To Rent a Wreck or not to Rent a Wreck...
Touring is tough business. You want to try and keep your expenses on the low as much as possible because you always end up running into something that costs way more than you expected. Sometimes, however, you learn that it is better to pay more, just so you don’t end up with…well.. crap. Here’s the story:
After arriving at Newark International, Eric and I walk to the baggage claim, pick up our bags and decide to call the car rental place to find out where the shuttle picks up from. Before I go any further, allow me to emphasize the fact that the place the rental place was called “Rent a Wreck.”
Eric called and they said that we should keep an eye out for a 15 passenger van with a guy wearing a hoodie who would be at the airport in about 20 minutes. Sign number one that something was awry: the most distinguishing sign of your shuttle should NOT be the fact that the driver is wearing a hoodie.
Approximately 30 minutes pass and we see a silver 15 person passenger van with dents along the side roll up to the side walk. Out pops a man (who has a hoodie… but is not actually wearing the hood) who I can’t describe other than he loosely resembled Turtle from Entourage: a little slick, a little shady, made us feel just a little uneasy.
After the approximately 30 minute drive into what felt like the middle of nowhere, we pull into a residential area and turn into the driveway of a house with a sign out front that says “MRS FATIMA PSYCHIC.” Sign number 2: sharing a building with a psychic hasn’t been cool since the 80’s.
The driver drops us off at the “main entrance” which is obviously located around back, and he tells us to just put the stuff down outside and it should be safe.
I observe the small demonic creature that appears to be guarding the area and decide it would be better if I personally stay back to watch the bags while Eric deals with the papers.
Time passes, demonic creature and I have a staring contest (it wins). I note Rent-a-wreck’s fine selection of vehicles and with much dread, Eric returns with a set of keys.
He pulls the car around and jaws drop. This has got to be the crappiest car in the whole lot, and we just got it.
We decide to roll with it and we pop the trunk only to find about 7 gallon containers of water (half of which are empty) just chilling in the spot that would be occupied by a spare tire. Sign number 3: If you are going to borrow grandma’s car to rent it out to complete strangers, at least take the time to relocate her emergency supply of water before handing over the keys.
We sit in the car and start to reflect. I mention that this car is a piece of shit. Eric mentions there were a bunch of hidden fees. I mention that we are screwed if it breaks down. He mentions that the lock on the driver side is practically falling out of the door. I mention that this isn’t the kind of car we’d feel comfortable leaving expensive gear in. He agrees.
Eric goes back inside throwing the keys in the employees face (ok, probably just put them gently on the counter). I unload the trunk and we move to the front of the building where we await a cab.
30 minutes and $75 dollars later (did I mention the shuttle cost $15?), we are back at the Enterprise near the airport renting a 2009 Dodge Caliber with auxiliary inputs for less money than the Rent-a-wreck would have been.
Moral of the story: don’t trust psychic demons with your baggage.
Music Video Madness
This past weekend, Ricky and I made our way down to a little place called HOLLYWOOD to make another music video. Completely green screened and flimed in the eating area of a kitchen. Don’t worry though, we will just green screen the kitchen back in during post production… we just like using the technology to do things that we could have done without the technology. And look! Some photos!
Irony
Today I realized something and I haven’t figured out quite how I feel about it. I realized that I have a $200 iPod and a $10 case that has a screen protector so my iPod screen does not get scratched. The screen protector gets scratched very easily…yet, I don’t attempt to replace it because I know the new one will ALSO get scratched very easily.
What’s the twist you say? Well, the outcome is that I watch videos on my iPod through a scratched screen just so I don’t have to watch videos on my iPod through a scratched screen.
The Maestro of Mayhem
To celebrate the swiftly approaching anniversary of the birth of the Maestro of Mayhem…and for those who have not met him yet… I bring you….
This little diddy was created for the Evil League of Evil contest spawned from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. If you haven’t watched it, you are dumb and you should be trying to click as fast as your fingers can to watch it in it’s entirety (about 45 minutes in length).
The “application” was rejected and I…er…the Maestro not selected. But his video resume lives on…and possibly leads towards an eventual recapitulation? MUWAHAHA
ow
Let's Rant!
The only thing more dangerous than holding your cellphone while driving… is taking a picture with your cellphone of someone driving and holding their cellphone while you yourself are driving.
This…is my rant. OK, so maybe I don’t think that EVERYONE’s driving is impacted by holding a phone to their ear…that doesn’t mean that everyone gets to do their own self evaluation to assess their driving ability while holding their phone. It may still be a new law, but I am AMAZED at how many people don’t give a flying frak about it. For all you out there who CAN drive and hold without missing a beat, do us all a favor by setting an example for all the dumbasses who can’t…but think they can.
In other news, I have gotten pretty good at taking pictures without looking. Stupid people be warned.
San Diegan’s don’t mess around:
“This yard is NOT
a “doggy dump”!!!
Pick up messes!!
PLEASE!!!!!”
