Day 62 - 12/6/10

Rock Band 3 is teaching me the piano.  I can now kind of, sort of play "Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting".  I try to sing and play at the same time.  I can do it with a guitar but not with the keyboard... yet.  The official real guitar comes out in March.  So I know what the picture will be for that day.

Day 61 - 12/5/10

NFL Redzone has prompted a new tradition.  We actually all get together on Sunday's to watch football all day.  One guy visits because his wife is working on National Boards.  My brother isn't busy and my roommate lives here.  So, we all put on our Seahawks jerseys and watch the game together.  This picture was taken after a Seahawk TD.  As one guy put it, "I remember watching beer commercials as a kid where guys would just hang out and watch the games.  I never thought anyone actually did that... until now."

Day 60 - 12/4/10

I received a text in the morning,  "Dude, Champagne Champagne is playing tonight!!!"  They are this dope hip-hop group we saw down in Portland.  They were actually playing a CD release party for Mad Rad.  But we knew who the real show was, so we got to Neumo's SUPER early (fig. 1) so we'd be in great position for the party! (fig. 2 and fig.3)

Day 59 - 12/3/10

My day involved children shooting at baskets.  The top picture is the "Biathlon" at our Reindeer Games at school.  Kids threw everything at the hoops.  Bowling pins, dodgeballs, even an ill-advised golf ball.  The bottom picture is my girls basketball team.  They are so much fun, but all they threw at the hoop were bricks.  I felt like we were at a masonry convention.

Day 58 - 12/2/10

I was proud of myself for cooking this late.  I had all the goodies on hand.  Pretty much anything I buy at Metropolitan Market turns out delicious.  Their Sweet Pork Sausage is fantastic.  And this fed me for three days.  No joke.

Day 57 - 12/1/10

My roommate works with someone who also works at this bar.  It's called Chuck's and the last time we went here, the TV's were tuned to Asian Soap Operas.  This time, it was Jeopardy!  Chuck's is a strange place, but because we had a hook-up, we got shots, beers and souvenir glasses!

Day 56 - 11/30/10

I don't know why people think this is so difficult.  I run the clock, scoreboard and the book for the JV basketball game.  I've done this for years.  So why does the ref always ask me, "Whoa, are you sure you don't want help?"  No, I don't want help.  I'm an adult.  Truth is, I run this better by myself than I do when you force some parent to help me.  Not that I don't appreciate the company, but trust me, I got this.

Day 55 - 11/29/10

The Wire - I just finished Season 3.  I stayed up until 1:30am because I could not stop watching.  This might be the best show ever.  It's definitely top 10.

Day 54 - 11/28/10

Amazon is offering Mp3 Albums for $1.99!!  I know I could steal them for free on bit-torrent, but these are so cheap, I don't even mind.

Day 53 - 11/27/10

Sounders Snuggie.  I found this at Bartell's.  It was a total impulse purchase.  I don't regret this at all.

Day 52 - 11/26/10

I gave blood today.  I was motivated by three things.  Foursquare badges, Cookies, and as a distant third, Saving Lives.  I used to give twice a year, but it's been a while.  As I'm thinking about my motivation, I saw an advertisement for "Sue vs. Shue" from Glee.  Mr. Shue wants to give blood because it saves lives.  Sue wants to give blood to get free cookies.  The point was Mr. Shue is good and Sue is bad.  I disagree.  Any reason that gets me to donate blood is a good reason.  And the cookie was awesome.

Day 51 - 11/25/10

Thanksgiving - I realized from talking to other people that my family does not have many holiday traditions.  We see a movie in the morning, eat dinner together, and that's about it.  We have no extended family in the tri-state area, so we never get together with anyone else.  I think it's nice that Thanksgiving is low key and relaxed.

Blue Label = 60 year old(ish) Scotch = Win

Day 50 - 11/24/10

Snow Day 2

I'm afraid to drive in the snow.  I don't like the idea of sliding out of control.  But I thought it was worth it to go out to Best Buy and get the new Kanye West album.  Somewhere in the back of my mind I was thinking "I should go soon because they might sell out".  His album is the red one.  Albums don't really sell out anymore.

Day 49 - 11/23/10

Marina - Downtown Kirkland.

Day 48 - 11/22/10

Snow My God!!  SNOMG!!! Snow Effing Way!!  Our pod let the kids go play in the snow as we supervised them to make sure things were ok.  Then there was an announcement that students could no longer play in the snow.  Oh, and also that fun was dead.  It's snow.  They're kids.  Separating the two is cruel and unusual punishment.

Day 47 - 11/21/10

This wall o' games is at Pink Gorilla in the U District.  My initial reaction was that this place put my video game collection to shame.  Then I looked closer at their selection.  Eight copies of Madden '99?  Really?  They did have a little arcade in the back with Ms. Pac Man and Guitar Freaks.  So the twelve year old me would love this place.  Adult me loves it as well.

Day 46 - 11/20/10

At Whitney and Tessa's new home in Newcastle.  I always like helping other people move.  It just feels like good karma.

Day 45 - 11/19/10

Signs made for the Regional Girls Basketball game.  We had quite a few fans show up.  We even managed to win a game!!

Day 44 - 11/18/10

That's where the Four Loko used to be.  Sigh.

Day 43 - 11/17/10

The excitement was palpable.  Nick Jonas!

This was pretty awesome.  From top to bottom, the cast was insane.  The only slight hiccup was Nick Jonas.  He wasn't awful.  If he was in a high school production, he still would have been bad, it just would have been less noticeable.

Day 42 - 11/16/10

At the Market Arms in Ballard.  These are the US Open cup trophies.  In my world, I helped win these by giving my full 90.  I love the Sounders.  We're like a giant family.

Tift Merritt at the Tractor.  She was phenomenal.  Just stellar.

Day 41 - 11/15/10

DJ HERO!!!  Since I'm the only one who plays this game, I've never just listened to the music mixes.  While Nick was playing, I was grading, and this music gets me so AMPED UP!!  I looked up some of the songs on youtube just so I could listen to them at work.  "Ice, Ice Baby vs. Straight Up" is one of my favorites.

Day 40 - 11/14/10

At Facing East in Bellevue.  We saw "Din Tai Fung" was trending on Foursquare and learned it had quietly opened the night before.  But we didn't want to wait 90 minutes for food.  So we waited 0 minutes here.

A working draft of the Zombie/Space Pirate musical: Undead Planet.  I know it sounds like a joke, but it's real.  It's so real.

Day 39 - 11/13/10

Hey Friendos!  Every time we hang out, it's the same thing.  You make tacos for me.  I wonder if that's passively racist. We talk about entertainment news and there's some light sports talk.  I offer to help cook.  You say no.  I offer to help clean.  You say no.   Then we end up watching a marathon on TV.  Seinfeld.  Entourage.  Flip this House.  Thanks for being consistent.

Day 38 - 11/12/10

La Carta de Oaxaca - On a recommendation,we came here. On a better recommendation, we sat next to this picture.

Day 37 - 11/11/10

I woke up today and heard a strange "krizkle" sound from my freezer.   When I opened the door, I expected to see a scene straight out of "Ghostbusters".  Instead, this was all I found.  But why is my freezer glowing?

Day 36 - 11/10/10

Staff Party.  But not the staff I currently work with because they don't have staff parties.  So I'm very lucky that I get invited to these.  Enjoying the Quatro Crazy here: insensitive or sensational?  All I know is many people were curious about the Four Loko.  I think I answered some questions tonight.

Day 35 - 11/9/10

Coaches meeting at Cactus.  I'm very excited about basketball this year.  We have an awesome group of girls.

Day 34 -11/8/10

National Boards.  Seven hours on a computer in the district office.  I work best when listening to music, and I started running out of tunes.  Rap for an hour.  U2 for an hour.  Explosions in the sky for an hour.  Mumford and Sons for an hour.  Then I needed and nap and my hand hurt.

Day 33 - 11/7/10

I love these people.

Day 32 -11/6/10

Another picture from wedding day.  This was most of it for me.  I'm behind the action.  There's bright flashing lights.  And he did not shove cake in her face.  I had to be the voice of reason on that one.

Day 31 - 11/5/10

Wedding Day.  Look, there are lots of other pictures showing how beautiful the bride looked, how happy the groom looked and how wonderful the ceremony was.  The photographer didn't get any pictures of the flasks stowed in the gentlemen's attire.  Between all of us, I think we had a full bar.

Day 30 - 11/4/10

Whitney's bachelor party.  At least, the part you get to see.  This is at the Viking in Ballard.  I would say the night was a success.  Although parts of someone's dinner were left on 520 and 228th.

Day 29 - 11/3/10

This kid never has a pencil.  So now he has one.  There is photographic evidence.  I said he can have another one when I see this pencil worn down to the nub like the rock hammer in "Shawshank Redemption".  Of course, he had no clue what I was talking about.  I think we need a class on "Essential Popular Culture".

Day 28 - 11/2/10

Foursquare has been an amazing adventure and I've finally figured out a good place for it in my life.  I only want to focus on the badges.  The badges are earned by going new places you haven't gone before. So I'll earn badges for going on adventures.  Sounds awesome.  So why are all my friends filled with Hater-ade?

Day 27 - 11/1/10

One of a few kids who sleep during class.  It's not just my class.  Kids stay up too late with the texting, and the bookfacing, and the blogging.

Day 26 - 10/31/10

Sounders vs. LA Galaxy.  Edson Buddle's goal was ridiculous.  We lost 1-0 on the strength of that goal of the week.  Bastard.

Day 25 - 10/30/10

The news was right. This stuff does not taste good. However, it is only three dollars. But you have to endure the look of condescension from the 7-11 clerk.