Random thoughts

Disney on Ice

1. Disney on Ice was decent. There I said it. I thought it was going to be painful but I had no problem sitting there and watching it.
2. Have you EVER heard of free parking at United Center? Yeah, me either. FREE. Disney on Ice was free parking. Crazy!!
3. Nothing else was free...nothing...

Cincinnati

4. I have never had Skyline Chili before. What the hell took me so long???? It was fabulous!
5. Oktoberfest in Kentucky was great. Good rides for the kids and good beer for the Neyer and I. Oh and good people watching for the ladies.
6. I was super impressed by the bar Neyer built in his basement. It is very impressive and very big.

Sports

7. Go Elway!
8. I am in two fantasy football leagues and if it wasn't for the drafts, I would not be in any. Draft is the highlight of the year. Always is.
9. I am excited to watch the baseball playoffs and am really not ready to hear about football all the time.

Upcoming Weekend

10. Michelle is out of town in DC visiting Kathryn. I am a single parent!!!!!!!!
11. Yes, I am running to the suburbs for help...
12. Trying to decide if I am going to pick up Samantha at like 4 pm on Friday and go do something fun as father-daughter. We could go to the zoo, hit up Navy Pier, go bowling, etc.

13. If you have any other ideas on what we could do, let me know.

New year, new blog

One of my goals for the year is to keep this blog up and running. I want two blogs a week. You might think...well we are already 12 days in. Fine...last week was a bit of a punt on my end. My only excuse is that I was broken from my trip to Cinci and then when I got better, I got sick again. I even called in sick to work two days in a row...I had never done that before.

Brings me to a few thoughts I have...

1. A-Team the movie...I watched it last week. I loved it. Keep in mind that I loved the show as a kid. The movie did a great job of keeping true to the show. It was a fun action movie.

2. I saw my first 3D movie, Chronicles of Naria. I loved those books as a kid. The movie was filmed exclusively in 3D. I really liked it and I was impressed with the new technology. It was a great picture. Since I already wear glasses, wearing some more did not bother me. I dont think I would buy a 3D tv any time soon. Not sure I want to be wearing those glasses all the time at home. Sports in 3D would be pretty sweet though...It would be a fun idea for a bar to have a 3D tv.

3. Even though I was off of work for like 10 days around the new year, it did not feel like a vacation. I mean I had a blast on every turn those 10 days took me but by the end I was exhausted. Strange really. It honestly felt good to get back into a rhythm at home.

4. I am especially angry with Loyola basketball. The start of the season was so good. I should know better but I was dumb enough to have high hopes on our in-conference play. Boy was I wrong! No more expectations...this team is terrible. Is it time to fire Coach Whitesell??? I think so.

5. Gambling makes everything more fun. It is proven time and time again. This season of Top Chef I started an office pool around the show. I have never had more fun watching Top Chef. I need to incorporate gambling into my life more.

"Money won is twice as sweet as money earned." - Fast Eddie (RIP Paul Newman)

Summer TV and the upcoming weekend

As we are in the middle of summer, I figured this would be a good time to go over a few shows I am watching.

New ones:

Pretty Little Liars - Let me tell you that I found this show and not Michelle. yes, it is true and I love it! The season finale just happened and I am quite interesting in seeing where it is going next season.

New seasons...

Jersey Shore Season 2 - I loved this last year. LOVED! This year is not disappointing either.
Big Brother - New cast. new fun. I am shocked that an early alliance is still hiding.
Real World - I believe I am too old for this but it is in new orleans...I could not miss it!
Psych - The original mentalist....
Royal Pains - Another show I found a couple years ago that I love.
FNL - One of my favorite shows of all time...yeah I said it.
Top Chef DC - I am SHOCKED by who got sent home last night...SHOCKED!!!!

That is all I can think of right now.

This weekend is Bryan and Mary's wedding. I am so excited. There will be family and LOTS of friends there, friends that I have not seen in forever. Another wrinkle for me is that I am best man. I am honored with the role but am a little nervous for the speech. On the bright side, it is written and ready to go. You see I have stood up in a good amount of weddings but this is my first time being best man. I just hope I don't screw up!

St. Louis this weekend is upper 90s and humid...great time to be in a tux...yikes!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Yeah Friday!

For this Friday, I am going to list some random thoughts.

1. How is it possible that Samantha is the most tan person in our family???? I need to play outside during the day. Outside breaks - we all need them!

2. My softball team is struggling offensively. I have that same issue. I need to stop pressing and let the ball come to me. I think batting cages would be a good idea.

3. Wedding this weekend is going to be a lot of fun! Ross and Erin getting married. Spending time with the Wilken family.

4. Usually when I am hanging out with Barry the night does not end before 4 am. Uh oh. Saturday could be a looooooooooong day.

5. I am having the hardest time keeping up with a regular workout schedule. No motivation. Need to figure out some outside workouts.

6. Is it just me or has this summer so far been really hot? Last night's softball game was brutal.

7. Nice work Elway on getting 2nd place in the golf tournament last week!

8. Fubar went to Dodger stadium a few days ago and brought me back a James Loney bobblehead. It is a new addition to my desk!

9. My birthday is quickly approaching. When can I start canceling these?

10. Have a great weekend!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

For St. Patrick's day I will list a bunch of random thoughts in bullet form.

• Samantha is 363 days old. Two more...two more...It has been quite the year.
• On Saturday instead of drinking over 20 beers, I got the oil changed in the jeep and worked out in the afternoon. Quite a change of pace. I did split a bottle of wine with my wife over a sushi dinner. My liver was the big winner on Saturday.
• Biggest loser was good last night. I like the Samoans. I think it is inevitable that someone from the blue team will win the money but you never know.
• Speaking of fat people, why does medical insurance reward laziness? Let's say that I get lazy, eat bad and gain 100 lbs. I go to the doctor and get blood pressure prescription because well, my heart is being overworked. The doctor visit and the drugs are covered expense. However, hiring a nutritionist or a personal trainer is not covered. If people are serious about preventive care, should it not start with them? Glad I got that off my chest.
  
• Bryan's bachelor party in New Orleans is starting to take shape. I am getting excited. Ok. I am excited! Will someone be arrested? I would say that it is better than even money!
• This weekend Samantha is having a birthday party at my parents' house. I am looking forward to a weekend in the burbs.
• Next week's episode of Lost is about Richard. I. CAN. NOT. WAIT!!!!!!
• I hope Butler does well in the Tournament but I really think next year is their year.
• What am I saying???? Next year is Loyola's year!!!! No. It's not. So sad.
• Baseball season is right around the corner and for that matter so is summer. YESSS!

I hope everyone has a great St. Patrick's day!

Bad blogger!

Wow. November has been a blur and I have not been blogging. Between traveling for work, traveling for fun and Samantha having an ear infection in both ears, life has been a little hectic. Samantha is feeling better. I am in town for a while now so I am going to focus on bringing this blog back to life! A few bullets if you will.

• Congrats to Bryan and Mary. Bryan asked Mary to marry him and she said yes!
• Samantha is going to her first Loyola game tonight. I am excited.
• The Broncos' offense line is injured. Orton is injured. It is not looking good but they will finish with a wininng record. I never would have guessed that at the beginning of the year!
• I really want the fireman to win biggest loser but it will not happen. He has too much muscle. I think Danny wins it. That is my guess.
• Speaking of BL, I am excited for the show that goes back to past constestants. I can not wait to see people who put all the weight back on.
• Thanksgiving is Thursday. I have always loved Thanksgiving. I am excited. Hell, I am excited for the football game. Good times! Lets be honest thought. I am taking Wednesday off. I am most excited for 5 days of no work! WOOHOO!
• I can not believe how quickly this year is coming to an end. 5 weeks....

Happy Monday!

Week in Review

1. Last Friday was really really bad. First, my facebook account gets taken over. Even after changing my password multiple times, the hack continued. So I shut ti down and changed my password on a few different things just to be safe. Then a little later in the day, Orbitz called and said Delta cancelled our flight to the bahamas. So they are refunding our money. Thanks for playing!

2. Last Saturday was great but tiring. We went to Flattop for breakfast and then to a store to pick up an engagement gift. From there, we headed out to the burbs for Jeremy's basketball game. We then hit up the pumpkin farm which was sweet. It was bigger than I was expecting and a lot of fun. By the time we were back in the city, the Florida game was starting. Michelle and I then headed out to Ploth and Stacia's engagement party which was a great time. Again, great day but tiring!

3. Sunday was good but I could tell I was coming down with a cold. Sunday night I went over to Bryan's to watch a wrestling PPV and sticking with the tradition, ate popeyes during the event. Lately I have been eating really clean so Popeyes did a ton of damage to my system!

4. The week started off slow and I stayed home on Tuesday. Luckily by Wednesday I was feeling much better!

5. The rest of the week has been quiet and today I am heading to a Loyola luncheon. Consider me fired up! Also this afternoon, we are heading to Samantha's daycare for a Halloween party. I am sure Michelle will have awesome pictures on her post afterwards.

6. Loved Christie's comment on my scary movie blog. These are things I am looking for.

7. This number will forever be retired for Elway.

8. I realized recently that time change in the fall is hell on parents. We are going to move the clocks back but that just means Samantha will wake up an hour earlier. There will be no "gaining an hour". Yikes...

9. Have a great weekend and even better Halloween! Please let the Gators win tomorrow...Please...

Random thoughts

First, softball last Thursday did not turn out so well. We just did not play well and lost 10-3. This week is a bye and I expect the team to bounce back nicely.

I watched UFC 100 on Saturday and have a few thoughts about the event.
1. It was a great card, well worth the $55.
2. I loved Brock Lesnar's post interview. He is playing the role of villain nicely.
3. I also loved Dan Henderson's post interview. How packed was the Monte Carlo bar?
4. Speaking of Dan Henderson, keep me away from his right hand. WOW.
5. With Lesnar's skill set now, it will be really hard for him to lose.
6. The cheeseburger cupcakes Michelle made looked amazing and tasted even better!
7. GSP needs to go up a weight class and take on Silva. He is too good at his current weight!

Sunday, we went up to Milwaukee to watch the Dodgers/Brewers game. The weather was perfect. Highway 94 was the opposite of the weather. It took close to 2.5 hours to get back to my house. There is construction everywhere!

Happy Tuesday!

Randomness

1. The weekend was good. My wife did a great job of summarizing the last four days on her blog.
2. Sunday was great. It was a lazy day of watching golf, playing Wii, and taking naps.
3. Watching little league is fun but it can really drag on. Three hours for a game is too long. Both of my nephews are better players than I ever was. That is not saying much though.
4. I love little league concession stands. So cheap and so good.
5. Now that summer is finally here, the family needs to hit the pool at Hamlin park.
6. Heading this Friday to Minneapolis for a wedding. Lets just say June was a very busy month!
7. Love the #7. Elway!!!

Happy Monday!

Its Friday!

It is Friday and the weekend is here. YEAH! So here are some thoughts.

1. Cutler is gone from Denver and now in Chicago. I liked him as a player but this whole debacle needed to end. So good luck Cutler. Hope you do well in Chicago.
2. Samantha blew by her birth weight this week and gained 10 oz. She is just under 7 lbs.
3. This week's biggest loser was another example of how stress can bite you in the arse. This week was pretty boring. The same people that we started with we have now. Great...
4. Baseball season starts this Sunday. I am super excited. I may have to catch some of the first game.
5. Now that we are getting more settled in with Samantha, I need to start hitting the gym more regularly. It is very hard to leave the house once I am there though.
6. I really dont have a 6th point but I just wanted to end on 7 so I am filling this is with absolutely nothing. HAHAHAHA.
7. Have a happy FRIDAY and WEEKEND!

Worst blog ever...

Random thoughts from the weekend

1. Any weekend in which I wear my pajamas over 80% of the time is a good weekend. There is no other way to put it.
2. Say what you want about Tiger Woods but he is the greatest pressure putter of all time. It is unreal. If he has to make a putt to win, there is a 100% chance of going in. It is just unreal.
3. Michelle's parents left Sunday which means it is down to just Michelle and I. Yikes.
4. Not even a snow storm could stop us from taking Samantha to a bar for lunch on Sunday. Parents of the year? Maybe!
5. I believe at 9 days old, Samantha is the youngest person ever to be in the Purple Otter. Way to go Samantha!
6. In the morning, watching snow pile up on the ground was a huge blow to morale. Watching it melt away in the afternoon was a big boost to morale. Go away winter!
7. Pete's pizza is really good. We have had it twice in one week. Yeah!
8. Baby doc appointment on Wednesday. Hopefully she has gotten back to her baby weight. That was her homework for the week.
9. Have a great week everyone!

Lost, ECV, Random thoughts

1. I know Michelle wrote about this but it really freaked me out that Lost mentioned "External Cephalic Version" the night before Michelle went to the hospital to have it done.
2. It was good to do a dry run at the hospital. I am totally taking a cooler with me for the real things. Keep that thing loaded with bottles of water.
3. This weekend was great. I watched many movies, read a book, and as Michelle has said, we finished the baby's room.
4. I rolled a 509 last night. I did not get anything going until the last game. I missed 5 single pin spares last night and none of them were the 10 pin. That is quite the contrast from Tuesday night. We were in 3rd place but got swept. Oops.
5. This week will be my last full week of work for the next few weeks. Yikes.
6. March 19, first day of March madness, the birth has been scheduled.
7. I heart John Elway.

Cheers!

5 day weekends

I know I have no posted in a while. I apologize. Three days in San Diego and then the weekend wore me out. Hahaha. Actually I had a blast and I will have a separate blog just about my round on the south course. Here are some thoughts from the last 5 days.

1. I bought a book in the airport before getting on the plane to San Diego. It is called Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman. It was a fun book. I recommend it. I thought it was a great book to read while traveling.
2. Yes, Torrey Pines is home to a great golf course but just north of the lodge are these amazing hiking trails that take you all the way down to the ocean. I loved these trails and wished Chicago had something like that.
3. The weather was perfect the entire time we were there and the view is amazing. Landing in Chicago to 40 degree weather made me rethink where I live.
4. Most hotels, a bottle of water is hard to find and it usually costs $5. Where we stayed, all you had to do was ask an employee for a bottle of water and it was in your hands in 5 seconds. I found this strange.
5. Sprinkles cupcakes are the best cupcake I have ever had. Nothing comes close (so far but I will keep testing...). Thank you Michelle for picking those up in LA.
6. I love flying home on Friday. I then have Saturday and Sunday to recover. Ha!
7. I had the best commute to the airport I will ever have. On last Tuesday, due to the Obama gathering downtown, no one was leaving the city. I left my desk at 5:05 pm. I was THROUGH SECURITY at Ohare at 6:05 pm. I had to park the car in economy and it still was nothing. Ohare was empty. Yeah, you just heard me right.
8. Last but probably should have led with it. Happy birthday mom!

Have a good week!

Random thoughts

Ok, a few things.

1. As you probably already know, we are expecting a baby girl. I am excited to say that everything is healthy and I now have motivation to lifft weights for the next 20 years.
2. Last Friday was a lot of fun. The Dark Knight on the IMAX was amazing. There were some good joker costumes including the nurse Joker. Also, I had never been to Bubba Gump before. I enjoyed it.
3. Saturday was even more fun even though Liverpool flat out blew the match. I mean...WTF! LU won but does not look very strong. It is early though. Florida football is hitting stride at the right time of year...holy cow!
4. I am super excited about flying to San Diego. I have been to San Diego briefly before but staying at Torrey Pines...wow. I found out I am playing the same course they played the open on. I am going to shoot 150!
5. I am not sure if there will be a top 5 tomorrow. It all depends on the wireless situation at the lodge. haha.
6. Go Vote! Despite what the media says (they did give the presidency to Kerry in 2004), this race is closer than most think. Luckily by the time I land, it will already be decided...probably not....
Cheers!