Postcards...the Other White Meat

First off, I have no idea what that headline means. Catchy though.

So I came across this website the other day which you may already be familiar with: Postcrossing. It's a pretty cool idea. You register on the site, then get an address of another user from somewhere around the world. (Currently there are over 34,000 users from 158 countries participating.) You send that person a postcard, and when they receive it, you get another card from some OTHER random person somewhere on Earff. Send a card, get a card. Get it?

So today I sent my first 2 - to Emma in Finland and Helen in Germany. (You can learn all about Helen, and brush up on your German, here). So some day, when I'm not expecting it, I'll get a postcard from some stranger in Brazil or Indiana or some other exotic locale. It will be nice to get mail that's not a bill or a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon.

I'll be sure to report on any interesting correspondence. Stay tuned.

Haikus for Youse

Anyone can write
Haikus. Just count syllables
Five, seven and five

My friend The Daver
Always says he'll visit me
But he never does

Best time of year is fall
Except for all the damn leaves
Rake, bend, bag. Repeat.

I still get angry
About how she treated me
Love is blind, stupid

Sox win the pennant!
Now on to World Series
Rockies are red hot

How to judge people
For being too judgmental
Is quite the puzzler

A site you should try
Is Radio Paradise
Good tunes for no bucks

Bullet the Blue Sky

• The concert mentioned below was excellent...I would have been pleased even if I actually had to pay for tickets. Plus, C and I were easily one of the 64 best looking couples there. (An inconveniently placed A/C vent necessitated the covering up of C's bare shoulders, keeping us from a certain top 35 finish. Yes, her shoulders are worth 30 places.) Per Michele's directions there will be no You Tube clips of the concert or her shoulders.

• It's only two outs into Game 7 of the ALCS and I'm already sick of Tim McCarver. Is this game on radio? Maybe I'll go sit in the garage and listen in my car. Dice K looks good through 3 batters, at least.

• I just returned from my first vacation with kids since, well, I was one. I'm not sure how I feel about being told I look good behind the wheel of a minivan.

I think that rental was the best money I've spent in a while, however. Two or more children should not be seated next to each other for any more than two hours of continuous automobiling. It's science, people.

• In retrospect, mad props to my folks for driving the three Dunn boys to Colorado from Iowa in a station wagon many times. Yikes. Funny how we didn't need seat belts back then...now I'll barely pull out of the parking spot without hearing a click from the back.

• And how oh how did we travel without some or all of the following: iPods, portable DVD players, Nintendo DS's, laptops, cell phones and Blackberries. Oh, and satellite radio and a GPS navigator. We were four blue shirts and a dozen unmanned cash registers away from being a Best Buy.

• Vacation was great - went to Destin for 4 nights. Stopped in Atlanta on the way down to see my brother and SIL - they were kind enough to score us tickets to Six Flags over Georgia.The Superman ride, my friends, kicks considerable booty. Plus...they had zombies!

• Then it was off to Destin, which was great, other than some rain and the dreaded Red Tide. Never heard of it? Me neither. They don't exactly publicize it on the Chamber of Commerce website. Didn't ruin our trip by any means, but we did spend a little less time on the beach than we would have liked. Oh well. Did lots of quality shopping instead.

• On the way back we spent the night in Decatur. No, not the good one. Decatur, Alabama. The hotel was, shall we say, less than 4 stars, but apparently Decatur on an October Thursday is a tough get. We stayed here so that we could go to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center the next morning. No time for Space Camp, but it was pretty cool. Good IMAX movie, too.

• By the way, would you look at that cast? Mrs. Steven Spielberg! Mrs. John Travolta! The gay guy from Revenge of the Nerds! Impressive.

• After tomorrow night I will be 3-4 and tied for first in my fantasy football division. We're the NL Central of FFB. Someone's gotta win this thing!

• I'm becoming a Crock Pot believer. Throw some stuff in a pot and walk away for a few hours. Plus, it makes the house smell less like dog, which is nice.

• Whole wheat hot dog buns are an abomination. Don't do it. Treat your wieners with the respect they deserve.
  

• That is all. Please leave all comments and suggestions with your immediate supervisor.
  

Yay me!

Late last night, drifting off to the smell of a Crockpot full of beer-braised chicken goodness, I heard Mr. DJ announce he had free concert tickets for caller #7. I hustled to the phone and two dials later I was the lucky caller, continuing my streak of winning something from WFPK about every 3-11 months.

Free tickets to Nickel Creek in 2.5 weeks!

Brush With Semi-Greatness

I caught an in-store performance of Colin Hay last night at a local record store. Those of you who are fellow 80's music lovers will surely know him better as the lead singer of Men At Work. Anywho, he was really, really good. Plus, he talked to me on his way in the store. I think I may have squealed a little.

He did acoustic versions of some of his Men at Work stuff, as well as some newer solo projects. He played for about 40 minutes - pretty long for this sort of appearance. It was very cool to be that close to, and listen to, the voice of so many big radio and video hits from my youth.

Here's a clip of Overkill, a really underrated song that's much more powerful when he slows it down like this:

Got the blahs?

People say you've been acting rude? Growing despondent? Perhaps you should offer them a drink...

Jackson

Furminated!

This handy little brush is getting all sorts of Interweb buzz, so I had to try it for myself.










Turns out, unlike the McDLT, this sucker lives up to the hype!


Emma has never been sleeker!

Draft Results

12 team league

QB
Matt Leinart
Brett Fav-ur-uh

RB
LaDainian Tomlinson
Deuce McAllister
Jamal Lewis
Warrick Dunn
Anthony Thomas

WR
Marvin Harrison
Reggie Brown
Joey Galloway
Joe Horn

TE
Randy McMichael

K
Neil Rackers

D/ST
Jaguars

Other than getting my handcuff Turner stolen from me I'm pretty pleased. I think Leinart could have a huge year and Jamal could put up some numbers in Cleveland, assuming they aren't down by 30 at halftime every week. That Tomlinson guy is pretty good too.

Less is More

A plate of Lotsa Pasta chicken tortellini...





some fresh diced roma tomatoes from my garden...




a splash of olive oil...




and a few shakes of Penzeys Pasta Sprinkle.




Perfect.