Pic of the Day 2007...McGraths

Here it is - the last pic of the day, 2007 edition. Here's hoping for more in '08? Keep up the voting for your favorite sign. Poll closes Aug. 1.

Pic of the Day 2007...Burger King on 9th

Common - Finding Forever

I think I found a CD to replace Elliott Yamin (well, Elliott will never be replaced...never. But you know what I mean.) It is Common's latest - or soon to be latest - release, Finding Forever. VH1. com is streaming the full CD (which will be released July 31) on their website this week. Check it out here if you're into this type of thing.

Holla! ;)

Pic of the Day 2007...Unknown Location on 3rd Ave.

Pic of the Day 2007...Napa Auto Parts

Pic of the Day 2007...Oregon RV

Pic of the Day 2007...The Inkwell Home Store

2 for the price of 1: Pic of the Day 2007...McDonalds

Pic of the Day 2007...University Market

Pic of the Day 2007...Play It Again Sports

Who voted for University Market? I haven't even posted that one yet!

Pic of the Day 2007...New Condo Building on the Waterfront, Rooftop

UO Baseball?

Late last week it was announced that UO will be reinstating their long absent baseball program. They are planning to hire a coaching staff sometime this fall and begin competition by the 08/09 season. While I think this is awesome news for UO (I wish they had baseball when I was there! and it is a great sign for college baseball when programs around the country are being brought back, instead of being cut)) I can't help but think that they are being somewhat diabolical. It just seems a little sketchy that right on the heels of back to back national championships in baseball for OSU that UO wants to get in on the action. The conspiracy theory goes a little something like this:

UO people just can't stand to see too much success coming from up north so they decided to get back in the game and try to steal away a portion of those in-state recruits who are finding OSU so appealing.

Now I'm sure that OSU will still have the recruiting edge for several years to come, but on the other hand there will always be those kids who will get sucked into the whole Nike Evil Empire thing. Some rumblings around the rumor mill (okay, just Zeb and I making jokes) say that Uncle Phil may even have it in the plans to construct a miniature Safeco Field in Eugene to woo future athletes. Complete with lifesize swooshes.

Maybe I'm just being a hater? But I propose that in the first civil war meeting once UO baseball gets on it's feet, the very first pitch of the very first UO at bat we throw a bean ball. Nothing like stiring up an old rivalry to get competition going. I'm calling for it now! Keep your eyes peeled spring of 09!

Pic of the Day 2007...Bank of America

Pic of the Day 2007...Crystal Lake Storage

Pic of the Day 2007...The Fruit Barn - Highway 34

Pic of the Day 2007...Highland Bowl

Pic of the Day 2007...The Storage Depot

Pic of the day is back again, I guess that's what happens when you win back to back national championships. Some venues are the same, some have changed, but they're all delightful. Enjoy!

Late Pass Wednesday: Robin Ventura VS Nolan Ryan

We're finally back & it was a great trip home! It might take me some time to get back to blogging regularly, gotta get back in the swing of everything and all. Damon is out here with us for the next 2 weeks, so look forward to pleanty of good stories "You, Me & Dupree" Styles.

Great news, the pic of the day feature from last summer is back, and I also have some great 4th of July rafting pics and stories coming up for you.

Until then, if this doesn't bring a smile to your face, I don't know what will.

Those Crazy Office Monkeys are Back!

We keep this delightful magnet on our refrigerator at home. It shows every possible office monkey emotion (click to view a larger image, it's even better close up) and includes an additional magnet to stick on top of it, which allows you to choose your mood of the day. My personal favorite is "apathetic". Which one is your favorite?

By the way...Today I'm feeling EXCITED! (see top left corner on the office monkeys) At 5:00PM today I will officially be on vacation & shortly there after headed back to Oregon! Yay! Can't wait to see you guys!

'Stache Appreciation Day

This 'stache was just a very very temporary stop on the way to cleanshaven-ness the other day, but I do think it suits him. It could be a good look for him approximatley 10-15 years from now.

This Just In

I think I wore out my Elliott Yamin CD. It started skipping really badly today. Wow. That didn't take very long.

Zeb's Summer Fashion Update

This summer is all about plaid, at least according to Zeb. Before we left for the Bahamas Zeb stocked up on plaid shorts. Pictured below are some examples of the plaids that he rocks on a regular basis. He actually wanted two more pairs of plaid shorts in addition to these, but I was able to talk him out of it. How much plaid does one man really need? Apparently it was just such a good deal on these plaid shorts, that he got a little over zealous.
Don't worry, as pictured above, swimming trunks also come in plaid.
One more item of plaid that Zeb has had his eye on is this pair of plaid slip-on's from Vans. It's a good look, my only question is regarding the mixing of more than one pattern of plaid. Hmmm...

Late Pass Wednesday: Bomb Spaghetti

It's been quite a while, but a few weeks ago Zeb and I made a pretty great pot of spaghetti sauce. We threw just about everything and the kitchen sink in there and let it simmer all day long. Here are some of the more notable ingredients added to original style Ragu:

• Sliced Olives


• Chopped Onion


• Chopped Green Onion


• Hamburger Meat & Maple Breakfast Sausage


• California Style Marinated Artichoke Hearts


• Mushrooms


• Garlic


• Extra Chopped Tomatoes

Mmm, Mmm good. I was pretty proud.

I Hate To Ask This, But.....

Does anyone have any experience with Bread Boxes??
We were having a problem with our bread storage. If you keep it in the refrigerator it gets dry and stiff, if you keep it on top of the refrigerator it molds more quickly, but if you keep it on the counter it is ugly and in the way. We thought we found a solution to this huge problem in this delightful stainless steel bread box from bed, bath & beyond, only to find out that this stupid box only exacerbated our problem. A brand new unopened loaf of bread molded within one week sitting in this box. It just seems like that shouldn't happen!! What are we doing wrong? I tossed the receipt for this thing, because I thought it was "the answer" and what could possibly go wrong with a bread box? So does anyone have any tips on this? Is there any way to continue to utilize this handy storage item without putting our carbs at risk of mold? Please help!

Zeb's New Computer

I guess one of the last big items that Zeb has been wanting/needing (it's hard for me to differentiate) for a long time is a new computer. Along with the TV and the sound system these were all purchases that I had been forcing him to put off since about the time we got engaged. I made promises (e.g. "Once the wedding is over, you can get whatever you want") that I hoped he would forget about. I suppose I should feel lucky that he spread out said purchases over the course of our first year, and not our first month as a married couple. The day I had been dreading finally came, there was no more holding out on a new computer. The thing that confused me though, and continues to confuse me (if anyone has any insight, please comment) is: why would you want to buy a computer in all it's various parts and then have to put it together yourself?
Honestly he didn't seem to really be enjoying himself. In fact to me, he seemed tortured. Maybe the more torturous the process is, the more self satisfaction you have when it is finally completed? It seems to me that I would have more satisfaction if I could just open up a box, plug my computer in and be on my way. Whatever makes you happy.
The house was destroyed. Boxes and various computer parts everywhere. The process was highly frowned upon.

One of many blue screens of death, lead to increasing frustration,
and significant amounts of time spent talking to technical support (a.k.a. Damon)
That was solved, but another technical problem with drivers/video card prompted several more hours spent on the phone to actual professional technical support, only to be solved by Zeb networking online with some other computer geeks.

Thankfully, now it is done. Over the last week there have been some minor hiccups, but its looking pretty good. I'm mostly just happy that the office is now neat, tidy and organized.
I just don't understand why the old computer, which is supposedly "dead" is still in his closet???

Corvallis is Burning!

Congratulations to the 2007 OSU Beavers Baseball Team, 2 time national champs!!! It was a great run, and couldn't have been any different from their journey last year, but somehow it was just as exciting!





Like I've been saying, I predict rioting in the streets of Corvallis!! Congrats to Jorge Reyes, CWS MVP. The season just ended, but we can't wait to see these kids back next year! Can't think of a better way to spend our first anniversary!

More Info on the 2007 National Champs

Happy Anniversary!

One year down and the cake stand/punch bowl is still in full effect. And they said it would never last.....

We got this carrot cake to celebrate since the top layer of our wedding cake that we saved is still in my mom's freezer. Good stuff.

Revenge of the Pic of the Day!!!!

I'm so excited for this series that I can't even stand to think about it, let alone write about it. Here is the vital information. DON'T MISS IT.

Saturday, June 23
Oregon State (47-18) vs. North Carolina, 4 p.m. PDT -- ESPN

Sunday, June 24
Oregon State vs. North Carolina, 4 p.m. PDT -- ESPN2

Monday, June 25 (if necessary)
Oregon State vs. North Carolina, 4 p.m. PDT -- ESPN

CarlPavanoitis

The only thing more painful than watching the train wreck that is Carl Pavano is trying to read through an entire article dedicated to trying to explain his inexplicable downfall. For the mascists among us, here ya go:

Money For Nothing

Word of The Day

Boomcrane [boom kreyn] noun
-def:

1. The world's largest tool.

-uses

1. That guy sure is a Boomcrane.
2. Hey, Boomcrane!
3. Don't be such a Boomcrane.

-synonyms

(there is no other known term that implies this scale of toolhood.)

-origin: Beaver Eric

No Surrender

This is my tribute to the 2007 Beavs baseball team. They always have a sign taped up in their dugout that says "No Surrender" & I can't help but think this is the perfect theme song. Plus, they play just about as hard as Bruce rocks out. Which is pretty hard to do.

You can see The Beavs in the CWS championship series this weekend. If you miss it, you're missing O-State history. I have personally predicted the complete implosion of the town of Corvallis in the event that the Beavs repeat as National Champs. People running naked in the streets, cars tipped over, full on riots. Pure insanity. I can't wait to see it.

I Had A Dream

I had a horrible dream the other night. I started to explain the dream here in the post, but it really was beyond explaination. Suffice it to say that it involved a weird guy stalking me via the blog and google and "chicken noodle soup pants." I have no idea what "chicken noodle soup pants" are, but it was a very vivid recollection from my dream, so I found it important to mention here.

So anyway, I had been bothered my the recent discovery that when you "google" my name, links to the blog come up. I really can't stand the thought that people I don't want to look me up, could. This explains my fervent dislike of myspace. So, I got the brilliant idea, that if I changed the header of the blog so that it no longer included our last name, that maybe we might be google invincible. Which would be great. My dream the other night really solidified this idea in my head. To my extreme distaste, when you google my name, the old header and link still come up. UGH!

What does "married to the game" mean anyway? Well, our baseball obsession goes a long way to explain it. You want more? There's Zeb's devotion to the MLB package, spending most of our quality time together watching, discussing, debating or playing baseball, and the fact that the majority of time on our honeymoon was spent watching the College World Series. Enough said. I also imagine the phrase "married to the game" to be a little bit of the way Zeb feels when I make him attened hours on end of women's collegiate sporting events under the guise of "you are supporting me." Does that make any sense?

At any rate, technology is a Bitch.

ROGER 2057

Late Pass Wednesday

How could I forget to tell you guys about Zeb's favorite purchase of the Bahamas trip? Well, here it is. It's a large conch shell, regularly priced $8 (a very important point.) But wait for it.....
ZEB GOT IT FOR $5!!! My foot gives the conch shell scope.

-On a side note, I changed the heading of this blog. Don't let it throw you off. I have a good explaination. Maybe I'll get to that tomorrow.

Blog Struggles

Why am I having so much trouble posting a blog entry lately? I have no idea. Well, I have an excuse for this week. I'm working WBB camps, its all day long and it doesn't afford me any "desk time" (a.k.a. blog time, email time, BBC time) Last week though, no excuse. And even now when I'm actually making a new post, I'm not really going to post about anything important, I'm just announcing a new "Congratualtions! You Did It! World's Best Link!". It is called Passive-Aggressive Notes From Roommates, Neighbors, Co-Workers & Strangers and I find it hilarious. Enjoy.

O-State Ballers Super Regional Info

For those of you interested in following the Beavs this weekend in their Super Regional action against Michigan, game times (all times Pacific) and TV coverage is as follows:

Saturday, June 9: Noon, ESPNU
Sunday, June 10: 1 p.m., ESPN
Monday, June 11: 4 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2

Have a good one!

Rubber Match? We Got That.

The Beavs are headed to another super regional this weekend, and to make it even better, they're going to be playing it at home. For anyone who hasn't been keeping tabs on the regional action, the Beavs dropped their second game of the regional to Virginia in the 13th inning. After that loss they needed to beat Rutgers again and then take two in a row from Virgina in order to make it on to super regional action. In true O-State Baller form, they did it in dramatic fashion.

Super Regional play against University of Michigan begins this Saturday. It is a best of 3 series and will continue on Sunday and Monday if necessary. Check out these links for more info and some places that you can keep up with the Beavs even if they aren't on TV.

Oregon State Athletics - Baseball

Free Audio Link for Beavs Games

CSTV Website - Gametracker

I'll post up more links and info when I find it. GO BEAVS!

Braves AA Manger's Crazy Ejection

This guy has some really good technique, if only he could keep a straight face.

That Magic Moment....

Okay, so someone tell me if I'm crazy, or if other people notice this too? It seems like every year, at some point in the spring there is that one day, that one moment, when you realize that you've made it through the winter and the summer is on it's way. Its a really good feeling. At least I think so.

In Oregon it would usually happen in March. You wake up one day to the sun shining through your window instead of just the alarm blaring in the darkness. The days are starting to get longer, you can smell the freshly mowed lawns, baseball season is finally getting going. I always just kind of take a deep breath and it's just the feeling that life is actually pretty damn good.

There are several variations on this moment: it could be driving in your car one afternoon, and it's usually one of those first spring days when its actually warm enough to have your windows down; preferably sun roof open ('89 Mazda 626 styles!) its warm out, but still just a little bit crisp; no humidity so you're having a good hair day; your favorite song comes on the radio; again the smell a freshly mowed grass is key (moment made even better if coincidentally driving by a baseball field and you hear the crack of a hit ball) Que sigh.

Another excellent one is that first evening in the spring when you leave work and it's actually still light outside! This benchmark is by itself worthy of that warm fuzzy feeling, but as always, freshly mowed grass and the crack of a bat enhance the experience.

I had been waiting to have my first Montana spring "moment", and I think a couple of times I had tried to force it, but oddly enough rolling up on June 1, it still had not hit me. I woke up on Tuesday morning and we actually had about an inch of snow on the ground. Me to myself: "You've GOT to be SHITTING me!!" But today I got it. 9:00 PM, June 1, 2007, 68 degrees (high of 83) sun is just now starting to set. And it reminds me why I really do like Bozeman. Hot days with the perfect amount of breeze that picks up in the evening and starts to cool everything off just a little bit around 5:00 PM, postcard worthy sunsets almost every night, and the light over the mountains is just somehow different in the summer. Hmmm. Life really is pretty damn good. Go figure?

Am I really the only one that knows about this? Post up with your "life really is pretty damn good moments!