I don't know how I even started reading this article, it's not like I make a regular habit of reading Nascar race recaps. I guess it was because it was on Grantland, which is kind a mix of sports & pop culture, which makes me more apt to click on links. Anyway, it took me back to my childhood, and memories I think I've shared with you in the past.
The story-within-the-story in this piece, about Morgan Shepherd becoming the oldest driver to compete in a Nascar race warmed my heart because in describing this old man (71!), Hickory Speedway is mentioned several times. I can remember seeing this guy race at Hickory, I was Charlie's age, but my dad and I would go there every Saturday night, cooler with burgers wrapped in tin foil in hand, and take our seat in the bleachers near the entrance to turn one. I think I learned to count in those bleachers; I knew every car, every number, & every driver.
Some of the drivers there in the early '80s went on to be auto racing superstars. Some of them were just locals that had a hobby. But Morgan Shepherd was always memorable. Every once in a while, it would rain, and they'd delay the race until they could get the track completely dry. Morgan would put on roller skates and skate around the track to kill time. One night, he came up in the stands, wearing his fireproof racing suit and sat down next to us. The next think I know, he's putting me on his lap and saying "Come on up here and give ol' Morgan a smile."
Won't forget that night for as long as I live.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Best of the Fest
I love that you wrote the post about your favorite songs from each of the shows we've seen so far. I was already planning something similar, though I didn't think of doing it as a blog post (sorry Kevin). I've been keeping track with a new Spotify playlist of all my favorites (hence the note-taking at the Cake show). I thought it would be fun for both of us to go back and listen to as we relax / detox after Summerfest ends.
The interesting part is that we don't seem to have ANY of the same favorites.
1. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - 40 Day Dream. My favorite song of theirs, Charlie's favorite, and the first song of Summerfest. That seemed like a pretty good way to kick off 11 days of fun.
2. Avett Brothers - Slight Figure of Speech. I'll listen to this song when I have the album on, but I don't ever seek it out. But I thought it rocked at the show. I'm always partial to Laundry Room, since it builds for a couple minutes to a all-out jam at the end, but that doesn't have the same effect in a giant amphitheater that it does in a place like The Riverside.
3. Fun. - One Foot. If you're going to make an album of anthems, this is a pretty good start, with all fist pumps and audience participation.
4. Grouplove - Chloe. Again, not one that I expected, but this was the point where I realized this was going to be a good show. After feeling like ES & MZ and Avett Brothers didn't really translate to the bigger venue, it was fun to see Fun. and Grouplove, whose shows are tailor-made for an event like Summerfest.
5. Cake - Sheep Go to Heaven, Goats Go to Hell. I think this might have been the song during which you went to the bathroom. I think I've only listened to this song a handful of times, two of which were at Cake concerts. It's such a goofy song, but so fun. Of course I liked the encore closers of Short Skirt/Long Jacket and The Distance, but only Cake could get an entire crowd singing along to "goats go to hell."
6. Dispatch - This was hard for me, since I don't know too many of the songs. I liked the ones I was hoping to hear (Circles Around the Sun, The General), but I think my favorite was Bats in the Belfry. I definitely need to listen to more Dispatch, and you can count on me to be ready to see them again next time they tour for 3 weeks or whatever it was.
7. JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound. Meh. They were ok, but nothing stood out. I'll just assume they played their Wilco cover (I am Trying to Break Your Heart) after we left. Or they just got high(er).
8. Silversun Pickups - Panic Switch. One of the two songs I know from this band. Listening to them after the fact, they sound much better on album versions. Apparently, all the songs ARE in English. Who knew? The best part of this show was the genuine emotion from the substitute bass player. I thought it was cool that they made a big deal our of something that the crowd would not have cared about had they not brought it up. Clearly, she'll never forget Milwaukee.
I can't believe we have four shows left, shows that have the potential to be epic!
The interesting part is that we don't seem to have ANY of the same favorites.
1. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - 40 Day Dream. My favorite song of theirs, Charlie's favorite, and the first song of Summerfest. That seemed like a pretty good way to kick off 11 days of fun.
2. Avett Brothers - Slight Figure of Speech. I'll listen to this song when I have the album on, but I don't ever seek it out. But I thought it rocked at the show. I'm always partial to Laundry Room, since it builds for a couple minutes to a all-out jam at the end, but that doesn't have the same effect in a giant amphitheater that it does in a place like The Riverside.
3. Fun. - One Foot. If you're going to make an album of anthems, this is a pretty good start, with all fist pumps and audience participation.
4. Grouplove - Chloe. Again, not one that I expected, but this was the point where I realized this was going to be a good show. After feeling like ES & MZ and Avett Brothers didn't really translate to the bigger venue, it was fun to see Fun. and Grouplove, whose shows are tailor-made for an event like Summerfest.
5. Cake - Sheep Go to Heaven, Goats Go to Hell. I think this might have been the song during which you went to the bathroom. I think I've only listened to this song a handful of times, two of which were at Cake concerts. It's such a goofy song, but so fun. Of course I liked the encore closers of Short Skirt/Long Jacket and The Distance, but only Cake could get an entire crowd singing along to "goats go to hell."
6. Dispatch - This was hard for me, since I don't know too many of the songs. I liked the ones I was hoping to hear (Circles Around the Sun, The General), but I think my favorite was Bats in the Belfry. I definitely need to listen to more Dispatch, and you can count on me to be ready to see them again next time they tour for 3 weeks or whatever it was.
7. JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound. Meh. They were ok, but nothing stood out. I'll just assume they played their Wilco cover (I am Trying to Break Your Heart) after we left. Or they just got high(er).
8. Silversun Pickups - Panic Switch. One of the two songs I know from this band. Listening to them after the fact, they sound much better on album versions. Apparently, all the songs ARE in English. Who knew? The best part of this show was the genuine emotion from the substitute bass player. I thought it was cool that they made a big deal our of something that the crowd would not have cared about had they not brought it up. Clearly, she'll never forget Milwaukee.
I can't believe we have four shows left, shows that have the potential to be epic!
And then there are the things that get saved as drafts...
So when I went to post about favorite concert songs (I should link it here like fancy bloggers do), this question was in my saved drafts from a couple of months ago. Perhaps you remember the conversation...
I kinda like that it has sat for awhile.
How will I know when the things you do because you love me become a job for you?
I kinda like that it has sat for awhile.
How will I know when the things you do because you love me become a job for you?
Favorite songs
So while blogging is on my mind...
Happysigh.blogspot.com is not available by the way :(
These are my favorite concert songs from the past week. In order of wow:
1. Avett Brothers Paul Newman Vs. the Demons - which seriously is crazy because I ASSURE you I had NO idea what that song was called prior to looking it up for this post. Which means listening to it on the CD didn't ever compel me to tap that little home button in order to find out what the song was called. I don't even know what it's about. But it totally still sticks in my head as being a shocker-wow-powerful live performance. Can't get it out of my head. Want. it. again.
2. Dispatch, I think I HAVE to say Out Loud - even though it wasn't absolutely everything I imagined it would be live (and trust me, I've imagined it a lot), it was LIVE. Total dream come true. There were a couple of other REALLY great songs - my heart was so happy to be there.
3. Cake, I don't even know what song it was, but you sang, and that was my favorite.
4. My second favorite song at the Cake show (behind whichever one it was that you sang) was Never There. But I'm still sad they didn't do I Will Survive. So they can suck it because this list is about my favorites, not my second favorites.
5. Fun., Why am I the One. Which isn't a bad song by any means, but I never would have expected it to be my favorite in concert. I got the feeling others liked it too, which probably made it that much more good.
6. ES and the MZ, Home. Because I was like, hey do you know this cool song that sounds a lot like these two, it's so cute. Oh wait, that IS these two! sweet!
7. Grouplove, I remember that it was fun to hear Tongue Tied, but honestly that show doesn't stand out as much as I would like it to. I must have still been under some sort of Fireworks + Avett Brothers spell.
What were your favorites?
Happysigh.blogspot.com is not available by the way :(
These are my favorite concert songs from the past week. In order of wow:
1. Avett Brothers Paul Newman Vs. the Demons - which seriously is crazy because I ASSURE you I had NO idea what that song was called prior to looking it up for this post. Which means listening to it on the CD didn't ever compel me to tap that little home button in order to find out what the song was called. I don't even know what it's about. But it totally still sticks in my head as being a shocker-wow-powerful live performance. Can't get it out of my head. Want. it. again.
2. Dispatch, I think I HAVE to say Out Loud - even though it wasn't absolutely everything I imagined it would be live (and trust me, I've imagined it a lot), it was LIVE. Total dream come true. There were a couple of other REALLY great songs - my heart was so happy to be there.
3. Cake, I don't even know what song it was, but you sang, and that was my favorite.
4. My second favorite song at the Cake show (behind whichever one it was that you sang) was Never There. But I'm still sad they didn't do I Will Survive. So they can suck it because this list is about my favorites, not my second favorites.
5. Fun., Why am I the One. Which isn't a bad song by any means, but I never would have expected it to be my favorite in concert. I got the feeling others liked it too, which probably made it that much more good.
6. ES and the MZ, Home. Because I was like, hey do you know this cool song that sounds a lot like these two, it's so cute. Oh wait, that IS these two! sweet!
7. Grouplove, I remember that it was fun to hear Tongue Tied, but honestly that show doesn't stand out as much as I would like it to. I must have still been under some sort of Fireworks + Avett Brothers spell.
What were your favorites?
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Are You There, Kevin? It's me, Brian
Yeah, so Kev's probably getting a little lonely.
Immediate thoughts post-Disney:
--Hearing some of the more sarcastic (or less enthused) Disney workers end every conversation with a dead-pan "Have a magical day" never stops being funny.
--Parades are amazing to kids. I don't know if I've ever heard duke as excited as he was when Donald Duck pointed to him.
--Charlie cannot help but dance when there are characters and music around. He had the most fun dancing with Chip & Dale, which sounds much worse out of context.
--Whoa, looking out my airplane window,we just flew over a wildfire. Never seen that before.
--Was not sad at all about missing Opening Day, even after reading about the exciting game. However, looking at all of my friends Facebook pictures from the game was not easy this morning. Disney was much more fun, but we're definitely going to Opening Day next year.
--I can't wait for the upcoming Jacque (and baseball!) binge.
--My kids (Charlie in particular, might look at the Disney theme park maps for the entire rise home.
Immediate thoughts post-Disney:
--Hearing some of the more sarcastic (or less enthused) Disney workers end every conversation with a dead-pan "Have a magical day" never stops being funny.
--Parades are amazing to kids. I don't know if I've ever heard duke as excited as he was when Donald Duck pointed to him.
--Charlie cannot help but dance when there are characters and music around. He had the most fun dancing with Chip & Dale, which sounds much worse out of context.
--Whoa, looking out my airplane window,we just flew over a wildfire. Never seen that before.
--Was not sad at all about missing Opening Day, even after reading about the exciting game. However, looking at all of my friends Facebook pictures from the game was not easy this morning. Disney was much more fun, but we're definitely going to Opening Day next year.
--I can't wait for the upcoming Jacque (and baseball!) binge.
--My kids (Charlie in particular, might look at the Disney theme park maps for the entire rise home.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Infant blog Kevin suffers from neglect. Charges Pending.
Here are a few observations I'm going to throw out in an admittedly lame attempt to throw Kevin a bone. I wish I had something more substantial.
1. If I worked from home everyday, I would weigh 500 lbs.
2. Being home with kids with no work responsibilities would, at least temporarily, be awesome.
3. Being home with kids WITH work responsibilities (even with a sitter!) is awful. I'm not even sure I can do it one more day.
4. I used to think that my boys just had no interest in RC cars. But now I think I just bought them for them too early.
5. Racing RC cars with 8+ year olds is very fun.
6. If I worked from home every day and my cat continued to be obsessed with sleeping on my keyboard while I was typing, I would no longer have a cat.
7. Easter candy is the worst seasonal candy. Debate me? Exhibit A: Peeps.
Back to work.
1. If I worked from home everyday, I would weigh 500 lbs.
2. Being home with kids with no work responsibilities would, at least temporarily, be awesome.
3. Being home with kids WITH work responsibilities (even with a sitter!) is awful. I'm not even sure I can do it one more day.
4. I used to think that my boys just had no interest in RC cars. But now I think I just bought them for them too early.
5. Racing RC cars with 8+ year olds is very fun.
6. If I worked from home every day and my cat continued to be obsessed with sleeping on my keyboard while I was typing, I would no longer have a cat.
7. Easter candy is the worst seasonal candy. Debate me? Exhibit A: Peeps.
Back to work.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
When I Grow Up
Interesting day here. New internal job postings appear on the main page of our intranet. Today, I noticed one for a Private Banking Relationship Manager in Brookfield. Of course, my first (over-reactionary) thought was "wait a minute, am I getting fired?". I spent some time trying to think of an excuse to call my boss, at which point I could casually mention the new job posting. Once I thought of a reason, we talked and she told me that they had an additional banker approved in the budget for 2013. Ok, great.
But that got me thinking. What would I do if I was forced to change jobs? I've gone through this thought process before, but the last time I did it, I was in a job that I hated and I was pretty seriously depressed, so it likely wasn't the most objective or effective practice.
So what do I want to do with my life? I’m not unhappy in my current job, but it’s not something that I want to do forever. I like having a job that doesn’t consume me when I’m away from the office, but sometimes I think it would be nice to have a career that I’m passionate about, even if it did make work-life balance a little more difficult. I think it’s time for me to do some level-headed, clear-headed thinking about what other options are out there. Not even for today. Maybe by the time I’m 40. Or 50.
I saw this video the other day on Facebook. I don’t usually pay attention to the people that post overly motivational BS, but this one stuck with me. Why can’t I just find something that I love to do? There has to be something, right?
But that got me thinking. What would I do if I was forced to change jobs? I've gone through this thought process before, but the last time I did it, I was in a job that I hated and I was pretty seriously depressed, so it likely wasn't the most objective or effective practice.
So what do I want to do with my life? I’m not unhappy in my current job, but it’s not something that I want to do forever. I like having a job that doesn’t consume me when I’m away from the office, but sometimes I think it would be nice to have a career that I’m passionate about, even if it did make work-life balance a little more difficult. I think it’s time for me to do some level-headed, clear-headed thinking about what other options are out there. Not even for today. Maybe by the time I’m 40. Or 50.
I saw this video the other day on Facebook. I don’t usually pay attention to the people that post overly motivational BS, but this one stuck with me. Why can’t I just find something that I love to do? There has to be something, right?
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Murder Mystery at the Horny Goat
In case there was any doubt, I think I proved today why anyone involved in law enforcement/crime investigation should not be allowed to drink on the job. Alcohol does not enhance my attention span.
So let me just tell you a bit about it, although its hardly worth telling.
So we had this Groupon for this Murder Mystery brunch thing at the Horny Goat today. They held it in a tent set up over the volleyball courts. So the ambiance was not good at all, but I was pleased that it was really nice and warm in the tent - although some felt it was too hot.
We were grouped into tables of 8 - so the four girls of us shared a table with two couples that knew each other. It was fine, the other folks were fun enough.
I just kept wanting the murder mystery part to take a break so I could talk with my girls!! So not interested at all in who fake killed the fake best man.
The buffet was not good by anyone's standards, not even mine. The bloody Mary's were fine - $15 for all you can drink, but humorously, our server had to tell us that our spear of accoutrements only came with our first beverage...so if we wanted some for our second or third, we had to munch slowly on that one. funny.
So our table got the murderer right in the end - much to Marcia's relief because she was very worried that we hadn't put enough thought into it. (yes, apparently people exist that are MORE tightly wrapped than I am). But we did not get the motive quite right. But we felt we did a fair job of making it funny at least.
So then we went into the actual bar structure to have one more drink. Derek and Lynn had told me they would have the boys home at 3:30 so I left at 3 and texted Derek to say I would be just arriving home at 3:30 - since he has a tendency to be early. He texted back. "Well, we are in your driveway, so we'll come back in 30 minutes." Sigh. Yes. Yes, you should come back in 30 minutes when you said you would be there. (eyeroll).
Fun enough time, but overall disappointed. I think I would do a dinner theater/mystery thing again, but I would need proof it would be a little more well put together. I would have MUCH rather just gotten together for brunch with my girlfriends sans the distraction of the show. But, if it hadn't have been for the Groupon and the "event" we probably never would have done that, so from that perspective it was a great day.
Now we're taking a break from practicing Drew's "L sound" Lisa wore a leotard...Lucy lurched forward... ha. He's doing great. He'll so be done with this in a matter of a few months.
I am looking forward to our drive to FW. Oh, and the time there of course. But especially the drive. I don't know - that's like "GOLDEN" time to just like chill and talk.
Signing off. Your fighter of justice, Jacque
So let me just tell you a bit about it, although its hardly worth telling.
So we had this Groupon for this Murder Mystery brunch thing at the Horny Goat today. They held it in a tent set up over the volleyball courts. So the ambiance was not good at all, but I was pleased that it was really nice and warm in the tent - although some felt it was too hot.
We were grouped into tables of 8 - so the four girls of us shared a table with two couples that knew each other. It was fine, the other folks were fun enough.
I just kept wanting the murder mystery part to take a break so I could talk with my girls!! So not interested at all in who fake killed the fake best man.
The buffet was not good by anyone's standards, not even mine. The bloody Mary's were fine - $15 for all you can drink, but humorously, our server had to tell us that our spear of accoutrements only came with our first beverage...so if we wanted some for our second or third, we had to munch slowly on that one. funny.
So our table got the murderer right in the end - much to Marcia's relief because she was very worried that we hadn't put enough thought into it. (yes, apparently people exist that are MORE tightly wrapped than I am). But we did not get the motive quite right. But we felt we did a fair job of making it funny at least.
So then we went into the actual bar structure to have one more drink. Derek and Lynn had told me they would have the boys home at 3:30 so I left at 3 and texted Derek to say I would be just arriving home at 3:30 - since he has a tendency to be early. He texted back. "Well, we are in your driveway, so we'll come back in 30 minutes." Sigh. Yes. Yes, you should come back in 30 minutes when you said you would be there. (eyeroll).
Fun enough time, but overall disappointed. I think I would do a dinner theater/mystery thing again, but I would need proof it would be a little more well put together. I would have MUCH rather just gotten together for brunch with my girlfriends sans the distraction of the show. But, if it hadn't have been for the Groupon and the "event" we probably never would have done that, so from that perspective it was a great day.
Now we're taking a break from practicing Drew's "L sound" Lisa wore a leotard...Lucy lurched forward... ha. He's doing great. He'll so be done with this in a matter of a few months.
I am looking forward to our drive to FW. Oh, and the time there of course. But especially the drive. I don't know - that's like "GOLDEN" time to just like chill and talk.
Signing off. Your fighter of justice, Jacque
Friday, February 8, 2013
Contentment
What do you think when you hear the word Content? Not like the contents of a container, but content as in satisfied. This word has had a presence in my life over the past few years. It's like a strange person that you don't know but that keeps popping up at the same places you are - and at first it's creepy and you get kind of annoyed but then after awhile you just get curious, like, maybe I'm supposed to know this person. I can't remember ever feeling that way about a word before.
This is not a loaded question. Is contentment something to be desired?
This is not a loaded question. Is contentment something to be desired?
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Love Away
Love Away by Capital Cities
Tell me this isn’t the perfect song this morning. Fun, happy, and it makes me think of you.
I feel like I need to find some new music, so if there’s anything you’ve been holding back from sharing, now would be the time. Hopefully by the time we take our next road trip we’ll have more new selections from which to choose. Or we could just sing along to old faves.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Bah-ha-ha-ha! Can we get these please please please please?!
Oh my goodness, how awesome for Tailgate! Maybe we could offer a "commemorative T-shirt" for an additional $10.00. And then we could get them and then we could take them to a place that will screen Tailgate 2013 on the back in yellow. Sigh. I wish they were free.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
I'm usually good with shoes...
OK, so I think I mentioned awhile back that the soles of my Ecco hiking boots had some sort of chemical reaction meltdown and as a result I have a $150.00 gift certificate from Ecco. Seems a shame to let THAT go to waste, but turns out I don't really "get" the Ecco style. Seeking your help.
I could go a few ways: A) replace hiking boots with other hiking boots or shoes - which might be nice for...hiking. B) take the opportunity to get a cute pair of casual "sneakers" to wear with jeans or C) use my $150 as a down payment to invest in some really nice tall boots.
OK hipster boy, what do you think? (and it's OK to say, um, none.)
Link
I could go a few ways: A) replace hiking boots with other hiking boots or shoes - which might be nice for...hiking. B) take the opportunity to get a cute pair of casual "sneakers" to wear with jeans or C) use my $150 as a down payment to invest in some really nice tall boots.
OK hipster boy, what do you think? (and it's OK to say, um, none.)
 |
| These would just be a flat out replacement for my current winter boots - which are old and do leak. |
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| For hiking. Will we hike? Link |
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| Another option for hiking. Link |
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| with jeans for hangin' out? Link |
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| with jeans...I'm not sure I'm hip enough for these. But I love the name. It's called the Jogga. Link |
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| with jeans...I'm not even sure I like these other than the lime soles. Link |
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| I like these for with jeans...because I'm a dork, and apparently have the footwear taste of a 60 year old. Link |
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| Mmmmm. boots. These come in black and brown and after my $150.00 I would still owe $80.00. Link |
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Short Bus
So apparently Drew has never told you about the yewwow sink in our wittow baffwomb. He has a pretty significant issue with his l's and th's - that should be corrected by now. It was great that they were able to get him in the speech program because even though he scored poorly on the standardized test he was given, normally they have to prove that it is effecting his academic performance in some way - which it isn't. And they also look at whether it is causing a social issue because people can't understand him and/or they ask him to repeat himself - which is also not happening. It seems to me they might have pushed the boundaries just a little bit and got him in based on the likelihood that he might run into issues in the future because he sounds less mature than his same-age peers.
I'm super happy about it. He just needs that one-on-one practice and attention to focus his brain on what he's doing. We know he can physically make the sounds, he's just used to saying them incorrectly and then doesn't want to be bothered by correcting them when he's busy reading or talking. My guess is that with this extra attention he'll have it corrected by the end of the school year. I love that the speech therapist and his teacher didn't just blow it off.
I'm super happy about it. He just needs that one-on-one practice and attention to focus his brain on what he's doing. We know he can physically make the sounds, he's just used to saying them incorrectly and then doesn't want to be bothered by correcting them when he's busy reading or talking. My guess is that with this extra attention he'll have it corrected by the end of the school year. I love that the speech therapist and his teacher didn't just blow it off.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
You don't seem to scare easily
I am wondering if all the future talk last night scared you even one little bit. It scares the bejeezes out of me (whatever that is). At one point you were like, "um, it's been 4 months." lol. I didn't really mean for it to get all "futury" I was just verbalizing this nervous energy about being in love with you and what that means. I wish I was just so patient to let it be and let it unfold as it will. That's so dreamy don't you think?
That's probably not the way it's going to be though - because I'm not wired that way...and I don't do nearly enough yoga, or any yoga at all for that matter.
But here's what I want to work on - and maybe you can help if I get off track. I want to recognize the unknown between us not as anxiety but as something wonderful and exciting. I don't want to predetermine the destination. I think maybe because we both seem to be planner type people, we might even have to try to be a little reckless. I'll help you if you help me, deal?
That's probably not the way it's going to be though - because I'm not wired that way...and I don't do nearly enough yoga, or any yoga at all for that matter.
But here's what I want to work on - and maybe you can help if I get off track. I want to recognize the unknown between us not as anxiety but as something wonderful and exciting. I don't want to predetermine the destination. I think maybe because we both seem to be planner type people, we might even have to try to be a little reckless. I'll help you if you help me, deal?
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Oops
Ok, I'm a sucker for discounted food. The sandwich I brought from home will have to wait until tomorrow. In my defense, I was driving right past it on my way back from a client meeting. And really, who can pass up a $5.00 burger and fries (with Siracha mayo!)? The hardest part was eating there without have a delicious beer.
Ok, that is all. Just my lunch confession.
Ok, that is all. Just my lunch confession.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
GP
Grace Potter needs better management. Or something. Every time I've seen her in concert, I'm left with the same thoughts - she has good music, a great band, puts on an awesome live show, and she's hot. How is she not a huge star?
Tonight they played for two solid hours. Maybe two ballads in there. The rest were just straight up rock songs. One odd song choice, and I say this as someone who loves cover songs at concerts. They played "White Rabbit." Now, I would probably argue that everything is better with a little Grace Slick involved, but this was, um, not the best cover. Anyway, we were near the front. At one point near the end of the show, I turned around to check out the rest of the crowd, since 80% of is was either behind us or in the two balconies above us. The entire first floor was standing, singing & generally rocking. The third floor (of which I could only see the first couple of rows) looked to be the party deck. I think I saw people making out amongst the hair flying. The people in the second deck looked like they were watching a separate concert. Sitting, not moving, not clapping, nothing. It was odd.
As an added bonus the opening act was good as well, which I think is rare. It was Langhorne Slim. They got off to a shaky start. The lead singer came out and said "Hello. It's so great to be back in ... town tonight." Yeah dude, you're in Milwaukee. But they recovered enough to make me want to check out some of there stuff.
Ok, must go to bed. I have a half-day work conference to sit through on my day off tomorrow. And I learned today that my boss isn't going to be able to be there, so I get to present something. This should be fun.
Tonight they played for two solid hours. Maybe two ballads in there. The rest were just straight up rock songs. One odd song choice, and I say this as someone who loves cover songs at concerts. They played "White Rabbit." Now, I would probably argue that everything is better with a little Grace Slick involved, but this was, um, not the best cover. Anyway, we were near the front. At one point near the end of the show, I turned around to check out the rest of the crowd, since 80% of is was either behind us or in the two balconies above us. The entire first floor was standing, singing & generally rocking. The third floor (of which I could only see the first couple of rows) looked to be the party deck. I think I saw people making out amongst the hair flying. The people in the second deck looked like they were watching a separate concert. Sitting, not moving, not clapping, nothing. It was odd.
As an added bonus the opening act was good as well, which I think is rare. It was Langhorne Slim. They got off to a shaky start. The lead singer came out and said "Hello. It's so great to be back in ... town tonight." Yeah dude, you're in Milwaukee. But they recovered enough to make me want to check out some of there stuff.
Ok, must go to bed. I have a half-day work conference to sit through on my day off tomorrow. And I learned today that my boss isn't going to be able to be there, so I get to present something. This should be fun.
Being the little sister
I just realized that my sister never calls me. I think for the most part I'm OK with that - I know she's very busy and I believe she has good friends that she can chat with. And of course she gets to talk to Eric each night. So she has a lot of people to talk to and most times feel secure enough in our relationship that I'm not offended or worried. I don't call her all that often either - but if something is troubling me or if I want to share something, she's my first option - so I guess I feel like it's a little more often then I hear from her. I wonder if she just doesn't need to talk as much as I do or if she just talks to other people. Selfishly, I wish she would call me more often. That's all.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Over the tapas
So last night Marcia had gotten to the restaurant before I did and she was at the bar and there was an empty seat next to her and then two gentlemen seated together. I sat in the empty seat. Shortly thereafter, the man to my right passed us a plate of Moroccan olives for us to try. We laughed a little because it became instantly obvious that he probably wasn't just a patron of the restaurant - as it would be little odd for another group of diners to just pass a plate over to share their food, right? So it turns out he's the owner. And the Moroccan olives are great, although I realize that's lost on you.
When we decide to move to a table we strike up another quick conversation with him to ask what we should order - his recommendations, you know? About seven seconds after arriving at our table, a plate of paella arrives, complements of the owner. Very nice. Our server was also very attentive and fun to talk to - knowledgeable about ingredients and the way things were prepared. Plates were cleared promptly, water refilled, whole nine yards. The interior decor was great, BTW. Very cozy. So then we are contemplating what to order - and we have a Living Social voucher - so we want to make sure the things we choose are included in the offer, because it's a specific offer, not just money. But before we can order, the chef brings out another plate - chorizo and potatoes. And then another plate - crochettas. Then more plates - one of spicy shrimp, one of short ribs, one of scallops. More sangria. More food. Goat-cheese stuffed dates wrapped in some sort of cured meat. AND dessert. Not just one dessert - a sampling platter of three full sized desserts.
So this is all so very nice, everyone is nice. But there comes a time - or an amount/a quantity - at which it's TOO MUCH and starts to get weird. Perhaps you would have come to this conclusion somewhere around complimentary dish #3, which we did too actually - but there was just no stopping it. The unfortunate consequence of their excessive generosity is that while all the plates were individually good, after eating it ALL (seriously, I have no limit), you are left with a very disgusted feeling. I'm STILL disgusted. I'm not sure I can go back. Not because their hospitality wasn't much appreciated. But because I am not sure when I will feel that I can eat any of their food again.
When we decide to move to a table we strike up another quick conversation with him to ask what we should order - his recommendations, you know? About seven seconds after arriving at our table, a plate of paella arrives, complements of the owner. Very nice. Our server was also very attentive and fun to talk to - knowledgeable about ingredients and the way things were prepared. Plates were cleared promptly, water refilled, whole nine yards. The interior decor was great, BTW. Very cozy. So then we are contemplating what to order - and we have a Living Social voucher - so we want to make sure the things we choose are included in the offer, because it's a specific offer, not just money. But before we can order, the chef brings out another plate - chorizo and potatoes. And then another plate - crochettas. Then more plates - one of spicy shrimp, one of short ribs, one of scallops. More sangria. More food. Goat-cheese stuffed dates wrapped in some sort of cured meat. AND dessert. Not just one dessert - a sampling platter of three full sized desserts.
So this is all so very nice, everyone is nice. But there comes a time - or an amount/a quantity - at which it's TOO MUCH and starts to get weird. Perhaps you would have come to this conclusion somewhere around complimentary dish #3, which we did too actually - but there was just no stopping it. The unfortunate consequence of their excessive generosity is that while all the plates were individually good, after eating it ALL (seriously, I have no limit), you are left with a very disgusted feeling. I'm STILL disgusted. I'm not sure I can go back. Not because their hospitality wasn't much appreciated. But because I am not sure when I will feel that I can eat any of their food again.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
One Million Bats
As we were talking about possible vacation spots the other night, we briefly talked about Austin. This, of course, got me thinking about just how awesome Austin is.
I've been there twice. Once in roughly 2003 when I worked for Accunet. We were just starting to explore radio advertising (which clearly worked, as they're still on the radio all the time) and our ad agency was in Austin. This guy. I was there with four other people, most of which were considerably older than mid-20s Brian. We discovered that there were two entertainment districts - one that was low-key jazz-type clubs and one that was the place all the University of Texas kids hung out. We went low key, then two of us decided to stay out until the wee hours. Not low key.
Nearly every bar in Austin takes the same shape - three stories, with the third being some version of a roof top deck. Live music on every floor. Yep, three bands in EVERY BAR.
We did manage to get some actual work done on that trip. We also checked out the LBJ Presidential Library. Fully admitting I'm a nerd, I think the concept of a presidential library is cool. It's half museum and half archives that you can just pick through. Want to search through boxes of benign presidential memo? Go ahead. While LBJ wasn't a great president (and I say that as a Democrat!), and was an even worse person, he served during a pretty interesting time. A huge part of the museum is dedicated to 60s culture. Add in the Vietnam wing and the JFK assassination story and you've filled an afternoon.
So I had this great impression of Austin, but no real reason or opportunity to go back. Until last year.
Backstory: My friend Austin (yep, I see the humor) is a big fan of the University of Oregon football team. Labor Day weekend 2011, they played LSU in Dallas. Austin's dad is an Oregon season ticket holder and was able to get tickets so Austin, his dad, Greg, Greg's wife Lisa and I headed to Dallas, with a side trip to Austin on the schedule. Side note - Yep, Greg brought his wife. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but doesn't a college football weekend with three of your buddies kind of scream "guy's weekend?"
I was excited about the trip, but wondered if my memories of Austin had been exaggerated in my own mind over the years.
Turns out they had not. Bar and restaurant scene had actually gotten better (even though we ate at essentially an Applebee's), music was awesome, weather was perfect, somehow the beer was cheaper.
One thing I didn't see on the first trip. There is a bridge over the river that runs through Austin. Under this bridge is a colony of bats. Every night at dusk they all fly out to do whatever bats do all night (I assume is some version of fighting crime). I had heard there were one million bats. I figured this was an overstatement. Until, with camera luckily rolling....
Yeah, that's a million bats. See the black "clouds" on the horizon? Those aren't clouds. Those are the bats that had already come out from under the bridge. Also, see the tour boats in the water below? Not a chance I'm getting on one of those. Bats stink. The whole area around the bridge stinks. I figure the odds of getting crapped on are pretty high with 1,000,000 of them flying directly overhead. No thanks.
So there it is. Two trips to Austin, two good times, neither of which involved one of the big music festivals. And to top it all off, the JFK museum / assassination site / grassy knoll, which is the best museum I've ever seen is in Dallas. Definitely on my list of places to visit again.
Seriously.
I'm also excited for this blog. And actually, I'm kind of shocked that I thought of it. Creativity, not exactly my strong suit. But here we go.
My lunch today was interesting. Do you ever eat at a restaurant and feel like the people preparing the food have never actually eaten the food they’re serving? Today, I was eating with a client. We were at your standard soup and sandwich-type place. In these situations, I generally try to pick something that will be easy to eat in the midst of a conversation. I had both a sandwich and soup today. Sammich was fine. But the salad was served in a miniature bowl and it was heaping over the top.
Overflowing salad? I can deal with that. But an inch-deep layer of croutons on top of giant pieces of lettuce? Come on. One fork full turns into a tennis ball-sized hunk of garden. How do you eat that without getting French dressing all over your face (which I think we can both agree is not a professional look)?
At the end of the day, business was transacted, and I still have a completely white shirt.
Brian-1. Loaf & Jug salad guy-0.
My lunch today was interesting. Do you ever eat at a restaurant and feel like the people preparing the food have never actually eaten the food they’re serving? Today, I was eating with a client. We were at your standard soup and sandwich-type place. In these situations, I generally try to pick something that will be easy to eat in the midst of a conversation. I had both a sandwich and soup today. Sammich was fine. But the salad was served in a miniature bowl and it was heaping over the top.
Overflowing salad? I can deal with that. But an inch-deep layer of croutons on top of giant pieces of lettuce? Come on. One fork full turns into a tennis ball-sized hunk of garden. How do you eat that without getting French dressing all over your face (which I think we can both agree is not a professional look)?
At the end of the day, business was transacted, and I still have a completely white shirt.
Brian-1. Loaf & Jug salad guy-0.
Maybe I should have just had tortilla chips
I absolutely adore this idea of having our own blog. I adore the idea and I adore you for having the idea that checks off so many boxes on my Qualification for Adorable checklist. Nice work.
Today I had celery for lunch that was absolutely tasty. Full of taste. Which I think is rare for celery. Most of the time I think celery just tastes like fresh, crisp water - like iceberg lettuce except in an easier-to-eat package. (And not only easier, but more socially acceptable I think. If I saw someone walking down the hall at work taking a bite out of a wedge of iceberg lettuce I would definitely assume they were on a diet "kick" and imagine they are a bit insane - but it's not that way with a celery stick even though I imagine nutrition-wise they are quite identical. Sorry, sidebar.) But today's celery - or rather, the whole bunch I cut up to snack on this past Sunday - has a certain...flowery flavor - maybe herbal would be a better way to put it. Just a smidge peppery and an even smaller smidge salty. Maybe just a little bit like the plant had been spritzed with perfume when it was young. I try to think about how it might be the dirt from wherever the plant grew - and isn't that cool to wonder about the dirt that the vegetables you are eating grew in? Where was it and why does it taste like that? Dole actually has a farm finder website http://www.doleorganic.com/ where you can type in the code on your (organic) veggie and find out where it was grown. But this celery is not Dole - it's Roundy's...and it's not organic. Which brings me to what is maybe the icky side of this too...wait, why does this celery have a taste? I kind of like it, but maybe I shouldn't like it (?).
I have hopes that our blog will not be just random ramblings (like this), but I didn't want to start off with anything too deep. I kind of just feel like I got a really exceptional bunch of celery and I wanted to share that mini joy with you.
Today I had celery for lunch that was absolutely tasty. Full of taste. Which I think is rare for celery. Most of the time I think celery just tastes like fresh, crisp water - like iceberg lettuce except in an easier-to-eat package. (And not only easier, but more socially acceptable I think. If I saw someone walking down the hall at work taking a bite out of a wedge of iceberg lettuce I would definitely assume they were on a diet "kick" and imagine they are a bit insane - but it's not that way with a celery stick even though I imagine nutrition-wise they are quite identical. Sorry, sidebar.) But today's celery - or rather, the whole bunch I cut up to snack on this past Sunday - has a certain...flowery flavor - maybe herbal would be a better way to put it. Just a smidge peppery and an even smaller smidge salty. Maybe just a little bit like the plant had been spritzed with perfume when it was young. I try to think about how it might be the dirt from wherever the plant grew - and isn't that cool to wonder about the dirt that the vegetables you are eating grew in? Where was it and why does it taste like that? Dole actually has a farm finder website http://www.doleorganic.com/ where you can type in the code on your (organic) veggie and find out where it was grown. But this celery is not Dole - it's Roundy's...and it's not organic. Which brings me to what is maybe the icky side of this too...wait, why does this celery have a taste? I kind of like it, but maybe I shouldn't like it (?).
I have hopes that our blog will not be just random ramblings (like this), but I didn't want to start off with anything too deep. I kind of just feel like I got a really exceptional bunch of celery and I wanted to share that mini joy with you.
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