Santa Came

Hope everyone had a great Christmas (or the holiday of your choosing). Rachel and I did. Christmas Eve we ventured to the mall (someone procrastinated on their shopping...cough...Rachel...cough...). While at the mall we stopped at EB Games and found the Rock Band 2 Special Bundle for the Wii.

We put off playing it until Saturday and then proceeded to play it for 4 hours and then 5-6 hours on Sunday. You could say we are addicted.

Aside from that, we had a great Christmas weekend. Eve night we ate with my family and exchanged presents. Christmas, we went back to my parents for ham (many thanks to the McDonald's for once again delivering the goods). We also had our White Elephant gift exchange where our gifts were the hit. The first was a three strands of Our Lady of Guadalupe lights. That's right, we found light strings with the Virgin Mary at Meijer's one day. My Dad's grad assistant simply loved them. The other gift was the best of all. It was a flying pig statue we found at Hobby Lobby. Why was it so great? Because my Dad got it. A little back story here. I'm sure many of you had a Dad who would give you sarcastic remarks to certain questions. Here are a sampling of my Dad's replies

Me: What are you doing?
Dad: Playing basketball

Me: Where's Mom?
Dad: In my pocket

Me: What's for dinner?
Dad: Food

Me: I'm bored, what should I do?
Dad: Go play in traffic

And now for the coupe de grace
Me: When can I do XXX?
Me: Can we get XXX?

Dad: When pigs fly

So, you can imagine my glee when my Dad selected that gift. Needless to say he loved it.

And we are friends with them because......?

Came in this morning to this article

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/12/23/saudi.arabia.child.marriage/index.html

So this begs the question: Why are we friends with the Saudis?
I know the underlying reason is because they have the oil. But come on, an 8 year old? It's just inconceivable that our government would keep up friendly relations when the Saudi government treats half their population like chattel.

I'm sure other countries say the same things about us when it comes to Iraq and our love of the death penalty.

I hope this enrages you as much as me.

One down...five to go

Good news, I passed my first CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter for you non-State Farmers) test. Only five more to go now. Thankfully that number is not seven since my FLMI (Fellow, Life Management Institute, yes, it is as exciting as it sounds) satisfies two of the tests.

And of course, my test was the morning after an ice storm deposited 1/2 an inch on the city. Thankfully we suffered no damage and never lost power. Funny things was when I was de-icing my car it felt like I was out in the rain. The temp had risen above freezing and the huge hackberry tree above our patio was melting.

The drive to OAB (Oakland Avenue Building, really, I must create an acronym glossary) was very pretty with all of the trees and bushes covered in ice. It did suck for those who lost trees or treelimbs but I didn't see any that had fallen on houses.

addict at the The test was a little nerve-racking because the writers of said test were cruel, inhumane, and generally poor test writers. At least I passed. The nerves from the test had nothing on the incredibly annoying guy next to me. The man fidgeted (yes, I am aware that me commenting on restlessness is like W complaining about someone's grammar and syntax) like he drank 14 cups of coffee, which was funny because he was constantly yawning. So, all I could hear while I was contemplating the complexities of parts A, B, C, and D of liability insurance was this bozo moving every two seconds while yawning and clearing his throat. It was like standing next to a methDMV. Ok, maybe not that bad but you know how everything annoys you when yo are trying to concentrate. Were I taking a test on The Goonies or The Simpsons, he could have been Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins and I wouldn't have noticed.

Karma

The pending snow in Seattle reminds me of a time when I got a taste of Karma.

My first winter in Seattle (2000) we got 6 inches of snow in one day. Basically unheard of for the Emerald City. If memory serves me correct we had two or three fronts converge on Seattle. That, combined with two mountain ranges created a recycling conveyor belt of snow. Anyway, the city basically shut down.

Where's the Karma, you ask? I'm getting to it. Because of the snow, I and my roommates Adam and Adrian were off of work. Not sure where Rob was. So, to celebrate the snow the three of us pile into Adam's Subaru to go around town driving through slush puddles.

We drove around for about 20-30 minutes hitting a couple here and there without much satisfaction. We did hit one that shot slush onto an SUV but that wasn't that great. So, we decide to go back home. On the way home we had to drive through the UW area. It was at that time where we earned some Karma, and not the good kind. As we were coming up to a corner with a bunch of students Adrian spotted a puddle and started yelling "Hit It, Hit It, Hit It!". Of course, I chimed in and Adam complied. What happened was horrible and hilarious at the same time. We hit that puddle like a speed boat and sent a wall of semi-frozen water towards the college kids like a tsunami. As I was in the back seat I had a perfect view of the action. The students all reacted like they were in Pearl Jam's Jeremy video. Right after we looked at each other and said, "Oh Shit!" and then sped home.

So, the story doesn't end here. Fast forward to the next year. I'm living in Puyallup commuting to the hospital everyday. Since I'm a cheapass I don't buy a parking sticker and have to park a ways away from the hospital. On my walk from my car to the work I have to go over the Montlake bridge which is usually pretty in the morning. Well, not on this morning. As is usually the case in Seattle, it was raining. However, this was not the usual Pacific Northwest rain. No, this was Midwest in the fall rain. Big fat drops that were just above freezing. So, here I am walking over the bridge in my raincoat and backpack, just trying to get into work as fast as I can. I can't run because that will just get me wetter.

If you know anything about the Montlake bridge you know that it is a drawbridge. Because of this, the road bed is made up of grates to reduce weight. This also has the effect of draining all of the rain into the water below. So, as long as I'm on the bridge I am ok. Well, I'm not really thinking about this at the time, just about how much the rain sucks. As a result, I am not prepared for what happens next. Just as I cross the bridge a car comes speeding up and hits the very first puddle near me. This is not any ordinary puddle, this is the size of a small pond. Next comes to money shot as a wall of near-frozen water hits me full force. I was drenched from the waist down. Luckily, the hospital has scrubs and I was wearing sandals (ah, I miss my dress code there) but one of my coworkers about fell on the floor laughing when I walked inside the hospital.

So, the moral is, What Goes Around, Comes Around. Still funny though.

Hello Winter

OK, what is going on? Vegas got snow, L.A. hit the 30’s for temperature, and Seattle is slated for 2-4 inches of snow. To top it off we are supposed to have an ice storm starting at 3 pm, which will deposit ¾ of an inch. Can’t wait. Normally I would welcome the ice but I have my CLU test tomorrow at 1 pm. I really do not want to retain this knowledge through the weekend. I would rather use that brain space for Mario Kart or The History Channel.

I don’t remember December being this bad in the past. I hope it isn’t a harbinger of the pending winter.

Everyone keep safe.

Has it been a year?

I can't believe it but it has been a year since Rachel and I started dating. Surprising how fast the time has gone by. In a year's time, this has transpired:

Sold the house on Lynx
Moved in with my parents for 2 weeks
Bought an 85 year old house
Moved in
Moved Rachel out of her place and into the house
We installed a 480 square foot brick paver patio
Let me say that again, we installed a 22 foot by 22 foot brick paver patio
Hauled 14.6 tons of rock and sand for said patio
Marveled that she is still with me
Put in a hot tub
Took a trip to the Dominican Republic
Was allowed back into the U.S.A.
Threw 4 parties
Visited Chicago 5 times

So, we've done quite a bit this past year. To celebrate our anniversary we went out to eat at Lancaster's (a fine dining establishment in the heart of metropolitan Bloomington) on Friday(actual anniversary is December 7th, yes, Pearl Harbor Day). Dinner was excellent, followed by a visit to the scene of the crime (our 1st date), Fat Jack's. It was a very good anniversary and I couldn't be happier.

Nice to remember what good hockey is like

Let me start off by saying this. I like the Bloomington Prairie Thunder hockey team. I think it's a great asset for B-N. Even though the level of play is just above high school. The players do the best with what they have. I like the coliseum and the fact that I can get 312 for roughly the same price as Bud Light. Ok, the beer prices could be lower but I understand I'm at a sporting event.

With that said, there is a noticeable difference between the Thunder and the Peoria Rivermen. For those of you unaware of the Rivermen, it is the direct feeder team to the St. Louis Blues. Essentially, it is AAA hockey, and boy does it show. Crisp passing, fast skating, just superior play all around.

Thursday night my brother called to say he had free tickets to the Thunder so we gladly went. This is probably our 4th or 5th game this season and I'm pretty sure the Thunder has lost all of the ones we attended. Nonetheless, it was free and we had a good time. The Thunder really stunk up the place in the 1st and 2nd periods. Only in the 3rd did we start to show some fight. Speaking of, what does it take to get a decent enforcer on the team? Several times we were on the receiving end of some beat downs. I'm not saying we need to start a goon squad but we could use one of the Hanson brothers.

Fast forward to Saturday. To celebrate Rachel's friend Amy's birthday we were going to the casino boat in Peoria. Then, Rachel's other friend (yes, she has two) Stacey's boyfriend Brian (you following this) came up with 6 free tickets to the Rivermen. So, we went to the Rivermen game, three rows behind the corner glass. NICE! The game was great, lots of back and forth action, lots of physical play. And the game seemed in the bag with the Rivermen up a goal when, like a movie, the other team scored a goal with 1.8 seconds to play. Yes, you read that correctly, 1.8 seconds. Then we had a 5 minute overtime with several close plays. Still tied we went to a shootout, which, I'm happy to report, the Rivermen won.

After that, we went to the boat where I won $20 at the blackjack table and then proceeded to people watch.

One more thing. When we sat down at the game in Peoria there was some drunk redneck with his unbranching family tree behind us. He seemed to be quite concerned with who was homosexual. He also talked in that voice where you don't move your lips much and it sounds like a vaguely familiar foreign language. Kind of like Robert Duvall in any of his Westerns, only drunk on ether. Needless to say, I took great pleasure in making fun of the guy. Don't worry, I used big words. It was also my birthday present to Amy since she takes great joy in my alcohol-fueled heckling.

Senate Seat for Sale

Ok, I will post an update on my weekend but before I do that I must comment on Illinois Governer Rod Blagojevich. If you haven't heard, our governor with the plastic hair was arrested this morning on federal charges of trying to sell Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat. Here are some links.

Article about the arrest
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/12/09/news/doc493e8274ba771151552332.txt
Affidavit
http://www.pantagraph.com/art/2008/12/fullaffidavit.pdf
4th time's a charm
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/12/09/news/doc493e8fdd7800d283492997.txt

I haven't read through the indictment but it appears that Blago took political corruption to a new level. He didn't tiptoe around the issue by making obtuse statements or having underlings do his bidding. No, Blago basically walked up and down Michigan Avenue ringing a bell while yelling "U.S. Senate seat for sale", like he was selling Oliver Twist.

What a moron. You would think after George Ryan went up the river Blago would have, if not stayed away from corruption, at least made sure to be sneaky about it. I sincerly hope he is prosecuted and, if found guilty, is sent to prison. Maybe shave his head since he seems to love his hair more than the rule of law.

So now, I have come up with some new slogans for Illinois:

Illinois, We have both kinds of corruption, Republican AND Democrat!
Illinois, You'll come to see the state that gave you Lincoln, Reagan, and Obama. You'll stay for the unbelievable levels of corruption.
Illinois, making Louisiana politicians look like choir boys since the 1800's.
Illinois, Lincoln saved the Union for this?
Illinois, if we can't get money through our high taxes, we'll get it through bribes.
Illinois, diverting attention away from the Daley family for 60 years.
Illinois, have you bribed a politician today?

Feel free to add your own.

Mike

Mmmmm...seared meat...

Saturday we drove up to Chicago to see our friend Gina as she was home alone (complete with bumbling burglars and booby traps). Traffic was great. We were even momentarily stunned when we got to I-80 north of Joliet (the Tacoma of Illinois for you Pac NWers) and there was no construction. I guess construction projects do get finished in Illinois. Of course, since I'm sure the mob was involved and used sub standard materials, they'll be fixing it within five years. Anyway

We got to Gina's around 3, toured her awesome apartment, got to see Cassie the dog again, and unwound from the drive. We then went to eat at Fogo de Chao http://www.fogodechao.com/locations/chicagoIL.htm where we gorged ourselves on all kinds of meat (that's what she said, YES!). If you have never been to a Brazilian Steak House I highly recommend it. Even our cab driver was an enthusiast, when he found out we were going there he speed up. So, after a really good Brazilian beer (Xingu) and bottle of wine (some German Gewurztraminer), we rolled out of the restaurant and picked up some more drinks from Binny's (excellent liquor store chain).

Then we got the world's most timid cab driver. Seriously, he was causing all kinds of problems because the other cars were dumbfounded that he wasn't rolling through stop signs, gunning his engine, blaring his horn, obeying traffic laws, etc... It is amazing how unsettling it is when you are in a cab and the guy drives like a grandma. Regardless, the guy didn't know how to get to Wrigleyville, much less, Michigan Avenue! And to top it off, he drove us in a circle. After about 5 minutes Gina yelled at the guy and we got out of the cab to find a different one.

Later on we watched Hancock. I thought the movie was good and it had some excellent special effects. I liked the idea of a reluctant and petulant super hero. Especially one that kinds of half-asses it. I can totally see them doing a sequel as it had to have made money on the World market.

Sunday's weather was lousy so instead of shopping at the Oak Brook mall Rachel and I just ate at the Cheesecake Factory and drove home in the snow and sleet. Sunday afternoon my perpetual sinus infection decided to morph into a full blown infection and knocked me down Monday and Tuesday. Thanks go out to my friend who purchased antibiotics in Mexico for me, right on time.

Oh, and we came home to 5 inches of snow. Yes, we live in the Midwest and yes, it was supposed to snow Sunday night. However, the forecast was for 1-2 inches and we got it a day early. Mmmmm....Central Illinois.

Black Friday

Ok, now I have Steely Dan's song "Black Friday" in my head. I blame my dad.

For Black Friday this year Rachel and I didn't wake up until 9. We went to Zorba's for a delicious, and greasy, breakfast. From there we went to Michael's, Office Depot, Macy's, Kohl's, and Target.

The crowds weren't too bad but I was definitely sick of people by the time we were finished. I would have to say that Target did the best job. They blocked off the registers and made a common feeder line (like the bank) so that you didn't get stuck behind a lady that had 1,400 items with no price tags, 15 coupons, and was using a two party out of state check. The worst was Kohl's. They had the feeder lines...wrapped around the store! Seriously, they can't move as fast as Target? We took one look at that line and did an about face.

Turkey Day

Greetings, sorry this is a little late but I had a massive sinus infection the past couple of days.

This year, in our quest to not do dishes, we ate at CJ's. I had the prime rib and didn't much pay attention to what everyone else got ;) Food was good and the new CJ's is pretty nice. I especially like their bar (go figure). My only complaint was we were a party of ten sitting at a table meant for eight. It was a liiiiiittle bit cramped.

After CJ's we went to my parents' house to eat some more. We also sat around and talked. It was nice.

Then we went to Rachel's sister Laura's house. there we visited some more and played some games. Good times were had by all.

I'm Hooked

Played two rounds of Disc Golf (I call it Hippie Golf) with my brother and his friends. Had a great time and the weather was unseasonably warm (40's) if a tad windy.

Now I like playing the occasional round of regular golf but I like Disc Golf better because:

• No greens fees
• I can use one disc/club
• The disc is easier to find than a small golf ball
• The discs are much cheaper than clubs ($10 versus $150)
• The rounds are quicker (1.5 hours v 3+)
• You can hold a drink in your hand while throwing (clandestinely though, the course is in a public park)
• I have a much higher chance of making par
• No dress code
• No rich tools playing in front of or behind you

So, I will still play the very occasional round of golf but I will definitely play more Disc Golf next year.

Saturday Night's All Right for...

Having Fun! This time Rachel and I went to a friend's birthday celebration at NV Lounge in downtown Normal. Had a great time drinking $1.50 Coors Light pitchers (no, that is not a typo) and playing one of those bar video games.

Capped the night off with some Mario Kart on the Wii and a Buffalo Chicken Cheese Bomb from Flinger's (a local pizza joint named after the restaurant in Office Space). Mario Kart was great; I was in the zone. The Buffalo Chicken Cheese Bomb dropped the bomb on us (sorry). It was awesome though Rachel thought it was a tad too spicy. I highly recommend it, if you are susceptible to spice, ask for them to leave off the jalapenos. We were in bed by 10:30. Yes, we are old and lame, and we know our limits ;)

Ups and Downs Part Dos

So, this is how my Friday (my day off) went.

Instead of loafing around all day watching stuff on my DVR, OK, I did loaf for a little bit, this is me we're talking about now, I had to tackle a couple of projects. Number 1 on my list was to make a pork roast/stew. I hopped in my car to go get the ingredients I forgot (nothing unusual about that). Upon turning the key I was greeted by a mostly dead battery (not totally dead, have fun storming the castle). So, the mostly dead battery became project number 2. Then, I disgustedly got out of the car and decided to walk to Kroger's (not far) and tried to close the garage door. Of course the door goes down about a foot and then reverses. Attempt 2, 3, and 4 produce the same results. Now I have project number 3! Huzzah!

After closing the door manually I walk to Kroger's in the sub freezing temps. Hey, makes for a brisk walk. I return home with the ingredients plus some pork ribs that were on sale for $1.19/pound (this post brought to by the Pork Council) and put the stew ingredients in the pot and start the 8 hour cook time.

Now I head out to the garage. First I have to push the car to the front of the driveway, not that fun if you know my driveway. Take off the opener cover, look at it contemplatively like I know exactly what I'm doing. Fiddle with it, take off the chain, curse many times, and come to the conclusion that I can't fix it. Briefly contemplate taking batting practice with the opener. Resign myself to buying a new one (grrrrrrr).

Now I look in the car for the battery receipt, it couldn't have been that long since I bought it. No dice. Call Sears, they have the battery for $124 (at least the price hasn't gone up) and show I last purchased a battery in June of 2005. Quick calculations deduce November 2008 is past the 3 year warranty (Of Course!).

Total pending charges $450

Now I remember that I have a home warranty, does it include garage door openers? It does! It will only cost $60 for repair/replacement!

Total pending charges $184

Rachel comes home for lunch to give me a jump, my car that is ;) Drive to Sears and find the battery is still mostly dead. Unfortunately Billy Crystal is out of potions. Good news though, after prodding the sales guy they prorate the cost because of the 100 month limited warranty (thanks Sears). New battery will now cost $63!

Total pending charges $123

Walk around the mall (man, it has changed) and find a used copy of Bust-a-move for the Wii for just $19! Receive a call from the Sears guy, found a screw in my tire (same tire I just replaced last month). It will cost $18 to repair, $100 to replace. Great.

Total pending charges $151-223

Get back to Sears and the screw didn't hurt the tire, no charge!

Total pending charges $123

So, my Friday definitely had some ups and downs but turned out better than it could have been. Plus, the stew turned out great.

To paraphrase a great urban poet; Damn right it was a mostly good day.

Saturday Night's Alright

Well, ladies and gentlemen, this past Saturday night I got into my first (and hopefully last) bar fight. Don't worry, I'm fine and didn't end up in the hoosegow (that word needs to be used more). Here's the story.

Rachel, I, our friends Amy and Scot, Rachel's co-worker Dean, and his friend, went out to the bars for a night out. We first went to Coconut Louie's where there was a $7 cover for some death metal band. The bar was cool aside from the music. It is co-owned by the guy who owned Paulie's, which used to be Lizard's Lounge.

We then went to Shooter's for some more drinks. Although we thoroughly enjoyed the Baby Boomer Meat Market, we decided to visit Fat Jack's. This is where the fun started.

We were sitting near the bar when a guy rushed by and bumped into me. No biggie, he was in a rush to the dance floor. About 20-30 minutes later Rachel and Amy go out for a smoke (this will come into play in the story). So, I'm sitting there talking to Scott and Rachel's friend when the same guy bumps into me. I look up and he's standing there with that "I'm drunk and I think you have slighted me at some point in my life, I must now fight you" look. Drawing on my bar hopping experience I quickly deduce this guy is itching for a fight because:

He's picking on me
He's zombie drunk (no light behind the eyes)
Instead of continuing his path after bumping me, he decided (or the liquor decided) to stand there

Now, before anyone thinks I'm being egotistical about the first reason, let's think about it for a second. Regardless of what the outcome could be, maybe he's a tazmanian devil and would kick my ass, he's still got to be a little gone if he is going to pick on me from sight alone. I'm not a small man. But, I digress. So, upon running through the reasons for his behavior in my head, I stand up because I'm not taking a right cross to the head while seated.

Now this is where things speed up. Upon standing the guy asks if I have a problem. I inform him that he is the one who bumped into me. All I get is drunken gibberish to which I give him the universal sign to hit the road (my thumb pointed to the side). I repeat this sign language (as he is on a base level of communication) several times only to receive gibberish again. After my attempts to communicate with him (short of drawing pistures with crayons) I notice him tense and his eyes narrow. This is when fight or flight kicks in and I push him into the waitress rail to create separation. Drunk guy then regains his balance and launches a drunken cowboy punch which I easily duck and then return with a headlock (because I don't want to sort this out downtown). Just when I have him in the headlock I'm blindsided from the right. After thoughts of elbowing run through my head I quickly deduce it is a bouncer because if it was drunk guy's friend it would have been a punch. I relax, the bouncer leaves me, I then get to witness a beautiful sight.

Drunk Guy either tries to run to the back exit or is hustled that way by about 5 bouncers who proceed to introduce Drunk Guy to the side of a pool table. The bouncers then start taking him out front. On the way Drunk Guy tries to slip away or fight some more. Regardless of the intent, the bouncers then pig pile him into the floor. From there, Amy and Rachel fill me in on the rest of Drunk Guy's night. Apparently when the bouncers got him to the door Drunk Guy got to see the side of an SUV up close and personal head first, along with some goodbye punches.

The bouncers tried to escort me out until Dean and the bouncer who tackled me inform them I was not at fault.

So, it was a very eventful night. The last time I was in an actual fight, and not a stare down, was Junior High. Hopefully I can space out the next one for at least another 20 years.

Ups and Downs

Got to experience the joy of home repair Saturday. My garage door opener crapped out oh, about two or three months ago. So, yes, I haven't been parking in the garage during that time. And yes, I haven't kicked my procrastination yet. Besides, if I did, I wouldn't be Mike anymore...

Anyway, I called around for estimates to repair/replace the opener. I found out that since I didn't have the electronic eye on the door (to prevent killing my non-existing progeny) I would basically have to replace the opener at a cost of $300+ with installation! I asked if there was another way around it and was told that my Sears Craftsman opener had a habit of stripping the plastic gears inside (more on that later) and there was a repair kit I could buy for $45. While mulling over whether to repair or replace (for two months, I like to contemplate) I stumbled upon the kit online for $15 plus shipping and handling. Sold!

Now onto the repair. It wasn't the easiest thing to do but through much hammering (locking pins definitely lock) and adjusting I finally got it repaired. As for the plastic gears, they are most definitely plastic because I found about two handfuls of plastic powder upon opening the box (that's what she said). I must say I am perplexed as to why Sears Craftsman would use plastic in their gear boxes. The metal equivalents could only cost $5 more. I'm sure there is a valid reason but I'm inclined to think it is to perpetuate the replacement kit market.

Amber Bock

Just wanted to update that I now have Michelob Amber Bock on tap and it is tasty.

The last keg was Goose Island 312. Apparently, it was popular because the keg (1/6 th barrel) went dry 2 1/2 hours into the Halloween party.

Thankfully this time I didn't have any problems with tapping the keg. The 312 gave me problems because the check-valve ball was blocking access to the delicious nectar known as 312. The keg before that was Hofbrauhaus Original and I got to find out first hand that there are many different types of keg couplers. Apparently the Marshal Plan didn't include requirements that the Europeans use the same tap system as North America.

As an asside, I highly recommend Budget Liqours for your keg needs. They are always friendly and Chris the owner can get just about any beer you want. After obtaining the HB keg he will have my business for quite some time.

The Furious Wiper

I would like to introduce the world to The Furious Wiper. TFW (as I like to call him) is a guy who occasions the men's room in my building. The reason I call him TFW is because if he is utilizing the WC at the same time as you, you will undoubtedly ask yourself, "What the heck he is doing?" My guesses from the sound:

• Sanding his son's pinewood derby car
• Practicing his scratching for his second job as a DJ
• Using those blocks from elementary school music class
• Rubbing out stains on his shirt with a Shout Pad
• He's a member of Opus Dei and he has sinned; therefore, he must punish himself

Anyway, to steal from George Carlin, these are the thoughts that kept me out of the good schools.

Finally!

Yes, I know it is almost a week after the event but I must say I couldn't be happier with the outcome of the presidential election. You might say I drank the kool-aid and asked for more. I honestly believe Obama will take our country in the right direction. My only hope is that the public and press don't expect magic. Our nation (and the World) is in a huge mess and it will take a while to get out.

Anyway, I was watching the coverage election night and at one point CNN had live coverage of people outside the White House celebrating. I thought to myself, "Self, if you were outside the White House, what chants would you try to get the crowd involved in?" Well, here are the ones I thought of;

Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye - I know, very obvious choice
Pack your bags
Enjoy your legacy, clap clap, clap clap clap
Back to Texas, clap, etc
Bet you want a drink, Bet you want a drink - I know, I'm mean
Bet your father's proud, Bet your father's proud
We didn't cheat, We didn't cheat - Someone may have to explain to W this is in reference to 2000
Don't stay in touch, Don't stay in touch

So, to sum it all up, I'm pretty happy that Obama was elected. Also, it's a good thing I wasn't outside the White House...

Mike

1st Post

Welcome everyone to the first post on my new blog. I thought this would be a good way to let friends and family catch up on our exciting lives. I'm sure it will also offer a fantastic avenue for my friends to crack jokes on me.

My goal is to update the blog at least once a week. Remember, that's my goal. Stay tuned for outlandish and torrid tales in the future. Or, at the minimum, irrational rants about insignificant events.