Pop. The car lurched again. Then engine turned off. My grandpa furiously got out of the passenger seat and motioned for me to do the same in the drivers seat. I reluctantly put on the emergency brake, unbuckle my belt and open the door to this 2000 Passat, a beautiful car.
"You're letting the clutch out too fast" My grandpa remarks
"Ok, lets just go home" I reply letting a hint of sadness enter my voice
"Forrest, I want you to try this one more time, I think you almost got it last time"
"Alright, this is the last time, and then I am done"
I get back in the car, slowly put my foot on the clutch, and test the gas, just to make sure it is working. I let the emergency brake off, hit the gas a little, and then let go of the clutch, ever so slowly.
I closed my eyes, (which is probably not the smartest idea due to the fact that I was driving) waiting for the trademark lurch that I had become famous for, but it didn't come. I finally had made a smooth start up.
After realizing what I had done to make this work, I wanted to try again. I break, putting the clutch down first of course, and then repeat the process. Same result. It was amazing, synonymous to childbirth, one of the greatest miracles of all time. I started learning the clutch.
Now of course there is all the other things that you need to learn, upshifting, downshifting, how to start on a hill etc. but that was all I was going to do today, a beautiful victory.
Forrest: 1, Clutch: 0
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Coronation of Poppea
As many know, there is a play, no an Opera that I am doing called the Coronation of Poppea.
Now when people hear the word Opera they think of really fat ladies, in a Viking costume, singing an unbearably high note and sustaining it for hours on end. Believe me, that is not how it is.
First of all, there are no fat ladies in our production and secondly, it is set in Roman times. We all do have costumes that make it easier for the viewer to realize where we are and such but it is in English, not Italian, so you can make sense of it very easily.
Also, many notions about Opera say that it is very long and boring. No, it isn't, our Opera is long (about 2.5 hours to be exact) but it is all very interesting. Pretty much all Opera can be boiled down to Sex and Murder. That's it. For anyone reading this, it is too late to come see our version of the Coronation of Poppea, but next time you see an Opera is in town, think of the word Musical instead because that is what it is, no more no less.
Now when people hear the word Opera they think of really fat ladies, in a Viking costume, singing an unbearably high note and sustaining it for hours on end. Believe me, that is not how it is.
First of all, there are no fat ladies in our production and secondly, it is set in Roman times. We all do have costumes that make it easier for the viewer to realize where we are and such but it is in English, not Italian, so you can make sense of it very easily.
Also, many notions about Opera say that it is very long and boring. No, it isn't, our Opera is long (about 2.5 hours to be exact) but it is all very interesting. Pretty much all Opera can be boiled down to Sex and Murder. That's it. For anyone reading this, it is too late to come see our version of the Coronation of Poppea, but next time you see an Opera is in town, think of the word Musical instead because that is what it is, no more no less.
Recent 'Important' Deaths
So lets see what happened this week in celebrity deaths.
Of course THE death was that of Micheal Jackson, King of Pop, notorious child molester and so on. Even with all his lawsuits and such, he was still and icon and will be remembered as such forever in our hearts.
Then we have Farrah Fawcett one of the main reasons that any guy watched the show Charlies Angels. She was in modern terms, hot. Just plain hot. Although her death was less of a surprise due to the fact that she had cancer for a long while before the finally bit the dust.
Probably the least know death this week was that of Ed McMahon better known to the masses as the sidekick to Johnny Carson (1925-2005) on The Tonight Show. His famous line "Heeeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!!" is still ringing in the ears of many tonight show watchers today and his death will make the many of them dust off their Box Sets of that very show and watch it again for old times sake. They will watch "The King of Late Night" (Carson) laugh along with his buddy "Toymaker to the King" (McMahon) and that nostalgia will set in.
Finally at 7:45 EST time today, Sunday June 28th, 2009, Billy Mays died. Now bar the Micheal Jackson death, which is just so different because, well it is Micheal Jackson and he has never been normal. So Billy Mays death, so far is pretty much a mystery. There has been no autopsy and there is talks about how his family does not want to publicise his death. Mays was best, and pretty much only, known for his commercials where he would shout at you and that would make you want to buy the product he was trying to sell. "Oxy Clean" was his big thing, then he branched off into many things like "Big City Sliders" and so on.
No our lives don't revolve around these people, but they are icons, the do have in impact in some way. And yes, they will be missed by many, even though they maybe weren't performing anymore, or on TV anymore but just the fact that they were there still made them amazing. Their personalities and spirits will live on, forever.
Of course THE death was that of Micheal Jackson, King of Pop, notorious child molester and so on. Even with all his lawsuits and such, he was still and icon and will be remembered as such forever in our hearts.
Then we have Farrah Fawcett one of the main reasons that any guy watched the show Charlies Angels. She was in modern terms, hot. Just plain hot. Although her death was less of a surprise due to the fact that she had cancer for a long while before the finally bit the dust.
Probably the least know death this week was that of Ed McMahon better known to the masses as the sidekick to Johnny Carson (1925-2005) on The Tonight Show. His famous line "Heeeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!!" is still ringing in the ears of many tonight show watchers today and his death will make the many of them dust off their Box Sets of that very show and watch it again for old times sake. They will watch "The King of Late Night" (Carson) laugh along with his buddy "Toymaker to the King" (McMahon) and that nostalgia will set in.
Finally at 7:45 EST time today, Sunday June 28th, 2009, Billy Mays died. Now bar the Micheal Jackson death, which is just so different because, well it is Micheal Jackson and he has never been normal. So Billy Mays death, so far is pretty much a mystery. There has been no autopsy and there is talks about how his family does not want to publicise his death. Mays was best, and pretty much only, known for his commercials where he would shout at you and that would make you want to buy the product he was trying to sell. "Oxy Clean" was his big thing, then he branched off into many things like "Big City Sliders" and so on.
No our lives don't revolve around these people, but they are icons, the do have in impact in some way. And yes, they will be missed by many, even though they maybe weren't performing anymore, or on TV anymore but just the fact that they were there still made them amazing. Their personalities and spirits will live on, forever.
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