Christmas Wrap

This year was my first Christmas away from my family. My parents decided to fly out to Portland to visit my sister for the holiday, so I spent the entire time with my wife and her family. I guess we're all family, but you figure out how to say it and let me know. ;)

Christmas was great as usual. The wife and I had a relaxing time at her parents house, planning and prepping for "Little Christmas" (a party thrown for friends every year on 12/23), going to church on Christmas Eve for the candlelight service, putting presents under the tree and playing with the niece and nephew. Our trip finished up with the annual Nachos Navidad. Later, we went to see a movie with Elizabeth's sister Georgia and her husband Brian.

This year was even more special, as Elizabeth was asked to preach in all three services at her home church on Sunday. She did a stellar job (of course) and she received several compliments from family, friends and members of the congregation.

Overall, it was a very Merry Christmas - hope yours was as well!

Christmas Shopping: Done!

Well, almost anyway. There were a couple of things that I couldn't buy - simply because I know I was getting ripped off and just wasn't able to justify spending that much for that thing. Anyway, my 2nd Annual WBC (Wednesday Before Christmas) shopping experience went off without a hitch. My secret? I start off at 8am! Nobody is in the stores...it's great! =)

It's a Small Small World

Okay, so after work today I ended up doing happy hour with Jason & Anneka (and a few other bikers* at Acadia Cafe). They were going to the British Television Advertising Awards and had an extra ticket, so Anneka invited me to come with. The commercials were terrific!

Afterwards, they were getting ready to brave the cold and bike home. Then someone extremely familiar stopped and said 'hi' to them. Lo and behold, it was Dana - who used to be the favorite waitress of my roommates and I about 10 years ago at Perkins. She knew them from being a biker herself. Different circles collide, etcetera, etc. *Note: these are 'real' bikers that pedal, not the kind that ride to Sturgis!

As we were catching up, my ex-roommate and friend Josh walked by - who currently lives in Pennsylvania, and was only in town for a couple of days to visit his sister.

It's a small world after all!

Two Years!

My wife and I celebrate our two-year anniversary today. Originally, we had planned on spending an extended weekend around the area where we got married in SW Wisconsin. We were going to spend some time with family, do some shopping in Galena, IL and stay the night at a B&B...

That all changed when the wife went on eBay and bought tickets to yesterday's Packers game at Lambeau Field! Due to the arrangements of the purchase, the tickets wouldn't make it here by mail in time before we left for the weekend. So, we drove a little extra to pick them up in person. Then, after spending a day or so with my parents, we trekked up toward Green Bay for some football!

After spending the night in Appleton, we followed the masses right up to the stadium - turned left, and ended up parking in a local resident's yard for $10 (some lawns were in the $22 range). A three block walk got us to the gate. We had a great time at the game and didn't even get that cold. It did get a bit chilly when the clouds blocked out the sun, but with all the crowd 'packed' in tight it was really nice overall.

Today, I'm enjoying my time off - the wife was jealous because she didn't take it off and had to go to work. I'll do some shopping today and find her a good anniversary present. ;)

Work isn't just for Work anymore

This weekend I was required to take some things home for work to have done by Monday. Normally, this isn't something worth blogging about - however, I make it a point to not let work life and personal/family life intertwine.

But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I love what I do, but I don't like taking things home with me. It was surprising how focused I was, though.

Back to the 'official' grind tomorrow! =)

Let It Snow!

It was all the excitement late last week - a big winter storm was coming to drop as much as a foot of snow this weekend. Well, the storm came and dumped a bunch of gorgeous winter whiteness. We got about 6" in our area - perfect! I can't wait to go skiing!

Scooter Time

I got my scooter back from the repair shop on Wednesday. It was warm enough on Sunday to try it out, and I had a great time driving around the neighborhood. It doesn't run quite perfectly yet, but it should in Spring.

The only real problem is that the turn signals still don't work properly. After two months and almost $700 in total repair costs, you'd think they would at least work right. Also, since the ignition had to be replaced the new key doesn't work on the helmet and fork locks.

Time to call the fix-it guy again, I guess.

History of Football Teams

I mentioned to my wife today that the original Cleveland Browns relocated to Baltimore and then started back up again a few years later in Cleveland as a new team. That made me wonder who started/moved where as what...and look what happened:

Original Team------------Became Team(s):

Baltimore Colts---------Indianapolis Colts
Cleveland Rams----------Los Angeles Rams, St. Louis Rams
Cleveland Browns--------Baltimore Ravens
Chicago Cardinals-------St. Louis Cardinals, Phoenix Cardinals, Arizona Cardinals
Oakland Raiders---------Los Angeles Raiders, Oakland Raiders
Houston Oilers----------Tennessee Oilers, Tennessee Titans
Los Angeles Chargers----San Diego Chargers
Boston Patriots---------Bay State Patriots, New England Patriots
Decatur Staleys---------Chicago Staleys, Chicago Bears
Dallas Steers-----------Dallas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys
Boston Braves-----------Boston Redskins, Washington Redskins
Pittsburgh Pirates------Pittsburgh Steelers
Dallas Texans-----------Kansas City Chiefs
New York Titans---------New York Jets

Sometimes the Internet can be useful, after all. ;)

Turkey Trot

My wife's family has this tradition of running a 5K race called the "Turkey Trot" on Thanksgiving Day morning. My first exposure to this was two years ago, and the temperature was somewhere below zero degrees - but they ran anyway (I watched from inside). This year, my wife said that if I wanted to walk it she'd walk with me - so we did.

However, for some reason we decided to run the last leg of the race. I am nowhere near athletic or in shape, but I ran anyway - which probably wasn't a big deal. Then, we kept running faster and faster until we were both sprinting across the finish line.

Later, lots of good food and conversation with family and friends kept my mind off of what I would most likely be in for this morning. Today, I'm sore - and haven't felt certain things ache since I ran Cross Country in high school. But then I think about the fact that I actually signed up, participated in -and- actually ran in a 5K.

I hurt a little - but it feels good overall. Weird...

Meme

Jane made me do it...

The Rules
1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 Random and/or Weird Things About Me
1. I like Dorito’s on sandwiches too (if it's a peanut butter sandwich).
2. I still enjoy purchasing, opening and building LEGO sets.
3. There is a vacuum cleaner directly behind me.
4. I can be very sneaky...sometimes.
5. A state patrol officer had a friendly conversation with me on Saturday evening.
6. My favorite drink is a Captain & Coke.
7. I didn't know what a Meme was and had to look it up! =)

7 Random People/Sites
1. LatteGirl
2. --K--
3. N8
4. LoonMagnet
5. " "
6. Solange
7. Number Seven

3 Things

I had three things to post about in my blog. THREE THINGS!!! I can't, however, remember what any of them are. So this is my self-observant post and reminder to write things down.

What really irks me is that I remember one of them being really funny. So please, laugh like you would if you thought something was funny! =)

Frick & Frack

I was reminded today of two former co-workers at my previous place of employment. I never actually met them - just talked on the phone almost daily because some thing or other didn't quite work right with the application my staff needed to use.

They were really funny - and went by the names Frick & Frack. Working for said company was quite a pain in the arse for most of us, and their humor always made it just a little better.

Unfortunately, Frack left for greener pastures...leaving Frick by herself and pretty much killing the code name duo. Eventually Frick left too...as did I.

Occasionally, I am reminded of them while watching Battlestar Galactica (they use the term "frack" for that other 'f' word). Today, while wandering through the mall with my wife and the outlaws, I overheard a bunch of teens talking about someone they know whose nicknames were Frick and Frack.

I laughed out loud, but nobody heard me. So here's to you, Frick & Frack! Hope things are going well for you both. =)

Extra Hour My @$$!

So, this is the first day of the new switching point from DST to normal time. Everyone is psyched because they get an extra hour of sleep...but not me. I have a cold. And I'm in the IT Support industry...

This means that I woke up at 4:03 CST because my head was so stuffed up I could no longer breathe through my nose. After several attempts, I almost fell back to sleep but I couldn't.

So I've been putzing around on the computer blog-hopping and surfing the web. *weeeee*

Traffic Delays

I was thinking today, while sitting in stop & go traffic, how much time the human population spends on waiting. While I'm sure there is a bunch of statistical information about just how much time we waste in certain holding patterns, I'll just let you think about the amount of time you spend on these:

- At stop lights
- The bus/train stop
- In line for coffee
- Deciding what to have for lunch
- Stuck in traffic
- For [insert name/relation here] to meet you
- To buy things at the store

Interesting, isn't it? I thought so...

Death Warmed Over

What's better than coming back from vacation and almost instantaneously getting the worst cold ever?! Just about everything in my opinion...

Yesterday I had a sore throat and stuffy head, then last night I went to bed right after dinner and woke up at 2am - and couldn't breathe, started coughing, and that thing where you sneeze and cough at the same time?!?! WTF! *grrr*

I'm going to attempt to go to sleep now for the 5th time today.

Coming to America

That's right, folks! We're back in the states after leaving way back on October 12th. Although I tried to keep updates on a regular basis, we were 'out in the vines' for the majority of our trip or I simply didn't have time to spend in front of the computer.

Here's a brief recap:
> Italy is wonderful - if you haven't gone yet, you should definitely start planning.
> Tuscany is gorgeous and should definitely be included in your planning.
> Roma, Siena, Firenze and Cinque Terre have more beauty & history than one could ever imagine!
> They don't call it Vatican City for nothing - it's enormous.
> Pop tastes better in Europe (real sugar) but it costs a lot lot more (sometimes $3.36/bottle)
> Bring additional memory cards and batteries for your digital camera - you'll need them.
> Scooters own the streets of Roma.
> You can easily go through two bottles of wine at dinner.

Over all, we had a great time with Heather and Adam on our trip to Europe. There were a few setbacks (like having our return flight cancelled) but we also got to meet Dave & Julie, some really nice people that we spent our last days with at the hotel/airport.

Now it's time to get back to reality...

Alfa Romeo 1, Tuscana 0

Thankfully our tiny little Fiat rental car got upgraded for free to a Alfa Romeo 159 wagon. Its little turbo diesel engine and phenomenal handling got us from Rome to our new destination in Siena with little problems. From the terrain, however, we should have gotten an AWD truck...as the bottom of the car scraped on several gravel roads.

I will have to get a flickr account so I can post all the photos that I took - the scenery is more beautiful than one can imagine. We are currently in Siena proper, a history town with lots of shops and culture and magnificent architecture and history.

It beats Rome hands down...sorry, Roma - Siena is our new favorite and we have yet to visit Florence!

Viva Italia!

We made it to Rome after countless hours on the plane. We ended up spending a lot of fun time in the airport in Amsterdam, and made it to Roma with just enough time to have dinner and drinks at the hotel ristorante. They hailed us a cab the following morning (a Mercedes) and the driver took us to our next destination and gave us a basic course in Italiano.

Then it was off to the Colosseum and we had a great time with several picture opportunities. Afterward, we did some streetwalking and soaked in the scene plus going to Capital Hill and the Roman Forum.

We made it back to the hotel via Metro and then Adam asked for a recommendation to a local establishment for dinner. We were directed to "La Barca" which was ever-so-friendly and the food was excellente!

Now we're back - and I'm blogging - and we're not exactly sober, but what the heck. ;) Tomorrow we're hitting the Vatican for some good ol' reformation. *heh*

Almost missed our flight...

So, we got to the airport and needed dinner in a desperate fashion - of course we went to Ike's! The only problem was that we didn't realize our flight time was shorter than originally thought, and we were fortunately the last ones to board the plane. *heh*

We're now in Amsterdam, enjoying the culture and scenery. 15min of Internet for 3 euro...not too shabby!

Favorite quote so far: "Attention, Mr. & Mrs. Smith - you are delaying your flight. Please approach the gate immediately or we will proceed to unload your luggage."

That's What I'm Talkin'...A Boot!

So, in about 15 minutes we're headed to the airport for a well-deserved trip to Italy. Adam & Heather are on their way to the airport and will meet us there. All of us are so excited and can hardly wait to get there!

Maybe I'll get a chance to blog while traversing the Italian wilderness...
Addio, amici! =)

She Did It ! ! !

I'm proud to announce that my terrific Wifey finished the Twin Cities Marathon today. She looked awesome at the four checkpoints I saw her and as well at the finish line. Great job, sweetie! =)

Go Pack Go!

I could say lots of things here, but I won't...but Brett Favre got his record and the Pack is 4-0! *wooHOO* =) I'll bet things will be a bit quiet at the office tomorrow...

Oktoberfest Absentee

Starting in 1989, I have marched in the Oktoberfest parade in La Crosse, WI - every single year. This year I didn't - because the wife and I decided to save our $$$ for our upcoming trip to Italy instead. I think I have the longest running record amongst my immediate group of friends (and some others in outer circles as well).

Part of me is enjoying the fact that I'm not putting myself through it - as it's been a heck of a long and busy summer/fall so far and I really don't want to wear myself out before our trip to Europe. The other part of me misses going back, reliving the college days and catching up with old friends that I usually only get to see this weekend.

It seems kind of weird, actually. But oh well, maybe I'll go back next year. ;)

Spelling 101 (a rant)

We live in the age of technology...where just about everyone has access to a computer and most of those people actually know a thing or two about spelling. For those who don't know a thing or two (or have that one word or two that always trips them up) this crazy little invention called "Spell Check" was born...but apparently abandoned in a basket at the nearest nice couple's house.

Upon searching the motorcycle ads in Craigslist, I came across one classified ad that had the following spelling mistakes:

- 'un motittied' (unmodified?)
- 'egnition' (ignition)
- 'tackomitor' (tachometer)
- 'board' (as in the cylinder was bored larger)
- 'tiers' (yes, tires)
- 'achuly' (actually, my personal favorite).

I am not a perfectionist...but for the love of God, if you're going to publish something ANYWHERE you should have the common decency to make sure you don't look like an ass.

The Passporter

Yesterday it dawned on me that I have two weeks to get the Honda C70 Passport running better, get its missing title transferred over to me and get my motorcycle permit. The whole point of getting the scooter was to jump ahead of the wife at various points of her marathon.

It's not looking promising, but I can either rent one or I'll have to come up with an alternate plan.

The title is going to be the most difficult of the three tasks.
*ack*

Update: ...upon installing said new parts, the bike still doesn't run. *grrr*

Worn Out

I've come to the conclusion that I'm actually WORN OUT. With work being a bit hairy, running errands all day Saturday, our friends Joe & Sandra's wedding that night, more errands and football AND computer repair on Sunday, plus 'Guys Night' last night?!?! I'm exhausted!!!

I did, however, have a lot of fun on my weekend.

So, tonight I was a vegetable and got caught up on Doctor Who.

Restoration Work

Although I had previously planned on installing the new parts for the Honda C70 Passport this afternoon, instead I'm reloading everything on my computer. We had a brief power outage the other morning - after which, my 1.5 year-old desktop acted a little funny upon startup. It started fine and supposedly all was good.

Until I needed to use it last night and it was frozen on a black screen. A simple reboot produced the familiar 'cla-clunk' sound coming from the bottom of the case where the hard drive resides. That's two Seagate drives I've gone through - this last one being out of warranty.

So I replaced it with a larger drive from Western Digital this morning. I've almost completed getting everything installed - and then it'll be time for a backup.

Peace and Quiet

The Labor Day weekend started off with our friends Courtney and Darren's wedding. It was a very nice ceremony at Northwestern College followed by a reception at the Mill City Museum. Saturday morning was rather unpleasant with a work-related 8-hour outage, conference calls and frustration. After that, however, the wife and I went to her parents lake cottage to spend time with family and relax.

It's located in northern Wisconsin on a small lake in the middle of nowhere. "Busy" is defined as five boats on the lake - and is a rare occasion at that. With all the chaos and hectic nature of city life its great to get away from it all and escape to the country. =)

North Shore Weekend

My cousin Kara got married this past weekend up on Minnesota's "North Shore" of Lake Superior. The weather was perfect - sunny, nice breeze, not hot or humid. I've only been that far north for skiing at Lutsen Mountain and have always wanted to see everything in the summertime. It was a great 3-day weekend, so having to come back to a hectic and busy lifestyle was really tough.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Back on Saturday I said that all the rain is good because the earth needs it. Well, apparently it doesn't need 18 inches of it in four hours - causing massive damage, injuries and casualties from flooding in SE Minnesota. What really perplexes me is that parts of the state are still suffering from drought...go figure.

It's Raining!

Well, it has been raining on and off pretty much all day...and for the last hour or so it has been coming down pretty nice. Why is this a good thing? Because we've had a really dry summer so far and the farm kid in me knows that our good earth needs it.

...and that's the truth! *thbbbt*

Smells Like Meat

After about 10 days of procrastinating, I finally decided it was time to get out the dehydrator and make some beef jerky. We're doing double batches now (2 lbs of ground beef) as it doesn't last long. It's a great snack and isn't all that bad for you...well, except the salt part. Our house now smells like cured meat - and in about two hours we'll have something to show for it. I use my friend Keith's recipe and then tweak it just a bit to make mine a little different - yum!

The Weekend

The wife went to Florida with her mom, dad, sister, niece and nephew to have some fun in the sun. They also went to Disney World. Me? Well, I decided to stay here. I've been to Disney World in the past 1.5 years (our honeymoon) and it's still "right there" in my mind. Maybe in another year or two I'll be ready to hang out with the mouse & the duck. ;)

I spent the weekend hanging out with friends, mostly. Friday night I stayed in. On Saturday, Kurt and I watched the Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire. Saturday night I went to an old haunt (Moose Country) for dinner with friends and to catch up with Diane, a college friend/ex-roomie who had come up for Renae's baby shower. Kurt and Julie, their daughter Abbie, Todd and Renae, myself, and Diane had a great time watching Abbie as she dipped her fingers in Ranch dressing.

Kurt & Julie had to put Abbie to bed, so the rest of us opted to rent a movie (300) and watch it on Todd & Renae's new huge flat-panel television. Way-cool...now I want one. =) On the way there, I gave Diane a tour of downtown Minneapolis. She took a lot of pictures by sticking her camera out of the sunroof (like the one in this post). We also drove by the infamous bridge that collapsed on 35W. You can get pretty close by driving down University on the north side of the river. The whole thing is still pretty eerie, maybe I'll go back when it's light out.

I surprised the heck out of Nate by showing up at his bar on the way home from the movie. I like doing that, it keeps him guessing. *evil grin*

Friday Lunch with Friends

Yesterday I met up with Heather, Gwen and Ben for lunch at Sorrento Cuccina. It's this really great family-owned Italian place in the downtown Minneapolis skyway system. You get a lot of delicious food on the cheap, which is always a good thing.

I had the Sorrento Chicken, one of my favorites - but this time I got it with roasted potatoes and vegetables. Hey, you have to eat sort of healthy, right? =) They also have these really yummy breadsticks that have pepperoni bits inside.

Thanks to Heather for the great idea and to the others for a great end-of-week lunch! This could easily start becoming a traditional thing...

Guys Night

Tonight was 'guys night' at Adam's. Basically, it was a bunch of us hanging out and playing video games. I played a game of darts, picked out some choice songs from the jukebox and played Wii for the first time. Adam created my Mii - and the resemblance is remarkable! Fun Fun Fun! =)

Early Morning Industrial

This morning I had to run a bunch of errands. Knowing that I haven't been too fond of radio recently and also that I have yet to purchase an FM transmitter for my iPod, I decided to grab a mix CD instead. The one I chose was a compilation of Industrial music I made for one of my good college friends a few years ago.

NitzerEbb, Front 242, Bigod20, VNV Nation and Skinny Puppy are all good ways to get the blood pumping at 9am. ;) I think I may have scared off some of the early-morning-walkers out there, though - as I had my windows down and stereo up until it got too hot out.

Country Jam & Bon Jovi

So, this weekend was the annual Country Jam music festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Once again, the wife and I volunteered to work the gates - taking tickets, giving out wristbands, checking ID's, etc. This year was incedibly busy as Bon Jovi was the headlining act on Saturday.

Bon Jovi? At a country music festival?! No, I'm not joking. They've been dabbling with some country writers, producers and even a duet or two. This concert was a great show and they played all the hits, from Runaway to I Love This Town. I probably never would have seen them live if I wasn't working at the venue - but still, I was incredibly surprised at how good it was. We had a great time!

And All That Jazz!

The cast of Chicago - The Musical is working out at the wife's YMCA while in town for their performance. As a result, she scored four free tickets to see the show. I called Adam to see if he and Heather could go with us but they couldn't commit. Kurt & Julie could go, so all was good. However, last minute we got an additional two tickets - and in a mad frenzy of phone calls found another two friends (Keith & Ann) that could go on short notice.

The show runs all week and we went last night. It was pretty good, over all. Some parts were a little strange but others were incredible. I may have to watch the movie again as a comparison. All in all, it was a good weeknight hanging out with friends - and that's all that matters, really. =)

His Name Is Prince

...and he is funky! Wifey and I just got back from Prince's 7-7-7 concert at the Target Center. It was a great show. Opening with Purple Rain was probably the best way to start a concert. He played some of his other classics, some covers ("Play That Funky Music," starring some random local singing the lead vocals) and some of his newer stuff. Sheila E jammed a few drum solos and performed her hit singles, and Wendy played guitar. Prince's band had a phenomenal horn section, too.

The concert was a blast, and thanks to Brian & Georgia for giving us their extra tickets!

Celebration of Independence

Yesterday was Independence Day here in the good ol' US of A. The wife and I spent the day with her family up at the cottage. It was relaxing for the most part, but I could have used another day or two away from my daily routine to recharge.

On the way home, we pulled into a local parking lot to catch the fireworks from the Taste of Minnesota in downtown St. Paul. It was a perfect way to see the show...no crowds to deal with and it was very quiet and peaceful. Next year, we'll try to get something with a better view.

Dahdunt Dahdunt Dahdunt...

When I first heard the rumors going around about making another Knight Rider movie, I thought they were joking. Then I saw this:



...which is kinda freaky, but still pretty cool for us sci-fi car geeks who watched every episode back in the 80's. I just hope it's not anything stupid like Knight Rider 2000 (or 2010, for that matter!).

Still Molting

I hadn't been sunburned that bad in quite some time. Good thing it's only on my arms & neck, otherwise it would've be a lot worse. My arms are now shedding like a snake and feel like leather. *eww*

Soooooo Tired

I've been extremely tired this week. The good thing is that I'm sleeping well (read: DEAD) every night. However, I think that doing the work of two additional people is starting to take its toll. No worries though - I'm still surviving and at least I'm not bored. =)

The Return of "Lobster Boy"

I went to the "Back to the 50's" car show yesterday. Over 12,000 cars to wander by and gawk at, which is always a lot of fun. When I attended last year, I stumbled upon the classic car auction - and stayed there for about 3 hours (mostly because it was raining). This year, I actually made a point to visit again and grabbed a green sheet...checking out the times various beauties were going up for bid.

The first shocker was a 1970 Plymouth GTX 440 6-pack: $52,000
The second was a 1970 Plymouth Hemicuda w/ 43k original miles: $250,000!!!
The third was the fact that the 'Cuda didn't sell - the owner wanted 300+ for it...

*yikes*

I'm a car enthusiast, but still - $300k could buy a really decent house in the Twin Cities. I'm not sure I would spend that on a car, even if I had that kind of money!

I almost forgot the point of this post's title. I was at the show for ~5 hours. I'm of Norwegian descent, so you can pretty much guess the rest. Sunscreen and sticking to the shade didn't help much, either. =/

One Long Week

An observation of a different sort, this time - an internal one. This past week has been the busiest and most exhausting that I can recall.

1) I caught a cold - a nasty head cold or sinus infection or some alien goo grew inside my head.
2) Life at work was quite hellish, too - all systems decided to puke at the same time.
3) Because of #1, I managed to only get about 5 hours of sleep in two days.
4) #3 happened during the two days mentioned in #2.
5) My cousin came to town, only for a day, but we still had fun.
6) We celebrated my father-in-law's birthday.
7) I went shopping with the wife so she could get new stuff for her trip to CA.
8) I got up early to take wifey to the airport.
9) My good friend/ex-roomie/neighbor and I hung out.
10) I hung out with co-workers for happy hour.

I know there's something else I missed, but I'm just going to stop there...and my weekend hasn't even started yet! *grin*

Party Weekend

This weekend seemed like party central, as there was much to celebrate. On Friday, one of my employees had an after work Happy Hour to celebrate his promotion to another department. It was also N8's birthday, so of course I had to hang out with him at the local watering hole for a couple drinks with the yokels. Saturday was yet another b-day celebration for Gwen, which was Asian-themed and very cool. We went with Adam & Heather, and it was a lot of fun hanging out with that group of friends again.

And of course today is Father's Day - so I called dear old Dad to wish him well.

I'm Wide Awake...It's Morning

This morning I woke up at 6:43am and there wasn't a blasted thing I could do to make myself fall asleep again. I fondly recall the "good ol' days" where I could sleep until 9 or 10am without difficulty. It's almost 9:30 now, and I'm showered & dressed and have nowhere to go.

Wifey is still in bed...and I'm jealous.

Sunday "Fun"-due

Adam & Heather called up this weekend and wanted to hang out. We ended up going to their place for fondue and it was most excellent. We brought a bottle of wine ("Eric The Red" from Galena Cellars) and it was gone almost immediately. We went "all out" with steak, chicken and shrimp...all of which were cleaned up by the end of the meal. For dessert, Adam made banana bread for the first time (yum!) and Heather put together some fresh fruit for the gals. Both desserts were topped with whipped cream...yummy!

We also watched a movie - and it was the guys' turn to pick, even though Elizabeth and Heather tried their best to persuade us into something they wanted. Adam and I held our ground, and we chose a sci-fi comedy starring Robert Urich titled "The Ice Pirates." It was funny and stupid, but that's what we wanted.

I'm a little frightened at what might come of that choice, but we'll have to find out next time!

Saturday Night Fever

You know you're old when you spend your Saturday night cleaning the house. Not that I'm complaining, since I don't know what else to do and the wife was out at a bridal shower. Still, ten years ago the activity never would have crossed my mind.

Funny how you simply don't care about things as you get older.

Gone Fishin'

This past Memorial Day weekend was spent 'up north' in Alexandria at the annual fishing trip. I could be wrong, but I believe this is the 11th year I've attended. The participants change every year as some people have other plans, but it's usually the same group of friends +/- a few extras.

This year marked the start of what could be a new tradition: Wine Tasting & Tour. Unlike the winerys the wife and I visited in the pacific northwest, the local establishment allowed you to sample approximately 20 variations free of charge and then showed you how wine is made. Obviously, the hope is to get you to buy a bottle or two (which I gladly did) and everyone is "happy."

Most of my friends have little ones which provided some additional entertainment. From making Smores and wearing them, catching 'fishes' and comparing who caught what, and random games in the lawn like "Pickle in the Middle" with a frisbee about 3' in diameter.

Otherwise, we drank more than usual (but not too much, as we're "too old"), played games, told jokes, laughed at funny things, etc. And no, I didn't catch a single fish - but that's okay. I still had fun anyway.

Attack of the 25-lb Salted Nut Roll

Part of the Lawn Bowling event last night involved a raffle drawing. This is no ordinary raffle, as there are several big-ticket items for those lucky enough to win them. A 37" LCD TV, DisneyWorld passes, airline tickets and gift certificates to fancy restaurants in the metro area were all up for grabs.

I always partake in the raffle as it's a good way to earn money for a good cause - and I might get something cool out of it too. This year, I threw three tickets in the hat for a 25-lb Pearson's Salted Nut Roll...and won! Here's a pic of it sitting in front of two employees:



It's enormous! We still haven't figured out how to cut it, either. I also won two round-trip airline tickets, which made my night (and $$$ spent on raffle tickets) quite rewarding.

Lawn Bowling

Tonight is our company's fundraising event for the March of Dimes: IT Lawn Bowling. It's always a lot of fun, but Mother Nature tends to spoil things by throwing rain at us - which means we can't bowl. 2005 - Rained Out Completely; 2006 - Rain Delayed...twice; 2007 - ???

There's a tornado warning out right now for the NW burbs, and a Severe Thunderstorm warning for us here in Minneapolis. The outlook doesn't look promising, but hopefully it will rain now and then stop - allowing the wind to dry off the grass and let us play after 7:30pm.

*crosses fingers*

Update: It poured for about 30 minutes later in the afternoon, soaking the green and cancelling the bowling part of the event. Oh well, better luck next year!

Random Observations

The weekend brought me to the following conclusions:

1) People don't know how to properly park in Dubuque, IA. (hint: it's with the traffic)
2) If a road is closed you can probably find a way around it...maybe.
3) There is absolutely nothing on local TV on Sunday at 7am worth watching.
4) Big celebrations don't necessarily mean a lot of square footage or thousands of attendees.
5) You should have more than 10 cars if you decide to have a car show and charge admission.
6) When the signs say "Left Lane Closed Ahead" don't wait until the lane ends to move over...id10ts!
7) My parents dog really isn't as smart as he lets on (and that's not much).
8) Cell phone coverage is getting better in the sticks.
9) My dad is old enough to start collecting Social Security?!?!
10) Wifey's little red Jetta really likes cruising at 80 mph.

That's all for now.

From The Suburbs to the Farm

"I like cows
And they like me
I like cows
Just you wait and see
They go 'moo'
Hey, mooove over!"
- Excerpt from the song "Cows" by The Suburbs

The wife and I are heading to my parents farm this weekend. I'm looking forward to it, as I haven't been back since Christmas. It's great to get out of town and away from city life every once in awhile. Maybe this time I'll teach wifey how to drive a tractor. =)

Adventures in Babysitting

The wife and I spent the weekend babysitting our 2.7-year-old niece Allison and 5-month-old nephew Will while their parents went up north for a wedding. The weekend was pretty uneventful, but since I got woke up early with a work issue Saturday morning combined with Will not wanting to sleep Saturday night I didn't get a lot of shut-eye. I'm paying for it now.

A shout-out to all you parents out there. Taking care of kids is a lot of work, and both Elizabeth and I decided that we're not in any hurry to join the club. =)

Food, Fun & Fire

Elizabeth and I were invited to join Heather and Adam at their house for dinner last night. We brought home-made beef jerky and it was enjoyed by all. They made turkey brats & burgers, excellently seasoned, on the grill with some tasty early season sweet corn on the side.

It was a perfect night to be outside, so we sat around the fire for a couple of hours. Heather made strawberry shortcake for dessert and it was quite yummy. After things got a bit chilly, we went back inside to watch Thursday's episode of "The Office."

As always, Adam and Heather are great hosts and we had a wonderful evening!

No Alternative

It's a sad day for Twin Cities radio. Our only commercial Alternative station, Drive105, has been replaced by a new format devoted to sappy love songs. I literally screamed when I heard the call sign while driving this afternoon!

Disney really pisses me off sometimes. Listen to this drivel yourself...even the logo makes me cringe.

Spider-Man 3

My good friend Adam won tickets to see Spider-Man 3 at the IMAX theater last night. He graciously invited me to join him, and we trekked 'south of the river' after work yesterday to get our seats.

Not only were the seats perfect (center screen, half-way back), but the movie itself was spectacular! We agreed that it's the best of the three. With multiple villains, good story line and superb special effects you can't really go wrong.

GO SEE THIS MOVIE!

And thanks again to Adam - you rock!

Carmageddon

I'm not the biggest YouTube watcher, but every once in awhile I find something that freaks me out - and seeing a commercial for my old car (the original Lokimobile) did just that.

My '87 Dodge Shadow was almost identical to this one...although it didn't morph out of anything and probably never scared the dog away.

My hands smell funny

Wifey loves getting nifty things from Bath & Body Works. She picked up several bottles of hand soap a while back, some of which are pretty nice. I'm not sure I like the recent one, however - it's called "Moonlight Path" and it makes my hands smell funny.

Although I washed my hands 10 minutes ago, either the moonlight or the path still lingers and is eminating from the keyboard as I type. I think my eyes are burning...

*supersmellyfoaminghandwashisnotcool*

Like A Stone

For those who have been wondering why I haven't had a post in over a week, it's because I got a visit from an old friend. My dear pal, K. Stone, stopped in for a visit early (~12:30am) on April 18th and hasn't left yet. I haven't really felt like blogging since he dropped in.

Mr. Stone made me go to the ER. Not one, not two...but THREE TIMES since his arrival. Unlike his relatives who visited more than three years ago, Mr. Stone is a big guy. He just won't leave, no matter how much I drink in hopes of drowning him. Stubborn bastard!

I've also missed three days of work because of Mr. K. Stone's unwillingness to leave me alone. I can't wait until my visit with the urologist tomorrow - because I'm going to suggest that K. Stone get blown into tiny little pieces!!! Also, that I get additional drugs to better deal with his attitude and abuse.

Wish me luck! =)

Paraskevidekatriaphobia

Say that three times fast! It's the term for "fear of Friday the 13th." I'm not one to be afflicted by this, but it is rather entertaining to see what goes on during this day. Here's a pretty good article that I found. Even the all-powerful Loki had something to do with the folklore of this day!

There's probably a Friday The 13th movie marathon somewhere, too. =)

Music and Lyrics

The wife and I went to see Music and Lyrics this weekend. It was a pretty good movie, especially for someone who grew up in the 80's listening to pop music. The soundtrack was reminiscent of a John Hughes film, and was quite good. The only thing I didn't like was that Drew Barrymore plays the typical female lead in a typical date movie...but, oh well.

My wife said that she liked it, although it was a bit cheesy...which is why I liked it! Go figure.

Weekend of Italy

On Friday, the wife and I ended up going to Olive Garden for dinner. Neither of us had been there in what seemed like ages and we couldn't think of anywhere else to go. It was good, but we discussed how everyone thought OG was the 'best place ever' back in college since none of us had been to a real Italian restaurant yet. It's definitely good food, but it has its place in the hierarchy.

On Saturday, we contacted our good friends Adam & Heather - and ended up going out to Ristorante Luci for dinner. It was fabulous! Made-from-scratch pasta, bruschetta so good my mouth is still watering, excellent bread and divine dessert. The four of us had originally planned on hanging out somewhere afterward, but it ended up getting too late for that. We had a great night once again!

More Pop History!

I stumbled upon this site while blog-hopping today. I think it should be a requirement that all test-market sodas get sent to my address for inspection and feedback. Some of them we had in Wisconsin/Minnesota, but I had never heard of the Pepsi Wild Bunch before - way cool!

Think Spring!

So, the snowy season is officially over and has made way for mild sunny days - at least during the work week. This weekend is supposed to be 40% rainy. The good news about this is that I have plenty to do indoors (clean, organize, install external HD, make mix-CD's). However, I'd much rather have it be rainy when it's nighttime and I'm sleeping or when it's a weekday and I'm working in the basement of downtown Minneapolis. That's my $.02!

Éire go Brách

I drove through St. Paul today around noon. It was right before the start of the St. Patrick's Day parade, and the main drag of downtown was covered in a sea of green. One of these days I'll actually watch the parade!

The best part is watching how people get dressed up for the holiday. Some just wear something green, others don Irish promotional garb, while a few actually get really creative - like the guy dressed as a pint of Guinness.

It's Friday Night...and I'm going to bed!

This is probably one of the longest days at the end of one of the l o n g e s t weeks I've had in quite some time. I woke up at 4:30 (-ish?) barely able to function, but somehow managed to get my wife to the airport in time to fly out to Jamaica via Atlanta. Then, hoping I could go back to sleep for an hour (yeah, right) I crawled back into bed. Nothing.

I did, however, make it to work on time and was pretty much busy all day - which didn't give me time to think about how tired I was. Then, after work I met up with some old employees (one of which got a new job) at Town Hall Brewery for a couple drinks...and then another with my ex-roommate Keith at Houlihan's later this evening.

Now it's my downtime, and I'm completely wiped out tired - not buzzed or anything, just tired!

Return of Steak Night

Last night we went out with Adam & Heather for dinner. It was their pick, so we went to The Capital Grille in downtown Minneapolis. Complimentary valet parking, coat check, and table in our own little corner of the establishment made the night memorable. The service was excellent and the food was downright delicious! My dry aged sirloin was encrusted in coffee - you heard that right! The wine was quite tasty and was the perfect touch.

Afterward, we trekked over to their place and watched yet another dance competition movie. The wife and Heather are planning even more viewings...the former has already sent out a list. Adam and I shall fight back with Sci-Fi flicks.

Oh-So-Teeny

Amazingly tiny, Guimp says it's the world's smallest website - and probably has the smallest game of Pong ever created. If you're 'big' into smallish things head on over to Smallist where I found several things of interest...and some quite creepy.

Way Too Early...

It's Saturday...and for whatever reason my body decided that I should wake up like it's a weekday. I have no commitments until 9am, and I woke up before 6 o'clock. *grrr*

Adequate Idols

So, last night was the results show of American Idol where we find out who's in the final 12. This is constantly referred to by judges as a singing competition...and apparently the public at large either didn't get the memo or just ignored it.

I don't have a problem with the majority of the finalists as they're each pretty darn good. It's going to be tough to narrow it down for the AI Challenge pool that my wife hosts every year. There are, however, a few people that simply don't belong in the Top 12: Sanjaya, Chris R. and Haley - you're the first to get eliminated, hopefully.

Back Catalogue

So, believe it or not, I actually had a wild and crazy college life. Granted, it was a bit on the dorky side of things but still...it was a great time in life and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I had a nice car (that caught on fire), actually dated several people (even though I was a 'good guy'), got into trouble on occasion (without getting caught...completely), and dyed my hair weird colors.

I met a lot of really cool people along the way, some of which I see weekly and others not so much - but it's always easy to reminisce about the days gone by. As long as it's not every time we hang out...'cause then it's just annoying.

But it has to be done - otherwise, we'd all forget who we were and what we did that make us what we are now. (try saying THAT three times really fast!)

Revenge of the Brick

For those of you who are Star Wars fans and/or Lego freaks like me, you should view this really cool mini-movie. As for the rest of you, why aren't you Star Wars fans or Lego freaks?!?! *shame*

Thanks to TekBandit for the link!

Careful What You Wish For

Well, it seems that the Twin Cities are right in the path of another big snowstorm...for the second weekend in a row. I might have to eat my words from that post a bit ago about it never seeming like winter here. This is pretty cool! =)

I think I'll make a snowman or maybe even go skiing...heck, I'll probably just drive around in it.

Ski Trip 2007

This weekend was the annual Ski Trip. There were seven of us in attendance this year: Ann, Keith, Que, Roberta & Dave, and Elizabeth & I. This year's location was Spirit Mountain in Duluth, MN. We stayed at the Mountain Villas in #6: Superior View. It's basically right at the top of Spirit Mountain, and we could ski out onto the slopes from our front steps. Not that you could tell that from the summertime picture on their website. We thought it looked like a mushroom house...which made us feel like Smurfs...and you can shut up, N8!

There was actually decent snow - as a large winter storm went through the area and dumped as much as 16" in parts of Minnesota. Duluth only saw about 6-8" but it was very windy and drifts were abound!

We had a great time, and it was nice to get away from the Twin Cities - even if it was for only one weekend.

Jeeves Attacked!!!

Yesterday was gorgeous, sunny and warm - it was 43F on my way home from work! As the evening progressed it got very windy, though. On my way to pick up really good Chinese food for dinner, Jeeves (my Jeep) was attacked and mildly injured. There was a rather large (4'x6') piece of something laying on the side of the street. A big gust of wind picked it up and hurled it right at the windshield. The impact was really loud and made a big crackly spider-web thing.

I'm glad it wasn't warmer and that I wasn't driving a convertible or a motorcycle...because that would have really hurt!

Memorable Weekend

This weekend was rather eventful. The wife and I found a really good (and unexpected) place for Friday night fish fry - Houlihan's. It was quite yummy, and all you can eat - even though the initial portion is big enough not to want more. They also put the song list at the back of the menu, so you know who sings that song you hear while dining and their drinks are superb!

It was also my birthday! We went out with the in-laws at Granite City for a late lunch to celebrate. They make their own beer and it's quite tasty. I also used my free b-day car wash privileges to make Jeeves (my Jeep) all nice and shiny...at least for a little while. I got some spending money from my parents and my wife's parents, a Best Buy gift certificate from brother- and sister-in-law, and an iTunes gift card from my niece and nephew. My wife bought me a pair of Keen shoes, which are way-cool and really comfy! A last-minute present happened late Sunday night, when we purchased our second Tivo so we can record even more of our favorite shows.

To top it off, our friends Paul and Jennifer welcomed their new baby boy into the world. It's kind of neat to share a birthday with the handsome little guy. So, I stopped by the hospital to visit with them and extend congratulations on their new addition to the family.

Snow Storm? *woohoo*

It's been all over the news in the past week: "...a snow storm cripples the Midwest!" - "...upstate NY gets 100+ inches!" - "...motorists stranded on Interstate in PA!"

We didn't get anything worth mentioning here in MN, which I consider (probably incorrectly) to still be part of the Midwest region. Whenever the media blares about a storm hitting the Midwest, they almost always mean between Chicago and eastern Ohio. When I sold books door-to-door in MA, some people didn't even know Wisconsin was a state (they thought it was somewhere in upstate NY).

I would give anything to see 100+ inches of snow in 4 days. We used to get really bad winter snow and ice storms when I was a kid growing up in southern WI...where drifts would sometimes be 15+ feet high. Not anymore, and I'm quite jealous of New England for getting all of our winter fun and excitement.

Even if we do get a somewhat big storm in WI/MN, it's barely mentioned on the national scale...because it's either expected or nobody cares. Or, because people don't know where we are. But with New York and Pennsylvania, on the other hand - that deserves extensive coverage for some reason.

So enjoy the snow and winter while you can, northeastern states - because we can't enjoy ours. All we get is arctic cold air - and a little snow for something pretty.

Day of Frenzy

So, today is Valentine's Day. A time when millions of people get in a tizzy because they don't know what present to buy their sweetie to make the day special. For crying out loud, people! Valentine's Day is meant to be a time where you express your love for each other. Write them a love note, get them a card, maybe even flowers...but be sure to tell them the 'big three words' and smile. =)

As the saying goes, "It's the thought that counts!"

Why is it that all of the holidays have to be so commercialized? At this rate, we'll soon have to brave the crowds in the stores to get people their Labor Day present...

Fast...Fast Forward!

My wife and I called up Adam and Heather for some Saturday Night shenanigans. They had a late lunch and weren't really hungry for dinner - whereas my wife hadn't eaten all day and was starving. We decided to go to Outback for steak and then meet up with Heather and Adam later for a movie and dessert (we stopped at the Cheesecake Factory on our way to their house).

The movie was Fast Forward...a long-time childhood favorite of my darling wife. I'm an 80's fan, Adam's a fanatic, and yet neither of us had ever seen (or heard of) this movie. It was directed by Sidney Poitier and the music was done by none other than Quincy Jones...so it had to be somewhat decent, right?

The movie was actually pretty good. You could obviously tell it was a knockoff of Fame, but it was far less serious and a lot more campy. Think of Fame, combined with an early Michael Jackson video, make it into a HS musical where small-town kids try to make it big at some dancing contest, then get 'challenged' at a NY club for rights to work on the street.

Too much for you? Well, obviously you don't enjoy goofy 80's movies about dancing. *laughs* The four of us had a great time, Adam made popcorn, we had drinks and all was well with the world.

Kids Playing Hoops

Last night the wife, my in-laws, our friend Ann and I went to watch high school basketball. My brother- and sister-in-law teach at the same high school, and Brian coaches as well. The game was pretty good, and the score was close throughout the entire game.

As I turn 36 in another week, I realized that I was twice as old (if not older) than the kids playing basketball, the cheerleaders, the "Snow Ball" court and the majority of the spectators. It was a little strange being back in a gym for a HS sporting event - but it was still a lot of fun watching everybody.

Common questions/comments in the group included: "Could those jeans be any tighter?" and "Check out that guy's hair." followed by "Are those cheerleader outfits revealing enough?" and finally "LOVE the camoflage jacket with that formal dress!"

And then we laughed, saying that we probably got dismantled the same way when we were that age.

Fontaholic

I used to be a DJ and still make music compilations for myself, family and friends. Since I design the cover art to go with these mixes, I'm always on the lookout for good fonts - ones that show well on both paper and on screen.

I like fonts, really I do. So much in fact that I'm burned out on them and can't decide what I want anymore. So, I've decided to start researching the different families, styles and various types of fonts. That way I'll have a better idea of what font will go best with my project.

My wife will surely read this and call me a geek...and that's okay by me.

Parched Again

Upon waking up, I went to the bathroom and flushed - something was wrong, but in my groggy morning state I couldn't figure it out...until I turned on the faucet to wash up, and nothing happened. Pipes are froze again - ARGH!!! (it's -15F)

I'm not sure what's worse: no shower, or the fact that I'm thirsty...

Just in case...

...you decided to skip watching the Super Bowl, or because there were clans of screaming little boys running in front of the TV, here's the link to most of the ads that were shown during the game. I think CareerBuilder won this round.

Drip...Drip...Drip...

For some reason (probably arctic weather conditions) yet undetermined, our household has been without water for 16 hours now. The wife and I missed our usual "Friday Night Out" because I was calling the Association and talking to the service tech.

At 10pm, I decided to wait until morning so I wouldn't have to wake up at 3-4am when the tech could possibly make it out. I guess other people had it really bad (no heat, busted pipes, fire sprinklers flooding mansion) so it could have been worse.

Except that I still woke up at 4:33am this morning and haven't been able to go back to sleep. This makes for a grouchy Norwegian. *nod*

18:02 Update: Water is flowing again, after ~26 hours...I blame Phil! *points*

I is an educated people

Congratulations, Loki!
Your IQ score is 133

Your Intellectual Type is Visionary Philosopher. This means you are highly intelligent and have a powerful mix of skills and insight that can be applied in a variety of different ways. Like Plato, your exceptional math and verbal skills make you very adept at explaining things to others — and at anticipating and predicting patterns. And that's just some of what we know about you from your IQ results.

Curious? Take the Classic IQ test and find out your spiffy title!
(and yes, this post's heading is grammatically incorrect on purpose...)

Way to go, Phil!

February 2, 2007 - around 7:30 am ET - Punxsutawney, PA
Phil did not see his shadow and thus spring is just around the corner!

Apparently this will have no effect on it being -15 degrees F tomorrow morning. Heck, just what exactly does 'just around the corner' mean, anyway?

The 'Mystery Box'

Okay, so I said I wasn't going to post about work - but this is kinda neat, so I'm breaking my own rule. Why? Because I can - it's my blog after all!

We have an Incentive Program in our department. It's just a chance for the staff to get cool stuff for doing a good job. Things like free lunches, extra time off and the 'Mystery Box' drawing - where they pick a number and get a prize. When the 'box' empties I have to buy stuff to refill it, usually from Target but sometimes I find things elsewhere that get thrown in. I also ask the staff for suggestions... getting back ideas ranging from a plunger to an Xbox 360.

The prizes aren't anything super-duper expensive or flashy - just something fun to do at their desk or take home and say "look what I got!"

Old Man Winter: Make Up Your Mind!

Okay, so I live in Minnesota - and winter is really winter-like (colder, snow, etc.) most years. Not this one. It has been really mild, hardly any snow, lots of rain, and every once in awhile we get this burst of arctic air that freezes our insides solid.

I just wish it would be consistent...is that too much to ask?

Go on, just one pull...

This is addicting, neat, well-done...and downright silly!

Riding The Rails

Mass Transit is very entertaining. When I first started working in downtown Minneapolis, I took the bus from a pretty decent suburb. We were all 'commuters' and although there weren't any freaks aboard, there were some pretty quirky people...who thought they had assigned seating, who sneered at people with headphones, who glared at you if you spoke a single word.

Then I moved to closer into the city and took the bus from the Mall of America. Sure, the 'commuters' were there as well - and so were the crazy people who argued with their own reflection in the window, shortly before getting off the bus and screaming at trees (and no, I'm -not- kidding).

Then came light rail, feared as the biggest waste of taxpayer dough - now 22 double cars strong and jam-packed during rush hour, sporting events and the Holidazzle Parade. Everyone from all over the world takes the train. After all, it goes to the Mall (hey, that rhymes!). The homeless hang out on it, making their rounds begging for change at different stations. High School kids use it to get to MOA (making out, talking 'gangsta', etc), college hipsters go half-way and connect to their bus, but today I saw something that will forever be burned into memory...

I saw a man pull a 'shorty' (8-oz. can of Budweiser) out of his lunch bag and start drinking, finishing in 3-4 decent swigs. This was at 4:20pm, with no fear of getting called out or seen by the hidden cameras. Of course, I couldn't remain silent - and asked him if it was, indeed, a 'shorty' of Bud that I saw him with.

He replied, "Yeah..." with a sense of pride and 'i-don't-care-ism' and then exited at his stop. I think I've now seen it all...

Sense: Common v. Good

I've been meaning to post about this a while ago but something shiny caught my eye and I completely forgot about it. It's a 'thinker' so my apologies for those who haven't had their stimulative beverage yet...

First, there is Common Sense. A lot of people tend to use this term for describing what is (or should be) right, ethical, or commonly known to people in general. The dictionary defines it as 'sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence.'

In comparison, there is Good Sense. Basically a synonym of the aforementioned term, but not quite - as it is defined as 'sound practical judgment; "Common sense is not so common"...' To me, good sense is what would seem to be logical.

I blame N8 for this entirely, but thank him nonetheless: I now have to stop and think about which term I should use when discussing how some people are just inept. Doing something that is logical isn't necessarily common and a lot of people in society do things in common that aren't really all that good.

If I Were an M&M...

It's amazing the kinds of cool stuff you'll find linked on other people's blogs. Make your own M&M here! I attempted to make this one look like me. Well, kinda...as I don't go around smiling like that all the time. And, I'm not red. But you get the point (and that's to have fun, ya goof)!

I have a nephew!

My sister- and brother-in-law are the proud parents to William, born yesterday at 2:22pm. Will's older two-year-old sister, Allison, was excited about the new baby...but now looks really puzzled when he starts crying. It's oh-so-cute!

And on the 7th day...

This weekend the wife and I went to Eau Claire to drop off and set up items for the Silent Auction. It's one of the many fundraisers the in-laws' church throws for their annual mission trip to Jamaica. Elizabeth is a veteran, and I'm happy to help support this good cause. Maybe some year I'll actually go with them. Now it's time to rest...

Elvis & His Accordion

Last week, my wife suggested that we call up Adam & Heather to see if they wanted to go out sometime for dinner with us. I called up Adam on Friday and they said we should go to Mancini's...and we did...and man, was it good!

I had only been there for drinks with friends and for a bachelor party. My wife hadn't been there at all, so dinner there was a new experience for both of us. We had a great time with Heather and Adam as we got caught up on what's been going on with everyone. We even talked about possible vacation plans.

As we were leaving, Adam caught the band playing and we ended up in the lounge for after-dinner drinks. One of the band members did a good impersonation of Elvis, and he played the accordion...which was a wacky combination! All in all, it was a great night out!

Happy New Year ! ! !

*confetti*