Christmas

Christmas was pretty good this year. Jill and I had our own little Christmas a few nights early. We lit the tree and turned out all the house lights. We set up each others stockings and exchanged gifts. We each got a bunch of great gifts this year and the moment itself was so special. It was a great night!

I didn't get to see my brother Brian, as he is home in Virginia, getting ready to go back out to sea. I didn't get to see my brother Keven, as he was with his friends. His two best friends were getting married and my brother actually got ordained a Reverend and got to perform the wedding on the 26th. I also didn't get to see my sister Sarah. She works at a ski resort in Park City and had to be to work at six in the morning. It was really weird not to see them, but I'm sure it will only get worse as we all get older.

I spent the night at my in laws house. They are great people and always make me feel welcome. I was surprised that they got up at six in the morning to open presents. All the kids are grown up, but the excitement was there and we all tore into our gifts. They were very sweet to Jill and I and gave us too much.

Later on we went and saw my Father, Wendy, my brother Zach and my sister Katie. It has been a tough year with my family and I. I love my family dearly, but I always seem to put my foot in my mouth and get myself into trouble. I was nervous to go over there, but as soon as I walked in, it all went away. Wendy and my Dad made me feel very welcome and they spoiled Jill and I too. It was very special for me to be there. I miss not seeing them as much as I'd like too. It was nice to try to put this summer behind us to move forward.

After that Jill and I found ourselves eating some Chinese food at a local restaurant. I thought about the movie A Christmas Story and sang "Fa ra ra ra ra" in my head the whole time. After we ate we unpacked all of our goodies at home and just sat and rested for a few hours. After that I took Jill to Anniversary Inn for her Birthday. Her B-Day is the day after Christmas, so I always try to spoil her on that day since she "only" gets goodies once a year. The Inn was nice as always and it was special to spend the night alone with my favorite person.

Christmas was pretty good to me.

Charlie

This is our Puppy Charlie.

We have had him for about two months now. He is such a good boy. He has done very well at potty training, yet gives you a silly look if you ask him to "come here". He is a sweet boy and loves to cuddle under the blankets at night. It is very curious and playful. He is perfect for Jill and I.

Fantasy Sports Update

So I just finished my first season of Fantasy Football. My team, Team Voltron, won the League Championship!!! I am the number one geek!

Jason Bay made my day!

The New York Giants controlled their own destiny to make the post season. All they needed to do was beat the Panthers in their final game at Giants Stadium, and then try to knock of the Vikings in Minnesota. The Panther game was suppose to be the easy one, and the Vikings game was suppose to be the struggle. Well, the Giants stunk it up in one of the worst played games I have ever seen. It was horrible. They got destroyed. No post season. Bye bye Eli. Have a nice summer.

I had to give up my Jazz season tickets this year. My new work schedule made it impossible to go to any games. However, I try to catch some games on TV and I always check the box scores. And just like always the Jazz are hanging around in mediocrity. They win games they probably shouldn't and lose games they should easily win.

But for now I have a lone bright spot in my sporting world. The New York Met's just signed the former Boston Redsox All Star, Jason Bay. This is a huge move as Bay is probably the best position player available this off season! This will give me plenty to cheer for. That is until the Met's take the field and lose like always! :)

Sport Fans

Sport fans are crazy people.

We grew up watching sports with our fathers and friends. We played them outside with other kids from the neighborhood. As we tossed the baseball to each other we would imagine we were Wade Boggs or Kirk Gibson. When we'd shoot hoops we'd pretend to be Magic Johnson or Karl Malone. When we'd play football we'd claim to be Lawrence Taylor or Joe Montana. We looked up to these men. We wanted to be like these men. They were our hero's!

Then we grew up. Well, I say grew up in its loosest sense. All of us "grown up" fans are just a little bit crazy. You'd have to be a little bit crazy when cheering for a team (that plays 2,000 miles away) and when they lose a playoff game you slap a bowl of Doritos up in the air, spilling them everywhere, while dropping curse words that would make George Carlin blush. Yeah, that was me. Damn Met's.

You have to be a little crazy to be almost 30 years old and you still wear jerseys of famous players around outside anywhere that is not the arena. It is also a bit crazy to be so emotionally involved in a team that you get sad or angry when they lose and you are brought to tears when they win a Championship. It's crazy to care more if a team wins or loses then the multimillionaire player does of said team. I am guilty of all of this craziness.

But there are a few things sport fans do that are absolutely crazy, that I even find too crazy to take part in. Here are just a few of them:

First off there is "Conspiracy Theory Fan". He's the guy that thinks that the "League" wants HIS team to lose because they want another team to win. This fan also thinks that the refs only make bad calls on his team and that they are out to get him. He thinks his team gets the short end of the stick every time and that the opponent never gets a bad call.

There is "Drunk in Public Fan". He's the guy who shows up to the game early, pounds the booze, and then ends up arrested before or during this game. I see this yahoo almost every game I go to, especially football games. Nothing like paying $75 on a ticket, only to spend the night in jail.

Let us not forget "Wanna Fight? Fan". Sometimes he is also "Drunk in Public Fan", but surprisingly he is also known to be sober. This fun fellow wants to throw down with any other guy that doesn't support his team. You probably know this guy. He could be your brother, or a coworker. You get along with him well. But if you were ever at a sporting event and, God forbid, you cheered for the Red Sox instead of the Yankees, dude is freaking out and now wants to challenge your manhood with fists. Quite the pleasant fellow.

One of my least favorite has to be "Bandwagon Fan". Ugh, this guy really drives me crazy. This guy grew up wearing Cowboys stuff. Then he started wearing Green Bay. Next Broncos, then Patriots, and now he wears Colts stuff. He lives in every single town across the country. He has never left his home town, but is somehow a Yankees and Lakers fan. Salt Lake is full of these dolts. He has never ventured outside of his "ward" but he hates the local teams with a passion, all the while claiming to have always loved the Lakers and all of their Championships. He can't tell you the staring rotation of the Yankees, let alone the difference between the Bronx and Brooklyn, but he knows he bleeds Yankee blue. Local college football programs are a joke to him, and even though in Utah this guy is usually Mormon, he rocks his Notre Dame shirt with pride. These fans are the reason All-Star games are filled with big name, under-performing guys, and it bores the hell out of the rest of us.

These are just a few of the different crazy fans out there. There are so many types, and many guys cross over into a few types. As for me, I'd be "Always wears Jerseys" and "Too Emotionally Invested Fan". It's funny that all this nonsense started because when we played the game with our friends, we wanted to be just like our hero's. I guess the next generations won't have the same problem as mine. They are too busy playing Madden on the Xbox, then playing football in the streets...

San Francisco, through Jill's eyes

I wanted to write a blog about my trip to San Francisco tonight, but I'm tired and recovering from a cold I got out there. So for now, go check Jill's blog out. She's put up some pictures and has some notes about them. I also put up a bunch of photos on my facebook that you can check too.

Here I sit...

Just watched the Pacquiao/Cotto fight tonight. Pacman dominated the entire fight on his way to a record seventh title win in seven different weight classes. He's a beast. I hope they can hammer out the details and get him in the ring with Money Maywether.

Still battling a slight cold. I feel bad for Jill as she has it really bad, but in the same breath I am happy mine is minimal. Though it would be nice to spend a few days at home with Jill.

So just for the sake of it, I shaved my face. All the way. Gotta say it is a scary sight. My chicken gizzard is getting out of control. I really to to focus on staying in better shape. My under chin is so big, it may require it's own zip code for my face... Yikes!

Anyhow, I hope the three of you that actually look at this blog liked my Top Ten Video Game post. I plan on doing the 1990's post relatively soon.

Top Ten Games of the 1980's

I was born in 1980. The video game explosion happened during my childhood and I was hooked instantly. My Grandfather had a Commodore 64 computer system, and this is the first system I remember playing. It was fun. It had the basic games of the time (Pac-Man, Load-Runner, and my favorite at the time, BC Quest For Tires), and it was fun to play for a bit. I played arcade games back then too. My daycare center had a tank simulator and a Kangaroo game where you punched out naughty monkeys. All this was ok fun, but I didn't fall in love with games until 1985 when a babysitter I had named Roxanne bought her kids a Nintendo Entertainment System. I played it once at her house, and I was hooked! So with that, let me start my list with a few Honorable mentions.

Honorable mentions: Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Bubble Bobble, Excite Bike, Castlevania, Mega-Man, Metroid, and Frogger.

Now let the TOP TEN begin!:
10. Double Dragon II - The Revenge
NES 1989

Double Dragon for the NES was a good game, but it lost much of what the arcade game had going for it, including co-op play. Double Dragon II fixed this problem by adding back the co-op play and had an impressive level up system that added new moves including the famous cyclone spin kick. This was 8-bit, side scrolling, button mashing at its best. The levels were fun and challenging. Billy and Jimmy Lee kicked ass and took names. Watch out Abobo, you're next!

9. Super Mario Bros 2
NES 1988

If you have followed the Super Mario Brothers franchise at all, you've noticed that the game play of SMB 2 is completely different from the rest of the side scrolling platforms. The level design is different. You can play as characters other then Mario and Luigi. Plus all the baddies are different, as King Koopa is nowhere to be found. The reason for this is that it really isn't a Super Mario Bros game at all. The game was released in Japan as Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic. It had a completely different cast off hero's, but other then that it was the same game. Here in America they gave the game a face lift by replacing the original stars with Mario, Luigi, Toad, and the Princess. This game worked so well with the great level designs and because each of the hero's had special abilities to beat these levels. Mario was the all around guy who was good at everything, but great at none. Luigi could jump very high and long. Toad was very fast and could pick up things fast as well. The Princess could float for short periods of time, but took a long time to pick things up. In Japan they released a true Super Mario Bros sequel that looked very much like the first game. It was later released in the US for the Super Nintendo and was titled "The Lost Levels".

8. Shinobi
Arcade and Sega Master System 1987

My first favorite arcade game. I used to sneak quarters from my Mothers "hidden coin box" to go play this at the Circle K gas station. Yes, I stole money to play Shinobi. This game is based around a Ninja named Joe. Yep, Joe. He was saving kidnapped children from the evil organization called the Zeed. With Ninja stars for long ranged attacks and swords for close ranged attacks, you make your way across five levels and a roll of quarters. Luckily I got a Sega Master System and this game, so I no longer had to borrow quarters from Mom. Do not play this game on the NES, as it is a sluggish port that doesn't do it justice. You can buy the Sega Genesis Hits game for the XBOX and this is included as a bonus game.

7. Contra
NES 1988

Contra is the 80's in game form. Think of all the crappy 80's Stallone and Schwarzenegger movies and package them together with our GI Joe like hatred for other countries and you have Contra. This game was first an arcade game that was solid, but the NES version eclipsed its big brother. When you think of NES co-op game play, you think of this game. You controlled either the red dude, or the blue dude, and ran across levels spraying gun fire at any and everything. Nothing like letting off the spray gun at enemies running straight at you. The music was fun and amped you up the whole time. Oh, let's not forget to mention the CODE. Yep, if you played Nintendo, you know the CODE. UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, B, A. This code gave you so many lives that you could run through the game not worrying about dying and just cause havoc. Classic game.

6. Ninja Gaiden
NES 1989

Man, was this game hard. I'm not just talking 1989 hard. It's still 2009 hard. You take the roll as Ryu Hayabusa, the hero of this game on his journey to fight an evil cult leader bent on reviving the ancient demon called "Jashin" and the one responsible for the attack on Ryu's father. This game is credited as the first to have cinematic cut sceens, which is now a video game staple. This series is so popular that they still make games for the XBOX 360 and PS3 today.

5. Tecmo Bowl
NES 1987

Sports games weren't always good for systems. Matter of fact, before Tecmo Bowl and Baseball Stars (1989), sports games were very primitive. Team A VS. Team B. Poor mechanics, and bad graphics. Tecmo Bowl helped change all of this. The game featured 12 teams that represented real life teams. The game lacked an NFL license, so the New York Giants were just New York. However, the NFL players association licensed the game and it featured real players for the first time. Joe Montana, John Elway, Lawrence Taylor, and Bo Jackson, to name a few. The game only featured four plays, and was more arcade then simulation style. A perfect example was how unstoppable Lawrence Taylor was on kicks, as he could block everyone if you ran right at the long snapper. Bo Jackson and Walter Payton were damn near unstoppable! A few years later, Super Tecmo Bowl was released and topped everything about this game, including having every NFL teams and a full NFL license! I'm sure you'll see it in my 1990's list.

4. Mike Tyson's Punchout!!
NES 1987

I feel kind of dirty having this game so "low" on my list. This game was played so much, I have every detail memorized and I can still play it today and kick ass! Matter of fact, I still do play this one on my Wii download. This game maybe a boxing title, but it is more of a time based, memorization and reflex game, then a sports title. You'd have to memorize the punches and moves of your opponent and time your counter just right. The game follows Little Mac on his journey to be a World Champion. It takes you through many memorable fighters including; Glass Joe, Piston Honda, Bald Bull, King Hippo, and of course the Champ, Iron Mike Tyson. Well, that is if you nabbed a copy before he went to prison. If not you get a white guy version named Mr. Dream to battle. I still have the code memorized that lets you skip ahead and battle Tyson; 007 373 5963.

3. Tetris
NES 1987

"Mom, will you please stop playing Tetris, so I can have my Nintendo back?", is an actual phrase I said a lot as a kid. This is the puzzle game that trumped all before it, and is the measuring stick for all that followed. Instead of explaining Tetris, since I assume everyone has played it at some point in their life, I'll touch base on the controversy around the Nintendo versions. Nintendo had a lockout device in all of their systems that only played official Nintendo games. In 1988 an Atari publisher named Tengen developed an override to the lockout system and released their version of Tetris. You may have seen a Tengen cartridge, they were the sleek, black ones. Well, Nintendo quickly sued Tengen as Nintendo had the exclusive rights to the game in America. The game was quickly pulled, but there are still many out there, Most people like the Tengen better because it had multi player that Nintendo lacked. I owned both at one point, and I liked the Nintendo version better for the music. Hey, I was 7.

2. The Legend Of Zelda
NES 1987

The Legend Of Zelda starring Link? Yep, you're not even Zelda. She's the princess you are out to save. You take the roll of the protagonist Link, a young man from Hyrule. You set off in a massive world full of enemies, dungeons, fairies, and weapon upgrades. Games back then were played in one sitting. Some had codes you could enter to skip to different levels. Zelda was the first game to use a battery backup to save your game, so you could pick it up later, right where you left off. Back then there wasn't the Internet to help you out. You had to know a kid who knew where to go. I knew Tony. He was a little Hispanic kid from West Valley. He was two years my junior, but he knew how to get through the graveyard, so he was a valuable asset. This game has spawned many sequels that are all classics in their own right, except the Panasonic 3DO titles Nintendo sub-let, but that is another story. Zelda's RPG/action adventure title was mind blowing at the time, and a true video game classic. The music is still hummed by fat, 30 year old's around the world.

1. Super Mario Brothers
NES 1985

Duh. Like it could be anything else. The first game I played at Roxanne's home was this title. Wow, was it mind blowing. This game is the quintessential platformer. Mario is now a cultural icon. You start off in the Mushroom Kingdom as one of the Mario Bro's. First player is Mario Mario, and player two is Luigi Mario. Yep, that's their names. Anyhow, you make your way across the Mushroom kingdom to save Princess Toadstool from the evil Koopa King, later known as Bowser. You collect coins for extra lives, mushrooms to turn you into "Super" Mario, flowers to turn into "fire" Mario, and stars to turn invincible. You battle goombas, koopas, and other baddies across what is known around the world as the perfect side scrolling adventure. I have played this game so many times I can beat the whole game in under 5 minutes without dying. True story. Ask David!

PS, did you know that Mario's fist name in Japan was Jumpman, but was changed to Mario in America because he looked the Nintendo of Americas landlord named Mario Segale.

Thanks for reading what I consider the best games of the 80's. In due time I'll make a list for the 90's.

Top Ten Lists Cometh

At the urging of a friend I am going to put together a top ten list of what I consider the best video games off all time. But to do this, I really need to rack my brain. I do not want to leave off a worthy title, just because it isn't on my mind at the moment. So to make sure I give proper consideration to the 2D titles of yesteryear to go along with the massive 3D games of today, I am going to make a few lists. First off I am going to make a list of the best games of the 1980's since that is when I fell in love with them. Then I will make a list of the best games of the 1990's and then the 2000's. After I make those I will compile the top ten all-time list based off of what theses games have done for gaming, the cultural impact, and based off just how I feel about cause this is my list! So keep your eyes open and the list will follow very soon...

Fantasy Sports

I've always thought fantasy sports were silly. I never understood them and never gave it a try. But after playing Mafia Wars on facebook for a little bit, the thought of another "game" I could play for just a few minutes at a time might be fun. So I joined a football league on NFL.com. I am having some fun with it so I thought I'd start and basketball league for some friends and family at ESPN.com. Should be pretty interesting and fun. Let's just hope my wife doesn't kick my butt too much!

Is this real life?

Do you ever feel like you are still a kid and the world is full of grown ups who understand what the world is all about? Do you feel like you are lost, and just kind of making it up as you go? If so, then you think as I do.

Sometime I feel like there is suppose to be some big eye opening "AH HAH" moment when everything comes together and makes sense, yet it never comes.

I am very happy in my personal life. My "professional life" leaves something to be desired, but all-in-all I am very happy.

However, I look at my Dad and I see a guy who has it figured out. He understands the world. He knows how to fix everything. He is big and strong. He can grow a beard with more than six hairs. He is a man.

Then there is me. I do not look "manly", I just look like a fat kid. I can't fix anything. I'm rather average and not very imposing. I feel like a 29 year old kid.

When will I feel like an adult? When will everyday life feel "normal" and when do I stop feeling lost? When will this silly world and my purpose in it make any sense? I thought by 29 I'd feel like an adult and I'd have things figured out, but inside I feel like the same kid that went to Hunter High 11 years ago, just 60 lbs heavier.

In My Life

A Beatles Song for Jill ;)

There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed,
Some forever, not for better,
Some have gone and some remain.
All these places had their moments,
With lovers and friends I still can recall,
Some are dead and some are living,
In my life I've loved them all.
But of all these friends and lovers,
There is no one compared with you,
And these mem'ries lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new.
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more.
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more.
In my life I love you more.

Beatlemaina

I am obsessed with the Beatles. I can't get enough. No matter how hard I try to listen to other music, my ipod finds its way back to John, Paul, George, and Ringo. I'm reading books on the Fab Four, watching documentaries, and youtubing videos like mad. I don't think I have been captivated by something other then my love for my wife like I have for the Beatles. Their genius is unparalleled and the music ages so well. Right now I cannot get enough of "Blackbird", "No Reply", "Two of Us", and "Dig a Pony". If you haven't listened to them in awhile, or you've never given them a chance, I suggest you do! I've converted a few friends, maybe you will become a fanatic too?

XboxLive? More like Xboxdied!

I play Xbox. I play it more then a married 29 year old man should. I also own a PS3 and a Wii. I like video games, it's who I am and I'm not ashamed of it (like I am of my love for pro wrestling, but that's another post). My PS3 and Wii have both given me moments of fun. The Wii is interactive and is good when entertaining. The PS3 has a few great games and offers Blu-Ray movies, which is nice on my 1080p tv. But, by the dust collecting on both those machines, you can tell that I am an Xbox guy all the way. Problem with Xbox 360 systems is the fact that they self destruct. They are the most problematic console in history. Every single person I know has had one die on them. I've had two die now. Xbox knows they make crappy machines and luckily fix a majority of them for free. So, it's cool that they will once again fix my machine for free, but it sucks that I have to go about three weeks without my favorite toy. Even worse is that my wife leaves for a vacation in Denver to see her mother Thursday, and I won't have her warmth and love at home, nor will I have it from my Xbox. Guess I'll have to dust off the PS3...

Vacation Time

So my work finally approved my time off, and even thought it is after my Anniversary which I'll have to work now, it will still be fun. At first a bunch of my friends were going to come with me, but due to different life circumstances they have all dropped out one by one. Right now it's just Jill and I going.

So where are we going? San Francisco to see my best friend David and his family. It will be so good to see them again. I love San Francisco and can't wait to be there with my wife. We are going to go to the 49ers Vs Titans football game while we are there too. I can't wait until then. Also, since I have been dieting it will be nice to be in San Fran so I can cut loose and eat some great Asian dishes! Is it Nov 6th yet?

Dieting is easy, but is sucks

I've lost 12 lbs now in a week just by eating smart. It's not really hard to eat healthy choices because I work in a grocery store and I have many options, it's just that all the yummy stuff is what I can't eat. I haven't had soda in 8 days, which has to be the longest time in my life. All I want right now are some Doritos and a Coke Zero, but no, I must be good....

End of Summer

Well, Summer is coming to a close fast, but I am not to worried. My favorite time of the year is the fall. There is nothing like a crisp, cool fall evening in Salt Lake City. The leaves are orange, the air is clean, and the rain leaves a wonderful smell in the air. I love Halloween. It is my favorite holiday and I'm not big on candy. Death is a huge fear of mine and I think I like Halloween so much because I get to taunt death and make light of it. Kind of silly, I know. I also celebrate my anniversary in the fall. I am married to a wonderful person who completes me. We have a good time together and we make the most if it come fall time. We go to Haunted Houses, do the anniversary thing, usually go on a vacation, etc...

Speaking of vacations, I am trying to get some time off this November to go visit my best friend David and his family in San Francisco. I went last year to see him and he helped me out through a patch in my life that I didn't know how to get through. I may only see him a few times a year now, but we share a life long bond and he will forever mean the world to me. Our family lives have mirrored each other for years and I think God made him my best friend for a reason!

I have just completed week three of my new job. It's hard work and the hours stink, but I feel more accomplished then I did before. Let's just hope I continue to move up so I can get better hours to see my wife lady more often. As much as I complain about working, I am just happy that I have a job that pays the bills. Now, if they'd just approve that vacation time!

9/11 thoughts...

Just watched some documentaries about 9/11 on the History Channel. I don't want to write a long blog and try to do myself proper representation on how I feel right now. I also don't want to be dramatic or too heavy either. I just want to say that my heart is still very hurt and I still feel pain and anger when I think of or see video of 9/11/2001. There will always be two parts of my life. The time before this event and the time after. My brother joined the Navy in 2001 and has spent a good amount of time over seas the past few years and I just want him to know that I love him and am proud of the man he has become. I love my country and I love New York. Life is fragile. Love those around you. Like my homeboy John Lennon said "Give Peace a Chance".

Time is on my side?

It's kind of funny. The song that is playing in the background right now is "Time is on my side". It's funny since this post has to do with the fact that time seems to be anything but on my side. On July 15th I turned 29. This is my last year of my 20's. Good thing Jay-Z says that 30 is the new 20... MY mortality has always bothered me as my mother died when she was 38. My fathers mother died in her 30's. Scary stuff. Speaking of my Grandma...

She died in her 30's of heart disease. I really don't know too much of her as my father has never really spoken of her. Hell, I was a pre-teen or a teenager before I knew that my Grandma Kathy was my Step-Grandma and that I had another Grandma who had passed away. So where am I going with this? My Father has been diagnosed with heart disease. He isn't getting proper blood flow to a portion of his heart, and his heart is "leaking" too. When they were looking into his heart, they caused a blood clot that is in his thigh. The blood thinners he is on are maxed out and is having little effect. It makes me so sad to see that my Superman is in such a weak state. I am terrified too because this is what has killed his mother, along with other Mabeys, and he is above the age of thirty... I have a hard time thinking of anything but this right now.

My job title has changed at work. They have removed all Front End Managers and have created the Night/Service Manager job. Basically this job requires everything I did already, along with all the Assistant Managers job duties, and has me work night shifts. This job is also salaried so hours do not apply. I have to work a minimum of 50, but will almost always be more. So much for my Jazz games this year.

So this has been the summer of stress and no time to stress about it. I will probably use my blog more often now to update my status, and to vent to keep myself from exploding.

Update

So I had my East Coast vacation about a month ago. It was so much fun. We spent our time between Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York City. We did so many cool things from going to a RedSox game at Fenway, Six Flags New England, The Basketball Hall of Fame, Met's game at Citi Field, walking in Central Park, museums, etc... The food was fun, the people were cool, the only thing that sucked is that the weather was kind of sad and gloomy the whole time. But overall, the trip was excellent and I can't wait to go back.

We've been doing a bunch of stuff to turn our house into a home. Jill does a lot of cute things. She does a good job of making things nice!

I am not going on the Tiger Cruise I have been ranting about. The plane tickets were outrageous, and I also have a gut feeling that I should stay close to home for awhile. Luckily my brother Brian is going to try to come back home soon to see us!

I haven't written very much lately as I have been working nonstop. I'll try to be better and write longer, more focused blogs. But for now, this is all I have.

It's been awhile...

I haven't posted on here forever. Blame facebook. Anyhow, I am home early from work today as I feel pretty icky. Working with food and being icky, doesn't mix well. I will be posting on here sometime soon about my vacation, I just don't have the mental strength to do so now.

Tiger Cruise

So I got approval from my work to take the dates off needed to go on the Tiger Cruise. Keven is coming with me, so it will be nice to have him around on this once in a lifetime experience. I just sent back my paper work to the ship and now the search for affordable flights begin!

Vacation, Raw, Mums, and More!

In two weeks I'll be on the East Coast! We start the trip in Connecticut, travel to Boston for a few days, then we go down to New York City! This trip will be amazing!

Just saw WWE Raw Live yesterday. Yes I am white trash. Anyhow, the show was fun and I had a great time.

Somehow Andrew and I managed to play another video game (Gears of War 2) for about 7 hours last night. I haven't played that many hours in the past month total, yet I managed to get lost in it last night. Good thing I bought Jill Netflix!

I'm pretty sure Keven and I are going to go see my brother Brian at the end of July. His ship will becoming back to the US for the first time since Feb. They'll port in Jacksonville, Florida and then Kev and I will be able to do the "Tiger Cruise" which will let us go out on the ship with Brian for a few more days until we dock in Norfolk, VA. This should be an amazing experience so hopefully I can pull enough strings to make it work.

Pepsi Max is a yummy diet soda. It has twice the caffeine as regular Pepsi. Take the good with the bad.

Jill is a sweat girl and she is making me a yummy dinner tonight, since I spent my day having people ask "Why are YOU out of Mums?".... This brings me to my next topic....

Why do Utahan's put flowers on EVERYONE'S grave on Memorial Day? Memorial Day is to pay tribute to those who have fallen while service. Yet, every headstone I pass has a billion flowers on it, so either EVERYONE in Utah has served in the Military, or we just can't get enough of those 3 for $12 Mums!

Netflix

NETFLIX IS SUPER SWEET!

Just thought you should know!

E Center and Ticketmaster

All I want to do is go see the WWE show with a couple friends. Pretty simple. However, the E Center sells their tickets through ticketmaster which is the worst ran ticket site ever! I need six tickets to the show. The website will only choose floor seats 25 rows back. These seats suck! The website won't even let you choose another section. It has a "release these tickets" function and that way you can try to grab other seats. Problem is, it only grabs the same damn seats every time!

So I went to the E Center to by the tickets in person. The show has a deal right now that you can get 4 tickets for $99 IF YOU BUY A MINIMUM OF 4! Each seat afterwards is still $25. Pretty simple. However the old wildebeest of a woman at the E Center insists that the promo is for 4 tickets only, even though the website allows you to grab more, the fliers say you can have more, and when I went to PURCHASE them online, I was given the six at the discounted price. She told me that I was wrong and that she knows what she is doing! So she wouldn't sell me tickets. I am so angry I refuse to EVER use ticketmaster or to buy tickets from the stupid old bags that work at the E Center! I am so mad at that old ladies stupidity that I could drop kick a granny.... :)

New York New York & Manny Pacquiao

My last trip to Vegas was such a fun experience. It was so much fun and could have been the best Vegas Trip I've had in a long time if only my wife lady could have made the trip out.

Keven and I made the journey Thursday night after work as the rest of the group (Andrew, his kick ass father - Matt, and Dylan) were planning on coming out Friday evening. We got to town fairly late, especially since I had worked an 11 hour day starting at 4am, so we didn't do much but sleep. We stayed at my fall back hotel, The Stratosphere. This room was actually much nicer then the last room I stayed at, even though the last time I paid more for the "upgraded" room. So day one ended after the long car ride and sleep.

On Friday we got up and went down to the Luxor for some brunch. We then spend the next six hours sight seeing and gambling between the MGM Grand, Hooters, Planet Hollywood, NY NY, and Excalibur. Keven and I got a call from Andrew about 6pm saying they just checked in to the NY NY Hotel. Keven and I grabbed our recently won cash (BLACK 13) and headed back to the NY NY. Andrew's father Matt must be some Vegas high roller. They placed us in a pretty nice room (for free) right next to Matt's suite (free) and gave us a free "VIP" card that let us in the guest lounge and gave us free snacks and such. They also gave us 4 tickets to the Manny Pacquiao VS Ricky Hatton fight for Saturday night, which if you read my last blog is the reason we made this trip! For dinner Matt took us out dinner at Gallagher's, which is a pretty pricey Steak House in the NY NY. We ate like Kings and the rest of them drank like it too. Our tab came back just under $600 w/ tip! Matt covered us all. He was so generous on this trip, and it was real nice to talk to him and to get to know him! The rest of the night was spent on roulette, watching the boys get drunk, and walking miles.

Saturday was fight day! We slept in a little this morning, except Keven, who was up by 6am everyday regardless of how much he drank, or how late he stayed out. He's a machine. We ate lunch at the food court across from the NY NY. I watched my skinny brother put down a Bacon Burger, two Chili Dogs, a small fry, a soda, a slice of pizza, and most of Andrew's Panda Express meal. Yet after I ate my one Bacon Burger and fry, my ass again grew an inch... So after lunch we got our tickets! They were good seats valued at $300 and yet again because of Matt, we went FREE! The boxing event actually started around 2:30pm even though the PPV doesn't air until 6. Andrew and I went as soon as the doors opened and watched all the fights! Keven arrived a few hours later, and Dylan made it for the two important fights.

The Fights. Wow. I'm not a boxing fan by any stretch, but this was so much fun! I had a great time with Andrew watching something that is so important to who he is. During the first under card fight the arena was pretty empty, but slowly the seats were filling. By the end of the night the stadium was rocking! I'd say 80% of the 17,000+ fans were from England. The Champion, Ricky Hatton had the arena packed with crazy fans. They sang all night, even during the other fights. Singing songs to the tune of "Walking in a Winter Wonderland", the Brit's would express their favor of Hatton. They brought instruments and played along. We were surrounded by soccer hooligans. Bad part was that we are all Manny Pacquiao fans and we thought we may get cracked in the head because of the stuff we were screaming! Hundreds of celebrities came to the fight, including names like: Christian Bale, Mike Tyson, Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Michael Strahan (which is another story I'll tell later), and Tony Gonzales to name just a small few. Anyhow, the fights were all cool, but the main event was nuts. Little Manny Pacquiao came out and knocked Hatton on his butt twice in the first round before knocking him cold in the second round. Game over. Good night. We jumped in our seats hurling praise to Manny and jokes and laughs at Hatton and his army of Brits. We all became adopted by the Filipinos as we were like the only 4 white dudes jeering Hatton. This experience was amazing!

The next morning Andrew, Matt, and Dylan headed straight home. I took Keven to Toby Keith's bar. We ate a monster burger, Keven got hit on by the hostess (whom I gave Keven's number too) and made the trip home for ourselves. Keven wanted to speed home without breaking any laws, so he refused to stop. By the time we made it to Salt Lake, he made me promise not to laugh if he pee'd his pants. He made it to my house in time to avoid the embarrassment...Damn! Keven had so much fun, he's going back tomorrow. For me, I count down the days to Boston and to New York City!

Vegas for FREE

A couple of days ago my buddy Andrew came running in to my store. He was jumping up and down and doing a dance that looked a lot like a stick figure caught in a mosh pit. He keep saying "You need to get next weekend off! Tell me you can get next weekend off"! After calming him down some he let me know that his father scored 4 FREE tickets to see the Manny Pacquiao VS Ricky Hatton Championship Boxing Fight at the MGM Grand on May 2nd. Also included were two FREE rooms at the New York New York Hotel (which if you've read my reviews of Vegas hotels, is one that I have yet to stay at). I had to pull some major strings to go as I had already planned to take a few days off to get away with Jill in Logan. Trust me, no matter how excited I am to go to Vegas, I would not have given up the trip with Jill to make Vegas happen! So, just to get an idea of what we were getting for FREE, we looked up the tickets to the fight (which is sold out) and found that tickets run from $3,000 to $150. I'm not sure where we are sitting but as you can see the tickets aren't cheap. I also looked up rooms for that weekend and the cheapest room at NYNY is $250 a night. So take two rooms at two nights and there is another $1,000 in free FUN! I am so excited to see this Championship fight in person! I'm not much of a boxing fan, but Andrew is and he has had me watch a few events with him. Manny Pacquiao is the pound-for-pound number 1 fighter in the world, so I know this is going to be real fun! Thanks Andrew! Oh yeah, my brother Keven gets to come too! The only drawback is that my Jillybean has to work that weekend. She gave me the ok to go, just as long as I don't eat at Mario Batali's without her :)

Grant

April 7th-
It has now been six years since you left us and I still dream about you every night. You made an impact on my life that will always be felt. I loved you like a brother and I always will. Everyone who knew you loved you and we all miss you so much that silly words do no justice. I hope you found the peace you truly needed to find. I love you big guy!

Grant A. Loebel
1980-2003

Jerry Sloan and John Stockton

So I already have to go against my word and attend the next Jazz game. Jerry Sloan and John Stockton were both inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. I am going to attend the Jazz game on Saturday and give Jerry Sloan a very loud ovation! Just because the boys on the team have no heart, it is in no way a reflection on Jerry himself. As for John Stockton, I can not say enough words to describe the impact he had on my childhood. Some kids grow up and have hero's such as Superman, or Batman. I had Stockton and Karl Malone. Anyone who knew me as a little boy and even as the man child I am today, they know that I grew up cheering the greatest point guard in NBA history. Congratulations Jerry and John and thank you for all the sweet memories!

2009 Utah Jazz have NO HEART

As a Jazz fan, I am use to not winning. I'm used to players not wanting to move to Salt Lake. I'm use to being built up, just to be torn down. I'm use to not expecting much at the end of the season.

However, this season has been more trying then others. Michael Jordan broke my heart 12 years ago. Stockton left the game after a first round domination by the Kings. And just a few years ago I watched a Jazz team filled with names like Arroyo, Handlogden, and Giricek, win only 26 games. But even with all that pain, this year has just been torment. This team is filled with NBA All-Stars in Carlos Boozer, Memo Okur, Andrei Kirilenko, and a Super Star in Deron Williams. This team is suppose to be elite, but they are barely good. Injuries have plagued this team all year, and the team, media, and fans alike, used this as an excuse for the poor record on the road. Yet, with all the pieces together, this team still stinks.

The road record I speak of? These guys are 2-16 against teams that are .500 or better. So, against their "peers" they only can beat them away from home 11% percent of the time. Yet, for the most part, the Jazz are the most dominate team at home (no disrespect to the Cavs). The Jazz run at home. They fight. They shoot the ball well. They defend. They play TEAM ball. Yet on the road this team has NO HEART!

It's not just the elite teams that beat us on the road. Out of all the Western playoff contenders, the Jazz have the worst record away from the "Mo-trix". Side note, I call Salt Lake the Mo-trix. It's a play on all the Mormons and the Matrix. Sometimes this place seems surreal. Anyhow....

I just can't take the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde play of this team. Deron Williams is trying too much to prove he belongs with the elite, and in doing so he throws the ball away more than anyone else in the NBA. Carlos Boozer is softer then melting ice cream, on a cloud, covered by kittens, on a giant baby's ass! It is mind boggling how the same guys can beat a team at home by 20, but then lose to the same team when the game is played in a different city, EVER TIME!

In protest of this current Jazz team I am not going to any remaining games this season, nor will I attend the first round beat down that lies ahead. And yes, they will lose in the first round as we will start the playoffs on the road, where they CAN'T win.

It's too bad that these guys can't figure out how to play and to give all these loyal Jazz fans something to cheer for. With the economy the way it is, it is harder and harder for people to pay to go see games, and so I ask, why do we keep investing into men who don't give us their all?

I HATE MLB 09 - Worst Game of the Year!

Oh my GOD this game is garbage. I love baseball. I am an avid video game player. I have bought some version of a baseball game for the past 15 years. Never more have I been so annoyed and frustrated with a stupid baseball game. The pitching is horrible. If you time the release just right, it still doesn't throw the ball where you aimed it. The batting is stupid. The computer AI is unfair. I purposely made a team full of All-Stars and played a team of minor league dudes and I still lost 8-1. Nothing about this game is fun at all. And no, it is not that I just suck at this game, I kicked butt on last years version and I have always been great at baseball games. This one is just flawed and stupid. I have played 10 games now and am 1-9. I will never play this piece of garbage again. I want to SCREAM!!!!!! Damn waste of $60!!!!!!

Fenway Park

Anybody who knows anything about baseball knows that Fenway Park in Boston is hallowed grounds. Fenway Park opened in 1912 and not a whole lot has changed there since. The park is known for its funny shape, small capacity, the green monster, and lately, Championships. This is the same place legends from this game once stood, such as Ted Williams and Babe Ruth. In today's game full of modern stadiums with comfy leg room and perfect views, Fenway stands out from its counterparts. This summer I am making my way to Boston and I just purchased tickets to see the Redsox play the Texas Rangers. I am so excited to spend time in this legendary park. It will be a great experience and I will cheerish the time there. However, my fat butt will probably be happier when it sits in the new, bigger, comfy chairs in the New York Mets stadium, Citi Field that will be in its first season open this year. It will be cool that in a matter of days I'll be sitting in the oldest ball park in the country, and then just days latter, I'll be in the newest!

Top 5 reason I know I'm now OLD

5. I enjoy quiet nights, reading in bed with my cats at my feet over "partying".

4. Everyday I notice a new gray hair on my head, while my beard turns white.

3. The Getto Boyz have less play time on my ipod and Led Zepplin and Fleetwood Mac get more.

2. My 17 year old bagger at work guessed that I was 38 years old. I'm 28.

1. For vacation we are going back East to visit a friend of Jill's and to see Baseball! (No Disney World or Vegas for us this time, just America's past time)

Religulous

Whether or not you believe in God, I recommend you watch this movie. It makes you really question why we do and think somethings we do. Also, it is nice to see Cardinals from Vatican City who admit it is time to change the way we view certain things now that man has a grasp on science. I mean, the Bible was written by men who thought the world was flat and you should be put to death if you eat corn....

It is very funny and I think you should all give it a try.

Random stuff

I've decided to keep my blog as it is another form to keep in contact with friends and family that I don't always see. Plus, if anything I write makes the random stranger stop and laugh, cry, question themselves, or have any impact at all, I guess that is a good thing.

Today is St. Patrick's Day. Even though I have some Irish bloodlines, I really have no desire to do anything festive today. I don't like corned beef or cabbage. I don't like beer, especially those thick, dark, Irish brews. Plus I've never been into the party scene, as large groups of stupid people annoy me, rather then spark fun moments. I usually have to kick someones butt, figuratively or verbally when I'm at a large gathering of intoxicated buffoons....

I got a new phone as the one I had just can't seem to get a connection at my house. Kind of worthless to have a cell phone that doesn't work when I'm home. I bought a Blackberry Curve and so far I am not really sold on it. It's a nice phone with some really neat features, but my last phone, the Samsung Instinct, was just so freakin sweet. Well, at least I get a signal now.

It was nice to see Michelle this past week, even though she brought the wicked cold of Wisconsin, home with her. She left here sick, which is unfortunate, but at least she took the cold weather back with her.

Andrew, who I absolutely adore, in a straight forward - non homoerotic fashion, manged to get me to play Resident Evil 5 with him for about 12 hours...straight... Thank you Jill for not dumping me.

End the Blog?

I have a myspace account that I hardly use. When I first got it, myspace was still in its infancy. It was fun. I reconnected with old friends. I left witty comments on peoples pages. I had so much fun, but then that month ended. Now myspace is boring. I keep it because I don't email and it is a way for me to keep in contact with people that I don't always see. I keep it because I can see new pics of Elijah and his parental units. I keep it to make sure my sister is alive. I keep it to keep tabs on what new pictures and music Adverse is putting out there. So, myspace is boring, but I have my reasons to keep it. Myspace stays.

But now I wonder if I should keep this blog. Only about five people ever read it. My posts aren't as compelling now that I am happy. They made for good reading when I was sad. But now my posts have been limited to garbage about my hair or the recent run the Utah Jazz are on. I've thought about just quitting posting and I want to know, does anybody still read this and would they care if it were gone? I might just use myspace to blog if I need to get some thoughts out if this page is irrelevant. Let me know what you think...

My Hair is gone

Utah Jazz and my Vacation

As I've stated on here before, I am a Utah Jazz season ticket holder. Right now the Jazz are the hottest team in the NBA, reeling off wins against NBA heavyweights like the Lakers, Celtics, Rockets, and Hornets. The Jazz have won nine straight games and are finally healthy after having to use makeshift lineups after superstars like Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, and Andrei Kirilenko have all missed major time due to injuries. Now how does this tie in with my vacation, you ask? Well I scheduled my Boston/New York vacation during the month of June. The week we'll be on vacation in June, just happens to be the week the NBA Finals will happen. Now I know it is a small chance the Jazz will make the finals, it is still a possibility. I will feel like the biggest ass if my Jazz, the team I pay X amount of dollars a year to watch, make the NBA Finals, and I am not here to watch it. Ouch...

CBS Sports is unAmerican

So to all that know me well, you know that I am into sports. I love them. I love watching them. I love reading about them. I love to blog on the Internet about them. The majority of the people I hang out with, do not share my passion. Andrew likes boxing, but that's about it. Brian LOVES the Utah Jazz and goes to all the games with me, but knows little outside the NBA realm. David, just doesn't care. So since I can't debate sports with them, I have been blogging on CBS Sports since Feb 2007. I've had a good time there and have had some heated moments. It has all been in fun and I've loved it. CBS Sports is the most viewed web page on my browser, but this will now change.

This site lets you have avatars. I've had many from MC Hammer, to Karl Malone, the Jazz logo, the New York Giants, the Mets, Will Ferrell, and so on. The latest avatar I've used has been the logo for the USS Dwight D Eisenhower Aircraft Carrier, that my brother Brian is stationed on. I've had this avatar up for about 5 months. Well recently, CBS has changes their avatar rules, along will countless other rules on this site. They sent me an email stating that my avatar doesn't fit the policy. They say it is offensive. WTF? What is offensive about the ship my brother lives on? Last I checked, CBS is an American company and the USS Eisnehower is out in the Arabian Sea defending this country. How dare those computer geek bastards tell me that my photo is offensive. They deleted other guys avatars too that includes women in bikini's, yet the front page of CBS Sports has their own link to their "Spin" section which includes the Maxim Magazine monthly hottie and other half naked chicks. The hypocrisy makes me boil.

Out of protest and to honor my brother out to sea, I will no longer use that account to discuss sports. Espn has one. ABC has one. FOX has one. I will use one of these sites to destroy kids in sports knowledge and will not blog on CBS (Communist Broadcast Station) again.

As the mullet grows...

Bandwagon fans part II The Celtics

Oh man. My buddy Matt Calacino has been a Celtics fan for years. He'd go to Jazz games with me during all the losing years the C's have had over the previous 10 years, just to support his guys. He was one out like 10 people in an arena that holds 19,911, to wear the Celtic green. Now that the C's have won their first title since the 80's, the arena was jam packed full of these bandwagon/fairweather idiots. All night long they mocked the Jazz. Yelled, talked trash, and were just plain annoying. Well, guess who got the last laugh? The Jazz pulled out the come from behind win, and sent these bandwagon idiots packing. Boy did I let them have it too. Lot of things I won't repeat on my blog :)

Hahahahaha GO JAZZ!!!!

Laker fans and CBS sports

Every once in awhile I get on CBS sports website and talk on the message boards. I like to argue sports. I write on this site as voltron183. That also happens to be my Xbox live log in if you ever want to get beat at Halo. Anyhow, the latest topic we've been talking about are LA Laker bandwagon fans. These people drive me nuts. Anyone who cheers for a certain sports team based on past accomplishments or because they are currently ranked number one, aren't real sports fans. Yes I'm talking to you Laker, Yankee, and Cowboys fans who aren't from any of those cities. Here is an excerpt of my last post:

Lakers fans from California do not bother me at all. Talk your trash. Have fun. Deny that Kobe Bryant is a rapist. Whatever. What bothers me are the bandwagon Laker fans from any other part of the country. You have all these guys walking around their little towns wearing a Kobe jersey with their fitted Yankees cap, talking about how the Patriots are going to win another Super Bowl. This drives me nuts. I am a Jazz season ticket holder and every time the Lakers are in town the arena is about 25% full of Laker fans who have never even seen Southern California. These people need to stop following other people like lost sheep and form an opinion of their own. Every one of them makes me sick that they claim all this Laker and Yankee heratige as their own, yet they have never been to the Bronx or once sat in Staples.

Laker fans, I usually talk more trash to you then to others on this board and it is due to the many bandwagon fools that rep your team. If you reside in California, hell, even Nevada, rep your boys. If you live in any other state and you are a Laker fan and all you've ever seen of California is Disneyland, you are the loser I am talking about....

Friday the 13th

I just got back from house sitting for my parents. They took a trip to Hawaii and Jillian and myself stayed in their home to make sure my 17 year old brother Zach didn't kill my 13 year old sister Katie. It was fun staying there and spending time with the two of them. When I moved out of my parents over 10 years ago they were just little children, so it is kind of cool to see them interact as they are becoming young adults.

Today is Friday the 13th and I know this day holds many superstitions and is suppose to be an unlucky day, but 13 has always been a good number to me. Any of you who know me very well, know that any combination of 1 and 3, with it usually being 113 or 311 has meaning to me. Let me see if I can explain. First off, have any of you ever had a number follow you? I mean, I always seem to glance at the clock when it is 3:11 or 1:13, always, everyday. Not 1:12 or 3:10, but 1:13 and 3:11. When I check people out at Smith's totals always have combinations of 1's and 3's. When I played sports the number I was issued, not chosen was 31. Both my mother and Grandmother (who helped raise me) both had their funeral services on the 3rd at 11am. I got married on 11/3. There are countless ways this number interacts with me daily. You'd have to live my life for a day to see how much these numbers truly interact with me. I've always kind of thought they were my mother and grandmother letting me know they are watching me from above, I know cheesy but that is what I feel. Hell, the only time I win in Vegas is when I drop 13, 11, or 31 on roulette. So the number 13 is a good number for me and Friday the 13th is a happy day in my book. I do wonder though, do any of you see certain numbers constantly? I know that significant stuff always happens to my best friend David at 9:43, so I'm not alone in my number craziness.

Las Vegas 09

For those of you who have followed this blog (all 3 of you), you know that I had a trip to Las Vegas coming up. Well that trip has already come and past. It was a trip that went entirely too fast, not in the sense that I wanted to stay in Sin City, just in the fact that I was not ready to go back to work. But alas, this silly world we live in revolves around the mighty(?) dollar, and in this economy I should just be happy to have a solid job (I'm a manager in a grocery store and we all gotta eat).

Brian, Rachel, Jillian, and myself all jumped into my Scion XD and took off for Vegas late on a Thursday night after we all worked. We left early instead of the planned Friday morning departure to give us more time to play as we always seem to just nap our first day if we leave early. Since this was not the original plan we did not stay at the MGM Grand this night. We stayed in an "upgraded" room at the Stratosphere. If you read my blog in which I review all of the hotels I have stayed in down in Vegas, you know that this is my fall back hotel. Always solid. Well, this "upgraded" room and exactly the same as their standard rooms, except for the bedspread. That was it. Still, it was clean and we were just staying for the one night. We arrived at the hotel around 11pm and for some reason they only had two people working the checkout line and had a line a mile long. I waited in the line while Brian made a new best friend with some drunk guy who kept yelling weird things and telling lame jokes. Brian gave plenty courtesy laughs to the fella. This was the extent of our fun at the Stratosphere.

The next morning we all woke up and took off for breakfast/lunch at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. We always seem to make a stop here as the food is good and the atmosphere is fun. After that we checked into our room at the MGM Grand. The room here was nice. The beds were soft. The hotel layout was nice. Everything about the place was great, except for the drunk gaggle of dumb girls who had rooms down the hall. Every night these drunk girls would come slamming down the hall yelling, crying, laughing, hell they even breathe loudly. It took everything thing in my power to not run out at night and beat them down with my verbal assaults. As I write this right now I am searching for clean words to describe them, instead of the four lettered ones that come to mind. Anyways, Friday night was spent eating our weight in Japanese dumplings and shrimp at the Mirage. After gorging there we went to see the Beatles Love show. I have seen this show before and I love it (no pun). However, when I sat in my seat, I sat in a puddle in which I hope was just spilt soda. Brian thinks it's fat guy under butt sweat. Dear god. The hostess brought me a towel to sit on and I enjoyed the show non the less. Brian however, full of Prim Rib and seafood, found the music calming, the temperature too warm, and the lights dark, and had one expensive nap.

The next couple days were spent relaxing. Gambling, in which I never won anything. Walking the strip. Eating good food, and just having a good time. Speaking of good food, Jill and I had dinner alone one night and at at Enoteca San Marco, by Mario Batali. The food was excellent, I had the Chef's special of the day, which were Pork Ribs in a Blood Orange reduction. Jill had a very good Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza. We shared a yummy cheese appetizer and had an excellent Peanut Butter and Banana gellato. We will defiantly be going back to this place.

Overall this was a very good trip, but I can say that I am a little worn out with Las Vegas. I'm going to take a nice break from this city so the next time I go back it will have some of its allure again. I have spent so much time there in the past ten years, it feels like a second home. Now I just need to figure out where I take my late summer/early fall trip. Do I go to New York? Hawaii? California? Florida? Colorado? Too many places to see, too little money....

My Hair

Ever since 1999 I've kept my hair either buzzed or spiked. It is simple to maintain and I've always thought fat dudes look funny with long hair. I always say I'm going to grow it out to see what I'd look like, but I always give in and shave it bald. Jill told me she doesn't think I'd be able to grow it out and that I'd go crazy, so here I sit with the longest hair I've had in almost 10 years. Who knows how long I'll be able to stand all this hair, but I'll keep growing until I rock my super mullet :) So anyhow, the last picture is of me tonight after only my 2nd hair cut since July, and here's to hoping I can prove Jill wrong and rock some killer "Flock of Seagulls" 'do real soon....

Evolution of the Hair 7/14 - 1/13

Knee Injury Update

So I went to the Orthopedic Surgeon today and had him look at my knee. After pulling and pushing, bending and tweaking, the Dr. told me that he thinks that my ACL isn't the problem and that it actually feels pretty strong. He says the problem is either bone damage as in a deep bruise or fracture, or that I may have a torn meniscus. He then told me he was going to give me a shot in my knee. For those who know me, you know I have a huge fear of needles. But since I am tired of this pain and limping around I told him to "BRING IT ON". The shot consisted of a steroid, an anti-inflammatory, and some pain medicine. It hurt like crazy and now my knee feels heavy and warm, but hopefully it will bring down the swelling. But thanks to the build up of fluid in my knee, when he pulled out the massively long needle, my knee began to "gush" as my Dr. said. Nice, eh? Anyhow, now I play the waiting game. He wants me to wait six weeks and see if the shot and time will heal my knee. If not, or if the knee keeps slipping I'll have to go back and have an MRI to look for meniscus damage. Keep your fingers crossed that with time my knee will heal without surgery.

Brian and Elijah

My brother Brian and his son, Elijah, came home for the holidays. Brian is in the Navy and I only get to see him around once a year. It is always good to see him and I love him more than words can express. He is such a strong man and has been through hell and back and he has never lost his drive or smile. I admire him very much.

Brian and his girlfriend, Marceau, have a beautiful son named Elijah. Brian got to bring Elijah home with him and I got a nice long week to start a relationship with him. He came home for Christmas last year, but was only 1 1/2 at the time, so needless to say he was shy and uncomfortable around this fat kid. But not this year. Every time I'd come home from work he'd yell "Unka MATT" and run around the house, jumping and screaming. We'd watch movies together, play with cars, and we even wrestled to the point that I blew out my knee! But every moment with him was a blast. I love him very much. His Aunt Jill is heartbroken he had to leave as it maybe another year until we see him. Hopefully it will be much sooner.

Other then my knee injury this was the best Christmas ever. We had family members bury the hatchet on some old drama and reunite. For the first time in 10 years with the exception of the awkward moments at my wedding, we had all the Mabey kids in the room together. It was very special.

Brian, if you read this, just know that I am proud of you and all that you have done with what life has dealt you. You serve this country and you do it selflessly. You are loved very much. Take care of Marceau and Elijah and come back soon!