NCTRNL in KC...

I AM MOVING!!!

2005-05-30T03:49:00.000-05:00

I have moved my blog over to its own server using MovableType. Please follow me over here: http://www.nctrnlinkc.com If you are nice enough to link to me, please change your link to that new one. Thank You!!!

Gotta Love Kids Birthday Parties...

2005-05-25T08:48:00.000-05:00

This weekend I went to the birthday party for my second cousin. He's 2 I think. It's never very fun. It's a lot of family, that I don't see too often, hanging out together. The parents, my cousin and his wife, are great. I like them a lot. Their son, the birthday boy, he's a great kid. Other than them...things get a little out of hand. It's just a side of the family we don't see often and generally we have a lot of problems with them. In the same fashion as last year, we end up playing football and soccer in the yard and I took some pics this year. Also, the birthday boy got a John Deere tractor thing so my brother had to try to ride in it. Check out the pics at the link below... http://www.flickr.com/photos/nctrnl/sets/366977/

What's With All The Damn Ads???

2005-05-23T22:42:00.000-05:00

Okay, I have basically resigned myself to the fact that I will have to flip through about 26 pages before I get to the table of contents of a fucking magazine. I have done it long enough now that I am used to it. Do you want to know what I refuse to accept? I went and saw 'Crash' this weekend. It was a great movie. The only problem I had was that before the movie...and after the thing said "FEATURE PRESENTATION" they went through about 5 or 6 different production companies stupid fucking logos and advertisements. I get it. It was a Lions Gate Film production. That's fine. My problem lies in the other 4 or 5 ads that came up on the screen. Something about Bob Yari, something about Apollo, something about DEJ. Okay, then it has 15 producers. You think I am kidding? Check IMDB. It's fucking true. Now, back to the production companies. Each one showed their fucking animated logo. Great right? Then...when the movie starts...it goes through them....AGAIN!!! This took up like 2 to 3 minutes of movie time, at least. Is it THAT HARD to make a movie??? Do you really need 6 production companies and 15 producers? I mean seriously. Okay...I'm done. The movie was incredible. I am in no way trying to take anything away from the movie itself. It makes you go through a whole range of emotions. You'll be angry, sad, annoyed...everything. You must go see it. Okay...I need to settle down...

Amanda Was In Town!!!

2005-05-23T08:13:00.000-05:00

So I got to hang out with Amanda on Friday night. I am currently trying to think of the last time that she was in town but at this time I cannot think of it. It was cold out...that's all I know. She was in town for her sister's graduation so got together on Friday night for some drinks. We headed down to Harry's Country Club which is down by the City Market here in Kansas City. I love this place. This bar is my Kansas City equivalent to the Red Lyon Tavern in Lawrence. It just feels good to me. I feel comfortable there, I like the atmosphere and it just works. It was good to see Amanda again. We never fail to have great conversations and I love to hear how her love life has taken interesting turns once again. She's dating a rock star right now. How cool is that. A rock star that is getting his degree in accounting. Now make sense of that. Either way, we drank, talked, laughed, talked some more and then drank again. It was fun. It's too bad that she isn't in town more often but we decided that Erika and I need to make our pilgrimage up to Minneapolis to see her because she's not going to be there for much longer. So Erika, if you're reading this...start making time. Click on the pic below for more pictures from that night...

It's Amazing What Some People Will Do...

2005-05-18T15:00:00.000-05:00

I would call these people lazy because they don't work for their money but that doesn't really fit. This took a lot of work and intelligence to put together. I just can't imagine even thinking up something like this. I guess there's only one thing to call people that would do this. Criminals. Stealing people's hard earned money for no good reason. You can't justify that to me...in any way... http://www.utexas.edu/admin/utpd/atm.html

Who Says Kansas City Isn't Exciting...

2005-05-18T12:33:00.000-05:00

We got a bank robbery goin on with shots fired baby. Just blocks from where I work. Isn't that lovely. The guy fled the bank to the Executive airport and tried to hijack a training aircraft that was on the runway. How exciting. There are helicopters everywhere and all sorts of shit. How exciting...

Could You Pull It Off???

2005-05-16T19:05:00.000-05:00

I was talking to a friend of mine today and she is dating a new guy. She is very excited, obviously, and things seem to be going well. Not all that long ago, she decided that she wasn't going to have sex again until she is married or close to married. I can admire that. I have definitely thought about that a good deal since my last trainwreck of a relationship. After a while, it just doesn't seem like it's worth it. It adds quite a bit of stress sometimes and I admired her for making this decision. Now that she is in this new relationship, she has to deal with telling this person that she has decided not to have sex until she is married. Of course, it is a new relationship and things can move very quickly so this 'talk' might come up quickly. Of course, in this case, it did. Now, let me explain this to you. She is very excited about this new guy and this 'talk' could definitely make or break the relationship. Seriously...think about that. From the guy's perspective. I am very proud of her for stopping the progression of the physical part of the relationship and having this talk with him. I am also glad to say that he seemed receptive to the idea. That is a little surprising to me. I can't imagine many guys who would be okay with that. Hopefully this means that he is just as excited about the relationship as she is. Now, tell me that I am not really up on the whole dating world when I use the word excited to explain their feelings about the relationships. If you listen to people talk these days, they don't get 'excited' about relationships. They try to act so cool like they do it all the time. Of course for me...I don't do it all the time so I would be ecstatic. I guess I will just live vicariously through her for a while. I'm so happy for her...and she's gotten past the talk which is even better...

So I Went To The Petting Zoo Today...

2005-05-15T18:09:00.000-05:00

Man, I hadn't been there since I was like 10. That place is still pretty cool. It's free and they do a damn good job of keeping that place up. The goats are by far the most personable animals and they are just crazy for that food that you can buy to feed them. They head-butt each other out of the way for the food. It's great. I took some pics...take a look here.

Adam's Birthday Dinner...

2005-05-15T18:05:00.000-05:00

Now I have posted before about how much I love Jack Stack. That's where we went for Adam's birthday. It was just as tasty but his birthday dessert was not nearly as cool as mine was. I am sure it was just as tasty but still. I meant to post about this earlier because it was actually last weekend but I just got the pictures uploaded and now I can post about it. It was a good time. God I love that place. You can see all the pics here...

Does Online Dating Really Work?

2005-05-13T14:06:00.000-05:00

I can't say that I have ever had any success with it. I have had better luck with things like Craigslist but I guess that is similar. Those other sites are all basically worthless to a guy like me. I guess it works for women because they get tons of replies from guys and they can just pick and choose but I have tried and never get one reply. I guess it could be that I am not saying the right things. Are there buzzwords that women look for on those sites? Who am I kidding...it's all about the pictures. I am not sure why I even thought that. By the way, Craigslist in KC is so weak compared to what it is like in other cities. It's mostly just spam on the KC site. There are a few here and there that are real people but not usually. It sucks...

Ah...Now That's What I Am Talking About...

2005-05-13T00:06:00.000-05:00

We've been having thunderstorms all night. That is what May in KC is supposed to be. The Royals game got delayed and then it only lasted 7 innings because of more storms. I love it. The week is almost over. I can't freaking wait. I can imagine everyone else is as excited about that as I am. Why the hell am I up this late? I have just started reading a new blog that I like a lot and I can't stop reading...don't ya hate that. Wish mine was that way...

Did You Know???

2005-05-12T14:15:00.000-05:00

Did you know that Costco sells caskets? How weird is that. A wholesale membership store, sells urns and caskets. Does that disturb anyone else. I think the most interesting question in their FAQ list is this:

Q: Can you order a casket for preplanning purposes?

Yes, as long as the casket is being shipped to a member's home or storage facility of choice. The order will ship within the stated delivery parameters on the site. However, due to regulations and restrictions, we cannot hold on to any orders for future delivery.

That's right, no ordering for future delivery. You can't just keep them on retainer. I found this incredibly odd... http://www.costco.com/Common/CategoryMain.aspx?cat=20595

I Want Thunderstorms...

2005-05-12T13:23:00.000-05:00

This is the time of the year when we are supposed to get pounded with severe thunderstorms and things. Everything is going north of us. That's a bunch of crap. I feel like I am getting short changed. I bet the people up in St. Joseph's are getting sick of this weather though. Everything is going right through there. Well, it is supposed to be cold again this weekend but it is going to be relaxing because finals are over. I love that feeling. Now I have to worry about my grades...

I Trimmed The Logo...

2005-05-11T23:28:00.000-05:00

Tell me if it loads correctly now. Some people were having issues with it scooting everything down the page...

The definition of insanity...

2005-05-11T22:30:00.000-05:00

is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I had never heard that before. I am sure everyone else who reads this will have heard that before. I think I might be insane. Without even realizing it. That quote actually scared me a little bit when I read it. I need some damn motivation in my life or that quote will describe me to a 'T'. Sorry, I just thought it hit the spot. School is over for a while. Now I can just work and have a nice relaxing summer. The Wakarusa Festival is coming up in 36 days so I got that going for me. I am really trying to think of something exciting that has happened...but I can't think of anything. Either way...I am insane...

The Art of Procrastination...

2005-05-08T11:16:00.000-05:00

I'm no kidding. I am sure a lot of people are good at procrastinating. I really don't think anyone has what it takes to beat me though. I feel like I might be the best procrastinator ever. Don't worry, I am not talking about that like it is a good thing. Believe me, I know it isn't. I need to write my final paper for Marketing. I haven't even started on it. I haven't read the book fully. IT is a short book but still, it needs to be mentioned that I have not read it. We did our final presentation last week but I still have to finish this part. I know that it won't take me long to do. I know that after a few hours it will be done and I won't have to worry about it anymore but I still do for some reason. I am listening to some Widespread Panic on my headphones and starting the paper. God I love this music. There might not be better music to do homework to. Not too many words, nonstop music. It's great.

Ah...The Weekend...Finally

2005-05-07T17:37:00.000-05:00

Well, let's see. Went to the KU vs Texas baseball game yesterday and KU won. They're really turning into a pretty good team. Found out today that I have 6th row tickets to the Dave Matthews concert here in September. It's The Last Stop on their summer tour. Should be great. I am going to Jack Stack for my friend's birthday tonight. It should be a lot of fun. Aside from the fact that the place has amazing food, it will be a fun time. I haven't had much exciting to write about lately. I know. I only have like 3 people who read this but I really appreciate them and I need to work harder to keep them coming back. I talked to Kaitlyn today and she is doing well. She turned the big 26 yesterday. She wasn't too happy about it but I told her that she has to keep aging so I don't feel so bad about it. It sucks that I probably won't get to see her again until Erika's wedding but what can ya do. It'll still be fun then.

Josh's Graduation Party...

2005-05-07T17:31:00.000-05:00

I headed up to Omaha last weekend to see Erika and Josh and go to Josh's graduation party. It turned out to be a lot of fun. I hate all the shit that goes into planning those things but they're a lot of fun when they get going. The keg was dead after about 3 hours so we had to make our way to the bar. The bar was a great time too. I got to see Suzy's son Tyler. He's one. You can see him in one of the pics I took. I got to talk to Erin for a little while. She's got her own thing goin on so she's just as busy as everyone else. I hope to see her a little more when I go up to Omaha for the College World Series in June. Either way, here's the photo album of the pics I took... http://www.flickr.com/photos/nctrnl/sets/305733/

Widespread Panic - Starlight Theatre

2005-05-04T11:59:00.000-05:00

Man, it was a great show. It's not often you go to a concert and EVERYONE is smiling the whole time. It was pretty chilly out there by the end of the show but considering that they played for almost 4 hours, I guess that is acceptable. I thought the show was absolutely amazing. Starlight Theatre is easily one of the best outdoor venues in the country. I will post more soon but here are the pics that I took with my camera phone:

This Got Me Thinking...

2005-04-27T22:59:00.000-05:00

I was reading a post over at Bitter and it got me thinking. Actually it didn't get me thinking, it made me realize that this is the same thing that my family would say about me. I have no prospects. That's what they would say if they were talking about 'The Fam' and explaining everyone's situation. They would say I had no prospects. Now don't worry, I am not moping, I am just saying that is what they would say. No one wants to be the guy who has no prospects. I am sure that my friends think the same way. I show up at all of the weddings alone. I show up at bars alone to meet them. I go down to Texas to see them...alone. So I am now 'No Prospects' guy. How sad is that. One of the many problems with being 'No Prospects' guy is that you get to hear those lines from all of the people you meet that are always in relationships. The "You'll find someone when you least expect it" and "You just haven't met the right person" lines. Man I hate that. I know they can't just say "You don't have an prospects because you're not attractive". I just think it's funny that you always hear those lines from people who are ALWAYS in a relationship. Whether it's my married friends or my friends who are always "dating" someone. Hell, my best friend had a weekend off from his wife last week and one of the things he said to me...on Friday night...was that he couldn't live this type of life for more than a few days. By "this type of life" he meant that he couldn't handle not having his wife around and always her to go home to. How do people get that dependent? Can some people just not be alone? I just don't get it. Anyway, I am going up to Omaha this weekend to be the 'No Prospects' guy again. It's okay, don't worry about me, I am used to it. I think I am made to play the part. Okay, I am done. Sorry to bore you...

Went out with Jimmy and Kate again...

2005-04-25T23:34:00.000-05:00

I had class tonight so afterwards I drove out by the Speedway to Cheeseburger in Paradise. That seems to be where I meet them every time they are in town. It was nice to see Joan and Lauren. Lauren brought her friend Nicole who was looking damn good I must say. It was a great night. Jimmy and Kevin drinking margaritas as fast as they could after they got to the restaurant by way of the casino. Some things never change. Well, I took some pics. You can check them out over on: http://barpics.blogspot.com

Mmmm...Another Good Weekend...

2005-04-24T22:21:00.000-05:00

Well, let's recap. My friend had the weekend off from his wife so we were gonna go a little crazy. Saturday night we went up to Lawrence. We went to Jefferson's, The Red Lyon, and then had a great detour to Johnny's in Lawrence. I didn't think that I would get to see Jimmy until Wednesday so I was pretty excited when he called on Saturday night. We met him at Johnny's in Lawrence. I hadn't been there since I was underage. They had free beer so we couldn't pass it up. I took some pictures from the entire night so you can relive it with me. Jimmy is doing well, Kate is doing well (she graduated and you might get to see pics of her graduation here), and Megan and Jared were there too. They are engaged now. Either way, you can see pics of the night at my new photo blog that I created at: http://barpics.blogspot.com

What a Beautiful Night...

2005-04-21T13:51:00.000-05:00

So beautiful we went up to Lawrence to watch KU play Wichita State. It was a perfect night. Not cold, not hot, and we were watching baseball. It doesn't get much better. They ended up losing but it was a good game. That's all you can hope for really. KU's baseball team isn't great but they aren't bad either. They play in a very tough league, the Big 12, so it's tough to get any better. Took some camera phone pics. Wish I had the balls to take pics of some of the ladies that were out there but I am a pussy. There was a pretty good crowd out there. I was pretty surprised. All-in-all it was a good night. I love the spring...

I Just Love Going To Class After Work...

2005-04-18T21:05:00.000-05:00

I guess I could look at it as "I'm gonna be done with school soon". Somehow, I find it hard to look at it that way. Just talked to Jimmy on the way home and he's going to be home next week. I haven't seen him in about a month so it will be good to see him. Also, Megan and Jared are going to be around so it will be fun to see them. (It's too bad Jared got to her first) Anyone want to help me learn how to talk to the ladies? I have recently realized that while I have incredible skills talking to women, it's the initial part that I have trouble with. I can't start the conversation. I can't go up to a stranger. I think that it is some sort of social issue that I have but who knows. I just need help I think.

Good Weekend...

2005-04-17T19:53:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a good one. Went out with some friends of mine on Friday night to Johnny's on 135th St. Drank some beers...(see above) and were merry. My Aunt and Grandmother are in town this weekend so that's fun. They have been busy watching my brother play baseball all weekend and they are leaving Monday morning. Saw a really cute girl at the grocery store today who I really wanted to talk to but I don't know any way of starting a conversation in that venue. She looked confused in the produce aisle so I thought about mentioning something about that but I didn't. I'm a pussy. I realize that. Could be why I am still single... A picture of the happy couple is below. I think this is a perfect picture for a caption contest. Whoever comes up with the funniest caption wins my...oh I don't know...respect. Here is my attempt at an artistic photo of the bar...(this is a camera phone so go easy on me)

Things Seem To Be Going Well...

2005-04-14T22:23:00.000-05:00

Let's see. The new job is GREAT. I have never had a 'real' job like this before. By 'real' job I mean that I have never moved up in a company and assumed a larger responsibility than the entry level that I came in with. It's weird how respect comes with these vertical movements. The best thing about this job is that I moved 'up' but I did not move 'over' any of the people that I enjoy working with. I do not have people under me. I don't think that I am much of the supervising type. I like to do my own thing. I like that they trust me to be told about a basic goal and then I can run with it. That is great to me. I know, I am not normally this cheery. I am fully aware of that. I might be annoying some of you. I realize that. I just don't have this chance often. I am normally mopey, bitter, pissed at the world. I just don't like being that way. I know it's hard to believe but it is true. I never called Selina back the other night. I feel like a shit for that. I haven't talked to her for so long. Kaitlyn emailed me today and she is doing GREAT. Anyone who knows Kaitlyn will know how amazing this next statement is: Kaitlyn is now waking up at 5:30 in the morning to work out...BEFORE going to work. Now...has anyone who knows Kaitlyn ever seen her wake up before she absolutely has to wake up. This was a news flash for me. Her mother even had to ask her if she needed to go see the doctor after this behavior. How great is that? I still get a lot of joy out of talking to Kaitlyn. Even emailing her is a blast for me. She was talking today about how she was listening to her iPod mini and she was going to go home and have a dance party. Now that's the Kaitlyn I remember from KU. Erika is doing great from what I can tell. Josh is graduating from Barber School and his party is on 4/30. I am definitely going to try to make it up there for that. I haven't gone up there in a few months...and that is way too long. Besides getting to see Erika, Josh, Erika's parents, Erika's sister, Marie, Kelly (who I have a ginormous (gigantic + enormous) crush on) and everyone else in O-Town is long overdue. I definitely think it is worth the trip. I haven't talked to Jimmy and Kate in a LONG time, but I am sure they are still doing well. If my mental calendar is correct, he should be going into the hospital next week again. I really wish I could see them more often. It is so great to hang out with them, it feels just like old times. I miss that feeling. (Another reason I need to go to O-Town for that party). Well I have bored you enough. Just reflecting a little. It's fun to do that. More to come later...

I Never Thought He Would Be This Good In The Pros...

2005-04-10T11:14:00.000-05:00

p1_hinrich-ap Originally uploaded by nctrnl.

We knew Kirk Hinrich was good when he played at KU but honestly, no one ever thought he would be good enough to turn around the Chicago Bulls. They haven't made the playoffs since Michael Jordan retired. Everyone thought Collison or Gooden would be that good in the pros but it turned out to be one of my favorite players. Kirk Hinrich. I just think that's incredible. LINK

So, I Got A Promotion...

2005-04-08T20:39:00.000-05:00

Yeah. Pretty cool huh? I haven't ever gotten a promotion before. I am pretty damn excited. I was getting pretty burnt out at work. I love the company I work for, I love the people I work with, I love the products the company makes, but I just needed a change. This will allow me to keep all the things I loved about it and keep myself challenged. That is exactly what I need. Actually...this blog may have helped me. Part of the job I will be doing has some work that includes creating websites. I have this one and another one so that helped me some. Either way, I am good, mood is GOOD, I am back in the game. There is light at the end of this tunnel...

This Is Why I Try Not To Buy Things At Best Buy...

2005-04-07T23:40:00.000-05:00

I mean seriously. A guy uses 57 $2 bills to pay for an installation fee that he should never have had to pay and the guy gets arrested. What a joke. This is typical Best Buy if you ask me. LINK

Hey, At Least We Have Something To Cheer About...

2005-04-07T23:23:00.000-05:00

ku1 Originally uploaded by nctrnl.

I know, I know, the basketball team lost in the first round. Oh well, that's over. It is time to focus on the baseball team and it seems they are getting better every year. They just beat Wichita State this week. That's pretty impressive if you ask me. The story is at the following link: http://www.kusports.com/news/baseball/story/114127

I Wonder What I Would Do In This Situation...

2005-04-07T15:19:00.000-05:00

I really do wonder what I would do if I caught someone breaking into my car. I like to think that I would go hurtling across the parking lot and then beat the perpetrator to a bloody pulp with my ice scraper, but I really don't think that is realistic. I worry that I would freeze and not know what to do. Maybe in the moment, after the surge of adrenaline, I would act in a logical and responsible matter and notify the police, and then try to get a license plate number and scare off the offenders. Now how boring is that. What would YOU do? This post was brought on after reading THIS.

See...We Should All Write This Well...

2005-04-06T23:35:00.000-05:00

I would love to be able to write well. My blog is swill compared to other ones out there but that's my problem. I read these other ones and I pale in comparison to the way they write. Take this one for example. I mean...it's great...right?

I Don't Know If This Is Scary or Interesting...

2005-04-06T13:54:00.000-05:00

This website gives you the opportunity to send a postcard to them with a dirty little secret on there. They will scan it and post it completely anonymously. You can go here and read all the postcards. It's pretty scary/interesting if you ask me... http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

I Have Always Had A Fondness For Women...like her.

2005-04-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

I can't imagine I am the only one. I just found her blog the other day and I think it's pretty good. She deserves some credit don't you think? I mean, what's not to like. She has recently experimented with not wearing underwear, she writes Haiku poems, and she thinks about sex a lot. Of course, who knows what city she lives in but who cares right? Link

Okay, I'm Over It...

2005-04-05T23:41:00.000-05:00

Yeah...I had my mourning period. I'm over it. They won, and they're not gonna be any good next year. I can handle that. I know everyone keeps saying Sean May is going to stay, but when the rest of his team leaves, why wouldn't he? I just wanted you all to know that I was doing well. Grieving...but doing well. Now I have to watch the Royals all summer. That might hurt worse considering they might lose 120 games this year...

One Shining Moment My Ass...

2005-04-04T22:58:00.000-05:00

What a joke. The whole game...what a joke. I hope Roy retires. Seriously...

Could This Basketball Game Be Any Worse?

2005-04-04T21:31:00.000-05:00

If I may say so, I think Illinois looks like KU out there. They're throwing every shitty three point shot they can find at the basket. Luther Head looks like he should be in junior college. I am hoping for a little bit of salvation. That would mean that I need Illinois to pick it up and at least make it a game. I don't like the thought of Roy getting his title this easily. Yes...I am a bitter KU fan. I am bitter with Roy Williams. Why shouldn't I be?

Birthday Dinner at Jack Stack...

2005-04-03T18:59:00.000-05:00

DSC000691 Originally uploaded by nctrnl.

Man...if there's anything about KC that I love...it's the Barbecue. Tonight we went to Jack Stack for my birthday dinner and they didn't let us down. Wow I love that place. It's not cheap but I would argue that it may be the best BBQ in Kansas City. I'm not kidding...and look at my cool dessert that I got.

Another Night In Lawrence With Tom...

2005-04-03T16:01:00.000-05:00

Yeah, if you've read my blog before you've heard me talk about nights in Lawrence with this guy. They're always eventful, always include a hangover, and I always meet a woman that I am interested in (who Tom has usually slept with). It's all to be expected. Friday night I had gotten a call from Tom at 1:30 in the morning, he had run into my brother at The Red Lyon in Lawrence. Immediately I begin taking the brunt of Tom's drunken ranting about how I never come up there anymore, never call him, things of that nature. I quickly tell Tom that I will come up to Lawrence the next night and drink with him. Now, I am a KU fan, so Saturday was the Final Four...both teams that are linked with KU right now for the coaching carousel from a few years ago are playing, and they both win. That means KU, who lost in the first round (insert Bucknell joke here) is going to be completely bashed by everyone considering the other two teams are both in the National Championship game and we are on vacation. My brother and I watched the end of the North Carolina game at the Red Lyon then went to meet Tom at Wheat State Pizza where he was working on closing down the place. Once we had a cheap pizza and Tom got done, he went home, changed, and we went to Louise's West. Drank cheap schooners, reminisced, drank more...then headed back to the Red Lyon to close the place down. This is where I met the girl. Genessa was her name. I know...hot...right?? So this is the girl that Tom has been "sleeping with". I have come to expect this with Tom. When I lived with the guy, he couldn't score to save his life, but now that everyone else has moved away, he has this way about him. It's hard to explain but he always has these random women. She was a waitress at the Red Lyon so that is how Tom wore her down with his charm. After talking to her for a while, I find out she already has her business degree, she's working on a business plan for an entrepeneur, and she stands to make quite a bit of money if the business plan is accepted. What more could a guy want. Beautiful, smart, and Tom has already gotten to her. The story of my life it seems.

I Hate When I Forget to Bring a Camera...

2005-04-02T18:09:00.000-06:00

Went down to watch my brother play baseball at Rockhurst today and it would have been a perfect day to take pictures. Then I went through the Plaza to downtown. I would probably have some great pictures. They are really doing a lot downtown for that new KCLive district and the new Sprint Arena. It should be really great for the downtown area. Maybe eventually people will give Kansas City a little bit of respect...

Relationship Questions...

2005-04-02T00:13:00.000-06:00

Do you ever wonder if relationships are even in the future for you? I wonder that sometimes. Not that I have time or money for them, but I still wonder. Now, don't get the wrong idea. I am not yearning to be in a relationship. It has been so long since I have been in a real one, I am not sure I even care anymore. But I am getting sick of being "the single one" ya know? Anyway, no big deal. Sorry I haven't updated lately. You know...work, school, work, school, work, school. Well I got a B+ in that clusterfuck of a Business Law class so I got that goin for me. Who knows when I will graduate but I am on the way. My birthday was last Wednesday, that's right, the 30th of March. I am a big whopping 26 years old. How fun. They just aren't as fun when you get older...

2005-04-01T17:15:00.000-06:00

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

I Don't Like Some KU Fans...

2005-03-22T20:11:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I know, KU lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. I understand that. I've grieved and now I am over it. The thing that pisses me off, more than Roy Williams sitting there and watching that amazing team of his play basketball, is that KU fans are already calling for the head of Bill Self on a platter. The guy has been at KU for two years. He left a team that he loved and came to a school for his dream job. Roy Williams did the same thing. No one can blame them for that. Every one of us would have done the same thing. He is going through his paces to get this team to be what he wants. It just happens that he happened to take over a team of players that had originally bought into another type of team. It's not their fault that the coach left and it's not Bill Self's fault that he got players that would never really buy into his system. I am so sick of hearing people rip on Bill Self about how he was the worst coach in the NCAA tournament or that they might as well fire him now because he won't ever do well here. Let the guy do his thing. He's an amazing basketball coach at an amazing basketball school. The team will be back and Bill will eventually be a hero. You just wait...

Wireless Internet In Class...

2005-03-15T17:39:00.000-06:00

Is there anything better? I am taking these 8 week classes and they are 4 hours per night. I don't think that anyone in their right mind can handle 4 hours of paying attention to someone talking. I just think that using your laptop in class to kinda..."get you through things" is just too sweet. I'm posting from 'Principles of Marketing' right now. How great...

Only Three Days...

2005-03-15T12:27:00.000-06:00

Yeah, that's right, three days until the tourney starts. I am already a little antsy. I don't know that I think KU will do all that well this year but ya never know right? I think if they stay healthy they can play with anyone. I know that most people don't think that they will even get past the sweet sixteen. I say screw 'em. I'm in two pools so if anyone isn't in one and they would like to be...let me know. I'm actually in more than two now that I think about it. You can never have too many though. I just wish I was going to be off work for the start on Thursday. Damnit...I can't wait. Who do you think is going to go all the way?

There's A Traitor Among Us...

2005-03-14T14:33:00.000-06:00

Okay, maybe that's a little over the top. Something tells me there is someone from the University of Kentucky reading this blog...leave a comment or send me an email if you get a chance. Ya know...if you want to...I'm curious. nctrnl@gmail.com Oh...and I will post about last weekend when I get a chance. I just haven't had the time yet.

Sounds Like Jimmy Is Feeling Better...

2005-03-09T08:16:00.000-06:00

I talked to Jimmy for a little while last night and he said that he is feeling better now than he did after his last treatment. This is definitely good news. He said he is going to work soon so that is good news. As I said earlier, Kaitlyn and I are going to go visit him on Friday. I was really happy to hear that he was feeling well so we would actually be able to see him for a while. On another note...it's cold as shit here. It snowed lightly all night. It was just 75 this weekend. Thank the lord I am going to Texas this weekend. Screw this snow stuff...it's March for the love of God. It's supposed to start warming up here damnit...

It Could Be An Interesting Weekend...

2005-03-08T11:56:00.000-06:00

Some of you may know that I am on my way to Dallas and Austin this weekend. I am going to be seeing Kaitlyn and we are going to go see Jimmy and Kate. It will be great to see them. I haven't seen them since January when I was there for New Year's. Since then, Jimmy has been diagnosed with cancer and he has begun his treatment. This will be our first chance to see Jimmy since then. I can't wait to see all of them. I did make a small error in judgment though. The Big 12 Tournament is in KC this weekend and I am not going to be here. I had planned on going down there to get some tickets from Iowa State fans when they lose. Now I won't be in town at all during the tourney. That makes me sad because this is probably the last time that Kemper Arena will host it. Hopefully I will be able to see some of the tourney but it won't be the same. Either way it's going to be a tough weekend for KU, I can just tell. I hope we get Langford back soon or else it's going to be a quick March too and then we'll have to worry about the Royals...

I've Been Waiting For This Day Ever Since I Started Watching Dawson's Creek...

2005-03-04T09:12:00.000-06:00

Finally, Katie Holmes and Chris Klein have split up. I am just broken up inside. Okay, I am finished with that. Now is my chance to swoop in and make all her dreams come true. She's been dating that weird guy from American Pie for five years. She finally realized that he is just as weird as he seems in those movies where he's all ripped but he talks with that voice...you know what I'm talking about...that soft...weird...creepy voice he has. I'm sure she just finally got sick of him whining and crying in that voice. Well, at least that is how I envision it. But she's back on the market...and now it's time to pounce... Story and pics can be found on The Superficial.

It's Going to Be Hard to See Them Go...

2005-03-03T15:24:00.000-06:00

Next year is going to be a tough year for KU basketball but this year we got to watch 4 great seniors all year. Last night was senior night at Allen Fieldhouse and it was beautiful...and sad. It was a little hard to watch but it had to happen. Let's just sit back and watch and see how the tournament goes this year...

What Are Parents Thinking?

2005-03-02T10:37:00.000-06:00

Do parents these days think that sheltering their children and keeping them from seeing the real world will help them in the long run? The reason I say this is that there is a city in New York that is throwing a fit about an ad for the show "The L Word" in a bus station. It's the ad that shows all 12 of the characters all tangled up but nude. It doesn't show "anything" but I guess it implies enough to make these people throw a fit about it. The article is in the New York Daily News. Here is the quote that really got me: “I’m offended, and other people are, too,” she said. “We are a close-knit community. These are things we try to keep our children from being exposed to.” Now how is sheltering your children from this ad going to benefit anyone? Do they want them to be afraid of their own bodies. Are they supposed to think that it is not okay to be naked or for someone else to be naked? I guess I just don't believe that sexuality should be treated this way. These kids are going to be having sex with each other at 13 and if they haven't ever talked to their parents about sex before, then they won't know about things like protection and respect. I guess it's their loss. Here is the ad if you haven't seen it (I would say this is NWS and you'll need to cut and paste the link): http://www.thelwordonline.com/images/Promo%20Pictures/S2_naked.gif This story was found on Gawker.

A Breakthrough...

2005-03-02T09:20:00.000-06:00

One of my top 5 favorite movies is Almost Famous. I love the movie itself but I love all of the little secrets and hints about the real musicians that were around when Camerown Crowe was actually living those moments in his real life. I love that there are so many hidden little things in there that you can watch and research to find out what the real meaning was. Well, to the point of this post, when they are in the Hyatt and Penny Lane and William are walking through the hallways with the Led Zeppelin fan, they walk past a room and there is a man playing an acoustic guitar across from a woman and they sing the lyrics, "Please, stay, I wanna hear you play". For the longest time I could not figure out who sang that song. To me, it looked and sounded like Neil Young and I couldn't find one of his songs that had those lyrics. I had searched high and low until I found a blog entry by someone much smarter than me. They had the explanation of this part of the movie. Here is the text in its entirety:

Apart from Almost Famous being a great movie, it also has a number of tracks that are played for a few seconds, are not credited, or are not on the soundtrack. An example being when Penny is taking William through the Hyatt with the Zepplin fan and he stops to hear a couple singing "Please stay, I wanna hear you play.." and if you can hear it, the words that follow are "..small time blues". The song is Small Time Blues by Pete Droge, and according to a thread on SongFacts is a tribute to Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. The track features in full as an extra on the Almost Famous - The Bootleg Cut (Director's Edition) 2000 DVD.

This is from a blog by Paul Maddox. You can find it at this link: http://paulm.firebug.com/

I'd Say It Was A Good Weekend...

2005-02-28T08:36:00.000-06:00

I love a good lazy weekend. I had a mid-term and a final the next week but...eh...who cares right? I really didn't have much to do this weekend which I like sometimes. KU did play OSU yesterday and that was a beautiful game. Not just that KU won but that it was an amazing game. Just the type of game you expect from two top 10 teams 3 weeks before the big tournament. March is gonna be great. Here's my gripe today: What the hell is wrong with the Oscars? Does anyone really enjoy watching that crap? All I really think about when the Oscars are on is that my favorite show on Sunday night isn't on. Boston Legal. Man, I love that show and some crappy awards show is on instead. Of course, "The "L" Word" was on. I like that show. I am sure people are shaking their heads right now when I say that, but screw it. I like it anyway. It doesn't reinforce the argument that some women have though that things would just be easier if they were a lesbian. It sure as hell doesn't make things easier for anyone on that show...

Marc Broussard at The Bottleneck...

2005-02-20T23:10:00.000-06:00

I made my way up to Lawrence on Wednesday night. I know. It's a school night. Well, sometimes you just have to do these things. I had first seen Marc Broussard at the Wakarusa Festival in Lawrence last summer. I think he is incredibly talented and I was very excited to see him in concert again. The Bottleneck is a hole in the wall in Lawrence but it is notorious for getting some great bands. Lawrence is an altogether good live music area. It's not Austin, TX or anything but it will do. It's better than most cities I can tell you that. I was excited to go to the concert and I was going to get to see Tom for a while. I only live 3o minutes from the guy but it still seems like it is tough to get to see him very often. I cut out of class early on Wednesday night and met a friend from work to head up to Lawrence. I drove. I always drive. That's my control thing. I drive everywhere. I really do not like riding with other people. It's not personal at all. It just makes me feel better. Either way, we went to Lawrence and went by Wheat State Pizza to see Tom at work. I never really thought I would ever see Tom tossing pizza dough into the air...but that's exactly what was happening. It was great. As I figured, there was a great looking blond girl working there too. I am sure Tom has had his share of awkward moments with this girl. I think that every woman who crosses Tom's path ends up as a story of his somewhere. One of the many reasons that I was happy to see Tom is because he had seen Jimmy more recently than I had and it gave me a chance to hear about how he was doing. Jimmy had his first chemo treatment recently and I was very anxious to hear how he was doing. Jimmy's mother had been down to visit him so I did not want to intrude by calling this weekend. Tom said that Jimmy seemed to be doing well when he saw him. It was great to hear that. I really have no experience with cancer so I really do not know how things go. Jimmy is going back to work this next week so that he can delay the inevitable long term work shortage that he will go through. It's great to hear that he is going back to work because I know that this should make him feel much better. It will ground him. Make things feel more real. That is what I would need...I can tell you that. I will get a chance to go and see him when I head down to Austin in early March. He will just be coming out of his second treatment but it will still be nice just to see him quickly. I will also get a chance to see Kaitlyn. I haven't seen her since Jimmy's wedding. She sounds like she is doing very well. That makes me very happy. We had a conversation on the phone the other night for about an hour and a half and if we wouldn't have had to work in the morning...we probably could have talked three times as long. It seemed like we were back on the house on Ohio. Oh, back to the main story here. The show at the Bottleneck was pretty full. I expected it to be because the radio stations in the area had been giving away tickets. After a while I realized that many of the people who were there seemed to be traveling with the band. Friends from home or something maybe. It was a bit surreal because they were all just getting drunk. They didn't seem to give two shits about the music. It's very obvious that Marc is an incredibly talented musician. I just hope that he is not getting wrangled into the whole mainstream pop thing. We all know from seeing anything that happened at the Grammys that Pop music is basically dogshit. I really hope that he does not fall into that category. He could really be a great funk/blues/rock musician if he sticks with what he is doing right now. Another positive that came from the night was that I saw an old friend of mine from high school that I hadn't seen since....well...high school. I found out a lot about some other friends from high school that I haven't seen since then. It's great and there's an outside chance of us all getting together to play cards and hang out. I know it would be weird but I think it would be really cool on the other hand. I haven't seen any of them in so long it would be great to hear about how they have fared since they left school. Well, this is probably already long enough that no one will read it but I will post it like this anyway. Hopefully I can get myself to post more...

I'm finding it impossible...

2005-02-16T09:03:00.000-06:00

Lately, it seems impossible for me to be on time in the morning. For some reason I am staying up a lot later these days. I get this feeling when I get home from work or class that I have such a limited amount of time when I am not at work. In my head, since it is so limited, I need to spend as much of that time as possible enjoying myself so that I don't feel so crappy when I go to work. All that this has accomplished lately is just me being more tired in the morning. I don't end up going to sleep until well after midnight and I have to wake up at 6:45 to go to work. That just doesn't work out well. Tonight I am going to a concert, after class, which is after work. That should make for a fun time. I just hope I am not completely freaking beat by the time I get to enjoy myself (i.e. the concert). Another thing, how does the hot water just stop working in the shower. No one else is using the water...how does it just stop?

Happy Freaking Valentines Day...

2005-02-14T10:35:00.000-06:00

I am sure it's not hard to figure out what my thoughts on this bullshit holiday are. Either way, there are people out there who enjoy it for some stupid-ass reason. There are actually women out there who will be disappointed today when they don't get flowers delivered to their office. Some will be upset when they aren't taken out to dinner. Well that is one thing I have that all you people in relationships don't...I don't have to worry about this bullshit holiday. I pity all of you who actually celebrate it. But hey, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Typical Monday...

2005-02-14T08:30:00.000-06:00

You know that typical day right? You sleep in a little later than normal. Hit snooze one more time than you should. If everything were to go right, you could still make it to work on time. But you have played with fire. Now you can't find your name tag. Can't find the shirt you want. Forgot to get all the stuff you need for work, and school. Get outside. Your car is covered in frost. Don't scrape it, just drive off. Almost broad-side a car because of the frost on the windows. After all this, the one thing that should cheer you up, the sun on a cold morning, successfully pisses you off because it's so damn bright. How typical...

What a great concert...

2005-02-13T23:31:00.000-06:00

As some of you may know, I made my way to the Gov't Mule concert on Friday night at the Uptown Theater here in Kansas City. I have been looking forward to this show for quite a while. For any of you who know this band, you will know what I mean when I say that Warren Haynes is the hardest working man in Rock & Roll. I had seen them play a few times in the past. Twice when they opened for Dave Matthews Band. I always enjoyed them but I just didn't give them much thought because of the fact that I was there for something else. This show was at the Uptown Theater which is honestly one of the best indoor concert venues in the Midwest. It has a very old time feel to it and it is very quaint. Perfect for the Mule. Warren and the rest of the band were absolutely amazing. This is saying a lot considering it was just the second night of their tour. They can understandably be a little off while trying to get back into the groove. They played some favorites of mine including "32/20 Blues" and for the Encore they played a cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Whithers into Soulshine, which you might know from Allman Brothers fame. Now back to the statement that he is one of the hardest working men in Rock & Roll. He sings and plays guitar for Gov't Mule as well as The Allman Brothers, The Dead, Warren Haynes and Friends and Phil Lesh and Friends. He is all over the place and is absolutely amazing. I highly recommend picking up the CD "The Deepest End" to really see what they are all about. Here is the link to the setlist and a quick review of the show: Review, Setlist, and Pictures

Now that the Super Bowl is over...

2005-02-07T08:17:00.000-06:00

I kinda feel like this is my "New Year's". Every year, when the Super Bowl is over I feel like that is the start to the new year. March Madness is coming up and that makes me all kinds of excited. I get chills just thinking about the tournament. That's probably sad but I love it. The Big 12 Tournament is back in KC this year so it just feels right. I went to two Super Bowl parties last night. I had a lot of fun but I would really like to have my own party. That would be badass. Get a big honkin' TV and have everyone over to watch the game and eat until you can't stand up. I've never had my own, I always go to everyone else's party. Maybe that has something to do with my personality. With the Super Bowl party comes the right to throw parties for all kinds of other things. World Series, Final Four, you know, the important stuff. Another thing, why the hell is everyone getting pregnant? Is that just the cool thing to do these days? I go to the first Super Bowl party this weekend and there were kids running around all over the place. What made that even funnier was that the two couples that I was talking to were both expecting too. And the night before at our office "Prom" there were two couples there who were expecting too. I guess I am really out of it. I am not even close to going down that road.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while...

2005-02-03T09:59:00.000-06:00

It seems that a few people have found out about the situation in the last entry solely from this blog. I feel a little bad about that because that's not how I intended it. I didn't want this to be the way that people found out about the situation. Well, there isn't anything that I can do about it now. I will say that I talked to Jimmy yesterday on the phone and he hasn't changed a bit. Which is exactly what I wanted to hear. It sounds pretty shitty but I don't know why I thought there would be any difference. I guess that is my inexperience with this whole situation. I guess that's just what people do when something like this happens. At least that's what I did. On to more uplifting things. Who wants to go to a concert? There's a really good artist, Marc Broussard, coming to the Bottleneck in Lawrence on February 16th. I'll be there...and I encourage anyone else who likes live music to come as well. If there's anyone that reads this that doesn't know me...or DOES know me for that matter...I want you to head up there. Tickets are only $10...so you don't have that excuse. You can check him out here...

Things don't always go as planned...

2005-01-30T20:08:00.000-06:00

It's always interesting when you get bad news. It almost always comes at a weird time. Like, say, 5:30 on a Wednesday night before you go to class. And it's usually from someone that you wouldn't expect to hear from at a time like that. When I saw Kate's name come up on my cell phone that day, I knew it probably wasn't good. When that happens, my mind starts to race a little bit to see if I can figure out what it could be. The second indicator is usually the tone of voice. When I heard Kate's voice that day, it just confirmed what I had already assumed, something was wrong. Finding out that one of your best friends in the world has just found out that he has cancer, now that's hard. Now when you hear it and that friend is over 500 miles away and you can't see them, that makes it even worse. To add insult to injury, I had just seen him about two weeks before that, before he knew. It just doesn't make sense. Not that it ever does really. It's one of those things where you think that one of the strongest people you know, all of a sudden has something like this happen to them. Of course, you go through the whole, "Why him? He has so many things going well, why couldn't it be me instead?" That was all I could think about that night at class. Then it slowly starts to sink in. You hear more details, it becomes more real. I still don't know what to do about the whole situation. I still don't know what I "should" do. I just feel like I should do something, and I don't know what it is. Of course I am sure that everyone feels that way. I guess I will just see what happens in the next few weeks. Of course...I don't think that the feeling of helplessness that I have is going to go away. I need to see him so bad...

Let's see here...an update is needed...

2005-01-23T23:28:00.000-06:00

Let's see what I can come up with. Not much exciting going on this weekend. Watched two football games that I am sure most people watched. I couldn't even watch most of the NFC game...don't really care about either team...or any team...in the NFC for that matter. The AFC game was better but I really thought it would be cool if the Steelers could pull it out and Roethlisberger just basically played like a rookie in way over his head. That's to be expected. What else? Oh hey, I heard from Selina this weekend. I haven't talked to her on the phone in forever. It's funny but it always cheers me up to talk to her. I don't get to talk to her very often, and I get to see her less, and she's always so happy and positive. I wish I was capable of that. It's addictive, which I am sure you know. I didn't get to go to Stephen's gig he was playing. I really didn't have anyone to go with...but I really would have liked to see it. Also, he could have put me on the "guest list" so I would have felt really cool there for about 10 minutes. Other than that, nothing else crazy really happened. I slipped and fell on the ice on Friday morning, now that's some shit. My knee is all bruised up. Been there, done that. I know that this isn't exactly exciting reading for anyone but it's all that I can come up with right now. It's late...I am delaying the inevitable start of another work week. This came to mind. Well, I should probably sleep. If you read this and can think of anything fun to say, leave me a comment or drop me an email. I like to know that people actually read this every once in a while.

Does the guy ever get the girl anymore?

2005-01-17T19:03:00.000-06:00

I have now watched two movies in the last few days and there was one common trait between them. Neither of the movies ended with the guy getting the girl. Now, I know it really never happens in real life, but it was sure nice to think that at least the movies were still sacred and the nice guy could still get the girl in Tinsel Town. I guess even that doesn't happen anymore. Man, what is this world coming to? P.S. If anyone other than Selina was on my Netflix Friends list...then you would know about at least one of the movies I was talking about. You know you want to be my friend...

Does this make me a nerd?

2005-01-14T09:33:00.000-06:00

I don’t know if anyone else ever did this but do you remember when you got your school supplies list for elementary school? By the end of every summer you would get the calendar in the mail, and inevitably, it has the school supplies list. This was probably the second best day of the summer aside from the last day of school from the year before. I don’t know why I used to get so excited about it but it got me going. The biggest disappointment was that when you got to third grade, from there to sixth grade you had the same supplies list. That took some of the fun out of the whole thing. This list meant that it was time to go to Wal-Mart and go through the school supplies section. New pencils, new markers, and…most of all (and I know you know where I am going with this)…a NEW TRAPPER KEEPER. Hell yes. Tell me those things weren’t the king of the school supplies. Every year there were new ones out with all kinds of cool designs. It was so damn hard to pick. Also, in third grade, we got bigger desks too. That was pretty exciting. Man…thinking back on when things were easy. Gold stickers and blue stars on the papers. Book reports. Science Fair projects. Those were the days…

First Kiss...

2005-01-13T09:11:00.000-06:00

Reading another blog got me thinking. Does anyone really have a "cool" first kiss story? I mean, everyone has one, and it is almost always burned into the memory as one of your most significant memories. Mine definitely wasn't cool. It was on a dare. How's that for romantic. It was with a girl named Stephanie and her house was behind my house. We were sitting there with a few other people on my front step. I have no idea how we got dared into it but we ended up behind my neighbor's house and we kissed. Yeah, it was like 7th grade. Now this was just a kiss. No tongue. I do remember having this really weird taste in my mouth for hours after that. She must have had bad breath. My first real kiss...well that was a different story...that girl was also the first girl I slept with...

All kinds of new Apple stuff...

2005-01-11T15:39:00.000-06:00

This week is the Mac World Expo in San Francisco and today during the KeyNote speech of Steve Jobs they released some new products. They release the Mac Mini, the iPod Shuffle, and two new software programs iLife '05 and iWork '05. The hardware products are very cool and are definitely following the amazing design styles that Apple is known for. As a lot of you know, I got my Powerbook last September and it is probably the best thing I have ever purchased. Now, if anyone would like to purchase the iLife and iWork programs for me, that would be great. You can purchase them here.

George Bush has an iPod too...

2005-01-10T15:41:00.000-06:00

Well, aside from that, this is still a neat photo essay. It is definitely a rare view of the President of the United States by Christopher Morris. I am sure half of you will hate this and half of you will love it. Oh well, we can't all agree on everything right? I know, you can't see his face in the pic but if you go to the link below you can see the entire photo essay. You can find the photo essay here. This story was found on Engadget.

I need movie recommendations...

2005-01-10T15:23:00.000-06:00

I use Netflix and I really think that my queue is getting pretty stale. I need some help with movies that I should put on there. They don't have to be new or anything. I just need some help because my mind has gone blank as to what to rent next. You can leave a comment down below (if you're not a blogger member just click on ANONYMOUS). I really would appreciate the help.

How 'bout those Jayhawks...

2005-01-10T10:29:00.000-06:00

It was an ugly game but damnit, it's a win. Wins like this one and the Georgia Tech win are finally giving KU some respect. It's kinda nice for a change. I am hoping to get to go to KU game soon in Lawrence. I am also trying to go to Nebraska to see them play again. We need to avenge our loss from last year. It's too bad that Ashley Judd is a Kentucky fan. Maybe next year when they play here at KU she will come. That would be hot wouldn't it? She's just too cute to like Kentucky. Oh well...

So...You're telling me there's a chance...

2005-01-10T09:06:00.000-06:00

That's right...what are the odds. Oh well, it's still a chance right? Well it's no surprise to me that they broke up but what can you do. When there are two people that good looking together...it's bound to crash and burn. You can't tie down a guy like Brad Pitt. Imagine the sheer quantity of women that man could have. I can say that because I am on the exact opposite side of the spectrum from him in this aspect. Only he could go on the silver screen stuffing his face in ever scene of a movie (Oceans 11, and 12) and still have women swooning over him. I really wonder how many women send him their underwear every day. Anyway, the relationship is over and Jennifer is seemingly on the market.

If only I had a reason for these...

2005-01-10T08:57:00.000-06:00

Well even if I don't, I will still go ahead and pass this on for those that do have the reason to use these. They are custom-fit condoms. That's right, no more one size fits all trojans from HyVee. These have been around for quite a while and it is obviously a great idea. You can buy them from Condomania.com and they have a sizing guide and everything. Don't worry, the sizing chart is cryptic so you don't have to worry about your friends being able to tell anything from your "size". They were also voted the best condoms available by Consumerreports.org. You should read that article too. That is my public service announcement for the day. I figured it was prudent when I told Kate that every time Jimmy calls I am waiting for him to tell me that Kate is pregnant. I was quickly punched by Kate and told that it would hopefully be a while before I got that message. So here is my solution... This entry was started when I was reading this...

I'm just not sure what to do...

2005-01-07T14:17:00.000-06:00

I'm at a point now at work where I have a choice to switch the team that I am on. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a gadget freak. The team change at work is kind of a challenge for me. I have two managers that are trying to get me on their team. I am really torn as to which team I want to switch to. I kinda feel like Carlos Beltran trying to pick a team in the off-season. I just figured I would write about it you know? It's hard to explain what the differences between the two teams are and I am wondering how much fluff I am getting from the managers to get me on their teams. I don't know why I thought that anyone would care about it. I am just really torn because this is basically how it's going to be for the next year or so. One manager claims I will have more free time to pursue things that I enjoy doing like learning about the new products and doing training seminars about them. On the other hand, the other team is one that has never existed before and is really "unknown". Hell I don't know...

It's gonna be a busy Fall...

2005-01-06T14:02:00.000-06:00

Well, everyone knows that Erika is getting married this fall. You'd know that already if you read this blog sometimes. Now, there is another wedding that is supposedly going to happen this fall. That's right...reports are coming that Ms. Selina Hood and her boyfriend Stephen are now engaged. It's not a surprise really, especially to anyone who knows the two of them. I haven't heard this out of her mouth yet but I have been told by a very reliable source. News is that the wedding will hopefully be in Kansas City this coming Fall. It's gonna be a busy season I tell ya. Let me say CONGRATULATIONS TO Stephen and Selina...

Just gotta get through the winter...

2005-01-05T22:44:00.000-06:00

Man, it is weird how time flies by. I start school again in a week. It feels like I just got done. You would think that I would be used to that, ya know? Instead I am just watching the weather hoping that this ice shit melts some time soon. I wish I had some hot saucy story to tell you about how I was "heating things up" in the winter but most of you wouldn't believe me anyway. I keep thinking that with every class I start...someone new will be in that class...and away we will go. You know...when you just know that something's gonna happen between the two of you and you just go with it. I have three classes this semester...let's just hope someone is in one of those classes. I'm not holding my breath but who knows...maybe I can show up at one of my friends house and not be the only one without an "other". Okay, enough pouting. I really wish I had exciting sexual escapades to write about in here so that I could keep up with all those bloggers who have these steamy hot stories in their blogs about all their hot lives. I'm sure it's the whole grass is greener thing but it would be fun to write about stuff like that and not be making it all up right? You guys would read it wouldn't you? I'll have to see what I can do when the school year starts up again. Until then...I will just have to hope I don't slip and break my ass in the ice.

I love Ice Storms...

2005-01-04T13:24:00.000-06:00

It this storm was heading for New York or some other big city MSNBC wouldn't be able to say enough about how bad these storms are but, nah, it's just KC. It looks like we could be in for quite a shitty time if this thing pans out like they are saying it will. I just hope I have power, that's all I really care about. It's no tsunami though...

I guess I should post about New Year's...

2005-01-03T13:43:00.000-06:00

That's the right thing to do right? I mean, of the 5 people that actually read this blog, 2 of them were at the bar on New Year's with me. We went to Coyote Ugly in downtown Dallas. It is in the bar area called "Deep Ellum". Kate and Megan weren't too excited about the place at first but as they drank more...obviously they loosened up. I have some pictures of the event. They're not great, but they are funny. Yes, there were actually girls dancing on the bar, yes, they made out with each other at midnight. What else? I didn't find anyone to kiss on midnight, as if that surprises anyone who knows me. The trip to Dallas was an absolute blast. We capped it off by eating a HUGE dinner on New Year's Day. Jimmy cooked his ass off and I helped clean up afterwards (crazy, huh?) We had steak, shrimp, chicken, all kinds of stuff. Now I sit here back at work in Olathe where it is raining and 33 degrees. It is 75 in Dallas. How unfair is that? But I guess it's not that expensive to fly back down there...permanently...(but Kate said I can't live there, how sad)

For all of you Law and Order fans...

2004-12-29T11:36:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it. Jerry Orbach has died. He recently retired from the show to start a spin-off called Law and Order: Trial By Jury. He died at the age of 69 from Prostate Cancer. You can read more about it here.

It won't be long now...

2004-12-29T11:13:00.000-06:00

That's right...only another day and I will be out of town for a while. I don't get to fly often so I get pretty excited about it. It's not a long flight or anything but hey, what can ya do. New Year's should be a lot of fun. Who will the lucky lady be for the New Year's kiss? Yeah, wishful thinking I know...but oh well. I will be with good friends, good alcohol...which will make for good times, woman or not. I fly out tomorrow at 3:18...can you tell I am counting the minutes?

You just never know...

2004-12-28T09:04:00.000-06:00

So this week there were some friends in town. The holidays are always great for that reason, you get to see people that you normally don't see that often. It's always fun to get to talk to them, drink with them, hear their stories. But not every story that you hear is a happy one. I have a friend who is having a really hard time right now because she is losing a grandparent. I don't know all of the details of the situation which makes it hard to really explain it but either way it is very hard. I think I am like everyone else in that when something like this happens to a friend, you want to do whatever you can to help them feel better, comfort them, whatever you can do. I just feel so awkward in those situations because I don't know what direction to take with it. I think a lot of the reason that I don't is because I just don't have much experience with it. Everyone grieves differently. Some want to be showered with attention and some just want to be alone and do it on their own. It's hard to tell which is which. Who would appreciate what... I get caught in this place where I want to help, I yearn to help...but on the other hand, I don't know if it is my place. Do you just step in and play superman or do you wait for them to hint to you that they want your help... The other problem is that I just wanted to hang out with this person because I really only see them about twice a year. So you get caught here...you just want to be with your friend...but there are underlying issues. It really bothers me...mostly because I have no idea where to start. She's only in town for another week or so...and some of that time I will be out of town. She hints about doing something in the spring, going down to Dallas to visit friends...which I would love to do...but what are the odds? I'd like to think they are good, but who knows. I guess I just figure you have to take advantage of the time that you do have. You never know if you will see any one person again. Time is relative I guess. I am sure people think I sound depressed...down...whatever. I assure you there is nothing behind this. The point is though...that you never really know how much future there really is. I saw Pammy at Erika's graduation party...when I left...thought I would see her again in a month...and now I will never get to hear her laugh again. You can't prepare for that, you can only enjoy what you have at the moment. I guess this is just one of life's many lessons...(sounds like a cliche I know...)

I promise I will post more soon...

2004-12-26T20:08:00.000-06:00

I just got back from Denver and the Christmas celebration. I'm pretty beat if you can imagine that. I hope that everyone got what they asked for....I know I did. I will definitely post more about it later...

Only two more days...

2004-12-20T09:01:00.000-06:00

It's only two days until I leave for Christmas in Denver. How fun. It'll be nice to just get out of KC for a while, see my family...and get some good stuff. Before I leave though I get to hang out with Amanda again. I feel like I have seen Amanda more in the last two months than I have in 3 years. It's pretty cool if you ask me but I figure after this time, I probably won't see her for another year or so. That's the way it goes with this group. I went and saw Flight of the Phoenix this weekend. I thought it was damn good. I have heard a lot of people bitch that it wasn't very good compared to the original, but I haven't seen the original...so screw em. Dennis Quaid was very good, and the filming was very realistic. I found out that they filmed it in Africa because they obviously wouldn't have been safe filming it IN Mongolia. Let's see...what else. I guess there just isn't anything fun to talk about these days. Isn't that typical. I'm sure I will have more exciting stories after the holidays...they always create drama. Then hopefully MANY PICTURES from the New Year's celebration in Dallas. Maybe some incriminating ones...who knows. (That's my Hard Copy like advertisement...when I am trying to lure you in).

Yeah, well...that didn't happen...

2004-12-17T08:18:00.000-06:00

Ah well, what are ya gonna do. They're girls...you can't make plans. Something always comes up. I did have a bit of a flashback though. While I was sitting there waiting for them all to get ready...I flashed back to when Jimmy, Drew, Kareem and I would sit there waiting for all of the girls to get ready. Kaitlyn, Erika, Selina, Kate...ALWAYS took forever to get ready. We're going out drinkin...they would take at least an hour to get ready. Now, that's fine...if you plan for it...but not when you start getting ready at 10. You can't deny it girls...you know it's true. It was weird though, almost a Deja Vu feeling. I couldn't stop smiling though thinking about all those times waiting to go out. The RED LYON BABY!!!. Those were some great times...even if there was at least an hour a night spent waiting for the girls that could have been spent drinking. I do have to say that I would have been pretty pissed off this morning if I would have had to go to work with a hangover. Hey look...a picture with all of the girls and the guys from this story in it... You can click HERE to see the image in full size.

My Final...Final...

2004-12-16T16:26:00.000-06:00

Oh yeah, that's right...tonight is my last final. I am done for the semester after this. After that...you guessed it...I'm going drinking. What else is there to do really? I feel like I deserve it. I haven't worked as hard as about 8 out of 10 college students but I still deserve it. I don't deserve much, but I deserve that. I will be drinking at Tomfooleries on the Plaza. I can't wait to just be done, not that I have really worked all that hard this semester. Next semester...now that will be a different story...

I feel like I am gonna be numb for a week...

2004-12-15T10:47:00.000-06:00

But I guess that is MUCH better than not being numb enough. I am fresh off an encounter with my dentist this morning. Man...I feel like I'm somewhat mentally retarded. My tongue just kinda hangs there...I feel like I am chewing on it, but who cares, I can't feel it. I hope I am over the whole numb thing by lunch time or I could suffer irreperable damages. Oh well...no more cavities. That's what it's all about right? Why didn't I decide to be a dentist...those fuckers make BANK. Anyway...just writing...because I can't talk. I don't have any dentist horror stories, thank God...but none of the visits are all that eventful except for last summer. The dentist's daughter is going to be a dentist as well and she was working in his office for the summer. MMMM....tasty. And when they're working on you...they're so...close. You can really tell a lot about a person by the way they drill on your teeth. It can be very intimate...if it's not a guy...and it happens to be an attractive 20-something. Smart...beautiful...rich...what else is there?

Isn't that helpful...

2004-12-14T16:55:00.000-06:00

If you're not hip to RSS feeds and all that technobabble...then there is an easy way for you to know when I update this blog. Over on the right you can enter your email address and when I update the blog...it will send you an email. Sounds too easy huh...well it might be...but I don't know that yet. So give it a shot... (RSS feeds are these cool little jobbies that most blogs have these days. If you are using the newest version of the Firefox web browswer...you can click the little orange icon in the bottom right hand corner of your browser window and it will create a bookmark that goes in your favorites and it will show you the newest posts on my blog. It's a great way of keeping up if you read lots of blogs. Also...sites like ESPN.com and Kansan.com have RSS feeds too so you can keep up on their headlines.)

Am I the only one who feels pressured on New Year's?

2004-12-14T15:22:00.000-06:00

I can't imagine that I am the only one but man...sometimes it seems like it. Up until last year...I would say I had been in a drought when it came to ass-kickin New Year's plans. I think I even stayed home and did absolutely nothing a few times. (Laugh if you want) Anyway...last year I went up to Omaha to visit Erika and Josh...and all the others up there....and I proceeded to have a blast. Now...I might have felt a little weird standing in that house...with those high school kids...when we thought it was gonna be a "grown-up" party. I think it was magnified by the fact that I was holding a case of Bud Light and a 40 of Old English. (That's right fuckers...OE!!!) Either way...I still had fun. It made me think that New Year's still has hope. I do, although, think that it gets a little too much press...and it has too many expectations. I might be overdramatizing this....but I think it's true. I don't need all that pressure to go out and have fun. I can do it on my own thank you. The truth is that all that really happens is that all my favorite bars are completely packed, they have outrageous cover charges because they think they all have to have their own "NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY!!!", and it just ruins the whole damn night. This year promises to be another fun NYE but not because it's some cool day where it's one year that day and another year the next day...but because I will be with a lot of my closest friends. Isn't that what it's all about anyway?

It doesn't get much better than that...

2004-12-14T15:11:00.000-06:00

I really wonder if anything really rivals the feeling of finishing the final in a class that you really hate. I mean...REALLY. You hate everything about it. You hate the material...the teacher...some of the people in your class. It's just a total hatred for everything about that class. Well...it's finished...DAMNIT. I couldn't be happier. Man...it feels good. I still have one final left...but I actually like that class...so I might even be sad when it's over. Crazy how that works...

How do women get away with that shit?

2004-12-12T17:54:00.000-06:00

Today, while up at school working with a group on a presentation that we have to do, a friend of one of the group members walked by. He started talking to her about where she went the night before and of course, there was all kinds of drama. (Any self-respecting person who went to college has many of those types of stories.) Anyway, the girl started talking about how she had been at the Brooksider, a bar near the Plaza in KC, and she wanted to leave. So, instead of just telling her boyfriend that she wanted to leave, she walked up to him, poured out his beer, and threw a fit in the middle of the bar. Okay, not so odd you might say. We've all seen something like that happen. No Big Deal. Anyway, this girl was telling this story like she was proud of herself. Laughing, talking about how everyone in the beer was looking at her funny and talking about her. Now, that would bother me. If I knew that everyone in the bar was talking shit on me, I would definitely not be happy about it. Either way, after bragging about her little fit she threw, I told her that he should have stayed and watched her leave. I tried to joke about it as much as possible because I didn't need to get in an argument. After I said that...she laughed...said that she actually dumped a second beer of his out...then left alone in a taxi. I applaud the guy for not giving in to her shit...but I really wonder why anyone would want anything to do with a "girl" like this. Then she proceeded to walk away talking about how much of a bitch she was. Is that a good thing? Am I that far out of the loop? I guess it's possible...

Man, I really wish that New Years would hurry up and get here...

2004-12-11T14:50:00.000-06:00

For the second year in a row I actually have plans for New Years. I am flying down to Dallas to hang out with Jimmy, Kate, Tom, Kaitlyn, Megan, Jared, and possibly Bronwyn. It should be a really fun time and I really don't get to fly very often so the whole thing is exciting. Of course I have to get through finals first...so that makes it seem that much longer but once finals are done it will be a blur through New Years...man that will be sweet.

What are her...sounds?

2004-12-10T09:01:00.000-06:00

Do you ever wonder things like that when you see someone...interesting? Walking through the store, at work...god forbid. Everyone has their...noises...that they make. Many different noises. Everyone is different...everyone is...sexual. Some people more than others obviously...but everyone is capable...if given the right...touches. Fortunate enough to have a few unique...people...in my life...I have heard my share of noises, sounds...moans. I always wonder about strangers that are in my classes, at work, in the store. What sounds do they make? When I walk up behind them and put my arms around their stomach...do they moan? sigh...? When I kiss the small of their back...does it tickle? does it excite them? is there somewhere else they would rather be touched?

I think I might be the king of procrastinators...

2004-12-08T20:17:00.000-06:00

I'm not kidding, I really think I might be. I have a huge paper to write that has to be turned in on Monday. I have a group presentation that I have to do that we present on Monday and I have a Theology final on Thursday. Yet, what am I doing, I am posting on here. Yeah, that makes sense doesn't it. Man, what a joke. I guess I need the sense of urgency before I will actually start working on it. I am going to lock myself at my computer at work on Saturday so that I have no choice but to work on the fucking paper. That's some bullshit. All you fuckers who are done with school...quit laughing...

Wakarusa is getting geared up for the 2005 Festival...

2004-12-08T10:22:00.000-06:00

It looks like they're starting to get going for the 2005 Festival. Last year's festival was absolutely amazing and I hope that this year's is the same. You can see my pics from last year's Wakarusa Festival here. I hope that Robert Randolph and the Family Band is there again and there are a lot of other bands there that I would love to see again. Marc Broussard was my "find" for the festival. He is really an amazing artist. It's just a shame that he never comes around KC. He's been getting a lot of play on 97.3 The Planet lately so maybe they will get him to come some time soon. Either way...check out www.wakarusafestival.com to keep yourself updated on this year's festival at Clinton Lake in Lawrence, KS.

It's always weird when a musician you like makes it big...

2004-12-07T17:00:00.000-06:00

Ever since hearing Damien Rice on Launch.com I have been a huge fan. The simplicity of his music along with the cello (played by Vyvienne Long) and the amazing backup, and sometimes lead, vocals by the stunning Lisa Hannigan (shown above) make for very interesting music. Lisa's vocals will really get you if you watch some of the videos of Damien Rice on Launch.com. It is very Irish sounding at points but as it makes its way into America...it is definitely going to lose that unique feel when you hear it on the radio (which is really sad). Damien Rice played at Liberty Hall in Lawrence about six months ago but I couldn't find anyone to go to the show with me. (I wonder if I can go to a concert alone like I learned to do with movies.) I heard that he put on an amazing show and I really hope that he comes back to KC some time so I can actually see him perform. He is starting to get some more press now with his song "The Blower's Daughter" being included on the soundtrack of the movie "Closer" and actually featured twice in the movie itself. It's just neat that music that you enjoy when no one knows about them becomes more common...

Some really cool Kansas City websites...

2004-12-07T14:58:00.000-06:00

Photo courtesy of ErikAndre.com I just recently came upon some really neat sites about Kansas City that I never knew existed. It is really cool to find things like this because sometimes it feels like KC residents don't have much pride in their city. You will notice that I added a link on the left to the Downtown Baseball Stadium page. These are some people in KC who are trying to get a downtown stadium built for the Royals which I think would be very cool. Here are the other links that I have found so far that are all KC based... www.blogkc.com www.kcskyscrapers.com KC Gridlock

"A Date Which Will Live in Infamy"

2004-12-07T13:57:00.000-06:00

I think that it is very important that everyone really think about the events of the attack on Pearl Harbor and what those people went through on that island. Every year when the anniversary of this day comes around I really start to wonder what it could have been like on that day in Pearl Harbor. I can't imagine what it would feel like to be caught so off guard and so helpless. I have never really known the whole story of Pearl Harbor and what happened on that fateful day but I have always wanted to know. I think it is important to realize that events like these are what make this country what it is today. Here is a link to a very informative site that explains from beginning to end what happened that day in Hawaii. http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/

Closer: My quick review...

2004-12-06T22:11:00.000-06:00

Now, anyone who knows me at all knows that I am absolutely dumbfounded when it comes to Natalie Portman. The woman has mesmerized me ever since I saw her in Beautiful Girls when I was a junior in high school. Now, this movie was worth the price just to see Natalie actually play a grown woman on screen. The whole Queen Amidala thing in Star Wars just doesn't do it for me. The cast of this movie is admittedly full of beautiful people. There really shouldn't be anyone else credited as being in the cast of this movie because I don't think that there was any dialogue from anyone else in the whole picture. The only problem I had with the movie is that it basically left me with no feelings at all for what happened to any of the characters. It is probably one of the colder movies that I have ever seen. Jude Law has always struck me as a cold person anyway. (It might be the whole british thing but I don't get that feeling from Kate Beckinsale...weird huh.) Sorry, got off on a tangent there. It doesn't help when a cold actor plays a cold character. It's almost too believable. Julia Roberts was...okay. The one thing that I did like about her character was that she was very crude at points. That isn't something you see out of her very often. Alright...well I can't say that I recommend this movie unless you just like watching pretty people prance around on the screen. (I'll admit...I do.) I actually heard people leaving the theatre playfully arguing with each other about who was going to take the blame for making the other go to the movie. That doesn't bode well now does it? Oh well...the one bright spot was that I saw the movie at the new movie theatre here in Overland Park and it is BEAUTIFUL. It's called the Palazzo 16 and it is all done up in the Italian Village theme. The theatre we were in was ENORMOUS. Anyway...lots of leg room, reclining seats...balconies...altogether VERY NICE. Anyway...that's my review...sorta...

Ivy League Geniuses...

2004-12-05T13:52:00.000-06:00

Man...it is true. These guys are geniuses. At the annual Harvard-Yale football game, the Harvard Pep Squad handed out red and white squares to the Harvard fans so that they could hold them up before the game to spell out GO HARVARD on their sidelines. As Jay Tea at Wizbangblog.com states...THERE IS NO HARVARD PEP SQUAD and the cards didn't say GO HARVARD. Click on the link to see the video of what happened... www.harvardsucks.org Amazing...truly amazing. This was found on www.wizbangblog.com

I have a feeling the Royals are gonna get pulled into this...

2004-12-03T14:01:00.000-06:00

I was never a huge fan of bringing this guy to KC in the first place and now he's just going to bring a lot of undue bad publicity to our baseball team. After Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi's testimonies were leaked, it's pretty obvious that Benito's probably will be too. Not that he is nearly as high profile as the other two guys are but he is an all-star veteran that is going to get ripped for it. I do think it's funny though that all of the records Bonds set are going to be void because of his steroid problem...but I guess he did say he had no idea that he was taking steroids. It doesn't look like the general public believes him.

Jimmy and I would have a ball with these...

2004-12-03T10:29:00.000-06:00

Now...Jimmy and I have hurt ourselves playing tons of different games but nothing was this cool. We've almost broken fingers playing Air Hockey, we've played football in the townhouse, but nothing this technological. These things will shock you when the other person "scores" and you can up your own shock level if you want to use higher firepower on the other guy. Check these things out here.

This is a hot dog making JACKPOT!!!

2004-12-02T14:49:00.000-06:00

Man, how awesome is this. No more nasty-ass microwaving hot dogs. This bad boy cooks two hot dogs and toasts two buns at the same time. What a great invention. It doesn't get much better than this... Full Story (Gizmodo)