Thursday, August 30, 2007

Coach

Coach: Ok, when I say your name, let me know if you can make the scrimmage on Saturday.
Coach: Boudreaux
Player: Yup.
Coach: Broussard
Player: I don't want to.
Coach: I'll take that as a yes.
...
Coach: LeBlanc (pronounced with a hard 'c' at the end)
Player: Coach, you're not in Jersey any more, it's pronounced LeBlauh

(I'm not sure how to type out that nasally cajun sound that makes up that last name, but for the life of me, I am having trouble leaving out the 'c'. It doesn't matter how long I've lived here.)

a ghost could keep him sober


So I had so many songs from the months of June and July built up that I felt the need to throw together a companion disk to Lost In Drawers. You will notice the bands across the two disks are similar (obviously there are some inevitable differences). Also, the cover art is by the same artist. Here is the tracklist:
  1. Battleships - Travis
  2. My Rights Versus Yours - The New Pornographers
  3. Jeb Rand / Sailin' On - Bedouin Soundclash
  4. The Start Of Something - Voxtrot
  5. The Wrong Side of Reno - Rocky Votolato
  6. Sorry Signs On Cash Machines - Ben Kweller
  7. Sky Blue Sky - Wilco
  8. Hello Sunshine - Super Furry Animals
  9. CC Rider - Old Crow Medicine Show with Davis Rawlings
  10. Taught to Be Proud - Tea Leaf Green
  11. Bermuda Highway (Acoustic) - My Morning Jacket
  12. Crazy - Ray LaMontagne
  13. Gyasi Went Home - Bedouin Soundclash
  14. Raised By Wolves - Voxtrot
  15. Chanson Pour Que Tu M'aimes Un Peu - France Gall
  16. White Daisy Passing - Rocky Votolato
  17. By Your Side - The Everybody Fields
  18. Oh Yeah - David Olney
  19. We Are Many - Hackensaw Boys
  20. Take me down in the night - Peter Walsh
  21. Jockey Full Of Bourbon - Tom Waits

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Cajun Signs: O'Sneaux


Stopped by the old sneaux cone stand the other day after doing some yard work and they were closed. It appears their hours are from 2-6 PM O'Sneaux.

France Gall - Laisse tomber les filles

This is one of the more obscure songs on Lost in Drawers - I believe it was released in 1964 and translates to "Forget the Girls." You can find out more about France Gall here.


Travis - My Eyes

First song on the latest monthly mix, Lost in Drawers. Kind of an interesting video, makes you want to go to a water park...or a birth canal... not sure which.


Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Lost In Drawers

It's been a while since the last Monthly Mix - the summer has been just a little too busy for me. Thus, this installment covers June and July. There may be a companion disk to Lost in Drawers being released as well...I'll keep you posted. Requests for copies welcome.

  1. My Eyes - Travis
  2. Sun's Work Undone - Hackensaw Boys
  3. The Underdog - Spoon
  4. Sorry Signs on Cash Machines - Mason Jennings
  5. We Used to Be Friends - The Dandy Warhols
  6. Goodbye - The Postmarks
  7. Black Cotton - Ray's Vast Basement
  8. Let Her Go - The Lodger
  9. Slow Show - The National
  10. Bad Blood - Bear Hands
  11. Laisse tomber les filles - France Gall
  12. Imagine - Jack Johnson
  13. Two - Ryan Adams
  14. None Shall Pass - Aesop Rock
  15. Kid Gloves - Voxtrot
  16. Every Wall You Own - Chris Bathgate
  17. What Light - Wilco
  18. Closer - Travis
  19. Drop Me Off - Pela
  20. Edge Of The Ocean - Ivy
  21. Step Right Up - Tom Waits

Subsurface Drainage

My U-17 team is headed to Plano this upcoming Labor Day weekend for our first tournament of the Fall. We have never played in a tournament of this size. It has over 30 teams and is held in Pizza Hut Park. It should be a really good experience for my team. The fields are described on their website:

  • Each field has subsurface drainage constructed with ADS perforated pipe which feeds into a perimeter drain loop that leads to the retention ponds. The water in the retention ponds is used to irrigate the fields.

  • The soil profile consists of 6" of lightweight aggregate placed on the hard pan grade followed by 12" of sand that has been blended with peat moss. All materials used meet or exceed USGA standards for subsurface soil drainage and retention rates. The soil profile will drain at a rate of 12"-16" per hour.

Sounds "tight" .... as my players would say.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Houston vs. Pachuca Slideshow


I think the best part about these photos are the fans - especially the Texian Army ones - Take the Chucky shot above. It doesn't get much better than that. Check out the slideshow for more great photos. I added a sampling of some below.

Houston vs. Pachuca Photos


These photos that I took when Houston played Pachuca are late. But they are cool. And they are not 100% ready yet...but check out this one. I'll have the rest up on Flickr tonight and will probably post the ones I like the most.

Get in the Game

It's sad that I watch so much Fox Soccer Channel that I am starting to bob my head to this song and sing along. In my defense, all you hear on the channel is the chorus, which is a little catchy from a soccer fan perspective. When you hear the verses in the song in this video, you will wonder how I could ever admit in public that I am starting to like this crappy song...


Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Green Thumb


The lemons are looking good! Although...I am starting to wonder if they are actually limes. I am anxiously waiting for signs of yellow.

Edward


This past weekend was a hedge trimming weekend. The job is brutal because we have one hedge that must be 7-8 feet high. Here are two photos of my handiwork. Yes...I am now uploading photos of my weekend chores for you to admire. I am stooping to new lows. The house in the lower photo is ours. The house in the upper photo is not.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Ender's Game

I'm a big fan of the Orson Scott Card book Ender's Game. I read the entire series for the first time this past July during our summer vacation. I would have to agree with this comic, Ender's Game was the best. However, I thought the whole series was worth it. To say that one is the best does not imply the others are not good - they were all excellent.

This cartoon from XKCD was just too timely to not share.

Commuter

I've been driving to Baton Rouge every day this week for work. Commuting is not something that I have had to taste in a while. It is safe to say that 50 minutes in a car one way and 50 minutes back, is not something I would ever want to do full time. The only thing I am enjoying about it is the fact that I get to listen to NPR in the morning...

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Toronto Lights


This is a night photo with the CN Tower in the background, taken in Toronto when we were there for the U-20 World Cup this past summer. The tower is currently the tallest building in the world.

Shinto?

About a year ago I posted a little note about a Japanese restaurant that opened up in our town call Yuki. I thought it was a bad name for a place to eat...for obvious reasons. They evidently agreed and have changed their name to Shinto.

Hmmmm....

Friday, August 17, 2007

One Shot, One Goal

In his first start for the LA Galaxy this past Wednesday in the SuperLiga semifinal, Beckham had his first chance to hit a free kick from within 25 yards. With this chance came his first goal. That's right, first real free kick and he puts it away. Later in the game he had an assist to Donovan. After watching this game I don't think anyone could doubt that he led his team to victory (2-0 over DC United). It won't be this way every time...but it sure was nice to watch.

This is classic Beckham, silencing critics with action in the most dramatic fashion. Enjoy.

(Warning: Odd techno music playing during video)


Niagara Signs: Don't Jump


Just in case you are stupid enough to think about climbing the railing at Niagara Falls, the Canadians are ready to warn you that this is not advised.

Woods Hole Marine


I like this photo as well. Just felt like picking it out as I was watching the slide show. Time to go back to work.

Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard Photos

More Flickr progress. The complete set of photos from our brief stay in Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard can be seen by clicking here. These are unedited...so be warned. However, there are some good ones up there for you vacation photo junkies.


Coach

A new season has started...and my players are now driving themselves to practice.

Player: Coach, I got in an accident!
Coach: You almost sound proud about it...don't you think that's weird?
Player: We hit a bus!
Coach: Was everyone all right?
Player: It was in the parking lot!

Thursday, August 16, 2007

US vs Uruguay - Complete Photo Set


I've started to finally tackle photo maintenance and upload my recent photo sets to Flickr. I just finished the US vs. Uruguay U-20 World Cup Match in Toronto. Click here to check out the complete set of game photos.

A/C is Fixed

We got back from Houston yesterday and the house was cool again. I don't know how people ever lived without it.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Perfect Timing?

The a/c repairman called 30 minutes prior to leaving for Houston. On our way out of the house he had the air back on and running. We won't know if it is really fixed until we get back tomorrow.

SuperLiga Semifinal, Houston vs. Pachuca


We are driving to Houston this afternoon to go see the Superliga semifinal, Houston Dynamo vs. Pachuca at 9 PM CST. This should be an awesome game and an awesome crowd. Plus, we will be spending the night in Houston in an air conditioned hotel.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Red Line

Our thermostat has just about red lined at 88. It only goes up to 90. Time to leave the house and run some errands or hang out at a coffee shop.

Hades

There was a heat advisory in Lafayette yesterday and today - heat index in the 110 range. It was/is the perfect time for our air conditioner to crap out. Thanks to our buddy 'retired' though, we have two industrial strength fans keeping us 'cool.'

Friday, August 10, 2007

Socks

I find it annoying when the person behind me on the plane takes off their shoes and stretches their sock feet into my personal space. As a general rule, taking your socks off in enclosed public spaces with people you don't know is a bad idea. Despite the fact that I kicked this guy like 4 times, he never got the point.

Herbalife

I have had my first two Beckham jersey sightings occur today - in Philly. Kind of cool.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

California Sun

Ramones for your Thursday. I saw these guys live in Albany 10 years ago, outdoors, for free. I don't think I'll ever forget that show. Dig the old school Yankees shirt on the guitarist.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Travel Tag

I added a new tag to categorize posts since I talk about it too much: Travel. I figure any travel photos, stories, or general gripes about being on the road deserve their own organizational element.

Did I Read That Right?

Did you hear?

  • FIFA has requested trademarks on various phrases for the 2010 World Cup. Phrases include: 2010, Africa 2010, World Cup, Win in Africa, and all names of the venue cities with the figure 2010. The list is longer and people are a little upset (rightfully so).

Stats

  • 3 = Number of weekdays I was home in July
  • 7 = Number of complete days (including weekends) that I was home in July
  • 27,767 = Frequent Flier Miles earned since June 25th
  • 45,000 = Frequent Flier Miles used in that same period

That was a long month. It looks like August will be much better. I am traveling the rest of this week but no major trips planned for the remainder of the month...yet.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Screwdriver

Who drinks a screwdriver at 6:30 am on an airplane? The guy sitting next to me. It gets better. He just spilled it on himself. Smells good.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Great Robbie Keane Goal

Robbie Keane scored a great goal in this pre-season game against Torino. The other highlights in from this game are worth watching as well - but at the very least, check out the goal by Keane (it's the first one in the clip).

6th Near Death Experience

The drive to the top of Pikes Peak was incredible. As I pulled into the parkway that led to the summit, I was greeted by a sign that indicated how far the road was open (the summit) and what temperature the summit was: 40 degrees. At some point on the ride, the shoulder became an immediate drop off, so there was about 7 feet between the right tire and 14,000 feet of open space. Driving in my rented convertible PT Cruiser...that's right:


Anyway, driving in a convertible PT Cruiser with the top down up Pikes Peak was enough to make my fear of heights churn the pit of my stomach. I made it 3/4 of the way up before I closed the top. It looked like rain. Turns out there was a storm coming in. When a storm comes in and you are 14,000 up, you are in the storm, not under it.

Visibility dropped to about 10 feet. The road got narrower, there was no place to turn around so I kept going. When you can see 10 feet, and the cliff is 7 feet away, you go slow. At some point, I reached the summit. Unfortunately, visibility was probably < 10 feet at that point, so I just turned around and started down. It started to hail. You heard me right, hail.

I wasn't feeling too safe in the PT cruiser at that point. There were rivers of muddy water rushing down each side of the dirt road (it's not paved), huge balls of hail, streaks of lightning, and almost no line of sight. I inched down that mountain at 8-10 miles an hour for about 12 miles until the cloud cover broke and I could see again. It was a blast.

Seriously though, the ride up Pikes Peak was awesome - incredible views. Until the storm came, it was perfect. After the storm came, it was the 6th near death experience I've had.

(5th Near Death Experience)

Pikes Peak


I'm going to drive up Pikes Peak today. I hear they test how hot your breaks are as you are driving back down it. If they are too hot, you have to pull over and wait until they cool off. Hopefully I can stay on the road as I am staring out the window at the view.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Remembering Nathan

Today was the service for Nathan. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. He had a favorite hymn - it was Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (words by Van Dyke and music by Beethoven). The service concluded with the congregation singing this song.

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!


Thursday, August 02, 2007

Harry Potter Community

As I have been traveling the last few weeks, it has been really interesting to take note of the Harry Potter phenomena and how prevalent it is in airports. Last week, I would guess that about 10% of the people on the flights I was on were reading the book. That is a high percentage to all be reading the same book. This week, I am one of those people. It is interesting to see the number of people who approach me to talk about the book - carrying the book around creates a bond with strangers. Pretty neat.

GolTV - Top 10 Goals, July Week 5

Top 10 goals of the week from GolTV (one soccer channel that I have yet to figure out how to get). Number 8 is one of my favorites. Number 7 is Toronto vs Aston Villa and shows Toronto putting on a passing clinic around their English opponent. And yeah, Number 1 is a cracker.

On the Road

Headed to Colorado today to attend the funeral services for my friend's son. I've never been to Colorado before.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Ryan Adams - Two

Here is one of the songs that will be on the (very late June) Monthly Mix...this is from a David Letterman performance. I don't buy many albums these days as I mainly opt for songs. There are a few artists though whose albums I always buy. Ryan Adams has been on that list for a few years. Enjoy.