Lerve's Swerve

Tuesday's Tunes Review (Mat Kearney)

2011-08-09T17:04:00.002-04:00

Well, about two months ago, Beth, Mike, Sarah, her mother and I went to check out Mat at one of the great venues in Charlotte, the Fillmore. He kicked off for Owl City (Beth, Mike and I didn't stay for that, we hit VBGB for a pint) and while it was a short set, he did a great job of running through some great songs from his first two albums. And his greatest hits album aside (I'm sorry, you can't put out two albums and then have a "greatest" hits) this is his new album, released on Aug 2nd, called Young Love. Like Wertz, I have no idea what Mat is doing with this album cover. Doesn't he know this will be out there for eternity?

His only song from the latest album he played during his set was "Hey Mama" which, while peppy and upbeat, isn't my favorite. Likewise, the return of "sprap" to the album was moderately disappointing. (Check out my post from 2007 for more info on sprap - http://thelerveswerve.blogspot.com/2007/04/undeniable-sprap.html) "Ships in the Night" and "Down" are perfect Kearney, good rhythm, words flow freely, hits his voice right.

He does some interesting beats with this album, "Count on Me" certainly is different sounding although when he sings the title in the song, I keep thinking of another song that eludes me at the moment, the notes sound identical. "Sooner or Later" has a very powerful chorus and some good beats behind it, although he does his higher voice too much at times in the song. The big thing for Mat is that when he starts "speaking" lyrics, I tune out. I mean, you're not Shawn Mullins, right?

The most annoying song that I'll end up liking the most is "She Got the Honey" which has the weirdest bridge music and some pretty random lyrics tied into the song. I don't recommend listening to the song, but that chorus for some reason gets me going. However, I think it's great to have clapping in songs, but as a rule of thumb, I'd only do it for one song per album. I can see us at the next concert being told before every song to clap it up.

I always look for that one soft, acoustic song that Mat has on an album. "What's a Boy to Do" and "City of Black & White" both had those great moments in each song that made me enjoy the rest of the album that much more. I think "Rochester" could be that, but I think it'll be a distant 3rd.

I won't tell you this is his best album. I think his 2009 "City" album is better at this point. And over time, that may change, as I think that while his singing is good, the track rhythms, varying sounds have been causing me to get more into the songs. I remember getting his sophomore album and instantly playing the hell out of it. It certainly wasn't a letdown and this one isn't either, but I don't think it's on the same level. I think I'll like him performing this album in person the best though, definitely a concert album. And if you like Mat, even a little bit, go out and grab the album. It was only $8 on iTunes...

Don'tcha know North Dakota

2011-08-05T17:51:00.000-04:00

Well, if you don't, you can ask me as I took the grand tour of the state recently for my family vacation. It started in hot and windy Kansas City as Kelly, Matthew and Dad picked me up for the long drive to Lake Metigoshe. Pretty uneventful drive, as long as you don't count the two massive detours we had to take due to Interstate 29 having flooding. That and a no hotel room availability in Fargo due to...a wrestling tournament. Still shocks me that we couldn't find a room, but hey, Grand Forks welcomed us to the, and I'm quoting this, the "Settle Inn." Who said there isn't humor in North Dakota?!?!

We got there mid-afternoon Wednesday and immediately headed to the lake to meet up with Uncle Jim and take a pontoon tour of the lake. Yup, we even snuck into Canada for a brief moment. Shockingly, that's the only other country I've been to besides the U.S. I really need to get my travel more turned to international. We got a hotel room at the lake, after spending some time with family, called it a night.

Ended up heading out with my cousin Jill's husband Pat to golf the tourney site, Bottineau Country Club, in preparation for the tournament that weekend. Course was actually in great shape, it's just a 9 hole course, but it brought back some memories for sure. It had probably been 15 years since I had been there and wow, it just felt different. As a kid, I remember playing 72 holes of golf there one day. just me, a golf cart, and no one else on the course. Things like the tee box on hole 1 with this daunting downhill drive turned into a small mound as an adult. But the greens still rolled towards the city and everything was as I remembered it, just a bit smaller.

Flash forward to the tournament and I got paired with my father, Kelly, my aunt Sherry and my cousin Carrie's boyfriend Craig. I thought we had a really good shot and let me tell you (because it's a blog and that's what I do, tell you things) I was on fire. Crushing drives, keeping us alive, making some great shots. We bogey the par 3, which was my fault, but I birdied 9, the tough hole on the course, all alone and we're 2 under after 9. Back 9 is going well, sans the 15 minute rainstorm we had to weather, and as we get to the last hole, we're at -4. And I proceed to melt down. Hit the biggest banana slice of my life and we end up with a bogey. Come to find out, we're one shot back from my cousin Bob for the championship. Once again, so close, but no victory for me still in the Lervik Classic. Good news though, 2013 will be in Colorado, which will be awesome! Can't wait for a change of venue and some fun in a new part of the country. Here's a shot of sis and I afterwards at the awards ceremony. Hey, they had Boulevard Wheat at the store, so I was happy. Not a "smile with my teeth showing" happy, but close enough.

Sunday my immediate family headed out to the farm. Now, no running water there, but we've got electricity and a lot of fun times. I ended up hopping on the small lawn mower, popped in the iPod, and just cruised, cutting grass for like two hours around the property. Bordered on the highlight of my trip, just me and open fields, so peaceful. We grilled out, checked out all of the cars and other memories from when my father grew up there, and then played cards for about 5 hours. I ended up hitting it hard, bed at 3 AM, up $50, with an early wake-up and a not so fun visit to the outhouse. I'll spare you the details. But I'll say this, there's something about the farm that brings out what I love most about my father. Here's a shot with him after the tournament on Saturday. Need to make sure we get him up that way as much as he wants. He deserves it.

Big thanks to my cousin Brittany for taking photos, which are what I used in the blog. Here she is with my nephew, who I have to say was perfect during the trip, drive included. You never know with a 5 year old, but I was proud of the kid.

The rest of my trip was spent with my cousin Jill at her house, worked both days and just recovered from the weekend. Mike got to the house Wednesday afternoon for the drive back to Charlotte. Ended up helping him with the parents as they are retiring in North Carolina. Only a couple of events that were memorable (truck gets a flat tire about 50 miles into the journey, Mike's mom forgetting her purse at the hotel south of Indy, causing Mike and I to not have to drive the truck that last day at all) and the rest was very typical for a 1,700 mile trip and unload in Charlotte. The rest of the weekend was a blur, just trying to recover from the vacation.

Lots of fun events upcoming, check out where I am on the left-hand side for more. Thanks to the family for a great visit, looking forward to the next one!

Well, you get three choices...

2011-08-04T07:28:00.001-04:00

It's great when a movie is titled in such a manner that you can use one of the words to describe your thoughts on it. So, I'll use each word to give a quick review on the movie and a big thanks to Sarah for treating me to what I think most people know is a rarity, me going to the movies!

Crazy - Steve Carell as a bit of a "sex" figure. It's not that the humorous guys can't get the ladies (ahem) but I think the transformation that tried to occur really wasn't as dramatic as it could have been with another actor. I think his mannerisms work in the movie and there were certainly some humorous moments that he provided. I guess my block with him is that I never became a fan of The Office, so I don't have a pull to watch him in things he does.

Stupid - The plot. The story line. Okay, I'm being harsh. Rent the movie with limited expectations. I think people could be swerved a bit (yeah, I used my blog name) by one of the scenes, and certainly the son had some endearing qualities. But I had higher hopes. And by that, I mean I had a hope.

Love - The song that rolled us into credits. It's called "Blood" by The Middle East. It now appears as a song to check out in the "New to You" section. I checked out a few other songs from their album and EP, wasn't overly impressed, but I'll give it another shot later. Just an interesting voice, upbeat, really tied in the last scene effectively. And kudos to Sarah for knowing the John Legend song as the opener without hearing a lyric, "Save Room" I don't think had airplay, but I could be wrong.

Ultimately, I need to see another movie soon. Because I'm not happy to respond to the question of "so what movies have you seen lately in the theater" with "Crazy Stupid Love" by any stretch.

Tuesday's Tunes Review (Matt Wertz)

2011-08-02T18:01:00.000-04:00

First off, straight away, this is the only artist I've seen in person by myself. It was a few years back, at the Evening Muse, and yeah, it was awkward. I may have blogged about it, you can go back and look if it pleases you. The main issue, tons of young women there and then there's single, me. I think people were like "where's your girl?" when they looked at me. Anyways, the album photo cover aside (I mean, what the heck is he doing here?) I bought Weights and Wings after Sarah informed me he had a new album out. So I'm a few months late in purchasing it, sue me.

The opening track "Don't Come Easy" is a great start to the album. Upbeat, good lyrics, shows his vocals. Doesn't feel forced. I think he's at his best when he's doing faster-paced songs. Carolina, Everything's Right, Heartbreaker, all three great songs that have some good tempo to them, to go with what I'd say is an average voice in terms of range, but a talented ability to hit the right note and take it to a good ending with his riffs.

So that's why I'm a bit bummed with the first half of his album. Too many love ballads, no real catchy sounds, it's pretty bland as of the first listen. I like For the First Time, but I can see that not lasting. I guess it just feels like Sad Songwriting 101 and while I actually enjoy that genre, it's the basic level of lyrics and music sounds that bring me down a bit. He picks it back up with Someone Like You. But it's not good enough for me, I feel like I'd hear this from some sidewalk performer in a downtown district.

His best song (country twang guitar notwithstanding) is Feels So Right. Easy to get into, has a good beat, even if it does have some of that Country sound that I'm not too fond of. He sings the best on this album during this song. Ultimately though, it's a slow, love song album. And while he normally has a few on each album, this one feels too heavy in that arena.

I suspect though, after a few listens (and the right mood) I'll come to appreciate this album more. For now, it's a little too slow-paced for my taste.

Tuesday's Tunes Review (Chris Brown)

2011-07-26T11:10:00.002-04:00

In the last of my four recent album purchases, I hit (figuratively, not literally) the Chris Brown first buy with his latest album, F.A.M.E. Heck, he won 4, no 5 BET awards for the album, so it's curious as to why this album was panned by critics. Funny story, Brown thought he only won 4 awards, the Viewers Choice award had an interesting error. The presenter thought Brown had won it via the teleprompter, only to correct herself and share that, yeah, Rihanna won it. After the show, they realized the error and correctly awarded it to Brown.

I love "Yeah 3x" and the video totally works to his strengths as a performer. It's really the only reason I bought the album. Seems like he's a bit bitter though overall in his songs and while I can't blame him for feeling that way, it's also a deserved position. Hopefully he'll realize that he has to atone for his actions and that in the future, people will just judge him on his artistic abilities and not his personal life.

Overall, as an R&B album goes, it's really quite good. There's some catchy tracks with good tempo. Although I'd say Jason Derulo does a better job after listening to a full Chris Brown album.

Tuesday's Tunes Review (Matt Nathanson)

2011-07-19T11:09:00.002-04:00

It's been well documented that I'm a fan of Matt. I've seen him a few times and am looking forward to seeing him with Train and Maroon 5 in KC in September. He's absolutely hilarious in concert and I think that's part of why I love his music. Musicians forget sometimes that it's not just about how they sound, but who they are as an artist. And he gets it.

His big release on his new album is "Run" which is done with the Sugarland duo. This song hits me a bit weird though and I like Sugarland (one of the only country artists I own songs by) and I don't know if it's the pace of the song or the lyrics, but each time I listen to it I have a different reaction to it. I enjoy the harmonies, but something about this song doesn't quite work.

Although I'd say he's known for his love ballads, I found myself enjoying his up-tempo songs more. The first track, "Faster" has a great beat and I enjoy the horns in the track. And his title track, "Modern Love" has great instrumental support, although I found at times he sounded more like he was speaking during the verse and not really singing. "Mercy" has a good chorus, but fails a bit in the verses. It's almost like he's trying to do the transition to more of a rocker and away from the niche he's in currently.

"Kept" is probably his best slow song on the album. Great tone, subdued instruments, and some pretty good lyrics. But that's probably the best the album has to offer. "Drop To Hold You" has some promise and may grow on me. Same with "Bottom Of The Sea" but it's almost too cute in what he's trying to do with the song.

When I first listened to this album from start to finish on the flight back from Chicago, I remember getting done with the album and thinking "crap, I didn't go back and play a song over to hear it again." And that's probably a good barometer of the album's talent. I'm still a fan of Nathanson. I just hope he hooks me onto a song when I see him in concert. Right now, I'd rather hear him reprise his "At the Point" album at the show than do any new stuff. But, I can definitely see myself coming back to this album later, giving it a listen, and having a different perspective on it. I just hope it's a better one than the ho-hum view I have of it now.

Tuesday's Tunes Review (Foo Fighters)

2011-07-12T11:04:00.002-04:00

So the word is this album was recorded in Grohl's garage on "analog" tape. No audiotuning, computers were not present, it's just them, laying down tracks, like every other band would do trying to get noticed. Only the difference is this group is way more than that.

I think it's easy to say "well if you like their sound, you'll like their album." Seems a very narrow minded statement, in my opinion. I mean, if I hate rock, then why would like this album? I think though that no mater what genre you enjoy, Foo Fighters do a good job of converting you to liking their sound. They've got some great rock songs ("White Limo" has the vintage screams that makes Grohl's sound unique) and do a good job of mixing up the pace of songs. Yeah, there's a song or two that miss the Foo mark ("Back & Forth" for example).

The album ends with two great, slower songs that epitomizes why I enjoy their sound. Both tracks have that raw emotion that they bring to the table. Favorite song though is "Walk" at the end, very much the song that I like about this band. I only have this album and the previous one (Echoes...) so I don't know if I'm a huge fan. But every time one of their songs comes on, I tend to let it play. Even if I'm not in that kind of mood. So if you're a big fan, you should already own this album. If these guys aren't normally on your playlist, give this album a try. Or just buy their Greatest Hits album. Everlong done acoustically is brilliant.

The Case For/Against Women's Soccer

2011-07-11T17:45:00.000-04:00

With the U.S. beating Brazil in exciting fashion on Sunday, I wanted to take a few moments on the blog to talk about why it doesn't matter if we as a country are watching USA Women's Soccer, or any soccer for that matter.

Viewership is up across the globe for women's soccer, of course, except the United States, and that should be fine. I mean, if you're trying to make the sport more popular, you want more people tuning in, right? I'm thrilled that more people watch soccer in general, but I really couldn't care less if it is state-side or not. I love soccer, but Saturday's games (FRA v. ENG and JAP v. GER) were two of the most painful games to watch, the latter game even more so. Germany attacking, winning every header over the shorter Japan squad. Japan feebly countering but not really testing the German goalie. And of course I missed Japan's goal in the 108th minute to upset the host country. But that's okay, I can and did see the highlight.

And I think that's the problem, soccer only highlights goals or really bad fouls on TV. I'm a fan of soccer, the structure, design, individual talents, possession, all of it, but I do not love the pace of play for the women's game. I just don't. I found myself enjoying the U17 men's tournament that is overlapping the women's World Cup timeframe more. But back to the ladies. It's not normally a possession game, more of a long ball, trap and cross mentality. But the sport has the same wrongs as any out there, officials get criticized, players fake injustices, the big difference is a lack of hardcore scoring. And that's a good thing. I think the agony (which it seems most sports fans possess and thrive upon) makes the good moments even more enjoyable. Listen, lacrosse is a popular sport here, tons of scoring, hits, fast paced. But because I didn't play it growing up, it just looks like people with sticks playing Tag at times to me. I watch soccer because I enjoyed playing it and am fascinated with what they can do on the field.

So I watched the entire USA/Brazil match, even after over 200 minutes of non-scoring in Saturday's games. And I thought it was riddled with errant passes, lack of individual skill sets, and still, there was so much drama to the game. The last minute, errr, second goal by Wambach was amazing live. Perfect cross, header was on target, don't forget, down a woman for the US side after a red card. I hated PK's though as a way to decide the game. I really do. But these players can't run forever.

I checked out Facebook after the game and there were 4 people out of my 400+ friends on there who made a comment about the game. Compare that to probably 50 who posted something online in the first 10 minutes following the Mavericks' NBA title and yes, it's easy to see that we don't watch soccer. But just remember, the US does not define what sports are good. I think because the US has so many choices and lacks the history of soccer as a viable sports option, we tend to gravitate away from it. Soccer is a great sport, which I love to watch. But yes, I'll be honest, the women's game, it's just a step below men's. I do know though that I like the sport, because I never once found myself saying "man, she's hot." I'd rather enjoy their athletic talents than see them in Maxim. Just for fun, I Google'd Hope Solo and found not one "sexy" pose on the first (or subsequent) page of her images. Heck, seldom (now) used sub Heather Mitts was one of the images on the second page.

Final thoughts. If you're a soccer fan, check out the semifinals on Wednesday morning for the US. I'm sure it'll be a great game. However, media, stop trying to push soccer down America's collective throats. Because I think the only way that's going to happen, especially in the male demographic, is if they wear sports bras as uniforms. And that would be when I'd stop watching the game...probably.

The Carolina Experience

2011-07-06T17:08:00.001-04:00

So, you've never been to Charlotte. I often kid that Charlotte really doesn't have that one thing that pulls tourists to the town. Name a major city and there's something that people say "I've got to see that while I'm there." Just ask my sister Kristen who recently made a trip to Chicago. You have to get a picture of Cloud Gate, aka "The Bean" in Millenium park. But Charlotte, well, we don't have that one thing. But hopefully during this past extended 4th of July weekend, Nick and Sara got to see how I live and what I love about Charlotte and the area.

The Area - We're so close to a ton of different things to do. I always say we're a couple of hours to the mountains and about 4 hours to the ocean, which really is something I enjoy about the city. Wednesday night upon their arrival, Sara took my car up to Asheville to see her friend there. Of course, Nick had to stay to watch the Carolina CREST end the season as undefeated champions in softball! I batted horribly, but our team pulled it out with an inside the park homer in the bottom of the last inning to secure the championship. Nick spent Thursday at work with the BMW plant in South Carolina which went well. Weather stayed gorgeous all week, little hot here for this time of year, but a few light showers here and there didn't prevent us from having fun. We did a walk down around the Uptown area on Friday just to show them around the city, which I've always enjoyed what that area has in terms of restuarants, bars, the arts, and other attractions.

Our main event of the trip was a 2 hour drive down to Bishopville, SC where a man has turned his house (and the street he lives on) into a topiary garden. Had no idea what topiary meant, but it's the art of clipping and shaving trees/shrubs into designs. And this guy, Pearl, who owns the place, had some pretty amazing designs at his house. Nick and Sara had heard of him via a documentary they watched, so we drove down to check it out.

It's inspiring what this guy can do with a chain saw and a really interesting story. So if you're interested in this kind of stuff, know that it's only two hours away from me and I'm more than happy to ... loan you my car to drive down there. Because I got my fill of this place the first time. Here's a shot of Nick and I on the edge of his property, and there's a few other photos in this post as well. For more, head out to my Facebook page to see some of the cool shapes and designs from the garden.

The Drinks - Had to take Nick around a couple of my favorite stomping grounds here in the city. We had a beer at Brazwells and on the way back hit Thomas St. Tavern.

The best night of drinks happened Friday night when the crew met up with us at Corkscrew in Birkdale. We ended up sitting inside for the evening, but really enjoyed getting a chance for new friends to meet old and of course the fun game of "Do I call you Thomas or T.J.?" that occurs.

The Eats - Man, I love the restaurants in Charlotte. Hopefully, nah, I know Nick and Sara did too. Staples like Cabo Fish Taco, The Liberty, Eastfield B&G, and Cantina 1511 (twice in fact) were of course on the list. And we ended up at Carolina Ale House for lunch after the topiary trip. Enjoyed the food, but it makes me realize I need to go explore Columbia, SC a bit more for some restaurant choices. I really don't know my way around that town at all. Maybe I'll hit up a football game down there or something.

The Driving - I only bring this up because we had about a half dozen moments where we almost got into wrecks. From merging traffic into an occupied lane, tons of flat tires, and the closest I've ever been to a high speed accident, drivers in this area just sometimes don't get it. We had a car on the highway trying to get into a lane from the shoulder going about 15 mph. Fortunately, Nick's rental and my car avoided any accidents and a guy did a 180 over 4 lanes of highway in the process, but thankfully, no damage or injuries by anyone.

The Highlight - Sorry Sara, but Sunday night on the back patio, having a cigar and a few drinks with Nick was the best part of their visit. We shared a bunch of good stories, had some great laughs, and just really enjoyed the nice evening. I haven't had that much laughter in a while (probably the last time was watching my buddy Ed swing a golf club at the driving range...) and it's always a solid night when you spend it with a great friend.

So thanks to Nick and Sara for taking a work trip for Nick and turning it into an extended weekend. You definitely got to experience the Carolinas!

Tuesday's Tunes Review (Adele)

2011-07-05T10:59:00.002-04:00

So I'm over 4 months late in getting her album and as most of you know, I'm not a huge fan of female singers. Sure, I like the sound of a woman's voice, but never on a consistent basis. I'm talking about singing, so lady blog readers, take no offense. I love hearing a woman's voice. It's more about "can I sing along to it" and it's easier doing that with a guy's voice for me. Shocking, right?

And yes, we all remember her first album and Chasing Pavements, the overplayed, but well sung track off her first album, 19. So what made me buy this album? Simple. Rescue Me. No, I'm not speaking in code, the Denis Leary-starred FX show which is coming to an end this season. (Side note: This would be close to the top on my list of shows I've never really watched but would rent the entire series to watch) One of their promos for their final season had this song "Set Fire To The Rain" and it's an amazing track. When she hits the first note in the line "...watched it pour as I touched your face" I got hooked. So I had to check out the rest of the album.

I am not a fan of "Rolling In The Deep" for some reason. I know it's her big hit on this album, but I just don't like the way it's set up. I really like "Turning Tables" and how she changes the rhythm of the song. It's not that typical beat and she really does a great job of emphasizing the right notes and putting strength into the words that bring out a bigger run on the song.

Other songs to check out include "He Won't Go" and "Someone Like You" with the last song probably my favorite overall on this solid album. If you enjoy her sound, I'd recommend picking up the album. Even though it gets a little too "gospel" for me later in her album, she has a very unique sound and has a very fluent ability to bring you along emotionally with her songs in how she hits notes and the raspy sounds she brings out at the right moments. Hard to believe she's only 23 years old...

A"Round" Chicago

2011-07-01T07:30:00.002-04:00

Chris Moore often tells people he lives in Chicago. And while I tend to agree with him, geographically, that may not be the most accurate statement. However, when I tell people from Chicago where he lives, no one's heard of it. Sure, he's got a sweet house, close to the lake where he water skis and it's by his work, but no one really knows where it is. Here's a map showing Round Lake, IL. And of course to the north, Milwaukee, the south is Chicago. Yeah, it's basically a toss up. But, given his state address, we'll go with Chicago.

This past weekend I took a few days to go out and visit him, along with his wife Christy and their new addition, Stella. Wait, yes, they have a new dog, but it's Victoria, their almost 3 month old daughter who was the main attraction. I took my camera, didn't use it once, so I've stolen a photo from the Moore's and put it out here. She's a very well-tempered girl, starting to show some facial expressions, has a vice-like grip if she gets one of your fingers, and enjoys standing up. Yes, I know all these things because I actually broke my long standing rule of holding babies. She was too much fun not to get to play with her.

The highlight of the trip was heading to Milwaukee for a Brewers/Twins game. Great stadium, although it was a bit of a haul from the parking lot to the venue. We had free tickets thanks to a connection of Christy's which made the game even more enjoyable. I missed out on some of the action in the stands (minors getting thrown out for bringing beer to the stadium, one kid throwing up) and the Twins missed out on hitting the ball as the Brewers throttled them 11-1. We bailed a little early to avoid traffic, but that was fine with me. So check Miller Park off the list of Major League Baseball ballparks to visit.

The most entertaining part of the weekend was watching Chris lace up the boots for his soccer league game. They played a really good team, didn't have any subs, and the mosquitos were out in full force, but it was a fun time nonetheless. Ended up leaving my debit card at the Chili's we went to afterwards. Fortunately, they still had it as I realized I had lost my card at the baseball game. And I don't want you to think we didn't sample some of the local restaurants, had to hit up Gino's East when I arrived on Thursday for some deep dish, plus some Italian beef at Portillo's and a local mexican restaurant on the lake. Needless to say, I brought about 5 pounds of Chicago back with me in the form of my gut.

Ended up working every day while there, a couple in the office with Chris, which worked out really well. Really nice facility there, hit the gym twice for free which is always a bonus. It gave Chris and I some time to hang out on the drive to/from work (and of course, to chronicle more of Chirs' road rage).

Trip ended Tuesday night with a late return flight back home. Probably the most eventful moments happened with the travel. I loaded up on four new (to me) albums via iTunes (Adele, Chris Brown, Foo Fighters and Matt Nathanson, reviews forthcoming) and we headed to the airport just after 7 PM for an 8:55 PM flight. Now O'Hare is a bit of a bear, but hey, it's easy enough. And the speed limit there is 20 mph inside the airport departure area. Well, Chris is hitting 40+ and gets lit up by a cop. He pulls over and the cop pulls up beside him, with two passengers in the car. One in the front, the other in the back. So wait, this guy is going to the airport to pick up someone (in his cop car, mind you) and decides to show off and pull us over. No ticket, but it caused Chris to miss the turn and then have to go through arrivals to get back to departures. We cut it close on timing, but I got checked in, made it to the gate with plenty of time and got my bag upon landing in Charlotte. Well, it took a while to get it since our plane sat on the tarmac for an hour. But I got it.

Great extended weekend, I know both Chris and Christy have had a parade of visitors come through and more still to come, but was glad to spend some time with the new parents, bonded at the end with their new "puppy" Stella, heck, their other dog Calvin was warm and receptive, which he used to just cower and hide. It's a busy summer of visits and this trip started it off right!

ALS Walk - 2011 (Where my donors at?!)

2011-04-14T00:24:00.003-04:00

Tonight I spent some time on my personal webpage:

http://web.alsa.org/goto/lerve

I'll copy/paste here, to save you the 'jump' but I hope you take a moment to read and hopefully a few more moments to donate. Thanks for whatever you've got in ya.

Hey, thanks so much for spending a few moments checking out my personal web page for the 2011 ALS Walk here in Charlotte. It's my 5th walk to participate in and I'm proud to be a part of a great group of individuals who are committed to the same cause as myself: Helping to find the cause and cure to help defeat ALS.

My story with this disease began a few years ago when an old high school friend was diagnosed with the disease. I was fortunate to be able to provide care and support for Sean by relocating to Chanute, Kansas in August of 2007 to help him live with this incurable disease. In mid-December, almost six months after my arrival, six weeks after his son Greyson's birth, a complication of ALS caused his untimely passing. No one is ever ready for a friend or family member to pass away, but the important outcome is to try and find ways to help remember and honor those in your life who are no longer with you in this life.

If you're in the Charlotte area, I'd love to have you join my team. We had a great turnout last year, 11 adults on the team and a few youngsters were a part of the day. Thanks so much for your interest in this cause, it will never be forgotten.

*************************************

April 13th, 2011 - Okay, so I wrote this stuff at the top back when I first signed up for the site, what was it, a long time ago. And for some reason this year, it's been on the back burner. But I've got a couple of weeks to turn it around. So I thought I'd write a little bit in the hopes it energizes you to help with the cause.

I still remember sitting in my cube at work, when I was still at the loan center as a facilitator for the Bank. Man, it seems like so long ago and in a way, it was. The cell phone rings and it's Sean, which surprised me of course. I mean, let's be honest here, the guy didn't call me much. After exchanging pleasantries, he tells me that he wants to tell me something, because he preferred I didn't read it in an email. And then he tells me, he's got ALS. Apparently, he had a few physical signs (shortness of breath climbing a ladder, difficulty skiing on a family vacation, dropping bags of groceries he held in his hands) and after a few (read: MANY) tests with multiple doctors, they excluded everything else and diagnosed him with ALS.

Read that last sentence. Here's the scary thing about this disease: There's no test to run to determine you have ALS. You can read more about it here below but that's the shocker about this thing. They don't know what causes ALS. That's why finding a cure for this thing is all the more important.

http://www.alsa.org/about-als/diagnosing-als.html

So, I call up my father, break down in a conference room, and just try to take it in. My boy, the kid who I used to ball with growing up, drive around in the Ranger, go to college with, be a groomsman at his wedding, move to Chicago, has an incurable disease. Weighs on a guy like no other.

February 2007. Sean comes out to visit. He seems normal. But I can tell he's walking slowly, deliberately. The pep's gone. Sure, we're still cracking jokes, it's what we do. I remember the first morning, after he got to Charlotte the night before. He's sleeping upstairs, I hear the shower run and then about 30 minutes later, still no Sean downstairs. So I'm curious about what's up, so I head upstairs, where I see him trying to put on a sock. And he's patiently working on it. I offer up my help, he of course says he'll get it. But I insist and help get him finished. To me that was the first time I realized how real this thing was. Here's a kid who could 360 dunk in college and he can't get a sock on his foot after a couple of tries.

I think everyone by now knows that I spent some time in Kansas helping take care of him. After I had committed to the move, I went out there in May for his birthday and he's using a walker to get around. From walking in February to using a walker in May. It just ain't fair, you know?

I've got a ton of stories being out there. And if you've not heard them, let's grab a beer some time and I'll tell you about them, but more importantly, him. Because what hurts the most is that people didn't get to know him like I did. Sure, he had other friends, and they shared moments with him, but selfishly, I feel like I got the best end of the deal. Because I got to know him, to care, laugh, cry, the spectrum of emotions and so many people got cheated out of having him positively impact their lives.

Our defining moment came in college. I had a bit of a breakdown over a girl and did what dumb college kids do, made a fool of myself at a party. And when we got home, Sean lit into me. Like a Christmas tree. And I needed it. Sean celebrated my successes, but knew that a true friend will help course correct. I'll never forget it.

So here it is, another year for me. And I neglect the notion that forever in life can be shorter than any of us expect. As tragic as Sean's death was, it helped drive home the life motto to find happiness in everything and keep positive about where I've been and where I'm going. Jeff Buckley gave one of the best lines ever in his song "Last Goodbye" when he said:

You gave me more to live for, more than you'll ever know

Sometimes, when I'm down, I play a quick video that always evokes some emotion for me. Tonight, watching it, I couldn't help but miss him. And that's a tough thing to work through, but it also is comforting. Because I actually embrace the fact that a 15 second video can move me to tears. I'll always have that...and thousands of other memories of a man who died too young, cheating everyone out of the chance to be a better person just for knowing him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwDfsFTZZC4

Thanks for reading. You made my day doing so.

Pinehurst 2011

2011-04-05T10:54:00.008-04:00

August 5th - 7th. Reserve your spot now for one of the best times $300+ can buy. We've got around 12 confirmed, I think this is our 5th year doing it. Jim and I have really enjoyed this trip and rumor has it that our original crew may be reunited with Kansas' own Matt Schmidt in attendance. Not sure on Dan Norton's schedule, but it should make for a great trip. If you're interested in attending, shoot me an email. If you don't know my email, well, that's surprising, but just hit up the Comments link below.

And congrats to UConn on their 3rd national championship last night. And while yes, it was an ugly game in terms of shooting, it was entertaining to me nonetheless to see both teams struggle offensively due in large part to defensive presence. To only have 2 points in the paint is amazing to me as Butler had no inside presence whatsoever. The best part of the night was with about 6 minutes remaining, Butler had 30 points. I make a side bet with Chuck, asking him how many points he thinks Butler will score the remainder of the game. He says 41 in total, takes the over, I go under. Final seconds tick away, Butler trying to score, but alas, they land on...41 points. It's a push. Kind of felt like that the whole evening, it never felt like anyone won the game, even after the net was cut. Regardless, UConn is our champs and it was nice to be all geared up (bandana, shirt, shorts, basketball in hand) with my old school apparel. Still have great memories in '99 of everyone watching at my apartment in Lawrence when they won their first title. Nasty storm came through last night.

Vintage Midwest weather. Made me miss home just for a moment. Although I'll be back there May 11-18.

I'm pulling for Gary Woodland to win the Masters this week...

Final Four Predictions, can I pick KU?

2011-04-02T13:41:00.000-04:00

On the heels of a big NIT victory for the Shockers (congrats to my Uncle Darryl, Joy, and Todd who I know are die-hard fans), I thought I'd make some quick predictions on the games this weekend.

Okay, sure, it'd be easy to be sour on college basketball after my boys in the Crimson and Blue just bombed against VCU, I still love the sport and the atmosphere. However, I think the VCU run comes to an end with a really good Butler team who's been in this spot before beating the "Cinderella" team 71-58. Sure, they're the darlings of the tournament, but I just don't see them scoring the victory. Butler plays great defense, has a good inside presence, and knows how to rebound, all which will be key as VCU tries to work out the butterflies.

But man, this UConn/Kentucky match-up is interesting. I've got to thank Kentucky, who I had in the Final Four, for securing me first place in the Heatherstone bracket tournament. Hell, in Nick Johnson's tourney, I had both these teams in the Final Four and rank in the 95th percentile for brackets. Now sure, this year EVERYONE'S bracket looks like crap. And in that bracket, well, I chose Kentucky to advance to the Championship. But not so fast, man, I'm loving UConn's game right now. Kemba looks like he won't let this team down and with some great supporting cast of Oriakhi and Lamb I think will get it done against a younger UK team. But man, how Kentucky reloads every year is amazing to me. They've got 4 recruits next year, all ranked in the top 25 overall for talent. KU...well, don't get me started. Regardless, UConn in a close one, 81-79.

Same year, same result for Butler as they have no answer for the Huskies as they prevail 71-64 to win the National Title! I'm a big UConn fan, so here's hoping for another championship!

One of my favorite days...

2011-04-01T21:59:00.003-04:00

Ahh, yes, April Fool's Day. The childish holiday where when you're a kid, you try your hardest to try and fool your parents, but they always seem to get you. My mother when I was a child loved, LOVED getting me with a joke. School was cancelled, she was pregnant, all the ones I shouldn't fall for, but did.

And then in college, I got my revenge a bit. Playing on her love of a quick score in financial winnings (Read: Gambling), I shared that after a trip to the casino I scored 5,000 quarters playing a slot machine, $1,250 in total. She bought in, I had her, and that was probably the last time either one of us got the other on April Fool's. It had been a battle, each was prepared for the other. Serious stories, emotional, scary, whatever, neither bought what the other was peddling. Until this year.

Of course, my mother wants me to live closer to home. This is known. So, after running a test on a co-worker this morning with my story (and convincing her), I was ready for mom. The rouse was this: I got contacted the other day by my old bank in KC (Commerce Bank) from my mentor during my internship there. He had climbed the ladder, was a pretty high up executive, and was looking me up for a job and it just so happened that it was in Learning, which I'm a part of with my company. So he calls, we have a phone interview set up for Tuesday and if all goes well, he flies me out to KC for an in-person interview for the job which would be a sizable bump in pay/responsibilities from my role today.

OF COURSE my mother was excited. And I felt bad about it at first. When we got on the phone, her tone was just casual, and then it picks up and she gets all excited. But then I remember all those years where she got me. And I was loving it. So I played along for a bit more, then told her the truth. She was totally guilty of being fooled. Not mad, just like "dang, my son got me again." I reminded her about keeping her head in the game, but now she's all jazzed to get my middle sister when she came home from school. We schemed a bit how to do so and hopefully my mother paid it forward.

It's why I LOVE April Fool's day.

Cabin Fever

2011-02-23T22:29:00.003-05:00

Rang in my 33rd birthday this year up at the cabin, which is of course is always a great thing. Mike, Rob, Beth, Sarah, Wendy and I all headed up there last Friday through Monday. I'd go through the details like I always do, but it's the typical story. We make WAY too much food. We play a bunch of games (Wii, Apples to Apples, Cribbage). Got to hit the hot tub. A bunch of reading with books or some electronic device. Drinks galore. And a whole heck of a lot of laughs.

The big event for me was taking along Flat Seth, who was mailed to me by my old college buddy Eddie. If you haven't heard about this, check out http://www.flatstanley.com/ for more information. I had never been involved in this, so it was my first adventure in this. We ended up having a good time with him, there's a few photos on my Facebook page if you're interested and I'll post a few below.

Great birthday weekend though, excited to see what 33 brings me. A friend tells me it's a pretty special year, so we'll soon find out!

Here's a shot of me and Flat Seth at the top of the trail at Linville Falls.

The crew (minus Sarah, who stayed home to read, can't blame her, it was probably nice to have the house all to herself!)

All he does is catch first downs

2011-02-07T17:46:00.000-05:00

Pretty solid weekend here, I must say. Friday was spent mostly getting caught up on some of my favorite TV shows on Hulu. Also did some cleaning around the house, dusting did occur. Went to Target for a few items, felt pretty domestic.

Saturday rolled around and I actually got up before noon. Drove down to one of my favorite areas in Charlotte, South End/Dilworth to meet up with good co-worker and friend Kelly for some coffee. She was doing some research for her thesis and I grabbed my book (Mr. Peanut) for review. Good atmosphere, enjoyed the coffee from Caribou and of course, got a 15 minute time out for talking too much (heck, we were supposed to be reading) which I laughed about later when she tried to talk to me prior to that timeframe expiring. After coffee we hit Cantina 1511 for some lunch, Mexican-style. Pretty good atmosphere, overall a great time with Kelly.

After my visit with Kelly, I headed up north to drop off a CD with Sarah and get some money for the cabin which is just a few short weeks away! We ended up as well, grabbing coffee, and catching up on the last few weeks. Lots going on her way, so it was nice to see how the other was doing and of course, we shared some laughs. (Speaking of dogs... was one of them!)

Dropped by Wade's house after my visit with Sarah to see the boys. Shawna and her sister were out shopping, so I didn't get to see them, but a quick stop to catch up with Brady and Soren is a good thing.

Later that evening, we had about a dozen guys over to watch the UFC fight and play some poker. I got down to bare bones, with some crazy luck I came back and ended up splitting the winnings with Ronnie in the first game. Game 2 I didn't fare as well, but still ended up a few dollars, after some "I'll take the other guy" bets on the fight with Wade.

Sunday was Super Bowl time and I forced my way into Jim's house to watch with his whole family. I cheered for Green Bay since everyone was going for Pittsburgh and K-State alum Jordy Nelson is on their squad. Gave his middle son Evan a hard time and every time Jordy caught a ball I'd say "all he does is catch first downs" which was the catch phrase of the evening. Played some Ping Pong with Evan, who hasn't learned that, unlike baseball, you're not trying to hit the ball as hard as you can. Overall a great game, good commercials, poor performances and a perfect weekend!

Count on one hand

2011-02-05T11:51:00.002-05:00

Recently I realized I had four $25 gift cards to Barnes and Noble. Undoubtedly they were from Christmas and birthdays, so I got to spending. 4 CD's, 4 books. Forget the music for now, here are the 4 I bought (plus one that sis got me for Christmas) that I'm going to read in 2011. I've got no review here, other than to say, I will, have a review, in the future.

Mr. Peanut - Adam Ross: I'm currently reading this book, it's been really good so far. Sadly, the only time I'm reading right now is when I go to bed, which of course, is after midnight. Makes for a tired body the next day.

Freedom - Jonathan Franzen: Someone in Esquire wrote about this book, so of course, I just HAD to get it.

The Passage - Justin Cronin: It was on the high end of books bought in 2010 via B&N NOT regarding Twilight, Wimpy Kid diaries, political topics, Percy Jackson or Harry Potter.

A Reliable Wife - Robert Goolrick: I thought this was a self-help book on how to find a mate. After reading the overview upon arrival, I was wrong.

Fall of Giants - Ken Follett: I read Pillars of the Earth and decided to give him another go. While I thumbed through the final 50 pages of Pillars, it was a great read so I'm going to see if it was medieval architecture that caused me to jump to the end or if it was just his writing style. Or there's a third opinion...impatience.

I'll give you a review of the first book, which I'm almost done with, here on the blog. Anything you're reading out there?

I am the Proudest Monkey

2011-02-03T23:25:00.002-05:00

February. Looks like it's going to be a pretty dang good month. Sure, sure, for those of you who know, it's my birthday. But man, the lineup is pretty solid. Of course we've got the cabin trip coming up on the birthday weekend. And there's Lael's birthday party. And for my Bank teammates, 2/15 is ALWAYS a good day. However, while this isn't Thanksgiving, I'm pretty thankful, nay, proud of some of the things going on in and around my life. So, thanks to Dave Matthews, the line of the post above made me think of his song and how I'm feeling about a few people and things right now. In honor of DMB, my favorite song of theirs is You and Me and is linked on the left.

My sis Kelly is entering her final semester at Wichita State where she's spending the entire semester student teaching. Must be an awkward feeling, straight away applying what you've learned into a live classroom, but I've no doubts my sister is doing well. Will be back for her graduation May 14th.
Good bud Josh finished up firefighter school about 6 weeks ago. Physically grueling, mentally demanding, but he stuck with it and that says a lot about a guy. Looking forward to having back in Charlotte hopefully within the next week.
Have to give props to Jim for an exciting new opportunity coming his way on the career front. Tough to have an adversity to overcome in the process and my man handled it with class. Very excited for what lies ahead.
Of course I have been amazed at how great Sarah is doing in her new job and I've got a feeling a new endeavor is right around the corner which could be a big game changer for her. I keep hoping every day that the "news" ends up working out in her favor.
Can't forget mid-April, but not for tax season, rather for Chris and Christy as they're counting down to their first child. They'll make wonderful parents and I'm excited to meet the new addition with a tentative trip up that way when it isn't snowing, which would be June.

Of course I could go on and on, but for now, we'll leave it at that. Should have some good writing coming up, as always it's a struggle to write when there's nothing to say. January came and went and really, nothing to report. Let's see what February brings!

2011 - Revelations on Resolutions

2011-01-01T03:11:00.003-05:00

This post was started just a little over 2.5 hours into 2011. It comes on the heels of watching two movies with one of the best, Seth Jones, here at his place in Eudora. We watched a good movie (The Town) and a not-so-good one (The Other Guys) tonight, to ring in the new year. Wasn't what I drew up on the chalkboard leading into New Year's Eve, but I've come to the inevitable conclusion that NYE is a young person's game and I've had my time.

Times like this are always a bit of a dichotomy for me, where I battle the epiphanies that swirl in my mind. So, if you're not in the mood for one of my "deep thought" moments, I'd advise you to skip this post. You won't enjoy it. If you read on, just humor me and I'll go back to the normalcy with the next post.

Regardless, these moments almost make me pull out a thesaurus to try to sound more relevant and altruistic, basically finding the perfect word to describe it. The normal words for whatever reason just don't seem to do it justice. But, yeah, let's be real here, if when that countdown came to its finality, you didn't have a moment of pause, I'd be highly surprised. I know I did. And that's why I'm typing at this hour of the night.

And they always brings me to a place that people in my life fail to understand at times. I'll call it peace. And I'm here now because the last song I heard on The Town, Jolene, which has made it to my blog, brought me to it.

I get misunderstood as to what peace is for me and how I operate in it. Sometimes it gets confused for depression, angst, and the like by those in my life. And that just isn't the case. Peace to me is an exercise in reflection. Where I've been, where I'm at, and where I'm going. And that's a good thing. Sure, it brings me down, down from the energetic, humorous state I operate in. But I can't help but be solemn, especially when listening to this song's lyrics which create that place.

People I'm sure find moments where they try to understand why I have such a passion for music. Hopefully you're playing the song as you're reading, if only to learn more about what great music is out there that you may not know about. Regardless, it's that destination that I find the ultimate enjoyment - a rare song which can evoke powerful emotion in people if they're open to it.

The past few weeks as I've been doing these top events from 2010, I've been haphazardly creating resolutions for 2011. And they're the usual (keep up the weight loss, read, volunteer, philanthropy, etc.) which I think most people find themselves drawn to in their own lives. However, I think this year I'm going to move away from Resolutions and instead, focus on Revelations. Because I feel like I've ran the course on those pieces of my life that needed a drastic, new direction. Either I've turned them around, or, they're just a part of who I am. No one's perfect.

Now, I'll let revelations lead me to try and grow in becoming a better person in this life. With that said, I may at some point go through the exercise of jotting down some resolutions, but then again, I may not.

Tonight's revelation, provided by a simple lyric, is the basis of this post. And while there is not certainty, there's definitely a need for examination as to where it brought me.

See, I made one of my typical attempts at humor tonight before going to bed. In saying good night, I quipped to Jones something to the effect of, "They'll come a day where, we're sitting at a house like this. MY house. MY wife will be asleep with MY child and we'll have this moment in reverse." And then I retorted, "Of course, I'll then tell the actors playing my wife and child that I only paid for one hour and send them on their way."

After that, I came downstairs, to get ready for bed and the song was still playing, with a line that I've had to play during my writing that brought me to the "revelation." And I hope it's the first of many I have in 2011 and, I'm certain that with each of you in my life, I'll have many in 2011.

"I still don't know what love means"

So, here's hoping 2011 finds you with revelations that help shape and develop who you want to be. I hope you can rely on me, as I will you, to assist in that journey.

#1 - Weight for it...

2010-12-31T17:30:00.002-05:00

Well, by now most of you know that 2010 had me start to get a little better from a weight perspective. I remember mid-June being in Baton Rouge with Brian and just feeling tired of weighing so much. So, bought a scale, Brian put me on a high protein diet, and away I went. Started off at 266.2, which, I'm betting, is not the highest I weighed in my life.

The diet, people have been asking me what it is, basically involves having a protein shake with water in the morning, then the infamous "Oh Yeah" protein bar late in the morning. For lunch I usually have a Lean Cuisine (either this alfredo pizza or a chicken ranch club wrap) and then something for dinner. Dinner usually is a meat or fish with some vegetables. I've cut out eating out, including fast food which was my muse, greatly reduced my alcohol intake and now only drink Diet soda. Plus I started going to the gym a few times a week and that's helped as well.

Happy to report today that I'm right around 215 pounds, which has been 50+ pounds since I started. I've been surprised at how it's gone and how dedicated I've been to it. Regardless, it feels great, still want to get to around 200 pounds but I feel a lot better and ready to hit 2011 with less of me. Last night, my sister Kristen and I went to my favorite Chinese buffet in Lawrence, Peking Taste. I used to devour this establishment and sadly (rather, thankfully) was unable to do the same damage, and felt pretty bloated the entire night. So, my body is realizing that I've changed lifestyles and is tired of the crap I've been giving it over the years.

Had a great evening last night, spent it with the majority of the Jayhawks West crew celebrating my 2010 fantasy football championship. Great to see guys out including Eric, John and Jeff from the league along with my good buds Nick and Matt, who'll I'll be staying with for a few days starting tomorrow night. 2011 should be a great year, now if I could just find something to do tonight to ring it in properly!

#2 - The CHAMP...is ME!

2010-12-30T17:30:00.005-05:00

For those of you who didn't know, our 9th Annual Laugh Olympics was this past September, and sans one year due to a wedding, I've been at the event every year. Jones and I argue about who's the first champion, but I'll let that go now. Here's what I remember...

The night before was a bit of a blur. This guy went on a bender the night before with both little sisters in attendance along with a few others. I had stayed the night on a fold-out couch at Chris Moore's grandmother's house. Kasey McDowell had come up after a game and the three of us woke up bright and early to run the registration. I think we had about 85 people come through, which was great, plus some good swag, including a beer stein.

Golf went amazingly well for me. I think I hit every par 3 green (except for the dreaded 55 yard, 8th hole), played only with my 7, PW, LW and putter. 4 clubs, if you've not played Orchards, and you bring your whole bag, you're probably carrying too many clubs. We were supposed to have Vavs join us to round out the 4-some, however, she wasn't feeling well and did not attend. However, great pal Jaime was in attendance and walked the course with us, faithfully keeping score. I think I played the 9th hole without my shirt on, which is always a crowd pleaser. I think I shot like a 36, par is 31.

From there, a few photos and then onto the bowling alley where it got a bit crazy since we only had a certain number of lanes. Ended up putting Kasey with some K-Staters which really was unplanned but effective. Jaime bowled with the sisters/boyfriends and I. Took a while, it's always around lunch and therefore bowling quickly is not the name of the game. I did average at best, we've got some good bowlers at the Olympics, which is fine with me.

After bowling we hit the pool hall, where the event starts to always take a turn. And it makes sense, alcohol consumption has increased, it's getting later in the day. I had been keeping it sober to make sure things went well, knowing Jones had to bail relatively early. I'm playing really well at pool, and after numerous chatting with friends and finally stepping in to help Brent with brackets, we figured out who our final 8 were and headed to Rick's Place. Fortunately, I had made it through and was still in the pool tourney.

Rick's Place always is great. I love the bar (will be there tonight, in fact) and everyone enjoys their time. Pool continues, I'm in the semis, then the finals where I win the pool tournament on some sick shots that I normally would not pull off. So, after getting 3rd in golf, 1st in pool, and whatever in bowling, I'm the number 1 seed going into the dart tourney. I'm facing a man who has a ring of liquid on his shirt due to hammering mass quantities of alcohol, so this should be a breeze. Mathematically, all I need to do is beat him and I win the trophy. The game is 301 and I'm down to 16 points left. His turn, all he needs to do is hit a 7. First dart misses the board, second nails 7 straight in the middle to win. As you can imagine, I'm crushed, shaking, just so frustrated to let it slip away. Now I just need the reigning champion, Seth M., to lose. Fortunately for me, the guy who beat me beats Seth and I'm crowned the 2010 Laugh Olympics champion!

So Jones can have the first year as a victory. I've finally won outright and will be ready to have the flask stocked for our 10th annual (crazy to think that) Olympics the Sunday before Labor Day in September, I believe the 4th. It will be a special year for all of us and encourage everyone to try and make it to the event this year.

#3 - Why weddings aren't just one day

2010-12-29T17:30:00.005-05:00

I remember getting the call. I don't remember where/when I was. But, I think any friend enjoys getting asked to be part of a special day with great friends. Fortunately, for me, Chris Moore asked me to be his best man in his wedding. You'd think it was just the wedding day, but oh no, it was WAY more than that. Let's go along for the ride...

Engagement Parties - I was fortunate enough to parlay a trip to KS with Chris' engagement party in Lawrence. Got the whole family together, he got a TON of stuff, coolest gifts were some of the old tools from his relatives. I'll be honest, I made fun of the big guy for having his own "shower" but I think it may be something I'll have to deploy when...well, ya know. Plus I was up in Chicago when Christy had her family in town for a ladies' weekend.

Bachelor Festivities - I'd write a ton here about it, but check out the related link below. It captures the weekend in Milwaukee pretty well, so I'll not re-write it all out here. Love this photo though of the crew playing paintball indoors. Cold, wet, and in mass pain. Just what a bachelor party should be (Mike, take some notes).

Wedding Week(end) - Sarah and I drove out to St. Louis as she served as my date for the weekend. I say weekend but, as I recall, we spent the whole week out in St. Louis. The first half of it I worked from her mother's house just west of the STL. We had some good times, got to go to a Cardinals game, plus meet some of her friends and family. Very enjoyable start to the week. Here's a shot of Sarah at the Cardinals game with one of her best friends (and fan of Lerve) Ali.

From there Chris and I got to run around town for a couple of days, you know, the usual, rehearsal dinner, time with family, those sorts of things. I really enjoyed getting to spend some time with Chris the first night in town where we went out for scotch and cigars. We also hit up some late-night fun playing Golden Tee and eating fried everything. The tornado warning at the children's museum was an interesting event. Plus we had fun getting everyone around playing 18 holes of golf. Not to mention the trip(s) out to the horse track for some Kentucky Derby tickets.

Probably the pre-wedding highlight was getting a chance to meet these two guys, Jesse and Sean. Got to acquire a new nickname...Sir Dalton Swayze III. You'll have to ask me about the story some other time, let's just say it involves my "pick-up" name, Roadhouse, and being knighted. But Sarah and I had a blast with these two, got to see them on my last trip to KC and hope to see them again here when I'm in town in early January.

The day of the wedding was great, weather cleared up and we headed over to the Missouri Athletic Club for some morning fun which included laps in the pool, jacuzzi, sauna (with some inappropriate sit-ups from a elder in the buff) and some hoops. Being as how this post is getting rather long, let's go to the quick version. Pre-game dressing, wedding, photos, more photos, reception. Yeah, it was a wedding.

Thanks Chris for a great wedding journey and letting me come along for the ride. Just two events left, have you figured them out yet?

#4 - Life is Good (read - a Beach)

2010-12-28T17:30:00.005-05:00

The week of the 4th of July we headed down to the Isle of Palms area for the annual beach trip. Lots of fun was had, with some great memories. Two stories I have to share:

The Flatbellies - Most of the crew who went to the beach were on our volleyball team. Fortunately, the area we were at had a sand volleyball court. The bad thing, when we went down to play it was taken. Probably the hottest day of our week there, which wasn't surprising, but we sent in resident "talk to anyone" guy, Rob, to see if we could get next. Which, the obliged. So after waiting our turn, we went up, 4 on 4, against what came to be known as "the Flatbellies" due to their physique. 4 guys, all in their young 20's and in really good shape. Their opponents, Chris, Beth, Rob and myself. With a good crowd watching (including our opponent's girlfriends) we ended up slaughtering them on the court, with tons of room to spare. The other thing I remember was how rough the area was right around the court. Weeds, thorns, just gnarly brush surrounded the court. Regardless, one of the highlights of the week.

Engagement - So, Mike and Beth had been dating for a while. And had moved in over 6 months ago. With that, it stood to reason that an engagement was the pending next step. Of course, these are two of my best friends, so you'd figure I'd be prodding to see if an engagement was looming. Easy for me to corner Beth, who had stated, in typical fashion, no engagement was on the horizon soon, since they're both planners. And, during a round of golf, I asked Mike, who gave me the same response. So, imagine my shock when, after a day trip into Charleston, Mike proposed to Beth!

What made the story interesting was, it was only Sarah and I who were home when they arrived back from the trip. I'm watching 'The Book of Eli' on my laptop in the second living room and Beth comes in to say hey. I've got the earbuds in, she plops down next to me, and I don't notice the ring. Yeah, I'm a dude. Back in go the buds and about 3 minutes later, I hear "Oh my god Mike" repeatedly coming from the kitchen from Sarah. Naturally, my mind wanders into the inappropriate category, so I ignore it. Little did I know Sarah had seen the ring and proclaimed what we all were thinking. So kudos to those two, who will make it official in October 2011. Here's us toasting the occasion pictured here.

A couple of other memorable moments:

Hitting the pool for some less than PG swimming
Subsequent night time ocean swimming with Lael (and the disasters that occurred once we got back to the house)
Dinner out at a great seafood restaurant
Floating in the ocean with Chris and Mike
Our traditional trivia, puzzles and other games
Night golf on the course we stayed at (photo here of Beth and I enjoying the festivities)
The creation of the best alcoholic milkshake ever!

Really don't know if we'll have a beach trip this year, but I totally enjoy them first and foremost with the great people who attend. I've got the best friends in the world!

#5 - All About Brian

2010-12-27T17:30:00.002-05:00

Brian is a legend in my life. Truly. So what if he ranks higher in his visits compared to Matt this year? It's only due to quantity of visits, I swear. I'm sure I'll catch heck from Matt, but hey, he does consider Brian his best friend, so hey, I'm sure he's happy Brian held down this spot in the countdown. I'm not saying Brian would be my best man at my wedding or anything... (am I?)

I got to see Brian on a few trips in Charlotte, read more about his trip for the Guster concert below or review #12 on my list with his surprise appearance at the ALS Walk.

Our last trip over Thanksgiving was one of my favorite, especially the first night when he arrived the Wednesday before the holiday. Picked my boy up from the airport and after only six bags came off the baggage claim belt (which is a commentary on how crazy these bag fees are getting for the airlines) we headed up to Hickory Tavern in Huntersville for some dinner. Good food, the fun times happened after when we played video games in the restaurant. Did some pop-a-shot, played a racing game and of course, tried to grab some toys with the crappy crane machine. Pretty fun evening.

Also got to spend some time dissecting Nebraska's football play with Brian's father, Jim. Good, relaxing day there at Papa/Lulu's house. Later that week, Sam and Brian joined Beth, Mike, Sarah and I out for some LSU football watching at Strike City. From there, after meeting an old classmate of Brian/Sam's from growing up, we headed to Dandelion Market for dinner and then, an early evening for everyone.

I'm glad we're continuing to find time to see each other, always enjoy the times I spend with Brian and look forward to many more in the future!

#6 - The Yearly Mecca

2010-12-26T17:30:00.002-05:00

We had a great year again in the Pinehurst area for golf. I think 16 of us made the trip down, including two of my favorite Minnesotans, Tad and Henry. And thankfully, them coming down lead to a great bet in which I was able to enter the 2010 NRFC league in Fantasy Football...for FREE! And, wouldn't you know it, I'm in the championship game. It truly is a wonderful thing for people who live the good life like myself. To win the league comes with a heavy price tag and I'll definitely owe those two guys...well, something. Maybe they'll come to the 10th annual Olympics in September 2011.

I used the trip partially to get trained for the 2010 Laugh Olympics (Wondering how I did? Stay tuned...) and took some videos of the participants and just had to include Tad's commentary on the post below.

Per usual, we played some great courses, including the one shown in the video, Tobacco Road. I played some of my best and worst golf on that day, which I remember included a birdie on the tough, par 4, 7th hole. Followed that up with a video (found in the YouTube link below) basically bragging about my success and then proceeded to completely duff my tee shot on the 8th and picked up after about 6 hacks. Played really well the rest of the trip though, got to play a new course for cheap and, sadly, it was in the best shape overall. Something like $30 and a really nice round. After, I know we hit up a seafood buffet, which proved to serve its' purpose (lots of food) and expectations (not great food).

Of course, cards in the evening, drinks, a trip out on the town, but it's the people who make it a great trip. Getting to hang with some of the Heatherstone crew, guys like Bobby, Angel, Jeremy, to name a few, plus the usual suspects makes for a great weekend. All I can tell you is that if you love golf and have never joined us on the trip, you're definitely missing out!

YouTube Videos - http://www.youtube.com/user/LerveSwerve?feature=mhum

#7 - I'd like to thank my parents

2010-12-25T17:30:00.003-05:00

Because, without them, I'd not be here! We had a great time celebrating two birthdays in mid-February as Sarah and I had our gathering at Eastfield Bar and Grill. I'd say about 30 friends in total showed up, including some folks from Heatherstone (here's Larry and his wife) and Kaley and her crew (Kaley is below with Josh). I really like that spot, well, I just like it because it's the closest bar to my house. Always good to have a melting pot of friends come together for the celebration, and this was probably my favorite birthday celebration with Sarah of the three we've had so far.

The big highlight was having Cris and Crystal down from Raleigh, NC for the day. Ran them around the area a bit throughout the weekend, which was nice. Congrats to them as they are bearing down on the birth of their first child here very soon. Need to make sure I head up there to see them once I get back from KS. Man, who knew going into birthday #33 I'd not be staring into a child of my own, but hey, that's how life turns out sometimes. Just got to roll with what you've been given and feel blessed for those moments.

Speaking of #33, looks like I'll be doing a cabin weekend for the birthday since it falls on Presidents' Day and all. Probably up close to Sugar Mountain, I'd like to give skiing a go again. Weather permitting, of course. It doesn't stay too cold in NC for too long, one of the many reasons I enjoy living there! So, if you're up for it, let me know. It's probably going to be Feb 18-21. If it's just me, then so be it.

You can read more about this event in my blog post below or check out Sarah's Facebook page for more photos.

#8 - Be a good sport

2010-12-24T17:30:00.005-05:00

Many of you know I like competition. You just read about my obsession with poker, which has lead to many a good (and bad) moment. Likewise, I like to stay active and so 2010 had a lot of sports competitions occur. Sure, there's golf (although that really took a back seat in 2010, I've got my theories as to why...) but softball and volleyball ended up being two sports I played a lot of in 2010.

Volleyball ended up being a blast for a couple of seasons. We peaked early, in a pretty low-competition league at Charlotte Sports Center, where we took home a championship with I'm sure some friendly faces there, plus guys like Glenn/Tami and Scott. Always fun looking at these old photos, a couple of us have lost some significant weight since this photo was taken earlier this year. We played a bit in the summer, even did a charity volleyball thing at a church one weekend (way too many games for this body). Of course, there was some eventful times playing sand volleyball in Birkdale, a couple we'd all rather soon forget. And of course, we just wrapped up our last season (for a while I'm guess) without a win. Yeah, Stuck and Sarah joined the team, of course this last season Chris was in KS so no such help there. And we just played miserably, securing our only win in the post-season...by forfeit.

Softball was also a ton of excitement this year as the CREST won the summer league and made it to the finals of the Fall season. Weird to not have Chris around the team anymore, which leaves only two original members left on the squad (myself and Jimmy). I played well this year, moved to shortstop for the Fall session and played pretty well. I like our team, both talent and people in general, so I'm excited to keep the crew alive as we enter into the spring season in 2011. I also joined a team with Angel from the Heatherstone neighborhood and met some new people along the way. Ended up missing the final game, where it sounds like we lost in the semi-finals. Good times though, hopefully will continue to play for a team out there as well.

Only regret for me in sports this year is just getting too competitive. I've got a tendency to run my mouth out there, spur of the moment, and I always wish I didn't after the fact. So it's a kinder, gentler Lerve next year, still competitive, but hopefully, a little less mouthy. Good resolution to have, hey, look at that, already starting my list for 2011!

#9 - Did you know I'm from Kansas?

2010-12-23T17:30:00.002-05:00

Right before my trip to Baton Rouge (did you really not read #10 on my list), I spent some quality time in Kansas in the summer with family and friends. Two moments stuck out as a really good time!

I had, probably one of the nicest nights with Lisa I've ever had, just the two of us hitting dinner when I was back home. Usually we're around others and I just enjoyed the time we were able to spend, just the two of us. With three kids at home and our group of friends, we don't get to spend quality time alone much so I really enjoyed the evening with her and I'm pretty sure she felt the same. Of course, I enjoyed our time as well with her husband, Ashley, and the rest of the crew during that trip.

My other good memory was having a full day with Matt and Kasey, which included golfing, some good sushi, and then a night out on the town which was highly memorable, to say the least. Biggest highlight was just messing with Schmidt at the end of the night after we took over his phone without him knowing (he was running to McDonalds for burgers at 2 AM, if that gives you any indication) and posted some funny stuff to his Facebook page. Of course, it was just as hilarious getting him to check out his page, but the reaction from him was priceless.

Of course, by the time this posts I'll be back in KS and hopefully have had some time to spend with each of these people plus the rest of my good friends who live back in the Wichita area. It's sort of a cool thing having two great groups of friends in two locations. Makes me miss each group when I'm somewhere else. But, solid friendships all around and during this holiday season, that's what it is all about!

#10 - B.R. Lou-zee-ann-ah

2010-12-22T17:30:00.005-05:00

After a run through Kansas, I got to spend a week in the dead of summer with the Fisicaro's in Baton Rouge. Second trip down there, and while we had a good week, details are a bit sketchy. Hey, it was almost 6 months ago and I can't remember every detail, can I? Here's what I remember that was memorable (is that a double positive, like doesn't not or something?) from my visit. And I pulled out a photo from Brian's 30th birthday of the lovely couple, only because it evokes uncontrollable laughter regarding Tryon and Tyvola plus "right of the white" memories.

World Cup Soccer - Huge summer for the sport that summer. Brian and I were glued to the progress of the US squad, we got to watch it with some friends of his and afterwards, played many a spirited game of Rock Band at the house.

Hitting the Casino Boat - Or at least, I think we hit the scene. I'm going to pretend like this trip we did and I made some money. Just bear with me.

Going to Brian's place of employment - Worked out of his office for the whole week, where, in another World Cup moment, we took over a conference room, watched the game where Donovan scores on a rebound in the closing seconds of the match to square the game. I remember being on a conference call and taking it off of mute to yell GOOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLL into the call. I didn't care, it was one of the best feelings I had since Chalmers hit "The Shot" for us in the 2008 National Championship game.

Dietary Advice - After being tired of the extra lbs, I got on a diet, courtesy of my boy and a little something called "Oh Yeah" bars. I remember running like 8 errands that night I picked those up, which included nothing short of 1.5 hours in a grocery store only to buy like 3 items, a trip to Home Depot, the post office, Starbucks, a drug store for diapers, and a few other things.

Playing Video games - Whether it was the Wii, Rock Band, or Call of Duty, when the big guy and I get together, we're playing video games. You best believe that.

Looks like my next trip out there will hopefully be in March 2011, I've got to catch some LSU baseball this next year. And of course, get in some quality Fisicaro family time.

#11 - Just stepped in some Schmidt

2010-12-21T17:30:00.002-05:00

Good news! My boy Matt Schmidt made a visit to Charlotte again this year, keeping his streak alive of visiting every year. Granted, it wasn't for Pinehurst (spoiler alert...that made the list) but I'll take an extended weekend with the big guy over sharing him with golf courses any day of the week. Unless it's at Verdict Ridge, man I've got to get that guy out to that course for a round of golf sometime. I don't think Matt's ever played it...

There's a few things which are always staples with a Schmidt visit...

Heading out on the town - Check. Here's a shot of the fellas out on the town, we're at one of my favorite places, Tyber Creek, for this photo. Shuffleboard was our game of the night and we had a blast with all of Matt's $1 dollar bills he brought (shocker where his mind was) and of course, a good dinner prior to at Brazwell's, which is starting to become one of my favorite places to hit up in Charlotte. The ladies (Beth, Kim and Sarah) joined us out for a nice evening that Saturday night.

I had to include the photo of Kim and Jimmy, just because, well, I think it speaks for itself.

Playing Cribbage - Dub run check. Matt and I had a nice Monday off from work where we hit up numerous places in Uptown playing one of my favorite card games. I remember sitting at the walkway between the Corporate Center and 1BAC where we saw Mike en route to a water heater emergency at his old place. Don't get him started on that, not that you'd feel like crying in a dark corner holding yourself after the conversation, but sometimes it's best to let sleeping dogs lie. Back to cards, we played at Jackalope's, outside of the Corporate Center, at a coffee shop, at Brick and Barrel (where we got to witness a meltdown by a transient after getting refused bus service) and at Cabo Fish Taco. And unlike years past, Matt actually held his own. Although there was a record set for most potential nubbins which went uncalled.

Other highlights included:

Playing a few games of Hold 'Em at Jim's house on Friday night, where prior to, Matt learned an important lesson on when NOT to order a steak at a restaurant.
Hitting up the Panthers game where we learned, no matter how good the seats were, 2010 is the year you just had to root against the Panthers with their run, run, pass, punt offensive scheme.
Me cleaning my Jayhawk trash can after realizing I couldn't hold a candle to Matt's drinking abilities. (For a photo of said event, check out Matt's Facebook page)

I love me some Schmidt. This trip probably was my favorite ever for him in Charlotte because we spent a lot of time together, just the two of us (a lesson I learned and heeded from the wise, and EIC, Seth Jones). Hopefully by the time this posts I'll have seen him back home and given him a man hug. Coming up next, we break into the top 10!

#12 - Walk the Walk

2010-12-20T17:30:00.004-05:00

The culmination of months of hard work happened on April 24th of this year (Kelly's birthday, BTW) in Charlotte as my 3rd walk for ALS occurred. Had a great turnout (check out the link below for the entire crew, sans Jim and two of his kids) for the event, which for the 2nd year I got to help plan. Of course, this time of year, it's tough not to think of my boy Sean and how just 3 years ago, I was living in Chanute helping to take care of him.

Of course, I've got to thank my friends for supporting a cause near and dear to me, especially those who got up really early to help set up and, subsequently, tear down everything for the event.

Hell, Brian even flew in, scheduling some training in town so he could be here for the day. There's a head shot of him, rocking some sunglasses on a cloudy day, alongside Chris, with Mike/Marc in the background. I still think we were robbed of the best shirt design (thanks to J-Rug for the hard work on that) but we still had a blast. Except for when I was on the bounce duty. We had two inflatable play areas at the walk, and, let's just be honest, those kids are crazy. Definitely glad I'm not doing that again. This year's walk will probably be different for me, as I'm not involved in the planning. Still will attend, hope to field a team and all, but I've become a bit stale about the event and want to find new ways to help in the fight. Plus, I'm really wanting to broaden my charitable work, so I'd like to see what else I can get involved in.

Yet another great event in 2010, for an even better cause in honor of my great friend. I miss you buddy and always love watching the quick video from the Olympics.

#13 - The Stucky Relocation

2010-12-19T17:30:00.002-05:00

Coming in at "un"-lucky number 13 is one of those events which went untold on the blog. After years of planning, Chris finally made the move back to Kansas in late October 2010. I'm not (and still am not) psyched about this move at all, for a host of reasons which are starting to become more present in my everyday life. I mean, I get the move, closer to family, that sort of thing. But it's created a big void here in Charlotte. Softball isn't the same. I can't talk sports (specifically KU) with anyone here really. Just going out seems different without the big guy. I mean, we did a TON together over the years, including being roommates for over 5 years. Hell, here's an old photo of the two of us in D.C., which doesn't seem that long ago. Beach trips, concerts, sporting events, parties, this guy was a staple at them all. And now, he's back in Kansas. So how'd he get there?

I ended up volunteering to help drive back with him. Figured I'd hit the truck driving duties, however, Stuck had other ideas and bought himself a new ride for the trip back. The Mustang is making someone else happy these days. After loading up stuff from both Mike's parents' house and his latest residence, Sarah's crib, we ventured on the drive back, in the same car. Some eventful moments on the trip included:

Speeding ticket somewhere in Illinois I think.
Having axle troubles on the trailer we were pulling. Talk about a cluster, 4 hours stuck just west of STL next to a rotting deer made for some interesting moments.
Doing a fantasy basketball draft in a hotel
Great licorice
Rotating iPod albums

Quick trip there overall, I must say, and with the trailer being left in MO, the unload was painless. Got to see his new roommate Alison, plus Jones, and even spent one of my top nights ever with my youngest sister Kristen in Lawrence. Flew back the Tuesday after arriving, so it was a very quick trip.

Hopefully, as this posts, I've seen Chris today in KS, as I've brought back some stuff of his from NC on my drive out. Since his move to Lawrence, with the Bank, he relocated again to Wichita as a position opened up there, which I think is great for him overall. It'll be good to spend some time with him, makes coming back home that much more enjoyable. And it makes NC feel a little different than what it used to be like.

#14 - Poker, oh how I love/loathe thee

2010-12-18T17:30:00.004-05:00

Looking back at my calendar for 2010, one thing kept coming up over and over...I play a crap ton of poker. And of course, as you're probably aware, it's usually in the Heatherstone neighborhood. Located in the bustling metropolis of Harrisburg, NC, it's about 20 minutes away from my place. Guys like Jim (pictured here with his wife, Denise), Chuck (my nemesis), Scott, Tom, Anthony, Larry, Kenny, Nate (coined my newest nickname - Huggy), Dave (whoopie!) and a host of other guys frequently get together for either a $10 tourney or every month have a bigger tournament for all to attend. Hell, I'd be there tonight, since the monthly is on the 18th, however, as I've been pre-typing these out, I'm guessing that right at this moment I'm just pulling into my parents' place in Mulvane, KS. And probably will be playing a different kind of card game, either Shanghai or Up and Down the River with my family. Still enjoyable, but it's no Texas Hold 'Em!

I'd like to do more tracking of my performance, but, who am I kidding, it's not like I'm the best thing ever. I still have zero desire to play in the "Main Event" in Vegas and still consistently get bad beats which lead me to remember that this game is a humbling one. But I've had many enjoyable nights out at various houses in their neighborhood, playing until all hours of the night. And of course, I'll never forget the 3 times I got pulled over at DUI checkpoints on the way back from a game in 2010. I can say with a clear heart that I never was drinking, thankfully. That first time scared the crap out of me, only because no one likes getting pulled over. So I vowed not to drink anymore at the games unless I was staying the night there.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to many more games with these boys, including my main man Jim, who's been a great friend to me since I met him back at the loan center. He's truly been stellar and along with the rest of the guys, I'm thrilled to call them friends. Getting to hang out at Chuck's 40th birthday, playing softball with Angel and Lemos, going out for a few brews after work with some frequency, I feel like an honorary resident in the neighborhood. Thankfully, I'm not having to pay the mortgage on those places, but it's nice to know if I bought one I'd know EXACTLY what the floor plan layout would be!

So cheers to all the boys of Heatherstone, great moments, bad beats, and a lot of laughs!

#15 - Habi-rat-ta-tat-tat for Humanity

2010-12-17T17:30:00.007-05:00

For those of you that don't already know, I'm pretty, well, what's the right word, detailed perhaps, about keeping records of what I'm doing. You never know when you'd want to, say, blog about your top 15 events of a year. Or, check to see if you were in fact in Uptown on a day in June 2009 where you got a ticket but never knew about it. Regardless, I had a nice stroll down memory lane on Tuesday and thought I should recap 15 of my favorite memories/events from 2010. Sort of a Year in Review, as it were, Lerve-style. Let's get this party started...

I really don't know how this is going to shape up. But I figure I'll just write about whatever memories I have of the event and other randomness. Heck, no sense in stopping those behaviors now, right?

I always talk about doing more volunteering. Thankfully, I've got a best friend like Beth who helps to create those opportunities for me. Seriously, I need to get into a few more charitable organizations next year. It's a must, since I enjoy it so much. Although I only remember a few details from the day. All we did was paint, which, for those that know me, is really not my specialty. Nothing like stuck in a house with no A/C painting in some hot weather. Drank a lot of water that day, don't quite remember if I was hung over or just super tired, but I remember just not feeling very chipper that day. Sure, we had some good times, ate a lot of pizza. But yeah, it wasn't my best ever Habitat build (nailing siding up on a house on a cold day where we saw hundreds of nails missing studs from the inside was my favorite, probably will be of all time).

Regardless, it squeaks into the Top 15, if only as a reminder to me to do more work like this next year. Of course, when you spend a day with Beth, Mike and Sarah, good things are bound to come of it. (Photo above of course was not from the event, but any time I can post a photo of these two ladies, I'll do it!)

Honorable Mention - Top Events

Updating my place with a remodeled kitchen and other accessories (big thanks to Josh for all his hard work)
Valentine's Day weekend getaway in the mountains
Countless rounds of golf throughout the year
ALS Committee work
Every day of the year not mentioned in my Top 15

Because a Top 10 is not enough

2010-12-14T23:30:00.001-05:00

Oh, yeah, I know. It's been a bit, hasn't it? Well faithful blog readers, I've got daily posts planned at 5:30 PM regarding my Top 15 Moments of 2010 leading up to the new year. That's right, 2010 was so flippin' awesome I had to increase the Top 10 by a whopping 50% (some people I know have experienced a 50% increase in their lives just recently...) to a Top 15. So each day, starting on Friday, December 17th, I'll be counting down the moments that made 2010 a special year for me. Chances are, you were a part of it, so if that's not incentive enough to read it, well, I don't know what is!

There's been some great moments that didn't make the cut. And if you disagree with my list, feel free to let me know via the Comments feature. And on January 1st, 2011, as I'll be recovering somewhere in KS, I'll post my New Years resolutions. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that blogging 100 times in 2011 WON'T be on the list.

Quick life update overall...

Man, I have not posted for almost 2 months. We've missed a lot of good things, including Beth's birthday, me dating a girl, Thanksgiving, dinners, drinks, sporting events, all sorts of good things. And yes, you read that right, I actually was dating a girl for about 4 months. Sadly, it just ended on Sunday, sometimes two good people aren't good together. But we had a lot of fun and I hope things turn out well for her.

Rest of the week looks pretty busy, will be having dinner with Rob tomorrow, followed by a trip to Sarah's place to pick up as much of Stucky's stuff as I can for the drive back to Kansas. Thursday will be spending the evening with a good work friend of mine, Kelly. And then Friday around 11 AM, heading out for the almost 1,200 mile drive to KS. Will take the southern route (Atlanta, Birmingham, Little Rock and up to Mulvane). Should get in there Saturday night, may have a birthday party to attend, but I'm surprisingly pretty wide open when I'm back home. Man, I need to get on planning some stuff with people!

So tune back into the blog this Friday, the 17th, for my daily countdown to the number one event for 2010!

Back to the gym

2010-10-19T21:58:00.006-04:00

Last night marked the first trip back to the gym in a long while. And it went...quick. Which is not a surprise, but I was glad to get back to it. There's a newer gym, Anytime Fitness, literally right across the street. So after getting a membership ($30 a month for 18 months, with a 10% discount, free enrollment, plus a referral to Mr. Grosz so he got a month free) this afternoon, I walked (yes, you read that right, walked) over to the gym. Here's a shot of the front of the facility, it's not very big, but what else do you need?

It's 24 hour access, which is nice, just have a little key chain device that you scan at the door after hours to get in. Maybe a half dozen people in the gym, did 4 different machines, then hit the elliptical machine for 15 minutes while watching the Tennessee / Jacksonville Monday night contest. They have TV's on the cardio machine, which was pretty nice although it was bouncing up and down. Or maybe that was just me, must go slower next time I suppose.

Hopefully Thursday nights I'll be working out with good bud Rob alternating between his location and mine (you get access to ANY AF location around the country, hopefully Derby has their gym open by mid-December). Rob and I have a friendly wager around weight loss goals and we're both on track to beat them by year's end. Yesterday morning I weighed in at 221.4, which is 45 pounds less than I was when I started the program in mid-June. Should be able to hit my goal of 210 by 1/1/2011.

I suspect that I'll use an hour during the work day to go over there instead of taking a lunch break. And for those of you who really know me, don't expect me to be up at the crack of dawn hitting the weights. But I can see myself sneaking over there in the evenings to watch a few college basketball games while hitting the treadmill once the season kicks off. And of course with Beth and Mike now members, I'll join them for a workout whenever possible.

Either way, I'm excited about the new membership and am taking workout advice tips in the Comments section!

Monday's (NSD) Memories v.3 - Contra!

2010-10-18T20:11:00.006-04:00

I have an addiction to Contra. It all started back when I was a young lad, putting the quarter in the slot to hold down the video game on the old Nintendo (if you didn't blow on the game, or tap the console a few times, you weren't doing it right) to get the game to work. But with apologies to Zelda, Meteroid and a Double Dribble, Contra was my muse.

We acquired a XBox here at the house a long time ago with one of those chips with TONS of games on it from the old generation of video games. You name it, we probably have it on there. Regardless, I always start out by playing Contra or Super Contra. Just love that game, the Rapid Spread gun of course beats anything else there. And getting 30 men instead of 3 just makes it that much easier. If you have not reached the end ever (shame on you for not), here's a shot of the "brain" at the end. At least I think it's a brain. I have no idea what it is really, looks like one to me, I suppose.

So here's to Contra, I may dress up as the Blue guy for Halloween. Just need to find me a Spread gun!

Just think about it.

2010-10-14T20:56:00.002-04:00

I texted a close friend of mine tonight. And while I agree it is not the easiest method of communication to express thoughts, I just wanted to let that person know how much I appreciate their friendship. It probably took 45 seconds to do and I'm glad I did it.

Very rough night for the Jayhawks. I'm just watching stat updates, but Nebraska would kill us 110-4 at this rate (yeah, I said it, two safeties).

Weekend is just 8 work hours away! Well, for some of us. Big plans here except for tomorrow night of course. I may just lay low. Saturday is all day volleyball, then dinner, then a concert. Sunday heading to a food festival in Greensboro for the day. Not your run of the mill weekend, I suppose.

I'm not feeling very writing creative tonight. But, at least I got to remind someone how much I care!

Introducing...the LNI (Late Night Interview)

2010-10-13T01:34:00.003-04:00

It's the first installment of the LNI (Late Night Interview) and my guest this evening is the youngest sister, Kristen. Photo is of her and I along with her boyfriend, Damone, at this year's Laugh Olympics. I've got 5 questions and let's see how she does...

1. You just got done watching the season finale of Teen Mom? What the hell?

Well it's a good show, I've watched every single episode with my roommate Joey. I cried tonight, you get emotionally attached to these people. I've seen them all the way through 16 and Pregnant and now the second season of Teen Mom. They talk a lot about domestic abuse, this one girl who's freaky hits her boyfriend, even put him into a wall one time. At the end they have this 800 number (love hurts) just to remind viewers that if you need help, to call.

2. Someone's got a 21st birthday coming up! Run down the game plan for the day.

Woo hoo! Saturday at midnight, Thomas (boyfriend) and I are going to the casino (mom would be proud) just to see if I can have some luck, and then to a place called Martini Corner, which isn't downtown since it will be busy in KC. I've got some friends coming up that night, meeting up with all of them. And then on my actual birthday, not much going on during the day but hitting the scene in Lawrence that night. Thought about dressing up for Halloween as Sue Sylvester from Glee, all I need is a track suit, but I'm not sure. She was just on SNL, the Sunday Night NFL skit was good and the black guy is doing some good impressions, plus the "My Mom is on Facebook" was decent.

3. So, miners trapped in a cave, your thoughts?

What? I've not heard about this! My nose has been in the books the last few days studying for all these dang tests. Her actual next response after sharing a few bits about it was "oh no, but I'm glad they are getting out."

After educating my sister for 10 minutes about this story, I've realized to scrap the political questions and any newsworthy events that don't involve celebrity gossip or Facebook. In between words, she's yawning like every 5 seconds.

4. Why all the yawns?

I've probably consumed my body weight in caffeine the last few days. Mentally exhausted from midterms, they just suck. One of my friends just took a midterm in my same class, having not shown up for virtuall any classes, and bombed the test. I did really well, A's on all of my test basically. GPA is looking good this semester, trying to get it up from the 3.5, my psych major is a 3.9, just trying to get my generals up. On track to graduate in May 2012. I really want to go to KU Med for my graduate program, but will apply to a couple of schools in Colorado, Illinois and Missouri, staying close in case I get an interview. No sense in getting crazy and applying in California or something. It's a pretty competitive atmosphere, so I'm just working hard at it.

5. Dinner, 5 people, dead or alive, who do you invite and why?

Prince William - Because he's hot and hopefully we can have a connection (fakes a British accent)

Ryan Reynolds - He's funny, yeah, and he's super hot, duh. I want him to attend though pre-Scarlett Johansson. When asked why, she said, that as a straight person, she's super hot and I'm intimidated by her.

Zach Galifianakis - I just think we would get along, like his sense of humor. He's not a pretty boy, but I don't know, something about him is attractive.

Amanda Bynes - She could be sarcastic too and mind-battle, I think she'd be cool.

John Mayer - Gotta have the Mayer, he's just a party. He'd know some people, we'd have a party, Cristal would be popping, people would be there, P-Diddy and the crew.

Well, there you have it, the first of many late night interviews hopefully. Hope you enjoyed the read as much as I enjoyed the convo!

12 in a row, just barely

2010-10-12T23:25:00.002-04:00

Had a chance to chat briefly with Mike as I was visiting Lindsay before my Tuesday night softball game and the blog came up. Which reminded me, man I almost missed it today. But here it is, at the 11th (or 23rd if in the military) hour. And it's going to be pretty lame.

First, the song on the left. Absolutely cannot stop listening to this artist, and it's a great song. My hope is that when I go overseas to check out Snow Patrol I can parlay it with a listen to Newton.

Latest big news was this past Friday when Stuck officially got the call. He's moving back to Kansas, KC to be exact. I'll be helping him drive out there on 10/24. We'll arrive 10/25, unload, I'll work on the 26th and fly out that night. Quick trip, but hey, it's for a good reason.

Okay, my hope is that my sister calls me tonight, I'm going to do some chatting with her and I have five questions that you'll hear her answers on tomorrow's blog.

Monday's (NSD) Memories v.2 - Jr. High Notes

2010-10-11T09:27:00.003-04:00

So a couple of weekends back, I decided I was going to find something productive to do. I thought, hey, nothing better than cleaning out your closet. No, no, literally, not figuratively. Anyways, the first thing I come across was this Nike shoebox filled with "notes" from my Freshman year in high school. So I sat down and read about 2/3 of them one night. It took forever, of course the writing was faded in some situations, but it was interesting to know we did a few things back in the day:

Asked each other a lot who you liked
Played coy about who you liked
I got asked a lot if I was mad at someone, apparently I was not the happiest of kids in the 9th grade
Talked a lot about other classmates, but made sure to say "for your eyes only"

The list can go on, but I'll leave it at that. I remember liking a special someone for pretty much the entire 9th grade year and even dated her for a bit. But it was so interesting to see who else I talked to that year. And while I'll let those names be anonymous for now, it was a blast walking down memory lane. Even if I was maybe mad at people for some stupid reason. I guess things change...or don't, depending on how you look at it!

Here's to a great day off for Columbus day with the bank!

I should have folded!

2010-10-10T11:34:00.003-04:00

Interesting evening, after a pretty pedestrian day. I spent the majority of today either sleeping or watching many college football games (Penn State and Georgia) and shows (Blue Bloods and guilty pleasure 90210, plus my first ever Glee episode [the Britney one])online. But after that I met up with the boys at Ferris' house (he's on the far left) for some good old fashioned Texas Hold 'Em.

7 others in attendance including Dan, Alex and David (pictured with Ferris here, L to R, photo from last year's trip to the Kentucky Derby) made for a slow, but good game. I was drawn to the LSU/Florida game (way to geaux TIGERS) and played modestly well. Of course, who takes me out, 1 away from the money, but consistent life nemesis Norts. I swear, that guy is better than me at EVERYTHING. And of course he'll get to continue to prove my theory tomorrow as we hit Rocky River for some golf.

I had to look back at our pictures from the Derby last year though. What a sweet weekend that was, lots of great stories and many mint juleps for this guy. Will have to do another road trip again, if these people would stop having kids!

Date night with ... Stuck?

2010-10-09T23:21:00.002-04:00

Yeah, that happened. Friday night Chris and I headed out for a bro night. Just me and the kid (pictured here, from the LSU game day a last weekend) going out in Birkdale. Quick recap here:

I'm not a movie-goer as you should be well aware by now. It's just not what this guy does. But, I really wanted to see The Town so we hit a 7:10 PM show, at the Birkdale theatre. The place was not packed for a Friday night, but obviously the movie had been out for a few weeks. Actually sat close to the old loan center site lead, Dan, and we said hello to him after the fact.

The movie was good, some decent action, storyline was promising and the execution was above average. If you haven't seen it, I'd say it's a great rental, but not for theatre pricing. After the show, we hit up Red Rocks, where we both were underdressed. Had a quick cocktail here and head over to Fox and Hound where a good crowd was there and some eats were had. $100 tab later, some good conversation, a nice waitress, and the night was over by around midnight.

No "dating" moves were made, of course the date night is tongue in cheek. But it's always good to get together with Chris, we had plenty to talk about after the movie. But this definitely ranked up there as a good evening with my boy and, sadly, they are few and far between. Got to enjoy them while you have the chance, I say. Bro dates, a-ok in my book.

Hey, Everything's Right...

2010-10-08T17:50:00.005-04:00

Lots of randoms to write about:

The first 50 pages of American Pastoral have made me not touch the book for over a week. I keep looking at it thinking "if the next 400 pages don't get better, I'm going to think back to the day that I picked it back up as one of my worst decisions."

I've been doing a lot of online shopping. Clothes, furniture, cars, it's been crazy. So what have I bought? Two replacement batteries for my home phone and a money clip. That and some pots/pans courtesy of the Bank. Got an award and decided to spend it on something practical over a record to iPod recorder. It transfers records to digital. I don't own a record, but that'd be a cool piece to talk about. "Yeah man, if you need any records transferred to your iPod, let me know."

So should the money clip now be called the "credit card clip" or something? Who has cash anymore?

And how come one of my home phones has a battery that lasts 30 minutes and the other 2.5 hours? I bought both at the same time...

It's time to switch couch cushions, the one I'm on now is 31% lower than the other four.

I think the top part of my gut is now bigger than the bottom part. Gravity has nothing on my stomach.

I ranked my top 5 childhood crushes the other day for a friend. Three of them I have not kissed ever. I've seen all 5 in the last year though. I've got to work on my game.

Spades is an underrated card game. And how come I cannot find an online game of Pitch anywhere?

Why do I get frustrated when people call me Tom? Hey, if they knew my father, that'd be an awesome compliment. But I guess my identity gets mangled a bit as I use both names fluently. Kind of lost it this week when people I have shared the name with called me Tom. I'm super-sensitive, I guess.

I did a 'poll' on Facebook to see what the most listened to song is on your iTunes/iPod. Mine was "Uncomfortably Slow" by Newton Faulkner. Although I think his new album has one of my all-time favorite songs, "First Time" off of his Rebuilt by Humans album. I think it's funny the only way you show a listen on iTunes is if the song officially ends without going to the next one. And I'm so tired of having to download a new version every time I launch iTunes. What the heck is this new "Ping" functionality? Just play my songs...

You reading me yet?

The Re-Return of the Resolutions

2010-10-07T18:42:00.011-04:00

1. Blog 100 posts on the Lerve Swerve
Well, we're at post #44 and with my goal of posting something here once a day for the rest of the year, I should get to that mark no problem. However, let's be real here, this site is a bit of a labor of love. I enjoy doing it, sort of a journal of my life, but there are times where it seems like too exhausting. My hope is that this past week is the start to getting back to normal out here.

2. Remodel main floor of house (new wood flooring, paint, etc.)
I love our kitchen now, and the fixtures plus the hardware on the doors, etc. look great. However, wood floors are going to have to wait at this point as I focus on one of my resolutions more than this one.

3. End the year with less debt compared to this year (excluding Mortgage and Car which will of course go down)
This will happen, just not to the extent I would have hoped. I had a rocky start, but have been planning more effectively. Certainly cutting cable has helped here, along with a few other expenses, but having a lack of income in other areas has hurt the progress. Fortunately, I've built a 4 year plan from now to be completely out of credit card debt and now it is just up to me to execute. So if you hear me declining certain trips and such in the future, know I love you, but not enough to put it on plastic.

4. Consistently have weight under 240
I would have never thought this would be the easiest goal to achieve. I have been under 230 consistently for about a month now and still on target to be at 210 by the end of the year. So I'm really excited about this one. Long term goal is under 200, would love to be at 190, but I'm just trying to take one goal at a time at this point.

5. Have 10+ people walk and exceed my personal donation goal for the ALS event in 2010
As noted in the picture to the left, we had 10 + 1 at the photo, plus Jim Coleman and his two youngest kids attended the event. And of course, this post prompted me to actually complete the registration for the 2011 walk (websites below).

I feel pretty confident we can expand the team more next year. Although I'm really interested in getting involved with a new organization.

Obviously I'll always be passionate about ALS and the disease, but it would be nice to help support someone else and their cause as well. So if you've got something and need support, let me know and I'll certainly do what I can to help! As long as it's for a good cause and not something illegal or involving me helping you move...

Team - http://web.alsa.org/goto/seansquad
Personal - http://web.alsa.org/goto/lerve

6. Attend at least 3 different church services in Charlotte.
Why is this one so tough for me? Fail.

7. Learn how to cook 5 meals at home
Well, I've done a few different meals on the grill, burgers, chicken, pork chops, steak, salmon, tenderloin, so I'm going to say this one is good to go. I made this goal to avoid going out to eat and for me, that's a mission accomplished.

Cutting the Cord (connected to the TV)

2010-10-06T20:57:00.002-04:00

Before I left to go back to Kansas for the Olympics, I decided to disconnect my cable. For a guy who probably watches 3+ hours of TV a day, that's a pretty big change. But, it made sense and cents, so I cancelled the service. It's been over a month now and here's what I know...

Hulu.com is a good website. It's not the best site ever, but for what it does, I really like the idea. You can search for virtually any show and it will link you either to the content on the site or send you out to the actual site (like CBS) for the video. So if you're wanting to watch a previous episode online, I'd start here first.

However, be prepared to have to still sit through commercials. And if you think you'll see content from a year ago, that more than likely won't happen. A lot of the shows will go back a few episodes, but there is not a full catalog of shows. I've used Surf the Channel for some older content (watched a good amount of Entourage episodes out there) but that site has a time limit on the number of minutes you can watch/stream in a certain period.

The content is not instant. I've got to wait a few days to watch most all of the episodes online. House, for example, is an 8 day delay on their website. And The Big Bang Theory has not even posted a full episode online yet for this season. Of course, I miss my man's soap opera, Monday Night Raw. But the majority of the episodes are online the next day and easily located. Which is nice to have. So on Tuesdays, I catch up on How I Met Your Mother and Rules of Engagement.

I'm not a big fan of streaming sporting events. Quality has not been great on ESPN 3, and that's really what has been the biggest adjustment for me. It isn't bad now, but once college basketball comes around, I'm going to be hurting big time, I imagine.

I do find myself spending more time on the Internet though, even outside of watching shows (which obviously is going to increase my "surfing"). Maybe that's why I'm trying to be more consistent with the blog posting. However, searching the net is getting a bit boring since I only have about 10 websites I frequent and with a tight grip on funds, I'm not wanting to torture myself with shopping.

Instead of the TV, I've been doing some reading. I finally got through the massive novel, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and just bought Philip Roth's American Pastoral (slow read so far). I am up for book recommendations though, so feel free to post them in the comments section below. I also have been keeping up on cleaning. However, the biggest helper, by far, is that I'm still keeping an active social life. This week alone so far I spent Monday night with Beth, Tuesday softball (volleyball starts back up at the end of the month), Wednesday softball and by then it is already Thursday.

So, it's been an easier adjustment than first anticipated. But on days like last Sunday, where I spent the day at home, it would have been nice to have watched some NFL football. But I'm doing just fine.

The new video - John Legend and The Roots

2010-10-05T18:39:00.003-04:00

Hey, you heard about that great performance on Jimmy Fallon recently? Pretty awesome, right? No, come on now, not the one with Justin Timberlake (remember, he's an actor now)...the one with John Legend and The Roots. I linked a video on the top of my blog a couple of days ago. It's worth a listen, although yes, it's over 11 minutes in length. Vocally, I've always enjoyed John Legend. But man, if you know who Bill Withers is (and shame on you for not, with hits like Lean on Me, Ain't No Sunshine, Use Me, and Just the Two of Us), you'll enjoy this version of I Can't Write Left Handed.

I have not checked out the album yet, but it's on my list of purchases along with a few others (Maroon 5, you may or may not get bought, I will definitely have to listen first) like Pete Yorn, Sara Bareilles (yeah, something about the one song she had makes me want to check out her latest release), Jimmy Eat World, Ben Folds/Nick Hornby, and maybe even the new Gin Blossoms (or Guster's new album).

Oh, and if you're not watching Jimmy Fallon, it's the best late night talk show out there...competing with guys like Colbert/Stewart. Just really funny and current content on the show.

Monday's (NSD) Memories v.1 - FIFA

2010-10-04T07:48:00.003-04:00

So there's a tradition when I get together with Brian Fisicaro, and it's called, FIFA soccer. Granted, my version is 2006 and on the old school XBox, but it still works. So after a fun day and night last Saturday, we dusted off the disc for 1.7 games on the system. I say 1.7 as we didn't get through the entire second game. It was almost 2 AM at that time, and with an early flight looming for Brian (and after a Baby Guin...) I think he had his fill of fun for the weekend. I mean, after all, as you read, it was a crazy, eventful weekend. One I'll treasure and miss at the same time. So here's to the first Monday (Not So Distant) Memory. Pretty recent one, but a good one nonetheless. Hope everyone out there has a great week!

All About Brian

2010-10-03T20:15:00.011-04:00

Don't you love it when a plan comes together?

Yesterday's agenda had two items on it:

1. Watch the LSU v. Tennessee game

2. Attend the Guster concert at the Fillmore

Let's see how we did...

Sarah and Brian met me at my place and by 1 PM we had picked up Chris at work and were in Uptown at the Epicentre. We decided to hang out at Wild Wing Cafe to grab something to eat and watch a few of the games (KU being one of them, well played boys...well the Baylor team at least).

After that we ventured downstairs to Strike City where the tens of LSU alumni watched the game against Tennessee in a private room. It was great, they had all you could bowl for $15, plus free pool, which the boys took advantage of. We even had name tags...I mean this was where it was at. After the first play where LSU scored on a long touchdown run, you had the sense this was going to be a blowout.

Hardly.

Nail biter throughout where no one could get anything going. Flash forward a bit with Rob in attendance and we're watching the last play of the game. LSU's coach decides to switch offensive formations and does a mass substitution. Chaos ensues. If you did not see the ending to this game, go out and find it. Sheer comedy. LSU hikes, bad snap, QB falls on it, game over. LSU fans are dejected, time to pack up and get out of there.

Or was it?

Tennessee lined up with not 11, not 12, but THIRTEEN guys on the field. It's an untimed down and they toss it to their RB who scores from 1 yard out and the game is over. It was crazy, insane, and pure football madness. And while the boys in purple and gold won, you got the sense that the victory did not mean much to their fans. Regardless, we escape Uptown, do a quick clothing change, and have dinner at Black Bear Saloon, inside the NC Music Factory. Unlike a week ago, this place actually had a lot of people in it for a change. We snacked on some food and head over to the venue (Fillmore) for the Guster concert.

Everest (I think) opened for them, and needless to say, I wasn't running out to buy their album afterwards. I did get to see resident security worker Larry, who's a regular at the Coleman neighborhood poker events. We chat it up for a few about the weekend, his kids losing in soccer, that sort of thing. Trust me, we didn't solve world dilemmas during our chat. Unfortunately, and typically, he was not able to get us either back stage or in VIP, but hey, that's how it goes.

Guster hits the stage around 10 PM, puts on a really good show, including some of their new stuff which comes out next week. Brian is in heaven, they are his favorite band and he hasn't seen them in over 5 years. I enjoyed the show (ping pong balls and all, what was THAT about?) and we were able to cruise out of Uptown around 11:30 PM.

Brian stayed over at the house for about an our after, we played some FIFA, shared a few laughs and emotional moments (as always when there is an end to a good weekend) and had him home by about 2 AM. I called him at 6:25 AM this morning to ensure he was up to catch his flight and then spent the rest of the morning trying to fall back to sleep, very unsuccessfully, I might add.

In a weekend which included hanging out with some great people on Friday, I think Brian maximized his weekend time with us, his family, and the rest of the crew. Even though he was only on the ground for about 40 hours, it was great to see him and I know he enjoyed his weekend. Next time I go to Baton Rouge, we'll be playing golf, watching KU basketball, and seeing Justin Nozuka in concert. Well, if I have my way, that is.

The last 1.5 months, 91 days left

2010-10-02T11:48:00.005-04:00

So, this will be quick...

Won the 2010 John Wake Laugh Olympics
Played in an indoor volleyball league and got 2nd after going undefeated (touchy subject)
Joined a new softball league
Already had 3 weeks of fantasy football come and go
Continuing to lose weight (lost 40 pounds since mid-June)
Multiple gatherings at multiple places
Went to the Panthers home opener
Cut cable from the house

Everything else is just the norm...you know, work, the typical friend crew, that sort of thing. Poker with the boys, all that stuff. Regardless, I've got it all written down. As calendar invites on my Outlook on the work PC. And I'm going to dedicate Monday's to a flashback over the last few months just to get you caught up. We'll call it Monday's (not so distant) Memories. I'm sure you'll enjoy.

I can't believe we've got 91 days left in the year. I had told myself blogging was going to be a resolution, like weight loss. Well I kicked that into gear in mid-June, so it' never too late to do the same her on the blog. I'll win back my readers. Somehow, some way.

I know what you like...

I've back-dated this post to 11:26 PM

2010-10-01T23:26:00.007-04:00

What was I doing at 11:26 PM last night? In order to get there, I've got to tell you how I got there...

Left work early. And by leaving, I mean I logged off an hour and a half early from my couch. Friday was not necessarily a productive day, since Sunday will be spent doing said work, but at least I'm not in mandatory overtime mode like somebody I know...

I get showered and changed (no judgment people) to have world bestest Brian meet me at my place. It doesn't get much better than that folks. After a drive down to Uptown, we saddle up with Chris outside the Cedar Street Tavern, our old lunch stomping ground, for a happy hour. Numerous people make their way through to say hello, which is a good thing of course. Bad thing, no waitress to come out and serve drinks. But Brian got a chance to catch up with a few peeps, which is always nice to do when you come back home, so to speak.

A crew of 11 headed to Uptown and the Epicentre for dinner, including Mike/Beth, Lael/her friend, Jenny/husband, Chris, John, Rob, Brian and I. Pretty decent grub they've got there at Libretto's, I must say. And I had no problem gorging myself. As you'll read, that's been the exception these days and I'm proud to say that. Of course, as you all well know, people aren't great planners around me, so I had to set the tone with where we ate, drank, etc.

Okay, so we lose people along the way in this evening:

Jenny/Husband - After Libretto's
Everyone else but Rob and I - After stops at Connoley's and Town Tavern

After a quick car key return and two random meetings (a guy asking me where the Men's Club was so he could score some blow and another guy pulling his pants up while inquiring about the best dance club), Rob and I ran through the following bars:

Buckhead, Cosmo, Dixie's, BlackFinn

In probably an hour.

And found nothing remotely close to what we were looking for.

Which was girls, by the way.

Now, Captain Morgan photo ops aside (from the beach trip in July), we found ourselves at 11:26 PM, hopped up on numerous Diet soda drinks (neither of us were drinking) wondering what our next move was. I had tried to rally all night, staying the course, pursuing the mission. But, at that moment, it was time to let it go. And so I said the following phrase:

"I'm feeling de-motivated."

It was all we needed to call it a night.

Want to see some training videos?

2010-08-24T11:05:00.003-04:00

I've been training over the past few weeks getting ready for the 9th Annual John Wake Laugh Olympics. Really, there are four events that you have to get ready for:

Golf
Bowling
Pool
Drinking

I had a chance to go golfing for our annual Pinehurst area trip back in late July, which was awesome by the way. If you love golf and have not gone, it's a great time. And then over the past two weeks I've went to play pool with Mike, Chris and Jimmy, plus enjoyed some family bowling time with the Coleman family, including their three kids. And of course, the best event that I'm well trained for, drinking, is an on-going routine.

Here's the video link via the Laugh Olympics website to check out when you have some time. If you're in the Lawrence, KS area around Labor Day, you need to attend this awesome event!

http://www.laugholympics.net/site/pages/lerves_training_videos.html

Pinehurst in Progress - J.C.

2010-08-03T21:29:00.003-04:00

So I decided to do some video blogging from Pinehurst this year, but didn't remember to do so until Sunday at one of my all-time favorite courses, Tobacco Road in Sanford, NC. It's about 30 minutes outside of where we normally stay at Talamore and it's just an awesome course.

Granted, it was my worst round of the weekend, and I did golf with Wade, Tad and Henry, but we can't all get what we want. Regardless, here's the first installment of my video blogs from the trip. Hope you enjoy!

Off to Pinehurst

2010-07-30T07:44:00.003-04:00

5.5.6 159,
originally uploaded by tjlervik.

I've been looking through my old Flickr account lately, just checking on some old photos and happened across one of my favorite from Asheville with my father and Uncle Don. Seems like I get to do some fun things in my life around golf and that weekend was one of them. Big thanks to Jones for setting that up, seeing my uncle's face was priceless. Heading off to Pinehurst this weekend, 16-ish on the roster, by far our biggest number to date. Should be a lot of fun, the ride starts in about an hour!

Should I get on Twitter?

2010-07-29T10:43:00.000-04:00

I'm just asking your opinion...

Summer Show Review - 2010

2010-07-28T20:49:00.008-04:00

Well, hey, it's summer TV time. And after watching the first two full seasons of How I Met Your Mother, I thought I'd look at some other shows this summer that I'm watching and give you some of my thoughts. Hey, it's my blog, so I guess I can do these things.

Must Watch - White Collar (USA Network)

Season 2 has started off where the last season ended, with great story lines built into the show. I like the action, the plots (minus this whole music box thing, which I'll get to later) and the characters. Each episode you could watch without understanding the back episode. This week's episode, about copycat crime and college kids, was well told and kept my interest throughout. And I'm putting it on alert, move over Matt Schmidt, the new guy I'd switch places with is Matt Bomer.

Of course it never hurts a show to have Tiffani Thiessen in it, for my money.

The Best Show of the summer - Friday Night Lights (NBC)

I don't care if you like football or not, this show will move you. If you've never watched it, get online and check out "The Son" (Season 4, Episode 5) and if you're not moved, then go back to gathering around the radio on Sunday nights like they did when your grandparents were our age. The show does a good job of running in and out of various characters and their situations. From Julie's coming of age to Matt's road to an identity and watching Riggins find his place after football, this show has wow moments after each scene. The show has done a good job of introducing new characters, while keeping some of the mainstays intact. My good broheim "Freak" Nick Johnson went through all of the seasons and trust me when I say, he wasn't disappointed. Then again, he was watching them in his mansion.

Still going, strongish - Burn Notice (USA Network)

Here's what I'm having trouble with. I'm watching this show thinking there will be some movement in the overlying storyline about how Westen got burned. And I keep forgetting that it's all about the action and how this guy works as a spy. Sam cracks me up in the show, I really am enjoying the new guy in the season, and of course, having more scenes with Michael's mom in them is a good move. Still, something's missing this season. I keep thinking about SNL's skit "What is Burn Notice" and thinking "What is it that keeps me watching Burn Notice?" If this show was on in the fall, I'd have stopped recording it, I think.

Lots of good press, but didn't deliver - The Choir (BBC)

If you know me, you won't be surprised that when I heard about this show, I was interested. And while it's unusual that I'm not watching Glee (have yet to see an episode, sorry Kristen), I was intrigued by the premise of the show. Rather, what I thought the premise was. See, I had thought it was about a choir director who traveled to different parts of Britain forming choirs out of ordinary people. "What a cool idea," I thought. Instead, it is about one school, with no musical presence, and one man's journey to build a choir there to compete in the World Choir Games or whatever they're called. Very limited character development for a reality show (sans the "main" singer who was decent, but a bit without direction and two children who were trying to get their father out of Africa) and a very pedestrian sounding choir which competed, spoiler alert, unsuccessfully after being accepted to the competition. I wanted to like this show, but in retrospect, it was just average.

Now, after reading more about the show, it looks like there are new seasons where he does the same thing for other groups. And I'm still not interested. Although, spelling choir today just looks funny. Ever have a word hat you know you're spelling correctly, but it just looks weird? Well, you may just be spelling it wrong...

Missing the mark so far - Covert Affairs (USA Network)

I want to like it. It's got a great story to it, plenty of action, and a great lead actress and a pretty solid supporting cast. But I'm not feeling it. And maybe it's the echo effect. I've seen this show already, on the same network. Don't get it, here's three reasons why the USA Network needs to stop greenlighting the same type of show:

1. Two word name titles (Burn Notice, Royal Pains, etc.)

2. Overlying sub plot carryover. Watch the last 7 minutes of White Collar to hear about Kate and this stupid music box thing. Or Burn Notice and how he's trying to figure out who burned him. Now I've got this girl trying to reclaim (or forget about, I can't quite figure it out) lost love.

3. Family and friends don't understand who this person is. Whether it's their real jobs or just the depth of their persona, no one else can figure out how these lead characters tick.

I'll keep watching just to see if I'm being too hard on the show. Right now, I'm more apt to let it sit on my DVR list than watch it live.

Big Winner - Music on shows

At the end of the Pilot of Covert Affairs, I immediately went to find out who sang the song. And it was Brandi Carlile, who really has a great sound on Before it Breaks (check it out at the top of the page). And for a guy who has 95% male singers on his iPod, that's saying something. But I'm starting to watch shows more and more to hopefully find new artists. First favorite was Hard Left by Robin Hackett from How I Met Your Mother. And then there's JJ Grey and Mofro's The Sun is Shining Down from an episode of House. Regardless, shows more and more are now infusing songs, specifically lesser known artists, into episodes. Heck, I learned about The Bravery from Friday Night Lights.

So those be me thoughts. Comment if you're watching something this summer that's a can't (or can) miss. And don't tell me about So You Think You Can Dance or America's Got Talent...

ENGAGEMENT - Beth and Mike

2010-07-20T17:42:00.002-04:00

Had to take a moment here to congratulate two of my best friends in their engagement over the TDS Beach Trip almost two weeks ago. Mike, keeping this a secret to basically everyone but Beth's parents, found the right time one afternoon to propose to Beth while seeing the sights in Charleston, SC.

Here's a photo of them back at the house, shortly after Sarah found out they were engaged. I'm sitting in a room behind them, earbuds in, watching Shutter Island on my computer when I hear a roar from the kitchen. Now, if I would have known this was the realization of an engagement, I'd have run into the kitchen myself, but with the noises that were coming from the other room, I had thought it better to stay in the back. Didn't know WHAT was going on in there.

Regardless, I couldn't be happier for two of my favorite people in the world. I mean, look at them, Mike's already got her brainwashed as she's sporting Fighting Sioux apparel already. Sounds like they are shooting for a fall wedding in 2011, much of the planning still to be worked out, but you can guarantee there won't be Bud Light on tap at a Mike Grosz-planned event. I'm looking forward to helping in whatever way I can as they lead up to their big day and wish them nothing but success, they both deserve the greatest in life and are lucky to have each other to share that greatness with!

Three-fer Birthdays

2010-07-19T13:24:00.004-04:00

July 10th brought me back to reality after coming home from a great week at Isle of Palms, SC for our third annual "This Doesn't Suck" beach trip. Fortunately, the fun continued later that afternoon as I was able to go celebrate three birthdays at the Norton's house (From L: Dan, Wade and David) that afternoon. Man, it was a crazy kidfest, there was a slip-n-slide there plus a mini-pool for all of the kids to play in while the parents sat around and told stories while sipping beverages.

I even think it ended up being Dan's 40th birthday that day, congrats to him on that achievement. Sounds like things are going well with him and the wife, plus their daughter Piper who is, for lack of a better phrase, adorable. Big props of course go to the three wives of these great men, pictured here below (From L: Shawna, Jennifer and Jenna) who helped with the event.

Unfortunately for me, I had another engagement, so it was a quick stop-by but I got in some fun times with the Coleman kids (throwing Evan and Lauren down the slide was my highlight) plus getting to see some other people who I've not caught up with in a while. Good news though, I've heard that all three gentlemen will make an appearance at the Pinehurst golf weekend scheduled to start July 30th so they'll be plenty of time to catch up with those guys later this month.

Should be a pretty slow next two weeks here, as I'm trying to make it through July without any major plans until the golf trip. I did end up going out on Saturday with the crew for a few drinks, which is always enjoyable and then spent Sunday watching HIMYM Season 1 and catching up on some sleep. Plus I got the car inspected on Friday, tags in the mail, I live a dangerously exciting life these days.

Quick weight loss update. Started my weight loss challenge June 14th, with the assist from Brian Fisicaro as I was in Baton Rouge visiting him and his family. Official start to the weigh in was 266.4, which is rather ridiculous unless I was an NFL lineman, which I'm not. Weight this morning, just about a month after, is 247.2, so almost 20 pounds so far in a month, which is rather crazy to fathom! Current goals are as follows:

235 - By departure to Kansas on Aug 27
220 - Nov 1st
210 - End of year goal

I'd say 210 is a stretch, but I've got 24 weeks left this year, 37 pounds to go, so that's only a little over 1.5 pounds a week. Big thanks to the weight loss crew that I'm in a bet with for helping with the motivation and of course to Brian for getting me on a diet that works for me. Next up, need to start working out. I really can tell a difference, but if you just looked at me, I don't think you'd see any change as of yet. But I'm excited and hopeful to keep it up!

Kicking with an Entourage

2010-07-08T14:49:00.003-04:00

Happy Thursday (it's Thursday, right?) to all of you out there in the blogosphere. I'm posting from the living room of our beach house here in Isle of Palms, SC as I'm sadly almost done with our week-long vacation here this week. It's been a fun week, one with a lot of memories of course, but more importantly, me just getting to relax and do nothing for the most part. Sure I hit the beach one day, even golfed yesterday (had over 10 OB balls on the round, if that tells you how I shot) but for the most part I've been here at the house.

People often think that when you're on vacation you should do a ton of things, but for me, I do that all the time when I'm home so for the most part I like to keep it casual and uneventful during my vacation time. We did do a nice dinner Tuesday night, with the six remaining beach crew (Scott, Melissa, Chris and Marc already headed back to CLT) out at Hank's (highly recommend) but really, for me, it's been a lot of Entourage watching on the Internet (just watched Season 6 only to catch up) reading and relaxing.

Granted, there were many highlights. A new high score on Wii Trivia was achieved. Mike's new milkshake creation which included infusing a Baby Guinness (Bailey's and XO Patron) into ice cream. Late night swimming in the little, and then big pool, with dramatics including an injury and thoughts of death. Sand volleyball play, proving looks can be deceiving on who is better at the game. A very buzzed July 4th downtown where we thankfully had a designated driver. And of course hardcore games of Apples to Apples.

My highlight you ask? Spending down time with everyone in the house. Here's to wrapping up the beach trip on a high note and back to reality on Monday.

That JUST Happened...this past week

2010-06-28T16:15:00.003-04:00

Sounds better than "Let me catch you up on stuff" for a title I think. Either way, thought I'd do a quick recap of my past week on the blog.

Things that made me happy about returning to my place (all courtesy of J-Ho, Josh Atkins):

Hardware painted silver
Dining room walls painted
Little cushion things on the cabinets so they don't stick anymore
Hand rail stained a darker color

Sadly, Josh was not here to see my happiness, he's still in Atlanta doing house work for his brother, Roger, who I'm hopeful to go back and see (45 minutes on the drive back from Baton Rouge to Charlotte wasn't enough) on a date not called Father's Day. Thanks dude for all your hard work on the place.

Our learning team had an offsite in Charlotte on Monday/Tuesday. Good two days of making connections and getting the rest of the year scoped out. It's always nice to put faces with voices I believe.

Wednesday night the Carolina CREST reclaimed the league championship in a hard-fought 3 game tournament. With only 9 players (we can play 10, but people were out of town) playing, we battled our way to the championship, beating our old nemesis The Hoffs to take home the crown. And by crown I mean 100 bucks off next season. Even got to catch up with Beth/Mike on their trip to KS/OK. Apparently, they stalked my parents in Mulvane. Yeah, a bit creepy, but entertaining!

Friday Beth and I got a chance to hang out to catch up on my three weeks away. We did some swimming in her neighborhood pool and then grilled out at the house. Always a pleasant evening with the best involved.

Saturday was the World Cup game to forget, while we grilled out for a good crew of people. Beth, Wendy, Sarah, Jimmy, Kim (birthday girl), Marc, Chris and I enjoyed the company, too bad the USA squad couldn't pull out the victory. Later that evening, most of us met up at Common House for dinner and then onto Loft for some drinks where Scott (pictured center) made an appearance. The Steele's are moving back to Wichita next week and we said our bon voyage to him as they've got some packing to do. Hopefully will get to see him for one last lunch at Cedar St. this week. But hey, one more couple to visit when I'm back in Wichita. I'm excited for them as they take the next step. Lauren and her sister Ashley even came out, well, not for us, but they were out and caught up with us for a few.

You'll never guess what I did on Sunday...nothing. Typical, I know. I did watch "She's Out of Your League" in a weak Movies on Demand moment. Not too bad, they had two songs on the movie that most people wouldn't know (Undiscovered by James Morrison and a song by Newton Faulkner). I'd say rent it, only downside was I thought the main dude character should have transformed a bit in his weirdness, but that's okay. Solid 6 out of 10 for me. Almost rented The Book of Eli and/or Shutter Island but ended up holding back.

This week I'm sure will fly by quickly with sand volleyball, golf, and poker before leaving Saturday morning for Charleston, SC and the Isle of Palms for our third annual "This Doesn't Suck" beach trip. Thanks to Beth for putting it together. We're going to have a good crew come through that week, so I'm excited about it. Heck I may actually blog and take photos, but don't hold your breath.

Have a great week everyone!

What I Expected - USA Soccer

2010-06-23T13:25:00.002-04:00

Wow, I love working from home. After forgetting the game was on (as I had a busy work morning) I clicked over just short of half and watched the rest of the game. I expected the US to advance into the next round and that's it. Fortunately, I was pleased in stoppage time to see Donovan score in injury time, punching our ticket along with England into the next round. Man, we had a TON of scoring chances, so definitely this was deserved. From here on, well, I have no expectations.

How do you think the US will do in the next stage of the World Cup?

Tonight, same thing as we head into the tournament tonight for softball. We're only going to play 9 players, not 10, since we're missing a guy and two girls, but hopefully we'll be fine. 94 degrees at first pitch, we have to play 3 games for the championship. We finished undefeated in the regular season, but, that's no guarantee come tourney time.

Rest of the week has me needing to get the car inspected and then tagged, plus I'm sure some activities around Kim Miner's birthday and the Steele's going away party as they move back to Kansas in early July. I had a great 3 week trip, will give you some summaries here on the blog when I have some time.

Am I over my own blog?

2010-06-21T22:54:00.007-04:00

Not quite yet. But I'm getting there. This self-glorification stuff is getting a bit old. And MAN do I have stuff to talk about. I'll probably sprinkle in a few stories here and there from my travels the last three weeks, in which I did not take a single photo. I think, perhaps, I may be over photography. Either way, after arriving back home here in Charlotte on Sunday to a newly remodeled (but empty) house (Josh is in Atlanta for the week), I've enjoyed the peace and quiet.

A few random thoughts...

Jesse Harris and the Gypsy Sparrows. Just checked out my newfound friend, Jesse's band on ReverbNation.com tonight. Met him and his compadre Sean at Chris Moore's wedding. Both solid dudes, check them out if you get a minute. Here's a photo:

Speaking of music, highly suggest Justin Nozuka's sophomore album. Solid effort, only two songs I'm not digging. Played the heck out of that CD and SafetySuit as well on my trip after Kansas.

Had a great conversation tonight which lasted about an hour, although it felt like 10 minutes. Man I wish I had more of those.

If your team gets beat 7-0 in soccer at the World Cup, you should have to quit the tournament. Period.

I was wondering the other day who I would like to go back in the day with and see if there was some spark. There was this girl that moved away at a very young age, can't remember her name, but I would start with her. Man, what was her name? I bet she's an awesome person. But, like with most of these hypotheticals, could we have a connection? And I came to the conclusion that, if I was going to have something with anyone in my past, it would have already happened now. So I'm good with it.

I stayed up until 3 AM last night watching the last three episodes of Friday Night Lights. The June 4th episode titled "The Son" is probably one of the best of FNL, let alone any TV show. This show keeps getting better, without a doubt.

Okay, it's bedtime, I hope. The key is falling asleep! Tomorrow, I'll blog about something and then see where things take me. But, I could very well be over my blog.

Just keep to The Script

2010-05-20T16:19:00.004-04:00

Happy Thursday from the couch here in Charlotte. An eventful week here, with the wrap-up of our ALS walk committee down in Matthews, tonight's Thursday evening with Jim Coleman and crew, tomorrow having the monthly poker tourney and Saturday morning helping Chris move into his new place (Brian's old one). But last night, after a softball cancellation, was the highlight with a free concert by The Script!

Sure, Josh and I show up at 7PM, when the show is supposed to start. After an hour of a DJ playing music and a really good crowd gathering, The Script came on and put on a really good show. Let's face it, any show for free has that going for it straight away, but the guys from Dublin (put your Irish accent on it) had a great show, tons of energy and even shared we were on Skype with the family across the pond. Apparently they had rigged up the webcam from their hotel room to shoot down on the rooftop show for their family and friends. Pretty cool stuff. Here's a shot of the roommate, Josh, who made the Charlotte Observer's Party Pix section via Lazyday.com along with one of our softball teammates, Carmen, on the left.

I think everyone enjoyed the show, Jimmy, Kim, Beth, Sarah, and Wendy were also in attendance. Afterwards, Sarah, Beth and I had dinner at Wild Wing in the Epicentre and made it home by around 11 PM. What am I supposed to say, it was a great show!

Post 300! Two of the best...

2010-05-12T08:43:00.003-04:00

I looked at today's count and saw, wow, we're at post #300. Decent milestone, despite the recent battles with inconsistent postings. Regardless, instead of having some sort of celebration for the "achievement" I'd rather spotlight my fellow painters - Mike and Beth. Here they both are in a room of Mike's favorite wall color for our Habitat volunteer work (and yes, I logged my hours on the Volunteer website) this past Saturday. Mike's a plain color kind of guy, which can't be that wrong. Mike and I found out we are not as good of painters as Beth and Sarah, but hey, I never claimed to be.

Here's a shot of them in one of the rooms via the cell phone, not a bad photo actually. After our 5 hours of painting only...and yes, it's my FAVORITE thing to do, Beth took us for ice cream and milk shakes. I was delirious from the lack of sleep the night before and the fumes from the painting, so I came home and took a solid nap after the festivities. This was my second Habitat build, so thanks to Beth for setting it up. Too bad I didn't learn how to lay wood flooring, which would have drastically helped me down the road.

Got to see these two plus Stuck, Rob and Sarah last night at sand volleyball in Birkdale as well. Mike, Chris and Sarah dominated the games, winning 4-0. Felt good to get back out on the court, although me sweating and rolling around in sand is not a pleasant experience for anyone. Looking forward to our next event, whenever that may be!

Have you met my roommate?

2010-05-11T08:12:00.000-04:00

This is probably one of our late morning couch time we have together where I've been at work all morning and Josh is just waking up from the night before's events. We won't qualify what those events are...

Coming up on a year living together, which is a bit crazy to grasp. I've really enjoyed the experience, we've both grown tremendously and have shared a lot of laughs. Sure, we're not laughing in this photo, but let's not read into that too much. So for all of the sodas and sighs in the morning, it's been and hopefully will continue to be good times in the Lervkins household. Too many inside jokes which will probably last us a lifetime. I'm sure he's thrilled to know all about Kansas as much as I'm excited every time I hear "Droid" go off in the house.

It's been a month...

2010-05-10T12:51:00.005-04:00

Yep, that's right, loyal reader, I've not posted out here in pretty much a month. So let's see what I can do starting right now. What have you missed? Well, here's the first thing, the 2010 Charlotte ALS walk. Here's our team photo, with the Sean's Squad ALS shirt (Jim Coleman and two children not pictured) just before the walk. HUGE thanks to the core crew for working the event from set-up to tear down (Chris, Brian, Sarah, Mike and Beth) making for a long morning in Ballantyne. I couldn't have done it without you guys and the rest of my friends, thanks for your physical support showing up for the walk and/or your financial support as we raised well in excess of $2,000. At last count, we were t $2470 as a team. Chris edged out Sarah for second place in fundraising, way to go dude! These guys helped with volunteer enrollments, advocacy awareness, and a host of other duties that helps make the day such a seamless success.

A special shout out to Brian Fisicaro for flying into Charlotte, timing some work things with the walk. It was a pleasant surprise and always a treat to have the big guy (pictured here on the right with Chris) in town for the event. I kept my streak alive by getting pretty saucy the night before and regretting it the next day. But who can turn down scotch and cigars with an old friend? We had a fun evening the night before with a variety of meats and such grilled out at the house, followed by an exciting game of Apples to Apples here at the house.

It's been a long year being on the committee and working this event, but I always get a sense of gratitude and appreciation after the journey has ended. My thanks to you all for the support of the cause, I know it may not be near and dear to your heart, but adopting the cause because of our friendship means the world to me. Thanks everyone!

ALS Shirt Logo

2010-04-09T21:11:00.003-04:00

Hey, if you haven't heard, the ALS walk is just 2 weeks away. Big thanks to my boy Jimmy Ruggles for spending (way too many) hours on developing our shirt design for this year's T-Shirt.

I know what you're thinking. How can I get a T-Shirt? Great question, glad you asked. $50 on my website for the walk gets you a one-of-a-kind shirt, which I'll use my own money to buy. Your entire donation goes to ALS. Or, walk in the event. Heck, volunteer for the walk and I'll buy you one. Or you can send me a check for just the shirt.

Personal Page - http://web.alsa.org/goto/thomaslervik

Check out the site for more content here this weekend and beyond. Have a great weekend!

Well, if he's not in the tourney...

2010-03-24T12:35:00.003-04:00

Got a great email yesterday from Vavs regarding her lunch. Here's the quote from Alison:

"We went out for lunch today to celebrate being finished with 25% of our semester's newsletters and a special guest decided to join us. I believe his quote was 'I didn't want to be having lunch at Yacht Club today--I wanted to be watching game tape.' Yeah, well...everyone else wanted you to be doing the same thing."

Alison is there on the left, I got to see her when I was in Lawrence for the wedding shower. She ended up running in a race the next day, sounds like she did well, although I still laugh at where they started and ended the race - a gentlemen's club. I don't know if I'll ever do a race, but that may be the best incentive to actually compete in one. I hope a couple of the ladies held the ribbon at the end.

So sure, I'm bitter about the KU loss. Really don't want to talk about it. We can't win every year, but beyond 2008 we always seem to underachieve in tournaments. But hey, what can you do, college basketball is dead to me...until next season.

Big Thanks - Beth and Mike

2010-03-21T18:55:00.003-04:00

I'd be remiss, typing at their house, if I didn't thank them for a great spread for dinner on Sunday. After a wet and high scoring golf game, Sarah and I enjoyed a feast put on by the kids at their aboad. Even though Sarah lost a battle with the mashed potatoes (and the ladies couldn't guess who I got drunk texts from on Saturday) we still had a great time with some drinks and eats. Heck, Augustana is blasting tunes in the background. No complaints here. I'm still disappointed no one commented on how out of control (and awesome) my hair looks. But hey, great friends make for even better evenings.

Here's a photo of us at last year's ALS event, which is just over a month away. I was going to post a photo of the beach last year, but I decided to not be mean. HEY, get signed up for ALS!

A few days late - Chris Moore's B.P.

2010-03-19T11:39:00.001-04:00

So I'm sitting on the chair at Beth and Mike's place with a great dinner looming and I thought I'd write a few notes on the bachelor party weekend. I was thinking about making the post after watching college basketball at Milwaukee where the arena was fairly empty. We had initially (after shooting down Spring Training for baseball) targeted this weekend to watch some college basketball. Good thing we didn't, I'm sure like most all of my Jayhawk friends, college basketball just doesn't seem that fun anymore. Sure I'll root for K-State to do well, heck I hope they win it all, but let's face it, the tournament lost its' flavor after the upset. Either way, let's do a quick recap of a weekend that was for Chris Moore's bachelor party in Milwaukee. A caution to my readers, I'm sure the thought of a bachelor party evokes some images. If you're looking for said images (or stories for that matter) to occur this weekend, well, read on. You may be surprised. Or you may realize putting me in the Best Man position has some interesting results. Hey, it's my first (and who knows if there will be any more) time as the guy. I am 32 after all...

Friday night, Ryan (left in the photo above), Chris (right) and I drove up from Chicago to Milwaukee. We stayed at a hotel called aloft, which was really nice sans the lack of two queen rooms available. Note to self, don't book on Priceline as you can't guarantee room types. After getting settled we headed down on Water Street looking for a place that showed the KU game. After a few attempts, we settled in at a cheese/beer bar for the action. We actually had a blast there, I ended up heading back to the hotel to meet up with Chris' future "in-laws" brother Rob and father Larry pictured here. I had to make a run for some supplies and after watching KU be victorious I headed to the airport to pick up the remaining three people (friend John, brother Shawn and father Rick). Now, there's some wicked fog hitting the city, but after Shawn assured me they took off, I went in to pick them up. Bad news on the departure board, it's lit up with Delayed for virtually all of the flights. I check the Internet and sure enough, their flight isn't coming in until after 11 PM. Long story short, they had flew into the city, but couldn't land, so turned back to KC and ended up having the flight cancelled.

Our first night ended at a place called "Safe House" which was a pretty cool bar. We had a few drinks, played some blackjack for drinks, and showed off Chris' friend for the weekend, Yoda. Yeah, he actually registered for the stuffed doll and got it at his wedding "tool" shower the previous weekend in KC. I put tool in quotes not because he's like Tool Academy, rather it was a shower designed for just him, where he received a lot of tools from his family.

Day two starts with breakfast at an irish pub and after slow service, but REALLY good potatoes, we headed to the airport, picked up the trio and headed to paintball. Chris' Dad, Rick, pictured here, earned the MVP status for the indoor paintball event. He took some big shots (and as my body can prove, administered some as well) but really made it a lot of fun.

After heading back to the hotel and a quick clean-up, we headed out to a bar for the championship Big XII game against K-State. We had two of Chris' water skiing buddies attend, again, KU beat KSU (I would give up all three wins for us to still be in the tourney, FYI) and the party transitioned to dinner at a steak house about 10 blocks away.

Dinner went well, I didn't know what to expect with the decor, but I really enjoyed it. Ryan and I had a good conversation, plus Dak showed who is a college friend of Chris. After a bit of a cluster trying to find a new bar (Fanatics was one in, one out) we went back to a place we had went to trying to find the game the first night. Who knew the bar turned into a club. Fortunately for everyone, Miley Cyrus got John (left) and Shawn ready for some Jersey Shore fist pumping. These guys know how to party, I think these expressions were stuck on their faces for the entire night. After a trip to the piano bar (yeah, who knew) Chris, his father and I took off back to the hotel. Highlight of the weekend was Chris and I just chilling at the hotel bar talking about nothing in particular.

Sunday showed up with everyone heading their separate ways. Sure we'll have some inside jokes like 2-1 does not equal 3-5. And the cab driver who knew ZERO about Milwaukee. Not to mention the kids that played paintball with us. Or me not telling the boys the password. I still think Yoda could get more play than me. But that's besides the point. I got validation at the end of the weekend when Chris didn't add a "but" to his thoughts on enjoying the weekend. We're just a few short weeks away from the wedding, where Chris will not only be the groom, but he'll be the 'best man' for the day. Heck he already is.

A few months late - Schmidty!

2010-03-18T19:25:00.001-04:00

Hey, look, it's SCHMIDTY! Ahh yes, my boy, my hombre, mi amigo, MJ Schmidt and I went out a few months back in Wichita. Lots of interesting things happened, I'll just describe them in short sentences. I guess that's how writing goes, doesn't it? Got to meet his girl at the time, Shalonda. Recently moved back to Wichita Julie made an appearance. Best bud Kasey McDowell joined us after a game in El Dorado. Beautiful people Jessica, Amy and Rachael tipped back a few with us. We almost got killed. The end.

Oh. The killed thing. I should explain. We're at Club Indigo, don't ask me why, we hit up some places that night even I'm not proud to share. Like, the old Cowboy Club. Which is now in it's umpteenth name and had 23 people in it when it could hold probably 1000. Anyways, some DJ is in from Vegas. We've got some Asian gang members. Someone calls somebody a name, fight ensues, security pushes them out the door. A few minutes later we're ready to leave and, no dice, there's been a shooting (come to find out later it was just a stabbing, I say "just" as if that's not a big deal) but Matt pulls the officer card and we're free to go. The police said as we were trying to leave that there were shell casings on the ground a block over, who knows. Suffice it to say, I'll be hitting up Old Chicago and Applebee's next time I'm in Wichita.

Anyways, good times that night (I think it was Dec. 18th). Looking forward to having you back out here soon bud. S-C-H-M-I-D-T-Y!!!

A few months late - Rob's Birthday

2010-03-17T17:44:00.000-04:00

I was downloading photos from my camera and stumbled upon my photos from Rob's birthday party. December 4th doesn't seem so long ago. I had to look back on my calendar to see when it was, I had lunch with Jimmy that day as well (he's almost finished with the ALS shirts, BTW). Sure I wrote briefly about it here but that really doesn't count, now does it?

I remember picking up the party later in the evening, as I think back it was because Josh was coming back into town and I had to pick him up at the airport and of course, he was not in the mood to go downtown. But Claudette (first mention on the blog, she played volleyball with me indoors, which reminds me, she just announced that her and her husband Jody are expecting their firs child, so CONGRATS!) and Beth were ready to party. We met down at the Epicentre, at an Italian restaurant, and after a quick photo op at the tall Christmas tree, I believe we headed up to Mez for the evening. Hey, it's been 3 months, I think that's where we ended up. All I remember is I was starving, but dinner was done and I was ready to party.

We ended up scoring some pretty good seats at the place as we showed up relatively early. In fact, I venture to speculate that where Wendy and I were sitting they normally rope off for special guests. The place started to pick up actually and we really had a lot of fun. Of course, I introduced Rob to the baby Guinness which is XO Patron and Bailey's. It takes like a rich chocolate milk, but packs a punch. Really good shot but very thick in texture. Ran into an old friend of Josh's who works there at the bar. We chatted for a few minutes, she actually was our server, just heard she moved to Miami. No offense to the town, but I really don't have a desire to see Miami. Maybe it's because I'm not considered one of the beautiful people but while I'm sure it would be interesting to see the history and the weather I'm sure is nice, I guess I consider Miami a "club" town and if I was 23, sure, let's go. Since you have to reverse those numbers, I'm good.

Here's the birthday boy, pictured here with Lauren, who's been making quite the birthday tour of our friend group these past few weeks. She showed at Sarah/my party, then a friend John's, then two weeks ago she was at Chris' gathering (sadly I couldn't attend as I was in KC/Chicago). She's friends with Beth through book club, works as a veterinarian. I'm a fan. And of course there's Rob. He's been a part of great events such as sand/indoor volleyball, Pinehurst, and the cabin weekend in February. I'm a big fan, probably too much in fact. It's borderline man crush territory. Rob just bought a house up in Huntersville (which ironically was labeled the 4th best suburb in terms of cost of living on Yahoo a few weeks back). I'd find the link, but just take my word on it. Regardless, happy belated birthday Rob from the blog. I'm doing horrible with my resolutions, but there's really only one day you're excited about them. The day you make them.

Welcome Franky 5!!!

2010-03-11T09:36:00.003-05:00

It's been a few months, but I wanted to send a quick Congrats to Frank and Kourtney Carson on the birth of their first child, Frank the 5th, late last year. Here's a photo of Frank 5 and mom on the left. I've known both parents for a long time, Kourtney grew up in the neighborhood and we've stayed good friends for 20 years. Look how cute this kid is, got to admit I'm not surprised. Hopefully next time I'm in Mulvane I can catch up with the new Carson and spend some time with the family.

After spending some time with my goddaughter Evelyn, I think this kid thing is pretty cool. Sure, I don't want to change diapers and freak out when the kid gets a slight cough. But yeah, hopefully some day. That or I'll just continue to do what I do - live vicariously through my friends with their children!

Tuesday Night with the Arthur's

2010-03-10T16:33:00.002-05:00

Greetings from the living room of Chris and (soon to be) Christy Moore here in Round Lake, IL. That's right, I'm in the Windy City this week working in preparation for Chris' bachelor party in Milwaukee starting Friday. Few things to report:

Chris had a great wedding shower in Lawrence last Saturday. Listen, besides the obvious stigma of a wedding shower, why don't guys cash in on this? He got a ton of tools and other man gifts for the wedding. Hey, it's his wedding too, right? I'm not saying everyone should deploy this pre-nuptials, but I enjoyed it.

Had a great Saturday night with two old friends at Jones' house - Matt Hendren and Brandon Bauer. We got to hoop it up like old times (my sister Kristen's boyfriend joined us) and sit out on the back deck, smoking some cigars and just catching up, old times and new. Highlight of my weekend in Lawrence.

Last night, I took the 1 hour METRA ride down to Mayfair's stop and had dinner with Jeremy and Courtney at a place called Brownstone, just a few minutes from where Jeremy works as a chiropractor. Had a really good chat with both of them, it had been a while since I had seen them (maybe Nick's wedding) . Got to get filled in on some of their latest activities (Arizona golfing, plus a trip to Argentina this summer). Sounds like they both are doing extremely well in their jobs, Courtney is in teaching and really doing well. Has some grants and I may actually Skype with her class in the near future (I'm waiting for the invite!) which would be pretty cool. Here's a photo I stole from Jeremy's Facebook page, Courtney is on the left, then Jeremy of course, and I'm deducing this is Courtney's sister, Colleen, who moved up to Chicago late last year and is going to school up there.

Always nice to see the Arthur's, whether it's the young or the older ones (hey Mitzi and John!) whenever I can. We bailed just before video trivia and was back home here by about 10:30 PM. Even got to talk with Brian for a while (hoping we can find some time when I can make it to B.R.) before I crashed out early. This 7 AM work start is brutal.

Tonight, getting measured for my tux, then sushi with the soon to be newlyweds. Friday is almost here! They'll be lots of photos and Yoda, so stay tuned!

And they say I'm not dedicated

2010-02-26T07:21:00.001-05:00

***Note, I hate posting more than once a day, so you're getting my thoughts starting at 11:22pm Wednesday after listening to the top 12 men. You've been warned...***

I'm watching the full season of American Idol. Now, the show is in the 9th season. I get that. And I'll be honest, I've seen bits and pieces of the previous seasons, in some case, when the top 12 get figured out, I've watched 80% of the shows. But from first auditions to the winner, I've not sat down and watched every episode (and I'll never watch every minute as I'll explain).

Right off the top, let me give you my top 2 singers for each gender:

Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Katie Stevens, Lilly Scott (Ones who could surprise - Lee Dewyze and Paige Miles)

So what have I learned. First, you've got to DVR this show. I couldn't watch it live. They replay so much stuff and early on, plus preview what's to come so often, that it was straight up annoying me. But the biggest thing is these back stories. Man, I never knew how much they put into these contestants with their lives telling that history before on Idol. And every episode, I've got to hear about how someone has a wife back home or there's a death or illness in the family. Hence the DVR. I'm fast forwarding through so much B.S. just to hear the music and the judges comments. Listen, I'm not cold hearted. But I don't listen to Daughtry because his mom has diabetes. I listen cause the dude can sing. Carrie Underwood isn't more talented because her sister had breast cancer (I'm making this up...I hope) she's talented because she's smoking hot...and sings well. So I could do without the back story.

Which reminds me, can these judges come up with something more than what I've heard so far? Ellen brings the motherly factor, she's better than what Paula brought. I still like Simon's feedback the best, let's face it, he tells it like it is. But if I hear these words any more I'm going to go insane: Authentic, chops, song choice, range, risk, star quality. I wish these judges would just be more descriptive. It's too vanilla. And I don't care what song they chose, can THEY SING IT! The one thing though, and all of the judges see it, is whether or not these people could be an artist. Great, you've got an awesome voice, but you're awkward as all get out. You've got to have a voice AND a look. There's some people on this show that won't make it through no vocal fault of their own.

I have a feeling that someone will come out of nowhere and produce. I truly have no idea who it could be. For now, the talent is still too raw. But it's nice to get through a 2 hour show in 40 minutes. I hear the song, the feedback from the judges and I'm immediately fast forwarding through commercials, witty banter, and the backdrop stories.

This may be a mistake. I may look back at this decision and really regret watching as I just don't see (hear rather) a ton of talent. But I'm dedicated, I told myself I would watch the entire season. I just hope it doesn't end with me ticked off that I watched the worst season ever.

Oh, best song by far during this season is below. You almost forget the original.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGhgto_ktRA

Idol thoughts???

"Uncle T.J." phone call

2010-02-25T12:33:00.001-05:00

Now, legally, there's only one person who can call me that, of course, it's my nephew Matthew. However, there's a few others that have coined that term and it works for our relationship. But it still comes as a surprise to me when I haven't heard it for a long time and that's what happened Tuesday night when one of my "nephews" Garet called me to wish me a happy birthday.

I had just come off of three volleyball games where my knees felt like someone had tighened every ligament in them. So when I get a call that starts "Hey Uncle T.J. what's up" and it's not a 4 year old's voice, well, you've thrown me for that awkward "who is this?" question. Glad to hear it was the eldest Arnett brother calling from Pratt, KS where he's attending college. He's big into bull riding, actually is going into a teaching degree (Agriculture area of emphasis I believe) and seems to be doing pretty good for a 20 year old. Him and his brother Tyler are planning some travel time this summer, told him to check out Charlotte.

For those of you who don't know who this kid is, he's my boy Sean's nephew, grandson of Mike and Marsha Younger (who sent me a nice birthday text the other day). Growing up, I always thought they were Sean's brothers. Even called them that to him frequently, until he finally set me straight that they were his sister Missy's kids. Always tried to look out for both boys when I could.

Anyways, good to catch up with the kid. Heck, not so much a kid anymore at 20, just turned in fact on Feb 21st. Yeah, we were both born on the same day (not date of course) hence his call since his grandmother told him we shared a birthday. Heck, I didn't know it either, so that was pretty cool. Never known anyone who shared my birthday that I actually knew, so it was pretty cool.

I won't even step on the mechanical bull at Whisky River, FYI. Garet can have my portion of the bull riding experiences.

Happy Birthday "Bear"

2010-02-24T11:32:00.002-05:00

On the heels of our 3rd annual, just wanted to take a moment to wish Sarah (aka the Bear, just because it rhymes) a happy birthday today. Here's a shot of her on the left with one of her long-time friends Lauren, who was able to make the festivities on Saturday which I know Sarah appreciated greatly.

I see big things for Sarah this year. Beyond her blog http://saucybellums.blogspot.com/ that she writes on, she'll of course be continuing to post on people's Facebook status/wall areas. We get that, it's a given. She probably holds the record for most status "liking" in my group of friends. Jokes aside, I have a feeling we're going to see her take some next steps in a wide spectrum of her life. From work, to health, to friends, since I first met Sarah she's made tremendous strides in her life. She may adopt a child from Thailand for all I know.

So get out there and enjoy sushi, wine, concerts, vacation trips or whatever else you like to do with Sarah this year. She's destined for good things. I'd say she's benevolent, expressive and auspicious if I had to name three adjectives to describe her. That's only if I was asked as a birthday request.

3rd Annual, 32nd overall...

2010-02-22T12:57:00.006-05:00

This past weekend Sarah Rogers and I celebrated our weekend birthdays together. Great day overall, which included Cris and Crystal Ugolini coming down from Raleigh to help celebrate the festivities. Cris, Crystal and I spent the day doing some Charlotte explorations which included lunch at Common House (The Penguin was jam-packed) then some driving around the nice and not-so-nice areas in Charlotte and a quick tour of the Whitewater Center. Here's the couple pictured here, sounds like they are adjusting to life in Raleigh rather well. Had a lot of great jokes with Cris this weekend, including that the color of this shirt is mint, the one he was wearing the next day salmon, repeating jokes, Girl Scout Cookies, and a host of other memories. Thanks guys for coming down for the weekend, I appreciate it! We'll get to golf soon dude, I promise.

I think our turnout at Eastfield Bar and Grill was pretty good, the list is too many to name, but we had our usual suspects, including one of my all-time favorite couples, Jim and Denise. Great couple, great kids, I'm a big fan of course as they already know that. Denise kept showing me she loved me with her ring, maybe not on the best finger, but hey, it's all love. Larry, Chuck and their wives came out as well, which was pretty sweet. Also got to see some old friends, including David Tyrell, whose house I finally made it over to on Sunday after months of saying I would. Had brunch at Toast on Sunday, then headed over to their casa, which is a pretty sweet place. Even got to do some bowling last night, which I always enjoy (thanks JB!) before crashing out on the couch watching an old movie, North by Northwest I think.

Of course have to put a picture in with Sarah and I, who will be celebrating her birthday officially on Wednesday. Here she is, looking good in the neighborhood. Always enjoy joining up our birthdays, we share a ton of the same friends, so it's nice to have one event where we can get everyone to attend. Sarah had a few of her old friends show up, including Emily who came in from Boston. I think we ended the evening rather early by our standards (midnight or a little after) but I want to thank all of our friends for making this year's celebration a great one for the both of us. 32, man, this age for some reason hit me pretty hard. Let's see what this year has to offer, I've had great ones up to this point so I'm sure this one won't be any different!

And to everyone who couldn't attend but sent their birthday wishes, thanks so much! I'll be back in KC for a few days in early March, but will make sure I get out to see each of you at least once this year if possible. It's official, I've got the best friends!

Hardly left the house on Valentine's Day weekend

2010-02-17T09:32:00.004-05:00

Hey, it was for a good reason. And not the one you're probably thinking. Beth/Mike, Jen/Todd, Wendy, Sarah, Rob and I spent this past weekend up in West Jefferson, NC cabin-bound for the extended three day weekend. Here's some highlights:

Who knew puzzles were a big hit!? I think the crew worked on this 1000 piece puzzle for the majority of the weekend, actually finished it too. I did not find one piece that fit with another in my limited work, so I don't have much else to comment except 3 pieces were missing. Can you still feel a sense of accomplishment when that happens? I'm saying yes.

Other highlights included playing pool, hitting the hot tub, kicking it old school with Super Nintendo (Family Feud and the Dunnigans were no match for our family), cribbage, Hold 'Em, drinks, pushing Todd and Jen out of a snowbank, and plenty more. Plus some great grub (chili, fajitas, lasagna, etc.) prepared by others, yeah, I know, I need to get moving on these resolutions.

Biggest memorable moment - Wii Trivia. Here's Rob setting up his profile and while we all enjoyed doing the Fitness (I had the highest/worst score overall with an age of 62) the other games were just as fun. Until we got to trivia. What a brutal battle. So many inside jokes, smurfs, the brain, don't land on sports, Ward, high school coach, but it was probably Rob and I saying "final, final" about 30 times before going to bed at 3AM which was the kicker. We couldn't walk away from the game. Dazed, confused, sober, drained, foggy, all words to help describe our state of mind as we finally called it a night.

Overall a perfect weekend where besides leaving the house to park a car down the mountain, I stayed in with great friends, relaxed and enjoyed a great weekend. And mom, thanks for the Valentine's Day card, you're the best!

Resolution Update - February

2010-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Each month, to keep my resolutions top of mind, I thought I would post my resolutions and progress. It may not help you, hopefully it helps me!

1. Blog 100 posts on the Lerve Swerve
Thanks to Mike Grosz for helping me do the math on posts. I had 7 in January, which I can easily do better going forward. 2 already this month, and I've got a cabin weekend trip plus my birthday to easily eat up some postings.

2. Remodel main floor of house (new wood flooring, paint, etc.)
We've got the kitchen done, with painted walls, cabinets, plus new light fixtures. I've got three starter cans of paint to figure out what we want to paint the dining and living rooms, plus the bathroom. After that, we'll pick out some wood flooring, get a new ceiling fan and that should do it.

3. End the year with less debt compared to this year (excluding Mortgage and Car which will of course go down)
Bad news here, debt went up 1.16%. I ended up helping out a couple of friends with a few things, so I'm hopeful next month we'll be on the right track. Plus I get my yearly compensation this month and then tax refunds whenever I decide to file. I may just do it on time this year...

4. Consistently have weight under 240
I'll weigh myself soon, to see where I'm at but I'm eating better at home, less going out, cut out leaded soda, so those are all good things. I'm betting I am hitting around 255 right now.

5. Have 10+ people walk and exceed my personal donation goal for the ALS event in 2010
As I mentioned yesterday, I've got 6 people registered, should be able to easily get another 4, working on my guilt skills right now. I'm $60 shy of my own goal, which I'm sure will be exceeded as we get closer to crunch time.

6. Attend at least 3 different church services in Charlotte.
No sir.

7. Learn how to cook 5 meals at home
Here's where I have a debate. I've got the George Foreman grill, so far I've cooked chicken, salmon and mahi mahi on the bad boy. For me, I'm considering that cooking. What do you think?

Things I wish were different

2010-02-03T13:40:00.002-05:00

Monday nights weren't so consumed by television. Seriously, between House, Big Bang, HIMYM, WWE Raw, I'm watching TV non-stop from 8-11:30 PM.
My actual UPS mailbox was fixed. Not Outlook (which is funny that I have to qualify that) but the one outside. It's the HOA's responsibility, still, after multiple calls and empty promises, I'm about to go buy one myself. Same goes for the shutter.
People would answer phone calls. This isn't an indictment on anyone, we're at the point where if we don't know the number, we don't answer. I had to call 13 guys last night to get a status on Chris' bachelor party. 2 answered. I thought that pretty funny. I gave each of them a message in half infomercial, half business cheese voice.
I wish I wasn't so lazy. Like renting movies, I'm now dedicated to only using Movies on Demand through Time Warner. I want someone to run my errands, cook and clean. Where's Josh when I need him...? That's a joke people. Hey, I could have went with a wife, but we all know that's a laugher.
Will Baxter had a job somewhere. Preferably state-side.
That I could make more of my childhood dreams come true. Just completed one of them a few weeks back. So much fun to realize those.

DINNERS. Three in a row. Tonight with Sarah, tomorrow Beth, and Friday with Glenn and crew for his birthday. And who's got Super Bowl plans? I'm WIDE open and looking to not be at the house alone, surfing Movies on Demand.

Big congrats to Sarah Rogers for meeting her goal in ALS fundraising. See what happens when you send out an email, Facebook, and blog about donations? You meet your goal. I'm just 60 dollars short of mine. And I need four more walkers to reach that goal. Of course, I've got 4 in the bag already (Josh, Jimmy, Kim, Stucky) if they didn't already know.

What do you wish was different, good or bad?

ALS - Family Fun Day at Fantasia Farms

2010-01-28T08:02:00.003-05:00

Personal Page - http://web.alsa.org/goto/thomaslervik
Team Page - http://web.alsa.org/goto/teamyounger

Here's an email from a committee teammate of mine for the ALS walk with some information on a fun for the whole family event! Try to say the event five times fast...!

Attached is the flyer for the 4th Annual Family Fun Day at Fantasia Farms benefiting ALS held on Saturday, April 10th from 10:00am to 3:00pm.

Bring the whole family out for all kinds of fun! Along with activities like pony rides, bounce houses, face painting, stick horse races, raffles, silent auction and so much more you can also help attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the Largest Hay Ride.

Also, please help us spread the word by forwarding and/or printing this flyer and hanging it in places like your office, churches, post in neighborhood newsletters, on the bulletin board of your neighborhood coffee shops, school bulletins boards, day care, etc. Again, anywhere and everywhere you can think of!

Thank you all in advance for being a part of such a great event. Proceeds from this event benefit ALS!! To get more information on ALS go to the Jim "Catfish" Hunter Chapter of the ALS Association http://www.catfishchapter.org/

This chapter serves people living with ALS all over the state of NC. Together for a cure!

Double digit days left...

2010-01-27T10:42:00.001-05:00

I bet you thought this was going to be a post about ALS. Well you're wrong. We're almost to May 1st, when Chris and Christy (pictured here) enchange vows for their journey into marriage. I'm excited to be heading out to the various events throughout the next few months, including of course, the bachelor party which is slated to take place in Milwaukee in mid-March. Anyone ever been? Me either. I'm sure there's plenty to do, it's about 45 minutes from Chris' house in the north burbs of Chicago, so we thought it would be a great place for the weekend.

It's my first best man duties, for those of you out there who have been one in the past, any advice or rules I need to remember? And yes, I've already been warned that my toast needs to avoid what we've seen on Wedding Crashers, Old School, or The Hangover. Check out their website if you'd like more information, we'll see you in St. Louis!

http://chris-christywedding.com/

How come I know so much about College Hockey?

2010-01-26T11:28:00.001-05:00

Well, it's because of Mike Grosz. And due to his reminder regarding my ratio of posts to hit 100, plus Norton's great photo (below) I had to just show you what you too could learn being Mike's close friend. Here's the email, with some of my commentary embedded (thanks to Norton for the visual laugher!):

I’m sure you all have looked at the most recent USCHO.com and USAToday college hockey polls, but humor me and allow me to recap. After splitting this past weekend with Cornell, 0-1 bad guys on Friday, 3-1 good guys on Saturday, both UND and Cornell moved up in the polls from 5 to 4 and 9 to 8 respectively. So basically the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux are 4th in the nation.

Now, I’d be the first one to admit that in any other year a 13-8-5 record for the UND Fighting Sioux would be good enough to rank them as #1 in everyone’s heart, but #10-12 in any of the polls. But, 2009-2010 is not any other year. Looking at the other teams, and … yep, the Sioux are about #4, right where they are. And, for those of you that really follow hockey, you may be asking, if UND is currently in 6th place in the WCHA, how can they be ranked #4 in the country? Glad you asked! The reality is that unlike most sports, men's college hockey ranks their teams based on talent and, let's face it, about 50% of the teams end up being ranked due to the number of actual NCAA teams...

Taking another look at the polls, the WCHA has 4 out of the top 5 spots in each poll. And, they have 6 out of the top 11. The Sioux have already played the #1, 2, 3, 5, 8, & 9 ranked teams. They have only lost 1 game by more than 1 goal, (to the unranked U of MN dirty rodents). And, it doesn’t get any easier. UND hosts #3 Denver this weekend, then go to #5 St. Cloud State, then hosts #9 UM Duluth, then travels to #11 Colorado College and closes out the regular season hosting unranked Michigan Tech. Only in hockey can Denver, St. Cloud State and UM Duluth be ranked in the top 10.

Scott Sannes, the Badgers are #2 in the country. Dirty rodent fans, your women’s team is #2 in the country. Yeah, there's women's hockey as a NCAA Div. I sport.

Now everyone gets to experience and become better educated about the ways of college hockey!

It's Monday, which means...

2010-01-25T09:28:00.000-05:00

We just got done with the weekend! I don't know why I've been using exclamation marks as of late, I think it's an addiction that I'm going to have to work through. I read an interesting quote from the famous author F. Scott Fitzgerald:

Cut out all those exclamation marks. An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own jokes.

So I think I'll peel back on those bad boys. Ended up watching a lot of football this weekend, both here at the house and then over at Beth and Mike's place. Sarah, Chris, Wendy and Marc were there as well to take in the festivities. Of course I was cheering for the Vikings and think that it's going to be interesting to see what Favre does next year, but I'm excited for the Super Bowl with Indy and N.O. in the game. Favre's last pass - an interception. I guess you can call that a completion.

I also ended up going to the Bobcats game (most of it at least) and then over to Dandelion Market for Kaley's surprise 30th birthday party. Really good crowd, I actually enjoyed the venue as well, plus Chris and Sarah were there along with some of my favorite friends of Kaley's (Amanda, Courtney and Marissa). Sounds like it wasn't much of a surprise party in terms of the "surprise" but hey, that happens. Here's a shot of Kaley (front left) at the long table upstairs at Dandelion. I'll apologize in advance for the snagging of this photo from FB, but I needed something visual for the reader(s) now didn't I?

So what's up this week? Volleball on Tuesday and a chili cookoff on Saturday which of course I'll be judging, not eating. Going to try and make it to the gym a few times this week. Cross your fingers on that!

How 'Bout...a Resolution (or 7)?

2010-01-07T08:02:00.001-05:00

I don't think that's quite how the O.A.R. song goes, but whatever, you probably are singing the line in your head if you know it. Come on, don't tell me you don't know "Crazy Game of Poker" by heart!

Anyways, it's a new year if you hadn't noticed and while I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, I thought I'd write a quick note about 7 resolutions for 2010. I'm looking for you the reader to provide me with some guidance and support along with incentives if possible. Like if I complete 7 for 7 I should do _______. 6 of 7 _______, etc. Here they are.

1. Blog 100 posts on the Lerve Swerve
2. Remodel main floor of house (new wood flooring, paint, etc.)
3. End the year with less debt compared to this year (excluding Mortgage and Car which will of course go down)
4. Consistently have weight under 240
5. Have 10+ people walk and exceed my personal donation goal for the ALS event in 2010
6. Attend at least 3 different church services in Charlotte.
7. Learn how to cook 5 meals at home

So my commitment is that at the first of each month I'll revisit the 7 goals and give you a status update. That way, they're not out of sight in my mind either.

Good progress on #2, thanks to roommate Josh Atkins. We've got painted cabinets, hardware on each of them (didn't have before) plus the walls have been painted and 4 new light fixtures installed. Items left to do for #2 to be complete:

Track lighting above sink
Backsplash
Paint in dining room
New light fixture in dining room
Hardwood floors installed
Paint in living room
Bathroom wallpaper trim removed and painted

Not too bad. Have to keep in line with #3. I calculated my total credit card debt, let's just say I'm not sharing the number. But it's higher than anticipated. Shouldn't have any problem reducing, with my furniture and TV going down by $140 a month and no more computer to pay for, it should be a good start.

Quick update on the ALS walk, so far my personal goal of $500 is almost reached and there's over 100 days left until the walk! I've received donations from some great people in my life (Mitzi, Brian M., Nick, Matt M., Dale, Eddie, Eric and Melissa) and am $85 dollars away from the goal. Should be an easy reach. So far Jackie, Lindsay, Mike, Beth and Sarah have joined the walk team. I'm expecting I will be able to get five more walkers here in the next few weeks. Guilt is a wonderful tool...

So, any New Year Resolutions for you?

Taken out to dinner

2010-01-06T11:15:00.002-05:00

Last night, Sarah and I went for the first time to a bar/grill really close to us, called, appropriately, Eastfield Bar and Grill. It's basically in the retail area on the corner of Prosperity Church and Eastfield, within about a mile from my place. Sarah had went crazy on Restaurant.com (I think) and scooped up some major coupons for various restaurants, this one included.

I put a review on urbanspoon.com which reads as follows:

Made a trip here for the first time the other day after receiving word that it was a new bar in my area. The location is great for me, but certainly isn't in an area where there are other things to do. Obviously with the smoking ban, the place was clean and decent sized.

They switch the menu every month our server told us, so that's a nice feature. I got a great loaded chicken and my friend chose the cajun pasta, both very good. Server was attentive, probably too much so asking frequently how things were going. I'd say they are looking to position more as a restaurant, but probably about 10 tables to seat patrons.

Will definitely go back since it's the closest bar to my house by about 10-15 minutes. Had a great beer selection and a good menu.

With the birthdays just around the corner, I'm thinking we'll have dinner and drinks there to start for the festivities. Right now, I'm planning a Feb. 20th date for the event. Evite to follow! Thanks Sarah for treating me to dinner last night, good catching up with you and we'll see you soon!

Monday ALS Blog Post #6 - Pesky Gift Cards

2010-01-04T16:16:00.005-05:00

110 days until the 2010 ALS Walk in Charlotte, NC!

Personal Page - http://web.alsa.org/goto/thomaslervik
Team Page - http://web.alsa.org/goto/teamyounger

Quick note, if you're interested in joining me, we've set the date and location for the 2010 ALS Walk kickoff event. It's going to be down in the Ballantyne area, in the hotel aloft which I've only been to the one in Uptown at the Epicentre, but its a very cool place. Here's the details:

Charlotte Team Captain Kick-Off Event
Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: aloft - 13139 Ballantyne Corporate Place - Charlotte, NC 28277
R.S.V.P By: Friday, January 29, 2010 to Angela Murphy
Email: Angela@CatfishChapter.org
Phone: 877-567-4347

Anyways...I was thinking today, man, I've got some gift cards that I need to get used. I got 3 for Christmas from my family, including a "debit card" which isn't to a store. Probably the easiest one to spend, right? Well today as I'm cleaning up around the house, looking for a card for another task, I remember, man I've got some gift cards needing to be used! It wasn't until a few days ago that I used an iTunes gift card from about 4 months back that I received. I've got cards to Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, Harbor Inn Seafood (does that place even exist?!?!), The Grape (wine store in town) plus a few others.

Now, most companies have done away with expiration dates or fees for not using in a timely manner (government is looking to institute a 5 year minimum expiration date). But what was shocking is that about $5 billion (6% of what Americans spend on gift cards) won't be used this year, either due to lost fees or other reasons. Heck, some people don't spend all of what the card has, either they forget, or it's too minimal to worry about.

Okay, so what's this mean? Donate those gift cards to ALS!

You can just donate them directly to the charity of your choice. I think (consult your tax advisor) you can put it down for taxes as a donation and ALS will use them in a raffle or drawing. We call it an in-kind donation. A restaurant donates a $100 gift card to their establishment, BOOM, they show up as a $100 donation. That way, it's no cash out of your pocket and you're still giving! Did your crazy aunt get you a gift card to K-Mart and you don't shop there, ALS will gladly take them off your hands!

Hey, it beats having them sit in your purse or wallet going unused!

Mulvane Visited

2009-12-29T13:39:00.002-05:00

Well, here I sit on my last of the 14 days I've been back home for the holiday. Surprisingly, it has went by way too fast and I almost wish I was staying longer. But I'm glad to be heading back tonight to Charlotte, weather and TSA officials permitting. Here's some quick highlights:

Attended the WSU / North Dakota St. basketball game with my father plus two family friends. WSU looked awful, fortunately, so did my father's alma mater, NDSU. Also good to see Todd Fagan, who is the trainer for the men's team.
Had a good night out on the town the first Friday I was in town with the likes of Matt, Courtney, Kasey, Matt's lady friend, Rachael, Sharla, Jed, Amy, Julie, Jessica and a few others along the way. Fortunately, we avoided the bad things at the end of the night after being at Loft 150, Finn's, the old Cowboy club, and finally Indigo.
Had two great nights of cards (one with 8+ people) over at Lisa's house. I've got to teach people how to play Pitch in Charlotte.
Good to have dinner and spend some time with Christy on this trip back. Always nice getting reacquainted with friends from the past, hopefully we'll continue to grow our friendship.
Ran into Melissa out at the grocery store looking for the now infamous hash browns. Sadly we didn't get to spend time with each other, her and her husband were on a mission for groceries that night. Same with Kourtney and her newborn, timing just wasn't on our side.
Spent a good portion of the day last Tuesday down in Chanute to spend time with Jenni and family. Always good to see how Grey is growing and I also saw her parents and grandparents who were celebrating their 59th anniversary.
Actually got to see fellow Charlotte resident Chris Stucky out for a night along with Julie and Alison and wouldn't you know it we ran into Sheila for her birthday party. Looks like I left everyone having a good time.
Kelly, Kristen and I had a nice night out last night having dinner and then heading to see Sherlock Holmes, which I'd recommend seeing either in the theaters or just at home. We've tried to make it a yearly tradition, boyfriends and child aside.
And of course, plenty of card playing here at the house, I think Kristen had her best performance ever. Although I doubt we'll bring out the Clue board game any time soon.

Hope the holiday season found you well. I've got some resolutions to post and may just need your help!

Monday ALS Blog Post #5 - Two years doesn't seem so long

2009-12-14T14:05:00.005-05:00

131 days until the 2010 ALS Walk in Charlotte, NC!

Personal Page - http://web.alsa.org/goto/thomaslervik
Team Page - http://web.alsa.org/goto/teamyounger

As some of you may be aware, this past Saturday marked the two year anniversary of my good friend Sean Younger's passing. It's the reason I got into ALS to begin with, as he had been diagnosed and ultimately caused his untimely death. I spent Saturday reading my blog from that time of my life. Really, I had started it earlier, unaware that I would be heading to Chanute for a life-changing experience.

It was surprising how much I did during that time that really was unrelated to helping care for Sean. And also a bit alarming how I didn't write much about the experience. I guess I'm personal that way, don't really like to share a lot of my deep feelings about things. I keep that stuff private. But I have a ton of great memories, one of which I'll share with you here now.

Sean's in-laws had bought a Mule, which is basically a two seat 4-wheeler with a frame that you can use to get around your land. Sean's neighborhood at the time was in development, with new houses being built. Sean always lamented about a house a few doors up which was built as a model home. There were concerns about the size and how it would bring down the value of other homes. He always was complaining about it, which we always would lob some comments to him to get him going. Anyways, one of my favorite memories was getting Sean in the Mule and heading out to see some of the new houses being built. It was almost like we were spying on the builds, but we had some great drives around their neighborhood area, chatting about life and just sharing some good laughs. I think Sean always wanted to feel normal while being afflicted with this disease and I think those moments allowed him to forget about what was on his plate and instead enjoy just hanging out and talking about whatever was on his mind.

This weekend was a nice reminder for me as to all that we experienced in our time together. I've got fond memories that provide me comfort and solace from that time in my life. I still miss talking to him about KU Sports, our daily routine, the trips we took together and just hanging out. He's surely missed by many and while I think about him with regular frequency, this weekend was flooded with many memories, all which brought a smile to my face and internal peace.

Some of my favorite blog posts are below from the time out in Chanute:

Drive to Chanute - http://thelerveswerve.blogspot.com/2007/08/so-how-was-drive-out-to-chanute.html
Christmas Parade - http://thelerveswerve.blogspot.com/2007/11/its-beginning-to-look-lot.html
Trip back home - http://thelerveswerve.blogspot.com/2007/12/thanks-good-and-bad.html

I hope you all are having a great holiday season. It's always a difficult time of year when your loved ones are not able to share in the memories of what this season brings. Just remember to always keep a place there for each person who's impacted your life and take their characteristics in which you respected and admired and try to build them into your life. That way, a piece of them is always with you in your life.

A rare find in Charlotte

2009-12-09T16:21:00.004-05:00

Well, there's one thing Charlotte typically doesn't have. Wind. Today, we got some. Now, I'm not going to sit here and type about how horrible it is (highest report at around 50 mph, but basically 30 mph winds) here today. And while the picture shows a tree down in south Charlotte (they say the trees here aren't rooted very deep, so this isn't unusual to see) it's nothing like what I'm sure the Midwest is experiencing. Heck, my cousin Lisa in North Dakota said she woke up to -10 degrees yesterday. Right now, it's 70 degrees here. I saw the forecast and such for the weekend here. We'll get some rain/other precipitation but when it says "no accumulation" you know you're fine.

So what am I saying? It's windy here today. Hold onto your hat. Make sure you secure your small children. I had to chase my trash can down this morning. Don't open an umbrella. But don't worry. We're doing just fine. Thanks for pretending to ask.

Playoffs...PLAYOFFS??!?!

2009-12-08T10:10:00.003-05:00

Tonight marks the first game in the volleyball playoffs after Recycle This (if you know Mike Grosz, you'll know why this is funny) went through the regular season undefeated, without losing a set. Here's a shot of some of the team members, which include Mike, Claudette and Rob (Wendy is in between Claudette and Rob), while we were out celebrating Rob's ___th birthday at Mez on Friday night. Don't we all look like we're in the holiday spirit?

I sent out a blast email to the crew today, thought I'd share it here:

CHARLOTTE - AP

Sets on the Beach has called out Glenn Jaffe after an independent test confirmed a positive for performance enhancement drugs.

"Listen, if that man is juicing, you'd think he would be able to jump over a phone book. A rural town's phone book..." responds Rob Durrant. When reached at their home, wife Tami had a 9 iron in hand and simply said "you want to get it like Tiger?"

Captain Beth Hesseltine squashed the rumors by saying the other team was jealous of his deadly serve and was trying to discredit her leadership after an undefeated regular season. "Oh and one other thing, I love UND hockey..."

Battle lines have been drawn. No talking will occur. 70% of kills will not be converted. Its going down in Charlotte town tonight!

Monday ALS Blog Post #4 - Volleyball tournament for ALS

2009-12-07T14:40:00.006-05:00

Personal Page - http://web.alsa.org/goto/thomaslervik
Team Page - http://web.alsa.org/goto/teamyounger

Just received an email from my ALS Special Events Coordinator Angela "Email Signature Line Master" Murphy regarding a volleyball tournament set to occur in Charlotte to help as a fundraiser for ALS. Here's some details:

Action for ALS
Coed 4's Volleyball Tournament
Saturday, December 19th, 8:30am
Sports Connection, Granite Street

I know this is right around the corner, so if you're interested, please reach out to:

Vince Incammisa at 704.258.4959 or at actionforals@gmail.com with the deadline of 12/12.

Had a great second wave of meetings with Jimmy Ruggles (who's birthday is tomorrow, BTW) and the design is coming together. I'm hopeful to get the design finalized and in the first of the year get shirts printed. Have a great week!

Birthday-fest

2009-12-04T02:44:00.002-05:00

Good weekend to be born...well, I'm glad since I'm heading out both Friday and Saturday night for birthdays. Tonight it's Rob Durrant, heck I took the day off for it. Well, not just that, I just needed a day off. Heading to Uptown after I get some hairs cut, plus lunch with Jimmy/Kim, who I'll see on Saturday for Jimmy's celebration. The roommate comes back to the city tomorrow, plus I'm going to catch up with Lael on Sunday somewhere.

Won some money last night at poker as well. Thanks to Brian for giving me 10 bucks more than I deserved in the chop. Okay, it's 3am, time to hit the hay. I'm still stunned that Mangino resigned, am I the only guy who thinks he didn't do much in the whole scheme of things? Dude was coach of the year 2 years ago, 20 wins in the two seasons prior to this year. I'm just shaking my head really.

Anyone reading this anymore? Seriously?

Spare Me...

2009-12-03T07:54:00.001-05:00

Good friends and former Carolina Crest softball members Kaley (middle) and Courtney (right) held a nice little fundraiser event and the newly re-opened (and renamed) Town Tavern this past Tuesday to help raise funds for the United Family Services. Basically, $5 at the door got you drink deals at the bar. Pretty interesting charity concept, they're doing a bowling event this Saturday (as you can see by the team name) and were raising funds. I believe the dough goes towards buying Christmas presents for families in need this holiday season. Stucky and I went over for a few drinks after work and besides the odd Coors Light beer draft special (the bartender had to go downstairs to get the drafts, which seemed ignorant) it was a well-attended event that I think is a quick and easy way to raise money for a good cause.

Hadn't seen either girl in forever, so it was nice to chat and catch up with both ladies before I headed to volleyball to end the season undefeated, with our team not losing a set. Next Tuesday, first round of the playoffs and we're psyched for the postseason. Hopefully we'll bring home the championship, but first thing's first, we have to win on the 8th to play in the championship on the 15th!

Tonight I'm having drinks with Mike, Jim, Fred and whoever else wants to meet up with us at the Saucer in the University area. Pints man, pints!

Poor Elmo...

2009-12-02T08:39:00.000-05:00

Why is Elmo on a stick? And doesn't that look like it hurts? Had to post this photo courtesy of Brian's iPhone while I was down in New Orleans hanging out with him. We got on the trolley to head back to our car and sitting down next to us, was Elmo. The stick position alone just sends shivers all over my body, but I had to laugh when Brian sent me the photos from the weekend and this was included. I had remembered seeing this, we made a joke about it later, but I didn't know he had taken a photo.

Had a great conversation with Brian on Sunday night, we ended up chatting for about 2 hours. Him and the family are adjusting rather nicely to the new location in Baton Rouge. Of course, it's always a challenge making a life change, but they're doing well and enjoying what new experiences life has brought them in their journey. Still, of course, I wish we were back in Cornelius, playing FIFA. Look at the bright side, neither of us have a stick placed in an uncomfortable area!

So many things, so little time

2009-12-01T10:37:00.002-05:00

Greetings from Uptown Charlotte today! I'm here working away, have a busy night tonight. First a charity event a friend of mine is hosting at the newly re-opened Town Tavern (formerly Brick and Barrel). I'd like to head over to the Fillmore to see The Script (and sure, David Cook wouldn't be bad to see) but I've got volleyball tonight as well, so I'll probably miss it.

Cold in Charlotte today, 30 degrees at the wake-up with frost all over the car. I remember the days when I was in Kansas where scraping the windshield was a daily occurrence this time of year. I guess I've been spoiled being out here on the East Coast.

Rest of the week, dinner with a friend tomorrow, Thursday having some drinks with Mike Grosz, Friday out in Uptown for Rob Durrant's birthday (drop by Mez at the Epicentre if you're around) and Saturday I'm heading to a Christmas party being hosted by the ALS committee chair, Dan Lafayette. Should be a good week.

Oh, and I'm back in Kansas 12/16-29 for those of you living there. Going to try to make it up to Lawrence, but I don't quite know if that will happen.

What's on your schedule?

Monday ALS Blog Post - Topic #3 Committee Roles

2009-11-30T12:39:00.002-05:00

Each Monday I'm blogging on my ALS team home page as we lead into the 2010 walk held in Ballantyne on April 24th, 2010. Go out to the website to see all of the entries, I've had two already and this is the 3rd in the series. Or you can just check them out here!

Personal Page - http://web.alsa.org/goto/thomaslervik
Team Page - http://web.alsa.org/goto/teamyounger

This year I've been asked to be leading two different areas of the walk. I'm excited for both roles, wanted to give you all a bit of an update on what they are and how you may be able to help!

Volunteer Chair - Basically my responsibility is to help drum up people to help with all of the day's activities. From set-up to parking to support and direction, we've got tons of people who help make this day a smooth event for all involved.

Awareness Chair - I'll be spreading the good word out to various people through events in the Charlotte area. You'll see us at sporting events, area companies, and other venues talking about ALS and raising awareness about the disease as well as hopefully getting people to sign up for the walk!

I've got some good ideas on how to do some awareness in the area partnering with our sponsors from previous events. If you have any ideas on how to raise awareness (and subsequently money) let me know!

Kylie Lewis Bourne!!!

2009-11-17T09:09:00.002-05:00

Feels like I'm doing a baby announcement here more frequently, and of course we've got another cute baby as Kylie Lewis Bourne was "born" October 8th at 8:52 AM weighing in at 5 lbs 13 oz and 19 inches long. Here's a shot of the newborn who's working on week 5 as their first child. I've known Dale for about a decade now, met him in college and we share a similar friendship with Sean Younger. I've done some good damage with this guy, so it's great to know him and his Mrs. have started to add to a great relationship with the birth of a child.

Of course, I've got to thank the Bourne family as well for their recent, generous donation to the ALS cause. We're up and running, with 4 walkers on the team already and about $200 in money raised so far. Pretty good start for about 5 months out! I was emailing Dale this morning and just talking about how this time of year always makes me think about friends, both in this world and beyond. I hope the holiday season finds you remembering your loved ones who have been taken from this world all too soon and in those thoughts the memories which make you laugh, cry and smile. It's important never to forget who has made those strong impacts on your life and of course know that each of you carry the legacy of those who came before you.

Congrats on the new baby!