Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Silversun Pickups
If you are not listening to the Silversun Pickups, you should have your iPod rights revoked. They are the shizzle fo shizzle!
Check them out!
http://www.spike.com/video/2810778
check out the drummer in this one...
http://www.spike.com/video/2794796
Speaking of music, noone has really guessed at my Blog the Musical post...where is the adventure??? Surely, you all can get at least the easy ones!! Where is the effort! I expected more!
Will be posting some fantastic pictures of Kat dressed up in 60s attire and, quite possibly, the cutest pictures of the Knight kids ever for public consumption. News at 11.
Much love to all!
jak
Check them out!
http://www.spike.com/video/2810778
check out the drummer in this one...
http://www.spike.com/video/2794796
Speaking of music, noone has really guessed at my Blog the Musical post...where is the adventure??? Surely, you all can get at least the easy ones!! Where is the effort! I expected more!
Will be posting some fantastic pictures of Kat dressed up in 60s attire and, quite possibly, the cutest pictures of the Knight kids ever for public consumption. News at 11.
Much love to all!
jak
Friday, January 25, 2008
Supporting Cast
For those of you who have played basketball with me, you know that my game consists of a couple things....a three point shot and a saweeeeeeeeeet fade away. Well, I have added monster rebounding to my reportoire as well. And that is where the story begins.
Last Saturday I awoke at 6:45am to get ready for basketball. I play every Saturday morning from 7:30am to about 11am. There are a couple churches within a few miles of our house that have pick-up games going on. I had just gotten a new pair of basketball shoes and decided to go with hi-tops this time. I normally play with low-tops with reinforced heel support and they have served me well...but in the interest of protecting my aging ankles, I figured it was time to get me a pair of hi-tops. So, I strapped those on, bundled up and headed out into the blustery Tulsa morning.
We play 5 on 5 and it looked like this morning would be a bit rough...the sides appeared a bit lopsided and one of my teammates said "you are going to have to have a monster game if we are going to win this one." I concurred and told him that was why I showed up. He gave me a look, so I explained "well, I don't come here to suck." A quick aside...I am normally pretty soft-spoken when I first start playing with a new group, but open up over time...I guess I had decided it was cool to start really opening up because this was the first time I talked smack.
Anywho, the game started and I drove the lane for a quick bucket. After a miss, we took the ball back up and I put up a three that banked in (no, I didn't call glass). We were up 3-0 in a game to 11. Next time down the court, another stop and we were back on offense. Again, we moved the ball around and I got it back and drove the lane. I put up a floater that bounced high off the rim. I went right back up and snatched the rebound and brought the ball behind my head with both hands ready to put it back up...
That is when everything went into slow motion....I felt another foot under mine...I looked down to see my ankle rolling out at an impossible angle....I heard the distinctive pop...I crumpled to the ground.
Now, this all took place in a millisecond, but it seemed like slow motion. I popped right back up, uttered a few of my choicest cuss words and started hopping around the gym trying to "walk it off." I made it to about half court and crumpled again. What in the world! I had never felt such pain. Why was I being such a wuss about a twisted ankle?!?!? My teammates helped me over to a chair while another ran to get some ice. I elevated it and iced it for the rest of the morning. But, damn, it was still REALLY painful to walk to the car. I couldn't drive, so a buddy drove me (the family and I just happened to be having breakfast with he and his family after b-ball anyway). I had him stop at the drug store and get me some crutches. Man, did I feel like a wuss. I just couldn't handle the searing hot pain that shot up my ankle with every step.
We had breakfast, went home and I elevated it and iced it and walked around on it to keep it loose the rest of the weekend. By Sunday night, I knew something was different about this particular ankle sprain. I talked to my boss and we agreed I shouldn't travel this week. Kat called the neighbor (who is a doctor) and set up an appt. for me on Monday morning.
Monday morning, the doc checked me out, sent me in for some x-rays and then, without giving me any information, sent me to the "casting room" which they assured me had nothing to do with getting a part in a movie. I sat in the casting room waiting for the doc and marvelling at the tools in this room...there was a power saw, nail gun, pliers...seemed quite like what you would expect to find in a medieval torture room. Anywho, the doc comes in and says "well, it looks like you have a broken fibula." Just like that...no big deal....broken bone. "We'll put a temporary splint on it and then get you to an orthopedic specialist to put a more permanent cast on it.
WOW! 35 years into my life on this planet and my first broken bone! What a momentous occasion that was not being met with the level of gravitus that it deserved. So, I decided to make it a little more dramatic. As he was telling me I would be in a cast for 4-6 weeks and then 3-4 weeks of rehab, I blurted out "Cut to the chase doc...will I ever play basketball again!" (I've always wanted to say that) and after he stopped laughing, he said that I certainly would be able to play again. Which is nice.
Anywho, long story longer, I have been walking around in a can boot since Monday afternoon which I can take off at my leisure and ice down my ankle and take showers, etc. I will be able to travel without the help of crutches and I am very thankful for that.
Favorite reaction so far to my injury:
I talked to my client on the phone the next day and he had his boss on the phone...his boss' first words to me were "so, I hear you are a clutz." A beautiful sentiment.
So, send as much sympathy my way as possible. As I am a Knight male, I have the strength of ten men and will heal thusly. I expect to be hooping before Valentines day. Just don't tell Kat.
Much love to all!
jak
Last Saturday I awoke at 6:45am to get ready for basketball. I play every Saturday morning from 7:30am to about 11am. There are a couple churches within a few miles of our house that have pick-up games going on. I had just gotten a new pair of basketball shoes and decided to go with hi-tops this time. I normally play with low-tops with reinforced heel support and they have served me well...but in the interest of protecting my aging ankles, I figured it was time to get me a pair of hi-tops. So, I strapped those on, bundled up and headed out into the blustery Tulsa morning.
We play 5 on 5 and it looked like this morning would be a bit rough...the sides appeared a bit lopsided and one of my teammates said "you are going to have to have a monster game if we are going to win this one." I concurred and told him that was why I showed up. He gave me a look, so I explained "well, I don't come here to suck." A quick aside...I am normally pretty soft-spoken when I first start playing with a new group, but open up over time...I guess I had decided it was cool to start really opening up because this was the first time I talked smack.
Anywho, the game started and I drove the lane for a quick bucket. After a miss, we took the ball back up and I put up a three that banked in (no, I didn't call glass). We were up 3-0 in a game to 11. Next time down the court, another stop and we were back on offense. Again, we moved the ball around and I got it back and drove the lane. I put up a floater that bounced high off the rim. I went right back up and snatched the rebound and brought the ball behind my head with both hands ready to put it back up...
That is when everything went into slow motion....I felt another foot under mine...I looked down to see my ankle rolling out at an impossible angle....I heard the distinctive pop...I crumpled to the ground.
Now, this all took place in a millisecond, but it seemed like slow motion. I popped right back up, uttered a few of my choicest cuss words and started hopping around the gym trying to "walk it off." I made it to about half court and crumpled again. What in the world! I had never felt such pain. Why was I being such a wuss about a twisted ankle?!?!? My teammates helped me over to a chair while another ran to get some ice. I elevated it and iced it for the rest of the morning. But, damn, it was still REALLY painful to walk to the car. I couldn't drive, so a buddy drove me (the family and I just happened to be having breakfast with he and his family after b-ball anyway). I had him stop at the drug store and get me some crutches. Man, did I feel like a wuss. I just couldn't handle the searing hot pain that shot up my ankle with every step.
We had breakfast, went home and I elevated it and iced it and walked around on it to keep it loose the rest of the weekend. By Sunday night, I knew something was different about this particular ankle sprain. I talked to my boss and we agreed I shouldn't travel this week. Kat called the neighbor (who is a doctor) and set up an appt. for me on Monday morning.
Monday morning, the doc checked me out, sent me in for some x-rays and then, without giving me any information, sent me to the "casting room" which they assured me had nothing to do with getting a part in a movie. I sat in the casting room waiting for the doc and marvelling at the tools in this room...there was a power saw, nail gun, pliers...seemed quite like what you would expect to find in a medieval torture room. Anywho, the doc comes in and says "well, it looks like you have a broken fibula." Just like that...no big deal....broken bone. "We'll put a temporary splint on it and then get you to an orthopedic specialist to put a more permanent cast on it.
WOW! 35 years into my life on this planet and my first broken bone! What a momentous occasion that was not being met with the level of gravitus that it deserved. So, I decided to make it a little more dramatic. As he was telling me I would be in a cast for 4-6 weeks and then 3-4 weeks of rehab, I blurted out "Cut to the chase doc...will I ever play basketball again!" (I've always wanted to say that) and after he stopped laughing, he said that I certainly would be able to play again. Which is nice.
Anywho, long story longer, I have been walking around in a can boot since Monday afternoon which I can take off at my leisure and ice down my ankle and take showers, etc. I will be able to travel without the help of crutches and I am very thankful for that.
Favorite reaction so far to my injury:
I talked to my client on the phone the next day and he had his boss on the phone...his boss' first words to me were "so, I hear you are a clutz." A beautiful sentiment.
So, send as much sympathy my way as possible. As I am a Knight male, I have the strength of ten men and will heal thusly. I expect to be hooping before Valentines day. Just don't tell Kat.
Much love to all!
jak
Friday, January 11, 2008
The Boy, Postings for the Enjoyment of all (especially DeAnn)
For those of you who have not visited in a while, this is the first of three posts that I have done today. Take that competition!
This post is dedicated to the person I affectionately refer to as "The Boy." I think you know who I am talking about. Mr. Hagen Galt Ming-Yu Knight. The Boy. Not unlike The Dude from the classic film, The Big Lebowski, The Boy is a real piece of work. Marches to his own drummer and soils himself regularly. He is a cute little guy though.
So, without further ado, here are some pics of Hagen with his supporting cast that were taken over the past week or so. Enjoy!
The Boy enjoying himself at Liska's after-party party at Hideaway Pizza
Notice the spiky hair...its amazing what you can do to your hair after you dump water on it!
The Mayor of McCHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE!
Abbey Road, Jr.
Liska's first outing on her new bike...Hagen's first outing on his "new" tricycle
Things were going well here...later we had to douse the flames after a fiery crash. Don't think he will be getting on a bike for a long while.
Liska enjoying her math cake and Hagen looking longingly at the frosting
"Blog -- The Musical" or "They Grow up So Fast"
If I had a dime for every time someone told me that while Kat was pregnant with Liska and in the four years since, I would have damn near a dollar by now. The first time I heard it, I thought "that is pretty good advice." The next five times I heard it, I thought "you said it brother...she changes everyday." The next two times, I thought "not fast enough buddy." (this was during Hagen's screamapillar days). But, lately, it has really hit home. I mean, Liska is halfway through her first year of preschool...she will be going 5 days/week next year and then it is freakin' kindergarten!!!! Can you believe that? It almost makes me want to cherish every moment I spend with her. But, because that is too exhausting, I have chosen to take lots of pictures at her big life events. Then, look back at them later and rue the time I didn't spend with her. Seems to be a little bit easier. I mean, I am not getting any younger either...and this plantar fasciaitis is acting up again...You know how it is.
So, last weekend we celebrated the biskit's FOURTH birthday! And took about 100 pictures. They are so damn cute, I wish I could post them all, but I decided that I will only post a few and then do another post dedicated to the boy since he had some classics in there as well. Much thanks to David Milwee for taking the pics at the party and to myself for taking the kick ass ones of bacon boy.
So, here goes...the sweetest, cutest, most loving girl on the planet celebrating year 4....enjoy! Oh, and by the way...the reason for the "Blog -- The Musical" title is that I "hid" the names of 10 songs that are currently on the most played list on my iPod within the captions and prologue. See if you can find them all! :-)
Party got off to a great start with the weather cooperating...71 degrees and sunny! Bubbles were a big hit as was the log cabin we had to dig out of the neighbors trash
Kitty put together a great project for the young'uns. Each girl had a ceramic pot, some dirt and sunflower seeds. We told them that if they wanted to come to Liska's 5th birthday, they had to bring a live sunflower from their pots. I'm not optimistic that many will live that long.
Since Liska can't stop with her mathematics, she wanted a 2+2=4 cake rather than a simple 4. And, of course, Kat said "if that is what you want".
I told Liska that if she had enough balloons, she could fly like Curious George..she was scared at first, but then decided she wanted to try. Asked mommy for another balloon and started running and jumping in the backyard.
I said, Liska, that is the wrong way...you need to use the slide to get maximum speed up so you can take off in the sky. After that didn't work, I pulled out the Curious George book and pointed out that he had about 20 balloons and she just didn't have enough for it to work. She cried for more balloons for the next hour. I guess I may have taken it too far...typical...but fun!
On Sunday morning, we were a little dazed and confused, but able to make some cinammon rolls. They were yummy. Liska is a great help in the kitchen.
So, universally speaking, it was a great birthday weekend for all! I think Liska had a great time and we did too...Kat was a bit worn out from preparations, but she put a whole lotta love in the planning and execution and Liska was (or will be someday) very thankful.
Hope you enjoyed the pictoral.
Much love to all!
jak
Travel Woes
Linen napkins...real glass to hold your beer...warm food on fine china....unlimited beverages at no cost. That is the reality of first class on most airlines. It is something I have had the great fortune to experience on many occassions as a result of my status on the airlines...one of the few perks in the life of a travelling consultant (unless you count the endless free meals, exposure to new and interesting parts of the country/world and hotel and airline points to ensure never having to pay for a family vacation again). Well, I've said a temporary bye bye to those days on my new project...you see, with every positive, there seems to be a negative. Like when you order quesadillas, but some sour cream gets on the corner of it because it was placed so close on the plate...I hate when that happens.
Anyway, I digress. Not even sure where I am going here...oh yeah. So, the good thing is that my new project is an hour flight from Tulsa. AND it is a direct flight. The bad news is that I have to fly NWA which ranks just behind United as the shittiest airline on the planet and the plane is TINY. hmmmm...I made the word "tiny" all caps to illustrate the extent of the tininess of the plane, but maybe I should have made it a really small font to mirror the tiny nature of the plane...next time. So, the plane is tiny and there is no first class. Not only is there no first class, the seats are crammed together. Not only are the seats crammed together, it is a flight from Memphis to Tulsa or Tulsa to Memphis. Caphiche? No? OK. How do I put this delicately...you know when you are on a flight and you have an empty seat next to you...you are always looking down the aisle and wondering if that next person is going to be your aisle mate? And, if that person happens to be a hefty individual, you start to sweat a bit and then as they pass you, you breathe a sigh of relief? Well, on these flights, the sigh of relief is short lived because each and every person that gets on the plane fits a certain demographic that would make the producers of The Biggest Loser salivate. I've gotten the flu on these flights from sweating and sighing so often. As an aside, let's be honest here...people start sweating when I come down the aisle hoping I don't sit next to them...so, what we are talking about here is the aggregate of my personal girth and that of my invariably chubby neighbor. You can imagine how comfortable it is to either be crammed against the port hole or flailing halfway into the aisle as the beverage cart travels up and down. This is quite honestly the antithesis of first class. And I don't like it one bit.
So, the silver lining in these crammed trips is the fact that I am on a plane that, as I stated earlier, takes about an hour to get to and fro. Which is far superior to not flying as I did last week. You see, there is this thing that Airlines like to use when they don't have full flights...it is called "unplanned maintenance". Seen it a million times. Saw it again last Friday. I was on the last flight out of Memphis and it was cancelled...AND Liska's birthday party was the following afternoon...all flights were booked on Saturday. So, rather than risk missing/being late to Liska's party, I called National Rental Car and booked a vehicle for the 6 hour drive back to Tulsa. Let me tell you this, if you have never made the trip east to west across Arkansas...save your time. It is about as scenic as the "river" that runs behind the Lowes on Bouquet Canyon Road. Not like the river from the Brown's latest blog post...check it out (see the links to your left...my right) that was for you Greg.
Anywho, I got home, was very tired at Liska's party, but very happy to be there. It was a blast and pics will be posted on my next post which I am about to write. Didn't want to blob it in here with my rantings. So, look forward to that.
P.S. I posted a new one on my Jak's Revolution blog...endorsed Barack Obama. check it out.
Much love to all!
jak
Anyway, I digress. Not even sure where I am going here...oh yeah. So, the good thing is that my new project is an hour flight from Tulsa. AND it is a direct flight. The bad news is that I have to fly NWA which ranks just behind United as the shittiest airline on the planet and the plane is TINY. hmmmm...I made the word "tiny" all caps to illustrate the extent of the tininess of the plane, but maybe I should have made it a really small font to mirror the tiny nature of the plane...next time. So, the plane is tiny and there is no first class. Not only is there no first class, the seats are crammed together. Not only are the seats crammed together, it is a flight from Memphis to Tulsa or Tulsa to Memphis. Caphiche? No? OK. How do I put this delicately...you know when you are on a flight and you have an empty seat next to you...you are always looking down the aisle and wondering if that next person is going to be your aisle mate? And, if that person happens to be a hefty individual, you start to sweat a bit and then as they pass you, you breathe a sigh of relief? Well, on these flights, the sigh of relief is short lived because each and every person that gets on the plane fits a certain demographic that would make the producers of The Biggest Loser salivate. I've gotten the flu on these flights from sweating and sighing so often. As an aside, let's be honest here...people start sweating when I come down the aisle hoping I don't sit next to them...so, what we are talking about here is the aggregate of my personal girth and that of my invariably chubby neighbor. You can imagine how comfortable it is to either be crammed against the port hole or flailing halfway into the aisle as the beverage cart travels up and down. This is quite honestly the antithesis of first class. And I don't like it one bit.
So, the silver lining in these crammed trips is the fact that I am on a plane that, as I stated earlier, takes about an hour to get to and fro. Which is far superior to not flying as I did last week. You see, there is this thing that Airlines like to use when they don't have full flights...it is called "unplanned maintenance". Seen it a million times. Saw it again last Friday. I was on the last flight out of Memphis and it was cancelled...AND Liska's birthday party was the following afternoon...all flights were booked on Saturday. So, rather than risk missing/being late to Liska's party, I called National Rental Car and booked a vehicle for the 6 hour drive back to Tulsa. Let me tell you this, if you have never made the trip east to west across Arkansas...save your time. It is about as scenic as the "river" that runs behind the Lowes on Bouquet Canyon Road. Not like the river from the Brown's latest blog post...check it out (see the links to your left...my right) that was for you Greg.
Anywho, I got home, was very tired at Liska's party, but very happy to be there. It was a blast and pics will be posted on my next post which I am about to write. Didn't want to blob it in here with my rantings. So, look forward to that.
P.S. I posted a new one on my Jak's Revolution blog...endorsed Barack Obama. check it out.
Much love to all!
jak
Saturday, January 05, 2008
World Premiere Party
As millions of Americans across the country gathered in front of their TV sets on New Year's Eve to take in the latest episode of Designed to Sell, we here in Tulsa rolled out the red carpet for the official World Premier event. Yes, as the stars of the show, we hosted the exclusive event at our home and it was well-attended by the movers and shakers of the Greater Tulsa area. Though fun was had by all, Kat and I were both committed to making our fans watch parties across the country as enjoyable as possible...this entailed many "call ins" to talk live with our fans as well as some live chat with others. It was truly exhausting, but it is truly the price of fame. And without our adoring fans, we wouldn't be as, well, adored. :-)
Anywho, we got off to an early start as most guests started to arrive at 6pm. Our professional chef spent hours preparing a fantastic spread of pulled pork sandwiches, chips, dip and many adult beverages. The show started at 7pm local time and the entire house was tense with anticipation as the opening credits started to roll...
The reaction to the show was unanimously positive and the accolades continue to flow in from all over the country. There was some confusion caused by the assertion in the show that I had spilled a can of paint on the carpet. I understand the need for drama in the show, but I must clear my name. The fact of the matter is that the cameraman tripped over a can of primer, spilling it all over the carpet. It was a disaster and it ended up costing the production company close to $500 in cleaning fees as they sent out cleaners half a dozen times to try to clean up the spot. In the end, it was still visible, but not so bad to keep the house from selling. So, no harm, no foul.
After the stress of the viewing and all the live call-ins, we moved on to the after party. Fortunately, it was located right here at our house. Fun was had by all as many of us were introduced to Guitar Hero and had a blast.
To all of you who have sent your comments or called and given us your best, we truly appreciate it. It keeps us going through the tough times and inspires us to get people to work on our house for free in front of cameras yet again. Nothing in the works, but we are always taking offers. ;-)
Happy New Year! Much love to all!
jak
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Is Winter a season?
What is it that people have against sunshine and warmth every day? It blows my mind. I honestly can't believe the number of people I have heard say "I miss the seasons" or "you gotta love the seasons" or "can I get some more seasoning on this steak?" It really is ridiculous. I can only guess that they are NOT referring to winter as a season. Because Winter sucks. I mean really sucks. "Oh honey, look...its snowing...we are going to have a White Christmas this year!"...well, you are also going to have a white January 2nd and there might be some frozen rain thrown in there...the power might go out...the satellite dish might freeze and lose power...the roads might become so treacherous that you can't drive around town to get anything done...your kids school might get cancelled so you lose that 5 hours of freedom...and, oh yeah, you might get a cold that lasts 3 months. But, hey, what a beautiful, joyous white f'ing Christmas. Are you kidding me? I mean, let's be real about this. If you ever get an inkling to say "I love seasons" say "I love spring" Or say "I love the fall leaves" or something like that. Because I can almost guarantee that you don't love seasons...you love spring...you love to see the leaves change colors...but you f'ing hate winter. And you might really hate the intense heat of summer in some places. But, come on. If you really had the choice...if you could live anywhere you wanted...you would live somewhere warm. And you would visit New York in the Spring....and visit Boston for a long weekend in October...and that would suffice for your "seasons".
By the way, it was 16 degrees when I left Tulsa this morning and 22 degrees when I got to Memphis...not that that has anything to do with my post. :-)
Much love to all and a very happy (and WARM) new year!
jak
By the way, it was 16 degrees when I left Tulsa this morning and 22 degrees when I got to Memphis...not that that has anything to do with my post. :-)
Much love to all and a very happy (and WARM) new year!
jak
