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.

Scott H Biram - CLICK HERE!

Some of you may know who this guy is many of you may not. Scott H Biram is one of my favorite musical artists and the horrible thing about it is, not enough people in Minnesota know who he is. His site describes him best like this: "Rock 'n' Roll ain't pretty and neither is Scott H. Biram. The self proclaimed 'Dirty Old One Man Band' successfully, and sometimes violently, lashes together blues, hillbilly and country precariously to raucous punk and godless metal." He is coming in concert to a few venues up here and I want to get the word out. I want all of you people to come down to 7th Street Entry with me on August 19th at 8:00 p.m. for a fantastic live show. Pass it around to everyone and call me or email me for more details. Have a safe and wonderful weekend!

NEW NIECE!

Introducing the newest member of our family! Cub and Amber had their second daughter this weekend. Her name is yet to be determined, but I will post it as soon as I know. She was born on Saturday, June 23rd at 11:04 am. She was a big kid at 9 pounds, 7 ounces. Amber and the baby are doing great. We are all very excited to have her with us.

Cash Cab RULES - click here

Hi everyone. If you clicked on the link above you will find yourself at the home page of the newest and greatest game show on Discovery. There is a link on the site to take a quiz which can be fun if you need a break from working. It actually tests your brainhole (copyright Cody)! Check it out! Jessica and I are fairly wide open this weekend. We may do some outdoor work around the house, but not much else. Looking forward to relaxing and enjoying time with my wife. Have a good weekend

This is what happens...

when the three siblings get together to make an attempt at family photos. On a side note, I met Carl Eller at Floyd's Bar on Saturday night. He was there watching a reggae band. In case you don't know, he was a defensive lineman for the Vikings in the 70's and now an NFL Hall of Fame inductee.

It's Friday

I cannot emphasize enough how ready I am for this weekend, it has been a rough week. Jessica got to take yesterday and today off and plans to sit in a boat in the sun. I get to work. Anyway, I was just told by my friend Joe that Hank Williams III is coming back to town this August. We have seen him a few times and it is tons of fun. Speaking of fun (nice transition), there are negotiations in our house ongoing to get a dog. For those of you not in the know, this has been a swirling topic in our house for quite some time. Jessica and I are gone from the house quite a lot and we will have to rely on a little help for a few months. Thus, the negotiations. Stay tuned on this. On a different topic, I am really enjoying watching Twins Baseball this year. They put on a great show. Check it out if you have time. Last topic: I HATE, HATE, HATE, reality shows. With all of the good shows on hiatus, the only thing on TV are reality shows like "America's Got Talent." Oh well, more time to read a book or work out. Have a spectacular weekend!

Happy Friday

Clear as a bell! Who gives a rat's ass about her! Why are we being bombarded with this junk! I cannot stand the American Media. Also in the news, President Bush is reportedly "suffering from a stomach ailment." Once again, why is this news? He is in Germany, 13 should have been his limit on Schnitzengruben. Anyway, it is supposed to be great in Minnesota this weekend. The guys may hit happy hour tonight. We will see if the guys with the wives and kids even show up. My buddy Joe delivered some great new music to me yesterday that I have really been enjoying. New Queens of The Stone Age is fabulous. Everyone have a great weekend!