Rock you Like the Hurricanes

One of the greatest perks of my job is the free stuff. I'm not talking about vendor gifts like pens, water coolers and t-shirts, I'm talking access to events. Tonight JDOG-17 needed someone to get post game sounds with the Carolina Hurricanes. I of course enjoy hockey and take them up on a chance to get paid and watch the game, if I am not mistaken this is the dream of most Canadians. I call The Wife and we scheme that she will buy one of the cheap seat tickets and I'll go up and watch it with her. So pretty much all we had to do was pay $20 dollars and we both get in. Faith turned to us and winked while giving us a reach around. One of the sports guys hears me talking to The Wife about our plans and the next thing you know he gives me my parking pass and two media passes. Awesome! I tell The Wife to meet me at the station.

We have done this before and as a way for us to not feel guilty The Wife usually does something menial that will help me in the long run. In the past is has been to write down the time that a basket was scored along with who scored it and what was the score, in wrestling what color scored a point and what time was it. Tonight though I just needed post so she carried the tripod to the media room.

We get down there I unload my gear and the door lady says Ya hungry? It's free the cash lady left." Double awesome bonus! Normally it's seven bucks a piece so we get some BBQ, pasta, and other great food and I tell you what it was great! We head up to the cheap seats find an empty row and enjoy the game.

A few notes form the game:
The Wife asks a question she regretted the second she said it
The Wife: So Toronto are the Leafs.
Me: Yes the Maple Leafs, see it's on their flag. (Pointing to a Canadian flag)
The Wife: Is that their state tree?
Me: (blank stare) Did you just call Canada a state?
The Wife: You know what I mean, I don't know why I called it a state?

I think Carolina is trying to get us adjusted to a new team. They know We went to Columbus Blue Jackets games and we all know that, well, the Jackets suck. So every time that we watch them on TV or go to a game they decider to lose. You can stop this now, we are tired of teams that suck.

I love the fact that they use Rick Flair on the JumboTron. I know he's from North Carolina, but I just laugh ever time I hear Wooooo!

The air horn you have... It's a little loud. especial when the cheap seats sit directly in front of it. I thought an actual hurricane was forming in the arena. I'm also now deaf.

It was a good night out. I love getting paid to do normal things.

Big Slice

For years I have tried to take up golf, I even have a set of hand me down clubs from my dad. Ever time I seem to get serious about golf I have a bad injury. back in 2001 I'd been to the driving range for about a year and wanted to go play a few courses and then I had to have knee surgery. While I was in West Virginia I started to get back spasms. Then last year I was in a car wreck and though I might have to have Tommy Johns surgery.

I know it sound suicidal wanting to play this very expensive game (have you looked at the prices for new clubs and how much greens fees are?). So today The Wife and I went to the local driving range and shagged a few balls. Out of 100 or so balls I maybe hit 25 straight and out of that 25, 13 or so went a reasonable distance. If this was baseball I'd be hitting .130 and being sent to the minors. The Wife on the other hit about 20 balls and had 15 go straight and 10 go at least 50 yards; for her first time she did really well. Michelle Wie watch out.

Then on the last ball, I set up took my time and hit a nice straight shot with my driver. It went only 200 yards, I'm going for accuracy not distance, and I got a little smile out of it. That's the way it seems to go with golf, you slice them all day long, but every once in a while you do something right and the ball goes where you want it too.

I'm hoping to stay healthy, because one we still don't have insurance yet, and attempt to
play this summer. I do need some help so Ty Webb if your out there Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah.

Open Letter: UPS

Dear UPS,

FIND MY HOUSE! We are tired of you not being able to find our house. How hard can it be, the post office can find us. We've tried to have a couple of packages delivered and each time we hear:

UPS: Hello, you gave us the wrong address, there is no Fried Chicken Dr.

Me: Umm yeah there is.

UPS: Are you sure?

Me: Yeah, I'm in side my house on Fried Chicken Drive.

UPS: Give me directions and we will deliver the package tomorrow.

Then it happens the next day, if we are lucky we will get out stuff four days late.

Then came this last round. We don't even get a call. You send us a note to our "unknown address" via the post office. Of course it was post dated four days earlier, The Wife is upset and decides to go pick it up the next day. As she is heading out the door the phone rings, its you calling about how my address is wrong and we go through the conversation above, instead I tell your operator not to worry about sending it, we no long will use UPS. I think I'd rather wait a day longer and send it via the post office and if I needed today I'll go with FedEx, I know it's more expensive, but maybe they can actually find an address.

This Week in Exercise

It's been just over a week and I'm still attempting this exercise thing.

Last Thursday walked 67 minutes on the treadmill (that's the length of three Simpson's episodes) for 3 miles and burned I think 350 calories.

Monday walked 15 minutes on the treadmill .

Tuesday The Wife and I walked around the Falls of Nuese Dam for about 40 minutes and walked just over a mile.

Today (Friday) Walked for and hour and a half around Fried Chicken Dr and surrounding complexes.

I've kind of slacked off a little, the treadmill was getting boring. I hope this next week I can get back on track and get some more walking in.

Oh So Close

Since we have moved to North Carolina we have not had to worry as much about money. For us money is a big issue and causes much strife. This month we worked a lot paid the bills and everything was looking good. We even had money left over to start a savings. Then fate once again turned on us by using out cars. The Wife's Honda suddenly had the check engine light turn on. This occurred back in Ohio and then again in November, but we had it check out, paid a lot of money and thought everything was fine. Well, the catalytic converter needs replaced. There goes all the extra money we saved this month. With no overtime on my up coming check, we will be fine, but we don't have any savings... again. It's a vicious cycle and I want it to change. Hopefully we can keep plugging away and maybe this time we can be more responsible with our money. Probably not, but hey we can at least try.

Stuck in the Mud Day

For the most part my days in Raleigh have been really good. I've even started to be feel this sensation, it's called ummm let me sound it out... He Hop hoopi hap hap-pi-ness? I guess this is a normal feeling for must, but for the last few years I have not felt this strange emotions. I go to work, I don't feel angry while there, I go home and don't complain about my job and I sleep better.

Today was a little different. I'm working night side to fill in for a lack of photographers and I get called in early to shoot a press conference with the NCSU women's head basketball coach, she had cancer and is cleared to coach again. I head down to campus and I can't find the Murphy Center. I find the athletic office and find out that the Murphy Center is actually at the football stadium 30 minutes away. I get there 20 minutes later and had to confidence the office staff to let me in a back door so I can shot the last few minutes of the press and I get lucky. I get a player, the assistant coach and then a one on one with coach Yow.

From there the day was not too bad. My package was already shot so I just needed to look up some file and shot a stand up close. I finish the package and then I hear something about Johnson County. Come to find out that we had to go to Johnson County and try to find someone to talk to about the death of some teenagers. We start our hour drive and we can't find the access road where this accident happened. We find some kind of small road and decide to take drive down it. To be honest I was not really wanting to drive down this road. It looked to be covered with Carolina clay, and I need to start heeding my own judgement, because as soon as we hit the clay we start to slip and slide and finally get stuck. We try our best to get out, but our best intentions leave us low and muddy.
By this point in time I'm now covered in mud and we have to call multiple people to figure out how we are going to get a tow truck. Luckily, fortune was turning in our favor, a Kenly police officer sees us and stops. He calls the local tow truck guy and helps us out.

After we get pulled out of the mud by a tractor and get him the info so he can get paid and finally get on our way to shoot the memorial and get on our way back to the station. We finally arrive at 11:30, too late for the news, so our efforts are for the most part are not going to be seen. So I got stuck in the mud for mostly nothing.

Still, today was better than most days at The Network.

STOP EVERYTHING! IT SORT OF SNOWED!

Since I moved her I've heard that a half an inch of snow shuts Raleigh down. I didn't truly believe it till yesterday. The Wife and I woke and wondered if we did get any of the freezing rain that was suppose to hit. We walk to the door and The Wife says. "I wonder if we got snow?" We open the door and we get the picture above. "Oh crap, I wonder if the city shut down."

We turn on the TV and find out that every school in the Triangle area is shut down, accidents abound, and people are buying out grocery stores. All this from a quarter inch of snow. I under stand that there was some ice under the snow, but seriously, a quarter inch brought the city to its knees? I guess this is the price of living in a warmer climate.

Exercise Update

Getting up at 6:45am is not fun, and walking on a tread mill for 45 minutes... still not fun, but I watched two episodes of The Simpsons season eight.

Total distance 1.85
supposed calories burned: 225
In other words: 1 Taco Bell Chicken Soft Taco


That's sucks, one taco is all I burned.

Talk Like Jack Bauer Day

Today was Talk Like Jack Bauer Day and I may have taken it a bit too far.

7:00:01 I awake up as the wife is trying to leave for work. Damn it The Wife! We are running out of time!

7:01:13 Take a shower and then stab the shower curtain because I know it is not telling me the truth.

7:15:04 The Wife leaves for her job. The Wife you will kiss me now and send me the files to my PDA. She shakes her head and leaves. I need the files now!

8:15:05 I grab my "man bag" and leave the house from the back window and I climb over the house to get to the car. I see two terrorist waiting for me out the front door.

8:45:07 I finally make it over my house and my neighbor see me. "Is everything alright." Get down! Fried Chicken Drive is not safe! I shoot one of the terrorist.

8:49:01 Even though it is a 25 minute drive to JDOG-17, but it only takes Jack Bauer three minutes to get anywhere, so it took me four minutes, because I'm still learning my inner Jack Bauer.

8:55:46 I burst into JDOG-17 and go to the desk. Chloe where is my assignment. "Who are you talking to?" Damn it Chloe I need my assignment now we don't have time! "My name is Monica." I then stab her for with holding information. I finally get what I need.

9:25:00 My reporter and I finally leave for our story. I'm not doing well because it takes me 5 minutes to get to Durham.

9:25:45 We enter the building and start out interview. The reporter is taking too long. We don't have time! I jump over the table What does Martin Luther King Day mean to you.. Answer me!

9:27:15 The police are called so I shot the receptionist and we head to the car.

9:55:00 I call the desk, Chloe I need the schematics for every building in Durham sent to my PDA right now. "Do you have a PDA?" Damn it Chloe send it now, we don't have time!

11:48:36 We eat lunch I stab my ham sandwich because it has sold secrets to the terrorist out side my door. It is a delicious sandwich though.

12:15:07 We have to try and interview the DA that is in charge of the Duke Lacrosse trial. I call the Desk. Chloe "It's Monica and I'm tired of Jack Bauer day." Shut it! Where does he live?

12:18:58 I get better at the three minute drive and we get to his house.

12:20:37 The reporter and I are still arguing over our tactic to get him to talk. I put him in a sleeper hold Don't fight it! Don't fight it!

12:21:13 I sneak around back and find an open door. I punch him in the face and tie up him and his wife.

12:45:03 Why won't you answer me! "Please stop." I don't have time for this! Tell me the new developments in the Duke case! "I've been pulled off the case." I don't believe you!

1:37:56 I finally get all that I need I see more terrorist out front. I tuck and roll out the front door and shoot them all.

1:41:25 My reporter finally wakes up and explain what we have.

1:42:27 We get back to the station. He goes through the door and I take the ventilation shaft on the roof.

3:25:05 After I am removed from the shaft by some construction workers I shoot them for being members of a secret Russian spy ring trying to gas the station. I mean why else are they on the roof near the ventilation shaft.

4:21:33 I go to the reporter Where is my story! "I'm almost done." I don't have time for this. So I stab him in his leg. "here it is done." That's what I'm talking about.

5:45:07 I finish my story and look out the window and see a large terrorist attacking the building. I go out and blow them up.

6:03:07 I almost got the drive down within 3 minutes

6:03:22 I remember there is a terrorist still on Fried Chicken Drive and I shoot him.

6:35:04 Damn it The Wife I need dinner and we don't have time. "It's your night to cook." Oh yeah, what do you want? Surprise me. So I stab her.

7:35:01 I finish making dinner and we eat

7:58:53 We sit down and watch two episodes of 24.

Vesuvius Times: Special Edition

Chicago, Ill

The Chicago Bears defeated the Seattle Seahawks 27-35 and won their first playoff game since 1995 when the Bears beat the Minnesota Vikings 35-18. Many have sighted the improved play of Quarterback Rex Grossman as the reason for the win. "It felt great to have a game like this." Grossman threw for 282 yards with one touchdown and one interception. "I'm the reason for the interception." Stated Muhsin Muhammad (WR) "The ball hit my pads and I'm the reason for that mistake."

What was not reveled during the post game interview was the technique used to improve Grossman's play. "I mean that guy helped out a lot, I would have never been able to play that well without him." The man Grossman is talking about does not have any NFL experience or did not play any college football. He actually is a imitation TupperWare sales man. "He came to my door and tired to sell me some storage containers and he noticed my football memorabilia and we just started talking." Coach Lovie Smith's chance encounter may have saved his teams Super Bowl chances. "All I can say is Thanks Uncle Rico."

"Hey, I knew what was wrong and came in an showed this kid Rex what he was doing wrong." Uncle Rico Dynamite of Preston, Id spent the entire week improving technique, accuracy and distance. Hell one day we were eating steak and told me about a time he hit his nephew in the face with a steak 50 yards away while he was riding a bike. Dude in the face!" Whatever these secret are it was definitely what Grossman needed. "One of the things I can tell you about was the tapes we watched." Grossman recalls "At first I was thinking what was Lovie smoking? This guy sucks, but I kept watching and the next thing you know I'm throwing a ball over some mountains."

We attempted look into Uncle Rico's past playing experience but were not able to find any instance when he played. "You see my skills were so good that no one could it. I was way ahead of my time." Even back when he was in high school he felt he was slighted. "You see we were in the state playoffs and we were loosing by 50. All the coach had to do was put me in and I'd win the game. I bet he's wish I played now."

With Grossman's new and improved passing abilities Lovie Smith and the Bears are looking to secure Uncle Rico as a commodity of the Bears. "I've heard that Pittsburgh is looking to bring him in for Roethlisberger, but we are going to give him a staff position." Uncle Rico is even trying to get jobs for his family members to secure his services. "My nephew Kip tells me he is training to be a cage fighter so he might be able to help that Urlacher kid with his tackling and my nephew Napoleon, well, we might let him help with the dance team or draw a new logo for the Bears."

Dr Marting Luther King Jr Day: I have a dream

While driving to work I was attempting to find something on the radio that did not suck, for in Raleigh that's what radio does... suck. As I scan I landed on Dr King's "I have a dream speech." As I was driving I realized this speech still has power today. Then I realized this speech was given almost 44 years ago. Did you catch that? A speech given 44 years ago made me stop, listen, and contemplate the world around me. Dr King was a great orator that was cut down in his prime. I wondered if he had not died would we live in a different world today? I would like to think so, but I'm afraid that this country has not improved in race relations a much as people think. We are closer than we were back in 1964, but it could and should be better,

What I think happens in this store

(read everything with a lateral lisp.)


Malcolm: So I was using my new optical 3000 and it is sooo awesome! I think it's the greatest Christmas present ever.

Seth: It is pretty sweet.

Malcolm: I mean it's no Keck II but what is.

Seth: I know

Both start laughing

Bobby: Hey guys, I just got the new optical 5001-b.

Malcolm and Seth: Wow!

Bobby Yeah it's so power full I can see into Becky Shoemaker's window

Seth: No you can't.

Malcolm: yeah you have Mrs. Merckle's house in the way. Remember we tried last year.

Bobby: Whatever, this thing is so kick ass that I can, and you can't come over and try it.

Eddie runs in to the store

Eddie: Guess what came in the mail today? The new Hubble photo's of Gama Percious 5!

Others: Awesome!

Malcolm: why are they all sticky?

Insomnia and Rocking Out

Since it is now Saturday by eight minutes I guess I can post again. I need to get ready for work in an hour and I've had Oh an hour and a half of sleep. A telemarketer called for Seth... again! (Who ever you are Seth I now hate you.) Of course I could not go back to sleep, so what have I been doing? Rocking out to my favorite group Ash and looking at their sight hoping to find a little happiness, like a sneak at their new album. I don't know what it is, but for sum reason when I get insomnia rocking out feels right and Ash Always feels right. I mean songs about Kung Fu, surfing, chicks, road trips,bad relationships, and general rocking out! Just look at the picture it's a Flying V guitar ON FIRE! If that doesn't scream rock, well then I don't want to know what rock is. After I'm done loading the MP3 full of Kick Ass I'm going to take a shower, chug a case of Monster energy drink and hope I can make it till 10AM. As Ash as my co-pilot I think I can do it.

I'm not dead yet

As I sit here and type I notice "Hey it's been a while since I posted." I'm not giving up, I actually had a year ender for 2006, but I never finished it, plus we had a late Christmas trip to Ohio from the 3rd till the 8th. I was going to post about that. I've not really been busy, I've just not wanted to go onto the computer. So I'll do a Totally Random post of things that have been going on and hopefully I'll get the "gumption" to start posting again.

2006 in Review
Here is the fastest summary for 2006 that I can think of.

• The Wife got fired
• We had financial problems
• We got married
• Had a great honeymoon
• I hated my job
• Had money problems
• Found a new job
• Doing better with money

That's it in eight lines. I know, not that exciting. All the cool stuff that happened were technically filler.

We drive 1400 miles and all we got was this lousy post.
Well we decided to visit our families for a belated Christmas for what we thought would be a wonderful trip. We see family we laugh we hug you know the vision that was racing trough our heads. We that was not what we got. The best part of the trip was the Howard Johnson hotel in Beckley we stayed at. My family was fine, but it was too short.

With her family if felt cold and we left hurt and 160 dollars less. We have been fighting over money. Our former condo was owned by The Wife's parents, so for some stupid reason it was decided that all the bills would be routed through them. So they tell The Wife we owe them 215 dollars. Never mix money and family, it is never good. I will always remember two things about them 1. when The Wife was fired they would not let her pay less on rent. I know rent is rent, but this is your daughter and she needed your help and you forced us to borrow money to pay you. 2. A cold Christmas that we owed you money.

Also I got to meet my new nephew Carson, but was only allowed to see him from a distance and I could only look at him if I used Purrell on my eyes, cause I might give him some kind of germs. I kid about the Purrell, but not about getting near him. The Wife, who deals with kids all the time almost didn't get to hold him. She is very self absorbed person and I've had problems with the way she has treated The Wife. I could not leave Columbus fast enough.

Then we went to see The Wife's biological family and well, half was fine as usual the other half was well their usual Jerry Springer-esque.

I never want to drive that much for that much pain again.

O-H-i-OH NO!
We drive back as fast as we can to watch the National championship game between Ohio State and Florida. Why did we do that? It was an ugly awful game that I could have done without. Not only did Ohio State get slaughtered, they kept showing video of BG play OSU and it wasn't pretty. Then they kept mentioning Urban Liar coached at BG, well you know what, I don't care! He lied to our program, left, then insulted us by saying we were second rate. You can chock on your large trophy Urban. Oh if you ever read this remember you never won us a conference title and never took us to a bowl game, you fell short EVERY TIME! You failed here!

A New Year a new J DOG
One the drive from hell the wife was reading an Oprah magazine and saw an article about how Oprah lost weight and her trainer has a new book out. So she is on a weight loss kick, which makes me now on a weight loss kick. I'm actually attempting to do this. The last two days I have walked almost two hours on the tread mill and I am going to try to go to the driving range tomorrow. I know the driving range isn't the greatest exercise, but it's better than nothing. Every week I need to do at least 30 minutes 3 days a week. So I'm going to try to post the days I work out, if it's the tread mill I'll post the time and the supposed calories I have worked off. I want you guys to get on me if I'm not posting about this. I want to lose at least 30 pounds this year. I want more than that, but I'll take 30.

Trying something new.
I've been wanting to try a new idea, but I've been too lazy to do it. I call this new addition "An Open Letter." Basically write a letter to someone or thing like radio in the triangle area and tell them what I thing of them. Hopefully this will be more successful than the Vesuvius Times.