Where, oh where, has my bloggity blog gone?

Wow, maintaining a blog should be fairly easy when you're not working, right?! I've been doing some reading on effective blogs and posting once a month is apparently a good way to drive all of your traffic away. It appears to be working - awesome.

There is an excuse, albeit lame - the job search intensified in late April/early May. I spent hours searching for jobs, talking with recruiters, etc. After several interviews with companies of all sizes and shapes, the BIG news is that I have accepted an offer! I will be headed to work this Tuesday for Sunset Publishing Corporation (Sunset Magazine) as their VP, Finance & Business Development. Yea! It's a part of the Time Inc family, but is operated fairly independently and has the feeling of a small company. Everyone I met with was incredibly genuine, nice and seemed dedicated to the brand (sound familiar?). Website needs a little bit of work, but you can check it out here. I am pumped about the opportunity! Only thing that will suck is the 45 minute commute to Menlo Park. Ah, how I long for the days when I lived 6 blocks away from my office....

Other big news, the Dupree era is officially over! I have moved out of my friend Nathan & Sarah's basement and into a one bedroom apartment at the fabulous Avalon in SOMA. Ok, so maybe fabulous is a little bit of an overstatement. The apartment itself is a step down from my place in the Mission:
- has slightly dated carpet instead of hardwood floors
- instead of a view of the city skyline, I have a view of a courtyard that looks like it belongs in an Embassy Suites
- has only 1 bedroom vs. 2 previously, although we all know how much I used that 2nd bedroom
- no crackheads outside of my front door (makes it harder for me to obtain crack and/or friends)

However, there are SEVERAL nice features of the new pad:
- laundry IN the apartment - WHAT? I know this seems trivial for some, but this is the first time I have had this in over TEN years.
- gym, indoor basketball court, ping pong, climbing wall, pool table, hot tub....ALL onsite. WOW!
- free wifi party room on 19th floor with sweeping views...only a matter of time before we destroy this....
- concierge service - still not sure what I am supposed to do with this, but it sounds cool
- right across the street from CalTrans....which I will be using every day to get down to Sunset

All in all, a "pretty sweet deal" as William Macy says in Fargo. The neighborhood doesn't have much charm, but there are several decent restaurants within 3-4 blocks and a Safeway right across the street. I am also about 100 yards from SBC Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. Too bad they suck now! I am going to try to make a go of it without a car for awhile - we'll see how long that lasts......

As always, I found time to have some fun in the past few weeks as well. A quick summary:
- My Aunt Pam and Uncle Ed stopped by the Bay on a layover from their 3 week trip to Southeast Asia. Their request after 3 weeks of noodles and rice? A good ole fashioned 'Merican meal. AP & UE are the coolest!

- Saw The Teenagers at The Independent in April. While their album is my favorite of the year thus far, the band was not that stellar live - sometimes it just doesn't translate. I think the lead singer was saving his voice for Coachella or something. My buddy Aaron and I had fun nonetheless....


- Was at THE concert of the year this past Wednesday at the Rickshaw Stop. The Definite Articles PACKED the house and put on an amazing show at their CD release show. The band was incredibly tight and the sound was amazing (even if we were all a little blown away by Arjun's genius but extremely loud drums). Thanks to all my peeps who made the effort and came out - hope you enjoyed being a part of history. Again, for music/info, check out: http://www.myspace.com/thedefinitearticles

- Flew my brother Brianna up last weekend to participate in the most fun 'race' held annually in SF, the Bay to Breakers. My friend Shawn and I decided to reprise our role as the award-winning news team, WB2B, starring:

Michael Andrews as sexy newscaster, "Brock Mansion"

Shawn Alpay as nerdy sidekick, "Frank Salazar"

Brianna James Taylor as "Travis the kind of scary cameraguy who might kick your ass if you touch his camera one more time"

We had a ridiculously fun time. Exclusive coverage from the event will follow shortly - Brianna is feverishly working to edit over 2 hours of mostly repetitive, somewhat drunken drivel into a 15 minute piece that makes us look hilarious. More to come, but here are a few in-action shots from fans on the course:

- My final days of freedom also had a quick visit from my friend Miriam. We packed all kinds of fun stuff into 3 days: tennis, cycling to Tiburon, dinner with Dage & Jay at Perbacco and German food at Suppenkuche. Here is a shot of Miriam and my godson Jaxon. Couple of good looking kids!

Whew, another MASSIVE post. I guess that's what happens when you wait a month. Considering I am starting a new job, I'm sure the next post probably won't be in the next few days either, but keep checking in from time to time. I leave you today with an article from one of my favorite publications, The Onion. Classic!

30 Years of Man's Life Disappear in Mysterious 'Kansas Rectangle'

Ok, so I think the Kansas Jayhawks did actually win the National Championship

After more than two and a half weeks, I am finally willing to acknowledge that the victory in the National Championship was not a dream and it ACTUALLY HAPPENED. Unbelievable!!! Go Hawks!!!

So there has been much discussion/gloating/etc post-game and I thought I would share a bit of the shenanigans:

First off, a little family related celebration. From the fine publication that is the Topeka Capital Journal, a picture of my little brother Grant (see arrow) on the night of the championship:

This picture was taken in downtown Lawrence on the day of the 12 minute 'congratulations for winning the championship' parade:

This photo was taken the same day in downtown Manhattan, KS (home of the rival Kansas State Wildcats):On the scale of 1 to funny, I'd give this about a 2. But, this next video is a little better. Since Mario Chalmers hit the big 3 at the end of regulation in the National Championship, it has been referred to as "One Shining Moment". The following is a tribute to our other (and more hated) rival, the Missouri Tigers and some of their shining moments over the past few years:

Ahhhhhh.....it is a good time to be a Jayhawk.....

So there was a lot of discussion following the game regarding Roy Williams (current UNC coach and former longtime KU coach) wearing a KU Jayhawks sticker on his shirt at the National Championship game. Ok, so I can understand how UNC fans might be a little disappointed considering his UNC team 'got their tails whooped' (as he would say) 2 nights earlier. BUT, the gesture went a long way with many KU fans. This barbershop owner in Lawrence DID have a portrait of Roy in the bathroom (called it Roy's Room) until the sticker incident:

When Roy left KU 5 years ago, I was definitely bummed. I had seen him speak a couple of times and thought he was not only an amazing coach, but an amazing human being. Very humble, hard working, genuine guy. I couldn't fault him for going back to his alma mater, but I still felt a little slighted by the guy who I had worshipped for 10+ years.

It passed after a year or so and when Roy finally won his first national championship at UNC, I was happy for him. Many KU fans, however, seemed to foster a deep rooted hatred for the guy for many years. I am HOPING that this gesture will finally 'bury the hatchet' so to speak. In the meantime, we can continue to laugh at his expense. Here are some photos of Roy celebrating the victory:




Kansas Jayhawks #1. Believe it. And good thing we won it this year because our entire team just declared for the NBA draft. Peace.

Calling All Cars!

Friends, I don't ask you for much*, but I am asking for your support at an upcoming event. It's over a month away and I am going to be reminding you nearly every day until it happens, but please save the following date: Wednesday, May 21st.

A pal of mine from the old days of 2006, Shawn (aka Norm Jr. aka Grizzly Adams aka Sir Sleeps A Lot) and his band, The Definite Articles, are playing at the Rickshaw Stop. But wait, there's more! It is their CD release party....and rumor has it they will also be selling flash drives of their EP - never done before in the history of music!**

The Definite Articles have been compared to The Arcade Fire, Final Fantasy and Elvis among others and I would describe them as indie cello rock. I think the sound is really f*cking amazing but you can check it out for yourself here. Listen to "Sea Things" - it is just blowing me away right now. Beautiful melodies, transitions, progression, strings everywhere. Listen to it. Seriously. It may change your life.

I feel like this show is going to be one of those events where you will be able to tell your grandkids........"I was at the Definite Articles first CD release party." Of course, your grandkids will probably be like, "The Definite Articles? Oh man, that's OLD PEOPLE MUSIC". But, hey, screw them. I mean, what did those stupid grandkids ever do for you anyway..... ungrateful little sons of..............I digress.

Mark your calendars. Be there or......just be there.

* Unless you are Nathan and Sarah........whose house I have been squatting at for nearly 2 months. I ask them for quite a bit, like rides to the grocery store and for my allowance and stuff.

** Ok, I'm sure someone has probably already done it, but it seems like a pretty ingenious idea to me.

Laziest Bloggity Blog Ever

Sheesh maneesh. I have been horrible. The good news for the few bloggity blogs 5 regulars out there is that I will be forced for once to be brief in describing the highlights of my past 3 weeks of continued unemployment. Ah, who am I kidding? I can't be brief!!! This is going to be one long f*cking post. Might want to cancel that meeting you have this morning.....

So, in the past 3 weeks, I have...............................

Attended a Nada Surf/Sea Wolf concert at The Fillmore. Sea Wolf is one of those indie bands that just pretty much kicks a bunch of you know what. When my bro worked at musicplustv.com, he and I filmed an interview with lead singer Alex Church at the Treasure Island Music Festival. I was "associate producer" which meant I pretty much stood around and tried not to make any noise. Die hards can check out the interview here.

If you have 3 minutes and 36 seconds, check out their single, "You're a Wolf" here - one of my favorite songs of 2007. Hey, you can listen while you read! Do it. Photo from the Fillmore show:

And Nada Surf, what a great story. Thought they would be a one hit wonder (they sang that song "Popular" in the early zips), but they came back from the abyss and have produced 3 solid albums. Live show was fun - they had a lot of fan participation and even invited a few friends on stage near the end......

2 nights later, I went to see Tokyo Police Club at The Independent. Although their new music/album lacks the raw power of their previous 2 EPs, I thought they sounded great live. Especially for guys that look like they could still be in middle school. Big props to my friends Isabel and Matt who toughed it out on a Monday night to join me for the show and the MOST DELICIOUS SALADS in San Francisco at Fly Bar....seriously if you haven't had the 5 parts bacon, 1 part spinach salad, you are missing out!!!

The day before the TPC show, I attended a truly San Francisco event with my friend Gloria from Charlottesville (good timing on the visit Gloria!!!) The 8th annual Bring Your Own Big Wheel race for adults. I think the photos do most of the explaining, but in summary: 400 adults, in costumes racing down THE crookedest street in San Francisco (for all you tourists, it is not Lombard but VERMONT in Potrero Hill) while 1,000 spectators look on. Wow. Next year you can be damn sure that I will be on a big wheel.....

After my weekend of musica and big wheel fun, I headed for San Diego to hang out with my double Js friend Renee. Got to "surf" one day although I think that you call what I was doing "fall" - I blame the crappy conditions. Also put on one of the most pathetic shufflepuck performances in the history of barsports one night when out with her baby's daddy Brenton and his friends. Needless to say, I bought most of the drinks that night. Renee attempted to get me hooked on this horrible television show on Bravo (oh wait, that's redundant) called Rich Housewives of New York or something. The premise is these ridiculously spoiled socialite women who basically plan parties, play tennis and bitch about absolutely nothing. It would be worth watching if ANY OF THEM were hot. Ok, maybe not. They are complete retards.

During the weekend, I watched my Hawks play their way into the Final Four (more on that later) and attended a wine party thrown by the PDiddy of San Francisco, Lyle Poindexter (yes, this is his real name). Normally, I would think a wine party would not be my scene, but it was a blast. Maybe it was the fact that we had to try 15 different wines? While definitely feeling it, I miraculously gave a duplicated wine the same score at positions #2 and #13.....yeah, let's see YOU try that after 12 glasses of wine! Some samples from my comment sheet:

"if my grandmother were alive, she might like this wine. but, she's not. she's dead. thanks for me reminding me"

"very grapey with hints of red wine"

"this wine is so oaky it reminds me of West Virginia......which reminds me of Deliverance.....which reminds me of that scene with Ned Beatty and the hillbillies.......which......you know what, this wine sucks"

Fun times, indeed. The next week saw me travelling back to Virginia to hang out with my friend Miriam. The first time I rolled through Charlottesville, it was freezing and gray. This time, it was......um, well, exactly the same. I think there is some kind of wierd Michael Andrews/Charlottesville jinx going on. All of our outdoor activities plans (tennis, hiking, etc) were scrapped, but we did get to go to:
1) Thomas Jefferson's house (Monticello)!

2) The gift shop at Thomas Jefferson's house (I think we actually spent more time here than the actual house)!
3) Perform the musical "Singing in the Rain" starring Miriam's friend Christina as Gene Kelly!

4) Watch the Kansas Jayhawks demolish North Carolina and then Memphis! YEAH!!!!!

5) Get our picture taken by these flowers!

6) Go to the climbing wall!

7) And.....and.......and.....

Yep. Did I mention that I got to stay in the dorms again and eat at the dining hall? I had nachos, pizza, salad, cereal and 3 different types of pasta for lunch! One night, the guys and I on the floor stayed up until 4am playing video games, playing poker and rating the girls on the floor. It was awesome. Ok, there may be SOME embellishment here...

So, last but certainly not least. Kansas Jayhawks NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy CRAP!!!!!!! I still feel like it is all a dream. Except it is getting to be a really long dream. And frankly, parts of the dream have been kind of lame and unnecessary - like why would I get a cold after the game? I am just hoping it wasn't like that one season of Dallas where Bobby Ewing died, but it ended up all being in his wife's head and then he came back.

So, the main thing I will say about the Championship.......man, it takes a lot of luck to win the whole thing. We could have very easily gone home if Davidson would have made the three pointer at the end of the game OR if North Carolina would have kept their rally going in the second half of the semifinal OR if Memphis wouldn't have completely choked and missed all those free throws OR if Mario wouldn't have made that incredible three pointer at the end of regulation. Florida coach Billy Donovan said it best after his team won in 2006 - if you played the games again, you probably would get a completely different outcome. No doubt. But, I will take it. The National Championship that is. Kansas Jayhawks #1.

Whew. I've got to start updating this more often so it doesn't become such a marathon. Updates on my job search upcoming - I actually had an interview last week. WHOA.

Rock [something that rhymes with hawk] Jayhawk, Go KU.....

Wow. I am way behind on posts and need to catch up something fierce, but I had to drop by to say.......WOW. Mario Chalmers for President.

For the first time in 20 LONG years, my beloved Jayhawks have actually done the unthinkable, winning the NCAA tournament. I have woken up the past couple of days thinking that this whole past couple of weeks were just a long, detailed dream. I am starting to believe that it may not be a dream afterall......

Much more to follow, but here is a picture of some of the 75,000 people that poured into Downtown Lawrence the night of the victory:

Unbelievable.

The Madness that is March

So, apparently, there was this basketball tournament that began a couple of days ago. I stumbled upon it as I was settling in to my daily ritual of The Price is Right and The Young & Restless.

Actually, the first two days of the NCAA Tournament are always two of my favorite days of the year, trailing only Flag Day (June 14th) and Employee Legal Awareness Day (Feb 13th). I usually spend very little time actually doing any work and most of my time behind 'closed doors' taking 'important phone calls' where I never actually 'say anything' and 'yell randomly at my computer screen' all the while 'scratching my crotch'. You know the drill. It is March Madness, an American tradition of unproductiveness (yes I know this is not a word, but who made you Bin Laden).

This year, without a job, it was like being a crackhead in a........store that........ sells only crack, I guess. I think I watched like 15 different games - 4 shy of my personal record and enough to make my eyes bleed at the end of today.

And, hey, how about that action the past couple o' days? WOW. This is one of those tournaments where a gay dude who was the youngest doctor ever and knows nothing about basketball is likely leading your bracket. Glad I paid attention to all of those meaningless regular season games and the so-called expert advice as it was ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS as normal. Summary of my favorite games/stats:

- Stanford 1567, Cornell 1526 in an unbelievably nerdy showdown of SAT scores. Apparently there was also a basketball game played.

- UNC 113, Mount St. Mary's 74- I knew some guys who went to Mount St. Mary's High School and I'm not really sure that the selection committee should let high schools play in the tournament. It just doesn't seem fair.....unless one of your players is Teen Wolf.

- UT stops Austin Peay - Ironic/funny as UT is located in Austin and Peay is pronounced Pee. It reminds me of the headlines in my hometown newspaper when my high school, the Topeka High Trojans, would play the Seaman Vikings. Examples: Trojans overcome by Seaman. Seaman penetrates Trojan Defense. Trojans Block Seaman, Seaman cums all over Trojans face, etc. For the record, if Austin Peay and Oral Roberts ever make the tournament again in the same year, the selection committee would be STUPID not to set that up as a first round matchup.

- Pac 10 teams: 3-3 in the first round. The 3 teams that won will likely be gone by the second round (ok, UCLA might make it one more round). But seriously, how much is enough? I think it is time for the Pac 10 to shut down basketball operations and focus solely on football.

More action tomorrow. A big battle between former K-State coach/all around great guy Lon Kruger's UNLV Running Rebels and the top ranked Kansas Jayhawks. After upsets plagued the rest of the Midwest bracket I see an easy road to the Elite Eight for the Jayhawks..... which means they will probably find a way to completely blow it tomorrow. Prediciton: UNLV 134, KU 62.

Ok, so enough of the basketball already. I told you I was not going to turn this into a political blog, but hey, how about that Gerald Ford, huh? God he is such a jerk! Just kidding - your moment of zen is this article from the Onion on Obama. Classico.

You, Me and Bloggitybloasifasdfljk....

Ok, so I have clearly been slacking.......the bloggity blogs5 has become quite stale. I mean, how many times can you read the Irony Maiden post before you get tired of it? (answer: 4.3). Need......more.......content........

As many of you know, I have been living the tranquil, suburban life in the hills of East Bay city, El Cerrito (see above). Yes, temporarily, I have become B&T*. Here are a few quick facts:

1) El C is where bands Metallica and Creedence Clearwater Revival got their start. Rock.

2) Former KU basketball great and current Chicago Bull Drew Gooden went to El C High

3) The hills here are ridiculously steep....especially when you don't have a car

4) Everyone waves at you (or says hello) in the neighborhood - it's really creepy

5) The assembly woman for El C is named Loni Hancock. I thought that was relevant for some reason. Maybe it is because her last name is Hancock. And I have the humor of a 2nd grader.

My friends Nathan and Sarah graciously agreed to let me stay in their house for the past two weeks and have said that I can stay until I find a job.** Did you ever see that movie, "You, Me & Dupree". Yeah, well, I am pretty much Dupree.........although I have yet to have sex with a mormon librarian and/or use butter in any way other than as cover for my toast.

With the exception of trying to find a job (which is kind of sucky), life is golden. The El C house is 2 blocks away from Wildcat Canyon, which has great biking/hiking trails and views like this:

AND, there are only a 20 minute walk from BART! Oh wait, that part sucks. BUT, it has not limited me from getting out there a bit. Standout moments from the previous week:

- Two Beer Wednesday resurrected! A few of the old Jamba colleagues came out for the time honored tradition at Emervyille standby, Bar Kitty's. It was a gay old time. Check out this handsome group!!! Remember folks in the Bay Area, 2BW is EVERY Wednesday. Get out and show your support!





- The weekend saw me a) helping a friend's sister's father's cousin's half brother's uncle's farmer's daughter move out of her apartment (long story) b) eating half my weight in beef and pork products at my friend Sleepy Shawn's BBQ and c) spending my Sunday glued to the TV set watching Kansas put the smack down on Texas.......which propelled the Hawks to a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. As Dickie V would say, AWESOME BABY!

- If you are ever in Piedmont, you should really ask yourself, what the hell am I doing here and what is the quickest way to San Francisco?!?!? Actually, it is a pretty cool little enclave in the East Bay and when you are there and hungry, you HAVE to try out LoCoCo Restaurant. Seriously, some of the best Italian in the Bay Area - this place makes a mean tortellini and the pizza is top notch. Tell 'em Ingrid sent you.***

- Went to a photography exhibit tonight at the W where my friend Arlene (stage name Elizabeth) actually was a finalist in an event sponsored by 944 magazine. It was the kind of event where you see the people that are in the society pages. Arlene won an award and will get to show her work at Jack Fischer gallery. Big time awesomeness. Check out her work here. You.....go.....girl.....

So, that's pretty much life, in a nutshell, when you're not working. It doesn't suck. March Madness officially kicks off tomorrow and I can spend hours watching meaningless basketball games. Ahhhhhhh.

Per the Daily Show, here is the bloggity blogs5's moment of zen:
Kansas Woman Sits On Boyfriend's Toilet for 2 Years

* For those not 'in the know' this is a nickname for someone who can only get into the city (ie civiilization) via a bridge and/or a tunnel

** Which, at this rate, should be sometime in early 2010

*** This will get you nothing but strange looks, but do it anyway. And then punch the waiter in the groin, just for good measure.

Irony Maiden

If you have ever been to Disneyland, you have probably made the mistake of getting on the "It's a small world" ride. If you're like me, you then most likely had the song, "It's a small world, afterall" stuck in your head for the next 14 years. BUT, as much as I hated the ride (and the following 14 years of torment in my head), the message is on point - it is INDEED a very small world.

On Sunday, I went to play tennis with a girl I dated last year. We'll call her "Tina"*. Things ended on good terms and we figured out that we are better friends than whatever it was that we were. So, anyway, before we started playing, Tina told me she had started dating this new guy. Interesting, but not where the story gets interesting.

So, she told me about the guy and it was pretty standard stuff, grew up in Hawaii, went to like an ivy league school or something, walks on water, etc. Again, story still not interesting.

After tennis, Tina and I grabbed lunch and she got a text from her new guy. She was originally going to get something to take home to him, but instead he decided to join us for lunch. Finally.... we are getting somewhere in this story.......

So new guy, "Walter" shows up and we chat for a few minutes. Seems like a nice guy. I start telling some stupid story about something that happened over the holidays and mention that I'm from Kansas. THIS is where the story gets interesting. The conversation verbatim:

Walter: "Hey, wait a minute, where did you grow up in Kansas"

MCA: "In the capital city, Topeka"

Walter: "Oh, really, I lived there for a year when I was pretty young"

MCA: "How old are you again?"

Walter: "I'm 30. [Pause] Yeah, we lived on Pembroke Lane**"

MCA: "Wait a minute, WHAT? Are you f*cking serious? I lived on Pembroke Lane too. What's your last name?"

Walter: "Roth"

MCA: "Oh my god. You're not going to believe this. We grew up in the same house - my parents bought the house from your parents"

NO WAY! What are the ODDS? Unbelievable. I can't say I remember him, I just remembered a bunch of kids running around the house when we visited. I also remembered his sister because I thought she was hot at the time (I think I was 8 when we moved in). Tina clearly has a thing for dudes that lived at 1940 Pembroke Lane (see below). Geez Tina, branch out a little, would you?

Funniest part of the story is when I called my mom to tell her what had happened. I filled her in on all of the details, including one detail that I had found out after we left the restaurant - that Walter's mom is a clown. My mom busted out the comment "she is STILL a clown? wow, I can't believe it". Guess Walter's mom has been doing kids birthday parties for quite awhile.

And the CRAZIEST part of the story is that his dad is David Lee Roth, head of Van Halen! Ok, now I am just making crap up. You really had to be there to truly enjoy the stupidness, but I thought it was bloggity blogs5 worthy. Stay Sexy San Diego.

* For the record, her real name is Tina........ although if I was going to make up a name, Tina would be a good one. Famous Tinas: Turner, Yothers, Fey, a disproportionate number of porn stars, etc.

** Readers Note: this is an 8 block street in Topeka - a town of nearly 200,000 people. SO, unlike what most of you are thinking (there are only 2 roads in Topeka), it actually is a decent sized town....even if it is a dump.

This is the kind of stuff you come across when you don't have a job

So, I have to share a few hilarious things I have found on the interweb through friends over the past few weeks.

First off, if you have never seen the Sarah Silverman Show on Comedy Central, watch it....she is hilarious. She happens to be dating Jimmy Kimmel who hosts a late night show on ABC. This was a clip from one of his shows a few weeks ago. Classically funny - I'm f*cking Matt Damon.

Not to be outdone, Kimmel responds back with a little love of his own....with the help of some big names in Hollywood. I'm f*cking Ben Affleck.

Wow.

Also got this link to a blog called, Stuff White People Like today and realized, DAMN. I am as white as they get. Happy Wednesdays Crackers and Non-Crackers

This is the end, beautiful friend

I have noticed that it is impossible to get a "case of the Mondays" when you are not working. In fact, I look forward to Mondays.....and Tuesdays......and............and....... oh, how I am going to miss these times when I have to go back to work...........






On Monday evening, I rolled into Charlottesville, Virginia - the home of the University of Virginia. For the first time on my trip, I got to experience what college life is REALLY all about. Like every other school I walked around campus, saw the bell tower, etc.... but Charlottesville was special because I got to stay in the dorms!

When was the last time you were in the dorms? For me it had been awhile, not counting my dreams, where I find myself back in the dorms quite often - psychoanalysis anyone? I stayed with my friend Miriam (you may remember her from her starring role in Argentina blog entries). Miriam is essentially living for free - she only has to watch over a couple of students in exchange for free rent. Not a bad gig...... except for the "having to live with a bunch of kids in the dorms" part. Ah, it wasn't that bad.......

That night, we met up for dinner with friends made in Argentina, Gloria and Marcel. It was AWESOME to catch up with everyone and for once I did not have to feel guilty about not being able to speak Spanish! We had our reunion dinner at this Asian (I think it was billed as Thai?) place that served pizza, nachos, and I think hot dogs. Ok, maybe not hot dogs, but it was definitely an interesting form of Asian fusion. Here are the scores: Grub (4 out of 5 : believe it or not, their combos worked... best was the tuna tartare pizza); Beck (4 out of 5: cool spot, red lighting); Deluise (3 out of 5: nowhere near the BBQ, but not the healthiest Asian food I have ever eaten).

The next day while Miriam was teaching class, I either (choose your own adventure):

a) conned my way into the UVA student exercise facility and played basketball, ran, lifted weights OR

b) hung out with the other residents in the dorm, playing Xbox and poker while polishing off a case of beer and talking about the hot girls on the floor OR

c) robbed a liquor store, shot up some smack and beat up a bunch of tobacco plantation owners

Tuesday evening, Miriam cooked us all a delicious pasta meal at Gloria's groovy retro pad. Much to my chagrin, I had to say adios to the lovely Miriam on Wednesday and start the long painful drive back to Kansas. Here was a quick summary of my trip:

- West Virginia: much prettier than I thought it would be. I can also happily report that I had no 'Deliverance/Ned Beatty' incidents. Standout billboard seen: Picture of a dude in a hard hat with the saying "Coal, it's what for dinner" (or something like that... like Coal, heats our homes or something). Had a late lunch at a West Virginia staple, 'Tudor's Biscuit World'. The bacon I had in my biscuit was crisp, delicious and I'm pretty sure it was fat free.

- Kentucky: been here before and don't need to go back anytime soon. No mint juleps consumed.

- Ohio: Ate dinner in Cincinnati at Zip's Cafe, supposedly the 'best burger place in town' and one of the best 'cheap eats'. I say, 'mediocre burger' and 'might as well just eat at Wendys'. Overall, Cincinnati looked like a pretty cool town - kind of like a poor man's Chicago.

- Indiana: Stayed the night at the dumpiest Ramada Inn hotel in the tri-state area. Had breakfast at a chain called Bob Evans, where the baked goods and sausage were stupid good. Indiana overall reminded me of Kansas - flat, barren, farms, everything revolves around basketball, etc.

- Southern Illinois/Missouruh: Drove as fast as I could through these dumpy states.

And after 18 hours of driving in two days, I was back where I started.....in good ole Topeka, Kansas. Final trip stats:

- New states visited: 8 (this means I have now seen 45 of the 50 states with only Alaska, Maine, Montana, Idaho, Louisiana left!)

- Number of miles driven: 3,295 (total spent on gas $318)

- Best barbeque consumed: Memphis

- Least favorite state: Mississippi

- Total pounds gained: 5ish (would have been higher if I didn't get the flu)

- Total basketball games watched: 5

My last couple of days in Kansas were spent catching up with family and catching up on some zs. Oh, and of course I had to see ONE MORE basketball game! Saturday night, I hit up the nationally televised/hyped interstate battle between the K-State Wildcats and KU Jayhawks at MY favorite place to see a basketball game, Allen Fieldhouse. The place was electric and LOUD and revenge was definitely on the Jayhawk fans' minds as our rivals had beaten us for the first time in 23 years on their home floor a month ago. The Jayhawks did not disappoint and played one of their best games of the year, winning 88-74, despite 39 points by the Wildcats' player of the year candidate, Michael Beasley. I was extremely lucky to get into the game and I made sure that I yelled enough that I would be hoarse for the next 2 days. Post-game festivities were held at an old college haunt, Louise's Downtown with my buds Ashley and Marc. Too much fun.

Sunday, I flew into Oakland and was instantly reminded why I live in the Bay Area. 65 degrees and sunny. And then this crazy guy started chirping like a bird and looked at me like I had stolen his child or something. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, home.

Good news blog fans, until I get a job, the bloggity blogs5......must......go.....on...... more to follow soon. Word.

Man, I HATE Duke

So getting sick sucked, but it meant getting to see a game at two of the most prominent college basketball programs in the country, Duke and North Carolina. Everything happens for a reason.......

Saturday I showed up at Cameron Indoor Stadium, to see the Duke Blue Devils take on the St. John's Red Storm. The subject of much debate between KU and Duke fans, Cameron is 'supposedly' the best arena in the country to see a college basketball game (KU fans would argue that Allen Fieldhouse is #1). So, with a completely partial view, I went in with high expectations AND an extreme hatred of Duke. I was blown away.

I will only say this once and it pains me to admit it, but I have to say that Cameron IS the best place to see a basketball game in the country. Sigh. There are a few reasons that make it unique/special:
- It is a small arena... capacity is only 9,300 (compare to 16k-20k for most major program arenas) and they PACK you in - luckily no one sat next to me because otherwise I would have had to put my legs ON the person sitting in front of me.
- The facilities were completely OLD SCHOOL - built in 1940 and barely renovated since....lots of charm. The entrance I went through made it feel like I was going to church or the opera or something. Please note: I have ever been to an opera, this example was used for illustrative purposes only.
- The students (aka the Cameron Crazies) get the best seats in the house - the first 8 rows of one complete side of the arena! Most universities understandably reserve these seats for alumni with deep pockets. But, Duke's decision to give these to the students gives them a distinct home court advantage.

Since the students are practically ON the court and because the arena is so small, the cohesiveness and volume of the chants/cheers is like nothing I have ever seen.....again, I have to apologize to all of my Jayhawk comrades. Also, the Cameron Crazies are pretty damn creative for rich, white kids. Some standout things I noticed:
- When opponent's players are announced, they all say in unison (while waving): "Hi Jamal" in a real sarcastic tone
- New free throw distraction tactics that made me laugh out loud: counting down from 10 really quickly; making sexual groaning noises
- When the opponent comes on the floor, they put the 'hex' on them by pointing their arms and chanting 'uhhhhhh'........and they do it not just for 15 seconds, but for like 5 minutes straight.

It just really amazed me how pumped everybody was throughout the whole game. The game was essentially over with about 10 minutes to go in the first half and yet the crowd was still in it. They were yelling 'Defense' with 75 seconds left to go in the game and Duke up by 30. WHAT?! Incredible. Man, I hate Duke.....................

That evening I went out in Chapel Hill for delicious pizza and wine on Franklin St. with an old Jamba friend, Hannah Pask. Her dog Zeke (Nasty) unfortunately wouldn't sit still long enough, but that is a 'Tar Heels' bib that he has on. Yeah, college basketball is big in this area.



Sunday night, I saw the North Carolina Tar Heels take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wow, talk about a totally different experience. While North Carolina has a deep tradition like Duke and KU, the Dean Dome (their 22,000 seat arena) doesn't hold a candle to Cameron or Allen Fieldhouse. Sure, it was fun to see former KU coach/demi-god Roy Williams barking on the sideline and Player of the Year candidate Tyler Hansborough making some unbelievable moves, but the crowd was practically asleep at times during the game. And it's not like North Carolina plays boring basketball - Roy's teams always play a very entertaining, up-tempo game (oh, how I miss the days when Roy coached at KU). It was still a much better atmosphere than Memphis and Ole Miss, but the architecture/size of the arena makes all the difference.



Next stop: Virginia.