32 and life to go

WE'VE MOVED!!

2005-07-29T11:15:00.000-05:00

....................... to HERE

I've "moved" my blog to a new URL ... "andlife2go.blogspot.com" .... so I don't have to worry about what age I am, and how it doesn't match the title. I also used a new template and customized it quite a bit.

... I'm actually kind of sad, I have been using this blog for over a year now and have met some really cool people. Hopefully you will continue to read and visit at the new URL.

For those very few people who link to me (I think I count 3), please update your site link to my new URL at your earlier convenience.

Geek entry #2

2005-07-26T09:27:00.000-05:00

.. OK, well here I am again, scratching my head. Most of the few people who read this blog have done some really cool things to theirs. Many say they use Photoshop CS to make their graphics.

So, I say, OK, let's check this baby out. I goto Amazon.com, search for it, and yep, there it is. I look at the price. Rub my eyes. Look at the price again. Holy shit! Do all you folks really pay $599 for a piece of software?!?!

I'm sorry, I just can't do it. You can get a decent computer these days for that price. I can never justify paying $599 for some software, I don't care what it does. That's just insane.

I then noticed Corel Paint Shop Pro, for about $90. Most of the reviewers said it's about as good as Photoshop CS, but obviously lacks some features. But for $500 less, I don't think I'll miss those features.

So my question to you all is, have any of you used both Corel Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop CS? Is there really such a difference that it's worth $500 extra? And did you all really PAY $500+ for CS, or did you get a "copy" from a friend, did work pay for, etc?? Because unless the software also does my laundry and pays the bills, I'm going with Corel.

Parking Issues?

2005-07-21T14:53:00.000-05:00

... do you hate it when you're trying to find a spot in a crowded parking lot and you see, for example, a Corvette or a Porche parked diagonally taking up 2 or 3 spaces because they think their car is the shit? Or, when a large SUV squeezes in a compact only spot? Or, even still, when someone parks over the yellow line, making it impossible for you to get in or out of you car?

Let them know how you feel with a little sticker.

I may just order some.

10 Countries You'd Like To Visit

2005-07-19T09:07:00.000-05:00

from Yano's Ten on Tuesday...

10 Countries You'd Like To Visit (in order!)
1. Ireland
2. Australia / New Zealand
3. Denmark
4. Iceland (my cousin went there and her pictures are unreal)
5. Japan
6. Korea
7. Britain
8. Switzerland
9. Canada (specifically, Nova Scotia)
10. South Africa

What's in my CD Player?

2005-07-14T10:11:00.000-05:00

... OK, I decided to let you all know what is currently in my 6-CD player in my car. I'm not cheating, either. So even if I have a really cheesy or embarrassing CD in there right now, I shall admit it (although luckily, I don't).

CD 1: Coldplay - X&Y : It took a while for me to start liking this one. I still don't like all the songs, but most of them have grown on me. Favorite tracks are 4, 7, 10 and 11.
CD 2: Keane - Hope and Fears : I bought this album because of the singles "Somewhere Only We Know" and "This Is the Last Time". The rest of the album is OK; their slows songs, sans drums, are not very good, IMHO.
CD 3: REM - Life's Rich Pageant : One of my favorite REM albums, from way back in 1986. This is one of those discs I can listen from beginning to end without having to skip any songs. It also contains Michael Stipe's favorite REM song, "Fall On Me", which also is one of mine.
CD 4: Chemical Brothers - Galvanize : I really got into electronica back in the mid-90's, and bought of slew of discs back then of that type of genre. While most of the other groups have faded, I still thoroughly enjoy this group along with Crystal Method. Great CD, another one I can listen from beginning to end. They saved the best tracks for last - 10 & 11 are great.
CD 5: Snow Patrol - Final Straw : One of my favorite albums right now. Simply amazing. I've probably listened to it once a day since I bought it 6 months ago and it still hasn't gotten old. It's hard to describe their sound, but if you Coldplay and some acoustic rock, you'd probably like this album.
CD 6: Morrissey - Greatest Hits: A must have in a CD collection. "Hairdresser on Fire", c'mon does it get any better than that?

I must be in a "Europe" faze right now, because all of the above groups hail from across the Atlantic except REM.

Think Different

2005-07-07T15:03:00.000-05:00

Here's to the crazy ones.

The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers.
The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.
They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them.
But the only thing you can't do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
Because they push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world,
Are the ones who do.

.

30 Days

2005-07-07T09:23:00.000-05:00

...has anyone had the chance to catch 30 Days, a show on cable channel FX? It's a great show. I giggled in delight when I first saw an advertisment for the series. As an avid lover of the documentary Super Size Me, I knew the show would be fantastic. So far, the 2 episodes I have seen have been fantabulous.
In the first episode, the creator, Morgan Spurlock, and his wife try to live on minimum wage for 30 days. It's very sobering, sometimes humorous. The episode I just saw last night, they take a very Christian farm-boy from Michigan and makes him live with a gay man who just happens to live in the gayest neighborhood in San Francisco. It's an eye-opening experience for this farm-boy and I'm glad it at least opened his mind a bit. Hopefully it opened up some of the viewers minds, also.

Anyways, check the show out if you can. 9PM CST on Wednesdays on FX. And no, I wasn't paid to promote it. My fan-base isn't big enough yet to get paid for promoting.

Geek entry

2005-07-01T09:02:00.000-05:00

... ok, well it's not really geeky.. but this doesn't deal with much else than blog questions... so..

First off, I'm wondering why, for the (VERY) few people who have linked to my site, when my site is updated, how come it doesn't indicate so on your site? I noticed many of you out there have a feature on your "Links" list that indicates when someone's blog has been updated.

I'm also in the process of trying to customize this blog of mine. I can't STAND using "Hello" for pictures.. and I'm trying to understand this CSS stuff, Javascript, etc... you think being a CS major, with years of programming experience in UNIX/C/Java environment, that it would be easy! But I've having a bugger of a time..

Anyways...if you visit this blog of mine in the next few weeks, and notice the layout has changed but nothing works, it was because of me!

2005-06-27T12:22:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when you drink too much beer (mmmm Guinness!!) And no, this is not me!

2005-06-27T12:21:00.000-05:00

Downtown Milwaukee rocks

2005-06-27T12:20:00.000-05:00

War memorial in Milwaukee along the lakeshore

Travelin' Man

2005-06-23T09:24:00.000-05:00

...it seems this year I am traveling around this little country of ours quite a bit. Now now, I know you folks who fly for business will crush my number of trips, but that doesn't count. All these little trips were for family or pleasure.

In February of this year, we flew to Hawaii for a weeks' vacation. I flew to Philadelphia at the beginning of June for 4 days for a wedding. We are driving to Milwaukee this weekend for a weekend getaway (I love Chicago but we thought we'd try somethin' different). In July we are driving to Michigan for a few days' vacation. On Labor Day weekend I'm flying out to Pittsburgh with some friends from work to catch 3 Cubs games. At the end of September I'm flying to Vegas for a bachelor party. And finally (at least so far), I'm flying out to Baltimore for another wedding. (I have another wedding to go to in November, but thankfully that's in Chicago).

Nothing too spectacular, but I believe this is the most I've travelled in a long time. I used to travel for work and fly about 15 times a year, but those days have past (plus the locations sucked!).

Next year my goal is to actually go somewhere outside of this country (gasp!). (I've been to St. Lucia, but that doesn't really count). My family hosted 2 foreign exchange students during our high school years, and one is from Holland and the other in Australia. So I'm thinking we may try one of those 2 places. We shall see!

10 Things You Wish You Knew When You Were In High School

2005-06-14T08:43:00.000-05:00

from Ten on Tuesday!

Before I begin the list, let me say a few things about high school. Unlike alot of folks, it seems, I actually really enjoyed high school. Loved it, in fact. While it seems I was your typical high school "popular" guy (I was in golf, wrestling, and tennis, dated cheerleaders, etc..), that wasn't so much why I liked it. Even though we were in the heart of the Chicago suburbs, our high school was small.. only about 500 students total.. and we all got along. Very few "cliques" were around. The "burnouts" hung out with the cheerleaders, the "geeks" hung out with the "jocks". When someone threw a party, everyone was invited. For instance, I was also in concert and marching band. Which, it seems in most high schools, that was somewhat of a "geeky" thing to do. But alot of the football players, the cheerleaders, etc were also in concert band. I guess we just didn't care. I still stay in touch with about 15 or so friends from high school. We get together a couple of times a year. It was great.

Now, on with the list...

10 Things You Wish You Knew When You Were In High School

1. Pegging my jeans was a really bad fashion statement.
2. I should have pursued my dreams in music rather than do what was "safe".
3. That being short (I'm only 5'6") really doesn't matter that much.
4. Any problems I had in high school was trivial compared to what I face now.
5. Apparently I could have dated alot more girls if I just had the courage to ask.
6. There's alot more to the world than just the town I went to high school in.
7. The forest we used to hang out in would be cleared for a townhome development.
8. I wish I realized how much my parents cared about me.
9. How some people change for the worse.
10. Senior picture, not good: Thin tie, cardigan sweater, and hair parted down the middle.

Cheesesteak

2005-06-08T15:41:00.000-05:00

...well, off I am tomorrow for 4 days to Philadelphia, PA. My sister-in-law is getting married. I've never been to Philly, however we will only have a few free hours to explore, so I will see what I can do... unfortunately, probably not much. Friday thru Sunday is nothing but wedding business, since my wife is maid of honor.

So I won't be updating this thing til at least early next week... which seems to be the norm, anyways.

10 Favorite Things to Snack On

2005-06-01T08:58:00.000-05:00

Ten on Tuesday time!

Ten Favorite Things To Snack On
1. Jalapeno stuffed olives
2. Jalapeno Synder Pretzel Chunks
3. Baked Cheez Its
4. Salsa Verde Doritos
5. Dark Russet Potato Chips
6. Chips and any variation of hot salsa
7. Funyons
8. Pepperjack cheese squares
9. Garlic dill pickles
10. Popcorn with tobasco

As you can see, I like things spicy, not sweet.

Back to reality: Potpourri #3?

2005-05-31T15:34:00.000-05:00

...well, the nice 3 day weekend was a nice break from work and the everyday stresses of life. The only thing I really accomplished was mowing the lawn. Other than that, I just enjoyed the weekend.

On Saturday I met my mom at Stockholm's in Geneva, and enjoyed another terrific meal from them. I took a "growler" home (about a 40 ounce bottle of one of their microbrews) with me, sat on my back deck, and enjoyed... almost all of it. It's scary how a decent glass of cold beer goes down on a nice day. With the un-anticipated beer buzz on, next came the my craving for food. Trying to be somewhat healthy, we ordered vegetarian egg-foo young and veggie fried rice. After eating that my buzz was quickly soaked up by the fried goodies. Bedtime was rather early for a Saturday as Sunday was a big day.

Sunday was... my third Cubs game of the season. All the weather stations were calling for mid 60's temperatures (which translates to about mid 40's at Wrigley field), along with a 70% chance of afternoon storms. So we dressed/packed accordingly. I had a pair of jeans on, 2 tshirts and a long-sleeved shirt. I even brought a stocking cap. We also brought 2 ponchos along with. As we left I remarked to my wife that it felt alot warmer than mid 60, and this was at about 10AM. Needless to say the weathermen were completely off. Not only did it not rain, it must have been in the upper 60's at Wrigley, and I think Geneva got up to around 77. How do these weather bums still get paid when they're wrong 75% of the time? I gotta get me one of them jobs.

Cubs won (yea!), and post-game activities included going to Yak-zies, and then meeting up with some friends that own a relatively new townhouse in the River West neighborhood. We went to some bar there (can't remeber the name.. I think off of Milwaukee Ave) and ate some dinner and had some more beer. Around 10Pm I started to go down for the count. Not by over-drinking, but just from being out and about since 10AM. I think 12 hours is good enough, don't you? So we ended up leaving around 11, getting back just around midnight and literally fell into bed.

Monday included sleeping in, enjoying the nice weather, and getting some laundry done for the work week ahead.

Not the most exciting of weekends, but very relaxing, so no complaints here.

Life: stalled

2005-05-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

...There's so many things that I want to get done, whether it be for work or pleasure, that I haven't done yet. There are so many things to do, that almost everyday I come home from work, I think about it, get overwhelmed, and then do nothing.

It's not a fun "cycle" to be in, and I've been stuck in it for a while now. I'm not sure what my lack of motivation is? But regardless, I am writing it here: I am starting.

So some of the posts in the future may be a tad boring; I am going to use this blog now, not only to write down my observations and thoughts, but what I've accomplished also. I won't be offended if you "skim" past the posts about what I've done. I'll try to offset them with more entertaining observation/thoughts posts, and getting some more photos up here.

I haven't been updating this blog very often because my slow days at work are over. I used to do the majority of my blogging from work (like I am now; I have 15 minutes free before my next meeting). But now, I'll need to find some time at home to do this, too. And I shall.

So, to the few readers who check in to this place, thanks for sticking around, and I hope you enjoy "Life: Moving" more than what you've seen on here in the past.

10 on Tue: 10 Brand Names You Can't Live Without

2005-05-18T08:57:00.000-05:00

It's Ten on Tuesday on a Wednesday! (sorry, was busy yesterday!)

10 Brand Names You Can't Live Without

1. Diet Mountain Dew
2. Old Navy
3. Suave (I'm not cheap but I like their lotions!)
4. Dell (every computer I've bought is one)
5. Tide
6. Sony
7. Lever 2000
8. Ikea
9. Desert Pepper Company (fantastic spicy dips and salsas!)
10. Guinness (as in the beer, not the world record book)

Free is good.

2005-05-12T09:26:00.000-05:00

A free Frosty from Wendy's is even better.

Free Frosty May 13-15!

Thanks to Yano for pointing this out...

Ten On Tuesday: Plans for This Summer

2005-05-10T09:29:00.000-05:00

It's time for Ten on Tuesday!

10 Plans for This Summer

1. Go to Brookfield Zoo at least 3 times (we're members so why not?!)
2. Go to the city at least 5 times (Cubs games don't count!)
3. Buy furniture for our living room (can you say West Elm?)
4. Go to Arlington Horse Races at least twice.
5. Go to Great America (I haven't been there in at least 6 years!)
6. Go to Starved Rock at least once
7. Have a housewarming party (towards the end of summer)
8. Paint the upstairs bathroom and decorate and paint the two bedrooms.
9. Stain the deck (NOT going to be fun)
10. Explore the town I live in much more

Potpourri #4

2005-05-05T13:11:00.000-05:00

Whoops! It's been a week since my last post, but between work and home life, the past seven days have been a whirlwind. I don't know how all you busy people can still post almost daily on your blog! I must become more like you.

We cut our dogs nails over the weekend. Sounds like a small task, but he freaks out so much that we have to "mickey" him (ie, give him a sedative pill) before we can do it. We've tried several times to do it without one, but we end up cutting his nails way too close because he won't stop moving. Plus, he yelps so loud that the neighbors probably think we're torturing him. The sedative calms him down enough so I can get all his nails without much of a fight. The problem is, the sedative works for about 8 or so hours, so after we cut his nails he just wanders around the house like he's completely stoned. He can't even walk in a straight line.

I feel like a slug today. I had to skip my workout because silly me forgot my gym back at home. First time I've done that in like 6 years! Anyways, I had an extra set of socks, undies, shirt and shoes at the fitness center, but I still was missing shorts. I dug through the lost and found (don't worry, the stuff is washed first) to see if I could find a pair of shorts, just for one workout. Doesn't anyone wear mediums?! All I could find is L, XL, XXL, and XXXXXXL. I was at a fitness center, right?! I felt like I was looking through the McDonald's lost and found. So no workout for me.

My wife needs to learn to say "no". We now have 3, yes 3, newspapers thrown on our driveway every morning. One, the Chicago Tribune, is what I subscribe to and read as often as I can. The other two - the Daily Herald, and a local community newspaper, are both from "charitable" causes. I don't understand why these charities can't just take our money and not give us a newspaper! But I think part of the deal is increasing the newspapers' circulation. So, if anyone wants 2 extra newspapers in the morning, drive on by my house every morning. Just don't take my Tribune.

I Will Survive...

2005-04-28T08:33:00.000-05:00

...well, the layoffs in our area of the company occurred yesterday, and I made it through. Lost some good friends, though, to the hands of corporate greed. While I won't say what company I work for in this blog, if you look at the front page of the Chicago Tribune today, we are the top headline, and I knew 2 of the people in the picture...

I'm not sure if I am happy or not... I know I am relieved. I am definitely not stopping my search for another job, but at least I can do it now while I'm still employed. This place is only going to get worse, and I want to get out before it does...

On a brighter note, because I didn't get canned, I can begin my search for a baby grand piano. I have played guitar for about 15 years now, fairly good at it, but I want to expand my musical horizons and try to pick up piano. It won't be easy, I know. I had one when I grew up, but never took any lessons, and I think our cat slept on it more than any of us played it. Also, my brother-in-law may be putting his drums in our basement. I also already own a bass, so really all I need is 3 people to come over and "poof!", we have a band. Then, all I need is some groupies... hmmm.....

Ten On Tuesday: 10 Stupid Things You Did As A Kid

2005-04-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

Ten on Tuesday

...not in any particular stupid order...

1. Stole a Matchbox car from Osco
2. Lined a clothes basket with blankets, put my cat in it, and pushed him down the stairs (he never got hurt)
3. Made my sister run down the hall just so I could trip her
4. Shot my BB Gun through our screened in porch.
5. Hid in a closet so I could poopy my pants (or so I'm told)
6. Ruined most of my Matchbox car collection by crushing them in a vice
7. Flipped over my handlebars on my bike, resulting in 10 stitches in my chin
8. Would "run away" by making myself a sandwich, then hiding in the bushes in front of my house for a few hours.
9. Hit my cousin in the head with a golf club (it was an accident, but still not very smart).
10. Went to the ER to get my stomach pumped from drinking too much vodka (OK, I wasn't exactly a kid, but it's the stupidest thing I've done so I had to put it on here).

If Yano ever comes up with "10 Stupid Things You Did When You Were A Teenager", I'm in BIG trouble.

Pappadeaux

2005-04-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

OK, I've mentioned this restaurant a few times in this blog, as it is one of my favorite places to eat.

I've noticed that the most common search criteria that gets people to my blog is when they are searching for something about this restaurant.

It's partly my fault. Because, if you spell it correctly and do the search, my blog doesn't even come up (well, it may, but it's waaay down on the list). But since I've misspelled the restaurant's name in more than one way, my blog pops up first on the list because knucklehead me misspelled it, and so did the person searching for it. So hopefully this post clears things up.

It's NOT spelled Pappadaeux, or Pappadeux, or Pappaduaex. It's like the title says:
Pappadeaux

So if you stumbled upon my blog looking for the phone number or location or just a description of the place, please go here:

Pappadeaux Official Website

You'll find all you need to know about the restaurant there. Click on 'About Us' to get locations of the place.

There. I've done my good deed for the day.

Stupidity

2005-04-20T10:59:00.000-05:00

"Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds."
- Albert Einstein

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance."
- Will Durant

"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and say the opposite."
- Sam Levenson

Take me out to the ballgame....

2005-04-15T09:31:00.000-05:00

...well this week folks is a first for me. Not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4... yes 4 baseballs games I shall have attendeth this week.

The first two were kind of a fluke... I was unsure if I was going to the Cubs game this past Wednesday... it ended up I could... and it ended up to be a double header since the day before, the game got rained out. It was absolutely FREEZING at the ballpark. I've been to games before in April, so I thought I had come prepared, boy was I wrong. I had on 2 t-shirts, a long sleeved shirt, a jacket, and a stocking hat. The constant 15mph wind hitting us smack in the face pierced through my clothes with ease. Finally, around the 2nd inning, I had to break down and buy a big hooded sweatshirt, for the bargain basement price of $49. It was so cold, I didn't even want to take my hands out of my pockets to drink my beer. I only had 2 beers the first game... a new first for me, also.

After loyally sitting through the piercing, cold wind the first game, the second game began. After we saw Prior's pitching was in top shape, and the Cubs had taken an early 5-0 lead, we decided we couldn't take the cold any longer. We left the 2nd game in the 4th inning, walked briskly over to Yak-zies, and enjoyed some heat and hot wings, and watched the Cubs win the 2nd game on the TVs.

Tonight I am attending a White Sox game with a friend. I am a loyal Cub fan, but I am not a White Sox hater. I'm not like most Sox fans who walk around with their "Cubs Suck" t-shirts at every game. The way this city has been with sports, I'm happy if any Chicago team does good.

Then this Sunday is my 5th annual Dog Day at US Cellular Field (formerly Comiskey Park). It's alot of fun, it's a blast getting to walk around on the field, and it's hilarious when 500 dogs bark at the same time when a homerun is hit. Good times.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Favorite Foods

2005-04-12T09:06:00.000-05:00

.. I haven't done one of these in a while, and food is one of my favorite subjects, so I thought why not? From Yano's Ten on Tuesday:

Ten Favorite Foods
1. Blackened Cajun Halibut w/dirty rice at Pappadeaux
2. Italian Beef, dipped, w/hot peppers, at Al's Beef on Taylor St. in Chicago
3. Steak Burrito w/hot sauce, at El Burrito in Lisle
4. Bacon Cheesburger at Chili's
5. Egg Foo Young (from various Chinese restaurants)
6. Seafood Gumbo at Stockholm's in Geneva
7. Hot Dog w/onions and mustard at Wrigley Field
8. 911 Hot Wings from Hooters
9. Nachos with jalapenos at US Cellular Field
10. Seared tuna appetizer at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Chicago

Man, now I'm hungry and it's only 9:15AM!!

Post Secret

2005-04-05T21:51:00.000-05:00

... I found this website through browsing another blog:

Post Secret

I'll be the first to admit alot of them... most of them... are pretty creepy. But every now or then there are a few that made me smile, or at least think. This was my favorite one I saw, so far:

Good secret to know, eh?

Untitled I

2005-03-31T08:37:00.000-06:00

...yesterday wasn't the best day at work. Not because it was stressful or anything, but just because of the general atmosphere in the office... it stinks. The impending layoffs happening in the next couple of weeks has everyone in the "who gives a crap" mode. Almost everyone assumes they're getting laid off (well, with the exception of a few cocky fellows) and unfortunately, about 40% of them are right.

So anyways, I'm driving home from work yesterday, and to top off my glum mood, I'm driving home in the first thunderstorm of the year. The rain is coming down in buckets, and I can barely see outside my windshield even with the wipers in super turbo mode.

About half way home, the rain stops almost as quickly as it began, and the sun actually appears, setting in the west. The clouds, moving to the east, now look even more dark and foreboding.

Well, since it is still downpouring to the east, but the sun is shining in the west, a rainbow starts to form. I'm not talking just your typical rainbow; it was the most vivid, thick, colorful rainbow I have ever seen in my 33 years of life. It was unbelievable (anyone who was outside yesterday around 5:15PM, from a western Chicago suburb, would probably back me up on this - I just wish I had my digital camera with me).

So I'm driving down Rt. 31 near St. Charles, and decide to turn off into one of the many parks along the Fox River. I pull into the parking lot, and get out of my car. No one else was there, probably because the torrential downpour just ended a few minutes ago.

It was unusually warm yesterday for March, and the smell of the previous rain made the air vibrant. So there I stood, at the side of my car, looking at this rainbow for a good 5 or 10 minutes. As I stared, another rainbow formed, a very dim one, about 10 feet "behind" (from my vantage point) the other one. I was looking at a "double rainbow". I don't think I've ever seen one before.

Everything that went bad that day, that had put me in a glum mood, vanished. I stood there, breathing the fresh air, admiring the rainbows, and drew a sigh of relief. I got back into my car, came home to my wife, had a great dinner and cuddled up for a DVD.

Life can be good, at the strangest, yet at the best, times... ya know?

Zoo-Licious!

2005-03-28T14:41:00.000-06:00

So this past Saturday we went to the Brookfield Zoo. It was only about 40 degrees out and cloudy, so there weren't too many people there.

We walked into the "Giraffe House", or whatever they call it, and all 5 giraffe were inside... they must not like the cold. The "baby" giraffe was there too, but it was born in September, so by now it's pretty big... I'd say a good 14 feet tall already.

Most of the other giraffes were just eating their hay, but the young giraffe seemed to take an interest in us. Maybe because we were the only people there at the time? Anyways, he was staring at us, so we started to talk to him. I guess he liked how we talked, because he walked over to us, squeezed his head and neck in between the vertical space in the cable fence, and stretched his head all the way to us, about a foot away. It was the closest I've ever been to a giraffe, I can tell you that. So, whether I was supposed to or not, I stretched out my hand to him. My intentions were just to pet him on his nose. Well as my hand neared his face, this enormous, dark, sticky and rough tongue emerged from his mouth and he licked my entire hand! It was a pretty freaky feeling, but it was fairly amazing at the same time. I was licked by a wild animal. A giraffe at that! My wife couldn't believe it.

I'm pretty confidence that I'm one of the few people who can say they got licked by a giraffe.

Afterwards, I went to the nearest restroom and washed my hands thoroughly. While the young giraffe was pretty cute, who knows where it's tongue had been.

While there also, one of the elder giraffes took a pee. Man, was that loud. Pee falling from about 8 feet hitting concrete. We also heard/saw a lion roar (very loud!), a gorilla sneeze, a zebra take a pee, a penguin take a poop, and alot of geese making poop (they're not part of the zoo, just local birds who poo everywhere).

Zoos are cool.

Warning: Slight political rant

2005-03-16T13:42:00.000-06:00

One reason (of many) that I voted against Bush has come true:

Senate Votes to Allow Alaska Oil Drilling

Now I have mostly kept this blog "politic-free" ever since the election ended. But this just really pisses me off.

I'll only say a few things as to why this is a terrible decision:
- Drilling in Alaska could, at most, give us an extra 1 million barrels of oil a day, and that's at "peak production". We use 20 million barrels a day. Not much help, is it? Plus, they are not even sure how much oil is there. Low estimates are at less than a billion-barrel supply. Quick math tells us that's about a 3 years' supply. Is it worth it?
- Even supporters acknowledge that "even if ANWR's oil is tapped, it would have no impact on soaring oil prices and tight supplies". The Interior Secretary, Gale Norton, admits that "the first lease sales would not be issued until 2007, followed by development seven to 10 years later." Will we even need this extra oil in 7 to 10 years?!?!
- I also believe this will absolutely destroy one of the last great untouched wilderness areas in this country. We could argue that to no end about if I'm right or not, except for me to say: We'll have to see. I'm just curious to see how much unspoiled land will be polluted, and how many wild animals will have to die, before I'm right.

It would also help if we didn't have thousands and thousands of military vehicles in Iraq guzzling millions of gallons of gasoline everyday. Chalk up another reason to get out.

D-Day: Three weeks and counting...

2005-03-16T08:36:00.000-06:00

"D-Day" is what alot of people in the office here are now calling the week of April 4th. This is when they are cutting a rumored 40% of the IT department - about 500 to 600 jobs.

I have mixed feelings about this. I have worked for this company for over 10 years now. It was my first job out of college. We have gone through some other layoffs, but none nearly this big. I obviously have survived them all.

However, I have a very strong suspicion that I won't make it through this one. In some ways I hope I get let go, providing they give the same severance package they have in the past. I have not enjoyed my work here every since they "reorg'ed" the IT department back in 2001. So that's 4 years of not enjoying my job.

The problem is, when you work for the same company for 10 years, you get to know alot of people very well. I not only consider alot of them my co-workers, but my good friends. I have been to weddings, birthdays, after-work parties, partcipated in the sports leagues they offer here, all with these people. In a few weeks, it's a good possiblity that many of these people will no longer work here (including me). And I know we'll try to keep in touch and so on, but eventually.. as we move on to our new jobs.. an occasional email is probably all that will remain.

Besides the "sentimental" aspect of losing my job, I'm also quite worried. Since it was my first job out of college, my resume and interview skills are very rusty, at best. Also, I don't know how any other IT departments operate. Are they worse? Better? More of the same?

Ah well, we'll see. Three to four weeks from now, alot of the questions will be answered. I just wish they could be answered right now. The nervousness and anticipation in this office is overwhelming. I think many of us just want it to be over.

What the !#$%@ ??

2005-03-10T13:34:00.000-06:00

... is anyone else having issues with blogger.com this morning???

I just spent 20 or so minutes writing a post, and it crapped out when I went to publish. GRRRR!!!! Damn you blogger.com!

And alot of the pages are showing up all goofy.

Note to self: Always cut and paste your entry into Notepad before pressing "Publish".

I may try and rewrite it when I regain my composure.

Let's talk about the weather...

2005-03-09T15:30:00.000-06:00

...eh, maybe not. I just wanted to mention that here in Chicago, I wore a tshirt and jeans on Sunday (and even that was almost too warm), followed by the next day scraping frost off my car in 15 degree weather. Hmph. What a tease Mother Nature can be.

My wife bought my dog a jean jacket... don't ask. But it is pretty hilarious when he has it on (I think I'll take a picture and post it on here soon). He's none too happy. I don't think animals are meant to wear clothes, otherwise they wouldn't have the level of protection from the elements to begin with.

So I have 3 movies from Netflix sitting at home that I must watch. I can only watch one tonight. I have Collateral (I've already seen it, but forgot to take it out of my queue after I saw it), Hero (Jet-Li), and Anchorman. Talk about a mixture. Any suggestions?

OK... is anyone NOT sick?!

2005-03-03T09:00:00.000-06:00

... the whole Chicagoland area has been infested with the cold/flu bug. I have been battling the darn thing for the past two weeks. It has been a rough battle. Last week I thought I had it licked, but after the weekend, where I had a few beers and a little less sleep, the beast rose again and I have felt like crud again ever since Sunday evening.

It has really put a damper on getting myself "back in gear". It's hard to get things done when your entire body aches and your lungs are congested with mucus (not to mention your nose and head).

This morning I feel a little better than I have in a long while, but I shall not yet celebrate. It may be playing a trick on me, making me feel a little better, then kicking my ass tomorrow. I have been on a strict regimend of huge amounts of orange juice, water, chicken noodle soup, echinacea, vitamin C, zing lozenges, DayQuil, NyQuil, and multi-vitamins. I kid you not.

My past 5 days have consisted of:
Morning:
- Alarm clock goes off. I slowly wake up, feel like crap, eyes crusted over, snots on my pillow case, stumble into shower. Breakfast is 2 large glasses of OJ, some fruit, 1 echinacea pill, 1 vitamin C pill, 1 multi-vitamin, 2 DayQuil softgels, 20 oz. bottle of Diet Dew (still need my caffiene!), drive into work, stare at computer screen.
Afternoon:
- Lunch is some kind of soup (whatever deli has to offer), a 16 oz. bottle of OJ, 1 echinacea pill, 1 vitamin C pill, and 2 DayQuils. Stare at computer screen.
Evening:
- Dinner is Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup (still the best in my book, screw Progresso - I'm all about condensed soup), a large glass of OJ, some fruit, 1 echinacea pill, and a shot of NyQuil around 9pm. Stare at TV screen. Bed is around 10 at the latest (note I usually don't go to bed til around 11:30).

Repeat cycle.

You think doing all the above might help get rid of the cold a bit faster. Well, it hasn't worked too well for me. I'd probably feel a little sorry for myself, except for the fact that at least a third of the people I see in my office look and sound the same way I do.

Anyways, hopefully I will be better soon. And if you live near or in Chicago, and aren't sick yet... watch out. The bug is comin' to getcha.

Where I've Been

2005-02-28T13:52:00.000-06:00

... I stole this from someone's blog as I was randomly surfing, with intentions on giving them credit. But, about 15 blogs later and I forgot who it was. So I apologize for that, incase you stumble upon my blog in the future.

Anyways.... here goes:

Bold the states you've visited, underline the states you've lived in and italicize the state you're in now. Do NOT count the ones you simply drove through to get to a final destination...that's not a visit, that's a drive-by.

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /

Not too bad, I guess. I'd say about 4 of those states visited were because of business trips... the rest was either for vacation, weddings, or relatives. Seems I'm avoiding states that begin with "A".... hmmm....and I definately got to get to New York City sometime soon.

Ah, the joys of working for a big corporation

2005-02-28T09:54:00.000-06:00

..well, it's fairly safe to say that morale here at the company I work for is at an all time low. While I shall refrain from saying where I work, let's just say we're going through a very large merger. As a result of the merger, they are cutting the IT department in about half. Makes sense, right? The number of stores and workload we'll have will almost double, so we'll let go of half of the employees!

No one knows when or how they're deciding on the cuts. Most speculate within the next month or two. In the meantime, however, there is no project work to do because no one knows what projects are going to be around in the next 2 months. No one wants to fund a project that will be axed in the next 60 days (that actually does make sense). It makes for a very long work day with little work to do.

I guess I'm not complaing too much. I suppose having too little to do is better than having way too much to do. But if I survive these upcoming cuts, I have a feeling I'm going to be in the "way much to do" category very quickly. I guess we'll see what happens.

In the meantime, hope everyone out there is updating their blogs often for me! I will be visiting them much more often in the next month or so...

Can you say.. 7 games baby?!

2005-02-26T18:05:00.000-06:00

... I often feel bad for posting about my Cubs thoughts, events, etc., because I know the few people that read this blog (or those visiting) could care less. So I will keep them at a minimum. In fact, I think I'll start a separate blog soon once the season starts to keep this blog "baseball free". But for now...

I got tickets to 7 Cubs games!! Woo- hooo!! For those of you not familiar, the tickets are extremely hard to get, and I could probably make a huge fortune selling the ones I got. But, being a diehard Cub fan, I of course would never do such a thing.

One thing I'm excited about is I got tickets to my first Cubs/White Sox series. The ultimate rivalry. It should be interesting to say the least.

I absolutely cannot WAIT for baseball season to start. I think I have determined it's the only sport I enjoy watching. Weird, huh? I am the first one to admit it's definately not the most fast-paced game. But oh well, I can't explain it. I just like it.

I'm not a big crier. I cried at my dad's funeral, and when my first true love broke up with me, and that's about it. If Cubs ever won the World Series, I would cry like a baby. I know most people don't understand why, but talk to some diehard Cubs fans and they'll explain.

Potpourri #3

2005-02-23T09:57:00.000-06:00

I apologize for my lack of updates the past week. Leaving for Hawaii for 8 days, while being a fantastic vacation, left much to catch up on when I returned home. That is what I've been doing for the past week or so. I think I'm finally caught up by now.

So I have a few things to blab today, so I just decided to group it into one post. The definition of potpourri: "a collection containing a variety of sorts of things; "a great assortment of cars was on display"; "he had a variety of disorders"; "a veritable smorgasbord of religions". What person came up with those last two examples?? Goofy.

Anyways, one thing I noticed in Hawaii was alot of old people there on vacation. I guess I wonder to myself, why do alot of people wait until they're old to explore what the world has to offer? Why not do it when you're young, when you're much more physically (and mentally) able to do so? I often overhear people my age say "We're saving alot right now for when we're old, so when we do retire we can travel alot". Funk dat. I want to travel NOW, not when I'm old and gray. I don't want to be frugal NOW, when I can enjoy the finer things in life. When I retire at 69 1/2 (or whatever the age will be then.. probably up to 75), I want to do nothing but find a nice small ranch house, with a nice small yard, and relax. I want to have experienced so much by then that there is no need for my old self to want to do much more than relax, read books, and spend time with the younger generations of my family and friends.

So I guess in summary, I am living my life now. Now don't get me wrong: I am still saving enough now to be able to retire and live a comfortable life, however it will be a frugal one. Be frugal when you're old, not young! Just make sure you know where to draw the line in terms of your finances. I don't want anyone coming up to me in 40 years and say, "I read your blog, took your advice, now I'm 70 and living on the streets!". Save enough for how you want your lifestyle to be when you're old. For me, I only want the basics when I'm old. I want the amenities now.

My other topic today is music. As I've browsed many other blogs, I noticed how so many people "pigeonhole" what they'll listen to. You got those who listen to hardcore electronica or metal, and think any other music is for "sissies". You got those who listen to R&B and rap, who can't stand a decent indie or folk-rock song. And of course, you got those people who listen to alternative/indie music, who think *anything* mainstream is a piece of crap, simply because it's mainstream.

I don't do that. I'm all over the spectrum. Yesterday I went to Tower Records and bought the following CDs: The Killers, Snow Patrol, Jesus and Mary Chain, Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, and Wilco. Some of you may not know who some (or all) of those artists are; some may say, "Cool choices." None of the artists above currently have a "hit" that plays on Top 40 radio. If they did, though, I'd still like them. But despite those artists above being a bit obscure, on the drive home I listened to some Missy Elliot. I bobbed along to some No Doubt. I reminisced to an 80's Chicago song. I sang along, note for note, to an old Neil Diamond song.

Music can be good in alot of forms if you let it. Don't "pigeonhole" yourself. There's nothing wrong with me singing along to Neil Diamond, then blasting a Nine Inch Nails song from "The Downward Spiral". There's nothing wrong with groovin to "Groove Is in the Heart" by Dee-Lite, to then chillin out with "The Scientist" by Coldplay. Sure, I have my favorite "genres": Acoustic alternative, electronica, and pop punk. But I'm open enough to almost anything.

OK, I have one thing to profess, which deviates from what I just stated: I will never, ever, ever, listen to or enjoy country music. Other than that though, lay it on me; I will definitely give it a chance.

I have thoust returnedeth

2005-02-14T17:38:00.000-06:00

...and all I can say is wow. The "Big Island" is unbelievable. I am sooo tired right now, so I will write about my adventures later. But for now, here are 4 pictures from my trip (I ended up taking 336 pictures..not too shabby).

(Click on the pic to see a larger version)

Akaka Falls (UNBELIEVABLE in person!):

One of the most beautiful and secluded coasts I have ever seen:

When I saw this, I could have sworn I was in "Jurassic Park". Unreal.

Rainbows on this island were like clouds in Chicago...just everywhere:

Like I said, I am very tired now. Will write more later. Gotta get back to adjusting to real life...(sigh)...

Say Aloha to Hawaii and Goodbyah-a to Me

2005-02-03T09:40:00.000-06:00

... 2 days left and we leave for the lovely big island of Hawaii. I don't think it could come at a better time. All this crap going on at work with the huge merger we're going through, I just need to get out of here.

I have to admit at first I was kind of against going to Hawaii. I have already been there once before, and for the amount of money it costs to get there, I would have liked to try something different, like Ireland or even Australia. But it turned into a family vacation, and since alot of my family is... "un-adventurous"?... there's no way I could talk them into something like Ireland. I could just see my mom... "You mean... leave the country?!". She feels very safe within the confines of the good ol' US of A and I don't think she will ever leave it's borders. Too bad.

Alright, so anyways. I made my wife promise we will go on a trip outside of this country within the next 2 years and she agreed. And after buying a book about the Big Island, I'm getting pretty excited about going. It seems much less tourist-y then Maui, where I went before. There's alot more hiking and "off-the-beaten-path" things to do, which I will take full advantage of. I am not spending my time there lying on the beach. I shall be an explorer.

So this shall be my last post for about 10 days, I' m guessing. I am bringing my trusty Camedia C750 with a 256MB card that I intend to fill with pictures. I am, by no means, a photographer (although I aspire to be some day), but I figure out of 500 or something pictures, maybe 4 or 5 will be worth posting on this site when I return.

So goodbye, cold and grey Chicago!! (although I still love you). I shall return with gifts and wil be eagerly awaiting the baseball season.

Seacrest, out.

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Words/Phrases You Love To Use

2005-02-01T10:19:00.000-06:00

...from Yano's Ten on Tuesday... I hope I can come up with 10.

1. " 'Sup, beeotch?"
2. "You gettin up what I'm puttin down?"
3. "How YOU doin?"
4. "I gotta drop the kids off at the pool"
5. "Peace out, holmes. I'm Audi 5000."
6. "I'm off like a prom dress..."
7. "I gotta make like Michael and get Bolton.."
8. "I gotta make like a donkey truck and haul ass"
9. "What it is big mamma?! My mamma didn't raise no dummy, I dug her rap." (Airplane!, 1980)
10. "Funk dat!"

Three Things.

2005-01-25T07:21:00.000-06:00

...I stole this from Yano. I steal alot from her.

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY-
Karl
Kdog
Kdub

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD -
PCKid (this is from WAY back...before the internet was even around.. I used it on a "chat" site where I had to dial in on my 300 baud modem)
karlw90
karlw1990

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF-
my smile
my creativity
my circle of friends

THREE THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF-
my temper (although it's gotten alot better)
my current laziness
my current weight

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE-
German
German
Swedish

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU-
Any scary movie
Anything to do with Satan
Strong wind

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS-
My "lunchbox"
Carmex
My gym bag

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW-
Old Navy boxers
Some kind of sweat pants
A J. Crew sweatshirt

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS OR MUSICAL ARTISTS-
U2
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Janes Addiction

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS- I have ALOT of these, so I'm just picking 3 randomly:
Closer - NIN
Groove Is In The Heart - Dee Lite
Sabotage - Beastie Boys

THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS-
playing the piano
playing the drums
finishing the basement

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP-
Loyality
Humor
Sex (I'm a guy, c'mon..)

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE-
I was born in West Virginia
I have alot of hair on my head
I lost my virginity in the back of my mom's Oldsmobile station wagon

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU-
Nice butt
Eyes
Can I say nice butt again?

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO-
Juggle (I've tried learning for years)
Slam dunk
Stop singing in the car

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES-
Playing guitar
Reading non-fiction
Attempting digital photography

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW-
Eat chili (even though its morning)
Be intimate with my wife
Watch a Cubs game

I Will Miss You, Johnny

2005-01-23T21:29:00.000-06:00

... Just this Sunday it was announced that Johnny Carson had died at the age of 79.

I am extremely sad. I remember, when I was in high school in in 80's, I used to tune in to the "Tonight Show" before I went to bed. Even if my entire night out sucked, Johnny always used to make me laugh. It's one of the few shows I looked forward to watching.

It may sound cheesy, but his laid back, candor manor helped me through alot. He blows away Leno and Letterman. He was THE late night talk show king.

Thank you Johnny, for all the years of insight, laughter, and commentary. I enjoyed every minute of you on TV.

Let It Snow Part Duex!

2005-01-22T10:32:00.000-06:00

...since most of my "readers" are local, you are well aware of the snowfall we had overnight. I think we got about 8 inches as of this morning. I woke up fairly early to get a head start on clearing my driveway of the new fluffly snow. I decided to take a few pictures, for those browsing this site that don't get the joyous snows of winter. Us Chicagoans go through this at least a few times every winter:

This is a picture of my back deck. Notice the mound of snow on top of our table:

My dog, not really enjoying the snow:

A picture of my neighborhood after the snow:

Our poor cars in the driveway. You can't even tell what kind of cars my wife's is. It's buried!

I felt bad and saved my wifes car. After about an hour of work, this is the "after" picture:

I love snow! Especially on the weekends when I don't have to worry about driving into work. Tonight, I think I have been talked into going sledding. We shall see..

Things people look for...

2005-01-20T09:01:00.000-06:00

...I totally stole this idea from Erin's site. I thought it was hilarious, I then checked my hit/stat counter and noticed some strange search words for my site. So here's some things people where looking for when they found my site:

- "Pappaduex"
This is one of my most popular search words. I posted about it a while back, it's where I went for my birthday dinner. What's funny is, I spelled it wrong. It's actually spelled Pappadueax. So now let's see how many people find my site using the correct spelling.

- "why its called tossing salad"
Wow. Well, I'm not sure of the reason why it's called that. Unless of course, you are referring to the act of mixing up salad greens in a bowl. But I have a feeling that's not what you were looking for.

- "my wife closeups"
Hmmm. Now were you actually looking for closeup pictures of your wife?? I think not.

- "dog humps wife"
Nice. You sicko. Maybe you should team up with the guy above and you can look for "dog humps my wife closeup".

- "Time Life 32 Country Songs"
About the only other normal search criteria besides Pappadeuax. Unfortunately I hate country music, and if I had to listen to 32 songs of it I seriously might have to commit suicide.

- "micropenis dvd"
Uh... yea. Why would someone want a video of that?! Hmmm unless you are trying to make yourself feel "superior" about your own size?? ("Look honey...... I'm not that small!")

Anyways, that about sums it up for the past two weeks. People are strange, eh? I remember how I found one of my favorite blogs over a year ago; After eating a big lunch at work, I felt extremely tired and sluggish. So I entered "food coma" in Yahoo!, and stumbled upon Yano's site. Been a loyal reader ever since!

Me Bad Blogger!

2005-01-18T13:33:00.000-06:00

... I haven't posted in quite a while. Tsk tsk on me.

It's been hectic week or so because more layoffs are happening in the IT department at my lovely workplace. They just cut 20% of a certain IT department. Rumors are flowing rapant that within the next week or so they are cutting 20% of the department I'm in. We are not sure how they are deciding who to layoff, because last week had no sensible pattern. It's almost like they just have everyone's picture on the wall and they throw darts to pick who goes.

I can tell you this, this is the last large retail company I work for. If I stay in IT, I would love to go to a small company rather than the one I work at now where the number of employees at the office is greater than many towns here in Illinois. I guess the only advantage is that I can sneak out of the office early sometimes and no one even notices. Ah, to be wanted.

If I do get laid off I will get about 5 months severance pay (I've been here 10 years) so that's not too bad. I'd probably goof off the first month then figure out a game plan. I may do a career change. My wife, while not thrilled about it, said she'd go back to full time work while I went to classes. We'll see.

On a lighter note, on the way in to work today I noticed the sign at Burger King said "2 Whopper for $2". Does that mean the plural of "Whopper" is "Whopper"? Who the heck gets 2 Whopper anyway?? Do you know how much fat and calories are in those things? You might as well deep-fry a 4 pound brick of lard and dip it in some melted cheese. You'd be better off.

Today is the day

2005-01-07T09:15:00.000-06:00

...that the name of this blog is officially no longer correct.

It should be "33 and life to go".

But, oh well. I think I will keep this place for a while. There really isn't much difference between 32 and 33, trust me. I just turned it, and I feel no different. I may be a little heavier after this weekend however, as the popular present this year is to take Karl out to eat.

I'm leaving work early today to meet my wife here. It's a cool little family owned place with their own little microbrew inside the restaurant. It's where I went last year too, I think it's going to become a tradition.

Then, tomorrow night I'm going out with my wife and some friends for dinner. Place to still be determined.

Finally, Sunday is family night, and I'm going to my favorite restaurant (so far) in the Chicagoland area. If you like cajun, and you like seafood, this is the place to go. I'm sure there's much better places in New Orleans, but since I don't have the time to drive down there this weekend, this place will have to do. Simply amazing seafood. And lots of it.

OK, now I'm hungry. And it's only 9:30.

Do any of you ever reminisce on your birthday? I just can't believe, that, for instance, 10 years ago I was living in an apartment with a college friend, having a friends over every night. Or 8 years ago I was living in another bachelor pad with my friend from high school, and it was a blast. Or how 6 years ago I bought my first place, a townhouse, where I learned a bit of responsibility, but it was great.

6 years ago is also when I first met my wife, on 4th of July, at the Eyes to the Skies festival. She was a friend of a friend, and we had a bunch of blankets spread out on the grass, just hanging out. Listening to live bands, eating festival food, having a few beers, waiting for the fireworks to start that night. I remember seeing her and thinking, "Wow, she's really hot". (Sorry, typical guy thought when we first see a girl). I also thought, "Wow, she's pretty much out of my league" (Typical guy thought who doesn't have much confidence when it comes to girls). We barely spoke to each other that evening. But I was surrounded by friends, and feeling comfortable, so I was at the top of my game it terms of being entertaining. I remember I got her to laugh more than a few times.

The fireworks went off, the night ended, and we went our separate ways. I really didn't think much of it. I knew she was single, and that was about it.

But the next day I got a call from my friend (who was her friend also), and she said "Jeanine likes you". And I was like "Nooo... er.. you mean, like as a friend?". And my friend replied "Well, she said she liked you. I think she meant it in a more-than-friendly manner".

I was pretty excited, but I didn't get my hopes up too much because I've been there before.

The next few days passed, and I was moving into the townhouse I mentioned above. My friend came over, and to my surprise, so did Jeanine. She actually helped unpack my boxes and organize my kitchen. I thought she may like me then, because that's alot of work to do for someone you just met. But I still didn't say much. Like I said, I don't have much confidence when it comes to meeting women.

As she was leaving, she turned around to ask me if I was going to the Pub that night. "Well, I really wasn't planning on it", I remember saying. And she said, "Well, I think you should. See you there tonight."

And she left.

There you have it. Under her orders, I went to the Pub that night and had a great time. I got her phone number that night (actually, she gave it to me, I didn't even ask... I'm such a schmuck), called her the next day, and it went on from there. Just about 5 years later I'm walking down the aisle with her.

Sorry, I went off on a slight tangent there. But I think I have a point to my story, and it is this.

Today one of the great presents is the fact I have a great group of close friends, and a great family.

But on this day, the greatest present to me is my wife. Just having her.

Let It Snow!

2005-01-06T13:56:00.000-06:00

... wow! The first real good snowfall here in Chicago in a while. I was going to be a good blogger and take a picture of my SUV in my driveway, but alas the batteries were dead! It was ridiculous because you couldn't even tell it was an SUV. It just looked like a big hill of snow with tires.

I love snow, I figure if it's going to be cold, it might as well be snowy. Nothing worse than a cold day when the ground is nothing but dead grass and frozen mud. However, this morning I did not enjoy brushing 12 inches of wet snow off of my car in my work clothes. Luckily I have 4x4 because I did not have any time to shovel my driveway and I easily have 10-12 inches of snow covering it. That shall be a fun task when I get home tonight.

I hope I can get out and ski sometime this year. While reluctant, I convinced my wife to at least come with me and try it again (She had a bad experience the first time... something about skiing into a wooden fence? Whatever... ya gotta be tough). With all this fresh snow on the ground I wish we could go this weekend! But of course our weekend has already been filled with plans. Maybe I can convince her to take me skeeching around the neighborhood! Ahh yes nothing like sitting on a piece of cardboard being pulled by a car at 30 mph. Good times.

Ten Things You Look Forward to Doing in 2005

2005-01-04T10:13:00.000-06:00

from Ten on Tuesday, here's my list (in no order):

1. Getting a baby grand piano.
2. Going to the zoo with my family (and friends!).
3. Going to Las Vegas for the bachelor party that I'm Best Man for.
4. Watching lots of Cubs games.
5. Start to finish our basement.
6. Going to my sister-in-law's wedding in Philadelphia.
7. Maybe getting a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited?
8. Enjoying the weather, once it gets back to nice!
9. Spending time with my wife and family.
10. Hanging out with friends! (lots of BBQ's!)

My Last Post of This Year

2004-12-30T10:05:00.000-06:00

... as I sit here in my office, I realized I better make this entry because I fear once I leave today I won't be getting to this blog until after the New Year. So here it is.

This year has been... mediocre.. at best, at it has been all my fault. I set out this year to accomplish alot of things, and I didn't get to most of them. Alot of the things I set out to accomplish weren't necessarily chores or tasks, in fact some of them were downright fun (For example, get to Great America to ride some roller coasters... never got to it).

The reason alot of things weren't accomplished wasn't because I didn't have enough time, or because I couldn't do it. It's just because I was plain lazy. It's been 10 years now since I left college, and alot of times I still try and pretend I'm there. Do my homework (ie, go to work), and when I'm done with that, it's party time! It worked in college, but now that I'm married and a homeowner, it doesn't work out so well.

I used to be an extremely organized person, almost to a fault (Most of my friends consider me a "neat freak" and sometimes I even hear the word "anal"). But right now, I have no hold on my finances, my house is dirtier than any other place I've lived in, and I've gotten somewhat out of shape. I used to spend my free time working out, reading books, and playing my guitar. Now I spend most of it watching TV, beer in one hand, remote in the other. Ugh.

Now, I didn't get all fat and lazy. What I've become, in some sense, is the typical, married, 30-something man. I can say with confidence that most of the people in this office do about the exact same thing as me. But that's the problem. I didn't want to be that typical married 30-year old. And I'm becoming it.

OK, now this entry sounds a bit down, but I'm not all depressed or anything. I'm just disappointed. I don't necessarily consider these resolutions, just tasks I need to complete, and not just for next year, but for all years to come. So here are some things I'm going to stick to, starting today (actually, I started most of these about a week ago, but what the heck, this is the first time I'm putting them down):

- At least three nights a week, no TV. (Watching a decent movie on DVD is OK). But no cable or broadcast television.
- Eat red meat only once a month. (This will be pretty easy for me, since from 1998 - 2002 I stopped eating red meat altogether). This alone will help get my diet back on track.
- Install that Quicken software I bought about 3 months ago and get all my finances back on track.
- Read a book, newspaper, or magazine at least 30 minutes every day (Internet doesn't count!)
- Do a thorough cleaning of the house, and maintain it that way. (Once again, this may sound like a large task, but if you saw how clean my townhouse and apartments were, this is pretty easy for me... sad, but true, I actually enjoy cleaning. And no I won't clean your house).
- Play guitar and/or piano (once we get it) at least a little bit everyday.
- Quit skipping workouts. (I workout 5 days a week, but the past couple of months have been finding really lame reasons to skip. This will stop, actually it already has).
- A few trivial (but enjoyable) tasks: Go to the city at least twice a month. Get to the zoo (we're members) at least once a month. Have a dinner/movie date with wife at least once a month. And get to Great America! (I haven't been there in over 6 years now).

This list could go on for a bit, but the rest I either want to keep to myself, or are just so trivial that it isn't worth putting down. I kind of like having them up here now, because, hopefully in a year from now I'm still blogging and I can check to see if I stuck with them. I have a feeling I will.

Oh, and one other thing, I promise to make this blog a bit more enjoyable, or at least interesting to read. I've noticed some (OK, alot) of my entries are just plain boring. And it's not because I lead a boring life, but just because sometimes when I put my entry in I'm either tired or just not inspired.

To the few people that are reading this, I really hope you all have a great New Year. I can't believe it's going to be 2005, but let's all make it a good one for ourselves, our friends, and our family. Cheers!

How Time Flies

2004-12-28T21:01:00.000-06:00

... I can't believe Christmas has already come and gone. The last week was quite a blur. Work, shop, sleep, work, shop, sleep, clean, clean, clean, host big Christmas party, sleep. Phew. I got through it though. Although my house is still quite a mess. I have Friday off, so if nothing else I can get the rest of the house in pretty good shape then.

I can't believe what a moron I am when I'm drunk, especially when I blog after drinking. That entry actually makes me sound even more moronic that I actually am. Oh well.

I'm kind of relieved about this week, it seems the entire IT department took this week off, and I got most of what I needed to done, so the rest of the week should be a piece of cake. Both of my managers are off this week, too, so let's just say I may be enjoying some "shorter" work days this week.

I'm tired right now so I'm not feeling very whimsical or entertaining, so I better let this entry go before I put myself, and my huge audience, asleep. Hope everyone had a great Christmas. I will be getting drunk on New Years', but I will try to avoid putting in a blog entry afterwards.

I have thoust been drinkethed.

2004-12-22T22:45:00.000-06:00

.. this is my first drunk blog post.

Do alot of people do this? Because typing is a tad bit more challenging.

Ok let me tell you, this morning, I poured orange juice into my cereal. I SWEAR I did. I almost took a picture for proof. But who cares, I know what I did.

Did you know everyone's butt is broken? Because there is a crack in it.

Boogers taste salty. If you know this, then you've ate one.

Last week we had a practically empty half gallon of cookies n cream ice cream container empty. We decided to be nice and give the rest to my dog. As he tried to stick his snout into the bottom of the container, his head got stuck. I kid you not. My wife got it on video. So at least I have proof on that one. We may send it in.

I think a coyote tried to get my dog a few days ago. I may just be feedin into the hype. But after letting my dog out, for the first time in over a year, he dug himself under my backyard deck and began to bark furiously. So either he saw a coyote or an alien. Either is cool.

My wife has a nice butt and she knows it.

I'm more excitied this Christmas for people to open up the gifts I got them. Without sounding cliche, cheesy, whatever, I sooo much enjoy giving than receiving (ok sex is another topic).

I was at a urinal the other day at work (NOTE: I usually have stage fright), and while this dude was peeing he blew a fart. It was loud. I started laughing, and so did he. It's all good. Except I had to find another bathroom at work to complete my relief.

A few weeks ago, on a commercial I first heard this joke:
A: Why is 6 afraid of 7?
B: Because 7 8 9.

I'm old, and I've never heard that one. Classic. Lame. Classicly Lame. Perfect.

Time for some Modest Mouse. My wife loves it, and it's growing on me.

MERRRY CHRISTMAS!!!

My Christmas Season so far....

2004-12-22T08:53:00.000-06:00

... I have to admit, I have been missing the Christmas Spirit this year. It's the first "real" Christmas at our new house, work is not too fun, and a few other things have dampened my spirits a bit. Nothing major, but I still haven't done alot of things that I usually do for Christmas, like:

- Usually we drive around a few "choice" subdivisions and look at Christmas lights
- Usually we visit the Brookfield Zoo and freeze our butts off. But the lights, and the animals are cool.
- Usually we get into the city at least once to see the Christmas decorations, and shop on the "Mag Mile" and on State Street.

None of this happened. I chalk it up to, besides the things above, being stuck at work and having an usually large shopping list this year. We chose names and were only supposed to buy for that one person, but I can't do that. I still shopped for everyone. It was tricky, however, since I didn't know what they wanted. But I think it turned out good.

I also had none, zero, zippo vacation days left since mid-November. So I had no days off to take to do any of the things I mentioned above. This was because of all the extra days I took off during the year for doing "new house things".

Geez I sound so domesticated. But I'm really not. Not yet, at least.

Ten Favorite Holiday Songs

2004-12-14T09:21:00.000-06:00

...it's time again for Ten on Tuesday!

Ten Favorite Holiday Songs (in no particular order, really):

1. The Christmas Song (traditional)
2. The Little Drummer Boy (traditional)
3. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Bruce Springsteen live version)
4. Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) - (by U2)
5. O Christmas Tree (traditional)
6. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (traditional)
7. She Won't Be Home (by Erasure on their LP "Crackers International")
8. Winter Wonderland (Eurthymics version)
9. The "Heatmiser" song (from the 1970 stop-motion classic "The Year Without a Santa Claus")
10. Wonderful Christmastime (Paul McCartney)

You showed me, now I'll show you

2004-12-11T16:23:00.000-06:00

I've noticed alot of the blogs I visit have pictures of themselves, family, friends, and so on. Since I know what alot of the people I visit look like, I thought I'd return the favor. My main concern is that after the few people that visit this blog sees these pictures, they'll stop visiting. Please don't let them scare you away.

First off, I can already tell I have some things to learn. My 10 year old computer science degree only gets me so far. First off I notice this "Hello from Picasa" blows. There has got to be an easier way.

Anyways, here's me at Cellular Field (White Sox ballpark) with my 2 babies, Kopper and Shiba. They are Shiba Inus. Kopper is mine, he's the bigger male. Shiba is his girlfriend. By the way, dog day is the only time you'll see me at this ballpark:

Here is a picture of me and my wife at the Cubs game in Milwaukee. Sorry it's a little close. Man, I hate closeups:

And yes that is an authentic Prior jersey incase you were wondering.

Well, I'd post more but those 2 just took me almost 45 minutes to do. I'm sure it'll get easier along the way. I hope.

For you and your loved ones

2004-12-10T09:08:00.000-06:00

If you or your significant other suffer from "micropenis", check it out. There's hope:

Surgury Can Enlarge Very Small Penises

I thought the plural of "penis" was "peni"? Hmph.

A cool 8 million and we got Garciaparra

2004-12-07T19:35:00.000-06:00

.. OK, it's so not baseball season, but we got Nomar for one more. I somewhat enjoy football, but as many of you know baseball is my true love, especially the Cubs.

For $8 million, his little "achilles tendon" problem better not be a factor next year.

I am so looking forward to next years season. I have no idea how good we'll be, but just to watch them play is a treat.

...ahhh on another note, I just finished watching Conan O'Brien's 10th Anniversay special on DVD. That man is a comic genius. I don't know if I've ever laughed so much in one hour. He blows away Leno, and I'm still amazed people actually think that kiss-ass is funny. Oh well.

I'm starting to learn I'm in the minority on most topics. I like that.

Ten Things You Want For The Holidays

2004-12-07T15:31:00.000-06:00

..OK, I haven't posted in almost a week, and was struggling about what to write, when it occured to me it is Tuesday, and that means I can do my first Ten on Tuesday!

So here's my list.
1. Cheers on DVD.
2. Seinfeld on DVD.
3. Nirvana Box Set.
4. Jon Stewart's America
5. Some new cologne that my wife likes
6. Gift certificate to Pappaduex (a cajun seafood restaurant... yum!)
7. Some decent sunglasses.
8. New U2 CD (I'll probably buy it myself before Christmas)
9. A new snow scraper and brush(see previous entry)
10. Trivial Pursuit 90s Edition

My Wednesday Morning

2004-12-01T19:48:00.000-06:00

...what you are about to read is true... and probably way too long. I really have no reason, whatsoever, to lie about it, so I guess, if anything, that is my alibi. If you live in the Chicagoland area, you are probably going to believe me much more than those who don't know the wonderful weather we experienced this morning.

For those of you who don't know, on Tuesday evening in Chicagoland it started to snow. Again. This time, it was big, thick, wet flakes that melted on the pavement but stuck to just about everything else. It was actually really cool to see come down at the time.

But then, as it's supposed to, the temperature dropped as the night/morning passed. I believe it dropped to about 20 degrees (Fahrenheit). The thick, wet snow that stuck to our houses, cars (and as it turns out, driveways), and soon became rock solid.

I will skip the explanation, but the SUV I was to drive to work in the morning was parked in my driveway and not the garage. This morning I got ready as usual, and went outside to warm up the SUV.

After grabbing my Diet Mountain Dew, I proceeded outside. In my "casual business" attire, I made my way towards the SUV. As I stepped on my driveway, on what I thought was nice fluffy snow, I began to slide. And slide. My driveway was pure ice. With my dress shoes on, I might as well have been speed skating (Yano?!). After trying to gain my footing, it was useless. I fell to the driveway like a brick. Luckily I landed sideways and not on my ass (tailbone falls really hurt! Trust me). But it still wasn't fun.

After slowing getting up, a few curses mumbled, I carefully made my way to the SUV. I unlocked it using the handy-dandy remote, and heard the locks release. Tried to open the drivers door, no luck. Tried second door, no luck. Tried passenger side doors, no luck. They would not budge; frozen solid. I finally tried the hatchback in back, and with a good tug it opened. I then crawled through my car into the front seat, and opened the front door with the force of my shoulder bashing against it.

I then started my car and grabbed my scraper/brush. I had lots of work to do. As I started to scrape the block of ice and snow that enveloped my car, the "scraper" part on the pole cracked. It broke off. It was useless.

Luckily I had a backup in my other car. Not as cool looking, but as I soon learned, much more reliable. Note to self: Always have a backup scraper.

I then spent the next 15-20 mins scraping/chopping ice/snow off of my car. Finally satisfied with my job, I got into my SUV (then very warm - heat's been running for 20 mins), and drove off to my office.

Once on the road, I leaned in to turn on my radio, and the automatic antenna struggled to go up. No luck. It was frozen down. I had no CD's as I left my CD case at work the previous day. I can't stand driving with no radio or music.

But I dealt with it. As I continued to drive, the main roads were wet and passing cars/truck/whatever slowly spat crap uponeth my windshield. Before I knew it, I could barely see where I was driving. No problem, I thought, just hit the windshield with some cleaning fluid and the wipers. No good.......first off, the valves that shot the fluid onto my windshield were still frozen, and the rubber blades that was to spread the aforementioned fluid were like steel. Soon, I literally couldn't see where I was driving. The frozen blades spread the road crap on my windshield and just made it worse. I had to open my driver's window (which made an awful noise), and stick my head out like a dog to see where I was going. It was still about only 20 degrees out so within 30 seconds I could not feel a single thing on my face.

Like a glowing light in the darkness, I saw an approaching gas station. With head sticking out, I immediately turned off the road. I washed my windshield with those wash brushes they (thankfully) provide. I then sat in my heated car and slowly regained feeling in my face.

After that I only had about 10 minutes left and the rest of my drive went somewhat smooth. My antenna was still frozen down, I was running about 45 minutes late, but hey, I made it.

And this was my Wednesday morning. If you read this far, I'm impressed.

So, someone remind me why I stay in Chicagoland?!?!

A little bit about me: Part I

2004-11-29T09:03:00.000-06:00

... I don't have the time nor the will to do one of those "100 Things About Me" post, but I thought I'd jot down a few things. I'm feeling a bit egocentric today.

I love the Cubs, but I am not really into sports. I know nothing about any teams outside of Chicago. When my guy friends start a sport discussion, I usually look like a deer in headlights. That said, I probably know more about the Cubs than most guys do.

I think I want to be a "metrosexual", but I live in the suburbs. I am very fashion conscience, but currently you wouldn't know it. I chose the colors, furniture, and artwork for my house. I am very straight but have no problem with gay people. I am a closet Oprah and Ellen fan. If their shows were on at night, I'd probably watch it daily.

I am all over the place in musical taste, but I absolutely hate 99% of the crap they play on the radio. I own over 750 CD's. Not one of them is country, and only one is rap (Eminem). I hate R&B. I own the Neil Diamond box set, and I'm proud of it. OK, not really. But I grew up listening to it (because of my mom), so it brings back good childhood memories.

Somewhat recently, I have become quite political (as you may know from this blog). I know quite a bit about politics. When I discuss politics with my friends, they look like how I look when they discuss sports.

One of my biggest regrets is not living in the city of Chicago. I find most of the suburbs boring and mundane. I try to make it into the city at least 2 weekends out of every month.

My first true love was a filipino girl in high school. She was the only one (besides her sister) in my high school that was filipino. We dated for 4 years. I know alot about the food (yum!) and culture, but only can say a few words in tagalog, mostly bad ones.

I am married. I don't talk about it much because I try to keep my personal stuff out. That being said, my wife is very hot. I've known her for 7 years now (been married just over a year) and she just keeps getting better. Like a fine wine. Although I don't really drink wine.

My wife is a slob and I am a neat freak. It makes for some heated discussions.

My wife is the reason I am living in the suburbs. I tried to convince her to move to Oak Park, but couldn't do it. She promised that once any kids we have are out of high school, we can move to the city. That's going to be a while.

I am 32 but act like I am 21. I think farts are hilarious. I think it's hilarious when my dog humps someone's leg. I wrestle with my wife. I play guitar loudly and quite badly. I hate talking about finance, home repair, and most other things my neighbors like to talk about.

I own 6 guitars, 1 bass, and within a month I will have a baby grand piano and a drum set. I can't play either, but I will learn.

My family is small, but I have alot of friends. I still keep in touch with about 15 friends I knew from high school.

If I ever won the lotto, the first thing I'd do is buy a condo in Wrigleyville and season tickets to the Cubs.

A perfect summer day for me is, being at a Cubs game, sun on my face, a nice breeze blowing, an Old Style in my hand, my wife and friends by my side.

OK, damn, that's it for now. I can see how people do that "100 list" thing. You start to babble. Maybe I will do one soon, after all. We'll see.

Turkey nuts

2004-11-24T19:09:00.000-06:00

... While I am proud to say I live near Chicago, it's also probably well known that the rest of Illinois is...well, alot of farmland. At least for now. (I'm amazed at how fast the houses and townhomes are coming up in the outlying areas).
OK anyways.. so there's this little festival, the Turkey Testicle Festival in a town about 90 minutes west of Chicago.. that I was going to go to. I'm not sure if I would have actually eaten a deep fried turkey nut (if you goto the website, you can see a nasty picture of a bucket of 'em before they are cooked), but I still wanted to be there just to say I went. But then the crappy weather came in, and as the traffic reports came in I realized it might take me twice as long to get there than originally planned. So I bailed.
A few coworkers were already there, so I know come Monday I'm gonna get some flack. But oh well. I need to find out if they actually ate a turkey nut. Does it taste like chicken?

Partial Profanity?

2004-11-15T10:24:00.000-06:00

...so I signed up for the blogexplosion thing.. not sure why, really? Maybe some more people will listen to me? Ha ha. Anyways, in their listing, it says my site contains "Partial profanity". I think that was kinda funny. It's probably because I called GWB a f--- face. See, now I don't have the balls to say it again. Ooops. I just said balls.

Anyways ever since the whole Janet Jackson breast incident it seems censorship is more rampant than ever. I think the government is using it at a way to make money, with all these fines they're throwing around. And, at least for radio, they don't have any deadset guidelines of what you can and can't say. The FCC says its more of how you use the word rather than the word itself. So it's got all these people on radio on their tip toes; the management doesn't want another $500K fine so they bleep more than ever, just to be safe. The FCC is also biased. On Oprah a while back, she had a show on teenage sexuality, and one of her guests described "tossing salad" as the "licking of the anus" or something like that. Oprah received no fine, warning, nothing. When Howard Stern tried to say the exact words that the guest on Oprah did, he got bleeped. The management said that the FCC would fine the station if Howard said "tossing salad" in the same sentence as "anus". But the guest on Oprah could. Go figure.

Anyways, now since this entry has both "balls" and "anus" in it, I wonder if I go to full profanity. If this keeps up, I may have to take my blog to satellite, folks.

We're Sorry, Everybody (ie, World)

2004-11-11T09:23:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Kittenita for pointing out this great link:

We're Sorry, Everybody

I will be creating my submission tomorrow.

Already 1760 entries (at least), and the election is only a week old. Why does it seem, at least amongst the internet community, that everyone voted for Kerry? Could it be the majority of Bush voters don't know how to use a computer?

Sigh....

Bush already at it...

2004-11-10T16:12:00.000-06:00

OK, I usually don't post 2 entries in one day, but I happened to check out CNN's website and found the following article:

Alaska Oil Drilling Back on Agenda

Protecting the environment was one of my top issues in this election. Can you see why I don't want this idiot in office?! GRRRRR!!!

Potpourri #2

2004-11-10T09:30:00.000-06:00

... I have a feeling alot of my future posts may just use the ole "Potpourri.." theme, since most of the time I just babble and the post isn't just about one topic. We shall see I guess, huh?

Well I was pretty much bummed the past week because of the election. But thanks to the internet, I was relieved to see many, many folks feeling the same way I do. Thanks to all who posted your honest thoughts about the election! Hopefully in 4 years, the posts will be about how happy we are to finally have a decent president back in office.

So over the weekend I had some friends over ("Guys night"), and I thought I'd take some pictures, as per the previous post. Well I put my rechargable batteries into the charger, plugged it into the wall, and thought I was prepared. Well the plug I used is a plug hooked up to a light switch, and guess what the switch was set to?! Off. So when it was time for some pictures, me have no battery power. :-( Lesson learned. Another lesson learned: I cannot drink with college friends like I'm still in college. My body at 22 could handle the hangovers much better than at 32.

Anyone curious, excited, etc. about the upcoming movie, "The Polar Express"?? I'm looking forward to it. And it's showing in 3D at some IMAX theaters in the Chicago area. I think I'm gonna have to do that.

Write more soon...

A Sad Day in America

2004-11-03T11:19:00.000-06:00

... I guess I just don't get it. Obviously 3.5 million more Americans do? I don't understand how GWB got re-elected.

I am very disappointed, to say the least. Let's look:

- Over 1100 American Soldiers have died in Iraq. $100 Billion+ spent (and it will keep growing). Iraq has no WMD. Iraq has no ties to Al Queda. Why the fuck are we in Iraq?!

- Our economy sucks. It is much worse than four years ago. You can blame who/what you want, but it is the President's responsibility to make it better. And he hasn't.

- Church and State. GWB is a bible thumper, and I'm tired of it. Religion is a belief, NOT a fact. And that prick is constantly shoving it down our throats. I am spiritual, but do not have the belief in one God. Evolutionism is FACT, based on science, with physical evidence. Creationism is based on a BOOK.

- Environment. It's ironic that so many religious people vote for Bush, but Bush is the same man responsible for absolutely destroying what unbelievably beautiful untouched land we have left. He didn't sign the Kymoto agreement? What a jackass. You bible thumpers are strict about abortion, but don't a fuck when the President destroys the land that "God" created. Nice.

- Big corporation. Do I need say more? How many more lower class people are going to be punished by this moron now in the next 4 years.

- Stem cell research. Any of your loved ones have cancer, MS, paralyzed, etc? Kiss any hope of a cure goodbye, at least any time soon. Fuck face Bush is trying to limit the research of this unbelievable breakthru as much as he can. At least California has got it right. Might want to move there, if you want to live.

- Gay rights. Buh-bye. GWB is a pure homophobe.

- FCC/Freedom of speech. Whether you like Howard Stern or not, the fact that he has to goto satellite radio to continue to broadcast is downright scary. And now that Bush is re-elected, once again, it's only going to get worse. I will gladly pay $15 a month to Sirius to hear UNCENSORED broadcasts than to what Bush and his cronies are going to try and block.

There really is so, so much more. But I am tired. I stayed up almost all night watching the election results. At least Obama won in Illinois. He is going to be big, very big, in the future. One of the most intelligent, free-thinking men I have ever listened to. If we're looking for a first African-American president, he is it.

Now I have to wait to 2008 for the country to become better again. I don't know if I can.

Potpourri #1

2004-10-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well it's been a while since I updated, so I got a few tidbits here and there to put down.

As some of you may know, the Red Sox are going to the World Series. While I much rather see the Cubs there, if I had to choose another team, the Red Sox would be it. Probably because they share the same winless plight as the Cubs. It would be cool if the Red Sox won the Series this year, and Cubs finally pull it off next year. Two back-to-back underdogs winning it all.

Last night I was out with some co-workers, and one of them had their digital camera and got some fun pictures of us. I am thinking to myself, why don't I ever have my camera with me? I definately need to start taking more pictures. I bought this really nice digital camera (Camedia C750), 10x optical zoom, bought a 256MB memory card that can hold like 500-2000 pictures, and I've only used it a few times. It's definately something I need and will start using more often.

On another note, I think this blog here as we know it may be coming to an end. I would like to start another one, that while essentially a blog, also has some other stuff, such as a picture page, links, about me, etc... may even get my own domain name. I am always impressed by Yano's website , everytime I go there it inspires me more to do more than just this generic blog. I would include alot more photos, and gear it much more toward my friends and family than strangers. Plus, the name of my blog here wasn't the wisest of choices... obviously when I turn 33, the "32andlife2go" doesn't apply anymore. Maybe it can be something like "30somethingandlife2go"?? That's kinda long but maybe it'll work.

If anyone reading this knows of some creative, cool personal blog/websites, drop me a comment. I know there's alot out there but I've only found a few.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Fall is upon us.... then winter..then..blah.

2004-10-12T15:08:00.000-05:00

...yes, the days are getting shorter here in Chicago, and the leaves are almost gone. I really enjoy the fall season, the crisp air, the colors, and just the overall mood. In fact, I enjoy the first part of winter also, as I love snow and I love Christmas. The decor, the songs, the FOOD, the giving (and OK... the receiving isn't bad either), it's just a great time for family and friends.

..then a week later is New Years. Usually not a bad time either! Someone usually throws a party (even though they are getting smaller as we get older) and we get to see family and friends again.

..then... nothing. From the beginning of January until the first weeks of May is when Chicago enters a period of just crap weather. Sub-zero temps, Near-freezing temps, rain mixed with snow, snow mixed with rain, icy roads, wind, 5 foot snow drifts, then it all melts away and turns everything to mud, then it snows again a week later turning the mud into frozen brown chunks, salty roads, dirty cars, and...OK you get the picture. And what holidays do we have in this period of crap as relief? None, really. OK, Valentine's Day and Easter, I suppose. But Valentine's Day is only fun for those that have a significant other, otherwise this supposed holiday could actually be a bad day. Plus, I get no day off for it from work! Then Easter.. same deal. Only really a holiday for those religious folk, of which I am not really one. Plus again... no day off.

So basically from January 1st until May 31st (or whenever Memorial Day falls in 2005), we get no holidays, at least in my book. Plus, until the beginning of May, snow fall here in Chicago is still quite possible. And while I said I like snow, I do NOT enjoy snow when it melts or is mixed with rain, which is what happens the majority of the time in the months following February.

So if you see my mood turn a tad sour during these months, the weather may have a little to do with it. And while I don't believe I have that Seasonal Depression Disorder (or whatever it is called), it doesn't help much when I get to work in the dark and drive home in the dark, only to see the light of day from an occasional office window. I guess one thing good about this period: I do catch up on some movie watching, reading, and PC geeking (ie, video games, programming, etc).

What's strange is, despite my rant above, I would never want to live in an area where the climate never changes. The "period of crap" I described above does one thing: it makes you appreciate the spring, summer, and fall even more. So 3/4 of the year I'm pretty darned happy.

And even during that 1/4 part of the year that we call winter, nothing beats going out in a fresh snowfall, sledding down a neighborhood hill with family, then coming home to a cup of hot chocolate and sit by the fireplace. Ahhhhh....

Guys night out & the defense of Hooters

2004-10-07T09:11:00.000-05:00

... well last night I met up with some good friends for a long overdue guys night out. We had to do it during the week since everyone is so busy with family these days on the weekends.

After a way-too-long absence, last night I found myself at Hooters for the first time in almost 4 years.

First of all, let me defend the place we chose: I go to Hooters for the FOOD. Yes, they have skinny waitresses in tight shorts serving us, but that's what I consider the "icing on the cake". I would still love to go there even if our servers were big, fat hairy men. Here's a little secret to all women who refuse to go there: The food is GOOD. That's why, at least in my circle of friends, we go there. The wings are the best I can find, their curly fries are delish, and honestly the price can't be beat. And here's another little secret: It's not just MEN that go there. In fact, as I scanned the restaurant last night, I think a table of just men was the minority. There were several families there, with their kids, and several tables with nothing but just girls.

Anyways, here's what we had amongst four grown men: 50 hot wings (Three Mile Island), 20 buffalo shrimp (911 sauce), 7 sides of blue cheese, 3 bowls of curly fries, and 10...yes 10.. pitchers of beer. The only thing left after being there for 4 hours was 3 hot wings. Everything else - gone.

I'm not really bragging... I'm actually quite amazed myself. I'm not sure how much I contributed to the mass eating... but let's just say a) I got into work late this morning and b) I'm still not feeling too good. I can't imagine why?

Anyways time to detox the body. Nothing but water, fruit and veggies for me today!

Safety first

2004-10-05T20:17:00.000-05:00

An important quick read for men:

Scrotal Safety

Ugh

2004-10-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

...well, first off, as most people in the Chicagoland area know, Cubs blew it. Lost. Gone. Big time.

Sammy leaves the last game of the season before it's over. He said he left during the 7th inning. Security cameras show he left sometime during the 2nd inning. Sammy gets mad and wonders why there's security cameras filming him? Sammy also gets mad at Dusty Baker, saying Dusty blamed him for the Cubs horrendous finish to the season. I don't remember Dusty saying that?

Unforunately, what I remember most about the Cubs this year are the players' whining. Alou saying the umpires were "out to get him". Dusty getting mad at Steve Stone's comments after another loss (I heard Stone's comment, and agreed with Stone 100%). Sammy saying Dusty's out to get him. Various other players complaing about the media's comments.

Just shut it, will ya? You lost because you didn't play well. It's no one's fault but yours. As Stone said, you need to look in the mirror and quit blaming others.

OK, I'm done. I'll be back in April rooting for them once again, regardless. I just hope when they start losing again next year they blame no one but themselves.

And to top this all off, we lost Chip Carey as an announcer.

Oh and Bears got killed on Sunday.

I think I liked it better when I wasn't such a Chicago sports fan. Look at this - 2 posts in a row about Chicago sports! Eeeeek!!

Being a Chicago sports fan

2004-09-30T15:42:00.000-05:00

... I have to admit, about 7 or 8 years ago, I knew little about Chicago sports, with the slight exception of the Bears. I was a single guy, living in a bachelor pad with another bachelor, and we just always found things to do besides sitting in front of the TV watching sports. Even during the Bulls reign, the only games I really watched were the playoffs.

...then things started to slow down a bit. Slowly but surely my friends entered the married life, and despite what some people say, once you're married, your social life really does practically cease to exist. Due to this fact, I found myself spending more and more time in front of the TV, and while it's not very productive, I started to learn more about the Chicago teams, especially the Chicago Cubs. I had always been a Cubs fan, mainly because my family was, but didn't know much about them.

Anyways, I now know more about the Cubs that I probably need to. I have always rooted for them, but just like the Bulls, I really only watched the games toward the end of the season, if they had a chance (which often, they didn't). I'd say it wasn't until about 4 years ago that I really started watching games, from the beginning to the end of the season. I'd say this year, I've watched about 2/3 of the games on TV. And I've been to 10 games at Wrigley this year.

The Cubs are our only hope this year. Blackhawks stinks. Bears, now that Grossman is out, are gonna really stink. Bulls - oh my do they stink. White Sox - eh, who cares (hee hee) (but they stink too).

So here I am, watching the Cubs playoff chances slip away everytime they lose to crappy teams like the Mets and Reds. If Cubs don't make the playoffs this year, the 2004 Chicago season was a total wash for all sports.

(Sigh) The struggles us Chicago fans must go through. Hopefully 2005 turns out to be a better year - for any of the teams!

Wide world of blogging

2004-09-20T13:33:00.000-05:00

...man, this blogging stuff can be fun. It's becoming quite addicting to me; I've "met" some really cool people from reading their blogs. They don't really know me, and I really don't know them. But I learn a little bit about a lot of people every day. It's fascinating.

I really enjoy the blogs that are written by people who have taken big chances and are just living life. Alot of my favorites are from people who have packed their things up and moved to a new place, whether it be a new town, a new state, or most fascinating, a new country. They meet new people and have a new experience almost every day. It's something I wish I would have done (live somewhere else besides Chicago for a while before settling down), but alot of stuff happened to myself and my family just as me and a friend of mine were plotting our big move. Alas it never happened; so I try and see what it would have been like by reading these blogs. Obviously it's not nearly the same as actually doing it, but at least it gives me a taste of what it would have been like.

Hurricane Karl update:
The NOAA has determined that while I'm a strong hurricane, I'm never going to hit land. Unfortunately the memorable ones are the ones that do a lot of damage. I'm glad I didn't hurt anyone though. Those ships in the Atlantic better avoid me for a while though because I'm going to be a Cat 3 or 4 for the next couple of days.

Look at me, alone in the ocean...

2004-09-18T08:26:00.000-05:00

..well, I am now a nice strong hurricane, but all alone in the ocean. But hey, it's what I wanted! Well I guess really maybe I wanted to scare a few people by coming near land, but never actually getting there. But oh well!

Hurricane Karl and stuff

2004-09-16T09:02:00.000-05:00

...ok, sorry to sound excited. For those of you reading this and living in the US, you obviously are aware of the number of hurricanes that Florida and neighboring states have been hit by the past couple of weeks. They are quickly running through the alphabet for hurricane names. Well guess what the next hurricane will be called (if the tropical depression forms into one)? Hurricane Karl! Now I hope it doesn't hit the US or anything, but maybe just form into a cool hurricane and just hang out in the Atlantic for a while, and I can look at the satellite photos/radar and tell my friends, "Hey, that's me!".

Anyways, I hadn't updated this in a while. At first I was going to do this blog just as a kind of journal for myself, really not caring if anyone read it. I told quite a few of my friends about it, thinking they may visit every once in a while, maybe leave a comment or two. So far I don't think any of them are. It's not because they are doing it to be mean or anything. More so, it's because the majority of my friends aren't very...how do you say... internet "saavy"? When I said I had started a blog, most of them were like, "huh"? Anyways, guess it's just showing our age. I still say I am a very young 32. In fact, I was playing my electric guitar too loud last night and our neighbor (very politely, not in a mean way) asked if I could turn it down because his wife was sick and was trying to sleep. Of course I obliged, and he even commented that he liked the one song I was playing (although he couldn't name it). Wait til I get the drumset (I am already browsing - will probably buy one in the next month or two). Needless to say I'm going to have to figure out a way to soundproof the windows in the basement. We're getting a piano upstairs also, by Christmas time. I can't play the drums much at all, and the piano only a little, so it will definately be a learning experience. Better than sittin on my ass watching TV.

Time to get down to business

2004-08-30T14:42:00.000-05:00

...yea, I'm done screwin around. Well, not forever, but I'm going to do alot less of it. Sometimes I forget that I'm 32. There's alot that I should have gotten done that I haven't yet. Now I'm not sayin' I'm going to turn into Mr. Mature and act like most 32 year olds do - because that's downright scary. I'll still make plenty of time to have fun and be young, but I got to get stuff done first. Work first, play later. I've been doing it opposite.

I think one of the reasons I play first and work later is I'm afraid of becoming the typical 32 year old male. You know, the ones who spend their weekends trying to get the greenest lawn, the ones who take everything seriously, the ones who don't even know what channel MTV is, the ones who subscribe to Forbes instead of Playboy, the ones who find South Park offensive, the ones who love the suburbs and hate the city. F*ck that! I'm going to watch my MTV, I'm going to laugh my ass off at South Park, and I'm gonna go into the city and try new places to eat and explore. BUT ... gotta do the "mature" part also. I got to get a budget going - got to finish painting and furnishing my house - got to get more involved in family - got to start taking work more seriously (even tho I hate it! ...it pays the bills) - got to get my ass back into tip-top shape - got to lay off the beer. Phew! It's alot but as long as I balance having fun with getting stuff done I'm hoping it won't be as hard.

Anyways - well I'm here at work writing this, so in accordance with my "taking work more seriously" - hehehe - I better go. I'll report any significant accomplishments or setbacks in the coming months.

Hasta vagina! (sorry...that's immature.)

Ch-ch-ch-ch-check it out...

2004-08-19T14:10:00.000-05:00

...wha..wha..wha..what's it all about?

Beastie Boys rule.

Anyways, holy crap on a popsicle stick. I haven't updated this beeootch in 2 weeks. Sorry to my thousands of fans out there who have been checking this site on the hour for another update from me. I will try and do much better.

So tonight is the last night of my golf league through work. Shhhh don't tell anyone, but we're sneaking out of the office at least an hour early to get to the clubhouse for a couple of beers and to watch (hopefully) the Cubs take 2 out of 3 from Milwaukee. I feel kind of guilty for leaving early, but right now I'm "in between" projects and the powers that be still haven't figured out what I'm doing next. So I'm not really doing much right now anyways. Probably not good job security eh?

I need to get back to playing guitar. Ever since I've moved into my house, my guitar playing skills have diminished quite a bit, and my small collection of guitars have been collecting dust in the basement the past couple of months. A while back my dog pooped near them, and it was so long before we discovered the pile that it literally had become rock. I mean seriously, I could have sharpened up that rock-poo and make a decent arrow tip. So that goes to show how infrequently I wander near my guitars.

Well I should get back to work. I guess I should get a little bit done before I sneak outta here. Gooo Cubbies!

Diet Coke

2004-08-05T09:39:00.000-05:00

....eh, it's what I'm drinking right now and I couldn't think of a title. So there it is.

I guess right now I'm not quite as despair as I was in that last entry about my job. As I spend almost 90 minutes every day in the excellent fitness center they have, and as I leave at 4:00, I'm like, "this isn't so bad". And if I really, really wanted to, I could honestly change my career. It would mean school, probably selling my house and my G35, but hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. We'll see.

Did anyone see that Cubs game last night?? Man, if they play like that every night, we've locked the World Series. Unfortunately... they don't.

Bill Clinton was on Letterman on Tuesday night, unfortunately I was unaware of this and missed almost the whole interview. I think he was one of the greatest presidents in the 20th century. I bought his book, "My Life", but man is it long. I've gotten through the first 100 pages or so. So far it isn't very interesting, but once I get to the political stuff I bet it does.

I finally put my John Kerry bumper sticker on my SUV. I saw a few Bush stickers, and I'm like, why not. So far, I'd say 90% of the cars I see with the Bush stickers are a) Large American gas guzzlers, and/or b) they have one of those stupid religious fish symbols on the back also. Coincidence?

Howard Stern rules. If I could sit down for a lunch with Howard and Bill Clinton, my would that be a hoot. The conversation would be amazing.

Another week gone by

2004-07-30T10:20:00.000-05:00

...Geez do I hate my job right now. I know, I know, I should just be happy that I have a job. But this organization just sucks. It's so screwed up from all the reorgs we've had, just to get a simple thing done you have to go through like 5 people, and while you're waiting for them to get back to you, you just sit around in your little cubicle with your thumb up your butt.
I remember when I first started college I promised myself I would never end up with an office job. At first I wanted to major in music or art, or something to do with the environment, but my dad quickly nixed that, as my college funding would have been withdrawn, or at least severely limited. I considered sound engineering, which may or may not have worked out. I even got accepted to University of Illinois' Urban Planning school. I think I really should have done that. I may still have been in an office, but not 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. I should have gotten an Urban Planning degree with a minor in music. Hah! But no. I went with the most practical degree at the time. Computer science. Back in 1994 it was still kind of new. Elmhurst College had a very small CS department, and fairly limited resources (now, it's huge, in fact I think they have an entire building now for their IT/CS cirriculums). Anyways I graduated in 1994, and 2 months later I had a job. And I'm still at that job.
Blah, well anyways, maybe not all IT jobs are bad. But since I've been here since I graduated college I really have nothing to compare to. Does anyone actually like their IT job?

OK enough bitchin. It's Friday so at least I have the weekend to look forward to. Got no plans, however. Which actually isn't a bad thing. At first I was considering just getting stuff done around the house (which really needs to be done), but funk dat. I was thinking of maybe the Brookfield Zoo this weekend? Animals kick ass. And I haven't been there in like 5 years. And even though I ate like crap last night, I'll kick my ass at the fitness center today and probably go out tonight and eat like crap again. Sometimes a good workout justifies a good meal.

Garbage

2004-07-20T15:30:00.000-05:00

...before I moved to Geneva, I took something for granted at my previous home: garbage collection. Instead of these moronic (and expensive) garbage stickers where I live now, I just paid the garbage company about $25 every two months. And I could throw away anything - I mean anything.. and they'd pick it up. When we moved, we threw away chairs, shelves, rocks, bricks, sand, wood, yard waste, you name it. Two weeks in a row, I think our garbage stash at the end of the driveway was at least 15' by 15'. And when I came home from work, it would be all gone. All of it.

Well now, we need these garbage stickers, at $1.95 a pop, to throw away trash. Each sticker can go onto a 30 gallon can. So each week, that's at least $4 for just 2 cans. Sometimes we have more garbage than just 2 cans, so add on another $2. If we have yard waste, each bag is $2. If we have anything at all special to throw away (like old furniture) - that is a $25 charge, and you must arrange for a special pickup. Cardboard has to be cut into 2x2 squares or else they won't take it for recycling (you know how long it took me to cut up about 50 moving boxes into 2x2 squares?! I went thru 3 or 4 utility knives, and several blisters, before I was done!) . And we must separate our glass from paper.

So in summary, I'm paying about $50 every two months now (and that's a low-end figure), must cut cardboard almost every week, and if I ever have anything large to throw away, add on another $25. What a load of crap. How come Geneva can't use the same company where I used to live?? My old home is only about 15 miles away. I swear some local Geneva politicians are getting greased, big time, to pick this so-called company. It's more like a mob.

Anyways, on a not-so-brighter note, I have to go to the DMV today to get my license changed. I can only imagine how long and slow the line is going to be.

It's only Tuesday. I am looking forward to some beer this weekend, that is for sure.

FOX News Sucks

2004-07-17T21:54:00.000-05:00

... I guess I could come up with a more intelligent title, but oh well. It gets attention I guess, to the millions of readers I have.

I recently watched a movie called "OutFoxed". It wasn't a political movie it terms of Republicans versus Democrats, but a movie showing how one sided (right-sided, ie, Republican) that Fox News is.

I could sit hear and preach about "Farheneit 9/11", but I can already tell that alot... I mean alot... of people are afraid to see it. Not sure why. Even if it IS one sided, you still can leave the theater with your own opinion. An anonymous person I know said, loosely translated, "Why should I go see Farheneit 9/11, which is so one-sided, I can get the real information from the news".

Wrong. Well, wrong at least if your news source is Fox News. Even if you take out ALL the interviews in the "OutFoxed" movie, you CANNOT deny the hundreds of clips it has of the FOX News Network. And the clips are downright scary. They are so right-wing, one-sided.

If FOX News would claim they are the "Republican Network", then I guess I wouldn't be so mad. But, get this - their motto is "Fair & Balanced" News. It is not, and this 1 hour documentary clearly proves it.

Anyways, I'm pissed, I will never watch FOX News again, and I'm hoping the 2 or so people who might be checking this blog out every week will at least take this information to note.

And if anyone wants to borrow the movie, please let me know. I ended up buying it.

Sicky poo poo

2004-07-14T12:56:00.000-05:00

...holy crapolee on a stick, I feel like roadkill. After a status meeting yesterday at work, I started to feel extremely sick, and next thing I know I'm hurling in the corporate bathroom. Not to mention some dude was droppin' the Cosby's off in the next stall. It was a horrible experience.

So, I am home today, I don't feel like complete roadkill, but feel I may hurl at any moment. Being sick sucks. I don't like my job, but I'll take a healthy day at work over a sick day at home anytime.

Go see Farhenheit 9/11. Regardless of your political stance, it is probably the most important movie I've ever seen in my life.

Time to go dry heave over the toilet. Good times!

Back to reality....

2004-07-12T09:22:00.000-05:00

.. my vacation could only last so long. I am back in the office now, working for the man. What's scary is I was gone for a week and it only took 30 minutes to go through all my email and voice mail. I guess I'm not as important as I thought.

Speaking of work, I got a letter from the CEO of the company congratulating me for 10 years of service. I can't believe I've been here for 10 years. I still remember my first day of work, driving from my P's house in Lisle in my shiny new Ford Probe that I bought right after I found out I got the job.... sigh... how time flies. What's sad is, I'm actually thinking, if I can only stay here for another 20 years, I can retire at around 52. Is it worth staying at a job for 30 years that you don't like just to retire a little early?? I'll probably be dead before 52, anyways.

Crap, it's Tuesday

2004-07-06T07:13:00.000-05:00

...but not crap for me, cuz I'm on v-a-c-a-t-i-o-n! Just had to rub that in. I don't have to enter my prison, er office, until next Monday.

Yesterday was our annual road trip to Miller Park in Milwaukee to watch the Cubs play. Unfortunately they lost, 1-0. Not only was it a loss, but an extremely boring game to watch. Luckily the post-gate (note: not pre-gate) tailgate party was alot of fun. Hey, if you ever go up to Miller Park, don't take the Miller Park Entrance on 43, take 41 when it splits and turn on Blue Mound Road. You will love me for it.

Might be going to Michigan later this week, still haven't called the grandma to see if it's OK. I know I'm gonna get the guilt trip laid into me since I haven't called her in a while, so I'm not looking forward to the call. Oh well.

Anyways, enjoy your day. As all you suckas work today, I'll be chillin out on my back deck enjoying a cold one without a care in the world.

Cubs win!

2004-07-02T18:46:00.000-05:00

... sorry just had to say that. I'm just happy they one, it's an extra bonus is was against the White Trash Sox. Oh my, I just spelled "won" as "one". Now that's white trash.

I golfed a *40* last night for 9 holes. Best in my life, no foot wedges, mulligans, nothin, just pure golf. I'll cheat when I'm golfing with my buddies, but during the league I really wanna see if I'm improving or not, so I count every stroke. I was on fire. Can you say.... "White Tiger"?

Tonight I'm meeting my sis and b/f for a mini-pub crawl in St. Charles. I live just a few miles from there but never really checked out what they have to offer. I know they got like 15 bars in about 4 blocks. Not bad for a "suburb" of Chicago.

Well since no one is reading this, I better go. Peace out, no one.

Arcada

2004-07-01T14:09:00.000-05:00

Well for all of you (if anyone is even readin this?!) who guessed I went out drinkin, wrong!! I went and saw "This Old Cub" at Arcada Theatre.

OK, first about the theatre. I think it's the coolest one I've ever been in. It's converted from a stage theatre to a movie one. Actually, not even; some nights they have plays and bands. Anyways, it was built in the very early 1900's, and they kept it all the same, with renovations of course. It reminds me of a smaller version of the Chicago Theater, if you've ever been there. Anyways, I am definately going to be seeings ALOT more movies there. $4 admission, $3 for a HUGE, freshly popped butter popcorn, and...here's the kicker... $3 20 oz. beers!! Yes, they serve beer, liquour, and wine on shows on Tues, Thurs, and Friday nights. But because we saw a Wednesday show, no beer available.

As for the movie, I enjoyed it, but I must admit you should at least be a baseball fan, better yet a Cubs fan, to really enjoy the movie. I tell you what, though, I respect Ron Santo even more now, and cannot believe he has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame yet.

Anyways, tonight is our golf league through work, and the weather looks good. Unfortunately it looks like we're screwed the rest of the weekend, most weatherdudes are callin for thunderstorms from Friday thru Monday. Go figure. I hate Chicago weather.

Wednesday is PRP night

2004-06-30T16:23:00.000-05:00

...what is PRP, you ask? It is Penny Road Pub, the premier establishment in Hoffman Estates where you can find several of my co-workers guzzling down $1.50 beers after work. Once again my they are trying to persuade me to go. I'm in a bind, though, because I would also like to see "This Old Cub" at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles before it leaves on July 1. "This Old Cub" is a documentary about Ron Santos, a great ballplayer who struggled is who life with diabetes. He currently does the broadcasts for WGN radio.

Anyways, I have about 10 minutes to make my decision. I'll let you know what choice I made tomorrow. Any bets?

Intro

2004-06-29T15:23:00.000-05:00

Well I am starting one of these. They are all over the place and I have become accustomed to reading a few every day, and kept thinking about what I would say if I had one. Well now I do.

I wasn't sure if I should tell my friends and family about it, but I decided I will; I will just have to be more careful as to what I say. I think it would be great if some others of you started one up. It's free and fairly easy. We are so busy these days it would be a great to keep up with what's going on with each other.

Anyways, this was the intro. I intend to update this at least a few times a week, so stop on by whenever you are bored and want to know what the hell is going on with Karl's life.