Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Queensland Insomnia...

I love Rocky 4. If you don't, well, you're probably fine as a person, but I essentially want nothing to do with you. *Shrug, sorry* Come on, through the end of movie 3 into the 4th, Mr. Balboa loses his two best friends. Mickey, his trainer, confidant and friend. Then Apollo, his former enemy turned great friend and mentor, was killed unmercifully by the Russian in the ring. He also goes against the wishes of his family to fight Drago and nearly ruins the family dynamic. On top of these personal obstacles, he also faces the risk of further severing US/Russian ties and really bringing the Cold War to an apex.

Instead of even considering failure, he trains in the wintry tundra, finishing said training by scaling a snow covered mountain face. He knocks out the Russian, reuniting his family and then brokers peace relations between two hateful countries mid-ring with an uneducated and bloodied speech, cloaked in an American flag. Yeah I know, it's awesome.

It's midnight and I'm sitting in a hotel room in Brisbane, Australia. I tried my hardest not to sleep and keep a normal schedule, as per most recommendations for jet lag. But I nodded off like a heroin addict at 6 and slept like a rock. Now I'm up and writing and watching Stallone hoping I can get tired again soon. If I can't, hopefully I stumbled upon a marathon and parts 5 and 6 will be forthcoming.

I've been thinking a lot today about the unique position we're in and how I'm a fool not to count my lucky stars and really try to enjoy these moments presented to me. It's quick to lose perspective in anything, routine and normalcy can happen if you repeat any day long enough. But, what the fuck, most people in the world don't get to have these types of experiences and memories. For that, I thank the random order for sparing me and continuing to letting me wake up everyday and hooking me up the way it did. And just like Lou Gehrig said, I feel like the luckiest man on the face of the earth. (I just realized in the bathroom that this can be construed as bragging, it's really not designed to, more to express how thankful I am.)

I worked really hard, don't mistake that, but a hundred variables had to fall into place, and somehow they did. Good thing too, because I am a very talented pizza delivery driver, but 6 straight days on the road slinging grease can really eat my soul, especially since the radio broke in my car.

Yes!! Here comes the Russian winter training montage, arguably the best in film history, I can't pass this up. See you!

10 comments:

  1. Lou Gehrig said he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth, not Joe Dimaggio. Tsk Tsk Tsk...Baseball History 101 man lol.

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  2. Ahhh, you're right Jay, I'm super embarrassed. It's changed, it was late and I was high...Yankees are gonna lose this year now. Damn.

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  3. I read Rocky IV (yes they adapted it for paperback) after I saw the movie. This was in the 80s before personal DVD players were invented and Brigitte was still a stunning looking woman. I'm not ashamed.

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  4. Hey it's an easy mistake to make especially when baked your credibility is still intact lol.

    And the yankees losing this year wouldn't be a bad thing lol.

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  5. Wait, are you saying you can write this well baked? You must be freaking Dante sober. Actually, you strike me as more of an Orwell, but less demented.

    That reminds me, when Derek from Fake Problems tried to get me to sell him weed to smoke with you guys, that was the only time in my life i wished i was a stoner.

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  8. Benny glad your having a blast mate. Make sure you listen to some cowboy mouth. Hope to see you guys back in southampton soon. If not my round in the brickwall on cookman. Btw my email is strongbowtony@yahoo.co.uk

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  9. Btw tell alex that me mates loved seeing him wearing his newcastle shirt. Tony toon over and out.

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  10. If you read this Jay...I cursed the Yankees this year...(see above comments)

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