The Drive to Stay Alive - Ep 12 - The World Series of Beer Pong... Wait

Beer pong was a pretty big part of my life but I've moved on. My priorities changed when my life changed and I know I made the right decision. But still it feels weird to be home during the first week of January and not out in Nevada for the World Series of Beer Pong. I've been to seven of them beginning in 2006 and ending in 2012. This one (Year VIII) was the 8th incarnation of this International Beer Pong Tournament with a Grand Prize of $50,000. While the money sounds nice there is no way in hell I'd even come close to winning that cash seeing as I haven't made the Day 3 Playoffs since Year II. When I first started this blog in 2005 it was pretty random with content before I decided to start focusing on certain subjects and beer pong was one of them because it was a big part of my life. Those were the glory years of the CHBPL (Cramer House Beer Pong League) where we would play official games once a week and shoot around on the others. All of my friends from the UWM Union were also in league so we hung out every day. This was also the era of June's Blanket and The Godsplash so I was living pretty high and mighty for a few years. And then something happened - I got old.

I graduated from college in 2006 and pretty much stopped playing beer pong outside of some random nights or BBFE. Since all of my friends are right around my age they all graduated too and the league disbanded. But even though we didn't play as much as we used to, we kept on going out to Las Vegas for this event. When the Last Cup movie (which was shot during Year II) came out I became a well known character in the beer pong community and I kept going out there because they treated me like a rockstar. I met a lot of great people out there and it became more about hanging out with friends than playing beer pong. Joey Kanz and Hummel joined me out there for several years but when I realized it was more about having fun than anything else. I was having such a good time blogging and tweeting about what I was doing and then I realized that I didn't need to spend $1,000 to do that. The World Series of Beer Pong is quite expensive and just wasn't worth it if I wasn't getting anything out of it. But still it was weird to not be out there and I took the time on my commute to address it. You can listen by clicking below.

Right click and Save As to download a copy of The Drive to Stay Alive - Ep 12 - The World Series of Beer Pong... Wait: http://pookonco.ipower.com/music/dtsa-ep12.mp3

All things have an expiration date and the beer pong part of my life probably sat on the shelf for a little bit too long. I should have retired years ago but kept on going out there for some odd reason. I guess I just wasn't ready to grow up and move on with my life. But one thing that I realized by not going to the WSoBP is that I wasn't missed. I didn't hear from any of my so called "friends" that they were upset that I wasn't there. That really validated my decision to do more important things with my life then to play beer pong in the dirtiest fucking city in the world. There's more to life than that shit and I'll damn sure keep on trying to figure out what that is. But I do know that life has nothing to do with beer pong. I'm sure about that one. But life still has a lot of mysteries to discover and until I figure them out I'm going to keep driving. And as long as I'm still driving I'm still living.

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com
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The Drive to Stay Alive - Ep 11 - Drunk Driving in Vice City

I usually record the Drive to Stay Alive on my way to work on a Monday morning. I was off of work from December 24 - January 2nd (with the exception of December 27th) because our office was shut down. We did have a skeleton crew (not a bunch of skeletons like the Pirates of the Caribbean in the moonlight but a small amount of people) working that week hence the working on December 27th work day. This all is one big intro to explain why I was able to record an episode on Monday December 31st while drunk driving, albeit in a video game. I woke up and didn't have shit to do so I stayed in my pajamas, poured myself a stiff drink and played some Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for old time's sake. I used to play a lot of video games but quit a couple of years ago to focus on writing and playing music. I know I made the right decision. But every now and then it's nice to waste an hour or two in some form of escape from real life. That's why I retreated to Vice City. In this fictional place you can do and get away with so many heinous crimes such as stealing cars, picking up, having sex with and then killing hookers, running over innocent pedestrians and killing cops and then evading the full out manhunt. There are people who do this in real life and it's sick. Those people should be locked up and left to rot. But you should be allowed to live out this fantasy in a make believe setting where no one gets hurt. This is why video games exist.

By taking control of a fictional character and making them do things that are immoral or impossible in the real world allows you to satisfy those urges. I can't speak for everybody but I've dreamed out firing guns and evading the police in a high speed chase. Or bursting into a bank with a ski mask demanding all of the money in the vault. Or having sex with a couple of streetwalkers (the women of the night) and beating them to a bloody pulp with a baseball bat and taking back your money because she refused to do that thing you whispered in her ear. Who hasn't had thoughts like that? But the difference between me and some asshole that is spending life behind bars is that there's something in my head that tells me not to do it in real life. Still both of us are sick bastards. To hear how far Mommy's little Angel has fallen listen below as I do a bit of drunk driving in Vice City.

Right click and Save As to download a copy of The Drive to Stay Alive - Ep 11 - Drunk Driving in Vice City so that you can listen to it whenever you feel like it: http://pookonco.ipower.com/music/dtsa-ep11.mp3

This was a departure from the norm in some sense and it was really difficult to record while driving drunk on the video game. I guess that's why I don't do that in real life. There's a lot of things that I did during this episode that I'm glad that I didn't do in real life.Things we probably should never mention again. Although I hate going to work 5 days a week at least it gives me a reason to leave the house and not sit around wasting my life being wasted. I still haven't found my drive to stay alive but today I took another big step - I realized what I don't want to do with my life. And that's to sit around and waste it away by being a detriment to myself and to society. As for my purpose? Well I suppose we'll continue that search next week.

 - pookon -

http://www.pookon.com/
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom

The Drive to Stay Alive - Ep 10 - Slow Down. Don't be an Idiot

Well I've got some good news for you and of course some bad news as well. Most people want to get the bad first to get the pain over with just like ripping off a band aid but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to give you the good news first. But it is some really really really good news. I figured out the secret to surviving in life - Don't be a Fucking Idiot. I also figured out how to enjoy life - Slow Down. I'll explain more in the Podcast you can hear by clicking below but before you do that let me bring you the bad news that unfortunately accompanies the good like a superhero's sidekick - I still haven't figured out my purpose in life and I also haven't figured out how to enjoy my life. My life has been a lot like this because I have lived enough to have gathered enough life experiences that lead to street smarts and having attended many levels of school culminating in a College Degree which provides me with book smarts. But the problem is that I still haven't figured out a way to apply it. Potential. Miles and miles of potential. That's how you would describe me. Once I am able to put it all together look out everyone. You'll meet an unstoppable force that is Scott A. Reck 2.0. Maybe you can help me out by listening to my ideas and give me some advice. I sure could use the help. So listen to this Episode below and leave a comment on this blog, on Facebook, Twitter or my cell. I can't do this alone so it would help to know that I've got some help along the way. I really do hope I find my reason to keep on living. But I will promise to keep trying until I do.

Right click and Save As to download a copy of The Drive to Stay Alive - Ep 10 - Slow Down. Don't be an Idiot so that you can listen to it whenever you feel like it: http://pookonco.ipower.com/music/dtsa-ep10.mp3

I really hope that people take a listen to this because I think we can all stand to learn a lesson here. This whole World is going to Hell and you don't want to be one of the many sucked down with it. If you just follow these two simple rules - Slow Down and Don't be a Fucking Idiot you just might set yourself apart from the crowd and emerge as an individual. Or you might hear what I have to say and think that I'm full of shit. But I do ask that you at least take the time to hear me out. We can't begin to have a serious and legitimate conversation if you don't know where I'm coming from. I'm willing to listen to you as well so make sure and let me know what you're thinking. Well, I've said all I have to for now. I do look forward to hearing what you have to say about it. Just remember to slow down. And above all - don't be a fucking idiot. I have a feeling that you won't.

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman
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Reck Family Christmas Letter 2012

Dear Family and Friends, 

The Reck “Kids” are leading the annual Christmas letter. Here’s their version of 2012: 

Not too much has changed for the South Carolina Recks this year. After major renovations on the inside of our house last year, we focused more time on the outside, clearing away 25 years of overgrowth. We are hoping for an early spring so we can begin to add flowers and shrubs. We have met many new people here and are grateful to have so many great friends in both of our hometowns. We have enjoyed the many visits from friends and family this year, and cherish the time we spent together. Come back soon! James is going on 12 years with Home Depot, and is still the Contractor Sales Manager at a store in Columbia. Melissa made a hard decision to leave School Resource, (teaching D.A.R.E to elementary kids), and became the first female officer ever on the Drug Suppression Team for the Columbia Police Department. She recently found out that she will be able to do both in 2013, becoming the first South Carolina officer to teach D.A.R.E. in a home school setting. 

After 3 years of marriage, we are finally going on a honeymoon! Our friends are getting married in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in late May, and we are very excited to have this opportunity. We received good news in June that Tucker was hearworm-free, and drastically more healthy than when we adopted him last November. Tucker and Baya (as we say, our children) immediately grew into an inseparable pair, and bring us much joy. They often come to dinner with us- in Columbia, any restaurant with a patio normally allows you to bring dogs. We miss all of you in Wisconsin (and other parts of the US) very much, and look forward to seeing you soon. If you ever find yourself in or near South Carolina, reach out to us- we'd love to see you! 

Scott enjoyed his time living with his roommates Kris and Gracie and loved the perks of living at home (free rent, free food and good company). But all good things must come to end and it was time for this 31-year old to start acting his age. In September, Scott moved into a 1-bedroom place on 85th and Capital so he is still in the neighborhood to help Mom out by mowing the lawn, setting up the Christmas decorations and shoveling the snow that will eventually come this Winter. Scott just had his 5-year anniversary at Mark Travel and completed his 11th season at Miller Park. He is thankful to have some stability in these uncertain economic times. Some sadness hit his life in August when his 8-year-old cat Coach Gordon Bombay died from unknown causes. But with every ending comes a new beginning and he adopted a new cat, 2-year-old Major Korben Dallas, who keeps his life interesting by messing around with everything and thundering around the apartment. In his free time Scott works on his multitude of websites including (but not limited to) Pookon.com, TimReck.com and BackAlleyBurners.blogspot.com while continuing to play guitar, sing and live all day, every day, Raging for Timmy. 

And speaking of Rage for Timmy we held a concert in August featuring music performed by his friends and family that included many of his former bandmates. It was a night of great times and great memories and all of the bands played songs that Timmy wrote or were from his favorite artists. We'd like to thank all of the bands that played and all of the people who attended for sharing in this celebration of his life. Thanks to your generosity we were able to donate over $700 to Why Hunger, a charity started by Harry Chapin, who was one of Timmy's biggest influences. We plan on making this an annual event so keep your calendars open for a Saturday in early August. When we finalize the date we will let you know as soon as possible. We hope you can join us for this important tribute to Timmy's life! For videos from the Rage for Timmy Concert in 2012 or the Tim Reck Memorial Concert in 2011, head on over to TimReck.com.

Jenny Reck here. What can I say about myself this year… Well, I’m just a million dollars short of being a millionaire. I’m still happily living on the East Side with my cat Higgins. It’s so nice being down here, within walking distance from the lakefront, and with plenty of activities going on to keep me entertained. Which is good, because I spent half the year being a Stay-at-home-Mom; well you know, minus the kids part. Thankfully, I was recently hired at a small firm, Gramann Reporting (a court reporting firm), as a ‘Productions Specialist’. I can honestly say that since graduating from UWM in May of 2008, this is the first job that I’ve actually enjoyed. So far, so good! Day after day I am still heartbroken and missing my best friend Timmy, but I’ve figured out that the best way to live my life to the fullest is to stay as positive as I can, to remember the good times, and celebrate his life each and every day, just as he would all want us to do. I couldn’t be where I am now without the love and support of my family and friends, which I am forever grateful for. Bring it on, 2013!!! 

Finally, it’s mom’s turn. I won’t sugarcoat my portion of the letter, as 2012 has been a difficult year for me. Trying to balance my job, school, and grief has been a challenge. I miss Tim so much, and the grief journey is hard. I do try to live life to the fullest (thanks, JennyReck), but the ultimate heartbreak is to lose a child. That being said, there were some highpoints to the year. Eddie and I visited James and Melissa last January, and also took a side trip to Savannah. It is a fascinating city, and so full of history. There are many beautifully designed parks and squares, and we put a lot of miles on our feet! Our 23rd annual trip to Afterglow Lake Resort with my brothers Rick and Greg, and their families, is always so much fun. Singing around the campfire, (not much guitar playing for me, as I broke a bone in my hand in early July), playing games, swimming and relaxing in a tranquil setting does a lot to ease one’s mind. The Rage for Timmy Concert was the brainchild of Scott and Jenny, and it was a fantastic event. So many wonderful people gave up their time and talent to honor my boy! 

We are missing one more person around our holiday table this year, as my wonderful mom went home to Jesus on November 9th. Her last three years were such a struggle, and we are happy that she is at peace. Dad showed us such love and commitment by being with her every single day. So, I close this letter by being thankful for the Trifecta in my life: Faith, Family and Friends. Thank you to every single one of you for the love and compassion that you have given to me and mine. May you and yours enjoy a blessed holiday season!

With Love from the Reck Family - 

Kris, James, Melissa, Scott, Jenny, Gracie, Baya, Tucker, Higgins and Major Korben Dalls

 - pookon - 

www.pookon.com

gmail: pookondotcom@gmail.com

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