Tales from the airplane

So I traveled home yesterday, and was lucky that I made it. The weather has been horrific, but I was one of few that had no delays or anything! Must have been my lucky day. Anyway, I was incredibly lucky to have been sitting next to the two people I did...check out what happened.

I am sitting on the window, not wanting to talk to anybody. Feeling rather antisocial, I put in my ipod earphones and zone out. The guy next to me sits down, says hey, and that's the only correspondence we have. A girl sits next to him, and immediately starts asking questions to this stranger next to her. He is military, late 20's, good looking. He seemed pretty lame - dorky, very focused on his fitness, and kind of dumb. She has about 15 tats and piercings and looks rough...but decent looking, also late 20's. She is into art (started knitting as soon as she sat down). This whole time I have not picked a song to listen to, so I am looking like I am listening to something but secretly listening to them. Anyway, here they go.

She asks, Where are you going? He says, Anchorage to visit my mom. She says, Wow, that's f***ing far away. Why are you here? (bluntly) He says, I'm in the military. She says, I used to date a military guy. Didn't work out. He says, Do you have something against the military? She says, No. I have something against him though. He says, You should look into joining (bold). She says, Hell no, I would never do that s***. I like art and don't like being told what to do. Anyway, they keep talking, going over the basics (Do you have a pet? He has a lizard, she has a dog). She's going to Idaho, he has lived all over the US, blah blah blah. I fall asleep, and wake up 20 minutes later to the follow scene:

Two bloody mary's in front of them, they are laughing and smiling. They seem pretty friendly now! This QUICKLY moves in to more talking (flirty style), sharing each other's ipods (you know when one person has 1 ear thing and the other has the other?) That moves in to more laughter, and now some serious cuddling. Must have found some romantic music. They share a head rest. They keep flirting. Then they both get up and head for the bathoom. Are you thinking what I was????

Tough luck. Two minutes later they came back. Cocktailed up, on the same page music wise, he now starts massaging her. Full on (almost groping). They both turn toward the isle, and he just goes to town. Lots of rubbing, massaging, and whipsering sweet nothings in to her ear and she nods yes in response. This whole time I am just enthralled as to what is happening between these two strangers!! You know, like looking around to see if other people are witnessing what I am seeing, that sort of thing.

Now we are about 15 minutes from landing and he starts being lame again, asking her stupid questions...they talk about their signs (he's a pisces, she's a libra), her desperate need for a cigarette (she tried to quit once for 7 months and had a mental breakdown), his getting her thoughts on what to add to his tatoo, etc. They finish by exchanging emails, and head off the plane. I follow. Lurk, really. They head straight to the bar for another drink and probably some.........

Well it was interesting, to say the least. Kept my attention almost the whole time. I read about 2 pages of my book (pretended to at least), listened to nothing, and was totally focused on the budding love (lust) happening beside me.

Have a Merry Christmas! Don't forget about the crazier story that happened 2008 years ago or so...pretty amazing.

End of an era

Today is Ashley's last day ever in college. Wow. That statement in itself is amazing. Last day in college. I remember thinking to myself when that was me, This is crazy. She's now making the same statement. What is more crazy is that I remember her FIRST day in college! Back at good 'ol Ole Miss (can you say that? good ol ole miss? Doesn't really work). Now she is graduating (Sunday) from The Mighty Appalachian State University. What a ride it has been! Am I talking about her, or us? You decide.

I was talking with Ashley and Christi last night and we decided that there is something infectious about Queen Street, their house. People always leave there thinking, I wish I came here more often, or I wish I could stay longer. It doesn't matter if it is the YL guys wishing they hung around more often at Queen St, or people who have moved out (and married) remembering the great days and nights there, or roommates moving out for good. There is something about that place that seems to bring people together and sort of solidify friendships. Catch phrase is a major component of this. As is watching The Biggest Loser, Jeopardy, and Jon and Kate + 8. I can honestly say that I will miss Queen Street. I will missed being locked out and climbing thru the window to get in. I will miss drinking wine and gossiping (terrible, I know). I will miss the girls that live there. And I'm sure Ashley will really miss it after having lived there for 2.5 years. But there is also something healthy and good about moving on and having such great memories of a certain time of life. I hope and pray that the Queen St girls will never forget those times!

In other news, I catch flack around here for never having devoted an entire blog to Ashley. I suppose that in lieu of her graduating, she deserves such an honor! Some highlights of our time in Boone (the first time we have ever lived in the same town):
- Shows/concerts. Tim Reynolds, Matt Wertz, Dave Barnes, Drew/Elle Holcomb, that one random jazz trio, PW, and BJ Novak.
- Trips. Asheville, Nashville, Winston Salem, Windy Gap, Alpharetta, wine tasting in Banner Elk, "The Wedding" (Durham/Raleigh), Montreat College.
- Dates. We never get to date. It is FUN!
- Birthdays. Never have we spent a birthday together. Let me say that again. After 4 years of dating, we have never spent our birthdays together!! We were 2 for 2 this year!
- Realizing that we are much better together than we are apart.
- Cooking. We both kind of suck, but had moments of brilliance! (Alex = quesadillas, Ashley = steak/potatoes
- Driving. Lots and lots of driving. And NEVER in the Jimmy.
- Her changing my hatred of Buffalo Wings into a love for Buffalo Wings!!

I could go on and on about the last 3 months...but it has been very good living in the same place. We figured out a lot of things about each other than really can't be figured over the phone and 3,000 miles. We have come a long way in the last 3 months...and over the last 4 years!

No more college Ash! This day was bound to get here eventually!!

One final note...adios to Kirbi...it has been fun!

One more final note...adios Queen Street. I will really miss you, and it has been really fun!

Signs (not that stupid game)

First of all, I don't like that game. If I have offended you, I'm sorry. Some of you may not have heard of "Signs". Don't investigate. It's not worth it!! Anyway, I digress.

Signs that I am getting old:
- One seemingly meaningless game of football renders me unable to move the following day.
- I like shows such as Jeopardy, The Biggest Loser, Primetime, the news, and Frasier.
- I think I like wine more than beer
- The first thing I do in the morning is get a glass of cranapple juice and read the news.
- My friends are getting married, and some are pregnant!
- Care about such things as taxes, mortgages, and the stock market
- Really like James Taylor
- Running hurts...but I do it anyway
- I enjoy reading every night before I go to sleep. Now THAT is old.

Signs that I am getting young(er):
- Still enjoy pranks
- I blog
- Still love mac n cheese
- Still really love Taco Bell (sorry Ashley...)
- Pick up basketball games are still a priority (when in Bend)
- Text more than I call (except for when I'm working)
- LOVE Catchphrase

Signs that Oregon will win the Holiday Bowl:
- 65-38 trashing of the Beavs...good momentum!
- Offensive coordinator has something to prove...head coach desinate and all...
- Lost to Oklahoma in 2005, need to beat their rival this year
- Make a statement that the Pac-10 is legit

Signs that Christmas is coming:
- Hallmark started Christmas themes before Halloween (hate that)
- Starting to get Christmas cards/letters/updates from families
- great movies on TV, great music on the radio

Signs that 2009 will be a great year:
- Change is in the air

- Maybe some people's resolutions will actually be kept!

- My brother may be living in Oregon at some point...date TBD
- A new president could be a great thing...also TBD...but I think we are all hoping that it will!
- There is going to be a movie based on my favorite book series...VINCE FLYNN
- Could 2009 be much worse than 2008 in terms of politics, economy, and industries??
- I like the number 9 much better than 8...except on the golf course.

Signs that Mustaches will again be cool:
- Brad Pitt had one this year
- George Clooney had one this year
- Matthew Casebeer currently has one
- Willie Dinsdale had one in Africa
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/fashion/articles/2007/11/15/mustaches_cool_by_a_whisker/
- I can't grow one

Signs that black will be the next brown:
- I have no idea, I just think brown will be cooler than black in 2009. That's my only sign.

Signs that this blog is over:
- You're bored
- I'm bored
- You discovered you have better things to do
- I discovered the exact same thing...

Until next time, Ryan Seacrest OUT

A birthday, a parade, and one a hell of a game of Catchphrase

Buckle up friends, this might be a long one. But hang in there...it will be worth it! And as Matt Wade says, the pictures at the end will be the icing on the cake!!

So since the last time we have talked, a lot has happened. Not really, but it was a fun weekend. Ashley and I kicked it off having some dinner at a nicer restaurant in downtown Boone. Food? Great. Wine? Great. Gay waiter? Interesting. Have you ever heard the old addage that if a waiter makes physical contact (in a good way, of course) with a customer their tip increases by like 5 %? Well this guy would have had about a 75 % increase in tip. He was all over me!! I lost count of his touching efforts after 8. Ashley just laughed at me. I felt invaded. Anyway, moving on. We spent the rest of the night at the Wine to Water wine tasting event....but really we spent it with PW Gopal and Doc's kid Beattie. Beattie is easily the cutest baby I've ever seen...and he was really fond of sucking on Ashley's chin (see picture below...hilarious!) Needless to say, whenever there is a baby involved it is an entertaining night!

Saturday morning welcomed us in with 20 degree weather and the infamous Boone Christmas Parade. Last year Baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary rode in on a donkey and the donkey pooped right in front of Ashley and Christi and Kirbi. This year Joseph was riding a GMC Truck (good man, supporting the economy) wearing a bathroom towel. No Mary to be found, no Jesus either. I bet he was pissed at the donky incident so he stayed away. Daniel Boone and his confederates made an appearance though, so that was good!! But some highlighted floats include: a shopping cart, a hippie truck, a random alligator popping out of a PT Cruiser, and of course Cloggers. What are those, you are asking right now? Well they are basically tap dancers with clogs on. Only in the South, I tell ya. They were good though!

After the parade was the App State playoff game where Ashley and I met the most disgusting human being alive. Actually, the 2 most disgusting human beings alive. They were the two girls behind us who were yelling obsenities the entire game...no cheering, or encouraging our team on, but screaming "F-ing your S up!", or nicer things like "S my D" to which I yelled back "YOU HAVE NO D YOU ARE A FEMALE". And then, "SHUT UP". That didn't sit well. They also yelled phrases to the other team like "Shove it up your A", which made me wonder...shove what up their A? They were playing football and their A's really have nothing to do with it...anyway, it was awful. Horrible. I hate them and hope that they can find happiness somewhere in their lives because clearly they are missing something.

Saturday night brought Ashley and I to celebrate her birthday at the Gamekeeper...the nicest place to eat in Boone, hands down. We have been there twice now, and want to go back immediately. She had mountain trout. I had Bison. We had champagne. It was amazing. What was more amazing was the events that followed...the surprise birthday party and the greatest game in the world.

"THE GRILL THE GRILL THE GRILL THE GRILL!!!!!" - Matt Campbell, shouting.
(less than one second later) "GEORGE FORMAN" - Blake Robbins, cool as the other side of the pillow.
pass to the girls
"This is a place where a ton of wine is made, and you go there, and you drink it and they make it...." (at this point Blake leans over to Erin and says, "Erin, I think you mean beer...its a brewery")
NEXT
Harry Marks says nothing. He just stands up really fast and starts moving his finger wildy in and out....to which someone yells, "TRIGGER FINGER!!!".
Pass to the girls and so on and so on.
You get the point. The game is Catchphrase, and it either solidifies friendships or ruins relationships. There is a huge amount of bromance and a scary amount of high pitched screaming. It is amazing. And about 10 of us played it for 2 hours on Saturday night. You don't need beers or TV or anything other than our little blue round friend that beeps and beeps and beeps faster and faster and fasterfaster and then BUZZZZZ. BOYS WIN!!!!!

A great weekend my friends. Wish you could have been here to enjoy it with us. Have a great Monday!

And I'm back

Sorry for the absence from the blog! I was on vacation.

Something in my shower smells horrendous, and it's not me. Lately when I get in my already funky shower there is this overpowering smell of................something. Like a rat crawled in the pipes, froze to death because I had the heat off for the past 10 days, then came back to life because I turned the heat back on, and then died again. And it is only occuring in the shower! It's not because it isn't clean - I have Cometed that thing to death. But it sucks and it causes me to take extraordinarily short showers, which I hate. I love showering. Now I hate showering. Because of the rat.

Anyway, I was going to get all reflecty on you about my trip back to Oregon, but then I realized no one cares. I will go bullet-point style on the major events and thoughts from the trip.

- Blazer games are fun, but are way more fun from the 1st row! Thanks to Kevin for those seats...
- Duck games are fun, but are way more fun when you anihilate the Oregon State Beavers!! 65-38 is all that needs to be said.
- I have amazing friends in Bend. And I love my house there!
- Charades is brutal with my step-family. Fun, but brutal. They are way smarter than me (or anyone, for that matter). You have to describe people, places, or things such as : Igor Stravinsky, Botswana, "Steel Magnolias", Absolom, Absolom, "The Marriage of Fiagro", Wolfgang Amadeaus Mozart. You get the picture. It's impossible. My mom dominated, however.
- Scott Casebeer and Alex Casebeer are collectively Clark Griswold when putting up Christmas lights. Ladders falling, stapling things you shouldn't, etc. It is a sight to behold. But the finished product is nothing short of a miraculous sight!
- I asked my dad if he has read my blog. He said, "I deleted you". I said, WTF. He said, "You didn't mention me in your Top 5 Favorite Lists bloggy and it hurt my feelings. I deleted you". Point taken.

Top 5 Memories with Dad
- Pebble Beach golf in a hurricane after having 70 degrees and sunny at Spanish Bay the day before
- Ski trips to Sun Valley, Aspen, Deer Valley...it's a tie
- Christmas light extravaganzas
- Playing in the Father Son golf tourny at Waverly CC, and at the Member Guest at Bend G&CC
- Having him caddy for me in the Oregon Amateur. It was awesome, hard to explain, but a connection was forged there.

- Back to the list
- Missing Ashley sucked. We are much better together. That is clearly evident after spending 10 days apart!
- Wine tasting is always fun, no matter who you are with or where you are at.
- I love Christmas movies (watched the following with Dad and Carrie: The Grinch, Die Hard, The Santa Clause, Elf, Die Hard 2, and Christmas Vacation). Late nights, needless to say.
- I was thinking to myself, Who says you have to have turkey on Thanksgiving Day? Why not pizza, or tuna or peanut butter and jelly? Then I realized that I love - maybe more than anything in the world - left over turkey sandwhiches. Oh man want one right now!! Dumb thought.

I think that is all for now friends. Thanks for checking back in. I will not delay 2 weeks next time! It's nice to be back in Boone.....

Happy Birthday Andy Howard!