MK in AK's Blog

A New Chapter

2005-12-06T11:56:00.000-09:00

It’s a busy week for me here in AK. Finishing up my job of 3+ years is more work than a normal week. This will be the last post to MKinAK, so from now on join me on MKinMotion as I prepare to leave AK and life thereafter.

I mentioned, or quoted rather, the announcement that was made to everyone in my company when I let them know I was leaving. The wording said I was moving to the Lower 48 to write a new chapter in my life. True, very true. Though it got me thinking about chapters.

What causes an author to start a new chapter? There are a number of reasons; a change of scenery, a thematic change, rhythm, plot shifts. Playwrights and screenwriters have acts to change, but also scenes. All I know for sure is that I look forward to whatever this next chapter has in store for me.

Please visit MKinMOTION from here on out.

Fingers

2005-11-27T21:55:00.000-09:00

Another autumn, another purchase. Last year it was the iPod. This year…a guitar. Yes, I bought a guitar. It’s a Fender electric acoustic, satin finish in a natural color. I’ve made a lot of CDs for people over the last year. Lots of music from other people. It’s time for me to take a shot at making some music of my own. I feel good about the purchase, but my fingers don’t feel good. It’s been too long since I’ve played a lot of guitar…it takes it’s toll on fingers.

New Photos

2005-11-25T12:48:00.000-09:00

I've added some thanksgiving pics to flickr. Follow the link to the right and see our deep fried turkey.

The Engaging Line

2005-11-23T10:16:00.000-09:00

I’ve formed a few thoughts on “Walk the Line.”

1.  What an amazing time in US music history!  Elvis, Johnny, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins all coming into their own.  I was listening to the podcast of Bono’s Rolling Stone interview when he’s talking about his relationship with Bob Dylan.  Dylan convinced the band that they needed to seek the source of the music.  Go beyond The Clash, Sex Pistols and Beatles, go to the Bible Belt.  In “Rattle & Hum”, we see the boys in the same Sun Studio recording some songs and probably having some meaningful conversations with Cowboy Jack that didn’t make the film.  Lanois was off producing Aaron Neville, Dylan and Robbie Robertson when R&H was filmed, but that would’ve been an interesting interaction between Danny and Cowboy Jack.
2.  Watching the scene with Sam Phillips telling Johnny that his music is nothing new and that he should sing the song that would be his last song if he were dying in a ditch.  “That's the song that truly saves people.”  I bet most great producers and great musicians have had to have this conversation.
3.  People can relate to this movie.  Lots of themes:  Whether it’s the music, or the addiction, or the love story, or the father son story, or any other aspect of it.  The love story is pretty powerful.
4.  A friend at work said that the Folsom scene was one of the most powerful movie scenes ever.  I agree.  I love how the opening of the movie is the distant sound of the band and the inmates; it gets louder and louder as the titles role by.  Also, the scene where he throws the yellow water down was amazing.

I also watch “A Very Long Engagement” last week.  I highly recommend it.  Like “Walk the Line,” it’s a story of not giving up on the magic of love.

Blog Disappointment

2005-11-22T18:02:00.000-09:00

My blog has been reached by people googling “Will Texas Cover the Spread,” “jazz modern dance,” and “Cilian Murphy.” These people must be very disappointed in their findings. Maybe I need to attend another modern dance performance.

Ticket?

2005-11-21T13:23:00.000-09:00

Well, it’s officially booked. My travel itinerary for my Alaskan Exodus and my stopover in P-Land is inked. The only thing left to do is pass my extra ticket off on someone. Anyone need a ticket to U2 in Portland?

Go see "Walk the Line"

Easy Money...

2005-11-17T18:54:00.000-09:00

With rivalry week, all bets are off. Literally. Too many big spreads; too many small spreads.

Oh No.

2005-11-12T22:39:00.000-09:00

So I quit my day job, but definitely not to become a professional gambler.  Another 0-3 weekend.  That Georgia game was a heartbreaker; they’ve been my unofficial non-Pac10 team of the year.  I’ve been saying all year that Tennessee sucks, well they proved it by having to come from behind to beat Memphis.  Oregon won in the last seconds of the game with a field goal, a great win, but definitely not the spread.  Here comes the Holiday Bowl?!?

Some movies to review from this weekend.  Yes, to those of you who don’t live in Alaska, it’s movie season.  14 degrees makes for an easy decision to lounge and watch some movies.

Batman Begins – I thought this was a great movie!  After the debacle that was Batman Forever (Clooney, Governator); I can’t imagine Christopher Nolan, the director (Memento, Insomnia), calling up Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Tom Wilkinson and asking them if they want to be in a Batman movie.  Cilian Murphy and Katie Holmes did well too. I highly recommend this movie.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – I enjoyed it.  It reminded me much more of the book(s) [a nod to Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator].  My only problem with it was trying to figure out whether Johnny Depp was trying to portray Willy Wonka or Michael Jackson.  Kinda creepy.

Spanglish – I like Sandler playing a different guy.  Mind you, I’m a gigantic Billy Madison fan, and Waterboy always makes me laugh, but the guys has chops when he plays a real guy.  If you haven’t already seen Punch Drunk Love, go out and rent it…but make sure you watch the extras.  The “Mattress Man” ad is worth the price of admission.

That’s all for tonight.

Showdown

2005-11-11T11:05:00.000-09:00

What a weekend! Three big showdowns in the SEC are all intriguing and have bowl ramifications. Auburn goes to Athens, LSU goes to Alabama, and Florida heads to South Carolina. I go back to my basics, before I publicized my picks, I would do pretty well betting on Dawgs and Ducks.

Auburn at Georgia (Dawgs -2.5) – Should be easy money.

Oregon at Washington State (Ducks -4.5) – Though Pullman has an effect on the game, the Ducks had no problem running against Cal in the rain, so they shouldn’t have any problem covering the spread.

Memphis at Tennessee (Tennessee -18) – Tennessee has to be pissed, and Memphis won’t be able to keep up. I usually don’t like big spreads, but this one is reasonable.

A New Chapter

2005-11-09T15:32:00.000-09:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I have an announcement to make.

Drum roll…

This morning I submitted my resignation to my boss. I gave 30 days notice and will be moving south in mid-December. Initially I will be in Portland for the U2 show on Dec 19th and then down to California for the holiday season. After that, things are a bit up in the air. There are only three people in the company who have been here longer than me, I’ve seen lots of people come and go over my 3+ years. Lots of great people. Lots of people who are flooding me with emails as it has now “gone public” around here. The memo said MKinAK “has resigned in order to write a new chapter in his life down in the lower 48.” So I will still use my MKinAK blog for the next month or so, but I will be launching a new blog at MKinMotion. There are some logistics to be worked out between now and December 19, but I feel good about my decision to leave my job and move south. I’ve got a lot to do at work and in my personal life between now and then, though.

Redemption?

2005-11-05T18:42:00.000-09:00

Well, 2 for 3 on my picks this week...hey, it’s a profit. It appears I should’ve put some money behind my call of the Miami/Virginia Tech. But I settle for going 2-for-3. And I think it is better in the long run that FSU lost in an upset. The unbeaten teams are being whittled down. This definitely makes teams like Oregon and Georgia get some more credibility. With Shockley coming back this week against Auburn, they should be back on the radar…and probably back on the picks of the week. I do have to mention that Brady Leaf came off the bench for Oregon to toss the winning TD in OT. Way to go, Brady; but you have a long way to go for us to forget about your brother.

So, BCS: USC #1, UT #2, 'bama #3, but after that?

Expect Oregon and Notre Dame to jump up from 13 and 14 possibly breaking the Top 10. Georgia, despite the bye week should jump up too. If Oregon can drop on a bye week, UGA can go up. LSU, by default will go up from 8, though, they have to play Alabama, so it may be short lived. UCLA, despite only one loss, will drop significantly for their pathetic game against Arizona.

Stay posted for a possible, big announcement midweek.

And yes, the weather report to the left is accurate...it's that cold!

Here We Go

2005-11-03T12:29:00.000-09:00

After a dismal 0-3 weekend, MKinAK crawls back out to make some picks to make up for the losses.  I stay more current with the Pac-10 and SEC so my picks tend to reflect that.  Georgia has a bye week or I would have money on them to bounce back big, they got their loss out of the way and will win out the rest of the season.  The Big 10, Big 12 and ACC are a little sketchier, so those games tend to show up in the intriguing games rather than the picks.  The top three picks are wagers I have placed.

Tennessee at Notre Dame (Irish -8.5) – Notre Dame will beat Tennessee.  The Volunteers have lost their last 3 games against Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.  Going into South Bend will be a tough environment for a troubled Tennessee team.

NC State @ Florida State (FSU -13.5) – Florida State will try to take advantage of the other ACC battle (Miami/VaTech) by solidifying a win against a struggling NC State team.

Oregon State at Washington (Beavers -3.5) – This used to be a game that the Huskies would look forward to, but since their decline, the Beavers are definitely looking forward to going to Seattle this weekend.

Other intriguing games…
Miami @ Virginia Tech (VaTech -6.5) –  This is a great ACC matchup that will have BCS ramifications one way or another.  If Miami can win, they will not only elevate themselves, but all other 1 loss teams.  I like Miami to either win or lose by less than the 6.5.

Texas A&M @ Texas Tech (Tech -16.5) – Tech should cover the 16.5 point spread, but A&M can definitely be a spoiler.

Cal at Oregon (Oregon -2) – Autzen could be the difference in this game.  Bellotti knows Tedford, Tedford knows Bellotti.  As mentioned below, Dennis Dixon could become a hero by winning this game.

Ducklore

2005-11-02T19:09:00.000-09:00

I’m not sure how to quote an internet source properly, the quote below comes from GODUCKS.com. If this is the precedent, Dennis Dixon, welcome to the spotlight. Maybe Dennis Dixon will show up on billboards around the country next fall. I was very pleased to see that the Ducks won’t try to put a Leaf against Cal.

“Not since 1999 have the Ducks had to go to the bullpen in relief of a battered quarterback, although there was a distinct difference six years ago. On Nov. 6 of that year, a sophomore signal caller came off the bench to earn his first career start vs. Washington State in place of his predecessor whose productivity had diminished due to an assortment of ailments. Not only did the replacement thrive in a 52-10 win over the Cougars, a star was born. Joey Harrington completed 15 of 24 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns in his debut as a starter over A.J. Feeley, which marked the first of 28 consecutive opening assignments.”

Traffic Report

2005-11-01T17:51:00.000-09:00

My recent pathetic college football entries have stirred up some traffic. I’d like to welcome the people from the following states who have found me through Google and MSN. The list of states is increasing daily.

Welcome Tennessee!
Welcome Alabama!
Welcome Texas!
Welcome New Jersey (did I talk about Princeton and forget about it?)!
Welcome Utah!
Welcome Massachusetts!
Welcome Arizona!
Welcome New Zealand?!?

0 for 3

2005-10-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

Ah, the point spread…who gets the MVP in the Georgia-Florida game? The handicapper. People lost money betting either way; including me. Georgia will not play in Pasadena in January. They should win out which puts them in the SEC Championship against Alabama (though they still have to play LSU and Auburn). Is there a better defensive back in college football than Greg Blue of UGA? This guy is a picture perfect tackler and seems to be involved with every play. I’m sure a lot of NFL scouts have their eye on him.

UCLA beats Stanford (who must read my blog and got fired up by my harsh words) in OT but fails to cover the spread. UCLA still has to play USC, so one of those teams will not be unbeaten. I think the USC-UCLA match up is intriguing, especially now that Oregon lost their stud. The race for the Holiday Bowl berth is on!!

North Texas, please. Okay, I had it all wrong. 0 for 3 in my picks this week.

Enough about College Football.

Week 9 Action

2005-10-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

Ok, sports fans…here’s my three picks this week.

1. Georgia +4 – Even without D.J. Shockley, I take Georgia. Even though they’ve lost to Florida 3 of the last 4 years, I take Georgia.

2. UCLA -10 – Stanford isn’t good.

3. North Texas +44 – There’s no way LSU puts up 44, let alone beats the 1991 Hillsboro High School Spartans or North Texas.

Other intriguing match-ups:

Oklahoma at Nebraska. Anytime there is a spread as low as 1.5 pts, you’re basically picking a winner. I’d hope Nebraska could beat Oklahoma.

Texas at Oklahoma State. Another interesting Big-12 matchup. The spread is Texas -37.5…I’m not sure the Longhorns will cover that. I’m not sure they will feel the need to.

South Carolina at Tennessee. As previously discussed, Tennessee is horrible. The spread is Tennessee -13.5 There’s no way this terrible Volunteer team beats Spurrier by two touchdowns.

Yes, I have small wagers on the top three picks. No money riding on the bottom 3, though.

A side note. Are the Ducks serious? Kellen Clemens goes down and they put a Leaf out there? In explaining Ryan Leaf to a SEC friend the other day, it dawned on me that the Indianapolis Colts actually thought a lot about whether to draft Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf. What a difference that would’ve made for Indianapolis and the Chargers. I did a little research, call it a walk down memory lane, to the 1998 NFL draft. The Chargers traded up from the 3rd to the 2nd pick to draft Leaf. The Arizona Cardinals drafted Andre Wadsworth (out of the league). The Raiders selected Charles Woodson (who intercepted Ryan Leaf in the Rose Bowl) 4th. Other notables taken after Ryan Leaf; Fred Taylor, Randy Moss, Takeo Spikes, Grant Wistrom, Kyle Turley, and quarterbacks; Brian Griese, Charlie Batch, and Matt Hasselbeck. Look up bust in the dictionary and just past Pamela Anderson is Ryan Leaf. Bu-dump-pshh (drum kick). Thank you, and good night, tip your waitresses.

33.33333333333333333333333%

2005-10-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

So, like I mentioned, I’m not getting any better at this.  I fixing to go 1 for 3 on my picks as Washington State and Cal are going down to the wire…close enough for me to count it.  Of course, I will wait until the final to post this…

I didn’t watch one second of football today.  I watched the first 7 innings of the World Series and checked in with some scores while that game was going on.  I need to remove my heart from my betting.  I’ve learned two things about making my picks public.  One, get smarter; and two, expand the second section of intriguing games.

This week definitely shows the struggle of it all.  Oregon wins, but I lose; Oregon wins, but they lose their QB.  Alabama wins, but only by 3 with a spread of 3.5.

Here are some observations from someone who didn’t watch any of the games.  Arizona State:  Is there a bigger disappointment?  Personally, I never saw why they were considered so good.  Good players don’t always make good teams.  Tennessee:  If there is a bigger disappointment (to their fans, not to the rest of us) than Arizona State, it’s the Volunteers.  Georgia:  My heart goes out to the Bulldogs.  I really do hope that D.J. isn’t dinged too bad.  With the cocktail party coming up, they’re gonna need him.  Alabama:  I’m glad I didn’t watch this game; they barely scored more than the Astros and White Sox.

Game’s over.  It’s official.  1 out of 3 bets.  Next week will be interesting with the Oregon (minus Clemens) Cal game and the Georgia (minus Shockley) Florida game.

College Football

2005-10-20T11:59:00.000-08:00

As mentioned before, I’m going to let you in on my weekly college football bets. Without going into too much of a sports gambling lesson, I will explain each of these three bets.

Oregon at Arizona - The line is Oregon -10. I see Oregon winning and winning by more than 10. So I take “Oregon -10”. To give some additional insight for those of you who are new to sports gambling, the alternative would be to take “Arizona +10” which means if you think Oregon would either lose or win by less than 10.

Tennessee at Alabama – The line is Alabama -3.5. I take “Alabama -3.5”. Alabama has looked good and Tennessee hasn’t.

Washington State at Cal – The line is Cal -13.5. I think Cal will beat Washington State, but not by 14, so I’m taking “Washington State + 13.5”.

I should mention that all three of these wagers are small amounts of money. And I don’t condone gambling, especially gambling that is out of your control. But feel free to follow along with my wagers.

Two games that are intriguing, but I’m not willing to put money on:

Texas Tech at Texas (Texas -16.5) – If anyone is going to beat Texas (outside of USC in the Rose Bowl), it would be Texas Tech this weekend.

Oregon State at UCLA (UCLA -9.5) – The Beavers have looked pretty good, not that UCLA hasn’t but this is an interesting match-up that the Bruins might be overlooking.

Warning Labels

2005-10-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

I guess it’s been a while. I haven’t been busy. I haven’t been swamped. I haven’t been distracted. I just don’t feel like I have anything to say. Uninspired, I guess.

They should put warning labels on movies. Kind of like the ads for Zoloft or Viagra: You shouldn’t watch this movie if…
I watched Fever Pitch the other night. I’ve had a weird feeling about this movie since it was first talked about, because I’ve read the book and seen the original. The “pitch” that the character is so into in the Nick Hornby book is the Arsenal soccer pitch.

“I fell in love with football (soccer) as I was later to fall in love with women: suddenly, inexplicably, uncritically, giving no thought to the pain or disruption it would bring with it…”

So the stretch was made to Americanize it and capture the emotional attachment was to fixate on the Boston Red Sox. I know this tormented life; I am a Red Sox fan. Perhaps, maybe like Jimmy Fallon’s character trying to warn Drew Barrymore, the definition of that statement in bold print falls empty on you. There were parts of it that I really enjoyed. It really took me back to that emotion last fall of the Sox being down 0-3 to the Yankees. Who comes back from being down 0-3!?! For me it’s a metaphor. Apply it to anything. Sometimes if it’s magic, you can throw the odds out the window. Write that down…
To make a long story short, it wasn’t Fever Pitch that needed the warning label.

I watched Sideways last night. I admit; it got to me. This one should’ve had a warning label. I don’t know which character I identify with the most. Probably Miles (Paul Giamatti) or Stephanie (Sandra Oh). Is that weird that I would identify with the female character? Anyway, I’ll save all my thoughts on Sideways. I don’t think they’re blog material.

On a side note, I’m not getting any better at betting on college football. I made 5 bets this week and went 2-for-5. I should’ve learned my lesson last week. I only made two bets last week and won them both. This week I made two initial bets (the ones I won; and perhaps more ironic, the same two teams that won for me last week) and then got antsy on Friday and made three more. They’re all $5 bets, so it’s not like I’m losing my shirt or anything…it definitely makes it more interesting. So maybe next week I’ll post my bets, but I’m far from having “locks” to bet on.

Have a Great Day!!

2005-10-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

I can think of a few “great days” I’ve had. They’re usually defined by the people I’m with or the places or events involved. I was thinking about great days this morning because I stayed home from work feeling a bit under the weather, but quickly began managing a work crisis from my laptop safely in my bed. A “sick” day is rarely a great day. I think if you decide to have a great day, it means you have to put people, things and places into motion in order to facilitate the great day. I don’t think you can manufacture a great day though. In fact, perhaps the harder you try to have a great day, the easier it is for weather, other people’s drama, and other events outside of your control to ruin planned great day. Any way, I decided to take seriously the phrase “Have a Great Day” more seriously. If I can do what is in my power to give people around me great days, I’m doing my part.

Closer

2005-10-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

For month's I've wanted to see Closer, but wasn't sure how it would ever come about. Along came Cinemax.... This movie is beating me up a little bit. Four flawed characters intertwined. It's fascinating and dark and just what I needed today. One of the taglines mentioned love at first sight. An interesting concept to me. I've heard people describe it, I think I've described it myself. I think we as Americans live in this dichotomy of putting too much and too little meaning into that word. Love. That's what tears these people (Closer characters) apart, the misunderstanding of what love means. Love could be springtime and childlike, giddy and a sustained pitter patter of heartbeats to me and could be just an emotionless state of mind to someone else. I guess I'm still trying to figure it all out.

Vonage

2005-10-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

I started a Vonage account today. They don't have any AK NPA/NXX's yet, so I had to go with a lower 48 number. I'll receive the actual phone side of it within 7 days. It's pretty fascinating stuff though. Virtual telephony. I'll give a review once I use the phone side of it and if anyone wants to sign up they have a referral program that would give me perks.

Sweetest Thing

2005-10-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

I heard this song today and it really caught my attention…Among other things it strikes me that this was relegated to a B-Side. It's a great song and a fun song and a sad song and truly a pop song. It's no wonder they re-touched it and released it as a single in their Pop era.

My love she throws me like a rubber ball
Oh, the sweetest thing
But she won’t catch me or break my fall
Oh, the sweetest thing
Baby’s got blue skies up ahead
But in this I’m a rain cloud
You know she wants a dry kind of love
Oh, the sweetest thing

I’m losing you
I’m losing you
Ain’t love the sweetest thing?

I wanted to run but she made me crawl
Oh, the sweetest thing
Eternal fire, she turned me to straw
Oh, the sweetest thing
I know I got black eyes
But they burn so brightly for her
I guess it’s a blind kind of love
Oh, the sweetest thing

I’m losing you
I’m losing you
Ain’t love the sweetest thing?

Blue-eyed boy meets a brown-eyed girl
Oh, the sweetest thing
You can sew it up but you still see the tear
Oh, the sweetest thing
Baby’s got blue skies up ahead
But in this I’m a rain cloud
Ours is a stormy kind of love
Oh, the sweetest thing

The sweetest thing
Oh, the sweetest thing

Time Zones (part deux)

2005-10-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

It definitely goes both ways. Playoff baseball and college football put it into perspective. It’s kind of funny that playoff games can start as early as 9am AK time. But as I was watching the Angels beat the Yankees last night (already very dialed in to what time it is in the Eastern time zone) it got very ridiculous that a New Yorker would be up until the wee hours of the morning watching their team lose.

Tweedy vs. Adams

2005-10-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

It dawned on me during the Stubb’s BBQ show…Jeff Tweedy is a genius. Yes, I guess I knew this enough to enjoy his music prior to seeing them live, but sometimes a live performance changes your perspective. I remember hearing With Or Without You in Eugene in 1997 and the meaning seemed different from that point on. Wilco’s music is ultimately accessible, though some people struggle getting past some of the “noise” that they through into an otherwise beautiful song. So the conversation has begun Jeff Tweedy, 38, versus Ryan Adams, 31, as my generation’s Bob Dylan. Both have written some amazing songs, both have been recognized by the greats for their songwriting. Both have struggled with their own forms of addiction. Both have had “issues” working with others. Both definitely have what the greats refer to as “an old soul.” Yes, Tweedy writes for a band and has collaboration with said band, but the songwriting is still there. I could quote lyrics but with both Ryan and Jeff, they can make the dirtiest, filthiest lyric sound so sweet by juxtaposing it with a beautiful tune. I could quote Riche in saying, “Jeff Tweedy is a better songwriter than Bruce Springsteen.” That’s saying a lot. When it comes down to it, I can’t decide who is better, who is more of a genius…so that being said, just listen to more Wilco and just listen to more Uncle Tupelo and just listen to more Ryan Adams and just listen to more Whiskeytown. Don’t be left out on two great songwriters like millions were left out on Bob Dylan or Johnny Cash because they couldn’t get past the genre thing.

Bad Movies and Icy Steps

2005-10-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

Schmetzger recently posted a short list of movies to see. I will help you out by giving you a list of movies not to see. Riche and I rented some movies this weekend and knew going into them that they would not be good. Though I was pleasantly surprised with Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the rest were rubbish. And the movies not to see are…Cursed, Sin City, Alexander, Sky Captain. I’m looking forward to Elizabethtown next week.

Hearing “Make sure you don’t fall and break your neck on the steps like I almost did,” is not how I want to start a day…not in early October. It’s all over. Icy steps, icy windshield. California is looking better and better everyday.

ACL: Take Two

2005-09-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

I can now cross Coldplay off of the list of bands I need to see live before I die. I want to see them again in a different setting, but I can definitely cross them off of the same list that has U2, INXS (Before they became a reality TV show), Counting Crows, Roger Waters and Wilco. Now, if I could just get Kurt Cobain to come back or the original Guns ‘n Roses to reunite I could finish the list (I don’t know which would be more likely). On Sunday at ACL, I heard Doves, watched Rilo Kiley, I heard The Bravery from a distance and watched the Kaiser Chiefs for a moment. If you follow the link to the ACL recap, you’ll see that it was 108 that day, so it was a lot of work to get around. Then we listened to the Arcade Fire from a safe distance (in the shade). Then we got a good shot of The Decemberists. I braved the heat a little to watch Bob Mould while my friend got a well-deserved massage, until it was time to get in place for Wilco (see Flickr pictures). After Wilco, it was a trek to get over to Coldplay. We passed by the Black Keys playing on the way, they sounded good…someone described them as a hardcore White Stripes, which sounded accurate. Coldplay closed the festival, so no one else was playing while they were playing. This means all 60,000+ people mashed over to watch a great show. I was very far away, as you can tell from the pics, but as we left we realized we definitely weren’t in the back. They were incredible! Chris Martin was very chatty, mentioning how much they liked the Arcade Fire.

50 Degrees of Separation

2005-09-27T07:24:00.000-08:00

I'm back in Anchorage. I will post some thoughts on ACL soon, gotta get back to reality first. It was 103 degress when I got on the plane in Austin yesterday afternoon and 47 when I got off the plane in Anchorage. I don't know which is better or worse...

ACL Volume 1

2005-09-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

Days have been long and hot and nights have been short. I'm having a great time. Tonight I saw Wilco play at Stubbs BBQ, it was amazing. I was only about 30 feet from the stage in this little amphitheater. They played new stuff and old. Really good. I saw Drive-By Truckers today at the festival, they were spectacular.

This town is insane with people. Flooded with evacuees from both hurricanes and thousands of people from all over the country in town to see ACL.

The first day was really hot. Unbearably hot. I was with my friend from Tennessee and even they were complaining about the heat, so it's not just the Alaska thing. Day one I saw Steve Earle, Allman Brothers, Lucinda Williams, DeSol, a tiny bit of Theivery Corporation, a little Black Crowes, a little Mates of State and even heard some Lyle Lovett on the way out. Also caught the perfect song from Blue October walking between stages. The amount of music is somewhat overwhelming. You definately have to just pick a couple people to see and dodge the heat the rest of the time. But we did manage to see Keane play. It was incredible. They are soooo good. Seriously, it's been a long time since I've seen a band pull a crowd that far in...at least a band not named U2. They were tight on their songs and looked like they were having the best time playing together. Can't say enough good stuff about Keane.

Day two was a little less of the festival because we were avoiding the heat of the day by shopping on South Congress. We made a point to see Robert Randolph which was great. Then we saw the Dirty Dozen brass band (from New Orleans) they had the crowd dancing and shouting. Then Drive-by Truckers...awesome. Then we skipped out because of the Wilco show across town.

Tomorrow promises to be a great finale with Coldplay and Wilco...there are several bands playing earlier in the day that I would like to see, but the heat is a lot to deal with. I've got a couple of pictures, but not many. I'll post them to Flickr at a later date.

Tired. Hot. Sunburnt. Sore. Dirty.

Room Service

2005-09-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

You've got to love room service. I'm staying at the Radisson in Downtown Austin...just across Town Lake from where the festival will be. When I walked into my room, there was a card on the bed for breakfast order. All I had to do was check some boxes including delivery time and hang the card on my door handle before midnight. So, this morning at 8, Stewart knocked on my door with bacon and eggs with toast and hash browns.

I have a long history of problems with maid services in hotels. Why do they always assume that you would be up and out of your room at 8:15? I suppose a lot of business travelers do that, but it's festival weekend and the town is full of folks from all over the country to see Coldplay and Wilco and tons of other bands.

Texas Flood

2005-09-22T00:09:00.000-08:00

Stevie Ray Vaughn statue on Town Lake in Austin. That's where my morning walk took me was from 1st and Congress Ave, across the Congress Bridge, under the bat trail, down to the pedestrian bridge, back across Town Lake and back to my hotel. Flickr is down, but I will upload more pics this afternoon.

Flickr

2005-09-21T17:26:00.000-08:00

I added a flickr box on the right side under the new weather report. I've found it easier to load pictures to flickr than anything else. Austin photos are there....enjoy!

Jet Lag and Pit Stains

2005-09-21T16:26:00.000-08:00

Took a walk down to the Texas State Capitol tonight. It’s still very warm so I broke a sweat and had to stop twice for beverages. Once for water and the second time for a Sobe Power. I definitely have some jet lag. I got a little nap, but I’m still very confused about what time zone I’m in and what time it is. I know it’s 7:20 local time, but it both does and doesn’t feel like it’s that late. Listening to Wilco walking around downtown Austin just makes sense. I’m very excited once the music starts. Everyone I’ve talked to here says I’m in the perfect hotel for the festival. I can see the park from my window. I’d show you a picture, but the windows are weird and the pictures come out funny.

Wilco “At Least That’s What You Said” (Give it a $0.99 shot, it won’t disappoint)

“When I sat down on the bed next to you
You started to cry
I said, maybe if I leave, you'll want me
To come back home
Or maybe all you mean, is leave me alone
At least that's what you said

You're irresistible when you get mad
Isn't it sad, I'm immune
I thought it was cute
For you to kiss
My purple black eye
Even though I caught it from you
I still think we're serious
At least that's what you said”

Deep in the Heart...

2005-09-21T13:42:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in my hotel room in Austin. It's very hot here. I took a nap when I first got here and just woke up. Lots of talk about hurricane Rita on local and national news. Should make for an interesting weekend. I'll stay in touch.

MK in CO

2005-09-21T05:18:00.000-08:00

So I left Anchorage. We left a few minutes late, but got to Denver 17 seconds early…according to the pilot; I am convinced was his first time flying. It was a horrible flight as far as turbulence. They showed “The Longest Yard” which I decided to watch even though it was a red-eye flight and I was exhausted. Now I’m even more exhausted. I forgot how flat everything looks from the Denver Airport. I can see for miles out of the B Gate and not a hill or bump to be seen. The sunrise is pretty spectacular, though…bright red. I hate layovers, seriously. It’s 7am in Denver (5am in AK) and my flight doesn’t leave for Austin until 8:30. I know, I know it’s just an hour and a half. But I’m tired and cranky and I think both of those things entitle me to complain.

Wind Chill

2005-09-19T19:36:00.000-08:00

In reading about the ACL festival today, I happened to be reading the weather report for the weekend. Looks like it might rain, that's what Goretex was invented for, though right? 98 degrees and rain? What I found funny was they listed the current temp for Austin today at 99 degrees, but the wind chill was 102. Now that's what I call a chill.

New from U2

2005-09-19T12:17:00.000-08:00

After reading over U2.com, I'm excited about the third leg. It seems, much like the first leg, that they are changing up the setlist nightly. Perhaps they will fall into a groove, but variety is always good with U2. I've got tickets to the Portland show in December, so I'm sure they'll be in a groove by then.

Countdown

2005-09-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

I'm officially counting down to Austin. I fly out of Anchorage late Tuesday night arriving in Austin around noon. I've got a few days to kill before the festival begins. I'll have my laptop with me and will be able to keep posted what I'm up to. It's been a tough couple of months for me and I'm looking forward to some sunshine and heat to put some things behind me. I've got experience being in strange towns by myself, so I'm not too worried about keeping myself occupied. I have some things to get done while I'm still in town, so the next couple of days will be very busy. Lots of work to be done.

The Anchorage Chamber event was last night. I can't complain about the food, I can't complain about the event per se. I guess all in all it was tolerable.

I try not to eat fast food. It has been quite some time since I ate it, but tonight I was drawn in by the golden arches and had myself a quarter pounder and fries. I think I'm going to die. I've been trying to drop a few pounds and be a little more active, but I feel like one quarter pounder set me back weeks. This summer was unique in that I didn't shed my "winter weight" at all. Typically, I gain weight in the winter like a hybernating bear...once the spring hits and my activity level picks up, I shed the pounds...but like I said this summer was unique. I guess it's Stacker and V8 for the fall.

Am I Shrek?

2005-09-16T21:30:00.000-08:00

I watched about 30 seconds of Shrek 2 on Cinemax and couldn't help thinking I might be the Ogre. Not so much the green Shrek, but the 30 seconds I saw was when he drank the potion to become a man. I can't find a photo to throw on here, but I'm sure you've all seen it.

Anyone else think BlogPatrol blows right now?

Looking Forward

2005-09-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I bought the suit. It's basic black, for those of you who care. I feel it's one of those things like the first nice fly rod or first salary job. I'm even looking forward to the event a little. I got a haircut tonight too. I didn't plan on getting as much cut off of my head as the lady snipped, but it will definately feel better in the hot Austin weather. [Which I have been challenged to look at the glass half full about Austin by a great friend, so now I'm not only looking forward to it, but really excited.] For those of you who haven't been keeping up lately, the hair had gotten quite long. After a long period of having big hair, it had finally gotten long enough to be considered long rather than big. But now I may be starting over on bigness.

Sidenote: Anyone know anything about SharePoint? I have to become an expert over the next few weeks...

That suit, it's... it's incredible.

2005-09-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

So I have to break down and buy a suit. I've existed for 30.5 years and never been in a position to need a suit. Some say it's due time, some say tucking in their shirt is dressing up. I'll be attending a formal Anchorage Chamber of Commerce event Saturday night. I looked for a way out of it, but no dice everyone else I work with is going. The theme of the evening is "Only in
Alaska" and was supposed to be a fun light-hearted theme where people would dress up a pair of Carhartts, my idea was waders with a shirt and tie underneath...but then the organizer explained that although costumes were mentioned on the invitation, anyone not dressed in a suit or formal dress would feel very out of place. Suits are like tuxes. There are people who put on a tux or a suit and they look like a million bucks, then there are people who put on a tux or a suit and look like their wearing rental socks too.

New Music Tuesday

2005-09-13T06:57:00.000-08:00

Two new albums purchased this morning on ITunes. David Gray came out with a new album. Kind of scary because David Gray = Life Change. Also I picked up the soundtrack to Elizabethtown, a new Cameron Crowe movie. Traditionally Cameron Crowe doesn't disappoint with his soundtracks (think Say Anything, Singles, Almost Famous). I feel a heavy day coming on.

Mellow Drama

2005-09-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I got a little melodramatic on my Trouble post. I have been pretty frustrated with where I am in life lately. I feel like a lot of things are up in the air and out of my control and if you know me, you know uncertainty outside of my control makes me a little crazy. Nothing to be alarmed about. I appreciate the calls and emails, but it's nothing for anyone other than me worry about.

Hemingway

2005-09-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

"All things truly wicked start from an innocence."

"Never mistake motion for action"

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

I read a little bit of the biography of Ernest Hemingway. Pretty fascinating. He was a tormented guy. Steinbeck is still my fave, but Hemingway caught my eye today.

Yes, you heard me...

2005-09-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am upset with George W. Bush. Not everyone that says that has an autographed 8x10 glossy of the man at their desk. I'm upset that the real progress in helping people on the gulf coast didn't happen until the harsh criticism poured in. I'm tired of Republican politics, I'm tired of Democrat politics, I'm tired of partisanship. I have some strongly conservative views, though they are balanced by some strong liberal ideals. So, like I said, I am upset with George W. Bush. However, I do give him credit for being compassionate. You can't fake compassion. President Clinton truly had compassion, too. I don't think that's part of the game, I think it's true. I've been reminded of an episode of the West Wing [aptly titled "Disaster Relief"](gosh it's been a while since I made reference to that) where a tornado destroys a town in Oklahoma and President Bartlet's compassion comes out, so much so that he starts to neglect his duties as president and turns focus to being a dishwasher and comforter. I believe it's real. Compassion is what makes me sick sitting up here in Anchorage with nothing to do but watch MSNBC or CNN or Fox News.

My Heart Goes Out

2005-09-04T17:46:00.000-08:00

My heart goes out to the South. It's been a week of hell on so many levels for lots of people down there. There are images that are stuck in my mind, that invade my thoughts, my dreams. Some horrifying images and others of heroic people. I'm very frustrated and disappointed with the initial response of the government. Though I remember being in shock and disbelief for quite some time, and the media didn't help with their 24 hour coverage of Walmart looting rather than giving the world and the government an idea of what was happening. Scenes reminded me of War of the Worlds pandemonium. But now as the military has taken control, and they appear to be doing what they normally do, kick ass. There's no easy answer to the Iraq question, but it seems a little silly to have so many soldiers over there when they're needed here. I wish I had the opportunity to put some of these people to work. There are lots of people of all walks of life that have no job to have the day off from tomorrow. I've been impressed with Lt. General Russell Honore and his boys. I've been impressed with Harry Connick Jr. I was happy to see electricity on in Biloxi in parts. But being 5000 miles away, I feel numb.

Goals

2005-08-30T20:59:00.000-08:00

Positano, Italy: My goal for 2006.

Donate to the Red Cross

2005-08-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you how far the South feels from Alaska...

I just spoke to a friend who explained that even in her neck of the woods, schools were closed because Katrina has formed tornadoes as it has move inland. She has a friend from N.O. who is seeking shelter... she's out of a job, a paycheck, housing, car, clothes, everything. It's hard to relate from up here.

Tourons

2005-08-23T19:21:00.000-08:00

The title of this post is dedicated to my self-admitted silent blog stalker.

You know who you are...

Standing at the boat launch of Jim's Landing on the Kenai River.
Mt. Alyeska; Girdwood, Alaska

This is Hugo a little grizzly. Even behind a fence this little guy is pretty intimidating.

Sled dogs...this is Bishop or Coach or Garcia (named after Jerry) or Natty or one of the other 8 sled dog puppies we visited in Willow, AK. The mother Luna (colorful collar) is sitting back letting the pups wear themselves out.

Like father like...

2005-08-17T21:33:00.000-08:00

Standing at the foot of the Matanuska Glacier. The weather hasn't been the greatest the last few days, but the weekend is supposed to be promising.

Anyone call from a Coldplay show Wednesday night?

They're Here...

2005-08-14T22:30:00.000-08:00

My folks flew in today.

Guestbook

2005-08-06T23:49:00.000-08:00

I'm tracking visitor's from all over the world...sign my guestbook and introduce yourself. Just click the "Sign my Guestbook" botton towards the bottom of the right hand column.

Don't worry, it's not JAWS

2005-08-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

Plenty of sunshine today (it's about time). Got out and got my float tube wet. No many hungry fish in the secret spot, but there doesn't seem to be a shortage of small fish that will bite anything that moves.

Traffic

2005-08-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

MK up in AK has been experiencing more and more traffic, of late, according to blogpatrol. More traffic is always a good thing. The more traffic, the more I feel like taking the time to write. Most of the country is experiencing a heat wave...not in AK. There is a little blue sky to the north, but it's been cloudy and rainy for 10 days now. Usually we get a great stretch of weather from early July to Mid-August...unbeatable. But judging by the visiting traffic from blogpatrol, I've got a bunch of heatwavers hitting my blog.

Listening to:

"Let There Be Rock" by The Drive-By Truckers
"Ghost of a Good Thing" by Dashboard Confessional
"The Carolina Kind" by Lauren Lucas
"My Father's Gun" by Elton John
"I Got It Bad(And That Ain't Good)" by Nina Simone
"The Trapeze Swinger" by Iron & Wine

Time Zones

2005-08-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

Time zones are killing me lately.

Cold and Wet...

2005-07-29T13:30:00.000-08:00

No, not a description of Alaskan Summer 2005, just a description of my afternoon yesterday. I went whitewater rafting with the other managers and our VP. It was cold and rainy and the water was 31 degrees. See if you can pick me out of the crowd...

Our HR manager Rebecca used to guide in Utah and when our guide found that out he threw her on the oars and let her take us for a ride.

MK in...(part two)

2005-07-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

MK will be 'in AK' between now and late September. At that point he will be 'in TX' for the ACL festival (have I mentioned this?). Soon after returning to be 'in AK.' Will be 'in TN' and 'in GA' sometime in October for some football. MK will be 'in OR' in December shortly for the close of the Vertigo North American Tour. Other than that the question still begs to be asked...when are how does the name of the blog need to change?

Is this legal???

2005-07-26T20:14:00.000-08:00

I can't imagine Scott Adams would be upset with me posting this strip on my blog if he knew how accurate it is for my office. It seems there are people all over my office with stupid elbows.

Bred for its skills in magic.

2005-07-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

So, half of my face is swollen up. I've had a toothache for a couple of weeks and this morning I woke up to having half my face swollen. I had an appointment with a dentist today. He took some X-rays and concluded I have an infected tooth. I guess my steady diet of choggy caught up with tooth #4. The dentist gave me a "script" for antibiotics and painkillers. A pretty energizing combination. So much for my big plan of having a fishing weekend. I've got another appt. with my new dentist on Monday to explore possibilities. So I laid around high on a pain/bacteria killing cocktail and watched "In Good Company", "Bull Durham", "Shaun of the Dead" and the Red Sox beat the White Sox. The dentist mentioned that if the tooth went untreated, the infection could spread to my eye or to my brain. I got the dentist's home number in case I "start seeing double or feeling crazy" (yes exact words from a medical professional). I think if I was seeing double, I would dial a wrong number and if I was feeling crazy I might call someone else instead.

MK in...

2005-07-22T14:20:00.000-08:00

...AK?

...CA?

...WA?

...GA?

...TX?

...TN?

...WY?

None seem to have the ring of MK in AK. But what does the future hold?

That Sounded Sad

2005-07-18T17:09:00.000-08:00

That last post might have sounded sad. Don't read sad; just interesting...

My Life Story

2005-07-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

One of these days, I'll tell my life story about what is going on with me right now. Probably a little outside of what most of you view as me. Alaska can do that to you. Alaskan summers can do that to you.

"Oh, distance has no way of making love understandable..."

-Jeff Tweedy, Wilco, Radio Cure

Flightseeing

2005-07-07T17:49:00.000-08:00

I went flightseeing. Typically a tourist thing to do, but I had the opportunity to go and I went. Well worth the money. In the picture, you can see a glacier pushing it's way downhill. The tour that I took lands on the glacier near the top of it. Of all the times to run out of batteries on your camera, sitting at the basecamp for Mt. McKinley is about the worst. Luckily my traveling companion had a film camera and took a pic or two from our summit. The peak you see in the distance is Mt. McKinley (Denali). It's 20,320 ft tall. There are two other peaks (Foraker and Hunter). The natives called the mountain Denali (The High One) until a presidential candidate came along and worked hard for the gold standard and they renamed it for him. Contrary to popular opinion the National Park access doesn't get very close to the mountain...not as close as I was (and they made me buy a ticket to the park in order to land on the side of the mountain. I was told that the ice from this glacier where I was standing is as deep as the Grand Canyon. I had the same sort of feeling as being at the Grand Canyon. I'm very small, yet very significant.

Termination Dust

2005-07-07T13:17:00.000-08:00

I could’ve sworn I saw termination dust on the Chugach Mountains last night as I was driving home from the airport. My friend Elizabeth went back to Chattanooga last night…very sad. Maybe the termination dust was just in my head.

Sleepy Sleepy

2005-06-27T15:02:00.000-08:00

You can’t beat beach naps. 73 degrees in Homer, Alaska is like 80 on the beach anywhere else. With a belly full of halibut, the beach nap was fitting.

Junkies

2005-06-24T13:38:00.000-08:00

Saw Cowboy Junkies last night at Beartooth Theatre. It was a nice show. Quiet, soft music. They released an album they are only selling on their website that contains (I think) all cover tunes. They played two Springsteen songs (You’re Missing and Brothers Under the Bridge). They played a Dylan song (License to Kill) and One by U2. They ended the show with One and then came back for an encore finishing with Sweet Jane. Margot kept saying “We wouldn’t come all the way to Alaska and not play Sweet Jane.” Which I thought was interesting, knowing that everyone came to hear you play one song…might as well make it the last song. I’m heading to the Kenai Peninsula for the weekend again. Fishing in Cooper Landing and eventually staying at the Lands End in Homer. The next day we catch a water taxi to Seldovia, I’m pretty excited.

Don't Mean To Be A Downer

2005-06-22T14:40:00.000-08:00

I read my post from yesterday and it was a little sad; I don’t think I meant to sound sad. I’ve been using the word mortality a lot lately. Maybe it’s the old age. I’m pretty excited that I get to see Cowboy Junkies tomorrow night. It’s pretty rare for bands to travel all the way up this high on the latitude. My family is coming up to AK in August. My folks are coming for a week, and my sister is coming up for one of the weekends while my parents are here. My dad’s been here on business, but not since I’ve been up here. My mom and sister haven’t been here before.

Mortality

2005-06-21T16:42:00.000-08:00

June 21. The solstice. Lots of daylight. But an underlying sadness. Starting tomorrow, we will be losing daylight seconds a day. Sounds silly to say, but winter is on its way. Will I last until the winter in Alaska?

On the bright side, I spent a spectacular weekend in Homer with some friends. I think I might go back down there this weekend.

The Southern Thing

2005-06-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

In between the Coldplay marathons, I’ve been listening to a lot of Drive-By Truckers, check them out. Something about the south resonates with me, but I can’t put my finger on it.

Incredible

2005-06-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

The new Coldplay album is awesome. Totally stoked about seeing them in Austin in September.

A Great Generation

2005-06-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

We’re going to start seeing more and more great people from a great generation pass on. It’s a sad day in Laker land.

George Mikan

Zissou, Dynamite, Deep Throat and Anakin

2005-06-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

Funny. It didn’t really dawn on me until a conversation last night that I haven’t posted for quite some time. I’ve been watching a lot of Life Aquatic. I think it’s such a magical movie. Tons of laughs, but a heart to it that I can’t explain very well. Subtle, very subtle. I’m working on perfecting my Napoleon Dynamite impression of the scene where he buys the suit. So Deep Throat is revealed. When Riche and I returned from Cali back in March, Hal Holbrook was on our flight. I wonder if he knew it was Mark Felt. I heard a tape of Halderman and Nixon discussing the leaks that the Washington Post was getting. Halderman named Mark Felt as the source. You’ve gotta wonder why he didn’t get wacked, or mysteriously disappear if they suspected him. I guess I’m glad nothing like that happened. I saw Sith the other day. I was really excited but apprehensive to see it. Some of you might know that I’m a huge Star Wars fan. There were some things I was disappointed about, but I forgive George Lucas. He had so much pressure on him to complete the story. We all knew it was coming, but it was still a bit sad to see Darth Vader be born. It’s nice to know he comes back around in Episode VI. Two people close to me say that the transition from Anakin to Vader was too quick and abrupt, but I’ve called BS on that theory. That frickin little kid in Episode I never should have been taken in. There were lots of subtle hints and clues (besides everything being laid out in Return of the Jedi). I can’t get my head around how I feel about Hayden Christensen being stuck in to the end of Episode VI on the latest DVD release. The guy that originally played the dying Anakin must be pissed he hit the digital cutting room floor. I’m glad they kept Alec Guinness in, as much as I like Ewen, it would’ve been suck to see him there with Yoda and Anakin hovering over Ewoks.

I got punk'd

2005-05-24T09:50:00.000-08:00

My employees punk’d me this morning. They got me good. I mentioned in a previous post that my boss’ bosses are in town as well as a consultant. This has me not only wearing a tie everyday, but in meetings most of my days. Well, two of my employees called me this morning around 6:30 letting me know they were sick and not coming to work. Then there was another message on my desk phone from another employee calling in sick. I had a meeting that started at 7:30, so I didn’t see that all three employees actually showed up to work until about 9 when my first meeting was out. They’d been planning it for weeks, and I’ve gotta hand it to them, they got me good. They say it was out of love, but payback is still gonna be a bitch for them.

A Case of the Mondays

2005-05-23T12:43:00.000-08:00

I’m back at my desk this week. There is still miscellaneous junk strewn about my desk from the A/C installers, though. I watched Can’t Buy Me Love over the weekend. Underrated movie, actually. I also picked up Life Aquatic on DVD. Haven’t invested the time in the second disc yet, but laughed out loud by myself at the movie. All the things that made me laugh the first time, made me laugh again. That’s a good sign. We’ve got big wigs in town this week, and a consultant. Our president, managing partner and CFO are all hanging out in ANC for the next couple of days.

ACL Festival Preview (Vol. 1)

2005-05-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

Coldplay were on SNL last night. They played "Speed of Sound" and "Fix You" from the upcoming "X & Y" album. It dawned on me that I will be seeing Coldplay in September in Austin. Not to mention Wilco, Oasis, Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams and a ton of other great acts. I’ve booked my plane ticket, my festival ticket and I don’t plan to leave AK between now and then.

What does it mean...

2005-05-20T07:12:00.000-08:00

…if you realize you’ve watched “Highway to Heaven” more than once in the last week. Even once shows I’ve got some issues, but there’s no better show to add MST3K comments to on TV Land.

Is it strange...

2005-05-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

…that I haven’t let anyone from work into my blogging world? Well, I made a reference to it one time and they googled my name and found me through ‘Awake.’

Why am I not fishing?

2005-05-19T10:16:00.000-08:00

It’s a beautiful day in Anchorage! One of those epic days. I’m stuck inside working. I’m taking some pictures of my “workspace” as I am still holed up in our conference room while construction moves along at a leisurely pace. At our building, there’s an apartment on the roof of our warehouse. That’s where my friend Elizabeth is staying while she’s up here. To get to the apartment you can either walk all the way downstairs and around the building then up a sketchy flight of stairs to the apartment or you can climb out a window in the conference room onto the roof and walk over to the apartment. On said roof, there is plenty of space for a chaisse lounge for me with my laptop to work away as hard as I’m working now. I need a bumper sticker for my laptop that says “Would Rather Be Fishing.”

Work Space

2005-05-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

If anyone watched the American version of “The Office” this spring you will feel me on this one. Our building is under construction to install A/C…I know, A/C in Alaska, but that’s a whole different issue. They are putting the unit right above my desk. They have the ceiling torn up and are drilling holes and dropping random pieces of metal down onto my desk. So I’ve moved into our conference room. I’m not calling it my office, it’s my work space. I could get used to 180 degrees of windows.

Blog Dryspell

2005-05-15T14:11:00.000-08:00

I'm just not feeling it. Maybe it's the clouds, maybe it's the fact I'm not fishing today (though I could be, nothing is stopping me). Most people are amazed at the variety of songs that I carried around on my Ipod, well my Itunes at home is even more random. I saw someone's game of just taking the first 13 songs from shuffle and making a CD out of them. Here's my randomly chosen playlist today:

1. "Venice Queen" Chili Peppers
2. "Nothing Like a Train" Vigilantes of Love
3. "Estranged" Guns n Roses
4. "Taylor" Jack Johnson
5. "Rio" Duran Duran
6. "Obstacle 1" Interpol
7. "Part of Your History" Blue Merle
8. "The Boss" James Brown
9. "Lullaby" The Cure
10. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" The Beatles
11. "Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G Minor"
12. "Drive the Pain" Soup Dragons
13. "Back in Black" AC/DC

Maybe not a great example of the eclectic music, but a good CD none the less.

I-Pod News

2005-05-13T15:21:00.000-08:00

Apple is officially just replacing my Ipod with a new one. Apple Care pays off.

Sick Days

2005-05-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

I took a sick day yesterday. The world didn't stop while I was out. I have only taken planned sick days in the past. You get sick time to use and you lose it if you don't use it, but I'm generally healthy and/or dedicated enough to still show up to work with normal ickyness symptoms. But yesterday I got out of bed and looked in the mirror to shave and said, "Yeah, I'm not that strong." I'm feeling better today, so I'm back at work. Why is it that people want to know all about illnesses? They ask questions like they're doctors and they can help. It's reminding me of Office Space...a case of the mondays.

A word about modern dance...

2005-05-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

Yes, as mentioned before, I attended a Jose Limon dance "thing." I say thing, because I kept calling it a ballet and was corrected that it was modern dance and not ballet. Could've fooled me. Even with a long lesson on the history of modern dance and the differences from ballet, I couldn't see one and tell it from the other. I wasn't alone, though. I was asked to attend by a friend from work. There was a piece with just guys, and no music. I felt very nervous. I wanted to ask questions of the dance expert I was with to gain insight, but you could hear every cough and whisper in the joint. I definitely enjoyed the pieces with music much more. Here are my thoughts. I think it's a very intriguing form of expression. I don't think I get it, but I respect it. What I was thinking was that there's something that clicks in a little boy or a little girl that says, "I want to dance"...and not Eric Nies dancing on the Grind. From my experience people do multiple forms of dancing; jazz, tap, modern, ballet, etc. But I can't say that the thought ever went through my mind. Maybe some of you dance...chime in here, when was it that you decided you wanted to dance?

2005-05-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

A nice spring rainbow. Caught on a brass spoon.

2005-05-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

Cover Shot: Alaska Fly Fishing Magazine

2005-05-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

Can you say cheese?

Day One

2005-05-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

The BLB was in full effect Saturday as we embarked on the first day of fishing of the season. It's not very often that Riche, Isaac and myself all fish together (not since 2003). So, it was a pretty special event. We took the 80 mile drive from Boniface to Lake Lorraine in "Fly", Ike's new truck. A brand new pickup makes for an enjoyable ride. We got to the lake and Isaac used his float tube and Riche and I used the "Seahawk." It was a perfect day. Lots of fish were caught and released. I have pictures on my camera, but left my cord at work so I'll post a pic or two tonight.

I also attended a Jose Limon modern dance show on Friday night...Riche was there too, independent from me....no, we didn't go together. I found it interesting. There are some bigger questions to be discussed and I will definately get into them at a later date, but I didn't expect to enjoy it at all, but came away with a new appreciation for modern dance.

And I got my ticket to The Austin City Limits Festival in September. Now I've just gotta book a plane ticket.

I learned a few things today...

2005-05-06T18:10:00.000-08:00

I learned that there are no winners in a jalepeno eating contest…

I learned that squirrels don’t have to be flying squirrels to fly…

I learned sometimes you just shouldn’t answer the phone…

I learned that a conference call between a room of Canadians and a room of Alaskans can easily turn into a giggle fit…

I learned how I'm using my next vacation time...
I learned that the people who work for me have a hard job and shouldn’t be taken for granted…

I learned a lot.

So sad.

2005-05-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

My Ipod is fried. I'm not sure what happened, but at least I bought Apple Care for $60 to ship it back to Apple to either fix or repair. So for the time being I'll either listen to radio at work or get suckered into buying a second Ipod.

90% of Life is...

2005-05-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

Woody Allen said 90% of life is just showing up. The question is really what to do about the other 10%. There are others who say that 90% of life is chance or luck or destiny or karma or serendipity or fruit loops or whatever else. It's all the same idea. What I gather is the other 10% is the decisions we make. I heard a speaker mention the other day that what separates successful people from unsuccessful people is they make good decisions and recover quickly from poor decisions. It's food for thought on this Cinco de Mayo, and nothing washes down food for thought better than fountain Coke.

He Knows Where He Is!

2005-05-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the Freshmaker, I've been listening to U2 in Seattle all morning. When he yells Seattle, the crowd goes wild. Sitting at my quiet desk in my quiet office I can think rationally about how ridiculous it is that we cheer when he says the town. I know it's a step up from when old hair bands would say the wrong name of the city they were in, but are we really excited that Bono knows where he is?

Lovin' it

2005-05-03T12:02:00.000-08:00

I'm lovin the new Ryan Adams double CD...take a risk and pick it up.

My job today...

2005-05-02T07:02:00.000-08:00

…is to make Anchorage a better place to live.

Check it out.

Riche Sighting

2005-05-01T17:10:00.000-08:00

You can spot Riche on Katie’s blog. I wonder if they ever imagined running into each other in London.

Workin at the car wash...

2005-05-01T00:18:00.000-08:00

Yep, you know the song...

We had a great time at the car wash today. Contrary to Shawn's reference to Crown Car Wash, all we did was hand out "tokens" and our brochure. Part of our marketing/branding campaign is to finally make wireless enjoyable by making people's lives easier. So there I stood along one of 4 highways in the state with brochures about Alaska DigiTel and free car washes to give out. I tried using a southern accent a few times, because when I would watch my friend Elizabeth hand out a free car wash, she would use her southern charm and people would dig it. When I tried, I think I sounded like Forrest Gump. What's kinda interesting is that it was a beautiful day all day, we handed out 1000 free car washes at 3 Anchorage car wash locations...and it started to rain tonight. Glad I didn't wash my car (though it could use it). Elizabeth and our graphic designer Mike went to a park in town after the car wash and threw a frisbee around a little. It was that kinda day, frisbees and car washes.
We ate lunch at Moose's Tooth and I was asked a great question. What has been my favorite concert experience...
I'll tackle that topic tomorrow...
I watched "Without a Paddle" tonight and spit Coke Classic all over myself in a few key places. Giggling a little right now about the point when the rapids start to get a little rough and Tom (who claims to be a river rafting expert) screams, "I'm in over my head." Something about it just makes me crack up.

Listened to some interesting music today at the car wash. I may have also invented a concept, Ipod swapping. Though, one word of wisdom...make sure if you plug a Mac formatted ipod into a PC that you don't choose to format it.

Tonight it's Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever and some Prince.

New music again this Tuesday with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals releasing an album as well as Nine Inch Nails (definitely intriguing)

Service is our Calling

2005-04-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

4/28/2005 - ALASKA DIGITEL DEMONSTRATES COMMITMENT TO CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH FREE CAR WASH

Anchorage – “Service Is Our Calling” is the tagline in Alaska DigiTel’s current advertising campaign, and the local wireless company is demonstrating its commitment to customer service in a unique way this Saturday – with a free car wash. All of Anchorage is invited to visit any of Alaska Laser Wash’s three locations Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to take advantage of this opportunity for some good, clean customer service. “We wanted to find a way to show that our slogan is more than just a slogan – it’s how we really treat our customers,” said Clay Dover, Vice President and General Manager of Alaska DigiTel. Alaska DigiTel employees will be on hand at the following Alaska Laser Wash locations to answer any questions people have about wireless service and to share information about current special offers:

1515 E. 5th Avenue
3800 Minnesota Drive
11101 Old Seward Highway

Snow Goose

2005-04-30T00:26:00.000-08:00

I spent the evening in the Snow Goose with some friends from work. We have a girl that works for a marketing agency out of Chattanooga working with Alaska DigiTel on a branding campaign. I spent the night talking music, politics and business models…it’s kinda fascinating. There was live music. Evan Phillips from the Whipsaws was playing…and Marty Jones joined him on stage for some songs. They played some Drive-By Truckers and Ryan Adams, Gram Parsons, Willie Nelson…you know the stuff. I enjoyed it a lot. The girl from Chattanooga was pretty impressed that anyone had heard of the Truckers outside of Athens, GA…let alone someone would cover them in a bar in Alaska. It was a good night. Songs of the night:

Willie Nelson “Pancho and Lefty”
Ryan Adams “Oh My Sweet Carolina” (Bought a borrowed suit and learned to dance)
Wham “Careless Whisper”
The Who “The Seeker”
Wilco “Monday”
Johnny Cash “Southern Accents”
U2 “City of Blinding Lights” (I miss you when you're not around, I'm getting ready to leave the ground)
Bruce Springsteen “All I’m Thinkin’ About” (Little boy carryin' a fishin' pole...)
The Killers “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine”(She said she loved me, but she had somewhere to go)
Kings of Leon “Wicker Chair”
Stereophonics “Maybe Tomorrow”
David Gray “Flame Turns Blue”

Use you some Itunes (Kazaa or Limewire) and make yourself a sweet CD.

Sports

2005-04-28T10:10:00.000-08:00

I've been listening to some sports talk radio lately. There are a lot of great subjects rolling through the wire these days.

Schilling calling out Lou Pinella.

The Yankees falling.

Phil considering his options.

Reggie Miller is overrated.

I'm putting together a post to kick of fishing season, because pretty soon that's all you'll get on the blog, so I'm gonna define some terms and set up the season.

Go Sox.

Kind of geek

2005-04-26T18:15:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned that I got a little obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer? The TV show. I mocked Riche for watching the show for the longest time and then I started from the beginning and set out to watch the entire series on DVD. I got obsessed. It’s been a few months since I finished all 7 seasons. It’s a great show. Definitely made a difference for me to watch from Ep 1.1 to 7.22 sequentially, rather then the random smattering that you catch in reruns on the WB. The writers are so creative with the mix of action and humor with ongoing storylines that arced through seasons and through the full series. It’s a very original way to examine the suburban lives of teenagers. I just thought I would add this, definitely a guilty pleasure and only now a few months after the days of at least two episodes a night…it makes it easier to admit.

Nice

2005-04-26T16:16:00.000-08:00

Yahoo my company and my blog is the #5 entry. Gotta love that.

Yahoo!