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April 11 THIS BLOG IS MOVINGAfter some substantial prodding for various sources I have decided to move my blog to Blogger. You can find the continuation of this blog HERE.
See you there! April 02 Old FriendsI was checking out Tami's blog yesterday as I do about once a week. It can be handy when trying to find out what is going on in my world. As I went to comment on her latest post about her recent weight loss (did I mention she is looking SO HOT? She is!) I noticed a comment from one of her childhood friends. Suddenly it hit me, "She is Donna's sister-in-law!" Donna and I worked together way back in 1993-94 at a small mortgage company in San Jose. I worked in the mailroom and she was the admin for our department. She was hillarious and made a pretty crappy job really fun. I still remember going to her wedding and the amazing mexican food her family made for the reception.
I found a link on Tami's blog to her friend's blog. From there I found a link to Donna's blog. I was really quite thrilled to find that Donna has a blog with lots of great pictures of her family. I was also excited to see that she and Kurt are still together and doing very well. It was just awesome to know that someone I have always thought very highly of is doing so well and seems so happy. I am really happy for her and Kurt.
BTW - on a totally unrelated note: I am still #1 in the company March Madness pool. I typically stink at March Madness brackets, so I am enjoying this one. Maybe I should have put some money on it? March 28 A Little More March MadnessI need to get this entry logged before this evening's NCAA Tournament games because I am fairly certain that these standings will change and my tenure atop the leader board will come to a end with an anticlimactic thud. Nonetheless, I intend to gloat and revel in my current standing as long as possible. So, without further ado, I present the company standings list updated this morning. Please note (if you haven't already) that I am alone in the #1 spot. I am glad that I am preserving it here because it may never happen again.
March 24 March MadnessI was watching SportCenter last night and I got a stark reminder of why I choose not to put money on my March Madness brackets. I fill out a bracket in the work pool every year, but I always opt not to put money on it. Here is perfect validation for my trepidation from last night's SportCenter. ESPN had over 3.1 million brackets filled out online. As of last night guess how many were still 100% correct? Two - just two. That's a success rate of 0.0000006%.
In case you are wondering how my brackets are holding up I am currently in a three-way tie for 8th place out of 16 players. Six of my projected Sweet 16 are already out of the tourney. So, the long and the short of it is that not only can I not predict March Madness. 99.9999994% of people cannot predict it, either.
Guess that is what makes it so great.
My Final Four (Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA & Memphis) are still intact and Stanford pulled off an exciting, overtime win on Saturday. March 19 I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!After 22 wins in a row the Houston Rockets big win streak got blown apart last night when they got a 20-point working at the hands of the Boston Celtics (whom my Jazz beat last Friday night)... and on the Rockets home floor, no less. Before I go any further let me give credit where credit is due. 22 is a lot of wins and deserves some acclaim. The NBA is a tough league, especially this year, so those 22 in a row are significant. And to have done the last eight without Yao Ming is also significant... or does it say something about Yao's real value? I digress. With that out of the way, I woud like to point out that I have been saying since about win #12 that the streak was not as significant as the media were making it out to be and it definitely did not prove the Rockets to be a legitimate contender for the Western Conference title. Why you ask? Simple really - the Rockets have been beating up on the weaklings of the NBA. Let's run down all 22 wins and the losing team's current record, shall we?
I have marked the away games in red. You'll notice that out of those 22 wins only 7 were on the road. Home cookin' is good stuff. You can also see that I have calculated the combined winning percentage of all their opponents. Yup, sub-.500. Only 7 of those teams (marked with an asterisk) would be in the playoffs if the playoffs began today and of those playoff teams 2 (Atlanta & Washington) are in the pathetic Eastern Conference and would make the playoffs to spite having a losing record. Only 3 of the 22 wins are over teams in the top 6 spots in the West; two vs New Orleans and one vs the Gasol-less Lakers.
Its easy to see that Houston deserves credit for a solid job of winning games they should win and taking advantage of a very, very soft schedule. The next six games will be a much better barometer of Houston's abilities - New Orleans, Golden State, Phoenix, Sacramento, Minnesota and San Antonio. They also finish off the season with games against Phoenix, Denver, Utah and the LA Clippers. In fact, of their final 15 games only 6 are against sub-500 teams. I doubt they will stil be at the top of the Western Conference. Frankly, I doubt they will be in the top half of the West.
The fact is this: Houston has aquired some nice pieces and some solid role players. They got a good seven-footer in Yao Ming (if only he weren't so fragile). Shane Battier is a defensive animal. But, they still revolve around Tracy McGrady. The same Tracy McGrady who told the world last year that Houston's playoff destiny was on him. They promptly got bounced in the first round. The same T-Mac that not only cannot make his teammates better, he probably can't identify half of his teammates. As long as McGrady is your go-to guy you will be going home early. He can fill a stat sheet, but he can't carry you long-term. He's great for highlight reels; bad for overall team success.
Thank you Boston for putting an end to the over-hyped, under-analysed streak. Now we can talk about the real contenders. March 17 Has it REALLY been a month?Dang! I didn't realize it had been over a month since I last posted. I can't remember anything significant happening since then so it must have been pretty tame.
Spring Has Arrived!
Or at least it better have! I broke out the shorts about 2 weeks ago. Granted, the temps were only topping out in the low to mid 50s and I am sure to folks in some parts of the world that is rather chilly, but after 4 months of snow and highs in the 20s it was definitely shorts weather. I think this would have to be the snowiest winter I can ever remember. We only got one really big storm (see previous post), but it seemed like that from mid-October through February we were getting two snow storms per week and each one was dropping at least 4-6 inches with many of them laying down 9+ inches. With one brief exception the lawn has been burried in show constantly since mid-October.
Besides the return of shorts to my wardrobe the other big sign of Spring is the fact that Tami and I have the urge to do yard work. It sounds goofy just saying that, but I really love getting out in the yard and getting a little dirty. Tami recently came home from work talking about a gardening technique that her coworkers were all jazzed about. Having grown up the son of hard-core gardeners and having spent my first 19 years as slave labor in their garden I figure I know a little about gardening. So yes, I was a bit skeptical. She said she had already ordered the book and that we should look into it. I nodded my head and went back to what I was doing. The book arrived and without giving it much thought I began reading. I knocked out about 60 pages in the first evening. I was more than a little intrgued. Square Foot Gardening made a lot of sense. His website is a bit hokey and lacking in sophistication, but the book is good. The bottom line? Less space + less work = the same or better production. According to his guidelines Tami and I will planting all this in our four 4'x4' planter boxes: 10 tomatoes, 54 bean plants, 18 onions, 2 lettuce, 1 basil, 1 cilantro, 3 bell pepper plants, 1 jalepeno, 27 beets, 16 radish, 1 asparagus plant, 1 cherry tomato plant, 16 pea plants, 2 cucumber, 1 zucchini, and 2 pumpkins. Tami has some good pictures on her blog.
We have already purchased most of the seeds and we built the boxes on Saturday. Not only was it great to be working on gardening stuff, it was so fun to be building stuff and using my tools. Yeah, its a man thing. I can't help it. It also required 2 trips to Home Depot - aw shucks!
 I may need to go again soon. I figure out why later. Now I can't wait to start planting.Now that the shorts are out and the yard work and gardening is underway - when do I get to go fishing?
February 14 SNOW DAY!The biggest snow storm I have seen since I was a kid hit us last night. The weather guys were saying that it would be a light storm and we'd be back to the high 40s by Saturday. Maybe that was the forecast for somewhere else. At my house we got over 30 inches of snow in about 18 hours. My drive home from work yesterday that normally takes me 45-60 minutes took 2 hours! When my alarm went off at 5:00 this morning I went downstaris expecting the snow to have stopped during the night. Not this time! It was still a mighty blizzard outside and it was obvious that no one was going anywhere anytime soon. We turned on the radio just in time to learn that all the schools in the county are closed for the day and the road between Tooele and Interstate 80 was a disaster. It was officially a snow day! For me, that means trying to keep up with things at work while keeping an eye on 3 kids. I didn't realize that my kids had never experienced a snow day. Being a native Californian, Tami had never experienced one either. I was excited for them. We told Addison that there would be no school today and she cried! It is Valentines Day and she was not happy about missing out on the Valentines Day party at school. Once we explained that they would likely have their party tomorrow was much happier. It took a neighbor, Tami and me with 2 snowblowers (mine died about 1/3 of the way through) and a shovel about 2 hours just to clear our driveway. Much thanks to my neighbor and his snowblower. He was a BIG help. What an amazing storm! There are some pictures in the "Valentines Day Blizzard 2008" photo album.
February 12 Tagged - aka Another one of the lists I cannot resistTami posted this on her blog recently and as my title suggests, I can't resist chiming in.
10 years ago:
I was trying to convince Tami that she really did want to marry me. Thank heavens I am a good salesman! I was sharing a sweet apartment with Brett and working for a loser company. 5 things on my to do list today: 1. Wrap up the lose ends on the Q1 renewals (like that makes sense to anyone) 2. Get a haircut
3. Do some cleanup on the home PC to see if it will run a little faster
4. Get in some time outside while the weather is still nice (gonna snow again tomorrow)
5. Get started on the Q2 renewals Things I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire: 1. Build the house of my dreams 2. Buy a killer sports car 3. Buy a righteous Harley
4. Travel the world
5. Get into venture capital 3 of my bad habits: 1. Arrogance / Pride 2. Talking too much / Not listening enough
3. Junk food 5 Places I have lived: 1. Palm Beach Gardens, FL 2. Sandy, UT 3. New Jersey - various locations
4. Morgan Hill, CA
5. Tooele, UT
All Jobs I have had: Busboy - Training Table, Parts Driver - Terabit, Cashier - Hammond Toys, Warehouse Guy - Utah Craft & Floral Supply, Installer - Sign Makers, Mailroom Manager - ComUnity Lending, Collections - ComUnity Lending, Special Orders Clerk - Sportmart, Hod Carrier (bricklayer's assistant), Teller - Bank of America, Merchant Teller - Bank of the West, New Accounts Manager - Bank of Santa Clara, Document Control Clerk - GSS Array, Customer Service - United Healthcare, Teller - Credit Union One, Mailroom Manager - Bill Good Marketing, VP Communications - Bill Good Marketing, Sales Manager - Bill Good/Harry Dent, Inside Sales Manager - Computer Consultants Corp, B2B Sales - Salience, Small Business Sales - Gateway, Inside Sales - Hewlett Packard, Territory Manager - Softchoice, Business Development Manager - LANDesk Software, Inside Sales Manager - LANDesk Software. Things most people don't know about me: I would be really anal retentive, if I wasn't so lazy. Despite my sarcastic, cynical, ornery exterior I am really a great big softy. Unlike Tami, I LOVE showers and I would shower twice a day if I had the time. I love simple things - the more complicated things get the less I like them. I have always, and still want, to be a radio DJ. I love to drive (as long as its not in traffic). February 08 On the Road Again - The HeartlandI spent the past four days in Kansas City and Omaha. Sadly, I did not have any sightings of John Cougar Mellencamp, Warren Buffett or Larry the Cable Guy. There was plenty of snow and chilly weather.
I was in the Heartland for regional users groups. The meetings were great. Attendance was impressive considdering the weather and that is enough about work.
Tuesday afternoon we (Nathan, Denny, Fred and I) drove from Kansas City to Omaha. The second half of the drive was through a near-blindling blizzard. Thank heavens for the all-wheel drive of that Subaru Tribeca (official car of...) rental car! Too bad it didn't have enough leg room for a couple of hobbits, let alone 4 guys who are all over 6' 2". Oh well, we got there.
We had dinner at Anthony's Tuesday night. Apparently it is well-known in these parts for its steak and prime rib. My steak was impressive and there is much that can be said about Nebraska beef. Just ask Denny or Nathan; they'll give you the sales pitch. Denny and Nathan's prime rib looked great. The decor of Anthony's is something along the lines of a cheaply renovated stable. What was most interesting at Anthony's was the choice of side dishes that came with each entre. We were allowed to choose from the vegtable of the day, spaghetti or mostaccolli. After Fred (from Texas) and I shrugged at each other and said "huh?" Denny ordered the mostaccolli so we followed suit. I had come for the steak so this strange side dish was of little consequence, but I felt obliged to at least sample it. Basically, it was some over-cooked pasta with Ragu dumped on top. I don't even think the sauce had been heated. Did I mention that the steak was good?
The flight home was interesting. The flight attendant was a young man in his early 20s. I tried hard to not stereotype him as a male flight attendant, but his behavior and dress certainly invited such stereotyping, valid or otherwise. But that was not what was most interesting about him. He was , by far, the most ornery flight attendant I have ever encountered! As they closed the door to the aircraft he got on the intercom and said, "We are closing the aircraft door. That means it is time to quickly wrap up any cell phone conversations - GENTLEMEN!" As he glared a a couple of guys seated behind me. I had never seen a flight attendant call out a passenger so blatantly. As we began the initial aproach to Salt Lake he again got on the intercom to announce our decent. "We have begun our decent into Salt Lake City. Please bring your seat backs and tray tables to their upright position and make sure your seat belts are securely fastened. I will be coming through the cabin to collect any trash and to visually check your seat belts. Please make sure they are tight so I don't have to bother you and make you tighten them." For a moment, I found myself fearing the small, efeminate man. I thought I was on Delta Airlines. Guess I accidentally booked myself on Air Nazi.
February 06 How I went to Omaha and ended up in a foreign countryThis afternoon, following our meetings, I went back to my hotel to catch up on some work. After a couple hours of slaving away I wanted a snack and I desperately needed to stretch my legs after 3 straight days of sitting. So I decided to take a walk around the area surrounding the hotel and look for a convenience store or grocery store. I could see the mall on the other side of the freeway, but it is very chilly and I didn't want to venture that far. BTW - it is the same mall where they had a shooting about a month ago. I digress. I spotted a "Whole Foods" store nearby, but I was pretty sure that I would not be able to purchase Mt Dew, beef jerky, Doritos or doughnuts there. Natural, healthy food might kill me, so I walked on.
After a while I determined that Whole Foods was my only option. Upon entering I was in the produce section. Fresh fruit actually sounded good and the oranges looked great. So, I thought it might not be too bad. I went looking for snacks. In short order I found a dozen different kinds of granola. I also found mountains of nuts - all unsalted and raw. No roasting? No salt? Ugh! I figured they had to have chips of some kind. Sure enough they had carot chips, parsnip chips, sweet potato chips, chips with sea salt and black pepper and all kinds of silliness. None of them seemed the least bit appealing. So I settled on some swiss cheese which turned out to be quite good, but pricey, and some crackers that pretend to be like Ritz, but without any flavor. I also bought a couple of tangerines. Then I headed to the beverage section. Tami and I love Izze, which I knew to be an all-natural, sparkling juice beverage. To my delight they had some! Chilled even! As I headed for the check-out stand I began to notice the other customers. Or rather, I began to notice that they were noticing me. The song from Sesame Street popped into my head, "One of these things is not like the others..." I was a stranger in a strange land. What was a chubby, middle-aged man doing in a health food store? I got nervous, half expecting someone to say, "Hey, this isn't your kind of place. Please leave." No one did, but the skinny, old hag who I let go ahead of me in the line made me wish it was legal to beat skinny, old hags. As I stood in line I saw many tree-hugger types, a handful of folks who probably play for the other team, many people (male and female) who don't believe in shaving and plenty of women who seem to have sworn off makeup, but who should definitely re-visit that decision. The checkout girl, Asher, who helped me was pleasant, but still with that look like "What are you doing here? I bolted back to my hotel room; grateful to have survived my foray into a strange world. January 31 Living the Suite LifeMuchas gracias to Heidi for hooking Tedd and I up with tickets to a luxury suite for last night's Knicks - Jazz game. It was a first for me, having never ventured into a suite at an athletic event. Heidi got the tix from a sales guy who has been trying to persuade her to buy add space in their newspapers. I am not sure if they were upset because Heidi was not there, but it really doesn't matter. It was a great time. The box is fully catered; wings, tacos, cookies, sodas, ice cream bars. It had it all including its own private bathroom. The seats are far more comfortable than the standard arena seats.
The game should have been a total blowout. The Jazz have won 12 of their last 14 and came off thumping the Spurs two nights earlier. The Knicks are... well, they are the Knicks and they are coached by Isaiah Thomas. Enough said. Even though the Jazz lead from start to finish and even held a 20 point lead in the 2nd quarter they managed to let the Knicks hang around for most of the game until finally putting it away in the final 3 or 4 minutes. My boy, D-Willy had a tremendous game with 22 points and 12 helpers.
The evening further convinced me that I do need to get season tickets to the Jazz. It also left me with a question. If money was not an issue would I prefer the posh setting and conveniences of the luxury suite or would I rather have great seats on or near the front row? The more I think aobut it, I would prefer the front row. The front row crowd has access to much of the same catering and services that the suite folks do, but I would rather be closer to the action and mingling with the other fans. I am just too big of a Jazz fan to be isolated.
Either way it was a very cool evening. January 25 Greetings from beautiful San Diego!I have been in San Diego since Tuesday for the company's annual, world-wide sales conference. This is the 4th such conference I have been to since joining the company. Without question this is the best one we have ever had. Many of the same people who did our users conference in Vegas (see a few posts back) put on this event and they knocked it out of the park! It has been fantastic! Frankly, I feel more motivated now than I have since the day I started. Its a great company and we are going the right direction - fast!
A few highlights and thoughts from the past 3 days.
- San Diego, itself. This is my first time in San Diego and I now understand why real estate here is so expensive. Its worth it! This place is beautiful! Our hotel, the Manchester Grand Hyatt, is nice place, but its the location that makes it special. From my room I have an incredible view of the harbor, the naval base and the surrounding terrain. Its amazing!
- The Naval Base. I have never been up-close to an aircraft carrier, but I have always wanted to see one close-up. I got my wish... and then some! When we arrived on Tuesday there were three Nimitz-class carriers in the harbor. Chris, Bart and I were lucky enough to watch the USS Abraham Lincoln depart on Wednesday morning. Then we got to see the USS Nimitz prepare to get underway this morning. The USS Ronald Reagan is still moored across the harbor. In addition, the hotel is less than a block from the USS Midway naval museum with its deck full of F-14s, F-4s, A-6s and other aircraft. After having dinner at a restaurant (don't order the Sea Bass!) [insert line from Dumb & Dumber here] right next to the Midway I was able to walk the shore along its length and get a sense of its immense size. Wow! And the Nimitz-class carriers across the harbor are even larger!
- The Conference. The content has been superb. The mood has been positive and motivating. The planning and organization has been stellar. Everyone I have spoken with has been thrilled.
- The Awards Dinner. I didn't win anything - unless you count my band taking third in the "Rock Band" competition. I'm a hellagood drummer! Nonetheless, the people who did win awards definitely earned them and deserved them. I was also thrilled beyond words that my buddy, Terri won the top renewal award. Terri works her tail off, says little and rarely gets recognized. Great job T!
- The Awards Dinner after-party. I am not a business-trip partier. When on the road I usually get back to my room as early as possible, work until I can't stay awake any longer then go to bed. Tonight as the dinner wound down and the DJ began playing some good tunes I found myself shaking it a little. Next thing I knew I was on the dance floor! Please note that in the last 10 years I have danced ONCE! Tami would be so proud... stunned, but proud. There were only about 10 or 12 of us dancing and I am sure some folks had a good laugh watching us, but it was so fun. Even MaryKate (the boss) and Kathleen got out on the floor with us.
- Winning 3rd in the "Rock Band" competition. Our band was great. Chris sang, Matt played guitar and I rocked the drums. Matt later defected and teamed up with 2 other guys who bumped us from 2nd to 3rd, but we'll forgive him for that. Not only is Rock Band a killer game and not only do I LOVE playing the drums, but in winning 3rd place we won luggage! That may sound silly, but if you could see my current luggage you might understand my joy. The poor piece of junk lost a wheel crossing a street in downtown Chicago over 3 years ago. It doesn't roll very well. Two of its three zippers are broken, its on the small side and its just plain cheap. The new one is larger and much better quality. I told Tami as I packed for this trip that when I returned I was going to buy a new suitcase. Hey baby, already took care of it! Cost? Just some wicked hot drumming. hehehe
- The Weather. If I didn't have a smoking-hot wife who I adore and 3 awesome kids I wouldn't leave tomorrow. Even when it was raining yesterday, the California climate is heavenly. Having moved away from California 10+ years ago I had forgotten how wonderful the ocean breezes and moderate temperatures are. Heavenly, absolutely heavenly.
There are plenty of other great things to talk about, but those are the highlights. What a great trip. How do you follow up a trip like this? If you are me, you go to Kansas City and Omaha in 2 weeks. Hmmmm... San Diego... Kansas City... Omaha... where would I rather be in February? January 21 I am a redneck... or maybe not.Jeff Foxworthy defined redneck as, "A glorious lack of sophistication." Not only am I a huge fan of Jeff Foxworthy and the whole "Blue Collar Comedy" crew, but I even consider myself a bit of a redneck. I enjoy nice things like fine dining, a beautiful home and even some theatre now and then. On the other hand, I also enjoy a lot of silly, simple-minded entertainment, as well. I've been known to sit on the back patio chugging a Big Gulp while shooting pigeons off the neighbors' houses with a pellet gun. Also, while I can understand the esthetic failure of a well-worn La-Z-Boy on the front porch, it does sound rather apealing and very comfortable. I live for fishing, shooting and most anything that involves fire, nachos or Mt Dew.
I even took some pride in the fact that Saturday night Tami and I had what I have to consider a true redneck date. No, it did not involve a NASCAR event or rebuilding a the transmission of a 1978 Camaro, but it in my opinion it was beautifully redneck. Best part was, it wasn't really planned. I just came together that way. First we caught the matinee show of "National Treasure - Book of Secrets" I enjoyed it and Tami loved it. We did the matinee partly because Tami is not the late night type and partly because its $2 per ticket cheaper. Then it was time to get some grub. Our wonderful little town only has about 3 restaurants that could not be classified as fast food. There is the Ixtapa, a mexican place with the best salsa ever made. Unfortunately, we ate there the night before with the kids. That left Applebee's and Denny's. We drove to Applebee's only to discover that the wait was far longer than our hunger would tollerate. We pondered the various fast food joints. Then half jokingly I suggested Denny's. To my surprise, Tami jumped at the idea. The next thing I knew we were having scrambled eggs and pancakes for dinner. To wrap up our delightful evening we visitied our local WalMart. What's more redneck than WalMart? On Saturday nights around here it seems to be the local hangout for 30-something parents. We always manage to run into friends or neighbors there. The date definitely lacked sophistication and it could not have been better. Should I feel guilty for dragging a classy woman like Tami into my redneck world? Dunno, but she seems to be enjoying it!
I mention my supposed redneck tendencies because last night Tami and found ourselves watching CMT. The only time I ever watch CMT is if one of the Blue Collar crew is on and last night was no exception. Tami and I had some great laughs watching Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Ron White and Larry the Cable Guy. As we watched we were intrigued by the teasers for the show following the Blue Collar event. "My Big Redneck Wedding" it was called and I immediately recognized it for what it was; car wreck television. I knew I shouldn't watch, but there was no stopping it. Resistance was futile. We watched not one, but two, full episodes. One more unbelieveable than the previous. I went into it expecting some good laughs. What I got was pure amazement. I was too stunned to muster even a snicker. I am sure that my jaw gaped open for the better part of the entire hour.
As I stated, I fancy myself a bit of a redneck. Well, I used to. After watching the wedding couple feed each other bits of cake made to look like horse manure from their red, barn cake and the groom give his bride a wedding gift he discovered while dumpster diving (for the record she loved it - and she knew it came from a dumpster) I knew that these "rednecks" were beyond anything I could possibly concieve. It left me wondering, am I truly a redneck? Do I really want to be affiliated with what I had just seen? The best I can do to reconcile it is to tell myself that I am a redneck, probably a lightweight redneck, but a redneck nonetheless, and they are actually white trash. Either way, the show has set it claws deep into me. This is a car wreck I can't possibly turn away from.
January 16 American Idol... againI know I have ranted in the past about my loathing of American Idol, but I did get sucked into watching it with Tami last night. This is the portion of the show that I actually do enjoy. The songs are short (appeals to my terribly short attention span) and there is much to snicker at. Last night delivered nicely. I have heard folks say that Simon seemed mellower than in the past. I am okay with that. Most of his attempts at scathing remarks come off forced or cliched anyway. Besides, I came to see people embarrass themselves!
The Pincess Leah/she-male look-alike was delightful. It make me grateful that my love of Star Wars has been kept within the bounds of common sense. Who can ignore the big man singing "...let my people GO!" Wow! It takes cojones to even attempt that. Cojones, or a low IQ. You decide. Either way, its rich entertainment.
Tami brought home some ice cream and we are putting the kids to bed early so we can enjoy the worst Dallas has to offer. Oh, I guess there may be some good try-outs too. January 05 PoliticsThe truth is I know very little about politics. Local, grass-roots-type politics hold some fascination for me; probably because I feel that is the only place one person can still make a difference. On the national level I figure most of those involved sold their souls to get there and are completely lacking in concience and honesty. Because of those beliefs I rarely pay much attention to national politics. Frankly, it makes me feel dirty.
Nonetheless, we are now in an election year and I fully intend to excersize my right to vote. So, I have to choose a candidate and making that decision forces me to pay some attention to the presidential race. I don't feel that my beliefs and opnions align well with either party. I guess you could call me a moderate in most cases. I prefer to make my own decisions rather than vote party lines. So, from my perspective all of the candidates start out with a chance.
Besides the fact that the majority of the current candidates will probably be better than George Dub-ya; here is what I think about the candidates, so far.
Barak Obama - He seems like the consumate politician. He strikes me as the kind of person who aproaches things like, "Ask me anything. I'll tell you what I think you want to hear." I also feel like Obama is the kind of guy who may be shaking your hand and looking you in the eye right now, but be careful as you walk away because he just might burry his machete in your back as you leave. Something about his eyes says don't trust him. Oprah's endorsement doesn't help either. (Read my previous post on celebrity endorsements of political candidates.)
In case you haven't noticed, this is not scientific and I have nothing to back any of this up with. Its just my impressions, so far.
Hillary Clinton - If she makes it to the Oval Office (again) I will likely move to Canada or Mexico. Heck, Mogadishu may be safer! Her husband, Slick Willy, was slimy. She makes him look like a choir boy. I've heard that she only married him because she felt he offered her the best opportunity to advance her political ambitions. Personally, I think she's a lesbian and the only reason she hasn't come out of the closet is because it would kill her chances of making the White House. Its tough enough for a woman to get there. That would make it virtually impossible. In my opinion she is probably the worst candidate out there.
John McCain - McCain is my front runner at this point. I wanted him to win the nomination over Dub-ya eight years ago. I have great respect for the fact that he is a Vietnam vet and former POW. I also like that he is so blunt when he speaks. Liars, generally, are not so frank.
Mitt Romney - He's a Mormon. I am a Mormon. So there is some appeal to him as a candidate, but I am just not comforable with him. All the misconceptions and ridicule that has come upon the LDS church because of his time in the limelight is anoying and disapointing. I thought we were a country built on religious tollerance (are you reading this Mike Huckabee?). I think Romney has great business sense, but I am not sure if he is presidential material. Not sure why I feel that way. Oh. and the olympic medal references are getting tired. We know you rocked the Salt Lake Olympics. Enough already!
Mike Huckabee - Duh. Just DUH! From where I sit, he may be the only candidate to rival Dub-ya for stupidity. He won the Iowa Caucuses based on the Evangelical vote. Probably going to end up being the high point of his run. He just seems stupid and we don't need another moron in the oval office. Huckabee comes in second to Hillary on the "Worst Possible Candidate" list.
Rudy Giuliani - Did I misspell his name? Sorry. He handled the whole 911 thing nicely. He seems somewhat likeable, as politicians go. But, he still has that politician feel to him. In other words, you can't trust him. I wonder if being Italian from New York gives people the perception that he has mafia ties. Tony Soprano for President!
I am sure there are others, but at this point they probably don't warrant my analysis. As I stated I am not a political expert. In fact, I am not even a casual follower of politics. These are just my barely educated opinions. The truth is, I vote mostly on gut feeling and these are the gut feelings that these candidates give me. I am sure that each and every one of them is reading this and adjusting their campaigns accordingly. So we see the value of one man's opinions.
Best of luck to all the candidates... except the ones I really don't like. January 03 New Years ResolutionsThose who know me know that I do not believe in New Year's Resolutions. Why do I need to wait until January 1 to set a goal or begin a project? What's wrong with starting on May 27th? Or September 8th? Nonetheless, folks really seem to get caught up in the resolutions thing. Hence, I have decided to post some resolutions - for other people. Here's what I think a few people should be doing in 2008.
1) Tami, my wife - don't change a thing! You're already amazing and waaaay out of my league.
2) My children - stop being smarter than me. I really hate ending arguements with "Well, just do it cuz I told you to!"
3) My beloved employer - lower quotas, a raise, a corner office w/ a mini-fridge and an assistant. I know its a dream, but it can't hurt to suggest it, right?
4) The Utah Jazz - find a cure for your schizophrenia and learn how to close out games. Getting to the NBA Finals would be nice too.
5) George W. Bush - find a new job that does not invlove leadership, public speaking or Dick Cheney!
6) Reggie, our dog - learn which things are okay to chew on and which places are okay for doing your business. The baby is not on either list!
7) Tedd & Heidi - buy the house across the street from ours. It just happens to be up for sale!
If you all could get working on these goals right away it would be greatly appreciated.
Happy New Year! December 28 I am manly. You should want to mate with me!Yeah, I said that and I am still chuckling about it.
A few months back Brandt gave me his old snowblower. He said it was not running, but he thought I could get it running without too much effort. I drained the old gas, cleaned the spark plug and tightened a thing or two and within an hour or so it was running nicely. That was September; before the snow began to fall. When I finally got to put it to the test it failed miserably. The outlet spout clogged constantly and the engine died many times. Since then, it has only gotten worse. Sometimes, it dies before I can even get it to the snow. I had all but given up until this week. Tuesday we returned home from Christmas at my parents' house to find 6" of snow that needed to be removed from the driveway. Wednesday there was another 6" to shovel when I got home from work. Thursday morning there was another 4"to be cleared before leaving for work.
That was enough to convince me that this is NOT the winter to be without a snowblower. As I drove to work yesterday I pondered what could be ailing my pathetic little snowblower. Then it hit me. Its overheating, just like my line trimmer used to do before I began using a richer 2-stroke mixture. On my way home I stopped at Wally World, paid 94 cents for a little bottle of 2-stroke oil and headed home with renewed hope. I added some some of the oil to the gas tank and more to the gas remaining in the gas can. I fired up the snowblower and waited for it to stall out like usual. It didn't happen.
I tested it gently on some shallow snow and it threw it 15 feet in the air. So I headed for the deep stuff. Again, the powder flew into the air. So I proceeded to clear the RV pad, a pathway from the back deck to the side gate and anything else that I could find. It still bound up a time or three, but that's top be expected from an old, single-stage machine. Otherwise, it charged through most everything I threw at it.
Satisfied that I had successfuly proven myself at the masculine art of small engine repair I parked the snowblower and went inside to gloat before my duely impressed wife. She acknowledged my accomplishment and gave me a congratulatory kiss. As I stepped back from the kiss I looked her in the eyes and stated dryly, "I am manly. You should want to mate with me!"
She laughed hysterically. December 18 Movin' OnIts over... well, mostly. The worst of it is over, anyway. There are still a few mountains of boxes nagging to be unpacked, but we are finally into the new home. I have to say, it is truly gorgeous! Tami picked the nicest carpet I have ever felt. I begs to be walked on barefoot and makes laying on the floor a real pleasure. The big, fully-fenced backyard is delightful and will be great for the dog. The garage is still full of random stuff that needs to be put away or disposed of and the cars are being parked on the driveway. I hate not being able to park in the garage, but I'll get it sorted out soon enough.
Dad, Brandt, Tedd, Jared and Tony were HUGE helps in getting it all done. Even moving the piano wasn't so bad. Not that I want to do it again anytime soon! Maybe the one downside is that I no longer live right across the street from Tedd and Heidi. Fortunately, we are still within a mile or so of them, but we won't have the seredipitous encounters while mowing lawns or playing with the kids that I had come to love about living so close to them. Nonetheless, Tedd you had better be planning on watching A LOT of Jazz games together and many summer BBQs!
It feels like the opening of a new chapter in our lives; a chapter that seems to be radiating with optimism.
In the midst of reassembling beds and unpacking boxes on Sunday Tami decided the Christmas tree needed to be put up. At first I scoffed and chided her that it was not as important as getting unpacked. Once I saw it lit up I knew she was right. Even in the middle of an ocean of cardboard it suddenly felt like Christmas at our house. That got me thinking, "What are some of the things that make it feel like Christmas?" Here's my not-so-traditional list.
1) Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan singing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". Definitely my favorite Christmas song.
2) Kids Christmas artwork from school - is there any better artwork than children's artwork?
3) Hearing Bob & Doug MacKenzie's 12 Days of Christmas song. 20 years later it still makes me giggle.
4) Family get-togethers - what good is Christmas if you can't share it?
5) Hearing my kids wish lists. They change from day to day and can be very entertaining.
6) Hiding Christmas presents. Its a fun game to see how well we can hide the gifts from the kids.
7) The rediculous increase in jewelry ads on the TV and radio. I refuse to go to Jared just because their commercials are certifiably moronic.
8) The Utah Jazz start their pre-Christmas 6-game road trip. This one began with a loss in Atlanta. Bummer.
9) Snow. Got lots of it and more on the way. White Christmas!
10) Christmas cards. We took a great family picture for ours this year and I love seeing other people's pics and reading updates on their families. December 14 SurveysWe all get those "Getting to Know You" survey things wtih deep, probing questions like "Rolling Stones or Beatles?" and "Favorite food?". I used to loathe them. The same questions, the same people, lame, lame, lame. Then my smart-ass side took over. I now love them. Today, I recieved a survey I had never seen before; a Christmas survey! I eagerly answered the questions snickering with each cleverly sarcastic response. Here is a copy of my respsonses.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? WRAPPING PAPER - gift bags while much easier than wrapping gifts take the fun out of unwrapping presents 2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial, preferably pre-lit! 3. When do you put up the tree? When Tami tells me to 4. When do you take the tree down? See #3 5. Do you like eggnog? A little snog around Christmas is nice 6. Favorite gift received as a child? Legos or the Atari 2600 7. Do you have a nativity scene? A nativity scene? No. We have about 3 dozen of them! I especially like the Playschool(?) one for the kids. Its more on my level. 8. Hardest person to buy for? Me. I keep being reminded that I am supposed to give to others at Christmas. 9. Easiest person to buy for? Ian – we like all the same stuff: toy guns, legos, etc. 10. Worst Christmas gift ever received? The year my mom gave me a kitten. Unfortunately she wrapped him up sometime in November and when I opened the box he had starved to death. I was really sad. Okay, I made that up, but “none” seemed like a lame answer. 11. Mail or e-mail Christmas card? Snail mail with pictures and an update letter. 12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Gremlins was a Christmas movie, right? Can’t beat little critters exploding in the microwave! 13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Right after I realize that time is running out and I have done nothing. 14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that you know of! 15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fudge…and mom’s peanut butter balls…and wreaths… and wassail… and Almond Rocca… and… 16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? White… does that make me racist? 17. Favorite Christmas song? “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” as performed by Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan 18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Depends on who has the best food and gifts. J Actually, nothing beats home for the holidays.
19. Can you name Santa's reindeers? Sure, but I think Santa already gave them names. The song would sound silly if it went like, “You know Herb and Timmy and Spike and Rufus…”
20. Do you have an Angel on top of the tree or a star? Neither. This year in an effort to offset some of the costs of Christmas we have leased out advertising space atop our tree. We have a neon sign that reads, “Jones Feed and Implement – Grand Opening”
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We are supposed to only open our new PJs on Christmas Eve, but Tami usually cheats and opens everything by December 10th. Maybe question #1 should read “Wrapping paper, gift bag or lock box?”
Gee, I crack myself up! December 09 NeighborsSince moving to our neighborhood about six months ago we have become good friends with a couple of other families. They are great people we appreciate their friendship more than words can express. There are also some other really great people who live in our neighborhood. One of the things I love about our town is the small-town, friendly feel here. So-called old time values are alive and well here. Children respect adults. Men hold doors for ladies - everyone holds doors for each other. I even had a restaurant manager tell 2 of his employees to help me out to the car with our take-out because I was carrying our 1 year-old son in my arms. It really is a unique and wonderful place.
But I digress; back to my more immediate neighbors. Each of the last two weekends we have recieved significant snow storms. Each Saturday morning I donned my winter coat and went out to clear the driveway and sidewalks of the snow. Each time I witnessed my neighbors doing kind acts for one another. Last Saturday it was Tedd. His snowblower wasn't working so he borowed one from his next-door neighbor, Rowdy. Tedd not only used Rowdy's snowblower to clear his own walks and Rowdy's, but also cleared the walks of 2 other homes nearby.
This Saturday morning I awoke delighted to see nearly 12 inches of white powder on my lawn. I enjoyed watching the flakes steadily fall until I realized it was time to go clear the walks. My snowblower is a hand-me-down given to my by my brother-in-law. It was free and I should not complain, but after all the issues I had with it last weekend I wasn't so sure that it was a time saving device. As I sat trying to gather the motivation to head outside and debating whether to make another attempt with the snowblower or go to the old fashioned snow shovel I saw our neighbor, Marti. She was headed toward our house on their ATV. Straightaway she lowered the plow on the ATV and began clearing my driveway. I went outside to thank her and she offered to let me use the ATV and plow to clear my walks. Not only was I thrilled to have avoided another confrontation with my snowblower, I was totally jazzed to be playing on the ATV in the deep snow.
As I worked on my yard I saw Rowdy finishing up his yard. Immediately upon completion Rowdy proceeded to clear Tedd's yard. Then he headed up a few houses and helped Marti finish of her walks. Finally, he cleared the sidewalk between Marti's and his house and cleared out the barriers of snow that had been left behind by the city's snow plows moments earlier.
None of these folks were asked to assist. None of them hesitated in any way. I hear lots of talk from people about their charitable gifts or donations, but in my mind people like Marti, Tedd and Rowdy are the real angels. I'm a lucky guy to have neighbors like them and I like to think that in other small towns around the country there are still plenty of people like them. |
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