I woke up after a rough night feeling a little groggy, and I stumbled out of my top bunk bed, out the door, and into the dining area. My heart rose as I sensed that heavenly smell of bacon. Five packages of it, too. She also made a baked egg and cheese casserole. We knew three guys would be joining, but learned they would be arriving later Monday afternoon. After breakfast, we did our first devotion in Philippians 1 and headed south on 421 into Clay County, to the home of Glen and Tammy.
Their situation is not pretty. They live in a double wide trailer that has literally been collapsing around them. Glenn has had to quit his job to take care of Tammy, who has MS and is recovering from a substantial back injury from a four wheeler accident. Our CAP job captain, Donnie, has been working at their home for about ten days, and has been able to shore up the foundation and repair the floors. The previous group that worked there got the siding up on the left side of the house and a little bit of insulation on the back.
Well, we covered the entire back of the house with insulation and new vinyl siding in just one day, and Glenn was very happy with the progress we had made. He commented that the six of us had accomplished more on one day than the last group had in three days. That stunned most of us, but we felt really good. My main job was to cut the siding so it would fit around doors, windows, and vents. And it's not too easy, especially through that double layer right at the top. I have the scars to prove it. Glenn also worked alongside us all day, and ate lunch with us as well. Unlike previous trips, we are all working together in one location, so it was a great team effort.
They also have a ton of animals; dogs, cats, and ducks. I'm not making the last one up. The ducks are kept in a decent sized cage in the backyard.
Also, since we had a ton of orange tools, we adopted it as our team color. And since I like Syracuse, it made more sense. I don't know if we had any Illinois alumni though.
We got back around 4:30 and we met Joe, Jimmy, and Jim, whom I later dubbed the J-Crew. Imagine my surprise when I found out they are respectively from Howard Beach, LI; Queens; and Poughkeepsie, NY! Joe and Jimmy are plumbers who have known each other for decades and Jim is a state trooper who came down for the trip. But Joe is the real spokesman of the group. He reminds me so much of my late grandfather with his pronunciations, facial expressions, and all of that. And the first time he said "Fuggedaboutit," the whole room totally broke up. I didn't know that when I came down to Kentucky for a week that our big phrase would be Fuggedaboutit.
Anyway, he talked about making garlic and macaroni. All well and good, though in all my years, I had never heard of it. But I grabbed a very refreshing shower before settling in to eat a casserole made with creamy chicken breasts, stuffing, and cheese. Jane also prepared baked potatoes, bread, and corn. Oh, and there was a stellar deep-dish apple pie for dessert. Just an amazing meal.
Then came the issue of watching the Jets-Vikings game. Since I love the Jets and Mike the Packers fan hates the Vikings, we made watching the game a priority. Now we thought we might have to drive 40 minutes back to Berea to find a place with a TV. But Jane told us we could drive 20 minutes north and watch it at the Jackson volunteer house, where she lived.
So after dinner, the two of us along with Barry drove north on 421 for about 20 minutes. Being the music buff that Mike is, he had a line of New York songs lined up for me. "New York, New York", "Englishman in NY", and on and on.
As we pulled into the lot secluded high in the hills of McKee, the first two cars I saw had license plates of Minnesota and Massachusetts. Not a great sign. But we walked to the porch and I heard banjo music playing. Imagine my surprise when I found out a girl from Long Island was the one strumming away. Her name is Bridget and she's one of the sweetest girls I have ever met. She works a lot with seniors in Owsley County and her desire to volunteer and serve really struck me. Also, she had just got a dulcimer in the mail and she even let me play a few bars, even though I had never played the instrument in my life.
Basically, at this house, the volunteers, who serve anywhere from nine months to maybe 18 or so live together and they then drive to wherever they are working. The nearest major grocery store is 45 minutes away and the movie theater is maybe 35 away. So they log up a ton of miles. It sounded so crazy to me, but they still make it work.
The football game wound up getting delayed by an hour by lightning so we had a chance to hang with the rest of the house. Annie is one, she has only lived there a month, and is from Westchester, NY. Her spunk and energy really lights rooms up. We worked at our site with Trevor for three days; he's from Boston and is looking forward to the Notre Dame group arriving next week, since that's where he went to college. We also met Chris (tall and a bit goofy), Ben (definite life of the party type of guy, but a good worker), Seth (I feel sorry for his voice, it really does sound kinda gay), Tamara (quiet, kinda cute), Maureen (a little older, I would work with her on Thursday), and Crystal (from Naperville, who missed devotion earlier this week to go out on a date). Jane lives there as well.
What struck me was the deep level of community these 11 people share and how generous they are. Mike and Barry headed back to Gray Hawk at halftime, but I decided on a whim to stay overnight for the end of the game. So I had no extra clothes, bathroom supplies, etc. When the residents found out I was staying, they not only asked me what I needed in my bedroom (toothbrush, alarm clock, etc), but Bridget took the time to make up my bed for me. And I stayed up talking with her, Annie, Seth, and Ben about everything from our growing up, to volunteering, to money issues, etc. I enjoyed a great night of sleep that included silence and a window! The next morning, Bridget drove me back to the CAP house and even joined our team for devotions.
Mike, Barry, and I really felt welcomed by the Jackson volunteer house and I think it's great how their mutual interest in service allows them to develop community, both with each other and the people of Kentucky.
Oh and the Jets won!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Kentucky, Day 1
It was wild, but I am back after a 6-day odyssey in the backwoods of southeastern Kentucky. Barry and Carolyn Swenson picked me up at 7:30 am and we arrived at church about the same time as Mike and Ellen. We said a prayer with Pastor Roger and Kim McCart and headed south towards I-88. We picked up Nancy in North Aurora and drove on 88, south on 355, east on 80 and then south on 65 through my "beloved" Indianapolis. We stopped for lunch at a Cracker Barrel just south of that city and it took a half hour for us to get seated. So we did a little shopping in their souvenir store and the only thing I would have considered getting would have been a jar of fried apples. They sell plenty of solid CD's, but nothing that I don't already have. I also played that tee game and got it down to 2 tees before the food arrived. I ordered chicken fingers, and for my 3 "veggies," I went with steak fries, green beans, and fried apples. I guess 1 of 3 ain't too bad.
Soon after we got back on the road, we passed by Franklin, IN, home of Franklin College, the alma mater of the great Joseph Arthur Benigno. We took 65 down to Louisville, where we turned east onto 64, before taking 75 from Lexington to Berea. Now Berea, KY is a small, artsy town, that was built around Berea College. I found out later that the town name was based on Acts 28. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the only integrated and coeducational college in the south for nearly forty years. Also, it provides low-cost education to students from low-income families; every admitted student is provided the equivalent of a four-year, full-tuition scholarship, about $25,000 per year.
From Berea, we took 421, a winding two-lane road through the hillside that passed through several town that were too small to even be considered small towns. Waneta, Sandy Cap, McKee, and others. We drove 45 minutes through Jackson County and I realized that there isn't a lot of zoning in the south. We would see a nice house that looked it came out of a Hinsdale subdivision and right next to it, a trailer that looked like a tornado had run through it. Old rusted cars that could never be driven again, broken toys, scraps of wood, on and on. We also saw tons of churches. It seemed for every town we passed through, they had at least three churches. It's very obvious that God and religion plays a very foundational role in these people's lives. I was especially struck by the sharp colors in the trees. In Illinois, I admit, the land is flat. It doesn't bother me too much. But the landscape takes on a more notable depth when these colors are stacked on top of each other. Reds and golds and tans formed all these little rainbows in the trees. It was quite a sight.
We arrived at the Christian Appalachian Project house in Gray Hawk, a town of maybe 400 people at around 6:45. We immediately unloaded out luggage and sorted through the 7 enormous duffel bags we had brought along. They were all filled tight as can be with kids clothes that had been donated by First Baptist Church of Geneva. We sorted them into garbage bags and though I never saw any kids get them, I really think they will help the community a great deal.
For dinner, we walked across the street to the local mini-mart and picked up a couple Hunt Brothers pizzas. There was a poster of Richard Petty on the wall saying he liked it, so I guess it was ok. While Mike and I were waiting for the pizzas, we also found out what a flossie was (fried bologna sandwich with egg and cheese) and a metro (a port-o-potty).
We got our orientation from two women. Jane is from Wisconsin and has been volunteering with CAP in the Jackson volunteer house for a few months now. She made dinners for us as well as two breakfasts. She had a very warm and welcoming spirit. Now Jen has been down there for about nine years, so her roots are pretty much set. They showed us a wacky safety orientation video and by the end of that, it was 10 PM or so.
We were all about done for the night. Yet, thanks to one of the two guys who I won't mention, I could not sleep. I was warned ahead of time that he was a loud snorer and he even gave me earplugs ahead of time. I can't say that had ever happened to me before. I have a hard enough time sleeping in a new bed, but throw in the abcense of a window and the snoring at the volume of a locomotive and I did not have a chance. Despite 10 hours on the road, I was never out cold all night long.
Soon after we got back on the road, we passed by Franklin, IN, home of Franklin College, the alma mater of the great Joseph Arthur Benigno. We took 65 down to Louisville, where we turned east onto 64, before taking 75 from Lexington to Berea. Now Berea, KY is a small, artsy town, that was built around Berea College. I found out later that the town name was based on Acts 28. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the only integrated and coeducational college in the south for nearly forty years. Also, it provides low-cost education to students from low-income families; every admitted student is provided the equivalent of a four-year, full-tuition scholarship, about $25,000 per year.
From Berea, we took 421, a winding two-lane road through the hillside that passed through several town that were too small to even be considered small towns. Waneta, Sandy Cap, McKee, and others. We drove 45 minutes through Jackson County and I realized that there isn't a lot of zoning in the south. We would see a nice house that looked it came out of a Hinsdale subdivision and right next to it, a trailer that looked like a tornado had run through it. Old rusted cars that could never be driven again, broken toys, scraps of wood, on and on. We also saw tons of churches. It seemed for every town we passed through, they had at least three churches. It's very obvious that God and religion plays a very foundational role in these people's lives. I was especially struck by the sharp colors in the trees. In Illinois, I admit, the land is flat. It doesn't bother me too much. But the landscape takes on a more notable depth when these colors are stacked on top of each other. Reds and golds and tans formed all these little rainbows in the trees. It was quite a sight.
We arrived at the Christian Appalachian Project house in Gray Hawk, a town of maybe 400 people at around 6:45. We immediately unloaded out luggage and sorted through the 7 enormous duffel bags we had brought along. They were all filled tight as can be with kids clothes that had been donated by First Baptist Church of Geneva. We sorted them into garbage bags and though I never saw any kids get them, I really think they will help the community a great deal.
For dinner, we walked across the street to the local mini-mart and picked up a couple Hunt Brothers pizzas. There was a poster of Richard Petty on the wall saying he liked it, so I guess it was ok. While Mike and I were waiting for the pizzas, we also found out what a flossie was (fried bologna sandwich with egg and cheese) and a metro (a port-o-potty).
We got our orientation from two women. Jane is from Wisconsin and has been volunteering with CAP in the Jackson volunteer house for a few months now. She made dinners for us as well as two breakfasts. She had a very warm and welcoming spirit. Now Jen has been down there for about nine years, so her roots are pretty much set. They showed us a wacky safety orientation video and by the end of that, it was 10 PM or so.
We were all about done for the night. Yet, thanks to one of the two guys who I won't mention, I could not sleep. I was warned ahead of time that he was a loud snorer and he even gave me earplugs ahead of time. I can't say that had ever happened to me before. I have a hard enough time sleeping in a new bed, but throw in the abcense of a window and the snoring at the volume of a locomotive and I did not have a chance. Despite 10 hours on the road, I was never out cold all night long.
Saturday, October 09, 2010
Wedding day
1) I'm excited for Court and Christine's wedding today. I think this is the fourth I have been to in my life. If only people knew why the reason is that I am so excited is to see the cuppycakes!
2) I leave in exactly 24 hours and have not started packing yet. That might be a good idea.
3) I enjoyed my ten minutes on Blueshirt Banter radio last night. This relates to the cuppycakes.
4) Let's go Rangers! how ARE ya!
5) In a related story, I will quote the 90's country music trio, the Remingtons:
I could love you with my eyes closed, that's how easy it would be.
And I want to but God knows he's all your heart can see.
Will the ties that bind be broken?
Will he ever let you go?
Or will I only get to love you with my eyes closed?
2) I leave in exactly 24 hours and have not started packing yet. That might be a good idea.
3) I enjoyed my ten minutes on Blueshirt Banter radio last night. This relates to the cuppycakes.
4) Let's go Rangers! how ARE ya!
5) In a related story, I will quote the 90's country music trio, the Remingtons:
I could love you with my eyes closed, that's how easy it would be.
And I want to but God knows he's all your heart can see.
Will the ties that bind be broken?
Will he ever let you go?
Or will I only get to love you with my eyes closed?
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Rangers season preview
Well, the Rangers open Saturday night in Buffalo and unfortunately, this will be first time in three years that I will not have the Center Ice package. Just have to make some sacrifices right now. I hope it doesn't take away from my feeling toward the team or excitement about the season. So I guess I will be relying on the radio feed and my a black market video site if I can find one.
Anyway, I'm feeling okay about this team, not too great, not too bad. Here are 5 positives and 5 negatives I saw from this offseason and looking ahead. Starting with the good.
1) Signing Alex Frolov. All of last seaosn, the Rangers struggled to find goal scorers aside from Marian Gaborik. And they signed a very talented, but enigmatic sniper to a 1 year deal for just $3 million. A very worthwhile risk to take.
2) Derek Stepan makes the roster. I am so excited to watch this 20-year-old kid play in New York. He was the captain of the USA juniors team that upset Canada for the title, a huge feat. And on a team that does not ahve a top-flight center, I hope this kid can take steps towards fulfilling that gap.
3) Wade Redden is playing in Hartford!
4) The continued emergence of Michael Del Zotto as the QB of the power play. With his rookie year behind him, he does have to learn to position himself better on defense. A defenseman with a +/- rating of -20 needs to be improved upon.
5) Henrik Lundqvist. The best goalie in hockey. And they finally have a legit backup in Marty Biron.
The bad
1) Lack of a top centerman. This is a division with Travis Zajac, Mike Richards, Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and John Taveras. The Rangers are planning to start the year with Erik Christiansen as their top center between Gaborik and Frolov. This guy plays great for two games and then disappears for four. I wish Tortorella would give Artem Anisimov a shot there for more than two games!
2) Who will clear the crease? Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko were both sent to Hartford and they were two of the more physical d-men in camp. This team has to protect Hank and not let other teams run into him. The lack of reacting just shows a lack of team toughness.
3) The division keeps getting better. Paul Martin and Mike Comrie to Pittsburgh, Nik Zherdev to Philly, Ilya Kovalchuk to NJ. At least the Islanders have their cuppycakes...
4) Home ice. Last season, the Rangers were 18-17-6 at Madison Square Garden, 25th overall in the NHL. It is time to make the Garden a building that other teams dread playing in.
5) Glen Sather is still employed.
Realistically, I think this team can make the playoffs, but they're still in that place where I cannot see them getting past the second round. I will say 3rd place in the Atlantic, the 7th seed in the East, and out in the first round of the playoffs.
Anyway, I'm feeling okay about this team, not too great, not too bad. Here are 5 positives and 5 negatives I saw from this offseason and looking ahead. Starting with the good.
1) Signing Alex Frolov. All of last seaosn, the Rangers struggled to find goal scorers aside from Marian Gaborik. And they signed a very talented, but enigmatic sniper to a 1 year deal for just $3 million. A very worthwhile risk to take.
2) Derek Stepan makes the roster. I am so excited to watch this 20-year-old kid play in New York. He was the captain of the USA juniors team that upset Canada for the title, a huge feat. And on a team that does not ahve a top-flight center, I hope this kid can take steps towards fulfilling that gap.
3) Wade Redden is playing in Hartford!
4) The continued emergence of Michael Del Zotto as the QB of the power play. With his rookie year behind him, he does have to learn to position himself better on defense. A defenseman with a +/- rating of -20 needs to be improved upon.
5) Henrik Lundqvist. The best goalie in hockey. And they finally have a legit backup in Marty Biron.
The bad
1) Lack of a top centerman. This is a division with Travis Zajac, Mike Richards, Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and John Taveras. The Rangers are planning to start the year with Erik Christiansen as their top center between Gaborik and Frolov. This guy plays great for two games and then disappears for four. I wish Tortorella would give Artem Anisimov a shot there for more than two games!
2) Who will clear the crease? Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko were both sent to Hartford and they were two of the more physical d-men in camp. This team has to protect Hank and not let other teams run into him. The lack of reacting just shows a lack of team toughness.
3) The division keeps getting better. Paul Martin and Mike Comrie to Pittsburgh, Nik Zherdev to Philly, Ilya Kovalchuk to NJ. At least the Islanders have their cuppycakes...
4) Home ice. Last season, the Rangers were 18-17-6 at Madison Square Garden, 25th overall in the NHL. It is time to make the Garden a building that other teams dread playing in.
5) Glen Sather is still employed.
Realistically, I think this team can make the playoffs, but they're still in that place where I cannot see them getting past the second round. I will say 3rd place in the Atlantic, the 7th seed in the East, and out in the first round of the playoffs.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Just realized
Until now, I have written 666 posts. So let's see what's on my mind. I leave for Kentucky on Sunday and I'll certainly have a post or two about my week there after I return. But for now, it's that special time in the sports season. All four are going on to an extent, so I have a few comments on more than a few topics.
1) I am thrilled with the Jets 3-1 start. What makes it even better is that all three wins have come against the AFC East. I wasn't sure what to expect from LDT, but he has done a tremendous job running the football. QB Mark Sanchez seems to get more comfortable by the week and the O-line has barely allowed an opposing defense to hit him. And zero INT's! And to think the offense gets Santonio Holmes and the D gets Darrelle Revis and Calvin Pace? Something special could be coming...
2) I have to say I am glad I don't have to hear Bears fans dreaming out loud about an undefeated season. Good job by the Giants, although the Bears offensive line reminded me of the 1996 Jets.
3) So it is a new era for Mets baseball. Goodbye Omar. Goodbye Jerry. And I pray to God it will be goodbye to Luis Castillo and Ollie P. There are plenty of viable candidates for the GM position. I can't give a fair opinion until I see action. Same for the manager. I don't know what to expect. But I am willing to go through another bad year just as long as I see some signs of stability, direction, and forward progress at the end.
4) Not sure what to say about the Knicks, except I like the roster turnover. I would love to see Carmelo here. I still question if Mike D'Antoni is a championship-caliber coach.
5) The Ryder Cup is so much more exciting when you can watch it live. In other words, when it is played in the United States.
6) The Rangers begin three nights from now. Maybe Dad would have ordered the package for me if he hadn't done the things he did. For now, I'll just stick with the radio. I like that Derek Stepan is on the team and I hope he gets enough ice time to show he belongs. I like that this team has showed more hustle, toughness, and teamwork than they did last year. But the defense is allowing way too many odd-man rushes to the opposition. Henrik may be the best goalie in the world, but even he needs a defense who can clear the crease. I know this team is not ready to contend for the Stanley Cup, but I'm hoping for a playoff appearance and maybe a series win or two. I can't expect them to be better than Washington, Pittsburgh, or maybe even Boston and New Jersey.
7) Baseball picks: Twins over Yankees in 5, Rays over Rangers in 4, Giants over Braves in 4, Phils over Reds in 3. Rays over Twins in 5, Giants over Phils in 6, Giants beat Rays in 6.
Song pick: "Making Believe" Ray Charles
1) I am thrilled with the Jets 3-1 start. What makes it even better is that all three wins have come against the AFC East. I wasn't sure what to expect from LDT, but he has done a tremendous job running the football. QB Mark Sanchez seems to get more comfortable by the week and the O-line has barely allowed an opposing defense to hit him. And zero INT's! And to think the offense gets Santonio Holmes and the D gets Darrelle Revis and Calvin Pace? Something special could be coming...
2) I have to say I am glad I don't have to hear Bears fans dreaming out loud about an undefeated season. Good job by the Giants, although the Bears offensive line reminded me of the 1996 Jets.
3) So it is a new era for Mets baseball. Goodbye Omar. Goodbye Jerry. And I pray to God it will be goodbye to Luis Castillo and Ollie P. There are plenty of viable candidates for the GM position. I can't give a fair opinion until I see action. Same for the manager. I don't know what to expect. But I am willing to go through another bad year just as long as I see some signs of stability, direction, and forward progress at the end.
4) Not sure what to say about the Knicks, except I like the roster turnover. I would love to see Carmelo here. I still question if Mike D'Antoni is a championship-caliber coach.
5) The Ryder Cup is so much more exciting when you can watch it live. In other words, when it is played in the United States.
6) The Rangers begin three nights from now. Maybe Dad would have ordered the package for me if he hadn't done the things he did. For now, I'll just stick with the radio. I like that Derek Stepan is on the team and I hope he gets enough ice time to show he belongs. I like that this team has showed more hustle, toughness, and teamwork than they did last year. But the defense is allowing way too many odd-man rushes to the opposition. Henrik may be the best goalie in the world, but even he needs a defense who can clear the crease. I know this team is not ready to contend for the Stanley Cup, but I'm hoping for a playoff appearance and maybe a series win or two. I can't expect them to be better than Washington, Pittsburgh, or maybe even Boston and New Jersey.
7) Baseball picks: Twins over Yankees in 5, Rays over Rangers in 4, Giants over Braves in 4, Phils over Reds in 3. Rays over Twins in 5, Giants over Phils in 6, Giants beat Rays in 6.
Song pick: "Making Believe" Ray Charles
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Weary in the middle
This was one of those lunches I desperately wish I could do over again. Six wasted dollars. An Italian beef sandwich with mozzarella and hot peppers from the deli at work. The thinly sliced beef tasted very grainy, no juice or gravy to speak of. And I like the taste of hot giardinera as much as anyone, but these peppers were so hot, that I can still feel the flame filling up my stomach.
So it is now Friday night, around 10 pm and I had a great blackened salmon for dinner. I mention that because Mom brought this buffalo mac and cheese to go with it. I don't know, despite what Dave Delp told me about how good that dish is, I would not get it again. It was just so hot, like just plain hot cheddar cheese. Although some chicken might help it. On that note, I'm now gorging on pretzels and peanut butter. My favorite crave junk food combo going back to high school. Maybe not the best idea, considering I have to wake up on Saturday morning at 5:30 to do the Ride For Refugees. I hear I'll be an intersection coordinator. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I am looking forward to it.
Then in the afternoon, comes my first bachelor party ever. And I think this is the first time I have played Whirlyball in five years. That was with Wheaton Bible Church. I remember Geddes being there. And it was my one date with Taylor. She was kinda cool, but I guess dating someone from work brings on a lot of unnecessary complications. I know she started dating someone else within a month of that day. And with my history, she probably married the boy. But that's all well and good.
I have one week until I leave for Jasper County, Kentucky and I can't believe how fast this is approaching. I'm not too nervous, I am excited, I guess it doesn't seem like it is approaching so soon. Maybe I should start some packing this weekend. Meanwhile, I am watching Coal Miner's Daughter...
I feel pretty good about the New York Jets after three games. I'm pretty sure they will beat Buffalo on Sunday as long as they don't turn the ball over or take penalties. Play a solid fundamental game, and that should really be enough to win a third straight division game.
Omar, Jerry, goodbye. Don't let the door hit you in your rear ends on the way out.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Maranatha: Round 2-Days 2 & 3
I woke up around 7:45 to the sound of heavy rain beating on the roof. It was not expected to start falling until noon, so this was a very unwelcome surprise. Still feeling beat up, I played "Whipping Post" on the stereo. I headed over to the gym and since I could not access the weight room, I shot baskets. I think Jerome James has a higher shooting percentage than I do. I then spent a half hour reading my Kentucky trip journal before heading back to Cambodia for devotion time. Wax paper and honey. After about a half-hour of indecision, we all went to the gym, where we played volleyball and basketball for a while. For volleyball, Frank and Strait just would not pass. I think in three games, we had maybe one respectable volley where teamwork was involved. After trying some set passes, and realizing there would not be a lot of spiking, I realized hitting back and forth was the safest way to go. Matt, Carl, and I spent about 10 minutes trying to sink half-court shots, before I finally banked one in.
Strait and I became fans of the matching La-Z-Boys recliners in the living room. We spent a few hours on those chairs talking about everything from food to work to history. And we broke out into many random songs like "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and Lukenbach, Texas". Not sure anyone else in Cambodia knew what we were singing about. For lunch, we rain-grilled. Very good chicken breasts, along with the worst frozen burgers I have ever had. I think we talked about bacon for 10-15 minutes too. And it came up several more times that day. At the end of the day, almost every topic in the world could probably be traced back to bacon. Kinda like the six steps to Kevin Bacon.
J-Schu's 2 pm sun theory was absolutely dashed. Even though the rain had stopped by 1:30, it was gray clouds as far as we could see. I don't think any blue sky was spotted all day. Nevertheless, while the latecomers went touring, Chris, Carl, Strait, and I played mini-golf on a course that had not exactly drained. Eight of the nine holes were not holes, they were puddles. We sank a bunch of aces, including Strait who drained one on the long hole #7, following which he did this weird one-legged twirl hop-around. It was quite a cool moment. Chris won the first round and I won the second.
By 5 pm, we were not too hungry, so we headed straight to the prayer tower for some devotion town. It's almost like a treehouse; all wood, a few benches inside with some Bibles. No frills, just simple. The views were cool, I just wish we had some sunshine. Who knows how far into the distance we could have seen? Matt talked about re-charging. On the way back, Frank, Chris, Carl, and I took a different path. Somehow, we wound up back on the same path, so I guess we made a big semi-circle. Grabbed my only shower after getting back and it felt very refreshing. But with one bathroom for seven guys, I'm glad I brought my shower sandals. Meanwhile, the four ladies had two bathrooms. Dang, it's hard being a guy...
Dinner was mostacciolli with salad and garlic bread. I still don't know the difference between the mostaccioli noodle and the penne noodle. The former probably costs more because it's a much longer word. Anyway, I played Blokus for the first time and was not happy with my initial performance though I did do better the second time around. I think I went from 29 squares left down to 12. I bet I could have won with one or two more games. Moreso, I think Dad would have really liked playing that game. Then came a wild session of Catchphrase, which our group had not played in quite a few months. We played three rounds and now that I have watched the videos back, I realize Frank and I would just burst out laughing, sometimes for no reason. And Carl was sitting right between us, very stoic and poised. It was so cool. I could have stayed up for hours, but instead a few of us remained awake, and watched videos we'd shot and examined a few photos. I think it was myself, Strait, Dec, Christine, and A-Wall.
I woke up on Sunday around 8:20, giving me about 90 minutes before we were leaving for Unity Reformed Church. Thankfully, we woke up to sun, a moderate breeze, and a temperature around 65 degrees. Without time to hit the gym, I walked across the road, over the bridge, and down the hill to the bank of the river. I sat there and basically prayed for about 20 minutes.
We arrived at church and were reminded just how welcoming that group is. It's not too small, certainly not large, but there are events going on, and everyone seems to know everyone. I think I shook hands with 20 people, it really was very good. I wish more non-believers would somehow find their way into a church like this one. The pastor, who is originally from the Hinsdale, IL area, spoke about different kinds of pride. And the cookies tasted excellent too.
Then we headed to Logan's, where I took over the free jukebox. Played some Fogerty, some Croce, some Allman Brothers Band, some Marshall Tucker, some Kenny Rogers. Somehow, I found myself talking music with Danny Boy. Admittedly, I ribbed him a little bit during the weekend and he had snapped at me the previous night, but our common interest in older music did get us talking. The fact that he knew the story of the genesis of the Buffalo Springfield With Stephen Stills spotting Neil Young's hearse in LA really impressed me. I enjoyed my 16 oz ribeye, mashed potatoes, and broccoli quite a bit. Logan's does serve some good food, though the nearest one to me is located about 3 hours away.
We got back and Carl and I snuck in 10 quick minutes of tennis in our church clothes. It was a little silly, but we enjoyed it. I guess we left the site around 2:30. Though I was Matt's co-pilot, I yawned at least eight times and fell asleep for about 45 minutes or so. I guess I was pretty anxious to get home. I had left my car in Glendale Heights, so I drove Jenny and A-Wall back before finally heading home. I guess I got back in the door around 6 p.m., counting the hour we gained going back to CST.
One week later, it seems like a pretty distant memory. I guess life still tries to remain hectic even when I determine to slow down for a few hours or a few days.
Strait and I became fans of the matching La-Z-Boys recliners in the living room. We spent a few hours on those chairs talking about everything from food to work to history. And we broke out into many random songs like "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and Lukenbach, Texas". Not sure anyone else in Cambodia knew what we were singing about. For lunch, we rain-grilled. Very good chicken breasts, along with the worst frozen burgers I have ever had. I think we talked about bacon for 10-15 minutes too. And it came up several more times that day. At the end of the day, almost every topic in the world could probably be traced back to bacon. Kinda like the six steps to Kevin Bacon.
J-Schu's 2 pm sun theory was absolutely dashed. Even though the rain had stopped by 1:30, it was gray clouds as far as we could see. I don't think any blue sky was spotted all day. Nevertheless, while the latecomers went touring, Chris, Carl, Strait, and I played mini-golf on a course that had not exactly drained. Eight of the nine holes were not holes, they were puddles. We sank a bunch of aces, including Strait who drained one on the long hole #7, following which he did this weird one-legged twirl hop-around. It was quite a cool moment. Chris won the first round and I won the second.
By 5 pm, we were not too hungry, so we headed straight to the prayer tower for some devotion town. It's almost like a treehouse; all wood, a few benches inside with some Bibles. No frills, just simple. The views were cool, I just wish we had some sunshine. Who knows how far into the distance we could have seen? Matt talked about re-charging. On the way back, Frank, Chris, Carl, and I took a different path. Somehow, we wound up back on the same path, so I guess we made a big semi-circle. Grabbed my only shower after getting back and it felt very refreshing. But with one bathroom for seven guys, I'm glad I brought my shower sandals. Meanwhile, the four ladies had two bathrooms. Dang, it's hard being a guy...
Dinner was mostacciolli with salad and garlic bread. I still don't know the difference between the mostaccioli noodle and the penne noodle. The former probably costs more because it's a much longer word. Anyway, I played Blokus for the first time and was not happy with my initial performance though I did do better the second time around. I think I went from 29 squares left down to 12. I bet I could have won with one or two more games. Moreso, I think Dad would have really liked playing that game. Then came a wild session of Catchphrase, which our group had not played in quite a few months. We played three rounds and now that I have watched the videos back, I realize Frank and I would just burst out laughing, sometimes for no reason. And Carl was sitting right between us, very stoic and poised. It was so cool. I could have stayed up for hours, but instead a few of us remained awake, and watched videos we'd shot and examined a few photos. I think it was myself, Strait, Dec, Christine, and A-Wall.
I woke up on Sunday around 8:20, giving me about 90 minutes before we were leaving for Unity Reformed Church. Thankfully, we woke up to sun, a moderate breeze, and a temperature around 65 degrees. Without time to hit the gym, I walked across the road, over the bridge, and down the hill to the bank of the river. I sat there and basically prayed for about 20 minutes.
We arrived at church and were reminded just how welcoming that group is. It's not too small, certainly not large, but there are events going on, and everyone seems to know everyone. I think I shook hands with 20 people, it really was very good. I wish more non-believers would somehow find their way into a church like this one. The pastor, who is originally from the Hinsdale, IL area, spoke about different kinds of pride. And the cookies tasted excellent too.
Then we headed to Logan's, where I took over the free jukebox. Played some Fogerty, some Croce, some Allman Brothers Band, some Marshall Tucker, some Kenny Rogers. Somehow, I found myself talking music with Danny Boy. Admittedly, I ribbed him a little bit during the weekend and he had snapped at me the previous night, but our common interest in older music did get us talking. The fact that he knew the story of the genesis of the Buffalo Springfield With Stephen Stills spotting Neil Young's hearse in LA really impressed me. I enjoyed my 16 oz ribeye, mashed potatoes, and broccoli quite a bit. Logan's does serve some good food, though the nearest one to me is located about 3 hours away.
We got back and Carl and I snuck in 10 quick minutes of tennis in our church clothes. It was a little silly, but we enjoyed it. I guess we left the site around 2:30. Though I was Matt's co-pilot, I yawned at least eight times and fell asleep for about 45 minutes or so. I guess I was pretty anxious to get home. I had left my car in Glendale Heights, so I drove Jenny and A-Wall back before finally heading home. I guess I got back in the door around 6 p.m., counting the hour we gained going back to CST.
One week later, it seems like a pretty distant memory. I guess life still tries to remain hectic even when I determine to slow down for a few hours or a few days.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
A few late night thoughts
1) To uncletomthall, thank you for putting one of the best collections of country music I have ever seen up on Youtube. Pirates of the Mississippi, The Remingtons, Clinton Gregory, Lee Roy Parnell, George Ducas, Dean Dillon, Davis Daniel, Ken Mellons, the names go on and on.
2) Two/three more weeks of insanity at work. Then all this FFELP madness should be behind me. When it's over, they should owe me a lunch.
3) Night of Champions is this Sunday and I get to go. My dream scenario: Jets beat Patriots, Danielson and Sheamus win their matches.
4) The Bible teaches me to be content with what I have and I think that's a warning against greed. I recognize my gifts, but inside, I really do want more. My own place to live, a job that pays more cash, maybe a girl. But with all that stuff comes its own set of hassles. Funny, the irony of this world. It really is making more sense that when my priority is attaining the things of this world, I can never attain enough to keep me satisfied.
5) Mets have won three straight. But now Mejia has a strain in his pitching shoulder! These incompetent bastards!
6) God, please bless us in this house tonight. We need it so much. Amen.
Song pick: "I'm Holding My Own" Lee Roy Parnell
And the life you left behind has to led to lives I've never known.
2) Two/three more weeks of insanity at work. Then all this FFELP madness should be behind me. When it's over, they should owe me a lunch.
3) Night of Champions is this Sunday and I get to go. My dream scenario: Jets beat Patriots, Danielson and Sheamus win their matches.
4) The Bible teaches me to be content with what I have and I think that's a warning against greed. I recognize my gifts, but inside, I really do want more. My own place to live, a job that pays more cash, maybe a girl. But with all that stuff comes its own set of hassles. Funny, the irony of this world. It really is making more sense that when my priority is attaining the things of this world, I can never attain enough to keep me satisfied.
5) Mets have won three straight. But now Mejia has a strain in his pitching shoulder! These incompetent bastards!
6) God, please bless us in this house tonight. We need it so much. Amen.
Song pick: "I'm Holding My Own" Lee Roy Parnell
And the life you left behind has to led to lives I've never known.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Maranatha: Round 2-Day 1
Well, I am back in the dungeon. I started writing this Tuesday and five days later, I'm going to try to write this. It has been a hard week for me, physically and definitely mentally. I'd like to think the pain had produced some spiritual seeds, to use an analogy, that will make me stronger and sounder in my faith. But I don't think it's for me to judge. I hope people can see it and I hope the Lord thinks so too. I just wish it didn't take such cataclysmic events for it to take place.
Anyway, let's recap this year's Come Thirsty retreat. I arrived at J-Schu's house around 8:30 and was very surprised to see A-Wall there. Thought she was going to Florida with Candy, but I guess plans fell through. So after loading a ton of luggage in my Accord, we headed for Dec's house. Little did he know the jokes already started. In J-Schu's house, she referred to Matt Strait, who was also going with his gf. Jen, at one point, when trying to differentiate between the Matt's said "He's straight". I looked at her in disbelief before figuring out the last name pun. I was thinking if this Matt is straight, what does that make the other one?
Anyway, I rode with Dec and A-Wall while J-Shu rode with Matt and Christine into Michigan. Plenty of bonding time...We ate lunch at the same Panera as two years ago in Benton Harbor. Outside, they have this Family Style sculpture which looks like a terrified guy diving into a pack of dolphins. Not sure where the name come from, but we took a few snapshots anyway. The other Matt climbed into our car for the remaining ride. We quickly noticed the billboard for this creepy, cryptic-looking lawyer, Peter J. Johnson. He is balding slightly with medium0length dark blonde hair and a barely-visible thin mustache that is trying to decide if it wants to crawl back in his face and hide. About 20 minutes later, we saw a bumper sticker on an SUV that said
k2tog. Being the curious guy I am, I googled it on my Blackberry. It led me to an environmentally-conscious knitting shop in California. This was the mission statement:
"We believe in the power of knitting to create community and help others. Again and again, we have seen how knitting together, we can transform a frustration with the world into something useful, even beautiful."
After 15 minutes of non-stop laughing, we went through Grand Haven, which was filled with these wooden shoe shops. That reminded Dec of Teutopolis, IL, where their high school mascot is called the wooden shoes. They also have a great girls basketball town so I went to their wikipedia page and learned Teutopolis is 99.6% white and five state titles between 1986 and 2005. Amazing stuff. Matt played plenty of Casting Crowns and other Christian bands I cannot tell apart. It was pretty decent music, I must say. There was that one MercyMe song I heard the other day, I liked that. As we drove up the coast of Michigan on 31, we started getting squealing alerts from the other car. Except these went on for 10 minutes before we even arrived!
As we pulled up, I didn't notice anything too different. Same buildings, fields, colors, etc. After we checked in, we drove to Cambodia, our home building for the second straight time. Same uneven, rocky steps from the car to the door. I took the downstairs solo room once again, away from everyone else. As I was unloading luggage, I noticed M&C brought half a dozen tennis rackets. They agreed to play Amanda and I. Now I had not played tennis in 15 years maybe. And I know better than to ever get close to another tennis player. College memories. Although I did look sexy in that tennis halter top that night in Fenway Park... Took a while to get my feel back, but it didn't take me long to get my Sharapova grunt down. I did eventually knock down a few big serves. That came after knocking one or two over the fence and crashing left jaw first into the crossbar of the courts. I felt pain for several days afterwards, though I could still chew just fine. We eventually played a set and they took us in a close one 6-4. But I have to say, I enjoyed it.
After that, we took our tour. I weaseled my way into the mini-chapel and the group took some photos. We threw tennis balls around as we headed towards the beach. We weren't shocked to see the pool was locked, I guess they heard we were coming. The staff re-did the boardwalk while the firepit, playgrounds, rocking chairs, and volleyball court were all still in place. We walked up the stairs through the boardwalk the led through the woods. The bunny in the cage was gone, which was a shame. But wen went to the zip line and climbing wall before heading back towards the main part of the grounds. After Dec and I got back, we walked across the street to the bridge that ran over the river. Not many boats out, but a few cars whizzed by. We both noticed these huge spiderwebs on the bridges, about the size of dinner plates.
J-Schu prepared the chicken/potato casserole as Carl, Chris, and Frank pulled in, giving us 9 people in the house. We played "Would you rather?..." before dinner. I still can't remember how, but after dinner, a mixture of juggling/drumming broke out. Matt and J-Schu juggled tennis balls while I banged these ceramic salt and pepper shakers like they were maracas. Just one of those random moments that you know happened, but have no reason as to how or why.
The came a 4-hour marathon game of Qwelf. We had just started when Steph and Danny Boy showed up. Amazingly, no one faced any serious traffic during the 4-5 hour commute. Many classic moments, such as Chris saying "Excuse me, I feel a question coming on" about 30 times. But Strait stole the show. Irish jig dancing, beatboxing on his stomach, singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" in the style of a mad scientist. He is such a strait guy, pardon the pun, and to see him go along with the game, was really a fun moment. Daniel broke out into a black preacher/Fat Albert voice, J-Schu used Carl as her ventriloquist dummy and Frank stuffed ice down his pants.
By 12 am, I was done. I crashed and silently snuck downstairs and put on some music. Everything below my knees was aching. It didn't help that there was no window in my room, making breathing brutally hard. I guess a few people stayed up until 2 am and I have no idea how they did it.
Anyway, let's recap this year's Come Thirsty retreat. I arrived at J-Schu's house around 8:30 and was very surprised to see A-Wall there. Thought she was going to Florida with Candy, but I guess plans fell through. So after loading a ton of luggage in my Accord, we headed for Dec's house. Little did he know the jokes already started. In J-Schu's house, she referred to Matt Strait, who was also going with his gf. Jen, at one point, when trying to differentiate between the Matt's said "He's straight". I looked at her in disbelief before figuring out the last name pun. I was thinking if this Matt is straight, what does that make the other one?
Anyway, I rode with Dec and A-Wall while J-Shu rode with Matt and Christine into Michigan. Plenty of bonding time...We ate lunch at the same Panera as two years ago in Benton Harbor. Outside, they have this Family Style sculpture which looks like a terrified guy diving into a pack of dolphins. Not sure where the name come from, but we took a few snapshots anyway. The other Matt climbed into our car for the remaining ride. We quickly noticed the billboard for this creepy, cryptic-looking lawyer, Peter J. Johnson. He is balding slightly with medium0length dark blonde hair and a barely-visible thin mustache that is trying to decide if it wants to crawl back in his face and hide. About 20 minutes later, we saw a bumper sticker on an SUV that said
k2tog. Being the curious guy I am, I googled it on my Blackberry. It led me to an environmentally-conscious knitting shop in California. This was the mission statement:
"We believe in the power of knitting to create community and help others. Again and again, we have seen how knitting together, we can transform a frustration with the world into something useful, even beautiful."
After 15 minutes of non-stop laughing, we went through Grand Haven, which was filled with these wooden shoe shops. That reminded Dec of Teutopolis, IL, where their high school mascot is called the wooden shoes. They also have a great girls basketball town so I went to their wikipedia page and learned Teutopolis is 99.6% white and five state titles between 1986 and 2005. Amazing stuff. Matt played plenty of Casting Crowns and other Christian bands I cannot tell apart. It was pretty decent music, I must say. There was that one MercyMe song I heard the other day, I liked that. As we drove up the coast of Michigan on 31, we started getting squealing alerts from the other car. Except these went on for 10 minutes before we even arrived!
As we pulled up, I didn't notice anything too different. Same buildings, fields, colors, etc. After we checked in, we drove to Cambodia, our home building for the second straight time. Same uneven, rocky steps from the car to the door. I took the downstairs solo room once again, away from everyone else. As I was unloading luggage, I noticed M&C brought half a dozen tennis rackets. They agreed to play Amanda and I. Now I had not played tennis in 15 years maybe. And I know better than to ever get close to another tennis player. College memories. Although I did look sexy in that tennis halter top that night in Fenway Park... Took a while to get my feel back, but it didn't take me long to get my Sharapova grunt down. I did eventually knock down a few big serves. That came after knocking one or two over the fence and crashing left jaw first into the crossbar of the courts. I felt pain for several days afterwards, though I could still chew just fine. We eventually played a set and they took us in a close one 6-4. But I have to say, I enjoyed it.
After that, we took our tour. I weaseled my way into the mini-chapel and the group took some photos. We threw tennis balls around as we headed towards the beach. We weren't shocked to see the pool was locked, I guess they heard we were coming. The staff re-did the boardwalk while the firepit, playgrounds, rocking chairs, and volleyball court were all still in place. We walked up the stairs through the boardwalk the led through the woods. The bunny in the cage was gone, which was a shame. But wen went to the zip line and climbing wall before heading back towards the main part of the grounds. After Dec and I got back, we walked across the street to the bridge that ran over the river. Not many boats out, but a few cars whizzed by. We both noticed these huge spiderwebs on the bridges, about the size of dinner plates.
J-Schu prepared the chicken/potato casserole as Carl, Chris, and Frank pulled in, giving us 9 people in the house. We played "Would you rather?..." before dinner. I still can't remember how, but after dinner, a mixture of juggling/drumming broke out. Matt and J-Schu juggled tennis balls while I banged these ceramic salt and pepper shakers like they were maracas. Just one of those random moments that you know happened, but have no reason as to how or why.
The came a 4-hour marathon game of Qwelf. We had just started when Steph and Danny Boy showed up. Amazingly, no one faced any serious traffic during the 4-5 hour commute. Many classic moments, such as Chris saying "Excuse me, I feel a question coming on" about 30 times. But Strait stole the show. Irish jig dancing, beatboxing on his stomach, singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" in the style of a mad scientist. He is such a strait guy, pardon the pun, and to see him go along with the game, was really a fun moment. Daniel broke out into a black preacher/Fat Albert voice, J-Schu used Carl as her ventriloquist dummy and Frank stuffed ice down his pants.
By 12 am, I was done. I crashed and silently snuck downstairs and put on some music. Everything below my knees was aching. It didn't help that there was no window in my room, making breathing brutally hard. I guess a few people stayed up until 2 am and I have no idea how they did it.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
2010 NFL predictions
AFC
East
1. Jets 11-5
2. Patriots 9-7
3. Dolphins 7-9
4. Bills 3-13
North
1. Ravens 12-4
2. Steelers 10-6
3. Bengals 8-8
4. Browns 4-12
South
1. Colts 12-4
2. Texans 10-6
3. Titans 6-10
4. Jaguars 3-13
West
1. Chargers 12-4
2. Raiders 8-8
3. Broncos 6-10
4. Chiefs 5-11
NFC
East
1. Cowboys 11-5
2. Giants 10-6
3. Eagles 8-8
4. Redskins 7-9
North
1. Packers 13-3
2. Vikings 10-6
3. Bears 7-9
4. Lions 4-12
South
1. Falcons 11-5
2. Saints 11-5
3. Panthers 5-11
4. Bucs 3-13
West
1. 49ers 10-6
2. Cardinals 8-8
3. Seahawks 6-10
4. Rams 4-12
AFC Divisional Playoffs
Ravens over Jets
Colts over Chargers
NFC Divisional Playoffs
Packers over Saints
Cowboys over Falcons
AFC Championship Game
Ravens over Colts
NFC Championship Game
Packers over Cowboys
Super Bowl
Packers over Ravens
East
1. Jets 11-5
2. Patriots 9-7
3. Dolphins 7-9
4. Bills 3-13
North
1. Ravens 12-4
2. Steelers 10-6
3. Bengals 8-8
4. Browns 4-12
South
1. Colts 12-4
2. Texans 10-6
3. Titans 6-10
4. Jaguars 3-13
West
1. Chargers 12-4
2. Raiders 8-8
3. Broncos 6-10
4. Chiefs 5-11
NFC
East
1. Cowboys 11-5
2. Giants 10-6
3. Eagles 8-8
4. Redskins 7-9
North
1. Packers 13-3
2. Vikings 10-6
3. Bears 7-9
4. Lions 4-12
South
1. Falcons 11-5
2. Saints 11-5
3. Panthers 5-11
4. Bucs 3-13
West
1. 49ers 10-6
2. Cardinals 8-8
3. Seahawks 6-10
4. Rams 4-12
AFC Divisional Playoffs
Ravens over Jets
Colts over Chargers
NFC Divisional Playoffs
Packers over Saints
Cowboys over Falcons
AFC Championship Game
Ravens over Colts
NFC Championship Game
Packers over Cowboys
Super Bowl
Packers over Ravens
Monday, September 06, 2010
Stunned and not stunned
By Sunday night, I finally reached the end of a very humbling situation. One that woke me up at 4:30 am on Sunday and required me to work and clean for a long time. Naturally, the Mets won the one game I did not attend in Chicago. And I was especially upset upon finding out around 8 p.m. that the Jets released fullback Tony Richardson, a 15-year veteran, who is one of their most noted and revered leaders. In fact, with the off-season releases of Thomas Jones and Alan Faneca, T-Rich may be considered their most notable leader on offense.
So Labor Day arrived and I was headed to work for a 6-hour shift. I woke up around 6:10, headed into the basement, sat at my desk, and flipped on the tube. Just my typical morning routine. I turn on ESPN Radio and I was absolutely dumbstruck at the caption on the bottom of my screen.
So Labor Day arrived and I was headed to work for a 6-hour shift. I woke up around 6:10, headed into the basement, sat at my desk, and flipped on the tube. Just my typical morning routine. I turn on ESPN Radio and I was absolutely dumbstruck at the caption on the bottom of my screen.
Jets and CB Darrelle Revis agree to 4-year contract.
With an empty house, I let out a huge tribal scream! The day prior, I had resigned myself that Revis would not suit up for at least the first two games of the season, if not longer. But the best defense in football has now added their best player and the best cover corner in the sport. The Super Bowl has now become a plausible goal again.
On the other hand, what I started to ponder about two weeks ago, then worry about a week ago, and then get aggravated about on Saturday, well, I guess it became official today. After all, it's on Facebook, so it's gospel truth. My typical horseshit luck in that department. What a waste.
Moving on, 5 quick hits.
1) I'm very excited for the CT retreat this weekend. Looking at the people going and comparing to what we had two years ago, I realize some things have to change over time.
2) At the same time, I have to miss a Kentucky meeting, Festival of the Vine, and the Ring of Honor PPV.
3) I am really in the mood for some Lucky Monk pizza. That spinach, San Marzano tomato, and goat cheese combo tastes so good...
4) I'm not much of a John Cena fan, but I thought he carried himself tremendously well in his interview with Boomer and Carton on the FAN today. He came across the airwaves as articulate, entertaining, and engaging. And his rap on Craig was priceless.
5) Itunes need to get with the program and get some Lee Roy Parnell music on there.
Saturday, September 04, 2010
ABSOLUTE washout
Two more pathetic losses in that dump of a ballpark at the corner of Addison and Clark. Two more three-run homers. Mike Nickeas better haul his ass back to Buffalo. He can't hit and he can't hold on to the baseball. Luis Castillo still sucks. Ike Davis will be lucky to have a career on the level of Lyle Overbay. Mejia is just another hype on his way to failing, despite his "hellacious" curveball. Wright, Pagan, and Beltran hit the ball pretty well, so I will not get on them. But I was so miserable by Saturday, I took off in the sixth inning. I skipped out on meeting Dec's nephew as well as Cerrone and Berg from metsblog.com. And I really wanted to meet all of them. But after suffering this much, I could not bear to stay around. And this marks the first time I wanted to punch out a 7-year-old when I wasn't on an airplane. He would not stop yelling "Let's Go Cubbies!" My advice to him is simple. Learn the number 1908. You'll know it for decades on end. I did meet quite a few Mets fans from both in the city from the east. That was very cool. Always good to see Julie as well. Iowa football fans did not need to take over Merkle's though.
I know I should not care that much, I know this team is more dead than a 80-year-old milk. Yet I care. I seriously wish I could do my life over again so I could know zero about sports. Maybe I would be a man of the arts.
And Bernie officially takes the son of Ricky away... I shouldn't be shocked. She's so good with her stiletto...
I did score five goals at frisbee, including another trademark bomb from midfield. I mad sure to give Ricky's son a look after that one! Then again, I know the deal. It meant zero. That goal and a nickel gets me five cents.
So Glen Ellyn is also coming this weekend. The hits just keep on comin'!
Epilogue: Jim + Jeremiah + Corona + Sunset Wheat = A rough evening. Not doing that again.
I know I should not care that much, I know this team is more dead than a 80-year-old milk. Yet I care. I seriously wish I could do my life over again so I could know zero about sports. Maybe I would be a man of the arts.
And Bernie officially takes the son of Ricky away... I shouldn't be shocked. She's so good with her stiletto...
I did score five goals at frisbee, including another trademark bomb from midfield. I mad sure to give Ricky's son a look after that one! Then again, I know the deal. It meant zero. That goal and a nickel gets me five cents.
So Glen Ellyn is also coming this weekend. The hits just keep on comin'!
Epilogue: Jim + Jeremiah + Corona + Sunset Wheat = A rough evening. Not doing that again.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
NY recap
The alarm clock began buzzing at 3:30 AM, leaving me one hour to get ready to leave. We left the house almost on time and after weaving through 20 miles of orange road cones on 290 and 294 (Thank you Mr. President), we eventually boarded a 6:30 flight for LaGuardia Airport.
Two five-year-olds in the row were sitting right in front of me in the bulkhead row. Keep in mind both their parents were sitting across the aisle and two rows back. I think the airline should have had one parent sit with one child. So the boy and girl basically screamed at each other for all 2 hours and 15 minutes. Thank God for my headphones. As we walked past the security line at Newark, Mom recognized Judy, one of her old friends from San Diego, in the security line.
Dad pulled up outside the airport and we headed towards Manhattan. We had to deal with a lot of traffic on the Outerbridge, as three lines were merging into one. We drove through Jersey City and saw the Liberty Science Center as well as a great view of the side of the Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline. The weather conditions could not have been much better: 85 degrees, the sky a magnificent shade of deep blue, and not a cloud to be spotted.
We took the Holland Tunnel into Manhattan and drove through Chelsea towards the Upper East Side. For lunch, we went to JG Mellon, an old restaurant/bar I saw on the Best Thing I Ever Ate as well as on Oprah's Top 20 Burger list. It's this old school bar, wooden interior with no TV's and about 15 or 20 tables. We sat outside on 74th and 3rd and I did a little bird-watching and noticed tons of dogs walking by. How could I miss them. Since the burgers cost $10 and the app's were a little pricey, we just went with burgers and two orders of cottage fries. Though the burgers weren't huge, they were thick. They came with a rick, thick cheddar cheese, coarsely chopped bacon (just 70 cents extra), very thinly sliced red onion, and dill pickle chips. Nothing else is really needed, though a slice of tomato would have been good too. The burger was incredible juicy, the roll was soft, yet held up very well, the cheese was melted, and a little dijon mustard made for an excellent burger experience. The sliced cottage fries were hot and crisp with a nice amount of chew on them. The one negative was there are no free refills on soft drinks. Though our server did mention that after we drank our firsts, that should be mentioned on the menu.
From there, we drove into midtown, towards 5th Avenue. We walked around Rockefeller Center,and saw Radio City Music Hall, the Ed Sullivan Theater, and the studios of CBS, FOX, SNY, and NBC (Conan tapings). We almost went into the observatory deck at Rockefeller, but for $21 a pop, that was a little bit too much. Besides, the view from the airplane that morning was pretty decent anyway.
Mom has a cruise tour coming up soon and the powers that be have arranged a formal evening. So we went to Anthropologie while she shopped, only to buy nothing at all. Meanwhile, I searched around the NHL Store and the new Jets team Store on Madison Avenue. At the latter, I thought about getting this green and black Jets polo shirt. But everything came in 3XL and 4XL. I guess they thought Rex was going to drop in any minute.
Around 3 p.m., we headed back to the parking garage, where we paid $33 to park for under three hours. We drove back through the Lincoln Tunnel into New Jersey, past the Meadowlands complex, and down Route 3. We continued shopping in New Jersey, which is smart, since you don't pay a sales tax in the state. Then again, we did go to the Short Hills Mall in Bridgewater, one of the bougiest malls in the country. Mom searched some more, while Dad and I mostly stood around, just waiting for something to do. She came up empty again and I was starting to feel pretty fatigued by this point. We then drove south to Old Bridge, about 20 minutes south of Edison.
We had dinner at Ponte Vecchio, which is owned by the same people that own Lou Ca’s, a great Italian seafood restaurant in Edison. I still can't get my mind off of the four old people standing right in the doorway with their backs towards us, as they blocked us from entering the restaurant. I thought that was a little inconsiderate and self-absorbing. Anyway, we quickly got our loaf of hot semolina bread with olive oil for dipping, always a tremendous start to any evening meal.
Mom had Boston Bibb salad and a Sicilian swordfish while Dad went two of his usuals, shrimp and crabmeat cocktail and tilapia oreganato.As for me, I had a disappointing experience with a swordfish dish the last time, so I mixed it up. I went with a cold mixed seafood salad of shrimp, crabmeat, and scallops and Chicken Giambotta; three thinly sliced chicken cutlets with slices of sweet Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, and sweet sherry peppers all served in a lightly colored sauce dominated by lemon, white wine, and garlic. Tremendous flavor. Oh, I did somehow sneak in a slice of NY cheesecake with a dollop of the sweetest whipped cream imaginable. My stomach was in pain the rest of the night. Funny, how that never happens here at home.
Even thought I brought Sequence and Yahtzee along, Mom and I were both pretty beat by 7:30 p.m. So we turned on the Cablevision music channels. We basically flipped through the oldies and country stations. Found some good ones, found some absolute clunkers. I guess the highlight was me dancing to "Then What" with my own unique brand of whiteness. I got into "I Think I Love You" also.
The next morning, we woke up around 6:30. Mom and I stopped in downtown Metuchen for some take-home good stuff. First we grabbed 16 bagels. In the store freezer, two sleeves of six frozen bagels each set us back about $3.70. I picked one bag of wheat everything and one bag of wheat sesame. So for about 31 cents per bagel, I'd say I made out awfully well. I added a cinnamon burst and of course, three poppyseed. From Bagels-4-U, we walked past Roberto’s Pizza to the Buttery Bake Shoppe. Though the loaf of seeded rye bread tempted me, I went with two pieces of crumb cake. I don't understand why I have not been able to find crumb cake in the suburban bakeries where I live. Anyway, the crumbs were probably 2/3 of the cake and it was incredibly sweet, sugary, and satisfying.
We planned to go to the Brooklyn Tabernacle for church. Mom had been there once a long time ago and so I researched the place. After turning of the BQE, we drove 5 miles down Atlantic Avenue, past the future home of the Barclay Center. We drove parallel to the L train towards an area with a lot of chop shops and small residences. We turned onto Thomas Boylan Avenue around 8:10 AM, well ahead of schedule. It was similar to the south side of Chicago.
As we drove down this tiny street, I thought it was a little unusual considering this church was supposed to be quite prominent and expansive. This neighborhood was filled with one-way streets and gated homes and shops. When the street dead-ended, Dad drove back, much to Mom's chagrin. I was a little bewildered and I just hoped everyone would just stay cool. As we drove back down Boylan again, looking for #58, we suddenly spotted the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Except it was the wrong one. Apparently there are two Brooklyn Tabernacles just five miles apart. I pulled up Blackberry directions and it turned out we passed the street, Smith St, ten minutes before. So Dad drove back west on Atlantic Avenue, hung a right on Smith, and we pulled into the parking lot around 8:40.
We walked through the lobby into the auditorium, which looked like a converted theater. There were seats on the sides of the building, the floor was slanted, and there was a large balcony. As for the makeup, there was a great range of age groups. There were seniors, families, a few young adults. I'm guessing the 20-something's came for the noon or 3 pm services. The racial makeup was mostly black with a healthy dose of whites along with a few Latinos and Asians as well. I liked how many socioeconomic backgrounds were represented instead of one type of demographic. It seems to be a church that is bringing many types of people together and isn't that one of the main missions that the church is supposed to be about?
Mom was disappointed early on that the choir was not going to perform in the service though. But I think she got past it once the music kicked in. The service lasted two solid hours and I think we sang for the entire first hour. The worship leader was a big, charismatic black man who looked like a fatter Steve Wonder with the dreads and dark glasses. We did everything from "Open the Eyes" to "Mighty to Save" to a few others I didn't even know. It was a very loud, spirit-filled, not the type of service I'm accustomed to seeing in the more reserved Midwest.
Pastor Jim Cymbala's message was called Gospel rewind. Basically, he asked us why do we not share Jesus with people? Why are we afraid to talk about him? Can I get an Amen? Pastor Jim even invited all the first-timers to come up after the service and give them a hug. As we walked out, Mom remarked "Just like Bill Hybels would do!" I had to admit, that was pretty funny. I used to be a much bigger hugger. For whatever reason, not so much now. Maybe it was easier to get away with in high school!
After paying the $10 to park and getting our car lowered (there is no space there), Dad drove ups 20 minutes away to LaGuardia Airport. on the way, we passed Citi Field where R.A. Dickey would mow down the lowly Houston Astros. I would have been smoking the Dickey pipe had I been there. Right before entering the security line, I noticed a Five Guys to my left and it's a good thing I had no appetite or time, for that matter.
Despite being #12 and 13 on the standby list, we made the 12:25 flight back to Chicago, which was completely full and I sat in the last row in the aisle between a married couple who rose up four times between them to use the bathroom. And since I sat in the last row, as I got up, I was finding myself engulfed in a line of people waiting to use the bathroom. I was also lucky enough to enjoy a great view of both engines, which meant I couldn’t see when we were landing. We actually had a sudden descent for about two seconds and I'll admit my stomach tightened up. As we did land, the first impact jolted me. But when nobody was screaming, well, I figured we were cool. And I’m sitting at my desk typing now, so I guess we were.
Two five-year-olds in the row were sitting right in front of me in the bulkhead row. Keep in mind both their parents were sitting across the aisle and two rows back. I think the airline should have had one parent sit with one child. So the boy and girl basically screamed at each other for all 2 hours and 15 minutes. Thank God for my headphones. As we walked past the security line at Newark, Mom recognized Judy, one of her old friends from San Diego, in the security line.
Dad pulled up outside the airport and we headed towards Manhattan. We had to deal with a lot of traffic on the Outerbridge, as three lines were merging into one. We drove through Jersey City and saw the Liberty Science Center as well as a great view of the side of the Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline. The weather conditions could not have been much better: 85 degrees, the sky a magnificent shade of deep blue, and not a cloud to be spotted.
We took the Holland Tunnel into Manhattan and drove through Chelsea towards the Upper East Side. For lunch, we went to JG Mellon, an old restaurant/bar I saw on the Best Thing I Ever Ate as well as on Oprah's Top 20 Burger list. It's this old school bar, wooden interior with no TV's and about 15 or 20 tables. We sat outside on 74th and 3rd and I did a little bird-watching and noticed tons of dogs walking by. How could I miss them. Since the burgers cost $10 and the app's were a little pricey, we just went with burgers and two orders of cottage fries. Though the burgers weren't huge, they were thick. They came with a rick, thick cheddar cheese, coarsely chopped bacon (just 70 cents extra), very thinly sliced red onion, and dill pickle chips. Nothing else is really needed, though a slice of tomato would have been good too. The burger was incredible juicy, the roll was soft, yet held up very well, the cheese was melted, and a little dijon mustard made for an excellent burger experience. The sliced cottage fries were hot and crisp with a nice amount of chew on them. The one negative was there are no free refills on soft drinks. Though our server did mention that after we drank our firsts, that should be mentioned on the menu.
From there, we drove into midtown, towards 5th Avenue. We walked around Rockefeller Center,and saw Radio City Music Hall, the Ed Sullivan Theater, and the studios of CBS, FOX, SNY, and NBC (Conan tapings). We almost went into the observatory deck at Rockefeller, but for $21 a pop, that was a little bit too much. Besides, the view from the airplane that morning was pretty decent anyway.
Mom has a cruise tour coming up soon and the powers that be have arranged a formal evening. So we went to Anthropologie while she shopped, only to buy nothing at all. Meanwhile, I searched around the NHL Store and the new Jets team Store on Madison Avenue. At the latter, I thought about getting this green and black Jets polo shirt. But everything came in 3XL and 4XL. I guess they thought Rex was going to drop in any minute.
Around 3 p.m., we headed back to the parking garage, where we paid $33 to park for under three hours. We drove back through the Lincoln Tunnel into New Jersey, past the Meadowlands complex, and down Route 3. We continued shopping in New Jersey, which is smart, since you don't pay a sales tax in the state. Then again, we did go to the Short Hills Mall in Bridgewater, one of the bougiest malls in the country. Mom searched some more, while Dad and I mostly stood around, just waiting for something to do. She came up empty again and I was starting to feel pretty fatigued by this point. We then drove south to Old Bridge, about 20 minutes south of Edison.
We had dinner at Ponte Vecchio, which is owned by the same people that own Lou Ca’s, a great Italian seafood restaurant in Edison. I still can't get my mind off of the four old people standing right in the doorway with their backs towards us, as they blocked us from entering the restaurant. I thought that was a little inconsiderate and self-absorbing. Anyway, we quickly got our loaf of hot semolina bread with olive oil for dipping, always a tremendous start to any evening meal.
Mom had Boston Bibb salad and a Sicilian swordfish while Dad went two of his usuals, shrimp and crabmeat cocktail and tilapia oreganato.As for me, I had a disappointing experience with a swordfish dish the last time, so I mixed it up. I went with a cold mixed seafood salad of shrimp, crabmeat, and scallops and Chicken Giambotta; three thinly sliced chicken cutlets with slices of sweet Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, and sweet sherry peppers all served in a lightly colored sauce dominated by lemon, white wine, and garlic. Tremendous flavor. Oh, I did somehow sneak in a slice of NY cheesecake with a dollop of the sweetest whipped cream imaginable. My stomach was in pain the rest of the night. Funny, how that never happens here at home.
Even thought I brought Sequence and Yahtzee along, Mom and I were both pretty beat by 7:30 p.m. So we turned on the Cablevision music channels. We basically flipped through the oldies and country stations. Found some good ones, found some absolute clunkers. I guess the highlight was me dancing to "Then What" with my own unique brand of whiteness. I got into "I Think I Love You" also.
The next morning, we woke up around 6:30. Mom and I stopped in downtown Metuchen for some take-home good stuff. First we grabbed 16 bagels. In the store freezer, two sleeves of six frozen bagels each set us back about $3.70. I picked one bag of wheat everything and one bag of wheat sesame. So for about 31 cents per bagel, I'd say I made out awfully well. I added a cinnamon burst and of course, three poppyseed. From Bagels-4-U, we walked past Roberto’s Pizza to the Buttery Bake Shoppe. Though the loaf of seeded rye bread tempted me, I went with two pieces of crumb cake. I don't understand why I have not been able to find crumb cake in the suburban bakeries where I live. Anyway, the crumbs were probably 2/3 of the cake and it was incredibly sweet, sugary, and satisfying.
We planned to go to the Brooklyn Tabernacle for church. Mom had been there once a long time ago and so I researched the place. After turning of the BQE, we drove 5 miles down Atlantic Avenue, past the future home of the Barclay Center. We drove parallel to the L train towards an area with a lot of chop shops and small residences. We turned onto Thomas Boylan Avenue around 8:10 AM, well ahead of schedule. It was similar to the south side of Chicago.
As we drove down this tiny street, I thought it was a little unusual considering this church was supposed to be quite prominent and expansive. This neighborhood was filled with one-way streets and gated homes and shops. When the street dead-ended, Dad drove back, much to Mom's chagrin. I was a little bewildered and I just hoped everyone would just stay cool. As we drove back down Boylan again, looking for #58, we suddenly spotted the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Except it was the wrong one. Apparently there are two Brooklyn Tabernacles just five miles apart. I pulled up Blackberry directions and it turned out we passed the street, Smith St, ten minutes before. So Dad drove back west on Atlantic Avenue, hung a right on Smith, and we pulled into the parking lot around 8:40.
We walked through the lobby into the auditorium, which looked like a converted theater. There were seats on the sides of the building, the floor was slanted, and there was a large balcony. As for the makeup, there was a great range of age groups. There were seniors, families, a few young adults. I'm guessing the 20-something's came for the noon or 3 pm services. The racial makeup was mostly black with a healthy dose of whites along with a few Latinos and Asians as well. I liked how many socioeconomic backgrounds were represented instead of one type of demographic. It seems to be a church that is bringing many types of people together and isn't that one of the main missions that the church is supposed to be about?
Mom was disappointed early on that the choir was not going to perform in the service though. But I think she got past it once the music kicked in. The service lasted two solid hours and I think we sang for the entire first hour. The worship leader was a big, charismatic black man who looked like a fatter Steve Wonder with the dreads and dark glasses. We did everything from "Open the Eyes" to "Mighty to Save" to a few others I didn't even know. It was a very loud, spirit-filled, not the type of service I'm accustomed to seeing in the more reserved Midwest.
Pastor Jim Cymbala's message was called Gospel rewind. Basically, he asked us why do we not share Jesus with people? Why are we afraid to talk about him? Can I get an Amen? Pastor Jim even invited all the first-timers to come up after the service and give them a hug. As we walked out, Mom remarked "Just like Bill Hybels would do!" I had to admit, that was pretty funny. I used to be a much bigger hugger. For whatever reason, not so much now. Maybe it was easier to get away with in high school!
After paying the $10 to park and getting our car lowered (there is no space there), Dad drove ups 20 minutes away to LaGuardia Airport. on the way, we passed Citi Field where R.A. Dickey would mow down the lowly Houston Astros. I would have been smoking the Dickey pipe had I been there. Right before entering the security line, I noticed a Five Guys to my left and it's a good thing I had no appetite or time, for that matter.
Despite being #12 and 13 on the standby list, we made the 12:25 flight back to Chicago, which was completely full and I sat in the last row in the aisle between a married couple who rose up four times between them to use the bathroom. And since I sat in the last row, as I got up, I was finding myself engulfed in a line of people waiting to use the bathroom. I was also lucky enough to enjoy a great view of both engines, which meant I couldn’t see when we were landing. We actually had a sudden descent for about two seconds and I'll admit my stomach tightened up. As we did land, the first impact jolted me. But when nobody was screaming, well, I figured we were cool. And I’m sitting at my desk typing now, so I guess we were.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Waiting in the Weeds
Just coming on the end of August.
Another summer's promise almost gone.
And though I heard some wise men say that every dog will have his day,
They never mentioned that these dog days get so long.
1) It's 9:30 and I have to wake up at 4 am for a flight to NYC. I should be sleeping now.
2) Itunes gift cards rock! Picked some Steve Winwood, Emilio, Mel McDaniel, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, John Anderson, Kenny Chesney (pre-Jimmy Buffet phase), Little Anthony & the Imperials
3) I finally picked up "Grace" by Jeff Buckley. I've been hearing a ton about this record for 15 years. I know nothing of what I'm going to hear. I am excited though.
4) Walgreen's wants to charge me 270 bucks for a prescription skin cream and foam wash. I guess that's because I don't have prescription insurance. Come on, seriously, I can buy three Jets jerseys for that.
5) Speaking of which, I love Hard Knocks. I don't like the team's play in the pre-season. Mark Sanchez got outplayed tonight by Rex freakin' Grossman! And Nick Folk better not miss another extra point ever again. Darrelle Revis' holdout isn't the only thing that has me nervous.
6) I raised all the money for my Kentucky trip inside of 5 days. That is phenomenal.
7) Five amazing weekends in a row starting today:
Another summer's promise almost gone.
And though I heard some wise men say that every dog will have his day,
They never mentioned that these dog days get so long.
1) It's 9:30 and I have to wake up at 4 am for a flight to NYC. I should be sleeping now.
2) Itunes gift cards rock! Picked some Steve Winwood, Emilio, Mel McDaniel, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, John Anderson, Kenny Chesney (pre-Jimmy Buffet phase), Little Anthony & the Imperials
3) I finally picked up "Grace" by Jeff Buckley. I've been hearing a ton about this record for 15 years. I know nothing of what I'm going to hear. I am excited though.
4) Walgreen's wants to charge me 270 bucks for a prescription skin cream and foam wash. I guess that's because I don't have prescription insurance. Come on, seriously, I can buy three Jets jerseys for that.
5) Speaking of which, I love Hard Knocks. I don't like the team's play in the pre-season. Mark Sanchez got outplayed tonight by Rex freakin' Grossman! And Nick Folk better not miss another extra point ever again. Darrelle Revis' holdout isn't the only thing that has me nervous.
6) I raised all the money for my Kentucky trip inside of 5 days. That is phenomenal.
7) Five amazing weekends in a row starting today:
- NYC
- Two Mets-Cubs games (Reading the obituary section would be more exciting)
- Kentucky Meeting, Festival of the Vine, ROH I-PPV from NYC
- Come Thirsty Retreat to Michigan
- Dragon Gate USA shows with the guys in Chicago and Milwaukee
8) I think if I could play one instrument, it would be bass. I can lurk in the background, yet I know how vital my role is. Then again, I'm the only one who would know.
9) I'm happy we had some hot days this summer. At least the temp finally reached 90 degrees a couple of times.
10) One of these days, these wide, arched feet will step foot in Canada.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
The road goes on forever
1) Considering how my music tastes tend to lean towards country and classic rock, I don't know why it took so long to discover the Allman Brothers Band. I usually save this for the end, but I'm going to get it out of the way right now.
Song pick: "Whipping Post" Allman Brothers Band
2) Computer viruses suck. I'm just glad that we got ours removed. Only cost 90 bucks.
3) I really would like a Nick Mangold jersey.
4) My feet are hurting more these days. It's really hampering my ability to run and play frisbee. And after scoring eight goals in two weeks, I guess raised my expectations for myself way too high. Even though I scored once in all three games, I felt limited physically and mentally. Losing three straight doesn't help. And as soon as that final goal was scored, I left the field without an explanation for Best Buy. I had a phone to repair.
5) Two months until the burning ceremony.
6) Writing letters. Man, how many years has it been since I did that? The funny thing is, I still have a few letters laying around from some people I have not seen in a decade. They seem to mean more than an e-mail.
7) One more hits the dust. Just found out as I was typing. From downtown Chicago to downtown Wheaton to oblivion. What a shock...
8) I really thought I was going to bed by 11 tonight, especially after grabbing barely five hours last night. Thank God for music to cope. And to my buddies, Miller and Beam.
9) I feel like I've done a ton of lamenting here, but now my allergies are really bothering me. Took two Benadryls. If nothing else, I'll sleep well.
10) Looks like an empty Saturday. I guess the gym and post office will be on the agenda. Other than that, who really knows.
Song pick: "Whipping Post" Allman Brothers Band
2) Computer viruses suck. I'm just glad that we got ours removed. Only cost 90 bucks.
3) I really would like a Nick Mangold jersey.
4) My feet are hurting more these days. It's really hampering my ability to run and play frisbee. And after scoring eight goals in two weeks, I guess raised my expectations for myself way too high. Even though I scored once in all three games, I felt limited physically and mentally. Losing three straight doesn't help. And as soon as that final goal was scored, I left the field without an explanation for Best Buy. I had a phone to repair.
5) Two months until the burning ceremony.
6) Writing letters. Man, how many years has it been since I did that? The funny thing is, I still have a few letters laying around from some people I have not seen in a decade. They seem to mean more than an e-mail.
7) One more hits the dust. Just found out as I was typing. From downtown Chicago to downtown Wheaton to oblivion. What a shock...
8) I really thought I was going to bed by 11 tonight, especially after grabbing barely five hours last night. Thank God for music to cope. And to my buddies, Miller and Beam.
9) I feel like I've done a ton of lamenting here, but now my allergies are really bothering me. Took two Benadryls. If nothing else, I'll sleep well.
10) Looks like an empty Saturday. I guess the gym and post office will be on the agenda. Other than that, who really knows.
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