the man...

is crazy! watch the whole video and note the "nutritional" figures at the end...obscene.

not..

this ted...

but this one.

my sister and niece are going to florida for two and a half weeks to see the new baby. wish i could go. the humidity of miami beach is ALWAYS bearable with some sand and ocean ;) i know my sister is extremely excited. she missed the birth because of school; she just finished her first year of dental hygiene school. although i'm aghast at being a great uncle, i'm even more astounded that my eldest sister is a grandmother LOL

i am gonna be SO achy in the morning. for two years, i had been promising to take my niece bowling. you know how you think about doing things but never accomplishing them...

well, i thought i had better do it tonight because she goes back to school not long after they get back. and i'm sure that if i put it off any longer, she might grow out of the 'bowling is cool' stage. after all, how many fifteen year-olds would wanna be seen bowling with their uncles.

ewww.

so i picked her up at about 9:00 and we headed over to the brunswick lanes near iliff and peoria. man, they were BU-USY. their tuesday night league was finishing up as we got there. luckily, we only waited about fifteen minutes for a lane...#38.

as a teenager, i regularly bowled and went from a 108 average to a 170 average by the time i was in my early twenties. unfortunately, by the time i was consistently rolling 500 series, i quit. i think part of that was due to another friend (who was a much better bowler than i) stoppped due to advancing rheumatoid arthritis. if i'm lucky, i bowl every couple years.

it was a lot of fun to put in five games though. it's funny how you lose those 'bowling muscles' though...wrist and shoulder. sturdy legs don't hurt either :) man, professional bowlers can bowl up to 40 games during a tournament. that means swinging back and rolling that 16 lb. baby between 500-700 times over the course of a few days. don't tell me that won't build up some musk-els.

and yes, i do use a 16 lb. ball. i could probably do okay w/ a 14 or 15 pounder, but that extra pound gives me a little more pin action when the momentum carries it down the lane. you see all these guys rolling HUGE curve balls with 10-12 pound balls...but not always picking up spares or getting consecutive strikes. that's because they're not consistent enough and/or the light weight of the ball cuts too clean and doesn't create pin action to smash into the others. trust me, a slightly heavier ball usually produces more pinfall...as if any of you care ;)

awww...

my niece just had her baby today...Marlee Hayes Munoz...6 pounds 10 ounces, 19 inches. i was going to post some baby shower pics this week, since she wasn't due for another two weeks. guess that idea has gone out the window ;)

congrats Natalie and Victor! i wish i were going to Florida w/ your mom and sister...

god...i cannot believe i'm a great uncle...in both senses now!

do you know this man?

J does. he's the little brother of a girl who went to high school with us. i remember going to her house and seeing the half-pipe in the back. in fact, i didn't know he was a BMX star until i saw her again five years ago. it was funny because she mentioned that he even had groupies and an action figure. now, THAT'S when you know you've made it ;)

over the weekend, the DewAction Sports Tour stopped in Denver at the Pepsi Center. the competitions i'm sure were filled with oohs/aahs/chills/spills. even an eleven year-old kid finished second in the skateboard park contest. yeah...ELEVEN. he's even got four sponsors! gee. i don't recall any fellow professional athletes when we were in 5th/6th grade.

dense...

made this last night...for the second time since january 2004. last time, we didn't have enough blueberries. this time, we used whole wheat flour...which, although remaining moist, made it extremely dense. see below recipe:


Blueberry-Lemon Banana Bread with Cream-Cheese Glaze


2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
Cooking spray

Glaze:
1/4 cup (2 ounces) block-style 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons water

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the banana bread, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk to combine.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until mixture is well blended (about 1 minute). Add mashed banana, egg substitute, sour cream, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries and lemon rind. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool the bread 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove the bread from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare glaze, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over cooled bread.

Yield: 1 loaf, 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

CALORIES 176(24% from fat); FAT 4.6g (sat 2.7g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 3.2g; CHOLESTEROL 13mg; CALCIUM 19mg; SODIUM 194mg; FIBER 1.1g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.3g
Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2003

well...

we ended up seeing "that". it was better than we expected, considering the dull reviews. perhaps it helped to have barry sonnenfeld as director. after all, he brought us the MenInBlack movies and the AddamsFamily.

i'm a fan of robin williams, it's just that he can be a little over the top...which gets old...fast. in this movie though, he's a bit subdued and does a wonderful job as the overworked father who needs to reconnect with his kids during an ill-fated RV trip.

of course, we did see it for a dollar. heck, even if the movie was worse, we got our money's worth by listening to a kid a few rows back. his cackling was quite amusing. in fact, it probably improved the movie...

hot everywhere...

we're finally leaving the house after staying cooped up and out of the heat.

must...get...to...movie...theater

i think we're going to either see this or that. will let you know which when we get back.

meanwhile...

we're back...

aside from some SUPER asswipe drivers on US 6, we've returned from a trivia outing at the Hooters on 7th & Kipling. they've got NTN and (good and hot) wings. we had a couple beers each to go along w/ a ten piece and an order of onion rings, which were served w/ a 1000 island dressing spiked w/ horseradish (yuk).

we got to watch the end of the world cup finals. glad that italy won but sad that Zidane had to end his world cup career w/ a red card (on a pretty cool foul though ;).

we played three rounds of NTN and finished scored 10,300...8900...and 13,140 (which was the high score of the past seven days at that location). it's always fun to play NTN when you're drinking w/ friends. we (lois, our NM friend (Tony C.) and I ) used to play at the ol' Boiler Room in the early 90's, as the Maya (team name). we'd plow through the peanuts, order WAY too many beers and kick some major ass ;)

funny that we played as Lois J the first two rounds and revived the Maya name for the last round - score was way better! kinda wish he were still in colorado...then again, it's good that he's not because of the money spent on alcohol :)

gonna settle down in front of the TV for a couple hours now. what about you guys?

stay dry...

constant drizzle...

has left me with a bit of cabin fever. if you don't go out...you're staying in. if you do go out...you're staying in.

last night, we went to the cheapies to see this movie:

it was better than i thought it would be. originally, i had boycotted seeing the movie because of meester cruise's outrageous scient-o-bogusy statements. the movie cost $150 million to make and still hasn't recouped that figure at the box office - $132 million as of this week.

anyway, we all know his big mouth hurt the movie's earnings. mebbe even by 25%...who knows.

why, then, did we spend $1.50 each to see it? well, we were out and about around 6:30 and decided to go to our beloved Tiffany Plaza on a whim, since we had no idea what was showing...much less a schedule.

when we got there (at 6:50) we saw that this was showing at 7:00 but decided against it since it just opened there on friday; a bit of boycott was still brewing within. besides, all the other holdouts might be giving in by now. so we got tix to the 7:30 RV instead.

seeing as it was probably another 15-20 minutes before they started seating for the movie, we hung out against the opposite wall of the doors w/ our popcorn. after a couple minutes, i looked up and noticed that M:I:3 was at the adjacent theater (read: the BIG theater ;).

ah...fuck the boycott. we wandered in and found a less than 1/3 full theater and scored seats RIGHT in the middle.

now, the movie's plot development was a little thin due to the crazy action scenes. but hey, sometimes ya gotta let go and get sucked in by the special effects and rampant noise, which btw, was excellent! i couldn't believe the sound system in the theater; the big one at Tiffany has phenomenal acoustics for a cheapie ;)

more rain...might mean more cheapies heh

something...

from Cindi...

Five things in my purse (well, fanny pack in my case ;)
-cell phone
-eyeglass case
-pen
-lip balm
-coupon carrier

Five things in my fridge
-turkey pastrami
-a jar of sushi ginger that totally needs to be thrown out
-lactose-free milk
-yellow bell pepper
-jicama

Five things in my bedroom closet
-assorted t-shirts
-Perquackey (an old word game similar to Word Yahtzee)
-a rice cooker(?!?)...i have NO idea how that got there
-a black, purple, and yellow striped hooded poncho from Tlaxcala, Mexico
-a box for a lamp that i bought last year

Five things in my car
-a squeegee
-a big ol' trunk bag full of car stuff
-a ball pump (for volleyball emergencies)
-my field toolbox
-a sleeping bag

Five things on my patio
-gas grill
-birdbath
-citronella candles
-weeds
-small plush stuffed animals that have been completely eviscerated by the dogs

what occasion...

is related to these items?

leather...crystal...glass

give up? they're traditional gifts for third wedding anniversaries.

why do i bring this up? well, just a bit over three years ago, she brought me into the blog world. does that make her a blog-stetrician?

statistically, this is my 489th posting...which would pan out to about a post every 2.2413087 days.

although i'm not the best updater, i hope that you've enjoyed reading about some things in my life. even after three years, i still feel a little weird about recalling the events of the day, even if it's to a whopping audience of SIX (but very cool) readers. granted, my day usually consists of very little drama and is pretty droll but i find it interesting (even comforting) to know that mebbe i'm not as boring as i think ;)

in those three years, i've kept up on the things that keeps you sane, entertained, or institutionalized. i will admit that it's fascinating to get on the computer and capture a glimpse of other people's lives...no matter how routine it may be. you get the feeling that these people could easily relate to your problems and would offer you emotional support over the waves. in this blog-boat, we commiserate, celebrate, fantasize, chuckle, and secretly wish harm upon others. therapeutic, ain't it?

well, i just wanted to thank you all for making my life that much more amusing. at this time next year, i'll be expecting you all to be laden with linen, silk, or appliances.

on to #490...

well?

anyone going to the fireworks display for the City of Glendale tonight? it's supposed to start at 9PM but they haven't gotten started until 9:30 some years. still, it's a very worthwhile show if you happen to be in the area. of course, i'm probably talking to myself unless people from arvada or northglenn want to fight the traffic...

argh...

i've been bidding on some eBay items lately. unfortunately, i've been outbid on two auctions in the last 5-10 seconds of bidding.

dammit!

what is it with people who do this? granted, i watch items and usually try to bid on them the last day on some that i want to monitor. however, i don't think i've done a last minute bid in years; it would have been for something i truly wanted. i just wanna know if there's a last second program or sumpin' that people use to bid on eBay. i mean, it's not like you're gonna sit there...waiting until the last possible seconds. is your computer calibrated to eBay Standard Time?

sigh

is this too crazy or what?

i'm sure many of you are aware of this story (since it came to light a couple years ago)...but it's just too funny to pass up! LOL

Judge convicted for using penis pump on stand

June 30 2006 at 09:59PM

Bristow, Oklahoma - A US jury has sentenced an Oklahoma judge to one year in prison for using a penis pump on the bench during three murder trials and a civil case in 2002 and 2003.

Donald D Thompson, 59, was convicted on Thursday and fined $10000 for each count. Thompson told the jury he would also lose his $90000-a-year pension.

The verdict, which exposed the judge's behind-the-bench secrets, capped a bizarre and awkward chapter in the state's judicial history.

Thompson's longtime court reporter, Lisa Foster, wept on the stand as she recalled how she discovered the source of a "sh-sh" sound in the courtroom. She said she spied Thompson's penis inside the pump through a small gap between a drawer and a door.

'I should have thrown it away, but I didn't'
Foster said she later saw Thompson's penis 15 to 20 times over the course of three years. She also saw him shave his scrotum and urinate into a trashcan behind the bench.

"I was really shocked and kind of scared, because it was so bizarre," Foster said. "I didn't know what to do."

The defence maintained that the charges were part of a vendetta by local police to overthrow Thompson.

The judge denied ever using the pump - a device used in the hope of enlarging the penis or combating erectile dysfunction - saying it was a joke gift from his best friend in 2001.

He said he moved the pump back and forth between his bench and chambers but never used it on his penis.

"Twenty-twenty hindsight: I should have thrown it away, but I didn't," Thompson said.

The white-handled pump sat on an evidence table in front of the jury throughout the trial, and both the prosecution and defense at times picked it up and squeezed the handle for effect.

Jurors also heard court reporter's tapes from each trial, and a rhythmic, high-pitched whoosh of air punctuated emotional witness testimony in the murder trials.

Testimony in the judge's trial drew giggles and embarrassed glances from jurors and the gallery in this conservative Oklahoma hamlet, 60 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.

Several witnesses said Thompson often made himself at home behind the bench, removing his shoes to shine them and clip his toenails, spitting tobacco into a cup and fidgeting with an electronic organizer.

I SHOULD HAVE THROWN IT AWAY, BUT I DIDN'T. what the hell, I'll just use it at work! OMG

because...

i'm such a whore for latin america:

You Should Visit Argentina

Cowboys, European food, beaches, and skiing. This country is like no other! Learn to tango, hike across Patagonia, eat at fine restaurants... you'll never be bored.

What Latin American Country Should You Visit?

at first, it recommended that i visit costa rica...which i did in 1992. i was curious about the results if i changed a couple answers. so i ended up with Argentina. that's cool. ever since our friends moved there last year, we've been talking about it. mebbe next year...

whoops...

just a wee bit tipsy right now. went to Rock Bottom after v-ball tonight. the rain and low turnout of players sent us packing an hour earlier than usual.

had two 20 oz. pale ales and a plate o' nachos. the beer seemed so strong... granted, pale ales usually are higher in alcohol content (6-8%)than pilsners or stouts, but i was pretty happy after the first one. the second one was ordered simply because i downed the first one ;)

anyway, my brother, Sandy, and i hung out for a couple hours, watching the Rockies game. while i'm not the biggest baseball fan, i am a sports fan...and Sandy is THE sports fan of the family. i feel that i can only hold meaningful sports conversations with him. sure, i've got two other brothers with whom i can talk tennis or soccer, but sandy is mr. all-around...if you know what i mean ;)

ya know, sometimes you just got to get together with siblings to rekindle that family spirit. much too often, the obligatory holiday gatherings aren't enough. then again, this might only be accurate with my family...heh.

speaking of family, my niece in florida is due to have her first child at the end of july. i cannot believe that i'm gonna be a great uncle...too weird. i look at her and see the toddler who used to come by the house while her parents went out on a date. she taught me the meaning of 'terrible twos.' she wasn't a monster...far from one...but she epitomized separation anxiety. it was simply heartbreaking to watch the expression on her face when her parents had to sneak out for fear of her realization that she was at the house to be babysat by her aunt and uncle.

and now she's gonna have a little one of her own...wow...where has the time gone?!?

free...

is a good thing. this summer, as in the past, cherry creek north is sponsoring free movies on the fillmore plaza on thursdays, starting in july. here's the schedule...

Fillmore Plaza, Second and Fillmore

July 6 Batman Begins (Rated PG-13, 134 minutes)

July 13 Fun with Dick and Jane (Rated PG-13, 90 minutes)

July 20 Caddyshack (Rated R, 107 minutes) – Sponsored by the International PGA Golf Tournament

July 27 Madagascar (Rated PG, 86 minutes) – Sponsored by The Children’s Hospital

August 3 Sideways - presented in conjunction with Rocky Mountain PBS. (Edited version. Although edited for content, family-edited movies may contain subject matter that may be inappropriate for some viewers. Please use discretion. MPAA rated R, 123 minutes)

August 10 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Rated PG, 106 minutes) – Sponsored by The Children’s Hospital

August 17 Million Dollar Baby (Rated PG-13, 137 minutes)

August 24 King Kong (Rated PG-13, 187 minutes)

might have to take in a freebie or two...

on the movie "front", we just finished watching a couple selections from our netflix list. this week, it was this 1979 movie and this 1964 classic. the classic was better than the '79 but that sequel even had its moments.

the next two titles on our list are:

The Thrill of It All! and Nine Queens. we'll get 'em in a couple days and i'll keep you posted ;)

flush...

that's the sound of $40 being sent down the toilet for speeding on 6th avenue this afternoon...damn. wish i could talk to the camera toting van.

"...but i ALWAYS speed on that stretch of 6th ave."

sigh

usually, i'm good about seeing those blue signs that warn of the vans in use. they come up a block or two before you get popped. oh well, this will make up for the time i was busted in a school zone about three years ago. i never got a ticket for that. and THAT ticket should have been $80! mebbe i shouldn't be too happy though. with my luck, i'll get both in the mail sometime this summer. wouldn't that be grand...

other than the happy foot, we went to see a sneak at the Esquire. it was for this movie. you gotta go see it when it comes out next month. i knew electric cars were being produced in the 90's...but had no idea how efficient they truly were. i just thought that the technology hadn't been perfected, thus allowing the burgeoning market for hybrids. after finding out that electric cars had been killed by the same california mandate that had created them, you could sense outrage in the theater. sure, electric cars only had an initial range of 60-115 miles per charge, but how many people drive more than that a day? pretty rare for me...

with gas prices hovering around $2.70 in town, we had already been trying to go out less. and after seeing this movie, with fingers pointing towards gov't/car maker conspiracy, we're gonna walk more. if we want to go out, there's plenty of places to eat within a mile from here. argh. trust me, you'll feel the same too once you see this awesome documentary.

ever since we saw the Toyota Prius at the Texas State Fair in 2000, we had already been considering buying a hybrid. the new honda civic hybrids showcased at the denver auto show tested at 50 mpg in the city, but there are some detractors. i guess there are hybrid owners who refute that claim, recording figures anywhere from 35-47 mpg. perhaps it's something to be taken with a grain of salt on both sides. still, you have to admit that 35 mpg in the city ain't so bad. when we drove to texas, we had varying numbers. on two occasions, our little honda civic averaged more than 45 mpg (highway). in fact, when we drove from salina, KS to burlington, CO...we averaged 53 mpg. and that was with the A/C on! i just remember not hitting the gas nor brakes more than a couple times, which really helped the cruise control. we were totally stunned!

anyway, get to the site and check it out. there's some really intriguing facts and numbers. i don't think that electric cars weren't for everyone, but it was definitely a good option for a second car. after all, if many families have 2+ cars, why not have one for short trips...and not use any gas?

i know that bias is always an issue when it comes to debate; everyone has a personal interest when money is involved. i truly believe there is some truth to auto industry conspiracy. one of my friends worked at ford for many years and told me that for every $35,000 SUV, a $30,000 profit was made. recently, i heard that there was a smart car dealership in Elizabeth. i think i may have blogged a bit about the smart car during/after our trip to spain in 2004. anyway, these little buggers are pretty cool.


small (like 8' long), gas sipping (60 mpg), and manueverable (the wheels actually turn 90 degrees so you don't have to parallel park)...and they're around 8000 euros ($10,000) in europe. sooooo, WHY is this dealership in colorado taking orders for these cars and selling them for $27,000!!!!!



wotdafuk?!? there's definitely a smoking gun of conspiracy...




at least there are some viable options...hybrids...smart cars...and mebbe this one in the future. it's the prius (it's going to be a plug in) that toyota wants to put out by 2008. and they're hoping to revamp the efficiency to 113 mpg!!! now, THAT would be cool!

new...

i've added a couple new links on the sidebar. under blogs, you'll find the occasional journal of our friend, Helena. she and her husband just moved to Argentina last year. they've semi-retired on a vineyard/orchard in the Mendoza wine growing region of western Argentina, near a town called San Rafael.



Helena, who is Dutch, was a medical anthropologist, mainly specializing in geriatrics. her husband, Arn, was a music teacher for Boulder Public Schools for many years. they are just the coolest people to have around. nothing like conversationalists with a razor sharp sense of humor. when they lived here, we tried to get together (with our little anthro group of 8) a couple times during the summer. we really miss them. visiting them up in Longmont was one thing...at least it was 5500 miles closer ;) BUT it's definitely another good excuse to go back to South America!

if you want to read about starting a new life in a rural area of a foreign country, i recommend that you check out the site; there are some really amusing stories. you'd really like her style of writing - pure storytelling.

under links, i replaced Dog Eat Doug with Lío, a really cute comic strip about a kid with a great imagination. this is a strip from a few days ago...i like the way he thinks!



it has been a super morning! made omelets (w/ cheese, bacon, yellow pepper, green onion, mushrooms, and tomatoes) and had them out on the front porch in the cool breeze. even though there's still no escaping 6th ave. traffic, the porch faces east and is a perfect place to have either breakfast or a beer/wine in the evening, after the sun has set. and with little traffic on a sunday morning, it was an idyllic setting...

life is SO good!

it is...

this man's 78th birthday today.

he's the author of this book and many others...



what's his name? did you grow up reading this children's masterpiece? there's no prize, especially for Cindi because i KNOW she has used this book in her curriculum...