Today should be interesting. I have to travel to Indy again, but this time it's not for a meeting, it's for a test. More specifically. a drug test. I don't mind taking tests, but I find it intimidating to take one without studying, or at least knowing what kind of drug they are testing me on. I mean, they could give me any drug to test: weed, speed, crack, smack, coke, uppers, downers, lefters, righters...
Ok, so some of those aren't drugs, but maybe they are new experimental drugs. Hey, you never know. We could be dealing with the Drug Kings of the Heartland here!! You should never underestimate the Drug Kings.
Well, whatever drug they decide to give me to test, I feel confident that I can give them some positive results. I haven't ever done any of these drugs, in fact Ibuphrophen is the hard stuff for me, but I have done some research to help me along, just in case.
Weed: For this drug, I watched the movie FRIDAY several times. I now know the more intricate things you need to know. For example:
1. If you don't have Big Worms money, he'll kill you.
2. If you pour a bowl of cereal, and there is no milk, then you "better put some water on that shit."
3. If Deebo is around, hide your stuff.
4. If someone sets you up on a date with a girl who looks like "Janet Jackson," chance are she'll look more like FREDDIE JACKSON.
and, most importantly for the drug test purposes...
5. "Puff, puff, give."
Speed: For this drug, I popped in the Keanu Reeves/Sandra Bullock movie by the the same name, Speed. I never saw any drug use, but if I am assigned this drug, I will keep the bus going above 50 mph.
Crack: Kids, it's a sad day. Crack is now not the "in" fashion as it once was. It has now been replaced with a more demure, classy look, which probably includes pants that actually cover your entire ass. With this being the case, I highly doubt that drug will be included...let's move on.
Smack: I started with an obvious choice for research on the drug smack... WWE's Smack Down. Seems I only found steroids there, so I continued my search and watched Pulp Fiction. John Travolta's character stops by Jimmie the drug dealer's pad for some smack. For those of you not in the know, the following happens.
1. He injects the drug, doesn't almost die.
2. He goes on a date with the lovely Mia Wallace.
3. She does some blow, does almost die.
4. He is in a close range shoot out, and doesn't get shot.
Moral? Blow will kill ya, Smack makes you bulletproof. (Editors Note: Smack does not, in fact, make you bullet proof. Being John Travolta does, cause he's a bad mo' fo'...what? he gets shot at the end of Pulp Fiction? That's because Pulp Fiction is a movie, duh!!)
I think with that research being done, I can confidently pass the drug test. Unless they give me Righters or lefters, then I'm screwed!!
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Friday, August 27, 2004
Smoked Turkey
Being in the mail service field (sorry ladies, that's MAIL service, not MALE service), I have come across many odd things being delivered to people. There was the baseball bat with a software company's logo burned into it. And who could forget the 10 pound smoked turkey?
Well, yesterday, I heard of a few things that blow the feathers right off a smoked turkey. Our UPS delivery man came in with a story that he read in the papers about a foreign woman who shipped herself via DHL to America. She made it past customs, she (luckily for her) made it onto a commercial airline and not a cargo plane...for those of you not in the know, a cargo plane is not pressurized, and she would have died...and she made it to the US with only a cell phone and probably some Cheetos or other food stuffs because everybody has to eat, right?
When the DHL guy came in, we inquired on the DHL Woman. He confirmed the story...but he had one that was even better.
See, the DHL guy use to work for Fed Ex before. One day, he went to work at the main hub in Indianapolis. Soon after arriving, a couple of guys in suits walked in and ordered the conveyers to be stopped.
The suits: FBI.
They were looking for a particular package that they had received a tip on. They found it. It was then that the story was explained.
It seems that some crazy mo'fo decided his wife was giving him too much static, so he killed her. Then he cut off her head and used Fed Ex to ship it to the woman's mother. Well, for some reason, he called the authorities and told them what he did (the guy was crazy, after all). Upon getting the tip, they raced in, stopped the show, and retreived the head.
Maybe that wasn't a smoked Turkey after all...
Well, yesterday, I heard of a few things that blow the feathers right off a smoked turkey. Our UPS delivery man came in with a story that he read in the papers about a foreign woman who shipped herself via DHL to America. She made it past customs, she (luckily for her) made it onto a commercial airline and not a cargo plane...for those of you not in the know, a cargo plane is not pressurized, and she would have died...and she made it to the US with only a cell phone and probably some Cheetos or other food stuffs because everybody has to eat, right?
When the DHL guy came in, we inquired on the DHL Woman. He confirmed the story...but he had one that was even better.
See, the DHL guy use to work for Fed Ex before. One day, he went to work at the main hub in Indianapolis. Soon after arriving, a couple of guys in suits walked in and ordered the conveyers to be stopped.
The suits: FBI.
They were looking for a particular package that they had received a tip on. They found it. It was then that the story was explained.
It seems that some crazy mo'fo decided his wife was giving him too much static, so he killed her. Then he cut off her head and used Fed Ex to ship it to the woman's mother. Well, for some reason, he called the authorities and told them what he did (the guy was crazy, after all). Upon getting the tip, they raced in, stopped the show, and retreived the head.
Maybe that wasn't a smoked Turkey after all...
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Keystone at the Crossing
Q: How do you make a 118 mile round trip into a 150 mile round trip?
A: Let me drive!!
I don't think I'll ever be able to figure out the mystery that is my inability to travel from point A to point B without first zig-zagging all over the surrounding town. Before, I would always chalk it up to my not paying attention, but now, even when I am really concentrating, I cannot seem to make any trip easy.
Rita (my co-worker/mother-in-law) and I had a meeting in Indianapolis at 6 pm yesterday at a building that is directly across from Keystone at the Crossing. I had been there once before for a training class, and I still had the computer print-out directions. Of course, me being me, I got lost the first time I went there, so I was a little leary about using the same directions again. Rita had directions using an alternative route, so we went with them. That was our first mistake.
We found all the main roads...the 65's, the 465's, the 70 East's...the trouble came when after we took our exit into Indy. The first direction says:
"Take the exit and turn right. Take the first right, past the cemetery sign."
Past the cemetery sign? I don't see a cemetery sign. I mean, is it big, small? What the hell am I looking for here? Well, needless to say, we found no sign, but our gut instinct told us to take the FIRST right, cemetery sign be damned!! That was our second mistake.
After driving on the ill fated right turn for awhile, Rita decided to call a friend of hers that lives in Indy.
"Hey, we're at Allisonville Road and 96th street. How do we get to Keystone at the Crossing?"
"Well, first, go South on Allisonville Road..."
Upon hearing that, I immediately cringed. South? You may as well tell me. "In order to get to your destination, multiply the moon's mass times the sun's gravitational pull, divided by the number of horses in China." Conclusion: I SUCK at directions. Tell me left, right, or 'go towards the buildings, not towards the interstate,' and I may find it, but SOUTH? No.
Well, luckily, we chose the right way (well, actually, Rita did) and we were on our way. We were instructed to go south on Allisonville Road, across the 465 overpass, and turn right on 86th. Travel until you see the Keystone at the Crossing signs, you can't miss it.
Our third mistake came a block before the 465 overpass, as we ran upon 86th street. There can't be two 86th streets, right? I turned right on 86th and ended up face to face with an apartment complex. I suggested we rent an apartment and try again in the morning...Rita declined.
We headed back in the other direction on 86th street. (Apparently, our phone-a-friend must have thought we were on the other side of the 465 overpass, meaning we went north instead of south, but that's just details, isn't it? After all, we found 86th street!!) We checked all the cross streets for Keystone...no Keystone, no Keystone, no Keystone...82 STREET?!? How the heck did we get to 82nd street. Even I with my lack of directional prowless knows you can't cross 82nd street from 86th street.
We turned around and headed back down 86th...apartments. Let's turn around...82nd street. What the hell, this is getting old...FAST. We call Rita's friend.
"We're on 82nd Street."
"How the hell did you get there?!?"
"Good question."
"Ok, get back on 86th, stop at the first gas station you see...and ask for directions, cause you're lost." CLICK
So much for the phone-a-friend.
We decided to heed the friend's advice and stop at the first gas station we saw. It was on 82nd and Allisonville. I went in and asked the clerk, who spoke in a perfect Jamaican accent, where Keystone at the Crossing was. He looked confused. Luckily, there was a customer who looked like a teenaged Allen Iverson , who stepped in and gave me directions.
" Turn left on 82nd. Take it past Chili's and Chick a Fila, you will run into Keystone at the Crossing..." then he added, "You can't miss it."
Obviously I can miss it, Allen, I've been missing it for 45 MINUTES!!
I took a quick left on 82nd, past Chili's, past Chick a Fila. I looked up and saw 82nd street was now 86th street again...go figure, crazy towns!! Then, we saw what we 'couldn't miss.' The sign for Keystone at the Crossing. We turned towards the buildings, found the right one and made it to the meeting...at 6:45. When the meeting was over at 7, we had a lot of explaining to do. I think all was forgiven...well, at least I still have my job!!
After we left, we decided to go to the Half Priced Book Store that was close (I went there once before after the previous training class.) Do I even need to tell you how long THAT took to find?
A: Let me drive!!
I don't think I'll ever be able to figure out the mystery that is my inability to travel from point A to point B without first zig-zagging all over the surrounding town. Before, I would always chalk it up to my not paying attention, but now, even when I am really concentrating, I cannot seem to make any trip easy.
Rita (my co-worker/mother-in-law) and I had a meeting in Indianapolis at 6 pm yesterday at a building that is directly across from Keystone at the Crossing. I had been there once before for a training class, and I still had the computer print-out directions. Of course, me being me, I got lost the first time I went there, so I was a little leary about using the same directions again. Rita had directions using an alternative route, so we went with them. That was our first mistake.
We found all the main roads...the 65's, the 465's, the 70 East's...the trouble came when after we took our exit into Indy. The first direction says:
"Take the exit and turn right. Take the first right, past the cemetery sign."
Past the cemetery sign? I don't see a cemetery sign. I mean, is it big, small? What the hell am I looking for here? Well, needless to say, we found no sign, but our gut instinct told us to take the FIRST right, cemetery sign be damned!! That was our second mistake.
After driving on the ill fated right turn for awhile, Rita decided to call a friend of hers that lives in Indy.
"Hey, we're at Allisonville Road and 96th street. How do we get to Keystone at the Crossing?"
"Well, first, go South on Allisonville Road..."
Upon hearing that, I immediately cringed. South? You may as well tell me. "In order to get to your destination, multiply the moon's mass times the sun's gravitational pull, divided by the number of horses in China." Conclusion: I SUCK at directions. Tell me left, right, or 'go towards the buildings, not towards the interstate,' and I may find it, but SOUTH? No.
Well, luckily, we chose the right way (well, actually, Rita did) and we were on our way. We were instructed to go south on Allisonville Road, across the 465 overpass, and turn right on 86th. Travel until you see the Keystone at the Crossing signs, you can't miss it.
Our third mistake came a block before the 465 overpass, as we ran upon 86th street. There can't be two 86th streets, right? I turned right on 86th and ended up face to face with an apartment complex. I suggested we rent an apartment and try again in the morning...Rita declined.
We headed back in the other direction on 86th street. (Apparently, our phone-a-friend must have thought we were on the other side of the 465 overpass, meaning we went north instead of south, but that's just details, isn't it? After all, we found 86th street!!) We checked all the cross streets for Keystone...no Keystone, no Keystone, no Keystone...82 STREET?!? How the heck did we get to 82nd street. Even I with my lack of directional prowless knows you can't cross 82nd street from 86th street.
We turned around and headed back down 86th...apartments. Let's turn around...82nd street. What the hell, this is getting old...FAST. We call Rita's friend.
"We're on 82nd Street."
"How the hell did you get there?!?"
"Good question."
"Ok, get back on 86th, stop at the first gas station you see...and ask for directions, cause you're lost." CLICK
So much for the phone-a-friend.
We decided to heed the friend's advice and stop at the first gas station we saw. It was on 82nd and Allisonville. I went in and asked the clerk, who spoke in a perfect Jamaican accent, where Keystone at the Crossing was. He looked confused. Luckily, there was a customer who looked like a teenaged Allen Iverson , who stepped in and gave me directions.
" Turn left on 82nd. Take it past Chili's and Chick a Fila, you will run into Keystone at the Crossing..." then he added, "You can't miss it."
Obviously I can miss it, Allen, I've been missing it for 45 MINUTES!!
I took a quick left on 82nd, past Chili's, past Chick a Fila. I looked up and saw 82nd street was now 86th street again...go figure, crazy towns!! Then, we saw what we 'couldn't miss.' The sign for Keystone at the Crossing. We turned towards the buildings, found the right one and made it to the meeting...at 6:45. When the meeting was over at 7, we had a lot of explaining to do. I think all was forgiven...well, at least I still have my job!!
After we left, we decided to go to the Half Priced Book Store that was close (I went there once before after the previous training class.) Do I even need to tell you how long THAT took to find?
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Confusion: #1
While sitting at lunch today, I heard someone say: "Better watch out or they'll run you under!!" Of course, I thought..."what kinda backhills hillbilly says 'run you UNDER.' "? I've always said run you over. But then again, run you over doesn't make any sense either.
Well, I quickly surmissed the correct version should be 'run over you', but let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Why would you say run you under/run you over at all?
First, neither one makes a bit of sense. If I (being me) am going to run you (being you) over, that would entail me running (which in itself is a joke) and while running, I would have to travel with you (being you) I guess laying down so that I can continue to run all the while, being overtop of you. NOTE: The sentence never says "I going to knock you down and run you over", it simply says run you over.
Now, on the contrary, run you under (besides the obvious fact that 'you' is in the wrong place in both sentences, thus making it a past-particip-a-lee, dangling modificator...(okay, I don't know what that means)...is wrong because it would entail that I (being me) am going to run you (being you) under. Under what? Under my feet? Then wouldn't I be over you, thus having run you over?
But, if I am going to run over you, I would think you were laying on the ground in the first place, which would defeat the whole purpose of saying 'run over you' because nobody says "better stand up or I am going to run over you," they say..."get out of the way or I'll run over you."
Ok, that's enough of that. Let's just say "I'll mow you down," shall we?
Well, I quickly surmissed the correct version should be 'run over you', but let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Why would you say run you under/run you over at all?
First, neither one makes a bit of sense. If I (being me) am going to run you (being you) over, that would entail me running (which in itself is a joke) and while running, I would have to travel with you (being you) I guess laying down so that I can continue to run all the while, being overtop of you. NOTE: The sentence never says "I going to knock you down and run you over", it simply says run you over.
Now, on the contrary, run you under (besides the obvious fact that 'you' is in the wrong place in both sentences, thus making it a past-particip-a-lee, dangling modificator...(okay, I don't know what that means)...is wrong because it would entail that I (being me) am going to run you (being you) under. Under what? Under my feet? Then wouldn't I be over you, thus having run you over?
But, if I am going to run over you, I would think you were laying on the ground in the first place, which would defeat the whole purpose of saying 'run over you' because nobody says "better stand up or I am going to run over you," they say..."get out of the way or I'll run over you."
Ok, that's enough of that. Let's just say "I'll mow you down," shall we?
Workout: Day 2
Working out sucks. But (and it's a very big butt that I hope to make smaller by working out) I do feel like it is going to help me immeasurably. Before when I would do these same things, I wouldn't feel anything...like it was a waste of time. Well, this time I researched all the movements, and did them the RIGHT way...and boy howdy did it make a difference!!
Last night, I really began to hit the workout hard, focusing mainly on leg strength...which I need a lot of to hoist this 1/8 of a ton into the air to hit a volleyball. After consulting with the greatest athletes in the world...ok, I looked some stuff up on the 'net...I devised a routine. Here it is:
ROUTINE 1
1. Stretch
2. Eliptical machine for 2 minutes (warm up)
3. Front Leg Lifts
a. right leg - 15 reps
b. left leg - 15 reps
c. both legs - 10 reps (a real stomach burner)
d. repeat steps a, b, c
e. repeat steps a and b
4. Side Leg Lifts
a. Hold Right leg as high as possible for 15 count.
b. Right leg side lifts - 15 reps
c. Hold Right leg as high as possible for 15 count
d. Repeat a, b, and c for left leg
e. Repeat process
5. BREAK -- at this point, I had no choice. My legs wobbled under my body from the burn. Plus, the "experts" say drink plenty of fluids.
6. Squats - 3 sets/12 reps
7. Hamstring - 2 sets/10 reps
8. Calf Raises - 3 sets/15 reps
9. Push Ups - 3 sets/10 reps
10. Chest Flye - 3 sets/10 reps
11. Tricep Kickbacks - 3 sets/10 reps
12. Tricep Dips - 2 sets/10 reps
13. Elilptical Machine - 3 (agonizing) minutes
14. STRETCH
15. Collapse
The extra stretching helped a lot, I think. My legs feel good, my knees don't hurt (cause I did the exercises the right way) and I feel I accomplished something. My chest hurts from the Flyes and the push ups, but that's ok.
Now I know 2 of the 4 people who actually read this will say: "You have to rest your muscles so they can grow...don't do the routine every day!" And I agree. Tonight, my workout will be Routine 2, which I'll tell you all about tomorrow. 2 days down...
Last night, I really began to hit the workout hard, focusing mainly on leg strength...which I need a lot of to hoist this 1/8 of a ton into the air to hit a volleyball. After consulting with the greatest athletes in the world...ok, I looked some stuff up on the 'net...I devised a routine. Here it is:
ROUTINE 1
1. Stretch
2. Eliptical machine for 2 minutes (warm up)
3. Front Leg Lifts
a. right leg - 15 reps
b. left leg - 15 reps
c. both legs - 10 reps (a real stomach burner)
d. repeat steps a, b, c
e. repeat steps a and b
4. Side Leg Lifts
a. Hold Right leg as high as possible for 15 count.
b. Right leg side lifts - 15 reps
c. Hold Right leg as high as possible for 15 count
d. Repeat a, b, and c for left leg
e. Repeat process
5. BREAK -- at this point, I had no choice. My legs wobbled under my body from the burn. Plus, the "experts" say drink plenty of fluids.
6. Squats - 3 sets/12 reps
7. Hamstring - 2 sets/10 reps
8. Calf Raises - 3 sets/15 reps
9. Push Ups - 3 sets/10 reps
10. Chest Flye - 3 sets/10 reps
11. Tricep Kickbacks - 3 sets/10 reps
12. Tricep Dips - 2 sets/10 reps
13. Elilptical Machine - 3 (agonizing) minutes
14. STRETCH
15. Collapse
The extra stretching helped a lot, I think. My legs feel good, my knees don't hurt (cause I did the exercises the right way) and I feel I accomplished something. My chest hurts from the Flyes and the push ups, but that's ok.
Now I know 2 of the 4 people who actually read this will say: "You have to rest your muscles so they can grow...don't do the routine every day!" And I agree. Tonight, my workout will be Routine 2, which I'll tell you all about tomorrow. 2 days down...
May and Walsh Win Gold!
I just wanted to touch briefly on Misty May and Kerri Walsh, and their amazing run to the Gold in Athens. May and Walsh are the first Women's Beach Volleyball Gold medalist in the short history of Beach Volleyball in the Olympics (the first time Beach Volleyball was an Olympic sport was 1996.)
They didn't just win Gold, they matched the US Women's Softball team by winning gold without losing a match...to make it even more incredible, May and Walsh didn't even lose a game!! That, in itself would be amazing, but wait, it gets better.
Misty May suffered an abdominal strain in late May. Upon her return, in July, she wad to withdraw from her first tournament back after having tweaked the injury. With amazing resilience, she trained hard, and somehow found the will to compete...and compete very well.
There is one thing that bothers me, and it is something that has, in one form or another, bothered me for a very long time. Chris Marlowe and Karch Kiraly were the commentators for the event (no, that didn't bother me). Whenever they spoke of the team, it was to say how "Kerri Walsh is the greatest female player on the beach, and maybe the greatest female beach player of all time." Now, don't get me wrong, Kerri Walsh is one hell-of-a player. She's tall, blocks extremely well, covers the court well, hits well (duh) but the greatest player?
I disagree with this. I think Misty May is the greatest. Why? Well, let's look at it.
1. Misty May is a better passer.
2. Misty May is a better setter. (hello?!? 4 Time All American setter at Long Beach State!!)
3. Misty May is an AMAZING defensive player (15 digs in the final match). Super fast reflexes, and ball recognition that rivals another underrated star...Sinjin Smith.
4. Misty May gets a majority of the serves (who would serve the 6'2 Walsh?). Of those, she hits a very high percentage (14 kills in the gold match)...this with an abdominal injury and a reconstructed knee (2001).
5. Misty May does this while hitting Kerri Walsh's 2 foot high sets. (for those of you who aren't in the know, hitting a low set that is back off the net --like Kerri Walsh's sets-- is extremely difficult, especially out of the sand.
Ok, I think that should tell you why Misty is better. I think people have a tendency to promote the big hitters and blockers instead of the people who do all the grunt work. The fundamentals...like passing, digging, hitting consistently while getting 90% of the serves. It's unfortunate because your Sinjin Smith's and Mike Dodd's and Misty May's are going to get swept under the rug...unless they play for 30 years like Sinjin and Dodd did, then they are going to be remembered because of their longevity, not their dominance.
In closing, I would like to say simply...without the fundamentals, you cannot win. Without Misty May, there would be no Gold medal. (not to say Kerri Walsh doesn't deserve this, I truly believe she is the second best player in the world.) You have to have the best to be the best. I think Kerri Walsh said it best...right after they won the Gold, the team was interviewed. She said how happy she was with the gold, and then turned to Misty and said, "I'm so glad to have won this with Misty, she is the best woman's volleyball player in the world."
I couldn't have said it better myself...
They didn't just win Gold, they matched the US Women's Softball team by winning gold without losing a match...to make it even more incredible, May and Walsh didn't even lose a game!! That, in itself would be amazing, but wait, it gets better.
Misty May suffered an abdominal strain in late May. Upon her return, in July, she wad to withdraw from her first tournament back after having tweaked the injury. With amazing resilience, she trained hard, and somehow found the will to compete...and compete very well.
There is one thing that bothers me, and it is something that has, in one form or another, bothered me for a very long time. Chris Marlowe and Karch Kiraly were the commentators for the event (no, that didn't bother me). Whenever they spoke of the team, it was to say how "Kerri Walsh is the greatest female player on the beach, and maybe the greatest female beach player of all time." Now, don't get me wrong, Kerri Walsh is one hell-of-a player. She's tall, blocks extremely well, covers the court well, hits well (duh) but the greatest player?
I disagree with this. I think Misty May is the greatest. Why? Well, let's look at it.
1. Misty May is a better passer.
2. Misty May is a better setter. (hello?!? 4 Time All American setter at Long Beach State!!)
3. Misty May is an AMAZING defensive player (15 digs in the final match). Super fast reflexes, and ball recognition that rivals another underrated star...Sinjin Smith.
4. Misty May gets a majority of the serves (who would serve the 6'2 Walsh?). Of those, she hits a very high percentage (14 kills in the gold match)...this with an abdominal injury and a reconstructed knee (2001).
5. Misty May does this while hitting Kerri Walsh's 2 foot high sets. (for those of you who aren't in the know, hitting a low set that is back off the net --like Kerri Walsh's sets-- is extremely difficult, especially out of the sand.
Ok, I think that should tell you why Misty is better. I think people have a tendency to promote the big hitters and blockers instead of the people who do all the grunt work. The fundamentals...like passing, digging, hitting consistently while getting 90% of the serves. It's unfortunate because your Sinjin Smith's and Mike Dodd's and Misty May's are going to get swept under the rug...unless they play for 30 years like Sinjin and Dodd did, then they are going to be remembered because of their longevity, not their dominance.
In closing, I would like to say simply...without the fundamentals, you cannot win. Without Misty May, there would be no Gold medal. (not to say Kerri Walsh doesn't deserve this, I truly believe she is the second best player in the world.) You have to have the best to be the best. I think Kerri Walsh said it best...right after they won the Gold, the team was interviewed. She said how happy she was with the gold, and then turned to Misty and said, "I'm so glad to have won this with Misty, she is the best woman's volleyball player in the world."
I couldn't have said it better myself...
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Volleyball: Season 14
September is fast aproaching, kids, and you know what that means? Oh, you don't know what that means? Dang...I was hoping you did know, because I really don't, either.
Ok, so, of course, September marks the beginning of the indoor Volleyball season. As of my last talks on volleyball, I think I was on the fence as to whether I would journey forward into my 14th season. The answer is a resounding YES. I am pumped and excited to start this season off with a bang. Men's league starts in the 'Burg in September, and Co-ed at Cera starts soon after. These leagues should be great motivation and preparation for the big House of Pain Volleyball comeback...as we are prepared to tackle USA Volleyball one more time.
This year should be (hopefully) a lot better for me in terms of my physical well being. I am so tired of going out, playing a match, and not being able to walk until the next week. So this year, I have started a month long conditioning program, that should help strenghten my legs, and put less stress on my ailing knees. My first workout was yesterday, and all went well. I hope that come September, I will be in decent form...at least in good enough shape to contribute.
My plans for the leagues are simply to play the best I can, and hopefully get in playing shape for USA. Then, in USA, I will make the decision as to whether I want to play full time, or be the Libero. I'm leaning towards the latter.
(For those of you who aren't in the know, a Libero is a player that plays only back row. They come into the back row on a break in the action for the player who just served- Libero's cannot serve-then they play across the back row. They sub out when it is their turn to rotate into the front row, then return to that game after the new server serves. Basically put, the Libero plays the whole game, subbing in for two players on the court who are opposite each other (i.e. the server and the strong side hitter, only exiting the game when the people he subs for serves.)
Clear as mud? Let's just call the Libero a Defensive Speciallist who plays only the back row. That makes it easier.
I will keep you up to date on my progress. I am determined to do my conditioning EVERY DAY. I will let you know daily if I have acomplished this task (except for Saturday and Sunday, when I don't post...in which case I will fill you in on Monday as to whether I did the workout on those days.)
My first day of training, yesterday, was a "welcome back" day of training. Meaning? I took it easy as to not over do it. The workout consisted of lots of stretching, 8 minutes on the eliptical machine (which is harder than you might think), squats, light plyometrics, leg lifts, and some light weights (for upper body strenght).
Tonight, I hope to increase all the workouts...more reps, more sets, and more eliptical. Wish me luck, and I'll let you know!!
Ok, so, of course, September marks the beginning of the indoor Volleyball season. As of my last talks on volleyball, I think I was on the fence as to whether I would journey forward into my 14th season. The answer is a resounding YES. I am pumped and excited to start this season off with a bang. Men's league starts in the 'Burg in September, and Co-ed at Cera starts soon after. These leagues should be great motivation and preparation for the big House of Pain Volleyball comeback...as we are prepared to tackle USA Volleyball one more time.
This year should be (hopefully) a lot better for me in terms of my physical well being. I am so tired of going out, playing a match, and not being able to walk until the next week. So this year, I have started a month long conditioning program, that should help strenghten my legs, and put less stress on my ailing knees. My first workout was yesterday, and all went well. I hope that come September, I will be in decent form...at least in good enough shape to contribute.
My plans for the leagues are simply to play the best I can, and hopefully get in playing shape for USA. Then, in USA, I will make the decision as to whether I want to play full time, or be the Libero. I'm leaning towards the latter.
(For those of you who aren't in the know, a Libero is a player that plays only back row. They come into the back row on a break in the action for the player who just served- Libero's cannot serve-then they play across the back row. They sub out when it is their turn to rotate into the front row, then return to that game after the new server serves. Basically put, the Libero plays the whole game, subbing in for two players on the court who are opposite each other (i.e. the server and the strong side hitter, only exiting the game when the people he subs for serves.)
Clear as mud? Let's just call the Libero a Defensive Speciallist who plays only the back row. That makes it easier.
I will keep you up to date on my progress. I am determined to do my conditioning EVERY DAY. I will let you know daily if I have acomplished this task (except for Saturday and Sunday, when I don't post...in which case I will fill you in on Monday as to whether I did the workout on those days.)
My first day of training, yesterday, was a "welcome back" day of training. Meaning? I took it easy as to not over do it. The workout consisted of lots of stretching, 8 minutes on the eliptical machine (which is harder than you might think), squats, light plyometrics, leg lifts, and some light weights (for upper body strenght).
Tonight, I hope to increase all the workouts...more reps, more sets, and more eliptical. Wish me luck, and I'll let you know!!
Monday, August 23, 2004
The Bronze
Becky and I were watching the Olympics the other day, and a thought came to mind. I asked Becky if she thought the Bronze medal winners were upset that they didn't do better? (Yes, I am aware that out of 50 gabillion people in the world, they came in third, but that's not what I mean. I mean, they work their behinds off, train for this one chance, and end up losing by such a narrow margin.)
Of course, at this point I had already answered my own question. While some (like the Koreans in the All-Around Gymnastics final) are probably a bit dissapointed, I'm sure for the most part, every one finds it gratifying to even get a medal of any color (or metallic composition.)
Then I remembered, I once had been in that position. My first White River State Parks Games (which is like Indiana's version of the Olympics). Our volleyball team had won the chance to play in the tournament by winning a Regional competition. Well, we actually came in second, but we still qualified. We were competing in the High School division, and it was one of the first (and only) volleyball competitions that most of our team had ever played in.
To make a long story short, we ended up not making it to the Gold Metal match...but we did make it to the Bronze medal match, which we won. Was I upset about not making the Gold match? Hell yes!! But I was only 15 or 16 at the time. I do remember winning the Bronze and feeling good about it. (Yes, it was an actual Medal).
I feel much more pride now about that medal, because in retrospect, our team really sucked and to win anything was momumental. But I feel good about the bronze we won the year after that...the Championship medal we won in '95 for winning the Michiana Region USVBA Finals...the medal I won with Shannon in the Doubles Finals in Louisville...the medal we won in '98 for winning the Michiana Region USVBA finals...the medal for Second Team Outside Hitter in '98...
Medals, trophies, awards, etc all mean something. Be it Gold, Silver or Bronze. I am truly blessed to have won a few in my time, because a lot of people never get that opportunity. And not many get the opportunity to compete in the Olympics...but I bet just competing in such a high caliber event means more than anything...even the color of the medal they get (if they get one at all.)
Of course, at this point I had already answered my own question. While some (like the Koreans in the All-Around Gymnastics final) are probably a bit dissapointed, I'm sure for the most part, every one finds it gratifying to even get a medal of any color (or metallic composition.)
Then I remembered, I once had been in that position. My first White River State Parks Games (which is like Indiana's version of the Olympics). Our volleyball team had won the chance to play in the tournament by winning a Regional competition. Well, we actually came in second, but we still qualified. We were competing in the High School division, and it was one of the first (and only) volleyball competitions that most of our team had ever played in.
To make a long story short, we ended up not making it to the Gold Metal match...but we did make it to the Bronze medal match, which we won. Was I upset about not making the Gold match? Hell yes!! But I was only 15 or 16 at the time. I do remember winning the Bronze and feeling good about it. (Yes, it was an actual Medal).
I feel much more pride now about that medal, because in retrospect, our team really sucked and to win anything was momumental. But I feel good about the bronze we won the year after that...the Championship medal we won in '95 for winning the Michiana Region USVBA Finals...the medal I won with Shannon in the Doubles Finals in Louisville...the medal we won in '98 for winning the Michiana Region USVBA finals...the medal for Second Team Outside Hitter in '98...
Medals, trophies, awards, etc all mean something. Be it Gold, Silver or Bronze. I am truly blessed to have won a few in my time, because a lot of people never get that opportunity. And not many get the opportunity to compete in the Olympics...but I bet just competing in such a high caliber event means more than anything...even the color of the medal they get (if they get one at all.)
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Angry Rant #3 - Olympics Edition
I need some help. No, not the psychological kind, (unless you're offering), I need the kind of help figuring out sports judging.
Becky and I have been watching the Olympics...a lot. Well, last night, something happened that has me shaken, and I can't shake the shakened feeling. The event was Men's Gymnastics...All Around Finals. The theory in this event is such: Everyone does one routine on each of six stations...Pommel Horse, Rings, High Bar, Floor Exercise, Vault and Parallel Bars...each is scored, and the one person with the best overall score, wins. Hence the title: ALL AROUND champion.
To me, call me crazy, I think in order to be the All-Around champion, you should be really good at EVERY event. Maybe not the best at Rings, say...but good enough to be one of the best.
Well, last night, Paul Hamm for the US was in the Gold medal hunt after 3 events, scoring above 9.70 on each of the Pommel Horse, the Rings, and the Floor Exercise. Then, in his fourth event, the Vault, his dream collapsed.
He took off running, hit the ramp, did the flips and gymnastics type stuff that gymnists do, and landed not on his feet, but rather on his butt. He would have landed on the judges, had they not stuck their arms up there and held him on the stage. Too bad for Paul, right? WRONG!!
On the next event, the Parallel Bars, he received a 9.8 something, and on the last event, the High Bars, he got a 9.83 something which gave him the Gold by 0.012 of a point!!
While I am extremely excited he won, and his last two events deserved every tenth they got, (absolutely awesome) but he surely can't be the ALL AROUND champion when he fell on his ass, now can he? It slaps the face of conventional wisdom to let someone be all around the best, when the silver and bronze medallists didn't fall...in fact they were solid the whole competition.
It's just so wrong on principal. Don't you think? Who's with me on this: All Around Champion should be the one person who is really good on ALL events, not really crappy on some. but good enough on others to not worry about that one fall you had. It makes no sense.
Becky and I have been watching the Olympics...a lot. Well, last night, something happened that has me shaken, and I can't shake the shakened feeling. The event was Men's Gymnastics...All Around Finals. The theory in this event is such: Everyone does one routine on each of six stations...Pommel Horse, Rings, High Bar, Floor Exercise, Vault and Parallel Bars...each is scored, and the one person with the best overall score, wins. Hence the title: ALL AROUND champion.
To me, call me crazy, I think in order to be the All-Around champion, you should be really good at EVERY event. Maybe not the best at Rings, say...but good enough to be one of the best.
Well, last night, Paul Hamm for the US was in the Gold medal hunt after 3 events, scoring above 9.70 on each of the Pommel Horse, the Rings, and the Floor Exercise. Then, in his fourth event, the Vault, his dream collapsed.
He took off running, hit the ramp, did the flips and gymnastics type stuff that gymnists do, and landed not on his feet, but rather on his butt. He would have landed on the judges, had they not stuck their arms up there and held him on the stage. Too bad for Paul, right? WRONG!!
On the next event, the Parallel Bars, he received a 9.8 something, and on the last event, the High Bars, he got a 9.83 something which gave him the Gold by 0.012 of a point!!
While I am extremely excited he won, and his last two events deserved every tenth they got, (absolutely awesome) but he surely can't be the ALL AROUND champion when he fell on his ass, now can he? It slaps the face of conventional wisdom to let someone be all around the best, when the silver and bronze medallists didn't fall...in fact they were solid the whole competition.
It's just so wrong on principal. Don't you think? Who's with me on this: All Around Champion should be the one person who is really good on ALL events, not really crappy on some. but good enough on others to not worry about that one fall you had. It makes no sense.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
MTV Unplugged
One more forgotten favorite...
MTV Unplugged.
Back in the day, when MTV actually showed videos, they aired a show called, simply, Unplugged. What a show!! It all started with an accoustic set by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora on the 89 MTV Video Music Awards, and catapulted into the mainstream.
Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Live, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Sting, Paul Simon, KISS and, who could forget, Eric Clapton...just to name a few.
Why did they end this wonderful chance to see intimate performances by amazing talents? Was it their boycott of actual music in favor of the Real Word and Road Rules marathons? My theory is this...What bands out there would make for a good unplugged now?
Korn? No. Linkin Park? No. I would only want to see a few names...Dave Matthews, Counting Crows, John Mayer (oh man, would that rock...this guy can straight out play), and White Stripes. That's really about it, I think.
I guess it's good that it went away. I wouldn't want to see The Stones up there...
MTV Unplugged.
Back in the day, when MTV actually showed videos, they aired a show called, simply, Unplugged. What a show!! It all started with an accoustic set by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora on the 89 MTV Video Music Awards, and catapulted into the mainstream.
Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Live, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Sting, Paul Simon, KISS and, who could forget, Eric Clapton...just to name a few.
Why did they end this wonderful chance to see intimate performances by amazing talents? Was it their boycott of actual music in favor of the Real Word and Road Rules marathons? My theory is this...What bands out there would make for a good unplugged now?
Korn? No. Linkin Park? No. I would only want to see a few names...Dave Matthews, Counting Crows, John Mayer (oh man, would that rock...this guy can straight out play), and White Stripes. That's really about it, I think.
I guess it's good that it went away. I wouldn't want to see The Stones up there...
Monday, August 16, 2004
25 Things I Miss
I was sitting in bed the other day, unable to sleep, and I started to think back to things I use to absolutely love, that aren't here anymore. You know, the band that split up, or the tv show that is off the air. I decided to compile a list of the things I miss...in no particular order, of course.
1.Quantum Leap
2. Wiffle Ball
3. Dodge Ball
4.Samantha Mathis (she was the love interest of Christian Slater in Pump Up the Volume, the love interest of Christian Slater in Broken Arrow, and the love interest in several other, non-Christian Slater movies)
5. The Volleyball Dream Team - Me, Andy, D, Lori and Ella --the good ole days
6. Alice In Chains
7. Nirvana
8. Josh Clayton Felt PLEASE listen to the Spirit Touches Ground album...this guy was great, and died way too young.
9. Roy Orbison
10. Jim Croce
11. Cat Stevens (come back, Cat!!)
12. The Musical Genius of John Lennon
13. ...and Jimi Hendrix
14.Will Kirby from Big Brother 2
15. Good knees
16. Crystal Clear Pepsi
17. Baseball Cards being .40 cents a pack WITH a stick of gum
18. Nintendo...the original, with games like Super DodgeBall, Baseball Simulator 1.000, Tecmo Bowl, WCW Wrestling, ShadowGate, Dragon Warrior etc, etc, etc
19. Writing letters ON PAPER.
20. Records on VINYL
21. Dominique Wilkins
22. Campy slasher flicks...Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, etc
23. Michael Jordan
24. Sinjin Smith
25. Andre Dawson
That's all the remembering I can do right now...I think I'm gonna cry...
1.Quantum Leap
2. Wiffle Ball
3. Dodge Ball
4.Samantha Mathis (she was the love interest of Christian Slater in Pump Up the Volume, the love interest of Christian Slater in Broken Arrow, and the love interest in several other, non-Christian Slater movies)
5. The Volleyball Dream Team - Me, Andy, D, Lori and Ella --the good ole days
6. Alice In Chains
7. Nirvana
8. Josh Clayton Felt PLEASE listen to the Spirit Touches Ground album...this guy was great, and died way too young.
9. Roy Orbison
10. Jim Croce
11. Cat Stevens (come back, Cat!!)
12. The Musical Genius of John Lennon
13. ...and Jimi Hendrix
14.Will Kirby from Big Brother 2
15. Good knees
16. Crystal Clear Pepsi
17. Baseball Cards being .40 cents a pack WITH a stick of gum
18. Nintendo...the original, with games like Super DodgeBall, Baseball Simulator 1.000, Tecmo Bowl, WCW Wrestling, ShadowGate, Dragon Warrior etc, etc, etc
19. Writing letters ON PAPER.
20. Records on VINYL
21. Dominique Wilkins
22. Campy slasher flicks...Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, etc
23. Michael Jordan
24. Sinjin Smith
25. Andre Dawson
That's all the remembering I can do right now...I think I'm gonna cry...
Friday, August 13, 2004
The Rock Quiz: Results
For those of you interested...The Rock Quiz that I gave to Becky was 290 questions, of which, Becky got 242 correct. That's roughly 83%. Not too shabby. It did, however, take her 3 HOURS to complete...Yikes!!
I was impressed by her ability to learn. I was, however, confused as to how she could know Jimmy Page was in the Yardbirds, but, for some reason, she blanked when I asked her the Guitarist for a little band called Led Zeppelin (which, for those of you who aren't in the know, is also Jimmy Page.)
If you see Becky, congratulate her for her stunning musical prowless...and go ahead, ask her a music question!!
If you would like to be humiliated (or humbled) by her excellent score, let me know. I'll give you the test, IF YOU DARE!!
I was impressed by her ability to learn. I was, however, confused as to how she could know Jimmy Page was in the Yardbirds, but, for some reason, she blanked when I asked her the Guitarist for a little band called Led Zeppelin (which, for those of you who aren't in the know, is also Jimmy Page.)
If you see Becky, congratulate her for her stunning musical prowless...and go ahead, ask her a music question!!
If you would like to be humiliated (or humbled) by her excellent score, let me know. I'll give you the test, IF YOU DARE!!
Vacation: Chapter Three - The Journey Home
On our way home, we decided to make a few stops. First up was the seemingly World Famous Wall Drug. I have never, nor will I ever, see such a comprehensive and aggressive advertising campaign as that of Wall Drug. Signs for the Free Ice Water (which was not ICE water, FYI) and the amazing T-Rex were spied as early in the trip as Iowa...some 500 miles away!!
What's more interesting is the fact that Wall Drug, once there, wasn't nearly as interesting as the signs led us to believe. (What?!? No truth in advertising?) Both sides of the street were lined with little Western type stores peddling their wears. Becky bought a cheap Sturgis Tie Die shirt, and has now vowed to buy a motorcycle...unless it has a side car or three wheels, don't expect this guy to ride it!
After Wall, we took a scenic drive through the Badlands, which was very nice...until we were 45 minutes into the trip with what seemed like 45 more to go...low on gas, hot (we had to turn the air off to conserve gas) and hungry. We finally made it out and headed towards the South Dakota, Iowa border, where we were going to take 29 south to 70 East in Missouri..then home.
Well, Becky had the wheel, and I had the atlas. I saw that 29 ran sooooooo close to the borders of both Nebraska and Kansas, that we would be remiss not to at least scoot in, say we've been to those states, and cross them off the list of states we've been in together. (For the record, I've been to Nebraska and Kansas before...Omaha to play in the US Volleyball Zonals, and Kansas when I came West before with my family in 88.)
The plan was set. We drove for awhile, ate lunch, and switched drivers. It was dark, and I'm not that great a driver in the dark...but I survived. We saw a sign for Decatur, Nebraska...2 miles, so we took the exit. A quick right, and we were faced with a 7 mile jaunt. Fine, let's do it. We drove the 7 miles in the pitch black...crossed the Missouri on a rather rickety bridge, and came to...a TOLL BOOTH! What suckers!! We couldn't turn around, because there wasn't anywhere to turn at...just the bridge and the booth. So, we paid our 75 cents and entered the hustle-bustle town of Decatur...ok, so there are two things there:
1. A bar
2. A gas station which was closed...AT 9:30!! Who closes a gas station at 9:30?
So, we turned around in the gas station parking lot and beelined straight back to the toll booth. 75 cents, please.
"I just came for your gas station and it's closed."
"Yeah, he closes early, 75 cents."
"I was only in this town for 30 seconds."
"Yeah, I know, 75 cents."
I ponied up the dough, and high tailed it back across the bridge, back onto 29, and back towards home...but for some reason, when we saw the lights of Omaha, we had to stop. Yikes! I drove in, went to a gas station/grocery store...trying not to make eye contact with the locals (cause they were scary!). I got back into the car, and drove out of Omaha.
Nebraska: Check
We decided we would drive another couple of hours, and end somewhere between Omaha and Kansas City. I popped in a mixed CD and set the cruise control. It was a surreal feeling when the Bruce Springsteen song "Highway 29" came on the disk...especially since we were on that very road.
SATURDAY:
The one time we really wanted to get an early start was Saturday. Of course, Saturday was the one day we slept in. How could we help it? The room had NO CLOCK! We left at 10, and proceeded down 29. Becky was driving when we hit the Kansas City, Kansas exit. We made our drive into Kansas, turned, and made our way out making note that we drove on the George Brett Super Expressway (or whatever George Brett's road is called.)
We hit 70 and drove across Missouri to St Louis. There we stopped to see the Arch, as we had never seen it before. The place was packed for the summer concerts on the river, but we managed to get in, see the arch, and get out. The arch is very impressive, and I only wish we had an extra hour and a half to wait, so we could have traveled to the top...but it was already 7:30 at that point, and we had several hours of driving left to go before we arrived at home sweet home.
We finally got back on the road at 8 after driving in circles downtown. The roads were all closed off for the concert, and for the American Idol auditions (which was kinda neat to see all these hopefuls sitting out in the grass singing. The next Idol could have been right outside our car!!) By the time we found the right road, crossed the Mark McGuire Super Highway (or whatever HIS road is called) , we were starving because we had decided to eat AFTER the arch, so we could see it in the daylight. Well, St Louis is on the Illinois border, so we crossed the border and drove on the most uninhabited stretch of land known to man. It was a good 2 hours before we hit a town with a legitimate restaurant in it. Effington, Illinois. It was 10, but lucky for us, their was a steakhouse open. We stopped, ate, and estimated we should get from Effingham to Terre Haute in an hour, and from there to home in an hour and a half...making us in bed by 1:30am. Things went smoothly...the drive was long and I only had Chris Cornell and Josh Clayton Felt to keep me awake, as Becky snoozed in the passenger seat.
It was just past 1:30 when we pulled into the driveway...half asleep, and happy to be home.
What's more interesting is the fact that Wall Drug, once there, wasn't nearly as interesting as the signs led us to believe. (What?!? No truth in advertising?) Both sides of the street were lined with little Western type stores peddling their wears. Becky bought a cheap Sturgis Tie Die shirt, and has now vowed to buy a motorcycle...unless it has a side car or three wheels, don't expect this guy to ride it!
After Wall, we took a scenic drive through the Badlands, which was very nice...until we were 45 minutes into the trip with what seemed like 45 more to go...low on gas, hot (we had to turn the air off to conserve gas) and hungry. We finally made it out and headed towards the South Dakota, Iowa border, where we were going to take 29 south to 70 East in Missouri..then home.
Well, Becky had the wheel, and I had the atlas. I saw that 29 ran sooooooo close to the borders of both Nebraska and Kansas, that we would be remiss not to at least scoot in, say we've been to those states, and cross them off the list of states we've been in together. (For the record, I've been to Nebraska and Kansas before...Omaha to play in the US Volleyball Zonals, and Kansas when I came West before with my family in 88.)
The plan was set. We drove for awhile, ate lunch, and switched drivers. It was dark, and I'm not that great a driver in the dark...but I survived. We saw a sign for Decatur, Nebraska...2 miles, so we took the exit. A quick right, and we were faced with a 7 mile jaunt. Fine, let's do it. We drove the 7 miles in the pitch black...crossed the Missouri on a rather rickety bridge, and came to...a TOLL BOOTH! What suckers!! We couldn't turn around, because there wasn't anywhere to turn at...just the bridge and the booth. So, we paid our 75 cents and entered the hustle-bustle town of Decatur...ok, so there are two things there:
1. A bar
2. A gas station which was closed...AT 9:30!! Who closes a gas station at 9:30?
So, we turned around in the gas station parking lot and beelined straight back to the toll booth. 75 cents, please.
"I just came for your gas station and it's closed."
"Yeah, he closes early, 75 cents."
"I was only in this town for 30 seconds."
"Yeah, I know, 75 cents."
I ponied up the dough, and high tailed it back across the bridge, back onto 29, and back towards home...but for some reason, when we saw the lights of Omaha, we had to stop. Yikes! I drove in, went to a gas station/grocery store...trying not to make eye contact with the locals (cause they were scary!). I got back into the car, and drove out of Omaha.
Nebraska: Check
We decided we would drive another couple of hours, and end somewhere between Omaha and Kansas City. I popped in a mixed CD and set the cruise control. It was a surreal feeling when the Bruce Springsteen song "Highway 29" came on the disk...especially since we were on that very road.
SATURDAY:
The one time we really wanted to get an early start was Saturday. Of course, Saturday was the one day we slept in. How could we help it? The room had NO CLOCK! We left at 10, and proceeded down 29. Becky was driving when we hit the Kansas City, Kansas exit. We made our drive into Kansas, turned, and made our way out making note that we drove on the George Brett Super Expressway (or whatever George Brett's road is called.)
We hit 70 and drove across Missouri to St Louis. There we stopped to see the Arch, as we had never seen it before. The place was packed for the summer concerts on the river, but we managed to get in, see the arch, and get out. The arch is very impressive, and I only wish we had an extra hour and a half to wait, so we could have traveled to the top...but it was already 7:30 at that point, and we had several hours of driving left to go before we arrived at home sweet home.
We finally got back on the road at 8 after driving in circles downtown. The roads were all closed off for the concert, and for the American Idol auditions (which was kinda neat to see all these hopefuls sitting out in the grass singing. The next Idol could have been right outside our car!!) By the time we found the right road, crossed the Mark McGuire Super Highway (or whatever HIS road is called) , we were starving because we had decided to eat AFTER the arch, so we could see it in the daylight. Well, St Louis is on the Illinois border, so we crossed the border and drove on the most uninhabited stretch of land known to man. It was a good 2 hours before we hit a town with a legitimate restaurant in it. Effington, Illinois. It was 10, but lucky for us, their was a steakhouse open. We stopped, ate, and estimated we should get from Effingham to Terre Haute in an hour, and from there to home in an hour and a half...making us in bed by 1:30am. Things went smoothly...the drive was long and I only had Chris Cornell and Josh Clayton Felt to keep me awake, as Becky snoozed in the passenger seat.
It was just past 1:30 when we pulled into the driveway...half asleep, and happy to be home.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Vacation: Chapter Two - The Heads
After seeing President's Park, we headed South to "The Heads," a title affectionately given to Mt Rushmore by a couple of female Harley riders. I'm assuming they meant Mt Rushmore, since the two were FEMALE HARLEY RIDERS, the only head they would be interested in going down to would be the famous monument.
Anyways, we took the drive to The Heads, and saw the beauty that is Rushmore. It's amazing that something that massive and accurate was completed in a time without computer-aided drafting, or any of the other tools and advances of present day man. Again, I highly recommend seeing this monster of a monument.
We made a quick trip to the gift shop, and then to the Mt Rushmore Ice Cream station. Becky got the chocolate-vanilla swirl cone that wasn't swirled...it was one cones worth of chocolate ice cream on one side of a regular sized cone, and a cones worth of vanilla on the other. A two headed cone!! This thing was mammoth. It was so big, Japanese tourists were stopping to take pictures by the "Great Cone Monument." It truly was a momentous cone.
After Rushmore, we headed to the town of Keystone, where we played a quick game of Mini-golf (we tied, which was a shock to me, cause Becky can throw down on the Putt Putt course!!), and saw the Presidential Wax Museum. Pretty cool, but they give you these wands that you have to manually type in the number of the wax scene you are looking at, and some A.D.D. must have kicked in, cause I only finished one full speech. BORING!! And I actually like presidential history!!
Next, we crossed the street, took the ski lift up the side of the mountain, and rode the Presidential Slide down. I was scared, Becky, of course, was not. She whipped down the mountain like a hot knife through butter, and had to wait for the fat boy to loosen his death grip from the brake.
We then scoured the town for a hotel to stay at. Foiled by Sturgis. The Super 8 motel had jacked their prices to $140 per night...for a SUPER 8?!? I mean, come on!! We traveled to Rapid City, and found a room for $80. It was the next to last room, and the guy at the desk told me the room would spike to $220 the next night. Then he proceeded to tell me all about his incounter with Tom Daschle (apparently Tommy-boy wanted our friendly un-hygentic hotel jockey to run for Congress...but "why would I want to lower my standards?" the hotel jockey asked...yeah, soap, damn those standards!!) and his dislike of John Kerry.
FRIDAY:
Leaving town on Friday not only gave us the chance to miss the Sturgis hotel price wars, it also gave us the chance to get home Saturday, thus giving us a day to recover from our vacation. (yes, recover from vacation...you drive 2500 miles and tell me you don't need some recovering!) Our plan was simple. 90 east to 29 south to 70 east. Cake. Well, Becky had the wheel, and I had the atlas...and an idea.
to be continued...
(next...the journey home)
Anyways, we took the drive to The Heads, and saw the beauty that is Rushmore. It's amazing that something that massive and accurate was completed in a time without computer-aided drafting, or any of the other tools and advances of present day man. Again, I highly recommend seeing this monster of a monument.
We made a quick trip to the gift shop, and then to the Mt Rushmore Ice Cream station. Becky got the chocolate-vanilla swirl cone that wasn't swirled...it was one cones worth of chocolate ice cream on one side of a regular sized cone, and a cones worth of vanilla on the other. A two headed cone!! This thing was mammoth. It was so big, Japanese tourists were stopping to take pictures by the "Great Cone Monument." It truly was a momentous cone.
After Rushmore, we headed to the town of Keystone, where we played a quick game of Mini-golf (we tied, which was a shock to me, cause Becky can throw down on the Putt Putt course!!), and saw the Presidential Wax Museum. Pretty cool, but they give you these wands that you have to manually type in the number of the wax scene you are looking at, and some A.D.D. must have kicked in, cause I only finished one full speech. BORING!! And I actually like presidential history!!
Next, we crossed the street, took the ski lift up the side of the mountain, and rode the Presidential Slide down. I was scared, Becky, of course, was not. She whipped down the mountain like a hot knife through butter, and had to wait for the fat boy to loosen his death grip from the brake.
We then scoured the town for a hotel to stay at. Foiled by Sturgis. The Super 8 motel had jacked their prices to $140 per night...for a SUPER 8?!? I mean, come on!! We traveled to Rapid City, and found a room for $80. It was the next to last room, and the guy at the desk told me the room would spike to $220 the next night. Then he proceeded to tell me all about his incounter with Tom Daschle (apparently Tommy-boy wanted our friendly un-hygentic hotel jockey to run for Congress...but "why would I want to lower my standards?" the hotel jockey asked...yeah, soap, damn those standards!!) and his dislike of John Kerry.
FRIDAY:
Leaving town on Friday not only gave us the chance to miss the Sturgis hotel price wars, it also gave us the chance to get home Saturday, thus giving us a day to recover from our vacation. (yes, recover from vacation...you drive 2500 miles and tell me you don't need some recovering!) Our plan was simple. 90 east to 29 south to 70 east. Cake. Well, Becky had the wheel, and I had the atlas...and an idea.
to be continued...
(next...the journey home)
Monday, August 09, 2004
Vacation: Chapter One - The Drive
I'm back! First of all, I apologize to the 3 people out there who actually read this and wonder why I haven't had a new blog for awhile. The reason? Vacation.
We left Tuesday after work, and 2,555 and 3/10 miles later, we returned. Our journey took us into 8 different states, about 30 gas stations, 4 motels, and more hours on the road than I work in a week. But, in the end, I would say it was worth it.
TUESDAY:
We drove from 4:30 to midnight, crossing from Indiana to Illinois, to Iowa. It was dark, so not much to see, but I would like to comment on Super 8's motel in Northern Iowa...in one word, stinky.
WEDNESDAY:
If you've ever hit the open road in the Mid-West, you've probably driven along I-90. This is not a treat. Upon hitting the Minnesota border, we had exactly 504 miles on I-90 until we reached our destination...Deadwood, South Dakota. Now, fortunately for us, the speed limit on I-90 is 75 miles per, which made the trip more like a Nascar race than a drive. Other interesting points of note...pink roads.
PINK ROADS:
I, for the life of me, cannot figure out the mystery of the pink roads. I've noticed them in West Virginia, and now in Northern Iowa, and Minnesota. The highway, instead of being normal grey or blacktop, has a pink tint to them that makes them oh so eye-friendly and enchanting. It's like the road crew said..."let's make sure people are smiling while driving our roads."
Upon our return, I have searched endlessly (ok, for about 5 minutes) for some answers to his road oddity. The only things I turned up were: Pink Neon signs to go up on the Highway...Pink's Vietnamese Restaurant...and a touching tale of an albino alligator that was transported to an Iowa Zoo and turned pink. Apparently, he was excited about his new surroundings (how do they know this? ANIMALS CAN'T TALK!! Sorry, please refer back to my rant on animals.)
WEDNESDAY:
We arrived in Deadwood Wednesday evening, and I was shocked to see that the town was 95% casinos. Every little shop had Slots in them...so did the eateries...so did the hotels...so did the library. Well, I actually couldn't see in the library, and I sure didn't go in for a visit, so technically I don't know if there were any slots in there, but I'm betting there was.
THURSDAY
A trolley around Deadwood began the day, followed by a search for breakfast. Before you think, "surely there are eateries in Deadwood," let me also tell you the problem with South Dakota in August...STURGIS. Not the town, the Rally, as in Choppers, Motorcycles, Harley's, Bikes, Goldwing...redwing...bluewing...soap-on-a-string...whatever, they were there, and they were there in full force. Endless bikes lined the streets of all surrounding towns. Want to go to the little diner? I don't think so. Where do you park? How long would you wait? Wasn't gonna happen.
So, we troll down the road. Our next stop, President's Park. We start by eating at the President's Park Cafe. I ordered the Angus burger, Becky the nachos (picky-picky). I didn't expect them to have a grill out back they cooked on. I actually saw the lady cooking my angus on a grill. It was mighty tasty, I might add.
Anyway, President's Park is a little place that has these amazing busts of all 43 president's. The busts are at least 20 foot tall each, along with a nut-shell bio of each pres. We read Washington, Adams, and most of Jefferson, before we realized it was taking too much time...who needs to know about Chester A Arthur anyway? I highly recommend the park, however...very neat.
(to be continued...next blog, "The Heads")
We left Tuesday after work, and 2,555 and 3/10 miles later, we returned. Our journey took us into 8 different states, about 30 gas stations, 4 motels, and more hours on the road than I work in a week. But, in the end, I would say it was worth it.
TUESDAY:
We drove from 4:30 to midnight, crossing from Indiana to Illinois, to Iowa. It was dark, so not much to see, but I would like to comment on Super 8's motel in Northern Iowa...in one word, stinky.
WEDNESDAY:
If you've ever hit the open road in the Mid-West, you've probably driven along I-90. This is not a treat. Upon hitting the Minnesota border, we had exactly 504 miles on I-90 until we reached our destination...Deadwood, South Dakota. Now, fortunately for us, the speed limit on I-90 is 75 miles per, which made the trip more like a Nascar race than a drive. Other interesting points of note...pink roads.
PINK ROADS:
I, for the life of me, cannot figure out the mystery of the pink roads. I've noticed them in West Virginia, and now in Northern Iowa, and Minnesota. The highway, instead of being normal grey or blacktop, has a pink tint to them that makes them oh so eye-friendly and enchanting. It's like the road crew said..."let's make sure people are smiling while driving our roads."
Upon our return, I have searched endlessly (ok, for about 5 minutes) for some answers to his road oddity. The only things I turned up were: Pink Neon signs to go up on the Highway...Pink's Vietnamese Restaurant...and a touching tale of an albino alligator that was transported to an Iowa Zoo and turned pink. Apparently, he was excited about his new surroundings (how do they know this? ANIMALS CAN'T TALK!! Sorry, please refer back to my rant on animals.)
WEDNESDAY:
We arrived in Deadwood Wednesday evening, and I was shocked to see that the town was 95% casinos. Every little shop had Slots in them...so did the eateries...so did the hotels...so did the library. Well, I actually couldn't see in the library, and I sure didn't go in for a visit, so technically I don't know if there were any slots in there, but I'm betting there was.
THURSDAY
A trolley around Deadwood began the day, followed by a search for breakfast. Before you think, "surely there are eateries in Deadwood," let me also tell you the problem with South Dakota in August...STURGIS. Not the town, the Rally, as in Choppers, Motorcycles, Harley's, Bikes, Goldwing...redwing...bluewing...soap-on-a-string...whatever, they were there, and they were there in full force. Endless bikes lined the streets of all surrounding towns. Want to go to the little diner? I don't think so. Where do you park? How long would you wait? Wasn't gonna happen.
So, we troll down the road. Our next stop, President's Park. We start by eating at the President's Park Cafe. I ordered the Angus burger, Becky the nachos (picky-picky). I didn't expect them to have a grill out back they cooked on. I actually saw the lady cooking my angus on a grill. It was mighty tasty, I might add.
Anyway, President's Park is a little place that has these amazing busts of all 43 president's. The busts are at least 20 foot tall each, along with a nut-shell bio of each pres. We read Washington, Adams, and most of Jefferson, before we realized it was taking too much time...who needs to know about Chester A Arthur anyway? I highly recommend the park, however...very neat.
(to be continued...next blog, "The Heads")
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Angry Rant #2
Ok, so I'm driving down the road, listening to some talk radio (a grown man can only take so much Hoob and Johnny Cougar) and the main lady is talking about a gathering of casual acquaintances she was recently a part of (to be more specific, work collegues). So, as the story goes, the group was eating, chatting, and what not. Upon the completion of the meal, one of the lady's co-workers (who was sitting next to her) asked her if she would like any of his unfinished salad before it was taken away. (Apparently, she was eyeballing it the whole meal.)
She, of course, says yes. Well, after awhile, her husband pulls her to the side, upset that she ate off of this guy's plate. Are you ready for this? He was mad because this guy's fork was in his mouth, on the plate, in his mouth...and then her fork was in her mouth, on the plate, in her mouth. This made the husband mad, because that was "the same as kissing" the salad guy!!
Are you kidding me?
This is just wrong on so many levels. But, yes, it gets worse. The talk lady says she's sorry and won't do it again because she doesn't want to hurt the feelings of her ex-Navy Seal husband (how can someone so upset over double-dipping in the lettuce be a Navy Seal?). The co-host guy, who obviously is scared out of his mind of the talk lady, agrees.
The topic is changed to "What constitutes cheating in a relationship?" To which the first lady with a working phone, calls in and says Strip Clubs. Aye, yi, aye!! STRIP CLUBS?!? Now, first and foremost, if you go there a lot, spend all your money, think the girls are hot for you, etc...then you're not cheating, you're crazy. But Talk Lady starts putting her two cents in which, nut shell, she agrees with the caller, saying:
"All guys who go to Strip Clubs and are in relationships are definately cheating because their intent is to hook up."
ALL GUYS?!? Again, are you kidding me? Some guys just like to hang out with friends, or drink a few beers, or enjoy the occasional boob being rubbed on his face, that doesn't mean ALL GUYS are going there to hook up.
Then, crazy caller number two calls in, agreeing, and adds looking at porno mags is cheating. Again, the talk lady agrees. Where is the line going to be drawn?
1. No Strip Clubs
2. No Playboyesque mags
3. No Movies featuring naked ladies (CRAP!! I watched Eurotrip the other day when Becky was asleep, and it had a naked pair of brests!! I am a cheating dog!!)
4. No watching movies with women in them period.
5. No looking at any woman!!
6. No reading books with women in them!
7. PLUCK YOUR EYES OUT OF YOUR HEAD!!
Of course, that is extreme, but it could get there. Maybe there would be a compromise:
"You can do things 3, 4, 6." Until, you do one of those things, and then it's...
"I said you could do them when I was with you!!"
or, the famous
"It was ok then, but it's not now."
What am I talking about? Jealousy, people. Plain and simple. It's ugly, it's evil, and it's crazy. We know more about jealousy than we do about a little thing called TRUST. Look it up. I know if Becky eats off another guy's plate she isn't kissing him. Same if she looks at porn, or goes to the All Male review. Doesn't bother me.
"Why would you want to look at other girls, if you are satisfied with the one you have?"
Well, I can tell you it's not because I want that girl to jump out of the mag and have an affair with me...and you can trust me when I say it.
She, of course, says yes. Well, after awhile, her husband pulls her to the side, upset that she ate off of this guy's plate. Are you ready for this? He was mad because this guy's fork was in his mouth, on the plate, in his mouth...and then her fork was in her mouth, on the plate, in her mouth. This made the husband mad, because that was "the same as kissing" the salad guy!!
Are you kidding me?
This is just wrong on so many levels. But, yes, it gets worse. The talk lady says she's sorry and won't do it again because she doesn't want to hurt the feelings of her ex-Navy Seal husband (how can someone so upset over double-dipping in the lettuce be a Navy Seal?). The co-host guy, who obviously is scared out of his mind of the talk lady, agrees.
The topic is changed to "What constitutes cheating in a relationship?" To which the first lady with a working phone, calls in and says Strip Clubs. Aye, yi, aye!! STRIP CLUBS?!? Now, first and foremost, if you go there a lot, spend all your money, think the girls are hot for you, etc...then you're not cheating, you're crazy. But Talk Lady starts putting her two cents in which, nut shell, she agrees with the caller, saying:
"All guys who go to Strip Clubs and are in relationships are definately cheating because their intent is to hook up."
ALL GUYS?!? Again, are you kidding me? Some guys just like to hang out with friends, or drink a few beers, or enjoy the occasional boob being rubbed on his face, that doesn't mean ALL GUYS are going there to hook up.
Then, crazy caller number two calls in, agreeing, and adds looking at porno mags is cheating. Again, the talk lady agrees. Where is the line going to be drawn?
1. No Strip Clubs
2. No Playboyesque mags
3. No Movies featuring naked ladies (CRAP!! I watched Eurotrip the other day when Becky was asleep, and it had a naked pair of brests!! I am a cheating dog!!)
4. No watching movies with women in them period.
5. No looking at any woman!!
6. No reading books with women in them!
7. PLUCK YOUR EYES OUT OF YOUR HEAD!!
Of course, that is extreme, but it could get there. Maybe there would be a compromise:
"You can do things 3, 4, 6." Until, you do one of those things, and then it's...
"I said you could do them when I was with you!!"
or, the famous
"It was ok then, but it's not now."
What am I talking about? Jealousy, people. Plain and simple. It's ugly, it's evil, and it's crazy. We know more about jealousy than we do about a little thing called TRUST. Look it up. I know if Becky eats off another guy's plate she isn't kissing him. Same if she looks at porn, or goes to the All Male review. Doesn't bother me.
"Why would you want to look at other girls, if you are satisfied with the one you have?"
Well, I can tell you it's not because I want that girl to jump out of the mag and have an affair with me...and you can trust me when I say it.
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