Trust me, I've been meaning to write but haven't found the time.
But some good news...I passed my P.E. exam! I'm officially an engineer! You may now address me as Mike Lashua, P.E. (Not as cool as Ph.D, I know)
Enjoy your last day of 2008!! Make it a good one!!
(Video below is not safe for work)
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Under the Overpass
A few weeks ago, a book entitled "Under the Overpass" by Mike Yankowski was recommended to me by RaeG (Rae Gillen). She said that I would particularly like it. Knowing that I was going to be in Virginia for three days for work, I decided I would pick up this book to kill the time while I was flying or waiting at the terminals caused by the large quantities of snow that are supposed to be arriving in Madison on Tuesday. No doubt, I'll get stuck at O'Hare :-(
So last Friday I went to the library over my lunch break to pick it up. I started reading it during my 2 hour layover at O'Hare. I was hooked immediately. "Under the Overpass" is a true story about a college guy (Mike, the author) who chooses to spend 5 months living on the streets as a homeless guy in 6 major cities, along with a buddy named Sam. The first city was Denver, then D.C., Portland, San Francisco, Phoenix and San Diego in that order. This book is basically about the struggles he encounters with other homeless people, the church, finding food, finding places to sleep, pan-handling for money and ultimately himself. As a Christian, Mike felt compelled and driven to get a first-hand account of what it is like to be homeless. It is a shocking, horrifying, intriguing and inspiring story of faith on the truly mean streets of America.
I knew right away this was something that I would get into. In fact, I went to this amazing coffee shop this evening in downtown Lynchburg called the White Hart (which may be the best coffee shop I've ever been to) and completely finished the book. The fastest book I ever read. I was done in less than 24 hours. There were so many great passages in the book that I wanted to circle them. But since this was a library book I didn't want to do that...but I did anyway. Below are a few of the passages that popped out at me:
Pg. 46
"If we are the body of Christ - and Christ came not for the healthy but the sick - we need to be fully present in the places where people are most broken. And it has to be more than just a financial presence. That helps, of course. But too often money is insulation - it conveniently keeps us from ever having to come face-to-face with a man or woman whose life is in tatters."
Pg. 114 (On passing a church with a sign that read "No Trespassing. Church Business Only." A new chain and two huge padlocks secured the gate at the sidewalk)
"...Sure, a church needs to protect its property, but what we had just seen seemed excessive, and sent a negative uncaring message...
...Sam was having the same thoughts. "Let's say your life is falling apart and you need help. Would you want to go there?"
"Nope, " I said, "Anywhere but there. But the world is the church's business - and that's exactly who they're shutting out!"
We walked past a market that sold pop, beer, wine, cigarettes, pornography. The doors were wedged open. Ragged people came and went.
It was one of the places that never close...."
Pg. 141 (In a conversation with a guy named George)
"Isn't it amazing," I said, "that when we live as we're called and do what we're commanded, the gospel does get preached - one way or the other?"
Pg. 153
"It really frustrates me when Christians talk about their faith in Christ but never let the fruit of it grow in their lives," James said quietly. "True faith is visible."
Pg. 181 (Quote from Edifying Discourses by Soren Kierkegaard)
"Heavenly expectation begins precisely at the moment when earthly expectation sinks down in weakness and despair."
It was disturbing to see how often they got the cold shoulder from churches. I would say about 80% of the time they weren't allowed to enter or were ignored.
So, I highly recommend this book. It was incredibly encouraging for me. I know the above quotes sound a bit preachy, but trust me this is not how it came across to me.
Ironically enough, after I was done reading the book I picked up the magazine sitting on the table next to me and the first page that I opened it up to was about the New York Rescue Missions for the homeless and the some of the exact things, places and issues that were mentioned in the book were talked about in this article. Spooky!
By the way, Virginia is a beautiful state! I drove up in to the Blue Ridge Mountains after the transformer testing was done and the trees were huge and the road followed along the James River. Absolutely gorgeous. And it was 60 degrees out! Not looking forward to the -15 degree weather back in WI.
So last Friday I went to the library over my lunch break to pick it up. I started reading it during my 2 hour layover at O'Hare. I was hooked immediately. "Under the Overpass" is a true story about a college guy (Mike, the author) who chooses to spend 5 months living on the streets as a homeless guy in 6 major cities, along with a buddy named Sam. The first city was Denver, then D.C., Portland, San Francisco, Phoenix and San Diego in that order. This book is basically about the struggles he encounters with other homeless people, the church, finding food, finding places to sleep, pan-handling for money and ultimately himself. As a Christian, Mike felt compelled and driven to get a first-hand account of what it is like to be homeless. It is a shocking, horrifying, intriguing and inspiring story of faith on the truly mean streets of America.
I knew right away this was something that I would get into. In fact, I went to this amazing coffee shop this evening in downtown Lynchburg called the White Hart (which may be the best coffee shop I've ever been to) and completely finished the book. The fastest book I ever read. I was done in less than 24 hours. There were so many great passages in the book that I wanted to circle them. But since this was a library book I didn't want to do that...but I did anyway. Below are a few of the passages that popped out at me:
Pg. 46
"If we are the body of Christ - and Christ came not for the healthy but the sick - we need to be fully present in the places where people are most broken. And it has to be more than just a financial presence. That helps, of course. But too often money is insulation - it conveniently keeps us from ever having to come face-to-face with a man or woman whose life is in tatters."
Pg. 114 (On passing a church with a sign that read "No Trespassing. Church Business Only." A new chain and two huge padlocks secured the gate at the sidewalk)
"...Sure, a church needs to protect its property, but what we had just seen seemed excessive, and sent a negative uncaring message...
...Sam was having the same thoughts. "Let's say your life is falling apart and you need help. Would you want to go there?"
"Nope, " I said, "Anywhere but there. But the world is the church's business - and that's exactly who they're shutting out!"
We walked past a market that sold pop, beer, wine, cigarettes, pornography. The doors were wedged open. Ragged people came and went.
It was one of the places that never close...."
Pg. 141 (In a conversation with a guy named George)
"Isn't it amazing," I said, "that when we live as we're called and do what we're commanded, the gospel does get preached - one way or the other?"
Pg. 153
"It really frustrates me when Christians talk about their faith in Christ but never let the fruit of it grow in their lives," James said quietly. "True faith is visible."
Pg. 181 (Quote from Edifying Discourses by Soren Kierkegaard)
"Heavenly expectation begins precisely at the moment when earthly expectation sinks down in weakness and despair."
It was disturbing to see how often they got the cold shoulder from churches. I would say about 80% of the time they weren't allowed to enter or were ignored.
So, I highly recommend this book. It was incredibly encouraging for me. I know the above quotes sound a bit preachy, but trust me this is not how it came across to me.
Ironically enough, after I was done reading the book I picked up the magazine sitting on the table next to me and the first page that I opened it up to was about the New York Rescue Missions for the homeless and the some of the exact things, places and issues that were mentioned in the book were talked about in this article. Spooky!
By the way, Virginia is a beautiful state! I drove up in to the Blue Ridge Mountains after the transformer testing was done and the trees were huge and the road followed along the James River. Absolutely gorgeous. And it was 60 degrees out! Not looking forward to the -15 degree weather back in WI.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Proud to be an MGE Employee!
In the mail today I received the annual holiday letter. In the letter, the company focused on three main accomplishments we had in 2008:
- We expanded the amount of clean, renewable energy available in our Green Power Tomorrow program early in 2008. As a result, MGE now has the highest green pricing participation rate of any investor-owned utility in the country. Ten percent of our residential customers purchase renewable energy.
- MGE ranked No. 1 in electric service reliability among 71 utilities that participated in a 2007 nationwide survey. This top rating shows our commitment to our customers and their energy needs.
- MGE Energy stock has been a steady performer and has avoided the recent market volatility that has affected many of the publicly traded companies. Our stock has performed well due to our credit quality, financial strength, and commitment to dividends.
Way to go MGE and our 721 employees! We are YOUR community energy company.
P.S. Buy MGE stock!! (Nasdaq: MGEE)
Monday, December 1, 2008
Lessons Learned
Well, it was kinda what I expected it to be.
It was bitter cold, windy and snowy. Not the ideal night for charity work out on the street. We only handed out one blanket and hat! No one was out. At least they were taking advantage of the shelter! I guess this is one of the things that when you have a bad turn out, that's a great thing!
I learned three valuable lessons for next time:
1. Do it earlier like 5 or 5:30. Get them to the guys before they head into the shelters for dinner
2. Don't do it on a bitter cold night. Wait for a milder day.
3. Do it earlier next year, like early November just when it starts to get cold.
Still it was cool to get out there and actively seek out the homeless. Usually people avoid them so it was neat to do the opposite. We asked two other guys if they would like a blanket but the politely declined saying they had already had a few! That's cool to see that they are prepared for the weather and people have already provided for them.
It was me, Buck, Camann and another member of our lifegroup, John who helped out. We were all in good spirits throughout and enjoyed eachother's company. It took about an hour to walk around the area and we were bitter cold and numb so we went into Steep & Brew (to support the family) to get some much needed coffee to warm up. I forgot my wallet and cell phone at home, of all the nights, so Buck graciously bought me my coffee...thanks! We had a great discussion and we figured out the world's energy problems, talked about patenting new technology and flux capacitors. Also wood on Mars and translucent solar cells. Very in depth conversation; the best kind there is!
Some night within the next month or so I'd like to do a random, spontaneous attempt at this again. I'll pick a mild evening and then email people to come and meet me at a particular location at a certain time and try this again.
The Helpfulness for Homelessness site will continue to be up from now until December 31. Please think about making a donation if you are able!
Stay tuned...
It was bitter cold, windy and snowy. Not the ideal night for charity work out on the street. We only handed out one blanket and hat! No one was out. At least they were taking advantage of the shelter! I guess this is one of the things that when you have a bad turn out, that's a great thing!
I learned three valuable lessons for next time:
1. Do it earlier like 5 or 5:30. Get them to the guys before they head into the shelters for dinner
2. Don't do it on a bitter cold night. Wait for a milder day.
3. Do it earlier next year, like early November just when it starts to get cold.
Still it was cool to get out there and actively seek out the homeless. Usually people avoid them so it was neat to do the opposite. We asked two other guys if they would like a blanket but the politely declined saying they had already had a few! That's cool to see that they are prepared for the weather and people have already provided for them.
It was me, Buck, Camann and another member of our lifegroup, John who helped out. We were all in good spirits throughout and enjoyed eachother's company. It took about an hour to walk around the area and we were bitter cold and numb so we went into Steep & Brew (to support the family) to get some much needed coffee to warm up. I forgot my wallet and cell phone at home, of all the nights, so Buck graciously bought me my coffee...thanks! We had a great discussion and we figured out the world's energy problems, talked about patenting new technology and flux capacitors. Also wood on Mars and translucent solar cells. Very in depth conversation; the best kind there is!
Some night within the next month or so I'd like to do a random, spontaneous attempt at this again. I'll pick a mild evening and then email people to come and meet me at a particular location at a certain time and try this again.
The Helpfulness for Homelessness site will continue to be up from now until December 31. Please think about making a donation if you are able!
Stay tuned...
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Helpfulness for Homelessness
Hey "Working Hard to Get My Phil" blog readers!
In the spirit of the season of giving, I have setup a fundraising page on Change.org to help support Porchlight Inc. This page will be up now until December 31st.
This is a great organization that runs most of the shelters in Madison and in Dane County, among many other things, and they need your support! I have been working with them when I volunteer at the Grace Lutheran Shelter and I can tell you from first-hand experience that they are doing great things in these peoples' lives!
In addition to this, on Monday, December 1st members of our lifegroup will be distributing blankets and hats to the homeless in the State St./Capital area.
Now is the time to make an impact and you can help!
If you would like to donate, please click on the link below:
Donate to Helpfulness for Homelessness
Even the smallest amount helps!
In the spirit of the season of giving, I have setup a fundraising page on Change.org to help support Porchlight Inc. This page will be up now until December 31st.
This is a great organization that runs most of the shelters in Madison and in Dane County, among many other things, and they need your support! I have been working with them when I volunteer at the Grace Lutheran Shelter and I can tell you from first-hand experience that they are doing great things in these peoples' lives!
In addition to this, on Monday, December 1st members of our lifegroup will be distributing blankets and hats to the homeless in the State St./Capital area.
Now is the time to make an impact and you can help!
If you would like to donate, please click on the link below:
Donate to Helpfulness for Homelessness
Even the smallest amount helps!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Deer Hunting
Ah, November. Deer hunting season! A Malchow family tradition. I've been going deer hunting since I was about 11 or 12. I go with my 2 uncles, 2 cousins and my grandpa. Over the past two years we started using my uncle's cabin. We leave Thursday afternoon!
Some of my best memories are from going hunting. Here are some pictures from over the past few years!
Plenty of cards to be played.
Leader of the camp: Uncle Steve
Trying to stoke the fire!
Piggy back ride at the shooting range.
Some of my best memories are from going hunting. Here are some pictures from over the past few years!
Plenty of cards to be played.
Leader of the camp: Uncle Steve
Trying to stoke the fire!
Piggy back ride at the shooting range.
It will be a very cold 11 hour sit on Saturday and Sunday, but I got a book to read and it's great to sit and contemplate for that long. And there is a LOT of sleeping to be done in the treestand.
Oh, and here are more beer pictures, I'm such a nerd. But the labels came in and they look great! (With the help of the new digital camera)
Oh yes.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
It's a Beer!
Well, it appears my worries and doubts about my beer have proven unfounded. I got home from work and was thinking about waiting until later tonight to try the beer, but I couldn't resist. I grabbed a bottle out of the fridge, cracked it open, heard the characteristic "bssshhhhed!" sound of the carbonation, took a smell and was blown away. I took a sip and it tasted even better. I'm relieved. Ezekiel Brewery's Prophetic Porter is a success!
Welcome to the world.
The first in a long line of quality Ezekiel Brewery home micro brews.
It Has a Name!
Last night, our life group met at Cheeseburger in Paradise after a church meeting and Camann, Buck and I were discussing lots of things. We got on the topic of my beer and both agreed that my use of MikerobRew was a terrible, terrible idea. And I thank them for giving me their honest opinion. This is what friends are for. So we were trying to figure out a better name. We wanted to keep Ezekial in the name for sure. We knew that Ezekial was a phophet. It was tossed around that we could use a verse from Ezekial like "3:16 Porter" by Ezekial Brewery. Adam suggested Apocalyptic Porter since he was a prophet of the end times. Then it was suggested by Adam (Andy?) to call it "Prophetic Porter" by Ezekial Brewery. Boom! Brilliant! I loved it immediately and this is what I shall call it.
Also, we discussed the cover art for my eventual album. I had an idea in mind for a while now but they helped me focus my thought process and hone the look. It was just a very productive and inspiring night. I won't release details yet, but I'm sure there will be a post on it eventually. Thanks guys!
I put the beer in the fridge last night as it is technically compete, although they suggest to let it sit for another few weeks to let it condition more. Still, I think I'm going to try one tonight and see how it goes down. I'm quite nervous because it may either encourage or discourage me from making more beer based on how it tastes. I'll bring some to Thanksgiving, Deer Hunting and Christmas.
I've stopped shaving on Sunday. And I won't shave until Nov. 24th which is after deer hunting. Amber will hate this, but it is a rite of passage and family tradition every year. My uncles and I see how thick and lush our beards can get by hunting. It's pretty itchy right now but it will soon become smooth, spotty and greasy.
I'll post pictures of it, it is sure to disgust.
Also, we discussed the cover art for my eventual album. I had an idea in mind for a while now but they helped me focus my thought process and hone the look. It was just a very productive and inspiring night. I won't release details yet, but I'm sure there will be a post on it eventually. Thanks guys!
I put the beer in the fridge last night as it is technically compete, although they suggest to let it sit for another few weeks to let it condition more. Still, I think I'm going to try one tonight and see how it goes down. I'm quite nervous because it may either encourage or discourage me from making more beer based on how it tastes. I'll bring some to Thanksgiving, Deer Hunting and Christmas.
I've stopped shaving on Sunday. And I won't shave until Nov. 24th which is after deer hunting. Amber will hate this, but it is a rite of passage and family tradition every year. My uncles and I see how thick and lush our beards can get by hunting. It's pretty itchy right now but it will soon become smooth, spotty and greasy.
I'll post pictures of it, it is sure to disgust.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Run Down of the Following Week
I feel bad that I haven't been able to post all week! I've been getting really caught up at work so usually I've been working straight until 4:00, hard to imagine, right? Anyway, it's been a real good week. Actually, things couldn't be going better in every aspect.
Last weekend was pretty fun! We drove back to Neenah on Friday night, we got in pretty late so Amber went to bed and then I drove over and hung out with Old Man Dobbins and we went out to College Ave. on Halloween to check out the scene. We tried to find the lowest key bar (which was impossible) but ended up at this crazy crowded bar where everyone was wearing costumes and the place was decorated with things from all the holidays but I can't remember the name. Then we found a nice sports bar that wasn't too crowded and had a nice High Life on tap. After that we drove back to Andy's and hung out for a bit more before I headed back home. Always a good time with Dawg.
Saturday, Amber and her mom went to a baby shower for her cousin. Amber's dad and I drove to Point Beach SP with the jeep because it was such a nice day. We brought Abby, the dog, with us. It was so sweet driving the jeep once again. It's a bit tough to shift some times, but I think I've become a master. When we got back we had to take down their big 50' antenna to adjust its direction. This was crazy. Amber and her mom helped us and if there was even a slight breeze it could have easily killed all of us. But it didn't and here I am to write about it. Later that evening, it was time to get dressed into our Halloween costumes! Amber's parents went as Creula Deville and her Dad went as a flasher (nice!) They had a party with friends by Waupaca and Amber and I went to a party up in Green Bay with a few of her close high school friends. We didn't want to stay too late because we had to get back to Madison that evening. I went as Special Agent Dale Cooper and Amber went as the Log Lady from Twin Peaks
We had to drive back to Madison right after that but luckily with the time change we got home in only 1.5 hours instead of 2.5!
Then on Sunday morning we had a meeting at Blackhawk for our Book Group. We got a ton of great suggestions and info plus it was cool to meet some other leaders.
Tuesday was obviously huge with the Obama win and all. So much excitement is in the air! He's got so much work ahead of him and I really hope the country can unite behind him no matter who they voted for. I was checking out foxnews.com and man, they hate Obama! I know it's a pretty conservative site, but they are so biased. I guess CNN is pretty biased toward Obama, though. Where is a good news site that doesn't have a slant?
That evening I also bottled my beer. Wow, that was no fun at all. I made such a mess, beer was everywhere. I started at 7 and got done at midnight. The longest part was washing the 48 bottles. When it came to fill up the bottles I transferred the beer into a large plastic bucket via siphon. That was the easy part. It was very difficult using the siphon to fill up the bottles. It was spraying everywhere in the basement and I was all sticky. In the end I think I lost about a half gallon on the floor. I filled 46 bottles. Still plenty of beer. I get to try the first one this week! How's this for the beer bame "Ezekial Porter MikerobRew" Get it?
On Wednesday my Aunt and her friend were in town doing some shopping so I met them for lunch at the Great Dane. I knew it was going to be a long lunch, because my Aunt, Dana, is one of those people who is such an engaging and interesting person, you just get sucked into whatever she's talking about. We talked about the U.S. Foreign Policy, the election, what makes the sun so hot and why doesn't it burn out, where Heaven is, etc. She is one of the strongest Christians I know and one of my biggest mentors. Amazing lady, you'll have to meet her sometime. The lunch lasted just over 1.5 hours and then I had to get back to work. Then we had book group that night, this week's chapter was pretty darn tough so the discussion wasn't that great but it was great fellowship regardless and we talked about a few outreach activities we could do with our group coming up.
Thursday we had nothing going on so that was pretty sweet! We watched some more Twin Peaks, made some dinner, hung out.
Friday we went out to Takara which is a Japanese Restaurant. I had my very first sushi and sushi roll. I really liked it! We will definitely go there again. Then we met some friends at Barriques to have some beer, wine and conversation. Good times!
On Saturday night we played Rock Band 2.0 with our book group. There were a ton more songs, and I was rocking the vocals like a champ. I sang "Any Way You Want It" like I was Steve Frickin' Perry. We ordered some great pizza, played with our friend's dog, Phyillis. Just a good night had by all.
A busy, yet fun week, stay tuned!
Last weekend was pretty fun! We drove back to Neenah on Friday night, we got in pretty late so Amber went to bed and then I drove over and hung out with Old Man Dobbins and we went out to College Ave. on Halloween to check out the scene. We tried to find the lowest key bar (which was impossible) but ended up at this crazy crowded bar where everyone was wearing costumes and the place was decorated with things from all the holidays but I can't remember the name. Then we found a nice sports bar that wasn't too crowded and had a nice High Life on tap. After that we drove back to Andy's and hung out for a bit more before I headed back home. Always a good time with Dawg.
Saturday, Amber and her mom went to a baby shower for her cousin. Amber's dad and I drove to Point Beach SP with the jeep because it was such a nice day. We brought Abby, the dog, with us. It was so sweet driving the jeep once again. It's a bit tough to shift some times, but I think I've become a master. When we got back we had to take down their big 50' antenna to adjust its direction. This was crazy. Amber and her mom helped us and if there was even a slight breeze it could have easily killed all of us. But it didn't and here I am to write about it. Later that evening, it was time to get dressed into our Halloween costumes! Amber's parents went as Creula Deville and her Dad went as a flasher (nice!) They had a party with friends by Waupaca and Amber and I went to a party up in Green Bay with a few of her close high school friends. We didn't want to stay too late because we had to get back to Madison that evening. I went as Special Agent Dale Cooper and Amber went as the Log Lady from Twin Peaks
We had to drive back to Madison right after that but luckily with the time change we got home in only 1.5 hours instead of 2.5!
Then on Sunday morning we had a meeting at Blackhawk for our Book Group. We got a ton of great suggestions and info plus it was cool to meet some other leaders.
Tuesday was obviously huge with the Obama win and all. So much excitement is in the air! He's got so much work ahead of him and I really hope the country can unite behind him no matter who they voted for. I was checking out foxnews.com and man, they hate Obama! I know it's a pretty conservative site, but they are so biased. I guess CNN is pretty biased toward Obama, though. Where is a good news site that doesn't have a slant?
That evening I also bottled my beer. Wow, that was no fun at all. I made such a mess, beer was everywhere. I started at 7 and got done at midnight. The longest part was washing the 48 bottles. When it came to fill up the bottles I transferred the beer into a large plastic bucket via siphon. That was the easy part. It was very difficult using the siphon to fill up the bottles. It was spraying everywhere in the basement and I was all sticky. In the end I think I lost about a half gallon on the floor. I filled 46 bottles. Still plenty of beer. I get to try the first one this week! How's this for the beer bame "Ezekial Porter MikerobRew" Get it?
On Wednesday my Aunt and her friend were in town doing some shopping so I met them for lunch at the Great Dane. I knew it was going to be a long lunch, because my Aunt, Dana, is one of those people who is such an engaging and interesting person, you just get sucked into whatever she's talking about. We talked about the U.S. Foreign Policy, the election, what makes the sun so hot and why doesn't it burn out, where Heaven is, etc. She is one of the strongest Christians I know and one of my biggest mentors. Amazing lady, you'll have to meet her sometime. The lunch lasted just over 1.5 hours and then I had to get back to work. Then we had book group that night, this week's chapter was pretty darn tough so the discussion wasn't that great but it was great fellowship regardless and we talked about a few outreach activities we could do with our group coming up.
Thursday we had nothing going on so that was pretty sweet! We watched some more Twin Peaks, made some dinner, hung out.
Friday we went out to Takara which is a Japanese Restaurant. I had my very first sushi and sushi roll. I really liked it! We will definitely go there again. Then we met some friends at Barriques to have some beer, wine and conversation. Good times!
On Saturday night we played Rock Band 2.0 with our book group. There were a ton more songs, and I was rocking the vocals like a champ. I sang "Any Way You Want It" like I was Steve Frickin' Perry. We ordered some great pizza, played with our friend's dog, Phyillis. Just a good night had by all.
A busy, yet fun week, stay tuned!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Busy Week
Well, I'm done with my P.E. Exam! I took it last Friday and I think it went O.K. The morning was pretty easy and the afternoon was pretty tough so I hope it averages out to a passing score. I won't find out if I passed or not until early January so that kinda sucks. I'm so glad it's done, though. I can finally focus on other things and get some stuff done at work! I never thought I would be so excited to work.
If studying for my P.E. exam wasn't enough to distract me from doing work. I found out on Monday that I had to serve on Jury Duty all day on Tuesday. It was a rather interesting process on how people get selected. On Monday morning I was put in this big room with about 440 other people. You are assigned a number and at various times they called out a set numbers to follow the bailiff into a courtroom for a specific case. In the courtroom, the judge, the 2 lawyers, the defendant and a few others were there. They proceeded to weed us out by asking lots of questions to determine any biases. After about 4 hours of that, they called out the names of the people that weren't picked for the jury and I was not one. We were then told to go and report on Tuesday morning at 8:15am for the trial. On Tuesday morning I got up early, got a coffee, and headed to the courthouse. It was a sexual assault case so I thought it might get kinda graphic, but it really didn't. There were a ton of people brought up for testimony; detectives, teaches, family members, the victim. There were many objections and approaching the bench just as I had anticipated, the jury had to leave several times so the lawyers could clear up a few things with the judge. The case ended at 5:00pm and then it was time for us to deliberate. They put us in this room, took all of our possessions and locked them away so we couldn't have contact with the outside world. The bailiff brought us a bunch of pizzas for dinner. We found the defendant guilty on 1st degree sexual assault in about 20 min. and the other 3.5 hours was spent determining if he enticed the child with intent to have sexual contact. In the end we found him guilty on both charges which is a maximum sentence of 85 years in prison. Then it was time for us to come back in the courtroom for the verdict. My heart was pumping so hard and I couldn't look at the defendant. Is was so nerve wracking waiting for the judge to read the verdict. This guy's life was totally about to change based on the decision of 12 people. Afterwards the judge (who looked a lot like Martin Sheen from the West Wing) came back and hung out with us for like an hour to talk to us about the case, his thoughts on it, and he would answer any question we asked him. He said he agreed on our verdict so that was fairly comforting. Overall I was very impressed by the process and the people I got to work with. Everything was so organized and both of the lawyers were so friendly. Maybe in 4 years I'll get picked again!
And if that wasn't distraction enough, I also had to move offices on Wednesday to a different part of the floor so I spent all day on Wednesday doing that. On Thursday I unpacked most of the day so today is finally a day when I can do work. And what am I doing? Writing on my blog. And it's Friday so it's hard to get any work done anyway. I think it's a slightly bigger office so that's cool and I got rid of a lot of crap that I don't need so that opened up some space too.
Last Sunday I started making my beer. And let me tell you, it's not as hard as you would think. I started at 7pm on Sunday night and got done at about 10:30. The tricky part for this particular beer is the specific temperatures you need to get the wort at to steep the grains and add the malt extract. Also, it is crucial to sterilize everything. If bacteria gets into the mix, then the yeast could spoil the beer. I was nervous on Monday morning when I didn't see any bubbles coming out of the relief valve. I thought for sure fermentation would have started so I thought I screwed up the yeast part somehow. I called the Wine and Hop Shop on Monday afternoon, told them my concerns and the guy basically laughed at me and said I ad to wait at least another day for it to start. And sure enough, on Monday night it was bubbling like crazy. Whew! And it smelled great! On Wednesday after work I transferred the contents into a glass carboy for the 2nd stage of the fermentation process. It makes for a smooth tasting beer. Then next Saturday I'm going to bottle it. So 3 weeks minimum for start to finish. Although they recommend keeping it in the bottle for a month before opening it for the best taste. It should be ready just in time for Thanksgiving, can't wait! I'm not sure about the name quite yet so I hope to focus on that more next week. Amber recommenced "Rew's Brew" (although she doesn't like beer so I don't think she has a say) I'll post some pictures up once the brew is complete.
Ah, Halloween is today and it's time to hand out candy to the 2 people that stop by our house. Amber and I were thinking about walking around State St. tonight to check out some of the funny costumes. My co-worker and I went to Starbucks like every Friday and man, there were a lot of people with costumes on! By 9am I already say a Batwoman, Chewbacca, Little Red Riding Hood and Big Bad Wolf, Hippie Dude, various princesses, Tigger and a bear.
Big vote next Tuesday. I gotta get more informed. That's two huge civic duties in one week, Jury Duty and Voting for the presidency, man I feel like an American! Please comment below if you want to sway me in any particular direction. (Although I am already leaning pretty heavily in a particular direction)
If studying for my P.E. exam wasn't enough to distract me from doing work. I found out on Monday that I had to serve on Jury Duty all day on Tuesday. It was a rather interesting process on how people get selected. On Monday morning I was put in this big room with about 440 other people. You are assigned a number and at various times they called out a set numbers to follow the bailiff into a courtroom for a specific case. In the courtroom, the judge, the 2 lawyers, the defendant and a few others were there. They proceeded to weed us out by asking lots of questions to determine any biases. After about 4 hours of that, they called out the names of the people that weren't picked for the jury and I was not one. We were then told to go and report on Tuesday morning at 8:15am for the trial. On Tuesday morning I got up early, got a coffee, and headed to the courthouse. It was a sexual assault case so I thought it might get kinda graphic, but it really didn't. There were a ton of people brought up for testimony; detectives, teaches, family members, the victim. There were many objections and approaching the bench just as I had anticipated, the jury had to leave several times so the lawyers could clear up a few things with the judge. The case ended at 5:00pm and then it was time for us to deliberate. They put us in this room, took all of our possessions and locked them away so we couldn't have contact with the outside world. The bailiff brought us a bunch of pizzas for dinner. We found the defendant guilty on 1st degree sexual assault in about 20 min. and the other 3.5 hours was spent determining if he enticed the child with intent to have sexual contact. In the end we found him guilty on both charges which is a maximum sentence of 85 years in prison. Then it was time for us to come back in the courtroom for the verdict. My heart was pumping so hard and I couldn't look at the defendant. Is was so nerve wracking waiting for the judge to read the verdict. This guy's life was totally about to change based on the decision of 12 people. Afterwards the judge (who looked a lot like Martin Sheen from the West Wing) came back and hung out with us for like an hour to talk to us about the case, his thoughts on it, and he would answer any question we asked him. He said he agreed on our verdict so that was fairly comforting. Overall I was very impressed by the process and the people I got to work with. Everything was so organized and both of the lawyers were so friendly. Maybe in 4 years I'll get picked again!
And if that wasn't distraction enough, I also had to move offices on Wednesday to a different part of the floor so I spent all day on Wednesday doing that. On Thursday I unpacked most of the day so today is finally a day when I can do work. And what am I doing? Writing on my blog. And it's Friday so it's hard to get any work done anyway. I think it's a slightly bigger office so that's cool and I got rid of a lot of crap that I don't need so that opened up some space too.
Last Sunday I started making my beer. And let me tell you, it's not as hard as you would think. I started at 7pm on Sunday night and got done at about 10:30. The tricky part for this particular beer is the specific temperatures you need to get the wort at to steep the grains and add the malt extract. Also, it is crucial to sterilize everything. If bacteria gets into the mix, then the yeast could spoil the beer. I was nervous on Monday morning when I didn't see any bubbles coming out of the relief valve. I thought for sure fermentation would have started so I thought I screwed up the yeast part somehow. I called the Wine and Hop Shop on Monday afternoon, told them my concerns and the guy basically laughed at me and said I ad to wait at least another day for it to start. And sure enough, on Monday night it was bubbling like crazy. Whew! And it smelled great! On Wednesday after work I transferred the contents into a glass carboy for the 2nd stage of the fermentation process. It makes for a smooth tasting beer. Then next Saturday I'm going to bottle it. So 3 weeks minimum for start to finish. Although they recommend keeping it in the bottle for a month before opening it for the best taste. It should be ready just in time for Thanksgiving, can't wait! I'm not sure about the name quite yet so I hope to focus on that more next week. Amber recommenced "Rew's Brew" (although she doesn't like beer so I don't think she has a say) I'll post some pictures up once the brew is complete.
Ah, Halloween is today and it's time to hand out candy to the 2 people that stop by our house. Amber and I were thinking about walking around State St. tonight to check out some of the funny costumes. My co-worker and I went to Starbucks like every Friday and man, there were a lot of people with costumes on! By 9am I already say a Batwoman, Chewbacca, Little Red Riding Hood and Big Bad Wolf, Hippie Dude, various princesses, Tigger and a bear.
Big vote next Tuesday. I gotta get more informed. That's two huge civic duties in one week, Jury Duty and Voting for the presidency, man I feel like an American! Please comment below if you want to sway me in any particular direction. (Although I am already leaning pretty heavily in a particular direction)
Monday, October 20, 2008
Billiards FAIL
I lost my shorts playing 3-ball with my uncle and step-dad this past weekend when I was up north visiting my family. We went to the Pine Lake Pub, I put $5 into the juke box, which got me 20 songs by the way...20, got a pitcher of beer and then racked it up! 3 Ball is a pretty fun game and I have played it before. The goal is to get 3 balls in the pocket and you have only 5 shots to do it in. I won the first game. Oh, I forgot to mention that we played for $1/game and if there is a tie, you sweeten the pot by putting in another dollar. After that first game I didn't win a single other game, and I played like 20 games. And there were several ties. My step-dad was making this ridiculous shots, I couldn't stand a chance. So, lesson learned that I shouldn't gamble and not to play 3-ball with ringers.
Oh man, I have the big P.E. Exam tomorrow from 7:45am - 4pm. This is going to be a long day. I've been studying for quite a while and I don't think I can fit much more into my head. We'll find out if I fully grok the material or not...waiting is. My brain will be jelly when I am done and am looking forward to a good beer afterwards.
Speaking of beer, my buddy Mark Tucker and I are going to buy our beer making kits on Saturday. We're pretty excited. There is this place called the Wine and Hop Shop in town and they specialize in this kind of thing. We'll need to buy bottles as well. I plan on making a porter and Tuck is planning on making an amber. The beer will surely taste amazing/disgusting and I will certainly win awards/pour it down the drain. Any suggestions for beer names? Please comment below.
Tonight, sometime after 4:00pm I have to call the Wisconsin Court to find out if I have to serve on Jury Duty on Monday or not. I kind of want to do it because I think it would be a cool experience but I don't want to also because I'm moving to my new office next Wednesday and I need at least two days to pack up. So, I guess it really boils down to that I just don't care if I do it or not.
Sometime this week I'll be getting two big boxes containing 48 blankets dropped on my front porch. These are the ones that Buck and I and possibly a few others plan on distributing to the homeless around the Capital area. Probably sometime in early November we'll do that, because it is starting to get real cold, I heard that there is a chance of snow for Sunday...what? It's still October. How does this sound for a great name for a Homelessness action committee: "Helpfulness for Homelessness". Stay tuned in November/December for more. There is a song by Casting Crowns called If We Are The Body with an amazing chorus:
"But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way"
I've heard this song many times, but as I was driving home from up north I got chills down my back when I heard this, "magic soaking my spine", if you will. Because, as I've been feeling lately, as a Christian, it's time for action. Make an impact.
I must say that I love people. I love being around my friends and family. Nothing makes me happier than having a great discussion with friends, spending some quality time with the wife, meeting new people. Everyone is so different and interesting, I find myself wanting to know everything about a person, what makes them tick, what their passions are. It's probably a quirk in me and maybe it annoys people. But I love to be around them. I love a good crowded environment.
At book group last week I started off our discussion with an ice breaker question: "Who is the most joyful person you know?" Everyone took turns telling theirs. When it came to Amber, she said without hesitating "Mike", I said "Hmm, Mike who?" and she laughed and said "You!" and I was so surprised, that was one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. We got into a discussion about joyfulness then. We made a distinction between joyfulness and happiness; anybody can feel happy, happiness is an emotion, evil people can be happy. Joyfulness is more of a base layer of a person's character. Sure we can feel joy, but a joyful person is a different thing. I just thought it was a great compliment. Thanks, babe!
OK, I really have to get back to studying...
Oh man, I have the big P.E. Exam tomorrow from 7:45am - 4pm. This is going to be a long day. I've been studying for quite a while and I don't think I can fit much more into my head. We'll find out if I fully grok the material or not...waiting is. My brain will be jelly when I am done and am looking forward to a good beer afterwards.
Speaking of beer, my buddy Mark Tucker and I are going to buy our beer making kits on Saturday. We're pretty excited. There is this place called the Wine and Hop Shop in town and they specialize in this kind of thing. We'll need to buy bottles as well. I plan on making a porter and Tuck is planning on making an amber. The beer will surely taste amazing/disgusting and I will certainly win awards/pour it down the drain. Any suggestions for beer names? Please comment below.
Tonight, sometime after 4:00pm I have to call the Wisconsin Court to find out if I have to serve on Jury Duty on Monday or not. I kind of want to do it because I think it would be a cool experience but I don't want to also because I'm moving to my new office next Wednesday and I need at least two days to pack up. So, I guess it really boils down to that I just don't care if I do it or not.
Sometime this week I'll be getting two big boxes containing 48 blankets dropped on my front porch. These are the ones that Buck and I and possibly a few others plan on distributing to the homeless around the Capital area. Probably sometime in early November we'll do that, because it is starting to get real cold, I heard that there is a chance of snow for Sunday...what? It's still October. How does this sound for a great name for a Homelessness action committee: "Helpfulness for Homelessness". Stay tuned in November/December for more. There is a song by Casting Crowns called If We Are The Body with an amazing chorus:
"But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way"
I've heard this song many times, but as I was driving home from up north I got chills down my back when I heard this, "magic soaking my spine", if you will. Because, as I've been feeling lately, as a Christian, it's time for action. Make an impact.
I must say that I love people. I love being around my friends and family. Nothing makes me happier than having a great discussion with friends, spending some quality time with the wife, meeting new people. Everyone is so different and interesting, I find myself wanting to know everything about a person, what makes them tick, what their passions are. It's probably a quirk in me and maybe it annoys people. But I love to be around them. I love a good crowded environment.
At book group last week I started off our discussion with an ice breaker question: "Who is the most joyful person you know?" Everyone took turns telling theirs. When it came to Amber, she said without hesitating "Mike", I said "Hmm, Mike who?" and she laughed and said "You!" and I was so surprised, that was one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. We got into a discussion about joyfulness then. We made a distinction between joyfulness and happiness; anybody can feel happy, happiness is an emotion, evil people can be happy. Joyfulness is more of a base layer of a person's character. Sure we can feel joy, but a joyful person is a different thing. I just thought it was a great compliment. Thanks, babe!
OK, I really have to get back to studying...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
A Consequence of Poverty: Homelessness
I can't remember when it was that I started feeling strong emotions when it came to the issue of homelessness. I think it may have started in 1995 when I became a Phil Collins fan and "Another Day in Paradise" was my favorite song of all time. I wondered why this song spoke to me more than other songs did.
Of course, going to college in Madison was a big eye opener. Freshman year was the first time I ever saw people beg for money or sleep on park benches. I wondered how they got to this point in their lives. I was one of the people who would either ignore the person if they ask for money or lie to them saying I don't have anything. I think it was put in my head a while back that if you give them money, they will buy alcohol or cigarettes, not food or clothing or whatever else they actually need. Perhaps this is the case with a good portion of them, but we shouldn't assume it's always the case. Still, I find myself ignoring them if they ask for money; from time to time I'll toss in a few quarters or whatever loose change I have in my pocket. I should just try to talk to them, see what they have to say. Find out their story. Stop feeling like I'm better than them or too good for them. Get rid of the pride.
I couldn't turn away from my strong desire to help the homeless. I saw an opportunity a few years back to work at the men's homeless shelter through Blackhawk. My first time I was very nervous; I didn't know what to expect or how I should interact with the guys. The first few times working I had to learn the ropes of preparing the food, make sure it was ready to serve by 6, pack a few lunches, and then the cleanup afterwards. Man, getting up at 4:00 on a Tuesday morning is not something I would normally look forward to, but now I feel pumped and really excited to go and help out. I recognize most of the guys now and they give me a nice smile when they see me because they recognize me too. They are very thankful and grateful that they have people to help make food for them in the morning and they share their thanks with the rest of the volunteers. I liked it so much that I have started to help prepare dinner through High Point Church on the occasional Friday.
Recently, an idea from Buck to distribute blankets to the homeless sparked a drive in me. We would hand out fleece blankets to the homeless we see around the State St./Capital area on some weeknight before it gets too cold. I've started getting a plan together and last Saturday when Amber and I were out to dinner, we were on State and I asked her to help me take count of the homeless we see as we walked up and down the street. I think the count was something like 35-40. And that was with the temp. at about 75 degrees. Perhaps in doing this we can talk to a few of them, establish good will and eventually perhaps share the gospel with them.
The count at the shelter when the weather is nice is around 60, then in the winter or bad weather the count goes up to about 120. And this is only at one shelter in Madison, I can't imagine working on the south side of Chicago, I would go into culture shock!
There is still so much work to be done but I feel that this community has the right type of attitude and the size is small enough that we can really make a big difference in some of the lives of these people. There are tons of opportunities available for volunteers. Porch Light http://www.porchlightinc.org/ is an organization that runs most of the shelters in this area. They are dedicated to finding a solution to the homelessness issue; check it out, they have stats on the homelessness in Madison and other ways people can help. They are always looking for a few good people, especially in the winter months to help out at their shelters. If volunteering isn't your thing, they also accept donations as well :-)
Of course, going to college in Madison was a big eye opener. Freshman year was the first time I ever saw people beg for money or sleep on park benches. I wondered how they got to this point in their lives. I was one of the people who would either ignore the person if they ask for money or lie to them saying I don't have anything. I think it was put in my head a while back that if you give them money, they will buy alcohol or cigarettes, not food or clothing or whatever else they actually need. Perhaps this is the case with a good portion of them, but we shouldn't assume it's always the case. Still, I find myself ignoring them if they ask for money; from time to time I'll toss in a few quarters or whatever loose change I have in my pocket. I should just try to talk to them, see what they have to say. Find out their story. Stop feeling like I'm better than them or too good for them. Get rid of the pride.
I couldn't turn away from my strong desire to help the homeless. I saw an opportunity a few years back to work at the men's homeless shelter through Blackhawk. My first time I was very nervous; I didn't know what to expect or how I should interact with the guys. The first few times working I had to learn the ropes of preparing the food, make sure it was ready to serve by 6, pack a few lunches, and then the cleanup afterwards. Man, getting up at 4:00 on a Tuesday morning is not something I would normally look forward to, but now I feel pumped and really excited to go and help out. I recognize most of the guys now and they give me a nice smile when they see me because they recognize me too. They are very thankful and grateful that they have people to help make food for them in the morning and they share their thanks with the rest of the volunteers. I liked it so much that I have started to help prepare dinner through High Point Church on the occasional Friday.
Recently, an idea from Buck to distribute blankets to the homeless sparked a drive in me. We would hand out fleece blankets to the homeless we see around the State St./Capital area on some weeknight before it gets too cold. I've started getting a plan together and last Saturday when Amber and I were out to dinner, we were on State and I asked her to help me take count of the homeless we see as we walked up and down the street. I think the count was something like 35-40. And that was with the temp. at about 75 degrees. Perhaps in doing this we can talk to a few of them, establish good will and eventually perhaps share the gospel with them.
The count at the shelter when the weather is nice is around 60, then in the winter or bad weather the count goes up to about 120. And this is only at one shelter in Madison, I can't imagine working on the south side of Chicago, I would go into culture shock!
There is still so much work to be done but I feel that this community has the right type of attitude and the size is small enough that we can really make a big difference in some of the lives of these people. There are tons of opportunities available for volunteers. Porch Light http://www.porchlightinc.org/ is an organization that runs most of the shelters in this area. They are dedicated to finding a solution to the homelessness issue; check it out, they have stats on the homelessness in Madison and other ways people can help. They are always looking for a few good people, especially in the winter months to help out at their shelters. If volunteering isn't your thing, they also accept donations as well :-)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Pong Latin
I have discovered a new love: Pong Latin. I discovered this on Saturday morning at Blackhawk while I was waiting around the lobby with Ed, Buck and Pastor Steve. I had to go and pick up Gary Chapman from his hotel room at 8:15 so we were just hanging out before I had to go. Buck wanted me to call Gary "Gar-Bear" and see what his reaction was, Pastor Steve wanted me to keep dropping the F-bomb when he got in the car (jokingly of course). Ed wanted me to call him "Gong-A-Rong-Yong". "What the heck was that?" I asked. He went on to tell me that it was Pong Latin, like Pig Latin, but with different rules. It's very easy, there are just 2 rules (I think):
1. After every consonant, add a "ong" on to the end of the letter.
2. Say every vowel
For instance, my name would be: Zong-E-Kong-E Long-A-Song-Hong-U-A (Zeke Lashua)
Amber and I were out to dinner on Saturday and I was looking at signs and saying the names in Pong Latin, we were cracking up. Tiki Bar is Tong-I-Kong-I Bong-A-Rong.
I dont' know, maybe it's not that funny, but I find it quite amusing. I love this one: A-Nong-Dong-Yong Dong-O-Bong-Bong-I-Nong-Song (Andy Dobbins). The "Bong-Bong" in the last name is great.
So, try it yourself and get a good laugh.
I'm such a nerd.
I'm studying hard for my test on Friday the 24th! I have my last class in Milwaukee tonight. I think I'll do alright. At least I get next Friday off of work and possibly next Thursday for a study day. And I don't have to take vacation, sweet!
This weekend I'm heading up north to visit my family, see my G-pa and check out the fall colors! Amber has to work on Sat. so she isn't coming. My G-pa isn't doing too hot, he has Parkinson's and just got diagnosed with some sort of anemia so we don't know how much time he has left so I want to go up there to spend some time with him. It'll be great to see the rest of the family too.
Anyway, stayed tuned for a post about poverty tomorrow as part of Blog Action Day 2008.
1. After every consonant, add a "ong" on to the end of the letter.
2. Say every vowel
For instance, my name would be: Zong-E-Kong-E Long-A-Song-Hong-U-A (Zeke Lashua)
Amber and I were out to dinner on Saturday and I was looking at signs and saying the names in Pong Latin, we were cracking up. Tiki Bar is Tong-I-Kong-I Bong-A-Rong.
I dont' know, maybe it's not that funny, but I find it quite amusing. I love this one: A-Nong-Dong-Yong Dong-O-Bong-Bong-I-Nong-Song (Andy Dobbins). The "Bong-Bong" in the last name is great.
So, try it yourself and get a good laugh.
I'm such a nerd.
I'm studying hard for my test on Friday the 24th! I have my last class in Milwaukee tonight. I think I'll do alright. At least I get next Friday off of work and possibly next Thursday for a study day. And I don't have to take vacation, sweet!
This weekend I'm heading up north to visit my family, see my G-pa and check out the fall colors! Amber has to work on Sat. so she isn't coming. My G-pa isn't doing too hot, he has Parkinson's and just got diagnosed with some sort of anemia so we don't know how much time he has left so I want to go up there to spend some time with him. It'll be great to see the rest of the family too.
Anyway, stayed tuned for a post about poverty tomorrow as part of Blog Action Day 2008.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Jury Duty
Last week I got a letter in the mail from the Department of Justice. Quickly I opened the letter, curious as to what it could be. Could they have found me out?!? No, I soon found out I was being summoned for Jury Duty. I'm actually kind of excited. I serve sometime during the weeks of Oct. 27th through Nov. 7th. Of course, I haven't been selected yet for the jury and most likely they'll settle the case before they even need me. But I think it would be fun and interesting to be a part of the legal process. I imagine it being just like you see on TV shows or movies like CSI or The Firm. Huge, overly dramatic defenses from the lawyer, pointing of fingers, accusations, a lot of "I Object!!", "Overruled!", as well as pouring of water from steel carafe into glasses. Then the jury would go into their private room to deliberate and there would be intense arguing, some guy in the corner is saying "Hang him for all I care! I got my son's little league game in an hour." And this it what I expect.
Ah, the Brewers. Season is over. But what a season! Perhaps "World Series or Bust" was a bit of a lofty goal; maybe I'll lower the standards for next year. "Brewers 2009: Playoffs or Bust" Oh, and the Cubs suck.
On Saturday, Gary Chapman http://www.garychapman.org/ , author of "The Five Love Languages" among many others will be speaking at Blackhawk Church. Amber and I are picking him up from his hotel in Middleton and driving him to the conference. I'm hoping the conversation won't be awkward! What do you say to him?? I suppose he won't appreciate having a Death Cab CD playing in the car, but perhaps I can turn him on to The Modern Antiques??
Ah, the Brewers. Season is over. But what a season! Perhaps "World Series or Bust" was a bit of a lofty goal; maybe I'll lower the standards for next year. "Brewers 2009: Playoffs or Bust" Oh, and the Cubs suck.
On Saturday, Gary Chapman http://www.garychapman.org/ , author of "The Five Love Languages" among many others will be speaking at Blackhawk Church. Amber and I are picking him up from his hotel in Middleton and driving him to the conference. I'm hoping the conversation won't be awkward! What do you say to him?? I suppose he won't appreciate having a Death Cab CD playing in the car, but perhaps I can turn him on to The Modern Antiques??
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Misc. Pictures from the Northwest
Here are some misc. pictures from the area around the resort. I forgot my camera in the hotel room when I went to Vancouver. I hear that Sea Lions are all over the place on the shore so I hope to get a few snapshots of those as well!
Monday, September 29, 2008
I Just Got Back From Canada...
...and it was frightening. Whoever thinks that Canada is just like the U.S. or our friendly little neighbor to the north is incorrect; based on my 1.5 hour drive in the extreme southwestern corner of the country.
I had to wait at the border for about a half hour. I really didn't mind it because I never actually sat at the border of our country before. Everyone should try it once. But, OMG, the border cop was the most frightening person that I have ever met in my life. Do you remember the bad terminator, T-1000, from T2? Played by Robert Patrick? Do you? Cuz that's exactly what this guy was like, the way he looked, talked, acted...exactly. Here was our conversation:
(before I put my car into park)
Cop: "Where are you from?"
Me: "Wisconsin"
Cop: "Why are you here?"
Me: "I'm at a conference in Blaine and I'm staying at the Semiahmoo Resort for a conference"
Cop: "When did you get here"
Me: "Ah, yesterday at about 4:00ish"
Cop: "Where are you going?"
Me: "Vancouver"
Cop: "Why"
Me: "For Dinner"
(wierd look on his face)
Cop: "Who are you meeting?"
Me: "No one, I've never been to Canada before so I..."
Cop: "You're eating alone."
Me: "Yes."
Cop: "Where are you eating?"
Me: "Umm, at this place on Betty Ave. I think it's called um, um, it's on 781 Betty Ave. oh here I have it written down: It's Big D's BBQ and Brewery, 871 Beatty Ave."
Cop: "Go"
No "Welcome to Canada" or anything. And this guy was ripped, he could have easily tore my head off, no kidding.
And of course, I was not expecting the sudden change from the english units to metric. Everything was all of a sudden in km/hr and meters. It was hard to adjust. I locked the cruise control right on 100 km/hr cuz I didn't want to risk getting picked up by the mounties.
The rest of the drive was fairly normal. Lots of bridges. My GPS got messed up and took me off on the wrong exit so I had to figure that out quick.
As I got into town I crossed a huge bridge and descended into chaos. For streetlights they have green, blinking green, yellow, blinking yellow, and red. WTF? Only in Canada. I noticed all the houses were made of this cement/adobe material, no siding, kinda run-down looking. Extremely dense population. Althought, this is what they are going for according to wikipedia because they don't want urban sprawl. All signs were in English/French/Chinese. Tons of Chinese/Indian live in Vancouver. It is a very diverse town, more than I have ever seen. I got into downtown and everywhere you look are these huge towering glass apartment building from the 1950s/60s. It looked so futuristic, it reminded me of Tokyo. I'm guessing there is a lot of crime because of the way things are locked up so securily and have huge bars over the doors. It's such an artsy town, often called "North Hollywood" since it's the 3rd largest maker of films in the world behind the US and India. A hip culture.
I was thinking of stopping for dinner, but no way. I realized I didn't have any canadian change and all the street parking was meters. So I just drove around and headed back.
The drive home was uneventful, it only took 5 min. to get back across into the U.S.
So that's my story...
Oh, I found a clip from the 3rd episode of "Twin Peaks" It's this weird dream sequence. Watch the entire thing. Do not watch it right before bed. Shawn, this is right up your alley.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uLpRvERjLE
I had to wait at the border for about a half hour. I really didn't mind it because I never actually sat at the border of our country before. Everyone should try it once. But, OMG, the border cop was the most frightening person that I have ever met in my life. Do you remember the bad terminator, T-1000, from T2? Played by Robert Patrick? Do you? Cuz that's exactly what this guy was like, the way he looked, talked, acted...exactly. Here was our conversation:
(before I put my car into park)
Cop: "Where are you from?"
Me: "Wisconsin"
Cop: "Why are you here?"
Me: "I'm at a conference in Blaine and I'm staying at the Semiahmoo Resort for a conference"
Cop: "When did you get here"
Me: "Ah, yesterday at about 4:00ish"
Cop: "Where are you going?"
Me: "Vancouver"
Cop: "Why"
Me: "For Dinner"
(wierd look on his face)
Cop: "Who are you meeting?"
Me: "No one, I've never been to Canada before so I..."
Cop: "You're eating alone."
Me: "Yes."
Cop: "Where are you eating?"
Me: "Umm, at this place on Betty Ave. I think it's called um, um, it's on 781 Betty Ave. oh here I have it written down: It's Big D's BBQ and Brewery, 871 Beatty Ave."
Cop: "Go"
No "Welcome to Canada" or anything. And this guy was ripped, he could have easily tore my head off, no kidding.
And of course, I was not expecting the sudden change from the english units to metric. Everything was all of a sudden in km/hr and meters. It was hard to adjust. I locked the cruise control right on 100 km/hr cuz I didn't want to risk getting picked up by the mounties.
The rest of the drive was fairly normal. Lots of bridges. My GPS got messed up and took me off on the wrong exit so I had to figure that out quick.
As I got into town I crossed a huge bridge and descended into chaos. For streetlights they have green, blinking green, yellow, blinking yellow, and red. WTF? Only in Canada. I noticed all the houses were made of this cement/adobe material, no siding, kinda run-down looking. Extremely dense population. Althought, this is what they are going for according to wikipedia because they don't want urban sprawl. All signs were in English/French/Chinese. Tons of Chinese/Indian live in Vancouver. It is a very diverse town, more than I have ever seen. I got into downtown and everywhere you look are these huge towering glass apartment building from the 1950s/60s. It looked so futuristic, it reminded me of Tokyo. I'm guessing there is a lot of crime because of the way things are locked up so securily and have huge bars over the doors. It's such an artsy town, often called "North Hollywood" since it's the 3rd largest maker of films in the world behind the US and India. A hip culture.
I was thinking of stopping for dinner, but no way. I realized I didn't have any canadian change and all the street parking was meters. So I just drove around and headed back.
The drive home was uneventful, it only took 5 min. to get back across into the U.S.
So that's my story...
Oh, I found a clip from the 3rd episode of "Twin Peaks" It's this weird dream sequence. Watch the entire thing. Do not watch it right before bed. Shawn, this is right up your alley.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uLpRvERjLE
Well this is just ridiculous.
I could honestly say that this has been one of the most intense/exciting weeks since I was about 5 years old on Christmas Eve. THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS. Who would have thought that I would have had to wait 25.5 years for this to happen again? There is a picture of my little sister and I sitting in a wagon in 1982 and I was decked out from head to toe in Brewer gear. And now I'll have to call up my sister again and find that wagon, get decked out in Brewer gear again and get another picture of us in that wagon.
I had just landed in Seattle when I turned on my cell phone and immediately called Dobbins to get the awesome/terrible news about the Brewers. I had a huge knot in my stomach. When he told me they are going into the playoffs and CC had a complete game and Braun had a monster homer to put them in the lead, I wanted to scream out loud on the plane...and then get tackled immediately by air marshalls. I think I texted "World Series or Bust" to everyone I know...and I'm telling you, Dale Sveum looks like a genius right now. And I will look like a prophet if the Brewers actually go to the WS.
I am going to Saturday's game and possibly Sunday if they win a game...correction, when they win a game. The atmosphere will be electric and the tailgating will be ridiculous. If you don't have tickets, just come and tailgate!
Can this week get any better?? No. Most definitely not.
Because I am at this conference at this beautiful resort in Blaine, WA and the sun is out and the birds are chirping, leaves are falling, mountains in the distance...and I just got asked to lead a focus group for 62 other substation engineers tomorrow at 2:30. Now, I just may be the youngest person at this conference and other engineers have waaayyyy more sub. experience than I do; like 30 years more. Why did they ask me? I have no idea. Everythign was going great up to this point. But I said yes and now I have to figure out what to discuss for 2 hours. But if this was last year, I would have said "no" for sure. Gotta keep pushing myself!
Yeah, this resort is nice, and the conference is very good, actually. I'm learning a lot. And the food is amazing. And they have hospitality suites every night.
On the drive to the resort I popped some "Death Cab" on in the car and drove on the "405" and drove through Bellingham where they are from.
I think either tonight or Wednesday night I'll head up to Vancouver for dinner. I heard the boarder crossing alone can take up to 45 min. We'll see. I brought my passport.
I'll put on some pictures in a few days, just like did with my North Carolina trip pictures...for real, I will.
The progressive dinner was fun on Friday, I was stuffed to the gills. We watched the end of the brewer game, played some risk and saw Camann drinking a beer on FSN. I lunged at the TV when I saw that, made Ed rewind his TiVo and he took a picture. Good stuff.
Buck, Ed, Tuck and I have decided to brew our own beer this fall. I'm going to brewer a porter (perhaps vanilla porter), Ed is going to brew an ale, Tuck is going to brew an amber ale, and I think Buck is doing a wine. And it will taste amazing hopefully. Really, how hard can it be?
Also, Buck and I are running for president/vice president in 2016. Our slogan will be "Let's use some common sense, people." It's a good thing I'm not running for president, because based on my Risk playing abilities, I will drive us right in WWIII. We need to start campaigning now! No, I actually wouldn't want to be president; could I do it from Wisconsin?
I saw this opportunity to remix a Radiohead song: http://www.radioheadremix.com/ and I started to work on it. Man, I have no idea what I'm doing. You download the individual instrument tracks and mash it up however you like and upload the song when your done. People rank it and then the band picks the best one out of the top 15 or so. I will get last place.
How about this for an idea: Transparent Solar Cells. So you could shine light through and induce a current in one cell and then induce a current in the one below it and so one. That way you could stack cells vertically instead of needing such a huge surface area. Heck, you could make bricks out of them and build buildings. I'm sure this is already patented, but if it's not, I better get on it!
Finally, a plug for Shawn's Peaches and Bobo site: http://www.peachesandbobo.com/ You'll laugh very hard.
OK, back to the conference.
WORLD SERIES OR BUST.
I had just landed in Seattle when I turned on my cell phone and immediately called Dobbins to get the awesome/terrible news about the Brewers. I had a huge knot in my stomach. When he told me they are going into the playoffs and CC had a complete game and Braun had a monster homer to put them in the lead, I wanted to scream out loud on the plane...and then get tackled immediately by air marshalls. I think I texted "World Series or Bust" to everyone I know...and I'm telling you, Dale Sveum looks like a genius right now. And I will look like a prophet if the Brewers actually go to the WS.
I am going to Saturday's game and possibly Sunday if they win a game...correction, when they win a game. The atmosphere will be electric and the tailgating will be ridiculous. If you don't have tickets, just come and tailgate!
Can this week get any better?? No. Most definitely not.
Because I am at this conference at this beautiful resort in Blaine, WA and the sun is out and the birds are chirping, leaves are falling, mountains in the distance...and I just got asked to lead a focus group for 62 other substation engineers tomorrow at 2:30. Now, I just may be the youngest person at this conference and other engineers have waaayyyy more sub. experience than I do; like 30 years more. Why did they ask me? I have no idea. Everythign was going great up to this point. But I said yes and now I have to figure out what to discuss for 2 hours. But if this was last year, I would have said "no" for sure. Gotta keep pushing myself!
Yeah, this resort is nice, and the conference is very good, actually. I'm learning a lot. And the food is amazing. And they have hospitality suites every night.
On the drive to the resort I popped some "Death Cab" on in the car and drove on the "405" and drove through Bellingham where they are from.
I think either tonight or Wednesday night I'll head up to Vancouver for dinner. I heard the boarder crossing alone can take up to 45 min. We'll see. I brought my passport.
I'll put on some pictures in a few days, just like did with my North Carolina trip pictures...for real, I will.
The progressive dinner was fun on Friday, I was stuffed to the gills. We watched the end of the brewer game, played some risk and saw Camann drinking a beer on FSN. I lunged at the TV when I saw that, made Ed rewind his TiVo and he took a picture. Good stuff.
Buck, Ed, Tuck and I have decided to brew our own beer this fall. I'm going to brewer a porter (perhaps vanilla porter), Ed is going to brew an ale, Tuck is going to brew an amber ale, and I think Buck is doing a wine. And it will taste amazing hopefully. Really, how hard can it be?
Also, Buck and I are running for president/vice president in 2016. Our slogan will be "Let's use some common sense, people." It's a good thing I'm not running for president, because based on my Risk playing abilities, I will drive us right in WWIII. We need to start campaigning now! No, I actually wouldn't want to be president; could I do it from Wisconsin?
I saw this opportunity to remix a Radiohead song: http://www.radioheadremix.com/ and I started to work on it. Man, I have no idea what I'm doing. You download the individual instrument tracks and mash it up however you like and upload the song when your done. People rank it and then the band picks the best one out of the top 15 or so. I will get last place.
How about this for an idea: Transparent Solar Cells. So you could shine light through and induce a current in one cell and then induce a current in the one below it and so one. That way you could stack cells vertically instead of needing such a huge surface area. Heck, you could make bricks out of them and build buildings. I'm sure this is already patented, but if it's not, I better get on it!
Finally, a plug for Shawn's Peaches and Bobo site: http://www.peachesandbobo.com/ You'll laugh very hard.
OK, back to the conference.
WORLD SERIES OR BUST.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Inspiration
Where does it come from? How do you get it? Can you force it?
I've been wondering these questions for a while. Lately over the past few weeks I've been inspired to do a lot of things in my life, but where does this inspiration come from?
Over the course of a few months I realize I have 4 big interests/inspirations; things that my heart is telling me I should be doing.
1. Help the homeless.
2. Witness to people, spread the Gospel, sharing faith.
3. Write music.
4. Encourage/Support people.
Last night I got my haircut at like 8:00pm. Odd time for a haircut, I know. But that's all they had available and I needed a haircut bad! I've had the same girl, Anna, cut my hair for the past 2 years. She just got engaged and is currently in the planning stages and all that good stuff. Anyway, before yesterday I never talked about my faith with her. I asked her if they found a church to get married at yet, she said no because they are getting married outside but one of her other clients is a pastor and will be officiating. I asked her about her upbringing and she said that her family never went to church so was never exposed to anything religious growing up. But she did say she has some big questions and really wants to get her marriage started off on the right foot. She was definitely seeking something. So I told her about our church and she knew right where it was, said she was intimidated, but really wanted to just "check it out" to see what it is about. so I invited her and she is really excited to check it out soon. I encouraged her to pursue her questions and said she can ask me anything. So, hopefully a little seed is planted and some good will come of it!
Helping to make dinner/breakfast for the guys at the men's homeless shelter a few times a month has really made me want to pursue that even more. The are such a thankful group of guys and area ton of fun, actually. I hope to share my faith with a few of them eventually.
Watching Camann's show on Wednesday was also inspiring. It looked so effortless on stage doing what he was doing. Granted, he is a much more gifted musician, but I have my own style and I just felt like playing, recording and writing tons of songs after that. I've found that a lot of inspiration comes from friends.
It's really refreshing to see a bunch of my friends starting to get their art out there and pursue their passions. And that's inspiring as well. Buck and Shawn are getting into their writing, Camann is writing and performing songs, teaching piano lessons, starting to lead worship, playing in cool bands. I'm writing a ton of new songs. Dobbins has changed his career path and is focusing on what he really wants to do with sports. Everybody seems to be headed in the right direction. To be able to work is a privilege and I'm very thankful for my job, but a lot of people make it their lives when there is so much more out there. I just want to keep pushing myself.
I still have some confidence issues and still have this fear about sharing my art. But over the past few years my confidence has increased 10-fold and I'm sure I'll get there.
God is really drawing me in the right direction, just gotta stay on course. Gotta stay "Away From Temptation"
Other than that, it's going to be a nerve wracking weekend in baseball. The crew is tied for first in the NL wildcard with the Mets, they have only 3 games to go and they play the Cubs. But man, these past two games have been sweet with Fielder having walk-off home run and Braun having a walk-off grand slam in back-to-back games. Great momentum to bring us into this final series. It will be such an incredible day if the Crew can actually get into the playoffs. Unfortunately, I'll be in Seattle if it happens so I won't get to be around Brewer fans. But I got my playoff tickets!
Tonight, us and a few other couples are having a progressive dinner (swingers club as Camann calls it) Ed, Buck and Tucker all moved into new places so we're gonna go and check them out! And eat food with friends, what could be better?
I hope to take some great photos in the Northwest, especially with all the leaves changing color. Speaking of the Northwest, have you ever watched "Twin Peaks" because you should. It is the most intriguing, weird, funny, horrifying, quirky show we have ever seen and it is so cool. It aired from 1990-1991 and now has a cult following. Shawn, you shouldn't watch this show cuz it might give you nightmares. Seriously, especially episode #3.
I've been wondering these questions for a while. Lately over the past few weeks I've been inspired to do a lot of things in my life, but where does this inspiration come from?
Over the course of a few months I realize I have 4 big interests/inspirations; things that my heart is telling me I should be doing.
1. Help the homeless.
2. Witness to people, spread the Gospel, sharing faith.
3. Write music.
4. Encourage/Support people.
Last night I got my haircut at like 8:00pm. Odd time for a haircut, I know. But that's all they had available and I needed a haircut bad! I've had the same girl, Anna, cut my hair for the past 2 years. She just got engaged and is currently in the planning stages and all that good stuff. Anyway, before yesterday I never talked about my faith with her. I asked her if they found a church to get married at yet, she said no because they are getting married outside but one of her other clients is a pastor and will be officiating. I asked her about her upbringing and she said that her family never went to church so was never exposed to anything religious growing up. But she did say she has some big questions and really wants to get her marriage started off on the right foot. She was definitely seeking something. So I told her about our church and she knew right where it was, said she was intimidated, but really wanted to just "check it out" to see what it is about. so I invited her and she is really excited to check it out soon. I encouraged her to pursue her questions and said she can ask me anything. So, hopefully a little seed is planted and some good will come of it!
Helping to make dinner/breakfast for the guys at the men's homeless shelter a few times a month has really made me want to pursue that even more. The are such a thankful group of guys and area ton of fun, actually. I hope to share my faith with a few of them eventually.
Watching Camann's show on Wednesday was also inspiring. It looked so effortless on stage doing what he was doing. Granted, he is a much more gifted musician, but I have my own style and I just felt like playing, recording and writing tons of songs after that. I've found that a lot of inspiration comes from friends.
It's really refreshing to see a bunch of my friends starting to get their art out there and pursue their passions. And that's inspiring as well. Buck and Shawn are getting into their writing, Camann is writing and performing songs, teaching piano lessons, starting to lead worship, playing in cool bands. I'm writing a ton of new songs. Dobbins has changed his career path and is focusing on what he really wants to do with sports. Everybody seems to be headed in the right direction. To be able to work is a privilege and I'm very thankful for my job, but a lot of people make it their lives when there is so much more out there. I just want to keep pushing myself.
I still have some confidence issues and still have this fear about sharing my art. But over the past few years my confidence has increased 10-fold and I'm sure I'll get there.
God is really drawing me in the right direction, just gotta stay on course. Gotta stay "Away From Temptation"
Other than that, it's going to be a nerve wracking weekend in baseball. The crew is tied for first in the NL wildcard with the Mets, they have only 3 games to go and they play the Cubs. But man, these past two games have been sweet with Fielder having walk-off home run and Braun having a walk-off grand slam in back-to-back games. Great momentum to bring us into this final series. It will be such an incredible day if the Crew can actually get into the playoffs. Unfortunately, I'll be in Seattle if it happens so I won't get to be around Brewer fans. But I got my playoff tickets!
Tonight, us and a few other couples are having a progressive dinner (swingers club as Camann calls it) Ed, Buck and Tucker all moved into new places so we're gonna go and check them out! And eat food with friends, what could be better?
I hope to take some great photos in the Northwest, especially with all the leaves changing color. Speaking of the Northwest, have you ever watched "Twin Peaks" because you should. It is the most intriguing, weird, funny, horrifying, quirky show we have ever seen and it is so cool. It aired from 1990-1991 and now has a cult following. Shawn, you shouldn't watch this show cuz it might give you nightmares. Seriously, especially episode #3.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Team WAPAM!(i) + Updates
This past weekend was the Fox Cities Marathon. Myself and few others did the relay marathon. The first 4 runners run 5 miles, the last person runs 6.2. Our team breakdown is as follows:
WAPAM!
Leg 1: Pam Hau "Are you doing?"
Leg 2: Whitney "KC" Stach
Leg 3: Andy "Shaft" Camann
Leg 4: Mike "Zeke" Lashua
Leg 5: Adam "Ringer" Gibbs
Our team was a hodge-podge of various people that I either have briefly met (Pam, Whitney), know very well (Andy) and don't know at all (Adam). The other team, Ann's Army, was comprised of:
Leg 1: Shawn "Gold Rush" Dobbins
Leg 2: Sarah "S-Dobbs" Dobbins
Leg 3: John "Daddy J" Dobbins
Leg 4: Heather "Heater" Vogts
Leg 5: Andy "M. Todd" Dobbins
The sheer logistics of getting people where they needed to be was just absolutely staggering. On Saturday evening, we all met at the Dobbin's house to discuss who is taking who where and at what time. We got it all figured out and I got to bed at a decent hour.
Sarah's boyfriend, Mike, picked up the first and second leg runners at 6:45am and dropped them off that their proper mile markers. At 8:15, Andy's uncle picked up the leg 3 and 4 runners to drop them off. Then at 9:30, Andy D. and Adam left to go to the mile 20 marker for the final leg.
Amber and her mom came out to watch me at mile15 and 20 and also met us at the finish line. It was great to see them out there!
It was a real tight race the whole way. WAPAM! finished with a final time of 3:20:12.
Check out some photos:
Team WAPAM! at the finish.
Camann checking to see if I fall after he handed me the timing chip.
The worst picture of me ever. I just finished my leg and it looks like I'm about to collapse. I am stopping my watch in this picture while yelling for Adam. He was surprised to see me!
The Rew and I before my run.
Man, I have been studying like a banshee for my big exam coming up on Oct. 24th. Everyday at work for a few hours I do some reading and work on problems. I really haven't done much work lately, but I consider this work since I need to pass this exam to move up in the company. I still have my class every Tues. night and that is becoming quite the pain as well. It's boring and it's over 2 hours of driving and 2.5 hours of class. Not my idea of a good way to spend a Tues. night. Plus I'm missing my lifegroup's potluck tonight.
WAPAM!
Leg 1: Pam Hau "Are you doing?"
Leg 2: Whitney "KC" Stach
Leg 3: Andy "Shaft" Camann
Leg 4: Mike "Zeke" Lashua
Leg 5: Adam "Ringer" Gibbs
Our team was a hodge-podge of various people that I either have briefly met (Pam, Whitney), know very well (Andy) and don't know at all (Adam). The other team, Ann's Army, was comprised of:
Leg 1: Shawn "Gold Rush" Dobbins
Leg 2: Sarah "S-Dobbs" Dobbins
Leg 3: John "Daddy J" Dobbins
Leg 4: Heather "Heater" Vogts
Leg 5: Andy "M. Todd" Dobbins
The sheer logistics of getting people where they needed to be was just absolutely staggering. On Saturday evening, we all met at the Dobbin's house to discuss who is taking who where and at what time. We got it all figured out and I got to bed at a decent hour.
Sarah's boyfriend, Mike, picked up the first and second leg runners at 6:45am and dropped them off that their proper mile markers. At 8:15, Andy's uncle picked up the leg 3 and 4 runners to drop them off. Then at 9:30, Andy D. and Adam left to go to the mile 20 marker for the final leg.
Amber and her mom came out to watch me at mile15 and 20 and also met us at the finish line. It was great to see them out there!
It was a real tight race the whole way. WAPAM! finished with a final time of 3:20:12.
Check out some photos:
Team WAPAM! at the finish.
Camann checking to see if I fall after he handed me the timing chip.
The worst picture of me ever. I just finished my leg and it looks like I'm about to collapse. I am stopping my watch in this picture while yelling for Adam. He was surprised to see me!
The Rew and I before my run.
Man, I have been studying like a banshee for my big exam coming up on Oct. 24th. Everyday at work for a few hours I do some reading and work on problems. I really haven't done much work lately, but I consider this work since I need to pass this exam to move up in the company. I still have my class every Tues. night and that is becoming quite the pain as well. It's boring and it's over 2 hours of driving and 2.5 hours of class. Not my idea of a good way to spend a Tues. night. Plus I'm missing my lifegroup's potluck tonight.
This Sunday I'm off to the great state of Washington for a Cascade User's Group Conference at the Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, WA. http://www.semiahmoo.com/ It's really close to the Canada border, like 2 miles, so I'm going to head up to Vancouver one of the nights to check it out. It's only 40 min. away. I'll have a rental car when I'm out there so I can check out the scenery when I have a little down time. I expect it to be absolutely gorgeous!
I'm pretty pumped for Camann's show tomorrow night; possibly more than he is. I pushed back our Book Group until 7:30 so we can make the whole show. I'm excited to hear some of the new songs he has been working on. And have you heard the new Modern Antiques stuff? No? Well you're in for a treat. www.themodernantiques.com
Speaking of music. I've been working hard on two songs entitled "This Human Life" and "Away From Temptation". Maybe someday when I grow a pair you'll hear them!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Mike's Soul Mix
One of the first mixes I ever made was called Mike's Soul Mix and I created it in the summer of 2000, right after my parents got a brand new computer that could burn CD's! I popped it in the other day and blew my mind. I think I blew Dobbin's mind as well whe I played it for him. I don't mean to brag or anything, but I have really good taste in music. Let this mix list explain why:
1. "She Drives Me Crazy" - Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) - 1988
Just a killer pop tune. You either hate it or love it. Me? I love it. It's got this guitar riff you can't ignore, vocals you can barely understand and "in your face" drums. You all know it and you kn ow you love it too.
2. "Crazy" - Seal - 1990
I guess I was a fan of songs with the word "crazy" in them. But this is song impressive because it sounds like no other songs during it's time. If it was released today, it would be a hit single. The chorus is great "No we're never gonna survive, unless we get a little crazy". Also there is an awesome drum fill in the middle of the song which wins me over every time.
3. "Dirty Laundry" - Don Henley - 1982
This is a good song, but I really don't know why it's on this mix. It doesn't really fit at all. I became a huge Don henley fan in the summer of 2000 and I must have really liked this track. It's your typical political and social commentary that you expect from Don.
4. "Beast of Burden" - Rolling Stones - 1978
My favorite Rolling Stones song. Just a funkyish soul tune. Great melody, sensual lyrics. Great guitar work. A pop masterpiece.
5. "Everywhere" - Fleetwood Mac - 1987
This is the song where people make fun of me for liking. Cuz it sounds kinda whimpy and too girly. But I love the keyboards and the gentle vocal stylings of Christine McVie and the looped drum part. I will even go as far to say that this is my favorite Fleetwood Mac song...there I said it.
6. "Walking in Memphis" - Marc Cohn - 1991
You know this one. You like it. You know why. Nothing can beat the piano work and passionate lyrics in this song. And this guy got shot in the head!
7. "I'm on Fire" - Bruce Springsteen - 1984
It's at this point in the mix that I start to bring it down a bit. And when I say a bit I mean a lot. It's not uncommon for me to do this in a mix and then Andy and Shawn will say something like "Man, you're really bringing this mix down, this must have been a dark period in your life". Anywho, this is the start of a 4 song slide of musical greatness. This isn't a sad song, but a slow, darkish sounding song that is one of my very favorite Bruce songs of all time.
8. "Tell Me I Was Dreaming" - Travis Tritt - 1994
Yes, Travis frickin' Tritt. A country artist. How dare I. Anther thing about my mixes is that I like to include a country song or two on my mixes. Because believe it or not, there are good country songs out there! And this is one of them. One of the darkest country songs I know. It's about this guy who's wife dies in a drowning accident and he is mad that she never told him goodbye. And the tag at the end of the song is amazing. Back me up here, Dawg.
9. "Coming Back to Life" - Pink Floyd - 1994
"Where were you when I was burned and broken?" opening this tearful song of doubts, disappointment and finally hope. Awesome guitar solos and steady back beat make this one a winner. Rick Wright R.I.P.
10. "Snow on the Sahara" - Anggun - 1997
You may have forgot about this song or have never known it. This a cool electronicish song, sweet vocals, dark but uplifting. A very girly song as well but I'm not afraid to admit I like it!
11. "In The House of Stone and Light" - Martin Page - 1994
The end of the slide. A masterfully beautiful tune. Great bass. Amazing vocals. What a song for a one hit wonder! Definitely a song I wish I had written. The vocal breakdown in the end is to die for.
12. "Learn to be Still" - The Eagles - 1994
Man, what is up with 1994 being such a great year in music? One of my favorite Eagles songs. A very simple song with complex lyrics. One of Don's finest. A lot of biblical imagery in the song too which makes it cool.
13. "Losing My Religion" - REM - 1991
The song that turned me on to REM freshman year of college. There is a mandolin in this song which makes it so cool! I heard that the phrase "Losing Your religion" means "going crazy".
14. "Everything is Different Now" - Don Henley - 2000
This was Amber's and my song from Freshman year. Don Henley was the very first concert we went to together in the summer of 2000 at the Marcus Amphitheater. He played this song and we went nuts! We wanted this to be the song for our first dance at our wedding, but you really can't dance to it!
15. "Burn Down the Mission" - Phil Collins - 1991
This is an Elton John cover song from the Two Rooms album to honor Elton and Bernie Taupin for their work. A killer track. Tight horns, gospel choir, fast. I highly recommend people download this track; it'll just make you want to dance!
16. "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King - 1961
Whoa, old song here. But a touching way to end a great mix. Can the lyrics get any better? No. I think this song is also way ahead of it's time; sounds like it could be from the late 60s.
In other news...
I'm running in a relay marathon this Sunday with some friends. I'm looking forward to it because I have never been a relay team before (except high school). Our team name is WAPAM! which is acronym from the first letter from each person's first name. Camann is running it and will do awesome!
Our lawn is green again! Thank you fertilizer and rain!! I mowed it on Monday and I think it was as thick and lush as it has ever been. It clogged up the mower like 100 times.
Our first discussion for Book Group is tonight. We're reading "Renovation of the Heart" by Dallas Willard which is about trying to put your character in line with Christs. So it's something we can all benefit from!
I realized that it has been one year tomorrow that Mrs. Dobbins has been gone. And I miss her a ton. Man, time flies. I remember thinking that I was going to get a phone call that I didn't want to get sometime that week. But the Dobbin's family is like glue and they can take a hit and keep on going like no body's business! I shall have a Berry Weiss or other fruity beer this weekend in honor of her! (that was our thing)
Alright, I should get back to work!
1. "She Drives Me Crazy" - Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) - 1988
Just a killer pop tune. You either hate it or love it. Me? I love it. It's got this guitar riff you can't ignore, vocals you can barely understand and "in your face" drums. You all know it and you kn ow you love it too.
2. "Crazy" - Seal - 1990
I guess I was a fan of songs with the word "crazy" in them. But this is song impressive because it sounds like no other songs during it's time. If it was released today, it would be a hit single. The chorus is great "No we're never gonna survive, unless we get a little crazy". Also there is an awesome drum fill in the middle of the song which wins me over every time.
3. "Dirty Laundry" - Don Henley - 1982
This is a good song, but I really don't know why it's on this mix. It doesn't really fit at all. I became a huge Don henley fan in the summer of 2000 and I must have really liked this track. It's your typical political and social commentary that you expect from Don.
4. "Beast of Burden" - Rolling Stones - 1978
My favorite Rolling Stones song. Just a funkyish soul tune. Great melody, sensual lyrics. Great guitar work. A pop masterpiece.
5. "Everywhere" - Fleetwood Mac - 1987
This is the song where people make fun of me for liking. Cuz it sounds kinda whimpy and too girly. But I love the keyboards and the gentle vocal stylings of Christine McVie and the looped drum part. I will even go as far to say that this is my favorite Fleetwood Mac song...there I said it.
6. "Walking in Memphis" - Marc Cohn - 1991
You know this one. You like it. You know why. Nothing can beat the piano work and passionate lyrics in this song. And this guy got shot in the head!
7. "I'm on Fire" - Bruce Springsteen - 1984
It's at this point in the mix that I start to bring it down a bit. And when I say a bit I mean a lot. It's not uncommon for me to do this in a mix and then Andy and Shawn will say something like "Man, you're really bringing this mix down, this must have been a dark period in your life". Anywho, this is the start of a 4 song slide of musical greatness. This isn't a sad song, but a slow, darkish sounding song that is one of my very favorite Bruce songs of all time.
8. "Tell Me I Was Dreaming" - Travis Tritt - 1994
Yes, Travis frickin' Tritt. A country artist. How dare I. Anther thing about my mixes is that I like to include a country song or two on my mixes. Because believe it or not, there are good country songs out there! And this is one of them. One of the darkest country songs I know. It's about this guy who's wife dies in a drowning accident and he is mad that she never told him goodbye. And the tag at the end of the song is amazing. Back me up here, Dawg.
9. "Coming Back to Life" - Pink Floyd - 1994
"Where were you when I was burned and broken?" opening this tearful song of doubts, disappointment and finally hope. Awesome guitar solos and steady back beat make this one a winner. Rick Wright R.I.P.
10. "Snow on the Sahara" - Anggun - 1997
You may have forgot about this song or have never known it. This a cool electronicish song, sweet vocals, dark but uplifting. A very girly song as well but I'm not afraid to admit I like it!
11. "In The House of Stone and Light" - Martin Page - 1994
The end of the slide. A masterfully beautiful tune. Great bass. Amazing vocals. What a song for a one hit wonder! Definitely a song I wish I had written. The vocal breakdown in the end is to die for.
12. "Learn to be Still" - The Eagles - 1994
Man, what is up with 1994 being such a great year in music? One of my favorite Eagles songs. A very simple song with complex lyrics. One of Don's finest. A lot of biblical imagery in the song too which makes it cool.
13. "Losing My Religion" - REM - 1991
The song that turned me on to REM freshman year of college. There is a mandolin in this song which makes it so cool! I heard that the phrase "Losing Your religion" means "going crazy".
14. "Everything is Different Now" - Don Henley - 2000
This was Amber's and my song from Freshman year. Don Henley was the very first concert we went to together in the summer of 2000 at the Marcus Amphitheater. He played this song and we went nuts! We wanted this to be the song for our first dance at our wedding, but you really can't dance to it!
15. "Burn Down the Mission" - Phil Collins - 1991
This is an Elton John cover song from the Two Rooms album to honor Elton and Bernie Taupin for their work. A killer track. Tight horns, gospel choir, fast. I highly recommend people download this track; it'll just make you want to dance!
16. "Stand by Me" - Ben E. King - 1961
Whoa, old song here. But a touching way to end a great mix. Can the lyrics get any better? No. I think this song is also way ahead of it's time; sounds like it could be from the late 60s.
In other news...
I'm running in a relay marathon this Sunday with some friends. I'm looking forward to it because I have never been a relay team before (except high school). Our team name is WAPAM! which is acronym from the first letter from each person's first name. Camann is running it and will do awesome!
Our lawn is green again! Thank you fertilizer and rain!! I mowed it on Monday and I think it was as thick and lush as it has ever been. It clogged up the mower like 100 times.
Our first discussion for Book Group is tonight. We're reading "Renovation of the Heart" by Dallas Willard which is about trying to put your character in line with Christs. So it's something we can all benefit from!
I realized that it has been one year tomorrow that Mrs. Dobbins has been gone. And I miss her a ton. Man, time flies. I remember thinking that I was going to get a phone call that I didn't want to get sometime that week. But the Dobbin's family is like glue and they can take a hit and keep on going like no body's business! I shall have a Berry Weiss or other fruity beer this weekend in honor of her! (that was our thing)
Alright, I should get back to work!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
9/11/2001 Remembered
It is 7 years today since 9/11 happened. Do you remember where you were? I remember it like it was yesterday...
I was a Junior in college, it was the 2nd full week of school. I got up at like 8:30 for my 9:45 class. I took a shower. Put on my favorite shirt which was a dark blue T-shirt with "COLLEGE" written across the front and I was wearing shorts, of course. It was unusual for me to eat breakfast in college, but for some reason this morning I poured myself a bowl of cereal and sat in front of my roommate's big TV, turned it on. Right away I was seeing images of smoke pouring out of the world trade center. At first I didn't think much of it, I figured there was a fire on one of the floors and they were working to put it out. So I changed the channel, then I changed it again and on every major station this news story was on. It must have been more than a fire I thought, so I listened to the broadcast and quickly saw footage of a plane hitting the first tower. As I was kept eating breakfast I started to hear reports that another plane struck the 2nd tower. "What is going on!" I thought.
Well, it was time for me to start going to class. I remember passing Ryan Alt on the way to my ECE 330 Signals and Systems lecture and he said something like "S^*t's going down, man." and he just kept walking. I got to my class and they brought a TV out with the news coverage on. My professor was like "I understand if you don't want to be at lecture today so you can go if you'd like." So everybody went into the hallway to watch the TV.
Around lunchtime I went over to my friend, Christy's, place to go and grab some lunch. When I was in her apartment I said "Man, isn't this crazy whats going on in New York City this morning?" And she didn't know what I Was talking about. So I told her and I remember tears welled up in her eyes and she put her head in her hands but she didn't cry. We turned on the TV for a bit and then went down to State St. to get some lunch at Q'Doba.
That afternoon, I called Amber and we talked about what was going on, she came over and we watched the news for a long time and that's when we found out that a plane hit the Pentagon and another crashed in PA. My mom called as well to see how I was doing. I remember she wrote me an email that day with the subject "Cruel World"
Then I went to bed. And over the course of the week I remember attending a memorial service on campus for the victims and watching the concert in NYC for the fireman and their families. Bruce played an acoustic version of "My City of Ruins". Very fitting.
Every year around this time I'm always a bit anxious as to what is going to happen on 9/11 this year, if anything. "What do the terrorists have planned this year" I keep thinking. And of course I see the shows of all the footage of that day which gives me the chills. Especially when CNN re-plays the actual broadcast as the events unfolded that day.
The world hasn't been the same since!
I was a Junior in college, it was the 2nd full week of school. I got up at like 8:30 for my 9:45 class. I took a shower. Put on my favorite shirt which was a dark blue T-shirt with "COLLEGE" written across the front and I was wearing shorts, of course. It was unusual for me to eat breakfast in college, but for some reason this morning I poured myself a bowl of cereal and sat in front of my roommate's big TV, turned it on. Right away I was seeing images of smoke pouring out of the world trade center. At first I didn't think much of it, I figured there was a fire on one of the floors and they were working to put it out. So I changed the channel, then I changed it again and on every major station this news story was on. It must have been more than a fire I thought, so I listened to the broadcast and quickly saw footage of a plane hitting the first tower. As I was kept eating breakfast I started to hear reports that another plane struck the 2nd tower. "What is going on!" I thought.
Well, it was time for me to start going to class. I remember passing Ryan Alt on the way to my ECE 330 Signals and Systems lecture and he said something like "S^*t's going down, man." and he just kept walking. I got to my class and they brought a TV out with the news coverage on. My professor was like "I understand if you don't want to be at lecture today so you can go if you'd like." So everybody went into the hallway to watch the TV.
Around lunchtime I went over to my friend, Christy's, place to go and grab some lunch. When I was in her apartment I said "Man, isn't this crazy whats going on in New York City this morning?" And she didn't know what I Was talking about. So I told her and I remember tears welled up in her eyes and she put her head in her hands but she didn't cry. We turned on the TV for a bit and then went down to State St. to get some lunch at Q'Doba.
That afternoon, I called Amber and we talked about what was going on, she came over and we watched the news for a long time and that's when we found out that a plane hit the Pentagon and another crashed in PA. My mom called as well to see how I was doing. I remember she wrote me an email that day with the subject "Cruel World"
Then I went to bed. And over the course of the week I remember attending a memorial service on campus for the victims and watching the concert in NYC for the fireman and their families. Bruce played an acoustic version of "My City of Ruins". Very fitting.
Every year around this time I'm always a bit anxious as to what is going to happen on 9/11 this year, if anything. "What do the terrorists have planned this year" I keep thinking. And of course I see the shows of all the footage of that day which gives me the chills. Especially when CNN re-plays the actual broadcast as the events unfolded that day.
The world hasn't been the same since!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
I Could Be A Nurse
On Sunday I volunteered at the medical tent for the Wisconsin Ironman here in Madison. My shift was from 8pm-1am. I helped out in the triage area which means I assisted or carried the people to the medical tent, weighed them, placed them in a chair, filled out a bit of paperwork and then waited with them until a registered nurse assisted them.
I saw all kinds of things from blistered feet to diarrhea to extreme vomiting. I had to hold a few people as they vomited either on the pavement or in a trashcan. We weigh them to determine how much weight they lost over the course of the race. If it's over 5 pounds, we get fluids into them and if it's really severe the doctor will put an IV into them. One guy lost 18 pounds!!! I also saw lots of road rash, dizziness; some guys didn't even know where they were!
The back area of tent reminded me of a medical tent in the middle of a war. There were dozens of cots lined up, sick people lying with bandages, ice and blankets over them. IVs and tubes were everywhere. You could hear sounds of vomiting echo through the tent.
And it didn't bother me at all; I really liked it. I bet I would be an OK nurse. Granted, I haven't seen people with severe burns or amputated limbs and I didn't have to do any cleanup of blood or vomit or fecal matter. But still, I think I could hold my own.
Or maybe I would be way in over my head.
What else is new??
Tonight I'm going to the Brewers vs. Cincinnati game with Dobbins. Suppan is pitching and they better not break my heart like they did last night! I can't take much more of that! This will only be the second game I've been to all year. The other game was opening day!
Amber and I went on a lunch cruise on Lake Monona on Saturday afternoon with the Buckinghams. It was a beautiful day, a bit chilly but the water was calm and the food was great. Later that evening we went to my aunt and uncles place in Lake Mills to visit. Great times as usual. I think we talked straight for 5 hours!
On Friday night I helped prepare and serve dinner at the homeless shelter by the capital and then after that I met Camann downtown and went to this little club called The Frequency to check out a few bands. The first band was absolutely terrible, just screaming and sooo loud. So we left and went to Genna's to grab a beer and hang out. Then we went back to hear the headliner. they were pretty good, but it was getting late so we left after a few songs.
Man, I've been so busy lately. And it's totally my fault since I don't say "no" to anything. My day is always crammed, I gotta learn to not stop feeling like I gotta have something going on all the time. I need another vacation!
I saw all kinds of things from blistered feet to diarrhea to extreme vomiting. I had to hold a few people as they vomited either on the pavement or in a trashcan. We weigh them to determine how much weight they lost over the course of the race. If it's over 5 pounds, we get fluids into them and if it's really severe the doctor will put an IV into them. One guy lost 18 pounds!!! I also saw lots of road rash, dizziness; some guys didn't even know where they were!
The back area of tent reminded me of a medical tent in the middle of a war. There were dozens of cots lined up, sick people lying with bandages, ice and blankets over them. IVs and tubes were everywhere. You could hear sounds of vomiting echo through the tent.
And it didn't bother me at all; I really liked it. I bet I would be an OK nurse. Granted, I haven't seen people with severe burns or amputated limbs and I didn't have to do any cleanup of blood or vomit or fecal matter. But still, I think I could hold my own.
Or maybe I would be way in over my head.
What else is new??
Tonight I'm going to the Brewers vs. Cincinnati game with Dobbins. Suppan is pitching and they better not break my heart like they did last night! I can't take much more of that! This will only be the second game I've been to all year. The other game was opening day!
Amber and I went on a lunch cruise on Lake Monona on Saturday afternoon with the Buckinghams. It was a beautiful day, a bit chilly but the water was calm and the food was great. Later that evening we went to my aunt and uncles place in Lake Mills to visit. Great times as usual. I think we talked straight for 5 hours!
On Friday night I helped prepare and serve dinner at the homeless shelter by the capital and then after that I met Camann downtown and went to this little club called The Frequency to check out a few bands. The first band was absolutely terrible, just screaming and sooo loud. So we left and went to Genna's to grab a beer and hang out. Then we went back to hear the headliner. they were pretty good, but it was getting late so we left after a few songs.
Man, I've been so busy lately. And it's totally my fault since I don't say "no" to anything. My day is always crammed, I gotta learn to not stop feeling like I gotta have something going on all the time. I need another vacation!
Friday, September 5, 2008
I Love My Job...
...when things burst into flames.
Yesterday morning a rare, yet exciting occurrence happened at work. There was a massive switchgear failure at one of our substations near campus. More specifically, it was Bus 2 failure which knocked out four feeders and hundreds, if not thousands of customers for about an hour before we switched the load onto different substations.
The switchgear that failed was installed in 1972 and was in rough shape since it was so old. Overtime, insulation breaks down and that combined with the all-day rain yesterday made for the perfect storm. Things started at about 10:00 when I saw the lights dip a bit and low voltage alarms started to come in on my display from all over the city. This is common when a bus has failed, because the high fault current causes the voltage to drop.
One of our wireman was at the gate of the substation for an unrelated reason when he heard this hissing sound from inside the switchgear and then a loud bang and then a bunch of breakers opening at once. Then he saw smoke and fire coming out of the backside of the switchgear. He grabbed the fire extinguished and quickly put out the flames. Other crews started to arrive and they thought they had isolated the part that failed, so we attempted to energize the bus again to restore load to the rest of the feeders. We closed the main breaker remotely from downtown in the bunker where I and like 15 other "high-ups" in the department were. Everything seemed to be OK...for about 30 seconds. My boss was talking to one of the crew members and while he was on the phone we heard this crash and a low rumble. And the guy on the phone said "I didn't work." Apparently, the door blew off the backside of the switchgear and flames of all colors blew out like 6 feet. Our crews were running for the fences I was told. Luckily no one was injured because everyone was in the clear when it happened. But now we have a very expensive fix on our hands and since the equipment is so old, we need to get a lot of custom parts made.
After looking at the damage, there was molten aluminum on the floor because the fire got so hot!
Here is a picture of the inside of one of the cubicles (all the black is char from the fire, usually it's silver):
Yes, I know, I haven't put up a blog about our NC trip yet. I apologize. Hopefully soon!
The crew has got to start winning again. This is no time for lolly gagging!
Yesterday morning a rare, yet exciting occurrence happened at work. There was a massive switchgear failure at one of our substations near campus. More specifically, it was Bus 2 failure which knocked out four feeders and hundreds, if not thousands of customers for about an hour before we switched the load onto different substations.
The switchgear that failed was installed in 1972 and was in rough shape since it was so old. Overtime, insulation breaks down and that combined with the all-day rain yesterday made for the perfect storm. Things started at about 10:00 when I saw the lights dip a bit and low voltage alarms started to come in on my display from all over the city. This is common when a bus has failed, because the high fault current causes the voltage to drop.
One of our wireman was at the gate of the substation for an unrelated reason when he heard this hissing sound from inside the switchgear and then a loud bang and then a bunch of breakers opening at once. Then he saw smoke and fire coming out of the backside of the switchgear. He grabbed the fire extinguished and quickly put out the flames. Other crews started to arrive and they thought they had isolated the part that failed, so we attempted to energize the bus again to restore load to the rest of the feeders. We closed the main breaker remotely from downtown in the bunker where I and like 15 other "high-ups" in the department were. Everything seemed to be OK...for about 30 seconds. My boss was talking to one of the crew members and while he was on the phone we heard this crash and a low rumble. And the guy on the phone said "I didn't work." Apparently, the door blew off the backside of the switchgear and flames of all colors blew out like 6 feet. Our crews were running for the fences I was told. Luckily no one was injured because everyone was in the clear when it happened. But now we have a very expensive fix on our hands and since the equipment is so old, we need to get a lot of custom parts made.
After looking at the damage, there was molten aluminum on the floor because the fire got so hot!
Here is a picture of the inside of one of the cubicles (all the black is char from the fire, usually it's silver):
Yes, I know, I haven't put up a blog about our NC trip yet. I apologize. Hopefully soon!
The crew has got to start winning again. This is no time for lolly gagging!
Monday, September 1, 2008
End of Summer
I'm back! And on to the next month: September. Ahh, it seems like only yesterday it was April and the anticipation of late summer nights, the start of baseball and a cool glass of Lemonade were in the air.
In response to a fan request, it is only fitting that I make of list of amazing "End of Summer" songs. Now, the key to a great end-of-summer song is that is has to evoke particular emotions and feelings...feelings of summer dreams that were deferred, a summer love that was not meant to be, a cool wind coming in from the north, people leaving the only town they have ever known to start the next chapter of life in college, a sunset, regrets, nostalgia of the best summer of your life. Generally the songs have a sadder feel than a summer song; a much gentler feel. Fall and winter songs are just downright depressing
I'll tell you a bit about one of the best summer's of my life. It was the summer of 2000. The first summer after freshman year of college. I was back in Neenah; the promised land. I hit my stride. Amber and I start going out that spring and we were still in the "limerance" phase of our relationship where we couldn't be apart for more than a day and we hung every night. I would call her as soon as I got home from work and we would talk about what we wanted to do that evening. At the end of the night, I would drive her home, walk her to her door and kiss her goodnight. Every night was charged with excitement.
Andy and I went to so many shows, it was ridiculous; Styx, Kansas, Vic Ferrari; whatever. We would go anywhere to see a show, county fairs, summerfest, festivals all just to satisfy our insatiable urge to learn more about one of our great passions in life. At nights we would go "cruising" into the wee hours of the morning with the music cranked Smoke a cigar, listen to Pink Floyd while hanging out in the hot tub.
I also became really good friends with a lot of the guys from the Cross Country team that year. I think I was more infamous than popular with that crowd during high school. But after freshman year and seeing all the guys again, we hung out a ton and I formed some really strong friendships. Playing cards, going camping, DMB shows; we were always doing something exciting.
You'll know an end-of-summer song when you hear it; it's different for every person.
In no particular order (It's a long one!):
"Nightswimming" - REM
"Find the River" - REM
"The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley
"Backyard" - Guster
"Lithium Sunset" - Sting
"My Sundown" - Jimmy Eat World
"23" - Jimmy Eat World
"Daylight Fading" - Counting Crows
"Holiday in Spain" - Counting Crows
"Dear Valentine" - Guster
"Come Downstairs and Say Hello" - Guster
"Do You Remember" - Phil Collins
"Crawling Back to You" - Tom Petty
"Round Here" - Counting Crows
"I Hope You Dance" - LeeAnn Womack
"Racing in the Street" - Bruce Springsteen
"Darkness on the Edge of Town" - Bruce Springsteen
"The River (Live)" - Bruce Springsteen
"If I Should Fall Behind" - Bruce Springsteen
"The Promise" - Bruce Springsteen
"Sad Eyes" - Bruce Springsteen
"#41" - Dave Matthews Band
"Typical Situation" - Dave Matthews Band
"The Difference" - Matchbox Twenty
"Bed of Lies" - Matchbox Twenty
"Rest Stop" - Matchbox Twenty
"Trouble" - Coldplay
"Don't Panic" - Coldplay
"Secret World" - Peter Gabriel
"Please Don't Ask" - Genesis
I know I missed a lot and this list could go on and on so please post some of your favorite end-of-summer songs if you'd like!
I'll blog about the North Carolina trip soon!
In response to a fan request, it is only fitting that I make of list of amazing "End of Summer" songs. Now, the key to a great end-of-summer song is that is has to evoke particular emotions and feelings...feelings of summer dreams that were deferred, a summer love that was not meant to be, a cool wind coming in from the north, people leaving the only town they have ever known to start the next chapter of life in college, a sunset, regrets, nostalgia of the best summer of your life. Generally the songs have a sadder feel than a summer song; a much gentler feel. Fall and winter songs are just downright depressing
I'll tell you a bit about one of the best summer's of my life. It was the summer of 2000. The first summer after freshman year of college. I was back in Neenah; the promised land. I hit my stride. Amber and I start going out that spring and we were still in the "limerance" phase of our relationship where we couldn't be apart for more than a day and we hung every night. I would call her as soon as I got home from work and we would talk about what we wanted to do that evening. At the end of the night, I would drive her home, walk her to her door and kiss her goodnight. Every night was charged with excitement.
Andy and I went to so many shows, it was ridiculous; Styx, Kansas, Vic Ferrari; whatever. We would go anywhere to see a show, county fairs, summerfest, festivals all just to satisfy our insatiable urge to learn more about one of our great passions in life. At nights we would go "cruising" into the wee hours of the morning with the music cranked Smoke a cigar, listen to Pink Floyd while hanging out in the hot tub.
I also became really good friends with a lot of the guys from the Cross Country team that year. I think I was more infamous than popular with that crowd during high school. But after freshman year and seeing all the guys again, we hung out a ton and I formed some really strong friendships. Playing cards, going camping, DMB shows; we were always doing something exciting.
You'll know an end-of-summer song when you hear it; it's different for every person.
In no particular order (It's a long one!):
"Nightswimming" - REM
"Find the River" - REM
"The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley
"Backyard" - Guster
"Lithium Sunset" - Sting
"My Sundown" - Jimmy Eat World
"23" - Jimmy Eat World
"Daylight Fading" - Counting Crows
"Holiday in Spain" - Counting Crows
"Dear Valentine" - Guster
"Come Downstairs and Say Hello" - Guster
"Do You Remember" - Phil Collins
"Crawling Back to You" - Tom Petty
"Round Here" - Counting Crows
"I Hope You Dance" - LeeAnn Womack
"Racing in the Street" - Bruce Springsteen
"Darkness on the Edge of Town" - Bruce Springsteen
"The River (Live)" - Bruce Springsteen
"If I Should Fall Behind" - Bruce Springsteen
"The Promise" - Bruce Springsteen
"Sad Eyes" - Bruce Springsteen
"#41" - Dave Matthews Band
"Typical Situation" - Dave Matthews Band
"The Difference" - Matchbox Twenty
"Bed of Lies" - Matchbox Twenty
"Rest Stop" - Matchbox Twenty
"Trouble" - Coldplay
"Don't Panic" - Coldplay
"Secret World" - Peter Gabriel
"Please Don't Ask" - Genesis
I know I missed a lot and this list could go on and on so please post some of your favorite end-of-summer songs if you'd like!
I'll blog about the North Carolina trip soon!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Gone to Carolina
Tomorrow afternoon, Amber and I are off to North Carolina, home of the Tar Heels and the birthplace of flight! I need to compile and burn a CD dedicated to the State with such songs as "Carolina in my Mind" by James Taylor, "Heads Carolina, Tails California" by Martina McBride, and "Gone to Carolina" by Shooter Jennings. I love how going on trips always give me an excuse to make mixes. Not that I need excuses, I make most of them for no reason at all. But still. I got the North Carolina mix all set on the iPod as well.
I think this is the first trip Amber and I have taken by ourselves since our honeymoon so it's been a long time coming. We'll have our fill of seafood, explore the Cape Fear area, check out the beaches, see some historical landmarks, drink moonshine (most likely not) and eat ice cream (most likely). I think we'll check out the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, it's a 250 room mansion built in the late 1800's. One of Amber's friends used to work there so she can give us a tour. I feel kinda bad that we'll be gone this week because Buck, Ed and their respective wives are moving into their new houses and we'd like to help. But what can you do.
We saw "Tropic Thunder" over the weekend and it is ridiculous. And by ridiculous I mean slapstick, offensive, violent, F-bomb dropping humor. But it has an all-star cast with some amazing performances. Like Robert Downey Junior playing a dead-on black guy. And Tom Cruise playing a not-so-nice agent. We haven't been to a movie in a while so it was nice to go to one.
I'll see you all in September!
I think this is the first trip Amber and I have taken by ourselves since our honeymoon so it's been a long time coming. We'll have our fill of seafood, explore the Cape Fear area, check out the beaches, see some historical landmarks, drink moonshine (most likely not) and eat ice cream (most likely). I think we'll check out the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, it's a 250 room mansion built in the late 1800's. One of Amber's friends used to work there so she can give us a tour. I feel kinda bad that we'll be gone this week because Buck, Ed and their respective wives are moving into their new houses and we'd like to help. But what can you do.
We saw "Tropic Thunder" over the weekend and it is ridiculous. And by ridiculous I mean slapstick, offensive, violent, F-bomb dropping humor. But it has an all-star cast with some amazing performances. Like Robert Downey Junior playing a dead-on black guy. And Tom Cruise playing a not-so-nice agent. We haven't been to a movie in a while so it was nice to go to one.
I'll see you all in September!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Caffeine: The World's Crutch
I got to thinking while I was driving around to a few subs this morning. I stopped at Starbucks (yes I know, corporate machine, evil empire, blah, blah, blah) and got myself a cup of joe and began to ponder what would happen if there was a world ban on caffeine that would made it's use illegal. Surely the world economy would melt down. Think about it; it would cause Starbucks and any other coffee franchise to go under and would make the stock market crash. Productivity would cease to a halt all over the globe. No tea, caffeinated soda, coffee, not even decaf...not to mention chocolate could be used. So many people would go through withdrawal and have terrible headaches, the hospitals would be flooded. The Latin America, African and South American and other small tropical countries that produce coffee beans would cease to halt. China's tea production would slow dramatically. Forget about the world being dependant on oil, it's coffee that's really running the show! Of course, there would never be a shortage of coffee since it's a plant that you can grow, but what about all the environmental changes going on, surely it will end up affecting coffee production sooner or later! Forget about your sci-fi novel, Buck, you need to write a book about this!
Anyway, our lawn is screwed. This lack of rain and the merciless sun over the past few weeks has turned our lawn to a nice golden yellow. Our neighbors water their grass so it is nice and green; I say it's fine because it is Packer season and green and gold go well together. But now that fall's coming it will get greener again.
Last night Amber and I were spraying hornets coming out from under our siding with this sweet hornet killer that literally kills them on contact. I shoot at them flying through the air and they drop out of the sky like nobody's business. I saw that we had two nests on the very top corners of our roof so I got out the old hose, put it on "super jet" setting and let loose. I whacked the first nest and like 40 hornets came flying out, I got scared thinking they were going to attack me but luckily since I was the guy with the hose they avoid the water. I couldn't quite knock the nest down so I think I'll wait until the winter to do that and then slip and fall to my death.
I've been reading a lot of books lately, too many at one time. I need to read for my sci-fi book club, the text book for my PE class, The Screwtape Letters, not to mention the Bible and now our new book for book group starting in Sept. I should get some books on CD and listen to them in my car. Make the most out of my time. How did I become such a big reader? I have no idea.
I got totally rocked by an electric fence this weekend when I was visiting my cousin and aunt and uncle that live on a farm. I was talking to Amber on the phone and went to go pet the goats and leaned over the fence and felt my heart stop. It was like 10,000 volts jolting my body. It didn't really hurt, but just really shocked and surprised me. I felt a heaviness in my chest after that. Whew, that woke me up!
I just finished cleaning the Wurlitzer and began putting it back together last night. The keys don't stick at all anymore and the sound is so warm and incredible I literally melt when I play it. Tonight I hope to put the legs on and clean the outside. I still need a sustain pedal for it and then it will be complete!
My cousin gave me his 120GB external hard drive filled to the brim with mp3s to borrow. I'm totally gonna copy a bunch over and fill up my iTunes with some great stuff. Anything you can imagine is on it! I will have a field day with this.
Amber and I are heading out to North Carolina next Tuesday for our 3rd Anniversary trip. I can't believe it's already three years! We have this sweet hotel room in Wilmington and the room is actually two stories with a spiral staircase and the upper level is all windows and overlooks the city! Awesome! We'll also be visiting family in Charlotte and friends in Asheville. Should be a great time. I gotta make some NC Mixes this weekend. I really want to try some sweet tea and see what the big fuss is.
Anyway, our lawn is screwed. This lack of rain and the merciless sun over the past few weeks has turned our lawn to a nice golden yellow. Our neighbors water their grass so it is nice and green; I say it's fine because it is Packer season and green and gold go well together. But now that fall's coming it will get greener again.
Last night Amber and I were spraying hornets coming out from under our siding with this sweet hornet killer that literally kills them on contact. I shoot at them flying through the air and they drop out of the sky like nobody's business. I saw that we had two nests on the very top corners of our roof so I got out the old hose, put it on "super jet" setting and let loose. I whacked the first nest and like 40 hornets came flying out, I got scared thinking they were going to attack me but luckily since I was the guy with the hose they avoid the water. I couldn't quite knock the nest down so I think I'll wait until the winter to do that and then slip and fall to my death.
I've been reading a lot of books lately, too many at one time. I need to read for my sci-fi book club, the text book for my PE class, The Screwtape Letters, not to mention the Bible and now our new book for book group starting in Sept. I should get some books on CD and listen to them in my car. Make the most out of my time. How did I become such a big reader? I have no idea.
I got totally rocked by an electric fence this weekend when I was visiting my cousin and aunt and uncle that live on a farm. I was talking to Amber on the phone and went to go pet the goats and leaned over the fence and felt my heart stop. It was like 10,000 volts jolting my body. It didn't really hurt, but just really shocked and surprised me. I felt a heaviness in my chest after that. Whew, that woke me up!
I just finished cleaning the Wurlitzer and began putting it back together last night. The keys don't stick at all anymore and the sound is so warm and incredible I literally melt when I play it. Tonight I hope to put the legs on and clean the outside. I still need a sustain pedal for it and then it will be complete!
My cousin gave me his 120GB external hard drive filled to the brim with mp3s to borrow. I'm totally gonna copy a bunch over and fill up my iTunes with some great stuff. Anything you can imagine is on it! I will have a field day with this.
Amber and I are heading out to North Carolina next Tuesday for our 3rd Anniversary trip. I can't believe it's already three years! We have this sweet hotel room in Wilmington and the room is actually two stories with a spiral staircase and the upper level is all windows and overlooks the city! Awesome! We'll also be visiting family in Charlotte and friends in Asheville. Should be a great time. I gotta make some NC Mixes this weekend. I really want to try some sweet tea and see what the big fuss is.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
I'm Sorry...
...but "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips is amazing.
Amber and I were eating dinner at a restaurant in Stoughton on Sunday night and I heard this song coming from the bar area. And I thought to myself "This song is so sweet I must mention it in my blog" It's pure, power-pop, middle-of-the-road ballad bliss. Produced by Glen Ballard who engineered hits by artists from Dave Matthews Band to Madonna to Alanis Morrissette. The awesome drum fill in the end makes it for me. No matter how terrible a song is, if it has a sweet drum breakdown in the middle it gets 5 stars in my book.
Let's see, what else is new...
I've been biking a lot more recently and am starting to like it quite a bit. I'll be going tonight after work with a few friends. I enjoy how far you can travel on fairly little effort or you can really pound it and get an amazing workout. I'm not a fan of putting on all the gear, maintaining the bike and avoiding traffic but it's a nice change from high-impact running.
I'm operating on little sleep this week so far. On Tues. morning I got up at 4am to help make and serve breakfast at a homeless shelter by the capital and I didn't get to bed until 12:30 because I had my PE exam refresher course in Milwaukee from 7:30-9:30, then I drove back, then when I came home I put the bike on my car and Amber was still awake watching the Olympics so I started watching it and ate some dinner. Today I got up early to meet a friend for coffee and I may swing on down to the terrace later tonight after the bike ride to catch Shaft perform at open mic night while Amber is watching a movie with some friends. I think on Thursday I have nothing going on so I hope to relax for a night!
Man, I really like the temperatures around the area lately. Feels like early fall. I know it's way too soon for that but I'm not a huge fan of the crazy heat so I say bring it on! I'm definitely not ready for another winter like last year. Actually the best part about winter is not having to mow the lawn!
I'll be heading up to Hawkins, WI to visit my cousin this weekend who I haven't seen in about a year. I'm really looking forward to it. They live on this farm and have a few cows and they have a potato gun which we shoot at the silo. It's sounds redneck, but it's sooo much fun! And we can play paintball in the field behind their house. Killer.
The Longshots season is complete! We had our last game last Thursday and we lost fairly big I think. Our season record was 3-7 but a big improvement over last year. Dobbins played with us and had a few great hits and was clutch in shallow left field. Speaking of sports, how about them Brewers? Sabathia and Sheets are next in the order and sure to stomp San Diego this week. September is almost here and I'm starting to get pretty excited about their wildcard prospects and even winning the division! Man, I love baseball! I even convinced Amber to buy a Brewers shirt which would have been unheard of about 3 years ago. She claims she doesn't like sports but I think she's wearing down. She's a crazy Olympic watcher and can even handle a little baseball now and then.
Went to the Capital Brewery Biergarten last Friday with our Book Group and Old Man Dobbins and it was a blast. Do not ever go to see the band called "Swing Crew"! They are terrible and cheesy but drunk people love them I found out. They are a very gimmicky, untalented band. Afterwards we went to Hubbard's for cheesecake and coffee.
The Wurlitzer is fairing well. I took it apart on Sunday and vacuumed out all the junk, cleaned the keys and now I have to reassemble it tomorrow. Hopefully there aren't a pile of screws leftover when I'm done!
"Rock on London. Rock on Chicago. Goodnight."
Amber and I were eating dinner at a restaurant in Stoughton on Sunday night and I heard this song coming from the bar area. And I thought to myself "This song is so sweet I must mention it in my blog" It's pure, power-pop, middle-of-the-road ballad bliss. Produced by Glen Ballard who engineered hits by artists from Dave Matthews Band to Madonna to Alanis Morrissette. The awesome drum fill in the end makes it for me. No matter how terrible a song is, if it has a sweet drum breakdown in the middle it gets 5 stars in my book.
Let's see, what else is new...
I've been biking a lot more recently and am starting to like it quite a bit. I'll be going tonight after work with a few friends. I enjoy how far you can travel on fairly little effort or you can really pound it and get an amazing workout. I'm not a fan of putting on all the gear, maintaining the bike and avoiding traffic but it's a nice change from high-impact running.
I'm operating on little sleep this week so far. On Tues. morning I got up at 4am to help make and serve breakfast at a homeless shelter by the capital and I didn't get to bed until 12:30 because I had my PE exam refresher course in Milwaukee from 7:30-9:30, then I drove back, then when I came home I put the bike on my car and Amber was still awake watching the Olympics so I started watching it and ate some dinner. Today I got up early to meet a friend for coffee and I may swing on down to the terrace later tonight after the bike ride to catch Shaft perform at open mic night while Amber is watching a movie with some friends. I think on Thursday I have nothing going on so I hope to relax for a night!
Man, I really like the temperatures around the area lately. Feels like early fall. I know it's way too soon for that but I'm not a huge fan of the crazy heat so I say bring it on! I'm definitely not ready for another winter like last year. Actually the best part about winter is not having to mow the lawn!
I'll be heading up to Hawkins, WI to visit my cousin this weekend who I haven't seen in about a year. I'm really looking forward to it. They live on this farm and have a few cows and they have a potato gun which we shoot at the silo. It's sounds redneck, but it's sooo much fun! And we can play paintball in the field behind their house. Killer.
The Longshots season is complete! We had our last game last Thursday and we lost fairly big I think. Our season record was 3-7 but a big improvement over last year. Dobbins played with us and had a few great hits and was clutch in shallow left field. Speaking of sports, how about them Brewers? Sabathia and Sheets are next in the order and sure to stomp San Diego this week. September is almost here and I'm starting to get pretty excited about their wildcard prospects and even winning the division! Man, I love baseball! I even convinced Amber to buy a Brewers shirt which would have been unheard of about 3 years ago. She claims she doesn't like sports but I think she's wearing down. She's a crazy Olympic watcher and can even handle a little baseball now and then.
Went to the Capital Brewery Biergarten last Friday with our Book Group and Old Man Dobbins and it was a blast. Do not ever go to see the band called "Swing Crew"! They are terrible and cheesy but drunk people love them I found out. They are a very gimmicky, untalented band. Afterwards we went to Hubbard's for cheesecake and coffee.
The Wurlitzer is fairing well. I took it apart on Sunday and vacuumed out all the junk, cleaned the keys and now I have to reassemble it tomorrow. Hopefully there aren't a pile of screws leftover when I'm done!
"Rock on London. Rock on Chicago. Goodnight."
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Bidding on a keyboard on E-Bay was a bad choice.
So, on Wednesday I was looking on eBay for good deals on some vintage keyboards. I saw a Roland Juno-106, a classic FM analog synthesizer from the mid-eighties that was very popular with musicians back then, artists such as Peter Gabriel, INXS, Kate Bush and is still used by modern bands today such as the Kaiser Chiefs, Moby, Franz Ferdinand and Sigur Ros. It was a used keyboard at a fair price, I definitely don't need it but I kinda wanted it so I went against my better instincts and put a bid that I was certain wouldn't be the winning bid just to see what happened. I got a message saying that I am currently the high bidder and the auction ends in 7 hours. I didn't want this to happen! There were 5 bids on it and I was certain someone was going to out-bid me in the last minute. I was hoping for it.
I was outbidded at the last minute. Luckily. So this post is anti-climactic, I know. Still, I am an idiot. I got a good scare.
Oh Zeke.
I was outbidded at the last minute. Luckily. So this post is anti-climactic, I know. Still, I am an idiot. I got a good scare.
Oh Zeke.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
The Wurlitzer 200A
So, last night I broke out my dilapidated, worn out, legless Wurlitzer 200A that's sitting in the closet in the music room. It's rusted, full of cobwebs and dirty. I found it about 4 years ago when I was at my cousin's farm. It was sitting on the floor of the barn covered with pieces of broken wood. No way to treat a valuable musical instrument! I couldn't believe my eyes when I found it, it's such a classic keyboard and one of the very first electric pianos.
I remember when I first got it, I tried to play it and a bunch of keys didn't work. But when I tried it yesterday, everything amazingly worked and it sounds incredible! This morning I stopped up at the hardware store to get some compressed air and electronics cleaner so I can get this thing looking snazzy. I still need to by a sustain pedal for it; looking online they were like $250...but after further investigating I found one for $46, still expensive but necessary. I also need to get the rust off the legs and buy new screws.
Check out some of the songs that feature this instrument:
Alan Parsons Project - "Eye In The Sky"
Beck - "Where It's At"
The Black Crowes - "Remedy"
Boston - "My Destination"
Chicago - "Feelin' Stronger Every Day"
Daft Punk - "Digital Love"
David Gray/Lost Songs/Wurlitzer
Gov't Mule - "Soulshine"
Joni Mitchell - "Woodstock"
Little Feat - "Long Distance Love", "Got No Shadow", "Romance Dance"
Marvin Gaye - "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"
Muse - "Feeling Good"
Neil Young - "The Old Laughing Lady", "See The Sky About To Rain"
Panic at the Disco - "Mad As Rabbits"
Pink Floyd - "Breathe","Money", "Time"
Quarterflash - "Harden My Heart"
Queen - "You're My Best Friend"
Ray Charles - "What'd I Say"
Sheryl Crow - "The Book", "All I Wanna Do"
Rick Springfield - "Souls"
Steely Dan - "Godwhacker", "Do It Again," "Jack Of Speed", "Two Against Nature", "Your Sufjan Stevens - "Chicago"
Sun Ra (1956 first Wurlitzer record including) - "India", "Dreams Come True"
Supertramp - "The Logical Song", "Dreamer", "Goodbye Stranger", "Lady" and countless other songs.
Three Dog Night - "Mama Told Me Not To Come"; "Joy to the World"
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Breakdown", "You Don't Know How It Feels"
Tori Amos - "Tombigbee", "Pancake", "Strange Little Girl"
Usher - "Thats What Its Made For"
Van Halen - "And the Cradle Will Rock"
Thank you Wikipedia! I'm sure you'll see some CRV on that list eventually.
So, yeah, it's a great sound and I'm excited to start playing it more. I also bought Camann's desk yesterday so now I have a good workspace up in the music room. Rock on!
I remember when I first got it, I tried to play it and a bunch of keys didn't work. But when I tried it yesterday, everything amazingly worked and it sounds incredible! This morning I stopped up at the hardware store to get some compressed air and electronics cleaner so I can get this thing looking snazzy. I still need to by a sustain pedal for it; looking online they were like $250...but after further investigating I found one for $46, still expensive but necessary. I also need to get the rust off the legs and buy new screws.
Check out some of the songs that feature this instrument:
Alan Parsons Project - "Eye In The Sky"
Beck - "Where It's At"
The Black Crowes - "Remedy"
Boston - "My Destination"
Chicago - "Feelin' Stronger Every Day"
Daft Punk - "Digital Love"
David Gray/Lost Songs/Wurlitzer
Gov't Mule - "Soulshine"
Joni Mitchell - "Woodstock"
Little Feat - "Long Distance Love", "Got No Shadow", "Romance Dance"
Marvin Gaye - "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"
Muse - "Feeling Good"
Neil Young - "The Old Laughing Lady", "See The Sky About To Rain"
Panic at the Disco - "Mad As Rabbits"
Pink Floyd - "Breathe","Money", "Time"
Quarterflash - "Harden My Heart"
Queen - "You're My Best Friend"
Ray Charles - "What'd I Say"
Sheryl Crow - "The Book", "All I Wanna Do"
Rick Springfield - "Souls"
Steely Dan - "Godwhacker", "Do It Again," "Jack Of Speed", "Two Against Nature", "Your Sufjan Stevens - "Chicago"
Sun Ra (1956 first Wurlitzer record including) - "India", "Dreams Come True"
Supertramp - "The Logical Song", "Dreamer", "Goodbye Stranger", "Lady" and countless other songs.
Three Dog Night - "Mama Told Me Not To Come"; "Joy to the World"
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Breakdown", "You Don't Know How It Feels"
Tori Amos - "Tombigbee", "Pancake", "Strange Little Girl"
Usher - "Thats What Its Made For"
Van Halen - "And the Cradle Will Rock"
Thank you Wikipedia! I'm sure you'll see some CRV on that list eventually.
So, yeah, it's a great sound and I'm excited to start playing it more. I also bought Camann's desk yesterday so now I have a good workspace up in the music room. Rock on!
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