3 Long Days…

I might look chipper now…

Before I get into the meat of this story about my weekend, let me preface it by telling you my ORIGINAL schedule. First, on Friday, I was going to drive to Lexington to prep for the UK mens basketball game that was to air on Saturday for CBS. Our game was at noon so I figured I would be able head home after the game, spend the rest of the evening with my family and then on Sunday hop on a plane and head to Mobile where I am working for NFL Network and their coverage of the Senior Bowl. Suffice to say…my weekend was thrown into a loop when I got a phone call…asking me to work the AFC Championship for CBS on Sunday. So…after much planning and rescheduling…my weekend went like this…

DAY 1 (Saturday): Alabama vs Kentucky (in Lexington, KY)

6:30am – Crew call

Noon – Tipoff

1:15 – My graphics machine locks up and the clock on the scoreboard isn’t working! Gotta reboot!

2:45 – Kentucky defeats ‘Bama 77-71 but there for a second it was looking like overtime (which had everyone who was traveling out that day a little nervous).

2:50 – Follow our police escort out of Lexington to the airport. Our producer was driving and the escort was rolling along at about 90 mph. Needless to say…I’m wide awake now!

3:15 – Board plane for Detroit. Layover for about 2 hours.

7:30 – Plane departs for Boston

10:30 – Arrive in Boston…bags take FOREVER to arrive.

11:30 – Arrive at hotel and in bed by midnight.

DAY 2 (Sunday): AFC Championship (Baltimore @ New England) in Boston

8:30 – In lobby at our hotel

9:00 – Crew call

3:00 – Kickoff

6:30 – New England wins 23-20 when Baltimore shanks a field goal to the left with :07 seconds remaining in the game.

7:15 – Tear out begins and lasts FOREVER…

11:00pm – Back at hotel and asleep by 11:15.

DAY 3 (Monday): The Senior Bowl North Practice Show in Mobile

3:30am – Good morning! In the lobby and heading to Logan International airport.

6:00am – Flight leaves on-time!

9:15 – Arrive in Atlanta and have a coffee.

9:30 – Flight delayed a half hour.

10:45 – All aboard and heading to Mobile!

Noon – Land in Mobile, get my bags, grab a cab and head directly to Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

3pm – Live show on the air. Got most of what I needed done and just in the nick of time!

Needless to say…this weekend was a whirlwind! The Kentucky game was great, the AFC Championship had an unbelievable ending and so far, Mobile has been…well…a little more relaxing (to say the least). That being said, this is just a small sample of my life. It’s no wonder I am constantly feeling like I am a gerbil running in my wheel! But if there is one thing I CAN say…it’s that my life is never boring! So this week I’m in Mobile, then next week? Well…

The Problem Is… (A Political Rant)

So the political world is settling in for the long haul and what will eventually be the nomination of Barack Obama for his second term as President of this great nation of ours. Wait…am I too early calling this? Is there a dark horse out there who can pull the upset? A Republican who can speak from the heart and who is a straight shooter? Or maybe a Democrat that has been hiding in the wings, waiting for the moment to strike when the economy takes ANOTHER bad turn? Or possibly there is a liberal or conservative or independent nominee that we have simply disregarded (again) but who can put together a strong run to the Super Bowl?

Oh wait…I was talking politics.

Or…was I? Because honestly…isn’t politics a lot LIKE sports? You never know what might happen. Polls are released EVERY FREAKIN’ DAY that tell us who has gained or dropped in the polls, polls that were obviously taken by a third party company that has absolutely NO partisanship whatsoever and who counts each and every one of us when we fill out our January 2012 ballots? Wait…you don’t do that?

Huh…me neither.

So where do these “polling companies” get their information? For that matter…where does ANY information come from that is in relation to politics? This is the #1 question I have in regards to politics these days. Not so long ago, we had to rely on a few sources for our information. First we had radio. Then we had the evening news, newspapers and a few political magazines. And now, here in the modern day, we have A GAZILLION sources that range from CNN to MSNBC to Fox to Time to AM Radio political “consultants” to The Daily Show to the local news to blogs to independent internet political sites to…hell…I don’t know…everyone from your neighbor to your mom has an opinion on politics these days. And THAT, in itself, is the problem. There’s TOO MUCH of it. And the more I see of it, the less I like what I see.

Imagine, if you would, that a paparazzi of news cameras followed you to your workplace every day. Eventually the world that is watching would start to see you for who you are. Not that everyone is corrupt, mind you, but I’m pretty sure at some point you’d be caught cussing out your boss behind his/her back, taking snacks from the snack bar without putting money in the “honest payment” box or using such poor language that you would come across as an idiot. This is, essentially, what has happened to politicians. We have so many different ways of watching politics that there is no longer any way of knowing which REAL politician we are watching!

Take for example the recent political debates. Honestly…I didn’t watch. I hate those things and think they are nothing but a second rate attempt at making all of the politicians look like the idiots that they can be. But the few clips that I DID see were obviously edited by whatever news channel I happened to come across and so whichever politician that news company has decided they would look favorably on got a positive soundbite on while the others either got their soundbites edited or didn’t get a soundbite at all or I was shown the ONE soundbite where they slipped up and called someone by their wrong name or forgot that they actually voted FOR something when really they voted AGAINST it 20 years ago. So now I am leaning towards politician #1 because he or she looks remarkably smarter than the other jerks who got busted saying something that the news source considers unworthy of their support.

Or am I? Because then I change the channel and politician #1 is reported to have said something slanderous in an interview in West Virginia (not really but go with me here) when cameras caught him attempting to be witty but instead his remarks, when set up by media company #2 before tossing to the soundbite, came across as pretentious. So now I dunno WHAT to think of politician #1…so I go to politician #2. And politician #2 is a longtime proponent of abortion but has recently seen the truth in his misguided ways so now he is against abortion but FOR more education in schools for sex ed! Except…well…in order to TEACH sex ed in schools requires more money and more money means more taxes and more taxes do not necessarily sit well with people who don’t have kids so….hmmm…guess politician #2 is out.

So then politician #3 goes on the offensive because polls taken by a reputable source (which will remain nameless to protect the purity of such polls) says that NOW IS HIS TIME and so he or she comes out with guns blazing on national television, attacking the views of politicians #4 & #1 and causing some whooping and hollering in the private sector as he slams the raising of taxes of ANY kind and trumpets that America WILL get back to it’s glorious self and the economy WILL turn around and all those homeless children in the poorer sections of our country WILL get the attention they deserve and so let’s go kiss babies and wave flags and WE WILL RISE UP AGAIN!

Blah blah blah.

And so the problem is this…

We already know too much.

We KNOW politics is corrupt on SOME level. Maybe it’s not as corrupt as some pundits would like you to believe but it IS a business being run by the wealthy. We can protest and stage sit ins and cry on television that we are NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE but the fact of the matter is…we ARE gonna take it and we WILL like it. It is entirely out of our control folks. We don’t have a voice really. Well…except for that one time that you get to punch that one ticket and then? Who knows? Not that anyone can SAY that, of course. But it’s all done in board meetings and Senate hearings and Congressional coffee breaks and there really isn’t a voice for ONE particular issue. They all revolve around each other. From the economy to our education system to the lack of monetary backing for housing for the poor to the military being sent to “assist” other countries from being invaded to who the hell knows what other topics but they are ALL involved in some degree. There are only so many hours in a day and there are only so many ways to approach so many issues and there are only so many ways that politicians can skirt the issues before they resort to the tried and true pressure points that seem to distract Americans more than any other issues that are ACTUAL issues and those are ABORTION RIGHTS and GAY MARRIAGE. You put a politician in the hot seat and bring up those 2 issues and they salivate and you know why?

Because they can use those 2 issues against you, that’s why. Doesn’t matter who you are you have an opinion on those 2 issues. You are a heterosexual male in New Mexico? You care about those issues. You are a teenager in Kentucky? You care about those issues. You are a homeowner in Omaha? You care about those issues.

Why?

I have no idea. Truthfully, I find it absolutely ridiculous how abortion and gay marriage STILL, to this day, seem to have an affect on ANYONE other than women and homosexual couples. Personally, I am more concerned with the fact that over 1 million people lost their homes last year (according to The Utopian. Is The Utopian a reliable source? Hell…I don’t know. It came up first in a Google search!). What happens to those families? I don’t care if they are gay families or if they have recently had an abortion in their family I just want to know…what happens to them? Where do they go? They are Americans, trying to live in America and are now out on the street or living SOMEWHERE. Where? I don’t know…but I hope they are okay out there, living under our bridges that are in dire need of repair but we can’t find the federal funds to take care of them so they are crumbling while the state attempts to raise taxes so that they can fix them and make them up to code.

Am I rambling here? Absolutely. And so are the politicians. They are all just biding their time. In all fairness, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that 99% of all politicians got into politics so that they could make a difference. I believe every President, every Senator, every Congressman, every delegate, every intern and every person who has ever used their time to go out and support a political candidate has only one goal in mind and that is the betterment of our nation. That being said, there is only so much that can be fixed all at one time. And having so many different sources to pool your information from has got to be overwhelming. I don’t care how brilliant you are, even if you graduated from Harvard at the top of your class, the sheer amount of issues that we collectively have as a country and the millions of voices that DEMAND to be heard has got to be overwhelming! And so you must rely on others to help. And do those others mean to help or hinder certain causes? Is there truly enough hours in a week to attack so many issues without going insane?

I think not.

Truthfully…the idea of a President is to have a spokesperson, someone who stands alone as the voice of our country. But in this day of so many voices, that is impossible. There are SO MANY voices that they are drowning out those who need help and they are drowning out the voices of those opinions that might actually help make a difference. It’s a sad and sorry state we’re in actually and I can’t help but wonder where it’s all going to take us. We’re already trillions of dollars in debt. We’re already behind so many other countries in so many ways. It’s extremely disheartening to see how far our political system has fallen and is now simply a “He Said, She Said” sort of operation.

Can it be repaired? I don’t know. I didn’t graduate from Harvard and I don’t have a degree in politics or social economics. All I know is this…I’m a father of 2 children who I want to see have a chance in this “great” country of ours. We keep proclaiming how outstanding we are but we lag behind in so many ways. It’s unfortunate that we can’t come together collectively like we did the weeks after  November 11, 2001 and take a stand and not forget what really ARE the issues and what really doesn’t matter quite so much.

The election season is upon us and I’m already tired of hearing about it. Aaaaand now I’m gonna climb off my soapbox and keep my political rants to myself from now on like the good monkey that I am…

South Bend, IN

Recently I had the chance to work in South Bend, IN. I really wasn’t expecting there to be much to do however I was pleasantly surprised that there is a lot of local flavor and plenty of photo-worthy places to see, especially on the campus where there were so many famous places to visit which included the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the Grotto. Here are a few photos of my visit…

The Grotto

The Place Where “Rudy” Was Filmed (at sunset)

For dinner, I HIGHLY recommend J.W. Chen’s. For our visit, the owner, Jean, came over to our table and helped us pick our meals. She recommended some great selections and we picked 4 dishes and a couple of appetizers. For MY money, the spicy fish and the almond shrimp were awesome! But I can also recommend the spinach pork and the won ton soup! Excellent food and my co-workers and I were quite content with the entire meal…

Sari & Jean got along wonderfully!

If you’re not in the mood for asian cuisine, there is also Polito’s Pizzeria Restaurant. But I have to warn you…go there with an empty stomach because the portions are OUT OF CONTROL! Get a dish with the vodka sauce (which is unbelievable) and try the homemade salad dressing. The service there was also very good and our waitress was funny and easy to chat with. I can honestly say I probably gained 10 pounds on my 2 day trip to South Bend but it was deliciously worth it! Thanks to Sari & Phil for allowing me to join them on their “foody” dining experiences…

It may not LOOK it…but DAMN it’s good!!!

The Grades Are In Aaaaand…

No Pressure…

They passed! And with flying colors! Christopher nailed all of his classes, getting all A’s except for one English class where he got a B+. And Ava got all satisfactory or better on all of her classes and has made improvement in several areas that she has worked very hard at. Congratulations to BOTH of my kids! They are doing great this year!

Ava Was Happy With Her Grades

 

Konversations With Kids: Christopher’s First Texting Lesson

So for Christmas my kids wanted socks, clothes, makeup and ITouches. If you think something called an ITouch is obscene, it’s not. Essentially it’s an IPhone without the phone part. But other than making phone calls, they do everything an IPhone does. And they aren’t cheap. But Stephanie convinced me that the kids would really, REALLY like one for Christmas so…Santa made the delivery. And so far, it’s been kind of fun having them. The kids text me and send me pictures and today Christopher sent me a video and so it has been kind of nice to see what goes on with them while I’m on the road.

So today Christopher was watching the UC Bearcats bowl game vs Vanderbilt and was giving me a play-by-play when I decided to give him a little advice on his grammar. The following are our texts…

And I didn’t hear anything from him beyond that point…

Hey…just because we’re texting doesn’t make it okay to use incorrect language. Gotta set a precedence at some point…might as well be now! LOL (which means “Laughing Out Loud”…if you didn’t know. That’s “texting speak”…)!

Stephanie Turns The Big…uh…35…no…29…? Eh…It Was Her Birthday.

Please Disregard the Cup…

So this year was THE year. The year that Stephanie had a BIG birthday. It might not have been as big as her 16th or 18th or 21st or 30th or…well…I’ll stop there. Needless to say, we had to celebrate in style so we booked a corner at our favorite local spot and invited 40 or more of our closest friends (although I admit…I kinda screwed up the invites and a couple of people didn’t get theirs. Sorry Rachelle and Kim and whoever I might be forgetting….again.) to celebrate Stephanie’s…REALLY big birthday! Here are some moments…

My accomplice

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Jennie Loves EVERYBODY…

Stella vs The Orka Stick

For Christmas, Stephanie bought both of our little dogs toys to celebrate the holiday season. They got doggie treats and some chew toys and both LOVED their gifts. Stella, however, loved hers a little too much.

According to the packaging, the ORKA Stick is designed to stand up to tough chewing as it massages the dogs gums and enhances dental health. Needless to say, they must not have tested it with a dog like our little Stella because it wasn’t 10 minutes in that she had not only chewed through the toy, but had managed to pull the fun ropes out of it and left little gelatinous pieces of the toy all over our living room!

In this case of “Dog vs Toy,” the dog won easily! But it DID leave her with a nasty case of gas. Phew…

My Family’s Top 10 Best Things About 2011

At Amen Corner At The Masters

2011 was a good year! I dunno if it was a “great” year but for the most part, there were many reasons to celebrate and so…drum roll please…here are MY personal Top 10 things that happened in the year that was 2011 that were…like…totally excellent!!!

10. A Trip To Keeneland
For our 11th anniversary, Stephanie & I took a bus trip with 30 or so of our best friends and gambled on some horses. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time! And winning some money off a horse called “Six Pack Abs” was the capper to our day…

9. 32 Stadiums & Gold Status
It’s silly, I know…but this year I finished up my run of NFL stadiums at the Super Bowl in Dallas. I have officially been in all 32 NFL stadiums now so…I guess I have to set my goal a little higher and shoot for all the major league baseball stadiums now. As for all my travel? I managed to get Gold status on Delta for the 3rd consecutive year which means I worked WAY too much but no long lines and the occasional bump to 1st Class from time to time next year makes it all worth it! Yay for me!

8. Stephora
Stephanie decided it was time to get back into the workforce and she jumped at an opportunity to work at Sephora, a very popular cosmetics store. I’m not sure if she has made a profit at this point but I DO know she gets a decent discount on all their products. I imagine her working there is a lot like if I took a job at ITunes…

7. Spartans Win The Super Bowl
Christopher’s football team rolled along this past winter, losing only 1 game and eventually winning the Midget Super Bowl in our region. #10 wasn’t a starter but when he got on the field, he kicked some serious butt! Here are some highlights of his season…

6. Ava Gets Her Cheer On
For the first time, Ava got to cheer on the Spartans officially as she became a Spartans cheerleader. She LOVES cheering and with the gymnastics classes and the games, she got a lot of practice in and got better & better as the season rolled along!

5. I Won An Emmy
Yeah…I got a statue. And it sits in a corner in our dining room. It’s heavy and has pointed wings that could maim you if you get too close. But it’s a nice gesture for all the years I’ve been doing this and it is an even bigger thrill that my family got to share it with me (and apparently so did my mom’s Bingo friends, my brother’s co-workers, my Dad’s golf buddies, etc…).

4. Vacation In The Outer Banks
Once again we returned to the Outer Banks for fun in the sun. We swam just about every day, played putt putt and ate lots of seafood. And the good dog, Barkley, joined us for our trip! It was a lot of family fun and we appreciate the fact that our relatives own a great home there and let us borrow it for a few days.

3. U2 In Seattle
I made a trip to Seattle this past June with 3 of my best friends to see my favorite band perform in my favorite city in the country. The weather was beautiful, the company was awesome and the show blew my mind! It was a great time and all 4 of us have decided that we are gonna do it again this coming year…in New York City!

2.The Bulldogs Win The Pennant!!! The Bulldogs Win The Pennant!!!
Christopher’s Knothole team cleared the table this year, coming through in some tight moments and winning the best of 2 series finale. It was a great season filled with exciting games, plenty of rain outs and many hours spent with friends. I’m hoping this year is filled with the same (except the rainouts. Those kinda suck.)

1. Stella!!!
As much as I DIDN’T want another pet, it’s hard to deny the personality of our new addition. Little Stella came into our lives and has since become a family member. I can’t imagine life without her and despite my grumblings, she has become very dear to my heart. But Barkley is STILL “the good dog…” LOL!

To add to my year, I’ve also managed to cut back on my nail-biting habit, both of my kids played basketball (Ava for the first time), I had yet another back problem and now my toes are all tingly on my right foot, Ava is still rockin’ the violin and…hmmm…well…that’s about it. But with all of that, it was a VERY full year. Here’s hoping 2012 is maybe a little LESS hectic but just as successful! Happy New Year to you and yours!!!

There’s Something To Be Said For A Guy Like Tebow…

This is one happy guy…

I’ve been working in the sports industry for some time now and I am trying to remember when a player like Tim Tebow has ever come around in sports. I’ve never seen so many people split down the middle about an athlete. You either love him or hate him and there are very few in between. I’m not gonna say either are wrong. As a matter of fact, I’m one of those rare individuals who can see a little of both sides. I don’t hate him nor do I think he’s God’s gift to football (crap…already breaking out the religious tones…) but I have to admit…I am just as fascinated with him as everyone else is. Every sports news source, whether it’s television or radio or newspaper or the internet, is SWARMING all over this guy, relentlessly pursuing his every move, hoping to either see him fall on his face or hoping that he becomes the next big quarterback of the future. For me…I have one thing that I’d like to see from him…

I don’t want him to be a fake.

Here’s the thing about athletes…they are a narcissistic bunch. They seem to have only one thing on their minds once they step foot on a college campus and that is money. Okay…and maybe girls. And possibly tattoos. But for the MOST part…they wanna make money. And they do. They make a TON of money playing sports for a living. Oh, I imagine most athletes and coaches and owners dream of winning a national championship or a Super Bowl…but for the most part, everyone wants to be rich. Now…let’s not kid ourselves…money makes the world go round. We all work for it. Some work harder than others and some are privileged enough to be born in it. Some have to work a LOT harder to get it. In most cases, I can watch a movie like “The Blind Side” or “Rudy” and feel good about the fact that some athletes really do come from a tough life and sports turns that life around for them. And that’s great! But it can easily be said that some teachers and mechanics and executives ALSO come from tough backgrounds and become quite successful and you don’t see movies made about them. Professional sports is a monster all in its own. We LOVE sports and we idolize athletes mostly for what they do on a football or soccer field or a baseball diamond or basketball court or golf course or whatever. We crave that competition. We love to watch the battle. It happened in the early 1st Century as stadiums were built to watch men fight to their death and it continues today every time a player takes a hit or lands a strong blow or survives a crash against the far wall. It’s an adrenaline rush and it takes us out of our mundane lives for a little bit and entertains us. But…just because we are entertained, does that make those that entertain us role models? In my opinion…absolutely not.

So then along comes this guy Tim Tebow. If you read about him (and who hasn’t lately) he has had an illustrious career. Won lots of high school accolades at Nease High School in Florida, went on to win a Heisman Trophy while a sophomore at Florida University, won a couple national championships, got drafted by the Denver Broncos and is now their starting quarterback and this year has created quite a stir with the way he’s been winning games. It’s reached pandemic proportions the way the media has been following his every move and it’s not without merit because the guy IS an interesting story. And we would love to see him fall on his face simply because…well…he’s almost TOO nice.

And that’s where I find myself fascinated with this story.

Tim Tebow likes to proclaim his love for God. He says a short prayer after every score. He slaps the other players’ helmets after they’ve just tackled him out of bounds. He smiles a lot. He seems to be a really, really nice guy and he’s winning in one of our nation’s most violent sports. So…we would LOVE to see him fail and get sent back down to 3rd string QB and then probably disappear into obscurity. But you know what…I don’t think it would matter one bit to Tim Tebow if that happened and maybe that’s what I kind of like about him. Because my gut feeling is that if Tim Tebow couldn’t make it in professional football, he would probably make a great high school coach or an excellent insurance salesman or an awesome teacher in a 3rd world country (he apparently has a  degree in “Family, Youth & Community Sciences.” Whatever THAT is…) or an amazing culinary chef. Whatever the guy’s vocation is…he’d probably do it well and you know why?

Because he has faith not only in himself but also in his religion, in his family and in those that he keeps around him.

Sometimes it’s not about who is bigger or badder or more pissed off or who can hit the hardest. Sometimes it’s just having faith in yourself and going out there, giving it 100% and be willing to take a hit until you get the job done. Sometimes it’s not easy. Sometimes there is pain involved. But Tim Tebow isn’t just a player that seem to get off preaching about his faith and then doing the opposite as soon as he gets on the field. Actually…he seems very genuine in what he is does and what he says. Ya know…despite what MY beliefs are, you gotta respect that coming from a guy who is running from 11 200+ pound dudes who all want to body slam him to the astro turf.

So Tim Tebow can pray all he wants. He can praise the Lord in every interview and say that the reason he wins is because he went to church Saturday night. Whatever the guy wants to believe is okay by me. As long as he stays true to the way that he is…I’m all good with that. The last thing I want to see is that he’s a fake. I am tired of the Brett Favre’s. I’m tired of the Mark McGwire’s. I’m tired of the athletes who are only out for themselves and who only play sports for money. In 1993, NBA star Charles Barkley was interviewed and stated that professional athletes should not be role models. His statement came across as ignorant to some simply because, in our culture, so many think so highly of them and place them on a pedestal. But I TOTALLY agree with him. We should not look to these men and women as role models. It’s a PARENTS job to raise their kids. If anything, a child’s parent should be their role models. And so, in that regard, I get what he was saying. Unfortunately our kids DO look up to pro athletes and that is unfortunate, especially when I see how so many of them act. I’m disappointed in the way they are when they are in public, disgracing their talents by beating their spouses or girlfriends, acting as if they are above everyone else simply because they have a physical skill. It’s unsettling that professional sports allow athletes to act this way by letting them return to play again after having been prosecuted for any crime. And it’s amazing we still continue to be fascinated with it, spending millions of dollars to watch these grown men and women act so childishly when they are given so many opportunities.

Tim Tebow has been given an opportunity. As much as I don’t want my kids looking up to anyone but me and my wife, it is refreshing to see an athlete who I can say is doing his job on and off the field and who has an attitude I would love for my son to have when he plays sports. Playing sports can be a satisfying experience and can set a child up for many different aspects of life. Most professional & collegiate athletes seem to have forgotten why they play in the first place. Tim Tebow seems to be quite the opposite. He seems to be quite at ease with who he is and what he can do and because of that, he has become a unique success story that we have become somewhat obsessed with.

And maybe this time, we have found an athlete who is deserving of our attention?

I can only hope so…

Criss Cross Country Sauce

Let’s start the weekend of Halloween, shall we? Because that is when things really started getting a little crazy for me. Oh I realize that I don’t travel as much as some people and for them, this particular month or so would be nothing, especially if they live on the west coast and have to fly east every weekend (which happens for some friends of mine), but this is MY blog and so I get to discuss MY schedule and for ME…this has been crazy!

Friday, October 28 – Fly to Seattle. (3 hours time difference from east coast time)

Seattle Sunset

Sunday, October 30 – Red eye home so I can be home for Halloween and go trick or treating with my kids. I dress up like a zombie and I feel like one also…

I enjoy a week at home until Friday, November 4 – Travel to Nashville (for the 4th time this NFL season) and visit Leipers Fork. (1 hour time zone difference)

Random shot flying into Cincinnati. Just ’cause…

Monday, November 7 – Fly home to Cincinnati, leave airport for 5 hours, return to airport and fly to San Diego. (3 hour time difference)

San Diego has pretty clouds

Friday, November 11 – Fly home from San Diego, have another 5 hour layover, have dinner with my family, kiss my kids and then off to Kansas City! (1 hour time difference)

Kansas City also has pretty clouds

Monday, November 14 – Return home from Kansas City.

Tuesday, November 15 – Fly to Denver. Do the Tebow. (2 hour time difference)

Actually…this was taken in Kansas City…but you get the point…

Friday, November 18 – Fly directly to Cleveland. (Yay! Eastern Standard time!)

I LIVE IN CINCINNATI! NOT CLEVELAND!!!

Monday, November 21 – DRIVE from Cleveland to Cincinnati because, quite frankly, it seemed like the thing to do…

THANKSGIVING WEEK! No working! Buuuuut…drive to Zanesville Tuesday afternoon. That’s a 2.5 hour drive. (Same time zone…thankfully)

Saturday, November 26-27 – Browns @ Bengals. Stay home and work?!?! Yes!!! And the Bengals won! Good times…

Tuesday, November 29 – Fly to Seattle…again. (3 hour time difference)

Look ma! The Space Needle!

December 2nd: Back in Cleveland again. And driving home once again. (4 hour drive)

December 6th: Off to Pittsburgh (where I got to celebrate my 43rd birthday) in the house that Ketchup built…

December 9th: Home for a few hours for a birthday dinner with my family and then BACK on a plane to Baltimore where I get to see the Colts lose again (that’s 14 in a row) to the Ravens.

Baltimore sunrise

December 13th: Off to Atlanta to fight the traffic and work the worst Thursday night game since…whenever…as the Falcons annihilate the Jaguars 41-14.

A Georgia Dome sunset

December 16th: Off to even warmer climates. The Arizona Cardinals take on the Browns for my 5th Browns game in 5 weeks. Good times. (2 hour time difference)

Phoenix  from the air

Arizona ALSO has pretty clouds…

December 20th: I drive to Indianapolis (which is now in the eastern time zone)  and then I’ll go back to Nashville on December 23rd for the Saturday Christmas eve game and then drive home (that’s 4 hours) and then mercifully it all grinds to a halt.

Overall…that’s a helluva lot of miles and plenty of time sitting in an airplane/tv truck/car and I gotta tell you…

I LOVE THIS JOB!!!

The Misadventures Of Buddy The Elf

Our elf friend Buddy has paid us a visit this holiday season. And with each passing day he gets a little more comfortable.What started out with him hanging out on our mantle or on a shelf (hence the title “Elf On The Shelf”) has now proceeded to more…engaging…locales around our little home. Here are a few situations that Buddy has found himself in…

First appearance on the tree…

Uh…hanging out with Barkley?

Hey! Get outta that stocking!

Buddy Is Musically Inclined!

Apparently he loves animal crackers…

and marshmallow cream.

Almost a painful situation!

Oh yeah…Buddy is in love…

Needless to say, Buddy has been quite creative in his visits and has found ample opportunity to get himself into a little mischief. Here’s hoping Christmas gets here soon before Buddy & Barbie elope to the Bahamas…

My Top 50 Favorite Songs of 2011

PLEASE LET IT BE US!?!?!

2011 was a great year for music! Despite what some prognosticators say…I DO NOT believe the music industry is dead. On the contrary, there was great music across the board this year from all genres…from electronica to pop to rock to alternative to instrumental. You name it, there was lots of it. Some was easily accessible. Some you had to go find yourself. But there was a lot to select from and honestly…I probably coulda done a Top 100 with no problem! Here they are…MY top 50 songs of 2011. What a year it was….

#50:  Snow Patrol – “Called Out In The Dark” (alternative)
The new album won’t be released until 2012 but this early release single shows a lot of potential for the band mostly known for their songs appearing on “Grey’s Anatomy.” It has an uplifting message and I like the beat. Nice start…

#49:  Radiohead – “Seperator” (alternative)
Oh so dreamy song from the “The King Of Limbs” and easily its best track.

#48:  Lowline – “Suicide” (rock)
I “discovered” this band back in the early summer and their debut album ROCKS! This track was the first that grabbed me and shook me around. Love to drive to this one…

#47: Social Distortion – “Bakersfield” (blues rock)
A strong album released last January from this California rock band and this slow burn of a song is my favorite on the album! Funny…I feel like this a lot…

#46: Jane’s Addiction – “Ultimate Reason” (alternative)
Although not the strongest album by this classic alternative rock outfit, their latest, “The Great Escape Artist,” had a few good tracks and this was my favorite. Thanks to Perry Ferrell for keeping the dream alive!

#45: Wiz Khalifa – “Black & Yellow” (rap)
The Steelers went to the Super Bowl (and lost) and this was the mantra as they beat the snot out of everyone else in the AFC. Hometown boy Wiz trumps it up and roots for the hometeam…

#44: Dum Dum Girls – “Bedroom Eyes” (alternative)
Sounding a lot like Chrissie Hynde, lead singer Dee Dee Penny cranks up the heat in this little ditty. It’s 60′s pop rock at its best!

#43: Wild Flag – “Romance” (rock)
An all-girl band that rocks! With influences ranging from all over the place and lots of guitar work, Carrie Brownstein brings her unique sound over from Sleater-Kinney and jams on it!

#42: City And Colour – “Fragile Bird” (alternative)
Straight from the great north, Canadian rocker Dallas Green goes a little soft on us. Little known fact…the name of the band comes from HIS name…Dallas (city) and Green (colour).

#41: Jeff Bridges – “What A Little Bit Of Love Can Do” (country)
Bridges takes his Bad Blake character one step further and with the help of T-Bone Burnett cranks out this simple yet effective classic country tune.

#40: Max Rafferty – “Go Down Easy” (alternative)
This nice little acoustic track from the Kooks’ lead singer is a haunting song that sounds like it was produced in a tunnel. Very effective use of reverb without losing Rafferty’s vocals.

#39: Maroon 5 – “Moves Like Jagger” (pop)
I know, I know…seriously? But damn if this song doesn’t just stick in my head. And having Christina Aguilera doesn’t hurt it one bit.

#38: Girl In A Coma – “Smart”
Another product from the great state of Texas. This little known band has opened for Morrisey, Social Distortion, Frank Black & Tegan & Sara. Time for them to make an impact on their own, doncha think?

#37: Thievery Corporation – “Culture Of Fear” (rap/trip hop)
This band has been around for a while and for this track, they enlist political rapper Mr. Lif to slam on the man. Damn the man!

#36: Foster The People – “Pumped Up Kicks” (alt-pop)
Yes…it got played to death. But it doesn’t take away the fact that I was listening to this song WAY before pop radio got its hands on it.

#35: Gavin DeGraw – “Not Over You” (pop)
Sad little pop song with a killer hook. DeGraw hits this one out of the park…even if he does lose his heart in the process.

#34: PT Walkley – “Save The World” (alternative)
Wikipedia says Walkley is “regarded by many as one of the top truly independent artists of his time.” I don’t know about that but what I DO know is that this song is AWESOME! May be one of my most listened to tracks of this year…

#33: Peter Bjorn & John – “Second Chance” (pop)
Catchy as hell, this song bounces all over the place and fills your ear with bubblegum pop goodness!

#32: Paul Simon – “The Afterlife” (adult contemporary)
Ever wonder what happens to us after we die? Paul Simon does…and he wrote a song about it. Purgatory has never seemed so much like the DMV…

#31:  Manchester Orchestra – “Leave It Alone” (rock)
A very bleak look at a trouble relationship. The song has emotional resonance and sticks with me.

#30: Kurt Vile – “Puppet To The Man” (alternative)
Vile has had a great year with Spin listing his 4th album as one of the best this year. I’ve downloaded several tracks but this is my favorite. We may be underdogs but we’ll get by folks…

#29: The Kooks – “Rosie” (alt-pop)
Sometimes I just like a good pop song and the Kooks are pretty good at producing power pop alternative rock hooks that can stick to your ear like hair gel. Wonder what I’m talking about? Yeah…me too. But I like this track.

#28: The Kills – “Future Starts Slow” (rock)
Who writes lyrics like this anymore…?

You can holler, you can wail
You can swing, you can flail
You can fuck like a broken sail
But I’ll never give you up
If I ever give you up my heart will surely fail
And after all God can keep my soul
England have my bones
But don’t ever give me up
I could never get back up when the future starts so slow

Apparently The Kills do…and they are awesome!

#27: Foo Fighters – “Bridge Burning” (rock)
Oh come on. A Top 50 without the Foo Fighters would seem just…so…empty. And this leadoff track to their latest album, “Wasting Light,” is the bombastic thrill that only Dave Grohl can produce.

#26: Flo Rida – “Good Feeling” (rap pop)
This is NOT your typical rap song which is why I like it this much! It builds slowly and then smacks you in the face with it’s heavy trippy bounce. A good anthem for any sports arena!

#25: David Nail – “Let It Rain” (country)
Nail nails it as far as a country album goes. His “The Sound Of A Million Dreams” is what pulled me back into the country scene and I love it! This song was the first track to be released and it soars with the pain & guilt of a one night stand. And if THAT doesn’t make a good country song, I don’t know what does.

#24: David Guetta featuring Chris Brown & Lil Wayne – “I Can Only Imagine” (rap/pop)
I dare you to turn it off. Catchy as hell from the DJ who is the hottest thing this side of sliced bread and when the song drops out at 1:15 it gets nasty…

#23: The Black Keys – “Gold On The Ceiling” (blues rock)
The little band that could from Akron, OH is winning over EVERYBODY with their blues rock sound and this song is as funky as they get with fuzzy guitars and grungy vocals.

#22: Gotye – “Save Me” (alternative)
Wally De Backer is an indie darling and he sure knows how to layer a song…and this song soars. If you like the band Spoon, you’ll totally dig Gotye. I struggle with which song to choose for this list because, quite frankly, the entire album is excellent. But I’m going with this one because I like the lyrics and the texture of the background vocals.

#21: Blue October – “The Honesty” (alternative)
I have to be honest…taking ANY track from the latest album by this band is a like stealing a part from an engine. They all work in unison to make a classic album that is so honest and brutal that it was hard to select just one. But this track is indicative of what the rest of the album is like and it could be a the most “honest” of all of them.

#20: Chickenfoot – “Come Closer” (rock)
What do you get when you throw a bunch of classic rockers together from Van Halen and Red Hot Chili Peppers? An amazing song about a struggling relationship is probably  NOT what you would think. But this song works wonders and is a perfect vehicle for all of them to showcase their abilities.

#19: Future Islands – “Balance” (alternative)
I don’t know anything about this band and this song was a part of a bunch of free tunes I got from Spin magazine but it immediately caught my ear and now I can’t STOP listening to it. Like Frightened Rabbit on soda pop, it has this odd lilting sound to it that keeps me hooked.

#18: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – “Record Machine” (pop rock)
Half of Oasis went to Beady Eye, the other half made an album so good that it can be considered a classic. This song has Oasis written all over it, from the soaring vocals to the backing guitars. The Birds fly pretty high and I would pay big money to hear it live in a huge arena. And THAT is really what rock n roll is all about.

#17: Mat Kearney – “Ships In The Night” (pop)
Know the joke about hallway sex? If you do, then this track elaborates on that. Just…not in a funny way.

#16: Friendly Fires – “Show Me Lights” (electronic alternative)
This song is right up there with “Second Chance” as the catchiest songs of 2011. Dunno what they’re talking about but the song rocks!

#15: MuteMath – “Tell Your Heart Heads Up” (alternative rock)
Although their latest album isn’t as strong as “Armistice,” it still offers a few songs that are as good as anything released by any other band this year. I love the pace of this one…

#14: Active Child – “Hanging On” (alternative)
If there is one song that sounds almost religious in its presentation, it’s this one. But it’s about a bad relationship (again) and the vocals are painful and haunting at the same time.

#13: Mumford & Sons – “The Cave” (alternative)
This one is a layup. One of the best tracks of the year…as voted by just about everyone.

#12: Katie Cole – “Gravity” (rock)
You might not know her yet, but this singer/songwriter from Melbourne, Australia will be lighting it up in 2012. This song I found while watching a wristwatch commercial on television and I HAD to find out who sang it. Turns out it was Katie. And she’s awesome!

#11: Wye Oak – “Civilian” (alternative)
This track has the most blistering guitar solo of the year midway through it. I can’t seem to turn my stereo up loud enough when it comes on.

#10: Raphael Saadiq – “Heart Attack” (funky R&B)
This is old skool at the heart of it but it sounds so fresh that you can’t help but wonder where you’ve heard it before. Saadiq returns to the roots of funk and gets brilliant.

#9: The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy” (rock)
With their fuzzy guitar and hot back beat this song makes me wanna dance. And for a white guy, that’s pretty damn funky.

#8: David Nail – “She Rides Away” (country)
Oh look who’s back. Country artist Nail has said that he didn’t even think he wanted to record this song and it is my favorite song on the album. Arena country rock that has me seeing a woman driving her El Camino in the desert, leaving her man in her dust. Odd imagery but that’s what I got…

#7: Teddybears – “Rocket Scientist” (dance)
I dare you to put this on and NOT shake your butt. Go ahead…DOUBLE dare ya…

#6: Gym Class Heroes – “Ass Back Home” (pop rap)
In many cases, music is a soundtrack to my life. In the case of this song, it is a reflection of my life on the road. Much like last year’s “The Wind”, this man in this song is very much like myself…on the road a lot and trying to keep his relationship intact. Tough stuff for a pop rap outfit but this song nails it.

#5: R.E.M. – “It Happened Today” (alternative)
How much am I gonna miss Michael Stipe and the boys? After retiring a few months ago, I broke out this CD and wore it out…again. It’s a fitting ending for an amazing band that has been a staple in my music collection for decades. And this song has Stipe and Co. singing to the heavens…

#4: Joe Bonamassa – “Dust Bowl” (blues)
Listening to this song makes you feel as if you’re walking through the desert in search of a cold drink when you find yourself in a dirty old cactus town. There, over at the corner bar, you ask for a bottle of whiskey…and this guy is playing on the jukebox. And yes…it is EXACTLY like that.

#3: Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass” (rap pop)
This song will forever remind me of the summer of 2011. Nicki was only a backup voice until this song shot her into the upper echelon of today’s pop rap artists. There wasn’t a catchier rap track on the radio this year…

#2: The Raveonettes – “Ignite” (alternative)
Something about this Danish duet that does it for me. I don’t know if it’s the fuzzy guitar or the distorted vocals or just the vibe but The Raveonettes are about as cool a band as you can ask for these days. This song never got any airplay but it is a classic. If there ever was a great simple song about longing and unrequited love, this is it.

#1: Beastie Boys – “Here’s A Little Something For Ya” (rap)
The REAL Beasties have returned and their latest album saw them return to their roots. For those about to party, feel free to put on the ultimate party jam. With classic rap lines and a beat that kills it, the Boys give you a song that you can blow out your speakers and make your tires bounce. Here’s the Beastie Boys with the best song of 2011. And if ya feelin’ chilly I’m gonna get ya a shawl…

43 Years, 2 Days Old Knowledge I Give You…

Sorry…I can’t. I’m watching my girlish figure…

So my 43rd birthday came & went with but a whimper. Not a lot to it. I was in Pittsburgh working so I spent 15 hours in a television truck. In Pittsburgh. But it was a balmy 40+ degrees outside so I had THAT going for me.

Aaaaaanyway…

I haven’t been posting much since I’ve been flying & driving all over the country and I’m a little exhausted but I figured that someday my kids might want to go back and read about their dad’s 43rd birthday and they may have some questions. I know I do. But they didn’t have this intranet thing back when MY dad was 43 and I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have had anything to do with this nonsense anyway. He had 6 kids and 50 acres and a restaurant to take care of. I, on the other hand, don’t. So here are some bits of knowledge that I have picked up along the way that my children (and yourself) may…or probably may not…find useful…

1. Don’t overeat. It makes you bloated and gassy.
2. You don’t always WANT to know what is behind the hotel nightstand. You might THINK you want to know…but you don’t. Really.
3. Doesn’t matter how old you are, a good pop song is a great way to start the day.
4. If you don’t know what you’re doing, fake it. It’s better to LOOK like you know what you’re doing than to look like a total idiot. This does NOT work in the case of being married. Because your partner already knows you’re an idiot. So there’s that…
5. Doesn’t matter how old you are, a good pop tart is a great way to start the day. Especially the ones with sprinkles on the icing.
6. If you think life is going to go as you planned, think again. Life kinda screws with you like that.
7. ALWAYS go with your gut instinct. Every time. ‘Cause the second you don’t, you realize you should have and then you wish you had and then you’re stuck. And life is too short to have THAT hanging over your head.
8. If something aches, don’t ignore it. ‘Cause it will definitely be back the next day…especially after the age of 38.
9. Having children is a Catch 22. They are awesome and wonderful and exasperating and ridiculous all at the same time. If I could even explain the sheer amount of love & frustration that I have daily, I would be a millionaire. Because THAT would be a best-seller.
10. Don’t allow your job to define who you are. The minute that happens, you realize that your life isn’t as important as you would like to think it is.
11. Never EVER eat something you don’t like. Seriously…it’s not worth the after-taste. And I don’t care HOW healthy lima beans are…
12. If you’re on the aisle row, be aware that the person near the window needs a little elbow room also. Thought I’d throw that one in as a precautionary tale.
13.  TV might be bad for ya…but it’s paid the bills for me since I was 18. That’s all I got to say about that.
14. A good movie is like good sex. It needs to start quick, have a lot of drama in the middle and then end with a bang. I am, of course, speaking metaphorically.
15. Never underestimate the power of love. But it’s not all roses and rainbows. Sometimes it’s ugly and mean and incoherent. But that’s all a part of it. If it’s not passionate, it can just get stale.
16. Stay focused on where it’s all going. Wandering off the beaten path happens from time to time but if you get lost, that’s why you have family & friends. Do NOT rely on a GPS for that.
17. Never, ever go to a Motley Crue concert without earbuds. I’m pretty sure I lost 10 decibals of hearing that night.

And that’s all I got for now. 43 years all wrapped up in 17 bullet points. Hopefully the next year will continue to find my life on a focused and unhurried path. Buuuut we all know that probably won’t happen. The years are flying by faster and faster and my kids are getting bigger and bigger and eventually…I’ll be playin’ golf everyday like my Dad is now. Kinda looking forward to that actually…

Talking Seattle…Again…

Puget Sound

Oh…I know. I’ve written about Seattle time and time again (specifically here, here and here). But there IS something about this city that just does it for me. Don’t know if it’s the cooler but not freezing temperatures. Maybe I just like rain? Is it that everytime I come here I have a good time just walking around the city, finding fun shops and visiting some of the tourist traps that don’t really FEEL like tourist traps? Is it because I have friends in Seattle who welcome me everytime I visit? I don’t know. All I know is I love coming here and maybe if I lived here I would get tired of the rain and the traffic (which is kind of bad right now with viaduct construction) and the…well…I imagine there are other things I COULD get tired of but whatever. My point is…as a infrequent visitor (although I’ve been here 3 times this year. Once for a U2 concert, twice for NFL games.), I totally love coming to the Emerald City and I can’t wait until the next time I get to come back! Here are some photos of this week’s visit. As always, thanks Seattle for another great trip!

CenturyLink Field (aka The Clink) formerly Qwest Field

The Needle From Olympic Sculpture Park

“Father and Son” and the Sound

Hammering Man artwork on a cloudy day

Christmas In Seattle

Fish For Sale!

Epic Rap Battles Of History

My brother introduced me to these 2 minute snippets of pure entertainment last week while we were hanging out at his house. Not being a “youtube” guy, they slipped under my very shallow radar. But holy crap are they funny?!?! See for yourself…but be aware…there is some vulgar language…

MY FAVORITE RAP BATTLE

MY SECOND FAVORITE RAP BATTLE

And another nicepeter production that had me CRYING laughing. Seriously…funny stuff!