A bit back, local know-it-all Tom Geer recruited me to be part of a group of bloggers at More Cowbell! A blog dedicated to music - show & cd reviews, general thoughts, and the like.
We've been at it since early November so there's a decent amount over there to check out already, but I wanted to save the announcement here until I could combine it with the announcement that the content will also be featured on madison.com. Yes, the site that brought you Nutritilicious will also be hosting our content.
We plan on keeping the posting our content at both locations. morecowbell.info may someday have more bells and whistles, but that remains to be seen. For the time being, you can get your RSS feed here, so make sure to add that to your reader.
Should be fun!
12.07.2006
Howie!
Monica and I are the proud new foster parents of Howie, a 7 month old Golden Retriever from WAAGR. Why "foster parents" you say? Well, we haven't technically "adopted" Howie.
I think when people hear "dog rescue" they think "humane society" and then have visions of a bunch of cages in a big room where there are all kinds of dogs. The way WAAGR works though is that when dogs come in they are immediately put in foster homes, which are just normal peoples houses. Normally these people will have a dog or two that are "their's" - meaning that they have adopted. and then another couple that they are just fostering.
After the dog has lived with them a while they have a pretty good idea of what is going on with him/her. So, they can tell prospective adopters: he's a great dog but he really doesn't like kids - or whatever the case may be. Hopefully they can give a report of "world's greatest dog" but if the dog really isn't great with kids... you're not doing anybody a favor keeping that a secret. Basically, the process makes it much more likely that the home the dog eventually ends up in - will be a good fit.
Of course, the other part I'm leaving out is that often dogs need to be in foster homes because they have some larger (health) issue. The rescue doesn't want to give someone their first ever dog when it has some serious concerns that need to be addressed.
Anyway, all that explanation behind us - Howie!
Howie has been great so far. Quite the bundle of energy, but I think he's starting to get used to his new surroundings already. He was given up by a family in Beloit who just didn't have the time for a puppy (side note: puppies have a lot of energy. This may seem obvious but there seem to be a lot of people that this is a surprise to).
We'll be crate-training him, so he will sleep and spend some day time in there. He'll also be getting a bunch of walks and a lot more playtime than he was getting in Beloit... and there's a certain appointment scheduled for next week that may CUT into his energy level a bit.
We're really looking forward to getting to know Howie better and if he plays his cards right, maybe he'll get permanent resident status in the not too distant future!
11.21.2006
Las Vegas
We just got back from another great trip to Vegas. This time the group consisted of Aly (who lives out there), Ericka, Nate, Monica, and I. We stayed at the Mirage which was a small step up from my last trip out there.
One of the trip's highlights was the new Cirque du Soleil show, "Love". This was another great show - a bit different than the other Cirque shows I've seen. Lots of acrobatics, but definitely not as much as O and Mystere - equally strange but in a much more familiar way (if that makes any sense). We all really enjoyed it and I would definitely recommend checking it out.
Monnie has written up some in depth coverage of our trip, so I'll cut mine a bit short here.
I will say though that my initial search for a link to the Cirque show was just to enter "Love" into Google. #1 on the hit list was "The Love Calculator" which I had to check out.
Looks like Monnie and I are not exactly a sure thing. The site says (based strictly on your names) that we have a 44% chance of love. The description following says that we have a chance but that it will probably take "a lot of work". It also cautions that no matter how much work we put in - it can't guarantee anything.
Of course, it didn't surprise me to find that Kevin (Burg) and Monnie would have a 91% chance. He's quite the ladies man, I bet I could put kevin and about anyone in there and it would be 90%
One of the trip's highlights was the new Cirque du Soleil show, "Love". This was another great show - a bit different than the other Cirque shows I've seen. Lots of acrobatics, but definitely not as much as O and Mystere - equally strange but in a much more familiar way (if that makes any sense). We all really enjoyed it and I would definitely recommend checking it out.
Monnie has written up some in depth coverage of our trip, so I'll cut mine a bit short here.
I will say though that my initial search for a link to the Cirque show was just to enter "Love" into Google. #1 on the hit list was "The Love Calculator" which I had to check out.
Looks like Monnie and I are not exactly a sure thing. The site says (based strictly on your names) that we have a 44% chance of love. The description following says that we have a chance but that it will probably take "a lot of work". It also cautions that no matter how much work we put in - it can't guarantee anything.
Of course, it didn't surprise me to find that Kevin (Burg) and Monnie would have a 91% chance. He's quite the ladies man, I bet I could put kevin and about anyone in there and it would be 90%
11.15.2006
Rob & Emily Are Married!
Last weekend Monnie and I were in Milwaukee for a weekend of fun surrounding Rob & Emily's wedding.
After arriving Thursday night, Rob and I spent Friday working remotely from the lounge of the Pfister. Why the Pfister? It's the preferred remote workplace for the distinguished wireless internet user, of course... oh, and because our significant others were having their nails done at the salon there.
Friday night was the rehearsal (at the Pfister, which was the site of both wedding and reception), followed by dinner at Coquette Cafe. I would highly recommend the Coquette by the way - if you're looking for spot in the 3rd Ward.
Saturday was a great day. The guys watched football in Rob's room all day before the nights festivities. Everything seemed to go REALLY well - the ceremony was very nice. Justice Prosser (Rob worked for him at the state Supreme Court) officiated a very fun ceremony - a little humor mixed in with your dose of serious is always a good thing.
The speeches and the dance were great too - Monnie and Becca's maids of honor speech was a big hit and everyone had an awesome time!
Congrats kids!
After arriving Thursday night, Rob and I spent Friday working remotely from the lounge of the Pfister. Why the Pfister? It's the preferred remote workplace for the distinguished wireless internet user, of course... oh, and because our significant others were having their nails done at the salon there.
Friday night was the rehearsal (at the Pfister, which was the site of both wedding and reception), followed by dinner at Coquette Cafe. I would highly recommend the Coquette by the way - if you're looking for spot in the 3rd Ward.
Saturday was a great day. The guys watched football in Rob's room all day before the nights festivities. Everything seemed to go REALLY well - the ceremony was very nice. Justice Prosser (Rob worked for him at the state Supreme Court) officiated a very fun ceremony - a little humor mixed in with your dose of serious is always a good thing.
The speeches and the dance were great too - Monnie and Becca's maids of honor speech was a big hit and everyone had an awesome time!
Congrats kids!
(click the picture for plenty more)
11.13.2006
11.08.2006
Welcome to the 19th century
Not a great day for Wisconsin. Many/most of my candidates did make it through yesterday but both referendums (that mattered) passed, neither of which I supported.
I guess my personal viewpoint is that the death penalty referendum passing is "unfortunate". I really don't support it, but at least this is only "advisory". Meaning that the governor and others would still need to actually approve in order for things to change. To be honest, I haven't done a whole lot of checking on how likely this is, but I'm assuming that Doyle (who won by a landslide in the end) won't go for it.
The real reason it's embarrassing to live in Wisconsin this morning is the amendment to our constitution approved yesterday.
"Marriage. Shall section 13 of article XIII of the constitution be created to provide that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state and that a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state?"
It's not exactly a smooth read. It certainly could be less wordy and more clear, perhaps (as a friend suggested yesterday) it should have read: "Do you want discrimination to be written into our constitution?", but that can't account for the incredible margin this passed by: 59%-41%.
Yes, that's right: It's the 21st century and we're voting in overwhelming numbers to add blatant discrimination to the constitution. I guess it just wasn't illegal enough already.
At least it looks like AZ got it right.
I guess my personal viewpoint is that the death penalty referendum passing is "unfortunate". I really don't support it, but at least this is only "advisory". Meaning that the governor and others would still need to actually approve in order for things to change. To be honest, I haven't done a whole lot of checking on how likely this is, but I'm assuming that Doyle (who won by a landslide in the end) won't go for it.
The real reason it's embarrassing to live in Wisconsin this morning is the amendment to our constitution approved yesterday.
"Marriage. Shall section 13 of article XIII of the constitution be created to provide that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state and that a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state?"
It's not exactly a smooth read. It certainly could be less wordy and more clear, perhaps (as a friend suggested yesterday) it should have read: "Do you want discrimination to be written into our constitution?", but that can't account for the incredible margin this passed by: 59%-41%.
Yes, that's right: It's the 21st century and we're voting in overwhelming numbers to add blatant discrimination to the constitution. I guess it just wasn't illegal enough already.
At least it looks like AZ got it right.
11.02.2006
Movie Night
Monnie and I saw The Departed tonight (you can see the trailer at that link). We both thought it was awesome and definitely recommend it. Of course, you may not want to take the kids: it's a gang movie through and through - crude, politically incorrect (especially at the beginning), and people dropping left and right.
There aren't many movies with a lineup quite like this: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and Alec Baldwin. Directed by Martin Scorsese.
If you're in the mood for an action flick: it's a great one and I don't think you'll be disappointed.
There aren't many movies with a lineup quite like this: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and Alec Baldwin. Directed by Martin Scorsese.
If you're in the mood for an action flick: it's a great one and I don't think you'll be disappointed.
10.31.2006
Rusty
Our dog Rusty had to be put to sleep after a very fast-acting tumor began to bleed on his spleen late last week. We both made a close attachment with Rusty the first time we ever met him - we were sitting on the floor of our living room, talking with Dave (who runs WAAGR) - Rusty immediately came over, put his head in our laps and made up our minds in about 5 seconds.
He really was the perfect dog for Monnie and I. His laid back personality was a great fit for our style as was his love of tennis (or at least tennis balls). We've really been missing him the last couple days - expecting to see him peering out the sliding glass door when we get home, chasing the ball around the front yard, or having him hang out with me at work all day.
We're so glad that we had the chance to unite for a short while and give him a good home before the end. We just can't help but selfishly feel a bit robbed that the time had to be so short... we're really going to miss him!
He really was the perfect dog for Monnie and I. His laid back personality was a great fit for our style as was his love of tennis (or at least tennis balls). We've really been missing him the last couple days - expecting to see him peering out the sliding glass door when we get home, chasing the ball around the front yard, or having him hang out with me at work all day.
We're so glad that we had the chance to unite for a short while and give him a good home before the end. We just can't help but selfishly feel a bit robbed that the time had to be so short... we're really going to miss him!
10.26.2006
Vermont
My trip is nearing the end. I'm here at Paul & Marni's in Burlington, VT until I catch the bus back to Boston tomorrow morning.
Our day started today with Marni and I grabbing some breakfast (Eggs Benedict of course) while Paul slept (if you want me to visit you - apparently you need to be a doctor working night shift).
After that, Marni was off to work and I got a chance to drive around Burlington a bit.
Paul woke up a bit later and we were off to Waterbury for some disc golf - and then to see Stowe. The disc golf course was very cool, although the results (a tie and a loss) could have been better.
On the way home we stopped for a RIDICULOUSLY good beer. If you're ever in this neck of the woods, definitely check out The Alchemist - specifically the "Heady Topper", a double IPA was one of the best I've had.
Our day started today with Marni and I grabbing some breakfast (Eggs Benedict of course) while Paul slept (if you want me to visit you - apparently you need to be a doctor working night shift).
After that, Marni was off to work and I got a chance to drive around Burlington a bit.
Paul woke up a bit later and we were off to Waterbury for some disc golf - and then to see Stowe. The disc golf course was very cool, although the results (a tie and a loss) could have been better.
On the way home we stopped for a RIDICULOUSLY good beer. If you're ever in this neck of the woods, definitely check out The Alchemist - specifically the "Heady Topper", a double IPA was one of the best I've had.
10.23.2006
Back to Boston
After a Great trip to Maine, I've returned back to Boston. The bus trip back went very well - my friend Dion picked me up right at the airport (just a few minutes from the hotel) and everything went very smoothly.
The hotel the conference is at (the Westin in Boston) is very nice and I'm all settled. I'll be covering the conference this week for ajaxian.com - basically that means writing a few blog posts and flying/staying on their dime... not a bad deal at all!
Not too much exciting to report - pretty nerdy of course... you'll probably only get a post tomorrow if I do something other than watch presentations!
The hotel the conference is at (the Westin in Boston) is very nice and I'm all settled. I'll be covering the conference this week for ajaxian.com - basically that means writing a few blog posts and flying/staying on their dime... not a bad deal at all!
Not too much exciting to report - pretty nerdy of course... you'll probably only get a post tomorrow if I do something other than watch presentations!
10.22.2006
Hiking Around Maine
Yes, I've decided to stray from the "Big Trip - Day X" naming scheme. (you're welcome)
Today, I woke up with some terrible lower back pain. Not a good thing for the day you're scheduled to go hike up a mountain. After a check of the weather forecast (it looked terrible) Mike and I decided to go for it!
We drove up to Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. The drive was very nice - many lakes, big hills, a few legit mountains mixed in, and of course - as seems to be the law in Maine: MANY Dunkin Donuts. I had thought that there was a ridiculously high quantity of the chain in Portland itself, but apparently they are even in the small towns:
When we reached Mt Washington we found that the road to the top was closed. The guy told us it was due to several feet of snow on parts of the road, -10F temps, and wind gusts over 120mph. We did have a Chevy Lumina, but I guess they still wouldn't let us through.
We ended up having a very nice trip - a couple of very nice (and thankfully short) hikes and some great pictures.
When we got back to Portland we got some _great_ chowder down at Gilberts Chowder House. I then got the chance to hang out with Claire while the rents went out for the evening. We had a very nice evening - read some books, watched some Dora, and drew some pictures.
Today, I woke up with some terrible lower back pain. Not a good thing for the day you're scheduled to go hike up a mountain. After a check of the weather forecast (it looked terrible) Mike and I decided to go for it!
We drove up to Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. The drive was very nice - many lakes, big hills, a few legit mountains mixed in, and of course - as seems to be the law in Maine: MANY Dunkin Donuts. I had thought that there was a ridiculously high quantity of the chain in Portland itself, but apparently they are even in the small towns:
When we reached Mt Washington we found that the road to the top was closed. The guy told us it was due to several feet of snow on parts of the road, -10F temps, and wind gusts over 120mph. We did have a Chevy Lumina, but I guess they still wouldn't let us through.
We ended up having a very nice trip - a couple of very nice (and thankfully short) hikes and some great pictures.
When we got back to Portland we got some _great_ chowder down at Gilberts Chowder House. I then got the chance to hang out with Claire while the rents went out for the evening. We had a very nice evening - read some books, watched some Dora, and drew some pictures.
10.20.2006
The Big Trip - Day 2
Another great day today, although this time the weather didn't cooperate quite as well. I don't think the sun managed to get through at all today but we still managed to have a great time.
I'll be putting all kinds of pictures from this trip here btw.
After sleeping in (which was great!) I awoke to find a baby in the house. Rufus, a friend (of Mike and Sheila)'s kid, was over for a bit. He was a good guy - no pic to pass along, but a big head of blonde hair. His favorite (and only) word is "daddy" and he employs it the same was smurfs use the word "smurf". Do you like blocks? Daddy. How about we go outside? Daddy. -- You get the picture. Anyway, while the one word vocabulary is cute to any adult (except perhaps his mother), Claire was not as big a fan. She definitely grasps that the baby can't really communicate but was still getting frustrated when, on the way to breakfast, all Rufus wanted to talk about was his Dad. "I'm not your daddy!" she would yell with a very frustrated look on her face.
"Breakfast" (in quotes since it occured at 130PM) was great - Becky's (careful that has audio) was great! I got to help Claire with her french toast - partly grape jellied - part strawberry - partly orange marmalade, part syrup, and of course: part everything. Good times!
We did a bit of shopping (I love shopping) and later a lobster dinner! Mike and I went to pick the beasts up - they were very very easy to prepare (which was a fun experience in itself) and they were uber-tasty! Here, you see me with a manical look on my face - looking forward to the finished product.
Unfortunately, one got loose after I had cut the rubber bands on it's pinchers and it got Mike on the nose:
Looks like a windy and chilly day tomorrow so we'll see whether we get to go with our "hike a mountain" plan or not - something tells me we'll find something good to do!
I'll be putting all kinds of pictures from this trip here btw.
After sleeping in (which was great!) I awoke to find a baby in the house. Rufus, a friend (of Mike and Sheila)'s kid, was over for a bit. He was a good guy - no pic to pass along, but a big head of blonde hair. His favorite (and only) word is "daddy" and he employs it the same was smurfs use the word "smurf". Do you like blocks? Daddy. How about we go outside? Daddy. -- You get the picture. Anyway, while the one word vocabulary is cute to any adult (except perhaps his mother), Claire was not as big a fan. She definitely grasps that the baby can't really communicate but was still getting frustrated when, on the way to breakfast, all Rufus wanted to talk about was his Dad. "I'm not your daddy!" she would yell with a very frustrated look on her face.
"Breakfast" (in quotes since it occured at 130PM) was great - Becky's (careful that has audio) was great! I got to help Claire with her french toast - partly grape jellied - part strawberry - partly orange marmalade, part syrup, and of course: part everything. Good times!
We did a bit of shopping (I love shopping) and later a lobster dinner! Mike and I went to pick the beasts up - they were very very easy to prepare (which was a fun experience in itself) and they were uber-tasty! Here, you see me with a manical look on my face - looking forward to the finished product.
 |  |
Unfortunately, one got loose after I had cut the rubber bands on it's pinchers and it got Mike on the nose:
Looks like a windy and chilly day tomorrow so we'll see whether we get to go with our "hike a mountain" plan or not - something tells me we'll find something good to do!
The Big Trip - Day 1
Day 1 of my big trip is complete.
The whole trip will take from Thursday 10/19 through to Friday 10/27 and will take me from Madison to Boston to Portland (ME) to Boston to Burlington (VT) to Boston to Madison.
Things got started off when my wonderful mother work up early (445AM!) to give me a ride to the airport - thanks Mom! This marked the first time that I was allowed to bud in line due to being a tad late in an airport line. I really wasn't that late though, I bet that if I hadn't budded I would have still been 15 minutes early, but when they offered... I definitely accepted!
The flight from Madison to Detroit ended up being late as we had to circle a while due to cloudiness - you may think that the aviation has evolved to the point where landing during overcast weather is possible... apparently you would be wrong. Anyway, this meant that I got off our plane at 8:58 and my next flight left at 8:48. Lucky for me half the airport was in the same shoes so they held the plane!
The bus from Logan (Boston airport) to Portland Maine was absolutely as pain free as Mike and Sheila had told me. A two hour drive filled with sudoko (my parents addicted me to it last weekend) went very quickly and cost just $20 - not bad!
The day was still young though - after hanging out with Sheila and Claire a bit Mike got home - or actually "woke up" would be the better wording since he was in his room up to that point. We then headed out to check out Portland Head lighthouse - VERY pretty... just like the postcards. As Mike says "by far the most famous thing in Maine".
I happened to be in town on basketball night so we got to go play a bit with some of Mike's buddies. 4-4 full court and a final 3-3 half made for a really fun time, but I definitely haven't been around the basketball enough lately. Lots of mistakes and missed gimmes.
The night ended with Mike and I playing some foosball - I had him on the ropes but he eventually took down the evening series 5-4. We've decided to keep a running lifetime series total from here on out.
Oh, and actually that didn't end my night. I still had a bit of life in me so I decided to start watching the Lost Season 1 DVDs that my lovely wife recently gifted me. Several of our good friends have been telling us a great show for long enough that we've finally given in. Very good to figure out some of these beginning details that I've been missing. Seems like it's going to be a great show.
The whole trip will take from Thursday 10/19 through to Friday 10/27 and will take me from Madison to Boston to Portland (ME) to Boston to Burlington (VT) to Boston to Madison.
Things got started off when my wonderful mother work up early (445AM!) to give me a ride to the airport - thanks Mom! This marked the first time that I was allowed to bud in line due to being a tad late in an airport line. I really wasn't that late though, I bet that if I hadn't budded I would have still been 15 minutes early, but when they offered... I definitely accepted!
The flight from Madison to Detroit ended up being late as we had to circle a while due to cloudiness - you may think that the aviation has evolved to the point where landing during overcast weather is possible... apparently you would be wrong. Anyway, this meant that I got off our plane at 8:58 and my next flight left at 8:48. Lucky for me half the airport was in the same shoes so they held the plane!
The bus from Logan (Boston airport) to Portland Maine was absolutely as pain free as Mike and Sheila had told me. A two hour drive filled with sudoko (my parents addicted me to it last weekend) went very quickly and cost just $20 - not bad!
The day was still young though - after hanging out with Sheila and Claire a bit Mike got home - or actually "woke up" would be the better wording since he was in his room up to that point. We then headed out to check out Portland Head lighthouse - VERY pretty... just like the postcards. As Mike says "by far the most famous thing in Maine".
I happened to be in town on basketball night so we got to go play a bit with some of Mike's buddies. 4-4 full court and a final 3-3 half made for a really fun time, but I definitely haven't been around the basketball enough lately. Lots of mistakes and missed gimmes.
The night ended with Mike and I playing some foosball - I had him on the ropes but he eventually took down the evening series 5-4. We've decided to keep a running lifetime series total from here on out.
Oh, and actually that didn't end my night. I still had a bit of life in me so I decided to start watching the Lost Season 1 DVDs that my lovely wife recently gifted me. Several of our good friends have been telling us a great show for long enough that we've finally given in. Very good to figure out some of these beginning details that I've been missing. Seems like it's going to be a great show.
10.13.2006
Cousin Tim
My cousin Tim (Johnson) was killed in a car accident last Monday night in Boston (he had fairly recently moved out there). Obviously, this is terribly bad news - he'll be missed by so many people both in and out of the Halberg family.
I can't think of a single bad memory I have of Tim. Always kind, understanding, and patient with his younger cousins.
I remember seeing his array of skiing medals - won by slalom racing against the clock at various UP hills. Specifically I remember being really impressed and having him play it down: "anyone can win those"... well, so far I have zero!
One Christmas, he received a football game for the Nintendo (I bet Mike remembers this too). The game was relegated to the TV in grandma and grandpas bedroom - the one in the main room was reserved for watching real football and, as I recall, a ridiculously large amount of The Weather Channel. What I really remember though is watching Tim (he was quite good) and getting a chance myself (and being quite bad). At first this doesn't really seem like much - but I think the fact that a young Tim allowed a little cousin to play HIS game on the same day he got it is really impressive.
He was an incredible asset in snowball wars. From tactical preparation, to fort (and tunnel) building, to the actual throwing and combat: he was regularly voted MVP. Often he was our only line of defense against the impending army of uncles!
and I remember seeing him at a Packer game a year or two ago. What are the odds of actually seeing someone you know in a stadium that size, but there he was! He was there with his nephew Zack (I'm not sure how these things work - Zack is my second cousin?). A Packers jersey and a huge smile. That's the way that I see him when I conjure him up in my mind.
A great guy and a great loss. We'll miss you Tim!
I can't think of a single bad memory I have of Tim. Always kind, understanding, and patient with his younger cousins.
I remember seeing his array of skiing medals - won by slalom racing against the clock at various UP hills. Specifically I remember being really impressed and having him play it down: "anyone can win those"... well, so far I have zero!
One Christmas, he received a football game for the Nintendo (I bet Mike remembers this too). The game was relegated to the TV in grandma and grandpas bedroom - the one in the main room was reserved for watching real football and, as I recall, a ridiculously large amount of The Weather Channel. What I really remember though is watching Tim (he was quite good) and getting a chance myself (and being quite bad). At first this doesn't really seem like much - but I think the fact that a young Tim allowed a little cousin to play HIS game on the same day he got it is really impressive.
He was an incredible asset in snowball wars. From tactical preparation, to fort (and tunnel) building, to the actual throwing and combat: he was regularly voted MVP. Often he was our only line of defense against the impending army of uncles!
and I remember seeing him at a Packer game a year or two ago. What are the odds of actually seeing someone you know in a stadium that size, but there he was! He was there with his nephew Zack (I'm not sure how these things work - Zack is my second cousin?). A Packers jersey and a huge smile. That's the way that I see him when I conjure him up in my mind.
A great guy and a great loss. We'll miss you Tim!
10.01.2006
StL
Another baseball trip in the books. This time Geer and I were joined by Jen (a historic first female appearance for our trips) and Hobber to check out St Louis new park. Hobber just moved down to StLouis a month or so ago for work so we had a great excuse to head down for a couple games - a night on the town - and a visit to check out his new pad.
We really liked St Louis new version of Busch stadium - giving it much higher reviews than the stadiums we saw on our earlier trip this year. They did a great job of keeping some of the theme of the old stadium while really updating it. I am a big fan of several decks stacked (vs. a couple very deep decks). The look is nice and (I think) it makes for some better seats with fewer people missing out on every fly ball because they're staring up at the seats above them.
The fans in St Louis were very into the games. Of course, that could be because they needed to win to clinch a playoff berth (which they did in both games we saw). A few observations on St Louis fans that I think are truly unique to this stadium:
1. We saw no other Brewers fans. I think at the Friday night game we literally saw one other Brewers fan. Saturday we saw a few more but still: way under what you would expect to see just about anywhere else.
2. An incredibly high percentage of St Louis fans were wearing Cardinals gear - or at least red. In other words: there weren't a lot of people that just decided to head to the game in the clothes that they had worn to work that day.
3. For a crowd that is SO into baseball (and they are)... they really chose strange times to do the wave. Basically, they sat there and intently watched each pitch intently. Then, when a really big moment came: they ignored the game and started the wave. It was truly strange. I'm pretty anti-wave, but totally understand that most people find baseball really boring and the wave helpsm so... go for it. but it just doesn't make sense to only do it when the game is at it's highest point.
We really liked St Louis new version of Busch stadium - giving it much higher reviews than the stadiums we saw on our earlier trip this year. They did a great job of keeping some of the theme of the old stadium while really updating it. I am a big fan of several decks stacked (vs. a couple very deep decks). The look is nice and (I think) it makes for some better seats with fewer people missing out on every fly ball because they're staring up at the seats above them.
The fans in St Louis were very into the games. Of course, that could be because they needed to win to clinch a playoff berth (which they did in both games we saw). A few observations on St Louis fans that I think are truly unique to this stadium:
1. We saw no other Brewers fans. I think at the Friday night game we literally saw one other Brewers fan. Saturday we saw a few more but still: way under what you would expect to see just about anywhere else.
2. An incredibly high percentage of St Louis fans were wearing Cardinals gear - or at least red. In other words: there weren't a lot of people that just decided to head to the game in the clothes that they had worn to work that day.
3. For a crowd that is SO into baseball (and they are)... they really chose strange times to do the wave. Basically, they sat there and intently watched each pitch intently. Then, when a really big moment came: they ignored the game and started the wave. It was truly strange. I'm pretty anti-wave, but totally understand that most people find baseball really boring and the wave helpsm so... go for it. but it just doesn't make sense to only do it when the game is at it's highest point.
Mad Props
Way to go Becky (and Shane)!
Our friend Becky had an incredible outing at the marathon in Milwaukee today, taking 1st!!! It's hard to do much better than that!
Husband/coach/co-runner Shane did an awesome job too! Turning in a 19th place performance in the guys division (20th overall :))!
That link above is to nutitilicous which has some other good links, details, and pictures. Shoot over there quick and leave a little note for Becky!
Our friend Becky had an incredible outing at the marathon in Milwaukee today, taking 1st!!! It's hard to do much better than that!
Husband/coach/co-runner Shane did an awesome job too! Turning in a 19th place performance in the guys division (20th overall :))!
That link above is to nutitilicous which has some other good links, details, and pictures. Shoot over there quick and leave a little note for Becky!
9.18.2006
Rusty Gets Cranky, Fox Gets Gelato, and Rob's Mom Gets Famous
Our action-packed Saturday got started with a car ride over to Milwaukee's Enders Park for a fund raiser. While the subject of the fund raiser was the park itself, the slant taken was a series of dog events. As part of the dog rescue we are members of (WAAGR - cute currently available dogs here) we helped man a booth. Basically, there were a series of booths - vets, pet stores, photo takers, stuff like that: and us.
Rusty was not a huge fan of the concept. As many of you know he is really good with all people. Completely trusting - very friendly - all that good stuff. Other dogs though... not the biggest fan. His biggest issues seem to come with those larger than him but really - he is a pretty big fan of everyone just minding their own business. As the day went on he got a bit snappier - of course overall he was completely fine: I think we all do a bit of growling after a long day somewhere that we really would rather not be.
Rusty's trip through the obstacle course:
After a nice visit and a bit of the Badger football game with Monnie's parents we were off to Menomonee Falls to meet Annabelle Fox (mike and steph also attended) for Gelato. Seeing Annabelle was great (mike and steph also fine) and we got to enjoy our ice cream along with the conclusion of the Badger game.
Our night concluded with a very nice "couples wedding shower" for Emily and Rob, hosted by the Mooneys in Whitefish Bay. The evening was perfectly executed - great food, live music, and of course: wonderful company made for a really great time. During the course of a conversation with Rob, Rob's mother (Valerie), and I - it was brought up that I have a blog. While the conversation consisted mainly of Valerie and I dividing up Rob and Emilys future millions - we also discussed how blogs make instant celebrities of their subjects. So, I'd like to introduce Americas newest superstars: Valerie, Rob, and I. We'll try to remember you little people that made us famous once we get to the top :)
Rusty was not a huge fan of the concept. As many of you know he is really good with all people. Completely trusting - very friendly - all that good stuff. Other dogs though... not the biggest fan. His biggest issues seem to come with those larger than him but really - he is a pretty big fan of everyone just minding their own business. As the day went on he got a bit snappier - of course overall he was completely fine: I think we all do a bit of growling after a long day somewhere that we really would rather not be.
Rusty's trip through the obstacle course:
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After a nice visit and a bit of the Badger football game with Monnie's parents we were off to Menomonee Falls to meet Annabelle Fox (mike and steph also attended) for Gelato. Seeing Annabelle was great (mike and steph also fine) and we got to enjoy our ice cream along with the conclusion of the Badger game.
Our night concluded with a very nice "couples wedding shower" for Emily and Rob, hosted by the Mooneys in Whitefish Bay. The evening was perfectly executed - great food, live music, and of course: wonderful company made for a really great time. During the course of a conversation with Rob, Rob's mother (Valerie), and I - it was brought up that I have a blog. While the conversation consisted mainly of Valerie and I dividing up Rob and Emilys future millions - we also discussed how blogs make instant celebrities of their subjects. So, I'd like to introduce Americas newest superstars: Valerie, Rob, and I. We'll try to remember you little people that made us famous once we get to the top :)
9.13.2006
Work
I know not a lot of you don't really know what I do at work each day (other than intervals of surfing the internet followed by naps on the futon), but that's only mostly right! There are big happenings at Seeking Alpha these days.
We recently announced a partenership with the world's largest Financial information provider, Yahoo! Finance. This comes on the heels of more limited partnerships with Google Finance in July and Barron's Online in August. Our content will now be presented right alongside more traditional analysis and coverage on the site.
As you may expect, there are mixed reactions to the idea of financial blog content being presented on equal footing with more traditional industry analysis. From our side, it's obvious: Our content is generated by real industry experts - those with a very real financial interest in doing their homework and knowing their stuff. It's all moderated and edited, and gets the voice of the "real industry professionals" out. From the other side, it's equally obvious: "industry expert" is not always the same as "industry analyst" and therefore should not appear on equal footing.
Whichever side of the discussion you come down on: This is obviously very large and good news for Seeking Alpha, but it's also a pretty big win for bloggers in general. Completely free financial news and analysis is now not only available on Seeking Alpha but also on the world's largest financial stage.
I know the majority of this blogs readers don't consider themselves 'financially savy' (and I'm with you!). If you're interested in checking out what exactly it is that I/we do though: I recommend checking out our Sound Money Tips site. It's less "financial analysis" and more "everyday ideas" - recent topics include Lowering Pet Supply Costs, Cleaning Your Car Cheaply, and Discounts on School/Office Supplies. You can just check out the site or take it one more step and sign up to receive the posts in your email or RSS reader. Let me know if you need any help and Enjoy!
We recently announced a partenership with the world's largest Financial information provider, Yahoo! Finance. This comes on the heels of more limited partnerships with Google Finance in July and Barron's Online in August. Our content will now be presented right alongside more traditional analysis and coverage on the site.
As you may expect, there are mixed reactions to the idea of financial blog content being presented on equal footing with more traditional industry analysis. From our side, it's obvious: Our content is generated by real industry experts - those with a very real financial interest in doing their homework and knowing their stuff. It's all moderated and edited, and gets the voice of the "real industry professionals" out. From the other side, it's equally obvious: "industry expert" is not always the same as "industry analyst" and therefore should not appear on equal footing.
Whichever side of the discussion you come down on: This is obviously very large and good news for Seeking Alpha, but it's also a pretty big win for bloggers in general. Completely free financial news and analysis is now not only available on Seeking Alpha but also on the world's largest financial stage.
I know the majority of this blogs readers don't consider themselves 'financially savy' (and I'm with you!). If you're interested in checking out what exactly it is that I/we do though: I recommend checking out our Sound Money Tips site. It's less "financial analysis" and more "everyday ideas" - recent topics include Lowering Pet Supply Costs, Cleaning Your Car Cheaply, and Discounts on School/Office Supplies. You can just check out the site or take it one more step and sign up to receive the posts in your email or RSS reader. Let me know if you need any help and Enjoy!
9.08.2006
Rainer Maria, Epic Hero, and The Box Social
Geer, Brandon, and I took in a great show at the Annex (home of the worlds most obnoxious webpage) last night.
We were there to see Rainer Maria, after being quite happy with their show at Lollapalooza. They didn't dissapoint, putting on another very good live show. Aftwards, I bought the most recent CD and am listening to it this morning - good, but I'd have to say I much prefer them live.
While Rainer Maria put on a show that was exactly what I was looking for - the big story of the night were the performances delivered by the openers.
The Box Social (from "two blocks away") put on a great show. They had some really good stuff but just lacked some of the polish that they'll need to take the next step. It was a good show though - the three of us were all pretty impressed.
Next up was Epic Hero (from a suburb of St.Paul... Minneapolis, I think). They were great. The lead had a great voice and their all around talent level was quite high. I know that Brandon (and maybe Geer too) actually thought they were better than Rainer Maria. I'm not ready to say that but as we discussed during the show: they really had a lot of good stuff - if they just had a couple of "big hits" to go along with it, they could definitely sell some discs.
All three great bands for $11 + the place isn't crowded and is small (v.important to me, I find). Madison has so many great shows for cheap these days. Looking out even just a couple months there are so many that I want to see! Really looking forward to those!
9.06.2006
Catching Up
It's been a while since I've posted. Let's see... what have you all been missing?
Last weekend was Matt and Amber's wedding. Everything (from my perspective) went off very well - it was a gorgeous day for an outside wedding - the food, band, and company were great as well. In addition to our common Madison friends I got to see a few friends that I had met, worked with, and in one case last seen at UWW tennis camp some 8 years ago (*side note: 8-9 YEARS AGO!?!). The day was great and Monnie and I are very happy for the two of them!
The big news with the Fox's is that Steph will be taking over the lead posting role on their blog. This could very well mean that we see more than a post a month over there! ...not that I have much footing for a complaint lately. Oh, they also had a baby.
Monnie is doing well and is really enjoying her new blog on madison.com, Nutritilicious. There's nothing better for a blog than comments so make sure to leave one over there - even if it's just "man that food looks good"!
Last Friday we had a great time at the Brewers game with both sets of parents. Of course, the Brewers continued their losing ways -- but it was a fun time none the less and really a pretty good game... just the wrong guys coming out on top.
The fantasy baseball playoffs have started. I am coming into it with a fairly strong team but it's not looking good in the first few days of the week-long first round. Fantasy football has started up just in time to relieve baseball. I am pretty happy with my draft, so we'll just hope I can improve on a dismal last season.
Tons of birthdays this month. Happy Birthday to Matt (couple days ago), Marni (today), Aly (tomorrow), Claire (Friday), Me (not for a couple weeks), and Sheila (not for a couple days after mine). It sure seems like I'm missing a couple still too! Who is it? (and sorry!)
Well, that's probably about enough for now - looking forward to Gerrard and Karen's wedding over in Milwaukee this weekend!
Last weekend was Matt and Amber's wedding. Everything (from my perspective) went off very well - it was a gorgeous day for an outside wedding - the food, band, and company were great as well. In addition to our common Madison friends I got to see a few friends that I had met, worked with, and in one case last seen at UWW tennis camp some 8 years ago (*side note: 8-9 YEARS AGO!?!). The day was great and Monnie and I are very happy for the two of them!
The big news with the Fox's is that Steph will be taking over the lead posting role on their blog. This could very well mean that we see more than a post a month over there! ...not that I have much footing for a complaint lately. Oh, they also had a baby.
Monnie is doing well and is really enjoying her new blog on madison.com, Nutritilicious. There's nothing better for a blog than comments so make sure to leave one over there - even if it's just "man that food looks good"!
Last Friday we had a great time at the Brewers game with both sets of parents. Of course, the Brewers continued their losing ways -- but it was a fun time none the less and really a pretty good game... just the wrong guys coming out on top.
The fantasy baseball playoffs have started. I am coming into it with a fairly strong team but it's not looking good in the first few days of the week-long first round. Fantasy football has started up just in time to relieve baseball. I am pretty happy with my draft, so we'll just hope I can improve on a dismal last season.
Tons of birthdays this month. Happy Birthday to Matt (couple days ago), Marni (today), Aly (tomorrow), Claire (Friday), Me (not for a couple weeks), and Sheila (not for a couple days after mine). It sure seems like I'm missing a couple still too! Who is it? (and sorry!)
Well, that's probably about enough for now - looking forward to Gerrard and Karen's wedding over in Milwaukee this weekend!
8.25.2006
Good News Trumps Good News
As of 6PM last night the big news was that Monnie has a new blog on Madison's favorite website! Monnie will be doing a featured blog there (woohoo! the right side of the screen!) with her cohert Becky, called Nutirilitious. It's awesome that she has a featured blog (there are only 7!) on such a popular site! Congrats Monnie!
And then there were three... the other (even bigger!) news of last night was the arrival of the worlds newest Fox! Annabelle Mary Fox was born last night in Brookfield, WI. Congratulations to Mike and Steph on their first!
And then there were three... the other (even bigger!) news of last night was the arrival of the worlds newest Fox! Annabelle Mary Fox was born last night in Brookfield, WI. Congratulations to Mike and Steph on their first!
8.07.2006
Lollapalology
This is my apology for the crazy-huge posts I am about to put up about Lollapalooza.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
I started off meaning to only post about the good bands... then realized that there were like 5 bands in all three days combined that I didn't think were great - and several of those I wanted to talk about because I expected more!
Anyway, I imagine you'll either skip them completely or just do the old "Ctrl-F" to search for whatever band you're wondering about... that's fine though: enjoy!
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
I started off meaning to only post about the good bands... then realized that there were like 5 bands in all three days combined that I didn't think were great - and several of those I wanted to talk about because I expected more!
Anyway, I imagine you'll either skip them completely or just do the old "Ctrl-F" to search for whatever band you're wondering about... that's fine though: enjoy!
Lollapalooza Day 3
The first act we saw Sunday (Day 3) was The Hold Steady - a solid start.
The next one was a really nice surpirse: Ben Kweller put on a great show that I think we were all very happy with. What's with the Aussie's at Lollapalooza? They all put on great shows!
Andrew Bird was one show that I really thought was going to sneak up on me. I thought this could be the one that really put on a great show out of "nowhere"... not quite. It was a solid show but I think he would be much much better suited to a smaller venue.
Next for sadly the biggest disapointment of the weekend: The Shins. I am definitely a fan of this band so I really thought I was in for a treat. The worst sound of the weekend (by the way, the rest of the weekend they did an INCREDIBLE job with making every band sound good) combined with what I think just wasn't that great of a live show really was disapointing.
The last two bands of the weekend were two of my favorite shows. Wilco owed me a good show. I am a pretty big fan but the only other show I had seen was quite disapointing. This one was a completely different story though - I REALLY was happy with the show and now I can happily say: they are very good live.
And, of course, how could we talk about Day 3 without talking about the festivals biggest act and closer: the Red Hot Chili Peppers. These guys put on a really great show and I am very glad to have been able to see them.
All-in-all Lollapalooza was an absolutely great time and I would definitely go again. The back-to-back grade A bands for three straight days was just as incredible as it seems like it should be! My expectations were definitely exceeded: thanks for organizing Brandon!
The next one was a really nice surpirse: Ben Kweller put on a great show that I think we were all very happy with. What's with the Aussie's at Lollapalooza? They all put on great shows!
Andrew Bird was one show that I really thought was going to sneak up on me. I thought this could be the one that really put on a great show out of "nowhere"... not quite. It was a solid show but I think he would be much much better suited to a smaller venue.
Next for sadly the biggest disapointment of the weekend: The Shins. I am definitely a fan of this band so I really thought I was in for a treat. The worst sound of the weekend (by the way, the rest of the weekend they did an INCREDIBLE job with making every band sound good) combined with what I think just wasn't that great of a live show really was disapointing.
The last two bands of the weekend were two of my favorite shows. Wilco owed me a good show. I am a pretty big fan but the only other show I had seen was quite disapointing. This one was a completely different story though - I REALLY was happy with the show and now I can happily say: they are very good live.
And, of course, how could we talk about Day 3 without talking about the festivals biggest act and closer: the Red Hot Chili Peppers. These guys put on a really great show and I am very glad to have been able to see them.
All-in-all Lollapalooza was an absolutely great time and I would definitely go again. The back-to-back grade A bands for three straight days was just as incredible as it seems like it should be! My expectations were definitely exceeded: thanks for organizing Brandon!
Lollapalooza Day 2
After spending the night at The Congress we were back at Grant Park for Day 2.
Just like the day before, Day 2 was great right off the bat.
The first band was one of the biggest surprises of the weekend. Rainer Maria left us wishing they had more than a 30 minute timeslot.
Nada Surf was up next - Another band that I wanted to see more than the rest of our crew and I wasn't disapointed. Not a 'blow your socks off' show but I was quite happy with it.
The Go! Team and Coheed And Cambria were both... eh.
And then, my friends, it was time for Wolfmother. This was THE best band of Lollapalooza. Their show was absolutely incredible - I can't believe they had to play an early afternoon timeslot. We were all looking forward to this one but Geer had been building it up all weekend. Enough that I was kind of worried that he was making too much of it... wrong, he was right on: this show was unbelievable. One of the best I've ever seen.
Gnarls Barkley put on a good show but immediately after Wolfmother - they didn't really get a fair shake. They did have the big honor of the weekend though as their monster hit "Crazy" was covered by at least 3 other bands.
Another one of the most surprising bands of the weekend were up next. The Dresden Dolls put on a very good show.
Two very good bands that I've been wanting to had the slots leading up to the closer:
The Flaming Lips and The New Pornographers both put on very good shows that I was happy with. The New Pornographers were a band that I was really expecting quite a bit of - and they delivered. Great shows.
I'd say that the Day 2 closer (Kanye West) was disapointing... that may not be completely fair since I don't think I really gave him a fair shot... but hey, it's still true that I ended up leaving it early - so...
That's Day 2 I guess
Just like the day before, Day 2 was great right off the bat.
The first band was one of the biggest surprises of the weekend. Rainer Maria left us wishing they had more than a 30 minute timeslot.
Nada Surf was up next - Another band that I wanted to see more than the rest of our crew and I wasn't disapointed. Not a 'blow your socks off' show but I was quite happy with it.
The Go! Team and Coheed And Cambria were both... eh.
And then, my friends, it was time for Wolfmother. This was THE best band of Lollapalooza. Their show was absolutely incredible - I can't believe they had to play an early afternoon timeslot. We were all looking forward to this one but Geer had been building it up all weekend. Enough that I was kind of worried that he was making too much of it... wrong, he was right on: this show was unbelievable. One of the best I've ever seen.
Gnarls Barkley put on a good show but immediately after Wolfmother - they didn't really get a fair shake. They did have the big honor of the weekend though as their monster hit "Crazy" was covered by at least 3 other bands.
Another one of the most surprising bands of the weekend were up next. The Dresden Dolls put on a very good show.
Two very good bands that I've been wanting to had the slots leading up to the closer:
The Flaming Lips and The New Pornographers both put on very good shows that I was happy with. The New Pornographers were a band that I was really expecting quite a bit of - and they delivered. Great shows.
I'd say that the Day 2 closer (Kanye West) was disapointing... that may not be completely fair since I don't think I really gave him a fair shot... but hey, it's still true that I ended up leaving it early - so...
That's Day 2 I guess
Lollapalooza Day 1
I had an awesome weekend at Lollapalooza, in Chicago. Dan McNeil, Tom Geer, Brandon Vloch, Jesse Consolatti and Joe (Brandon's brother in law) made the trip and none of us left disapointed - great music all weekend and the whole experience really did vastly exceed my expectations.
This post is only going to do Day1
Sound Team - A good start to the weekend. A solid band who (now that I look) has a pretty cool website for you to check out, including a recital with some magazine cutouts of themselves.
Next up were The Subways. These guys were awesome. I didn't think that I'd be seeing one of my favorite bands of the whole weekend at noon on the first day (this show ended up 4th in my overall rankings). The lead guitar and vocals was very animated - jumping up on the base drum and jumping off and just generally everywhere. The bass player was also all over the place. She was basically unwilling to forgo dancing just because she had to play at the same time. Definitely check out this website too - the videos for two of my favorite songs are readily available on the front page. They're also listed on the Lollapalooza site as one of the "Six Bands Who Might Oneday Headline This Gig"
Aqualung was up next. I had seen Aqualung before (opening for David Gray) and am going to see them again coming up (opening for The Fray) and they're 'fine'. I guess the best way for me to describe them is that they're a great band to open for David Gray.
Then came a show that I was definitely excited to see. The Eels were one of the bands this weekend that I'm sure I liked more than anyone else in our group. They sported a variety of costumes - the lead had a WWII fighter pilot look while another guy sported a Security outfit and a crazy demenor - karatee chopping and speaking jibberish up there: which really suits the Eels about perfectly!
Then on to The Editors and Umphrey's McGee - finally a couple shows that were good but not great so I could lump them together and make this Day 1 post less than 80000 words long. Both of these are big up and coming bands though - I'm sure we'll see much more of them coming up soon.
Next for me was Iron & Wine. This show I was by myself sitting on the grass for a good portion of. In my opinion - probably pretty much the perfect way to see them. Very laid back - very enjoyable.
Next I had a tough decision. Do I see My Morning Jacket, who I really like and have a couple of my favorite songs from a year or two back? Or do I see The Raconteurs - with Jack White and a first (last?) CD like there's - this one is an obviously good show. Well, Brandon, Joe and I went to check out My Morning Jacket... probably a mistake. They were fine but boy am I glad that we made it over for the second half of Raconeurs - clearly my second favorite show of the fest.
The night ended with two good bands that sounded just like they should have: no better and no worse. The Violent Femmes (they bring all their equipment on the bus) and Death Cab for Cutie. The Femmes are a band that I really had to see - I've listened to them for so long I don't know how this is the first time I've seen them. Death Cab was one that I expected a little too much of, I think. They put on a good show and I'm glad that I got to see it, but I didn't think it was one of the better ones of the weekend.
So, that's DAY 1 ONLY! I'm going to definitely seperate these out into different posts.
This post is only going to do Day1
Sound Team - A good start to the weekend. A solid band who (now that I look) has a pretty cool website for you to check out, including a recital with some magazine cutouts of themselves.
Next up were The Subways. These guys were awesome. I didn't think that I'd be seeing one of my favorite bands of the whole weekend at noon on the first day (this show ended up 4th in my overall rankings). The lead guitar and vocals was very animated - jumping up on the base drum and jumping off and just generally everywhere. The bass player was also all over the place. She was basically unwilling to forgo dancing just because she had to play at the same time. Definitely check out this website too - the videos for two of my favorite songs are readily available on the front page. They're also listed on the Lollapalooza site as one of the "Six Bands Who Might Oneday Headline This Gig"
Aqualung was up next. I had seen Aqualung before (opening for David Gray) and am going to see them again coming up (opening for The Fray) and they're 'fine'. I guess the best way for me to describe them is that they're a great band to open for David Gray.
Then came a show that I was definitely excited to see. The Eels were one of the bands this weekend that I'm sure I liked more than anyone else in our group. They sported a variety of costumes - the lead had a WWII fighter pilot look while another guy sported a Security outfit and a crazy demenor - karatee chopping and speaking jibberish up there: which really suits the Eels about perfectly!
Then on to The Editors and Umphrey's McGee - finally a couple shows that were good but not great so I could lump them together and make this Day 1 post less than 80000 words long. Both of these are big up and coming bands though - I'm sure we'll see much more of them coming up soon.
Next for me was Iron & Wine. This show I was by myself sitting on the grass for a good portion of. In my opinion - probably pretty much the perfect way to see them. Very laid back - very enjoyable.
Next I had a tough decision. Do I see My Morning Jacket, who I really like and have a couple of my favorite songs from a year or two back? Or do I see The Raconteurs - with Jack White and a first (last?) CD like there's - this one is an obviously good show. Well, Brandon, Joe and I went to check out My Morning Jacket... probably a mistake. They were fine but boy am I glad that we made it over for the second half of Raconeurs - clearly my second favorite show of the fest.
The night ended with two good bands that sounded just like they should have: no better and no worse. The Violent Femmes (they bring all their equipment on the bus) and Death Cab for Cutie. The Femmes are a band that I really had to see - I've listened to them for so long I don't know how this is the first time I've seen them. Death Cab was one that I expected a little too much of, I think. They put on a good show and I'm glad that I got to see it, but I didn't think it was one of the better ones of the weekend.
So, that's DAY 1 ONLY! I'm going to definitely seperate these out into different posts.
8.01.2006
Fishin and Movin
I got an invite to head out fishing with (Mike) Gengler on Lake Michigan Monday night. Monday was another incredibly hot day but once we got out on the water the temperature was perfect.
We ended up catching our 10 fish (all salmon) limit in about an hour-and-a-half. Incredibly, almost all of them came in on the same line.
I'm thinking about getting this picture screenprinted on a t-shirt to wear when we go out again in a week or so with Mike and Kevin...
more pics here
Tuesday was another hot one for the move of Mr. Jon Fox to Milton. The move went as smoothly as could be imagined and we got all of his gear moved down there in one trip. Jonny recently graduated (Carroll) and will be the new band director at MHS. I'm sure he'll be awesome at it.
We ended up catching our 10 fish (all salmon) limit in about an hour-and-a-half. Incredibly, almost all of them came in on the same line.
I'm thinking about getting this picture screenprinted on a t-shirt to wear when we go out again in a week or so with Mike and Kevin...
more pics here
Tuesday was another hot one for the move of Mr. Jon Fox to Milton. The move went as smoothly as could be imagined and we got all of his gear moved down there in one trip. Jonny recently graduated (Carroll) and will be the new band director at MHS. I'm sure he'll be awesome at it.
New Battery for the MacBook
My only complaint about my otherwise awesome Macbook Pro has been an incredibly short amount of battery life. So, I was quite excited when Dion (Almaer) pointed out a battery replacement program that I am eligible for.
Ordering the replacement couldn't be simpler... unless you don't have your head on straight like yours truly...
* jim closes everything and powers down
* takes out battery and writes down battery serial#
* powers up and goes to online form
* powers down
* takes out and writes down laptop serial# (yes, this wasn't completely necessary)
* fills out form
* form says "battery serial# has already been submitted for replacement"
* searches for number to call
* calls and gets "it'll be 15 min message"
* wishes stupid old phone that had speaker phone capability would still work so the phone didn't have to be pressed to ear
* 20 min passes
* guy asks for battery serial#
* jim reads it and says "wait, this '2' may actually be a 'z' - oh crap"
* powers down
* checks out battery serial# - it's a "Z"
* jim tells tech support he's an idiot and hangs up
* fills out form with "Z"
* says "city/county/zip" doesn't match even though it lists "sun prairie 53590" (which was entered) as what I'm probably going for
* re-enters
* re-enters
* re-enters
* notices that it says "county" not "countRy"
* kicks self
* completes form
Ordering the replacement couldn't be simpler... unless you don't have your head on straight like yours truly...
* jim closes everything and powers down
* takes out battery and writes down battery serial#
* powers up and goes to online form
* powers down
* takes out and writes down laptop serial# (yes, this wasn't completely necessary)
* fills out form
* form says "battery serial# has already been submitted for replacement"
* searches for number to call
* calls and gets "it'll be 15 min message"
* wishes stupid old phone that had speaker phone capability would still work so the phone didn't have to be pressed to ear
* 20 min passes
* guy asks for battery serial#
* jim reads it and says "wait, this '2' may actually be a 'z' - oh crap"
* powers down
* checks out battery serial# - it's a "Z"
* jim tells tech support he's an idiot and hangs up
* fills out form with "Z"
* says "city/county/zip" doesn't match even though it lists "sun prairie 53590" (which was entered) as what I'm probably going for
* re-enters
* re-enters
* re-enters
* notices that it says "county" not "countRy"
* kicks self
* completes form
7.31.2006
Laminate Floor!
As Monica has mentioned, this weekend we undertook the big project of laying wood laminate in the living room.
Going in, we were thinking that it would take the whole weekend: and we were certainly right.
Day 1 began after work on Friday. Monica and I cleared the room - took up the carpet - and discovered two alarming things.
1. The carpet pad was glued to the floor. This was huge. It meant that instead of just taking out some staples or something like that - we were left scraping gluey carpet pad off of cement. This may not sound too bad... and in several places: it really was fine. In other places though, it was terrible. We were never able to get it ALL off and after 6 hours had it "good enough" to allow the laminate to lay "pretty darn flat" over the top of it.
The stuff around the outside is the glued pad on the floor
2. There was a sewer access point under our carpet. This sucker stood up a good inch+ over the floor and was NOT going to make laying a laminate floor over the top very simple. There was definitely going to have to be some fancy stepping to make this work.
Not good
Day 2 began with my parents coming over to start helping out. Actually, that's only partly true: Day 2 actually started with my Dad playing a 3 set tennis match in the 95 degree heat!
Anyway, it was decided that the PVC pipe in the middle of the room wasn't going to work - we removed the cap - stuffed a rag down there (to stop any odors, although it didn't smell) and started filing/cutting/wishing that thing down to as level with the floor as possible. After some serious work on the thing - it was down to a very acceptable level. Actually, in the end it was the builders cement work around the pipe that was more trouble than the pipe itself.
My parents brought over some serious firepower - and we used a lot of it. Saws used included: jig, hand, skill, miter, and who could forget my Dad's favorite: table. You should have seen the display my Dad put on with that table saw - making some cuts that I would never try for fear of messing up the board - and then many others that I wouldn't make for fear of losing some fingers. He's quite the pro with that thing at one point showing off by twirling a hoolahoop on one foot while making cuts. Ok, maybe not that far: but it was quite the display.
The process of putting in each flight ends up being quite labor intensive. That is - you have to attach all of the boards in your flight end-to-end. After that is completed, you hook the entire flight into the one before it. The trick there is that you can't put in half a flight at once... so, we basically NEEDED to have at least 4 people to get the thing in.
Day 3 began with the majority of the room finished but the toughest cuts right ahead of us. Following another incredible display on the table saw - we had our boards ready to fit around the stairs.
After those were in we boarded up the top of our PVC pipe (not even worth a picture it was so easy at that point!) and were on to the trim. The trim did get interesting as we found out the channel between the floor and the ceramic tile was too interesting. Here Dad took his table saw display over to the skill saw and widened it out just right.
We are SO happy with the end result. It all looks great and best of all: it's done! You'll all have to come check it out in person soon!
More pics here
Going in, we were thinking that it would take the whole weekend: and we were certainly right.
Day 1 began after work on Friday. Monica and I cleared the room - took up the carpet - and discovered two alarming things.
1. The carpet pad was glued to the floor. This was huge. It meant that instead of just taking out some staples or something like that - we were left scraping gluey carpet pad off of cement. This may not sound too bad... and in several places: it really was fine. In other places though, it was terrible. We were never able to get it ALL off and after 6 hours had it "good enough" to allow the laminate to lay "pretty darn flat" over the top of it.
The stuff around the outside is the glued pad on the floor
2. There was a sewer access point under our carpet. This sucker stood up a good inch+ over the floor and was NOT going to make laying a laminate floor over the top very simple. There was definitely going to have to be some fancy stepping to make this work.
Not good
Day 2 began with my parents coming over to start helping out. Actually, that's only partly true: Day 2 actually started with my Dad playing a 3 set tennis match in the 95 degree heat!
Anyway, it was decided that the PVC pipe in the middle of the room wasn't going to work - we removed the cap - stuffed a rag down there (to stop any odors, although it didn't smell) and started filing/cutting/wishing that thing down to as level with the floor as possible. After some serious work on the thing - it was down to a very acceptable level. Actually, in the end it was the builders cement work around the pipe that was more trouble than the pipe itself.
My parents brought over some serious firepower - and we used a lot of it. Saws used included: jig, hand, skill, miter, and who could forget my Dad's favorite: table. You should have seen the display my Dad put on with that table saw - making some cuts that I would never try for fear of messing up the board - and then many others that I wouldn't make for fear of losing some fingers. He's quite the pro with that thing at one point showing off by twirling a hoolahoop on one foot while making cuts. Ok, maybe not that far: but it was quite the display.
The process of putting in each flight ends up being quite labor intensive. That is - you have to attach all of the boards in your flight end-to-end. After that is completed, you hook the entire flight into the one before it. The trick there is that you can't put in half a flight at once... so, we basically NEEDED to have at least 4 people to get the thing in.
Day 3 began with the majority of the room finished but the toughest cuts right ahead of us. Following another incredible display on the table saw - we had our boards ready to fit around the stairs.
After those were in we boarded up the top of our PVC pipe (not even worth a picture it was so easy at that point!) and were on to the trim. The trim did get interesting as we found out the channel between the floor and the ceramic tile was too interesting. Here Dad took his table saw display over to the skill saw and widened it out just right.
We are SO happy with the end result. It all looks great and best of all: it's done! You'll all have to come check it out in person soon!
More pics here
7.25.2006
Cincinnati and DC
This is a pretty late report but better late than never, right?
In the most recent installment of baseball trips, (Tom) Geer and I took a 3 day jaunt to see the new stadium in Cincinnati + the new team in Washington DC (formerly the Montreal Expos).
The trip got off to a rocky start when a pretty nice day in Cincy turned gloomy. A pretty good downpour delayed the game for a couple hours but eventually they did get it started.
Maybe it would have been better as a rainout though as the Brewers blew yet another late lead and went down to the Reds.
The stadium was less than impressive. Tom and I had seen Cincy's old stadium years ago and it was an old hunk of cement. The new stadium is... a new hunk of cement. Not a terrible place to see a game by any means - and the ticket prices were awesome - but for a brand new stadium... it was lacking.
We were then off for a drive through the night to pick up an afternoon game in the nations capital. We arrived in time to take a 2 hour walking tour of the National Malls highlights before heading over to RFK stadium to see the Nationals take on the Cubs. This one had a better result than the night before as the Nationals took the Cubs down.
This stadium was also lacking but it has an excuse... it's a football field. Construction will start soon on a baseball stadium that should put this one to shame.
and there are a few more photos out here - including their version of the brat race (featuring former presidents)...
Anyway, another great trip. Next up: St Louis for the final series of the year against the Crew!
In the most recent installment of baseball trips, (Tom) Geer and I took a 3 day jaunt to see the new stadium in Cincinnati + the new team in Washington DC (formerly the Montreal Expos).
The trip got off to a rocky start when a pretty nice day in Cincy turned gloomy. A pretty good downpour delayed the game for a couple hours but eventually they did get it started.
Maybe it would have been better as a rainout though as the Brewers blew yet another late lead and went down to the Reds.
The stadium was less than impressive. Tom and I had seen Cincy's old stadium years ago and it was an old hunk of cement. The new stadium is... a new hunk of cement. Not a terrible place to see a game by any means - and the ticket prices were awesome - but for a brand new stadium... it was lacking.
We were then off for a drive through the night to pick up an afternoon game in the nations capital. We arrived in time to take a 2 hour walking tour of the National Malls highlights before heading over to RFK stadium to see the Nationals take on the Cubs. This one had a better result than the night before as the Nationals took the Cubs down.
This stadium was also lacking but it has an excuse... it's a football field. Construction will start soon on a baseball stadium that should put this one to shame.
and there are a few more photos out here - including their version of the brat race (featuring former presidents)...
Anyway, another great trip. Next up: St Louis for the final series of the year against the Crew!
7.20.2006
Holy Cow!
It isn't new but I just saw it for the first time - the Daily Page published an article June 13th regarding the blog attention that Madison's Cow Parade has received.
It comes through with A LOT of links, none more notable of course than:
"...Monnie Halberg documented the cows in downtown Sun Prairie, which are dominated by a Georgia O'Keefe theme, who once made the town her home."
Congrats Monnie on making the list!
Of course, since the article was posted 6/19 - the Daily Page/Isthmus hasn't had a chance to notice the incredible amount of coverage Monica has since given the non-Sun Prairie based cows. Keep following along!
It comes through with A LOT of links, none more notable of course than:
"...Monnie Halberg documented the cows in downtown Sun Prairie, which are dominated by a Georgia O'Keefe theme, who once made the town her home."
Congrats Monnie on making the list!
Of course, since the article was posted 6/19 - the Daily Page/Isthmus hasn't had a chance to notice the incredible amount of coverage Monica has since given the non-Sun Prairie based cows. Keep following along!
7.15.2006
7.08.2006
Deuces Wild II
Back in March, I had posted about an "electronic baseball league" (I can't think of a better 3 words to describe it) called Deuces Wild. If you want to recall the rules you can check out the other post but assuming you just want the synopsis: 15 guys get 2 teams each: add the total wins of your 2 teams and whoever has the most wins. Pretty simple really.
Anyway, in the original draft I had the Red Sox and the Tigers which I was quite happy with. As it turned out: I should have been. Both teams are in first in very tough divisions and I've got a pretty healthy lead in our competition.
So, the other day we had our mid-point draft. Last year we learned that in something like this you really need to re-draft at the halfway point. Otherwise, someone can get two terrible teams and have an entire season of no fun. This way everyone at least has a chance to get back into it.
First, let's go back to what I said after the first one:
The worst picks in my mind were the Mets (3), Cubs (13), and Giants (15). The Mets clearly taking the cake as the consensus "what the heck was that?" pick of the draft. Best picks, I have to like Bos (9) as the biggest steal. Twins (19) is also a pretty good one, I think.
It seems that I was mostly right... The Cubs and Giants were too high. Boston was the almost the biggest steal - luckily for me the Tigers (BY FAR) were the biggest steal of the draft... the Twins were a pretty good one as well. Where I really missed the boat was rating the Mets as the worst pick of the draft. They came into the midway point with the 4th best record in baseball - better than the #1 pick Yankees.
Now on to the midseason results:
My picks in green
Well, this time the draft went like this:
1 Chicago White Sox
2 New York Mets
3 Boston Red Sox
4 Detroit Tigers
5 Houston Astros
6 New York Yankees
7 Toronto Blue Jays
8 St. Louis Cardinals
9 Los Angeles Dodgers
10Minnesota Twins
11 Cincinnati Reds
12 Milwaukee Brewers
13 Oakland A's
14 Texas Rangers
15 San Diego Padres
16 Los Angeles Angels
17 Colorado Rockies
18 San Francisco Giants
19 Philadelphia Phillies
20 Seattle Mariners
21 Cleveland Indians
22 Arizona Diamondbacks
23 Atlanta Braves
24 Florida Marlins
25 Washington Nationals
26 Baltimore Orioles
27 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
28 Chicago Cubs
29 Pittsburgh Pirates
30 Kansas City Royals
Again, I am very happy with my picks. The Cardinals at #8 is better than I was hoping for. The Braves at #23 is a pick I really like too. To me they're a team with a lot of upside and a chance to really have a great second half. They won't be looking to trade any of their big names and are really only a couple of young relievers stepping it up away from making a nice run. Of course, they could really stink it up too, but when you're picking a team this low... you're not going to get a sure thing.
My best/worst picks this time?
I think this draft went pretty well along the lines that I am thinking on. There are a bunch that I'm not a huge fan of but aren't way off either: Mets (again) at #2, Tigers at #4, Reds at #11, and the Rockies (even at #17). After looking at the list a bit more though, I have to say the one I disagree most with though is (sorry Geer): the Astros at #5. Other than my man-crush on Lance Berkman, I really don't think they have what it takes to be #5.
The best picks? Of course mine are always the ones that are perfect, but other than myself I 'll go with the Twins at #10, Mariners #20, and the Orioles (Geer redeems himself) at #26. As for the steal of this draft... this really pains me to say... The Cubs at #28. I'm certainly not predicting great things for the Cubs but they _will_ be #20 or better in the second half.
Anyway, in the original draft I had the Red Sox and the Tigers which I was quite happy with. As it turned out: I should have been. Both teams are in first in very tough divisions and I've got a pretty healthy lead in our competition.
So, the other day we had our mid-point draft. Last year we learned that in something like this you really need to re-draft at the halfway point. Otherwise, someone can get two terrible teams and have an entire season of no fun. This way everyone at least has a chance to get back into it.
First, let's go back to what I said after the first one:
The worst picks in my mind were the Mets (3), Cubs (13), and Giants (15). The Mets clearly taking the cake as the consensus "what the heck was that?" pick of the draft. Best picks, I have to like Bos (9) as the biggest steal. Twins (19) is also a pretty good one, I think.
It seems that I was mostly right... The Cubs and Giants were too high. Boston was the almost the biggest steal - luckily for me the Tigers (BY FAR) were the biggest steal of the draft... the Twins were a pretty good one as well. Where I really missed the boat was rating the Mets as the worst pick of the draft. They came into the midway point with the 4th best record in baseball - better than the #1 pick Yankees.
Now on to the midseason results:
My picks in green
Well, this time the draft went like this:
1 Chicago White Sox
2 New York Mets
3 Boston Red Sox
4 Detroit Tigers
5 Houston Astros
6 New York Yankees
7 Toronto Blue Jays
8 St. Louis Cardinals
9 Los Angeles Dodgers
10Minnesota Twins
11 Cincinnati Reds
12 Milwaukee Brewers
13 Oakland A's
14 Texas Rangers
15 San Diego Padres
16 Los Angeles Angels
17 Colorado Rockies
18 San Francisco Giants
19 Philadelphia Phillies
20 Seattle Mariners
21 Cleveland Indians
22 Arizona Diamondbacks
23 Atlanta Braves
24 Florida Marlins
25 Washington Nationals
26 Baltimore Orioles
27 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
28 Chicago Cubs
29 Pittsburgh Pirates
30 Kansas City Royals
Again, I am very happy with my picks. The Cardinals at #8 is better than I was hoping for. The Braves at #23 is a pick I really like too. To me they're a team with a lot of upside and a chance to really have a great second half. They won't be looking to trade any of their big names and are really only a couple of young relievers stepping it up away from making a nice run. Of course, they could really stink it up too, but when you're picking a team this low... you're not going to get a sure thing.
My best/worst picks this time?
I think this draft went pretty well along the lines that I am thinking on. There are a bunch that I'm not a huge fan of but aren't way off either: Mets (again) at #2, Tigers at #4, Reds at #11, and the Rockies (even at #17). After looking at the list a bit more though, I have to say the one I disagree most with though is (sorry Geer): the Astros at #5. Other than my man-crush on Lance Berkman, I really don't think they have what it takes to be #5.
The best picks? Of course mine are always the ones that are perfect, but other than myself I 'll go with the Twins at #10, Mariners #20, and the Orioles (Geer redeems himself) at #26. As for the steal of this draft... this really pains me to say... The Cubs at #28. I'm certainly not predicting great things for the Cubs but they _will_ be #20 or better in the second half.
Villaneuva for TJ Ford
For those who are NBA fans and read this (yes, both of you). Here are Bill Simmons thoughts on the recent trade that will bring Villaneuva to Milwaukee in exchange for Ford (from this post):
"Disregard Ford's scary spinal cord problems, that he can't shoot to save his life, that he's a free agent two years earlier than Villanueva, even that he lost crunch-time minutes to Charlie Bell last season. Again, I want you to disregard everything in that sentence. From a pure basketball standpoint, since when is a young point guard worth as much as a young power forward who can rebound and shoot 3s? When has that EVER been the case? How fast did the Bucks' front office say yes to this trade? 0.79 seconds? 1.2 seconds? Did they say, "Hold on, we'll discuss this and call you back in a few hours," then hang up and start pouring champagne on one another? If somebody made this deal in my fantasy league, I would have protested it." - Bill Simmons
"Disregard Ford's scary spinal cord problems, that he can't shoot to save his life, that he's a free agent two years earlier than Villanueva, even that he lost crunch-time minutes to Charlie Bell last season. Again, I want you to disregard everything in that sentence. From a pure basketball standpoint, since when is a young point guard worth as much as a young power forward who can rebound and shoot 3s? When has that EVER been the case? How fast did the Bucks' front office say yes to this trade? 0.79 seconds? 1.2 seconds? Did they say, "Hold on, we'll discuss this and call you back in a few hours," then hang up and start pouring champagne on one another? If somebody made this deal in my fantasy league, I would have protested it." - Bill Simmons
7.07.2006
Local H
Another great show from Local H last night (some samples will play if you visit their site). This time at the High Noon Saloon. and how can you go wrong with a $10 ticket.
Local H is a two man operation that produces an incredible amount of sound. There's no way that you would guess that it's two guys listening to one of their CDs.
The drummer (Brian St.Clair) is really fun to watch. When he's not playing he seems to not even be paying attention. He'll turn around and get a drink of water and just generally seem oblivious to what's going on. Then, suddenly, he'll spin around and play the drums absolutely ferociously - incredibly animated and committed.
The rest of the sound comes from Scott Lucas. Scott simultaneously plays lead, bass, and vocals - incredible that he can balance all that out and still move around the stage (when he's not jumping off into the crowd).
Local H is a two man operation that produces an incredible amount of sound. There's no way that you would guess that it's two guys listening to one of their CDs.
The drummer (Brian St.Clair) is really fun to watch. When he's not playing he seems to not even be paying attention. He'll turn around and get a drink of water and just generally seem oblivious to what's going on. Then, suddenly, he'll spin around and play the drums absolutely ferociously - incredibly animated and committed.
The rest of the sound comes from Scott Lucas. Scott simultaneously plays lead, bass, and vocals - incredible that he can balance all that out and still move around the stage (when he's not jumping off into the crowd).
7.06.2006
Family Reunion
There are a few posts already up and I'll be staying tuned for more, but I'm sure all will come to the same conclusion: what a great trip.
Seeing all the family (115+) was wonderful. About every 5 years someone puts in the incredible amount of preparation and work to get the group together for the meetup. This time we were hosted by Lake Okanagan Resort. Several pools, tennis courts, a beach, condos/villas, restaurants, low key golf course, and great company made the place perfect for the event. Kelowna was gorgeous and who knew that the lake was some 90 miles long!
While waiting for our luggage in Seattle I bumped into a guy that I play ultimate frisbee with... crazy! Monnie and I then went down to check out Pike's Market where we bumped (unplanned) into a friend who now lives in Seattle (crazier still!). I enjoyed Pike's Market but man... I didn't think I was going to get Monnie out of there!
Tim and Fran had already made their exit to Kelowna but were kind enough to let us stay at their place. The view from their 2nd floor is gorgeous.
The entire trip was incredibly scenic but nowhere moreso than the trip to Kelowna from Seattle. We took a very scenic path taking us on a pass through the North Cascades. It added quite a bit of the time to the trip but was well worth it. I would definitely take that drive again.
Kelowna and the resort were gorgeous as well. Tons of fun and family. Lots to do (not the least of which was relax). The resort had tons for all ages and with the group we have, there's never any pressure: just have fun.
Seeing all the family (115+) was wonderful. About every 5 years someone puts in the incredible amount of preparation and work to get the group together for the meetup. This time we were hosted by Lake Okanagan Resort. Several pools, tennis courts, a beach, condos/villas, restaurants, low key golf course, and great company made the place perfect for the event. Kelowna was gorgeous and who knew that the lake was some 90 miles long!
While waiting for our luggage in Seattle I bumped into a guy that I play ultimate frisbee with... crazy! Monnie and I then went down to check out Pike's Market where we bumped (unplanned) into a friend who now lives in Seattle (crazier still!). I enjoyed Pike's Market but man... I didn't think I was going to get Monnie out of there!
Tim and Fran had already made their exit to Kelowna but were kind enough to let us stay at their place. The view from their 2nd floor is gorgeous.
The entire trip was incredibly scenic but nowhere moreso than the trip to Kelowna from Seattle. We took a very scenic path taking us on a pass through the North Cascades. It added quite a bit of the time to the trip but was well worth it. I would definitely take that drive again.
Kelowna and the resort were gorgeous as well. Tons of fun and family. Lots to do (not the least of which was relax). The resort had tons for all ages and with the group we have, there's never any pressure: just have fun.
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