Countdown to HAL - 100k

Does anyone still check this blog (besides Gwen - THANKS GWEN!!!) to see my no-update boring life?

Anyhoo...HAL is at 96800 this morning, so the countdown to 100k has officially begun. I will provide a small keepsake from Louisville to anyone who can guess the exact date that HAL hits 100k (limit 2 guesses per person). And no...it won't be tomorrow or next week you wise-apples out there who love to make fun of me for vacationing so much. You know who you are (BL, probably JZ and maybe JRS too).

Next planned road trip at this time...early March to Detroit before flying to Vegas. There might be one or two additional trips between here and there to Ohio (maybe late Jan or mid Feb). Who knows.

Until then - its 50 miles total for each to-and-from work day.

And just cuz I haven't posted a photo in a while, here is a picture I found on MSNBC taken by Carla Thomas from NASA via EPA from the shuttle's journey back to FLA from CA.

HAL hits 90K

Hi Everyone...

No fun pictures for me - sorry, it didn't snow in Kentucky today. Matter of fact, it hit 86 degrees this afternoon here. C'mon fall....where the hell are you?

Anyways... HAL hit 90,000 miles this week. Cannot believe I've been driving HAL for 90,000 miles. Here's to another 200,000 or so!

Hope everyone is well. Only 2 more weeks of waiting for Halloween Costume Pictures.

Looking forward to seeing my family, the Solum's, the Z's, the Kelly's and Mr. T (Brad) on my vacation here soon.

The Costume Has Arrived!!!

My 2008 Halloween Costume has arrived! What it is...is anyone's guess. I do admit that two other people know what I am going as this year - but only because they are going to PumpkinFest 2008 in Iowa with me AND they agreed to do a group costume with me. First impression of the costume is HILARIOUS!!! I can't wait to see how the three of us look together.

Some things that the costumes could be....but probably not.

- The Three Stooges (well...its kind of this one)
- Ketchup, Mustard and Mayo
- Snap, Crackle and Pop
- Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson
- The Nina, The Pinta and The Santa Maria
- Jack Bauer, Tony and Michelle Almeida
- Chris, Meg and Stewie Griffin
- Bananas
- Sean Hannity, Bill Oreilly and Neil Cavuto
- You get the idea...

Guess you'll just have to wait another month for photos. HA!

Woo Hoo!!!

I reformatted my laptop this weekend. Mostly becuase it was running terribly slow and for some reason wouldn't let me type without inserting '\\\\'

And...I join you now from my laptop. Woo Hoo!!!!!

For all of those who remember the beating I gave to the last PC I owned that acted up on me - this is a monumental day for folks needing anger management everywhere!

Woo Hoo!!!!

Finally...

Yeah...my dorky weather work post. As StormReady Program Leader for the NWS in Louisville, I've been working on some street signs for a couple of our StormReady Supporters for about 6 months now. Finally the signs were printed and came in. Of course, both Six Flags and Slugger Field (AAA Reds Stadium) summer seasons are pretty much over, so they will have to wait until next year to display. HA! Next up...a design for the Kentucky State Parks - since we'll be designating 32 of them StormReady Supporters over the next 18 months.

Anyways...I'm really happy they got here finally and am pleased with how they turned out. So here's a picture. Maybe I'll do something fun in my personal life soon to post - so I don't have to result to work related posts. Ugh.

Summer 2008: Major League Baseball Game #4

One Week after my Tribe game my best friend Joe and I travelled to St. Louis (arch photos in another post soon) to take in a Cardinals game thanks to my friend from work Liz securing us her Uncle's season tickets.

It was hot and sunny again...and thanks to Joe's patience, I was able to snap over 100 pictures of the stadium before and during the game. Of course, only about 10-20 came out really well - and a few of those are posted here. I managed to get myself into the club seats in the 7th inning by just walking right past the door guard like I belonged there. Of course, Joe hesitated and didn't get through. So...I watch the last couple of innings from the really really good seats right behind home plate while Joe didn't. I'm such a great friend. :(

More from St Louis soon...including a very interesting tram ride to the top of the Gateway Arch.

---

Storm Shelter signs everywhere! Busch Stadium is the only StormReady MLB Park in the U.S.

---

The Busch Stadium main gate...and that other St. Louis landmark

---

Joe taking in the view...and patiently waiting for me to finish dorkingly taking photos of everything

---

If someone hits a homer into Big Mac Land (2nd deck left field) during the game, everyone gets a free Big Mac. Someone Did!!!

---

My first view of the stadium from my unpaid for club seat

---

Summer 2008: Major League Baseball Game #3

A brief trip home to Akron at the end of July to visit my family and spend a little time with some friends. Got to spend quite a bit of time with my friend Katie who managed to score some pretty good seats to an Akron Aeros game on July 26th. For those of you who have no idea who the Akron Aeros are - they are the AA Cleveland Indians. We got to see about an hr of very heavy rain in a Thunderstorm that was in a Severe Warning (no one in the stadium was notified of this of course) right after the first inning and made it through the game around 12am. Thanks to Kurt for texting me severe weather information while I stood under the concourse hoping to not get struck by lightning. Anyways...I don't have any pictures from that game as I took off my dork hat for one night and left the camera at home.

So just 11 hours after the Aeros game was over - Katie and I headed up to C-town to catch an Indians game. It was kids day at the park so I splurged for some really good seats about 8 rows up from First Base so we could avoid all the screaming children in the upper deck. Great seats...way more sun then my head could handle. Tribe had a perfect game through 5 1/3 Innings against the Twins - but then it fell apart and the Twins won. Oh well...

Anyhoo...here's a couple of shots from Jacobs Field that day. I refuse to call it Progressive Field...and will probably never call it that. Call me stubborn...but Progressive Field just doesn't quite have that ring to it.

---

The view of the Scoreboard from our seats. Notice the blasphemy above the word Indians on the lights

---

Morneau and Seizmore in the 1st inning

---

The Q

---

My First Visit to Churchill Downs

My friend Kurt and his mother came to town this past weekend for a visit and Kurt and I decided to head over to Churchill Downs to watch a few horse races. Of course, some betting took place at the track. Kurt managed to pick the last place finisher in his first race. That was AWESOME! HUGE congratulations to Kurt on that one...and believe me, I made just as much fun of him at the track as I just did right here.

Anyhoo...my first bet was a trifecta 4-5-6. The horses finished 5-4-6. Had I bet Trifecta Box (horses finish any order in the top three), I would have won $300 (oops). Had the horses finished 4-5-6, I would have won $700+. Oh well... maybe some other day. I did win $48 on the 2nd race I ever bet on when my horse came in first. Well...my horse actually finished 2nd - but was awarded first when it was determined the winning horse used illegal tactics to cut my horse off down the stretch.

Anyways...all good fun. Kurt and I had a great time, Mint Julips all around. Something tells me this won't be my last visit to the track.

Here are some photos....

Churchill Down and THE Twin Spires from the parking lot
The Main Entrance at Churchill Downs
Bottom Shelf Bourbon + Sugar Water + Spearmint = Mint Julip = Blech!
Pre-race horse parade in the Paddock just inside the main gate
'And Down The Stretch They Come' My first Race at Churchill
The Race Winner 'Grandstanding' just shy of the finish line
Some racing on the grass track inside the dirt
My horse in race 2 was cheated. Here's the proof!!! Ching Ching!!

Thanks to all those who put up with my picture messages during the course of my trip to Churchill... The Z's, Mr. Joe K. and the others I don't remember :)

Four Years Ago Today...

Four Years Ago Today...June 5th, 2004 (or 6-5-4)...I took my Jar Jar Binks Soap Dispenser out of the trunk of my car for use on the Props Table at a wedding. Four Years Ago Today...my Jar Jar Binks Soap Dispenser was lost after that wedding, most likely left to rot in a piece of shrubery outside of The Rex Restaurant, Patio Bar and lounge in Billings, Montana.

Though not a picture of my soap dispenser - here's a photo of Jar Jar for everyone to look at and remember the wonderful Jar Jar Binks - who was given to me by my friend Mr. Joe Falkenstein after the opening of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in May of 1999. Jar Jar spent the subsequent 5 years rolling around in the trunk of Black Magic (my Pontiac...aka P.O.S.) and HAL. Jar Jar... you are still missed. Sniff Sniff, Tear Tear...

Another friend of mine - Mr. Rasch - who attended the wedding and may or may not have been the last person to see the Jar Jar Soap Dispsenser (so could the other 25 people that meandered over to the Rex for after hours) - replaced my soap dispenser with a Jar Jar Binks coin bank which proudly sits atop my cubicle at the NWS office in Louisville. I still wonder what the U.S. Customs folks thought when they found Jar Jar in Mr. Rasch's luggage on his return from a trip to Turkey. Yes... Mr. Rasch found the Jar Jar bank in a store in Turkey (and paid 9,900,000 Old Turkish Lira for him...about $9.00) and brought him back to the states for me. Thanks Mr. R.!



On another note - Four Years Ago Today two of my very good friends Jeff and Jen were Married! Happy Anniversary Jeff and Jen!!!! Yes...you are more important to me than that soap dispenser - I just wanted to make you sweat it out a little bit while you read this. Congrats Jeff and Jen!!!

Summer 2008: Baseball Game #2

Spent this past weekend in Columbia, Maryland visiting my Aunt and spending a little time taking in some baseball. I also got to spend a few hours catching up with my Dear Friend Marye. Was great to see her - as it always is. Am always pleased when people still want to visit with me after knowing me for 13 or so years. :)

Anyways...on to the photos. Nationals Park is an amazing place to see a game. Got a good one too... Nationals scored a 'walk-off' 7-6 win on a wild pitch after blowing a 6-0 lead to the Milwaukee Brewers. Very good seats - right behind home plate and in the shade for the entire afternoon game (72 degrees and cloudless skies). Lots (and I mean lots) of pics... enjoy.

DC Portable Po-Po Ops Center
DC Portable Po-Po Sniper Rifle
Marine 1, 2 or 3? They always fly in groups and in from different directions so you do not know which one The President is on. We saw 3...
The Bald Eagle Mascot 'Screech' standing in my row
'The Rushmores' - the Nationals version of the hot dog race

Oh yeah....the Stadium. Here goes... Enjoy!!!! I know I did :)

Looking in from Center Field
Looking out from the Upper Deck
Complete View (note the way out object in the far left)
More of the Capitol Building! Amazing...
The View from MY SEAT!!!
Another zoomed in view...
Look Carefully...just above the glass of Miller Lite
From behind the Upper Deck in Left Field...
To the right of the scoreboard: The Anacostia River and Naval Yard

Summer 2008: Baseball Game #1

Summer 2008 will be another year full of trips to Major League Baseball Stadiums (at least 4 planned so far) with Game 1 being a Cincinnati Reds 4-3 win over my beloved Cleveland Indians. I went up to the park with my friend Rick from work and his wife and daughter. We all enjoyed ourselves, though I really disliked the outcome. Here are a few photos from the game...

A view from the tunnel heading to our seats

The Pepsi Power Stacks showing Ken Griffey Junior's career homerun total of 597. Smoke pours from the stacks anytime a visiting batter strikes out. This happened 12 times during the game (great hitting display by The Tribe)

The Indians were no hit through 5 innings...

I got up to use the restroom and missed two of the three solo home runs the Indians hit to break up the no hitter. Doh!

Great American Ballpark from my seat as the sun was setting

Great American Ballpark in the 7th inning.

Next up: A venture into the Nation's Capitol to see the Milwaukee Brewers face the Washington Nationals in brand new National's Park. Can't wait...

HAL is 5 !!!!

Yes...it was five years ago today when I dumped that P.O.S. I used to drive (aka Black Magic and/or The Big Black Unit) and brought HAL home from Underriner Honda in Billings, Montana. What a great ride it has been so far (79,700 miles worth and counting). Here's hoping for at least 5 more years of HAL and Jazzy cross country ventures.

Happy Birthday HAL!

Here are just a pair of HALs favorite moments from last years trip to the Tetons with Matt before I moved back east.

4/20 A Day to Remember...

It was one year ago today that I interviewed for and was selected to be a Senior Forecaster at the National Weather Service in Louisville. Boy does time fly. Roll 4/20.

Denver Frozen Four photos coming soon...and hopefully Shelby County Kentucky will call soon to tell me my license plate is ready.

Broken Bones, Blasphemy and The Blimp

Lack of updates lately doesn't mean things haven't been busy. I spent some time at home recently for my 4th 'vacation' of 2008 (Previous vacations: OH 1, SD 2, DEN 3) - to help out my folks a bit because my dad broke his foot/ankle/leg and was immobilized for a period. He's doing much better now, but is still expected to be off of work for a total of 3-4 months. Yikes. Anyways, it was good to see my folks, but I wish it were under better circumstances.

I finally registered HAL in Kentucky. It only cost me $706.50 and 6 weeks of life without HAL having a vanity plate. Feels somewhat blasphemous or like I've taken HAL's personality away by putting a basic plate on him. Fortunately - KY (huh-huh) only requires 1 plate on the rear of the car, so I am able to keep my Montana JAZZCO plate on the front. This should tide HAL over until KY (the state, not the jelly fools...) calls me to tell me HAL's new plate is in. Anyway...here's a pic of HAL feeling a little down while hanging out in my garage.

I did get to see my old friend the Goodyear Blimp a few times over the course of my visit home. The Spirit of Goodyear is based at Wingfoot Lake in Akron and often can be seen floating over my childhood home. Here's a brief video clip and a still photo for your enjoyment.





That's about it for now - Frozen Four coming up soon...and a trip to see some old and very good friends in Billings. Woohoo!

Snowy Deck

Hey All...

Here is a pic of my deck this morning!!!! Well...not exactly, since it was 60 degrees at 7am this morning. This picture is actually from a snow storm we had February 7-8 here...I had 14" of snow at my house in about 24 hours. My deck built up almost 3 feet drifts along the back of my house. Thought this was kind of a cool shot - though I'm really just happy that this piled up snow did not fall into my kitchen when I opened the door.

Al is TEN!!!

March 1, 2008 marked the 10-year anniversary of when Laura gave me Al during a vist to her and her sister Barbara's home in Beavercreek, Ohio on a break from school in 1998. Al (full name Al Sleet - The Hippy Dippy Weather Lizard) has been a good luck charm and a travel companion of mine every since. I never travel out of town without him.

Al spent his birthday relaxing on my bedroom television (he is a monitor lizard after all) with his friend Leaky who became my 2nd good luck charm and travel companion in early 2000. I spent Al's birthday sleeping because I'm on midnight shift.

Happy Birthday Al!

Louisville 90, Notre Dame 85

Just got back from my first big time college basketball game since moving to the big city. Louisville dominated the game from the start - with Notre Dame only pulling to within ten points in the last few minutes. Was a fun time to sit and watch a team win with 19,000 fans most dressed in red.

Anyways - here are a couple shots I took from the game. The scoreboard shot is for Mr. Humphrey back in Billings. I hope someone in that office shows it to him - preferably during a map briefing one morning!

Ahhh....ICE

There's nothing like a nice freezing rain slash ice storm event to make your time at work zip on by. Here's a couple pictures of HAL from today...

HAL at noon...

HAL at 5pm...

The view from inside HAL at 5pm...