And I am GONE

The time has come people. I am in St. Cloud at CitEscape for the last time. I am mostly very excited to be letting go of the company that I helped to grow from nothing, but there is a small amount of sadness leaving the guys who have worked, for the most part, very hard to help. As most of you know, my feelings about the town of St. Cloud are not good. As a matter of fact, I have lived in many parts of the world and even in third world countries, and I can honestly say that I would rather live in those countries than in St. Cloud Minnesota. When I hit the road today knowing that my days in this town are over for good (and I will NEVER take another job there) it will be one of the best days of my professional life. If you ever have the chance to go there, don't. If you look to your right I have placed a new link to the company I will be working for. I hope you all had a great Christmas and have a wonderful New Year.

Moving on...

In the previous post, I talked a little about the boxing match that happened last weekend. Ricky Hatton lost and, I think, he had a decent showing. The hand speed of Mayweather was just too good. Anyway, I wanted to let all of you know that I have accepted a position as a project manager for ADC Inc. I am leaving CitEscape effective January 1st, 2008. I had some very rewarding experiences at CitEscape. I helped start and build the company for more than 3 years but it is time to move on as the past year has been quite challenging. My new job will be 15 minutes from my house and they made me an offer that I couldn't refuse. With this change, Jessica will need a new vehicle to drive and I will be taking our truck. We are going to purchase a 2006 Saab 9.3. Jess loves it and I am comfortable with the reliability and security of the car. So, there you have it. The winds of change have definitely blown my way and here is looking to our future.

Floyd Mayweather SUCKS, Go Hatton!

I am a boxing fan and so is Cub. There is a big fight this weekend on pay per view with two fighters who could not be more different. Floyd Mayweather, pictured on the right, is a great undefeated American fighter. He comes from a broken home. He is unbelievably wealthy and flaunts it. He is extremely arrogant and very hard to cheer for. He talks extensively about his wealth and his cars and his jewelry. His opponent this weekend is also an undefeated fighter hailing from Manchester England. His name is Ricky Hatton and he is pictured on the left. Hatton comes from a middle class nuclear family and grew up in pubs. He will be in Vegas this weekend along with 20,000 screaming and mostly intoxicated Brits. Hatton travels with an enormous fan base who turn the stadium into an enormous party. It is something to see. Hatton is a modest man and is obviously and vocally tired of hearing Mayweather flaunt his wealth. On Saturday night, it will be on at our house and I want to extend the invitation whoever would like to show up. Have a great weekend.

The Mighty Zeppelin - click here

Remember when you first heard the opening chords to Kashmir by Led Zeppelin? I do, and I can tell you it made me a believer. Well, they are back and right in time. Zep is reuniting for a tribute concert that started off as a one time show but word on the street is that a full blown tour is being planned. Now, if you have read previous posts, you know how pissed I was about Van Halen charging a ton of money to see their reunion tour. I was so angry about it that I sent their management a nice note letting them know. When Zeppelin comes to town, in my mind, they have earned the right to charge higher prices for the show. I mean, come on, IT IS LED ZEPPELIN! They have influenced almost every rock band directly or indirectly since forming. They have arguably the best ax slinger and front man in the history of rock music. With all of this said and if you were not aware, the original drummer John Bonham, passed away in 1980. Interestingly, he was found dead with more than 40 shots of vodka in his body. Bonham's son Jason will take his place on this potential tour. I will be there come hell or high water when and if they come to Minneapolis. There is also some more good news on the reunion front. Extreme is also reuniting for a tour and maybe a new album. I have always liked the playing of Nuno Bettencourt on the guitar. He was, unfortunately and unfairly, put into the same category and the hacks who played in many bad hair metal bands. He deserves more and I hope he finally receives his credit. Have a good weekend.

ALREADY!?

It is here, again. The Holidays are upon us and with it comes traveling, too much food, gifts, and many more things that I could live without. I know that you are thinking that I am a scrooge, but hell, it is a lot to deal with. I love seeing family, but when you have 5 sides to try and get to, it is a bit much. But, we will grin and bear it and smile and nod and blah blah blah. The fun part is seeing my nieces open their gifts I have to say. I keep thinking that there are going to be large changes in my professional life in the very near future and as the weeks go by it seems to be getting closer and closer. I will not reveal or announce anything yet, but in due time and with some good luck I will be able to. I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy your time off.

The Vikings worst game EVER?!

My oh my. My my my. Dear Lord, was that Vikings/Packers game disgusting. So, allow me to start with a little background on my love/hate relationship with the Minnesota Vikings. My brother and I have been hardcore fans of this team for a very long time. We make sure that we are in front of the television every Sunday to catch the Purple battle with their opponent. The team has a new coach named Brad Childress. Horrible. He is horrible. I am passionate about how horrible he is as a coach. Last week, the Vikings running back, Adrian Peterson, got the record for yards in a single game. This fact gave us and the entire world of sports excitement about the team and this player. So, going into a division rivalry with the Green Bay Packers we had hope. Those hopes were dashed by the end of the first quarter. They embarrassed all of us. We were made to look like fools and I am squarely blaming it on the man in the picture. How can a team go from such a high to such a low without pointing a finger at this man? The Vikings lost to the packers 34 - 0. 0! We did not score one point. I am starting a movement to take back this team. Fire this coach, bring back Coach Uncle Burnsie, pull Tommy Cramer off of his bar stool and let him throw for the purple. Having old men on the field and losing is acceptable. Having paid professionals out there and being embarrassed like we were on Sunday is not. Zygie Wylf, call an owner who knows what they are doing or better yet, sell the team. Go away. I want winners not you who are losers. Readers, rant away.

BOO!

Happy Halloween to all of you! Jessica and I will be handing out candy to the seemingly 2 million kids in our neighborhood. I am thinking about getting something nice for the nieces and a few neighbor kids. I finally get a night off from helping on the deck. It is almost done folks. There will be a party when it is. I think that we will have the nicest deck in the 'hood when it is all done. Have a good week and a great weekend.

Pheasants and Shooter

Well, I got to go out pheasant hunting yesterday for the first time in a few years. I went with my friend Sam and his dog Morgan. We hunted state property and did not see much. We had a good time walking the fields anyway. Also, Shooter Jennings (pictured) is playing again tonight at the Cabooze. We will be there for the third time in as many years. It is a great time nd we usually run into old friends. Shooter has a new album out titled "The Wolf" and it is really awesome. I suggest you pick it up and have a listen. If you like non traditional, outlaw style country, you will like his new CD. Have a good weekend.

Hello Cello

In case you haven't seen Hank in a while, here he is with Jessica. My cute little niece Brooklyn likes to say "Hello Cello" quite frequently, so I used it as a title. Anyway, this week has been a bit strange. Jessica got to meet and talk to my Dad's Mother who was in town for the funeral of my uncle. She brought along a few other West Virginia hillbillies and we all had a few laughs. The funeral was very very sad. I have not seen so much sadness nor have I experienced it. Anyway, life has now returned to normal. Jessica and I may be going out with Joe and Michelle for dinner tonight, that will be fun (maybe Cub, Amber, Mike, and Liz will join). AND I think we may actually get my deck done finally! So, look for a deck party coming up in the near future as long as it will stop freaking raining. This state has been Seattle for a few months. Record rainfalls here has been depressing but we will get a break tomorrow. Have a good weekend.

This is just a Tribute

Last night my brother called me and told me that he had just gotten off the phone with our Dad. He told me that my Uncle Brent had just died. Uncle Brent was at dinner with some buddies at a restaurant and went to his truck to go home. Someone found him slumped over the steering wheel and called an ambulance. He made it to United hospital and passed away. I have fun memories of Uncle Brent. He was hilarious, and fun to be around. He was always cracking jokes. His wife, my Aunt Terry, relied on him due to her M.S. He has one daughter who seems to be really stepping up to help her Mom. I wanted to post this as a tribute to Uncle Brent. May he rest in peace.

Jury Duty...

Carver County has moved into a new century and in doing so they have researchers that select potential jurors for civil and criminal trials. Having said that, I was called into be a juror and was ultimately selected to sit on a 12 member jury for a criminal trial early this week. With work as hectic as it is right now, I had a bit of pressure to get in and get out but in thinking about it I decided it would be best to forget about work and do my civic duty. The case was a bit silly in that the state was charging a man with "Terroristic Threats" against his on again/off again girlfriend. The two of them have both served time in Hennepin County for various domestic issues. With that being said, we had the girlfriend and the arresting officers take the stand to testify. It was pretty interesting to be a part of the process and watch and listen to the whole story knowing it would soon by our turn to determine the fate of someone. The trial took until about 2:30 pm (with an hour lunch) and then it was handed over to the jury. The evidence was weak and the state's case was just as weak. We all determined the defendant not guilty knowing, however, that he would be back in the court system sooner or later. He was guilty of being an idiot, damn guilty actually. ANYWAY, the Vikings have a bye week to try and get their shat together. They sure have their work cut out for them. I have a low key weekend finally and I am looking forward to relaxing a little. Have a great weekend!

The Deck, The Dog, and the Damn Vikings

Ahhh, fall. The time for fall colors, cool temperatures, and watching the stupid Minnesota Vikings embarrass the entire state. I can tell you, as a long time NON bandwagon fan, I am used to watching them suck. But, the kicker is, I still make it a point to sit down when I can and watch the men in purple make an attempt to have a good season. It has not happened for quite some time, but I will keep watching because I am an idiot. So, I have that going for me, which is nice. I got some guys over on Saturday and got a bunch of work done on the deck that never ends. On Sunday Ed and I knocked out the deck boards so we can actually walk on it. I love how it looks. You should come over and see it. Hank the dog is growing fast. He is really getting used to being home for most of the day with no one here and loves to play fetch. We will be taking him with us this weekend for a long weekend in Otter Tail County. Jessica's sister, Tiffany, is getting married in Fergus Falls. That is where I will be if any of you happen to drive up 94 towards Fargo, stop in. See you.

Van Damn Halen

Van Halen is EASILY the best band ever. Yes, I said it and I mean it. Set aside the drama of switching singers, rehabs, divorces, and cancer, this band rocks your face off. So, when I heard about the reunion with David Lee Roth I was giddy about seeing them live finally with DLR. The Van Halen brothers then decided to not bring back their original bass player, Michael Anthony, which pissed me off but I could look past it. THEN, the pricing for the shows came out. I saw them and sunk in my chair. I almost went into depression. I have been waiting on this show since I was 15 years old, that is half of my life! $150 PER SEAT! NO WAY will I be able to make that happen. Van Halen, my favorite band, has screwed me and many other fans who are budget conscious and I am pissed. I will still pop in the 1984 album and rock like hell but I will always be bitter about the greed by the promoters and the band.

SKOL VIKINGS!

YES! Your Minnesota Vikings had a great showing today and made the Michael Vick-less Atlanta Falcons look like crap. The defense shined as expected and our #1 draft pick, Adrian Peterson, looked great too. We had some nachos, a few beers, and a victory. What else could you ask for on a Sunday. Have a great week!

I am here!

I am alive, at least I think I am. Sorry for the long delay in posting everyone, it has been a busy few weeks. I hope you all had a wonderful labor day weekend and got out to enjoy it. Jess and I were out on the lake with some neighbors for the extra day in the weekend. It was a great time. We had lunch at Fletcher's and just relaxed. We are still chipping away on the deck. I am forced to wait on help from a high school friend, as he is the expert and has all of the tools. It looks like it may cool off considerable this weekend, which is welcomed at this point. Hank is doing well and he is now able to man the house all day while Jess and I are off breaking big rocks into little rocks. We should be around this weekend so as always, stop by and see us if you have time. Have a good weekend.

Concert Sunday

I wanted to let you all know that there is a fabulous concert going on this coming Sunday. I have talked about him before, but I am talking about him again. His name is Scott H Biram and he plays alone with his dirty sounding acoustic guitar, a harmonica, and a stomp box. He will be playing the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis on Sunday night and I will be there. I am, of course, having trouble getting commitments out of my friends but I don't care. Anyone in Minneapolis this Sunday the 19th, be there!

Dissapointed...

My plans fell through. Our annual trip to Road America in Elkhart Lake Wisconsin got canceled. My brother, due to his new job, had to skip it due to a trade show in Salt Lake City, and Tom decided not to go for a few reasons. I was very excited about this trip, but instead will have to stay home and try to get our deck pushed along. I also missed the Hank 3 concert last week because all of my friends have kids and suck. The good thing is, we will be able to go to the Carver County Fair this weekend in our hometown. It is fun to see the weird people that show up for this. Anyway, Hank (our dog) is doing very well adapting to life with the Sams'. He is growing up and really showing his personality. I will get some more pictures for you soon. Have a great weekend.

I found this picture...

in my photo album and thought it should be posted. It is Ground Zero in New York City taken on our trip in 2005. It was pretty emotional standing in that spot. I thought I would share it with you. Wow, what a crazy couple of weeks it has been. We spent last weekend framing a deck on our house. Apart from a few injuries (picture me doing an unwanted aerial flip while banging my knees on a wheelbarrow), everything went great. We will begin finishing work on it soon as well. The new puppy is coming around and figuring out that peeing on his old man's bed will get him a small ass whooping. Jessica is having her sister and a bunch of her friends come down next weekend. She is hosting a bachelorette party for her sister. So, that leaves me with no home for the weekend. I am unsure where I will go, but am open to suggestions. Have a good week.

Hank IV

Jessica and I are pleased to announce the newest member of our family. His name is Henry "Hank" Sams. He is a two month old Cockalier (half Cocker Spaniel, half Cavalier King Charles). He is extremely calm and very cute. Please come over and visit him as we want him to get to know all of you! He is very good with kids and other dogs. Enjoy your sleep.

It has been a while

Hi and apologies for the long absence. Jessica, Mom, Ed, and I spent 5 days traveling from the cabin in Brainerd up to Superior Shores (a little north of Two Harbors MN) for some much needed downtime over the long 4th of July Holiday. We don't have the opportunity to see Mom and Ed as much as the other two do, so we had a great time. The winds of change are blowing right now it would seem. Cub is changing career paths in a few weeks and he is very excited about it. Jessica and I will be adding a new member to our family on Sunday (obviously not a baby). I will post more on that soon. It seems as though everyone is looking for something new right now. I got some new marvelous hard rock albums (thanks Joe). Velvet Revolver and new Queens Of The Stone Age are my favorites right now. Smashing Pumpkins has a new one out too that I like. There are many concerts coming up so stay tuned for some reviews coming up. Jess and I will be around this weekend so call or stop by if you can. Have a good weekend.