After an adventurous first few days, it was time to actually "earn" the trip so to speak. I woke up, showered, and hit the road ... not knowing where I was going to spend the next night ... but I left my bags in the Westin Dublin hotel room just in case.
The drive into work was interesting as traffic in the vicinity of Dublin is totally insane. Thankfully I was headed out of town whereas all of the heavy traffic was on the way in. All in all I would say it took about 40-45 minutes to drive into work ... but it's an interesting drive full of narrow lanes and semi-confusing roundabouts (which are a rather interesting way to move traffic). Once you have been through the roundabout a few times ... you start to get a feel for how not to completely annoy all of the local drivers. Due to a slight issue negotiating the last roundabout on the way into Intel, I wound up in the wrong parking lot, heading in the wrong direction on the Intel campus. On the bright side, I got a nice driving tour of the campus, and once I was parked (a real interesting thing to attempt when driving a car on the right hand side!) it was into the building to start the work-day.
Monday was not to be a heavy day as far as work goes ... the morning consisted of breakfast with the group we are working with ... and a few meetings. Then on to lunch ... a few more meetings ... and a terrible fright from a project perspective. It seems that the project that we were to start the next day hit a snag when the building facility maintenance project that was to happen at the same time was postponed due to bad weather. It was a tenuous few hours the project managers negotiated to continue with "my" project ... albeit a few hours later than we were supposed to start. The day ended a bit late, but it was mainly due to attending meeting and chatting/IM'ing with folks from Arizona.
One of the MOST important parts of my work day was to check in with the Intel Ireland travel agency to see what the status of my reservation is/was. I went to visit with the gal that was responsible for my reservations ... and SUPRISE ... she was not in on Monday. Luckily another gal that was working was able to find my "card" and said she would follow up on the status of my hotel. About 30 minutes later I received an email from her that cleared all the smoke from the situation ... my hotel reservation was actually made for the Fitzwilliam Hotel and the confirmation number was in their format. The travel agent had inadvertently typed "Westin Dublin" instead of "Fitzwilliam Hotel"!!!! Um ... not sure how you can make that mistake ... but the gal that helped figure it out was very apologetic and made sure that my reservation was still valid for the rest of my stay.
Leaving work the driving continued to get easier ... and I was determined to get to the Westin and get checked out, so I could then get checked into the Fitzwilliam. When I arrived at the Westin and spoke to the desk agent, she was very accommodating and mentioned that since I arrived so late and was trying to check out, that she would have to check with her manager to see if I would be charged for an extra night. Thankfully I was not charged ... so it was quickly up to my room to collect my bags ... and off to the Fitzwilliam hotel. The route from one to the other is WILD ... weaving in and out of the streets of Dublin.
I arrived at the Fitzwilliam and allowed the concierge to valet park my car ... not remembering that I left my bags in the boot of the car (read: trunk). I checked in and proceeded up to my room ... walked in ... and almost choked ... I had been given a smoking room!! (Can I catch a break on this trip?!). I phoned down to the reception desk to ask if there were any non-smoking rooms ... and of course ... there was not but they would switch me the next night. So it was a stinky night in the Fitzwilliam.
The night was young ... and Brian had text'ed me about having dinner and was asking where to meet. I didn't think I could fit the directions to get to my hotel in a text message ... so I told him to meet me at the Westin, and we'd go from there. I was off to walk from the Fitzwilliam hotel to the Westin ... and the best part was that I had no idea where I was going. I knew the general direction ... and started out that way ... but I came upon Trinity College and was baffled by the large wall and the fact that, again, I had no idea where I was. So I started off in an "easterly" direction ... and kept on walking ... and walking ... and walking ... until I finally figured out that I was lost ... and I should stop and ask for directions. After speaking to a nice young lady in the Alexander hotel she put me on the right path to get to the Westin ... ugh! 55 minutes later I met Brian and we walked around for another 20 minutes looking for a place to eat ... when we stumbled upon a place that Caoimhe had recommended (but if you didn't know where to look you would have never found) called the Pizza Stop. It was a decent little shop and it was a nice little dinner ... and I learned a cultural lesson about restaurant dining in Ireland. Apparently you have to ASK for the check when you are ready to leave since it is common for diners to sit at a table and have drinks and talk for a while after eating ... being from the US ... I was waiting for the server to bring over the check and shuffle us out the door. A big thanks to me buddy Andrew for this bit of Irish culture.
After a HUGE dinner Brian and I walked over to the Porterhouse Pub for a sample of Ireland's finest micro-brew beers. I chose the stout/porter sampler (read: heavy/dark beers) ... it was a nice way to try a few beers without having to drink 3 PINTS of beer. After dinner it was a short walk home (now that I know where I am going) and it was back into the stinky room. I called home to speak to Heidi and get caught up on how life is going on without me. I sure miss my girls ... and I wish they were able to experience Ireland ... but I can tell you that there is NO WAY COME H#LL OR HIGHWATER that Heidi would drive here. HA HA HA HA. And I can't imagine trying to experience something like Ireland, or any other country for that matter, with two little kids ... it would be an adventure in and of itself.
9.28.2005
9.27.2005
Ireland - the next day
Day 2 was a Sunday - and it started off relatively early considering the night I had before (out 'till 3am). My co-worker Brian was traveling into town this day and sent me a text message on the mobile phone when he arrived at 9am ... and being me the guy that can't go back to sleep ... I was up for the day. I took my time getting dressed/showered and then went down to the hotel's restaurant for a full irish breakfast. For those that are not acquainted with the dish - it's a heart attack on a plate ... a fried egg, 2 pieces of rashers (bacon), 2 sausages, 1 black and 1 white pudding, half of a tomato, and some DRY white toast. Very, very hearty breakfast. After brekkie I checked out of the hotel, put my bags in the car, and was off for the day.
Now it was on to the roads in my car to practice driving ... I was looking for the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre but wound up exiting the motorway too early and found myself in a Superquinn supermarket. The market was very much like our supermarkets with aisles and aisles of food stuffs, fresh meats, and other various sundries. As I was leaving the market and heading on to the shopping centre, I got a text message that Caoimhe was heading to the hotel I had just checked out from ... so I went back there (great practice in driving on narrow winding roads!). I met her back there and I was off to follow her on over to Brian's hotel so we could head into town (read: Dublin), get me checked into my new hotel, and have a bite to eat.
We found Brian's hotel, the Glenroyal, in short order, and it's not far from the Intel campus, which means a nice short drive for him in the mornings. Once we collected Brian, we caravan'ed over to my hotel, the Westin Dublin, located in the middle of town. It was a gorgeous place with lovely dark wood throughout, very classic look. I parked in the taxi area out front while I went to check in. After giving the front desk my "surname" and having them print out a piece of paper that showed the name "Foley" on it ... I started to sense that I was in for some real fun. It turns out that the hotel did not have ANY reservation for "Leff". I provided them a confirmation number that was seemingly missing 3 numbers, and hotel manager came out to meet me, took my documents (emails & notes) and attempted to resolve the case of the missing reservation. They could not contact my travel agency nor could they find the reservation, so they put me up in the hotel for one night pending the resolution of the reservation fiasco. In the mean time, the hotel has asked us to move the car so a large bus could pull in ... thankfully Brian grabbed the keys, pulled across 4 lanes of one-way traffic, and found a "car park" (read: parking lot) to leave the car in. After sorting out that mess, it was on to lunch/dinner ... and a mental note to follow up with the Intel Ireland travel agency on Monday.
Brian, Caoimhe, and I wandered around in the Temple Bar area looking for a nice place to eat and watch the All-Ireland football finals. We decided to eat at the Auld Dubliner and instead of sitting downstairs, we climbed a flight of stairs and found a nice quiet table in front of a lovely flat-panel TV. The game was between teams from the county Tyrone and the favored county Kerry. Admittedly I don't know much about the game, but it didn't take long to catch on, and by the end we were actively rooting for both teams and it was very exciting. A lovely family sat beside us just before half time and we wound up chatting with them a bit about the game. Tyrone were the winner in a HUGE upset ... and their supporters rushed the field and celebrated in grand fashion. The dinner I ate was a lamb roast with carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and - of course - potatoes. It was a lovely dinner - a bit bland - but to be expected as the Irish cuisine does not seem to include much in the way of spices. After dinner we said goodbye to Caoimhe ... then Brian and I were off to wander around town.
We ventured across the O'Connell bridge and onto O'Connell street walking through the throngs of Gaelic football supporters as they were leaving the match that had just finished. There is a large spire/spike/radio tower in the middle of O'Connell street that serves as a land mark in the city. Since it was Sunday evening at this point (around 6pm) most of the stores were closed or closing ... however we did find Carroll's Irish Gift Stores open ... and they seem to be the national Irish trinket store. I'm sure by the end of my trip, I'll have been there a few times to get this, that, and the other. After the jog around O'Connell street, it was time for me to drive Brian back to his hotel (and get one more practice drive on the way to Intel).
On the way to his hotel, we stopped at a supermarket called Tesco, and filled up the car with petrol (read: gas). Dinner was next on the docket, and we wound up in a small Chinese restaurant (can't remember the name), but the food was just ok. I dropped Brian at his hotel, and jumped back on the motorway on my way back into town.
The drive along the motorway was uneventful and nothing really happened until I was driving along the Liffey River. A little set up is warranted for this next bit ... the roads in Ireland are fairly well marked ... however ... lanes disappear and re-appear like magic. As I was heading back to the hotel along the quays (pronounced "keys"), which line the Liffey River, I noticed a van driving a bit fast, and coming up on my right side in a lane that was about to disappear into a right turn only lane. I didn't think anything of it ... until moments later when that van decided to make contact with the back of my car! DOH! Well ... I was stunned ... in Ireland less than 48 hours and I've been rear-ended. Ugh. Well ... I got out of the car to survey the damage ... and luckily there was NO sign of damage, so I waived the foolio that ran into me on, and proceeded on to my hotel for a night of rest.
Now it was on to the roads in my car to practice driving ... I was looking for the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre but wound up exiting the motorway too early and found myself in a Superquinn supermarket. The market was very much like our supermarkets with aisles and aisles of food stuffs, fresh meats, and other various sundries. As I was leaving the market and heading on to the shopping centre, I got a text message that Caoimhe was heading to the hotel I had just checked out from ... so I went back there (great practice in driving on narrow winding roads!). I met her back there and I was off to follow her on over to Brian's hotel so we could head into town (read: Dublin), get me checked into my new hotel, and have a bite to eat.
We found Brian's hotel, the Glenroyal, in short order, and it's not far from the Intel campus, which means a nice short drive for him in the mornings. Once we collected Brian, we caravan'ed over to my hotel, the Westin Dublin, located in the middle of town. It was a gorgeous place with lovely dark wood throughout, very classic look. I parked in the taxi area out front while I went to check in. After giving the front desk my "surname" and having them print out a piece of paper that showed the name "Foley" on it ... I started to sense that I was in for some real fun. It turns out that the hotel did not have ANY reservation for "Leff". I provided them a confirmation number that was seemingly missing 3 numbers, and hotel manager came out to meet me, took my documents (emails & notes) and attempted to resolve the case of the missing reservation. They could not contact my travel agency nor could they find the reservation, so they put me up in the hotel for one night pending the resolution of the reservation fiasco. In the mean time, the hotel has asked us to move the car so a large bus could pull in ... thankfully Brian grabbed the keys, pulled across 4 lanes of one-way traffic, and found a "car park" (read: parking lot) to leave the car in. After sorting out that mess, it was on to lunch/dinner ... and a mental note to follow up with the Intel Ireland travel agency on Monday.
Brian, Caoimhe, and I wandered around in the Temple Bar area looking for a nice place to eat and watch the All-Ireland football finals. We decided to eat at the Auld Dubliner and instead of sitting downstairs, we climbed a flight of stairs and found a nice quiet table in front of a lovely flat-panel TV. The game was between teams from the county Tyrone and the favored county Kerry. Admittedly I don't know much about the game, but it didn't take long to catch on, and by the end we were actively rooting for both teams and it was very exciting. A lovely family sat beside us just before half time and we wound up chatting with them a bit about the game. Tyrone were the winner in a HUGE upset ... and their supporters rushed the field and celebrated in grand fashion. The dinner I ate was a lamb roast with carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and - of course - potatoes. It was a lovely dinner - a bit bland - but to be expected as the Irish cuisine does not seem to include much in the way of spices. After dinner we said goodbye to Caoimhe ... then Brian and I were off to wander around town.
We ventured across the O'Connell bridge and onto O'Connell street walking through the throngs of Gaelic football supporters as they were leaving the match that had just finished. There is a large spire/spike/radio tower in the middle of O'Connell street that serves as a land mark in the city. Since it was Sunday evening at this point (around 6pm) most of the stores were closed or closing ... however we did find Carroll's Irish Gift Stores open ... and they seem to be the national Irish trinket store. I'm sure by the end of my trip, I'll have been there a few times to get this, that, and the other. After the jog around O'Connell street, it was time for me to drive Brian back to his hotel (and get one more practice drive on the way to Intel).
On the way to his hotel, we stopped at a supermarket called Tesco, and filled up the car with petrol (read: gas). Dinner was next on the docket, and we wound up in a small Chinese restaurant (can't remember the name), but the food was just ok. I dropped Brian at his hotel, and jumped back on the motorway on my way back into town.
The drive along the motorway was uneventful and nothing really happened until I was driving along the Liffey River. A little set up is warranted for this next bit ... the roads in Ireland are fairly well marked ... however ... lanes disappear and re-appear like magic. As I was heading back to the hotel along the quays (pronounced "keys"), which line the Liffey River, I noticed a van driving a bit fast, and coming up on my right side in a lane that was about to disappear into a right turn only lane. I didn't think anything of it ... until moments later when that van decided to make contact with the back of my car! DOH! Well ... I was stunned ... in Ireland less than 48 hours and I've been rear-ended. Ugh. Well ... I got out of the car to survey the damage ... and luckily there was NO sign of damage, so I waived the foolio that ran into me on, and proceeded on to my hotel for a night of rest.
9.26.2005
The first 24 hours in Ireland
It's been an interesting trip so far ... here's some of the stories ...
The flights from Phoenix to Chicago, then Chicago to Dulbin were mostly uneventful ... except that I was not able to sleep on the last leg making for a VERY tired Greg when arrived in Ireland.
When I landed at the airport and made it through customs, it was on to the hotel and to collect my rental car. And the adventure begins ...
I needed to arrange transport from the airport to the hotel ... so I visited the "information" desk at the Dublin airport. The helpful man at the counter informed me that a taxi ride would be about 60-70 euro (very expensive!). He said if I was not in a rush that a bus ride would only cost 5 euro ... it sounded like a decent alternative and also offer a chance to see the city. My next step was to check a local ATM to see if I could take a cash advance with my corporate card ... could not figure out what the PIN was ... so no cash. That and the fact that it didn't seem that the taxi would take a credit card seemed to make the decision easy for me ... bus it was. Of course, this is with my luggage in tow ... luckily only one rolling bag. The nice lady at the bus counter was able to charge my fare to the credit card, and then gave me a map with the bus lines that I needed to take into town (748), then one transfer (66, 66A, 66B), and on out to my hotel.
The bus ride into the city was fairly fast ... and before I knew it I was in Dublin, bussing along the Liffy river with no clue where I was heading, and all day to get there. I knew that I needed to change busses, but I wasn't real sure where I should do that ... so I watched most folks get off at one particular stop and thought to myself ... is this the right stop? But I kept on riding until the next stop where almost the rest of the bus emptied out ... yet I was still riding. On to the next bus stop when there was just about no one left riding with me ... I finally asked the bus driver where I could get the 66, 66A, or 66B bus line. He informed me that I should have gotten out at the last stop ... and that I should get out here ... and of course I was not paying any attention to where I was since I was in a sleep-deprived stupor at this point. So I blindly followed the path that the rest of the folks that exited the bus took ... and I would up on a street, going the wrong way, with all of my luggage, and no idea how to find the 66 bus line.
I was lucky enough to have a friendly bus driver pull up driving the 51 bus line, and when I poked my head into ask where I could get the 66 line, he told me jump on and he'd take me there. 2 minutes later I was jumping off that bus and the driver was trying to tell me to hurry across the street to catch the bus I needed, which was sitting at the bus stop. As I was making a mad dash across the insanely busy street to catch the bus, he pulled away leaving me to wait 30 minutes for the next bus. So here I am, on Irish soil for about 1 hour now ... and I'm effectively LOST in the middle of Dublin, waiting for a bus to take me to Leixlip (pronounced LEEKS-lip), standing across from what appears to be the main Guarda (Irish police) station downtown, standing behind Trinity College, and - only to find out MUCH later - standing right across from the Westin Dublin - the hotel for most of my stay in Ireland.
The 66A bus arrived right on schedule and this time I made sure to ask the driver if he was able to take me where I needed to go and if he could let me know when to get off. So off I went ... through Dublin and on to Leixlip. This bus driver was a bit looney ... having run thru yellow/red lights about half the trip thru Dublin ... but he got me to the Leixlip House Hotel which was my hotel for the first night in Ireland. Exhausted and a bit frazzled, I stumbled into the lobby and queried about my room only to be told that it was not ready and most likely would not be for another 2 hours. After a heavy sigh, I went into the lounge/bar and had a cuppa tea to relax. I still needed to collect my rental car, so I phoned my friend/co-worker Caoimhe (pronounced KWEE-va) and she was on her way to pick me up.
When Caoimhe arrived it was such a relief to see someone I knew! We climbed into her Peugeot 106 (read: small car) and proceeded to the Intel site so I could get my rental car. This bit about driving a rental car was the only thing that had me a little worried about being in Ireland since you have to drive on the LEFT side of the road and the driver sits on the RIGHT side of the car! My rental is a Ford Mondeo which looks nothing like any models we have in the US ... and although it's barely larger than my old Mazda Protege ... it's a GIANT on the road here ... which makes it slightly harder to drive. After picking up the car, I made it back to the hotel and finally got into my room and was able to get a rest for a little while. After waking up and being a little hungry, I ventured into "downtown" Leixlip which is really just one street long. Down the end of the street is an eatery called The Ryvale Tavern where I enjoyed a lovely turkey dinner ... along with a very nice drink called Bulmer's Original Vintage Cider. After dinner it was back to the hotel for another round of rest/sleep. Caoimhe was kind enough to invite me out for drinks with her two sisters (Eimear and Dearbhla - pronounced "EE-mer" and "DUR-vla" respectively). We started the evening at about 10pm!! and the first pub we went to was called Sheehans ... it was exactly how I pictured an Irish pub looking/smelling/tasting - LOL. After a few pints of Guinness we left and started out to a hotel called the Burlington which just happened to be THE pre-game party place for the All-Ireland football finals that were to be held the next day. It was an absolute madhouse in there ... a great experience for a yank from "the states" as they say here. All said and done, I wasn't in bed until 3am!
The flights from Phoenix to Chicago, then Chicago to Dulbin were mostly uneventful ... except that I was not able to sleep on the last leg making for a VERY tired Greg when arrived in Ireland.
When I landed at the airport and made it through customs, it was on to the hotel and to collect my rental car. And the adventure begins ...
I needed to arrange transport from the airport to the hotel ... so I visited the "information" desk at the Dublin airport. The helpful man at the counter informed me that a taxi ride would be about 60-70 euro (very expensive!). He said if I was not in a rush that a bus ride would only cost 5 euro ... it sounded like a decent alternative and also offer a chance to see the city. My next step was to check a local ATM to see if I could take a cash advance with my corporate card ... could not figure out what the PIN was ... so no cash. That and the fact that it didn't seem that the taxi would take a credit card seemed to make the decision easy for me ... bus it was. Of course, this is with my luggage in tow ... luckily only one rolling bag. The nice lady at the bus counter was able to charge my fare to the credit card, and then gave me a map with the bus lines that I needed to take into town (748), then one transfer (66, 66A, 66B), and on out to my hotel.
The bus ride into the city was fairly fast ... and before I knew it I was in Dublin, bussing along the Liffy river with no clue where I was heading, and all day to get there. I knew that I needed to change busses, but I wasn't real sure where I should do that ... so I watched most folks get off at one particular stop and thought to myself ... is this the right stop? But I kept on riding until the next stop where almost the rest of the bus emptied out ... yet I was still riding. On to the next bus stop when there was just about no one left riding with me ... I finally asked the bus driver where I could get the 66, 66A, or 66B bus line. He informed me that I should have gotten out at the last stop ... and that I should get out here ... and of course I was not paying any attention to where I was since I was in a sleep-deprived stupor at this point. So I blindly followed the path that the rest of the folks that exited the bus took ... and I would up on a street, going the wrong way, with all of my luggage, and no idea how to find the 66 bus line.
I was lucky enough to have a friendly bus driver pull up driving the 51 bus line, and when I poked my head into ask where I could get the 66 line, he told me jump on and he'd take me there. 2 minutes later I was jumping off that bus and the driver was trying to tell me to hurry across the street to catch the bus I needed, which was sitting at the bus stop. As I was making a mad dash across the insanely busy street to catch the bus, he pulled away leaving me to wait 30 minutes for the next bus. So here I am, on Irish soil for about 1 hour now ... and I'm effectively LOST in the middle of Dublin, waiting for a bus to take me to Leixlip (pronounced LEEKS-lip), standing across from what appears to be the main Guarda (Irish police) station downtown, standing behind Trinity College, and - only to find out MUCH later - standing right across from the Westin Dublin - the hotel for most of my stay in Ireland.
The 66A bus arrived right on schedule and this time I made sure to ask the driver if he was able to take me where I needed to go and if he could let me know when to get off. So off I went ... through Dublin and on to Leixlip. This bus driver was a bit looney ... having run thru yellow/red lights about half the trip thru Dublin ... but he got me to the Leixlip House Hotel which was my hotel for the first night in Ireland. Exhausted and a bit frazzled, I stumbled into the lobby and queried about my room only to be told that it was not ready and most likely would not be for another 2 hours. After a heavy sigh, I went into the lounge/bar and had a cuppa tea to relax. I still needed to collect my rental car, so I phoned my friend/co-worker Caoimhe (pronounced KWEE-va) and she was on her way to pick me up.
When Caoimhe arrived it was such a relief to see someone I knew! We climbed into her Peugeot 106 (read: small car) and proceeded to the Intel site so I could get my rental car. This bit about driving a rental car was the only thing that had me a little worried about being in Ireland since you have to drive on the LEFT side of the road and the driver sits on the RIGHT side of the car! My rental is a Ford Mondeo which looks nothing like any models we have in the US ... and although it's barely larger than my old Mazda Protege ... it's a GIANT on the road here ... which makes it slightly harder to drive. After picking up the car, I made it back to the hotel and finally got into my room and was able to get a rest for a little while. After waking up and being a little hungry, I ventured into "downtown" Leixlip which is really just one street long. Down the end of the street is an eatery called The Ryvale Tavern where I enjoyed a lovely turkey dinner ... along with a very nice drink called Bulmer's Original Vintage Cider. After dinner it was back to the hotel for another round of rest/sleep. Caoimhe was kind enough to invite me out for drinks with her two sisters (Eimear and Dearbhla - pronounced "EE-mer" and "DUR-vla" respectively). We started the evening at about 10pm!! and the first pub we went to was called Sheehans ... it was exactly how I pictured an Irish pub looking/smelling/tasting - LOL. After a few pints of Guinness we left and started out to a hotel called the Burlington which just happened to be THE pre-game party place for the All-Ireland football finals that were to be held the next day. It was an absolute madhouse in there ... a great experience for a yank from "the states" as they say here. All said and done, I wasn't in bed until 3am!
9.02.2005
Are you ready for some football?
Fall & specifically September brings professional and my personal favorite NCAA football. It's a tradition that I look forward to year after year, the monsoons, the cooling of AZ. I' hoping that my two beautiful girls will eventually show some interest in watching sports with their dad.
Most years I try to get a little preview of the up coming football season by attending ASU's Camp Tontozona. What a treat to drive up to the cool(er) pines just east of Payson and watch the young players of ASU build and grow into a cohesive team.
Yesterday was ASU's first regular season game, and their opponent was Temple University, who would most likely rank in the bottom 5 teams in division 1 NCAA football rankings. As such, the 'devils pasted 63 points on them, but did give up a disappointing 16 points. How can you be disappointed? Well ... the defense played GREAT ... and it's just so much fun to pitch a shutout ... probably more fun, and demoralizing for the other team, than a blowout.
The experience of the game was somewhat sad since this was the first game in a LONG time that I experienced without my friend Rob C. The group of friends that we attend the game with all wore our "Team Chambo" shirts from the Pat Tillman run to remember and honor our friend.
Tomorrow marks the 8th annual LFFL draft. What is that you say? It's the 4+ hours spent one Saturday in late August, early September where a bunch of guys get together and talk football. Eat football. Drink football. Well ... it's not that serious ... but it's a fun time where a bunch of friends from all over the US get together and have a good time making fun of each other and the silly decisions that they make when putting together a fantasy football team consisting of millionaire NFL players that each of them hope will have a BIG statistical year.
For my money - the fall is the best time of year. Football is starting up, and as an added bonus, you have some big holidays where my family gets together and shares great times!
Most years I try to get a little preview of the up coming football season by attending ASU's Camp Tontozona. What a treat to drive up to the cool(er) pines just east of Payson and watch the young players of ASU build and grow into a cohesive team.
Yesterday was ASU's first regular season game, and their opponent was Temple University, who would most likely rank in the bottom 5 teams in division 1 NCAA football rankings. As such, the 'devils pasted 63 points on them, but did give up a disappointing 16 points. How can you be disappointed? Well ... the defense played GREAT ... and it's just so much fun to pitch a shutout ... probably more fun, and demoralizing for the other team, than a blowout.
The experience of the game was somewhat sad since this was the first game in a LONG time that I experienced without my friend Rob C. The group of friends that we attend the game with all wore our "Team Chambo" shirts from the Pat Tillman run to remember and honor our friend.
Tomorrow marks the 8th annual LFFL draft. What is that you say? It's the 4+ hours spent one Saturday in late August, early September where a bunch of guys get together and talk football. Eat football. Drink football. Well ... it's not that serious ... but it's a fun time where a bunch of friends from all over the US get together and have a good time making fun of each other and the silly decisions that they make when putting together a fantasy football team consisting of millionaire NFL players that each of them hope will have a BIG statistical year.
For my money - the fall is the best time of year. Football is starting up, and as an added bonus, you have some big holidays where my family gets together and shares great times!
7.12.2005
Coke Zero - not bad
In the ever crowded field of no-calorie soda - there is a new entrant - Coke Zero. I figured what the heck, give it a shot ... it's zero carbs ... zero calories ... and $.50 for a 20oz attempt - an introductory offer at most grocery stores.
At first taste, I thought I was drinking regular coke. It was sweet, with that carbonated bite to it. It was a lovely floral boquet with a slight hint of oak, berries, and something I couldn't quite put my finger on, but I think it was chocolate -- wait ... this is my Coke Zero review ... oops.
Seriously tho, aren't there enough diet drinks with diet coke and lime, lemon, grapefruit, and kiwi, diet pepsi with all those things, pepsi one, diet rite, diet RC, diet 7up, sprite zero, and the whole host of store brands, rootbeers, fruity things. It's a veritable cornicopia of flavors. Where does Coke Zero fit in ... well ... I think it's up there as one of my new favorites. At least this week.
At first taste, I thought I was drinking regular coke. It was sweet, with that carbonated bite to it. It was a lovely floral boquet with a slight hint of oak, berries, and something I couldn't quite put my finger on, but I think it was chocolate -- wait ... this is my Coke Zero review ... oops.
Seriously tho, aren't there enough diet drinks with diet coke and lime, lemon, grapefruit, and kiwi, diet pepsi with all those things, pepsi one, diet rite, diet RC, diet 7up, sprite zero, and the whole host of store brands, rootbeers, fruity things. It's a veritable cornicopia of flavors. Where does Coke Zero fit in ... well ... I think it's up there as one of my new favorites. At least this week.
Coastal drive
From June 25th to July 2nd we took a very relaxing trip to La Jolla, CA. Heidi's mom and dad rented a gorgeous house right on the "beach". The reason that beach is in quotes, is that we were really on a bit of a cliff or bluff, with the beach being just below the bluff. It was an incredible sunset every evening as the glowing orange ball dipped below the horizon.
The first day we were there we ventured down to the rocky shore and looked around at all the tide pools full of crabs, anemone, and mussels. The cool breeze from the ocean and the rythmic pounding of the surf against the rocks was just what the doctor ordered.
Chloe enjoyed the ocean this trip, and she had a great time running out into the water as the waves came in, jumping into my arms just as she was about to be tripped up. Paige was a super beach sleeper ... I think the sound of the waves was very soothing and relaxing for her.
We were so very happy to spend time with our famliy. It was an incredible setting for relaxation and reflection. Life seemed just a bit slower, more comfortable. We were also lucky to have had a visit from Heidi's cousin Amanda and her husband John who live in Chula Vista.
A trip to Sea World was in order and it was a LONG, but very exciting and fun day. Both girls were amazing troopers since we left the house around 9am and didn't get home until 8:30pm ... and we were only 10 min from Sea World. I was exhausted the next day ... and just happened to get sick! Ugh ... so the ride home on Saturday Heidi had to drive ... thanks bubba!
The first day we were there we ventured down to the rocky shore and looked around at all the tide pools full of crabs, anemone, and mussels. The cool breeze from the ocean and the rythmic pounding of the surf against the rocks was just what the doctor ordered.
Chloe enjoyed the ocean this trip, and she had a great time running out into the water as the waves came in, jumping into my arms just as she was about to be tripped up. Paige was a super beach sleeper ... I think the sound of the waves was very soothing and relaxing for her.
We were so very happy to spend time with our famliy. It was an incredible setting for relaxation and reflection. Life seemed just a bit slower, more comfortable. We were also lucky to have had a visit from Heidi's cousin Amanda and her husband John who live in Chula Vista.
A trip to Sea World was in order and it was a LONG, but very exciting and fun day. Both girls were amazing troopers since we left the house around 9am and didn't get home until 8:30pm ... and we were only 10 min from Sea World. I was exhausted the next day ... and just happened to get sick! Ugh ... so the ride home on Saturday Heidi had to drive ... thanks bubba!
6.02.2005
late nite blogging
I'm sitting here. You're sitting there.
I'm typing meaningless drivel. You're reading it.
I've been missing a close friend that passed away recently. He was an amazing person that really knew the meaning of being a friend. It's just not fair that good people like him won't be around to share all that life has to offer. I'm not going to go into all the details about why Rob was my best friend - read the guestbook at the link - see what everyone has to say.
What I am going to say is that RC, I know you are listening, watching, reading ... it's what you always did, it's who you were. You always knew what was going on and were the glue that held so many lives together. The world is not the same without you ...
I'm typing meaningless drivel. You're reading it.
I've been missing a close friend that passed away recently. He was an amazing person that really knew the meaning of being a friend. It's just not fair that good people like him won't be around to share all that life has to offer. I'm not going to go into all the details about why Rob was my best friend - read the guestbook at the link - see what everyone has to say.
What I am going to say is that RC, I know you are listening, watching, reading ... it's what you always did, it's who you were. You always knew what was going on and were the glue that held so many lives together. The world is not the same without you ...
3.24.2005
2.22.2005
2.01.2005
Thought for today ...
"Do all you can with what you have in the time you have in the place you are." - Nkosi Johnson (1989-2001)
Amazing that an 11 year old said this ...
Amazing that an 11 year old said this ...
1.05.2005
Nicely put
This story from the CATO institute has some interesting quotes - regarding the "conservative" folks and their want for FCC to censor TV.
"The latest Nielsen television ratings are out and they reveal that in addition to being the most popular show among adults, ABC's smash-hit Desperate Housewives is also the most popular broadcast-network television show with kids aged 9-12."
"No doubt, the relentless censorship advocates at the Parents Television Council (PTC) are already firing up the engines at their automated complaint factory to bombard Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulators with letters. Recent Freedom of Information Act requests to the FCC have revealed that the PTC has been responsible for over 98 percent of all indecency complaints to the FCC over the past two years. PTC is quickly coming to have a "heckler's veto" over programming in America as many of the shows they complain about receive significant fines or are even driven off the air."
"While the PTC claims to be non-partisan, the watchdog group's public policy advocacy adopts a distinctly social conservative and moralistic tone ... PTC's motto is: "Because Our Children Are Watching," ... Why are your children watching? Why are they watching Desperate Housewives or any other show you find objectionable? I know my kids aren't watching."
"I've always been particularly troubled by the fact that so many conservatives, who rightly preach the gospel of personal and parental responsibility about most economic issues, seemingly give up on this notion when it comes to cultural issues"
Done. Last quote I put sums it all up. If you take the jump, there is some really interesting stats provided ...
"The latest Nielsen television ratings are out and they reveal that in addition to being the most popular show among adults, ABC's smash-hit Desperate Housewives is also the most popular broadcast-network television show with kids aged 9-12."
"No doubt, the relentless censorship advocates at the Parents Television Council (PTC) are already firing up the engines at their automated complaint factory to bombard Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulators with letters. Recent Freedom of Information Act requests to the FCC have revealed that the PTC has been responsible for over 98 percent of all indecency complaints to the FCC over the past two years. PTC is quickly coming to have a "heckler's veto" over programming in America as many of the shows they complain about receive significant fines or are even driven off the air."
"While the PTC claims to be non-partisan, the watchdog group's public policy advocacy adopts a distinctly social conservative and moralistic tone ... PTC's motto is: "Because Our Children Are Watching," ... Why are your children watching? Why are they watching Desperate Housewives or any other show you find objectionable? I know my kids aren't watching."
"I've always been particularly troubled by the fact that so many conservatives, who rightly preach the gospel of personal and parental responsibility about most economic issues, seemingly give up on this notion when it comes to cultural issues"
Done. Last quote I put sums it all up. If you take the jump, there is some really interesting stats provided ...
Fast food - not so good for you
I just finished watching Super Size Me - a pseudo-documentary work by Morgan Spurlock. If you haven't heard of it, he basically eats nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days, and tracks his weight, blood work, and overall well being. While his methods may not be the mosy scientific, the outcome is plain to see, eating nothing but fast food is not so good for you. On the DVD there is an interview with Eric Schlosser author of Fast Food Nation - he makes a compelling argument against most fast food restaurants. I tend to agree with his arguments that because these places are driven by corporate greed, they do whatever it takes to addict people, and serve the food that will make the most profits.
Being that I have a 2 year & 10 months old, and a new baby on the way, the discussions in this movie regarding the addiction of children to fast food really hit home. I think that for any "brand" name you could claim that the corporation is attempting to create an addiction that will subliminally force you to choose their product above others.
In this addiction vein, Heidi and I have become incredibly sensitive to TV advertising, to the point that we try not to watch network TV, and I cringe when watching sports on TV with Chloe in the room when the ads come on (which by the way, is with increasing frequency if you are keeping track - another discussion).
My concern is how to make sure that our kids don't become tools of these corporate beasts. How do I teach my kids to make informed decisions when they are constantly being told that brand or company XYZ is the best. We're trying to start with limiting TV, but what else can we do. We very rarely eat fast food ... only really the occasional breakfast Egg McMuffin. Interestingly though, Chloe has already made the connection between the Egg McMuffin and the "fun play place" that McDonald's has ... scary. I teasingly call her the "brand name baby" because she already knows the following by their "icons": Target, Starbucks, Pei Wei, Baja Fresh, Chipotle, IKEA, Home Depot, Joe's Real BBQ, and Costco. I'm sure there are more, but if you look at that list, it's pretty much a list of the places that we frequent ... and she's already built that association with food and shopping at all those places. Are we on the road to ruin with our kids since we eat out too much and they know the names of all the places we shop? Hmm .... only time will tell.
Being that I have a 2 year & 10 months old, and a new baby on the way, the discussions in this movie regarding the addiction of children to fast food really hit home. I think that for any "brand" name you could claim that the corporation is attempting to create an addiction that will subliminally force you to choose their product above others.
In this addiction vein, Heidi and I have become incredibly sensitive to TV advertising, to the point that we try not to watch network TV, and I cringe when watching sports on TV with Chloe in the room when the ads come on (which by the way, is with increasing frequency if you are keeping track - another discussion).
My concern is how to make sure that our kids don't become tools of these corporate beasts. How do I teach my kids to make informed decisions when they are constantly being told that brand or company XYZ is the best. We're trying to start with limiting TV, but what else can we do. We very rarely eat fast food ... only really the occasional breakfast Egg McMuffin. Interestingly though, Chloe has already made the connection between the Egg McMuffin and the "fun play place" that McDonald's has ... scary. I teasingly call her the "brand name baby" because she already knows the following by their "icons": Target, Starbucks, Pei Wei, Baja Fresh, Chipotle, IKEA, Home Depot, Joe's Real BBQ, and Costco. I'm sure there are more, but if you look at that list, it's pretty much a list of the places that we frequent ... and she's already built that association with food and shopping at all those places. Are we on the road to ruin with our kids since we eat out too much and they know the names of all the places we shop? Hmm .... only time will tell.
12.27.2004
Tis the season ..
This holiday season was the last as a 3 person family unit ... I'm excited, anxious, and nervous for to meet the new little Leff that is putting on it's last few layers of fat before coming out an meeting us. It was a crazy holiday, as usual, since we basically do 3 seperate Christmas "present openings". And it's non stop eating as you troop from one faimly to the other. It is great to spend time with people that you may only see once or twice a year.
This year I got a story from Heidi's cousin that touched me. Admittedly I'm a bit of a sap for these things, but I really think that this story tells the true meaning of Christmas and is an inspiration for us all. Thank you to Jackson, Kyle, and Lucas for sharing the magic of the season.
This year I got a story from Heidi's cousin that touched me. Admittedly I'm a bit of a sap for these things, but I really think that this story tells the true meaning of Christmas and is an inspiration for us all. Thank you to Jackson, Kyle, and Lucas for sharing the magic of the season.
12.17.2004
LOST
I've been watching the show LOST on TV this season. What a great show ... it's really pulled in Heidi and we can't wait each week to see what happens. We're both hoping that the show doesn't get too corny with monsters and such ... the anticipation/suspense is what keeps the show flowing. They have done a nice job of introducing all the characters and their histories to give perspective and show where they are coming from. If you haven't seen it, wait, I'm sure it will be on DVD before next Christmas.
12.02.2004
Musings & stuff
It's been a while ... here goes. I've been busy working and trying my best to keep my housing projects on track. Some random thoughts ...
A new location of the uuber-furniture empire called IKEA opened here in AZ recently. We've found some cool stuff ... and shortly I'll have the contemporary office of the new millenium in the next few months.
I have discovered a new "toy" at work and it's called VirtualPC - it's a way for you to install a virtual computer inside your existing computer. I have since installed 3 seperate operating systems on my laptop (including Linux) and I have installed Linux at home too ... might be shifting off the M$ platform soon ... ooooooh ... aaaaaaaahh.
Parting shot ... if you haven't tried it already ... download the internet browser called FireFox ... it's free, and it's kicks IE's arse up and down. Oh ... and it's got a whole host of features included that IE does not ... and oh ... did I mention it's free ... and oh ... one more thing ... you know all those "security holes" that IE has ... Firefox is not succeptible ... not to say it will never have security issues, but it's not swiss-cheese IE. Naner, naner.
A new location of the uuber-furniture empire called IKEA opened here in AZ recently. We've found some cool stuff ... and shortly I'll have the contemporary office of the new millenium in the next few months.
I have discovered a new "toy" at work and it's called VirtualPC - it's a way for you to install a virtual computer inside your existing computer. I have since installed 3 seperate operating systems on my laptop (including Linux) and I have installed Linux at home too ... might be shifting off the M$ platform soon ... ooooooh ... aaaaaaaahh.
Parting shot ... if you haven't tried it already ... download the internet browser called FireFox ... it's free, and it's kicks IE's arse up and down. Oh ... and it's got a whole host of features included that IE does not ... and oh ... did I mention it's free ... and oh ... one more thing ... you know all those "security holes" that IE has ... Firefox is not succeptible ... not to say it will never have security issues, but it's not swiss-cheese IE. Naner, naner.
10.12.2004
Pre-fact check
One day before the final debate at Arizona State University (go SunDevils!!) and this article is publishing the (dis)information that those that have been following the debates have grown accustomed to. It's definately pro-Kerry ... but more than that it's a preview of some of the hot buttons for the upcoming debates.
It would be nice if prior to the debates the "television media" (whatever that moniker amounts to these days) would do some sort of presentation of the FACTS, then watch as BOTH candidates spin their webs around them.
It would leave me the voter to decide which rat is the least harmful.
It would be nice if prior to the debates the "television media" (whatever that moniker amounts to these days) would do some sort of presentation of the FACTS, then watch as BOTH candidates spin their webs around them.
It would leave me the voter to decide which rat is the least harmful.
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