I have gone back through my posts from this year to remind myself of what has happened to me over that period of time. My last full year of my life in my 20's, it has been one to remember.
January
My first thought has to be the Jets playoff run. I was home for the first-round win over Cincinnati and again for that amazing victory over the Chargers. Then, I made the fateful decision to drive to Indianapolis for the AFC title game. I had so much fun at that Jets tailgate and during the first half. Then came the second half and the realization I had lost my keys. Mom drove 4 hours with my other set. Got home around 11:30, I should have been home by 6:30. Also found out the girl who I thought might be the love of my life is doing work for Africa with her husband and has a kid now. FBCG also did Feed My Starving Children following the Haiti earthquake and Court and I had dinner at Blackie's afterwards. Their burgers are gi-normousreally good. And of course, Court wound up on ABC news that night!
February
First time I made dinner at F and F. Pasta with vodka sauce and Costco shredded rotisserie chicken, apple pie for dessert. Found the Lucky Monk restaurant and it's less than two minutes from work. Dealing with aggravation of being lied to and deceived in a long relationship, that took a little time. Last time I ever saw Sarah at Friday night group. And now I never will again. She seemed like a special girl. Spent a weekend in Myrtle Beach with Mom as she scouted for her future bus tours and I got to go back to our old home in Raleigh. Not much has changed there.
March
My first time following Blueshirt Banter radio live. I quickly carved out my group of online friends: Eva, Zach, Newman, Frosty, Robbie, Claude, etc. Saw Donald Miller speak at Willow Creek, he was tremendous. Jose Reyes' thyroid problems. My first taste of Bushmill's came at the Muldoon's tavern on St. Patrick's Day. The bitch came back to CT for one day with her geeky husband, and thankfully, I have not seen her since. Watched Wrestlemania with the ROH guys. Undertaker-Shawn Michaels was just tremendous, the rest of the card I would call decent.
April
Picked up a new boss at work and SBI-Landover to go with my other three schools in Manhattan, Garden City, and White Plains. Had my first pulled pork sandwich at Honky Tonk BBQ and it was tremendous. Drank my first Konig Pilsner too. Watched The Big Bang from Charlotte where Christopher Daniels returned, Davey Richards won an excellent match over Kenny King, and Tyler Black retained the World title over Austin Aries and Roderick Strong. Watched the Rangers keep their season alive in an amazing win at the Garden against Philly, only to no-show and lose in a shootout in Philly the following day, knocking them out of the playoffs. Picked up several Greg Norman shirts at the closing outlet store in Huntley. Went to the ROH show where Cabana and Generico won a sick street fight over Corino and Steen. Was voted the second best ROH match of the whole year! Afterwards, at Rosa's, I sang Friends in Low Places, including the third verse. It was dedicated to the one I never loved! My hopes for the Mets were high, they won 9 of 10 games at home. Ate at Prime in Elgin for the first time and thought it was good, I have not returned since. Felt a very strong call to quit my night job at the Good Friday service at Willow Creek. The following month, I did. Seven years and it's over.
May
At work, I began the long, arduous process of converting FFELP loans to direct. That lasted through the whole summer. Brought this cool bookshelf, it looks like a big black slanted ladder. Nice to have a contemporary looking piece of furniture. Started softball season. 3 FBCG teams of the 24. One with my teammates from last year, one with all my friends, and I'm on the other one. We had a decent run I guess, would have been nice if we had people come more consistently though. Ended the month with my Memorial Day trip to Milwaukee and Madison. Saw the Mets lose twice (Screw you Corey Hart), but enjoyed the lakefront, local pubs, Brady Street, and museums. Visited Nef, Karen, and the family. Had a great breakfast at the Machine Shed (apple cider syrup rocks!) and got back to Geneva in time for church. Brought the group a cinnamon roll too. It was big enough for ten people.
June
Discovered a great recipe for roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Watched the White Sox beat the Cubs at Wrigley Field amongst a very bored atmosphere. Did have pizza at Piece afterwards though! I love that clam/bacon combo so much. Started playing ultimate frisbee soccer on Thursday nights in Geneva, and that went on almost every week into late September. Attended a couple of festivals: Blues on the Fox, Swedish Days, to name a few. The lively R&B music. I still remember that blue dress and the dancing.... Anyway. The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup and I will say I felt good for them. Probably moreso because they beat Philadelphia. I'm proud of myself that I actually wrote that on Facebook because I showed I can feel good for other people when their teams win, albeit in certain situations. Watched the amazing Nexus invasion on RAW and was annoyed when Bryan Danielson got fired later that week for choking out ring announcer Justin Roberts with his pink tie.
July
Naperville Ribfest may have been the best one ever, despite the radical new layout. Los Lonely Boys and Charlie Daniels in concert. Ate my first, and probably last, deep-fried Twinkie. Went to the gym two days later, and I had literally gained five pounds. Two weeks later, I went on the retreat to Michigan at Amy's house. Developed a crush on one of the girls I had never met but of course her boyfriend was there. Went tubing on the lake for the first time and absolutely loved it. Beach volleyball, worship times, setting off Roman candles, Court and Christine getting engaged. Went to ROH's Salvation show, Tyler Black and Kevin Steen had a really good title match. Sang "Afternoon Delight" at Rosa's (the female part). Necro Butcher sang "My Way" and it was phenomenal. Later that month, watched Death Before Dishonor from Toronto online, which featured ROH's best match of the year as Tyler Black retained the title against Davey Richards.
August
Listened to "Whipping Post" by the Allmans for the first time and it quickly became one of my favorite songs. SH got engaged, one more bites the dust. Got a nasty virus on my computer, cost 90 dollars to get it removed. But the guy at McAfee did a great job and it worked flawlessly. Decided to go to Kentucky for an October mission trip and raised all the necessary money inside of a week. Finally gave in and went to the dermatologist and got three prescriptions that I am still on. Saw Dad for the only time this year. Mom and I visited although our first preference was Montreal. Ate one of JG Mellon's amazing cheeseburgers, walked 5th Avenue, shopped in bougie Short Hills, listened to music at Dad's place all night, went to church at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and brought back 18 bagels.
Early September
Insanity. Dealt with Dad's problems, this was the month everything seemed to deteriorate in his life. Watched two terrible Mets losses in Wrigley Field on Labor Day weekend. After the second disaster, went straight to Ultimate frisbee soccer. There, I found out MR was with one of my best friends. The only good thing was I scored five goals and I'm surprised I did that since I played so aggressively. Went home from that and got as drunk as I ever have. I felt the effects two days later. Was thrilled on Labor Day when Darrelle Revis signed his contract with the Jets.
Late September
The CT retreat to Muskegon, MI. The knitting bumper sticker, Qwelf, my first tennis match in 15 years, mini golf in the rain, indoor volleyball, the prayer tower, Catchphrase, Logan's roadhouse, an amazing church, a little more tennis with Carl. But that weekend, I missed Festival of the Vine, a Kentucky trip meeting, and an ROH I-PPV. Jets smash the Patriots at home and that same night, I went to see Night of Champions with Q and saw Daniel Bryan win the US title and Randy Orton win the WWE title. Sat right behind the ring announcers. I still have the chair I sat in and it's right here in my basement. Little did I know that was the last day I would speak to my father for about seven weeks.
October
Added three more schools and started working on the new PDC team. Thankfully, the Mets were done by the time this month rolled around. The three previous months were torture. Gave my testimony to the boys at at F and F. Made homemade Chinese food to go with it. Discovered Ray Charles "Modern Sounds in C and W" and re-discovered the Mavericks and the Remingtons music as well. The Rangers season began and it was hard not being able to talk to Dad about it. Still is. Correctly predicted the Giants to win the World Series at the start of the playoffs, my NF predictions, not as good. Went to Court and Christine's wedding and had my first date with Jacquie that same night at Urban Grille. We really became close for a while and I think we still are. I knew work was moving to Schaumburg but then I learned I would lose my free gym membership. Did not make me happy. And of course, my mission trip to Kentucky. Six people on the crew, six tremendous days. The day after I got back, I went to Rebel, a bar in Wrigleyville where Jets fans started meeting to watch games. It was so good watching the games in community instead of alone. The hour drive is a challenge though.
November
This was a Jets month. Insane victories over Detroit, Cleveland, Houston and an easy one over Cincinnati. Unfortunately, I allowed myself to think they were the best team in the NFL. Saw Mindy Smith perform live in Evanston. Had a huge sandwich at Kaufman's Deli in Skokie first though. Chatted with a visiting 40-something lady in the very nice pizzeria/bar before the show and enjoyed the concert tremendously. Mom and I had a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner at Weber Grille. And of course, I flew to New Jersey for the Blueshirt Banter viewing party. Ate at Bobby Flay's burger palace. Met so many awesome people at Poitin Still and just had a very fun night. Although sleeping on the hard floor of Newark Airport wasn't exactly pleasurable. And of course, the next morning, I met Nona on the plane to Chicago. And I came so close to missing the flight!
December
A great opening week and most of it was spent downtown. A ton of fun at ComedySportz, the lame movie, dinners, the hotel lounge, singing Last Christmas, the Miracle Mile. And wishing there was more time, but learning to accept it. Tried Smashburger, wasn't too thrilled with it. Got more than a little pissed at the Rangers getting wasted by the Avalanche in November, although I did somehow get invited to to the UC for a Hawks-Avalanche game. Mom and I were fortunate to spend Christmas in Orlando, FL. Watched Final Battle, and it was amazing. Davey Richards just missed winning the title from Roderick and El Generico and Kevin Steen's year-long feud finally climaxed and Generico won the Fight Without Honor, forcing Steen to leave ROH. Started to talking to someone in Boulder and I am amazed how close our connection has become. Nicole came home from Jerualem and we had dinner at Outback.
What I Have Learned
1) It is so tough to travel your own road, one that American culture just doesn't agree with. But I'd rather do it my way than how people around me say I should. I have to know why I live the way I live.
2) Whoever decided we should keep our spiritual beliefs to ourselves does not make sense.
3) Betrayal hurts. Forgiveness can be harder than I ever imagined.
4) Jealousy is still a challenge for me.
5) Message boards can be great for meeting people, the lack of accountability is their downfall.
6) I am happy I discovered the Allman Brothers Band, Miles Davis and Johnny Hartmann jazz, and Lee Roy Parnell.
7) Salsa can be made with jicama and cucumber. It's weird, but it works pretty well.
8) Switching cell phone carriers three times in two months can be a hassle.
9) I have more friends who love me than I knew.
10) God can't be fooled.
Friday, December 31, 2010
This week
If nothing else, I can say with happiness that I feel like I am living a life instead of just letting it happen. It's like that week following Thanksgiving. Little did I know that since Monday night began, I would spend 18 hours on the telephone and 18 hours sleeping. Granted, my energy level has not been at its highest. Yet, I wouldn't change any of it. What I have been doing defies common sense, reasoning, and logic. And it seems to make all the sense in the world. But no matter what happens, I will maintain my faith.
Colorado, how I long to visit you now. 11.5 years have passed since my one and only visit. I feel like the time is right. Would be nice if I could sneak whitewater rafting in the agenda, but that may be too lofty a hope.
I have also hit the gym four of five days this week, which feels awesome after not being able to go for nearly a week. 90 minutes total on the elliptical, 18 minutes of running, plenty of lifting, and even 20 minutes in the sauna. I have two more months left in that gym. Thanks CEC. I'm waiting for my raise...
Song pick: Christmas has been over for a week, but still, I'll throw out "Dominick the Donkey" by Lou Monte
Colorado, how I long to visit you now. 11.5 years have passed since my one and only visit. I feel like the time is right. Would be nice if I could sneak whitewater rafting in the agenda, but that may be too lofty a hope.
I have also hit the gym four of five days this week, which feels awesome after not being able to go for nearly a week. 90 minutes total on the elliptical, 18 minutes of running, plenty of lifting, and even 20 minutes in the sauna. I have two more months left in that gym. Thanks CEC. I'm waiting for my raise...
Song pick: Christmas has been over for a week, but still, I'll throw out "Dominick the Donkey" by Lou Monte
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Very little left to say
I have to remind myself. It was never my choice to root for the teams (the 4 pillars of pain) and athletes (eg Greg Norman) I root for. It just happened that way. I don't know why I care so much, but I do. And now it's too late to stop. It is like being trapped in prison without a key and running into the bars over and over trying to knock them down, just hoping the hopelessness will finally be broken. One championship in my lifetime and no opportunity to play for a title since 2000.
Now I understand what happened today. So the Jets made the playoffs. Great. It means nothing to me. I've seen this team make the playoffs. Last year's team had resolve, it had character, it had bravado. I see very little of that. This defense could not stop a high school team. This 38-34 loss to the Chicago Bears was just one more embarrassment in a season that has had more twists and turns than the Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios. And I don't see a team that has a run in them anymore. They may very well beat Kansas City on the road in the opening round. If they do, all it secures is another ass-whipping in New England. And I would rather miss the playoffs than see that. Too late.
It never changes. We are the Same Old Jets.
Now I understand what happened today. So the Jets made the playoffs. Great. It means nothing to me. I've seen this team make the playoffs. Last year's team had resolve, it had character, it had bravado. I see very little of that. This defense could not stop a high school team. This 38-34 loss to the Chicago Bears was just one more embarrassment in a season that has had more twists and turns than the Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios. And I don't see a team that has a run in them anymore. They may very well beat Kansas City on the road in the opening round. If they do, all it secures is another ass-whipping in New England. And I would rather miss the playoffs than see that. Too late.
It never changes. We are the Same Old Jets.
DC is not even worth a second thought. Why LM settled for that, I will never know. The self-appointed judge and jury and he has not seen me for four years. I really find it funny, I do. It's sad.
Orlando, Part 3
I grabbed eight more hours of sleep. Breakfast was amazing again: rye toast, bacon, pineapple spears, and FRESH orange juice. I was spoiled and I have to say, I almost felt a little guilty. I'm really not that hard to please, I was worried Mom may have told Mark and Marianne that I was. We left around 10:30 and drove to the corner of Sand Hill and Turkey Hill to Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza. I have heard Joe Benigno talk about this place on WFAN for months and this was my only demand for the trip. To eat this pizza. We walked in as they opened at 11:30 and the first thing I noticed was the lighting was rather dark. They had big screen TV's with the NFL network and ESPN on, but this felt more like a restaurant as opposed to a pizza parlor or a sports bar. I really wanted to try their roasted chicken wings, but it was straight to the pizza. Mom and I each ordered 10-inch lunch pizzas to split, one Eggplant Marino and another with sausage and mushroom. The EM was just layer off eggplant with sauce and Romano cheese. As I took my first bite, I loved the crunch of the crust as well as the zestiness of the tomato sauce. The Romano added a nice texture; I think the only thing that could have made it better was some mozzarella cheese. The sausage and mushrooms were a very good combo as well. I would not call this the greatest pizza ever, that's still John's, but if this was my go-to pizza, I would be a happy guy.
M and M took us to Universal Studios and we began our odyssey through the first of two theme parks, the Isle of Adventure. Within a few minutes, I saw people drinking beers, and I quickly figured out this park was more adult-oriented than the Magic Kingdom. Mom really wanted to check the new Harry Potter section, so I went with it. But that was on the other side of the park, so we had a few places to check out first. We passed through the Marvel Comics section without really stopping. Then came Toon Lagoon, and since I am all about water rides, this was my spot! I just wish the temperature was 75 or 80 degrees instead of 65, just cold enough to make the water uncomfortable. I did convince Mom to try Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, a tube river rapids ride. After the first sharp turn, we were totally soaked! And I don't think we got dry for at least two hours.
From there, came the Jurassic Park section. We wanted to do this Pteranodon Flyers ride, kind of a low roller-coaster over Camp Jurassic. 60 minute wait, I passed and ran around the camp, which is like a jungle gym with cargo nets, slides, and tight passages. It brought out the little kid in me, I really liked it. Mom, well, she was ready to move on. Found a good spot to take a photo, with a T-Rex lurking right above my head. We headed to the Wizarding World, which hosts Harry Potter. I was amazed at the huge castle that looked so real. The whole thing felt like an old English village. The Mom wanted to do was Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the section's signature attraction. It's located inside Hogwart's Castle and it took 30 minutes to get through the line. While we were waiting, we talked with a mom and cute daughter from Virginia. But Mom and I decided to go as single riders, which moved us way up in the line and probably reduced our waiting time by 20 minutes. We stored our coats in lockers and headed in. this thing is a motion simulator, I guess it takes guests through scenes inspired by the Potter books and films. It felt like were were flying, it moved us so fast and violently, I could not tell what was real and what was a video image. It was quite the thrill, but I have to say this is not good for anyone with motion sickness. I was ok, but my stomach felt a little queasy for the next hour or so. We maneuvered our way out of a very busy "Pottersville" as I call it. Then came the Sinbad stunt show at the Lost Continent. This was a 30-minute live-stunt show that was funny and visually appealing at the same time. And some pyros provided a couple of sonic booms as well!
We hustled through Dr. Seuss and over to the second park, Universal Orlando. We headed through Production Central (no TNA tapings) over to the Christmas Village. Mom wanted a snack and when I asked her for input as to what she wanted, she gave me the same answer I must have heard a few dozen times. "Whatever you want." I'm just trying to be considerate, I don't want to just get my way. Anyway, we checked out some blown glass and fried oreos (I did not get them, I have limits) and checked out the New York section. I was very impressed that they replicated the Guggenheim as well as the Public library. There were even some apartment buildings that reminded me of Brooklyn. We were waiting for a Blues Brothers show, but we decided to check out the San Francisco/Amity section instead.
Then came one of the most memorable moments of the trip. We went into an attraction called Disaster! This attraction puts guests in the middle of a new Disaster movie called Mutha Nature. It's made by fictional company Disaster Studios and Christopher Walken plays director, Frank Kincaid. At the beginning, Lonnie, the spunky guide picked seven people to "star" in the upcoming film. At one point, she said she needed a "nice grandmotherly type who liked gardening." And she picked my mother. And I know for a fact she has no grandkids! The rest of us were in the cast, playing train passengers and of all people, the Rock, plays our hero! So the seven cast members filmed their scenes in front of us, we did our train scene, and then we watched the trailer. All the way, I was waiting for my mom and she did not show up. After they announced the title of the movie right at the end, it cut to a scene of mom gardening in this huge hat. She was smiling and waving and all of a sudden, she was blown up. We all burst out laughing so hard!
Then, we checked out the Jaws! ride. While waiting in line, it became that the people standing in front did not believe in taking showers. Anyway, it was a pretty good river ride filled with towering fire, the ominous theme, plenty of boat rocking, and an appearance from the Great White himself! One thing about Amity bugged me. there was a Nathan's hot dog stand, probably the best digs in the US. They were offering Chicago-style Nathan's hot dogs. I am not opposed to a Chicago dog, but to make it with the quintessential NY dog is just embarrassing. It's like serving Carolina mustard sauce on Texas BBQ brisket. For the next half hour, we checked out the Christmas parade and headed through the Hollywood section. They had so many attractions from Grover to Shrek to the Simpsons, to a huge football, to Uncle Sam. There was a really huge blast of confetti that was really cool. Stunningly, almost no references to Christ. So while the feeling was very happy, it did not feel like with Christmas without a church service or a mention of Jesus for me.
I would have loved dinner at Emeril's Orlando. I would have gone nuts for Tchoup Chop, Emeril's restaurant at the nearby Royal Pacific hotel. But I'm realistic. Mom went with Margaritaville. She decided on nachos for an appetizer, I wasn't in the mood to split them, and we had a fight. I am allowed to disagree and I'm more than willing to compromise. Just didn't want them. I had fish tacos while she had a portobella mushroom sandwich. Oh, and I drank a Banana Rama. I think we both realized we needed a bit of space so I headed off to check out the other attractions of City Walk. At NBA City, I compared my hands to over a dozen NBA legends. Without question, Patrick Ewing had the most massive hands. I could barely reach most of the second set of knuckles! There is also the world's largest Hard Rock Cafe. Besides featuring tons of memorabilia, they have these five interactive touch screens where guests can click on various clothes, guitars, accessories, etc and learn about the artist and the history of the artifact. In the gift shop, there was a British gal who walked up to me and happily said "Helloooo, puppet!" Not too familiar with the jargon, but I smiled and said hello back. I guess that's what they do there to sound hip...
I met a few people outside Bob Marley's and we took each other's pictures by the Bob Marley statue. I call that photo "Marley and Me." I went back to Margaritaville for another drink (this one frozen) and some disappointing key lime pie. There was a pretty girl standing on those high stilts wearing a green Santa's helper outfit making balloon animals for the kids. I didn't notice her until I heard a pop about three feet behind me. I jumped in my seat! I just listened to some music, but it wasn't a place for me to have any real conversation so I sent out a bunch of Christmas texts. Individual ones with names, not mass texts, which are lame.
I headed down from the bar and saw a street dance party going on. There was a DJ spinning records and an MC basically running the show. I know I'm not a great dancer, but after walking around parks and all, I was ready to cut loose and shout a little. So I did the electric slide and Cuban cha-cha and I had a great time. We formed conga lines and then they held a dance contest that I enjoyed watching. There were even two guys walking on those high stilts that somehow, were really dancing well on them. Just a tremendous time. We got picked up by M and M around 8:30 and suffice to say, as soon as the car ride began, I was ready to be alone again. When we got home, I played ball with Lilly for a few minutes till she was tired. Daisy just can't run anymore. When I went upstairs, I tried to find some Christmas programming. I saw the last hour of Wonderful Life, and caught some of White Christmas and a Michael McDonald concert. I think around 12:30, I hit the sack.
We made the 11:30 am plane on Saturday with ease. I spent mot of the flight trying to teach Mom Sudoku, which was not easy. She is so smart, but she just could not concentrate well. I guess I understand since she is so preoccupied. I coached her through it the best I could, showed her some new techniques, and we got 2 of the 3 puzzles done. Of course, I made a roast beef sandwich to take on the plane! And some of Marianne's homemade cinnamon coated pecans!
M and M took us to Universal Studios and we began our odyssey through the first of two theme parks, the Isle of Adventure. Within a few minutes, I saw people drinking beers, and I quickly figured out this park was more adult-oriented than the Magic Kingdom. Mom really wanted to check the new Harry Potter section, so I went with it. But that was on the other side of the park, so we had a few places to check out first. We passed through the Marvel Comics section without really stopping. Then came Toon Lagoon, and since I am all about water rides, this was my spot! I just wish the temperature was 75 or 80 degrees instead of 65, just cold enough to make the water uncomfortable. I did convince Mom to try Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, a tube river rapids ride. After the first sharp turn, we were totally soaked! And I don't think we got dry for at least two hours.
From there, came the Jurassic Park section. We wanted to do this Pteranodon Flyers ride, kind of a low roller-coaster over Camp Jurassic. 60 minute wait, I passed and ran around the camp, which is like a jungle gym with cargo nets, slides, and tight passages. It brought out the little kid in me, I really liked it. Mom, well, she was ready to move on. Found a good spot to take a photo, with a T-Rex lurking right above my head. We headed to the Wizarding World, which hosts Harry Potter. I was amazed at the huge castle that looked so real. The whole thing felt like an old English village. The Mom wanted to do was Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the section's signature attraction. It's located inside Hogwart's Castle and it took 30 minutes to get through the line. While we were waiting, we talked with a mom and cute daughter from Virginia. But Mom and I decided to go as single riders, which moved us way up in the line and probably reduced our waiting time by 20 minutes. We stored our coats in lockers and headed in. this thing is a motion simulator, I guess it takes guests through scenes inspired by the Potter books and films. It felt like were were flying, it moved us so fast and violently, I could not tell what was real and what was a video image. It was quite the thrill, but I have to say this is not good for anyone with motion sickness. I was ok, but my stomach felt a little queasy for the next hour or so. We maneuvered our way out of a very busy "Pottersville" as I call it. Then came the Sinbad stunt show at the Lost Continent. This was a 30-minute live-stunt show that was funny and visually appealing at the same time. And some pyros provided a couple of sonic booms as well!
We hustled through Dr. Seuss and over to the second park, Universal Orlando. We headed through Production Central (no TNA tapings) over to the Christmas Village. Mom wanted a snack and when I asked her for input as to what she wanted, she gave me the same answer I must have heard a few dozen times. "Whatever you want." I'm just trying to be considerate, I don't want to just get my way. Anyway, we checked out some blown glass and fried oreos (I did not get them, I have limits) and checked out the New York section. I was very impressed that they replicated the Guggenheim as well as the Public library. There were even some apartment buildings that reminded me of Brooklyn. We were waiting for a Blues Brothers show, but we decided to check out the San Francisco/Amity section instead.
Then came one of the most memorable moments of the trip. We went into an attraction called Disaster! This attraction puts guests in the middle of a new Disaster movie called Mutha Nature. It's made by fictional company Disaster Studios and Christopher Walken plays director, Frank Kincaid. At the beginning, Lonnie, the spunky guide picked seven people to "star" in the upcoming film. At one point, she said she needed a "nice grandmotherly type who liked gardening." And she picked my mother. And I know for a fact she has no grandkids! The rest of us were in the cast, playing train passengers and of all people, the Rock, plays our hero! So the seven cast members filmed their scenes in front of us, we did our train scene, and then we watched the trailer. All the way, I was waiting for my mom and she did not show up. After they announced the title of the movie right at the end, it cut to a scene of mom gardening in this huge hat. She was smiling and waving and all of a sudden, she was blown up. We all burst out laughing so hard!
Then, we checked out the Jaws! ride. While waiting in line, it became that the people standing in front did not believe in taking showers. Anyway, it was a pretty good river ride filled with towering fire, the ominous theme, plenty of boat rocking, and an appearance from the Great White himself! One thing about Amity bugged me. there was a Nathan's hot dog stand, probably the best digs in the US. They were offering Chicago-style Nathan's hot dogs. I am not opposed to a Chicago dog, but to make it with the quintessential NY dog is just embarrassing. It's like serving Carolina mustard sauce on Texas BBQ brisket. For the next half hour, we checked out the Christmas parade and headed through the Hollywood section. They had so many attractions from Grover to Shrek to the Simpsons, to a huge football, to Uncle Sam. There was a really huge blast of confetti that was really cool. Stunningly, almost no references to Christ. So while the feeling was very happy, it did not feel like with Christmas without a church service or a mention of Jesus for me.
I would have loved dinner at Emeril's Orlando. I would have gone nuts for Tchoup Chop, Emeril's restaurant at the nearby Royal Pacific hotel. But I'm realistic. Mom went with Margaritaville. She decided on nachos for an appetizer, I wasn't in the mood to split them, and we had a fight. I am allowed to disagree and I'm more than willing to compromise. Just didn't want them. I had fish tacos while she had a portobella mushroom sandwich. Oh, and I drank a Banana Rama. I think we both realized we needed a bit of space so I headed off to check out the other attractions of City Walk. At NBA City, I compared my hands to over a dozen NBA legends. Without question, Patrick Ewing had the most massive hands. I could barely reach most of the second set of knuckles! There is also the world's largest Hard Rock Cafe. Besides featuring tons of memorabilia, they have these five interactive touch screens where guests can click on various clothes, guitars, accessories, etc and learn about the artist and the history of the artifact. In the gift shop, there was a British gal who walked up to me and happily said "Helloooo, puppet!" Not too familiar with the jargon, but I smiled and said hello back. I guess that's what they do there to sound hip...
I met a few people outside Bob Marley's and we took each other's pictures by the Bob Marley statue. I call that photo "Marley and Me." I went back to Margaritaville for another drink (this one frozen) and some disappointing key lime pie. There was a pretty girl standing on those high stilts wearing a green Santa's helper outfit making balloon animals for the kids. I didn't notice her until I heard a pop about three feet behind me. I jumped in my seat! I just listened to some music, but it wasn't a place for me to have any real conversation so I sent out a bunch of Christmas texts. Individual ones with names, not mass texts, which are lame.
I headed down from the bar and saw a street dance party going on. There was a DJ spinning records and an MC basically running the show. I know I'm not a great dancer, but after walking around parks and all, I was ready to cut loose and shout a little. So I did the electric slide and Cuban cha-cha and I had a great time. We formed conga lines and then they held a dance contest that I enjoyed watching. There were even two guys walking on those high stilts that somehow, were really dancing well on them. Just a tremendous time. We got picked up by M and M around 8:30 and suffice to say, as soon as the car ride began, I was ready to be alone again. When we got home, I played ball with Lilly for a few minutes till she was tired. Daisy just can't run anymore. When I went upstairs, I tried to find some Christmas programming. I saw the last hour of Wonderful Life, and caught some of White Christmas and a Michael McDonald concert. I think around 12:30, I hit the sack.
We made the 11:30 am plane on Saturday with ease. I spent mot of the flight trying to teach Mom Sudoku, which was not easy. She is so smart, but she just could not concentrate well. I guess I understand since she is so preoccupied. I coached her through it the best I could, showed her some new techniques, and we got 2 of the 3 puzzles done. Of course, I made a roast beef sandwich to take on the plane! And some of Marianne's homemade cinnamon coated pecans!
Orlando, Day 2
I went to bed around 1:30 am Thursday morning and slept till about 9. Felt pretty good waking up to sunshine and 60 degrees. The four of us left for the Magic Kingdom around 10 am and took a ferry from the parking lot over to the entrance. M and M took care of our tickets (Mark is a bus driver for Disney) and Mom and headed down Main St. USA. There was a huge Christmas tree surrounded by toy soldiers in the middle and the traffic leading towards the castle was crazy. I liked seeing the holly hanging high above the street as we walked towards the castle. As we approached, I could see a show on the castle steps and that my faves, Donald Duck and Goofy were in it. Got a glimpse of Peter Pan and a few others.
Our first stop was Adventure Land, and keeping with family tradition, our first stop was the Tiki Room. I think I forgot that Gilbert Gottfried is the voice of Iago, the rogue bird. It was weird hearing that voice not telling dirty jokes. Then, we hit Frontierland. I would have tried Splash Mountain, but it was 50 degrees, and Mom had no interest in water. I really wanted to try the Big Thunder Railroad. But even with the fastpass, we would have had a 5-hour wait! I was not going for that. So, we settled for the Country Bear Jamboree, which was a nice little show. Then, came Liberty Square where we grabbed lunch and this New England style chicken and fish restaurant. Then, we headed to the Hall of Presidents, which my have been my favorite part. I remember doing this with Kristin back in 1998, but it was still great. I could see the figure of Abraham Lincoln making realistic body movements, even blinking his eyes! It's amazing what some people can do to enhance these shows.
I wasn't too excited about visiting Tomorrow Land, but we went anyway. I wanted to do the Speedway, that was an hour wait I decided against. Besides, I knew it was a controlled form of racing anyway. We went to the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, which was a kid-oriented animated comedy show. There were some decent laughs, not my cup of tea. Mom wanted to see Stich's Great Escape, a dark alien encounter. I thought we had done it before, but that was Alein Encounter, which I found out closed in 2003. This version featured a far less scary alien, so it was nothing I could not handle. At one point, the "warden" shouted for the audience to "Step Lively!" All I could think about was Tom Coughlin! Then, I checked out Disney's Carousel of Progress, a timeline of technological and lifestyle changes throughout the 20th century. And now I can't stop thinking about that sing that the characters sang at least five times, "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow!"
Mom and I headed back towards Main St and took the Walt Disney railroad around the park. By this time it was around 4:30, and we were ready to head out. We hopped the monorail, heading towards the Polynesian resort and took a 30-40 minute bus trip to Downtown Disney in Lake Buena Vista. When translated, that means Lake of Good Microsoft Windows products... As we stepped off the bus, the sun was setting and the temperature dropped to around 50 degrees. The chill was setting in. We were both pretty hungry, and since I wanted to try something new, I suggested Bongo's Cuban Cafe, which is owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan. They had a big, bright Christmas tree right in front and I liked that all the barstools were decorated to look like real bongo drums. I wanted a Cuban sandwich, but they're only available during lunch hours. Would have at least liked a Cubano slider option or something like that. I was disappointed with that, so it was time for Plan B. For an app, we split these deep-fried pork bites, which are served with grilled onions. The pork was cut into thick chunks with a very light breading. I enjoyed the succulent taste of the meat and the onions served as a decent complement. By the way, between chicken nuggets, fried fish, french fries, funnel cake, fried pork, and fried bananas, I think I ate more fried food in one day than I have since I was eating fried chicken and onion rings at the old White House in Dixon, IL.
I then ordered a roasted half chicken with lemon, garlic, wine, and a light tomato broth, alongside black beans and rice and fried plantains. the chicken was moist, though I felt the flavor was a little too delicate. I really enjoyed the sides, they reminded me of eating in Ecuador back in the day. Mom had a nice skirt steak with chimmichurri sauce. We were hoping for a thicker steak, but I liked the garlicky flavor of the chimmi. All in all, I enjoyed trying something different, but I think I would only return for a lunch or an appetizer.
We walked around Disney, trying to stay semi-warm. Neither of us had jacket, and I just had a long-sleeve T and cargo shorts on. We went to Ghiardelli, where Mom ordered a sea salt hot chocolate, which she called one of the best hot drinks she had ever had. Of course, being that this place is a chocolate haven, the only option for me was boring hot tea. I passed. We passed by Legoland and saw these awesome sculptures. They had a 30-foot tall Lego dragon in the pond that looked out over the tourists. We passed by Planet Hollywood, which has the Jenny boat used in the movie Forrest Gump.
We got picked up by M and M around 7:30 p.m. and headed back to Winter Garden. Got home just in time for the third period of the Rangers-Lightning game and after quick hugs to Lilly and Daisy, I headed straight upstairs to my room and turned the TV on. Unfortunately, the Rangers fell in an 11-round shootout. Even though they played well without Del Zotto, Callahan, and Gaborik, I was not pleased at all. Except to brush my teeth, I did not leave my bedroom the entire night. I mostly watched the Jeff Dunham Christmas show on Comedy Central. Read a little of the Mickey Mantle biography and headed to sleep around 1 a.m.
Our first stop was Adventure Land, and keeping with family tradition, our first stop was the Tiki Room. I think I forgot that Gilbert Gottfried is the voice of Iago, the rogue bird. It was weird hearing that voice not telling dirty jokes. Then, we hit Frontierland. I would have tried Splash Mountain, but it was 50 degrees, and Mom had no interest in water. I really wanted to try the Big Thunder Railroad. But even with the fastpass, we would have had a 5-hour wait! I was not going for that. So, we settled for the Country Bear Jamboree, which was a nice little show. Then, came Liberty Square where we grabbed lunch and this New England style chicken and fish restaurant. Then, we headed to the Hall of Presidents, which my have been my favorite part. I remember doing this with Kristin back in 1998, but it was still great. I could see the figure of Abraham Lincoln making realistic body movements, even blinking his eyes! It's amazing what some people can do to enhance these shows.
I wasn't too excited about visiting Tomorrow Land, but we went anyway. I wanted to do the Speedway, that was an hour wait I decided against. Besides, I knew it was a controlled form of racing anyway. We went to the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, which was a kid-oriented animated comedy show. There were some decent laughs, not my cup of tea. Mom wanted to see Stich's Great Escape, a dark alien encounter. I thought we had done it before, but that was Alein Encounter, which I found out closed in 2003. This version featured a far less scary alien, so it was nothing I could not handle. At one point, the "warden" shouted for the audience to "Step Lively!" All I could think about was Tom Coughlin! Then, I checked out Disney's Carousel of Progress, a timeline of technological and lifestyle changes throughout the 20th century. And now I can't stop thinking about that sing that the characters sang at least five times, "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow!"
Mom and I headed back towards Main St and took the Walt Disney railroad around the park. By this time it was around 4:30, and we were ready to head out. We hopped the monorail, heading towards the Polynesian resort and took a 30-40 minute bus trip to Downtown Disney in Lake Buena Vista. When translated, that means Lake of Good Microsoft Windows products... As we stepped off the bus, the sun was setting and the temperature dropped to around 50 degrees. The chill was setting in. We were both pretty hungry, and since I wanted to try something new, I suggested Bongo's Cuban Cafe, which is owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan. They had a big, bright Christmas tree right in front and I liked that all the barstools were decorated to look like real bongo drums. I wanted a Cuban sandwich, but they're only available during lunch hours. Would have at least liked a Cubano slider option or something like that. I was disappointed with that, so it was time for Plan B. For an app, we split these deep-fried pork bites, which are served with grilled onions. The pork was cut into thick chunks with a very light breading. I enjoyed the succulent taste of the meat and the onions served as a decent complement. By the way, between chicken nuggets, fried fish, french fries, funnel cake, fried pork, and fried bananas, I think I ate more fried food in one day than I have since I was eating fried chicken and onion rings at the old White House in Dixon, IL.
I then ordered a roasted half chicken with lemon, garlic, wine, and a light tomato broth, alongside black beans and rice and fried plantains. the chicken was moist, though I felt the flavor was a little too delicate. I really enjoyed the sides, they reminded me of eating in Ecuador back in the day. Mom had a nice skirt steak with chimmichurri sauce. We were hoping for a thicker steak, but I liked the garlicky flavor of the chimmi. All in all, I enjoyed trying something different, but I think I would only return for a lunch or an appetizer.
We walked around Disney, trying to stay semi-warm. Neither of us had jacket, and I just had a long-sleeve T and cargo shorts on. We went to Ghiardelli, where Mom ordered a sea salt hot chocolate, which she called one of the best hot drinks she had ever had. Of course, being that this place is a chocolate haven, the only option for me was boring hot tea. I passed. We passed by Legoland and saw these awesome sculptures. They had a 30-foot tall Lego dragon in the pond that looked out over the tourists. We passed by Planet Hollywood, which has the Jenny boat used in the movie Forrest Gump.
We got picked up by M and M around 7:30 p.m. and headed back to Winter Garden. Got home just in time for the third period of the Rangers-Lightning game and after quick hugs to Lilly and Daisy, I headed straight upstairs to my room and turned the TV on. Unfortunately, the Rangers fell in an 11-round shootout. Even though they played well without Del Zotto, Callahan, and Gaborik, I was not pleased at all. Except to brush my teeth, I did not leave my bedroom the entire night. I mostly watched the Jeff Dunham Christmas show on Comedy Central. Read a little of the Mickey Mantle biography and headed to sleep around 1 a.m.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Orlando, Day 1
So I left work at 4 pm and Mom showed up shortly afterwards to pick me up and we headed down 90-east towards O'Hare. The security line took about an hour to get through and I headed towards the Garrett's stand to by some popcorn for Mark and Marianne. A one-gallon tin Of Chicago mix cost $31! And a gallon is a lot less than it sounds. Mom encouraged me to go back and exchange it for a large bag, after some slight begging and pleading, I managed to come back with large bag of Chicago mix and a small bag of cashew caramel crisp.
We weren't feeling too good about our chances to make the 7 pm flight, even though I was dressed to fly first class. Turns out, we barely made it and we were separated. As we took off, I looked out towards downtown Chicago from my window seat. I was impressed by the incredible brightness of the lights of the city. I could never really appreciate it in the daytime. I sat next to a single cropdusting farmer from Fargo, originally from Milwaukee. We have different backgrounds to be sure, but we had a pretty good chat about places we've been, football, Christmas in America, etc. Didn't exchange numbers with him like I did with someone the last time I flew...
Anyway, with no dinner in coach, I wound snacking on the corn and that was all I ate for about 11 hours. The flight didn't take too long, I spent most of it working on the Sudoku puzzles. Got the first two, and almost aced the Diabolical. So we got landed around 11 p.m. and with a shortage of workers in Orlando, we had to wait 20 minutes at the baggage claim for our luggage to show up. Not the most enjoyable wait. Then, our hosts, Mark and Marianne picked us up for our 45 minute drive northwest to their home in Winter Garden. I rarely spoke, I was pretty worn down from a long day of work and flying.
We got to their home and we were immediately greeted by Daisy and Lilly, their two dogs. Lilly is a little brown and white cavalier who is very spoiled, loves her own spot on the couch, and belly rubs. Daisy is a 12-year-old golden retriever who put Hogan in his place 4 years ago when he and Mom visited. He was sniffing her just a little too closely. Now, she is dealing with some arthritis and isn't walking to well. And she sheds like crazy! M and M offered me a late-night meal, Boar's Head roast beef with horseradish on rye bread. I wolfed it right down.
We weren't feeling too good about our chances to make the 7 pm flight, even though I was dressed to fly first class. Turns out, we barely made it and we were separated. As we took off, I looked out towards downtown Chicago from my window seat. I was impressed by the incredible brightness of the lights of the city. I could never really appreciate it in the daytime. I sat next to a single cropdusting farmer from Fargo, originally from Milwaukee. We have different backgrounds to be sure, but we had a pretty good chat about places we've been, football, Christmas in America, etc. Didn't exchange numbers with him like I did with someone the last time I flew...
Anyway, with no dinner in coach, I wound snacking on the corn and that was all I ate for about 11 hours. The flight didn't take too long, I spent most of it working on the Sudoku puzzles. Got the first two, and almost aced the Diabolical. So we got landed around 11 p.m. and with a shortage of workers in Orlando, we had to wait 20 minutes at the baggage claim for our luggage to show up. Not the most enjoyable wait. Then, our hosts, Mark and Marianne picked us up for our 45 minute drive northwest to their home in Winter Garden. I rarely spoke, I was pretty worn down from a long day of work and flying.
We got to their home and we were immediately greeted by Daisy and Lilly, their two dogs. Lilly is a little brown and white cavalier who is very spoiled, loves her own spot on the couch, and belly rubs. Daisy is a 12-year-old golden retriever who put Hogan in his place 4 years ago when he and Mom visited. He was sniffing her just a little too closely. Now, she is dealing with some arthritis and isn't walking to well. And she sheds like crazy! M and M offered me a late-night meal, Boar's Head roast beef with horseradish on rye bread. I wolfed it right down.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
I like these types of weeks, Smashburger review
This is the type where I have Wednesday off from work, allowing for a nice break in the middle of the week. I've been writing a few restaurant reviews on Yelp lately. I'll repost the one I wrote for Smashburger.
We've had a run of new burger joints hit the suburbs lately from Five Guy's to Meatheads to Tom and Eddie's and now Smashburger. I made sure to visit opening weekend and I was looking forward to it.
At 6 pm on Saturday, the place was mobbed. The staff did a very efficient job helping people with their orders and guiding us to the limited number of seats. Credit to them.
I picked the big burger with cheddar and a bunch of veggies (plus jalapenos!) on the classic egg bun. I liked the softness of the bun, it wasn't anything special, so maybe I should have gone with the pretzel ala Kuma's. But it comes down to the meat. And I really wasn't thrilled. It was very flat, obviously cooked on a flat top. I just prefer a thicker burger with the juice coming out of it. This burger was just flat and wide and that allowed the other toppings to take over the taste. Decent flavor, but honestly, it was just that, decent.
Jacquie got the haystack fried onions as a side and we weren't too thrilled with those either. Most of them were just soggy. If you're going to serve onion rings, well, crispness is number one!
The star was the sweet potato smashfries. Thin sweet potatoes are always good for me, but with the rosemary, garlic, and sea salt, they had that little extra pop that made them memorable. I just wish they gave us more!
All in all, I thought it was an ok place, but I think there are better options if you just want a good burger. I will probably return to try one of their chicken sandwiches, and I will be sure to get those sweet potato fries.
We've had a run of new burger joints hit the suburbs lately from Five Guy's to Meatheads to Tom and Eddie's and now Smashburger. I made sure to visit opening weekend and I was looking forward to it.
At 6 pm on Saturday, the place was mobbed. The staff did a very efficient job helping people with their orders and guiding us to the limited number of seats. Credit to them.
I picked the big burger with cheddar and a bunch of veggies (plus jalapenos!) on the classic egg bun. I liked the softness of the bun, it wasn't anything special, so maybe I should have gone with the pretzel ala Kuma's. But it comes down to the meat. And I really wasn't thrilled. It was very flat, obviously cooked on a flat top. I just prefer a thicker burger with the juice coming out of it. This burger was just flat and wide and that allowed the other toppings to take over the taste. Decent flavor, but honestly, it was just that, decent.
Jacquie got the haystack fried onions as a side and we weren't too thrilled with those either. Most of them were just soggy. If you're going to serve onion rings, well, crispness is number one!
The star was the sweet potato smashfries. Thin sweet potatoes are always good for me, but with the rosemary, garlic, and sea salt, they had that little extra pop that made them memorable. I just wish they gave us more!
All in all, I thought it was an ok place, but I think there are better options if you just want a good burger. I will probably return to try one of their chicken sandwiches, and I will be sure to get those sweet potato fries.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Finished
I am done with this season.
This offense cannot manage one TD against Miami at home. The offensive line can suddenly no longer block. The quarterback is not worth shit. Brian Schottenheimer sucks at play calling, he can get his worthless ass out the door. The special teams sucked. Santonio Holmes did his best Justin McCairens impression, dropping a sure TD in the corner of the end zone when he ws wide open. The defense did what they could to keep the team in the game. It wasn't enough.
The worst part is this team may still make the playoffs. But losses in Pittsburgh and Chicago are inevitable. Maybe they'll win against a 3 or so win Buffalo and grab the 6 seed. But no more. They will go to San Diego or Indy and get the fuck beat out of them.
I have only two things left to hope for. The Patriots plane crashing or the lockout starting now.
This offense cannot manage one TD against Miami at home. The offensive line can suddenly no longer block. The quarterback is not worth shit. Brian Schottenheimer sucks at play calling, he can get his worthless ass out the door. The special teams sucked. Santonio Holmes did his best Justin McCairens impression, dropping a sure TD in the corner of the end zone when he ws wide open. The defense did what they could to keep the team in the game. It wasn't enough.
The worst part is this team may still make the playoffs. But losses in Pittsburgh and Chicago are inevitable. Maybe they'll win against a 3 or so win Buffalo and grab the 6 seed. But no more. They will go to San Diego or Indy and get the fuck beat out of them.
I have only two things left to hope for. The Patriots plane crashing or the lockout starting now.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Disgusted
45-3. Utter humiliation.
Maybe I should blame my father for ever exposing me to sports. He took me to Shea Stadium instead of Yankee Stadium, passed on his love of the Rangers, and somehow I twisted myself into rooting for that disgusting, despicable franchise that wears green. I'm not even going to say their name, they don't deserve to be mentioned.
And all these scumbags on Facebook rubbing it in. One of the worst night in the history of sports. Even the Giants fans are doing this. Seriously, I may start rooting for the Eagles now in the NFC.
And to think those assholes in Boston have 7 draft picks next year in the first four rounds. They are only getting better. I am convinced I am cursed like cancer and that I will never see a title until I am on Social Security. Assuming I even live that long. I have not had a team in the finals in 11 years and have not seen a title in 17. Who in life did I piss off to be so cursed? The only harder sports life would be living in Cleveland.
Maybe I should blame my father for ever exposing me to sports. He took me to Shea Stadium instead of Yankee Stadium, passed on his love of the Rangers, and somehow I twisted myself into rooting for that disgusting, despicable franchise that wears green. I'm not even going to say their name, they don't deserve to be mentioned.
And all these scumbags on Facebook rubbing it in. One of the worst night in the history of sports. Even the Giants fans are doing this. Seriously, I may start rooting for the Eagles now in the NFC.
And to think those assholes in Boston have 7 draft picks next year in the first four rounds. They are only getting better. I am convinced I am cursed like cancer and that I will never see a title until I am on Social Security. Assuming I even live that long. I have not had a team in the finals in 11 years and have not seen a title in 17. Who in life did I piss off to be so cursed? The only harder sports life would be living in Cleveland.
Friday, December 03, 2010
A very memorable week
As work has gotten crazier and crazier this week, the nights have been more and more wonderful. But now it's over. Nona is back in New York City as of last night. Let's recap.
Tuesday
1. Woke up for work at 5 AM, an hour early, and left two hours sooner than normal, at 3 PM
2. The traffic moved pretty smoothly, except for the merge past O'Hare
3. Took an hour, 15 minutes
4. Never driven in the loop before, I got a bit nervous
5. Went through State and Michigan, I was struck by the bright lights and the massive amounts of shoppers and commuters.
6. I waited outside Barnes and Noble for about ten minutes
7. I picked her up and we headed north towards Wacker Drive
8. I missed the parking lot and the valet system didn't begin for another 20 minutes.
9. We walked into Catch 35 around 6:50.
10. We realized we disagree on food preferences
11. I don't like ketchup, chocolate, candy, and Indian food
12. She doesn't like pork and nuts
13. Started with Asian seared scallops and she let me devour most of the hot sourdough bread
14. She had blackened salmon; I expected tuna steak, not sashimi
15. Not great fried rice, lacked seasoning and flavor
16. Split key lime pie for dessert
17. The conversation had that interview feel, I guess that's what happens with two journalists
18. Discussed family, travel, love, marriage
18. She loved talking with Paxson, our waiter
19. I knew this girl was anything but boring
20. We had a freezing cold nine block walk/run to the AMC theater
21. After climbing two flights of stairs, we were there. But 23 bucks for two tickets???
22. We showed each other photos, she had a ton of her nephew
23. We saw Love and Other Drugs, felt a bit pornographic
24. Nothing against sex in movies, but it felt pushed and shoved in in for no real reason. Felt lazy
25. Toured Wacker Drive, before pulling into Hilton
26. Mark, the valet guy, holds car up to midnight
27. Hung in the lounge for about an hour
28. They had bougie peanuts, plus the ones with the wasabi peanuts
29. $3.00 for a Coke bottle, $3.25 for a small water bottle
30. She asked me to come over again Thursday, and that was extraordinary because I knew that would be her last night
31. Took more photos, including a few by the fireplace
32. Small hug goodbye, but it's not a great idea to hug when you have a shopping bag in your hands
33. Took 10 minutes to figure my way out of the city, even though Congress Parkway is only three or so blocks north of the hotel
34. I felt good about the night, I was just happy I would get to see her again
Thursday
35. Left at 4 instead of 3, it only took an hour to get in
36. For the second straight time, she texted me to tell me how starrrving she was.
37. For the first time ever, I drove up the long Ohio St ramp into the Loop.
38. The view of the city from that close is amazing with a lot of red and green lights on the Merchandise Mart and Hancock Tower.
39. Parked on the street, it only cost me six bucks! Much better than the $20 I spent Tuesday
40. We chose the Cheesecake Factory, which is at the base of the Hancock Tower and next to the Water Tower Place, so it's a happening part of town.
41. I had to walk past Ditka's, and dang, I wanted da pork chop!
42. I waited for a few minutes inside and it turns out, she was at the bar and I never noticed
43. She was so giddy, I think it's just her nature. I'd like to think she was happy to see me
44. This time, Chad was our waiter and I just remember they talked for a solid two straight minutes. I couldn't get a word in, yet all I could do was smile
45. We split the crab and artichoke dip. She mentioned the calories, but as the winter approaches, it just puts me in the mood for hearty food. IMO, hearty is really a nice way of saying fattening
46. I ordered that Cajun Jambalaya, she had the blackened chicken sandwich
47. I laughed when she asked for a side of onion rings with the fries as well as two pieces of fudge cake to go. I guess she didn't know the size of their desserts!
48. Since I don't eat chocolate, that eliminated 80% of the cheesecake options for me. Plus, the desserts there are just too sweet anyway. We split a piece of banana cheesecake, which was kind of dull. It needed some caramel, or some nuts, or something.
49. We talked about complimenting at one point. She said I wasn't good at it, which I disagreed with. I explained since we only had so much time, I felt uneasy doing it. I didn't want to come on too strong or anything
50. I mentioned to her that I thought she was very special and I didn't want to be some guy that quickly drifted in and out of her life. As much as she has traveled, it was a concern of mine. She kind of brushed it off, said it wasn't really a concern, I don't know if she really got what I was saying
51. She had to run into Filene's for a few, so with the time on the meter about to expire, I waited in the car for her, about a block away
52. That took about 15 minutes of waiting. I held off three people who wanted that spot on Rush and Chestnut
53. I turned on some Christmas music. We drove up the LSD and towards the northern part of Clark St. It had a very suburban feel with a lot of little shops, but it was still very busy. She oohed and aahed at so many of those stores, especially some of the Christmas displays
54. But I had a plan. 2-for-1 Thursday at ComedySportz. I had never been, but I love improv comedy, so I thought it would be good
55. What I didn't expect was to be placed in the front row, one table over from the center! I ordered her a Diet Coke
56. There were a ton of high school kids sitting in the "bleachers" so they made the most noise. there were also a dozen or so law students in the front on the left side
57. In the first game, Ref Kate came right up to me and asked what I liked to do on a day off. I said I liked the gym so the performers rapped a song about me going to the gym. It went on for a good two minutes and they mentioned things like my stylish clothes, that she was my girlfriend (which was a little awkward, but cool), etc.
58. They played an elimination game of some type and every time a performer made a mistake, we all had to clap twice and say "Outta here." Little did anyone know, I was yelling it Gary Cohen style for those rare Mets home runs!
59. She mentioned avocados and three of the performers, plus a girl from the audience made up a love song about avocados, one word at a time
60. At another point, she went back with Israel, while the audience came up with suggestions for "5 things", the hardest game at ComedySportz
61. After that game came halftime, and she mentioned how much fun she was having. that made me feel good. I was too
62. I remember jokes about beards made of chocolate milk
63. I loved the game where we came up with random lines and the performers had to randomly incorporate all of them into the scene. My contribution was the movie line "Heeeeeeeere's Johnnyyyyyyy!" She texted that to me later too
64. The show ended around 9:45 and I knew she had to be back at the Hilton relatively soon to pack. So we cruised down the LSD and the Magnificent Mile.
65. She kept mentioning how beautiful the city was. She took a ton of pictures. I just wanted that mile to last for days
66. We left the car with Mark again and walked inside the hotel
67. She showed me this huge Christmas tree in the Hilton. It almost reached the ceiling of the ballroom, I can't begin to guess how tall it was
68. We took more pictures, threw some pennies in the fountain, and headed back to the lobby
69. I hated to say goodbye, I dreaded it. But i knew our time was limited from the beginning
70. She thanked me for everything and the things I told her about discipline and God
71. I told her she was wonderful and I knew she was going to do something very special. I just want to be around when she does it
72. We embraced for a good 10 seconds, and I gently kissed her cheek
73. Then it was back to my car and a trip down Congress Parkway, 290, 88, 355, and 64 to home
74. I'll admit as I played "The Weekend" and "I'm Gonna Miss You, Girl" several times each, I had to wipe a tear away
How I Feel Now
75. She is an amazing woman. I remember her bright smile, her perkiness, her wit, her energy, her independent nature, yet she had such a youthful exuberance
76. I feel like I have been meeting a lot of the same types of girls over and over. Not bad, but you kind of get used to the same stories and experiences. She is not like that at all
77. I hope I see her again
78. I don't know what will happen, as she is leaving for Beirut in the next few weeks
79. But then again, she could be anywhere
80. I hope she took me with her
Song lyrics:
There is only one song I can think of. "The Weekend" by Steve Wariner
Just for a moment, I held you too close.
Now I'm all out of time and I don't want to let go.
How much can happen in a night or two?
I guess it's all depending on your point of view.
Tuesday
1. Woke up for work at 5 AM, an hour early, and left two hours sooner than normal, at 3 PM
2. The traffic moved pretty smoothly, except for the merge past O'Hare
3. Took an hour, 15 minutes
4. Never driven in the loop before, I got a bit nervous
5. Went through State and Michigan, I was struck by the bright lights and the massive amounts of shoppers and commuters.
6. I waited outside Barnes and Noble for about ten minutes
7. I picked her up and we headed north towards Wacker Drive
8. I missed the parking lot and the valet system didn't begin for another 20 minutes.
9. We walked into Catch 35 around 6:50.
10. We realized we disagree on food preferences
11. I don't like ketchup, chocolate, candy, and Indian food
12. She doesn't like pork and nuts
13. Started with Asian seared scallops and she let me devour most of the hot sourdough bread
14. She had blackened salmon; I expected tuna steak, not sashimi
15. Not great fried rice, lacked seasoning and flavor
16. Split key lime pie for dessert
17. The conversation had that interview feel, I guess that's what happens with two journalists
18. Discussed family, travel, love, marriage
18. She loved talking with Paxson, our waiter
19. I knew this girl was anything but boring
20. We had a freezing cold nine block walk/run to the AMC theater
21. After climbing two flights of stairs, we were there. But 23 bucks for two tickets???
22. We showed each other photos, she had a ton of her nephew
23. We saw Love and Other Drugs, felt a bit pornographic
24. Nothing against sex in movies, but it felt pushed and shoved in in for no real reason. Felt lazy
25. Toured Wacker Drive, before pulling into Hilton
26. Mark, the valet guy, holds car up to midnight
27. Hung in the lounge for about an hour
28. They had bougie peanuts, plus the ones with the wasabi peanuts
29. $3.00 for a Coke bottle, $3.25 for a small water bottle
30. She asked me to come over again Thursday, and that was extraordinary because I knew that would be her last night
31. Took more photos, including a few by the fireplace
32. Small hug goodbye, but it's not a great idea to hug when you have a shopping bag in your hands
33. Took 10 minutes to figure my way out of the city, even though Congress Parkway is only three or so blocks north of the hotel
34. I felt good about the night, I was just happy I would get to see her again
Thursday
35. Left at 4 instead of 3, it only took an hour to get in
36. For the second straight time, she texted me to tell me how starrrving she was.
37. For the first time ever, I drove up the long Ohio St ramp into the Loop.
38. The view of the city from that close is amazing with a lot of red and green lights on the Merchandise Mart and Hancock Tower.
39. Parked on the street, it only cost me six bucks! Much better than the $20 I spent Tuesday
40. We chose the Cheesecake Factory, which is at the base of the Hancock Tower and next to the Water Tower Place, so it's a happening part of town.
41. I had to walk past Ditka's, and dang, I wanted da pork chop!
42. I waited for a few minutes inside and it turns out, she was at the bar and I never noticed
43. She was so giddy, I think it's just her nature. I'd like to think she was happy to see me
44. This time, Chad was our waiter and I just remember they talked for a solid two straight minutes. I couldn't get a word in, yet all I could do was smile
45. We split the crab and artichoke dip. She mentioned the calories, but as the winter approaches, it just puts me in the mood for hearty food. IMO, hearty is really a nice way of saying fattening
46. I ordered that Cajun Jambalaya, she had the blackened chicken sandwich
47. I laughed when she asked for a side of onion rings with the fries as well as two pieces of fudge cake to go. I guess she didn't know the size of their desserts!
48. Since I don't eat chocolate, that eliminated 80% of the cheesecake options for me. Plus, the desserts there are just too sweet anyway. We split a piece of banana cheesecake, which was kind of dull. It needed some caramel, or some nuts, or something.
49. We talked about complimenting at one point. She said I wasn't good at it, which I disagreed with. I explained since we only had so much time, I felt uneasy doing it. I didn't want to come on too strong or anything
50. I mentioned to her that I thought she was very special and I didn't want to be some guy that quickly drifted in and out of her life. As much as she has traveled, it was a concern of mine. She kind of brushed it off, said it wasn't really a concern, I don't know if she really got what I was saying
51. She had to run into Filene's for a few, so with the time on the meter about to expire, I waited in the car for her, about a block away
52. That took about 15 minutes of waiting. I held off three people who wanted that spot on Rush and Chestnut
53. I turned on some Christmas music. We drove up the LSD and towards the northern part of Clark St. It had a very suburban feel with a lot of little shops, but it was still very busy. She oohed and aahed at so many of those stores, especially some of the Christmas displays
54. But I had a plan. 2-for-1 Thursday at ComedySportz. I had never been, but I love improv comedy, so I thought it would be good
55. What I didn't expect was to be placed in the front row, one table over from the center! I ordered her a Diet Coke
56. There were a ton of high school kids sitting in the "bleachers" so they made the most noise. there were also a dozen or so law students in the front on the left side
57. In the first game, Ref Kate came right up to me and asked what I liked to do on a day off. I said I liked the gym so the performers rapped a song about me going to the gym. It went on for a good two minutes and they mentioned things like my stylish clothes, that she was my girlfriend (which was a little awkward, but cool), etc.
58. They played an elimination game of some type and every time a performer made a mistake, we all had to clap twice and say "Outta here." Little did anyone know, I was yelling it Gary Cohen style for those rare Mets home runs!
59. She mentioned avocados and three of the performers, plus a girl from the audience made up a love song about avocados, one word at a time
60. At another point, she went back with Israel, while the audience came up with suggestions for "5 things", the hardest game at ComedySportz
61. After that game came halftime, and she mentioned how much fun she was having. that made me feel good. I was too
62. I remember jokes about beards made of chocolate milk
63. I loved the game where we came up with random lines and the performers had to randomly incorporate all of them into the scene. My contribution was the movie line "Heeeeeeeere's Johnnyyyyyyy!" She texted that to me later too
64. The show ended around 9:45 and I knew she had to be back at the Hilton relatively soon to pack. So we cruised down the LSD and the Magnificent Mile.
65. She kept mentioning how beautiful the city was. She took a ton of pictures. I just wanted that mile to last for days
66. We left the car with Mark again and walked inside the hotel
67. She showed me this huge Christmas tree in the Hilton. It almost reached the ceiling of the ballroom, I can't begin to guess how tall it was
68. We took more pictures, threw some pennies in the fountain, and headed back to the lobby
69. I hated to say goodbye, I dreaded it. But i knew our time was limited from the beginning
70. She thanked me for everything and the things I told her about discipline and God
71. I told her she was wonderful and I knew she was going to do something very special. I just want to be around when she does it
72. We embraced for a good 10 seconds, and I gently kissed her cheek
73. Then it was back to my car and a trip down Congress Parkway, 290, 88, 355, and 64 to home
74. I'll admit as I played "The Weekend" and "I'm Gonna Miss You, Girl" several times each, I had to wipe a tear away
How I Feel Now
75. She is an amazing woman. I remember her bright smile, her perkiness, her wit, her energy, her independent nature, yet she had such a youthful exuberance
76. I feel like I have been meeting a lot of the same types of girls over and over. Not bad, but you kind of get used to the same stories and experiences. She is not like that at all
77. I hope I see her again
78. I don't know what will happen, as she is leaving for Beirut in the next few weeks
79. But then again, she could be anywhere
80. I hope she took me with her
Song lyrics:
There is only one song I can think of. "The Weekend" by Steve Wariner
Just for a moment, I held you too close.
Now I'm all out of time and I don't want to let go.
How much can happen in a night or two?
I guess it's all depending on your point of view.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Late thoughts
1) tonight, I had to deal with old issues that I never thought I would have to face again. I wasn't ready when they popped up and I just did my best to ignore them all night. At one time, that now-issue was a hopeful situation. That's just not a part of life I have to deal with anymore and I really don't want to do it now.
2) The San Diego Chargers look ready to soar into December yet again. Then again, it's been 16 years since they played in a Super Bowl and Norv Turner is still their head coach.
3) While I was out of town, Mom cancelled my NHL Center Ice package without asking me. She warned me she might do it just to save some money. But why couldn't she just ask me if I was willing to pay her for that part of the bill? More blatant disrespect in my opinion.
4) Two days till payday. Thank God!
5) I really hope Tuesday is a great night. And yet, because of time and two time zones, I can't let myself get too excited. I feel pretty torn about it.
Song pick: "The Clown" Conway Twitty. I think I've used this one before, but it seems so right.
2) The San Diego Chargers look ready to soar into December yet again. Then again, it's been 16 years since they played in a Super Bowl and Norv Turner is still their head coach.
3) While I was out of town, Mom cancelled my NHL Center Ice package without asking me. She warned me she might do it just to save some money. But why couldn't she just ask me if I was willing to pay her for that part of the bill? More blatant disrespect in my opinion.
4) Two days till payday. Thank God!
5) I really hope Tuesday is a great night. And yet, because of time and two time zones, I can't let myself get too excited. I feel pretty torn about it.
Song pick: "The Clown" Conway Twitty. I think I've used this one before, but it seems so right.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Can I sleep past 3:30 AM for change?
Well, the last 48 hours have been among the craziest of my life. After a phenomenal Thanksgiving meal at Weber Grille (I just finished off the second half of one slice of pumpkin cheesecake), it was home for packing and the Jets Thanksgiving Day victory over Cincinnati. That game ended around 10:45 and then it was straight into bed for me.
I woke up at 3 AM and was gone from the house by 3:30. My intention was to park in Lot G which costs about half the price of the standard remote lot E, which is the lot where the monorail begins. Of course, there are no signs for Lot G. So I took the advantage of time over money and headed into the terminal. I wanted to get there early because I had heard about the security and how finnicky they are getting. And indeed, because I was wearing a metallic belt and the visual scanner detects metal, I got frisked. This security dude in this screechy voice goes "I need to feel two inches inside your waistband all the way around." If they have to do that, fine, but can't I have a little say over who feels inside my pants?
Anyway, I took a 6 AM American Eagle flight and it was a stress-free flight, the plane was half empty. I was pleased because there is so little legroom on those Eagle planes and I needed some space. The woman next to me moved out to another room quickly and I slept the whole 90 minutes. But about halfway through my walk from the plane to ground transportation, I felt a chill run through me. I knew Dad would not be standing there, waiting to pick me up. It just did not seem normal, it was just sad. But there is a future, and there is hope that one day, things will be right again.
Since I was paying extra to park and I had arrived into New Jersey earlier than anticipated, I decided to take the buses up to Paramus. There is an extra fee to the the NJ Transit train out of Newark Airport and it would have cost me about $15 total for the trip. It took a half hour for the 62 bus to arrive, which would take me into downtown Newark. It took another few minutes to get $1 bills, which I needed because these buses don't give change back. Otherwise, a $1.50 bus ride would have cost me $5. No good! After a 30 minute trip, we arrived at Newark Penn Station. It wasn't the most pleasant place to be. While waiting for the 76L to Hackensack, three different people asked me for handouts. One of them asked if I was in college. I don't know, maybe it was the backpack I had on. The trip took us through Newark, Kearny (got a view of the NYC skyline), Lyndhurst, Rutherford, East Rutherford (got a great shot of the NMS), Carlstadt (spotted an old Krauszer's deli, still offering the coffee and buttered roll for 99 cents), and Wood-Ridge, before hitting Hackensack. What's funny was during the end of the plane ride that morning, I could see the high school with the purple Wood-Ridge logo in the end zone. And then we drove through the town. After an hour and 15 minutes, we hit downtown Hackensack; it must have been around 10:45.
I was waiting for the 751 or 755. The board in the tiny terminal building (2 rows of benches, a concession/ticket stand, and the bathrooms) said the next one of those to the Bergen Town Center would leave around 11:40 and another one after that at 11:45. Well, the 11:40 got delayed until 12:15. It took until 11:50 for the bus to fianlly come. Chances are I could have walked in 40-45 minutes what turned out to be a 15 or 20 minute bus ride. At one point, we were stopped at a red light on Main St. As I looked ahead and to my right, I could see the outside edge of a yellow building. Indeed, it was the Poitin Still, where the Blueshirt Banter viewing party would be going on later that day. I could even seen the white party banner hanging outside, advertising the Rangers legends as well.
So we made a left on Spring Valley and drove 1.5 miles to the Bergen Town Center. I had barely eaten all day so I walked straight into Bobby Flay's Burger Palace. I ordered the Crunchified Philly Burger with hot red cherry peppers, griddled onions, and provolone cheese along with sweet potato fries, and a vanilla shake. I found a spot at one of the three U-shaped bars. They brought out the shake first. The straw was so wide, it could have been used for plumbing pipes. The shake was very thick and had real whipped cream. Had a very intense vanilla flavor too. I'm not a big shake guy, but what the hell, after all that travel, I felt like a treat. Then, the food arrived. The first thing I noticed was the roll. It was a sesame seed bun, not too thick that it would overwhelm the burger, not thin enough that it would get soggy. It was soft, it tasted just perfect. The burger was maybe 1/3 pound, the provolone was totally melted, there were tons of onions and peppers, and quite a few potato chips, which added the crunch. I threw on a little yellow mustard and got going. The meat was very juicy and I could taste with the charred outside that it was cooked on a flat top grill. The chips didn't really have any seasoning on them, but added a nice touch. The fries came with a hint of sea salt and had crisp flavor to them. They came with horseradish homey mustard that I wasn't thrilled with. It tasted too much like dijon, and though I'm not particularly opposed to dijon, it can taste very powerful. I had some of that but I also dipped them in their chipotle ketchup as well. Thankfully, I got a pickle spear as well. All in all, a very good experience, I would recommend BBP.
It felt like I hd been awake forever, but it was still only 12:30, so I had a ton of time to hang out. Since it was Black Friday, there wasn't exactly ample space to walk around, I'm just glad I did not have to drive in the traffic around the mall! This one-level mall is kind of middle class, with one or two fancy places, so at least you don't feel like you need a membership card or parking permit just to walk in the doors. Some malls feel that way to me, especially in the Northeast (Shops at Riverside, Short Hills). Anyway, I walked through Target, Nordstrom Rack, and Century 21 for maybe 45 minutes, but didn't buy anything. I did pick up a couple of Jets bracelets at one of those mall stands though. I passed by a jugglign unicyclist, which was a nice touch for the holiday season. I walked around Whole Foods for a while. They have some things in there that I have never seen other Whole Foods stores before. Juice cups, a full fresh pasta display, and these huge bakery pretzels. Very tempting. I was checking out the seafood section and the man asked if he could get me anything. I said "If I lived in this time zone..." Ah well.
It was only 1:30 by the time I had covered the whole mall. So after a ton of traveling, walking, and waiting, I plopped down in one of the mall chairs, turned on my Ipod, and slept for a good hour. And I was out of it. I'm sure the various people sitting in the other seven chairs in our square got a little chuckle out of it. So I woke up and really felt like a drink. I would have gone for an Arnold Palmer from Starbucks, but they don't have one of those in the BTC. I headed back into Whole Foods and was very happy to find a bottle Tazo Giant Peach tea, one of my favorite drinks in the world. I guzzled it with gusto, headed out the door, and began my 1.5 mile walk east to Poitin Still.
I walked in to this Irish pub, and as soon as I walked in, I saw an oval shaped bar in the middle of the main room, it holds maybe 40 people. I looked to my left and the guys were setting everything up for the live radio show. The Mouth was there with Mrs. Mouth, also there was Costa the Crazy Greek, the Simos clan (Eeeeeeva, Claude, and Peter), and Ricky O. I got a pretty good reception as I walked in, I think people were still surprised I actually showed up. Before long, we had Jon Newman and Stacie, Jimmy S (along with Calamity Jen and Megan), Zach, Jackie Lomba (the Rangers/Hawks fan), Kristen F, Tom, Dave Shapiro, Paul L, Nick Montagena, Frosty and Karen, Coochie Wallie, and later, Pat the Laundry Guy, and even Dancing Larry! And those are just the ones I remember.
I drank a pair of Brooklyn Lagers, which I have to say, seemed to taste different than I remembered them at John's Pizzeria. A little hoppier, I guess. Still enjoyed them. The Rangers alumni of Nick Fotiu (who offered to shake MY hand!!!), Ron Greschner, and Chris Kotsopolous were in attendance and signed autographs for the masses, and for $35 total. We watched some videos of some old hockey fights from the 70's and 80's, back when players could actually hit each other!
We took a ton of pictures with each other and sat down to eat. I had chicken fingers , which were so-so at best. Costa the Crazy Greek has one of the biggest appetites I have ever seen. He wolfed down a Gaelic steak with mushrooms, onions, and Guinness gravy and promptly threw in a slice of cheesecake for good measure. I also sat with Frosty and Karen who are the one of the nicest couples I have ever met. Zach and Newman are quite the characters. Never a dull moment with those two around. Kristen is very cool, but I guess she had a sore throat. Her voice was so deep and husky, it was like talking to Kathleen Turner! And it was nice to meet Jackie too. There is more to her than her Patrick "Kaner" Kane crush and the ALL CAPS TYPING. At the end of the day, she really is neat. I think the best part is these people are not just photos, or voices, or words on a facebook chat. They really feel like actual people to me and that helps to make friendships that much stronger.
The live BB show began at 5 pm and I'm listening back to it now as I type. The first 20 minutes were torture to listen to with all the feedback! Jim's mike sucks! But it got worked out. The highlight had to be the live roll call. We all stood in front of the radio table as Eddie introduced us. I was maybe the fifth guy mentioned. I was floored how loud my ovation was. I was absolutely floored. I also met the Mouth's Dad and a few of his cousins who were sitting in one of the extra rooms down the hall and they were very nice.
The game went very well, with the Rangers getting the 3-0 win and Hank getting back to his winning ways. We left pretty soon after, as the bar had suddenly become overrun by clubbers. I left with Jackie, a Philly fan who I believe named Joe, and one other guy I can't remember. We talked hockey, Chicago vs NY, and all kinds of stuff, on my 45 minute ride to Newark Airport. I gave Jackie a kiss on the cheek, shook hands with da boyz, and headed inside Terminal A around 11:15.
Since I wanted to save $100 (and I only spent about 50 or 60 for the whole day anyway), I avoided the hotels, and just slept on the floor of the terminal. All the chairs were steel and the armrests could not be moved up, so I really had no other choice. I put my backpack next to me, laid on my left side, laid my winter coat under my head and elbows, and then placed my fleece sweatshirt under my hips and back. I lowered my Rangers hat over my face to reduce the lighting, and attempted to grab some shut-eye. Well, the cleaning crew came by. There was one woman driving the zamboni around to clean the floor. I woke up several times and finally around 2:30, I realized I was going to have to wake up. When I woke up, there were suddenly 20 or 30 people in the terminal as well. A lot of them were taking a 5:30 US Air flight to Charlotte. So I checked in for the flight and did some reading for a while. I headed down the escalator towards the security line and that got moving around 3:30.
I listened to a Jim Tomberlin sermon about the splitting of the Israel kingdom and the dangers to community for a while as I waited for the flight. The first piece of bad news came when the standby list appeared on the monitor and I was number 7 out of 7. Didn't feel great about that, but it didn't worry me much. The gate agent called me up to the counter and asked if I was dressed for first class. Translated, that means dress pants and a collared shirt. I had on faded jeans and my gray fleece sweatshirt. I explained it was a one-day trip so I didn't have the room. Her response: "You should have dressed for first class." How kind. So now I know I'm basically bumped. I asked her how the 7:20 flight looked, but I knew there would only be three more flights the rest of the day. She said there were about 10 seats open, but I was at the bottom of the standby list because of my ranking, or lack there of. By now, I started thinking to myself maybe I should take a shuttle to LaGuardia. So everyone boarded and during that time, they called up the Michaels family, which was four of the people on the list ahead of me. That was pretty good, at least the list had been reduced in half. About two minutes later, the agent called me and assigned me to seat 14C. I was quite surprised, in a delightful sort of way.
So I found my seat and as I was about to sit down, I saw the guy behind me had on a Chicago Bears Devin Hester jersey and a NY Yankees hat. What is up with that? Anyway, I sat down in my aisle seat in yet another cramped American Eagle plane. It may have been the same dang plane for all I know. Next to me sat this girl and somehow we struck up a conversation. Her name was Nona. She lives in Manhattan, studies journalism like me, and is planning to live in Beirut for awhile. And she was coming to Chicago for the week because her dad is a doctor and is participating in a major conference. She told me she had been shopping all of Black Friday, grabbed two hours of sleep, and was feeling really tired. For almost all of the 150 minutes of that flight, she twisted and turned all around her seat, just trying to get comfortable. I finally raised the arm rest up and leaned on one "cheek" towards the aisle, just to give her a little room. Then came the pocket slip... I can't say I was disappointed or anything, but with her travels, experience, and sharp wit, she seemed like a really interesting girl.
Finally, the landing gear was dropped and she came back to life. She had mentioned feeling hot, then cold, then hot again. I'm thinking this girl is so high maintenance, yet kind of amusing... And she also mentioned I seemed like a very "by the book" kind of guy. I said that I had mentioned I had slept on the floor of the terminal for 4 hours and she thinks I am "by the book"? Anyway, she had luggage to claim and was waiting for her ride, and the next thing I know, we're talking in the terminal about everything in the world for a full hour. Though I thought she appeared in good shape, she had mentioned she wasn't thrilled with her physical fitness. She just didn't feel disciplined in the gym. I turned her to Hebrews 12:11 and that really seemed to be what she needed. It's just strange how these things just come together sometimes. It can't be coincidence that I got on that plane and sat in that particular seat. Anyway, I helped her reclaim her luggage since we had taken so much time and I helped her unload the two "bodybags" into her friend's car.
Finally, I braved the 20 degree temperatures, got back to my car, and headed to the gym for some cardio and lifting. I went home to unpack and hit the grocery store. After catching up on some computer stuff and watching the beginning of Supercard of Honor 5, I was starting to feel a little bit bored. So I went upstairs around 3 pm to grab a nap in my own bed, which was so welcome after the previous night. And I remember this dream I was having. I was dreaming that I woke up for work at 11 a.m. and played it real casual. But I couldn't get that time out of my mind. 11 p.m. I suddenly woke up and looked at the clock. My red digital display said 11:00 p.m. Right on the dot. My nap lasted eight hours!
As of this moment, it is 2:30 AM and I'm listening back to the live BB show. And I feel like I could stay up all night right now. But I really do need to get my body back on its normal schedule by tonight. This has been one heck of a weekend. And later on, it's the Month of Dec party. To think I may not have even seen the most insane part of the weekend yet!
I woke up at 3 AM and was gone from the house by 3:30. My intention was to park in Lot G which costs about half the price of the standard remote lot E, which is the lot where the monorail begins. Of course, there are no signs for Lot G. So I took the advantage of time over money and headed into the terminal. I wanted to get there early because I had heard about the security and how finnicky they are getting. And indeed, because I was wearing a metallic belt and the visual scanner detects metal, I got frisked. This security dude in this screechy voice goes "I need to feel two inches inside your waistband all the way around." If they have to do that, fine, but can't I have a little say over who feels inside my pants?
Anyway, I took a 6 AM American Eagle flight and it was a stress-free flight, the plane was half empty. I was pleased because there is so little legroom on those Eagle planes and I needed some space. The woman next to me moved out to another room quickly and I slept the whole 90 minutes. But about halfway through my walk from the plane to ground transportation, I felt a chill run through me. I knew Dad would not be standing there, waiting to pick me up. It just did not seem normal, it was just sad. But there is a future, and there is hope that one day, things will be right again.
Since I was paying extra to park and I had arrived into New Jersey earlier than anticipated, I decided to take the buses up to Paramus. There is an extra fee to the the NJ Transit train out of Newark Airport and it would have cost me about $15 total for the trip. It took a half hour for the 62 bus to arrive, which would take me into downtown Newark. It took another few minutes to get $1 bills, which I needed because these buses don't give change back. Otherwise, a $1.50 bus ride would have cost me $5. No good! After a 30 minute trip, we arrived at Newark Penn Station. It wasn't the most pleasant place to be. While waiting for the 76L to Hackensack, three different people asked me for handouts. One of them asked if I was in college. I don't know, maybe it was the backpack I had on. The trip took us through Newark, Kearny (got a view of the NYC skyline), Lyndhurst, Rutherford, East Rutherford (got a great shot of the NMS), Carlstadt (spotted an old Krauszer's deli, still offering the coffee and buttered roll for 99 cents), and Wood-Ridge, before hitting Hackensack. What's funny was during the end of the plane ride that morning, I could see the high school with the purple Wood-Ridge logo in the end zone. And then we drove through the town. After an hour and 15 minutes, we hit downtown Hackensack; it must have been around 10:45.
I was waiting for the 751 or 755. The board in the tiny terminal building (2 rows of benches, a concession/ticket stand, and the bathrooms) said the next one of those to the Bergen Town Center would leave around 11:40 and another one after that at 11:45. Well, the 11:40 got delayed until 12:15. It took until 11:50 for the bus to fianlly come. Chances are I could have walked in 40-45 minutes what turned out to be a 15 or 20 minute bus ride. At one point, we were stopped at a red light on Main St. As I looked ahead and to my right, I could see the outside edge of a yellow building. Indeed, it was the Poitin Still, where the Blueshirt Banter viewing party would be going on later that day. I could even seen the white party banner hanging outside, advertising the Rangers legends as well.
So we made a left on Spring Valley and drove 1.5 miles to the Bergen Town Center. I had barely eaten all day so I walked straight into Bobby Flay's Burger Palace. I ordered the Crunchified Philly Burger with hot red cherry peppers, griddled onions, and provolone cheese along with sweet potato fries, and a vanilla shake. I found a spot at one of the three U-shaped bars. They brought out the shake first. The straw was so wide, it could have been used for plumbing pipes. The shake was very thick and had real whipped cream. Had a very intense vanilla flavor too. I'm not a big shake guy, but what the hell, after all that travel, I felt like a treat. Then, the food arrived. The first thing I noticed was the roll. It was a sesame seed bun, not too thick that it would overwhelm the burger, not thin enough that it would get soggy. It was soft, it tasted just perfect. The burger was maybe 1/3 pound, the provolone was totally melted, there were tons of onions and peppers, and quite a few potato chips, which added the crunch. I threw on a little yellow mustard and got going. The meat was very juicy and I could taste with the charred outside that it was cooked on a flat top grill. The chips didn't really have any seasoning on them, but added a nice touch. The fries came with a hint of sea salt and had crisp flavor to them. They came with horseradish homey mustard that I wasn't thrilled with. It tasted too much like dijon, and though I'm not particularly opposed to dijon, it can taste very powerful. I had some of that but I also dipped them in their chipotle ketchup as well. Thankfully, I got a pickle spear as well. All in all, a very good experience, I would recommend BBP.
It felt like I hd been awake forever, but it was still only 12:30, so I had a ton of time to hang out. Since it was Black Friday, there wasn't exactly ample space to walk around, I'm just glad I did not have to drive in the traffic around the mall! This one-level mall is kind of middle class, with one or two fancy places, so at least you don't feel like you need a membership card or parking permit just to walk in the doors. Some malls feel that way to me, especially in the Northeast (Shops at Riverside, Short Hills). Anyway, I walked through Target, Nordstrom Rack, and Century 21 for maybe 45 minutes, but didn't buy anything. I did pick up a couple of Jets bracelets at one of those mall stands though. I passed by a jugglign unicyclist, which was a nice touch for the holiday season. I walked around Whole Foods for a while. They have some things in there that I have never seen other Whole Foods stores before. Juice cups, a full fresh pasta display, and these huge bakery pretzels. Very tempting. I was checking out the seafood section and the man asked if he could get me anything. I said "If I lived in this time zone..." Ah well.
It was only 1:30 by the time I had covered the whole mall. So after a ton of traveling, walking, and waiting, I plopped down in one of the mall chairs, turned on my Ipod, and slept for a good hour. And I was out of it. I'm sure the various people sitting in the other seven chairs in our square got a little chuckle out of it. So I woke up and really felt like a drink. I would have gone for an Arnold Palmer from Starbucks, but they don't have one of those in the BTC. I headed back into Whole Foods and was very happy to find a bottle Tazo Giant Peach tea, one of my favorite drinks in the world. I guzzled it with gusto, headed out the door, and began my 1.5 mile walk east to Poitin Still.
I walked in to this Irish pub, and as soon as I walked in, I saw an oval shaped bar in the middle of the main room, it holds maybe 40 people. I looked to my left and the guys were setting everything up for the live radio show. The Mouth was there with Mrs. Mouth, also there was Costa the Crazy Greek, the Simos clan (Eeeeeeva, Claude, and Peter), and Ricky O. I got a pretty good reception as I walked in, I think people were still surprised I actually showed up. Before long, we had Jon Newman and Stacie, Jimmy S (along with Calamity Jen and Megan), Zach, Jackie Lomba (the Rangers/Hawks fan), Kristen F, Tom, Dave Shapiro, Paul L, Nick Montagena, Frosty and Karen, Coochie Wallie, and later, Pat the Laundry Guy, and even Dancing Larry! And those are just the ones I remember.
I drank a pair of Brooklyn Lagers, which I have to say, seemed to taste different than I remembered them at John's Pizzeria. A little hoppier, I guess. Still enjoyed them. The Rangers alumni of Nick Fotiu (who offered to shake MY hand!!!), Ron Greschner, and Chris Kotsopolous were in attendance and signed autographs for the masses, and for $35 total. We watched some videos of some old hockey fights from the 70's and 80's, back when players could actually hit each other!
We took a ton of pictures with each other and sat down to eat. I had chicken fingers , which were so-so at best. Costa the Crazy Greek has one of the biggest appetites I have ever seen. He wolfed down a Gaelic steak with mushrooms, onions, and Guinness gravy and promptly threw in a slice of cheesecake for good measure. I also sat with Frosty and Karen who are the one of the nicest couples I have ever met. Zach and Newman are quite the characters. Never a dull moment with those two around. Kristen is very cool, but I guess she had a sore throat. Her voice was so deep and husky, it was like talking to Kathleen Turner! And it was nice to meet Jackie too. There is more to her than her Patrick "Kaner" Kane crush and the ALL CAPS TYPING. At the end of the day, she really is neat. I think the best part is these people are not just photos, or voices, or words on a facebook chat. They really feel like actual people to me and that helps to make friendships that much stronger.
The live BB show began at 5 pm and I'm listening back to it now as I type. The first 20 minutes were torture to listen to with all the feedback! Jim's mike sucks! But it got worked out. The highlight had to be the live roll call. We all stood in front of the radio table as Eddie introduced us. I was maybe the fifth guy mentioned. I was floored how loud my ovation was. I was absolutely floored. I also met the Mouth's Dad and a few of his cousins who were sitting in one of the extra rooms down the hall and they were very nice.
The game went very well, with the Rangers getting the 3-0 win and Hank getting back to his winning ways. We left pretty soon after, as the bar had suddenly become overrun by clubbers. I left with Jackie, a Philly fan who I believe named Joe, and one other guy I can't remember. We talked hockey, Chicago vs NY, and all kinds of stuff, on my 45 minute ride to Newark Airport. I gave Jackie a kiss on the cheek, shook hands with da boyz, and headed inside Terminal A around 11:15.
Since I wanted to save $100 (and I only spent about 50 or 60 for the whole day anyway), I avoided the hotels, and just slept on the floor of the terminal. All the chairs were steel and the armrests could not be moved up, so I really had no other choice. I put my backpack next to me, laid on my left side, laid my winter coat under my head and elbows, and then placed my fleece sweatshirt under my hips and back. I lowered my Rangers hat over my face to reduce the lighting, and attempted to grab some shut-eye. Well, the cleaning crew came by. There was one woman driving the zamboni around to clean the floor. I woke up several times and finally around 2:30, I realized I was going to have to wake up. When I woke up, there were suddenly 20 or 30 people in the terminal as well. A lot of them were taking a 5:30 US Air flight to Charlotte. So I checked in for the flight and did some reading for a while. I headed down the escalator towards the security line and that got moving around 3:30.
I listened to a Jim Tomberlin sermon about the splitting of the Israel kingdom and the dangers to community for a while as I waited for the flight. The first piece of bad news came when the standby list appeared on the monitor and I was number 7 out of 7. Didn't feel great about that, but it didn't worry me much. The gate agent called me up to the counter and asked if I was dressed for first class. Translated, that means dress pants and a collared shirt. I had on faded jeans and my gray fleece sweatshirt. I explained it was a one-day trip so I didn't have the room. Her response: "You should have dressed for first class." How kind. So now I know I'm basically bumped. I asked her how the 7:20 flight looked, but I knew there would only be three more flights the rest of the day. She said there were about 10 seats open, but I was at the bottom of the standby list because of my ranking, or lack there of. By now, I started thinking to myself maybe I should take a shuttle to LaGuardia. So everyone boarded and during that time, they called up the Michaels family, which was four of the people on the list ahead of me. That was pretty good, at least the list had been reduced in half. About two minutes later, the agent called me and assigned me to seat 14C. I was quite surprised, in a delightful sort of way.
So I found my seat and as I was about to sit down, I saw the guy behind me had on a Chicago Bears Devin Hester jersey and a NY Yankees hat. What is up with that? Anyway, I sat down in my aisle seat in yet another cramped American Eagle plane. It may have been the same dang plane for all I know. Next to me sat this girl and somehow we struck up a conversation. Her name was Nona. She lives in Manhattan, studies journalism like me, and is planning to live in Beirut for awhile. And she was coming to Chicago for the week because her dad is a doctor and is participating in a major conference. She told me she had been shopping all of Black Friday, grabbed two hours of sleep, and was feeling really tired. For almost all of the 150 minutes of that flight, she twisted and turned all around her seat, just trying to get comfortable. I finally raised the arm rest up and leaned on one "cheek" towards the aisle, just to give her a little room. Then came the pocket slip... I can't say I was disappointed or anything, but with her travels, experience, and sharp wit, she seemed like a really interesting girl.
Finally, the landing gear was dropped and she came back to life. She had mentioned feeling hot, then cold, then hot again. I'm thinking this girl is so high maintenance, yet kind of amusing... And she also mentioned I seemed like a very "by the book" kind of guy. I said that I had mentioned I had slept on the floor of the terminal for 4 hours and she thinks I am "by the book"? Anyway, she had luggage to claim and was waiting for her ride, and the next thing I know, we're talking in the terminal about everything in the world for a full hour. Though I thought she appeared in good shape, she had mentioned she wasn't thrilled with her physical fitness. She just didn't feel disciplined in the gym. I turned her to Hebrews 12:11 and that really seemed to be what she needed. It's just strange how these things just come together sometimes. It can't be coincidence that I got on that plane and sat in that particular seat. Anyway, I helped her reclaim her luggage since we had taken so much time and I helped her unload the two "bodybags" into her friend's car.
Finally, I braved the 20 degree temperatures, got back to my car, and headed to the gym for some cardio and lifting. I went home to unpack and hit the grocery store. After catching up on some computer stuff and watching the beginning of Supercard of Honor 5, I was starting to feel a little bit bored. So I went upstairs around 3 pm to grab a nap in my own bed, which was so welcome after the previous night. And I remember this dream I was having. I was dreaming that I woke up for work at 11 a.m. and played it real casual. But I couldn't get that time out of my mind. 11 p.m. I suddenly woke up and looked at the clock. My red digital display said 11:00 p.m. Right on the dot. My nap lasted eight hours!
As of this moment, it is 2:30 AM and I'm listening back to the live BB show. And I feel like I could stay up all night right now. But I really do need to get my body back on its normal schedule by tonight. This has been one heck of a weekend. And later on, it's the Month of Dec party. To think I may not have even seen the most insane part of the weekend yet!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Twisted
That CT conversation may have been one of the most kind, yet absolutely awkward of my life. I'm trying to value them, but they get more and more difficult as time goes by.
I feel tonight I should have a lot to say. I think that right now I'm typing not because I'm inspired by a thought, by a person, or anything like that, but because it's my duty. That doesn't seem like the most organic method.
1) I have given up on the Jets twice in two weeks. Each time they have won in the last 15 seconds. Either I am a fool and need to learn my lesson or I should keep walking away towards the end of a game.
2) Nevertheless, the Jets are tied for the league lead in wins. I love Santonio Holmes and David Harris, am starting to seriously believe in Mark Sanchez, and hate how this defense continues to regress. Although I think I saw something no homo sapien has ever reported. And I think I was mentally stable at the time. I had to count my fingers, blink a few times, breathe deeply in and out. But did I see Vernon Gholston actually touch a quarterback?
3) And that damn Peyton Manning would have given us first place all by our lonesome if not for a horrible INT at the end of the game in Foxboro. I guess the Jets will just have to take care of this themselves.
4) The Mets have hired Terry Collins as their new manager. I am not excited about it. But I will give it time. The big question is what will Sandy, JP, and Paul do in terms of player personnel in a season where they have so little money to spend and there are seemingly so few quality free agents available.
5) Ellen gave her faith story in church today, speaking about our time in Kentucky. She referenced me. She said that on the trip she was a little uncomfortable that the next youngest person was almost twice her age. After the service, I told her that I appreciate she included the word "almost".
6) Rookie's Godfather pizza is one of the best I have ever had. Sausage, roast beef, onion, tomato, and hot giardinare.
7) Three days of work this week. I am really excited for Thanksgiving. We'll be going back to Weber Grille. Unlike 2 years ago when I did this, I hope I won't have the flu that day.
8) Hackensack, I can't wait...9) I thank Pastor Brian for teaching us today that there is a significant difference between feeling thankful and giving thanks. Also, perhaps our praise and worship is not complete if we have not thanked God for a blessing we have received.
10) I am 0-for-5 in typing the word h-a-v-e correctly in this post...
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Mindy, Evanston and a deli
So I take off from work around 4 p.m. and begin the drive down 90, then north on 294 for a few minutes, before a long drive east on Dempster. For dinner, I thought about Flat Top Grill, or a local Asian place (Evanston is littered with those). Maybe Tommy Nevin's, a local Irish pub. But on Mom's recommendation, I went with Kauffman's deli in Skokie. Since Skokie is a very Jewish town and has a famous bakery, it seemed like a good idea. I went with the the NJ bypass special, a double decker loaded with hot pastrami and corned beef and I added Swiss cheese and brown mustard on caraway rye bread. But they have four different cuts of corned beef, a fattier cut and two leaner cuts, something I had never seen before. And good job by the staff, throwing in free pickle spears. The only thing missing was cans of Dr. Brown's soda. Most Jewish delis carry them. I remember at Harold's, Katz's, or on the 86th St in Brooklyn, Dad would always go with the diet black cherry, I was fine with root beer. In his case, I went with Coke and BBQ chips.
The sandwich wasn't as huge as I thought it might be, so I finished it pretty easily. I liked the grainy mustard as well as there being several slices of cheese. The meat was very juicy, not too much seasoning, so I added some black pepper.
As I was eating at this tiny countertop in the bakery section of the deli, this woman comes from behind the bakery and places something wrapped in plastic next to me. I thanked her and took a look as she walked away. It was a brownie, so since I'm no chocolate guy, I took it to go. As I scoured the numerous shelves in the bakery, I noticed this golden brown twisting stick. I asked what it was and they told me it was a puff pastry, I can't remember the exact name. But they gave me one for free and I enjoyed it. Of course, I walked out with a dozen bagels as well! Just a shame they had already run out of rye bagels.
So then I headed 5 miles east into Evanston. I parked in a Jewel Osco, and there aren't many space to grab, about a block down the street from SPACE. I thought it was pretty cool that the Jewel Osco had a Whole Foods right across the street from it. So since I hadn't spent much time in Evanston before, I walked north on Chicago Ave and around the city for about a half hour. I was struck by how much it felt like a major city. A lot of high-rise buildings, fancy restaurants, a lot of very unique architecture. The gothic look of many of the churches caught my eye as well. It felt like Boston, to an extent. It was just a bit nippy out, I did have to tuck my hands inside my Jets jacket.
Eventually, I walked back into the building that includes SPACE as well as the Union pizzeria. The place was already mobbed and I spotted 2 empty seats out of 30 at the U-shaped bar. Well, one empty seat, some corporate dude had one reserved for his laptop. I don't know, maybe the computer had been overworked and it needed a rest, whatever. So I took a seat, next to this one woman, who immediately offered me a slice of her Neapolitan pizza, which included shrimp, pineapple, cilantro, and jalapenos. I can handle spicy, but these peppers were really hot! I felt the burn for at least five minutes after just that one slice! And this girl was from Texas, so I guess she is used to that kind of thing.
So we chatted for maybe 45 minutes about work, my Kentucky trip, her kid, heat in Texas vs Illinois, etc. I guess she's an occupational therapist and is in town for 10 days for a conference. Around 7, I got in line for the show. I got a GA ticket, and got a spot off to the side about 8 feet from the stage. I chatted with a few couples around me, most of whom had never seen Mindy Smith perform live. Unlike the show in DeKalb, where she had a full band, she did this show alone, with just an acoustic guitar.
Set list
1. Out Loud
2. What Went Wrong
3. Highs and Lows
4. Raggedy Ann
5. Hurricane
6. Love Lost
7. If I Didn't Know Any Better
8. What Love Can Do
9. One Moment More
10. Tennessee
11. Fighting For It All
12. Jolene
14. Santa Will Find You
15. Long Island Shores
16. Come to Jesus
There were plenty of guitar tuning issues, but whatever. The best part was one drunk in the back calling for "Jolene." Mindy mutters "Ugh, I have to sing about that bitch again!" For songs, I was hoping, but didn't expect to hear "Surface" and I didn't.
I would have liked to have stayed and chatted with her again, but with 200 people packing the room, I felt the night had lasted long enough. I took off at 10:45 and got in home just before midnight.
The sandwich wasn't as huge as I thought it might be, so I finished it pretty easily. I liked the grainy mustard as well as there being several slices of cheese. The meat was very juicy, not too much seasoning, so I added some black pepper.
As I was eating at this tiny countertop in the bakery section of the deli, this woman comes from behind the bakery and places something wrapped in plastic next to me. I thanked her and took a look as she walked away. It was a brownie, so since I'm no chocolate guy, I took it to go. As I scoured the numerous shelves in the bakery, I noticed this golden brown twisting stick. I asked what it was and they told me it was a puff pastry, I can't remember the exact name. But they gave me one for free and I enjoyed it. Of course, I walked out with a dozen bagels as well! Just a shame they had already run out of rye bagels.
So then I headed 5 miles east into Evanston. I parked in a Jewel Osco, and there aren't many space to grab, about a block down the street from SPACE. I thought it was pretty cool that the Jewel Osco had a Whole Foods right across the street from it. So since I hadn't spent much time in Evanston before, I walked north on Chicago Ave and around the city for about a half hour. I was struck by how much it felt like a major city. A lot of high-rise buildings, fancy restaurants, a lot of very unique architecture. The gothic look of many of the churches caught my eye as well. It felt like Boston, to an extent. It was just a bit nippy out, I did have to tuck my hands inside my Jets jacket.
Eventually, I walked back into the building that includes SPACE as well as the Union pizzeria. The place was already mobbed and I spotted 2 empty seats out of 30 at the U-shaped bar. Well, one empty seat, some corporate dude had one reserved for his laptop. I don't know, maybe the computer had been overworked and it needed a rest, whatever. So I took a seat, next to this one woman, who immediately offered me a slice of her Neapolitan pizza, which included shrimp, pineapple, cilantro, and jalapenos. I can handle spicy, but these peppers were really hot! I felt the burn for at least five minutes after just that one slice! And this girl was from Texas, so I guess she is used to that kind of thing.
So we chatted for maybe 45 minutes about work, my Kentucky trip, her kid, heat in Texas vs Illinois, etc. I guess she's an occupational therapist and is in town for 10 days for a conference. Around 7, I got in line for the show. I got a GA ticket, and got a spot off to the side about 8 feet from the stage. I chatted with a few couples around me, most of whom had never seen Mindy Smith perform live. Unlike the show in DeKalb, where she had a full band, she did this show alone, with just an acoustic guitar.
Set list
1. Out Loud
2. What Went Wrong
3. Highs and Lows
4. Raggedy Ann
5. Hurricane
6. Love Lost
7. If I Didn't Know Any Better
8. What Love Can Do
9. One Moment More
10. Tennessee
11. Fighting For It All
12. Jolene
Encore
13. Ahead of Myself14. Santa Will Find You
15. Long Island Shores
16. Come to Jesus
There were plenty of guitar tuning issues, but whatever. The best part was one drunk in the back calling for "Jolene." Mindy mutters "Ugh, I have to sing about that bitch again!" For songs, I was hoping, but didn't expect to hear "Surface" and I didn't.
I would have liked to have stayed and chatted with her again, but with 200 people packing the room, I felt the night had lasted long enough. I took off at 10:45 and got in home just before midnight.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Top Rex Ryan Quotes
After a tough loss to Washington (Rangers drop to 2-5-1 in MSG), I watched the 30-minute Rex Ryan SFX special on the NFL Network. It captured many of Rex' best lines from the sidelines, encompassing just over a season and a half. Here is my dirty dozen list, dirty, because the censors are off, and dozen, because I just cannot narrow this down to just ten.
12. This is gonna be a fun one. Rock 'em, sock 'em robots today
11. But he (Mulligan) can keep whippin' his ass in the backfield, right?
10. He (Kaeding) already missed two. Three strikes homeboy and you're out. He missed it! He missed it! He missed! Yeah!
9. Norv, I'm the opposite. I blow up, you slim down.
8. We know we've got a great defense. We believe in our philosophy of ground 'n' pound.
7. Time out! Time out! That's a long sprint for me. I gotta get my damn track shoes on!
6. They can't hit our fuckin' quarterback like that! That's fuckin bullshit! Number 33!
5. I called that time out! Next time, I'll stand right on top of you.
4. Bam! That's Jet football! That's Jets football baby! Way to go Shonn!
3. We're going for it! We're going for it! We're going for it! Win the game right here!
2. That's the game! That's the fuckin' game! That's New York Jets football! That's New York Jets football!
1. Play like Jets, we'll kick their ass and go onto the Super Bowl!
12. This is gonna be a fun one. Rock 'em, sock 'em robots today
11. But he (Mulligan) can keep whippin' his ass in the backfield, right?
10. He (Kaeding) already missed two. Three strikes homeboy and you're out. He missed it! He missed it! He missed! Yeah!
9. Norv, I'm the opposite. I blow up, you slim down.
8. We know we've got a great defense. We believe in our philosophy of ground 'n' pound.
7. Time out! Time out! That's a long sprint for me. I gotta get my damn track shoes on!
6. They can't hit our fuckin' quarterback like that! That's fuckin bullshit! Number 33!
5. I called that time out! Next time, I'll stand right on top of you.
4. Bam! That's Jet football! That's Jets football baby! Way to go Shonn!
3. We're going for it! We're going for it! We're going for it! Win the game right here!
2. That's the game! That's the fuckin' game! That's New York Jets football! That's New York Jets football!
1. Play like Jets, we'll kick their ass and go onto the Super Bowl!
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Breathing again
Today's Jets game was one of the wildest, craziest, heart-pounding days I have spent. And the Jets have given me a lot of games like that this season, not to mention over the last 20 years. The difference is I can't recall a Jets team with this kind of resolve and resilience that finds ways to win games that they don't deserve to.
I was driving in the car and found out there that the Lions found the end zone on their first drive. The Jets got called on three penalites, extending the drive over and over again. Already I'm going insane. And the Jets offense was still sputtering just like last week as they would punt on their first four possessions. They did get the ball in the red zone in the second quarter, but thanks to Sanchez fumbling the 3rd down snap, they had to settle for a 31-yard field goal from Nick Folk.
On their next possession, they started on their own 25 with 1:50 remaining. First play, Damian Woody gets schooled by Avril and Sanchez gets sacked. Loss of nine! Tomlinson gets 10 yards back on a run, setting up 3rd and 9. Sanchez, protected very well in the shotgun, unleashes a bomb down the left sideline. Braylon Edwards has a step on the D-back, Alphonso Smith, for what seems like five minutes. The ball finally falls down into his arms and he walks into the end zone. The Jets take a 10-7 lead into halftime and I am feeling good. the Lions had outplayed the Jet for 28 of 30 minutes, but I felt the Jets had awoke from their slumber and now were ready to seize control.
Let's go to the second half. On the fourth play of the drive, Edwards catches a short pass, but safety Louis Delmas rips the ball right out of his hands. That's the third time that has happened in two weeks to a Jet WR. The Lions march right down the field and Matthew Stafford sneaks the ball in from the 1-yard line and the Lions lead. But with Jason Hanson, their kicker, injured, the rookie sensation defensive tackle N. "I will not attempt to spell his first name" Suh comes into kick. He doinks it off the right upright and that one missed point would prove pivotal.
The Jets take the ball back and a 13-yard run by Tomlinson gets wiped out by an illegal formation penalty on Wayne Hunter. Just 1 of 11 Jets penalties. But Sanchez comes back, immediately finding Holmes for a 21-yard gain. Laterin the drive, a 17-yard pass to Dustin Keller, who after not catching a pass in the first half, would emerge more and more as the game wore on. But a long bomb would be intercepted on the 1. Essentially, that's a great punt. Down three points, I was not torn up over that one. Each team would punt and then the Lions go on a drive that I thought would put the game away. On a 3rd and 6, Nate Burleson caught a 36-yard pass. A pass interference call on Eric Smith put the ball on the Jets 1, instead of a 3rd and 5 on the 28. Stafford throws a short TD pass to Burleson and it was 20-10 Detroit with 12 minutes left. The Jets then get one first down before having to punt and Detroit took over from their own 8 with under 7 minutes remaining in the game. I am full of despair, but I know a few things about the Lions. They are gritty and they play hard. But this team has not learned to close game out yet. They are not mature enough to win these tight games.
On 2nd and 11, Stafford scrambles and gets dragged down from behind by Bryan Thomas. Immediately, Stafford clutched his right shoulder. He had to leave the game and Drew Stanton took his place. Te Jets forced the 3 and out, leaving them just 4:30 to score at least 10 points. And here is where Mark Sanchez took over. Cotchery for 18, Keller for 6, LDT for 6, Keller leaping for a big gain of 25, putting the ball on the Lions 6. LDT runs for 5 and Sanchez takes it in and it's 20-17. Of course, it was too close a call and the refs let 20 critical seconds run off the clock.
With one TO and the 2-minute warning, the Jets kicked off, which I agreed with. They could not let the Lions get a first down, but I felt pretty good they wouldn't. First play: Jhavid Best loses two on a run and then on 2nd down, gains 6. So after the 2-minute warning and the Jets out of timeouts, it's 3rd and 6. And Coach Jim Schwartz calls a play action fake with a backup QB. the ball is passed too low and the fullback can't hold on. The Jets are saved 30 huge seconds.
So with 1:40, the Jets start on their own 22. Two plays gain just one yard. And Sanchez hits Keller for 11 yards and a huge first down. A pass to LDT for 11, and then came a pass to LDT that gained just one. But here's the second place the Lions shot themselves. Their veteran linebacker Julian Peterson drills LDT well out of bounds. This one was too obvious to not call. A 15-yard penalty and the Jets have the ball on the Detroit 28, well within field goal range. Two runs gain 10 yards and in comes Folk with five seconds left to kick the tying field goal. The snap was off, but Steve Weatherford recovered and Folk drilled it through from 36 yards. Overtime!
With the Lions missing a QB and kicker, this seemed too easy. When the Jets won the toss, I knew it wasn't a given, but I could not see them losing it now. From the Jets 32, Sanchez finds Holmes AGAIN! for a 52 yard gain. LDT ran twice and then Folk, who is known for kicking longer field goals better than short ones, ran onto the field again. From 30 yards out, he drilled it down the middle and I am celebrating.
But wait! Flag on the field! Nah, it's ok, it was a personal foul on Detroit, the field goal was good, and the Jets had secured an improbable 23-20 win in the Motor City.
The Jets had no right winning this game. They played great for about 10 of 60 minutes in regulation. And Detroit had some injuries and also made some stupid decisions, by coaching staff and players alike. But they did win. They are now 6-2, and if they can learn to stop taking stupid penalties and maybe if the offensive coordinator can not call such predictable game plans, this team can do something very special.
And these referees were beyond putrid. I think of the personal foul on Shaun Ellis where he hit Stafford while he was still in bounds, that cost the Jets 15 yards.
All in all, I feel good. I feel relieved. I thank Cleveland for spanking New England. Now we're coming to Cleveland to beat them. Wish I could be there too...
I was driving in the car and found out there that the Lions found the end zone on their first drive. The Jets got called on three penalites, extending the drive over and over again. Already I'm going insane. And the Jets offense was still sputtering just like last week as they would punt on their first four possessions. They did get the ball in the red zone in the second quarter, but thanks to Sanchez fumbling the 3rd down snap, they had to settle for a 31-yard field goal from Nick Folk.
On their next possession, they started on their own 25 with 1:50 remaining. First play, Damian Woody gets schooled by Avril and Sanchez gets sacked. Loss of nine! Tomlinson gets 10 yards back on a run, setting up 3rd and 9. Sanchez, protected very well in the shotgun, unleashes a bomb down the left sideline. Braylon Edwards has a step on the D-back, Alphonso Smith, for what seems like five minutes. The ball finally falls down into his arms and he walks into the end zone. The Jets take a 10-7 lead into halftime and I am feeling good. the Lions had outplayed the Jet for 28 of 30 minutes, but I felt the Jets had awoke from their slumber and now were ready to seize control.
Let's go to the second half. On the fourth play of the drive, Edwards catches a short pass, but safety Louis Delmas rips the ball right out of his hands. That's the third time that has happened in two weeks to a Jet WR. The Lions march right down the field and Matthew Stafford sneaks the ball in from the 1-yard line and the Lions lead. But with Jason Hanson, their kicker, injured, the rookie sensation defensive tackle N. "I will not attempt to spell his first name" Suh comes into kick. He doinks it off the right upright and that one missed point would prove pivotal.
The Jets take the ball back and a 13-yard run by Tomlinson gets wiped out by an illegal formation penalty on Wayne Hunter. Just 1 of 11 Jets penalties. But Sanchez comes back, immediately finding Holmes for a 21-yard gain. Laterin the drive, a 17-yard pass to Dustin Keller, who after not catching a pass in the first half, would emerge more and more as the game wore on. But a long bomb would be intercepted on the 1. Essentially, that's a great punt. Down three points, I was not torn up over that one. Each team would punt and then the Lions go on a drive that I thought would put the game away. On a 3rd and 6, Nate Burleson caught a 36-yard pass. A pass interference call on Eric Smith put the ball on the Jets 1, instead of a 3rd and 5 on the 28. Stafford throws a short TD pass to Burleson and it was 20-10 Detroit with 12 minutes left. The Jets then get one first down before having to punt and Detroit took over from their own 8 with under 7 minutes remaining in the game. I am full of despair, but I know a few things about the Lions. They are gritty and they play hard. But this team has not learned to close game out yet. They are not mature enough to win these tight games.
On 2nd and 11, Stafford scrambles and gets dragged down from behind by Bryan Thomas. Immediately, Stafford clutched his right shoulder. He had to leave the game and Drew Stanton took his place. Te Jets forced the 3 and out, leaving them just 4:30 to score at least 10 points. And here is where Mark Sanchez took over. Cotchery for 18, Keller for 6, LDT for 6, Keller leaping for a big gain of 25, putting the ball on the Lions 6. LDT runs for 5 and Sanchez takes it in and it's 20-17. Of course, it was too close a call and the refs let 20 critical seconds run off the clock.
With one TO and the 2-minute warning, the Jets kicked off, which I agreed with. They could not let the Lions get a first down, but I felt pretty good they wouldn't. First play: Jhavid Best loses two on a run and then on 2nd down, gains 6. So after the 2-minute warning and the Jets out of timeouts, it's 3rd and 6. And Coach Jim Schwartz calls a play action fake with a backup QB. the ball is passed too low and the fullback can't hold on. The Jets are saved 30 huge seconds.
So with 1:40, the Jets start on their own 22. Two plays gain just one yard. And Sanchez hits Keller for 11 yards and a huge first down. A pass to LDT for 11, and then came a pass to LDT that gained just one. But here's the second place the Lions shot themselves. Their veteran linebacker Julian Peterson drills LDT well out of bounds. This one was too obvious to not call. A 15-yard penalty and the Jets have the ball on the Detroit 28, well within field goal range. Two runs gain 10 yards and in comes Folk with five seconds left to kick the tying field goal. The snap was off, but Steve Weatherford recovered and Folk drilled it through from 36 yards. Overtime!
With the Lions missing a QB and kicker, this seemed too easy. When the Jets won the toss, I knew it wasn't a given, but I could not see them losing it now. From the Jets 32, Sanchez finds Holmes AGAIN! for a 52 yard gain. LDT ran twice and then Folk, who is known for kicking longer field goals better than short ones, ran onto the field again. From 30 yards out, he drilled it down the middle and I am celebrating.
But wait! Flag on the field! Nah, it's ok, it was a personal foul on Detroit, the field goal was good, and the Jets had secured an improbable 23-20 win in the Motor City.
The Jets had no right winning this game. They played great for about 10 of 60 minutes in regulation. And Detroit had some injuries and also made some stupid decisions, by coaching staff and players alike. But they did win. They are now 6-2, and if they can learn to stop taking stupid penalties and maybe if the offensive coordinator can not call such predictable game plans, this team can do something very special.
And these referees were beyond putrid. I think of the personal foul on Shaun Ellis where he hit Stafford while he was still in bounds, that cost the Jets 15 yards.
All in all, I feel good. I feel relieved. I thank Cleveland for spanking New England. Now we're coming to Cleveland to beat them. Wish I could be there too...
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Seriously pissed off
I was so excited for this game against Green Bay. With no Jets game last week, I was looking forward to this game that much more. The Packers had no defensive linemen to speak of. Half the team is on injured reserve. And they cannot run the football. I said as long as the Jets didn't play dumb, they would win. That meant keep the penalties down and don't turn the football over. The bottom line is this:
Penalties: GB 3-15, Jets 7-55.
Turnovers: GB 0, Jets 3.
Dropped passes: Jets: 200 and 198 of those were by the normally sure-handed Jerricho Cotchery. Not to mention this pivotal moment. First possession of the second half. The Jets were starting to play better and better despite not putting any points up. Now it's 3rd and 7. Mark Sanchez spots Santonio Holmes running a short cross route. There are no defenders in the picture. If he catches this, it's a 15 yard gain. It's a first down at the very least. The ball hits him right in the hands and bounces off to the turf. An absolute back-breaking drop by Santonio Holmes. The Jets punt.
Next possession, Cotchery has his one good play of the game. A 49-yard pass play puts the ball on the GB 28. First down, Shonn Greene runs for 8 yards. Then he runs for 5 more, getting a first down in the GB red zone. But oh no, holding on Nick Mangold! So it's now 2nd and 12 and Sanchez throws two incomplete passes. Nick Folk shanks the field goal wide right. The Jets continue to trail 3-0 and they would never get so close again in the game.
Norm Hitzges taught me well when he said that yards gained is for suckers. The total count: GB 236, Jets 360. What does that say? One, the Jets had terrible field position the whole game; two, they could not sustain a drive against a depleted defense; three, they turned the ball over.
Oh, and it was Come Thirsty's annual get-together at Rookie's. Ten of us there. What a mistake that was.
The next 4 games are at Detroit, at Cleveland, Houston, and Cincinnati on Thanksgiving night. Nothing less than 4-0 in those games will be acceptable.
Penalties: GB 3-15, Jets 7-55.
Turnovers: GB 0, Jets 3.
Dropped passes: Jets: 200 and 198 of those were by the normally sure-handed Jerricho Cotchery. Not to mention this pivotal moment. First possession of the second half. The Jets were starting to play better and better despite not putting any points up. Now it's 3rd and 7. Mark Sanchez spots Santonio Holmes running a short cross route. There are no defenders in the picture. If he catches this, it's a 15 yard gain. It's a first down at the very least. The ball hits him right in the hands and bounces off to the turf. An absolute back-breaking drop by Santonio Holmes. The Jets punt.
Next possession, Cotchery has his one good play of the game. A 49-yard pass play puts the ball on the GB 28. First down, Shonn Greene runs for 8 yards. Then he runs for 5 more, getting a first down in the GB red zone. But oh no, holding on Nick Mangold! So it's now 2nd and 12 and Sanchez throws two incomplete passes. Nick Folk shanks the field goal wide right. The Jets continue to trail 3-0 and they would never get so close again in the game.
Norm Hitzges taught me well when he said that yards gained is for suckers. The total count: GB 236, Jets 360. What does that say? One, the Jets had terrible field position the whole game; two, they could not sustain a drive against a depleted defense; three, they turned the ball over.
Oh, and it was Come Thirsty's annual get-together at Rookie's. Ten of us there. What a mistake that was.
The next 4 games are at Detroit, at Cleveland, Houston, and Cincinnati on Thanksgiving night. Nothing less than 4-0 in those games will be acceptable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)