Nu Joisey

So it's official. Jersey Shore has to be the worst thing to happen to television since Homeboys In Outer Space. I made it about 5 minutes into the first episode (which was sent to me, not watched on my own merit) before I realized this was a trap. My friend who shall remain nameless (*cough cough* Ryan) billed it as "Like the Real World, but for Italians". The show is about as Italian-relevant as Tommy Davidson selling P'Zones for Pizza Hut.
In a follow up email I received, it seems as though UNICO is trying to get the show banned. And Dominoes and other advertisers have dropped the endorsements for the show.....
I think I need a flu shot after watching the 5 minutes....

It's been a good trip.

But, we need to stop the ride eventually. Well, sort of. I will be bringing my bloggerness to Minneapolis Metblogs.

Don't get me wrong, I'll still be back to post nutty stuff that would probably raise eyebrows elsewhere, but the majority of my weekly stuff will be there from now on...

Feel free to hop along and join in on this!

http://minneapolis.metblogs.com/

Ups and Downs

So there is a new restaurant in Brooklyn Park--Sweet Basil. Now most Asian restaurants that open up are some hole in the wall dives with very questionable buffets (at least in the Twin Cities). Not Basil though. It's not the typical Thai place either. If you didn't know where it was, you would probably drive right by it. The decor is plain and basic, the service isn't top notch (though it's far from bad), but it's the food that keeps it open. When I went, I started out with some basic egg rolls and a cream cheese wontons. Both were excellent on their own and large enough to warrant a meal. But the meal itself was a delicious sesame chicken. The chicken is coated in a thick, rich red paste sauce and topped with sesame seeds. It makes PF Changs version look like a school lunch.
The best part is going for lunch. On Monday-Friday, meals are almost half off (a bit smaller portions) but you also get an egg roll.

In other news this week, the Twins saw the absolute highs and lows of a season. On Tuesday, they had a one-game playoff with the Tigers. Though I had the worst seats I've ever had at the Dome, the game was...how do we say...epic. I've never seen a crowd get so amped up for a game. And the game was by far, one of the best I've ever seen. Live or on TV.

After we beat Detroit in 12 innings, we were swept by the Yankees. It seems only fitting I guess. Now we can make way (really) for Target Field.

I also saw Paranormal Activity. Let's just say I really thought about sleeping with some lights on and both feet remained under the covers all night. Go out and see it. It's a pretty good October flick.

Sidetrip: To Napa and back

As someone who enjoys wine, a trip to Napa was long overdue. I can't really begin to explain how unique it is to drink wine while literally looking at the grapevine it came from. I highly recommend it. The wineries we were able to see were: Chaundon Domain (which was actually pretty lame), V. Sattui, Black Stallion (which is owned by 2 guys from Minnesota), and Andretti winery. Our tour was given by the improve-school-dropout Jerry (a mirror image of Anthony Bourdain). We drank wine, ate grapes and took tons of pictures.

Yesterday was such a nice day in the Twin Cities, I decided to tool around both cities on the bike. Now, being a Minneapolis resident my whole life, I've had a really unfounded dislike for St. Paul. There is no real reason behind it, but I've always hated it's crooked streets, cool-ethnic-districts, Grand and Summit Ave. and it's high schools. While biking through the city, I realized two things: A) St. Paul is not as lame as once perceived. B) I really need to dig deeper into what St. Paul is all about. But that journey is for a later date.
Another thing I noticed (mostly downtown Minneapolis), was the amount of people that need some advice from yours truly. Let's help these folks out.

Dear white guy with dreadlocks listening to Bob Marley Legend in your car on Hennepin.
Your not a rasta. I'm assuming that Legend is the only Reggae choice in your selection. Bad move bumbaclot.

Dear very, very, very old man driving while on what seems to be a cell phone. Don't mind me on my bike, I'll just dodge into oncoming traffic while you weave back and forth down Lake street. By the way, did you know that your back passenger door is open and clothes are flying all over the road? Probably not...


Last week was spent hanging around another one of my favorite cities: San Francisco. The land of good coffee- Asian food- Italian delights, big bridges, Philz, trolley cars, Giants and Mike Boo. Kristen and I also took a side trip up to Napa for the day. I assumed it would be nice country, but it was much better than expected. Grape fields EVERYWHERE. Not cheap either. It was assumed that it costs about $500k per acre--and that's just average. The nicer locations go for over $1.5m!

In other unrelated news, Glee and Community have to be the two best shows to come on TV in a long time. I have no idea why, but I'm digging both of these!

Music in my head

I've always had this idea that music can bring back memories like scent can. I even helped out a friend with a psychology masters thesis about it. Certain songs can literally make you feel in a certain place.

Anyway, I'm minding my business, walking along Portland Ave., and a car comes by playing "It's Dark and Hell is Hot". Not exactly a record that I play a lot today, but when I was in 10th grade, I played it ALL THE TIME. And not only me, Dan Contin and me used to play the whole album while we played Twisted Metal on Playstation.
And it got me to thinking about how cool summer used to be. In school, you got 3 months off. Sure, you may have had a part time job at a department store or sub shop, but that was it. 3 months to do...well, whatever you wanted! I should really consider taking all summer off my job one year. A leave of absence for mental relaxation. Instead, I spend all day working away. Not enjoying Minnesota summers should be illegal. Our days are the best. And the fact that Winter is so killer, Summer should be held in a higher regard than it is.
Oddly enough I'll be spending full days (open to close) bopping around the Mall of America. Call it a social experiment of sorts. I'm not sure what I want to accomplish with it, but it could go really fun and interesting, or horribly boring. I'm guessing it will be the latter.
Book #3 is under way also. Not 100% sure where it's going, but it does involve a heated rivalry between the newspaper food critic, and the local TV stations' food critic.

A Splendid Day

So Kristen and me went out to the State Fair yesterday. And the geek in me came out in full. The main reason for going was to get my book signed by Lynne Rossetto Kasper from The Splendid Table. I try to listen to the program every Saturday and podcast it all the time. We chatted for a bit, and also got a picture.....and then presumed to over eat all the good food.

So my summer work schedule is FINALLY over. Working 11-14 hours a day doing a job that you're not exactly jazzed about doing can be very stressful. Now it's back to normal--which means more cooking, writing, running and random acts of Jon-ness.

15 days left

If all goes well, I will be back on, and back to normal in about 15 days. The day I'm aiming for is August 29th. It has been a LONG summer with no free time to do anything. I've tried about 4 times to get up to Duluth to visit Mike, but either flash floods or work has gotten in the way.....Thankfully August is usually a fast month--right??

It's on

Maybe not on like Donkey Kong, but it's definitely on. It's about 12 weeks away for the TwinCities Marathon. Enough time for me to get back into the swing of things. So, tomorrow will be the first 12 mile run of the season. The next week, I should fill out the official registration form for the race.

In unrelated news, I'm still WAY too busy at work to be on here. But come Labor Day, look for more.

Legends of the fall

So I stumbled across a story by Chicago Public Radio titled "The Fall Guy". It was a collection of stories of people who, in a sense, have taken the fall for something. It was actually quite interesting. The first story however, got me thinking. It was about an Irish hood in Boston who would always take the rap for his buddies. It seems as though that personality trait is not as existent these days. As are some other things. I don't know a whole lot of people (outside my group of friends) who would take the heat for someone, just for the fact of not ratting them out.
It was a thing my father taught me at a young age (obviously not my father and me in the picture). Never rat out your friends. It's one thing if you witness a crime and you answer some questions. But never blatantly tell on a friend.


There seem to be quite a few things that fathers aren't teaching young lads these days. In fact, most fathers aren't teaching anything. So I decided to ponders some of these things and compile a short list......

1. Never rat out a friend.
2. Everyone is going to commit a crime at some point in time. This may be speeding, stealing a candy bar, or bank robbery. Don't commit crimes against people. It's one thing to swipe a ipod from Best Buy, it's another thing to knock down an old lady and take hers.
3. Hold open doors. Not just for good looking women, but for elderly, children and yes, even dorky guys.
4. Read. Read. Read. Put down that XBOX and pick up a book. And I mean a good book. Skip the Twilight and Harry Potter and grab Ulysses or Huck Finn.
5. Learn to cook. Taking the time to prepare, cook and serve food makes it so much better than someone else doing it. Have at least 5 good dishes you can whip out whenever the need arises.
6. Write a handwritten letter whenever possible. Emails and texts are fine, but there's just something about someone writing you something.
7. Don't waste time hating political people/commentators. Sure, most politicians are idiots. But nobody cares what you think about Obama, Palin or anyone else. Keep your thoughts about religion and politics to yourself.
8. Learn the names of the members of the Supreme Court. They make some of the most important decisions in our country. You should at least know their names.
9. Enjoy classical music. Go see a concert (preferably outdoors). And take some time to relax. I know it sounds corny, but put some music on, have some nice red wine, food and chill. There's nothing better than all of your senses going at once.
10. Travel. And travel like a traveler. Don't go to a different country and stay at the Holiday Inn and only eat Mcdonalds. Challenge yourself to be different and try different things. If something isn't to your liking, change your liking. Sure, the sites are good, but spend time living "Like the Romans do". Eat at small shops, and enjoy the cities and countries for what they have to offer. If it wasn't for Mike, I would have taken a trolley car all over San Francisco and never had the experience I did. The best way to see London was from the back of a bike--ok, a scooter.
11. Have a passion. Whether that's gearing, skiing, reading or painting. Have something that you enjoy doing that can ease stress.
12. Take time to be alone. Go out in the woods or something for a weekend alone. It's amazing what you might find.
13. Buy lemonade from a kids' stand whenever possible.
14. Listen to records once in a while. They sound better, and let's face it--are better on any given day than your ipod.
15. Remember those kids games you used to play?? Play them again. Get some people together for some dodgeball or kickball. Your inner child is dying to get out....

Never can say goodbye

Wow. It's hard to believe that Michael Jackson died. As a young lad, the first dance and song I ever learned was Beat It. Regardless of his odd personal life in the later years, he is the music icon of my generation. We never had the Rolling Stones (well, technically), Elvis, The Beatles or James Brown. We had Michael. There is not a one of us that didn't get down to Thriller, Smooth Criminal or Billy Jean. I think we got so wrapped up in his oddness, that we forgot how talented this guy was. Now, all we have are records and memories.

Oh the Minnesota DMV

So I get my new drivers licence in the mail yesterday. And for some reason, the DMV is only capable of taking photos that make you look like some kind of creep. My photo makes me look like a stalker or something....

Wow. These posts have been few and far between. Once September 5th comes around, the posts will get more frequent.

Words of Twin Cities Wisdom

-I'm a recovering alcoholic. Mostly in the sense I drink in the mornings to recover from my hangovers.

-I fight with my girlfriends a lot about the future. They want a house and 2.5 kids, and I think Corey Feldman will destroy the earth in 2025.

-I've been looking into real estate lately. The Minneapolis cops call it "peeping"

-20 is the age of consent in Germany. I'm guessing NEIN-teen was a little confusing.

-According to G.I. Joe, knowing is half the battle. I'm guessing the other half is guns, bombs and explosive stuff.

-If you can only trust people as far as you can throw them, then I distrust all fat people, and trust babies A LOT.

Most of these were forwarded on to me.

Happy Wednesday.
-JB

Quick post

So I'm trying to do small, quick posts to make up for lost time! Anywho, someone sent me this picture this morning with the line "which one doesn't fit". Needless to say, it didn't take long....

Embarrasing moment # 17,298

When you see a girl at the gym obviously doing ab exercises, walking up and in the best Mix-A-Lot voice, saying "You can do side bends and sit ups, but please don't lose that butt". The appalled look you will receive will be both rewarding, and embarrassing.
-JB

I see London, I see France.....

Does it get any trller than wine and a baguette at the Eiffel Tower at night with your spouse? Well, maybe the triple lindy is triller, but that's about it.


Any who, after being stranded in Chicago for 2 days, Kristen and I managed to make it to Europe. First, London for a day, then the train to Paris for 3, then back to London for 3. I really wish I had my bicycle for the trip. There is a following there that is nuts!

Heck, sometimes I just like to ponder the things in life....

And of course, the London eye.

Of all the places I've been outside the country, London is definitely one that I could live in. Perhaps I will be back next year.

Cheers,

JB

Oh wow

So people send me all kinds of pictures, videos, quotes and such all the time. However, this kid was sent to me on Friday, and it creeps me out.

In Final Four news, I'm quite happy that Michigan is in the finals. Since Minnesota couldn't make it out of the first round, and North Dakota and Wisconsin didn't fair well either, Michigan is the closest thing to a "home team".

So my plans to bike for a while today was thwarted by this snow.
Dear March,
Wow, I'm not quite sure how to say this. We had a good run. But I have to be honest. It's not you, it's me. Really. We were nothing more than a spring fling. I was in a strange place in my life, and you only come around once a year. Oh who am I kidding, you and I were never meant for each other. I enjoy bikes and running outside. You're all about cloudy days and lingering snow. I think it's best for us to part ways and move on. Sorry. We'll still be friends right? I'll still keep you on my calender--I promise.
-JB

Dear end of April weather,
How you doin'? giggity!
-JB

So if all goes to plan, in two weeks I'll be sitting in jolly old England sipping tea and crumpets. I'll be picking up my new camera this week so I can actually take some decent pictures while in Europe.

Jay Culter a Bear?? I was really bummed when he left Denver, hopefully this works for him.

Stupid Yankees beat the Cubs......

I can't wait for the baseball season to get into full swing. Thankfully the Twins will be out of that dome at the end of the regular season (because they have no shot at the playoffs this year).

I'm slowly planning a scheme. I mean the kind of scheme that takes 6 people sitting around a dimly lit round table with blueprints in the middle. The kind of scheme that will allow me to yell "45 seconds left" during the act. The kind of scheme that needs 6 people with odd traits to pull off (the tech guy, the muscle, the brains, the guy with an eye patch). Mostly, I just want to climb around in some heating ducts with a helmet flashlight, wearing all black. I've been watching too many movies......

Peace out.
-JB

Hop the bandwagon

So I was coaxed into the Twitter world by random friends at NPR over the weekend. Check it here: http://twitter.com/twincitiesgreat I can't really believe that people update this thing multiple times a day. I'm lucky to get a one-a-day....

Remember that movie Vision Quest? I'm pretty sure it starred Jake Ryan as a Native American wrestler who wasn't actually Native American....Anywho, it was on over the weekend and I forgot how good this 80's flick was! I like how the cove doesn't really have anything to do with the movie either.

In other news, I'm currently #1 in 2 different NCAA brackets. The Locals, and Swishyville! Though when we get the sweet 16 I will be falling to about 3rd and 4th place. Darn you West Virginia!

I spent way too long in Barnes and Noble the other day looking for a new book. I didn't find anything good. That is one of the few times that has happened....

It also seems as though something is missing in Minneapolis these days.....Hmmmm, I can't quite put my cherry, err, my finger on it. It really does look different these days in the sculpture garden. It sure is nice to see the snow leaving the city.

Well I better be getting off to the grocery store. I need some pita bread.
-JB

Wok this way

So for no real reason other than being bored and hungry, I broke out the wok today (obviously in a St. Patricks mood). I'm not exactly a wiz with it yet, but I can sizzle up some tasty meals. I dug out some chicken, fish sauce, soy sauce, basil, garlic, Serrano peppers, red peppers and some sriracha.

Mashing up the garlic and Serrenos.

No household should be without at least one bottle of the sauce! It's great on everything: Chicken, burgers, Chinese food, mashed potatoes (well, maybe not potatoes).

And the finished product....After some brown rice and bok choy, this was one hell of a meal.

In other news, we finally got up in the 60's yesterday. It's nice to finally open widows and go out without a coat on. But fear not, we'll be in the 20's next week.

And while biking, my backpack tore open and it's shot now. So I have to find a new bag. I think a Trash Bag would work just fine--thanks to Damien for the tip.

Well, that's about it.....

MSN should stick to the net

So as I was doing some web based research (see "Lafours from Mallrats other roles"), and I came upon an article from MSN about the worst movies made by celebrities. Ok, now Crossroads (Spears version, not Macchio), The Hottie and the Nottie, From Justin to Kelly all deserve to be on the list. But one of their top flops was the cinema classic--Cool As Ice. If I remember correct, this film was in hot contention with Silence of the Lambs for movie of the year. And I'm pretty sure Vanilla Ice almost beat out Anthony Hopkins for best actor. As a kid, I had this soundtrack on my walkman all day! I also had pants that looked exactly like the Ice mans......Sad to say, but true.

But one movie they chose to leave off the list, was the classic flick Disorderlies starring the Fat Boys. I loved this show.....I wish the Fatboys would do some kind of comeback.














In other internet worthy notes, I got some goofy virus or something on the computer last week. So I've been out of commission for a while. But it appears as though I'm back. Whew!
Well, that's about all I have. Make sure to check out the Punk Rock Prom coming up!

The waiting game

So it's supposed to snow about a half a foot in Minneapolis today. This past weekend we were in the 30's (and sunny). People were out in just sweatshirts. Just when I think Spring is on its way, it gets freezing cold and snowy again.

But in unrelated news, we finally found a good place to stay in France this year. London was a lock, but Paris was kinda iffy. I've been doing some research on odd stuff to do there, and there are all kinds of crazy stories about scams and swindlers. I sort of want to run across them, but if it involves them snatching my camera, I'd rather not. It can't be worse than broad day car jackings in Brazil (circa 2001). I just need to make sure I set aside a wine fund to ship boxes upon boxes back......

And it looks like Target Field is coming along pretty good for the Twins. I drive past it almost every week and it's starting to look like a real stadium. The best part of this whole deal? Kristen's office is in one of those buildings RIGHT by the field. From her window I can look right down into the field. Say hello to a few lunch breaks during day games!

I wish there was more going on in the Twin Cities to talk about, but it's been pretty slow this week. Well, it's off to get a pistachio muffin and some coffee before the snow hits.

Oh the colds

So it was going to happen sooner or later. The winter cold. Yesterday it hit in full effect and looks to keep me down for my birfday. I hate taking medicine, so I resort to liquids and age-old remedies. So needless to say, I'll be off here for a while. Back to bed with a sore head and runny nose....

Same time next year

Every year around this time, I have to go through and do the taxes. It's like changing the oil on your car-you know you have to do it, and it will probably get messy. I'm not sure why there is a mouse in this picture by the way. The only good thing about doing taxes is getting money back. Sure, we already paid it, and you know you got hosed to begin with, but you have to pretend to be oblivious to that, and be in joy at the fact that the government is giving me money back.

**Breaking news**
Brett Favre retired--again. I suppose it was for the best this year. It's too bad he couldn't stick with it last year and gone out as a Packer. I've gotten about 15 texts in the past 10 minutes about this......Jordan and the Wizards, Montana and the Chiefs. Nobody will really remember the guy as a Jet anyway.

On to other notes. I'm going to start doing the video blogs every once in a while. For some reason, people have been egging me on to do them again.....

Thoughts from an 11th grader part one

When I was in 11th grade, we had a school activity where we were supposed to present "something we were good at". Now I really tried to ponder this (due to my insationable desire to over-analyze things). I racked and racked my brain for hours on this. And I coulnd't think of anything. As I sat there and listen to class mates talk about how they could shave, play basketball, do math and so on, I was getting worried that I was going to receive an F on this project. As I walked in front of my class with my "me > you" shirt (which I still think is clever but most people thought otherwise, I was still at a loss of what to say.

The teacher looks at me and asks "So Jon, what is it that you're good at"? I gave him a serious look and replied "After much consideration, I've come to the conclusion that I'm good at everything". Mr. Kennedy gave me a "here-we-go-again" sigh and asked me to elaborate. I explained that while I may not be an expert at photo taking, I was good at it. While I may not be drafted into the NFL out of high school, I was in fact, good at the sport. And while I may not be qualified to write a book about picking up ladies, I was good at it (I backed the last statement up with my ability to wow out of town girls at the Mall of America). And I probably cannot make you a quilt, I was good at cross-stitching (an elective activity I learned at Field School in the 6th grade along with Dan and Ryan--we figured it was an easy A). So I went on about a few other things I was decently good at, and wrapped up my presentation. The teacher sat there tapping his pencil against his lip for a few moments before replying "Mr. B, you're quite sure of yourself aren't you"? I thought about it and said I was. He then badgered me about how nobody could possibly be good at everything.

So to prove my grade-worthy ability, I opened a challenge. Everyone in the class could pick a task, I would try my hand at it, and if I failed at the task, we could assume that I was not good at everything. If however I did not fail (only marginally succeeded), I would receive an A. This actually ate up almost a full weeks of English class. So to break it down, here were tasks I was good at:
Breakdancing
Beatboxing
Jump rope
Quadratic Equations
Jenga
Guess Who
Writing limericks and haiku's

But, there were in fact things I was not good at......
The Oboe
Dunking a basketball (though 5'5 at the time, it was no wonder)
Making things out of clay on a wheel

So the moral of this trifle story is that I have too much time on my hands......

One thing I wish I would have done in my life, was to win that SoapBox Derby race. You know the type: The big day is Saturday, if you want Suzie to like you--you'd better win, Banks McGee (the neighborhood bully) is also building a soapbox with oil spurts out of the back-spikes from the tires and weights in the front to go faster. **Sidenote** I think I will either make a short story about this odd past time, or make a funny movie this summer**

Another plan for this Winter, is to take a retreat. There are these one-room cabins in the middle of the North Woods. No electronics, no phones, no modern things at all. You heat them with a wood stove, eat basic foods, and basically spend 48 hours alone to reflect. For some reason it sounds really appealing to me. Nothing but silence, snow and the crackle of a fire stove. Maybe I'll finish one of these books....

And on a final note, why do we have SO MANY useless talents? When we were hunters and gatherers, we needed talents to survive. But as we've evolved, we've acquired talents and skills that mean absolutely nothing. How is juggling going to help me defend a lion in the wild?? Maybe I can juggle some yarn and he would be memorised, but more than likely, he'll just eat me.
Now some talents help us in day to day activities (like the talent of talking and persuasive writing). But most talents are pointless. Another example of pointless talents would be imitations. Sure they make for a fun Friday night after a few drinks, and you convince a Holiday Inn clerk that you are Tony Danza, but it's pretty worthless. But weaving a basket out of birch bark might not be the smoothest party trick.
**New goal--find some kind of natural talent that would come in handy one day**

Actually, this is the final note: The other day I'm going to sleep, and on TV is Ski Patrol. No lie. At 2am it was on. I had to watch it out of respect for a bad movie. And it really is a bad movie. I can't believe we never watched this on Bad Movie Night. I'm busy searching Amazon for it on DVD now.

I'm not really sure why I liked the photo of the kid who is drinking out of the bucket instead of the hose, but I sorta struck me as something I would have done.

Daytime TV

So now that school is over, I've been spending my days in different ways. One of those ways is skipping through daytime TV. Now, I have to imagine that the broadcasting is directed towards a certain type of demographic. Either stay-at-home-moms, unemployed persons, or people with nothing better to do on freezing cold days.

My conclusion is that 90% of it is for women. Now I'm not being sexist or anything, but when most of the shows are either cooking shows, or segments on how to loose weight in your thighs, I can determine that the 25 year old male is not who they're going after.

After watching daytime TV a few times now, I have to wonder: Are women really that unhappy, or are we making them unhappy? Case 1: Most television ads directed towards guys are about beer, girls, music and cars. Most television ads directed towards women are pretty much about how they're butts are too big, they eat too many calories, eyelashes aren't full enough, they can't be healthy without lean-cuisines, you can't cook properly--so here is a new oven mitt to help you or the always popular: trade in that gold ad.
Now I've noticed that most of the commercials directed towards women in the day are pretty much saying that that you're not perfect. And the only way for you to be perfect, is changing everything about you. Now most commercials directed towards guys go as follows: You're already pretty cool bro, but this product will make you cooler (and get you TONS of action).

**Sidenote** I actually had a friend who would use AXE body spray because he literally felt that by wearing it, he would attract women. I continually tried to tell him that the stuff smelled like a bad chemistry experiment, but he wouldn't believe me because he bought into those commercials. And he would never believe my argument that cologne/body sprays are meant to be done in small doses--more does not mean better. Case and point: If you can smell a perfume from across the room, it does not attract you like a magnet. But being close enough to smell a hint of perfume is...well....very attractive.

It's not like I'm re-inventing the wheel here. I'm sure people have found this same example and written lots of stuff on it. I just never noticed it until I was sucked into the world of daytime TV.

Working later in the day has certainly opened my eyes to a culture of people who I never knew anything about. I think the next group will be those who are retired. When I go to the gym at 9am, there are floods of moms and elderly people there. The old folks stay to themselves, but after their workout sessions, I stay away from the parking lot....If your're 90 years old, you probably shouldn't be on the roads.

So there are 2 new cool things going down lately:

1. I'm finally going to upgrade my camera to one that allows for better photos.
2. London and Paris in April. That's right folks, Kris and I will be hanging with some London blokes and French frogs in a few months. Hense the reason for upgrading the camera...

It's off to watch the Price is Right and Rachael Ray.

Hey there

For some reason or another, I've re-gotten into records. I spent most of the day today playing all sorts of vinyl. I guess it goes along with 2009s theme of being more traditional. The way I see it, if it was good enough for your grandpa, it's still good enough. I guess that's why I'm flirting with 80 year old women....but on to another topic.

So as males, have we given up on being gentleman? Being a teacher I certainly see the youth going away from it, but people in their 20's-40's, is what really surprises me. I'm not saying that we all walk around with the utmost manners, but there are certain things that have become a past time rather than common practice. Take for example a dinner gathering. How many people wait until everyone is seated until they start to eat? Not many. Or, if you're being introduced to someone, standing up to greet them? And what about opening doors for people? We honestly can't be in that big of a hurry to not allow someone to go before us. And how often do we take our hats off inside? My grandma used to smack the back of my head if I came into her house with my hat on-up until I was 24! She also used to make me stand up every time a female came, or left, a room. She told me it was rude to just sit there while a lady was coming or going--but when I do this now, people look at me funny. And it almost seems odd if you take out a chair for a woman. Where have our customs gone?? I don't really have an answer for this, but it does seem something that should be looked into. (*brain, file this away for later. Also, find that missing sock*). Maybe I'm the oldest 20-something out there, but hopefully not the only one that at least tries to practice correctness. I'm going back to listen to these old Dean Martin records now.

But take a look at these guys here. Nothing says cool like a fishbowl of pretzels and scotch. The 60's were much smoother than the first part of this century....

Why oh why

Why on earth do I live here? That is the question I wrestle with on mornings like this. The temperature outside is -18 actual. That means it's about -35 with the windchill.

One of my favorite things to do while drinking coffee, is to watch the morning newscast and watch the traffic reports. There were 2 different sections of highway closed this morning due to black ice, crashes and rollovers. A normal commute of 20 minutes was a little over an hour today. I still don't understand how people here can't drive in the winter. It only happens EVERY year, yet 97% of the people forget how to handle snow and ice.....If you're driving and notice the road looks wet (and it's below 0), chances are it's ice! So slow down.

-I'm out.

50/50

So to go with the theme from New Years, here's 50 oh-snaper-ific things about the one and only JB.

1. I am phenomenal at being alone. I mean I can do my own thing for weeks on end and never get bored. I can waste time better than anyone I know. I'll spend 3 hours at Barnes and Noble or 5 hours at the Art Museum and not even notice....


2. I once fell off a horse at camp....I hated every second of the ordeal. And now the story has become a favorite among house parties.


3. I have become quite good at taking public naps. I can snooze in the chair at the dentist office, buses, park benches, heck anywhere.



4. Teri Hatcher is really good looking. And not the Hatcher from Superman, but present day Teri. Which sort of leads me to #5.



5. Older women (not elderly) are usually much better looking than they get credit for. And for some reason, they always flirt with me at coffee shops, book stores and art showings....



6. Joose is great.



7. I'm the only person I know that still goes out and paints at least once a month. I thought those kids in high school would do it forever. It seems that it ended up being just me.



8. I could listen to Do You Want More!?!? ten times a day, and not get sick of it.



9. I enjoy bad movies. And not bad movies that are box office flops, but movies that were made for the intent of not being all that good (i.e. Ski School, Phantoms, Meatballs 4, Hollywood Hot tubs and Real Men). For some reason I really dig these flicks.



10. I also like celebrities that are no longer celebrities. Much like John Stamos, Patrick Swayze and Corey Feldman.



11. Once I found out how to shave properly (back in August of 08), it has become a small hobby. I'm looking for an old school razor from the 1940's right now. It used to be such a chore in the morning, but now I actually enjoy it. I guess it goes along with my monthly trip to the barber (yes, an actual barber, not Cost Cutters--straight razors and all).



12. Sideways is one of the most influential movies I've ever watched. Before that movie, I though I was the only one under the age of 40 that enjoyed wine. Later, I've come to find quite a few people. But I dislike hanging out with wine snobs. If it's good, drink it. I don't really admire the fact that you can pick out how many different aspects are in the wine.



13. My table at wedding receptions is ALWAYS the fun table.



14. I really hate it when cheese burns the top of my mouth.



15. When watching Deal or no Deal, I always root for the person to do horribly. If someone offers me $250,000, I don't care what anyone says, I'd sell that million dollar case for some guaranteed money.



16. Back to the Future 2 was WAY off when they predicted the future. I want some quick-drying clothes and a hovercraft. Sidenote: Elizabeth Shue was really good looking.



17. Saying that I'm a semi-famous blogger doesn't sound as cool when you're at the bar....



18. Someone once told me that flat chested girls are like flat rocks--you skip em'. That is the kind of knowledge I received in 6th grade.



19. I kissed my first girl on the nose while playing hide-and-go-seek. I'm sure she still remembers it just as well as I do. Truth be told, I pretty much had a crush on her from Kindergarten to high school.



20. Whatcha' gonna do when Pun comes through? But really, one of the best days I've ever had was biking around San Francisco with Mike last summer. That's my kind of place on a bike.



21. One of the best moments from 2008 is when one of my students was convinced I couldn't rap. And then I had to show him up in front of his friends at a basketball game. He still emails me, and I'm helping him get into college this coming Fall.



22. I'm a nerd at heart. I have bookshelves filled with books about everything. From basic novels to classics. From Early Chinese history to Calvin and Hobbes. I think it was Abraham Lincoln who said "A best friend is one who gives me a book I haven't read". Very true.



23. One of these days I'm going to finish this novel I'm working on.



24. Back in the 8th grade, I made a promise to myself that whenever Bust a Move by Young MC came on, I would dance. Regardless of the situation I would in fact--bust a move.



25. Getting halfway on this list went much quicker than I thought it would.....



26. I wish I had more time to go to plays. I want to try to get to one every month this year, but I doubt it will happen.



27. Does it get any better than Summer in Minneapolis?? Biking through the city, the lakes, the Twins (in our new outdoor stadium). It is in fact, one of the greatest places on earth.



28. It's amazing the amount of people that come and go in our lives. Most of them don't leave a fingerprint, let alone a lasting impression. On the other hand, some become life long friends. And I'm convinced I have some of the freshest friends on the planet. I can go a month without talking to them, and pick up a conversation like we never left.



29. I honestly wonder how many people are going to read this list.......



30. Speaking of friends, it's amazing that most of those I consider to be closest friends, all moved away: San Francisco, Virginia, New York, Washington, Brazil and London. At least there are plenty of warm couches to lay when I travel.



31. Granted, high school wasn't that long ago, but when I run into girls I either dated or had crushes on and they don't look so good now--I have to smile. And I always think to myself "dodged a bullet on that one". And vice versa when they see me. I aways get the "Oh my god, you look different--we should get a drink sometime or something". Thanks but no thanks.



32. For some reason, I can always relate to Will in the movie About a Boy.



33. I played pee wee football with Joshua Jackson. He was the punter on our team. One day he stopped coming to practice. A few months later we all saw him in Mighty Ducks. And as we all know--moved out to Dawsons Creek.



34. In 3 years I will be running for city council in Minneapolis. Get your ballots ready. If there is a chance that I win, I'll be the youngest to do it....hopefully.



35. I always wanted to be a member of the Lambert family on Step by Step.



36. I dig nice bathrooms. You know, the kind where an old man is there to dry your hands. Now that's classy.



37. January 12, 2009 starts the triathlon training......hilarity will ensue (yet again). I think it's been about 3 years since the last one, so needless to say, I can't have any carry-over.

38. I'll pass on the Guitar Hero. Pass me the Mario 3.

39. I'm a huge Packers fan. Coming from Minnesota, that is quite taboo.

40. No one believes it, but I'm very shy at first. After a few minutes, you realize that I'm sometimes too animated for my own good.

41. I graduated from college with the Universities highest honors. I also graduated high school at #7 in my class (vandalism at night, homework in the day I guess). I still think there was a mix up with the papers.

42. I'm set on the fact that the best rap music was made between 1987 and 1996. After that, it all sort of went downhill (with a few exceptions).

43. I very much enjoyed my 4-6th grade camping trips to Long Lake. One time, Dan and Ryan fell out of a boat and almost froze to death...And then I pushed a kid into the bog. Ah, memories.

44. I don't care for really large crowds. But I do like to Christmas shop during the busiest times of the day/week. Go figure.

45. What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about????

46. One time during the winter months, I jumped on a moving train. My foot slipped through the ladder and I got dragged upside down for almost a block. I finally got loose and rolled on the ground from the momentum, ending up under the train itself. Luckily there were only 3 cars left and I ended up being ok. That was the single scariest point in my life, and I have not been back on a moving train since.

47. I talk to myself way too much when I'm alone.

48. I used to watch The Real World all the time. Well, until it got boring...Which was around 2003.

49. Why did the song Poison have to be so GREAT!?! BBD should make a comeback.

50. I hate texting. Mostly because I'm so horrible at it. Just give me a call.