30 January 2009

72 hours

From Friday morning at 0800 to Monday evening at 2100 I took absolutely no medicine. This is probably the first time I have gone 72 hours without something since 1996 ... and it has been a goal of mine for about nine months.

Mission accomplished!

20 January 2009

The Oath has been taken

Congratulations to Barack Obama.

I am choked up much more than I thought I would be. A cheer went up around the TV in the cafe at work as he accepted the oath, and I had to fight back a tear. My brain says "meet the new boss, same as the old boss", and indeed, Obama is a politician, and I am not so enamored of much of politics and power. But the symbolism here is just overwhelming.

If you told me 18 months ago that a black man with a non-English name could be elected president of the United States of America, I would have laughed ... yet here it is. It is not just that Barack Obama is president, it's the symbolism of what he represents.

I sit here at work, watching a tiny two inch by once inch box of the proceedings streamed across the internet, with tears welling in my eyes, let me say this. I am a Chicago Cubs fan, I hope to live long enough to see them win a World Series ... but I never have thought for one second that I would utter these words in my lifetime:

Whitey is dead, and good riddance.

Long live the new king, diversity, and the strength that comes from it.

13 January 2009

Yeah, I play Rock Band

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This is my Rock Band alter identity, Bootsy Onions. At least the black hoodie and the jeans are stuff I would really wear. This is the version at Kaleb's house. The one at Troy's house has a yellow hoodie and is bald.

07 January 2009

Jillian's Six Stop Victory Tour

You ever notice how some people drag on good-byes forever? Sheesh, you're leaving, just get on with it already.

Jillian has left Omaha for the concrete pastures of New York City. This past weekend was a Jillian Fest, a six part victory tour. Attention focused on just one person has not been so badly abused since my last birthday, you know, the one that lasted ten days. Fortunately, there is plenty of visual evidence of the weekends activities.

Stop #1, Friday, Jitterbugs Night Out, Omaha
The regular Friday evening Jitterbug dance was stop number 1.

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Jillian is ready to rock out, bring on the rock'n'roll ... or more like the swing music.

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Hey! Suzie! Are you excited about Jillian's Victory tour? Suzie? Suzie?

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Things got a little weird...

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...but quickly returned to normal.

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Of course Jillian got her own jam to say goodbye.

Things got a little wild during the jam, and people were fighting to dance with her ... as evidenced by this video.


Stop #2, Early AM Saturday, Village Inn on Saddle Creek & Dodge, Omaha
After months of not going out to eat after the dance, we finally found an excuse everyone could agree on.

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Jillian decides a public Opera performance is an appropriate memory to leave everyone with.

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Yes, it is true that I took this picture, but it doesn't mean I have any idea what is going on.

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Hmmm, a SugarLoaf toy, must have come from a claw machine, who could have won that?


Stop #3, Saturday, Jillian's Going Away Party, Jillian's House, Council Bluffs
Saturday afternoon featured a nasty ice storm, best to stay at home, but are we that smart? Of course not.

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Seriously, I would have traveled through Saturday's ice storm to see Jillian off even if she didn't make all this wonderful food.

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Jillian pulled out all the stops to get us to go to New York City with her ... I was almost distracted from my food.

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We made the guest of honor sit on the floor.

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Jillian is only smiling because she won't have to hug me again for a while.


Stop #4, Sunday, Ted & Wally's Ice Cream Emporium, Omaha
This was our regular stop after Lindy in the Park in the summer, it was the same as usual, Ted & Wally's had crappy flavors ... three different pumpkin ice creams???

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What are the chances two different people could visit Middle Earth and come back with the same ring.

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Dancing is an anywhere, anytime activity!

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Three cameras taking the same picture of two people. I think there is math involved, but I can't figure it out.

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Vivian thinks she can see something interesting through Jillians hoops ... it's just my camera.

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Ben somehow cracked his waffle cone right around the middle.

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Finally the bouncers showed up and threw us out for being too rowdy!


Stop #5, Sunday, Panera on 78th & Dodge, Omaha
The first decision of the new regime was to decide on someplace to eat, he allowed himself to be heavily influenced by certain other Order of the Shovel members into going to Panera ... no one objected ... oddly enough, all that ice cream left us hungry for real food.

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Yes, it's true, we had to have the predictable, but unfunny ketchup joke, and it's okay to tease me...

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...but making fun of the poor defenseless apple is just uncalled for.

More Going Away Goings-on for Jillian 010409, 16 of 20 - Lisa
Sarah talked so much, we finally had to put an end to it.


Stop #6, Monday, The Ozone Lizard Lounge, Omaha
The Omaha Big Band almost played swing, but not quite. It was the last time we'll see Jillian for a while, and in somehow fitting fashion, the batteries were out on my camera, and no one else took pictures ... I guess if you weren't there, you just won't know what happened.

Fare thee well Jillian, you have escaped us for now, but we will dance again.

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