Thank You, Paris M. Goodrum

Please visit the Thank You, Paris Goodrum Blog, started by Angie Engelhardt-Wittenberg, to read more stories and to submit you own Thank You to Angie.



Raise curtain.
Lights up.
Begin scene.

I was a fourteen year old freshman in high school, when I walked into third period in Paris Goodrum’s classroom on my first day of high school. I remember the stage at the back of the room, and I remember the black and white photos that adorned the walls.

That was fifteen years ago, which means that I have known this man for over half my life. But, the true reality of it, is that because I let my life get in the way, I’ve only had a few good years with him. Luckily for me, even when we were not in contact, the impression he left on my mind and soul have always been present, and have helped shape me into the person I am today.
It was November of 1994, when I was the only freshman male cast in “You Can’t Take it With You”, when I stood on stage and after each performance got to hear one of my senior cast mates give a “Thank You” speech to Mr. Goodrum, and how much he meant to them. It was at this moment, in my infancy of theatre experience, that I vowed to myself that I would be in all eight productions throughout high school, and in February of 1998 – that would be ME.

In a sad twist of fate, the Greater Power decided that wasn’t going to happen. It was fourteen months later, when Mr. Goodrum was forced to leave during production of “I Remember Mama” and it was in May of that year when it became official that Mr. Goodrum was going to have to retire from teaching. And with that decision, I was forced to forever give up that moment, in front of an auditorium of people, to publicly give thanks and adoration for the man who shaped me, taught me, and mentored me. It’s now, at this time, over ten years after my original planned time, that I take the time to open up my thoughts, feelings, and emotions to say “Thank You” to a man who I never got the chance before.

Henry David Thoreau. If Mr. Goodrum hadn’t have picked “The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail” for our Winter Play in February of 1995, I’d never have had my mind opened up to the transcendentalist philosophies of life. It would take eleven years, and numerous readings of “Walden” and “Civil Disobedience” before I made it to Concord, Massachusetts to visit Walden Pond, and see the history I had read about.

It was in November of 1995, during the production of “My Sister Eileen”, when I finally got Mr. Goodrum to allow me to read “Dear, High School” – the play that Mr. Goodrum had written, and performed at least once during his time at Lawrence Central. Mr. Goodrum said that his plan was to make this his final play, the year he decided to retire from teaching. I can’t lie when I admit, that in my perfect world, that would have been my senior year. More importantly, my senior year would have been mr. Goodrum’s 30th year of teaching, and I often told him, “Thirty years would be a good time to quit”. Sadly, he only made it to twenty-eight, and more sad is that life took us both in different directions. Those who know me, know that I have OCD tendencies, and when something important in my life changes, I do not adjust well to those changes. Instead of going into my junior year with aspirations of continuing my theatre career, I went in as wayward student who no longer knew where or what he wanted to do. This arrogant and egotistical person that I turned into, rebelled against the new regime of the theatre department, and quickly found myself an exile from it, at which point I walked away for good.

I can’t remember if it was 1998 or 1999, but I remember Mr. Goodrum contacting me to let me know that there was a showing of his play “Quanita and Beula vs. the Killer Squirrel”. It was in the basement of a Seniors Center, if I remember correctly. I’m going to have to go to my Parent’s house and dig through some old boxes to try and find the program, which I hope I still have. I remember sitting next to Mr. Goodrum during the production.

In 2000, Jason L. Maier and I went over to Mr. Goodrum’s house numerous times with copies of the script for our first film, “Consternate”. Mr. Goodrum read our various drafts, and did a lot of work with us on character development, among other things. I learned a lot about the revision and development processes from those long afternoons sitting in his kitchen, and going page by page through the script, and figuring out what worked, what didn’t, what could be cut, and what needed to be explained better. It was the last time I saw Mr. Goodrum was in January of 2001, right before I moved to Los Angeles, when I stopped by his house to drop off a DVD copy of “Consternate”. Once I got settled in L.A., we continued to keep in touch via snail mail, and I know somewhere I have a few letters written to me from Mr. Goodrum.

Upon returning from California, I made the mistake of allowing my life to get in the way. Girlfriend, wife, job, film-making, etc… etc… They were all excuses, and none of them are good ones. I failed. Not in a life-threatening way, but in a “I failed to keep in contact with someone I should have way”. But, those ripples continued across the water of my life. I re-read “Walden”, I continued to write, I tried to act in a few of our films. All of these things are leaves, which grew from the branches that I am, from the tree trunk that was Mr. Goodrum. Please let me assure you that this is a HUGE tree trunk, with hundreds of branches growing from it, each branch with many leaves to show the accomplishments of the trunk.

It was October 15th, of 2009 when I was contacted by Angie Engelhardt-Wittenberg, who was in all four of the productions that I was in. She had found a blog I wrote about the time I went to Walden Pond, where I made mention to Mr. Goodrum’s influence on that part of my life. Angie informed me that she wanted to start a blog, where all of Mr. Goodrum’s former students could come and say “Thank You” to the man who mentored so many of us. That brings us to today. And two hours ago, I was sitting in Mr. Goodrum’s living room, talking to him, catching up with him, reminiscing about high school and other times we’d spent together. He said the added weight looked good on me (I disagreed with him), he liked the film strip tattoo, but really liked the profile comedy and tragedy masks tattoo. He made comments about the blonde spiked hair, and told me that despite the changes, he could still see the student he remembered. We talked about the various projects I’ve done over the past eight years, and I was surprised when he asked if he could read any of them. I talked to him about my transition from film into my current project writing a novel. He admitted that his mind is too far-gone to help with any revisions, but he would still love to read whatever I will let him – and I will let him read it all. While he claims he couldn’t do revisions, I still feel like I could sit and have discussions with him, that will involve his insight – which would be just as good to me.

“There is a part in each one of us that never gets over high school.” This is a quote from Paris M. Goodrum today. I told him that I agreed 100%. I fell in love for the first time in high school, with someone I still randomly hear from to this day. Two of the best men in my wedding were my friends from freshman year to graduation, to this very evening. I was exposed to theatre and to the artists lifestyle in high school. It was a care-free and enjoyable time of my life, and I agree that a very large part of me has never moved on, or gotten over what my life was at that point. Mr. Goodrum and I were talking about my novel, and I was giving him the basics of it, and how it revolved around the death of friend, and a group of friends thinking back over the ten years that brought all of them to where they are now, the lies, the secrets, the things we do to keep our friendships as solid as we can. It was at this time that I asked if I could once again borrow “Dear, High School” so that I could re-read it, and see what kind of creative juices could get flowing from reading his play.

I made a decision today, that I want to keep Mr. Goodrum a part of my life for as long as I can. Last year, I lost two grandparents, and only have one left, who lives in Iowa, and I don’t get to see as often as I would like. I want to make sure he knows what he has meant to me, and I want to help him as much as I can. Seeing him in a deteriorating physical condition really hit me in a way that made me sad. I have offered to come over anytime he will let me, and told him that I want to see him as much as I can, talk to him, and hear the things he has to say about my writing.

And, the biggest thing on my mind right now is taking Angie’s idea one step farther. The idea of attempting to put together a documentary on Mr. Goodrum is brewing in my brain. Trying to hunt down as much documentation and pictures as I can from his time at Lawrence Central. Trying to hunt down students and getting their thoughts and feelings on film. Interviewing teachers who taught with him, and others in the performing arts department. I’d love to sit and do interviews with Mr. Goodrum about his many years of teaching, about his many productions and his favorites. I’ve love to pick his brain, and hear all of the stories that he wants to share. I believe it’s an idea I’m going to bring up to Mr. Goodrum at some point, because while I could do it without his involvement, I have to believe that it would be increasingly better with his support.

Mr. Goodrum is directly responsible for my passion and love of the arts, which is still present in my to this day. I entered his classroom as a wide-eyed naïve freshman, who didn’t know what he was getting involved with. Through him, and his student directors, I was able to be molded into someone who fell deeply in love with performing, with art, with storytelling, with physical arrangement, and with emotional connection to an audience. There’s a large number of people and events that have shaped my life, and Mr. Goodrum is one of the most important, because we met at a time when my mind needed to be molded, and he was the sculptor who took on the task. And now it is up to me, to make sure everyone sees his positive molding in all of my works.

Lights fade.
Spotlight on Mr. Goodrum.
Applause.

The Caldwell Era Has Officially Begun

I'm not a fan of change.
I don't do well with change.
When Tony Dungy decided to leave, I was pretty awe-shocked and didn't know how I felt. I knew it was coming, but each off-season I hoped and prayed that he would come back for one more. I have always trusted Jim Caldwell, because Tony Dungy trusted Jim Caldwell. Their years together in Tampa Bay, and then Tony bringing him along with him to Indy has always made me feel like Caldwell was the real deal. If Coach Dungy vouches for him, and Jim Irsay is willing to put his faith in him, then I should too. I should get over my issues, and my emotional distress about Tony Dungy not wearing the Colts polo and hat on the sidelines.

I took the pre-season for what it was. An appetizer of what the Colts season might be. And it felt pretty much like most pre-seasons. There was good, and there was bad. And lots of the good didn't play much and lots of the bad was cut last Saturday. So today, September 13th was the true test. Today was the defining moment in this transition into a new era of Colts history. The post-Dungy, Jim Caldwell Era.

And I liked it from the first time I saw Caldwell on camera, sporting some really nice sunglasses. It really gave me a Samuel L. Jackson in "Shaft" type of vibe from the coach, and I liked that. A little grin came across my face, as I thought about Coach Caldwell hiding his eyes from the camera, and living behind the mirror-reflective lenses of those glasses. The mystery behind the man was what made me grin, he's not the open book of emotions that we could always read on tony Dungy's face. He was like a masked leader, whose mystery lends to his leadership. I was sad to see that Coach decided to remove the glasses in the second half.

Let me start with the good from today.
First, the O-line impressed me. After the pre-season games that included a number of sacks on Peyton, I had worries. But, I think the O-line looked as solid as they have in most years, and even better in some instances. They opened up some nice holes, which it seemed like only Donald Brown knew how to run through - but I'm getting ahead of myself, I'll address that shortly.

Second, the new aggressive defense was fun and interesting. I'd had some conversations with my buddy John Petty during the pre-season games, and told him that I really wasn't impressed with anything on our defense. He made comments that he felt like we were going to see something new and different, and I told him I hoped he was right. Turns out that he was. Blitzing linebackers was a NICE thing to see. We've still got to improve on finishing our tackles. Jones-Drew should have been taken down in the backfield, and instead he spun off and ran for 8 yards. Garrard should have been sacked by TWO of our defenders (the first being Freeney), but he just shock them both off - luckily, that play went for an incomplete pass. Finally, we had two chances to bring down Garrard in the end zone, and should have had a nice safety, and instead, we let him run out 8 yards and almost seal a new first down.

Third, Donald Brown is PIMP. Donald Brown in the new Joseph Addai. And Addai is very quickly becoming the new Dominic Rhodes. If Addai doesn't watch out, Donald Brown is going to be running in TDs against New England this year, on our way through the playoffs and back to Miami. I talked to Troy about this last season, and I'm going to bring it up against this year: Colts runningbacks, who let their hair grow out each season, get worse. It's like a reverse Sampson (biblical) curse. As the Edge let his dreads grow out, he got less productive, same goes for Rhodes. Addai's best season with us was his rookie year, and his productivity has seemed to go down (in my opinion) each and every season. Donald Brown has a nice, short haircut, and seems to be running pretty darn good. At the end of the day, it's not super noticeable on the state sheet. Addai went 17 times for 42 yards - an average of 2.3 - but he did fumble the ball. Which reminds me a lot of his rookie year, when I was yelling at Rhodes for his fumbles. Brown went 11 times for 33 yards, which is still a somewhat pathetic average of 3.0 yards, but Brown just looks more confident when he's running. I'm really worried that last year, putting all of the pressure on Addai to be a singleback, really ruined him for us. Both psychologically and physically. And I believe that led directly to his injury last season, and I'm getting the vibe he's not back to 100%. Addai was shown limping a couple of times today, and I was not happy with his dropping wide-open tosses to him, and fumbling on a routine run.

I'm very much looking forward to what Donald Brown can continue to do this season, and I hope the relief in playing time, and mental pressure of carrying the running game can return Addai to a much more productive and essential player on our squad.

Pat McAfee was AWESOME. Perfect punts. Long hang times, good bounces. Very, very happy with that kid. Again, I was upset to see Hunter go. I liked him, and liked his presence on our squad. But, today, both of McAfee's punts looked amazing, they 43 and 45 yards a piece, and one had a 4.7 second hang time! Also, getting that ball to bounce on the 2/3 yard line to pin the Jags deep was gorgeous! I'm sold on McAfee for this season.

The bad.

Gonzo. Oh baby. Oh please no. As I was driving home and listening to 1070AM The Fan's post-game coverage, I heard an interview with Jim Irsay who said that Anthony was in the middle of an MRI at that time. Oh, that looked bad. No contact, and his knee looked like it just buckled under him. If he tore something there, which is likely, it's going to be a long, long time before we see him again - if ever this season. And that's not good. Not good at all, especially to happen to such a talented and hard-working Buckeye. Obviously, it's not as bad as the Patriots had it last season, but losing our Number #2 WR is pretty detrimental in my personal opinion. I am a little relived in having Garçon and Collie on our roster, and both of them contributed pretty well today. Garçon had 3 for 24, and Collie was 2 for 15. Both decent numbers, considering Wayne and Clark got the majority of the looks.

The turn overs were not good. Granted, it was the first two drives of the season, but they should not have happened. I've already address Addai's fumble, and the fact that it was directly related to the length of his hair. But, the Manning INT was the play that never should have happened. The Colts were basically at the 5 yard line. First down was a WAY overthrown ball to Dallas Clark. The second was a horrible throw to Reggie. Notice the problem? First AND Second Down passing plays in the red zone! COME ON! We've got Addai, who is supposed to be a fairly premiere running back, and his back-up Brown probably could have gotten those 5 needed yards. Run o nfirst down. Get it closer. Run on second down. Get it closer. Then, if you still haven't made it in, run a quick slant route with Dallas, and let him catch it over the middle. That was very poor play selection on Peyton's part. I think he was just a little over-zealous, and mybe trying to get an early passing touchdown to make sure he can try to keep up with Tom Brady this season? It was dumb. It shouldn't have happened. Worst case, it should have been three running plays - all stopped, and then a FG to put some points on the board.

Some of you might find this a bit awkward for me to say, seeing how I have Peyton as my starting QB in my Fantasy Football league, and obviously, I would want the points from Peyton throwing the TD, instead of nothing for him handing off the ball. I respond with this: I care more about the Colts winning and playing correctly, than I do with winning Fantasy Football.

It was a stressful game to watch. Despite all of the good things I saw, we just didn't finish everything as smoothly as I feel like we should have. But, it is a win, and a win is important. It was a divisional win, which makes it even more important. And with the Titans losing to the Steelers, and the Texans losing to the Jets - it leaves the Colts alone at the top of the AFC South, and gives us a one game lead on everyone. Looking at the box score for the Miami/Atlanta game, it makes me feel really good about next Monday night. If Matt Ryan can throw for 280 yards against the Dolphins, I have faith Peyton can come close to 400. And if the Dolphins can only rush for 96 yards against the Falcon, I have hope that our defense can hold them to under 100 also. Granted, Miami did air it out for 260 yards themselves, but I have faith in our corners and safeties that they can get some serious INTs against Chad Pennington. It should be a good time next Monday night!

Most important: The Colts are 1-0.
Second, I saw some good things.
Third, I am holding my breath until I find out what the official word is on Anthony Gonzales.

I'm going to believe that The Colts only like winning Super Bowls that are in Miami.
Which means, no other teams needs to apply this year. Thanks.

GO COLTS.

Promo Video for The Spot

A Promo Video for The Spot has made its way online.
I only work there two days a week now, but I'm still happy to see how well this video turned out.

Lots Going on in Sports

First, The Confederations Cup.
The United States team pulled off a miracle.
They defeated FIFA's #1 ranked team in the world, when they beat Spain 2-0 this afternoon.
Jozy Altidore (pimp!) scored in the first half, and Clint Dempsey cleaned up a loose ball in front of the net halfway through the second half, to give the United States their win!!!
They will now play the winner of Brazil and South America, which will be played tomorrow.
I assume it will be Brazil, but I assumed Spain was going to have their way with us, and I was wrong. So, I kind of hope that the hometown boys of South Africa can pull off a win, and match us against them in the final. I would like our chances better. I think it would be an awesome thing for U.S. Soccer, if they can pull off a Confederation Cup win - and would set up some good press coverage leading into next summer's World Cup. It would be nice for the media to have some nice things to say about U.S. Soccer going into the games.

Jermaine Jones still isn't playing with the national team - I don't know if he didn't leave the German Team early enough that he wasn't eligible for the Confederations Cup, or maybe Bob Bradley just hasn't felt the desire to make an official spot offer to him yet. I'm not sure, but I do hope he's on the squad before the World Cup.

I hope I picked the right time to start caring about the US Soccer team again. Ever since my firs experiences with them in the 1994 World Cup - Alexi Lalas, Cobi Jones, Eric Wynalda, Tab Ramos - I remember being obsessed that summer, and being in Orlando at the same time, and at the same hotel as the Belgium National Team. I will continue to put my fussball loyalties to the German National Team. But, I'm going to try to support and watch the U.S., and not bad-mouth them like I have ever since Landon Donovan and the horrible showing at the 2006 World Cup.

Next, Shaq is GOING TO CLEVELAND! Yippy! Now, they'd better just hold onto Mike Brown, and give me a "back-up" team to root for behind the Pacers.

The NBA Draft is tomorrow night. I'm EXCITED!
I REALLY want Brandon Jennings. I blogged about him last year, when he made the decision that I totally supported, by skipping the NCAA and going straight to Europe to play porfessionally until he was eligible for the NBA Draft. I think he's gotten some good experience with some "professionals" - and I honestly think that I just have some connection to him since he did what I thought was such a good idea (last two paragraphs). Some people claim his numbers are a little inflated by plying over there - but I think he is going to be fine in the NBA. The scouting reports say he's totally hit-or-miss. He can go from looking super-amazing to looking horrible in a matter moments.

ESPN.com and some other experts seem to think we are looking at DeJuan Blair. I do like this option also. Although, at 6ft. 6in. I don't seem him being a center for the Pacers, or in the NBA. I think he would be a good fit for small forward, and letting Danny play the power forward position.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens. To see if Larry pulls a big move for a higher draft pick, or moves some players like last year. I really wanted to go to the Pacers Draft Party downtown at Conseco - but I forgot to get the night off from The Spot. I missed the party last year, and wanted to try to go this year - but oh well, I'll just watch the Draft at work on ESPN, and enjoy what happens. Minnesota currently has FOUR picks in the first round, it's going to be interesting to see what they do with those. And rumors are that the Lakers are trying to get rid of their first round pick. Tomorrow is going to be fun! Let's hope for good news for the Pacers!!!

Be A Pro Mode - FIFA Screenshots

So, I've been playing A LOT of FIFA 09, during my many free hours at home.
I've begun a career in Be A Pro Mode, which allows me to only play as my created character, only controlling him on the pitch. The better I play, the better my player's stats become. I started with a ranking of 63, and have been able to move up to 71. I was made captain of the Reserve Squad, and then one game later I was called up to the First Team. I played one game for the German National Reserve Team, and then got called up to the First Squad also.

Here's a photo of me at the beginning of the one game I got to wear the captain's armband for.

I like to celebrate when I score a goal!

Sometimes I just point up in the air.

Sometimes I get really cocky when I celebrate, and I point to my fans.

And, like a typical footballer, I complain when I think I deserve a call in the box.

It's been fun. But, I've got a LONG WAY ahead of me. Some of the achievements for Be A Pro Mode require you to play four entire seasons, without simming any of the game. Here's to an entire summer of playing FIFA 09!!!

Some Peanuts Talk

So, I'm sitting here waiting to go to work and watching Wimbledon on ESPN2, before I head out to go to the office.
It's a GREAT match between Benneteau and Djokovic.
Seeing all of the shots of London really has me wishing I could go back soon. I loved it there so much. Really cool was one of the shots that was near the London Eye, and I could pick out one of the benches that I sat on one late night while I was talking to my parents on the phone - about being stuck in London and not making it to Paris - and stared at Parliment for a while. Oh, the memories are so wonderful, and sadly fading. It seems like years ago when I was there last.

Djokovic needs to pick up his game...

I've got a couple of random Peanuts related things really quick.
First, I went to the Official Peanuts Website, and found that they seem to have all Peanuts comic strips archived there, so you can search for any strip on any day. Of course, I went to February 12th, 2000 to look at the final strip of the series.


Next up, Hallmark's website has their 2009 Wish Book online, and here is the picture of the Peanuts page. There are two of these that I REALLY want to get before Christmas.

Hallmark's Ornaments begin getting released on July 11th, with events at Hallmark Gold Crown Stores.


Finally, I got a phone call from Michael Maier on Saturday morning. I was watching the PGA Golf stuff, and it was totally coincidental that the MetLife Blimp was on TV when Michael told me that he could see it from his house. There's obviously more than one (four, I think) since Michael can't see to New York from his house. I ran outside, and found the blimp almost literally in my backyard. So, I grabbed my camera and snapped this picture.

Last October, I also blogged about seeing the blimp out at the Mt. Comfort Airport, on the afternoon before a Colts primetime home game.

I Can't Talk About Sports in 140 Characters or Less

Hello readers.
I've failed at blogging recently.

I've come to the conclusion that Twitter is replacing conventional blogging.
Of course, blogging will still be here for times when myself, or others, have nice long diatribes that we need to discuss. But, Twitter is just so much easier, and more convenient. iPhone Apps, Blackberry Apps, the ability to text in your Twitter posts. The 140 character limits are often fun to attempt to accomplish. It's a cool and quick way to see what's going on with everyone, and my friends seem to use it much more than they do Blogger.

And I've fallen into the same boat. As previously reported, I spend the majority of my day sitting at a computer desk at the office, so when I come home, I crash on the couch and use my iPhone for any internet needs. Heck, I've got the ESPN Scorecenter App - what else do I need?

Speaking of iPhone. The 3.0 software update comes out on Friday. But, I found a pre-release on a torrent online, and downloaded and installed it already. It seems to have some small glitches, but still does the majority of everything the software promised. I have all the sideways keyboards, and Copy and Paste. Sadly, still no MMS messaging, and the reports online say that AT&T won't even support MMS on Friday when the software is released. I know it's AT&T because people in the UK who have downloaded the same software version report that O2 does support MMS already. What a bummer. As much as I've enjoyed AT&T so far, I've been reading some online articles that claim AT&T is WAY, WAY behind where they need to be - technology-wise - to actually support the iPhone and it's potential. Rumors have it that iPhone may be moving to T-Mobile before the end of the year. We will see...?

Sports are in a funk right now. Within the past week the NHL Playoffs and NBA Playoffs have come to an end.

I was disappointed to see the Redwings lose in Game 7. Especially after how good they looked in all their home games.

I was also disappointed that the Orlando Magic were poorly coached, and made a pathetic NBA Finals to watch. I felt bad for Courtney Lee in Game 2. I wish he could have hit that shot, and been the hero. It would have been nice press coverage and morale booster for the Indianapolis Native. I HATE the fact that no NBA coach listens to Shane's Theory on Fouling in the Last Ten Seconds When Ahead By Three. If you search this blog, I'll find a LONG article I wrote about this, when Jim O'Brien opted to not foul the Boston Celtics last season. We allowed them to shoot a three, which they missed, until Paul Pierce snagged the rebound and threw up a prayer shot that went in - tied the game, and sent it to overtime - where the Celtics rocked us. We should have fouled. Orlando should have fouled. That was sad. But, I see it all the time - and it annoys me. I REALLY wish we could have seen a good team, like the Cavaliers in the finals.

Speaking of the Cavaliers. If they get Shaq, I will be extremely happy for them, and they will stay as my second favorite team - behind the Pacers - in the NBA. I like LeBron a lot - despite all of the "haters". But, moreso, I really like the Pacers because of Mike Brown. I miss Mike Brown. The Pacers REALLY miss Mike Brown, and his defensive mindset. Although, I find it funny that Mike Brown might get replaced in Cleveland because he's too defensive minded. That's idiotic! He was a defensive coach when you hired him! What did you expect? I will lose some interest in the Cavs if they release Mike Brown, but I think Shaq would be fun to see on the floor with him. I follow Shaq on Twitter, and I think he's a pretty guy, and I think he's accepting his aging position in the NBA. His Twitter posts are really funny (especially his message to Kobe seconds after his Championship win). I hope Cleveland gets Shaq and keeps Mike Brown.

USA Soccer got a HUGE boost this week when Jermaine Jones decided to leave the German National Soccer team to play for the U.S. National Team. Jones' father was in the Army and he was born in Germany, where he has grown up (and even though he is an American citizen, Germany does acknowledge dual citizenship for anyone born on their soil). He got involved with fussball, and has played in friendlies for the German National Team - one of which I watched against England. I think Jones finally came to the realization that he's a good palyer, but the German team is so deep with talent - while the U.S. team is not. Jones should have a really easy time moving into the starting line-up with the U.S., and his years of German experience should help the team greatly. I will definetly by a Jermaine Jones U.S. jersey, and will actually give them more of a chance than previously - I've also warmed up a little to Landon Donovan (despite the '06 World Cup) after his brief time with Bayern Munich. Also, I've grown to really like Jozy Altidore - I've never really been big into Spanish Fútbol, but I did kind of pick Villarreal to root for, just because of Altidore of Guiseppe Rossi - who I watched a lot of in last year's Euro 08, since he played with Luca Toni on the Italian National team.

The U.S. National Team played Italy yesterday.
There was no Jermaine Jones in the line-up and Luca Toni didn't start for Italy.
The U.S. went up early first, but after Luca Toni checked in to the 1-1 game at the 69th minute - I had to shift my devotion to my Bayern Munich striker. I wore my Italy shirt to work, and was not disappointed with the victory for Italy. The U.S. team plays Brazil on Thursday - which should be a good game, and they play Egypt on Sunday. Which won't be that great - but at least I will get to watch that game on ESPN2 - Thursday's game I will be at the office during the game, so I'll have to have GameCast pulled up on my computer. My International loyalties lie in this order now: Deutschland, Azzurri (Italy), and then the U.S. Team.

With the Confederation Cup and the Gold Cup going on this summer, I should have a good number of soccer matches to keep my eyes on.

And I need to give credit to ESPN. I've been REALLY happy with their coverage of both hockey and soccer in the past six months. I think it might have started a little last summer with the Euro 08 coverage that ESPN had, but it's seemed like this year they have done a pretty good job of covering both sports. Hockey got some good pimping almost everyday during the playoffs - and Barry Melrose got a lot of good face time to explain hockey, and wok on getting some interest re-sparked in the sport. I hope things get better, even if it's just Thursday Night Hockey on ESPN - like when I was growing up. The Versus Network has done a good job with hockey, but it was nice to see the Finals on NBC, and lots of coverage on ESPN.

And soccer seems to be getting a little bigger here and there. ESPN had lots of coverage of the UEFA Champions League - which was nice. And they played yesterday's USA/Italy game. They tend to give the US team some good coverage, and even the MLS appear to get a little more coverage on SportsCenter these days. I'm glad they still do Thursday Night MLS games on ESPN2. With channels like GOL-TV, Fox Soccer Channel, and Setanta Sports - WHEN is ESPN going to do their own ESPN-Soccer Channel? With the expansion of websites like ESPNChicago.com - you know ESPNBoston.com or ESPNNewYork.com are soon to come. CORRECTION! They already exsist - although they don't look at streamlined as the Chicago sight.

I went to St. Louis on the weekend of my birthday.
It was a good time, and I've got lots of pictures that I need to upload sometime soon.

Quick rundown of some movies.
I saw "The Hangover" - it was hilarious!!! I haven't laughed that much since "Role Models".
I saw "Up". I liked it. I thought it was pretty good, but I didn't like how over-emotional it was for a kids a film. WHY did Pixar think they needed to make me depressed and cry in the middle of a kids film? I thought it was a pretty poor decision for a kids film. But, I still thought the movie overall was enjoyable.
I saw "Drag Me to Hell" and it was typical Sam Raimi. It was fun to watch him got back to "Army of Darkness" days, with over-the-top gore and humor. I laugh a lot during the flick, which wasn't bad, but I doubt I'll ever watch it again.

I want to see "The Brothers Bloom". It's directed by Rian Johnson - who did "Brick", which I thought was AMAZING! The preview doesn't look as good, but I will give this dude a chance, based on his previous work. Plus, I'll watch anything with Mark Ruffalo.

One week from tonight, I will be going to the IMAX with a group of friends to watch "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" - and I can not wait!!!

Oh, is it Fall yet?
Fussball season, Bayern Munich in August.
Football Season, The Colts in September.
Basketball Season, The Pacers in late October.
Shane Day - with potential special guests and new friends!!!

Oh, I just want to get summer over with...

Shane's Answers to a Successful Circle of Blog Postings

So, Troy has started something pretty cool.
It's one of those things that proves the power of the internet - and I think it's one of the great things about blogging. Troy has come up with something that seems to be spreading through our blog circle, and I would have gladly done this sooner, if I would spend more time on the computer at home. But, I'm sitting here now, and I am going to make the time to do this.

So, it started with Troy's blog about his one year anniversary.
The first to answer was John Peddie.
Jason contributed his answers on Friday.
Mike kept it going on Saturday.
And now tonight, I'm going to give my simple answers.



What is the first film you ever saw?
"Return of the Jedi".
And the strangest part was, I didn't even remember it until I was in first grade. We had the picture book movie adaptation to the movie in my classroom. I was looking at it one day, and the first picture in the book was C-3P0 and R2-D2 walking up to Jabba's Palace. I remembered that image, but didn't know why. So I took the book home from class and asked my parents about it. They then told me they did take me to the movies to see it.


What is your favorite film of all time?
"Abre los Ojos".
The character development is amazing. The story is really strong, and confusing - but as you learn more and it explains itself, it gets even better. Being forced to choose between life, friends, and love is a really crazy scene on the roof. And finally, when you learn how far one person was willing to go, because of their insecurities, the final shot of the film is wicked awesome.


What is your favorite line in a film?
"You know the best part? It isn't knowing that your friends have your back. It's knowing that you have your friends' back."

-Green Street Hooligans


What film made you realize that film was an art?
"Memento".

While "Pulp Fiction" was my first experience with non-linear storytelling, it wasn't until Christopher Nolan showed me how you can start at the end, tell me how it's going to end, and then still keep me interested, as I watch backwards and see how everyone was manipulating Leonard. The best, is actually watching the film in linear order, and seeing how it's a completely different film, and watching the manipulation play out is so dramatic.


What movie do you consider your guilty pleasure?
"Coyote Ugly".
Yes, it's a cheesy movie.
Yes, there is Leann Rhimes' music is in the film (but so is EMF!).
But, lots of beautiful women, dancing, and liquor - does it get better?


Who is your favorite movie character of all time?
Sam. Liam Neeson's stepson in "Love Actually".
The innocence of youth's outlook on love - perfect.


What is your favorite movie snack food?
Red Vines.
Thanks to Dione for introducing me to them many, many moons ago. I still eat them to this day.


Who is your favorite director of all time?
Cameron Crowe.
I really enjoy directors who write and direct their own work.
I like stories that are personal and emotional, and actually have meaning.
I think Crowe writes some really good scenes, has a very good knowledge of comedic timing and dramatic pacing. I like his looks at characters, and his accentuation of character flaws. No one is perfect in Crowe films, and I enjoy his exploration of how our flaws are what truly make us who we are.
I'm also a huge fan of he music he chooses for his films. I really enjoy the use of specific songs to compliment the visuals and dramatic situations.


Who is the most impressive filmmaker working today?
J.J. Abrams.
Aside from directing the Pilot episode of "Lost" and being one of the masterminds behind that show, as well as "Fringe" and the film "Cloverfield" - I think his two films are very well done. And I look forward to anything that has his name on it, especially if he's the director.

While "Mission: Impossible III" is not a good part of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise - it is a really, really good action film. Once again, starting with the nonlinear storytelling method of revealing "the end" (or close to the end) at the beginning of the film, really makes it enjoyable to watch the progression to get back to that point where you know you will eventually get to.

And, the more recent re-boot of "Star Trek" was so perfect, on so many levels. I find that Abrams is wonderful at casting, and getting perfect performances from his talent.


What quality do the best directors share?
Emotional connection.
A movie can be good, but if I don't emotionally connect with one of the characters, and really feel a true sense of their purpose, devotion, and feelings - the film is just good. For me to really love a film, I need character exploration and a vested interest in their personal journey.


Who is your favorite actor/actress of all time?
Jimmy Stewart.
"It's a Wonderful Life", "Rear Window", "Vertigo" and "Harvey" are all pimp.


Who is your favorite actor/actress working today?
Liam Neeson.
"Love Actually", "Taken", "Batman Begins", "Gangs of New York", "Schindler's List", "Michael Collins".


Who would you cast in a film about your life?
Charlie Hunnam.
Although, I don't know if he can do an American accent???
I've sen him with a shaved head and with long hair - I'm not sure how he would look with a faux-hawk.


Finish these sentences:

If you could remake one movie...
"Along Came a Spider".
The novel by James Patterson is SO AMAZING, and they ruined it in the film. Most importantly - the killing of Gary Soneji. A villain who goes on to torment Alex Cross for the next five books - most often in a roundabout way - not as the direct bad guy, until later, when he becomes hell-bent on killing Alex's entire family. The also completely changed the storyline about the kidnapping of the children, and horribly changed the first plot twist, when you find out who else was involved in the kidnappings. The 10 chapters of the book between Cross and Soneji while he's holding a McDonald's hostage is amazing - and needs to be included in the film. Soneji's year of confinement, while they still can't find the girl is also very important to the overall story and character development of the "bad guys". Also, the entire opening of the film was a waste, and not in the book - Cross never had a female partner that was killed like that. Neither of the current films address Alex's wife's murder - which is something that I would want to include in my telling of the story, as I think it's important to Alex's character development and explanation for many of his actions.


I never wanna watch a movie with...
...the name Uwe Boll attached to it.


The perfect movie is...
...Emotion Invoking.

Thanks to Troy for making this group of questions, and getting so many people to participate.

Memorial Day Burger

It was sometime last night that I decided if I wasn't going to be going to a cookout on Monday, i still wanted to make some burgers for myself. A few weeks ago at Sunday Funday, my buddy Big Mike cooked up some amazing burgers, so I was texting him and asking what he used on his sauce. I used some of his ingredients and then added some of my own to a sauce the I marinaded my burgers in overnight.

The base of the marinade was Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, mixed with Stubbs Beef Marinade. Then I added a few shakes of Frank's Red Hot, some Teriyaki sauce, then salt, pepper, and garlic powder. All mixed together, it made up a nice sauce.

I marinaded six 1/3-pound burgers for a little over 12 hours.

I grilled them one at a time in a skillet, putting the lid on the skillet to trap in the steam and cook both sides at the same time.

All said and done, the brugers were pretty good. I didn't baste them while they cooked, which I wish I would have. Next time, I need to make a bigger batch of sauce, so that I have enough extra to baste them with. I think they would have been better on a grill, but since I'm not allowed to have one at my apartment, I won't know. I do know the sauce was good, and gave a nice tame spice to the burger.

Very soon, I think I'm going to try blending Teriyaki sauce with crushed red peppers, and some lemon powder and putting it on chicken. I think that sounds like a potentially winning combination.

Let the Spending Spree Begin

Well, we did what we needed to.
Sadly, Werder Bremen didn't give us any help.
Yesterday, on the last day of the Bundesliga, we only hd one chance to win a back-to-back Bundesliga title. We had to win, and Wolfsburg had to lose to Werder Bremen. We pulled off a win, but Wolfsburg stomped Werder Bremen to win their first ever Bundesliga title. Congrats to them, they will get a single star on their kits next season.

We did finish second, because we beat Stuttgart, which guarantees us another run in the UEFA Champions League next season. And, the powers that be behind Bayern Munich have said that we will go on a huge spending spree this summer, as long as we qualified for the Champions League, and not the UEFA Cup. Also, Franck Ribery had said that if we didn't qualify, he was going to seriously look at transfering to a club that did. So, we've got a better chance of holding onto Franck now, but there are still rumors he's thinking about moving.

We've already worked out a deal to bring in Ivica Olic. I first remember paying attention to Olic last summer when he was playing on the Croatian National Team in the Euro 2008 games. Bringing the left winger in is cool, and can hopefully allow Bastian Schweinsteiger to move into the middle, where he seems to be a little more effective. I'm hoping that Louis van Gaal recognizes Bastian's potential, and doesn't screw him over. I really don't want to see him flustered and wanting to leave the club.

With Lukas Podolski leaving, and a striker position opening up, Bayern is about to begin talks to bring in "Super" Mario Gomez. The German International player should be a nice addition.

I'm interested to see what else we do this summer, and think that van Gaal is going to be a good leader for the club. He's got a good track record and seems to know how to get his teams to win. Jurgen Klinsmann was not well enough versed in coaching, especially not good enought to coach an importnat club like Bayern. It's rumored that Klinsmann will take over for the United States national team. Which, would make sense, since his family lives in Los Angeles, and he's just that kind of coach... Oh well.

And, yesterday, we debuted our new home kits for the 2009/10 Season.
They've gotten rid of the red and white stripes across the chest, and gone with a more red scheme.

Some hotties modelling our new home kit.

The hotties again.

And here is Bastian in the new kit.

Hopefully by August, I'll be able to afford the new kit, because I like it a lot and look forward to sporting one next season.

The White Screen of Perfection

Last week, when "Lost" ended and they showed a preview for the Fifth Season Finale, I really wasn't impressed. A few days ago, I saw another TV Spot on ESPN and it made the episode look a little more interesting. But, at 8pm tonight, when I left the office, and got into my car - my heart was racing and I was pumped about getting home to watch the Finale. I geeked out at the last minute. And I WAS NOT disappointed. Once again, the storytelling of "Lost" pulled back the camera, showed us a little more of the idea, showed us a little more backstory, introduced us to some new/old characters, and delivered an amazingly phenomenal episode that had me screaming at the top of my lungs during the last five minutes.

"WHAT!!!"
"NO WAY!!!"
"HUH???"
"WHAT!?!?!?!?! HOLY COW"

White screen.

2010.

Oh, how I can not wait. 17 more episodes to go. So many answers and explanations tonight - yet, so many new theories and questions to ponder about character's fates, character's roles, and just what exactly is the end game? Oh, how my mind will wander, and be filled with thoughts and theories and potential answers until January.

So, with the ending of "Lost", I've finally began to think back on what else has been going on in TV-Land this year.

Last summer, I watched an early print of "Fringe" and liked it a lot. And it did not disappoint. It's not as well planned out, and some episodes stood alone, while others attempted to carry on the overall story arc of the first season. There were small revelations, but then they ignored those for a few episodes. It was nice that they delivered a nice, almost full season, despite two long breaks in airing of episodes. I really thought that meant the show was doomed. The continuity didn't seem well planned out, but most episodes were still interesting, and on a strictly Sci-Fi level, work just fine. And while most episodes we just "okay" or "good" - the First Season Finale, "There's More Than One of Everything", REALLY rocked! There was one MAJOR revelation that just blew my mind - I didn't see it coming, and then the last two minutes were almost as good, with what they pulled back to reveal. Also, adding Leonard Nimoy to the cast for the final episode - via J.J. Abram's wonderful connection to the "Star Trek" Universe now - was pretty cool, and hopefully he'll play a large part next season. After how much build-up his character had this season, it'll be interesting to see the end of what happens when "the bad guy" is confronted by Olivia...

EW.com reports that "Fringe" has been renewed for a second season. Bring it!

While I've really enjoyed "Fringe", NOTHING this season has been as enjoyable as "Castle". I've LOVED each and every one of the ten episodes in this season, and I'm glad they left it with a minor, but interesting cliffhanger for the first season, hopefully convincing someone to renew the series. As of now, I can't find any ABC confirmation that they will bring it back. Honestly, I expected the First Season to end with Castle's first Nikki Heat book being released - and the LONG awaited glimpse at the cover of the book, hinted at in the ninth episode - which is then followed by a hilarious list of potential screennames that Beckett uses on his fansite... Classic!

That's what makes the show so good. First is the casting of Nathan Fillion, who NAILS the role (And once again, I've VERY glad they toned him down from the pilot episode). Second, it's the battle of humor and whit between Castle and Beckett. The sexual tension and schoolchildren attitudes towards each other, just ease it up and make it enjoyable. The best part, is that unlike the majority of the shows I watch - you don't have to see each and every episode to understand what's going on. It's more like a "Law and Order" or "CSI" type show, where they are all self-contained, but do have a small overlaying story arc. I really, really hope for a full season next year.

"The Unit" was pretty good this season. I really like the last few episodes and how they finished things up. But, the shot of Jonas sitting alone on the pew... HAD BETTER NOT BE THE END OF THE SERIES!!!! I will be anxiously awaiting CBS's announcement of their fall line-up, and it had better include a fifth season of "The Unit". Sidenote: While "The Unit" is on hiatus, I've added the first three seasons of "MI-5" (or "Spooks" as its known in the UK) to my Netflix on Demand. It's basically "The Unit", set in England, and was created four years earlier. There is a total of seven seasons and an eighth that is currently filming, but only the first three are available in the US. I've only watched the first episode of the series thus far, but I enjoyed it. (honestly, I've still been kicking through episodes of "Coupling") I think "MI-5" will definitely fill the gap in my life missing from "The Unit". Such a great show, really, really well done.

"Dollhouse". UGH, "Dollhouse". Argh, "Dollhouse". Everytime that I've wanted to give up on the show, I've found a new reason to be drawn back in. There's been a total of 12 episodes. I've seen them all. I've only enjoyed a total of four of the episodes. Thirty-three percent of the "Dollhouse" universe, I actually liked, that's an "F" in any university.

Episode Two, "The Target" was good. Strangely enough, it was not written or directed by Joss Whedon. Episode Six, "Man on the Street" was written by Joss, and really wicked cool. Ballard finally coming face-to-face with Echo, and then his scenes with Patton Oswalt were really interesting. I also enjoyed the set-up that Boyd pulls off to find out what really happened to Sierra. Then, it's just episodes Eleven and Twelve, "Briar Rose" and "Omega" and bringing in Alan Tudyk as a guest star - AWESOME. PERFECT. Well done, lots of drama, a really twisted storyline, and a somewhat interesting (yet predictible) final minute and dialogue.

I don't think the show was completely planned out very well ahead of time. Lots of episodes just feel like they "are there" and serve no real purpose. While, looking back, I suppose there were some events that seemed meaningless, but in the end did contribute to the overall story. I suppose. But, they were still difficult to watch. I'm looking forward to the two unaired episodes that are going to be present on the DVD. And I'm indifferent towards another season. If it happens, I'll give it a chance. If it doesn't, I won't be disappointed, and just attribute it to poor execution and a weak concept - oh, and of course I'll blame FOX for screwing over Joss Whedon and putting it on a Friday night. That goes without saying.

I've still been watching "Harper's Island". It's mindless entertainment to me. It's like a really long - 13 hour long - bad horror movie. Things have been going pretty slow so far, and they've been killing off very minor characters, and building up a lot of character story thus far. However, at the end of the most recent episode (Episode 5), they've killed off a really important character, in front of the entire wedding rehearsal, so things are about to get blown wide open. Although, I'm sure it'll be called "an accident" for a while, but with this character dead, things are going to get interesting for the main characters. There's only 8 more episodes and it'll give me something to watch for part of the summer.

The biggest thing I'm looking forward to this summer, is the return of "Leverage"!!!
ABSOLUTELY GREAT and FUN SHOW.
It's like watching a mini-"Ocean's 11" episode each week, with a couple of extra twists thrown in - because nothing can go perfectly, right? I think the Pilot episode is the only one that is important to watching the show. It explains how this group of people came together, and where their financing comes from. After that, you can miss an episode, and not miss anything. They were just fun and enjoyable, and didn't have the typical "we don't like working together" attitudes for its cast. They got along, they made fun of each other, they pulled pranks on each other, and the chemistry just worked really well. There were 13 episodes in the first season, which comes out on DVD next month. And 15 episodes have been ordered for the second season, which beings airing on July 15th on TBS. I HIGHLY recommend this show, it's fun, enjoyable, and won't confuse the simple-minded who don't like the overall mythologies of shows like "Lost".

"24" is MUCH BETTER than Season Six, but that's not saying much. I'm watching. I'm enjoying. The re-commishing of CTU will probably play into the next season, as long as Jack Bauer doesn't die from his exposure to the nerve gas. I'm always glad to see Chloe get soem screen time, and Jack finally got to use a GREAT line on the President, when trying to convince her of something, she asks how she can trust him - to which Jack Bauer responds, "Ask around". AWESOME. I don't know why he doesn't pull that card more often, and it was nice to see some White House people get Jack's back about his credibility. I'll always keep watching, because I really like Keifer Sutherland, and I have hopes that Jack Bauer will once again become JACK BAUER, even after everything he's been through.

THANK GOD that "Prison Break" will be over in like two days. I'm SO DONE with that show, it's SO BAD, but I've come so far that I just can't give up without finding out the endgame. I don't know how or why or what they are going to do - but this show sucks so badly. I will ALWAYS recommend the first season to people, but tell them to create their own ending after the final episode of the first season. Because, ANYTHING (no matter how far-fetched or moroninc it may be) would be better than where these writers have taken this show.

Not every show can be as well planned and well constructed as "Lost".
And after next May, I don't know what show will fill that void in my life.
Until then, I'll enjoy these last twelve months of the "Lost"-Universe.

Well, I've got Snoopy snoring next to me, and it's probably about time I joined him in getting some sleep.


By the way, did I mention that "Star Trek" is an AMAZING FILM?

Madea Goes to Starfleet

I'm forced to wonder what kind of additional box office revenue that would have generated for the film? I mean, it's true. It's not a lie. And I thought it was pretty funny that they picked HIM to be in the film - I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that anything that guy puts his name on turns into GOLD. No, no chance at all!

The movie is amazing.
The movie is perfect.
The movie does exactly what is needed to logically make this franchise continue on in the future, without dealing with not sticking to the canon of previous films and works. The way it explains itself, and the way events play out are beyond perfect. And they are perfect in only a way I think J.J. Abrams was smart enough to do. And in the end, they DO NOT screw things up, like most shows/movies do. Even "Journeyman" - which I loved because the main character had to deal with the consequences of his actions, screwed that up in an episode - when he "had to go back and fix things, make it the way its supposed to be..." Blah, blah, blah. This film doesn't do that.

The homages were perfect and wonderful.
It only could have been better if not only mentioning Admiral Archer - if they actually got Scott Bakula to make a cameo, with some old make-up on his face. I felt like they worked in the "classic dialogue" phrases into the film very well, and didn't make anything feel forced.

One of the brightest parts is Karl Urban, who I think did a really amazing job with Bones.

And I can't lie, I didn't get involved in "Star Trek" until 1990 in Germany, when "The Next Generation" aired every Saturday night on our Armed Forces Channel. I've seen episodes of the Classic Series, but my only true experiences with them are the first six films. Of all the series, I'm only a die-hard fan of "The Next Generation". But, from the knowledge of the Classic characters, I felt most of it was done really well.

There's some great humor.
The story is solid.
Eric Bana is a pretty good villain, and not a cheesy, dumb, over-the-top villain.
Zachary Quinto was DEAD ON for Spock, and his final scene was really cool to watch.
Simon Pegg was fun, and his Scottish accent was something different.


Oh, and finally, Rachel Nichols is THE HOTTEST green-skinned alien that I have ever seen!!!
(Oh, and she's playing Scarlett later this summer, yippy!!!)

My First Night of Freedom

Oh, how good it feels to relax.
To have nothing to do.
To have no plans.
To not be at either job.
To not have social commitments to attend.

It's really my only night like this for a while.
Tomorrow night I'm going to meet up with some friends to watch the new "Star Trek" film that I've wanted to see for a long time. I love Bruce Greenwood, and really happy to see him in such a big film, and playing Captain Pike!
Friday night I'm either having dinner at my friend Lisa's house, or hanging out and having movie night at my place with my friend Elaine. I'm not sure which one is going to happen.

I'm assuming I'm going to get stuck working a few hours on Saturday morning, then coming home and watching the Bayern Munich game, then mowing my parent's yard, then taking a nap, then going to work at The Spot. In a perfect world, I won't have to go to the Day Job, but we will see.

I think I've got some free time Sunday afternoon, but I work The Spot on Sunday night.

The hardest part has been the long ten hour days I've been putting in at the Day Job. Today was only an 8 hour day, and as of now I'm only looking to work six hours tomorrow - unless they call me in early, which has happened a pair of couple times in the last week.

I had no food in my apartment, so I made it to Wal-Mart to pick up some cheap food and milk. Came home and watched "Fringe" - which I'm really glad I got into this season. I really enjoy it, and am enjoying the very sci-fi aspect that they are taking the show. And I'm glad to know it's been renewed for a second season.

Following that was "Lost". Over the past five or six episodes they've been doing a really good job of giving more and more answers. Tonight's episode was a constantly more and more questions!!! There's some things that need to be explained sometime, and sadly next week's season finale doesn't look that interesting...? But, they've NEVER let me down with a season finale, so I can't imagine I'm not going to be blown away with the two hours of "Lost" next Wednesday. There was some good moments between Jack and Kate tonight. I've got so many thoughts and theories about where this show is going to go...? Are we finally going to get to meet Jacob next week???

Following show I came up to my room to read some more of "A Long Way Down". I'm really enjoying the book. It's been a long time since I've been so interested in reading a book.

The night when I blogged, I was watching "Coupling". I finished the last two episodes of the first season that night, and now I'm moving onto the second season. But, I think I'm going to finish the Lakers/Rockets game before I start that tonight.

Barcelona made an amazing comeback on Chelsea today.
They were playing with only ten men, and losing 1-0 in the 93rd minute of play, when they got a miracle goal. And using the Away Goal Rule, Barcelona will move on to play Manchester United in the finals. The Finals, which just happens to be on Justin's birthday. Hopefully he'll have the day off work, and I can leave work early to go watch the game with him. Where I will be cheering for Barcelona, because they eliminated Bayern Munich, and I'm also a fan of Thierry Henry - who didn't play today because of a knee injury - but I hope he plays in the Final.

There's some bad news for West Ham United. Turns out our owners is millions of pounds in debt. And the article hints at the chance that we won't even get to play in the Europa League, which they've re-structured a little bit towards the UEFA Cup. It's going to be interesting to see what happens with that. Could Mark Cuban buy a European Football Club??? I can dream.

Ron Artest is being Ron Artest.
He just got himself ejected from the Lakers/Rockets game.
This is going to be a rough and physical series. There's been a couple of technicals, a flagrant 2, and two ejections in this game alone! They just announced it's been five techs tonight!

The biggest and most important news of the week is that we've nailed down the plans for our "Zach's Last Hoorah" vacation in June. It's to celebrate the end of Zach's ability to go out of town for long times with his friends, since he and Jenny are having a baby girl in the fall. We are going to St. Louis for four days. Zach used his Hotel Points to get us three nights in a hotel for free!!! We've got lots of cool things planned and going on over those four days. Zach, Troy, Phil, Jared, and I are going to have a lot of fun!

Alright, I'm out for tonight. Going to start on some second season of "Coupling".

Lucy in the Sky with Cheese

So, I finally did it tonight at work.
It's been kind of lore amongst my friends and I who watch "Man v. Food" - during the Minneapolis episode, Adam Richman goes to two different restaurants who claim to have invented The Juicy Lucy. We've all talked about doing it - about a week ago, Jim made one at work, and I was pretty upset that night after he told me, mainly because he didn't just wait for me to get there to make one too.

Tonight, we were finally slow enough at work that I decided to make it myself. Jim told me a couple of the things that went wrong for him, so I was able to partial adjust and improve my burger.

You start with two patties, you've gotta let them thaw, and then re-patty them, because they've been frozen so long that they crack and don't work unless you mash them up and flatten them out. Then, you cheese and spread it out in the middle of one patty.

Then, you put the patty on the stove, and let it grill. I used a metal bowl over the top of it to keep the heat circulating back to the top patty.

This is what it looked like after about ten minutes, and I flipped it over.

After about 20 minutes, I checked on it, and learned I had not completely sealed the outside. There was one small area that leaked cheese out. It looks like two areas, but it is only because I took the picture after I flipped the burger to see the damage - and after the flip, it leaked some more.

After about five more minutes, I pulled it off the grill, tossed it on a bun, added some ketchup and mustard to the top and bottom, and looked at the cheese oozing out...

It was delicious!!! The cheese was liquefied, and it run down my tongue every time I bit into the burger. The only thing I think I could have done to make it better was to make sure that I do a better job of crimping the edges, to prevent spilling.

Here's a picture of the Juicy Lucy's being grilled at the 5-8 Club in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Oh, it was SO GOOD, and I plan to try it again very soon. It was my first attempt, and I can only imagine it getting better and better. We are about to start carrying bacon, so I can add some bacon to the middle. Also, I considered putting BBQ sauce in there tonight, but I just wanted to do it plain tonight. Sometime, I'll try it with pepperjack cheese and diced jalapenos. YUMMY! Maybe even toss a little Buffalo Sauce in there too??? Oh, yum, yum, yum...

So, I've been watching a lot of "Coupling" at night. It's available via Netflix on Demand which I can streaming via my XBOX to my television. So, I'm almost finished with the first season, and luckily all four seasons are available. So, I'll be able to watch them all anytime I want to. First off, I LOVE the show!!! It's along the lines of why I like "How I Met Your Mother" so much - it's like the show "Friends" but REAL. "Friends" is like the watered down ABC Family/Disney version of life. "Coupling" is much more realistic, and much more blunt and open about life. One of the best parts of the show is the fact that Gina Bellman is in the show! (and plays a crazy chick!) She was also in the TNT series "Leverage", which I LOVE - and can't wait until it comes out on DVD and Season Two starts in July!!! I also recognized Sarah Alexander in the show, but I couldn't figure out from where, and I had to look up that she was in the 2007 film "Stardust" - which I was introduced to less than 6 months ago by my buddy Jae.

I recently saw the film "State of Play" with my friends Justin and Mike. Big Mike was a fan of the British mini-series before we saw the film - and after I really liked the film version, he told me I should check out the mini-series. And all he had to mention was the fact the Bill Nighy was in the film and I WAS SOLD. I got the series from Netflix in the mail last week, and STILL haven't had the time to sit down and watch any of it. I've been busy and on the go since the day the DVD arrived. Every minute I've sat down to watch any TV, I find my DVR at 90%, and I need to start watching all of my HD shows so I can delete them off the machine.

A few days ago I was at Half Priced books, looking for a copy of "The Time Traveler's Wife" - and I eventually went looking for a copy of "Fever Pitch". I really want to read it, but I know Troy kind of lowered my expectations for the book, so I'm not willing to pay full price for it. But, while I was in the Hornby area, there was a hardback copy of "A Long Way Down" for a very cheap price. Somewhere, a while back, I remember reading that Johnny Depp had purchased the film rights to the book after he read it. So, I know that most likely, someday this will be adapted into a film. So, I decided I wanted to pick it up. It was still in my car today, and when I got to The Spot to work the evening job, I decided to take it in to read during my down time. I made it 25 pages into the book while at work, and I'm hooked. I really enjoy it.


The book is about four people, who all end up on the same roof of the same building in London - all with the intention of jumping to their death on New Year's Eve. It's kind of a dark comedy, because it really does deal with death. The first four pages introduce you to the four main characters and gives you the exact circumstances of their lives that have led them to wanting to end it. The story rotates between the four characters, each other them speaking in first person. It really gets you inside of their head, and tells you the emotions and feelings that they are going through. But, despite the darkness of their emotions, their interactions are full of awkward humor. I'm really enjoying the book, I only wish I had more free time during the middle of the day, when I could sit outside read, and enjoy my book and some sun at the same time. Oh well, I'm going to have to settle for reading in my bedroom and bars.

Well, I've kicked through two episodes of "Coupling" while writing this blog.
I don't think I'm going to be reading any more tonight.
My 2pm to 8pm shift tomorrow - I was asked if I could come in at 10am instead, I have a feeling with the amount of work we have going on that I'll still be there until 8pm - since I don't work at The Spot tomorrow night. I'm quickly learning that two jobs SUCKS. But, as the paychecks keep getting bigger, and keep helping me pay of more and more debts, it's not something I can complain about. The lack of social life, aside from one, sometimes two nights a week is the only downside to my current situation.

I think I'm going to pop in the classic "Green Street Hooligans" and pass out for six hours. Then, it's more Red Bull and off to the office. I've recruited two more members into the GSE when I let my buddy Nick borrow the film, to which he gave rave reviews. And the Friday before last, my friend Elaine came over and we watched it together.

I'm Going to Enjoy Today

First thing to say, it's a bummer Jason and Letha were not in town this weekend.
The last two years, they've come into town to do the Mini Marathon, this year they decided to take a cruise,and enjoy Universal Studios. I can't say that I blame them! But, it would have been nice to see them this weekend.

Since they were not in town, I volunteered to work on Saturday at the day job. We are supposed to be on a rotating schedule, and I worked last Saturday so I was supposed to have the next two off. But, I wanted the extra hours and money - and we are kind of piled up with work to do right now, with our biggest client. So, I went in and kicked out a few jobs in 4 1/2 hours. Following that, I rolled home to watch the Bayern Munich/Borussia Mönchengladbach game. I'll touch on that in a second. After the game, I went to my parent's house to mow their yard, and then got back home in time to watch the Bulls/Celtics game, and at halftime went to work, and watched as much of the end of the game as I could. It was a pretty filled day.

Today, I'm going to relax.
At 2pm I have a meeting at The Spot. That's always good for some Krispy Kreme donuts.
Then, I'm going to roll over to Troy and Emily's for a cookout. I'm looking forward to sitting on their back porch, enjoying the weather, eating some burgers and brats and just relaxing. A couple of days ago, Kyle asked me if I could work at The Spot on Sunday night, and I had to tell him "no". Honestly, almost any other time, I would do it in a heartbeat, just because I need the money. But, I decided I'm not going to give up my chance to hang out with friends and relax for a day. I'm sure poker is going to be played at some point - which will be fun.

Then, tomorrow morning - it's back to the Day Job, and I actually work both jobs tomorrow, so another long day!

So, last Monday, Bayern Munich fired Jurgen Klinsmann. It came as no surprise, but I didn't think they would do it until the end of the season. I mean, we were in third place, and the players had been playing for Klinsmann for the entire seson. I didn't think a shake-up this late in the season was a good move, but it's worked so far. The men behind Bayern asked Ottmar Hitzfeld to come back and finish the season as coach, but he declined. So, they turned the team over to Jupp Heynckes. The 64-year-old most likely will not be out coach next season, but it's nice for him to finish the season for us.

Honestly, we didn't look any better after one week under Heynckes. We still had sloppy defense, we let them get too close, too easily. We did win the match 2-1, but their one goal came off of a horrible move by Jurg Butt, when he was on the ground and grabbed the foot of the player trying to get past him to get to the ball. Our attack looked as slow and stagnant as it has for the past few weeks.

And in my honest opinion, it all falls back to when Miroslav Klose got injured. We've really hit a brick wall since that point. Luca Toni was hurt at the time, and we were forced to rely on Lukas Podolski - who has nothing to lose or gain by playing well for us, since he's moving back to Koln next season. Koln has climbed up hight enough that they probably won't get relegated, which is disappointing to me. I wanted to see Podolski leave us, only to end up back in 2. Bundesliga.

Schweinsteiger scored Bayern's first goal yesterday, and it was beautiful. A pass from Luca Toni across the middle of the box, and Bastian slide to the ball and flicked it past the keeper. Beautiful! In last week's lost to Schalke, Halil Altintop scored their single goal. His twin brother Hamit Altintop plays for us, and he put in our game winnign goal, with a laser shot from the top of the box, with a defender bumping him. He did a nice head-fake to look like he was going to cross the ball - we had two guys on the other side of the box - but instead just rocketed it into the back of the net, over the keeper's shoulder.

On Wednesday, Franck Ribery make comments that if Bayern do not qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season, it would be difficult for him to stay in Bayern. That would be disappointing. Both not qualifying, and if Ribery left the squad. There's so many rumors of players that Bayern are trying to bring in next season, and the disturbing factor is how many of them are attackers - wingers and midfielders. I am not looking forward to players like Bastian having to compete for his spot. Heynckes started Schweinsteiger, and allowed him to play the entire game.

Well, it's time to get ready for the meeting and cookout.
I have a feeling it's going to be a good, fun, and relaxing day!

Going to Blog Again Soon

Here's the funny thing.
I now spend 6 to 8 hours a day working in front of a computer.
So, when I get home, the last thing I want to do is spend another 2 hours on the computer.
Because, let's be honest, when I blog, I talk/type A LOT.
And most of you honestly don't give a crap what I have to say about sports, or my life, or anything else.

So, there's been a lack of blogging recently.
I honestly miss it, and I honestly have a lot of things to write about, but most are outdated now.
I need to work on my novel some more. I've already come up with things to edit in the first chapter.

But, when I get home from work, generally, I've got a couple hours of TV on the DVR to watch, or I'm getting masses of texts from friends wanting to hang out.

The blogging is just on hiatus for the moment.
I have no plans of stopping, I'm just adjusting to the new job, and the constant time in front of a computer. I'm sure in the future I'll do a better job of managing my free time to include blogging.

For those who actually do care, and read with good intentions, I'm sorry for the lack of blogging. There's a lot going on in the Bundesliga I want to talk about, and Bayern Munich has been very disappointing. I've got some thoughts on the Colts draft picks, and about HOW DARN GOOD "Castle" is. "The Unit" was back on last night, and it was amazing. I had a HORRIBLE experience with Windows Vista and iTunes, and lost my entire iTunes Library for a week. It effected syncing my phone, and caused a lot of headaches. Luckily, last night I finally found where Vista had "misplaced" or "moved" my files, and everything has been restored. I was pretty upset for a few days.

I've watched some movies and liked most of them.

The weather is awesome, and I've been spending some time outside.

I'm getting my work schedules in sync, and starting to find some free time. I'm taking Friday Nights as "Personal Time" and got to hang out with some really good friends this past Friday.

Jason and Letha are going on a cruise this week, and I'm really jealous. But, I'm also really happy for them, as this is their first official vacation - alone together, not just coming back to Indiana for something. So, I'm sure they are going to have a good time. I'm sad Jason isn't taking his phone, and I have to go a whole week without talking to him.

I'm sure there's plenty more if I ever think about it. But, it's time to get off the computer for now. So, here's to hoping I have more interesting things to say, more often. And that I stop avoiding my computer as much!