Big Night

Latvia Part 1 – The History Lesson

2011-08-11T17:27:00.011-06:00

We rolled into town trying to loosen our load, leaving smiles and hearts intact. Riga, Latvia was the ultimate destination of our trip but what’s sponge cake without strawberries and whipped cream? So far we had a lot of the sweetness you crave but now we were about to experience the substance that builds a lifetime of friendships.

Departing our bus after a sleepy 4 hour trip we found ourselves in the middle of Riga during rush hour. A bustling lively city that initially looked like the dreary cold war city that my friend Aaron had described for so many years, “Watch your back dude” “Don’t talk to strangers dude, they could be the Russian Mob” “Have you ever seen a man beat down right in front of you and you just have to cross the street and keep looking forward” Needless to say I was on guard for running into the worst but fortunately I was pleasantly surprised and relieved about the city.

We made our way to a sushi bar and ordered food & drink while we waited for our friends to arrive from the wedding rehearsal. See, the reason for the trip was to see my close college friend Aaron marry his longtime girlfriend Sabine. I’ve known Aaron for about 14 years. He was the first friend I had at Mizzou and despite him moving to two cities and half way around the world we still remain good friends. He’s someone I look up to and I appreciate his advice – even his bad advice – because I know he means well. After a few more hours recapping stories about festivals, flights and acquaintances we headed off to our lodging for the night. The wedding was 3 days away and most of Aaron’s family flew over as well as a host of friends. I will say he and Sabine have a way of connecting with people.

Latvia sits on the Baltic Sea. I was told the best time to visit Riga was in the summer because the weather is beautiful and you can make a 20 min trek to the beach. Now I’m not much of a beach comber and I think my people got enough sun somewhere along the way, so I don’t have to tan, but I do enjoy hanging out and putting my toes in the water. And who can pass up wading in a new body of water? Chris and I headed up to Jurmala (pronounced Your-meh-lah) for our day at the beach. Our first stop was a hookah bar where we sipped drinks and smoked Double Apple tobacco as our Ukrainian server showed us his scars due to too much arm wrestling. Raise your hand if you knew arm wrestling was one of the top sports in the Ukraine… Liar! Put your hand down. No one knows that outside of the Ukraine.

We headed down the beach and posted up at a picnic table watching families play in the sand and people (in those euro bathing suits) play volleyball while old ships sailed in the distance. Finally we decided to cool off in what looked to be perfectly normal sea water. When the guy a little ways away looked at me while I slowly inched my way into the water up to my waist shouted, “Icebergs!” while pointing off into the distance, I knew this would be a onetime event that day. After we made it to shore and talked in French with a Parisienne-Russian about the concentration of oil rich Russians on the beach, we had drinks at the Havana Club bar where Chris gave our server the option of choosing her tip based on the different currency laid out on the bar; which seems simple enough, only if you know the going exchange rates for 8 different currencies.

The next day we spent exploring Riga. The city has so much to offer in terms of churches, historical buildings and history. One such place that reflects on the country’s history is the Occupation Museum. The exhibits tell the story of pre and post war era of occupied Latvia. It depicts the occupation by the Russians and the subsequent invasion by the Germans. With great detail the stories were told of the hope native Latvians had for the Germans. Hoping they were coming to be their liberator from Russian rule. They soon realized they were trading one occupier for another. The life size model of the shanty living quarters brought to life the horrific mental & physical living conditions many Latvian were forced to live in for being accused dissenters of German rule.

Many Latvians fled to other parts of the world during the war. After the war and during the Russian occupation many were sent to live in camps in Siberia and other parts of Russia. Imagine holding on to your identity on the inside and in your home while every other part of your life was changed to reflect the ideals of your oppressor. For a people to not be able to celebrate their heritage and be forced to adopt a 2 different languages and cultures for over 50 years is unimaginable to me.

As I was walking through the exhibits I began to realize and appreciate how blessed I am to live in a time and a place where I have the freedom to do anything I can dream. Later, as we walked through the city I had a new respect for the people and the struggle they went through to obtain their liberation.

Part two will be coming shortly..

Click here for pictures.

Ciao Ciao,

Andre

Vilnius sounds like Thelonious

2011-07-31T15:32:00.016-06:00

We rolled into the city like a pair of grifters ready to take what the city offered whether it was ready for us or not. It was a Sunday afternoon and the summer sun was shining bright. After three days in Amsterdam, Vilnius was exactly what we needed.

You may ask what does a city who's history includes wars, occupations, and a love for basketball have to do with one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time? Simple; both were misunderstood, co-oped by others, but they are both rich and full of culture. And much like Monk's jazz contains beautiful harmonious notes that will bring most music aficionados to their knees, Vilnius contains some of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. And not just one or two, the entire city is chock full of them. Secret is out now. Go see for yourself.

Vilnius was a sleepy oddly picturesque city. It had the feel of both Western and Eastern Europe; A carefree attitude with it's bustling cafe's and street musicians, but with grim reminders of its not so distant occupied past. The buildings in old town were beautifully painted and complemented the cobblestone streets. Although we spent most of our time in the old town city center we did discover the city extended far beyond the confines of the Ramada Inn and the Gediminas Tower.

After checking into our hotel we made our way down to the bar. It was a Sunday and still quite light out so we didn't expect it to be bustling. It is here where we met our unofficial guides to Vilnius - Jovita, Tomas and silent Tomas. They were the server, bartender and cook of our bar, California tapas and wine, and were not only helpful about places we should go and visit but also with serving up humor and being genuinely friendly.

Having been a bartender I know every bar has at least one person who just hangs around more often than not. Not like regulars who come in, order a drink, leave a generous tip and who you look forward to seeing next time. No, I mean the guy who is bored, with too much knowledge about the world, isn't funny and looks to make new friends with unsuspecting out of towners. Oh to be so lucky to meet that guy. Nadar had us at Hello and it was WTF ever since. He was harmless and just wanted a friend to help him hook up at the local (and only) nightclub and fortunately Chris is a very generous soul. I wasn't there but when you get a chance you should ask Mr. Goodwin about our little friend.

After a couple of days we met up with our "official" hosts who were so gracious to take time out of their busy schedules to show us around town at night. Monika and Lina (friends of friends back in KC) met up with us at California tapas and wine, and we headed over to Mojitos. This is where we learned Monika was Lina's boss and "forced" her to come out and meet us. After she explained Monika was paying her overtime for this excursion and basically hated her boss, Monika, we all laughed and made our way through town. The walking tour of old town was great because they pointed out the major landmarks such as the tower of Cathedral Square & Vilnius University, as well as the must see items to tour during the day, Gediminas Tower. Meeting with friends (and friends of friends) was one of the best parts of the trip overall. The warmth and openess they shared with us offered a deeper diminsion to a city especially since I didn't know much about where we were visiting. You gain a perspective you wouldn't necessarily have if we were solely relying on our foreign eyes.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the new friends we made after our "official" hosts left. We made our way down to the Applebees of Eastern Europe, Cili Pica for a bite to eat and drink and for some reason we were spotted again by two guys sitting next to us as being American. One guy was completely drunk and his buddy was well on his way but much more calm and explained what the drunk guy kept slurring to us. This of course led to a bunch of "I love America." and "we are all brothers" and "this is what and where you should eat" etc. etc. Meanwhile the other people in the restaurant didn't appreciate our table raising the decible levels to near yelling. So much so a Brit took it upon himself to offer his help. Our Lithuanian friends didn't so much appreciate this (where were the British when they really needed help against Stalin?) but were quelled with more beer and assurances from us that everything was fine. We then moved our party to Vilnius's Hottest Spot Salento Disco Club.

The Salento experience is something not hard to describe: decent Eurobeats, people dancing, stripper poles, neon lights, oh and fat old men with their shirts unbuttoned. Now aside from the two girls who I'm sure thought we were basketball players or something from the way they ran over and toasted us, it was decidedly funny. We ran into several people who recognized us; from people we met on our day trip to Trakai to other people who work around town. And although we weren't celebrities it felt like it for a moment.

Our last night took us into unfamiliar territory. A bar of all places. Well a Kereoke bar. It's funny when people from other countries sing American songs with no accents whatsoever but have the most broken english in a normal conversation. We ended up meeting this older English fella who proved to be funny and quirky. We ended up drinking beers well into the night talking politics, economy and people. I'm not sure if the booze got to him but he definitely felt it was a special moment to meet two Americans and make a connection unexpectedly. But then again, I suppose I felt the same way.

Click here for pics!

Amsterdam Damn Damn James...

2011-07-29T16:21:00.013-06:00

What happens when you combine 2 fun loving individuals, 4 countries, and 14 days? More laughter, drinks, and great times than anyone can remember. Thank God for pictures. Chris Goodwin and I embarked on an amazing trip that included not only hookers and blow (more on that later) but plenty of bizarre and random encounters that will be remembered for a lifetime.

Our trip started in normal All Star fashion by running into an old dear colleague at the airport. Mr. Payton Kelly, of Boulevard artistic fame, was also flying overseas to meet up with his wife Brit in Germany and we all happened to be on the same flight. When we arrived in Philly for our connecting flight the first thing on our minds was CHEESESTEAKS!

We had a 5 hour layover so we said fuck it and jumped in a cab, with a cabbie we barely understood who's only concern was that we "took care of him," to head down to South Philly to sample the legendary Philly Cheesesteaks of "Pat's King of Steaks" and "Geno's Steaks." These two places sit across from each other so aside for the cab ride from and to the airport it was a no brainer. (Note: Don't try this unless you don't care about cost or time)

We both heard about the rivalry and we had dem boteths and through much discussion and spilling cheese wiz in the back seat of this cab it was decided, although it was close, that Geno's wins! The onions on the Pat's sub proved to be the downfall. But I'm willing to take the challenge again if it arises.

Ask me over a beer about the "Jersey Shore" guy washing his car on the street just before it was about to rain. Gotta love Philly.

Eight hours later we arrive in Amsterdam. It was time to explore and see what this city has to offer. One of the first symbols I saw was XXX. Now the first thing that springs to mind is what it stands for in America, but it actually represents Valiant, Steadfast, Compassionate - on the coat of arms of Amsterdam. Ironic for a city known for its Red Light District (RLD). After souvenir shopping we made our way over to grab a bite to eat and see what this RLD was all about. WOW. If you haven't ever been it is definitely something everyone should experience. It's the closet thing to Babylon I can imagine. But the funny thing is once the initial shock is over it's no big deal. From the coffee shops to the women standing in the windows it became background noise to really finding things of interest.

I would say one of the best things to see was the Vincent Van Gogh museum. It was inspiring, historical and a reminder that even in his short life of 37 years he was able to change the world through his work. His paintings as well as those that influenced him were absolutely amazing. To see the work of someone with so much vision, focus, and discipline calls into question what we do in our daily work lives and if we are putting forth the effort to leave the world with such a lasting impression. My curiosity actually wandered to the people that supported him during his painting years, particularly his brother Theo who (in my opinion) bankrolled him and allowed him to create in such a way, with the freedom needed to fully express himself the way he did. Of all the paintings in the gallery there was only one of his brother. The brothers looked so similar it was mistaken to be a self portrait of Vincent originally.

Our day took a turn from art of painting to the art of brewing at the Heineken Experience. - I'll sum it up in 1 word: Marketing. It was great to see the converted working brewery into a walking brewery tour. It was worth seeing but my beer snobbery didn't appreciate it like most would.

The last day in Amsterdam we headed over to the Anne Frank Huis. There aren't words to describe the feeling knowing you are walking through the same space that an entire family lived for 2 years in fear of being discovered. Not being able to go outside and to live in silence everyday during the day because a business operated below you sounds like a living hell.

To lighten our afternoon we took a stroll over to a cafe and began day drinking and coffee shop hopping. High quality beers and meeting Americans/Brits/South Africans/Californians we made the most of our last day and night in Amsterdam.

More to come.

Click here for pics!

Ciao Ciao

Cat's in the Cradle and the Silver Spoon

2010-11-08T22:31:00.002-06:00

Little boy blue and the man on the moon, when you comin home son, I don't know when, but we'll get together then, you know we'll have a good time then.."

Harry Chapin had his finger on something when he wrote that song. He captured the picture of time passing by and those in your life missing important moments but expecting to have those moments in the future. I'm writing remotely tonight from my Mom's office. When I'm able to come home and spend time talking with my Mom it's always good. It's an interesting relationship. We get older and our relationship has matured some but there is a bond nothing like a mother and her son. "Hi Mom!"

Tonight's blog is brought to you by the letter R. Rambling, remembrance, revolt, rebirth, rumbling, etc. All of these seem to happen at once for me. This year has brought a lot of rambling and rebirth. If I was to take the year and condense it into the major highlights it would be a pretty good reel. A little bit of rambling and rumbling through different cities around the country. A couple of rebirthing experiences with graduation, Grand Canyon Hikes. A little bit of remodeling. Hey throw in a railroad engineer for Halloween and that's a lot of R's. The most elusive and probably the most important is reflection. I've been reflecting a lot this year. Looking in the mirror and looking inward to not only shine as the best person I could be but to also represent Andre in the best way possible. It's tough facing some things you aren't proud of but admitting who you are and working towards being better is what counts.

I told those kids in London 2 years ago something I still think holds true. Look everyone in the eye and have a firm handshake, Be true to yourself, and learn how to dance. They are simple concepts but they hold true for so many reasons.

i know it's a short blog but now I have to run.

Ciao Ciao

Second Wind

2010-02-15T23:13:00.002-06:00

As with most times you are under pressure you look in the mirror, dig deep and look for inspiration to keep you motivated. I'm in a pressure cooker right now but somehow I find a way to maintain a sense of control.

I've taken on a lot this semester. Two classes that are very time consuming, training for a triathlon and heading into busy season at work with some very tight deadlines. On top of that trying to maintain a presence in the community charitiable and socially. I'm officially busy. I would have to say this is definitely a growth period. A time to see what mustard I am made of. I've gone through periods of not being able to handle it and have come out all right. I read yesterday Nietzsche's quote what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I can see how it's true but it also makes you weary.

I'm taking a corporate social responsibility class and it's having me examine my values. What were the clear touchpoints in my life where I was faced with an ethical choice that challenged my values. One thing I learned this weekend is no matter how much time passes and the world evolves you can't escape your past. It is a part of who you are. I've made some bad value judgements. It's time to learn from them so they aren't repeated. It's also time to leave the past in it's place and make room for the future. As Ryan Bingham said in the movie Up In the Air, "What's in your backpack?"

Ciao Ciao

Par For The Course

2010-02-02T00:09:00.002-06:00

Serenity Now! 2010 and all's well.. Well until you pick that scab off and realize that underneath there is a bleeding nearly infectious wound protected only by the scab you just peeled off. The lesson? Leave well enough alone and don't let curiosity give you gangrene.

Tonight's letter is G for giving a shit. What happens when someone you hang out with doesn't show up to a scheduled event nor return phone calls or text messages for several days? I'll tell you what! You get concerned! It's amazing the lengths you would go through to reach someone and the fear surrounding the unknown. After repeated attempts to get a hold of this person even driving by their house, you leave well enough alone cause you think they are just laying low but they then still don't answer after a couple more days then you want to break the door down and expect to see them lying in a pool of their own blood and the place ransacked. Again, fear and imagination can really play tricks on your mind. Needless to say a bunch of us gave a shit and we all can breathe a sigh of relief - but like the balloon boy's parents, he's "got some 'splainin to do."

Fear can be paralyzing. Being unsure of the next step, not wanting to make a decision for fear it could be the wrong one. Or what I've seen more of lately is not making a decision because you just don't have one in front of you. I think there are two actions that must happen to keep moving forward - trust your gut and get as much information as you can before making a move. Both may seem mutually exclusive but since we live in a dynamic world they definitely can happen at the same time. That's how I think many leaders move forward. Right foot in front of the left. Now Move.

Spring Test / In Loving Memory of Tom Rundell

2009-05-17T22:45:00.005-06:00

Now you are probably used to me making an observation or a funny quip about an occurance that has happend recently but no sir you are wrong this time. My blog tonight is just a test run. Testing my ability to commit myself once again to writing. Testing my once resolute resolve to write whatever came to my mind.

Back to the days of when I lived in a basement and the thought of the "internet" and connectivity was just for those people in the army and NASA. Pen and paper and actual letters was all we had back in 1992. I would wait with bated breath for that one scented letter to arrive from my sweetheart and I would read it over and over... then I would call her and run up a $400 phone bill.

A very important event did happen today that I believe does deserve some attention.

Today one of life's inevitable occurances happend. I went to the wake of Tom Rundell. Tom was married to Mimi, my adopted grandmother of Shawn Mikulich. Shawn and I have been friends since 4th grade and I have adopted just about every member of his family as my own. Mimi and Tom were married for 27 years and were very happy together. She is one of the sweetest people I know who holds onto her traditions and values. Her French accent is unmistakable and still speaks it I believe with her daughter Linda. Tom was very loved and will be sorely missed by his family and myself. May you rest in peace.

Andre

"Buddy" is one step down from "Chief"

2008-08-18T23:24:00.006-06:00

Guys, Have you ever been in a bar and somebody calls you Buddy? Like, "Hey Buddy, stop dancing on the bar." or "Tell your passed out Buddy he can't sleep in here.." Now juxtapose Buddy with someone who calls you Chief. "Hey Chief, stop dancing on the bar." or "Tell Chief over there unless he wants to own a used Golden Tee machine he should stop banging on it." See the difference?

Tonight Sheri, Tom, and I had a run in with a Chief at John's Upper Deck. This 250 lb guy (note the little 'g') was soo drunk and out of control he yelled at the bartender for another drink, fell down and managed to get his pants down around his ankles before anyone could get him up and out of the bar. Somehow his Buddies got this guy down 2 flights of stairs and onto a bench outside of the bar and left him there. Now he wasn't passed out, in fact he was holding a conversation with some random Buddy. I don't know what they were discussing but I can guarantee it didn't have anything to do with hygiene, alcoholism, or the belt he should have been wearing.

This is a mixed blog so bear with me during the subject changes.

A HUGE shout out goes to all of my girls who competed and completed in their first triathlon on Saturday August 9th. The WIN for KC Women's Triathlon was held at Smithville lake and 10 wonderful ladies I'm proud to call my friends entered. Mother Nature herself couldn't have asked for more perfect weather conditions, with clouds to cover the sun and a cool temperature to keep spectators and athletes alike comfortable. I'll let the pictures tell the story.Click here to see the pics.

"Welcome to Will Rogers World Airport, enjoy your stay!"

I went to Oklahoma City for work a couple of weeks ago. It was my first time to the city and I must say I was mildly surprised. It's hard to get a feel for a city when you are just visiting for a short period and you have no residents showing you around. But OKC was nice. A revitalization effort is continuing downtown and there is much hubub about the NBA team the Seattle Super Sonics moving to this sleepy Midwestern town. Rumor has it the name is changing to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The area of rebirth is called Bricktown. There are new shops, a minor league baseball stadium paying hommage to Micky Mantle, a river walk, as well as plenty of bars and restaurants. I'm not sure how or who initiated the revitalization but it was interesting to note the differences in their efforts compared to what Kansas City is doing. OKC isn't perfect but neither is KC. We can learn from each other.
Until next time...

Ciao Ciao

London Calling

2008-07-31T21:32:00.007-06:00

My first trip to London. Honestly it wasn't on the top of my lists to visit. In fact it may not even be in the top five (France, Kenya, Latvia, Montreal, Colombia) Nova Scotia was ranking up there as well. At any rate it was a country I wanted to visit someday so better sooner than never right?!

The purpose? To see my good friend Ted get married to the lovely Laura. Since this had to be done the proper way - of course the wedding would be in England. Ashwell to be precise and what a perfect day it was for to people to be united in matrimony. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I arrived in London on Thursday July 24th and almost immediately went to see some of the sights and grab a pint. I had 6 hours to kill before booking it out to Royston where I was staying. Piccadilly Circus was the first stop. Frommers describes it as the "Heart and Soul of London" with all of the traffic it's definitely a circus and all of the people flocked on the statue of Euros are the pigeons. After catching a few more sights I had my first pint of Fuller's London Pride. Warm and right out of a beer engine, the way it should be. After having some to the worst fish and chips in the entire world I struck out to find my inn in Royston.

The next day was the wedding. Perfectly set at the Swiss Garden in Ashwell with it's ornate gazebo and peacocks roaming the grounds. After the ceremony we headed to a mini reception where I had the most fabulous English drink in the world. Pimms and lemonade. If you haven't had it I suggest getting one immediately. No I mean right now. My blog isn't going anywhere so head on out and get yourself to a fine establishment that serves Pimms.... Ok now that you've tried it, you know what I'm talking about. Mmm mmm good. Between that and meeting Laura's cousins Lidia and Helena I was having a ball. The rest of the night was filled with me giving advice to four kids and carrying a bottle of champagne filling drinks and making merriment. Now let it be known what I told the kids was the truth - 3 things they should remember as they get older; Look someone in the eye & give a firm handshake; follow your heart and be true to yourself; and learn how to dance. The night ended at the inn with the bottle of champagne and a couple who were at a different wedding laughing until the wee hours of the morning.

Saturday night in London. Soho district. about 20,000 people in the streets and bars and it was almost as much fun just walking on the street watching people as it was paying 5 GBP ($10) for a pint of beer. Gay, Straight, Bums, Clubbers, Teenagers, Cops you name it we saw it. In fact we even saw a British beatdown. 2 on 3. It was quite comical to see these small skinny guys throwing punches at one another. Kinda like watching midget tossing - lots of flailing around but no one's really getting hurt.

A word to the wise, if someone in London tells you, "Oh it's only a 20 min walk tops to get there," they don't know what they are talking about. The walk from Soho back to our rooms at the Latvian House was 1.5 hours. Fuckers.

The last day was spent sightseeing (look kids Big Ben, Parliament). I headed to the Tower of London and took a boat ride down to Westminster Abby, followed by a walk to Buckingham Palace. No sightings of Royalty, just a nice Sunday stroll taking in the sights.

Until next time Click here to see the pics.

Ciao Ciao

Tri-it!

2008-07-20T22:26:00.004-06:00

The first thing I will say is that everyone can do a triathlon. You don't have to be young, super fit, or even really athletic to do one. Just determination to finish is all you really need. That being said, Tom, my cohort in this excursion to push myself, as well as Lori, our gracious host for two days, were making jokes about actually doing this the entire way to Lawrence on Saturday. Tom's sisters were poking fun at the length (Sprint course consisting of 500 meter swim, 11.4 mile bike ride, 3.1 mile run in that order). Where they come from they call those distances for a triathlon a "Try It."

Disaster almost struck as we were driving to Lawrence and Tom's bike started to fall off the bike rack and taste I-70 the hard way. Fortunately we were able to readjust and move forward. We stayed with Lori's mom Vikki and loaded up on carbs that night for dinner.

Neither one of us slept very well. I was up at 4am and then back to sleep and Tom said pretty much the same thing. I didn't ever think pre-night jitters would get ahold of me but I guess I was wrong.

Before the race started our friends Sheri, Mary, and Shawn all showed up to cheer us on. It was nice to see some smiling faces and welcome cheers.

The pictures tell the story much better than I could ever write but the highlights were when we were:

1. Driving to the site I told Tom I had an out because black people don't do triathlons. We don't. It was confirmed.

2. There is a stuff called Gu (ironically it rhymes with pooh), which we were told would give us the caloric and energy boost we needed during the tri if we ever started to feel run down. Well it worked but this thick viscous substance inching down your throat as you are "running" to the next stage needs some serious reformulation.

3. When people are passing you either in the same direction as you or coming back and they say "good job," they aren't talking to you. They are really saying, "I'm ahead of the fat kid..." to themselves and all you hear is "...good job!"

4. It is a humbling experience to have a 65 year old man basically beat you to the finish line by 3 miles... in a 3.1 mile run. It is equally humbling to say to yourself, "this 12 year old girl is not going to beat me biking up this hill..." and not only does she beat you but after two strong peddles you start crying like a 12 year old girl.

All said and done I am very happy for every one's support during all of this training and well wishes during and after it all. It was tremendous encouragement to help me finish my first (and there will be another) triathlon.

Until next time... Enjoy the pics!

Seahawkin

2007-06-04T21:57:00.000-06:00

After taking a trip up to the space needle Mo and I headed to one of the grungiest bars I've ever been to The 5 Point. Now with me still in my 'respect others' T-shirt we walk through the door only to find a eight construction workers sitting at the bar. I swear (at least in my mind) the music came to a screeching halt and beer was being spilled in mid drink when we walked through the saloon doors. It was so quiet you could hear a church mouse fart. I told Mo just to head to the bar and no funny business about my shirt. Eventually the victrola started up again and the normal din of conversation and music drowned out the thought of a total beat down.

Later we decided to get gussied up and head to a bar called the Red Door. Think Granfalloon but darker and hip. Brian met up with us and after talking a bit and watching all of the "meat" walk by, I finally asked the waitress where all of the black people were. She informed us they were in South Seattle or closer to Tacoma. Disappointed we left and went to a different bar. The highlight came when we went to a bar called Brouwer's Cafe. With over 100 beers and some great Belgian brews I fell in love instantly. There were a couple of lesbians that didn't appreciate me snapping pictures like a regular Jimmy Olsen, but I didn't care because I was on vacation.

When the night was said and done Mo and I took a cab back downtown and ended up back at the 5 Point aka "the saloon" where the music stopped. But this time the atmosphere had changed. Filled with musicians and artist types we ordered food. Hands down one of the best club sandwiches to date.

The last day was filled with cheese from the Seattle Cheese festival. Great Pinot Gouda, Blue cheese, and more goat cheese than I ever wanted to eat. We then decided to go to Georgetown which is in South Seattle. I guess the waitress wasn't lying because as soon as we get there we run across a Black motorcycle club. It was crazy. Like 20-30 Harley's lined up with all of these Black men and women dressed in black and orange. It was way boss. We then hit up this record store playing old soul classics. Very cool. We then decided to have a drink at Jules Maes Saloon; one of the oldest bars in Seattle. We met up with some transplants and had a pleasant time talking with the bartenders, one of which - I had to tell her, was the most captivating woman I had seen since I'd arrived in town. Classy.

The night was a party at Brian E.'s place. Mo and I met his roomates and hung out by the fire. I of course got a little tipsy and said somethings that I shouldn't have but hey, I'm was on vacation.

Here are the last two sets of pics. 1 and 2 . Enjoy.

Seattle Supersonic

2007-05-21T23:10:00.000-06:00

I had a camera by my side this time and I did see the world with both my eyes, but I will still lose my way with words....

Last Wednesday night marked the beginning of a 4 day vacation, one filled with gastronomical delights and cool merriment in the very green upper-Midwest. I decided to begin my vacation at The Brick with a big greasy cheeseburger. This gave me the inspiration to document everything I ate with a picture. Given there is nothing but good food in Seattle I thought this would be a great experiment. Unfortunately not all of the food was captured and not everything was great.

I had a pleasant surprise before I even set foot on the plane. An old friend and her husband were on my flight so I was able to sit with them and catch up. The first thing I notice about Seattle is everything is GREEN! I mean really green. Even the buses are green, which is what I took to get to the U-district and have my first pint. Wearing my Boulevard schwagg I was instantly noticed by the bartender who promptly asked me if I brought any (beer) with me and why it wasn't up here in the Northwest. Taking my pint and watching the local (underage) students drink Mojitos, I felt a little at home. Brian E. showed up and we drank a little and then took to the streets for some mean healthy eats and some sight seeing.

We headed to Gorditas and ate some of the best Mexican ever. I mean they are so health conscious I asked for Queso and they all looked at me like I farted in the joint. So I stuck my tail between my legs and ate my fish tacos (sans cheese). We then beat it up to Capitol Hill where B's friends, Andreas and roommate, lived. It was this phat top floor pad with one of the best views of downtown. After witnessing some of Seattle's finest and knocking back a few more beers on the roof as the sun set, we jetted to a few bars. Linda's was our first stop, just past the Honey Hole (which I hear has some of the best eats). We had a couple of beers and made friends with the locals and bartenders. Mo met up with us there and sat outside on this chilly night and caught up for a bit. Brian and his buddies left and Mo & I were left to entertain the ladies and we somehow got convinced to head to the gay bar across the street. I wearing my 'respect others' shirt and Mo as my "partner" proceed to get hit on and watch people of all genders making out with each other. We cut short our stay and given I was still on KC time decided to head back to the crib. After a run in with a Muslim transvestite and a burger joint called Dick's, I was happy to be sleeping finally on Mo's couch...by myself!

The next morning I woke up and headed down to one of the best French organic bakeries I've ever been too. One quiche down followed by a cappuccino, Mo and I headed over to the Public Market for some sight seeing. We walked through and saw the first Starbucks (They aren't quite to the level of evil empire Walmart so I feel like I can celebrate them to an extent). I saw the fish market where they toss the fish and talk in unison. It was pretty cool to see a 30lbs salmon being caught. We then took the hike over to the Space Needle and rode it to the top. Talk about an impressive view. Not only was the 360 view cool they also had inter actives inside where you could zoom in real-time on the surrounding neighborhoods. They also had displays talking about the funky and eclectic parts of the city. Definitely worth the money to visit.

I'll have to do this in chapters, but here are some pics to keep you busy until next time.

It's like... you know.... Noah's Ark

2007-05-08T21:10:00.000-06:00

I just got done with a heated game of foosball (insert picture here). I went toe to toe with an admitted non-lover of the game but he beat me 2 out of 3. This is impressive to me since I own the table but apparently that doesn't mean a goddamn thing (insert Gantsy's "hee hee"). Foosball allows me to do several things. 1. Focus on something other than my job, my house, or the next big thing. 2. Get that competitive spirit out. 3. Continue to drink beer.

Enough about that. My friend K.P. and I went out for Seis de Mayo. Since I went to a wedding during Cinco de Mayo I didn't get to celebrate properly. K.P. got locked out of her house and after several confessions and lots of hunger we decided fish tacos and margarita's was in order. So we head to Baja 600 and well into our second marg. K.P. comes up with the best two quotes I've heard in a while. "You know, I'm kinda like ditch weed-full of seeds and always wet." She was talking about ideas and how we just came out of the rain. "That why I have a tatoo of a crooked little heart." Other obscure reference I can't remember but it induced laughter just the same. Needless to say we had a great afternoon talking and having a great time.

I woke up this morning and realized a couple of things. I like waking up sober. Despite all my worst efforts, it has it's merit. Everyone has a choice how they want to live their life. Now the first doesn't necessarily corralate to the second and I don't like eating peas and jelly sandwiches, but what I mean is you can live and do the things you want to do and it doesn't have to be Jan 1 or July 4th or your birthday. It just takes today. Change comes at you everyday in the form of acceptance, denial, anger, stubberness, and love. How will you change? Maybe all the April rain in May has got me all Norah Jones-ish but it still holds true.

I'm back. Not really...

2007-05-03T18:56:00.000-06:00

Ok this is my feeble attempt to get back in the swing of things and actually post a blog. I stopped writing a while back. I even stopped reading my friend's blogs. Why? Because everything changed. What was the first change you might ask? Well the Deloitte Kids moved on and away. Good luck to Nat and her new beau. Melissa? Gone too. The saddest is Mohammed. He's in Seattle now. Then our other glue to the fabric came undone. Carolyn moved to Phoenix to be with her Justin. And of course Bhutan Clan man himself, Ted, moved on to D.C. And so went to the wayside our 1 year of St. Elmo's Fire. Single people meeting and greeting for a moment only to be shifted to other parts of the beach through the tides of change. Sad? A little. Expected? Of course.

Now those of us that are still in KC are still making it happen, just at a different pace and the get togethers are just as boisterous and meaningful.

As for me, well I try to do what everyone in my position would try to do. Stay happy and moving forward. Tonight is one night I actually stayed home and didn't drink (yet) and am trying to accomplish something. Who knows what just yet. I still enjoy my job and am learning lots as I get some small victories, while examining the big picture.

Two weeks from today I go on my trip to Seattle. This will be the first trip where I haven't been attached to anyone. I'm looking forward to seeing Brian E. and Mo G. Actually before that I'll be headed to Nashville TN. Music City. Uh huh that's right. More Honky Tonk bars than KC has fountains. We (the Centurions) were told NOT to wear our cowboy hats because we would stand out as tourists. Like we won't by walking in large groups in business casual dress looking an pointing and wearing OneKC buttons. Funny.

Well I'd apologize for not keeping up with the blog thing but it's just a testament to who I am. Just checkin in....

Hot Wings And Hip Hop

2006-07-31T21:27:00.000-06:00

Two Sunday's down and two trips to the Peanut for Hot Wings accomplished. My decision to dive for the devilish delectible dorsal was by chance but oh so welcomed. If you haven't had these wings they are a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. I mean they come out still smokin' and are as large as pterodactyl appendage. Woosh! Sunday's are nice for several reasons: 1. It's usually laid back and no one really wants to do anything so it's perfect for drinking. 2. All of the fake drinkers and woo hoo girls are gone so it leaves the really interesting people that have something to say left to talk to. Some of the best conversations happen on Sunday. 3. The Peanut downtown has hip-hop and the crowd is really chill. The hip-hop is the old school rap with a messege. Not the shit where they are just talking about being dope and shooting somebody. D.O. and I ventured down and bellied up to the bar. One drink in and a drunk chic next to Dave tosses cookies on the floor. We were in disbelief, chic didn't even make an attempt to make a run for the restroom. They got some napkins and cleaned it up but it splashed all over D.O. shoes. Ewww.. The funny part though was when the bartender made her buy us a round. She got lucky because he thought she just spilled her drink. We all smiled and played cool.

In other good news I bought my tickets for Germany. We'll be gone for 2 weeks and I am so psyched for it. Our journey will begin in Frankfurt with stops in Cologne, Aachen, Stuttgart, and Munich for Oktoberfest! I bought my first real backpack and walking shoes yesterday. Haven't ever really lived out of a backpack before or not had a homebase so this will be a new experience. I'm not really a big planner so it will be interesting to see how this will work out. I DO plan on obtaining a camera so I'll take many boss pictures and maybe even pick up some loederhosen.

I'm tired so I'm going to bed.

Sparks

2006-07-13T23:39:00.000-06:00

What do you do when your caught in a dilemma? Go with your heart or go with your heart? WHat if your heart and your emotions say do both?! Your fucked. Enough about that.

Tonight I played trivia and started just with my lonesome but quickly CJ and JS stopped in and kept it from being embarassing. Good thing CJ knew something about Project Runway or else all was lost. The best part is when we got points for puttung down "Colonol Lingus" as an answer for an open question and got points for it. We ended up respectable except for the last answer which I thought was "Allentown" and ended up being "Silly Love Songs." Stupid drum beats.

What can I say.. not much I guess. Went to Milwaukee and had a great time. Saw the best and longest fireworks display east of the Mississippi. Hung out and saw the highlights of what I enjoyed about the city.

"Your so sweet dear,
your handsome,
did I mention, your handsome,
you're to blame,
I can't stay away..."

I saw the Pickin Trix and The Meat Purveyors this past weekend. I was so hyped because I love the Pickin Trix and TMP. Everyone probably thought I was on something because I was definately out of control. Couldn't help it because when Sparks fly it's hard to catch them.. you just gotta watch them fly and hope they don't burn out tooo soon.

Butt Naked on the Bedroom Floor

2006-06-16T19:06:00.000-06:00

This was originally suppossed to post on June 16th....

What do you get when you mix 3 Germans, 1 Mexican, 1 Swede, 1 Belgian, and a bunch of Americans? A lot of mixed language cuss outs and hangovers. Last night was one crazy night. I did it up Big Night Style with shots of Jamo and vodka and pitchers of Pale Ale. Awesome! Did you know the Westport Flea Market has the best BLT in town? 1/4lb of of the swine, big soggy tomatoes, and shredded head. Unbelievable.

Got my ass taxed at Foosball by the Germans- Never trust a German who says he doesn't play or watch sports because they are probably very good at games.

Anywho I ended up at the Lava Room with the Swede passed out in the corner. Many shots later and without McDonalds I wake up on my bedroom floor but naked and NOT late for work. Fortunately everyone else who was with me (contractors, boss, and all) were very hung over and made it a very easy Friday. Cheers to the beer industry for working hard and playing hard.

Time to write again

2006-06-12T22:25:00.000-06:00

OK folks sorry for the 2 month hiatus. Lots of things happend to cause the delay. All of which will be detailed in haiku because I like the short and sweet...

My Job Heated Up
Not To Busy To Drink A Lot
Hangover No Fun

Sunday Soccer Starts
Realize I've Got A Gut
Sweat Like An Old Man

Riding The Hot Hog
Saves Me A Lot of Gas Money
Can't Stop Rolling Out

My Niece is A Grad
Chi-Town Is The Place To Be
I Love Her Dearly

Got A New Roomie
Dave And I Are Pimp'n It
Keep Tha Party Goin*

Germany This Fall
I Need A Vacation Bad
Octoberfest HooRahhh!*

I know the last two don't fall completely in the rules of Haiku but then again I don't follow the rules all of the time.

There's alot more I didn't want to bore you with. I realize I need to get a digital camera and learn how to post pictures. I enjoy looking at everyone else's work I need to put up some of my own.

Just consider this an intro to more blogging in the future.

TFG

The New Phone

2006-03-28T22:56:00.000-06:00

My cryptic blogging is annoying and endless. It's my way of having an on-line journal without revealing too much of myself. I'll stick with paper for that. So on to the funny things about my day.

Waking up with yellow/red eyes. Now don't shake your head and say, I don't know what you are talking about." It's when no matter how awake you feel - your eyes tell the truth about what happened last night. Lots of booze and not enough sleep. My favorite is talking to people and they don't realize they still stink like cigarettes and booze but they talk to you like everything is normal. I'm a victim and a perpetrator.

The funniest part of my day came when the mechanical contractor on my site gave a eulogy for a metal rack I designed. It was prematurely decided it would not work and he took off his hard hat and said a little prayer for it before he turned it into scrap. "Poor little thing never even got a chance to hang on the wall"

By the Power of Greyskull, I will finish this entry.

I Saw It In Your Eyes

2006-03-23T23:27:00.000-06:00

You step. You fall. You pick yourself up.. try to avoid the shoes and Legos but there they are and then back down again.

The trip of awesome is coming. The inspiration is still going strong and work is going great. I've got a Mr. Snuffleupogus. But I want it that way.

Mom's Birthday - My Mom's 65th Birthday was two weeks ago. It was all I hoped it would be. Bright fragrent flowers, warm sunny day and my family all gathered talking eating and drinking. I learned more about myself and my family that day than I have in one setting in a long time. My father... who and how I identify with my family. Definately one of the most enjoyable moments in my life.

Mark Gant's Homecoming/Going away. I love this kid. How he does it amazes me because the talent oozes from his pours like a watermelon soda on a hot summer day. Reflective sunglasses on the face and Blue Moon on the breath. The purpose matches the swagger.

Andy's Visit - My friend Andy Holtan (Defraine) came to visit. I took him out and in 18 hours put the best face I could on KC showing him the best and the best of the worst of KC. The crowning moment came when we are toasting Guinness at 10:45 am on St. Patty's Day on the top deck of O'dowd's - then I go back to work.

St. Patrick's Day - recordBar... how fitting that it's the first bar I go to after I leave work. Something about it that keeps pulling me back in. A KU ass whippin and then almost a fight lead into just drunkin beligerence. But what else would you expect

Game Night - Another successful game night. Assasin rules because we've got an amazing set of friends who really know how to do the bullshit game.

Brodioke - Another night at the Brick where I get a lot of the happy juice. But I sang Old McDonald and it was soo good Brodi made me sing it twice. I smiled and so did Mr. Snuffleupogus.

Wilco - Nice.

My Dinner - Even better....

My Secret.. no one knows how full I think the glass really is....

WKYA - Kicking Yo ASS

2006-03-05T22:13:00.000-06:00

It has been a crazy couple of weeks. Lots of activity and I'll try to re-cap. We'll start with Mardi Gras in St. Louis... No wait we'll start with Trivia night at the recordBar two Thursday's ago. Hands down one of the best we've attended. Not only cause we were kicking everyone's ass heading into the final round, but we were obnoxiously loud and laughing about it. The crowning moment came when in last moments of the second round being pressed for an answer we confer and give a so so answer that ended up being right! We hopped on the chairs yelling SUCK IT, giving high fives and screaming woo -hoo! The right answer was Maniac Mansion.

Next I head down over to St. Louis for Mardi Gras. My first Mardi Gras celebration and wow was it cool. Not only did I run into Ringo and Jen completely unexpectedly at Jen's parents house but one of our brewers got jumped outside of a 7-eleven and a sales guy got hit on the back of the neck with a hockey stick. Needless to say I'm not going again unless I've got a plenty of protection and huge steel balls.... and we know already have the latter. Anyways I saw plenty of boobies both female and male and got to hang with a great krewe. My piece of advice to the bartender at the private party we had in Soulard... "Don't get high on your own supply when you got two more hours to work the party."

This week I attended the Ben Taylor show at where else, the recordBar. I love this place. Ben was good sounded and looked a lot like his dad, but it was still a good show. I thought he would jam out a little more but I have to give him his props for telling the decidedly folk crowd to get off the floor and get active. Lord knows I thought they were going to fall asleep.

Trivia night was a bust. n'ough said. Friday I saw Dave Chappell's Block Party. If you love great Hip-Hop and want to see someone who has tons of talent and a conscience to boot you can either come see me or go see this movie.

Game night at the crib Saturday night. Laura and I kicked major booty taking first place. The funny part came when T.C. got mad cause no one was listening to him give instructions on how to play assassin. I think everyone was giddy and tired and he really wanted to play. Insults were flying but I couldn't stop laughing. Good times.

The next couple of weeks should be interesting - Gants comes home for one more hoorahh before heading overseas. Mom turns 65 on Sat.... St.Patty's Day..... Andy comes to town.... and Spring officially arrives.... Kick Ass!

On a final note but probably the most important thing that has happened to me in the last couple of weeks. I've been inspired. There is nothing like having a moment & the clarity and coming to the realization your bottled potential is greater than you ever imagined. Seeing someone do the things you've wanted to do and knowing you could do the same. Wow! This year has kicked last year's ass so far and there's no turning back.

Progress

2006-02-23T00:07:00.000-06:00

I gotta say I have met some good and some great people in my time. But the one thing that the two have in common is the promise to make progress. I just learned tonight that another friend is leaving the country. That makes 2 definate and 4 possible. (The other two are 60% sure but haven't heard the final word. N'ough said.

This Blog is dedicated to the happy things in my life. Apparently I've been depressing people with the last few blogs and I need to be upbeat. I know it doesn't help that I write in the persona of Baxter Black

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2100231

but I don't mind because he's a great cowboy poet. So these next few moments are dedicated to the newest expatriots and the good times associtated with both.

Ringo - Chiefs/Broncos WOW!, Ice Block Sister's Jeep, HQ Shots at Levee, Human Tornado at the New Heidelberg, Pink Salmon, drinks on your deck summer of 2002.

Mark - You Butt Naked at the J-school slums during a party, Milwaukee/Chicago good times - taking cabs and walking to your place not knowing where the fuck I am, throwing eggs at cop cars, smuggling bottles of wine out of Greek Bars. smiles.

Here's to you guys. May the travels bring wisdom and joy and a little pain to grow on.

I'll keep the beer cold for you - come back safely.

Andre

Jesus, has it been a week already

2006-02-15T22:38:00.000-06:00

So I'm on fast forward. Seems like everytime I get up to milk the cows I can't believe I've been granted another day. So I slough out of bed and make my way to get my breakfast - oatmeal w/ raisens, and head out the door to work. Now I wouldn't say I'm a working stiff but somehow the days are running together and so are the nights - when was the last time I didn't have a drink?

Patience - moderation - self enlightenment. All things I've been incorporating into my life with success but there is something missing, cue John Mayer. Example. Last night was awesome - Lola bean, A-Yo, CJ, Mel, and I had a fantastic time. Drinks, a re-cap of the weekend's events, running into other friends, more good conversation, a change of scenery, good food, and homeward bound feeling great. But somehow I get up and I feel like I'm milking the cows again. soomethang's missing and I don't know how to fix it...

My momma once told me a long time ago that whiskey and women will do you wrong. Somehow I think after I actually listen to her that milking the cows won't feel the same.

The Weeks Ahead

2006-02-07T22:09:00.000-06:00

I've decided to become very patient. They say patience is a virtue and for some reason I have lost this one. But reliving moments in my life over again I realize something is amiss. I credit Carolyn and Groundhog day for pointing this out. Unfortunately it didn't click until Monday morning when I woke up tired and slightly hungover again. "Can I have another one of these with some booze in it?" Ugh. My wallet and my head feel a little empty. Living like there's no tomorrow has it's price. Fame? Nope. Fortune? Not a chance. Miserable and repetative... Now were on to something.

I leave tomorrow for a trip to Minnesota. They say Bob Dylan made a similar trip to find Woody Guthrie. Travelling through ice and snow and he came back a changed man. Found the crossroads and made that deal with the devil. Who'd a thought the devil lived in Minnesota?

So maybe Trivia night will happen when I get back Thursday afternoon. Maybe it won't. I'm gonna hold out until I know what the crossroads has in store for me.

The Biggest Night of Them All

2006-01-30T00:17:00.000-06:00

I sit and I write. It's been a while since I've updated my blog and I apologize to anyone that may have been checking my site regularly. I've been busy and well, sometimes the written record takes a backseat to life.

Friday January 27th was my birthday. I'm not known to make a fuss just because it's a funny "holiday." Everyone remembers Christmas and, my favorite, St Patrick's Day, but birthdays are sort of an anomaly. Close family members are supposed to do something like call or make you dinner but that doesn't happen regularly unless you come from a close and usually small family, or you're Jesus.

So this year being one of happiness and new beginnings I decided to do something this time. The day started off quite well with a slight hangover and my phone ringing at 7:10 in the morning. Flowers were delivered and my sister sang me happy birthday. Very nice. Then God decided he wanted to do something special and made it 60 degrees all day long. Very nice of him since it's January and that just doesn't happen.

I pranced around work all day wearing a train conductors hat and overalls and kept making jokes about being an engineer. Everyone had their own jokes but kept it polite since it was my birthday. I took off early and had lunch by myself at one of my favorite restaurants - Pierponts, and then picked up a shit load of booze and headed back to my place for a nap.

Since I was feeling extremely good I decided to don my father's cowboy hat and cowboy up for the night. Turns out my luck was with me and all my friends who could come by my house or show up at the recordBar did and we all had a good time. The night gets messy when we went to Buzzard Beach and I start wobbling like a fat chick on a supermarket mechanical horse. There was a lot of slurred words and dirty looks but I got out of there with all limbs intact and my wallet none the lighter.

Everyone said they had a good time and enjoyed the band. My favorite was when the marching band came out and played. Who gets a marching band to play at your joint birthday party? I do! Ha - still winning.

Side note. I accidentally went to the ya-ya site when I meant to go to the yahoo site and found a name generator http://www.ya-ya.com/yaya_name Turns out to be quite accurate - well it was until I just did it. My first name was Duchess Loves to Laugh. Now I'm not a Duchess but I do love to laugh. But I just did it now I'm Duchess Loves to Read. Stupid Random Name Generator.

Until next time, I'll see you at the recordBar.

Give one up to Mizzou

2006-01-16T23:33:00.000-06:00

So the Tigers pulled one out. Good thing I was rooting for them. Could have gotten ugly if I wasn't.

I saw Capote last night. The film about Truman during his time writing, "In Cold Blood." First off I must tip my hat to Phillip Seymore Hoffman for an absolutely marvelous portrayal of the writer. At times it seemed a bit forced but he was engrossing and genuine.

I had heard Capote was conflicted during the time he was writing the story. The movie portrayed this well; his lover during the time of his research, the ostracizing of his friends, and his inner conflict of befriending the convicts and hiding the truth. I don't believe it was complex because we, and I speak for myself when I say this, make these decisions everyday; going after what we believe we want by trading on the future of love and success. Now to be fair, Truman didn't sell out his close friends but the anguish he endured internally was raw. To torment yourself, as expressed in this movie, had twice the effect because it tore him down and the people around him. How do you balance your ambition and still be successful in your own mind?

The story wasn't about the crime in Kansas nor the research that took him on a journey of 8 years. It was about how relationships are formed from connections oft of little coincidence.

I can't explain why I am on the path that I am or why those that interact me now do, but I find it enriching and take no moment or person for granted.

Bhutan Clan

2006-01-13T18:03:00.000-06:00

I gotta say Ted cracks my shit up. Last night was trivia night at the recordBar. He, myself, and several other teammates gathered there to test our wits at random subjects. As more drinks were consumed things got more obnoxious, and I'm just talking about the moderator! Ted was furious when the guy yells out our answer, Butan, before anyone else had a chance to reply and then proceeded to revoke the question. I thought he was going to jump on stage and snatch the mic and break it in two.

We got third place. Top honors went to "Some Pind of Kussy." Nice name for a bunch of chicks with brains.

Later I got drunk went home and passed out on my couch. Haven't done that in a while.

I am really tired right now. I need to get my spirits up because I'm going to go eat some steak at this fancy shmancy French place called Aixios. It's JK's B-day and it's sure to be fun.

OK. Now it's time to pick my winning suggestion for the "How to keep Andre from getting LARGE" contest. Actually we have a couple of winners.

First the losers:
Carolyn: I can't do ice dating because I licked my date once and my tongue got stuck so someone had to pee on my date to melt her and free my tongue.

Not EriK Estrada: I don't want to look at fat chicks nor do I want to join a gym. I don't like gyms because there are germs everywhere and as Megan would say, "The people there are dumb."

Sack of Ringo: Swimming requires me to get undressed and do the awkward towel dance in the locker room so that nobody sees "Mr Winky." Now I'm pretty confident but not so much after getting out of a pool in the winter time.

On to the winners:
The duo of Mark and Megan. I will use an extension cord for my jump rope, just hope I don't miss and hit myself. And yes Mark I will begin to eat right, do more cardio, and lift malt. Not just malt beverages but sacks of it too.

Thanks to all who gave a shit.

Arrowed.

Insatiable Nights, Afternoon Delights

2006-01-08T22:40:00.000-06:00

I need to put something up here that lets everyone know I am OK. So everyone, I'm OK. Thanks to everyone that helped me get over my frustrations during the week, either by good words or good drinks.

Here's my weekend - soccer, friends, booze, sleep, friends, food, sleep, football, friends, booze, dance, booze, sleep, convention, booze, friends, blog.

Here's me in two months - bloated and overweight- but still boozin.

SO It's time to decide on my mode of exercise. I've got the soccer thing down for one night a week but I need something else and fast. At this point I am soliciting suggestions as long as they fit into not costing me a ton of money, it's not boring after I do it for one week, and it's something I can do by myself or with a partner. Here are some activities I am not considering: dating, on-line dating, running jogging speedwalking or any other stupid variation, masterbation, rollerblading, iceskating, pen-pal, playing with legos, babysitting, skipping stones, watching any reality TV, and last but not the end, picking up chicks in the McDonalds drive through (that was over before it began back in York, PA)

I will consider just about any suggestion....

I thank you for your support.

Damn seems like 2005

2006-01-06T01:36:00.000-06:00

OK! so I can bitch since it's my Blog and I am the author. It started so right. New day, sleep, football, food, folks, and fun... Now it just seems like the same but with the incremental change in number. FUCK

I have some anger right now. Very similar to MG when he rode through the streets of Chicago when he got back from NY visiting Alford. You know what I mean if you were around. FUUUUUCK.

Instead of keeping bodies from going into the lake across from my house I want to run several people down and get an excuse to throw some people in. Like, "hmmm the fish need to eat too. So why not let them feed on people who like to give out pain but not feel it." Goo googallly gooo FOOOUUUUCKKKK!

I'm glad tomorrow is another day. That way I can start it off as if it were the new year.

Happy New Year!
Fuck.

New Day New Way

2006-01-02T22:55:00.000-06:00

Resolutions...Oxford American Dictionary says its, "2. a mental pledge, something one intends to do, New Year resolutions." Well I have a few New Year resolutions.
1. Call people on bullshit. My friends are my friends for a reason. Rarely do they bullshit me unless they are telling some meaningless joke at which I can laugh. I am refering to the hapless soul who doesn't realize that bullshitting me is not only wrong but downright disrespectful.
2. Be a little more serious. Now this doesn't pertain to anyone reading this blog. Only regarding my job and career decisions. So pay no attention to this unless I say I can only drink with you until 1am instead of 3am because I gotta work the next day.
3. Make changes in my community. Now I could say I'm going to read to kids or do some habitat for humanity shit but in reality I don't know what I mean by that. I think I will try to keep people and bodies from crashing into the lake across from my house. Or if I can't get them out... get them a beer. They'll probably need it after all the excitement.

As far as making any more changes, right now I think I'm good.

Calling all Gypsies

2005-12-27T19:55:00.000-06:00

There's a reason why I named my blog "Big Night." No matter what night of the week with just the right amount of chemistry something Big can happen... and last night was no exception.

After going to the dive bar The Point - My comrades and I set our sights on The Brick for a little Monday Night Kereoke - (cue the Monday Night Football music). We rambled up to the bar for a little liquid courage and proceeded to pick out songs. My lovely associate CJ decided a duet was in order so we picked one of the more common (and favorite) ones - "You've lost that lovin feeling..."(again cue MNF music). After listening to some poor suckers croon out their shitty ballads and terrible Axl Rose renditions it was almost time for CJ and I to take the stage when the guy just before us started singing the SAME SONG. After a Korean War Special (can of Hamms, shot of Jim Beam, and a cigarette) we said screw it we'll sing the song again but do a better job of it. Boy was that fun... I started taking off my clothes just to get someone to even look our way. If not for our comrades I think the jukebox was the loudest thing going.

Now what turns this evening into a BIG NIGHT is when Matt and Kyle get on stage soon after to sing Stevie Nicks's Gypsy. Kyle in trash bags and Matt in a Santa outfit start singing and I decide to join them (with clothes on). If you remember the video of Gypsy, Nicks starts twirling around in a field. Well Kyle starts twirling on stage and ripping down the lights, tinsel, curtains - you name it. It was all coming down until the lesbian bouncer, bartender, and Kereoke controller run on stage and kick us off. Apparently since I wasn't in costume they didn't consider me apart of the new Fleetwood Mac and kicked those guys out of the bar. I on the other hand ordered another Hamms, closed my tab, gathered my comrades and left the bar. Unfortunately the lesbian bouncer caught me with the can of Hamms on the sidewalk as we were walking to the car.. Damn! The can was still half full...

Who knows what will happen since my horoscope says "Tonight: Don't feel like you need to race home" But I'm already home....

Homecoming

2005-12-23T18:16:00.000-06:00

There's something about the holidays that is unmistakably nice. Seeing old friends, who have been away for the year. College was nice because you party right after winter finals, then you come home to see everyone and drink more. Last night was no exception.

After handing a game of pool to a drunk girl and to one with NO skills Ted "The Saunterer" Cardos and I ran into JF who then took us to his table only to find Brian, (My Seattle Connection). We then proceeded to call his cousin Aaron and threatened him to come to Hooper's or we would get a ladder climb into his bedroom and carry him out in his boxers. He made it down. After that and approx 6 Bells Two Hearted IPA's I was feeling happy to see some really good friends all together. Nothing like being fresh in town and hanging out. The stories, the jokes and laughter, it's the greatest. I only expect more in the coming days.

"It is better to look good than to feel good" Fernando used to say that. I like looking scruffy sometimes. And what is it with everyone growimg beards and wearing red hats? Team Zissou where are you? If we took this movie and the impact it's had on fasion I would say it's the equivilent of a Star Wars convention. I mean it's freakin everywhere. I'm just mad cause I can't grow a decent beard. I wasn't blessed with the full facial hair gene.

Alright, Let's go to Megan's

I've been suckered!

2005-12-22T04:02:00.000-06:00

OK.... So I did it. After weeks/months of looking at my friend's blogs I've decided to become Doogie Howser and go with the flow of posting one's thoughts. I actually have Mark, Megan, Aaron, Carolyn, Ringo, that beloved American Bulldog, and WENDY to blame. For if it weren't for them I wouldn't have looked at these blog sites let alone have to register in order to post on one (Wendy).

Well since this is like a journal/look into my psyche so I won't reveal too much except this is the second new thing online I've done tonight. Wow more waste of time and it's 4 am.

As Mark would say "Shit Man what else have I got to do at 4 am but not sleep drink some coffee and play Video Games... Ha ahha haa, I'm just kiddin'" I love that Gants kid and I can't wait till he comes back to town! Hoooraaahhh! Happy Birthday in advance Mutha Fucka!

The reality of it all is Kerouac had it right. Travel across America and you see the fabric of our society. Look into your soul to see the light that drives you. I think we all have a desire to do something beyond what we think our means are but few take that leap. I'm leaping but feet first because I don't want to scar my face on the coral as I swimm across the Caribeannn Blue. Light up another cause I don't want this one to burn out. Ouch stop and stamp it out. I got to close to the flame and she likes to dance but the Spanish Lady's got her beat to the rhythm of my heart. "Take it Easy" he said as he drank the Chivas from the glass..... Ice slowly melting in the beginning summer's sunlight. "No need to rush, let the taste and the mood move you...."

That's it. The taste and the mood will move me. Like wine and season, or Jameson and reason things happen because they do and we attach whatever reason we want; to it.

I'll see all of you soon

TFG