The Ocean

I walked down Huntington Pier tonight. No, it wasn't some romantic experience since the company present wasn't condusive to that mood, however I am constantly amazed at how immense and amazing the ocean is. It's HUGE! Like Greg Armstrong's head on his body huge. It's incredible to look out and see only the ocean. It's also a little freaky.

I've had dreams where I've fallen (or usually pushed by someone who looks a lot like Gene Simmons) from a boat in the middle of the ocean and I'm left to try and swim to shore or just swim. Both are equally as daunting and frustrating with those "can't move quick enough" arms and legs that often accompany dreams. I'm sure someone would probably psychotherapize those dreams and tell me it has something to do with my fear of running out of Diet Coke while watching Monday Night Football, but I think it just has something to do with how huge I think the ocean is.

And waves are cool too. They just keep coming. And coming. And coming. And I'm trying to catch one of them on my boogie board I rented for $25.00 and my ID at the local Pic-N-Swim. But I always seem to just start kicking too late and loll over the top of the wave and watch that annoying kid with his customized boogie board who's caught the last 15 waves with perfection. He's probably got some little boogie-chick watching him on the beach and saying comments like, "Oooohhhh, good one Brandon," or "You're the man Dillon!" I hate that kid.

So instead of any romantic moment, or wave-catching, or even going overboard, I walked and told stories about Simkins.

Now that's a huge nightmare.

Nintendo

When I was 14 I had a Nintendo machine, and I played two games (that's all I had actually, and all I could afford), Super Mario Bro's and Legend of Zelda.

I was good. Real good.

I could actually get several levels on Super Mario Bro's with my eyes closed. I'm not kidding. I would also see how fast I could win the whole game. I'd time myself from beginning to end. I could bang my head against those magic-coin-producing blocks faster than anyone.

I was good. Real good.

Then there was Legend of Zelda. I played that game so long and so hard that I knew every nook and cranny of that board. The night I won the whole thing, it was about 4:30 in the morning, and I finally beat the game. I won. I was the Legend, not Zelda.

I was good. REAL good!

Then, I stopped. I haven't played Nintendo, or any video game really, since then.

I guess you could say I went out on top.

And now, for Christmas, I bought Jacob a little Nintendo Game Boy Advanced. Sure, it was FOR him, but guess who's back? Mario and Luigi. Yep, the Bro's. And in just a short period of time, I've already accomplished much.

I'm good. REAL GOOD!