Yesterday, we went to the Memorial Day parade in my hometown. Now, most people would look at that and say 'but Memorial Day was last Monday. That's why we had three days off.' Not quite. The 30th is Memorial Day, but that's not important. While we were at the parade, it wasn't the day it was being held on that I was thinking of, it was where we were at that I was thinking of.
Small towns have the best parades. They don't have the big floats, or celebrity sightings, or national coverage. What they do have are homemade floats, the local high school band, local organizations, and people you know. People that are waving at the parade watchers and know who they are waving at. It may not be the best thing in the world to do on a weekday evening, but it is part of the small town mentality. It's one of the best things about coming from a small town.
31 May 2012
26 May 2012
Road Trip Essentials
Time has come for another trip home. I tell you what, living this much closer is nice. Since moving up to Minnesota last August, we have made the trip home three times including this one. While living in Wichita, we made it home about twice a year. The obvious benefit is not having to fly to get home. You can go at your own pace, not based on what the airline says. You don't have to show up an hour early to get patted down by someone who hates their job. You can bring drinks with you in the car! You can bring home more than a three ounce bottle of shampoo.
All that is great, but what is essential for the trip home? Or for road trips in general? Outside of having an atlas (old school, I know) to go along with your GPS, the essentials you need are two things: music and food. Fuel for the body and the mind. When you drive by yourself, these two things can be whatever you want them to be. You don't have to fight over the music or fight for the last Twizzler in the package. But when you travel with others, compromises have to be made.
When I was younger and went on road trips, one of the keys to the drive was Mt. Dew. This was the days before I started drinking coffee. Now, before leaving I make a pot of coffee and bring a thermos and a travel mug with me. It's cheaper than stopping at a gas station and buying pop or coffee. I do buy pop every once in a while on road trips, but for the majority of the time, it's coffee. Stocking up on food from stores is cheaper than buying at the gas stations too. Candy, chips, crackers, etc. All that can be found without paying the higher prices of the gas stations. If we bring a cooler with us, we throw in some lunch meat and cheese and have something close to lunch too.
The biggest argument my wife and I have in car rides is music. We agree on most of it, but songs I love and want to crank, she wants to skip. And vice versa. So, with her staying behind for a week to help some family out, I made up a playlist for the trip back. Music that I will want to play loud enough to blow the speakers. Songs that I love to hear and some people will just shake their heads at. I present to you, my playlist for the trip back home.
Below is a picture I took while driving home from a camping trip in Kansas a few years ago. I like it just because it is very basic. Road, sun, and trees. That's it and that encompasses our travels for the most part once we get into Michigan.
Now, bring me that horizon.
All that is great, but what is essential for the trip home? Or for road trips in general? Outside of having an atlas (old school, I know) to go along with your GPS, the essentials you need are two things: music and food. Fuel for the body and the mind. When you drive by yourself, these two things can be whatever you want them to be. You don't have to fight over the music or fight for the last Twizzler in the package. But when you travel with others, compromises have to be made.
When I was younger and went on road trips, one of the keys to the drive was Mt. Dew. This was the days before I started drinking coffee. Now, before leaving I make a pot of coffee and bring a thermos and a travel mug with me. It's cheaper than stopping at a gas station and buying pop or coffee. I do buy pop every once in a while on road trips, but for the majority of the time, it's coffee. Stocking up on food from stores is cheaper than buying at the gas stations too. Candy, chips, crackers, etc. All that can be found without paying the higher prices of the gas stations. If we bring a cooler with us, we throw in some lunch meat and cheese and have something close to lunch too.
The biggest argument my wife and I have in car rides is music. We agree on most of it, but songs I love and want to crank, she wants to skip. And vice versa. So, with her staying behind for a week to help some family out, I made up a playlist for the trip back. Music that I will want to play loud enough to blow the speakers. Songs that I love to hear and some people will just shake their heads at. I present to you, my playlist for the trip back home.
- In The Hall of the Mountain King
- Jolene (cover by the White Stripes)
- Throw the Brick (Less Than Jake)
- Rebel Rebel (David Bowie)
- Cocaine Blues (Johnny Cash)
- Rocket Queen (Guns n Roses)
- Indy Kidz (Cage the Elephant)
- It's the End of the World As We Know It (R.E.M)
- Seek and Destroy (Iggy and the Stooges)
- Raw Power (Iggy and the Stooges)
- Vietnow (Rage Against the Machine)
- Lose Yourself (Eminem)
- Good Times, Bad Times (Led Zeppelin)
- Highway to Hell (cover by Marilyn Manson)
- B.O.B (Outkast)
- Du hast (Rammstein...yeah. Rammstein)
- Howlin' For You (Black Keys)
- Paul Revere (Beastie Boys)
- We Are Going to be Friends (the White Stripes.)
Below is a picture I took while driving home from a camping trip in Kansas a few years ago. I like it just because it is very basic. Road, sun, and trees. That's it and that encompasses our travels for the most part once we get into Michigan.
Now, bring me that horizon.
14 May 2012
What's missing here?
One of the best things about the summer time is grilling. Several years ago, I came up with Man Grilling Time (or MGT). It is nothing new, nothing exciting. Just a guy thing. Like going to a spa or getting a manicure/pedicure. Something that just gets done by one gender or the other. Just because. Over the subsequent years, I have grilled out and drank beer or scotch at least once a summer. This year, it could come to an end. *insert sad music here. Something by John Williams perhaps, heavy on the strings*
After we moved into our apartment, we found out that Woodbury has perhaps the dumbest laws: no grills on apartment porches unless you are on the first floor. I thought at first it was just this apartment complex, and dug a little deeper. I found this. Worst ordinance ever! There is an option, though. We do have our grill in our storage garage. I could buy a steak and grill out in the garage. The only issue is that it's a little further away than I would like and I have a little fear that if the grill got put away just after being used, bad things could happen. Bad things involving uncontrollable flames. So if I really felt it necessary to partake in MGT this year, I will drag a little cooler over to the garage, pull open the door, grill and sit. Boarder line white trash, but so is grilling without pants.
And if this ordinance isn't a reason to start looking for a house, I don't know what is.
After we moved into our apartment, we found out that Woodbury has perhaps the dumbest laws: no grills on apartment porches unless you are on the first floor. I thought at first it was just this apartment complex, and dug a little deeper. I found this. Worst ordinance ever! There is an option, though. We do have our grill in our storage garage. I could buy a steak and grill out in the garage. The only issue is that it's a little further away than I would like and I have a little fear that if the grill got put away just after being used, bad things could happen. Bad things involving uncontrollable flames. So if I really felt it necessary to partake in MGT this year, I will drag a little cooler over to the garage, pull open the door, grill and sit. Boarder line white trash, but so is grilling without pants.
And if this ordinance isn't a reason to start looking for a house, I don't know what is.
12 May 2012
Taking Advantage
One of the better things about living in a larger city is all the stuff that is around to do. Concerts, sporting events, museums, shopping, etc. The best thing about living in a larger city is all the free stuff that there is to do. City parks, zoos and museums that only charge by donation, neighborhoods you can walk around and check out the cool way too expensive houses you'll never be able to afford. You know, fun time killer things.
One place we have found is the Minneapolis Institute of Art. They do have a gallery you pay to see, but the main gallery is all by donation. The first time we went, we figured we could get away with not giving a donation. We have been there a couple of times since and thrown five dollars into their donation bin and it makes us feel good about ourselves. I'm not the biggest fan of art. After a while it all starts to look the same. There is more than art in the sense of paintings, which is nice. There are several rooms set up like, well, rooms. From different time periods with all kinds of artifacts that would have been around at the time. There's pottery, textiles, a few weapons here and there. Enough to keep you occupied for an afternoon. And right across the street is a nice park if you are so inclined to have a seat and soak up the late afternoon sun rays.
There is also Como Zoo and Conservatory. Another place that takes donations only. So, throw in five bucks and you don't feel bad walking around for a couple of hours. Zoos are always weird to me. I feel bad for the animals because they are inside their containment areas, but it's not like they are being mistreated. I think that nature shows give us a skewed idea of what wild animals do all day. If you watch a nature show and they focus on lions, they aren't going to show you a pride lying around all day. No, they show the hunt, the kill, and the feast. When you go to a zoo, you see lions taking naps in the sun. Do they always do that? If they are like any other cats, most likely. But you can't help but feel bad because they are in such a small, fenced in, pen. Well, small compared to being out in the wild. At the same time it's great because you get to see animals that you wouldn't see if zoos didn't exist. So there is the trade off. Como is geared towards family, so if you have kids or visitors in town and want to do something on the cheap, this place was nice. Open, clean, and they have seals. What reason isn't there?
Along with those places, there are tons of parks around the Twin Cities. One thing we noticed when we moved up here was all the green space for such a large metro area. I haven't lived in a ton of metropolitan cities, but I would think that amongst the urban sprawl there are plenty of parks to make the citizens feel better about themselves. The closer to the cities you get, the more cool things are in the parks. Statues, plaques and the like. Out in the suburbs, it's a little different. The few we have been to consist of a walking path and maybe a small playground for the kids. I don't expect much from the parks so knowing what to expect keeps you grounded. Now is the time of year to take advantage of the parks. It's sunny on plenty of the days and still cool enough where you won't be dying from dehydration when walking around for the afternoon. As summer approaches and the humidity of July and August kick in, I may be changing my tune, but for now it's great.
One place we have found is the Minneapolis Institute of Art. They do have a gallery you pay to see, but the main gallery is all by donation. The first time we went, we figured we could get away with not giving a donation. We have been there a couple of times since and thrown five dollars into their donation bin and it makes us feel good about ourselves. I'm not the biggest fan of art. After a while it all starts to look the same. There is more than art in the sense of paintings, which is nice. There are several rooms set up like, well, rooms. From different time periods with all kinds of artifacts that would have been around at the time. There's pottery, textiles, a few weapons here and there. Enough to keep you occupied for an afternoon. And right across the street is a nice park if you are so inclined to have a seat and soak up the late afternoon sun rays.
There is also Como Zoo and Conservatory. Another place that takes donations only. So, throw in five bucks and you don't feel bad walking around for a couple of hours. Zoos are always weird to me. I feel bad for the animals because they are inside their containment areas, but it's not like they are being mistreated. I think that nature shows give us a skewed idea of what wild animals do all day. If you watch a nature show and they focus on lions, they aren't going to show you a pride lying around all day. No, they show the hunt, the kill, and the feast. When you go to a zoo, you see lions taking naps in the sun. Do they always do that? If they are like any other cats, most likely. But you can't help but feel bad because they are in such a small, fenced in, pen. Well, small compared to being out in the wild. At the same time it's great because you get to see animals that you wouldn't see if zoos didn't exist. So there is the trade off. Como is geared towards family, so if you have kids or visitors in town and want to do something on the cheap, this place was nice. Open, clean, and they have seals. What reason isn't there?
Along with those places, there are tons of parks around the Twin Cities. One thing we noticed when we moved up here was all the green space for such a large metro area. I haven't lived in a ton of metropolitan cities, but I would think that amongst the urban sprawl there are plenty of parks to make the citizens feel better about themselves. The closer to the cities you get, the more cool things are in the parks. Statues, plaques and the like. Out in the suburbs, it's a little different. The few we have been to consist of a walking path and maybe a small playground for the kids. I don't expect much from the parks so knowing what to expect keeps you grounded. Now is the time of year to take advantage of the parks. It's sunny on plenty of the days and still cool enough where you won't be dying from dehydration when walking around for the afternoon. As summer approaches and the humidity of July and August kick in, I may be changing my tune, but for now it's great.
10 May 2012
Different Teams, New Teams?
One of the most difficult sports situation I have dealt with is watching different teams on a regular basis. It's not that watching a different team is difficult for me, it's watching a different team and actually getting invested in them that is the problem. I will always hold allegiance to any Detroit team over any other team, no matter where I live. I would say the exception is the Pistons, but we all know how I feel about basketball (hint: IT SUCKS!)
Living outside the state of Michigan, and being a fan of sports, you tend to start watching other teams because they are always on television. Living in Wichita, I started to follow the Royals. One thing that really got me into the team was the television commentators. They were good. They stayed focused on the game that was at hand, they provided the right information at the right time, and they didn't have any stupid catch phrases that they worked into every game. They stuck to the fundamentals. While some may find it boring, I find it refreshing. The Royals aren't the best team in baseball, so why watch them? Just for the sport, but also for the other teams that they were playing. It was beneficial that they play in the same division as the Tigers, so I did get to see about a dozen games that weren't broadcasted nationally.
When we moved to Minnesota, it's the same thing. I have started to pay attention to the Twins a little bit more because they are always on. Same situation as before: good commentators, not the best team, and I get to see them play the Tigers (either in person or on television). One thing we were deprived of living in Kansas was hockey. Not so much here. We went to a game this year when my family came into town and the Wild were playing the New York Rangers. Two teams in years past that I could care less about. I wouldn't have paid to go see them if I were visiting the city, but because I watched the Wild play over the course of the year, I felt the need to go see them live. So when they scored goals, when a player made a nice check or the goalie made a great save, I found myself cheering for them. It felt good to have a second home team. If they were playing the Red Wings, obviously I would have been cheering for them.
One thing that you will not see me do is run out to the store and start purchasing hats or shirts with Minnesota logos on them. I will watch them, but I will not wear any of their gear. That is where I draw the line. Once you start to wear their insignia, it's all down hill from there.
I was discussing with my sister the situation about watching a new team. She has never lived outside the state of Michigan, so she hasn't really had to deal with this. It's hard to convince her that it is okay to watch another team and even cheer for them, as long as you don't root for them when your real team comes to town. My brother now lives in Seattle and follows the Mariners, but his heart is still with the Detroit teams. I feel that the moment I start to cheer for another team that is playing the Tigers or Wings or Lions, is the moment that my family needs to disavow me. I will rely on my sister and dad to make sure that happens, but it never will. I'm a Michigander til the day I die and nothing will convince me to cheer for another team that plays against them.
Living outside the state of Michigan, and being a fan of sports, you tend to start watching other teams because they are always on television. Living in Wichita, I started to follow the Royals. One thing that really got me into the team was the television commentators. They were good. They stayed focused on the game that was at hand, they provided the right information at the right time, and they didn't have any stupid catch phrases that they worked into every game. They stuck to the fundamentals. While some may find it boring, I find it refreshing. The Royals aren't the best team in baseball, so why watch them? Just for the sport, but also for the other teams that they were playing. It was beneficial that they play in the same division as the Tigers, so I did get to see about a dozen games that weren't broadcasted nationally.
When we moved to Minnesota, it's the same thing. I have started to pay attention to the Twins a little bit more because they are always on. Same situation as before: good commentators, not the best team, and I get to see them play the Tigers (either in person or on television). One thing we were deprived of living in Kansas was hockey. Not so much here. We went to a game this year when my family came into town and the Wild were playing the New York Rangers. Two teams in years past that I could care less about. I wouldn't have paid to go see them if I were visiting the city, but because I watched the Wild play over the course of the year, I felt the need to go see them live. So when they scored goals, when a player made a nice check or the goalie made a great save, I found myself cheering for them. It felt good to have a second home team. If they were playing the Red Wings, obviously I would have been cheering for them.
One thing that you will not see me do is run out to the store and start purchasing hats or shirts with Minnesota logos on them. I will watch them, but I will not wear any of their gear. That is where I draw the line. Once you start to wear their insignia, it's all down hill from there.
I was discussing with my sister the situation about watching a new team. She has never lived outside the state of Michigan, so she hasn't really had to deal with this. It's hard to convince her that it is okay to watch another team and even cheer for them, as long as you don't root for them when your real team comes to town. My brother now lives in Seattle and follows the Mariners, but his heart is still with the Detroit teams. I feel that the moment I start to cheer for another team that is playing the Tigers or Wings or Lions, is the moment that my family needs to disavow me. I will rely on my sister and dad to make sure that happens, but it never will. I'm a Michigander til the day I die and nothing will convince me to cheer for another team that plays against them.
02 May 2012
Slow start
Much like the Detroit Tigers, I have been off to quite a slow start in the amount of writing that I have done. It is the start of May and I barely have thirty posts. I always have it set in my mind to aim for ten posts a month (120 each year). Luckily I don't rely on this blog to make a living.
Whenever I start to write, I try to make it worth while. Constructing a post that I can be proud of. There are going to be rant posts and pointless posts, but if they are few and far between, I feel like I can get away with it. In my mind at least. I don't have hundreds of people commenting on these posts, there aren't thousands of post views and that's okay. I didn't start writing this for that. I started this as a way to write. To just get my thoughts out there.
As far as subject matter, I looked at previous posts and I noticed a trend in sports topics. It's one thing that I follow regularly and have strong thoughts and feelings about. The problem is, is that I have never wanted to have just one subject or focus for this blog. Writing about politics can be a touchy subject because most everyone has such a strong opinion on it that if you don't do enough research on what you are writing about, you can look like someone that doesn't know the subject you are writing about. Even though I write mostly based on personal opinion, I always want to have an understanding (even if it is on a basic level) before getting going on writing.
I haven't had any life altering events to write about. Think buying a house, starting a new job, having kids. The last thing was last fall when we moved from Kansas to Minnesota. It provided subject fodder for a little bit, but didn't last long. The subject that I'm closest to is buying a house and that is still far off in the future. No one wants to rent for the rest of their lives, but I don't want to go into so much debt that I can't afford to do anything other than work. I randomly look at houses around the Twin Cities to get a feeling for what is out there, but know that it is still years away from happening *sad sigh*.
I will fumble my way through this writing drought and continue to focus on getting that one hundred and twenty posts for the year. Even if I have to write filler posts like this one.
Whenever I start to write, I try to make it worth while. Constructing a post that I can be proud of. There are going to be rant posts and pointless posts, but if they are few and far between, I feel like I can get away with it. In my mind at least. I don't have hundreds of people commenting on these posts, there aren't thousands of post views and that's okay. I didn't start writing this for that. I started this as a way to write. To just get my thoughts out there.
As far as subject matter, I looked at previous posts and I noticed a trend in sports topics. It's one thing that I follow regularly and have strong thoughts and feelings about. The problem is, is that I have never wanted to have just one subject or focus for this blog. Writing about politics can be a touchy subject because most everyone has such a strong opinion on it that if you don't do enough research on what you are writing about, you can look like someone that doesn't know the subject you are writing about. Even though I write mostly based on personal opinion, I always want to have an understanding (even if it is on a basic level) before getting going on writing.
I haven't had any life altering events to write about. Think buying a house, starting a new job, having kids. The last thing was last fall when we moved from Kansas to Minnesota. It provided subject fodder for a little bit, but didn't last long. The subject that I'm closest to is buying a house and that is still far off in the future. No one wants to rent for the rest of their lives, but I don't want to go into so much debt that I can't afford to do anything other than work. I randomly look at houses around the Twin Cities to get a feeling for what is out there, but know that it is still years away from happening *sad sigh*.
I will fumble my way through this writing drought and continue to focus on getting that one hundred and twenty posts for the year. Even if I have to write filler posts like this one.
01 May 2012
Words to Destruct By
One of the most dangerous and destructive words in the modern day is 'potential'. It's not a hurtful word, it's not going to cause wars, it's not going to demean anyone in any way. What it does do, is it can create pressure for someone who has 'potential'. It puts more light on the little flaws that would otherwise go unseen. It makes the person put more effort into each and every day to the point where they could burn out.
I first started thinking about this when I stopped to watch the NFL draft a little bit last week. I personally do not think that they should put that much hoopla and fanfare into it, but what do I know? So watching the experts talk about the upside and downside to these kids getting drafted, they started to throw the word 'potential' around. 'He has the potential to anchor that team's offensive line for years to come.' 'He has the potential to be a shut down corner.' 'He has the potential to be the cornerstone for this franchise going forward.' So on and so on for almost every single player. While some positions in football fly under the radar, think about the offensive and defensive line, there are other positions (quarterback, wide receiver, safety) that are such an individual position or spot that one little mistake will be over analyzed for weeks. But, that quarterback that threw four interceptions thought that he had the potential to make those throws. He has the potential to carry the team on his back with his ability to read defenses and make accurate throws. He has the potential to be the franchise player that will lead them to the playoffs and beyond.
Another instance in sports is Bryce Harper. A nineteen year old kid that got called up to the Washington Nationals over the weekend. He has the potential to be the best player in the game for years and years. He is going to be the face of the sport. He....got booed by the visiting fans in Los Angeles when he walked up for his first at bat. If this kid is suppose to be the future of baseball, why would they boo him? Even if he didn't play for my team and the next best thing was making his debut, I would be excited to see that. Think back to when you were nineteen. Were you doing what you loved to do? If you were, were you getting booed by tens of thousands of people? Even if you weren't, think about if you were.
Potential isn't meant to be a destructive word, but if it is applied and whatever or whomever it is applied to doesn't live up to the potential, are they a failure? Does potential set people up for failure if they don't reach something that another person says they have the ability or potential to do? What if they don't want to reach that potential? If a person goes to college and gets a bachelor's degree and has the potential to continue on towards a master's or doctoral degree, but they go off and use that degree in getting a job, have they failed or is getting that one degree all they really wanted? Being in school for a decade isn't for everyone, some people get their degree and want to get out into the real world and start their careers.
In the end, the only potential that people have to live up to is their own. Whether it is in sports, life, school, whatever, outsiders' opinion on someone's potential doesn't mean anything. Live your life and you can't go wrong.
I first started thinking about this when I stopped to watch the NFL draft a little bit last week. I personally do not think that they should put that much hoopla and fanfare into it, but what do I know? So watching the experts talk about the upside and downside to these kids getting drafted, they started to throw the word 'potential' around. 'He has the potential to anchor that team's offensive line for years to come.' 'He has the potential to be a shut down corner.' 'He has the potential to be the cornerstone for this franchise going forward.' So on and so on for almost every single player. While some positions in football fly under the radar, think about the offensive and defensive line, there are other positions (quarterback, wide receiver, safety) that are such an individual position or spot that one little mistake will be over analyzed for weeks. But, that quarterback that threw four interceptions thought that he had the potential to make those throws. He has the potential to carry the team on his back with his ability to read defenses and make accurate throws. He has the potential to be the franchise player that will lead them to the playoffs and beyond.
Another instance in sports is Bryce Harper. A nineteen year old kid that got called up to the Washington Nationals over the weekend. He has the potential to be the best player in the game for years and years. He is going to be the face of the sport. He....got booed by the visiting fans in Los Angeles when he walked up for his first at bat. If this kid is suppose to be the future of baseball, why would they boo him? Even if he didn't play for my team and the next best thing was making his debut, I would be excited to see that. Think back to when you were nineteen. Were you doing what you loved to do? If you were, were you getting booed by tens of thousands of people? Even if you weren't, think about if you were.
Potential isn't meant to be a destructive word, but if it is applied and whatever or whomever it is applied to doesn't live up to the potential, are they a failure? Does potential set people up for failure if they don't reach something that another person says they have the ability or potential to do? What if they don't want to reach that potential? If a person goes to college and gets a bachelor's degree and has the potential to continue on towards a master's or doctoral degree, but they go off and use that degree in getting a job, have they failed or is getting that one degree all they really wanted? Being in school for a decade isn't for everyone, some people get their degree and want to get out into the real world and start their careers.
In the end, the only potential that people have to live up to is their own. Whether it is in sports, life, school, whatever, outsiders' opinion on someone's potential doesn't mean anything. Live your life and you can't go wrong.
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