Oh! the places you'll go

I found this website that lets you mark the countries and states you've visited. I've got a lot of world to cover yet!



create your own visited countries map

Here are the states I've visited, not including roadtrip drive-throughs:


create your own visited states map

Notorius C.L.E.

Scott Savol

I have arrived. While I have not yet visited the Rock Hall of Fame or the area's House of Blues or anything remotely Drew Carey-ish, I officially have my Cleveland passport stamped. I flew out of the CLE airport yesterday and who do I spot in all his ghetto sunglasses and white with red stripes tracksuit glory? None other than local celebrity, controversial "rap" sheet artist and American Idol, Top 12 finalist, Scott Savol. Perhaps it was my intuitive better judgement and my very un-paparrazi malaise that delayed me two seconds long enough to avoid saying anything, asking for an autograph or posing for a Verizon Wireless picture message... or just the fact that I really didn't watch the show? but I still think I should have gotten something so I could say... I WAS THERE. Scott spoke to some agent-looking guy and unceremoniusly boarded to LA, presumably for the Top 10 tour. This event marks the second music celeb I've seen at the CLE airport. The other celeb was Chubby Checker.

http://www.votefortheworst.com/history.html">

43 Things and then some...

Practice speaking Spanish Learn to play the guitar Write more remove the extraneous "like" from my speech... re-establish lost friendships Deedsnotwords visit london stop worrying so much play more drums Design and build my own house pay off my bills get a massage understand Write for a living don't lose my sense of wonder To live instead of exist take up photography start a rock band fire a gun in a shooting range Take more photos Become Financially Independent have more fun re-learn calculus Visit Australia go to europe Make people smile Do something new every week Skydive Teach a college course Read all the books on my bookshelf make my own fresh salsa get a doggie run a marathon read the classics Worry less Be myself write a book enjoy life Backpack in Europe plant a tree shop at ikea get a season snowboard pass Go skydiving take a real vacation Read my Bible every day rock climb get tivo redecorate my house live in a foreign country not let any more opportunities pass me by Brush my teeth at night! organize and catalogize my movie collection draw more be physically fit Visit Prague live in peace save lives learn italian eat less sugar learn chinese finish my stories hike the Appalachian trail meditate every day

Advice from a Terra Cotta Warrior

Books I'm Reading...Love, War and Personal Branding 


rah-baby! 

Cool Beans (or chic Ohio meets Wal-Drug)

I am at Cool Beans in Medina. They wouldn't give me half off on my 2 for 1 drink so I am attempting to suck down not only my 1/2 gigi portion of fluids for the day but TWO drinks today. Repeat... TWO drinks. yup, you heard it here. I got a latte AND a french soda!! i didn't get two mochas though so at least i won't be too hopped up on sugar and caffeine.

Decent size cafe with food, wireless internet, and board game selection but there are only a handful of plugs around the perimeter. I am forced to sit at one of the high bar tables. This could get mega annoying. aaahhhh.... ok, I managed to reach my cord to one of the comfy chairs...barely. It's not too busy in here so I shouldn't be pulling a "bear move" i.e. clothes-lining any customers. ooohh RA HA -HAAA!!

The Medina town square (this cafe is situated on the corner) is a cross between Edina snobbery and weird Alice in Wonderland mirror image of the Bentonville/Wal-Drug Square. Upscale Americana feel laced with some kid-laden party in the centro. They do have Farmer's Markets which is a plus in my book but too far of a drive for me to probably bother with anytime soon....

Holy crap batman!!! kid invasion in the coffee shop at lunch time.... Where's Thomas the Train to save me??

Help me, Obi-wan Kenobi! You're my only hope! 

Today I Feel Like Obi Wan (or Disappointment is a Four-Letter Word)

Disclaimer: I am not a Stars Wars fan. I haven't even seen the 4th and 5th released movies. I barely remember the first three. It's practically blasphemous for a Gen-X-er, I know, I know. Anyway, please, please don't reply to this posting with Star Wars tidbits (like the high school teacher who wrote a 900-some-page chronology - and posts it for free on the internet?? yegads!) You will have lost me at the duhn-duhn-duh-duhn...

Anyway, I did see the newly released Stars Wars... the 6th one, no 3rd one, I guess? This morning I woke up feeling like (what I imagine) Obi felt like in the final confrontation with Anakin. As one blogger wrote "Hearing Obi-Wan's disappointment as he tells Anakin 'But you were supposed to be the chosen one' is gut-wrenching. He's taken on this apprentice with the belief that Anakin would be the one to bring balance to the force, peace to the galaxy. Instead, he sees the Jedi order destroyed and the Republic crumble before his eyes because of this supposed chosen one."

hmmm... or maybe I'm more like Anakin... wrestling with my fears and dark side, ultimately leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy. All he wanted was Padme for crying out loud.

Yep, definitely prefer to be Ewan McGregor. Sings, dances, and bears a mean light saber.

Sweet Sixteen

it appears i've officially made the top 20 of un-original blog names... http://elliottback.com/wp/archives/2004/12/21/what-do-you-call-your-blog/

but sixteen ain't all that bad! Billy Idol, the Beatles, LeTigre, Inpsection 12, Jayhawks, the lovely Mizz Stefani, Destiny's Child (ok, one gack), Chuck Berry are singing it.
http://www.rare-lyrics.com/search.html">

Along with this guy...

Merle Travis 

Sorry, you'll have to click on the link to hear the song... I'm a low-brow blogger.
http://www.ernieford.com/Sixteen%20Tons.htm">

Some people say a man is made out of mud

A poor man's made out of muscle and blood

Muscle and blood, skin and bones...

A mind that's weak and a back that's strong

_________________

Chorus

You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?

another day older and deeper in debt

St. Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go

I owe my soul to the company store