revisiting the Europe trip, part 2

Just a few pics from the European jaunt (Feb.-Jun. 2004) to celebrate Friday and ring in the new year:

(It shouldn't be this fucking hard to put captions right under my pictures, but I'm screwing it up somehow, so here's a key at the top for the pictures below instead. I'll figure it out one of these days.)

1. Big model, awesome hair, mediocre camera.
2. Sometimes all these lights start blinking on the Tower. I'm serious.
3. Some Austrian chick I met by the tulips, ya?
4. Once again, at the Hotel Post. Weird, huh?
5. View from the hotel in Switzerland.
6. Me, in the Linz half-marathon. (40 pounds heavier now, I wonder how I pulled that off only a year and a half ago.)
7. Outside the Rome Airport, since those dirty wops kicked us out for the night.
8. JP 2, up close and personal. May he RIP.
9. Waiting for the Prague night tram with a bunch of foreigners.
10. Watching some big chess in Amsterdam.























Good times. Everyone have a good New Year's Eve and 2006. Be safe.

if i could do it all over again

I usually catch myself saying that once every couple weeks. Not really in a serious sense, but I think of things that I really enjoy as hobbies and wonder if they would have been good as careers. The list, of those I can recall at this point:

Astronomer – This is of course due to my love of astronomy and stars and the like. I think what I enjoy about it is how unfathomable it all is, as far as distances and sizes go. We talk about light-years like they’re nothing, but one light year equals six trillion miles. If I calculated correctly, and I might not have, it would take over a million years to travel that far in one of our modern airplanes. I guess space shuttles are faster, and that’s what would be used, but you catch my drift. Anyway, astronomy is cool.

Pharmacist – I’m fascinated by pills and that side of medicine. I own a copy of the Pill Book. It’s a handy reference. It’s just cool that scientists came up with all these different chemicals to treat thousands of different illnesses and disorders. I also like organizing stuff, and pharmacies seem very neat and organized. And pharmacists seem like they have less required schooling and also less responsibility than a doctor. And the pay is doctor-like, though I don’t think it’s exactly equivalent.

Geographer – Or perhaps I’d enjoy being a cartographer. Not sure what exactly each job entails, but I do know I love maps. And atlases. I could spend a good hour just sitting and reading through a U.S. atlas. Call me odd; I know I am. But it’s fascinating to me. I figure, therefore, that an interest in maps and atlases would mean I would enjoy geography. I know it deals with statistics and things of that nature too. That’d be fine. I could crunch numbers.

Professional Baseball Player – It’s a bit more fantastic and unbelievable that the other ideas, but of all the pro sports to play in, I think I’d do baseball. It’s a pretty long season from spring training to optimally the World Series (February through October), but if it’s doing what you love, you dig? The travel would be hard at times, especially if you had a wife or family, but having millions of dollars is nice too. The simple fact is that there is no way anyone on earth deserves to make as much money as baseball players (or any sports figures) do, doing what they do. They are batting a ball around and catching it with gloves, for other people’s entertainment. Get off your high horses, assholes. Here’s your salary cap. I say the best player in the league gets $1,500,000 at the end of the year, based on performance. All 900 or so players that will appear in the majors that year are ranked accordingly. #2 player that year gets $1,000 less. And on down the line. So, for roundness’ sake, say there are 1,000 players who play in a year. The “worst” guy who plays, or performs the least, let’s say, gets $500,000. That would be the minimum salary in the league. So, in the end, the league minimum is raised, but the exorbitant salaries of these haughty bastards would be controlled too. I’m sure there are several flaws in my plan, and it would probably never work, but a basic scheme is there. It just needs tweaking.

I think in the end, we can all discover what our dream jobs would be by pretending we won the lottery. A big lottery. You would never have to work again, but say you end up working just to “keep busy.” What job would you take at that point? It would have to be based solely on enjoyment. There’s everyone’s answer. I’m still think about my answer. I would think it would be one of the above. But maybe it wouldn’t.

Have a happy 2006.

horror movies, hate, and the holidays

All alliterations aside, I hadn’t written in a while. It’s probably not right that I’m writing an entry more because I feel an obligation than because I enjoy writing them, but here I am. I do enjoy writing them honestly; it’s either that I’m too busy or a bit too lazy. My goal is one entry a week, and I’ve done a moderately good job of that. It’s the damn Christmas shopping and preparation that takes up all my time,

I found out there’s a new horror film coming out soon called Hostel. If you’re into that sort of thing (I’m not), it looks good. Quentin Tarantino “presents” it, meaning he must have checked it out and giving it his seal of approval (meaning they’re allowed to use his name to attract major attention). Just from screen shots and movie posters, it looks extremely violent. It also has an intriguing plotline. We European travelers might enjoy the story. Roughly, it’s about three students backpacking through Europe and they come across this one guy in Slovakia who tells them all about this great hostel where all these hot chicks there are desperate to have sex with you. Think with your head, not with your dong—that’s what I always say. They don’t take my advice. Of course, it’s this horrible torture chamber of a hostel, and so on. Again, I won’t see it, but it looks like it could be a good horror movie for fans of the genre. http://www.hostelfilm.com/ and http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/film/684 are a couple of sites with some info on the movie.

One of the most hateful religious groups in the world, I’m safely assuming, is the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. The leader is Fred Phelps, one of the craziest old men ever to inhabit the earth. Its total membership is about 100 people and 90% of them are related to Phelps, if that tells you anything. Nonetheless, it’s an extreme Christian sect; I personally wouldn’t consider them Christian, though I guess technically they are. To be blunt, they’re a religion based on horrible racism and homophobia and hate for basically everyone but themselves. They have done so many awful things over the years, and I only write about them today because they are planning on picketing this Friday in St. Louis. They plan on protesting at a funeral for a soldier who died in Iraq. They justify this because they blame the military for not keeping our country and the world free of gays and lesbians (to use more proper terms than they do). It’s unreal how they think.

Other tactics include having their children as young as toddlers protest, while wearing t-shirts that say “God Hates Fags” and “Thank God for the Tsunami.” (They say thank God for every disaster and attack that has occurred, because they say it is God sending a message that the world is being destroyed and needs to change its ways. As of now, they believe only members of their Church will be accepted in to Heaven.) They also hate Swedes; I forgot why. It is the most unbelievable ideology I’ve ever seen. And it’s despicable. The last thing I should do is tell all ten people a day that visit my site about this horrible church and its backwards views, but it’s a sight (and site) to be seen. It’s a sight that’s a sober reminder of how much hate exists in the world, and that we probably don’t know the half of it. The amazing part is that they believe they are absolutely justified and correct.

On a lighter note, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday they celebrate. It should be a good time. Gretchen and I are heading to Wichita for X-mas weekend, and then to St. Louis for New Year's weekend (for an "X-mas" celebration there). A lot of travel, but a lot of fun still. Hope everyone travels safely and eats a lot of food.

(Sorry, my "link-making" tool in Blogger still isn't working, or I'm doing it wrong, so the links aren't clickable. I'll figure it out soon enough.)

good food, free booze

On Friday evening, Environmental Mechanical had their annual holiday party (I prefer Christmas party, but let us all be PC, just to be safe, right?). It took place at the Culinary Center of Kansas City. They do cooking classes and team building activities there, but they also host parties.

My attractive date and I both enjoyed the gathering. The food was delicious, with the menu consisting of butternut squash bisque, three flavors of risotto, some sort of Italian pasta and vegetable casserole (but it had a classier name than “casserole”), red snapper, and tiramisu for dessert. There were also three types of wine served with the meal. It was one of the fancier meals I’ve ever had. I’m not the best in classy social situations, but it wasn’t too bad. There was pleasant conversation had by all. The open bar was also tasty.
After the party, Gretchen and I went with Tim and his wife (Tim’s probably the next youngest guy in the office next to me; if I had to guess, he’s 26 or 27). We went to the Other Place (no, really, that’s the name of the bar. Get it? People can be so clever sometimes.) We had a few drinks and I OWNED Tim in trivia, even after all his trash talking. His hubris was his downfall.

Other than that, my time has been consumed with buying presents (X-mas, of course, but also Gretchen’s b-day, sister-in-law’s b-day, etc.). I can’t stand shopping either. I enjoy giving gifts, but the task of going to stores and buying all these things is absolutely horrendous. It’s a huge relief after all the shopping is done. (And, fortunately, Gretchen said she would do all the wrapping, since she doesn’t trust my shoddy, imprecise wrapping style. Works for me.)

Also, I made some exciting video rentals this weekend. I viewed Batman Begins on Saturday evening. I’m not usually a huge fan of these blockbuster movies (Batman, Spiderman, Lord of the Rings, etc.); you know, I’m not going out and seeing them in the theaters. Maybe they’re worth a rental. Maybe. But, I truly enjoyed Batman Begins. The two hour, twenty minute length made me weary when I first read it on the box, but it really flew by. That’s when movies can go bad, when they drag on and on. The action and storyline was good, Katie Holmes was good, and the movie was mostly believable in regards to the action scenes (the Batmobile jumping from rooftop to rooftop was a stretch, but they even made his ability to “fly” explainable. True, it was through the use of top-secret, ultra-expensive, never-used government equipment, but still, the effort was there).

And, on tap after watching some Arrested Development on FOX (good television show, check it out tonight at 7 PM central) is Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo! The much-anticipated (by me, at least) follow-up to Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, I can't wait to dig into this epic. I love movies like this. Call it the ridiculous and inappropriate SNL-alum comedies. Refer to Dirty Work, Billy Madison, and Black Sheep for a few examples. European Gigolo got AWFUL reviews, but so did the original, so screw 'em. That doesn't mean anything. These uppity movie reviewers are just trying to polish their reputation. It's pandering and it's bullshit. I'll be sure to let you know how the film turns out.

[Edit, for movie review: Goodness gracious, I couldn't get through it. I had been looking forward to Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. It was horrendous. It was exponentially stupider than the average "stupid" comedy. It was disgusting. The physical deformity jokes were unnecessary (and plentiful). The two plusses were that the movie took place in Amsterdam (a place I've been to and one of my favorite European cities) and Deuce's "love interest" (I assume they get together, but again, I didn't make it through the movie), played by a little-known Belgian model/actress, Hanna Verboom. Quite attractive. But for the love of God, that was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I was embarrassed to watch it in front of people I am quite comfortable with. That's the real test. If it's so bad, it makes me uncomfortable to watch it with anyone else, it's BAD. And it was especially disappointing because the first Deuce Bigalow was quite enjoyable. Oh well, live and learn.]

To conclude, I offer you some palindromes to brighten your day.

Campus motto: bottoms up, Mac!
I saw desserts; I’d no lemons, alas no melon. Distressed was I.
Kay, a red nude, peeped under a yak.
Lew, Otto has a hot towel!
Was it Eliot’s toilet I saw?

jolly good show

Monday, Gretchen and I attended the Ween show in Lawrence, Kansas.

And it was epic. I don’t just throw that word around either. It was their first show of the winter tour, so they must have had a lot of energy to play.

Three hours and forty minutes. 44 songs total. Ten song encore. It was worth missing a couple hours of sleep. A massive show. My favorite band played for almost four hours. It was great.

Unfortunately, I didn’t end up going to the Omaha show last night. I didn’t feel like making the drive three hours each way, and I couldn’t nail anyone down to use the second ticket (Gretchen said she would, but I couldn’t drag her to another three hour show along with a six hour drive. She was dragging ass Tuesday, because she was a trooper Monday). After deciding not to go, I tried to at least get rid of the tickets. Online, I got a message from a guy who said his friends might drive from Omaha and get the tickets, but I think I responded too late, because they never gave me a call. No worries.



In other news, I played some roller hockey with Ron and his NorCo (North County) friends last Friday when I was back in St. Louis for Thanksgiving. I was worried about my skills, since it had been at least four or five years since I had played last.

Honestly, I did alright. I wasn’t used to roller blades without a heel brake either, but it wasn’t as hard as I had feared. I broke a thorough sweat, which I usually do, and Ron and I held our own in the informal two-on-two tournament. It’s rekindled my interest in rollerblading and roller hockey now too. Gretchen and I are going to get new pairs of rollerblades (for Christmas perhaps?…wink wink) and start exercising that way. And, I might look into roller hockey leagues in the area, since I consider myself, and I’m usually pretty modest, an average roller hockey player. We’ll see what happens.

Also, in my current fervor about roller hockey, I have been surfing around looking at websites on the topic. One of the most intriguing I’ve come across is the NCRHA website. That stands for National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association. Though it’s only a club sport, there is a large amount of participation. There has to be a couple hundred teams involved. I was surprised at its popularity. I also enjoyed the informal nature of some of the teams. Like K-State’s, for example, who are currently 0-8 on the season: “Practices will be held from 7-9 Pm on all Mondays (except Holidays) at the Junction City Roller Rink. The travel team will be chosen from those who attend these practices. The practices are open to all students at K-State.” So, you or I easily could have made the team and played on any given week. Perhaps. Maybe I’m underestimating the talent our team possesses. Anyway, check it out. www.ncrha.org. Not to be confused with www.ncrha.com, unless you want to learn about riding horses or their upcoming silent auction.


One of the guys we played with last Friday supposedly played for the Mizzou club team. If anyone's wondering, I scorched him.

Have a good rest of the month.

Thanksgiving entendres

Two days from Thanksgiving. Love it. Especially since I eat a lot, though I'm getting fat now and that means I'll have to start watching how much I eat. I'll start the day after Thanksgiving, of course. Man, do I love stuffing.

The funny thing is how much Thanksgiving can change from year to year. I'm sure some of us have had the same Thanksgiving at the same place with the same people every year. And it's great. It was like that for me and my family for a while. The past few years, though, it's been different. My grandma passed in 2001, and that made for a different crowd. For several years, it had been, me, mom, dad, brother, aunt, uncle, grandma, and at some point my brother and sister-in-law with kids (they have a busy schedule on holidays and arrive when they can). The next year, my aunt and uncle separated and eventually divorced. So, the uncle was gone. Then, in 2004, my dad died. That was what threw us for the biggest loop.

That's the double-edged sword that is the holidays. You get together with the people you love and it's a good time. But you can't help but remember the people that aren't there this time around. And you reminisce and you all still have fun, but it's a little sad deep down. This year, I know several people who will be having "different" Thanksgivings because a close family member has died, or a recent breakup has occurred. But, and I usually don't like to get too "mushy" as I call it, that's what is good about holidays. They help you realize that you're lucky to be with the people that you're with, and you can be reminded of what really matters in the end. Those first holidays where someone isn't where they usually are can be hard to handle sometimes, but I think they make everyone stronger in the end.

To even out this post, I shall transcipt a e-mail forward I received this morning, which I find to be hilarious. I rarely forward things, unless I find them truly funny. This is to get everyone through the short workweek to turkey time. Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Things you can only say on Thanksgiving:
1. Talk about a huge breast.
2. Tying the legs together keeps the inside moist.
3. It's Cool Whip time.
4. If I don't undo my pants, I'll burst.
5. That's one terrific spread.
6. I'm in the mood for a little dark meat.
7. Are you ready for seconds yet?
8. It's a little dry, do you still want to eat it?
9. Just wait your turn, you'll get some.
10. Don't play with your meat.
11. Just spread the legs open and stuff it in.
12. Do you think you'll be able to handle these people all at once?
13. I didn't expect everyone to come at once.
14. You still have a little bit on your chin.
15. How long will it take after you stick it in?
16. You'll know it's ready when it pops up.
17. Wow, I didn't think I could handle all of that.
18. That's the biggest one I've ever seen.

M.A.D.D.

Drunk driving is one of the most talked-about automobile-related crimes in the United States. Listening to a radio show earlier this week helped me to realize how there are two radically different ends to the opinion spectrum. They all make interesting points, and I’m not here to express my personal opinion.

MADD stands for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. They are a non-profit group design to spread awareness of this activity that results in thousands of deaths each year. Some say, though, they have overstepped their bounds in recent years. They’ve turned their attention to promoting the abolition of all underage drinking. Again, I’m not say underage drinking is acceptable or not, but it seems to be a lack of focus on their original goals and efforts. This is coming from their staunch critics, of course. These critics also present cases of how MADD uses skewed and extrapolated statistics (but then again, who doesn’t when they’re trying to promote a cause or make a persuasive argument one way or the other?). For example, it has been reported that when they produce numbers for “alcohol-related accidents,” this can include an incident where a driver runs up onto a curb and strikes someone sipping on a beer.

I’m not saying this is fact or not. My main criticism toward MADD do not deal with the use of supposedly falsified statistics, but that they are promoting other agendas under the guise of being Mothers (which I think adds an element to the whole organization, mommies dedicating their time to the cause) simply being Against Drunk Driving.

Another interesting and not wholly disputed aspect of the whole drunk driving debate deals with police and their “crackdown” on drunk driving in the past ten or twenty years. This is a noble cause to be sure. Drivers are stupid enough as it is; we need to get more of these sots off the streets, I agree. But, it’s a fine line, no matter what MADD or SADD or RADD (I would say GLAAD, but I don’t think their main ideologies deal with drunk driving) say, between spending all night at the bar versus having a beer or two. This is of course where BAC, blood alcohol content, comes in. The flaw of BAC, unfortunately, is that it doesn’t necessarily correspond to the “drunkenness” of the individual. Number of drinks isn’t the most effective indicator either. People, in general, are physiologically different to an infinite degree. So, this generalized test is the best we can do at this point.

What I’m getting at is that as the battle wages on to stop drunk driving, revenue is an integral part of the equation. (I almost sound liberal here, ugh.) A DUI or DWI usually ends up costing the offender ten times more than another type of ticket, say speeding or running a red light, for example. That means the money is flowing as we get all these drunkards off the street. That presents a unique question. What are the end goals of someone proposing a lower legal BAC limit to be passed and become a law? (Right now, it’s .08 in the USA. Some politicians, MADD, and other groups want it lowered to .06 and downward.)

Is it so that we can save even more lives each year? Yes, there will be more arrests, which will inevitably have helped to avoid more accidents and deaths. Is it so the governments will create even more revenue by taking advantage of the lower BAC limit? Quite possibly. But is it at the cost of the guy who had two beers visiting with his friend he hadn’t seen for ten years, then heading home at 9:30 to go to bed? Maybe.

It’s just interesting to get a broader perspective on the whole situation. Yes, drunk driving is stupid and ridiculous, and I do not condone it. But, it would be enlightening to know how much the crackdown has to do with saving lives and how much it has to do with increasing revenues. The hard part is trying to get unbiased information on the issue itself.

Check out www.madd.org and www.getmadd.com for differing viewpoints on the issue.

Clutch

Wednesday was what some would call a hardcore day. I attended a concert in St. Louis that evening. Clutch was the band. If you haven’t heard of them, I’d describe them as a hard rock band with blues and funk influences. I enjoy their music and had heard their live show was a sight to be seen.

Of course, working and living in Kansas City made this a time-consuming proposition. (Gretchen suggested I go to their Lawrence show instead, but I don’t really know anyone who would like to attend this show with me here in KC. Not that I don’t have friends though. I just don't know anyone here in town who enjoys this particular genre of music. I have TONS of friends. Really. I’m not a loser….[quiet sobbing]….) In all actuality, I went with three friends who are living in St. Louis and I couldn’t go with them the last three or four times Clutch had swung through this part of the country.

Obviously, since I had work to attend on Wednesday and then Thursday, it proved to be an intense twelve hours or so. I departed KC at 2:30 and, with the drive being approximately four hours (for me anyway, sorry I’m not a maniacal speeder. When I hear things from people like, “FOUR hours? It’s that far? Grandma,” it makes me want to see these people make the drive. They think they’re hardasses, and they aren’t), I arrived at 6:30.

The show was at 7, but Clutch hadn’t arrived yet. Eventually, the show began at 8:30 with an opening act. Finally, Clutch is on stage at 9:30. And they rock hard, of course. The exciting thing about the show was that it was a two-set show, so they played one, for about an hour, took a break, and then came back and played for an hour and 15 minutes. They were an excellent live band indeed. Neil Fallon, the studly vocalist, was very animated in his delivery. The mosh pits were intense, and though I occasionally indulge in a pit for a song or two, I passed at this concert. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when I saw this huge guy walk out of crowd with blood literally pouring from his mouth.

The show ended around midnight. I was ready to crawl into bed, except that I had a four hour drive ahead of me. Off I went at 12:20 AM, across the great state of Missouri. I stop at Jack in the Box for a late-late dinner, filled up my tank at QuikTrip, and forged onward. Thankfully, my friends Rooster Booster and Donkey Kick kept me going. (Take that, Red Bull.) I pulled into the garage at 4:20 AM, precisely four hours later. Nothing like two hours of sleep before work the next day, but who hasn’t been there before, right? Although, I can’t choose to skip work if I want to, unlike in previous instances. In the end, though, it was eight hours of driving and two hours of sleeping well worth it.

glimpse ahead...and behind

What’s happened the past week, and what is to come this weekend, you ask? (Well, maybe you didn’t, but you’re here reading anyway, so carry on)

Just another day at the office today. I’m holding down the fort because Bob is out of the office, traveling to South Bend for the Notre Dame game. Luckily, I’m big enough for my britches. It’s hard to be motivated though because: A) it’s Friday, B) Bob and Tim are gone, making me wish I was gone, and C) all my tasks for the day aren’t immediately pressing, making it harder to complete them. This week, though, I’ve switched to listening to radio on the computer instead of the stereo, because I recently came to the realization that Kansas City radio is mindless, repetitive crap. (Some would say that’s how all radio is, and to an extent, I agree, but that’s for another time and place).

Lately, I’ve been on a talk radio kick. My rough schedule has been Mancow in the morning. He’s a “shock jock” of sorts. He’s easy to listen to, if that makes sense, though I find his prank phone calls annoying and ridiculous. I usually follow that up with some Rush Limbaugh (yeah, I consider myself conservative, wanna fight about it?), who is also an intriguing listen. In the late afternoon, it varies. I’ll either hook up some KMOX action (AM talk station back in STL) or just surf around to find another station. www.radio-locator.com is a solid site. It lists thousands of radio stations all around the country, and also lets you know which are capable of being listened to online.

The weekend looks to be slightly eventful. Gretchen and I are heading to Wichita for the weekend. We’ll visit with her family, and also attend the wedding of a couple of losers we know. Brad and Bekka, best of luck to the both of you. I’ll be sure to enjoy the leisure time that the weekend brings as well. Perhaps take a jog, hit the tennis courts, play a game of Scrabble or two. That is one conflict this weekend to mention: I’ll be missing the semimonthly Overland Park Scrabble Club meeting, but I’ll take it to the house next time I’m there.

Ooh, the boss just gave me a project to handle. That gives it the official “pressing” tag, so I better scorch it. Have a nice weekend.

old Halloween costumes - a history of those I can recall

I was reminiscing earlier as I tried to get through the last half-hour of work today, and I was thinking back to some of my older Halloween costumes. (This year, I shall be a Scrabble tile.)

year unknown - a devil (cliched, yes, but it was elementary school). the embarassing thing was my mom wouldn't spring for a real pitchfork, so she helped me make one with a dowel and construction paper. it was awful. the kids at school that day with "real" manufactured plastic pitchforks put me to shame.

2000 - Pearl Jam vocalist, Eddie Vedder. I pulled off the look well, with "grunge" clothes, mine specifically being a sweaty Italian t-shirt and unbuttoned plaid shirt. I also had a plastic microphone. And I nailed the voluptuous singing voice of Vedder himself as well.

2001 - Hugh Hefner, Playboy mogul. I got the perfect robe at Wal-Mart, some gray hair paint, and a stogie. And Ron's girlfriend, now fiancee, was one of my Bunnies. It turned out well for a "last-second" costume (I think I started figuring it out on the 29th or so).

2002 - Nathan Schutte, architectural student/douchebag. Oh, did I loathe that man. And I nailed his look too. If only I had driven a motorcycle to the party. I borrowed the newsie, old-man hat from Brad. I had the shades. I had the black jeans and the sweater vest. BOOM! What an excellent tribute to the man I despised so dearly. (I'm a modest man, not really one to desire to be in the spotlight, but I remember Bill Miller gave me the "best in show" award for Halloween costumes that one day in class. I was proud that my effort was recognized.) Also, I brought a Smurf to the party. Aren’t I a stud?
A Schutte aside: I still recall the first incident that set me off and birthed my dislike for Nathan Schutte. It was a second year mid-crit for McNamara. Schutte comes strutting in out of nowhere in the middle of my crit, donning his fancy boy hat. Of course, he’s his douchey self on this day. “UH, if you think that section is gonna work, then give me some of what you’re smoking, because it must be good.” Fuck you. Don’t worry about what I smoke, either. What a jackass.

2003 – Mr. Fred Rogers, may he rest in peace. I had my grandpa’s old cashmere sweater. I wore the old shirt and tie, and I think I changed my shoes when I got to Ron’s. Man, I loved that show.

2004 – Napoleon Dynamite. And, you know what? I was Napoleon before half the people in the world knew who he was. It was before the movie became huge. It was popular at the time, but not HUGE. Not everyone even knew who I was. I had the hair at the time, so I went with it. I bought the cool snow boots too. Still have them and wear them when appropriate. At the football game the next day, some cock yelled, “Fuck Pedro, the Red Sox’s fucking suck!” (I had the “Vote for Pedro” shirt on.) Not Pedro Martinez, you idiot. What a dolt. If I weren’t alone and the dude wasn’t a meathead oaf who was drunk off his ass, AND I was confrontational at all, I would have kicked his ASS. I miss that hair now…

Good times indeed. What’s your favorite costumes from years passed? Share a few. Be a friend. Have a good Halloween if I don’t see you.

mortgages and a lack of respect

Last night, Gretchen and I met with Brian Brockman. He’s what you or I would call a “mortgage consultant.” We met with him since we know little to nothing about mortgages, homeownership, and financial aspects of buying a home in general. He is a nice guy, and the liaison was informative. Gretchen’s uncle is a part-time realtor at the same office, and he has been quite helpful in the early stages of our home search.

Afterwards, we headed to IHOP for a pleasant breakfast/dinner. At least, we were hoping it would be pleasant. I’m not an old coot, but I was a bit disappointed when we were seated (the restaurant is half-full, roughly) in the booth directly next to the bathrooms. There were several other tables, but still, I looked past that. I’m pretty go-with-the-flow. After waiting a few minutes to be served, the waiter apologized, and was quite prompt from there on out.

Yet, that wasn’t the main issue at hand. For the first five or ten minutes of our visit, there was a party finishing their meal two booths away (thank God for every other patron in the place that they would soon be finished). It appeared to be two mothers and three children, though I don’t know whose was who (I never am sure whether to use “whose” or “who’s.” Hi ho.) I was quickly enraged and dumbfounded by the way the two mother figures focused on their conversation and completely disregarded the kids’ behavior. I don’t believe I can recall all of the examples of the kids’ ridiculous and maniacal behavior. There was running around, yelling and screaming, playing with the “wet floor” sign and coffee carafes sitting on adjacent tables, a fight between two of, slapping the manager on the ass quite firmly, grabbing the crotch of our waiter, and the list goes on. On maybe four of the countless occasions where the kids were worthy of a spanking or slap upside the head, the moms attempted to say “stop it” or “sit down.” And back to their conversation. Did the kids stop it or sit down? I’ll give you three guesses and the first two don’t count.

It’s little shit like this that really ticks me off. It’s a lack of respect. It’s a lack of respect for every single one of their fellow customers at IHOP. They might as well have squatted upon every single one of our tables and relieved themselves in one form or another. It’s roughly equivalent. Just because you two women have grown accustomed to ignoring the incessant, psychotic ramblings and spastic behavior of your ugly children doesn’t mean anyone else has. Get a clue.

In the end, they left soon after we received our drinks. Silence and peace had returned. We enjoyed our meal. I went with the international omelet (if I recall it has ham, peppers, onions, and salsa) and three pancakes. It did hit the spot. Gretchen chose the blueberry pancakes with two eggs and bacon strips. She enjoyed as well, if I recall correctly.

It shall be busy the rest of the week. Activities include: carving three pumpkins, making my costume for Halloween (classified information at this time), writing five thank-you notes, making four phone calls, jogging, and preparing for the party on Saturday evening. Now, it’s work time. Good day.

working man

I've been putting in 9 hour days this week (7 to 5), so I can take a half-day Friday and head back to STL to see my younger brother play football, among other things. It should be a pleasant weekend, getting back to see some friends and family. Waking up hasn't been too hard, but I'm not really an early bird, so it's not my favorite thing to do either.

The Cardinals game Monday night was awesome. I didn't expect that we had a chance, but Albert Pujols saved the day. That was a moment to remember. Still, the Cardinals have to win tonight and tomorrow night to head to the World Series, and that will be no small task.

Other than that, nothing too exciting to report. I bought Dirty Work on DVD. Great movie, if you like stupid, vulgar comedy. Which I do enjoy on occasion. Don't we all? Well, probably not, but still, I recommend this movie.

Have a good hump day.

Muhammad Ali

"So who were those faggots?"

- Muhammed Ali, on meeting the Beatles and posing for photos with them in the early 1960s.

blog you very much

What's new these days? A couple things matter at this point.

For one, the St. Louis Cardinals are in the baseball playoffs and up one to nothing in the series. BOOM. I think they can win the World Series, but it will not be an easy road; there are several good teams in the playoffs this year. Let's just hope the Cardinals bats don't die in the World Series like they did last year.

TV is taking up more of my time this new season. There are a couple of good, well, I hesitate to use the word "sitcom," because I don't think any of them really are. I'll just say a couple of good comedy shows on. They come in pairs. On Monday nights on FOX, are Arrested Development at 7 PM CST, and Kitchen Confidential right after that. They both just have this unique visual and comedic style, and it's the type of humor that I enjoy. I can't quite put a name on it, but I know I like it.

And, on Tuesday evenings, at 8 PM CST, is My Name is Earl, which came off looking bad in the previews and commercials, but in actuality is a really good show. I'd say I recommend it more than any of the other shows I'm enjoying currently. After that is the Office at 8:30, which I say takes a watching or two to get used to, but it really is subtly hilarious. Working in an office helps to understand the humor as well (but I sat back and thought, who doesn't work in an office? not that people don't, but honestly the first ten folks I thought of worked in an office. so don't refute my claim if you take it literally) Last night's episode was especially good. The boss was gone, so they came up with the first interoffice Olympiad. And they gave out medals made of paper clips and yogurt lids. In the end, just try these shows. I love them. You may not. But please, wet your feet a bit.

And, in the more serious realm, Gretchen and I are doing a little house browsing. It's early, since our lease on the townhouse isn't up til June, but it's good to get a head start. The reality of it all has not freaked me out just yet. It's probably my after-work ritual of a beer, listening to Blind Melon and Ween, and playing some online Scrabble that keeps me sane.

It's starting to get rather cool. Remember your jacket next time you go out.

RPS-25

We're all familiar with the classic game, Rock Paper Scissors.

A certain individual has had enough free time to expand on the principle of this game, and create larger iterations of it.

He had come up with an RPS-15, which meant there were fifteen options to play in the game. For each one, it could beat 7 of the others and lose to 7 of the others.

Now, he has come up with an RPS-25, which has twenty-five different plays. Ridiculous. He explains it more on his website. It's pathetic, intriguing, and impressive all at the same time (especially the graphic he created explaining each possible outcome.)

http://www.umop.com/rps25.htm

I tried to insert this as a link and it didn't show up. It pissed me off.

Whoa. Deep.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

birthday gone by

Yesterday was my 22nd birthday. It was just another day really. I had a pleasant weekend, which included a K-State football game on Saturday and a visit to Wichita through Sunday. Gretchen and I had a few nice meals; I opened some presents (a Nintendo Gamecube and a Michael Graves’ Scrabble set among others).

Then, on Monday, my official b-day, it was another day at work, Yet, that was followed by an enjoyable get-together that evening. Aaron had some people over for the Chiefs football game, and when he found out it would coincide with my birthday, he promptly changed it to a football/birthday party. Pizza Hut and Michelob Light ruled the evening, as Brad and Bekka came over to help us celebrate. There was some domination in Catchphrase before the night was over. In the end, a successful birthday indeed.

Tonight, it’s back to reality. After work, I’ll have to take care of some necessities in life, including setting up a dentist’s appointment, doing laundry, checking the oil in my car, and cleaning my room. Another important task, for Aaron and I both, is to help finish the “torpedo” of Michelob Light that we picked up last night. With poor help from the football fans (only Aaron, Brad, and I helped to tackle the torpedo last night, no pun intended), Aaron and I have to noble task of finishing it off this evening. And it shall be done.

In other news, the baseball season is really exciting right now. There are only two teams guaranteed playoffs spots right now, with roughly six games to play. Four teams in the hunt play each other the final weekend. Basically, it will be a playoff series to get into the playoffs. That’s good stuff. Still, in the end, the Cardinals will final win a World Series that’s been due to them (23 years, I think; that’s older than I am). Go Cards.

Secondly, I’m in no position to chastise people for lack of blog entries (I went through a spurt where I didn’t blog for weeks), but I have a listen of friends who have blogs that I check upon frequently, and some of those have been sitting a long time without a new entry. I understand a busy schedule, or a feeling of apathy, or writer’s block too, I just thought I’d give a bit motivation, in hopes that maybe that’s just what you needed to get writing again. Feel free to mock and belittle me, if that would help spark some of your creative juices.

And in the end, you probably wonder why I’m blogging at this hour of the morning (obviously I’m at work). Well, after my boss and I had a chat last Friday, saying I should be “aggressive” when it comes to pursuing work (from others in the office), since that’s the position I’m in currently. I’m still learning, and will be for a while I’m sure. I was accepting tasks from Bob Gregory, the piping operations manager, but David seemingly was giving me the green light to go pursue work from Gene, sheet metal operations manager, and Steve, loft project manager. Yet, currently, I’m in a lull, simply because they are all absent at this moment. So, I can drum up some work to occupy myself after this writing, and I will do my best to be “aggressive,” as David said (though David can be a smooth-talking motivator type). I think once I start estimating, meaning doing takeoff on a drawing with the cool digitizer board and pen, I will start fitting better into the company. Patience is key. I think it takes anywhere from three to six months to get situated in any particular work atmosphere. And we’ll see how it goes. I’m just going to soak up all the mechanical contracting I can and take it from there.

interesting developments

At the risk of becoming a one-topic blog, I must again mention Ween. This shall be the last for a while, I promise.

Anyway, I was excited about the Ween show coming up in Lawrence on 11/29/05. I knew tickets were first on sale this past Saturday at 10 AM. I ended up trying to buy once Sunday around noon at the K-state bookstore (I was in Manhattan for the weekend), but the young lady didn't know how to connect to the Ticketmaster server. No worries yet. After returning to Kansas City that night, i tried again to order tickets, this time online. My credit card was rejected for no good reason. Four times. (I have no current balance, and as far as I know, it hasn't been stolen). This led into a vexing Monday, where I tried once by phone and again by internet. This time the response was far more dire. It seemed the tickets sold out. I was completely bummed. All because of various obstacles (none of which was my negligence to attempt to buy tickets), I was now planning on not attending that Lawrence show.

Monday night, I decided that, well, Omaha isn't that far. Ween is having a show in Omaha, Nebraska on Tuesday evening. A lot of driving for one show, and what is sure to be a drag-ass Wednesday morning, after getting back at probably 2 or 3 AM, but we should all ask ourselves "would I drive six hours round-trip in night to see [insert your favorite band here]?" I answered yes, and ordered tickets for Gretchen and myself. (As an aside, and a bit of trivia, back in May 2003, Gretchen and I traveled to Columbia, MO for a Ween show, round trip about 8 hours. Of course, we could sleep in the next day, classes be damned. As a bonus bit of trivia, Dan Typaldos was planning on attending this concert with us, yet due to a late night in studio, found his car to be wearing a "boot," and for reasons I still don't fully understand, decided to pass on the concert opportunity).

The interesting development occurred today. I had a little downtime at work (much like at this moment) and thought, "what the hey, I'll check Ticketmaster online for the Lawrence show." Sure enough, like Murphy's Law come to life, tickets were aplenty. Well, non-refundable means non-refundable, so Gretchen and I are going to Omaha. But, then I pondered, while growing slightly ecstatic at the thought, TWO Ween shows in TWO nights? What a concept.

The one catch to the plan, and I feared it, was Gretchen herself. She enjoys Ween to an extent, but if I had to guess, I would equate her love for Ween (my favorite band) to my love for fondue (one of her favorite foods). I like it every once in awhile, but I wouldn't want it every night. Same for her and Ween, I would guess. Yet, at lunch today, I offered up to her an "exciting proposition." She was not enthralled initially at the idea, but as she saw the joy in my eyes....she reluctantly said, "whatever you want to do." What a woman! For me, she will endure 6 combined hours of live music (even though their live show rules) and 7 combined hours of driving (along with probably 5 or 6 hours of sacrificed sleep), just so I can enjoy my favorite band. That is a sacrifice much appreciated.

And as for me, BOOM! Two Ween shows. I'm psyched, needless to say. Yes, a little pricey for the four tickets total, but I at least find it to be money well-spent.

the wisdom of Ween

I talk about several topics frequently, including Scrabble and Ween, my favorite band. I do this because they are awesome.

I just wanted to post a few quotes from a couple interviews I read recently. It’s further proof why I think they’re badasses, musically and socially.

“You really have to search, if you're a teenager, for real music, 'cause you're not gonna get it on the radio. . . It's shit. A lot of these rock acts are made over to be aggressive-looking, like Limp Bizkit with their tattoos, but it's no different from Christina Aguilera. Johnny Rotten wouldn't piss on these guys if they were on fire." – Dean Ween

“When we write music now, it's not like we have to be doing drugs or anything. Now, we do more insidious drugs. It's just like pills and booze.” – Gene Ween

“I mean, our music generally appeals to children and retarded people, and I'm into that. In a way, we've been making children's records for years.” – Gene Ween

Everyone have a nice weekend. I’m heading to K-State to meet some friends for the weekend. And have a brew or two. Maybe play some badminton.

revisiting the Europe trip

Europe was fun. A few photos to bring back some memories.


man, did i love this look


fine name for a hotel, wouldn't you say?


brushing up on my botany


the bone church in kutna hora, czech republic. no, really, it's decorated with human bones. commence freaking out.

good times, indeed.

shared interests

A quick spurt of blog before I charge into the workday.

I’m currently reading a biography about Jimi Hendrix, the famous musician and badass. It’s a slightly depressing story, at least at this point, where his success and happiness has been replaced by hangers-on taking his money and legal battles involving his manager and even a court case involved drugs that were found in his luggage at an airport (twice, both supposedly planted by random “fans”). It is interesting to find out sides of a story that you haven’t heard before though.

Something I read last night, though, piqued my interest thoroughly. The line in the book said “his myriad interests included science fiction, art, history, politics, football, chess, and any board game that called for quick thinking. A lot went on in his head.”

I immediately got excited after reading this. “Any board game that called for quick thinking” definitely could refer to my favorite board game, Scrabble! So, basically, we could assume Jimi Hendrix enjoyed and played Scrabble. Just like me.

Also, I found out my younger brother has the same birthday as Hendrix did. Small world.

damn it, lost the post

Damn it.

I just wrote a post for a whole fifteen minutes, went to preview, tried to come back, and fucking lost the whole thing. That peeves me. It was quite riveting. I spoke of beer, people who are in their sixth year of college, board games, online Scrabble, visiting the guitar store this weekend, and how I had sardines for lunch (and am trying to eat vegetarian for a while, to try to lose a little weight, since it worked for my friend Dirty Dave. and i'll exercise too.)

All I can do now is offer you this:



Ken Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang.

debauchery and domination

It was a good Labor Day weekend. And there's nothing like a short workweek to come back to.

Gretchen and I drove to St. Louis Friday after work. There were the requisite backups in Kansas City, mainly at the exits where people were heading down to the lake for the holiday weekend. After penetrating those clogs, we were plugging along.

Our first task was to pick up my brother Anthony, and his girlfriend Stacy(i?)(ie?), and friend Scott from the Chaminade football game. Prior to that, though, Gretchen and I had a chance to stop for a late dinner (we did snack on Bugles, pretzels, and Kit Kats in the car fortunately). Of course, we chose to go to DEL TACO, the finest fast-food mexican in the land, and only seven minutes from Chaminade. I indulged in two chicken soft tacos (with the heavenly secret sauce), and an order of deluxe chili cheddar fries (mmmmm, fries, chili, cheese, tomatoes, onions). Gretchen went with a cheese quesadilla and a carne asada lime salsa taco, or something like that. Like a classic Del Taco run should be, it took an excessively long time to get the order, and it was greasy to the point of feeling wet after you finish eating. But, that's what makes it so wonderful.

We then drove on over to Chaminade and caught the last two minutes of the game. They lost to Sumner, 23-17 (I think). Anthony was nowhere to be found, so we called a cell phone they had to track them down. Finally, they appear out of a dark corner, obviously doing something they shouldn't have been doing. As we walk to the car, the kids (at least, kids relative to my age) were loud and obnoxious, as teenagers usually are.

Gretchen, being the more observant one than I (at least it was demonstrated in this instance), noted a certain, bum-like smell coming from their general direction. No, not nasty B.O., but more like cheap booze. Yes, in this blog, is my first accusation towards Anthony and said confidants of underage drinking. You heard me, Anthony. (He is one of my faithful readers.) You may have thought you could pull one over on me, but you weren't banking on Gretchen, with her acute senses of sight and smell. (I have excellent hearing, at least I say I do.) So, we trucked these drunken sots home. Dropped Scott off at his house, ran home to our house to grab Stacy's stuff, and then dropped her off. In the end, quite an evening. I don't condone your substance abuse, Anthony. It's a foul habit. Keep it up, and you'll end up like John Iffrig. That should be warning enough.

After the night of delinquency, the weekend took a pleasant turn. Saturday morning, the family took a trip to the St. Louis Zoo. Nothing wrong with a day at the zoo, checking out the carmine bee-eaters (badass sounding, but really just these little birds) and the penguins. Penguins rules, if you didn't know. St. Louis has one of the few penguin exhibits in the US (I think, though I did just make that up. It seems like a relatively rare exhibit, that's all.) The ones who really enjoyed the trip and picnic lunch were Emma, my 5-year-old niece, and Olivia, 2, my niece and goddaughter.

In the afternoon, I had a chance to own Anthony in NFL 2k5 football, beating him 27-17. Following the trend, Patrick, my older brother, called me and challenged me to some racquetball (this had been a war of words for many years; finally, a showdown would take place). We went to his YMCA, I signed in as guest, and away we went. The trend I referred to was TOTAL DOMINATION. I'm a humble winner, don't get me wrong, especially when I could tell Patrick was off his r-ball game. (He's also the type who gets PEEVED when he's playing poor. The expletives bounced off the walls much like the ball itself.) I beat him in five games, 15-10, 15-0, 15-2, 15-9, 15-6. Yet, we had fun, and I could tell he has the skills to challenge me the next time we play.

Later that night, Gretchen and I joined up with some of my friends from high school. We hung out in their new loft (though the air conditioning was broke; the word SCORCHING was never so appropriate). A few beers and hands of Speed Uno later, we called it a night.

Sunday was church, followed by another sporting competition. This time, it was golf with my Aunt Beth (aka Aunt Annika) and Patrick. It wasn't as hot as I thought it would be, and I hadn't played 18 holes in awhile, but I BLEW. 66 on the front, 68 on the back nine. A pitiful 134. I putted awfully. Aunt Beth won, based on low score, but we also played this game called "Bingo, Bango, Bongo" while keeps track of first on the green, closest to pin, and first in the hole. It's a way to have fun competition even if, skill-wise, the players aren't that well-matched. In the end, golf is frustrating, but occasionally fun. First place: Aunt Beth. Second: Patrick. Then me. Life goes on. (I'm not as competitive as you think.)

Saturday night was some bowling with Ron and Patty way up in Norco. It was expensive, but the lounge seating was sweet. Lucky Strike Lanes. Check it out.


And Monday, there was the traditional barbecue, though young man Anthony Lagasse manned the grill. He's got potential, that's for sure. Burgers and brats, along with AB's (Aunt Beth's nickname) potato salad and some greeen casserole, made for a good meal. I was stuffed to say the least. After that, we said our goodbyes and cruised on back to KC. The drive was uneventful. Nothing wrong with that. Though it was spiced up by the ultra-conservative talk show host Michael Savage. I enjoy listening to him, and though I consider myself conservative, he is over-the-top on a lot of issues. It's still worth a laugh to listen to, though. I'm sure you liberals, or "red diaper doper babies" as Savage says, would enjoy hearing what he has to say.


And now, back to the short workweek. I can already smell Friday.

weekend

Labor Day weekend! A day off of work. Ever since I started working, I have learned to appreciate the weekend, that's for sure. The weekend is as delicious as a frothy, piping-hot crab bisque on a cold winter's day.

I'm going to St. Louis for the weekend to see the family. Various activities include: going to the zoo with nieces, playing some golf, playing some racquetball, playing some video games, eating, possibly playing some Home Run Derby, relaxing, and napping.

And I'm getting ready to leave work. (Fridays are bad enough, motivation-wise, but the Friday before Labor Day weekend? That's, like, negative motivation.)

Have a good three-day weekend.

Jimi

I thought I'd regale you for a moment (especially because I wanted to use the word "regale") while I speak about the long-donged Jimi Hendrix.

I have been listening to the one record of his that I have at this moment, Are You Experienced?, though I do plan on asking for some of his other discs for the b-day and Christmas. And the album is scorchin'. I enjoy the guitar work in music more than any other aspect (though vocals usually have the "main stage" in a song if you will). And Jimi Hendrix was one of the best guitar players. Ever. And he played left-handed. So, he might be another inspiration if I decide to take up the axe. (He was so badass he played a right-handed guitar left-handed.)

He died young at 27, of a barbiturate overdose, I believe. It will have been 35 years ago on September 18.

I don't know; I'm not really philosophical in any way, but I find him to be an icon. To me, his music had such a distinct sound. Yes, you could put your finger on the era, but I don't think The Jimi Hendrix Experience sounded like anyone else then or now.

One of my favorite musicians, and badasses, Jimi Hendrix. (Trivia note: the last house I lived in, we had neighbors up the street who had two daughters, Lana and Jimi. And she had to have been named after him. Trust me, if you had see these flower children, you would agree.)

this just in - Ween

This morning, I checked the Ween website, like I have been religiously for the past several weeks, awaiting the announcement for more tour dates.

And then, I see this:

Monday, November 28
Granada Theater
1020 Massachusetts St.
Lawrence, KS 66047
9pm show, 18+
Tickets go on sale September 17 thru www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 816-931-3330


This might not mean much to you, but it means everything to me. At a venue only a half an hour away, in roughly 3 months time, I will get to see my favorite band perform for three sweet, sweet hours. Redemption for the Lawrence show that was cancelled in November 2004.

These dudes fucking rock. Man, it's going to be great. Let me know if you want to go.

Pulp Fiction and playing the guitar

I enjoy the movie Pulp Fiction. It just has a coolness about it, for lack of a better term, though coolness is an actual word, and it is a playable Scrabble word as well. Then, I was on www.imdb.com checking out more things about Pulp Fiction and it has these trivia and goofs sections. They are very interesting as well. It makes me want to go back and watch the movie again (not that I didn't want to already), since now I know things like the bullet holes in the apartment wall are already there prior to the crazy kid coming out of the bathroom with his gun blazing. And so on. Check out: A) the movie if you haven't seen it, and/or B) all the various "goofs" listed on the internet. I'm sure it was picked out by nerds who watched the movie over and over, frame by frame, but for their efforts, I shall reap the benefits.

And the real question is, should I learn to play the guitar? It is quite an undertaking (the decision to play left or right-handed alone is a difficult decision, since most guitars are right-handed but i'm left-handed, but i'm sure instructional books and things of that nature are geared towards right-handers. yet, i've always air-guitared left-handed. vexing indeed.) I didn't fare well attempting to learn the harmonica, an assumably easier task, so this will take some pondering. And a guitar isn't cheap, either. You can't just stick that guitar in the drawer after spending 10 bucks and forget about it like the mouth harp.

The reason for learning would be to play famous songs I know, definitely not to write my own music. Ween is the music that I want to know how to play the most; of course, Dean Ween is one of the most badass players in the land, so learning the songs he can play is probably harder to the Nth degree. It was just a thought. I'll see how bad the yearning gets.

Well, now, I shall pick out new CDs to bring in to work to listen to (since the radio reception in our metal shed building sucks the big D). It's a 24-CD book, so I must choose wisely from the 275 CDs I currently possess. So far, those who have made the cut include: Ween, Clutch, Flaming Lips, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Big Star, and Neil Young.

Man, I haven't written this much in a long while. My wrists are hurting. But for my (four) faithful readers (if that), I'll do anything.

are you a buff?

I consider myself to be a "buff" of a few things. Do you?

A buff is a synonym for fan or enthusiast of a particular topic.

To be specific, I consider myself to be a buff of baseball, astronomy, and Scrabble.

Until next time,

www.civilwarbuff.org

bratwurst

I won't lie. I love bratwurst. I had it for dinner last night. And soon, I will go home and have it for lunch. It's bursting with flavor. It is amazing. My mouth literally is watering as I type this.

I might even like them more than hamburgers and steak. No lying.

Check out this badass vehicle. I think it puts the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile to shame. I think it would be awesome for a monster tailgate at a K-state game.

http://www.johnsonville.com/siteconf.nsf/Lkp/about-l2-bigtaste.html

no one at work, so I'm doing this

Everyone has for the most part gone home at my office already.

I'm leaving at 4 (normally I leave at 4:30), but I came in early at 7 this morning for a meeting at 8 (which was actually at 8:30), but nonetheless. You can't be motivated on a Friday, unless there is a dire urgency for you to get certain things done. Nothing's pressing at this point.

Work's been good. I'm learning as I go. It's a little bit of everything. Some paper-pushing, phone calls left and right, digging up info to answer a question, meetings now and again.

I'm doing project management stuff right now, and it's decent. I look forward to working more on estimating on projects. There's more coloring involved, and you get to use a digitizer. But it's going well. And the paychecks are quite nice.

Just getting used to the real world.


Play this game. It's intense.

http://www.hurtwood.demon.co.uk/Fun/copter.swf

SCRABBLE

I will not lie. I adore the game of Scrabble. I was once a "vocabmaster" in my day (I don't believe that was self-proclaimed either, to your chagrin I'm sure), so this love for the deemed "crossword board game" is understandable.

Recently, I've been playing online (an excellent site is www.isc.ro, where you can download the program and play with others, free) and reading up on tips and strategy. I've even been reading some competitive Scrabble player biographies. They are riveting.

I can't totally explain what makes it so great. Yes, it's word-related, so that's one reason. Two, I love the sheer impossibility of two games being exactly alike. Unless people try it, and even then it will be an undeniably vexing task, there will never be two exact Scrabble boards seen by ANYONE in their entire life. Amazing, no?

I'm sure there will be many other blog entries on Scrabble, but for now I'll leave you on the edge of your seat.

Kansas City and scrabble

Just recently, Barrett reminded me of my neglected weblog page. I was surprised I had dedicated readers (at least one anyway) who noticed I wasn't keeping up. So, after totally forgetting about it, I'll do my best to keep posting.

I'm officially a resident of Kansas City. Well, Overland Park, to be more specific. But just like I live in Fenton, a suburb of St. Louis, the similar situation applies. It's a nice area, with everything convenient, though traffic can be rather vexing and the area as a who is a bit boring and lacking "personality" in a way. Since it's all very new, it's a lot of house after house situated on zero acre lots and not much variation in the way of buildings and streets. But it's nice.

The drivers really are terrible. Man, it's awful. On that note, I will soon have my Kansas driver's license. From the preview, it actually looks like I might have a decent picture. My prior license pics look like disheveled orphan and a serial flasher wearing lipstick, respectively. This one, at this point, has no derisive description as of yet.

So, as I get used to becoming a Kansas Citian (is that right?), I will soon become more familiar with the athletic luxuries this area has to offer. Namely, I need to scope out places to play: racquetball, softball, indoor soccer, and badminton, among other sports. And, I need to get my library card. I like libraries.

Until next time, good day.

no more studio

I have just completed my final studio project ever. I have a couple of loose ends to tie up, but my schoolwork load has just gotten a lot lighter.

Things left on the agenda:

have several beers
take two exams
write graduation speech
play sports (probably basketball and badminton specifically)
graduate

The real world is getting closer and closer. Lord help us all.



This is the website for the World Footbag Association, an excellent site: www.worldfootbag.com

job is found

Today, I met the president and vice-president of Environmental Mechanical, Inc. for lunch today. We met in Lawrence, Kansas at the Free State Brewery. The turkey sandwich with Swiss and cream cheeses (a nice touch) was quite tasty.

We discussed my possible employment. They said they like to "move fast with these things." So, they asked me to wait outside while they spoke about the future.

After five minutes, they came out. It was like await the verdict to my trial.
If I recall, Tom, the president, said, "Here's what were going to do. We're going to e-mail you an offer on Monday. 36,000. 1,500 for movie expenses."

I am a happy man. I plan on accepting this job. I will move to Kansas City to enter the real world. Gretchen is happy, as she is close to acquiring a job there. My family is not in the greatest of spirits, slightly perturbed that I won't be moving back home like originally planned. They're playing the old, "I don't want you to sell yourself short," and, "don't put all your eggs in one basket" routines. (They say this because I am taking the first real offer I received. I do feel poorly about that, but I need to do what is best for my future and career. The money is good to start, and before this, I hadn't gotten my foot in the door at all at any of the construction or contracting companies I contacted (at least 8 or 9).

And, it's only 3 hours from Wichita and St. Louis, and 2 from Manhattan. So, its location is also a plus.

The real life will soon begin.

Strange, eh?

www.environmentalmech.com

Dean Ween and his Olive Garden critique

I bow to Dean Ween today, and his tirade against Olive Garden.

"As an Italian-American nothing offends me more than the commercials on tv for the Olive Garden. You ever eat there? What a bunch of dogshit. The food sucks and a real Italian wouldn't be caught dead ordering "the never ending spaghetti bowl" even if it were free. The food is devoid of any real flavor whatsoever and only the whitest motherfucker could possibly be tricked into believing that they're experiencing anything "authentic". The commercials usually show you some typical looking Italian family with Brooklyn accents bonding over the free breadsticks at the Olive Garden but that's just not where it's at. The Olive Garden can suck my New Jersey dick."

Well-spoken, Dean. Well-spoken.

- excerpted from www.ween.com, the Waste section

haven't blogged in a while

I haven't blogged in a while, so I thought I'd catch up on things.

I now have a WaterPik, so I can fiercely wash out old food chunks from my wisdom tooth sockets.

I just saw Sin City. Very cool-looking movie. Unnecessarily violent, but I'm not complaining about that. Dialogue is lacking (probably because it is adapted from a comic book). Overall, awesome movie, if only for the sweet cinematography.

The Association is an unbelievable band. Underrated band from the 60's. Check them out. "Cherish" rocks.

Badminton, as I always state, is an amazing sport.

www.fark.com

day of reckoning...for my wisdom teeth

Yes, today is the day. My first surgical procedure.

I've heard it's no big thing. I'm sure it isn't. But there's always that slight apprehension of the unknown.

Yet, that's what the Valium is for. So I at least have that to look forward to.

A lot of people are questioning the method by which I will be having surgery. Specifically, taking valium and then use of a local anesthetic. Others I have talked to say that would rather be "knocked out," which is another common way of tranquilizing the patient. I'm not worried that much in the end.

As long as I can eat solid food again by Easter, and maybe shoot some hoops on Sunday, if I'm feeling up to it, I'll be a happy man.

Next time I write, I will be a different man. Four teeth lighter.

the job search

Well, reality is setting in. The job search is on. College is almost over.

I sent letters and resumes to nine construction firms last Friday. (Yeah, instead of the straight-up architecture firm courting, I thought I'd travel a different avenue, hopefully a less-traveled one by fellow soon-to-be architecture graduates).

I made some follow-up calls today. Most I either had to leave a message or they had not yet received my correspondence (I figured I had given enough time, but perhaps not). The best phone call was to Jacobs, where Theresa Czolgosz (which might top Postiglione if you ask me) said she had received my resume, and was sending it to the appropriate people. I was supposed to call her back on Monday. They are supposedly in need of "design people," so we'll see what happens.

Hitting the lottery and moving to Amsterdam is still my first choice, but I guess getting a job is a close second.

Until next time...

http://www.ween.com

st. pat's - race day

Ah, tomorrow. A day of bars opening early in the morning for the glorious celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

Also important is the Manhattan, Kansas, St. Pat's Day Race. The grisled veteran runner, Mike Postiglione, steps out onto the pavement once again. This time, it's a 10K that he's running (roughly 6 miles). He hasn't run an official race since the Linz Half-Marathon in Linz, Austria on April 18th, 2004. How will he fare? Only time will tell, as it will most probably be a battle of willpower and shin splints.

What motivates him? Specifically, the glory of crossing the finish line, the post-race barbecue in Triangle Park, and the celebration of St. Patrick's Day that shall follow.

Wish the running man good luck.

this square-movin' game

I am addicted to this new square-moving game. It takes a few turns to get accustomed to it, but after you do, prepare to waste some time.

Enjoy.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/orbox.html

Arrested Development

Arrested Development is the funniest sitcom I've seen on TV in a long time. I think it's just my kind of humor, and that is why I love it. It's very reminiscent of the movie The Royal Tenenbaums, with parallels being the dysfunctional family and the dry humor. Damn, I love it.

I highly recommend watching it on Sundays at 7:30 PM on Fox, or renting the first season, now out on DVD.

http://www.fox.com/arresteddev/

Good stuff.

beat to sh*t

My face has gotten scorched the past few weekends. Last Sunday, I was playing in our last intramural basketball game of the season (we lost 69-40, but it was one of our better efforts, I would say), and I proceeded to trip while running, sending me forward towards the ground. At that point, my lip met the heel of one of my opponent's shoes. Spurting and gushing blood was the result.

I went to the trainer's room and applied pressure, and the guy said I shouldn't need stitches. At this point in time, it now being one week later, and it still breaks open everyday, I have a notion to disagree with his initial diagnosis. I might go grab a few stitches in the next day or so.

The carnage has just begun though. Yesterday, while playing soccer with seven or so of my friends and eight to ten other players (some of the them being pretty damn good, which usually means a little too intense and serious), it was coming towards the end of the game when I came up to challenge this dude with the ball.

He juked me, a good move admittedly, but somehow managed to smack/punch me in the face as he passed by. While I'm sure it was accidental, if you hit someone with your hand, you can usually feel where you hit them. I received no inquiries about my health, nor apologies for the action. Again, accidental, but that still warrants some reciprocal action. Thanks a lot, fat guy.

So, once more, I got to savor the tasty and calming experience of blood gushing and pouring from my face. Twice in one week. Aren't I lucky? I used my now-retired white t-shirt to sop up the blood. So, it's slightly sore and a bit swollen, and I'll probably get it checked out when I go grab the few stitches that I need. Is it broken? I don't believe so, but damn it, Jim, I'm NOT a doctor, so who knows what's really going on?

I just need to address this issue of "non-competitive" sports. I think the operable prefix is "non." People need to remember it is just a game, I don't care what you're out to prove. That why our basketball team enjoyed practicing on Thursday more than playing on Sundays. The seriousness with which people played sucked the fun out of it when the time came.

But, I digress. I have to go blow more dark red mucous from my nose. (Soon, I'll post a picture of my t-shirt, aka battle fatigue.)

great clips

Got a haircut today. Went to Great Clips, mainly because I'm cheap, and not picky when it comes to my hair. She did an alright job.

I saw this dude in Great Clips. He was about 55 or 60. And he was reading Teen People. I was amused, that's for sure.

Good for crossword fans: www.oneacross.com

my blog

Aren't I hip? Now I can expel these scathing rants for the world to see, instead of pushing them deep down inside me. Any little thing that pisses me off, you'll hear about. So, enjoy.

And, I like Del Taco. www.deltaco.com