This summer my aunt that lives in Virginia got remarried to her long time boy friend it a small and simple ceremony. RG and I were more than happy to attend. However after all our expenses of the last year getting RG back home and dealing with immigration we didn’t have a lot of funds to fly out there, rent a car, and so on. However I found I could fly RG down to Arkansas and we could use the company car to drive to VA. While this only saves about 3 hours driving from MN it did help in that we had a much more fuel efficient car. So that is what we did. Between my project site and the wedding was Memphis. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to spend a day or two there I figured a nice break would be to go to Elvis’s house – Graceland. It’s just one of those things I wanted to see because so many are so fanatical about the place.
So we went. And it was defiantly worth the stop. To start Graceland is no longer just the house that Elvis lived in, it is an entire attraction. The main attraction of course is the house, but beyond that there were the grounds, an Elvis car museum, an Elvis in the movies museum, Elvis’s two private jets, and several other museums. It was actually quite impressive. Nearly three quarters of a million people a year visit Graceland and tours run every half hour from eight in morning all day. Though it is funny that at the end of every exhibit is another gift shop – in fact there were more gift shops than museums on the grounds. The all pretty much had the same stuff in them.
So we paid for our tickets and went straight to the main attraction. What is crazy is that the house itself is not really that large. Plenty of people I know have houses that are similar in size or even bigger. It certainly isn’t a mansion by any means. But it is an estate. Besides the house there is quite a bit of land, a pool house, a Racquetball facility, a stable, a small office in an out building, and tranquility garden, and of course it walled, fenced, and gated. The main house is also straight out of the 60s and 70s. There are gold laced mirrors everywhere, shag carpet, great brass chandeliers, and crazy furniture. Also Elvis has either his initials or his symbol (the lightning bolt with TCB – Taking Care of Business) on everything. You are only allowed on the first floor for 2 reasons. 1.) Elvis never let anyone but family upstairs and 2.) It wouldn’t pass code without major structural changes ruining the house.
So there are three rooms that stand out. First the kitchen because of its state of the 1970s art that in their day were really fancy and expensive harvest gold appliances. It was also staffed 24 hours in case anyone in the house was hungry and doubled as a security station as all the surveillance cameras have their monitors here. Next the TV room in the basement. Here he had a bar and a lot furniture all situated around 3 TVs. One for each channel! He had heard that this is what the president had and he wanted it too. Finally he has created a jungle room. This was the last room that had been renovated a few years before he died and he recorded some of his last work there. The room had shag carpet everywhere including the ceiling. It has a water fall on one wall and huge chairs carved out of wood that resemble African animals. It was something else.
I won’t go through everything there is to see but I will say the other 2 places I found most interesting were the 2 private jets and the car museum. Though I have to say a lot of Elvis’s cars from the 70s were ugly even if they were worth so much money. The planes were something else. One is a normal executive jet and the other is an actual full size airliner that has been heavily modified. They were just as crazy as the house itself inside. All done up in Elvis’s favorite colors and made to be homes in the sky I guess. Overall we spent about 3 hours at Graceland. I think this was just enough. There was more to read, more to see, and probably an exhibit or two that we missed. But I have to say we were Elvised out. But I certainly say it was worth the stop if you were in the area. I even think RG liked it though she is not a fan of the man.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Minor League Ball is the Best – Even if it rains
Recently I created a survey for people to take to see how much they knew about me. I know kinda lame but it was a good waste of time anyway. One of the questions I guess was a little tricky. It was “What sport do you like watching most on Television”. The Television part is what makes it tricky. I like watching football most on television. But most people answered baseball. This was a good guess. While I find football more fun to watch on TV, baseball is by far the sport I like best and I love going to baseball games. Personally I feel like the funnest games to go to are minor league games. While the pro games have a higher level of play they seem a little more sterile. All you really get is the game. The minor league games put more emphasis on the fun rather than the sport and this makes the games a lot more fun.
I have been able to see many different teams in many different stadiums across the country. The Saint Paul Saints, the Mud Dogs in Lincoln, the ICubs in Des Moines, the Dayton Dragons, and most recently the Arkansas Naturals. Who I thought were named after the lead character form The Natural a baseball movie from the eights but are actually named after the state’s nick name of The Natural State. The Naturals play in a stadium that is quite literally in the middle of farm land. It is 10 minutes or so out site of Fayetteville. The stadium itself is quite nice and modern. It is the only minor league stadium I have been to with executive boxes. My guess this money came from Tyson, Daisy, and Wal-Mart. However I think that most people would be surprised to about the number of large companies that exist in Northwest Arkansas.
Of course the Natural’s lost to some Oklahoma team but the game was fun. Between innings we were treated to a bunch of ridiculous entertainment. Including a guy that dressed up like Michael Jackson and using some long poles attached four Michael Jackson mannequins so that when he moves they make identical moves. Every couple of innings he would come out and do a different MJ song and dance routine, it was hilarious. Other entertainment included a tricycle race, kids dressing up like Sponge Bob, and other creative contests. I got to chow down on the usual ball park food of hot dogs and beer. However there was also the addition of great garlic fries that had the side affect of some killer breath that lasted a couple of days.
The game was ok. Not a ton of action. The other team pretty much just walked all over the Naturals. There was high hope in the 7th when a rally start to take shape but it was quickly squashed. The weather wasn’t the greatest either. Initially just windy and cool we ended up sitting several innings in a misty rain. I thought it funny because it was certainly not the worst weather but certainly not the best and while most of the client resources that went to the games stayed for most of the game I was the only consultant that stayed as long. The rest of my team left after maybe only 5 innings. Oh well it was their loss because most the excitement was in those later innings. Plus the rain didn’t of set the fun of the game. I will certain try to get there again before I am off this project.
I have been able to see many different teams in many different stadiums across the country. The Saint Paul Saints, the Mud Dogs in Lincoln, the ICubs in Des Moines, the Dayton Dragons, and most recently the Arkansas Naturals. Who I thought were named after the lead character form The Natural a baseball movie from the eights but are actually named after the state’s nick name of The Natural State. The Naturals play in a stadium that is quite literally in the middle of farm land. It is 10 minutes or so out site of Fayetteville. The stadium itself is quite nice and modern. It is the only minor league stadium I have been to with executive boxes. My guess this money came from Tyson, Daisy, and Wal-Mart. However I think that most people would be surprised to about the number of large companies that exist in Northwest Arkansas.
Of course the Natural’s lost to some Oklahoma team but the game was fun. Between innings we were treated to a bunch of ridiculous entertainment. Including a guy that dressed up like Michael Jackson and using some long poles attached four Michael Jackson mannequins so that when he moves they make identical moves. Every couple of innings he would come out and do a different MJ song and dance routine, it was hilarious. Other entertainment included a tricycle race, kids dressing up like Sponge Bob, and other creative contests. I got to chow down on the usual ball park food of hot dogs and beer. However there was also the addition of great garlic fries that had the side affect of some killer breath that lasted a couple of days.
The game was ok. Not a ton of action. The other team pretty much just walked all over the Naturals. There was high hope in the 7th when a rally start to take shape but it was quickly squashed. The weather wasn’t the greatest either. Initially just windy and cool we ended up sitting several innings in a misty rain. I thought it funny because it was certainly not the worst weather but certainly not the best and while most of the client resources that went to the games stayed for most of the game I was the only consultant that stayed as long. The rest of my team left after maybe only 5 innings. Oh well it was their loss because most the excitement was in those later innings. Plus the rain didn’t of set the fun of the game. I will certain try to get there again before I am off this project.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Great Wedding
It always amazes me how much people’s personalities can come out in their weddings. Though a lot of wedding can also be a kind of cookie cutter affairs with personality; Ceremony in a church, reception in a hotel, with the biggest being decision having been made over which DJ to hire. Though depending on how much money the couple has to spend you can replace the hotel with the American Legion, Private Club Room, country club, or other venue. But some people do things differently. Or add their own twists allowing their personalities to show through and transform the whole event.
I hope our wedding was one that stands out as we had the whole thing in an old mansion with a late night after bar at our home that included some great home brew. But I have been to a few others that stand out. One had the reception at the Zoo that was pretty interesting. Another was on shores of Lake Isanti in the summer and even though I was in a long sleeve, shirt, tie, and long black pant -- with the weather being in 90s and the sun beating down on us – it was unique and interesting. Most recently we went to a wedding in Pittsburg that was an absolute riot. Both the wedding and reception were on a Paddle boat that travels the three rivers surrounding the city. The ceremony was on the top deck of the boat shortly before sunset and the weather was perfect. I have to admit this was the third wedding I have attended on a river boat. I think they are a great venue for sure, especially when the weather cooperates.
This wedding was a little more different thought. It was between a friend I had met on my first project with my firm and his long term girl friend. We were both analysts and in the similar boat not having a clue what we were doing. Stranded in the middle of Ohio we found ways to get in trouble and have good time anyway including staying the weekend and heading to West VA for some cave exploring and white water rafting. RG got to meet him when we took an alternate travel trip to Cedar Rapids, and again when he came out to our wedding. One thing I can say about MS is that he has quite the sense of humor. It is a little out there. What surprised even more is that his wife’s sense of humor is very similar and they really do have their own style – even it is a little eccentric.
The wedding between these friends was incredibly fun. Their personalities really drove the atmosphere. Of course being in Pittsburg we got regular updates on the penguins games before and after the ceremony, in fact we new the score at regular intervals until the game was over. The team colors were also being worn by ½ the guests. Working in technology MS has some interest that border on the nerdy side and his wife seems to share these. Many of the music choices, dances, and toasts were really reflected by these things. In fact the cake cutting was done to song Eat It by Weird Al and the first dance was to the song Grow Old With You from the movie and play “The Wedding Singer” it was quite funny. Of course we danced to the YMCA, Electric Slide, plenty of 70s music and other eclectic music it was very fun. This wedding was unique because of how much personality was put into and we really enjoyed being a part of it.
I hope our wedding was one that stands out as we had the whole thing in an old mansion with a late night after bar at our home that included some great home brew. But I have been to a few others that stand out. One had the reception at the Zoo that was pretty interesting. Another was on shores of Lake Isanti in the summer and even though I was in a long sleeve, shirt, tie, and long black pant -- with the weather being in 90s and the sun beating down on us – it was unique and interesting. Most recently we went to a wedding in Pittsburg that was an absolute riot. Both the wedding and reception were on a Paddle boat that travels the three rivers surrounding the city. The ceremony was on the top deck of the boat shortly before sunset and the weather was perfect. I have to admit this was the third wedding I have attended on a river boat. I think they are a great venue for sure, especially when the weather cooperates.
This wedding was a little more different thought. It was between a friend I had met on my first project with my firm and his long term girl friend. We were both analysts and in the similar boat not having a clue what we were doing. Stranded in the middle of Ohio we found ways to get in trouble and have good time anyway including staying the weekend and heading to West VA for some cave exploring and white water rafting. RG got to meet him when we took an alternate travel trip to Cedar Rapids, and again when he came out to our wedding. One thing I can say about MS is that he has quite the sense of humor. It is a little out there. What surprised even more is that his wife’s sense of humor is very similar and they really do have their own style – even it is a little eccentric.
The wedding between these friends was incredibly fun. Their personalities really drove the atmosphere. Of course being in Pittsburg we got regular updates on the penguins games before and after the ceremony, in fact we new the score at regular intervals until the game was over. The team colors were also being worn by ½ the guests. Working in technology MS has some interest that border on the nerdy side and his wife seems to share these. Many of the music choices, dances, and toasts were really reflected by these things. In fact the cake cutting was done to song Eat It by Weird Al and the first dance was to the song Grow Old With You from the movie and play “The Wedding Singer” it was quite funny. Of course we danced to the YMCA, Electric Slide, plenty of 70s music and other eclectic music it was very fun. This wedding was unique because of how much personality was put into and we really enjoyed being a part of it.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Interesting visit from the police
Well I have only had maybe 3 visits from the police in my life at my home. Once when I was 19 for a party that was a little loud when I lived in an apartment in Bloomington (no citations were given we were just requested to keep it down), once when they drove by a party at my house (again no citations was just asked to keep the noise down and people inside if possible as it was getting late no complaint had been called in), and then a couple of weeks ago when we called them. The first two I think is pretty normal stuff; the last one was a little strange. I was out in the yard one Saturday with RG and I noticed what at first glance looked like a small duffel bag next to our air conditioner. I asked RG about it and she said it wasn’t there a couple of days earlier when she was working in the yard. So I picked it up, laid the tail gate to my truck down to use as a table, and preceded to see what was in the bag.
The bag actually turned out to be a green camera bag with a ton of small pockets and compartments. I looked through the external ones and found some latex gloves and wet wipes. Interesting. So I opened the main compartment. The first thing I saw was a small neoprene hard case that looked like it would be used to house a small thin digital camera. But this is not what I found in the neoprene case. Instead I found a handful of high powered rifle shells, probably for a 30-06. So at that point I figured it was better if I didn’t dig any further and took everything into the front porch.
After calling my renter to verify it was not his bag. Why he would have a small camera bag with ammunition in it in our flower garden I could not say. We decided to call the Minneapolis police and ask them to come and pick the bag up. After a 90 min or so a squad car came by and did just that. Before they left though the pulled out the rest of the contents of the bag which included some shot gun shells, some gun cleaning supplies, and a duck caller. So my guess, and that is all it is, is that some kids saw a camera bag sitting in a car or truck and took it thinking they were getting something they could easily sell. When the opened it and found what I found they decided it wasn’t worth it and dumped in my yard. People constantly walk by our house as it is on the corner so it is pretty high traffic area so I figure this is the most likely possibility.
The bag actually turned out to be a green camera bag with a ton of small pockets and compartments. I looked through the external ones and found some latex gloves and wet wipes. Interesting. So I opened the main compartment. The first thing I saw was a small neoprene hard case that looked like it would be used to house a small thin digital camera. But this is not what I found in the neoprene case. Instead I found a handful of high powered rifle shells, probably for a 30-06. So at that point I figured it was better if I didn’t dig any further and took everything into the front porch.
After calling my renter to verify it was not his bag. Why he would have a small camera bag with ammunition in it in our flower garden I could not say. We decided to call the Minneapolis police and ask them to come and pick the bag up. After a 90 min or so a squad car came by and did just that. Before they left though the pulled out the rest of the contents of the bag which included some shot gun shells, some gun cleaning supplies, and a duck caller. So my guess, and that is all it is, is that some kids saw a camera bag sitting in a car or truck and took it thinking they were getting something they could easily sell. When the opened it and found what I found they decided it wasn’t worth it and dumped in my yard. People constantly walk by our house as it is on the corner so it is pretty high traffic area so I figure this is the most likely possibility.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
The Only Town that is Painted in Team Colors
When I found out a friend of mine was getting married in Pittsburgh I figured we would try and go. So we planned a trip, having never been to Pittsburgh before I didn’t know what to expect. In fact the only thing I knew about Pittsburgh besides the fact that it is in Pennsylvania was what the skyline looked liked from the opening of the movie “Ground Hog’s day” and it was the home town for US Steel. So I asked my friend what there was to do in Pittsburgh, as he was born and raised there I thought he might have some good ideas. Well he didn’t, besides a few museums the only thing to do in town is watch sports. Pittsburgh is crazy for the Penguins, Pirates, and Steelers. Not necessarily in that order. My buddy did suggest taking a cable car ride up one of the mountains surrounding Pittsburgh for the view but that was about it.
So I did what I always do when I am going to a new city. I hit the internet checking Frommer’s online and wikitravel. Sure enough all they said to do was go up the Mountain, look in Museums, and go to the local sports - for the most part. We did find a few other things to see which I will talk about in a few minutes. What is interesting about the city is that all of the sports teams wear the same colors. Yellow and Black. As far as I know this is the only city that can say this. What is more amazing is it seems the town is also painted in these colors. Many of the buildings are dark in color and most of the steel in town is painted yellow. The most obvious of which are the eight million bridges. OK this is an exaggeration but it seems like there are eight million bridges as the city is at a point where three rivers meet. At any rate they are all yellow. So are the fire hydrants.
What really starts to build this illusion is the fact that so many buildings are decorated with local sports gear and so many stores and sidewalk vendors are selling team gear. I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it. It was quite interesting. At one point I told RG she should buy a body art kit and apply the Penguins mascot on her arm for the wedding. She would have fit in great. Every guy was wearing a black suit with a yellow tie and the made periodic updates on the honey game several times during the wedding. So Pittsburgh can easily be described as a sports town.
Now we did find some things to do besides the sports. The first day we found a really neat market street called The Strip District that reminds me a little of Pike’s Market in Seattle. Lots of little shops and a large fresh sea food shop. It was just a short walk from our hotel, Then we walked around the down town. It is a nice downtown though it is pretty empty on the weekend and it can go from a nicely kept street to a pretty run down street and back in a matter of a few blocks. The downtown ends at a pretty nice park, Point State Park, with a huge fountain at the intersection of the rivers that border the city. This park of course overlooks the sports stadiums. The day after the wedding we drove a ways out of town to see a famous Frank Lloyd Wright house called Falling Water that was once featured on the cover of Time magazine. It was pretty cool and defiantly worth the drive.
On the final day before flying out we did go up Mount Washington on the cable car. The cable car was at one time the main form of transportation for the steel workers that lived on the mountain but worked at the mills along the river. Only two or three of them are left. The Duquesne Incline is pretty much right across the river from Point State Park I mentioned before. It was a fun ride up the system is well over a hundred years old. So that can be a little nerve rattling but it seems safe. At the top there is of course a look out, a gift shop, and a museum about the cable cars. It was pretty fun and I think the whole round trip only cost 8 bucks for the two of us. So we had a good time in Pittsburgh for sure. The wedding was on a river boat so we also got a nice cruise up and down the rivers to see the area surrounding the city. There was also an entertainment area at the end of the commuter rail line called Station Square but we didn’t stop in. It looked like a bunch of shops along with a few chain restaurants. So really I think now we have basically seen everything in Pittsburgh.
So I did what I always do when I am going to a new city. I hit the internet checking Frommer’s online and wikitravel. Sure enough all they said to do was go up the Mountain, look in Museums, and go to the local sports - for the most part. We did find a few other things to see which I will talk about in a few minutes. What is interesting about the city is that all of the sports teams wear the same colors. Yellow and Black. As far as I know this is the only city that can say this. What is more amazing is it seems the town is also painted in these colors. Many of the buildings are dark in color and most of the steel in town is painted yellow. The most obvious of which are the eight million bridges. OK this is an exaggeration but it seems like there are eight million bridges as the city is at a point where three rivers meet. At any rate they are all yellow. So are the fire hydrants.
What really starts to build this illusion is the fact that so many buildings are decorated with local sports gear and so many stores and sidewalk vendors are selling team gear. I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it. It was quite interesting. At one point I told RG she should buy a body art kit and apply the Penguins mascot on her arm for the wedding. She would have fit in great. Every guy was wearing a black suit with a yellow tie and the made periodic updates on the honey game several times during the wedding. So Pittsburgh can easily be described as a sports town.
Now we did find some things to do besides the sports. The first day we found a really neat market street called The Strip District that reminds me a little of Pike’s Market in Seattle. Lots of little shops and a large fresh sea food shop. It was just a short walk from our hotel, Then we walked around the down town. It is a nice downtown though it is pretty empty on the weekend and it can go from a nicely kept street to a pretty run down street and back in a matter of a few blocks. The downtown ends at a pretty nice park, Point State Park, with a huge fountain at the intersection of the rivers that border the city. This park of course overlooks the sports stadiums. The day after the wedding we drove a ways out of town to see a famous Frank Lloyd Wright house called Falling Water that was once featured on the cover of Time magazine. It was pretty cool and defiantly worth the drive.
On the final day before flying out we did go up Mount Washington on the cable car. The cable car was at one time the main form of transportation for the steel workers that lived on the mountain but worked at the mills along the river. Only two or three of them are left. The Duquesne Incline is pretty much right across the river from Point State Park I mentioned before. It was a fun ride up the system is well over a hundred years old. So that can be a little nerve rattling but it seems safe. At the top there is of course a look out, a gift shop, and a museum about the cable cars. It was pretty fun and I think the whole round trip only cost 8 bucks for the two of us. So we had a good time in Pittsburgh for sure. The wedding was on a river boat so we also got a nice cruise up and down the rivers to see the area surrounding the city. There was also an entertainment area at the end of the commuter rail line called Station Square but we didn’t stop in. It looked like a bunch of shops along with a few chain restaurants. So really I think now we have basically seen everything in Pittsburgh.
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