Thursday, December 20, 2007
Haha 2 in 1 Day
One about baseball and one about beer, what else could you want?
Its been a while...
A group of us decided to head to Philadelphia for a Penguins v. Flyers game. We were all pretty nervous on the way for a number of reasons. First, the Pens and Flyers are huge divisional rivals, and Philly is out for some revenge this year after getting swept for the season a year ago. Second, Philly fans are notorious for their outrageous behavior - such as cheering when pro football player Michael Irving was laying motionless on the field. Third, we were all decked out to the 10 in Pens gear. To top it all off, we decided to head down early and tailgate for about 2 hours before the game. But the one thing we had on our side was that earlier in the day was a PSU football game against Temple right next door. We got down there about an hour after the football game. We figured there would be plenty of PSU people out tailgating still, as State is notorious for showing up early and leaving late. So we pulled in to the parking lot and loaded out of the car. There was a group of PSU fans about 20 feet away. Now to identify a fellow Stater, you simply have to say the magic words: We Are. If they are true fans, they respond in turn: Penn State. So we get out of the car and my roommate Mike calls to our fellow Lion fans: WE ARE! And their response: "Boooooooo! F&@k the Penguins!" We felt so betrayed. And that was just the beginning of the verbal abuse we would take that night. Lucky for us, the Pens got blown out or we might not have made it back to State College.
Anyways, I digress. Tomorrow I head to NYC - which is always a good time - and then Saturday it's back to the beautiful Rockies for 3 weeks of winter fun. I'll try to post pictures and stories as the break progresses.
See you in a little over 42 hours Maggie and Glacier!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
I'll have my Orange courtside
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Not what I had in mind.
It snowed off and on during the day on Sunday and we probably got about 3 inches. However, since the ground hasn't froze yet it has all since melted.
Sorry Mag for taking your snow. But at least the snow superstitions work.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Thinking about snow
So this is a special post for my sister. According to the Internet (which is never wrong) here are some things you can do in the meantime to help bring on the snow:
-- Wear your pajamas inside out.
-- Flush ice cubes down your toilet.
-- Put a spoon under your pillow.
-- Run around the kitchen table five times (maybe run around your snowboard table instead).
-- Hang a wool sock over your bed.
-- Sleep with your window open 1 inch.
-- Run around your house several times, lay down on your back and count to 30.
It might also help if you could fashion some sort of device that could control the weather.
Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Something funny for something sad
In rememberence of Mr. Goulet, please enjoy this great SNL skit featuring Will Ferrell.
Quick, staring contest. Me and you, now! You win, you always do. That's why I come up here. Nature, Goulet!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thanks for the ride
Well apparently the 9 days off and a better equipped team (talent and payroll) were a little too much - OK maybe way too much - for the Rockies to handle. Being that some members of my fam are pretty serious Sox fans, I wasn't too upset seeing Boston capture their second title in the last 4 years. It would have been nice to see the series at least head back to Boston, but I don't think that does anything to diminish what the Rockies did to capture the NL Pennant.
So to the Rockies I say thanks for the wild ride. And to their management I plead for them to keep this great core together and spend wisely over the next few years. There's no reason why we shouldn't be celebrating Rocktober again next year.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Who's hangin' with Big Mo?
The way the Red Sox rolled through the Indians after falling down 3-1 got me to thinking about momentum. No one really knows how to describe momentum in relation to sports, but you know it when you see it. You know it when a team blocks a punt and returns it for a touchdown. Or when a someone absolutely posterizes some poor dude on a dunk. You can also tell it in both the Rockies and the Red Sox right now. The Rockies have won 21 out of 22, and needed everyone of the first 14 to even make the playoffs. They rolled through both the Phillies and Diamondbacks, and in my book are on the greatest run ever. The Red Sox completely destroyed the Indians over the last three games of the ALCS. They outscored Cleveland 30-5 in those 3 games.
So who has Big Mo on their side as we head towards game 1 on Wednesday?
Many people would probably argue that - whatever it is - momentum goes away if you don't use it. The Rockies will have not played in 8 days come Wednesday. Will they still be riding this wave of Big Mo? Or is it in the hands of the suddenly surging Red Sox? The Rocks had 4 games off before they faced the D'Backs and that didn't hold them back. The real question for them will be how they respond against a team stocked with post-season experience. Hopefully both ride their collective momentum to a great series. I guess we won't really know until it gets underway. But my guess is that when Matt Holliday puts a hole in the Green Monster in the top of the first inning, we'll know!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Washington, DC
There are also some beer brewing, football, and disc golf pics in there.
One cool thing that I forgot to take some pictures of - mainly because we were running late, was the Solar Decathlon. The Penn State team took 4th in this competition to design and build the best solar powered homes.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Blog Action Day
sun peaks through dense trees
a morning breeze rustles leaves
the stir wakes me up
lungs burn from steep climb
but stillness reminds you that
now you feel alive
quiet hike broken
as the powerful spring thaw
takes your breath away
you're above the clouds
looking down you feel so small
your role uncertain
Haha, haiku's are good times. Really, for Blog Action Day I'll try to make some more changes in my house to cut back. It seems like a good occasion to think about those kinds of things. I'll be taking many suggestions from this top notch blog. I think the 3 of us do pretty good, but we're ready to step it up. Hell, one of my roommates already faced off against racism. Well not in this particular race, but that statement required a link.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Welcome to Big Time Football
However, the off-field issues are also much bigger. Let's review for the folks back home. Since last season ended, Penn State football players (and coaches HAHA) have been involved in the following issues:
Today - Running Back Austin Scott charged with rape, sexual assault, and aggravated indecent assault in connection with an incident last weekend. He was suspended for the Iowa game for a violation of 'team rules.'
Also this week - Head Coach Joe Paterno was involved in some sort of a traffic incident. To me, it seems like it was a pretty hilarious encounter. At least thats the impression I get from the CDT.
Also this week - Several players were reportedly involved in a fight at the Student Union.
Also this week - Two reserve freshmen — punter Ryan Breen and tailback Joe Suhey — were cited by police for underage drinking.
Earlier this season - Tight end Andrew Quarless and backup defensive back Willie Harriott had been suspended by Paterno for a few games after university police cited them for underage drinking.
Last spring - Several players were disciplined after an altercation. Two of the players, safety Anthony Scirrotto and defensive lineman Chris Baker, are scheduled to stand trial in December on related criminal charges. From what I understand, Scirrotto was involved in a fight of some sort, gathered up his boys, and went back for some more. Paterno is currently making the team help clean the stadium after games.
Lets hope the squad can keep their minds on Wisconsin. My final score prediction: 5-3. Winner? Flip a coin. Both teams will get first half field goals and one will get a third quarter safety.
In other news, GO POKES! Let's get it to 5-1 this weekend. Just under 4 hours (10:18 eastern time) till the Rockies start again!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Playoffs - Divisional Round
But the main impression the Divisional Round made on me can be summed up in 2 words: Frank TV. Now I'm not really sure what Frank TV is going to be about, but TBS is certain that it's going to be awesome. At the beginning and end of every commercial break they ran an ad for Frank TV. I couldn't take it anymore. I commented on this to a friend and he suggested that I send TBS an email. So I did. This is the email that I sent on October 4th:
"I think we are all well aware that you have a new show starting soon called Frank TV. You are going to ruin the playoffs for myself, and millions of other people that are already tired of seeing a John Madden impersonation, if you continue to plug the show at the beginning and end of every commercial break.
I know that you believe that 'more is better', but when all you do is show the same guy in a costume doing an impersonation it gets to be a bit too much.
Please cut back on the Frank TV promos.
Please."
Keep in mind that the playoffs started on October 3rd. If Frank TV turns out to be horrible, you heard it here first.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
This site is for me...
Here is one I just wrote in celebration of moving the IPA we brewed last week into the secondary fermenter:
no more bubbles seen
time to get the carboy clean
we'll cheers this one soon
Friday, October 5, 2007
Rockies Strike Again
Thursday, October 4, 2007
What do you think?
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Purple Pride
The Colorado Rockies have not been around for all that long, making their MLB debut in 1993. They moved in to Coors Field in 1995 and have been there ever since. With the Rocks making only their second playoff appearance (first being 1995), the Purple Pride Bandwagon is pretty jam packed. It was definitely great to see Coors Field packed towards the end of the season as the Rocks stormed to the playoffs. It also reminded me of some of the not-so-great displays of baseball I witnessed at Coors Field during the numerous Rockies games I attended while at UW (I think my Mom and Dad probably remember the 26-4 (?) debacle we witnessed from the Rock Pile one year). Let me also note that Coors Field is an place to watch a ball game - and you can buy a game ticket for less than a beer!
While this may be hard to believe, I became a Rockies fan while most people were staying home during some tough years. I had watched the Rockies make several efforts to put together a team that could compete in the National League. After the Mike Hampton/Denny Nagel disaster in Denver, the Rockies were basically forced (poor attendance wouldn't allow them to pay big names and a depleted farm system provided few answers) to start over.
Around this same time I started to become disenchanted with baseball in general. While baseball is - without a doubt - my favorite sport, we've had some hard times in recent years. It started in 1994 with the strike. Baseball seamed to bounce back, but we had apparently become firmly entrenched in the steroid era. While the home run has always been part of the game, the increased power numbers didn't make me a bigger fan. It made me long for small ball. To most, it probably isn't exciting to see someone lead off with a single, get bunted to second, and score on a base hit. But that's what I love about baseball, all of the complex strategy. In the end, however, it was the lack of a salary cap that really threatened my relationship with baseball. Over the past couple of years I got really disgusted by big market teams throwing money all over the place while most small market teams struggled pay emerging young talent.
And this is where the Rockies come in. Over the course of the last 3-4 years I've watched the Rockies young talent start to develop. And during the last month it all came together. After last season I had a lot of conversations with people about the possibility of the Rockies parting ways with Todd Helton. My typical response was something like this, "I'd really like to see him have an opportunity to play in the post season, but I don't think it is quite the Rockies' time so maybe they should trade him for more young talent." Well the move never happened and nothing made me happier than Helton's career defining home run last night.
Now we can only hope that the Rockies can hold on to some of their talent and compete for the NL West Crown for years to come! And no, replay does not belong in baseball.
Monday, October 1, 2007
GO ROCKIES!!!
Go Rockies!!!
(I don't think Holliday touched the plate, but that makes up for the missed home-run call.)
Bring on the Phillies!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Gives me a headache...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21054345/
I'm not quite sure they have it all covered. AL is playing for home field, also important, but far less confusing (head-to-head records).
It's gonna be a crazy day.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Happy Birthday!
You're the best! Thanks for the recent shipment of bread and chocolate.
Tour de Banned
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Catching up...
The Jordan Norwood - local kid by the way - catch was pretty crazy and I'm still a little skeptical of if he really caught it. I didn't get a great view from my seat and I'll tell you why. Sometimes our quarterback - Anthony Morelli - makes some really bad decisions with the ball. Worse than most quarterbacks. So when he normally lets go of the ball, the student section takes a collective gasp. When he makes a bad decision, the crowd really gets on him. On that throw that Norwood 'caught' I was somewhat distracted by all the funny Morelli shots that I heard around me. I can just remember everyone going from a "what was that" look to celebrating the touchdown. Pretty funny.
I've been meaning to write about the Rockies for a while. They are hanging tough and it is mainly because of - wait for it - the best and most under-rated 'under the radar' player in the league. While Matt Holliday had a little bit of a coming out party at the All-Star game this year, he is not getting the street cred for the incredible numbers he has been putting up. Let's take a look:
Batting Average - .339
Home Runs - 35
RBIs - 127
Runs - 110
That would be first in the NL in batting average and RBIs and fourth in home runs. He's sniffing around a Triple Crown! I raise the beer I'm about to grab out of the fridge to Matt Holliday! And the Rocks are hanging around the Wild Card race, but they're gonna need to be hot down the stretch.
Let's hope the Pokes can turn it around this weekend as the travel closer to me to take on University of Ohio. There isn't much of a chance of me waking up Friday morning and trying to go to the game, but there is a small one!
GO POKES!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Sam Bowie 2.0
The funniest thing I've heard so far:
"We're lucky to have a player who cares about the organization this much."
The team general manager said this when he remarked that Oden was so upset about missing the entire season. I think that I would rather have someone like Allen Iverson ("We're talking about practice? Not a game, practice") out there on the court than someone who really cares about the organization sitting out the whole year. And, there is no given on the comeback from this type of surgery. It took Amare Stoudemire like 2 years to really recover from this surgery. If Durant develops a fade away jumper and goes on the rule the league, we're all gonna be feeling a strange sense of deja vu in about 20 years.
Ok, someone just asked the general manager how the surgery went. His response was something along these lines:
"If there is a silver lining, his knees look good cartilage wise, he's young, there wasn't a lot of flaking, it was as clean as they had seen."
Trust me Portland, there is no silver lining on this one. Not when your future franchise guy goes in for cartilage surgery and ends up having micro fracture surgery.
One last thought. Zach Randolph and Darius Miles both had the same surgery. What's in the water in Portland?
Top 5 Sporting Events
5. 2 Rows behind the penalty box for the Avs v. Tampa Bay Lightning
4. Penn State taking down Notre Dame in front of the second biggest crowd at Beaver Stadium (and everyone in white)
3. The 2007 Frozen Four Championship Game
2. Wyoming beating UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl
1. Syracuse beating Kansas in the Regional Finals of the 1996 NCAA tournament.
Ankiel Update
I've been meaning to post a Rick Ankiel update since I first posted about his comeback. So here has what has been happening lately for the comeback kid:
In 29 games with the Cardinals, Ankiel is batting .301, with 29 RBIs and 9 HRs. He also has 3 outfield assists.
However, the big news with Ankiel was the story that he received shipments of human growth hormone in 2004. Personally, since we live in a time that every athlete that accomplishes anything is automatically under a scrutiny of suspicion, what Ankiel has accomplished this year is in no way lessoned by this story.
I still want his jersey! And I hope he makes the Opening Day roster next year, as it looks like the defending champs have fallen out of the NL Central race.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Sorry Charlie
It was the most intense thing I have ever witnessed. The crowd was so crazy. My friend Anna - a UW grad now living in Virginia Beach - bought a ticket and came up for the game. It was cool to be able to share the insanity that is a Penn State game.
The only downside was that I had to play a flag football game this morning and was not in the best condition. However, I did take our first offensive play to the house on a 60 yard catch and run...barely! I was looking for the oxygen after that one! Much like Penn State, our team put up a dominating performance today. With the Pokes victory it was another good football weekend. Can somebody get me a Horns update?
Saturday, September 8, 2007
110,078
Little Jimmy Clausen couldn't handle the crowd. I took a gang of pictures that I'll post later on.
GO POKES!!!! 2-0
Monday, September 3, 2007
515,004 vs. 107,678
Curse or no curse, this past weekend brought about the start of one of my favorite sports. The first full weekend of college football ranks pretty high on my list of anticipated season starts. Opening day in baseball is probably at the top, but then college football is tied with a host of other season openings (hockey, college basketball, NFL, and I still really enjoy the Tour even if everyone in the field cheats). But this particular weekend was probably the best college football opening I have ever had.
First of all, the Cowboys put the hammer to Virginia and avenged the heartbreaking loss of a year ago. And even better, I was able to watch about 2/3 of the game, as it was on Versus. One of the pros of having a few roommates is that we can afford digital cable. This really makes me look forward to the start of hockey. But anyways, the Pokes looked pretty good to me. The Virginia offense could not get anything going. GO POKES!
Then tiny Appalachian State goes in to the Big House (biggest stadium in the country) and stuns the world. Watching the previews of that tiny little quarterback running all over the field was pretty cool. And I loved knowing that all my friends who are Michigan fans were hiding in shame from that loss.
But the biggest shock to my college football system came from attending the Penn State v. Florida International game on Saturday. Now, State was favored by almost 40, so it seemed the only question to be answered was: Will there be a fight? FIU is infamously known for their brawl with the Hurricanes last year. But there was none of that to be had, as I believe the final score was 59-0.
I still don't think I've come to terms with the size of Beaver Stadium. Let me put it in perspective. The "official capacity" of Beaver Stadium is 107,282; the 6th largest stadium in the WORLD. The announced attendance for the game I attended was 107,678. The estimated 2006 population of the State of Wyoming was 515,004. First in our hearts, but last of the 50 States in terms of population. The two largest cities in Wyoming are Cheyenne (55,314) and Casper (52,089). The combined total of those cities is 107,403. There were 275 more people at the Penn State game Saturday than in the two largest cities in Wyoming, combined.
It was intense. And with Notre Dame coming - and tickets going for upwards of $500 - next weekend promises to be just as intense.
Here is the curse update: my computer is now up and running - with a lot of stuff yet to be replaced; my car is scheduled to go in tomorrow (I think it is the trunk cable); I got some new sunglasses; but my TV is breaking. I guess that is what I get for buying the display model. We're not out of this yet!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Unfortunate development...
And everything is gone....
Something must have happened to me to start this recent curse of bad luck...and I need to figure out what to do to turn it around.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
A hiatus of sorts...
Thursday, August 16, 2007
McAwesome's Old Ale House
One funny story before other details about the trip. When I was in Denver a few weeks ago I lost my debit card - for like the 5th or 6th time - and thus had to order a new one. Well it hasn't come in yet. No worries, I thought, I'll just go to the bank before it closes and get cash for the trip. Well, being kind of a slacker, I didn't make it to the bank Saturday before it closed. No worries, I thought, I'll just take my credit card and it will be all good. I didn't make it on the road until Sunday morning. Somewhere in Eastern PA I realized - OH SHIT! I forgot my credit card! So here I was, $35 in my pocket, no debit or credit card, traveling to possibly the most expensive place on the planet. Well, Jack was able to save the day and loan me cash while I was there, so that crisis was averted. I'm not sure you can have much fun in NYC on $35, especially when they charge you $6 just to cross the George Washington Bridge.
After that minor crisis the rest of the trip was really fun. I spent a little time at the conference, and most of the time at various bars drinking heavily (What a surprise!). By far, the best bar we visited on the trip was McSorely's Old Ale House, the longest continuously running bar in NYC and possibly the country (it didn't shut down during prohibition). And it is probably the coolest and funnest bar I have ever been to.
At McSorely's you have 2 drink choices - McSorely's Light Ale or McSorely's Dark Ale - and you always order in combination. For example, my good friend Andrew - the infamous 'Lindno guy' - and I (who were there for about an hour before the rest of crew arrived) ordered 3 & 3 for most of the night. As pictured above, it was pretty awesome every time the new order came - and orders were coming in all night at McSorely's.
Once our full crew arrived the night basically turned to nonsense. The guy standing was our waiter, and seated is myself, Jason, Jo and a couple of her friends. All told, our table ordered 46 beers, but because McSorely's is totally awesome the tab barely broke $100. With the additional 8 that Andrew and I ordered before we got a table, that puts the grand total at 54 beers. Now it should be noted that I would guess that 2 McSorely's are probably the equivalent of a little more than a pint. Had we been somewhere else the damage would have been much worse. Between all of the old historical crap on the walls - most of which has probably never been cleaned - and the sawdust on the floor McSorely's is a great bar and my new favorite part of NYC. Plus it was a great atmosphere, and I almost forgot I was in entrenched in the city with the most assholes per square mile in the world. Everyone there just waned to drink and have a great time. And the great crew we had that night made it even better!
After McSorely's and a piece of - at the particular time - the greatest piece of pizza ever, I was hoping for an easy subway ride back up to Washington Heights. Unfortunately, the A train apparently stops at 168th when it gets late, so I was forced to walk the last 20+ blocks back to Jack's. The next morning I awoke sore, hungover, and basically feeling like there had been small men kicking my body while I slept (perhaps the Underpants Nomes, but I still had my underpants so I'm not sure). I knew it was time to go home.
You won this round NYC, but I'll be back!
Friday, August 10, 2007
The Comeback Kid
I can remember watching the playoff game against the Braves when Ankiel just completely lost his stuff. It was a really sad story because he was so young and seemed to have such a promising career ahead of him. As the linked Wikipedia article documents, Ankiel made a few unsuccessful attempts to return to The Show as a pitcher. Then a few years back he decided to switch to the outfield. I became an instant fan and was really hoping to see Ankiel roaming the Cardinal outfield someday. Well that someday was last night. And not only did Ankiel return, but he blasted a 3-run homerun in his first professional game as an outfielder. I got goosebumps just typing about it!
The only sad part of this story is that it took a drug problem by Scott Spiezio for Ankiel to get his second chance.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
The Top 5
#5 - Glacier the Dog
Glacier and I first became friends on the drive from Denver to Steamboat over Christmas break last year. He was just a young pup back then and decided to cuddle up for the majority of the trip. We've been friends ever since. This particular pic was on my first day in Steamboat at the river behind Maggie's house. I miss having Glacier bring me something to show off every morning.
#4 - Beer Tasting Party
We obviously like to start 'em young in Meeteetse, and the first Gary Brew Tasting Party was no exception. This idea came together at the last minute, and it was a great success. The food was great, the tasting glasses were awesome, and the beer was INCREDIBLE.
And the night was capped off with a Warner sibling trip down to the Cowboy Bar. Well, our original destination was the Elkhorn, but they were closed by 9:30 on Friday night. Taking over the bar is just how we roll...
#3 - Rockies Game
I love Coors Field, so was thrilled to be able to attend a Rockies game while I was back. The only down side was that Maggie couldn't go; and our seats were horrible. But it was still a lot of fun. The Rockies made a furious late rally - thanks to 2 8th inning home runs - which meant that my original plans to drive back to Laramie were replaced by staying in Denver and drinking heavily.
And what trip to Denver would be complete without a stop at Flying Dog Brewery? I'd been looking forward to a stop by there since Dad and I went to the Avs game over Christmas. And we had a great crew for the brewery and the game.
#2 - The Glacier Party
I had meant to take a bunch of pictures at the Glacier Party, but for some reason never got around to it. Oh wait, I know why...it probably had something to do with the 16 gallons of Glacier Beer that consumed my attention. So a picture of the party mascot will do here. The party was awesome. I felt like someone needed to be graduating for such a great party. Can't wait till next year!
And finally......
#1 - Gilpin Lake
I guess that only Maggie will know why this is #1 on the list. But when you stand at the crystal clear and calm Gilpin Lake you know why it tops the list. She had told me about this hike a few weeks before I went out there and I was really excited about it. There are a ton of pics on picasa of this hike. I can't really describe how cool it is up there. But even on top of that, I can't describe how proud I was of Maggie for dominating the last uphill portion of the hike! I can't wait to get back out there and hike the longer loop, which promised to hold even more spectacular views.
Well there it is. It was pretty hard to pick just 10 things from the trip to put in a Top 10. There are plenty of things that got left out, and many more that probably aren't blog appropriate. I miss everyone and can't wait till Christmas!
Let the debate begin....#6-10
But the real debate will center around the ranking of the Top 10 moments from the trip. Really I can think of about 20 things that would all be tied for 1st, but what fun would that be? Just a warning, this will be long which is why it will be 2 posts. So here we go....
#10 - Weekend fun in Laramie
It was really great to spend a weekend in Laramie with a bunch of my friends who are still there - either working or still going to school. Plus some of my other friends were also there that weekend. Good times were had by all. I really miss my friends from UW quite a bit.
#9 - The Ride to Red Lodge
This is just a great ride to take anytime, but it is even better when you know that Sam's Tap Room is your destination. I'd forgot that I was wearing a Sid the Kid shirt that day when I said to my dad, "Hey take my pic, I'm gonna do one of those stare into the distance looks." Maybe I should email it to Sid's people...looks a good piece of advertising.
#8 - The Wood River
Now even though it rained for a large part of my time in Meeteetse, that didn't stop us from making several trips up the Wood River; which is one of my all time favorite places to hang out. Going back to high school, I've always loved just cruising up there because you'll never know what you'll see. The steam off the river on this day was really cool.
#7 - The Warner Jeep
When the sun finally came out in Meeteetse, it was time to take the Jeep up the Wood River, which combines 2 of my favorite things: the Wood and the Jeep. When Zack and I stopped at the campground for a little driving break I noted that "the Jeep is looking really fierce right now, let's take an action shot." The Jeep thought it was a great idea.
#6 - The Food
As always, the food for the trip was spectacular. From the pie and various good eats at Maggie's (I still think about that salsa!), to the amazing food in Meeteetse. I almost freaked out when I saw that huge pile of spicy noodles.
And how can we forget, the Triple B...
That would be Blueberry, Bacon, Beer Pancakes; made of course with homebrewed maple wheat and topped with high quality maple syrup. I skipped golf to have these pancakes, and it was worth it.
Tune in to the next post for the rest of the top 10.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
There is now an "I" in Warner
From ESPN
Coming soon...
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Adding Weather
First, go to the AccuWeater Download Center
One of the options should be "Free Weather for Your Site or Blog." Click on the "Free Sign Up" link. You'll get to a screen where you enter the basic set-up (units, language, and location). Next you'll be able to choose the size, category and theme. The size on my blog is 180 x 150, but there are a lot of size options here. Once you do this and agree to terms/conditions, you'll reach a screen where you can copy and paste the web site code. Copy the code.
Next, go to the Add/Arrange page elements of your blog editor. You want to "Add a Page Element", and this will open a new window. Select the "HTML/Java Script" option. Paste in the copied web site code, save the changes, and you should be all good.
Hope the directions work...
Monday, July 9, 2007
Everything you need to know...
So naturally, I had to look up Meeteetse. Check it out:
http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/wyoming/meeteetse
It is a little dated, but my favorite part is the projected growth/decline for 2000-2005. The estimated decline for Meeteetse for those 5 years was 4 people.
Awesome...
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Catching up...
Last Friday - I guess two Fridays ago now - I took a little trip to the NYC to catch a Yankees game. I got a call a few days before from family friend Jack who said he had an extra ticket. So I hoped in the Corolla and cruised up to the big city. There was so much interstate construction in Eastern Pennsylvania that I spent most of the trip consulting the atlas trying to figure out ways around. I took a couple of small detours on both trips, but don't really know if they saved me any time. But it was certainly better than being stuck in deadlock on the interstate.
The seats at the Yankee game - as shown in the following pic - were really good. The Yankees won 2-1.
Here is another good pic as evening set in over the Bronx.
After the quick trip to the big city, it was time for 4th of July. As my other posts displayed, State College puts on quite a party for the 4th. Upwards of 70,000 people come to town for the events, with the highlight being the all volunteer fireworks show - hands down the best fireworks display I've ever seen. The whole area around the basketball arena and football stadiums are used carnival style, with lots of good - and horrible for you - food to sample. The weather was pretty crappy all day, and we all got rained on more than once. But you can't have a bad time when looking forward to a 45 minute fireworks display.
The day started, however, with the State College Spikes treating us to a horrible display of baseball. The Spikes are a short season Single A affiliate of the Pirates, and they looked like it on the 4th. They committed 3 errors in the first 2 innings. However, they did rally and were able to win with a bases loaded hit by pitch in the 10th. Here are the Spikes celebrating their hard fought - and really anti-climatic - victory.
The 4th was a good time for all of us. Even though Lil Turner had to stay home during the day, I definitely didn't forget about him, and neither did the Spikes. All fans were treated with a free mini flag at the baseball game. Turner was really looking forward to this because he has told me repeatedly that, "No ballpark is complete without an American flag." So he was pretty happy when one of the flags actually made it through the day.
Well that's enough catching up for now. About a week and a half of hard work and I'll be making my way back across the country for some good ole' western fun!
More 4th Fest
Here is one more....
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Fire in the sky
More to follow on 4th Fest.
Monday, July 2, 2007
State College 4th Fest
"Close to 11,000 shells are shot during the 45-minute show. The grand finale features over 40 shells a second.....The 4th Fest is the largest all volunteer fireworks display in the nation.The Wall Street Journal ranked the State College show as one of the Ten Largest Displays in the United States in 1999. The Travel Channel and Discovery.com ranked the show #4 In The World in 2000!"
Last year I watched them from the roof of a parking garage in downtown State College. After the viewing I decided that I needed to be much, much closer for this years festivities.
Then I discovered the VIP seating. For $25 you can sit in a special section that includes a view of the coordinated ground show that not many people get to see. Now, 25 bones seems a little pricey for me. So I'm on a quest over the next few days to somehow, someway find a free VIP ticket to the fireworks.
And I need suggestions on all of the ways to increase my chances of getting one....so let's have 'em.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Lil' Turner
Lil' Turner was not too pleased that this was the best shot of him that I got at the game, and wouldn't stop belly-aching until I assured him I would post some more later on. But I think that you can get the idea. Notice the door on the outfield wall that actually swings open and shut. And if you don't know why this is a totally awesome bobblehead than you obviously didn't follow the link for Big Turner's catch.
More to follow on Lil' Turner
Sunday, June 17, 2007
http://www.davidberkeley.com
Friday, June 15, 2007
Happy Birthday!!!!
At least I mailed your present on the right day....you should be thankful for that. Judging on how long it takes something to get to the west, your gift and I should arrive on about the same day!
Thanks for convincing me to try snowboarding...and being my source of strength!
Friday, June 8, 2007
birthday shout out
Three of the things that I enjoy most in life were passed along to me by Pa Warner: baseball, hockey, and beer (don't ask me to pick an order).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
drink it up before it goes bad
if you were stranded on a desert island - that didn't have a renewable source of fresh water - and a bottle of water washed up on shore, would you drink it even if it was well past its expiration date? i'm talking a bottle of water from the mid 1990s that had been floating around for some time. i guess i would probably take my chances.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Boys of summer
PNC Park is a really cool stadium. You'll often hear people say that they like a place because "there are no bad seats." At PNC this really is the case. Officially, the park can hold 38,496; however, it seems much smaller than this. I think it is because there are not many seats in the outfield. As the picture below shows, it really opens up nicely for views of downtown Pittsburgh.
And once night falls, the views are even better, as the following pic demonstrates.
The game itself was really exciting. Derek Lowe took a no hitter into the 7th inning before almost giving back all 5 runs the Dodgers had built up for him. After the first 5 innings I was starting to get pretty convinced that he might do it because he was rolling through the Pirates line-up. The defense behind him was both really good and really bad at times. Rafael Furcal made an incredible play on a ground ball up the middle to keep the no hitter alive in the 6th, I believe. The third baseman, however, was of no help; as he had 2 throwing errors in the same inning. The Pirates made a furious comeback, but fell a little short. They had men on the corners with nobody out in the 9th down by 2 runs, but could only get one across.
The only down side of the game was this guy:
A few times early on in the game he tried to get the "Lets Go Bucs" chant going, but nobody around us was all that interested. So it seemed he had let it go. But once the Pirates started their rally, he was back at it with a furry. I would say that for every Buccos batter from the 7th inning on he would yell: Lets....Go...Bucs. And I mean every single batter, and he would pump up the volume a little bit right before each pitch. But it was a little slower than it should be. When they tried to get the "Lets Go Bucs" chant going using the sound system, he couldn't quite keep up with everyone else. His wife tried to get him to stop a few times, but he wasn't having any of that. His voice is ingrained in my mind and I'm not sure it's going anywhere anytime soon.
But even with "Lets Go Bucs" guy trying to make me go crazy, it was a really good time and I can't wait to go again.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Some Memorial Weekend Hiking
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
EVERYONE is concerned
The price for a gallon of gas has hovered around $3 here in
But I didn't realize how many people were concerned around here until I was I walking out of the gym yesterday and overheard a conversation between two girls about how expensive gas was around here. Now normally this wouldn't be a conversation that I would find surprising. However, I don't think that either of the two girls had reached double digits in age. Shouldn't they be more concerned about........well I don't really know what they would be concerned about. Maybe unicorns and tea parties, but definitely not the price of gas.
It all reminded me of a very funny comment made by a US Appeals Court Judge in a trademarks case I read for a class last semester. Circuit Judge Frank (in Triangle Publications v. Rohrlich) said: "As neither the trial judge nor any member of this court is (or resembles) a teen-age girl or the mother or sister of such a girl, our judicial notice apparatus will not work well unless we feed it with information directly obtained from "teen-agers" or from their female relatives accustomed to shop for them."
While I am not, nor have I ever been, an 8 year old girl, I would think they have better things to worry about than the price of gas.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
when will it stop?
The whole tragedy inspired me to write a haiku....
you lived by my door
but you'll never get to fly
now you chirp to god
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
bird update
No word on memorial services.
Monday, May 14, 2007
the birds and the beers
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
some demon magic....
Sunday, April 29, 2007
No gel for you!
In other news, for those of you that didn't know, the first batch of homebrews is disappearing fast. Between splitting it with co-brewmaster Houle and wanting everyone in State College to try one, it is starting to seem unlikely that there will be any left over to crack during the next brew session. We were lucky to come away with a good beer this time being that the instructional video by Midwest Supplies noted the necessary first step to brewing is having a homebrew. My idea to keep a few around till then is to put a couple "somewhere I'll be able to find them later" as this ensures I won't be able to find them for a while. Last week I was sure that I lost my debit card. I called PNC to order a new one - a $7.50 replacement fee - sure it was gone. When they asked if I wanted the option of waiting a few days to see if it would turn up I told them it didn't seem like much use and to go ahead and send out a new one. Sure enough, the next morning the card 'appeared' in the pocket of my jeans.
Oh well...one final note about the beer. We decided to call the first batch the 'Branch Campus Bitter' in honor of our good friend Phil who made a hilarious comment - that I can't seem to remember - about branch campuses during a Super Bowl commercial. The branch campus is a foreign idea to people from Wyo, as we only have UW and a handful of community colleges. But Penn State seems to have them everywhere. I think there is one under the sink in my bathroom.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Backing down from a bad idea
I don't know how we can continue to claim that there are not major civil issues in Iraq and then suggest building walls to keep Sunni's separate from Shiite's. If this is the best idea we can come up with, what does that say for the prospects of a stable Iraq?
On a side note, it completely blows my mind that over 70,000 people turned out to watch Penn State v. Penn State spring football last weekend. It would take 3 regular season Wyo games to total that many fans.
Hope everyone had a great Earth Day!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
in the aftermath...
One thing that I really don't understand in the aftermath of the shootings at VT are calls for the relaxation of gun laws. Is this really the best way to prevent incidents like this in the future? The logic behind it just seems so backwards. I understand that had more people had guns in the classrooms than it is possible that things would have turned out differently. But is it really plausible to try and prevent things like this by arming everybody? Would you really feel safer this way? More guns are not going to lead to fewer deaths. Imagine what would happen if every confrontation now had a lethal weapon involved.
It just doesn't seem like a logical response. In the end, there probably isn't a way to wipe out this problem completely. Even under stricter gun laws, a determined person would probably still be able to their hands on one. Even if we all make an effort to pay more attention to the warning signs, someone is still going to slip by. It could have just as easily have been Penn State, the University of Wyoming, a construction site up the Southfork, a business building, or a hospital. But that doesn't mean that we stick a handgun in our backpacks and leave the house in fear everyday. But it does mean that we can all think about ourselves a little less and others a little more. And we can start listening to Jimmy V and take time to laugh, think, and cry everyday.
And we remember that life is precious.
Friday, April 13, 2007
He's so hot right now...
I just really wanted to mess around with the links. Part of the various nerd activities that get me through the day.