Vacation: Day 3 (Need some ZZZZ's)

Day 3 and the kids have decided that sleep is not an option. The 94 degrees, 95% humidity didn't help. I've never been in Seattle in weather like this! So last we had a really bad thunderstorm come through. Lots of thunder and lightning! Very cool!

Anyways, Caitlyn was up til after 11 and finally crashed after driving around the Puget Sound area for over an hour.

Today, we make the journey down to Portland. It should be a fairly easy 3 hour drive since the kids should be sleeping during their nap time. We'll see though. As long as we can listen to our music and not Caitlyn's "Sing a Long Favorites" I'll be happy.

We should be there by 4 but who knows with this crew. Tonight, we're hoping to meet up with some friends in town and maybe take a swim in the hotel pool. Thank god for air conditioning and indoor pools :)

Vacation: Day 2 (Reinjured)

This will be a short post as I'm back in my sling. All I did was try to catch a glass that was falling out of the fridge, turned my wrist, and I was on the floor in pain!

Shoulder again! Damn it!

Anyways, today was a trip to the Kitsap Mall and Costco. Costco pizza is the best by the way! It's currently 95 degrees in Seattle and hotter than hell!

Tomorrow we drive to Portland for 5 days. It'll still be hot, but can't wait! Very much looking forward to seeing old co workers at Haggen Food & Pharmacy and others we haven't seen in quite some time :)

Vacation: Day 1 (Portland to Poulsbo)

Well, I'm hoping to write a post for each day I'm in the Pacific Northwest. I can't guarantee I'll keep up but we'll see.

So I made my plane flight to Portland in time yesterday. Not a problem since security lines were not as bad as I thought on a Friday afternoon. I can say that the San Jose Airport construction is finally coming along! They still have a long way to go but you can notice the progress.

I ran into Garvin Thomas of NBC11 who was shooting a piece on airline travel and security. Always a nice guy and constant professional.

I gave up my assigned seat to a family who was not going to be able to sit together. It worked out great for me because the only seat they had for me was in 1st class. Nice!

I got into Portland around 5:50 pm and made my way to Hertz. I was lucky enough to get the car my wife had requested (a Mazda 5 which is basically a mini, minivan). If you have a family and have not checked out this vehicle, give it a test drive. We're contemplating purchasing one ourselves. Anyways, I was then off to Seattle. Well to be more precise, Poulsbo.

I made my stop at the usual exit 82, otherwise known as the "outlet mall exit" in Centralia. There I made a quick stop in at Burgerville for my usual, a Tillamook cheeseburger, large fries and the BEST vanilla milkshake. MMM MMM good! That would hold me over for the evening.

I was pleased to see that the Washington troopers were out in force last night. A guy in a Porsche thought he was all that and passed me so fast that I couldn't even see his license plate as he went past. Luckily 2 miles down the road I know that the trooper got it as he had been pulled over.

I got to the in laws house about 9 pm and was able to see Cailtyn and Johnny before they went to bed. They were VERY happy to see me. It had been 4 days!!! Oh, my wife was happy too.

Anyways, its been a good first 24 hours and we'll see what the rest of the week brings. I now have to run off to my favorite place to people watch, Wal-Mart!!! It seems that someone forgot his toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant and razors on his bathroom counter in San Jose.

Have a great weekend out there!!!

No Ice For You!!!!

Ok, so it's not as funny as when the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld says it, but I tried.

According to an article out today, for the first time in ever, the North Pole could be ice-free this summer. Ice-free??? How does the North Pole become ice-free??? While there has never been solid ground at the North Pole, it has always remained a giant block of ice throughout the year. But scientists have been watching the ice around the Arctic sea melt more and more each year and over time the amount of ice has gotten thinner and thinner.

From the article:

Several studies in recent years have predicted that the North Pole could be ice-free within a few decades. Alarm has ratcheted up every summer as the ice gets thinner and thinner. In a study released June 10, scientist said the rapid meltoff in the Arctic could threaten permafrost in continental soil elsewhere above the Arctic circle in a warm version of the snowball effect.

Last summer saw a record melt of Arctic sea ice, which shrank to more than 30 percent below its average. Around the peak of the melt, in September, air temperatures over land in the western Arctic from August to October were more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above the 1978-2006 average.

Can you say "Global Warming"??? Oh wait, I forgot, according to some politicians and other people out there, global warming doesn't exist....Wanna bet???

Blue Skies, Clean Air, Fireworks and Burgerville!

That's right! I'm on my way to the Pacific Northwest for a week's vacation starting tomorrow afternoon. It's time to see a few good friends and some family who we haven't seen in, oh, 7 months. With the prices to fly nowadays, more than twice a year is going to prove to be a major challenge with a family. Did everyone know that most airlines are now charging for more than one bag??? But I digress...

It'll be a fun 4th of July week that's for sure. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid 90's most of the week in Portland. How often do you hear that? For the past week here in San Jose, we have been covered in a blanket of gray smoke. This week will surely be a welcome change.

One of the best parts of this vacation though will be daily trips to Burgerville. And when I say daily, I really mean daily. My debit card will have charges at least once a day and I'm sure to get a call from my bank making sure that my card hasn't been stolen!

I'll admit, I was a huge fan of Burgerville long before I left the Portland area. When my wife was pregnant with our first child, we found ourselves at Burgerville at least two to three times a week. Typically visiting Mama Rosa at the Beaverton location or across the river in Vancouver. I don't know exactly what it is about pregnancy, but every time she spotted that Burgerville sign, the car magically pulled into the drive thru.

Now I find them as a client and over the past year and a half, I have gained even more respect for this quick service restaurant chain who demonstrates constant leadership in sustainable business practices and a deep commitment to their employees, local communities and the environment. 100% wind power, cage-free eggs, an industry leading health care program, full recycling and composting programs and they turn their used trans fat free cooking oil into biodiesel fuel. What's not to love???

I'll start my trip tomorrow evening with a quick 3 hour drive from Portland to Seattle to meet up with my wife and two kids who have already been in the Pacific Northwest for 3 days. I used to do this drive every other weekend and I could pretty much do it on auto pilot. We'll see how the drive is this time, minus the rain.

Of course I'll be making my customary stop at the Burgerville restaurant in Centralia (the exact halfway point between Portland and Seattle) for a Tillamook cheeseburger, fries and a large vanilla milkshake. It has been far too long since I had a real ice cream milkshake. Sorry, In N Out Burger just doesn't cut it for me.

The plan is to spend a few days with my in laws in Poulsbo, Washington and then we'll be back on our way to Portland for 5 days in the Rose City. Since it has been so long since we have been there, I'm interested to see the reactions we get now that the kids have gotten older. Can't wait for that!

The 4th of July tradition will once again be in full force as my buddy has already stocked up on fireworks to entertain the entire neighborhood for an night of fun! Two years ago we almost burned down the place with enough firepower to take out a small country. This year will be a bit lower key with four total kids under 5 in our party. Then again, with an ex-marine in charge of the fireworks, who knows, right?

So now I'm off but like Arnold "I'll be back!" The time will go by too quickly but it should be fun.

The Slipper Fits: Fresno State Wins First NCAA Baseball Title

Congratulations Fresno State Bulldogs!!! A great postseason has capped off a Cinderella like fairy tale in one of the most improbable runs in College World Series history.

Steve Detwiler homered twice and drove in all six runs for Fresno State and starting pitcher Justin Wilson allowed five hits in eight innings to culminate Fresno State’s journey to its first ever title.

The team was believed to be a Top 25 team coming into the season, but the Bulldogs lost 12 of their first 20 games and looked as though they may finish dead last in their conference. The Bulldogs needed to win the Western Athletic Conference tournament just to make the final field of 64, fought off elimination in both the regionals and super regionals, and became the first #4 regional seed to reach the College World Series.

From ESPN:

Fresno State entered the NCAA tournament with a pedestrian 33-27 record and a No. 4 seed in the Long Beach Regional. Six weeks later, the Bulldogs have become the first regional 4-seed to win a national championship. They finished as the lowest-seeded team in college sports history to claim an NCAA team championship, staying alive with victories in six elimination games -- including two against Georgia.

"We've been through a lot, there's no doubt," Fresno State pitcher Jason Breckley said. "I'll admit, I thought we were going down a couple of times on that plane ride here. But it just makes everything that much sweeter with what we were able to accomplish."

"When we got to the regional, they told us that the only advantage a No. 4 team gets is getting dinner first," Fresno State right fielder Steve Detwiler said. "We all laughed about that at the time. But it's amazing. As much as we were underdogs out here, we just tried to go out and have fun."

This marks the third straight year a team from the West Coast has won the NCAA Title (Oregon State won each of the previous two years).

From the San Jose Mercury News:

"Pride is forever," Detwiler said. Wilson added, "It was pretty awesome. I can't believe it."

That pretty much sums it up. Congratulations Fresno State!!! One hell of a run!!! Someone call the BCS in football so they can see what a tournament is all about!

Grand Theft Auto...There's Theft in This Game?

Forrest Gump once said "Stupid is as stupid does".

Well check out this New York Times story about a lawsuit against the game Grand Theft Auto.

From the article:

Lawyers who sued the makers of the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas profess to be shocked, simply shocked, that few people who bought the game were offended by sex scenes buried in its software.

Any buyer upset about hidden sex in the violent game could file a claim under a settlement the lawyers struck with the game’s makers, Rockstar Games and its corporate parent, Take-Two Interactive. Of the millions of people who bought the San Andreas version after its release in 2004, exactly 2,676 filed claims.

Its true, sex sells! But the number of people who filed claims is not what is surprising to me. It's the stupidity of some people out there who actually purchased the game.

Check out more from the article:

For example, Brenda Stanhouse, who bought the game for her son, 15 years old at the time, said in a deposition that she did not know that a player in the game could “stomp to death innocent pedestrians.”

She also did not know that the game included prostitutes, that players could kill policemen or that “a player in the game can kill innocent pedestrians and steal money from them.”

“I’m aware that there is killing in the game,” Ms. Stanhouse said in the deposition. “I wasn’t aware of the stealing.”

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the name of the game is Grand Theft Auto, right??

The Great Toilet Paper Debate...

Ok, so my wife and I have had this debate for years and I want to hear answers from you: Which way should the toilet paper go, over or under?

I found a survey which was done by DemocraticUnderground.com on this and 77% of people said that toilet paper goes over the top but I still disagree. Prove me wrong. You tell me. Which way does it go???

No Death Penalty for Child Rape...

In a 5-4 vote on Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down a law that allows execution for raping a child, ruling that it would violate the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

From the article:

Not since 1964 has anyone been executed in the United States for a crime other than murder, and of about 3,300 inmates now on death row, only two are facing execution for an offense that did not involve a killing — and both of those inmates are in Louisiana. Patrick Kennedy, was sentenced to death for the rape of his 8-year-old stepdaughter and the other is Richard Davis, who was condemned for assaulting a 5-year-old girl.

Whether you are for or against the death penalty, cases like this are ones you need to watch. The Supreme Court has the power to make some of the most important decisions in our lives and it will be interesting to see what happens in the coming months with many more rulings to be rendered.

Personally, I see no wrong with executing a child rapist. At the very least, they need to be locked away from the public with no access to children or society for that matter. We are currently spending too much time and tax payer money locking up drug users and other petty criminals while over populated prisons are releasing murderers and other violent criminals. Does this make sense?

Here is an interesting quote from the 2007 Democratic Primary Debate at Howard University:

"We need diversion, like drug courts. Non-violent offenders should not be serving hard time in our prisons. They need to be diverted from our prison system. Ultimately we need an attorney general and a system of justice that truly does treat people equally, and that has not happened under this administration."
-Hillary Clinton

While I may not always agree with Senator Clinton, she does raise an interesting point. Thoughts?

Shaq...The Rapper!

Oh Shaq. What will you rap about next.

This weekend, Shaquille O'Neal decided that he would demonstrate his musical talents once again in a freestyle rap about his former teammate Kobe Bryant.

Here's a sample of the rap from Fox News:

"Check it, you know how I be. Last week Kobe couldn't do without me."

The San Jose Mercury News also added this bit of the rap which was in reference to the Colorado rape charge where Bryant told police he should have paid the woman $1 million like Shaq does:

"I'm a horse, Kobe ratted me out, that's why I'm getting divorced"

Following up, here's what Shaq said to ESPN about the whole incident:

"I was freestyling. That's all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever. That is what MCs do. They freestyle when called upon. I'm totally cool with Kobe. No issue at all"

I guess the feud isn't dead after all! At least his talent as a rapper is a little better than his performance as a genie in Shazam! Well, kind of... Does that even count as a performance? That's a topic for another posting all together!

Don Imus Does it Again

It's hard to believe that Don Imus would even think about saying anything that could be thought of as a racist remark following the fall out from his previous incident with the Rutgers women's basketball team.

Yet I woke up yesterday to read that once again, Imus is in the news for his comments, this time towards Adam "Pacman" Jones.

From ESPN:

Don Imus said Tuesday morning on his radio show that he was trying to "make a sarcastic point" with his latest on-air remarks about race, but that they had been misunderstood.

Imus called the flurry of criticism surrounding the comments "ridiculous" and said that his program's cast is now more diverse than ever -- and includes a black producer and two black co-hosts, a man and a woman.

It's completely understandable that his remarks may have been misunderstood or taken out of context, but Imus, come on man.

In the first place, don't even put yourself in a position where your comments could even be questioned. I'm sure that you're a smart man or you would not have made it as far as you have in your career. But there are repercussions for your actions and especially after the last incident, you should be more aware of what you broadcast on your show.

You dug a hole once, now you've done it again, albeit a "misunderstanding to you. I understand that there is the "shock" value in radio but eventually you're not going to get another chance. Think before you speak Imus. You may not get a third chance!

George Carlin: 1937-2008

It's a sad day in the world of comedy as one of the greatest of all time has died. George Carlin was 71 years old and thought of as a counter culture icon throughout his career. This Associated Press article has more.

I saw Carlin live once and he left me rolling in the aisle days after his performance. Just a few short years ago he came to Copperfield's Books in Petaluma to sign his new book "When Will Jesus Bring the Porkchops".

He said what he felt, when he wanted! He left nothing held back. He was a fighter for free speech and was most famous when he talked about the "seven words you can never say on television".

While his constant repeating of the "seven dirty words" caused a sensation in America and prompted a lawsuit that eventually made it to the Supreme Court, his intention was not just for pure shock value. His intention was to question our irrational fear of language and being politically correct.

A great talent who will be surely missed by all. He spoke his mind and was never afraid to be judged. George Carlin, you will be missed!

Gas Prices Keep Going Up! What Can Employers Do?

With gas prices soaring towards the $5/gallon mark, many companies are looking at cutting down to a four day "at work" week to save employee gas prices or increasing the opportunities for telecommuting. This Associated Press story takes a look at what a few companies have done to help those employees who are struggling with the high cost of commuting. Something needs to be done soon!!!

From the article:

Telecommuting has gained traction year by year with advances in video conferencing, instant messaging and other communications technologies. Employers typically adopt it as a way to save money, boost morale and retain workers.

Longtime participants — which include Fortune 500 companies like Sun Microsystems Inc. and IBM Corp. — usually adopt the practice to lower operating costs and keep employees satisfied.

Savings can add up fast. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Sun estimates that its more than 18,000 employees who can choose to work at home or the nearest office avoid buying 135 gallons of gas a year, which at $4 a gallon would save $540 each.

Tim Russert, Host of Meet The Press, Dies at 58

Tim Russert was a professional. He was a great reporter and an excellent host and moderator of some of the most influential debates on “Meet the Press”. I’m sure he will be missed by all in his profession. MSNBC has more information on their Web site.

Poets & Pirates Tour Review: Kenny Chesney at AT&T Park, June 8, 2008

You don't get to be a multiple "Entertainer of the Year" award winner for nothing, and the Poets & Pirates tour, which came to San Francisco's AT&T Park last night did not disappoint! When you're Kenny Chesney, you can bring along Luke Bryan, Gary Allan, Leann Rhimes and Brooks & Dunn (Not to mention special appearances by Steve Miller and Sammy Hagar!!!) and you know you have something special. Last night, the 70,000+ in attendance did not leave unsatisfied!!

Forget the Internet search for the Kenny Chesney set list, or the Brooks & Dunn set list. With these acts, you can be sure that no matter what songs they play, you are in for a special evening. June 8 at AT&T Park will long go down in Bay Area history as one of the greatest nights ever in country music.

First things first: my award for best cooler of the day goes to the kid on Caltrain who used the motor oil box because "it keeps the beer cold". Haven't heard that one so I'll have to take your word for it. I've got to say that the train was far more enjoyable than usual. I mean granted you always get your fun, but yesterday, it was an interesting group of people, especially in our car at the front of the train. Drinking, drinking and more drinking until we got to the stadium.

We got to AT&T about 2:30 p.m. following a quick stop at Subway for a few $5 footlongs. Can't see paying $7 for a hot dog inside right? Outside we were greeted by members of 95.3 KRTY and 95.7 The Wolf who are the local country stations in the Bay Area. We picked up our souvenir tour shirts at the concession stand and made our way to our seats just in time to see the Bell Brothers. They were involved in the MySpace "Next Big Star" contest and performed four songs. Not bad for the opening act of the show. Loved their song "Yard Sale" about taking your former loved ones things and selling them off! We've all been there I'm sure.

Luke Bryan followed up. Until last night, I never knew that he wrote Billy Currington's "Good Directions" if only he had played that last night! He played a standard set and closed with his trademark "All My Friend's Say" (Which by the way is playing on KRTY right now). He puts on a good show, really gets the crowd into it. He'll be playing at the Rodeo Club tonight in San Jose. Should make for another good show!

Gary Allan came on next. He is an amazing live performer. He kicked off the show with "Watching Airplanes", a favorite of mine as my daughter loves to point out everytime she sees an airplane and won't stop until you acknowledge her. His set was filled with classic hits and new cuts from his latest album. Songs About Rain, Smoke Rings in the Dark, A Feelin' Like That, Life Ain't Always Beautiful and the touching Best I Ever Had were scattered throughout the set and got the crowd ready for the rest of the show.

As it got towards 6:30, Leann Rhimes took the stage. She had a long, silver dress on which was very eye catching to the crowd and got quite a few whistles and hollers from the men (and a few women as well). "Nothin' Better to Do", the first single from her new album Family kicked things off and got the crowd to their feet. She follwed up with Coyote Ugly's "Can't Fight the Moonlight", "Big Deal" and other of her greatest hits. She took it down a bit later with "Blue" and "How Do I Live" and even brought in some Janis Joplin. It was fun to end the set with the classic Cheap Trick song "I Want You to Want Me" which was a crowd favorite and a great sing along. By this time she had thrown a SF Giants jersey on which of course was a great play on the crowd.

It took a while for the set change so my wife ran to the bathroom and concession stands. Unfortunately this did not go as planned!!! She came back to her seat after she found out that AT&T Park had lost all water and the toilets throughout the stadium were backing up and beginning to overflow!!! They also didn't have drinks anymore at the concession stands unless you wanted bottled beer. We looked out the gates and saw good ol Rotor Rooter fast at work but they didn't get the problem fixed before the concert concluded at a little after 11:30. I'm sure you can read about this online on a local news publication.

Anyways, she got back to our seats just in time for Brooks & Dunn to kick off their set with "You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl" which brought the crowd to their feet. Other classic hits followed including "Neon Moon", "My Maria", Red Dirt Road" and "Ain't Nothing About You" and songs from the new album "Put a Girl In It" and "Proud of the House we Built".

The most moving moment of the show would be when during "Only in America", Brooks & Dunn brought members of our armed forces out to salute the crowd during the final chorus' and the crowd went wild. Streamers of red, white and blue filled the lower bowl of the stadium and the crowd was electric! They came back for an encore of "Believe" which was much slower than anything played all night and finished with the timeless classic "Boot Scootin' Boogie". Nice! The crowd loved it and there was line dancing in the aisles at AT&T Park.

Oh, a quick side note here. So the girls in front of us met Chesney before the show! They showed us pictures of him on their boat which he mentioned during the show! He signed each of their shirts and he even signed their boat! Totally awesome!

The lights came on for about 25 minutes as the crew prepared for Kenny Chesney. When the lights went out, the intensity in the crowd began to build and build. By this time, everyone down on the field were standing on their seats cheering and clapping. After 6+ hours, it was time for the main event!

Chesney did not disappoint in any way during this show. He came up through an elevated platform in the middle of the field and led off with "Live Those Songs". The crowd was crazy and Chesney was playing off everything the audience had. He followed up with "Summertime" and "Beer in Mexico". The crowd was eating out of his hand by this time.

Chesney can sure work a crowd and the women love him (a few of the men did too!) A great rendition of "Big Star" followed and the crowd really got into "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" which led to a rash of bras being thrown at Chesney which ended up in a carefully organized pile on the rear of the stage near the drum kit. The guys joined in all over the crowd by taking their shirts off! Just a note, some of you should NOT do this!

"Shiftwork" followed and this song angered the guy next to me who I had been talking to for the entire show. As a huge George Strait fan, he was hoping Strait would be there. When Chesney announced "Ladies and gentlemen, George Strait!" he and the rest of the crowd went nuts. This was soon followed by a "got you guys!!!". We should have known that Strait wouldn't actually be there but for just a moment....

"Living in Fast Forward", "Young" and "Never Wanted Nothing More" were up next then the special guest began to show up. Chesney announced that he had a San Francisco favorite to bring out on stage and it was STEVE MILLER!!!! WOW!!! The crowd was really excited when they kicked into a great version of the classic "The Joker". By this time the "toking" behind us had begun and there was no doubt that this was going on all over AT&T Park. They continued with "Rockin Me" which also was a wonderful sing-a-long. While Steve Miller has gotten older, he's still rockin!!!

Chesney played the new single off the album and also had a duet with Kix Brooks with "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" and a crowd favorite "Back Where I Come From". The crowd loved that Chesney had lots of pictures of San Francisco during this song and even talked about his bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge which he said was one of the greatest experiences of his life.

The show began to come to a close following this but not before one more guest: The Red Rocker himself, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer SAMMY HAGAR!!! They did a great rendition of "I'll Fall in Love Again" and really got the crowd going during the final song of the set "I Can't Drive 55". In all my years of going to Giants games, I don't know of AT&T Park ever being so loud!

The crowd chanted for an encore and Chesney of course obliged. "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" came on which always is enjoyed by all! When it comes to live songs, this is one which Chesney brings out all of his game. It can be dragged on forever.

*PLEASE NOTE A CHANGE FROM THE ORIGINAL POST: How Forever Feels was not the closing song. Unfortunately after 8+ hours the mind seems to go.

The crowd wanted more but by this time, there was nothing left to give. We had been at AT&T for over 8 hours and it was finally time to go home. There was nothing bad I could say at all about this show other than the problem that AT&T Park had with their sewer system.

This is NOT a tour to miss. Kenny Chesney lived up to his billing as the "Entertainer of the Year" and there was not one bad act on the bill. It seems that everytime you leave a show, you fell that it was the best concert you ever saw. I can say that I have been to a lot of shows and there is no doubt in my mind that this is a top 3 concert of all time for me.

I cannot wait for the show to come back around to the Bay Area again. Bravo to all of the acts and especially and to the crowd! This was one wild night in San Francisco! Pictures will be up soon!!!!