My New Band...

For those that check this bad boy on occasion, I am playing in a new band called Surrender Dorothy. My first show is coming up on January 8th in Elgin and then the 16th at Lily's in Chicago...there's more but I don't remember times and dates.

The show on the 16th will be the joint birthday bash for my buddy The Duke Joe Rush and me. My official birthday show is on the 30th I believe...that's fun.

Check out www.myspace.com/surrenderdorothyorelse or find us on Myspace for more details...or you can hit me up.

My Guitars

I decided to upload a picture of my guitars (not pictured are my acoustic, my bass, and VW guitar that was free) due to the many requests from people to see them. So here, enjoy.



From left to right, Epiphone Sheraton II ('97 or so), '97 Gibson Custom Shop Historic Series ES-355, '98 Gibson Les Paul Studio, and '88 Fender Clapton Strat. I love them.


Yes those are three of my four turtles in the background. For those that have read through my entire blog, note how much bigger they have gotten. The one in the left tank is Filburt and the other two in the right tank are Noel and Liam. Clark is the smallest and it's upstairs in its own tank in my room so it can grow a little easier. Liam was growing quickly and Clark was not so I had to make some changes. Basically Liam was a little aggressive toward Clark and Clark had too difficult of a time getting enough food. Now that they are apart, Clark is growing nicely and Liam is doing well with Noel.

Funny Video

I got this from a co-worker and thought it was funny. Take a look if you want.

Happy Halloween

This picture was sent to me by my aunt. I think it's funny. I have seen variations of the puking pumpkin but I think this one is the most creative.

The Two Greatest Imports from England

New Arrival

So I got this in the mail today...




It's going to look pretty awesome on my wall. I'm currently working on some other stuff as well.

Interesting...

In my Oasis reads, I came across this today...

"They [Oasis] are recognised by the Guinness Book Of World Records as the most successful band of the last decade."

Cubs Game

So last night, my group at work went to the Cubs game were on a rooftop hosted by CDW/HP. It was a good time and I won this sweet authentic Fukudome jersey. Not bad for the first day on the new job.

312 Dubs BBQ

As soon as it came, it went. The BBQ has been "postponed" due to a scheduling conflict. Sorry if ANYONE who reads this was planning on going which is probably like negative 40%, but I have to get the word out somehow.

312 Dubs Labor Day BBQ

There's a 312 Dubs BBQ tomorrow for Labor Day. Head over to 312dubs.blogspot.com for more info/direction.

312 Dubs Blog

Some updates over at the 312 Dubs Blog. Go check it out.

312dubs.blogspot.com

Dinosaurs and GTI's

There will be a whole series of these coming eventually. It's called The Amazing Triceratops and Volkswagen GTI.

312Dubs.blogspot.com

We had a good meetup for 312Dubs last night. We had a sweet new addition to the group but we're waiting for the pics to get uploaded.

Still looking to get some new members...

If you type 312 Dubs or 312Dubs into Google, my Blog pops up. We're trying to figure out how to get all the other 312 Dubs stuff to come up when you Google the name, but so far no luck. In the meantime, you'll just have to cope with a lot of Volkswagen and 312 Dubs posts in the blog. That's fine because it's fun.

Chicago Volkswagen Enthusiasts - 312 Dubs meetup tonight

We are meeting up tonight at Buffalo Wild Wings tonight by Seven Bridges. It's on Rt. 53 about a half mile South of Maple in Lisle. Bring out your VW and come hang out with us.

Email for more info if you need to.
312dubs@gmail.com

Chicago Volkswagen Enthusiasts - 312 Dubs meetup tonight

We are meeting up tonight at Buffalo Wild Wings tonight by Seven Bridges. It's on Rt. 53 about a half mile South of Maple in Lisle. Bring out your VW and come hang out with us.

Email for more info if you need to.
312dubs@gmail.com

New Engine Bay

I put up some pics of my new engine bay over at the 312 Dubs blog.

312Dubs.blogspot.com

312 Dubs

There's a new blog up at the 312 Dubs Mypsace found at www.myspace.com/312dubs.

Also, we started a blogspot at 312dubs.blogspot.com. This will be more operational in time...

Check it all out and spread the word to all of your friends with Volkswagens.

Not much else going on with me. I had a new cruise control switch put in today because my old one had a short in it. Thank you warranty...

It's Tuesday and I'm already looking forward to the weekend.

312Dubs Update

Just wanted to get a quick update out. We are in the process of getting a forum put together as well as starting up a blog and a Facebook group. Also, Anthony's getting shirts made so those will be sweet.

Anyway, right now Myspace is our best means of networking so head over there and look around.

312Dubs Myspace: www.myspace.com/312Dubs

You can also email us at 312Dubs@gmail.com.

Our blog will be at 312Dubs.blogspot.com. Right now, there's just a small welcome message.

Names

"Girls names are easy...just call them Moon Unit or Laptop...Girls names are brilliant, you know? Clockface...'hey, Clockface!'"

For all the Oasis fans...

New single. Due out September 29th. Watch the video:
http://front.xstream.dk/eb/customers/eb/mediamaker_player.php?id=15405

"The computer is a bad ass Scrabble player!"

VW Updates

I installed this new intake on my car last night...yes, I installed it myself. I even had to modify the instructions due to Carbonio's dillusions. The intake is exactly what I was looking for. It makes a difference in performance (not much horse power, but that's what chips and boost controls are for) but isn't loud and obnoxious. Since it's my daily driver, I'm not looking to go over the top with mods. There are only a few more things I still want to do.

I will be taking the car on its second big road trip tonight, first with the new intake. Hopefully it stays all in one piece and my mechanic work isn't too shitty. Just in case, I have all my tools and factory parts in the trunk.


The whole engine bay...


My new VW group is continuing to make exponential progress. We have two companies willing to affiliate with us as get going and continue to get new members. We currently have around a dozen members just by word of mouth and James's natural ability to recruit at the gas station. He brought on this guy Javier who drives a Fahrenheit GTI and was just putting some air in his tires at the station James was filling up at.

Anway, we have a name now. It's 312 Dubs in reference to Chicago and V-Dubs. It's a group that welcomes anyone and wants everyone to feel they are in a family, not just a community. VW used to be famous for the "families" that developed because of their cars, but that concept has seemed to die out over the years. We're looking to restore this family concept starting in the Chicagoland region. We have a Myspace page but it's in its infancy so keep your eyes on it for updates. Right now, it's fairly bare bones and we don't consider it "live" yet. The address is www.myspace.com/312dubs

This shot was taken last night at our event. We had seven cars and a handful of guys who couldn't make it out. Not a bad start after less than a week of work.

New Chicago Volkswagen Group

Some associates and I are working on putting together a new VW group here in Chicago. Technically, we officially exist now. We have about ten people who have said they are in. There are more details to come as we are in extremely early stages. I just finished setting up the email and myspace page. Eventually we'll also be on Facebook and have a Blog somewhere.

We're very excited for this group and hope to create big things. I'll keep you posted when things are closer to going live. If you or anyone you know is interested in joining, email 312Dubs@gmail.com.

Driving

"Don't people know, the left lane is for speeding?"

People need to get out of the left lane. The left lane law on the highway is the only good thing Blogo has done for this state...now if only people obeyed that law.

Intakes

I am trying to decide what air intake I am going to put in my car. It's either going to be the Carbonio 2.0T intake or the Neuspeed P-Flo with race extension (optional). I am leaning toward the Carbonio because it's pretty humble and not a major upgrade, but an efficient one. I would call it "tame."

This is going on teh daily driver.

Follow Up

For those wondering, the yellow car is a VW GLI Fahrenheit. They were somewhat limited. I love my new Platinum Silver one so much that I decided I wanted to "build" one up a bit. I thought find a Fahrenheit that has been put through it's paces and work on one of those and keep the current ride stock for daily use.

I will detail my plans on the new car if there's enough interest...basically, stay off the road because your car won't keep up with this unless it's a Viper, Lambo, or Ferrari...and that's only if we stay in a straight line.

Anyone have driveway space?

New project on the horizon...

Used, little under 60k miles. Working on the deal as we speak. When I'm done, it will be a beast and the current whip will just be my daily ride. Yep, it's yellow.

It's a lifestyle...

Sorry the picture is small, bad software.

Buzz from Steve Dahl

"I'm looking for a good White Sox trade for Brett Favre."

New Absentstar video.

Hey, here's a video from my friends in Absentstar. Check it out because I like them.

Satelite Radio

I have Satelite Radio in my new car and I love it. It was definitely worth the $13 a month for the service. I listened to it the entire way to and from Wisconsin and there was always something to listen to. I prefer to spend my time on Radio 1 but I also listen to Alt Nation a lot. By the way, I have Sirius as my provider. Anyway, it's a lot of fun and I'm glad I have it. I fully endorse the product.

General Update

Hello friends, it's been awhile so I thought I'd give you a brief update on general things.

First, I made it down to Chicago and picked up my Jordan 4/19 pack. This means I only need a pair of 18's and my Jordan collecting days are basically over except for special occasions. I also got some awesome Air Max 97's. Should there be enough requests, I can put pictures up.

I went up to Sarah's condo in Wisconsin Saturday with my dog. It was a good chance to get away for a day as well as finally get some good open road time in my car. Let's just say I learned it can go really fast and that excites me. It's also kind of scary when you think of the consequences...oh well, I'm not making a habit out of it. I want to get it to a track one day just to see at what speed it will max out. I also look forward to giving the GTI this road test, and hopefully soon.

Also, congratulations to my buddy Janda. He's cancer free and getting back to living regular life again. He's going to back to ISU this fall.

How 'bout Toews as the new captain for the Hawks? Interesting.

That's all. I have to work now.

The Other New Whip...

We got Sarah set up in an '08 VW GTI and it's awesome.


Sarah with the new cars.


Could provide more pics later if need be...

Whistle Tips

A classic, but I love it every time...

Awesome...

Please listen to this hilarious clip...
http://www.holytaco.com/2008/06/27/the-douchiest-phone-message-in-history/

More Car Pics

I thought I would post more pics of my new car...

GLI

After 15 months of a wonderful adventure, I have traded in my silver 2007 VW Jetta Wolfsburg Edition and picked up this amazing '07 VW Jetta GLI. I was looking at GTI's but then discovered the greatness that is the GLI and realized that this car was much more suited for me.

I know what you might be thinking..."why did he need a new car?" The truth is, I didn't need one, I just wanted it. It all started because Sarah and I have started looking for a new a car for her and we decided to test drive a used '08 GTI to see if she might like that. She did, but not as much as the VW Rabbit. However, I loved the GTI so I decided to take one home to test out. Generally, I liked the car, but this specific vehicle had a few issues and it just never sat right with me...so I had to keep on hunting. I found a few other dealers with good deals on new GTI's so I went to one of them Saturday afternoon and this where I decided to give the GLI a shot. Let me just say, I'm glad I did because it's much more comfortable and it definitely made me feel like I was making a mistake should I get a GTI.

So now we just have to wait and get Sarah into her new Rabbit. She seems to really like the car and I hoe she isn't just going along with it to make me happy. I keep asking her if she really wants this car specifically or she just wouldn't mind having it and she keeps telling me that she wants it. This is exciting to me and I think it will be fun to have two VW's in our "fleet."

Interesting side note: The dealership ran the Carfax Report for me and it shows when the car was built and shipped to the dealer and this was the proof of me being destined to own this car. The car's "birthday" is 1/31/2007. For those of you who may not know, my birthday is 1/31 as well. That's pretty awesome.

Alright, that's all. I have more stuff I could write about. I got some new shoes yesterday too. However, I don't feel like it. I know it has been a long time since the previous update. Things have been insanely hectic so I have been slacking. I'll try and get back on top of this so I can entertain you lovely readers for at least 30 seconds...and by entertain, I really mean that I probably bore your brains out with this thing. Either way, thanks for reading.

Dynasty in the making...

Coming to you this Summer...

Pickup Post

First off, just so the information does not get lost, I would like to restate some information provided earlier today. Sarah and I have pretty much officially set the date for the wedding. We're going to get married September 19th, 2009...so that's 9/19/09...a lot of 9's. Anyway, we're very excited and things should start falling into place. Now all we need to do is all the plannning and save up some money to buy a place. Easy, right?!?!

So yeah, as promised awhile ago, here is my pickup post I was talking about. This isall the stuff I have acquired dating back to at least early April but I decided to wait awhile until I could put it all up at once.

I feel I should explain the high amount of Jeremy Roenick goods featured here. There is a lot of Roenick memorabilia this time around and hear me out... I started looking for most of it as the Sharks season came to an end because there was a chance that J.R. would not return for another season so I wanted to make sure I could get everything I needed/wanted before it all disappeared off the market and prices went through the roof. Considering he was my hockey role model for my entire life, this stuff is very important to me. Should you wonder why, please view the video at the end when you're done reading through my post here...this is what I was seeing as a young kid in Chicago starting to play hockey. Seriously, watch the video because I think you might be somewhat impressed. As I said, it can be found at the end of the post so you can finish reading through.

So onto the show of goods...

This is his and hers Jordan 2's. The tiny ones are Sarah's and the other ones are mine.


The next pics are of my sweet new Roenick figures. I got at least one of him from every team he has played for. The Blackhawks one is so old that the only thing you were able to get back then was a Starting Lineup figure...thus that is what I acquired. The San Jose Sharks figure is a custom piece. Someone got one of the other Roenick figures and hand painted the entire figure. The guy did an incredible job and I can't believe the artistry on it.



These are the Jordan 6's and 17's. The 6's are called "Carmines" and they originally came out in 1991. Us shoe dorks have been waiting for these to come out again for a very long time. Original pairs of these have been going for over $1,000 and they are considered one of the coolest Jordans of all time really. I'm pumped to have a pair, even if they are a retro and not OG. The 17's (black pair) came in the pack with the Carmines and they're cool too but I'm not as excited about them. I like them, but I really needed them to complete the 1-23 collection.

I'd like to thank my buddy Ron "Flint/Roland" Tuazon for the networking and lockup on this pair, and my new "boy" Dave for finding me a pair and taking care of me from here on out. Of course, without Ron, I wouldn't have been able to hook up with Dave for future releases. So Ron deserves all the credit...as usual (FYI, Ron marries in June '09 so congrats to him).


And last but not least are my new jerseys. I posted the all star one before with pics from the Ebay auction I won, but now I have new ones. The jersey on the left is an authentic Home San Jose Sharks jersey. It's amazing in person and the new "technology" Reebok used on these sweaters is amazing. They are tough, but lightweight and breathe really well. The materials are fantastic and I wish like hell that I could have played in a jersey like this during my so-called career.

The other jersey is an authentic 1992 All-Star jersey. It was signed twice on the front by Roenick way back in the early 90's when he was in Chicago. It was signed on two separate occasions and one of them was even dated. I always find it amusing how celebirites signatures change over the years. My Roenick autographs from the early years (I have other things signed from the Chicago era) and the newer signatures are somewhat different. This can be said for some other autographs I have gotten over the years...interesting I guess. Talk about pointless blog info right there...jesus... So check out the jerseys...



The promised video:

The Date...

I just found out that the wedding date is set for September 19th, 2009 at First Congregational Church in Glen Ellyn. Nice...

Good Chuck Norris Line...

I got this from Jeff at work today...

"Chuck Norris has the greatest Poker-Face of all time. He won the 1983 World Series of Poker, despite holding only a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoloy card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game UNO."

You Heard it Here First (maybe)

You heard it here first...possibly. As reported on the San Jose Sharks website late this evening, Jeremy Roenick has reached an agreement with the Sharks and will return for at least one more year. Noice!

One of My Newest Pickups..

This is one of two of my new big acquisitions. It's an authentic '92 NHL All Star Roenick jersey that he autographed on two different occasions back in the day. I have been looking for one of these for awhile and I finally got one for a pretty good price.




More pickups coming in the next couple weeks...

Likes and Dislikes

I decided there are some things I like at the age of 23...as far as actual objects go.

(In no particular order)
1. Guitars
2. Toys (who doesn't like a good yo-yo, Pez dispenser, or G.I. Joe?)
3. Shoes
4. Jeans
5. T-shirts/some polo shirts
6. Macbooks and iPods

Things I really don't like at the moment (not just objects):
1. The Dallas Stars
2. Train rides on the Metra
3. Paying $4/gal. for gas
4. Pointless activity
5. Windows Operating System

Thursday Was More Fun in College

Not too much interesting to post about today. I'm really looking forward to the weekend but apparently the weather isn't going to be all that great. I was going to wash my car but instead it looks like I'll be in the house cleaning the turtle tanks. For what it's worth, my few faithful readers, I am going to switch to a new dechlorinator in my tanks because the current one is creating a weird film in the water. I have no idea if it's harmful or not, but I figure there's no need to risk it.

So I'm listening to the Matt Dahl Show podcast (www.mattdahl.com) featuring Matt Dahl and Brendan Greely and I thank sweet Jesus that they do their show every day. I listen to their show as well as Steve Dahl (via podcast format) every day and it helps pass the time by. It makes staring at a computer much less painful, let me tell you... Anyway, apparently Brendan, who works for the Steve Dahl show as well, is covering the R. Kelly trial for the Steve Dahl show. I don't know what the outcome of this will be on the Steve Dahl Show, but I will definitely tune in tomorrow to see what transpires.

What else is new? Nothing much really. Just been doing a lot of wedding planning talk, gearing up for Mother's Day, and unsuccessfully trying to save some money at the moment thanks to stupid bills...such is life. I shouldn't complain at all, in reality, things are good in my life right now.

Speaking of the wedding, I know it's about a year and a half away but I wish we could get some of the things planned out and set in stone. I think I would feel a lot more relaxed about the whole thing if we had some stuff put together to show that we're making some progress, but right now it feels like we have SO MUCH work to do still. I know everything will work out fine and will be worth it, but I am looking forward to those first few things being taken care of. Once that happens, I'll feel like we're in really good shape and I'll start getting excited for the big day. Oh, and for those that are concerned, it's looking like it will most likely be in September of 2009 with a slight possibility of October. I doubt it will be October, but there is a slight chance. It would be early October should that happen.

Anyway, I'm on a shoe break until the Jordan 6/17 pack comes out later in the month. There really isn't much else that I want right now. I'm trying to get my 1-23 collection completed in my 23rd year of life. That idea is courtesy of a one Ron Tuazon so I thank him for that "gift" a.k.a. encouragement of rapid spending of money. It's cool, Ron's a solid dude. With my two pairs of Jordan 2's I got this past month, I don't have many pairs to go. I have six pairs to go and my shoe collecting days will be greatly reduced. As far as Jordans go, it will be only originals that I acquire or a different colorway of something I have, at which point, I will most likely sell off the pair I am "replacing." In a nutshell, my shoe collecting is winding down. There are more important things that need my money and it's time to prioritize a little differently.

What else...oh yeah, I have a hockey game tonight. It's late, but I'm looking forward to it. I have to get on some more teams because one day a week of hockey does not fill my fix and the NHL season will be coming to an end soon. Depending on how it goes, maybe I'll report on my game in a blog tomorrow.

One finishing note...the White Sox suck right now. I thought the pink goatees was hilarious and an awesome idea, however, after last night's piece of shit game, I think they need to rethink that idea and possibly consider going back to the blow up dolls because the goatees aren't working either.

Not much else that I feel like (or can think of) reporting right now. Let me know if there's anything you want me to post about and I will try and get to it for you. Until then, peace out, kids.

Awesome...

Just when I think I can't find cooler, weird things to buy, I find this...



I always wanted a Jeremy Roenick Starting Lineup figure when he was on the Blackhawks. I think now that I have a job, I will try and get a figure from each team he was on. Frickin' awesome...

Breaking News!

I have heard demos for three or so new Oasis songs and they are brilliant. I can't wait for the album to come out later this year! It's always refreshing to hear some new material from the lads. It always makes waiting three years worth it.

Sweet Shirt I Saw...

So I was browsing the web and found this shirt that a fan in San Jose made to honor Jeremy Roenick and his heroism. I did some research and found the guy who did them and I guess he did a run of about 60 for people who ordered them but I found out too late. I'm pretty bummed about that because I totally would have gotten a couple. The best part is that was just selling them to cover his costs and was not trying to make a buck.

I emailed the guy and he said he wants to do another run if Roenick resigns (I pray to God he does because the guy is still playing his ass off) and that he is starting a list for another run. I guess if there are any of you readers who might want one, let me know and I can email him. maybe if we can get enough, he'll do another run regardless. I think the pricing was about $15 shipped a shirt. If it isn't, my bad, I'll find out more when necessary.

I also have this on order. Should be here in 3-4 weeks.

Thanks...

Last night was quite the evening. The San Jose Sharks went 4 overtimes with the Dallas Stars but eventually fell after the Brendan Morrow game winner. I stayed up until about 1:45 AM to see the conclusion and unfortunately it did not go my way.

Many times throughout the game I thought that it would be best for me to just go to bed but I couldn't stand not knowing what was happening. Also, there is a possibility that this could have been Jeremy Roenick's final game in the NHL and I was fortunate enough to be able to watch the game on TV. In any case, I thank Jeremy Roenick for inspiring me to play hockey as a kid and keep me watching and caring all these years. He looked like one of the top players on the ice last night and saved the Sharks' season in the first round of the playoffs. I think Roenick clearly proved he can still conribute in a large way and deserves to come back next season. Hopefully the Wilsons out in San Jose see the same. As much as I'd to be able to see him in Chicago again, I'd rather see Roenick stay with San Jose and win the cup next year. It's a great fit for him and the organization.

To wrap it up, I hope Detroit kicks the living piss out of Dallas next round...

(I apologize for any writing errors. Due to staying up to watch the game, my brain hasn't exactly turned on yet.)

"I like turtles..."

As promised, here is a sweet video and I'm a freak...obviously.
(If you people keep requesting turtle material, you'll keep getting it. However, I do have more interests other than reptiles and can talk about those things as well)

Hold Off a Little Longer...

Well, we can all hang on for at least one more game. The Sharks came back from being down 2-0 tonight to win 3-2 in OT. The series is now 3-2 in favor of Dallas.

Let's keep supporting the Sharks so they can make it to the next round!

Temporary Holding Off of Damnits....

Sharks played Dall back to back and won the second game in Dallas. Though they still only need to lose one game to be eliminated, at least they are on the board and are still alive. Hopefully they are the third team in NHL history to come to win a series after being down 3-0.

Side note, I got my Jordan 2's. I loved them so much, I got another pair (different colorway) from 2004. Damn shoes...

More Damnits...

Sharks lost in OT last night to the Stars. They were leading at one point, and then gave up a bunch of goals. I think that has happened all three games this series.

For being one of the Stanley Cup favorites, they look like ass. It's beginning to look like Roenick is going to have come back for at least one more year.

Playoffs

Sharks play the Stars again tonight. They're down 2-0 and playing in Dallas. The game isn't on TV so hopefully they can finally win a damn game without me.

Damnit again...

Ehhhhh.....

Stars 5, Sharks 2.

Sharks playing like shit. Stars up in the series 2-0 heading to Dallas. Great...

Damnit...

Stars 3, Sharks 2.

Sharks down in the series 1-0 after an overtime loss. Shit.

Sharks Playoff Hockey

The San Jose Sharks won the first round of the playoffs in 7 games after a heroic performance from my favorite player of all time, Jeremy Roenick. They play Dallas tonight at 9:00 PM in San Jose to kick of the second round.

Tune into VS. and show some support...if you want to watch some hockey on a Friday night. I'm working on my playoff beard.

I'm Excellent...

At my work, they give this award called the "ShopperTrak Excellence Award" every quarter and I have been nominated for the last three quarters. The winner is picked by the execs here at the company. They make a big deal of it and give you a certificate and a trophy as well...which is nice.

Anyway, the point being, I love it because I've been able to say "I piss excellence." The problem is, I can't remember what movie that's from. If anyone knows who said that in what movie, please let me know because I will find it that much more funny to say.

Later, kids.

PS. Jordan 2/21 Countdown Pack this weekend. I'm totally getting it so I can get the 2's, but my buddy Ron is taking the 21's...he can have them. He'll actually get some use out of them anyway.

Engagement...

So I've been engaged now for two and a half days and it's still cool, but man is it weird too. Everyone asks when the date is, where is the wedding going to be, etc... The answer is, I have no idea but I am sure that Sarah has had it all figured out in her head for quite a long period of time. Thank god she's on top of it...

I have pretty much felt like nothing has changed since the engagement, and I guess nothing has, except there have been a few times where I've thought "man, I have to start thinking about a wedding." It's weird for me to think that I have that ball rolling now. It's all good, just strange. Growing up quickly...

Anyway, it's all been fun. The hype is dying down and everything is starting to get back to normal. My buddy Andy Dixon called me yesterday and told me that when he's back in town, Sarah and I will have to meet up with him and his wife. He says they have been married for ten months now and they are pros so they have a ton of great advice for us. If you know Andy at all, this is a funny statement. He's a great guy and has given me a lot of good advice over the years, but I am 98% sure he just meant it as a means of getting together and catching up.

Big Weekend...

So I'm coming of a pretty big weekend.

First and foremost, I got engaged.



Second, I got some new turtles. The two little ones are about 3-5 weeks old and are MAYBE an inch long, and the bigger one is about 7 months or so and around just under 2 inches. I already had to seperate them because the bigger one was trying to "do work" on the little ones and they are too fragile to get snapped at. Now I have to get another tank to put the bigger one in rather than its temporary set up...so if anyone knows anyone with a tank they want to get rid of, let me know.




And third, I got some new Air Max 95's. I bought them at the Nike Outlet just outside the Wisconsin Dells. I needed some shoes for outdoor activity in Wisconsin so I picked up some of the best shoes ever made...for cheap.

Absentstar "Sea Trials"

So three posts in one day is a bit ridiculous right? Well sorry, but I have to give these guys a post...

So I have been friends with three guys for quite some time now...about 8 years or so. I met Andy Dixon working at small guitar store in Lombard, IL and through him I met his buddies Derek Ingersoll and Heath Hamilton who played in his band Blue Nova which was an excellent band in itself. Anyways, Andy became a really good friend of mine as did Derek and Heath. These guys gave me some of the best life advice (scary if you know these guys:) ) during my "formative years" and/or high school.

So what does this have to do with anything? First some more history. Their band Blue Nova eventually evolved into what is now Absentstar and about two years ago or so they received a record deal from RCA Records and then moved over to Columbia records. Long story short, they made an album and it was produced by this guy Dan Wilson who many consider a genius, well, because he is. He won a Grammy for that last Dixie Chicks album that won like every award it was nominated for...yeah he wrote those songs. Most people probably know him as former (I think because I don't know if they work together anymore) frontman of Semisonic and writer of the song "Closing Time." "Closing Time" is a great tune but I really enjoyed "Secret Smile." But I digress, they wrote/made this album called "Sea Trials" and it is brilliant. This said album was officially released Tuesday April 15th, 2008 and distributed by Columbia all over the country. Go look it up on your Best Buy and do a Store Pickup. I bet a store near you has it. I went to the Downers Grove Best Buy to get mine rather than mooch one off the guys. I think there's something to be said about acquiring the record the traditional way.

The album is brilliant and I never seem to get sick of it, or at least the old recordings of most of the songs. There are a few tunes on the album I haven't heard until today. So go out and but this album. Even if it isn't your style, support a local Chicago band who was one of the rare fortunate bands to get a shot at a major label deal. Andy was telling me once that the labels receive about two million bands via their A&R guys (the guys who find the talent for the label) and about 3 to 5 of those will get deals and chances are only a couple of those will actually have an album released. These guys managed to get their album released and it couldn't happen to a more deserving group of guys. They are always appreciative of all the support they receive and all of their fans.

So again, the album is by Absentstar and it's called "Sea Trials." Go buy it. It's also available on iTunes.

Peace kids, I'm going to go listen to the album while I clean my damn turtle tank.

PS. I also bought AFI Live at Long Beach...should be a good listen as well.

Turtle Update

So everyone at work tells me I'm this kid...

People from the UK

So I went to dinner last night with three and a half guys from the UK last night. The half being someone who works in the company's Chicago office but was originally from Manchester. His name is Paul and as of last Monday, he is officially a US citizen...so congrats to him.

Anyway, dinner with the Englishmen... There was one major thing I picked up after spending a few hours with these guys outside of work and that's that they are way more fun than most people you will ever hang out with. They have a better sense of humor, better stories, higher tolerance of alcohol, and have seen a lot more of the world. I think the difference is that they live a different lifestyle over there that promotes "living life" (pardon the cheesy phrase, I just couldn't think of a better way to put it) rather than taking everything so damn serious all the time. Alright, that's as deep as I want to get. I hate people who write deep and preachy blogs.

That adventure got me back home to the suburbs around 9:40 PM. I sat down for five minutes, then packed up my hockey bag, walked my dog, and then drove to the rink for a 10:50 game. We won 10-4 and then I got home around 12:45 AM. I grabbed a shower, went to bed, woke up at 6:30 AM, left home around 7:00 AM and here we are. All in a two-day's work.

This is Filburt but I typically refer to her as Fil. She's the new turtle to carry on the late Buzz's legacy. She will never replace him, but will be the new addition to the family.

And it's a test photo.

Deep Thoughts?

Is there anything more beautiful than a beautiful, beautiful flamingo, flying across in front of a beautiful sunset? And he's carrying a beautiful rose in his beak, and also he's carrying a very beautiful painting with his feet. And also, you're drunk.