Greetings all. I have been lazy not dead. Not much going on around here but here is the quick and dirty version of the last 2 months...we went to New York City for a great 4 days, Jennifer changed jobs (back to an old one), we found out Jenn was pregnant and due in February (I'm not allowed to say that the original due date was Super Bowl weekend...oops I did it...), Jenn's fun little Jetta had massive engine issues and we had to buy a new car, my Saturn needed about $500 in brake work and we finally made the effort and put the money down to get the MGB that has been in parents garage for 20 years fixed and running.
I think that is about it for now, but I am getting my mojo back for this blogging thing.
Take care all!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
My God, I swear I am not high...
So, we had this American Idolesque talent contest at work and they bribed people into trying out with a $50 Best Buy gift card. Amazingly out of all the tryouts, I was one of 6 finalists, not sure how, I think it was some Equal Employment Opportunity thing or something.
Anyhow, here is my interview video that they showed before my performance...I am noting the following for the record:
1. I was not high, nor had I been in the immediately preceding 10-12 years. 8-)
2. I was actually dead tired. The interview was at 10 a.m. normally not bad, but it was 10 a.m. the morning after Jenn and I had flown back from Mexico.
3. The camera added 20 pounds. Lord knows I am starting a workout/diet routine tomorrow because I am no longer my svelte 215 pounds, that said, I'm looking a bit like Jared in this video. Horrid.
Enjoy. I think I might actually end up with a recording of the performance shortly, but for now, this is the best I can do. Oh and as for the results, I didn't win. A guy from the DC that rocked out La Bamba in Spanish as well as playing guitar won...he totally deserved it.
Anyhow, here is my interview video that they showed before my performance...I am noting the following for the record:
1. I was not high, nor had I been in the immediately preceding 10-12 years. 8-)
2. I was actually dead tired. The interview was at 10 a.m. normally not bad, but it was 10 a.m. the morning after Jenn and I had flown back from Mexico.
3. The camera added 20 pounds. Lord knows I am starting a workout/diet routine tomorrow because I am no longer my svelte 215 pounds, that said, I'm looking a bit like Jared in this video. Horrid.
Enjoy. I think I might actually end up with a recording of the performance shortly, but for now, this is the best I can do. Oh and as for the results, I didn't win. A guy from the DC that rocked out La Bamba in Spanish as well as playing guitar won...he totally deserved it.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Where have all the Bugs gone?
Many years ago, my brother and I played a game called Punch Bug. I have no idea where it came from but I know we didn't think of it.
Essentially the rules of the game were two fold. First, the first person to see a VW Bug and this was in the mid 1980s when they were everywhere, said "Punch-Bug Red" and then Second slugged the opposing player in the arm. You also accumulated points, 1 for all colors except Red which you got 10 points. You could also get bonus points for a convertible or other variations.
Unfortunately those Bugs slowly dwindled until the new Bug came out in the early 2000s I think. Anyway, at that point, I couldn't stay married very long playing punch bug with Jennifer so we altered to the rules to make it win-win shall we say. However, without the loveable old Bug, it wasn't quite the same.
That is until we went to Mexico. I suppose Puerto Vallarta is where all Bugs go to die. I mean, I wouldn't mind going there to die. But check out the photos below. These were all taken within about 1 hour stretch on the same block and I likely only took photos of about 1/2 of the ones we saw. (Pardon the photo quality...they are from my cellphone). Oh and we snuck in a photo of a VW bus and one photo where there were 2 Bugs in the same photo (far right on top row)
Essentially the rules of the game were two fold. First, the first person to see a VW Bug and this was in the mid 1980s when they were everywhere, said "Punch-Bug Red" and then Second slugged the opposing player in the arm. You also accumulated points, 1 for all colors except Red which you got 10 points. You could also get bonus points for a convertible or other variations.
Unfortunately those Bugs slowly dwindled until the new Bug came out in the early 2000s I think. Anyway, at that point, I couldn't stay married very long playing punch bug with Jennifer so we altered to the rules to make it win-win shall we say. However, without the loveable old Bug, it wasn't quite the same.
That is until we went to Mexico. I suppose Puerto Vallarta is where all Bugs go to die. I mean, I wouldn't mind going there to die. But check out the photos below. These were all taken within about 1 hour stretch on the same block and I likely only took photos of about 1/2 of the ones we saw. (Pardon the photo quality...they are from my cellphone). Oh and we snuck in a photo of a VW bus and one photo where there were 2 Bugs in the same photo (far right on top row)
Later in the trip on a 30-minute bus ride to down town at night we decided to count how many we saw. We made it somewhere around 40 in 30 minutes. Amazing.
So there you have it...if you need parts or an old-school VW, you know where to go. South of the Border baby!Monday, May 5, 2008
Why?
So, if you are a dedicated Mississippi Raw Footage reader you already know that my lovely bride and I are in sunny Mexico for Cinco de Mayo. Woohoo! I won a contest through work and the payoff was four nights, five days all expenses paid at the Vallarta Palace on the ocean with the following view from our room.
Ignore the chubby guy in the middle of the view and suffice it to say that you have plenty of sunshine, plenty of warmth and plenty of friendly people. Oh yes and that is the Pacific Ocean and some mountains in the background.
Oh and a tap in the entertainment center including Cuervo, Dewars, Bacardi and Smirnoff.
Not mention the fact that we are here on no less than Cinco de Mayo. Sounds like a barrel of laughs, right? But wait, the Mexicans do not celebrate Cinco de Mayo. "What's this?" you say "That's impossible...shouldn't they be eating a bean burrito with some chips and salsa and a frozen margarita or Corona? At least that is what I expected." Silly ethnocentric American!
So, my inquisitive nature leads me to question a friendly young Mexican waiter at lunch.
"You guys don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo here? In the U.S. we celebrate it in a big way."
His response, a simple one..."Why?"
Nice... Oh, and he didn't really elaborate...beyond asking how we celebrate. He's like, "Do you eat tamales?" Sure, tamales, burritos, tacos carne asada, corona, margaritas...all the stuff you are supposed to do on Cinco de Mayo.
Apparently Cinco de Mayo, while it does commemorate the Battle of Puebla where the Mexicans demolished a larger Frenchie army, it is not a significant Mexican Holiday. My impression is that it ranks with the Mexicans somewhere around Flag Day and Arbor Day in the U.S. Maybe it is similar to the Grenada Day, the day the U.S. had about a 45 minute "war" with the island nation of Grenada.
The real Mexican Independence Day is September 16th with a full fledged parade, party, ringing of bells. It is the Grito de Dolores. Who knew? I guess we have to come back down here in four months to really get our party on South of the Border style.
More later from the beach!
Ignore the chubby guy in the middle of the view and suffice it to say that you have plenty of sunshine, plenty of warmth and plenty of friendly people. Oh yes and that is the Pacific Ocean and some mountains in the background.
Oh and a tap in the entertainment center including Cuervo, Dewars, Bacardi and Smirnoff.
Not mention the fact that we are here on no less than Cinco de Mayo. Sounds like a barrel of laughs, right? But wait, the Mexicans do not celebrate Cinco de Mayo. "What's this?" you say "That's impossible...shouldn't they be eating a bean burrito with some chips and salsa and a frozen margarita or Corona? At least that is what I expected." Silly ethnocentric American!
So, my inquisitive nature leads me to question a friendly young Mexican waiter at lunch.
"You guys don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo here? In the U.S. we celebrate it in a big way."
His response, a simple one..."Why?"
Nice... Oh, and he didn't really elaborate...beyond asking how we celebrate. He's like, "Do you eat tamales?" Sure, tamales, burritos, tacos carne asada, corona, margaritas...all the stuff you are supposed to do on Cinco de Mayo.
Apparently Cinco de Mayo, while it does commemorate the Battle of Puebla where the Mexicans demolished a larger Frenchie army, it is not a significant Mexican Holiday. My impression is that it ranks with the Mexicans somewhere around Flag Day and Arbor Day in the U.S. Maybe it is similar to the Grenada Day, the day the U.S. had about a 45 minute "war" with the island nation of Grenada.
The real Mexican Independence Day is September 16th with a full fledged parade, party, ringing of bells. It is the Grito de Dolores. Who knew? I guess we have to come back down here in four months to really get our party on South of the Border style.
More later from the beach!
Friday, April 4, 2008
Size does matter
Ok, I realize I have not posted in something like 2+ months. I have no real excuse other than laziness, but in my defense I was sick from something like a month. Nothing major serious, just a cold/cough that was annoying and made me just want to sleep.
So I am back...
So what has gone on in the last couple months.
I went to San Antonio for a conference. I think it was my first time there. We lived in Texas when I was little (maybe 1-2 years old) but obviously didn't remember it.
Mostly work on the trip, but knowing the famous landmark of the city, besides the Riverwalk, the Alamo was in the middle of downtown, I did go in search of it. When I found it, I had an immediate reaction of, that can't be it, its really small...My guess/estimate is that the front of the building is maybe 35 feet tall. I mean if your life depended on keeping thousands of angry Mexicans from killing you, wouldn't you want more than 35 feet of stone and brick work in their way. No wonder Davey Crockett and others bit it there.
So anyways, I will close with a funny story from Jenn's travels with Good News TV about the Alamo. (Jenn - No corrections on facts, I am paraphrasing and generalizing for time and convenience) Jenn used to travel 100 days a year with Good News and many of the crew members were high school and college interns and summer help. On a trip to San Antonio, they stayed in a hotel right downtown near the Alamo. They left the hotel for dinner on the first night and walked outside. Immediately outside the lobby, they realized they were right next door to the Alamo. The immediate reaction of one future brain surgeon, "Why did they put it so close to downtown." Wow, I'll be here all week, try the steak and don't forget to tip your wait staff, they work hard for you.
There is much more to talk about from the last 2 months, but for now, goodnight Internet.
So I am back...
So what has gone on in the last couple months.
I went to San Antonio for a conference. I think it was my first time there. We lived in Texas when I was little (maybe 1-2 years old) but obviously didn't remember it.
Mostly work on the trip, but knowing the famous landmark of the city, besides the Riverwalk, the Alamo was in the middle of downtown, I did go in search of it. When I found it, I had an immediate reaction of, that can't be it, its really small...My guess/estimate is that the front of the building is maybe 35 feet tall. I mean if your life depended on keeping thousands of angry Mexicans from killing you, wouldn't you want more than 35 feet of stone and brick work in their way. No wonder Davey Crockett and others bit it there. So anyways, I will close with a funny story from Jenn's travels with Good News TV about the Alamo. (Jenn - No corrections on facts, I am paraphrasing and generalizing for time and convenience) Jenn used to travel 100 days a year with Good News and many of the crew members were high school and college interns and summer help. On a trip to San Antonio, they stayed in a hotel right downtown near the Alamo. They left the hotel for dinner on the first night and walked outside. Immediately outside the lobby, they realized they were right next door to the Alamo. The immediate reaction of one future brain surgeon, "Why did they put it so close to downtown." Wow, I'll be here all week, try the steak and don't forget to tip your wait staff, they work hard for you.
There is much more to talk about from the last 2 months, but for now, goodnight Internet.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Sgt. Barry Sadler is my Home Boy
Ok, most of you know I am a bit of a sports geek. My darling wife is a literary, music type of girl so when we play Trivial Pursuit it is pretty much a battle of attrition. I get Yellow, Blue, Green and Orange (History, Geography, Science and Sports), she gets Pink, Brown, Green and some Blue/Yellow (Entertainment, Arts and Literature and the others).
So tonight, partially because we were horribly bored with the same old same old (scanning Tevo), partially because of the writer's strike and partially because we just plain need to spend more non TV/Internet time together we decided to play Trivial Pursuit.
The first game was rolling along in typical fashion. I was doing well rolling all over the board looking for Roll Again and Orange Sports Spots to keep my turns going, till inevitably I had five pies and needed Pink to fill the pie and then of course to win I would have to answer another pink.
Then fate Smiled on me with the following two questions in succession on Pink (And Nathan will love the first one):
Q: What artist had a 1966 hit with Ballad of the Green Berets?
A: (And I love this song) Sgt. Barry Sadler
and then...even better....
Q: What name was given to the genre of Italian Cowboy movies (or something like that)
A: Spaghetti Westerns.
For me it doesn't get much better than that on Pink in Trivial Pursuit. Maybe something about Snoopy....what was Snoopy's buddy bird's name or something. So Barry Sadler, this Bud's for you. Oh and I lost the second game so the Ramsey family ended 1-1. BTW, watch out for us as a team, we won't lose. 8-)
So tonight, partially because we were horribly bored with the same old same old (scanning Tevo), partially because of the writer's strike and partially because we just plain need to spend more non TV/Internet time together we decided to play Trivial Pursuit.
The first game was rolling along in typical fashion. I was doing well rolling all over the board looking for Roll Again and Orange Sports Spots to keep my turns going, till inevitably I had five pies and needed Pink to fill the pie and then of course to win I would have to answer another pink.
Then fate Smiled on me with the following two questions in succession on Pink (And Nathan will love the first one):
Q: What artist had a 1966 hit with Ballad of the Green Berets?
A: (And I love this song) Sgt. Barry Sadler
and then...even better....
Q: What name was given to the genre of Italian Cowboy movies (or something like that)
A: Spaghetti Westerns.
For me it doesn't get much better than that on Pink in Trivial Pursuit. Maybe something about Snoopy....what was Snoopy's buddy bird's name or something. So Barry Sadler, this Bud's for you. Oh and I lost the second game so the Ramsey family ended 1-1. BTW, watch out for us as a team, we won't lose. 8-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)