I’m Sorry… November 9, 2009
Posted by unclesam22 in Life.add a comment
And I’m not apologizing. I’m telling you this. Because of my proclivity to procrastinate, I have two very large papers that make up significant parts of my grades due in the next two weeks, and I’ve gotten little to nothing done on them. So I’ll resume blogging in a few weeks time. Until then, chat amongst yourselves and check out the links on the right side of the page. They’ll be more interesting anyway. See you in a few weeks.
Love and Sweatpants.
Concert Review – Wilco at Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, AL October 15, 2009
Posted by unclesam22 in Music.add a comment
I’m only six months late in reviewing this concert…but with good reason. I’ve been looking for the download of this show since I went and I finally broke down and downloaded two different software packages to make it downloadable and listenable. It was a task, but it was worth it.
Wilco made their long-awaited return to Birmingham in April after 4 long years. I was particularly excited for this show since it had been a really long time since I’d seen Wilco and they were playing at Sloss Furnaces, an old Iron Ore processing plant converted into a park and national monument. Pretty cool venue to see them in, as the concert section was in an open-air but covered huge hall. The gently sloping floor ensured that everyone packed into the place was afforded a great view and the fairly low roof provided good acoustics.
Wilco came out and started their set with the song Misunderstood. From there they moved rapidly, with almost no space between songs to Company In My Back, You Are My Face, I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Kamera, Ashes of An American Flag, and At Least That’s What You Said. This set the tone for the entire show. They showcased music from their extensive back catalog, drawing from all of their previous albums for the night’s setlist. Musically, the band was fantastic and tight. They had a full and rich sound that moved together from rhythmic and uptempo to moody and experimental. Nels Cline, lead guitarist, and his extensive skills were on full display in numerous solos throughout the night and they were always greeted with raucous cheering.
Jeff Tweedy, the lead singer, offered his first greeting only after the seventh song, something that struck me as odd. He made a terrible joke about Birmingham
Jeff Tweedy - Image from hereontheroad via Flickr.com
people being called Birminghamsters (which he apologized for later in the set and explained that he’d been in a slump with regards to talking to audiences) and made reference to the fact that the last time they were here they won a Grammy that night. He then introduced the song Hotel Arizona by saying that it was requested a lot on their website but that they rarely played it.
After Shot In The Arm, Tweedy experimented with a new look, putting on a hat and almost starting the song, then taking it off. He then launched into Jesus, Etc and finished that song by talking about the supposed haunting of Sloss. Some of the crew had drawn PacMan ghosts on towels and were waving them around, which added to the levity of the moment.
Later in the set, Tweedy again mentioned the requests on the website, but made fun of people texting/Twittering them during shows and how they might reach a place where people will request mid-concert. (My personal pet peeve at any show is people on their phones Twittering about how good the show is. If it is that good, then soak it in and enjoy it and stop Twittering about it…)
But the best moment of the entire show came during Handshake Drugs. A huge train came roaring by the venue and laid on it’s whistle, causing the entire band to stop and look together, along with the crowd going nuts. It was a surreal moment that came together so well it almost seemed scripted, but the surprised looks on the band’s faces told another story. They paused, looked around, and wordlessly resumed the song. This is clearly a band that is comfortable with one another.
The first set ended with the rowdy number Spiders (Kidsmoke) and after extended cheering the band came out for an encore. They played five more songs, ending with I’m The Man Who Loves You, which starts with an extended period of guitar feedback, during which the entire band (all seven of them) stood up on some sort of an amp or speaker or something, each holding their note for a moment until the entire band peaked and came crashing down towards the song, playing with full gusto.
You had to see it - image from MCuthbert via Flickr.com
They went off stage for a moment, and then came back for a second encore, the highlight of which was the song Hoodoo Voodoo, a jangling alt-country-rock number that was augmented by the presence of a shirtless crew member sporting a gnarly mustache, tight jeans, a cowbell, and dance moves that seemed to defy the logic of human motion. He danced all over the entire stage, shaking what his momma gave him and causing no small amount of cheering among the crowd and laughter amongst the band.
All in all, it was a great show by a band that is only getting better as they age, mature, and grow more secure in themselves. Their extensive use of their back catalog was an unexpected yet pleasant surprise. I would have loved to see some new stuff, as their album came out a month later, but that is my only regret. That, and the fact that Kristen had to go to California at the last minute and was not able to attend with me. I did buy her a t-shirt though.
The Week That Was October 12, 2009
Posted by unclesam22 in Life, School, The Week That Was, Work.Tags: The Week That Was, Week in Review
add a comment
Another week gone. Hard to believe that we are almost halfway through with October already. But time moves on whether we are ready for it or not. Anyway, that is my deep thought for today. But you came here for frivolity and sarcasm, not philosophy. So here we go.
Music That I Am Listening To and Enjoying – Same song, second verse. Little bit quieter, a little bit worse. iMac is still down and out. So I’m managing with the same songs from last week. I did download Foo Fighters song Wheels and an old Everclear song just to spice things up. But that is it. However, Kristen and I are headed to Kings of Leon on Thursday, so that ought to be fun. Check back next week and I’ll let you know how it was.
Customer Service Moment of the Week – This one actually comes courtesy of J.Crew this week. I worked Saturday morning and a lady brought in her little chihuahua dog. Yes, into the store. In her arms. And it was ill. It growled at one employee as he walked by and then snapped and barked at another as he was trying to help the lady. Totally ridiculous. It’s one thing to bring a dog into the store, which I have enough issues with, but to bring one that will bark and snap at people is just uncalled for. Starbucks was relatively quiet this week, which means that next week will be nuts…
Sports Moment of the Week – Cal did not lose this week, which was great! They also did not play, which tempered the celebrations somewhat, but I’ll take what I can get at this point. But the biggest news in the world of sports was the U.S. Soccer team qualifying for the World Cup next year. You probably did not see the game or hear about it, namely because it was only shown on closed-circuit television, which went out of style in the 80’s. Seriously. And since there was no real draw for it in Birmingham, no sports bars or anything were showing it and therefore, no TV coverage. But even if no one saw it, it still happened! Also noteworthy was the fact that the Dodgers swept the Cardinals to move onto the National League Championship Series for the second straight year. Here’s hoping they fare a little better this year…
Books and Movies of the Week – No non-school books this week, but I did manage to catch the movie My Life in Ruins. It was predictable but enjoyable and definitely not nearly as bad as I thought that it could have been. A good compromise for any guy that is not into chick flicks (I’m raising my hand right now…)
Video of the Week – No political statement intended here by any means. Either way. I just think that this is hilarious on two levels. 1. The surface. Pretty funny. 2. The fact that this lady disliked him enough to do this. The level and time of training must have been unreal. Anyway, just watch.
5 Things I Think I Think
1. I think that I am fighting the worst battle ever against fleas. No, I don’t have them, but my dog does. I’ve tried everything but I think that the main problem is that there are just too many outside. I walked outside for a minute the other day and came in and picked one off my leg. Astounding. I’m ready for the cooler weather to chase them away.
2. I think that there are few things better than knowing that all of your clothes are clean. I’m not sure why I am such a big fan of having my laundry all done (maybe because I wait so long) but it always feels so great when it is done. Even better if I do not have to do it…
3. I think that I was right about my Hebrew grade. Not to boast or anything, but whatever you all did (prayers, sacrifices, happy thoughts, whatever…) worked. I got a high A and was quite excited about it. So thanks. I’ll let you know when the next one is…
4. I think that this car looks amazing to me. Leave it to Porsche to make a really, really cool four-door sedan. Probably a prohibitively expensive really cool four-door sedan, but awesome nonetheless.
5. I think that if you have Monday off in honor of Christopher Colombus, you should thank your lucky stars and go discover something in tribute. It does not have to be big. You could discover that you still hate Big Macs. Or that you love frozen yogurt. Either way, use your day to do some discovery. And if you are like me and have to work or go to school, rediscover your disdain for uncelebrated holidays.
So that’s all I have for you this week. Thanks for reading and have a great week.
Love and Sweatpants.
The Week That Was October 5, 2009
Posted by unclesam22 in Life, School, Sports, The Week That Was, Work.Tags: The Week That Was, Week in Review
3 comments
I always find it amazing that people actually read what I write. I started blogging about 5 years ago on Myspace simply because I could. It was meandering and uninspired, but it worked and it got me here. And now, on a week with just one post, I had 60 views. Astounding to me. Anyway, just was thinking about that and thought I would throw that out there. On to what you are here for.
Music That I Am Listening To and Enjoying – Very sad news here…my iMac is not starting up (more on that later) but it has all my music on it. I have about 100 songs on my PowerBook so I’ve been getting a steady diet of Augustana, Coldplay, Copeland, Counting Crows, Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket, Radiohead, and Zach Williams. And that is it. I think of it as kind of a musical fast of sorts.
Customer Service Moment of the Week – One of my biggest pet peeves walk in the door last week…the customer that thinks that they know better than me and want to argue all about things with me. This time the argument was over the size of a Vivanno smoothie. They come in one size, Grande. This moronic lady thought that size was a tall and argued with me about it. The argument ended with me pulling out a tall, grande, and a Vivanno cup and holding them all next to each other while explaining how many ounces each hold (tall = 12, grande/Vivanno = 16). Game, Set, Match to Sam. We may work in a coffee shop, but trust me, we actually know what we are talking about and if you want to argue something, make sure you are right. Or be prepared to look like a moron in front of everyone else. I have a lot of patience for people that don’t know what they are doing, but when you tell me I’m wrong I’ll bust you every time. Do you argue with the people at the grocery store about how much milk is in a half-gallon?
Sports Moment of the Week – Cal got blown out again. I’m trying not to be too pessimistic, but I’m thinking we are headed to a 6-6 season. Not too good. But the 49ers shut out the Rams, which was nice. The Dodgers finally clinched the West and the A’s mercifully ended their season. Baseball playoffs start this week and I love it! One of my favorite times of the year, as NHL season has started, baseball playoffs are going, and football has gotten into the heart of the season. Good times all around…well, unless your team sucks. Then it is still fun, just not quite as much.
Books and Movies of the Week – I read another Grisham book, The Associate, this week. IT was great and really had me going, but then the end just kinda fizzled out. It almost seemed like he did not know how to end it and just sorta wrapped everything up too fast. But it was a good read nonetheless. No movies this week as I was busy studying and doing other things all week.
Video of the Week – I have no idea how or why this works, but play along and be amazed.
5 Things I Think I Think
1. I think that I am going to eventually have to break down and take my iMac into the Mac Geniuses to get it fixed. It refuses to start up, which is a small problem. If anyone out there has any brilliant insight or tech knowledge that can help me out cheaply, I’m all ears.
2. I think that the rain is back with a vengeance, only it is cold this time. That’s just mean. I am a huge fan of the cooler weather though. I just like it dry…
3. I think that I actually might have done fairly well on a Hebrew exam. I know, shocking, but with the help of some classmates and a lot of study time and not a lot of sleep I was pretty prepared for the exam. And I think it went fairly well. I’ll let you know (unless it did not…then I’ll say nothing and you can infer that I am a Hebrew moron from my silence…).
4. I think this looks absolutely fantastic… I’m not one for animated films (sorry, I just don’t like them…) but I’ll definitely be making an exception for this one. Wes Anderson is brilliant and it looks like he managed to make a film that has all of his usual whimsy with animated characters. I love the creativity there!
5. I think that I’m all out of things that I think. Maybe I’ll do better next week.
Thanks for reading and have a great week.
Love and Sweatpants.
The Week That Was September 28, 2009
Posted by unclesam22 in Life, Music, School, Sports, The Week That Was, Work.Tags: The Week That Was, Week in Review
2 comments
I assume that you noticed that I had a busy week last week because I did not post anything. And your noticing would be right. Papers, quizzes, work, and life all ensured that I would not be blogging. But I survived and now I am here to tell you all about it.
Music That I Am Listening To and Enjoying – Tons of stuff to tell you about here. For starters, a band that I know you’ve heard of, The Beatles. We got their new CD’s in at Starbucks and we’ve been listening to them almost non-stop for two weeks now. I find it hard to believe I’d ever forgotten how great the Beatles were, but I’m here to tell you that their catalog, from Help! to Hey Jude is unmatched. But you knew that. Other recent additions/favorites include Muse (new album is fantastic), Belle & Sebastian (the song If She Wants Me), Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson (Their new album Break Up is amazing), Gomez (the song Little Pieces), Monsters of Folk (M.Ward, Conor Obrest, and Jim James from My Morning Jacket as a supertrio with the new self-titled album), Blue Mountain (the song Blue Canoe), and the new Foo Fighters song Wheels. I organize my musical playlists by seasons and the Fall 2009 one is shaping up to be pretty epic.
Customer Service Moment of the Week – Last week I messed with two friends in the drive-thru. The first was my friend Justin whom I told we had no White Mocha. I was surly and mean about it and made him pull around anyway, while offering little in the way of explanation. Pretty funny. Then my co-worker from J.Crew, Katie, came through and was on her cell phone. I told her I refused to take her order until she got off the phone, then lectured her about how rude and unconscionable it was to talk on the phone in the drive-thru. She panicked for a moment before realizing it was me and then laughed and laughed. The lesson? We have cameras in our drive-thru and I will mess with you. The other experience I had was when I was working the bar and a lady asked me for some cream for her coffee. I gave her the carafe and even though it obviously felt full, she told me it was empty. Problem? She had no opened it. How hard is it to see that there is a top on the container that needs to be opened for the cream to come out? I am continually amazed by ignorance.
Sports Moment of the Week – One of the worst sports weekends in recent memory for me. Cal got annihilated by Oregon and the 49ers lost at the last minute. Both brutal losses. But the Dodgers clinched their playoff birth and the A’s continue to play extremely well down the stretch, even with nothing to play for. So there is hope for next year.
Books and Movies of the Week – I actually read two books and watched two movies this week (non-school related). I read two John Grisham books, first Playing for Pizza, which was a fantastic book and I highly recommend, and then The Appeal, which was a legal/political book, just like all his other ones. I was disappointed with both movies, as they came highly recommended and I just did not like them. The first, There Will Be Blood, seemed to meander on and on with no real discernible point to it. Or maybe I missed it. Either way, I did not like it. The second, Burn After Reading, was better, and had its moments, but it just did not strike my fancy.
Video of the Week – I was as upset as you can be after the Cal loss, but I’m pretty sure that I’ve never taken a football loss this hard…and I love the announcers.
5 Things I Think I Think
1. I think that the rain has finally stopped and cooler weather has arrived along with the sunshine. About time…I was getting a little stir crazy. But I am definitely excited for fall and the chance to wear sweaters again.
2. I think people need to lower their voices in restaurants. At dinner tonight Kristen and I overheard an entire life story about divorce and jobs and custody and weirdness and everything else. The people were so loud we could not even have our own conversation. Now I am certainly one whose voice can be loud sometimes, but Kristen always alerts me and I modulate accordingly. These people? They did not have someone that cared enough to tell them…
3. I think that the 19-pound newborn story (yes, you read that right) out of Indonesia is astounding. Twice the size of a normal baby. That is ridiculous. Check out the picture here if you missed it…
4. I think a recent poll that named Wal-Mart as the company that most symbolizes America is a little disheartening. I mean, I shop there just like everyone else and I find that it is indeed a great leveler. People from all walks of life go there. But the thought of a store the represents our rampant consumerism and greed is a little sad to me. But I guess that is what America is all about.
5. I think grooming my dog myself is harder on me than on him. Trying not to cut him or make him look goofy is pretty stressful, but the money and time I’m saving when I do it is worth it. We got through it and he even got a bath, so now he is clean and cut. And even looks pretty good I think…
So that’s it. I have a Hebrew test on Friday morning, so if you are so inclined, pray for me, send me happy thoughts and positive vibes, and grant me best wishes and good luck. I need it all…
Love and Sweatpants.
The Single Guy Cooks – Chicken Pasta September 16, 2009
Posted by unclesam22 in Food, Recipes, The Single Guy Cooks.Tags: chicken pasta, chicken recipe, cooking, easy recipe, Food, pasta recipe, recipe, single guy cooks
2 comments
This is the first dish I’ve ever cooked from a recipe that I had never eaten. It came from a GQ article 5 years ago and I’ve been messing with the recipe for as long as I’ve been making it. My number one dish and a favorite of my friends. So I give you my chicken pasta.
Keep in mind that I cook everything to taste and work best when I am just ad-libbing it. Makes my cooking individual but harder to share…so I’ll do my best to try and explain the process.
There are 3 main components to this dish: Pasta, Chicken, and the Sauce (it is not really a sauce but I don’t know what else to call it).
I take a frozen chicken breast and cook it on the George Foreman grill because it is the fastest way to go from frozen to cooked…I usually use some sort of a complete seasoning or a mixture of salt, basil, oregano and pepper to season the chicken. At the same time I start a sauce pan on the stove on very low heat with olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the
Chicken by George
pan) and then salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley, and garlic (fresh if you have all those, but dried and crushed works too). It becomes almost a paste and I let it simmer while everything else cooks. Once the chicken and the sauce are going I start the water for the pasta.
I always use angel hair pasta, but that is just because I like it the best. I suppose you could use any kind of pasta. Once the water is ready I take a few tablespoons out of it and put it into the pan, always being careful to avoid painful splashes. I usually put enough in it to swirl everything around together but not too soupy.
I like my pasta firmer (al dente if you will) so I try and pull it off just a touch before I think that it will be ready and drain it in the sink.
The "Sauce"
Then, depending on how I feel that day (and how fast the chicken cooked), I either add the pasta to the sauce first and then the chicken or the other way around. It all gets mixed together so it really does not matter all that much.
Once everything is in the pan, I mix it all around and then try and let it simmer for a minute or so. The spices try and stick to the sides of the pan so be sure and mix it all in.
From here you can go a few different ways. I usually mix in some cheese (which usually depends on what you have, which in my case is only Parmesan). The only problem is that is clumps badly if you use a cheese that melts easily, so I’ll usually use either grated or shredded Parmesan. Sometimes I add the cheese before plating it, sometimes after. I guess it depends on mood and taste. I’ll then usually add some salt and pepper and then serve it (or
Waiting for cheese (or not)
eat it by myself as the case may be…).
The best part about this dish is that it takes less than 15 minutes to make and it can be either a standalone dish or a side dish. I’ve used it as a side with salmon by leaving out the chicken and cheese, but it also works as a meal with those added to it.
And I’ve never added up any of the ingredients to see how healthy it is, but I figure using olive oil and the Foreman grill make it pretty reasonable. But mostly I just like it because it tastes good and is easy to make. And those are my two main criteria when cooking.
So get crazy with it (I’ve added shrimp, broccoli, and various other things on different occasions) or leave it stripped down. It’s versatile and enjoyable. Make it your own and wow all your guests.
Eat and be happy.
My finished product
The Week That Was September 14, 2009
Posted by unclesam22 in Kitchen Remodel, Life, Music, Sports, The Week That Was.Tags: Kanye, Meltdowns, serena, The Week That Was, Week in Review
1 comment so far
I almost just left the opening from last week… but instead I’ll just apologize once again for not posting as much as I had hoped to. Somehow I seemed to have more time to post in summer when I was not in school. Go figure. Anyway, onto the stuff you came for. Or stumbled upon…
Music That I Am Listening To and Enjoying – Company of Thieves have been on repeat all week, as has Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. The Señors of Marsielle were also a pleasant find this week. The new Muse album comes out tomorrow and I’ve heard bits and pieces of it. Pretty good but pretty out there. Jay-Z released The Blueprint 3 last week and if you are inclined towards hip-hop at all (which I am, which probably surprises you…but it is what it is. I’m a Jay-Z fan.) I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Customer Service Moment of the Week – Nothing stands out in my mind, which means that there were the normal annoyances of people talking on cell phones, not knowing what they wanted, and a myriad of other things that bother me on a day-to-day basis but all run together. However, please know that Starbucks went both up and down on prices last week, so your usual is probably a little different. And no, your barista did not have control over it so it is no use yelling at them.
Sports Moment of the Week – NFL kicked off on Thursday night and then had a full slate of games on Sunday. College football continued to amaze and amuse. The U.S. Open moved on, albeit slowly because of all the rain. Yet the most interesting sports moment of the weekend may have been Serena Williams’ meltdown in her semifinal match, which ended up costing her the match. Totally nuts.
Yes, she did tell the line judge she would stuff the ball down her throat and kill her. You stay classy Serena.
Books and Movies of the Week – Nothing to report here. All of my down time was spent reading for school and working on different things, so no books or movies for me. Not even this weekend, when all Kristen and I watched were sports. Hopefully I’ll have something else to report next week…
Video of the Week – This. Is. Ridiculous.
This. Is. Even. More. Ridiculous.
Back story here – Kanye West directed Beyonce’s video and since he thinks the world revolves around him, he thinks it is ok to run on stage and ruin someone else’s moment. And then flip everyone off on the way off stage. You stay classy Kanye.
5 Things I Think I Think
1. I think that my house is as clean and uncluttered as it has been in a really long time. Kristen and I cleaned and worked for most of the afternoon yesterday and it looks pretty good. We’ll see how long it lasts…
2. I think Michael Jordan gave one of the weirdest speeches ever at his induction to the Hall of Fame. Instead of graciously thanking people and sitting down, he tried to settle scores with anyone that he ever felt slighted by. Too bizarre. He is a legend on the court, but apparently can’t let it go. Strange.
3. I think that the amount of rain Birmingham has received in the past week is ridiculous. Each day I kept hoping that the rain was the front edge of a cold front that would usher in true fall weather, but alas, the humidity and mild heat are still here. Granted, it is not Florida hot, but I’m ready to break out my sweaters. In the meanwhile I’ll just keep wearing my raincoat…
4. I think that you need to read Kristen’s final blog post on the kitchen. It shows some of the details we’ve put in over the last few weeks and gives her more interesting perspective on the whole thing.
5. I think that I had forgotten how much fun Wii Tennis is. Crazy right? But I played for a really long time today and really, really enjoyed myself. Playing the computer is not nearly as competitive as my matches with James, but it is still a lot of fun.
So that’s it. I’m hoping to get something else posted this week, but we’ll have to see. I’ve got a lot of schoolwork but if I can get ahead on some of it I’ll try. Otherwise have a great week.
Love and Sweatpants.
The Week That Was September 8, 2009
Posted by unclesam22 in Life, Music, Sports, The Week That Was, Work.Tags: The Week That Was, Week in Review
7 comments
Life has gotten busy. School and work and girlfriend and family have all taken time away from my blogging but I’ll try and fill you in on the recent happenings of my life.
Music That I Am Listening To and Enjoying – Maritime, Imogen Heap, The Hollies, Switchfoot, Gomez, and Blitzen Trapper have all been on heavy play recently. Not much new music lately but I’m ready for some good fall music to come out soon. I’ll keep you updated.
Customer Service Moment of the Week – I almost slapped a woman on her phone two weeks ago. And that was before she even ordered. Then she almost stole a pound of coffee and I was getting geared up to go tackle her (gladly and with spirit of course!). Rudest customer in ages for sure. Do everyone a favor and get off your cell phone while in stores and restaurants. Then yesterday I had a woman ask me if we had any free-pouring containers of sugar to use since it was too much work to open all the sugar packets. Really? You are that lazy? And you want that much sugar? And you just admitted it out loud? I never cease to be amazed. People are ridiculous.
Sports Moment of the Week – Saturday could have possibly been the most amazing sports day ever. Consider this: College football kicked off, Andy Roddick played in the U.S. Open, the U.S. Soccer team played a World Cup Qualifier, and baseball is in mid-playoff chase mode. Yes, that is one day. Unfortunately Andy lost, but the U.S. and Cal both won. Cal put a straight beat-down on Maryland while the U.S. got by El Salvador with a 2-1 come from behind win. All in all, it was a good day.
Books and Movies of the Week – I’ve been doing a lot of reading for school (go figure) but I did finish Hunting Eichmann which was a phenomenal read. I’ve also picked up Screwtape Letters again and I’m really enjoying it a lot. A couple of weekends ago I also watched Taken (a suspense filled thriller that I loved and Kristen hated) and Sunshine Cleaners (a comedic drama that I loved and Kristen thought was ok…).
Video of the Week – This is hilarious because no one got hurt. And the music makes it really funny too…
5 Things I Think I Think
1. I think that I had one of the better weekends in memory. Kristen and I headed to Atlanta where we visited with my mom, sister, and family (including some quality Uncle Sam time), took a trip to IKEA (everyone’s favorite store), enjoyed college football and great food (including homemade ice cream), and then stopped in Jacksonville, AL on the way back to see my best friend Drew and his wife Christina and her family. Monday included an All-Star crew at Starbucks and a great cookout later that night. Friends, family, football, food…the Four F Pillars of a great holiday weekend.
2. I think that I did not realize how many people actually read this blog. I mean yes, I see the statistics about how I average 15 views a day or whatever the number is, but at least 3 people have asked me about it in the last 4 days…so what the people want, the people get.
3. I think that this is the week of birthdays. Drew was Sunday, Paul and Tim share today, and J-Bird is tomorrow. Strange to think that 4 of my best friends in the world have birthdays within 4 days of each other. I guess the second week of September is amenable to my personality or something.
4. I think that this performance by my cousin Prince Fielder after his game winning Home Run is hilarious!
5. I think that it is time for me to get back to reading…but I’ll hopefully post a few more things this week. I have another recipe to share and some other thoughts. Check back later in the week to see what transpires.
Love and Sweatpants.
The Week That Was August 24, 2009
Posted by unclesam22 in Life, Music, School, Sports, The Week That Was, Work.Tags: The Week That Was, week, Week in Review
2 comments
It’s my last day of summer. Tomorrow starts my final year of school, maybe forever, maybe just for a time. Either way, classes are beginning anew and I’m not ready for it. I had many other things I would have liked to accomplish this summer but as always, the to-do list was longer than the time available. But such is life and I am looking forward to my classes. But enough about all that…
Music That I Am Listening To and Enjoying – New Mute Math did indeed come out and I’ve given it a fair listen (6 complete listens…). It is good, but not transcendent. You can read more about it here. I’ve also been listening to a lot of Phoenix and M. Ward. You cannot go wrong with either one of them. I also got some new music from The Avett Brothers (acoustic melodic rock), Hill Country Review (Alt-Country Rock), Umphrey’s McGee (Alternative), and Yonder Mountain String Band (Folksy Alt-Country Rock similar to the Gourds). Expanding my horizons…
Customer Service Moment of the Week – I had an overweight man silently dump the final two sugar packets from the condiment bar on the counter as his way of informing me that we needed to refill it. I almost remarked that he was fortunate since it did not look like he needed any more, but decided that whatever problems Starbucks and it’s customers might have (which are many…), it was not worth getting fired over. So I just gave him some more. Is it really that hard to just ask if we have more sugar though? My compatriot Ira pulled off my favorite more of the week when he took a cup of coffee that a guy wanted more cream in and just walked back to me, switched cups, and handed it back for a perfect rating by the customer. The Placebo effect is alive and well friends.
Sports Moment of the Week – The Track and Field World Championships made for great T.V., even if you hate Usain Bolt and his arrogant antics. You cannot argue with how fast he is though. Nothing really spectacular this week though. Baseball is winding down but I think I speak for everyone here when I say that I’m ready for football season to start back up. The weather here this weekend was perfect autumn weather that just served to whet the appetite that much more…
Books and Movies of the Week – I’ve been reading Hunting Eichmann, which is a fascinating look at the escape and subsequent hunt of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann by various people and organizations. Truth really is better than fiction.
Video of the Week – This is fantastic. I wonder how many times he had to do it though…
5 Things I Think I Think
1. I think that I got more opinions and comments on my recent facebook posting about cell phone carrier than anything in recent memory. Verizon seems to have the anecdotal better coverage, but AT&T has better phones, the iPhone (even though I cannot afford one and I am not getting one…), and more of my main numbers called, thereby saving me minutes. It’s a tough choice for sure…thoughts?
2. I think that this picture and the accompanying caption is hilarious. I looked for the rest of the story but there were no more details. Cash for Clunkers was a good deal for this guy though…
A 1995 Ford Aerostar caught fire last week after its owner took it to a Toyota dealership in El Monte, Calif., to take part in the cash-for-clunkers program. No one was hurt, and the owner drove away in a 2010 Prius.
3. I think that the release of the Lockerbie bomber on compassionate grounds is ridiculous. He may have 3 months left to live because of cancer, but he took 270 lives and was then celebrated as a hero on his return to Libya. Add that to the fact that he only served 7 years of a life sentence with a court-mandated 27-year minimum and the whole thing is just a huge and ridiculous mess. I’m all for forgiving and moving on, but there are consequences for actions and if you want to bomb a plane out of the air, you ought to be prepared to spend life in prison, however long or short that might be.
4. I think that I’ve worked my last double in a while (hopefully). My own double consists of opening at J.Crew and then closing at Starbucks. Those are long days that usually result in an aching back and sore feet by the end. So I’m trying to focus my work times on the week days at Starbucks and just Saturday mornings at J.Crew. We’ll see how it goes.
5. I think that I really only have 4 things today. Need to get out more…
Love and Sweatpants.
