Stepping up for H

Ok, since I haven't written anything for a long time, and H is out tonight sitting in ridiculous seats at a basketball game, I figured I'd give her and hand and live blog the Oscars, since she won't be able to do it herself.

Let's see, 7:27 - Some people were wearing stuff. Mickey Rourke is awesome. I hope he wins just to hear his speech.

7:30 - Wait, Hugh Jackman is hosting? I'm done.

This post brought to you by the band Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players, the planes of Midwest Airlines, and the letters NIN

First off, if you're a fan of Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor has made his latest album available as a free download, just go to this link:

http://theslip.nin.com/

I'm giving it my first listen-through right now, and am liking it a lot. And you can't beat the price.

This past weekend was a quick, but very fun, time spent in Minneapolis. And while my camera sucks, (not to mention I forgot to put in fresh batteries), H and Whiskey snapped off a few. Check out their blogs to see some of the action, and check out H's post at Three Pints for more about Kate Nash.

The Kate Nash show was great, I really enjoyed the opening band, the Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players. The family (dad Jason on guitar/keyboard/vocals, mom Tina on the slide projector, and 14-year-old daughter Rachel on drums) basically goes to estate sales, buy old slide photography, and write songs based around them. A lot of bands use a video aspect to their live shows to supplement their sound, (like the Faint, the previously mentioned NIN, Project Jenny, Project Jan, to name a few I've seen in concert), but this is the first instance I'm aware of where the band uses the audio and video in such an intertwined level. To get the full enjoyment out of their performance, here's a couple of their videos

Look at Me (from Conan, with a few slides removed for network TV purposes. I'm not sure if it's better or not. . . )


Don't You Know What I Mean?


Now these videos are a few years old, so Rachel is a few years older now. And Jim still didn't want me to go get her number for him.

These videos don't really do them justice, I was blown away by them, it was awesome. At first I didn't think I'd buy their schtick, but damn if they didn't win me over.

I flew (yes, flew) to Minneapolis, after finding tickets that were cheaper than it would have been for me to drive, and saved me about 13 hours driving (round trip), and a lot of wear and tear on my car. Rudy can't put up with too much more, so I gotta take it easy on him while I can, until I find a new ride. But don't tell him about that.

Anyways, I flew on Midwest Airlines. Holy crap. It was amazing. When I got on the plane for my first flight of the day (Midwest is based out of Milwaukee, so I had a stop there each way), there was classical music playing on the speakers, and (relatively) large leather seats as far as the eye could see. They were incredibly comfortable for plane seats, and even left me with a couple of inches on either side. Plus a middle armrest that was about 5 inches wide. No elbow fights with the neighbor for space! And plenty of legroom.

My favorite part, though, was getting freshly baked cookies. Not just one, but two on each flight! And on my first flight, an older lady was sitting next to me, didn't want her cookies, so she gave them to me! AND everyone got a little bag of pretzels. And drink service. C'est incroyable! I would definitely recommend this airline to anyone if it's available (and comparably priced to other airlines). Lucky for me, KC is one of their hubs. Rock.

So it was an awesome weekend, all around. Played some Wii (Mario Kart is lots and lots of fun) and some XBox 360 (NCAA Football still rules, and the new Grand Theft Auto game is kind of fun), saw a good concert (even if Kate Nash got everyone to say they hated me and I'm pretty sure called me a dickhead), at somewhere near my body weight in pizza (Old World Pizza's buffet is delicious), had some cocktails (most gin and tonics, with a free Jameson and something thrown in for good measure), had a wonderful time meeting and chatting with WhiskeyMarie (however nonsensical and incoherent it may have been), and just really enjoyed myself. If only every weekend could be so fun-filled! Now I'm waiting for visitors to come to KC. There's plenty of room, everyone's welcome! And of course, I can make the airport pick-up, so check out Midwest. It's worth it!

Still here, still kickin' it

yeah, I haven't done much in the way of blogging lately. I got all moved into my apartment, got the living room area arranged and cleaned up, and should be working on the bedroom. But instead, I decided to play my DS, and now I'm at Charczuk's, watching Top Chef and using the internet. And tomorrow I'll be over here, using the internet again, but more to watch The Office. I don't have cable or internet, yet, so yeah. Hopefully things will get figured out on that front soon, but in the time being, we'll have to deal with this setup. Oh well.

This weekend should prove to be exciting, I'm heading to Minneapolis, and will have a shenanigan-filled time with H, a performance from Kate Nash, a get together with an old high school friend, and a meeting with the ever lovely Whiskey Marie. There's a chance that I won't make it back to Kansas City.

I'm going to clean off my camera card, so there will hopefully be some classic pictures. Or at least some blurry evidence of what happens. There will probably be some memories that will be blurry, too.

I'll try to be back soon, but if not, fret not, my homies. And check my friends' blogs, the whereabouts of Flenker may be reported elsewhere.

LATER

On dating, with Flenker and H

Yesterday I picked up a pair of knitting needles and some yarn. My plan is twofold. First off, I think it'd be awesome to make something to wear. My first project, I've decided, is a scarf. Really straight-forward and simple. Next, a pair of socks. After that, maybe some underwear. I don't know how comfortable those would be, but they'd be a hell of a conversation starter (yes, I frequently talk about my underwear with people. You'd be surprised by how many people have actually seen me in them. But that's another story).

The second reason behind my acquisition of the needles is the real ingenious part of the plan: for the girls.

I have it all figured out, you see. A girl will see me knitting (once I'm comfortable to do it in public. people will be talking), and ask me about it. I'll reply with, "yeah, I figured I may as well guarantee that I'll never touch a girl again and took this up." She'll either feel sorry for me (in which case I'm in), or she'll laugh and realize that I have a ridiculously awesome sense of humor. And they'll be intrigued. They'll see it as a challenge, and maybe think I'm "sensitive." And what girl wouldn't want a hand-knit somethingorother for Valentine's Day? Even if it's just a pot holder the first time around, she knows that I'll improve, and be making her that bikini top that she wants for next year.

Don't just take my word on it, though. I've run this by my crack team of analysts, and it checks out. Don't believe me? Here's H with her thoughts.

I think Flenker may be onto something with this knitting thing. Dating today has gotten so complicated; with the advent of cellular phones and text messaging, dating Web sites such as eHarmony, and those pesky STD tests, many folks long for the simple dating ways of yesteryear.

First of all, there’s so much confusion surrounding relationship statuses. When you first meet someone and are certainly “into them” but have only been on a handful of dates, what are you? Are you seeing each other? Are you dating? Bringing it up would only create a domino effect and presumably send the guy (or commitment-phobic girl, I don’t mean to create stereotypes here) running for the hills; no one wants to have that “So, what are we, exactly?” talk too early on. But once it’s been established that two people are together, it doesn’t get any easier. You’re in a relationship…until you “go on a break” or “take some time apart.” One person can call the other their boyfriend or girlfriend, while the other may introduce their partner as their “special friend” or “significant other.” And you may still have one person who just can’t commit to committing, who, in a committed relationship they may be, refuse to call their partner anything at all. In cases such as these, the other partner may be delighted to hear the response “I assumed I would be doing whatever you’re doing” to the question “What did you have planned for Easter?”¹

But back in the day, there was no such confusion. First the man would ask the woman on the date; if all went well, the man would ask the woman to go steady; and finally, the man would ask the woman to marry him. First you had a date, then you went steady, then you got married. It was as simple as that. If things weren’t going to work out, one party would politely break up with the other, in person; perhaps the very wealthy and sophisticated would toss a martini in someone’s face if things ended on a sour note. There was no leaving people hanging by not returning phone calls (especially in the days before Alexander Graham Bell opened that can of worms), no “We were on a break” a la Ross and Rachel, and no dumping people via e-mail or, worse, text message².

Yes, those were simpler, happier times. We need to bring back the dating ideals of the days of yore, and I think Flenker’s idea to start knitting is a savvy one. In this age of technology, people can seem cold and impersonal. All the virtual interaction that has replaced regular human contact has trained people to talk to machines and not other humans. Men should do something that humanizes them, that brings out their softer side, and knitting seems like the perfect way to go about this. One might be inclined to use poetry, but poetry is a slippery slope; unless you claim “Poet” as your occupation when filing your tax return, poetry should be used sparingly as to avoid creating the impression that you are trying too hard. Knitting makes it look like you are not trying at all. In fact, it makes it look like you are trying to repel women. This will create an aura of mystery and intrigue, like a tractor beam sucking the ladies right in. You will be deemed “intense, but sensitive.” Isn’t that what every man wants?

¹ This actually just happened to someone I know.

² After a friend recently dumped his girlfriend over the phone, we were discussing the worst possible ways to break up with someone. Over the phone was rated the fourth worst way to dump someone, preceded by text message, instant message, and e-mail.

I was actually "dumped" by someone via email. But, it was one of those "dating" relationships, where neither of us were sure if we were "boyfriend/girlfriend." Well, I guess she was sure when she sent the email. Added on top of that was the fact that it was a long-distance "relationship." When you're not sure what the status of the relationship is, and there are more than 10 miles between the two parties, chances are there's not much of a relationship there. It would've been nice for someone to tell me that 10 years ago. Hell, it would've been nice to remember that 2 months ago. Live and learn and forget and relearn I guess.

Now that I'm out of school and not working, I have no idea how to meet people. This isn't necessarily going for just meeting girls, either, but making "buddies," too. For today's purposes, though, we'll stick with finding dates.

I've never been big on the bar scene, contrary to how it may come off here. I like going and hanging out with friends and having a good time, but the only times I've ever met anyone at a bar have been when I'm pretty smashed and start randomly talking to people. Most of the time I get the "get this drunk ass away from me" look. If the other party is drunk enough, then a barely coherent conversation will take place, and that's usually the extent of it. I'm not one to ask for phone numbers, or to make "after hours" plans, especially now in my "older" age. Besides, do I really think a lasting relationship will be founded at a bar? (note: this only pertains to myself. I'm sure plenty of people have met the love of their life at a bar. I just don't see it happening for me) So where can the Flenker find love? Here's what I've come up with:

1. Bookstore - meet someone that likes to read, and if things go well, can impress someone with my book collection and vast knowledge. Plus, there's a chance she might wear glasses.
2. Coffee shop - as long as it's not Starbucks or something like that, it's probably a cooler person, someone who likes to hang out but in a relaxed manner. Baristas, though, you have to watch out for. You never know what they're thinking
3. Music store - again, at an independent place. And could be touchy, you might not like the same bands, which could doom a relationship from the start. Or, it could be a ticket in, educating each other about different music. In my relationships, it's usually me educating the girl, I kind of dominate that role.
4. Grocery store - I've heard it's a good place to meet people, especially "organic" places. I guess I could see that.

The problem now becomes actually talking to people at these places. It's one thing if you see someone over and over again, but a totally different ballgame to go in upon first meeting or even glance.

Flenker, I think you’re thinking a bit too modernly. We need you to take a step back in time. You could meet girls at the:

1. Bookstore. I’ll leave that one on there, as people have been reading as long as there’s been papyrus to write on. I think you might be onto something there. As always, avoid women you may see in the self-help aisle. Look for them in the cookbook aisle instead.
2. Coffee shop. Okay, I’ll leave that on there as well, since a coffee shop is an ideal place to sit quietly, reflect and…knit. That’s right, I suggest you break out the needles at your neighborhood Brews Brothers or similar. Just be extra careful not to spill – that cardigan you’re knitting may be given to your newfound beloved, and even she doesn’t want a coffee stain reminder of the first time you met.
3. Music store – the kind of music store where you go to buy strings for your banjo. She will be there playing her harp. Just trust me on this.
4. Instead of the grocery store, think farmer’s market. Once the weather gets warmer, that is. Some girl may impress you with her candied yams.

Ahh, much thanks H. Your valuable insight should prove successful. A farmer's market, of course!! Also, my banjo is in need of some new strings, and I can't find my finger picks, so there's another opportunity right there!

I guess this shows that clothing isn't the only thing that should be retro. Everyone says how much simpler things were in "the good old days," so what better way to employ that thinking than in the dating venue? Simplify. I guess it's that easy. Well, as easy as things get in the dating world.

GBMCDE - A look back

Today in Austin, TX, we had a temperature drop of a little more than 40 degrees. We set a record high today at 89, while currently it is 48, and dropping. Finally, it's feeling like fall. I dig it.

Anyways, a few days ago, I posted the mix that I sent out for the initial Great Blogger Mix CD Exchange, and promised to at least mention the mixes that others had sent out. This is that post!

Now mind you, these aren't in any particular order, I'm not going to show preference to one over the other. I'm extremely pleased with how it went, all of the mixes were solid, and all got some good playing time in the car, while I was messing around on the internet, or just hanging around my place.

Lucy made it easy to decide when to listen to her particular mix. For starters, she went all out and made a different mix for each person. Most impressive! The one she created for me was titled "Rainy Day," and had "a mellow compilation to accompany the soggy days we know and love." It served its purpose well, with songs from Imogen Heap, The Shins, Joni Mitchell, Natalie Merchant, The Flaming Lips, and more. Definitely a fine CD to throw on during those precipitation-filled days.

Going with a theme on the other side of the emotional spectrum was Marin's offering, "Keep a smile on -or- Face the surmounting frustration of a traffic jam." The songs that Marin assembled fit the theme perfectly, starting the day (and CD) with an upbeat ditty from Melanie Horsnell (starting off with the line "Every mornin' I get dressed for work"), one of my favorite songs from the GBMCDE comes a couple of songs later with Forever Thursdays' "How Can it Be", then a few wistful tunes from Regina Spektor and Loney, Dear, mounting angst from Of Montreal and Bright Eyes, and ultimately ending up with David Bowie's "Queen Bitch." Need I say more?

Continuing my theme (I've decided I'm listing these in geographical order, starting with Lucy in Georgia and heading north. Marin's in DC, which leads us to. . .) Krazee Eyez Killa, from Chicago, comes up next with a great mix, one with a cartoon guy holding his heart, saying "It's nothing special" (I loved that). Any time someone can go from Jars of Clay to Cypress Hill to Snoop Dogg to Dashboard Confessional with Michael Stipe to Ghostface Killah to Willie Nelson and end up at Pearl Jam (with sprinklings of his fellow Chicagoan Jeff Tweedy thrown in the mix) is impressive, even more so when the CD flows this well. KEK, you are my caucasian.

H gave us a mix spanning three decades of rock and roll, "The Essential H," starting with Bob Dylan in 1962, hitting the essentials of The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin, two of Eric Clapton's groups (Cream and Derek and the Dominoes), her favorite song ever, then stopping in '78 for a while before ending up in 1991 with Pearl Jam. (Interestingly enough, KEK's and H's mixes each ended with Pearl Jam!)

And last, but only because he hails from the Great White North, is " Three Pints Mixtape Vol. 1: Music For Your Mom," put together by Jad. This collection of "mostly Inoffensive Music That You Can Safely Share With Your Mother" is listed in its entirety here, so check it out. I listened to this with my mom, and she gives it her approval. This mix contains another song that could be in contention for my favorite song of the exchange, with Julie Doiron's "I Left Town." (Don't let it fool you like it did me, I thought there was a kitty cat in my apartment the first 3 or 4 times I listened to it. Just wait for it, you'll see what I mean.)

There you have it! This second round of the Great Blogger Mix CD Exchange should be even better, if you can believe that to be possible! There's a few more people involved, so everyone will be getting even more tunes! I've even received one already, from Derek, one of my new Canadian friends! So be checking your mailboxes, and get to burning! I know of at least one more heading your way as we speak! Not mine. My envelopes will be going out in the next week. once the cover art is finished, and the track listings are finalized.

For my friends in the US, I wish you a safe and very happy (and filling) Thanksgiving holiday! For my Canadian friends, I wish you a safe and very happy (and fulfilling) Thursday! And here's to everyone , hoping that you'll celebrate Buy Nothing day!

This will actually be my first Thanksgiving away from home, but fear not! Big Texas and I have graciously been invited to the home of one of his coworkers, and with this turn of the weather, if I close my eyes, I may just think I'm back in Iowa!

A weekend of long goodbyes

My last weekend as a resident of Iowa was an excellent one. Between great food, great fun, and great friends, I couldn't have had a much better time. Marin made it into town on Thursday, Jim and Haley on Friday, and Bill eventually made it (after some car issues) on Saturday, as well as Jeff, who made the trip all the way from northwest Cedar Rapids. After some drinking and Wii playing at my brother's place Friday night, Saturday was spent in Iowa City, taking in some of my favorite restaurants and sites one last time before I left. And oh yeah, there was a football game. For those of you who may not have noticed, the Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Syracuse Orange 35-0 in front of 70,585 (mostly gold-clad) fans in Kinnick Stadium, in only the 3rd-ever night game hosted in the historic stadium. The first couple of pictures were taken from where Marin and I sat for part of the game, the last one was where everyone else was seated. We weren't able to get 6 tickets together, but it went alright with 4 together and 2 others. (I'm pretty proud of the pics, since my camera is broken and all)




The weather was beautiful, the Hawkeyes looked great (it could be that Syracuse looked terrible, but either way, I'm happy with the result), and I think a good time was had by all.

Of course, I had to forget my phone charger at my brother's place this weekend, so my phone died midway through the day on Saturday, and I wasn't able to get in contact with a lot of the people I wanted to, and made things more difficult overall, but we pulled it off pretty well. And it may have been for the best that I wasn't able to get a hold of a lot of people, because then I would've probably been stressed with trying to get everywhere to see everyone. As it was, it was a rather relaxing time with some good friends. We ate at all of the places I needed to hit one last time: Oyama for sushi with Marin, Oasis for one last falafel, Hamburg Inn for breakfast Sunday morning with everyone, The Pit to have some excellent Iowa BBQ (before I get some Texas BBQ, which may be even more excellent), and Whitey's for some wonderful ice cream. (For those of you not from Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois, yes, there is an ice cream chain around here known as "Whitey's". It's delicious ice cream.) Then yesterday I hung out with Travis for a little while before I had to go, then dinner with my dad and step-mom.

There were a few times where I think the air was rather dusty, it made my eyes water up a little. I don't know what the deal with that was. . . But I was so glad for how things went, and for my friends that were here that read this, I hope you all know how grateful I was for you guys to come down and hang out with me on my last weekend in town. For my friends that read this that weren't able to make it, no worries, we'll have more opportunities to get together. Everyone is welcome down in Austin, any time! Just give me a little warning.

Now today is going to be spent washing clothes, packing, getting my oil changed, buying some new sandals (Kenna ate mine last night), and watching a little bit of the 49ers game tonight with KP. I promise I will post one last time before I go, and will post more pictures from this past weekend as I get them from the various people that took them.

A trip to Cedar Rapids!

I went to a Cedar Rapids Kernels game last night with Jeff, a newer friend of mine. I met him through H and Bill. They actually met each other (H and B) through Jeff. Jeff met his (now) ex-wife through H. I think Haley got the better end of the deal so far, out of that group. Overall, I got the better end, because I met them all. (Aww Chris, you're such a sweetheart, you're too nice, blah blah blah. I know. I'm awesome.)

Anyways, Jeff and I hit up CiCi's Pizza, a buffet that was cheap and pretty good. They had a macaroni and cheese pizza!! I had to get a slice. It tasted like macaroni and cheese on top of a slice of pizza (there wasn't tomato sauce, I think it was an alfredo-esque sauce). Kind of different, but worth trying. The desserts were the best thing on the buffet: cinnamon rolls, dessert pizza (always a favorite of mine), and brownies. Yum!

After stuffed myself silly, we headed to the game. There was some sort of mix-up with the tickets that Jeff had purchased ahead of time, so we had to stand at the Will-Call desk for a few minutes while the people working tried to figure it out. For those of you not in the Midwest, it's been warm here (mid- to upper-90's), with a ridiculous humidity (80-plus percent). While we were waiting, we were standing directly in the sun at the same time as being sheltered from the breeze. Nothing like sweating profusely while standing still. Eventually it all got sorted out, we found our seats, and thankfully they were in the shade. Still sheltered from the breeze, but out of the blazing sun.

The game went well, the Peoria Chiefs were in town, managed by former Chicago Cub Ryne Sandberg. To us, it seemed like the Kernels should have been getting pounded, the Chiefs were hitting pretty well and getting walked, but a few good plays defensively kept Cedar Rapids in the game. The final score ended up being 4-1 with the Chiefs winning, but it didn't feel that close. It was a fun game, the Kernels' 2nd baseman made a few really nice plays, including throwing a runner out at the plate with a perfectly-thrown ball. It was beautiful. The rest of the team, however, wasn't really making great plays. There was one inning in which two runs were scored without a hit, on a walk and a couple of errors. Single-A baseball, you gotta love it! There was a pretty solid fireworks display after the game, so that was pretty awesome.

Jeff and I had a good time, it was a bonding experience, sharing stories and whatnot. Earlier in the day we had talked about maybe hitting the town and stopping at a bar or two, but we were both too worn out from the day to do too much. I had been up since about 5:45 and worked most of the day, so I really wasn't feeling it. I know, I know, that's weak, I should've drank like a champion. I just didn't have it in me. Besides, I had to save myself for tonight, it's a friend's birthday. Nothing says summer like drinking on a Sunday night!

You will thank me for having the song stuck in your head for the rest of the day

So going out and drinking with Captain Crab last night was a blast. Unfortunately, it left me a little brain-mushed today. Not hungover, just unable to think. It was most likely the second vodka martini. Or the second carafe of sake. Or the big beer. Or the Jack and Coke followed by the fruity drink, I don't even remember what it was now. Either way, there were some epic amounts of alcohol drank by a couple of piratin' fools. We even fit sushi in. It was delicious. The Crab told many stories, none of which I could do justice trying to tell myself. He needs to write more often over there at H's blog. Or create his own! I'd read it.

I had a great, great time last night, even if I went undrafted. I'm really happy for Adam Haluska, maybe I'll try to catch a Hornets/Spurs game when I'm in Texas. I'm definitely going to try to go to a Sonics/Spurs game, to see Kevin Durant. Although, that may be the hardest ticket to find, seeing as how Durant was a stud at Texas, I'm sure plenty of people would like to go see him play. I'll have to use my talents at getting into places.

The end of this post is sponsored by Bill Simmons, The Sports Guy, writer at espn.com, on Page 2. This week, his articles have been outta the park, seriously funny stuff. Starting off with a running diary of the NHL Draft, then a chat on Tuesday, and ending with last night's NBA Draft running diary. Anyways, I was reading the chat, and Simmons and the readers sending in questions had an ongoing thing where they tried to come up with the worst possible song to watch a stripper dance/get a lapdance to. Funny enough in itself, right? Some of the songs suggested were great. But my favorite part of the whole chat is as follows:

Mike (Chicago): I would like a lap dance to Rick Astley's "Never gonna give you up".

Bill Simmons: I'm glad you brought this up. When I was in college, we used to go to Papa Gino's for All You Can Eat Pasta night, which was fantastic. Anyway, right when we got there one night, I put $5 into the jukebox and just selected that same Rick Astley song over and over again so that it would play for the entire time we were there. The reactions from the diners were priceless. Every time the song ended, you could see people praying that it wouldn't start again, and then it would. I miss college.

That made me laugh out loud, really hard. Of course I had to look up the video. And so, to finish up, here is the wonderfully amazing video for "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley. Enjoy.

Picture this

I figured that no celebration is whole until pictures are broken out, so this post will be dedicated to a random collection of photos of me throughout the years. Unfortunately the site on which I had a lot of my photos went down, so I'm left with whatever is saved on my computer or other spots online. Sorry. Honestly I'm sorry.

This first set of photos I like to call "Drinking Flenker".

This is me and my friend Travis, obviously drinking in moderation.

And this is the obvious extension of said moderate drinking

Bill and I sipping wine, watching the same program on different television sets

This next set is called "The Scene Stealer"

Showing off the guns (and self-inflicted cigarette burn)
This was the first night that I met Haley. Bill and Jeff also pictured
I don't know more than 3 people in this picture, and don't really recall it being taken

And to show I'm not an alcoholic, some non-drinking photos

The "Shots from Behind"
In Minneapolis with the gang

Walkin' in Memphis with Marin


The "Jim and I Would Make a Good Gay Couple" series

The "I Just Ate an Entire Little Canister's Worth of Nutmeg" photo

Now this last photo may be a little shocking. It was taken over 10 years ago, so just be warned.











You ready for it?

I give you, "Young Flenker"

Ladies and gentlemen, H!!!!

Once again, here is a very special guest post from Ms. H. She was kind enough to help me out with this celebration, and happens to be marking her 200th post also! So sit back, get a nice cool glass of your favorite beverage, and enjoy! And check out her blog for a very special 201st post over there in the near future. . .

***

February 13th, 2007, was a fateful day for the blogosphere. My good friend Flenker decided to rejoin the Blogger ranks, and started writing a little blog called The Politics of Lonely.

Some of you might question the timing. You might say, H, wasn't February 13th, 2007 the day before your birthday? And I might say, why yes it was! And you might say, H, didn't you start your blog (enter shameless plug for Random Mindless Ramblings here) just three weeks prior? And I might say, why yes I did! And you might say, H, does it bother you that Flenker started his blog the day before your birthday, just three weeks after you yourself started your own blog, and proceeded to not only post with more frequency -- hitting 200 posts two posts before you did -- but also more funnily and with much better quality of writing? And I might say, of course not. I am not at all envious of my friend Flenker's writing skills that are far superior to mine and his wittiness that I clearly do not possess.

Of course, I might also say yes, I am extremely envious of my friend Flenker's far superior writing skills and his wit. Actually, I probably wouldn't say it, but I'd definitely be thinking it.

However, I harbor no hard feelings toward Flenker. He may have followed in my footsteps and then one-upped me in every conceivable way, but it isn't his fault that he's more talented. He's made life much more enjoyable for everyone who's been reading TPoL, including me. I'm very proud of Flenker's work here.

Also, I think it's worth mentioning that I am the eighth most labeled item on TPoL over the past 200 posts, coming in behind Life of Flenker, Music Recommendations, Food, Sports Related, Hawkeyes, Weather, and Baseball.

I'm taking this opportunity as TPoL's 201st post guest blogger to reflect on some of my favorite moments over the past 200 posts.

Most recently, as part of Video Week, Flenker did an entire post of Hawkeye videos including the Iowa fight song, the marching band playing "In Heaven There is no Beer" and Warren Holloway's miracle catch in the 2005 Capital One Bowl. As a Hawkeye fan myself, those videos were special for me, but I think non-Hawkeyes were able to appreciate them as well.

There was the guest post I wrote about qualifications to be with Flenker. You might say, H, aren't you kind of hogging the TPoL glory right now? Shouldn't this be about Flenker? And I might say, it is about Flenker, and let's remember that I was the one who inspired him to start blogging again in the first place.

I loved when Flenker was interviewed by The Boob Lady and she asked him what the first thing he would do if he had boobs. He said that it would probably take him a week to leave the room because he'd be so preoccupied with them. It's funny because it's true.

The Flenker Thumbs Up rating system for movies is one of the greatest things ever invented. I'm disappointed that we haven't seen more of it and hope that there will be more Flenker movie reviews in the future.

Flenker's daily music recommendations have been top notch and have steered me in the direction of some great new music. It is through these music recommendations that I started listening to What Made Milwaukee Famous, among other great bands.

Flenker has written many letters over the past 200 posts -- to Barack Obama, McDonald's, Zach Braff, and others. My favorite of those letters is the letter to the super cute girl sitting across from him at the library. Sadly, nothing ever came of that letter, but keep your chin up, Flenker. There are other super cute fish in the sea.

Also, Flenker has never been afraid to impart other people's wisdom upon us. He shared Satchel Paige's Six Rules on How to Stay Young with us back in February. Take the time to review those if you haven't read them. Take them to heart.

You might say, H, I'm surprised you didn't mention Flenker's Ode to H that he wrote for you way back in April! And I might say, this isn't about me, is it?

Seriously, though, it has been a joy to read The Politics of Lonely over the past 200 posts and am looking forward to 200 more. Congratulations!

H has a story for you

So this is kind of a cop-out for right now, but everyone should go over and read a classic Flenker story over on Random Mindless Ramblings. H tells the story pretty well, only she forgets to add that we were drinking for many reasons, one of which was my birthday. Bill had given me a baseball autographed by Buck O'Neil as a present, and I just felt obligated to return the favor in my own way. Also, I was wearing a sweater when I was out on the porch with H, and maybe socks. I'm not sure what my footwear was for the moment.

Anyways, I'm off to dinner with none other than Bill! I'm sure Haley is extremely jealous, I don't blame her. Jealous of Bill, that is. ha! I'll be back later, maybe even with another post! But for now, just check out what H has to say.

The weekend

My weekend started with a visit from Team Dilldahl, aka Bill and Haley (H prefers Bailey Hill, but I'm sticking with this one) on Friday night. They were heading to Chicago, so they drove about halfway and stayed with me, in order to cut down on the consecutive hours on the road. They pulled in a little after 11, and we were all pretty tired, Haley basically walked in the door and immediately sprawled out on my futon, so there were no drunken parties that night. Besides, I had to be at work at 7, and those two wanted to be on the road early, so we just sat around and chatted and eventually went to bed. It was a good time, but could have been better if A) they could've hung out for the weekend and B) if I didn't have to work at 7 the next morning. But any visit is good, I can't really complain.

Saturday was a long day, but fun. Any day that starts at 6 and ends with me passing out on a friend's couch at 2 am is long but fun. My friend Dan from work (you may remember him from this post, he's the other guy pictured with me in the last photo) and I decided that we'd play some tennis after work, then hang out as his place to play some beer pong, and then head downtown for a friend's birthday celebration. We both were at work early, he was there at 6 and I came in at 7, and both planned on taking naps (not together, we're not at that point of the relationship) before tennis. And neither of us napped, yet we still played some good tennis. I won the first set of our best-of-three match 6-3, then lost the next 4-6, but won the third 4-0 (we decided that we needed to cut the match short so the third set was only going to be to 4). We went to our respective houses and showered, then met up at his place. Something that we both forgot to eat something, so our drinks hit us pretty hard, and pretty quickly. It was a fun night. Nothing especially exciting happened, but that's not always a bad thing.

Today was mostly spent bumming around, eating McDonald's twice (which shows how absolutely lazy and disgusting I was feeling today) and not doing much else. My boy Federer lost today, so that always leaves me in a funk. One of these years, he'll win the French Open. He just may have to take out Nadal's knee first. Federer may end up being the greatest all-around players in history if he continues his dominance (this was his 8th straight Grand Slam event final, winning 6 of those, and 10 Slam titles overall), but he'll need to win the French at least once to cement that status. It's unfortunate for him that Nadal is one of the best clay-court players of all time.

That's basically my weekend. Nothing that exciting, but a fun time. Oh, before I forget, for those of you in the first Great Blogger Mix CD Exchange, Marin has sent her mix out, and Heinricy will be very soon. They both want me to thank everyone for their patience. So keep an eye on your mailboxes, there should be a few more tunes heading your way.

4th of June?

Why does the 4th of July have to fall on a Wednesday this year? Doesn't it know that having a holiday in the middle of the week just makes it that much harder to make plans with people who have "real jobs"?

You see, almost every year for the past 6 or 7 years or so, some of my friends from my days at Iowa State get together for a few days of having fun. Last year it didn't happen, because I went to DC during that week. (And let me tell you, if you ever have the chance, to go the fireworks in DC. Marin and I watched them being shot off over the Washington Monument from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Pretty incredible scene.) We also play home run derby every year, and last time we played the Trivial Pursuit game that I referred to in the last paragraph here. (It was also when Heinricy came up with the line "We're sleeping in teams!" about our sleeping arrangements. Good times!) This year I'm going to have to figure out when we're getting together, either the weekend before or the weekend after. The weekend before has the Iowa City Jazz Festival. Both weekends have home games by the Swing of the Quad Cities. I guess we'll have to see which works out better for everyone. H has already said that she and Bill won't be able to make it the weekend before, so that may necessitate a move to the weekend after the 4th. It all depends on Jimbo and Charczuk. We'll have to start planning this now, though, since people will be traveling from all around. Hopefully it'll all come together and we'll have a good time. I'm optimistic.

As long as I know how to love I know I'll be alive

H just called and sang me a wonderful rendition of "I Will Survive," but not quite as lovely as when I sang it to Bill last September. Like I say, two of the best words in the English language are "Open Bar". Maybe not the best words ever, I could think of some more I'd like hearing, but they're definitely up there.


This weekend in Iowa City is the Arts Festival, an event that takes place the first weekend in June (I think. . . I could be making that part up. It's always around then, though), where art vendors from all over the Midwest set up shop outside, on the closed off streets of downtown. Also, a couple of stages are set up, and live music is performed basically all day. Last year the performers included Ben Lee and Nickel Creek. All for free! This year didn't quite have the name-recognition, but that's a-ok, by me.

What wasn't ok with me was that I worked 9-5 yesterday, then had to work 7-3 today. I was a good boy and didn't go out and do anything last night and was in bed rather early, in spite of the beautiful weather at night and music drifting into my window from the festivities. I probably could have gone out for a little while, but I know that I would have had a hard time leaving. So I stayed in, biding my time until I could go today, after work. Of course it rains today, after work. But not until I'm already out walking around. It was a nice rain, though, not unpleasant to walk through, but still put a damper on some of the fun times. On the bright side, I didn't spend any money on food! Instead I made some black beans and rice burritos, with some Monterrey Jack cheese and a little fresh cilantro. They turned out very well, it's amazing how something so simple can be so delicious. I shared them with Daren, who returned from his tour today. We sat around and chatted a little while, but then I needed to go cheer the Cavaliers onto a victory tonight. Mission accomplished.

Really, it doesn't make for that interesting of a read. But that's how my day was, and I'll be darned if it wasn't fine. Maybe tomorrow I'll feel like writing some more. I actually kind of feel like writing more tonight, but can't seem to focus on any one topic, so I'll just pack it in and try again tomorrow. For now, I'm going to eat some ice cream, watch some episodes of The Office, and eventually try to head to bed. Nighty night folks

Guest post from H - more Rules on being with Flenker

(Note from Flenker: Today's post comes from H of Random Mindless Rambling and As the Coffee Brews. Enjoy!)

Hi! Welcome to Flenker’s life. As a part of Flenker’s life you will have to understand that me and my boyfriend, Bill, are going to be a big part of your life from here on out. Because of that, before things get too serious you’re going to have to prove to me that you’re legit. Here are a few of the qualifications that you will have to meet. Don’t worry if you don’t meet all of them; it just means that you’re supremely inadequate. Good luck!

¨ First impressions are everything. How you look is damned important, but so is how you act. I will not tolerate any of the following:

o Scrunchies.

o Clothes that are ill-fitting. If you can’t fit into your skinny jeans, please don’t wear them; no one wants to see your muffin top. Or your ass crack. And please throw away any shirt so tight that I can see the definition of any roll of fat you might have. I’m not asking you to be a waif, I’m just asking that you please not wear clothes that don’t fit you. If they once fit you and you’re holding out hope, put them in the closet and get back on the treadmill. Thank you.

o Exposed midriffs. (Exception: if we are at the beach and you are wearing a bikini).

o Bad posture.

o Acting like a complete bitch.

o Bad grammar.

¨ If you pass the First Impression test (and if you don’t, try not to take it too personally; not many girls do) you will then continue to be judged until I decide that I Like You. This could happen in just a few minutes, or it could take a few weeks before I decide that I Like You completely. If it hasn’t happened after a few meetings, it’s doubtful that it’s ever going to happen; there’s something about you that Just Isn’t To Be Trusted. Again, don’t take it personally, I just have my good friend’s best interests at heart, and you aren’t a part of them.

¨ Things you will have to know about to pass my test:

o Sports. You don’t have to be a sports expert, but you can’t walk in with absolutely no sports knowledge and expect to leave with my friend Flenker on your arm. Basic knowledge of baseball, basketball, and football is a must. However, DON’T act like you know everything about sports if you don’t. Ask questions.

o One of my guilty pleasures is partaking in a little bit of celebrity gossip from time to time. However, do not mention the following:

§ Jessica Alba/Jessica Biel. I just don’t care.

§ Jennifer Love Hewitt.

§ Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Hillary Duff. I don’t care if Lindsay is doing coke and Paris is going to jail. I don’t care that Lindsay and Hillary are friends again (the only reason I know this is that it was a CNN headline – seriously).

o Politics. If you’ve made it to the H screening this means that you’re past the Initial Flenker Screen and are a confirmed liberal (or at the very least, moderate). Again, I’m not asking you to be an expert, but you should be able to hold your own in a political discussion should the topic arise.

¨ In the name of all that is good and holy, please, don’t be an idiot. If I can’t carry on an intelligent conversation with you, it’s all over. While I might be random (always), mindless (sometimes), and rambling (often), I do like to think that I am a person of a fairly high level of intellect.

¨ On the other hand, no one likes a Know-it-All.

¨ Don’t talk about math. I hate math. I suck at math. Don’t make fun of me when we’re at a restaurant and the check comes and I take out my phone to use the “EZ Tip Calculator.”

¨ You can’t be too self-involved.

¨ High-maintenance is also a no-no. I like to primp and preen as much as the next girl, but I also don’t like to wait for three hours waiting for someone to “find an outfit” or “put on makeup” or “get ready” to go to the bar.

¨ Tequila drinkers get bonus points. I like a girl I can throw back a shot with.

¨ If you have a stupid name or spell it in a stupid way, it’s going to take a lot for me to overcome that. You’re going to have to be damn special to overlook the fact that your name is “Realitee.” (Note: I actually have encountered a person with that name, spelled that way.) I realize that you can’t help it that your parents were idiots, and I apologize for your lineage and wish Flenker the best of luck with your family. If you make it that far.

Good luck!

My day and wine tour photos

First off, tomorrow is a special day for The Politics of Lonely. It will be the first time that I will have a guest appearance, H of Random Mindless Rambling and As The Coffee Brews fame has put together her screening process for getting with the Flenker. Look for it either later tonight or early tomorrow. It's a good one.

After I left the coffee shop where I blogged earlier, I was walking around town, and happened to run into my brother and his roommates pulling their boat, getting ready to hit the Coralville Reservoir. Since it was a beautiful day, I jumped in, and joined them for an afternoon on the water. Unfortunately, I was in my jeans and 3/4 length sleeves, so didn't have quite the optimum clothing for getting into the water. Next time, though, I'll be ready, and I'll go tubing and have some fun. (I tried wakeboarding once, and couldn't last a second. Made for an entertaining time, though.) Also unfortunately, I didn't bring any sunblock with me, and the only stuff they had was SPF 8. I wear 6 times that normally. So I got a little red. But only on about 1/4 of my arm. And a tiny bit on my face/neck. Oh well, it was bound to happen.

Travis and I had to leave a little early, since our dad was coming up for some pizza and relaxing in a park. Again, beautiful weather for it, and I'll never pass up a free meal from a parent. We sat out for a while, then drove around a section of Iowa City I've never seen. There's a ton of new housing developments going up, some really nice places, so it was nice to check out.

Anyways, it was a fun day. I'm glad I was able to enjoy it, that I actually got outside instead of sitting on a computer or playing video games all day.

***

Since the "internet" is working at my place now, I'm going to take this opportunity to post some photos from the wine tour yesterday, just so everyone can be jealous.

This was our ride for the day
(I'm not sure why the date is wrong... Dawn must not know how to operate that part of her camera)

An interior shot of our ride

Another interior shot, featuring my brother and mom

My brother and I "enjoying" High Gravity
(notice how young I look in this picture!)

Travis posing with our $8 worth of champaign

We definitely overpaid

An exterior picture of the front of my favorite winery, Park Farm

One of the rooms inside Park Farm

The view from the back of Park Farm. Absolutely gorgeous

From left to right: Pamela, Flenker!, Travis, and Jake
lounging outside of Park Farm

Group photo

The homestead from Field of Dreams

Standing at home plate on the field

I'm pretty sure that's the "Captain Morgan" wind-up

A shot of the sign from our last stop

Just a tease

This is just going to be a quick update, I feel like I've been rushing around all day, not doing anything important... It started with the Flenker Bowl, the game in our NCAA Football video game dynasty where the Brothers Flenker face off. I lost by 6 points. Upsetting, to say the least. Then I took a walk, to cool down and just to enjoy the day. After that, I headed home and fired up the grill for some grilled onions (in butter, with salt and pepper) and cheddarwurst. Delicious! And while all of that was going on, I had people calling me, emailing me, and texting me. Mr. Popular! I don't know how it always happens, but I never will just receive one phone call in any given time. It's either none or 5.

Anyways, I wanted to take the few moments I have before I have to start getting ready for work to give people hints about what's to come in the near future of The Politics of Lonely.

Soon (maybe tonight after work): The Rules for Marrying Flenker (this may or may not involve a hoe-down) and my next contribution to As the Coffee Brews (I've been slacking pretty badly there. Sorry H.)
The next few days: the breakdown of some music, including my current favorite song, mix CD's, the introduction of "Vital Flenker" tunes, and more! Also, the next couple of installments in the Unified Theory of Flenker should be coming soon (including observations on couples and why I "fall in love" all the time), my new and improved reading list, and I confess my love for the Boob Lady
On the mind, in the future: more Unified Theory, more music, more sports plans (going to Milwaukee and KC), more awesome. Believe me, I will bring the awesome hard. Watch out