On the road again

Deanna and I are on the road again. We left yesterday at 9:20am. Destination: Maine. Last time we pretty much busted butt and got to Maine in 3 days. This time we're making a trip of it.

Day 1: All we needed to do was make 500 miles towards Washington DC. We made 472, so it wasn't that bad. A lot of driving led us to a Days Inn somewhere in Pennsylvania. I thought the bed was very comfortable, but Deanna couldn't sleep on it at all...too soft for her. She tried sleeping on the floor and even in the tub, but nothing really worked.

Day 2: We were off aroun 9:00am and headed to DC. It was about 200 miles away. The driving all this far had been very smooth...even once we got to DC it wasn't that bad. We got there around 2:00pm. and lucked out in finding a 2 hour parking spot. The meter didn't work and had a number to call. Good news: I called before we left and got a confirmation number for the call...just incase we came back and got a ticket.

Deanna and I hopped on our bikes and rode around to the Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial, Washington Monument, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial...and rode all the way to the other end...Capital Hill. We made it back to the car before 4:00 because the spot was "No Parking" after 4:00. We found we had a ticket. Bad News: I put the confirmation number in my phone and for some reason it didn't save.

$25.

Ah well. Luckily we left DC to head north...and we left in the heat of rush hour.

We landed in Newark, DE. Tomorrow we're off to Philadelphia, ending in Boston where we'll stay all the next day.

Well...

I got Shanghai'd. I'm on a pirate ship being used as forced labor now...but they have WiFi.

I took the potion, but all it really did was taste bad. Not so bad that I couldn't drink a cup of it, but bad enough that I don't feel the need to drink or brew more of it. Oh well.

Who needs Chinese Potions when you have Snakes on a Plane! A bunch of us went to see this movie last night at a special pre-screening. I was apprehensive. I didn't care much. Last time a group of us got together to see a movie it was Redeye. Everyone was saying "this will be so fun!" and "we can do bits!". Well that movie sucked and everyone was silent...no bits. I walked out of Redeye about 15-20 minutes into it. It was terrible because they tried to play it too real for a semi-horror genre. I earned a reputation that day. No one could believe I walked out. I've sat through crappy movies before (read, Eyes Wide Shut) and wished I would have gotten up. So, in Redeye I did, and I felt great.

I was getting that vibe in the planning of the Snakes on a Plane event. I didn't even say I'd go. But Deanna said she was going and wanted to know why I wasn't going. I had ComedySportz last night as well, and the movie started at 10:00...CSz gets over around 9:30-9:45. Rich and I drove like we were in Tokyo Drift to get there. We only missed about 10 minutes and they had saved seats for us.

We made it. The difference between Redeye and Snakes on a Plane...the latter new it was cheesy and pushed that angle. There were so many stereotypical characters and scenarios...it was great. And that was before the snakes even came out.

I guess it helped that everyone there was psyched about the movie, and shouting out jokes was welcomed well.

See this movie.

Secret Potions!

Remember when I got acupuncture and they gave me stuff for a potion? I'm just now start....holy crap! A plane just flew by low and fast. I think they're practicing for the air and water show.

Anyhow. I'm just now making the potion. It takes about 2 hours. More on how it tastes when I get finished.

And the winner is...

Last night was the Chicago ComedySportz banquet. We have this once a year to basically hang out as an ensemble, eat a nice meal, dress fancy, watch bits, and have "Howie Awards".

The Howie awards are just a fun way to recognize people. There are many different categories. The ones I can remember are Best Ref, Best 5 Things Player, MVP, Best Sound, Best Music, Best Mime, Rookie of the Year, Best Captain, Most Supportive Player. There might be a couple I'm forgetting.

Some people hate awards...and that 'some people' is Katie Nahnsen. But she's not in CSz, so it's ok. I think these awards are great because CSz is a pretty tight family, and very supportive. Usually when someone wins, there are no hard feelings even if you were nominated for a category.

This year has been my big year of reffing. I just started reffing shortly before the last banquet. I've really been comfortable reffing and throwing out bits to the captains and driving the energy of the audience when they need it. Well, I was awarded for that. Best Referee. Thanks to everyone who voted...I am honored.

I also won the award for Best 5 Things. If you don't know what 5 Things is, come see a CSz show like Sammy Tamimi recently did. It's a game I love. It's a game we play in every show. I just play it hard, fast, and most of all...fresh. It is mime and gibberish based where you give clues to a person who has no idea what the things are. Sometimes you get suggestions so many times that a shorthand version of miming happens. I try to keep it fresh and give new versions of clues to people.

The coolest thing about the trophy for Best 5 Things is that the engraver was doing a rush job and my award says "THINGS". I have a trophy for THINGS!

Thanks CSz. I love you guys.

Broken Summer

I was going to title this "Now is the Summer of our discontent" but I searched that title on the web to see if there was more to it that I could use...I found out a ton of people used that quote, and mostly for blogs.

Summer. This summer has been interesting to phrase it kindly. I can think of seven couples off-hand that have broken up since April. Now, that may seem like a small amount, but at least half of these were long term relationships. Some are for good. Some are for "we'll find out after we take a breather". It has also been the start of some relationships...relationships that make me go "huh?" or "really?" like Michael Bluth would say in Arrested Development.

To the people in these new relationships I say, look at the person you're with. Really look at them. And look at the things they've done. I know you may be in an "I just broke up after a long relationship" situation. I know you may be in an "I haven't had anyone in so long" situation. But, really? I love you guys...and I don't get it. It makes me crazy that I don't get it, and crazier that you don't get it. But if you're happy, great. Happy now may mean more hurt soon thereafter. For all I know you may not be seeing that person anymore. It makes me want to fight.

To the people broken up. Stay strong. Do something by yourself until the summer is over. I had a bad break up once and ended up with a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I can break boards like nobody's business. Don't look for someone. 'Cause when you don't, you'll find them.

Most importantly, to the people on the edge. Hang tight, brothers and sisters. This summer is testing everyone. I defy you to tell me I'm wrong. About a month ago when I was becoming aware of all the break ups, Deanna and I had a fight. It was about something not stupid, but it could have been handled in a non-fight manner. Luckily we realized this. It's this summer. It's a ball-buster.

Every now and then we can feel it pulling at us again. We figure if we can make it to September 22nd (Fall) we'll be safe...for a while at least. We're in our 6th year together, so the 7 year itch is coming up.

Hopefully we'll have stocked up on some sort of medicated relationship Tucks pad.

Pins and Needles!

Today I went in to be a lab rat...kinda. My friend Katie works at a school that is right across the street. They teach Chinese Medicine stuff there. I was to be an acupuncture patient. I didn't have anything to do, and it was free so I figured what the heck.

So, I was basically the best acupuncture patient in the world. I had the main dude and a lady in a labcoat there...then 6 ladies with nametag stickers (three had 'J' names, three did not). It was a "Students shadowing the teacher" situation.

I mostly talked about my knee problems (less than Todd talks about his) and how I can't sleep well at night. They asked a bunch of questions. Then I got up on the table and they wanted to take my pulse. Not for numbers...but to feel it. Pulse on the right side relates to something like the lungs and stomach, pulse on the left side relates to liver and heart. Details are vague. Apparently there are 28 different pulse types, but the variations in between are infinite. Everyone took turns taking my pulse. After the first rotation of people I said "you guys gotta try this! This pulse is awesome!"

Then they wanted to look at my tongue. This is where I cracked. Lying down, sticking out your tongue, and then having 8 people lean in all at once to look at it is a funny experience.

They then asked me to take off my shirt and left. When they came back, the main guy swabbed some key points: the "in" side of both ankles, near each big toe, on the shin muscle near the knee, two spots in a line between my belly button and sternum, each wrist. He then said "this may feel a little tooth achy...like a dull pain or heavy. One. Two. Three." As he stuck me in the ankle. I didn't feel a thing. The other ankle...nothing. Right big toe, barely anything at all. Left big toe, hmmm, that feels odd...I got the tingly-heavy feeling. "Good. That's what we like." Right shin muscle, "This one might feel a little tooth achy too." BAM! Yes...yes it did. It felt like my shin muscle was cramping up. I could feel it in my toes. Wrist, fine. Wrist, fine. Stomach, stomach. Fine, fine. My stomach off to the right side where no needle was felt odd, and there was no needle there. I told him. "See (to the class)? This was one of the areas we were going to do, but didn't, and that is where the feeling ended up manifesting!"

I lay there for awhile. He comes back to check up. "We'd like to make you an herbal concoction to help with your sleep and digestion problems, is that ok?" Sure. I'm expecting him to come in with a cup of tea for me to drink. He leaves, then comes back and takes the needles out.

"We just did a general session today. We didn't want to focus on the knee since it was your first time in. Chinese medicine is actually really great for dealing with knee problems. It's a simple joint. Thanks for coming in. You can wait up from and we'll get you your herbs."

I wait up front for my cup of tea. As I'm waiting, the guy goes to the office and asks for something. He gets a jar of some herb that apparently needs to be kept in the office away from the other herbs. My cup of tea ends up being 3 bags of herbs...enough for 3 cups a day for 6 days. I feel like an Asian version of Harry Potter.

RUN FORREST RUN

I'm not a runner. I never really have been. I have dreams where I run fast and free without ever needing to catch my breath...those dreams are the best.

I'm currently in the process of trying to build up my cardio. I've always wanted to be able to jog/run at least 5 miles. Yes, that is how much of a not-runner I am. I think the most I've ever jogged straight through for was 20 minutes. And that was when I was taking Tae Kwon Do pretty hardcore. I had to build up to that. 2 miles in 20 minutes. That is as far as I've gone. I know people who run 5 miles as a warmup or just "on their off days".

My plan is to jog every other day while I'm in Maine and get up to the point of being able to go for 30 minutes comfortably...and 60 minutes without dying. I'll figure out how far that is later.

I went today for 10 minutes. Thanks to my iPod I put two 5 minute songs right after a 3 minute song. I walked for the first song. Jogged for the second. Turned around at the third, and walked once that song ended. I say "thanks" because I searched my entire music library by 'time' to find songs of the right length. Normally when I jog I'm a vicious clock watcher and my spirit breaks. Today, the jog wasn't that bad.

I can remember my dad going for jogs starting in the summer, and ending in the summer. He was in the Army Reserves. They had summer camp and he would jog to get in shape for them. This is when I was a kid. I remember going with him once and stopping way before him.

To give you an idea of how I wasn't built for running...

In grade school during the Reagan administration we had to do these 6-lap runs (1.5 miles I believe) once a year. They never really prepped us for them, they just happened. Not once did I ever do all 6 laps. Always 5 (maybe 4 once). With all of those kids out there at the same time it was hard for the Gym teacher (Mr. G) to keep track. He'd ask us which lap we were on each time around. I was clever enough to know that after lap three, came five, and then six. It made sense because I was finishing up my fifth lap about the same time the entire world was done with their sixth.

I am built for speed walking though. In college we did a mile walk one day, and a mile jog the next. We could speed walk, the teacher made it clear we couldn't jog on the first day, but speed walking was fine. So I did. I walked the mile in 8 minutes 55 seconds. The teacher let two guys jog until they caught up to me.

The next class? I jogged the mile in 13 minutes.

Remember Blogs?

Have they become the discarded Cabbage Patch dolls for my friends? I think people might not think that other people read their blogs and stop writing. I know the ones I read have dwindled. I only know that my parents and Declan read this. Deanna doesn't even read it. But I keep going. So here's a message to the people that have blogs I check.

Tara - FINALLY she updated it. And, as a bonus, she checked my photo blog site and noticed the cand-blot pic. Keep at it. Your blog always = best.

Bill - You don't need to worry about anything. Not only is your blog pretty frequent, but it goes back over four years! I got to recently find the entry of when a young Rance joined your iO team.

RoNo - Well played. You update when there is something just important enough to write about. I like yours...even though Coke sucks.

Molly - MORE! I like hearing about the little details of your world. Something about the way you write it is great. I know you've gone on a Sonic adventure since the Revue Review.

Brian and Emily - you guys should be writing everyday...twice. Your stuff is hilarious, and you don't even really need to try to be funny. GET ON IT!

Zach - Zach updates well and responds to comments. Zach = good.

Tim - Buddy...we get it...you're leaving in May. Remember that? Brendan kept an awesome blog when he was on the boats. You'll be cut...CUT I SAY!

Rico - Remember how long ago May was when Tim left? Try April 20th. C'mon...there has to be SOMETHING going on you can comment on. You tell it like it is!

Eric - finally! I was wondering if you were going to ever come back...and you DID! And with FLYING COLORS! I totally agree with you about the evites, but you haven't responded to my awesome comment/quote. Let's hop to that!

TR PICS - keep rollin'. You're one of the few regular posters.

Deanna - 12/05?

So for anyone I didn't mention. I don't know about your blog or you've BEEN CUT!

Thanks for reading.