THE NOT SO DAILY DUMP #18

Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betel…

Almost a month ago, last night if you take into consideration when I wrote this particular section of 'The Dump,' my family and I watched the movie, Beetlejuice. It was one of the Halloween gifts we gave to our kids, and being only a few days after Halloween, we felt it was appropriate to watch sooner as opposed to later. I had seen the movie many years ago when I was a kid, but it had been so long that I was basically watching it for the first time. It was so fresh to me that I'm still debating whether I actually had seen it before or not.

My first thought after finishing the movie was that I had remembered the character, Beetlejuice, being in more of the movie. The beginning of the movie was completely foreign. It's amazing how much we forget. I thought the idea of the Maitlands having to stay in the house for 125 years was odd. Why 125 years? It seemed meaningless; maybe I missed something. I also ended up having a lot of questions, not necessarily of the events within the film itself, but about what would happen after those events. Surely, the Maitlands would outlast the Deetzes, or would the house stay in the family and would Lydia then raise a family there?

According to the internet, a Beetlejuice 2 movie has been something that everyone involved with the first one has been trying to make happen for almost three decades. The idea behind it has changed a lot, too. The most recent idea is a “where are they now 25 years later” type of movie. Maybe that would answer some of my questions. Would the Maitlands age or would that not be included? If they don't, how will they explain that? So many questions! ANGUISH

My wife mentioned that she's surprised that Beetlejuice hasn't been remade. Considering the way Hollywood has been operating, I suppose I am, too. However, maybe the movie isn't old enough yet, and it'll be redone sometime within the next twenty years; this year is the movie's 30th anniversary, by the way. Maybe, it has to do with the idea that there has been this long-awaited sequel and a remake would just muck things up. The people involved with putting on the original have been quoted about the movie, and they seem pretty straight forward on their opinions of being wary of NOT doing a sequel properly. After all, Beetlejuice is a much beloved classic. Also, the film has kept with the times really well and didn't feel dated to me—it's such an odd mixing of culture and aesthetics already—why remake it?

Last thing, I should mention this to the parents out there: PG in the 80s is not the same as it is now. No nudity, a little “language,” and maybe some awkwardness (sexually or otherwise) included. 

Relive your youth or something you watched this Halloween, perhaps, or acquaint yourself with a classic. I hope you enjoy "9 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Beetlejuice!" (Hey! Would you rather just go to YouTube? Here you go, buddy, click this link.) 

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New Posts To Consume

Draze Force: Analog Meets 8-Bit
This post was the first of its kind for my blog. It's not a review or a meandering thought cloud. What it seems to be is a bit of a biography, though not a complete one, on Draze Force, the musical moniker for Nick Morris. The post is also part interview, part reflection on my experience with Draze Force, and part promotion of his newest release, III. The post is sure to interest any music lover or relate with any musician.

The Black River Players
This post was part review, part rambling about related things as all of my book posts tend to be. But, once I get the post rolling, I hammer out the aspects of the book that really stood out to me and that I felt shined. I encourage you to give the post a read and let me convince you that J. Thomas Richards’ book, The Black River Players, is the next one you should read. If not you, would someone you know love it as a gift?


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All Aboard! Next Stop, Halloween

My family and I tried something new this year—a fall color train ride. What the heck is that? Good question. Basically, it's a train ride through a wooded area during the autumn when leaves are turning. The price wasn't too bad, and it was an experience we all enjoyed. I can perceive us doing it again in the future, although, I can also see us looking around at different trains to change up the experience a bit. The Toddler is more into trains than ANYONE I've ever known. Heck, he’s into anything with wheels but especially trains.

When we initially got on, we had to find seats in the passenger car. Being our first fall color train ride, we thought we were settling in for the ninety-minute ride, looking out of the windows surrounding us the whole way. Maybe other train rides are like that, but this one allowed us to wander from car to car, which was an experience in itself. We were able to stand and look out from the end of the train and see the back of the burly engine as we chugged out forty-five minutes into the future. We were able to watch as the engine uncoupled, switched tracks, and went by as it traveled to recouple up to the other side of the train to take us back to our starting point for another forty-five minutes. This left the view at the end of the last car unobstructed, and we spent most of the ride back looking from this point.

One man in particular who worked for the attraction was incredibly knowledgeable and would tell us all kinds of interesting facts and stories related to the train and its history; the cars were old. That was how our fall color ride started out, actually, with him addressing the whole group in the passenger car. Do I remember any of it? Can’t say I do, but it was interesting. During the ride, he helped keep my two oldest kids occupied with riddles and facts and magic tricks. I imagine the amount of kids that come through the attraction and the likelihood that he has grandkids helped him to be so entertaining. The scenery was enjoyable to look at, but it wasn’t breathtaking or out of the ordinary for what we’re used to seeing, but then again, it wasn’t a very colorful autumn. The train itself was the best part.

There were many great photos taken by Christine Sedam. It was hard to choose which ones to share.
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Also, it should be noted that our theme this year for Halloween was Hometown Heroes. We dressed up as actual people we know, friends and neighbors.

I went as sewer and drain specialist, Ben Smith, from Marvel Sewer and Drain. Ben's wife was in on it from the start and sneakily swiped a shirt from Ben's work wardrobe. We already had their signature orange stocking cap. It's kind of funny that Ben gave me that cap on Halloween in 2017, and as we walked home that night, my wife suggested I dress up as Ben the following Halloween. Queue montage.

My wife, Christine, went as our neighbor, Perry the Postal Worker. He even loaned her one of his uniforms and a postal bag. The bag came in handy with the large cache of candy we accumulated. It was terrible for her shoulder, though. Yes, her facial hair is make-up, but so is mine.

My daughter went as her teacher, mimicking the teacher's style as best she could. My sons went as firefighters, depicting a neighbor and an ex-teacher of my wife's. Our red, plastic wagon was converted into a fire truck—with working lights—by my wife.


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Shine That Spotlight, You Crazy Diamond

I have published at least a few posts regarding the books of Tim Kress, but I have yet to share them with you in a Spotlight. So, here we are. Tim has two books under his proverbial belt, both fiction. Rather than reinvent the wheel, here’s what I wrote about them in a previous post:

Early Mourning is a hero's journey about a man going through perils and loss only to rise above and triumph. The world and realities he is introduced to become more and more surreal and foreign to anything he's ever known. A natural, intellectual, science-driven form of magic literally opens doors to these worlds and drives the story. Great characters. Great story. Intelligent read. You won't look at the world the same way.

And the official back-of-the-book description:

"After losing his job as a librarian under mysterious circumstances, Early's life takes a turn for the strange. A friend he hasn't seen for over a decade shows up at Early's girlfriend's apartment, with a mute giant in tow, and proceeds to show Early and his girlfriend magical wonders. Soon Early's girlfriend is missing, and he must follow his odd friend on a journey of discovery and dread that will show him shadowed roads, ancient secrets and new worlds."

The Wurly Burly Boy Has A Boring Day is a children's book about a boy trying to find ways to relieve his boredom. What he doesn't realize is that his day is actually spent doing a lot of wonderful things. Intricate, vivid, and unique illustrations by the author accompany the story throughout, adding greatly to the experience of this book.

And the official back-of-the-book description:

"The Wurly Burly Boy Has A Boring Day is a whimsical tale about a lonely little boy doing his best to put an end to his chronic boredom. Filled with vivid illustrations of flying saucers, megadogs and strange storytelling bugs, this book is a great read for the child in us all."

Go to Tim's website, TimKressFiction.Blogspot.com, to find additional information about his books, where you can find him on the web, and his visual arts. While you're there, you can check out his blog. You can also go to Tim's author page at Amazon!


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Videos From The Treadmill

For those who know me most, it will come as no surprise for me to say that I love space and science. I’ve spent plenty of time in the past reading and watching programing on tv about space, science, and well, the science of space (think quantum physics, astrophysics, etc). There was once a time where I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a single program that ANY channel had broadcast within ten years that I hadn’t watched at least once. It’s been awhile since I’ve indulged in this obsession as I once did, but the interest is still there. I’ve turned to passions elsewhere and being a part of a young family makes a person have to be very choosy with how they spend their time.

This short video is essentially a commercial for NASA, but I enjoyed watching it. Yes, that’s Mike Rowe narrating, and thank you, Tim Kress, for the share. (Direct link)

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