I made my picks at the end of July. And now the regular season has come to an end.
All in all, these weren't my best predictions. Like many people, I overrated Philadelphia, Carolina, and Pittsburgh and never saw Seattle or Minnesota playing so well.
In the AFC, I got of 4 of 6 playoff teams correct.
In the NFC, it was terrible, just 2 of 6 correct.
My pre-season Super Bowl of Green Bay vs Houston is still alive, so I will stick with it even thought I don't think either team will make it. But here I go.
AFC
Houston over Cincinnati
Baltimore over Indianapolis
Denver over Baltimore
Houston over New England
Houston over Denver
NFC
Green Bay over Minnesota
Seattle over Washington
Atlanta over Seattle
Green Bay over San Francisco
Green Bay over Atlanta
Super Bowl
Houston over Green Bay
Monday, December 31, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Dead
Our playoffs hope are dead again. I'm too disgusted to write a long drawn out recap. Four points only.
1) First and foremost. This quarterback sucks. He doesn't stink. He sucks. I have never seen a quarterback regress so much since his rookie season. He throws to receivers who are double covered over and over again. The fact that he is guaranteed $8 million next year is a crime and is reason enough to fire Mike Tannenbaum.
2) This GM has got to be fired. There are no playmakers on this roster, no depth to speak of. And they have almost no room to make moves with since they are well over the salary cap.
3) What is with this defense? After Chris Johnson broke the 96-yard TD run they stifled Tennessee. They gave the offense every chance to come back. Once the Jets finally scored, what does the D do? 7 plays, 64 yards, capped off by a 13-yard TD run by Jake Locker.
4) And all the Giants fans reveling in our misery can go screw themselves. I could say so much more. Trying not to curse...
5) My "girlfriend" actually wants to send me a Christmas photo of her and her family where she and her brother are wearing Giants stuff? I'd rather burn that shit.
1) First and foremost. This quarterback sucks. He doesn't stink. He sucks. I have never seen a quarterback regress so much since his rookie season. He throws to receivers who are double covered over and over again. The fact that he is guaranteed $8 million next year is a crime and is reason enough to fire Mike Tannenbaum.
2) This GM has got to be fired. There are no playmakers on this roster, no depth to speak of. And they have almost no room to make moves with since they are well over the salary cap.
3) What is with this defense? After Chris Johnson broke the 96-yard TD run they stifled Tennessee. They gave the offense every chance to come back. Once the Jets finally scored, what does the D do? 7 plays, 64 yards, capped off by a 13-yard TD run by Jake Locker.
4) And all the Giants fans reveling in our misery can go screw themselves. I could say so much more. Trying not to curse...
5) My "girlfriend" actually wants to send me a Christmas photo of her and her family where she and her brother are wearing Giants stuff? I'd rather burn that shit.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Mindy Smith setlist
From SPACE in Evanston
Come to Jesus
Pretending the Stars
Cure for Love
Out Loud
Sober
Bad Guy
Follow the Shepherd Home
Santa Will Find You
If I Didn't Know Any Better
Tennessee
Raggedy Ann
Closer
No One Is To Blame
Highs and Lows
Encore
One Moment More
What Went Wrong
Jolene
Monday, December 10, 2012
Long Saturday
So sporting blue jeans, my blue Jeremy Lin t-shirt, and my classic New York Knicks leather jacket, I left home around 1:15 pm and went the ATM, where I took out $80.00 cash. Michelle was working, I made sure to say hi to her, she's really sweet and cute. The came the drive to the Cumberland blue line station, and I arrived around 2:00, which was great timing. But even better timing, was I didn't even have to wait 15 seconds for thew train to arrive. So I jumped on a car, sat down, and started rummaging through my drawstring bag.
All of a sudden I hear this husky, female voice. "Hi Adam." I looked up and it was Stacey Kolder, one of my co-workers along with her husband and extended family. The last time I had seen her husband, Charlie, was during a CEC football game where he broke both bones in his lower leg. I found out he was out of work for four months while he was recovering. Thankfully, he is now walking around without any problems.
I got off at the Damen stop in Wicker Park, which is much earlier than I normally would. But I had a particular destination in mind: Big Star Tacos. I had see this joint profiled on a Yahoo list of Top 10 taco joints in America. I had to try it out. I walked through a sea of undecorated Christmas trees and opened the flimsy door that looked like it came off someone's back porch. The centerpiece of this place is the rectangular shaped 4-sided bar. At 2:30 on a Saturday, I would guess of the 40 or so seats there, 38 were taken. And I would say all 15 or so tables were occupied as well. That is always a good sign. I grabbed a stool and ordered a limeade to drink. Pretty solid refreshing drink, though I would have liked it a little colder.
I ordered three tacos. The first was the standard pescado with beer battered tilapia, chipotle mayo, cabbage, cilantro, and lime. The fish came out very crispy and moist. The mayo added some kick as well. Very solid fish taco. Then I sank my teeth into the al pastor, which is marinated, spit roasted pork shoulder, grilled pineapple, grilled onion, and cilantro. Now I've eaten al pastor a couple of times before. Never has it been this good. The pork was so tender and had a little bit of a smokiness to it. There was just the right amount or pineapple and cilantro to round it out really well. Finally, I had the taco de panza which is crispy, braised pork belly, tomato guajillo sauce, queso fresco, onion, cilantro. This one was a little saucier than the others. The guajillo added a late kick of spice, not hot, but just a little extra kick. The crumbled queso on top really helped to round this one out.
I still wasn't full so I asked the girl at the bar about the Sonoran hot dog, which was a hot dog I had heard about and seen on TV, but never tried for myself. She warned me it was pretty big and that I better be hungry. She also said it was around the size of a small football. I said bring it on. Within five minutes, it came out. A crispy, bacon wrapped, all beef hot dog topped with chopped tomatoes, pinto beans, lime mayo, mustard, onions, and hot sauce on a bolillo roll. I ate it with a fork and had next to no trouble wiping it out. Total bill: $19, before tip. Excellent and definitely worth a return. Oh, I did chat with a blonde girl, who sat down next to me while I was working on my hot dog. She was an artist back who was just returning to town for the weekend and we struck up a short conversation. I didn't ask her name, but I didn't really need to either. It was nice for a few minutes.
After refusing a guy's request outside to let him borrow my cell phone, I took the blue line south. Once again, I could hear the whistle blowing as I was climbing the stairs. The train was just waiting for me and I got on. I went about five stops before getting off at Monroe and walking east to Michigan Ave. I went over to Millennium Park where I watched folks ice skating as the traffic whizzed by past them. I took a few photos of Cloud Gate, otherwise known as The Bean. Then I headed farther north. I made a stop in the Blackhawks store, where I purchased a pair of Original Six pucks, one for me and one for Catherine.
From there, I kept walking north all the way to Chicago Ave. On my way, I noticed a few things. The line for Garrett's popcorn were the longest lines anywhere in the city. They were 50-60 people deep out the door, never mind the people waiting inside the store. To my left, I also saw seven guys in tuxedos walking right down the middle of Michigan Ave. I had no idea what that was all about, until I heard some car horns honking. I looked to my left again, and I saw seven ladies in fancy dresses, including one in white. Pretty good time of year to have a wedding in Chicago. I also got a few photos of the Chicago River and the tree in front of WGN radio and the NBC building.
Of course, after just half a day, my camera battery was already completely drained. So around 4:00, I stopped into a Starbucks and sat down to charge my camera and phone. I listened to a little Steve Somers on my phone. Then it was time for the game. I headed west on Chicago to the red line. Once again, I got downstairs just as the train was approaching. I have no idea how this kept happening to me. I never had that kind of luck with the subways in New York. Anyway, I traveled south three stops to Monroe and then I walked north one block to Madison St. Across the street and over a block, I could see the 20 bus waiting to go. But just as I started running to get the bus to take me to the United Center, it pulled away. So I had to wait another 15 minutes for the next bus to come. But as I stood under the bus stop, two people approached me. They appeared to be in their 40's or early 50's and they were both sporting Knicks merchandise. Their names were Danny and Monica and live in Missouri. I found out they were in town celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. I found out this was part of his present. I explained a little about my life and I also helped explain their best transportation to the arena and then back to their hotel.
So we took a 20 minute ride and I got off a little early at Ashland where Q was enjoying a burger. He gave me my ticket and we walked over to the arena, entering around 5:45. We checked out the team store, I put my hand in the hand molds of the different NBA players, etc. The game started and it was pretty ugly to watch. Very competitive, but not pretty, much more of a defense-oriented game. And without Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks just had too much trouble getting open shots, especially 3-point attempts. Although the game was close throughout, the Bulls pulled away in the end, taking the game 93-85. I had never heard of Marco Bellinelli before this game, but after he dropped 22 points, I'm not gonna forget him anytime soon.
A few other things about the game. I was amazed when Taj Gibson got a double technical foul for supposedly mouthing off to the referees about a foul call. I really thought that was going to give the Knicks a huge lift. Raymond Felton is a good point guard, but he had no right taking 30 shots in this game. By comparison, nobody else on the Knicks took nine shots. Once Tyson Chandler picked up his fifth foul with about six minutes left in the game, the team's aggressiveness went way down and that's exactly when the Bulls took over. Disappointing loss, but at least they rallied to beat Denver tonight in the Garden when Melo returned to the lineup.
Then Q and I headed over to Fifty/50 for some late night grub. I got a table for three downstairs while Q as well as Adam the Jew searched for what seemed like 20 minutes trying to find parking spaces. Meanwhile, I studies the menu as the club music thumped and thumped through my brain. Once they got there, I took plenty of ribbing about the game as I knew I would. I drank two cans of Old Style light. I didn't want a light tasting beer or a wheat beer, I wanted something with some edge and pain. So that's why I picked that one. Then I got the Division burger which is a Triple Secret burger stuffed with Gouda cheese, caramelized onions, and sauteed mushrooms. Then, they top it with bacon, Swiss cheese, and BBQ sauce and serve it on a pretzel roll. One of the best burgers I have in a long long time. It has a very intense beef flavor, and it was so juicy too.
Around 11:45, I decided I'd had enough, so I had Q drive me to the blue line. Once again, I ran up the stairs at Western and the train was sitting there! During the ride, I chatted with a cute brunette (she initiated the conversation) while her boyfriend, I assume, chatted with some drunk. I guess they still had a 45 minute drive back to Rockford, which was actually going to be pretty comparable to my 45-minute ride back to St. Charles. Nine stops on the train and I was back at Cumberland, and I arrived home around 1 a.m. I just wish Julie's phone had been on during that drive; I could have used a late night chat with her.
Money spent
$20.00 CTA card
$23.00 Big Star
$15.00 Hockey pucks
$60.00 Game ticket
$10.00 UC Concessions
$10.00 Gas
$23.00 Fifty/50
$5.00 Subway parking
$166.00 Total
All of a sudden I hear this husky, female voice. "Hi Adam." I looked up and it was Stacey Kolder, one of my co-workers along with her husband and extended family. The last time I had seen her husband, Charlie, was during a CEC football game where he broke both bones in his lower leg. I found out he was out of work for four months while he was recovering. Thankfully, he is now walking around without any problems.
I got off at the Damen stop in Wicker Park, which is much earlier than I normally would. But I had a particular destination in mind: Big Star Tacos. I had see this joint profiled on a Yahoo list of Top 10 taco joints in America. I had to try it out. I walked through a sea of undecorated Christmas trees and opened the flimsy door that looked like it came off someone's back porch. The centerpiece of this place is the rectangular shaped 4-sided bar. At 2:30 on a Saturday, I would guess of the 40 or so seats there, 38 were taken. And I would say all 15 or so tables were occupied as well. That is always a good sign. I grabbed a stool and ordered a limeade to drink. Pretty solid refreshing drink, though I would have liked it a little colder.
I ordered three tacos. The first was the standard pescado with beer battered tilapia, chipotle mayo, cabbage, cilantro, and lime. The fish came out very crispy and moist. The mayo added some kick as well. Very solid fish taco. Then I sank my teeth into the al pastor, which is marinated, spit roasted pork shoulder, grilled pineapple, grilled onion, and cilantro. Now I've eaten al pastor a couple of times before. Never has it been this good. The pork was so tender and had a little bit of a smokiness to it. There was just the right amount or pineapple and cilantro to round it out really well. Finally, I had the taco de panza which is crispy, braised pork belly, tomato guajillo sauce, queso fresco, onion, cilantro. This one was a little saucier than the others. The guajillo added a late kick of spice, not hot, but just a little extra kick. The crumbled queso on top really helped to round this one out.
I still wasn't full so I asked the girl at the bar about the Sonoran hot dog, which was a hot dog I had heard about and seen on TV, but never tried for myself. She warned me it was pretty big and that I better be hungry. She also said it was around the size of a small football. I said bring it on. Within five minutes, it came out. A crispy, bacon wrapped, all beef hot dog topped with chopped tomatoes, pinto beans, lime mayo, mustard, onions, and hot sauce on a bolillo roll. I ate it with a fork and had next to no trouble wiping it out. Total bill: $19, before tip. Excellent and definitely worth a return. Oh, I did chat with a blonde girl, who sat down next to me while I was working on my hot dog. She was an artist back who was just returning to town for the weekend and we struck up a short conversation. I didn't ask her name, but I didn't really need to either. It was nice for a few minutes.
After refusing a guy's request outside to let him borrow my cell phone, I took the blue line south. Once again, I could hear the whistle blowing as I was climbing the stairs. The train was just waiting for me and I got on. I went about five stops before getting off at Monroe and walking east to Michigan Ave. I went over to Millennium Park where I watched folks ice skating as the traffic whizzed by past them. I took a few photos of Cloud Gate, otherwise known as The Bean. Then I headed farther north. I made a stop in the Blackhawks store, where I purchased a pair of Original Six pucks, one for me and one for Catherine.
From there, I kept walking north all the way to Chicago Ave. On my way, I noticed a few things. The line for Garrett's popcorn were the longest lines anywhere in the city. They were 50-60 people deep out the door, never mind the people waiting inside the store. To my left, I also saw seven guys in tuxedos walking right down the middle of Michigan Ave. I had no idea what that was all about, until I heard some car horns honking. I looked to my left again, and I saw seven ladies in fancy dresses, including one in white. Pretty good time of year to have a wedding in Chicago. I also got a few photos of the Chicago River and the tree in front of WGN radio and the NBC building.
Of course, after just half a day, my camera battery was already completely drained. So around 4:00, I stopped into a Starbucks and sat down to charge my camera and phone. I listened to a little Steve Somers on my phone. Then it was time for the game. I headed west on Chicago to the red line. Once again, I got downstairs just as the train was approaching. I have no idea how this kept happening to me. I never had that kind of luck with the subways in New York. Anyway, I traveled south three stops to Monroe and then I walked north one block to Madison St. Across the street and over a block, I could see the 20 bus waiting to go. But just as I started running to get the bus to take me to the United Center, it pulled away. So I had to wait another 15 minutes for the next bus to come. But as I stood under the bus stop, two people approached me. They appeared to be in their 40's or early 50's and they were both sporting Knicks merchandise. Their names were Danny and Monica and live in Missouri. I found out they were in town celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. I found out this was part of his present. I explained a little about my life and I also helped explain their best transportation to the arena and then back to their hotel.
So we took a 20 minute ride and I got off a little early at Ashland where Q was enjoying a burger. He gave me my ticket and we walked over to the arena, entering around 5:45. We checked out the team store, I put my hand in the hand molds of the different NBA players, etc. The game started and it was pretty ugly to watch. Very competitive, but not pretty, much more of a defense-oriented game. And without Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks just had too much trouble getting open shots, especially 3-point attempts. Although the game was close throughout, the Bulls pulled away in the end, taking the game 93-85. I had never heard of Marco Bellinelli before this game, but after he dropped 22 points, I'm not gonna forget him anytime soon.
A few other things about the game. I was amazed when Taj Gibson got a double technical foul for supposedly mouthing off to the referees about a foul call. I really thought that was going to give the Knicks a huge lift. Raymond Felton is a good point guard, but he had no right taking 30 shots in this game. By comparison, nobody else on the Knicks took nine shots. Once Tyson Chandler picked up his fifth foul with about six minutes left in the game, the team's aggressiveness went way down and that's exactly when the Bulls took over. Disappointing loss, but at least they rallied to beat Denver tonight in the Garden when Melo returned to the lineup.
Then Q and I headed over to Fifty/50 for some late night grub. I got a table for three downstairs while Q as well as Adam the Jew searched for what seemed like 20 minutes trying to find parking spaces. Meanwhile, I studies the menu as the club music thumped and thumped through my brain. Once they got there, I took plenty of ribbing about the game as I knew I would. I drank two cans of Old Style light. I didn't want a light tasting beer or a wheat beer, I wanted something with some edge and pain. So that's why I picked that one. Then I got the Division burger which is a Triple Secret burger stuffed with Gouda cheese, caramelized onions, and sauteed mushrooms. Then, they top it with bacon, Swiss cheese, and BBQ sauce and serve it on a pretzel roll. One of the best burgers I have in a long long time. It has a very intense beef flavor, and it was so juicy too.
Around 11:45, I decided I'd had enough, so I had Q drive me to the blue line. Once again, I ran up the stairs at Western and the train was sitting there! During the ride, I chatted with a cute brunette (she initiated the conversation) while her boyfriend, I assume, chatted with some drunk. I guess they still had a 45 minute drive back to Rockford, which was actually going to be pretty comparable to my 45-minute ride back to St. Charles. Nine stops on the train and I was back at Cumberland, and I arrived home around 1 a.m. I just wish Julie's phone had been on during that drive; I could have used a late night chat with her.
Money spent
$20.00 CTA card
$23.00 Big Star
$15.00 Hockey pucks
$60.00 Game ticket
$10.00 UC Concessions
$10.00 Gas
$23.00 Fifty/50
$5.00 Subway parking
$166.00 Total
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
One More NY Ride-Part 2
We woke up at 6:50 and headed downstairs to M&M for their breakfast buffet. For $15, I got unlimited juice, a BTO omelet with bacon, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and cheddar jack cheese, as well as access to pastries, fresh fruit, and cereal. She loaded up on eggs, strawberry French toast, blueberry pancakes, bacon, a sausage link, and a pot of coffee.
We grabbed the 9:40 train straight back to New York. I think I was still feeling a little crabby from the previous night, so I slept most of the way. We were planning to stay in Manhattan, but I think we actually both needed a little recharge. So we just took the E train from Penn Station to Forest Hills, where her mom picked us up, and we went back to her house for a while just to rest up for a bit. I watched the second quarter of that Jets vs Cardinals classic. I'm glad I only had to see one quarter of this train wreck. The Jets won 7-6, but between Mark Sanchez and Ryan Lindley, there has probably never been a professional football game with worse quarterbacking play.
By late in the second quarter, we decided to take off. We took the 54 bus back into Forest Hills. We made a stop at Royal Collectibles, which is a shop with trading cards, sports memorabilia, and artifacts from pop culture, pro wrestling, superheroes, etc. I didn't expect to buy anything, but I did get a color picture of Babe Ruth in 1935 when he was third base coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers as well as a Mike Piazza card. I also liked seeing so many of the old WWF dolls I used to play with when I was a kid. I may still not be totally over mom selling them for so cheap without my knowledge 15 years ago...I'll get there though...
Then we took the F train to Bryant Park in Manhattan. The place felt so festive. We watched hundreds of skaters stumble their way around the skating rink. Then the zamboni came to clean off the ice, which was pretty cool to watch live. We took a few photos of ourselves, including one where she was kissing my cheek. I really like that one. We also explored some of the little shops that had been set up around the rink, including ones for candles, cookies, stained glass, etc. To say the least, that park felt a whole lot more vibrant and busy than it had been when I had first visited it in August. There's just something about Christmas time in New York City that makes it feel so big, so spectacular. Makes me smile.
Then, we made a stop at the NHL Store. I didn't make a purchase, easy as it would have been. I felt pretty tapped out on cash anyway. Between the jerseys, the shirts, the winter hats, they just have so much cool stuff. We did take a few photos together with computer kiosk they have. Then we walked over to Rockefeller Center and checked out the Christmas tree. I can't remember the last time I saw so many flash bulbs popping at once. We took a few more photos of ourselves, this time with the tree in the background, which came out really well.
Then we took, the F, to the L, to the M to get back home. Of course, she got us going the wrong way on the L, since she was expecting or gambling that going backwards just one stop to the end of the L line might get us back home quicker. So naturally, as we were pulling out, a train that was heading our direction showed up. So we got back a little later, but hey, it was only another five minutes I guess.
For dinner, we enjoyed a feast of London broil, roasted potatoes and onions, grilled portabellas, stuffed artichokes, mixed green salad, Parmesan Reggiano cheese, and soprasetta (I passed on the green olives). I drank a glass of red wine and for dessert, I enjoyed some pumpkin pie as well as an huge oatmeal raisin cookie I had purchased at Bryant Park. Yes, this was a weekend where I definitely pigged out on great food! All I needed was a nice sandwich from Katz's to take it over the top.
So then we went into the basement and watched the Jets postgame show before tuning into the Eagles vs Cowboys game. We planned on going to bed around 11, but somehow, we found ourselves watching "Catch Me If You Can." I think we finally fell asleep around 2 am.
I was up at 5:50 am, thanks to Francis coming downstairs; I don't think I even knew I was still asleep, No big deal, I had to be up in ten minutes anyway. I was set to take a plane at 7:45, but Chicago was overrun with fog. So our plane actually left at 8:45, which wasn't too big a deal for me. I'm glad I live in a city where I almost never to fly twice to get to a city. After landing around 10:30, I got my car, and headed straight up I-90 to the office, gobbled down the rest of the pecan pie for lunch, and worked from 12-4. Then it was off to the gym for 30 minutes of cardio and an amazing chicken parmesan dinner at home.
We grabbed the 9:40 train straight back to New York. I think I was still feeling a little crabby from the previous night, so I slept most of the way. We were planning to stay in Manhattan, but I think we actually both needed a little recharge. So we just took the E train from Penn Station to Forest Hills, where her mom picked us up, and we went back to her house for a while just to rest up for a bit. I watched the second quarter of that Jets vs Cardinals classic. I'm glad I only had to see one quarter of this train wreck. The Jets won 7-6, but between Mark Sanchez and Ryan Lindley, there has probably never been a professional football game with worse quarterbacking play.
By late in the second quarter, we decided to take off. We took the 54 bus back into Forest Hills. We made a stop at Royal Collectibles, which is a shop with trading cards, sports memorabilia, and artifacts from pop culture, pro wrestling, superheroes, etc. I didn't expect to buy anything, but I did get a color picture of Babe Ruth in 1935 when he was third base coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers as well as a Mike Piazza card. I also liked seeing so many of the old WWF dolls I used to play with when I was a kid. I may still not be totally over mom selling them for so cheap without my knowledge 15 years ago...I'll get there though...
Then we took the F train to Bryant Park in Manhattan. The place felt so festive. We watched hundreds of skaters stumble their way around the skating rink. Then the zamboni came to clean off the ice, which was pretty cool to watch live. We took a few photos of ourselves, including one where she was kissing my cheek. I really like that one. We also explored some of the little shops that had been set up around the rink, including ones for candles, cookies, stained glass, etc. To say the least, that park felt a whole lot more vibrant and busy than it had been when I had first visited it in August. There's just something about Christmas time in New York City that makes it feel so big, so spectacular. Makes me smile.
Then, we made a stop at the NHL Store. I didn't make a purchase, easy as it would have been. I felt pretty tapped out on cash anyway. Between the jerseys, the shirts, the winter hats, they just have so much cool stuff. We did take a few photos together with computer kiosk they have. Then we walked over to Rockefeller Center and checked out the Christmas tree. I can't remember the last time I saw so many flash bulbs popping at once. We took a few more photos of ourselves, this time with the tree in the background, which came out really well.
Then we took, the F, to the L, to the M to get back home. Of course, she got us going the wrong way on the L, since she was expecting or gambling that going backwards just one stop to the end of the L line might get us back home quicker. So naturally, as we were pulling out, a train that was heading our direction showed up. So we got back a little later, but hey, it was only another five minutes I guess.
For dinner, we enjoyed a feast of London broil, roasted potatoes and onions, grilled portabellas, stuffed artichokes, mixed green salad, Parmesan Reggiano cheese, and soprasetta (I passed on the green olives). I drank a glass of red wine and for dessert, I enjoyed some pumpkin pie as well as an huge oatmeal raisin cookie I had purchased at Bryant Park. Yes, this was a weekend where I definitely pigged out on great food! All I needed was a nice sandwich from Katz's to take it over the top.
So then we went into the basement and watched the Jets postgame show before tuning into the Eagles vs Cowboys game. We planned on going to bed around 11, but somehow, we found ourselves watching "Catch Me If You Can." I think we finally fell asleep around 2 am.
I was up at 5:50 am, thanks to Francis coming downstairs; I don't think I even knew I was still asleep, No big deal, I had to be up in ten minutes anyway. I was set to take a plane at 7:45, but Chicago was overrun with fog. So our plane actually left at 8:45, which wasn't too big a deal for me. I'm glad I live in a city where I almost never to fly twice to get to a city. After landing around 10:30, I got my car, and headed straight up I-90 to the office, gobbled down the rest of the pecan pie for lunch, and worked from 12-4. Then it was off to the gym for 30 minutes of cardio and an amazing chicken parmesan dinner at home.
One More NY Ride-Part 1
So on Friday, I worked a half day and left the office at noon. My coworker Shavonna saw I had my jacket on and my computer was turned off. She asked where I was going and I just told her very simply. "The airport."
I headed back to Blue Sky parking in Schiller Park, dropped my car off, and fought through a very long security line. I guess I learned that Friday afternoon is one of the busiest times of the week to travel. I got bumped off the 2:30 flight, which I suspected would probably happen. But I got the 3:30 instead, which wasn't too bad. My seat was 7D, the first row of coach, which I generally hate since since I have to put my backpack in the overhead compartment. But they let me put it in the first class section so at least I had some space for it. Even more amazing, I had an aisle seat and the two chairs next to me were empty. I was getting ready to curl up, stretch out, and grab some sleep. But this cute blonde girl sitting across the aisle from me asked if she could take the window seat. So my original idea went out the window, but that's okay. I spent most of the flight sleeping, listening to Mets podcasts, and doing Sudoku.
I landed around 7 and Catherine and her mom picked me up at 7:15. We got back and I gave them my two bags of Garrett's buttery and caramel popcorn I had picked up for them in the terminal. And I was treated to a late night snack of homemade pecan pie and fresh whipped cream. As a matter of fact, I'd say it was the prefect holdover before a late night dinner with Catherine at Arturo's.
We took the M train straight to West 4th Street and walked to the corner of Houston St and Thompson St. The tiny restaurant and bar area was packed with people waiting for a table. We only waited about 25 minutes and in the meantime, we listened to a three-piece jazz band playing as well as watching the Knicks take down the Wizards on the TV placed high in the corner of the bar.
For our pizza, we ordered the sausage and fresh mozzarella on one side with our usual fave, bacon and roasted peppers on the other side. I've written so much about their pizzas, that there's really no need anymore. Just that it came out perfect as always. I enjoyed a glass of Merlot while she sipped on a Pinot Grigio.
I had no problem wiping out my four slices. but much to my amazement, she had to stop after finishing her third slice. So we had to go home with a slice of sausage and mozzarella that I tucked inside my jacket pocket.
As we left, we saw this guy outside lugging a big black hard shell case. He tried to get our attention and urged us to donate to the Marijuana foundation, whatever the hell that meant. Catherine seemd to find it funny, but I ignored him for a minute before he turned inside a liquor store. We got home and found Catherine's Uncle Willie and her dad in the basement watching The Munsters. Once they left, we watched a little Boomer and Carton before saying a long good night.
We planned to wake up at 7 and leave around 7:45. By the time Catherine opened the basement door to wake me up, it was already 7:30. Thankfully, I had already loaded my backpack up and was ready to take off after a quick shower. Ellen drove us to Penn Station, but first she dropped us off at the local Middle Village bagel joint. I ordered a sandwich of egg whites, American cheese, and sausage on a marble rye bagel along with a bottle of Tropicana. Catherine got egg whites and bacon on a roll...I definitely think I made the better choice.
The ride from Queens only took about a half hour total as we drove through the Midtown Tunnel. We then took the Amtrak to New Haven, CT. The conductor was a little weird, he kept asking people over the loudspeaker to eat some bananas from the club car, that became kind of a running gag throughout the weekend. Always looking for bananas.
From New Haven, we transferred to the shuttle train for the 45 minute ride to Hartford. As we stepped off the train and headed out of Union Station for our walk to the Hilton, I was amazed how much colder it felt in Hartford than it had in New York. Must have been 30 degrees or so. It was the first time this winter I'd been able to see my breath. Definitely won't be the last though.
So we checked into the Hilton, which is right across Church Street from the XL Center. As a matter of fact, as one of the selling points of the hotel, we were able to use the skywalk that goes from the hotel right into the arena. We stayed in the room for two hours, listening to jazz music and napping for an hour or so...At one point, she sat up and fell backwards of the bed. She came down right on her left butt cheek and her head hit the corner of the wooden TV cabinet. I tried not to laugh, but once I realized her head was ok, I couldn't help but giggle...
At 2:15, we left for Black Eyed Sally's, a New Orleans/BBQ joint in downtown Hartford. During the five or so minute walk, I could see she was limping. I guess her head was okay, but she had banged up her ass a little bit...As we walked in, I was pleased to see there was live music going on a Saturday afternoon. There were three women and a guy in this band and they played some blues. Very cool. The walls were filled with rock and roll themed murals along with some framed pictures of famous blues and rock scenes. Just a very colorful and festive atmosphere.
For the food, we started off with an order of burnt ends. The beef came out moist, though I was hoping to taste a little more smoke flavor. The barbecue sauce was a little sweet for my taste, almost like a KC Masterpiece. I ordered a BBQ combo plate. I enjoyed their pulled pork, especially because it wasn't too shredded. I could actually eat nice sized chunks of meat, which I always appreciate with pulled pork. I came away disappointed with the brisket though. It tasted very generic, almost like a standard sliced roast beef. It definitely needed more seasoning. The red beans and rice were fine, nothing too notable out them. But the cornbread amazed me. I got two big pieces and they were so tall, I could barely get my mouth around them.
And when I applied a little shmear of honey butter, it just went to another level of perfect.
Catherine ordered a shrimp po' boy that she really liked. And she got a side of salt 'n vinegar chips that really surprised me. They were cut nice and thick, tasted crispy and yet tender at the same time. They also had a nice sprinkling of kosher salt for that extra level of flavor. Some of the best restaurant chips I've ever had. Once again, she finished half her meal and we took the rest back to the room!
The band stopped playing as we were eating and then the stereo came on. As we were leaving, I looked at the dance floor. Nothing like seeing a bunch of white fifty-somethings doing the boogie to "Brick House"...
So we walked briskly through the cold back to the Hilton. After dropping a few things off in our room, 1125, we headed down to the hotel's M&M restaurant. Emily Lauren, her sister, and their friend Lauren were sitting there having lunch. I'd been chatting with Emily for a while and it was cool to finally meet her. Amazingly, they were staying in Room 1122, right near us.
Around 4:00, Catherine and I headed back upstairs and got changed for the big game. I donned my blue Ryan McDonagh jersey for the first time. It's so true, there is simply no blue like Ranger blue. No royal, not indigo, not navy. Ranger blue. So we headed through the skywalk and into the lobby of the XL Center. We saw Meghan Colgan and I quickly gave her a big hug. Theresa Valentine was there too, who I met very briefly in April at the Rangers vs Sabres game. We got our team posters and I took a fan photo with a stick and helmet. I spent a lot of time talking with the Lauren clan, especially about music.
At 6, the doors opened and we headed straight down for warmups. I was very intrigued by the geometry of the building. The stands basically go straight up, more so than any other sports arena I've ever been in. In the rafters, I saw banners for the Whalers retired numbers, Wolf Pack titles, etc. There were even some banners for UConn basketball as well.
During the first intermission, I wanted a beer. So I went to this one stand that was selling local brews. I asked to try samples of the City Steam Dirty Daughter and the Hooker Blonde Ale. The woman at the stand got this very nervous look on her face and explained to me she wasn't supposed to do that for me. I explained I was from out of town and if I was going to pay $9 for a beer, I wanted to get something I knew i would like. I thought that was a fair explanation. She looked around very quickly and tensely, her eyes darting back and forth as she placed a plastic cup under one of the taps. She gave me a quick taste of the City Steam beer, which I didn't care for. So I asked for the Hooker for myself and a bottle of water for Catherine. She took the cup to the back and I heard her ask "Can you wash this cup out?" Seriously? Is this organization is so strapped for cash that they can't waste a single cup? Anyway, the Hooker tasted just fine.
Also at one of the merchandise tables, they were selling tons of Whalers memorabilia. One item caught my eye. It was a 94-95 schedule for $1. Keep in mind that season, the league was locked out...what a difference 17 years has made...Anyway, that schedule had 82 games that never even got played!
During the second period, they did a chuck a puck contest, which seems to be at every minor league game I go to now. Before the game, Catherine and I bought 15 foam pucks between the two of us for $10 total. Of the 15 we threw, maybe one hit the square target at center ice. Those pucks are so hard to control. $10 well wasted and I may have strained my shoulder a little bit, but hey, what can you do?
As for the game, the Whale played the Syracuse Crunch, the Tampa Bay Lightning affiliate. The Whale extended their lead to 3-0 lead early in the third period on goals by Christian Thomas, Blake Parlett, and Marek Hrivik. But Syracuse came back with three straight goals in 12 minutes to force overtime. With 46.7 seconds left, Mark Barberio of the Crunch scored the game-winning goal, sending the crowd home very annoyed and disappointed.
Then, I had to let the girls fulfill their autograph and picture requests. So I waited quietly for well over an hour outside in 20 degree weather. Catherine, Meghan, and Theresa spent most of their time talking about memorabilia, meeting players, and all kinds of stuff I had zero interest in. Drunks dressed as Santa stumbled by me to the local bars. Groups of loud teenagers pranced around. To say the least, I was not falling in love with this city by any stretch. I barely said a word to the girls, I mostly checked on the non-happening social media universe and memorized the shapes of the cracks in the sidewalk.
Finally, around 11, we headed back to the Hilton. Even though I had a winter hat and gloves on, my teeth were chattering, my lip was quivering, and I could barely feel my toes. I wouldn't even speak to her, I was so aggravated. But once we got back, Catherine drew some bath water. I dipped my feet in the hot water, but it didn't do the trick. Even after getting into bed, my teeth were still chattering. So I jumped in a very hot shower, which I sorely needed. Then it was bedtime.
Song lyric. "Tonight I'll take a walk across a bridge I didn't burn." Ricky Van Shelton
I headed back to Blue Sky parking in Schiller Park, dropped my car off, and fought through a very long security line. I guess I learned that Friday afternoon is one of the busiest times of the week to travel. I got bumped off the 2:30 flight, which I suspected would probably happen. But I got the 3:30 instead, which wasn't too bad. My seat was 7D, the first row of coach, which I generally hate since since I have to put my backpack in the overhead compartment. But they let me put it in the first class section so at least I had some space for it. Even more amazing, I had an aisle seat and the two chairs next to me were empty. I was getting ready to curl up, stretch out, and grab some sleep. But this cute blonde girl sitting across the aisle from me asked if she could take the window seat. So my original idea went out the window, but that's okay. I spent most of the flight sleeping, listening to Mets podcasts, and doing Sudoku.
I landed around 7 and Catherine and her mom picked me up at 7:15. We got back and I gave them my two bags of Garrett's buttery and caramel popcorn I had picked up for them in the terminal. And I was treated to a late night snack of homemade pecan pie and fresh whipped cream. As a matter of fact, I'd say it was the prefect holdover before a late night dinner with Catherine at Arturo's.
We took the M train straight to West 4th Street and walked to the corner of Houston St and Thompson St. The tiny restaurant and bar area was packed with people waiting for a table. We only waited about 25 minutes and in the meantime, we listened to a three-piece jazz band playing as well as watching the Knicks take down the Wizards on the TV placed high in the corner of the bar.
For our pizza, we ordered the sausage and fresh mozzarella on one side with our usual fave, bacon and roasted peppers on the other side. I've written so much about their pizzas, that there's really no need anymore. Just that it came out perfect as always. I enjoyed a glass of Merlot while she sipped on a Pinot Grigio.
I had no problem wiping out my four slices. but much to my amazement, she had to stop after finishing her third slice. So we had to go home with a slice of sausage and mozzarella that I tucked inside my jacket pocket.
As we left, we saw this guy outside lugging a big black hard shell case. He tried to get our attention and urged us to donate to the Marijuana foundation, whatever the hell that meant. Catherine seemd to find it funny, but I ignored him for a minute before he turned inside a liquor store. We got home and found Catherine's Uncle Willie and her dad in the basement watching The Munsters. Once they left, we watched a little Boomer and Carton before saying a long good night.
We planned to wake up at 7 and leave around 7:45. By the time Catherine opened the basement door to wake me up, it was already 7:30. Thankfully, I had already loaded my backpack up and was ready to take off after a quick shower. Ellen drove us to Penn Station, but first she dropped us off at the local Middle Village bagel joint. I ordered a sandwich of egg whites, American cheese, and sausage on a marble rye bagel along with a bottle of Tropicana. Catherine got egg whites and bacon on a roll...I definitely think I made the better choice.
The ride from Queens only took about a half hour total as we drove through the Midtown Tunnel. We then took the Amtrak to New Haven, CT. The conductor was a little weird, he kept asking people over the loudspeaker to eat some bananas from the club car, that became kind of a running gag throughout the weekend. Always looking for bananas.
From New Haven, we transferred to the shuttle train for the 45 minute ride to Hartford. As we stepped off the train and headed out of Union Station for our walk to the Hilton, I was amazed how much colder it felt in Hartford than it had in New York. Must have been 30 degrees or so. It was the first time this winter I'd been able to see my breath. Definitely won't be the last though.
So we checked into the Hilton, which is right across Church Street from the XL Center. As a matter of fact, as one of the selling points of the hotel, we were able to use the skywalk that goes from the hotel right into the arena. We stayed in the room for two hours, listening to jazz music and napping for an hour or so...At one point, she sat up and fell backwards of the bed. She came down right on her left butt cheek and her head hit the corner of the wooden TV cabinet. I tried not to laugh, but once I realized her head was ok, I couldn't help but giggle...
At 2:15, we left for Black Eyed Sally's, a New Orleans/BBQ joint in downtown Hartford. During the five or so minute walk, I could see she was limping. I guess her head was okay, but she had banged up her ass a little bit...As we walked in, I was pleased to see there was live music going on a Saturday afternoon. There were three women and a guy in this band and they played some blues. Very cool. The walls were filled with rock and roll themed murals along with some framed pictures of famous blues and rock scenes. Just a very colorful and festive atmosphere.
For the food, we started off with an order of burnt ends. The beef came out moist, though I was hoping to taste a little more smoke flavor. The barbecue sauce was a little sweet for my taste, almost like a KC Masterpiece. I ordered a BBQ combo plate. I enjoyed their pulled pork, especially because it wasn't too shredded. I could actually eat nice sized chunks of meat, which I always appreciate with pulled pork. I came away disappointed with the brisket though. It tasted very generic, almost like a standard sliced roast beef. It definitely needed more seasoning. The red beans and rice were fine, nothing too notable out them. But the cornbread amazed me. I got two big pieces and they were so tall, I could barely get my mouth around them.
And when I applied a little shmear of honey butter, it just went to another level of perfect.
Catherine ordered a shrimp po' boy that she really liked. And she got a side of salt 'n vinegar chips that really surprised me. They were cut nice and thick, tasted crispy and yet tender at the same time. They also had a nice sprinkling of kosher salt for that extra level of flavor. Some of the best restaurant chips I've ever had. Once again, she finished half her meal and we took the rest back to the room!
The band stopped playing as we were eating and then the stereo came on. As we were leaving, I looked at the dance floor. Nothing like seeing a bunch of white fifty-somethings doing the boogie to "Brick House"...
So we walked briskly through the cold back to the Hilton. After dropping a few things off in our room, 1125, we headed down to the hotel's M&M restaurant. Emily Lauren, her sister, and their friend Lauren were sitting there having lunch. I'd been chatting with Emily for a while and it was cool to finally meet her. Amazingly, they were staying in Room 1122, right near us.
Around 4:00, Catherine and I headed back upstairs and got changed for the big game. I donned my blue Ryan McDonagh jersey for the first time. It's so true, there is simply no blue like Ranger blue. No royal, not indigo, not navy. Ranger blue. So we headed through the skywalk and into the lobby of the XL Center. We saw Meghan Colgan and I quickly gave her a big hug. Theresa Valentine was there too, who I met very briefly in April at the Rangers vs Sabres game. We got our team posters and I took a fan photo with a stick and helmet. I spent a lot of time talking with the Lauren clan, especially about music.
At 6, the doors opened and we headed straight down for warmups. I was very intrigued by the geometry of the building. The stands basically go straight up, more so than any other sports arena I've ever been in. In the rafters, I saw banners for the Whalers retired numbers, Wolf Pack titles, etc. There were even some banners for UConn basketball as well.
During the first intermission, I wanted a beer. So I went to this one stand that was selling local brews. I asked to try samples of the City Steam Dirty Daughter and the Hooker Blonde Ale. The woman at the stand got this very nervous look on her face and explained to me she wasn't supposed to do that for me. I explained I was from out of town and if I was going to pay $9 for a beer, I wanted to get something I knew i would like. I thought that was a fair explanation. She looked around very quickly and tensely, her eyes darting back and forth as she placed a plastic cup under one of the taps. She gave me a quick taste of the City Steam beer, which I didn't care for. So I asked for the Hooker for myself and a bottle of water for Catherine. She took the cup to the back and I heard her ask "Can you wash this cup out?" Seriously? Is this organization is so strapped for cash that they can't waste a single cup? Anyway, the Hooker tasted just fine.
Also at one of the merchandise tables, they were selling tons of Whalers memorabilia. One item caught my eye. It was a 94-95 schedule for $1. Keep in mind that season, the league was locked out...what a difference 17 years has made...Anyway, that schedule had 82 games that never even got played!
During the second period, they did a chuck a puck contest, which seems to be at every minor league game I go to now. Before the game, Catherine and I bought 15 foam pucks between the two of us for $10 total. Of the 15 we threw, maybe one hit the square target at center ice. Those pucks are so hard to control. $10 well wasted and I may have strained my shoulder a little bit, but hey, what can you do?
As for the game, the Whale played the Syracuse Crunch, the Tampa Bay Lightning affiliate. The Whale extended their lead to 3-0 lead early in the third period on goals by Christian Thomas, Blake Parlett, and Marek Hrivik. But Syracuse came back with three straight goals in 12 minutes to force overtime. With 46.7 seconds left, Mark Barberio of the Crunch scored the game-winning goal, sending the crowd home very annoyed and disappointed.
Then, I had to let the girls fulfill their autograph and picture requests. So I waited quietly for well over an hour outside in 20 degree weather. Catherine, Meghan, and Theresa spent most of their time talking about memorabilia, meeting players, and all kinds of stuff I had zero interest in. Drunks dressed as Santa stumbled by me to the local bars. Groups of loud teenagers pranced around. To say the least, I was not falling in love with this city by any stretch. I barely said a word to the girls, I mostly checked on the non-happening social media universe and memorized the shapes of the cracks in the sidewalk.
Finally, around 11, we headed back to the Hilton. Even though I had a winter hat and gloves on, my teeth were chattering, my lip was quivering, and I could barely feel my toes. I wouldn't even speak to her, I was so aggravated. But once we got back, Catherine drew some bath water. I dipped my feet in the hot water, but it didn't do the trick. Even after getting into bed, my teeth were still chattering. So I jumped in a very hot shower, which I sorely needed. Then it was bedtime.
Song lyric. "Tonight I'll take a walk across a bridge I didn't burn." Ricky Van Shelton
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Need a turnaround
Let's move on. It's not always easy, but I need to. Pastor Shane said in church to try not complaining today and instead being thankful. On a football Sunday, even when the Jets don't play, that's almost impossible. But I won't do it here, I'll try to follow what he said...
1) I still want to go to Springfield. I'm going to make it happen. I need it. We both need it.
2) I bought a new camera today. A silver Canon PowerShot A4000 IS for $105, which usually costs $180. And I got a free memory card too. Not bad.
3) Davey Richards vs Michael Elgin at AAW last night was simply one of the best live wrestling matches I have seen in a long time. Just amazing to watch.
4) I could have a 7 lb turducken shipped to my house for $100 or for the same price, I could get a shipment of two gallons of Garrett's popcorn. Only one of those seem to justify the pricetag.
5) Thanks to Matt Pecora for having small group over Friday night. I needed it in the worse way. We watched Tropic Thunder and the Boondock Saints. Those are not exactly the most Christian-oriented films, but it was still fun. Alison left 3/4 of the way through the first movie; I guess we'll get Finding Nemo for her next time. Hey, she recommended it...
At least in pro wrestling, unlike real sports, the good guy wins sometimes...
Song pick: "You Can Dream of Me" Steve Wariner
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Depressed. Disgusted. Miserable.
I knew the Jets would disgrace themselves on national TV yet again. They did. And fuck these Giants fans and Patriots fans rubbing it in.
Jeremiah Weed time.
Jeremiah Weed time.
Break it off (VERY ANGRY)
What I'd really like to say to CI, for calling herself a die-hard Yankee/Giant fans when she's 23 years old and spoiled as can be, with 7 titles in her life, where as I have 1 in 30 years...
Screw you. You have been alive 23 years. In that period of time, you have won 7 titles. I have been alive 31 years and have one title to speak of. None of my teams have even reached a final since 2000 when the Mets lost to your evil empire, the fucking Yankees.
You say if your team loses a game, you shake it off and move on. And you have the nerve to say that I should do the same. Well, I'm sure it's a whole hell of a lot easier to move on, when you have so many blissful memories to look back on. I have nothing in my history but teases embarrassment, and garbage.
You and your fellow worshipers of the Evil Empires ruined my Christmas last year. And although you claim you don't root against my teams, it's so obvious I know you and the rest of these rude, cruel, arrogant, condescending bullies live to see me and my bretheren lose, agonize, and suffer. It's the way it goes in Mets Yankees. now it's Jets and little boy blue.
And then on your Twitter account, you have the balls to say you are a die-hard Giant/Yankee/Ranger fan. Spare me. With two of those teams, you've never had to suffer a day in your damn life. You're a fraudulent bandwagon jumper without a single clue about loyalty, devotion, or persistence through painful times...So put this as classy as I can put it, screw you.
Screw you. You have been alive 23 years. In that period of time, you have won 7 titles. I have been alive 31 years and have one title to speak of. None of my teams have even reached a final since 2000 when the Mets lost to your evil empire, the fucking Yankees.
You say if your team loses a game, you shake it off and move on. And you have the nerve to say that I should do the same. Well, I'm sure it's a whole hell of a lot easier to move on, when you have so many blissful memories to look back on. I have nothing in my history but teases embarrassment, and garbage.
You and your fellow worshipers of the Evil Empires ruined my Christmas last year. And although you claim you don't root against my teams, it's so obvious I know you and the rest of these rude, cruel, arrogant, condescending bullies live to see me and my bretheren lose, agonize, and suffer. It's the way it goes in Mets Yankees. now it's Jets and little boy blue.
And then on your Twitter account, you have the balls to say you are a die-hard Giant/Yankee/Ranger fan. Spare me. With two of those teams, you've never had to suffer a day in your damn life. You're a fraudulent bandwagon jumper without a single clue about loyalty, devotion, or persistence through painful times...So put this as classy as I can put it, screw you.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Challenges and oppression with some hope
The last seven days have really challenged me in a lot of different parts of my life. I don't really want to dwell on it for too long, it's a week I really just want to put behind me. But I feel it's at least necessary to record what happened.
1) So on Sunday, I cancelled my Discover credit card. For the second time in ten days, a fraudulent transaction was done on my card, this one for $255. So I ordered a new card and it just arrived yesterday. I know it's important for me to establish good credit, but I really wish I could live without a credit card.
2) As of Monday, my Ohio trip has been postponed indefinitely. She just thinks I need to be in a different place in my life before we meet. At least we're still talking though. I really want to meet her still.
3) On Tuesday, my boss' boss' boss apparently saw me with a video up for a seconds and I got a verbal lashing over it. I admit when I'm bored, I am prone to pulling up a video. And I had You tube up for a few seconds, and maybe I shouldn't have done that, I have no problem owning up. But he had the nerve to accuse me of not taking pride in my work and actually to call me unprofessional. This guy has never worked closely with me ever. He doesn't know me, he doesn't know how hard I work, and he only focuses on the few negatives. I walked slowly out of his office feeling humiliated, belittled, and about two feet tall. I just wanted to go home right there.
4) Election Night. We re-elected Barack Obama, as I expected. But I didn't expect him to win by such a definitive margin. And Tammy freaking Duckworth beat Joe Walsh for Congress. I'm really worried this country is getting way way too liberal as people my age are growing up and raising kids to think just like them.
5) I watched the election coverage at my friend Matt Williams' apartment in downtown Wheaton. A few people from group showed up like Natalie, Andrea, Alison, and Clarissa. And after what happened back on Memorial Day weekend, anytime Clarissa and I are in the same place, there's going to be tension, even if we never say it. Andrea is just so pretty and cool. I'm amazed she's still single. But I just have a feeling she's not the one for me.
5) On Wednesday morning, I couldn't even bring myself to go to the gym. I felt that down and depressed. I'm not even sure how I managed to fall asleep the night before.
7) So after a very busy day at work, where it seemed I had to answer an extraordinary amount of e-mails, I arrive home at 6:30, where I'm safe. I opened the garage and my Mom's car was not there. I thought that was strange, but maybe she was working some OT. And when I saw her laying on the couch watching TV, I froze. I knew something had to be horribly wrong. I asked her where the car was. she said she didn't want to talk. I walked into the kitchen and on the table, found a voucher for a cab from O'Hare to St. Charles. Then I went downstairs and saw a webpage for a suspension from American Airlines and an attorney's homepage.
After a few minutes, she called me upstairs and I ran up the stairs immediately. I sat on the opposite side of the couch and I listened as she explained the situation. Basically, she was working a flight and had a bottle of water out and was sending a quick text message. Her supervisor saw her and got on her case. My mom, heaven forbid, stood up for herself. She explained how there seem to be different expectations at different times for things like uniforms, etiquette, etc. Before long, she got called into an office. This bitch of a supervisor accused Mom of being high and/or drunk. She said someone had called to complain about Mom, which wasn't true. She was just making this shit up as she went. Well, Mom got tested and she swiftly passed the booze test. The drug test will clear her when it comes back in by Monday.
But because there was a report, it is locked into the American Airlines system computer and people from all over the country now know about it, including her friends and people she goes to church with. And because there was a report, they took her work keys, ID, and would not let her drive home. That's where the cab came in. She was suspended for three days with pay. Nothing wrong with that, especially since Mom wasn't going to be at the airport for any of the next three days anyway. And if that's not enough, her flight privileges have been suspended. Which means I can't fly. Which then means I may not be able to visit New York in early December or travel for Christmas. So this
There will be an investigation into all of this, make no mistake. And when Mom's name gets cleared, we just may sue the company. Defamation of character, slander, false accusations, trauma. So this can be a pretty impressive payoff. If all goes well, maybe, just maybe, Mom can retire from American Airlines, which she wants to do, and pay for her insurance without American Airlines. And I personally hope this woman, at the very least, gets demoted. Because how can Mom go back and work for this same woman who tried to destroy her reputation, which she has spent 47 years building at that company?
8) Onto Thursday. That day. I knew I had at least one meeting ahead of me. I arrived to the office at 9 am and one hour later, I had a past due cash meeting with my boss and his. It was supposed to last 30 minutes and it turned into an hour and 15. Even though I think I had changed my approach to how I work, they didn't seem to think so. After that, I wound up having a 15 minute meeting with my boss on how to work standard term grants, since I want to pick that up.
Then around 1 pm, the two of them called me in again where they gave me my bullshit Corrective Action Plan, regarding my video watching. It's to the point where if I just open a radio station just to mute it, I feel like I need to look over my shoulder. I just wanted out of that office so much.
And around 3 pm, the final indignity of all. The CEO sends the entire company an e-mail that due to low enrollments and not meeting expenses, we're laying off 7 percent of the staff and teaching out 23 campuses. I have no idea if I'll be affected or not...
9) Mom left for her tour on Friday morning to the southeast, so I woke up at 4:30 to drive her to Rosemont. I also stopped at Mariano's to pick up some groceries, including a cinnamon creme cake for work. At least Friday wasn't too painful a day in the office. In other words, I had no meetings to attend. Of course, when I got home and opened the paper from that morning, the Daily Herald business section featured its lead story...CEC laying off 900 employees. That's a cold, mean slap of reality right in the face.
Right now, my perspective is this. I've been with that company six years now. Never been promoted , I probably never will be. Maybe it is time to move on and I really don't have a huge problem with that. I just pray to God that I can find something quickly. Because the thought of not making any money scares me.
10) Last night, I updated my resume and filled out a LinkedIn profile. I have no real idea what kind of jobs I will find, but we'll see. Tomorrow morning, I may take a much closer look at the Classified section of the Daily Herald. Now I have a whole Saturday in front of me and no real idea what I'll do with it, besides writing this apparently! Some quiet time might be smart...
P.S. I want to end with some positives.
1) At least the Knicks are 4-0!
2) In all seriousness, I'm glad I have a faithful, everlasting God and people I love and love me in my corner.
3) Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."
1) So on Sunday, I cancelled my Discover credit card. For the second time in ten days, a fraudulent transaction was done on my card, this one for $255. So I ordered a new card and it just arrived yesterday. I know it's important for me to establish good credit, but I really wish I could live without a credit card.
2) As of Monday, my Ohio trip has been postponed indefinitely. She just thinks I need to be in a different place in my life before we meet. At least we're still talking though. I really want to meet her still.
3) On Tuesday, my boss' boss' boss apparently saw me with a video up for a seconds and I got a verbal lashing over it. I admit when I'm bored, I am prone to pulling up a video. And I had You tube up for a few seconds, and maybe I shouldn't have done that, I have no problem owning up. But he had the nerve to accuse me of not taking pride in my work and actually to call me unprofessional. This guy has never worked closely with me ever. He doesn't know me, he doesn't know how hard I work, and he only focuses on the few negatives. I walked slowly out of his office feeling humiliated, belittled, and about two feet tall. I just wanted to go home right there.
4) Election Night. We re-elected Barack Obama, as I expected. But I didn't expect him to win by such a definitive margin. And Tammy freaking Duckworth beat Joe Walsh for Congress. I'm really worried this country is getting way way too liberal as people my age are growing up and raising kids to think just like them.
5) I watched the election coverage at my friend Matt Williams' apartment in downtown Wheaton. A few people from group showed up like Natalie, Andrea, Alison, and Clarissa. And after what happened back on Memorial Day weekend, anytime Clarissa and I are in the same place, there's going to be tension, even if we never say it. Andrea is just so pretty and cool. I'm amazed she's still single. But I just have a feeling she's not the one for me.
5) On Wednesday morning, I couldn't even bring myself to go to the gym. I felt that down and depressed. I'm not even sure how I managed to fall asleep the night before.
7) So after a very busy day at work, where it seemed I had to answer an extraordinary amount of e-mails, I arrive home at 6:30, where I'm safe. I opened the garage and my Mom's car was not there. I thought that was strange, but maybe she was working some OT. And when I saw her laying on the couch watching TV, I froze. I knew something had to be horribly wrong. I asked her where the car was. she said she didn't want to talk. I walked into the kitchen and on the table, found a voucher for a cab from O'Hare to St. Charles. Then I went downstairs and saw a webpage for a suspension from American Airlines and an attorney's homepage.
After a few minutes, she called me upstairs and I ran up the stairs immediately. I sat on the opposite side of the couch and I listened as she explained the situation. Basically, she was working a flight and had a bottle of water out and was sending a quick text message. Her supervisor saw her and got on her case. My mom, heaven forbid, stood up for herself. She explained how there seem to be different expectations at different times for things like uniforms, etiquette, etc. Before long, she got called into an office. This bitch of a supervisor accused Mom of being high and/or drunk. She said someone had called to complain about Mom, which wasn't true. She was just making this shit up as she went. Well, Mom got tested and she swiftly passed the booze test. The drug test will clear her when it comes back in by Monday.
But because there was a report, it is locked into the American Airlines system computer and people from all over the country now know about it, including her friends and people she goes to church with. And because there was a report, they took her work keys, ID, and would not let her drive home. That's where the cab came in. She was suspended for three days with pay. Nothing wrong with that, especially since Mom wasn't going to be at the airport for any of the next three days anyway. And if that's not enough, her flight privileges have been suspended. Which means I can't fly. Which then means I may not be able to visit New York in early December or travel for Christmas. So this
There will be an investigation into all of this, make no mistake. And when Mom's name gets cleared, we just may sue the company. Defamation of character, slander, false accusations, trauma. So this can be a pretty impressive payoff. If all goes well, maybe, just maybe, Mom can retire from American Airlines, which she wants to do, and pay for her insurance without American Airlines. And I personally hope this woman, at the very least, gets demoted. Because how can Mom go back and work for this same woman who tried to destroy her reputation, which she has spent 47 years building at that company?
8) Onto Thursday. That day. I knew I had at least one meeting ahead of me. I arrived to the office at 9 am and one hour later, I had a past due cash meeting with my boss and his. It was supposed to last 30 minutes and it turned into an hour and 15. Even though I think I had changed my approach to how I work, they didn't seem to think so. After that, I wound up having a 15 minute meeting with my boss on how to work standard term grants, since I want to pick that up.
Then around 1 pm, the two of them called me in again where they gave me my bullshit Corrective Action Plan, regarding my video watching. It's to the point where if I just open a radio station just to mute it, I feel like I need to look over my shoulder. I just wanted out of that office so much.
And around 3 pm, the final indignity of all. The CEO sends the entire company an e-mail that due to low enrollments and not meeting expenses, we're laying off 7 percent of the staff and teaching out 23 campuses. I have no idea if I'll be affected or not...
9) Mom left for her tour on Friday morning to the southeast, so I woke up at 4:30 to drive her to Rosemont. I also stopped at Mariano's to pick up some groceries, including a cinnamon creme cake for work. At least Friday wasn't too painful a day in the office. In other words, I had no meetings to attend. Of course, when I got home and opened the paper from that morning, the Daily Herald business section featured its lead story...CEC laying off 900 employees. That's a cold, mean slap of reality right in the face.
Right now, my perspective is this. I've been with that company six years now. Never been promoted , I probably never will be. Maybe it is time to move on and I really don't have a huge problem with that. I just pray to God that I can find something quickly. Because the thought of not making any money scares me.
10) Last night, I updated my resume and filled out a LinkedIn profile. I have no real idea what kind of jobs I will find, but we'll see. Tomorrow morning, I may take a much closer look at the Classified section of the Daily Herald. Now I have a whole Saturday in front of me and no real idea what I'll do with it, besides writing this apparently! Some quiet time might be smart...
P.S. I want to end with some positives.
1) At least the Knicks are 4-0!
2) In all seriousness, I'm glad I have a faithful, everlasting God and people I love and love me in my corner.
3) Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."
Sunday, November 04, 2012
Questions
1) When you can't decide on anything that can make you happy, what do you do?
2) This is the third time in for months I have had to address fraud on either my credit card or debit card. Why do some people have nothing else to do but try to ruin someone's life?
3) Why do I continue to date women who want me to suffer?
4) Why do I find myself getting drawn in by long distance relationships?
5) Why do only rich people have a fair chance to pursue their dreams in America?
6) Why was I cursed to be a Mets, Jets, Rangers, Knicks fan?
7) Why did the Knicks change their uniforms? The trim on the side looked so cool.
8) Why are these natural disasters happening so much more frequently?
9) Why even engage in comments on articles and personal opinions on the Internet? Does anything good ever come from it?
10) Why am I looking forward to traveling to Columbus and Springfield, OH more than New York and Hartford a month later? Actually I think I know the answer to that one..
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Champs For Charity recap
Arrived around 6:00, so I had a half hour to stand in line before the doors opened.
Had a fifth row seat, right beside the Chicago team bench.
There was a silent auction for 5 or 6 different items. the cheapest started at $250, so I was not about to bid on anything.
Met up with Q and the Jew
Players came on the ice around 7:15
Carcillo misses his own intro
Ronald McDonald and the Great Clips mascot skate to Center Ice
Unfortunately, no Jim Cornelison to sing the anthem. they had some 12 year old girl, probably from the Ronald McDonald house.
11,649 still drowned it out
Chicago roster
Forwards: Patrick Sharp, Andrew Ladd, Jake Dowell, Jonathan Toews, Troy Brouwer, Jamal Mayers, Craig Adams, Adam Burish, Patrick Kane. Defense: Jim Vandermeer, James Wisniewski, Brian Campbell, Joe Corvo. Goaltenders: Craig Anderson. Coaches: Pete Kelly, Ryan Dempster.
World roster
Forwards: Bobby Ryan, Greg Campbell, Jordan Staal, Dan Carcillo, Mike Brown, Antti Miettinen, Shawn Thornton, Ville Leino, Jared Boll. Defense: Ryan Suter, Alex Goligoski, Kimmo Timonen, Tom Gilbert. Goaltenders: Nicklas Backstrom. Coaches: Robbie Gould, Jason Brandsetter.
Chicago's uniforms were white with medium blue trim and just a touch of red. They looked like Finland's national team
The World squad wore purple and black
Ryan Dempster, who coached Chicago, was dressed like Don Cherry.
I only saw five other people wearing a logo of an NHL team other than Chicago. I saw an Islander jersey, a Minnesota thermal shirt, a Winnipeg Jets jersey, and even a New York Americans sweater.
I sat next to a woman named Cheryl, probably in her 40's, she has season tickets to the Blackhawks that she splits three ways.
Of course, Q and the Jew see my conversing and they thought I was cougar hunting.
Toews scored only one goal
Bowling ball celebration, he rolled his helmet at his teammates, who were standing in a row and they all collapsed.
Saw Samantha Sharp, sitting across the rink from me
She's my co-worker, I sat next to her for a year, yet we've talked more over the last two months when we're not sitting together. Strange how that works out sometimes.
I went over to her during the first intermission, we chatted for maybe five minutes, and gave her a hug.
During second period, I got a slice of Connie's pizza, supreme, missed the table with the grated cheese, I needed it
Brawl Carcillo vs Dempster
"Detroit Sucks" chant
Only had to hear "Chelsea Dagger" after four or five of the Chicago goals. 15 would have been insane
Game finished 15-15 in regulation, they went to a 10-player shootout
Carcillo stopped and beat Anderson to his glove side, clinching the win for the World squad
Kane won the MVP, scoring five goals, including the game-tying goal with 1:34 left
Raised $323,500
I seriously need a new camera, the battery on this old Olympus stinks
If they auctioned off Dempster's jacket on E-Bay, they could have raised another $100,000!
Got a $7.99 haircut coupon from Great Clips as I was leaving, they were the big sponsor of the game.
Kissed Cheryl good night (on the cheek only)
Scoring Summary
First Period
W Ryan, W Gilbert, W Boll, C Kane, C Toews, C Ladd, C Adams (PS), W Staal, C Kane
Second Period
C Ladd, C Sharp, Brown, W Leino, W Goligoski, C Burish, W Timonen, C Sharp, C Kane, W Carcillo, C Corvo, W Ryan, W Staal, W Brookbank
Third Period
C Ladd, C Dowell, W Thornton, W Backstrom (PS), W Miettenen, W Carcillo, C Kane, C Kane
Shootout Summary
C Towes No
W Ryan Yes
C Sharp Yes
W Staal No
C Kane Yes
W Leino No
C Ladd No
W Timonen Yes
C Brouwer No
W Carcillo Yes
Had a fifth row seat, right beside the Chicago team bench.
There was a silent auction for 5 or 6 different items. the cheapest started at $250, so I was not about to bid on anything.
Met up with Q and the Jew
Players came on the ice around 7:15
Carcillo misses his own intro
Ronald McDonald and the Great Clips mascot skate to Center Ice
Unfortunately, no Jim Cornelison to sing the anthem. they had some 12 year old girl, probably from the Ronald McDonald house.
11,649 still drowned it out
Chicago roster
Forwards: Patrick Sharp, Andrew Ladd, Jake Dowell, Jonathan Toews, Troy Brouwer, Jamal Mayers, Craig Adams, Adam Burish, Patrick Kane. Defense: Jim Vandermeer, James Wisniewski, Brian Campbell, Joe Corvo. Goaltenders: Craig Anderson. Coaches: Pete Kelly, Ryan Dempster.
World roster
Forwards: Bobby Ryan, Greg Campbell, Jordan Staal, Dan Carcillo, Mike Brown, Antti Miettinen, Shawn Thornton, Ville Leino, Jared Boll. Defense: Ryan Suter, Alex Goligoski, Kimmo Timonen, Tom Gilbert. Goaltenders: Nicklas Backstrom. Coaches: Robbie Gould, Jason Brandsetter.
Chicago's uniforms were white with medium blue trim and just a touch of red. They looked like Finland's national team
The World squad wore purple and black
Ryan Dempster, who coached Chicago, was dressed like Don Cherry.
I only saw five other people wearing a logo of an NHL team other than Chicago. I saw an Islander jersey, a Minnesota thermal shirt, a Winnipeg Jets jersey, and even a New York Americans sweater.
I sat next to a woman named Cheryl, probably in her 40's, she has season tickets to the Blackhawks that she splits three ways.
Of course, Q and the Jew see my conversing and they thought I was cougar hunting.
Toews scored only one goal
Bowling ball celebration, he rolled his helmet at his teammates, who were standing in a row and they all collapsed.
Saw Samantha Sharp, sitting across the rink from me
She's my co-worker, I sat next to her for a year, yet we've talked more over the last two months when we're not sitting together. Strange how that works out sometimes.
I went over to her during the first intermission, we chatted for maybe five minutes, and gave her a hug.
During second period, I got a slice of Connie's pizza, supreme, missed the table with the grated cheese, I needed it
Brawl Carcillo vs Dempster
"Detroit Sucks" chant
Only had to hear "Chelsea Dagger" after four or five of the Chicago goals. 15 would have been insane
Game finished 15-15 in regulation, they went to a 10-player shootout
Carcillo stopped and beat Anderson to his glove side, clinching the win for the World squad
Kane won the MVP, scoring five goals, including the game-tying goal with 1:34 left
Raised $323,500
I seriously need a new camera, the battery on this old Olympus stinks
If they auctioned off Dempster's jacket on E-Bay, they could have raised another $100,000!
Got a $7.99 haircut coupon from Great Clips as I was leaving, they were the big sponsor of the game.
Kissed Cheryl good night (on the cheek only)
Scoring Summary
First Period
W Ryan, W Gilbert, W Boll, C Kane, C Toews, C Ladd, C Adams (PS), W Staal, C Kane
Second Period
C Ladd, C Sharp, Brown, W Leino, W Goligoski, C Burish, W Timonen, C Sharp, C Kane, W Carcillo, C Corvo, W Ryan, W Staal, W Brookbank
Third Period
C Ladd, C Dowell, W Thornton, W Backstrom (PS), W Miettenen, W Carcillo, C Kane, C Kane
Shootout Summary
C Towes No
W Ryan Yes
C Sharp Yes
W Staal No
C Kane Yes
W Leino No
C Ladd No
W Timonen Yes
C Brouwer No
W Carcillo Yes
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Heavy recap-The loooong week
1) Then the week began. Item #1 for Monday morning was not going to work in Hoffman Estates, that didn't begin until noon. Rather, I woke up at 3 am to drive to Austin’s saloon in Libertyville for a live taping of Mike and Mike. I left home at 3:30 am, arrived an hour later, and got a third row seat near Greenberg. I was probably maybe four steps away from the stage. And I wore my green Mangold jersey. It was fun despite still getting over the Jets horrible loss the previous afternoon. But the free 16 oz Old Style did help me feel better. We were a little quiet for the first hour, but once the beer and bloody marys started flowing, we turned into one rowdy bunch. Those four hours absolutely flew by.
2) The show was over by 9 a.m. and I had three hours to play with before I had to be in the office. Since the drive to Hoffman Estates was only going to take an hour, I decided to grab some breakfast. And how convenient is it that an Egg Harbor Café is right in downtown Libertyville. It's October, I wanted to get my pumpkin pancake fix. I didn't even need the menu, I ordered three amazing cakes filled with chopped pecans and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon butter. I got the combo and also got three strips of turkey bacon and scrambled eggs. Of course, I got a big 12-ounce glass of their orange-strawberry juice. Can't go to Egg Harbor without drinking that juice.
3) Temperature plummeted last night. It was 75 degrees Thursday morning, it’s down to 50 today. At least the rain is gone for a couple days. I can’t say the same about the east coast though…Hurricane Sandy, here we go…
4) After work on Thursday, I stepped outside into that cold and heavy wind along with some spitting rain. I didn’t even go to the gym. Take ‘n bake pizza
5) But last night was a big deal. After a month of chatting on Facebook, I talked to Julie from Ohio on the phone for the first time. And a conversation that I didn’t think would last too long wound up going 2 hours and 45 minutes. After dating Braves fans and Yankees fans, it is so refreshing to talk with a girl who is just as into the Mets as I am. She’s really cool. I mean, she even likes my Dr. Phil impression
6) And I may come to regret staying on the phone so late. Because left this morning for an 8-day tour to the southeast. I had to wake up at 4:45, so after feeling so tired yesterday, I’m probably going on four hours sleep! Mom's tour will take her through Lexington, Savannah, Charleston, and who knows where else. I just hope she doesn't have to deal with Hurricane Sandy.
7) Tonight is the Champs for Charity hockey game at the All State Arena. I’m already rocking my Henrik jersey. I have no idea who is going to be there, though I don’t know of any Rangers
8) All November NHL games canceled. Thank you Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr.
9) I’m so desperate for a daily sport that I am doing something I have not done in five or six years. I am participating in two fantasy basketball drafts this weekend.
10) The Knicks' age worries me. I think they'll be the 5th seed behind Miami, Boston, Indiana, and Brooklyn and then out in the second round, thanks to Miami.
11) My only set plans for Saturday are the gym and apple picking with the Willow Creek singles and Compass groups in Hobart, Indiana
12) At Butera, I was looking for some Naked juice. Apparently, it’s not available there anymore, at least not the flavors I usually buy. Instead, they sell the Alo drinks. I got a bottle of Aloe vera with wheatgrass. That’s a drink, not a lotion. I have no idea what it’s going to do for me. But I know wheatgrass is super healthy. And so the drink sounds healthy and tastes bad. That’s a good sign I’m getting healthy.
2) The show was over by 9 a.m. and I had three hours to play with before I had to be in the office. Since the drive to Hoffman Estates was only going to take an hour, I decided to grab some breakfast. And how convenient is it that an Egg Harbor Café is right in downtown Libertyville. It's October, I wanted to get my pumpkin pancake fix. I didn't even need the menu, I ordered three amazing cakes filled with chopped pecans and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon butter. I got the combo and also got three strips of turkey bacon and scrambled eggs. Of course, I got a big 12-ounce glass of their orange-strawberry juice. Can't go to Egg Harbor without drinking that juice.
3) Temperature plummeted last night. It was 75 degrees Thursday morning, it’s down to 50 today. At least the rain is gone for a couple days. I can’t say the same about the east coast though…Hurricane Sandy, here we go…
4) After work on Thursday, I stepped outside into that cold and heavy wind along with some spitting rain. I didn’t even go to the gym. Take ‘n bake pizza
5) But last night was a big deal. After a month of chatting on Facebook, I talked to Julie from Ohio on the phone for the first time. And a conversation that I didn’t think would last too long wound up going 2 hours and 45 minutes. After dating Braves fans and Yankees fans, it is so refreshing to talk with a girl who is just as into the Mets as I am. She’s really cool. I mean, she even likes my Dr. Phil impression
6) And I may come to regret staying on the phone so late. Because left this morning for an 8-day tour to the southeast. I had to wake up at 4:45, so after feeling so tired yesterday, I’m probably going on four hours sleep! Mom's tour will take her through Lexington, Savannah, Charleston, and who knows where else. I just hope she doesn't have to deal with Hurricane Sandy.
7) Tonight is the Champs for Charity hockey game at the All State Arena. I’m already rocking my Henrik jersey. I have no idea who is going to be there, though I don’t know of any Rangers
8) All November NHL games canceled. Thank you Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr.
9) I’m so desperate for a daily sport that I am doing something I have not done in five or six years. I am participating in two fantasy basketball drafts this weekend.
10) The Knicks' age worries me. I think they'll be the 5th seed behind Miami, Boston, Indiana, and Brooklyn and then out in the second round, thanks to Miami.
11) My only set plans for Saturday are the gym and apple picking with the Willow Creek singles and Compass groups in Hobart, Indiana
12) At Butera, I was looking for some Naked juice. Apparently, it’s not available there anymore, at least not the flavors I usually buy. Instead, they sell the Alo drinks. I got a bottle of Aloe vera with wheatgrass. That’s a drink, not a lotion. I have no idea what it’s going to do for me. But I know wheatgrass is super healthy. And so the drink sounds healthy and tastes bad. That’s a good sign I’m getting healthy.
Heavy recap-Last weekend
1) So last Friday afternoon, around 5:15, I’m halfway through with my drive home from work. I was planning on going to Wal-Mart and Jewel Osco and then the gym before heading home for the night. All of a sudden, Natalie Cuevas sends me a text, asking me if I had any plans. Eventually, she asked me to go see a play with her that night. She told me she was getting out of work at 8 and the play started at 8:30. All of a sudden, I realized I was in a hurry. So I sped home, worked out on the total gym, cooked the lamb chops, baked potatoes, and asparagus, dressed, and got out the door as fast as I could. I drove 45 minutes north to her house in Algonquin. Domino was there to greet me Then I drove us 55 minutes south to the Drury Lane Theater in Oak Brook. And the show we saw along with her mother and her mother’s friend was Xanadu. Now the only Xanadu I knew of was the unfinished ski jump at the Meadowlands. This was one of the corniest shows I have ever seen. There were a few funny moments, but between all the disco, leg warmers, feminine colors, etc., yeah, I don’t think I’d spend money to watch this. I drove Natalie back north to Algonquin before heading back home to St. Charles, arriving a little after midnight. All in all, I drove four hours that day. I wouldn’t change it though.
2a) On Saturday, Mom and I planned on checking out Starved Rock State Park. But we slept a little later than we planned, so instead, we headed over to the Mayflower tours office in Downers Grove so she could get some photocopying done for her upcoming tours. The we grabbed lunch at J. Alexander’s, a place I’d heard of, but never been to before. We started by splitting the redwood salad, which came with field greens, rotisserie chicken, pecans, avocado, tomatoes, bacon, cheese, and croutons. I never eat croutons. Ever. But these weren't the typical crouton that's brick-hard and crispy all the way through. Rather, these chewy, and spongy, and tender. I was amazed how good they were. The chicken was cold and juicy. The crunch of the pecans and bacon worked great with the creaminess of the avocado as well. Instead of ranch, I got the champagne vinaigrette, and it tasted light and citrusy. For $15, that was a very good salad.
2b) The NY strip steak tacos were one of the items on the specialty menu. I hesitated to order them since they cost $15 and we would only be able to have one taco apiece. Well, I wish I had kept the order to myself. The adobo-spiced strip was grilled to a perfect medium-rare. They came in soft flour tortillas topped with a cilantro-sour cream sauce and chopped pico de gallo. It couldn't have been a much better taco. I don't know if these will remain a part of the menu, but if they are, I'd really recommend them.
2c) We also split a French dip sandwich with French fries. I'm usually not a French dip fan, but I heard their prime rib was really good so I figured I'd try it out. And mounds of pink roasted beef came on a French baguette. We also got sides of jus and horseradish sauce. The beef was incredibly juicy, and the horseradish, gave the sandwich just the right amount of kick. But...it was $18. For a French dip. Very good restaurant, not the most reasonable prices, but the quality of food is very, very good.
3) After lunch, Mom and I headed over to Von Maur in Oak Brook, where she had to return a few items. I really didn’t think I was ever going to buy anything there. But I checked out the sale rack and I wound up purchasing two shirts for around $85. One was a chocolate brown silk t-shirt. The other was a very nice plaid, orange, black, and white long-sleeve, button-down short that I could wear to church or work.
4) Then we drove back to the Charlestowne Mall. We went to see Taken 2, but as I we were walking in, right outside the box office, I saw this stand set up with tons of sports memorabilia. Banners, cards, pictures, pennants, etc. I wound up buying four pictures (Gary Carter, Mike Piazza, Mark Sanchez, Brian Leetch) for $18. As for the movie, even though the critics bashed it, I thought it was pretty solid for a sequel.
5) I only had about an hour to spend at home and charge my phone before I had to head out Singles Connect Night at Willow Creek. This was the first one I’d been able to attend this season, since I missed the first while I was in Baltimore. I saw Christina and Lib and for the first time since last May. Mike spoke about walking the talk. After we went downstairs for discussions, I was a little surprised that I got to be a table leader. At our table, we had five first-timers, one guy who was there for the second time, and me. Afterwards, we decided between Mario’s dance birthday party in Addison or Pinstripes. I chose Pinstripes and arrived first. For a while, there was just me, this pain in the neck named Pete and two girls, Heather Anne (the vegan priest) and Megan (the cute bilingual teacher in West Chicago) Eventually, about 15 people showed up. I ordered an Italian beef pizza and loved it. Braised beef, giardienira, mozzarella, tomatoes. Amazing.
6) I woke up around 8 on Sunday and hit the gym, which I almost never do on Sunday morning. Then I went to the late service at Willow Creek. I sat with Mike, Lindsay, Natasha, and Natalie. Then before small group, I headed over to Jersey’s to watch the early football games and eat a lousy chicken sandwich. Andrea, Manish, Alison, Natalie R, Natasha, Fil, Matt, and I all showed up as we went through Hebrews 6 and 7. Hey, if a 2:30 start is what it takes for people to come, I guess that is what has to happen.
7) I’ll skip the Jets disgrace in New England on Sunday.
2a) On Saturday, Mom and I planned on checking out Starved Rock State Park. But we slept a little later than we planned, so instead, we headed over to the Mayflower tours office in Downers Grove so she could get some photocopying done for her upcoming tours. The we grabbed lunch at J. Alexander’s, a place I’d heard of, but never been to before. We started by splitting the redwood salad, which came with field greens, rotisserie chicken, pecans, avocado, tomatoes, bacon, cheese, and croutons. I never eat croutons. Ever. But these weren't the typical crouton that's brick-hard and crispy all the way through. Rather, these chewy, and spongy, and tender. I was amazed how good they were. The chicken was cold and juicy. The crunch of the pecans and bacon worked great with the creaminess of the avocado as well. Instead of ranch, I got the champagne vinaigrette, and it tasted light and citrusy. For $15, that was a very good salad.
2b) The NY strip steak tacos were one of the items on the specialty menu. I hesitated to order them since they cost $15 and we would only be able to have one taco apiece. Well, I wish I had kept the order to myself. The adobo-spiced strip was grilled to a perfect medium-rare. They came in soft flour tortillas topped with a cilantro-sour cream sauce and chopped pico de gallo. It couldn't have been a much better taco. I don't know if these will remain a part of the menu, but if they are, I'd really recommend them.
2c) We also split a French dip sandwich with French fries. I'm usually not a French dip fan, but I heard their prime rib was really good so I figured I'd try it out. And mounds of pink roasted beef came on a French baguette. We also got sides of jus and horseradish sauce. The beef was incredibly juicy, and the horseradish, gave the sandwich just the right amount of kick. But...it was $18. For a French dip. Very good restaurant, not the most reasonable prices, but the quality of food is very, very good.
3) After lunch, Mom and I headed over to Von Maur in Oak Brook, where she had to return a few items. I really didn’t think I was ever going to buy anything there. But I checked out the sale rack and I wound up purchasing two shirts for around $85. One was a chocolate brown silk t-shirt. The other was a very nice plaid, orange, black, and white long-sleeve, button-down short that I could wear to church or work.
4) Then we drove back to the Charlestowne Mall. We went to see Taken 2, but as I we were walking in, right outside the box office, I saw this stand set up with tons of sports memorabilia. Banners, cards, pictures, pennants, etc. I wound up buying four pictures (Gary Carter, Mike Piazza, Mark Sanchez, Brian Leetch) for $18. As for the movie, even though the critics bashed it, I thought it was pretty solid for a sequel.
5) I only had about an hour to spend at home and charge my phone before I had to head out Singles Connect Night at Willow Creek. This was the first one I’d been able to attend this season, since I missed the first while I was in Baltimore. I saw Christina and Lib and for the first time since last May. Mike spoke about walking the talk. After we went downstairs for discussions, I was a little surprised that I got to be a table leader. At our table, we had five first-timers, one guy who was there for the second time, and me. Afterwards, we decided between Mario’s dance birthday party in Addison or Pinstripes. I chose Pinstripes and arrived first. For a while, there was just me, this pain in the neck named Pete and two girls, Heather Anne (the vegan priest) and Megan (the cute bilingual teacher in West Chicago) Eventually, about 15 people showed up. I ordered an Italian beef pizza and loved it. Braised beef, giardienira, mozzarella, tomatoes. Amazing.
6) I woke up around 8 on Sunday and hit the gym, which I almost never do on Sunday morning. Then I went to the late service at Willow Creek. I sat with Mike, Lindsay, Natasha, and Natalie. Then before small group, I headed over to Jersey’s to watch the early football games and eat a lousy chicken sandwich. Andrea, Manish, Alison, Natalie R, Natasha, Fil, Matt, and I all showed up as we went through Hebrews 6 and 7. Hey, if a 2:30 start is what it takes for people to come, I guess that is what has to happen.
7) I’ll skip the Jets disgrace in New England on Sunday.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Wearing a Wednesday out
1) So I woke up at 4:45 to take Mom to Rosemont for her latest and greatest tour. Then, I went straight to the gym and, now I'm working 12-9 tonight. Somehow, I'll find a way to get through this.
2) Just reviewed my MLB predictions. For the AL, I got 3 of 5 playoff teams correct and in the NL, well, I got 2. I picked two teams from the NL to make the playoffs and got both wrong. And no, the Mets were not any of the 4. But the fact that I picked Anaheim to win the World Series and they failed to even make the playoffs...I'd say that's a bad job.
3) I have two free tickets to Supercard of Honor 7 on April 5 in New York City. I really have no idea what my relationship status will be then, but I will be in Manhattan regardless. Maybe I'll hit Guy Fieri's place...
4) I really want to get back to Fifty 50 in Chicago. The triple-secret burger toppped with the pulled pork, Merkt's cheddar, and the mac n cheese waffle sounds like a trip to indulgence heaven. Maybe I'll add a little BBQ sauce...
5) I wish the guy on my street who bought the used police car would park it in a garage already. I'm tired of zipping around the curve and thinking a cop's watching me!
2) Just reviewed my MLB predictions. For the AL, I got 3 of 5 playoff teams correct and in the NL, well, I got 2. I picked two teams from the NL to make the playoffs and got both wrong. And no, the Mets were not any of the 4. But the fact that I picked Anaheim to win the World Series and they failed to even make the playoffs...I'd say that's a bad job.
3) I have two free tickets to Supercard of Honor 7 on April 5 in New York City. I really have no idea what my relationship status will be then, but I will be in Manhattan regardless. Maybe I'll hit Guy Fieri's place...
4) I really want to get back to Fifty 50 in Chicago. The triple-secret burger toppped with the pulled pork, Merkt's cheddar, and the mac n cheese waffle sounds like a trip to indulgence heaven. Maybe I'll add a little BBQ sauce...
5) I wish the guy on my street who bought the used police car would park it in a garage already. I'm tired of zipping around the curve and thinking a cop's watching me!
Saturday, October 06, 2012
Sore legs...
So this morning marked the 1st (Possibly) Annual Wheaton Academy Alumni and Friends 5k. I woke up at 6 am and downed two slices of wheat toast with peanut butter along with half a gallon of water. I left home around 6:30 and arrived at my old high school around 6:45 am, just as the cross country team was setting the course up.
The conditions outside were not ideal for running. Thankfully, the sky was blue, but I was hoping for a temperature higher than 33 degrees. Unfortunately, running the three miles on treadmills was not an option. So I got my runners' bib and gray alumni-t-shirt, and immediately went back inside the fieldhouse. That weather was just too cold to stand around in doing nothing. I had a few brief conversations with some people around me, but there was nobody I recognized besides Felinski who assist coaches cross country anyway. Around 7:40, about 60 of us headed over to the grass practice field behind the school. We took a group photo, got the layout of the course from my old gym teacher, and he then said a quick prayer. I stood right at the starting line, sporting my Brooks Brothers sneakers, white compression socks, black mesh exercise shorts, long-sleeve black synthetic shirt, maroon t-shirt over that, red-orange fleece jacket, black Adidas headband, and black winter skull hat. Then I heard "Ready, set..." and the blowhorn didn't work. It sounded like somebody playing a trumpet with a wad of used chewing gum stuck inside.
Anyway, we started by going straight across Hawthorne Rd, then downhill, around the soccer field, slightly uphill, then back across Hawthorne Rd and across the practice field in the opposite direction that we had started. That took about five minutes and my hands were already getting numb because of the cold. And I really didn't know how fast I was running, but I knew I was pushing myself pretty hard. So we then went through the parking lot and then down the Prairie Path next to Prince Crossing Road for about two minutes. Then we made a left back onto the path for a pretty long straightaway before a quick left downhill turn, only to quickly turn right for a very steep uphill run for a few seconds. After that, we were back on the campus for a straightaway run past the softball field and back to the practice field.
The problem for me was I wasn't clear if we had to complete two laps or three laps before the finish. I did know there was and orange road cone set up near Hawthorne that we would have to turn around before heading toward the finish. So I really wasn't quite sure how to pace myself. I felt okay through the first lap, but I was having a lot of trouble breathing. The cold almost forced me to breathe through my mouth alone. I just made sure to breathe out as deeply as I could to help prevent those side cramps and thankfully, they never came. By the time I got back across Hawthorne on the second lap, I knew I was going to struggle. There were a few points where I wanted to just walk. But I knew if I did, getting myself to run again would only get harder. The only time I really slowed down was that last uphill rush. But a few moments later, when I saw a few people ahead of me turn around that orange cone, I knew I was almost finished. Even though I didn't really have a good sprint left in me, I was still able to pick my pace up a little bit. I crossed the finish line at the 23:18 mark, which was the eighth fastest finishing time. At the Willow Creek 5k, I finished at 28:45, and that was with a hard sprint for the last half mile, so I ran the three miles 5:27 faster than in April.
I immediately downed three small cups of water...I needed a tub of Gatorade. My right calf felt really tight, but other than that, I felt pretty good. Soon, I also saw George, the very energetic golden retriever crossing the line with his owner, so I got a cup of water for him too. He certainly appreciated it.
Then I headed over to the mini-tent where some snacks were set up for us. I took a mini-wheat bagel with cream cheese, half a banana, and a cup of blueberry yogurt that I still haven't eaten. Around 8:15, I took off and headed straight to the gym where I lay in the sauna and showered before a good soak in the whirlpool. I could have used a Swedish massage too...
The conditions outside were not ideal for running. Thankfully, the sky was blue, but I was hoping for a temperature higher than 33 degrees. Unfortunately, running the three miles on treadmills was not an option. So I got my runners' bib and gray alumni-t-shirt, and immediately went back inside the fieldhouse. That weather was just too cold to stand around in doing nothing. I had a few brief conversations with some people around me, but there was nobody I recognized besides Felinski who assist coaches cross country anyway. Around 7:40, about 60 of us headed over to the grass practice field behind the school. We took a group photo, got the layout of the course from my old gym teacher, and he then said a quick prayer. I stood right at the starting line, sporting my Brooks Brothers sneakers, white compression socks, black mesh exercise shorts, long-sleeve black synthetic shirt, maroon t-shirt over that, red-orange fleece jacket, black Adidas headband, and black winter skull hat. Then I heard "Ready, set..." and the blowhorn didn't work. It sounded like somebody playing a trumpet with a wad of used chewing gum stuck inside.
Anyway, we started by going straight across Hawthorne Rd, then downhill, around the soccer field, slightly uphill, then back across Hawthorne Rd and across the practice field in the opposite direction that we had started. That took about five minutes and my hands were already getting numb because of the cold. And I really didn't know how fast I was running, but I knew I was pushing myself pretty hard. So we then went through the parking lot and then down the Prairie Path next to Prince Crossing Road for about two minutes. Then we made a left back onto the path for a pretty long straightaway before a quick left downhill turn, only to quickly turn right for a very steep uphill run for a few seconds. After that, we were back on the campus for a straightaway run past the softball field and back to the practice field.
The problem for me was I wasn't clear if we had to complete two laps or three laps before the finish. I did know there was and orange road cone set up near Hawthorne that we would have to turn around before heading toward the finish. So I really wasn't quite sure how to pace myself. I felt okay through the first lap, but I was having a lot of trouble breathing. The cold almost forced me to breathe through my mouth alone. I just made sure to breathe out as deeply as I could to help prevent those side cramps and thankfully, they never came. By the time I got back across Hawthorne on the second lap, I knew I was going to struggle. There were a few points where I wanted to just walk. But I knew if I did, getting myself to run again would only get harder. The only time I really slowed down was that last uphill rush. But a few moments later, when I saw a few people ahead of me turn around that orange cone, I knew I was almost finished. Even though I didn't really have a good sprint left in me, I was still able to pick my pace up a little bit. I crossed the finish line at the 23:18 mark, which was the eighth fastest finishing time. At the Willow Creek 5k, I finished at 28:45, and that was with a hard sprint for the last half mile, so I ran the three miles 5:27 faster than in April.
I immediately downed three small cups of water...I needed a tub of Gatorade. My right calf felt really tight, but other than that, I felt pretty good. Soon, I also saw George, the very energetic golden retriever crossing the line with his owner, so I got a cup of water for him too. He certainly appreciated it.
Then I headed over to the mini-tent where some snacks were set up for us. I took a mini-wheat bagel with cream cheese, half a banana, and a cup of blueberry yogurt that I still haven't eaten. Around 8:15, I took off and headed straight to the gym where I lay in the sauna and showered before a good soak in the whirlpool. I could have used a Swedish massage too...
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Late Wednesday ponderings
1) I cannot go through the rest of my life with someone who will have victories and accomplishments to celebrate every year while I get mentally twisted and tortured. I’m trying to reduce the presence of sport in my life and in this situation I’ve been in for 18 months, it’s only going up and up.
2) I met a neat girl last Sunday at small group and we’ve had several conversations since. Including the one outside JT’s last Friday where we chatted about almost everything under the sun (including sex) for almost three hours. We get along really well. Next thing I know, I get a phone call from Matt P basically saying I need to watch my step. Because he’s going to ask her out for Halloween. He’s all but decided she’s going to be his next girlfriend. I wonder if she feels the same. I mean, can I really know within a week of knowing somebody that I want to ask them out? I would have said no, but then again, the deserter is a clear exception to that. One thing’s for sure, I don’t want to lose a good friend over a girl.
3) I’m listening to the first Presidential debate as I write this. I’m right wing on many issues, but I haven’t really invested my vote in Mitt Romney. I will probably pay more attention than I used to and get a really good feel for who I will vote for come November.
4) Amazing choke job by the American Ryder Cup team. And watching Phil Mickelson smile as Justin Rose rallied against him on Sunday made me absolutely sick. Hey Phil, how about showing a little competitive spirit like you did when you dominated with Keegan Bradley during the Friday and Saturday sessions?! Yes, I would have liked to have gone to Medinah to witness it first-hand. But at $250 a ticket, I don’t think that would have been worth it, especially when I can only watch one hole at a time.
5) Lucky’s doesn’t have the greatest food in the world. But after watching the Jets get bludgeoned, it’s a great way to ease the symptoms of pure depression. Several slices of capicola, fried egg, provolone cheese, fresh French fries, oil and vinegar cole slaw, and tomato slices on thick cut Italian bread. And the Breckenridge Agave Wheat draft beer from Denver turned out to be a stellar compliment to a very hearty sandwich.
6) I really enjoyed watching the Zac Brown Band in Tinley Park. It was a much more visual show than I anticipated with lots of lights and several smaller screens. And my God, those guys can play! I’d say “Colder Weather” and “Whiskey’s Gone” were my favorite songs to hear live. I even snuck in tiny bottles of Jack Daniels and Bacardi into the show and drank most of them. And considering a Coke would have cost me $9.00, I’d say it was a risk well worth taking.
7) But getting out of the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre was one of the absolute worst traffic jams I have ever been in that did not involve bad weather. I got in my car at 11:15 and I-80 West was only about two or three miles away. It took me no less than 45 minutes to drive those two or three miles. I did not get home until 1 AM and I only got 4 hours of sleep before waking up at 6 for work on Monday morning.
8) Looks like I’m going to Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar and Grill on Saturday afternoon after I pick up Mom at O’Hare. But I’m picking her up at 3:40. I really wonder how lively the place will be at 4 pm on a Saturday afternoon…I’m guessing I will see a lot more families than eye candy.
9) Adam the Jew is starting to wear on me. He has a very biting sense of humor and I can deal with that. I’m from New York, I have a sarcastic side to me, no question about it. But when that’s 95 percent of his communication, I really wonder if to him, I’m more of a friend or a punching bag.
10) 2.5 days to go till the Wheaton Academy Alumni and Friends 5k. I ran 2.25 miles on the treadmill today at 6.7 mph with an 0.5 upgrade. I have to say, my legs I didn’t feel too great after I was done. I think I’m going to pass on running Thursday night and do some light weights and maybe some time on the exercise bike. On April 21, I finished my first 5k in 28:45. I’m not sure what a realistic goal time is, but I definitely think I can break 27 minutes.
11) My biggest concern about the 5k is the possibility of a shower on Saturday. Because I have this suspicion that without a running track at my old high school, we’ll be running on the Prairie Path, which is dirt. The idea of running through mud would not be an ideal situation to run over three miles in. But I have my music playlist ready to go. I do wonder if I’ll see anyone I knew in high school though, who really knows how this morning will go.
2) I met a neat girl last Sunday at small group and we’ve had several conversations since. Including the one outside JT’s last Friday where we chatted about almost everything under the sun (including sex) for almost three hours. We get along really well. Next thing I know, I get a phone call from Matt P basically saying I need to watch my step. Because he’s going to ask her out for Halloween. He’s all but decided she’s going to be his next girlfriend. I wonder if she feels the same. I mean, can I really know within a week of knowing somebody that I want to ask them out? I would have said no, but then again, the deserter is a clear exception to that. One thing’s for sure, I don’t want to lose a good friend over a girl.
3) I’m listening to the first Presidential debate as I write this. I’m right wing on many issues, but I haven’t really invested my vote in Mitt Romney. I will probably pay more attention than I used to and get a really good feel for who I will vote for come November.
4) Amazing choke job by the American Ryder Cup team. And watching Phil Mickelson smile as Justin Rose rallied against him on Sunday made me absolutely sick. Hey Phil, how about showing a little competitive spirit like you did when you dominated with Keegan Bradley during the Friday and Saturday sessions?! Yes, I would have liked to have gone to Medinah to witness it first-hand. But at $250 a ticket, I don’t think that would have been worth it, especially when I can only watch one hole at a time.
5) Lucky’s doesn’t have the greatest food in the world. But after watching the Jets get bludgeoned, it’s a great way to ease the symptoms of pure depression. Several slices of capicola, fried egg, provolone cheese, fresh French fries, oil and vinegar cole slaw, and tomato slices on thick cut Italian bread. And the Breckenridge Agave Wheat draft beer from Denver turned out to be a stellar compliment to a very hearty sandwich.
6) I really enjoyed watching the Zac Brown Band in Tinley Park. It was a much more visual show than I anticipated with lots of lights and several smaller screens. And my God, those guys can play! I’d say “Colder Weather” and “Whiskey’s Gone” were my favorite songs to hear live. I even snuck in tiny bottles of Jack Daniels and Bacardi into the show and drank most of them. And considering a Coke would have cost me $9.00, I’d say it was a risk well worth taking.
7) But getting out of the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre was one of the absolute worst traffic jams I have ever been in that did not involve bad weather. I got in my car at 11:15 and I-80 West was only about two or three miles away. It took me no less than 45 minutes to drive those two or three miles. I did not get home until 1 AM and I only got 4 hours of sleep before waking up at 6 for work on Monday morning.
8) Looks like I’m going to Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar and Grill on Saturday afternoon after I pick up Mom at O’Hare. But I’m picking her up at 3:40. I really wonder how lively the place will be at 4 pm on a Saturday afternoon…I’m guessing I will see a lot more families than eye candy.
9) Adam the Jew is starting to wear on me. He has a very biting sense of humor and I can deal with that. I’m from New York, I have a sarcastic side to me, no question about it. But when that’s 95 percent of his communication, I really wonder if to him, I’m more of a friend or a punching bag.
10) 2.5 days to go till the Wheaton Academy Alumni and Friends 5k. I ran 2.25 miles on the treadmill today at 6.7 mph with an 0.5 upgrade. I have to say, my legs I didn’t feel too great after I was done. I think I’m going to pass on running Thursday night and do some light weights and maybe some time on the exercise bike. On April 21, I finished my first 5k in 28:45. I’m not sure what a realistic goal time is, but I definitely think I can break 27 minutes.
11) My biggest concern about the 5k is the possibility of a shower on Saturday. Because I have this suspicion that without a running track at my old high school, we’ll be running on the Prairie Path, which is dirt. The idea of running through mud would not be an ideal situation to run over three miles in. But I have my music playlist ready to go. I do wonder if I’ll see anyone I knew in high school though, who really knows how this morning will go.
Monday, October 01, 2012
Zac Brown Band setlist
Keep Me In Mind
Natural Disaster
As She's Walking Away
Who Knows
Colder Weather
Whiskey's Gone
Knee Deep
Can't You See
Acoustic Set
Problem of Freedom
All Apologies
One Day
Sweet Emotion
Free/Into the Mystic
It's Not Ok
Toes
Goodbye In Her Eyes
The Wind
Neon
Jump Right In
The Devil Went Down To Georgia
Encore
Uncaged
America the Beautiful
Chicken Fried
Natural Disaster
As She's Walking Away
Who Knows
Colder Weather
Whiskey's Gone
Knee Deep
Can't You See
Acoustic Set
Problem of Freedom
All Apologies
One Day
Sweet Emotion
Free/Into the Mystic
It's Not Ok
Toes
Goodbye In Her Eyes
The Wind
Neon
Jump Right In
The Devil Went Down To Georgia
Encore
Uncaged
America the Beautiful
Chicken Fried
Friday, September 21, 2012
How much more can we take?! Really?!
It's been too long since I really let how I feel come out. But now that the New York Mets have been officially eliminated from playoff contention, which they have all but been out of since mid-July, now seems appropriate.
I hadn't been too bad for the last month. I knew they were dead. I knew they couldn't hit, let alone score. And they play so anemically at home, it boggles the mind. But these last two games have absolutely set me off. They lose the first game of this three-game set at home to Philadelphia. That's one thing, Cliff Lee is a great pitcher, I can understand that. But Game 2. Rookie phenom Matt Harvey pitches a phenomenal game. Seven innings, two hits, leaves the game with the lead. In his last innings, he got Chase Utley to ground out before fanning Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz. That would be the last inning Harvey would pitch this season. And the Mets lead 3-2 going into the 9th. It could have been larger had Andres Torres not bounced into a double play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th. But Josh Edgin retires the first two in the top of the 9th. Up comes Utley. Following an eight-pitch at bat, Utley walks. Hello Howard. This guy had been injured half the season. He has barely hit a lefty all year long. Second pitch...BOOM. Slams one off the second deck of the right field stands. 3-2. Sd with a runner on first in the bottom of the 9th, the great David Wright grounds out. Ball game over.
And then last night. The only saving grace for me was I did not listen to or watch one second of this utter abomination. Mets starter Jeremy freaking Hefner does not record a single out. He allows six runs and Collin McHugh comes in and allows two more. 8-0 in the top of the first. I'm seeing this it a tthe gym while running on the treadmill and I'm screaming my head off at the TV! And just to rub it in, the Phillies add seven more in the top of the 9th. Including Josh Edgin surrendering a grand slam to guess who...Howard again. 16-1 final. The Mets are swept for the fourth time in their last five home series.
And I have to hear Hefner crying after the game about how embarrassed he was and how sorry he was. I'm sure he's a swell dude. I'm a compassionate guy, but I am out of any sympathy for this franchise and these incompetent players who have long ago quit on themselves, on their manager, and on their fans.
Being a fan of the Mets since July 8, 2012 has been one of the most miserable fan experiences of my life. Think about these facts.
1) Going into the last game before the All-Star break, which would be a 7-0 loss to the stinky Cubs, the Mets' record was 46-39. And they were right in the middle of the wild card hunt. Since that time, they have gone 20-44! They now have the fifth worst record in the NL, which after this series against Miami, will probably be the fourth-worst.
2) Last night, the Mets failed to exceed three runs for the 16th straight home game, two shy of matching the 1915 Yankees' major league record.
3) In their last 29 home games, the New York Mets boast a record of 4-25
4) The Atlanta Braves have more wins at Citi Field than the Mets do in the second half. One team has played six games there, the other has played 28!
5) In a span of 140 innings at home, they scored more than one run in those innings just one lousy time.
6) The Mets have gone 16 straight home games without scoring more than three runs, which is two games short of the all-time MLB record.
What kind of team loses 16-1 in September? The same outfit that lost 13-0 in August, 11-5 in July, 9-1 in June, 8-0 in May and 18-9 in April. The team where the best players don't lead, the youngsters don't develop, and the manager is helpless to do anything. The result? Our fourth straight irrelevant September, an empty ballpark, and a broken fanbase.
Go Orioles.
I hadn't been too bad for the last month. I knew they were dead. I knew they couldn't hit, let alone score. And they play so anemically at home, it boggles the mind. But these last two games have absolutely set me off. They lose the first game of this three-game set at home to Philadelphia. That's one thing, Cliff Lee is a great pitcher, I can understand that. But Game 2. Rookie phenom Matt Harvey pitches a phenomenal game. Seven innings, two hits, leaves the game with the lead. In his last innings, he got Chase Utley to ground out before fanning Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz. That would be the last inning Harvey would pitch this season. And the Mets lead 3-2 going into the 9th. It could have been larger had Andres Torres not bounced into a double play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th. But Josh Edgin retires the first two in the top of the 9th. Up comes Utley. Following an eight-pitch at bat, Utley walks. Hello Howard. This guy had been injured half the season. He has barely hit a lefty all year long. Second pitch...BOOM. Slams one off the second deck of the right field stands. 3-2. Sd with a runner on first in the bottom of the 9th, the great David Wright grounds out. Ball game over.
And then last night. The only saving grace for me was I did not listen to or watch one second of this utter abomination. Mets starter Jeremy freaking Hefner does not record a single out. He allows six runs and Collin McHugh comes in and allows two more. 8-0 in the top of the first. I'm seeing this it a tthe gym while running on the treadmill and I'm screaming my head off at the TV! And just to rub it in, the Phillies add seven more in the top of the 9th. Including Josh Edgin surrendering a grand slam to guess who...Howard again. 16-1 final. The Mets are swept for the fourth time in their last five home series.
And I have to hear Hefner crying after the game about how embarrassed he was and how sorry he was. I'm sure he's a swell dude. I'm a compassionate guy, but I am out of any sympathy for this franchise and these incompetent players who have long ago quit on themselves, on their manager, and on their fans.
Being a fan of the Mets since July 8, 2012 has been one of the most miserable fan experiences of my life. Think about these facts.
1) Going into the last game before the All-Star break, which would be a 7-0 loss to the stinky Cubs, the Mets' record was 46-39. And they were right in the middle of the wild card hunt. Since that time, they have gone 20-44! They now have the fifth worst record in the NL, which after this series against Miami, will probably be the fourth-worst.
2) Last night, the Mets failed to exceed three runs for the 16th straight home game, two shy of matching the 1915 Yankees' major league record.
3) In their last 29 home games, the New York Mets boast a record of 4-25
4) The Atlanta Braves have more wins at Citi Field than the Mets do in the second half. One team has played six games there, the other has played 28!
5) In a span of 140 innings at home, they scored more than one run in those innings just one lousy time.
6) The Mets have gone 16 straight home games without scoring more than three runs, which is two games short of the all-time MLB record.
What kind of team loses 16-1 in September? The same outfit that lost 13-0 in August, 11-5 in July, 9-1 in June, 8-0 in May and 18-9 in April. The team where the best players don't lead, the youngsters don't develop, and the manager is helpless to do anything. The result? Our fourth straight irrelevant September, an empty ballpark, and a broken fanbase.
Go Orioles.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Lonely Wednesday night
No more travel till maybe mid-November. Back to the rants.
1) Instead of watching baseball again this year, I'd rather have my nuts pounded flat by a sledgehammer. Even with the Mets being so irrelevant, they still find ways to rip my heart out. And the Yankees sweep a doubleheader. I have to be the biggest idiot for dating a Yankees/Giants fan. It's just not going to end well.
1) Instead of watching baseball again this year, I'd rather have my nuts pounded flat by a sledgehammer. Even with the Mets being so irrelevant, they still find ways to rip my heart out. And the Yankees sweep a doubleheader. I have to be the biggest idiot for dating a Yankees/Giants fan. It's just not going to end well.
2) Should I make the phone call to that condo on 12 Aberdeen Court in Schaumburg? I really have no desire to go there again after all that I was put through. But if someone who I trust believes it can help me grow as a man, maybe I should. But in the moment of decision, I probably wouldn't.
3) Keith Whitley died way too soon. Even if it's been 23 years. God, that man had such a great voice for country music.
4) Two weeks till the Wheaton Academy alumni 5k. I started my training on Monday by running 2.1 miles and 21 minutes. Maybe I can run 2.5 miles on Thursday. But I know this. I ran my first 5k in a little over 29 minutes back in May. I want to see if I can do this one in under 25 minutes.
5) I'm enjoying Willow Creek's series on Proverbs. Two weeks down, and I look forward to seeing what I can learn over the next nine.
Song pick: "The Way It Was" Bee Gees
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Baltimore recap-Part 2
I woke up around 8 on Friday and had a few quick bites of a Balance bar before heading downstairs to the gym. I ran on one of their two ellipticals for about 20 minutes and also did a few bench presses, lat pull downs, and arm work. I hopped back to the lobby and had a solid breakfast of eggs with ham and cheese and a Belgian waffle right off of the iron.
We left around 9:30 and began a mile-long walk northwest to one of Edgar Allan Poe's old homes. We actually passed through the University of Maryland-Baltimore medical school. That's where the first dental college in the world opened back in 18?? So we walked past the university and through a pretty dilapidated neighborhood. It wasn't quite the projects, I never felt concerned about my safety, but I would certainly call it low-income housing. Some broken glass on the streets and a lot of small brick homes connected to one an other. So we found the Poe House and it was a small two-story brick house. Although the website said the house opened at 10, the sign on the door told us otherwise. Hours: 12-6:30. No good!
So with that plan thwarted, we began walking another mile east on Lexington Avenue through the same very poor neighborhood. We passed by vendors selling jewelry And we arrived at Lexington Market, which their sign says is world famous. Before heading to Faidley's, we checked out some of the other food merchants. All I can say is it looked like a flea market for food in the projects. One of the staff saw me wearing my Ring of Honor t-shirt and we chatted for a few minutes about the company. So that was really cool. I did think when he tapped me on the shoulder that he was asking for a handout, but no, that wasn't the case, thankfully.
I still wanted to get a taste of Poe before I left Baltimore, just something besides sports and food. So we located his gravesite at the Westminster Cemetery at the corner of Fayette and Greene Streets, only about three blocks away form the market. His mother-in-law and wife are now buried in the same spot as well. I did not see any ravens around, although I was hoping...
We then walked straight east on Lombard St all the way to the Harbor. On our way, we picked up a deck of pinochle cards at CVS. My father plays this game a lot with Scott and his wife in their house in North Brunswick. We also saw the Phoenix Shot Tower, which at 234 feet, was the tallest structure in the United States until 1846. Nearby was the Holocaust Park. There was even a statue of a soldier down on one knee in a prayer-like position with a little girl standing behind him touching his shoulder. Apparently, Baltimore is erecting statues of Tim Tebow...
We went into the Barnes and Noble at the Harbor and spent a half hour browsing around the board games, books, e-readers, and music. I saw a Mitch Hedberg album, who my dad had never heard of, so I spent most of the next hour cracking Hedberg's classic observational humor and wit. Then we made our second stop at Panera, where I settled for water this time. Yes, I thought about grabbing that pumpkin pie bagel again, but I knew I had to save my appetite for dinner later. But my dad had a Panera card of some type and the cashier told us we could get a free smoothie. Sounded good to me, so I ordered a wildberry. Tasted pretty solid.
The shopping areas on the west side of the harbor looked pretty interesting, so we walked that way. J. Paul's looked like a really intriguing contemporary American restaurant, and I'm sure if we had another meal, we would have headed over there. One of the most interesting shops we saw was McCormick's World of Flavor. This place has only been open one month, but I've never seen an other shop like it. They specialize in spices, sauces, seasonings, etc. They even have some interactive features. In the corner was were two big monitors. I pressed the touch screen and a scent came out from these holes in the top. And I had to guess which spice it was. And the more I got correct, the bigger coupon I got off my purchase. I got 3 out of 4 for 15 percent off. The thing is my spice rack is so loaded anyway, there really wasn't anything I saw that I felt we really needed at home! We headed back to the room around 3 and he began teaching me pinochle. I picked up the rules pretty quickly, it just took some time for me to grasp the strategy, like what card to play when. So I had to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em...
We had a dinner reservation at 6 pm, but we had one more stop to make first. Around 4 pm, we walked to the Renaissance hotel, right across the street from the harbor. I had the chance to meet my father's former boss at Barnes and Noble, named Cary. He was in town along with his family, since his niece was getting married. He now lives in Ann Arbor and he is a very friendly, outgoing guy. I also met his parents, his brother, and one of his sisters. Very nice and fun family to hang around, no doubt about it. I wish I still had that opportunity. I drank a bacardi oak and Coke (ok, it was probably Pepsi, sadly) on happy hour and around 5:30, Dad and I left for Fogo de Chao.
I hadn't been to a Brazilian steakhouse in maybe two years and it had been probably five for him. Even thought Morton's or Capital Grille would have been great choices too, Fogo was a place I really wanted to try. One of the highlights was the attentive, friendly service. Dirty plates quickly get replaced by fresh ones, water glasses stay full, and the manager came by and asked if we were enjoying our experience. Also, I was allowed to try a sample of red wine before actually ordering a glass, which is a huge deal for me. For the salad bar, I loved that they feature several types of olive oils and vinegars, along with a pepper mill. I went heavy on the tomatoes, roasted zucchini, artichoke hearts, and thick-sliced bread. And the sopprasetta and proscuitto are so full of flavor, they can't be skipped. They can go a long way towards converting a vegetarian!
And the meat. Ah, where do I start? I wasn't a fan of the linguica, but I went nuts over everything else. Their pork ribs prove that ribs don't need a sauce to taste amazing. The ribeye was cut really thick, I probably had three pieces. The chicken legs were the biggest surprise for me. They had a little spice, the skin crunched, and the meat was moist as could be. And the steak with garlic, well, it's dang near impossible to top. And I made sure to eat a few fried bananas, especially after eating all that meat. They really helped settle my stomach down.
After it was all over, we were both very glad we had a mile-long walk back to the hotel. The one thing that I thought was really strange was the line outside Pickles pub, which is right next to the Hampton Inn. It's just a little dive across from Camden Yards, but even at 7:30 pm, I swear the line must have been 100 people long for sure.
So, we settled in and without a lot of good options on TV, I turned on Undercover Boss. We found it interesting that the boss was the President of Kendall Jackson wine estates. It was like Mom was haunting us and when I told her about it, she thought it was really funny too. Then, we watched an episode of Two and a Half Men. Dad's not a big fan of it, he's never really been into a lot of comedies, but high school football on ESPN wasn't doing it for me. Then we finished the pinochle game, which I won, albeit with a little coaching from him. I challenged him to one more and beat him handily again. I do like the game, I just don't know who I can play it with.
I fell asleep around midnight and woke up around 6:30 Saturday morning. The light rail to BWI Airport arrived about 20 minutes late, but I still made it with plenty of time to spare for my 9:30 flight. This airport seemed really different than any I had been to. At BWI, the longest line was to check in the luggage, maybe 40 people long. But I found a self-service kiosk in no time and I printed my boarding card. But what really surprised me was that there was no wait for the security line. And then, the terminal was essentially empty. Even though the plane was just about full, I made it on, landed around 10:45 and got home just before noon.
Ring of Honor I-PPV live tonight in Chicago Ridge!
We left around 9:30 and began a mile-long walk northwest to one of Edgar Allan Poe's old homes. We actually passed through the University of Maryland-Baltimore medical school. That's where the first dental college in the world opened back in 18?? So we walked past the university and through a pretty dilapidated neighborhood. It wasn't quite the projects, I never felt concerned about my safety, but I would certainly call it low-income housing. Some broken glass on the streets and a lot of small brick homes connected to one an other. So we found the Poe House and it was a small two-story brick house. Although the website said the house opened at 10, the sign on the door told us otherwise. Hours: 12-6:30. No good!
So with that plan thwarted, we began walking another mile east on Lexington Avenue through the same very poor neighborhood. We passed by vendors selling jewelry And we arrived at Lexington Market, which their sign says is world famous. Before heading to Faidley's, we checked out some of the other food merchants. All I can say is it looked like a flea market for food in the projects. One of the staff saw me wearing my Ring of Honor t-shirt and we chatted for a few minutes about the company. So that was really cool. I did think when he tapped me on the shoulder that he was asking for a handout, but no, that wasn't the case, thankfully.
I still wanted to get a taste of Poe before I left Baltimore, just something besides sports and food. So we located his gravesite at the Westminster Cemetery at the corner of Fayette and Greene Streets, only about three blocks away form the market. His mother-in-law and wife are now buried in the same spot as well. I did not see any ravens around, although I was hoping...
We then walked straight east on Lombard St all the way to the Harbor. On our way, we picked up a deck of pinochle cards at CVS. My father plays this game a lot with Scott and his wife in their house in North Brunswick. We also saw the Phoenix Shot Tower, which at 234 feet, was the tallest structure in the United States until 1846. Nearby was the Holocaust Park. There was even a statue of a soldier down on one knee in a prayer-like position with a little girl standing behind him touching his shoulder. Apparently, Baltimore is erecting statues of Tim Tebow...
We went into the Barnes and Noble at the Harbor and spent a half hour browsing around the board games, books, e-readers, and music. I saw a Mitch Hedberg album, who my dad had never heard of, so I spent most of the next hour cracking Hedberg's classic observational humor and wit. Then we made our second stop at Panera, where I settled for water this time. Yes, I thought about grabbing that pumpkin pie bagel again, but I knew I had to save my appetite for dinner later. But my dad had a Panera card of some type and the cashier told us we could get a free smoothie. Sounded good to me, so I ordered a wildberry. Tasted pretty solid.
The shopping areas on the west side of the harbor looked pretty interesting, so we walked that way. J. Paul's looked like a really intriguing contemporary American restaurant, and I'm sure if we had another meal, we would have headed over there. One of the most interesting shops we saw was McCormick's World of Flavor. This place has only been open one month, but I've never seen an other shop like it. They specialize in spices, sauces, seasonings, etc. They even have some interactive features. In the corner was were two big monitors. I pressed the touch screen and a scent came out from these holes in the top. And I had to guess which spice it was. And the more I got correct, the bigger coupon I got off my purchase. I got 3 out of 4 for 15 percent off. The thing is my spice rack is so loaded anyway, there really wasn't anything I saw that I felt we really needed at home! We headed back to the room around 3 and he began teaching me pinochle. I picked up the rules pretty quickly, it just took some time for me to grasp the strategy, like what card to play when. So I had to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em...
We had a dinner reservation at 6 pm, but we had one more stop to make first. Around 4 pm, we walked to the Renaissance hotel, right across the street from the harbor. I had the chance to meet my father's former boss at Barnes and Noble, named Cary. He was in town along with his family, since his niece was getting married. He now lives in Ann Arbor and he is a very friendly, outgoing guy. I also met his parents, his brother, and one of his sisters. Very nice and fun family to hang around, no doubt about it. I wish I still had that opportunity. I drank a bacardi oak and Coke (ok, it was probably Pepsi, sadly) on happy hour and around 5:30, Dad and I left for Fogo de Chao.
I hadn't been to a Brazilian steakhouse in maybe two years and it had been probably five for him. Even thought Morton's or Capital Grille would have been great choices too, Fogo was a place I really wanted to try. One of the highlights was the attentive, friendly service. Dirty plates quickly get replaced by fresh ones, water glasses stay full, and the manager came by and asked if we were enjoying our experience. Also, I was allowed to try a sample of red wine before actually ordering a glass, which is a huge deal for me. For the salad bar, I loved that they feature several types of olive oils and vinegars, along with a pepper mill. I went heavy on the tomatoes, roasted zucchini, artichoke hearts, and thick-sliced bread. And the sopprasetta and proscuitto are so full of flavor, they can't be skipped. They can go a long way towards converting a vegetarian!
And the meat. Ah, where do I start? I wasn't a fan of the linguica, but I went nuts over everything else. Their pork ribs prove that ribs don't need a sauce to taste amazing. The ribeye was cut really thick, I probably had three pieces. The chicken legs were the biggest surprise for me. They had a little spice, the skin crunched, and the meat was moist as could be. And the steak with garlic, well, it's dang near impossible to top. And I made sure to eat a few fried bananas, especially after eating all that meat. They really helped settle my stomach down.
After it was all over, we were both very glad we had a mile-long walk back to the hotel. The one thing that I thought was really strange was the line outside Pickles pub, which is right next to the Hampton Inn. It's just a little dive across from Camden Yards, but even at 7:30 pm, I swear the line must have been 100 people long for sure.
So, we settled in and without a lot of good options on TV, I turned on Undercover Boss. We found it interesting that the boss was the President of Kendall Jackson wine estates. It was like Mom was haunting us and when I told her about it, she thought it was really funny too. Then, we watched an episode of Two and a Half Men. Dad's not a big fan of it, he's never really been into a lot of comedies, but high school football on ESPN wasn't doing it for me. Then we finished the pinochle game, which I won, albeit with a little coaching from him. I challenged him to one more and beat him handily again. I do like the game, I just don't know who I can play it with.
I fell asleep around midnight and woke up around 6:30 Saturday morning. The light rail to BWI Airport arrived about 20 minutes late, but I still made it with plenty of time to spare for my 9:30 flight. This airport seemed really different than any I had been to. At BWI, the longest line was to check in the luggage, maybe 40 people long. But I found a self-service kiosk in no time and I printed my boarding card. But what really surprised me was that there was no wait for the security line. And then, the terminal was essentially empty. Even though the plane was just about full, I made it on, landed around 10:45 and got home just before noon.
Ring of Honor I-PPV live tonight in Chicago Ridge!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Baltimore recap-Part 1
I clocked out of work at 5 pm, or four hours later than earlier than I normally do on a Wednesday. I headed into the break room and finished off what was left of my salmon and roasted vegetables. I guess I was doing what I could to avoid eating at the airport. I took off from Hoffman Estates around 5:30 and began driving east on I-90 towards Schiller Park. Over the last six months, I've gotten familiar with Blue Sky O'Hare parking and I'm a regular customer of theirs now. Compared to parking my car at the airport, even at remote parking, it only takes me an extra 20-30 minutes of time and I save ten bucks a day. Even for just a weekend trip, that money adds up quickly.
So I got through security pretty fast and almost three hours to kill before my flight. I started walking towards the G concourse and spent a few minutes in the bookstore. But I picked a copy of Sports Illustrated. I had heard there was a very riveting article on several former NFL players, including Jim Mc Mahon, and their issues with concussions and how it has affected not only the lives of the players, but also the women in their lives.
When I was done reading, I looked at my phone and the time was only 6:45. I had no idea how I was going to pass all this free time before my 8:55 flight. But then I saw a sign for Terminals 1 and 2. All of a sudden, it occurred to me that the Chicago Blackhawks bar was located in Terminal 2. I figured this was as good time as any to go, so I headed over. I liked that the centerpiece of the restaurant is the four Stanley Cups. And also I'm glad the restaurant isn't colored completely red and black; it's mostly neutral beige and white, but still has a lot of nice memorabilia like photos and signed sticks. Very classy and fun at the same time, and that's not always easy to pull off.
I found just one empty seat at the bar and grabbed it. I sat right next to the beer taps, which looked frozen, like they had just been sprayed with a Freeze gun. Nice touch there. I ordered the New York burger with American cheese, grilled onions, and pickles on a brioche bun. But in my honor, the bartender told me for the night, they were re-naming it the Ranger burger! And I enjoyed the burger very much, very juicy, great toppings, well melted cheese, and a soft roll that did not get soggy even with all that juice. It came with pretty decent shoestring fries and I ordered a Stella Artois on draft. Now had I known the beer cost $9.69, I might have opted for iced tea instead.
Sitting next to me was a guy from Denver on my left and a guy from Rhode Island on my right. I had brief conversations with them about baseball and we shared some flying stories. Then another guy, maybe 40, strolled in and took a seat three spots down from me. But there was something about him that caught my eye. He was wearing a burnt orange t shirt that said "Serve the World." Underneath that were the letters FBCG. I recognized it instantly as a shirt from my old church in Geneva. I said out loud, "Hey, I have that shirt!“ His name was Tim and we chatted about the church and some different roles we had played there. And like me, he had done the Kentucky trip, albeit he did it a couple years before me.
So I left the bar around 7:15 and walked back to the G concourse in Terminal 3. I wound up getting the last seat in the last row of the plane, 18C. We landed just after midnight. Even though I should have preferred to save the money and take a light rail to downtown, I opted for a cab. And I knew the trains shut down at 12:15 am, that was the only reason really. The ride cost me thirty bucks and the driver dropped me off at the Hampton Inn, which is right across the street from the left field gate at Camden Yards. My father was waiting outside, dressed in plaid sleep pants and a red t-shirt with a pocket in it, which is the style he always seems to wear. Indeed, like he said, he had lost weight. I wish exercise had been involved, but he has monitored his eating and that's a good sign. He has an even more pronounced mullet, which I'm sure would delight Mom (sarcasm). We tried to sleep starting around 1 am, but we chatted about random stuff until maybe 3 am.
The next morning, we woke up around 8:30 and ate a little bit of breakfast down in the lobby. I went with the scrambled eggs and melon. the eggs were actually decent and the melon was good to have for a change since we never have cantaloupe in the house with Mom's allergies. From there, we walked around the Inner harbor, which was a little over half a mile east of the hotel. Since he has a Panera card and felt like some iced team, we stopped there first. I opted for the iced green tea. I was tempted to try a pumpkin pie bagel. They even have a sign hanging there encouraging customers to try the seasonal bagel with their NY cheesecake flavored cream cheese. Not to sound like Jay Leno, but how fat are we getting in this country when we're adding cheesecake into cream cheese?
Then we headed back west to the ballpark. We walked up Eutaw Street, which goes behind the left field wall. The giveaway was free orange Buckle up t-shirts, as in manager Buck Showalter. I saw one guy wearing a shirt that said "Buck the Yankees" but I wasn't about to buy that one. We went over to Boog Powell's BBQ for a couple sandwiches and opted for a beef and a turkey. Once again, I have to say I preferred the turkey, especially with the BBQ sauce all over it. Also, a few former Orioles were signing autographs for the fans. And the only one I recognized was Joe Orsulak. I was hoping Mike Bordick would be there so I could yell at him about stinking it up for the Mets in 2000, but hey, you can't have everything.
The game against Tampa was one of the best I have ever seen live. Probably the craziest moment was the top of the 11th when Rays second baseman Ryan "Ink" Roberts took a swing and went down like he was shot. He had to leave the game with an injured lower leg. But apparently Rays manager Joe Maddon had no position players left on the bench. All of a sudden, the Rays bullpen door swung open and out came Chris Archer, sprinting to the dugout. This guy is a relief pitcher that almost nobody has ever heard of and he had to pinch-hit, facing an 0-2 count. Luis Ayala threw three straight balls and the crowd was really groaning. But, he still got the strikeout looking.
And then there was the top of the 13th. The Orioles loaded the bases with nobody out and we figured it was all over. Maddon played five infielders with just two outfielders and Robert Andino grounded into a force play at home. Matt Wieters pinch-hit and struck out. Then on a 3-2 count, Nate McLouth also struck out. We left after the 13th since we had a dinner reservation. We should have waited just one more inning. At the end, the game lasted 14 innings. Baltimore won it when Manny Machado's single to left field eluded a diving Matt Joyce, scoring Adam Jones. And the Orioles took sole possession of first place in the AL East and clinched their first winning season since 1997.
We cleaned up and walked one mile east, just past the harbor to Little Italy. I had heard of Sabatino's, mostly from Jim Cornette. It's located in an old house in the neighborhood which consists almost entirely of either old townhomes or Italian restaurants located in old townhomes, within walking distance of the Harbor. We sat down and I was so ready to place the drink order. I gulped down glasses of water and iced tea. They brought us a basket of thick Italian bread, which was good, but i would have liked a little but firmer crust. I definitely wanted to try the Bookmaker salad, since I'd heard this was really good. It came in a wooden bowl and it had the ingredients of a pretty standard house salad: iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, etc. But the additions with the Bookmaker put it over the top. This had shrimp, Genoa salami, provolone cheese, and a hard boiled egg. The house dressing tasted like a creamy garlic with a ton of grated Parmesan cheese. I certainly did like it, but I would have liked a few more ingredients like artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, etc. We were delighted with the mussels marinara appetizer. My father remarked that the sauce reminded him of Brooklyn. And I have to agree, their gravy tastes bright and has a great tomato and garlic flavor, especially after I dipped the bread in it. My one issue was the mussels were a little smaller in size than I was hoping. but they still tasted very tender.
For main courses, I chose the baked rigatoni with a side of sausage. The waitress asked me if I wanted the sausage baked in with the pasta. But I said no, just so my father could have a taste of it. The pasta was alright, but tasted too cheesy for me between the mozzarella and provolone. My solution was to take the leftover marinara from the mussels and add it in; that made the dish much more enjoyable to eat. I really liked the sausage, I was able to cut it with a fork. Two very tender, very juicy thick links. My father ordered the shrimp Juan, which was shrimp sauteed with lemon, garlic, and white wine and served over a bed of linguine. I tried one of the shrimp and it tasted like a good Francese. I wouldn't order it myself, but it was okay. He also got a side of meatballs. They were a nice tennis ball-size and I could really taste the herbs and garlic inside. But I still preferred the taste of the sausage. And the staff was very friendly and courteous. We were greeted warmly by the gentleman host and my father's issue with butter and cheese were handled by our server and the kitchen accordingly. All in all, I think I would return, but I would have to change the ordering up.
For dessert, we stopped by Vacarro's bakery, only a block away from Sabatino's. They had about 15 flavors of gelato and a couple of different Italian pastries. We opted for four of their mini-cannolis, which were filled to order and we took them back to the room. We continued playing Uno for another hour or so while playing a ton of WFAN clips. Finally, we crashed at midnight.
So I got through security pretty fast and almost three hours to kill before my flight. I started walking towards the G concourse and spent a few minutes in the bookstore. But I picked a copy of Sports Illustrated. I had heard there was a very riveting article on several former NFL players, including Jim Mc Mahon, and their issues with concussions and how it has affected not only the lives of the players, but also the women in their lives.
When I was done reading, I looked at my phone and the time was only 6:45. I had no idea how I was going to pass all this free time before my 8:55 flight. But then I saw a sign for Terminals 1 and 2. All of a sudden, it occurred to me that the Chicago Blackhawks bar was located in Terminal 2. I figured this was as good time as any to go, so I headed over. I liked that the centerpiece of the restaurant is the four Stanley Cups. And also I'm glad the restaurant isn't colored completely red and black; it's mostly neutral beige and white, but still has a lot of nice memorabilia like photos and signed sticks. Very classy and fun at the same time, and that's not always easy to pull off.
I found just one empty seat at the bar and grabbed it. I sat right next to the beer taps, which looked frozen, like they had just been sprayed with a Freeze gun. Nice touch there. I ordered the New York burger with American cheese, grilled onions, and pickles on a brioche bun. But in my honor, the bartender told me for the night, they were re-naming it the Ranger burger! And I enjoyed the burger very much, very juicy, great toppings, well melted cheese, and a soft roll that did not get soggy even with all that juice. It came with pretty decent shoestring fries and I ordered a Stella Artois on draft. Now had I known the beer cost $9.69, I might have opted for iced tea instead.
Sitting next to me was a guy from Denver on my left and a guy from Rhode Island on my right. I had brief conversations with them about baseball and we shared some flying stories. Then another guy, maybe 40, strolled in and took a seat three spots down from me. But there was something about him that caught my eye. He was wearing a burnt orange t shirt that said "Serve the World." Underneath that were the letters FBCG. I recognized it instantly as a shirt from my old church in Geneva. I said out loud, "Hey, I have that shirt!“ His name was Tim and we chatted about the church and some different roles we had played there. And like me, he had done the Kentucky trip, albeit he did it a couple years before me.
So I left the bar around 7:15 and walked back to the G concourse in Terminal 3. I wound up getting the last seat in the last row of the plane, 18C. We landed just after midnight. Even though I should have preferred to save the money and take a light rail to downtown, I opted for a cab. And I knew the trains shut down at 12:15 am, that was the only reason really. The ride cost me thirty bucks and the driver dropped me off at the Hampton Inn, which is right across the street from the left field gate at Camden Yards. My father was waiting outside, dressed in plaid sleep pants and a red t-shirt with a pocket in it, which is the style he always seems to wear. Indeed, like he said, he had lost weight. I wish exercise had been involved, but he has monitored his eating and that's a good sign. He has an even more pronounced mullet, which I'm sure would delight Mom (sarcasm). We tried to sleep starting around 1 am, but we chatted about random stuff until maybe 3 am.
The next morning, we woke up around 8:30 and ate a little bit of breakfast down in the lobby. I went with the scrambled eggs and melon. the eggs were actually decent and the melon was good to have for a change since we never have cantaloupe in the house with Mom's allergies. From there, we walked around the Inner harbor, which was a little over half a mile east of the hotel. Since he has a Panera card and felt like some iced team, we stopped there first. I opted for the iced green tea. I was tempted to try a pumpkin pie bagel. They even have a sign hanging there encouraging customers to try the seasonal bagel with their NY cheesecake flavored cream cheese. Not to sound like Jay Leno, but how fat are we getting in this country when we're adding cheesecake into cream cheese?
Then we headed back west to the ballpark. We walked up Eutaw Street, which goes behind the left field wall. The giveaway was free orange Buckle up t-shirts, as in manager Buck Showalter. I saw one guy wearing a shirt that said "Buck the Yankees" but I wasn't about to buy that one. We went over to Boog Powell's BBQ for a couple sandwiches and opted for a beef and a turkey. Once again, I have to say I preferred the turkey, especially with the BBQ sauce all over it. Also, a few former Orioles were signing autographs for the fans. And the only one I recognized was Joe Orsulak. I was hoping Mike Bordick would be there so I could yell at him about stinking it up for the Mets in 2000, but hey, you can't have everything.
The game against Tampa was one of the best I have ever seen live. Probably the craziest moment was the top of the 11th when Rays second baseman Ryan "Ink" Roberts took a swing and went down like he was shot. He had to leave the game with an injured lower leg. But apparently Rays manager Joe Maddon had no position players left on the bench. All of a sudden, the Rays bullpen door swung open and out came Chris Archer, sprinting to the dugout. This guy is a relief pitcher that almost nobody has ever heard of and he had to pinch-hit, facing an 0-2 count. Luis Ayala threw three straight balls and the crowd was really groaning. But, he still got the strikeout looking.
And then there was the top of the 13th. The Orioles loaded the bases with nobody out and we figured it was all over. Maddon played five infielders with just two outfielders and Robert Andino grounded into a force play at home. Matt Wieters pinch-hit and struck out. Then on a 3-2 count, Nate McLouth also struck out. We left after the 13th since we had a dinner reservation. We should have waited just one more inning. At the end, the game lasted 14 innings. Baltimore won it when Manny Machado's single to left field eluded a diving Matt Joyce, scoring Adam Jones. And the Orioles took sole possession of first place in the AL East and clinched their first winning season since 1997.
We cleaned up and walked one mile east, just past the harbor to Little Italy. I had heard of Sabatino's, mostly from Jim Cornette. It's located in an old house in the neighborhood which consists almost entirely of either old townhomes or Italian restaurants located in old townhomes, within walking distance of the Harbor. We sat down and I was so ready to place the drink order. I gulped down glasses of water and iced tea. They brought us a basket of thick Italian bread, which was good, but i would have liked a little but firmer crust. I definitely wanted to try the Bookmaker salad, since I'd heard this was really good. It came in a wooden bowl and it had the ingredients of a pretty standard house salad: iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, etc. But the additions with the Bookmaker put it over the top. This had shrimp, Genoa salami, provolone cheese, and a hard boiled egg. The house dressing tasted like a creamy garlic with a ton of grated Parmesan cheese. I certainly did like it, but I would have liked a few more ingredients like artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, etc. We were delighted with the mussels marinara appetizer. My father remarked that the sauce reminded him of Brooklyn. And I have to agree, their gravy tastes bright and has a great tomato and garlic flavor, especially after I dipped the bread in it. My one issue was the mussels were a little smaller in size than I was hoping. but they still tasted very tender.
For main courses, I chose the baked rigatoni with a side of sausage. The waitress asked me if I wanted the sausage baked in with the pasta. But I said no, just so my father could have a taste of it. The pasta was alright, but tasted too cheesy for me between the mozzarella and provolone. My solution was to take the leftover marinara from the mussels and add it in; that made the dish much more enjoyable to eat. I really liked the sausage, I was able to cut it with a fork. Two very tender, very juicy thick links. My father ordered the shrimp Juan, which was shrimp sauteed with lemon, garlic, and white wine and served over a bed of linguine. I tried one of the shrimp and it tasted like a good Francese. I wouldn't order it myself, but it was okay. He also got a side of meatballs. They were a nice tennis ball-size and I could really taste the herbs and garlic inside. But I still preferred the taste of the sausage. And the staff was very friendly and courteous. We were greeted warmly by the gentleman host and my father's issue with butter and cheese were handled by our server and the kitchen accordingly. All in all, I think I would return, but I would have to change the ordering up.
For dessert, we stopped by Vacarro's bakery, only a block away from Sabatino's. They had about 15 flavors of gelato and a couple of different Italian pastries. We opted for four of their mini-cannolis, which were filled to order and we took them back to the room. We continued playing Uno for another hour or so while playing a ton of WFAN clips. Finally, we crashed at midnight.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Michigan Retreat 2012 Part 2
The scuba group (Luke, Melissa, Jason, and Clarissa) had left around 6 in the morning...Fil had another amazing breakfast in store for us on Sunday...butterscotch oatmeal...crepes with toppings ranging from apple pie filling to nutella to bananas...more bacon and turkey bacon...girls slept in...the four guys ate and we got tired of waiting...we decided to just drive down to the beach...old guy watching parking lot, sitting in a golf cart...gave us a ride...asked if we were here for the wedding...four swans on the lake...plenty of geese...we got a little lost...walked past two black squirrels, a retreat center, over the bridge of a river...got back at 11:30.
The girls were already inside, waiting for us...we left for Glen Haven...I rode with Bill, Laina, and Manish...could not find my sunglasses and the sun was blinding...B, L, and M took a bike ride...I hung with Natalie, Fil, Mike, and Andrea...checked out the "Aloha" an old small fishing boat that was used 100 years ago...went into the cannery...old boats and rescued boats...we walked half a mile to the Maritime Museum...old boathouse...lookout point in the shape of a cross...blacksmith barn...guy made a bear head out of just pounding hot iron with an anvil...air and coal heat the oven.
Five of us crammed into the convertible...Mike drove, Fil was in the passenger seat...Natalie sat in back on the far right, Andrea was in the middle, I sat behind Mike...I scooted up to give the girls some more room...the driver's door was open...I moved my hand up on the open frame to prop myself up on the arm rest...as I raised myself up, I felt the three middle fingers of my left hand crunch...Mike had slammed the car door on my hand...
My middle finger immediately started to bleed...I could at least bend my fingers so I knew nothing was broken...during the ten minute drive, I just tried to keep my hand still and flat...I stormed out of the car and into our condo where Melissa and Jason were standing by the sink...rushed right past them and turned on the kitchen sink..."Adam, is everything okay?" Melissa asked..."No" I said firmly, and without emotion...I ran my hand under the coldest water I could for a few minutes.
We watched the first half of "Warrior"...drove to Traverse City around 5 with Mike, Bill, and Laina...we talked about dating, babies, Wheaton connections, financial aid...Laina said I was evil since I'm a cog in the financial aid wheel...I talked about how when a guy loves a girl, it's way to go above and beyond and to do the little things for them...Laina asked "Is Andrea one of them?"...we got there in 30 minutes or so.
At the site of the cruise, Andrea bought this dark gray T-shirt that said Traverse City on it...I got some brochures for mom...We boarded the schooner...I got to help raise the sails...Sampled four beers from Short's...their beers are not available outside of Northern Michigan...my favorite was the Nicie Spicy, a seasonal wheat beer...they brought maybe 18 pizzas on board...all of them were pepperoni...I'm sure the vegetarians in the group were overjoyed...Andrea doesn't eat red meat, so she picked it off...I guess she had to look for the slices with the least amount of meat on them...I ate nine slices...they also had a couple of veggie trays...maybe the most boring party food in the world.
The orange and purple sunset framing the picturesque shorelines was a sight to behold...two hours...I mostly kept to myself...I wanted to take in the sounds, sights, and smells...I talked with a couple from Grand Rapids and they mentioned Moomer's Ice Cream...I remembered that one of my brochures I had picked up was just for Moomer's...so I suggested to the group that we pass on the bonfire and head for ice cream instead...drove 15 minutes west from downtown Traverse City...backroads...total darkness....Manish asked "Adam, where are you taking us?"...I admit I was feeling a bit nervous...I did not want to screw this up...all of a sudden, we could see light beckoning...we drove to where E Long Lake Rd dead ends and we could see the barn right across the street from the dead end...
They have their own dairy, so I figured the quality was going to be good...and for an even better sign, the line was out the door at 9 pm on a Sunday...forty people in line and barely a space to park...as I took my place in the back of the line, I noticed the distinct aroma of waffle cones...sign of an ice cream place that cares about the ingredients it uses...tried the cherry cheesecake...it was pretty good, although I wasn't sure I wanted a couple of scoops with such large chunks of cherry...went with the regular sized cinnamon in a waffle cone...amazingly fresh taste...One of the best waffle cones ever, it was really thick, unlike what Cold Stone serves...Went back home...finished "Warrior"...Said goodbye to Jason and Melissa...they were leaving early the next morning to visit their families in Michigan...in bed at 1 am.
So Labor Day was our last morning...Fil did pancakes with Shocktop Belgian ale beer...sausage patties, much to Natalie 's chagrin...eggs with tomatoes...I finished off the OJ with pulp...left around 10:45...five minutes in, Mike said we had to turn back because he couldn't find his cell phone...it was under his seat...so that cost us 15 minutes...M-22 Store in downtown Glen Arbor...gear with M-22 and they also have wine tasting...I didn't get anything, I just didn't want to spend $25.00 on another shirt....on a personal level, a very strange situation is developing...feels like three guys want one girl...actually, I take that back. Luke doesn't give a shit about Andrea. He just cares about stroking his damn ego, nothing more, nothing less. But if she could have any interest in a guy who's so full of himself, I can't see that ending well...in reality, I don't think I want to date Andrea...she seems quiet, likes art, doesn't eat meat. I'm not saying these are bad things, I just don't know if they're compatible with my lifestyle...to quote Chris Rock, I'm in the friend zone!
While we were driving down the west coast of Michigan on Route 31, I played "Stay Gone" by Jimmy Wayne...hadn't listened to this song in a couple of months...it reminded me of how I'm really starting to feel about Jean the deserter...lines like "All my tears have been cried" really seem fitting right now...pictures in front of dinosaurs and in this little teepee in Empire, MI...Manistee looked like it had a nice downtown, even though the population is only about 6,500 people...Green Acres stand...peach cider, maybe a half a dozen varieties of honey...Mike got five pounds of blueberries...I thought about getting a small pie or some muffins, but I passed...eight bucks for an individual pie was just more than I was willing to pay.
I just didn't speak after the first hour except when I was giving driving directions...I just didn't feel like talking...part of it was I wanted some time to myself for a change...another part of me wondered if I had really made a good contribution to the group...not that I was a deterrent, but I hope I'm more than just a finger injury and an ice cream parlor...or maybe it's just my own old fears of being rejected and deserted again...I slept for maybe 20 minutes two different times...we didn't stop for lunch, so I all I ate between breakfast and dinner at home was half a bag of trail mix and five pistachios...we arrived at Luke's place around 6:15 and I got home right at 7 pm.
As I type this in my basement, it's nice to finally have some time to myself...it'll feel good to sleep in my bed tonight.
The girls were already inside, waiting for us...we left for Glen Haven...I rode with Bill, Laina, and Manish...could not find my sunglasses and the sun was blinding...B, L, and M took a bike ride...I hung with Natalie, Fil, Mike, and Andrea...checked out the "Aloha" an old small fishing boat that was used 100 years ago...went into the cannery...old boats and rescued boats...we walked half a mile to the Maritime Museum...old boathouse...lookout point in the shape of a cross...blacksmith barn...guy made a bear head out of just pounding hot iron with an anvil...air and coal heat the oven.
Five of us crammed into the convertible...Mike drove, Fil was in the passenger seat...Natalie sat in back on the far right, Andrea was in the middle, I sat behind Mike...I scooted up to give the girls some more room...the driver's door was open...I moved my hand up on the open frame to prop myself up on the arm rest...as I raised myself up, I felt the three middle fingers of my left hand crunch...Mike had slammed the car door on my hand...
My middle finger immediately started to bleed...I could at least bend my fingers so I knew nothing was broken...during the ten minute drive, I just tried to keep my hand still and flat...I stormed out of the car and into our condo where Melissa and Jason were standing by the sink...rushed right past them and turned on the kitchen sink..."Adam, is everything okay?" Melissa asked..."No" I said firmly, and without emotion...I ran my hand under the coldest water I could for a few minutes.
We watched the first half of "Warrior"...drove to Traverse City around 5 with Mike, Bill, and Laina...we talked about dating, babies, Wheaton connections, financial aid...Laina said I was evil since I'm a cog in the financial aid wheel...I talked about how when a guy loves a girl, it's way to go above and beyond and to do the little things for them...Laina asked "Is Andrea one of them?"...we got there in 30 minutes or so.
At the site of the cruise, Andrea bought this dark gray T-shirt that said Traverse City on it...I got some brochures for mom...We boarded the schooner...I got to help raise the sails...Sampled four beers from Short's...their beers are not available outside of Northern Michigan...my favorite was the Nicie Spicy, a seasonal wheat beer...they brought maybe 18 pizzas on board...all of them were pepperoni...I'm sure the vegetarians in the group were overjoyed...Andrea doesn't eat red meat, so she picked it off...I guess she had to look for the slices with the least amount of meat on them...I ate nine slices...they also had a couple of veggie trays...maybe the most boring party food in the world.
The orange and purple sunset framing the picturesque shorelines was a sight to behold...two hours...I mostly kept to myself...I wanted to take in the sounds, sights, and smells...I talked with a couple from Grand Rapids and they mentioned Moomer's Ice Cream...I remembered that one of my brochures I had picked up was just for Moomer's...so I suggested to the group that we pass on the bonfire and head for ice cream instead...drove 15 minutes west from downtown Traverse City...backroads...total darkness....Manish asked "Adam, where are you taking us?"...I admit I was feeling a bit nervous...I did not want to screw this up...all of a sudden, we could see light beckoning...we drove to where E Long Lake Rd dead ends and we could see the barn right across the street from the dead end...
They have their own dairy, so I figured the quality was going to be good...and for an even better sign, the line was out the door at 9 pm on a Sunday...forty people in line and barely a space to park...as I took my place in the back of the line, I noticed the distinct aroma of waffle cones...sign of an ice cream place that cares about the ingredients it uses...tried the cherry cheesecake...it was pretty good, although I wasn't sure I wanted a couple of scoops with such large chunks of cherry...went with the regular sized cinnamon in a waffle cone...amazingly fresh taste...One of the best waffle cones ever, it was really thick, unlike what Cold Stone serves...Went back home...finished "Warrior"...Said goodbye to Jason and Melissa...they were leaving early the next morning to visit their families in Michigan...in bed at 1 am.
So Labor Day was our last morning...Fil did pancakes with Shocktop Belgian ale beer...sausage patties, much to Natalie 's chagrin...eggs with tomatoes...I finished off the OJ with pulp...left around 10:45...five minutes in, Mike said we had to turn back because he couldn't find his cell phone...it was under his seat...so that cost us 15 minutes...M-22 Store in downtown Glen Arbor...gear with M-22 and they also have wine tasting...I didn't get anything, I just didn't want to spend $25.00 on another shirt....on a personal level, a very strange situation is developing...feels like three guys want one girl...actually, I take that back. Luke doesn't give a shit about Andrea. He just cares about stroking his damn ego, nothing more, nothing less. But if she could have any interest in a guy who's so full of himself, I can't see that ending well...in reality, I don't think I want to date Andrea...she seems quiet, likes art, doesn't eat meat. I'm not saying these are bad things, I just don't know if they're compatible with my lifestyle...to quote Chris Rock, I'm in the friend zone!
While we were driving down the west coast of Michigan on Route 31, I played "Stay Gone" by Jimmy Wayne...hadn't listened to this song in a couple of months...it reminded me of how I'm really starting to feel about Jean the deserter...lines like "All my tears have been cried" really seem fitting right now...pictures in front of dinosaurs and in this little teepee in Empire, MI...Manistee looked like it had a nice downtown, even though the population is only about 6,500 people...Green Acres stand...peach cider, maybe a half a dozen varieties of honey...Mike got five pounds of blueberries...I thought about getting a small pie or some muffins, but I passed...eight bucks for an individual pie was just more than I was willing to pay.
I just didn't speak after the first hour except when I was giving driving directions...I just didn't feel like talking...part of it was I wanted some time to myself for a change...another part of me wondered if I had really made a good contribution to the group...not that I was a deterrent, but I hope I'm more than just a finger injury and an ice cream parlor...or maybe it's just my own old fears of being rejected and deserted again...I slept for maybe 20 minutes two different times...we didn't stop for lunch, so I all I ate between breakfast and dinner at home was half a bag of trail mix and five pistachios...we arrived at Luke's place around 6:15 and I got home right at 7 pm.
As I type this in my basement, it's nice to finally have some time to myself...it'll feel good to sleep in my bed tonight.
Michigan Retreat 2012 Part 1
I've put off doing these posts for two weeks. So I'll do it shorthand form and see how that comes out. I just feel like switching it up.
I left home around 9 am and made it to Luke's home in southeast Naperville around 9:45...had trouble finding his house, I passed by Andrea...I found 1300 and walked in...it wasn't Luke's house...it belonged to an old guy with a dark gray beard...wanted to sell us his house, like she and I were a couple or something...that'll be the day...eventually we figured it out...Mike arrived around 10:30...we packed Luke's Jeep as tight as it could be...we left at 10:45.
Andrea bought along a bag of Trader Joe's pistachios....pretty solid snack...Was a little nervous talking to her...we played the game of Never...Luke napped and woke up an hour later...immediately, we took pictures in front of the castle at the Dutch Village in Holland...Mike's unhealthy obsession with Michigan blueberries...lunch at Panera outside Muskegon...my job was to be the navigator...6.5 hour drive total...got into Glen Arbor around 6:30...same time as Jason and Melissa...Jason has a baby-sized baby blue BMW convertible.
There's one condo for the six guys, one for the four girls/married couple who was coming later...very little space in our condo...six guys, 1 bathroom, 1 bedroom, 1 sofa...unpacked and went to Downtown Glen Arbor...Dinner at Boone Dock's...brown sugar walnut salmon...good, but too sweet....bland wild rice...added the tartar sauce, just to give it some flavor...$30...On TV, White Sox were playing the Tigers in a huge series...it was strange hearing the crowd cheer for Detroit.
While were were at dinner, Manish, Clarissa, Fil, and Natalie arrived...we all shared a few drinks at our place...I stayed with Stella and Budweiser...girls condo had the jacuzzi and more modern furniture...we had the flat screen TV and an actual kitchen...we had an oven, they just had a microwave, a two-burner range, and the refrigerator was about the size of a hotel mini-bar...watched "The Fall"...one weird, crazy movie...Mike's commentary...great cinematography...Clarissa falls asleep on couch, her head resting on Manish's lap...Manish's head is bent straight back...gave us a full view of his Adam's Apple...great photo-op...I slept alone on pullout couch...Fil slept on cot in entry way...Mike and Manish in bed...Luke and Jason on the porch.
Fil was in charge of breakfast...Alton Brown's "Overnight cinnamon rolls"...two different grits, one with parmesan and one with brown sugar...Eggs...bacon...turkey bacon...orange juice with or without pulp...kayaking...rocking quadruple chair...ping pong with Mike...mini basketball with a ball that had no air in it...me and Fil in a double...$20 each...portaged four times...usually we were in the lead...very shallow river...stuck in the sand so many times...Manish and Natalie kept tipping over into the river...round gray metal tunnel...we were supposed to portage, but we went for it and loved it...it was so cool, we decided to portage the kayak back to the previous spot and paddle down again...I caught this one on video...Manish was now in a solo kayak...he wound up sideways, or perpendicular to the path of the tunnel...he flipped over and the boat slid upside down straight down the tunnel...Manish followed soon after...it was hysterical and scary at the same time...his elbow and knee got bruised up, but he was fine...three hour ride...Luke attached his kayak to Natalie's with a life jacket.
When we returned, we saw that Bill and Laina arrived...lunch time...Clarissa, Melissa, and Jason left to go get their gear for scuba diving...the rest of us went to the dunes...visitors center in Empire...I rode with Bill, Lainia, and Mike...Laina asked Manish and I if Luke was gay...fashion photographer, bright shirt, weird accent...she was so embarrassed, because she felt he was judging him...But Luke is so easy to make fun of, we loved it...we did not let her live that down for at least the next half hour...the guy is such an egotist and it really bothers us...
Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive at Sleeping Bear Dunes...Lake Michigan overlook...the highest point at Lake Michigan...looking straight down into some of the bluest water imaginable...I've been all over this country, but this view was just phenomenal...Dune climb...Luke, Manish, and I climbed up and almost made it to the other side of the shore...very tiring...I did a hard sprint down past the rest of the group, including a face-first tumble...ride in Jason's convertible with Mike driving, Natalie in the passenger seat, and Andrea next to me...her spiral curled blonder hair blew in my face...sweetly stinging my cheek...she looked so gorgeous with her hair flopping in the warm Michigan wind...Luke had been sitting on top of the car, snapping photos....so I did the same...we got in around 7...I was completely covered with sand, especially my hair and back... I finally took my first shower of the trip...had that beginning of a sunburn stiff feel to my face and shoulders.
Got Catherine's idiotic texts about the Yankees struggles against Baltimore...they always win anyway and that's why it's so ridiculous when I see Yankee fans whining over one regular season game...8 pm, we had to decide...dinner or winery...feeling brutally trapped in this relationship...and I don't want to care about these things that should be insignificant, even though I know I do...I went outside just for some quiet time...just needed some alone time...Melissa and Natalie joined me...Melissa broke the news that she and Matt weren't dating anymore...I never saw it coming...I think they made it three days longer than the deserter and I did...I said I was sorry and I genuinely was...Natalie may have drank too much...wineries were all closed.
Back to Boone Docks...Queen of Couture boutique...I took Andrea's photo in front of the sign....30 minute wait outside for the 12 of us...went into the candy store...out of blueberry vanilla ice cream...the buzzer went off, signaling that our table was ready...I went to find Natalie and Melissa...I found them and we began walking back towards the restaurant...pinky swear I wouldn't tell...that wouldn't be hard, I didn't know anything anyway!...cougar walks right by the three of us...she looked right at me and in a very seductive and flirtatious way, she looked right at me and said "Bye!"...Sounded more like "Ba-hai"...maybe it was a drunk "Hi!"...who knows...sat right near the bluegrass band...each member must have been at least 70 years old..."Boris The Spider"..."Margheritaville"...chicken fingers and Boone docks salad with dried cherries and walnuts...I like contrast of the sweet local cherries and the crunch of the nuts...24 oz Oberon beer tasted perfect...fingers were nice sized...decent breading...mild BBQ sauce...so mild, i would call it wimpy...opted for the honey mustard...$30 again...Clarissa sings "I'll Fly Away" with the band...watched college football on the TV...Alabama slaughtered Michigan...we went back home and we were all basically exhausted...watched Eddie Izzard stand-up on X-Box...English cross-dresser...a little more religious humor than I cared to hear...I think I laughed twice in 45 minutes...went to bed.
I left home around 9 am and made it to Luke's home in southeast Naperville around 9:45...had trouble finding his house, I passed by Andrea...I found 1300 and walked in...it wasn't Luke's house...it belonged to an old guy with a dark gray beard...wanted to sell us his house, like she and I were a couple or something...that'll be the day...eventually we figured it out...Mike arrived around 10:30...we packed Luke's Jeep as tight as it could be...we left at 10:45.
Andrea bought along a bag of Trader Joe's pistachios....pretty solid snack...Was a little nervous talking to her...we played the game of Never...Luke napped and woke up an hour later...immediately, we took pictures in front of the castle at the Dutch Village in Holland...Mike's unhealthy obsession with Michigan blueberries...lunch at Panera outside Muskegon...my job was to be the navigator...6.5 hour drive total...got into Glen Arbor around 6:30...same time as Jason and Melissa...Jason has a baby-sized baby blue BMW convertible.
There's one condo for the six guys, one for the four girls/married couple who was coming later...very little space in our condo...six guys, 1 bathroom, 1 bedroom, 1 sofa...unpacked and went to Downtown Glen Arbor...Dinner at Boone Dock's...brown sugar walnut salmon...good, but too sweet....bland wild rice...added the tartar sauce, just to give it some flavor...$30...On TV, White Sox were playing the Tigers in a huge series...it was strange hearing the crowd cheer for Detroit.
While were were at dinner, Manish, Clarissa, Fil, and Natalie arrived...we all shared a few drinks at our place...I stayed with Stella and Budweiser...girls condo had the jacuzzi and more modern furniture...we had the flat screen TV and an actual kitchen...we had an oven, they just had a microwave, a two-burner range, and the refrigerator was about the size of a hotel mini-bar...watched "The Fall"...one weird, crazy movie...Mike's commentary...great cinematography...Clarissa falls asleep on couch, her head resting on Manish's lap...Manish's head is bent straight back...gave us a full view of his Adam's Apple...great photo-op...I slept alone on pullout couch...Fil slept on cot in entry way...Mike and Manish in bed...Luke and Jason on the porch.
Fil was in charge of breakfast...Alton Brown's "Overnight cinnamon rolls"...two different grits, one with parmesan and one with brown sugar...Eggs...bacon...turkey bacon...orange juice with or without pulp...kayaking...rocking quadruple chair...ping pong with Mike...mini basketball with a ball that had no air in it...me and Fil in a double...$20 each...portaged four times...usually we were in the lead...very shallow river...stuck in the sand so many times...Manish and Natalie kept tipping over into the river...round gray metal tunnel...we were supposed to portage, but we went for it and loved it...it was so cool, we decided to portage the kayak back to the previous spot and paddle down again...I caught this one on video...Manish was now in a solo kayak...he wound up sideways, or perpendicular to the path of the tunnel...he flipped over and the boat slid upside down straight down the tunnel...Manish followed soon after...it was hysterical and scary at the same time...his elbow and knee got bruised up, but he was fine...three hour ride...Luke attached his kayak to Natalie's with a life jacket.
When we returned, we saw that Bill and Laina arrived...lunch time...Clarissa, Melissa, and Jason left to go get their gear for scuba diving...the rest of us went to the dunes...visitors center in Empire...I rode with Bill, Lainia, and Mike...Laina asked Manish and I if Luke was gay...fashion photographer, bright shirt, weird accent...she was so embarrassed, because she felt he was judging him...But Luke is so easy to make fun of, we loved it...we did not let her live that down for at least the next half hour...the guy is such an egotist and it really bothers us...
Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive at Sleeping Bear Dunes...Lake Michigan overlook...the highest point at Lake Michigan...looking straight down into some of the bluest water imaginable...I've been all over this country, but this view was just phenomenal...Dune climb...Luke, Manish, and I climbed up and almost made it to the other side of the shore...very tiring...I did a hard sprint down past the rest of the group, including a face-first tumble...ride in Jason's convertible with Mike driving, Natalie in the passenger seat, and Andrea next to me...her spiral curled blonder hair blew in my face...sweetly stinging my cheek...she looked so gorgeous with her hair flopping in the warm Michigan wind...Luke had been sitting on top of the car, snapping photos....so I did the same...we got in around 7...I was completely covered with sand, especially my hair and back... I finally took my first shower of the trip...had that beginning of a sunburn stiff feel to my face and shoulders.
Got Catherine's idiotic texts about the Yankees struggles against Baltimore...they always win anyway and that's why it's so ridiculous when I see Yankee fans whining over one regular season game...8 pm, we had to decide...dinner or winery...feeling brutally trapped in this relationship...and I don't want to care about these things that should be insignificant, even though I know I do...I went outside just for some quiet time...just needed some alone time...Melissa and Natalie joined me...Melissa broke the news that she and Matt weren't dating anymore...I never saw it coming...I think they made it three days longer than the deserter and I did...I said I was sorry and I genuinely was...Natalie may have drank too much...wineries were all closed.
Back to Boone Docks...Queen of Couture boutique...I took Andrea's photo in front of the sign....30 minute wait outside for the 12 of us...went into the candy store...out of blueberry vanilla ice cream...the buzzer went off, signaling that our table was ready...I went to find Natalie and Melissa...I found them and we began walking back towards the restaurant...pinky swear I wouldn't tell...that wouldn't be hard, I didn't know anything anyway!...cougar walks right by the three of us...she looked right at me and in a very seductive and flirtatious way, she looked right at me and said "Bye!"...Sounded more like "Ba-hai"...maybe it was a drunk "Hi!"...who knows...sat right near the bluegrass band...each member must have been at least 70 years old..."Boris The Spider"..."Margheritaville"...chicken fingers and Boone docks salad with dried cherries and walnuts...I like contrast of the sweet local cherries and the crunch of the nuts...24 oz Oberon beer tasted perfect...fingers were nice sized...decent breading...mild BBQ sauce...so mild, i would call it wimpy...opted for the honey mustard...$30 again...Clarissa sings "I'll Fly Away" with the band...watched college football on the TV...Alabama slaughtered Michigan...we went back home and we were all basically exhausted...watched Eddie Izzard stand-up on X-Box...English cross-dresser...a little more religious humor than I cared to hear...I think I laughed twice in 45 minutes...went to bed.
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