RKMBs Forums SEPTEMBER 2001

in the past, i've really focused on anti-stuff, whenever i sat down and wanted to do something. (other than when i drew my own flags )

this time, tho, i wanted to reinforce the positive -- to do what i could to remind people that america IS the best country in the world, and we ARE its beloved citizens.

anywho, here's the link to the memorial:
http://www.robkamphausen.com/misc/america.htm

please, check it out if you get the time. i tried to make it small enough, so that it would download relatively quickly. i dont think it will take more than 30 seconds to download on an average AOL connection -- much faster if you're at work or school or have a cable/dsl connection.

thanks.

not even listening to the news, streaming over the net. ... mostly because the site i use is down, but otherwise, cuz its a "normal" day.

its the first day since the attack that feels somewhat normal. tv shows were on last night. leno, letterman, conan, drew carey, seinfeld, friends... the whole bit. yankees played. radio stations played regular, non-american songs. djs talked about the traffic and weather. the stock market.

...weird...

happy birthday, dad!

so, i gotta leave work early (which is good), grab everyone's tuxes (which isnt bad), then drive all the way down there, go thru the rehersal, eat dinner, then drive all the way back. ...which is bad.

sorry bout that. busy weekend. busy week. ... hell, its been a busy millennium, f'r cryin out loud.

lets get started with the review, shall we?

got to work, like i said below. then i left, round 1:30, to go to the wedding rehersal.

stopped off at "the tux shop" in roboken, to pick up my tux, my cousins, and others. 6 in all. then, started on my way to marlboro, nj, wherever the hell that was/is. its about an hour drive, but since it was raining, and people are idiots, took nearly 2 hours to reach the church, down in south jersey.

but, i eventually got there, and we began goin thru the motions for the rehersal of the wedding. felt kinda outta place at some points, but overall, it was a cool night. the deacon was a freak, tho, ill tell ya that much. like a nit-picking perfectionist, with a dictator attitude. seemed like a good guy otherwise, but, damned if y'make a mistake! whew dawgie.

anywho, afterwards, we went to dinner at some nice restaraunt. my cousin brian (the guy gettin married), gave a speech about all his groomsmen, including myself. pretty nice, if'n y'ask me. called me his brother, which was cool, cuz i never had a brother, but always wanted one!!!

there's still this eerie glow over the city, from the construction workers' lights. looks so barren -- pretty sad

anyway, got home about midnight, and hit the hay. had to get up early the next day. (and, yeah, that rhymes. "woo!")

cool deal, had some lunch, hung out with my 2 cousins and their friends. even smoked some stogies with'em, outside.

damn, i looked smooth.

so, then, we got in the limo and started headin out towards sandy hook (the other side of the state -- again!) to have the wedding pictures being taken.

and thats where the drinkin began!

so, we got to the spot -- beautiful area by a light house, and snapped some photos. no big deal, purdy easy.

then, we packed back up in the car, runnin a little late now for the wedding. but, hey, it was all the groomsmen, all the bridesmaids, the groom and bride, and the important parents -- not like they could start without us!

at one point, this rain storm hit outta no where. lasted only a few seconds, but it was a HAAARSH storm! then, while this freak-of-nature was pourin, we pass a farm -- of ostriches. you know, those famous new jersey ostriches. ... where the fuck were we?!?!!?

so, i start screamin "we're in the land of the lost!! with chaka and the sleizslaks!!" made some people crack up, which was cool, gotta do my part.

i walk down first with my aunt pat, brian's mom. then, i walk back and proceed in with the rest of the guys, later paired up with my cousin katie, brian's sis. we were, of course, the best looking couple.

we go thru the whole mass... at one point, me and the 3 other groomsmen were the only people in the church standin, jsut cuz we're all frickin idiots. the church at my parents house that i grew up in, doesnt have kneelers, so, i never knew when to kneel. whoops! and, since we were in the front row, we couldnt see everyone squatting down behind us.

all of a sudden, we sorta noticed it, by turning just a little -- so we had to wait for a pause to sit, to make it look like we did it on purpose.

good shtuff!

and, again, im back to the champaigne -- this time, hittin it real hard. this is gonna be a fun night, damnit, and im gonna guarantee it!

so, by the time we get to the reception hall, bout an hour later, im nicely toasted.

im incredibly hot, considering i've been drinkin for about 10 hours now, but especially because im in a 4-piece suit, which is dry and stiff, cuz its a rental. thinkin about it now makes me sweat. ::shudder::

but, we get into the hall, and start doin the cocktail hour. im doin shots with the bride and groom, im minglin with people i know, and dont know, alike. im ordering drinks from the free, open bar (and offering to treat everyone around!)

5 or 6 drinks/shots into the cocktail hour, the actual dinner/dancing part begins. i formally enter with my cousin katie again, before helping to present the bride and groom.

i gotta be pushin close to 20 drinks in all at this point, including the champaigne glasses from before. and man, is my face showin it!!

im not as drunk as i look (my face is mostly red cuz of the hot-ass tux), but im drunk enuf.

however, im havin a ball! and helpin others do the same. dancin like a fool on the floor, humiliating myself, as usual, but lovin it. catchin smiles all around -- my favorite feeling.

danced with my alexis a few times (whom i brought as my date), she said she had fun too. she's used to my making an ass outta myself, so she knew what to expect.

danced to a few "apache" songs with my cousin (the cool one, from the "fresh price") good stuff!!!!

next morning, i wake up, and we all eat breakfast at the hotel together, before takin off.

brian and his bride, adrienne, are all off to their honey moon in austrailia/new zealand (a 22 hour flight!! OY!!)

lex and i head back to roboken, where we both pass out, happy as can be.

get to my house a little late (hey, im tired), but the whole day goes nice. house is packed with family (more or less the same people i saw 2 days before, at the wedding).

had a great time, tho. my grandparents are really cool. plus, i was able to steal a whole buncha food, cuz we had the event catered with chicken parm n'stuff. great deal!

all these great carson, leno, letterman, and conan clips. DAMN, conan is frickin funny. wished brian was around to see it, cuz he loves conan as much as i do (realize the guy was STILL in the air at this point).

finally, tho, we head home and pass out. gettin ready to start work again, which is where i am now.

keep in mind that, during this weekend, i've received close to 150 emails from people (136), sending their compliments about the http://www.americatriumphant.com movie i made. some of'em were very beautiful!! (you can check most of the responses out on the feedback pages).

good weekend, all n'all, even tho it felt like 2 weeks!!!

i wanna start working on my apartment - get some shelves set up, paint and decorate, or whatever.

its raining and nasty out, so, maybe that'll urge things along.

this is just a long day.

a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong day.

...wait, what?

... ok...

anywho, let me add that the movie tribute thing i built (and have recently purchased a website for, at americatriumphant.com) -- its been gettin me a LOOOT of feedback.

since i put it online, about a week ago, its been viewed, as of right now, over 48,000 times!! and, i've just received my 430th feedback email while writing this little blurb.

very touching to know people like it enuf to pass it on, or enuf to let ME know about it!!! im about 4 days behind in my email, tho, so responses are going out slowly. i do have every intention of emailing everyone back, personally, tho.

i've even gotten emails from, like, sergeants, and majors, and cadets, firefighters, cops, EMTs, pastors, etc... very cool feeling.

saw rush hour 2 yesterday, with lex. 2 tickets, popcorn n'drinks, ran me about 35 bucks... which is a lot. but, all day yesterday, all movie and concession stand money went to the disaster relief, so it was more than worth while.

it was the first time in my life that i ever saw a movie on a non-weekend/holiday, but definitly worth the cause.

anyway, it was also the first time i've been able to clearly see the "new" downtown manhattan, without all the smoke blocking the way.

very upsetting.

y'gotta realize, this is my back yard. this is my home.

im hearin all these predictions on how, if they rebuild the towers (and thats a huge "if"), you wont see them complete until 2010, or beyond. THAT is upsetting, beyond belief.

truly, truly depressing.

example: ill be on a website, and think "oh, i should go to THIS website."

so, ill close the first website ... then forget where i was gonna go after that.

i get an idea, then lose it, in under 5 seconds. ...frequently!

how izzis possible!

my website went down around 3pm, cuz my stupid fucking hosting company shut it down.

i signed up for a plan with "unlimited web traffic" (still says that on their site), BUT apparently, that doesnt mean what it says. it means "limited at a point" ... ironically, the exact opposite of what it states.

anyway, i was screamin at the guys there for nearly five hours, and had them budgin a little. im REALLY good at gettin what i want, when i really want it, and i was not gonna take "no" for an answer.

so, im making calls to the president of the company, receving calls from his goons, etc. goes on for a few hours.

then, i stop by my dads store, and he takes the phone for a second.

however good i am at selling things or convincing people, my dad puts me to an INCREDIBLE shame.

he belittled this guy, told him he'd drag his name thru the mud. the president of the company then told my dad he'd get back to him in 10 minutes.

during that time, this company was hustling to get everything underway, cuz my dad scared'em shitless.

they had the site back up in a half hour. my dad rules!!!!!!

incredibly frustrated with just about everything right now.

frickin annoying. all this shit with my website hosting company, frustrations at work, trying to beat the bad economy, hearing that the WTC wont even be CLEARED for another year or so....

everything is just really pissin me off right now