bright eyed

so today is the 2nd to last day of my adventures in Cincinnati. By this time tomorrow I will be packing up a Uhaul truck (ok actually it's a Penske) and officially head back to the real C-town. No time to reflect this morning though as I get to co-host a twitter morning show, head to Bed, Bath and Beyond for replacement kitchen things, obtain one last loan check from Xavier (oh the joy of fake money), and pack up the contents of my life into nice brown boxes. All before noon. Go me.


After the noon o clock hour I'll begin patiently waiting for my brother and pops who graciously have said they'd come down and help me move out. Perhaps a run will occur in there somewhere but once they arrive it will almost certainly be dinner and the casino. (we are a gambling family)

During my time in the 'Natti I've met some amazing people, some that weren't so amazing, and had a great deal of memorable moments through out. I'll go into greater detail later but I think what's interesting is how life can never cease to surprise me. I spent roughly 10 months down here and I never thought I'd feel anything when I was leaving. (Lesson here is never expect apathy) Rather, this whole moving out thing happened so abruptly that nostalgia was thrust into my life without me even realizing it. All the things that had become familiar over the last year will fade into my new life (hopefully one where I'm working very soon). Three major life adjustments in three years is difficult to do. This must be what those people feel like who change their college majors 7 times during their eventual 6-ish year stay.

I know where I've been, I know where I am, but I have no idea where I'm going... and that's all part of the fun.

more to come.



best man out.

all over the map

trying to play catch up...

For once, I haven't stopped writing because of lack of motivation but rather from a lack of time. Ironically, I'm writing this post because i can't motivate myself to work on a school project. Might as well get something done. Ok, lots to discuss (as always, discuss being I write, you choose whether or not to read.)

Let's start with the NFL draft...

After weeks of speculation the Browns took the corner back who was without a doubt the best in the nation at the end of the season and then get scrutinized for it. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought football was played on the field, not at a combine. Great pick in my mind. Speed doesn't matter if he keeps the wide receiver from getting off the line. They address multiple needs and got what everyone assumes will be a franchise quarterback at the end of the 3rd round on the cheap. If nothing else Colt will almost certainly replace Brady Quinn in the local Subway adds and (hopefuly) a new myoplex "now I'm done" commercial. Not to mention he'll be worth more in jersey's sold to Cleveland females then we'll be paying him anyway. (Seriously is it a rule that the Browns have to have an "attractive" QB on the bench for CBS to show 13 times a quarter now?) All this and Kiper gives the draft a C grade? I'm impressed that he can tell us years in advance how our players are going to be. get a hair cut mel. Let McShay do the work. Go back to This Week In Baseball.
I'm happy with the picks. Now let's all forget about football til August please.


On to the NBA playoffs. I love how they last so long that the league doesn't even try to hide it. They instead market it as "the 2nd season". Someone deserves a raise for that idea. Everyone says how much stronger the West is and while 1-8 I agree, at this point it doesn't matter. The safe bet is that chalk will be walking into round 2 for the East. As for the West well it's anyone's game. The Karlless Nuggets look lost, the Mavs remembered just in time for round one that they're the Mavs, and Pheonix has looked shaky against a Portland team who center is their FIFTH this year. Juwan Howard? Seriously? He was a member of the fab five... which makes him not so young. Do I think the Lakers will lose a 3 game series with 2 at home to a team of kids who can barely legally drink? No, but strange things happen from time to time... just ask those Mavs. Honestly, I only care about the Cavs. If they lose I won't watch another playoff game but just for fun... if the Lakers do lose Max will be shaving much sooner than either of us thought possible.

Ah Major League Baseball-
Being away from Cleveland for the first spring ever has been tough on me. Thank god my itouch has MLB at bat. Best 15 dollar investment ever. Thus far the Indians have played better then I thought they would.. 8-10 ain't too shabby considering their current roadie is the Twins, and two talented west coast teams. Their pitching staff seems to think they're the mid 90s Braves led by Fausto (I said before the year started he'd win 20 games). If they can keep this up and get any offense they might actually contend for a .500 record. That's not a misprint. A few other Indians notes: Our current catchers are absolute dog piss. Expect Santana by June. And for the first time since the 80's the Indians had less then 11,000 fans at a game... it happened 3 straight games. Let's go people. The deals are cheap and the ball park is gorgeous. Show up and support your currently overachieving, almost decent tribe!
Some other MLB notes- In case you're not a big fan remember the name JASON HEYWARD. He'll be the best player in the league for a decade. That is unless Pujols continues to make everyone believe the ESPN machine commercials are actually real. Also, Matt Kemp is absolutely a legit star. The kid is a freak. oh and dating Rihanna. Jealous.


Off of the sports... onto movies

As everyone on the planet is aware AVATAR came out last Thursday on DVD. CELEBRATE EARTH DAY BY WISHING YOU LIVED ON ANOTHER PLANET! Call me snobby but if it's not on an IMAX screen I have no interest in seeing it again. I think this is going to be a real problem for movies in the future. They'll make a killing in the theatre but until TV technology catches up with movie technology (and it's starting already) I don't see DVD sales being stellar. Of course, AVATAR will be an exception but don't be shocked when Clash of the Titans or Alice under perform. I had an EXPERIENCE seeing them the first time, why should I settle for just a viewing the 2nd go around?

In other movie news, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus comes out on DVD Tuesday and I could not be more excited. This was Heath Ledger's final performance and for all the hype that "The Dark Knight" received, I believe this was his best work. It didn't get the fanfare it deserved but if you check it out I promise you will not be disappointed. In my opinion it's the best movie of the year thus far. Oh and a short note to HBO- can you please stop playing Kung Fu Panda and Kindergarten Cop on repeat? I've had enough.

Some musical shout outs-
If you haven't heard of them yet PLEASE check out Mumford&Sons. This is courtesy of my brother-in-law who knows music like no other. They're from England and their debut album might be the best top to bottom I've heard in five years.

FUN is starting to catch on... don't miss it. Debut album: Aim and Ignite is fantastic.

PAINKILLER BY Pendulum and Flag Waivin by K'NAAN might be the best running songs of all time.

some humorous shorts-

I had some girl in my bar the other night come up and complain about the music. The song was Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan. Am I old or does her musical taste just suck?

While running today (in the pouring rain) I had some 70-80 year old guy swear at me for running WHILE I HAD A WALK SIGN. Yes that's right, I had the right of way in the pouring rain while HE WAS SITTING AT A RED LIGHT and he swore at me for being in the middle of the road. He should definitely still have his license. Really great member of Society.

Don't take allergy medicine and then have caffeine. I think that warning should be more prevalent then the whole no medicine and alcohol one. I've felt like I've been floating this whole time.

I apologize for the Simmons-esque length and horrible grammar. They'll be shorter and more frequent from here on out. The grammar will still be lacking.

ONE LAST THING.
My P.I.C. is officially big time... Please check out her latest work on www.doinvegas.com.
Jump on that bandwagon now so she'll remember us little people when she's running sin city.


best man out.

cartoons of yesteryear

I apologize for the long layoff but with the semester winding down a bit and the weather turning for the better it's becoming difficult to justify sitting in front of a computer if I'm not doing actual work. I'll do my best to improve the frequency. I also apologize because this post will probably seem a little bit like a rant but I promise it will be entertaining. My friends and I have been on an old school movie kick as of late and because of this we've been watching and discussing films that we grew up on and how they are much more traumatic then we remembered. In this day of political correctness where "everyone wins, everyone gets a blue ribbon" it's rare to see kids movies offering anything other than a happy ending and terrible songs. Back in the day this couldn't be further from the truth. Everything from death and disease to drinking and terrifying villains was fair game and no I'm not just talking about Mufasa dying. Let's all take a trip down memory lane.

This has been the most recent movie discussed so I figured I should stare here... The Brave Little Toaster. The movie, as a whole, has very dark tones but this scene might just take the cake. Upon doing some research you'll discover that this scene is literally the Air Conditioner committing suicide... (remember- kids movie) Brave Little Toaster

Tell me as a kid you were ready to deal with that kind of issue... I can't even talk about it now. Yet this remains one of my favorite movies from our childhood and I wouldn't think twice about playing it for my kids some day.

Next up let's take a look at The Land Before Time (THE ORIGINAL ONE....not the 19 sequels that followed) This scene is where Little Foot's mother is about to die. This is where, as basically a toddler, Little Foot finds out he'd be in charge of escaping a giant T-rex, leading a bunch of other dino kids, and attempting to save the future of his family. Pretty tall task for the long neck. Land Before Time.

If you can get through that scene without getting choke up it's not that you're a bad person, just that you have no heart.

Now we move on to Fievel: An American Tale, remembered by most as, "That movie with Somewhere Out There" in it. The story is about a Russian, Jewish mouse family (so far, so good) who make the trip to America to start a better life. Early on Fievel gets lost and is forced to survive on his own. Now the story of basically another toddler trying to survive would be hard enough, (I'm seeing a theme) but the whole movie is just dark and terrifying. This is a short scene featuring The Giant Mouse of Minsk and despite it being a helpful tool for Fievel, it still scares the crap out of me. I can't stress this enough, please remember that this is a KID'S movie. Fievel: An American Tale

The next movie I want to talk about is The Last Unicorn. If you take the time to watch this film pretty much everything is scary in it from the ridiculous harpie to the insane red bull who kills off all the unicorns. The one character, however, that sticks in my mind is the skeleton in the grandfather clock. I remember him acting incredibly odd and laughing at everything when I was a kid and I never understood why until now... He was drunk. Absolutely smashed. If you watch the movie he's crushing a bottle of wine the whole time. Seriously, they put a wino skeleton who offers advice in this movie. How are any of us normal? The Last Unicorn.

Again, this is just a small sampling of the movies that we watched growing up. When you couple this with basically every Disney movie before Aladdin and Henson classics The Labrynth and the Dark Crystal it's amazing to consider what will never be shown to kids again. All of this isn't even mentioning shows like Are you afraid of the Dark which still haunts my dreams.

I hope you enjoyed this little trip down the creepy memory lane that we all experienced. If you have any movies or shows you used to watch along these lines please feel free to post a comment or a clip.

Enjoy the beautiful weather and have a happy Easter.

Na zdravie!

stuck in the middle

I'm sitting here in my "Legal and Ethical Issues in Sport" class trying my best to pay attention and it's just not working (sorry mom and dad...) so I figured I'd try to do something semi-productive. I tried doing research for a project in said law class but that didn't go over so well. Therefore... on to blogging. After reading a couple of pretty good blogs (shout outs to come later) I realized that they were all writing about the same things. How and where would they be content. One moved to Chi-town with her friends and came back home, another is contemplating a move to the bright lights of Vegas, and the 3rd discuses the positives of being home. I've been mulling the big question of, "Where am I supposed to be in life?" and reading these three blogs didn't exactly clear anything up for me but they did provide some perspective.

It seems that my feelings of where I want to be vary greatly depending on my emotions and the goings on of the day. Ask me lately where I want to end up and I'll tell you Cleveland. The reasons being I haven't seen my family in forever and I miss them...incredibly. In the last month I've missed three birthdays, my nephew rolling over for the first time, and sadly, a death in the extended family. Missing these things would be hard for anyone but especially someone who talks to their family just about every day. My family truly are my best friends and it's so hard not seeing them on a consistent basic. My apartment basically being a shrine of family pictures doesn't exactly lessen the homesickness. (thank you, Alex) It's hard because lately all I want to do is spend Sunday afternoons at my parents house with the family eating way too much food and pretending to still be little kids... while playing with little kids.

That being said, if you asked me where I think I should live after talking to Goose or coming back from Vegas I'd say a big city. I get the feeling from time to time that I'd prefer not to be a big fish in a small pond but rather try to become an ample fish in a gigantic pond. From time to time I want the challenge to see if I could do more then survive but rather thrive in places where the lights shine the brightest. However, after a few days this will start to fade and I'll realize that maybe the size of the pond doesn't matter much so long as you just keep swimming.

Thus we reach my current situation: Cincinnati. I choose Xavier because it has a great Sports Administration program but, honestly, I also ended up here because IT WAS a little further from home. I needed the challenge. To move some where that I knew absolutely no one and start from scratch. I've created a great circle of friends, obtained a job and an internship, and, thus far, I'm staying afloat in my classes. The weather is decent (still get all four seasons), the area is very interesting, and I've networked enough to possibly obtain a job when I'm finished with the program. All of these positives and yet I hesitate to call this place home past December. Perhaps it's all the Bengals fans and everyone saying, "Y'all" but I digress. I continue to find myself quite literally stuck in the middle. I don't know if I want to be close to home, in a big city, or somewhere in between.

After all this contemplating and reading my close friends thoughts I came up with absolutely nothing. The point, though, is that might not be such a bad thing. The biggest thing to remeber when making a move or a "big change" is that it doesn't have to be permanent. Life is about the journey and all that jazz. In my circumstance my family will always be my family and we'll remain close regardless of if I live 20 minutes or 20 hours away. I have no idea what the future holds after next winter. Here's what I do know... I get to see my family Easter weekend, Baseball and the World Cup start soon, and I'll be here until at least December. The rest if completely up in the air but I'm learning that that too, is ok.

You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you will be the guy who'll decide where you'll go. Oh the places you'll go.

~Dr. Seuss~

Special thanks to Goose, Jay, and Emily for the inspiration.

Check them out at allegedlyfff.blogspot.com (Goose), socksnotfamous.blogspot.com (Jay) and girlinamansworld.blogspot.com (Emily)

Thanks again guys!

adam.

Beat the drum, hold the phone...

The sun came out today!

65 degree days, spring training in full swing, being one of the 1800 people who ran outside around Hyde Park yesterday. All of this can only mean one thing: Spring has arrived. The last few days here in Cincinnati have been absolutely gorgeous and while I'm aware that it's going to rain for the next 8 days and that old man winter will probably hit us with one last jab in the mouth, it is undeniable that spring is in the air.

Here's the thing: In Daniel Tosh's stand up special he says that he, "Loves seasons. That's why he lives in a place that skips the crappy ones." Funny? Yes. I, however, disagree. I used to tell everyone that I flat out loved winter. Truthfully, I am happiest when it's grey and miserable outside. Always have been. I think it's something about other people being unhappy that brings me joy. What I've discovered recently, though, is that I just really love every season. By the time the end of one season rolls around I'm definitely ready for the next and so while this fall I was ready for snow and cold, now I'm definitely ready for some warmth.

I'm aware that for the next week or so we'll probably need an ark to get around but that doesn't bother me because strange weather is what Ohio spring is all about. Don't believe me? Think about the fact that in any particular week in March or April around here you can have a day that's 70 and sunny, one that's 50 and rainy, and one that's 23 and snowing. Back at JCU we had one DAY that was 70 at noon and snowing by midnight. Try being a college baseball player in this climate. We tarped and untarped our field 3 times a day. The Cleveland Indians ground crew should have a feeder system through the Blue Streaks. I don't mind the strange weather though because I know that all it really means is soon enough I'll be golfing, grilling out, and playing sand volleyball...with my shirt off of course.

~It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade~

-Charles Dickens-

best man out.

he said/ she said... my take on fashion... yikes

I think Goose and Meathead need to write a co blog on how men feel about fashion pitfalls like muffin tops and ridiculously faux handbags...the man's perspective and the fashionistas perspective...
-StoveTop

Alright Goose, I really think your readers enjoy making me look like a fool by having us write about things I know nothing about. Come on guys, I can make myself look stupid!!! In the interest of humor and debate I'll try my best. I make zero promises.

When it comes to fashion I pretend to have a little bit of an idea on how to dress but really it just boils down to two things for me: 1.) I wear what I think looks good and 2.) I tend to find things that stand out. I love thermals. Be they of the hoodie variety or half button, they're a major weapon in my arsenal. (He thinks they make him look muscle-y) I also love my scarves (duh) and my fantastic hat collection. I'm seriously like the kid from Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. (For the 3 people who get that joke, you're welcome). Also, bright colors tend to show up rather often. I think I have a respectable wardrobe but it's almost entirely based on the fashion skills of my mother and girlfriend... honestly. When it comes to women's fashion I'll be honest, I don't understand most of what's popular. Thankfully I have Goose. I can't imagine dropping near 4 digits on a bag; Goose helps me understand the value of such a thought. I think Ugg boots are a complete joke and every time someone wears them I want to kick them in the face...with my real boots. The worst thing in my mind though is girls who wear outfits that are completely unflattering but I'll let Goose jump in before I start to ramble...

Oh, Meathead, as usual you were distracted by your glorious “trendy hat” collection and muscle henleys. Let’s try and focus your creative juices. You have already given your opinion on UGG boots. As much as it pains me to agree (because they are so damn comfortable), they are far from stylish. I will say that I continue to wear mine to and from the gym and on occasion to the dog park. In my defense, it’s Cleveland and it’s cold. I would like to get your opinion on some other fashion “issues”. Let’s get a gentleman’s perspective on…

Leggings and the new “jeggings” (jean leggings)
Fake purses/expensive designers
Muffin Tops (do you really notice?)
Chains and studs that have made appearances as of late
These glorious Chanel tattoos that FashionFace and I will be sporting...
http://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragrance-beauty/Makeup-Accessories-LES-TROMPE-L%27OEIL-DE-CHANEL-89753


So much pressure here. Speaking for men everywhere is not easy. I knew I was getting off track. Thank you for reeling me back in. Let's see here…

Leggings- Personally, not a fan. This isn't 1982 and for an extra ten bucks you could've bought the rest of the pants. I'm guessing the reasoning is people want to wear skirts and such in the winter? Yes/no? If so, guess what... the winter isn't skirt season. Wear some pants and wait till spring.

Purses- ok, I'll admit that they're a necessary evil. I'll never understand why they have to be so expensive and they seem to be getting bigger and bigger but I have seen ones I don't mind. That being said, there are far too many gaudy and hideous ones out there and I do agree about the fake ones. If you can't afford an $800 purse that's ok, but you don't need to pretend like you can. Shopping for deals is a skill, not something to be ashamed of. If you got something awesome from Kohl's then don't shy away from that.

Muffin tops- I do notice. If you want to wear something tight, work out. Get in shape. A little vanity is ok. I like wearing tight shirts now and then so guess what I do... Go to the gym. I know I probably sound like a jerk but it is what it is. No one wants to see you wearing a tube top or showing off your midriff if it's doing just that... drifting. In fact, why not use the small clothes you want to wear as motivation? I know tons of girls who say, "I'm going to get into blah blah blah swimsuit this year" and so they bust their butts to do so. To those girls I say kudos and keep on keepin on.

Be more specific for "Chains and studs" please...remember I'm very uncool so I don't know what it means.

The tattoo one is interesting. As a big fan of tattoos, having two with a few more possibly in mind, I think they're pretty cool. Some people say their body is a temple. Mine's more of a template. I like how you can express things using ink. That being said, fashion is fleeting so putting something permanent on your body for the "spring season" is a bit unintelligent so I say good decision Goose. I think you'll pull it off well. This is hard... I feel like I'm taking a standardized test with no right answers. Ok what's next?


Some fashionistas would argue that leggings are the new denim… so, in essence, they would be wearing pants. Thoughts?

Studs:




Untitled by allegedlyfff featuring Prada bags


You’re doing fine so far…

What about shoes? The higher the better or for comfort first and foremost?


No... In essence they're wearing over the top knee high socks. I'm sure that came out wrong. Also denim is denim. This whole "Blank is the new Blank" thing needs to stop. 40s the new 30... No 30 is still 30, 40 is still 40.

Studs- Ok I see what you mean now. I guess they're ok. Nothing wrong with a little bling. SO are studs the new rhinestones? See what I did there. It's called a joke, just not a very good one.

Shoes- Again, I'm going to take a beating for this but I've got a story for every girl out there. I have a beautiful girlfriend who happens to be around 5'11 or roughly a half inch shorter then I am. This means she doesn’t get to wear heals very often because she feels awkward for being taller than me. I blame DNA. While in Vegas she decided she was going to get "super cute" shoes for the whole weekend which I completely respect. The first day she wore shoes that were just a bit too big and ended up with blisters and painful feet. Then on our 2nd night she wore heals to a concert. They weren't huge but heals nonetheless. By the end of the night her feet hurt so bad that she was walking barefoot in our hotel back to the room. Granted some drinks were involved but my question is what good is a shoe if it's going to debilitate you, regardless of how cute they are? I could write a book on how I'll never understand women's shoe choices. I honestly do get the appeal and if you can deal with it then awesome but at the end of the day I just felt bad for her because she clearly was not comfortable. All that being said a girl at the concert did tell her how cute the shoes were so I suppose it's all worth it? Ugh I'm such a boy...


At least she didn’t take them off. I have a very strict policy regarding stilettos… if you are going to wear big-girl shoes then you need to be a big girl and keep them on all night.

What about the bootie/cuffed sandal trend?

What the hell is a bootie sandal? Picture please



Untitled by allegedlyfff featuring Camilla Skovgaard shoes


THAT is not a boot. Or a bootie. Or a sandal for that matter. That looks like a ridiculously uncomfortable shoe. It's not even nice looking. Are they all like that because if so that's terrible and has no place on anyone’s foot ever.


Can you think of anything women’s fashion-wise that you would like to cover?

Earrings are kind of annoying but not nearly as thought provoking as the others... and just how long women can take to get ready but I’d get yelled at discussing that so I think we're good for now

I apologize for my complete lack of knowledge in the area. For a a much more informed fashion opinion and so much more check out goose at allegedlyfff.blogspot.com and find us on twitter!

we out!

nothin but a G thang... Meg, The real original No G

To the fifteen-ish people I’ve already told this to, I apologize. It’s quickly becoming a tradition that as a mini-bonding ritual I’ve been giving up Gluten for Lent. I started last year and have again taken on the challenge this spring. I do it for my sister Meg who was diagnosed with Celiac a couple years ago. For those of you who don’t understand those first few sentences, it’s ok. You’re part of a majority in this country. Celiac is a food allergy which causes an inability to digest gluten properly. It causes major stomach issues and, if left unchecked, can lead to stomach cancer. You’re follow up question is probably, “Wow that sounds unfortunate, but what’s Gluten? It can’t be THAT bad.” Well, it is. Gluten is basically any carb that isn’t rice or potatoes. That means no bread products, no pastas, no pizza, and no beer. (tear…)

If you’re thinking that it doesn’t sound that difficult stop and think about what you eat on a day to day basis. Say you have cereal for breakfast. Unless it’s Rice Chex (terrible by the way) you’re pretty much screwed. So that goes out the door. Oh and forget about pancakes, waffles, or toast. Lunch? Maybe you go to Subway or get fast food. Try again… No bread products or anything breaded. Snack time- Maybe you like pretzels… No. Granola? Also a no. Dinner? Well good luck because you can’t have regular pasta so I hope you don’t like Italian. Basically everything needs to be made from scratch or else odds are its got gluten in it.

If you still don’t think it sounds too difficult then let’s talk money. If you shop for yourself you know regular pastas costs roughly a dollar for a box. Gluten free products can cost up to five times as much for just about everything. Gluten free pastas, baking products, and breads do exist but they’re pricey and usually not as good. (Unless it’s Meg’s cookies…those rock!) Not to mention the fact that trying to make Gluten-free food takes so long that most nights my sister just eats rice and plain chicken. Real exciting. One good thing about doing the Gluten free diet during Lent is it almost forces you to lose weight. You really can’t help it.

I’m not asking anyone to feel sorry for me and I’m certainly not complaining. I love doing this for my sister but the fact is so few people understand what celiac is and just how much of daily life it effects. It’s not just the difficulty in finding the food that’s rough. Cross contamination is probably the most difficult part of dealing with Celiac. For example: If I use a pan to cook breaded chicken then my sister can’t use that pan because the gluten is on it. My parents always have two different butters, peanut butters, and cream cheeses because she can’t use regular ones once a knife has been used to butter bread or anything like it. It’s quite comical because everything is marked “GF”. Some restaurants have Gluten-free menus but Meg can’t even really eat there because they use the same pots and pans to cook the food. This means she usually ends up bringing her own food to restaurants if anyone ever eats out. Guess what she brings… yep, chicken and rice. Not to mention that she has to buy special make-ups and things of that nature because, they too, contain gluten.

In the end, I suppose this is more of a PSA then anything else. If you know someone who has Celiac then try to do the diet with them if only for a few days. You’ll really gain a new respect for just how much they have to adjust to this disease. Thus concludes quite possibly the first educational blog I’ve ever written. Have a great day and GO GLUTEN FREE!!!

best man out!