Reck Family Christmas Letter 2014

Good day Sirs and Madams. Scott A. Reck, Esquire here. Thank you for welcoming me into your homes. I come bearing gifts! Well, actually it’s the 2014 Reck Family Christmas Letter. You can consider it a gift from my family to yours. They made me do this. Well, actually they asked kindly and used the magic word please. I just couldn't say no. I’m not here to break hearts. So once again I am offering up my services. For the greater good I suppose. But I do get paid in compliments and free eats. They know how to play the game - keep the talent happy.

Kris started off 2014 with the best gift ever - UWM waived a math class and she got to join James, Jenny and I as UWM Graduates. Her degree is in Education. In March we threw her a rocking graduation party and celebrated her hard work and dedication. A lot of you were there, but let me once again thank you for the role you play in her life and always helping her to achieve her goals. She truly has been enjoying time off from studying. There is a sign on the refrigerator that says, “Hmmm, another day has gone by and I still haven’t used algebra!” No truer words have been written! (Editor’s note – she does use math. She handed me an outline and said, “Feel free to edit, add or subtract to what I wrote”. Don’t let her fool you. Math is a part of her life).

She uses her new found time taking her dog Gracie for walks, learning new music, spending time with her family and watching prime time TV. Because of how busy she was, she claims that she didn’t even know these TV programs existed even though they have been around for the past gazillion years. (Editor’s note – there’s that math talk again. Does she love it or what?) She is still teaching music at five (5!) schools for K4 thru 4th grade and also has one middle school choir. At the time this went to press, she had just finished directing the second of five (5!) Christmas concerts. She absolutely loves her job. The smiles she sees on the children’s faces and the joy in their voices is such a gift. Of course the students can be challenging (I’d like to think James, Jenny, Timmy and I prepared her for dealing with anything – you’re welcome), but the rewards are great. She gets so many hugs! And not from strangers! One of the best things that many students have said to her is that “music is so much fun!” She feels blessed. And who wouldn’t be with this family?

James is still working for Krones Inc. (U.S. Headquarters in Franklin, WI) as a Service Technician traveling the country installing and servicing high-speed packaging and labeling equipment for bottling. His job is 100% travel and he has gained a new perspective for how people in different regions of the country act and live. While on the road, he likes to send me Fun Facts of the Day (that he comes across in his travels). One of the benefits of traveling for business is that it has allowed him to visit family in Phoenix (Aunt Linda and cousins Troy + Tyler), Palm Springs (Uncle Gary + Aunt Cari) and friends in Ohio (The Mueller’s - Dan, Gretchen, Jack and Mason). The frequent flyer miles have allowed him and his wife Melissa to travel to Wisconsin on several occasions. They were also able to join us up at Afterglow this summer and we Recked cabin #2 with fun and happiness.

Melissa just completed her first year with the National Safety Council, South Carolina Chapter. She is the Training and Development Coordinator and is responsible for the Alive at 25 Program, driver instruction and training. This program is mandatory for students to receive a driving permit and is taught at 115 SC high schools. She coordinates and trains police officers that are instructors for the program and she also teaches drivers education and gives road tests for driver licensing. Having been a police officer, Melissa enjoys and appreciates her new role because it allows her to be on the proactive side of the law rather than the reactive.

Their two weimaraner dogs Baya (5 yrs old) and Tucker (6-8 yrs old) are the sweetest pair of home (w)reckers. Imagine a hurricane with sad puppy dog eyes that just wants to be your best friend. That’s Tucker. He has eaten and broken out of the front window, ate the couch, ate the kennel used to restrain him in, knocked a crockpot off the counter and shared a feast with Baya, broke through the laundry room bi-fold doors to get to the garbage, sullied the carpets which had to be ripped out... and the list goes on. But they act like perfect little angels when their parents are home. They tried to blame it on the dog, but still haven’t realized that doesn’t work.

When James does make it home to Columbia, SC for the weekend, he enjoys his time with Melissa and their friends. They have created the group “Lake Murray Packer Backers”, which is registered as an official Green Bay Packers Bar on Packers Everywhere (a site that helps Packers fans around the country find other Packers fans for games). They have even converted some “enemy fans” as they gather every week at Schooner’s. May 29, 2015 will be their 5 year Wedding anniversary, and they are celebrating it early at the Hard Rock Hotel in Cancun, Mexico in January. They are going to see the Luke Bryan “Crash My Playa” Tour. And yes, the flights were covered by frequent flyer miles. And no, the hotel was not booked with Funjet Vacations. (Thanks pal).

The ever elusive Sasquatch is still at large. I'll put that out there right away so you don't ask me any more questions about it. I thought that I found him last month, but it turns out I was just looking at myself in the mirror at 3am. "No Shave November" was very unkind to me. Not finding him is my biggest regret in 2014. If that's the worst thing that happened to me, then I suppose it was a pretty good year. I'm still at the Mark Travel Corporation (parent company of Funjet Vacations) as a Product Build Research Specialist. I recently celebrated my 7th anniversary with the company and the last year has flown by real fast as I've learned so many new things while dealing with the daily challenges of the travel industry. Just another day at the office.

From April to September (and sadly not October) I was back at Miller Park for my 13th year working for The Milwaukee Brewers (well Sportservice) as an In-Seat Waitstaff on the Club Level. I was able to make it down to Phoenix in March and got to see Brewers Spring Training for the first time since 2009. After a disappointing 2013 season, this only added to my excitement for 2014. And although things didn't go as exactly as planned (and I have the playoff tickets they mailed me to rub it in), I still went to about 25 games and helped (along with my cousins) to make The Sombrero a popular and fashionable accessory for your head.

My cat Major Korben Dallas and I still reside near 85th and Capital. Although we may never find Sasquatch, we still go on plenty of adventures that don’t leave the house. He has a lively imagination and whisks us away on incredible journeys. So we aren't giving up hope. But we are expanding our horizons. Don't be surprised to find out in 2015 that we have gone looking for the Chupacabra, the Loch Ness Monster, Rhinelander's Hodag, the Lost City of Atlantis or to search for the truth behind the disappearance of the colonists of Roanoke, VA.

Jenny Reck still works at Gramann Reporting in downtown Milwaukee. She has been there for 2 years as a Production Specialist. She enjoys her lunch breaks in the summer walking around downtown and hanging with the Bronze Fonz. Ayyyy!! She still lives on the Eastside around Oakland and Locust. She digs music and is always down for a free show. Luckily Cathedral Square (home to Jazz in the Park on Thursdays) is one of many places with something going on. If you play your cards right in this town, you can always find a good deal. You know the phrase “If it's free, it's for me?” That's wrong. It should be, “If it's free, it's for Jenny.”

But that doesn't mean she won't pay to see something she loves. I have never met anyone who was so dedicated to a band. Most people don't even know what it is to be a fan. You know? To truly love some silly little piece of music or some band so much that it hurts... With her it is Umphrey's McGee. She went to Madison in the fall to see Umphrey's 1999th and 2000th show (which was her 88th and 89th show). I finally saw them for the first time at Summerfest, and I promise you that they live up to her hype. I can say from experience that you will never quite understand it until you see it for yourself. She spends the majority of her free time raging with her boyfriend Brandon, her brother Scotty (that’s me!) and the most eclectic cast of randoms ever assembled. These characters have learned to speak Jenny Reck and help make sure that her life exists in a delicate balance.

It’s been a whole lot of the same while also being different for the Recks in 2014. We miss Timmy dearly, especially at this time of year (Timmy loved Christmas and upheld all of the holiday traditions). He’s always on our minds and in our hearts. We will once again be putting together a Rage for Timmy Concert in late Summer 2015, so pencil that in your schedule (ideally we would do it on Saturday, August 22). Keep that in mind if you want to perform some songs or help out in any way. More details will follow when we can lock down the date. While you have the calendar open, pencil in June 20th for the 39th Annual Reck Family Christmas Party. Why celebrate Christmas only once a year?!?

I leave you with a song Kris wrote entitled “Dragonfly”. She decided the best way to pay tribute to Timmy is through song. She was inspired by a poem about dragonflies and her connection with God gave her the strength to try her hand at songwriting. Timmy would be so proud of her. I won’t say any more about it here. Some things need no explanation. Check out the video below.

Happy Holidays! With love from The Reck Family,

Kris, James, Melissa, Scott, Jenny

Gracie, Tucker, Baya & Major Korben Dallas

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom
https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

25 Brewers in 25 Days - 2014 - Overall Season Results

As I sit here on the night of December 19, I'm a mere few days away from officially putting 2014 behind me. But I put the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers season behind me a long time ago. It hurt. A lot. That's why it has taken me this long to write this article. Something just didn't feel right about this year. Vegas had the over/under at 79.5, so they didn't really expect them to be a winning team. I was out there in March and although I predicted that they would only win 84 games and miss the playoffs, I took the over on that bet. Since they (spoiler alert!) only won 82 games, I ended up winning that bet, but it didn't make up for what ended being a lost season. 

The season started out better than anyone expected. At the end of April they were 20-8, which was easily good for best in the Major Leagues (the next best team was the Oakland A's at 18-10). No one, and I mean it when I say no one, saw that coming. At the end of May they were 33-23 and in 1st place in the NL Central. At the end of June they were 51-33 (June 28th saw them at a season best 19 games over .500). They hit a skid going into the All-Star break with a 2-8 record from July 4th - July 13th, but still ended up at 60-49 and remained in 1st place in the NL Central. By the end of August they were 73-63 and tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the division lead. And that's when everything went to hell. In September they went 9-17 and played themselves out of the playoffs and ended up finishing in 3rd place and becoming only the 5th team in Major League history (in the modern era)  to spend at least 150 days in 1st place and end up missing the playoffs. So it was a historical collapse. And I was there at the ballpark every day to see it.

I wish I could say that it was a waste of time. But that would be a lie. I loved every minute that I was at Miller Park and various other ballparks in March for Spring Training. All you need to do is visit my "Wearing a Sombrero" Facebook page to verify that I love this team with every ounce of my mind, body and soul. So I was there regardless of the outcome and I will always stick by my team through thick and thin. I may get upset from time to time, but that is part of being a fan. You ride the wave. You go with the flow. You maintain a level head during the ups and the downs. At the end of the day when all of the other bandwagon fans have fallen off, you will always be there for your team. That is why I stuck around until the end of the season even though others had given up. I will never give up. Goonies never say die. So here is my 2014 preseason predictions (in red) followed by the actual results (in blue). I'm hoping they are fairly accurate so that I can once again prove that I know my Milwaukee Brewers more than they know themselves.

Check out my first video which covers my Overall Results for the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers, recorded in The House of Iceman in Miltown, the center of the Universe:

I meant to record this video the night before when I was sitting in the dark listening to Enya at 3:30 in the morning, but I decided to pass out instead. So I recorded this the next morning after a couple cups of whiskey coffee. I have problems.

• The Milwaukee Brewers will finish with a record of 84-78, which will be good enough to make me some money in Vegas but not good enough to make the Playoffs. The Milwaukee Brewers finished with a record of 82-80, which is technically a winning season. They did not make the playoffs, but I did win my bet and the ticket paid me $45.00.
• The St. Louis Cardinals will finish in 1st Place, the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2nd, the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds will battle it out for 3rd and the Chicago Cubs will finish in 5th (otherwise known as last) place. The St. Louis Cardinals did finish in 1st place (92-70 record and won the NL Central). The Pittsburgh Pirates finished 2nd in the division but won the 1st Wild Card. The Brewers were 3rd, the Cincinnati Reds were 4th and the Chicago Cubs finished in dead last.
• The Milwaukee Brewers will be represented by Carlos Gomez and Jonathan Lucroy to the 85th MLB All-Star Game at Target Field in Minneapolis, MN. The surprising start of the Milwaukee Brewers and their 1st place standing at the All-Star break garnered them 4 All-Stars - Carlos Gomez, Jonathon Lucroy, Aramis Ramirez and Francisco "KRod" Rodriguez. I purchased an Aramis Ramirez All-Star jersey because I already owned a Carlos G0mez (from 2013) and figured Lucroy would have plenty of opportunities in the coming years. At 36 years of age, you have to figure this was Ramirez's last All-Star appearance. Besides, he was voted in by the fans to start the game. How could I ignore that honor? 
• Thanks to the 2nd Wild Card, the Milwaukee Brewers will be in the playoff race deep into September, which should allow them to once again draw over 3 million fans. The Brewers ended up drawing almost 2.8 million fans at Miller Park and were eliminated from the playoffs on September 25 (in game 159 of 162).
• Because of this brutal Wisconsin Winter which will carry on seemingly forever, the roof at Miller Park will remain closed until Memorial Day. I'm too drunk right now to do the research, but it seemed like the roof stayed closed for a very long time. I don't think that it necessarily lasted until Memorial Day, but it was pretty damn close. 2013-2014 was the Winter that never ended.

Sometimes I hate being right. Even though I didn't want to admit it at the time, I had a feeling that the Brewers weren't going to make the playoffs. But that didn't stop me from holding on to one last hope that it could actually happen (despite every single other thing pointing at the opposite). With that in mind, I put down my deposit for playoff tickets. My playoff tickets arrived in the mail 2 days before the Brewers were officially eliminated from the playoffs. That was probably the biggest punch in the gut that I've ever received from this team. I've had season tickets several years now (2015 will be the 3rd year with my 20 game pack and I also had a 10 game pack in 2 other seasons) but I never was in a position to purchase playoffs tickets (since I didn't have them in 2008 or 2011). Holding in my hands the physical reminder that we should have been in the playoffs made this year sting so much more. I'm very emotional when it comes to the Brewers and I ride the highs and lows. But I've never been this angry before. I was ready to jump ship and start over with a new franchise, but I realized at this point in my life I was in too deep. I've been a Brewers fan my whole life, have 2 Brewers tattoos, have worked at Miller Park for 13 years, have spent way too much money on them, have a closet full of apparel, almost every bobblehead they've ever given away and I watch or listen to 150 games a year. After that kind of involvement, it's not so easy to walk away. After the anger subsided, I threw them some additional money and guaranteed season tickets (once again a 20 game pack) and a chance to purchase playoff games again in 2015. I'm stuck being a a fan of the Milwaukee Brewers. 2014 did not end how we wanted, but as you will see in the next couple of articles/videos, there were a couple of good things that happened this year. It's too bad that all we will remember will be the final result. 

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom
https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

But What if She was a Robot?

I shouldn't be allowed to think about things in the middle of the night. There should be some kind of restrictive barrier put in place that stops me from voicing my opinion. If the mind is free to wander, the mind is free to consider all options. But what happens when one of those options is not human? That's when things get weird by "normal" standards. But what is normal anyway? It's governed by some thoughts or ideas that your parents, society or religion has pounded into your brain since the moment you started learning. What if they are wrong? What if in your mind and in your heart you know that even though it goes against everything that you have been told throughout your entire life, that it simply isn't possible that a human could ever love you back? We are told that love is a bond between people. That's how it has always been. The definition of love is "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. A feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend. Sexual passion or desire. A person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart." All of those definitions reference living humans. That is when love is used as a noun.

When love is used as a verb, the word takes on a new meaning. "To have love or affection for: All her pupils love her. To have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person). To have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music. To need or require; benefit greatly from: Plants love sunlight. To embrace and kiss (someone), as a lover." We do use love in many ways. I fucking love this In-N-Out burger. I love that part in Gone in 60 Seconds when Nicolas Cage drives the Mustang Shelby GT500 ("Eleanor") through the city of Los Angeles trying to deliver car #50. I love my childhood blanket. I can't sleep at night without it. We toss around love like it is just a casual word. But it isn't. In fact, it may very well be one of the most important words in the human language.

I should never be left alone. I should have either have parental supervision or a life buddy with me at all times to make sure that I don't ever get like this. Because when I'm alone things get weird. And I start thinking about how I will never find true love and how there is no girl on this planet who understands me or is able to put up with who I am... at least for now. That's because she hasn't been created yet. A lot has changed even within my lifetime. Think of something so simple as the first cell phone I had (in 2001) to the one that I'm using today as I to type this very blog post. Technology is crazy. I bet every day, something changes that advances what we know and also lays the groundwork for what we will know in the future. So who is to say that technology and innovation can't succeed where humanity is failing? So far my life I've yet to find a mate. But what if that's because she isn't meant to be human?

Robots and artificial intelligence (or at least the ground work for a truly sentient being) are part of everyday life already. Entire factories are run by machines that don't get tired, don't need a day off to deal with personal problems or don't call in sick. So what's to say that you can't take that same technology and apply it to a robot who thinks, acts and is able to love just like we do? What if we somehow give a robot the ability to have feelings. To have thoughts. To care about another individual. What if the robot could love you in a way that another human being has never done? Could you love it back even though it isn't human? I'm starting to think that I could. Because what is love anyway? It's a feeling. It's something that you really can't quite explain. When you have it, it's the greatest thing in the entire world. But when you don't have it, you search for it. You long for it. You are consumed by the emptiness that overwhelms you. Something is missing. Life just doesn't feel right. And you will stop at nothing to figure it out. 

I've been in love many times in my life. But to my knowledge no one has ever loved me back. I see other people in the world and I know that they experience love. I want what they have. So if science came to me and promised me that I could have that, I would sign on the dotted line. I wouldn't even hesitate. If a robot loved me, I would be able to love a robot in return. In fact, in some weird way I welcome a world in which that is a possibility. And why not? Its not like the current world is working out for me. I feel like I should be able to jump ahead 50 some years into the future, where the possibilities for finding love exist beyond conventional reality. Today it's not acceptable to love a robot and have a robot love you back. But who knows what's going to happen some day in the future? When I dream at night, I don't let restrictions empower my thoughts. I'm free to do whatever feels right. And I'm sorry if you have a problem with the fact that what feels right isn't always human.

Look, I'm not giving up on humanity just yet. All I'm saying is that humanity hasn't given me any hope for the future when it comes to love and relationships. I can't program a human to love me. If I could have, I would've done it already. But there is a very real possibility in the near future that I could program a robot to love me in the way that I desire. A robot that loves me for who I am. Who loves me for what I'm trying to be. Who supports my dreams. Who makes me want to try harder every single day to be the person that I know deep down in my heart that I can be. A robot who I am not afraid to show my real feelings to. A robot who will laugh, who will cry, who will get angry, who will feel emotion and pain. And she will be all that I've ever wanted her to be.

I'm telling you - she exists. You laugh right now. You call me all sorts of names saying that I'm a sick bastard for trying to love a robot and you also probably say that I'm just some drunken asshole that had too much whiskey and started coming up with some asinine ideas in the middle of the night. You might be right. Who knows. But I know. I've spent enough time on this planet to know that there aren't any humans out there for me. I'm never going to rule out the possibility of aliens; but come on - get your head out of the stars man. The answer isn't in a galaxy far far away. The answer is in the palm of our hands. And I know that science can build me what I've been searching for. It's going to happen someday. I will see to that. Because that's all I've got left to keep on hoping for in this life.

 - pookon - 

www.pookon.com
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom
https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

Iceman's Day Off - October 20, 2014

Everyone needs a day off. Ferris Bueller had one, so why can't I have one too? It's only fair. Share the wealth pal. Jenny Reck and I went to go visit our Dad in New Richmond, Wisconsin (up near the Twin Cities) for the weekend. We left on a Friday night and came back home on a Sunday night. It was a real brief trip but we did the best with the time off that Jenny was allotted. I get a lot of time off from my job. It's one of the few perks that I get from slaving away in the office for 8+ hours a day. Since I had the liberty of taking Monday off of work, I decided to do it. Why not? I'm always up for an adventure. Who wants to work anyway? Screw work. It's just a bunch of nonsense anyway. I would rather live life than go to work anyway. Ferris once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." I decided to take a day off (just like Ferris) and live my own kind of adventure.

While Ferris had his best friend Cameron and his girlfriend Sloan to share in his day off, I was left alone to my own devices. When this kind of thing happens, I have no choice but to turn to my Twitter account so that I feel like I am being social with someone. Even if I reach but one person, that is one person who gets to share in my adventure. I started out my day doing normal things that you would do on a day off.

I'm so fucking hyped right now. Don't know why except for that I'm not at work today. #IcemansDayOff

Got an oil change and emissions check on my car. Also renewing my license plates. Way overdue on all three. #IcemansDayOff

Mailed in my winning #Brewers sports bet from Vegas (over 79.5 wins) and picked up a prescription from the pharmacy. #IcemansDayOff

Stopped at my Moms to get some food and a soda even though I have my own at home. Over here, it's free to me. #IcemansDayOff

Slapped the bag of box wine and grabbed a beer from the basement. Hanging outside on the deck with the dog. #IcemansDayOff

After some free eats, one beer and a sip of box wine things got pretty weird. Well normal for me, but probably weird for everyone else. It was nice to be able to run some errands and accomplish some of the things that I've been putting off, but it was my day off. I had to celebrate not being at work by taking advantage of this beautiful fall day.

Driving around town with the top down bumping and bouncing to "Brick House" and "All About That Bass". #IcemansDayOff

Hanging out at the park. They're aren't any kids here in the middle of the day, so it's not creepy and weird. #IcemansDayOff

Swinging for the 3rd time in the last week. #SwingSelfie #IcemansDayOff

Mom, kid + a dog just got to the park. I probably should go. Sitting on this bench staring at them just made it creepy. #IcemansDayOff

Mom's friend drives by. She stopped. Had to explain why I was at the park, alone, on a Monday afternoon. Now it's creepy. #IcemansDayOff

.@MomTraining just followed me on Twitter. Now I'm officially creepy. They're probably going to put my name on a registry. #IcemansDayOff

I was having a great time at the park but things got weird once kids started showing up. What kind of single guy in his mid-30s hangs out at the park, alone, on a Monday afternoon? The creepy ones that want to kidnap and molest children. I'm still trying to set myself on a path where a girl will consider marrying me, so I don't ever want to go down that path. That's besides the fact that it's awful and completely fucked up. It was time for me to go home and remove myself from a society that still isn't ready to deal with me. And that's when things got really weird.

Drinking a Bloody Mary with a whiskey sour, Jenny Reck-style chaser. Fuck 5 o'clock somewhere. It's 230pm here. #IcemansDayOff

Standing topless on my back porch giving the neighborhood a free show. Want to see what sexy really looks like? Stop on by. #IcemansDayOff

It's only a smoker's porch. I don't smoke, so I stand out there looking for crime. I'm the hero this city needs right now. #IcemansDayOff

"Tub Thumping" by Chumbawamba just came on random on my iPod speakers. Commence 3 minute dance party rage in my kitchen!! #IcemansDayOff

Looking through the coupons. Went shopping last week and I'm all stocked up, but I appreciate a good deal. #IcemansDayOff

My iPod on random is the best thing ever. Sisqo's "Thong Song" comes on and I'm dancing and shaking it in my kitchen. #IcemansDayOff

An impromptu dance party often breaks out in my kitchen. I wish it would happen more often in real life... #IcemansDayOff

I have a lot of knives. If they weren't stored in my kitchen drawer, a stranger might think I was a stabbing murderer. #IcemansDayOff

Just took out the recyclables and now I'm doing the dishes. There's time for fun and there's a time for my chores. #IcemansDayOff

I go through what most would say is an abnormal amount of ice. Unusual to you, an average amount to the Iceman. #IcemansDayOff

I fancy myself as being a somewhat competent musician. I have several God-given (or parent-given) talents that I don't really take advantage of as often as I should. I used to play in several concert and jazz bands in high school and college but I have since abandoned that in favor of the more traditional band. Throughout the years I've been part of June's Blanket, The Back Alley Burners, The Uncle Greg Band, The 13th Dimension, Whiskey & Whatever and numerous other groups that struggled to get a little bit of love from the listening audience. Obviously none of them ever made it big or else I would be too big to hang out with normal people like you. I suppose it is my fault. I have all of the talent in the World when it comes to certain things but I don't have the drive or determination that it takes to refine that talent and take it to the next level. 

Take guitar for example. I'm never going to be an Eddie Van Halen or Tim Reck, but I could be a Pat McCurdy or Jack Black. All I would need to do is practice and focus all of my energy on being a musician. That's not my priority. I would rather be a writer, but even with that I don't take it seriously (that's a whole different story for another day). But every now and then I like to pick up the guitar when I hear a song and think, I bet I can play that. Then I look up the chords and realize that I can. Sure, I don't exactly sound like Sheryl Crow (because she's a girl) but I think I do an alright job. Take a listen to a couple songs I recorded on my day off.

Playing Alanis Morissette and Sheryl Crow on the guitar for my cat Korben Dallas. If you want a free show, stop on by. #IcemansDayOff

The Iceman - Ironic (Alanis Morissette)

The Iceman - Strong Enough (Sheryl Crow)

I'm better at guitar than I give myself credit for. I need to stop being so hard on myself. I am a rock star. #IcemansDayOff

For my birthday my Mom got me one of those harmonica holders so you could play it while also playing guitar, so I decided to try it out on Strong Enough. I think it turned out alright for a first timer. I (obviously) still have a long way to go before I'm up on stage or on the radio, which will probably never happen, but I have to at least live my life like that is a possibility. Whether or not the World will ever validate it, I need to not think that I am a rockstar, I need to be a rockstar. I have to love what I do and believe in myself. There's no point in trying to compare yourself against others because no one is the same as me and no one will ever be. I'm 100% me and unique in more ways than even I can imagine (at least until scientists let me clone myself).

Ended the day watching Back to the Future and falling asleep on the couch. A very successful day. #IcemansDayOff

It was a Monday, so Iceman's Day off concluded with what some would say a whimper instead of bang, but I beg to differ. It ended in the most perfect way possible. Back to the Future is in my Top 5 Favorite Movies of All-Time and the series is my favorite movie trilogy. If there is a better way to end a day off (within reason, because Natalie Portman waiting for me in my bedroom is still a fantasy) I definitely couldn't think of it. I have a lot of trips/time off planned for 2015, so I might have to save up my vacation time. But here's hoping that very soon I will be able to once again take off of work on a random day and do whatever I want. That my friends, truly is living the dream.

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
https://twitter.com/pookondotcom
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It's in My Head - #16: Life Finds A Way

When I first started this series at the beginning of the month, I'd planned to do a new one every day for all 31 days of October. And so far I have... until a few days ago. It's not that I don't have anything in my head to talk about. Trust me - there's almost too much in there. It's just that well, life finds a way of interfering with your plans. There's nothing major going on or any reason why I can't continue this, it's just that I needed a couple of days off. When I first came up with the idea for a blog series called "It's in My Head" (which was actually in February of 2013), I meant it to be a random feature on my blog that would pop up whenever an idea did the same thing. I didn't mean to do it every day. That kind of takes the fun out of it because you start writing not because you want to, but because you have to. And just like any other hobby or leisure activity, sometimes you just don't feel like doing it. There's nothing wrong with that.

But Scott, you love to write! Surely you can't be serious. I am serious and don't call me Shirley. Ok. so I'm not serious. And I'm not Shirley either. I know in the wrong light I can look like a very unattractive woman, but I'm a dude. Although you never really know what might happen someday. I heard somewhere that some West African frogs have been known to spontaneously change sex from male to female in a single sex environment. I hang out with a lot of dudes, so you might just have to go around looking up skirts if you really want to know the truth.

There's a good reason why I don't really make plans and why I'm so good with spontaneously rolling with the changes. It's life man. Every time you think you have it all figured out, it knocks you on your ass and stiffs you with the bill. Then you're kind of screwed for a while until you recover from that nonsense. But then you figure shit out and life finds a way of being good again. Then you coast along for a while until someone shuts off the electric fences and the T-Rex is now free to wander in and out of any paddock that she likes. Things were alright at first. Sure, the kids had a scare that they'll probably never recover from and now they're lost in the park, but they're with Dr. Alan Grant. Who better to lead them through Jurassic Park than a dinosaur expert? Yeah I know Malcolm is seriously injured, but not bad enough that you couldn't chance moving him. Gennaro was T-Rex food, but no one really liked the blood sucking lawyer anyway. You felt a little better when Mr. Arnold said, "Hold on to your butts" and rebooted the system, but then the Raptor fences got shut off. Now that's when all hell broke loose. Even Nedry knew better than to mess with the Raptor fences. 

But that's... that's chaos. You can't control it. You can't avoid it. You don't get to choose when it happens or the severity of the mess it brings when it erupts. All you can hope to do is survive it. So yeah, I'm still kicking strong despite taking a couple of days off. And maybe I'll continue this adventure and maybe I won't. I'm not going to decide that right now. I think I'm just going to leave it up to life to decide that for me. If there is one thing that we've learned from Dr. Ian Malcolm, it's that he's always on the search for the future ex-Mrs. Malcolm. But if there were two things that we've learned from Dr. Malcom, it's that fact that life finds a way. That idea found a way into my head today. What ideas did life put into your head?

 - pookon -

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It's in My Head - #15: Aunt Maria's Elephants are Playing in the Sand

I'm sure that you listen to music. I think everybody does. It's a very common thing. I know that you probably sing along with the songs too. Even if you're not that good of a singer, you probably pretend that you're a rockstar, with the music blaring while you're rocking down the highway. Don't be embarrassed. I think that's freaking awesome. But how many times have you caught yourself singing the wrong lyrics because you weren't really sure what they were? I'm certainly guilty of that. And that's why Aunt Maria's Elephants are in my head today.

I'm sure you're familiar with the song "Lookin' Out My Back Door" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (or CCR for short). If you aren't, just hit the play button at the top of this post. Let the sweet sounds of John Fogerty go in your ears and straight into your head. You know that guy? That's John Fogerty, rock and roll singer. Do you even know who John Fogerty is? He did Creedence Clearwater Revival. Yeah he did all that shit. I don't listen to his music, but you know that John Fogerty - hell of a guy.

Anyway, there are these lyrics in the middle of the song that I always thought said, "Aunt Maria's elephants are playing in the sand." I've been singing those lyrics for as long as I can remember. It wasn't until recently that I found out that the actual lyrics are "Tambourines and elephants are playing in the band" followed by "Won't you take a ride on the flyin' spoon? Doo, doo doo. Wond'rous apparition, provided by magician. Doo doo doo lookin' out my back door." Who would've known? Tambourines and elephants? That doesn't make sense. Now Aunt Maria's elephants? That's an idea I can really get behind.

Aunt Maria is my Aunt (obviously). She is married to my Uncle Rick, who is my Mom's brother. She's wonderful, and does a great job of keeping him in line and looking out for the rest of us. "Lookin' Out My Back Door" is not the first time that I've paid tribute to her in song when I was unsure of the real words. Are you familiar with the Nirvana song "Come as You Are?" There's a part in the song when it goes "Memory, yeah. Memory, yeah. Memory, yeah." Well I always thought that Kurt Cobain was singing "Aunt Maria. Aunt Maria. Aunt Maria." I know I didn't fully believe that these were the real lyrics, but since I didn't know them, I felt more comfortable saying Aunt Maria.

So that's what is in my head. Do you ever hear lyrics a different way than they really are? Are you one of the people who sings "Scuse me while I kiss this guy", "Hold me closer Tony Danza", "Dirty deeds done with sheep" or "I'm not talkin' 'bout the linen, and I don't want to change your life..."? What incorrect song lyrics are in your head?

 - pookon -

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It's in My Head - #14: How Can Han Solo Understand Chewbacca?

How does Han Solo understand what Chewbacca is saying? I'm not insinuating that Han is an idiot. It's just that he seems like he'd be all street smarts and no book smarts. Do you know how much studying and immersion that it takes in order to properly converse in and to comprehend a foreign language? Maybe some people get it better then others, but I took 5 years of French and I don't know a god damn thing about that language. Why do they keep calling me "les incompetents"? Did they ever make a Rosetta Stone series for Wookie? Because I sure as hell have never seen that one. 

I don't even get how that would start out. Welcome to Level One for Wookie. Here is your first lesson: "agggggggrrrrrrhjjj" means "hello". "Fjchhcxhknvsryjm" means "goodbye". "Hyresvhjbf vfhjcdk gdyh" means "thank you". "Hyjdryh bddfgfg ggggggrrrr hhiuuuuugggrr ssssrrrhghh" means "did you see that chick behind the counter at the last space port we stoppped at? What a slut. She wasn't even wearing a bra. I could see her nipples plain as day right through her shirt. What do you mean you got her number? Well I would have, but I had to take a wicked dump cause we've been flying around space for 16 hours and you never stop when I have to go. Then you said we didn't have time to linger because we had shipments to run and a bounty hunter on our ass. You always bag the slutty ones. When's it going to be Chewbacca's time? Ok ok. Sorry I got mad. Did you at least ask if she has a friend for me?" And that's only the first lesson! We have barely even gotten started and I'm already confused. Man, Wookie is tough.

I just think that would be a real challenge because every god damn thing Chewbacca says sounds the exact same. At least to my human ears. Maybe that's because we assume that Han Solo is human. Even though he looks like us, he lives in a galaxy far, far away. He could be anything. For all we know he was born with the ability to speak and understand Wookie and it just comes natural to him. As natural as you and I breathe without thinking about it. How convenient then that he became best friends with Chewie. If you're going to spend your entire life cruising around the galaxy it an old hunk of junk you might as well do it with your best pal. And since it's just the two of you for all of those lonely hours, you have to be able to talk about sports, food, women, farts and movies. It would certainly make for a very long trip if you couldn't tell the difference between "fheyrehnvgujj gghrrhhsh" (which means "if you put on Air Supply one more time I swear to God, I will break your spine in half") and "ghghgeyeyssgsgbbnndnd" (which means "I completely disagree. The Foo Fighters are not overrated. In fact, I think they are one of the most influential American Rock bands to emerge from the Grunge scene.") Because heaven forbid you make the Wookie angry. One false interpretation could lead to you being stuffed down the trash compacter or becoming permanent cargo smuggled underneath the hidden floor panels. 

I used to give Han Solo a lot of shit because he's a shoot first and ask questions later kind of guy. He's kind of selfish and seems like a guy who would turn you in for a couple of bucks. But over the course of time you realize that he does have a heart and a smile resides behind that tough exterior. And watching his interaction with Chewbacca shows how much he cares. He could have easily thrown down a deal breaker with Chewy - either you learn English or we aren't friends anymore. But he didn't do that. Instead he made the effort to learn Wookie so that Chewy would be more relaxed in a unfamiliar territory. I don't know if you noticed, but there are a hell of a lot more people in the Universe that speak English than those that speak Wookie. Of course there was C3PO, but who would want to have that nerd as their only friend? That's how it might have ended up had Han not taken it upon himself to learn Chewy's native tongue. Well, that's what's in my head today. So I have to ask you - "gggaaarrrgghghghvnvnffggthd?" That's Wookie for "what's in your head?"

 - pookon -

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It's in My Head - #13: I Miss Uncle Phil

I watch The Fresh Prince of Bel Air every night. I have forgotten how many times I've seen each one of these episodes. I know it's a lot. I can quote along with them and match the actors line for line. It's a little sickening at first, but then I realized it's part of who I am. I can't help that I'm in love with 90's sitcoms (like Full House, Step by Step and Family Matters). I didn't pick these shows as my favorites, they picked me. Is that wrong? Because if it is, I don't want to be right. Fresh Prince is great because Will Smith is so stupid on the show. He's kind of playing a version of himself, but it's hard to believe that he really is that dumb. I have to imagine he is one of the coolest people of all time. That's what makes me laugh the most. 

It's like when he tries to hit on a girl and he uses the corniest pick-up lines. Or when he dances and it's super embarrassing. Or when he tries to rap and says the stupidest rhymes. Or when he tries to be tough and fights a guy that's bigger than him. Or how he always knocks Carlton for being such a dork, but then goes out and acts like the biggest fool at a party. There's so many more instances, but the basic point is that Will always acts like he is the shit and instead he embarrasses himself. I can identify with Will. I enjoy nearly everything I say and do and am thoroughly entertained by myself at all times. Nobody else sees it that way. Will and I are just obnoxious. But does that stop us from doing it? Hell no. It just makes us want to do it more because we know we can get Geoffrey to crack a smile. We know that someday Uncle Phil will have no choice but to laugh at our jokes. He's the biggest critic of them all.

But watching tonight I got sad about Uncle Phil instead of laughing at Will. I wish he was still alive. I never met him, but I can tell you that he is one of the best Dads ever. He already had to take care of Hilary, Carlton and Ashley (anyone with kids could tell you that even three well behaved children can be a handful) but that didn't stop him from taking one more into his house. And even though Will was just his nephew (through marriage, so he wasn't even blood family) he treated him like a son and always looked out for him. It didn't matter how many times Will made fun of him or got in trouble; Uncle Phil was always there for him. Will didn't really know his real Father, and when he did get to see him, his Dad was a real disappointment. I think that only made him appreciate Uncle Phil more.

Right now I'm watching the episode where Will goes down to the Pool Hall and plays against that big tough guy and loses a bunch of money and the Mercedes Benz. He got hustled in the worst way by the guy's squirrelly little friend. He goes back to Uncle Phil and has to admit his mistake (he wasn't even supposed to borrow the Benz or go there in the first place). Although Uncle Phil is mad, he still goes down to the Pool Hall and hustles the tough guy and wins back the car and the money. He is upset at what Will did and that he screwed up, but at the same time he always has his back. He helps him out, but he also teaches him a lesson. Uncle Phil is the best. I wish I would have known him in life. Maybe in death I will get to meet him.

When I get to Heaven I'm going to hang out with Timmy first. I can't wait to see that kid again. But after that I'm going to hang out with Uncle Phil. He was a straight up man who believed in truth and justice and always stood up for what is right. He was a man that always put his family before him and tried to impart honesty, morals, intelligent thinking and the proper way to act in civilized society. The kids didn't always listen and some might argue that Will corrupted his cousins with his laid back attitude, but I think they all helped each other as they grew into adults. Uncle Phil was always there for his family and seemed to help Will the most. Hilary, Carlton and Ashley probably all would have ended up OK if he wasn't so strict on them. But Will needed guidance and direction in his life. There is no way Will would have ever gone to college in West Philly. He wouldn't have grown up at all. He would have been the same stupid kid who got in one little fight with a couple of guys who were up to no good who started making trouble in the neighborhood. If his Mom wouldn't have gotten a little scared and said, "You're movin' with your Auntie and Uncle in Bel Air." his life would have taken a drastically different turn. He has Uncle Phil to thank for the man he has become. We could all stand to learn a thing or two from him. I miss you Uncle Phil. Thanks for being a father to me as well. 

And yes, I am drunk. This is the kind of thing that is in my head when I've had a few. I start missing the people who had a big influence on my life. Hard to imagine my life without them. But I always have the reruns. For an hour around 9pm and around 1am, Mon - Fri on Nick at Nite. That's 2 of the greatest hours of my day. 2 more hours I get to spend with Uncle Phil, Will Smith and the rest of the Banks family. I wish there was something of more substance in my head than some memories of a TV character that I never met, but that's how it goes someday. What characters from the small screen are in your head?

 - pookon -

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It's in My Head - #12: The Beer is Going Right to My Head

It's hard to think straight when the beer is going right to your head. I can't exactly tell you why, but after I had consumed only about 20% of my beer, I was already feeling a little light headed. Of course there were some extenuating circumstances. The beer I was drinking was Abbey Triple from the Sprecher Brewing Company. If you're not familiar with that beer, trust me when I say that you get slapped in the face pretty hard by the 8.5% alcohol content (by comparison, Miller Lite is 4.2%). We were also drinking out of 1 litre mugs (which are approximately 34 fluid ounces), so 20% is a pretty fair amount. On top of that, we were swinging on playground swings. So after I had that first 20%, I already knew there is no way this night will end well.

So here we are now. The beer went right to my head and then there was really nothing in there. And I'm okay with that. You know why? Instead of sitting around worrying about humanity's biggest problems or how I'm going to pay off all my medical bills or what I need to do to get girls to like me, I just had a good time. I wasn't thinking about yesterday. I wasn't thinking about tomorrow. Hell, I wasn't even thinking about today. I was living life in the moment. I had a beer, I had my best friend, there was live music, I was outside and I was on a playground swing. So what it all boils down to is that there was nothing in my head and that was alright with me. I realize it doesn't make for an interesting or entertaining story, but not everything in life has to be like that.

Sometimes we qualify life as a series of moments: you're born, you say your first word, you take your first step, you have your first birthday, you have your first day of school, blah blah blah, kiss your first girl (or guy), get your first job, graduate from school, move out of the house for the first time, get married, buy your first house, have kids and so on and so on and so on. You all know that kind of crap that people list as significant life moments. Now I don't want to downplay them, because that kind of stuff is important. But what about the days in between those moments? That's what life is really all about - the little things that happen that form who you are and who you are going to be. You don't often talk about them because at the time they just seemed so mundane and normal. Think of how many pictures you take when you go on vacation versus how many you take of "normal" life. It's not even close.

But I will argue that normal life is spectacular as well. You just don't realize it at the time. And that's what this was. This was a real normal day in my life. If not for this "It's in My Head" series of posts, I probably would not have spoken about this day. And although nothing really happened, it didn't matter because for at least some small amount of time, I was having fun and not really caring about all the things that make you feel angry or sad. There was nothing in my head and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Does that make sense to you? Do you ever feel the same way? If you have something instead of nothing, I'd like to know. What's in your head?

- pookon -

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It's in My Head - #11: Some Dick Bought Me a Beer

And I mean that in the nicest way possible. Last night I went to go see my friend Shayne play at The Landing beer garden at Hoyt park in Wauwatosa. I've known Shayne for a very long time and my brother Timmy played in his band Fadeback many years ago. My mom plays with him and others in a Christmas/Holiday band called Reindeer Pause. Last night it was just Shayne and Tom with their band Sorry, We're Open. My Mom went up on stage and sang a couple of songs with them. My Mom's friend Kathy came out to see her and brought her, well I guess it's her boyfriend, who I think I've met before but never got his name (or my drunk ass never remembered it). But he is a Dick. Seriously. That's his name. It might actually be Richard or Rich or Antonio or His Royal Highness Charles Arthur Wellington III. Christ, I don't know. He didn't show me his birth certificate. He was just Dick. We happened to go buy beer at the same time and he bought me my beer. It's was a 34 ounce Spaten Oktoberfest and it was delicious. I hardly knew the guy but this Dick bought me a beer. We sat and talked for a while. About sports, jobs, money, the neighborhood and just how we were feeling at this current place and time. We clinked our glass mugs together and said Prost. Just two dudes hanging out outside drinking beers together. And although this guy technically was a Dick, he couldn't have been a nicer person. And before he left, he threw me $20 and told me and my sister that the next round was on him. So this Dick not only bought me one beer, but he bought me two!

So what does this have to do with what's in my head? So far I've just recounted events that happened last night. Well let me tell you what's in my head. I don't remember the last time I did something nice for a stranger. Well, except for like hold open a door or another really small act of kindness that would fall into the common courtesy category. I certainly never did anything that would have a form of monetary value like buying someone a drink. I rarely ever buy my friends a drink, and I've known those people for like 10 years. I guess I'm the one who is a dick. But it really got me thinking - this Dick doesn't know me. Sure, he knows my Mother's friend and he knows my Mother and then knows me in a six degrees of Kevin Bacon kind of way. But he doesn't really know me. It's not like we hang out on the weekends and share life experiences. But that didn't matter. He just reached out and did something out of the kindness of his heart and totally made my day. I don't know if he truly understands. To him it's just $30 and I'm sure he's got enough money (well at least more money than I have). But to me it means so much more than that. It's like the Arrested Development song "Mr. Wendal" - $2 means a snack for me, but it means a big deal to you. I wasn't expecting that at all. It just came out of nowhere. Why would this guy that I just met spend his hard earned money on me? What did I do to deserve this?

Even now I still don't get it. I guess I'm jaded. I don't believe that there any decent people left in this World. All I hear about and think about is pain, suffering, the atrocities that mankind commits on itself, anger, hate and evil inhabiting our lives so much to the point that good is completely absent from the human spirit. And boy was I wrong. I guess every now and then it just takes a small act of generosity to remind you that the World isn't as awful as it appears. This World is actually a beautiful place and it is filled with beautiful people who would rather be kind to a stranger then worry about themselves. It's probably the most amazing thing I've witnessed in a long time and it made me want to believe in humanity again. And it was the stupidest little thing too. You don't want to think something like that can change your perspective or change the world, but it can. Everything has to start somewhere and the easiest way to do it is to start small. A random act of kindness can go a long way. I know next time I have the chance to surprise somebody with the unexpected or to pay it forward, I hope I will remember to do it. Because I know how amazing it feels when someone else does that for you. And to think, all it took was some Dick buying me a beer. An idea that's been around since mankind first walked this Earth is what is in my head today. Just be nice to other people and treat them with love and kindness. It's the simplest, most basic idea. What kind of simple idea is in your head?

 - pookon -

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