Ernie and cancer

Earlier this year, Ernie Harwell announced that he has inoperable cancer. Dude....bummer. I had one of those moments when after I read it, I was speechless. I sat there looking at my computer screen. Almost in a state of denial. I vaguely remember listening to him call games when I was a kid. As I got older, I fell in love with his voice. Classic is the only way to describe it.
I was lucky enough to be watching the Tigers Royals game when he gave his thank you/farewell speech near the end of the season. It sent chills down my spine. It is my generation's and my team's 'Luckiest Man' speech. Which, by the way, is one of the greatest sports moments of all time (despite the fact that it involved the New York Yankees). He almost made me cry, and I am not afraid to admit that.

Tis Fall

The weather is starting to turn. It is great. Fall has shown up in Kansas, it is in the forties in the morning when I go to work and it has been raining a little bit. There was no gradual decline in temperature this year. It just kind of happened. It all of a sudden went from being in the eighties to the low to mid sixties. I am very very okay with this. I hate the hot weather. I suppose I just enjoy being bundled up in a big heavy jacket with gloves and a hat on. It hasn't gotten that cold yet, but when it does, I do enjoy it.

One nice thing about the fall is it is that we can go out and play frisbee golf and not have to worry about dying from the heat. We would go out sporadically in June or July only in the hopes of there being some wind to cool us down. The only problem is that the wind felt like it came out of a hair dryer. Now, not so much. It is jeans and sweatshirt weather baby! Comfortable weather to walk around a field and amongst the trees.

Album revamp

Last year, I posted my top ten albums. Since then, I have expanded my horizons. I have had a falling out with U2 (Bono is too full of himself), recently posted at number three all time favorite album. Same goes for Beck, but he was posted at number ten. Just barely on the list. So...here ya go. Over a year later.




10. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Raising Sand (the best bluegrass album I have ever heard)
9. Johnny Cash Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (the best live album I own, just ahead of RATM)
8. The Clash London Calling ('Guns of Brixton' and 'The Card Cheat' are brilliant)
7. The Raconteurs Consolers of the Lonely (is there anything Jack White can't do? My generation's Pete Townshend maybe?)
6. Fugees The Score (One of only two rap albums I own. The other being Licensed to Ill)
5. The Who Who's Next (Pete Townshend, I love you.)
4. Rage Against the Machine Evil Empire (I could listen to this album for months at a time)
3. The White Stripes Elephant (Jack and Meg are at the forefront of the re-birth of Alt. Rock)
2. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin (best first track EVER)
number one still remains.....



1. The Beatles Abbey Road

German food!

We had spatzel and sausage for dinner last night. A great hearty German dinner. The only thing that was missing was cabbage or sauerkraut, but we were not going to make that if only one of us was going to eat. I also found a German beer. Not one that is brewed in Milwaukee or Chicago, but straight from the Father Land. How do I know? Everything printed on the packaging and bottles are in German. Below are pictures I took to commemorate the event.

New favorite picture

For the longest time, the favorite picture I have taken was of two little birds in an alley way in downtown Wichita. I still feel lucky to have captured this because I had to get very very close to them before taking this. The bad thing with using a film camera (yes, they exist still) is if you have a subject like these little birds, you usually have one chance. And in fact, after snapping this photo I lowered my camera and they had flown away. My first thought was 'Shit, oh well.' I was very happy afterwards.



Recently, I have found a new favorite. I took it at the Wilson's Creek National Park in Missouri. It was in the Ray House, the only original building left standing at the park. In the house, visitors had some free reign as far as pictures were concerned. They can get close up and take pictures like this one. Everything that a visitor can get to is a recreation, any original was behind ropes or glass.



For the time being, this candle on table ranks highest on all of the pictures that I will take credit for.