Quick Thoughts 10/12

• I finally saw Napoleon Dynamite last night, and it really wasn’t all that funny.  The characters were definitely out there, and I guess just the characters in general were what made the movie mildly entertaining.  There are about five minutes of footage after the credits, and I thought that was the funniest part.  I’d give the movie a C-. 
• I haven’t had time to watch many movies lately, and it seems like when I get a chance to watch them I end up being disappointed with them.  That was the case for Napoleon Dynamite, Meet the Fockers, and Constantine.  I did like National Treasure though.  Can anyone recommend a good movie to me, so I don’t end up wasting my time?
• I’d better get a new monitor soon.  It was making a nasty smell again last night like it’s getting too hot, and the horizontal size and position isn’t holding anymore.  Hopefully those aren’t toxic fumes being emitted.
• Since nobody has come up with the correct song yet from yesterday’s lyrics, I won’t be posting any new songs today.  Somebody has to know yesterday’s song.

Quick Thoughts 10/11

• Another one of my friends from my old college dorm floor has started a blog.  Welcome to the world of blogging Brian.  He always had an entertaining webpage in college (and look, it still exists) so I figure his blog should be an entertaining read. 
• I kind of hope the White Sox win the World Series this year.  I don’t really like them, but if they win this year, and since the Red Sox won last year, then there is no question the Cubs are the team with the most hard luck in the league.  Wait, is that really a good thing?
• Actually, I’ll be glad when baseball is done and Fox starts airing their season premiers. 
• Today’s lyrics are a little tougher I think, so I’m giving more.  Here you go: “Did you find the directing sign on the straight and narrow highway?  Would you mind a reflecting sign?  Just let it shine, within your mind, and show you the colors that are real.”  Hint:  This song has a cowbell.

Apples == good!

I am done predicting football games for this season.  Both the Cyclones and Bears broke my heart this weekend, so I will give them the silent treatment for at least a week.  Maybe it’s my fault for liking teams that are chronic disappointments, but I really thought they’d do better than this.  Anyway, enough sulking over football, and onto something cheerier.

Yesterday was a perfect fall day, sunny and in the upper 50’s, so we went to Northwoods Orchard just outside of Rochester.  It’s an 88 acre apple orchard, but also has a big pumpkin patch, corn mazes, and some animals (goats, rabbits, chickens, pigs) for the kids to pet.  It’s free except for the corn maze and any apples or pumpkins you buy.  We went out to the orchard and sampled some of the apples.  They were yummy enough that we ended up buying a bag.  Payton seemed to enjoy himself, and it made for a good afternoon of entertainment.  It also made me want to have an apple tree of my own, but that won’t happen until we get a bigger yard.  Anyway, here are some pictures from the orchard.

Quick thoughts 10/7

• Congratulations to my parents who sold their house yesterday after just ten days on the market!
• I subbed for the old bowling team last night and didn’t do so well.  That’s usually what happens when I haven’t bowled in eight months and the weight of the ball starts wearing on me.  I expect good things next week though.
• After almost nine years, I think my PC monitor is starting to crap-out on me.  Should I go with CRT or flat panel LCD? 
• So the Cyclones play Baylor in Ames tomorrow.  Hopefully this game won’t even be close.  I’m hoping for about 42–10.  Go Clones!
• The Bears play the Cleveland Oranges this week and it should be a winnable game for the Bears.  I expect it to be a low scoring game, about 14–10 Bears.  Hopefully the Bears’ offense made a lot of adjustments during the bye week.  The Bears have a pretty soft schedule the next five or six weeks, so if they can just take advantage of that, they should be able to take control of this division of second-class teams.
• Today’s lyrics: “Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl.”

Quick Thoughts 10/5

• I think I should work on my beard and enter this competition.  The free-style categories are the crazy looking ones that are the most interesting.  I just can’t imagine walking down the street with one of those on my face.
• Someone is throwing the switch for winter today.  It was humid and 80 yesterday.  Tomorrow it’s not supposed to make it out of the 40’s for a high. 
• I was watching the Adam Corolla Project last night on TLC and what amazed me the most was the cost of some really dumpy properties he was looking at in California.  I knew the market was terribly high there, but when I saw the crap you get for $750,000 I was totally shocked.  How does anyone afford to live there?  I guess there are interest-only mortgages, but if the market goes south, you are totally screwed.
• Today’s song lyrics: “Make up your mind.  Decide to walk with me, around the lake tonight.” 

Quick Thoughts 10/4

• I picked up the new Nickelback album, All the Right Reasons today.  So far it seems pretty good.  They are using a lot more acoustic guitar than they have in past albums.  I think after the success Chad Kroeger had with “Hero,” he has followed a similar formula for their radio-friendly songs.  Of their five albums, I’d probably rank this one as my third favorite, but it might have potential to move up to number two as I listen to it more.  Silver Side Up holds the top spot among the Nickelback albums, and I don’t see it getting displaced.
• Brach’s Star Brites peppermints are addictive.
• How about that, the Bears didn’t play this past weekend, but they are now back in first place in the division with a 1–2 record.  My 9–7 prediction should definitely be enough to win the division.
• Here are today’s song lyrics: “What makes you so jumpy?  Why can’t you sit still?  Oh yeah.” 

I suppose I should write something

I haven’t felt much like writing the past few days, and for that matter, I haven’t felt much like doing anything.  I recovered from my stomach bug, but am now fighting a cold that Holly had last week.  Mornings are the toughest with a cold, and it hasn’t helped that Payton has been waking up an hour earlier that normal the past few days.  I think his two year molars are pushing again because he’s been pretty crabby lately and not sleeping very well.  Hopefully they’ll push on through soon because they seem to bother him for a few days, then be fine for a week or two, and then bother him again. 

So the Lions fans are upset because they didn’t like the way the replay review turned out on their would-be game-winning touchdown.  I don’t feel very sorry for them because they essentially won an extra game last year against the Bears on a similar review that went in their favor.  It all evens out in time. 

If you get a chance, listen to Coldplay’s “Fix You.”  It’s a song that starts out with just an organ and vocals and then builds throughout the song with more instruments getting added each verse.  Actually, I think I like this song more after seeing the video.  There isn’t anything special about the video, but the last half is from a live performance and it just made me really get into the song and feel the emotion of it.  For some reason, Coldplay’s music reminds me of Pink Floyd.  Has anyone else thought the same, or am I just crazy?