Dogged Transformation

The proverbial dog days of summer have descended with a vengeance.  Since it’s just Buddy and I at home for the nonce I’ve put off turning on the air conditioning.  A couple of the past nights I was considering moving the bed down into the basement to share Buddy’s much cooler abode.  His flatulent tendencies militated against that course of action. 

The day’s oppressive heat was enhanced with my annual battle with a Sears service call.  The lawn tractor expired over the weekend and I called for a repair/annual service and was given the dreaded, be home between “1pm and forever (actually 5pm but it always feels longer)”.  I wiled away the afternoon by continuing my back deck trim painting with a phone close by for the call that precedes one of their visits (if you miss it they blow you off).  One more day and it should be finished with the deck, then I can go back and re-stain the floor  where I spilled white paint (it’s a never ending cycle).

At 4:53pm Buddy went on high alert to announce the arrival of the Sears dude (no phone call!!).  He quickly diagnosed the issue (dead battery = $) and even performed the service although the Sears dispatch guy had forgotten to include that on the appointment.  It wouldn’t be Sears if everything went smoothly.  They’ve doubled the cost of the annual service so I paid close attention to everything he did for future years.  It was still yet another in the hefty blows to the bank account.  All in all though a positive experience with a really competent Sears guy – who knew that was even possible.

Buddy's Sensory Deprivation Chamber

My plans to attack the lawn with the renovated mower were thwarted by the arrival of a truly energetic thunder storm which sent Buddy into DEFCON 8 posture.  I wrestled him to the ground to administer the stress drug which was almost comedic.  Have you ever tried to control a frantic 90 pound dog and calmly administer ten drops into his mouth?  Highly entertaining.  I put him into his kennel and attempted to turn it into a sensory deprivation chamber by covering it with towels.  The drug hadn’t kicked in yet and he tried to dig his way out for the first ten minutes or so. 

Since the skies really opened up I headed out for a dateless date night and saw Transformers: Age of Extinction.  I guess there were so many unanswered questions in the Transfomer saga they just had to make another.  The one thing that stood out for me, outside of the amazing CGI effects, was how damned long this thing was.  Michael Bay has made so much money on this series that he’s been given carte blanche which isn’t necessarily a good thing.  You get well over two hours of non-stop pitched battles between huge robots and evil humans. 

Chicago gets worked over again and in what has become routine in large action flicks, the battles move to China (can’t short change that lucrative demographic) where Hong Kong gets pasted.  You know things are completely out of hand when ancient robotic dinosaurs join the fight.  There is no over the top for Mr. Bay.  Mark Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci along with the obligatory hottie in short shorts were nice additions to the cast which was completely overhauled.  There were however a tidal wave of cringe worthy lines the actors are forced to utter which sent the unintentional comedy level through the roof.  With all the money Bay gets to make these things you think he’d invest a little bit in the writing. It was however a transformers movie where you don’t go in expecting Shakespeare and you certainly get your money’s worth of death and destruction.

My wife reported in from Virginia where she found some classic photos of her and "Las Musqueteras" from the 1980s.  I demanded she send them to me so I could share them with you.  Prepare yourselves:

I'm the Lucky Guy on the Couch
Wife on the right, Daughter on Left Along with Maine Musquetera Son Behind the Couch 

The Three Muequeteras Behind the Couch
Note My Devastatingly Chic Tube Socks

Same Scene as My Daughter Charges the Camera
My Son and I on the Couch

Son in His Ghostbusters Shirt
He May Kill Me for Posting This

The Well Endowed Maine Musquetera With Her Patented "Twins" Move