This is an excerpt from the Daily Bible that I try to read everyday. This is the prelude the author wrote from the beginning of the New Testament. It's awesome.
All is now ready for the most important event in human history. It is an event planned even before the creation of the world. It is the keeping of a promise made to Abraham over 2000 years earlier. It is the fulfillment of a host of prophecies regarding a Messiah who would come to establish his kingdom. Most importantly, it is the beginning of a dynamically new relationship between God and man. The event is the coming of the Savior of the world, the Messiah - or, as referred to in the Greek, the Christ.
The Christ is not to be just another world leader, as Cyrus, Alexander, or Caesar. He is not to be just another great man of God, as Abraham, Moses, or David. He is to be God himself in human flesh! The Lord of heaven is to become a servant of the earth. God, who has previously made himself known through a nation and a law, is now to reveal himself in the most personal way possible - in the form of a man. Until now God's blessings have been reserved mostly fot a chosen people, but now they are to become available to all people in every generation.
Who is this Christ, this Messiah? His name is Jesus. His symbolic name, Immanual (meaning "God with us"), signifies his deity. He is man, to be sure, but God as well; and he is God - the God of Creation - but man as well. God lowers himself so that man might be elevated. He leaves heaven so that man might enter it. To man, who cannot begin to understand the ways of God, it is clearly a great mystery. But what a marvelous and wonderful mystery it is!
Wow! Now that has got to get you excited! I read that back in October and I said to myself that I would post this right before Christmas. It's very encouraging and full of hope. Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Bird Dogging
I worked until 7 last night, which isn't too bad considering we had about 7000 customers out like 20 inches of snow. I had to drive around and do this thing called "bird-dogging" where we get a list of addresses of customers who have wires down or partial power and verify if they are MGE wires or just cable or telelphone wires. So I was walking around in peoples backyards with potentialy dangerous wires laying in the snow right next to me. No big deal. Then when I came home I had to shovel the heaviest snow ever for 2 hours. Made my night. My arms are so sore now. Then it took 2 hours to drive to work this morning, perfect. Lets just say I'm a little on edge right now and the 2 cups of coffee I just had probably isn't going help.
Monday, November 23, 2009
The Finer Things
Are you familiar with the Steve Winwood song "The Finer Things"? Boy is it good. I first discovered this song in high school when I used to check out CDs from the old Neenah Public Library. I got "Back In The High Life" because I knew the hits such as "Higher Love", and the title track but when I came across this song that I heard many times before, something about it was just perfect. Is it the quiet unassuming keyboard intro? The sweet bridge? The catchy chorus? or the rad synth solo in the end? Regardless, it's totally 80s in every sense. I think the only really instrument on the entire song is the drums. I especially love synth bass. I downloaded this song on iTunes and I forsee adding this song to a lot of a mixes coming up. Perhaps I'll put it on the "Rewsta Flo Jamz" CD I'm making Amber.
Check it out:
Cheesy video, great song.
Speaking of great songs with cheesy videos...
Stupid, stupid video. Ringo ruins everything. And Tom Petty is not a good looking person.
Check it out:
Cheesy video, great song.
Speaking of great songs with cheesy videos...
Stupid, stupid video. Ringo ruins everything. And Tom Petty is not a good looking person.
Monday, October 12, 2009
A Day in the Life...
I'd say that my worklife is about 95% productive, stressfree days. Some may even say cushy; hour lunches, 8-4:30, good paycheck, great location, freedom to go in and out of the office as I see fit. The other 5% is crazy, no fun, high stress, intense, will-I-make-it-out alive? kinda days. I will put today into the 5% category.
It should have been a perfect week. My boss and our senior engineer are out of the office all week on business so it's just my co-worker Steve and I holding down the fort in Substation Engineering. The morning went well; very productive, sent out a bunch of emails, was on the horn making things happen. Noon came and Steve and I drove out to Culvers for a burger for lunch. We almost got back to the office when Steve got a phonecall saying that we should come out to a substation by East Towne Mall to check out a problem some of the guys were having. I told Steve to go back to the office first as I had to check email quick, go to the bathrrom and grab my hardhat. So, at about 2:00 we get to the site.
We find out that the problem we're having is a DC ground. I won't bother you with the details of a DC ground on your system, but it's a pain in the butt to troubleshoot. You basically have to switch off control and protection breaker by breaker until you don't see a DC ground anymore and then you've isolated it. Once you isolate the panel it's coming from you trace it to the component or wire level.
Well, we traced this problem to the cable going to a 14,000V circuit breaker in the switchyard. We knew the problem was not good. This kind of problem could inadvertantly trip open the breaker at anytime and there is a major customer on this particular circuit. So we knew we had to get the load switched off this circuit so we could properly and safely address the problem.
We set up our table outside, found the wiring diagrams and schematics for the substation to we could start tracing the wires back one by one. 3 of us were right next to the breaker, doing nothing to it mind you, when BANG! the breaker opened up. Now, these breakers are about 15 ft. tall, carry 400 gallons of oil and are freaking loud standing a good distance away from it. So you can imagine when I heard it from only 2 feet away that I thought the world was ending.
I sprinted about 30 feet from the breaker so to get out of the way if things started flying apart. There is a major customer on this circuit not to mention a ton of streetlights. Not too soon after, we heard sirens which meant that police cars were going to controlled intersections to keep traffic going. We figured that the problem is in the cable from the control house to the breaker. This cable is "direct-buried" which means it is not in conduit, just laid in the ground and covered up with a bunch of other cables. So tomorrow, the crews have to start digging up the 60 ft. stretch of cable to replace it being careful to not dig into about 25 other cables right beside it. So this is my day tomorrow. At least there is no rain in the forecast.
And poor Amber; her car was having problems on Sunday so we took it to the shop this morning and I dropped her off at work. I couldn't pick her up as planned so she had to take the bus to the repair shop to pick up her car. And she missed her pilates class. Of all the days for this to happen...Murhpy's law, right?
I actually worked until 6pm tonight, that never happens!
It should have been a perfect week. My boss and our senior engineer are out of the office all week on business so it's just my co-worker Steve and I holding down the fort in Substation Engineering. The morning went well; very productive, sent out a bunch of emails, was on the horn making things happen. Noon came and Steve and I drove out to Culvers for a burger for lunch. We almost got back to the office when Steve got a phonecall saying that we should come out to a substation by East Towne Mall to check out a problem some of the guys were having. I told Steve to go back to the office first as I had to check email quick, go to the bathrrom and grab my hardhat. So, at about 2:00 we get to the site.
We find out that the problem we're having is a DC ground. I won't bother you with the details of a DC ground on your system, but it's a pain in the butt to troubleshoot. You basically have to switch off control and protection breaker by breaker until you don't see a DC ground anymore and then you've isolated it. Once you isolate the panel it's coming from you trace it to the component or wire level.
Well, we traced this problem to the cable going to a 14,000V circuit breaker in the switchyard. We knew the problem was not good. This kind of problem could inadvertantly trip open the breaker at anytime and there is a major customer on this particular circuit. So we knew we had to get the load switched off this circuit so we could properly and safely address the problem.
We set up our table outside, found the wiring diagrams and schematics for the substation to we could start tracing the wires back one by one. 3 of us were right next to the breaker, doing nothing to it mind you, when BANG! the breaker opened up. Now, these breakers are about 15 ft. tall, carry 400 gallons of oil and are freaking loud standing a good distance away from it. So you can imagine when I heard it from only 2 feet away that I thought the world was ending.
I sprinted about 30 feet from the breaker so to get out of the way if things started flying apart. There is a major customer on this circuit not to mention a ton of streetlights. Not too soon after, we heard sirens which meant that police cars were going to controlled intersections to keep traffic going. We figured that the problem is in the cable from the control house to the breaker. This cable is "direct-buried" which means it is not in conduit, just laid in the ground and covered up with a bunch of other cables. So tomorrow, the crews have to start digging up the 60 ft. stretch of cable to replace it being careful to not dig into about 25 other cables right beside it. So this is my day tomorrow. At least there is no rain in the forecast.
And poor Amber; her car was having problems on Sunday so we took it to the shop this morning and I dropped her off at work. I couldn't pick her up as planned so she had to take the bus to the repair shop to pick up her car. And she missed her pilates class. Of all the days for this to happen...Murhpy's law, right?
I actually worked until 6pm tonight, that never happens!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Oregon
Tomorrow morning, Amber and I are heading out to Sunriver, OR for a work conference at the Sunriver Resort. As I've stated before, I love the Pacific Northwest; big trees, mountains, lakes, temperate climate, etc. But I was looking at the weather this morning and there is a chance of snow on Sunday while we're there! A bit early if you ask me. We are hoping to go to a fall festival in Bend, a city nearby on Sunday, but I guess we'll see where the weather takes us. We have a fireplace in our room so we'll have to cozy up to that if need to. There will be a casino night as well; I have no idea how that's going to work as most people probably aren't going to gamble, but maybe I'll toss a few bucks on Red at the roulette wheel. One of the cool things is that on the 3.5 hour drive to Sunriver, we will be on Hwy. 26, which is the old Oregon Trail; it'll take us right past Mt. Hood. Let's hope it's not too curvy, otherwise there might be vomit.
The Longshots season is complete. We went 5-10. Not that great. I'm going to beg MSCR to let us stay in League #22 for the entire season this time so we can have us a winning season. I couldn't have asked for a higer quality group of guys though. I think I would prefer that over winning everyday. I turned my first double play at the last game (kind of). I got the toss from short stop, got the out at second, then everybody started telling me to throw it to first. I made the throw, but the guy was injured so he was barely running in the first place. It wasn't how I had pictured it; but it did the job and ended the inning.
I'm reading this cool book now called "Same Kind of Different as Me" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. I'm about halfway through but it's starting to get the interesting stuff. It's a pretty popular book right now; it's about 2 guys, one very rich and one very poor and how they become lifelong friends and how God worked in their lives. I don't want to give away too much about the book in case you would like to read it.
I saw Sufjan Stevens on Monday night at the Majestic. Really great show. The trumpet player had this neat effect that made it sound like a whale, I don't know how to describe it. Oh, and of course I saw U2 a couple weeks ago. That was a looooong night. It took me 4 hours to get there due to traffic, then I got in lane for cabs only so I made it to Soldier field but had to turn around and spend the next hour trying to find a parking spot. I found one abouta 1.5 miles away. I missed Snow Patrol, but got there about 5 min. before U2 started. Check out the photos. I stood the entire show, then walked to my car, got home at around 2:30, woe up the next morning and ran 12 miles, then stood for 9 hours working at Ironman Wisconsin. I couldn't walk at the end of the night. Exhausting 2 days.
But the long run must've paid off as I ran like a cheetah at the Fox Cities Half Marathon with a time of 1:37:57. I don't think I've ever felt so good during a race before. It was perfect. I did everything the opposite of what I normally do. I got new shorts and shirt, I wore a running cap and I had a Garmin GPS I borrowed from a co-worker to keep my pace. And I loaded up on these electrolyte Jelly Beans w/ caffiene and man, they worked. Just a great day overall. Everyone did really well; Shawn got a PR by 20 min., Dobbins ran a 1:29. Heather did her first half faster than what she was hoping for and Sarah and Mr. D got PRs as well. I'm going to start taking George Costanza's advice and start doing the opposite of what my instincts tell me. Sound like a good idea? I thought so.
Anyway, perhaps I'll post from Oregon, but with the way this blog's been going, probably not :-)
The Longshots season is complete. We went 5-10. Not that great. I'm going to beg MSCR to let us stay in League #22 for the entire season this time so we can have us a winning season. I couldn't have asked for a higer quality group of guys though. I think I would prefer that over winning everyday. I turned my first double play at the last game (kind of). I got the toss from short stop, got the out at second, then everybody started telling me to throw it to first. I made the throw, but the guy was injured so he was barely running in the first place. It wasn't how I had pictured it; but it did the job and ended the inning.
I'm reading this cool book now called "Same Kind of Different as Me" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. I'm about halfway through but it's starting to get the interesting stuff. It's a pretty popular book right now; it's about 2 guys, one very rich and one very poor and how they become lifelong friends and how God worked in their lives. I don't want to give away too much about the book in case you would like to read it.
I saw Sufjan Stevens on Monday night at the Majestic. Really great show. The trumpet player had this neat effect that made it sound like a whale, I don't know how to describe it. Oh, and of course I saw U2 a couple weeks ago. That was a looooong night. It took me 4 hours to get there due to traffic, then I got in lane for cabs only so I made it to Soldier field but had to turn around and spend the next hour trying to find a parking spot. I found one abouta 1.5 miles away. I missed Snow Patrol, but got there about 5 min. before U2 started. Check out the photos. I stood the entire show, then walked to my car, got home at around 2:30, woe up the next morning and ran 12 miles, then stood for 9 hours working at Ironman Wisconsin. I couldn't walk at the end of the night. Exhausting 2 days.
But the long run must've paid off as I ran like a cheetah at the Fox Cities Half Marathon with a time of 1:37:57. I don't think I've ever felt so good during a race before. It was perfect. I did everything the opposite of what I normally do. I got new shorts and shirt, I wore a running cap and I had a Garmin GPS I borrowed from a co-worker to keep my pace. And I loaded up on these electrolyte Jelly Beans w/ caffiene and man, they worked. Just a great day overall. Everyone did really well; Shawn got a PR by 20 min., Dobbins ran a 1:29. Heather did her first half faster than what she was hoping for and Sarah and Mr. D got PRs as well. I'm going to start taking George Costanza's advice and start doing the opposite of what my instincts tell me. Sound like a good idea? I thought so.
Anyway, perhaps I'll post from Oregon, but with the way this blog's been going, probably not :-)
Friday, September 11, 2009
What's Up??
Here we are; September. Probably one of my favorite months. A friend said it when he said that September has so many good memories associated with it because that is when school started again and you get to be back with all your friends after a long summer. I guess that's why I've grown to love it. The memories of college in the fall. The brisk walks to class, the crunching of leaves on the lakeshore path, bundled up at Badger games, the colors in the Arboretum.
Every year Amber and I do our annual fall drive and leaf hunt. It'll be sometime the 3rd week in October here in Southern WI. We plan on driving east to the Lake Geneva area after work and taking some scenic drives that people have recommended. Then we'll stop and buy a pumpkin and some gourds. Grab a cup of coffee and a slice of apple pie and enjoy the scene. It's a Lashua family tradition!
Last weekend, Amber and I had the pleasure of going to our friend's families' lodge up in Brule, WI. It was about a 5.5 hour haul to get there so we arrived pretty late. Man, this place was something else. 13 bedroom, 6 bathroom, 4 fireplaces, huge wraparound porch with hanging beds, on the river. We took two canoe trips on the rapids, played boche ball, cards, ping pong (I won every game I played!), Ticket to Ride, Pictionary, we did some reading, ate plenty of good food and really enjoyed the company of some good friends. We also cracked out a few of the new Ezekial Brewery Belgian Wheat beers I whipped up. They were a big hit! Everyone liked them. Here is a link to some photos (I'm not on my home computer right now so I don't have quality photos to post) I also realized that there are no pictures of me from this trip!
I'm constantly amazed at the beauty of this state, especially the southern half. On the ride home I was almost overwhelmed at how awesome the bluffs, rolling hills, farms tucked into little nooks here and there. WI is a great state to be in! If you want to check out some great photography of the state I recommend looking at "Wisconsin" by Zane Williams. He's a pretty famous phototgrapher from this area. That book was up at the lodge so that's why I mention it.
Of course, me and Dobbins also had the big Boundary Waters trip at the end of August. That was a trip!! We didn't realize how challenging it was going to be. The first day really knocked the crap out of us. 3 portages: 2 very long and 1 very very muddy. I hurt my back on the very first portage and wasn't quite the same for the rest of the day. But luckily we found this amazing site on Good Lake. On a cliff overlooking the lake. Actually every site we had was unique and really cool. Very large. We got into a pretty steady routine throughout the course of a few days of packing up and setting up camp everyday. The scenery was perfect though. Check it out for yourself We had some pretty windy days and it was a bit tense at times trying to go parallel to the waves and risking a flip over. Man, if we would have tipped a canoe we would have been screwed. Actually, we would have been up s*^t creek without a paddle. Everything we had was in those packs. I would like to go back someday and check the other parts of the BW.
Big weekend coming up! Tonight Amber and I will grab some dinner at this new place right by our house that just opened. Grill type food but we've heard good things. Then watch an episode or two of Breaking Bad. I got it for my birthday from my sister, very cool show. Intense, dark and still funny.
Then tomorrow we are going to watch my cousin Owen play football in Jefferson (7th Grade) He's the QB and does pretty well! I'm hoping to tape record it for my Aunt. Then on Saturday night I have the big U2 show at Soldier Field in Chicago. That will be mind blowing! It'll be just me as I could only score 1 ticket but it should be a sight to behold. Snow Patrol is opening. Check out some photos of the stage:
It's going to be a long night!
Every year Amber and I do our annual fall drive and leaf hunt. It'll be sometime the 3rd week in October here in Southern WI. We plan on driving east to the Lake Geneva area after work and taking some scenic drives that people have recommended. Then we'll stop and buy a pumpkin and some gourds. Grab a cup of coffee and a slice of apple pie and enjoy the scene. It's a Lashua family tradition!
Last weekend, Amber and I had the pleasure of going to our friend's families' lodge up in Brule, WI. It was about a 5.5 hour haul to get there so we arrived pretty late. Man, this place was something else. 13 bedroom, 6 bathroom, 4 fireplaces, huge wraparound porch with hanging beds, on the river. We took two canoe trips on the rapids, played boche ball, cards, ping pong (I won every game I played!), Ticket to Ride, Pictionary, we did some reading, ate plenty of good food and really enjoyed the company of some good friends. We also cracked out a few of the new Ezekial Brewery Belgian Wheat beers I whipped up. They were a big hit! Everyone liked them. Here is a link to some photos (I'm not on my home computer right now so I don't have quality photos to post) I also realized that there are no pictures of me from this trip!
I'm constantly amazed at the beauty of this state, especially the southern half. On the ride home I was almost overwhelmed at how awesome the bluffs, rolling hills, farms tucked into little nooks here and there. WI is a great state to be in! If you want to check out some great photography of the state I recommend looking at "Wisconsin" by Zane Williams. He's a pretty famous phototgrapher from this area. That book was up at the lodge so that's why I mention it.
Of course, me and Dobbins also had the big Boundary Waters trip at the end of August. That was a trip!! We didn't realize how challenging it was going to be. The first day really knocked the crap out of us. 3 portages: 2 very long and 1 very very muddy. I hurt my back on the very first portage and wasn't quite the same for the rest of the day. But luckily we found this amazing site on Good Lake. On a cliff overlooking the lake. Actually every site we had was unique and really cool. Very large. We got into a pretty steady routine throughout the course of a few days of packing up and setting up camp everyday. The scenery was perfect though. Check it out for yourself We had some pretty windy days and it was a bit tense at times trying to go parallel to the waves and risking a flip over. Man, if we would have tipped a canoe we would have been screwed. Actually, we would have been up s*^t creek without a paddle. Everything we had was in those packs. I would like to go back someday and check the other parts of the BW.
Big weekend coming up! Tonight Amber and I will grab some dinner at this new place right by our house that just opened. Grill type food but we've heard good things. Then watch an episode or two of Breaking Bad. I got it for my birthday from my sister, very cool show. Intense, dark and still funny.
Then tomorrow we are going to watch my cousin Owen play football in Jefferson (7th Grade) He's the QB and does pretty well! I'm hoping to tape record it for my Aunt. Then on Saturday night I have the big U2 show at Soldier Field in Chicago. That will be mind blowing! It'll be just me as I could only score 1 ticket but it should be a sight to behold. Snow Patrol is opening. Check out some photos of the stage:
It's going to be a long night!
On Sunday, I want to run 12 miles before the Fox Cities Half Marathon next weekend. I did 10 earlier this week and felt good, but I want to run 12 to prove to my body that I can run a half marathon on short notice. Then on Sunday afternoon/evening I'm volunteering at Ironman Wisconsin. From 3-8pm I'm working at the aide station at the corner of Lake and State St. then from 8pm-1am I'm working in the medical tent. It's a blast; I love the energy of it, the people and the music at the finish line. My buddy Ed wrote a nice article on the Ironman. So, a very long weekend indeed. But fun! We'll see if I'm in the mood to run 12 miles on Sunday morning, but I should since the Ironmanners are doing 140.6!
I've been thinking of becoming a member of Engineers Without Borders This is a program for engineers to use their skills outside of the traditional work environment and help out countries or communites that lack the people and knowlege to build certain types of infrastructure. From their website: "Our vision is a world in which all communities have the capacity to meet their basic human needs." There is a Madison Professional Branch that I would join. They do a lot of water well projects and most of the engineers are either civil, structural or environmental, but they do need Electrical engineers for some power systems projects. I think I would join one of the Technical Advisory Comittees (TAC) for some power infrastructure projects. The Madison branch is involved in projects in Kenya, Rwanda, Honduras and northern Wisconsin in the Red Cliff Indian Reservation actually. I doubt I would be travleing anywhere, but they have monthly meetings in town and I would be an advisor when people have specific questions. It's something I've been thinking about and it would allow me to spread my wings a bit. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks.
The Longshots had a bad loss last night, I won't bother mentioning the score. But the team we played was very good. Everyone was a huge hitter and we just couldn't keep up. We have 2 games left in the fall league. It's time for an epic flood of biblical portions. I really love playing 2nd base though. I think I'm grasping the fundamentals well and make a few outs every game. I still haven't turned a double play yet though! Go Blue
It's Patriot Day so remember to keep the families of the victims of 9/11 in your prayers!
Peace,
Zeke
I've been thinking of becoming a member of Engineers Without Borders This is a program for engineers to use their skills outside of the traditional work environment and help out countries or communites that lack the people and knowlege to build certain types of infrastructure. From their website: "Our vision is a world in which all communities have the capacity to meet their basic human needs." There is a Madison Professional Branch that I would join. They do a lot of water well projects and most of the engineers are either civil, structural or environmental, but they do need Electrical engineers for some power systems projects. I think I would join one of the Technical Advisory Comittees (TAC) for some power infrastructure projects. The Madison branch is involved in projects in Kenya, Rwanda, Honduras and northern Wisconsin in the Red Cliff Indian Reservation actually. I doubt I would be travleing anywhere, but they have monthly meetings in town and I would be an advisor when people have specific questions. It's something I've been thinking about and it would allow me to spread my wings a bit. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks.
The Longshots had a bad loss last night, I won't bother mentioning the score. But the team we played was very good. Everyone was a huge hitter and we just couldn't keep up. We have 2 games left in the fall league. It's time for an epic flood of biblical portions. I really love playing 2nd base though. I think I'm grasping the fundamentals well and make a few outs every game. I still haven't turned a double play yet though! Go Blue
It's Patriot Day so remember to keep the families of the victims of 9/11 in your prayers!
Peace,
Zeke
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Boundary Waters Trip
Tomorrow, Dobbins and I will head up to the Twin Cities to start our Boundary Waters Trip! I'm looking forward to getting away from the office, the city and immersing myself in the cool, still Minnesota Wilderness for a few days and "reset" myself.Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is located in north-eastern Minnesota bordering Canada. It's about 10 hours from Madison. It is an area that is extremely dense with rivers and lakes. I've been wanting to go for years, and Andy and I ususally take a "high-adventure" trip together every two years or so and since we haven't done any canoe trips, we thought this would be pretty neat.
I bought some maps and we got some books at the library to help us pick out a route. We plan on driving to Ely, MN on Saturday morning and after making a stop at the ranger station to get our permit, off we go for the next 5 days.Early tomorrow afternoon, Andy will be arriving to Madison with the canoe on his car that he borrowed from his uncle. We'll load up, make sure we don't forget anything (which we will), and head to Shawn's place in Eden Prairie for the night. Once there we'll relax, have some dinner and a campfire and get a good nights rest so we can get up early on Saturday morning.
It'll be a rude awakening on Saturday morning as we get up at 6 to start our 5 hour drive to Ely. I hear that once we get past Duluth, the trees will blow your mind. It's just all you see and they are huge. I'm sure we'll have some great tunes in the car on the ride up, it's always one of my favorite parts of a long drive.
As soon as we park our car at the entry point, we have a 180 rod portage (about 1km) to the first lake which is wood lake. From there we have about a mile paddle and a short portage to Good Lake and after another portage or two we'll be in Basswood Lake. Basswood is a large lake that borders Canada. There are hundreds of campsites all along our route so finding a place should not be difficult. We hope to stay overnight on a few islands as well; perhaps even venture into Canada for a while. But based on previous experiences, I may want to avoid it.
Tonight, Amber and I are going to do some shopping for food and any gear I still need like a mini-lantern and stove fuel. I might get a new sleeping bag since mine is no good. I love REI and Gander Mountain!
I will be sure to do a post about the trip including pictures next week when we get back!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Return
How many blog comebacks can a person have in one year?? Well, I'm on number 3 already. Let's catch up!
First of all, I can't help but empathize for the Brewers, as they have succumbed to the same fate as the Longshots; do awesome in the beginning of the season, but then have terrible, terrible losses later in the season. At our last Longshots game a few weeks ago, we suffered one of these terrible losses. It was a makeup game from a rainout from the first-half in the season. The Longshots were bumped up to the next highest division because we were doing so well and the other team was bumped down a notch. So, easy win right?? No! Not at all! Our pitching was not quite up to par and we had many holes in our defense. They were up 0-10 in the first inning! And we just couldn't make it back after that. We ended up losing 12-24; which ruined our chances of getting into the playoffs. But on the bright side of things, we did reach our goal of 4 wins! And I really love our team which makes it all worth it.
Work has been going really well lately. I have a lot more responsibility than I ever had and I think I'm handling it great. I feel really important to the company, actually, which makes every day better! I'm heavily involved in certain parts of some high profile projects for some major customers such as the UW and the WI government. I have a conference in Oregon in October that I'm pretty excited about. I get to bring Amber too so that's pretty sweet. It's at a resort right by Mount Hood so it might be a bit snowy! I also might be going to Pocatella, ID (home of Napolean Dynamite) for some equipment testing. Woot.
I've started getting up a half-hour earlier each day so I can read my daily bible passages. This has is pros and cons. I get to start my day on a great foot and get to work early actually! But I sometimes find myself falling asleep on the couch while I read. One thing that I've been working on is trying to pray more/better/effectively. So I've been keeping a prayer journal for the past 2 months and it's really amazing to see how God has answered prayers as you look back from past weeks/months.
We recently got back from camping with Amber's family up in Mincqua. It was our annual trip which I blogged about in detail last year. We did pretty much the same stuff as last year, except this year it was much colder and it rained quite a bit more. We went jeep riding a lot and I am an official expert when it comes to driving that baby. I could be a trucker with the way I handle the stick!
We also went to Seattle in late June for a mini-vacation. We heard good things about the city from some good friends which made us want to check it out. We were not disappointed; expensive, though! Pike's Place Market alone is enough to make the trip worth it! Not to mention the beautiful Olympic National Park; mountains, beach, rainforests all in a days trip. It was a really fun time hanging out with with Amber since we haven't had that much one-on-one time in quite a while.
I'm looking forward to a few runs coming up. Next Thursday, I'm running the Full Moon 5k here in Madison. It's a race that starts at 9pm and goes around Monona Bay. And then I'm hoping to do the Fox Cities Relay Marathon in late Sept. I'm trying to assemble a crack team of runners to crush the opposition. So far it's just me and Dobbins, but I'm working on a few others. I'm sure I'll do anther 5k in there between now and then. I've been doing a ton of biking this summer too, more than I've ever done. I really enjoy it because you see so much more when you're biking than when you're running. I naively did a 40miler cold turkey a few weeks ago. I felt pretty weak at the end of it as I only had one bottle of water that was empty by mile 20. I should get a Camelback. Usually I try to do a 20-25 miler at least once a week.
Remember the patio set that I blogged about last April?? Well we finally got it and have been enjoying it quite a bit. Nothing like grilling some meat and enjoying a cold brew on the patio on a cool summer evening. Speaking of beer, I started to brew the Belgian Wheat Bier that Shawn got me for my birthday on Monday evening. It has orange peel and coriander in it! I started at 8pm and didn't get done until OMG 1am. Note to self: start earlier next time. I'm gonna need a good name for this one...I welcome any suggestions like usual.
Let's see, what music am I into at the moment:
Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
Various mix CDs from Dobbins.
REM - Reckoning
Any and all Springsteen
Neko Case
John Mayer (never thought I would say that, but he is REALLY talented.)
6/3/09 Zekesessions
I worked on a mix of a song that Camann recorded a few months ago. It helped me get used to the software I use and it was a lot of fun. I realized that I love producing and engineering tracks; whoops, too late for that career path! Yes, yes, I'm still working on my stuff too...
Whew! A bit long winded, I know, but that's what you get when I don't blog for 2 months :-) Peace!
First of all, I can't help but empathize for the Brewers, as they have succumbed to the same fate as the Longshots; do awesome in the beginning of the season, but then have terrible, terrible losses later in the season. At our last Longshots game a few weeks ago, we suffered one of these terrible losses. It was a makeup game from a rainout from the first-half in the season. The Longshots were bumped up to the next highest division because we were doing so well and the other team was bumped down a notch. So, easy win right?? No! Not at all! Our pitching was not quite up to par and we had many holes in our defense. They were up 0-10 in the first inning! And we just couldn't make it back after that. We ended up losing 12-24; which ruined our chances of getting into the playoffs. But on the bright side of things, we did reach our goal of 4 wins! And I really love our team which makes it all worth it.
Work has been going really well lately. I have a lot more responsibility than I ever had and I think I'm handling it great. I feel really important to the company, actually, which makes every day better! I'm heavily involved in certain parts of some high profile projects for some major customers such as the UW and the WI government. I have a conference in Oregon in October that I'm pretty excited about. I get to bring Amber too so that's pretty sweet. It's at a resort right by Mount Hood so it might be a bit snowy! I also might be going to Pocatella, ID (home of Napolean Dynamite) for some equipment testing. Woot.
I've started getting up a half-hour earlier each day so I can read my daily bible passages. This has is pros and cons. I get to start my day on a great foot and get to work early actually! But I sometimes find myself falling asleep on the couch while I read. One thing that I've been working on is trying to pray more/better/effectively. So I've been keeping a prayer journal for the past 2 months and it's really amazing to see how God has answered prayers as you look back from past weeks/months.
We recently got back from camping with Amber's family up in Mincqua. It was our annual trip which I blogged about in detail last year. We did pretty much the same stuff as last year, except this year it was much colder and it rained quite a bit more. We went jeep riding a lot and I am an official expert when it comes to driving that baby. I could be a trucker with the way I handle the stick!
We also went to Seattle in late June for a mini-vacation. We heard good things about the city from some good friends which made us want to check it out. We were not disappointed; expensive, though! Pike's Place Market alone is enough to make the trip worth it! Not to mention the beautiful Olympic National Park; mountains, beach, rainforests all in a days trip. It was a really fun time hanging out with with Amber since we haven't had that much one-on-one time in quite a while.
I'm looking forward to a few runs coming up. Next Thursday, I'm running the Full Moon 5k here in Madison. It's a race that starts at 9pm and goes around Monona Bay. And then I'm hoping to do the Fox Cities Relay Marathon in late Sept. I'm trying to assemble a crack team of runners to crush the opposition. So far it's just me and Dobbins, but I'm working on a few others. I'm sure I'll do anther 5k in there between now and then. I've been doing a ton of biking this summer too, more than I've ever done. I really enjoy it because you see so much more when you're biking than when you're running. I naively did a 40miler cold turkey a few weeks ago. I felt pretty weak at the end of it as I only had one bottle of water that was empty by mile 20. I should get a Camelback. Usually I try to do a 20-25 miler at least once a week.
Remember the patio set that I blogged about last April?? Well we finally got it and have been enjoying it quite a bit. Nothing like grilling some meat and enjoying a cold brew on the patio on a cool summer evening. Speaking of beer, I started to brew the Belgian Wheat Bier that Shawn got me for my birthday on Monday evening. It has orange peel and coriander in it! I started at 8pm and didn't get done until OMG 1am. Note to self: start earlier next time. I'm gonna need a good name for this one...I welcome any suggestions like usual.
Let's see, what music am I into at the moment:
Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
Various mix CDs from Dobbins.
REM - Reckoning
Any and all Springsteen
Neko Case
John Mayer (never thought I would say that, but he is REALLY talented.)
6/3/09 Zekesessions
I worked on a mix of a song that Camann recorded a few months ago. It helped me get used to the software I use and it was a lot of fun. I realized that I love producing and engineering tracks; whoops, too late for that career path! Yes, yes, I'm still working on my stuff too...
Whew! A bit long winded, I know, but that's what you get when I don't blog for 2 months :-) Peace!
Friday, May 8, 2009
The Tub Hath Overflowed
I'm back!
With much excitement, I am happy to say that the Longshots had their first game of the 2009 season last night and won 12-11!! The is significant because this is the first time that our season opener hasn't been rained out, first time we won our first game and the first time ever we have a winning record! I won't write about all the details here; but you can check out my buddy Ed's blog here: http://www.ralphthesquirrel.com/ We flooded the tub in a big way!!
I have a half day of work here today because Amber and I are heading up to Minneapolis this afternoon to visit some friends and my sister. Tonight we'll head to Shawn's house, grab some dinner, meet Baxter and Bacon and try some delicious homemade ginger ale; just basically experience the gloriousness of Eden Prairie. Them on Saturday we'll head over to visit Katie in St. Louis Park. I think we'll maybe head to the mall of America to pick up a gift for my mom for Mother's Day. We will stay at her place on Saturday night and then Sunday we'll visit some of Amber's good friends in Minneapolis that just bought a house. Then we hope to drive back to Madison to make it back for the 6:00pm service at B-Hawk. Tonight, one of the worship leaders from B-Hawk has a CD release party for his new album and is playing a show at the Brink Lounge. I know a lot of people that are going and wish I was too, should be a great time!
Last weekend was Love Madison. And it went very well!! I was nervous about coordinating a ton of people but it went off without a hitch pretty much. My group divided into about 8 groups of 11 adults or so and picked up trash all over the Isthmus. I handed out different maps to each group so they knew their territories to cover. Overall, there were over 2500 people from B-Hawk serving out in the community in 100 different ways. Some groups were working with the elderly, some planted flowers, pulled weeds, painted walls, built walls for Habitat for Humanity, etc. This Sunday is Celebration Sunday where we celebrate Love Madison. There were a few videographers and photographers around the city and they got some footage of our group working so maybe we'll be in the video that they show. I'm just really excited that our church did something like this; we need to do more of this!!
I already have two races under my belt in 2009. I did the Crazy Legs 8k on April 25th with a time of 34:03 and the PDC Half Marathon with Shawn on May 2nd in 1:41. Overall I was pretty happy with the results. Both PRs, but I wished I could have hung with Shawn for the last 4 miles! We started running 7:20 pace which I held for like 8 or 9 miles and then I just couldn't do it anymore so I slowed up. Guess I'll work on that for next year. The race was much more organized and efficient. They had really cool shirts too; a cool blue color with a neat logo. I don't have anything in particular planned for the rest of the summer but I hope to do some 5ks and more biking. Perhaps a tri or two.
Amber and I have decided to go to Seattle in June instead of Aspen. After talking with some friends that recently went, they got us excited about it. We will check out the space needle, go to Pike's Place Market, go to Mt. Rainer National Park, the first Starbucks, some cool restaurants, visit some sights from the Twin Peaks TV show.
Man, and how about those Brewers, huh?? They are doing pretty darn good. Wednesday nights game vs. Cinncinatti was awesome. 9 runs in the 2nd inning before there was even an out. Ryan Braun Pimp Walk. Looking forward to a few more games this summer!
Stay tuned, I'll have some music for you soon...I hope.
With much excitement, I am happy to say that the Longshots had their first game of the 2009 season last night and won 12-11!! The is significant because this is the first time that our season opener hasn't been rained out, first time we won our first game and the first time ever we have a winning record! I won't write about all the details here; but you can check out my buddy Ed's blog here: http://www.ralphthesquirrel.com/ We flooded the tub in a big way!!
I have a half day of work here today because Amber and I are heading up to Minneapolis this afternoon to visit some friends and my sister. Tonight we'll head to Shawn's house, grab some dinner, meet Baxter and Bacon and try some delicious homemade ginger ale; just basically experience the gloriousness of Eden Prairie. Them on Saturday we'll head over to visit Katie in St. Louis Park. I think we'll maybe head to the mall of America to pick up a gift for my mom for Mother's Day. We will stay at her place on Saturday night and then Sunday we'll visit some of Amber's good friends in Minneapolis that just bought a house. Then we hope to drive back to Madison to make it back for the 6:00pm service at B-Hawk. Tonight, one of the worship leaders from B-Hawk has a CD release party for his new album and is playing a show at the Brink Lounge. I know a lot of people that are going and wish I was too, should be a great time!
Last weekend was Love Madison. And it went very well!! I was nervous about coordinating a ton of people but it went off without a hitch pretty much. My group divided into about 8 groups of 11 adults or so and picked up trash all over the Isthmus. I handed out different maps to each group so they knew their territories to cover. Overall, there were over 2500 people from B-Hawk serving out in the community in 100 different ways. Some groups were working with the elderly, some planted flowers, pulled weeds, painted walls, built walls for Habitat for Humanity, etc. This Sunday is Celebration Sunday where we celebrate Love Madison. There were a few videographers and photographers around the city and they got some footage of our group working so maybe we'll be in the video that they show. I'm just really excited that our church did something like this; we need to do more of this!!
I already have two races under my belt in 2009. I did the Crazy Legs 8k on April 25th with a time of 34:03 and the PDC Half Marathon with Shawn on May 2nd in 1:41. Overall I was pretty happy with the results. Both PRs, but I wished I could have hung with Shawn for the last 4 miles! We started running 7:20 pace which I held for like 8 or 9 miles and then I just couldn't do it anymore so I slowed up. Guess I'll work on that for next year. The race was much more organized and efficient. They had really cool shirts too; a cool blue color with a neat logo. I don't have anything in particular planned for the rest of the summer but I hope to do some 5ks and more biking. Perhaps a tri or two.
Amber and I have decided to go to Seattle in June instead of Aspen. After talking with some friends that recently went, they got us excited about it. We will check out the space needle, go to Pike's Place Market, go to Mt. Rainer National Park, the first Starbucks, some cool restaurants, visit some sights from the Twin Peaks TV show.
Man, and how about those Brewers, huh?? They are doing pretty darn good. Wednesday nights game vs. Cinncinatti was awesome. 9 runs in the 2nd inning before there was even an out. Ryan Braun Pimp Walk. Looking forward to a few more games this summer!
Stay tuned, I'll have some music for you soon...I hope.
Monday, April 13, 2009
100th Post
Here it is. My 100th post. Thanks for waiting on this one! This blog is not dead.
I've been holding out for something of substance to write about (Or so I think). It's a long one so bear with me!
Shoes/Running/Biking
I have decided to betray my allegiance to New Balance and try out some Asics. I went to Movin' Shoes on Park St. yesterday and picked me up a pair of Asics GT-2140's. I've read reviews and this model is like the number one running shoe right now. I thought I'd give it a shot. I did a short run yesterday and I love that it's lightweight and the amount of cushioning is perfect. I think my problem with NB is that I always ended up getting the stability model which I thought I needed. But after running in those shoes for the past 2 years, I've decided otherwise. I just need a flat-out running shoe.
I'm pumped for the Crazy Legs coming up! A bit nervous as well. This was the race last year that I did incredible at and then I got injured a few days after. But a lot of people I know are running this race so it should be a great time! Then the next week I'm running the PDC Half Marathon with Minnesota Gold Rush; this will be our 3rd year doing it. Perhaps they'll have their act together this year. And perhaps the weather won't suck either. Regardless of weather, I'll be camping alone at Wyalusing State Park that Friday night before the race. PDC Baby!!!
After my runs in May, I plan on start biking quite a bit. I got my first pair of clip shoes for my bike from my uncle and I'm eager to try them out. I told my buddy, Ed, that I would do the 90 mile Race the Lake with him in August. It's a bike race around Lake Winnebago. I know what some of my friends are thinking right now; I know I have a problem with long distances races in the past, but my bad luck has got to end someday, right??
In addition, I would like to do my first Triathalon this year. Either do a sprint one by myself or an Olympic Distance one on a team. I've been looking a bit online and there are a ton of Tris in Wisconsin throughout the summer. Just gotta learn how to swim, right?
Shelter
This past Tuesday I helped serve breakfast at the homeless shelter again. For the first time it struck me as I was interacting with some of the people there: "What makes me different than anyone else here?" In a worldly sense, the only difference is money. The fact that I have money to buy food, a house, car, bills, etc is the only thing that is keeping me out of a homeless shelter. The Grace of God, of course, for providing for me I am very thankful and forever in debt; but why me and not them?? I definitely don't deserve the life I have. A few minutes later, one of the other guys serving with me, came up to me and asked me the same question; it was so weird. I told him I was just thinking the same thing. I guess it's not for us to know. But it's up to us to help these people out and serve them the best way we know how.
LoveMadison
On Sunday, May 3rd, Blackhawk is cancelling all services and the congregation will be out in the community doing various service projects the entire day. The idea is to worship the Lord in a whole new way. Usually, when we think of worship, we think of singing songs in church. But we can worship in everything we do! When I first heard about this I did a fist pump in the air because this is exactly the kind of thing I think the church should be doing: making an impact within the community. I signed up to be the Project Captain for the Isthmus Cleanup in the morning. I will be helping to lead and organize about 70 volunteers to cleanup the trash around the inner and outer squares of the Capital. Today I met with some supervisors from the City of Madison to go over the game plan, where we plan on cleaning up, where to place the filled trash bags so they can pick them up. I think I got it all figured out. Then this evening I'm meeting one of the other Captains so we can figure out how to coordinate our two groups. I really hope Blackhawk will make this at least an annual thing. If I had it my way, I would make this a quarterly thing, but I realize that would be way too difficult to organize 4 times a year. I've been praying that the day goes smoothly and we make a positive impact!
Music
Well, I have been doing some official recording on my new recording rig and let me tell you, it is not all fun it games. It is hard work! After a conversation with M. Todd last Saturday night, I realize I need a producer. Someone to tell me when a song is finished. I'm too much of a perfectionist and I find myself doing a ton of takes to get a song perfect and I can never get it just right. At this rate I'll get nothing accomplished. On top of that when I go to record something, I noodle around on the piano for a while and end up coming up with a cool new chord progression and a new song and I start to record that one instead of finishing up an old one! I know have "New Song 1" through "New Song 5" in my recording folder, all just parts of songs. But I kinda knew this would happen. I suppose it's better than having no ideas. I also am having a real problem finishing a song because if you think about it, there are millions of ways a song can sound, but you can only have on final version. What happens after I finish something and then a few months down the road I think of an even better bass line or extra hook in the lyrics. That would just piss me off. This is why I need a producer. And an actual band to keep me in check. This is overwhelming I tell you. But I borrowed Shaft's mic the other day so maybe I can start laying down some vocals. Now that is scary! I have to get used to hearing the sound of my voice on playback.
Concert
A couple of big concerts coming up in the next few weeks. Sunday is Death Cab for Cutie at Carrol College in Waukesha. I love that it's in a smaller venue. The last time I saw them was at Millennium Park in Chicago which was huge and great, but a band like them is more fitting in a more intimate setting. Then next week, I'm going to the Guster show at Memorial Union. I got a free ticket through 10000 Hours Madison . Buck told me about this. Thanks! If you log over 10 hours of community service through certain organizations you get a ticket to the show! With my service at the shelter I was eligible. I'm also pumped for the opening band "Pictures and Sound" I saw them a few months ago and they are phenomenal. I bought their album right after the show. I'll be going to that show alone. but that's OK, I'll singing every word to very song anyway. I really, really love music.
Beer
OK, so the Pilsner didn't quite turn out the way I thought it would. So what's next?? I'm thinking a nice summer wheat beer. Something to drink on the front porch after a nice summer evening run with the Brewers on the radio. Perfect. My buddy Mark is going to make an Amber but do his own recipe. I told him that if he perfects it, we'll go into business and make our own Brewery. Just like the commercial. Dude 1: "We need to celebrate!" Dude 2: "We need to expand!"
Softball
Softball season is here!! First game on May 7th. We have a ton of new players but I think we'll do well. I dropped our team down a notch so it's a bit more competitive. Can't wait to put on that Longshots jersey! I'm most excited about seeing everyone again. I really like the guys on the team and everyone gets along great. However, we no longer have Mr. Arty "The Meat" McMeatmaster III on our team as he moved away. Gotta find a new 2nd baseman.
Well, I think that's enough for now. I'll try to blog more often, I promise. Stay tuned!
I've been holding out for something of substance to write about (Or so I think). It's a long one so bear with me!
Shoes/Running/Biking
I have decided to betray my allegiance to New Balance and try out some Asics. I went to Movin' Shoes on Park St. yesterday and picked me up a pair of Asics GT-2140's. I've read reviews and this model is like the number one running shoe right now. I thought I'd give it a shot. I did a short run yesterday and I love that it's lightweight and the amount of cushioning is perfect. I think my problem with NB is that I always ended up getting the stability model which I thought I needed. But after running in those shoes for the past 2 years, I've decided otherwise. I just need a flat-out running shoe.
I'm pumped for the Crazy Legs coming up! A bit nervous as well. This was the race last year that I did incredible at and then I got injured a few days after. But a lot of people I know are running this race so it should be a great time! Then the next week I'm running the PDC Half Marathon with Minnesota Gold Rush; this will be our 3rd year doing it. Perhaps they'll have their act together this year. And perhaps the weather won't suck either. Regardless of weather, I'll be camping alone at Wyalusing State Park that Friday night before the race. PDC Baby!!!
After my runs in May, I plan on start biking quite a bit. I got my first pair of clip shoes for my bike from my uncle and I'm eager to try them out. I told my buddy, Ed, that I would do the 90 mile Race the Lake with him in August. It's a bike race around Lake Winnebago. I know what some of my friends are thinking right now; I know I have a problem with long distances races in the past, but my bad luck has got to end someday, right??
In addition, I would like to do my first Triathalon this year. Either do a sprint one by myself or an Olympic Distance one on a team. I've been looking a bit online and there are a ton of Tris in Wisconsin throughout the summer. Just gotta learn how to swim, right?
Shelter
This past Tuesday I helped serve breakfast at the homeless shelter again. For the first time it struck me as I was interacting with some of the people there: "What makes me different than anyone else here?" In a worldly sense, the only difference is money. The fact that I have money to buy food, a house, car, bills, etc is the only thing that is keeping me out of a homeless shelter. The Grace of God, of course, for providing for me I am very thankful and forever in debt; but why me and not them?? I definitely don't deserve the life I have. A few minutes later, one of the other guys serving with me, came up to me and asked me the same question; it was so weird. I told him I was just thinking the same thing. I guess it's not for us to know. But it's up to us to help these people out and serve them the best way we know how.
LoveMadison
On Sunday, May 3rd, Blackhawk is cancelling all services and the congregation will be out in the community doing various service projects the entire day. The idea is to worship the Lord in a whole new way. Usually, when we think of worship, we think of singing songs in church. But we can worship in everything we do! When I first heard about this I did a fist pump in the air because this is exactly the kind of thing I think the church should be doing: making an impact within the community. I signed up to be the Project Captain for the Isthmus Cleanup in the morning. I will be helping to lead and organize about 70 volunteers to cleanup the trash around the inner and outer squares of the Capital. Today I met with some supervisors from the City of Madison to go over the game plan, where we plan on cleaning up, where to place the filled trash bags so they can pick them up. I think I got it all figured out. Then this evening I'm meeting one of the other Captains so we can figure out how to coordinate our two groups. I really hope Blackhawk will make this at least an annual thing. If I had it my way, I would make this a quarterly thing, but I realize that would be way too difficult to organize 4 times a year. I've been praying that the day goes smoothly and we make a positive impact!
Music
Well, I have been doing some official recording on my new recording rig and let me tell you, it is not all fun it games. It is hard work! After a conversation with M. Todd last Saturday night, I realize I need a producer. Someone to tell me when a song is finished. I'm too much of a perfectionist and I find myself doing a ton of takes to get a song perfect and I can never get it just right. At this rate I'll get nothing accomplished. On top of that when I go to record something, I noodle around on the piano for a while and end up coming up with a cool new chord progression and a new song and I start to record that one instead of finishing up an old one! I know have "New Song 1" through "New Song 5" in my recording folder, all just parts of songs. But I kinda knew this would happen. I suppose it's better than having no ideas. I also am having a real problem finishing a song because if you think about it, there are millions of ways a song can sound, but you can only have on final version. What happens after I finish something and then a few months down the road I think of an even better bass line or extra hook in the lyrics. That would just piss me off. This is why I need a producer. And an actual band to keep me in check. This is overwhelming I tell you. But I borrowed Shaft's mic the other day so maybe I can start laying down some vocals. Now that is scary! I have to get used to hearing the sound of my voice on playback.
Concert
A couple of big concerts coming up in the next few weeks. Sunday is Death Cab for Cutie at Carrol College in Waukesha. I love that it's in a smaller venue. The last time I saw them was at Millennium Park in Chicago which was huge and great, but a band like them is more fitting in a more intimate setting. Then next week, I'm going to the Guster show at Memorial Union. I got a free ticket through 10000 Hours Madison . Buck told me about this. Thanks! If you log over 10 hours of community service through certain organizations you get a ticket to the show! With my service at the shelter I was eligible. I'm also pumped for the opening band "Pictures and Sound" I saw them a few months ago and they are phenomenal. I bought their album right after the show. I'll be going to that show alone. but that's OK, I'll singing every word to very song anyway. I really, really love music.
Beer
OK, so the Pilsner didn't quite turn out the way I thought it would. So what's next?? I'm thinking a nice summer wheat beer. Something to drink on the front porch after a nice summer evening run with the Brewers on the radio. Perfect. My buddy Mark is going to make an Amber but do his own recipe. I told him that if he perfects it, we'll go into business and make our own Brewery. Just like the commercial. Dude 1: "We need to celebrate!" Dude 2: "We need to expand!"
Softball
Softball season is here!! First game on May 7th. We have a ton of new players but I think we'll do well. I dropped our team down a notch so it's a bit more competitive. Can't wait to put on that Longshots jersey! I'm most excited about seeing everyone again. I really like the guys on the team and everyone gets along great. However, we no longer have Mr. Arty "The Meat" McMeatmaster III on our team as he moved away. Gotta find a new 2nd baseman.
Well, I think that's enough for now. I'll try to blog more often, I promise. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Running and Beer Labels
Recent blog posts have inspired me to write about memorable runs from the 12 years or so that I've been a runner.
Origins of Zeke
Well, I guess most obvious memorable run was my first Cross Country practice in high school the summer before my Junior Year. It was August of 1997. 2 weeks before school started. "Zeke was born".
Since it was the first practice of the year, Coach Morgan decided to have us do the classic Point Run. A relatively flat 8-mile loop This was the first time I have ever ran that far. I think the previous before that was 4 miles. Anyway, the halfway point for this run was at Kimberely Point. Coach had everyone stop so everyone could get caught up before we continued. I walked to the lighthouse to get a drink at the bubbler (that's right!). After I got up from the drinking fountain I wiped by mouth and started to walk back by the rest of the guys I knew. On my way back, a senior, Nick Madsen, came up to me and asked my name. I said "Mike" and he said "You look a Zeke, can we call you Zeke?" And the rest is history; a legend had been born. From that day forth, every member and coach on the team called me Zeke. It soon spread to everyone else in school and from then on I was only known as Zeke. All through college, even at home once in a while my family will me Zeke. Nick, you created a monster!
The Thorn in My Side
It was August of 2003. Same week in August as the story above. I was a senior in college trying to prepare myself for my first marathon. It was moving day in Madison, so, let's say around Aug. 15th. I was helping Amber move into her new apartment on Hamilton St. all day. I was walking up and down stairs carrying heavy loads with on loose sandals on. That afternoon I drove back to Neenah because Shawn and I had plans to be volunteers at the Neenah Boys Cross Country Camp up at Onaway the next morning. But that evening we were planning on going for a 6 mile run. The run started out fine; the first 3 miles were great. At about mile 4 I noticed I had some pain in my left knee that started to annoy me. I didn't know what was going on so I decided to stop and walk for a bit. It seemed to get better. Then at about mile 5.5, on Bayview Rd. just before getting back to Shawn's house, I felt the most intense, sharp pain in my knee. I immediately stopped and could barely walk back to the house. The marathon was only a month away and I was bound and determined to do it! After all those months of training I as not going to give up! Long story short, Marathon Day, very cold morning. I started the race with Shawn. We held about 8:30 pace or so. At about mile 4 in Jefferson park, out of nowhere the pain came back and I told Shawn "I'm Out." And he had to finish the next 22 miles by himself. I was pissed. I was determined to walk the entire marathon, but at about mile 8, walking was unbearable so I just finished the half marathon. I felt beat down.
Fast forward 5 years later to the last week in April 2008. I had just run an amazing Crazy Legs 8k and was riding high going into the 2nd Annual PDC Half Marathon that next weekend. On Sunday, I was scheduled to run an 11 miler as my last long run before the race. At about mile 5 my legs felt tired and weak, probably since I ran such a hard race the day before. I decided to call it quits and let my legs rest. That Tuesday I went out for a 4 miler and at about the .25 mile mark the same darn intense pain was back!! I was livid. It took me a solid half hour to limp back to the house. What was I going to tell Shawn?? Anyway, since I was signed up for the race I was still planning on showing up to cheer on Shawn. I decided to run with him the first few miles and then drop out when the pain came. But mile after mile came and no pain, before I knew it, mile 10 was there and I might as well finish! You can read about the details here, but it was an amazing day!
Oh, and here are the new labels for my beer. It actually tastes pretty darn good now!!
Origins of Zeke
Well, I guess most obvious memorable run was my first Cross Country practice in high school the summer before my Junior Year. It was August of 1997. 2 weeks before school started. "Zeke was born".
Since it was the first practice of the year, Coach Morgan decided to have us do the classic Point Run. A relatively flat 8-mile loop This was the first time I have ever ran that far. I think the previous before that was 4 miles. Anyway, the halfway point for this run was at Kimberely Point. Coach had everyone stop so everyone could get caught up before we continued. I walked to the lighthouse to get a drink at the bubbler (that's right!). After I got up from the drinking fountain I wiped by mouth and started to walk back by the rest of the guys I knew. On my way back, a senior, Nick Madsen, came up to me and asked my name. I said "Mike" and he said "You look a Zeke, can we call you Zeke?" And the rest is history; a legend had been born. From that day forth, every member and coach on the team called me Zeke. It soon spread to everyone else in school and from then on I was only known as Zeke. All through college, even at home once in a while my family will me Zeke. Nick, you created a monster!
The Thorn in My Side
It was August of 2003. Same week in August as the story above. I was a senior in college trying to prepare myself for my first marathon. It was moving day in Madison, so, let's say around Aug. 15th. I was helping Amber move into her new apartment on Hamilton St. all day. I was walking up and down stairs carrying heavy loads with on loose sandals on. That afternoon I drove back to Neenah because Shawn and I had plans to be volunteers at the Neenah Boys Cross Country Camp up at Onaway the next morning. But that evening we were planning on going for a 6 mile run. The run started out fine; the first 3 miles were great. At about mile 4 I noticed I had some pain in my left knee that started to annoy me. I didn't know what was going on so I decided to stop and walk for a bit. It seemed to get better. Then at about mile 5.5, on Bayview Rd. just before getting back to Shawn's house, I felt the most intense, sharp pain in my knee. I immediately stopped and could barely walk back to the house. The marathon was only a month away and I was bound and determined to do it! After all those months of training I as not going to give up! Long story short, Marathon Day, very cold morning. I started the race with Shawn. We held about 8:30 pace or so. At about mile 4 in Jefferson park, out of nowhere the pain came back and I told Shawn "I'm Out." And he had to finish the next 22 miles by himself. I was pissed. I was determined to walk the entire marathon, but at about mile 8, walking was unbearable so I just finished the half marathon. I felt beat down.
Fast forward 5 years later to the last week in April 2008. I had just run an amazing Crazy Legs 8k and was riding high going into the 2nd Annual PDC Half Marathon that next weekend. On Sunday, I was scheduled to run an 11 miler as my last long run before the race. At about mile 5 my legs felt tired and weak, probably since I ran such a hard race the day before. I decided to call it quits and let my legs rest. That Tuesday I went out for a 4 miler and at about the .25 mile mark the same darn intense pain was back!! I was livid. It took me a solid half hour to limp back to the house. What was I going to tell Shawn?? Anyway, since I was signed up for the race I was still planning on showing up to cheer on Shawn. I decided to run with him the first few miles and then drop out when the pain came. But mile after mile came and no pain, before I knew it, mile 10 was there and I might as well finish! You can read about the details here, but it was an amazing day!
Oh, and here are the new labels for my beer. It actually tastes pretty darn good now!!
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Cruise
Finally, I have time to post about our cruise! It's been quite the week getting caught up from being gone that I just didn't have much time. It was a very productive week, though.
So, the cruise was fun! It was about what we expected it to be. The ship is ridiculously large: 970' long, 120' wide, 14 stories tall, 2240 passengers and 1100 crew and staff. http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/fleet/deckplan.html?shipCode=STAR
Wow!
Day 1:
There we no delays flying from O'Hare to Long Beach Airport. Once we arrived, the 4 of us grabbed a taxi van and took the 20 min. drive to the Port of L.A. And what a port it was! Just enormous; there must have been hundreds of full-size cargo vessels, many from China. Huge docking cranes everywhere.
Anyway, we got to our Berth, our luggage was taken and we proceeded to go through customs and get our ID for the boat. On board the boat, you don't use cash or credit card, just swipe your ID if you want to buy something. It's a easy way to lose track of what your spending! It's a pretty quick and streamlined process. We entered on the 6th floor of the boat. But before we entered we got our hands sanitized with this alcohol cleanser to kill as many germs and bacteria before getting on board.
Once we were on the boat we immediately went up to the 12th deck for a buffet lunch that was set out for us. Then we all waled around for a bit to checkout the boat and the various nooks and crannies of such a huge vessel. At about 3:30 we had or emergency drill where everyone had to go to their reporting stations, put on their life vest and hear the emergency siren go off. After that, we shipped out.
Initially, we couldn't feel the boat move at all since the water was so calm. But that evening, we went to a show in the front of the boat and started to see the curtains sway and the feeling you get when you're going up and down in an elevator. I thought I was going to get sick. But I didn't! After the show we walked around the deck some more and went to bed fairly early since it was quite a long day.
Day 2:
Our first day at sea. Amber and I slept in. After eating our breakfast we put on our suits and headed to the top deck to get some rays. We meet our friends up there as well. I splashed on the sunscreen so I wouldn't get burned. That afternoon I decided to go for a run in this sweet workout center! I expected it to be difficult to run on the treadmills due to the sway of the ship, but I got used to it pretty quickly. After that we went and got ice-cream. It's all you can eat, all the time! Feel like a burger and chocolate covered bananas at 3am? Not a problem.
For dinner we ate at one of the 16 restaurants on board. This one was called The Versailles. Extremely fancy and right at the back of the boat. Our table was right at the window so the view was breathtaking. After dinner we got our picture taken by a photographer which is put on display the following day and then we caught a comedy/magician by Murray:http://www.bluemoontalent.com/murray.html
Day 3:
Cabo San Lucas, our first port of call. We woke up on Tuesday morning sitting in the bay at the very tip of the Baja Peninsula. The water is too shallow in this area to dock the cruise ship so we used the ships' life boats to deliver us to shore. Very cool experience. We went sea kayaking and snorkeling at Lover's Beach. After that we had some chips and fresh guac at the little restaurant on the beach and walked around the marina and downtown for a bit. It's a pretty cool city, very small and not as touristy as I had expected it to be. We were in Cabo for a total of 7 hours then back on the boat!
Day 4:
Mazatlan, our second port of call. This was a much bigger city. Our ship could dock right at the main terminal. Amber and I decided to take the "Best of Mazatlan" tour while Mark and Bethany did their own thing. We saw some cliff divers, a huge cathedral, an acrobatic show, did some shopping, hung out at a resort at the beach for a few hours. Pretty relaxing except for the people constantly trying to sell you things! Oh well. We were pretty exhausted after such a long day in the sun.
Day 5:
Puerto Vallarta, our third and final port of call. The biggest city of all. Puerto Vallarta is home to about 250,000 people and is a very touristy town. Amber and I were here in 2004 and boy, the city changed a lot. Skyscrapers, Walmart and Sam's Club were immediately staring you in the face as you got off the boat. We did a jungle hiking tour. It was an incredibly intense hike let me tell you. Very steep and slippery and we were told there were Pumas in the hills! After that we had lunch at this little hideaway in the jungle and then walked along the city boardwalk. Then back on the boat!
Day 6:
Our 2nd sea day. Slept in again. Jammed our faces full of incredible food at the breakfast buffet. I particularly like the fresh fruit and the free coffee. Juice, milk, water, coffee, tea, lattes and cappachinos were all free. Soda and alcohol you had to purchase yourself. And believe me, it isn't cheap! The highlight was seeing huge whales jump in the distance as well as dolphins swimming and doing flips right along side the boat. Truly amazing. That evening was saw a comedy show by the famous Second City comedy troupe http://www.secondcity.com/?id=touring/ncl/star/cast We were up pretty late this night doing our usual people watching, food eating and checking out the boat. Luckily the friends that we were with are experienced cruisers so they taught us the ropes!
Day 7:
Final Day at sea. Man, the sea was angry that day, my friend. It was pretty windy, huge waves and cold on the way back to LA. No one was on the main deck. We caught a matinee of "August Rush" and played a lot of games, did a lot of reading and eating, of course. We saw another Second City show as well as the big farewell show done by the crew.
Day 8:
Back to reality. We woke up and the ship was already docked in LA. Our debarkation time was 10am so we didn't have to rush ourselves. After a short trip to the airport, short flight to Phoenix, our connecting flight was delayed by about 2 hours so we didn't get to Chicago until 10pm and then had to take a shuttle back to our hotel where our car was. So, 11pm, then the 2.5 hour drive to Madison: 1:30am and then the time change. 2:30am. We slept until almost 1am on Sunday afternoon!
And then back to the grind :-) Amber won the bet of how many emails she had while away. I was way. Only had 1 voice message at work though, woo hoo!!
Below are some pictures!
Captain Lars! (Or Peter Gabriel??)
Beach and Boardwalk in PV
Resort Beach in PV
The Ship!
Tile Store in PV
Jungle in PV
Cathedral in Mazatlan
City square in Mazatlan
Amber and I getting our photo taken by Ian!
Lovers Beach in Cabo
The life boats (Tenders) that took us to shore in Cabo.
Los Arcos in Cabo
Main deck and pool area on ship
Us and Mark and Bethany!
So, the cruise was fun! It was about what we expected it to be. The ship is ridiculously large: 970' long, 120' wide, 14 stories tall, 2240 passengers and 1100 crew and staff. http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/fleet/deckplan.html?shipCode=STAR
Wow!
Day 1:
There we no delays flying from O'Hare to Long Beach Airport. Once we arrived, the 4 of us grabbed a taxi van and took the 20 min. drive to the Port of L.A. And what a port it was! Just enormous; there must have been hundreds of full-size cargo vessels, many from China. Huge docking cranes everywhere.
Anyway, we got to our Berth, our luggage was taken and we proceeded to go through customs and get our ID for the boat. On board the boat, you don't use cash or credit card, just swipe your ID if you want to buy something. It's a easy way to lose track of what your spending! It's a pretty quick and streamlined process. We entered on the 6th floor of the boat. But before we entered we got our hands sanitized with this alcohol cleanser to kill as many germs and bacteria before getting on board.
Once we were on the boat we immediately went up to the 12th deck for a buffet lunch that was set out for us. Then we all waled around for a bit to checkout the boat and the various nooks and crannies of such a huge vessel. At about 3:30 we had or emergency drill where everyone had to go to their reporting stations, put on their life vest and hear the emergency siren go off. After that, we shipped out.
Initially, we couldn't feel the boat move at all since the water was so calm. But that evening, we went to a show in the front of the boat and started to see the curtains sway and the feeling you get when you're going up and down in an elevator. I thought I was going to get sick. But I didn't! After the show we walked around the deck some more and went to bed fairly early since it was quite a long day.
Day 2:
Our first day at sea. Amber and I slept in. After eating our breakfast we put on our suits and headed to the top deck to get some rays. We meet our friends up there as well. I splashed on the sunscreen so I wouldn't get burned. That afternoon I decided to go for a run in this sweet workout center! I expected it to be difficult to run on the treadmills due to the sway of the ship, but I got used to it pretty quickly. After that we went and got ice-cream. It's all you can eat, all the time! Feel like a burger and chocolate covered bananas at 3am? Not a problem.
For dinner we ate at one of the 16 restaurants on board. This one was called The Versailles. Extremely fancy and right at the back of the boat. Our table was right at the window so the view was breathtaking. After dinner we got our picture taken by a photographer which is put on display the following day and then we caught a comedy/magician by Murray:http://www.bluemoontalent.com/murray.html
Day 3:
Cabo San Lucas, our first port of call. We woke up on Tuesday morning sitting in the bay at the very tip of the Baja Peninsula. The water is too shallow in this area to dock the cruise ship so we used the ships' life boats to deliver us to shore. Very cool experience. We went sea kayaking and snorkeling at Lover's Beach. After that we had some chips and fresh guac at the little restaurant on the beach and walked around the marina and downtown for a bit. It's a pretty cool city, very small and not as touristy as I had expected it to be. We were in Cabo for a total of 7 hours then back on the boat!
Day 4:
Mazatlan, our second port of call. This was a much bigger city. Our ship could dock right at the main terminal. Amber and I decided to take the "Best of Mazatlan" tour while Mark and Bethany did their own thing. We saw some cliff divers, a huge cathedral, an acrobatic show, did some shopping, hung out at a resort at the beach for a few hours. Pretty relaxing except for the people constantly trying to sell you things! Oh well. We were pretty exhausted after such a long day in the sun.
Day 5:
Puerto Vallarta, our third and final port of call. The biggest city of all. Puerto Vallarta is home to about 250,000 people and is a very touristy town. Amber and I were here in 2004 and boy, the city changed a lot. Skyscrapers, Walmart and Sam's Club were immediately staring you in the face as you got off the boat. We did a jungle hiking tour. It was an incredibly intense hike let me tell you. Very steep and slippery and we were told there were Pumas in the hills! After that we had lunch at this little hideaway in the jungle and then walked along the city boardwalk. Then back on the boat!
Day 6:
Our 2nd sea day. Slept in again. Jammed our faces full of incredible food at the breakfast buffet. I particularly like the fresh fruit and the free coffee. Juice, milk, water, coffee, tea, lattes and cappachinos were all free. Soda and alcohol you had to purchase yourself. And believe me, it isn't cheap! The highlight was seeing huge whales jump in the distance as well as dolphins swimming and doing flips right along side the boat. Truly amazing. That evening was saw a comedy show by the famous Second City comedy troupe http://www.secondcity.com/?id=touring/ncl/star/cast We were up pretty late this night doing our usual people watching, food eating and checking out the boat. Luckily the friends that we were with are experienced cruisers so they taught us the ropes!
Day 7:
Final Day at sea. Man, the sea was angry that day, my friend. It was pretty windy, huge waves and cold on the way back to LA. No one was on the main deck. We caught a matinee of "August Rush" and played a lot of games, did a lot of reading and eating, of course. We saw another Second City show as well as the big farewell show done by the crew.
Day 8:
Back to reality. We woke up and the ship was already docked in LA. Our debarkation time was 10am so we didn't have to rush ourselves. After a short trip to the airport, short flight to Phoenix, our connecting flight was delayed by about 2 hours so we didn't get to Chicago until 10pm and then had to take a shuttle back to our hotel where our car was. So, 11pm, then the 2.5 hour drive to Madison: 1:30am and then the time change. 2:30am. We slept until almost 1am on Sunday afternoon!
And then back to the grind :-) Amber won the bet of how many emails she had while away. I was way. Only had 1 voice message at work though, woo hoo!!
Below are some pictures!
Captain Lars! (Or Peter Gabriel??)
Beach and Boardwalk in PV
Resort Beach in PV
The Ship!
Tile Store in PV
Jungle in PV
Cathedral in Mazatlan
Mazatlan Coast
City square in Mazatlan
Amber and I getting our photo taken by Ian!
Lovers Beach in Cabo
The life boats (Tenders) that took us to shore in Cabo.
Los Arcos in Cabo
Main deck and pool area on ship
Us and Mark and Bethany!
Oh, and the weather was between 85-87 everyday! It was easy to get used to that!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Not The Mama!
You guys remember the TV show from the early 90s called "Dinosaurs"?? I just thought about this today for some reason. I watched that show all the time! One of my favorite episodes was when Baby Sinclair ate too much sugar and was flying around the room and bouncing off the walls.
Man, remember all of our old favorite shows growing up? Duck Tales, Full House, Family Matters, Gummy Bears? I watch some of them now and am embarrassed at how bad the acting was, especially Full House. What ever happened to Dave Coulier aka Joey Gladstone? Remember when he hosted America's Funniest People? And the Jackalope??
And how about Xuxa? I remember thinking she was really cute.
A nice stroll down memory lane.
We leave for our cruise today! Driving down to Chicago after work and then hop on the boat at the Port of LA tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait to get out of this icy weather.
Work has been crazy these past few weeks and this vacation isn't going to help my workload. Some big projects coming up in late April so I've been busy making schematics and wiring diagram for some new communication panels.
I happy to say I've purchased my first-ever Brewers cap. Can't believe it's taken this long. I'm not really a hat guy but I needed something to wear on the cruise. Now I can fit in with the rest of the guys who wear hats for softball!
The new U2 album is to be released on March 3rd. "No Line On The Horizon" Can't wait. You can stream the whole album online at www.myspace.com/u2 Check it out!
Been working on a few more songs myself; songs such as "Don't Be My Valentine" and "Silence Is Safer" Yes, Buck, I started working on it well in advance. No recording done yet as I still need to get my audio interface for the computer. But things will be happening soon.
Stay tuned...
Man, remember all of our old favorite shows growing up? Duck Tales, Full House, Family Matters, Gummy Bears? I watch some of them now and am embarrassed at how bad the acting was, especially Full House. What ever happened to Dave Coulier aka Joey Gladstone? Remember when he hosted America's Funniest People? And the Jackalope??
And how about Xuxa? I remember thinking she was really cute.
A nice stroll down memory lane.
We leave for our cruise today! Driving down to Chicago after work and then hop on the boat at the Port of LA tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait to get out of this icy weather.
Work has been crazy these past few weeks and this vacation isn't going to help my workload. Some big projects coming up in late April so I've been busy making schematics and wiring diagram for some new communication panels.
I happy to say I've purchased my first-ever Brewers cap. Can't believe it's taken this long. I'm not really a hat guy but I needed something to wear on the cruise. Now I can fit in with the rest of the guys who wear hats for softball!
The new U2 album is to be released on March 3rd. "No Line On The Horizon" Can't wait. You can stream the whole album online at www.myspace.com/u2 Check it out!
Been working on a few more songs myself; songs such as "Don't Be My Valentine" and "Silence Is Safer" Yes, Buck, I started working on it well in advance. No recording done yet as I still need to get my audio interface for the computer. But things will be happening soon.
Stay tuned...
Friday, February 13, 2009
Take A Chill Pils
Yes, this is the new name of my Pilsner. Buck came up with this idea over a few brews last night at Old Fashioned. I was thinking of calling it "Not-So-Perfect Pilsner" because I don't think I did it right.
So, if anyone can rival "Take A Chill Pils" you have until Monday to submit your entry.
Then I gots to get working on the label!
So, if anyone can rival "Take A Chill Pils" you have until Monday to submit your entry.
Then I gots to get working on the label!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Zeke's World
BEER
I started the daunting task of making my Pilsner. Much easier than my Porter, although the fermentation process is much more particular. It needs to ferment at cooler temps, which I can't quite provide so we'll see how this baby turns out. I bottled it on Sunday and then it has to sit for 7 days at room temperature before it can be refrigerated. But the longer I wait, the better it tastes. Still, I plan on having one on Sunday to check 'er out.CRUISE
Amber and I booked the flight for our cruise coming up later this month! We're getting pretty excited. Don't know what to expect exactly. I've heard the first day on the boat can be rough; I may be vomit. Still, I'm looking forward to sitting on the deck, reading. Swimming. Eating. And of course the ports-of-call: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. Amber and I were in Puerto Vallarta in 2004. We had a great time and ate at this restaurant called Las Carmelitas. This semi-fancy restaurant located high on this steep hill overlooking the ocean. Spectacular! We also would like to do para sailing, some snorkeling, kayaking and some general city explorations. On the Friday night before our trip we're driving down to O'Hare and staying at the Westin nearby. This is where we stayed the first night of our honeymoon. Sweet. We're going with Meaty and his wife and they are experienced cruisers so it shall prove to be a great time I'm sure. And it's all inclusive (except drinks and spa treatments) so that's a good deal!
INTERNET
Welp, I cancelled the Internet at last week. It was becoming too much of a distraction at home since we have full access to it at work. I'm hoping to read more books and be more productive in general with my time. We'll get it back eventually but we want to see how we can survive without it.
MUSIC
Last Tues. afternoon when I got home from work I found 3 huge boxes totalling 131 lbs. on the front porch. It begins! The keyboard had arrived. I set it up and organized the "studio". I still need to get a USB Audio Interface so I can record on my computer. But the keyboard sounds amazing and feels great! Let the creativity begin...
WORK
I got some pretty big projects kicking off at work. We started the process of upgrading the substation that "blew up" over the summer. I sent out the Request For Proposals (RFP) for the layout today. This will probably be at least a 2 year project. And I've also been assigned the Procurement and Materials Coordinator for this big project going up in the north side of Madison. But I cannot divulge the client yet. So don't ask :-) But, it's job security!
WEEKEND
This weekend should be a good one. On Friday we have the annual Blackhawk Dance at the Monona Terrace. They have a DJ and a live band! And amazing desserts. It's always a blast. I may have to shake a thing or two. Then on Saturday we are going to Lake Mills for my cousin's 12th birthday. So we'll have dinner and hang out with family there. Then on Sunday I work sound at B-Hawk all day. We had rehearsal last night and things went very smoothly and it sounded great.
RUNNING
On Tues. I started my half-marathon training. So far so good. I finished my physical therapy and I already see a bigger muscle in my left thigh! I have all these stretches and leg lifts I gotta do. But it's worth it. Can't wait for the warmer weather, though, Tues. was just a tease. 60 degrees in Feb.? Come on.
SOFTBALL
Spring is in the air, folks! And that means that softball season is quickly approaching. I sent out a pre-season email 2 weeks ago to touch base with the team. 4 players won't be returning but I already have leads on a bunch other quality players. I'm pretty pumped. We're in a good league, quality team, sweet jerseys, cool summer nights, good cheering section. What could be better. OH, having a winning season would be nice. And not to mention the Brewers pre-season starts in a couple weeks. I'm excited to see what we can do, Go Crew!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
It Begins....
http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=924
Dawg, buy a drum kit and learn to play.
Shawn, break out the banjo and dust off the bass.
Buck, crack those knuckles and get the mixin' going.
Camann, help.
It. Begins.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Where's Waldo?
Can you find Shawn and I on the banner for the Prairie du Chien Half Marathon website?? Click on the picture to expand.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
HOPE
What a great today, huh? A new president, the beginning of a new Era. With all the troubles our country is having, we still see such a strong sense of hope. This is what makes America great. Makes me want to write a song called "Inauguration Day".
And what better way to celebrate a new era than with a new beer? I bought a new beer kit yesterday called "Terrace Pilsner". Should be tasty. I'll keep you all posted on the progress with pictures and whatnot. I am opening the request line for new beer names. And,no, "Prophetic Pilsner" will not work. I've been doing some research on Pilsners. Apparently, they originated in the Czech town of Pilsen. And, technically, only beers from that city are called Pilsners, although that name is loosely used now. I bought a bottle filler and an autosiphon to make the bottle filling process much cleaner; for Amber's sake :-)
I have a nasty cold. It started on Saturday evening after I got home from skiing at Cascade Mountain with Tucker. I was completely delirious on Sunday evening and most of Monday. I was laughing for no apparent reason. Out of control. I have a bit of a stuffy nose today otherwise I feel pretty good.
I'm heading to Fond du Lac this Thursday/Friday for a conference with 4 other co-workers. Not quite Pacific Northwest, but what can you do. My boss made it clear that we can't drink and drive with the company vehicle. I'll keep that in mind. Apparently, last year, people got a bit out of hand. The boss said I have to try to keep people in check. I'm sure they'll listen to the lowest man on the totem pole.
Here's to the next 4 years!
And what better way to celebrate a new era than with a new beer? I bought a new beer kit yesterday called "Terrace Pilsner". Should be tasty. I'll keep you all posted on the progress with pictures and whatnot. I am opening the request line for new beer names. And,no, "Prophetic Pilsner" will not work. I've been doing some research on Pilsners. Apparently, they originated in the Czech town of Pilsen. And, technically, only beers from that city are called Pilsners, although that name is loosely used now. I bought a bottle filler and an autosiphon to make the bottle filling process much cleaner; for Amber's sake :-)
I have a nasty cold. It started on Saturday evening after I got home from skiing at Cascade Mountain with Tucker. I was completely delirious on Sunday evening and most of Monday. I was laughing for no apparent reason. Out of control. I have a bit of a stuffy nose today otherwise I feel pretty good.
I'm heading to Fond du Lac this Thursday/Friday for a conference with 4 other co-workers. Not quite Pacific Northwest, but what can you do. My boss made it clear that we can't drink and drive with the company vehicle. I'll keep that in mind. Apparently, last year, people got a bit out of hand. The boss said I have to try to keep people in check. I'm sure they'll listen to the lowest man on the totem pole.
Here's to the next 4 years!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Deep Friday
It's been a good week. I feel like a lot has been happening and things have been coming at me from all angles but I've been able to handle things alright.
Went to the Wisconsin Basketball game last night with Andy "Old Man" Dobbins. If you saw it, you'll know how heartbreaking it was. Wisconsin was up by 12 at the half, then Minnesota went on a tear in the second half and just started to crush. In the last few seconds of the game, MN was down by 3 and they hit a 3-pointer with seconds to go and put it into overtime. Then it was all over after that. They pressed us hard and we could barely put the ball into play, they were on us like flies on rice (is that the right saying??). We lost by 4, but it was a really fun and intense game to watch. It was my first Big 10 vs. Big 10 basketball game since college. Cool!
After the game, we went over to the Vintage, which is one of my favorite bars, and we met Andy "No Fear" Camann for a drink or two. We got on this great discussion about music and the future of it. I posed the question: "Will there ever be a band as big as The Beatles again in the history of modern music?" We tried to figure out what it was about the Beatles that made them so popular. It was decided that their good looks, new ground-breaking musical style, the fact that they wrote all their own songs and all these combined was something the world has never seen. Every band since then has been, more or less, "more of the same" I think the only way that a band could ever be as big as the Beatles is if there are new instruments and a new style of music that would be invented. But still, with the way music is distributed now days, I doubt it would have the "Explosion Effect" the Beatles had. So, to answer that question: "No."
Another topic that I brought up was if music will eventually become a dying art form. I say this because if we look back over the centuries we see the rise and fall of various art forms. Back in the Renaissance period, paintings were all the rage. We had Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Picasso, etc. They were crazy popular. Today, yes there is still art, but it does not generate nearly as much excitement it did back then. Name one artist in the past 10 years that has rivaled the classic artists. How about theater in England in Shakespearean times? People were going nuts for that stuff! Today, not so much. Or how about ballet or opera? All of these arts have seen their peak and are on the decline; so I have to assume that modern music will also follow this pattern. We have seen the peak of modern music with the Beatles. We can already see this trend today with slowing album sales and radio stations closing their doors. In 100 years, music will be what classic art is today. People will be listening to the old stuff, and not much attention will be given to the new stuff. Ready!...discuss.
A few weeks ago, Blackhawk started doing their new sermon series on prayer. This is excellent as this is an area which I need much work on. The most recent sermon was on praying big prayers. Most time, when people pray, including myself, we tend to pray the small prayers like: Lord, I pray for safe travel. Lord, I pray that work goes well tomorrow. Lord, thank you for this food. Lord, I pray that I can quickly recall the knowledge to perform well on this test. Etc. And these are all fine a good prayers! Nothing is wrong with these and we should be praying for any and all things. But God is so much bigger and more powerful than we can imagine. If we look at some of the prayers in the bible, those are come BIG prayers. Elijah prayed for rain, and it rained, he prayed for no rain and it stopped. People prayed to bring a loved one back to life, and it happened. If Elijah’s prayers had the power to change meteorological realities, religious structures, and the economics of a whole society, can we do that? I think today's Christian does not utilize or comprehend the true power of prayer and what effect it can have on people and history...if done for the right reasons.
Pastor had a great example where he said something like "A big prayer for someone might be like 'I pray that I win the lottery', well, if you think about it, that's not quite big enough. All you're asking God to do is put 5 balls in a certain order so you win." That's nothing for God. Plus, you're probably not praying that kind of prayer for the right reason. We all say the nice sounding prayers, but we gotta start to pray what is truly on our hearts and minds. A big prayer might be to ask God to turn a friend or family, who's heart(s) is so hardened that you never would think in a million years they would become a Christ follower, to come to know the Lord.
And I think through recent prayer I've realized how selfish I truly am. Like last week, for example, when Amber's Grandma died. The first thing I thought of was not her and her family, I was thinking how this will affect my week, all the driving I'm going to be doing, and, oh my gosh, will I miss the basketball game on Thursday? All my thoughts went towards me. Obviously, a major character flaw. And other things like getting what I want, when I want. I've realized I'm pretty impatient when things don't go my way and how greedy I can be when I have the money to get whatever I want.
On a completely unrelated note, with all this talk of music and songwriting that I've been engaged in lately, I think one of the big fears I have about getting the ability to properly record my music is that I will have such incredible high expectations of myself and will let myself down if I can't deliver. The longer I wait, the longer I can put off dealing with that. Man, I just need to get over myself.
One of the great lyrical tid-bits that I found lately is from a song by matt pond pa called "New Hampshire" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znhicjyJXW8 it's the bridge and it's pure gold. Maybe it's not really the lyrics, but his delivery. It sounds like he (or the song's character) really misses his home and family. You can feel the ache.
"I’m going home back to New Hampshire
I’m so determined, I'm so determined
to lay in lakes and see my sisters
I will hit my brother
and hold my mother"
Went to the Wisconsin Basketball game last night with Andy "Old Man" Dobbins. If you saw it, you'll know how heartbreaking it was. Wisconsin was up by 12 at the half, then Minnesota went on a tear in the second half and just started to crush. In the last few seconds of the game, MN was down by 3 and they hit a 3-pointer with seconds to go and put it into overtime. Then it was all over after that. They pressed us hard and we could barely put the ball into play, they were on us like flies on rice (is that the right saying??). We lost by 4, but it was a really fun and intense game to watch. It was my first Big 10 vs. Big 10 basketball game since college. Cool!
After the game, we went over to the Vintage, which is one of my favorite bars, and we met Andy "No Fear" Camann for a drink or two. We got on this great discussion about music and the future of it. I posed the question: "Will there ever be a band as big as The Beatles again in the history of modern music?" We tried to figure out what it was about the Beatles that made them so popular. It was decided that their good looks, new ground-breaking musical style, the fact that they wrote all their own songs and all these combined was something the world has never seen. Every band since then has been, more or less, "more of the same" I think the only way that a band could ever be as big as the Beatles is if there are new instruments and a new style of music that would be invented. But still, with the way music is distributed now days, I doubt it would have the "Explosion Effect" the Beatles had. So, to answer that question: "No."
Another topic that I brought up was if music will eventually become a dying art form. I say this because if we look back over the centuries we see the rise and fall of various art forms. Back in the Renaissance period, paintings were all the rage. We had Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Picasso, etc. They were crazy popular. Today, yes there is still art, but it does not generate nearly as much excitement it did back then. Name one artist in the past 10 years that has rivaled the classic artists. How about theater in England in Shakespearean times? People were going nuts for that stuff! Today, not so much. Or how about ballet or opera? All of these arts have seen their peak and are on the decline; so I have to assume that modern music will also follow this pattern. We have seen the peak of modern music with the Beatles. We can already see this trend today with slowing album sales and radio stations closing their doors. In 100 years, music will be what classic art is today. People will be listening to the old stuff, and not much attention will be given to the new stuff. Ready!...discuss.
A few weeks ago, Blackhawk started doing their new sermon series on prayer. This is excellent as this is an area which I need much work on. The most recent sermon was on praying big prayers. Most time, when people pray, including myself, we tend to pray the small prayers like: Lord, I pray for safe travel. Lord, I pray that work goes well tomorrow. Lord, thank you for this food. Lord, I pray that I can quickly recall the knowledge to perform well on this test. Etc. And these are all fine a good prayers! Nothing is wrong with these and we should be praying for any and all things. But God is so much bigger and more powerful than we can imagine. If we look at some of the prayers in the bible, those are come BIG prayers. Elijah prayed for rain, and it rained, he prayed for no rain and it stopped. People prayed to bring a loved one back to life, and it happened. If Elijah’s prayers had the power to change meteorological realities, religious structures, and the economics of a whole society, can we do that? I think today's Christian does not utilize or comprehend the true power of prayer and what effect it can have on people and history...if done for the right reasons.
Pastor had a great example where he said something like "A big prayer for someone might be like 'I pray that I win the lottery', well, if you think about it, that's not quite big enough. All you're asking God to do is put 5 balls in a certain order so you win." That's nothing for God. Plus, you're probably not praying that kind of prayer for the right reason. We all say the nice sounding prayers, but we gotta start to pray what is truly on our hearts and minds. A big prayer might be to ask God to turn a friend or family, who's heart(s) is so hardened that you never would think in a million years they would become a Christ follower, to come to know the Lord.
And I think through recent prayer I've realized how selfish I truly am. Like last week, for example, when Amber's Grandma died. The first thing I thought of was not her and her family, I was thinking how this will affect my week, all the driving I'm going to be doing, and, oh my gosh, will I miss the basketball game on Thursday? All my thoughts went towards me. Obviously, a major character flaw. And other things like getting what I want, when I want. I've realized I'm pretty impatient when things don't go my way and how greedy I can be when I have the money to get whatever I want.
On a completely unrelated note, with all this talk of music and songwriting that I've been engaged in lately, I think one of the big fears I have about getting the ability to properly record my music is that I will have such incredible high expectations of myself and will let myself down if I can't deliver. The longer I wait, the longer I can put off dealing with that. Man, I just need to get over myself.
One of the great lyrical tid-bits that I found lately is from a song by matt pond pa called "New Hampshire" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znhicjyJXW8 it's the bridge and it's pure gold. Maybe it's not really the lyrics, but his delivery. It sounds like he (or the song's character) really misses his home and family. You can feel the ache.
"I’m going home back to New Hampshire
I’m so determined, I'm so determined
to lay in lakes and see my sisters
I will hit my brother
and hold my mother"
Friday, January 9, 2009
What shall I talk about today?
Lately I've been uninspired to blog, but I don't know why. Maybe I have seasonal affective disorder and I'm depressed. But I don't feel depressed. Maybe I have nothing to talk about? But I do. Maybe I don't like typing? That's it!
ANYWHO, what's new in Zeke's world? Oh not much. Amber and I went skiing last weekend at Tyrol Basin and it was a blast!!! I don't know why I ever stopped going downhill skiing. Amber taught me a few things and I did alright. I hadn't gone in about 10 years. We hope to do it again real soon. I only fell once but it was a pretty sweet spill. I think I almost did a forward flip when I hit an icy patch. Amber said I looked like a cartoon character going down a hill.
Amber's G-ma is not doing so hot and only has a few days left to live so went to visit her this week and now it's just a matter of time. So all plans are on hold until we get the phone call. She has pancreatic cancer is 84 and fought a good fight! This is like the 5th time she's had cancer and this time it finally got her. Say a prayer for her family as this is the first death they have ever delt with within the family.
Man, softball season is quickly approaching! I drafted the team email for the 2009 season and will probably send it out in a week or two to see if everyone is on board. Our goal is to win 4 games or more this year. Let's keep flooding the tub in 2009! And how awesome is it that we have Trevor Hoffmann as the new closer for the Brewers? Pretty awesome. "World Series or ... oh forget it.
Old Man and I are going to the Wisconsin - Minnesota Badger Basketball game next Thursday and I'm pumped!! Got some sweet seats and it's a Big 10 game so the place will be energized. And I got some new Badger gear so I hope to break it in.
I'm this close to purchasing the new keyboard I've been needing (wanting) so finally you'll be able to hear some quality, hopefully finished recordings in 2009. I will need Mr. Camann's assistance on a few things for sure. Things like, "How do I record a song?", etc. Also, stayed tuned for a post about my keyboard collection. Buck gave me an old keyboard he had as a kid and it Rick-Rolls you! No kidding.
While I was working out last night I had this revelation of how I wanted this particular song to sound. It's funny where inspiration finds you sometimes. So when I got home I had to write everything down so I didn't forget it.
I've been working up some plans to help out the homeless shelter in 2009. I think I may stay away from trying to get a large number of people involved. That really tends to complicate things. Keep it simple and have big results. I helped serve dinner last Friday and there were only about 80 at the shelter; usually it's much more in the winter so I didn't know what was up.
I started physical therapy on my knee this week. It's no fun. Lot's of little exercises I gotta do to build up strength in my left leg. Got to get myself in shape for the 2009 running season! If that doesn't help, then I may get arthroscopic surgery to get inside my knee to see what's going on.
Alright, time for my coffee break. Stay warm out there.
ANYWHO, what's new in Zeke's world? Oh not much. Amber and I went skiing last weekend at Tyrol Basin and it was a blast!!! I don't know why I ever stopped going downhill skiing. Amber taught me a few things and I did alright. I hadn't gone in about 10 years. We hope to do it again real soon. I only fell once but it was a pretty sweet spill. I think I almost did a forward flip when I hit an icy patch. Amber said I looked like a cartoon character going down a hill.
Amber's G-ma is not doing so hot and only has a few days left to live so went to visit her this week and now it's just a matter of time. So all plans are on hold until we get the phone call. She has pancreatic cancer is 84 and fought a good fight! This is like the 5th time she's had cancer and this time it finally got her. Say a prayer for her family as this is the first death they have ever delt with within the family.
Man, softball season is quickly approaching! I drafted the team email for the 2009 season and will probably send it out in a week or two to see if everyone is on board. Our goal is to win 4 games or more this year. Let's keep flooding the tub in 2009! And how awesome is it that we have Trevor Hoffmann as the new closer for the Brewers? Pretty awesome. "World Series or ... oh forget it.
Old Man and I are going to the Wisconsin - Minnesota Badger Basketball game next Thursday and I'm pumped!! Got some sweet seats and it's a Big 10 game so the place will be energized. And I got some new Badger gear so I hope to break it in.
I'm this close to purchasing the new keyboard I've been needing (wanting) so finally you'll be able to hear some quality, hopefully finished recordings in 2009. I will need Mr. Camann's assistance on a few things for sure. Things like, "How do I record a song?", etc. Also, stayed tuned for a post about my keyboard collection. Buck gave me an old keyboard he had as a kid and it Rick-Rolls you! No kidding.
While I was working out last night I had this revelation of how I wanted this particular song to sound. It's funny where inspiration finds you sometimes. So when I got home I had to write everything down so I didn't forget it.
I've been working up some plans to help out the homeless shelter in 2009. I think I may stay away from trying to get a large number of people involved. That really tends to complicate things. Keep it simple and have big results. I helped serve dinner last Friday and there were only about 80 at the shelter; usually it's much more in the winter so I didn't know what was up.
I started physical therapy on my knee this week. It's no fun. Lot's of little exercises I gotta do to build up strength in my left leg. Got to get myself in shape for the 2009 running season! If that doesn't help, then I may get arthroscopic surgery to get inside my knee to see what's going on.
Alright, time for my coffee break. Stay warm out there.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Twenty Three Years
Well, it's about time.
I recorded a short, rough 1 minute sample of a song I've been working on called Twenty Three Years. There are words but not in this clip.
For some reason, the file is really quiet, so you may have to turn up your volume a ton.
I call it by this particular name because the first lines of the song are:
"Twenty Three Years
and I haven't felt a thing..."
Yeah, it seems kinda dark, maybe cuz it is :-) It's a good song for the middle of the album. I wrote it as a duet with the first verse being a guy and the second verse being a gal. I was thinking of calling it I've Never Had a Broken Heart, which are some words in another verse.
Eventually, once I get proper equipment, I can do a nice, produced version of this with a gentle bass, soft chords, and perhaps have brushes on the drums.
Check it out
I recorded a short, rough 1 minute sample of a song I've been working on called Twenty Three Years. There are words but not in this clip.
For some reason, the file is really quiet, so you may have to turn up your volume a ton.
I call it by this particular name because the first lines of the song are:
"Twenty Three Years
and I haven't felt a thing..."
Yeah, it seems kinda dark, maybe cuz it is :-) It's a good song for the middle of the album. I wrote it as a duet with the first verse being a guy and the second verse being a gal. I was thinking of calling it I've Never Had a Broken Heart, which are some words in another verse.
Eventually, once I get proper equipment, I can do a nice, produced version of this with a gentle bass, soft chords, and perhaps have brushes on the drums.
Check it out
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)