You Know What Really Bothers Me...

Well, I will tell you! Not that you thought I would, but still. What is really bothering me (at least at this very minute) is ants. Yep, ants. The tiny little black ants that thing they are just welcome to any area of your home including the kitchen. They are relentless and they are about to find out so am I.

Oh, did you take the trash out? Yes. Did we leave food on the counter. No. Was the kitchen perfectly spotless. Yes, and thank you Kate. Still, when we got home after being gone all day long a steady stream of ants were crawling out of hole behind the stove. And just in case you aren't sick of me saying yes and no... yes, from behind the stove.

Not looking for a handout or Bill Gates to create a software programs that deals with ants - although that would be cool. Just saying that I absolutely can't stand them and wish they would just leave me alone and build their nest/home base in the woods somewhere.

Needless to say now that I have ranted I have to solve the ant crisis of October 2011. Ant traps you say? Well, I say yes.

One Final Thing... Sorry!

I should stop hitting "publish post" and just try to finish a thought. See this is what happens when you move from beer to a lower calorie hard alcohol. You blog for hours on end. Oh well, you know you can't stop reading.

To be honest, now I can't stop thinking about my Halloween costume. Do I go something traditional or do I blow them away with a modern fresh idea. Make sense? What to do, what to do. I tend to make my costumes every year so they aren't so mainstream. And, no... before you say it I am not dressing up as Gates. Homer Simpson maybe, but not Gates. This is the hard part. Coming up with a great idea is the hard part. Designing the costume and planning for every detail is the fun part. At least that is how I feel. Others might like to buy a pre-made costume in a bag and if that works for you... well whatever.

In any case, anyone out there have any great costume ideas? Please tell me that I am not the only one who doesn't have their costume planned out. Seriously, it's technically still September. Can't start to plan too early.

Tonight Is Good

Thought I was going to talk about grilling again? Or maybe wanting a hand out from Gates? Oh, no my dear friends I am not focusing on those subjects today. Now that the flu is gone and I am back to work (and feeling 110%) I would like to discuss football. Otherwise known as the thing that makes Sundays amazing and the rest of the week that much better.

On average, how much time do you spend watching football or football related shows? Is your plasma on the NFL network 24 hours a day. If so, I get where you are coming from. I love football and I find that when we are in the season I have so much to say about it. More than I do than say, waiting for a hand out or something. Good thing I am not sitting in a gas station while I write this.

In any case, I could probably go on all night. What teams I want to win, who I am starting in my fantasy football league, how much Kate also enjoys football (thank god!), but I will not. See, it's almost 8 where I live and I am about to watch something else that makes me very happy. Fall premiers. Talk to you all later and have a good night.

I Hate Being Sick

Apparently, EVERYONE is getting sick this week. Doesn't it always seem like the minute you have a cold you hear from a doctor or a friend that EVERYONE is getting sick. That kinda aggravates me because I know I am the only one out of my friends that is sick. Kate is even fine so who is this "everyone" else that is now sharing my pain?

Anyhow, no I am not waiting for some sympathy handout from Gates or from anyone at this point. I would just like to simply express that I hate being sick. Since I woke up this morning I have gone through four boxes of Kleenex or tissue or whatever else you would like to call it. I can't help but to call it Kleenex. Kleenex and Q-Tip are two brands that dominate. Pay respect. He, he, he.

In any case, I am sitting here sick and sharing this random cold medicine induced thoughts with you. Don't pretend that you don't love it. Well, if you are one of the "everyone" group that is sick also, I hope you feel better. Over and out for now. May I suggest vitamin C to everyone?!

Yes, I Am About to Grill

My mini grill rant has increased my desire to start up the open flame. Tonight it is chicken. I didn't even bother to marinate it since I know I will still be able to cook it to perfection. And, no... this is not the first time the grill has been turned on today.

For breakfast I grilled sausages. Yes, I did and they were delicious. For lunch I grilled burgers and onions. Let's not forget the baked beans on the side. And, in a few minutes I will start the chicken. It has been a simple process that I have completely enjoyed. If you are wondering I did have the day off today.

It didn't take a hand out from Gates to supply this grill feast either. Very affordable if I do say so myself. Think I bought it all for Well, it is about that time since Kate and I are starving. In between eating we have managed to get some last minute wedding planning completed and of course we had some beers too.

Kate is already prepping the side items so I think it's time to start the grill back up. Have a good night all and I hope you enjoy your dinner. Grilled or not.

The Art of Grilling

I can't believe I have had this blog alive for so long and never mentioned my love for grilling. If it was up to me, I would grill for every meal (including breakfast) and publish my works of art. Grilling is the best thing ever and my mind gravitates toward this form of cooking regardless of the time or day.

I recently bought a $500 range grill that is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. And, no I wasn't waiting for Gates to give me a handout to buy it. Thanks to our local favorite hardware store (which will remain unnamed) I bought the thing at an amazing deal and impressed my wife to be with my shopping skills.

This grill is not just a grill. Imagine a grill with a burner on one side and a sear burner on the other side. It's a work of art. And, yes... I do believe grilling is an art form. You have to understand the food and how it will react with the temperature. Make fun of me if you will, but don't say a word next time you eat my buffalo wings or steak.

Now, I am hungry. Talk to ya later.

August Is Almost Gone

Once August is over it is hard to say good-bye to summer. September is the kick off for back to school, football, and many other great changes the all mean fall has approached. Did you all enjoy your summer this year? Yeah, I know some of you did more than others (read: spend a lot of time at my bar), but hopefully you all had some time to relax.

Now, we are far from relaxing and no it is not because we are busy waiting for a hand out from Gates. We are business planning a wedding that will be here in just a few months. This is what I am now going to refer to as "crunch time."

Crunch time involves a great deal of finalizing that I will honestly say I thought was already finalized. People must change their minds when it comes to weddings because you have to make decisions, confirm those decisions, review some contracts, sign those contracts, come up with the money and on and on and on.

Welcome to world of crunch time activities. Lets hope that things continue to run smoothly and the crunch is over quickly. Keep your fingers crossed.

Updates

The draft is completed. No, I am not 100% confident in my team, but what can I say. It turned out that we had a little "emergency" so I ended up auto-drafting. And, yes everything is OK. A burst pipe and minor leak in the garage and grab your attention and actually make you forget about fantasy football. Leak has stopped and nothing was damaged.

So, a little on auto-drafting. Sure, the computer has your best interest in mind, but you are still not in complete control. Auto-drafting with choose the top ranked players in correspondence with what positions you need to fill. The problem is... if you want to take a gamble and grab another player out of order of their pre-determined ranking you can not. Before you even say I am aware that you can set your won rankings, yet since I thought I was going to attend I really didn't bother.

Now, I sit and wait until Thursday. And, no I am not waiting for a hand out from Gates. I am waiting till the first regular season game to get this fantasy football going. If I win, well that would be a good thing.

November Is It

No, I have not been standing in a gas station waiting for Bill Gates to give me a handout. I have been busy man! Relationships take work and work takes work so sometime I just need to work at sitting on the couch and not doing (or typing) anything. Deal with it!

I am starting to wonder if we have the longest engagement in history because our wedding dates has changed once again. Is this normal or no? I guess this is what happens when you plan your wedding at your future wife's parent's house and they like to travel a lot. For those of you who have been waiting patiently we sent out the save the dates today. The wedding date is November 26 and yes, it was originally supposed to be August 23rd. Go figure.

In any case, printed documents are in the mail so no more changes can be made. To be honest I originally typed maid, not made. Guess I am secretly hoping a maid walks in and cleans this place up. You can't stop a day dreamer from dreaming. Wow, that sounded stupid.

Have a good night all and be sure to check your mail.

Love Saturday

So, I just got today off too. Love it! I guess if I talk about having time off on my blog I get time off. Do you think that will really work for my Bill Gates handout too? Probably not. In any case, I plan to spend the rest of the day BBQing and having some drinks with friends. Now, that is a good Saturday.

Kate agreed to do a blog this upcoming week with her updates on all things wedding. Don't expect my same level of humor. Well, of course, she is funny, but is she really funnier than me? I guess i will let you decide when she posts. Who would of thought I would host a guest blogger? Wasn't I just living alone and waiting for handouts at gas stations a year or so ago?

Well, I guess time flies. And speaking of time I am off to enjoy the rest of my weekend. I have to shop and prepare for this BBQ. Well, I guess that means I now have to figure out what to grill. Steaks, shrimp, chicken? Do I have to do a vegetable? Ah, decisions, decisions.

Be in touch soon. Adios.

Still Recovering

No, I am not recovering from a handout from Gates. If that happened I would still be home counting the money. What I am still recovering from is Comic Con. The event really takes a lot out of you. The lines you have to stand in alone could make anyone tired.

Seriously, I wonder how many people need to take another vacation after Comic Con. If I could, I would of scheduled a full week off just to sit on the couch and relax for bit. As you know, I didn't take time off at all. Half price shot tomorrow BTW. I randomly had tonight off so it is nice to sit back at the computer and talk to you all.

No walking, no standing in line, no comics. The reality is that we are back to wedding planning and real life. I guess stayed tuned for the most recent updates and such. I am hoping Kate will have a part in the next couple of blogs too. Well, heading off to bed. Adios Comic Con fans and well, everyone else. Yeah, you all know who you are.

And, the Name for Your Drink?

Alright, caffeinated and ready to go. The line... it was nuts. It was one of the moments where you totally know that you will never see anything like this again unless you return to Comic Con.

As the line twisted and turned inside of the stanchions it was next to impossible to ignore the people dressed up in a wide variety of costumes and NEED to know what in the hell these people were ordering to drink. The pirate order a Mocha, Rapunzel went for a chocolate chip cookie and a drip coffee, the Storm Trooper want a ice coffee (although he had to take his mask off to take a sip) and finally Spiderman just wanted a cup of ice. Possibly to freeze his web. Then there was Kate and I standing there in amazement. No costume, no mask, no bueno. Of course, dressing up is optional, but you begin to wonder who is the odd one out when you look "weird" in your t-shirt and jeans.

Well, it is Sunday (read: the last day of the Con) and those circling around us are on a mission to get all their last minute purchases and panels in. I think we may be done for our Con, but you never know. Around every corner there is something that you know you just can't live without. My "nerd" collection recently tripled in size with no help from Gates.

The Pirate at Starbucks

Man, I will tell ya... Comic Con is really like an endurance test. If you are not in shape, the convention center can easily kick your butt and makes you wish you have started working out in preparation. I would say, without a doubt, that you should never plan on doing anything unless you have time to sit in a line. Lines are the universal "theme" and standard of Comic Con. Oh, you want a shirt... get in line. Oh, you want to see a panel... get in line at least 4 hours in advance. Oh, you need a Starbucks? Plan on being in that line for at least 30 minutes.

Actually, the funniest thing to me was the Starbucks line. And, no not because they were giving out free samples. As we know, I am found of the free handouts. The Starbucks line cracked me up because I walked out of the main hall, turned the corner, and there it was. A line of roughly between 25-40 people just standing there (many of them in costume) just waiting to order their fav drink. Yep, I made my way all the way to Comic Con to tell you about my need for caffeine. Stay tuned. I want to sip on my latte before I give away additional details.

Comic Con and Me

Well, I love Kate, but I also LOVE Comic Con. If you have never been it is a little hard to explain. Sure, sure it is a convention, yet it not like any other convention that you have attended in your life. I will try to explain, but take time to do some searching and find out what Comic Con is like for others.

First, if you are attending Comic Con you must be ready for lines. The "Con" is held at the San Diego Convention Center conveniently located on the outskirts of the Gas Lamp district. Aside from the quick geography lesson I do have more details to share.

The history... Comic Con started roughly 40 years ago in a small banquet hall at a local San Diego hotel dubbed The El Cortez. As popularity in comics grew (think pre-every movie or summer blockbuster being a comic story) the vendors and artists packed up and moved finally ending up at the SD convention center. Today, the Con grabs and holds onto the attention of people worldwide.

It has transformed from only comics into panels filled with hollywood stars and attractions formed by the top marketing agencies around the world. I am currently sitting in my hotel room about to head over and embark on what is my day one of Comic Con. It actually started with a preview night on Wednesday, but I couldn't get that much time off work. And, not Bill Gates is not handing out money on the corner. All of these peoples spend hundred and hundred (possibly thousands) to attend, stay in SD, and buy everything Comic Con they can.

BRB with more...

Can I Continue on the Smurfs?

Really, why are the Smurfs all over the place? I just came back from a 2-week vacation with the future Mrs. and I am appalled how many ridiculous signs are all up all over the place. Who thought that this was a good idea? Seriously, I want to know.

It drives me crazy that I have to keep seeing these posters and dumb commercials for a movie I would say is bound to tank. Where are the movie critics and what are they saying about this? Someone, ANYONE!!!

Alright, enough about Smurfs and more on me. Did you miss me while I was on vacation? It was great in case you were going to ask. And no, Bill Gates did not give me a hand out. I paid for this one on my own. The truth is it wasn't that expensive at all. Then again, any extra money we have is really going towards the wedding.

So, are you dying to know where we went and what we did yet? I am sure you are, but you are going to have to wait. Running out to grab dinner. Consider this a teaser. Wait for it...

Can You Say "Happy Belated Father's Day?"

I have heard Happy Belated Birthday, but I wasn't sure if the same "belated" wishes could apply for any holiday. If they can... well you know what I am about to say. To all my guy friends and family that have kids Happy Belated Father's Day. And, there you go.

I can describe what I did yesterday to celebrate Father's Day in two words. BBQ meat. It felt like my Dad and I had a marathon going of BBQing, eating, and drinking. Seriously, I am going to say that we were outside doing these three activities for about 4 to 5 hours. It was great in case you were wondering. I can't even begin to describe the amount of meat we purchased, cooked, and ate. It felt like we couldn't get enough. Maybe it was that whole protein thing doesn't fill you as fast as carbs. Who knows.

Do you ever wonder how people from different backgrounds celebrate holidays? Sure, you know how your family celebrates, but how do the uber-rich like Gates celebrate? Does he even have kids? In any case those are the thoughts that run through my mind and the same thoughts you are forced to read if you follow my blog. Don't lie... you know you love it.

And, I Got Called Off

So, I hope anyone out there that was heading down to the bar for my shift has the opportunity to read this first. Not there. I am here. Blogging to you instead of serving you beer. Just come over here already.

I guess things were really slow so there was no need to come in. What, nobody wants to drink on the 15th of June? Is there rule I don't know about? In any case, I am in the perfect mood to be lazy today. Kate is out of town with visiting friends and I have the place to myself. It's an odd thing once you move in with someone. When you are single you take your time alone for granted and when you are in a couple you realize that you don't have very much time alone at all. I guess that is the whole part of give in take.

In any case I am appreciating my little bit of time alone, but still wouldn't mind hanging with friends. Well, the afternoon/night is young. We share see what happens. Maybe Gates will show up at my door and want to take me on his private jet. Oh, there I go with that handout thing again.

Time Flies When You Are...

wedding planning. Wait, did you think I was going to say "having fun"! I guess I could see me saying that too. So, how have you been? Most of you have been in and out of the bar so I already know that answer, but for the others... please feel free to respond.

Life is good as usual. The date has been set (all problems have been figured out) and things are moving on. Still no hand out from Gates and I have stopped wondering when that will happen. On the other hand, we have been getting hand outs from many other wealthy individuals. Kate has a few close family members that recently donated to our overall wedding fund. The couple is very shy and humble so I will not name names, but I will say thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Without you many of our wedding "wonderful" would not be possible.

It's about that time to get ready to go to work. Come visit and I will give you more details on the rest of life. I think there is some sort of drink specials tonight, but I can't promise anything. This is why I could not be a promoter. Have a good night everyone!

Chicken Tonight

So yes, the chicken BBQ was amazing too. I felt the need to get back on the blog and tell you all something I found very interesting. I met some people from Australia at the BBQ tonight and well, they get something a little bit better than the occasional three day weekend. This one woman that I met was in the states visiting her family because she had a 2 month vacation. Yes, I said two month vacation. At which at the end of it she could return to her job like she never left.

Are we living in the wrong country? Here I have been asking Gates (read: the rich) for a handout and other people in different parts of the world are getting months at a time off. I think I may have my priorities out of whack.

For those of you that are wondering the entire platter of potato salad was gone within the first few hours. I am kinda wishing we were able to incorporate it into our wedding day meal somehow. Thinking that the last thing Kate and her Mom will want to do is make batch after batch of potato salad the day before the wedding. Just saying.

Potato Salad and Me

And, I am back. Kate's Mom was at the door dropping off some platter so we could bring potato salad to the party. Kate has this AMAZING recipe I think that her Mom created and they have this one platter that perfectly fits two full batches of the recipe. It seriously is the best potato salad you have ever had. Not too much mayo, the perfect amount of seasoning, and they use all different kinds of potatoes. Hungry?! Alright, back to the pig... It was weird to watch and wonderful to eat.

If I had to rank the whole experience I would give it a 9 out of 10. The only reason I would avoid 10 out of 10 is all the labor it took into the whole production. As you know I am no longer about handouts and not waiting for Gates to give me another car. In any case, my BBQ adventures are not over for the weekend. We are off to one last BBQ (chicken for this one) tonight and then back to the normal work week tomorrow.

Hope you all had a great weekend too. Starting to think every weekend should be a full three days. It's hard to argue that isn't it?