The view from my Auckland Hotel Room. 
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
NZ
The good news is that I took a trip to Auckland, New Zealand last week. The bad news is that I was there for work, so my family wasn't with me, and I didn't get to see much. My days were mainly:1) Get coffee.
2) Get another coffee because that last one was insanely tasty.
3) Go to customer site hopped up on caffeine.
4) Return to hotel.
5) Relieve stress with some whiskey
6) Do some more work in my hotel room.
7) Have another drink and wander around downtown Auckland
8) Go to bed
9) Wake up at 3am to screaming fans at the pub next to my hotel. Stupid World Cup.
hockey hair
Congratulations (not really) to faithful reader Joshua and his lame-ass Carolina Hockey team. I'm content in leaving Nascar alone. Please give us Hockey back. North Carolina winning Lord Stanley's cup is like Canada winning the World Cup. Only much worse. And what's worse, I had to watch a bunch of red necks stand for the entire game, even though the arena has seats. Hockey fans should not act like Duke basketball fans. Sit down and have 13 beers for chrissake, eh?And Joshua - I fully expect you to grow some hockey hair. Also, real hockey fans riot and burn cars when they win championships. Go Gophers.
whistlin' dixie
I bought the latest Dixie Chicks album today. It sounds good on my ipod.
I especially enjoy "Not Ready to Make Nice." I interpret the lyrics as a response to criticism directed toward D.Chicks criticisms of Commander-in-dufus Bush. Here's a sample:
I especially enjoy "Not Ready to Make Nice." I interpret the lyrics as a response to criticism directed toward D.Chicks criticisms of Commander-in-dufus Bush. Here's a sample:
I made by bed, and I sleep like a baby,
With no regrets and I don't mind saying,
It's a sad sad story
That a mother will teach her daughter
that she ought to hate a perfect stranger.
And how in the world
Can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter
Saying that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over
I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should
Friday, May 19, 2006
dream of dreams
I’m told everyone dreams while they sleep. I seldom remember my dreams. Maybe that’s why I dream so much while I’m awake.
Last night I dreamed about a priest. Not like that—don’t be so sick. I was preparing the meal for a wedding party, and the priest and I were talking in the kitchen. He was bored with the wedding, bored with people pretending like they cared about him. I kept giving him wine and telling him he should think less. At one point I asked him what kind of wine he wanted. I picked up the two bottles that were sitting on the counter, reading the labels of each bottle. He could have Jack Daniels wine or white wine. He choose white, I went with Jack. It tasted good.
Then I dreamt I should buy the latest Joss Stone album.
Last night I dreamed about a priest. Not like that—don’t be so sick. I was preparing the meal for a wedding party, and the priest and I were talking in the kitchen. He was bored with the wedding, bored with people pretending like they cared about him. I kept giving him wine and telling him he should think less. At one point I asked him what kind of wine he wanted. I picked up the two bottles that were sitting on the counter, reading the labels of each bottle. He could have Jack Daniels wine or white wine. He choose white, I went with Jack. It tasted good.
Then I dreamt I should buy the latest Joss Stone album.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
bring beer
do you ever wonder what it would be like to go to a major league baseball game and bring your own liquor? er...let me rephrase, what if you could bring your own liquor into the baseball stadium without having hide it in a lotion bottle tucked neatly into the side pocket of your (or your date's) purse? In short, if you want a drink, you wouldn't ahve to pay $15.23 for it. Baseball games would be BYOB.
The fine people of Great Britain know how things should work. Cricket is BYOB. I love cricket. And some money hungry bastards are planning on taking away the right of British citizens to bring their own bottles of liquor to an all day cricket match/game/whatever the hell you call it.
Read about it here.
The fine people of Great Britain know how things should work. Cricket is BYOB. I love cricket. And some money hungry bastards are planning on taking away the right of British citizens to bring their own bottles of liquor to an all day cricket match/game/whatever the hell you call it.
Read about it here.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
building a mystery
My wife and I bought a house-house last year. It came with a furnace, but it didn't come with grass. The owner built the place and then his job transfered him to California a month later. In a bit of a pickle - I hate mowing grass. Grass makes me seeze. But the city and my neighbors would like it if when they drive past my house they didn't have to wonder if a pheasant is going to fly out in front of their car.
Furthermore, we got such a good deal on the house that I overlooked the fact that it is located smack dab on the biggest lot in the neighborhood. And now that the time has finally come to stop pissing off my neighbors and grow some grass, I'm reminded that my lot is the biggest in the neighborhood. I have a big ass yard. My landscaping adventures have begun.
Things I plan on doing this spring/summer:
1) Build a retaining wall behind my house. There is a big "privacy burm" that is pushing it's way into my backyard. The backyard needs to be a least big enough to fit a tent for my first outdoor party, complete with kegs and inflatable boxing ring. And a swingset for the kids.
2) Remove weeds.
3) Regrade the lot.
4) Kill patchy grass in the front yard. Apparently the previous owner took the time to throw some grass seed in the front yard and then forgot to water it.
5) Purchase 100 yards of black dirt and spread it out in preperation for seeding.
6) Put that edging crap around the house.
7) Trying my hand at sowing some grass seed. Point of interest: I once attempted to grow herbs but they all died.
8) Plant some bushes and some trees.
9) Pray retaining wall actually retains the dirt behind it.
10) Build deck. The grill needs a home.
11) Get 2nd job to pay for landscaping.
Furthermore, we got such a good deal on the house that I overlooked the fact that it is located smack dab on the biggest lot in the neighborhood. And now that the time has finally come to stop pissing off my neighbors and grow some grass, I'm reminded that my lot is the biggest in the neighborhood. I have a big ass yard. My landscaping adventures have begun.
Things I plan on doing this spring/summer:
1) Build a retaining wall behind my house. There is a big "privacy burm" that is pushing it's way into my backyard. The backyard needs to be a least big enough to fit a tent for my first outdoor party, complete with kegs and inflatable boxing ring. And a swingset for the kids.
2) Remove weeds.
3) Regrade the lot.
4) Kill patchy grass in the front yard. Apparently the previous owner took the time to throw some grass seed in the front yard and then forgot to water it.
5) Purchase 100 yards of black dirt and spread it out in preperation for seeding.
6) Put that edging crap around the house.
7) Trying my hand at sowing some grass seed. Point of interest: I once attempted to grow herbs but they all died.
8) Plant some bushes and some trees.
9) Pray retaining wall actually retains the dirt behind it.
10) Build deck. The grill needs a home.
11) Get 2nd job to pay for landscaping.
dear mr middle aged man @ the coffee shop
dear mr middle aged man @ the coffee shop with free internet access near my home,
I was sitting in the coffee shop last night writing a paper about the nature of the kingdom of heaven. You were sitting a few tables away, with your computer monitor facing me. You mentioned you liked my laptop.
I too enjoy the free internet access at the coffee shop. It's becoming a requirement when I decide my patronage to coffee establishments.
Just one question Mr middle aged man,
Must you serf for internet porn in public?
I was sitting in the coffee shop last night writing a paper about the nature of the kingdom of heaven. You were sitting a few tables away, with your computer monitor facing me. You mentioned you liked my laptop.
I too enjoy the free internet access at the coffee shop. It's becoming a requirement when I decide my patronage to coffee establishments.
Just one question Mr middle aged man,
Must you serf for internet porn in public?
Thursday, May 04, 2006
dear mr gates
Mr Gates wishes he wasn't so rich.
Dr. Mr. Gates,
I'm sorry you're so rich. I hope things get better.
-JB
Dr. Mr. Gates,
I'm sorry you're so rich. I hope things get better.
-JB
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Monday, April 17, 2006
Paul, No Name, and Eli
As I posted the entry "ladies joy, hansum man, missing nascar." I was missing nascar. Some 'splainin' is in order...I'm not giving any-those who know...know. I'm not a car racing fan. Tony Stewart rocks.
JPK, if you read this, please know that you mean as much to me now as you did on those nights sitting in front of the oven, frugally trying to keep warm, drinking vodka gimlets, and dreaming of life. The lives we dreamed are the lives we've led, surprisingly. I wish you well.
And for those of you wondering, we sat in front of the oven because we kept our thermostat set at 50 degrees in the winter. Minnesota gets colder than 50. Believe me. Heating is expensive, so we told visitors to put on a sweater. Before we went to bed, JPK and I would open the oven door, crank it to 500, and wait for the soothing warmth as we soothed our nerves with too much vodka, soothing our souls with honest conversation.
Matthew recently visited. He wrote nice things about me (see below).
Matthew and I are friends because we are equally curious. We hold our opinions loosely, with hope they will be challenged. We doubt most things. We hold tightly to some things. It's strange--I've never been too certain about anything in my life. But I'm certain about my feelings for my daughter and my son and my wife. Matthew feels the same for his wife. To me, this is beautiful.
Joshua is the most decent and honest man I know. We're more alike than we care to admit. Too bad you don't like whiskey. I have stories to prove it. A proverb for everyone to remember: Just because it's on sale doesn't mean you need to buy it.
JPK, if you read this, please know that you mean as much to me now as you did on those nights sitting in front of the oven, frugally trying to keep warm, drinking vodka gimlets, and dreaming of life. The lives we dreamed are the lives we've led, surprisingly. I wish you well.
And for those of you wondering, we sat in front of the oven because we kept our thermostat set at 50 degrees in the winter. Minnesota gets colder than 50. Believe me. Heating is expensive, so we told visitors to put on a sweater. Before we went to bed, JPK and I would open the oven door, crank it to 500, and wait for the soothing warmth as we soothed our nerves with too much vodka, soothing our souls with honest conversation.
Matthew recently visited. He wrote nice things about me (see below).
Matthew and I are friends because we are equally curious. We hold our opinions loosely, with hope they will be challenged. We doubt most things. We hold tightly to some things. It's strange--I've never been too certain about anything in my life. But I'm certain about my feelings for my daughter and my son and my wife. Matthew feels the same for his wife. To me, this is beautiful.
Joshua is the most decent and honest man I know. We're more alike than we care to admit. Too bad you don't like whiskey. I have stories to prove it. A proverb for everyone to remember: Just because it's on sale doesn't mean you need to buy it.
k
Smiles erase many cares. Worry wanders into our lives, absorbing our joy. There is always another chance to fret and feign contentment. Life presents a continual choice: seek good despite heartbreak or indulge in the slow drip of consuming heartache.
I am never satisfied. Each satisfaction brings yet another desire. A goal accomplished is a goal revealed. There is never enough. There is only the desire for more.
And then, every once in a while, for a brief moment, we see. We understand. We are content. But the moment passes.
Smiles erase many cares.
I am never satisfied. Each satisfaction brings yet another desire. A goal accomplished is a goal revealed. There is never enough. There is only the desire for more.
And then, every once in a while, for a brief moment, we see. We understand. We are content. But the moment passes.
Smiles erase many cares.
love boat
In honor of the Minnesota Vikings, the Saint Paul Saints (minor league baseball team) have a new promotion: free "love boats." Too funny.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
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