New job!

Well, today is officially my second day at Nueterra Healthcare.

I've got a lot to learn and have been slammed with binders, sheets and everything else you can think of that's just making my head spin! The office is great and the people are really friendly, so I'm really looking forward to this new adventure.

Sorry for the short post, but I haven't been able to blog lately while I've been wrapping up my last job and trying to get ready for this one. Hopefully I'll have more to report in the near future... such as what I do and what I enjoy about my new job.

www.nueterra.com

Sometimes you just gotta dance...

And sometimes people will join you.

I was directed to this video through Mack Collier's The Viral Garden. Mack is what some people might call a 'Social Media Expert.' I get his emails a few times a week, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on his speaking engagements, and I usually just browse through them just looking for tidbits of information. Today's was a bit different though. Today it linked me to Matt J McDonald's blog that featured an interesting video (see below).

You'll have to watch this video to see what I really mean by what I'm about to say, but read first and then watch to see if you follow what I mean. (After re-reading my post, you might skip to the video if you want... my post isn't that exciting, but whatevs.)

Let me start by saying that I love to people watch. I think that's one of my favorite parts about going to the casinos here in Kansas City, and especially in Vegas. You have rich people, poor people, skinny people, fat people, black people, white people and every other type of person and everything in between. You always have something new to observe. You wonder to yourself "what are they doing?" "what were they thinking?" "why? just why?"

Typically when we observe someone that is different from us we jump to a conclusion, typically negative, and judge the person for whatever reason and for whatever they're doing. We mock them. We stare at them. We laugh at them. And on occasion, we become jealous of them.

The video you're about to see is one of those instances where mocking comes into play. The first man to join in this video appears to be mocking the original person. However, things change. Quickly. Others join in and enjoy the freedom of expression that the original man shows at the beginning of the video.

I observed this video from two different angles. First, are we all like this inside? Do we all have something built up that we just want to let out and we don't care what other people think? I think so. Typically I care too much about what other people see of me. It's not the best way to go through life, but I think we're all cautious most of the time. I wish I was like this guy more often... not caring what people think. I mean really, is it so bad that sometimes we just have to be ourselves?

Second, I saw this video from the angle of a leader... and someone who just wants to have fun. Sometimes we just have to go out there and keep pushing along until someone else gets on board with us. Whether its in our jobs, relationships, friendships, etc., we all have had experiences where we want to just do something and we're willing to keep doing it until someone hears us, sees us or joins us. I think this is the best approach to this video. I like to think of this guy as someone who is trying to have a good time in his own fashion and doesn't care if people mock him or if people get on board with him. Either way, he's moving forward with what he feels comfortable doing and clearly he enjoys the way he's doing it.

Welp, I've determined this post was lame and really all I care about is the video. So if you read this much, sweet. Otherwise, it's on to the video.

Note: the video is somewhat shaky and the audio isn't the best, so don't get your hopes up too much on expecting Oscar quality cinematography or anything...

Boulevard Pilsner... just what the doctor ordered

I love beer. Like really, really love it. I don't know what it is about being 26, but for some reason my beer taste buds are on fire. During years 24 and 25 I was all about whiskey. I would choose it over just about anything else... even air at times. I started drinking finer varieties and spending big bucks on bottles of rarer whiskey. I'd drink it with Coke. I'd drink it on the rocks. I just really wanted whiskey over most other types of alcoholic beverages.

But something changed when I turned 26. Maybe I got wiser. Maybe I wanted to get fatter. Whatever the reason is, I really have been focusing on beer. Maybe it was the Boulevard Brew Tour I took on a nice 75 degree day in February (that's rare in KC), or maybe it was the excellent selection of tasty bottles that went along with the amazing burgers at Blanc Burgers + Bottles. Whatever it was, things have definitely taken a turn.

This is a turn that I'm really happy with. I've always liked beer. I've always especially liked Boulevard, mainly their Unfiltered Wheat. However, once they started putting out their Smokestack Series, I started focusing more on varieties of beers. I've even started keeping a bottle from every six-pack that I've bought... and I've amassed quite a collection in a short period of time. Which can only mean one thing... I've consumed a ridiculous amount of calories in the last 7 months.

Now to focus on what this posting is really about. The new, amazing, tasty, flavorful, refreshing Boulevard Pilsner.

This beer is just what the doctor ordered... assuming your girlfriend is a doctor and she doesn't have any problems with you buying beer (thanks babe!).

But really, this beer is great. It's smooth, refreshing and just what you expect a beer to taste like on a warm summer night. Typically Boulevard focuses a bit more on their craft beers, packaging them in special cardboard boxes that block extra light from hitting the bottle and making sure that each beer is extra special. Just under 50% of their beers are seasonal and rotate through the seasons.

This new beer is something different. It's something special. It's a traditional Pilsner, so it's clean and crisp. And, it's not packaged in your regular Boulevard package. It's a good-ole American beer, covered with a simple, modest label and packaged like your favorite domestic beer, in an open sixer, waiting to be unloaded in a cooler or that special fridge you keep in your garage just for beer.

I could go on talking about this beer for a long time. I could describe notes, flavors and quality, but I won't. I'll just give you my word that it's exactly what you think about drinking after you mow your yard on a Saturday morning when it's 95 out and you're trying to get it done before the heat of the day sets in. It's the beer you drink when water just doesn't sound refreshing. It's the beer that will replace Bud Light in my beer fridge this summer. And, at $5.97 a sixer, just like BL, it's the kind of beer that you can stock up on and not feel guilty or feel like your wallet is deflating.

To wrap this up I'll describe in one way that you can probably understand. It's the kind of beer you think of when you see Andy Dufresne and Red mopping tar on the roof in the movie Shawshank Redemption. If you don't know what I mean, go read this entry on the KC Beer Blog and you'll get it. Special thanks goes out to Bull E. Vard for the post about Andy and Red.

Cheers!

Larry Bird and MJ got nothing on this guy...

Everyone remembers the McDonalds commercials with Jordan and

Bird right? "Off the the wall, off the arches and in the hoop" or

whatever... right? Well, this guy is something else. Check out the

video and see what he can do. It's pretty amazing.

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

A picture truely is worth a thousand words...

Well, according to Microsoft Word, it's actually 333 words, but still. Kind of cool to think that your family's Christmas card photo could end up being an advertisement half a world away in Prague.

Check out the funny, semi-creepy story below.

(no, I don't have permission to reproduce their photo, but credit goes to Gina Kelly... hope you don't get mad!)

Mo. family Christmas photo turns up in Czech ad

Hammer Time!

Be sure to check out the new Hammertime show on A&E later this month. It premiers June 14th at 10/9C.

This video is great... I've seen a bunch of people post it on Facebook, but I thought I'd share it here as well. Cheers!

Hammertime

Zack Morris Lives!

Please Stay Like This 4Ever | Dlisted

Great video from D-listed... Mark-Paul Gosselaar appeared on Jimmy Fallon as Zack Morris. Zack Attack! Looks like we might be getting a Saved by the Bell reunion! FTW!

Shared via AddThis

Wüsthof Classic Ikon Panini Knife, 8"

I was recently given the opportunity to test a new knife and review it on my blog. The knife is an 8" Wüsthof Classic Ikon Panini Knife. This knife can be found at gourmet kitchen stores or online at MetroKitchen.com, which has an excellent selection of quality cookware, knifes and other small kitchen appliances.

Typically this knife retails for about $120. If you know anything about German knifes, then you know this is a fair price. You’ll occasionally find it for a few bucks less online, but MetroKitchen.com is the best place to order it online. Not only do they price match, but they have free shipping on orders over $29.

One warning about buying online… make sure you know what you’re buying. There are Wüsthof Panini knifes on Amazon and eBay that claim to be Ikon for $75, but they are not, I repeat, NOT the Ikon model, they are the older, classic Wüsthof style.

Now, on to the knife. This thing is gorgeous. The steel shines. It’s so polished and pure that it made taking photos with my flash quite difficult. Wüsthof claims that it’s durable enough for cutting bread and hard cheeses, yet it’s gentle enough to slice finely through vegetables. And they’re right. 100%. If you look through the photos below you’ll see the knife at it’s finest. We used it on smoked Gouda, soft Monterrey Jack, and the slightly firmer Colby Jack. We went to town on a juicy red tomato with ease. This knife was perfect for preparing everything we needed for our golden Panini’s.

 

The knife is made of a single piece of forged steel, ensuring that you’ll never have an unsafe, wobbly knife. It’s perfectly balanced to give you a comfortable grip without feeling like the knife is lopsided. And boy oh boy is this puppy sharp, so watch your fingers. Wüsthof only makes the finest quality of knives, so always be careful when handling, because they can cut through just about anything.

I could go on and on talking about this knife. Mentioning how well it glides through golden toasted Panini’s filled with melted cheeses, veggies and tasty condiments. But I’m making myself hungry, so I’ll just let the remaining photos do the talking.

This knife is a must have for anyone who knows their way around the kitchen; or anyone who wants a one-stop knife that is going to be sharp, versatile and last them a lifetime. This is definitely a knife to recommend to your friends, and as a knife connoisseur, I recommend that everyone should have this knife in their block.

Enjoy!

   

Viva Las Vegas!

Well, I survived yet another trip to Vegas. Nothing much to report back on as far as stories go... it was probably the tamest experience I've had in Las Vegas before. No clubs and no super late nights out on the strip, not knowing how we got home. I'm not sure if I'm getting older or if it's the crowed that I traveled with.

I'm going to assume it was the crowd. I went with some buddies from college, who were also fraternity brothers. Now you'd normally think that some college buddies hitting Vegas would spell stories of "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." However, the exact opposite was true. We stayed out late, gambled our money away, enjoyed "free" drinks at the tables and even hit a show. But there are no dead stripper stories, no cracked out homeless guy stories, nor even amazing celebrity encounters. Ok, that last one was actually a lie, but it's not like we partied with any of them.

(LJ)

My flight from KC began on Thursday afternoon. The guy who sat next to me? Larry Johnson, #27, running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. Not too shabby. My flight back didn't have anyone to speak of, but while waiting for my flight in LV we got to meet and chat with TO. Yes, Terrell Owens, now a wide received for the Buffalo Bills. Both were really nice guys. Neither wanted pictures taken, but were happy to exchange hand shakes. I don't blame them though, if I was rich and famous I wouldn't want even more attention being drawn to me.

Ok, so moving onward. We got to Vegas on Thursday night and hit up Hooters Casino of all places. The place is as tacky as their restaurants. The cards were good and I won some money, but nothing that was going to pay my mortgage. The next couple of days were filled with trips to the pool, long walks up and down the strip and a few "shows" on the street. The Sirens of TI suck. The new volcano at Mirage is awesome. And the fountains at Bellagio still amaze me; even after seeing them 5 different times.

 

On Saturday we hit downtown. I still like the classic feel of Freemont. The old casinos remind me of old movies. The gambling is cheap and the people are average Joe's looking to have fun. It's not filled with pretentious a-holes. There aren't blonde bimbos walking around looking for a rich guy to mooch off of. And probably one of my favorite parts, there aren't cabs trying to run you over or people trying to hand you hooker cards. Classic Vegas... the way it's supposed to be.

After our stint on Freemont, we hit the buffet at Bellagio. Wow. Yum. Full. The thing was amazing. And it should have been for what they charged... $39.95.

  There are 12 stations and a desert bar the size of my house. Duck, venison, prime rib, beef wellington, rack of lamb, king crab legs, turkey, ham, sushi, shrimp, pork belly. The list goes on. It was fantastic. All four plates of it. I don't think I've ever eaten that much food before in my life. I'm still not hungry... and that was four days ago.

To top it all off we decided to take in LE RÊVE at the Wynn. It was a great show, even for 4 guys going without any ladies. There was action, splashing water and great music. It was one of the best shows I've seen in Vegas. Maybe anywhere. If you get a chance to see it and are debating what tickets to get, I suggest the cheapest ones they have: The Splash Zone. You might get a few drops of water on you, but the performers are nearly sitting in your lap. They say only the first two rows are the splash zone, so take that opportunity over the other seats that are higher up in the theater, not to mention that the higher up seats cost more!

Sunday and Monday can pretty much be written off. By the time I lost all my money on Saturday I don't really have any stories worth telling. I enjoyed the pool, watched some TV, watched my friends lose money and made time for a small shopping trip to H&M at the Planet Hollywood Shops.

It was a great time and I'm glad to be home. Vegas takes it out of me. I love and hate that place all at the same time. I don't want to go back for a long time. But ask me again in 2 months and I'll likely be dying to go. Such is the attraction that is Vegas.

 

Sorry kids...

Sorry that I haven't posted lately... things have gotten a little hectic with life and work, but fear not, things are just gravy.

I promise to post more soon, including a detailed entry on the new Wüsthof Panini knife that I've been selected to review. Pictures and lots of info to come.

Also, be sure to check back after the holiday weekend. I'm sure I'll post something about my trip to Vegas. I'm headed out there tomorrow night and will be back late Monday. It should be a good time. Plenty of tasty food and fun to be had by all.

Thanks for checking in. More to come!

Living the High Life...

I'm not sure about your city, but here in Kansas City people have slowly been moving downtown into Loft Condos. Sure, people have been living downtown for a while now. Lofts have always been available, but there hasn't always been that big of a draw. With the improved Freighthouse restaurants in the Crossroads Art District, the implamentation of First Friday's and more artists moving downtown, not to mention the Sprint Center and the ever-so-popular Power & Light District, people now have more reasons to move down there. 

Some of those people are Terry and Alan Antin. They bought a turret on top of the 909 Walnut building and converted it into a luxory condo. It took 26 months and more than $4 million to complete... but dang, that place is amazing. Now, I haven't been there myself, so I can't say for sure, but when they say a picture is worth a thousand words, they mean it. Or maybe these photos are worth a hundred thousand dollars... not sure.

Anyway, check out the links below to read the story and see the pictures of this amazing place. Be sure to check out my favorite photo, the one of their bedroom. I say it's my favorite because they don't have actual windows in there, so they built two window frames around two monitors that are hooked up to an outside camera that projects the outside on the TVs. Talk about having enough money to do whatever you want with!

'Empty Nesters' - article

Photos of the Loft

I like shoes...

If you know me pretty well, especially outside the office, you know I like shoes. I have 2 closets full of them. One closet is specifically for black or brown leather shoes and the other is for tennis shoes and flip-flops. 

I think my addiction started when I lived in NY during the fall semester of 2004. I had access to the best selection of shoes in the country. More importantly, I had access to designs and colors that you couldn't find in the Midwest... and they were CHEAP! My favorite shoe store was on Broadway, on the east side of the street, and about 5 shops north of the Canal Street intersection. I'd go there every other week just to check out their offerings. It was amazing. I bought too many while I lived there.

Fast foward a few years and a few dozen pairs of shoes later and we look at today. Now I've found a love of buying my shoes online. My latest addictions are Eastbay.com and Shoes.com. They both offer cheap shoes, a variety of colors and styles, all sizes (I have big feet), and most importantly, cheap/free shipping. And returns. 

Shoes.com has been the latest addiction. They offer free shipping and returns, so you can try them on when you get them and ship them back if you're not interested, and you get your full refund. They have plenty of sizes available, but they lack funky colors and styles.

That's where Eastbay comes into play. They have all the colors and styles that anyone desires. I got a pair of red and yellow Rod Laver adidas shoes and a pair of metallic pink and baby blue K-Swiss' from them. However, they lack the size selection that Shoes.com has, plus they charge for shipping, but not much.

So now I seek a beautiful blend of each site. One that has free shipping, great colors, plenty of sizes and cheap shoes! If you know of one, let me know and I'll be all over it. If you don't know of one but you've got the capitol to get one started, let me know... I think we could get it off the ground! Which would also mean free shoes for myself... hmmm, maybe I should start a business plan... Mike, want to build the site for me? Jk.

Anyway, check out their sites, they've got great stuff!

Shoes.com and Eastbay

I LOVE BBQ!

Have I mentioned lately how much I love BBQ? If I haven't, then here's your chance to read me saying "I LOVE BBQ!"

Today I hit up one of the best BBQ joints on the planet, Oklahoma Joe's. This place is wonderful. This place has the best food. This place is inside a gas station?

Yes, the famous Oklahoma Joe's started in a gas station, and still operates from it today. This place has all the qualities I look for in good BBQ. A great atmosphere, tasty sauce (I could drink this stuff... and I have), and of course, mouthwatering food. My personal favorite is their pulled pork sandwich. The pork is so soft, juicy and it crumbles in your mouth. This is by far their most popular fare, and is typically found on their daily special's menu. In fact, it was today's special, so naturally I had to have it.

Oh, and who can forget their fries. Anyone who has ever eaten there knows that these are the most addictive part of Okie Joe's. These things are amazing. I'm not sure what all is in the seasoning, but I have a feeling it might be illegal and could even hold a street value of immeasurable amounts. I could eat the fries as a meal... they're that good. There is one way to improve the fries however, and that's with the sauce. With a little bit of a bite and a sweet touch on the tongue, their sauce is simply the best. As mentioned in a previous thread, one of their sauces, Cowtown, was even rated as the "Best Sauce on the Planet" in 2001 at the American Royal.

In my book Oklahoma Joe's is one of the best BBQ places you'll find on the face of this planet. But, you don't have to take my word for it... however, I do take the word of the American Royal BBQ Competition... the World Series of BBQ and the largest BBQ contest in the world, where Oklahoma Joe's has been the Grand Champion. Oh, and a little group called Zagat gave them one of the few "Excellent" scores that they hand out in the BBQ category.

Anyway, I'm going to go fall into a food coma and dream of BBQ. Hopefully the rain will hold off this weekend so I can get back to the grill and whip up something good!

Tax Day Tea Party

Today is the big day of the Tea Party. These "modern" tea parties are popping up all over the country. They're happening in over 2000 cities, towns and counties across the US and I have to say, I support them.

Traditionally I'm a conservative, but have been known to be 'green' when it comes to recycling and not trashing our earth, but stick pretty close to party lines. I'm not a whacko conservative, although I can think of a few coworkers and friends who might disagree. I believe people should be taxed fairly, no matter if you make $20,000 a year or $2 million. Estate Tax is a joke and Big Government is killing this amazing country that we call home.

I say these things, yet you won't see me out there with my signs... even though I really like one that I printed off yesterday...

Well, I probably would go, but I have a softball game right in the middle of the thing. If I did go, it would purely be to observe. I'm not edumakated on the whole bailout/tax bill, so I don't feel that I have the right to be out there, even though the First Amendment grants me that right.

I'm quite interested in the masses that have been gathering. I've been following a few FoxNews and CNN "local reports" from the different locations, and things seem to be peaceful thus far. There are rumors that the losers from ACORN are going to try to crash a few of the protests, but that's yet to be seen.

Anyway, I'm just glad to see people speaking up again. It seems like a lot of people have just sat back and taken the abuse from Big Gov't for the last few decades. No matter your take or your party affiliation, I'm sure you're a little peeved at what's being done with our tax dollars. I hate seeing companies fail, but sometimes you just have to learn to let go and let freedom ring.
http://taxdayteaparty.com/

Williams-Sonoma

For those of you who know me, you probably know that I work at Williams-Sonoma part-time. I work in the stock room and typically only work a few hours a month, but it's a great part-time job. I mainly work during the holidays, so it's a great way to make some "Christmas Cash" as I like to call it, but it also allows me to have access to some of the best culinary tools on the market... not to mention my ability to buy them at a discount!

Recently I've been focusing on our spices/rubs and trying to experiment with them. My new favorite, even though it's out of season, is the Smoked Turkey rub. This stuff is heaven on meat!

My use for the rub was on pork tenderloin. I dry rubbed the loins and put it in the fridge for about 24 hours in a zip-lock bag. The next night I placed the loins in a pyrex dish and poured a liquid mixture of BBQ Seasoning, OJ and Cowtown BBQ sauce in the bottom. Cover lightly with foil and bake for about 20 minutes at 350. After those 20 minutes are up, flip the loins over and cook for another 20. Lastly, fire up the grill and cook over medium flame for a final 30 minutes.

The loins come out smoky, moist and super tasty. Slice it up and serve with a baked sweet potato and you've got yourself a tasty, filling, health dinner.

(To increase the smoky flavor, try grilling the loins on a cedar plank that you've soaked for about 4 hours. This will increase the smoky flavor and let's face it, cedar smells great!)

Cowtown BBQ sauce - "Best Sauce of the Planet" - 2001 American Royal

http://www.cowtownbbq.com/

Finally Launched!

Well, I've finally launched my blog. I haven't blogged in quite some time... you could even say it's been years. Sure, I've done the corporate blog thing at the office, but I haven't done anything on my own since college.

The goal of my new blog is to post tips and reviews of my homeowner experiences. I've been in my house for about 3 years now and I've done odds and ends throughout the house and in the yard, plus my fair share of testing in the kitchen, so hopefully some of my successes will be helpful to others.

Welcome and hopefully you'll find something you like here!