Rowdy and his search for "Chicken"

Spring and Summer fun with Katie

2009-07-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

Rowdy and Thomas(aka Psycho T) slowly becoming friends

Rowdy is tired of getting slapped around by Thomas

Meet Tate "Tator" Miller

"Tator" enjoying some asphixiation

Moscow mules @ City Tavern for Katie's birthday

Another birthday dinner @ La Bodega

4th of July, can't you tell with the colors?

Beachy

Beach action near Tampa

Danger! Danger!

Oh Snap! This might hurt later. Who knew fat guys were flexible.....look at that split!

Happy Birthday Katie!

2009-07-07T06:17:00.000-07:00

Rowdy would like to wish his favorite friend Katie a Happy Birthday. He tells me he's never been so spoiled in his life, and he is very lucky to have such a friend take such good care of him. I have never seen him get so excited in someone's presence. He even does his "speak" trick for Katie, which he rarely gets with me. So Katie, Rowdy wishes you all the best today on your birthday. He will be sure to give you lots of kisses and shower you in dog hair the next time he sees you.

Awkward Family Photos

2009-07-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

I love this site. Everyday, it makes me laugh. One of my favorites.....He's having a baby.

See the whole site here.

Catch up

2009-04-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

I guess I shouldn't feel too bad for being absent with my blogging......it's not like there aren't a few others that are a little behind as well.....ahem. Thought I would catch up on some pictures, mainly displaying the varied weather spring brings to KS.

Doggy doors are great......except for a few occasions. Say you were locked in a closet and had no idea what the weather was like that day. Well your furry friend will remind you it rained with muddy footprints all up and down the hardwood. Or say for some reason you come home and there is no dog to greet you, and you look outside to see a completely soaked dog fearful to come inside because he may have gotten yelled at for previously coming in the house and watering the walls like a sprinkler. See apprehensive dog below

Then of course there is snow in late March.......beautiful, but ridiculous

Then you have an 80 degree day on March 6th......Rowdy loves to try to get tan out on the deck. But like his dad, he has no chance of tanning.

March Madness

2009-03-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I changed the colors on my blog to the good-luck blue and red. KU made its run last year with these colors, so I am going for it again. I am really concerned(as always) with our draw. I mean, another B-team(Bison......at least its not double B's......bradleybraves, bucknellbision, baylorbears)? C'mon committee.......your sense of irony is getting a little old. And not putting either us or Mizzou in KC was a big mistake. Especially since I have 4 tickets to sell.........anyone? Good luck selling tickets to those rabid Clemson and Cal fans committee.

Either way, let's hope the colors bring some good Karma. Rock Chalk!

Rowdy quotes

2009-02-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

Finally a Rowdy update. Well, not much to say really.....dogs don't talk. But if he did talk, I am sure he may something like this.

"Can you get a bigger water bowl dummy? You know I can drink this whole thing in one sitting right? Don't you get sick of constantly getting strange looks from me when it's empty, then having to get off your ass to fill my bowl?"

"I sure wish I could get my paws on that mailman! Damn, I hate that guy. Always slamming the mailbox closed, waking me from my nap."

"Damned this winter! I never get taken out. Good thing I have my doggie door so I can come and go as I please. It is also kind of fun tracking in mud all over the hardwood after I have been out. And if I can get into the bedroom.......well, have fun washing all the sheets and bedspreads dummy!"

"Hey dummy, I am growling for a reason! Don't even pretend to try to take my cookie.....not funny. A very pretty lady gave it to me......back off!"

"I had my first close encounter with some cats. Don't let their size fool you, they will slap the shit out of you if you get too close. Lesson learned!"

"Do you have to clean and rub the "sleepy dirt" out of my eyes every time you touch my face! Leave my face alone dummy! If you must pet, scratch my belly or my ass......you know this moron!

K-S-U Mildcats

2009-02-17T09:57:00.000-08:00

I attended the KU game Saturday with my Dad in Manhattan, both of us got free tickets...we are spoiled. It was a rough start, but a huge win for the Hawks. I was worried because the last KU road game I went to was in Stillwater last year, where we lost. I was really happy to see this team pull it out, and I was especially happy to see all those poor purple saps hang their heads in disappointment.......again! It must be so frustrating to lose on your home floor to your in-state rival over and over. They are just going to have to hang their hats on last years win......because it might not happen again for another 24 years! I forgot my camera, so here is a press photo.........holy shit, one of the Morris twins dunked!

Moe is bored

2009-02-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

Moe had a request for a new blog post.............which I agree is long overdue. It really should include something about Rowdy, but that will have to wait until the weekend. So here is my post: I received a funny email including several "priceless" Mastercard spoof pictures. This one is entertaining, but I was wondering if anyone knew these people. Just because the guy to your right looks like Scott Opie(not sure if anyone would remember him, he was in my house). I don't think it is him, but I found it amusing. Here ya go MOE! Hope this takes up 5 minutes of your day. Enjoy your fish tacos(my fav) and eggs with chorizo!

M-I-Z, BOO HOO HOO

2008-12-09T20:02:00.001-08:00

Although a couple of weeks removed, I still love this picture. Stewy, JJ, and I enjoyed the game from a lower level Mizzou section, and we revelled in the mass exodus from Arrowhead. It was easily the best game since the National Championship. I love that they came out in those dumb ass mustard yellow jerseys. Just another distraction that big game Pinkel gives his players. Love it!

Rowdy gets ready for winter

2008-12-09T19:50:00.000-08:00

As he ages, Rowdy has gotten to be more of a lazy bum. No longer does he get up at 6 a.m. to go outside, like when he was a puppy. No longer does he even get up at 8 a.m. He is usually pretty happy to get up whenever I do. Lately, he jumps up into bed when I get in the shower and makes himself a little nest. I help cover him up a little bit for added effect. He seems to like it.

Rowdy smiles when he has been bad

Muthagrabbin' Leaves!

2008-12-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

Well, these pics are a little old especially since there is now snow on the ground, but deal with it. I know the leaves in P.V. are ridiculous, but this year seemed to happen all at once. It took me most of a day and 23 55gal. trash bags just to "clean up" the front yard. I waited another couple of weeks before tackling the remainder of the front and the back. After another full day of raking, blowing, vacuuming, and mowing.........I had another 20 some bags! Surely there is an easier way. I think PV needs to adopt a curbside leaf pickup since our taxes are so high anyway. By the way, I do have a driveway, yard, and sidewalk underneath the mess.

Vacancy

2008-11-19T11:08:00.000-08:00

I apologize to all of those faithful bloggers out there for my lack of posts, especially to you Chris Lane, my biggest fan. I don't have much to add right now, and the main problem is just taking pictures. It is such a pain to carry around a camera.....and I often feel pretty gay whipping it out somewhere. I forsee more posts in the future with less pictures.

The one thing I do have is a link to google maps that reflects all the golf courses that I can remember playing. Most all of the push-pins and golfer icons have tidbits of information either about the round or about the course. The golfer icons usually have pictures and links to the course website as well. For all you non-golfers, this will be a big snore fest. For the rest of you, this will be a big snore fest. Enjoy!

Ward Strahan's Golf Tour

Rowdy vs. Bee

2008-10-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks back, Rowdy came flying in from outside acting all manic. I had no idea what he was doing, but I may have yelled at him cause he was flying around the house like a banshee. He settled down, but just cowered in the corner. Weird. Then I saw a bee in the kitchen.....but I couldn't put 2 and 2 together until I came home later to see Rowdy's eye almost swollen shut. I was worried.....can dogs to into anaphaylactic shock like humans? Anyway, he got a benedryl and went beddiebye sleep sleep. He was better in a couple of hours, but I thought the picture was hilarious....poor guy.

Far above the Golden Valley

2008-09-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

Thank the lord that football season is finally here. Its good to be a Jayhawk these days. Never in my life have I seen the stadium this packed for the first game of the year. You know those first games......teams you never heard of, blazing heat, sun glaring in your eyes for an entire half, and a KU beat down. Well, the beat down wasn't as severe as last year, which I feel is a harbinger of things to come. But remember I took a shit on our b-ball team after the loss at Okie State.......look where that got us! Thanks again to the Lane's who graciously throw tailgate after tailgate. After hitting the Wheel after halftime, we ventured into uncharted territory. At least for me. Coyote's. Yikes. Talk about good people watching......definitely entertaining. From the worst DJ(you try mixing 2 Pina Colada's with Baby Got Back) to the 18 y/o slutties from the other side of the tracks grinding with each other on the dance floor. Good times......I even tolerated the country music.

Compton in da house

2008-09-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

Scenes from my broke-ass wanna be gangsta BBQ party. Thanks to all who showed up, sorry it was pretty broke. For myself, I guess it was a good time. I mean, how can you beat 40's of OE, Alize, Hennessey, Gin and Juice, and crazy gansta beats? As you can see in the last picture, I cannot even muster a pseudo-gang sign I was so wasted(4 40's kept cold with my 40 coozy). Thumbs up really says "this guy is from the streets............of Salina." What a douche. Maybe Lisa will put me on her D-bag of the week.

Going Out?

2008-08-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

Rowdy loves his new door. He can come and go as he pleases. He can also test the waters a bit, see what's happening. Are there any animals to chase, is it raining, is it too hot? The later is depicted in these pictures. What a baby, its not even sunny out.

Speaking of baby......I took Rowdy out for a jog on the hottest night of the year. I am not sure why, but I always find myself running when its the hottest time of the year. Anyway, I usually only take Rowdy on walks because on runs he has to stop every five seconds to 1) sniff 2) mark 3) #2. I don't mind stopping every once in awhile, but when you have to dump 3 times, it gets a little annoying........carrying the steaming bag of poo in one hand and holding on to the leash in the other........all while plodding your fat ass along in the 100 degree heat listening to gangsta beats. Long story short, Rowdy gets walks after the run. I feel bad, so I took him last night. Whoa.........is he out of shape. Worse than I am. Towards the end of the run, I was practically dragging him. We have just turned the corner into the home stretch, when I hear a whimper over Outkast's Southernplayalisticadillacmusic. Not sure what he did, but he pulls up lame and wouldn't take a step further. I carry the dummy the remaining 100 yards worried about his safety. I really just think he was so tired, he was going to do anything to make the run stop including "pulling up lame." Within an hour, he was walking just fine. What a baby.

Operation Doggie Door

2008-07-29T19:59:00.001-07:00

I admit that I am not the most responsible doggie parent when it comes to taking care of Rowdy. This just means he probably doesn't get walked enough, and sometimes he endures late nights. Plus, I just feel bad leaving him home all day with only a window to look out of, and no comfy furniture to "nest" on (see much earlier post on the furniture battles). Coming from STL, Rowdy did not have a fenced-in yard. A radio fence worked for a little bit, but for the most part he knew his boundries. Yet, you would still have to keep a bit of an eye on him, just to keep in honest. Now, a fenced-in yard makes life for me much easier. But is Rowdy happy? Hopefully he is now, with his brand new "jerry-rigged" doggie door.
Of course nothing is easy, especially when I am doing the handiwork, but my door did not want to cooperate very well. If you look closely in the picture, you can see some of my demo work on what I though was some trim on the paneling of the door. I thought removing this was the solution to getting an even surface to attatch the door. Not so fast.....the paneling was grooved into the trim. Completely out of character, I threw caution to the wind and just cut the hole to size. I NEVER DO THIS. All my life I analyze and calculate as to not make a mistake. I hate mistakes. This would of been a huge one. No back door? Or at least a door with a trashbag over the opening. Which would require buying/ordering anothe door, several more trips to Lowe's, and then actually mounting the door. Luckily, it all worked out without too much rigging.

It took Rowdy only 2 hrs to get the hang of the door. The guy is pretty damn smart, glad I haven't rubbed off on him. He was apprehensive at first, but warmed up with the prospect of a smoked pig ear. Soon, he was independently going in and out on his own. He has made me proud. The picture above depicts him "scoping out" the weather outside. It was raining at the time, and he wanted nothing to do with it. I still don't know if he is using it during the day, but I have a good feeling he is a happy dog. I am proud of my little boy.....he's all grown up.

Winning is Everything

2008-07-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

KCCC Champions!

May through June marked my first experience with Corporate Challenge. Actually, everyone in the company was pretty much a newbie. This was ARC's first attempt at Corporate Challenge, and we took Division H by storm. Not only did we win the championship, but we won 1 of 3 spirit awards given out to the entire field. It was a great experience, and it definitely brought our company together. I participated in several events.......only two of which I am really any good at. And even then, I am not that good. Stewy and I teamed up to win golf, and CEO Matt joined us for a silver in basketball. After that, it was all about participating. Volleyball, flag-football, raquetball, pool, and long jump (yes, I said long jump.....you ever see a fat guy fly?). Thank goodness the rest of the company had varied and special athletic talents to take home the championship. The picture is from the KCCC banquet last Friday night.

I guess I am back

2008-06-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

Rowdy and Zena "warrior princess"

Trying to get these guys to take a good picture was not easy

Long Day at the Links

Cory getting ready to engineer a good golf shot

Thompy getting ready to "beat feet"

I knew this day would come......the day I would come crawling back to the blog world. Thanks to Lisa and Gutie who groveled for me to stay. I suppose a lot has gone on since my last post. A quick summary is needed. In late May it was time again for Brett's annual charity golf outing in OKC. He is a 5th grade teacher in the hood of OKC, and the charity allows a few kids from his class to go to D.C. for a leadership conference. Good work....and as I always say "Trick loves da kids." The golf was sub-par at best, but we won the best prize.....an all-you-can-eat wings for 10 at Hooters.......classy! There may have been a mohawk involved.

Father's Day weekend I was back in Salina. A ton of things going on......River Festival, class reunions(not mine), and the Salina Charities Golf Tournament. The golf was my main draw, but it was fun to be back in town with friends. I am mad at myself for missing Cassie's booth at the River Festival......even missed Moe who came in from the Chi (pronounced shy for all those haters). Sorry ladies, guess I will have to commission a piece and make a trip to the Chi. Or maybe an August trip to Colorado would make up for it? Anyway, it was the standard Charities weekend with late nights, early tee times, and WWW. Brett and I won the tournament, or at least the Championship flight. We won all matches except one(damn you Joe Rheem) and won all bets. I made the horse race and took second. All in all, a good trip.

Rowdy has been having fun lately too. He had a friend over this past weekend......Zena. She is a black lab mix, very sweet older dog. My neighbor Julie was so nice to take care of Rowdy when I went to San Antonio, it was only a matter of time before my obligation was called upon. Zena was great and almost easier than Rowdy to take care of. She is kind of a fraidy cat, but her and Rowdy were boyfriend/girlfriend when it was all said and done. I think Rowdy likes black females.....he always had a thing for Shamrock back in StL. Well, that is all......hopefully I can keep up on posts. Later

The "Hawk".....looks bad from up top, wasn't all that bad of a look

Deleting blog

2008-06-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, I really didn't try that hard to find the delete blog button........but it is easily found. I am going to leave this up for the time being. I am giving this until the end of the week......if something hasnt changed my mind by then, it is ADIOS.

Long Delay and Goodbye

2008-06-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long delay in updating my blog, but really who am I apologizing to? I am kinda over the blogging, but I cannot find a way to delete it. Oh well, guess you guys are stuck with checking my blog only to find this message over and over. Not sure why I started the blog....but I think it was mainly competition against u-know-who. Wanted to prove I was doing well and having fun in KC I suppose. How silly is it that we both have links on everybodies blogs? And really, what is a 32 y/o single man doing blogging. No offense to you ladies. So this is bye for now. OUT.

Finally Spring

2008-05-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

Just a picture of a tree in full bloom in the backyard, and Rowdy enjoying the warmth from the sun. Its crazy to say, but it's nice to be able to do yardwork again. Looking forward to many BBQ's and cold frosty ones on the deck. Who wants to come over and have some beers?

National Champs!!

2008-04-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

So, there is not much else to say about the trip to San Antonio. It was amazing, and I was so glad I was there to witness the National Championship. Check out the pics, and the video with sound is pretty good if you like hearing me scream.

Celebratory Cigar

A SBJ sighting

Rough morning, game faces

La Canteras signature hole

Sunday golf in San Antonio where they play the Valero Texas Open

Stewy's swing has always been a roller coaster, but who would have thought the two would meet. Click on pic to check out the view

A Lifelong Kansas Basketball Fans Dream....the new blog colors worked!!

2008-04-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ever since I can remember, I have been a Kansas Basketball fan. It was the way I was brought up.....live and die by the Jayhawks. I remember thinking I could change the Jayhawks fortune by shooting really well in my driveway at halftime. Pretending I was Ron Kellogg draining long two's from the top of the key(yep, before the three-point line). And then finally going to KU during which we never lost a game at home(94-98....look it up). With such great teams like the 96-97 team with Vaughn, Hasse, Pollard, Pierce, LaFrentz. Then after college, going to two Final Fours in back to back years. I was fortunate enough to go to the 2002 Final Four in ATL. Then to the Bill Self era with a crop of stellar recruits. But all of it ended in disappointment as it usually does for all but one team. But this is Kansas basketball, we expect greatness. We have suffered(please take lightly) through agonizing defeats to the likes of Syracuse(twice....remember Otis Hill), Arizona, Rhode Island, UTEP, Duke, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Bucknell, Bradley, and UCLA. Most of the time, we were favored to win these games being higher seeds. So this year, I bitched and moaned on this very blog about our team. I saw another disappointment coming. And when we played Davidson, I thought there was no way we were winning that game. I mean, it was a perfect set up for the underdog to take out the big dog again. I was extremely pessimistic especially when we played the way we did. But we pulled it out and a huge weight was lifted. You could just see it on everyone's faces.......finally the Final Four. It allowed us to not worry about expectations because we had made it.

So I almost didn't go to the Final Four. My friend Stewy had been saying all year that he was going for sure. Once we only had Davidson left, my dad wanted me to look at tickets. Too expensive for tickets and for flights. I didn't see myself being able to go. But my dad came through in the clutch, getting tickets and a room. Thanks pops! Stew and I drove 12 hrs after work on Friday arriving at 6 am. Because my dad had a room, we were able to catch some shut eye before heading downtown. We hit Rita's on the River, the KU headquarters for the tournament and enjoyed the atmosphere. Stewy made a deal for a ticket, so it was go time. Here are some pics from Saturday

Rita's Revelry

Lucha Libre

The Alamodome

View from our seats

Scoreboard bitches!!

More to come from this trip......there is just too much to cover.

New colors

2008-03-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

I have temporarily ditched the Miami beach theme in favor of KU colors. Let's hope it brings some magic

Randoms

2008-03-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

I don't have a whole lot to talk about, but I am sure the people who visit my blog are sick of my O-state picture and slanderous Jayhawk talk. So here are some random thoughts, just straight off the dome.

Why are Cheetos so good? And why couldn't you make something similar at home....a gourmet Cheeto with fun cheeses you have never heard of? Of course, you probably wouldn't get orange fingers which is half of the fun. Rowdy is a good orange finger licker.

I have had a good run at the Casino's lately. A good run meaning I haven't lost money. I rarely go, but sometimes I am persuaded by my degenerate friends. Funny thing too is that I have stayed at a table for a couple of hours. Usually, the longer you stay at a table, the more time you have to lose. The odds are not in your favor. I guess luck is on my side. Rowdy hates cards unless there is beer in his water dish.

Stevie Jo cut my hair today.....love that name.

The automatic car wash at 110th and Parallel does a suprisingly good job. Rowdy's absolutely least favorite thing to do is take a bath. He will run and hide even if he suspects a bath. He might be hard to get to the tub, but I have no carpet and he cannot dig his claws in.

I feel like golf season is creeping up on me and I haven't done any preparation. But when do I ever prepare for golf season. It has always come so easy for me, I never had to work. Last year, I lost it all. Well, my distance at least, which was always a big part of my game. I hopeful that a long cold winter has erased those memories of hitting weak drives and poor irons.

I am excited to see the crowds and fans down at the Big 12 Championship. It should be crazy. I am glad that some of the bars and restaurants have opened their doors in the past week. I thought OKC was a great venue and I would hate to see KC fall flat on their face. Stevie Jo told me that both KU and K-State students are on Spring Break starting Friday, so there should be a good student contingent.

I just realized I must sound like a complete 'tard writing all this random stuff.......that's all for now

What's up with the Jayhawks?

2008-02-26T21:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I am officially off the KU Final Four bandwagon. Which hopefully is a good thing, because when you least expect it is when they come through. But how awful have we looked lately? It seems like the team has some internal strife going on. I know, there has been some tradgedy surrounding the team lately, but does anyone else feel that Mario and Brandon don't like each other? Personally, I think Mario despises Rush for being such an ass-hat on the court. If anyone drafts this retard, it will go down as one of the biggest draft day bungles since Sam Bowie over Jordan. He is on my last nerve. It seems like every team I watch lately has a "go-to" guy in the clutch that is guaranteed to create his own shot and get a crucial basket. Our supposed NBA draft pick is guaranteed to dribble off his leg, shoot lame 18 footers, and dribble into the lane to shoot an overhand floater that clangs off the rim. Sorry to be so critical, but I traveled to the depths of hell to watch these guys fail this year. Ok, it was only Columbia and Stillwater, but black n gold and black n orange make my skin crawl. Hopefully we can turn it around......Rowdy is sick of me yelling all the time.

Missing Festus

2008-02-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

You know, here lately I have been missing my old stompin' grounds. Although I am treating a cast of characters at KCK, nothing beats my experiences in Festus, MO. Thanks goodness for My Redneck Wedding on CMT. Now, I normally never watch CMT, but this show is just too good to pass up. I really recommend it. If you are feeling down about yourself or your status in life, it will really pick you up. WOW, what a bunch of degenerates. The sad part is that the people on these shows probably make up the majority of our great country. You just have to see it to believe it. The episode tonight really reminded me of and old patient "AH-Tooth." You see, there could be a song about Festus and Jefferson County called "O Little Town of METHlehem." And with that problem comes poor dental hygiene and rotten teeth. Check out the pics and you will get an idea of what I mean. I only hope I can find a lady this classy.

The Landlord

2008-02-20T10:23:00.000-08:00

I was sent a video the other day by email, and I just had to share it. Although it is pretty funny, I wondered what it took to actually get that little girl to say those things. After you watch the video, check out some of the other links that will take you to the outtakes and you will find out. I don't know why, but this seems like something Brett Payne and I would do. I don't have kids, but if Rowdy could talk, I am sure I would subject him to making a funny video. I mean, I make him do tricks to enterain me......so why not a video.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/74

Rowdy Rituals

2008-02-18T19:41:00.000-08:00

I know humans are creatures of habit, but I guess dogs are too. Rowdy for instance has quite a morning ritual that he almost always follows to a tee.

As soon as I shut the shower off, Rowdy bulls his head through the door and tries to lick my leg. Guess he is thristy from a long sleep. Sometimes I shut the door and he pushes it right back open. This happens every day
Once dried off and heading towards the bedroom, he jumps on the bed. He has a new thing where he rolls on his back and wants to be rubbed. Silly beast.
As soon as my 2nd sock is on, he jumps off the bed and heads towards the back door to be let out. He barks to be let in after 5 min or so. He usually runs to the front window so I can open the blinds and he can look out. From this point, he usually just stares out the window....I guess knowing that I am going to be leaving. Sometimes, he doesn't even look back to watch me leave. I guess he is giving me the cold shoulder. Its pretty funny that this happens EVERY day.

MAN-cation

2008-01-30T16:00:00.000-08:00

Well, our annual "man-cation" was last weekend and here are some pictures of the debauchery. The group was less some important members of previous trips.....Mike and Jeff. Both with poor excuses.....come on Jeff? A little over the top planning to have a baby on the same weekend. That took a lot of foresight....something you neither know how to spell or know what it is. Damn you Allison! But really, congratulations....she is a cutie and I am glad mom and baby are doing well http://niermann5.blogspot.com/.

So the jist of the trip includes Friday on the Plaza with dinner at Capital Grill in the "Boardroom". This is where we like to pretend we are important and have money or something. It's a great time, and it might be the best place ever to have dinner with good friends. The evening continued on the Plaza and then on a spur of the moment cab to the brooksider. Dancing ensued, and Jim showed off his moves.
Saturday includes the real reason for the trip, KU basketball. They had an early game with Nebraska so we were up early at the Wheel, trying to re-live our college years. After fooling some kids that we used to live at the "Castle" and "shotgunning" beers, it was off to the game. However, our tickets were not available at will call because they were sent to Wally K. in Salina, who had so generously obtained 6 tickets(you are the best Wally). I couldn't get a hold of Wally to get a re-print, so we were out of luck. Oh well, at least WEST was still open! Thank goodness for giant schooners of beer to soak our disappointment and lift our spirits. The game was a blowout before we even sat down at the bar.

John's sister and cute friend that came to our rescue and drove us back to KC. We grilled some good steaks and somehow managed to go out again. We lost some soldiers along the way....as you can see, Stew had had enough fun being king. All in all, another great mancation.

Special thanks to Cassie who was Rowdy's caretaker for Friday night. He is still mad that I have taken over his blog. Sorry little man, maybe next year you can hang with the big boys. Next blog to be devoted to him.

Border War

2008-01-19T08:41:00.000-08:00

Just a friendly reminder of where I will be this Saturday. Rock Chalk!!

ARC Holiday Party

2008-01-15T20:52:00.000-08:00

This was meant to be in my last blog, but it happened more recently, so I decided to give it its own place. The ARC holiday party was last Saturday, previously postponed from ice (which was in a previous blog). Not too much to say but that a good time was had by all. Some of us had a little too much fun that turned into less fun later (you know who you are).

Simon and KCK throwing down

Tony AKA "Fred Astaire"

Tanya before it all went down

Look at me when I am talking Shannon!

WHOOMP!! There it is!!

Catch up

2008-01-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

Time to play a little catch up on the blogging. It's not like I have been that busy either, just taking a break I guess. But, so many great things have happened since. Here is a brief rundown:

1. Jayhawks victorious in Orange Bowl - I was pretty pessimistic about the game until the first series then I knew we could play with them. Some great pics from Cassie and Moe paint a much better picture.

2. The KU basketball team remains unbeaten looking like the best team in the country at times. Make some F-ing freethrows is all I have to say. Big game at Mizzourah this weekend. I was just offered some tickets from a co-worker in StL which I don't think I can pass up. Just look at these morons. You can't help but hate these guys.

3. Green Bay won its NFC divisional playoff game against Seattle. Again the pessimist, I was fearing the worst after a quick 14-0 lead by the Seahawks. And just on cue, the snow came and Favre rallied the boys in one of the most fun games to watch. Just one more baby. Here are some pics of my only Green Bay trip with Jeff and Moe.

4. Rowdy wants me to stop talking about sports and more about his life (he says, "this is MY blog ya know"). We had an unseasonably warm weekend not too long ago, so it was time to take a trip to the dog park. I met co-workers Kim and Sarah, and Rowdy was introduced to Rocko, Rascal, and Delilah. They has a great time running around in what I would describe as a cess pool of mud, leftover snow, and feces. Rowdy looked more like a chocolate lab after the trip. He had a blast though just running around. Don't tell him, but I think he has a little ADD. While most dogs seem to follow each other around, Rowdy has is own agenda and only he knows what it is. It just seems like aimless wandering to me.....almost anti-social.

Lesson #84: Even though Rowdy has never been to this dog park, he has an uncanny ability of knowing where our destination is. Mostly he lets me know he is anticipating some fun by whining uncontrollably even with all the windows down.

Lesson #113: Rowdy tries to 'mark' everything. Initially, he peed like a girl until he was two or so. Now the guy wants to pee on everything. The best is that he is usually void of product after 2-3 lifts of the leg, but he procedes to neurotically try to spread his scent around.

First Annual New Year's Eve Tasting Contest

2008-01-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

Poor Rowdy got left behind New Years Eve.....luckily my Dad was in town to keep him company. He and my sister had an early flight to Miami to watch the Hawks in the Orange Bowl. With it being 10 degrees here in KC, I am pretty jealous. Good friends Moe and Eric, Cassie and Chris are also attending. I am hoping Eric and Chris visit the beaches and take pictures of the scenery....wink, wink.

New Years Eve was at the Miller's house and it was a blast. Ryan organized a blind wine and beer tasting contest consisting of 6 wines and 12 beers all of different subsets. It was a good way to do a group activity and get pretty drunk at the same time. It more difficult than I would have expected, but my palate reigned supreme after a hard fought play-off with Emily Mitchell. We each successfully pegged 9 of the 18 drinks. However, I won the 3 beer sudden death. Shenanigans insued, including Wii bowling and golf, breakdancing, and shirtless fishbowl drinking (I know, we are getting old). Rowdy gave me an evil eye when I got home at 2 p.m. the next day. Good Times!

hot under the collar

the ever-important count

the winners

wow, that's the longest finger ever!

fishbowl shenanigans

Dance Machine!!

Christmas in S-town

2008-01-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas was a little different than in other years past. For one, I am a single guy with a dog who has very little in the way of Christmas decorations. So, at my house, there was no tree, no lights, no holiday flair. I am not a scrooge by any means, but I just don't see the point. Also, I am used to TONS of Christmas music.....especially at work. It usually starts just after Thanksgiving and painstakingly jabs into my ears until I want to cut them off. Luckily with my new job, we only had a 1/2 day of it! Thanks Tanya, Kim, Sara, and Wendy!! So needless to say, Christmas kind of snuck up on me. Plus, with only 2 days to spend at home, it didn't seem like much of a holiday. But it was good to be home nonetheless. My niece Ada stole most of the attention (rightfully so.....what a cutie), and I think Rowdy was pretty jealous. he was so excited to meet Ada he jumped up to give her a kiss. Sorry buddy, but that will get you solitary confinement in the living room behind some gates.

Lesson #12: Rowdy has mild separation anxiety and he will whine for several hours if he is confined even if he can see you.

Family Pic

Christmas Ada

Learning to pull on goatees

Opening first Christmas present

Rowdy vs. Ward

2007-12-22T15:51:00.000-08:00

Rowdy and I have a long standing fued regarding him sleeping on the furniture when I am away at work. Being human, I clearly feel that I have the advantage. I guess I underestimated my furry companion. Everyday, I set up obstacles that should keep Rowdy off the couches.....but he consistently outsmarts me. Here are just some examples of his genius.

The Set-Up

The DownfallThe Set-Up #2The Downfall #2

Finally, here is Rowdy in all is glory........basking in his genius.

Three Cheers

2007-12-18T10:43:00.000-08:00

I took the weekend to go to StL this weekend. It was kind of a last minute trip, but my main draw was going to the Packers/Rams game on Sunday. Because I didn't plan the trip, I had to scramble to find someone to look after Rowdy. Lucky me, the Lane's were gracious enough to take him in, even though Rowdy and Annie had never met. Cassie said that they are now BFF's, which I am greatful for(although I prefer pals, commrades, or buddies......the use of BFF doesn't seem to masculine). Three cheers for the Lanes!!

I was hoping to include some pictures of the tailgating at the Rams game, but foolishly forgot my camera. It snowed 6 inches or so, but that did not stop us from getting up at 7:30 to tailgate by 9. It was downright cold, but nothing a propane heater and some good cocktails couldn't cure. The game was great........Favre broke Marino's yardage record, the Packers smoked them in the second half, and it sure seemed like there were more Packers fans that Rams fans at the game. After the game, we continued to tailgate playing a broke version of spatula baseball and pelting unsuspecting people with snowballs. All in all, a good time. Thanks to the Johnson's for putting me up for the weekend. Three cheers for Kris, John, and Shamrock.

A Relief (so far)

2007-12-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday marked the beginning of this horrible ice storm that was supposed to cripple Kansas City.....however, we got lucky as it stayed just above freezing all day. It just basically rained all day. The trees and powerlines have a nice glazing, but the roadways are fine. And luckily, Rowdy and I have power. In speaking with my parents tonight, they were not so lucky. They have been without power since early this morning. I know what they are going through....to some degree. Last year, most of St. Louis lost power twice. Once, after a severe wind storm blew through in the summer. And the second was a winter ice storm that coated the city. Don't start feeling bad for me yet..........on both occasions I had plans to go out of town. In the summer to Scottsdale (nice choice for a bachelor party Stewey), and to Chicago after the second power outage. So I was really spoiled there. I do remember spending a couple of hours in my house with no power last winter......I was about to go insane, no fun at all......and its cold as balls! Enjoy the frosty pics.

Icy Saturday

2007-12-08T14:38:00.000-08:00

Well, so much for the holiday party. The weather in the area had other plans. Nothing like a thin layer of ice to ruin everyone's plans. Oh well......my friend Emily in Chicago told me she had to turn down Bulls vs. Celtics tickets for a holiday party, so things could be worse. That game will give me something to do this evening. Two of my favorite teams, KU Alums(Pollard, Pierce, Hinrich), and a fantasy stud(Garnett) = making an otherwise boring NBA game watchable. I am not sure if Rowdy likes to watch basketball with me, especially KU, because there is usually a moderate amount of screaming(although I have calmed down some). Here is Rowdy anxiously awaiting my next outburst during today's game. As you can see, he truly is a 70 lb lap dog.

The Frozen Tundra that is the backyard

Friday night with Bear

2007-12-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

Rowdy wanted to watch his favorite TV show last night, Man vs. Wild. And since I have a big company holiday party on Saturday, I was content to stay in. I think Rowdy was happy that he did not have to be alone for the night. Personally, I think Rowdy has a man-crush on Bear Grylls. He sees all these exotic locations and fun adventures and thinks he would be a perfect side-kick for Bear. Running around the wilderness, alerting Bear of danger, maybe taking on a small bobcat. In reality, Rowdy would be the worst companion in a survival situation. What a wuss! I am pretty sure he is even scared of cats. There is no way he could convert from PV lap dog to hardened survival beast. Plus, Bear likes to show off his climbing skills in most every show, and Rowdy has not yet mastered the art of repelling. But still, a dog can dream I guess.

Postcard from a friend

2007-12-05T21:40:00.000-08:00

Rowdy was excited today after I opened the mail because there was a holiday picture of his good friend Shamrock. He really was interested, sniffing the photo up and down. Once I said Shamrock's name, he went racing for the front door believing he had a visitor.

Lesson #233: Avoid saying the word "shamrock" unless you want to listen to whining for a half hour.

How it all started

2007-12-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

Before this blog begins, I must first tell a story of how Rowdy got his name. You see, back in high school I became somewhat obsessed with fishing. Nash Morrison and I would venture out to farm ponds around the area, trying our hand at catching big-ass bass. The problem is often finding these ponds and getting permission to fish them. Nash's dad Robbie gave us a lead on a possible connection.......and his name was Lambert. Well, good 'ole Lambert was a weathered old farmer who looked like he spent one too many days drinkin Old Milwaukee(he had entire fridge full) and riding a tractor in the sun. When Nash and I pull up to his house we are greeted by the mangiest dog I have ever seen. I mean, the dog had just patches of miscolored fur intermingled with rashes and scars. He also had a terrible disposition and Lambert warned us to try not to pet him.........no problem. I didn't really care to contract the dog's flesh eating affliction. And as you can probably guess.....the dog's name was Rowdy. I found it hilarious....Lambert would yell "Dammit Rowdy, leave them boys alone," in his country twang. Nash and I could barely contain our laughter. But easily the most bizzare part about the whole situation was "Chicken." You see, Chicken was..............you guessed it, a chicken. But no ordinary chicken.....he was Lambert's pet chicken. This chicken hung out in the house and was treated just like a normal house pet. He and Rowdy went everywhere together, and often he would ride on Rowdy's back. You could say that they were best friends those two. I will never forget the site of that chicken clutching to the back of Rowdy as he guarded the Lambert homestead. I knew if I ever got a dog, I would have to name him Rowdy.

So there it is.........a little insight into the title of this blog. You see Rowdy left some good friends back in St. Louis(Shamrock and the Johnson's, Niermann's and the kiddos) but he is excited to be in KC now. He told me he felt that there were too many cats(Tigers) in STL, and he hates cats. But he is excited about the prospects of finding a best friend with all the chickens(Jayhawks) in KC.

Here a few pics of some of these Jayhawks after the big game last Saturday. Although we did not win, the Tigers are left wiping themselves with cotton after getting pelted with oranges today.

Tailgating with Kim and friends
Cassie and Lisa trying to "whiteout" the Tigers
Chris with a Random Tiger