Castles, Knights, and The Main Thing

Last weekend my family invented a holiday.

My daughters are very much into baking cakes and decorating said cakes. Which is great for the taste buds but not so much for the waistline. Anyway, their latest creation was in the shape of a castle. So, since we had a festive cake, we needed a festive reason to eat the cake.

Thus, Castle Day was born.

We all got to play our roles all day long, with my wife and I being the King and Queen (duh), our two Princess daughters and of course, the young Squire. It was fun to be able to say stuff like “Daughter, pass the Royal Pancake Syrup”, and “Where is the Royal Remote, good Lady Wife?”, and my favorite, when I came into the kitchen for ye olde Royal Breakfast, “Fol-De-Do-De-Ray-Do-Day, what news does bring this Morrow?”. Stuff like that.

We had a feast for dinner, and ate the castle cake. A royal decree was made that the last Sunday in July should henceforth be known as Castle Day, but we will probably forget. Still, this is the kind of silly thing that families who are all on the same wavelength and love each other very much can do. I am fortunate and blessed to have such a family to call my own.

The other thing we did was to view one of my all time favorite movies, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”. This is one of those movies that I can quote forwards and backwards and have seen more times than I can count but yet it never gets old. Fortunately my kids are as warped as I am (almost) and share my sense of humor so it was a good idea that added to the silliness and togetherness of the day.

For those who may not have seen the movie (and why have you not?), it is a very silly yet quite intelligent retelling of the Arthurian legend by the legendary British comedy troupe Monty Python, in which King Arthur gathers together his knights and is given a quest by God himself (in cartoon form, no less) to seek out the last resting place of the Holy Grail, which Jesus drank from during the last supper. The comedy in the movie comes not so much from the religious aspects as it does from sending up the standard stereotypes of medieval life by filling them with modern attitudes and situations.

The bigger source of humor however comes from the quest itself. Here we have Arthur who, despite being King, is just a guy who’s got a job to do. He’s merely trying to go on with his day and find this grail while all these amazingly silly people keep getting in his way and messing the whole thing up. As the viewer, the big laughs come from all these looney characters and the ever crazier circumstances in which Arthur and his “silly English k-nights” find themselves in. But the heart of the film is, of course, Arthur himself and how we can all relate to his predicament.

Because we have all been there. Some days, even the simplest task is seemingly impossible because there’s always someone or something trying to prevent us from doing it. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. The easy and, sadly, often preferred thing to do is to just throw in the towel. But you can’t. Like Arthur couldn’t, because there’s a job to do. Arthur, like all of us, must persevere and see the job through no matter what the result may be.

That’s why the film has lasted in the public consciousness for over 40 years, apart from it being one of the funniest movies ever made, is that it has a lesson. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to, but it does. It teaches us to “keep the main thing the main thing”. That’s a quote from somebody way smarter than me from a book I never read, but it’s become part of the public consciousness so I’m using it here.

If you have a job to do and it’s an important one (especially if it is divinely inspired) see it through. Keep the main thing the main thing. Don’t give up unless there is no other course. Keep hope alive, and keep following your dreams. It’s hard, but ultimately worth it. There are so many ways to be sidetracked and lose focus, but if you keep the main job first in your mind and heart, chances are good it will all work out.

That’s a good lesson to learn. On Castle Day, or any day.

I Should’nt Even Have To Type This One.

I set up this blog to be fairly light hearted. Not that I haven’t shared a bit of my personal life and inner feelings, but for the most part I want this to be a place for people to come and escape a little bit. Let’s have a bit of a chuckle, and make your Monday (or Tuesday or whatever day you read this) better. Even if only a little bit.

But you know what? I don’t have it in me today.

I’m tired y’all. Not so much physically (although some more nap time would be most welcome), but I am mentally and emotionally drained. The world is weighing me down, man. I’m tired of all the fighting, the blaming, the hatred, and the outright lies that are all over not only social media, but most conversations I hear.

I’m tired of everyone being convinced they are right, and not only closing their minds to the possibilities of other viewpoints, but taking every opportunity to tear down those other opinions and, even worse, the people behind them.

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about masks and vaccines, political affiliations, religion, the latest episode of some show you watch on Netflix, or whatever. There are people on the receiving end of whatever you decide to say/type. Real people with real feelings. You never know what they are going through and how your words may affect them. Suicides happen from bad exchanges on social media. Maybe think about that next time you’re using all caps on Facebook or Twitter.

And okay, sure, maybe they are wrong. Maybe their opinions are stupid, scary, or dangerous. It’s perfectly acceptable to have a conversation with that person, be it face to face or over social media. You probably won’t change their mind, but perhaps you can make them think about the topic being discussed in a slightly different way. That’s how change happens and compromise is reached-a little bit at a time.

What shouldn’t be acceptable, however, (but has sadly become the norm) is insulting them. Verbal abuse. Tearing them down and treating them as an insect instead of as a fellow human being. Newsflash, while you are thinking all of these negatives about them, they are thinking exactly the same about you and your cockamamie ideas.

I know, I know, they started it. Fine. So what? No one want s to be disrespected, so don’t be disrespectful. Never be the first to sling the mud, and stay above it when it happens. If you don’t sink to their level, many will rise to yours.

Look, I realize this is rudimentary stuff, but it’s basic common courtesy and we don’t do it! And yeah, it’s easier said than done. I know I fall short on this kind of stuff all the time. Does that make me a hypocrite? Maybe it does. But I’m working on it.

Now, don’t hear what I’m not saying. You should absolutely speak your mind when the situation is called for. Be an ally for the oppressed. Call out dangerous ideologies. Get involved and do something to save our nation while we still have one left.

Just don’t be a jerk, okay? Let’s all try, just for a while, being kind. Not necessarily nice, “nice” is pleasant and welcoming, but can often be hollow and easily faked. So be kind.

Ranting and raving is a last resort, though sometimes, let’s face it, can be necessary. Let’s just not make that our go-to, okay?

Alright, I guess I’ve made my point. I mean, I feel a little bit like I’m just talking backwards into the wind here, because I know that as soon as I look at Twitter tomorrow the ugliness will be there. I also know that I don’t have a lot of reach here. However, if a few of us will just make a conscious decision to try and be kind-even if it drives us crazy to have bite our tongues-maybe it will help in some small way. And maybe in these crazy times, that’s enough.

I’ll be funny (or what passes for it around here anyway) again next week. As always, thanks for indulging me. See you next time for more MonDAVEs.

Me And My (Not Quite) Spirit Animal

A lot of people have a “spirit animal”. Usually it’s something majestic like an eagle, or fierce and determined like a lion. Some are serene like the butterfly or grasshopper. There are many different animals people relate to based upon their personality, and some people even look to these animals as guides and inspirations for how to live life.

Well, I don’t have one of those. Although if I did, it would probably be some sort of fish.

Don’t get me wrong, I like animals a lot, and I do feel that we as humans can connect with the animal kingdom in many ways. I’ve just never found an animal that I felt could represent me in quite that same fashion. So no, I don’t have a Spirit Animal.

I have a Spirit Muppet.

You see, I, like pretty much every kid born after 1970 grew up with the Muppets. I started watching “Sesame Street” in the ’70s (when it was the hippest kid’s show out there), I was around for the original airings of “The Muppet Show”, and saw their movies in theaters. Their popularity has gone up and down throughout the years but there has always been a Muppety presence in pop culture and since they were a part of my childhood I have remained a fan. Some of that is pure nostalgia, sure, but I do still enjoy watching the whole fuzzy gang whenever I happen to catch them.

It occurs to me now that I have always had a Spirit Muppet. As I have matured and evolved as a person, my personal Muppet has done the same. I wonder, do Spirit Animals work the same way? It seems to me that a natural progression would be something like: hummingbird-mockingbird-hawk-eagle-owl. That would be sophisticated and cool, so that’s probably not the way it works, but it should be.

As for my own journey, I’m pretty sure my first Spirit Muppet was loveable, furry old Grover. He was the perfect choice as a kid. He’s always up for a new adventure, full of curiosity and imagination, and though he faced many setbacks, Grover is always able to come out the other side stronger and better for the experience. He also gave us kids a taste of what it’s like to work with the general public during all those waiter sketches. A valuable lesson to be sure.

Then as I got older, I hopped around a little, with multiple Muppets showing the way. The Junior High/High School years were pretty much a combo of Floyd Pepper and Gonzo The Great. After all, don’t we all ping-pong between feeling like the coolest person in the room and a total weirdo during that time in our lives?

After school my life took a bit of a different turn than most as I actually tried to find a career in Showbiz. Clearly I sat through one too many viewings of “The Muppet Movie” as a child. Anyway, apart from any local plays I could be in, I found myself spending several years as a stand up comic. Fozzie Bear all the way. I mean, I think I bombed a little less than he did, and had WAY different material but the connection was there.

Onward into the workforce, where we are all pretty much Scooter. Or sometimes Beaker, but that’d be a little rough, so Scooter it is!

Then all the responsibilities of adulthood begin to kick in and one could do worse than to look to Kermit as an example for navigating the way through whatever life throws at you. I’m not as good at it as he is, of course, but it’s nice to have goals.

Now though, I am entering a phase of life where another Muppet character is becoming more and more relatable. I am a middle aged man-not fifty for another year yet, but it’s coming down the pike. I am getting to be a little more set in my ways, I’m a little less likely to put up with other people’s nonsense, and I just feel like I am who I am and I like what I like, and if you don’t like it, well, that doesn’t really affect me in the slightest.

At this point in my life I would have to say that my Spirit Muppet is Oscar The Grouch.

Oscar gets a bad rap, man. I was never a fan as a youngster but I get it now. Sure, he’s a little cantankerous sometimes. He can be difficult to get along with, and he’d often rather just be left alone to just get on with his day than have to go out of his way for someone who’s annoyingly happy. Oscar’s surrounded by his stuff, his pet worm (Smiley rules!), and his Grouch girlfriend* and that’s all he really needs, thank you very much. Oscar is unapologetically Oscar, and that’s freedom, y’all!!!

And yet, that’s all on the outside. Oscar has proven time and again that when he is really needed, he’s there. If one of his neighbors (friends really, but he’d never call them that) truly needs help they can count on him when the chips are down. He’ll complain about it-endlessly-but he’s got your back.

The secret to Oscar is he’s got a heart of gold. It’s buried under a lot of hard rock and coal, but it’s in there. And while I’m not really as bad as all that, I sure do find myself relating more and more to that little green guy as the years go on.

But if the pattern holds and I keep progressing, Oscar won’t be my Spirit Muppet for too long. Sooner or later the kids will grow older and I will retire. My hope is that I will not turn into Statler or Waldorf, but perhaps be more like Uncle Traveling Matt from Fraggle Rock. It would be nice to spend time going on travels and relaying stories of what I have learned and discovered to the younger folks.

Okay, so maybe Muppets aren’t actual spiritual guides, but they do reflect truths about us all. That’s why they are still around. Having just had my birthday I’ve been in a reflective mood and this has been a fun way to get some of those thoughts and feelings out. Thanks for indulging my goofiness. Come back and indulge me in more goofiness next week for another MonDAVE!!!

*It should be noted that I in no way intended to compare my wife to Oscar’s girlfriend Grundgetta. My wife is very sweet and charming. She’s more of a Prairie Dawn type.

Family Vacation in Georgia 2021-Part Two

“Okay, Dave, so you saw some waterfalls while you were in Georgia, that’s cool. But what else?”

Well, I managed not to get into a fiddle contest with the Devil, but I did go to Helen.

Sorry. That was an amazingly bad joke. It should be on a t-shirt though.

For those who may not be familiar, the town of Helen is a tourist destination in Appalachian Georgia. It was just another small town in the mountains, a former logging town fading into obscurity. In 1969, three local businessmen decided that the town’s main street could use a bit of sprucing up, and maybe they could grab the attention of tourists on their way to the mountains. A local artist, John Kollock, was recruited to see what ideas he may have for the sleepy town.

Inspired by his days in the military, Kollok drew up some sketches of a few buildings done over in a Bavarian style, like the towns he had visited in the Alps years prior. The sketches were well received and the entire town quickly came on board. As a result a law was passed that required all businesses in town to use the same style. This law still stands today-even the Wendy’s looks like a traditional German restaurant. This rebranding has worked wonders for the small town as it is now the third most visited city in Georgia.

While the Alpine village motif is not unique to Helen, that does little to diminish the charm of the town. Many would dismiss it as a “tourist trap” and while that’s not entirely inaccurate, it’s also a bit harsh. There are only a few national chains among the many businesses that line the streets, almost every shop is privately owned, and many have been there for years. You can find lots of different stores as you stroll along from your standard t-shirt shops, real honest to goodness Bavarian imports and blown glass, to a hand made wooden toy shop, quilts and other crafts, at least two Christmas themed shops, candy kitchens and more. So yeah, it’s easy to be negative and dismiss the town, but if you go in with the right attitude, and have an appreciation for high quality knick-knackery, towns like this are lots of fun.

There is also a river that runs through the town and two tubing companies that will let you float on innertubes right through the center of town while people like me sit at the Troll Tavern and enjoy a plate of brats and knockwurst while watching every third person get stuck on the same rock cluster. Food and a show-can’t beat it.

Speaking of food, that’s always one of my favorite parts of vacation-trying out new restaurants and perhaps discovering some new favorites. The bonus of traveling to another part of the country is that sometimes there are fast food chains that aren’t available back home so you get to try those out too. Here’s a quick rundown of the restaurants we visited in no particular order, and my thoughts on each.

FAST FOOD:

Zaxby’s- basically the same thing as Cane’s Chicken Fingers with a few more sandwich items and way more sauces to choose from. Slightly better than Cane’s, but not so much that I wish we lived near one.

BoJangle’s- best fast food fried chicken I’ve ever tasted. Really good recipe, with just a hint of heat at the back of the throat. The sides and tea are excellent as well. I really wish I lived near one.

Jack’s-fast food joint exclusive to the South. They do burgers, chicken, and desserts too. The burger was average but the fries were delicious and the buns were fantastic. Tried some of the kid’s chicken and it was pretty good too. Decent fast food, but not a priority to revisit.

REAL RESTAURANTS:

The Troll Tavern-(Helen, GA) mentioned above. Total German beer hall vibe, with lots of traditional Bavarian foods, bar food, and grilled items. Everything was delicious, would definitely go back if we ever return.

El Jinete (Clarkesville, GA)-Mexican restaurant that we discovered when some other plans fell through. High quality food that everyone liked quite a bit. My fish tacos were served with a cheese sauce. Normally I don’t like cheese and fish together but this was delightful. I also ate waaaay too much chips and salsa.

Creekside Deli (Cleveland, GA)-A most pleasant surprise. More than just a deli, this little restaurant serves hot and cold sandwiches, soups, burgers and fries, nachos, quesadillas, and more. Most of the sandwiches are named after well known communities and natural attractions in the area, which is cute. It does sit by an actual creek which you can dine by if you desire.

The Copper Pot (Clarkesville, GA)- not a dispensary, but an Italian restaurant with stone baked pizza and a bunch of other stuff but I can’t comment on that because I had the pizza and it was great. It’s a pretty busy place that also hosts trivia nights and open mics. But. you know, mainly pizza. Delish.

We did eat some meals at the condo too, in order to save on cash and gas.

Oh yeah, gas. That reminds me. A few notes about making this journey for those who may choose to visit:

Keep the tank filled up-there’s a lot of open highway and you don’t want your car dinging at you while you’re going up a mountain. Trust me on this one.

Also, schedule in about three extra hours for traffic around Chattanooga and Atlanta. Now Atlanta is kind of famous for bad traffic, and it’s a pretty major city so that’s not so much a surprise as an annoyance. Still good to keep in mind though.

But Chattanooga? Wow. Both times we went through the traffic was ridiculous. I have no desire to ever visit the city again, just due to the problems we faced. Even taking the side routes wound up being a complete pain.

Driving in the mountains can be a little tricky. Not difficult per se, but a bit of a challenge here and there. So be sure to have your GPS on-and bring a map as it’s easy to lose signal on those twisty-turny roads. Also bear in mind that the speed limit is anywhere from 55 to non existent, and not all roads are clearly marked for us outsiders. Just keep your wits about you and you’ll be all right.

Well, that pretty much sums it up. Despite a few small bumps here and there, a little sunburn and a few bug bites, we had a pleasant time in the Blue Ridge mountains. I would consider going back another time, especially now that I know what to expect. There are a lot more opportunities to explore nature than we had time to experience-Unicoi Lake at Unicoi State Park being chief among them. There are more waterfalls too, and certainly more small towns to find and explore.

So if you are looking for a getaway far from the crowds and a little off the beaten path, Northern Georgia and the Blue Ridge mountains is an area worth putting on your list.

See you next week for another MonDave.

MonDAVE on FRIDAVE-Special Black Widow Edition

So, no surprise, my daughter Tessa and I just got back from seeing Marvel’s “Black Widow” on opening night. Would you expect anything less? So, naturally here is our quick teenager and middle aged MCU geek review/first impressions of the film. Rating system will be the same as our previous Marvel posts, 1-5 Daves, and 1-5 Y’s (or Yaaaas!) MINOR SPOILERS await-tread carefully.

“Black Widow” is set sometime between “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War”.

Tessa- I give this movie 5/5 Y’s!

It is definitely one of my favorite MCU movies now! The fight scenes are choreographed incredibly well, and it was very interesting to see elaboration on the Red Room. Yelena is definitely my favorite character in this movie, and Alexei was also a good character. I was kind of upset that he didn’t play a bigger role, since all the advertising made it seem like he would be a very important character, and then he wasn’t. He was kind of unlikeable when we first met him, which wasn’t a good first impression, especially since he didn’t have much of a redemption arc. He was mostly just comic relief.

Same thing with the Taskmaster. She was a looming threat throughout the first half, but once her identity was revealed her power ceased. But her identity was an important thing in Nat’s journey. And the cutscene left me speechless. I definitely want to see more of Nat’s family (especially Yelena) in the future.

And can I just say, I absolutely hate Dreykov. He’s sexist, a terrible person, and he doesn’t know the meaning of personal space. It’s important to have villains that are dislikeable, because it adds to the movie as a whole.

Dave- I rate this movie 4.5/5 Daves. Lots of special effects, exciting fight scenes, shadow governments a few surprises and a look at “family” relationships. What’s not to like?

As expected, we get quite a lot of Natasha’s backstory here, and yes, it does fill in some gaps and further explain what we already knew, but it also shows a little bit more of her private life as a young girl than I thought it would. Some may feel that it’s too little too late-and I went into this film thinking that may be the case as well. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself fully engaged with the characters, both old and new.

To me, this felt like Marvel’s version of a Bond film (minus all the love scenes), or maybe the Bourne franchise. So it does feel more like a spy movie than your standard super hero movie, but that is a welcome change. It is probably the most violent of all the Marvel films thus far, but when your main character is an assassin what do you expect? There is still quite a bit of humor in the film, though not as much as one may be used to from the Marvel machine.

And Tessa’s right, that after credits cutscene is a really good one (she totally cried!). And was it just me or was there a throwaway Alexi line that hinted at a multiverse or alternate timeline? Maybe I’m overthinking that one…hmmm…

Anyway, we both highly recommend this film. See it in the theater if you can-it was awesome on the big screen.