T-Bone's World

More Than Nice........

2008-09-02T22:26:00.002-05:00

Check out this ad that is running here in the Twin Cities during the Republican National Convention. Wicked nice? Really?

In Honor of My California Earthquake Comrades

2008-07-30T19:19:00.002-05:00

This is still funny after all these years. I remember watching this particular newscast live when it happened.

Because I have Nothing Original to Post: FONT CONFERENCE

2008-07-22T14:33:00.002-05:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Hilarious Muppets Bloopers!

2008-04-01T22:06:00.000-05:00

Hey! Its Spring!!!!

2008-03-21T14:41:00.003-05:00

Really? It is? I wouldn't know it by looking outside this morning. None of the white stuff you see in the picture was here yesterday. We're getting 8 inches of it today. Oh joy...........

LOST is back!!!!!

2008-01-28T16:07:00.000-06:00

My ABSOLUTE favorite television show EVER - LOST- is back on Thursday the 31st and I am very excited about it! I am even more excited about it because of the video below. The producers of LOST have been putting out these 2-3 minute mobisodes over the last few weeks. They are called MISSING PIECES and show us moments on the island that we haven't "seen" before. This last one is called SO IT BEGINS and goes back to the beginning of the very first minute of the show. Actually it goes back to just before that. If you are a fan of the show, watching this will give you one of those mind-bending - 'what the heck?!?' moments that LOST is famous for. I'm so excited that I am going to sit down on the couch now and do nothing else until after the first episode of season 4 airs.

I'm Dreaming of.........

2007-12-26T19:16:00.000-06:00

We had a White Christmas here in Minnesota this year. It was very beautiful. Here is some brief video I shot from our deck of the snow falling. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

Stupid Vikings

2007-12-26T13:34:00.000-06:00

I made it into my fantasy football league's Super Bowl this year and I lost. I've only made it to the Championship game once before and lost that time too........to my wife..........by ONE FREAKIN' POINT!!!!! Have you ever experienced deja vu? Needles to say, I am feeling pretty bitter right now. Who do I have to thank for this? The Viking's Defense (or lack there of). I was at the Vikings-Redskins game Sunday night and watched the Vikes D implode before my very eyes. Before the game started, my buddy Mike (my opponent) called to congratulate me on winning the Super Bowl. At that point in the day I was almost guaranteed the victory if the Vikes D could hold the Redskins. I told Mike that nothing was in stone and if any team could blow it for me, it was the Vikings! Sure enough, that is what happened. That sucks.

T-Bone: Slavedriver

2007-12-20T22:13:00.000-06:00

This past weekend our dearest friends Doah and Chrisy made their first trip to Minnesota to spend some time with us. Doah has blogged about their visit here and my wife, Julie, wrote up a nice summary here at her blog. But, I'm gonna be honest here....the real reason I wanted them to come was that I wanted to get some free work done around the house. If someone is gonna sleep in my beds and eat my food, well....they're gonna work for it darn it!

After visiting with them for a day, there came a time when we were all sitting at the table and an awkward silence fell. Doah looked at me and I looked at Doah. I said "Are you going to make me say it?" More silence and cold stares. "Get the shovel out of my garage and get your rear outside!", I said, "You know what to do! Git!"
Well, look at that.......darn tootin' he's gonna shovel my sidewalk! Doesn't look too bad for a first timer. Well, I hope they enjoyed their visit and that they come back soon! My garage needs some cleanin'.

Winter in Minnesota

2007-12-15T08:36:00.001-06:00

Believe it or not, it is the best, as the picture above can attest. There was a lot of moisture in the air and when you combine that with cold temperatures (it was 4 below on this morning) the moisture forms ice crystals. Those ice crystals were everywhere, which made for a very magical looking morning. The trees are covered with 'em. Ahhhhhh (sips coffee....)

Snow + Ice + Hill = Very Bad

2007-12-01T15:18:00.000-06:00

As I sit here in my living room and watch the snow fall in our first major snow storm of the winter, I am reminded of a video that went around the net last year. I can't remember where I first saw this, but I managed to find it again. This happened somewhere in the Seattle area. Those poor people. When you watch this you will laugh and wince at the same time. Its unbelievable. I hope no one got hurt. I got mad at the end of the video when it cuts off at the firetruck. I wanted to know if it made it or not. Can you imagine if it didn't?

Confessions of an Absent Blogger

2007-11-23T18:23:00.000-06:00

Well, here is another post after a long absence. I feel so sheepish coming back here after slouching off for a while. Julie has been giving me a hard time for not posting and now my friends are taking me to task. I have been pondering why I have been uninspired to post and I have come to the conclusion that I have been self-conscious. I started to worry about what people would think after reading the site. I guess I started this after the iPhone post. I would look at that post and think 'what a shallow guy.' Yet, the post is true. Its me......its something I wanted and I thought I could be funny about it. Those of you who truly know me, know that this is who I am. Let's be honest here, I am a materialistic guy sometimes (sometimes?). I guess I just need to be myself here and not sweat it. You'll just have to to take all of me, the good and the bad.

iPhone

2007-09-07T21:32:00.001-05:00

iWant.

Post on a Stick

2007-09-06T19:23:00.000-05:00

Last week we went to the behemoth that is called The Great Minnesota Get Together....a.k.a. The Minnesota State Fair. According to Wikipedia, it may be the largest state fair in the United States. The fair is a big deal here. All of the local news stations set up a spot at the fair to do the evening newscasts. It seems as if everyone goes at some point during its two week run. I could tell too, there were a lot of people there the day we went. The fair marks the end of summer for Minnesota and its last day always fall on Labor Day.

There is much to do at the fair, but the main attraction is food and A LOT of it. Everywhere I turned there was food looking me in the face. The most popular method of serving food is on a stick somehow. If it can be deep fired and put on a stick, they'll do it. You can find your obligatory corn dogs and cotton candy, but it gets much more creative than that. There is cheesecake on a stick, hot dish (a Minnesota staple) on a stick, deep fried (insert name of candy bar here) on a stick, alligator on a stick, walleye (a local fish) on a stick, you get the point. Even one of the local news stations calls the evenings weather report 'weather on stick.' There is so much on a stick that some food stands proudly proclaim 'NOTHING ON A STICK!' Its comical. There is so much other good food to be had there. We had some garlic french fries, an awesome turkey sandwich, and one of my favorites...SWEET MARTHA'S COOKIES! There are two stands (well, a big barn) where you can get the cookies. You can smell them a mile away. All of the cookies are made fresh and served in a bucket. They come directly from the oven to you. See that picture? Add 20 more cookies to that, and that is how it is served to you. You have to eat the cookies towering over the rim of the bucket just to put the lid on. Forced gluttony...I love it! Once you have downed all those cookies, there is another stand to rescue you from cookie servitude......the all you the milk you can drink for $1 stand! You buy a cup for a buck and you can keep refilling it with fresh milk (regular or chocolate) all day long. All you have to do is wait in line, which can get long....but its worth it.

After eating food, you have to find a way of burning it off. No problem.....there is a lot of walking. The fairgrounds are HUGE! You can visit all of the livestock barns, one of which is dedicated solely to birthing animals (which is very popular with the kids). You can visit the agriculture building to see all of the fruits and vegetables, bee hives, fresh honey, and buy some honey-vanilla ice cream. And you can visit the midway to ride all of the death contraptions....uh, I mean rides. Overall it was a fun day. The kids love it. I could do without the crowds and the heat......but....the food........it......keeps....me.....coming.....back!

Alright, its on!

2007-08-22T22:18:00.000-05:00

OK, the Mrs. has decided to start blogging. I think that is great! However, now the pressure is on. No more can I slouch it in the blogosphere with my one post per month. I gotta start writing! You can check out her blog here.

A Horrible Tragedy

2007-08-02T22:21:00.000-05:00

I am still in shock after seeing what happened in Minneapolis yesterday. We have been across this bridge many times and I can't believe its not there any more. My prayers and thoughts are with the victims and their families during this time. Instead of the pictures of the collapsed bridge that are being plastered all over the news, I am posting a picture of the bridge in better days.

Finally!

2007-05-22T21:37:00.000-05:00

As I have stated in my link list on the right, I am a huge fan of ABC's television show LOST. Tomorrow evening is the Season 3 finale and I can't wait! I am also dreading it because after the show airs, I will have to wait until next February until Season 4 starts.

I wasn't always into LOST. Before the first season aired, I would see promos for it during the advertising onslaught for all the new fall shows. The promo would boast that LOST is the new show from the creators of ALIAS while showing scenes from the pilot episode (the most expensive pilot ever produced). To be honest, it didn't look that good. Also, I was into ALIAS until the writers of that show lost their vision and turned onto a path of confusing and unrewarding plot lines. I eventually stopped watching ALIAS and never went back. Some people I know watched that pilot episode of LOST when it aired and were turned off by some of its 'unbelievable' set pieces. I could understand that. One of my friends, Mike, (who got me into ALIAS) started watching from the beginning and was hooked. He would ask me if I was watching it. When I told him no, he would always remind me that I was missing a very good show and that I should be tuning in. I finally told Mike to let me know when the Season 1 finale aired so I could start watching the repeats the following week to check it out.

Well, I was hooked as well. LOST could be classified as a sci-fi type of show. But, it is so much more than that. This show is about the CHARACTERS, who are stranded on a mysterious island after a plane crash, first and foremost. You get invested into their stories and want to know how they became who they are and who they will become. You also come to find out that these strangers who come to know each other through tragedy are all somehow linked to one another. Then there are the sci-fi elements. Who are the mysterious Others? How can one of the passengers, who was paralyzed before the crash, suddenly walk after crashing on the beach? What is the Dharma Initiative? Why are there underground hatches on the island? What is this 'smoke monster?'

What makes this show rise above all others for me is how it is dealing with much larger themes, such as right/wrong, white/black, spirituality, faith vs. science, and redemption. Many of the characters have names that are biblical in origin. The characters are all flawed and are presented opportunities to redeem themselves on the island, to make right the wrongs of the past.

Another facet that makes me a fan of the show is the commitment the producers of LOST have to the show and the fans. They realize that the intricate plot they have woven could easily unravel without proper care. They have watched shows like THE X-FILES and ALIAS flounder in their later years because they just went on with out paying off plot lines that were layed out in earlier season. I have much respect for them to negotiate an end date for the series with ABC so they can plan out exactly how the show is supposed to end and give answers to the many mysteries that have been introduced. They could have let LOST just continue on and rake in more money, but they care about the story more than that. It was announced a couple of weeks ago that LOST will only go three more seasons.

So, for those of you that have been watching.......will Charlie die as foretold by Desmond's visions? Can Juliet be trusted? What's up with The Looking Glass Station (a telling name for that station, in my opinion. Is it a portal of some sort to the outside world?) Who were the gun-toting ladies who confronted Charlie? What is up with Jacob? Will the Losties make contact and get rescued? Argh! Bring it on!

Ermmm...do you like the smell of freshly cut grass?

2007-05-20T09:28:00.001-05:00

Why, yes............yes I do.

I mowed the Lawn Today

2007-04-26T20:04:00.000-05:00

First mow of the year. It felt good.

BRUSH YOUR TEETH!!! (300, the PG Version)

2007-04-02T15:12:00.000-05:00

Someone at work sent me a link to this today and I am compelled to share with you all.

T-Bone's Movie Minute

2007-03-26T18:52:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to viewing LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE this past weekend and I'm sorry I did not see this film sooner than I did. I was completely smitten with it. It was right up my alley with a good mix of emotional depth, humor, & quirkiness. The film follows the Hoover family as they trek from New Mexico to California so that the youngest of the Hoover's, Olive, can compete in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. Actually, its about so much more than that, but you'll have to rent the film to find out.

One moment that really stood out to me is when lovable & innocent Olive is backstage at the pageant getting ready to go on stage. She has seen all of the other competition, a collection of dolled-up, hair sprayed & airbrushed 7 year olds. They looked like miniature supermodels......in a bad way. It was grotesquely fake. Olive is looking at herself in the mirror and sizing up her body, comparing hers to the other girls after only being exposed to the whole situation for a short period of time. The scene was a subtle & brief commentary of what society (us) and the media are doing to the young ladies of this world.

I think I loved this film because we get to witness this dysfunctional family come together and realize that, despite of the flaws that they each have, there is a love binds them to each other. They trudge through the crud and unite to reach a goal. It made me think of me and my family. I am flawed in so many ways. On numerous occasions I felt as if I have failed members of my family in one way or another, yet they still love me. They want to bring out the best in me. Too many times I have been floored and humbled when one of my children say to me, "Dad? You know what? You're the best Dad anyone could ever have!" Come again? Really? Its moments like that that inspire me to rise above my own critical self-evaluation and be the best person I can be for my family.

Each of the actors gave a fine performance. It was good to see Steve Carell play a more understated role and Alan Arkin was great as usual. I'm glad he got the Oscar for his performance. It was a good rental, although I wish I had seen this in the theaters.

Yes, You Can Blend Novell, Microsoft, and Apple in your Environment!

2007-03-21T19:15:00.000-05:00

For all you IT folk out there:

If you work in IT, you'll appreciate this. Otherwise, move along....nothing to see here.

Hey Spring! Nice to see you again!

2007-03-20T19:58:00.000-05:00

At 7:07 PM CDT, the vernal equinox arrives, a.k.a Spring! At that time, the direct rays of the Sun are over the equator and we experience equal time of daylight and darkness. I am ready for Spring after our first Winter here in Minnesota. It has been warming up over the last week or so and we should be in the 50s by the end of the week. Just about all of the snow has melted away and the lakes are starting to look like lakes again. Its amazing how warm 40 degree temps feel after experiencing single digit to below zero temps. I have noticed moods have improved amongst the people. I am seeing more smiles. In fact, I witnessed my neighbor down the street playing with his dog outside and he was wearing shorts.

Anyway, sorry that a lot of my posts have been about the weather. I guess I should just call this 'T-Bone's Weather Blog' now or something.

Here is something that is vaguely Spring related. From THE PRODUCERS......

Time for a New Look

2007-03-16T17:22:00.000-05:00

I was getting tired of how my blog looked, so I decided to change it. I love the color blue and I consider it my favorite color, but the site was looking kind of dark. I like the new lighter green color. I was probably influenced by the green I was seeing at Jon Hall's site and Just Some English Guy's site (see link on the right).

I use Blogger for this site for a couple of reasons. One reason, and the most important, its FREE. Two, it is easy to use. I work in the IT field, but I have never been a web/html guy. I'm not very good at it and have never put the time into learning it. Due to the lack of my web coding experience, I use the default templates provided by Blogger. This template is called 'no. 565' hence the number 565 on the page. In my opinion, Blogger has a paltry selection of templates and the templates they do have aren't very customizable. Recently Blogger made changes to its service so one could do small bits of customization, but I think they didn't go far enough. If anyone out there can help me spruce up my site, I would be most grateful. Until then, enjoy 'no. 565.'

**Edit** OK, I was able to remove the 565 numbers from the page and added my own pic. I still can't figure out how to lower the text of the title and make the picture fit better. I'll keep trying....

Going Back to Cali.....

2007-03-06T21:10:00.000-06:00

I thought I could contrast the last cold & snowy post with a reflection on our recent January trip to sunny Southern California. We made plans for the trip last summer not long after we moved to Minnesota. It was my first time back since that time. The main catalyst for the trip was to keep up the tradition Julie and I have where we get away to a bed and breakfast in Julian with our dear friends for a weekend. We have been doing this for the last 8 years. We also knew that January would probably be a good time to get away from the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Well, our first weekend in Julian was surreal due to the fact that we were experiencing the same weather in California that we had left in Minnesota. Temps in the 20's and snow flurries. Our trip to California happened to coincide with a rare cold snap. We were a bit bummed. But, being with our friends for the first time in 6 months more than made up for that. It was a great weekend to unwind, re-connect, and refresh.....without the kids! I love our kids, but it was a needed break from them!

After Julian, we spent the rest of our week visiting family and friends. I got to see my new niece for the first time, which was great. she is already growing way too fast! We went to the Getty Villa Museum in Malibu with Julie's dad. What a beautiful setting for a museum! I had never been there before, but always wanted to go. The museum showcases Greek and Roman art and artifacts that date way back before Christ. Very cool stuff. The kids got to go to Legoland & The San Diego Wild Animal Park with my folks. We also took the kids to a miniature golf/mini-amusement park with Julie's folks. It was a good time.

People here in Minnesota often ask why in the heck would we leave California and do we miss not being there? Well, I can't explain it, but we had this tugging on our hearts that brought us here. For me it was a desire to connect with a place that I felt was home even though I did not grow up here. I wanted to lay down roots and attempt to connect with a family that I did not see enough of growing up. When we decided to go for it, Julie had a stronger conviction than I did. She loves it here. I also think that God has good and interesting things in store for us. What it is I do not know, but its a feeling I have. Do I miss California? I miss the family and good friends we left in California. Its not really that we left them. We just won't get to see them as much. The friends we have are my friends for life and the trip back cemented that in my mind. I have no doubt that these people will be there for many years to come.

Not seeing family as much is harder. I love the relationship that our kids have with their grandparents and it is not easy for them to not see them as much. The up side to this is that when we do get to see our friends and family the visits are much more meaningful. We make the time we spend with them count and don't take it for granted, which is so easy to do sometimes.

There are days when I have a hole in my heart and wish I could just jump on a plane and head back for a visit. But I know, deep down, that we did the right thing. Julie and I do not doubt it for a second. We are looking forward to forging ahead and making new friendships and connections, which is already happening. Our family in California are already making plans to come back and visit us, if they haven't already.

Its kind of weird to say, but our trip to California confirmed for me that we did, in fact, do the right thing. When we landed in Minneapolis on the flight back, we felt like we were coming back to home.

More Snow

2007-03-01T18:40:00.000-06:00

Here are a few more pictures from today's snow storm:

10" already, and we're not even done yet

Stephen King's SNOW DOG OF EVIL!

BBQ? Um, no.

Where's Waldo?

Isn't Snow Supposed to Fall Down?

2007-03-01T16:48:00.000-06:00

Well, I got to go home early today. The company I work for closed early today due to severe weather conditions. I'm looking out my window, watching the snow fall horizontally. Happy Birthday to me!

From the National Weather Service:

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST FRIDAY.

SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN. SEVERAL ROADS... INCLUDING INTERSTATE 90 WEST OF ALBERT LEA...HAVE BEEN CLOSED ACROSS SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...AND DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA.

SEVERAL SNOW BANDS HAVE DEVELOPED TODAY ACROSS SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA...EXTENDING INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. AS OF 330 PM... MAXIMUM SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS HAVE REACHED 10.5 INCHES...WITH AN AVERAGE OF 6 TO 8 INCHES IN THE BANDS. THE SNOW BANDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING BEFORE TRANSLATING NORTHEASTWARD. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL BE PREVALENT IN THE BANDS...FREQUENTLY REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS. THIS INCLUDES THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA. NORTHEAST TO NORTH WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING... REACHING SPEEDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS WESTERN WISCONSIN. THE WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH THE HEAVY SNOW TO PRODUCE NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES. THIS INCLUDES DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING RUSH HOUR. THE MOST SUSTAINED NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE FAVORED IN OPEN AREAS FROM MONTEVIDEO DOWN THE MINNESOTA RIVER VALLEY TO MANKATO AND FAIRMONT... INCLUDING ALONG THE I-90 CORRIDOR. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT TRAVEL WILL CONTINUE TO BE DANGEROUS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA... AND MOTORISTS SHOULD PLAN ON AVOIDING TRAVEL DURING THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING.

Road trip anyone?

Hey, thanks!

2007-02-27T19:14:00.001-06:00

I go to check my e-mail yesterday and I see an e-mail from the iTunes Store. The contents of the e-mail contain the image above and the following text:

You have received an iTunes Gift Certificate in the amount of $20.00 from [?]. To redeem your gift click the Redeem Now link above. Once you verify your account, $20.00 will be credited to your account, so you can start buying music right away.

$20 will be credited to my account? I can start buying right away? Awesome! This must be for my birthday, which is on Thursday. That's cool! Hey, thanks....uh.....hmmmmm.......who sent this to me? Let's look at that again. I have received an iTunes Gift Certificate in the amount of $20.00 from [?]. That's strange I don't know anyone named [?] I think I may have met someone named (!) one time, but no one named [?] I wonder what I can buy from the iTunes Store????

PURE FUNK anyone?

Care for a little PARIS?

Because polka is fun!

Does it get any better? No, I don't think so.

So, thank you [?]! I really appreciate it! Seriously, thank you! I love music and can't wait to start browsing the store. If you see <%> tell 'em I said 'hi!"

John Mayer 2-13-07

2007-02-27T18:15:00.000-06:00

I finally got to see John Mayer in concert a couple of weeks ago. I have been into his music since he hit it big with his single NO SUCH THING. It was a great concert. All I gotta say is the dude can play! He tore it up on guitar and put on a great show. It was our first concert since moving to Minnesota. The show was at the XCEL Energy (regional power company) Center in St. Paul. I have to say, it was the best arena venue that I have been to. I'll take seeing my favorite artist at a more intimate venue any day, but if I have to see a show at an arena, this will be the one for me. The sight lines we're good, and the sound was great for an arena. There was hardly any distortion and my ears didn't hurt after the show. Here is the setlist he played followed by a YouTube of his song GRAVITY from an earlier show on the tour:

1. Bigger Than My Body
2. Belief
3. Waiting on the World To Change
4. I Don’t Trust Myself (with Loving You)
5. Why Georgia
6. Clarity
7. The Heart of Life
8. Vultures
9. Good Love Is on the Way
10. No Such Thing
11. Gravity
encores
12. Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
13. Your Body Is a Wonderland (with The Police's I BURN FOR YOU mixed in)
14. Neon

Final Score: Prince 7 Haters 0

2007-02-07T19:41:00.000-06:00

First off, congrats to the Colts. I was hoping you would win. Second, did you stick around for the half-time show? I did. In fact, it was one of the main reasons I watched the game this year. I wanted to see how Prince was going to pull it off.....was he going to rock the house or was he going to do something strange and blow it?

I have been a Prince fan for a long time. The first concert I went to was Prince and the Revolution during their Purple Rain tour. Yeah, I know he can be weird and he dresses strange sometimes. But the simple FACT is that he is a musical genius.

I'm glad (and relieved) that he chose this opportunity to show the world (again) how he can blow the roof off the house. I think that it was the best Super Bowl half-time show next to U2's post-9/11 show at the 2002 Super Bowl. One thing I have tried to tell the naysayers is what a great guitarist Prince is. In fact, I think he is one of the greatest rock guitarists EVER. The dude can play and he showed it.

Amazing UFO Sighting!

2007-02-01T14:59:00.000-06:00

*Caution* Language alert....don't watch this with the little ones around....

Al Franken Expected To Announce Senate Run

2007-01-31T22:09:00.000-06:00

From wcco.com (click to read story)

Wasn't Jesse Ventura enough? I could care less that he is liberal (or if he was a conservative for that matter). I could do without another 'celebrity' running for office. I thought I wouldn't have to deal with that anymore after leaving California and the 'Governator.' (All right, I admit it, I voted for Ahhhnold-Its not a TUMOR!-Schwarzenegger) If a celebrity is going to run, couldn't we at least get Carl Weathers to run for govenor somewhere? Then the PREDATOR trifecta would be complete.

Wake me up after 2008......(takes really strong sedative)

Um....yeah.....

2007-01-31T22:03:00.000-06:00

I think we'll be staying home this weekend to watch the SuperBowl.

(WC = wind chill)

Da Do Do Do De Da Da Da (The Police to Reunite?)

2007-01-28T08:30:00.000-06:00

That is, in my opinion, one of the best song titles ever. Anyway, I just read some potentially exciting news. From The Province newspaper in Vancouver:

Yesterday morning, Rock 101 FM's Bro' Jake Show reported that the '80s rockers were rehearsing in town at North Vancouver's Lions Gate Studios, preparing for a highly-anticipated 30-year reunion tour.

Oh Yeah! The Police were (and still are) one of my favorite bands. However, I was too young to see them in concert on their last tour way back in '83. Sting is a songwriting genius (however, his output of the last few years haven't been up to par), Stewart Copeland is one of the best drummers (just listen to his intricate rhythmic work on Regatta de Blanc or Message in a Bottle), and Andy Summers could do a lot with a guitar to create wonderful sonic landscapes (a precursor to U2's The Edge). I would love to finally see them live and take the Mrs. We have been to a number of Sting concerts and have enjoyed them all. As much as I love Sting, the last time I saw him he was drifting into the adult contemporary blandness that tends to happen to some older artists. I'd love to see Sting back in form and rocking out with his former mates. I just hope I can get tickets and that they don't bypass the Twin Cities.

BLOG! 2

2007-01-28T08:03:00.000-06:00

Heyo,

Just saw this comment on the previous post and I had to post it here:

I have always enjoyed your input to your blog and realize that you are busy with the new job, the new home and the new kids, wait, they've been around a while. But, hey, when you have people panting with rapt anticipation to read your blog why punish us, including Julie. Let's see what you can do. Thanks in advance!

Well, thank you Mr. (or Ms.) Anonymous for that comment. I needed yet another prod to get blogging again. But, you know, (turns excuse machine on) I have been pretty busy. We just got back from a week and a 1/2 trip to California (which I plan on blogging about) and at work, a three year project (which I have only been around 6 months for) has reached its apex this last week.

But really, how hard is it to write a post? Even to just jot something quick down for all you you to read. The problem is that I am a bit of a perfectionist (or would a better word be 'procrastinist'?) Its hard for me to just write down something and not analyze it to death. I want you all to love each and every word I put down and commit it to memory. I need to get past this and practice writing quick posts. Maybe, it will help me write better.

I do have to admit that my ego was boosted by the comment. Panting with rapt anticipation? Yeah baby! I guess I'll stop punishing you all....... you have learned your lesson.

BLOG!

2007-01-05T08:06:00.000-06:00

I can't say it any better than the Mrs., so I'll just copy what she sent me in an e-mail.....

You need to blog, man - it's been over a month now you crazy fool!
What are you waiting for? :-)

CRAZY GOOD!

2006-12-04T12:46:00.000-06:00

I was watching Saturday Night Live this last weekend and saw this skit. I thought it was pretty funny. This is for my good friend Chrisy, who is a chocolate lover, and for any other chocolate lovers out there......

OK, now the video link I posted is no longer available. I linked to it via www.youtube.com and now when you try to view it, you get "This video has been removed at the request of copyright owner NBC Universal because its content was used without permission Director Videos "

OK NBC/Universal, I understand you want to protect your copyrights, but c'mon....its a 3 minute sketch! Letting people post stuff like this will help PROMOTE your show. Anyway, sorry you can't view it now.....if I can find another link, I'll post it.

Its beginning to look a lot like.....

2006-11-29T20:22:00.000-06:00

Now that Thanksgiving is past, I can let loose and let the 'Christmas' in me go wild. For my feelings on Christmas before Thanksgiving, you can check out my post from last year. First off, I am happy to report that we had a very nice Thanksgiving. We spent the holiday with my Aunt Marlene and Uncle Ron at their home in Brainerd. Of course, I ate way too much, but it was worth it. Everything was great from the turkey to the desert. Julie made her first pumpkin pie and it was AWESOME! Every year I struggle with how to explain what the day is all about to my kids and how to help them have a thankful attitude on more than one day of the year. I also still struggle with having a thankful attitude on a more consistent basis. We have much to be grateful for and it overwhelms me sometimes.

We decided to use what would probably be the last 'warm' weekend of the year the best way possible. On Friday we put up Christmas lights on the house. Looking at the picture, it doesn't look like much (well, to me anyway), but it took all day to complete. I guess at our previous home in California we had a system down and knew where to put the lights and power/extension cords. Here, it was completely new. A few trips were made to the local Target.

Saturday night, we went to the Holidazzle parade. The Holidazzle Parade can be described as a Disneyland Main Street Electrical parade at Christmas except you're not on Main Street and you're not at Disneyland. Also, its just a bit colder....just a bit. They run the parade down Nicolett Avenue in downtown Minneapolis at night. Julie and I were back here at Christmas in 1996 and we went to the Holidazzle Parade...it was mind-numbing cold. I mean COLD and we ended up watching the parade from the Skyway. Not this year...it was much more bearable. Thankfully, it was in the high 30s at parade time. It was a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed it.

Sunday, after church, I took the two older kids to see HAPPY FEET while Julie put up all of the XMAS decorations in the house. It feels good to have the Christmas spirit back and I'm glad I didn't see too much of it before Thanksgiving this year, despite the efforts of some friends back in Cali.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-23T21:31:00.000-06:00

Darth Vader Being a Jackass

2006-11-08T19:53:00.000-06:00

T-Bone's Movie Minute

2006-11-05T22:13:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the first 'T-Bone's Movie Minute' brought to you by www.zombo.com. I'd like to use this space to reflect on a movie that I have viewed recently, either at the theater or at home on DVD. In this first movie minute, I'd like to talk about one of each.

First up is a film that was a recent rental. The film was TSOTSI. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film earlier this year. Tsotsi is the name of the title character in the film. When translated into English, Tsotsi also means 'thug' or 'gangster' in the language spoken in the townships of South Africa, where the film takes place. In the film, Tsotsi is a brutal, cold-hearted person who runs with his a group of fellow thugs. Together, they spend each night looking for the next 'job,' hoping to score some money. Through a series of heart-breaking events, Tsotsi is forced to face his past and what made him the way he is and decide his course of action. This is one of those films that is required viewing for me from time to time. A film that sucker-punches me in the gut and leaves me on the floor in pain. In this film, you see the living conditions in the South African townships, the disparate lifestyle between the people living there and the people who are better off. You see what Apartheid left behind and how AIDS is a REAL problem in South Africa that cannot be ignored. It also had a pitch perfect ending. This film further cemented feelings in me after hearing stories from friends who spent time in South Africa earlier this year.......how what they saw and experienced impacted their lives greatly. This film is not easy to watch, but should be watched. This film helped me realize (once again) how much I have to be thankful for in life. It also helped me think about how much I squander on unimportant things.

The other film is one Julie and I were able to catch at the theater a few weeks ago. That film is MARIE ANTOINETTE. It was written and directed by Sofia Coppola, who also wrote and directed LOST IN TRANSLATION, my favorite film of a few years ago. At this point, you are either with me completely or I have lost you. I recommended LOST IN TRANSLATION to many friends after it came out and the reaction was 'loved it!' or 'that was the most boring 2 hrs. of my life and what was it exactly that Bill Murray said to Scarlett Johansson at the end of the film?' In my opinion, Sofia Coppola has a talent for evoking emotions and feelings that help me get lost in the moment through her use of the film's soundtrack, both music and the 'sound' of the environment, and the lack of dialogue in certain scenes. One example of this in LOST IN TRANSLATION is when Scarlett's character, Charlotte, travels to Kyoto (the film takes place in Japan) to explore. In this scene, music by the French band Air (now I have completely lost some of you....thanks for reading this far) is playing and Charlotte spies a traditional Japanese wedding procession. A lot of detail placed on Charlotte's point of view and what exactly she is looking at. I won't describe the whole scene, but to me it says so much about Charlotte's character without one word of dialogue. Its brilliant! Go watch it.

In MARIE ANTOINETTE, Sofia continues in this tradition. From the opening credits this film had me with its 'Sex Pistols-type' of font being used for the credits and Gang of Four's 'Natural's Not In It' being blared over the speakers. During the opening credits, there is a brief shot of Kirsten Dunst's Marie Antoinette reclining in a chair, getting a pedicure, like in the picture to the right. During this shot, after sampling some French pastry, she looks right into the camera with a grin on her face that I can't quite explain, but it let me know that was not going to be your ordinary French historical period costume drama. Along with the classical music one would expect to hear in a film like this, there is much 80's post-punk/new wave music (from the likes of Bow Wow Wow, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Adam and the Ants, and New Order to name a few) used throughout and it works so well. There are so many great shots and little moments in this movie to get lost in. Kirsten Dunst carried this film and she was extraordinary. Jason Schwartzman (who played the infamous Max Fischer from one of my other favorite films RUSHMORE) also turned in a good performance as King Louis XVI. My wife and I enjoyed it very much and you will too if you are willing to try something different and let go of what you come to expect from typical movie fare.

Now I know that these are two films that most of you won't care to see, but I would like to challenge you and try something new, hoping you will come away surprised.

Mmmmmmmm.......Candy

2006-11-02T18:26:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween from the Cloyd's! (A.K.A. Mr. Incredible, Incredible Dog, Hot Chick, Cinderella, and Stitch) It was cold out there on the streets, a chilly 28 degrees. We decided not to keep the kids out for very long. We saw other intelligent parents driving their kids around the neighborhood, using their car as a warming hut. Need to remember that for next year, although it should not be as cold. The kids got plenty of candy none the less. Now I get to go eat it all............

Do a Good Turn

2006-11-02T17:58:00.000-06:00

Julie and I started encouraging our son Cameron this past summer to think about joining scouting. In his case, Cub Scouts. We wanted him to start thinking outside of his own box, to learn new skills, and to have fun outside of the home. At the start of the school year, the local Cub Scout pack put on a information meeting for parents and future Cub Scouts. Cameron said he was interested.

We went and he ended up joining. I also volunteered to be an assistant den leader. It was my intention to invest more time into my kids when we moved to Minnesota. Back in California, I invested so much time into our church (which is not a bad thing) and started to realize that my kids were growing up rapidly and that I should do something about it. Well, here was an opportunity looking me right in the eye. I took it. Cameron and I have been enjoying it very much and it has provided some great time for us to spend together.

This last Saturday was the annual pack community service project. We spent the morning doing fall yard cleaning for an elderly couple who were too sick and too weak to do it for themselves. It was good to get Cameron out and do something for someone else and to explain to him why we were doing it. The Cub Scouts have the philosophy of 'do a good turn daily.' What that means is we should do something for someone else, whether it be big or small, every day. How simple and easy is that?

Well, we ended up filling 30 tall compost bags from Lowes with leaves. We could have spent the whole weekend there. It looked as if their yard had not been cleaned in a long time. We only stopped because we ran out of bags. Still, it was a good experience. The boys did as best as they could, but I think the parents did most of the work. That's OK though. I think the elderly couple were very grateful.

Well duh! We told you so!

2006-10-16T18:39:00.000-05:00

OK, any Minnesotans (or anyone who lives in cold weather environments) can skip this post so I don't have to see you roll your eyes at me and mock my California-ess. (Not that it won't stop you from doing that anyway)

Well, we had our first cold snap of the season last week. Let me set the scene for you. On Saturday I am wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops. I get in the first mow of our lawn. I am sweating when I finish. We take our dog to the dog park later in the day. It was 80 degrees F! The next day, Sunday, the rain comes. By Wednesday it is the 30s and we were getting snow flurries! That night I had the fireplace going as I pondered the crazy climate that Minnesota calls its own. Granted, this is not normal for October and by the next weekend we were back in the 50s-60s and there was no evidence that it had snowed. But, it can get weird weather wise here in the fall and spring. People actually watch the weather reports back here and they mean something. If you don't, you could end up in trouble.

When the snow flurries started Wednesday morning, Julie called me at work and I could hear the kids screaming with delight in the background. I know the time is coming when we will be counting the days until the ground thaws out, but I am enjoying this weather. Bring it on! (Famous last words......)

Field Trip Two

2006-10-06T22:43:00.000-05:00

A couple of posts back I posted an entry called 'Bachelor Life Field Trip One.' I fully intended to post more parts but just did not get around to it. I guess I should start catching up. In light of the last two posts, let's keep the whole Twins theme going, shall we?

Way back in July I scored a couple of tickets to the Twins game through work. I got the tickets late in the day. So, I called up my brother Pat (who I was staying with at the time) and asked if he wanted to go. We decided to take the light rail line to downtown Minneapolis where the Metrodome is.

In recent years a light rail line was built in Minneapolis. It goes from the Mall of America in the south up to downtown Minneapolis due north, stopping at various points along the way such as the airport. Pat and I agreed to meet at the Mall of America station after work and hop on the train. It took about a half hour and two bucks to get to the Dome.

We got to our seats and they were GREAT! They were behind home plate on the first base side in the first deck. Cool! However, I have to admit....it was weird watching a ball game indoors inside of a building. I didn't quite like it. Definitely not the same as being at Angel Stadium watching the Angels play....outside. Thankfully, the Twins are getting a new stadium in a few years and the design will do away with the dome. They will be getting a traditional outside ball park. But, for whatever reason, it will not have a retractable roof. With the Minnesota weather, which can be 'schizophrenic' in the spring and fall, you need a roof to protect you from the elements from time to time. The powers that be will be kicking themselves in the rear when the rare April snowstorm hits and cancels opening day. Anyway, thanks to yours truly being in attendance, the Twins lost to the Cleveland Indians. Still, it was fun to go. Here is a photo of me, Jinx Boy, unaware of what he is doing to the Twins.

Good night and good luck.....

2006-10-06T22:07:00.000-05:00

Holy cow......I wasn't kidding was I? To all the Twins fans out there I say 'I'm sorry!' I should have known better than to publicly align with the Twins, sealing their fate. I didn't think they would get swept like they did. This was definitely not the Twins of the regular season. Oh well, there is always next year.

There is a bright side to the story for me. I will start accepting offers to root for a particular team. Dodger fans.....for the right price I will root for the Mets or vice versa. Highest bidder wins. Just make the check out to me.......

Go Twins!!!

2006-10-01T20:08:00.000-05:00

The Minnesota Twins clinched the American League Central Division Championship today. The very act of posting this entry to the blog has doomed their chances of getting to the World Series. But hey, who's reading this anyway?

Huh?......What??? Was I sleeping?

2006-09-28T23:55:00.000-05:00

(Picks up microphone, taps it....)
Hello? (Sound of insects chirping away) Anyone out there?

Uh, probably not, since I haven't posted since......... freakin' JULY!!! Yeah, yeah......I know. I need to update the blog. (Insert excuse here) OK, OK....its coming. Stay tuned.

In the mean time, here is a photo of a guy in a gorilla suit playing an accordion (photo taken across the border in Wisconsin, which explains everything) to tide all two of you over.

Bachelor Life - Field Trip One

2006-07-24T22:27:00.000-05:00

'Bachelor life?' you may ask? 'Tony I thought you were married?' you may say. Yeah, I am. However, recently, during this time of transition, I have been living the life of a bachelor during the week. Oh yeah baby! It has been great! (Not really...it actually sucks being away from Julie and the kids and she deserves mucho kudos for basically being a single mom during the week) You may be wondering what I have been doing to fill my time. Do you even have to wonder? I have been doing what every bachelor does........ I go sight seeing and I take pictures to post on my ultra-cool bachelor blog that reeks of sexiness and has the aroma of all that is hip.

With that I bring you the first in a series of field trip reports of various sights around the Twin Cities. In this report you get to hear all about a unique place that one wouldn't think existed in a metropolitan setting, Minnehaha Park and Minnehaha Falls.

The park and falls are about a fifteen to twenty minute drive south of downtown Minneapolis. The falls are part of Minnehaha Creek which flows through the southern part of the city. Along the creek is Minnehaha Parkway which is a very scenic drive along which nice homes are located amongst numerous trees and small parks. My Mom would go ice skating along the creek in the winter when she was a kid. Here is a description from Wikipedia:

Minnehaha Creek is a short tributary of the Mississippi River located in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from Lake Minnetonka in the west and flows east for 22 miles (35 km). Including Lake Minnetonka, the watershed for the creek covers 181 square miles (469 kmÃÂ²). Much of the stream flows through southern Minneapolis. The creek might have been unremarkable except for the 53 foot (16 m) Minnehaha Falls located near its confluence with the Mississippi. The site is not far from Fort Snelling, one of the earliest white settlements in the region.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was partly inspired by pictures of the falls to write to his famous epic poem, THE SONG OF HIAWATHA.

When I was a kid living in California, I would make trips back here to Minnesota to visit family. My Grandma would always make a trip to the falls with me every time I came back. So, the falls will occupy a fond place in my memories. So, with a free evening and nothing to do I made another trip to this oasis in the middle of the Twin Cities.

It was a great evening to visit. It wasn't too hot and there weren't many bugs out. There was a live band playing in the park cranking out some classic rock tunes. After checking out the falls, I decided to do something I hadn't done there before. I hiked the trail along the creek after the falls that goes down to where the creek meets the Mississippi River. The hike was longer than I expected and after a while I was alone on the path. It didn't really feel like I was in Minneapolis, but rather lost in the woods somewhere. Eventually I reached the Mississippi and observed a paddle boat passing by and people fishing along the shore. After the hike back to the park, I got an ice cream and sat down to listen to the band finish its set. I really enjoyed it. It was also nice to be back at Minnehaha Park.

Here more pictures I took. Enjoy.

Hiawatha & Minnehaha

Minnehaha Falls

The Band

Minnehaha Creek

Hiking along the creek

Where the creek meets the Mississippi, looking north at Lock & Dam #1.

Are ya feelin' hip yet?

I Didn't Move to Arkasnas, Did I?

2006-07-09T09:34:00.000-05:00

New & Improved Minnesota...Now with Warmth!

2006-07-06T17:33:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. By popular demand I am back with an update. Thanks for all the comments and I'm glad that folks are enjoying the blog.

Its been almost two weeks since we have arrived here in Minnesota and it has been busy.

First off, everyone is asking how the new job is going. It is going well! I am looking forward to a good future there! I really don't want to discuss work here on the blog, so I will just leave it at that.

How is the rest of the family doing? Very good so far. Let's just get something straight first......when we told people that we were moving back here all they could talk about was how cold it gets here. It was as if everyone thought that Minnesota was in a perpetual winter. Well, guess what? The weather here has been very warm and comfortable! We have been having a blast.

Ever since Julie and the kids arrived at my cousin's house, they have been playing their hearts out. I think that Cameron has been fishing just about every day. Along with their second cousins, Jared and Brandt, they have been doing all sorts of activities. They swim in the lake, catch frogs and turtles (yeah, turtles!), fish, play in the yard, and so on and so on. Just take a look at Madison, who fell asleep in her high chair at dinner the other evening. That is the sight of playing hard.

Last Friday I was reunited with the family for the long 4th of July weekend! I was so excited to see everybody! On Saturday, a friend of my cousin invited all of us to join his family on their pontoon boat on Lake Koronis. It was awesome! The boat was huge....24 feet long. We swam and fished off of the boat. We also BBQ'ed and had margaritas. Later in the evening, we watched fireworks that were shot off over the lake from an island on the lake.

Sunday, back on my cousin Doug's lake, we did some more swimming, relaxing, and we took our kids to see CARS. If you go see it, listen for a reference to the town we will be living in, Shakopee.

On Monday, my Uncle Greg threw a family party. His cabin is also on Lake Koronis. It was great seeing many of my family members again! I got to see my cousins, my Aunt, my Uncles, and second cousins. I'm glad that I will have many more opportunities to spend time with them and get to know them better since I didn't get to grow up here.

Anyway, I feel like I am rambling here. I just wanted to fill you in on how we are doing. Cloyd out.....

Various Pics

2006-07-06T16:40:00.000-05:00

Kids & House

Lake Fun

Contemplative Cameron

Hot Chick

Chelsea & daughter of Doug & Dawn's friends

T-Bone & Dawn (post margaritas)

Friend of Doug & Doug

Making Progress

On the Road - Day 6 The Final Day

2006-06-25T20:03:00.000-05:00

Well, this is it. The final day of our looooong road trip. I can't believe it is coming to an end. We all thought it would be good to sleep in some and get some rest since we did not have much driving to do today. As we hit the road, it is starting to set in that we will not be returning to California....that this trip was more than a vacation and served a purpose. Even though it is exciting to travel across the country and move your family to a new state, some of the pain of saying goodbye returned today. On this leg there would be no landmark or monument to see. Everything was now behind us. It made me somewhat sad. Also, the anxiety of starting a new job in a few days and meeting all kinds of new people started to hit me. But, I know that good things lie ahead and I will do what I always do......just be myself, put my faith in God and everything will be fine. It may not be easy, but it will work out.

We arrived at my cousin Doug and his wife, Dawn's home around 2:30. During the drive there, we missed one severe thunderstorm and got in just before another one got in. The storms out here are something to behold. It can be sunny in the morning and turn dark and stormy in the afternoon. It was good to get to Doug and Dawn's place. They live on a lake outside of Darwin, MN. The kids got right to doing what they do best, playing. Cameron and his second cousin, Jared started fishing right away off the dock. It made me happy to see them out and about and not cooped up in a car. It took me about an hour to unload the van an get ready to leave, I still had a two hour drive ahead of me. I was bringing Pat, Sarah, and Carl to their home in the Twin Cities where I will be staying during the week so I can be closer to work until our home is done in August.

If you have been reading all these posts, I just want to say thanks for checking in and sharing in our journey. It has been a blast! As I have been saying to a few people, we have seem more things on this trip than most people will ever see in their entire lifetime. What a beautiful country we live in. So rich in history and landscape. We are fortunate to be living in a place that is so varied and interesting. This will be a trip I will never forget.

As we settle in to life here in Minnesota, please think of us. Keep us in your prayers as we adjust to life. Pray for my family as we will be separated during the week. That is the part I am not looking forward to...not seeing my wife and kids every evening as I get 'home.' It is only for six weeks, but will be hard none the less. Pray that our home will be done in time and that our move into it will go smoothly. I am already missing my friends and family back in California and they will be in my thoughts over the next few weeks.

With that I will close the book on the 2700 mile Cloyd family road trip. It won't be the end of the blog though. Keep checking back and please use it as a way to keep in touch. I will look forward to hearing from all of you from time to time.

See ya!!!!

Detour- Life on the Road

2006-06-24T23:41:00.000-05:00

My butt hurts even more
All I am eating is junk food
Scanned the radio for FM stations. Wtached the radio go all the way around to find nothing......NOTHING!
Discovered it IS fun to Wang Chung tonight
National Public Radio is EVERYWERE
Feeling a pain like no other in my lower right back-can't make it go away
Watched gas get cheaper as we traveled east
I'm sick of driving
Still waiting for Christie Brinkley to pull up along side of me in a red Ferrari

Day 5 Pics

2006-06-24T23:29:00.000-05:00

On the Road - Day 5

2006-06-24T22:42:00.000-05:00

Day 5..........OK then. Got up, had breakfast, and left for Mt. Rushmore. It was a bit stormy when we were loading up the car to leave. The skies were dark and murky and it was really windy with a dash of rain. First real weather of the trip. Cameron was none too happy about this. We made the 1/2 hour drive to the monument. On the way, you pass through a town called Keystone. By the looks of the town, I can imagine that Keystone would have never existed had it not been for Mt. Rushmore. A real tourist trap of a town. After Keystone, you start a gradual climb towards Mt. Rushmore, and there it is....you can't really believe you are seeing it in person. It really is quite a sight. As a whole, the National Park Service has done a great job with the whole place. It felt like a National Monument that you would visit in D.C. It was fitting for the four men depicted on the mountain.

After spending a few hours there, we departed and continued our journey. We decided we would make a stop for lunch in Wall, SD. at the infamous Wall Drug. It wouldn't be a problem if one did not know how to find Wall Drug. They woud be able to find it and make it there OK due to the numerous signs on the side of I-90 posted about, hmmm...let's say, every foot of the way! We arrived and I quickly determined that Wall Drug would fit in very nicely in the town of Keystone, SD. This place is one HUGE tourist trap. They sell every knick-knack you could imagine as well as serve up food and free ice water. (Did you hear that? FREE ICE WATER!!! Why didn't we come here first?)

After lunch, we marched on. We drove for a long time and then stopped in Mitchell, SD. to see the Corn Palace.........
Yep, you guessed it, that is all corn. Nuff said. Moving on.....

We made it to our last hotel of the trip in Sioux Falls, SD. which is not very far from the Minnesota State Line. This place also had a pool and I opted to pay a little extra and upgrade to the executive suite. It was nice. Julie and I had our own room and put the kids in their own area. It was the first time that we did not have one of the kids in bed with us. Prior to bed time, Chelsea had a MAJOR meltdown beacuse of said separation. Julie and I stuck to our guns, but expended a great deal of energy trying to get her to go to sleep. Which is why I am posting this update a bit later than the others. I didn't have it in me to write anything after that.

Next up....the final day of the trip.......

Day 4 Pics

2006-06-23T00:27:00.000-05:00

On The Road - Day 4

2006-06-22T23:30:00.000-05:00

Has it really been four days? Its all starting to blur together in my mind. Even though it was a good day, I'm feeling a bit tired and grumpy right now. I guess four days on the road will do that to you. Here is today's recap.....

Woke up this morning in Cody, Wy. at the Super 8 Motel. Got out of bed to take a shower only to discover that there was no hot water. T-Bone's not very happy. I mean, c'mon! This is the Super 8....the lap of luxury! I mean, why else would you put the word 'super' in your name? Anyway, at least we had water pressure. Pat and Sarah had none, so I guess I will stop complaining. Well, I was glad to leave the rodeo town of Cody, which was actually founded by Buffalo Bill Cody. In fact, there was a rodeo going on when we got into town last night. We left town at 8:30 AM to head out to Devil's Tower National Monument, which is in the northwest corner of the state. I was fully prepared to completely trash the state of Wyoming (except for the part that contains Yellowstone) in this post. Just look at that picture above....it was a whole lot of that for a while. I looked out the window and kept expecting Kevin Costner to come walking over the hill with that wolf of his as they looked for totonka. Yep, wasn't very impressed with the state until we got to Big Horn National Forest in the Big Horn Mountains. AWESOME. This mountain range just rose out of the plains and looked like it was the home of some mythical Greek god. We hit the highest point of our journey when we reached a summit of around 9000 feet. You could almost touch the clouds.

Later in the afternoon, we reached Devil's Tower National Monument. I have always wanted to see this place in person after watching CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. It was cool getting to the site as you could spy the tower in the distance rising out of the forest. We decided to make a picnic lunch at the monument which was nice. We then made the 1.3 mile hike around the tower and then observed a prairie dog colony before leaving. It was a very enjoyable stop. I have only one complaint....where are all the UFOs?? I wanted to see me some flyin' saucers. Stupid aliens......

We arrived in Rapid City, SD. around 7 PM. Much to our delight, our hotel had a indoor swimming pool! Joy! I had been promising to take the kids swimming, only problem was that none of our hotels has had a swimming pool so far. I guess I should check in advance next time. We had pizza delivered to our room and then went swimming. A good time was had by all. Tomorrow we are going to see Mount Rushmore as my family and I recreate the climax to NORTH BY NORTHWEST. I get to be Cary Grant! YAY!

Yellowstone Pics

2006-06-22T01:06:00.000-05:00

On the Road - Day 3

2006-06-22T00:28:00.000-05:00

Hello from Cody, Wyoming! I am pleased to report that today's travels went much smoother and the whole gang seems a bit happier due to getting into town at a much more reasonable time than 1:30 AM. We traversed through four states today; Utah, Idaho, a sliver of Montana, and part of Wyoming.

We left Salt Lake City at around 9:30 this morning and headed north into Idaho. I could feel a definite climate change as we went from state to state, which was a bit of relief from the 110 degree temps we experienced on Monday. After going through Idaho for a while and then a bit of Montana, we reached Yellowstone National Park. What an awe inspiring place! Absolutely beautiful and fascinating at the same time. You see, Yellowstone is actually one BIG volcano. Throughout the park are numerous geysers, mud pots, steam vents, and other evidence of volcanic activity. Add that to the many rivers, streams, trees, and wildlife and you have yourself one cool park. After entering the park, I saw a bald eagle fly over head. We also saw bison, elk, and two bears! One of the bears was just yards away from our car. I think my jaw was on the floor all day from seeing one amazing thing to the next. We could have easily spent a couple of days here instead of a few hours.

I have been enjoying hanging out with my bro, Patrick, and his family. It has been Pat and I driving my car. Julie and Pat's wife, Sarah, have been driving the van with the kids. (Hey, the girls haven't complained yet and we have offered many times to trade with them, so all you ladies out there can just hold those comments, K?) We have been passing the time by having some good conversations, listening to the ol' iPod (I don't think Pat likes my taste in music choices...oh well), and searching for FM radio stations when one goes out of range. I downloaded the latest Dane Cook comedy album and gave it a listen, which has been hilarious.

Well, I should hit the sack. Still have a lot of driving to do......

T-Bone go sleepy night night zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (drool)

Detour - My Point of View

2006-06-21T23:52:00.000-05:00

Location: Somewhere in Idaho.

Notice the bugs on the windshield. Mmmmmmmmm.........bugs.......

On the Road - Day 2

2006-06-21T09:44:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the road. I mean that literally. I am writing this in my car on I-15 at 10:40 PM. Hang on….gotta change lanes here……no, not really. My brother is driving right now. It has been a heck of a day. Currently, we are running behind schedule. We should have been in Salt Lake City by now, but have run into some obstacles. More on that later.

We woke up this morning in beautiful Flagstaff, AZ. I had no idea that Arizona had forested mountain areas. It reminded me of Northern California. Anyway, we made the 50 mile trek to Grand Canyon National Park. All I gotta say (clears throat and tries his best Keanu Reeves voice) ‘whoa.’ Freakin’ amazing! I won’t even attempt to put into words what it was like. If you have never been there, make it a point to go sometime!

The only downside was that my 1 yr. old nephew, Carl, had been running a temperature the last couple of days and it hit 103 today. So, we stopped at the clinic that was located in the park to get him checked out. That took about an hour and then another hour at the Wal-Mart in Paige, AZ., near Lake Powell, to fill a prescription to help the little guy out with an ear infection.

So, we are hoping to get into Salt Lake by 1 AM and hit the sack. The plan is to get into Yellowstone National Park in the afternoon. I am really looking forward to seeing that. But, I just have to say how awesome the scenery was coming out of the Grand Canyon and into southern Utah! It was like we were on another planet.

See ya!

On the Road - Day 1

2006-06-20T00:44:00.000-05:00

My butt is sore......

Saying Goodbye (Walk on.....)

2006-06-18T00:39:00.000-05:00

And I know it aches And your heart, it breaks You can only take so much......walk on....
- U2's WALK ON

That lyric pretty much sums up how I have been feeling this week. The time has come to say goodbye to the people in our lives here in Southern California as we prepare to make the move to Minnesota and leave family members, friends, and co-workers behind. It all started last week when our friends at our church (Canyon Hills Church) threw us a going away party last Saturday. I wasn't sure what I was expecting. Would it be sad? Was it going to be hard? It actually turned out to be the perfect day. We hung out, watched our children play, ate, played volleyball, and had some good conversations with about 100 of our friends at CHC. It was really great. We left that afternoon and I thought to myself 'well, that wasn't so bad.' The next day we had a small birthday party for my son at our community pool since we wouldn't be here for his actual birthday next month. It was a blast. I enjoy getting into the pool and letting the kids beat up on me and then throwing them all over the pool. That night, I played poker with some guys I have had the pleasure of getting to know this last year. [For the record, I have no poker face and it was my goal to play as conservatively as possible to make the funds last as long as possible (along with some friendly 'donations' of my fellow players).] Overall, it was a very good weekend. One that I won't soon forget.

Then Monday morning hit. I was listening to my iPod on the way to pick up my friend Mike (one of my best friends that also happens to work with me) on my way to work. I started reflecting on the past weekend and thinking about how it would be my last week at work. Certain songs came on and these feelings started welling up and taking control of me. I realized 'this is it.' This would be the last week that I would get to spend with the people in my life on a regular basis. I lost it. Images of everyone and past experiences flashed in my mind. Yep, this one is gonna hurt......

The pastor at my church has done an object lesson a couple of times that demonstrates the idea of community and investing in each other's lives. He'll take two balls of PlayDoh, each a different color, and put one in each hand. He explain how each represents a different person. He'll then take each one and start smushing them together, rolling them from hand to hand as these two people get to know each other, spend time togther, and make impressions on each other's life. After a while you can't tell where on color begins and the other ends and it is now one ball. They are intertwined....inseparable. To take them apart is not easy. You can't separate one from the other. When you do, parts of one color are stuck with the other and there is no longer clear distinction of the individuals.

Trying to separate ourselves from everyone this week has been a painful process, but one that is needed. As I have told others, I wanted to mourn the 'loss' of my family, friends, and co-workers. (You know what, I don't know why I keep separating co-workers from friends...they are the one and the same to me.) Most of them I am not losing....they will still be there. We can come back and visit or vice-versa. But, I have to face the fact that I might not see some of these people ever again. That bums me out. Also, I will deeply miss the presence of these folks in our daily lives.

And now the process is almost done. We have almost said all of our goodbyes, with the hardest remaining tomorrow as we say goodbye to our parents. I could write four more pages on this whole thing, but I think I'll spare you further depression because we have to finish packing. As we head out on the road, know that all of you will linger in our thoughts, provoking one more tearful moment, burst of laughter, or fond memory.

Moments I will not forget from this past week:

An awesome BBQ/Party from CHC
Final dinners with our closest friends
Good healthy cries
BLOG
Great laughs
Final carpools
My boss reciting 'You betcha' numerous times
Being sung to by a friend
My going away lunch at work
Having fun with my kids and their friends at the pool
Tearful goodbyes

A heartfelt thank you to everyone for making the Cloyds feel loved, cared-for, and special. I will never forget it.

Minnesota or bust.....

2006-06-03T11:31:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know.....it's been a long time since I have posted and to all two of you who read this I say 'sorry!' I have been preoccupied with other matters over the last few months. Julie and I have had a desire to move to Minnesota for a few years now. Minnesota?? It gets COLD there. Are we insane? Possibly. I hail from the Land of 10,000 Lakes (even though I was born in Iowa and grew up mostly in California....shhhhh! Don't tell anyone) and I have lots-o-family back there. It is also a beautiful state with a lot to offer in my opinion. Slower pace of life, cheaper cost of living, four seasons, and super friendly people. Even with the desire to move, we have just been too chicken to do anything about it, until this year.

Events occurred earlier in the year that put things into motion. We felt that if we were ever going to pull something like this off, we needed to do it soon or never go down that path. We did not want to do this when our kids were older and would possibly resent such a major life change. The timing was ripe and we decided to go for it. I started looking for jobs back there at the end of February. I would spend at least a hour on the computer every night after work, scouring the job boards, which is why I haven't posted to the blog. Finally, things started coming together in May. Julie and I went back to Minnesota to look for homes and I had a final interview with what seems to be a great company. They offered me the job and Julie and I found a home in a new development! That is us up there putting the sold sticker on the plot map. We also sold our home in just 3 days! We will be living in Shakopee, MN. which is a suburb of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Our target moving date is right after Father's Day. Our home will be done Aug. 15th and we will be staying with family in the interim.

We are really excited about the move and sad at the same time. We will be leaving Julie's family out here, my Mom and Dad (until they move back too), my sister, and some really good, good friends. People that I can't imagine doing life without. It won't be easy. There is soooo much to say about this, one post can't contain it all. So, keep checking back as I post updates about what we are going through during packing up and getting ready to leave. I also hope to post updates on the road back to Minnesota.

Why?

2006-03-15T23:59:00.000-06:00

I just don't get it. Why would anyone would want to do this? It just makes me sick to my stomach. (Just a warning, the link is not for the faint of heart.) As hard as it is to read something like that, people need to be aware of what lurks out there.

If you read the story, you'll need to cleanse the palette. So, check something positive from my buddy Doah. Or, go read about what my friends, The Taylors are doing to try to make this world a better place to live in.

I'm 34.

2006-03-02T00:09:00.000-06:00

Woo hoo.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2006-02-14T20:53:00.000-06:00

Well, just wanted to get things back to normal here. I have been struggling with what to blog about, not wanting a hard transition from the previous two posts back to T-Bone mode. I thought I'd take Valentine's Day as a good opportunity to get back to posting.

With that, I wanted to share with you the wonder, the mystique, the awe that is my wife, Julie.

She just plain rocks. She is beautiful, she is funny, she loves to take care of me (the baby that I am), and she is HOT!! I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to shack up with such a babe. What the hell did I do to deserve her? I love how she loves to make me laugh and be silly, sometimes to the point of absurdity...something that I just adore. Just look at those eyes peaking out from under the blue hat....drives me crazy....

We have been married almost 12 years now and I can honestly say that I love her more now than ever. It seems that our relationship has gotten stronger over the years. Even though we hit our rough spots sometimes, I wouldn't trade it for anything. She has given me three beautiful children (sorry Cameron), make that one handsome son and two beautiful daughters. What more could I want?

So, on this Valentine's Day, I just wanted to share with you how special Julie is to me. Julie, I love you honey! Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Goodbye, for now....

2006-01-19T22:15:00.000-06:00

Man, I can't believe it has been two weeks since the last post. To me, the time that has passed went by in the blink of an eye. Yet, it seems like I took those pictures, in the last post, so long ago. Now I am back home, sitting in front of my computer trying to think of how to put into words what happened these last two weeks.

My Grandmother, Angie, left this Earth on Sunday, January 8th. She was 91. She lived a long, good life. She was a strong woman and sharp as a tack up until the last days. She said goodbye on her terms and, it seemed, in as little pain as possible. And, I am thankful for all of that. Prayers were answered. It still sucks though.....

As I sit here with my fingertips on the keyboard, I struggle with what I should write about; how much should I divulge? It was such a private, intimate experience and I think that I shouldn't be plastering this on the Web for all to see. At the same time, I want to share every detail.....to help process it all. This was my first direct experience with the death of a loved one.

I am fortunate in that I got to say goodbye to her and she got to say goodbye to me. I thanked her for being in my life, for all that she did for me. She said it had been a long journey and that she was onto the next. She told me that we would meet again in heaven. I can't begin tell you what that meant to me. It was a double-edged sword....very hard to hear and comforting at the same time.

I had the honor of doing a scripture reading at her funeral and joining my cousins as a pallbearer of her casket. We had a luncheon at the Church she attended after the service. My uncle shared some memories of her and then invited others to come up and say something. I eventually stood up and took a turn at the microphone. One of the things I said was that 'she was a classy lady and, to me, she was royal as any Queen' and I meant it with all of my heart.

She loved to laugh. She loved to beat the pants off of you in Scrabble. She spoke her mind. She was confident. She was independent. She loved her family and her family loved her. A favorite quote of mine is from the musical 'Les Miserables,' "To love another person is to see the face of God." I think, through my Grandmother, that was possible. Goodbye Grandma.......for now. I'll miss you. Until next time........

A Trip I Don't Want to Take

2006-01-05T01:00:00.000-06:00

It has been a whirlwind of a day for me. I woke up in California this morning not knowing that I would be on a plane to Minnesota later in the afternoon. Now I am writing this from a hotel room in Minneapolis at 1 AM. I am here to see my Grandma. It's not that I don't want to come here to see her; I just wish it were under better circumstances.

I don't want to go into too much detail, but she is not doing well. I have known this for a little over a week now, but things took a turn over that last couple of days. I don't know what is going to happen. If you are reading this, I just ask that you pray for a safe journey for me. Pray that I can be there for my family, whatever that may be. Pray that I am not numb to what I am experiencing, that my heart is open to what is going on around me, and that I can express what I am feeling. Pray for my family. But, most of all, pray for my Grandma, that God will do what is best for her, that she is happy and comfortable.

Woof! (A.K.A. Confessions of a Pessimistic Dad)

2005-12-31T16:14:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I know I did, although I wasn't sure if it was going to turn out that way. Why? you might ask? What could be possibly be wrong with Christmas? Are you some kind of Scrooge? Well, yes....I am...well..was.

Mrs. T-Bone, my lovely wife, has a special passion for animals. From what I understand, she has always had a pet growing up. Dogs, cats, birds...I think she has done it all. And, I think animals have a special passion for her. Everywhere I have gone with her where there has been an animal of some sort (someone's home, a pet store, the zoo) the animals in attendance seem to flock to her, there is some sort of magnetic attraction there...they know. It's uncanny. If she were a superhero, her special ability would be to talk to the animals and get them to do her bidding to save the world from some evil genius. I think that this passion has been passed on to our daughter Chelsea (and maybe Madison too, but its too early to tell) and she has been asking for a dog for at least the past year. She has yearned for a dog like no other has ever yearned before. She only wanted one thing from Santa this year and you can guess what it was. Everyone in my family, grandparents included, wanted her to finally get that dog. Evryone, except me.

You see, I don't share this passion that the female half of the Cloyd clan has. In fact, I wanted to make sure I did everything in my power to prevent that dog showing up in my house. Well, a series of events was put into place that made getting the dog inevitable and I was FREAKING OUT about it! What was this dog going to do to my house? How much of my personal belongings is he going to chew through? How much was I going to have to clean up after this thing? MY HOUSE IS GOING TO SMELL LIKE DOG! ARGH!!! I literally had a couple of anxiety attacks over this. Yes, I know.....I am a tight-wad. After talking it over with some friends I realized that I need to 'let-go' and stop worrying about it. Also, I was putting Mrs. T-Bone through hell over it. I was only looking at all the negatives, not any of the positives like how happy the kids could be and how it would be a good lesson in responsibility for them.

After looking at the picture above, I understood what an idiot I am. How could I deny my daughter such joy? I mean, look at that! How could anyone say no to that? And, wouldn't you know...I am getting fond of the guy. Who knows, he might even like me too. He is a good dog, very mellow and loving. So, to Dash (that's his name, he is a golden labrador) and the family I say 'I'm sorry!' Here is to some great memories with the newest member of our family.

Merry Christmas

2005-12-23T13:53:00.000-06:00

Julie, Cameron, Chelsea, Madison, and myself wish you all a very Merry Christmas. We hope your holiday is filled with family, warmth, tasty food, and good cheer!

One Bowl of Chicken Soup Please

2005-12-17T18:53:00.000-06:00

It has been a busy year for the Cloyd family doctor. Chelsea is the latest victim (again) of whatever bug is going around. She hit the equivalent of a Palm Springs high temperature of 104 degrees yesterday and is still not feeling well today. It is times like these when your parenting instincts kick in and you just want to do whatever it takes to get them to feel better. She looks so bad and yet so adorable at the same time.

Christmas Time is Here.....

2005-12-13T21:08:00.002-06:00

Well, it is that time of year again. Time to break out all of the decorations, untangle all of the lights, and plop a tree (in my case, a fake one) in your living room. It seems that every year that passes by, I have a harder time getting into the 'Christmas Spirit.' Why is that?

I think I know a couple of reasons why...

One would be the over-hype/commercialization of Christmas. Around Nov. 1st every year I drive my friends & co-workers nuts with my annual "It's NOT Christmas yet!!!" rant. 'What would that be?' you ask? Well, take a seat and I will subject you to it as well. You see, there is this other holiday called "Thanksgiving." Maybe you have heard of it? It falls on the fourth Thursday of every November? Sound familiar yet? I happen to like Thanksgiving...a lot. What other holiday can give you family, food (lots of it), and football? I like the ideology of Thanksgiving; after all, I have much to be thankful for. I also like all of the decorations that go along with it....the fall colors, pictures of cornucopias, pilgrims, & pumpkins....oohh!! yes....pumpkin pie....mmmmmmmm...(drool). Why would anyone want to skip over such a wonderful day? Yet, that's what it seems like. Christmas seems to come sooner every year.

For example, one year the Cloyd clan went to Disneyland on Nov. 1st and, much to my dismay, there were Christmas decorations everywhere! It made my blood boil. Heck , it was Halloween just 12 hours prior and now, on this 80 degree Southern California day, the Mouse is telling me it's Christmas???!!?? It doesn't seem right! Another was a few weeks ago, the second week of November to be precise. My buddy, Jody, and I took a break at work and went over to Starbucks. The whole place was decked out for X-MAS and 'White Christmas' was playing over the sound system. C'mon man! It's only Nov. 9th!! As I asked the guy working behind the counter if he thought it was ridiculous that they were serving up X-Mas cheer in the early weeks of Nov. Jody was quick to point out my hypocrisy as I took my first sip of a peppermint mocha...darn that Jody! And don't even get me started with the playing of Christmas music on some of the radio stations starting Nov. 1st, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! As great as Christmas is (and, don't get me wrong, really, it is!!!), people need to stop cheapening it and wait until after Thanksgiving to bring it out.

Anyway, there are two things I can count on to get the Scrooge out of me and get me into the holiday spirit and they are "A Charlie Brown Christmas" special on ABC and the soundtrack to "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by The Vince Guaraldi Trio. There is nothing better at Christmas Time than to hear Charlie and Linus talking on the bridge, watching those kids dancing to Schroeder's jamming on the piano, and Linus reciting the birth of Christ from the Bible....it's magical. And now, I have the privilege of watching it with my kids. And, ah yes, the soundtrack......it brings me comfort listening to it. Especially the track 'Christmas Time is Here." Listening to that wonderful, melancholy melody can make the So. Cal. heat go away and then I can almost see the snow falling outside the window. That album should be a staple in everyone's holiday music collection. I think I'll put it on now....

My first Blog-EVER! Be gentle....

2005-12-10T10:34:00.000-06:00

Wow. I am actually posting my first ever Blog posting right now. I have been standing at the edge of the 'Blogsphere' wondering if I should just dive in. Will anyone actually read it? Probably not...well, except for you, of course. It seems that many people I know blog now....it's 'the' thing to do....a new way of communicating, to keep in touch. Maybe I can get my wife to set up a blog and we can just blog each other to keep up with what is going on in our lives.
"Hey honey...what do we have going on next week?"
"well, did you check my blog?"
"uh...yeah, meant to do that.......I love..."
"Can you just e-mail that to me?"

I don't know....it could work. She could let me know how I am doing as a husband/father by leaving a comment in the 'Add Comment' field.

Life just seems so busy as it is, with raising three kids, work, other commitments. Will I have time to sit down and post the lastest adventures of T-Bone? Heck, I have a hard enough time just replying to e-mails....takes too much time.

I'll just see how it goes. What do you think? Just leave a comment...but remember, go easy on me, it's my first time.