This evening, I went to dinner with some good friends. I arrived at the restaurant after they did and when I asked at the host stand if they were there, one of their questions was, “Are you celebrating something tonight?”
As I sat through dinner with these friends and as I sit here now, that question resonated through my thoughts. “Are you celebrating something tonight?”
When it comes down to it, we are celebrating something all the time. Tonight, we celebrated good friends who don’t see each other enough, but had a lot to reveal and discuss. We celebrated a newfound honesty and trust that has always existed, but it became verbal tonight. We also celebrated Bella’s fantastic Bruschetta and a couple of glasses of good wine.
As I was driving back from West Virginia yesterday, I felt lots of emotions. Facing the pending death of my father tends to do that to me. I spent most of Saturday with my best friends from college celebrating life-long friendships and college football. Later that evening, I spent dinner time with Dad, just being there helping him eat. While he may not remember who I am on the surface, I know that deep down, he still knows me. I celebrate that. Then my mother and I had our own dinner with one of our best family friends and shared lots of laughs, stories, and good times. More celebration.
During our staff meeting at the Symphony this morning, we celebrated a successful end of the fiscal year, welcoming a colleague back from maternity leave, and a wonderful start to the new season. We celebrated a cancelled meeting that gave us all a few more minutes at our desks. Even when we have tough conversations and face difficult challenges, there is always a reason to be thankful.
We celebrate the Colts winning a Superbowl, even just a regular season game. We celebrate the Pacers not starting another fight and not recruiting another bunch of thugs. We celebrate the Indians for what is one of the best summer outings in all of Indiana, an all-American baseball game. I celebrate the fact that the BCS didn’t drop the Mountaineers another spot in the poll, even though we decided not to run up the score on an unfortunate opponent.
Birthdays, weddings, commitment ceremonies, anniversaries, births—all causes for celebration. And all things that we seemingly take for granted. Yet, we gather as families, as friends, as colleagues, as one to share in a few moments of pleasure.
“Are you celebrating something tonight?”
Each day gives us something new to celebrate, even if it just getting up to face another day. Heck, it could even be celebrating that delicious pumpkin-spice latte from Starbucks, which is the inevitable sign that holiday cups are just around the corner. That is enough to put a smile on my face!
I guess what I wanted to say to the gal at the host stand is, “Yes, we are celebrating something tonight. Would you like to celebrate with us?”
Be well, friends. And let’s celebrate something, anything, anytime, but let’s make it soon!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
College Football
Buzz Buzz!!
Snort
Buzz!!
Damn it!
Buzz Buzz!!
Smack!!
ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!
That’s the sound of the alarm going off at 6am on a Fall Saturday morning all across the greater Morgantown area, as fans wake up from a solemn (and in some cases alcohol induced) slumber in preparation of another day of Mountaineer Football.
On game days, Morgantown becomes the largest city in West Virginia as 60,000 plus students and fans and thousands more tailgaters converge on parking lots all across campus to begin the age-old tradition of pregame partying. Grills are lit, flags are flown, beer and drinks are iced down, and a sea of gold and blue take over the city waiting in anxious anticipation for those famed words “Let’s Bring on the Mountaineers.”
Stereos start blaring the sounds of John Denver’s “Country Roads,” which has become the state anthem. Recordings of the fight song, the alma mater, and other WVU pregame songs are played, until we’ve had enough and various other rock, country, and hip hop tunes take over the airwaves.
Some fans have been in the parking lots since the evening before when they could drive their campers and RVs into spaces which they have paid dearly for and some have kept for years. Many of these same fans have yet to close their eyes for even a little nap. That is the sign of a die-hard tailgater…or someone who is trying to relive those precious college years.
Over the course of the next five or six hours, since kick off isn’t until 12:15, beers will be shotgunned, bonged, and even sipped. The occasional bloody mary makes an appearance and many “handles” of “The Captain,” Crown Royal, and some other suspect clear liquids are passed around to hesitating stomachs. All told, some could say that Morgantown becomes the largest liquor and beer retailer on the East Coast on these Saturdays.
A group of 15-20 of my fraternity brothers, spouses, and friends all gather at the designated time and in our designated spot to start our own tradition. The canopy tents go up. Someone brings snacks; someone else brings donuts; pepperoni rolls might show up; sometimes a bucket of cold KFC; burgers and hotdogs come out of packages; and during hunting season, various deer-meats are thrown onto the grill. Everyone is required to bring a 30 pack of Miller Lite. No questions asked. We just do it. And somehow, it always gets drank.
What I enjoy the most about this time of the year is that for five or six weekends, I get to see my best friends from college and we get to relive the glory days. Or at least, we try to relive the glory days. We are introduced to girlfriends, who then become fiancés, who become wives, and before we know it, future Mountaineer fans are brought into this world. Recently, we’ve welcomed Grant Simms and Grant Stansbury into our lives.
That is what Mountaineer Football is really all about. A family. No matter how much time passes or what the distance is between all of us, four quarters of a pig skin being thrown around the field brings us all together. We drop whatever we have going on in our lives and head to Morgantown and life becomes good, again.
We make friends with the tailgaters next to us and the people walking down the street into the game. We heckle the opposing fans as they cheer and taunt, but then drink a beer with them after they lose. We stand shoulder to shoulder in the stadium and sing every word of the Alma Mater, the Fight Song, and the Star Spangled Banner. We echo the response to the famous "Let's Go..." "....Mountaineers!" cheer.
We laugh; we tease; we joke; we argue; we cry.
But, most importantly, we remember the good memories of the past and we celebrate what the future holds—many more seasons of good football teams, good parking spots, and great friends!
Be well, friends. Let’s Bring on the Mountaineers!
Snort
Buzz!!
Damn it!
Buzz Buzz!!
Smack!!
ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!
That’s the sound of the alarm going off at 6am on a Fall Saturday morning all across the greater Morgantown area, as fans wake up from a solemn (and in some cases alcohol induced) slumber in preparation of another day of Mountaineer Football.
On game days, Morgantown becomes the largest city in West Virginia as 60,000 plus students and fans and thousands more tailgaters converge on parking lots all across campus to begin the age-old tradition of pregame partying. Grills are lit, flags are flown, beer and drinks are iced down, and a sea of gold and blue take over the city waiting in anxious anticipation for those famed words “Let’s Bring on the Mountaineers.”
Stereos start blaring the sounds of John Denver’s “Country Roads,” which has become the state anthem. Recordings of the fight song, the alma mater, and other WVU pregame songs are played, until we’ve had enough and various other rock, country, and hip hop tunes take over the airwaves.
Some fans have been in the parking lots since the evening before when they could drive their campers and RVs into spaces which they have paid dearly for and some have kept for years. Many of these same fans have yet to close their eyes for even a little nap. That is the sign of a die-hard tailgater…or someone who is trying to relive those precious college years.
Over the course of the next five or six hours, since kick off isn’t until 12:15, beers will be shotgunned, bonged, and even sipped. The occasional bloody mary makes an appearance and many “handles” of “The Captain,” Crown Royal, and some other suspect clear liquids are passed around to hesitating stomachs. All told, some could say that Morgantown becomes the largest liquor and beer retailer on the East Coast on these Saturdays.
A group of 15-20 of my fraternity brothers, spouses, and friends all gather at the designated time and in our designated spot to start our own tradition. The canopy tents go up. Someone brings snacks; someone else brings donuts; pepperoni rolls might show up; sometimes a bucket of cold KFC; burgers and hotdogs come out of packages; and during hunting season, various deer-meats are thrown onto the grill. Everyone is required to bring a 30 pack of Miller Lite. No questions asked. We just do it. And somehow, it always gets drank.
What I enjoy the most about this time of the year is that for five or six weekends, I get to see my best friends from college and we get to relive the glory days. Or at least, we try to relive the glory days. We are introduced to girlfriends, who then become fiancés, who become wives, and before we know it, future Mountaineer fans are brought into this world. Recently, we’ve welcomed Grant Simms and Grant Stansbury into our lives.
That is what Mountaineer Football is really all about. A family. No matter how much time passes or what the distance is between all of us, four quarters of a pig skin being thrown around the field brings us all together. We drop whatever we have going on in our lives and head to Morgantown and life becomes good, again.
We make friends with the tailgaters next to us and the people walking down the street into the game. We heckle the opposing fans as they cheer and taunt, but then drink a beer with them after they lose. We stand shoulder to shoulder in the stadium and sing every word of the Alma Mater, the Fight Song, and the Star Spangled Banner. We echo the response to the famous "Let's Go..." "....Mountaineers!" cheer.
We laugh; we tease; we joke; we argue; we cry.
But, most importantly, we remember the good memories of the past and we celebrate what the future holds—many more seasons of good football teams, good parking spots, and great friends!
Be well, friends. Let’s Bring on the Mountaineers!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Music on the Run
People question why I always must run with my iPod and my music. I have even been chastised for not paying attention, but listening to music, instead. But, the reality is that music is what gives me motivation to keep running. The more I hear the beat of a tune, the less likely I am to pay attention to the pain in my legs, the heavy breathing, the sweat, the pain in the butt, the reminder that I didn’t get enough sleep last night, the intensity of the workout. Geesh, sounds like sex, doesn’t it?!? Can you see why I run now?!?
Besides, music has always been a huge part of my life.
But, when the pulsating rhythms of Kevin Aviance’s “Give It Up” are in my ears, I just can’t stop. “Baby you can flip me, dip me, know just when to lick me.” I mean, come on, does it get any better than that?
Not every song has to be techno-based. Something like Ryan Adams’ “La Cienega Just Smiled” and Josh Rouse’s “Quiet Town” have lyrics that take me to another place. I vividly remember a drive through Idaho not too long ago when I was so amazed with the landscape that I had to stop four or five times just to take pictures. And it also reminds me of running on country roads in all parts of Indiana, watching the corn grow.
They remind me of people and events that have impacted my life and my running. Shawn Colvin sings “Fill me up, fill me up, I’m a long way from home and I don’t have a lot to say…And I know where you live. And I know who you are. Don’t get too close. Don’t go too far.”
I was recently challenging a good friend to run with me. Of course, his excuse was that he liked to zone out and run with music and forget the world. He also says that he is more of a treadmill runner. I think he is just scared to face the challenge, but how can I argue with his reasoning? On a recent not-so-good run, I started to doubt myself, but just stopped for a minute, flipped to a few new songs, and found some new energy. Maybe his excuse is valid…except for the treadmill part.
Mika talks about being Grace Kelly and getting someone to like him in one song, but in another tells me to relax and take it easy. Anything that Pete Yorn sings is sweet music to my ears, especially when he sings “it’s got me out of my head and I don’t know what I came for, but I want you to know…” Bon Jovi reminds me in “Livin on a Prayer” that I am halfway there. Trust me, when someone says that you’ve already ran 7 miles and you are halfway there, it is motivating. I can turn around and go home to a nice cold beer and…we’ll leave it at that.
I run so that I can escape the day that I’ve had or the day that is looming. I run so that I can remember long drives of the past and longer drives in the future. I run to remember good friends and even better conversations. I run to meet new friends along the way. I run to enjoy the scenery…of a new city…of nature…of beautiful people. I run to remember who I am and where I am going.
So the next time you see me out running, stop me and ask me what’s playing right now. I will be glad to stop and chat and share the tune with you, but mostly because I will just be glad to stop for a minute!
Be well friends!
Besides, music has always been a huge part of my life.
But, when the pulsating rhythms of Kevin Aviance’s “Give It Up” are in my ears, I just can’t stop. “Baby you can flip me, dip me, know just when to lick me.” I mean, come on, does it get any better than that?
Not every song has to be techno-based. Something like Ryan Adams’ “La Cienega Just Smiled” and Josh Rouse’s “Quiet Town” have lyrics that take me to another place. I vividly remember a drive through Idaho not too long ago when I was so amazed with the landscape that I had to stop four or five times just to take pictures. And it also reminds me of running on country roads in all parts of Indiana, watching the corn grow.
They remind me of people and events that have impacted my life and my running. Shawn Colvin sings “Fill me up, fill me up, I’m a long way from home and I don’t have a lot to say…And I know where you live. And I know who you are. Don’t get too close. Don’t go too far.”
I was recently challenging a good friend to run with me. Of course, his excuse was that he liked to zone out and run with music and forget the world. He also says that he is more of a treadmill runner. I think he is just scared to face the challenge, but how can I argue with his reasoning? On a recent not-so-good run, I started to doubt myself, but just stopped for a minute, flipped to a few new songs, and found some new energy. Maybe his excuse is valid…except for the treadmill part.
Mika talks about being Grace Kelly and getting someone to like him in one song, but in another tells me to relax and take it easy. Anything that Pete Yorn sings is sweet music to my ears, especially when he sings “it’s got me out of my head and I don’t know what I came for, but I want you to know…” Bon Jovi reminds me in “Livin on a Prayer” that I am halfway there. Trust me, when someone says that you’ve already ran 7 miles and you are halfway there, it is motivating. I can turn around and go home to a nice cold beer and…we’ll leave it at that.
I run so that I can escape the day that I’ve had or the day that is looming. I run so that I can remember long drives of the past and longer drives in the future. I run to remember good friends and even better conversations. I run to meet new friends along the way. I run to enjoy the scenery…of a new city…of nature…of beautiful people. I run to remember who I am and where I am going.
So the next time you see me out running, stop me and ask me what’s playing right now. I will be glad to stop and chat and share the tune with you, but mostly because I will just be glad to stop for a minute!
Be well friends!
The Sleep Number
Each day that we choose to get out of bed, we are faced with new sets of challenges. No matter what the previous day presented to us and no matter the carry over, there is always something different that stares us down.
Take for instance, my current state of flux. Maybe flux isn’t the right word to use, since I am quite enjoying my time at the Renner Ranch, but even so, I know it isn’t and can’t be permanent. I realize that I am welcome to stay as long as I need, but there is still a desire to find my own space to call my own and find new challenges. I will say that living here has made me appreciate a new sense of relaxation and taking things just one day at a time—as life hands them to us. For that, I am eternally grateful to Joe and Kathy.
My tremendous friend Rosemary and I shared an incredible weekend together. We were able to catch up, spend some great times together, and share an awful lot of laughs. She reminded me that facing certain challenges (like a lack of water at a huge gala event) is something that can be quickly overcome. Even tough conversations that have been looming over our heads for years aren’t quite as difficult when you can look at someone over a cup of granola and just be honest. For that, I am eternally grateful, as well.
I know, too serious. So I get to the point of this diatribe.
Rosemary and I were wandering around the mall killing some time before we had to get ready for our big outing when we passed the Sleep Number store. I told her that my roomies have a wonderful Sleep Number bed and my new good friend Tanya and her husband recently invested in one as well. So, we decided to just drop in and see what the current pitch of the week happens to be. Off we go, arm-in-arm, ready to accept the challenge.
We proceed to chat up the sales associate and talk about our sleeping habits, both of us stomach sleepers, and our current bedding situation. We do a great job of playing their game and quickly the sales associate begins to refer to us as husband and wife. As a matter of fact, in the quotes she gave me, she refers to us as so. I am a 40 and Ro is a 35. A perfect match, the associate says.
For over an hour, we try out each of their models, the simple bed that just does it’s job; the pillow top middle-of-the-road model that is obviously their best seller; the bed with a little more padding, and then….THE CADILLAC OF MATTRESSES! Sweet pillow top, with incredible padding, amazing inflateability with a super quiet motor, and a price tag that rivals some used cars. Up and down, this one is great, this one stinks, this one should make me breakfast and a happy ending.
The associate just doesn’t know what to say about us and can’t really figure it out, but we put on a great show. At one point, we are lounging on the bed in the front of the store and we notice a group of people staring at us from outside. They are just laughing. We wave, smile, and yell to them that they MUST come and try this place out.
We walked out of the store with some prices in hand and the agreement that we did a sufficient job of confusing the store and everyone who walked through it’s doors. It was great. But, I couldn’t stop thinking about the sleep number bed. I even dreamt about it.
Two days later I went and bought one. Yes, I succumbed to the pressure. It will be delivered to my new address in October. And I can’t wait!
Be well friends. Here’s to sleeping well and with someone that you enjoy!
Take for instance, my current state of flux. Maybe flux isn’t the right word to use, since I am quite enjoying my time at the Renner Ranch, but even so, I know it isn’t and can’t be permanent. I realize that I am welcome to stay as long as I need, but there is still a desire to find my own space to call my own and find new challenges. I will say that living here has made me appreciate a new sense of relaxation and taking things just one day at a time—as life hands them to us. For that, I am eternally grateful to Joe and Kathy.
My tremendous friend Rosemary and I shared an incredible weekend together. We were able to catch up, spend some great times together, and share an awful lot of laughs. She reminded me that facing certain challenges (like a lack of water at a huge gala event) is something that can be quickly overcome. Even tough conversations that have been looming over our heads for years aren’t quite as difficult when you can look at someone over a cup of granola and just be honest. For that, I am eternally grateful, as well.
I know, too serious. So I get to the point of this diatribe.
Rosemary and I were wandering around the mall killing some time before we had to get ready for our big outing when we passed the Sleep Number store. I told her that my roomies have a wonderful Sleep Number bed and my new good friend Tanya and her husband recently invested in one as well. So, we decided to just drop in and see what the current pitch of the week happens to be. Off we go, arm-in-arm, ready to accept the challenge.
We proceed to chat up the sales associate and talk about our sleeping habits, both of us stomach sleepers, and our current bedding situation. We do a great job of playing their game and quickly the sales associate begins to refer to us as husband and wife. As a matter of fact, in the quotes she gave me, she refers to us as so. I am a 40 and Ro is a 35. A perfect match, the associate says.
For over an hour, we try out each of their models, the simple bed that just does it’s job; the pillow top middle-of-the-road model that is obviously their best seller; the bed with a little more padding, and then….THE CADILLAC OF MATTRESSES! Sweet pillow top, with incredible padding, amazing inflateability with a super quiet motor, and a price tag that rivals some used cars. Up and down, this one is great, this one stinks, this one should make me breakfast and a happy ending.
The associate just doesn’t know what to say about us and can’t really figure it out, but we put on a great show. At one point, we are lounging on the bed in the front of the store and we notice a group of people staring at us from outside. They are just laughing. We wave, smile, and yell to them that they MUST come and try this place out.
We walked out of the store with some prices in hand and the agreement that we did a sufficient job of confusing the store and everyone who walked through it’s doors. It was great. But, I couldn’t stop thinking about the sleep number bed. I even dreamt about it.
Two days later I went and bought one. Yes, I succumbed to the pressure. It will be delivered to my new address in October. And I can’t wait!
Be well friends. Here’s to sleeping well and with someone that you enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)