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
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
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.
Saturday, September 08, 2012
Sympathy
1) I'm supposed to have sympathy for the Yankees because the umpire screwed up the call at first base? Catherine, spare me your profane rants and whining. I'm a very understanding and empathetic guy, but if you're a Yankees/Giants fan, don't whine that you got screwed and that you have it so bad. You're spoiled rotten enough already.
2) Good times at the Festival of the Vine. I don't particularly care for white wine, but I like the Beringer Moscato very much. It tasted mildly sweet and a bit of a peach flavor to it. Not bad. I also had the Be Riseling (bright and refreshing), Stone Cellars Cabernet (spicy, not a big fan), Penfolds Koonunga Shiraz (blueberry flavor, with a little spice), St. Jean Sonoma Pinot Noir (Raspberry and cinnamon, enjoyable).
3) Larry Jones, go screw yourself. you had a good career. Now get the hell out of my life
4) Mom at her 40th high school reunion. That's a scary thought. 40 years. I'm not even up to my 15th year reunion of high school And I don't even know if I'm going to attend my ten year college reunion next year. But I digress. I just hope she makes some friends out there.
5) Jets start tomorrow. Let's kick some Buffalo ass! J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!
Friday, September 07, 2012
O!
1) I must admit I am getting some perverse pleasure at watching the Orioles beat the Yankees. That eighth inning last night was one of the most amazing I have ever seen.
2) Four days until I go to Baltimore. And I'm going to see my father for the first time in three years. It's strange, but I really don't have a ton of emotions heading into it. Maybe that's going to change in the next few days, we'll see.
3) Food stops planned for Baltimore: Boog Powell's BBQ at Camden Yards, Sabatino's, Vacarro's Italian Pastries, Chap's Pit Beef, Faidley's Crab Cakes. Full details to follow.
4) Looks like rain tonight. So I guess I'm going to postpone my Festival of the Vine visit until Saturday night after work.
5) Finally brought new blades for my electric razor. I was supposed to change them after 12 months; I think I waited almost three years.
2) Four days until I go to Baltimore. And I'm going to see my father for the first time in three years. It's strange, but I really don't have a ton of emotions heading into it. Maybe that's going to change in the next few days, we'll see.
3) Food stops planned for Baltimore: Boog Powell's BBQ at Camden Yards, Sabatino's, Vacarro's Italian Pastries, Chap's Pit Beef, Faidley's Crab Cakes. Full details to follow.
4) Looks like rain tonight. So I guess I'm going to postpone my Festival of the Vine visit until Saturday night after work.
5) Finally brought new blades for my electric razor. I was supposed to change them after 12 months; I think I waited almost three years.
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