ikeepitreal

Moving on quickly from the last post, in which I was absolutely destroyed in the comments…  

Merry Christmas Eve from a lego man that looks like me.

Uncategorized

First post on the new platform/provider. W00T!

And now for a topic that keeps it real only among the 11-15 year old set: the David vs. Goliath pre-prime time battle between iCarly and Hannah Montana. (Those links are SFW, but I dare you to click on either of them while you are around other adults). The tale of the tape between these two shows:

• Annoying/pathetic boy character (check)
• Fictionally famous female lead with meta-show credentials (check)
• Sarcastic best friend (check)
• Goofy father figure (check)

I’m going to take a stand for the underdog here. iCarly is a better show than Hannah Montana, and Miranda Cosgrove is more talented than Miley Cyrus. You don’t care about this post now, but I’ll be sending you a link in 5 years when Cyrus is starring on the Lifetime movie of the week and Cosgrove just played the love interest to Harrison Ford in that movie you saw over Memorial Day weekend. She’s pretty funny.

And yes, occasionally I let my 3 year old son watch tween sitcoms. Nickelodeon — “Sometimes It’s Just On”.

Uncategorized

A few weeks ago, I met up with some old friends for dinner and beers at the new Deschutes Brewery in Portland. I’m a total fan boy for their beers so I was excited to try the custom-to-the-bar stuff and the food (which I had heard was very good).

Beers with the boyz is good. Problem was, this is what I ordered:

Roasted pear and goat cheese pizza, with local hazelnuts and arugula, with the optional house-made duck prosciutto

That order did not keep it real. But I liked the proscuitto.

Keeping It Real

Obligatory note about how chain letters suck, but what can I say — once you get tagged you must oblige . Thanks for the tag from Mark

20 Years Ago:

1. I was entering the 6th grade, and got my first taste of playing jazz trumpet.
2. This year baseball cards became my obsession. I spent every dollar of paper route income collecting Ruben Sierra and Will Clark cards (foreshadowing other poor investment choices in the future).
3. I was in my last year of activity in the Royal Rangers (aka the Pentecostal Boy Scouts). I placed 3rd in WA state pinewood derby (show) with my scale replica of a Porsche 911.
4. I played my first and only year of organized football, playing against mostly 4th graders because I weighed 20 pounds less than everyone in my class.

10 Years Ago:

1. I was entering my Senior year at Willamette University, cranking hard on a double major of Computer Science and Music.
2. I was celebrating my one year ‘anniversary’ — dating this radical Junior named Becky Palmer.
3. I lived in a house with 6 other guys — nicknamed ‘the Rock’. It flooded.
4. I fronted a jazz combo called Nature Boy. We rocked a badass 5/4 cover of Norwegian Wood.

5 Years Ago:

1. Married and recently moved back to the Pacific NW, Becky (Foster) and I bought our first house in Issaquah, WA.
2. I was in my 4th year working for BEA Systems, transitioning into a Product Management role.
3. I did the most grueling endurance activity of my life, mountain biking the Mackenzie River Trail with my friends Nels, Tom, and Andy.
4. The only musical activity I was continuing with was playing trumpet in the Sammamish Symphony.

3 Years Ago:

1. We had a 6 month old boy — Sam!
2. I had taken a planned layoff/severance from BEA and was enjoying 4 months off.
3. I attended my 10 year high school reunion.
4. Competed in the Ski to Sea race in Bellingham with a bunch of friends and family.

1 Year Ago:

1. Becky was with child. The in utero version of Kate.
2. I was enjoying my 2nd year at Expedia.
3. We took our first kidless trips — to NY and Vegas for awesome wedding and 30th birthday party, respectively.
4. I sold my long time wagon — the soccermom.

So Far This Year:

1. Our second kiddo — Kate — was born!
2. Had a great summer, with lots of close Northwest getaways.
3. Saw Boise State crush the Ducks in Eugene.
4. Sam went to preschool for the first time.

Yesterday:

1. I went to work.
2. I authored my 264th PowerPoint deck of 2008.
3. We watched the first Presidental debate.
4. I paid for a new furnace and water heater. Not cheap.

Today:

1. Sam and I woke up early to go salmon fishing in the Puget Sound on my friend Paul’s boat.
2. I mowed the lawn.
3. I gained even more weight by eating a cheese danish for breakfast.
4. Kate started getting her first tooth — there’s a hole!

In the Next Year I’ll:

1. Go to my 10 year college reunion.
2. Start getting some sleep again.
3. Get a vasectomy right before March Madness.
4. Move to a bigger house.

I tag Tom, Aaron, and Melissa please post comments here with your entries when you complete your task.

Miscellaneous

A study of the overcovered Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees rivalry as reflected in things my 3 year old son said today:

“Are the Red Sox playing the YankEEES?”

(I had no idea — turns out they are)

“Is David Ortiz playing? Or is he still not feeling good?”

“Is Derek JEEter playing? Will he wear his home jersey or his road jersey?”

(singing) “Old gray mare just ain’t what she used to be, Manny Ramirez ago.”

“Daddy — What are your thoughts on the love rectangle between A-Rod, Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, and Cynthia Rodriguez?”

Ok, I made that last one up.

Sports

Dear friends,

I apologize for the misleading title, but I had to get your attention.

I share this with you with the best of intentions. Your normally great google reader shared items feeds have become watered down recently by a bevy of auto posts. I can appreciate the occasional gallery of a carbon fiber skinned car or fascinating stuff like SUV plants being closed down in middle America, but at a certain point it’s too much of a good thing.

I’ve seen more concept rumors and galleries of 2009 models in the past month than I can shake a stick at (and I shake a mighty fast stick). Please dial back the ’sharing’.

If you don’t relent, I will be forced to double my Obama related Wonkette and Huff Post share rate.

Thank you. That is all.

Miscellaneous

Sam: “What team is THAT?”

Mike: “That’s the Celtics”

Sam: “Well, what team is THAT?”

Mike: “The Lakers”

Sam: “What team is the GREEN team?”

Mike: “The Celtics”

Sam: “The BOSTON CELTICS?”

Mike: “Yep”

Sam: (Sees this picture)

Sam: “Daddy! A girl plays for the BOSTON CELTICS!”

Sports

Has anyone noticed that “internet meme” is quickly becoming the new internet meme? Among name-checkers, gossipers, and cross-posters alike, eveyone is dialing down their affection for the latest digital fad by calling it an “internet meme”.

For example, a post by a fully l33t member of the blogosphere might say:

Since the prank came out 2 weeks ago, we’ve all been Rickrolled, but check out the latest in internet memes [insert link to hipster site who's author has already sold out to a book deal]

META.

Miscellaneous

Sam turned 3 recently, and got the requisite birthday card with cash in it from his Great Grandma. It led to this little exchange:

S: “Daddy, there’s 2 DOLLARS in here!”

M: “Really?” (Looks over) “Actually, Sam, that’s 10 dollars. Those are 2 5 dollar bills.”

S: (Wide eyed) “Hey, who’s that GUY ON THERE?!?”

M: “That’s Abraham Lincoln.”

S: (Almost as if in a trance) “Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president…” (trails off)

That one puzzled me and Beck for a few days until we popped in one of his Hard Hat Harry videos and heard him talking about how “Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, lived in a log cabin.”

So chalk this one up to TV babysitting, not childhood genius. Also, Sam (embarrassingly) can and will identify HANNAH MONTANA! every time we see a poster/t shirt/video/mug/candy/lip gloss with her on it. So it’s not like we’re only exposing him to useful stuff.

For the pathetic/curious, I leave you with a Hard Hat Harry link. Pretty rad.

Family

One of the best parts of paternity leave:

Drinking beer at lunch on a Tuesday.

That is all.

Family