Priceless

My best friend A.J. enjoying his summer the only way possible: All Out

GPS me

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=44.983596&lon=-93.080352&z=18&r=0&src=0
My exact location in this great big world (thanks ben, I'm addicted)

The Adventure of Roy Johnson

Last night some of my idiot friends went out, got drunk, and didn't have a ride, or any well being of getting home. I was in bed, drinking an Amberbock, watching Cool Hand Luke and ready for sleep at any moment when I got the rescue call. I figure for the most part, a bail out is good karma and goes further to solidify our friendship, so I agree to drive from St. Paul to dinkytown to uptown and home. In turn, the ride began hostle and only got worse when the other part of the crew needed a ride as well. Challenging my right to want them to shut up, some got defensive, some got annoying and some people, well they stayed nice and quiet (Thanks to you guys). The culmination of the ride happened when it was over, that is to say, the fight. And oh what a glorious fight it was among the night sky, with street lights illuminating anger and fear on our faces, watchers from above heckling for silence in the later hour. After the yelling and punching and destruction of jewelery, they separated and left me with the question, Why? Why did i come out there for them, and then they charge me with the rescue blues? (Ryan Adams) Yes I was Roy Johnson that night but my crew didn't have the intergrity of Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise. So I went home, ate some ice cream and finished watching Cool Hand Luke, an hour and a half later.

The Fair

This Thursday I made the journey as thousands of others did to the great minnesota get together, aka The State Fair. I went there with Jen and we spent most of the time wandering around, eating the occational snack and basically enjoying the weather.
A few things stood out on this trip, things I probably never noticed of realized in any other time at the fair. The first thing I noticed is that they scan ID's for beer sales. I think this is great, and a great way of making underage drinking a team sport again. The game is that people of age buy for people underage at a slight markup. A drink handoff is easier here than at a wedding reception (which is really easy). I also noticed how really sad the life of a carny must be. They sit in the midway and sell the idea of winning a stupid prize while knowing all the while that they are thieves and poorly dressed thieves at that. I don't feel bad for them as much as I do the ride operators. They have to spend hours listening to the same sounds, either a song on 1000 repeat or noises and beep and buzzers. All the while doing it without a smile. IT'S THE FIRST DAY!! You'll be doing this for another week and a half! The greatest part of the fair was when we stumbled into the "Coloseum" which was just underway to start an equestrian show, my first. I didn't realize how many times the horses get scared to jump the hurdles, who would have thought? The other thing that was amazing is that I didn't see anyone I knew, not one person in this mess of human beings did i know! Kind of amazing since i seem to run into at least two or three everywhere else I go.
Overall the fair still is the same, nothing changes. Fish still swim in that cool circle pond, endless cover bands play familiar Eagles songs, men with overalls and odd haircuts, smells of sweets and salty deep-fried delights flow into every nasal pore, girls that are too young for me now seem to get better and better looking, and after a lot of walking and eating, I'm always glad to home after it's over.

The one I left off

I can't believe I forgot the Kings of Leon concert on my list!! Well slide that inbetween four and five at 4.5. How did tony fall asleep during that standing up!?!

Summer Close

It's august 22 and the realization that summer is almost over is starting to sink in. Where has it gone I wonder and why am I not doing more to retain what is left of it? All the people I've met this summer and all the things of done it's time to do a top ten summer events.

10. Working on the Garage
Not only did I get pretty good at hammering nails, I got a wicked awesome tan, and some good bonding with the family.
9. AJ's Cabin, June 26th
The greatest 100+ picture hour of my life. From Coltrane to gun poses, it was the best time three best friends could have had.
8. 500 miles in a Wrangler
A trip with the Mill that has more stories than I can recount or rewrite in paraphrasing.
7. Becoming a Sally's regular
This summer more than any other I solidified myself as a Sally's Saloon slut. I no longer had to show my ID and kissed a handful of girls along the way. I also perfected the art of picking up ladies with pinnapple conversation, polarbears, and new smoking addictions.
6. The Move
From the dark and dank cave known as my brothers basement I moved upstairs to a sun-filled, phone reception getting room. A room I'd be proud to show people.
5. Applebee's Adventures
Whether it was the "Carside To Go" girls or hitting up the CC club to do karyoke, nights at the B have always been suprisingly fun.
4. Summer of Girls
Coupled with my new confidence (Thanks to Sami), this summer has been different for a noticeably specific reason: Girls. Started with Renee, then Laura, then Jen, and a handful of other notables that seem to fill in between like Kristen, Brittany, Patty, and Johanna, this summer was F.U.N.
3. Waterskip
I don't know where this one ranks among the overall waterskips but they always crack the top three of any summer I've had. In particular, I met Laura, Jon made his first cabin experience, and Ben had his first handicapped moment. Not to mention AJ passing the ultimate sobriety test, this one had it all.
2. Finishing "On the Road"
This one could be number one overall because while reading this book I went through a mental change. One that has given me a new perspective in life and the reason this summer has gone the way it has. AJ and me acting like Sal and Remi in the city streets, meeting crazy cats and digging everything.
1. San Diego
Never has something in my life been so anticipated and lived up to the bill and then some. I dreamed of going to San Diego as a lost soul and coming back found. I wished for some sort of vision of enlightenment that would give me a new perspective on life. I found it staring into the ocean, closing my eyes in the sun and letting the breeze warm my face. The people I met all had been living how I dreamed and I felt bound to catch up to them. I feel like I brought my California experience back to Minnesota and used it as a spring board to my spectacular summer.

If I missed anything or anyone would like a particular event explained in detail, just ask.

ME

Extraordinary: For Good or Bad?

The word extraodinary has plagued me for years. How can one word be misused so often and fly under the radar for this long? If you're wondering what i'm talking about, think about the last time you've said the word, and in what context. As you are flipping through the rolodex of comments in your head i'll save you the trouble and give you a couple examples.
"Wow Bob, that's extraodinary!" as Bob shows you his complete collection of mint condition 1967 American League Coke Cap All Stars. Try this one, "Oh that Jessica Simpson has extraodinary breasts" as you unconsciously watch the entire video for the horrifyingly awful "Boots are made for walking" remake. Both sound like reasonable examples for using the word extraodinary.
Lets brake it down into what it is: A prefix of extra, meaning more than usual, and the root ordinary, meaning .. well ordinary or commonplace. More-Common-Than-Usual is not complimentary nor should it be used when describing Jessica Simpson's perfection up top. They are not run of the mill, they are fantastic, but i'm running on another topic. Extrodinary (yes without the A) is how you say it when you are trying to be shocked, but try saying it separate, Extra Ordinary. It has different meaning, and why? "Hey Bob, that complete set of 728 1990 Donruss Baseball Cards is totally Extra-Ordinary." I think everyone I know owns a full set of worthless cards that they still hang on to just in case Pat Combs, Junior Felix, or Todd Zeile pan out. I know I am. But I think I make my point that extraordinary has been used in the wrong context for way too long and I'm going to make it a point to fix it.

So it starts

well here i am, doing what you've all been doing for so long. I figure i should start this off with a short tale that may interest some or just myself. On wednesday the august 17, i spent the day with my "friend" (we'll get to that later) jen. We had been on a date or two before about a month ago but agreed that a relationship probably wasn't in the cards (cause i'm too immature) and that maybe we could just hang out sometime, with a fooling around implied. Sure enough that sometime was wednesday and we had lunch, went on a walk around the lake, watched tv in my room, got dinner, hit up the bar, and yada yada yada, she spent the night. Funny thing was that in the morning, we're laying bed and i hear the front door open and voices that are quite familiar starting to get closer and closer to my room. I tell jen that i think my parents are here for some odd reason and she hids under the covers as my dad opens the door carelessly to ask me how i'm doing. How I'm Doing!? I yelled at him to get out, I'm with someone! And then my mom from behind him says "I think he's with a girl, I see a purse." (luckily she didn't see the bra and panties and condom wrapper on the floor as well) Needless to say, jen was embarrassed a little but we got her out of there when they headed outside. All was well and so on a day when i expected some tomfoolery at best, I knock boots. Not bad

short summary
There seems to be some benefit, or to coin Simmons, T.U.P. in going to the bar with a girl you're not dating, flirting with other girls in attempt to franchise, and knowing you can still go home with the first girl.