My adventures with Kristen and Sports

Well the last two blogs have had a bit to be desired, but I have actually been busy since athletics have started back up here at work, and everything is starting in about a week. So with everything starting up and Sloan about to start 1st grade, we actually had our last week of free time last week. Sloan went to Abilene to spend a few days with Kristen’s parents and Kristen and I got to spend a few days hanging out as well. One thing I really love doing is going to sporting events (seeing this is my profession) and not to mention my other favorite baseball team is right up the road from us (that being the Texas Rangers, my poor Mets are suffering this season). So with enough talking to Kristen we went on a date to the Rangers game last week to see them play the Twins.

I have to say all wives complain of their husbands watching some type of sport all the time. No one has anything on Kristen; she has to put up with sports year around. Although for her case, I have never been a huge NFL fan or NBA fan (until Oklahoma City got a team) so she does not have to put up with me watching those sports all the time. I am a huge college football and basketball fan so I guess that is a trade off for the NFL and NBA. She takes it in stride and just accepts it with sports, but one season she has to put up with is baseball season. That is one sport that I do watch a lot of, and I get to hear about it as well. (I do know deep down she loves baseball, if it wasn’t for baseball we wouldn’t have met.)

(Back to the story) So I got the tickets and we left early in the afternoon last week and drove up to Arlington for the game. It was a lot of fun and very hot. Of course upon arriving I had to get a customary beer and Kristen went straight for the Chicago Dogs at the ball park (if you have never had a Chicago Dog, you are missing out on the best hot dog invented.). We found our seats (five rows from the field in Center field, not too shabby) and took in the sights and sounds of the game. It is always an adventure when I go to a game with Kristen, because when she watches sports with me, I get the “interesting” questions through out the course of a game. Not to mention during the course of a game I have to remind her that she just cheered for something bad. Also I know I automatically loose her attention once the cotton candy vendor walks past us (which come to find out we can only eat the cotton candy with the cone in it).

So during the game, I always get a good laugh from her from time to time. Seeing where our seats were, I had no idea that her goal was to catch a homerun (bare handed I might add) during the game. I then had to break the news to her that we would also have to catch a doctor to fix her broken hand afterwards. Needless to say, a homerun was hit by us, but she didn’t run out to catch it. So in between eating a Chicago Dog, warm peanuts, drinking some of my beer, and eating her cotton candy (on a stick) she befriended some kids that were sitting by us. This is not uncommon with Kristen, nor is it uncommon to figure out that another family on our row was from Waco, and she had to talk to them as well. (Those of us that are in the Herring family know quite well where she gets this from, but we just take it in stride.) So somehow by the middle of the game she has talked (in length) to a seven year old boy. She has also talked them into catching a homerun for her and giving it to her. We left before the game was over, plus the Rangers were winning 11-1 at that point, and she never got her homerun ball if you were wondering.

The best part about this is although she sometimes does not want to go to a sporting event; she always comes out of it having a lot of fun. I still need to work on her coming to more college basketball games, but once December is here she will have PLENTY of time to watch a college basketball game that her husband does marketing for. I do have to say in my defense, if it wasn’t for sports we wouldn’t have met in Colorado Springs.

Music for this week:
Well, I am now on the countdown for ACL Festival (40 days to be exact). I have started to listen to some of the bands I want to see. Also I hope that three of my friends take me up on some of my suggestions for music seeing they are going to be traveling soon. Dave, Jeremy, and Craig if you need me to hook you up with a travel playlist let me know!

Arctic Monkeys
Well, this is a band I can’t wait to see in Austin, I am very excited to see them. I just got their newest album today and it is really great. Not to mention their previous two are also very good. I hope they live up to my expectations and put on a great show in Austin for everyone. I would recommend an album, but all of them are great. Listen to the songs Fluorescent Adolescent, Fake Tales of San Francisco, and Dangerous Animals.

Friendly Fires- Friendly Fires
This is a good album; I have been putting off listening to it for a while. It kept getting pushed my way so I took a chance and listened to them. It’s not too bad; I would like to hear more from them. Check out the song Jump in the Pool.

Stellastarr*- Civilized
Well this band has been out for a while, and a blog I read each week this is one of his favorite bands. So they had a new album come out not too long ago and upon his love for them I gave them a shot. I have to say, they are a great unknown band that should get some air play. Check out the songs Tokyo Sky and Graffiti Eyes.

Dinosaur Jr.- Farm
I have always been a Dinosaur Jr. fan, just sometimes you forget about them, and you shouldn’t. Without A Sound has always been in my all-time favorite albums list. This is another great album from the old school alternative band. Check out the song See You, it has that classic Dinosaur Jr. feel.

Beck- The Information
This album has been getting some love from me lately. Although Midnite Vultures is my all time favorite album. The Information gets back to some great Beck beats and not to mention his odd but great musical lyrics. My favorite song so far is Cellphone’s Dead and Nausea.

Woodstock and now

So as most people with a TV know last weekend was the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. I actually sat down one night and watched a documentary (that wasn’t Gangland on the History Channel, which that show is awesome.) about Woodstock. The one thing that really stuck out was how it finally came together, and how the politics of the time and the people of the time really made it into something. The whole time watching it, I tried to think of something like that happening now.

Something like that couldn’t happen now. We would get too involved as people wanting the big payoff to let something like that happen again. It’s sad that some of the values of those “hippies” have been lost by now. They ran out of food at the festival, some people stepped up to help feed some of the people there. They introduced granola at Woodstock, not for Woodstock we might not have granola.

So many people showed up they pushed down a fence and the concert promoters decided to just make it a free concert. Not to mention tickets for the whole weekend were just $18. That happened now, police would be called, people would be put in jail, and more than likely the concert would be cancelled. Plus the tickets would be about $200 bucks.

I guess it’s sad that when you think of getting 500,000 people together now, you think of how much trouble is going to be caused. At Woodstock, they just wanted to have a peaceful get together and listen to some music and hang out. Now, it wouldn’t be that easy, and it’s sad. What happened between then and now is the only question I could come up with.

So many people forget (and I do at times) about how to help out other people. Woodstock was put together for a lot of people that believed in the same things to get together and let everyone know there was something more out in the world. I think everyone now forgets that, it’s all about “ME” now. The culture at the time of Woodstock is nothing different than it is now. The Government during then and now is about the same, both are struggling to get the country back in shape, both times had a horrible war going on, and tons of people wanted to be heard then just like now. The only difference between then and now is the “ME” factor comes into play. If we were anything like our parents back then, we would band together and be heard just like they did. What’s scary, we have more resources and we don’t use them. They had less, and were heard much louder than us.

Music for the week:
Well, now I keep having to go back and fourth and remember what music I should put on here. Granted this past weekend I listened to mostly the Woodstock Channel on XM while in the car. Also the dilemma of thinking what I should take off my iPod and keep on it. September is coming up and a ton of great (hopefully) albums are coming out, so I am getting rid of some music to make room for more. Here are a few albums for this week.

The Airborne Toxic Event
I have been on the fence for a while about this band. I think it was the over play of the first single they released off the album that did it to me. A few weeks back Lollapalooza happened and they put on a few acts on the internet to watch for free, and I decided to watch some of them. Well ATE was one of them, and I have to say they were great live. So I got the album, and it is just as good. Some times overplay does not help record sales. Check out the song Wishing Well and This Nowhere.

Flobots- Fight With Tools
This album has been out a while, but I am going back through my iPod and trying to find some bands I haven’t brought up. I always have withdrawal symptoms when I think about Rage Against the Machine. Although the Flobots aren’t anywhere close to the vocals of Zach De La Rocha and the guitar wizardry (had to use that somehow) of Tom Morello, they do fill the void of a good political rant. This band from Denver helps to fill a tiny amount of the void left by RATM not being together. Check out the songs Stand Up and Rise.

Klaxons-Myths of the Near Future
The Klaxons are a band that has been getting some critical acclaim since debuting Myths of the Near Future. I have to admit, this is much deserved. I have been listening to this album for a while, just haven’t brought them up. Check out the songs Golden Skans and Gravity’s Rainbow.

Tanya Morgan- Brooklynati
Ok, granted when you first read the name of this group Hip-Hop is not the first thing you think of. As some of you know, I am a hip-hop fan. I got the luxury of growing up when Hip-Hop was just kind of coming out (yes I am that old). My tastes of hip-hop have changed from hardcore hip-hop (in high school) to listening to more intellectual (if you can say that) hip-hop. Or as a friend of mine called it “college” rap. Tanya Morgan makes me think of Tribe Called Quest, the Roots, De La Soul, and so on. Check out the songs Alleye Need and On Our Way.

Drawing a blank

So, as I have mentioned before, it is sometimes hard to write about something each week. I have dug this whole of writing a blog, so I will keep up my end and keep writing something each week. So with fair warning some of my blogs might be a little boring or weird at times.

So I guess this is a different one this week. Things are starting to pick up here at work since athletics season is about to start (first soccer game tomorrow). Sloan is about to bust waiting to go to 1st grade. I have actually been busy the past few weeks, and don’t have any good stories I can think of, but after watching Lollapalooza this past weekend, I wish ACL was next week. I can’t wait to go, I am very pumped just to be able to take in the atmosphere of a festival concert, meet new people, go with an old friend and hopefully run into some friends down there. I have always loved going to concerts, and festival concerts are the best. You get to be around different people, cultures, and all out craziness at a festival. I am going to take a bunch of pictures, and have a blast and something to write about the next week.

I did see an interesting Facebook tagged message I was tagged to the other day. (I want to make a special note that I don’t do the tagged messages often nor participate in Mafia Wars and other games people play on there) So here it goes (don’t hold this against me):

Here's a cool way to see a glimpse into friends' musical tastes and libraries. It's fun to see what lost gems and embarrassing things come up too.(1) Turn on your MP3 player. (2) Go to SHUFFLE songs mode. (3) Write down the first 25 songs that come up--song title and artist--NO editing/cheating, please. I was tagged because friends wanted to know more about my musical tastes, or at least a random sampling there of. So here we go, I start off strong then fade at times……..

Lawyers, Guns, and Money- Warren Zevon
Grapevine Fires- Death Cab for Cutie
High Water- Bob Dylan
Build Me A Woman (Live)- The Doors
Something 2 Dance 2- N.W.A. (not their best song)
This Nowhere- The Airborne Toxic Event
All My Life- The Foo Fighters
One Red Thread- Blind Pilot
Beat on the Brat- The Ramones
Seek and Destroy- Metallica
Nice Dream- Radiohead
Badfish - Sublime
Peak Out- GirlTalk
Funky Monks- Red Hot Chili Peppers
Posse in Effect- Beastie Boys
Hello Again (live)- Neil Diamond
Sour Girl- Stone Temple Pilots
Stay a Little Longer (live)- Willie Nelson and Family
Swing, Swing- All-American Rejects (the drummer use to party with us in college)
Gone, Daddy, Gone- Gnarls Barkley
Tell Me Baby- Red Hot Chili Peppers (yes I have their whole catalogue)
Train in Vain- The Clash
All Along the Watch Tower- Bob Dylan
Gumbo(live)- Phish
Save the Day-Atmosphere

All in all, not a bad shuffle for 25 songs. Looking at it, I can see certain times in my college years, times once I was out of college, and a quick glimpse of me in high school. Not bad iPod, not bad………

This week’s music:
Well I love getting feed back from the few folks that check out what I am listening too. Right now the favorite from last week was Blind Pilot, I would like to know what people think, so if you have a comment either good or bad leave it. Sloan loves the song Daylight from Matt and Kim (I slip some good music into her mp3 player when I get a chance). So here is this week’s music………

Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band- Outer South
Ok, so this is some kind of critically acclaimed album so far this year. I read the article in the Rolling Stone about him not too long ago, so I decided to give it a listen. It’s not bad, but I think it’s too early to write this off as one of the best albums of the year.(yes music critics I said it) The song I like right now is Difference is Time.

Editors- An End Has A Start
Ok, I don’t know why I haven’t started listening to these guys before now. I really like this album. I have got on a kick listening to a few of the bands this week, and this is one of them. Love this album, check out the songs Smokers Outside the hospital door, and An End Has A Start.

Ra Ra Riot- The Rhumb Line
Another band I have heard on the radio a lot and it just got put down on my list to listen too. I really like this band as well, a pretty descent album, check out the songs Go With The Flow and Can You Tell.

Interpol
I always have a band that I feel is worth of owning all their albums, this is one of those bands. I think the White Lies and a few other bands are starting to sound similar to Interpol here lately. If there was one album that I would get it would be Antics, but they are all good albums. Check out the song Slow Hands off of Antics (Sloan just told me from the bath tub that she liked this song as well.)

Owl City-Ocean Eyes
This goes along with my promise to myself to check out more Alternative Pop. I love Lily Allen, so I gave Alt Pop another chance. Not too long ago the song Fireflies caught my attention, so I took a listen to Owl City. It’s kind of a gushy alt-pop album, but it is catchy. It takes a few listens to kind of like this album, but it’s a good pick me up. Check out Fireflies and The Bird and the worm.

Portugal, The Man-The Satanic Satanist
Ok, the name of the album will throw you off. You think hard rock, but it’s actually not even close. I learned of this band through a great ESPN column, and the fact that he checked them out this past weekend at Lollapalooza. This might be a new favorite album, check out the songs People Say and The Sun.

The simple things..........

Before I start off my blog, If you want a great pick me up during the day, check out on youtube the PS22 Chorus. Whoever the music teacher is for this school, they deserve a gold star. They teach these kids popular songs (not the boring crap we had to sing in school) and the kids rock. Check them out. Don’t Stop Believin’ and Just Dance.


The simple things...........

There are few things once you become an adult that you can find the simple things in. For instance, waking up with Kristen and Sloan (with Sloan in a good mood) and having an easy morning and cooking breakfast for them, a really really good beer, Jake’s BBQ (Chickasha, OK), going to see a good movie, and going to or watching a sporting event and soaking up the atmosphere (without a complaint or wanting to go “walk around” during the game).

This past week I got to do two out of the five things, although Sloan and I did get to enjoy a Saturday morning together hanging out and eating breakfast at Leal’s (best breakfast burrito ever). Friday night I got to see one of my favorite childhood baseball player’s play against the Rangers. Not only was it awesome to see Ken Griffey Jr. in a Mariners uniform (almost 15 years to date from the last time I saw him play), but I got to go to the game by myself. I love my family, but sometimes you have to go do something by yourself, and for me I got to go to the Rangers game. Which was a good thing since an ugly rain storm blew in about the 7th inning, which if Sloan was with me we would have left at the first site of rain clouds.

Sometimes when you go to a sporting event you are so rushed to get something to eat, entertain a six year old at the various parent traps of games, and watch some of the game, you miss the little things while you are there. Like enjoying a hot dog (mine was a footlong Chicago dog) and a beer (or a few) and taking in the sites and sounds of a game. Being on both sides of the profession you forget the little things. Being a fan you forget why you became a fan in the first place, and working in sports sometimes you forget why you work in sports. The main reason I work in sports is because I love the atmosphere and the feeling that people had a good time win or lose. Sometimes the losing part out weighs the having a good time part, but at the end of the day when you get home most people will admit they had a good time.

I feel for Kristen, poor thing has no choice but to be force fed sports. Her saving grace is I don’t watch everything sports related. She has to tolerate baseball season and college football season. I sprinkle in basketball at times, but mostly college basketball. Her saving grace is the fact that I am not a huge NFL person, and I can’t stand NASCAR (sorry NASCAR fans). She does know sports though and will surprise me at times with some little tidbit she has been saving for a certain occasion. Sloan loves baseball, and whatever I am watching. Of course she will go for a team if A) I am going for them, B) what team is winning, and C) what color they are wearing. Of course she will go against the team I am going for, until my team is winning then switch sides.

I guess working in sports you forget the little things, which you shouldn’t. Sometimes you have to go out by yourself and remember why you are doing what you do.

This week’s music:

Man I am getting down to the bottom of the barrel of music I have been listening to. I can’t wait for September, the greatest band ever (Pearl Jam) has their new album coming out, and a bunch more bands. Here are this week’s bands, if anyone has someone I should check out let me know.

Discovery-LP
Yes it is named LP (and ironically it is an LP), they are comprised of Rostam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend and Wes Miles from Ra Ra Riot. It’s not a bad album, its fun to listen too, and I can see it as something to listen to before you go out. It might not last long in my iPod if something else better comes along. Check out the songs Orange Shirt and I Want You Back (yes a Jackson 5 remake).

Blind Pilot- 3 Rounds and a sound
This little band is out of Portland, Oregon and I really like them. A friend from high school mentioned this band to me when he saw them open up for The Decembrists. The one interesting thing I found out about them is that they did a bicycle tour last year and actually built a trailer to haul their instruments behind their bicycles. The hit nine cities on the tour down the Pacific Northwest Coast into California. Check out the songs The Story I Heard and Go On, Say It.

Tegan and Sara- The Con
This Canadian twin sister duo has put out a few albums and I have been wanting to listen to them for a while when I heard one of their singles on XM (for those that don’t have satellite radio, best thing ever!). I read one of my favorite blogs and he mentioned this album. So I picked it up and gave it a listen. Not bad, some good songs on the album check out Back in your head and The Con.

Rancid-Let the Dominoes Fall
I love punk and ska, some people go all heavy metal on people as their dirty love, but I love some punk rock. I have been wanting to get my hands on the new Rancid album for a while. Out Come the Wolves is a classic from the 90’s to help revive the mainstream punk movement, and this one is just as good. If you are living under a rock is the only way you haven’t heard the single Last One To Die off the album. Also check out Up To No Good and Liberty and Freedom.

Dr. Dog- Fate and Easy Beat
One of my best friends kept pushing me to take a listen to this band, and I gave in after his 100th recommendation. I have to say Travis was not wrong. I really like this band and I have been listening to Fate quite a bit. Both albums are really good, I can’t wait to check out the album We All Belong. Check out the song Hang On.