When you're little you have big plans. They are plans which come with being young, having your whole life in front of you and more or less not knowing better. Since these are usually longshots that noone can or will tell you aren't likely to happen, they get grouped together as your dreams. While an actual dream may have you flying or speaking in front of your whole school while naked, these are things that under the right circumstances could possibly happen. Anyone who has ever achieved them has begun with the dream of one day doing them. In that regard, you've completed the first step.
Then life catches up with you. Things aren't as easy as they seem and that person who achieved the dream you're aspiring to... well, they're the one who did it. There were other people who also wanted to do the same thing, who dreamed the dream just like them, who never got there. You don't hear their stories because there's no way you could document them all. They are swept away by the rushing horde who follows the one person who did achieve their dream. When Eminem says "You can do anything you set your mind, man," at the end of Lose Yourself, he's speaking from his own experience. He just omits that he was a remarkably talented and experienced individual who benefited from being in the right place to have the opportunity to do what he'd set his mind to doing.
I was young once with my whole life in front of me and the benefit of more or less not knowing better. During that time I had two dreams. One was to be an actor. The other was to be President of The United States. I wanted to be each of them because then I'd get to do something I was interested in all of the time. I'd be recognized being that person and that would come to define me to the world. All I wanted was the recognition and to know that people liked me. As I got older, those dreams began to melt and to become more reasonable. By the time I was 21, I wanted to be a film director or just an important local politician. There are way more people who can do those jobs. Then my dreams continued their slide. By the time I was 26, I wanted to be a writer or just someone who was a political insider. Even if I couldn't head the process, I could still be a part of it. Five years, a breakup and an economic crash later, I don't even believe in those dreams anymore. I've found my level and it is what has always been: interested observer. Nothing has changed except for the future as I imagined it. It never arrived.
What I've learned as I've gotten older is your dreams change. What you want out of life becomes less of a destination than a place, a continuous feeling over a one-time accomplishment. It's less about becoming something different and more about fully becoming yourself. Your personal identity is developed so you're less worried about something outside of yourself defining you. In fact, I'm more worried about something negatively defining me than I try to latch onto something positive. If I were more religious that might be different. As it is, I aim to represent the inner me to as many people as possible who want to know it.
Now, as I'm older and less and less naive, I have different dreams. They're things I started a long time ago and thought I would come back to if and when I ever got a chance. They were what I would do once I'd achieved my dreams and then could do whatever I wanted. The irony is I wanted the freedom which would come with success and have been provided that same freedom by abject failure. It's very much the same as the monetary freedom I enjoy because I didn't push myself academically and thus didn't incur astronomical amounts of debt by going to graduate school. P = q but not p can = q too.
My dream now is to have a room. It will have to be a place where I can complete my project and be able to leave it. One of the constants in my life since I was 16 is not living in the same place for very long. Part of that is my choice and it is in response to the part of it which is not. I'd like to be able to not need to tear it down. This room will be mine and it will reflect the inner me. To that extent I've been saving pictures and articles from magazines since I was 19 years old. I keep them in a tan plastic filebox which I dutifully slug from old apartment to new apartment waiting for the day they can all come out to stay. In it are basketball and baseball players I thought were cool, bands which I wanted to memorialize and even a few pictures I tore out because it made sense. They are just things I was interested in or thought looked cool. I'd like to have a place where I can put these mementos on the wall and just sit amongst them. I enjoy high-backed chairs and I will have one in my room. Whenever I'm feeling not like myself or want to reminisce that room will be my refuge. I won't keep snacks or work or even anything I'd use on a regular basis in there. And when I'm not using it, I will keep the door closed.
You can visit it if you'd like. But please be respectful of your surroundings. Take note this is what my dream became. My dream is to have a place which reminds me of the time when I still held onto my dreams. Others may lament the lose of their dreams or continue holding onto them under longer and longer odds. My dreams fulfilled their destiny to become nothing and I feel better for recognizing it. If they say it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all, then I say the same is true of dreaming. And like love, I will not dream like I did as a young man. The loss of my dreams will not embitter me or cause me to close my heart to them. It will be a mature dream I seek, a better and more realistic dream for me to follow. One which is based on me who I am instead of the me I'd once hoped I'd become.
Showing posts with label being in the right place at the right time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label being in the right place at the right time. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
And Evidence Suggests I'm The Man For The Job
I've stayed out of the Wisconsin union discussion for the same reason I never voted when I lived in Green Bay (or Chicago): It's their state and not mine. But a lot of my friends have been posting this as a status update lately:
"Only 5 states do not have collective bargaining for educators (i.e. “teachers unions”) and have deemed it illegal. Those states and their ranking on ACT/SAT scores are as follows:
South Carolina - 50th
North Carolina - 49th
Georgia - 48th
Texas - 47th
Virginia - 44th
Wisconsin ranked 2nd in 2010 in combined ACT/SAT.
(http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/states/USCHARTsat.html)"
Which is I was tickled to find these two quotes in a book I'm reading about political doublespeak, "Aristotle and an Aardvark: Understanding Political Doublespeak Through Philosophy and Jokes", and thought I would share them for your personal enjoyment.
" 'The 10 states with the lowest per pupil spending including 4- North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee & Utah - in the top 10 states with the highest SAT scores. Only 1- Wisconsin -was among the 10 states with the highest SAT scores. New Jersey has the highest per pupil, an astonishing $10,561, which teachers' unions elsewhere try to use as a negotiating benchmark. New Jersey's rank regarding SAT scores? 39th. ...'
George Will, Washington Post, September 12th, 1993"
"In the Journal of Statistics Education, Deborah Lynn Guber points out that a crucial factor Mr. Will ignores in his analysis is participation rates: the percentage of students in each state who actually take the SAT. It turns out that in North Dakota, state colleges require the ACT rather than the SAT, so only 5% of North Dakota students take the SAT. It is fair to say that among that 5% are a large number of students who want to go to prestigious out-of-state schools (that do require the SAT) and who, because of their proven academic abilities, think they have a shot at it. In New Jersey, by comparison, 79 percent of students take the SAT- certainly a more representative cross-section of the entire population of high school graduates. So the SAT scores of the brightest ND students are being compared to the SAT scores of more typical NJ students."
I think the implication is pretty clear. We can definitely get non-union labor to do George Will's job.
"Only 5 states do not have collective bargaining for educators (i.e. “teachers unions”) and have deemed it illegal. Those states and their ranking on ACT/SAT scores are as follows:
South Carolina - 50th
North Carolina - 49th
Georgia - 48th
Texas - 47th
Virginia - 44th
Wisconsin ranked 2nd in 2010 in combined ACT/SAT.
(http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/states/USCHARTsat.html)"
Which is I was tickled to find these two quotes in a book I'm reading about political doublespeak, "Aristotle and an Aardvark: Understanding Political Doublespeak Through Philosophy and Jokes", and thought I would share them for your personal enjoyment.
" 'The 10 states with the lowest per pupil spending including 4- North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee & Utah - in the top 10 states with the highest SAT scores. Only 1- Wisconsin -was among the 10 states with the highest SAT scores. New Jersey has the highest per pupil, an astonishing $10,561, which teachers' unions elsewhere try to use as a negotiating benchmark. New Jersey's rank regarding SAT scores? 39th. ...'
George Will, Washington Post, September 12th, 1993"
"In the Journal of Statistics Education, Deborah Lynn Guber points out that a crucial factor Mr. Will ignores in his analysis is participation rates: the percentage of students in each state who actually take the SAT. It turns out that in North Dakota, state colleges require the ACT rather than the SAT, so only 5% of North Dakota students take the SAT. It is fair to say that among that 5% are a large number of students who want to go to prestigious out-of-state schools (that do require the SAT) and who, because of their proven academic abilities, think they have a shot at it. In New Jersey, by comparison, 79 percent of students take the SAT- certainly a more representative cross-section of the entire population of high school graduates. So the SAT scores of the brightest ND students are being compared to the SAT scores of more typical NJ students."
I think the implication is pretty clear. We can definitely get non-union labor to do George Will's job.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
The Story of LeBron James Herman
LeBron James Herman began her life under humble means. The youngest of four littermates LeBron was born to a single mother illegitimately and out of wedlock. Because she was the youngest it often fell to LeBron to help her mother complete such household tasks as folding the laundry, rinsing the dishes and sometimes caring for her three siblings who were just minutes older. But there lived inside her a simple dream. LeBron James Herman was going to be the first female canine President.
Adopted by rank strangers in 2009, LeBron began her campaign for President almost immediately. She was comfortable with the face-to-face person-canine contact required of all great candidates. Able to switch quickly from barking for attention to overwhelming her constituents with playful licks to the face, LeBron was a natural at winning people to her side.
"Awwwwwwww," said local voter Marie Johnson. "Who's a cute puppy? Yes, you are. Yes, you are."
In 2010, LeBron attended law school at the University of Minnesota. She studied constitutional law to get a firm handle on the advanced principles she'd need later in her political career. An excellent student from the first day, LeBron showed an aptitude which was unexpected.
"I have to admit this shit to you." explains U of M law professor John Hamburg. "When LeBron wandered past the door of the classroom, then back in front of the doorway and then kind of hesitantly entered the room and fucking cocked her head expectantly, I thought, 'Whose fucking dog is this?'. Then I realized this dog was in the fucking class like a goddamn straight-to-video Disney movie."
LeBron was on the dean's list her entire academic career and graduated summa cum laude in 2012. Shortly afterward she began working for a local Minneapolis special interest group where she showed herself to be a prodigious talent. She successfully lobbied for increased parks funding, school lunch programs and the introduction of the two-hour midday nap.
In 2013, LeBron began to address her ultimate goal of a political career. Setting her sights on the Minneapolis mayorship, she campaigned night and day (minus two hours) by ringing doorbells and appearing with local celebrities in a full-court press unheard of previously.
"The crazy thing is you think, 'This is just unhuman,'," says campaign manager Inez Munoz. "Then you remember LeBron is a dog and it really is unhuman. She has a secret well of doggie power which gives her an extra gear she can go into and just blow people away."
Elected by a landslide, LeBron's time in Minneapolis was short. With her eyes set to Washington, she accepted the Governor's 2014 invitation to replace resigning Senator Al Franken who was leaving to pursue a career in something else I don't know what. Six months later the people of Minnesota concurred with the governor's decision and elected to another six years in office.
Still LeBron's gaze cast higher with 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as her ultimate goal. She quickly formed an exploratory committee and announced her candidacy in late 2015. Often winning debates by barking until her opponent was quieted (How you like them apples?) and garnering endorsements from both sides of the aisle, LeBron was swept into office on a tidal wave of voter support.
"There was the fucking-shit-ass matter of whether you counted her age in dog years or in fucking people years," says Hamburg. "Then it occurs to you she knew this was an issue and was fucking thinking ahead all the fucking way back in 2010. I mean, fuck."
The LeBron Administration created broad initiatives such as no-leash laws, an end to animal testing and the flat tax. A firm believer in term limits, LeBron stuck by her ideals and served only one term in office before retiring from public life in 2020. She returned to the home of her adoptive strangers where she lived out the rest of her days just chillin' doooood. Shortly after her 14th birthday she went to live on some farm somewhere or something where she could chase tennis balls or something. Dan couldn't explain it very well through the tears so I'm confused, especially since we don't have cousins on Dad's side who own a farm.
"Yes, you are," recalls Johnson. "Just so cute. Sooooooo cute."
Adopted by rank strangers in 2009, LeBron began her campaign for President almost immediately. She was comfortable with the face-to-face person-canine contact required of all great candidates. Able to switch quickly from barking for attention to overwhelming her constituents with playful licks to the face, LeBron was a natural at winning people to her side.
"Awwwwwwww," said local voter Marie Johnson. "Who's a cute puppy? Yes, you are. Yes, you are."
In 2010, LeBron attended law school at the University of Minnesota. She studied constitutional law to get a firm handle on the advanced principles she'd need later in her political career. An excellent student from the first day, LeBron showed an aptitude which was unexpected.
"I have to admit this shit to you." explains U of M law professor John Hamburg. "When LeBron wandered past the door of the classroom, then back in front of the doorway and then kind of hesitantly entered the room and fucking cocked her head expectantly, I thought, 'Whose fucking dog is this?'. Then I realized this dog was in the fucking class like a goddamn straight-to-video Disney movie."
LeBron was on the dean's list her entire academic career and graduated summa cum laude in 2012. Shortly afterward she began working for a local Minneapolis special interest group where she showed herself to be a prodigious talent. She successfully lobbied for increased parks funding, school lunch programs and the introduction of the two-hour midday nap.
In 2013, LeBron began to address her ultimate goal of a political career. Setting her sights on the Minneapolis mayorship, she campaigned night and day (minus two hours) by ringing doorbells and appearing with local celebrities in a full-court press unheard of previously.
"The crazy thing is you think, 'This is just unhuman,'," says campaign manager Inez Munoz. "Then you remember LeBron is a dog and it really is unhuman. She has a secret well of doggie power which gives her an extra gear she can go into and just blow people away."
Elected by a landslide, LeBron's time in Minneapolis was short. With her eyes set to Washington, she accepted the Governor's 2014 invitation to replace resigning Senator Al Franken who was leaving to pursue a career in something else I don't know what. Six months later the people of Minnesota concurred with the governor's decision and elected to another six years in office.
Still LeBron's gaze cast higher with 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as her ultimate goal. She quickly formed an exploratory committee and announced her candidacy in late 2015. Often winning debates by barking until her opponent was quieted (How you like them apples?) and garnering endorsements from both sides of the aisle, LeBron was swept into office on a tidal wave of voter support.
"There was the fucking-shit-ass matter of whether you counted her age in dog years or in fucking people years," says Hamburg. "Then it occurs to you she knew this was an issue and was fucking thinking ahead all the fucking way back in 2010. I mean, fuck."
The LeBron Administration created broad initiatives such as no-leash laws, an end to animal testing and the flat tax. A firm believer in term limits, LeBron stuck by her ideals and served only one term in office before retiring from public life in 2020. She returned to the home of her adoptive strangers where she lived out the rest of her days just chillin' doooood. Shortly after her 14th birthday she went to live on some farm somewhere or something where she could chase tennis balls or something. Dan couldn't explain it very well through the tears so I'm confused, especially since we don't have cousins on Dad's side who own a farm.
"Yes, you are," recalls Johnson. "Just so cute. Sooooooo cute."
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Who Is On First?
Last night, after my book club meeting, I proceeded further south in Minneapolis to the new Chatterbox Pub at 45th and France. The Chatterbox is a now-chain-of-restaurants where you can have a drink, eat good bar food and play games. Board games are free though you can also play old-school videogames for a small fee. My friend Pete lives near this newest location and he was already there with our friend Peder.
One of the oddities of this location of The Chatterbox is the bathrooms are for one person at-a-time. (When you lock the door it flips an "in use" sign like on an airplane.) So in the men's room there is a toilet next to a urinal with no divider in between them. When one of my book club compatriots accidentally opened the unlocked door to find it occupied, the nearby and observing waitress regaled him with this story.
When the restaurant was just opening, a gentleman opened the door to find the bathroom occupied. He waited and let the occupants exit. That's right; occupants. But get you mind out of the gutter because this is what the gentleman in question told our waitress storyteller. When he opened the door what he saw was one occupant was making use of the toilet while the other was using the urinal. Not that odd in a usual bathroom except in this one, as I mentioned, there is no divider.
Here's the question I want an answer to which has, no doubt, been lost to the sands of time. Who was there first? I suppose it's possible (and in fact, most likely) they both entered the restroom at the same time since they also both left at the same time. But drive with me for a while.
If you are in said restroom using the toilet and someone else comes in to use the urinal, that's just rude. Obviously it's meant for just one person and your oversight of not locking the door should not put you at the peril of someone walking in on you and choosing to stay. Other than when we are sleeping, the most vulnerable a person is each day is when they are sitting down to use the toilet. Society has established rules governing this situation for just this reason. Ultimately though it's just harmless.
However it's more intriguing to me if the man using the toilet was the second occupant. Talk about a ballsy motherfonker. Short of it being an "emergency" that would be one of those moments where you just kind of have to take it. Yes, it's still rude. But c'mon. Could you imagine the conversation you would have?
(Man opens the door while you are peeing)
You: Occupied!
Man: (nothing)
(Man crosses the room, unbuckles his pants, pulls down his underwear and sits down on the toilet.)
You: (stunned silence)
I mean, men hate to even make eye contact while washing their hands. This man is flaunting etiquitte so basic it's to the point of being informal and understood. Either he doesn't know (which is unlikely) or he doesn't care (which makes him a total fonking bad-ass). Anyone who is audacious enough to walk into an occupied restroom, basically expose themselves to a complete stranger and then subject the same captive stranger to all of their foul odors is a man not to be fonked with and perhaps one whose movements should be tracked.
And since we can imagine him, it means it is possible for him to exist. And if this man were to exist, we'd all be in trouble. Because a man who can poop in a one-man bathroom next to another strange man who is peeing is a man who has the will to dominate us all.
It's only worth mentioning because everyone is thinking it. I hope we never see such a day. And may God have mercy on us if we do.
One of the oddities of this location of The Chatterbox is the bathrooms are for one person at-a-time. (When you lock the door it flips an "in use" sign like on an airplane.) So in the men's room there is a toilet next to a urinal with no divider in between them. When one of my book club compatriots accidentally opened the unlocked door to find it occupied, the nearby and observing waitress regaled him with this story.
When the restaurant was just opening, a gentleman opened the door to find the bathroom occupied. He waited and let the occupants exit. That's right; occupants. But get you mind out of the gutter because this is what the gentleman in question told our waitress storyteller. When he opened the door what he saw was one occupant was making use of the toilet while the other was using the urinal. Not that odd in a usual bathroom except in this one, as I mentioned, there is no divider.
Here's the question I want an answer to which has, no doubt, been lost to the sands of time. Who was there first? I suppose it's possible (and in fact, most likely) they both entered the restroom at the same time since they also both left at the same time. But drive with me for a while.
If you are in said restroom using the toilet and someone else comes in to use the urinal, that's just rude. Obviously it's meant for just one person and your oversight of not locking the door should not put you at the peril of someone walking in on you and choosing to stay. Other than when we are sleeping, the most vulnerable a person is each day is when they are sitting down to use the toilet. Society has established rules governing this situation for just this reason. Ultimately though it's just harmless.
However it's more intriguing to me if the man using the toilet was the second occupant. Talk about a ballsy motherfonker. Short of it being an "emergency" that would be one of those moments where you just kind of have to take it. Yes, it's still rude. But c'mon. Could you imagine the conversation you would have?
(Man opens the door while you are peeing)
You: Occupied!
Man: (nothing)
(Man crosses the room, unbuckles his pants, pulls down his underwear and sits down on the toilet.)
You: (stunned silence)
I mean, men hate to even make eye contact while washing their hands. This man is flaunting etiquitte so basic it's to the point of being informal and understood. Either he doesn't know (which is unlikely) or he doesn't care (which makes him a total fonking bad-ass). Anyone who is audacious enough to walk into an occupied restroom, basically expose themselves to a complete stranger and then subject the same captive stranger to all of their foul odors is a man not to be fonked with and perhaps one whose movements should be tracked.
And since we can imagine him, it means it is possible for him to exist. And if this man were to exist, we'd all be in trouble. Because a man who can poop in a one-man bathroom next to another strange man who is peeing is a man who has the will to dominate us all.
It's only worth mentioning because everyone is thinking it. I hope we never see such a day. And may God have mercy on us if we do.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Going to California - Day 1 - Minneapolis to Emporia
Departure Minneapolis - 32 degrees and overcast.
Arrival Emporia - 42 degrees and dark.
Miles traveled - 546
States traveled through - 4
Major cities - Minneapolis, MN; Des Moines, IA; Kansas City, KS/MO
Avg. speed - 61 MPH
A sample of gas prices
Minneapolis, MN - $1.97
Des Moines, IA - $1.92
Converse, MO - $1.73
Kansas City, KS - $ $1.76
Emporia, KS - $1.85
When I was young, my dad and I were much closer than we are now. I was the oldest of my siblings and as such I could go do things that the other kids couldn't. It's just one of the many perks of being first. Mostly it was just a bunch of sporting events that we got to see together including a lot of Twins games from very close. But the crown jewel of father-son time for my dad and I were our roadtrips.
The very first one was just a jaunt down to Lake City when I was about six to see my great-grandmother O'Hara. She was very old and I was very young. It stands out though because it's the only real memory I have of her. She seemed so frail and small. My dad has told me since then his memory of that trip is how she was so happy to spend time with her grandson and her great-grandson.
Most often though we'd base our roadtrips around sports. One year we drove to all of the NFL training camps in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Another we drove to the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. We even flew one time to Kansas City so we could take a car across Missouri to a Cardinals game in St. Louis.
However the very first roadtrip we took out-of-state was to Kansas City for one of my dad's co-worker's wedding. It was 1990 and I was ten while Erica was 8 and Dan only 6. If my dad was going to take Mom to the wedding, they'd have to find someone to take care of us for the whole weekend. So, sensing an opportunity in a problem, Dad just took me instead of Mom.
There are three really great memories of that roadtrip. First, we stayed at a hotel with two trees involved which had a pool where you could swim between the indoors and outdoors. Second, it was the first time I saw two of the greatest television shows ever; "Saturday Night Live" and "American Gladiators." I can very vividly remember watching The Eliminator on "AG" and watching a "Twin Peaks" parody sketch on "SNL." (Which means Kyle McLachlen was hosting with musical guest... Sinead O'Connor.) The third memory requires a little set-up. At the time Dad had a BMW 3 series with 5-speed manual transmission and an overdrive. Basically, the car was meant to go really fast and it could.
We were peaking over a hill in Iowa already doing north of 80 when Dad noticed there were no other cars visible, there were no police officers sitting in the ditch and, hell, there was this long straight downhill stretch of open road in front of us. So he turns to me and says, "Your mom doesn't need to know about this." He dropped the car into the overdrive and it took off. By the time we got to the bottom of the hill we were doing 120.
I thought about that road trip as I was driving through Kansas City today. I got a chance to think back to when Dad and I would take roadtrips together. I got a chance to think back to when Dad and I were closer. I thought about how things have changed and how things have not. Mostly I got to think about when we would just get in the car and drive.
Arrival Emporia - 42 degrees and dark.
Miles traveled - 546
States traveled through - 4
Major cities - Minneapolis, MN; Des Moines, IA; Kansas City, KS/MO
Avg. speed - 61 MPH
A sample of gas prices
Minneapolis, MN - $1.97
Des Moines, IA - $1.92
Converse, MO - $1.73
Kansas City, KS - $ $1.76
Emporia, KS - $1.85
When I was young, my dad and I were much closer than we are now. I was the oldest of my siblings and as such I could go do things that the other kids couldn't. It's just one of the many perks of being first. Mostly it was just a bunch of sporting events that we got to see together including a lot of Twins games from very close. But the crown jewel of father-son time for my dad and I were our roadtrips.
The very first one was just a jaunt down to Lake City when I was about six to see my great-grandmother O'Hara. She was very old and I was very young. It stands out though because it's the only real memory I have of her. She seemed so frail and small. My dad has told me since then his memory of that trip is how she was so happy to spend time with her grandson and her great-grandson.
Most often though we'd base our roadtrips around sports. One year we drove to all of the NFL training camps in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Another we drove to the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. We even flew one time to Kansas City so we could take a car across Missouri to a Cardinals game in St. Louis.
However the very first roadtrip we took out-of-state was to Kansas City for one of my dad's co-worker's wedding. It was 1990 and I was ten while Erica was 8 and Dan only 6. If my dad was going to take Mom to the wedding, they'd have to find someone to take care of us for the whole weekend. So, sensing an opportunity in a problem, Dad just took me instead of Mom.
There are three really great memories of that roadtrip. First, we stayed at a hotel with two trees involved which had a pool where you could swim between the indoors and outdoors. Second, it was the first time I saw two of the greatest television shows ever; "Saturday Night Live" and "American Gladiators." I can very vividly remember watching The Eliminator on "AG" and watching a "Twin Peaks" parody sketch on "SNL." (Which means Kyle McLachlen was hosting with musical guest... Sinead O'Connor.) The third memory requires a little set-up. At the time Dad had a BMW 3 series with 5-speed manual transmission and an overdrive. Basically, the car was meant to go really fast and it could.
We were peaking over a hill in Iowa already doing north of 80 when Dad noticed there were no other cars visible, there were no police officers sitting in the ditch and, hell, there was this long straight downhill stretch of open road in front of us. So he turns to me and says, "Your mom doesn't need to know about this." He dropped the car into the overdrive and it took off. By the time we got to the bottom of the hill we were doing 120.
I thought about that road trip as I was driving through Kansas City today. I got a chance to think back to when Dad and I would take roadtrips together. I got a chance to think back to when Dad and I were closer. I thought about how things have changed and how things have not. Mostly I got to think about when we would just get in the car and drive.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Twins Win!!!
I just got home from the second best baseball game I ever attended. I feel so high right now that I didn't even send taunting text messages to my Chicago friends who are White Sox fans. It was a hell of a way to pull into first place.
The Twins came into their three game series against the White Sox with two fewer wins and three more losses. To get back into contention they would need to win all three games and thus also hand the White Sox three more loses too. So their goal was simple. Win all three games and they controlled their destiny. All they had to do was just keep winning.
On Tuesday night the Twins ran up the score 9-3 backing up Scott Baker's brilliant pitching performance. Then on Wednesday night the bullpen held an early lead and the Twins edged the Sox 3-2. Now Thursday night's game was the single most important game of the season. Win and they would be in first place. Lose and they would be counting on the Indians to do their work for them.
My friend Brian and I agreed that while riding bikes would be fun, going to the Twins game was just that much more essential. As I was preparing for the game, Nicky sent me a text message. It was a prayer to Kirby Puckett to "guide us in our quest to win the division", that "our hits may be guided through the gap", that "our fielding be strong" and "our pitching be accurate." It's basically what the Twins needed to do. Play strong fundamental baseball and get just a little assistance from luck. I loaned Brian my Santana home jersey and I wore my Mauer home alternate jersey and we were off.
The Twins began the game well. Mauer poked a ground rule double over the center field fence to score Denard Span from second and Kevin Slowey pitched three perfect nine up, nine down innings to give the impression this would be a small ball victory. Hell, I was even excited about the prospect that I might finally see a no-hitter.
Then came the inning that almost undid the entire Twins season. In the top of the fourth the second batter for the White Sox, Orlando Cabrera, hit a one-out barely-homerun into the second row in left field. Then Jermaine Dye singled. Then Jim Thome doubled advancing Dye to third. Then Dye scored and Thome took third on a Konerko fielder's choice. Then Ken Griffey walked. Then Alexi Ramirez singled with Thome scoring and Griffey being forced to second. Then A.J. Pierzynski ended a long at bat by being hit by the eighth pitch he saw.
So the bases were loaded when Juan Uribe hit a line drive right back at Slowey. The ball glanced off of Slowey's pitching wrist and when he went to throw the ball to first everything went haywire. Morneau couldn't dig the throw out of the dirt and Griffey, Ramirez and Pierzynski all scored to make the game 6-3 in favor of the visitors. This single play could've been the Twins 2008 season going down the drain. But the Twins kept on clawing back. Casilla scored in the 6th to cut the margin to two runs.
Then came the inning that saved the entire Twins season. Brendan Harris began the inning by doubling and scored when Carlos Gomez took a single off of Chicago closer Bobby Jenks. It was at this point I turned to Brian. "Do you think Gomez can score from first?" I asked. "I mean, I'd certainly like to see him try." The next batter Denard Span was up to the task. His groundball to the rightside of the infield slipped under Paul Konerko's glove and Gomez got on his horse. As he crossed home plate the crowd reached ThunderDome levels. All 43,601 fans in attendance were jumping up and down, screaming and giving each other high fives.
The game ended up going to extra innings and that's were the Twins closed the deal. Joe Nathan pitched two perfect innings, often falling behind in the count during the tenth only to get the guy out anyhow. The bottom half of the inning was even more dramatic. Nick Punto walked, took second on a fielder's choice and then stole third on a wild pitch. After Span was intentionally walked, Alexi Casilla came to the plate.
Casilla had previously had an opportunity to win the game in the eighth following Denard Span's RBI triple. He tried to drop down a suicide squeeze bunt and missed. On the very next pitch he struck out waving at the pitch as it went by. The inning ended when Mauer grounded out to first. Now, two innings later, Casilla had the chance to win the game again.
He looked at the first pitch at the belt for a strike and then blooped the second pitch at his knees into centerfield scoring Punto to win the game.
From the drama of coming back from being down by four to the playoff like atmosphere in the crowd, this game eclipsed all but one other that I've ever attended in my lifetime. The Twins squeezed out a must-win victory over a hated division rival at a time when they could assert themselves as the better team. They used sound baseball fundamentals to outmanuever their opponent and to do so as a team. Even when they were down by four I thought to myself, "There's some way they're going to back into it and win this game." Then when they did, it was that much sweeter. As the line from the new Conor Oberst song goes, "Victory is sweet/Even deep in the cheap seats."
Now there just need to be a combination of Twins wins and White Sox losses that equal four and the post-season is ours. So this weekend say your Hail Kirbys as Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins and Scott Baker take the hill. As I said to Nicky when we saw a game earlier this month, "To be a Twins fan is to know how to succeed by wit, cunning and advancing the runner."
P.S. The greatest game I ever attended? Well, y'know...
The Twins came into their three game series against the White Sox with two fewer wins and three more losses. To get back into contention they would need to win all three games and thus also hand the White Sox three more loses too. So their goal was simple. Win all three games and they controlled their destiny. All they had to do was just keep winning.
On Tuesday night the Twins ran up the score 9-3 backing up Scott Baker's brilliant pitching performance. Then on Wednesday night the bullpen held an early lead and the Twins edged the Sox 3-2. Now Thursday night's game was the single most important game of the season. Win and they would be in first place. Lose and they would be counting on the Indians to do their work for them.
My friend Brian and I agreed that while riding bikes would be fun, going to the Twins game was just that much more essential. As I was preparing for the game, Nicky sent me a text message. It was a prayer to Kirby Puckett to "guide us in our quest to win the division", that "our hits may be guided through the gap", that "our fielding be strong" and "our pitching be accurate." It's basically what the Twins needed to do. Play strong fundamental baseball and get just a little assistance from luck. I loaned Brian my Santana home jersey and I wore my Mauer home alternate jersey and we were off.
The Twins began the game well. Mauer poked a ground rule double over the center field fence to score Denard Span from second and Kevin Slowey pitched three perfect nine up, nine down innings to give the impression this would be a small ball victory. Hell, I was even excited about the prospect that I might finally see a no-hitter.
Then came the inning that almost undid the entire Twins season. In the top of the fourth the second batter for the White Sox, Orlando Cabrera, hit a one-out barely-homerun into the second row in left field. Then Jermaine Dye singled. Then Jim Thome doubled advancing Dye to third. Then Dye scored and Thome took third on a Konerko fielder's choice. Then Ken Griffey walked. Then Alexi Ramirez singled with Thome scoring and Griffey being forced to second. Then A.J. Pierzynski ended a long at bat by being hit by the eighth pitch he saw.
So the bases were loaded when Juan Uribe hit a line drive right back at Slowey. The ball glanced off of Slowey's pitching wrist and when he went to throw the ball to first everything went haywire. Morneau couldn't dig the throw out of the dirt and Griffey, Ramirez and Pierzynski all scored to make the game 6-3 in favor of the visitors. This single play could've been the Twins 2008 season going down the drain. But the Twins kept on clawing back. Casilla scored in the 6th to cut the margin to two runs.
Then came the inning that saved the entire Twins season. Brendan Harris began the inning by doubling and scored when Carlos Gomez took a single off of Chicago closer Bobby Jenks. It was at this point I turned to Brian. "Do you think Gomez can score from first?" I asked. "I mean, I'd certainly like to see him try." The next batter Denard Span was up to the task. His groundball to the rightside of the infield slipped under Paul Konerko's glove and Gomez got on his horse. As he crossed home plate the crowd reached ThunderDome levels. All 43,601 fans in attendance were jumping up and down, screaming and giving each other high fives.
The game ended up going to extra innings and that's were the Twins closed the deal. Joe Nathan pitched two perfect innings, often falling behind in the count during the tenth only to get the guy out anyhow. The bottom half of the inning was even more dramatic. Nick Punto walked, took second on a fielder's choice and then stole third on a wild pitch. After Span was intentionally walked, Alexi Casilla came to the plate.
Casilla had previously had an opportunity to win the game in the eighth following Denard Span's RBI triple. He tried to drop down a suicide squeeze bunt and missed. On the very next pitch he struck out waving at the pitch as it went by. The inning ended when Mauer grounded out to first. Now, two innings later, Casilla had the chance to win the game again.
He looked at the first pitch at the belt for a strike and then blooped the second pitch at his knees into centerfield scoring Punto to win the game.
From the drama of coming back from being down by four to the playoff like atmosphere in the crowd, this game eclipsed all but one other that I've ever attended in my lifetime. The Twins squeezed out a must-win victory over a hated division rival at a time when they could assert themselves as the better team. They used sound baseball fundamentals to outmanuever their opponent and to do so as a team. Even when they were down by four I thought to myself, "There's some way they're going to back into it and win this game." Then when they did, it was that much sweeter. As the line from the new Conor Oberst song goes, "Victory is sweet/Even deep in the cheap seats."
Now there just need to be a combination of Twins wins and White Sox losses that equal four and the post-season is ours. So this weekend say your Hail Kirbys as Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins and Scott Baker take the hill. As I said to Nicky when we saw a game earlier this month, "To be a Twins fan is to know how to succeed by wit, cunning and advancing the runner."
P.S. The greatest game I ever attended? Well, y'know...
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Lollapalooza 2008
Since Lollapalooza starts midday tomorrow (Half Day At Work!) and goes into the night I won't have time to update until maybe Monday. But if I do, it will be right here on this post.
For those of you going to the show, look for me at these band's sets which I will not miss for the world.
Friday
2:15-3:15 - The Go Team
4:15-5:15 - Gogol Bordello
5:15-6:15 - Mates of State
7:15-8:00 - Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks (Sorry CSS)
8:00-10:00 - Radiohead
Saturday
1:30-2:30 - Mason Jennings
3:30-4:30 - DeVotchKa
4:30-5:30 - Explosions In the Sky
6:30-7:30 - Broken Social Scene
8:30-10:00 - Wilco (Sorry reunited Rage Against the Machine)
11:00-??? - Broken Social Scene - Afterparty at The Metro
Sunday
3:00pm - Roll out of bed
5:15-6:15 - Flogging Molly
6:30-7:30 - Girl Talk (Sorry Gnarls Barkley)
8:15-10:00 - Nine Inch Nails unless I really want to see Kanye West
Otherwise I'll be bouncing around from set-to-set trying to catch as much as possible.
Update (12:22 am Saturday): I knew the moment of the night was probably going to come during the Radiohead set and it did. The band was playing at the southmost stage with the backdrop of the South Loop and the Field Museum behind them. There was a glow from Soldier's Field where, I know now, the Bears were holding a fan family night and I commented on it between songs.
At the end of the family night, there was a fireworks display. Radiohead kicked into "Fake Plastic Trees" from The Bends and I watched as the colors exploded in the sky and how they reflected off the building. It wasn't intentional and you'd have to be several degrees beyond stoned to believe the song and display synced up. Still it was a really beautiful moment and one which I'll treasure forever.
Alright, I'm too tired from the sweltering heat to stay awake much longer. Tomorrow is going to be a long day including an afterparty. I'll update at the end of the day if I'm still awake enough to be coherent.
Update (9:10 am Sunday) Sometimes in life you have to take the good with the bad, the better with the bitter. So when you take a frisbee to the face at Lollapalooza, try to remember it was at Lollapalooza that you blocked a frisbee with your face. Call the guy a fucking asshole and move one with it.
There are too many bands to see to waste your time on some piece of human trash (Seriously, this guy was a total dick. No "Sorry"s, just laughing.) and you were on your way to see Broken Social Scene. Which Dan and I did see. For the first of two times. As the sun was setting behind the Chicago skyline. Which was awesome.
The second time was later that evening at the Metro. After an ordeal with the doors not opening until when the opening band Yeasayer was supposed to be on stage, BSS hit the stage around 12:30 in the morning and played straight until 2:15. There wasn't a lot of duplication between their set earlier in the day and they actually played my favorite song, "Lovers Spit." Dan and I caught a cab home after the show and climbed into bed at 3 am.
Update (10:39 am Monday)
I'm back at work today and, despite having the worst dry-mouth ever last night, I woke this morning without Lil Wayne voice. I'll have to try even harder next year.
My brother wasn't able to stay for yesterday's festivities. All of the bands he wanted to see started after 5:00 and he had a 7 hour drive back to Minnesota to tackle. We went to brunch out in Bucktown with one of his friends, we said our goodbyes (all the way until this upcoming Saturday) and he drove home.
He does get a million points at life though because he figured out a way to take off his wrist band and get it onto my other friend's wrist. Since he has a big wrist and her wrist is small, he cut his band close to the clasp and then she and I stitched it onto her wrist with a needle and thread. We tightened the clasp so it covered the stitches and it looked like it had been on her wrist all along.
While there we saw three different acts and all three were an absolute jam. Flogging Molly is always great, Girl Talk was off-the-hook and then Mr. Kanye West brought his manic energy to the people. Overall Lollapalooza was great and I'm glad my bro was there to share it with me.
P.S. The new Ghostface and Raekwon?
For those of you going to the show, look for me at these band's sets which I will not miss for the world.
Friday
2:15-3:15 - The Go Team
4:15-5:15 - Gogol Bordello
5:15-6:15 - Mates of State
7:15-8:00 - Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks (Sorry CSS)
8:00-10:00 - Radiohead
Saturday
1:30-2:30 - Mason Jennings
3:30-4:30 - DeVotchKa
4:30-5:30 - Explosions In the Sky
6:30-7:30 - Broken Social Scene
8:30-10:00 - Wilco (Sorry reunited Rage Against the Machine)
11:00-??? - Broken Social Scene - Afterparty at The Metro
Sunday
3:00pm - Roll out of bed
5:15-6:15 - Flogging Molly
6:30-7:30 - Girl Talk (Sorry Gnarls Barkley)
8:15-10:00 - Nine Inch Nails unless I really want to see Kanye West
Otherwise I'll be bouncing around from set-to-set trying to catch as much as possible.
Update (12:22 am Saturday): I knew the moment of the night was probably going to come during the Radiohead set and it did. The band was playing at the southmost stage with the backdrop of the South Loop and the Field Museum behind them. There was a glow from Soldier's Field where, I know now, the Bears were holding a fan family night and I commented on it between songs.
At the end of the family night, there was a fireworks display. Radiohead kicked into "Fake Plastic Trees" from The Bends and I watched as the colors exploded in the sky and how they reflected off the building. It wasn't intentional and you'd have to be several degrees beyond stoned to believe the song and display synced up. Still it was a really beautiful moment and one which I'll treasure forever.
Alright, I'm too tired from the sweltering heat to stay awake much longer. Tomorrow is going to be a long day including an afterparty. I'll update at the end of the day if I'm still awake enough to be coherent.
Update (9:10 am Sunday) Sometimes in life you have to take the good with the bad, the better with the bitter. So when you take a frisbee to the face at Lollapalooza, try to remember it was at Lollapalooza that you blocked a frisbee with your face. Call the guy a fucking asshole and move one with it.
There are too many bands to see to waste your time on some piece of human trash (Seriously, this guy was a total dick. No "Sorry"s, just laughing.) and you were on your way to see Broken Social Scene. Which Dan and I did see. For the first of two times. As the sun was setting behind the Chicago skyline. Which was awesome.
The second time was later that evening at the Metro. After an ordeal with the doors not opening until when the opening band Yeasayer was supposed to be on stage, BSS hit the stage around 12:30 in the morning and played straight until 2:15. There wasn't a lot of duplication between their set earlier in the day and they actually played my favorite song, "Lovers Spit." Dan and I caught a cab home after the show and climbed into bed at 3 am.
Update (10:39 am Monday)
I'm back at work today and, despite having the worst dry-mouth ever last night, I woke this morning without Lil Wayne voice. I'll have to try even harder next year.
My brother wasn't able to stay for yesterday's festivities. All of the bands he wanted to see started after 5:00 and he had a 7 hour drive back to Minnesota to tackle. We went to brunch out in Bucktown with one of his friends, we said our goodbyes (all the way until this upcoming Saturday) and he drove home.
He does get a million points at life though because he figured out a way to take off his wrist band and get it onto my other friend's wrist. Since he has a big wrist and her wrist is small, he cut his band close to the clasp and then she and I stitched it onto her wrist with a needle and thread. We tightened the clasp so it covered the stitches and it looked like it had been on her wrist all along.
While there we saw three different acts and all three were an absolute jam. Flogging Molly is always great, Girl Talk was off-the-hook and then Mr. Kanye West brought his manic energy to the people. Overall Lollapalooza was great and I'm glad my bro was there to share it with me.
P.S. The new Ghostface and Raekwon?
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Dedicated To The One I Love
These three songs go out to my newest and best friend. Consider this a mini-mix tape from me to you.
Follow your dreams.
Remember the good.
Live without regrets.
(P.S. Don't worry too much about all of the words. It's the choruses that really matter.)
Follow your dreams.
Remember the good.
Live without regrets.
(P.S. Don't worry too much about all of the words. It's the choruses that really matter.)
Friday, March 7, 2008
I'm Going to Lollapalooza '08
Last year around this time I received an e-mail from a friend. It said there were special discounted three-day passes to Lollapalooza for sale in a very limited quantity. By the time I got to the website they were gone. Later on that day, however, I overheard a co-worker talking about how she HAD been able to get the discounted passes. I commented about my envy because I had wanted to get passes of my own.
This morning that same co-worker showed up at my desk and said, "Was it you that I was talking about Lollapalooza with last year?" After I confirmed it had been me, she told me, "Go to the website right now. They're on sale again." Thus I will be attending all three days of Lollapalooza 2008 in Grant Park with my brother for the low, low price of $60 a piece.
Consider me even more fortunate though because of the double-billed headliners as reported by the Chicago Tribune this morning.
Radiohead
Nine Inch Nails
This morning that same co-worker showed up at my desk and said, "Was it you that I was talking about Lollapalooza with last year?" After I confirmed it had been me, she told me, "Go to the website right now. They're on sale again." Thus I will be attending all three days of Lollapalooza 2008 in Grant Park with my brother for the low, low price of $60 a piece.
Consider me even more fortunate though because of the double-billed headliners as reported by the Chicago Tribune this morning.
Radiohead
Nine Inch Nails
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