When I was growing up, it seemed whenever we would go on a vacation of some kind we would run into someone we knew. Usually it was my dad that would run into a former student of his or someone he went to college with. One time at Disneyworld we were waiting in line for something and dad started talking to the couplein front of us. Dad kept saying that the husband looked familiar. Long story short, the husband was the child of a couple of people he had taught when he was doing his student teaching and somehow dad could see the family resemblence.
When my wife and I started dating we went to a baseball game. We had a little wager on who would run into people they knew first. She thought she would run into some of her students or other fellow teachers. The game hadn't even started and I had ran into like 4 or 5 people I knew including a security guard and one of the beer guys.
Last weekend we took a long weekend away. Saturday we were walking down the street in Gatlinburg and I look up and see a wife of a cousin. We talked for a while and my cousin came up while we were talking. Monday we were checking into a hotel in Cherokee, NC and we ran into a woman that just retired from where my wife teaches. It was too surreal.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Sunday, June 18, 2006
It's your fault
The other night wifey and I went out to grab a bite to eat. The first place was closed (unfotunately they have weird hours). We ended up going to an Asian themed restuarant. It is an all you can eat buffett place with a twist.
You pick up a bowl at what looks like a salad bar. You decide on type of noodles or rice. Next you pick out your vegetables and sauces. They had probably 15 sauces to choose from and even tell you what they are made from in case you have allergies or dietary concerns. Next you grab a small bowl and pick out your meat (or tofu) and then what you want to season the meat. Finally you drop it off at the grill where the cooks stir fry it and then your waiter brings it to your table when it is done.
If you arent good at picking out what would taste good together then it is your fault that your meal isnt tasty. Then again, it is all you can eat so you can keep experimenting until you find what you like.
Of course there are ice cream places that are similar to this. You pick out a flavor and then select various toppings to be combined with your ice cream. Unfortunately the ice cream places that do this arent all you can eat so pick carefully...
You pick up a bowl at what looks like a salad bar. You decide on type of noodles or rice. Next you pick out your vegetables and sauces. They had probably 15 sauces to choose from and even tell you what they are made from in case you have allergies or dietary concerns. Next you grab a small bowl and pick out your meat (or tofu) and then what you want to season the meat. Finally you drop it off at the grill where the cooks stir fry it and then your waiter brings it to your table when it is done.
If you arent good at picking out what would taste good together then it is your fault that your meal isnt tasty. Then again, it is all you can eat so you can keep experimenting until you find what you like.
Of course there are ice cream places that are similar to this. You pick out a flavor and then select various toppings to be combined with your ice cream. Unfortunately the ice cream places that do this arent all you can eat so pick carefully...
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Long Blog
This blog may be a little longer than most of mine and it wont be just one train of thought.
Memorial Day weekend my sister and her family came down to my parents, and more importantly this gave me a chance to see my niece. She is almost 4 and a half. After we had eaten dinner, we were picking at her asking her about her boyfriends (she once told us that she would be married by the time she was 5 so we were checking to see if we needed to start planning...). She listed off several boys but then she declared that I was her mostest favorite boyfriend. I am a lucky man.
Memorial Day, wifey and I went to see some minor league hockey. A local team was in the championships of their league. While waiting in line to buy tickets, a friend spotted us. He had extra tickets to a suite that a client had given him. So we went into the suite and enjoyed the free refreshments. I enjoy minor league baseball and I used to enjoy the minor league hockey team that Atlanta had (the Knights) but this wasnt fun to watch. The skating and the passing was horrible and these were the top 2 teams in the league. The officiating was horrible, too. They had ads on the loud speakers it seemed almost every 30 seconds. The funniest thing was that the majority of the adds were for dentists...
Last night, I went with a friend and his wife to see 38 Special. It was at a small outdoor venue near my house. Edgar Winters was the opening act. I worked radio while in college. I remember Edgar but I couldnt place any songs and after last night I still dont remember any of his songs. 38 is made up of most of the original members; Donnie Van Zandt is still the lead singer but Don Barnes is still the guy that sings most of the songs. I know that is confusing but that is how it is. The show was great. After the show I got to meet Edgar Winters... During the show, my friend and I came up with a list of things you have to have if your last name is Van Zandt and you sing for a band:
1) Your last name has to end with "NNIE" as in Johnnie, Donnie, and Ronnie. Somewhere out there is probably a Bonnie, Connie or Lonnie Van Zandt...
2) You have to have long, stringy, dirty blonde hair
3) You have to have a beard. (This maybe difficult if there is a Connie or Bonnie...)
4) You have to wear a dark colored, long sleeve shirt untucked. The shirt also needs to be unbuttoned to the navel.
5) You have to wear a black cowboy hat.
6) If you dont have a guitar strapped around you, you have to pace the stage while holding the mic stand at all times.
You may not find the humor or truth in the above statements but if you have ever seen 38 Special or Lynard Skynard, you will understand.
Memorial Day weekend my sister and her family came down to my parents, and more importantly this gave me a chance to see my niece. She is almost 4 and a half. After we had eaten dinner, we were picking at her asking her about her boyfriends (she once told us that she would be married by the time she was 5 so we were checking to see if we needed to start planning...). She listed off several boys but then she declared that I was her mostest favorite boyfriend. I am a lucky man.
Memorial Day, wifey and I went to see some minor league hockey. A local team was in the championships of their league. While waiting in line to buy tickets, a friend spotted us. He had extra tickets to a suite that a client had given him. So we went into the suite and enjoyed the free refreshments. I enjoy minor league baseball and I used to enjoy the minor league hockey team that Atlanta had (the Knights) but this wasnt fun to watch. The skating and the passing was horrible and these were the top 2 teams in the league. The officiating was horrible, too. They had ads on the loud speakers it seemed almost every 30 seconds. The funniest thing was that the majority of the adds were for dentists...
Last night, I went with a friend and his wife to see 38 Special. It was at a small outdoor venue near my house. Edgar Winters was the opening act. I worked radio while in college. I remember Edgar but I couldnt place any songs and after last night I still dont remember any of his songs. 38 is made up of most of the original members; Donnie Van Zandt is still the lead singer but Don Barnes is still the guy that sings most of the songs. I know that is confusing but that is how it is. The show was great. After the show I got to meet Edgar Winters... During the show, my friend and I came up with a list of things you have to have if your last name is Van Zandt and you sing for a band:
1) Your last name has to end with "NNIE" as in Johnnie, Donnie, and Ronnie. Somewhere out there is probably a Bonnie, Connie or Lonnie Van Zandt...
2) You have to have long, stringy, dirty blonde hair
3) You have to have a beard. (This maybe difficult if there is a Connie or Bonnie...)
4) You have to wear a dark colored, long sleeve shirt untucked. The shirt also needs to be unbuttoned to the navel.
5) You have to wear a black cowboy hat.
6) If you dont have a guitar strapped around you, you have to pace the stage while holding the mic stand at all times.
You may not find the humor or truth in the above statements but if you have ever seen 38 Special or Lynard Skynard, you will understand.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Who thought that up?
I have participated in focus groups before. Last year while in Vegas, the wife and I participated in a focus group on tv shows. We had been walking around and were approached to come into the ac, drink some soft drinks, watch some tv and get paid. We watched several shows that were supposedly coming soon to tv (I have yet to see any of them since then).
I remember when I was a kid I got paid at a mall to look at movie posters for some upcoming movies and determine which was the best poster for each film.
Lots of companies (and even would be politicians) use focus groups to determine if an idea is a good one or not. I bring this up because of something I have seen that I find hard to believe that any real thought was put into it or the public's approval was even sought.
KFC is advertising a lot on the Stanley Cup playoffs. They have a new menu item that they are pushing. Whenever this ad is on, I have to turn the channel. They take mashed potatoes, add a layer of corn and then some chicken nuggets. That is topped with gravy and then a layer of cheese. Are they serious? WHO EATS THIS STUFF? It looks sooooo disgusting.
I remember when I was a kid I got paid at a mall to look at movie posters for some upcoming movies and determine which was the best poster for each film.
Lots of companies (and even would be politicians) use focus groups to determine if an idea is a good one or not. I bring this up because of something I have seen that I find hard to believe that any real thought was put into it or the public's approval was even sought.
KFC is advertising a lot on the Stanley Cup playoffs. They have a new menu item that they are pushing. Whenever this ad is on, I have to turn the channel. They take mashed potatoes, add a layer of corn and then some chicken nuggets. That is topped with gravy and then a layer of cheese. Are they serious? WHO EATS THIS STUFF? It looks sooooo disgusting.
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