Here's what you do when you've taken a vacation day, you're home with your 2-year-old son and you're bored.
12.29.2009
read these books
"A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
"All the Pretty Horses" by Cormac McCarthy
"Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown
"Apathy" by Paul Neilan
"Beautiful Boy" by David Sheff
"Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger
"Clemente: Baseball's Last Hero" by David Maraniss
"Germinal" by Emile Zola
"Ham on Rye" by Charles Bukowski
"Hayduke Lives!" by Edward Abbey
"Hey Rube" by Hunter S. Thompson
"I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story" by Hank Aaron
"Indignation" by Philip Roth
"Ironweed" by William Kennedy
"Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach
"Magical Thinking" by Augusten Burroughs
"Makes Me Wanna Holler" by Nathan McCall
"Monkey Wrench Gang" by Edward Abbey
"My Prison without Bars" by Pete Rose
"My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
"Nobody Move" by Denis Johnson
"On the Road" by Jack Kerouac
"Peep Show" by Joshua Braff
"Playing for Pizza" by John Grisham
"Rant" by Chuck Palahniuk
"Savages" by Don Winslow
"The Catastrophist" by Lawrence Douglas
"The Imperfectionists" by Tom Rachman
"The Lonely Polygamist" by Brady Udall
"The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway
"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
"The Rum Diaries" by Hunter S. Thompson
"They Call Him John Q" by Susan Drake
"Women" by Charles Bukowski
"All the Pretty Horses" by Cormac McCarthy
"Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown
"Apathy" by Paul Neilan
"Beautiful Boy" by David Sheff
"Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger
"Clemente: Baseball's Last Hero" by David Maraniss
"Germinal" by Emile Zola
"Ham on Rye" by Charles Bukowski
"Hayduke Lives!" by Edward Abbey
"Hey Rube" by Hunter S. Thompson
"I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story" by Hank Aaron
"Indignation" by Philip Roth
"Ironweed" by William Kennedy
"Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach
"Magical Thinking" by Augusten Burroughs
"Makes Me Wanna Holler" by Nathan McCall
"Monkey Wrench Gang" by Edward Abbey
"My Prison without Bars" by Pete Rose
"My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
"Nobody Move" by Denis Johnson
"On the Road" by Jack Kerouac
"Peep Show" by Joshua Braff
"Playing for Pizza" by John Grisham
"Rant" by Chuck Palahniuk
"Savages" by Don Winslow
"The Catastrophist" by Lawrence Douglas
"The Imperfectionists" by Tom Rachman
"The Lonely Polygamist" by Brady Udall
"The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway
"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
"The Rum Diaries" by Hunter S. Thompson
"They Call Him John Q" by Susan Drake
"Women" by Charles Bukowski
12.26.2009
recent entries
Short entries from the notebook:
The Haddoxes Ugly Christmas Sweater Party was a success on a number of levels.
First, Jimmy's bar that he installed in his basement is a masterpiece and a true inspiration to men who like basements, bars, beer and entertaining. It has got two levels, a tiled top, cupboards and shelves to hold liquor bottles, is constructed of solid oak, seats eight and was finished in three weeks. The pictures don't do it justice; congratulations Jim.
As beautiful as the bar is, the Christmas sweaters were equally hideous. Top prizes for Most Ridiculous Christmas Outfit go to: Melissa, for a God-awful children's Christmas Sunday school dress; and BJ, for a black and purple sweater-dress contraption with snowflakes sewed on. Most creative goes to Zane, who split a reindeer, with half coming out his back and the other half protruding from his chest.
Click here to see the entire photo album from the party.
It was also a great Christmas for Trevor, who opened so many presents he actually got tired of opening presents and called it quits about halfway through. But he has never been more excited, hasn't stopped playing with trains since Christmas Eve and--although he was scared of Santa and didn't want him coming in our house--is thankful for everything he got.
We put a stop to all the crazy traveling this year and it was nice to host, make dinner (grilled pork tenderloin with twice-baked potatoes and maple-glazed carrots) and kick everyone out in time to clean, relax and enjoy a glass of wine while Trev played with all his gifts. Sorry to everyone we missed and we hope you had a great Christmas.
Click here for a few more photos from Christmas.
I also wanted to post a portion of Dan and Erin's Punta Cana video I helped them make to give out as Christmas gifts. The couple was married in Punta Cana this spring and we took a bunch of photos from the trip, spliced in some video and created a 1/2-hour slideshow they could give to family and friends who also went on the trip. It was a fun project and thanks to Dan and Erin for letting me help.
The Haddoxes Ugly Christmas Sweater Party was a success on a number of levels.
First, Jimmy's bar that he installed in his basement is a masterpiece and a true inspiration to men who like basements, bars, beer and entertaining. It has got two levels, a tiled top, cupboards and shelves to hold liquor bottles, is constructed of solid oak, seats eight and was finished in three weeks. The pictures don't do it justice; congratulations Jim.
As beautiful as the bar is, the Christmas sweaters were equally hideous. Top prizes for Most Ridiculous Christmas Outfit go to: Melissa, for a God-awful children's Christmas Sunday school dress; and BJ, for a black and purple sweater-dress contraption with snowflakes sewed on. Most creative goes to Zane, who split a reindeer, with half coming out his back and the other half protruding from his chest.
Click here to see the entire photo album from the party.
It was also a great Christmas for Trevor, who opened so many presents he actually got tired of opening presents and called it quits about halfway through. But he has never been more excited, hasn't stopped playing with trains since Christmas Eve and--although he was scared of Santa and didn't want him coming in our house--is thankful for everything he got.
We put a stop to all the crazy traveling this year and it was nice to host, make dinner (grilled pork tenderloin with twice-baked potatoes and maple-glazed carrots) and kick everyone out in time to clean, relax and enjoy a glass of wine while Trev played with all his gifts. Sorry to everyone we missed and we hope you had a great Christmas.
Click here for a few more photos from Christmas.
I also wanted to post a portion of Dan and Erin's Punta Cana video I helped them make to give out as Christmas gifts. The couple was married in Punta Cana this spring and we took a bunch of photos from the trip, spliced in some video and created a 1/2-hour slideshow they could give to family and friends who also went on the trip. It was a fun project and thanks to Dan and Erin for letting me help.
12.20.2009
can the steelers still make the playoffs?
UPDATE: The AFC playoff situation changed slightly after Week 16. For the Steelers to get in: 1) Pittsburgh has to beat Miami, 2) New England has to beat Houston, and 3) either Cincinnati needs to beat the Jets or Oakland needs to beat Baltimore.
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I was sure they were eliminated by now, but Big Ben came through Superbowl-style today to edge the Packers and move Pittsburgh to 7-7, leaving slight playoff hope alive.
(Editor's note: if you lose to Kansas City, Oakland and Cleveland within an 18-day span, you don't deserve to make the playoffs. I understand that. Whether they deserve it and whether it will happen are two separate discussions.)
I went through the schedules of each of the AFC teams in the playoff race and predicted how the last two weeks would shake out. Pittsburgh has two tough teams remaining: Baltimore (home) and Miami (road). IF the Steelers can win out (note the BIG IF), determining the two wild card seats will be mucky and require second and third tie-breakers that I don't fully understand to settle it.
Here's how I see it shaking out:
Indianapolis 16-0 *
San Diego 13-3 *
Cincinnati 11-5 *
New England 10-6 *
Baltimore 9-7
Denver 9-7
Pittsburgh 9-7
Miami 8-8
Jacksonville 8-8
Tennessee 8-8
NY Jets 7-9
Houston 7-9
* Division winners
So three 9-7 teams would be fighting for two wild-card spots. Here's where it gets kind of confusing. According to this page, it seems as if wild-card tie-breakers are determined in different ways depending on how many teams are tied.
If there were two teams at 9-7, the first tie-breaker is head-to-head. (In head-to-head action, The Broncos lost to both the Ravens and the Steelers, and the Steelers-Ravens would have split.)
When there are three teams tied, head-to-head action is thrown out the window and wild-card berths are determined by division records. (Within their respective divisions, Denver would be 4-2, Baltimore would be 3-3 and Pittsburgh would be 2-4.)
Therefore, even if the Steelers win two tough games to close the season, it looks they would be odd man out. The only hope they've got is Week 17 upsets from Kansas City over Denver or Oakland over Baltimore; either would most-likely seal them a spot.
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I was sure they were eliminated by now, but Big Ben came through Superbowl-style today to edge the Packers and move Pittsburgh to 7-7, leaving slight playoff hope alive.
(Editor's note: if you lose to Kansas City, Oakland and Cleveland within an 18-day span, you don't deserve to make the playoffs. I understand that. Whether they deserve it and whether it will happen are two separate discussions.)
I went through the schedules of each of the AFC teams in the playoff race and predicted how the last two weeks would shake out. Pittsburgh has two tough teams remaining: Baltimore (home) and Miami (road). IF the Steelers can win out (note the BIG IF), determining the two wild card seats will be mucky and require second and third tie-breakers that I don't fully understand to settle it.
Here's how I see it shaking out:
Indianapolis 16-0 *
San Diego 13-3 *
Cincinnati 11-5 *
New England 10-6 *
Baltimore 9-7
Denver 9-7
Pittsburgh 9-7
Miami 8-8
Jacksonville 8-8
Tennessee 8-8
NY Jets 7-9
Houston 7-9
* Division winners
So three 9-7 teams would be fighting for two wild-card spots. Here's where it gets kind of confusing. According to this page, it seems as if wild-card tie-breakers are determined in different ways depending on how many teams are tied.
If there were two teams at 9-7, the first tie-breaker is head-to-head. (In head-to-head action, The Broncos lost to both the Ravens and the Steelers, and the Steelers-Ravens would have split.)
When there are three teams tied, head-to-head action is thrown out the window and wild-card berths are determined by division records. (Within their respective divisions, Denver would be 4-2, Baltimore would be 3-3 and Pittsburgh would be 2-4.)
Therefore, even if the Steelers win two tough games to close the season, it looks they would be odd man out. The only hope they've got is Week 17 upsets from Kansas City over Denver or Oakland over Baltimore; either would most-likely seal them a spot.
12.14.2009
yes, it's real
The tree is up. It's the first time we actually went out into a field, cut one down and put it up in the house. Good times. Merry Christmas!
12.13.2009
what happens in Vegas comes home with me
Channeling the spirit of Hunter S. Thompson, I went on a six-day Las Vegas (work-related) bender last week and was fortunate enough to check out a few really cool spots.
CityCenter
As far as I can tell, I was the first media member to tour Aria, a 4,000-room hotel/casino in the middle of CityCenter. CityCenter is MGM Mirage's newest project on The Strip. It is four hotels, a high-end shopping
district and two residential towers built on 76 acres of land between Bellagio and Monte Carlo. The $8.5-billion (yes, billion) project is five years in the works; two of the hotels and the shopping district opened earlier this month. Aria, which serves as the connective tissue for all the buildings in CityCenter, is set to open Dec. 16. There is a $40-million public art museum throughout the space and I was able to capture a few of the pieces with my camera.
I stayed two nights in Vdara, the condo-hotel in CityCenter, and spent two days touring properties and walking around with my camera. A story and slideshow I put together detailing CityCenter just days before its grand opening can be found here.
Golden Nugget
I stayed three nights in what is considered a staple of Las Vegas, the 63-year-old Golden Nugget hotel and casino located in downtown Las Vegas, aka "Old Vegas." The Golden Nugget just last month finished the final piece of a three-tiered, $300-million renovation that started in 2005. A fourth tower, Rush Tower, added 20 percent more rooms to the property, some that overlook both the Fremont St. Experience and the panoramic strip hotels. The tower cost $150 million to build.
Rush Tower is a great addition to the Golden Nugget because it provides a luxury option downtown so you can enjoy the amenities of a nice hotel room and yet you are able to go downstairs and gamble and drink on the cheap. Rates in the new Rush tower rooms are as little as a $30 upgrade from the other towers, meaning you can get in for less than $100 a night. I'd definitely check it out if I were going back with a group of friends. The Golden Nugget now features nine restaurants, a 75,000-gallon exotic fish tank and an outdoor waterslide that passes through a shark tank.
Ever since hearing Live at Luther College in 1999 I've wanted to see Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds play together, and I got my chance at Planet Hollywood while in Vegas. The two played for nearly three hours on the first night of a three-night concert. The show was taped and will be made into an album and DVD later.
Here's a video of Dave and Tim jamming on "Shake Me Like A Monkey" off Big Whiskey and the Gru Grux King, which was recently nominated for a Grammy. It was Dave's first nomination. Before the song, Dave said it would be the first time he's played "Shake Me Like a Monkey" acoustic.
CityCenter
As far as I can tell, I was the first media member to tour Aria, a 4,000-room hotel/casino in the middle of CityCenter. CityCenter is MGM Mirage's newest project on The Strip. It is four hotels, a high-end shopping
district and two residential towers built on 76 acres of land between Bellagio and Monte Carlo. The $8.5-billion (yes, billion) project is five years in the works; two of the hotels and the shopping district opened earlier this month. Aria, which serves as the connective tissue for all the buildings in CityCenter, is set to open Dec. 16. There is a $40-million public art museum throughout the space and I was able to capture a few of the pieces with my camera.I stayed two nights in Vdara, the condo-hotel in CityCenter, and spent two days touring properties and walking around with my camera. A story and slideshow I put together detailing CityCenter just days before its grand opening can be found here.
Golden Nugget
I stayed three nights in what is considered a staple of Las Vegas, the 63-year-old Golden Nugget hotel and casino located in downtown Las Vegas, aka "Old Vegas." The Golden Nugget just last month finished the final piece of a three-tiered, $300-million renovation that started in 2005. A fourth tower, Rush Tower, added 20 percent more rooms to the property, some that overlook both the Fremont St. Experience and the panoramic strip hotels. The tower cost $150 million to build.
Rush Tower is a great addition to the Golden Nugget because it provides a luxury option downtown so you can enjoy the amenities of a nice hotel room and yet you are able to go downstairs and gamble and drink on the cheap. Rates in the new Rush tower rooms are as little as a $30 upgrade from the other towers, meaning you can get in for less than $100 a night. I'd definitely check it out if I were going back with a group of friends. The Golden Nugget now features nine restaurants, a 75,000-gallon exotic fish tank and an outdoor waterslide that passes through a shark tank.
At the bottom of this page is a slideshow I put together showing the new rooms at the Golden Nugget.
Ever since hearing Live at Luther College in 1999 I've wanted to see Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds play together, and I got my chance at Planet Hollywood while in Vegas. The two played for nearly three hours on the first night of a three-night concert. The show was taped and will be made into an album and DVD later.
Here's a video of Dave and Tim jamming on "Shake Me Like A Monkey" off Big Whiskey and the Gru Grux King, which was recently nominated for a Grammy. It was Dave's first nomination. Before the song, Dave said it would be the first time he's played "Shake Me Like a Monkey" acoustic.
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