So I may have more time on my hand than is appropriate, but I thought this blog needed a podcast. Follow this link to hear me and Chapin discuss the Patriots, MLS, Mo Money Mo Problems, Tom Bullock, and crappy bands that Brian liked, among other things.
(The streams on the left may provide a better listen - it's a free service, what can you do?).
(Theoretically you can download this to your IPOD, but why would you?)
Friday, December 28, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Merry Christmas, Boys (and Girls)
Cherie, Audrey, and I hope you all have enjoyed the spirit of this season and the love of family and friends.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
From the Frozen Lands of Nador...er, Chicago....
1. It was truly a flight against all odds. Saturday afternoon, a sprawling and violent storm spanned the distance from Texas to New York. We were flying Southwest, whose notoriously lean fleet of airplanes leaves it subject to delays even in mild weather. And snow was already falling in Chicago and leading to 2.5 hr delays at O'Hare. But somehow, we landed at Midway 15 minutes early. Go figure.
2. Audrey, on only her second flight ever (the first being about a year ago), and despite having a sudden ear infection, did great...until landing. Her ears must have popped, for she began screaming like she'd been touched with a hot poker. Cherie tried to comfort her for a while, and then I grabbed her...and she promptly vomited all over me. That's twice in 4 weeks. And I'm not talking spit-up -- I'm talking VOMIT. But, as soon as we got her off the plane, she was fine.
3. I met Mr. Close last night for dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. We drank beers, swapped stories, talked about our mutual victimization via corporate reorganization (more on that later), and between us scarfed down 36 wings with 3 different sauces. We eyed a nearby Golden Tee Live machine, but realized that if we began playing, we'd be out all night, hammered, reeking of cigarette smoke, and wandering in the door at 2 a.m. As attractive as that sounds, we both realized the women in our lives would kill us upon our return. So, we sobered up and departed at a reasonable hour. Growing up blows.
4. The Raven Homestead has a new location -- "Shorewood Glen", a "Del Webb/Pulte Homes Community". Cherie's mom and dad recently purchased a new home in Shorewood Glen, a "55 and over" community. It is a self-contained gated housing development for those in or approaching their "golden years". It has a club, a fitness center, an "Activities Director", and playgrounds, ball fields, and a sledding hill for the grandchildren, you name a convenience, it has it. Much like Stew Leonard's grocery store, filled with animatronic characters singing the virtues of Chiquita bananas and Poland Spring water, I can't decide whether the "all-inclusive" retirement community is a very cool thing or just a little bit evil.
5. It's cold here. Damn cold. 9 degrees cold. And windy. The dry, crystalline, wind-whipped snow has given the landscape here the appearance of a perfectly white desert. I don't think I've spent more than 5 total minutes outside in 4 days.
2. Audrey, on only her second flight ever (the first being about a year ago), and despite having a sudden ear infection, did great...until landing. Her ears must have popped, for she began screaming like she'd been touched with a hot poker. Cherie tried to comfort her for a while, and then I grabbed her...and she promptly vomited all over me. That's twice in 4 weeks. And I'm not talking spit-up -- I'm talking VOMIT. But, as soon as we got her off the plane, she was fine.
3. I met Mr. Close last night for dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. We drank beers, swapped stories, talked about our mutual victimization via corporate reorganization (more on that later), and between us scarfed down 36 wings with 3 different sauces. We eyed a nearby Golden Tee Live machine, but realized that if we began playing, we'd be out all night, hammered, reeking of cigarette smoke, and wandering in the door at 2 a.m. As attractive as that sounds, we both realized the women in our lives would kill us upon our return. So, we sobered up and departed at a reasonable hour. Growing up blows.
4. The Raven Homestead has a new location -- "Shorewood Glen", a "Del Webb/Pulte Homes Community". Cherie's mom and dad recently purchased a new home in Shorewood Glen, a "55 and over" community. It is a self-contained gated housing development for those in or approaching their "golden years". It has a club, a fitness center, an "Activities Director", and playgrounds, ball fields, and a sledding hill for the grandchildren, you name a convenience, it has it. Much like Stew Leonard's grocery store, filled with animatronic characters singing the virtues of Chiquita bananas and Poland Spring water, I can't decide whether the "all-inclusive" retirement community is a very cool thing or just a little bit evil.
5. It's cold here. Damn cold. 9 degrees cold. And windy. The dry, crystalline, wind-whipped snow has given the landscape here the appearance of a perfectly white desert. I don't think I've spent more than 5 total minutes outside in 4 days.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The "Boo, You're Terrible" Tour is coming to your town...
Which town?
HOG Butcher for the World
Tool Maker
Stacker of Wheat
Player with Railroads
The Nation's Freight Handler
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the Big Shoulders:
CHICAGO!
The entire family will be in town beginning Saturday and ending Wednesday.
Close, your cell phone will be ringing shortly. I will be expecting the Old Style to be chilled.
Oo-ra, Chapin out.
HOG Butcher for the World
Tool Maker
Stacker of Wheat
Player with Railroads
The Nation's Freight Handler
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the Big Shoulders:
CHICAGO!
The entire family will be in town beginning Saturday and ending Wednesday.
Close, your cell phone will be ringing shortly. I will be expecting the Old Style to be chilled.
Oo-ra, Chapin out.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Global warming hits home
So I picked up some kind of a stomach bug on Thursday. By Thursday night, it was coming out both ends. By Friday, I was down to rear only (partly because I stopped putting anything in the other end). It slowed down by Saturday, and I just felt kinda crappy (pun intended). By today (Sunday) I was down to monumental amounts of farting.
Seriously. I suspect that it's only a matter of time before Al Gore has a PowerPoint slide dedicated to my ass.
Seriously. I suspect that it's only a matter of time before Al Gore has a PowerPoint slide dedicated to my ass.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
I Need a Snowblower and Boots
We were supposed to get 3-5 inches of snow last night. We in fact got 7. This caused two problems:
1. I do not own a pair of boots. In fact, I can't remember the last time I owned a pair of boots. You could always get away with not having boots in DC. You can't really do that in Illinois, which I realized last winter, but chose to ignore. But when you have to walk a dog through 7 inches of snow, it's hard to ignore.
2. With my house, I purchased an LAD - Long Ass Driveway. I spent a significant amount of time this morning shoveling and am starting to feel it. Of course, as soon as I buy a snowblower, there will be no more snow. It's a conundrum.
That is all.
1. I do not own a pair of boots. In fact, I can't remember the last time I owned a pair of boots. You could always get away with not having boots in DC. You can't really do that in Illinois, which I realized last winter, but chose to ignore. But when you have to walk a dog through 7 inches of snow, it's hard to ignore.
2. With my house, I purchased an LAD - Long Ass Driveway. I spent a significant amount of time this morning shoveling and am starting to feel it. Of course, as soon as I buy a snowblower, there will be no more snow. It's a conundrum.
That is all.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Weird
I've been mulling this over for a while now every time I see a Cadillac commercial, but isn't it a little weird that Cadillac is trying to be cool(er) these days with flashy (for lack of a better word) commercials that feature a rock song from 1994.
The only reason that I am even interested in this is that the song is by a band called Hum, which came out of Champaign in 1994. Their song, Stars (or something like that) got some fairly heavy airplay in Chicago that summer (catchy first couple lines: She thinks she missed the train to Mars/She's out back counting stars) thanks mostly to the hook that is in the commercial. Which I have to say, stands up pretty well even today.
I have their crappily produced CD that I need to turn my IPod up all the way to hear adequately when Stars comes on. Only one other decent song on there. But what is Stars doing in a Cadillac commercial?
Maybe this is what Chapin was talking about a few months back - the soundtracks of our lives being used to get us to buy things now. I'm old.
The only reason that I am even interested in this is that the song is by a band called Hum, which came out of Champaign in 1994. Their song, Stars (or something like that) got some fairly heavy airplay in Chicago that summer (catchy first couple lines: She thinks she missed the train to Mars/She's out back counting stars) thanks mostly to the hook that is in the commercial. Which I have to say, stands up pretty well even today.
I have their crappily produced CD that I need to turn my IPod up all the way to hear adequately when Stars comes on. Only one other decent song on there. But what is Stars doing in a Cadillac commercial?
Maybe this is what Chapin was talking about a few months back - the soundtracks of our lives being used to get us to buy things now. I'm old.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Happy Birthday To Me Haiku
Sing "Sweet Caroline..."
The baby sings, "Oh, Oh, Oh"
A Sox Fan is Born!
I am thirty three
A Happy Birthday to me
Bin ich deutsch Bier getranken (I drank German beer -- 5 syllables, you like?)
6 Rivington, yes?
Loreley is a fine place
I like their Schnitzel
I am thirty three
One more year, I outlive Christ
Please forgive me Lord
I Still Smell Candy
Surprise, She smells like a skank
So Long Ago, Yes?
Matt Lewis was banned
The skanky strippers were tanned
And smelled worse naked
The baby sings, "Oh, Oh, Oh"
A Sox Fan is Born!
I am thirty three
A Happy Birthday to me
Bin ich deutsch Bier getranken (I drank German beer -- 5 syllables, you like?)
6 Rivington, yes?
Loreley is a fine place
I like their Schnitzel
I am thirty three
One more year, I outlive Christ
Please forgive me Lord
I Still Smell Candy
Surprise, She smells like a skank
So Long Ago, Yes?
Matt Lewis was banned
The skanky strippers were tanned
And smelled worse naked
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