Merry Christmas! I hope everyone had a great, long weekend and was able to enjoy some time with or………. depending on your preference…....without their families. We had a great holiday with all our family and are always glad to spend time with those that we don't see very often.
Anyway..... On to my random topic for the day
I’ve noticed that my musical tastes tend to change constantly. Not sure if it’s thanks to ADD or an open mind, but my favorite musician seems to change every couple weeks. My recent trend towards Bluesy Rock has given me a chance to discover a ton of less famous sing/songwriters. Below is a list of musicians and their websites. Some are more famous than others, but check them out if you have time, they are worth a listen.
Marc Broussard – I have been listening to Marc for about 2 years now and his music is what got me into this genre. He has very rich vocals and a southern blues feel to his songs.
http://www.islandrecords.com/marcbroussard/site/home.las
Jonny Lang – Obviously, not an unknown musician, his raspy voice mixes well with his bluesy sound. JL has a similar sound to Marc Broussard, but with a more definite gospel vibe to his songs.
http://www.jonnylang.com/
Will Hoge – Sounds almost like younger, popier Lyle Lovitt, see if you can hear the similarities in their voices…especially in songs like Hey Tonight.
http://www.willhoge.com/
Josh Kelley – Folky pop from a guy with a very distinct voice. His song "Amazing" has just entered the billboard top 20 charts, so you've probably heard it before.
http://www.joshkelley.com/new/
Christopher Jak – Definitely less blues and more folk here, he has a good voice and catchy songs. What’s sweet about him is that I had been listening to him for awhile when I saw an article about him in Rolling Stone, in which they said he lives in Fort Collins, my hometown.
http://www.christopherjak.com/index_flash.html
Matt Wertz – The most pop of all of these groups, his songs are simple but, true to a pop formula, they are catchy and good to listen too. If you can admit that you occasionally enjoy a good pop album, this is good one as MW infuses some blues into his songs.
http://www.mattwertz.com/
Mike Doughty – He’s awesome. Great in concert, great albums, great BLOG on his website. MD used to be the lead singer of Soul Coughing. Definitely check him out, if you ever listen to KBCO, you’ll probably recognize the song “Looking at the world from the bottom of a well.”
http://mikedoughty.com/
John Legend- Fairly different from all the other singers here, he has more of a Bluesy R&B feel. He was originally “discovered” by Lauren Hill and has been under the mentorship on Kanye West the last couple years. So take a combo of those 2 artists and you have John Legend. His lyrics are heartfelt and his delivery is genuine. Most of the songs feature Legend playing piano, which adds a level of intimacy that many R&B albums lack. He was nominated for 8 Grammys this year, including best new artist.
http://johnlegend.com/
Can you tell that I don't have a lot to do at work today? Enjoy the musicians! Let me know what you think.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Great Weekend
NY was awesome this weekend, it was freaking cold, but a lot of fun. Some of the highlights of the trip:
-A 4 Mile Race in Central Park. That is a great place to run a race, but it was so cold, I finally thawed out that night. Barb and I both ran good runs and were happy to get inside to warm up after the race.
-A walk across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, although very chilling, the views were incredible. We then walked around and had lunch in Brooklyn Heights. Brooklyn Heights is the area on the Harlem river that faces Manhattan. The neighborhood looks like the setting for the Cosby Show. I was waiting for Rudy to walk out the front door. It mainly consists of a whole bunch of restored brownstones………….. It's a pretty sweet area.
-Seeing Avenue Q. This was so hilarious, and inappropriate. Nothing better than a musical with drunk, muppet sex. No need to say anything else I think.
-The Food. We had some great food in NY. If you’re there in the near future, I highly suggest The Stanton Social Club in the Lower East Side. It’s kind of like funky tapes. For example we had Crab Cake Corndogs and Kobe Beef Sliders. Mmmmmm, my mouth is cheering, but my arteries are crying.
-Chinatown. You can buy a fake of anything you want there cheap. Not that Barb’s two new Louis Vuitton handbags aren’t real J
-A 4 Mile Race in Central Park. That is a great place to run a race, but it was so cold, I finally thawed out that night. Barb and I both ran good runs and were happy to get inside to warm up after the race.
-A walk across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, although very chilling, the views were incredible. We then walked around and had lunch in Brooklyn Heights. Brooklyn Heights is the area on the Harlem river that faces Manhattan. The neighborhood looks like the setting for the Cosby Show. I was waiting for Rudy to walk out the front door. It mainly consists of a whole bunch of restored brownstones………….. It's a pretty sweet area.
-Seeing Avenue Q. This was so hilarious, and inappropriate. Nothing better than a musical with drunk, muppet sex. No need to say anything else I think.
-The Food. We had some great food in NY. If you’re there in the near future, I highly suggest The Stanton Social Club in the Lower East Side. It’s kind of like funky tapes. For example we had Crab Cake Corndogs and Kobe Beef Sliders. Mmmmmm, my mouth is cheering, but my arteries are crying.
-Chinatown. You can buy a fake of anything you want there cheap. Not that Barb’s two new Louis Vuitton handbags aren’t real J
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Big Apple Bound
Barb and I are headed to NY tomorrow for a long weekend.
We got a great deal on tickets, $120 on United round-trip, and are staying with a good friend of Barb's from college, Betsy, on the Upper-East Side. So we are saving a ton of money....which we'll probably spend on frivilous things like liquor, food, liquor, christmas gifts and liquor.
This is a great weekend to be in NY. All the lights for Christmas are up, the people seem so friendly this time of year too. I would highly recommend this weekend if you are planning a trip.
I think we’re going to try to go to the Today Show Friday morning so look for us if you watch J
We’re going to see Avenue Q. Basically this is a musical that stars “naughty muppets”. Instead of living on Sesame Street, these muppets live on Avenue Q. The all live in the same building, owned and managed by Gary Coleman.
Just to give you a taste of the types of songs they sing…..
If you were gay, that’s be ok
The Internet is for Porn
You can be as loud as the hell you want, when you’re making love.
Everyone’s a little bit racist sometimes
Everyone we’ve talked to who has seen it says it is hysterical. It won best new musical last year at the Tony’s and is now playing at the Wynn in Vegas too.
Check it out below
http://www.avenueq.com
Also, this weekend CU plays Texas in the Big 12 Championship. As disappointed as I am in CU, I am still pulling for an upset. You just never know what team is going to play each week so here’s hoping we can hang with them and possibly win the Big 12. It’s happened before….. never the less, I can’t bare to watch the game. GO Buffs!
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Quotes from the ski house this weekend......
By popular demand, I am posting quotes from the ski house from the previous weekend, here are a couple doozies to start off with....
"Everyone wants a whore once in awhile; as long as it's not a mean whore." - Frank
"I don't need to double-click my mouse, I have Matthew" - Jenna
Monday, November 28, 2005
Thanksgiving
This weekend, before gorging myself with turkey and watching the Bronc's squeak out a win in Dallas, I ran the Turkey Trot with Barb and some friends. The race goes once around the outside of Washington Park and then continues around the inner path of the park for 4 miles. This was the first race I have ever run in that I actually got in a zone and just pushed faster and faster each mile. It was a great feeling and I as a rusult, I finished with a PR.
Friday I wasted $100 on 2 tickets to the CU-Nebraska game. Talk about a let down. We have looked fairly good all season and to come in and just get destroyed by a mediocre Nebraska team was disheartening. Our offense was anemic, but that's nothing new. However, our Defence, usually pretty solid, was letting Nebraska and their....wait for it...... West Coast Offense, throw all over us. The upside was that the day was beautiful and we were able to meet up with a bunch of college friends that were in town for the game. And even though we lost, we still somehow managed to win the Big 12 North. Talk about a division of mediocrity! Basically this win means that means we'll get to watch as Texas pummels us and then probably go to the Holiday Bowl and have Oregon pummel us too. Ah, brings back memories of the Fiesta Bowl 4 years ago :)
To top off the game loss, our fans, possibly the worst in the Big 12, took it on themselves to “decorate” the fields with garbage.
Just to give you a little taste of what the game looked like, here is a quote from John Henderson of the Denver Post
‘In 40-plus years of watching college football, I can't recall a 15 1/2-point favorite with so much on the line against a team in such shambles and looking more incompetent, disorganized and flat as Colorado in its 30-3 drubbing by Nebraska on Friday.
The only aspect worse than Colorado's play was two sections of CU students who transformed themselves into a soccer crowd in a banana republic. If you were at Folsom Field dodging the flying rubbish, bottles and sanity, it looked worse on TV. ABC play-by-play man Mike Tirico carved up the offending students, calling them "an embarrassment" and pushing the university to take action.
Then in a surreal scene right out of a war zone, Tirico urged sideline reporter Suzy Shuster to "get outta there" while she reported from a cleared-out section with some tequila-laced student ringing a cowbell.’
Friday after the game we headed up to the Mountain House for the weekend. Our place is great and everyone seems to be getting along so well. The next morning we hit Keystone early to avoid the crazy crowds this weekend. I boarded horribly. The snow was patchy and they have only groomed 2 runs so far, Mozart and Schoolmarm, both of with were jam-packed with Texans flying all over the mountain like a blind monkey driving an eighteen-wheeler down the freeway……yes, it’s worth it to pause and picture that. So avoiding the monkeys was a must and that left runs that besides being patched with icy, snow-pack or dirt, were covered in moguls. Now I am an intermediate boarder and by the end of last year I could handle some moguls, however, after about 7 straight tumbles down the mountain on my third run I was feeling some pain. In one of the numerous tumbles I took, I think I rebruised my ribs. Sucks but at least I got to get up to the mountains this weekend. It was a lot of fun to get my first day in.
Also, just a side note, Barb is an incredible skier. She really zooms down anything so elegantly. If you are ever out here and want someone to ski hard and challenge you, talk to Barb.
The rest of the weekend I sat in a chair, drank a fair amount of liquor and waited for my entire body to stiffen up.
Overall a great Thanksgiving Weekend though.
Friday I wasted $100 on 2 tickets to the CU-Nebraska game. Talk about a let down. We have looked fairly good all season and to come in and just get destroyed by a mediocre Nebraska team was disheartening. Our offense was anemic, but that's nothing new. However, our Defence, usually pretty solid, was letting Nebraska and their....wait for it...... West Coast Offense, throw all over us. The upside was that the day was beautiful and we were able to meet up with a bunch of college friends that were in town for the game. And even though we lost, we still somehow managed to win the Big 12 North. Talk about a division of mediocrity! Basically this win means that means we'll get to watch as Texas pummels us and then probably go to the Holiday Bowl and have Oregon pummel us too. Ah, brings back memories of the Fiesta Bowl 4 years ago :)
To top off the game loss, our fans, possibly the worst in the Big 12, took it on themselves to “decorate” the fields with garbage.
Just to give you a little taste of what the game looked like, here is a quote from John Henderson of the Denver Post
‘In 40-plus years of watching college football, I can't recall a 15 1/2-point favorite with so much on the line against a team in such shambles and looking more incompetent, disorganized and flat as Colorado in its 30-3 drubbing by Nebraska on Friday.
The only aspect worse than Colorado's play was two sections of CU students who transformed themselves into a soccer crowd in a banana republic. If you were at Folsom Field dodging the flying rubbish, bottles and sanity, it looked worse on TV. ABC play-by-play man Mike Tirico carved up the offending students, calling them "an embarrassment" and pushing the university to take action.
Then in a surreal scene right out of a war zone, Tirico urged sideline reporter Suzy Shuster to "get outta there" while she reported from a cleared-out section with some tequila-laced student ringing a cowbell.’
Friday after the game we headed up to the Mountain House for the weekend. Our place is great and everyone seems to be getting along so well. The next morning we hit Keystone early to avoid the crazy crowds this weekend. I boarded horribly. The snow was patchy and they have only groomed 2 runs so far, Mozart and Schoolmarm, both of with were jam-packed with Texans flying all over the mountain like a blind monkey driving an eighteen-wheeler down the freeway……yes, it’s worth it to pause and picture that. So avoiding the monkeys was a must and that left runs that besides being patched with icy, snow-pack or dirt, were covered in moguls. Now I am an intermediate boarder and by the end of last year I could handle some moguls, however, after about 7 straight tumbles down the mountain on my third run I was feeling some pain. In one of the numerous tumbles I took, I think I rebruised my ribs. Sucks but at least I got to get up to the mountains this weekend. It was a lot of fun to get my first day in.
Also, just a side note, Barb is an incredible skier. She really zooms down anything so elegantly. If you are ever out here and want someone to ski hard and challenge you, talk to Barb.
The rest of the weekend I sat in a chair, drank a fair amount of liquor and waited for my entire body to stiffen up.
Overall a great Thanksgiving Weekend though.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Where in the World Day 3
Man, this is one that everyone in Denver should have figured out!
Clue for Wednesday's Location:
"The gold flowed here for a second time, after a bust in the Rocky Mountains."
Answer: Innsbruck, Austria
Explanation:
The gold flowed here for a second time.......
-Referring to Olympic Gold, Innsbruck has hosted the Winter Olympics twice,
After a bust in the Rocky Mountains......
-Denver was awarded the Winter Games in 1976, however Denver voters turned down the games due to costs. As a result, Innsbruck was awarded the games for that year.
A few facts about Innsbruck:
-Innsbruck was the host for the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics
-Was also the home of the Van Trapp Family, the inspiration for the Sound of Music
-Downhill skiing was invented in the Alps above Innsbruck
More about Innsbruck, Austria:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041544/
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Here are the answers for the first two days and the clue for day three...
Clue for Monday's Location:
"The shuttle can land here in a pinch without turning any heads."
Answer: Easter Island
Explanation:
The shuttle can land here in a pinch.......
-NASA recently spent millions to lengthen the one runway on Easter Island so that in the case of an emergency, the shuttle can land on the island
Without turning heads......
-Refers to the Moai Statues, giant heads with small bodies, that the island is famous for.
A few facts about Easter Island:
-Most remote island in the world that is inhabited. Closest inhabited island is 1500 miles away, Tahiti is 2000 miles away, mainland Chili is 2500 miles away
-All Moai statues were knocked over in battles between different families on the island, resoration of the statues began in 1960.
-The island is 63 square miles and has a population of 3,791, of which 90% live in the capital city, Hanga Roa
-Is techincally part of Chili
More about Easter Island:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041544/
Clue for Tuesday's Location:
"People are still asking me about the one i got in 2002 almost 90 years after this most famous one was built."
Answer: Panama Canal
Explanation:
People are still asking me about the one i got in 2002......
-In 2002 Matt Lauer got a buzz cut because he was loosing his hair; he got a "Short Cut"
Almost 90 years after this most famous one was built......
-The Panama Canal, completed in 1915, is the world's most famous "Short Cut"
A few facts about the Panama Canal:
-Over 25,000 people died making the canal, mainly due to yellow fever.
-The French initially started the canal in the 1890’s and abandoned the project due to cost and loss of life
-The US took up the quest in 1904 and completed the canal in 1914. On January 1, 2000, Panama took over ownership of the canal. Prior to that, the canal was controlled by the US.
-The canal consists of 2 seperate sets of locks that each feed from the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean to Lake Gatun.
-The average price to go through the canal is $60,000 and can run up to $260,000, based on the weight of the ship.
More about Panama:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041544/
Clue for Wednesday's Location:
"The gold flowed here for a second time, after a bust in the Rocky Mountains."
Monday, November 07, 2005
Where in the World is Matt Lauer
I usually watch the Today Show before I leave for work in the morning. Although sometimes annoying, I think the 4 anchors, Matt Lauer, Katie Couric, Ann Curry and Al Roker, are entertaining to watch. This is my favorite week to watch as it is "Where in the world is Matt Lauer" Week. This is where Matt Lauer will travel to a secret location everyday for 5 days and broadcast live from that location. At the end of each day, he gives a clue to where he is going next. I love to try and figure out where he is headed. Last Friday he gave the clue and I was actually able to figure it out. For the week, I will give you the clue from the day before and then the next day give you the location he broadcast from. If you want more information or prior locations he has broadcast from, check out the following link........
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/?ta=y
Clue for Monday's Location:
"The shuttle can land here in a pinch without turning any heads." Can you guess it?
Clue for Tuesday's Location:
"People are still asking me about the one i got in 2002 almost 90 years after this most famous one was built."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/?ta=y
Clue for Monday's Location:
"The shuttle can land here in a pinch without turning any heads." Can you guess it?
Clue for Tuesday's Location:
"People are still asking me about the one i got in 2002 almost 90 years after this most famous one was built."
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Follow-through
Sometimes I lack follow-through. Case in point, I have wanted to write in my blog for the last week and have just not done it. No reason why, I just haven't followed through on it. It’s either due to my adult-onset ADD or just the fact that I’m lazy.
Anyway, I’ve lost interest in writing, more later
Anyway, I’ve lost interest in writing, more later
Thursday, October 20, 2005
What is up with the Powerball Gods? Why have they smote our state? Of the 27 states that participate in Powerball, Colorado is the only one not to ever have a jackpot winner. I thought the drawing yesterday was going to bring our state a winner. Not that I would ever expect to win the powerball myself, but it would be nice to see someone in the state win……. Ok….. that’s a lie………I wanted to win.
Anyway, here is the picture of the day…… It’s Tom Delay’s booking photo from earlier today taken at the Harris County sheriff’s bonding office,. I don’t care if you’re a Republican, Democrat or an Independent; that guy is skuzzy.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Old Man Walking
It has been a crazy week!
After working a ton in Greenville last week I came home to a fun, yet busy, birthday weekend. Despite being almost 30…. Holy shit!.......I had one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had.
Friday, we went to dinner with Barb’s dad, step-mom and brother to The Barolo Grill…. it was excellent! We went for Barb’s dad’s birthday, which was Friday, but everyone was nice enough to include me in the birthday celebration.
Saturday we headed to Cordiera, outside of Vail, for a wedding of a friend of mine from Accenture. Now if you didn’t know, The Cordiera Resort is where Kobe was staying when he performed his lude act with a cleaning lady. Anyway……the resort is very majestic and the views are incredible. Barb bought me a massage at the spa for my birthday, it was so relaxing….. in a non-Kobe-molestation-touching way. The wedding was at the golf club at Cordiera. The golf course is a true mountain course, complete with pine trees, rocks and naturally steep hills and bumps all over the course. It is a Nicholas design and the houses are designed to blend into nature so it almost looks like a golf course in the middle of a national park. That being said, the houses on the golf course are sick; each one is seriously the size of a mountain lodge. In fact, we couldn’t find the golf club at first because it is the smallest structure up there. The wedding was a lot of fun and it was great to hang out with some old friends from Accenture.
The next day we headed back down to Denver and watched the Broncos. I was exhausted from the busy week of work and the non-stop activities of the weekend so all I wanted to do was lie on the couch and watch football. Despite being exhausted, we made plans to meet up with Conner and Jenna for dinner at Hapa. I was complaining that I was too tired and that I didn’t want to go, but Barb thought we should. Anyway, she drags me to Hapa in the middle of the Broncos game so I am not too happy. To my surprise, when we walk in, there are about 20 friends there to surprise me with a birthday dinner! Barb had planned a surprise party for me. Suddenly I felt like such an ass, a feeling I am quite familiar with. The dinner was so great and it was so nice of everyone to come.
Barb definitely knows how to treat someone on there birthday, I don’t think I have ever been so spoiled on a birthday, except maybe last year when she planned a birthday vacation to Maine! So Barb, thanks again for everything!
On a side note, a little entertainment for those who are familiar with my car, the Jetta is broken again…….I love VWs!
After working a ton in Greenville last week I came home to a fun, yet busy, birthday weekend. Despite being almost 30…. Holy shit!.......I had one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had.
Friday, we went to dinner with Barb’s dad, step-mom and brother to The Barolo Grill…. it was excellent! We went for Barb’s dad’s birthday, which was Friday, but everyone was nice enough to include me in the birthday celebration.
Saturday we headed to Cordiera, outside of Vail, for a wedding of a friend of mine from Accenture. Now if you didn’t know, The Cordiera Resort is where Kobe was staying when he performed his lude act with a cleaning lady. Anyway……the resort is very majestic and the views are incredible. Barb bought me a massage at the spa for my birthday, it was so relaxing….. in a non-Kobe-molestation-touching way. The wedding was at the golf club at Cordiera. The golf course is a true mountain course, complete with pine trees, rocks and naturally steep hills and bumps all over the course. It is a Nicholas design and the houses are designed to blend into nature so it almost looks like a golf course in the middle of a national park. That being said, the houses on the golf course are sick; each one is seriously the size of a mountain lodge. In fact, we couldn’t find the golf club at first because it is the smallest structure up there. The wedding was a lot of fun and it was great to hang out with some old friends from Accenture.
The next day we headed back down to Denver and watched the Broncos. I was exhausted from the busy week of work and the non-stop activities of the weekend so all I wanted to do was lie on the couch and watch football. Despite being exhausted, we made plans to meet up with Conner and Jenna for dinner at Hapa. I was complaining that I was too tired and that I didn’t want to go, but Barb thought we should. Anyway, she drags me to Hapa in the middle of the Broncos game so I am not too happy. To my surprise, when we walk in, there are about 20 friends there to surprise me with a birthday dinner! Barb had planned a surprise party for me. Suddenly I felt like such an ass, a feeling I am quite familiar with. The dinner was so great and it was so nice of everyone to come.
Barb definitely knows how to treat someone on there birthday, I don’t think I have ever been so spoiled on a birthday, except maybe last year when she planned a birthday vacation to Maine! So Barb, thanks again for everything!
On a side note, a little entertainment for those who are familiar with my car, the Jetta is broken again…….I love VWs!
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Mmmm..... Meat
There is a software expert out here in Greenville helping us with an upgrade of the software I work with. I worked with him about 5 years ago at another company we were both working for.
He looks completely different from how he used to look. He has lost about 75lbs since I saw him 5 years ago. At dinner last night, after a couple cocktails, he told me that he lost all the weight in the last year. What’s so funny about it is that he lost all the weight by strictly changing what he ate and when he ate. He said he does the same amount of physical activity, which is working out daily, that he has the last 5 years. His diet consists of eating foods higher in unsaturated fats and consuming fewer complex carbs. In addition to this Atkins like approach, all the food he eats in organic. Organic eggs, cheese, fruits. He gets his meat from a farm in Colorado Springs that only feeds its cows grass, no feed.
Maybe it was just the liquor, but I was just amazed that he could lose that much weight from just shifting his eating habits. Of course at the same time, he was eating a huge rack of bbq ribs and a piece of pecan pie, so he may just be blessed with good genes.
He looks completely different from how he used to look. He has lost about 75lbs since I saw him 5 years ago. At dinner last night, after a couple cocktails, he told me that he lost all the weight in the last year. What’s so funny about it is that he lost all the weight by strictly changing what he ate and when he ate. He said he does the same amount of physical activity, which is working out daily, that he has the last 5 years. His diet consists of eating foods higher in unsaturated fats and consuming fewer complex carbs. In addition to this Atkins like approach, all the food he eats in organic. Organic eggs, cheese, fruits. He gets his meat from a farm in Colorado Springs that only feeds its cows grass, no feed.
Maybe it was just the liquor, but I was just amazed that he could lose that much weight from just shifting his eating habits. Of course at the same time, he was eating a huge rack of bbq ribs and a piece of pecan pie, so he may just be blessed with good genes.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Ah The Deep South
So I am working in Greenville, South Carolina this week at my company’s data center. I have never been to South Carolina and I have to say it is really nice. The weather is a bit muggy but the temperature is really nice. Right around 70. It’s very green, similar to Kentucky (see last week’s entry) but more plantation style houses.
Greenville itself is a fairly small city, around 55,000 people, however it is fourth largest in South Carolina, and the biggest in western South Carolina. I am staying at a Westin on Main Street. The hotel is a 150 year old hotel that was just remodeled. It reminds me of the Brown Palace in Denver. Very ornate and fancy. The best part of staying there are the beds. If you’ve never stayed at a Westin, the beds are so comfortable.
When I got in to town last night, I walked up the main street to find a restaurant to get dinner at. Now I know I border on the line of being an alcoholic, but I was just amazed that I couldn’t find a place to get dinner, have a beer and watch a football game last night. This is the bible belt and apparently it’s very rare to find a restaurant that serves alcohol on Sunday. As a result, restaurants don’t open on Sunday, because they can’t make any money on liquor sales. I guess it was Devine Intervention that I dry out for a day……….. Praise the Lord….…….Amen!
Greenville itself is a fairly small city, around 55,000 people, however it is fourth largest in South Carolina, and the biggest in western South Carolina. I am staying at a Westin on Main Street. The hotel is a 150 year old hotel that was just remodeled. It reminds me of the Brown Palace in Denver. Very ornate and fancy. The best part of staying there are the beds. If you’ve never stayed at a Westin, the beds are so comfortable.
When I got in to town last night, I walked up the main street to find a restaurant to get dinner at. Now I know I border on the line of being an alcoholic, but I was just amazed that I couldn’t find a place to get dinner, have a beer and watch a football game last night. This is the bible belt and apparently it’s very rare to find a restaurant that serves alcohol on Sunday. As a result, restaurants don’t open on Sunday, because they can’t make any money on liquor sales. I guess it was Devine Intervention that I dry out for a day……….. Praise the Lord….…….Amen!
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Jake Plummer..... Still Sucks
Just wanted to let everyone know that despite a good couple weeks for the broncos, I am still not a fan of Jake Plummer.
He's like a big baby that requires all the attention of the head coach. It will take a couple more consistantly good performances and a little more personal responsibility from The Snake before I will upgrade him to decent.
Feel free to argue with me......Travis.
Friday, October 07, 2005
The Claddagh Ring
I am so excited. Barb gave me a new Claddagh ring for my birthday. My old one was stolen a couple years ago out of my car. In my family, it is tradition that someone you love gives you a Claddagh ring to bring you luck. So it’s was so sweet of her to get it for me as I couldn’t buy one for myself. All Claddagh rings have a standard design, however mine is unique in that it is made of white gold. These rings are almost always made of yellow gold. For those who don’t know the history of the Claddagh ring, below is a little history about the Claddagh.
History of the Claddagh Ring:
The celebrated Claddagh ring, as we know it today, stands as a monument to love and friendship. The design is striking and unmistakable, two hands joined together to support a single heart, and upon it a crown. Its motto, not surprisingly, is 'let love and friendship reign'.
Traditionally, the rings can be worn in three different manners, all declaring a different status in the quest for love. When worn on the right hand with the heart facing outward toward the nail, the ring signifies one whose heart is free. When the heart is facing inward, toward the knuckle of the right hand, it indicates that the heart is no longer available. And finally, if the ring is to appear upon the left hand, it traditionally means that love has been plighted.
The tale of the ring is one of the greatest to be heard in Galway. It is said that by the year 1900 the Claddagh ring had become as important to the mythology of the city as the 14 merchant families, or tribes, that led Galway as a virtual city-state during much of the 13th through 17th centuries. Adding to the intrigue is the simple fact that no one can say for certain just where the ring originated, who made it first, or exactly what its connexion with the Claddagh is. Interestingly, through the mists of history and folklore, one name has become more associated with the origin of the ring than any other – Richard Joyes.
The story of Richard Joyes (his own variation of Joyce) is nothing short of remarkable. As it is told, after embarking on a voyage for the West Indies, Richard was captured by an Algerian pirate and subsequently sold into slavery. His purchaser was a wealthy and skilled goldsmith who, noticing Richard to be clever and adroit, trained him as an apprentice. Richard became marvelously skilled at the trade earning the lasting respect of his master. Meanwhile, King William III had ascended the throne of England and as a matter of first action he sent an ambassador to Algiers to demand the immediate release of all British subjects. Upon learning the news of Richard’s imminent release, the Moor offered Richard the hand of his only daughter in hope that he might stay. Richard declined and shortly thereafter departed for Galway where he began a new life as an independent jeweller, his most famous creation being the Claddagh ring – some of which, bearing Joyes distinctive jeweller’s mark, still exist today.
Another account of the ring’s origin attributes the ring to Margaret Joyce, the wealthy widow of a Spanish wine merchant who returned to Galway and married the city’s governor somewhere around the year 1600. It is said that Margaret, being fond of philanthropy, built the greater portion of the bridges of Connaught with her own money. One day while overseeing the construction of the bridges an eagle flying overhead let the original Claddagh ring fall to her in reward for her extraordinary generosity.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Yea.......Anti-Depressants for Everyone!
Today it was announced that Katy Holmes and Tom Cruise are expecting a baby.
Despite assuming Katy will be having a natural birth, I can’t tell you how horrifying it is that Tom Cruise is breeding. Sane and rational people of the world should be scared that the Cruise gene pool won’t be dying with that crazy, little man.
And if you think this is good news, then you’re just being glib.
Kentucky
This weekend we went to Louisville, Kentucky to visit Barb’s grandparents. I had never been to Kentucky before. It was beautiful. Very lush and green. The weekend was fun and it was good to meet Barb’s grandparents. Her grandma, Flo, turned 90 on Saturday. She is in great shape for being 90. We ate so much good food this weekend that I am still full from it.
I also had a goal of running a 5k under 30 minutes. Now I know this is not really that fast of a time, but I am not naturally a runner so this was a goal I had for the summer. We ran through this beautiful neighborhood called Highlands. All the houses are beautiful old homes, surrounded by lush trees and parks. The neighborhood was so nice! The run was fairly hilly and harder to run than I thought, but I made my goal, just barely, but I made it. So now that I’ve reached that goal, I can’t decide whether I am happier to meet it or to be able to stop running 5ks for the year now J
I also had a goal of running a 5k under 30 minutes. Now I know this is not really that fast of a time, but I am not naturally a runner so this was a goal I had for the summer. We ran through this beautiful neighborhood called Highlands. All the houses are beautiful old homes, surrounded by lush trees and parks. The neighborhood was so nice! The run was fairly hilly and harder to run than I thought, but I made my goal, just barely, but I made it. So now that I’ve reached that goal, I can’t decide whether I am happier to meet it or to be able to stop running 5ks for the year now J
Monday, October 03, 2005
Anderson Cooper
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/16/brother/index.html
This is a pretty interesting article written by Anderson Cooper. It’s autobiographical and about dealing and accepting death. Personally, Anderson Cooper bugs me sometimes, as he seems like a robot when he reports the news. This article humanizes him a bit.
Beside the article, I was surprised to learn that Anderson Cooper is only 37. I guess it’s the white hair that makes him appear much older.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Pretending To Be Busy
Work is so slow this week. My company is making some decisions that will drive the direction of my group so we are in a holding pattern for the next week basically. Which leads me to my topic of the day: Productivity in Large Corporations. I think many people in Corporate America pretend to be busy when they aren’t, in order to appear important. I know that my group has roughly 50 people in it and everyone is heads down pretending to do work; including me, when I know there is nothing to do. I have managed to read TMQ, pay my bills online, create a spreadsheet to track the flight patterns of migrant Canadian Geese and run to Target to buy some new undershirts in the 3 hours I have been to work. While at the same time, assuring my boss (2 cubes down) I have enough work to keep busy this week. Now this is not a regular occurrence; in my group work is very cyclical and will suddenly pick up at anytime, but during the downtimes I just have no motivation to do anything. Not that I think this should change, but can you imagine the productivity of a large company where all its employees truly worked to their full potential? I just don’t know if it could happen, you see this behavior in small and start-up companies but then, if they’re successful, they usually become or get bought by a larger corporation and bureaucracy and politics take over. Anyway, I have no real point to this, just ranting J
On a completely unrelated subject, I have to mention the record Rod Smith’s made last night .He became the first undrafted player in the NFL to reach 10,000 yards receiving. That is so impressive for any player, but to rise to the challenge of walking on to an NFL team and become one of only 24 players to every reach 10,000 yards is inspiring
On a completely unrelated subject, I have to mention the record Rod Smith’s made last night .He became the first undrafted player in the NFL to reach 10,000 yards receiving. That is so impressive for any player, but to rise to the challenge of walking on to an NFL team and become one of only 24 players to every reach 10,000 yards is inspiring
Monday, September 26, 2005
The Might of the Mullet
Do you ever sit at work and wonder how, at 28, you ended up staring at your computer screen for 8 hours a day? Not that this is bad thing; I think people that work in an office can generally have a happy and fulfilling life. The key to surviving your 20s- without going postal in your cube on the 9th floor of the brown brick high-rise in the tech center - is having an outlet for your passions outside of the office. For some this comes in the form of creating art, others it’s writing or performing music or participating in a sport. For me, it’s all of these to an extent, however I’m not sure if it’s enough. I think it’s too easy to just float through a career in your 20’s. Before you know it your 35 and you still don’t know what you want to do when you grow up.
I have a good life. I have a great girlfriend, close family and loyal friends. Because I work in a job that pays well, although not extremely fulfilling, I am able to experience a lot of life. I am hoping I will be able to record the events in my life in order to help reflect and look back at the year and get a better feel for where I am headed …… and hopefully add a little levity to some friends lives, or at least give them something to do for 5 minutes while their Q3 Results spreadsheet is printing. So here goes……
I look really natural with a mullet. It’s a little scary. This weekend we went to the 5th Annual White Trash Bash thrown by some friends here in Denver. I decided to go full out and create a costume that was a cross between Larry the Cable Guy and Uncle Eddie from NL Vacation. Frighteningly after I put the costume on, this natural accent came out, fully including words like NASCAR, Velveeta and Milwaukee’s Best. I suddenly thought my name was Cletus and was proud that my IQ score was half that of my bowling score. Barb decided to portray the most famous of white trash queens, Britney Spears, with an “I’ve Got the Golden Ticket” tank……………… “It was real nice!”
Numerous $1.25 24 oz. Cans of the “The Beast” later, we made it to the party. The bar was fun and it’s good to see that I’m not the only one that looks good in a mullet. Kevin looked particularly good with his platinum blond mullet. For me, it reminded me a little too much of Halloween last year when he wore the same wig as Gertie, the 62 year old retired Hooters Waitress.
What made this night even more entertaining was that after the WTB, we headed to the Lazy Dog to meet up with some friends watching the Aussie Rules Football Final. Note that if you really want to attract attention, go to a bar filled with large Australians hanging out for what is their Super Bowl, dress up as Cletus the White Trash Wonder and start yelling “Bush 2012” and see what happens? Needless to say people were a little frightened. After being refused at the bar, who knew they didn’t have Busch Ice or Schlitz on tap, we decided to call it a night. With Britney in her state and all, it was probably good to head back to the double-wide for the night anyway. Yeee Haaw!
Pictures of the night to come shortly :)
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