I’m pretty sure I posted it last year, but so many people called in with this, I had to share it with you all…
December, 2012:
Things Go Wrong for Me. (Not Me…Him)
Some of you are painfully aware of the humor blog Midget Man of Steel. Its author, Rodney Lacroix (pronounced “luh cracks”), is lewd, crude, and downright spewed. Or something like that. The aka name of his blog, Mental Poo, probably sums it up.
And even though his sense of humor can be borderline toilet and borderline fowl and borderline sick and twisted, the twelve-year-old boy in me finds his that’s-what-she-said stories hysterical.
Also? I don’t mean to brag (yes I do), but my back cover blurb on his new book, Things Go Wrong for Me, joins other blurbs from such luminaries as Jennifer Lawson (The Bloggess), Jenny McCarthy, and Suzy Soro (Hollywood, Where Hot Comes to Die).
I sat down with Rodney recently to ask him about his new book, Things Go Wrong for Me.
Me: Rodney, welcome to Nanny Goats in Panties. And congratulations on the publication of Things Go Wrong With Me. What possessed you to undertake such a project? And could you scoot closer to the microphone before speaking?….Thanks.
Rodney: First, thank you for having me. Secondly, that’s exactly what I say to prostitutes before paying them. Thirdly, I forgot where I was going with this. Let me re-read the question…
DONE.
Well, my publisher, Ross Cavins, is a friend of mine and who has written his own book (and has several on the way). I read and reviewed his first one on my blog, and used to write for a comedy writing site he had called Scrivel.com.
He messaged me on Facebook about reading an upcoming book proof of his and after I blew him off for a month or two, he asked me again. And again. It was exhausting trying to ignore him at that point. He is nothing if not persistent.
Long story short I said something like, “Man, I’d love to write a book” and - BAM - my neighbor was shot. Just kidding. That was added in for shock effect.
BAM - the idea to write a book was born.
The thing we realized though that - with my blog over the age of 5 and roughly 1,100 blog posts written, most of the stories were already done. Although I have a fairly large audience, a LOT of what I have written has very rarely been looked at.
As a result, most - if not all - of the stories in the book are NEW to a lot of my regular readers and pretty much ALL of them have been rewritten. Since my style relies heavily on visual, we decided to go full color with the book. It’s a little more money, but the book really is beautiful on the page.
Me: Is it true that you were chunky as a child? Have you thought about starting a chunky child charity? I ask because the alliteration begs to be trademarked.
Rodney: Great. I’ve been sitting here for 10 minutes going ‘chunky child charity, chunky child charity.’ You’re so mean to me sometimes.
Yes. I was very fat. VERY fat. BUT, as you can see from my book trailer, I’m quite the specimen now except for my tragic hair loss which is totally evident when I bend my head down in the video. Ugh. Makes me so upset I want to eat a box of Yodels.
Me: Your blog name is Mental Poo. Yet your Twitter handle is moooooog35. Yet further, your domain name is midgetmanofsteel. So, does the medication help your multi-personality disorder?
Rodney: Not enough, apparently.
In the book, I explain the origin of “Moooooog.” Midgetmanofsteel, Mental Poo and the elusive ‘hand with lipstick’ will have to wait for a sequel or something.
Me: And finally, are you ever going to tell us what that song is that you’re humming in your book trailer video?
Rodney: Okay. Here goes, since no one has guessed it.
When I created the video, I was going for kind of the opening sequence to “Dexter” style movie. So I start humming the theme song to Dexter.
However, I’ve realized by the end of the video that it actually sounds like I’m singing “Cherish” by Kool and the Gang which makes as much sense as the Dexter thing because I’m shaving my junk. Which I cherish. See how that all ties in there?
Me either.
Me: Is there anything else you want to say to NGIP fans before we go?
Rodney: First, YOU? The best. I’m sure as your readers know (me being one of them) that aside from having some odd goat in underwear fetish, that you are an amazing person and I REALLY NEED TO THANK YOU for helping me out. I still remember times when you’ve emailed me directly saying “I love your comment but I CAN’T POST IT because of the language.” There were probably 100 of those. I keep them printed out in a sealed envelope in a safe deposit box. I’ve always loved you, Margaret. Always have. Always will.
I’ve said too much.
Seriously, though? Thank YOU and thank you to your faithful followers for giving me the chance here. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I’ve enjoyed telling the stories. And, YES, the stories ARE all true. Not kidding. It’s so sad.
But you? You’re the best. Thank you so much!!
Things Go Wrong with Me is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The Kindle version is just $2.99 until December 21st.
Also? His last name isn’t really pronounced “luh cracks”. It’s “lack serks”.
Kidding again. It’s “La Croy”.
Reunion Nightclub: The Best Kept Secret…Until Now
I almost don’t want to tell you about our latest Sacramento Bloggers meetup location because then you will all go and I won’t be be able to get in next time and there I’ll be, standing outside in the rain like a whiny wet dog getting denied by tall, muscular, bald bouncers in black while you are all enjoying yourselves inside this fabulous new place.
As some of you know, Nichole Beaudry and I co-founded a network of bloggers here in Sacramento and this week, we held our December Meetup/Toys for Tots Drive at a nightclub in El Dorado Hills, CA, called Reunion (if you click the link, turn down volume if at work or the baby’s asleep).
Our Social Media Manager, Stephanie Porter, discovered it, secured it, and the next thing you know, we are taking over their entire VIP booth section the other night and talking blog.
Here’s the part that’s going to cause me to stand out in the rain:
Reunion is a classy looking joint geared toward 30-50 year-olds.
They host a Happy Hour with $4.00 Cosmos and a $6.00 buffet and this buffet? We’re not talking nachos and cocktail weenies, people. (Sample cocktail buffet menu)
Delicious buffet food for $6.00 until 9pm.
And here’s how awesome and nationally famous Sacramento Bloggers has become: people traveled from as far away as Salt Lake City to attend. I’m not kidding. Cobi (of Saga Girls) flew in the day of the event (a Wednesday, mind you) and left the next morning.
Stephanie and sisters Cobi (from Salt Lake City) and Sadie.
Wednesday nights also brings…..wait for it…… dueling pianos!
… and big-ass disco balls. So, if that dueling piano guy on the left’s head was the Earth, then the disco ball would be… Jupiter.
They made a custom drink for us called The Blog. Or The Blogger. I’m not sure. My hearing ain’t so good.
And then there’s the view of the El Dorado Town Hills Center Lake (probably not its real name) from the patio…
My husband gave me a bunch of toys for the Toys for Tots drive, so it was raining Ironmen..
What it was not raining was regular human men because even though our last meetup produced many males, we musta scared ’em off or the one guy that did show up musta notta got the memo. You know, that man memo that goes out like the Batman symbol in the sky that women can’t see which is how every male communicates with each other:
(to be read in a scary Boris Karloff-like voice)
If you’re a guyyyyyy, I wouldn’t go to the Decemberrrrrr Bloggerrrrrr meeeeeeetup if I were youuuuuu….just sayin’…..
Nevertheless, Jeremy of Budget Travel Adventures didn’t see the Bat symbol in the sky and braved the very female group that night.
Where’s Waldo - I mean, Jeremy
Anyway, as much as I don’t want you to know about it, Reunion is a fabulous place with a Happy Hour you really should try some time. While Wednesdays are casual, they do have a dress code the rest of the week. I told you this place was classy.
Another view from the patio
Broadway, Here I Come
You probably don’t know this, but I recently wrote a play. A whole five-minute play. And it was performed in public and everything.
Granted, it was in Daytona Beach, Florida, which is clear on the other side of the country from me. And the 24-performance run at their local “Enchanted Forest” Halloween Hayride event was cut short by Superstorm Sandy, but still.
My play was performed.
I wrote a spoof on “The Hare and the Tortoise” and I wasn’t going to tell you about it because initially, there was no recording of it.
But somehow, miraculously, a recording surfaced. And the high school drama teacher forwarded it to me. It’s the very first run-through. And there’s no lighting. And it’s windy as all get out. I could barely hear the lines, and that was probably only because I knew the script.
And it was magnificent.
I can’t tell you the feeling I had watching this virtually inaudible play. To strain your ears and witness strangers in the dark speaking the words you wrote is amazing. These kids were amazing. The audience was amazing. People actually laughed. At least I think they laughed. The wind kinda drowned everyone out.
Nevertheless, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be a famous playwright now, so without further ado, I give you…”The Hare and the Tortoise (A Spoof)”, performed by the Seabreeze High School Drama group:
Also? By random coincidence, the souvenir T-Shirts designed for this year’s hayride event:
How cool is that? It’s a sign, right?
And now if you’ll excuse me, I have to work on my Tony Award acceptance speech.
