Half Way There.

1. A vacation to the Bahamas! LP and I need to get away.
2. Bay Area! We are moving from the Windy City.
3. A new job for the Niner!
4. Born Again! Because being born once is never enough.
5. Yuma, Arizona will finally get to meet the Niner... because we are going there for a wedding over Labor Day Weekend.

Today marks the half way point... week number 20. Yep, LP is going to have a little Niner or little LP. Next week we'll find out (hopefully, if someone opens their little legs) if it's a little Niner or a little LP. One physician the LP knows asked if we knew yet if we were having a hot dog or a bun. Classic.

So life is going to change... in a major way. We are doing everything we can to prepare for it all with lots of reading, and soon some classes to teach us the 101 of being a parent. Simultaneously we are overjoyed and freaked out. With no family anywhere near us we are going to do this by ourselves. That in itself is going to be a challenge but my parents did it with no family near by. And hopefully by the time he or she pops out I'll have a new job... because it's looking like I won't have my job due to some downsizing (people are downloading, not buying CDs).

So how will we do it? Day by day. One thing at a time. Lots of sacrifice. This is going to be the best change in my life... and I cannot wait. I'll be a Dad.

A Big Announcement?

Since my brain is empty when it comes to things to write about today... I will just let you know that tomorrow's entry has a big surprise in it. What could it be?

1. A vacation to the Bahamas! LP and I need to get away.
2. Bay Area! We are moving from the Windy City.
3. A new job for the Niner!
4. Born Again! Because being born once is never enough.
5. Yuma, Arizona will finally get to meet the Niner... because we are going there for a wedding over Labor Day Weekend.

SP20.

Some time this year... not sure the actual date, but some time this year Sub Pop is turning 20 years old. They are throwing a huge party in the Northwest with tons of current bands playing, and some old favorites getting back together to perform for the celebration.

Sup Pop was the label I was most obsessed with during my college years in the mid 90's. The bands they were putting out just never seemed to disappoint me. Many of these records I still own by bands like Seaweed, Codeine, Mudhoney, Eric's Trip, Pond, Hazel, Love Battery, and Velocity Girl. Oh those were the days. I spent more time listening to those tunes over and over, and trying to find all of the 7"s, than I did on my studies. It was what got me excited.

Sub Pop went through a few years in the late 90's and early 2000's which they were putting out lots of releases I could not give a hoot about. It looked like the good days were just about done for the label and then it all started to turn around. In the past couple of years they have been releasing great records once again. In the past few months they have released great albums by the Gutter Twins, Band of Horses, Kelley Stoltz, No Age, Fleet Foxes, Foals, and Helio Sequence.

Maybe I should of studied a little (or a lot) more in college. And maybe I should not of dumped all of my money into 7"s that were $3-$4 each that I listened to a few times and then filed away. But when I look back at my early twentysomething years I know that a big part of that great soundtrack came from Sub Pop.

File Under: Things I Just Don't Understand.

NASA has been in the news the past couple of days with the touch down of their Phoenix Mars Lander on (where else?) Mars.  NASA has dumped millions of dollars into this amazing high tech space craft which seems to do everything but make Eggs Florentine... and it sends back to Earth a bunch of black & white photos.  Really?  All that money does not guarantee all color images?  Because there is nothing like seeing pictures of the "Red Planet" in black & white.

Why Men Are Nasty.

At Tuesday's White Sox game I went into the bathroom to tinkle and the guy standing at the urinal next to me was multitasking:

1. Peeing.
2. Talking on his cell phone (he had one of those Star Trek-y ear set things).
3. Chugging a beer.

Yes, all at the same time. To make it complete... he did not wash his hands. Nasty.

SF: The Overview.

My photo of the sky in California.

I was so needing a break from the daily grind of life... and my trip to San Francisco was the perfect medication. When going to see family there never seems to be a dull moment, and usually I come back to Chicago completely worn out. But it's family, and it's good times. The warm weather did me and LP a whole lot of good. So here is the overview of the trip.

Movies Watched on Flights:
27 Dresses: Not bad. I would like to watch the uncut version some time (you know chick flicks are my favorite).
The Bucket List: Not good. It's nice to watch a movie on a plane where both leads die. Ooops... spoiler alert a little late.

San Francisco Events Attended:
3 Giants' games.

San Francisco Events Not Attended:
Bay to Breakers
Gay Marriage Rallies in the Castro

Favorite Quotes:
"I'll bury you." Said by some 'rioded douche on Crissy Field that could not control his dog... which almost peed on my nephew. My brother told him to get control of his dog. Douche replied that he should cool it and it was just a dog. My brother told him again to get a hold of his dog unless he wanted his dog peed on by my nephew. Then douche let my brother know that he could bury him. What an idiot. Later another dog came by and took a dump on our sandcastle. [Lesson: If you need help being buried, go to Crissy Field.]

"If you're gay and don't do nothin' - then you're a waste-a-gay." Said by some really high dude on the bus ride from ORD to home. He went on to explain that his gay brother lived in San Francisco and at least he did stuff like go on trips to Italy and Spain. So he was doing stuff, so he was not a waste-a-gay. I asked if he would go on the trips with his brother and the response was, "Wut man, are you crazy? I'm not gay!" And then he told one of his buddies on the bus that I (yes, me) was totally gangsta because I went to SF to see the White Sox lose (which they actually won all three games). [Lesson: Gay people need to travel to Italy and Spain or they are not gay. I guess that is their Mecca?]

"Oregon Sucks! That's where the short bus is from." Said by some drunk Giants fan when he found out the White Sox fan he was heckling (very poorly I must add) was not from Chicago, but from Oregon. [Lesson: Who knows.]

Slides I went down:
1. The top slide at AT&T Park.

Slides I missed:
Too many to count.

Highlight:
Biking to the games with my brother through the neighborhoods.

Lowlight:
Having to bike home after the game... uphill.

SF: The Photos.

Since I am playing catch up today from being out of the house and out of the office... I am just posting some photos from the trip. Tomorrow hopefully will be my post about my trip to SF... it was perfect.
It was straight up hot for the first couple of days on the trip to the Bay Area... but it felt great. Chicago has been stuck in the 60's lately, so the sun and warmth did the body good.

There were no clouds in the sky... just a perfect blue that made the photos turn out great. I used to climb this tree when I was a kid.

We found time to go to Crissy Field and sit in the sand for a couple hours. Some of the dog owners there are kind of lame... and one was a complete tool.

There are five slides in the outfield at AT&T Park... I had to go down one of them. My friend LJ and I were the only people in line without kids. It was a blast.

LP & I in the sun... I always have a double chin in photos. Not sure how to get rid of them. It bothers me.

If you ever wanted to know what the back of Niner's ear looks like... well wonder no more.

My pal LJ came down from PDX to hang out and see three days of baseball with me and my brother.

There is this shop in the Castro called Hot Cookie. We had a fun time making fun of it, until we walked passed it to realize it actually sold cookies. Mmmmm... cookies.

This is my four year old nephew's blanket... or what's left of it. It's straight up nasty.

The Good & The Bad, Volume 23.

Last night was game one of a new softball season. The rains that were forcasted held off until the final out (which was called off early because of darkness) and we won. We not FredSox this year... the new team name is Monkey Knife Fight. Why? I could not tell you. I just wear the uniform and play. The team has a few new members and at the end of the game I found out one of them works for an ad agency. Not sure about all of the details... but in the next few weeks I'll make sure to. Maybe this is my break to finding a new job? And then, maybe not. You never know. It's something that gives me hope. I need hope these days.

I also need a vacation... so LP and I are on a plane today to San Francisco. It's a trip to see the family. And as an added bonus, the White Sox are playing the Giants so three more baseball games for me! It feels like forever since I've been to SF so I am really looking forward to it.

All of this is so awesome... that something had to spoil it. Right? When I was walking up the stairs of the L station last night I pulled my back. Not sure how exactly, but I can tell you it sucks. I seem to do this at the beginning of each softball season, but this one is the worst. And joy, I get to sit for more than four hours on a plane today.

MIT RIP Sniff Sniff.

Once again I am doomed and disappointed. Add one more show to the long long list of shows I got into at the beginning that did not make it to season three. ABC pulled the plug on one of my current favorite television shows... Men In Trees. Damn you ABC! You have this absolutely fantastic little show that is near perfect in character development and a perfect blend of comedy and drama (dramadie) and you go a give it that axe. And yet you have the time and money to bring back a new season of The Bachelorette?

The Chicago Tribune writer Maureen Ryan hit it right on the nose in her column: "Good ensemble dramadies are not easily created, and 'Men In Trees' has more heart and earnest insight than most."

As Queen Recken would say... Sadcakes. And sadcakes indeed since there are only three episodes left.

Almost Celebrity Sighting.

I really do not have time to write today... so this will be short.  This morning on my walk to work I saw Rachael Ray walk out of the Southport Grocery (it's a place to eat).  Since I have not had a celebrity sighting in a while I was excited.  She was walking down the street with some lady and I was right behind them.  I got my camera phone all ready and when we got to the corner I snap the photo when she turned around.

1. The photo did not come out it was so blurry it could be anyone (no, it's not the one above).
2. It was not Rachael Ray... it was just some lady who thought I was a creep taking her photo.

Oh joy.

Mandals & Jorts.

It's that time of the year... the weather has been warming up so out come the skirts, shorts, flipflops, grills, and good times.  And sadly also comes the not so good... bee stings, sun burns, mandals, and jorts.  

Why oh why do jorts (jean shorts - especially with pleats) and mandals (man sandals - especially with socks) exist?  We are talking about men's fashion here since women have good choices of sandals (hopefully without socks) and cutoff jean shorts can sometimes look good.  It is too often in the summertime I see a man in pleated jorts and mandals with socks.  Who is looking after this poor guy?  Doesn't he have anyone in his life to let him know he is killing people with his lack of fashion?

This summer's goal: take pictures of men in mandals & jorts and post photos.  Then study them all and come up with a good Halloween costume.

Rubber Band Ball.

On my desk at work I have a rubber band ball. It's about the size of a softball. It was given to me by a former co-worker in the Portland office. I did watch her start it... so I know it's all rubber bands (not a baseball covered in a few layers of rubber bands). And no, it's not all colorful like the one that is pictured above.

I have not added much to it in the past four years, but lately I've it's been on my mind. I have for some reason been thinking that I need to add to this ball. Why? No clue, just seems like something that needs to be done. I refuse to buy rubber bands... I just wait for them to arrive to add on. The only good source of rubber bands for me is the US mail since our mail is often bundled. This is all good and fine... but I've found myself in the past week picking up a few random rubber bands off the ground on my walk to work.

What am I thinking? When did I become a scrounge?

Politics.

Last night when I was driving to pick up LP from class I was stopped at a red light on Ashland and found the scene quite amusing, or maybe sad. The car in front of me had a bumper sticker that read "No Blood for Oil." The corner we were stopped at had a gas station where the price of gas was $4.05 per gallon (for regular gas, not mid-grade or high-grade).

Now I'm not one to wear my politics on my sleeve, or on the bumper of my car... but I could not help but laugh. President Bush just might go down as the worst President of all time. Sure our Congress right now has the worst approval rating of our time, but that war for oil worked out really well didn't it?