Day 9: I'll TAKE It!

Bacon Water Is A Real Thing
So, as I mentioned yesterday, there's a small office lunch outing tomorrow. I did some advance work tonight, calling the BBQ joint to ask them all the questions I'd rather not hold everyone up asking tomorrow. Lasted about 30 seconds.

Self: "You guys fry the french fries in the same oil as the meat?"
Employee: "Yeah."
Self: "Do you load your mashed potatoes?"
Employee: "There's cream in 'em."
Self: "Thanks, that's all I need to know."

Hello, green salad.


I Guess I Can't Watch "Footloose"
In CHIKARA news, UltraMantis Black has been steadily building his squad to take on the amassed BDK for The Dark Ciberknetico in Easton next month. So far he's got Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Icarus, and STIGMA (formerly Shane Storm). UMB is heavily pitching Hallowicked, but the Great Pumpkin is not biting.

This still leaves a couple spots. Eddie Kingston wants in, but UMB is not interested. Odds are looking like Quackenbush will convince Hallowicked to join on the condition that Kingston join as well. And that still leaves one slot open...how many CHIKARA originals are left to be recruited? Fans who remember that far back say it'll be either Larry Sweeney or Chris Hero. I don't know much about Sweeney, but I do know a thing or two about Hero. He's all kinds of close with BDK stalwart Claudio Castagnoli over in Ring Of Honor (where they currently hold the tag belts as the Kings Of Wrestling), and I bet it would be appealing to both of them to work on opposite sides of the ring for a change, and that pop would be HUGE. Here, look. Here's them going on a road trip, along with BDK schildmaid Sara Del Rey.



Anything Shy Of Cease-And-Desist And A Restraining Order
Oh, and here I've saved the best for last. So, obviously, Project UMB has demonstrated my belief that if a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing to the greatest measure possible. In this context, that certainly includes presenting it to the man(tis) who inspired it all, and what with social networks and CHIKARA being relatively small and very fan-friendly by any stretch, it was a definite possibility. I debated for a time whether I should wait until closer to the Halloweens to send it, but as Shakespeare says, if you're going to do a thing you might just as well pop right at it and get it over.* So I sent him the link, along with some flowery words of support for the struggle against the BDK and a quote from The Art of War. About two weeks later, the reply:

I am in awe of your journal! Perplexed slightly - but in awe!

Clearly the highest praise I could ever have possibly expected to receive. HUZZAH!



*Wodehouse, Sir Pelham Grenville. "Jeeves and the Yule-Tide Spirit". Liberty, Dec 24, 1927.