Trinity’s World

I am going to Shamelessly plug my own band. That’s right! It’s my blog and I’ll be self serving if I want to be :-).

The Bells of Bedlam will be appearing , both weekends, for the Big Bear City Renaissance Fair. Come and see us do what we do best, as we do all kinds of different shows these two weekends. We will be doing NC-17 shows, Kids shows (not at the same time), and family friendly music sets, on three different stages (again, not at the same time). All Proceeds from the fair go to benefit schools in Big Bear, and their fine arts programs. So come on out. Men, put your Kilts on. Women, strap on a sword. Kids, bring your pet dragons and fairies, and we will see you in Big Bear on August 11 & 12, and 18 & 19, (Saturdays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m to 6 p.m).

OK, so I just finished my rant about money, and I decide to look through a few of my friends blogs because I have not made the time to do so lately. A friend of mine used to have a really funny website, but life got in the way and he only recently put a new one back up. I read this post he had up about things he had learned at this point in his young life and he is totally right. As a member of that not quite Gen-X but not quite Post-Modern/Gen Y age group, I tend to get caught up in all things I can’t control but feel that I should. And my default reaction when this happens is to freak out about how I’m inadequate to enact change in my own life, but not actually make any concrete moved to enact change in my life because I’m too busy analyzing it and complaining about it. Be offers some really great perspective that touched about everything I have been feeling this past week with my wife in North Carolina. Funny how I have to finally face myself now that I’m alone.

Anyway, read this post! It has some really great advice for people in their mid to late 20’s…well actually for anyone who is frustrated with their own inability to control their life. If I could only keep these things in mind as I try to sort out the place I’m in now and how to get to the next place in my journey of life.

Hate is a strong word. And to be honest, it is very hard to tell the difference between hate and envy at times. Or maybe the reality is that it is easier to hate something that is intangible than to deal with the fact that you are inadequate in and of ourselves to master said object.

No matter what happens, I keep finding myself under the gun when it comes to money issues. Just when I think finances are about to equalize and we finally have gotten on top of things, I apparently forgot to read the fine print on something somewhere and end up having to pay a fee for something. Case in point, if you make the minimum payment that is listed as due on your credit card, that is not necessarily what you have to pay in order not to receive a finance charge (especially it a late payment fee was assessed and that put you over your credit limit resulting in an over limit charge as well). And in these instances there really is only one place to put the blame for my financial problems. As much as I would like to put the blame on other people, I know the fault lies with me. It is my fault my wife and I are in the situation we are in.

Here is the rub: We have enough money to barely get by with what we need, but not enough to get far enough ahead that we can get out from under this huge big weight it feels like is pulling down on my shoulders. And there is not more emasculating than knowing that you can no longer afford to get your wife birthday presents, because if you don’t bite the bullet now with some of your bills it will take twice as long to ride of them. And each months I think this is the last time we have to do this, and we end up being just short of our goal. Just short, in this game, means a lot of money shelled out this month that we were hoping not to.

I wish we could just get over the hump. Once we are there, that will free up enough money each month to do things like get our cars registered (if they pass smog check). And to boot, the AC when out on my car for the second time in a week. Usually I would just ask my Dad if I could go out to his place to get it fixed, but that cost more money in gas that I have this month. I’m actually kind of glad that my wife got to go to North Caroline to visit her Grandmother, because they are celebrating their birthday together. Had she stayed here she would have had to endure another birthday where I could not get her anything.

And I refuse to take the out of blaming credit cards on my debt situation. Had I not gone into credit card debt, I would not have been able to afford for my wife and I, gas to get to work, or other things that I must have to keep from going into worse debt. I knew that it would not be fun to dig back out, and that it would take a year or so, but in the economy and job market I am luck to be able to make due with what I have. I work hard, and I life a modest life, I should not have to constantly fight this dam hard to have a peaceful life.

So the question is: Is it because we don’t have money, or is it because I can’t manage to manage our money correctly? I honestly don’t know. I know that we do not live a life of luxury, and I can see places we could not spend money, but I don’t see us being able to save enough money by doing so to make a dent in other things.

I have spent the past few days on my own. My wife is visiting family in North Carolina to celebrate her Grandmother’s 90th birthday. She left on Tuesday, and will be back on Tuesday. So I have been left to fend for myself. So what have I done with my time?

Watched a whole bunch of Marvel Comic movies that she would never want to watch.
Cleaned up the house a bit, because it needed to be done.
Did a little writing.
Helped build a Recording Studio for the Bells of Bedlam.

All in all it was a very full week. I’m still itching form the fiberglass insulation and acoustic paneling that we installed this weekend, but feel very proud of what I have accomplished. And I did it all by myself.

That having been said, I can’t wait till my wife comes back home. It will be nice to have the one I love back here with me.

Talk about a lot of pressure. When J.K. Rowling finished writing book three of the Harry Potter series, did she know how big the last of the 7 book series would be? Did she know that there would literally millions of fans that would be waiting to see how it all ended, who would die, who would live, and why things go the way they were? That is a lot of weight to bear when you sit down to write the seventh, and final, installment of a story that you have pored your heart and soul into for so long. In my opinion she pulled it off well.

I promise not to spoil anything, so let me just stick to the basics. When you pick this book up you had better have a lot of time to dedicate to it. From about page 5 till about three quarters of the way through the book you are hit with non-stop movement. If it’s not action, your hit with an important revelation about something that has gone unanswered for the last few books. If not a new bit of information, you are hit by an emotional mile stone for some character that you never realized was so important to the story until now. Rowling grabs you by the ears and holds you hostage, because you never know what is going to happen around the corner.

Talk about the crap hitting the fan! And when it does that fan is on high, because if you think Harry Potter has suffered enough in the first six books then you are going to go through a lot tissues by the time this one ends. But with each new stab of loss or difficulty, there is usually an accompanying triumph that is equal to if not better than that sorrow. But no one is safe, and anyone can die at a moments notice, especially characters you never knew you loved until they were gone (at least in my case).

Did I like the ending? Well…as a fan I received satisfaction. As a fan I’m always going to want to know more, to have a few more question answered about obscure things. But by and large I am happy with the way the story ends up, and with how Rowling leaves it wrapped up. All important questions about Harry, and the night his parents died, are answered, and so are a few others that have been driving people nuts for a few years now.

As a writer I understand why she ended things the way she did, but I may have done it differently. But who am I to stand in judgment on that issue? I was hoping for something to happen that did not, but in the end the way Rowling works it out is better than I would have (hence why she is a multi million copy best seller, and I am not).

Get your copy and read it. Then go back and read the others again to see just how well she set up everything. And then read the book again. I guarantee you will enjoy it even if you know the ending. And, just one little personal thing: NEVILE LONGBOTTOM ROCKS!!!!!!!!

I love Harry Potter. I’m a big fan of the books, and I really love the story that unfolds in a very well constructed fantasy universe. As such, I have not really been satisfied with any of the movie releases when I first see them. Over time I warm up to the fact that the moves really do stand as their own story, and I can judge them from the stand point of what they are meant to be as opposed to what I had hope they would be.

First and foremost, this movie is an ADAPTATION. So a lot was left out in order to fit it on the screen. However, I understand most of what was cut was do so in order to make the film come in under budget. If I have one criticism of the film, and this continues to happen as more movies are released, it is that there are minor characters that just are not be utilized to their full potential. I find myself looking at Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, and other amazing actors, THE BEST OF THE BEST from England, and their parts are becoming bit parts. Mind you most of these rolls are supporting characters, but when you assemble this much talent in one place, it bothers me when what little screen time they get is sometimes not play true the characters from the book, or has been turned into something else entirely.

What did I like about this movie: This was the best looking Harry Potter to date. From set design, to costumes, to the greens department, and the cinematography, this movie looked awesome. You really felt like you were in a real place. And there was not a single visual effect that did not either further the story, or give a quick and concise detail about a person’s character. You could tell that a lot of attention was not just spent on detail, but on detail that would matter for the final view experience. The Plot was very fast paced, and did not really give you a time to rest. By the end of the film you almost feel as tired as Harry does.

So that’s that. Don’t take the little kids to this one, it is the darkest one yet. But if you are reading along in the books you would know that before you went to the film, and they are only going to get more dark as they go on.

BTW: Friday the last book is released!!!!!!

My Friend Lynn sent me a link and said I had to read at least a few of the posts for this comic strip she found. The site is called Twenty Sided. I will admit that I played a little bit of Dungeons and Dragons in college (I was a single male with geek friends and it kept us out of trouble), and for that time of my life it was so much fun to play. The guy who writes this comic strip has played for years and has a lot of time as a DM. For those not familiar with the game, the Dungeon Master and writes scripts and campaigns for the game, and people spend weeks getting through the game the DM has created. This comic combines all the frustrations of being a DM, with all the random geek culture stuff that non D&D people will find funny to, and uses the Lord of the Rings as a back drop for it’s comedic wit.

My friend pointed out to me that the Lord of the Rings universe was one of the original realms that the first D&D players turned to model their worlds. It was a rich, enchanted, magical place, and they built their characters off of Tolken’s world. Well the game is a far cry from those days, so much so that going on an epic quest could be really boring. This comic walks through a modern scenario of what would happen if a DM tried to walk some guys through the Lord of the Rings story, as a campaign. I know it sound stupid, but I found myself laughing really hard a lot of the time.

Take a look. Start with the first one, and it just gets better after that.

I would like to take a moment to remember times that were wonderful in my life. There was a time in my life where I could be with a friend and talk about random cool stuff like, Star Gate SG1, computer hardware, Linux, and transformers. I would like to call attention to times that have been integral to my formation as an individual, and to day that shall forever live in memory, never to be repeated. There will be no more “Geek House.” There will be no more midnight runs for Alberto’s Mexican food. There will be no more TVoed episodes of SCIFI shows to watch over a tall glass of soda. The days of lonely bachelor hood have FINALLY come to an end for one of the best men I know.

Clifton Pee is now a married man! No longer will he be the last one of us to get married. No longer will he be the guy who is always looking for a new room mate, because his last one’s are all getting married. No longer will he live an home that is almost a health hazard, because he will keep it clean if he know was is good for him. He has finally joined the ranks of those who have gone before, and enters a new chapter of his life to find new challenges puzzles to solve.

So allow us one more look back at the late night study sessions, the long hours at work, and the many laughs we had as men who were not married.

….

OK, that’s done. Welcome to married life Clifton. Your old life is officially something of the past, and this is not a bad thing. New great things await you and your wife, and it is going to be fun to watch you guys as you grow together.

Congrats!