Movies, Work

Goodbye, Old Friend

I got word on Friday that this week will be the last week of operation for the Varsity II Theater in Ames. The Cinemark Corporation had been wanting to close the theater down for quite some time, but they were stuck in a lease. Unfortunately for fans of thoughtful, intelligent films, Cinemark was able to negotiate an early termination of their lease and will be closing down the Varsity forever on Thursday night.

This is a sad day. I know that frequently when I have attended movies at this theater there was little more than me and my companions there, but I think this theater could have made it. The Fleur Cinema in Des Moines seems to flourish showing similar movies to the Varsity and it doesn’t have the built in audience of Art, Independent, Foreign and Documentary Film fans that the Varsity’s close proximity to a major college campus gives them.

It never seemed like Cinemark was interested in making the Varsity work. I know from firsthand experience what it is like to run a business for a person that is doing everything they can possibly do to make that business fail. When it happened to me, it ended with a meeting where my staff and I were served burnt pretzels and burnt hot chocolate.

I hope, if nothing else, that the staff of the Varsity was given properly prepared food when their theater was lead to the chopping block.

I will remember fondly that I saw some of my all-time favorite films at the Varsity. It is the theater where I saw Once, Hustle and Flow, Born into Brothels, Young at Heart, Son of Rambow, Napoleon Dynamite, Fight Club, Insomnia, Akeelah and the Bee and The Queen.

Not everything I ever saw at the Varsity was great. Some movies were quite dreadful, but it was always interesting.

It might seem like losing two movie screens in Ames isn’t going to reduce the amount of movie options in Ames, by much. But when you look at the type of movies that will be lost, the amount of movie options in Ames just hit an all-time low.

I will be going to the Varsity for one last time on Monday night to say goodbye to an old friend.

Dawn, Jesse, Lowell, Teresa, Writing

Reading for a New Year

It is a New Year and soon enough, it will be too cold to go outside and you will need to do more while you are inside than just watching the Cyclones play basketball. May I suggest reading. In fact, while I’m suggesting I’m going to suggest a few websites that are worth your time to read every now and again.

Teresa’s blog about crafts: Tea Time
Jesse’s website: WEBSITE DELETED
Lowell’s website: LowellDavis.net
Dawn’s poetry: Impassioned Versifier

I think you will find some stuff of interest in all of these diversions.

Calendar, Flowers, Holidays, Willy

Philosopher’s Wax

I thought about waxing philosophical on how indifferent I am to New Year’s Eve and all of it trappings, but as it turns out I’m to apathetic to even write about it.

However, I am now intrigued by the concept of waxing philosophical. I know this is an old timey phrase that dates back to when the word wax mostly meant to grow. Such as a waxing moon. As opposed to a waning moon.

But, I still want to invent a product called Philosopher’s Wax. I’m quite certain that it could be used on both a convertible and a finely groomed mustache. A mustache like that kid at Subway has that Willy admires from a distance.

I’m told that New Year’s is a time for new beginnings, but it seems to me that to arbitrarily wait for one certain point in Earth’s orbit around the sun to make drastic or necessary changes in one’s life is silly, but not in a good way like the putty. Make those changes when you realize they need to be made and one certainly shouldn’t wait an entire year to reflect on their life.

So to New Year’s and all of its trappings, I say “Bah! It is a humbug!” Besides the time with family and friends. The day off from work. All the good food and football.

I thought I would throw out the picture for September while I was at it.



This is a picture of a moonflower.

Animals, Jesse, Movies, Music

Thelma and Louise

On Sunday night we took Jesse out to Buffet City to celebrate his birthday. Ever since that night I have had the song The Crawdad Hole stuck in my head.

You get a line and I’ll get a pole Honey!
You get a line and I’ll get a pole Babe!
You get a line and I’ll get a pole
And we’ll go down to the crawdad hole
Honey… Baby of mine

Big ole crawdad struttin’ round Honey!
Big ole crawdad struttin’ round Babe!
Big ole crawdad strutin’ round
Like he’s the King of Crawdad Town
Honey… Baby of mine

I’m gonna see that crawdad on my plate Honey!
I’m gonna see that crawdad on my plate Babe!
I’m gonna see that crawdad on my plate
With a bowl full of butter and a sweet patate
Honey… Baby of mine

Crawdad’s hangin’ onto my toe Honey!
Crawdad’s hangin’ onto my toe Babe!
Crawdad’s hangin’ onto my toe
I shake and shout but he won’t let go
Honey… Baby of mine

What are ya gonna do when the hole runs dry Honey!
What are ya gonna do when the hole runs dry Babe!
What are ya gonna do when the hole runs dry
Sit on the banks and have a crawdad fry
Honey… Baby of mine

See that crawdad winkin’ his eye Honey!
See that crawdad winkin’ his eye Babe!
See that crawdad winkin’ his eye
Let’s turn him into crawdad pie
Honey… Baby of mine

Fry them crawdads nice an’ brown Honey!
Fry them crawdads nice an’ brown Babe!
Fry them crawdads nice an’ brown
Grease ’em good so they’ll slip right down
Honey… Baby of mine.

Here comes a man with a sack on his back Honey!
Here comes a man with a sack on his back Babe!
Here comes a man with a sack on his back
Haulin’ all the crawdads he can pack
Honey… Baby of mine.

It just might be me, but that is perhaps one of the most romantic songs ever written.

But the reason this song stuck in my head is because as we were sitting around the table conversing about the important matters of the day we noticed a person walking by with their plate stacked full with crayfish.

Then a few moments later the dutiful employees of Buffet City restocked the crayfish supply immediately a guy from another table got up and put every single solitary last crayfish on his plate. It was an impressive feat in its greed, gluttony and structural engineering.

A few minutes more passed and a dutiful employee of Buffet City restocked the crayfish supply. Immediately the same gentleman got up and took every single last crayfish and heaped them onto his plate and returned to his table.

I got up and walked over to the where the crayfish formerly resided. All that was left was some murky looking water and assorted crayfish parts. It reminded me of a seen from a shipwreck movie.

I picked up the tongs and slashed the crayfish brine around. The crayfish man was thorough, but not thorough enough. I found a couple of crayfish in the bottom.


Thelma & Louise
Thelma & Louise (Crayfish Style)

You didn’t honestly think I was going to eat one of these creatures?