What did I do this weekend? Well, I whipped it out of course... my iaito that is. Why what did you think I was talkin' about? Perv.

New York Budokai, my iaido dojo, was invited to perform a demonstration at the Asian American Heritage Festival out in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. It had been a while since our group had even participated in a demo and as an intermediate member, this one would be my first. I have never been a performer and I could say I was a little nervous, but when I got out there I felt relatively calm (of course, it probably helped that I wasn't wearing my glasses and couldn't see a damn thing). That's not to say I didn't screw up a little bit. I took a wrong step in one of my forms and I missed a block doing irohauchi.

"Really? Irohauchi? You don't say..." Irohauchi is a partner form where you basically beat on each other with a pair of sticks called bokken. The form is choreographed and ideally, you and your partner are so syncopated that you don't lay a finger on each other. I lost my rhythm, as ADD people often do, and Deborah Sensei caught me on the arm. Thankfully, she was holding back.

Outside of that I did pretty well and, hey... I had fun.

UPDATE: Beth did such a wonderful job taking pictures and videos from the demonstration that decided to post them on their own site. Check them out here.

Posted by Thom at 9:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I recently stumbled across a little web gem that I thought was worth sharing. Stuff White People Like is blog written for white people, about white people and all the while making fun of white people... and really, if we don't make fun of ourselves, who will? The best part of the site is its running list of whitey favorites that include such truisms as Oscar parties, organic food and Barack Obama. If we where to use this site as a measure, I myself am about 80-85% white. Try it for yourself.

Posted by Thom at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So Beth was out of town this weekend and, finding myself a swinging bachelor, I decided to celebrate in the only way I know how... with meat!

Before I explain, let me begin with a diatribe against the state of bar-b-que in New York. As much as the locals feel they understand bar-b-que, most of the establishments they hold in such high esteem couldn't hold a burnt-end against even the most humble of roadside pits in the likes of Tennessee, Kansas, or Texas. Virgil's makes a great pulled pork but, their ribs remain tasteless. Daisy May's has chili, and that's about it. Rub BBQ has some of the fattiest meat I have ever let pass my lips and the desiccated slabs they pass off as ribs at Blue Smoke are a sin. Year's ago, Pearson's was the only respectable game in town but, they have long since closed.

But fortunately, some new pits have opened up and stepped forward to fill that bar-b-que void.

Not necessarily new but certainly noteworthy, Dinosaur Bar-b-que on the upper west side offers up a smoky and succulent rib for the discerning connoisseur. It was about a year and a half ago that Beth treated me to a birthday dinner at Dinosaur and I must say, it did satisfy. And for the vegetarians in the audience, Beth recommends the smoked Portobello if you can just get past the pervasive stench of seared flesh. My only regret is that I didn't sufficiently starve myself beforehand — I had to leave a few ribs behind.

But this weekend, I discovered Rack and Soul. Okay, that's not entirely true — I actually discovered Rack and Soul back in June at the annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party. But for me, the only true test of pit is to visit the source. At first glance the generic NY dinner setting might keep you walking, but the sweat, woody smell will certainly stop you in your tracks. I took a booth by myself and ordered up a 1/2 rack and beer. Let me just say, not since the close of Pearson's have I tasted such a flavorful, juicy, tender rib in New York City. Period. The torch has been passed. Enjoy.

Posted by Thom at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With it's ever increasing popularity, I always thought of the Guitar Hero franchise as gimmicky fad that would eventually disappear. I have long been a hardcore gamer and something about it just didn't fit into my idea of a fun game. Clearly I was wrong.

It started with the generous and surprising gift we received from Beth's parents for Christmas — a Nintendo Wii. The idea was that Beth (who is not a big gamer) and I would play the Wii together and, while that intention is still a work in progress, I have found some new uses for the console. My inspiration came when I got the chance to visit with my good friend Nat while he was in New York for the holidays. His parents live in the city and the holidays are usually my best chance to spend time with him during the course of the year. Nat just so happened to have received a copy of Guitar Hero III for Christmas and, after connecting it to his parent's Wii, proceeded to jam for at least a couple of hours. I was hooked. And knowing that I could play against him and my friend Kevin (also a Christmas Guitar Hero recipient) over the internet, I just had to get one.

Well, my virtual ax arrived last night. So, put in your earplugs and lock you daughters up. It's time to rock.

Posted by Thom at 3:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's been about ten months now since I first started to study the martial art of iaido. I have certainly come a long way in that time, but what I really have managed to learn is that there is so much more to know — and that's why individuals devote a lifetime to studying even just one style of iaido. I myself study two styles and I'm happy to say that I have achieved the rank of ikkyu (pronounced EE-Q) in Muso Shinden. When I tested, it was a complete surprise. I nearly botched it as got increasingly nervous and stiffened up but, somehow I showed enough aptitude to pass (either that or my sensei felt sorry for me). Ikkyu is the first of six rankings before I reach the first black belt or "dan" level — I have a long way to go.

Posted by Thom at 10:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I came home from work on Friday, I found a small but mysterious package mixed in with the mail. First running down a mental checklist, I decided that I wasn't high enough on anyone's hate list to fear for my life. Despite the warnings of my postal carrier, I figured it was safe. Opening the package, I didn't know what to make of it at first — inside, tied in a twine bow, was this awesome t-shirt titled Cincinnati Transit Map (For Optimists). This didn't make any sense. The package came from a company called Wire and Twine, which I had never heard of. And, I don't remember ordering any t-shirts recently. In fact, the only thing that did make sense was that the map would be for optimists... seeing as Cincinnati doesn't have a transit system. Digging around the remains of the packaging I found the answer: an invoice with my friend Kevin Menzie's name on it. And no, I don't think he put the wrong address on his order. I haven't talked to him yet, but I suspect that he stumbled across the design and, knowing that I come from Cincy, decided to get it for me. Very cool, very thoughtful. Thanks, Kevin.

Posted by Thom at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

In 3 of the 4 postseason baseball series that took place this weekend, the victors swept the losing teams. Only the Yaknees held out against the Cleveland Indians to continue their series to a fourth game. Among those losing teams were, unfortunaely, our dear Chicago Cubs. After 99 seasons without a world championship, the curse of the billy goat still holds strong. Damn. Wait until next year.

Posted by Thom at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When last I mentioned the Cubs in June, they had just crossed the .500 mark and were slowly creeping up on the division dominating Brewers. As a superstitious Cubs fan, even mentioning that little positive moment ran the risk of derailing the rest of the season and plunging them into dead last (knock on wood, pinch of salt over the shoulder). But, those bolts from baseball heaven never materialized and confident that my words carry no jinxes, I am happy to announce that the Chicago Cubs clinched the NL Central Division today. With a regular season record of 85-77, the Cubs finished 2 games ahead of the afore-mentioned Brewers in the lowest rated division of the 2007 season. But who cares about that because, ladies and gentlemen, we have a postseason. On Wednesday, the Cubs will head off to Arizona to begin their best of five game series against the Diamondbacks. I should say, may the best team win but, screw that... Go Cubbies!

Posted by Thom at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This bundle of cuteness, energy and sharp, pointy teeth that you see to your left is a 5-month-old chocolate Labrador Retriever named Cleopatra (Cleo for short). Cleo is the recently added family member of my good friend and colleague, Steve, and follows in the long and prestigious line of Labs before her. With plans to head out of town for the long holiday weekend, Steve asked us to puppy-sit for Cleo. We had looked after Steve's older dogs — the late Boomer and Pepper — several years ago and, it had been the easiest all-expenses paid stay in the city we've ever had. So the prospect of another four nights in a Soho loft, chillin' with a dog, drinking Steve's beer and enjoying city living sounded like a great idea to us. It was a win-win situation. We agreed.

And how did things go? Well, let's just say that we were foolish to think that taking care of a puppy is anything like taking care of even two older dogs. After four days, Beth and I are cover with puncture wounds from that mouth full of pointy teeth and we are exhausted from the 5AM wake-up-it's-time-to-play barking sessions. I don't expect any sympathy from my readers (especial the parents among you), but I will say that we were caught just a bit off guard by Cleo's needs. Nevertheless, we kept our cool, accepted the drool on our clothing and mopped up her accidents with little complaint. That's why God makes them cute, right? — so we don't want to kill them.

Posted by Thom at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Back in the day as they like to say, I was a huge Simpson's fan. So deep and profound was my knowledge of the series that I could hold complete and coherent conversations with my friends based on nothing more than character quotes. But time has passed and so too has my all-consuming interest in the Simpson. Those quoting friends have moved away and on with their lives and I can only elicit a roll of the eyes from Beth whenever I put on my best Apu.

Now, 20 years after it first aired (22 if you count the Tracy Ullman shorts) they finally got around to making a movie and, yes, I have seen it. Was it worth it? Without giving anything away I will say it was a really good 90 minute episode and, even a week later, Beth is still prone to break out and sing the Spider Pig theme. But, even more than the movie, I found some of the promotional ideas far more entertaining. I had a blast buying a Squishee at the Kwik-E-Mart on 42nd Street, posing on the couch and creating my own Simpsons character on the brilliantly designed movie website.

Posted by Thom at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, two significant and fairly geeky events occurred to make this a very busy weekend for me.

First, New York Budokai (my iai dojo) received a visit from two very distinguished Japanese teachers. Tsumaki Sensei and Endo Sensei are high ranking teachers of Tamiya Ryu, one of the three styles of iaido that we study. The fact that they flew halfway around the world to teach us for a weekend is quite an honor but, in particular, Tsumaki Sensei's visit is significant because of who he is. His late father was the Soke (or headmaster) of the Tamiya Ryu style throughout the world. Although it will be a year from his father's passing before it is known for certain, it is rumored that Tsumaki Sensei will be named the next Soke. That would mean that I was personally taught by the future Soke of Tamiya Ryu. Pretty cool despite the fact that I didn't understand a word he said.

The second and no less significant event was the release of the 7th and final Harry Potter book. I know, I know... children's books? How old am I? Wasn't my degree in Literature? Yes and yes. But the stories have been a blast and having read the first six, I needed that little bit of closure. The reason I'm only now getting around to completing this entry is because I was too busy finishing the book. I'm now done and I can go on with my life (for what it's worth). I don't know which makes me a bigger nerd — playing with swords or obsessing about adolescent wizards — but what do I care? As long as I'm having fun.

Posted by Thom at 7:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When I came across this video in one of my lunchtime web crawls, I had no idea that it would eventually become the hit of the office. For several weeks now, it has been a running gag whenever we want to elicit a groan from the college next to us.

But first, let me give you a little background: Weng Weng was a vertically challenged Pilipino movie star who piloted such classic vehicles as The Impossible Kid and For Your Height Only (which is currently in my Netflix queue). His career would most likely have been lost to complete obscurity had it not been for the hilarious send up by the equally obscure rap duo known as the CHUDs. Whenever I need a chuckle I just pop over to YouTube and give Weng Weng a listen. The only problem is the infectious song will stick in my head for hours afterward so, if you're interested in watching, consider yourself warned. Click here to watch.

Posted by Thom at 7:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I did it. I don't know what finally possessed me but, after a long time of investigating, fantasizing and fanaticizing about an HDTV, I pulled the trigger on a new set over the weekend. I told Beth that I was going out on an 'errand' but, in all truthfulness there was a 75% chance I was going to come home with a new TV (and she knew it). After several hours of round trips between the local electronics stores and departments, I finally settled in on the set (and the deal) that I thought was best. After playing a little hard to get I walked out of Target of all places with a 37" Phillips HDTV. With a little help from Beth we schlepped the box upstairs and, after sawing the top 3 feet of the old entertainment center, we finally got to kick back and bask in our new widescreen glory.

Posted by Thom at 9:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

With a 5-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers today, the Cubs hit the .500 mark (their record for now is 39-39) for the first time since the beginning of the season. Now seven games deep into winning streak, this game also inched them one step closer to the division leading Brewers. I mention this because, like so many fans who believe that a winning Cubs record is tied to planetary alignments and visits from Haley's Comet, a .500 record is something to crow about.

Posted by Thom at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At long last, my iaito has finally arrived. After careful consideration about length, style and prompt delivery, I took the advice of my sensei and fellow students to order my custom sword from Tozando of Japan. So convinced was I that I had made the right choice that I eagerly recruited a fellow student, interested in ordering his own iaito, to join in and save on shipping costs. My decision was further justified when our order confirmation gave us a 4-week delivery. Hurrah!

That was back in January.

Fast forward to mid-March when not an additional word had come from Tozando and we were a little curious about the status of order. Not until we sent repeated emails did Tozando confirm that, due to an overwhelming amount of pending orders, ours was delayed. No revised delivery date. No apologies. This process would repeat itself again in May when, only after our prompting, they finally promised an early June delivery — 14 weeks after the original promise date. Now, I hate to spend my time bad-mouthing a company on my blog but, quite frankly Tozando deserves it. I don't have any proof but I don't wonder if our order, coming from overseas, wasn't given a second-class status.

Despite this ordeal (ordeal at least to me), I now have my iaito and I am very happy with quality, the look and the balance. Now I just need to not stab myself in the neck.

Posted by Thom at 5:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Living in New York has certain perks — one of them being that we have both a National and American League baseball team at our disposal. And so taking advantage of this situation, Beth and I like to make an annual trip out to Shea and watch the local National League franchise play (and hopefully lose to) our favorite Cubbies. This year would be no exception but unfortunately, there would be only one New York based series and of that series, we had only made plans to attend one game. And that game was tonight.

No discussion being complete without talking about the weather, things started off with iffy reports of all night thunderstorms. Then Pete, our good friend and perennial baseball comrade who was kind enough to be sharing these tickets with us, had to pull out at the last minute leaving Beth and I to go it alone. As I am sure you have already guessed, our arrival at Shea stadium was celebrated by an indefinite rain delay. We decided to stick it out for a while but, after sitting for an hour in torrential rain as I stuffed my gut with hot dogs and beer, we'd had enough. We weren't going to see our Cubbies play first hand this year after all but hey, we're used to disappointment. The game eventually started 3 hours late and the Cubs did manage to lose to the Mets (1-8), but we were already asleep.

Posted by Thom at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've said it before and I'll say it again — rarely in my trolling of the internets do I come across something that I deem worthy enough of sharing with you, the public, on my blog. This blog is about me and primarily about me. Oh, and Beth too.

But, when I came across this video put together by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay for Funny Or Die, I knew it was time once again to break my long standing taboo. Beth and I agree, this may be one of the funniest 2 minutes we have experienced in a long time. In under a week this clip has gone from being a rare internet gem to a viral phenomenon, so the more web-savvy among you may find this old hat. If you seen it before, check it out again. If you're seeing for the first time, enjoy. If you have no sense of humor, go away. One word of warning though, it may not be safe for the kiddies (in more ways than one). That being said, you can click here to watch it.

Posted by Thom at 9:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There. Now that I've gotten your attention with that most hated of Scrappy-Do references, I can get to the real scoop. After reluctantly giving up their boxer Lilly back in September, our good friends Dan and Matt have decided to have a second go-round at puppy-fatherhood with the adoption of Dexter. Only a couple of weeks old, Dexter is a puggle — a relatively new hybrid of beagles and pugs that has an adorably wrinkly face and hang-dog eyes and, was recently featured in a New York Times article on designer breeds. It is their hope that by raising Dexter themselves and in the presence of their first dog Sam, that they will be able to avoid any personality issues between the dogs in the future. Good luck guys, and hide your shoes.

Posted by Thom at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

There was a time in my life when I was a huge Simpson’s fan and I would regale/annoy all those around me with my profound knowledge of the show and all character dialog therein. I'm not exactly sure when it began but, at some point in my personal fandom I decided it was a brilliant idea to collect all five family members in the medium of Pez dispenser. Over time I managed to build my collection, though the one dispenser that proved a rarity was the one that should have been the easiest to find — Bart. Eventually, my interest in the show faded, but I never felt a sense of closure where my Pez collection was concerned. I had pretty much given up on ever seeing the family completed when, just the other day, I happened to pass by a vacant and soon-to-be-cleaned office at work. There, nestled in the garbage and still in its original wrapper was Bart! The only dispenser I needed and there it sat discarded. Now, the family is at long last complete. I can die a happy man.

Posted by Thom at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

After moseying around December and January, look who finally decided to show up for the month February. Come on in Winter, sit down, freeze my ass off. Most of February was too cold for it to even snow. So, when things finally warmed up enough last week to dump a few flakey inches, I decided it was time to take Beth out for her first winter hike.

Now I myself am not a particularly avid cold-weather sportsman. I haven’t strapped on a ski in fifteen years and I have only seen snowboards in catalogs. The only time I have ever done any winter camping, it was on the south rim of the Grand Canyon in March. I was so woefully under-equipped for trip, I never did it again. Sometime in the last couple of years, however, I have come to enjoy the peaceful solitude of a winter day hike where, if the weather threatened I could quickly retreat to the cozy comforts of my waiting car.

After a brief re-direction from a Harriman Park Ranger, we finally found a legal parking spot and headed out into the trees. The snow pack was perfect for hiking — deep enough to level the terrain and solid enough to support our weight without skis or snowshoes. We made our way up and over two ridges before finding our way to the frozen edge of Lake Wanoksink (which I promise, is more romantic than the name sounds). Unfortunately and despite sufficient layering, the sun and the wind weren’t on our side. After a couple of hours with dropping temperatures, we headed back under threatening skies. Thank God for car heaters.

Posted by Thom at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

For those of you who are in the know, I don't need to tell you that I have become a bit of cheese freak in the last couple of years — and I'm not talking about crap like Velveeta or American Cheese. I'm talking about the real smelly, moldy, snooty stuff from Europe where they are unencumbered by thoughts of pasteurization and olfactory offenses. From a fresh Chévre to a fine cave aged Gruyére, I can't get enough of the stuff. But, that's only half of the story for, you see, I am also an unabashed beer snob. I wouldn't touch Bud or Miller unless I had a gun to my tongue. A name brand for me is Ommegang or Hacker Pschorr.

Well, imagine my ecstasy when I discovered that I could bring these two gastronomical wonders together. This past Christmas, Beth gave me certificate good for one free course at Murray's Cheese — a famous cheese shop here in New York. And what class did I sign up for? Why everyone's favorite, High Altitude Pairings: Cheese and Beers from the Alps of course. Hosted in conjunction with B. United International, a local beer and wine distributor, the class was a blast. The cheese was excellent (Hoch Ybrig is my new favorite cheese) and the beer was unlike anything that I have ever tasted. Everything was exotic, rich and flavorful and, while I may not have agreed with all of the pairings, it was exciting to be exposed to such new and different tastes. I practically popped a taste bud.

Posted by Thom at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Better late than never — or so the saying goes. On Tuesday, my Studio finally got around to having it's annual holiday party. Having worked through the official Ogilvy holiday party toiling away on what would turn out to be a failed business pitch, this was really the only party that most of us got. We gathered at Jadis — our favorite pinkies-out watering hole — for Champaign, wine and foie gras. Hey, if you're going to wait a month for your holiday party, you might as well live it up.

While it's always a pleasure to be in the company of such good friends, this year's gathering had its bittersweet overtones. With a string of bad luck that's plagued Ogilvy over the last couple of years, we've lost a lot of good people in Studio — the most recent being Mike and Lena. For a lot of complex reasons the Studio has been hit pretty hard by agency layoffs, and with dwindling numbers in a group that's so tight it's almost family, that means a lot. Hopefully in time, Ogilvy will get back on its feet and the Studio will follow suit.

Posted by Thom at 1:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today marks the first year anniverary of this grand and ground-breaking social experiment that I like to call... blog. It was one year ago this very day that I put forth my mission statement to "share a few things about myself and things that I find generally interesting." Well, I certainly haven't shut up about myself, but I'm not entirely sure if any of it has been the least bit interesting. Oh, well. The important thing is that I haven't given up on keeping you — the viewer — up-to-date on the hard-hitting facts about your's truly. What will the next year bring? Only the Almighty above knows for sure but, if this is the most fascinating thing I have to blog about right now, it doesn't look good. But, stay tunned just in case.

Posted by Thom at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

For a long time now, I have thought of myself as something of an amateur photographer. That is, until I meet some world-class photographers that also referred to themselves as amateurs. I guess that makes me sub-amateur.

Now, I admit that I have never taken any formal photography classes, but I have read up on my ƒ-stops, my aperture settings, and my such-and-such. But the costs of film and, worse, development has always held me back from really experimenting with photography as an art form. I cringe at the thought of spending $25 to find out I exposed 36 frames with the lens cap on. But, thanks to the seasonal generosity of my family, I managed to upgrade my camera this year and I have traded in my film grains for the pixels of a digital SLR. And, while I think that Robert Mapplethorpe has nothing to fear from me, I say let the experimentation begin. For my first trick, I'll take a picture of my camera on the outside.

Posted by Thom at 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

WARNING: This entry gets a little queasy.

Last time, I offered only the briefest of mentions concerning Beth and my mother's holiday-cheer related illnesses. Apparently, those wrathful gastro-intestinal gods found this as an unacceptable tribute and saw fit to exact their revenge upon me. And boy did they. While Beth certainly suffered her own troubles that included that most miserable transcontinental flight of her life, she will be the first to admit that I was hit much harder. Starting late last Tuesday, I began the tedious process of expelling everything in my body through every available opening. By Wednesday night, after vomiting blood and the last drop of fluids I tried to intake for the day, Beth and I began to nervously debate whether I should go to a hospital despite my healthy fear of them (son of a doctor, you know).

While I have never been sicker in my adult life, I still managed to dodge the ER bullet this time. Thank the gods for Saltines and Gatorade. Back on my feet again but still a little weak, I finally made it back in to work today. It'll probably be a few weeks before I'm 100%, but at least I'm not in that swirling hell of nausea and acheiness anymore. And, Mom and Beth are doing better, too.

Posted by Thom at 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Let's face it, at 32 I'm not getting any thinner and sitting on the couch playing video games just doesn't burn the calories like it used to. To keep in shape and fuel my fascination with Japanese culture, I have decided to study iaido, the Japanese art of drawing the sword.

About two weeks ago, I joined the New York Budõkai and in my brief experience there, I have come to the realization that iaido is much harder than it looks. Founded by the late Sensei Yoshiteru Otani (pictured left), the dojo teaches several forms of iaido including Muso Shinden, Jigen and Tamiya Ryu, as well as Jodon which is a staff based martial art. Part philosophy, part physical martial art, iaido is a living art form with the object to physically, if not strategically, disarm your opponent. Akin to the most difficult of Russian ballets, every movement, every possition and every breath have been carefully considered to maximize the blade's impact in any combination of forms necessary for combat. Complicated by the fact that everything is in Japanese, I have a lot to learn.

Posted by Thom at 10:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As many of you already know, I rarely post anything on my blog that isn't about me, from me, or reflects upon me with a glorious light. In a sense, the world revolves about me. But every now and then, I find something on the web that is just too cool to keep to myself. My friend Marino stumbled across this incredible animation on the now ubiquitous YouTube. Drawn entirely on a dry-erase board, this is as spontaneously imaginative as an animation can possible get. I wish I could give extensive credit to the creator but, he/she provided very little information on their YouTube profile. Whoever you are, mysterious animator... great work.

Posted by Thom at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The plans for this weekend included one last seasonal trip to Blondies Sports Bar to watch Northwestern football, followed by the oft-delayed celebratory drinks for my 32nd birthday. No one expected Northwestern to beat no.1 ranked Ohio State but, it's not certain that anybody expected them to lose so badly. With a final score of 54-10, Saturday at Blondies left me with the bitter taste of cold buffalo wings and embarrassment. Good thing we were going to a German beer hall that night — I needed to rinse my mouth out.

Because of conflicts, marathons and midterm elections, we had postponed drinks by a week to promote a larger turnout. The only problem was, we kinda forgot to consult the bar about the date change. Whoops. Did you know that Germany has its own Karneval? Did you know that it's celebrated in November? Because we sure as hell didn't. Beth and I showed up at Loreley's Biergarten only to find it stuffed with German ex-pats wearing warmed-over Halloween costumes and sing at the top of their drunken lungs. Mmmm… I didn’t think so. With the help of Bret and Pete, we quickly relocated and after going through all the numbers on our cell phones, we settled down in a dark, noisy basement lounge hoping that even one person might show up. And for those that did… thank you very much.

But for all the bad luck of Saturday, Sunday made up for it with a visit from our good friend Nat. One of those good friends who you can go without seeing for years and then pick up with like you saw him only yesterday, Nat was in town for his younger sister’s wedding. After a couple of trips out to New York over the years, he finally got a chance to come out to our place. And the Simpson’s quotes flowed…

Posted by Thom at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So between the effort of my Paris post and a busy time at work, I have been a bit distracted from my blog. Let me catch you up and then I'll get back on track.

In the time since Greg and Liz’s wedding, (1) we went to a jack o' lantern blaze (a display of over 3000 carved pumpkins at an old New York mansion) with our good friends Dan and Matt, (2) I unfortunately turned another year older and (3) I went out to cheer on several friends in the New York City marathon. Congratulations to Minty (4:08), John (4:23), Steve (4:58) and everyone of the athletes who ran, walked or rolled their way across the finish line in the marathon today.

Posted by Thom at 8:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Not to be outdone, Beth just so happens to share her birthday week with several dear friends including Issac Fleischer, Ellie Sieburg, Steve McCarron and Andrew Glasgow. In particular, Andrew had his own birthday shindig this past Saturday at which I discovered the new gaming sensation that is apparently taking the nation by storm — Edward 40 Hands.

The core concept of this game is that each contestant completely duct-tapes their hands around 40 oz. bottles of malt liquor — one per hand. By the original rules, the first player to finish both of their 40s is then declared the winner. But of course, we couldn't leave things well enough alone. Forgetting that we were gathered to celebrate Andrew's birthday, we spent the entire evening expanding upon our own variation of the game:

1) One or both bottles of malt liquor can be substituted for beer as long as the meet the 40 oz. requirement.

2) Individuals are responsible for their own bathroom needs and, should they require removal of any bottles from their person for any reason, are subject to immediate disqualification.

3) Upon disqualification, participants must immediately record a video declaring their age, their collegiate alma mater, their SAT scores, their net annual income and they must declare themselves to be "Edward Failure Hands." Said videos will then be posted to You Tube for enjoyment at large.

4) All duct-tapings, rules and disqualifications will be observed by a pre-approved judge (most likely Beth).

It was then determined that a draft constitution for the Republic of Edward 40 Hands would be drawn up and, God willing, would be ratified by all parties in time for an October inaugural event.

Nothing like a bunch of 30 year-olds acting like a bunch of 18 year-olds.

Posted by Thom at 5:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with my friend George when, I couldn’t help but notice how distracted he was. Something was wrong. His conversation would trail off. Oooh’s or Come on’s would punctuate his dialog mid-sentence. As a new father, I would attribute this to his little girl, Ellie. I expect to be just as incoherent on the phone when my chance at fatherhood comes. But, in truth, the reason was far more sinister – George was hopped up on World Cup.

He had somehow gotten hooked on that most illicit of sports, a plague of the modern world over (with the exception of the US). And what’s worse is, I didn’t realize just how consuming it can be once you get your first taste. With George still on the phone, I flipped on the TV to see what he was getting so excited about. After that, it was all over. Over the next few weeks, I would have sold everything that Beth and I have in order to catch all of the televised matches. I even went so far as to watch the replays on Spanish television without a clue as to what the announcers where saying. I had sunk that low.

This wasn’t my first exposure to soccer. I experimented with US soccer when I was younger but, for some reason, it never took. With the World Cup, however, there are no commercial interruptions and the passion of the fans is enough to pull any one into the action. I never had a chance.

There, I've admitted that I have a problem. With the support fo my friends and family, I will now be taking steps to deal with this issue. It also helps that the World Cup is over. Italy won. The monkey is off my back.

Posted by Thom at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend. Beth and I spent ours on a long overdue visit to my mother in Cincinnati (resplendent with Gold Star chili and Graeter’s ice cream, that means that ours was awesome). Mom is doing well, despite the conspiracy of the neighborhood deer to eat her flowers. Officially retired and ripe with tales of her much-adored grandchildren, I am happy to say that she is also quite content.

Unfortunately, the high heat and humidity of the Midwest kept us isolated to the air conditioned indoors and we had to scrap Beth’s much anticipated trip to the fabled Cincinnati Zoo. However, we did find time to catch a movie and visit my grandmother. At 94 years of age, Grandma Kennedy is pretty damn fit and still as sharp as a tack — she can still give most a run for their money on the New York Times crossword puzzle.

Not that we would ever disparage my sister’s kids but, as my mother put it, having an adult visit can be a refreshing change. And, although this had been the weekend of two-hour travel delays travel (both coming and going), we actually benefited from it. Ever seen fireworks from above? Our north-south approach to Newark airport had us flying in over the New York City fireworks display. One of our more scenic landings — a good way to end a good weekend.

Posted by Thom at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So my excuse for not posting for a while is that I am just now recovering from a pretty bad cold. In fact, I somehow managed to make it through the entire winter uninfected only to get sick as the weather here in New York turns hot and muggy. I guess that even the viral kingdom is not with its ironies.

In any case, they say that laughter is the best medicine. (I know that this is a terrible segue but, bare with me.) One of the funniest low-brow items I have ever come across in my Internet travels is a send up of the worst album cover art of all time. I actually found this years ago but, I just re-discovered it and thought it was definitely worth sharing. It’s so funny that, not only is there a volume 1 but, there is also a volume 2.

This does get a little blue so, it's not for the kids in the audience. But if you feel so inclined, make sure you read all the captions – they’re the best part.

Posted by Thom at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'll be the first to admit that I have been very negligent with my blog. While I see Kevin posting new entries about every other day, I haven't so much as typed a character in almost 3 weeks. Thanks for making me look bad, Kevin.

The worst part is, I really don’t have any excuses. No, I didn't go anywhere, I haven't been sick and, for the last time, I didn't loose my fingers in a tragic combine accident. Nothing like that has happened. I’ve just been lazy. So now it’s time to play catch-up. Actually it’s more like catch back as I plan to now post a bunch of back dated entries. So grab a snack, this may take a while.

Posted by Thom at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

While Beth’s mother was on a business trip to the Philippines, it seems that her father gave birth to a very furry, 14 lbs. little boy named Seamus. While it is a wonder how Don kept this a secret from everyone, what is more significant about this blessed event is that it takes the heat off of us for producing little things of our own (furry or otherwise). Don’s new little friend is a Cairn Terrier and hails from heathered moors of Scottland. This is perfectly appropriate seeing as the Mannings themselves are a Scotch-Irish breed.

Welcome to the family, Seamus.

Posted by Thom at 10:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My good friend and Jeff Award winning director, Nat Swift, has just opened his latest directorial opus with the Midwestern premiere of The Sweetest Swing in Baseball. In case you missed it, I've had a long standing link to his blog which followed the shows developement up until previews. Now, the show's open. Forgive me as I steal the show description straight from the website: “The Sweetest Swing in Baseball follows the story of Dana Fielding, a successful artist whose latest exhibition flops along with her personal life. To dig her self out of her crisis, she is admitted to a psychiatric hospital and seeks inspiration from the unlikeliest of sources — the bad boy of America's favorite pastime, Darryl Strawberry.”

Nat is an ensemble member of the Eclipse Theatre Company, a Chicago based company who has gained recognition through their commitment to a single playwright with each season. This is a very bold approach for any theater company because the run the risk of committing to a potentially shitty season. Good thing for them (and their audience) they know what they’re doing and, they have a long list of accolades and awards to prove it.

Nat has been with Eclipse for almost eight years and, he has been involved with a lot of strong theater because of that relationship. The Sweetest Swing in Baseball runs through April 23rd at the Victory Gardens Theater. If you’re in the neighborhood, check it out.

Posted by Thom at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

No, this is not a reference to the crappy video game from the 90s that tried to pass off geography lessons as fun. This is a reference to our good friend Tim Shriver whom we haven’t seen in almost 3 years. It’s not as sinister as I make it sound, though. After our wedding in July 2003, Tim went off to Morocco for two years with the Peace Corps as his host. Certainly, a more admirable thing than I have ever done in my life. The only problem is that Tim’s commitment to the Corp officially ended in December. It seems that 2 years as an ex-pat wasn’t enough for him and that Tim’s taken him carte blanche to continue gallivanting abroad will the rest of us are left missing him and toiling away with our hum drum lives.

What brings this commentary about, you ask? Saturday was Tim’s birthday. We wish him well.

Posted by Thom at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After 31 years, I learned one of life's valuable lessons today. One so important, so quintessential to our existence, I found it my duty to share with everyone . . .

How to fold a fitted sheet.

Posted by Thom at 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

. . . oh, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?

Like that? So do I. I got that walking around my office at 1am with my shoes off.

I was working late and my dogs started hurtin' me. At least they thought they weres. Especially the one on the outside — he was stepin' out of line, that one. So I took him aside. We had ourselves a little talk. Now he's the one's got somethin' to hurt about.

Actually, I walked into a counter.

Posted by Thom at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My good friend Kevin just pointed out that he has posted several comments to my blog only to have them ignored. I apologize to Kevin and everyone else. I had an incorrect setting and was never notified that people were responding to my site. And I thought nobody cared . . .

So feel free to make a comment about this comment on comments. It will be posted.

Posted by Thom at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Posted by Thom at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)