Maybe Take the Word Out of the Rotation

If you’ve spent any time on the internet, you’ve no doubt had to interpret a fuzzy image and type in whatever letters happened to be there. That bit of verification that you are a human and not a “bot” trying to break the site is known as Captcha. For the most part I find it a minor nuisance than anything. And then today as I was sending a message on Facebook I came across the following:

I’m thinking maybe having a toast to fascism as the Captcha isn’t the best of ideas. Granted, not overly offensive, but enough for a head tilt and a smile. Probably best to just pull the word out of the rotation.

Friday Five

The Excuse

W00t! None needed!

The Week

Normally I get to go to exciting places like Mission, TX and Rogers, AR. This week I wound up going to Chicago. If you know me at all, you know that I love visiting ballparks, so the chance to visit Wrigley was one I had to jump at. Fortunately my good friend Brian was able to join. So we got into town on Saturday to see what trouble we could cause that night, and then do the game on Sunday.

The one really sweet bonus was the room – for whatever reason, the Hyatt we were in decided to upgrade us to a suite – with a sweet view! Saturday night was dinner at Harry Carey’s (see the restaurant below), and then we headed out to a dueling piano bar called Howl at the Moon. (Inside note for anyone who knows the other story – it was much tamer!)

Wrigley was just as amazing as I had hoped. I must admit I prefer Yankee Stadium, but Wrigley was just amazing. Our seats were down the third base line, in the shade. The shade (and wind) made for a very cold afternoon. I was glad I had a fleece on. The game itself was great, ending with a full count, two outs, Cubs down by one, and runners on first and second. Couldn’t ask for very much more. You can see all the pics here.

The rest of the week was tamer by comparison. I was out in Schaumberg, a western suburb. Despite my best efforts, I really wasn’t able to get out to see the city again, which is not overly surprising. I did manage to find the local White Castle and stopped by there this week (twice). There’s also a Famous Dave’s just down the street. Yeah – I need to start eating better again.

The Restaurant

  Brian and I went to Harry Carey’s in downtown Chicago. I had been there many years ago and remembered really liking the place. This time around it was more tourist trappy to me than anything. The food was very good (Brian had the chicken marsala, and I had the chicken involtini). But the waiter we had was much more concerned about turning the table than anything else. Not sure that I’ll be finding myself back there again.

The Exercise

I knew it wasn’t going to happen this week because of the style of class I was teaching. I was 8-8 all week long.

The Travel Note

As much as possible I try to fly Continental. Part of it is because I have status with them. The other is that they do so many things right. For instance, through my iPhone, I can find out where I am on a standby list.

I arrived at O’Hare, which is problem number one. I’m in Terminal C, which has 32 gates and I’m pretty sure 6 bar stools. But anyway, I need to check a bag (long story). I also needed to make sure my bag could get on the earlier flight that I was on standby for. I had put myself on standby when checking in last night.

When I arrive, I’m directed to the automated systems where I can do just that. When I get to the screen where it talks about standby and the button to check anything for an earlier flight is grayed out. So I asked the *ahem* helpful agent that’s roaming the area:

Me: Excuse me. I’m trying to make sure I’m on the standby list for the 5-o’clock flight.
Him: It should tell you on the screen.
Me: The button was grayed out.
Him: Ok, well, try it again.
<I do with him standing there>
Me: See – it’s grayed out.
Him: It’s telling you that an earlier flight isn’t available.
Me: That’s fine. Last night when I checked in I put myself on the standby list. I’m just trying to confirm it.
Him: There isn’t an earlier flight available. That’s what the screen is telling you.
Me: I put myself on standby. I just want to confirm this. <In the back of my brain, all I can hear is Jeannie Bueller screaming “Speak any English?!”>
Him: You can’t get on standby.
Me <losing all patience, and speaking as slowly as I can>: Ok. I put myself on the standby list last night. I just need to confirm that I’m on the list.
Him: Ok. You need to go stand in that line. <He points at a line that would make the DMV seem like a short wait.>
Me: Well thank you very much. And you have a wonderful day.^[1]

At this point I’m done with this whole experience, and thought I’ll just take my later flight. When I get my boarding pass printed, sure enough it says that I’m on the standby list, and the person taking my baggage checked my bag on the earlier flight.

Thanks for the help, buddy!

The Five

Seeing as how I’m not a tourist in San Diego there are many things I either haven’t done or done in a while. Here’s 5 things I really need to do [again].

1. Visit the zoo again - Since we moved to San Diego we’ve never been back.
2. Tour the USS Midway - From everything I’ve heard it’s one of the coolest experiences in San Diego, especially if you’re an airplane nut – which I am.
3. Tour the Star of India – There it sits in the Embarcadero, and not once have I been on it.
4. Go to the beach – Not that I’m a huge beach person, but I think it’s been about 2 years since I’ve spent a day at the beach.
5. Wine tasting in Temecula – Not that Temecula is the greatest wine region in California, but they do have some good wineries up there. And it’s just a fine time.

^[1] There may have been a little sarcasm in my voice. Maybe. Just a little. The smallest amount. Barely noticeable.

Friday Five

The Excuse

I was at TechEd last week, and there was no way I was going to sit down on Friday and peck one of these out. Sorry.

The Week

  Well, as I mentioned, I was at TechEd. If you’re not familiar, TechEd serves as a great chance to hang out with friends is an annual Microsoft conference that I’ve been fortunate enough to work and present at the last two years. It was up in LA this year, which was nice if for only the fact that Karin was able to sneak up for a night and meet a lot of my MCT friends. Outside of that, the location itself sucked – I hate LA in ways I can’t even describe. I fought traffic both driving up on Saturday and home on Friday. Ugh.

I wound up working the Hands On Labs area which, while not my first choice, turned out to be quite enjoyable. I was also fortunate enough to present two different “Exam Preparation” sessions, one of them winding up as the second highest overall score out of the “Exam Preparations” delivered that week (although I’m thinking the other guy chummed the waters (just kidding Shannon!)).

The event itself was more subdued than normal. There was no big “attendee party” like there has been in years past; instead there was more of a gathering. The keynote was very low-key, focusing more on the challenges businesses are facing than new products that Microsoft is releasing. But it was still a good conference, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to attend.

The Exercise

Again – I knew it wasn’t happening this week. Need to get back on track. Although, I did walk a ton if that counts for anything.

The Restaurant

I really didn’t do much restaurant visiting this week with the conference and all. But I did wind up at a club called The Standard every night that I was there. It wasn’t really planned that way, but after a couple of nights in a row it became a thing – must make it to The Standard. It’s a rooftop bar (about 12 stories up) in downtown LA. Very cool little place. It’s outdoors, so the music can only get so loud, meaning you can have a conversation. (Wow am I getting old!) There’s a pool up there, 4 water bed pods, and weird movies (Kubrick-esque) being projected on the building across the street. Very overpriced, and I certainly realized I’m not hip any longer (if I ever was), but I really enjoyed the place.

The Travel Note

I still don’t understand how people on airplanes aren’t aware of the fact that pulling on the seat in front of them is not a good thing. There is someone sitting in that seat!

The Five

Just some little things about me

1. I’ve wanted to live in San Diego since I can remember – basically since I became a Chargers fan. I love being a San Diegan.
2. Despite having lived in upstate New York and Minnesota, I’m now a wimp when it comes to cold weather. Of course Karin acclimated to San Diego weather the day we arrived out there despite spending her entire life in Minnesota.
3. At some point I want to get my car out to Duluth and Vermont. I’ve wanted to do the Duluth to Thunder Bay drive and tool around Green Mountains in my Miata since I’ve had one.
4. One of the biggest things I miss, besides the food, that I miss about the East Coast is a real mass transit system. Few towns west of Philadelphia have a real mass transit system.
5. When we were living in Minnesota the most dangerous possession we had was a heated water bed. When it’s –30 outside and 80 in your bed it’s awful hard to actually get out.

Friday Five

The Excuse

None needed! W00t!

The Week

Because of an oil/energy conference in Houston this week I wound up getting a hotel much further out from the city than normal – I wound up down in Stafford. For those of you up on your “jersey trivia”, that would be the area that Karin and I lived in when we lived out in Houston. I hadn’t been down there in quite a while, so it was like returning “home” of sorts for me. Or mostly a chance to go check out some of my old stomping grounds again.

The Restaurant

Because I wound up beating up on a restaurant last week, I decided this week I’d touch on 3 of my favorite restaurants, two of which I hadn’t been to in months. The first is 713, which is my favorite sushi bar. Yeah, it tries to be hipper than it is. Yeah, it’s in a strip mall. But the sushi’s great (and the waitresses/bartenders aren’t unattractive.

Next up is Grimaldi’s. They’re one of the few pizza joints that still does pizza the right way – coal fired ovens. While it’s not the original (and I still prefer Lombardi’s), it works just fine if you can’t get yourself to Manhattan.

 

Last but not least is Gringo’s, which is a Tex/Mex place in Stafford. It was a favorite for Karin and I, and their Silver Star Margarita is 22 ounces of nirvana. If one of those doesn’t improve your outlook on life nothing will. Still the best margarita I’ve ever tasted.

The Exercise

See, I was too busy eating….

The Travel Note

My 3 year lease is up on my Miata in about 2 months. I’m still under 14,000 miles – and that includes a round trip to Vegas and Houston. Maybe I should spend a little more time at home.

The Five

BTW – I’m open to ideas here… ;-)

Five favorite restaurants (in no particular order)

1. Lombardi’s in Manhattan – I can’t get enough of their pizza. It’s the original, and it’s never been improved on.
2. Oyster Catcher in Tampa – I was originally afraid that this was mostly going to be an oyster bar based on the name, boy was I wrong. Granted, my judgment might be clouded on this place since I saw Bill Murray afterwards.
3. Mon Ami Gabi in Las Vegas – One of the best kept secrets on the strip. Was the only patio dining available on the strip, and it’s still the best as it’s right across the fountains at the Bellagio.
4. Parkhouse Eatery in San Diego – Great for dinner, and they do some of the best mimosas for breakfast. Love going there for brunch and dining out on the patio in January while thinking of my friends back in Minnesota. (Sorry, Sarah)
5. Bix in San Francisco – I’m convinced this place used to be a speakeasy. It’s a little place in the middle of an alley, and unless you knew it was there you’d never find it. Great 20’s style ambience. I love it!

I’m sure I missed about 20!

Why the Hype?

I got bored today and decided to start poking around at a few stats. Found something very interesting. Here’s a handful of QB’s and their statistics:

Name	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	Int	Rating
QB 1	341	536	63.6	4,038	28	13	93.8
QB 2	321	476	67.4	3,653	19	7	97.4
QB 3	343	522	65.7	3,472	22	22	81.0
QB 4	343	613	56.0	3,885	18	18	72.7
QB 5	372	607	61.3	3,881	20	29	70.9

Any guesses as to who’s who?

QB 1 is Aaron Rogers, the QB who replaced Favre in Green Bay.

QB 2 is Chad Pennington, the QB who Favre replaced on the Jets.

QB 3, 4, and 5 is Brett Favre’s 2008, 2006 and 2005 seasons respectively. In those three seasons, Favre has not finished the season throwing more TD’s than interceptions or finished higher than 20th in league passer rating.

The one season I left out of the last four for Favre was 2007, when he was one of the best QB’s in the league. I believe the word for that is “fluke”.

The simple fact of the matter is that Brett Favre is no longer an effective QB’s. The Vikings are better off with Rosenfels, someone they can work with and groom, than taking their chances on a QB who at best will be there for one season.

Friday Five

The Excuse

None needed! W00t!

The Week

Back in Houston again this week. Because of scheduling conflicts I wasn’t able to see any friends, so it was just me and work.

I did, however, get selected by Yelp as an Elite member. Basically that means that they think my reviews are cool, and as such I get a cool little icon next to my name and a couple other little perks. Check out my profile page here (or you can click on Yelp up above).

The Exercise

I had good intentions…..

The Restaurant

I normally use this spot to highlight I restaurant I really enjoy. This was a story that I just had to post here.

I may have mentioned the place before (I’m too lazy to look right now), but one of my normal stops in Houston is Landry’s. Good seafood, fun atmosphere, good bartender, and decent prices.

I had intended to drive down to 713, but there was a huge storm and traffic was just stopped on Westheimer (one of the main drags in Houston). Because this was closer to where I was I stopped here instead.

I sat down, ordered my drink, and shortly there after one of the other bar patrons points out a possum that’s climbed down one of the wires into the bar area. And not a baby possum.

Everyone at the bar seemed to be very jovial about the whole thing, figuring it was chased in by the storm. Someone even went on to order food.

That proved to me that I’m not built to be a southerner. I finished my drink and took off. I have no idea how long that possum had been in the building, how many kids it had, or anything else. And I’m not going back.

The Travel Note

I don’t mind too much the fact that during certain busy times places will wind up jacking up their prices. I’m really just fine with it for the most part. Supply and demand after all. But at least a couple times this year I’ve had to visit places where I’m paying $60/day+ just for the rental car. $60+! Seriously, for $60 it should have its own functioning Starbucks.

The Friday Five

Great ways to spend a weekend day

1. Football. This goes without saying, but the best way to spend a Sunday is with football on the television all day long.
2. The Nascar/golf nap. You grab a frosty beverage of your choosing (adult if you prefer), settle into your couch or recliner, and flip on the Nascar race of the golf tournament. And as you watch it in the background you slip in and out of consciousness for the next 3-4 hours.
3. Margarita Saturday. This got started when Abram and I were driving around town one day and realized we wanted margaritas. That then turned into inviting a few friends over, and eventually became known as a Margarita Saturday. We don’t do it that often, but every now and then we gather friends and head out for margaritas.
4. Tinkering with something technical. As I’ve mentioned before I always have some geek project around the house that needs to be done. I don’t get a lot of time to work on things, but I always enjoy when I do.
5. Relaxing with Karin. Yeah, I know, awwww. But since I only get to see her a couple days each week, sometimes it’s just nice to relax with her and avoid the rest of the world.