"7 in 7" - Episode 4 - Money Isn't Real George - Brewers Community Foundation

Anyone that knows me sees today's charity - The Brewers Community Foundation - as no surprise. That's because they have come to know that the Milwaukee Brewers and Scott "Iceman" Reck have become synonymous with each other. I've been working at Miller Park for SportService for the last 10 years and I love my job. I'm a big Brewers fan and am very appreciative of what they are doing to give back to the community. After all, it is the community that supports the team and has helped to build the ballpark that they play in. The community pays the player's salaries and wears the merchandise. The community is the only reason why the team is still here. Without fan support, the team would have left town years ago. Thankfully they are still here. I wouldn't know what I would do without being able to support my local sports team. As well as being a source of income that I depend on to buy alcohol and take vacations, it is my livelihood for the months of March - October. I was only 13 in 1994 when Major League Baseball went on strike and had better things to do than be sad that there was no professional baseball being played. I was probably at the local park playing baseball myself. But the Brewers Community Foundation goes behind Major League Baseball. They make more of a difference than a bunch of millionaires playing a child's game ever will.

Before you lambaste me for criticizing the players for making all of that money I'll have you know that I was just making a point that helping out others and giving back to the community is more important than baseball. Which is why a lot if not all of the players on the team assist the Brewers Community Foundation in various ways including donating their time, money, personal artifacts and all sorts of other things to help connect the team with the fans. There are plenty of charities in the community who benefit from the BCF because they receive money from them. The BCF has the benefit of having a high profile image and revenue generator in the Milwaukee Brewers. Things like the 50/50 raffle at every Brewers Home game and events like the 5K Sausage Run/Walk are huge generators for money which will go to various charities around Wisconsin like the Hunger Task Force, the YMCA, The Boys and Girls Club, American Heart Association, Susan G. Komen for a Cure (Breast Cancer Research), The Ronald McDonald House and Children's Hospital to name a few. There are countless others so a donation to the Brewers Community Fund is like donating to 100 charities at once. And the beauty of it is that they are all local charities or local branches of National charities. That means they are helping your neighbors. Or the children in the poorest sections of town that need help the most. They are helping people that you go to school or work with. They are helping the future leaders of your city. And they may one day even help you if you fall into a position of need. That is how community works. We all support each other. And thanks to the Brewers players, front office, fans and everyone associated in any way with the team, we are supporting our community.

The community isn't just a place. It defines you. It is a system of interconnected people all helping each other to achieve a common goal. One one struggles someone helps them out. And when someone needs help there has to be a support system in place or else that person will never get out of their situation. And the best part about the Brewers Community Foundation? It's easy to contribute to. The easiest way is through the 50/50 Raffle which is available at every home game. For just $2 a ticket you have the chance of winning half of all the money collected, which can reach into the 10s of thousands thanks to the nearly sold out crowds at every Brewers game. And there will be a winner at every game. I don't know how you spend your money, but $2 seems like a pretty good investment to win a couple thousand. And if you don't win then your money is going to a good cause like building youth softball fields, educating children and keeping them off the streets, supplying scholarships to underprivileged youths and giving them game tickets so they can see a Brewers game. How cool is that? It probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but to someone who has nothing just being able to do something cool like that is an uplifting experience. We all have troubles and hardships, but I promise that if you are reading this then you don't have it as bad as the people who depend on the BCF for survival. Because you have internet and most likely a nice comfortable place to sit down and use it. So rejoice in what you have. And give to people who don't have it. Especially if you have the means to do it.

Milwaukee Brewers baseball has given me a lot. Something to do on a summer's evening, something to look forward to every March, my wardrobe, my lifestyle and all sorts of other things that are too weird to mention. I love the Brewers and it's time that I gave back to them. It's not much but every little bit helps. The best part about it is that my money stays here where my fellow people need it most. Not that I don't care about the rest of the people in the world who are in need of food, shelter, education, etc. but it makes it more real that the person I am helping might someday be a friend, or a neighbor, or someone who is the first on the scene after I get into a car accident. That's the beauty of helping out the local community. I believe they call it karma. If I help those people around me who need it the most they might end up helping me someday. I hope that I am never in need of charitable assistance because that means I would have fallen pretty hard. I'd rather be on the giving side than the receiving side of this kind of gift. I actually hope that I can be better off than I am right now so that I can afford to give more than a couple of bucks. But for right now this is what I can do. I just hope that in some small way it made a difference.


 - pookon - 


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

"7 in 7" - Episode 4 - Money Isn't Real George - Wisconsin Humane Society

The Wisconsin Humane Society is an organization that is incredibly dear to my heart because a little over 6 years ago I adopted my BFF (best friend forever) and cat Coach Gordon Bombay. Him and I have been through a whole lot and I love him with all of my heart. I was never much into animals growing up even though at two separate times during my childhood we had a dog named Lassie. And then we also had a cat named Gizmo, but I wasn't necessarily close to either of them. But something made me go out and adopt Gordon and in February of 2006 Jenny Reck came along with me and I took him home and our adventure began. We've been through a lot of shit together and he's moved around to no fewer than 6 apartments/homes over the years because I couldn't stay in one place for too long. And during this time, aside from the stomach-induced "I'm hungry" meow, he hasn't really complained about the change of scenery and lack of continuity. Truth be told I have constantly provided him with food, water and toilet as well as a comfy place to nap for 18 hours a day. And he's been the one who has been by my side (or on my chest as I lie sleeping) through it all. I love Coach Gordon Bombay more than anyone in the entire world. No offense Mom.

At the Humane Society they told me that Coach Bombay was from the streets and that someone had brought him in as a stray. They named him Greg, which is a rather unusual name for a cat. There's nothing unusual about naming him after a fictional Pee-Wee Hockey Coach from District 5 and Team USA though, right? I can't imagine him surviving in the cold dark alleys of Milwaukee on his own but apparently he did because he has the battlescars to prove it. He's missing one of his fang teeth and his tail is a little crinkled, but aside from that he is not in too bad of shape. Of course he's a little undersized and refuses to gain weight despite eating and napping all day long and the vet told me that he has a heart murmur, but aside from that he doesn't seem to be in any physical or emotional trouble. All that I know is that he is better off in my care than he is on the streets or locked up in a cage somewhere. That is why it is so important for people to assist the Wisconsin Humane Society through donations and participating in their adoption program because there are countless animals out there in need of a good home. And if we don't help the little guys, then who will?

I'm just one guy who did one small thing, but that doesn't compare to what the Wisconsin Humane Society has been doing for over 130 years. As a private non-profit organization funded entirely through the generosity of the individuals in the community and through the government, they rely on you to help them in their mission. They aim to provide a comprehensive adoption program that matches homeless animals with families, to provide medical care for animals as well as spay and neutering animals to prevent overpopulation, to provide educational programs for people on the care, respect, treatment and over-all well being of their pets and they also teach obedience classes for the animals themselves which allow them to live in a domestic environment. A pet can be a fantastic companion but without the organization to support and provide people with the opportunity to own one they would never know what it feels like to have one. I can't really do any better at describing how important the Wisconsin Humane Society is to our community than they do at their website http://www.wihumane.org/default.aspx, so I encourage you to go there for more information. And if you are thinking about getting a pet I strongly encourage you to do so from the Humane Society because there are plenty of animals of all shapes, sizes and ages that just want a nice home to live in and someone to love them.

I love Coach Gordon Bombay and he is the sweetest pet in the entire world. Every single day he does something cute like this and when he isn't curled up in a ball sleeping somewhere he's sitting on the kitchen table eating some plastic, headbutting my leg or meowing up into the corner trying to ward off some ghostly spirits before he tears around the house in a panic. And at night he cries at my feet while I am on here typing, begging for me to go to bed so that he can lay on top of me. Whenever I sit on the couch he has to sit on my lap or my leg and almost always has to be around me. It's funny the connection that we have and although I do joke about it that he is my best friend forever it is kind of true. I spend more time hanging out with him than I do with any other creature on this planet. What makes it funny is that aside from the occasional meow or the rumbling purr, it's pretty much a one-sided conversation as I am telling him about my day or pouring out my emotions. For the most part he's a pretty good listener, even if he pretends to be asleep during the majority of our conversation. Sometimes he walks away but I figure that is his way of ending the discussion. If only the Humane Society taught him how to use his words then I wouldn't have to play Jay to his Silent Bob and constantly be a foul-mouthed little chucklehead that has to a constant victim to his follies while I try to understand what he is trying to get at. It's always an adventure with Coach Gordon Bombay and he has taught me so much.

I don't know where I would be without Coach Gordon Bombay and I can't imagine living without him. I remember once when I was looking for apartments with a prospective roommate a few years ago and we were forced to limit ourselves because not all rental units accepted cats. This person (who I will not name) suggested the possibility that I get rid of him so that it would have been easier to find a place to live. It's one of those things that I couldn't believe was said and he was obviously not a pet owner. You can't just give away a pet after you have made the commitment and the emotional bond to it. A pet isn't some toy that you play with a few times and then cast aside for the next thing that piques your interest. A pet is a part of your family and not something that you can easily be without. That's one of the reasons why I kiss Gordon goodbye every single morning when I leave for work and give him a big ol' hug before I go out of town every day. I love him so much and I can't stand to be apart from him for too long. The week at Afterglow is so hard because I miss him so much and I wish that I could bring him along. But like I said before, not all places are accepting of cats so I all I can do is make sure that he is well taken care of in my absence. Which is why I leave him under the care of only my most trusted friends. Coach Bombay is too important to me to leave him in the care of someone I don't trust.

And speaking of trust, from my experiences and knowledge gained from research and personal interaction, there's no organization that I trust more than the Wisconsin Humane Society when it comes to taking care of animals. What they do in our community is nothing short of amazing and I encourage you to contribute to their efforts if you love animals or if you have benefited from their work. After all, it is up to us as the dominant species on this planet to help those that are less fortunate than us. Some animals prefer to be left alone in their natural habitats, but domesticated animals like cats and dogs just want to be loved and cared for. Now if you excuse me, I know a certain little Coach that it is dire need of a hug and a snuggle.

http://www.wihumane.org/default.aspx

 - pookon -

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

"7 in 7" - Episode 4 - Money Isn't Real George - Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand

Who would've thought that Ray Liotta would have been the one to make the most sense. No one ever broke it down to me like that before. This is a scene from the fantastic movie "Blow" which paints a pretty bleak picture about drug dealing and trafficking. It seems like such a good way to make a quick buck and live like a King but in the end (spoiler) George gets caught and lives the rest of his life behind bars. He thinks that money begets power, status and a better life. But then you get consumed by it and always want more until money rules your life. Most of us think that way. That's why people play the lottery and idolize celebrities that seem to have it all with their $20 million dollar paychecks just for showing up on a movie set. They think that money will solve all of their problems. If I just had some more money I could buy a bigger house in a better neighborhood. I could get some better clothes and a better car that would attract the women. I could live a life of luxury and never have to worry about a thing. The truth is that money doesn't solve any problems because money is the problem. Money isn't real George. It doesn't matter. It only seems like it does.

People care too much about money and will stop at nothing to get more of it. I wish I could stand here with a pious and holier than thou attitude and say that I wasn't one of them but the truth is that I too am swayed by the almighty dollar. Do you think that I have 2 jobs because I love to work? Nope. It's because I love to have the freedom that money allows. I love to have a nice TV. I like to have more Brewers jerseys than the 25 men on the roster do. I love to be able to fly to South Carolina to visit my brother. Without money I can't do those things. So money is important if you want things or want to be able to do things that require it. But the point is that money isn't everything. Money can't bring my brother Timmy back from the dead. Money can't buy me a girl that loves me for who I am. Money can't make me a better person if I don't change what is on the inside. Money cannot solve my problems. Money cannot give me what I want. And money is not the solution. It's terrible because money is really the root of all evil in our society. It dictates everything that we are in this Capitalist society and separates the haves from the have nots. The rich keep getting richer while the poor keep getting poorer. But I'm not here to bitch about the economic climate of our country because truth be told I don't know shit about it. Nor do I care. That kind of stuff is not important to me. I only care about things that I have control over. And you may say that I can always get a better job with higher pay and move up in the company and make something of myself . But I will tell you that I don't care about that nonsense. I don't care about money. That's why I'm giving it away.

 The only reason that I work as much as I do is because I have bills to pay. I'm sure a lot of people feel that way because they are in debt. I've got credit card bills, student loans, cell phone bill, gas, groceries, and the list goes on and on and on with no end in sight. I'm not blaming anyone here. I dug myself into a pretty deep hole and I'm probably never going to dig myself out of it. But I'm not going to stress out and wig out over it because it is out of my control. Money isn't real and I get reminded of it every single time that I do something for free. I went over to Jenny Reck's house tonight and we just hung out. We didn't spend any money. One can argue that technically since we were inside of the house that she pays money for we were being charged by the minute for using it. That's all just semantics and I'm not to argue about that. There is plenty of things in this world that doesn't involve money and you can't let it run your life. There's more important things in the world that are worth caring about. And since money isn't real I'm going make sure that I use it for good seeing as how I don't need any of it.

Notice how I've been contradicting myself? How I go crazy talking about money and how it isn't important? About how we can do without it? Sadly that's not the way that the world works. Money talks. It is real. You just have to make it say that right thing. And now this is what you have all been waiting for. I'm giving away my money but I'm not going to climb to the roof of a tall building and throw it over the edge. I'm going to make sure that my money means something and goes somewhere that it can help change the world. I'm going to donate it to charity. For the next 7 days I'm going to donate $15 per day to a charity that is either dear to my heart or for a cause that I believe in. There are people out there who are trying to help others and in the world we live in money can go a long way in helping them out. Day 1 of Episode 4 was an accident. I never meant to donate money to New Zealand's Shave for a Cure, which is their biggest fundraising campaign of the year to help people who are diagnosed with blood cancer or a related condition. People pledge money towards this foundation and promise to shave their heads as an act of solidarity to the people who are undergoing radiation treatment for cancer. You might think that it is weird that I am associating myself with a charitable cause in New Zealand seeing as it is on the other side of the world. How did this happen? Well let me tell you about it.

This is a giant picture of my head. It is on the wall in Jamie Orsbourn's (on the right) flat in New Zealand overlooking their beer pong table. His buddy Evan Jones is on the left. I have never met these guys although I hope someday I will. They saw the Last Cup beer pong documentary and loved it, and have crowned me some sort of beer pong god. I appreciate the love but it's a little weird seeing as how I was never even that good at beer pong. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and was captured on film for all the world to see. I guess I can see it because I'm a pretty interesting personality but I don't deserve to be honored. I'm just a regular guy. Becoming Facebook friends with these guys as well as others in their league has lead to some pretty fun conversations on the internet and the opportunity to make a difference in this world with this charitable cause. If we are so blessed with the resources to help others it is our responsibility as human beings to look after those who are less fortunate. I don't have blood cancer. I don't know anyone who does. I have known people with some forms of cancer but I did nothing to help them out. I feel guilty about that but that isn't the reason I am donating money. I am donating money because I can afford to do it. $15 may not seem like a lot to me but it means a big deal to someone suffering from a disease that requires medical treatment for which they cannot pay for. I'm lucky that I don't have anything that is really wrong with me. I'm lucky that I don't need constant medical attention. I'm lucky I don't have cancer. But not everyone is as lucky as me. Not everyone can live a worry free life. Not everyone has it this easy.

http://www.shaveforacure.co.nz/view_group_event_profile/1077

So now let's get down to it. These are 8 guys who live at a flat which they have dubbed "The Pelican" and have all vowed to shave their heads and raise money for cancer patients. I'm pledging $15 to their cause and providing you with the opportunity to do the same by clicking the link above. I'm not asking you to help out. All that I can do is provide you with the information and help spread the word. You can do what you want with your money. This is what I am doing with some of mine. I realize that it isn't enough and I could afford to give more. I do feel bad about this but I do have to spread my money around if I am going to donate money to 7 different charities. But if I reach just one person who in turn reaches another and everyone continues to pay it forward then I have done some good will. That's all I can ever really ask for. I'm doing some good here even if it seems insignificant. For all I know my $15 could be the amount of money that pushes them over the top to find a cure. Who knows man. The only thing that I do know is that the Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand is better off with my money that without it. And I'm going to do them one better. I pledge to side with my friends from across the Pacific and also shave my head when they do as an act of unity. We're all in this together and striving towards the same goal, even if we aren't technically friends and we've never even met each other. But this goes beyond everything that we know. This is not about us. This is about the people who are dying against their will. It's sad to think that they have to suffer through this.  I can't even imagine what they are going through and I hope I never have to.

So that's Day 1's charitable donation. That one came out of nowhere, or shall we say New Zealand. I didn't plan this one but that is the whole point of freeing yourself and opening up to the possibilities in life. When you allow that to happen you just never know what is going to come your way. At the end of the day am I going to miss that $15? Nope. Not really. But that small amount may just give someone another day or even another few minutes with their loved ones. I'd do anything to give people that chance. I can't get any more time with my brother and I pray with all of my heart that someone else out there doesn't have to lose someone close to them. I'm not naive. I know bad things will still happen and that this little amount of money won't do much. But something is better than nothing. I've been doing a whole lot of nothing my entire life. It's about time that I changed that by doing even the smallest of things. I never promised to speak for anyone else, nor would I ever want to. I made this decision and I stand beside it. But I'm just one man. And I'm not even that much of a man despite my physical stature. But I'd like to think that I had a part of it. Even if it is the smallest part imaginable.


 - pookon - 


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

"25 Brewers in 25 Days" - The 2012 Season

Damn 2011 was a fun season. Too bad that I was too busy feeling sad the whole season to really appreciate it. If you know me then you know that I had a pretty damn good reason for that. There were moments here and there during the summer on Friday nights when I was waist deep in parking lot rum and Friday's Long Islands that I had a good time without even knowing it. The sombrero was in full force in the left field bleachers and even though we didn't get a whole lot of TV time nor did we make any road trips, it still was a pretty successful year. By the time I finally came to and realized that it was OK to enjoy life again on a daily basis the Brewers clinched the NL Central title in a game against the Florida Marlins on a Friday night. It was the last game of our 10 game pack and I was happy. Sure there will always be a hole in my heart but that cannot be repaired. But there is a lot of good in this world. And for me that good thing is Brewers baseball. Besides my family and friends, Coach Bombay and the Pookon Enterprise, I love the Brewers the most. It's a part of my life that I spend the entire year pining over not just the usual months of April-October. Spring Training is such a tease and I have hardcore Brewers fever that won't go away, which is why I started the "25 Brewers in 25 Days" countdown to Opening Day a few years ago. In the days leading up to the season opener I highlighted a different player every day whom I thought would make the 25 man opening day roster. That was one of my favorite sections on this blog, and judging by the stats I know that you guys appreciated it too.

You don't have to be an English scholar to realize that I was talking in the past tense. That's because I'm not doing a "25 Brewers in 25 Days" series this year. Well, that's not entirely true Mr. President. Wait... which part? I won't be doing a daily entry but I still will be writing a couple entries previewing the 2012 season. I will be giving my preseason predictions for the team as well as the individual offensive players and members of the pitching staff. It will just be 3-5 total articles instead of 25. I'm going to try to keep it brief and I will also be featuring a couple of videos, which went over pretty well last year. So why I am doing it like this instead of the full 25? That's because the 25 separate articles took a lot of time, planning, preparation, studying, formatting, layout, research and effort to pull off. I easily put 3 hours work or more into every single article that I posted last year and I had a really good time doing it. But the problem is that it took so much time out of my life. Last year I had plenty of time to commit to this project and I happily used it to bring you some fresh and exciting new content. The videos alone made it priceless. But I just don't have that kind of time this year. If you have been following along here at Pookon's Ill Blog then you know that I'm trying to get my life back together and I have been trying new things to change my life and alter my perceptions in a series of weekly challenges called "7 in 7." It's going quite well but it takes a lot out of me because I am thinking and living outside of the box. Stepping outside of your comfort zone takes a lot of hard work. But don't get me wrong pal - I'm loving every minute of it. But I just can't do it like I used to. I'm getting old and I've got too much on my plate.

To anyone that is upset right now deal with it. Come up with you own material. Go outside and play on a jungle gym. Talk a walk in the park and throw rocks in the river. Learn more about the game of baseball so we can discuss the benefits of using the double switch and why the DH role should be done away with or added to the NL. Or we could talk about why the new playoff structure is a bad thing for baseball and the Houston Astros moving to the NL West in 2013 is not necessarily a good thing. Or is it? Do you have an opinion to share? If so come to me with some knowledge and don't you dare try to drum up some sympathy for Ryan Braun and his offseason debacle. Because you damn sure will not hear one kind word coming out of my mouth pal. But that is just one topic of many that may or may not be addressed in the coming weeks. How do you find out if that topic or a myriad of others like the improved defense, returning starting pitching staff or an offense lacking the punch of Prince Fielder will be covered? By checking back here on a bi-weekly basis. Today it is 25 days until the season begins which gives us a little over 3 weeks until the season starts. I promise to at least have 1 new article per week but don't be surprised if I throw a couple random more in there just for the hell of it.

It will be hard to top the 2011 season. The month of August was insane when they went 21-7  and the starting pitching staff was damn near unbeatable. September and the pennant race was nuts and we had to battle right to the end for homefield advantage in the NLDS which ultimately led to them winning Game 5 with a walk-off hit by Nyjer "Tony Clutch" Morgan. They also had homefield advantage in the NLCS but that one didn't end up so sweet. The playoffs at Miller Park had such an electric atmosphere and I made hella bank working all of the games. I'd love to have that back again and given the wide-open NL Central there's no reason to believe the Brewers can't repeat as Champions and make it back to the playoffs. There's nothing like October baseball and we are fortunate to have experienced it twice in the last 4 years after wallowing through a 26 year drought. I'm excited for 2012 and I will make sure to try and translate that excitement into words on this here blog. So look out buddy. Look out buddy. Dave... I'm gonna race 'em. I'm sorry Officer... I didn't know I couldn't do that. The thing is Dave, I did know that couldn't do that! Ha ha ha ha! This is going to be a pretty good year. All things considered of course.

 - pookon - 

www.pookon.com

email: pookondotcom@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

"7 in 7" - Episode 3 - Now I Know What's It's Like to be You - Day 18

I haven't been writing on here lately and I'm betting some of you have been checking back here looking for my next episode of "7 in 7." The reason that there isn't a new one is because I'm still working on the last one. As you can see by the headline I have been a vegetarian for the past 18 days and aside from a couple of tough times it has been relatively easy to not eat meat. Just look at the cuddly animals and try to take a bite out of them. You can't because they are just so darn cute. I don't like my food to have a face nor do I want it to cry as I am chewing it. Sure, lettuce and potatoes are technically alive but as far as we know it they don't have a personality and look you in the eye and snuggle up next to you. Which makes me wonder something. I get the don't eat cows, pigs, sheep and chickens in the graphic but what kind of sick bastards are eating dogs, cats and parrots? I think foreigners eat dogs and cats but I've never heard of anyone chewing on parrot wings. Must be some kind of delicacy that I'm not aware of. After spending the last 7 years of my life in the company of Coach Gordon Bombay I couldn't imagine putting him in my mouth and washing it down with a cold beer. That just sounds wrong. And even though I'm not a dog person there's no denying that they have a personality and a spirit as well as an awareness of their world. It wouldn't be right to serve that up on a toasty bun, even if they had to go the Old Yeller route. They belong in the ground, not in your tummy. I don't get it, but I did find it funny in a way. And I also knew that I could say something about it. Because that's the point of Episode 1, right? To encourage myself to write more. I'm trying here.

Day 18 of being a vegetarian hasn't changed me one bit because I have gotten behind on my Episode 2 goal of looking like Jonah Hill. I haven't been working out as much as I had hoped and I'm in no better shape than I was a few weeks ago. I guess I'm eating healthier because I'm eating a lot more vegetables and not eating fast food because there aren't a lot of meat-less options. I bet if I met all 3 of my goals so far (writing, look like Jonah Hill and being vegetarian) I could land a chick like Australian model Sheridyn Fisher because I would be funny, fit fine and friend to animals. I think I'm going to email her and ask her out on a date the next time that she makes it to Milwaukee. Hey, it could happen! I'm a quasi-celebrity because of the beer pong documentary and the Brewers Sombrero thing so I should be able to land another celebrity. And an Australian too. The only thing that revs my engine like a girl who plays music and sings is a girl with an accent. I think I'm on to something here. Keep changing my life and somehow, someway, some beautiful girl will wander into my life and erase the loser tag that I've been carrying around for the last 30 years. Dreaming the impossible is definitely a reason to keep on going with my "7 in 7" challenges because apparently no one likes me for who I am now so I must become someone else. I guess I will still try to keep a couple pieces of the old me because I value my sense of humor and my dedication to the local sports teams but everything else can go. So if you are a single girl and reading this give me a holler and tell me what to change. I'm willing to be whatever it is that you like because the old shit wasn't working for you. And if you are a dude and are asking the same thing I'm sorry but I have to tell you for the last time, no matter what everyone is saying, I don't like dudes. Get that idea out of your head already. And whoever keeps spreading that rumor please stop already. You're never going to get anywhere making up lies. Trust me. I'm the lie master! If you asked everyone at work what my parents do for a living they would tell you that my Mom is a Ninja and my Dad is an Astronaut. Is that true? Hell no. Not everything you hear is correct. So stop playing telephone with the accusations and set me up with your hot sister/girl cousin/girl best friend already so we can all move on.

OK, I'll face reality head-on and come to the conclusion that I'll never land a chick like Sheridyn Fisher but don't you dare tell me that I will never land Natalie Portman. Yes, I understand that she is married to some dude not named Scott Reck and she has a baby with said dude. Oh and also don't point out that she is rich, famous, beautiful and an Academy Award winner that would never mingle in the same circles as me. But we are both vegetarians and we both love Star Wars. She might not like Episodes 1-3 (but that's OK because a lot of people despise them) but she can't deny the fact that she made some good money off of those movies and also introduced herself to a new generation of fans and furthered her movie career. She certainly garnered my attention although I fell in love with her on Mars Attacks! and Where the Heart is and then became absolutely smitten with her in Garden State. And the fact that she is a vegetarian just gives her a couple of more points in my book. Now I'm not going to be a veg-head forever, but I like to see it when someone does something for a reason. She's doing it for animal rights and apparently has been a vegetarian since childhood and I'm doing it to know what it's like, although if I ever meet Natalie I'd tell her that I was doing it for her because she is so inspiring. Or some crap like that. I have to be smooth like that if I'm gonna charm her pants off. But I wouldn't have to. She'd get one look at me and leave her husband. She can bring along her baby though. Although I'm not a fan of little humans I'd be willing to make an exception for her. I'd do anything for Natalie.

Eating vegetarian isn't hard as long as you are at home and can control what is going into your food. It has been easy for the most part because I eat most of my meals at home. I don't go out to eat much because I am single, sad, pathetic and weird. But a few times it has become an issue and I'd like to share that with you. My friend Aaron had a birthday last week and his family always goes out to Fuddruckers for dinner to celebrate. I don't know if you've ever been there but they have some of the best burgers ever. But since I don't eat meat I tried one of their Veggie Burgers, which was the first time that I ever had one. It wasn't bad and it kind of tasted like nothing, although I could have been masking the taste with all of the pickles, onions, tomatoes, ketchup and mayonnaise that I piled on there. Hard to taste anything when it is smothered with all of those condom-thingies. My first reaction was that it tasted like a garden but that could have been me just being an asshole about it. And speaking of being an asshole, when I ordered the cashier asked if I wanted bacon or cheese on my veggie burger. Um... hello! Don't people order these things because they don't eat meat or dairy products because they are vegetarian or vegan? I know you're a fresh-faced teen still living with his parents and working his first job but at least think a little pal. I was a little bit offended and even took to Twitter to voice my disgust:

Scott Iceman Reck ‏ @pookondotcom

I ordered a Veggie Burger at Fuddruckers. The guy asked me if I wanted bacon on it. Doesn't that defeat the point? #vegetarian

So that was cool I guess. A week ago I went out for trivia at BBC's and it was wing night but I obviously could not get the wings. That really sucked and I ended up eating some Mac N' Cheese but I had to ask them not to put bacon in it like they usually do. Sure bacon is amazing, but wouldn't someone order that because they don't eat meat? It was one of the only meatless options on the menu (supposedly) and it had bacon. It's a tough world for a veggie. Then this past Thursday I went to Subway for a sandwich and ended up getting a one with all veggies. Now I understand that a sammy is a sammy but I left feeling empty. I had cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato, green peppers, cucumber and mayo but I could taste the absence of meat. I wanted some kind of animal product on my bread but I'm not doing that now. Not eating meat is tough because it is so good. I miss it and now that I'm in over 2 weeks I can honestly say that it is a struggle. 

The first week was easy and I breezed through it with no problem. I know that I'm all over the map here as far as linear time goes, but last Saturday night I went to the Admirals hockey game with my cousins and got nice and drunk. I slept over at Jenny Reck's house and when I finally left Sunday around lunch time I was craving something greasy to get me through my hangover. A gyro from Oakland Gyros would have fit the bill just right. I could even smell it from outside her house but I drove home without any of that Greek goodness in my tummy. The last challenge I had these past 18 days was when I was at the grocery store the other day trying to find some food to eat. I wanted some soup real bad and had to read all of the ingredients on the can because most soups include chicken broth or chicken stock. I had to instead limit myself to those that were tomato based soups and settled on veggie soup. It's not all bad, but I was really in the mood for some kind of noodle soup.

So I'm 18 days in and not too much is different. I'm still pining over impossible women, constantly poking fun at myself and defending my sexuality and trying to infuse everything I say with humor. If you made it this far congratulations. I will be starting a new challenge on Wednesday March 14 so make sure you check back for that one. I can't really promise anything else besides that because I don't really know what I want to do. Well, besides Natalie Portman. Hey-o! You thought that I would leave on a classy high note. You obviously have no idea where you are. Seek medical help, take a nap and then come on back so I can screw you up all over again. At least you will be in good company. I'm as screwed up as they get. But I know that you wouldn't have it any other way. You're a repeat offender on Pookon's Ill Blog so I know that something is working. When I figure it out I'll be sure to let you know. Or I won't. Whatever man. I'm over it. Derrick Turnbow once threw a fastball so fast it went back in time and struck out Babe Ruth. Look it up.

g

 - pookon -
d
www.pookon.com
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

Happy Quantum Leap Day!

As much as I love Quantum Leap and the adventures of Dr. Sam Beckett traveling through time with the help of his holographic guide Admiral Al Calavicci, this article is not in celebration of the popular TV show. This is merely an excuse to post an entry on today, Leap Day, because I only have that opportunity to do this once every 4 years. I started this blog in 2005 so I obviously missed out on 2004's Leap Day. In 2008 I posted something about Beer Pong on February 27 but somehow didn't take the opportunity to celebrate Leap Day 2 days later when it popped up for only the 7th time in my life. When something doesn't happen that often it should be celebrated. I know that there was nothing I could do about it, but I was not able to see Halley's Comet the last time that it passed close enough to Earth. While I could sit and blame myself, it is so much easier to blame my parents because they probably sent me to bed right around nightfall seeing as I was only 5 years old in 1986. I missed out on that golden opportunity to see something so majestic in the heavens by virtue of the fact that I was just a little tike. If I live to be 80 years old I will find myself staring at the night sky in the year 2061 when it makes its' return. Given my recent state I doubt that I will live that long but here's hoping, right? That is why I decided to do something special with my Leap Day because I won't be able to get another one until 2016. And if the Mayans are correct we're not going to live that long so live it up while we are still here.

I woke up like usual today. Coach Bombay cried all morning until I gave him breakfast. Then I made myself a grilled cheese sandwich. I then went to work like normal. 8 hours later I was thankfully able to leave that prison for the night. I will be checking back in tomorrow morning for another shift. But after leaving work I had a pretty damn good night. I hung out with my best friend in the world Jenny Reck and I showed her that I learned how to play Seal's "Kiss from a Rose" on guitar. Yes, I did take the time to learn that song after hearing it on the radio the other day. It's amazing what random songs you can play when you let your imagination take you there. Then we went out for dinner at SoLo (formerly the Oakland Trattoria) for some vegetarian pizza, salad, focaccia bread and long islands. And to cap it all off we played Helicopter Hats (Super Mario Bros. for Wii) for an hour. You might not think that is something special but you also probably don't laugh when we say in Princess Peach's voice, "Oh Nooooo!" Jenny and I have almost the exact same sense of humor which makes every minute we spend together the best minutes ever.

I did next to nothing today in the grand scheme of the world but yet I feel like I did so much. That's because I spent it with one of the people that care the most about in the whole world. Life isn't about money, or things, or what you did or accomplished; it's about the people that you did it with. My roommate has this picture frame with a family picture in it that says, "the best things in life aren't things" and although cliche, it's pretty damn true. I miss Timmy every second of every day but as long as I still have Jenny everything will be ok. I wish that I could pull a Dr. Sam Beckett and leap back into Timmy's body in April of 2011 and change his life for the better and prevent his death. Jenny would be my hologram Al and Ziggy might only give me a 42% chance of success but at least I would get a chance to change the past. But life isn't like TV shows and I'm not Dr. Sam Beckett. We sadly can't change the past. It hurts to dwell on the past too and while I won't forget, I realize that only in works of fiction can you time travel and right the wrongs. But I guess I will just have to make sure nothing like that ever happens again. Jeez, when did this thing get so depressing? I was just trying to post something about Leap Year/Day and show the intro to Quantum Leap. I guess that just means that I can't escape my fears or my feelings and I must face them head on. Or some kind of mumbo jumbo like that. Look I don't understand life more or less than any other person out there. I'm just caught up in the storm like the rest of you. I'm just hoping someday to get some sense of what the hell is going on here even if I have to spend the rest of my life working on it. At least if I try to stay around until I figure that out I'll live to be 80 and be able to see Halley's Comet with my own eyes. And what a sight that will be.

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com
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Ryan Braun - Look Out for Your Shadow There Pal!

Ryan Braun was facing a 50 game suspension for failing a random drug test administered by Major League Baseball that showed elevated levels of testosterone in his system. And today, on Thursday February 23 he became the first player in MLB history to overturn a positive drug test. An arbitration panel of three judges looked at the information provided by MLB and Brauny's lawyers and overturned the suspension with what we have heard is due to a human error in the testing procedure. Latest word is that there is a strict step-by-step protocol to follow in these cases and it wasn't followed to a T, which could have led to his urine sample being tainted at any given moment during the delay in getting it from Braun to the testing facility. We may never know the whole story but the fact is that Braun does not have to serve the suspension and that MLB's drug testing program (which used to be foolproof and no-nonsense) is now fallible and will most likely have to be significantly altered so that this kind of thing doesn't happen again. Then what about all those players that failed the test in the past? I bet they have some questions about their tests and the results which saw them serve suspensions. It's like that movie Minority Report. The Precogs can see murders before they happen and then the police can stop the crimes from being committed. But who is to say the crimes would have still happened? You never know. And when Tom Cruise gets blamed for murder he looks for a false-positive that would lead to his innocence. But there is none. But then something changes and he doesn't commit the crime. I don't know where I was going with that but Tom Cruise was set up and chose the higher path. And Ryan Braun? Who knows man. Did he take something or did MLB's test just really fuck it up? Maybe we'll know someday.

Or maybe we won't. Players are tested at various times per year and it could be anywhere from 1 to 4 times or more. So they know that this shit is coming. And players also fail drug tests often and then more information is gathered and it goes before the arbitration panel but we never know about it because this process is supposed to be kept confidential. We were never supposed to hear about any of this. The steroid accusations flew out right away and labels like MV-PED (performance enhancing drugs) made me giggle. And that's because I don't really care for Ryan Braun. And I don't really know why. He's always just rubbed me the wrong way. Whether it is his uber-PC talk to the media, complaining about the shadows at Miller Park or maybe just because everyone loves the shit out of him. I can't stand his gelled up hairdo, clothing line and bush baby eyes. I've never lied about my distaste for him and this failed drug test just really put me over the edge. Finally I thought, people would see him for who he really is. But then this whole thing happens and people are going nuts like we won some kind of prize and screaming that he is innocent. Sure with Braun being available to play all 162 games is best for the team but let's be honest - with improved pitching and defense we would have been alright. People are making such a fuss about what we lost (Fielder) but not giving credit to what we gained - a full season of Greinke and KRod and vastly improved defense (Ramirez, Gonzalez and yes Gamel).

When I heard the verdict today I can almost guarantee you that I was the only person in Milwaukee who was upset. And truth be told I don't really know why I was upset about it. Something happened tonight that changed my outlook on this whole thing:

Despite what it looks like in the video, I wasn't high when I recorded this. My eyes just always look like that. I don't know why I can't fully open up my eyes. I'm like a newborn puppy that can't navigate the World on their own. I needed my Mother to point me in the right direction. Luckily at the time when this whole Ryan Braun PED thing was going on I was living with my Mother as I was attempting to put my fucking life back together. As I described in the video, real life shit happened to me that put all of this nonsense in perspective and made all of this Braun talk pointless. So what that he cheated and got caught. So what? We all cheat. We just all don't get caught. But when we do we often throw people under the bus to save our own asses or do whatever else it takes to avoid serving the punishment. If you're going to be mad at Ryan Braun you might as well just get mad at yourself. your family, your friends and every single one of the 6 billion people in this World because we've all made mistakes. If you want to live your life being bitter and mad go ahead. I don't have time for that shit. Life is too short despite it also being the longest thing ever. Now I'm must talking nonsense. But isn't that really what this is anyway?

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com

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"7 in 7" - Episode 3 - Now I Know What's It's Like to be You - Day 1

This week's adventure wasn't planned which is what makes it so good. I'm going to be a vegetarian for a week. I have a list of things that I want to try as part of this series and I keep coming up with new things all the time that pique my interest. And ever since week 1 when I turned off distractions and learned better time management, my mind has been clear enough to allow new ideas and suggestions to enter it. This particular one came to me Saturday February 11th when Jenny and I were at the Milwaukee Bucks game. I had won 2 tickets to the Miller Lite Home Court on Bucks.com and we got to watch the game from the box on the club level, 3 free beers and free food and snacks. That's us in the background of this lovely picture of a father taking his daughter to a basketball game. They didn't take a picture of us. Jenny has been a vegetarian for almost a year now but for most of her life she has been picky on the kinds of meat she liked and rarely ate red meat. There haven't always been the best options for her and she really had to be creative at times when we went to get something to eat. And although things are getting better in stores and restaurants, things are still tough for a vegetarian in a meat eater's world. The only thing she could eat there was cheese pizza and chocolate chip cookies while I was chowing down on a hotdog, pepperoni pizza and popcorn chicken. As I dipped some chicken in ranch and popped it into my mouth I said to Jenny something like this - "I don't know how you do it. I could never give up meat. Chicken is just too good." And that is when she challenged me to try not eating meat. So here is where I hope to know what it's like to be her. At least when it comes to her chosen vegetarian lifestyle.

Tonight, Wednesday February 22 we went to the grocery store to buy some things to put together a dinner with no meat. Jenny had some fake meat crumbles that resembles ground beef and we decided to make some sloppy joes. We mixed in some red and green peppers and some onions. We also had a salad with lettuce and spinach with carrots, onions and peppers mixed it. I looked up a couple of recipes and realized I didn't have a whole lot of time to prep or cook for dinner tonight. So I'm going to save that for another night this week. So if you're reading this and have a good vegetarian recipe that I should try out please send it my way. You know how to reach me. Fake meat sloppy joes and salad was a really easy thing to throw together which goes to show that it isn't that hard to live a certain lifestyle whether if you are doing it for a week to try it out or if you are doing it to Rage for Timmy. If it is something that you believe in for any reason you will find a way to do it. Sticking to it may be a whole lot harder then just doing it for a few days but I'll probably figure that out in a few more days. 

Jenny said that there is a world of difference between eating vegetarian and eating healthy. Just because you cut out meat doesn't mean that you cut out all the bad things for you. So before you think that this has anything to do with health that's not why I'm doing it. Although I could stand to eat more fruits and vegetables to supplement my diet. Case in point - we are potato chips with our dinner tonight. Jenny warned to go easy on the carbs and cheese because when you aren't eating meat you tend to try to get nutrients from other sources that aren't as good for you or contain higher amounts of bad things that raise your cholesterol levels. I'd try and sound smart about health and nutrition but I'm not a doctor. Even though I have been watching nothing but Scrubs for the last few days. Eventually I'm bound to pick up something other than asshole rants and where to go in my head when I need to escape it. But it's not getting in the way of my writing, working out or playing guitar. I did all of three of them tonight. So don't worry that all that work I put in during weeks 1 and 2 is going to waste right now. This is intended to be a continuing adventure and be able to flow freely from week to week and if I keep this sort of thing up there is no reason to believe the I can't change my life for the better. Because after all that's really the reason why I'm doing this.

So much was made about former Milwaukee Brewers' 1st baseman Prince Fielder's decision to go vegetarian. He did it because his wife shared with him pictures and information on the treatment of animals that are used for food. I'm not gonna get into that because I'd like to eat steak, bacon and chicken wings without crying and hating myself. When Fielder went veggie people went crazy because they thought he's see a drop in power due to him not getting enough protein and other crap that you get from eating animals. And after a while of not eating meat people were surprised that he didn't lose any weight or build any muscle. I used to kid people that I knew the reason for it - doughnuts and Twinkies are still vegetarian. I kid the big man but only because I love him so much. I haven't really gotten into it yet but I'm gonna miss seeing the man in a Brewers uniform. Best of luck in Detroit pal. This is not the time nor place for this but all I'm saying is don't expect me to get in better shape by dropping the meat for a week. It doesn't work like that. But I have made a concentrated effort to cut back on the booze, snacks and sweets so if I drop a couple of lbs then it's because of that. Oh, and going to the gym probably will have something to do with it too. Weight doesn't lose itself. Damn I wish it was that easy.

If you want to give me shit because I'm doing this for the wrong reasons then fine. If you want to praise me for trying something new then fine. If you want to do nothing then fine. All I know is that I'm living my life, trying new things and having a hell of a good time while doing it. Truth be told I've never felt better. But I still know that there is so much more to look forward to and every day presents a brand new adventure. And I'd rather feel like that then how I've been feeling over the past year. No one should ever feel like that. Things will never be the same but there is no reason to sit around and wallow in it any longer. Life goes on and so must I. Meat or no meat. But I swear to God if I smell bacon I will drop any plans that I had to go a week or more without meat and go swimming in it like Uncle Scrooge. 

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com

email: pookondotcom@gmail.com

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"7 in 7" - Episode 2 - I Wanna Look like Jonah Hill - Day 7

Being all alone can be great sometimes but most of the time it's the loneliest feeling in the entire world. Whether you are out on the edge of a rock ledge or the only person in the gym at 11pm on a Monday night the feeling is the same. Right now you're probably saying that there is no comparison because there is no inherent sense of danger in falling to your death at the gym. Obviously then you're not a big man on a treadmill with shortness of breath. If I fall over and clutch my chest, who will be there to rescue me? I'm hoping for Jesus or my guardian angel but honestly I don't think it will ever come to that point. Sure, my chest muscles do hurt when I breathe but that's normal (at least I hope) because I'm working on muscles that I don't normally use. I'm hoping that with repeat visits the pain will be more manageable and it will feel a hell of a lot better than it does now. I can't stand to have pain every time I breathe because I kind of have to do that 25,000 times a day. And although I haven't tried it for longer than a minute when I go underwater or have the hiccups, I hear it's a bad thing not to do it. I'm not about to try it now because I have found a reason to be alive.

I don't know what that is per se, I haven't had any kind of spiritual revelation and I don't know the meaning of life. But if I had to wager a guess I would have to say that it is 42. So although I can't give you any answers I have found the need and the desire to search for them even if I don't know that I am doing it. Sounds so vague, I know. That's because I don't really understand it all yet. Today is technically the last day of this week's "7 in 7" challenge and I am eagerly anticipating what lies ahead and what new things I will try. This is such an adventure to live and think outside of my comfort zone that the possibilities are endless. And the best part of it is that the adventure carries on to the next week and becomes the Neverending Story. Well, except for rock biters, the child-like empress and Falkor. But damn I wish I had a Falkor. How sweet would my morning commute be? If anyone was in my way he would open his mouth and eyes and go "AHHHHHHHHHH!!" and make them run and jump into a dumpster. Plus I would get there in like 2 minutes and on my lunch break I could check out the Grand Canyon or spook people walking along the Great Wall of China. When I would be up on Falkor all my problems would go away and I would be free to feel the cool air on my face and hear the jumbo jets buzz by my ears. But then once Falkor got all tuckered out and had to land my troubles would be right down there waiting for me. So you can't fly into the sky on a hybrid dragon/dog beast and avoid them. Sometimes you just have to face them head on and make a concentrated effort to solve them.

I'm proud of myself for making an effort to change my life but I also must hold myself accountable for falling short of my goal. Today is the 7th and final day of this week's challenge to work out every day and as of tonight I only made it to the gym 3 times this week. I really dropped the ball over the weekend but I feel like in the long run I will have succeed. That's because I have taken the fear out of working out and removed any self-conscious doubts that I might have had. I have no problem working out and I will continue to go 3-4 times a week. Also this week I have made an effort to drink less alcohol and soda and instead drink the suggested 8 glasses of water per day. On top of that I am trying to limit the amount of snacks and sweets that I eat so that I have a more balanced diet. I know it's only been a week but already I feel better because of it. I didn't expect to see big results but I needed to at least see or feel something to convince myself that this was a good idea. As long as I continue this good habit then it will never be a failure.

You can't properly measure the impact of this life changing quest I'm on right now until time has passed but so far a week after limiting my TV and movie watching I definitely have been writing more. The proof is on paper. Or the internet in this case. My creative juices are flowing more than ever and they aren't even fueled by alcohol. That's been one of the greatest things so far. I liked to use alcohol to loosen up so that I could free write and be random but it turns out that I don't need that kind of nonsense. I came up with that whole Falkor bit on my own. No help from Ron Rico or Jim Beam, even though those two guys have been known to pitch in every now and then unless I need someone to help me carry a couch up 3 flights of stairs. But for the time being I don't need those lazy sons a bitches because I'm doing all of this on my own and I'm doing it for me. The gym isn't scary and working out isn't hard. You just have to make a commitment and stick to it. Even if you miss a few days. After all I never claimed to be perfect. But I won't let myself down. That's a promise.

So these last 2 adventures will carry on as I move forward, but what will be the next challenge that I take on? Wouldn't you like to know. Looks like you'll just have to keep coming back for more until your appetite is stifled. But make sure not to overindulge because the key to life is moderation. Going to the gym and working out every day for 7 days is certainly possible but is it the right thing to do? Maybe that works for you but I know that I need a day in between to recover so that I don't burn myself out and give up. I almost did that which is why I allowed myself to make mistakes and tailor this idea to suit me. In the past if I had to choose going every day versus not at all I picked not at all. Like it or not 50% is better than 0%. So I'm trying man. And I'm going to keep on trying something every week in an attempt to live every day instead of dying a little bit everyday. It's about time that I started living. And I feel more alive than ever. 

 - pookon -

http://www.pookon.com/
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com
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