Kristen and I have a major announcement to share with everyone and thought it best to put on the blog. For something as important as this, we know it's proper to call everyone and share this news (because it affects all the people going to our wedding). However, it's just too difficult to individually call everyone we care about. And it's because we care about those same people, that we feel it's important enough to tell you at the same time.
So, with sad hearts, we are here to tell you...
Kristen and I have decided it's in our best interest to....
Have cupcakes at our wedding.
Sad hearts, maybe for everyone else who loves wedding cake, but for us, suck it wedding cake. We've known you for 20 years, and we want to know you no longer. Another tombstone...
Wedding Cake
Beginning of time to May 25, 2010
You filled us with sugary goodness for years, but lack in taste.
I'm glad to get a shovel, heck I'll get a bulldozer so I can pound dirt on your casket, quick enough so I don't have to see you again.
This is a cupcake birth and we're holding our own pile of sugary goodness. Smile sweet heart as we take pictures with our cupcake babies.
OK, that may be going a bit too far, but I ask you this...
Have you tasted these cupcakes?
The creator...SweetbyHolly. Website: www.sweetbyholly.com
We've ordered 360 mini cupcakes (think two bites and bring your eat on, especially considering my boy Timmy can't have them...sorry Timmy) with nine different flavors. Going in for a tasting, this was more exciting to me than anything else we've done. I love sweets so much, that I'm the same guy who puts out cookies for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve night, in the hopes that my dad won't eat ALL of them, so I can have a couple in the morning.
(Announcer voice)..."AND NOW....FOR YOUR EATING PLEASURE...HERE ARE YOUR NINE FLAVORS...."
Black and White cake...chocolate cake, white chips, swirled frosting. Kristen's favorite.
Black Out...dark chocolate cake and frosting, chocolate vermicelli (I have no idea what that word means. She made that up. But it sounds great with the word chocolate in front of it. This is when all the ladies reading this nod, "You're right...chocolate...)
Boston Cream...yellow cake, vanilla buttercream, chocolate ganache, cream filling. This is going to have "B" in orange on top signifying either my last name or "Best Buddy" for her "best buddy" in Gainesville. Best Buddy will be prominently shown in our wedding with "Best Buddy" cupcakes and we can't take out this booty shaking song, it's "Best Buddy and my favorite dance"...hmmm...I've heard that for like five songs. Why haven't I picked up on that yet?
Carrot...spiced cake, walnuts, raisins, cream cheese frosting.
Cookies and cream...white cake, vanilla buttercream, crushed oreos and cream filling.
Peanut Butter...chocolate peanut butter swirled cake and frosting. Reese's chunk on top.
Red Velvet...traditional red cake, cream cheese frosting, dark chocolate curls. Again, no idea what a "curl" is, but we're all seduced with "chocolate". It could say "chocolate shoe" and we'd all..."WOW...that's amazing. I've never tried shoe before."
White Out...white cake, white chocolate buttercream, white chocolate vermicelli (there's THAT word again).
And finally, last but certainly not least...
Tiramisu...espresso soaked cake, cream cheese frosting, dark chocolate curls.
So, there you have them. Your dessert starting lineup everyone. Take pictures as they stand there, ready to get ASSAULTED by the sweet tooth in all of us.
Except my mom. She'll probably have bread for dinner. (Shaking my head). So sad. If she only knew...
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
LOST FINALE
SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My six year relationship with Lost ended ten minutes ago.
On the tombstone, it should say
LOST
Proud Entertainment Father For Those Who Look For More In A TV Show
September 22,2004 - May 23,2010
Now, that it's over, I'm standing at the funeral, shovel in hand, dirt on casket, watching it completely cover up my dream series in a television show.
Was it everything I hoped for?
I'm not sure. About two months ago, I ranted about how I wanted the show to move along, answer more questions and in some way, they did. The last five episodes really gave insight into the origins of the island. It answered the Jacob question, the birth of the Smoke Monster, and it killed off some major characters such as Sun, Jin and Widmore.
But now, what do I do? I'm forced to dissect what actually happened rather than the creators tell us what. And with that, I can't right now. I'm too confused. I'm going to walk around Monday morning with my "Who Watched Lost Last Night?" t-shirt and strike up some conversations so I can figure out what's going on.
I'll come back with more rants about the show on Monday, but until then, I'm Lost.
My six year relationship with Lost ended ten minutes ago.
On the tombstone, it should say
LOST
Proud Entertainment Father For Those Who Look For More In A TV Show
September 22,2004 - May 23,2010
Now, that it's over, I'm standing at the funeral, shovel in hand, dirt on casket, watching it completely cover up my dream series in a television show.
Was it everything I hoped for?
I'm not sure. About two months ago, I ranted about how I wanted the show to move along, answer more questions and in some way, they did. The last five episodes really gave insight into the origins of the island. It answered the Jacob question, the birth of the Smoke Monster, and it killed off some major characters such as Sun, Jin and Widmore.
But now, what do I do? I'm forced to dissect what actually happened rather than the creators tell us what. And with that, I can't right now. I'm too confused. I'm going to walk around Monday morning with my "Who Watched Lost Last Night?" t-shirt and strike up some conversations so I can figure out what's going on.
I'll come back with more rants about the show on Monday, but until then, I'm Lost.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Hello Man vs Food...I'd like to throw my hat into the ring
Family Health...
401 K...
Work...
All of these things are very important to almost everyone. You know what's not?
The amount of food I can stuff into my stomach in a short amount of time.
As many of you have seen Man vs Food host, Adam Richman, travel around the country and take restaurants' epic challenges...eating a seven and a half pound burrito...a hamburger consisting of twelve patties...downing fifteen milkshakes in an hour...you get the idea. I used to envy this guy. Everyone raise their hands on who would want to try these challenges.
(Looking around)
Why am I the only one with my hand up. And why am I yelling, "Pick me...PICK ME!!!"
However, after last night, I had an epiphany. The thing Travel Channel doesn't tell you is that Adam is getting bigger and bigger.. His waist is slowly becoming a new Travel Channel 3-D show, where you see his waist line expand into your living room. Next season they're coming out with a new show...Man vs Heart Transplant.
But, for one brief moment in time, I had a glisten in my eye that Adam understands. The moment was...
Daytona Beach Cubs Belly Buster Night.
It had everything that I love...
Kristen (I wanted her there in case I needed an immediate ride to the hospital)
Baseball
Food
More food
Food on top of Food
Let me give you a little background. This week has been tough for me. I've been working morning show which means I'm waking up at 2am and if you think, I'm going to bed before 10pm, that's cute, I should introduce myself to you again (upon reading this, the universe will immediately guarantee a 1500 mile phone call from my mother in New York that will go something like this, "Brian, you really need to get some sleep." "OK Mom." "Brian, you need sleep, it's very important. You don't get enough sleep. I wish you would sleep more. Are you listening? Sleep...SLEEP!!" "OK, Mom" "That's it I'm calling Kristen.")
With that said, I decided to go hard, instead of going home. I knew that I would have an eventual stomach ache after minimal sleep the next day, but how often will I have a chance to eat the following...all unlimited and all free...
Popcorn
Peanuts
Hamburgers
Hot Dogs
Pizza
Fish Dip
Artichoke Dip
Beer (because Kristen's friend has a "hook up")
Oh, and unlimited steak off the grill (same "hook up", who will be getting a nice shiny Christmas card this year).
May 17th, 2010 will forever be remembered as the day I entered the gates of culinary heaven.
In a span of ten minutes, I whipped around like an eight year old kid at Toys R Us (back in the 1990s of course. No kid wants to go there now. They all want iPhones.)
Artichoke Dip, check.
Fish Dip....good...check.
Hamburgers, I could have gotten five hamburgers in one bun, again it's unlimited...but settled for one...check (pacing myself).
Feeling stronger after that, move to hot dog...good...check.
Peanuts, hmmm...takes more time to snap open and eat, not a lot of food content, but I should mix something smaller in, gives me a little time for digestion...check.
So, after ten minutes, I'm two beers and a pound of food in. At this point, I'm wishing my buddy Timmy was here, who can pack more food in than a bear at the zoo. Watching him eat barbecue....or cheese less pizza (don't ask)...or multiple garbage plates (http://img301.imageshack.us/i/rochester-n-y_is-the-garbage_plate.jpg/) this should all be on everyone's bucket list. We'll call it Timmy Grazing. Next time I'm in upstate New York, I'm setting a web camera at his dinner table and he's going to call me right before big culinary events and I'll put it online. You'll find yourself wearing Timmy t-shirts, chanting his name from home.
Unfortunately, no one chants your name here. Except for the motivational speech I was giving myself, "You can do this Brian. This food doesn't OWN you. You OWN them. Now go and get what's yours." In hindsight, does "yours" signify a medal, a celebration or a night hovering around the toilet. Hmmm...
I go back for a second hamburger. Still good.
No pizza yet. They're coming back with more. I'll wait.
Go up and watch a couple innings of the game. Yeah, a game was actually going on. I thought I was in the middle of a free cafeteria, but I was wrong. Sat about eight rows away from home plate. Of course, it's general admission and not a bad view from a 4000 seat house that sits a mile away from the ocean, so what's not to like.
After a couple innings, I go back. Maybe it was all the food that was taunting me as people were walking to their seats. "Brian...Brian....BRIAN!!!" I could hear them. I OWN you!
Pizza's back. Give me some of that. Two slices. I saw someone walk away with five. That's my style. However, I wanted a third hamburger to carry back and didn't want to drop any food (it's like I was a football coach drawing up X's and O's, there's a survival mentality to this). Oh, and let's grab a box of popcorn.
Back to the seats where my third beer awaits, along with my pizza, burger and popcorn.
Now I'm good. About two pounds in, three beers later, six hours until I have to go back to work. All is good with the world. Until...
Kristen's friend's boyfriend or her "KFBF" runs stadium operations which means we can do whatever we want for the most part. This includes throwing down a full steak an hour later, with potatoes. A full dinner, after a gorge fest, five hours before I'm supposed to arrive at work. I threw down that steak like a prize fighter slugging it out in the 11th round. I'm just trying to get to the decision and leave it up to the judges.
Every piece going in is a fight, that I'm always excited about on paper. In real life, my excitement wanes like when that eight year old kid's iPhone breaks.
I finish it. And there's more if I want it. I've always wanted to eat unlimited steak. Seriously. Ever since I was 11. This was my time. However, with an hour's drive back to Orlando, and my spastic colon on "Thunderstorm Warning", it was best for me to bow to the crowd and move on.
So, let's recap...
Box of Popcorn
Peanuts
Little Italian Ice
Steak
Potatoes
Three Hamburgers
Hot Dog
Slice of Pizza
Fish Dip
Artichoke Dip
Four Beers
Safe to say when I woke up, after two hours of sleep, I was foodover. I didn't eat until ten hours into my day.
Here's the point...whenever you have unlimited food and beer, tread carefully. There has to be a method to the madness. If you go in guns blazing, you'll wind up doubled over, hugging a garbage can. No one wants that noise. Especially the garbage can.
However, Timmy if you want a challenge, it's July 5th, back in Daytona for another belly buster. We're eyeing a rematch. Hide the women, kids and garbage cans.
401 K...
Work...
All of these things are very important to almost everyone. You know what's not?
The amount of food I can stuff into my stomach in a short amount of time.
As many of you have seen Man vs Food host, Adam Richman, travel around the country and take restaurants' epic challenges...eating a seven and a half pound burrito...a hamburger consisting of twelve patties...downing fifteen milkshakes in an hour...you get the idea. I used to envy this guy. Everyone raise their hands on who would want to try these challenges.
(Looking around)
Why am I the only one with my hand up. And why am I yelling, "Pick me...PICK ME!!!"
However, after last night, I had an epiphany. The thing Travel Channel doesn't tell you is that Adam is getting bigger and bigger.. His waist is slowly becoming a new Travel Channel 3-D show, where you see his waist line expand into your living room. Next season they're coming out with a new show...Man vs Heart Transplant.
But, for one brief moment in time, I had a glisten in my eye that Adam understands. The moment was...
Daytona Beach Cubs Belly Buster Night.
It had everything that I love...
Kristen (I wanted her there in case I needed an immediate ride to the hospital)
Baseball
Food
More food
Food on top of Food
Let me give you a little background. This week has been tough for me. I've been working morning show which means I'm waking up at 2am and if you think, I'm going to bed before 10pm, that's cute, I should introduce myself to you again (upon reading this, the universe will immediately guarantee a 1500 mile phone call from my mother in New York that will go something like this, "Brian, you really need to get some sleep." "OK Mom." "Brian, you need sleep, it's very important. You don't get enough sleep. I wish you would sleep more. Are you listening? Sleep...SLEEP!!" "OK, Mom" "That's it I'm calling Kristen.")
With that said, I decided to go hard, instead of going home. I knew that I would have an eventual stomach ache after minimal sleep the next day, but how often will I have a chance to eat the following...all unlimited and all free...
Popcorn
Peanuts
Hamburgers
Hot Dogs
Pizza
Fish Dip
Artichoke Dip
Beer (because Kristen's friend has a "hook up")
Oh, and unlimited steak off the grill (same "hook up", who will be getting a nice shiny Christmas card this year).
May 17th, 2010 will forever be remembered as the day I entered the gates of culinary heaven.
In a span of ten minutes, I whipped around like an eight year old kid at Toys R Us (back in the 1990s of course. No kid wants to go there now. They all want iPhones.)
Artichoke Dip, check.
Fish Dip....good...check.
Hamburgers, I could have gotten five hamburgers in one bun, again it's unlimited...but settled for one...check (pacing myself).
Feeling stronger after that, move to hot dog...good...check.
Peanuts, hmmm...takes more time to snap open and eat, not a lot of food content, but I should mix something smaller in, gives me a little time for digestion...check.
So, after ten minutes, I'm two beers and a pound of food in. At this point, I'm wishing my buddy Timmy was here, who can pack more food in than a bear at the zoo. Watching him eat barbecue....or cheese less pizza (don't ask)...or multiple garbage plates (http://img301.imageshack.us/i/rochester-n-y_is-the-garbage_plate.jpg/) this should all be on everyone's bucket list. We'll call it Timmy Grazing. Next time I'm in upstate New York, I'm setting a web camera at his dinner table and he's going to call me right before big culinary events and I'll put it online. You'll find yourself wearing Timmy t-shirts, chanting his name from home.
Unfortunately, no one chants your name here. Except for the motivational speech I was giving myself, "You can do this Brian. This food doesn't OWN you. You OWN them. Now go and get what's yours." In hindsight, does "yours" signify a medal, a celebration or a night hovering around the toilet. Hmmm...
I go back for a second hamburger. Still good.
No pizza yet. They're coming back with more. I'll wait.
Go up and watch a couple innings of the game. Yeah, a game was actually going on. I thought I was in the middle of a free cafeteria, but I was wrong. Sat about eight rows away from home plate. Of course, it's general admission and not a bad view from a 4000 seat house that sits a mile away from the ocean, so what's not to like.
After a couple innings, I go back. Maybe it was all the food that was taunting me as people were walking to their seats. "Brian...Brian....BRIAN!!!" I could hear them. I OWN you!
Pizza's back. Give me some of that. Two slices. I saw someone walk away with five. That's my style. However, I wanted a third hamburger to carry back and didn't want to drop any food (it's like I was a football coach drawing up X's and O's, there's a survival mentality to this). Oh, and let's grab a box of popcorn.
Back to the seats where my third beer awaits, along with my pizza, burger and popcorn.
Now I'm good. About two pounds in, three beers later, six hours until I have to go back to work. All is good with the world. Until...
Kristen's friend's boyfriend or her "KFBF" runs stadium operations which means we can do whatever we want for the most part. This includes throwing down a full steak an hour later, with potatoes. A full dinner, after a gorge fest, five hours before I'm supposed to arrive at work. I threw down that steak like a prize fighter slugging it out in the 11th round. I'm just trying to get to the decision and leave it up to the judges.
Every piece going in is a fight, that I'm always excited about on paper. In real life, my excitement wanes like when that eight year old kid's iPhone breaks.
I finish it. And there's more if I want it. I've always wanted to eat unlimited steak. Seriously. Ever since I was 11. This was my time. However, with an hour's drive back to Orlando, and my spastic colon on "Thunderstorm Warning", it was best for me to bow to the crowd and move on.
So, let's recap...
Box of Popcorn
Peanuts
Little Italian Ice
Steak
Potatoes
Three Hamburgers
Hot Dog
Slice of Pizza
Fish Dip
Artichoke Dip
Four Beers
Safe to say when I woke up, after two hours of sleep, I was foodover. I didn't eat until ten hours into my day.
Here's the point...whenever you have unlimited food and beer, tread carefully. There has to be a method to the madness. If you go in guns blazing, you'll wind up doubled over, hugging a garbage can. No one wants that noise. Especially the garbage can.
However, Timmy if you want a challenge, it's July 5th, back in Daytona for another belly buster. We're eyeing a rematch. Hide the women, kids and garbage cans.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Living in a fantasyland
Anyone who knows me knows I love many things...
Kristen - I get extra points for putting her first. Come on over sometime and we'll show you the scoreboard.
My family - even though I question their sanity because they live in Rochester where there's two months of warm weather a year.
Florida - beaches, Disney World, sun, what's not to like.
Eating - so does my waistline.
Sports - Yankees, Syracuse basketball
Dave Matthews - the 200+ shows I have of them should prove my disease to you.
And...
Fantasy sports.
It came so casually. Back in 2005, I participated in my first fantasy baseball league. Some friends and I were fantasy connectors through the Internet. I was very nervous during the draft. I wanted to make sure I didn't draft a player who's ACL's were blown off his body during the offseason and my baseball magazine didn't reflect such a change to that man's physique. When that happens, and it usually does at least once in every draft, guys are laughed at mercilessly. It doesn't matter if you draft online. You can hear the cackles, states away.
We played with ten owners and if memory serves me correctly, I won that league. Beginner's luck for the first couple months. Then, nervously watching with one eyed closed, every night, for the last month. And if you think this doesn't happen most of the time to someone who wins a league, you're fooling yourselves on how important this game is.
Ask my father. Up until two years ago, he was a normal man with a normal job and a normal lifestyle. Now, he goes to work, stops by the Little League park and comes home to meet up with his mistress...his laptop computer. From there, he logs onto espn.com, or mlb.com or yankees.com or whatever dotcom he can find to give him the most up to date stats on "his family". He studies his "sons", agonizes over at bats, wonders if one of his family members only has a couple hits in a week, if he should give them their walking papers and pick up a foster child. Every once in awhile, Mom has to remind him to eat his dinner.
And Dad is like most Americans playing fantasy anything. It's a land all to our own. It's like for a couple hours everyday, living in Vegas. Put aside work...stress...taking out the trash. We focus on one thing. And, since we're so one track minded, there could be smoke coming out the back of the house, and we'd wait to leave, hoping our pitcher gets out of this bases loaded jam.
I play fantasy baseball/football/basketball. Three sports, that take me year round. I don't invest my time anymore in college basketball. Never participated in hockey/golf/bowling volleyball/cricket/polo/horse racing/speed eating, but with a little convincing I could see myself doing any of those. Especially the speed eating.
We all want to feel part of a team. That's why so many of us played sports when we were younger. We like the competition. In guys, there's a hormone called ego, where we feel the need to beat everyone, regardless of what it is. For example, if we get into a different supermarket line, at the same time as another guy, we want to beat him out the store. We get so into it, we start internally yelling at the 75 year old woman in front of us, slowly pulling out her coupons for laundry detergent, while we see the "other guy" getting to the cashier before us. I mean, how long does it take to pull out coupons? Oh, NOW SHE'S WRITING A CHECK!!! And she can't find a pen. Fantastic!!! Now, the guy's done and he's dusting me as he walks out. And he's thinking the same thing, "I worked that guy."
Fantasy baseball is six months out of the year. So much time is involved that shortly after the season, I write good bye and good luck letters to all my players, as they head into the offseason. If they only knew how much I loved and yet hated them during the season.
Right now, I have 11 fantasy baseball teams. Some might have more, most have less. During the two weeks leading up to the season, I had what some psychologists like to call a "Fantasy Baseball Draft Addiction". What?!? You mean, I shouldn't get so much joy out of just picking players. But, all the endless possibilities I could have with them. I could drop them from my roster, I could bench them for the day, in my mind I could wash celebratory champagne over them as they had the game winning hit. So many things. And who cares if it takes me a solid hour to manage those lineups every couple days? Will I get sick of it? Probably. Does my head need to be examined? DEFINITELY!
So, I say to you David Wright, and Kendry Morales and Tommy Hanson, I'm not going to stalk you. I don't have the money to fly all over the country and hand you out some "I Represent Brian Bachman" t-shirts with my smiling face on them. But, aren't you a little jealous of Kristen, who got that same shirt for Valentine's Day? I thought so.
Kristen - I get extra points for putting her first. Come on over sometime and we'll show you the scoreboard.
My family - even though I question their sanity because they live in Rochester where there's two months of warm weather a year.
Florida - beaches, Disney World, sun, what's not to like.
Eating - so does my waistline.
Sports - Yankees, Syracuse basketball
Dave Matthews - the 200+ shows I have of them should prove my disease to you.
And...
Fantasy sports.
It came so casually. Back in 2005, I participated in my first fantasy baseball league. Some friends and I were fantasy connectors through the Internet. I was very nervous during the draft. I wanted to make sure I didn't draft a player who's ACL's were blown off his body during the offseason and my baseball magazine didn't reflect such a change to that man's physique. When that happens, and it usually does at least once in every draft, guys are laughed at mercilessly. It doesn't matter if you draft online. You can hear the cackles, states away.
We played with ten owners and if memory serves me correctly, I won that league. Beginner's luck for the first couple months. Then, nervously watching with one eyed closed, every night, for the last month. And if you think this doesn't happen most of the time to someone who wins a league, you're fooling yourselves on how important this game is.
Ask my father. Up until two years ago, he was a normal man with a normal job and a normal lifestyle. Now, he goes to work, stops by the Little League park and comes home to meet up with his mistress...his laptop computer. From there, he logs onto espn.com, or mlb.com or yankees.com or whatever dotcom he can find to give him the most up to date stats on "his family". He studies his "sons", agonizes over at bats, wonders if one of his family members only has a couple hits in a week, if he should give them their walking papers and pick up a foster child. Every once in awhile, Mom has to remind him to eat his dinner.
And Dad is like most Americans playing fantasy anything. It's a land all to our own. It's like for a couple hours everyday, living in Vegas. Put aside work...stress...taking out the trash. We focus on one thing. And, since we're so one track minded, there could be smoke coming out the back of the house, and we'd wait to leave, hoping our pitcher gets out of this bases loaded jam.
I play fantasy baseball/football/basketball. Three sports, that take me year round. I don't invest my time anymore in college basketball. Never participated in hockey/golf/bowling volleyball/cricket/polo/horse racing/speed eating, but with a little convincing I could see myself doing any of those. Especially the speed eating.
We all want to feel part of a team. That's why so many of us played sports when we were younger. We like the competition. In guys, there's a hormone called ego, where we feel the need to beat everyone, regardless of what it is. For example, if we get into a different supermarket line, at the same time as another guy, we want to beat him out the store. We get so into it, we start internally yelling at the 75 year old woman in front of us, slowly pulling out her coupons for laundry detergent, while we see the "other guy" getting to the cashier before us. I mean, how long does it take to pull out coupons? Oh, NOW SHE'S WRITING A CHECK!!! And she can't find a pen. Fantastic!!! Now, the guy's done and he's dusting me as he walks out. And he's thinking the same thing, "I worked that guy."
Fantasy baseball is six months out of the year. So much time is involved that shortly after the season, I write good bye and good luck letters to all my players, as they head into the offseason. If they only knew how much I loved and yet hated them during the season.
Right now, I have 11 fantasy baseball teams. Some might have more, most have less. During the two weeks leading up to the season, I had what some psychologists like to call a "Fantasy Baseball Draft Addiction". What?!? You mean, I shouldn't get so much joy out of just picking players. But, all the endless possibilities I could have with them. I could drop them from my roster, I could bench them for the day, in my mind I could wash celebratory champagne over them as they had the game winning hit. So many things. And who cares if it takes me a solid hour to manage those lineups every couple days? Will I get sick of it? Probably. Does my head need to be examined? DEFINITELY!
So, I say to you David Wright, and Kendry Morales and Tommy Hanson, I'm not going to stalk you. I don't have the money to fly all over the country and hand you out some "I Represent Brian Bachman" t-shirts with my smiling face on them. But, aren't you a little jealous of Kristen, who got that same shirt for Valentine's Day? I thought so.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Who Knew I Could Look That Good
Our engagement pictures are up.
Kristen's BFF, Ashley McCormick, our wedding photographer put up our pictures. We spent about three hours getting photographed at the Lake County Fair. Over 600 pictures were taken. Kristen and I are very happy with what we've seen so far. Haven't gotten the rest of the pictures, but here's a sample that wet our appetite for the time being.
http://www.ashleymccormickphotography.com/blog/
On the main page, scroll down to 4.22.10
Please comment on this post and let us know what you think.
Kristen's BFF, Ashley McCormick, our wedding photographer put up our pictures. We spent about three hours getting photographed at the Lake County Fair. Over 600 pictures were taken. Kristen and I are very happy with what we've seen so far. Haven't gotten the rest of the pictures, but here's a sample that wet our appetite for the time being.
http://www.ashleymccormickphotography.com/blog/
On the main page, scroll down to 4.22.10
Please comment on this post and let us know what you think.
When Eating Became A Chore
Come across any playground and you'll see two different scenarios.
One...boys running up and down the slide, hanging on monkey bars, planting other kids' faces in the mud and telling them "EAT IT!!!".
The second...girls on the swings, picking flowers and playing with their hair. I gotta imagine some of them are picturing their wedding day. How they'll look, how happy they are, make sure not to walk too fast down the aisle, etc.
When I was a kid, I was fat. Not "chubby", "beefy", "rotund", out and out "FAT". So much so that friends wanted me to say the word "brownie" and when I couldn't pronounce my "r's" and would come out "bwownie", they would laugh. And I liked bwownie's so it made sense.
So, on the playground as a FAT kid, I would think about food. How much did my mom pack for me? Was it the SpiderMan or Hulk thermos? Did I have any trade-able items where I could get some Oreo's back? If there was a fantasy draft of food in those years, Oreo's would always be a Top 3 pick, year in and year out.
Back then, I would have thought it heaven...a situation where I could eat a ton of food for free. You get great service, they ask you what you want to eat. What could be better than that?
That is what it's like going after a caterer for a wedding, and I couldn't have been more wrong.
When we decided to start wedding planning, I wanted caterers to be one of the first things we did. I wanted to walk into the catereres with shirts I made up, that said, "FEED ME!!!" And boy, did that first caterer do just that.
They brought out 23 different items for us to eat. I ate, and ate, and ate, and ate and ate and ate and ate. And I loved it. But, you have to try at least a couple different caterers so you know what you're playing with.
Second caterer gave us eight items to eat, but their food, rocked. Sauces, good. Cheese fondue, good. Meat, good. I wanted to sign my life away at that point and go with them.
But, then you get into the long, drawn out process of catering. The negotiations of the pricing.
What industry has items that you could purchase, but with no outright purchase price? Wedding catering. Go on any catering website, and you won't see any prices on their menus. If the original implication was that it's free, they'll laugh at you.
We told them our budget, and our favorite four word phrase for the following two months..."Out The Door Price", and it's almost as if they're quasi-listening. I know, I do it all the time.
Our OTDP was immediately jacked up $300 over, after you include bar setup, station attended carver, service charge, tax, parking, concession, ticket charge, dog wash, and charge for hand sanitizers.
We would get back to them, "Our OTDP is $...", and they'd get it closer, but not really. They start cutting things out. Now, here's my problem, they're cutting out my "Bwownie's". What?!?! Now, you're taking out food. We told you our OTDP originally, you told us we could have all these things, now my "Bwownie's" are walking out the door...bring them back.
Now, we've opened it up to more caterers. The next four caterers had the following issues...
Bad taste in decorating
Bad taste in food
Too expensive
Too little to taste at the tasting
Too far apart on negotiations
We'd call up caterers and one of the first things we'd tell them, "Our OTDP is $...", and some wouldn't even talk to us. We weren't enough for them.
I was getting very down. How could eating be a detriment at this point? At least three nights out of the week, we were either going to a tasting, or looking up other caterers. I felt we were getting farther and farther away from our goal of a quality caterer that doesn't break our bank (considering catering is the most expensive item on wedding day).
Finally, after two months of searching, we found our caterer. Love them. Creations by Chef Aaron. Won Best Catering 2009 for Central Florida in The Knot. Great crab fondue, great meat, great pasta station. I think everyone will be pleased. Feel free to check out their website.
www.orlandocateringbychefaaron.com
Aaron is super nice, and I'm very comfortable it will be a great eating experience. Because in the end, isn't that what most guys remember when attending someone else's wedding.
Also, instead of an original wedding cake, we're going to have different varieties and flavors of cupcakes. We're tasting those next. That will be fun! And your nominees are...
www.sweetbyholly.com
www.cupcakecrazyorlando.com
And a third that I can't remember, because I was told about it after being up for 20 straight hours.
So, we're done with our big vendors. Thank God. Now, onto little things that I have no idea about like...
Flowers
Color Theme
Wedding songs
165 days to go.
But who's counting...
One...boys running up and down the slide, hanging on monkey bars, planting other kids' faces in the mud and telling them "EAT IT!!!".
The second...girls on the swings, picking flowers and playing with their hair. I gotta imagine some of them are picturing their wedding day. How they'll look, how happy they are, make sure not to walk too fast down the aisle, etc.
When I was a kid, I was fat. Not "chubby", "beefy", "rotund", out and out "FAT". So much so that friends wanted me to say the word "brownie" and when I couldn't pronounce my "r's" and would come out "bwownie", they would laugh. And I liked bwownie's so it made sense.
So, on the playground as a FAT kid, I would think about food. How much did my mom pack for me? Was it the SpiderMan or Hulk thermos? Did I have any trade-able items where I could get some Oreo's back? If there was a fantasy draft of food in those years, Oreo's would always be a Top 3 pick, year in and year out.
Back then, I would have thought it heaven...a situation where I could eat a ton of food for free. You get great service, they ask you what you want to eat. What could be better than that?
That is what it's like going after a caterer for a wedding, and I couldn't have been more wrong.
When we decided to start wedding planning, I wanted caterers to be one of the first things we did. I wanted to walk into the catereres with shirts I made up, that said, "FEED ME!!!" And boy, did that first caterer do just that.
They brought out 23 different items for us to eat. I ate, and ate, and ate, and ate and ate and ate and ate. And I loved it. But, you have to try at least a couple different caterers so you know what you're playing with.
Second caterer gave us eight items to eat, but their food, rocked. Sauces, good. Cheese fondue, good. Meat, good. I wanted to sign my life away at that point and go with them.
But, then you get into the long, drawn out process of catering. The negotiations of the pricing.
What industry has items that you could purchase, but with no outright purchase price? Wedding catering. Go on any catering website, and you won't see any prices on their menus. If the original implication was that it's free, they'll laugh at you.
We told them our budget, and our favorite four word phrase for the following two months..."Out The Door Price", and it's almost as if they're quasi-listening. I know, I do it all the time.
Our OTDP was immediately jacked up $300 over, after you include bar setup, station attended carver, service charge, tax, parking, concession, ticket charge, dog wash, and charge for hand sanitizers.
We would get back to them, "Our OTDP is $...", and they'd get it closer, but not really. They start cutting things out. Now, here's my problem, they're cutting out my "Bwownie's". What?!?! Now, you're taking out food. We told you our OTDP originally, you told us we could have all these things, now my "Bwownie's" are walking out the door...bring them back.
Now, we've opened it up to more caterers. The next four caterers had the following issues...
Bad taste in decorating
Bad taste in food
Too expensive
Too little to taste at the tasting
Too far apart on negotiations
We'd call up caterers and one of the first things we'd tell them, "Our OTDP is $...", and some wouldn't even talk to us. We weren't enough for them.
I was getting very down. How could eating be a detriment at this point? At least three nights out of the week, we were either going to a tasting, or looking up other caterers. I felt we were getting farther and farther away from our goal of a quality caterer that doesn't break our bank (considering catering is the most expensive item on wedding day).
Finally, after two months of searching, we found our caterer. Love them. Creations by Chef Aaron. Won Best Catering 2009 for Central Florida in The Knot. Great crab fondue, great meat, great pasta station. I think everyone will be pleased. Feel free to check out their website.
www.orlandocateringbychefaaron.com
Aaron is super nice, and I'm very comfortable it will be a great eating experience. Because in the end, isn't that what most guys remember when attending someone else's wedding.
Also, instead of an original wedding cake, we're going to have different varieties and flavors of cupcakes. We're tasting those next. That will be fun! And your nominees are...
www.sweetbyholly.com
www.cupcakecrazyorlando.com
And a third that I can't remember, because I was told about it after being up for 20 straight hours.
So, we're done with our big vendors. Thank God. Now, onto little things that I have no idea about like...
Flowers
Color Theme
Wedding songs
165 days to go.
But who's counting...
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
My part time job where I don't receive a W-2
Picture it....
Orlando...
Saturday, January 16th, 2010...
Kristen's house...
Excitement...
Enthusiasm...
Why???
That was the time I proposed to Kristen.
Now, I could go on and on and on about how I proposed (all the women saying, "YEAAAA", all the guys saying, "NOOOO"), so I won't, but I did surprise her. And, that alone is an accomplishment. Trying to surprise Kristen is like trying to surprise the Secret Service. They have everything planned out for days and have run every scenario in their heads beforehand. So much so, that about a year earlier, we have this conversation...
Kristen: "Honey, just in case you ever want to propose this is the ring I want. (Hands me the Tiffany's catalog)."
Me: "What?"
Kristen: "Here is the sales lady's business card with her information. You see how I wrote down the ring size, the clarity and the cut."
Brian: "Not the cost?"
Kristen: "Make sure it's a Princess Cut. Remember PRINCESS CUT."
Brian: "A what?"
Kristen: "I've always wanted Tiffany's.ever since I was a little girl, my mom and I would go to Tiffany's in New York City and look at the rings...we did this for years...I love Tiffany's."
Brian: "Breathe, Honey."
Kristen: "We can have whatever kind of wedding you want, I just care about the ring. Hey, I'm doing you a favor. I'm already telling you what ring you want. You don't have to guess. We know how you are with guessing."
Brian: "Hey, the Christmas 2008 debacle was an anomaly. That was our first Christmas together ( she returned 80% of what I got her)."
Kristen: "This is helpful. Remember Princess Cut and no Yellow Gold. Oh and....no pressure."
At that moment, I knew if my apartment had a fire, I HAD to take the Tiffany's catalog out with me. I couldn't lose that thing. Learning from past gift giving adventures such as the Bag Clip of Valentine's 2009, I had to nail this.
Fortunately, I did.
But, that's not what I want to talk about.
I want to talk about the huge, glamorous, expensive, gaudy business of...
Wedding Planning
Proposal Day we spent a day and a half calling friends and family. Conversations went like this...
Kristen: "Look!!! (holding out her ring finger)
Women: "OOOOOHHHHHH!!!!! (with a high pitched squeal that would wake up any dog within a half mile radius) I'm so happy for you (jumping up and down). When are you getting married?"
OR...
Brian: "I got engaged."
Guys: "Congratulations. I'm happy for you. Want to get some Tijuana Flats?"
Brian: "Sure"
Shortly after that, Kristen wanted to go right into Wedding Planning mode. I wanted to spend a month during Engagement mode. So, which one do you think we lived out?
Wedding planning mode it is. I should get used to this decision making hierarchy, shouldn't I?
First thing we did...wedding venues. Kristen looked up fifty different places to get married and have the reception. We would have loved to have the ceremony at our church (Summit Church in Orlando), but it's an old movie theatre, so the layout isn't really conducive to a wedding that we want. So, if we could double down at a site, that'd be perfect.
And we did. First place we looked at...
Women's Club of Winter Park. We could have the ceremony outside (October 23rd, worried about rain in the fall, but what can you do? We'd move it inside. Don't worry Mom. You're done up hair won't get ruined (frizzed up otherwise in the Florida heat), and we could have the reception inside. Perfect. Except for the fact that when we went there to look at it, the air conditioning wasn't on and I didn't like the men's bathroom. And because of that, I was hesitant about the place. I was told I was crazy. We booked the Women's Club (remember that decision making hierarchy). One down, 500 more decisions to go.
Next up...wedding photographers...one of the most important aspects for Kristen. She wants our wedding to be well documented. I want her to have what she wants ("AWWWW"), but come closer and I'll let you in on a little secret...
Little closer...
Closer...
I don't care that much about the pictures. Just not really my thing and that's saying something since I shoot video for a living. But, this is different. This is a person that follows you around for five hours, taking 1500 pictures and you'll buy maybe fifty of them. And you'll never look at them.
Fortunately, this is how I used to feel about wedding pictures until I met Ashley McCormick of Mount Dora. Kristen found her on The Knot (Her electronic BFF the first month of our engagement), they met in person and she's loved her ever since. Everytime she gets on her website: ashleymccormickblog.net, Kristen becomes starry eyed and says, "I Just Love Her". If we turned those four words into a drinking game every night, I'd constantly call in sick the next morning due to Hangover-itis. It'd be an epidemic in my world.
A week and a half ago, we took our engagement pictures. They took three hours and she shot more than 600 pictures. Amazing. Kristen may leave me for her. I wouldn't put it past her. We'll post the pics when we get them.
Next up...let's get us a DJ. Kristen went back to her Internet BFF, The Knot. It was between Jay Edwards aka Jay Liquid (maybe he's constantly thirsty), and Al Dee. She spoke with them first and then, like a relief pitcher in baseball, I came in to close the deal.
Oh, COME ON!!! Let me think that's my role.
Got a great feeling form Jay. Talked to him on the phone for thirty minutes. He daylights as a radio DJ at a local Orlando station. The thing I learned the most from him...he loves what he does and he gets so involved, people think he masquerades as the wedding planner. A year ago, I never thought I'd know or care so much about wedding planning.
And then there was Al Dee. We wouldn't actually get Al Dee, we'd get one of his DJ's Indio. Latin, boisterous, and fun loving. Right up Kristen's alley. She had a great feeling when we left that meeting, but since I'm the closer (stop laughing, honey), I was more hesitant. I felt deep down he wasn't the right fit for us. I didn't think our personalities matched. But, Kristen was so into Indio, and DJ was the most important aspect of the wedding for her, I didn't want to disappoint her. So, I prayed for the right moment to tell her that I really didn't want to go with him, and if that moment didn't happen, then apparently, he would be the right fit for us.
Five days later, my prayer was answered (thank God) when she randomly said to me, she wasn't sure about going with Al Dee and she wanted to change her mind. I always liked Jay the best, because he's a safe, quality choice for us. He'll make sure people are always dancing, and that's why Kristen loves him. She wants, no, I should say, Kristen needs people to be dancing the entire time. It's a dream wedding for her if the dancing is great. She loves to dance and she said she's not going around to the other tables to say, "Hello", if they want to talk to her, come out onto the hardwood and catch her in between songs (are you really going to drag my sweet 89 year old Granny out onto the floor just to get in a quick, high pitched, "HIIII KRISSSSS"), but be quick, because she plans on dancing the entire night ("KRISSSSSS...HOLD UPPP"), until the next morning when she complains, like her birthday dancing night, that she's not 21 anymore, because her knees hurt, thus completing another epic run on sentence that cannot be challenged by even the most ardent writers. Oh, and did I mention she works on the wedding playlist almost everyday, and yet the wedding is still six months away?
Solid.
So, the kicker for her was she was driving past Al Dee's office and she swears that Al Dee cut her off while trying to pull into traffic. And that's how you lose business. Whatever it takes. I'll take Jay and not look back.
Last but not least, the caterers.
Oh, the caterers.
Oh...oh...OH...the caterers.
That will be an entirely separate blog.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
I thought I knew you...
The last two months I've been going through a very emotional time and it's difficult for me to talk about it, so please have patience and understanding as I talk my way through this.
I wonder if this is the right forum for me to express these thoughts, and ultimately I decided it is. The Internet is my friend and my best hope is that it will receive these feelings as genuine and true. In turn, my hope is that I will be received in a heartfelt way that will continue to help me move on during one of the most difficult times of my life.
Have you ever been in a situation where you're really good friends with someone? You laugh, you cry, you can't wait to see them again. Then, all of a sudden, like with the flip of a light switch or the snap of your fingers, everything is changed forever, that person acts, treats and looks at you differently. You don't know how it happened, why it's happening or if you'll ever get back to that same place. You hope that it gets back to "great times", and you continue to put yourself out there. However, you keep getting hurt, as if you've forgotten the recent trend of disarray. You're confused, you're sad, and then, you start becoming bitter. Bitter that this is out of your control, bitter that you feel you didn't do anything wrong, and bitter that someone you trusted and loved, has wronged you.
Yet, you keep going back...hoping...praying...wanting it to change. And in the end, it doesn't and you're left heartbroken.
This is how I feel about the show "LOST".
SPOILER ALERT*************
For the last six years, I have looked forward to my "Lost" date nights. I felt connected with Jack (the doctor), Kate (the criminal with the next door neighbor good looks), Sawyer (the bad boy), Locke (the old, disabled man miraculously healed on the island), Ben (the former villain turned...we don't know what side he lies on), and the rest of my "Lost"-ies.
Six years, I've devoted my heart to these characters and in the end, all I've ever asked for is entertainment, and a decent cliff hanger to make me yearn for next week's date. During the season finale, they leave me hanging so much, I wonder how I'm going to make it nine months for questions to be answered.
Six years ago, the creators of Lost left a bunch of people on a deserted island with many trials and tribulations to overcome. They've had to deal with a monster, the Others, the Hatch, multiple injuries and deaths, a nuclear bomb, all with the premise that those who had a vision for this show, knew from the beginning how it would end. So, I've been watching, and watching, and watching, wondering what's the climax...what's the meaning for all of this...why are they still on the island? What's the draw to this island?
For five years, I've loved every minute of the show. Great drama, lots of action, and mystery upon mystery loaded into our brains for us to come up with our own theories on what the show is about and how it's going to be solved.
Sadly, this is the last season, and we have a handful of episodes left and so many things are left unanswered...why did Kate see the horse on the island in Season 1? What about the Polar Bears? What do the numbers mean? How did the island disappear? Why was Lilly in the mental ward with Hugo? Who exactly is the Smoke Monster? How did Jacob escape the island and touch all the future candidates? What are the candidates vying for? That, and about 100 other questions. Problem is, they're not really answering a lot of the questions.
One week we'll see an episode devoted just to Ben. Next week just to Kate. Week after, Jack, then Sayid, then Hugo, etc., etc., etc. Here's the thing, I need things to start mending together and making sense, not more questions or flash sideways; I don't care about an alternate reality. I WANT ANSWERS!!! As you can see, this bothers me.
My reputation is on the line here. For years, I tried getting my brother Kevin to watch. Telling him it's the best tv drama I've ever seen. He poo poos it and "West Wing"s me. West Wing...good, but it's not Lost. For years, tried getting my mom to watch, she couldn't keep up. Finally, my fiancee Kristen aka "Sweet Heart" (cue all the women saying, "Awwww") threw me a bone and watched, and I love her for it. She holed herself up for three months in her house, and watched every episode of the previous five seasons. She wanted to know what went on, before the last year. Now, she has context.
See, you can't pick up Lost in the last year. Heck, you couldn't start watching in the third year. Either watch the first season or you're going to be very confused at some point, not knowing all the backstory. However, they haven't explained all the backstory, and time is running out. I feel like the guy with his head on the table, staring intently at the hour glass right in front of him, as the last remaining flecks of sand fall to the bottom. And I'm hoping that the sand will defy gravity so I can have more time. However, I'm not in outer space, so defying gravity will be an issue for me.
I've put all my trust into two gentlemen: Damon Lindelhof and Carlton Cuse, the two producers of Lost. They're running the show, and they've written the finale and they're happy with how it turned out. I hope they're right.
I don't know how I'm going to react when it comes down to those few remaining moments in the last episode. Are they going to Bob Newhart me and tell us it was all a dream? Are they going to Sopranos me and abruptly fade to black as if your cable was cut? I don't know. But, I'm growing more nostalgic, yet more mad at the same time. Nostalgia for I won't have my Lost date nights anymore. Mad for I wish this last season flowed better. I wish they didn't drag it out. I wish we all got more answers to the questions that have alluded us all this time.
The other day, I thought to myself "I bet Lost will mean so much more a few years from now, when we re-watch them on DVD. Then, we'd know all the hidden messages that just confused us the first time we saw them." Maybe our eyes will be opened to what the creators were trying to tell us in the first place. To be patient, and to just watch, remember the promise in the following week's promos: "Questions will be answered".
I hope they're right. I want to believe. They've just made it so hard.
I thought it'd go differently, like losing your best friend. You didn't know you'd lose them, they just kind of went away, abruptly. You thought you would have more time. You thought it'd have more meaning. You don't want to regret it. At the end of the day, you end up questioning, "Was it worth it?" I hope so. Otherwise, I want my six years back.
I wonder if this is the right forum for me to express these thoughts, and ultimately I decided it is. The Internet is my friend and my best hope is that it will receive these feelings as genuine and true. In turn, my hope is that I will be received in a heartfelt way that will continue to help me move on during one of the most difficult times of my life.
Have you ever been in a situation where you're really good friends with someone? You laugh, you cry, you can't wait to see them again. Then, all of a sudden, like with the flip of a light switch or the snap of your fingers, everything is changed forever, that person acts, treats and looks at you differently. You don't know how it happened, why it's happening or if you'll ever get back to that same place. You hope that it gets back to "great times", and you continue to put yourself out there. However, you keep getting hurt, as if you've forgotten the recent trend of disarray. You're confused, you're sad, and then, you start becoming bitter. Bitter that this is out of your control, bitter that you feel you didn't do anything wrong, and bitter that someone you trusted and loved, has wronged you.
Yet, you keep going back...hoping...praying...wanting it to change. And in the end, it doesn't and you're left heartbroken.
This is how I feel about the show "LOST".
SPOILER ALERT*************
For the last six years, I have looked forward to my "Lost" date nights. I felt connected with Jack (the doctor), Kate (the criminal with the next door neighbor good looks), Sawyer (the bad boy), Locke (the old, disabled man miraculously healed on the island), Ben (the former villain turned...we don't know what side he lies on), and the rest of my "Lost"-ies.
Six years, I've devoted my heart to these characters and in the end, all I've ever asked for is entertainment, and a decent cliff hanger to make me yearn for next week's date. During the season finale, they leave me hanging so much, I wonder how I'm going to make it nine months for questions to be answered.
Six years ago, the creators of Lost left a bunch of people on a deserted island with many trials and tribulations to overcome. They've had to deal with a monster, the Others, the Hatch, multiple injuries and deaths, a nuclear bomb, all with the premise that those who had a vision for this show, knew from the beginning how it would end. So, I've been watching, and watching, and watching, wondering what's the climax...what's the meaning for all of this...why are they still on the island? What's the draw to this island?
For five years, I've loved every minute of the show. Great drama, lots of action, and mystery upon mystery loaded into our brains for us to come up with our own theories on what the show is about and how it's going to be solved.
Sadly, this is the last season, and we have a handful of episodes left and so many things are left unanswered...why did Kate see the horse on the island in Season 1? What about the Polar Bears? What do the numbers mean? How did the island disappear? Why was Lilly in the mental ward with Hugo? Who exactly is the Smoke Monster? How did Jacob escape the island and touch all the future candidates? What are the candidates vying for? That, and about 100 other questions. Problem is, they're not really answering a lot of the questions.
One week we'll see an episode devoted just to Ben. Next week just to Kate. Week after, Jack, then Sayid, then Hugo, etc., etc., etc. Here's the thing, I need things to start mending together and making sense, not more questions or flash sideways; I don't care about an alternate reality. I WANT ANSWERS!!! As you can see, this bothers me.
My reputation is on the line here. For years, I tried getting my brother Kevin to watch. Telling him it's the best tv drama I've ever seen. He poo poos it and "West Wing"s me. West Wing...good, but it's not Lost. For years, tried getting my mom to watch, she couldn't keep up. Finally, my fiancee Kristen aka "Sweet Heart" (cue all the women saying, "Awwww") threw me a bone and watched, and I love her for it. She holed herself up for three months in her house, and watched every episode of the previous five seasons. She wanted to know what went on, before the last year. Now, she has context.
See, you can't pick up Lost in the last year. Heck, you couldn't start watching in the third year. Either watch the first season or you're going to be very confused at some point, not knowing all the backstory. However, they haven't explained all the backstory, and time is running out. I feel like the guy with his head on the table, staring intently at the hour glass right in front of him, as the last remaining flecks of sand fall to the bottom. And I'm hoping that the sand will defy gravity so I can have more time. However, I'm not in outer space, so defying gravity will be an issue for me.
I've put all my trust into two gentlemen: Damon Lindelhof and Carlton Cuse, the two producers of Lost. They're running the show, and they've written the finale and they're happy with how it turned out. I hope they're right.
I don't know how I'm going to react when it comes down to those few remaining moments in the last episode. Are they going to Bob Newhart me and tell us it was all a dream? Are they going to Sopranos me and abruptly fade to black as if your cable was cut? I don't know. But, I'm growing more nostalgic, yet more mad at the same time. Nostalgia for I won't have my Lost date nights anymore. Mad for I wish this last season flowed better. I wish they didn't drag it out. I wish we all got more answers to the questions that have alluded us all this time.
The other day, I thought to myself "I bet Lost will mean so much more a few years from now, when we re-watch them on DVD. Then, we'd know all the hidden messages that just confused us the first time we saw them." Maybe our eyes will be opened to what the creators were trying to tell us in the first place. To be patient, and to just watch, remember the promise in the following week's promos: "Questions will be answered".
I hope they're right. I want to believe. They've just made it so hard.
I thought it'd go differently, like losing your best friend. You didn't know you'd lose them, they just kind of went away, abruptly. You thought you would have more time. You thought it'd have more meaning. You don't want to regret it. At the end of the day, you end up questioning, "Was it worth it?" I hope so. Otherwise, I want my six years back.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
A Classic That Almost Was...
Write it down, April 5, 2010, was "almost" a date in infamy.
It was "almost" the most talked about sporting event of this newly born decade.
It was "almost" the famous, "Do you remember when..." moments.
It was "almost" the witnessing of dreams coming true.
"Almost".
For three weeks, we were taken on the annual ride called "March Madness". We're witness to 64 games which include blowouts, nail biters, overtimes, coaches yelling at refs, fans yelling at refs, me yelling at the tv with desperate pleas for Syracuse to "Run Your Offense", you get the drift.
Well, it's over now. But, not without some drama.
You see, a small Indiana school named Butler University "almost" did the unthinkable. They "almost" beat Goliath. Little schools, anywhere, aren't supposed to make a huge impact in the tournament. One problem: Butler didn't get the memo.
Granted, they had a 20 game winning streak entering the tournament and were ranked in the Top 25 all year, so people knew about them, but they didn't have any highly recruited players, big athletic school budget, or famous basketball alumni. How have they been doing this? In the tourney, they beat their first opponent UTEP by 18, including making 13 3's, a tournament record. Second round, they squeeked out a win against Murray State 54-52 (you'll see a trend coming soon) by forcing a late turnover (14 total) to seal the deal.
Turnovers were the key as they beat my Syracuse team 63-59, creating 18 turnovers, and crushed my hopes of winning a National Championship. Crushed was an understatement as Kristen's friend came over to watch the game. Did I mention she went to Butler? Imagine my delight after the game listening to her talk to her family about how shocked and excited she was. I had to walk outside Kristen's place without my sneakers, in the rain, just to get some fresh air.
I didn't want to hear an emotional play by play while I was riding a different kind of "feelings roller coaster".
I digress...not really, but emotionally I HAVE to move on. Butler did the upset dance again, this time beating Kansas State 63-56, in the Regional Finals, causing another 13 turnovers. See the trend here. Little mid major school beating big time schools, while playing stringent defense and causing turnovers. I thought I would have wanted Butler to make the Final Four, but the more I watched their style of play, the more I wanted them to lose. Defense isn't sexy to me. I want points, and ball movement, and three pointers and fast breaks, and I wanted Butler to lose. Plain and simple.
Now, they're in the Final Four, playing essentially a home game, in Indianapolis, six miles away from their campus in a football stadium that seats 70,000. Surely, they're going to lose to a big time school at some point, right?
Michigan State, Tom Izzo, five Final Four appearances. They'll take them down. Nope, Butler 52-50 in another game that set back college basketball thirty years. 16 more turnovers. I got the joy of watching Kristen's friend celebrate AGAIN. The motto of Butler should be...Butler, where points go to die.
Now, they play Duke in the Finals. Vaunted Duke. One of the best coaches in college basketball history Mike Krzyzewski. Don't worry about knowing how to say his last name, even he's not sure. He does know how to win though. 867 wins, three national championships, eleven Final Fours, one Olympic Gold Medal. Meanwhile, Butler's head coach Brad Stevens is 33 years old, and looks so young he probably gets carded every time he wants to buy cigarettes.
What happens made a believer out of me for Butler basketball. I thought I would need a shower after saying those words, but I dislike Duke that much. It could be because they always get McDonald's All Americans (best of the best high school recruits), or I feel they play dirty when they need to. Butler lulled Duke into their "Allergic to Offense" routine, slowed the game down, forced 12 turnovers, kept the score low and hoped to pull it out in the end.
All game, the lead was never more than six for any team, and there were 16 different lead changes. The more the game progresed, watching these kids who we may never hear from again, compete against the powerhouse and stay in it, the more I wanted to see a 21st Century David beat Goliath And so did the crowd. We were witnessing something we may never see again. That's why college basketball is so great. One game, 40 minutes, anything can happen. I mean, Hoosiers was shot in the Butler gym, and Butler was living out this version, thirty years later.
Down 60-59 with five seconds left, Butler's Gordon Hayward missed an eight footer off the back of the rim, and really looked like it was going in. Should have gone in, so we can always, "remember when". But, it didn't. Duke basketball, three seconds left and going to the free throw line. They make one, go up two points. They miss the second, rebound Butler, no timeouts and running up the court as fast as their Indiana legs can take them. Hayward again, another chance to be a national legend, a chance to make Letterman/Leno/Kimmel and even Carson (not Johnny, but Daly). A chance to make believers out of all of us that we can see movies play out in the real world, not just on the screen with popcorn in our hands.
Hayward launches it from half court as the buzzer sounds, and your heart stops, his heart stops, 70,000 hearts stop, while the ball caroms in mid air. It has to come down at some point. The moment of truth, the ball bounces off the backboard, hits the rim and hits the floor. Unfortunately, it didn't pass through the net. Duke celebrates. They won their fourth national championship. Coach K wins again.
And for Butler, our real life Hoosiers moment "almost" happened. A chance to tell our grandkids about the best shot in college basketball history. Nothing would have beaten it. Would have completed the most improbable run in NCAA history. A team that would have beaten Syracuse, Kansas State, Michigan State and Duke, finishing with 26 straight victories. David would have slayed Goliath at home in front of all its hometown fans on the grandest stage of all, from a half court buzzer beater. A bunch of kids who never saw the light of day on a national stage three weeks ago, would have become the darlings of every water cooler for weeks to come.
"Almost"
That's why they play the game. For those moments, for those chances of greatness, for those stories to tell your grandkids. In that moment, Butler even made a fan out of me, one of it's most ardent haters since that crushing defeat. They made me believe in a fairy tale. Maybe that's why they call it a fairy tale. Or maybe we'll truly see it. One day. It's possible. But for now, I'll take an "Almost" because without an "Almost", what's the point in trying at all?
It was "almost" the most talked about sporting event of this newly born decade.
It was "almost" the famous, "Do you remember when..." moments.
It was "almost" the witnessing of dreams coming true.
"Almost".
For three weeks, we were taken on the annual ride called "March Madness". We're witness to 64 games which include blowouts, nail biters, overtimes, coaches yelling at refs, fans yelling at refs, me yelling at the tv with desperate pleas for Syracuse to "Run Your Offense", you get the drift.
Well, it's over now. But, not without some drama.
You see, a small Indiana school named Butler University "almost" did the unthinkable. They "almost" beat Goliath. Little schools, anywhere, aren't supposed to make a huge impact in the tournament. One problem: Butler didn't get the memo.
Granted, they had a 20 game winning streak entering the tournament and were ranked in the Top 25 all year, so people knew about them, but they didn't have any highly recruited players, big athletic school budget, or famous basketball alumni. How have they been doing this? In the tourney, they beat their first opponent UTEP by 18, including making 13 3's, a tournament record. Second round, they squeeked out a win against Murray State 54-52 (you'll see a trend coming soon) by forcing a late turnover (14 total) to seal the deal.
Turnovers were the key as they beat my Syracuse team 63-59, creating 18 turnovers, and crushed my hopes of winning a National Championship. Crushed was an understatement as Kristen's friend came over to watch the game. Did I mention she went to Butler? Imagine my delight after the game listening to her talk to her family about how shocked and excited she was. I had to walk outside Kristen's place without my sneakers, in the rain, just to get some fresh air.
I didn't want to hear an emotional play by play while I was riding a different kind of "feelings roller coaster".
I digress...not really, but emotionally I HAVE to move on. Butler did the upset dance again, this time beating Kansas State 63-56, in the Regional Finals, causing another 13 turnovers. See the trend here. Little mid major school beating big time schools, while playing stringent defense and causing turnovers. I thought I would have wanted Butler to make the Final Four, but the more I watched their style of play, the more I wanted them to lose. Defense isn't sexy to me. I want points, and ball movement, and three pointers and fast breaks, and I wanted Butler to lose. Plain and simple.
Now, they're in the Final Four, playing essentially a home game, in Indianapolis, six miles away from their campus in a football stadium that seats 70,000. Surely, they're going to lose to a big time school at some point, right?
Michigan State, Tom Izzo, five Final Four appearances. They'll take them down. Nope, Butler 52-50 in another game that set back college basketball thirty years. 16 more turnovers. I got the joy of watching Kristen's friend celebrate AGAIN. The motto of Butler should be...Butler, where points go to die.
Now, they play Duke in the Finals. Vaunted Duke. One of the best coaches in college basketball history Mike Krzyzewski. Don't worry about knowing how to say his last name, even he's not sure. He does know how to win though. 867 wins, three national championships, eleven Final Fours, one Olympic Gold Medal. Meanwhile, Butler's head coach Brad Stevens is 33 years old, and looks so young he probably gets carded every time he wants to buy cigarettes.
What happens made a believer out of me for Butler basketball. I thought I would need a shower after saying those words, but I dislike Duke that much. It could be because they always get McDonald's All Americans (best of the best high school recruits), or I feel they play dirty when they need to. Butler lulled Duke into their "Allergic to Offense" routine, slowed the game down, forced 12 turnovers, kept the score low and hoped to pull it out in the end.
All game, the lead was never more than six for any team, and there were 16 different lead changes. The more the game progresed, watching these kids who we may never hear from again, compete against the powerhouse and stay in it, the more I wanted to see a 21st Century David beat Goliath And so did the crowd. We were witnessing something we may never see again. That's why college basketball is so great. One game, 40 minutes, anything can happen. I mean, Hoosiers was shot in the Butler gym, and Butler was living out this version, thirty years later.
Down 60-59 with five seconds left, Butler's Gordon Hayward missed an eight footer off the back of the rim, and really looked like it was going in. Should have gone in, so we can always, "remember when". But, it didn't. Duke basketball, three seconds left and going to the free throw line. They make one, go up two points. They miss the second, rebound Butler, no timeouts and running up the court as fast as their Indiana legs can take them. Hayward again, another chance to be a national legend, a chance to make Letterman/Leno/Kimmel and even Carson (not Johnny, but Daly). A chance to make believers out of all of us that we can see movies play out in the real world, not just on the screen with popcorn in our hands.
Hayward launches it from half court as the buzzer sounds, and your heart stops, his heart stops, 70,000 hearts stop, while the ball caroms in mid air. It has to come down at some point. The moment of truth, the ball bounces off the backboard, hits the rim and hits the floor. Unfortunately, it didn't pass through the net. Duke celebrates. They won their fourth national championship. Coach K wins again.
And for Butler, our real life Hoosiers moment "almost" happened. A chance to tell our grandkids about the best shot in college basketball history. Nothing would have beaten it. Would have completed the most improbable run in NCAA history. A team that would have beaten Syracuse, Kansas State, Michigan State and Duke, finishing with 26 straight victories. David would have slayed Goliath at home in front of all its hometown fans on the grandest stage of all, from a half court buzzer beater. A bunch of kids who never saw the light of day on a national stage three weeks ago, would have become the darlings of every water cooler for weeks to come.
"Almost"
That's why they play the game. For those moments, for those chances of greatness, for those stories to tell your grandkids. In that moment, Butler even made a fan out of me, one of it's most ardent haters since that crushing defeat. They made me believe in a fairy tale. Maybe that's why they call it a fairy tale. Or maybe we'll truly see it. One day. It's possible. But for now, I'll take an "Almost" because without an "Almost", what's the point in trying at all?
Monday, April 5, 2010
Hello World
Information Super Highway, meet Brian.
Brian, meet Information Super Highway.
"Hello"
"Hello"
Let me introduce myself. My name is Brian.
"HI BRIAN."
I'm 31 years old, live in Orlando, and have a wonderful fiancee Kristen. We plan on getting married in October and for the time being, outside of work, this has consumed me. At first it was venues, and photog. Then, it was DJ and caterers. Now, it's wedding songs, color themes and more caterers.
Here's my rant...
I thought shopping for a caterer would be the most fun thing. WRONG!!! You give them a budget and it's almost like they look you in the face, and don't take you that seriously. They say they can get you within the budget, and we have yet to meet a caterer that has done exactly that. When you look at their menus, they have over 200 things to choose from. Fun, right? Except for the fact that NOTHING has a price. NOTHING. And yet you're supposed to construct a menu with no prices. WHAT?!?! How is this effective? Days later, they'll get back to you with an email and say, give you a price that is six hundred dollars overbudget, but they won't tell you you're overbudget. NO KIDDING!!! I'm shocked!!! Really, I mean, YOU'RE the experts and yet I'M supposed to make the menu, without a PRICE! For the last three days, I've been telling anyone I see what a joke this is...Kristen, co-workers, the pimply faced high school kid bagging my groceries.
I have a confession, I have a food addiction problem. I should go on that show on A&E called Addicted.
Take tonight for example. I had the Black Out Cake from Cheesecake Factory. But, can you blame me? The desserts over there are ridiculous. Today, when I went in there, looked at all the cheesecakes and made a pact...if I run three times a week, I'm going to eat one slice of their cheesecake a week, until I finish all of them. Hopefully, it will take less than a year. Hopefully, I won't gain 50 pounds (hence the running). AND, hopefully, I won't induce a sugar coma in the end. We'll see. First one up...let's do it randomly and bring up the cheesecake factory website...
www.thecheesecakefactory.com
Chose randomly and vanilla bean cheesecake it is. Oh, my fiancee Kristen is going to hate this. Constantly bringing cheesecake over, considering she's one of only 8% of Americans that don't like cheesecake. Yes, I made that figure up, but who doesn't like it? OK, besides those who are lactose intolerant. And, those who hate dessert. But, we don't count those people as Americans, anyways.
Right now, would you believe I'm watching Dancing With The Stars instead of the NCAA Basketball Championship between Butler and Duke. Why? Well, as much as I LOVE March Madness (enough that for the past three years I've spent the first three days of the Tournament holed up in a Las Vegas sports book for 12 hours each day), I have no interest in who wins between Butler and Duke. On the one hand, Butler beat my favorite team, Syracuse and that was disturbing. And saddening. And, any other negative adjective that ends in -ing. So, doesn't give me much enjoyment to see them continually succeed. And, look at the other hand, and there's Duke. As they say, Duke is Duke. Even though, I don't like anything about them (constantly get the best recruits, I think the players play dirty and their Coach constantly swears), they continually win and that's all that matters in today's sports. Why am I watching Dancing With The Stars? Kristen and her mom love it. Sometimes you gotta take one for the team.
Throughout this blog, I'm sure I'll rant about...
Fantasy Baseball (I have eleven teams, I had a fantasy baseball draft addiction problem. Another episode Addicted could do on me)
Wedding Plans
Work
On second thought, NOT WORK!!!
Kristen
Her dog, Tucker
The Yankees
Food
And who knows what else. Stay tuned. I know I will. But, I guess I have to.
Brian, meet Information Super Highway.
"Hello"
"Hello"
Let me introduce myself. My name is Brian.
"HI BRIAN."
I'm 31 years old, live in Orlando, and have a wonderful fiancee Kristen. We plan on getting married in October and for the time being, outside of work, this has consumed me. At first it was venues, and photog. Then, it was DJ and caterers. Now, it's wedding songs, color themes and more caterers.
Here's my rant...
I thought shopping for a caterer would be the most fun thing. WRONG!!! You give them a budget and it's almost like they look you in the face, and don't take you that seriously. They say they can get you within the budget, and we have yet to meet a caterer that has done exactly that. When you look at their menus, they have over 200 things to choose from. Fun, right? Except for the fact that NOTHING has a price. NOTHING. And yet you're supposed to construct a menu with no prices. WHAT?!?! How is this effective? Days later, they'll get back to you with an email and say, give you a price that is six hundred dollars overbudget, but they won't tell you you're overbudget. NO KIDDING!!! I'm shocked!!! Really, I mean, YOU'RE the experts and yet I'M supposed to make the menu, without a PRICE! For the last three days, I've been telling anyone I see what a joke this is...Kristen, co-workers, the pimply faced high school kid bagging my groceries.
I have a confession, I have a food addiction problem. I should go on that show on A&E called Addicted.
Take tonight for example. I had the Black Out Cake from Cheesecake Factory. But, can you blame me? The desserts over there are ridiculous. Today, when I went in there, looked at all the cheesecakes and made a pact...if I run three times a week, I'm going to eat one slice of their cheesecake a week, until I finish all of them. Hopefully, it will take less than a year. Hopefully, I won't gain 50 pounds (hence the running). AND, hopefully, I won't induce a sugar coma in the end. We'll see. First one up...let's do it randomly and bring up the cheesecake factory website...
www.thecheesecakefactory.com
Chose randomly and vanilla bean cheesecake it is. Oh, my fiancee Kristen is going to hate this. Constantly bringing cheesecake over, considering she's one of only 8% of Americans that don't like cheesecake. Yes, I made that figure up, but who doesn't like it? OK, besides those who are lactose intolerant. And, those who hate dessert. But, we don't count those people as Americans, anyways.
Right now, would you believe I'm watching Dancing With The Stars instead of the NCAA Basketball Championship between Butler and Duke. Why? Well, as much as I LOVE March Madness (enough that for the past three years I've spent the first three days of the Tournament holed up in a Las Vegas sports book for 12 hours each day), I have no interest in who wins between Butler and Duke. On the one hand, Butler beat my favorite team, Syracuse and that was disturbing. And saddening. And, any other negative adjective that ends in -ing. So, doesn't give me much enjoyment to see them continually succeed. And, look at the other hand, and there's Duke. As they say, Duke is Duke. Even though, I don't like anything about them (constantly get the best recruits, I think the players play dirty and their Coach constantly swears), they continually win and that's all that matters in today's sports. Why am I watching Dancing With The Stars? Kristen and her mom love it. Sometimes you gotta take one for the team.
Throughout this blog, I'm sure I'll rant about...
Fantasy Baseball (I have eleven teams, I had a fantasy baseball draft addiction problem. Another episode Addicted could do on me)
Wedding Plans
Work
On second thought, NOT WORK!!!
Kristen
Her dog, Tucker
The Yankees
Food
And who knows what else. Stay tuned. I know I will. But, I guess I have to.
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