome.

This story is a True Tale, but not the normal story I tell here. Usually I write about feel good, weird, funny, outlandish or just stupid moments from my life. I’ve also written about my pets and at length about my aneurysm three-and-a-half-years ago.

This story could fit into all of them (except my pets), but it is more about an anniversary, partaking in one of my favorite things in life and just life.

This is a True Tale I call AWESOME.


Yes, January 29th, 2014 I collapsed due to an aneurysm, but I survived and am going strong today. This is thanks to the Doctors who performed the surgery and do my check-ups (Dr. Wilson and Dr. Suninshine), my mom, friends (Dave Parrish, Ken Brown, Ron Summers, Clay Stubblefield, Bobby Minch, Collen Lacy, Nikki Maxon, Dawn Nixon, Greg Bronson (RIP), etc.) and another source that people may find odd. People who don’t even know the impact they had on me.

I am a huge pro wrestling fan (yes, this again!). Not just the WWE, but all wrestling. Especially the AWF. Three years ago I went to my first AWF event in Peoria, AZ, at their original venue. This was only the second public event I had went to since being released from the hospital on Valentine’s Day (2014).

I was concerned about going to events after the aneurysm and my time in the hospital. My Mom more so, and I had orders from Doctors to take it easy. Still I went . . .

And in three years and-a-half-years I haven’t missed an event. My friend Chris Rose attended this first one with me, Dave started coming with the next event and has only missed one since.

That first night was a great live show. Sitting front row in a fold up chair, having the bad guys yell at me, wrestlers fall out of the ring at our feet – even having my chair used as a weapon! A wrestler even hit his head off the just too low ceiling when jumping off the top rope!

Over the last three years it’s become more than just a show. It became therapeutic for me as I recovered. Better, I’ve become friends with some of the guys and often become part of the Bad Guys ‘getting over.’

Then there is Jen – the owner’s wife and her Cool-as-anything BOSS daughter.

For the last three years the Arizona Wresting Federation has become a big part of my life and it was for the first year a big part of my recovery.

Or, as I like to call it: The AWESOME Wrestling Federation.

Ace.