Friday's Feast

Feast Forty

Appetizer - What is the worst movie you've ever seen?

Oh boy.. well, for years the worst movie I'd ever seen was "The Stuff" with Michael Moriarty. I don't remember much about it, but it came out during the time I worked as an usher at a movie theatre, and several of us would stay late to watch movies. I watched more movies during those 2-1/2 years or so than I have since. The reason I remember that one being bad was a) Michael Moriarty's horrible, horrible dead-pan performance. I can't stand to watch him in anything now - I turn the channel if I happen across an old Law and Order rerun... and 2) every of my coworkers panned it as well, and we made fun of it the rest of the year.

Of more modern movies...there was the late-night Target caper "Career Opportunities" - yes, you know the one with Jennifer Connely riding the mechanical kid's horse after hours...in the department store...with the tight, tight tank top shirt.....(sorry, mind wandered there for a second). I went to see it with Laura at the theatre and actually paid full price for it. We were expecting something a little more..cerebral. I was actually uncomfortable watching the horse-riding scene, with my wife sitting next to me, because it's so blatantly sensual I almost felt I needed to wash my hands afterwards. Anyway, the movie itself was written by John Hughes in a desperate attempt to find another Home Alone success. Bzzzzzt.

Soup - Name something that reminds you of your childhood.

Oh man, for a nostalgia buff like me what doesn't?

Here are a few things:

Land of the Lost. Fountain City Ballpark. Lucky Charms. Walking in my backyard. Visiting my relatives for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Seeing my kids react to something relatively simplistic with awe and wonder. The joy of seeing them learn something new in school. Micronauts. Star Wars. Class Reunions. Happy Days. Driving around my old Junior High and High School. Fountain City Library, now the Fountain City Arts Center. Frosted glass mugs with Mountain Dew, and doughnuts at the place I used to ride my bike to down the street with my friends. Mad Magazine. Records N' Things record store. Pretending I like KISS so one of my buddies would think I was cool. Trading sci-fi movie cards. Model cars. Making a giant spaceship out of styrofoam, silver spray paint and tons of old model parts glued on in various places - and it still sits in my parents' attic. Blocking shots in rec league basketball, because I was taller than everyone else. Fun Day. Pizza parties. Dr. Salmon, my first dentist *shudder*. Sitting on the floor putting together a puzzle at the beauty shop while I waited on my mom - the puzzle was purple, and fuzzy. Fountain City Barber Shop. Shakey's Pizza and old Dick Tracy cartoons they'd play on the wall. Happy Joe's Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor, which later became Godfather's Pizza, which is now a pawn shop I believe. Space Invaders, Asteroids, Defender, Tempest, Galaxians.

Enough?

Salad - If you had to live in a large city, which one would you want it to be?

New York City intimidates me with its hugeness, and I've never been to Chicago or L.A. If it weren't so reputedly dangerous both from street crime and as a prime terrorist target, probably Washington D.C. Mainly for the cultural and historical opportunities.

Main Course - What's a "big word" you like to use to impress people?

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

i.e. Black lung.

Some of you may have heard of this word before - at the time I learned it in 5th grade, it was reportedly the longes word in the English language, although I thnk other words have surpassed it by now.

My fifth grade teacher wrote it on the board, and challenged us to a) pronounce it, and 2) define it. We did, eventually.

Dessert - Describe your hairstyle.

Just fortunate to have some.

Seriously, it's brown, parted on the left with a very annoying patch that likes to stick up on my crown. High, high forehead (thanks Dad and the legions of ancestors who passed this down)!