if the shoe fits...

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=newsOne&storyid=2007-12-06T153822Z_01_N05642567_RTRUKOC_0_US-SHOOTING-NEBRASKA.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsArt-R1-MostViewed-3

so, look. all this senseless violence. people shooting one another and then turning the gun on themselves. the line on this article says the guy thought he was worthless. here's my newsflash - he was worthless. a worthless piece of shit. he admitted it and i'm agreeing. he wanted to be famous, it's just too bad he didn't stick around long enough to see his infamy. infamous, not famous.

i think he needed to stop listening to "blaze of glory" (bon jovi) and taken his life quietly, in a room by himself and saved the 8 people who happened to be in the wrong place at that time their lives.

c'mon people. if you grieve, others don't need to be pulled down with you. completely senseless.

apple cup recap

well, not really a recap today. we're 5 days past, but i did want to share a few thoughts on the second half and then the news of the last couple days.

-i turned the volume off on the tv during the 3rd quarter. i can only handle so much of the biased announcing, and if i kept the volume on, i'm sure we would've heard questionable sounds coming from the commentators - sounds only that should be heard by the person doing it, behind closed doors or in the privacy of their room. locker this, locker that, oooo, gimme some more. bla bla bla
-a great game for brink. good way for him to go out. 399 yrds, 5 tds, and no picks. fantastic job.
-i don't care what bill doba said after that game, he still should've been let go.
-best apple cup i've seen in years, and not just because the good guys won.

go cougs! enjoy it for the year.

epilogue:
-bill doba, yes, he's a class act, yes, he's a great man, yes, he should've been let go. look. he was an awesome defensive coordinator, who had too much on his plate to be head coach. sure, he was probably fired, but let's give him the benefit of the doubt. and yes, it was time for the program to change directions, we were only going down hill. best of luck coach!
-ty willingham, yes, he's boring and yes, he's an average coach at best who has cashed in handsomely on a few fantastic seasons. but no, he should not be let go yet. he needs 2 more years.
-husky civil war brings a smile to my face
-mike price should be considered as the new head coach in pullman. mike price should not be hired - the prodigal son returning never seems to work out how people would like it to.

i think that i wanted to say more, but it must've gone since i didn't write it all out at once. i'm out.

apple cup - halftime

more thoughts:
-holding must not be on the list of flagged offenses for the huskies.
-um, our offense. still anemic. no urgency
-locker is god again. i wonder if people realize when they talk about him and the heisman, that you actually have to be on a team that wins more than it loses.
-our offensive coordinator needs to be fired, along with doba. 3rd and 17, and we throw a wide receiver screen or we run it. good job.
-this petros papadakis character in the booth. he hearts jake locker more than any insufferable husky fan, straight and/or gay, i know.
-sometimes luck goes our way.

close game, glad i didn't turn it off...

halftime finds the good guys up 21-20....

apple cup - end of Q1

i almost turned the game off. twice. some initial thoughts.
-jake locker is god, but then 3 minutes later, he's tired and still young - look announcer people, if you want to slurp jake's juice, jump in line, i know at least 2 people that will be ahead of you. but i can also tell you, ragging on him won't get you ahead in line.
-my team sucks. hard.
-win or lose, bill doba will lose his job.
-just once i'd like to see 50/50 announcing. once.
-giving a receiver a 17 yard cushion will result in big gains.

i'm comin' back in a bit.

end of the first quarter, 10-7 bad guys.

Right place, right time...in England, no less

is there a better case of "right place, right time (and right people)" than that of legendary (and i use that term loosely) drummer ringo starr?

this guy was the second drummer the beatles snared, and plays the easiest riffs and fills that i have ever heard. don't get me wrong, he takes nothing away from the beatles or my enjoyment in listening to them, but he's average at best.

how lucky can someone be? sheesh...

any other cases - please share.

things that i like right now

i like funyuns - although the fake onion flavor can be a bit overwhelming at times. i like beer too, i can't forget beer. beer and funyuns. check that, i like beer and pork rinds. well, i'm not sure about that, but i know that i like all of those things, just not sure if i like them together. i also like coffee, but i'm pretty sure that coffee wouldn't compliment fried pork skin, funyuns or beer.

what do you like?

can i declare myself a professional

the other day i was told that, after i made up a funny little rant, i should write a sports blog, maybe even professionally. they proceded to tell me that i have the wit and the knack to make it happen. flattering. yay. i'd be fibbing ever so slightly if i didn't admit that that was the original intent of creating this blog. professionally is quite a stretch, but to write a humorous and witty blog. maybe not about sports. maybe about life in general. or beer. or laundry detergent. there was never a defining "this-is-what-i'm-going-to-write-about" moment with me. i think i may have mentioned in my first post that i may even leave it up to my 2 readers to make the decisions on what to write about - of course, to do that, i'd need to write more and establish more of a fandom.

so what exactly does it take to write in that capacity?
(and i'm going to end with that although i could write more - it's time to go)

do me favor

why do people find it necessary to come to work when all they can do is cough every 2 seconds? the person that sits across from me gets bronchitis like clockwork - 15,980,765 time a year - no joke, okay, well, maybe a little joke.

if you're coughing so much and it's so uncontrollable that you cannot get your hand over your mouth to cover it you need to do one of two things.

1. don't come to work. i don't care what drugs your doctor gave you. i don't care what cough suppressant your taking. and most of all, i don't care if you don't think you're contagious. if you're coughing and feel like fecal matter - you're contagious (in my book at least).

2. wear a effing mask. that whole sars pandemic (was it a pandemic?) taught the world that masks could be fashionable and serve a health purpose at the same time. they're relatively cheap, unless you want ones that have some kind of logo or drawing or, god forbid, sequins.

please please please. i hate getting sick, and more than that, my fiancee hates me when i'm sick. if you're too cheap to stay home or buy a stupid mask, i'll make you one. i have tissue and floss, we'll make it work.

and for pete's sake, drink heavily at night to clear that ess up.

off to the beach we go...

back in may, maybe early june, i had started bugging honey bunches to find out the size of her ring finger, since she couldn’t tell me outright what the size was. she’d always respond “my mom has the tool to size it; i’ll do it when we’re there next…”

this happened probably 20 times – to be honest, i lost track – and i eventually gave up on getting the proper size. i rationalized with myself that i could buy the ring and “guess” – but, i’m not a ring expert and have no idea how many times it can sized/resized before it cannot be done any more.

early august rolls around and with it brings a visit from my best friends from arizona. i had hoped anthony would be able to go with me to look at some rings – this wasn’t, at this time, something that i was comfortable doing myself, for the simple fact that i was 100% serious about buying and didn’t want to screw it up. however, our play date ran long and time just wasn’t allowing that to happen. upon our return to his in-laws (where he and his wife were staying), i was being interrogated about when i was going to pop the question – by this point, it had become a rather popular question by everyone i believe (family, friends, postman, coworkers, milkman, school teachers, etc etc). i contended at the time that i was going to do it soon, just wanted to save more money. it wasn’t about the desire, had plenty of that (i’ve known for some time that i wanted to marry honey bunches), just didn’t think i had enough for the purchase of the ring that i wanted to give to her.

after that interrogation, i went home and decided i’d just look if and when i had a free moment. and that moment presented itself on august 17, 2007. i had to pick her up from a team event (work) near belle square mall. turns out, the jeweler i wanted to look at was in the mall (thank you to the fabulous recommendation), so i planned to look before i picked her up. little did i know that it would take me 3 minutes to find the most WONDERFUL and BEAUTIFUL ring for her? i sat down and the gentleman there showed me 2 rings, unimpressive rings – yes, they were nice, but they didn’t scream at me and i couldn’t envision them on honey bunches finger. then i saw it, i pointed, he picked it out of the case and i asked to buy it…walking out a few minutes later with a ring and no idea of how i was going to make the proposal. after i picked her up, and after a day of drinks for her, she pulled me into a jeweler, thankfully not the same one, and got her finger sized - ironic, no?

fast forward 4 weeks. i had asked jun and carole (her parents) the day after we came back from vegas for their blessing. i knew honey bunches was disappointed, as confirmed by her mom, that i didn’t propose there – and honestly, i half knew she was expecting something which is one of the reasons i didn’t do it there. they had asked what i was going to do and i still hadn’t solidified anything.

after a week (9/6 or so), i had the idea in my head and ran it by my mom - mostly because she was being a nosy nancy and kept feeding me ideas (she was excited). this was going to take some work and help coordinating – i didn’t even ask, she ran with it and did everything that i wanted to have done (i'm telling you, she was completely excited about this – my mom LOVES honey bunches and the little one…i’m not sure i’m giving her enough credit by saying that either…).

on 9/7, i asked honey bunches if we could go out the following Friday. have a nice dinner, maybe go to a movie or go for a walk…something date-like. that day (9/14), i asked her if we could leave early from work. it was friday, i was tired of working, just wanted to spend some time with her. she complied and finished getting ready for work. while she was doing that, i packed her a change of clothes and some shoes and made sure that i had the ring - all secretly of course.

we left work with plans to go shopping at nordstrom rack and toys r us before dinner (at mccormick and schmicks…reservation for 6:30). we got in the car and started our journey.

we passed by nordstrom rack and (she was on the phone) pointed as we went by. i told her not to worry, i wanted to go for a drive. we ended up heading south on 405. she asked again, “where are we going.” to which t replied, “don’t worry, i just want to go for a drive.”

down in renton, before we got to the I-5 interchange she remarked, “you wanted to drive around the lake, um, ok.” i responded by heading south on I-5 and not saying anything. at some point after that, i made mention of heading to portland (she mentioned it that morning), and that she should probably cancel the dinner reservations, we just weren’t going to make it (you should’ve seen the disappointment) just to get the wheels turning. traffic was terrible that day, and all I could think about was maneuvering in and out - had places to go. after just over 2 hours, we reached olympia and started heading toward aberdeen (which is where my family lives). at this point, i think she was getting a little peeved and told me that i didn’t have to be secretive, “you could’ve told me that we were going to your mom’s.” i think i replied again, “we’re just going for a drive.”

the trip from olympia to aberdeen is about 50 minutes and halfway through, she turned to me, before putting her earphones in, and said, almost snotty, “you could’ve told me we were coming down here.” this time i told her that i really couldn’t, but wouldn’t elaborate and i could tell she wasn’t happy at all.

we drove through aberdeen and started heading the back way to the beach. let me back up just a bit – i would be remiss not to mention that adding to her crankiness was that she also had to go to the bathroom, but we couldn’t stop. owing to my mom, i knew we had to reach our destination before sunset or my plan would be ruined.

we made it to moclips, a little town on the beach, and the restaurant which i had made reservations a few days before. she asked if she could use the bathroom, and i told her no (i’m so nice) we had reservations at 7:30 and i wanted to get down to the beach so she could experience it before the stairs down closed. down the massive stair case, all 1,302,306,098,296 steps, and we ended up on the sand. it was a gloomy day, but it could’ve been worse.

we were walking along the beach toward the water, talking back and forth aimlessly about who knows what (i only had one thing on my mind), heading toward a little spot in the sand. we stumbled across 3 little hearts on sticks at the base of a giant heart with “honey bunches” written in the middle of it. above it were the words “will you” and above that “marry me?” with some roses next to it.

she froze when she saw it, looked at me after reading and asked “is…is, is this for me?” i shook my head yes, got down on one knee and held out the ring asking her to marry me. i cannot describe the shock and disbelief, followed by the emotion that came next. but i can tell you this: before she said yes, she put her hands on my cheek and told me that I was “such a big dork” (which is a compliment), then said yes and began to cry (well, at least that’s how I remember it)…

(For those of you who do not know, she had never been to a washington state beach before – this was her first time on the gray sand and I had decided to make it special)

i explained to her how it was done, made sure her irritation was gone and we were then congratulated by my mom and step-dad. we walked back up the stairs and changed into the clothes i had brought and enjoyed or dinner and the rest of our evening together (even the drive back home after diner).

...and that is the story of our trip to the beach.

now we can officially be "honey bunches and oats" - silly i know.

mad dash to get it done

in this blog you will never find a rant, a rave, or a mention about anything that goes on with my job. i don't want to turn this into a soapbox to ruminate anything that goes on in the workplace - good, bad, or indifferent. i will though, from time to time, use it as a handy excuse. like this - i haven't posted in forever and a day because i usually post at work. work has become fast paced and ridiculous (since i moved back to supporting sales) and i have little, ney, no time to post. so there you have it.

but i'm back today. for a few minutes. so how is the great pink t, you ask? <>

so, i have a list of things to write about. random thoughts about why things are they way they are and why we behave the way we do. i also have a overrated/underrated post, well, 2 actually, that i need to get out. let's start with what i was going to write about last week.

so, we human beings are psychological anomalies. probably not to those that study the mind and body, but to me, and my opinion is what matters right now. growing up, i'd often get cuts or scrapes. once i even slid across pavement on my face after riding my bike like a motorcycle around a corner (yes, i leaned, the pedal caught the ground and i flew). i see kids these days with the same things happen to them, and you know what? they don't cry. not until they actually see the damage. not until they see the reaction (toddlers are this way too).

as we grow up, i firmly believe we're able to control our reactions to pain or shock. a small scrape no longer warrants a scream, heck, it may not even hurt anymore. for some people the mere sight of blood will send them into hysterics.

i bring this up because just recently i had this happen to me and it was odd. it's been nice here, i've been driving a lot, and the sun is always on my side of the car (i'm cursed). so not only do i have a nice farmer's tan, one arm is significantly darker than the other. i forget where i was coming from on the day in mind, but later i noticed my arm was burned.

now, at any point throughout the day and into the evening, you would think that a burned arm might, just maybe, cause a little bit of pain to an individual. me, i guess it doesn't. only after i noticed it did i realize that it actually was a bit tender and that it hurt. go figure.

i don't understand why we as human's do not recognize all pain in the same way. the example i gave is different than someone putting their hand on a hot plate. the latter i would think would be instantaneous, but the former, eh, when you notice it.

it's just something to ponder. you'll have to excuse me now, i was just told i'm on fire and now that it's mentioned, it kind of hurts.

promises are not always kept

i have failed you my faithful readers. i promised a post today, and at this time, this seems to be the best it's going to get. a post saying "i can't post today." i'm not sure i'll find the time today, but i will at least make an attempt. lots to talk about, lots to ponder.

sorry for making a promise i cannot fulfill . have a beer on me.

things to do before i die

i find it interesting that our thoughts during the day are based upon a sequence of events during the previous or current day. what we read, what we see, what we're doing, etc. our dreams are affected by said events and well as our interactions with our spouses, friends, family, coworkers, strangers. try this on for size - 12 yr old tacoma girl update. after reading this story one can't help to feel, maybe just me, less hopeful of a positive outcome, thusly changing my mood and reactions towards others.

i cannot admit that it is a long lasting change, but there is a change in feeling nonetheless. another article i read in men's health did the same thing. to recap - a man goes in for surgery, goes into cardiac arrest, and reevaluates his "life goals." he uses examples such as having a belini at harry's bar to just keep drinking. it sounds glib, but i'm merely paraphrasing. the larger idea is that climbing peaks, having drinks at a bar hemingway used as a backdrop, reading proust - those are all superficial, all but inconquerable goals, while having a beer, fishing with grandpa or starting family traditions are the things that matter most in life.

the point i'm going for here is that this article is one of those "thought provokers." my approach to life today has been changed - even if it is merely for an afternoon. i've spent the better part of today evaluating and reevaluating what it is that i must do before i die. are there 5 things (only 5!) or are there 1,000 (how is that possible)? i really don't know.

time for a small tangent, which at the end should make sense, at least it does to me. satchel paige spoke to six "rules for staying young." it originally appeared in the june 13, 1953 issue of collier's. the version i am listing was taken from his autobiography.

1. avoid fried meats which angry up the blood
2. if your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts
3. keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move
4. go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society - the social ramble ain't restful
5. avoid running at all times
6. and don't look back - something might be gaining on you

he has a list. he, it seems, has an idea of what he needs to do before he dies. or at least to be able to enjoy life's experiences. this list was his response to how he remained young (he was 42 when he made it into the bigs because of a color barrier) while playing against kids half his age. somehow, i think, at least metaphorically, these "rules" can be adapted.

when i look back on my life when i'm 80, what will be the more rewarding accomplishment - the brotherly banter with my siblings on a holiday, or the fact that i was able to successfully learn 3 languages (not that this is what i'd like to do, just an example). i know that i'm not the type that will want to brag, to wax poetic about all my accomplishments in life. so what if i've climbed everest 100 times, does it mean anything if the people closest to me don't care? does it mean anything if i miss out on my child walking for the first time, my mother's surgery to remove her breast cancer, my grandfather calling me a cheater while playing cribbage?

yeah, probably not.

the laughter, the banter, the jokes, the tears, the heartache. those are the things that make memories. the events that bring those emotions are what i would classify under "things to do before i die." now, i need to make like satchel and figure out my list...

i's tired today. i would prefer for the day to be over already. i'm bored at work and have been sitting in a room all day waiting to start something that we were supposed to start at 930. oh, it 315. i'm not a fan of unproductive days. even when i feel like i need a break or want to run away from everything, i still wish to be productive. meh, what are you going to do?

kind of a lame post today. yesterday i was thinking of something to speak about, but to be completely honest, i don't remember what it was. i'm assuming it couldn't have been that important.

honeybunches and i took in the transformers this past friday. good show. good show. all i heard leading up to it was that it was great with action, but the rest of the show was crap. not the case, i'm happy to report. there existed a story, great graphics, no over the top acting and no real bad acting. i was very impressed. maybe i'll write a "real" review soon, i dunno. trivia point: the voice of optimus prime was the original voice from the series as well. whodathunk?

sorry for the lameness, my 3 readers. enjoy your day.

over and under

i was listening to the radio this morning - adam carolla to be exact. they were doing this "best of..." (presumably because he's on vacation) and the topic was "overrated/underrated." and it got me thinking, as i listened to it for the second time, what are some of the things that i too find overrated/underrated.

here's my first, and unfortunately, they talked about this on the radio.

overrated

the beastie boys. i like the music they make, i'm sure they put on an entertaining show. i'm sure their family loves them and they make their mommas proud. but what in sam hell do they do that elevates them to a god-like status in the record business. to me, they are no better than the kids you see in the hallway of your school with a mixed tape of beats they put down with an electric keyboard and their dad's old records. i mean, listen to them sometime. 90% of their rhymes are just words thrown together, with no reason as to why they are put there, and can easily be interchanged by any of the members - case in point, every line ends with all of them shouting the word. example:

"girls, hey all i really want is girls and in the evening it's girls"

with the bolded words being shouted by all three. it truly doesn't do it justice, but i hope it paints a picture. at any rate, i do like their music, i just don't feel that they deserve the gushing praise they get. if they weren't "the beastie boys" and haven't been around for so long, would they have the status they have? i just don't know.

underrated
i'll stick with the music theme and go with guster. it might be because they are one of my favorite bands, but i don't care. i first saw these guys open for the barenaked ladies circa 2001 and was immediately impressed with their stage presence, their banter with the crowd, and their overwhelmingly humble nature. they are in their own words "wuss rock." what makes them stand out is their ability to deliver time after time, album after album, a solid slate of music and (when live) a spectacular show. i can continue to gush and rave about them, but i won't. all that is important is that they are solid and continually do not get the recognition, on a national/worldly level, that they deserve.

you may or may not agree, my 3 readers, but that's ok. please comment if you'd like, heck, even list your own thoughts, i'd love to hear them.

maybe we'll even do this over/under list ever week, on different topics. time for an alaskan amber.

ciao!

awww. ain't this about a bitch? ok, bye.

i was going to write some lamentous post about the sonics losing another "superstar" but have decided against it. it's not worth my time - i say, again - good riddance.

seattle fans: he's a semi-all-star. he has no defensive skills. he's overpaid and overhyped. as far as i'm concerned he has two things going for him - a) he can score and b) he shares his birthday with me (which is pretty neat, he should feel blessed).

i don't have my finger on the pulse of this one yet, but i can tell you this, there are a lot of rashard lovers out there (which i do not understand) and i know they will be heartbroken. but if the guy wants $75 million, let him go.

i don't know about you, but i'd rather see the sonics save their money and spend it on things like a new arena and better beer.

Seattle International Beer Fest(ival)

who likes beer? i found out that i like most beer or beer-like substances, including, but not limited to mead.

my better half and i decided to take in this once-a-year hopfest in the hopes of finding some very good beer. i think, with the exception of one beer, we were overly satisfied - yes, J.W. Lee, your harvest ale is disgusting, very much akin to drinking dish soap. i'm not lying.

a nice day to have enough beer to catch a buzz, at least by the weather's standards. the prison, er gates, were bulging with people (and yes, pets) and the atmosphere was a solid 8. not a lot of food choices, but when i finally needed the hotdog to soak up some of the bier, i was able to find one without a problem. the festival had live bands throughout the day, but i enjoyed the music the most when they were playing old sublime over the speakers (don't quit your day jobs, bands).

i think it can best be summarized as this: if we were able to go to portland we would. as it stands, that probably won't happen. this has left such a positive impression that we will not be missing this event again. and we'll take a cab

couple of quick links:

seattle's beer fest
portland has one too!

cheers!

was trading jesus shuttelsworth the right move?

today we do a sports entry. maybe some other stuff along with it.

authors warning: copious amounts of beer were consumed today, so while i'm doing my best to have straight thoughts, they may come out a bit jagged.

recently the nba draft was held. i turned in my fan membership about 8 years ago when it started to become a 2 man game. for some reason, i like games to be played where all five (in this case) players are involved. i digress.

i listened to the draft on my way home from work - thanks seattle traffic - and was actually intrigued for the first time in years. i'll put this on the fact that the supes (supersonics) had the 2nd overall pick. go team.

now here's what i want to touch on. the trading of ray allen to the celtics was a good thing seattle. i know a lot of people are sore about it, but get over it. really.

jesus s. is 32. he's coming off a season that he played 50ish games. he had not one, but both, his ankles operated on. he was on the books for $14+ million. and, most telling of all, only one shooting guard in the history of the nba has not declined in years 12-14 (reggie miller), which he would've been ours for.

look, he was drafted the year before i graduated high school, and played with the likes of donyell and donny marshall. fun.

i know that the trade to the celtics for this jeff green kid brings on the "whaddyawhooooodya, why?" - and i'm not sure anyone can answer that. but this i can say. while i think the trade was good for a now "fully" rebuilding sonics club and the outcome of it was short of desirable, it's a good thing for the club.

they'll turn it around, most likely after they move, but you never know. part of me even wants to don the old sonics shirts and actually spend some hard earned money on tickets. after all, we do have the best player from the draft on our team now.

of course, then again, i might be like the typical seattle fan and say "show me" first. and it'll be too late. good thing football is coming soon.

tomorrow: seattle's international beer fest. bomb.

semi-frequent reader, first time writer

i'm positing my first blog. okay. fun.

i haven't decided what my format is, why i'm doing this, where the direction will be - you know the fun things to think about before actually committing to something like this. lord knows i have a hard enough time ever keeping up (redundant alert) my myspace. however, i'm sure that in due time, something will be decided. of course, that is always subject to change.

cheers and keep posted.