Hold The Ecuador
Hold the Ecuador
The Cast
Date: 25 February 2020
FILLERBUSTER’S ELEVEN
BACKGROUND: This started as a long-winded numbered blog. It transformed into an organized long-winded category blog. Now, it is a quick-hitter to ease your pain. I lack time. So, the preparation of the blog actually made me procrastinate from writing the thing. Let’s see who makes the cut. Barely edited as usual unfortunately, so please excuse any mistakes during my stream of consciousness. I feel the need…the need for speed. Let’s turn and burn.
SETTING: This is started during Lindsey’s girl’s night on Friday. Added to and finished up over the weekend and Monday and Tuesday evening as I realized I would only have time for one release because of pre-trip stuff. I am off the grid for 12 days seeing my wonderful parents for a couple days in Vero Beach, FL, and then on to the Ecuador adventure down south, so enjoy my silence. But not too much. This is written in parts, so hardly edited, some things are repeats, and just roll with it.
- EVERGREEN 1: Wilder-Fury. First of all, BEFORE the fight, getting Lennox, Iron Mike, and Evander in the ring together was cool as hell. I don’t have time for my long notes, but here are my thoughts after watching the fight bell to towel being thrown in. THAT was a clinic, folks. That was the poster child of a pure boxer against a power-shot throwing guy who can also box. It is called the sweet science for a reason. Boxers will win more than athletes with a big hook. That is what this was from the initial bell. Tyson Fury simply out-boxed, out-thought, and out-classed Wilder. Shame. I thought we were going to see a really competitive fight, with a Wilder hook bringing the big guy down in the later rounds. No. That is why they fight the fight. Wilder’s corner was odd and quiet in between rounds. Not a lot of reassurance, strategy, or pumping up. I felt like the team was confused overall and disconnected as a group. Fury even had time to do what he said before the fight that he was going to do. TASTE HIS BLOOD. There is literally a photo of Fury licking the neck of Wilder. Weird, perfectly timed, prophetic, and awesome. I came back to even after a big day of betting on hoops because of the outcome, but you can’t argue with what Fury brought to the table. The only reason the arguable decision happened in the first fight was because Wilder knocked him down. That didn’t come close to happening in this one. When you ride out on a mobile throne carried by two chicks wearing a crown, you have to back it up. Fury did. He fought like a guy who was down and out and depressed years ago and got one more shot. He fought with skills AND fire. He backed up everything he said. Props, Tyson. I was wrong about the fight, and couldn’t have been happier about the product you brought to the table. Will there be a rematch? Probably (Wilder already executed that rule and invoked the rematch clause). Do we need to see one? Probably not. Fury is better than Wilder, and I don’t need to see the big hitter go back to the drawing table to figure out how to actually outbox the giant. I saw what I needed to see on Saturday night. Sure, Wilder probably won’t walk out with a 40 lb costume that evidently got him tired BEFORE the match, but I can’t see it ending much differently.
- EVERGREEN 2: Does anyone remember a crazier free agent QB class as this? I don’t. Brady thinking about stuff. Dak turning down $30 mil. Rivers moving to FL. One domino is going to fall, and the rest will either be everyone staying with their team, or will be absolutely nuts. By the way, again, HOW do you turn down $30 mil when you haven’t won anything? Maybe Dak and Joel Embiid can hang out together thinking they are the best in the world. One way or the other, this is either going to be the most boring dominoes game ever and Dak and Brady will stand pat, or this will be a game-changing class, where the power change in the NFL will be felt throughout every division. Should be fun regardless.
- NFL: Congrats to the NFL and Jennifer King. She is the first Afro-American female assistant in the history of the NFL. The Skins don’t do anything else right, but some chicks KNOW sports. Props to the Skins on this item You might have missed it, but who is Matthew Berry? He is an ex-NFL player who has an Oscar on his mantle (do they still have those?) for his win on the short animated movie category. If Phillip Rivers doesn’t get a call, will he start cussing at the TV screen in non-cuss words? Daggonit-CALL me. Drew Brees has been good, and should ride into the sunset as he wants, but does anyone else think that a team will SCORE with either Teddy or Taysom? I do. So, AB gets kicked out of everything he has tried to do, and NOW apologizes to Ben? He is right on one thing. Ben called him out in ONE presser. Besides that, he floated passes to that guy like no one else can. They kind of needed each other in a way. Great. My team has an alleged rapist and a bipolar idiot who left (and that is not counting Mr. Bell on a jetski). The NFL is reinstating Myles Garrett, who is reinstated but still complaining about racism. Yeah. He might not swing a helmet at anyone again, but he might be Vontaze Burfict II. No. No one can own tiny dogs and be that vicious. I hope Myles goes out for drinks with Greg Robinson so the rubber can really hit the road (two different stories, very funny, and this is not a blog where I tell you everything). When Rivers left the Chargers, the Chargers announced that Tyrod Taylor might start. Yeah. THAT would inspire me to be a Charger fan again. Dog gommit. The Skins released Josh Norman, meaning they now recognize they sign players and overpay them. Wait. They just resigned AP. Nevermind. Finally. Greg Olsen followed the Jimmy Graham career path, and decided to sign with the Seahawks. Listen, it is eerily similar, but if I was a monstrous football player where people were doubting my skills post-prime, I would probably play for Pete Carroll too. I was initially against this proposed expansion plan for the NFL playoffs, but WHAT do we know? All we know is that the league is doing well, and the more football games on TV, the more people watch. Just taper back the MLB playoffs and I am happy. I think I could be Nostradamus. How could ANY of us not predict that Marshawn Lynch would NOT be in the new Westworld? Might as well have the most confusing NFL mind be in the most confusing show ever (I am going to watch it, but anyone besides Anthony Patak who tells me they follow every detail of the show’s plot is just lying-I just watch it for closure-I feel like it is a traffic jam that I am invested in where I need to know if it was an accident, an arrest, roadwork, etc.). Oh, if you choose to start watching Westworld from the beginning NOW, then good luck with all of that (Seinfeld quote). If you think the NFL combine is not exact, “concern” over Joe Burrow’s hands measuring at 9 inches was a story on Monday. Whispered side jokes probably were manufactured after this revelation. Finally, I hear the 17-game season is getting close. Don’t do it. Everything is fine as is, folks.
- COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Why would Luke Fickel leave Cincy? Might as well go have drinks with Mel Tucker if you do that. He is BUILDING something there. Too early to leave. So, check this out. Who is Eyabi Anoma? He was a five-star recruit who went to Bama. Good life, right? Wrong. He got kicked out because he was bad. Learned his lesson? Nope. Just got kicked off the HOUSTON team. That guy needs a support group. Maybe Vontaze Burfict has an Air BNB. If you wake up in the morning and want to mess with your non-favorite Ohio State fan, I guess you could bring up the recent rape by their player but then that would make YOU not cool. Don’t do that. Never mind. An ex-Auburn recruit (Anoma Story II) ended up at Eastern Kentucky. Guess what he did? He lifted a cop over his head. I already used the Vontaze joke. Twice. Dammit. Fighting back against a cop is probably not a good idea. Lifting them over your head has to advance that a level or two. Charlie Strong will join Bama as a “defensive analyst,” joining Sarkisian and basically proving that Saban doesn’t care what your record was, he just wants your mind. Plus, he is good at making up titles for ex-coaches who have been outed, whether in or out of their control.
- COLLEGE BASKETBALL: This is a long list. Speed style. Seton Hall is good. Villanova will bust your bracket. Duke-UNC always delvers. UVA almost beat Louisville, but then realized they have no offense of note near the end. Purdue won on the road in impressive fashion oddly. Michigan is starting to win. Wisconsin and Maryland should be put in a two-team bi-polar bracket and the winner gets to the tourney. I wasn’t sold on Baylor, but have watched two more games, and they play more team basketball than any version of this team in years (they lost to KU before this was posted). Gonzaga is the best team in the nation if you take every single element into play (they lost to BYU before this posted). Put Marquette into that bi-polar tourney after they destroyed Butler. MSU dropped out of the rankings, which means they will win the Big Ten tourney and confuse us all. I still like my Final Four of Dayton, Seton Hall, FSU, and Gonzaga. I have been sold on Dayton all year long, sold on FSU as the year has gone on and LOVE their depth, Gonzaga I still support as the team with the most of everything, and Seton Hall is that story where a player single-handedly carries a team to the Final Four. Plus, about Seton Hall, let’s not forget that their conference is quietly one of the most solid from top to bottom. They have a stellar record playing some teams that will be shaking up March brackets. Shaka Smart should be an assistant for a year and then come back to coaching (then he beats WVU, who again can’t win away from home cooking). Garza from Iowa could literally beat three teams in the tourney by himself-he has the whole game. Watching a big corn-fed boy like that hit three’s after posting up is depressing to other teams. Illinois is my new pick to bust your bracket. I watched them play and they are still learning, but I could see them busting out a #1 seed. Kentucky once again is learning late, and could make a run. UVA will be lucky to get in the tourney, but if they do, I would HATE to be in their part of the draw. They just simply GET BY. Creighton should just play all ranked teams on the road. They are good at that. KU is sneaky good and is now my fifth team (and now is #1 before this posts). Louisville, I think, lost a couple of games just to move to the #2 seed and stay off your radar. They can beat you in SO many ways. That is my team #6. Remember. They are still very good. I can’t figure out Wichita State for the life of me. They have the talent. I feel like I hate Indiana’s offense every single time I watch them play. CU blowing that lead against Oregon was embarrassing…more because they are an “experienced” college team. Cole Anthony is very good, but he has proven, with his maturity and injury, that he needs one more year (stealing that from my buddy, Vince). I would stay. With those four McDonald’s All American players coming in, they would be a contender immediately. UVA didn’t deserve to beat them. When you foul someone on a three and get lucky, the next three shouldn’t go, but I don’t make the rules. Shaq’s kid is transferring to LSU. Makes sense. LSU might not make the most annual noise in the tourney, but you can shine at a high-profile school and possibly get drafted. Michigan State lost to Maryland decisively, and the Langford loss at the beginning of the season we knew had an impact, but not sure we expected THIS many losses. I can’t figure out Auburn to save my life. One night, they look lights out. Other nights, such as the loss against below par Missouri, they look like they have no focus. Maybe put them in that bi-polar bracket. Now we have four teams in it. Creighton is one of the hotter teams in the nation, and mark them as a possible as buster. They beat Marquette last week, and then DESTROYED a decent Butler team on Sunday. They are too short in my opinion for a Final Four run, but they WILL take down someone big. Butler BARELY lost against one of my sweethearts, Seton Hall, before getting demolished at Creighton. How does Colorado State win 8 of 9 (or something like that) and then get pummeled at UNLV last week? Penn State lost at Illinois last week, and then lost at Indiana in Bloomington Sunday. Just when we thought their program was going to make some noise, they don’t show the same metal on the road. One of those losses, Indiana, is less surprising. Indiana, when being graded on seeding, will get a lot of credit for taking down five ranked teams this year. It doesn’t happen often. Not often at all, which is why they are Duke. But, when a blowout loss DOES occur (like at NC State last week), it is kind of fun to watch. Bill Walton and Frank Caliendo were both on the mic for the Oregon-ASU game this weekend. It was magical. To hear Frank call out Walton-isms in FRONT of Bill was hilarious and maybe a little sad for Bill. I almost fell off the couch when he started out his imitation by saying “that might have been the 7th best offensive set ever by Oregon.” You almost couldn’t tell who was talking when they just showed the game. Oh, and then Oregon lost to ASU, which is weird. KU beat Baylor as I mentioned, but I still don’t like their depth in winning six games straight. UNLV beat San Diego State. We didn’t know WHEN an SDST stumble would happen, but I think we all knew it would happen before tourney time. Finally, in a Tuesday add, if you didn’t see the FSU comeback against Louisville, than you missed out. THAT is why that team is so dangerous. You have no idea who is going to come out in that particular game and beat you. The hardest thing about coaching FSU is finding the right mix of interchangeable parts for that game. They added long range shooting this year to their height. That will be key for the stretch run.
- NBA: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist joined the Mavs. He got out of bad situation on a bad team to fun basketball with two up and coming stars in Docic and Porzingis. Good new start for a kid who was a really high draft pick with high ceiling coming out of UK. I am pretty sure everyone and their mother wants to be on the court with Luka Doncic these days. The Knicks are horrible year after year, but somehow they are still the most valuable franchise. Somehow, they still do it right on the dollars. Jimmy Butler teased, and maybe tampered with, Joel Embiid on villains coming to Miami. That being said, how would Jimmy deal with Embiid, a guy who hasn’t won anything but proclaimed himself the best basketball player in the world (of course, he goes for 49 from the time I wrote that on Friday but before I released on Tuesday)? I am pretty sure their personalities would collide. We might need to rewrite Ghostbusters about stream crossing. The All-Star Games were a hit. A big guy wins the skills, the dunk contest came down to the final dunk in overtime, Buddy Hield won the long-range contest, and the fourth quarter of the All-Star game, with all of its new rules, WORKED. I told you in the last blog to watch the first and last quarter, and that was on point. They need to make the rule that you can’t win with a free throw, but otherwise a huge success. Before the weekend, I watched the Vince Carter dunk contest from way back when. Magical stuff. When did they get an entire week, seemingly, off for the All-Star Break? I always thought it was like four days. And why do they do it later in the season every year? Do it two weeks earlier (and miss Valentines Day if it hits a weekend while you are making changes). As we head into the final run to the playoffs, I think we could get much worse choices than the Bucks-Lakers. That would have all the needed elements for a fun Finals. Think Zion isn’t for real? He is on a short list of great hoopers with multiple 30-point games in his first ten games (or at least when I wrote that on Friday). As always, my favorite hoops read of the week. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28678418/ten-things-like-including-mental-game-nba-champs The Rockets obtaining Green and Carroll makes it clear they are going to do this small-ball thing for the playoffs too. All in on the smaller lineup. John Beilein reached a settlement offer with the Cavs, and that probably is a good thing since apparently Cavs players were purposely playing in the locker room everything on their playlist with the words “thug” in them. Beilein will be a poster child (well, old man) for years of a guy who should have just recognized he was a college coach through and through. Now, he has lost Michigan, is old, and will go nowhere (except apparently be a consultant). I like the Clippers pickup of Reggie Jackson. Not sure why the Pistons ever paid the guy like a starter PG, but they did, and now he is a winning place where what is needed is exactly a serviceable backup PG, which is what he is. The Celtics-Lakers game on Sunday afternoon sure felt like a playoff atmosphere near the end. Close until the final buzzer, LeBron heroics, lots of close replays, coaches challenges, technical, etc. Kawhi Leonard was spotted in Mexico on a short vacation with his girlfriend. The kicker is this. He apparently goes on vacation and wears his OWN jersey out and about. Didn’t see that one coming. I can’t believe I come back from Ecuador WAY before the NBA playoffs begin, and the Bucks have already clinched. Earliest in 15 years. Bradley Beal did something cool right when the Kobe ceremony was being held. He became the first guy since Kobe to post two 50 point games in back to back nights. The ceremony at Staples Center was great. MJ gave a great speech and had the joke of the night about another crying meme. I loved all of the female hoopers they had speak because of his kid’s dreams of the WNBA. Sabrina Ionescu gave a great speech, flew to her game, and became the first player (men or women) to post 2k-1k-1k for her career. Impressive day. I liked Vanessa Bryant’s speech, but don’t like her suing the helicopter company. Can’t we just write some things off to MISTAKES? I am sure the pilot didn’t want to end his life on that day either. Anyway, Doc Rivers said it best. We can now get past the grieving and focus on the celebration of Kobe’s life.
- MLB: MLB is having serious talks about major playoff changes. Here is the change you should be considering. Get rid of the one game wildcard play-in after a long 162 game season. You are the one sport that survives with old rules making the sport great. It is history. Make it less teams. Four teams only. You have diluted your postseason the least of any of the sports. Keep it tight and be different. The Astros fiasco won’t go away (not saying it should yet), and Vegas has set an over-under for plunkings during the year (and they have already gotten Altuve in a freaking spring training game). It is now hip to apologize, to bring down Fiers, to talk about hitting 80 home runs if you knew the pitches that were coming, nix Little League Astros names, and have social media spats. It is all a shame, and there are other teams probably cheating to a degree without getting caught, but the bottom line is that history was changed, and the players who got close in that postseason that year are the most mad. So, bet the over or under of 83.5, and we will try and console each other as the season goes along and this story doesn’t go away.
- MISCELLANEOUS: No. I have not watched any XFL games as of yet. Not watching them, not betting on them, and will continue to ignore. Sorry. I do know that Pepper Johnson got fired after one game, and that is weird. UCONN women were blitzed by South Carolina, and although they have some incoming talent that will right the ship most likely, it is still an oddity to watch them get blown out. Kind of like the Duke thing I talked about earlier. I enjoy the crossover night for college and pros. It is refreshing to hear the experts from the other level talk through their observations from afar. And Mark Jackson didn’t destroy Bill Walton before the end of the telecast, so that is a good step. With the Coronavirus now in Italy and spreading more in China, I am still not understandings how they are pulling off the Olympics this year. I hope they can, of course. I mean, think about this. They just opened up the Macau casinos, and players couldn’t sit next to each other, had to have masks on, and had to allow random temperature checks by security. That is craziness. Hamlin won Daytona, and you of course know I don’t have much to say about the guy who turns left the best. Good job. I am going to go watch Days of Thunder or Ford Vs. Ferrari if I want racing. But, I am glad that some of the safety methods learned after Dale’s death saved Ryan Newman. Just in case you think that all is normal in the world’s sport, a soccer player was banned for 5 years…for biting an opponent’s…penis. Patrick Reed might get a lot of colleague jeers, but the dude can sure play some golf. He came back to win a contested WGC Mexico this past weekend, and was stone cold killer in the last few holes. He is a jerk, and possibly a cheater, but he got game. (I mentioned Sabrina in the NBA-Kobe section, so will skip that)
- THIS AND THAT: I was recently discussing our wedding anniversary, and my wife’s brother came up with a clever joke related to this. Don’t worry if you can’t celebrate 4/20 in Colorado by taking a couple of puffs. Because 4/22 is 4/20 “too.” Get it? Not sure how I ended up watching it late night, but Lethal Weapon 3 still sucks in comparison to the first two. Duo is a new favorite brunch place, and their iced tea is “signature batch #6 and is now ranked on my favorite iced tea’s in town (Bar Dough still leads the pack). Get the Denver Classic for brunch to eat. Delicious. Been a while since I wrote a blog, and I sucked on predicting Oscars winners this year (used to be a skill for me). My wife RAKED and should have been in some contests. Parasite won, and I have watched it since, and it is a great, cutting edge movie with subtitles, and well deserving of winning a couple of awards. I still don’t know if I would have given it the nod over 1917 this year. But, Parasite was original and had a clever ending. I get it to a point. At least we got to see Mr. Phoenix do his ramble on saving something somewhere instead of thanking everyone. Maybe he IS the character in The Joker and not really acting… Hmmm. I like Brad Pitt’s quick, clever jokes every time, and hope he wins more in the future to enjoy them. If you want something quick but tasty for brunch in the Highlands, my wife and I have started using Salt and Grinder as a go-to, even without the now no being made Rosenberg bagels (out of production/distribution). The largest ever firework was shot oddly NOT on July 4th, and I guess Colorado has a new thing to be proud of. I always still get confused about the winning dog in the Westminster Dog Show, as it never looks like a winner to me. Plus, I think poodles look dumb and would never want one. Sorry, Siba. I don’t believe in umbrellas, but apparently last Monday was National Umbrella Day. February was a big snow month for Colorado, and we get pub for WHEN it snows, but not the 70-degree weather the day after it snows. The Coronavirus is now in Italy as I mentioned, and kind of glad I am going to South American to not hear about the pandemic for a while. This will be my first time on a plane since this whole thing began, and I won’t lie that I won’t be carrying some sanitizing wipes. Sad we are at this point now. There are many laws that are weird state by state we don’t think about. Virginia JUST passed a law saying it is OK for unmarried people to have sex. OK. I didn’t realize Popeye’s was getting BIGGER, and thought it was a chain that just merely hung around. Well, it had a 42% boost in Q4, so apparently isn’t going anywhere. That jingle will continue to haunt us. “Love that chiken from Popeye’s…” The Rock’s daughter is prepping to become the first fourth generation WWE wrestler, in case you care, or think wrestling will ever go away. Nevada casinos set an all-time record for food and beverage sales in 2019, and that just goes with the trend that is now a fact. The younger demographic doesn’t gamble as much, and amenities and food are how the casinos will make money for the most part in the future. They like the “experience.” Scientists have discovered a message being sent to us from a galaxy far far away that occurs every 16 days. Not sure where I am going with that. Just reporting it. Independence Day probably WILL happen at some point, just not in our lifetime. Movers smashed a $194k piano while moving it and that sounds like a legal battle just starting. Also, makes me sad as a guy who plays the keys. Acova is my favorite new place I stumbled on. In the Highlands. Get the lobster mac and cheese or the scallops. It was discovered the biggest turtle ever had a ten-foot-wide shell. Hope I see some of them down in the Galapagos Islands in a week. Mushrooms have been designated as the “trendiest” item in the veggie aisle, and that makes me sad. Scared of them. Janet Jackson is releasing a new album, and I definitely didn’t know this was a thing. I thought she just kind of faded away into the sunset. Hops & Pie has my new favorite happy hour, with discounts on small pizzas, cheap drinks, and a craft beer of the day that is only $3. The winner of a $202 million lottery is staying anonymous, and if I won, I would do that to. It would eliminate burglars and friends suddenly calling me up, asking how I am doing. Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova just had their third child, and those are going to be some good-looking family portraits. Feral on Tennyson Street is the BEST place to buy high profile camping and outer gear without paying out the nose. We just picked up snow pants for a ridiculously low price. What is the catch? Someone, at some time in life, has worn them at least one time. Wordshop is the best place to pick up a clever card in the city. Highlands at 32nd and Meade. There is a music school up by Long’s Peak…like right by the trailhead. Get gas if you plan on attending. Nothing nearby. I rewatched Training Day last week. I remember walking out of the theater the first night, and proclaiming to anyone who would listen that Denzel WOULD win Best Actor for it. I was correct. You should watch that movie if you have missed the boat somehow on it. Office Space is still a classic in every aspect. Love his interview with the guys taking over still to this day. Oh, and of course the printer destruction. I listened to a bit by Jim Gaffigan about “rescuing a dog.” He said it is merely paying some money to take it home. He finished the bit by saying “I am now going to rescue some pizza.” That is really funny. Outsiders wasn’t exactly must-see TV, but worth watching and the last few seconds provided a twist that will keep that one going. In the Line of Fire is a classic movie that really touches on how HARD it is to keep the most important guy in the U.S. from harm. Malkovich and Eastwood were great in it. Get that Boar Scramble from Universal (38th and Federal-ish) as it is delightful as a brunch item. The new Localvore on 38th is worth going to. Marcyzk’s on crack. I love, love, love the Death Star sandwich from Cheeba Hut, which is posted on the secret menu (on the big board though). Truffle popcorn from Alamo Drafthouse allows the movie to be subpar and you to still have a great experience. The Dr. Dre Kobe tribute was pretty dope. Dr. Dre is 55 years old, and looks just as snooth and cool as ever somehow. There is a movie called The Lodge coming out soon that is apparently an old school horror movie, done the right way. Either that, or the marketing and trailer really sold me personally. Denzel’s kid has a movie coming out that looks good and just as confusing as Déjà vu and Inception. A guy robbed a store that wasn’t busy, and the two people in there were cops on a date night. Bad timing, bro. What do flat-earth people fear? Sphere itself. That is really funny too! Someone played violin while they performed brain surgery on them. I still half pass out before getting a vaccination or blood work or tattoo. Take On Me reached a billion views. Yay, the 80’s. Not sure of the sudden influx of viewers, but rock on A-HA. We finished Chernobyl. You might want to schedule watching a cartoon or the Take On Me video right after, as although the quality is great, it is very much a downer. Or watch this right after finishing it to make you laugh. https://twitter.com/HartYT_/status/1228149203261698048 The Jimmy Fallon skit about the history of Will Smith almost made me fall off the couch. One wants to make jokes about the legacy of the now deceased guy who invented cut, copy, and paste, but at least he will be known for something that is embedded in our technological culture. Impractical Jokers is making a movie. Funny show, but didn’t realize enough other people watch it to get it to this level. FNG on 32nd had an excellent restaurant week special. You should check it out. Get the mac and cheese and ham appetizer. Linds and I, travelers forever, went to the Travel & Adventure Trade Show on Sunday. Not only was it a blast to walk around at, but we bought something. $350 for a 4 day trip to Tahoe, 5 day trip to St. Martin at a resort, and a Carnival Cruise Line. We just have to fly there and back to each place/port, and have like a year or so to use them. Some would call this “forced travel.” My wife and I travel enough that we just call it an “economically sound excuse.” I got some cool beach swag from the show, so my new bracelet was my personal highlight. I love daily reminders that I would much rather be laying on a beach. Think you aren’t lazier than some out there? A guy just set the Guinness World Record for most hours in a plank position. Eight plus. The dude was 62. We are all lazy.
- THE FILLERBUSTER: I love hundreds and hundreds of things about my wife, but her love of cartoons is right up there. Ferdinand was on the other day, and we watched it and loved it for the second time. Went and saw the Floozies a week and a half ago. Probably is for the best that I don’t have bandwidth to post my party bus pics. Downer I don’t have time to post concert pics (their light show is always off the hook). And probably also for the best not going into detail about rescuing a friend from the police and missing the second set to get him home. Bless your heart, Taylor. Much love. Moving on. Retro and Matchbox were fun places to hit before we went in, but never been on a party bus that ended 45 minutes before the end of paid time, so that was weird. We were well on time for the show though. We now have a fireplace. Well, an electrical one that goes great sitting by our wall that looks like we SHOULD have a fireplace. Anyway, when I bought the thing, I thought it was just for show. The thing puts out heat TOO? Wow. Technology. Now, I can stand in front of the fireplace watching TV, similar to what I did as a kid with our real fireplace. Déjà vu. We have a new coffee table. It accidentally matches the shelves that came with the house. All kinds of accidental interior design we just did. The fact that I put both of these items together is the main reason I am writing this. Baby steps. I even used a drill. Maybe I will buy a tool belt next. I have been lacking a Widespread Panic sticker for my ride. Found a perfect one for where I am at, and keeping to my rule of NOT having it obvious that it is a Panic sticker (unless you are a fan). Anyway, “Kiss The Mountain Air We Breathe” won out. Lyrics to Surprise Valley, which they play whenever they come to Colorado. I don’t see them on the Red Rocks calendar. Kind of confused. They have the biggest run of sellouts and that will end because they won’t play??? I have a slight ear problem. Won’t be scuba diving with the hammerhead sharks with my wife in Ecuador, and have to see a specialist. Let me tell you that a self-proclaimed Aquaman gets very, very sad by being told I can’t go to the depths of the ocean. Will get that fixed. What sucks is that I forget all of the good questions to ask a doctor when I have them in the room after I start spinning when they talk about surgery. If you think I make a lot of lists without having an out of country trip on the calendar, your head would explode with the amount of lists I have around me right now. Lost another of my beloved co-workers. Onward and upward, Casey. You will be missed. Sending flowers to your wife at work because she likes Valentines Day can be cool. Those flowers not arriving in time is not cool. Dead & Co. announced their Denver dates, and they are exactly when my Montreal-Ottawa Festival present with Vance Joy and Jack Johnson is. Dammit. Carbon is a cool spot on Platte that I will visit again. Staff plays good vibe music and got great services. Forrest Room Five is a spot I can’t believe I have never been to that I will be visiting again (wood EVERYWHERE). Truffle Table was decent, but I would say their Wednesday special cheese thing is MILES above their typical daily fondue. It was kind of watery and wouldn’t recommend it. We are VERY particular about our fondue. I took her to Buffalo Rose to hear David Henning after, and it was a slam dunk as far as thoughtfulness. This was a guy she loved hearing at Mt. Vernon and who I kept in touch with to find out where his Valentines Day venue was. Boom Goes The Dynamite. Remember, I tell you all of these things, because my work says 75 times a day “if you see something, say something.” So, I am saying something. I see a lot. I love asking for “housemade hot sauce” at fancy places to see what they bring me. Enough with the Tabasco. I laugh out loud when someone tells me they just had a “strong martini.” I am not big evidently in going to a party that is for the dog’s birthday, but someone had one last weekend. Meeting Ross for a drink on Friday was stellar, but not as stellar for taking him to Grateful Gnome second because of the tunes they play in the background (Panic, Dead, Phish) and them having Built To Last, a Dead cover band, THAT night when we arrvied. My wife is not an Early Bird buyer for Southwest. I don’t get this because we spend lots of more useless $20 in life than making it so I don’t need to set an alarm 24 hours before my flight. Utopia for me is being in the groove hitting a speed bag during a boxing workout, possibly listening to Rocky or Creed music. I did that a couple times last week. Heaven. I ended up packing 14 long sleeve drifits for this trip, and I left another 8 or so at home.
- This is more like 10a/Travel. This is for my travel journal also, so just including this as a remembrance guide. My notes from my trip to Boulder, even though I have lived less than 40 minutes away for the last 20 years and only been there about 3 times to “hang out.”
- 11a.TWEET OF THE WEEK
ALTERNATE CATEGORIES THAT DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT:
- THE BEST WORKOUT SONG EVER FOR THIS WEEK (because the best song this week IS the best song ever…for now):
- QUOTE OF THE WEEK
- LINKS TO SAVE YOU TIME IN LIFE
- TRAVEL
- THIS WEEK’S LIST
- MY NUMBERS
- GONE FISHING (the riddle for money):
- PICS BY MY PIXEL (pictures from my phone):
- LIFEGUARD ENTRY:
- NHL
The theme? Game of Thrones tie-in to Ecuador. Clever, right? Hodor. Hold the Door. Hold the Ecuador. Hold the blog until I get back from Ecuador. Yup.
And our weekly reminder of the greatest sequel ever made coming out next summer… Top Gun 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epgkqPJ_bc0
Well? I have a 3am wakeup alarm for a 620am flight, so I am OUT. This is it for me until the week of March 9th (whenever I can squeeze one in after I return). Onward and upward, all. Thanks for reading and I will see you on the flip side when I return from Ecuador.
MWTILMGBDEOASMGUWGEMCDFTWBIPMFBRMBWC
That’s it for today. Hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed. Remember two things. First, feed yourself, feed your family, but always, always remember to…feed the wolf. Second, if you can’t spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker. Will I blog again? That is a CLOWN question, bro. As one shepherd said to the other shepherd, let’s get the flock out of here.
| THROW IT BACK IN THE POND |
hornets buyout MKG
| Baker worried about beanballs astros |
| JJ watt married Bahamas |
| Manfred defends Astros penalties |
| darvish says Astros should lose title |
| Tony Fernandez dies |
| devil’s Andy Greene trade |
| Manfred out of touch |
| trout wants more Astros punishment |
| tanks torres says astros cheated in 2019 too |
| jd martinez over astros bashing |
| lindor-trade rumors-wants to win in cleveland |
| lions shopping cb slay |
| fury will consider walking away once contract is up |
| altuve shows terrible tattoo after buzzer rumors |
| tomlin upset at garrett-rudolph racial spat |
| acc supports one time transfer rule |
| cards re-sign humphries |
| unc blows game late at notre daem |
| prairie-jackson post game brawl |
| India women military |
| Manfred apologizes for ws trophy piece of metal |
| LeBron tells Manfred listen to players |
| Dortmund wins first match last 16 |
| Astros fan sues team |
| trump pardons debartolo |
| koepka chatty these days hero Reed, olynpics |
| skins jordan reed cleared of protocol, will be released |
| cohen not giving up on buying mets |
| kerr-curry returning this year not a question |
| rams to promote luoto director of football ops |
| patrick reed-people saying again he cheated |
| rapper pop smoke dies home invasion |
| moldy Whoppers tactic |
| Landry browns surgery |
| Lucroy changed signs every pitch |
| big papi piles on fires after leaving astros |
| Kyrie might have shoulder surgery |
| Russia |
| Roger stone |
| fiers receiving death threats |
| westbrook tossed |
| cousins might join lakers playoff run |
Zamboni driver saves day-emergency goalie stops 6 of 8 shots
| Zamboni driver saves day |
| Astros fans get signs taken |
| cespedes aims for opening day |
| Cuban refs |
| morris will join lakers |
| fiers cheered in spring training start |
| pedroia back on IL |
| young kid wish granted bucs dies |
| osu over Texas tech |
| grown over butler |
| Baylor ou in norman |
| Dayton over vcu at vcu |
| auburn loses at uga |
| Iowa Ohio State |
| zags byu |
| Oregon zona |
| ohio state beats md |
| clippers at 76ers |
| of course embiid got booed by sixers fans |
| raptors streak ends |
| lakers nugs-jump ball swing call, lose by 4, spread 3.5 |
| Trae young 50 win |
| embiid says he is best player in world |
| Wade retirement ceremony |
| standings check |
| blues bouwmeester stable after cardiac episode |
| avs traffic mess air Force stadium |
| avs lightning |
| betts trade delay |
| joc pederson deal nixed |
| reliever mike bolsinger sues astros for august game in 2017 |
| twins marwin gonzalez regrets 2017 astros cheating |
| bregman, altuve apologize for 2017 |
| Correa Bellinger |
| two little league teams ban astros |
| Astros over under plunkings 83.5 |
| Giancarlo Stanton says 80 hrs if knew pitch |
| jon jones fight |
| stenhouse pole daytona |
| blachowicz ko’s Anderson wants jones |
| Daytona 500 postponed |
| tiger blows up third day |
| los angeles wildcats fire pepper johnson after first game, maybe lost anthony johnson |
| Baylor Kim mullet fastest to 600 |
bumgarner roping in rodeos undercover
ku back at #1
rangers shesterkin injured in crash
rangers lock up Kreider with 7 year extension
| mgm CEO stepping down |
| banning pitbull |
| Chelsea atman |
| hunters Pacino snick up on me |
| Kelley’s from mash dies |
| boy scouts bankruptcy |
| pier 1 bankruptcy |
| Eminem new album rap God records |
| mountain lion punched saves 6 yr old |
| debris found in 737 max fuel |
| Bloomberg now debating |
| Bloomberg debate |
| Germany shooting |
| trump rampage post impeachment acquittal |
| violin playing during surgery |
| macau casinos open |
| mgm hackers release private info |
| i just met you email |
| McDonald’s candles burger |
| we work in an ice box |
| linds sick |
| the ER decision, wfh day |
| stop start sleep me can’t do kids |
| bullet in work window |
| vday plans |
| all about the passbook to my wife |
| valentines day is dumb, but wife likes |
Trubisky will be bears qb in 2020
Giants open for business for #4 pick
Broncos will franchise simmons if no deal
Tom brady was deeply affected by kobe’s death
Yanks gardner protective order vs. fan
North Carolina honors viral goalie ayres
