What if...(part two)

*This subject is broken up into two entries.* First entry is here.

Robert Kennedy is one of those 'what could have been' in politics. Granted he had a start on his career, but it could have been so much more. The greatest things that he did was as his brother's attorney general. From taking on Jimmy Hoffa and the teamsters to working with civil rights leaders and activists he was an active AG. More so than the AGs now. Who can name Obama's attorney general? I can't, but I'm not a big fan of politics.

He was on his way to being another Kennedy president and he would have been great. He held his ground on issues that he felt strongly about. His outspoken anti-Vietnam War view may have stopped the conflict four or five years before it actually did. By the time he was running for president, the war was unpopular and he could have had enough support from congress and senate and help from the overall populous to withdraw. On the opposite side of that, it may not have happened because it would have been seen as buckling to Communism. It's not like the Commies won that war. Besides, Communism didn't work out for anyone except Cuba and China, and who cares about them.

Let's assume (for the sake of argument) that he won the presidency in 1968 and got the United States out of Vietnam in 1971. The year is just one that I threw out there, it would be have been two years into his term, a good benchmark. That is four years before the fall of Saigon. Four years of fighting. Four years of lives not lost. That is one big what if. Looking up statistics, it is close to three thousand American lives between the years of 1971 to 1973. Three thousand! It was past the height of casualty rate (1967-1969), but still three thousand. That is a small town in Anywhere U.S.A. If he does that, he wins a second term for getting the country out of Southeast Asia and an unpopular unwinnable war (thanks Mr. Cronkite) and becomes more popular than his brother.

Not only is there an entire new outlook on the Vietnam War but if he was not assassinated, think of the political landscape. If he wins in 1968, you know who is never elected? Richard Nixon. Richard. Freakin'. Nixon. No Watergate, no resignation, nothing like that.

I just like to think about stuff like this and you can think of so many different people and what could have happened if they had never been born, or if someone died, or if they never invented what they invented. So many options and so many people to think about. Try not to stay up too late thinking about it.

End of year

If you're looking for a 'what I did this year' kind of post, move on. It works for some people, but not for me. Is it because I didn't have any milestones in my life this year? Not really. I just don't want to sit down and think.....what did I do this year?

It was a good year, there are still a few days left in it, and I look forward to next year.

Repost from 2008

*Author's note: I wrote this a few years ago and I have since made it my Christmas Eve or Christmas day post. It is simple and makes it easy for me to say that I at least wrote something for the holidays. Enjoy the day everyone. Be sure to keep the television off as long as possible and love being with family and friends.*

We are watching A Christmas Story right now, and there is nothing better in this movie than the nostalgic feel of the Christmas morning scene. More than the kids ripping apart the wrapping, it is the expressions on the faces of the mom and dad. Just the joy that they have watching their kids.

As much as people think it is all about the Red Rider BB gun, the movie is more than that. It's about family, more than anything.

• Idolizing the father
• Having a life long understanding with your mother
• And the fighting with your brother

And the final scene of the mom and dad relaxing with the Christmas tree alight and the snow falling at night. Magic.

What if...(part one)

*This subject is broken up into two entries.*

I've been trying to figure out the best way to write about this subject and haven't found the perfect way or the most intellectual way to go about it. I first thought about this subject because of the Marvel comic 'What if....' (weird, I know, but read on) which explores the comic world if different situations happened or didn't happen. So, I took this and thought about my schooling background. I took the the 'what if' situations and applied it to historical people. Most minds immediately go towards John Kennedy. What if he hadn't been assassinated. Same thing with Abraham Lincoln. I tend to think of different people throughout history. Personally, I think JFK would have faltered if he was not assassinated. He thought with the wrong head.

I want to explore two people. Robert Kennedy and Thomas Paine. Paine lived out a full life dying at the age of seventy two. Kennedy, obviously, did not being killed at the age of forty two. Buckle up people, this shit is about to get heavy.

Thomas Paine is someone that I knew about while in high school and in college but I never really explored and looking back at it, I wish I had. It may have changed my outlook on life or certain aspects of it. I never really thought someone who was considered a founding father would also be considered a radical. Revolutionary? Yes, but a radical? Not so much. Radicals are usually thought of as 'bad guys'. Crazy people that live up in the hills of the country. Making moonshine. When talking about the forming of this country, what names come to mind? Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, (maybe) Madison. And those are just a few. Paine should be introduced early and often in schools. And maybe he is, but he just wasn't in my high school. Thomas Paine, to me in school, wrote a pamphlet or two. It was a historical footnote to me. Then I read his writings. Common Sense, Age of Reason, and Rights of Man are what he is famous for. They blew my mind. They rate up there with the Communist Manifesto. It is on that level. If he hadn't been born, what would our world be like? It may not be very different today, but when he was alive and kickin', that is a different story. He was the crazy guy writing above everyone else. He is the reason Deism even exists (in my opinion). He carried it on when other guys no one has ever heard of died off. Deism needs to become more prevalent in today's society. It can resolve some major issues (but this is another entry all together). I like the thought of Deism, but don't tell my mom (HI MOM!! :o))

Had he never lived or never written, I think that the world may be a little bit of a darker place. Even if you don't agree with what he stands for or what he has written, it is worth taking a look. At the least, it is enlightening. It is in no real way controversial. It was just his outlook on life. Had he not lived or written, I may not be the person I am today. Sure I would have the same thoughts and outlooks on certain things, but I could be less....thoughtful. I don't know if that is the word I want to use, but that is the word that came to mind. I wouldn't be as conscience of things.

His influences are far reaching. He delved into politics, religion, and daily life. Nothing was off limits. He influenced people like Thomas Jefferson. Abraham Lincoln. Even Thomas Edison. Who knew. His outlook on life and religion have even influenced me. There is a sentence that after I read it, I kind of adopted it as my life motto. It has worked out well for me living in the state of Kansas as religions as it is. Religion is a very volatile subject no matter who you talk to. I leave you with the sentence that really grabbed my attention to Thomas Paine and honestly made me rethink some aspects of my life:



'My own mind is my own church.' -Thomas Paine "The Age of Reason"

breaking point

Every holiday that I have worked, there has been a day where I just kinda give up and stop caring until after Christmas. It isn't anything major, it's mostly just a burnout on the dumb people, the dumb questions, and the pissed off people that forget that they aren't the only people shopping in the store. Today was that day.

It's a good milestone. Usually, it is way before the twenty first of December. I don't know what the difference is between this year and years past though. Such is life. I'll make it out alive. Just two more days then Christmas and it's all downhill from there. The next few months are quite and under control compared to what we deal with now and what we have dealt with the past month.

Holiday music

You know what is awesome about waking up at two in the morning and not being able to fall back asleep? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Am I having deja vu or have I written something very similar to this before? I'm really excited about being up this early because....because.....hmmm...I can't find the words. Oh right, there is NO REASON to be up this early. Bah!

Most people have a favorite Christmas or holiday song that they love to hear over and over again. Whether it is 'Silent Night' or 'Frosty the Snowman' everyone has that one song that they will turn the radio up for. That they will shut their family up for. Leave it to me to pick more than one and it's difficult because there are versions of songs that I prefer over others. For example, I love 'I'll Be Home For Christmas' when it is sung by Bing Crosby (granted, all his Christmas songs are great). Another song that I enjoy is 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen'. Now, when the Barenaked Ladies released a version of it, it skyrocketed to the top of my favorites for the season. Before then, it was in the middle somewhere stuck between 'O Holy Night' and 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'. I think one aspect of the BNL version that puts it over the top is Sarah McLachlan. I just enjoy her voice.

Both of those songs are fine no matter who sings them, I just prefer those versions over the other ones that are out there. There are fun holiday songs out there as well as the traditional ones. 'Christmas Wrapping' by the Waitresses (you know them for singing 'I Know What Boys Like') makes me smile. I hadn't heard it until last year, forgot about it, and then heard it again this year. Another fun song is 'I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas'. Another song I hadn't heard up until last year, and another song that just makes you think...well, okay then. It sounds a little creepy when you first hear it but it grows on you.

There aren't too many holiday songs that I really don't enjoy. 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' and 'Jingle Bell Rock' are the two that I just don't like. They are too poppy. I was going to go with too modern, but songs that were written in the fifties don't exactly qualify for modern.

MAGGS!!

The Detroit Tigers re-signed Magglio Ordonez today to a one year contract. The (Tigers) national nightmare is over. It's a little hefty for my taste, especially for his age. He is thirty six right now, he is going to be another year older by the time the season ends next year. The other part of it is that the contract is worth ten mil. Yeah. Ten million dollars. For one year's worth of work. I wish I had that kind of ability. It is great that he has been resigned, but is it worth it? Are we going to deal with this again next off season? Are the Tigers just going to let him walk after this year? There are still some questions that I have.

For the time being, I'm happy. One thing that is great about this signing is that there are stories that there were teams that were offering Ordonez two year contracts and he chose to resign with the Tigers. That shows appreciation towards your organization and for the town you have spent the past few years playing in and for. Most players would go for a team that was offering a longer contract and some more money, but Magglio I would like to think is a different kind of player. He seems to love Detroit and I know that Detroit fell in like with him when he signed in 2005 and fell head over heels in love with him when he knocked the greatest home run in Tigers modern day history. If you don't know what home run I'm talking about, you aren't a true Tigers fan. Be gone!

The Tigers are set to make some more noise in the AL Central and they matched the signings that the (hated) Chicago White Sox made, I think. Is it Spring Training yet?

Snow already!

Ten days before Christmas, and there has not been any snow on the ground in the ICT. The first year we spent down here for Christmas it was a green/brown Christmas. It was one of the most depressing days mainly because we weren't use to it. We can count on one hand the amount of Christmas days where there wasn't any snow. The past three years, there has been snow on the ground, so it has been festive when we woke up in the morning to open presents. It just adds that much more to the day. It makes it feel like winter.

This year, however, we are in danger of having another green/brown Christmas. We have not had any snow this year. No, scratch that, we had some snow mix in with some rain at the end of Novembeard, but it didn't count because it was in the air for a split second. Anyway, we have had no snow. We seem to be the only place in the country that hasn't had any snow. I have a friend in Atlanta, GA that has seen snow. ATLANTA!

There is a slight slight slight chance of snow a few days before Christmas, but even then, it is a few days before and if it does snow, there is always the possibility of it melting away. Worse case scenario is that it doesn't snow and we leave the blinds closed and crank the Christmas music.

State of Detroit sports

I was really excited when I turned on the t.v. this afternoon to see the Detroit/Green Bay football game. This year, I have seen four Lions games and I haven't even had to go to a bar to watch them. It's not that they are a winning team, they just play teams that are winning. It makes me think of how the sports franchises of Detroit are doing.

The Detroit Pistons. Well, basketball sucks. The Pistons suck. Let's move on.

The Detroit Lions. Their record doesn't show how well they have been playing. They have only won two games (I thought that they would win four this year) but they have been in the majority of the games that they have lost. They are having problems in the secondary and having problems stepping on their opponents throat when the game is on the line. The offense is there, the front seven is set up for a great run, the coaching staff is great. The secondary is the only facet of the team that needs a complete overhaul. I have great hopes for the team in the upcoming future, as long as Matt Stafford realizes he isn't made of glass.

The Detroit Red Wings. The one constant in my sports life. Granted, growing up they were not the best team, but when I was young I didn't much care because it was hockey and was fun to watch. It is great to be surprised by a loss, much like it is great when the Lions win, it is a great surprise. Always in the hunt for Lord Stanley's Cup, I feel disappointed when they don't bring it home. When they do lose, I just want it to be a close series. They went out quietly last year, but they pushed through the tough season. Lots of injury and some growing pains for the younger players. They are on the top of the league now and it doesn't seem that they are going to slow any time soon.

The Detroit Tigers. After making it to the World Series in 2006 and collapsing to the St. Louis Cardinals, the fan base has been hungry to get back there. Slowly but surely, they have been building. The offense has been keeping up and some of the starting pitchers (Justin Verlander) are doing their best to keep the wins coming. The problem lies in the bullpen. It has been shaky ever since Joel Zumaya hurt himself playing Guitar Hero, no seriously, look it up. And then he hurt his shoulder moving stuff out of his house to avoid a wildfire. Then he broke his elbow. He isn't the only person in the bullpen, but he is a catalyst for it. The long relief is a soft spot.

The sports have an upside in the state the Pistons notwithstanding. I put up an argument that the Lions are the best 2-10 (record as of 12 December 2010) team to ever play the game. The Tigers have potential this year but they have a tough division and that is the only way they are making it to the playoffs. The Red Wings I never have to worry about having a good season.

Mugs and football

As I was enjoying some coffee on my day off, I thought about the collection of coffee mugs we have. Coffee mugs are something that you should never buy for yourself. They should be gifts. Who wants to go out to the store and purchase a coffee mug? Everyone that we own are gifts, either from our wedding registry or were given away. I have a few from work, a few from when I work on Mackinac Island and were given away at the end of the year, and some from my family that were given as gifts. All the rest? Part of our wedding registry. Just something to think about.

This afternoon, the college football game with the most history behind it is going to be played. Not Michigan/Ohio State. Not Notre Dame/USC. Not Texas/Oklahoma. Not even Harvard/Yale. It's the Army/Navy game. As far as relevancy on the whole scheme of things, not so much. These football programs have not been a deciding factor for college football since before I was born. This game is significant for anyone that enjoys thinking about history as it pertains to sports. It has been played since 1890 and although it is not the oldest rivalry, it is significant because of the institutions that play the game. With few exceptions, those who play this game, a professional sports career is out of the question. The future for these young men is in defense of the country (make note that this is about as patriotic as I get) and that is more important than any other profession out there. At the end of it all, it's all about their service to the country.

I love that at the end of the game, both teams show respect towards each other as their alma mater song is played and sung by the student body. Both teams travel to the respective ends of the field and stand quietly while the other institution's song is played/sung. It shows solidarity and respect that they have for each other. Something you will never see in any other rivalry in college or professional sports. Perhaps it should be, no?

As of late, the rivalry has been slanted in favor of Navy (they have won the last eight games), but it is still great to watch and think about the history of the game and the rivalry.

'Successful' blog

I have often pondered what a successful blog was. Is it how many people read it? Maybe. Is it how many comments you get per post? More than likely not, because then you would have to read them all and may need/want to respond to them. For me, it has always been writing just as many or more than the previous year. Of course, there has to be a limit. I could not find myself writing each day, that would be too crazy. Last year, I wrote and published about one hundred and twenty times, a decent amount. It's ten times a month average. At the beginning of this year, I was thinking close to one fifty, but then thought better of it and just decided to aim for above last years total. So if it was one more or twenty more, I would be satisfied with my efforts.

I have never really written in the hopes of tons of people reading this. I started because...well....I can't remember. Probably because it was the 'cool' thing to do. Just like now it's trendy to tweet. Thinking about that makes my stomach churn a little, but that's how it goes. Now, I write for me. I enjoy the fact that I write down what I feel and what I think. It's a twenty first century journal, granted I still have one that I write in occasionally, but it is not as frequently as this is.

I once asked a friend of ours, Spacefem, her thoughts on it because she too blogs. To paraphrase her answer, just write what you feel is a good amount. In retrospect that doesn't seem like the best answer, but at the time it made sense. IF you feel that a 'successful' blog has two hundred posts a year, go crazy and IF you feel that it would be a 'success' to write once a month, so be it.


That is what I have been going with. If this year or next I come up a little short in the amount of times I write, that'll happen. As long as I know that I didn't let anything slip back into my mind and it all ended up on here, I will be happy. With that said, I'm going to bust my ass and my mind to try to top last year's total. I have ten left after this post in twenty two days to equal last year's output.

For those who can save rock, I salute you

As I was stuck listening to the radio at work yesterday morning, I tried to go to a happy place where music was played by real musicians. The days of auto tuning, repeated bass lines and lack of instruments need to be gone and gone in a hurry. Kesha, Justin Beiber, and Kanye West are useless and they aren't the only ones. I started to list a few people or groups that can save the music scene.

1.)Dave Grohl

• You know him from Nirvana and Foo Fighters
• You may not know him from Them Crooked Vultures
• Interested? Check out the track 'Spinning in the Daffodils' or 'Caligulove'
• Fun factoid: He looks like Animal from the Muppets when he drums
  

He can save rock by his ability to write songs, play with anyone (he is in a band with John Paul Jones from Zeppelin) play any instrument, and whatever he touches is heavy and driving. His music can make you bang your head or focus on the words.

2.)Jack White

• You know him from The White Stripes
• You may not know him from The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather
  
• Interested? Check out the track 'These Stones Will Shout' or 'A Martyr For My Love For You'
• Fun factoid: Was in a documentary called 'It Might Get Loud' with Jimmy Page and The Edge. An orgasmic movie for all those who enjoy guitars and rock music. His and Page's ability dwarf The Edge

He can save rock by his ability to play with anyone and anything. He produced a record with Loretta Lynn which was great. He hops from one band to the next and back again and evolves with each album making every release more interesting than the next. From rock to blues to country to alternative, he plays it all and plays it well. The White Stripes are heavy and rudimentary while The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather are more refined.



When all else fails, learn to love the classics. The Who, Zeppelin, the Beatles, et. al. What are you waiting for? Go out and learn!

Making the family proud

For my final beer of 2010, I wanted it to be memorable. Something that was cheap, something that I wouldn't want to drink a ton of at once to make it last for most of the month, and something that I could store outside. It is getting cold enough outside to keep beer on the balcony in the deck box. It makes me think of home a bit. Granted, it isn't beer stashed in a snow bank, but a close second.

I went out and bought some Busch Light. I know, I know. Why? Why in the hell would I do something like that? We drank it a ton in Seattle this past fall and I kind of fell in like (not love) with it. It's better than Bud Light, cheaper than PBR and not as trendy. Plus, I think of it as the family beer. Whenever we go home, that just seems to be what is lying around the some of houses when we visit relatives.



It makes me smile a little bit and it is the time of the year to be extra happy, what with all the snow and cold weather and whatnot....

Take that prostate cancer!

Art of Manliness raised quite a bit of money for prostate cancer research. A little over thirty one thousand dollars! People pounded the pavement for donations and that is quite impressive. I've said it before and I will say it again, I could not keep a moustache for a month. Ever actually. At work we had several men grow out their beards for Novembeard, which was awesome. I feel that next year it should be taken to the next level and get everyone on board to raise money for a local charity or for local research.

Coat weather

It is finally starting to get a little cool down here in Wichita. Yesterday when I went to work it was in the low twenties which begs the question, when is it time to bust out the winter coat? I feel that I can make it until the first snow, but there are days when it might be a necessity. I think that the benchmark may have to be when the temperature outside is below twenty, then I can get the winter coat out of the closet.

I hold off on getting it out for the main reason of not being outside for the majority of the day. I get in the car, drive to work, and stay inside for eight plus hours. By the time I leave for the day it could reach up to the forties or even the fifties, and if that is the case, who wants to carry around a heavy winter coat? Not I. For the time being, I have just been wearing hooded sweatshirts which have performed admirably.







I tend to go with the old adage, that if it is cold enough for a Kansan to wear a winter coat, a Michigander can wear a sweatshirt.

reposting....kind of

You know what is awesome about waking up three hours before having to go to work? Nothing. Especially when you only get three and a half hours of sleep before waking up and not being able to get back to the gloriousness that is sleeping.


It's funny how there will be random mornings when I wake up super early and find it a little refreshing to be up far enough in advance to get some random stuff done around the apartment. Nothing crazy like cleaning dishes, mostly watching some stuff that has been recorded and I haven't had a chance to watch. Or listen to a podcast or two that have been sitting around just patiently waiting to be heard. I seem to find time to write when I should be asleep as well. Looking at the archives, there are close to ten posts regarding waking up earlier than normal. So this isn't anything new.

There are also the early mornings when I just stare at the television and down a bunch of coffee to get myself going for the day. That is something I am trying to get away from, relying on coffee to get me through the day. The experiment went well. I never felt the ill affects of not having coffee for a little over a week. Not that I expected withdrawal symptoms or anything like that, it was more of a 'can I do it' kind of thing. Knowing that I can makes me feel good about myself. It reminded me of when I would give up alcohol for lent during college. Oh yeah, you read that right. I did it twice and it was really difficult.

The third kind of early mornings are what I call the 'smart mornings'. Simply put, I come out to the living room and sleep on the couch for an hour or two. Normally that happens when I haven't gotten any sleep whatsoever. Those nights when I toss and turn trying to get comfortable and it never works. However, I'll come out to the couch, set my cell phone alarm, and just pass the hell out. A little strange, but I'm never one to turn down a quick nap.

Don't get me wrong, it's going to be a long day today because of the lack of sleep and when I come home I do plan a much needed nap just to stay up a little later. The good thing is knowing that tomorrow morning I can sleep in and laze around the house because of the day off.

Early holiday decorating

One thing that I remember from growing up as a kid is decorating the Christmas tree and the house for Christmas in December. It was always a family event growing up. Spending the evening listening to the music of the of holidays, drinking egg nog, and dealing with sap on the hands from the freshly (illegally) cut tree from the back woods of the Upper Michigan. More importantly, there was snow on the ground. We would always turn the television off and just have 'family time'. It wasn't always cool, but looking back on it, it was a fantastic way to start the holiday and Christmas time.

While we were helping some friends move yesterday, I noticed several families with trees tied to their cars. I thought it was a bit odd to be going out and getting the Christmas tree a few days after thanksgiving. Shouldn't there be some time in between holidays, even if it is just a week or so? Maybe it's just because there isn't any snow on the ground. I think it would feel more Christmas-y if there was a little layer of snow on the ground, just an inch would do. There has to be time to transition from fall decorations to winter decorations.

Personally, I refuse to decorate a tree or put out any Christmas decorations before the month of December. It's a little childish. This much is true, but I'm stubborn in my ways. Andrea wanted to put the tree up last night just to see if it would fit in the corner of the living room, but I walked away. I claimed that it was not yet December and it was not time yet.

Hockey elitist

While at the Wichita Thunder game tonight, I felt like a bit of a hockey elitist. People all around us were shouting and swearing that there were penalties happening when there weren't. I kept leaning over to A and saying 'that wasn't a penalty' or 'they don't know what they are talking about' and of course, she knows hockey well enough to know whats a penalty and what isn't. So I didn't feel quite as bad saying it out loud. The fans are dedicated to their team...they just don't know what the hell they are talking about (or aboot if you want to get crazy).

Part of me wants to run a watching hockey 101 for the city giving a nice gloss over of what the rules of hockey are. It would make the experience that much better for those fans who understand the game having to deal with people who call themselves 'fans'.




In the meantime, I remain an elitist amongst a fan base of idiots.

Thanksgiving time

It's that time of year again in sports. Time for the non-traditionalist to question why the Detroit Lions are playing on the last Thursday of the month of Novembeard. It's tradition people. Get off it. They play the early game because most people don't want to watch it, but I'll be up bright and early on my first day off in about eight days to watch my Lions. My woeful, rip your heart out, just can't get over the hump Lions. I'm excited about it. I always look forward to Thanksgiving for a couple of reasons.

1. The Lions game
2. Pumpkin Pie
3. Any effort to guilt the white man about taking land from the Native Americans (which never works)

Being far away from family is always hard this time of year but we substitute family for friends. And the friends we enjoy the day with are close enough that they could be considered family. So it balances out.

Not only is it time to enjoy being around family and friends, it is also close to winter. The temperatures have been going up and down here and some days it feels like the beginning of winter. I went to work yesterday and it was twenty eight degrees. The day before? About fifty. So weird.

Prolonged experiment

I was thinking that six days without coffee would be no problem, and it wasn't much of an issue. I counterbalanced it with more sleep at night than usual, but coffee just tastes so good. I don't always drink coffee to make it through the day, it is an enjoyable beverage. It makes my morning. Kind of like having a beer at the ball park. It is just one of those things that some people need to be...happy and normal.

The only problem is that my mind was set on having a nice pot of coffee tomorrow morning while I relaxed and had my brain melt a little bit while watching television. Now I have to work. I completely forgot that I changed my schedule around for the Thanksgiving holiday. I don't have another day off until Thanksgiving day.





But then again, what is another two days without coffee? Maybe something awful, maybe just another two days without coffee. We shall see.

Old feelings

While working yesterday, I ran across someone wearing a Colorado Avalanche jersey and I had a feeling of hatred bubble up inside of me. What made it worse is that it was a Patrick Roy jersey and I wanted to punch them in the face. That is the one thing that I miss. A great, bitter, angry rivalry. Now, it isn't the Red Wings' fault that the Avs just started sucking and have gone down hill since the great games and greater fights of the last part of the nineties. It isn't the Red Wings' fault that they know how to draft and run an organization. Colorado just needs to learn how to plan for the future and they can bring back the great organizational rivalries that helped bring hockey to the forefront of sports.

Or they can wallow in the center or the cellar of the NHL.....which I can dig.

Finally found something

I preface this entry by stating the following: I do not hate weddings, I hate people that put way too much effort into them. That is all. Proceed with caution. Enjoy the language, I'm a bit of an angry writer tonight.

I have been sitting in front of the computer trying to think of something to write about. I have done much of nothing tonight and needed to find something worth while for the evening. As I was trolling through the internet I finally found something to write about: choreographed wedding dances.

I'm not talking about the YMCA or the chicken dance (although they should be outlawed) I'm talking about stupid shit like this. I don't look down upon people that get out and have a good time to a popular song that includes choreographed dance that has taken over the world for five minutes, it's created to give white people a sense that they know how to dance. I'm not much of a traditionalist, but when it comes to weddings there are three things that really need to happen at the reception.

1. First dance
2. Mother/son dance
3. Father/daughter dance

That's it. Why fuck it up by following a trend? Do they not know that they aren't original? Personally, if my wife had gotten possessed by some random demon and had demanded to have a choreographed first dance I may have laughed at her and walked away, but that's just me and that's also how our relationship works. Sure, the reception is the time of the day when everyone is suppose to cut loose and enjoy a fun evening of awful dancing, kids taking over the dance floor (which is fun to watch), and slow dances. The kind of dancing you don't see at clubs. Not the 'dry hump against your partner like you are back in high school' dancing, but fun 'stand around in a big circle and simply bounce up and down and left and right' kind of dancing. You may even get crazy and 'Soul Train' it (look it up). Even crazier? Polka!

I feel that the people that are doing this are attention whores above all else. Everyone knows that when you agree to attend a wedding it is all about the bride and the groom. There is no reason to draw even more attention to yourself. Superficial people are the ones that make their friends and family watch them perform some awful dance to a song that will be nothing more than a footnote in the archives of musical history.

As these choreographed dances become more popular I feel that there is a little bit of the old institution dying. I'm all about change and development of certain aspects of our world, but there are also things that should not be fucked with. The first major thing is baseball but that has been surpassed by the introduction of instant replay. The human element was a great part of the game and as much as I absolutely hate agreeing with Bud Selig instant replay shouldn't be a part of the game. The other thing that shouldn't be fucked with is the traditions of the wedding reception. The previously listed dances should not be fucked with, but there are things that can be omitted. Things such as the garter/bouquet toss, dollar dance, and whole wedding party dances don't need to be included in the reception, but can add to the experience. Personally, the dollar dance should not be involved in any receptions. A and I agreed not to do a dollar dance because we didn't want to feel like prostitutes. Our friends had a funny spin on the dollar dance earlier this year. Because of the recent economic struggles, they had a quarter dance. It was fun and in jest of the tradition, but I still felt a little dirty while standing in line waiting to dance with one of our close friends.

I try not to use the word 'hate' because I feel that it is one of the strongest words in the English language, but I feel this strongly about this subject. As I was re-reading what I had just written, that word fits well into the whole 'feel' of this entry. I do write this entry a little in jest of the whole trend that seems to be taking over some weddings, but there is also this feeling of...well.......hatred. Stupid trends.




I suppose it could be worse. There could be more douches like these people in the world.

These nuts

Beer for the month of Novembeard is Leinenkugel's Fireside Nut Brown. This is the tastiest winter beer I have come across. Once again, as I have stated numerous times, Leinenkugel's makes my favorite microbrews and this is no different. I was really excited when I saw this flavor in the store and had to buy it.

One more month for the beer a month year. I have been doing okay with it but I have bought more than eleven cases of beers so far this year. We have gone out to other people's houses for parties or dinners and brought beer. I have bought bottles of scotch or whiskey so there has been more than just beer in the house throughout the year but for the most part, I am quite proud of the fact that I have curtailed the amount of alcohol that I have purchased so far this year.

A little experiment

I'm going to try something this week at work. Not drinking coffee. I tried earlier this year to reduce the amount of coffee that I drank and it worked for a while, but then I went away from it. There were days when I thought I really needed coffee to get through the eight hours of work. A little desperate, no? And like I've said before, this isn't a full blown, get the shakes, get a caffeine headache, start to twitch kind of addiction. In fact, I don't think it is much of one, it is just nice to know that there is something in a big old thermos waiting for me for break and lunch.

So, from today through Friday and then from Monday through next Monday, no coffee. I am excluding the weekend, because it is nice to wake up in the morning to the smell of a pot of coffee. Folgers got their slogan right. The smell of coffee in the morning is the best thing. It puts a little smile on my face.

Am I going to regret this? Maybe.

Vacation v. 'Vacation'

I finally have a day off tomorrow. I have worked six days in a row, which is normal and that isn't the problem. The problem is that we were on vacation during the previous weekend. During my normal weekends off I do a ton of nothing more often than not. It's a nice 'vacation' from work. It gives me time to relax and gain some extra sleep from the week. I don't have too stressful of a job, but there are weeks when I am just drained by the time my days off come around.

Then there are vacations. Actual vacations. They are nice to get away for some time but by the time the vacation is done, I'm wanting a day or two off just to recuperate from the overall traveling. Take this last vacation for example. I traveled for eleven hours. Driving for five hours and flying for another six. Then, I had to turn around and get to work the next morning. I got six hours of sleep and haven't really stopped since. This will be my first day off since.....19 October. I worked eight days in a row before we left. I didn't do a ton of stuff while on vacation, but the fact remains, I didn't have a day of lazing around from waking up to going to sleep.

'Vacation' from the working world and actual vacations are two different beasts. Actual vacations are nice because you get away from your daily troubles. 'Vacations' from work are wonderful because you get fully recharged from your daily life.

Some letters

Dear Matt Millen,

The joke is on you, the Detroit Lions are starting to turn it around ahead of schedule. It took you six years to run the organization into the ground and has taken Martin Mayhew only two years to get it going in the right direction. His ability to draft players other than at the Wide Receiver position has put faith back into the organization. Oh, and he realized Roy Williams was past his prime and should be in jail for the malicious act of trade robbery he committed against the Dallas Cowboys.

Sincerely yours,

The Detroit Lions fans and organization


P.S. You suck as a commentator.

-----


Dear Joe Paterno,

Please retire. It isn't because you are not good at your job, because you are, but because the sport has surpassed your knowledge. And not your knowledge of the game, but your knowledge of the current systems colleges use. I really want to see you get to four hundred wins, but perhaps you should have retired a few years ago when you had some fantastic teams. I know you need one more win to get to four hundred, but please please please, retire. Ride off into the sunset on the shoulder pads of the young men who have great grandparents that probably played for you.

Respectfully yours,

A football fan.



P.S. Your nickname rocks!

Bless you, Sparky

Another mainstay in my youthful watching of the Detroit Tigers is gone. Sparky Anderson passed away today. Tim Kurkjian wrote a fantastic column about him today. There is nothing more that I could write that Kurkjian has written, but then again, he is a great columnist. If you never watched Anderson manage a game, this column sums him up.

There may be managers out there who have won more games or championships, but come on, who has a better nickname? He had a great eye for talent, and you will never find someone that will say something bad about him. He was just one of those guys that comes around once in a great while and can put a team together and make them play like a team.

Goodbye Sparky and thank you for being a role model for your sport.

The chops

I gave myself some mutton chops last night for Novembeard. It made me smile when I was doing it. It is just kind of a goofy thing to do. I'm probably going to keep them longer than the month, and why not? I took a quick picture of them while I wait for my plane to leave Flint, MI.



It's back to work in the morning, which will be quite painful just because of the day long travels I am enduring today. Nothing quite like sitting in a car for five hours and then flying from Michigan to Illinois to Kansas to drain your energy.

Being home

Currently I sit in a chair in the state of Michigan. We came home for my brother's wedding reception. The nice thing, I have discovered, about living so far from home is that when you get married far away not everyone can make it to the actual wedding. That sounds mean, I know, but wait for the follow up sentence. When you have a family like mine, they love to party so much which means because they miss out on the first reception, a second reception is damn near mandatory. And who is the one that benefits the most? The bride. My wife and sister-in-law both got to wear their wedding dress twice! If you are going to drop that much money on a dress, why not find a reason to wear it more than once? Am I right? Of course I am.

And who can turn down getting together to celebrate a wedding? I got to see some relatives I hadn't seen for a handful of years, by which I mean since college. With a second reception, there is almost no stress for the married couple. The most stress is decorating the room which includes figuring out which vase of flowers goes on which table.

So being home has been nice. We got to see our nieces and nephew dress up for Halloween and watch them run around my mom's house hopped up on sugar only to presumably crash by the time the drive home had ended. The weather has been fall-like. We were out last night and it got down to thirty three degrees. Now that is fall weather. One could make an argument for winter weather, but there isn't any snow nor is it December. There is something different about the air up here. Going outside, there is just something. A smell to it. It smells, natural. I don't know if it is the trees, the grass, or the just the moisture in the air. It makes it feel like fall. It puts a smile on my face and a hop in my step. In Kansas, we just hope it doesn't get into the eighties or that the wind isn't blowing too hard. It feels more like summertime weather then it does fall weather. And when winter comes around and it gets down into the forties all day long, it beings to feel like fall.




Too bad that when it hits the forties it is almost time for Spring.

Novembeard

November is right around the corner, and we all know what that means.....November! The month in which men grow facial hair in recognition of men's health and prostate cancer awareness. Now, the formal version of November goes alike this:

Step one: Shave your face. All of it.
Step two: Grow a moustache.
Step three: ...that's it.

Keep the stach for the month to show your support for the men in your life you may have lost, or just men in general.

I have taken this and twisted it a little bit. I have called it Novembeard. I don't think I would ever rock a moustache, so I go with a beard. Generally speaking, I keep my beard year round. Last year, I grew out the beard for the month and then some. It was mountain man-like. Here's a picture from last Thanksgiving.
This year, for the month of Novembeard, I'm going to shave a little bit of my beard and go with the mutton chops look. Look it up, I can wait.....





It's pretty awesome right? Show your support for men's health. Grow some facial hair for the next month. Even if you can grow a little bit. Do it because it's fun. Do it because it's a great social stance for health awareness. Do it because growing facial hair is manly.

Inge still a Tiger

The Detroit Tigers yesterday signed Brandon Inge to a two year (with a third year option) contract. While he doesn't have the biggest bat or the best plate discipline he provides some of the best defense at third base, which is invaluable. Last year, amongst third basemen, he had the best fielding percentage at 97.7. What that means is that of one hundred plays that came his way, he made almost ninety eight of them! The worst part of it though, is that me may get overlooked (again) for a Gold Glove at that position.

There are other bats in the line up so that has never been my concern with Inge. He is just one of those guys that have earned their way into a daily lineup. It's great that the organization thinks so as well. And it doesn't hurt that he is the longest tenured Tiger, have come up from the minor leagues in 2001. Almost a decade with the team at the highest level. Pretty impressive my friends. Pretty impressive.

Almost never counts

I am getting a little tired of sports commentators saying that the Detroit Lions are almost there. They just need to have one or two plays go their way and they'll start winning games. They are almost there. They have also only won one game this year and lost five.

Now, there is some promise. With the exception of one game all of their losses have been within one score. And I do agree that they are close to turning the corner to head towards a winning season...or at least a season where they can win more than four games (which is where I think they'll end up this year). And it's all about their defense. The offense is putting up the numbers but the defense is giving up the numbers as well. There is nothing wrong with the statements that the team is getting closer to having a decent season. I'm just sick of hearing people saying it. I'm never going to stop being a Lions fan, but I'm happy that the Red Wings play at the same time to take my mind off of the losing.



As soon as the defense starts to play better, they will almost not rip my heart out every single Sunday.

Ditka the Douche

So earlier this month, I wrote about domestic violence awareness month. Violence isn't always physical, it can also be emotional. One reason I bring this up is because of the allegations brought up against Brett Favre by a Jets employee, Jen Steger, that he sent her text messages and photos that were inappropriate. This was two years ago when it happened and she is catching flack from some people for waiting two years to do this. I'm no expert on being harassed but I do know that sometimes people cannot handle it and it takes some time to come to grips with what happened. Now, nothing physical happened between Favre and Ms. Steger, and I don't know the scale of which these messages and photos were. I just know that some people that spoke out against this woman are idiots. One of them is Mike Ditka. He was doing an interview with Dan Lebatard and one of the quotes is the following:

"I'm not going to be as sympathetic to the woman as a lot of people are. It's two years after the fact. Cut it out. If you had a problem, you could have said it back then. You don't have to pull it out when you're going to have a spread in Playboy, or a Monday night game coming up."

So maybe, just maybe, she was holding onto this information and waiting for the 'right moment', but I'm going to say one way or the other. What I am going to say is that whether or not she was holding onto the text messages and photos for publicity, it was still wrong for Favre to do this. This first quote was a bit irritating, but not as irritating as the next one. Lebatard then asked if Ditka felt sympathy for Ms. Steger...

"None. None. Zero. Absolutely zero. You'll get some calls about that, but I could frankly care less."

What a douche. That's all I'm going to say about that. And the bad part? Ditka has not been reprimanded by ESPN, his current employer. So I'll leave you with that and your own thoughts. Personally, I think that Ditka should have been fined by ESPN and suspended for a week or two, but I don't care for him.




Mainly because he coached in Chicago.

The best age

What are the best years of your life? Is it when you are in high school and you have the whole world ahead of you? What about college, your first experiences into the adult life? When you are fresh out of college, and starting a life? How about retired life? Anything in between?

Everyone has heard the expression, these are the greatest years of your life, but have you ever sat down and looked at them retrospectively to figure out which ones were the 'best years'? I'm sure plenty of people will point to college first. Sure, you have lots to learn when you leave your small hometown and head off to college. For me, it wasn't as big of a deal as a lot of people make it out to be. I don't know why. It was just....another four years of school. By the time it was wrapping up, I wanted nothing to do with academia. I wanted a job, any job. It wasn't that I hated college, it just wasn't a huge deal. We didn't party much after freshman and sophomore years, mainly because it was legal for us to drink so the mystique was gone. I also remember being really embedded into my studies. I needed to concentrate on getting that wonderful piece of paper that proved my time at Central Michigan was worth while. Granted, I'm not really using my degree in my daily life, but that is a topic for another day.

Then there is high school. There are plenty of milestones which can be pointed to making these four years the best years. Drivers license, Friday night football games, girlfriends or boyfriends, sports, cliques, a ton of friends, and the future. The first two years of high school, you're scared shitless because it is a new world, something that never existed except in movies and lore from your older siblings. The second two years are spent preparing for college and trying your best to stay focused in class. I had more fun in high school than I did in college because of the people I was with. Growing up in a smaller town, you go through the growing pains of junior high and high school with the same group of friends, mostly. You have the ones that move away or friends you make when they move to your hometown. But the core group of people are there. They have to the same experiences. With high school, it was just more fun (for lack of a better word). You were pissed at the world, but you didn't know why yet. So, it was fun, but I don't know if I would ever want to go through it again.

For me, the best years of my life were right after college. I worked an internship for two summers on Mackinac Island at a job that I would kill for. It was the greatest job I ever had. Not only was it the greatest job, but the people I worked with were some of the best. I think that it is because they all had the same mindset I had/have. They mostly came from the same schooling background, they were all in similar fields of study, or they just loved the subject of history. How can it not be the greatest environment? Not only did we all love our jobs, but we lived together in one big old house. It was a great transition period for me. I got to leave the house I grew up in and live out on my own (I never really counted college as leaving home) and be responsible for myself. With college, I could leave every weekend and head home if I wanted to, but with this job I had to schedule my personal life around work. We only had one day off a week, so those days were spent very carefully. So there wasn't a set time I would go home and get off the Island. This job helped me prepare for moving away from home. It made it easier than I thought it would to move down to Kansas. I knew I had to move down here. I knew it would shape my adult life moving here.

The first couple of years living in Kansas were decent enough. It was a growing period in life. A time to make new friends because we were five states away from home. We could choose to live a reclusive life or we could make friends with co-workers. These friends we have now are 'professional friends'. Friends you meet at work, your profession. Once again, they are people who have the same mindset as you, they know your troubles and how tough your job really is. The years after moving down here were spent creating a social network which has paid benefits. We have grown to watch several of our friends start their own families, a very adult thing to do.

Now, though, we feel old and some of us aren't even thirty. We use to stay out to one or two in the morning and still have the ability to roll out of bed and get to work in the morning. Now? Staying out to eleven at night is pushing it. I love and hate the nights that end at twelve or one in the morning. Staying up that late reminds us of who we use to be, but the mornings remind us of who we are now. Constant professionals that now have lives revolving around work, not fun and friends.

So, the best years of my life were directly after college. Not the college years, or the high school years, but the post schooling years. I think that it has to do with that fresh start into adulthood. Striking out on your own and starting a new phase of life. The other phases just blurred together, from high school on to college. It was eight straight years of school. Oh no, it wasn't until after school was done and wrapped up that I started to really enjoy life.

dreams and beer

I went out and bought my tenth case of beer for the year. A thirty pack of Budweiser. I felt a need to buy a surplus of beer for my weekends off with all the sports that are going on, mainly football. There is also playoff baseball going on, so it isn't just the pigskin.

Last night I had a dream that I was a vagabond. Not only that, but I was trying to convince others that they should lead the 'vagabond lifestyle'. A vagabond lifestyle spokesman if you will. I feel that I should pack a rucksack, grab some Jack Kerouac, and hitch hike back and forth across the U.S. while doing random drugs. I know, I know, not everyone digs Kerouac, but The Dharma Bums was awesome. Even better than On The Road (yeah, I said it). The Beat generation was on to something. Who needs a job, steady income, and a family. Why not wander around the country doing drugs and having sex with random people?


Oh right, diseases.

Keep aware

October is upon us. And everyone knows what awareness month it right? Domestic Violence Awareness month. Ha! Breast Cancer Awareness month was the first thing you thought of. And it's okay, it's a disease and can be researched and a cure can be found (eventually. hopefully.) For the past couple of months, I have written about this because domestic violence can be fixed, you can make sure that it doesn't happen. With breast cancer, you can't stop it because we don't know how it works. You can take steps to prevent it, so women, take care of yourselves please. Guys, go out and buy some Yoplait yogurt and send in those pink tops and think that you are helping out.

Domestic violence is just about the worst thing in the world. Just about. There are other things that are worse. Murder and...and....and thats about it. Sexual violence is up there too. I just can't wrap my mind around why people can do anything like this. With domestic violence, I think it is something that gets swept under the rug in our society. I'm not saying that our society thinks it's okay, but I'm certain that it is such a frequent occurrence that most people don't blink an eye at it when it is reported on the news.

You want to do something to help people in domestic violence situations? Donate to a local women's shelter, the YWCA is a great organization that is throughout the entire country and even the world!





Donate and feel great about yourself. Be part of the solution, not the problem.

That's what I get

I got stuck listening to the radio at work this morning because it was on the overhead speakers. It was one of those annoying morning talk shows where you wonder how those people got their jobs. There were a few things that I noticed that drove me nuts. Absolutely bonkers.

1.) They didn't know the song 'Fat Bottomed Girls' was done by Queen. Really? You are on the radio. The only reason you have a job is because music made the radio necessary! Learn your music history. I don't expect everyone to know B-sides to every single every band put out, but come on. It's fucking Queen! One of them thought it was CCR...not. even. close. The bands don't sound anything alike. EVER!

2.) They discussed whether or not Facebook had changed their lives in any way. How can it affect you in such a way that you would deem it 'life altering' or 'life changing'. I feel that it is important for different reasons (such as keeping in contact with family, finding old friends, online anonymous stalking). And of course they take callers. And they had a girl on the phone that found out her boyfriend was cheating on her and blah blah blah. I would consider that not life changing, but affirmation that some people are douche bags and they don't deserve to be in a relationship. Anyway, this girl claimed that Facebook changed her life in a good way because it made her not trust guys or something like that, and I don't know if that is what Facebook is really for. To completely not trust the opposite sex because of one guy? Me thinks that is wrong. But who knows, I may be way off on that thought.

I stopped really paying attention after that whole scenario of Facebook being life changing. I wept a little this morning because of it.

So that was September

September came and went with the blink of an eye. It feels like it was just a week ago that we were in Seattle but it's been almost a month now. Some months go by quickly, some months drag on and on. September was a month that flew right by, maybe because it was the first nice month in quite a while. The weather finally cooperated, it was bearable enough to go outside for more than a few minutes.

I got a chance to get out and frisbee golf several times this past month and it was wonderful. I hate trying to go out in the heat and suffer through it. There is no point in trying to go out and have a good time when you are just going to be miserable. In the fall or the spring the weather is enjoyable enough to grab a six pack and drive somewhere and chuck a plastic disc around.

So as we head into October, the weather hopefully will stay the same and cool down near the end into November and pave the way for a cold cold December. A December with foot upon foot of snow.



No wait, we're in Kansas. It'll be a rainy December. With no snow. Because this state sucks.

Digital pictures

Digital photography, despite all it's benefits, has ruined the art of picture taking. For example, take this picture below that I took of the Orpheum.
It's simple, and was taken on black and white film. I had to sit kitty corner from the Orpheum for several minutes, zoomed in just right to avoid the stop lights (which you can still see on the edges of the shot) and hope that some jackass didn't walk in front of me when I was snapping the picture. Now, if someone did happen to walk in front of me, the picture would be ruined and there would be nothing I could do about it, except hate the John Doe that did that to me. However, if I took this shot with a digital camera and that same situation happened, I could review it and delete it.

I don't claim to be a great photographer but still, it takes a little bit of skill and patience to take decent pictures with a film camera. Digital cameras are great to take spur of the moment, candid shots. If they don't work, delete them and try again. I have a small digital camera that is wonderful for shots like this one.
This is Ayla, my niece, after leaving a Tigers game a few years ago. Who would think to take this picture with anything but a digital camera. If it turned out poorly, delete it and move on. No evidence. But because of digital advances, this picture captures the essence of my niece. Fearless, ready to move around and not be confined to being held by her mother. She wants to be free and not carried. My sister and brother in law are going to be in trouble when she learns how to do stuff like rock climb, sky dive, walk across minefields, etc. etc.

I'm not one to judge (oh wait....) but if someone claims to be a great photographer and they shoot only on a digital camera, they better be able to handle a film camera with a manual lens. Because is they aren't, they are going to be personally ridiculed by me.





And I barely know how to use a camera, I'm just judgmental.

Marketing genius

The St. Louis Blues hockey organization has developed what I think is an amazing idea to get people in the seats. They have dubbed it the 'Every Game Counts' package. Here's the deal: you buy season tickets and pay half the cost. If the team makes the playoffs, you pay the other half of the cost. The cheap seats, if you only have to end up paying for half the games, is four hundred and fifty dollars. There are forty one home games throughout the season, so that would end up being about eleven dollars a game, which ain't all that bad. However, that doesn't count concessions. On the other hand, if they make the playoffs (and they missed the playoffs by five points [which isn't much for you non-hockey people out there]) you will end up paying about twenty two dollars per game. And for cheap seats, that could be stretching it. For the more expensive seats, if they made the playoffs, you could end up paying just under nineteen hundred dollars. Yeah, that's nineteen with two zeroes behind it.

One reason why I think this is a great idea is because it'll get people invested in the team. By the way, they have already sold about two hundred of the six hundred tickets they are making available for this promotion. So there are some people out there who think that this is a great idea. You could have a group of people who enjoy hockey but have never wanted to buy season tickets. With this deal now, you can gather a couple of friends, pool the money, and split the cost. It's cheaper that way, even if they do end up in the playoffs, as opposed to buying the tickets by yourself. So the casual fans are sitting around the bar one night getting drunk, like you do, and they hear about this. Before you know it, they are seriously considering it. It's cost efficient, and it's a group of people, with some cash flow, that wouldn't have done it in the first place.

The bigger concern with markets like St. Louis is making ends meet. With all the contracts for the players, the cost for upkeep of the building, the cost for the coaching staff, private jet, all of that goes through the organization and the owners of the Blues. Now, if you get people to invest in this crazy idea, you could be making more money than you usually would. If you make more money, you'll have a higher interest. The St. Louis Blues have had a faithful following (from what I can gather), but they haven't always been able to trade for talent because they haven't had the money. Because they haven't been able to go after the big name players, or the most talented players, they haven't been able to compete for Lord Stanley's Cup. It's a simple formula. More money equals better players plus happy fan base.

The obvious risk here (for the organization) is the team not making the playoffs. They'll be losing half of their sales from these tickets for the 'Every Game Counts' packages. Granted, they are still making money from the single game ticket sales and the smaller package sales that they have, but this is still a ballsy move. From the fan base, if it were me and I bought into this idea, I would be kind of pissed that the team made the playoffs because that'll mean ponying up the second half of the cost. So you would have to keep that in mind and start stashing the money away. However, I would be happy that the team would make the playoffs. I would also want first crack at home playoff tickets being a season ticket holder.





Bu then again, I'm selfish like that.

Oktober(fest) in September

For this month, I went out and purchased a seasonal beer for the ninth beer of the year. It is Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest! I have had a hesitant approach to seasonal beers ever since I have branched out from my Coors Light days (which are now referred to as the 'dark time'), but with Leinie's, they have hit the mark every time. Oktoberfest, 1888 Bock, Summer Shandy, and the Fireside Nut Brown are all wonderful changes of pace when they come out throughout the year. The Summer Shandy was the most difficult to get use to because it is real heavy on the lemon, and it almost tastes like a Mike's Hard Lemonade the first couple of times you drink it. However, the beer flavor comes out after you have had a few, so it all balances out.

The other big company that puts out so many seasonal and special beers is Sam Adams, but there are several of their beers that I just have never enjoyed, so Leinie's is what I stick with because it is reliable and extremely tasty throughout the year no matter what type of beer I am drinking.

Quick turn around

After being out until twelve thirty and waking up at five, I've determined that I can no longer have this happen. I didn't have too much to drink, it was just that situation that we have all been in: hanging out with friends. You get talking and drinking and talking and drinking, and before you know it you look down at your watch and it's eleven thirty. You try your hardest to get the check and get out at somewhat of a decent time, especially if you know you have to work super early in the morning. Now, if I worked at eight this morning, no big deal.

*Quick side note*

If I'm a Tampa Bay Rays pitcher, the next time Derek Jeter is up to bat against me, I'm drilling him in the back or the ribs to show him that that is what it takes to get a base. If you don't know the situation that I'm talking about, just move along. Move along. I understand the thought process that baseball players have to get on base any means necessary, but I don't have to like it.

*Side note over*

I have never regretted staying out late and turning around to work the next morning early. The reason being is that I'm amongst friends. I shouldn't say I've never regretted it, because I have had days where I wanted to gouge my eyes out, I have never regretted the times when I was out having a good time with friends or family. And this isn't a situation I put myself in all the time, this doesn't happen every single week (at least not any more).

So, I'll be tired for a good portion of the day, and this is just the start of the weekend. We have two parties to go to, one here in Wichita and one up in Topeka. I'll have a lack of sleep this weekend, but who cares? Once again, if you are with friends, if you are having a good time, if you are enjoying yourself, who cares?





I sure won't, at least not until Monday.

What a sunset

While in Seattle, I took this picture of a sunset.


Granted, you don't see the sun, but it was still freaking awesome. It has been quite some time since I have seen a sunset like this one. Having our cabin on a lake, we watched countless sunsets over Brevort Lake. I feel now that I have taken the sight of these wonderful sunsets for granted because we don't see sights like this down here in Kansas. It's one of those 'you don't know what you got til it's gone' situations.


Just thought I would share that with everyone.

Fall(ish) time

It's that time of year again. The greatest time. The fall. After dealing with one of the hottest summers I can recall since living down here in Wichita, the temperature is starting to get lower. I say starting to because we still have quite a few days that are in the low nineties. We have had says that have been fall-like, but not many of them. The humidity is still in the air, and there are sporadic thunderstorms. It rained the other night for quite honestly, five minutes. Then it passed. After looking at the radar, we came to find out we were on the northern end of a huge storm to the south and east of us. Who knew.

I know I shouldn't complain too much about the temperature right now. I'll take what I can get with it. The weather is just right to do some outdoor activities. The state fair is going on right now too. It is fun to head up there at least once a year, and we normally go in the middle of the week when it isn't too crowded. Granted, there aren't a ton of demonstrations or goings on in the middle of the week, but we like to get up there just to walk around and people watch. And get a corn dog. And homemade ice cream. Did I mention people watch? It's a glorious time for that.

Of course, the biggest thing that the majority of people think about right now, is football. My lowly Lions imploded against the much hated Bears yesterday, to the surprise of no one. It's too bad, but I love them anyways. That's not what I'm excited about. Football is fun to watch, college football is wonderful. However, hockey season is inching closer and closer. I can hear the blades on the ice, the shouts for a cross ice pass, the smell of the arena. Hockey arenas have always had a certain smell to them, but not a bad smell, unless you are close to the bench. I have never been able to identify it, it's always just been....there. It is what it is.

Green state of mind

So, there is recycling and then there is recycling we have found out while on vacation. Seattle is a very earth friendly city. Which is cool, but it is taken to an extreme when it comes to garbage and recycling. I don't know if other cities have started doing this as well, but they have a separate container for food scrapes. Food scrapes and food soiled things such as napkins and paper plates. Instead of sending off your food that you didn't finish off to the landfill, they are sent to the city compost. After which, I don't really know. All I know is that for the first few days out here we all had to stare at the garbage in our hands and think whether or not it was to be sent off to the compost or if it could go in the trash.

The funny thing about all of this is driving down the street and instead of just seeing a garbage bin and a recycling bin there is also this little container for the food scrapes. Being this far north and west and not quite out in the wilderness, but pretty damn close, it makes me wonder if they have ever had issues with animals coming to investigate the wonderful smell of free food. I'm sure that there are small animals such as raccoons and cats and dogs that tip these small containers over, but that isn't anything to get concerned about. I would be concerned if larger animals started to make their way out of the woods and into the cities. Seattle wouldn't be the first place I would think that this would happen, but the smaller cities that are out on the edge of the urban sprawl, closer to nature.

Playing tourist

We spent all day yesterday wandering around Seattle's downtown and market area, of course, culminating in a few hours of Pike Place Market. It was fun to get out and people watch, and to see what kind of craft is out there. Most of the big spaces that are used in Pike's Place are actual businesses, but the further down you go you can find some people that are selling their art and trying to make a few more bucks outside of their jobs (assuming they have one). I really wanted to bring our nice camera for this trip, but it was not in the working state of being when we were leaving, so it was left at home. We do have a digital camera, and it takes some decent pictures, but it would have been nice to have some of these pictures on film.

Outside of the wedding, we wanted to just get a vacation in. All of our trips that we have when we leave the state are to travel home. As nice as it is to see our families a few times a year, it would be fun to do this in different cities. Traveling to places like Baltimore, Chicago, D.C., Boston, etc. just to see them have always sounded like a blast, but then you run into the issue of cost.
Anyway, here's a few pictures from our trip yesterday.

Flight karma

All of our flights left on time and landed early! How awesome is that? It is from our previous flights where we have been delayed and missed connecting flights, or in A's case, had a flight completely canceled only to have to leave the next day.

I don't know if that is one hundred percent how it works, but that is what we are going with. For the longest time, we had great flight karma and never had anything delayed more than twenty minutes or so. Then last February, we missed our connecting flight out of Chicago because our plane needed to be de-iced and we had to wait in line for the crew to do such. When it finally came our turn, they had some issues with the hoses they were using. In the end, we caught a flight into Kansas City and drove down to Wichita.

Hopefully, when we go to leave in about nine days, our flight karma will still be good enough to get us home on time.

I had a hipster moment....

This morning, while listening to the radio play on the overhead at work, Weezer's 'Beverly Hills' came on. I had a hipster moment and regretted it the moment it entered my mind. That thought was, 'I remember when the Blue Album came out and we listened to it before they became as popular as they are now.' I felt like this mainly because it was on cassette, so I felt a little old at the time as well. Douchey, but old.

I just thought I would share this moment in an effort to prevent everyone from having these inadvertent hipster moments. Please, please, please, never utter the words 'I listened to this band before they became popular.' If a favorite band of yours goes mainstream, there are two options. One, find a new favorite band. Two, deal with it. Don't bring up the fact that you were one of the few hundred that bought the first album. No one will believe you. I had this experience with The Killers, kind of. I feel that when I bought their first album, it was right before they became a household name. Their music really hasn't changed, they have just become popular. I have dealt with it. Granted, I only have two of their albums, but that is because I didn't like the third and fourth albums. I just didn't enjoy the songs. Am I one of their self proclaimed 'biggest fans'? No. Do I own all their work? No. Have I ever seen them in concert? No. I just enjoyed their music. Does that give me the right to say that if you like them now, you aren't hip? Hell no. In fact, if I ever say that to anyone, I may slap myself.

I have a few bands that I really enjoy right now that I don't think are too popular, but they are good enough to become household names. In fact, they are on that cusp. I hope they make it bigger than they are right now and they continue to make the great music they have made. I would hate for bands to change their sound because they want to make more money, but that is what the industry is all about.

Why Johnny did the right thing

Johnny Damon just recently declined to be traded away from the Detroit Tigers to the Boston Red Sox after he was placed on waivers by Detroit earlier this week. Being a Tigers fan, I couldn't have been happier. Baseball players around the league need to take note as to why he did so, and it isn't like the Tigers have a huge contract with him. He only signed a one year deal last year. Boston is trying to make a late season push into the playoffs, which is why they went after him.

This is the best situation for all of baseball because Damon wants to stay in Detroit to be a mentor to the younger players, and Detroit has a ton of them. How could people not like that? He was contacted by several Red Sox players about coming back to Boston, players he won a World Series with, players he knows and know well. He was also approached by some of the younger Tigers players about staying on and helping them grow into the big league.

In the end, he chose Detroit because he says he loves the city and the organization, but more than that, I think he loves to be that veteran player that each and every teammate can come up to and ask for baseball advice from. He is what people refer to as a great 'clubhouse guy'. The person that can say the right things at the right times to ignite that spark that younger teams need throughout the grueling haul of a one hundred ans sixty two game season.

Float trippin'

We took a trip to Missouri this past weekend for a float trip with some friends. We have found the perfect weekend to do so. It's this past weekend. Why? Because the frat boys and sorority girls are all back in school! The camp ground was fairly empty, but there were still quite a bit of people there. We aren't ones to be loud and rambunctious like the majority of the people that go there, so this time it was great.

The weather on the other hand, kind of sucks. It wasn't the fact that it was hot and sunny, it was because of the heat the weeks before. It led to lower water. Instead of float for eight miles, we on;y went four and a half. It wasn't all bad though. Only having to travel half the distance means there is more time to stop and hang out with friends. The heat was a bit of a problem. It led to uncomfortable sleeping. Who wants to sleep in a hot tent with no breeze? No one, unless they are insane. So that is the only low point of the trip. The hot weather during the evening.

All in all, a nice trip that helped to determine the next time we go there, it'll be when college is in session.

*sixth post in the one hundred degree posts*

August beer

I am proud of myself for going eighteen days into the month before buying my beer of the month. I don't know if it is something to be really proud, going eighteen days into a month before buying beer, but I'll take it. Now, because I have made it through the majority of the month, I went with just a twelve pack. It's Labatt Blue. It's cans so I can take them to the pool and enjoy them because we are not suppose to have glass there.

Anniversary date

Earlier this year, A and I celebrated our three year wedding anniversary! We didn't do much because we both were feeling a little under the weather. Plus, we agreed not to go crazy with the presents. However, I wanted to spoil her with a surprise gift and we finally got around to using it. They were concert tickets to Norah Jones. I'm glad that I bought them when I did because the concert sold out.

So we went out to dinner and spoiled ourselves with appetizers, a full meal, and dessert at Bella Luna cafe. For those who live in or around Wichita, if you haven't been there, go there for a dinner or lunch, it is fantastic! Right after dinner, we headed down for the concert. It was laid back, not too loud (I feel to old writing that), and it was two and a half hours long. Granted, the first half hour was an opening act and a twenty five minute (or so) intermission was thrown in there too, so the main act was an hour and a half long.

I knew a little of Jones' music, other than her popular songs from seven or eight years ago. Her new music was wonderful, it was heavy and jazz oriented. If you were in a night club, this is the kind of music you would have been hearing, but the building would have been filled with smoke. Different kinds of smoke. Oh, you know what kind of smoke I'm talking about.

Anyway, it was an enjoyable night that was laid back and everything that people should look for in an anniversary celebration.

Why I hate the internet right now

In the past month or so at work people have been either calling into the store or asking us at the store for a certain product because 'they saw we sold it on the internet'. Or, 'I was researching this product on the internet and it said that you sold it.'

Listen, it's not that I really hate the internet, the collective 'they' just need to put on whatever websites these people are looking at that each store carries different items. I have no problem helping these people out when they come into the store, I just hate when they keep saying 'the internet said you carry it'. Even if we don't have it in the store, these people just don't get it. The internet is full of lies people. If you don't believe me, go ask Al Gore, he'll tell you all about it. He did invent it you know.

*fifth post of the one hundred degree plus posts*

Catching up

While I have been dealing with this little cold, I have trying to catch up on sleep. That is the best way I have found to deal with being sick, other than taking medicine. Here's the problem, I've been doing stuff other than work. Of course that happens. When I don't get sick I can come home and nap and have relaxing evenings. Oh no, not when I'm sick. Plans come out of the wood work for socializing and outings while I'm sick.

Wednesday afternoon we went out to the movies and then met up with some friends for dinner. Thursday I went to work and did get in a twenty minute nap before going out for a work related outing. Friday, I worked and when I got home went to get measured for my tux for my brother's wedding and returned some clothes. After that, we went to a friend's house for dinner.

It's exhausting doing these little things when you are sick, even if it is just a cold. I wish I were still in elementary school so I could have my mom call and tell them I would not be there for a few days. All I want to do is sleep this off, but I want and need to get paid, so I go to work.

*Fourth post of the one hundred degree plus posts*

Suddenly sick

I don't know how and I don't know why, but I suddenly got a little sick last night. Just a minor cold type situation. How the hell does someone get something like a cold when it is one hundred degrees outside? Isn't this a sickness that you get when it's the winter time or while the spring time rains come?

Fuckin' A. I'm sleeping this off.

*post three of the one hundred degree post

Behind already

In an attempt to continue to write, I am making myself write each day the temperature reaches one hundred degrees or above. It happened yesterday, but I didn't write anything. It's because I'm lazy. I think I've touched on this before, but there are times that I struggle to find something to write about. This is what happens when you get into a little bit of a rut and don't have anything happening right now.

It is a calm before the storm though. This weekend I have to work and if I can get through that, I'll be set because the following weekend, we are taking a float trip (our first for the year) to Missouri with some friends. Then comes the vacation. Seattle for eleven days. I cannot wait. It has been six months since our last vacation (home) and I am really looking forward to some more time away from Kansas.

*Post two of the one hundred degree posts (follow these posts by clicking the tag 'heat')

Still too hot

It has been too hot to do anything, and it is annoying. We grilled out tonight for dinner and I sat out to watch the steaks. It was insufferable. It's fine to be out in the heat for a little bit, but even in the shade it isn't worth it. Time slows while sitting out there and losing weight while waiting for dinner to cook. Sure, I can go back inside, but who wants to be inside while your food cooks outside? It just smells so great.

The only nice thing about not being is that it gives me time to do other things. Such as write. I thought about this last night. I should write each day the temperature rises above one hundred degrees. I'll start doing that. Granted, I can't go back in time and write for the dozen days or so that we have had one hundred plus days of heat, but I'll start now.

*Number one of the one hundred plus postings

Powerless words

It seems to me that phrases such as 'thank you' and 'you're welcome' have loss their meaning in society. Not to say that people are no longer grateful for the little things, they just take it for granted. I came to this conclusion last week while out and about with some friends.

We were sitting next to a group of people at a bar and every time the waitress brought their drinks, they didn't bother to acknowledge the job that she was doing. They continued on with their drinking and talking. It may not seem like much, but I know that if I were in the restaurant business, I would feel appreciated even if it were something as small as a 'thank you' from some drunk person you may never see again.

I make it a point to thank a waiter, waitress, or bartender. I know that it is their job to serve me, but I want to thank them for doing their job. Sometimes, their jobs look like the hardest jobs in the world. Dealing with drunk and belligerent people make their lives stressful. It may be a small gesture, saying thank you, but I like to think that it lets them know I appreciate their work and I hope that they know that.

Plus, it could lead to better service if they know I say thank you. At least that is what I'm going with.

Oh this heat

The past month has been unbearably hot. I know there has been at least one day that a temperature set a new record. Last week it got up to 107, that was the record. And that was just the temperature, that didn't include humidity or the heat index. Two days after that, it hit 109. 109! I hate it. Now that the pool has been fixed, it is too hot to go enjoy it. Part of going to the pool is to enjoy lying around and socializing. Yeah, you can sit in the pool the entire time, but you gotta get some sun and dry out.

I can't say it's too bad, this weekend it is suppose to cool down. Down to the high nineties. Thankfully. When it gets as hot as it has been, you don't ever want to do anything. The summer really has passed us by because all we did was sit around and tried to keep cool. After coming into the air conditioned apartment, who the hell would want to go back out to the heat?

We did plan out a float trip for the third week of August. The culmination of the summer. One last try to enjoy the outdoors and water. Even if it rains the entire weekend, I will enjoy it. At least I will try to.

Along with the writing

I swear, this is the last post about my camping. No more writing though, this is all about pictures.
Just a few of the over one hundred I took.

A chair, a beer, and a tent. Is there any other need?
The mess kit from my youth that still works.

A quick stop along the trail to take in the watery scenery.



As always, a sunset.