What made you happy today?

[Leo656]

Huh, I honestly don't know and I can't check right now. Good question.

It's ralphsfigureclothing.com if you wanna check it out. I do know some of the things they make for some wrestlers are "generic" like black trench coats and such, so you could probably use them on non-wrestling figures.

They ship from the Philippines so it takes 3-4 weeks to get your stuff. I'm working on more figures so I wish I'd ordered multiple items at once instead of just the one, but now that I know it's good stuff I'll be getting stuff like 3 or 4 at a time going forward.

Sorry I'm not more help.

[IndigoErth]

Happy maker... this week's post holiday workload is done. And got all my last stops in today, instead of splitting them between today and tomorrow, so now I just look forward to sleeping in tomorrow.

Like any company they want to aim for efficiency and time saving, yet they really couldn't have made it more of a headache and full of needlessly time wasting issues if they'd tried.

[Voltron]

That sounds awesome! Crappy management systems are the pits. Is there any work around, tips, or tricks to get it done faster? Or does it just have to be done in a slow, meandering way?

[IndigoErth]

It's more just stuff that's out of the control of those of us that work out in the field and, like many companies, done by those who work in offices or the manufacturing or shipping department and have no idea how it is on our end. (And visa versa.)

Though my supervisor had the same frustrations, so hopefully being widespread annoyances likely nationwide will make it get back to whoever needs to hear about it. At the very least they're usually pretty good about acknowledging that something sucked and needs improvement.

Largely the issues this go around was the frustrating way things were packaged and shipped that wastes time and the set up guide that failed to include everything within the planned space, yet it's somehow all supposed to fit and work out to plan and wastes time trying to make it happen. Which really had no excuse for it and should theoretically be easy fixes on the other end, but we'll see.




Happy maker... mom and I ran to Aldi's and she grabbed some grapes there to try. They taste so much like the ones that had grown at my grandparents when I was a kid. That brought back memories. Seedless, unlike theirs, but I assume a related variety. May have to get those again.

[Voltron]

Well! I'm glad you got it out of the way, in any event. Working a hectic job like that can be the pits.

Those grapes sound awesome, too. I'm jealous that your grandparents had a vineyard!

[IndigoErth]

Well, a rather miniature vineyard if you could call a small patch of grave (edit: GRAPE) vines one. lol They had an assortment of edible stuff that grew on their property, but just for family use.

[Voltron]

It is what it is, yeah? Having grapes right there must be something else. I found a place out in the mountains a few years ago. I was out for a hike and stumbled upon it. They gave me some grapes for free, and those things knocked my socks off!

[mikey0]

Seeing Hi-Res images of Kenner The Real Ghostbusters re-releases by Hasbro. The Real Ghostbusters toy line by Kenner was one of the best toy lines of the 80s and 90s.

Hasbro misspelled Winston’s surname though. It’s Zeddmore.

[Leo656]

Sometimes it's "Zeddemore", too. It's been switched a few times, seemingly at random. I think it was "Zeddemore" in the movies and "Zeddmore" in the cartoons/NOW comics?

Anyways. Had a show at the Monster Factory. Didn't wrestle, but got to see a ton of old friends including two of the guys who helped me break in. Going on like twelve years since we met; man, it really does fly, doesn't it?

The hour drive there and hour drive back isn't my favorite, but it's always worth the trip. Might have a match next time, we'll see. I'm a "+1" so they just slot me in where they can and I'm grateful for that; their actual students and graduates take priority and that's perfectly fine. They treat me great considering I'm a guest star at best; people pay a lot of money to be full-time students there, which is well-spent considering how many of their guys are making a lot of money in the TV companies right now. So they say "Hey, c'mon down, we'll give you something to do sometimes" and I get to work with some people who are a ton more polished than they have any right to be given how young they are. I'm alright with that.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by Voltron

It is what it is, yeah? Having grapes right there must be something else. I found a place out in the mountains a few years ago. I was out for a hike and stumbled upon it. They gave me some grapes for free, and those things knocked my socks off!

Mountains, hiking, and free fresh fruit... okay I'm envious, that sounds awesome.

[mikey0]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Sometimes it's "Zeddemore", too. It's been switched a few times, seemingly at random. I think it was "Zeddemore" in the movies and "Zeddmore" in the cartoons/NOW comics?

Anyways. Had a show at the Monster Factory. Didn't wrestle, but got to see a ton of old friends including two of the guys who helped me break in. Going on like twelve years since we met; man, it really does fly, doesn't it?

The hour drive there and hour drive back isn't my favorite, but it's always worth the trip. Might have a match next time, we'll see. I'm a "+1" so they just slot me in where they can and I'm grateful for that; their actual students and graduates take priority and that's perfectly fine. They treat me great considering I'm a guest star at best; people pay a lot of money to be full-time students there, which is well-spent considering how many of their guys are making a lot of money in the TV companies right now. So they say "Hey, c'mon down, we'll give you something to do sometimes" and I get to work with some people who are a ton more polished than they have any right to be given how young they are. I'm alright with that.

The Kenner The Real Ghostbusters figures are being re-released to coincide with Ghostbusters Afterlife coming to theaters, so it makes sense that Winston’s surname from the movie is used for this set. It won’t be a bother to collectors of the original Kenner The Real Ghostbusters action figures either. Two birds. One stone.

[Voltron]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Mountains, hiking, and free fresh fruit... okay I'm envious, that sounds awesome.

Yeah! It was a great day. Especially because fruit in these parts cost an arm and a leg. But the grapes are the size of a baby's fist. I didn't even know they could grow that big.

[IndigoErth]

Wow, why aren't those in stores? Albeit maybe with a choking hazard warning. lol

[Voltron]

They are. Just not in America. Or nowhere I've ever seen in the States, anyway. The fruit out in this area is kind of weird compared to the stuff we're familiar with on the east coast.

[IndigoErth]

Darn. Had I a decent sized property and a place to put it I think I'd go looking on Ebay to see if anyone sold seed for them, zone hardiness permitting. Along with those we found at Aldi. (Maybe that store will get in the giant ones one day.)

Ah well, next life. Right there with that whole edible fruit garden I've wished I could build.

[Icebot]

Got my taxes done so that’s good.

I also got to talk to my sister.

[IndigoErth]

Happy maker... Finally got around to checking out the Outlander series via Netflix. Been hoping for a mention of my grandmother's clan/family (none so far and doubting it will happen -- I think a lot of them were already in Ireland or America in the time period of the series and have only seen the name of one involved in the real life events) and for a certain related castle to show up which DID turn up in an ep I saw last night so that was awesome.

Was used for a character of an clan entirely unrelated to the property, but still cool to see the place show up and had a feeling the chances were high given how well preserved it is.

[Voltron]

Is it any good? I saw the premise and it reminded me too much of a book I read awhile ago. . . . It wasn't a good book.

As for me, principal of a school called and asked if I wanted to come back to work for them again. Apparently the graduates have made a habit of

1. Excelling in their coursework and finding a newfound enjoyment of the subject

and

2. Blaming me for it.

It's nice to hear this, as in the moment it's really uncertain if I'm helping or not. Aboveboard, I take little credit in their progress. I'm just glad that something I did made a difference in someone's life, however small.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by Voltron

Is it any good? I saw the premise and it reminded me too much of a book I read awhile ago. . . . It wasn't a good book.

Which book? To my knowledge this is based Dragonfly in Amber.

I wasn't sure at first but it did hook me. Kind of a mix of fiction and historical drama, so it may depend on a viewer's own tastes. (Little surprising on the amount of sex and nudity, esp in the first season and not all of it consensual, so viewer beware. Second season calms down a bit on that.)

[Leo656]

4 months to the day and LOOK WHO'S FINALLY F*CKING HOME!!!





So it's kind of a long story...

For FOUR MONTHS he's been zig-zagging all over the place, back and forth, sometimes showing up near where we lost him, sometimes turning up a few miles away near the park he used to go for walks in, and a few times even showing up about a mile and a half from home. We've had tons of people looking for him, locally, on FB, tons of fliers, etc. etc. etc. Up until about a month ago we'd get an update every few days that he showed up on someone's trail camera or something, but he never stayed in one place for anything and by the time we'd get to where he'd been, he was long gone. He usually didn't go back to the same place he'd been until days or weeks had passed. So this has been quite an ordeal.

About a month ago, the updates stopped completely. Even the scumbags who'd try the "I have your dog, meet me at _____ with ____-hundred dollars in cash or you'll never see him again" scam all dried up. My wife never gave up hope, although she's definitely come close a few times. And y'all know me, I'm a cynical pessimist on a good day, so when an entire month went by without ANY updates whatsoever, well... I pretty much figured that was it.

Then about a week ago, someone texted my wife and sent part of a video; this lady's boyfriend, a hunter, had set up a trail cam in the woods near their house (literally like two minutes from where we lost him) because he was planning to hunt some deer back there, and lo and behold, they got Riley on camera traipsing around at like 3am. They kept the camera up, and started putting out food every night, and sure enough he started coming through either every day or every other day. So my wife reached out to another lady who's been helping us, a trapper, and a few nights ago the lady went out and set up a 6-foot kennel trap and some food, and has been camping out on alternate nights hoping to finally get him. It was almost like more comedic bullsh*t, because he'd show up when she WASN'T there but wouldn't show up when she WAS. But then tonight around 10:30pm, I wasn't home from work for ten minutes before my wife started freaking out screaming that we had to leave again right away.

So as it turns out, the lady had only put the food out like ten minutes before he went up and got himself caged. She wasn't expecting that at all because he's only been coming out at like 3 or 4am most days, so he must have been really, really hungry. Just the fact that he'd been returning to the same place every day to eat was actually a sign, because we (and others) had already been leaving food for him wherever he'd turn up but he never came back to any of those places. So I think he was finally getting a little desperate.

When we got there, he was kinda freaking out a little bit in the kennel, barking and whining; we didn't know what to expect because it's been so long. Sometimes by now they go feral, or stop recognizing people, or any number of things, but as soon as he saw me and my wife he calmed down right away. We got him in the car (making sure he had his leash on, obviously), and he was a little rowdy on the ride home but pretty quiet. THEN, though, when he started seeing that he was right around the corner from home, he started seriously freaking out, whining and whimpering and pawing at the window. Then when we got in the driveway, I helped him out of the car and he darted straight for the house, walked up to the door and pressed his nose on the glass like "LET ME THE F*CK IN ALREADY!"

I don't know who's more relieved, honestly. He's definitely a little "off" but he seems super glad to be home. He's been walking around the house getting reacquainted with everything but he actually seems to remember everything pretty well, like he was only gone a day or two. He's mostly staying curled up in his closet where he likes to be; that's his favorite. My heart just melted when I saw him curl up in his spot and plop his face down on the floor and sigh; I can't imagine what he's been through. He went after his water dish quick enough; can't imagine the nasty sh*t he's had to be eating and drinking. Poor guy.

We've gotta take him to the vet ASAP; he's lost almost all of his extra weight, which is a nice bonus, but he's covered in ticks and God knows what else, and obviously they're gonna have to do a bunch of tests and make sure he's okay. He seems pretty happy, though; my biggest fear (aside from not getting him back) was that we'd find him but he wouldn't want to come home, or wouldn't remember us, but damned if he doesn't look thrilled to be home. Exhausted, but relieved.

Four months is a LONG time to deal with something like this; I'm so glad it's finally over. Hopefully now I can stop having dreams about it. Too many nights I'd wake up swearing he was finally back, only to find out it wasn't real. So glad this is over.

Thanks to everyone who chipped in along the way with prayers or moral support or whatever. And for the record, sh*t like this is why I'm pro-hunter and pro-wildlife enthusiast despite not being one myself. If some kind-hearted person hadn't happened to be in the mood to go get some deer, we'd have NEVER gotten this dog back. So to anyone who says "There's no reason for anyone to be a hunter in the year 2020," Y'all can get f*cked because those people do more for animals and wildlife than anyone, educate yourself.

Anyway, so that's where it's at. THANK GOD.

The End.