Hilary Swank Sighting

Today Sherry and I went to have lunch like we do every so often and we both needed to buy food so we went to Pierpont. When we walked in there we knew something was going on because there were way too many people for Tuesday of Spring Break...we thought it was a good chance to grab some free food (Sherry managed to get some fruit). It then became clear that a movie was being shot there, which is becoming somewhat common in Ann Arbor now...which is cool. We walked thru the scene they were setting up and I said "oh this must be the Hilary Swank movie that is being shot on campus," and Sherry said "I don't really like Hilary Swank." Then as irony would have it we had lunch and walked back thru the scene and sure enough we walked right by Hilary Swank. Now I had absolutely no idea what she looks like since I've never seen a single one of her movies so Sherry had to point her out to me when we were standing right next to her. My response was "who the plain looking lady?" Sorry Hilary Swank for not knowing more of your work, but it was super cool to be able to say that I saw you in person (you join the list with Justin Timberlake of famous non-athletes that I've seen in real life). Now I will finally see one of her movies because I have to see this movie (Betty Anne Waters) when it comes out.

Hilary Swank a little bit more done up than she was this afternoon.

P.S. Apparently Minnie Driver is also over there, but the set is closed now.

My Valentine

For those interested my Valentine and I will be here come June 6th.

Happy Valentines Day Dem...can't wait for our tradition Valentines Day routine. Basically starting on our first Valentines Day three years ago I made dinner for Dem for the first time...I made her my classic homemade tacos. They are great. Beyond the tacos we have no formal plan...just tacos...man she is great for me :)

Playing at Chrysler

Bringing the ball up at Chrysler Arena.

Last night my intramural team got its third chance to play at Chrysler Arena (this time not a championship game though). My first time playing there I played poorly but our team won the IM championship, and the second time I was in Memphis and couldn't play. So I was really looking forward to getting another chance to play there. Well as luck would have it yesterday was the first day I've been feeling ok in nearly a week. I spent the majority of time since Saturday really sick with a wicked flu...chills, fever, full body aching, coughing, congestion, headache, etc. In spite of that I decided I would try and play...well turns out I wasn't the only one on the team in this situation. The game was painfully bad.

Catching a pass with one hand because when it was thrown my left hand was being held.

Me and another guy scored over a hundred points in our first three games...we combined for probably 5 points this game. In fact I managed to score as many points getting kicked out of the game as I did playing the game. Well, I didn't actually get kicked out but I'm not sure I would have been allowed back on the court. During the game the other team was doing a lot of holding and pushing of our team, which I don't blame them since the refs weren't calling it. However, it was extremely annoying to me. So when I had to catch a pass with one hand because my left hand was being held, than got pushed when trying to shoot, and missed the shot, I was rather upset. So I decided to show how to really grab and push...I grabbed the guy closest to me and pushed him to the ground. I immediately walked to the bench and said I'm done. As luck would have it someone from the other team must have come at me wanting to fight or something because he got a technical and I got an intentional foul. I guess the rules give the other a team 2 points automatically when there is a technical foul and than the other team got two free throws for my intentional foul.

Me loosing my cool...moments before heading to the bench to end my night.

The good news is that Monday my co-ed team gets to play a Chrysler Arena so I get another chance to redeem myself...and hopefully by than I'll have enough energy to play hard.

Dartball

From my list of random things I decided I should provide an introduction to the world of dartball for my readers. My dartball career started at about the age of 10 playing as a substitute on the St. John's Berne Team as part of the Thumb Lutheran Dartball League (not sure if that was actually what it was). I played my entire career for that ball club. I primarily only filled in when there was a home game and Berne lacked the required number of players, but later in my career (when I was allowed to stay up later) I would travel to away games as well and played more regularly. I wasn't a super star, just a role player...but I always gave my best and rarely missed the board. Its been many years since I got to play nine innings of dartball, but those early years provided valuable later on when cricket (the dart game) became a popular game to play amongst my friends. I actually had never heard of cricket until my roommate Matt got a dartboard for the house...turns out the skills learned in dartball make cricket quite easy to play (the board is much smaller but you throw the dart from like a quarter of the distance).

Well besides reliving my glory days as a dartballer, I need to give a brief overview of how the game is to be played...in case anyone is anxious to go out and give it a try. First you'll need to get darts and a board similar to the one shown below. This is obviously not the traditional style of dartboard. Besides having a different design it is also much larger, which means you throw the darts from much farther back (why cricket seemed so easy to me). With that you simply play by the rules of baseball with two teams and the dart thrower being the "batter". Three strikes the batters out, each team gets three outs per inning, and nine innings per game (if memory services me correctly we use to play best of three games each night). The only special rules involve how the base runners move...which basically if someone is on second and you get a single than the guy on second moves one base (i.e. he moves to the third base). Different boards have different special squares so the rules would have to be checked for that, but the basics are shown below.

white = hit (1 = single, 2 = double, 3 = triple, HR = homerun)
orange = out
green = foul
blue = ball
grey = strike
red (DP) = double play
red (SH) = sacrifice hit

And now you are ready to go out and give dartball a try.

My 25 Random Things

Its a popular thing to do right now...I think because it results in people sharing interesting things that typically don't come up in everyday conversation. So here is my 25 random things...

1) I eat more salsa than anyone I know

2) I once had a pet turtle that smelled really bad

3) I once had several chameleons (actually green anole...I never knew the correct name and just called them chameleons) in my bedroom that often would escape from their terrarium and climb into bed with me…luckily I never rolled over on one.


4) I once had a pet snake that I named slithers and would often take for walks. After awhile he slithered away only to suddenly reappear a week or so later when I accidentally ran him over with my bike.

5) I have ridden pigs before…if anyone is going to attempt this I suggest getting on their back just before they are fed and to watch out for any low overhangs between you and their trough.

6) I enjoy growing plants and even had my own garden for a few years that produced some pretty good cucumbers.

7) My first paying job was scrapping steel (if I omit being paid by my grandma to pick rocks out of our fields)

8) My first non-paying job would probably be hoeing fields, which I started when I was about 6 years old. Our entire family would get up really early in the morning and head out in the fields until about noon…break…evening return to the fields. I started off taking 2 rows with a hoe that was sawed in half but eventually I work my way up to taking 8 to 10 rows at a time.

9) I have one of the largest collections of AC/DC cds…seriously its way larger than anyone really needs.

10) I know way too much about Days of our Lives thanks to my sisters and their love of the democratic process…voting everyday isn’t fair when it’s two against one everyday.

11) I have a large bump on my skull that has been there forever

12) For over a year I had a very obvious and large scar on my cheek that looked like lips from a kiss…I got it by popping a wheelie on my bike, jumping off the back while holding onto the handles, and the front tiring hitting my face

13) I keep track with graphs and spreadsheets all my bills and paychecks I’ve ever received…only recently have I started to destroy old bills

14) I can drink a full beer faster than anyone I’ve ever met…I was highly recruited during my undergrad years for flip cup.

15) There are several movies and tv series that I watch over and over: Gladiator, Good Will Hunting, Braveheart, Band of Brothers, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, The Office

16) Though lacking much in the area of musical ability I enjoy playing the guitar…I don’t get to play as much as I use to but still enjoy strumming at it before going to bed some nights.

17) I’m addicted to PS2 EASports Madden Football…I’ve played well over a decade in franchise mode and have proudly won the Superbowl every year (I think).

18) I was class representative my sophomore year of high school, which was a surprised because after being there only a year and half I didn’t even think people knew who I was. One of my classmates congratulated me after it was announced and I ask for what…I didn’t even bother listening to the names.

19) I have not had cable for the past 5.5 years.

20) I don’t drink much milk…but I love chocolate milk.

21) I always have a large bottle of vitamin C on hand just in case I feel a cold coming on.

22) During my senior year of undergrad I lived with 2 puppies, they both loved me and would run to my room frequently and get so excited that they would pee all over. Once the one puppy (who actually would just visit on the weekends) came in the door, ran upstairs and into my room, peed on my textbook, and ran away.

23) My junior year of college my roommate slept walked into my bedroom thinking it was the bathroom and peed on the side of my bed…I was extremely upset and from then on I always locked my door.

24) The first night I ever had to spend alone was devil’s night with a very bad storm. My parents and sisters were in Saginaw for the day and a really bad storm came in preventing them from getting home that night…I was a bit scared but made it thru. Most of the evening I watched tv with every light in the entire house on.

25) I use to play dart ball with my dad as part of a Lutheran church league…dart ball is the combination of darts and baseball.